I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 170

Sakurako placed the clarinet on her lap and looked at the suddenly empty concert hall. Suddenly, the chair she was used to sitting in felt strangely unfamiliar.

But this was all Kitahara-sensei's decision; she had already spoken with the executives and assured them that she wouldn't question it in any way.

Accept all.

Kitahara Hakuba stood on the conductor's podium, seemingly waiting for something, and the concert hall was shrouded in silence.

For some reason, Yukawa Sakura felt a sense of fear towards the seemingly still air.

Kitahara Hakuba remained silent for a while, and seeing that Kuno Tachibana showed no reaction, he said helplessly:

"The trumpet section, change positions according to the selection list."

Upon hearing this, Kuno Tachibana's throat, visible through his collar, twitched slightly, and a look of resentment flashed across his face.

As per the previous arrangement, the soloist was required to be positioned close to the conductor in order to ensure the best possible tone.

Meanwhile, on the oboe section, Eri Kanzaki and Mai Kirishima had already switched positions.

Right now, the oboe closest to Kitahara Hakuba is Kanzaki Eri, who is playing solo; she seems to really like this position.

Nagase Tsukiyo didn't know what to say, her brows drooping, so she simply raised her hand and said:

"Teacher Kitahara, things are actually fine as they are now..."

7

However, while this statement sounds like it's meant to be considerate, it can easily be interpreted as sarcasm or sympathy, since the arrangement was decided long ago.

"No."

Kitahara Hakuba shook his head and said bluntly, "We need to replace it quickly and not waste time."

Seeing his resolute attitude, those who stayed behind were even more convinced that the so-called "favoritism" towards Kuno Tachibana did not exist in his heart at all.

Kuno Tachibana took a deep breath, stood up while holding the trumpet, his black sweatpants were badly wrinkled at the knees.

"Nase-senpai, let's change quickly. If we waste everyone's already limited practice time, I'll really become a sinner."

Although Kuno Tachibana said it in a joking tone, Nagase Tsukiyo still caught the resentment that slipped through her lips.

Under the watchful eyes of the club members, the two switched seats. Kuno Tachika had never sat there before, and for a moment he felt his face burning. The emotion that welled up was more like anxiety than anger.

"Alright, get ready, let's begin the ensemble."

"Yes!"

The practice for the new A section starts directly with two pieces in ensemble. Everyone here has the highest instrumental skill level in their respective sections, so the practice progress is much faster than if there were more than ninety people together.

"The clarinet's high-pitched vibrato needs a bit more tension, otherwise it will sound a bit out of place when contrasting with the brass's loud notes. The contrast here is one to one."

"Marimba, these few measures are crucial. You need to have a sense of rhythm, adjust your breathing, and don't rush the beat. Try playing a roll on your own."

"The first part of the trumpet...: I shouldn't be too harsh, but the tempo here is a bit fast, and the harmony of the second and third parts can't keep up, so the tone sounds a bit rough."

The members were already used to Kitahara Hakuba's nitpicking, so there was nothing to say; they could just change it.

"Keep listening to the slogans, Part Three begins, one, two, one, two, three, four, one—"

Following Kitahara Hakuba's baton, the sound of the flute first emerged in the concert hall, followed by woodwind instruments such as the clarinet, with delicate and tender melodies piling up one after another.

The trumpet's numbing tone intertwines with it, while the rest of the brass instruments weave the harmony between the two, creating an unparalleled synergy.

The percussion section here is much more relaxed; to put it bluntly, some parts are over-resourced while others are under-resourced.

The practice session didn't end until lunch break.

As Kitahara Hakuba announced the disbandment, everyone stood up from their chairs, and before leaving, each person would bow to the trumpet section.

Nagase Tsukiyo went up to Kanzaki Eri first, and they left the concert hall together.

"See you this afternoon." Kanzaki Eri waved gently to Kitahara Hakuba.

"Well, see you in the afternoon."

After Kitahara Hakuba finished speaking, he looked at Kuno Tachibana, whose mouth seemed to be sewn shut. He showed no favoritism whatsoever; Nagase Tsukiyo's handling of the florid embellishments was indeed better than hers.

If you gave her a mint now, she probably wouldn't be happy.

As for Kirishima Mai's failure to be selected, he believes it's because the girl was re-enacting the role of Kanzaki Eri.

But she was even more shrewd, and she made very few details about letting him go. Apart from him, it was hard for outsiders to hear anything, as if it was meant specifically for him to hear.

"Tachibana, are you alright...?" Goto Yu asked, stepping forward with a worried expression.

Unlike usual, Nagasawa Miyako didn't joke with her. Instead, she gently patted her back and said:

"Try harder next time, there will be other opportunities, we're only in first grade."

Kuno Tachibana took a deep breath and forced a smile, saying:

"It's nothing, nothing at all, but please don't talk about it anymore, the more you talk about it, the more upset I feel."

Even when she was smiling, she looked very stiff.

"Let's eat."

"No, I don't really want to eat. I'd rather take a nap."

Kuno Tachibana exuded an aura of "let me be alone." She looked up at Kitahara Hakuba as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately gave up.

After leaving the concert hall, while the club members were eating in the cafeteria, Kuno Tachibana returned to his dormitory alone and, as if in revenge, turned on the air conditioner, setting the temperature to nineteen degrees Celsius.

If I don't get under the covers soon, I feel like I'm going to collapse.

When the results were announced, sympathetic glances kept falling on Kuno Tachibana, something she would never normally receive.

Just as I was taking off my shoes and getting into bed, a voice suddenly sounded behind me.

"Lihua, even though we only practice for two hours this afternoon, I think it would be better to go eat."

Hearing the voice behind him, Kuno Tachibana quickly turned around.

Standing at the door was Kirishima Mai, wearing her school sports uniform with prominent white stripes on the sides of her pants.

Amidst a sea of ​​flamboyant teenage fashion shows, Kirishima Mai stands out as an anomaly, concealing her curvaceous figure beneath tacky sportswear.

"I already said I wasn't going to eat it." Kuno Tachibana, like a rebellious child, crawled directly into the blankets.

Kirishima Mai squatted down, took off her shoes, and stepped onto the tatami mat with her white socks. She knelt down beside Kuno Tachibana's bed and said:

"It's really a pity that it was a solo performance."

"Ah... please, Mai, stop talking." Kuno Tachibana's muffled voice came from under the covers. "Nase-senpai is indeed very strong."

After a moment of silence, Kirishima Mai lay down beside her and said:

"Let's work hard together next time. If we don't make it to the national competition, there's always next year or the year after."

There was no response from under the covers. She turned her head, gently lifted a corner of the blanket, and before she could see the girl's face clearly in the light, she spoke.

"Makoto, do you really not care at all about solo performances?"

After a moment, Kirishima Mai said, "I've been trying, but Eri-senpai is stronger than me."

“You don’t seem sad at all, you just don’t care. You told me last time that you would win, but you still couldn’t win the oboe solo.”

"

Kirishima Mai did indeed say that. She quickly looked away, unsure of what to say.

Just then, Kuno Tachibana suddenly lifted the blanket and swallowed Kirishima Mai, who was lying next to him, like a monster opening its mouth.

The two were huddled under the same blanket, very close together, and could feel each other's hot breath on their cheeks.

With the faint light filtering in from above, Kirishima Mai could vaguely glimpse the outline of her face.

Small and cute, yet revealing a tenacious will that contradicts its cuteness, but the slightly furrowed brows seem to be making a final struggle.

"Mai, have you always thought I'm no match for Nagase-senpai? When you said you couldn't imagine me not playing a trumpet solo, were you just trying to comfort me?"

Kuno Tachibana's lowered voice carried a hint of oppression, leaving Kirishima Mai no room to refute, and she could only meet her eyes.

The cold air from the air conditioner blew in from all directions, and as if seeking warmth, Kuno Tachibana's face slid towards Kirishima Mai's chest. "But you... don't you really feel resentful?"

Kuno Tachibana took a deep breath, trying to compose herself, but couldn't help crying. She buried her face in her chest and said through gritted teeth,

"I'm not reconciled to this, I'm not reconciled to this...!"

The voice, as if squeezed from the depths of her heart, was deeply imprinted in Kirishima Mai's mind.

She didn't care about the result because she didn't care whether she was a soloist or not, and she had never deeply experienced the "solo pride" unique to wind instrument players.

Realizing she couldn't share the same feelings as her, Kirishima Mai didn't know how to respond.

Chapter 150, Page 149: Goodbye at the Training Camp (4K)

The training camp, the canteen.

"Speaking of which, what exactly is the relationship between Tsukiyo and Eri now?"

"What kind of relationship?"

"Don't you find it strange that the two of them only get together when they're playing together, and rarely stick together?"

Is that strange?

"Of course it's strange. When Amemori and Eto play together, they often discuss things together, and Kuno and Kirishima do the same, but they are the only ones who don't."

"It's probably because of the Cold War."

"cold war?"

"Yeah, it doesn't look like they're arguing, but it's like they're having a cold war, and the ensemble is like a meeting of leaders on the international stage."

"This metaphor is completely nonsensical."

"In short, it's probably for various reasons."

"What are the different kinds?"

"There are all sorts of them."

"That's it."

"that is it."

"Oh, I see..."