I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 247

"No, I'm not on my period. I was just thinking about the different types of tomatoes. I might prefer vegetables."

Kirishima Mai's face turned slightly red. Although they were all friends, she still felt shy saying it directly.

You can faintly hear Kuno Tachibana's relieved sigh as she stands up and tidies up the lunchbox:

"You scared me! I'll go wash the lunchbox. Zhenyi, see you at our usual spot after you finish eating."

..

"...Hmm." Kirishima Mai nodded.

Kuno Tachibana took the lunchbox out of the classroom and headed to the home economics classroom to wash it, since that was the only place that had dish soap.

She wasn't sure if Zhenyi would give it her all tomorrow.

But the happiest thing for me, besides being with my teacher Kitahara, is being on the national stage with my friends on the Soli stage.

"Am I not Zhenyi's good friend?"

This thought suddenly popped into Kuno Tachika's mind: if she was a good friend to her, she would definitely do her best, right?

Mai went easy on Nagase-senpai last time because she felt she couldn't beat her.

But if she goes easy on me again this time, it means that last time was just an excuse for not wanting to improve.

Upon reaching the first floor and turning right, everything suddenly went black, and my forehead slammed directly into a solid chest.

"Ugh!" Kuno Tachibana gripped the lunchbox tightly in his hand.

"I'm sorry, are you alright?" Kitahara Hakuba quickly raised his hand and gently rubbed her smooth forehead.

Kuno Tachibana was about to yell, "Don't touch me without permission!", but upon closer inspection, he realized that the person he had bumped into was Kitahara Hakuba, and sighed inwardly.

Luckily, she didn't bump into any other boys.

"No, it's just that if the lunchbox is opened, it's troublesome to clean up," Kuno Tachibana said with a smile.

"It's good that you're alright." Kitahara Hakuma almost instinctively patted her head and said, "Be careful when you walk, don't get distracted." "Okay."

Kitahara Hakuba smiled and went upstairs.

Luck.

Kuno Tatsuka, who was muttering to himself and seemed quite amused, suddenly stopped after walking a few steps.

In front of the vending machine, Eri Kanzaki held a carton of strawberry milk in her hands, her lips unconsciously curving upwards with a hint of innocence and fascination.

The gaze emanating from her clear eyes was as if she were admiring a rare treasure, and her breathing became soft, her whole being immersed in silent joy.

"What's so interesting about a carton of strawberry milk..."

1

Kuno Tachibana muttered to himself for a moment, then stepped forward to greet her, "Kansaki-senpai."

Kanzaki Eri snapped out of her daze, hid the strawberry milk behind her back like a treasure, and the smile on her face vanished.

"I'm not going to steal it..." Kuno Tachibana raised an eyebrow.

"Want to buy some water?"

Eri Kanzaki's small face was like the surface of a winter lake, without a ripple, her eyes reflecting no emotion whatsoever.

"Ah."

"Ooh ooh one"

Could it be that she just happened to get the last box? A secret thrill of joy.

Kuno Tachibana subconsciously glanced at the vending machine, and through the glass, he saw that there were countless strawberry milks inside, and they were all from the same brand.

Why is that one box so precious?

Chapter 199, Section 198: The Stubborn Oboe (4K)

The sky gradually turned a pale white, and the morning light shone through the thin clouds, giving everything a soft golden hue.

The day arrived for the national audition.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the members of the wind band gathered in the first music classroom.

Everyone's breathing became cautious, and the air was filled with a suffocating tension that seemed to crush every nerve.

When Kitahara Hakuba entered the staff office, he found that all the members had already arrived.

In the past, someone would greet him first.

But since today is the selection day, the silence in the air is like a stagnant pool, seemingly calm but with hidden undercurrents. I could easily be eliminated if I'm not careful, so I really don't feel like talking at all.

Kitahara Hakuba walked up to Yukawa Sakurako and asked softly, "Is everyone here?"

"Yes, there are ninety-eight people in total, and everyone is here." Sakurako Yukawa nodded.

She didn't really like auditions because they meant some members would be eliminated, which created some distance between them.

But as a minister, she understood that this was necessary; only by selecting the best of the best could they achieve the ultimate goal set in the spring.

Kitahara Hakuba smiled as he looked at the tense faces of the girls, and even the usually carefree boys were unusually serious.

"This is our wind band's last audition of the year, and everyone may be under a lot of pressure, but we've come this far, and I hope you can persevere."

"Yes!"

"No matter what, please concentrate fully on the audition, and show your best self to the band, to your friends, and to me."

"Yes!"

Since it was the last time, the team members' morale was extremely high. Sakurako Yukawa clenched her fists, her heart pounding wildly as if it were about to break free from the confines of her chest.

This is the last time...

At that moment, Sayaka Akamatsu placed her hand on her shoulder, smiled, and gave her a thumbs up, saying, "It's time to make arrangements."

Sakurako looked up and saw that Hakuma Kitahara was also smiling at her.

"Ah."

She let out a soft sigh, clapped her hands, and said...

"Alright! This audition isn't much different from the last one. We'll start at ten o'clock! The order of the audition parts is the same as last time! We'll start with the woodwind parts, then move on to the brass parts. Now everyone can start practicing individually or as a part!"

Just as the club members were about to leave the first music classroom, Kitahara Hakuba spoke up:

"Minister, may I say a few words?"

"of course can."

Kitahara Hakuba glanced at the girls playing the oboe and trumpet, and after a moment of silence, said:

"This freestyle piece features Soli for the trumpet and oboe sections. I plan to have all the members of Soli play together for a sound check." "Teacher Kitahara, what does 'play together for a sound check...' mean?"

Kitahara Hakuba spread his hands, making a meaningless gesture, and said:

"It might be a little hard to understand, but I will have the members participating in Soli repeatedly paired up for auditions, and then select the best members. After all, this is a conversational Soli, and I want to hear more and understand more."

Not only was Sakurako Yukawa stunned, but the club members were also taken aback, especially the girls who were planning to participate in the SoIi ranking competition.

From Kitahara-sensei's words, they could all understand one thing: the girls vying for the Soli position were now almost evenly matched in terms of ability.

Otherwise, why didn't we do this at the Hakodate Conference? Or at the National Conference of the Democratic Republic of Korea?

Because Kitahara Hakuba can no longer let them blow past one by one to detect Atsushi's strength and weakness, just like before.

Playing wind instruments cannot be accomplished by a single person alone; the skeleton, flesh, and skin are all indispensable. Only when they come together can they form a wondrous living entity.

"Now, for the trumpet and oboe, who wants to participate in Soli? Can you raise your hand?"

Kitahara Hakuba clasped his hands together, his expression seemingly calm, yet his clear eyes revealed a deep sense of anticipation.

To some of his subordinates who didn't know him, he seemed to be asking a question he already knew the answer to.

But only his members who have been with him since spring know that he hopes more members will challenge themselves and dare to compete for Soli's position.

Soon, Kuno Tachibana raised her arm straight up, her fingertips drawing a faint arc in the air, her eyes reflecting the girl's determination and persistence.

Beside her, Nagase Tsukiyo's hands unfolded like butterfly wings, slowly rising to their highest point, her fingers touching the gentle light and shadow.

Apart from them, no one else in the trumpet section raised their hand.

Kitahara Hakuba's gaze unconsciously fell on Amegami, but she already knew during the All-Do Tournament that Soli was hopeless. Faced with his gaze, she could only bite her lip and lower her eyes in guilt.

"I don't mean to blame you," Kitahara Hakuba thought to himself.

Unlike the trumpet section, this time all three oboes slowly raised their hands.

First it was Kana Eto, then Eri Kanzaki, and finally Mai Kirishima.

Unlike the other members who were surprised by Kana Eto's raised hand, Kami Takahashi showed a pleased expression that said, "I knew it."

Kitahara Hakuba looked at Eto Kana, whose face was tense, and a gentle smile appeared on his face:

"Okay, I understand. Please save the trumpet and oboe for last for the audition. The audition order for the remaining parts will not change. Everyone, let's get ready."

Immediately afterwards, hurried footsteps echoed in the classroom and corridor, and the girl's skirt swayed wildly.

Indoor shoes constantly made a screeching sound as they rubbed against the floor.

After each part was tuned, they began their individual practice, each with their own thoughts on the matter.

Soon, the members could be seen practicing in the corridors, stairwells, playground, and classrooms.

People who speak in the same voice are most afraid of running into each other somewhere at this time.

Normally, they would enjoy intimate moments with young girls, but now they wouldn't even dare to make eye contact, for fear of seeing the terrifying "I'm going to kill you" look in each other's eyes, let alone stay in the same room.

"Junior Eto, aren't you going to practice?"

Within the oboe and bassoon section, Watanabe Hama cast a suspicious glance at Eto Kana, who was alone.

Kuno and Kirishima are partners, Nagase and Kanzaki are partners, and both of their groups have already gone to practice, but Eto Kana is still alone in the practice room.

Kana Eto's face flushed, and she didn't know what to do with her hands and feet. She could only laugh awkwardly, trying to hide her inner panic.

I still prefer practicing alone...

I'm so envious of the bassoonists. In terms of both numbers and skill, Watanabe, the group leader, is practically guaranteed a solo spot in the A section.

"Is it because Amemori didn't participate in SoIi this time? You two used to practice together a lot, right?" Watanabe Hama asked bluntly.