20demayo Page 376
Page 376
"Can we win? Can we really win this time?"
"It's definitely possible! The final oboe and trumpet solo was absolutely amazing!"
"More than that! I think the freestyle is absolutely fantastic!"
"I feel like I've burned out completely:"
"When will the awards ceremony be held?! I'm so excited!"
"It's only 9:18 now. There are 15 schools this morning, so the celebrations will probably last until a little after 1 p.m., and the awards ceremony will probably be at 1:30 p.m.
The members finally regained their usual liveliness and started chattering, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere of the surrounding school.
At this moment, with her face flushed, Yukawa Sakurako suppressed her inner turmoil and said to her club members:
"Now everyone should leave the clubhouse and gather with the other members outside. The instruments can be loaded directly onto the truck. There is still some time before the final awards are announced, so everyone can use this time to do what they like."
"Yes!"
The club members instinctively shouted, startling Sakurako Yuukawa, who quickly raised her index finger and grinned, saying:
"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
The girls smiled, showing their teeth, and also raised their index fingers:
"Oh oh shh shh shh: "
Sakurako's nose tingled with emotion. She looked around at the students from other schools, and without exception, they all cast wary glances her way.
An indescribable sense of pride spread throughout my body, from my skin to my bones.
My heart started to feel numb.
If Shenxu fails to win gold this year, she will probably never forget this day.
Everyone has given their all in this match, and we deserve a wonderful result.
Suzuki Yoshie raised her right hand in a pitiful manner, showing them her middle finger which was still trembling, and said in a mournful voice that Kitahara-sensei had given them an excessive amount of vibrato on the recorder.
At that moment, Kuno Tachibana walked directly to Kitahara Hakuba's side, carrying his trumpet, and gently patted Kitahara Hakuba's shoulder with one hand in a cat-punch gesture, saying:
"Teacher Kitahara, how did Shin-ah perform this time? Will you accept him?"
Kitahara Hakuba turned his head, grasped Kuno Tachibana's slender wrist with one hand, and said with a relieved and clear smile:
Of course, in my eyes, Shenxu is second to none.
Upon hearing his words, the members' faces lit up with excitement, and they felt an unprecedented sense of accomplishment.
At the same time, they finally realized that Ichigami Asahi's final performance had come to an end.
Chapter 281. 280. National Tournament! The Girl After the Performance (5K)
All members of the Shin-Asahi Brass Band walked out of the Utsunomiya City Cultural Center.
The instant you step outside, every breath of oxygen cleanses your lungs, bringing the endless freshness and vitality of autumn.
People from Department B came up to greet them and hugged those they knew. Even before the winners were announced, some of the girls had already started crying.
There was a live broadcast on the NHK screen outside, and they could see the performance of Arrangement A, which was undoubtedly exciting.
"Wow, this screen is even clearer than the one from the All-Out Tournament! Is this... is this really me?!"
"Haha, you look like you can't breathe, your eyes are so wide open."
"Shouldn't you be paying attention to the tone I'm producing?"
"The oboe and trumpet solos sound so beautiful, I want to play a solo next year too!"
The NHK screen was playing back close-ups of previous performances, and each time the girls saw a familiar face on the screen, they would erupt in cheers.
Nagase Tsukiyo walked out with her trumpet in both hands, looking at the cheering club members on the field, the lingering sound of the performance in her mind never fading.
She couldn't believe that her goal of standing on the national stage, which she had fought for but had to give up halfway through, had been achieved today.
Upon noticing this, the girl's body felt weak, and she longed to fall into a deep sleep and then, upon waking, return to the day when Kitahara-sensei came.
Why do I have such thoughts? Is it because I lack the courage to look forward?
Nagase Tsukiyo gently bit her lower lip; it shouldn't be like that.
She just didn't want this moment to leave her, or for Kitahara-sensei to leave her.
Now I can fully understand the feeling of always being reluctant to let go of someone from the past.
At that moment, Kitahara Hakuba followed and saw her standing there alone.
"Nagase-san?"
His voice brought Nagase Tsukiyo back to her senses.
"Teacher Kitahara."
"what happened?"
Nagase Tsukiyo frowned deeply and sighed softly, "No, it's just that my heart is still beating erratically."
"It's good that you're jumping around like that," Kitahara Hakuba said with a smile.
The girl hesitated for a moment, then gave him a gentle smile and said:
"Thank you, Kitahara-sensei. I don't think I'll ever forget you."
She turned and left after she finished speaking, but today her single ponytail became the culprit for hiding her love, revealing her ears that she usually hid under her long hair.
The red color is crystal clear.
Because of a single sentence from Nagase Tsukiyo, Kitahara Hakuba felt a surge of inexplicable emotions.
He took a deep breath, and his gaze shifted to Kuno Tachibana and Kirishima Mai, who were embracing each other.
Their school uniforms and competition uniforms looked particularly striking.
It's unclear what they were talking about, but Kitahara Hakuba's desire for Kirishima Mai to perform on stage will never change.
"You look so cute in a tuxedo!" A familiar voice came from behind him. He turned around and saw that it was Shinomiya Haruka walking over.
Kitahara Hakuba laughed and said, "I don't think this dress can be associated with cuteness."
"Kitahara-kun! You're simply a genius!" Ashida Seiko exclaimed from the side. "Even I, someone who knows nothing about playing wind instruments, am amazed by your skill!"
"No, I played a very small role in this performance; it was mainly the members who made the difference."
Ashida Seiko rested her chin on one hand and said, "I think Kitahara-kun would be more charming if he were a little more arrogant!"
"He's perfect like this." Shinomiya Haruka waved her hand dismissively, straightening the bow tie on his collar, and said, "Are you going back today?"
Kitahara Hakuba nodded:
"The awards ceremony will be held at noon for the first half of the event, but if they want to hear performances from other schools, they can stay."
After all, they are far away in Hokkaido, and it is a rare opportunity for them to hear performances by a group of top schools.
"By the way, how did you do?" he continued.
“Perfect, absolutely perfect,” said Haruka Shinomiya.
Kitahara Hakuba gazed at her face, reached out and gently brushed the bangs from her forehead, and chuckled softly:
"Is there any reward?"
"what do you want?"
"I haven't thought of anything yet. Could you stay a little longer?"
Shinomiya Haruka glared at him with a "you wish!" look, but still said:
"Okay, I'll satisfy you."
"Damn it! I should have brought my boyfriend too!" Ashida Seiko clenched her fists.
The three adults were chatting, and the girls in the brass band would occasionally glance at them, a strange and elusive feeling welling up inside them.
Saito Harutori, who was beside her, keenly caught her words, lowered his eyelids slightly, and whispered beside her:
"Just pretend it doesn't exist."
"Well-"
A girlish, uncoordinated sob escaped Yuka Isomoto's throat. She turned her head slightly, gazing at the stunningly beautiful and enigmatic profile of Haruto.
Saito Haruka held a silver euphonium, the tube casting a distorted reflection on her face.
"Thinking too much makes people uncomfortable. We have no choice, and neither does Professor Shinomiya."
Yuka Isomoto couldn't help but swallow. She roughly understood what Harutori meant: "Let's just continue liking each other. Don't consider other factors. The decision is entirely in his hands."
Should she say that Harutori's idea was headstrong or overly selfish, treating Shinomiya-sensei as if she didn't exist?
Yuka Isomoto doesn't quite understand yet.
"After we settle the instruments, let's go for a walk around the neighborhood. Maybe we can buy some CDs that interest us," Saito Harutori said.
Yuka Isomoto nodded, unable to suppress her emotions, and glanced again at Kitahara-sensei, who was chatting with two women.
I really want to know what he's like when he's in his free time.
He even wanted to experience what it felt like for the teachers of the Fourth Battalion to be caressed by him:
Am I just a girl who only daydreams?
With that thought in mind, Yuka Isomoto sighed deeply and followed Haruka Saito toward the truck.
"It seems smaller than Nagoya!"
"That's right, I still prefer the white equestrian statue."
The bus from Kitauji arrived at the Utsunomiya City Cultural Center.
Since Kumiko Oumae became Kitauji's vice advisor, relieving pressure on Taki-sensei, Kitauji has made it into the national tournament for three consecutive years.
After getting off the bus, the minister was maintaining order. They were the twelfth to perform, and it was almost the end of the first half of the performance. The participating students were excitedly chatting in the square.
Kumiko Oumae looked around and could only see the bus of the Shin-Asahi Brass Band and girls in competition uniforms walking around.
A girl as delicate as a doll sat on the artificial turf with another beautiful girl with a serene appearance, but strangely, neither of them spoke.