I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 162

A short while later, a carton of strawberry milk was dispensed from the vending machine.

"Teacher Kitahara, aren't you going to drink?" Nagase Tsukiyo asked.

"I just came out for some fresh air."

"Breathable?"

"Some of the boys are playing too loudly, and I can't stand it for a while, so I come out for some fresh air since I can't sleep," Kitahara Hakuba said.

"Ah...I see."

Nagase Tsukiyo removed the straw, aligned it, and inserted it.

"Speaking of which, when we were getting ready to sleep, the boys downstairs were still making a lot of noise."

Kitahara Hakuba paused for a moment, then said, "Sorry, it was my fault for not managing things properly."

"It's alright, Kitahara-sensei probably wasn't there at the time." Nagase Tsukiyo gave him a sweet smile.

“Actually, I’ve always been here…” Kitahara Hakuba scratched his cheek a little embarrassedly.

He had just graduated from university, and male high school students are actually at the age when they are most likely to "go crazy," and he was immediately drawn into the fun.

Nagase Tsukiyo blinked blankly, recalling the strange lines the boys downstairs had been saying. The thought that Kitahara-sensei might be saying the same things made her suddenly cover her mouth and burst out laughing.

"Pfft—"

"what happened?"

Nagase Tsukiyo's long eyelashes frame her full, rounded lower eyelids when she smiles.

"No, I just felt that Kitahara-sensei was also a boy."

...Does this mean I don't look like a boy?

No, that's not what I meant.

Nagase Tsukiyo couldn't help but laugh out loud again. Every time she spent with Kitahara Hakuba, she felt much more relaxed, and a clear and sincere feeling would rise in her heart.

"Yu Xiang told me today that she and Qing Niao have settled their differences."

She was surprised that she could say those words so easily in front of Kitahara Hakuba.

Kitahara Hakuba actually already knew about this; it was Saito Harutori who personally told him.

What surprised him was that Nagase Tsukiyo actually waited for Yuka to tell her about this.

"No matter what, we must look forward. After all, unpleasant memories can limit a person's abilities and performance. Time is running out."

Nagase Tsukiyo's face flushed. Every time she was in his presence, her heart felt like a flower without petals, its stamen exposed to his gaze.

"You noticed it all..."

“I’ve been watching you closely, and it would be my fault if I hadn’t noticed,” Kitahara Hakuba said.

Nagase Tsukiyo's heart was in turmoil, and she was a little embarrassed to look at his face, so she just took a sip as usual.

Strawberry milk tastes very sweet, and after swallowing it, a subtle aftertaste lingers on the taste buds, which is very pleasant.

"Teacher Kitahara, has Haruno come to see you recently?" she asked.

It's not just that they did it; it's practically like they were checking up on you.

But Kitahara Hakuba didn't choose to tell the truth, instead casually saying, "I occasionally get the hang of things."

"Hmm...:..." Nagase Tsukiyo swallowed hard, her mouth moving faster than her thoughts. "If Harutori comes back, Kitahara-sensei, will you isolate her?"

Kitahara Hakuba looked at her and smiled:

“In my ideal wind band club, I don’t want the members to have such unnecessary concerns.”

Nagase Tsukiyo likes this approach of using words to probe into the other person's true feelings, as it is the simplest way to achieve resonance with the other person.

That tenderness seemed to seep into Nagase Tsukiyo's heart, and at that moment, a feeling that was neither terrifying nor pleasurable passed over her back.

At that moment, the sound of a police siren, which I didn't know I had heard before, rang in my mind, like the piercing alarm of a train about to pass by on a level crossing.

"I'll be going now. Kitahara-sensei, please get some rest," Nagase Tsukiyo said.

"OK, good night."

"Good night."

Kitahara Hakuba watched the girl in the nightgown turn away, bought a bottle of water, gulped it down, and returned to the boys' dormitory.

Tenkai Cang's snoring had stopped, and he returned to his bed and lay down.

Kitahara Hakuba woke up naturally at five o'clock the next morning.

I was thinking of turning off the alarm clock set for 7 o'clock, but then I thought that the boys might be too lazy to get out of bed, so I just left it on.

The air conditioning inside was very strong, and all eight boys were wrapped up like dumplings.

Logically speaking, 25 degrees Celsius is already quite comfortable, but the boys like to lower the air conditioner temperature to around 21 degrees Celsius and then sleep wrapped up tightly.

Kitahara Hakuba quietly left the room, finished washing up, and came outside.

The forest air was fresh in the early morning. He took a deep breath, and his lungs swelled instantly. Every alveolus seemed to be rejoicing at inhaling the clean air.

I was originally planning to go back to Tokyo to visit my younger sister this summer vacation, but unfortunately, I have to deal with the brass band.

I've decided. I'll win the gold medal at the national competition this year, then resign and take a break. I'll come back later and see if Shenxu High School still wants me.

It's fine if he doesn't want it; with his leadership skills, schools all over the country would be vying for him.

The biggest difference between the teachers and students is that no one cares what you do here; you can ignore the dormitory handbook.

The ban on leaving the house is ineffective against him.

Shinomiya Haruka had already changed into sportswear and was wearing a baseball cap when she met up with him.

It's still early, so we can easily climb Huishan Mountain once and then come down, since the mountain isn't very high.

"It's so nice to go out with my boyfriend to see the scenery, and then have to wait until his girls are asleep," said Shinomiya Haruka.

"..." Kitahara Hakuba looked troubled. "Well, I can't help it then. Going out at night is too dangerous. This isn't Mount Hakodate; there are no lights here at night."

Shinomiya Haruka held his arm and said:

"Just kidding, hurry up and go."

Time was of the essence, so the two of them took a bottle of water and headed towards Huishan Forest.

In my ears, I heard the fluttering of birds and the gurgling of water flowing over the pebbles. Some creature darted out of the grass and disappeared into another lush forest.

The two rested briefly on a wide-open riverbank and took photos to commemorate the occasion.

Kitahara Hakuba took a sip of the stream water. It wasn't as sweet as described in the book, and it had no taste, but it was indeed very refreshing and cool.

Further up, we arrived at the Straits Observation Deck halfway up the mountain. The sun cast brilliant morning glow over the sea, and the shimmering waves on the surface resembled billions of fish scales.

"Good morning!" Kitahara Hakuba shouted.

Because it was so wide, there was no echo.

After resting for a while, walk uphill for a short distance to reach Huishan Observatory, where the view is even clearer, and the morning sunlight feels very comfortable on your face.

After taking some photos and sharing a symbolic kiss on the mountaintop with Shinomiya Haruka, the two of them descended the mountain together.

It was past seven o'clock when they returned to the training camp. Kitahara Hakuba took a shower and went back to the restaurant for dinner. The restaurant was already full of members of the brass band, all eating nervously.

But as soon as they saw Kitahara Hakuba come in to eat, they knew there was no need to rush.

"Teacher Kitahara, you're up really late." Kuno Tachibana sat down next to him with breakfast on the plate, which contained bacon, fried eggs, and sausage.

Kirishima Mai also sat down, with a small tomato on her plate:

"Did Kitahara-sensei go hiking today?"

Kitahara Hakuba nodded and said, "Yes, I was wondering when I could get here, so I got up early to climb the mountain."

"Hmm, why didn't Kitahara-sensei call me?" Kuno Tachika said dejectedly. "I also want to go hiking."

“If you want to go hiking, let’s go together tomorrow morning.” Nagasawa Miya and Goto Yuya sat down.

In just two minutes, Kitahara Hakuba was surrounded by girls again.

"That estimate won't work," Kitahara Hakuba said directly.

"why?"

"That's the rule. If you go out, I can't guarantee your safety."

"Then, Mr. Kitahara, can you take us with you?"

"I've seen this scenery once, so I'm not particularly interested anymore."

"This kind of attitude towards life won't do, Kitahara-sensei."

Kuno Tachibana puffed out his "proud" chest and said, "Everything needs to be experienced slowly. You can't feel its beauty just once. Many things need to be savored many times to understand their true meaning and feel the mystery of all things!"

"Is that why you always sleep in Mayi's bed?" Nagasawa Mia complained.

Kirishima Mai gave a wry smile. Her sleep quality last night was indeed a bit poor, but thankfully she had prepared herself mentally, so it wasn't too bad.

"In short, you are not allowed to go hiking."

No matter how much Kuno Tachika pleaded, he couldn't get through to her.

After finishing his meal, Kitahara Hakuba headed towards the concert hall, ready to begin the brass band's practice.

The morning training was still full-part ensemble practice, and in the afternoon he allowed the students to arrange their own time, whether to practice individually or in parts, and let them decide for themselves.

Most people choose to practice freely rather than in sections, each finding their own little space to start playing.

Some members were planning to take a break, but when they found that their fellow members were still practicing, they didn't dare to go and rest.

As night fell, the atmosphere at dinner became increasingly tense, unlike in the morning, as if a string could snap at any moment.

Especially for the brass instrument club members, with nearly a hundred members, today Kitahara Hyakuma will only first decide the A-level brass instrument team. For these few people, the war has begun.

Chapter 145, Section 144: Training Camp: Not Being Able to Play a Solo is a Waste of Life (4K)

The audition was held in a small concert hall, which contained nothing more than the music stands and chairs of the selected candidates, as well as the tables and chairs of Kitahara Hakuba and Shinomiya Haruka.

"It feels like a recruitment drive."

Shinomiya sat beside him, watching him flip through the printed papers on the table.