I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 82

For him, Nagase Tsukiyo's return was dispensable; what mattered was still the thoughts within the brass band club.

"Oh, it actually has some weight to it."

This girl is quite strong.

Lift the dying rainbow lobster out of the styrofoam box and, without delay, begin to cut it open.

Since one person couldn't finish it, he first separated the shrimp body from the head. The rainbow lobster's meat was crystal clear and plump, looking just like lychee meat.

Hammer, knife, and scissors were used in turn to split and chop the shrimp heads, and to remove all the meat from the shrimp bodies to keep them fresh, so that they could eat together when Shinomiya Haruka arrived.

As for the chopped shrimp heads, he used them to make rice porridge.

The final result was very good, and the taste was delicious. However, it tasted no different from the lobster rice porridge that Kitahara Hakuba usually ate.

To put it simply, it's like not being able to taste the benefits of the money you've invested.

Chapter 92, Section 91: Hakodate Branch, Class A! List Announced!

It rained all day Saturday.

But the training of the Shin-hsu Wind Ensemble did not stop, not to mention that today was also the day the list of members for Squad A was announced.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the members gathered in the first music classroom, while a handful of boys were "herded" to the corner.

"It sounds like someone has smelly feet. Did their shoes get wet?"

Kuno Tachibana's small nose twitched incessantly, but her voice remained very soft.

Kirishima Mai believes that this is what makes her clever and adorable; although she is arrogant, she never makes fun of others.

"You keep smelling it even though it stinks, are you looking for masochism?" Nagasawa Mia said, confused. "I'm just checking!" Kuno Tachibana lowered his head, looking at Nagasawa Mia's black stockings, and said, "Tell me, is it yours?"

"How could that be? I just got a new one this morning."

"I don't believe you unless I smell it."

She made a move to squat down and smell it, which provoked Nagasawa Miya to immediately lock her neck:

"I already told you! I'm doing a great job here!"

"Aaaaaah~~~ Yu-chan~~ Miya is bullying me!"

However, Goto Yu just smiled wryly. Anyway, she didn't smell any foot odor. In fact, it smelled a little nice, because she noticed that many girls had washed their hair in the morning before coming.

She also prefers to use herbal shampoos.

"I'm a little nervous. I didn't participate in the auditions for the last music festival, so this is my first time." Goto Yu covered her chest with her hand, her expression completely different from usual.

Mia Nagasawa released Tachibana Kuno, who was practically sticking her tongue out from under her armpit, and said:

"Yeah, I'm just as nervous as Yu."

"Back then, Kitahara-sensei asked me to play the solo of the freestyle piece, and I was really scared to death."

"Huh? Wait a minute, did Kitahara-sensei ask you to do a solo back then?" Nagasawa Miya asked in surprise.

Goto Yu blinked her cute eyes, nodded, and said, "Yes, doesn't everyone have a clarinet?"

No name... After I finished playing the designated excerpt, Kitahara-sensei didn't let me play a solo.

"Yes." Nagasawa Miyako couldn't help but swallow.

"Huh?" Goto Yu tilted his head in confusion.

There was a difference between the two in Kitahara-sensei's mind, and upon realizing this, Nagasawa Miyako couldn't help but tighten her face.

They're dead. If what Kuno Tachibana once said really came true—one went in and one didn't...

if it is like this....

Thinking of this, Nagasawa Miya's heart tightened, she pursed her lips, and gripped her hands tightly.

"It's okay, if we don't get into A, we'll go to B."

Looking at her somewhat somber profile, Goto Yu said earnestly,

"Teacher Kitahara said that the B-class team can also compete in the National Tournament, and it seems that he was the one who trained them."

Kuno Tachibana, standing nearby, chuckled and rubbed his neck, saying:

"Miya, don't frown. It's kind of scary. It hasn't even been announced yet and you're already starting to have internal conflicts."

In a way, the flat-chested woman was right, so Nagasawa Mia simply bit her lip gently:

"I'm sorry, Yu."

It seems she unconsciously revealed her emotions; she really couldn't control her feelings.

"Talk? Why won't you apologize to me?" Kuno Tachibana said with a bitter face.

"Come in."

Kirishima Mai's gaze fell on the classroom door, where she saw Kitahara Hakuba walk in, followed by Yukawa Sakurako and Saito Haruka.

"Everyone, please stand in your assigned positions for the performance!" Sakurako Yukawa called out loudly, "And please don't make any noise!"

Under her direction, the group of about eighty people, who had originally been standing in groups by grade, stood up again in groups by vocal part.

Saito Harutori stood at the front and addressed the club members who were already in position:

"Next, Mr. Kitahara will announce the list of Group A. After that, please have the members of Group A stay behind, and the members of Group B go to the first audiovisual classroom to await Mr. Kitahara's instructions."

Members: "Yes!"

Sakurako Kawa continued, picking up where Saito left off:

"The weather forecast says there will be heavy rain in the next two days, with a large temperature difference between day and night. Please be careful on your way to and from school and keep warm. I hope everyone can practice diligently, but if it's really inconvenient to travel to and from school, please don't come. However, I still hope to see you all at school, because it seems the rain isn't really that heavy..."

Hearing her contradictory statement, many girls laughed out loud, and the members who were waiting for the results to be announced relaxed a little.

"I've finished speaking, Kitahara-sensei."

"Thank you for your hard work, Minister Yukawa and Vice Minister Saito."

Kitahara Hakuba revealed his usual gentle and cheerful smile, but it made the girls below feel a little uneasy.

"Thank you all for coming to school on Saturday. The weather is really bad today. After I announce the list and say a few more words, you can go back."

His words were actually meant to give them a rest and help them calm down after the selection process.

But no one answered; almost everyone had a tense expression.

Only Kanzaki Eri kept her head down, occasionally tucking her hair to the side. She seemed to be immersed in water, and the sound Kitahara Hakuba heard in her ears was muffled.

"Next, I will announce the list of Group A. Don't worry if your name is not called. I will also be in charge of Group B."

Kitahara Hakuba took a deep breath and said with a smile:

"And what was your answer to me?"

"Yes, it is!"

"There are 55 people in Section A, and 55 of them are qualified. When your name is called, you should respond loudly."

Yes, it is!

"At the same time, the selection results this time were chosen by me after a night of deliberation. I will not accept any objections. Those who did not make it into the A group should not be upset. As a member of the wind band, one failure does not mean that there will be no opportunities in the future, understand?"

Before it began, Kitahara Hakuba had been giving them psychological counseling, but his words only made the girls' hearts beat even faster than before.

"It's a bit like when I was a kid watching a variety show, and GG would suddenly pop up at a crucial moment," Kuno Tachibana couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

"puff--"

"Haha, it does look a bit like it."

Her words immediately caused bursts of laughter to erupt in the music classroom, but the laughter quickly subsided.

Kitahara Hakuba laughed for a while, then clapped his hands and continued in a generous tone:

"Now we're announcing the list, starting with the small group."

This year's trumpet section has a total of seven people. According to the section arrangement announced some time ago, five people can join the trumpet section, and only two people will be eliminated.

"Third grade, Rain Guard,"

"Yes!"

Hearing Yushou's resolute voice, Kuno Tachika unconsciously looked to her side and noticed that Yushou's hand, which was tightly gripping the hem of her skirt, was trembling slightly.

"Third grade, Komatsu Tamari."

"Yes!"

"Third grade, Takahashi Ruka."

"Yes!"

"Second grade, Sunflower Junxia."

"Yes Yes!"

"First year, Kuno Tachibana."

"Yes!"

"Trumpet part, that's all."

The mere announcement of the A-group composition for the trumpet section was enough to create an unusual atmosphere in the classroom.

Some got what they wanted, while two others were dropped from the list, some even covering their faces and crying out loud, which made the other voices even more distraught.

“Next, the bass section, starting with the euphonium,” Kitahara Hakuba continued.

The euphonium occupies only two parts in the arrangement, as does the tuba, and the cello is played by one person.

The bass section has a total of twelve people, but only five can make it in. More than half of them are eliminated, making it the most competitive section.

"Three years, Saito Haruka."

"Yes!"

"Three years, Yuka Isomoto."

Yuka Isomoto, who had thought it was hopeless, stood there stunned. The moment she heard her name called, she couldn't even believe it was real.

The comforting thought that had been lingering in her mind for several days—"Even if I get a B-level position, I'll keep working hard!"—was hard to shake off.