I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 202

However, it's good to help them calm down, since listening to other schools play makes them even more nervous.

Kitahara Hakuba entered the concert hall alone, as the audience seats were already full.

But it doesn't matter, as he is the commander of the participating school, he can go directly to the second floor to watch.

But the location we found was terrible, it was on the edge.

"Next up is a performance by the No. 13 Kitami Branch Representative, the Shinno High School Concert Band."

"Perform designated piece No. 1, and the free composition 'The Triangle Hat' by Harunori Ishizutani, conducted by..."

It is the same theme song as Shenxu High School. Free Song is a wind instrument with a strong national flavor and is a regular at wind instrument competitions.

But being a regular means having higher expectations, because the judges have heard so many performances that it's easy to compare them to the impressions made by top schools.

"In the first year of high school, the brass band chose this free piece and won a bronze medal."

Suddenly, a delicate voice rang out behind Kitahara Hakuba. He turned around and found that it was Kanzaki Eri who had appeared at some point.

Kitahara Hakuba paused, then exclaimed in surprise,

"Kanzaki-san, when did you get here?"

Kanzaki Eri stared at him expressionlessly and said, "I came in with you."

"Huh?" Kitahara Hakuba didn't quite understand.

Eri Kanzaki's face looked somewhat sad, and she gently pursed her lips as she said:

"I've been following you the whole time, didn't you notice me?"

Her words truly baffled Kitahara Hakuba.

Keep following?

Kitahara Hakuba said incredulously, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

“Hmm… I thought you knew I was behind you.” Kanzaki Eri walked up and sat down next to him.

It was terrifying! He walked all the way from outside to the second floor of the concert hall without even noticing that there was a girl following him!

At that moment, the sound of brass and woodwind instruments filled the stage, and the performance began. Kitahara Hakuba unconsciously sang.

The three-minute theme song for Shino High School was well-prepared, with layers of brass timbre, but there was nothing particularly outstanding.

After the three-minute lesson, the freestyle section immediately began.

"You played the theme song quite well," Kitahara Hakuba said subconsciously.

Kanzaki Eri looked at his profile, then looked down at her brown loafers and said:

"We are better."

Kitahara Hakuba smiled and said, "Yes, you guys are better."

Eri Kanzaki's cherry-colored lips parted slightly, her delicate throat bobbing:

"Was my oboe playing the best today?"

"The competition isn't over yet," Kitahara Hakuba said in a fair tone.

Not receiving immediate comfort from him, Kanzaki Eri felt a little disappointed and subconsciously said:

"Then that wouldn't be the best."

3

Kitahara Hakuma paused for a moment, then leaned slightly forward and smiled at her:

"Kansaki-san's oboe is definitely the best among my collection."

"Hmm::"

Kanzaki Eri's eyes drooped, and the long skirt of her competition uniform concealed the girl's legs, only revealing the whiteness of her calves. "Really?"

“Of course it’s true,” Kitahara Hakuba emphasized. “Your oboe playing is the best I’ve ever heard.”

Eri Kanzaki tilted her pretty, adorable face up:

"The...reward?"

"award?"

Kitahara Hakuba tilted his head in confusion, not remembering making any agreement with Kanzaki Eri about a "reward".

"Ah."

Eri Kanzaki's face flushed slightly.

"I noticed that the head musician in the brass band said 'hug' when he came in this morning. I asked the club president, Akamatsu, and she said it meant mutual encouragement."

""

3

Kitahara Hakuba raised an eyebrow.

The intention behind "a loving hug" is good, but how could he do it?

Kanzaki Eri saw that he had a melancholy look on his face, tilted his head cutely, and his little ears looked very delicate.

"no?"

They're so cute that I don't know how to refuse them.

Kitahara Hakuba usually makes excuses by saying:

“Kanzaki-kun, if I only hugged you for a short distance, all the other students would ask to be hugged as well. Just think, there are over ninety people, how could the teacher possibly hug them all?”

I will not tell the world or others.

Kanzaki Eri stood up, obediently extending her arms, waiting for him to hug her, her delicate and pretty little face full of anticipation.

Kitahara Hakuba felt goosebumps rising on his skin and quickly reached out to grab her slender wrist and help her sit down.

"The teacher gives you his reward; whatever you want, the teacher will give you."

“A loving hug.”

...except for this one.

Kanzaki Eri frowned, looking quite troubled.

"But I have money, and I can buy whatever I want."

Chapter 170, Page 169: The Grand Assembly of the Entire Dao: Goodbye, Guardian of Copper, Xu (4K)

"Is there anything else, like things you want to do but are afraid to do, or places you want to go but are afraid to go?"

Kitahara Hakuba asked.

Kanzaki Eri stared intently at his face, her watery pupils seeming as if they were about to drip water.

“Kara OK,” she said.

"Kara0K?"

this one?

Eri Kanzaki nodded, her gaze fixed on the school playing music on the stage.

Kitahara Hakuba didn't expect it to be so simple. Editor B had Shinomiya Haruka to take to the competition, and coincidentally, he didn't have anything to do tomorrow.

Before we knew it, the twelve-minute performance was drawing to a close. The conductor's arm movements suddenly stopped, and applause rang out once again.

>

After all the school performances ended in the afternoon, the doors of the concert hall opened at the same time.

The audience, still wanting more, left one by one, while the students from various schools who had been waiting outside entered the concert hall again.

To find out the results of the competition, all the participants would gather inside the venue, and each school would voluntarily fence off a section of land, waiting for the results to be announced.

Meanwhile, the members of Section B were still unable to enter the hall, and Kana Eto and the others could only wait in the square to see the banners announced.

Kitahara Hakuba and Kanzaki Eri joined forces with the group from Kamisaki High School. Looking down, the space was divided into blocks of varying sizes due to the different colors of their uniforms.

There were so many people that it was practically impossible to find a good seat; even the aisles were full of students.

Since the list of those who advance to the national finals will only be announced in the afternoon, schools that finished their competitions in the morning must also stay behind.

Kitahara Hakuma stood behind them, the girls' single ponytails still up, revealing large expanses of their fair necks to his eyes.

On the stage, a whole row of golden trophies, decorated with red and white honorary ribbons, were displayed, shining like a miracle under the spotlight.

The results of the general assembly were announced in a more solemn manner than those of the branch assemblies, with a professional master of ceremonies announcing the names.

"I'm so nervous..."

"

Kurosawa Maki cupped her cheeks in her hands and said,

"No matter how many times I do the 478 breathing method, it's no use."

The first-year students around her, such as Kuno Tachibana and Nagasawa Miyabi, did not respond. Many of them closed their eyes tightly, letting their hearing dominate their senses.

"It's starting!" someone said nervously.

Everyone in the audience turned their attention to the stage.

Representatives from each school took to the stage in the order of their appearance, standing on the tiered steps at the back of the center of the stage, waiting for the emcee to call out their names.

When the members of Shin-Asahi saw Yukawa Sakurako and Akamatsu Sayaka come on stage, everyone was so nervous that they couldn't speak.

The two of them walked up the steps side by side and stood still.

“This is the third time…” Sakurako Yukawa murmured softly.

Sayaka Akamatsu stood tall and looked straight ahead, noticing the members of the Kamiya Wind Ensemble.

"So this is what it feels like to stand up here."

She had been working from below for the past two years, and this was the first time she had stood up as Shenxu's representative.

A Mediterranean man in a suit, who claimed to be from the Hokkaido Wind Orchestra Federation, gave a speech on stage, but no members listened; they were all waiting for the results to be announced.

He spoke for a long time before handing the list to the emcee.