dmims Page 24
Page 24
The two third-year students stood together. Kuno Tachibana hesitated for a moment, then jumped up and stood directly next to Shinomiya Haruka.
"Sister Shinomiya, you smell so good, what perfume are you wearing?"
"Perfume? I'm not wearing perfume."
"Wow, beautiful people really do have a natural fragrance."
"I feel quite embarrassed by what you're saying."
Saito Haruka slightly furrowed her brows and glared at Kuno Tatsuka with displeasure, saying:
"Kuno-senpai, don't be too rude."
"Oh, senior is so scary~~" Kuno Tachibana took the opportunity to hide behind Shinomiya Haruka.
"The reason we asked everyone to stay is to say that improving each other's skills is an urgent task for the brass band."
Kitahara Hakuba interjected directly,
"I will not allow any personal feelings to hinder the progress of the brass band. Please allow me to make a few decisions on my own. First, I will reassign the A-class roster based on their performance at the music competition."
"Redistribute?" Sakurako Yukawa's jade-like fingers pinched the hem of her skirt. "Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
Kitahara Hakuba's tone was solemn, carrying an unquestionable air:
“What’s wrong with that? Our school also ranks students for every exam, right? I know the third-year students might feel resentful, but as an advisor, please allow me to make this decision.”
"Yes, I agree with the teacher's arrangement."
Saito Haruka nodded, her lips curving into a half-smile, her uneven bangs casting shadows on her cheeks.
Kitahara Hakuba's gaze fell on her face; he had no idea what the vice minister was thinking.
Forget it, it's best to stay calm.
"The second thing is that, after yesterday's preliminary auditions for each section, I would like to ask Kuno to be the 1st in the trumpet section."
Chapter 28. I went out later because I didn't want to get ganged up on.
"Huh? I'm going to be the number one alt? Isn't that a bit unfair to the senior students?"
Kuno Tachibana feigned embarrassment, his gaze darting around as his slender fingers danced incessantly in the air.
"Kuno, stop putting on a show." Kitahara Hakuba glanced at her.
"Aww—" She covered her mouth with one hand and said with a half-smile, "Sorry, I'm too excited."
Sakurako Yukawa looked at Hakuba Kitahara with great difficulty and said:
"Why did you do this, teacher? Actually, many people in the trumpet group are practicing hard. They keep practicing even if no one appreciates them. For example, Terashima and Komori are both good at it, as is Amemori, the section leader. Under these circumstances, they should be the ones to take the position. But you chose Kuno instead. Isn't that too disrespectful to the others?"
Before Kitahara Hakuba could even begin to explain, Kuno Tachibana crossed his arms, his expression gradually hardening with displeasure.
"Hey Minister, I'm also a member of the brass band. Are you targeting me just because I've been here for a year? What is this? Is there no democracy in the band?"
Sakurako Yukawa seemed to feel misunderstood and blushed deeply, quickly saying:
"Kuno-senpai, I didn't mean anything by it. You play the trumpet very well, but the first trumpet player position should be given to a more experienced third-year student."
"What experience? You third-year students just want to experience being in the spotlight before you die. The trumpet player who deserves the most attention in the department can only be me, and the person standing in the center can only be me."
Kuno Tachibana's tone was firm and solemn, leaving Yukawa Sakurako stunned on the spot:
"How could you say something like 'die'... How could you say such a terrible thing?"
"That's right. In short, my time is much more precious than yours. What's even more disgusting is that you people made Nagase-senpai suffer so much, yet you have no sense of responsibility at all."
Kuno Tachibana's words pierced Saito Harutori's heart like a sharp needle. A shallow wrinkle appeared between her brows as she stared at the self-absorbed girl and said:
"Kuno, don't talk about things that are unrelated to the topic."
Perhaps startled by Saito Haruka's expression, Kuno Tatsuka froze, then a mischievous smile appeared on his face, his upturned lips revealing a set of pearly white teeth:
"What? Are you angry?"
Saito Haruka's right eyebrow twitched. She took a deep breath, her full chest heaving slightly, and tried her best to speak in a gentle tone:
"Teacher, I have no objection to Kuno being the first trumpet player."
"Hey~~ You clearly told me not to talk nonsense, how come you've made me one now?"
"Kuno!"
Kitahara Hakuba raised his voice, sensing that the little brat was getting a bit too far. "Let's stop here."
"Hmph—" Kuno Tachibana crossed his arms, his expression of disgust blatantly obvious.
Kitahara Hakuba stared intently at Kuno Tatsuka, whose face was flushed, and said in a loud voice:
"I'm not favoring you. Your trumpet skills are good, but you're still far behind Nagase-kun. Your position as the number one trumpet player is only temporary."
In response to Kitahara Hakuba's warning, Kuno Tachika merely curled his lip.
"Alright, that's all. Go back to training," he said.
"Ah."
Saito Harutori and Yukawa Sakurako left the music classroom first, leaving Kuno Tachibana alone.
After watching the play, Shinomiya Haruka crossed her arms and looked at the girl beside her. She was thin, but the lines of her legs under her skirt were very delicate.
"Kuno, why aren't you leaving yet?" Kitahara Hakuba asked.
He didn't want to be alone with Shinomiya Haruka; he just wanted to finish the adapted sheet music as soon as possible and then immediately start practicing in the ensemble.
Kuno Tachibana turned to the side, covered his mouth with one hand, and grinned widely.
"Will I be disturbing the two teachers by being here?"
"Stop being so glib. Either practice or go to sleep," Kitahara Hakuba said.
"Okay, okay, just wait a few more minutes."
"why?"
"Teacher, think about it. They're at their most furious right now. If I go out with them, won't I get dragged into the girls' restroom and beaten up? With my build, if Vice-Commander Saito's two balls came crashing down on me, I'd be half dead. And if you add in Chief Yukawa's braid, it'll take away the rest of my life."
Her words made Kitahara Hakuba chuckle.
So you were aware of this before?
After letting her stay in the classroom for a few minutes, Kuno Tachibana finally dared to go out.
"Speak gently to them, or you'll be the one who gets into trouble," Kitahara Hakuba warned her before she left.
"I know~~"
The door was closed.
“You seem like a troublemaker,” Shinomiya Haruka said.
"Just don't cause any major trouble."
"cute?"
"What kind of life-or-death question is this, risking your entire career?"
Kitahara Hakuba sighed helplessly, looking at the little tadpoles scattered on the staff, crowding together in the measure.
"Is the girl they're talking about the girl they met while hiking?"
"Yes, he was a trumpet player in his third year. He was very talented, but he said he dropped out of the club because of the heavy workload in his third year of high school."
"Heavy academic workload? Could it be that you're being ostracized?"
Shinomiya Haruka speculated, but she quickly dismissed the idea herself.
"It's unlikely. She doesn't seem like someone who would be ostracized; she's more like a leader."
What should we have for dinner?
He suddenly changed the subject, which felt like he was just making excuses, but Shinomiya Haruka found him rather cute.
"It's only noon, and you're already thinking about dinner?"
"If I were alone, I wouldn't have considered it in advance."
"Bird tart?"
"Row."
-
Before they knew it, it was afternoon and school was over. The students in the club building, like herring returning to their nests, all rushed into the elevated building.
Kitahara Hakuma walked down alone, and as soon as he arrived at the playground, he heard Shinomiya Haruka's voice.
"Coordinate your movements! Follow the 'five meters, eight steps' motion!"
"Your movements are already distorted when you're not carrying an instrument, what will you do when you actually pick it up?"
"You can't play an instrument well if your upper body is constantly swaying; you have to control your lower body no matter how much it moves."
The members of the wind band were practicing their steps on the playground. The students from all three grades were wearing sports uniforms of different colors: green, red, and blue.
As they kicked, the sound of their sportswear rubbing together could be heard, and combined with the pale faces of some members who were physically weak, it sounded more like the mournful cries of the dying.
Kitahara Hakuma stood alone on the perimeter of the playground, observing. For them, it was quite difficult to watch others' movements while paying attention to their own details.
With both mental and physical exhaustion, movements can become sluggish without one even realizing it.
Shinomiya Haruka naturally wouldn't miss this. Although she was usually gentle, she showed no mercy during training and scolded these girls several times.
"You're too slow! Let's do it again! Put your hands in the same position you normally use when playing musical instruments!"
"Yes!"
Kitahara Hakuba downed his drink in one gulp. Luckily, Shinomiya was there; otherwise, he definitely wouldn't have been able to teach him.
I wanted to look a little longer, but they were all dressed in fully covered sportswear, so there wasn't much to see.
I'll take a closer look after I put on the dress.
He raised his wrist to check the time. There was only half an hour for footwork training, and the rest of the time was spent practicing "sing, singing, singing".
About five more minutes, that should be enough.
Kitahara Hakuba returned to the music classroom first. Just as he was about to step onto the stairs leading to the club building, a figure came into view, causing him to stop in his tracks.