dmims Page 380
Page 380
As the staff shouted, all the club members smiled and stretched out their fingers. Kitahara Hakuba, feeling the girls' excited cries around him, stretched out both hands.
In an instant, the camera flashed incessantly like a dense raindrop, and the clicking of the shutter rose and fell, as if it were another piece of music.
Every moment of the Shenxu Wind Ensemble was captured in countless photographs.
The Shin-hsu Brass Band, who had never been in the spotlight like this before, were filled with an unprecedented sense of pride.
"Okay!" The staff member clapped his hands again and said, "Now hold your instruments properly and strike a cool pose, okay?"
"What does 'cold-blooded' mean? Does it mean being aloof and superior?" Some members, already familiar with the atmosphere, began to respond proactively.
The staff member replied:
"Pretty much? I think since you won the gold medal, you should indeed be high and mighty."
"Will they say something like 'The Ferocious Tiger of Shenxu' to us?"
"They have a knack for being chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur)."
Soon after, the members of the Shenxu Wind Instrument Club, as requested, solemnly held their instruments, facing forward because they didn't know which camera to look at.
At first glance, the Shenxu Wind Ensemble does indeed have the characteristics of a top school.
The sound of camera shutters filled the room again, and the flashing light occasionally cast a white glow on the brass instruments.
After the group photo of all participating members, the next group photo was taken of each vocal section.
Because there were so many reporters and cameras, almost every section of the Shenxu Wind Ensemble was constantly on the go. As soon as one section finished filming, they would start filming the next one.
Because the percussion club members couldn't get in due to the large objects, they used small instruments like triangles to jump and take photos. The woodwind players used the tubes to play "curry sticks" and "sword masters".
Some brass instruments, because of their weight and the fear of mishap, could only obediently face the camera and smile for photos.
Sakurako Yukawa, holding the clarinet, couldn't help but cry again as she patted it. The other club members went up to comfort her, but instead of comforting her, they made themselves cry as well.
The group photo turned into a game to comfort the girl.
These scenes drew countless cameras, and the shutter clicked faster than ever before.
Reporters surrounded Kitahara Hakuba, but unfortunately, NHK, as the "boss," had exclusive interview rights and immediately monopolized the opportunity.
"Teacher Kitahara, I heard that this is the first time you have led the school to the national competition and won the gold medal. It is very rare for a coach to achieve such a result nationwide. Is there anything you would like to say?"
Kitahara Hakuba thought for a moment, then spoke:
"I added the Shenxu Wind Ensemble in the spring, and I felt a lot of pressure at the time because I was close in age to my students, and I had no experience as a leader. Initially, I was worried about whether I could convey my thoughts to them correctly."
But after spending some time with them, I discovered they shared the same goal as me. I felt that as long as they had that determination, they were sure to win the gold medal; my presence was merely a catalyst.
Of course, these were all just polite words from Kitahara Hakuba in front of the camera. He didn't want to expose the harsh reality of wind instrument playing to students across the country who aspired to play wind instruments.
These are things that they need to experience and feel firsthand before making their final choice.
The reporter continued to ask:
How would you rate our school's performance at the national competition?
"Do you grade your own students?" Kitahara Hakuba repeated.
"Correct."
"Hmm," Kitahara Hakuba's gaze swept over the trumpet girls making flower-flower gestures, then he looked at the camera and said...
"In fact, we have been practicing these two pieces of music for more than half a year. Thanks to the Utsunomiya venue, I think everyone's performance today is more exquisite and outstanding than ever before."
"Finally, is there anything you'd like to say to wind instrument students across the country?" the reporter asked.
Hearing the girl's occasional sobs beside him, Kitahara Hakuba felt a surge of inexplicable emotion and slowly said:
"I hope all students who are experiencing wind instrument playing can cherish the time they have now, because many people are in it and don't realize how precious this time is, but I hope everyone can cherish it, for example, by trying a soli."
Master a playing technique you never tried in the spring and summer; most importantly, rethink the sounds, techniques, and emotions that only you can produce. That's all.
"will not."
After the group photo of the participating teams at the national conference was completed, the staff pushed the camera to the door.
The Shenxu team members, who were initially very well-behaved, became much more cheerful after taking group photos for a while, and they all waved and greeted the camera lens when they left.
Sakurako Yukawa and Sayaka Akamatsu, along with the next generation of executives, stayed behind for an interview.
Kitahara Hakuba instructed Saito Harutori to lead the editorial staff outside the venue first, as he needed to collect the judges' scores and comments.
Once outside the arena, another diverse scene unfolds.
The schools that won gold cheered and celebrated, singing their school songs. The schools that lost in Utsunomiya silently comforted them, crouching down to hug and cry. The most tense of all were the schools in the second half of the competition.
"Four schools won gold medals in the first half! They are Shin-Asahi, Seiryo, Kiri-in, Kitauji, and Kasuga Kyoei won bronze this time."
"Where's Iwaki? They're not Kim?"
"It's silver."
"No way? Shen Xu actually won the gold medal?"
Upon hearing that Shen Xu had won the gold medal, the brass band from Tokai High School, also from Hokkaido, subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, displaying a strong school spirit of "My little brother has won the gold medal, so I am determined to win it too."
Chapter 284, Section 283: The National Conference! Interview with a Department Member (Just an interview, subscription optional)
As Kitahara Hakuba was heading to the review room to retrieve the report, he happened to see Yukawa Sakurako and three others standing in front of the pristine white wall, being interviewed.
The interviewer was a middle-aged woman who asked with a gentle smile:
"How did you feel after today's performance?"
The four of them exchanged glances, and finally their gazes all fell on Yukawa Sakurako.
She pursed her lips and opened her mouth to say:
"We chose a very challenging freestyle piece this time. At first, when Mr. Kitahara, who is also our advisor, chose this piece, we wondered if there was something wrong with it."
Because our skills at the time were completely inadequate for such a piece, but fortunately, with Mr. Kitahara's guidance, we persevered to our limit, and today we expressed all our final emotions.
I feel great. Everyone managed to pull through, which I think is really amazing.
As Sakurako Yukawa spoke, she nodded unconsciously, and her speech was incoherent, saying whatever came to mind.
"I'm so excited right now. I was very nervous backstage preparing, but the moment I stepped onto the stage..."
The tension seemed to dissipate, and I focused solely on playing the music well, so as not to embarrass everyone and Mr. Kitahara.
I performed at my best under such extreme pressure. Although I felt a sense of relief, a feeling of loneliness followed, like, "Huh? Is this really the end?" And ever since leaving Hokkaido, I've been restless. I felt like crying even before the competition started. Thankfully, I didn't embarrass myself during the performance, it's just... like this...
After finishing her sentence, Yukawa Sakurako held her breath, her eyes slightly widening, as if to say, "I'm done."
“I already embarrassed myself during the awards ceremony,” Akamatsu Sayaka said softly.
Upon hearing this, Kawai Sakurako immediately recalled crying during the award ceremony and instinctively raised her hand to cover her mouth.
"During these twelve minutes, have you reflected on your playing career over the past three years?" the interviewer continued.
Akamatsu Sayaka, holding her trombone, twisted her body from side to side, thought for a moment, and said:
"This year, the Shenxu Brass Band went through one difficult decision after another, but when I think about it carefully, everyone still worked together and got through it. It's amazing. If you suddenly asked me what I realized, I wouldn't be able to answer right away."
However, time flies. After this competition, we, the third-year students, retired completely. These three years have felt like the shortest of my seventeen years, especially this year, which has been more fulfilling and meaningful than the previous two.
The interviewer said with a smile:
"Because it's beautiful?"
Sayaka Akamatsu pursed her lips, smiled somewhat shyly at the camera, and said:
"Yes, good times always seem to fly by. But if I went to another high school, I probably wouldn't be able to experience this feeling. I'm so happy to be in the Shin-hsu Brass Band."
"As a school that entered the national competition for the first time and won the gold medal, it's clear that all the vocal parts performed exceptionally well. Did you encounter any difficulties in the selection process within your department? What were the specific solutions?"
A moment after the other person finished speaking, both Sakurako Yukawa and Sayaka Akamatsu turned their gazes to Kana Eto, who was standing to the side.
Kana Eto held the oboe with both hands, a troubled smile on her face, as if to say, "Do you really want me to do it?"
But she quickly composed herself, muttering to herself:
"Mmm"
"
After a three-second silence, she continued:
"I enjoy practicing and talking with my seniors on weekdays. As for the challenge: the internal competition within the Shin-Asahi Brass Band this year has been intense, to the point that I've been constantly anxious. After receiving guidance from Mr. Kitahara, the intensity of the competition among my fellow members has made me doubt whether I'm actually weak."
In important competitions, there are always personnel changes in the A-team lineup. However, those who are not selected are often due to shortcomings in their own abilities. Although the process was difficult, and some members didn't make it into the national A-team, everyone still strived towards the goal of reaching the national stage. The only solution, as Mr. Kitahara said, is to practice relentlessly and perform to the best of their ability. That's it.
Chapter 284, Section 283: The National Conference! Interview with a Department Member (Just an interview, subscription optional) >>
"Looking back at your former department from today's perspective, do you have a different mindset?" the interviewer continued.
Taking over the conversation, Takahashi Kami quickly spoke up:
"At first, everyone felt that winning gold was a long way off. We were desperately trying to establish ourselves at the national championships, enduring immense pain while also having moments where we didn't understand what we were striving for, wondering if we were wasting our time. But even so, we've come this far. Working together with my team, the results are finally here today. It's truly..."
Kami Takahashi, lacking experience, ran out of things to say and hesitated for a while before continuing:
"It wasn't a waste of effort at all. In fact, if the same thing happened again, we wouldn't have the same self-doubt. However, we have had the experience of failure, so I think this gold medal is of great significance to Shenxu. In short, we must keep moving forward."
"Is there anything you'd like to say in closing?"
Thank goodness, we finally got to hear what they expected, and the four of them said in unison:
"Thank you to all the members, thank you to Mr. Kitahara who has been guiding us, and thank you to our classmates who have been cheering us on."
"Thank you for the interview." The four girls all breathed a sigh of relief and bowed together, saying:
Kitahara Hakuba walked over and smiled at them, saying, "Everyone's being quite polite."
"It's not just polite talk, it's the truth!" Sayaka Akamatsu said with a smile, gently touching her bangs.
Kana Eto said, "I always felt that there was something strange about our conversation, like our words didn't match up."
"It's because she asked questions we hadn't thought of; she just blurted out whatever came to mind," said Takahashi Kami.
Sakurako Yukawa asked:
"Teacher Kitahara, what are we supposed to do now?"