I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 220

"No one can restrict your freedom to choose which university you want to attend in the future, and I am no exception. Giving you money does not mean that you have to be in my sight forever. You have also said that this is an investment. There is no deep relationship between the two of us."

Anxiety appeared on Saito Haruka's face, and she gripped her calf tightly with her fingers.

She stepped down from the sofa, slipped on her slippers, and walked straight to Kitahara Hakuba. She slowly knelt down and, as if putting a ring on his finger, pinched the tip of his thumb.

The girl tilted her head back, and soft words escaped her lips:

"But what I told you back then was true. I... wanted to give my whole life to you."

Kitahara Hakuba was stunned by this series of actions. If she had a ring on her hand, he would definitely have already put it on her finger.

Kitahara Hakuba suspects that Saito Harukori's thinking may have become seriously problematic due to her family background, and that he is her only hope, her only lifeline.

It must be that damn suspension bridge effect that's to blame.

And you're even unwilling to call me "Teacher Kitahara" anymore.

Kitahara Hakuma slowly but firmly brushed her hand away, a smile as gentle as ever appearing on his thin lips—a tender rejection.

"Saito-kun, I look forward to your performance when you return to the brass band."

He completely ignored Saito Harukori's words and changed the subject.

Kitahara Hakuba always wore his usual smile, avoiding the core of the problem, which made Saito Haruka very sad.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to cause you any trouble. I will participate in club activities seriously." Her forehead rested on Kitahara Hakuba's knee.

"Is it about time to go?" Kitahara Hakuba cried out in his heart.

As if hearing his thoughts, Saito Harutori stood up, picked up her small handbag from the sofa, and said:

"Then I won't bother you anymore, goodnight."

"Well, goodnight."

After Kitahara Hakuba saw Saito Harukori off, he felt increasingly uneasy. Why were the interpersonal relationships in the brass band so strange?

It doesn't seem as complicated as when I first started teaching it, but it seems more complicated than it was then?

After washing up and getting into bed, I turned to my side and picked up my phone, only to find that the group chat for the wind band had 99+ messages.

There were no major announcements, and the members treated the group as a chat platform, discussing all sorts of trivial matters.

Kitahara Hakuba quickly scrolled up; the girls were discussing what activities each class needed to hold for the cultural festival.

Late at night, the light from the phone screen was a bit too bright, so Kitahara Hakuba simply put the phone aside and closed his eyes to sleep.

After a few dozen breaths, I drifted off to sleep.

>

The next day was the last day of summer vacation, but the brass band practice continued.

"Please start again from F here, playing together with the members of the saxophone section in the same measure, um... trumpet,

"Hey, bass and trombone players, good job!"

Kitahara Hakuba looked at the students crammed into the classroom by the music stands and chairs and said.

"Yes!"

The wood pipes don't need to exert themselves in this section, so they can finally take a break.

Sakurako Yukawa turned around and looked at Kasumi Takahashi, who had been asked to sit in on the music by Kitahara-sensei just the day before. She was surprised that she was able to join the ensemble so quickly.

A moment later, she met the gaze of Kana Eto, and the girl mouthed, "I went to see Kitahara-sensei last night."

Sakurako Yukawa then realized what was happening, and nodded, squeezing her lips into a small circle.

No wonder....

"After the ensemble performance, each section will practice individually. If you have any questions, please ask the section leader first. If the section leader also has questions, please come and find me."

"Yes!"

The moment the members' responses faded, Yukawa Sakurako took a deep breath and stood up, her fair thighs propelling the chair behind her away.

"Alright, everyone, look this way! Before we start our individual practice, there's something important I need to say!"

As she spoke, Kitahara Hakuba tacitly stepped down from the command platform, clasped his hands together, and leaned against the sound-absorbing wall.

Sayaka Akamatsu said with a smile:

"Things are either important or unimportant. There's no such thing as an important thing."

"Hmm:::"

An awkward smile appeared on Sakurako's face.

"Because this should be a good thing for the brass band, since it involves the issue of strength. As the captain, I naturally prefer the brass band to be as strong as possible."

"What's going on? There are new people here?"

"What, are we going to have a transfer student suddenly appear out of nowhere? No way... I already have PTSD."

"I don't think there are any major shortcomings now... except for the saxophone part, which still needs some improvement."

The saxophone section members were puzzled. They hadn't expected to be singled out and criticized again. They had already tried their best, but they didn't practice as hard as Yuka Isomoto.

Nagase Tsukiyo and Isomoto Yuka already knew what it was, and both wore expressions of not knowing how to deal with it.

For them, it wasn't about resisting Saito Haruki's return to the company; rather, it was about how to piece together their broken relationship rather than never seeing each other again.

At that moment, the sliding door to the music classroom opened, and a brown-haired girl wearing a Shenxu uniform slowly walked in.

"Saito-senpai!"

"Sunny Bird?"

"Is Saito-senpai from the Umibu region?"

"Strange... Do wealthy people come and go as they please..."

Yuka Isomoto stared wide-eyed at the girl who appeared before her, her throat trembling slightly with tension.

Kurosawa Maki, standing to the side, felt a buzzing in her head and gasped, looking at Saito Haruka with mixed feelings.

Of all the people who knew Saito Haruka, only Kanzaki Eri silently looked at the soundproof carpet on the floor.

“Sakurako, I’m back,” Saito Harutori said with a smile.

With a slight upturn of her lips, Kawai Sakura said, "It's good that you're back. So... you can say what comes next?"

"Ah."

Saito Harutori nodded, glanced ambiguously at Kitahara Hakuba, and then looked at the club members below the stage, saying:

"I'm so sorry for this sudden turn of events. I am Saito Harutori. Starting today, I will rejoin the club and participate in the audition for the national tournament. I hope we can win the gold medal together this time."

Her voice was just as the members remembered it—gentle and sweet, as if it could drive away all gloom.

Many members were genuinely happy, whether because of their usual impression of Saito Haruka or because of her own abilities, they had a great fondness for her.

Her return undoubtedly gave the brass section a significant boost.

"The trial voucher for Editor A has ended."

Just as Yuka Isomoto and everyone else's attention were focused on Haruka Saito, Maki Kurosawa laughed in a slightly self-deprecating voice.

"

"Don't say things like that, the auditions haven't even started yet," said Yuka Isomoto, turning her head to look at her junior who had a wry smile on her face.

Kurosawa Maki let out a gurgling sound, a hint of melancholy flickering in her eyes:

"This is the wind band section; the most capable go first. It's truly... cruel..."

Chapter 182, page 181: I like honest senior students the most.

These words made Yuka Isomoto's wolf-like eyes flicker. The competition in the brass band was the fiercest in the entire Shin-Asahi Club, without exception.

According to Kitahara-sensei's arrangement, there are only two tuba players in the A group. Even with Saito Harutori joining the group, it is impossible to add one more at this point.

Otherwise, it would mean cutting one voice from another, which is certainly not practical.

Perhaps this is what Kitahara-sensei meant when he said after the All-Do Tournament, "There will be many things that will not go as planned."

"Welcome back, Haruno!"

Sayaka Akamatsu smiled at her, raised her hand in salute, and said, "So it seems my duties as vice-captain are complete. Now, the next position is..."

"do not do that."

Saito Harutori interrupted her abruptly, her voice filled with an indescribable tenderness.

“Since becoming vice minister last year, I haven’t really known what I should do, but now that I think about it, Sayaka, you are actually more suitable to be vice minister than I am.”

Yukawa Sakurako also chimed in from the side:

"Sayaka, you will continue to serve as the vice minister. Let's not discuss this anymore."

"Well, let's go."

Akamatsu Sayaka was never that kind of person, nor did she like the practice of "rejecting and declining three times."

"But Haruno, I might be giving you instructions based on the Vice Minister's requirements, so you'd better be prepared."

"Using the vice minister's name to harass girls?" Suzuki Yoshie, who was suffering from this situation below, complained.

Sayaka Akamatsu said with a grin, "That's not true at all! I'm the most proper vice-captain of the brass band! I'm absolutely loyal to Kitahara-sensei!"

"Come on! He even patted my butt when we were going up the stairs today!"

"Yes! She even pinched my waist yesterday! Sayaka is a pervert!"

"I suggest that Kitahara-sensei execute her!"

Some female members began to "accuse" Sayaka Akamatsu of her crimes, but these women were very close to Akamatsu.

It was just a joke.

"Wait, wait, wait—" Akamatsu Sayaka raised her hands to quell the "anger of the crowd," and said with an awkward laugh.

"Teacher Kitahara is still here, so please give me some privacy. I'm actually a girl too, and I need to maintain a certain image among the opposite sex~~~"

The club members burst into laughter, and a smile appeared on Kitahara Hakuba's lips as well.

As long as you don't touch him, it's fine.