I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 576

All the senior students from the third year participated this time, and among the students who admire Professor Kitahara, the senior students from the third year were the most numerous. What if they start scrambling for them?

"Anyway, if anything goes wrong, I won't take responsibility, okay?" Kana Eto pouted slightly.

Sayaka Akamatsu, her hands holding flowers, rested on her chin and blinked rapidly as she said:

"Are you already trying to shirk responsibility?"

Seeing her affected and pretentious manner, Kana Eto said helplessly:

"But this wasn't my idea, and it's too easy for this to cause conflict."

"It's alright, the upperclassmen are more patient than you think," Akamatsu Sayaka said with a smile.

Sakurako Yukawa stared at her blankly and said, "Huh? You can?"

"No way?"

Sayaka Akamatsu crossed her legs, the hem of her pleated skirt forming a soft arc along her thighs, highlighting the clearly defined muscles. "If everyone doesn't hold back, we might not have a chance to win the gold medal at this year's National Championships."

"It's not that serious, is it?" Sakurako Yukawa said with a smile.

"Don't underestimate a girl's ability to give up and do whatever she wants."

Sayaka Akamatsu raised her finger and gently tapped Sakurako Yukawa's nose, saying, "Especially those girls in the club who have absolute strength. Although I personally have great faith in Kitahara-sensei's abilities, I don't believe he could bring a student to the same level just days before the tournament. Wait, Sakurako, why do you have a strawberry nose?"

"Huh? Really?" Sakurako Yukawa tilted her head back, poked her nose, and said, "It must be because the weather is too cold."

"clown."

""

Kana Eto swallowed hard and grinned.

"Senior, how about having Department Head Yukawa deliver that gift for Kitahara-sensei?"

"Misunderstanding? Me?" Sakurako Yukawa was stunned for a moment.

"I think it would be better to have Minister Yukawa deliver it; I'm not entirely comfortable with anyone else."

As she spoke, Kana Eto tilted her head to the side as if to ease the awkwardness, then pulled it back just before she fell. "Then, Kitahara-sensei also gave it to Minister Yukawa, a perfect balance."

Kana Eto doesn't want to see the girls in the brass band "fighting each other" over Kitahara-sensei's only gift.

I don't want this conflict to linger in the brass band after Kitahara-sensei's departure, as it won't do anything to improve the club's atmosphere.

"No, no, no, how can you do that!"

Sakurako Yukawa had never shaken her head so fast before; her three braids almost hit Sayaka Akamatsu's face. "What have I done to deserve being swapped with Kitahara-sensei? Let's just make it a lottery!"

Sakurako Yukawa felt she wasn't even in the running; the most conspicuous person ahead of her was Amatsu, who definitely wanted Kitahara-sensei's gift even more than she did, and was also quite hardworking. (The last line appears to be a fragment and doesn't translate directly.)

Although she felt a little regretful, making others happy was also something that made her happy.

"Hey, stop with the nonsense. We're all the same. Why should Kitahara-sensei be treated differently?"

Sayaka Akamatsu waved her hand and said, "Those who want gifts will be willing to steal, and those who don't want gifts won't even move. Don't force anyone to do it; just go with the flow."

"Senior Akamatsu"

Kana Eto's shoulders slumped slightly in disappointment. The game did sound interesting, but from her perspective as the club president, everyone's friendship might change because of it.

From a certain perspective, Akamatsu-senpai's actions are a blatant display of affection, a "thief" who has won Kitahara-sensei's heart. How will everyone view this "thief"? Is it really fair to this "thief"?

But Kana Eto kept trying to explain to herself: Amemori-senpai's feelings for Kitahara-sensei were obvious, yet everyone accepted it. Why was that?

It probably won't have a big impact; you're just worrying too much.

“Okay,” Kana Eto nodded.

"Then today's meeting is adjourned!" Sayaka Akamatsu stood up, patted Sakura Yukawa's thin shoulder, and said, "Shall we go?"

“You’re the one leaving, I’m staying to practice,” said Sakurako Yukawa.

"Next week is the end of the semester, aren't you going to have tutoring?"

"It's okay if I don't take it for a day, right?"

Kana Eto asked in surprise, "Does Senior Yuukawa also hypnotize herself like this before exams?"

“Hypnosis,” Yukawa Sakurako said with a dry laugh, “I’ve been taking extra classes, I just thought it wouldn’t be a big deal to take a few days off.”

"Whatever you want, I'm leaving now." Sayaka Akamatsu left the first music classroom directly, and for some reason, Kami Takahashi followed her.

Only the two former ministers remained in the classroom.

“Shall we go find Kirishima and the others? It’s been a long time since I played the clarinet after leaving the club.” Yukawa Sakurako stood up.

The two of them spent a long time confirming the lineup, from the previous quintet to finding a few more members who hadn't found a group, and finally decided on the Woodwind Septet, an arrangement of Nelson's "Woodwind Quintet".

The group consists of two third-year students, Sakura Kawabata and Hama Watanabe.

Two second-year students, Kana Eto and Meiko Hiraishi.

Three first-year students: Kirishima Mai, Nagasawa Miyabi, and Goto Yu.

Kana Eto was very satisfied with this combination, so satisfied that she could smile before going to bed.

This mentor-mentee pairing is probably what Kitahara-sensei wants to see, rather than a group of three-year students all at once.

“Minister Yukawa.” Kana Eto looked up at her.

"kindness?"

Under the innocent gaze of Yukawa Sakurako, Eto Kana could only utter meaningless hoarse sounds as her hands rubbed back and forth on the table.

"It's best to ask any questions as soon as possible."

Sakura sat back down and smiled at her, saying, "The brass band has become like that because everyone is unwilling to say anything and keeps everything bottled up inside."

Kana Eto's lips parted slightly, her small hands clenched, and she mustered her courage to speak:

"Excuse me, do you like Kitahara-sensei?"

Sakurako Yuukawa, who was expecting to perfectly answer her junior's question, was completely dumbfounded. Her head tilted to the side like a broken machine, she pointed at herself, and grinned:

Mistake? Me?

What are you saying? Did she mishear?

Kana Eto blushed and quickly lowered her head to apologize, saying, "I'm sorry! I may not have expressed myself clearly!"

"Ah no"

Sakurako's hands were a little cold, so she put them between her thighs under her skirt and squeezed them together. "What makes you think this would happen?"

Kana Eto raised her hand to brush her bangs aside, remained silent for a moment, and finally recounted everything that Kami Takahashi had speculated about during their school trip.

Sakurako Yukawa initially seemed at ease, but eventually felt confused and lost.

"This is ridiculous! What kind of reason for leaving the company?"

“Right? I also think it’s too far-fetched.” Kana Eto kicked her feet under the table. “But I’m also starting to believe it might be true.”

"Huh?"

Kana Eto quickly explained:

"Look, this time for the ensemble competition, Mr. Kitahara didn't bring a single second-year or first-year student. It's all third-year students. Don't you think that's strange? Given his personality, it would be normal for him to make up for the shortcomings, right?"

Sakurako scratched the sole of her shoe with her toes, gave an awkward smile, and said, "Does Eto-senpai think that Kitahara-sensei's pairing is biased?"

Kana Eto blushed and didn't say anything; questioning her seniors was not what she wanted to do.

But if it really was because of the upperclassmen that Kitahara-sensei resigned, then her worldview would collapse in an instant.

Sakurako glanced at the sliding door, her gaze passing through the two glass panes on the door, where she could see the sky outside the window in the corridor.

“Junior Eto, I think that’s impossible. Even if it is possible, it’s a private matter between Kitahara-sensei and them. Do you think it’s really necessary for us to investigate this further?”

"Of course it's necessary! Professor Kitahara is a noble, selfless, knowledgeable, and excellent teacher!"

Kana Eto's tone rose at first, then fell low again, "I don't know what the other girls think, but I still want Kitahara-sensei to remain the Kitahara-sensei who has always encouraged me."

Rather than a teacher who reaches under a girl's skirt, even if the female students are willing to accept this action.

Sakurako's small mouth opened and closed meaninglessly like a goldfish as she murmured, "So that's why you don't want Sayaka to play 'Christmas Thief'?"

?

Kana Eto gently bit her left lip, her beautiful brows furrowing. "I gradually realized that I was being used by Saito-senpai, but I'm still willing because I feel that the gathering with Kitahara-sensei might not happen again. But the thought that this 'Christmas thief' will turn into interactions between Kitahara-sensei and some girls, even publicly, makes me... I'm a little...

Sakurako Yukawa whispered, "Sad?"

"I have no idea

"

Kana Eto didn't know why she felt a tightness in her chest. "I just feel that people shouldn't be like this. If everyone could follow the rules, anything is possible."

Chapter 400, Page 399: The Future Time Management Master (6 in 2) >>

Now that things have come to this, Sakurako Yukawa finally understands what Kana Eto is thinking.

If everyone can play their roles steadily and peacefully, high school life will become more colorful and fulfilling.

Mr. Kitahara remains the same gentle yet rigorous teacher, and the Shin-hsu Brass Band remains the same brass band that, under his leadership, keeps striving for the gold medal.

Everything was peaceful and serene.

“Eto-senpai.” Yukawa Sakura leaned forward and took her hand, saying, “Do you completely believe what Takahashi-senpai said?”

"I:" Kana Eto felt a slight taste of blood on her dry lips.

She asked herself honestly, she hadn't believed it before, but this time, the ensemble performance by Kitahara-sensei made her have to pay attention.

"Whether this matter is true or false, whether it brings happiness or misfortune, Mr. Kitahara..."

Kawai Sakura glanced to the side, paused for a moment, and then continued, "He must have been mentally prepared. If he can be happy, then that's a choice. I have very little social experience, so I can't say anything as insightful as Kitahara-sensei, but I think his happiness has nothing to do with us."

The statement that happiness has nothing to do with us is somewhat unsettling.

"In short, we're still too inexperienced compared to Kitahara-sensei."

Sakurako Yukawa grinned, "Even if it's true, in a sense, he's a decisive person. We should just learn from that and not think too much about other things."

Kana Eto could sense that Sakurako was trying her best to comfort her, but the annoyance in her heart did not lessen in the slightest.

She was thinking too much, to the point that she even suspected she was jealous, which scared her so much that she dared not think about it anymore.