LRAB Page 245
Page 245
"You gave me all of these?" he asked, unable to hide his surprise.
Kanzaki Eri's pale fingers gripped the bag's opening tightly, her brows furrowed in melancholy, her bangs momentarily obscuring her eyes.
"don't want?"
"this......
Kitahara Hakuma's mind went blank for a moment; he couldn't resist her endearing appearance and placed the box directly on the table.
"Okay, thank you."
Seeing that he accepted it, Kanzaki Eri's entire face brightened instantly, and her lips curved into a serene smile:
"My cucumbers are almost ripe too."
Also, there’s more?
Kitahara Hakuba couldn't help but smile wryly, "Kanzaki-kun, you'd better keep it for yourself."
Otherwise, the more he takes, the more afraid he will become, and he will suffer in the future.
"Why?" Kanzaki Eri's words carried a heartbreaking fragility.
...The teacher doesn't like cucumbers.
Kitahara Hakuba actually loves cucumbers, but at this moment he could only answer that he didn't, otherwise he would really end up reaping cucumbers grown by the girl.
He couldn't be so cruel as to say that to such a lovely girl.
—
"This is not needed."
"So what do you like to eat?" Kanzaki Eri tilted her head slightly, and strands of hair slipped from the girl's shoulder, each one distinct.
Do I really have to ask?
Does that mean he has to grow whatever he likes to eat?
No, I need to show some teacherly authority; I can't succumb to a girl's cuteness!
"Speaking of which, Kanzaki-san, what's your plan for university?" Kitahara Hakuba straightened his posture and asked with a serious expression.
This topic is serious enough, isn't it?
Eri Kanzaki blinked her big, round eyes, a look of confusion on her face:
"do not know."
"do not know?"
No, how come you third-year students don't know anything when I ask you questions? You don't act like graduates at all.
Kitahara Hakuba's expression turned serious:
"Kansaki-san, it's already September, and some music schools have already started accepting applications. Can you really wait any longer?"
Eri Kanzaki's fingers tightened, gripping the bag's opening and causing a large crease.
The girl hunched her delicate shoulders and said with a disappointed look:
But I want to be with you, forever...
Kitahara Hakuba's "teacher's faith" was shining brightly, but it was immediately shattered by her words.
He had heard similar words countless times before, he lamented inwardly.
He didn't think that Eri Kanzaki was still the same as before, unable to express her inner thoughts and keeping her true feelings to herself.
What puts the most pressure on Kitahara Hakuba is that what she is saying now is her true inner thoughts.
He pondered for a moment, then spoke:
“Nase and Saito are applying to Tokyo University of Music. You play the oboe quite well, so I recommend that you apply to a university with a music-related major, such as Tokyo University of the Arts, Toho University, National University of Music, or Toho University of Music. You should think about it these next few days. As your teacher, I will do my best to help you.”
Kanzaki Eri's lips trembled slightly, her fingers twisting tightly together. The girl seemed to want to say something, but endless grievances choked her words, turning them into a barely audible sigh:
"Hmm::"
"
What does this interjection mean...?
Kitahara Hakuba ran his fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp with a hint of helplessness.
Eri Kanzaki's tone carried a hint of pleading, yet also a touch of probing and expectation; her lowered eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings.
"They're all in Tokyo... Will you come with me?"
Her voice seemed to come from a distant place, carrying a hazy, melancholic quality that made one involuntarily hug her slender waist and tell her:
"I will always be with you."
Kitahara Hakuba had the urge to hold her tightly, touch her face, and stroke her hair, but he suppressed it.
How to answer?
Are you suggesting I might resign after the national conference? I don't even know where I'll go?
But if Kanzaki Eri were to actually go to Sapporo University and stay here because of him, he, as her teacher, would feel guilty for the rest of his life... (It's not that my alma mater is bad, it's just that it's not good enough for her, but it's perfect for him).
Nagase Tsukiyo has her own opinions, and although Saito Harukori is difficult to deal with, she has agreed to let him take the Tokyo exam.
To Kitahara Hakuba's utter surprise, the quietest girl, Kanzaki Eri, turned out to be the most difficult girl for him to handle.
"Oh, Kitahara-sensei, you're here earlier than me as usual today."
As Kitahara Hakuba was caught in a mental struggle, the ferryman appeared at the door, stirring up the increasingly warm atmosphere and making it quite murky.
Let's put it aside for now... My brain is about to explode.
Kitahara Hakuma breathed a sigh of relief, subconsciously putting the fruit she had given him into the drawer, and said to him:
"Good morning, Director Ferry, is there anything I can do for you?"
"What? What can I possibly do for you?"
The ferry manager testified for a while, then said with a wry smile,
"You're busy enough already."
The most popular teacher at Shenxu High School right now is Beiyuan. The higher-ups often joke with him, saying that they never thought the saying "finding gold in the shit" would actually be true.
How far Shenxu's fame can go now depends entirely on him. Watari Eishi doesn't want to give Kitahara Hakuba too much work burden, so he delegates the miscellaneous tasks to other teachers.
"Shall I make you a cup of coffee?"
"This works."
Kitahara Hakuba quickly stood up and glanced at Kanzaki Eri. Her eyelashes cast faint shadows in her eyes, unable to conceal her deep loneliness.
"Kansaki-kun, go back and think about it again. Oh, and good luck with your audition tomorrow."
Chapter 198, Section 197: The Only Box (4K)
Kitahara Hakuba, carrying the ferryman's mug, went to the teachers' lounge.
It's called a lounge, but it's really just a coffee machine, a water dispenser, and two sofas. Most of the time, it's where teachers privately instruct students.
I made myself a cup of coffee, and following the ferryman's habit of not adding sugar, I walked out of the lounge and passed by a third-grade class.
There was still a long time before the morning meeting, and only a few girls were chatting around a teenage girl in the classroom.
Kitahara Hakuba glanced at her briefly and immediately recognized the girl sitting in her seat, surrounded by singing and dancing girls, as Saito Harukori.
As soon as Saito Haruka saw him pass by, a smile spread across her face, her bright eyes curving into crescents.
The girls around her instinctively glanced at her and, upon discovering that she was the instructor of the brass band, their gossipy nature immediately piqued. "Qingniao, I'm so envious of your brass band instructor—he's such a handsome guy! And so talented too!"
"You're saying things like that, do you like him?"
"It's perfectly normal to like handsome guys~ After all, I'm a sentimental and beautiful girl~!"
Listening to her "friends'" teasing, Saito Haruka grasped a handful of her long, brown hair in one hand, revealing her fair earlobes and neck.
Her skin had a warm and natural glow.
"It's better not to say these things; it will only cause trouble for Kitahara-sensei."
Her voice was gentle yet lively, making one want to get closer.
"What are you afraid of? We'll graduate next year, and besides, Qingniao, you're so pretty, what guy can't you get?"
Saito Haruka played with the slightly curled ends of her hair, smiling as she said:
"I didn't intend to pursue Kitahara-sensei..."
You better be.
Kitahara Hakuba didn't stay to listen; he took the director's mug and returned to his office.
He couldn't help but sigh when he thought of the three-year-old girls.
"Why"
"What's wrong? Why are you sighing all of a sudden?"
The ferryman's silver spoon tapped against the side of the mug, making a crisp sound.
Kitahara Hakuba sat in a chair, looked up at the ceiling, and noticed several dark yellow stains in the corner.
"Director Ferry, the atmosphere in the brass band makes me feel a bit old."
The ferryman was taken aback, quickly put down his cup, sat up straight, and said:
"What's wrong? Are you too tired from the brass band activities?"
Kitahara Hakuba clasped his hands behind his neck, sighed, and said:
"It's not really an event... it's just that the atmosphere feels a bit off, and I don't know if I can make it through."
The ferryman immediately stood up, pulled up a chair, and sat down next to Kitahara Hakuba, advising him as he had when they had helped each other move water buckets:
"Teacher Kitahara, if the atmosphere is not good right now, we should do our best to change it, to make the students feel at ease, and to make ourselves feel at ease as well."
Kitahara Hakuba glanced at him and said in a deliberately somber tone:
"Director Ferry, what are we going to do now? The National Conference is coming up soon, and my mood is getting worse and worse."