I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 228

“Teacher Kitahara!” Kuno Tachibana, as usual, raised his hand and gently patted his shoulder.

Kitahara Hakuma turned his head and looked at her with some surprise:

"Kuno-san?"

Kuno Tachibana grabbed the strap of her schoolbag with one hand and raised her arm to grasp the pull ring, only to hit a blister, causing her to gasp in pain.

"What's wrong?" Kitahara Hakuba asked with concern.

No... I have blisters on my palms.

Did you get this while cleaning?

"Yes, Ksitigarbha, he's very bad."

"Why are you taking this tram today? Aren't you going in the opposite direction?" Kitahara Hakuba asked curiously.

Kuno Tachibana switched hands to grip the rings and said with a smile:

"It's the opposite of the mains electricity, but just seeing Kitahara-sensei's back made me want to go around and go home with you."

If any other girl had said that, Kitahara Hakuba might have been a little scared, but Kuno Tachibana was different.

He smiled:

"That's why you made a special effort to catch up."

"Yeah! I mainly wanted to see what Kitahara-sensei's place was like; I've always been curious about it," Kuno Tachibana said.

She must have jogged all the way here, her cheeks flushed slightly.

"What's there to see in such a small place?"

"Then we should definitely watch it."

Kitahara Hakuba smiled but didn't say anything, just stared out the car window as the roadside trees kept flashing past behind him.

Kuno Tachibana turned his head, intending to ask him about the cultural festival arrangements, but unexpectedly discovered that there was another girl standing next to him.

"Ah... Kanzaki-senpai is here too?"

The girl's slender shoulders were adorned with glossy black hair, and her fair legs peeked out from beneath her pleated skirt, with a striking white hair clip.

Eri Kanzaki's smooth, peach-colored lips parted slightly, but she didn't say anything in the end, only nodding in response.

“We just happened to run into each other,” Kitahara Hakuba said.

"oh:

Eri Kanzaki was practically clinging to Hakuba Kitahara's arm, and the overhead rings were noticeably tilted.

This image made Kuno Tachibana feel extremely uncomfortable, like melting ice cream stuck in her mind.

She frowned slightly, released the ring from her hand, and subtly positioned herself between Kitahara Hakuba and Kanzaki Eri, guarding the position like a goalkeeper.

Kuno Tachibana secretly peeked at Kanzaki Eri's face beside him. The girl still didn't speak, but he could feel her breathing suddenly becoming a little heavy.

Eri Kanzaki's delicate cheeks were flushed, perhaps from anger.

"What are you planning to do at the Kitahara-sensei Cultural Festival?" Kuno Tachika asked.

"I'm not sure, we'll see later."

"Why don't you come help out in my class for the cultural festival? I think Kitahara-sensei would look really cool in cosplay!" Kuno Tachibana said with a smile.

Kitahara Hakuba wasn't particularly interested in cosplay, and said:

"I actually hope you can spare some time to pay attention to the upcoming nationwide auditions."

"Really? If I really get the trumpet solo, Kitahara-sensei will agree to let me cosplay?"

Kitahara Hakuba tilted his head in confusion; he didn't seem to have said that.

"Speaking of nationwide auditions..."

"

Kuno Tachibana's gaze fell on Kanzaki Eri, and he said with great interest,

"Is Kanzaki-senpai confident in winning Soli again?"

Eri Kanzaki lowered her gaze quietly, her expression revealing nothing of her inner thoughts, and said:

"I can take it or not, as long as I can win the gold medal, I'll follow Mr. Kitahara's arrangements."

Her face wore an expression that said, "This is a trivial matter, nothing to worry about," as if she could carry out Kitahara-sensei's wishes as long as he gave the order.

The sweet fragrance of the young girl brushed past Tachibana Kuno's nose.

She didn't dislike this senior student from three years ago because she was quiet, which meant she rarely got involved in conflicts, and she was also very cute, which is something girls like.

"I still hope you will do it yourselves..."

Kitahara Hakuba felt a chill run down his spine; the girl's long black hair formed a waterfall in his vision.

He wanted Eri to have her own ideas, but it would be terrifying if her ideas were simply to follow his.

Kuno Tachibana, curious, suddenly looked up at Kanzaki Eri and said:

"Who do you think is stronger, me or Nagase-senpai, Kanzaki-senpai?"

"Moonlit night."

Kanzaki Eri answered without hesitation, her affirmative words chillingly cold, leaving Kuno Tachibana speechless.

A bitter smile appeared on Kitahara Hakuba's lips. Although Eri was a woman of few words, she knew better than anyone else that the person he cared about more was Kuno Tachibana, not Nagase Tsukiyo.

“But between me and Kirishima, she’s stronger.” Kanzaki Eri quietly lowered her eyes, her expression unusually focused.

Kuno Tachibana was taken aback by her words and looked bewildered. His gaze drifted over her cute face before slowly settling on her cherry-colored, supple lips.

"Why?" Kuno Tachibana asked.

Kitahara Hakuba subtly averted his gaze; he was familiar with the strength and abilities of everyone in the department.

"No, he's just better than me."

Eri Kanzaki narrated honestly, yet with a touch of suffocating emotion mixed in.

“If she doesn’t want to take the solo and gives it to me, I will still go, because I’m the only one left who likes the oboe, Kitahara-sensei.”

The blue sky flowed past from left to right through the four-pointed star-shaped car window, and as the car swayed, the hanging rings overhead swayed restlessly.

Kuno Tachibana fell silent upon hearing this. If Kanzaki Eri was right, then what Mai said during the training camp was a lie.

She was indeed considering her own feelings, which is why she didn't take on the solo role.

For her, solo performances are not important at all.

The tram arrived at the station where he was to get off in Kitahara-Hakuba. The two girls followed him off the tram, their shadows stretching out from their feet.

It gently outlines the girl's figure.

Sticky sweat immediately clung to Kuno Tachibana's forehead. She walked behind, and within her line of sight, only Kanzaki Eri's ankles, encased in white socks, peeked out from under her pleated skirt.

Why is she getting off here too? Is she going home with Kitahara-sensei as well?

The red figure on the traffic light at the intersection lit up.

"Can't accept it again?" Kitahara Hakuba asked, taking the initiative to speak.

Kuno Tachibana took a shallow breath, shook his head, and said with a smile:

"No, to be honest, I feel both happy and sad."

I'm glad to have a friend like Zhenyi, but I'm sad that Zhenyi gave up the opportunity to showcase her abilities.

For her, a musician can only live a meaningful life if he reaches the center of the stage.

If she were to choose, she certainly wouldn't give up the opportunity to perform a solo just because Maya wasn't chosen.

Kuno Tachibana sighed and said:

"Zhenyi still needs to be properly disciplined. She lacks purpose and drifts around like a cloud."

"Is there a difference?" Kanzaki Eri suddenly asked.

Kuno Tachibana raised an eyebrow, watching the cars speeding past him, and said:

"Of course there is a difference. It is precisely because we will step onto one step after another in life and achieve the goals corresponding to each step that life will be full of upward passion!"

The words of the junior student were like a noisy breeze, lingering in her ears.

Eri Kanzaki stood gracefully in place, holding her bag in both hands, looking at the sidewalk on the ground as if she was thinking about something.

Chapter 187, Question 186: Why are you so good to her? (4K)

The little green figure on the indicator light started moving, and Kuno Tachibana followed Kitahara Hakuba's lead.

"To be honest, no matter how outstanding someone is, I don't like people who don't put their soul and passion into life."

The girl's voice sounded delicate and sweet, but what she said was far too mature for her age.

Eri Kanzaki's voice exploded in her heart like a bubble rising from the seabed:

"Are you very proud of yourself?"

The moment she uttered those words, Kitahara Hakuba instinctively turned to Kuno Tachika, trying to gauge her reaction.

Normally, this sentence would carry a hint of defeat, easily causing a lingering sense of gloom. But Kitahara Hakuba understood that Eri's true intention was not like that. She was simply asking Kuno Tachibana if she was proud of herself so far.

Kitahara Hakuba was already carefully crafting his words in his mind. If Kuno Tachibana were to suddenly lash out because of this, he would have to explain Eri's true intentions to her.

Kuno Tachibana was indeed stunned for a moment, but after thinking about it carefully, she realized that Kanzaki-senpai was a man of few words and did not like to cause conflict, so his words might not have been what she thought.

Although she didn't want to be oppressed by her seniors using her age, she wasn't stupid enough to think that all older students were bad guys.

“I’m very proud, and my family is proud of me too. I’ll be even prouder if I win the gold medal at the national convention this year.”

Kuno Tachibana let out a cheerful laugh, her shadow falling on the dark asphalt road, as if she could carry this momentum forward without hesitation.

Eri Kanzaki's bright, sparkling eyes reflected her face, her innocent gaze captivating all who looked at her.

"Teacher Kitahara, how much longer do we have to walk? My legs are getting sore," Kuno Tachika asked.

"I'll treat you to some fun."

"Play?"