I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 208

As the argument escalated, Sakurako felt the strange looks from passersby and shop assistants, and sweat beaded on her forehead.

"I think it's better to let Kitahara-sensei decide this matter on his own..."

1

"Then let Kitahara-sensei say it himself!"

"Just say it!"

Surrounded by the faint, milky scent of the girls, Kitahara Hakuba could only manage a dry laugh. Had these girls finally realized he was a human being capable of independent thought...?

"I'll be working with the third-year students this time, but feel free to call me if you have any questions," he said.

For no other reason than because of Eri Kanzaki.

The third-year students erupted in cheers as if they had won a holy war, so loud it felt like their eardrums were about to burst.

Kuno Tachibana pursed her lips, looking rather sullen, until Nagasawa Miya grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside. The neon lights of the shop brightened her mood a little.

Sakurako Yukawa and Sayaka Akamatsu were at the front desk, arranging private rooms for the club members.

Using a student ID gets you a discount; it only costs 300 baht for half an hour. Although Kitahara Hakuba doesn't care about such a small amount of money, he's not stupid.

Its only purpose today is to pay for the girls' purchases.

“There are plenty of drinks here,” Nagase Tsukiyo said, bowing slightly as she spoke to a beverage machine.

Her legs, as white as lotus roots in spring, peeked out from under the girl's skirt, the beautiful curves of her thighs and calves making it hard to look away.

Eri Kanzaki stood beside her, expressionless, and pressed the "orange juice" button.

As the machine hummed, water and orange syrup flowed down in two streams, falling into the water tank below with a pleasant sound.

“Two kinds of water.” Kanzaki Eri’s eyes widened slightly.

"Really! Two kinds of water!"

Nagase Tsukiyo also raised her hand and pressed the "strawberry" button next to her, but no water came out.

"Not going out anymore?"

Her action was so stupid that it made Kitahara Hakuma itch with desire.

Are you one of those rich girls in Tokyo who don't know how to use a vending machine?

Not only him, but the other members also looked at the two of them with complicated expressions.

I'd heard that Nagase and Kanzaki were rich kids, but I never imagined they'd never even touched a beverage machine like this. What kind of drinks do they usually have?

"You pressed the logo; the touchscreen is below." Kitahara Hakuba stepped forward, pressed it gently, and the drink flowed out.

Nagase Tsukiyo placed her small hand on her chest and said in surprise:

"Wow, that's amazing! How long can this flow?"

"Don't try this. Even though it's free, it's not very polite," Kitahara Hakuba warned.

"Hmm, that's great, free drinks. Looks like this karaoke place is doing very well." Nagase Tsukiyo stood gracefully, smiling as she looked around.

Warm lighting, black and white checkered floor, wooden walls and reception desk, and the cool air from the air conditioner gently caressing the skin.

It's a nice shop.

Kitahara Hakuba looked at her and said:

"The drinks here are all free. You can help yourself to whatever you want to drink."

"Free?" Eri Kanzaki tilted her head.

At this moment, Yuka Isomoto mustered her courage and stepped forward to explain:

"Well, it can't really be said to be free; most of it is included in the private room fee."

One of the clerks, who was not actively working, smiled and said:

"It has nothing to do with the private room fee; it's free."

"No, no, it's definitely not free, is it?" Yuka Isomoto gave a wry smile.

"Since it says 'free' above, then it's free."

"Hmm... It's said to be free, but the cost is actually included in the private room fee, right? Just like a buffet, the drinks are also included in the buffet fee."

2

"Sorry, it's free."

"I'm sorry!" Yuka Isomoto bowed deeply to the shop assistant, regretting her argument.

Afterwards, Sakura distributed the room cards to the club leaders one by one, which made up exactly ten private rooms.

There were no staff members to guide you at Karaoke. After being given a room number, you had to find the room yourself by looking at the number on the door.

From this point on, Eri Kanzaki basically stayed glued to Hakuba Kitahara's side.

Nagase Tsukiyo followed along, but in everyone's eyes, she was with Eri, not Kitahara Hakuba.

"Haven't Nagase-san and Kanzaki-san ever been to Karaoke before?" Kitahara Hakuba asked.

“We have something that plays music at home,” Eri Kanzaki replied quickly.

Nagase Tsukiyo maintained a polite, faint smile throughout.

"I've heard people talk about it before, but I've never tried it. Today is my first time here."

For them, it's not that they necessarily have to try it, but rather that if they have something better at home, there's no need to come here.

"Well... it's actually quite cheap, only 300 for half an hour. You can try it with your friends when you have time," Kitahara Hakuba said with a smile.

“106... I’m right here.” Sakurako Yukawa opened the door.

Then, Sayaka Akamatsu and Yoshie Suzuki went in first.

On the way here, the members had already found partners in advance.

Kitahara Hakuba glanced to the side and saw Amemori, Kanzaki Eri, and Nagase Tsukiyo, who seemed a little reserved, standing beside him.

And then there's Yuka Isomoto, who, when approached by other girls offering invitations, would always steal glances at them.

They all seemed to be waiting for his next move before making any further decisions.

Chapter 174, Section 173: Too Many Girls, Kitahara Hakuba Needs to Be Constantly Careful

“Minister Yukawa, I’ll go with you,” Kitahara Hakuba said.

"Ok!"

Sakurako Yukawa wasn't particularly excited. She even thought that Kitahara-sensei would definitely follow along, not because she liked her personally, but simply because they were members of the brass band.

In the eyes of the girl with the three braids, it was perfectly normal for a teacher to share a room with a cadre.

The moment Kitahara Hakuba entered the private room, the three girls following behind him also entered.

"Almost all the solo performances from the brass band are here this time," Akamatsu Sayaka said with a meaningful smile.

Nagase Tsukiyo stood obediently to the side, looking somewhat at a loss. Her appearance seemed out of place in the atmosphere of Karaoke.

"It's alright, please sit down."

Just as Sakurako Yukawa was about to close the door, she blocked it with both hands.

Yuka Isomoto, her face flushed, said, "Sorry, Sakurako, could we have one more?"

"Hey, come on in! There are exactly eight people. I love even numbers!"

Sayaka Akamatsu walked straight up, reached out and pulled Yuka Isomoto inside, then closed the door.

Yuka Isomoto knelt for a few steps, but thankfully stood up immediately, obediently clasping her hands in front of her, adjusting her disordered breathing, and smiled at Hakuba Kitahara:

"Excuse me, Kitahara-sensei."

Kitahara Hakuba said with a smile:

"There's no such thing as disturbing me here. Just treat me as a friend. Now that I'm a teacher, there's a bit of a distance between us."

At that moment, Kanzaki Eri, who was sitting next to him, understood immediately, and the orange light swept across her small face:

"Kitahara."

Suddenly feeling a chill run down his spine, Kitahara Hakuba immediately tensed up.

"That's a bit strange. Sorry, but I guess I should just keep calling you 'teacher'."

Kitahara Hakuba had initially intended not to make them too nervous, but now he thought it would sound better to use the word "teacher," otherwise he would be the one who would be nervous.

“I also think it would be better to call him Kitahara-sensei.” Yuka Isomoto smiled and sat down on the edge of the sofa.

Sitting next to Kanzaki Eri, Nagase Tsukiyo seemed to shift her attention, focusing her gaze on the machine on the table:

"There are many tablets here. Are they different functions?"

Yoshie Suzuki nodded, picked up one of the tablets, and said:

"Well, this one I have is for requesting songs, that one is for buying snacks, and that one is for tuning the sound."

After she finished speaking, the lights in the private room suddenly dimmed, as if they were being soaked in a light Fanta solution.

Sayaka Akamatsu, holding the microphone, spoke the natural scale in C major:

"Do~re~mi~fa~sol~la~si~do~喻~~ok, no problem, who wants to sing first?"

Yuka Isomoto held the sand mallet in both hands, swaying it back and forth like an atmosphere group member.

Kitahara Hakuba rarely comes to karaoke, but since he came along, he naturally wanted to join in, so he picked up a glowing clapper.

"Wow, it's all Avemujika's stuff, how popular is she..." Suzuki Yoshie said as she scrolled down.

A short while later, a song appeared on the screen: "Koi" by Gen Hoshino.

"Let's aim for 90 points this round!"

Suzuki Yoshie deliberately placed the music selection tablet on Kitahara Hakuba's lap, stood in front of the screen, held the microphone, and said...

"I've been practicing for so long! I have to be number one today!"

The scoring system for Japanese karaoke is quite elaborate, with the final score considering factors such as pitch, rhythm, and vocal vibrato.

The score is based on five aspects: durability, stability, etc.