I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 77

As the oboe solo ended, her lips left the reed.

"It's awesome."

The sudden praise made Kanzaki Eri turn her head and find Kitahara Hakuba standing at the door, looking at her with a beaming smile.

"Hmm..."

Eri Kanzaki lowered her head to look at the oboe, the shadows cast by her bangs leaving a melancholy mark on her face.

Kitahara Hakuba walked straight in and said:

"But there was no emotion in it, just playing the notes mechanically, and many parts were not handled well."

Eri Kanzaki did not refute, her gaze wandering in the air as her fingertips traced the tube.

Kitahara Hakuba glanced at the sheet music out of the corner of her eye, noting some of the measures with different colored pens.

He frowned slightly and asked curiously:

"Kanzaki-san, have you been practicing this since yesterday?"

Eri Kanzaki's fingers slid across her black hair, and her soft whispers always made one's heart skip a beat.

"Yes, I like it..."

"

Her answer left Kitahara Hakuba speechless for a moment. Liking someone was a good thing, and he didn't object.

But tomorrow is Friday and the audition will be held. If she keeps not practicing her oboe solo, will she have to hand it over to Kirishima Mai?

"Have you played the audition excerpt for tomorrow?" Kitahara Hakuba chose to ask directly.

A few strands of black hair clung to Eri Kanzaki's cheeks. She laid the oboe flat on her lap and whispered:

"For the oboe, just two are enough. As for the solo, Kirishima-senpai is already very good."

"So you think you're all safe and sound?" Kitahara Hakuba suddenly felt a sticky wall blocking the two of them. "Do you hate going on stage?"

Eri Kanzaki stared quietly at the ground, as if she were running away from something.

"I don't dislike it..."

"

"Why then?"

"Hmm...::"

She reverted to her usual self, lowering her head and remaining silent.

Kitahara Hakuba sighed and said:

"Kanzaki-san, we've all made mistakes and said the wrong things, but so what? If you're afraid of making mistakes, you shut yourself off from the world. Words can hurt people, but they are also the best bridge to connect with those around us. I've always felt that they bring about new life rather than destroying them."

Yao Bao's words really work.

Kitahara Hakuba's voice, strong and clear, bounced back and forth between the floor and the ceiling, each word slowly sinking into the June air.

Eri Kanzaki slowly raised her head; her hair was exceptionally fine.

"I don't hate going on stage, I want to be with Yueye..." She bit her lower lip, her voice low and hoarse, coming from the bottom of her heart, her eyelids trembling slightly as she looked at the oboe.

Kitahara Hakuba was speechless for a moment before speaking:

"Kuno-san's trumpet playing is excellent; you could try playing with her."

"No, Tsukiyo is special. She's my most important friend. How can I play a dialogue solo with other people?"

Without hesitation, Kanzaki Eri, almost hugging the oboe tightly to her chest, said urgently,

"That would be a betrayal of Tsukiyo. I said I would only play the oboe for her for the rest of my life. If I play it with someone else, Tsukiyo will be very sad..."

She finished speaking in one breath, her words sounding like a request to Kitahara Hakuba, leaving him speechless for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Kitahara-sensei, am I disgusting for being so obsessed with my friends?" Kanzaki Eri asked, almost shrinking back.

Kitahara Hakuba took a deep breath, squatted down without hesitation, and looked directly at Kanzaki Eri's slightly tearful face.

"Kanzaki, are you actually hoping that Nagase will come back?"

1

Kanzaki Eri avoided Kitahara Hakuba's gaze. Her fair thighs, exposed beneath her skirt, were bathed in golden sunlight, revealing fine downy hairs on her legs.

She didn't answer, so Kitahara Hakuba could only smile and say:

"Alright, I won't force you. If the trumpet isn't good, how about the recorder?"

"The recorder? It seems that neither of the two selected pieces includes an oboe or a recorder."

“Isn’t this it?” Kitahara Hakuba pointed to the sheet music on the music stand and said, “If you really like this piece, I can practice with you.”

Kanzaki Eri looked at him blankly, her adorable face showing she didn't quite understand what was going on.

Teacher Kitahara, do you want to be with her?

"Is this... okay?" Kanzaki Eri asked, as if she couldn't bear it.

"Of course, I'm usually quite free."

Kitahara Hakuba answered decisively.

"It's around this time in the morning, I see you usually come very early."

The girl's eyes flickered slightly, and a blush gradually appeared on her flawless, snow-white skin. The corners of her mouth, which were usually downturned, finally lifted slightly, but it was very faint.

"Thank you, Kitahara-sensei."

"I'm grateful to you for playing with me."

Back in the music room, Kitahara Hakuba saw Isomoto Yuka leaning out the window, looking at something, her gilded euphonium resting securely on the steel tube chair.

Her white socks seemed to have a slight yellow tinge. Sure enough, when girls wear white socks, the difference between good and bad looks becomes immediately apparent.

"Isogen-kun? That's dangerous. Take it back right now," Kitahara Hakuba said.

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Yuka Isomoto finally poked her head back out of the window and quickly bowed, saying:

"I'm sorry, Kitahara-sensei."

"What are you looking at?"

"Um... it sounds like someone has been playing the oboe the whole time."

Yuka Isomoto shrugged a little shyly, biting her lip as she said, "I thought it was you, Kitahara-sensei, so I wanted to see..."

Sure enough, someone with less talent like Yuka Isomoto couldn't tell the difference between Eri Kanzaki and his oboe.

Kitahara Hakuba shook his head and said, "It wasn't me, it was Kanzaki-kun."

“Eri?” Isomoto Yuka’s bright eyes reflected his face. “Not Kitahara-sensei?”

“Yes, it wasn’t me,” Kitahara Hakuba confirmed again.

Yuka Usomoto's face immediately turned red, and she said somewhat embarrassedly,

"My hearing is terrible, I'm sorry..."

2

"Don't say that. Kanzaki is really amazing. Many people can't tell the difference," Kitahara Hakuba said with a smile.

His smile was gentle and kind, capable of melting away any unease that might have been present in one's heart.

Yuka Isomoto's gaze followed Hakuba Kitahara, then fixed on the sheet music on the music stand, which was already covered with notes, and she let out a soft breath.

If I have to say it, this time, I absolutely must say it.

However, perhaps due to nervousness, Yuka Isomoto took repeated deep breaths, and Hakuba Kitahara glanced at her without saying a word.

"Isomoto-kun, what's wrong? Is something the problem? Is the air too stuffy?"

Yuka Isomoto tensed her body, her legs straight beneath her skirt, and puffed out her chest as she said:

"Teacher Kitahara, you...you don't want to teach me anymore?"

Speak out!

The girl bit her lower lip tightly, desperately trying to keep her face expressionless.

"Ok?"

Kitahara Hakuba paused for a moment, then asked curiously,

"Why do you think so?"

"Because after you treated me to a late-night snack that day, you never let me go back to practice with you again."

As Yuka Isomoto spoke, her expression grew increasingly dejected, shallow wrinkles appeared between her brows, and her nails dug into her skin.

Am I being too stupid? Or am I putting you in a difficult position by clinging to me like this?

Kitahara Hakuba was taken aback. He hadn't let Isomoto Yuka come these past few days, but in the following days she didn't wait for him at the door with her euphonium as usual.

Could it be that she thought the late-night snack that night was his subtle rejection: "Teaching a music theory idiot like you is a waste of time. Don't come looking for me again after this meal. Let's call it quits!"

That might be an exaggeration, but it's probably pretty close to the truth.

"Iso Gen, you're overthinking it."

Kitahara Hakuba gave a "How could this be?" smile. "As long as you remain a member of the brass band, I will take full responsibility as your advisor. There's no way that someone with more talent will be more important to me, and someone with less talent will be less important."

Upon hearing his words, Yuka Isomoto's heart skipped a beat, and a tickle ran down her throat, a mixture of nervousness and excitement she couldn't quite tell.

"Really? The teacher isn't disliking me?"

You can see the girl's breasts, which are swollen and prominent.

"Of course not, I've just been busy lately and forgot about it." A smile curved Kitahara Hakuba's lips. "I still welcome you."

"Then, can I still see you tonight, teacher?" Yuka Isomoto's voice rose considerably.

"That estimate won't work," he said, refusing outright.

"Why?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Just in case, let's come back after the selection tomorrow," Kitahara Hakuba said.