I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 295

"So everyone's ready?"

Unlike their previous responses of "Yes!", this time the members all had tense faces, straightened their backs, and adopted a proper posture.

Having received their physical response, Kitahara Hakuba turned his gaze to the corner of the stage, to the students in charge of the curtains.

"Then Kitahara Hakuba raised two fingers that were clasped together, and separated them to the sides like chopsticks."

"Opening Ceremony 1"

The curtain slowly rose, and almost all the girls gripped their instruments, their eyes focused and determined.

At the same time, the stage was filled with dazzling lights, which contrasted sharply with the dark backstage on both sides.

The stands were already full, and even the corridors and aisles were packed with people. The entire auditorium was packed, and the atmosphere was both enthusiastic and tense.

Many people don't actually understand wind instruments; they just hear that a strong school has emerged locally that can enter the national competition, so they want to see just how strong it is.

During the competition, the members of the brass band did not know who was sitting in the audience, so their eyes would not wander but would be fixed on Mr. Kitahara, and they would play their instruments with complete focus on the conductor.

But this time, the audience consisted of people they interacted with daily. The moment the curtain was drawn back, their gazes seemed to be drawn together by gravity.

They can be caught in no time.

Kitahara Hakuba had his back to the stands, and it's fair to say that the environment here is completely incomparable to the stage for the grand competition.

The parents were very enthusiastic. As soon as they saw their children, they started shouting loudly, but they were afraid that their "darlings" on the stage might not have noticed them.

The girls on stage were alright, but the few boys kept their lips tightly pressed together, avoiding eye contact with their friends in the audience. Their eyes were narrowed to slits, as if they were desperately trying to suppress laughter that was about to erupt. (Image: "When your brother goes on stage to give a speech")

Chapter 230, Page 229: Family is far more welcoming than outsiders (this time, of course, it's 4K!) >>

But the brass band members absolutely cannot laugh on stage, otherwise it will look too out of place, and the Shinsengumi in the band will definitely kill them after the performance.

Unable to calm down, Kitahara Hakuba raised his hand to rub his temples, a helpless, bitter smile on his face.

He overestimated everyone.

Sakurako Yukawa was a little nervous, and her gaze shifted from the stands to the standing microphone in the corner of the stage.

Then, under everyone's gaze, he stood up, like placing a clarinet on a chair, and quickly walked to the microphone.

Because she hadn't spoken in front of so many people before, her fingers unconsciously touched the hem of her pleated skirt. She took a deep breath and said:

"Hello everyone, we are the Shenxu Wind Instrumental Ensemble, today we will be—"

Before she could finish speaking, a thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

Kitahara Hakuba turned to the side, looking at the audience clapping incessantly, and couldn't help but think that his own people were really giving him face.

Once the room finally quieted down, amidst a hissing sound like a television being switched off, Sakura Kawakami continued:

"The first pieces to be played are the two pieces from the competition, 'Raise the Flag of Courage' and 'The Tears of Princess Kinoda of the Hii River.' Our conductor is Mr. Kitahara. Because time is tight, I hope everyone can keep quiet."

Her clear, uninterrupted voice came through the microphone, landing crisply in everyone's ears.

"Is she their minister? How cute."

"Still wearing a three-strand braid, a girl from the Taisho era?"

"It feels like good literature."

She could faintly hear whispers from the front row below the stage. Suddenly, Sakura's face flushed, and she spoke with a slight tremor in her throat:

"Please be quiet for ten seconds. Any sound will affect the judgment of the team members and the commander! Thank you for your cooperation!"

After she finished speaking, she returned to her seat, and Suzuki Yoshie, who was playing the piccolo next to her, gave her a thumbs up.

In the audience, members of the wind band who were not participating in the performance were also maintaining order, and members could be seen waving to signal for quiet everywhere.

The most eye-catching are Kirishima Mai from the first year and Nagase Tsukiyo from the third year. Both of them are beautiful, with delicate features, and are top-notch beauties.

Compared to the group of girls on stage, the beautiful girls who can be seen up close are definitely more eye-catching.

Finally, the noise in the venue gradually subsided until only a few clattering sounds could be heard.

Kitahara Hakuba gave Yukawa Sakurako a relieved smile; this was something he should have done.

I wanted to wait a little longer until this mess passed, but it seems this is already the bare minimum.

Okay, strong people don't complain about their environment.

He gently raised his arm.

After months of training by Kitahara Hakuba, the girls on stage knew this was a prelude to the upcoming performance and took a deep breath.

They could faintly hear the delicate sound of breath being inhaled into the lungs. Their eyes were all focused on Kitahara Hakuba's hands, eagerly awaiting his instructions.

In the next instant, Kitahara Hakuba's hand traced elegant lines in the air, his fingers dancing fluidly like a magic wand.

The first pieces performed were the two pieces from the competition, "Raise the Flag of Courage" and "The Tears of Princess Kinada of the Fei River".

Under Kitahara Hakuba's direction, the neat and clear brass instruments pierced through the silent auditorium.

The musical notes flowed out like water, sometimes light and cheerful, sometimes melodious, as if painting a vivid musical picture.

“Haruka, although I don’t quite understand it, your boyfriend seems really impressive,” Ashida Seiko said, looking at Kitahara Hakuma’s back from below the stage.

She used to study in Hokkaido, and anyone who participated in clubs, no matter which club, would definitely know which schools had strong brass band and baseball teams.

During that period, I had never even heard of Shenxu High School.

A proud expression appeared on Shinomiya Haruka's pretty face as she crossed her legs, which were clad in black stockings, and said:

"Of course, with his ability, he can lead any high school to the national championships."

"Tsk, that's terrifying."

"

Seiko Ashida looked Kitahara Hakuba up and down.

"I heard that the wind band has almost a hundred people. How can he manage so many by himself?"

Shinomiya Haruka's slender, white fingers tapped her cheek as if striking piano keys:

"I do hope he will take more care of me."

After a few seconds of pause, Seiko Ashida leaned closer to her and said with a smile, "What's wrong? Life isn't giving you enough?"

"No." Shinomiya Haruka gave her a wary look.

It's not that he didn't give enough; sometimes he can keep going all night, and he always manages to make her bleed.

"So what do you mean by that?" Ashida Seiko teased with a laugh. "Are you jealous of those girls in the brass band?"

Shinomiya Haruka's facial muscles twitched, and she said dismissively:

"over thinking."

As the two were talking, the performance on stage began with "The Tears of Princess Kinada of the Hii River".

Since Nagase Tsukiyo did not perform, Kuno Tachibana played the trumpet solo, while Kanzaki Eri continued to play the oboe.

The tinkling of the wind chimes made the musical notes dance like leaping sprites, and in a gentle melody, the clear and bright tone of the flute was heard.

The woodwinds, like butterflies in early spring, dance in the air, each note filled with enchanting poetry.

The good times didn't last long. Suddenly, a loud, blaring trumpet warning came, reminding Butterfly that a storm was coming.

The woodpipes shrieked in the air, and the notes emitted by the entire bronze instrument were like huge raindrops that knocked down and broke the butterfly's wings.

The musical notes battled it out on the staff, and the flute sounded once more, like the first ray of sunlight at dawn.

The gentle and pure oboe is like a butterfly that survives a storm; the trumpet's sound is soft yet firm, its notes encouraging the butterfly to flap its wings again and fly towards the future.

During the duet, everyone held their breath; even those who didn't know the story behind the piece could understand the emotions it conveyed.

"Eri and Kuno-senpai worked together so well!" Nagase Tsukiyo exclaimed in admiration.

Although her relationship with Eri is not as good as before, she sincerely hopes that Eri can play the oboe in a way that amazes the world, according to her own ideas.

Kirishima Mai blinked, looking at Kuno Tachibana playing earnestly on the stage, without saying a word.

The two of them thought their duet was already perfect.

Although they didn't say it aloud, they all remembered what Kitahara-sensei had once told them: the brass band would never fail because of anyone's departure.

Chapter 231, page 230: Perhaps, everything about him is just wishful thinking (5K)

As the competition piece concluded, the notes slowly dissipated into the air, their lingering resonance still echoing in the ears, gradually merging into the boundless silence.

Soon after, enthusiastic applause erupted from the stands, like waves crashing over the crowd.

Unlike the applause during the competition, this applause felt particularly warm for some reason. The team members were all very moved to see familiar faces applauding for them.

"The performance was really good. When I listened to it last year, it was a mess, like soldiers fighting. I didn't want to listen to it at all."

,"

"This advisor is really amazing; he managed to elevate a school that was at the bottom of the rankings so much in one go."

"That trumpet player on stage is my daughter!"

The obvious changes in the brass band made the venue noisy again. All that reached the members' ears were words of praise. The girls looked at each other and saw the joy of growth on each other's faces. No one wasted time here.

Only a few calm members will remind themselves not to get carried away, as familiar people will always show favoritism, and this encouragement and praise may be fake.

Kawa Sakurako's fingers unconsciously pressed the piston all the way down, and the sensation from her fingertips made her feel that winning the gold medal at the national championships was still a long and arduous task.

She stood up again, walked to the microphone, and the cheering crowd filled her entire field of vision.

Unlike before, everyone in the venue fell silent this time, waiting for the girl with the three braids to speak.

Sakura's face shone with undisguised excitement; her fingers trembled involuntarily as she gripped the microphone; her heart pounded like a galloping horse's hooves, rapid and powerful.

"These are our two competition pieces this year. At the national competition, we received a 5A rating from the judges."

They achieved another record-breaking result and successfully secured a delegate spot for Hokkaido to the national tournament.

Many people don't actually understand what a 5A rating means, but they don't need to. They just need to know that the overall result is already very good.

"congratulations!"

"Come on! You have to do your best this time!"

"We'll definitely get it back for Jin!"