Chapter 244
Did you lose anything?
She asked with great concern.
The short-haired girl picked up a small brown stone. Hearing the sound, she looked up at her. As she put the stone away, she didn't notice her pocket and Kokoro knocked a few stones out of her pocket.
She quickly picked it up, covered her shirt pocket, nodded to Chihaya Aine, and hurriedly left.
"Um?"
Chihaya Aine watched her retreating figure with a puzzled expression.
A strange child.
At that moment, a melodious musical sound drifted through the air and slowly reached her ears.
The voice was clear and melodious, the tune gentle and soothing, like heavenly music, as if welcoming her arrival and making her feel happier.
"This is... such beautiful music..."
She followed the sound, looked around, and finally focused her gaze on the rooftop in one direction.
There was a girl leaning against the railing, her figure graceful and light, her Hands raised in front of her, as if she were fiddling with something.
Her silvery-white hair swayed in the wind, shimmering in the sunlight like a miniature lighthouse, making her tall figure easily visible.
"What a beautiful scene..."
Her eyes sparkled as she was captivated by the beautiful scenery.
After being held captive for half a minute, she finally came to her senses, turned around, and ran towards the building over there.
The complex and spacious teaching and club buildings left her feeling like a headless fly, wandering around aimlessly and getting lost several times. Even the class bell rang silently halfway through the day.
Fortunately, the music never stopped, guiding her towards her goal.
It wasn't until the other party changed to the third song that she, slightly out of breath, staggered and pushed open the rooftop door.
After the creaking sound of the door opening...
The bright morning sunlight, and the silver-haired Elf playing music within the rectangular frame that appeared after she pushed open the door, instantly filled her eyes, making her eyes well up with tears and leaving her frozen in place.
The breathtaking view, ten times more stunning than what she had just seen downstairs, instantly overwhelmed her mind, creating an indescribable impact.
Time passed second by second, and the other person continued playing as if they hadn't noticed her, while she stood still like a ticketed audience member.
One side stood in the shadows behind the door, the other in the soft sunlight outside... The band war had begun.
Are you the new guitarist? (Just kidding)
A few minutes later, the lyrical verses, even longer than the previous two, gradually subsided.
The host, with a voice no less captivating than her music, softly inquired, "Welcome, guest from afar."
Chihaya Aine's heart skipped a beat, thinking that her background had been exposed, and she almost ran away.
"H -Chihaya Aine Desu, a first-year transfer student who will be starting school here soon!"
She bowed to him nervously.
"I'm Ogura Asahi, nice to meet you..."
She had intended to say "Nice to meet you," but then she remembered that they had actually met on the streets of Tokyo two months ago, though the other seemed to have forgotten. (See Chapter 13 for details)
That's right, it was when he first started as a wandering spirit in Tokyo, the rising Asahi in the morning representing the beginning of his youth...
Ogura Asahi reminisced for a moment, realizing that only two months had passed; he had thought two months had gone by.
"Chihaya, you're here for an interview, right? I saw you go over there earlier."
"Ah, yes!"
However, hearing the address "Chihaya- kun" reminded her of her junior high school days, and she chuckled, "Just call me Aine ~"
"Really? Then Aine-chan, welcome to Haneoka."
Hi! Thank you so much!
She bowed politely again, and hearing his words, she felt as if she had been accepted here, and a wave of emotion washed over her.
Woohoo~ Coming here was definitely the right choice~ I love Asahi ~!
I never imagined that Haneoka would have such a beautiful, gentle, and talented student. Will my future student life be incredibly exciting?
Moved, she suddenly remembered the touching performance and asked, "Oh, that! What was the music that Asahi played just now?"
"Is the instrument Clarinet? It really, really sounds beautiful!"
"This?"
Ogura Asahi held up the tubular object in her hand and smiled. "It's Oboe."
"Oh, I see. Sorry, I made a mistake."
That's right, but you just called me by my name? You're definitely different from other people.
"It's alright. The last piece they played was 'Liz and the Blue Bird,' which tells a story. You can look it up when you get back."
The reason I played this was simply because I was thinking about what happened last night, and it was a feeling I had for the fact that there were too many lesbians around him.
He fiddled with the shiny black Oboe he had brought from home, one hand behind his back against the railing, while the other hand made a gesture that left the other music students speechless, casually twirling the oboe around his palm like a pen.
Simply put, it's like walking a tightrope, with hundreds of thousands of yen flying through your hands and potentially breaking at any moment.
"Wow, that's amazing!"
Chihaya Aine was stunned by her action. Was this the kind of behavior a musician who loved her instrument so much should exhibit?
"Ah, I found it! This is the one!"
She scrolled through her phone and found the audio of "Liz and the Blue Bird," exclaiming, "It's so long?!"
After seeing that the piece was divided into several movements, each quite long, she zoomed in on her phone screen to confirm.
"After all, it's not pop or rock, so it's normal for it to be a bit longer."
Ogura Asahi explained with a smile.
"Oh, right..."
Chihaya Aine suddenly remembered something, her expression surprised behind her black-rimmed glasses, "Asahi- kun, aren't you going to class? The bell rang a long time ago, didn't it?"
Chapter 295 Please do something enjoyable.
"It's okay, it's just one less day of Perfect Attendance."
Besides, what does your Perfect Attendance at Haneoka have to do with my Rowing Boat?
"Haha... Is this alright?"
Chihaya Aine let out a dry laugh.
"So, Asahi, are you in the Wind Instrument Club or the Light Music Club?"
"None of them,"
Ogura Asahi gently shook her head. "Besides, this school doesn't have Light Music Club, only Wind Instrument Club."
"Huh? Is that so?!"
Chihaya Aine was surprised.
Why isn't there a Light Music Club here that combines music and a relaxed atmosphere?
"But Asahi, you play the Oboe so well, why don't you join the club? I think you'll definitely shine in the competition."
"Because I'm not interested."
"Hey~ You're obviously that strong?"
"Music is all about making yourself happy, and besides, at this school, everyone prefers playing in a band to clubs."
Ogura Asahi closed his eyes and explained the situation to her in advance, giving off a bit of an NPC vibe at the beginning.
"A band? Are there many people playing that?"
Chihaya and Aine were even more surprised.
Bands are a rare breed in other schools; you might not even find one or two in a whole school.
There are many Light Music Club and Wind Ensemble Club that can perform at school festivals, but those who seriously and professionally pursue their craft are a completely different story.
"Yes, there are a lot. Each class probably has at least ten students."
"Many!!"
Chihaya Aine's expression was enigmatic. "Should I start preparing too? I've been in a band before, and I was the lead vocalist and guitarist."
"I see. Well, that depends on you. Finding band members isn't an easy task."
Ogura Asahi put down his Oboe, placed it in its case, inserted it into his bag on the ground, and then walked to the rooftop chair on the other side.
He opened the guitar case next to the chair, took out the fiery red guitar, and sat down on the bench, crossing his legs.
"Hey? A guitar?! Asahi, aren't you the one who plays the Oboe?"
Chihaya Aine was startled by his action.
More than being surprised that he could play multiple instruments, she was afraid he would ask her to play one on the spot.
"I never said that."
Without uttering any lines that would frighten her, he began to strum the strings of his violin.
The quiet and soothing rhythm is completely different from the band's rock music, as if it is slowly telling a quiet and beautiful love story.
About thirty seconds later, Ogura Asahi began to sing, and it turned out to be a live performance.
"Every day that passes by in a hurry"
"Keep Increasing realizing it"
"お mutual い の hold ち は い つ も lateral に い る よ (you and I are inseparable at all times)"
"ふたりえなくてもだなんて(It doesn't matter even if we can't see each other again)"
"..."
A clear, resonant voice, full of emotion yet oblivious to others, accompanied by a guitar, drifted through the air above Haneoka, echoing softly throughout the entire campus.
Elsewhere on campus, in classrooms, students were exchanging glances and snickering.
"It's turned into a guitar..."
"And they even added vocals, such quiet and beautiful music~"
"It's completely different from Afterglow's style!"
"Are there people like this at our school? Are they first-year students?"
"I don't know~ I'd really like to get to know her, I wonder if she's in a band."
"Could it be that she was the one who was with us yesterday and the day before?"
"That's impossible no matter what..."
"..."
The teachers were also having a headache dealing with the students' incessant chatter.
Although the noise wasn't loud enough to disrupt the class because of the distance, the students' curiosity was still irresistible.
But who is this? Even if Haneoka advocates freedom, skipping class to sing outside is not something to be encouraged...
On the rooftop.
"So handsome!"
The only audience member, Chihaya Aine, was also unconsciously captivated once more. When the music ended, she asked, just as before, "What is this?"
"WHITE White Album, but you probably can't find it right now."
Ogura Asahi smiled, put down his guitar, and stretched.
Skipping class to play music and sing on the rooftop... that's really quite enjoyable.
"Was that a song you wrote yourself?!"
Chihaya Aine covered her mouth in surprise and guessed.