Chapter 377

"To Kitauji?"

Nakasako Kaori, blinked her warm, large eyes.

Although she didn't say it directly, Tanaka Asuka fully understood what she meant.

To outsiders, Kitauji was previously an unknown nobody, so unknown that even whether he participated or not was unclear, and not worth remembering.

"That's what he said."

Asuka nodded firmly.

"Him? Is he a boy with long hair?"

"Yes~ and her name is very feminine too! It's called Himemiya Chihaya!"

"Wow, it really is..."

Nakasako Kaori covered her mouth in slight surprise, "Will he come again later?"

"I don't know, maybe they'll just leave, after all, they're tourists."

"Yes, that's true."

"..."

Not far from them, Kumiko Oumae, holding Euphonium, was breathing heavily. Beads of clear sweat trickled down her forehead and cheeks, pooling on her rounded chin before dripping down.

The vast blue sky, the fast-moving white clouds, the gentle breeze that caresses the body and carries away the heat... everything in the senses is so clear.

A special feeling welled up inside her; she had a premonition that she was one step closer to the Mirai she wanted.

"Kumiko! How are you feeling?"

Kato Hazuki led Kawashima Midori to her side, and the trio from Class 3, Grade 1, reunited.

"I don't know~"

When asked this, her expression fell, her eyes narrowed into slits, and she looked languid. "But I tried my best."

"Me too! Dancing in front of so many people is so nerve-wracking!"

"It's better if I'm the one being 'greened,' since it's just waving the flag."

"Wow, I wish I had signed up for this too!"

After recovering for a moment, Kumiko Oumae glanced sideways towards the direction of the Trumpet group, where a handsome, ethereal girl, who barely interacted with her seniors and peers, was standing alone, seemingly oblivious to the world around her.

"Kousaka student, you're still as calm and handsome as ever~"

She heard these words spoken to her.

"Huh?"

She turned to look at Kato Hazuki.

"After such a tense and tiring activity, she still had that same expression. That's amazing!"

Added by Kato Hazuki.

"Ah, that's true."

Kumiko Oumae looked back at Kōsaka Reina and sighed.

Looking back, she had been like this since junior high school.

Is it aloofness, inarticulateness, or perhaps a sense of dignified composure? She, who currently has only a casual relationship with her, cannot yet discern the truth.

However, she felt that such a beautiful figure was somewhat alluring...

The announcements kept playing over the loudspeakers, but none of them paid any attention to what was happening at other schools.

As the sun moved, all the schools finished their parades, and finally, after the closing ceremony—

"Thank you all for your hard work today! I think you all did a great job, and your efforts over the past few days have been worthwhile!"

With his large Hands Taki Noboru together and his gentle smile still on his face, Takigatsu praised the members who were lined up below.

With the consultant's praise, the members of the Wind Ensemble Club beamed with relaxed smiles, interspersed with quiet whispers.

"Teacher Matsumoto, is there anything you'd like to say?"

After finishing his speech, Taki Noboru tossed the microphone to the deputy advisor.

Matsumoto Michie, her face stern, opened her mouth and spoke in a concise and efficient voice, "You all performed well today! But you must continue to work hard. The later competitions are much more difficult than today's, so don't let your guard down!"

"..."

Silence fell below. The smiles on her face vanished, her expression stiffened, but she felt that this was the real her.

Hehe~ No, hehe...

"Alright! Grab your belongings and instruments, line up in an orderly fashion, and head to the Parking Lot to catch the bus back to school, Club President!"

Matsumoto Michie ignored them and proceeded to issue the orders.

"Yes!"

Ogasawara Haruka stepped forward, facing the group, and said, "Group leaders, please check that no one is still missing!"

"If you don't have any, start from here and follow me. Don't fall behind!"

"When we get to the Parking Lot, could you guys please help the girls with loading the instruments onto the truck? Thank you!"

"Then, let's go back!"

"Oh!!!"

X N.

Upon receiving her instructions, which were like guiding fledglings home, the atmosphere instantly eased, and everyone walked in an orderly fashion while easily chatting with those around them.

A public Solo after Chapter 389 concludes.

There was a person standing at the entrance to the Parking Lot.

A stereo was placed at his feet, and he held a gleaming Saxophone in his hand; it was none other than Himemiya Chihaya.

He had been leisurely lying in the car enjoying the air conditioning, but after seeing students gradually arriving to gather and board the bus, he grabbed his things and stood over there.

Ignoring the curiosity and scrutiny of people from different places, he stood on a small mound and observed the road connecting the entrance to the stadium.

"Hey~"

"Um?"

Himemiya Chihaya looked at the person who greeted her in surprise. The person with arms behind her back and a familiar middle-parted ponytail hairstyle was none other than Kasamaki Nozomi with not long ago.

"What's wrong, Nozomi-chan?"

"Don't call me 'chan~'!!!"

Kasamaki Nozomi complained dissatisfiedly.

Himemiya Chihaya smiled silently. Judging from his age, he was indeed not qualified to call others that, but he just liked to act like a senior and tease others.

Eh~ If anyone's to blame, it's Japan's wicked senior-junior system!

A one-year age difference can be incredibly devastating.

Kasamaki Nozomi glanced at the instrument in his hand and the speaker next to him, and asked curiously, "When you said there was a performance to watch, you weren't referring to yourself, were you?"

"Not entirely, but I do have a performance later."

"Hey~ No wonder I waited for ages and didn't see anyone performing. I thought you were kidding me."

She gave him an admiring look, "Your courage to Solo in front of so many people is commendable."

"What's wrong with that?"

Himemiya Chihaya rolled her eyes dismissively. "Haven't you ever seen street performances? Or those bands and idols? It's common for them to perform in front of crowds. There are tons of people like that in Tokyo."

"People from Tokyo are just different. If it were me, I might get too nervous to play it..."

Kasamaki Nozomi sighed, "Those guys in Tokyo really know their stuff compared to us country bumpkins," and then asked:

"So your specialty is the soprano Saxophone. Mine is the Flute."

"Oh, really? Did you bring any instruments? Would you like to perform with me?"

He asked in a teasing tone.

"I didn't bring it, and even if I had, I wouldn't want it."

Kasamaki Nozomi closed her eyes and shook her head helplessly.

"So, when are you going to start?"

"Immediately... no, now."

Upon finally seeing that familiar four-colored performance costume, he smiled slightly, squatted down, and turned on the stereo to play accompaniment.

"??※?..."

Upon hearing the melodious and resonant tune, hundreds of people, including spectators and tourists, both inside and outside the parking area, froze and instinctively looked toward the source of the sound.

Being drawn to a lively scene is a basic human instinct...

The piece begins with subtle, understated electronic harmonies and a gentle undertone, giving it a warm and lingering atmosphere.

Throughout the piece, one can hear electronic drums and Percussion, with Bass providing additional support, all contributing to a hazy and beautiful picture that seems like a paradise on earth.

A few seconds after the intro, a sudden high-pitched Saxophone announces its presence, but after playing only a few notes, it falls silent again, merging into the background music.

Just when the audience couldn't stand its departure and was about to erupt, it reappeared at the opportune moment.

From then on, he continued to dominate the music.

"???∮※?∽?..."

"~∮~?~?~??~??~"

"..."

The melody seemed to praise the efforts of all the teams, and also seemed to praise their hard work, giving the audience a wonderful memory.

In short, the gentle, soothing yet uplifting notes seemed to be offering a fitting end to today.

The portable speaker, turned up to its maximum volume, and the piercing power of the high-pitched Saxophone instantly made the swaying white-haired figure the main character of the entire event.

If you were to ask Himemiya Chihaya what the most important thing about playing the Saxophone is, he would answer, "Play it in a flamboyant way."

The Saxophone, no matter how seriously you play it, will still have a soft, languid tone. So why not dance along with its unique characteristics?

In Kitauji.

"Someone's playing the Saxophone!"

Ogasawara Haruka was quickly drawn to his attention.

The instrument she was responsible for was the bass Saxophone, and she was also the leader of the Saxophone Section.

"That's a really good performance..."

Tanaka Asuka adjusted her glasses, her face filled with rapture.

"The sound seems to be coming from the Parking Lot. Could it be an outdoor performance?"

Nakasako Kaori looked ahead and exclaimed, "Ah, I see it."

"Eh...?"

At the same time, Tanaka Asuka was taken aback when she saw that person.

That figure... it looks so familiar.

"Huh?!"

X N.

Apart from her, everyone else who had noticed him or interacted with him before stared wide-eyed.

"Kumiko!"

"Yes! It's him!"