Chapter 378

"Wow~ What a beautiful Saxophone sound! I'm in love!!!"

"Well..."

Kumiko Oumae stared silently at Kawashima Midori, who was cupping her small face in her hands.

"It really sounds good, doesn't it?"

Kato Hazuki only started learning to use the Tuba this year, sought her opinion.

Even though she hadn't studied musical instruments or music theory much, she could still tell the beauty of the music and the skill of the performer just by relying on her innate human instincts.

"That's true... By the way, he majored in the Saxophone?"

Kumiko Oumae, muttering to herself, "This strength is far too cunning..."

Compared to this powerful performance, which she couldn't even describe, only felt an overwhelming sense of emotion welling up inside her, all the other band members from Sunfes seemed like they were just playing house.

He said he's a third-year student like Asuka- senpai, is that true? Or is he some famous professional musician from who-knows-where?

After all, he was wearing a mask, so it's not impossible...

The number of people drawn by the upbeat music kept increasing, and soon a crowd had gathered around the small mound planted with a few broad-leaved trees.

The Kitauji group, whose path was blocked, also stopped in their tracks without realizing it.

No one blamed the order; everyone tacitly reached a consensus—listen to the whole thing before leaving.

Behind the group of three first-year students.

Kōsaka Reina stared intently at that dazzling, unique figure with clear eyes, remaining silent in her heart.

Whether it's the silver hair, the Saxophone, or the voice, everything about it is dazzling!

Whether it's the music, the eyes, the movements, or the clear emotion of daring to perform in front of everyone, it's all very special!

I remember, he came to the Wind Ensemble Club area before, right? He even spoke to someone—her gaze shifted to the only curly-haired girl in the Wind Ensemble Club with whom she could barely be considered close, and she took a step forward...

"Teacher, do you know what piece of music this is?"

Kōsaka Reina unknowingly walked up to Taki Noboru and asked him a question.

Taki Noboru's gaze shifted from the other person to her, a faint smile appearing on his calm and focused face, "No, unfortunately, I don't know either."

"Teacher, you haven't heard of it either?"

She opened her eyes slightly.

Both she and Taki Noboru's father were renowned professional musicians, and their fathers often exchanged ideas in private.

So even though they are quite different in age, they knew each other before.

In her opinion, among young musicians, Taki Noboru is already among the most outstanding.

Originally, she came to Kitauji intending to study under Taki Noboru, Taki Toru's father—who had previously been an advisor to Kitauji, but had retired, so she chose Taki Noboru as a second choice.

[Note: This is from the novel; the anime would directly feature Taki Noboru.]

Taki Noboru didn't feel particularly ashamed; he simply explained to her calmly, "There are countless excellent pieces of music in the world, as numerous as classic books. It's perfectly normal that I haven't heard them."

"Only..."

"Only?"

Kōsaka Reina repeated solemnly.

"This kind of arrangement and composition must have been created by a musician of exceptional skill. The rich emotion and skillful playing are rare even among professional Saxophone; it's truly remarkable."

Taki Noboru looked at the young man, whose identity he did not know, with admiration, his words full of praise.

Kōsaka Reina was stunned; she hadn't expected him to give such high praise.

She knew the other person was very capable, but that was all she knew... Her eyes turned to Kumiko Oumae.

Since things have come to this, all we can do is go and ask.

"Oumae, classmate."

"Ah, yes! Eh? Kousaka student?"

Kumiko Oumae turned around, she saw someone who was both familiar and unfamiliar, and even a little scary, and she immediately panicked.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

She forced a smile and asked, her body drenched in cold sweat.

"Um?"

Without spending much time on her reaction, Kōsaka Reina pointed directly at the mound and asked, "You spoke to that person before, right? Who was they?"

"Oh, I see..."

Understanding her question, Kumiko Oumae regained her composure, but also felt a slight sense of loss.

"Actually..."

With tears in her eyes, she recounted what had happened.

Kōsaka Reina held her fingers, listening to the music and pondering, "I see, Himemiya Chihaya... I've never heard of her."

From Tokyo... wait, what?!

She looked up abruptly, her voice breaking as she demanded, "You said he's a third-year student?!"

"Hey!"

Kumiko Oumae was startled by her violent reaction and immediately stood up straight. "That's what he said!"

Ignoring her own loss of composure, Kōsaka Reina abruptly turned to the silver-haired figure, her eyes wide with shock.

This is... fake, right?!

They're not even students from Music University; is it even possible for a high school student to reach this level?!

"That's... Nozomi?"

In another part of the Kitauji squad, when Yoshikawa Yuko's gaze fell on the person next to the silver-haired performer, she knew something terrible was about to happen.

She immediately turned her head to look at the spot where the little one had just been, her gaze following the little girl's retreating figure.

"Sleet!"

She quickly shouted and chased after him.

"Um?"

Kumiko Oumae and the others, Natsuki Nakagawa, who had attended the same junior high school as the two of them and had a rather complicated relationship with Yoshikawa Yuko, turned around instinctively upon hearing the familiar voice.

"What's that guy doing now? What happened to Mizore?"

After thinking for a moment, she followed after them.

"..."

Tanaka Asuka, who was not far from her, watched the three figures—one fleeing and two chasing—frown slightly, but said nothing or did anything.

Unlike the commotion below, Himemiya Chihaya focused intently on her instrument, carefully controlling every subtle breath, even closing her eyes.

His skill was undeniable, but it wasn't an instrument he played regularly, so he couldn't rely on muscle memory to reduce the required concentration. To ensure accuracy and emotional delivery, he didn't even have time to pay attention to the Kitauji group he cared about most. (Iki Ichiko (8) is my father)

Soon, the song ended, and loud applause and cheers erupted from all around.

"Ugh, hoo--!!!"

"Marvelous!!"

"Amazing!!!"

"One more song!"

"One more song!"

"..."

Himemiya Chihaya looked down helplessly. If her voice could drown out theirs, she really wanted to say:

[Foolish Kansai! At a time like this, they should all shout "Encore!"]

However, as a musician, he certainly wouldn't refuse when asked to sing another song—at least he shouldn't have refused the first time.

He crouched down and pressed a button on the speaker to start playing the second track's accompaniment.

Seeing that he was listening to the advice, the noisy audience gradually quieted down.

"?∮※?∽..."

First came the slightly electronic Irish Whistle from the sound system, its ethereal, resonant, and lingering bird calls, like flowing water in the mountains or a cuckoo in the forest, instantly captivating people's eardrums.

People who were initially drawn in by the catchy melody of the whistle, before they could even express their amazement and immersion, were completely overwhelmed by the even more powerful sound of the Saxophone.

Compared to the jubilation and comfort just now, this song is now completely lyrical.

The Ghost, gentle Saxophone notes lacked the piercing high notes and the rapid rhythmic cadences of the previous passage; instead, they played slowly—a very slow, beautiful melody.

From a technical standpoint, it may not seem difficult, but anyone with even a little knowledge of the game knows that without a deep foundation and emotional preparation, one can only produce a haphazard imitation.

The hundreds of people, whose hearts had just been ignited with excitement and passion, were now soothed by this exquisitely beautiful and serene music...

"What a beautiful melody, it's like watching a movie..."

"I feel the same way, it's like watching a bard in a fairy tale!"

"Is this really the same instrument I'm playing...? I'm starting to lose faith."

"Uh oh~ the song recognition function can't identify it at all. Has any of you heard these two songs before?"

"No, no~ Should I ask the teacher?"

"Teacher..."

"..."

As a result, many of the high school advisors present underwent one or more rounds of questioning about their ignorance.

Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

Although Himemiya Chihaya didn't get a clear look at the expressions and movements of the people below, Kasamaki Nozomi, who had been positioned next to him in a favorable spot, saw everything... and was even a little scared by their stares.

Even knowing they weren't looking at him, he still... wait, that's Kitauji's team?

At one point, she caught a glimpse of that familiar color out of the corner of her eye, and then saw familiar people. Her heart skipped a beat, and her pupils contracted.

Oh no! I forgot about this!

Chapter 390: The Opening of the Arena and the First Performer.

Leaving now... seems too late, Asuka and the others must have seen me by now.

Ah~ I was originally planning to just observe for a bit and then leave.

A slight bitterness touched her lips. Unable to bear the atmosphere within the department last year, she chose to leave, and now she naturally felt awkward meeting them.

At some point, the loud musical instruments gradually subsided, and the growing crowd below began chanting the lines from the previous dialogue again:

"One more song!"

One more song!

"..."

"The audience is greedy," Himemiya Chihaya sighed, "But if this continues, there will be no end to it."

So he tucked the Saxophone under his arm and made a gesture of silence.

The noise below quickly subsided, and hundreds of pairs of eyes, which did not emit light, stared at him with varying expressions, leaving him with a somewhat peculiar feeling.

The last time I stood in front of so many people and spoke was probably at Hanasakigawa's entrance ceremony.

He didn't rush to speak to the audience, but instead squinted at Kasamaki Nozomi beside him. "How are you feeling?"

Kasamaki Nozomi was taken aback, not expecting him to speak to her at this moment, but she still said sincerely, "A very beautiful melody! It really surprised me; I didn't expect your technique to be so superb."