Chapter 429

"Uji Kintoki, the local specialties here... even if you just look at me like this, you still won't be able to eat them."

"Ah ha, ah hum hum~ hum~..."

She let out a mournful cry that was difficult to decipher.

"Alright, don't get cocky after just one compliment. You still have a long way to go. Now for some advanced exercises... Please point your phone at the textbook and turn to..."

"Mmm mmm mmm~"

Chihaya Aine pouted and reluctantly opened the textbook recommended by Hana-dono Tae, then suddenly remembered something, "Oh right! Recently, when our band was considering a name..."

"So, what do you think of AnonTokyo, Ano-ne, or Aine as team names? I think they're great! "Tokyo

[Note: The above pronunciations are all variations of the Aine (あのん).]

"I feel like I want to beat you to death for your teammates! What kind of taste do you have in naming things? Stop talking nonsense and get back to practicing!"

"..."

The next morning, he got up very early.

On one hand, I wanted to see the scenery of the Uji River in the early morning and have some morning tea; on the other hand, I also wanted to prepare for my trip to Kitauji.

With nothing else to do, he decided to go to Kitauji early in the morning.

Because he needed to bring his musical instruments, he went straight back to the hotel Parking Lot and drove to his destination.

Even though Kitauji is relatively far away, much farther than Mount Daikichi yesterday, the straight-line distance is still about the same.

After parking his car nearby, he slung his guitar case over his shoulder, carried his belongings, and walked toward the gate of Kitauji.

It's already May, and the Sakura that were blooming and falling along the roadside are long gone, leaving only empty Sakura trees.

The school was closed for the holidays; there wasn't a soul in sight, not even a sound...

"Um?"

--It's not that there isn't one.

"Is that sound from Oboe?"

He rested his chin on his fingers, recognizing the voice as its owner.

Why? Because the school's Wind Ensemble Club only has one Oboe player.

It's a little past seven o'clock now. Even on a normal day, let alone a holiday, there aren't many people around at this time.

"They're really diligent... though that's not all they are."

He chuckled softly, and instead of immediately following the sound, he placed the stereo and musical instruments beside the steps of the teaching building before beginning his tour of the school.

"This must be the accident hotspot, right? It really does look quite old."

"This is the playground... It's so basic, there's not even any rubber track."

"The classrooms and club activity rooms are pretty ordinary, and the building is quite old. No wonder Asuka said this is a school in a small town..."

"..."

In summary, this place can't compare to Haneoka or Tsukinomori, or even Hanasakigawa.

After spending more than ten minutes touring the exterior of the school buildings, he picked up his things and entered the teaching building, following the sound of the Oboe to his destination.

Although he didn't bring indoor slippers, thankfully there were guest slippers available at the shoe cabinet—though he didn't really want to wear them.

Next time, I'll bring my own things.

He went straight to the top floor of the teaching building, and through the glass of the corridor, he could see the rooftop terrace between the two opposing buildings.

If I had to pick a good spot at this school, besides the mountain scenery and lush greenery, this would be it.

His gaze left the room and soon he found the girl sitting in the corridor bathed in the morning sunlight, with a music stand in front of her.

Her long, bluish-gray hair barely reached her waist. She had large, amber eyes, and her smooth, delicate face was a little chubby, making her look round and adorable.

[Note: Tsuruzuka Mizore has blue hair in the TV series, while in Liz and the Blue Bird series, her hair is more black.]

She stared intently at the music stand before her, playing her dark Oboe, her face devoid of any emotion, seemingly uninterested in anything.

Naturally, no one noticed his barely perceptible movements.

Himemiya Chihaya put her things down, crossed her arms, leaned against the wall, and listened quietly to her practice.

Her skill level is more than enough by high school standards, and even surpasses that of some music university students.

Looking at the entire Kitauji Wind Ensemble Club, her skills are among the best.

But... it's just so-so.

Technically, it's mediocre, with nothing particularly outstanding. The emotional expression is stagnant, the notes are stiff and lack any flexibility or richness. There's a lot of room for improvement.

A few minutes later, after finishing practicing a piece of music, Tsuruzuka Mizore stopped playing, put down her instrument, blinked her big eyes, and looked away from the music stand at the all-too-familiar campus scene and the rolling hills in the distance.

"Your playing is pretty good. What's your name?"

The sudden sound startled her, causing her to quickly avert her gaze and turn her head slightly—from an outsider's perspective, it was impossible to tell that she was frightened.

In an instant, she spotted that familiar figure.

White hair, red eyes, that voice...

Although she ran away very early yesterday and didn't see him lift his mask, she quickly realized that he was the person who performed yesterday.

The one who's with Nozomi...!!!

Thinking of this, her pupils contracted, and she sprang to her feet, like Shiro-chan fleeing from a hungry wolf, ready to escape this place.

But the plan quickly failed.

With Himemiya Chihaya grabbed her slender, soft arm wrapped in her sailor uniform, pulled her back, and Kabe-don her against the glass behind her.

He was somewhat surprised to see her trembling, shrinking back, afraid, and avoiding his gaze. He hadn't done anything wrong, so why did she run away as soon as she saw him?

But then, he narrowed his eyes and chuckled playfully, gently rubbing her chubby, adorable face, and whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person."

"Next, let's have a more in-depth discussion!"

Chapter 398 The ill-fated relationship between the Oboe and the Flute.

"..."

Tsuruzuka Mizore kept her eyes closed, but after hearing his words, she opened them and peeked at him a few times, but remained silent.

"First, tell me why you're so scared when you see me."

"I ask casually," said Himemiya Chihaya, her large hand still restlessly playing with her collagen-rich skin.

"..."

"Not going to talk? Do you think I'm afraid to do anything to you?"

He chuckled wickedly, breathed into her ear, and threatened in a low voice, "Look, the school is almost deserted this morning, and you're so shy. If I were to really do something to you..."

Sensing the strange sensation in her ears, Tsuruzuka Mizore hurriedly closed her eyes again, gathering her strength to charge forward and try to escape.

But after crashing into the seemingly flimsy yet incredibly sturdy wall in front of her, her escape plan was once again thwarted.

Oh~ She looks frail and delicate, with skin so pale it's almost bloodless, and she looks like she'd collapse at the slightest push—but she's actually quite something, thank you.

After silently expressing his gratitude, he cupped her plump cheeks in his Hands, forcing her seemingly mysterious eyes to meet his gaze.

He whispered, almost touching her nose, "If you don't tell me, I'm really going to attack you, okay? After all, you're so cute~"

"No, no!"

Tsuruzuka Mizore abruptly turned her head and hugged herself tightly.

"Then answer my question obediently. First... what is your name?"

"... Tsuruzuka Mizore."

"Oh, that's a very nice name. My name is Himemiya Chihaya. Nice to meet you."

"... I know."

She tilted her head, her eyes darting around, and whispered her reply.

The sound was so soft that it would have been inaudible if no one else was around.

"Really? It seems I've become quite famous!"

He puffed out his chest proudly, somewhat satisfied with the achievements he had made the day before.

"Then the next question—why did you run away after you saw me? I don't think we've met before, have I?"

He looked down at the girl who had curled up in a corner and thought that her Social Anxiety Disorder and isolation meant she could probably sit at the same table as Gotou Hitori...

In a sense, she might be the most difficult person to win over among everyone here—he's referring to her friendship.

Not only is she aloof, taciturn, and expressionless... she also harbors a strong sense of vigilance towards outsiders, only revealing her true feelings when she is with those who have accompanied her through many years.

What's worse is that, although she may not realize it now, she's already someone who follows Kasamaki Nozomi around and wants to be with her 24/7!

Although they haven't seen each other for a long time since Kasamaki Nozomi left the club last year, she still only has Kasamaki Nozomi as a special friend in her heart—everyone else can only be considered acquaintances.

Ku~! The incredibly wicked succubus, Nozomi!

Unfortunately, your brother, who owns an umbrella, has friends all over the neighborhood, and he doesn't need you anymore. He doesn't even take you with him to and from school...

"..."

A long silence followed, Himemiya Chihaya wanted to urge her to hurry, otherwise others would arrive soon—

Tsuruzuka Mizore slowly parted her red lips, her voice trembling, and said, "You... yesterday, were with that person..."

"That person?"

Himemiya Chihaya, then quickly realized that there was only one person who could elicit such a strong reaction from her.

"You mean Nozomi?"

He suddenly realized that she had projected some of her feelings for Kasamaki Nozomi onto him as well.

Because Kasamaki Nozomi only flirted without cleaning up the mess, her feelings towards her are now quite complicated. There's a mix of reluctance to let go, affection, and resentment at being "abandoned" without a word...

"..."

Tsuruzuka Mizore silently acknowledged.

"Oh, I met her yesterday when I was watching your performance. You guys performed wonderfully!"

Having identified the problem, the rest was simple; he released her from the Kabe-don position.

"I remember—you were a cheerleader back then, right? One of those girls at the front holding a flower and doing some kind of Mysterious Dance Steps!"

Tsuruzuka Mizore nodded, relaxing slightly. It seemed the other party had really watched the performance carefully, even knowing what position someone as unremarkable as her held.

--But in reality, he only paid close attention to a few people.

"Then, after your performance, I saw a very happy Nozomi. I asked her if she was connected to people from Kitauji, and that's how we met."

He then went on to briefly describe their relationship.

"..."

"I think she's really happy for you two. What? You and Nozomi have a conflict?"

"No!"

After raising her head and forcefully retorting, she buried her head in her knees again and remained silent.

"Mmm~ Ugh~"

Himemiya Chihaya stared at her helplessly, feeling that talking to someone with Social Anxiety Disorder was really tiring. She'd have to ask her great-grandfather for some more Star Power next time!

"I've vaguely heard Nozomi mention something that happened a year ago, is it related to this?"

"..."

"Look at you, you fall silent again when faced with a difficult question."

"..."

"If you don't answer, I'm going to continue with the attack from before, okay? Do you hate Nozomi?"

Whether the threat worked or not, Tsuruzuka Mizore trembled slightly and obediently replied, "... I don't dislike her, it's not like that."