At last, it was time for the Kyoto Prefecture Competition.
Standing at the entrance to the Music Hall with her instrument on her back, Huang Qian Jiu Mei Zi suddenly became distracted. She stared blankly at the Music Hall before her without saying a word. The sky overhead was an impossibly deep blue, and beneath it, the Music Hall looked breathtakingly beautiful. Yet at this moment, Huang Qian Jiu Mei Zi felt remarkably calm...
"Jiu Mei Zi? What's wrong?"
Just then, a familiar voice reached her ears. Huang Qian Jiu Mei Zi turned her head and saw Kosaka Reina standing beside her, watching her.
"I... feel a little strange."
"Hmm?"
"I still remember the competitions back in middle school. Before going onstage back then, I was so nervous I could barely breathe. But now, it feels completely different..."
As she spoke, Huang Qian Jiu Mei Zi turned her head.
"I know this competition is crucial to whether we can advance to the National Competition, but I'm not nervous at all. It feels like today's performance is just a slightly more formal competition than our usual practice sessions. That feeling of my mind going blank, of even forgetting how to play, hasn't appeared at all."
"But you're not the only one who feels that way."
As she spoke, Kosaka Reina patted Huang Qian Jiu Mei Zi on the shoulder.
"Everyone's more or less the same."
"Really?"
Huang Qian Jiu Mei Zi looked to the side and saw the other members of the Wind Music Club standing around in small groups. Some were chatting, while others were discussing the upcoming competition. Yet every one of them seemed completely composed. By contrast, the contestants from the other schools nearby all looked tense, as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
To be honest,