pertwk Page 115
Page 115
Upon hearing this, the ferry terminal manager, who was reading the morning paper, immediately raised his eyebrows and said...
"Yes, Kitahara is right."
"Hahaha--"
A burst of awkward laughter rippled through the staff office as the educators put the reed box into a drawer.
Chapter 114, Section 113: Did the ensemble go smoothly without her? (4K)
With the arrival of Kitahara Hakuba, Kawa Sakurako informed the brass band that the competition repertoire could begin again today.
Some members couldn't wait any longer and came to the first music classroom immediately after school, only to find that she wasn't the only one who couldn't wait.
Almost everyone in the wind instrument section was present. It seemed they planned to hold a general meeting of the entire section first.
"Quiet."
After Sakura clapped her hands, the noisy classroom gradually quieted down, and everyone's eyes fell on her.
After realizing the responsibilities of being a minister in the past month or two, she no longer feels uncomfortable.
"Later, please don't talk about things that have nothing to do with the brass band and make things difficult for Kitahara-sensei. I know you may have a lot of gossip in your minds, but please suppress that feeling."
"Okay!" the club members responded. A moment later, Kitahara Shiro opened the door to the music classroom and walked in, followed by Saito Haruka.
She seemed no different from usual, and when members greeted her, she responded with a smile.
All eyes were fixed on Kitahara Hakuba.
"I asked Minister Yukawa to gather everyone here today because I have something to say. Minister Yukawa was unaware of this beforehand."
Kitahara Hakuba stood beside the piano, giving up his seat at the podium, and looked at Saito Harutori.
"Saito-kun, it's better if you say these things yourself."
As soon as he finished speaking, the members began to whisper among themselves.
"What is it?"
"not sure."
Only Yuka Isomoto crossed her arms, her cherry-red nails deeply etched into her cuffs, and sadly lowered her head.
Saito Harutori stepped forward, took a shallow breath, consciously puffed out her chest, and smiled slightly as she said:
"The Hakodate Regional Tournament is in about a month. I apologize for the suddenness of this. I, Saito Harukori, will be leaving the brass band starting today. The selection of the vice-president, bass section leader, and euphonium member will be decided by Mr. Kitahara and the brass band executives."
As soon as she finished speaking, a chorus of apologies erupted in the classroom, and many people wore expressions of reluctance and confusion.
"Saito-senpai....."
"No way..."
3
"The deputy minister has retired? Why?"
"Nagase-senpai asked her to quit the club together?"
"Indeed, I saw Minister Saito and her fighting down there earlier."
Sakurako Yukawa was also hearing Saito Harutori mention leaving the club for the first time, and quickly asked:
"Why did you suddenly leave the department? Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"
Realizing that the atmosphere was increasingly resembling the stories the club members were constructing in their minds, Saito Harutori quickly spoke up to explain:
"It's not what everyone thinks. Don't be surprised, things aren't that complicated. It's very simple. It's just that my family wants me to take the entrance exam for the University of Tokyo. The pressure is really great. I thought about it all night, but I still have to follow my family's wishes."
"Here we go again, the University of Tokyo, the nemesis of three-year-old girls! They've taken down two of my brass band members in a row!" someone couldn't help but complain.
"In the minds of these young ladies, is this the only university in the entire country?" Kuno Tachika slightly pursed his lips.
Miyako Nagasawa said, "I've heard that wealthy people receive more rigorous education, and perhaps they have a higher standard of living."
"So, will Makoto also take the entrance exam for the University of Tokyo?" Goto Yu looked up at the pretty girl beside him and asked.
"Huh?" Kirishima Mai paused for a moment, then tilted her head and said, "I'm not a young lady."
“Your family owns a restaurant business, right? Every time I pass by your shop, it’s packed with people during mealtimes. You must have a lot of money,” Kuno Tachibana said.
“But we don’t actually earn much, and my family is just an ordinary family,” Kirishima Mai said sincerely.
But the other three clearly didn't believe it, as evidenced by the fact that they always received a free plate of fried dumplings whenever they ate at her restaurant.
That's incredibly impressive!
Saito Haruka twirled a strand of hair between her fingertips, her eyes slightly downcast, and said:
"I have confidence in everyone and in Kitahara-sensei. Even if I leave the club, you can still come to me for a heart-to-heart talk if you have any worries."
Whether it's performing or practicing, I'll try my best to help if I can. Romantic relationships are probably out of the question, because I've never been in one.
Some of the female club members who considered themselves to be close to Saito-senpai even started to pant heavily.
"Don't overthink it, everyone. Just keep practicing. Actually, I'm relieved to see things like this now," Saito Harutori said with a smile.
Kitahara Hakuba sat on the piano bench, watching the members' reactions. Many of them showed expressions of reluctance.
After all, in their eyes, Saito Haruka was a vice-captain who took care of the club members and had a good personality. Although she was a young lady from a wealthy family, she never put on airs.
At that moment, he saw Yuka Isomoto with her head down, breathing heavily and painfully as if she were sobbing.
Saito Harutori noticed her reaction and then cast a guilty look at her, saying:
"Yuka, the bass part depends on you. Good luck."
Yuka Isomoto raised her arm to wipe her eyes, but no one knew the reason, only that it was because the two were too close.
Saito Haruka took a deep breath, glanced around at the members of the brass band, and suddenly felt a pang of detachment.
“Teacher Kitahara, I’ve finished speaking,” she said.
Kitahara Hakuba nodded and looked at Yukawa Sakurako, saying, "Minister Yukawa, is there anything you'd like to say?"
Sakurako's breathing became increasingly labored, and she shook her head, saying:
"No."
"Row."
Kitahara Hakuba stepped forward and said in a loud voice,
"The euphonium in the A group is currently short one person. I have decided on the candidate based on the last audition: a first-year student, Kurosawa Maki."
His gaze fell sharply on Kurosawa Maki, who was standing in the corner, her yellow hair knot standing out.
"To!"
She shouted with a tense face, feeling as nervous as if she were walking a tightrope, being stared at by everyone in the orchestra.
"Starting today, you will be working on the euphonium arrangement in section A. I will be stricter with the staff in section A during practice, so please be mentally prepared."
"Yes!" Kurosawa Maki swallowed hard, and Kitahara Hakuba clapped his hands, his clear voice echoing in the classroom.
"Alright, those in Group A, please stay. As for those in Group B, you can start your individual practice. Thank you, Takahashi-kun."
Takahashi Kami, who was temporarily entrusted by him to "take care" of Editor B, nodded.
A short while later, a large group of people walked out of the classroom.
Saito Harutori looked around reluctantly, bit her lower lip hard, and said to Kitahara Hakuba and Yukawa Sakurako:
"Then I'll be going too, so I won't bother everyone anymore."
"Haru-niu..." came an unconscious groan from Sakurako's throat.
Saito Harutori gazed at her with his smoky blue eyes, smiling without showing his teeth, and said:
"It's not like we've stopped seeing each other; we're still friends."
Sakurako Yukawa was speechless. She still remembered what Haruko Saito and Eri Kanzaki had said that day: "I only have you two as friends."
It was obvious that she wasn't among them.
But now, which of these statements are true and which are false?
Saito Haruka walked slowly toward the door, and neither of them spoke as she passed Isomoto Yuka.
This atmosphere of pretending not to notice each other is like a thin film on an uneven surface; with just a gentle lift, the jarring parts are exposed.
"Teacher Kitahara, what exactly happened?" Sakurako Yukawa quickly turned around and asked.
Kitahara Hakuba looked troubled and said:
“I also tried to persuade Saito privately for a long time, but this is ultimately her and her family’s idea, and as her teacher, I could only agree.”
"How could this happen...?"
.
Sakurako Yukawa is still finding it hard to accept.
The sound of members carrying music stands from the music section classrooms could be heard constantly coming from the corridor outside, and the door of the instrument management room was also crowded with people.
"I cannot interfere with the appointment of the vice-president of the brass band; this matter must be decided internally," Kitahara Hakuba reminded him.
As an advisor, he did not have the authority to appoint the section leaders and the head of the wind section; these appointments were to be made internally by the wind section.
If it were based solely on ability, for example, in the trumpet section, Kitahara Hakuba would appoint Kuno Tatsuka as the group leader instead of Ame-no-Kami.
"When you suddenly bring this up, how can I immediately think of anyone...?" Sakurako Yukawa said with great difficulty, her expression somewhat gloomy, and there was a hint of loneliness on her face.
Ministers and deputy ministers are usually appointed from the third year of their undergraduate studies. This is not to say that there is discrimination against first- or second-year students, but rather that third-year students have more experience in handling miscellaneous tasks after two years of familiarization with the work.
A moment later, Watanabe Hama came in carrying a music stand. Before she could even sit down, she was immediately drawn to Yukawa Sakurako's gaze.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her brows furrowing slightly.
"Bin, the position of deputy minister is still vacant..."
"No, I'm too blunt and I don't know how to comfort others. I don't know how to be tactful. You'd be better off choosing someone more shrewd."
Before Sakurako could finish speaking, Hama Watanabe rejected her outright. She dared to point out her own shortcomings; she was indeed quite blunt.
"I see..." Sakurako Yukawa gave a wry smile.
Watanabe Hama sat down, holding a bassoon, and raised his eyebrows, saying: