pertwk Page 240
Page 240
"But I probably won't be able to get in this time, sorry Kitahara-sensei....:．:" Kurosawa Maki said with a somewhat embarrassed wry smile.
Kitahara Hakuba turned to look at her, and said with a smile, "Why are you embarrassed to me?"
"Because it was Teacher Kitahara who told me to join the A class without going through the audition, but this time I really couldn't get in."
Kurosawa Maki scratched her cheek awkwardly and said, "I can't compare to Isogen-senpai, and Saito-senpai is even less comparable."
Kitahara Hakuba did not deny it, looking down at his interlaced fingers and saying:
"Kurosawa, you actually have potential, but it's not the right time yet. You'll have a chance to become the bass lead in the brass band next year."
She is currently a 15-level euphonium player, while Tachibana Kuno, who is the same age, is already a 23-level tutti player.
This level is barely enough to carry the team in the All-Round Tournament, but with the National Tournament approaching, there's no hope at all. In terms of skill, they are completely outmatched by others.
Let's aim for next year. It's a growth class B, still a first-year student, with great potential.
Kurosawa Maki's facial muscles twitched, and she accepted his consolation with a wry smile. Since he had said that, it seemed that there was absolutely no hope for this national tournament.
"Hey, Kitahara-sensei, why is that? It's the same routine, and we seem to have practiced it for about the same amount of time, but the way we play it is different."
Kitahara Hakuba really enjoys it when students ask questions:
"for example?"
Kurosawa Maki raised her small hand to her chin, pondered for a moment, and said:
"For example, Saito-senpai's euphonium sounds very light and bright; the volume is clearly very large, but it feels...: "
Hmm...: Very high-quality? Ah, no wonder she comes from a wealthy family who practiced wind instruments with Nagase-senpai since childhood.
Kitahara Hakuba smiled and said:
"It can only be said that Saito has brought out the euphonium's tone quality—subtle yet profound, producing sufficient volume while maintaining a mellow tone. However, producing it is not an easy task, as its brightness and clarity are not as good as the trumpet, and its strength and intensity are not as good as the trombone. But its timbre is pure and mellow, and Saito has mastered this aspect very well. As for why you feel there is a significant difference compared to her, that can only be explained by accumulated training over time. But don't worry, euphonium players are extremely rare in this world, not much more so than obo players. They are all quite mediocre."
He said a lot in one breath, and Kurosawa Maki almost had a brain short circuit from listening to him. In the end, he only took in "Don't worry, everyone is mediocre".
Kitahara-sensei is such a nice person.
Kurosawa Maki's gaze fell on the brown loafers, gently tapping the inside of the shoes back and forth.
Mr. Kitahara, who is standing next to me, always seems to prefer wearing sneakers. He only wears dress shoes when he goes on stage to perform. Why is that?
"Because sneakers are more comfortable, and dress shoes feel too formal, like something an adult would wear." "Wrong?"
Kurosawa Maki quickly covered her mouth with both hands, only then realizing that she had actually voiced her inner confusion.
But I think I heard something strange.
"The feeling of an adult? Kitahara-sensei, aren't you an adult?" Kurosawa Maki asked curiously.
Kitahara Hakuba smiled, scratching his cheek somewhat embarrassedly.
"Although I am an adult, I have always felt that I am just a child who has finished childhood and adolescence."
An indescribable sense of novelty welled up from the depths of her heart, and she blinked her round eyes and said:
....child?"
"Actually, I'm only twenty-three years old now. Not long ago, I was still in school... Oh, sorry, not long ago was eight months ago." Kitahara Hakuba gestured for silence.
Kurosawa Maki grasped this concept very quickly:
"Is time passing too quickly? It feels like I'm still a schoolchild?"
"That's roughly the idea. Sometimes the things I do are quite childish," Kitahara Hakuba said with a smile.
That's childish...
2
Kurosawa Maki looked up at the hanging handrails swaying precariously as the train moved along.
She couldn't fathom what childish things that Kitahara-sensei, who so readily belittled people on the command platform, would do.
The electric scooter continued its steady journey along the road. Not knowing what to talk about, Kurosawa Maki unconsciously hummed a euphonium melody.
“The note is a little too long,” Kitahara Hakuba suddenly said.
"Um... Ah, hug." Kurosawa Maki subconsciously lifted her back from the chair and straightened up.
"It's a little lower now, and the breathing is strange, that's usually the case." Kitahara Hakuba sang to her for a while himself.
"Your voice sounds a bit disjointed, like...::"
He seemed to be looking for a suitable metaphor, but then, for some reason, he suddenly burst out laughing.
"It's alright, just keep your breathing steady. Let's listen again."
"Okay..."
1
Not good at all! Running into Kitahara-sensei on the train to school! Anyone who wants to come can come!
?
The notice board in the club building states that the nearly full wind band club is no longer recruiting.
"Didn't I just say? Listen carefully to the sound. The fourth note needs to be played in a lower tone, and then the fifth note needs to be played higher and more passionately. That will create a clear harmony. Remember that."
"Yes! Thank you, Senior Rain Guardian!"
"Don't thank me, thank you, Professor Kitahara."
The students with weak foundations were stunned, exchanging bewildered glances, unsure what to say. They could only bow deeply towards the distant staff office.
"Thank you, Mr. Kitahara."
Rain Guardian approved of their actions, then turned and left the classroom to go back, only to find Sakurako Yukawa standing at the door.
"What are you doing, you first-year students...::"
Seeing this, Sakurako Yukawa, who was outside the door, couldn't help but raise her hand and slap her forehead.
"Hmm... Rain Guardian, why are you always like this...?"
While it's good to center things around Kitahara-sensei, this chief position is being implemented far too strictly.
"As the chief student, isn't it normal for him to help the freshmen practice?" Yu Shou said dismissively.
As the orchestra's principal, she not only has to deal with the upcoming national auditions, but also take care of the training of the new students.
Although it was more tiring than usual, the thought that my efforts could help him made me feel better.
"What I meant was that we shouldn't keep bringing up 'Teacher Kitahara' all the time..."
Sakurako Yukawa said dejectedly. In front of the already tall and slender Amemori, she looked even shorter and thinner.
"If Sakura wants to say something, I have no objection."
“I’m not jealous at all…” Sakurako knew that her daughter was probably deeply mired in it and couldn’t extricate herself.
Amatsu tilted his head in confusion and asked seriously, "What brings Sakura to see me?"
"Ah...right."
Sakurako Kawawa raised her hand and, while braiding the three-strand braid, said...
"Professor Yamane came to me and said that my application path was not filled in yet, and asked me to ask if I could think about it as soon as possible..."
She really dislikes saying things like "pathway survey," as it evokes a sense of melancholy, like the yearbook from junior high school, when you're about to part ways.
But there was nothing I could do; since it was the teacher's request, I could only do as instructed, "I couldn't care less about anything else."
"I think we need to set aside some time to take care of it..."
Yu Shou remained silent for a moment, her originally fair face slightly flushed, before asking:
"Sakurako, what do you think of me going to Sapporo University?"
,
"...You just want to go to Kitahara-sensei's university, don't you?" Yukawa Sakurako gently lectured. "Wouldn't it be better if you decided more carefully?"
"Okay, I've decided. I'll choose the music education major at Sapporo University."
Sakurako Yuukawa suspected that she was possessed by love, and awkwardly crossed her legs, saying:
"Really? You've decided that?"
"Yes, I also want to work in the field of guidance in the future, just like Kitahara-sensei."
Rain Guardian turned his head to look at the new club members who were looking at the sheet music inside and said, "Sakurako, do you think my guidance is okay?"
"Me?" Sakurako hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "I think your guidance was excellent."
A joyful expression appeared on Yu Shou's face. He raised his hand and gently patted her shoulder, saying:
"Then it's settled. I might become the vice advisor of the Shin-Asahi Brass Band in the future, and I'll be colleagues with Kitahara-sensei." That was a rare, innocent smile on her face. Yukawa Sakura stared blankly at her departing figure, her high ponytail bouncing energetically.
"colleague......
"Oh my!"
"ah!"
While Kawai Sakura was in a daze, a sharp shout suddenly rang out behind her, startling her so much that she trembled all over.
Turning around, she found it was Sayaka Akamatsu and Haruka Saito.
"What are you doing? You two scared me!" Sakurako Yukawa complained cutely.
“I just want to scare you,” Akamatsu Sayaka said with a chuckle. “I love seeing you scream ‘Ah!’.”
Saito Haruka stepped forward, a pure and beautiful smile on her face, and said:
"What are you saying to the chief? She seems very happy."
"The question of the path forward..." Sakurako Yukawa said, then suddenly remembered something, "What about you, Harutori? Which university are you going to apply to? The University of Tokyo?"
This time, Saito Harutori didn't try to hide it and spoke quickly in a girlish voice:
Tokyo University of Music.
"Wow, so it really is the same school as Tsukiyo!"
Akamatsu Sayaka hugged Yukawa Sakurako tightly, her voice trembling with sobs, and said...