I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 441

"Hmm, that should be true." Nagase Tsukiyo pursed her lips.

Kitahara Hakuba placed his bag between the two of them, startling Nagase Tsukiyo who thought he was touching the outside of her thigh, only to find that it was just his bag that had touched her.

Strangely, the feeling of loss outweighed the momentary fear.

"This is indeed a difficult situation to handle."

Kitahara Hakuba rested his chin on his hand, pondered for a moment, and then said...

"But I think that inner turmoil only needs to be resolved in that one moment, to prove that you are not heartless."

Nagase Tsukiyo looked at him curiously: "Why do you say that?"

"Because think about it, people are selfish, and many people's way of accepting something often depends on whether it is beneficial to them."

Kitahara Hakuba forced a meaningful smile and said, "So, did your friend's friend bring up the predicament on their own initiative, or did they discover their friend's predicament on their own?"

Nagase Tsukiyo paused for a moment, then murmured:

She said it.

"

"Then this proves it, doesn't it?"

Kitahara Hakuba shrugged and smiled knowingly, saying, "She hopes your friend will make a concession, which is why she brought it up herself. She should be the one who's troubled, but she's transferring that trouble to you because she knows you are: Sorry, your friend is a very sincere girl."

A look of surprise flashed across Nagase Tsukiyo's face, and a look of sudden realization held her firmly in her seat.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Kitahara Hakuba continued:

I have great respect for people who prioritize others' happiness over their own.

But what if you can't do it? This concerns the freedom and interests of both parties. Even if you refuse, you are still ensuring that your own freedom and interests are not violated.

In my eyes, those who blame the other party for not making concessions are the most despicable and the most selfish.

My impression of Kitahara-sensei has always been that of someone so calm, even to the point of being coldly rational.

His words immediately left Nagase Tsukiyo in disbelief. Her slightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, the knot in her heart slowly untied, and her breathing became lighter.

Every time I chat with Mr. Kitahara, I feel so happy and enlightened. What I learn is not just about wind instruments.

Nagase Tsukiyo gently pursed her lips. If she said she would be confused by his rationality and find it difficult to move forward, then she would definitely be grateful for his rationality.

That's why I'm so infatuated with him, a man whom all my "best friends" love.

Chapter 326, 325. Why wasn't I the one chosen? (6)

Stepping out of the train carriage, a wave of biting cold air hit me instantly, and the ground beneath my feet felt unusually hard due to the low temperature.

Almost everyone wrapped their coats tightly around themselves, hunched their shoulders, and hurried toward their destination.

Kitahara Hakuba glanced at Nagase Tsukiyo beside him.

Bai Xi's ears peeked out from the girl's drooping black hair, her fingers gripped the sleeves of her brown uniform tightly, and her cherry lips were pressed together.

But he didn't have the idea of ​​handing her his coat. Eri didn't have a cotton coat that night, while Nagase Tsukiyo did.

Kitahara Hakuba didn't want to be presumptuous.

Nagase Tsukiyo blew a breath onto her hands; her skin was as white as the snow falling on the leaves, and she covered her mouth with a white brooch around her neck.

Just as Nagase Tsukiyo was wondering if she was being too pretentious, Kitahara Hakuba suddenly spoke up and asked:

"Will it be cold?"

"Isn't Kitahara-sensei cold?"

"It's cold, but I can accept it."

The houses where he lived were close together and the streets were narrow, so the wind wasn't very strong.

However, Motomachi is right next to Hakodate Bay, and the villas there have large areas of natural light and beautiful views. While this is great, the cold wind doesn't really get in the way and can blow freely.

"This year's cold snap came a little later than usual," Nagase Tsukiyo said softly, adjusting her scarf.

Kitahara Hakuba didn't really care when the cold front arrived:

"Is that so?"

“Yes.” Nagase Tsukiyo nodded. “I’ll probably have to wear earmuffs to school tomorrow.”

Kitahara Hakuma looked at her small and delicate ears, which resembled two tender flower petals trembling in the snow, with a faint cherry-red tinge around the edges.

He really wanted to ask, "What about your leg? What should we do?", but asking that at this point would seem too deliberate.

"Teacher Kitahara, how are you feeling about the brass band?" Nagase Tsukiyo suddenly asked.

"How is it?" she asked, her question seeming quite unexpected, leaving Kitahara Hakuba somewhat confused.

Nagase Tsukiyo said somewhat shyly, "Well, does it suit your taste?"

“There’s nothing major wrong with it, but there will be problems everywhere after the third-year students leave,” Kitahara Hakuba said bluntly. “However, the addition of new students next year will change this situation.”

"Oh, who's the top student? Is it Kuno-senpai?"

"Yeah, you know a lot about this too."

"No, it's just that Kuno-senpai is really strong in my heart."

In fact, Nagase Tsukiyo wasn't very concerned about the current state of the brass band, nor did she care who was the concertmaster. She just wanted to find some topics to talk about with Kitahara-sensei.

But judging from his reaction, he didn't seem very keen to talk about it.

Does he think of himself as a boring and dull girl?

Nagase Tsukiyo really wanted to ask Kitahara Hakuba what interesting things he talked about when he was with Eri and Harutori, but she didn't have the courage to ask.

Just then, several girls screamed.

Two girls dressed in Hakodate City sailor uniforms came running up, letting out girlish screams.

"It really is Kitahara-sensei! Ahhh!"

1

The two of them asked and answered questions excitedly, pacing back and forth beside Kitahara Hakuma, trembling as they took their phones out of their pockets.

The girl's scream was very sharp, high-pitched and clear, like a lit firework, with an uncontrollable tremor.

The air seemed to vibrate, causing Kitahara Hakuba to raise his eyebrows slightly.

"Teacher Kitahara! Teacher Kitahara! Teacher Kitahara!"

They didn't say anything else, just called his name from the side, their faces flushed and their eyes shining with excitement.

Seeing this sudden scene, Nagase Tsukiyo was at a loss for what to do and could only stand there blankly, looking completely out of place.

Kitahara Hakuba gave a dry laugh, raised his hand and said, "Hello, hello, what can I do for you?"

"Ah!!! He asked us what we wanted!"

The screams of the two girls were like a torrent of emotion, instantly engulfing everything around them.

Kitahara Hakuba's facial muscles twitched, and he sighed, saying:

"I'm sorry, I'm not available right now."

"Can we take a picture together? I really like you!" one of the bob-haired girls said excitedly.

"Row."

Seeing that he agreed without the slightest hesitation, the two girls excitedly took out their phones.

"Use my phone!"

"Use mine!"

"Mine is a brand new iPhone, it's better than yours!"

"Then send it to me later."

They had already struck a pose in the short time it took them to speak.

"Excuse me, could you please take a picture for me?"

Coming to her senses, Nagase Tsukiyo realized that they were talking to her.

Row.

With her head feeling a little stiff, she took the phone and took a group photo of the three people in the frame.

Kitahara Hakuba stood behind him, while two girls stood in front of him making peace signs and smiling happily.

Is this normal?

They only met once, and they're already taking photos together?

She spent more than half a year with Kitahara-sensei, and the only photos they took together were in club photos; there wasn't a single private photo of them together.

And these two girls, they took pictures of each other right after meeting?

Do they expect me to help take the photos?

Nagase Tsukiyo's breathing was somewhat rapid, her lungs seemed to be providing power for this negative energy, and the sound she exhaled from her throat was somewhat steady:

"Are you ready?"

"Okay!"

After the group photo, the two girls excitedly pestered Kitahara Hakuba for more words, mostly saying things like, "I've been watching you."

Phrases like "I really like your conducting" and "I bought all the CDs from the Shenxu Wind Ensemble" are common.

However, Mr. Kitahara never feigned impatience; instead, he always wore a smile, which was one of the reasons he was so popular—he was always so gentle with his students.

It's always like this.

Nagase Tsukiyo clutched her scarf tightly in her small hands. She suddenly realized that she was standing there dumbly, like a little pet waiting for its owner to pet it.

Meanwhile, her owner was busy petting two extremely proactive dogs that had suddenly appeared on the street, wagging their tails.

wrong

Nagase Tsukiyo bit her lip; she couldn't see the two girls that way. In a way, she was just jealous.