chsdbacks Page 260
Page 260
"Yes!"
"Third year student, Endo Machiko."
"Yes!"
"Second year student, Takahashi Kami."
"Yes!"
Everyone responded very quickly. Kami Takahashi took a deep breath and turned to share her joy, only to find that Kana Eto was still in a daze.
At this moment, Kitahara Hakuba continued without the slightest hesitation:
"The above fifty-five members will perform at the national competition. The list of soloists will be announced next."
Chapter 207, Section 206: The List is Announced, and the Girls Have Their Own Thoughts (4K)
Inside the first music classroom, an overwhelming sense of sadness filled the air.
The girls' cries gradually grew hoarse, the sobs tearing from the depths of their hearts, carrying unspeakable pain.
Some people were selected consecutively at the Hakodate Regional Conference and the National Conference, but were unable to be selected at the final National Conference.
Sakurako's hands were clasped tightly in front of her skirt. As the club president, she could not show favoritism to anyone. As the club president, she should uphold Kitahara Hakuba's decision.
Although everyone's efforts should not be ignored or wasted, that's just how reality is; things can't always go as planned.
Kitahara Hakuba, expressionless, announced the soloists for the competition:
"The lesson piece, piccolo, third grade, Suzuki Yoshie."
"Yes!"
"Freestyle, flute, third grade, Hiraishi Meiko."
"Yes."
"Freestyle, Clarinet, Third Year, Sakurako Yukawa."
"Yes!"
"Freestyle, bassoon, third grade, Watanabe Hama."
"Yes!"
From the Hakodate competition to the national competition, the remaining solo positions remained unchanged.
Even the members of the brass band knew that the most uncertain solos were the trumpet and oboe solos in the free chorus, and the few competing for the roles were all incredibly strong.
But now, it's truly shocking that Mai Kirishima, the strongest contender for the oboe solo, didn't even make it into the A section.
"Oboe, Eri Kanzaki."
"arrive."
Eri Kanzaki's voice was not very loud, and the oppressive atmosphere in the air threatened to weigh down her gentleness on the soundproof carpet at any moment.
Kana Eto gave her a look of blessing. She didn't expect to compete for the SoIi position. Just like what Teacher Kitahara said on the day of the audition, trying was more important.
Before the trumpet section could even react, Kitahara Hakuba announced the trumpet soloists: "Trumpet, Nagase Tsukiyo."
His tone was steady, low and deep, as if reminding someone, and his words carried an unquestionable authority.
Time seemed to stretch out; every second spent in the music classroom was an indescribable torment.
Nagase Tsukiyo's eyes widened suddenly, her fingers unconsciously gripping the hem of her skirt, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force. "Yes!" the girl's voice was both stern and light.
Kuno Tachibana's pupils contracted slightly, his rosy cheeks instantly lost their color, and his lips parted slightly as if he wanted to say something, but he could only utter a barely audible "Ah...".
Both Amemori and Nagase Tsukiyo subconsciously looked over and found her gaze flickering, as if she was trying to process this unexpected fact.
A thin film enveloped Kuno Tachibana's eyes, and his slender chest rose and fell slightly, as if this could stabilize his wavering emotions.
All sorts of people were looking at her, and a mix of emotions welled up inside, pressing down on Kuno Tachibana's shoulders.
This was the same result as the general assembly; she was not elected again.
He still chose Nagase Tsukiyo.
Unable to utter a single word with her lips and throat, Kuno Tachibana felt a swelling deep in her nose, but she still suppressed her emotions and stared directly at the man who had almost made her cry twice in a row.
In a solo performance, the first-year students were wiped out once again.
Suddenly, a loud "snap!" was heard. Kitahara Hakuba closed the folder, put it aside, clapped his hands, and said:
"This is the list of candidates selected for the National Congress. You may have some questions about some of the arrangements, but I hope you can trust my choice. Since you have decided to transfer the power of selection from the voting system to me, I will definitely take responsibility for it."
Amidst the sobs of the girls, Yukawa Sakurako quickly stood up and said:
"No, we don't mean to deny Kitahara-sensei's point. I think this is indeed the best choice for the Shin-Asahi Brass Band!"
Sayaka Akamatsu chimed in with a smile:
“Indeed, Shenxu has already made it to the national competition. It would be childish to nitpick now. I trust your music theory knowledge, Mr. Kitahara.”
The minister and deputy minister took turns speaking in order to stabilize the somewhat tense atmosphere within the band section.
Especially for those who had praised Shenxu twice in the competition, only to fail to qualify for the last one, the waves of emotion in their hearts were like a tsunami—"I praised him twice in a row, and now you won't give me the most plump, tempting, and valuable fruit?"
This can't be described as feeling resentful; it's more like using something and then discarding it.
Even some of the club members who usually like Kitahara Hakuba feel a little sad at this moment.
Kitahara Hakuba's fingers were intertwined, and he could feel Kuno Tachibana's direct gaze upon him.
"I know some of you may be unhappy, but this is the best combination I've carefully selected for the Shenxu Wind Ensemble right now. But if anyone disagrees with the selection results, please raise your hand to express your opinion."
Rather than letting the conflict erupt after it's over, it's better to deal with it now and save time.
Sakurako looked worriedly at the club members who were exchanging glances. After such a long period of adjustment between the advisor and the brass band, even to the national competition, she trusted Kitahara-sensei's judgment from the bottom of her heart.
She hopes that everyone in the brass band will trust Kitahara-sensei's judgment and implement it.
Sakura's gaze fell on Tachibana Kuno. Not only her, but the other members were all looking at her with different emotions, seemingly waiting for her response.
In everyone's eyes, Kuno Tachibana is an extremely strong "troublemaker," a "troublemaker" who will never admit defeat.
Even if everyone trusts Kitahara-sensei's judgment and swallows their grief, this girl will still fight to the death, just like she did at the All-Do Tournament.
Kuno Tachibana gently bit his lower lip, forcing an embarrassed smile, and said in a light tone:
"Why is everyone looking at me? I absolutely trust Kitahara-sensei's judgment. A re-selection should never have happened in the first place."
As she spoke, she waved her hand in front of her chest.
Kuno Tachibana's words brought a sigh of relief to many people.
Nagase Tsukiyo gazed at her profile, his eyes slightly curved, a faint light shimmering in them.
"I just hope that Senior Nagasuke won't look down on me, after all, she said so many harsh things before the selection." Kuno Tachika's lips curled up, revealing a mischievous smile.
“How could that be…” Nagase Tsukiyo said with a smile, “Besides, in my heart, what you said wasn’t harsh.”
Although Kuno Tachibana was two years younger than her, he had immense respect for this trumpet-playing girl.
Kitahara Hakuba took a deep breath almost imperceptibly, feeling an overwhelming pity for Kuno Tachibana, but as the guiding advisor for the brass band, he couldn't afford to go astray any further.
My fingertips were burning hot; when they touched each other, I could feel the pulse of my blood vessels beating rhythmically.
He raised his wrist, glanced at the second hand that was listlessly moving forward, and said:
"Alright, if there are no problems, let's take a ten-minute break. The ensemble will begin at 9:30. Members of Section A, please gather in the first music room. The other members can practice the music for the cultural festival first."
"Yes!"
Seeing some of the girls in the audience with tears streaming down their faces as they responded, Kitahara Hakuba's heart softened at their emotional outpouring. His face, which had been serious and solemn throughout, finally softened.
"Thank you all for sticking with us until the end. As your advisor, I will certainly take responsibility for the selection list for this national conference. If anything goes wrong because of my choices, I will do my best to make up for your losses."
It's impossible to completely make up for it, so we can only do our best to make up for it.
"Pitahara-sensei, please don't say that!"
Sakurako hurriedly took two steps forward, her three-strand braid swaying in protest.
"If we don't win gold at the National Games, it must be our responsibility. Without you, we wouldn't even be able to get into the National Games."
Yu Shou's cheeks flushed slightly, not from shyness, but from excitement:
"Yes, don't talk about making up for it. Everyone has given their all because they believe in Mr. Kitahara! If we hadn't won the award, we should be the ones making up for the time we missed!"
"I believe in Kitahara-sensei."
"Yes, me too."
"Teacher Kitahara, that's just too formal! We're not the kind of students who would blame an advisor!"
Many members were speaking their minds without restraint, and Kitahara Hakuba could be seen raising his hand to touch the back of his neck, looking embarrassed.
After spending the past few months together, they had long known that Kitahara-sensei had a soft heart. Her so-called toughness was merely an effect of her profession as a teacher.
"Thank you everyone, let's all disperse now, calm down, and then we'll begin the ensemble."
Kitahara Hakuba stepped down from the conductor's platform and left the music classroom without the slightest hesitation.
"Kuno-senpai." A fair hand gently caressed the girl's delicate shoulder as Nagase Tsukiyo gazed at her face.
What are you trying to say? Is it going to be something like "I'm sorry" again?
But Tachibana Kuno knew perfectly well that she had no reason to apologize.
"I told you it's nothing, don't worry. I won't ask Mr. Kitahara to have another match with me in private."
As Kuno Tachibana spoke, he turned his gaze to Kirishima Mai, and their eyes met at that moment.
In just a moment, Kirishima Mai's gaze quietly shifted to the side, and she gently touched her wrist with her hand. The movement was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible, yet it revealed the melancholy in her heart.
Nagase Tsukiyo also looked over. In yesterday's audition, Kirishima Mai's oboe playing was undoubtedly on par with Eri's.
Both the handling of technical notes and the on-stage coordination were perfect.
Yet, this very person was kicked out of the A section by Kitahara Hakuba, allowing Eto Kana, who was inferior to her in terms of hard skills, to enter the A section.
Edited.
She could clearly feel that the atmosphere this time was much heavier than the previous two times, especially the arrangement of the oboe section, which amplified the doubts in many people's minds again in Ms. Kitahara's mind: was this national selection really based on merit?
They might not notice other personnel changes because of subtle differences, but the difference between Kirishima Mai and Eto Kana is quite large, and the stronger members can definitely hear the difference.