I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 37

Kuno Tachibana, who had been complaining the whole way, paused for a moment, then raised his index finger and said:

"It really is 'Moonlight Sonata III'! Just what I said I'd hear! My personal background music has arrived! I truly am the chosen one!"

"What do you mean 'exclusively yours'? It just so happens that someone was playing the piano," Nagasawa Miya said irritably.

The piano music drifting from the auditorium was rapid and intense, with the soaring arpeggios conveying a spirit of passionate resistance.

The music that burst forth from within was like a violent storm.

Chapter 41. The Perfect Trumpet

The music became faster and more intense.

Long, slender fingers moved and danced back and forth between the black and white keys, gliding smoothly left and right across the neat keyboard.

Every note is clear and distinct, shining brightly in succession, and the stirring melody continuously resonates with the soul.

Just like all the flowers in the flowerbed, they are all striving to stand tall and bloom, causing the bitter shadows that itch in one's heart to retreat into the background as the sunlight shines down.

All emotions vanished in the instant the All-Round Rest spell arrived, leaving only a lingering echo in a corner of the auditorium.

The pounding in Kitahara Hakuba's heart couldn't be stopped. He let out a shallow sigh and turned his head to find dozens of people standing at the entrances on both sides of the auditorium, staring blankly at him on the stage.

It was after school in the afternoon when the members of the wind band came to the auditorium, along with some other students who had come following the sound.

The reason they didn't speak was because Kitahara Hakuba's koto skills were almost beyond their imagination.

The perfectly placed legato markings and the crisp, rhythmic staccato can be described as an almost obsessive obedience to the pedals...

Every single technique Kitahara Hakuba used left them speechless with astonishment.

They only knew that Mr. Kitahara was a graduate of Sapporo University, and never imagined that his piano skills were so superb.

This caused some of his former subordinates, who had previously looked down on him, to blush deeply.

"Teacher Kitahara... is actually that amazing..."

Sakurako Yukawa looked at the stage with undisguised astonishment. She subconsciously glanced at Harutori Saito beside her, the girl's face very serious.

"Clap clap-"

The first sound in the empty auditorium was Kuno Tachibana's applause, followed by waves of applause.

Kitahara Hakuba stood up with a smile, walked to the center of the stage, spread his hands, and said with a smile:

"Welcome everyone. I am Kitahara Hakuba, the instructor of the brass band. Please take your seats as soon as possible. We only have one hour here."

After he finished speaking, the group moved forward and took their seats according to their preferences.

Nearly a hundred people sat scattered in the first six rows. Some of them were not from the brass band, but quite a few were students from outside the band who had been drawn by Kitahara Hakuba's music.

"Okay, please be quiet—"

Kitahara Hakuba clapped his hands and addressed the somewhat noisy crowd below the stage.

“I was surprised that the first small size I selected last time was not well received by everyone, so today I will respect the opinions of the members and conduct another selection for the small size 1ST.”

There was no surprise expressed by those present; everyone already knew about it before they arrived.

Yuka Isomoto was the only one who was confused. The frequent practice these days had almost separated her from the information source of the third graders.

"Of course, from a time perspective, I support the selection of all members of the alternate account—"

As soon as Kitahara Hakuba finished speaking, the members of the trumpet group raised their hands to indicate that they did not want to participate in the audition. They knew whose territory this was.

“Alright, Yushou Kan and Kuno Tachibana, please come up on stage,” he said.

Yu Shoukan is a tall girl with a ponytail, a few freckles on her cheeks, delicate features, and very healthy thighs with the faint curves of muscle training.

Standing next to her, Kuno Tachibana, who is nearly 1.7 meters tall and has an almost flat figure, looks just like her mother.

Kitahara Hakuba walked up to Kuno Tachibana and said:

"Did you bring the mouthpiece?"

"Have."

Kuno Tachibana took out a box from her skirt pocket and pulled out a silver-plated Yamaha horn mouthpiece.

Seeing this, Yu Shoukan was stunned for a moment. When he met Kitahara Hakuba's gaze with some surprise, the latter smiled and said:

"It's okay, one is enough."

Kitahara Hakuba took the trumpet from Kuno Tachibana. He had only touched the trumpet a handful of times, but he knew it inside and out, including the embouchure, breathing techniques, articulation, fingering and key presses, and pitch control.

The moment he touched the trumpet, countless playing experiences flooded into his mind like fish caught in a net.

"What is Kitahara-sensei going to do?" Nagasawa Miya asked, frowning.

Kirishima Mai rested her chin on her hand, blinked, and said, "It looks like we're going to have to perform once first?"

"Does Mr. Kitahara even know how to play the trumpet?"

“I don’t know…” Kirishima Mai shook her head. Kitahara had told her personally last time that his major only required him to master one musical instrument.

Kitahara Hakuba stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the girls' faces, and said:

"I will play the trumpet part of 'Sing' first, and then you will use me as the standard to vote on the two of you."

As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion arose in the audience. Sakurako Yukawa widened her eyes slightly and quickly raised her hand, saying:

"Teacher, won't this affect our judgment of the two people?"

Kitahara Hakuba exuded confidence, a disdainful smile playing on his lips:

"You may have misunderstood something. The purpose of the selection is to choose the person who is closest to perfection. I will first play the trumpet of perfection so that you have a standard for judgment."

The expressions on everyone's faces varied, and it seemed that he was referring to himself when he said "perfect standard".

"Such arrogance..." someone couldn't help but complain.

Eri Kanzaki sat alone in the corner of the second row, murmuring softly:

"The perfect trumpet..."

“Teacher Kitahara, let’s do as you say.” Saito Harutori said with a smile.

Sakura's gaze quickly fell on her face, and she let out a groan.

Saito Haruka simply put her finger to her lips and chuckled softly:

"I know that Kitahara-sensei's specialty instrument at Sapporo University was the piano, and that she had no experience with any other instruments—"

"Sunny Bird..."

Sakurako Yuukawa was shocked that she could even access information about her teacher.

"No matter what, he is still our teacher, so we should still applaud after he finishes playing the flute."

Saito Haruka raised her fair and clean face, looked at Kitahara Hakuma on the stage, and said with a sweet smile,

"We must respect our teachers."

Kitahara Hakuba pressed the mouthpiece and tentatively blew a breath into it. The airflow from his lips passed quickly through the brass tube, producing a sound like a roar.

"hiss--"

Kase Mizuno, who had been yelled at and kicked out of the classroom by Hakuba Kitahara last time, clicked her tongue and covered her ears with her hands.

"What's that sound? Does he even know how to play?"

"He just likes to show off. He probably only learned a little bit and then came up here to show off. Adults are all like that."

Shh, we're going to clap later.

"If he can boast, I'll be a good soldier under him for life."

Hearing the increasing complaints around her, Nagasawa Miya crossed her arms and glared at the third-year students sitting in the front row, saying:

"These people are so rude, speaking so loudly, Kitahara-sensei will hear them."

The moment she uttered those words, Kitahara Hakuba's horn was finally tuned.

The moment the first note was uttered from the bugle, everyone felt as if they had been struck on the forehead by a steam hammer.

The high notes vibrated directly through the air, penetrating the eardrums of the members below the stage, and the powerful tone penetrated the entire auditorium without bias.

The trumpet piece "Sing" is very difficult because it contains a large number of sixteenth notes and syncopated rhythms, with improvisational parts that only increase, demanding a high level of skill from the performer.

As Kitahara Hakuba played, the trumpet melody was like a graceful ribbon, dancing in the air, each movement teasing the cotton fibers on the ribbon.

Every particle of sound was glowing, and the density of the jubilant notes suddenly expanded.

Sakurako Yukawa was stunned for a moment, bewildered. She could hear gasps rising and falling around her.

She quickly looked at Saito Harutori beside her, her face filled with indescribable astonishment.

The trumpet's bright and clear sound echoed in the auditorium, the notes it produced making the air vibrate.

Chapter 42. Don't fall into the same pit twice.

"Teacher Kitahara... he started shaking!"

The non-member students who were filming from behind were stunned.

To the rhythmic melody of the trumpet, Kitahara Hakuba swayed his body from side to side while holding the instrument.

The others were either lightly shaking their legs or swaying their heads, and the essence of jazz wind music was perfectly captured in the girls' unison at this moment.

On stage, Tatsuka Kuno seemed to be dancing the iconic dance of the US president, his hands constantly waving back and forth.

What shocked everyone was that even with his upper body moving, Kitahara Hakuba could still produce such a numbing tone.

Sakurako Yukawa involuntarily swallowed, goosebumps rising on her skin. She had once thought that Hakuma Kitahara was a typical young man who "wanted to appear knowledgeable after entering society."

But to my surprise, he really is capable.

It's so powerful; every note has a lingering charm that makes you want to dance.

The rest came out, the performance ended, and the auditorium remained so quiet that even the girls' breathing could be heard.

No one dared to move or speak; they all seemed to be greedily vying for the remaining musical fragments in the air.

When Kitahara Hakuba's lips left the trumpet, and the hall was so quiet that even the sound of clothes rubbing against skin could be heard, everyone realized that it was over.

"What's wrong? Is everyone nervous?"

Kitahara Hakuba's feet were firmly planted on the floor, and his bright eyes swept across the girls' faces one by one.