I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

Because that's Asuka...

But she couldn't help turning her head to look at Asuka frequently, until their eyes met unexpectedly in the air as they passed through the crowd.

Kiyoshi unconsciously tightened her grip on the oboe, as if that could alleviate the indescribable bitterness in her heart, while Asuka's eyes briefly lost focus.

A figure flashed by, interrupting the eye contact.

The next moment, they met again.

Kiyoyoshi Asuka gave a relieved smile, but only she knew the bitterness hidden behind it. Asuka returned a playful smile, her eyes sparkling with the same liveliness as always, but only she knew the unspeakable pain she felt.

Asuka's lips twitched slightly.

Thank you, Qinglai.

Something suddenly rushed into Kiyoyori's nasal cavity, instantly filling it with a sour and astringent taste. Kiyoyori bit his cheek with his teeth, trying to distract himself.

That's not what I wanted.

His gaze wavered for a moment, and tears seemed about to fall.

But nothing happened.

Kiyoyori simply shrugged, replying with feigned ease:

You are welcome.

The brief exchange of glances was interrupted by Taki, who walked into the music classroom. He was holding a piece of paper that looked like a flyer, and Hashimoto was following behind him, carrying sheet music.

The members surrounding Asuka scattered like birds and beasts, returning to their respective positions to wait for Taki.

Takigawa walked at a leisurely pace, his gaze sweeping lightly over the crowd, pausing briefly at the bass section before immediately moving on. He stood on the podium and stuck the paper he was holding onto the blackboard.

“This is a recruitment flyer for the concert at the station building,” he tapped the blackboard lightly to quiet the restless crowd. “I’m sure you’ve all heard about it through various channels.”

Indeed, anyone in the wind band club who is familiar with the annual events will naturally pay attention to those events that allow performances in public. For students like them, every performance is an opportunity, not only to hone their skills but also to let others hear their playing. Therefore, such events often extend invitations to clubs and some non-professional wind band groups.

Of course, professional performers will also be involved.

Unlike other renowned wind instrument schools, such as Rikwa or Seiryo, which already have a certain reputation and strong strength, Soubu High School, although it stood out in this music competition with an amazing performance and became the dark horse that won the gold medal in the national competition, is still just a rising star in other aspects. Other schools have too many things that Soubu High School does not yet have.

Experience is one of the most important factors.

Compared to the brass bands of prestigious schools, which are almost entirely composed of veterans, Soubu High School's brass band has many members who are beginners, and most of them have not undergone long-term systematic training, which is their inherent disadvantage.

Under these circumstances, even though most members knew about the station concert, none of them thought they would actually attend.

Clearly, they have a more important national competition to focus on right now.

However, Taki's decision is always unexpected. Others may think that Taki is being proud after achieving good results, but Taki understands the importance of experience better than anyone else, especially for beginners who have not yet had the opportunity to perform on stage.

"We will be attending the concert at the station building."

It was as if he had simply thrown out the mundane topic of "having curry tonight," without asking for anyone's opinion or giving any prior notice, and then bluntly stated his conclusion.

The members sitting in their chairs began to murmur amongst themselves again.

"Teacher, won't attending the concert at the train station building at a time like this affect our practice for the national competition?"

One member asked this question.

“I don’t think so,” Taki replied patiently, his tone gentle and calm. “Every performance in front of the public is an opportunity worth seizing. The national competition is important, but we should take a long-term view. We have the strength and potential to rival other prestigious wind instrument schools.”

Taki's straightforward affirmation ignited everyone's passion.

“But what we lack is experience, which cannot be accumulated in regular practice,” Taki said, clasping his hands together. “Only after experiencing the tension, excitement, and exhilaration before going on stage countless times can we convey the best music to the audience on stage.”

"I think everyone here hopes that your performances can be heard by more people," he said, his gaze sweeping over the expectant faces. "I also know that not everyone here will pursue a career in mountain music in the future, but I hope—"

"At least for this moment, you can use music to express your own unique youth."

Not everyone can pursue their dreams without restraint, at least not at this moment...

She held her beloved musical instrument tightly in her arms.

"Has the selection of music for the station been decided yet?"

Hashimoto was carrying a large, conspicuous stack of sheet music; clearly, Taki had been prepared all along.

“The selection of the piece has been decided,” Takigaki gestured to Hashimoto, indicating that he should distribute the sheet music. “It is ‘Treasure Island’ composed by Toshio Mashima.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the saxophone section erupted in gasps of surprise.

Immediately, someone raised their hand and asked, "Teacher, will the concert this time also use an audition process to select the performers?"

This is undoubtedly a question that everyone cares about.

Takigawa smiled gently:

"There is no limit to the number of performers for this concert."

"so--"

"Everyone participates."

P.S.: This year is almost over! Are you all ready for next year? By the way, I was set up on a blind date... Suddenly I feel like I'm getting old. The other person is even from the same workplace. I'm speechless. I've noticed that people around me are really enthusiastic about this kind of thing. Luckily, my parents aren't too keen on it.

Chapter 60 Ticking (Section 283)

"Treasure Island" is a very outstanding saxophone piece with a brisk overall rhythm and a challenging solo. As a relatively new instrument in the wind instrument family, the saxophone has a much more low-key position in the wind instrument family compared to its mainstay status in jazz, but it shines brightly in "Treasure Island".

It's no wonder that the members of the saxophone club all showed expressions of longing.

However, Taki did not announce the soloist on the spot, nor did he suggest selecting the soloist through an audition. Since he did not bring it up, the members did not ask him about it.

However, it seems he already has someone he likes.

Kiyoyori followed Taki's gaze and saw Ogasawara sitting in the crowd, inconspicuous at all, looking down at the score. She was clearly unaware of the advisor's gaze.

"Although we've decided to participate in the station building concert, it doesn't mean we'll slack off on the national competition," Taki said, looking at the students' eager expressions and ruthlessly pouring cold water on the members who were getting too excited. "The training ahead will only be more intense and demanding."

"Please also focus on practice. We don't have time to worry about anything else," he said meaningfully. "The national competition is our goal, but not our end."

Perhaps the atmosphere suddenly became serious again, Taki gave a gentle smile, "The station concert is just to give everyone more performance experience. Although other schools are participating, it's inevitable that the audience will compare us with other schools, but—"

"I hope everyone can participate in a relaxed manner and enjoy the fun that music brings."

..................................................................

After drinking the last of the water in his thermos, Qinglai licked his lips with the tip of his tongue. "I'll go get some more water."

Sitting on the other side of the table, Mizore also held a water bottle, taking small sips of water and nodding silently.

Just as Kiyoshi was about to leave the classroom, she heard someone calling her name from behind.

"Senior Mizore?"

"Don't make that face anymore."

"Huh?"

Qinglai held the water glass, and was taken aback.

“Asuka-senpai is back,” Mizore said, hugging the water bottle to her chest and winking at Kiyori. “So, don’t make that face anymore.”

It's like something bad is about to happen.

Kiyoshi didn't know how to respond for a moment, and could only give a dry laugh.

"I...I'll try my best..."

"Asuka-senpai, there's definitely no problem."

"That's true..."

Yeah……?

If that's the case, then why did you look so sad?

In a daze, Kiyoshi seemed to still remember the feeling of Asuka's overly forceful embrace yesterday, as if she wanted to merge herself into her blood and bones, but in the end, she still chose to let go of each other.

Perhaps the atmosphere between the two suddenly became awkward, Kiyoyori hurriedly left the classroom before Mizore could delve deeper into the topic.

On the way to get water, Kiyoyori happened to pass by the bass section. From a distance, he saw Asuka surrounded by her juniors. A group of people were standing at the door. The tall Asuka was surrounded by several short juniors, and she seemed a little surprised and at a loss.

"Asuka-senpai—!"

The most surprising one was Nagase Riko, who was already in the second grade. She was usually a gentle and understanding older sister, but now, in front of her admired senior, she cried like a little girl. Her two little braids tied behind her head trembled with her sobs, and tears kept flowing from her eyes. Her watery eyes, combined with her drooping eye corners, made her look like a little puppy crying because it had been abandoned by its owner.

Such a pitiful sight even shook Asuka, who was usually calm and collected. She waved her hands helplessly in front of Nagase and even tried to wipe away his tears, but to no avail.

"Pear, why are you suddenly crying?"

Her voice softened involuntarily. It has to be said that even Asuka is powerless against a girl's tear attack. She can't be like Kaori or Haruka. She seems to be the most approachable, but she always keeps her distance. She gives her limited gentleness to others and can't spare any more.

"Goto! You need to control your girlfriend!"

With no other options, Asuka could only loudly plead for help from Goto, Nagase Riko's boyfriend and the only boy in the bass section, who was standing at the very back.

"I can't control her..."

Goto muttered to himself. He turned his head, maintaining a certain distance from the girls and not eagerly approaching Asuka, still showing respect for his senior.

"Seriously!" Asuka put her hands on her hips, looking helplessly at her juniors who were making no attempt to hide their concern. "You're crying like this after just one day apart. What are you going to do on graduation day?"

It felt as if something had struck Kiyoyori's heart hard.

A sour and astringent sensation instantly filled the air.

Graduation is not unfamiliar to Kiyoyori and Asuka.

Asuka was three years older than Kiyoshi, and no matter how Kiyoshi tried to catch up, Asuka would always leave before her. Even so, Kiyoshi never felt truly separated from Asuka. They were neighbors and childhood friends, and they would practice together every weekend. If they wanted, they could see each other every day. Whether they graduated or not would not make any difference.

But this time, something seems different.

A voice cried out in Kiyoshi's heart, calling out Asuka's name, as if this departure meant they could never be the same again, not even able to maintain the status quo. Kiyoshi could feel that figure growing increasingly blurry; perhaps one day, on that day when it was so close, that figure would disappear completely.

This time, she won't be waiting for her ahead.

Kiyoshi clenched his fists, suddenly feeling a little breathless.

"Asuka-senpai," Huang Qian stood in front of Asuka, clearly excited about Asuka's return. Seeing her senior as always, the huge weight hanging in her heart did not seem to settle down for some reason. "Are you really okay?"