I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

It felt like we were back at the cultural festival when the two of us were in the haunted house.

Just as Kiyoyori was about to speak, he saw Asuka's mischievous grin and immediately felt his face heat up.

Although people were passing by and didn't pay much attention to the two standing there, Kiyoshi felt inexplicably uncomfortable.

"senior……"

“Yesterday,” Yukinoshita tilted her head and crossed her arms, “when I was discussing a request with Hikigaya-kun, I ran into Hiratsuka-sensei and was then dragged to eat ramen.”

Kiyoyori's heart skipped a beat at the sudden, nonsensical remark.

"Later, Hiratsuka-sensei dropped us off halfway," Yukinoshita didn't know why she was telling Kiyori all this, even though the ramen last night was supposedly a hush money payment from Hiratsuka-shizuka to the two of them for seeing her sneak out of the hotel. "I'm not familiar with Kyoto, you know, I..."

He has no sense of direction.

Kiyoshi secretly finished the sentence in his mind.

She pursed her lips, remaining silent, but her sharp eyes noticed the faint blush on her earlobe hidden beneath the snow-covered long hair. "Back then, Hachiman-kun mentioned something related to this request, and I'm a little concerned about it..."

Oh no, it's kind of cute...

I instinctively tried to look away, but found that my eyes were as if they were attracted by a magnet and I couldn't move them even a fraction.

"Mmm, um..."

All the prepared remarks he had prepared could not be uttered. Qinglai could only use the simplest answer to reveal his wavering heart.

"In short, what you saw yesterday was just a misunderstanding."

The sound beneath the snow was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, yet it lingered in Kiyoyori's ears again and again.

"Oh……"

This is terrible, this senior is just too cute...

Yukinoshita seemed dissatisfied with Kiyori's cold reply. "Is Tanaka-senpai injured? Is the match alright?"

For some reason, the topic suddenly shifted to Asuka. Kiyori, who was captivated by her cuteness, took a while to realize what she wanted to ask.

I suddenly couldn't help but chuckle.

Kiyoshi put his hands behind his back and pinched his waist hard from an angle hidden by the snow, barely managing to stop himself from laughing out loud. "Yeah, she was wearing new shoes yesterday, and her heels are a little blistered."

Sorry, Asuka.

"It's just a minor scratch, it won't affect the game."

"Is that so?"

Yukinoshita nodded thoughtfully. "Today, Yuihama and I made a promise to find a suitable place for our client to confess their feelings."

When it came to serious matters, the slight flirtatious atmosphere that had just arisen vanished.

"I couldn't help out yesterday because it was a class activity, but according to Yuihama and the others, it didn't seem like there was any progress yesterday either."

"If time permits, we will go to the venue, but..."

Yukinoshita doesn't easily make promises she can't keep, and she dislikes deceiving people with seemingly beautiful lies.

"It's alright, seniors, please focus on your tasks," Kiyoyori genuinely didn't care about that, "after all, we're on different 'battlefields'."

“That’s true,” Yukinoshita chuckled softly. “Then I wish Tachibana-san a brilliant victory.”

"The same goes for you, senior."

P.S.: The author is very unhappy today.

Chapter 95 of Section 333: A Resolute Will

Finally, we've come this far.

Sitting in the preparation room, which was encased in soundproofing, the sounds of tuning filled the entire room, but Qinglai felt a sense of quiet around her. Her slightly trembling hands gripped the oboe tightly, and it seemed that only her own breathing could be heard around her. With each breath, she could almost hear the melody she knew by heart.

Her skeletal muscles trembled uncontrollably, so she had to deepen her breathing to calm her agitated heart.

She felt a nauseous sensation in her chest, but she knew it was just a side effect of extreme excitement and tension.

Her fingers danced smoothly across the silver keys. Even without looking at the sheet music or making a sound, she could hear the familiar melody playing exactly as she expected.

The sounds of various musical instruments gradually filled my ears, chaotic yet not noisy.

As Taki, dressed in a tuxedo, slowly raised his hand, the sounds in the room gradually faded away, returning to silence.

He placed his hands on his lower abdomen, slowly scanning the members of the brass band, and finally fixed his gaze on Kiyori. Taki no Shō extended his hand to Kiyori.

The elegant oboe sound rises smoothly, followed by the sound of Mizore, and then the entire clarinet section. Instruments with different timbres gradually join in, like a palette. Takigaki holds a paintbrush and slowly mixes the different colors, from chaos to fusion, from unfamiliarity to skill, from separation to unity.

This is an adjustment for the sound check, and it also reflects the path the General Military High School Wind Ensemble has taken this year.

Even in the simplest sound check, the unprecedented unity of the entire orchestra made everyone feel a resonance called "passion".

They can't compare to sports clubs because they don't have intense physical contact; they can't compare to competitive clubs because they don't have brainstorming sessions where every second counts.

Music can be gentle, yet it can also be sharp. It is another language, more honest and more direct than words.

“In spring,” Takihiro slowly lowered his clenched fist, “everyone made the decision to go to the national tournament, and thanks to everyone’s efforts, we have finally come this far.”

Takigaki smiled as always, but his hands clasped together tightly at the knuckles.

“I won’t say anything like I don’t care about the result,” Taki said, not wanting to put pressure on his students or lie about his expectations. “But since we’ve come this far, let’s at least play our best in this competition without any regrets.”

"Especially for the third graders, this is their last official competition."

Yes, this is the last one.

After the national tournament, the third-year seniors will retire after returning to Chiba from Kyoto, while the remaining members will continue to work hard, carrying on the legacy of their seniors.

"Let the sound of the General Military High School Wind Ensemble resound throughout the country."

His calm tone could ignite a spark in everyone's heart, and by gathering that small flame together, it could ignite a raging fire.

Sincere and enthusiastic.

"Um, teacher!" Ogasawara raised his hand, surprised, but not entirely. "May I say a few words?"

"Of course, please go ahead."

Ogasawara stood up, holding her bass saxophone. The enormous instrument, almost as tall as her, was not particularly conspicuous like the euphonium, yet it possessed a warm tone and shone brightly at that moment.

"It's finally time for our official debut."

They had waited for this day for so long, so long that they had almost forgotten why they joined the brass band in the first place, and so long that once this day ended, there would be no more.

"I will absolutely not say anything discouraging today."

Three years have passed; she should have made some progress by now. The timid and hesitant Haruka Ogasawara should be a thing of the past.

"I am genuinely excited right now."

This was a different kind of excitement than when she performed solo at a train station concert, but she became deeply enamored with it.

"Perform well, win the gold medal, and return home in triumph!"

These are words she would never have been able to say in the past, but at this moment, Ogasawara has a kind of confidence, a kind of trust with her companions back to back.

"Yes!"

It's the sense of accomplishment that comes from being trusted by everyone.

"Well then, Asuka, as the vice-minister, would like to say a few words as well."

The positions seemed to have reversed. Asuka, who was suddenly called out, gave a helpless smile. She stood up and placed the silver euphonium at her feet. "Well, I've caused everyone a lot of trouble with the National Tournament."

Although I had long been prepared to not be able to participate in the national competition, the despair and helplessness at the time, as well as the excitement of returning to the club, were undeniable facts.

"I am able to stand here now thanks to everyone."

She looked at Qinglai's back of the head, but he didn't turn around. His upright back was her response and promise to her.

Asuka simply stared at Kiyora's fair neck and smiled slightly.

This time, she clearly saw the receding figure and the unwavering determination to never turn back.

"Thank you."

Thank you, Qinglai.

"Let all of us from Soubu High School play the best music today!"

"Then, let's bring this journey to a close with a smile!"

We will surely meet again somewhere else, even if we are completely different from how we are now.

"Yes!"

Asuka relaxed her tense shoulders slightly and took a deep breath. "Thank you all for listening!"

She gave a playful salute, "Haruka!"

"it is good!"

"So, everyone, are you ready?"

"Yes!"

"Sōbu High School—"

"come on!"

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

In the dimly lit backstage area, Qinglai found Huang Qian hiding at the very back of the crowd.

"ah."

"Oh……"

A strange way of greeting people.

Leaning gently against the wall next to Huang Qian, Qing Lai removed the whistle from his lips. "Thank you for what happened before."

"Huh? Hmm..."