I play wind instruments in Kansai.

A gentle smile appeared on Gongling Wang's face as he reached out and smoothed her bangs.

"Of course I like you, because I think Shiraishi-kun is a very rare friend. You don't need to feel that I'm deceiving you because of this. I've never been deceived by Kirishima-kun either."

Shiraishi Hitomi hesitated for a moment, then suddenly raised her hand and grasped Miyamine Nozomi's hand, pressing his palm against her cheek.

She wasn't very strong, but she had a clingy gentleness.

Gong Lingwang was stunned for a moment. The warmth emanating from the girl's skin gradually warmed his palm, like spring slowly melting snow into water.

"Me too."

A faint smile curved at the corners of Shiraishi Hitomi's lips, her small, glossy, cherry-colored mouth appearing slightly moist.

"So you'll stay with me for the rest of your life, okay?"

The girl's words made people involuntarily hold their breath; no one could resist their sweetness, which was as real as the fruit itself.

Upon closer examination, it became clear that, perhaps it was just a misperception, but Miyamune, who had been momentarily captivated, vaguely tasted a flavor called "curse."

But he quickly dismissed it, thinking that these were all just his illusions and didn't need to be taken seriously.

Just like a vow made in childhood without any basis, it will be forgotten after a while.

Besides, he has already said that he is a rare friend, and there is no special meaning behind it. He is also prepared to be Mizuno Soji's good friend for life.

It was almost like hypnotizing himself; Gong Lingwang felt that nothing mattered in the face of such enormous profits.

“Of course,” Miyamune said with a smile.

Shiraishi Hitomi smiled, her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, then suddenly leaned closer to him, their thighs pressed tightly together:

"I've heard that boys like this."

Almost instinctively, Gong Lingwang took a deep breath of the fragrance emanating from the girl, so fragrant that his will was about to fly away.

"Time to eat fruit."

At that moment, Shiraishi's mother pushed open the door and came in carrying a fruit platter.

The hand that was stroking her face was immediately pulled back. Disturbed, Shiraishi Hitomi slumped her shoulders and a look of disappointment appeared on her face, but she did not say anything.

"Gongling, how is it here?"

"Yes, that's good."

As if trying to erase any trace of the crime, Miyamine Nozomi clenched her left hand into a fist and rubbed it vigorously.

"I want to rent this place."

“Sure, since you’re Xiaotong’s friend, I’ll give you a long-term discount,” Shiraishi’s mother said with a smile.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I should be thanking you for playing with Xiaotong."

Shiraishi's mother glanced at the two of them, smiled, and pointed to the security camera in the corner, saying...

"If you have any questions, just wave over here. This surveillance camera shouldn't be broken."

This statement sounds more like a reminder, warning the two not to do anything inappropriate here.

Miyamine Nozomi himself didn't have that kind of thought, but he could understand Shiraishi's mother's concerns.

He would also be afraid if Shiraishi Hitomi were his daughter.

"It's almost dinnertime, would you like to stay for dinner?" Shiraishi's mother asked with a smile.

"No, no, I'll eat at home."

Miyamine Nozomi wasn't yet outgoing enough to have dinner with the Shiraishi family.

"Please reserve this room for me."

"Okay, how about some fruit?"

Gong Lingwang picked up his schoolbag and was about to leave when he picked up a wooden skewer and put a slice of watermelon from the fruit plate into his mouth. It wasn't as sweet as he had imagined.

"I'm leaving now," he said to Shiraishi Hitomi behind him.

"Um......."

She raised her hand to smooth her side hair, and the sound that came out of her small mouth was like cotton wool soaked in tears, heavy and powerless.

She didn't say anything, but you could vaguely sense that she seemed a little disappointed.

After leaving the Shiraishi family's music store, Miyamine Nozomi did not choose to go home, but instead found a ramen shop nearby to eat at.

Hayami Tenma sent him a message saying he would be late, at least until around 7 o'clock.

Gong Lingwang didn't ask why, nor did he pressure her, nor did he feel anxious that "I helped her, but she doesn't appreciate it."

Maruichi Ramen has been around for a while near Wakayama Station, and Miyamine Nozomi remembers eating there when he was a child.

The brushstrokes on the noren have become somewhat blurred with the passage of time.

Stepping into the store, you are greeted by a wave of steam mingled with the aroma of soy sauce and pork bones.

With the development of the times, ordering food has become done by machines, and the old-fashioned way of hawking food has long since disappeared.

I didn't meet anyone I knew during my meal. Most of the people who come here to eat ramen are alone, and most of them are office workers.

After all, the store isn't very fancy, and the surrounding area is too adult-oriented, so it doesn't attract teenagers.

After finishing his meal, Miyamine returned to the Shiraishi family's musical instrument shop.

Shiraishi's mother was still the one guarding the front desk.

Where is Shiraishi-kun?

"Going to rest," Shiraishi's mother said, handing him the electronic card. "How many hours are you going to use it for?"

The so-called rest probably means things like taking a shower.

Three hours.

Around 10 p.m., Miyamine Nozomi personally didn't have any complaints about the practice time.

However, considering that Hayami Tenma Sei is a supervisor and also has to teach, he is already very tired on weekdays. He can't just think about himself and not consider her rest time.

"Gongling, Liuge hasn't come for a long time recently. Did the two of them have a fight?" Baishi's mother suddenly asked.

In her view, Shiraishi Hitomi wasn't with her usual best friends, but instead spent all her time with another boy.

Although it's highly likely that she's entered puberty, Shiraishi's mother is still worried about her daughter's friendships.

"No, they have a very good relationship."

Miyamine Nozomi held the electronic card between her fingers and said,

"It's just that the brass band practice has been quite busy lately, so Kirishima-kun hasn't had time to come over."

"Your brass band is going to start practicing?" Shiraishi's mother said in surprise. "I don't think Haruki's brass band can make it, right?"

She finished speaking halfway through before remembering to save face for the young man in front of her, and quickly explained:

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it."

"It's okay, it's just a third-rate school anyway."

Gong Lingwang shrugged, indicating that there was no need to worry.

"It's just that we've been working hard to move up recently, and everyone is confident in that."

Shiraishi's mother raised her hand to smooth a lock of long hair from her chest, and after a moment of silence, said:

"Gong Ling, I don't know the specifics of Xiao Tong's situation at school. I see that you two have a pretty good relationship. Could you please keep an eye on her for me?"

"Sure," Gong Lingwang agreed without hesitation.

It's just taking care of them.

"Thank you." Shiraishi's mother also thought he was a very good boy.

"It's okay, I'll go now."

"it is good."

Gongling Wang returned to room C3 and glanced inadvertently at the sofa against the wall.

The spot where Shiraishi Hitomi had previously sat had a shallow indentation on the off-white fabric, and two long, gradually fading marks were left on the back of her thighs.

Gong Lingwang raised his hand and rubbed his temples, reminding himself not to overthink.

Having gone through the experience with the willow tree lamp, one should strengthen their willpower to prevent going astray next time.

With some time to go before seven o'clock, Miyamine Nozomi took out her Bluetooth earphones and started listening to this year's theme song, "Guardian," and her own selection, "Murdoch's Last Letter."

"The Guardian" features a magnificent opening, varied rhythms and beats, and dazzling florid music with flutes, clarinets, trumpets, and tubas running at high speeds. The percussion section also features an extremely rich variety of instruments.

Although it was only a little over three minutes, Miyamine Nozomi was able to tell that this piece of music was not simple.

The complex and varied rhythms and syncopation are a trap set by this piece, requiring not only precise rhythmic sense from each voice but also a high degree of tacit understanding.

The playing is extremely fast, and maintaining balance between the different parts becomes very difficult.

It is a purely technical piece that almost pushes the limits of the wind band's performance skills.

Daidouji Seiko couldn't possibly be unaware of this, yet she still chose this piece of music, indicating that she was unwilling to compromise and was determined to remain undefeated.

Gong Lingwang still admired this aloof senior, but she thought she was too idealistic.

The composition "Murdoch's Last Letter" is based on the story of Rupert Murdoch, a first mate on the Titanic.

As narrative wind music works, they are usually divided into four parts: introduction, exposition, development, recapitulation, and coda.

Furthermore, judging from the duration, the version chosen by Daidouji Seiko is level 3.5, which is still some distance from level 4 of this piece.

For a 55-person wind section, this is already quite high. If you choose 4, you would need a large orchestra to show the difference.

Gong Lingwang lay on the sofa listening to music.

The introduction features a duet between the flute and trumpet, and the exposition also includes syncopated patterns between the flute and trumpet.

The Development Department is the performance area for percussion and brass instruments, where strong sonic contrasts depict the chaos of the disaster.

At the end of the piece, there is a nine-bar clarinet solo, which is played in one breath.

Miyamine Nozomi listened to this piece of music countless times, and the more she listened, the more uneasy she felt.

His high level of breath support and high-pitched endurance alone made him lose confidence in his team members.

Because he went to school quite early every day, he didn't see many people practicing breathing exercises; the playground was full of members of the track and field club.

The wind band is essentially a semi-sports club; if your lung capacity isn't up to par, you can't play the piece well.

Just as Miyamine Nozomi was thinking about how to motivate the girls in the club, his phone rang.

It was Hayami Tenma Sei who called.

"Supervisor Hayami?"

"Gongling, I'm right here at the location you sent, but I don't seem to see any music stores."

Her voice sounded somewhat confused.

“Yes, but the shop is very small, with only a tiny stairwell. Look carefully,” Gong Lingwang said.

"Hmm... I really didn't see it. Why don't you come down and get me? I'm at the entrance of Ginkgo Izakaya."

"Row."

Gong Lingwang didn't find it troublesome, because the entrance to the Shiraishi family's music store was indeed hard to find; he couldn't find it without looking carefully when he first arrived.

She glanced at the time and realized it was already 7:30; she was half an hour later than the agreed time.

When I got out onto the street, the night was as dark as ink that couldn't be dissolved, and the halos of the cars on the street were pressed into thin rings in my pupils.

We arrived at the entrance of Ginkgo Izakaya.

Miyamine looked around but couldn't find Hayami Tenma Sei anywhere. There were only a few men in suits walking inside with their arms around each other's shoulders.

No, where is he? He's not at the izakaya entrance at all.

Gongling Wang called her.

"Supervisor Hayami, where are you?"

"I'm right at the entrance, by the ginkgo tree."