I play wind instruments in Kansai.

"Squeeze it in."

The window at the end of the corridor is not a large row of windows like those in the main corridor; it is just a single window.

"Wait—" Kato Ai had no choice but to move to the side.

Gong Lingwang's right elbow was against her left arm, and the exposed skin felt the warmth of another person's body.

The canopy of the sycamore tree swayed in the wind, and the air was filled with the scent of some kind of flower and fruit, sweet but not cloying; I wondered if it was her natural fragrance.

"call."

Gongling Wang turned around and looked towards the first music classroom at the end of the corridor.

"The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and there is no air conditioning in the music room, so we will have to practice with the windows open."

Just thinking about it makes my body temperature skyrocket.

"Have you finished talking with Daidouji-senpai?"

Kato Ai turned her head and glanced at him, saying,

"Then I'll go find her."

"Senior Gu Hua and she are probably still talking, you'd better wait a little longer," Gong Lingwang reminded her.

"......"

Helpless, Kato Ai could only lean on the windowsill and say...

"I've already made up my mind, you don't need to try to persuade me."

Her pleated skirt brushed against Miyamori Nozomi's trouser leg, but it didn't cause any itching.

"So this is the kind of gentle boy you see me as."

"Go ahead and laugh at me, you won't be able to laugh at me anymore anyway," Kato Ai said, biting her lower lip.

"I told you to practice hard before, but instead you just stayed with Anhe and played games. Yesterday you were even moaning like that."

"W-What kind of lewd moaning is that?!"

Kato Ai blushed, her eyes sparkling in the light, and her ears began to turn red.

"He just got too engrossed in the game!"

"But it sounds amazing, it made me blush."

"Hey!"

"Are you kidding? What are they thinking?" Gong Lingwang asked.

Kato Ai's voice was muffled, with a hint of embarrassment and anger in its nasal tone. The rustling of the sycamore leaves outside the window seemed to be trying to smooth things over for her.

"Just say some words to persuade me to stay... Besides, what does this have to do with you, Gong Ling? You certainly can't understand how I feel."

"Isn't it just that I can't perform and my goal of joining the brass band can't be achieved?"

Gongling Wang stated her thoughts frankly.

"A guy who suddenly appears out of nowhere and plays the oboe has already seen the end of his career this year, and he'll be overshadowed next year too."

Kato Ai, clutching her skirt with her left hand and blushing, said:

"That's excessive."

Miyamine Nozomi raised her hand and rubbed her neck, saying:

"But no matter how you look at it, if you quit the club at this point in time, you'll be looked at differently. If you were a third-year student, you could at least use exams as an excuse."

Kato Ai was immediately dealt a significant blow.

She cares a lot about what others think. If she were to leave the department, some people, even if they wouldn't say it openly, would definitely laugh at her behind her back.

"Then what else do you want from me?"

Kato Ai pursed her lower lip, suddenly feeling a little wronged.

She was the only oboe in the troupe, and now suddenly another person appeared. The feeling of being abandoned by the large group was really unpleasant.

"Instead of leaving, why not stay and practice properly?"

Gongling Wang said,

"But I don't know if you'll be able to play this year. It's an unchangeable fact that you're only good at the oboe."

"What do you mean? Are you making me just a background character?"

Kato Ai gave a bitter smile and said,

"Like Hina, doing those jobs of moving musical instruments?"

"What are you talking about? Your nature is completely different from Hinata's."

Miyamune frowned; he disliked the idea that he particularly liked Kato Ai.

"She comes from a top university, but she still chose to do odd jobs in order to get more attention from the senior students. She is very likely to be promoted to the A-level program this year."

"She did it entirely because she had the ability; she knew that things would be fine if she continued like this, so she did it."

"how about you?"

She suddenly fell silent.

Miyamine Nozomi spoke in a calm tone.

"Knowing full well that you're not good enough, why don't you try your best? Don't you think it's a pity? You've spent a lot of money on so many instruments, and it all ended before you could even use them."

Kato Ai's eyelashes drooped involuntarily. When she bought the instrument, she felt exceptionally bright and cheerful, believing that the future was promising.

"Even if I stay, I won't be able to play this year."

"Who cares whether you play this year or not?"

Kato Ai harbored a burning resentment, perhaps emboldened by Miyamine Nozomi's kind attitude:

"Then why are you telling me all this? You know perfectly well that I want to perform. If you really want me to stay, you can just tell Daidouji-senpai to let me do a solo."

"That's impossible for me."

Gongling Wang shook his head and said,

“Amamiya is cuter than you, and she’s also Daidouji-senpai’s sister. I can’t help you, either for personal or professional reasons.”

"Her sister?"

Kato Ai was stunned for a moment, then stomped her feet angrily, waving her fists in the air as she spoke.

"I knew it! I'm so angry! I knew there was something fishy going on! Sure enough! They say it's all about ability, but they're still using connections!"

She put on a show of grief and indignation, as if she had been set up.

Gongling Wang specifically reminded:

"When you were with Amamiya-san, didn't you notice that her playing skills were indeed better than yours?"

After he said that, Kato Ai immediately quieted down.

She leaned against the windowsill, her shoulders slumped, her indoor shoes gently tapping the floor, and her exhilarated spirits instantly cooled.

"Anyway, I'm out of luck now. Gong Ling, I know you consider me a friend, thank you."

"Hmm..."

A look of surprise crossed Gong Lingwang's face; he hadn't expected her to be so blunt.

Without realizing it, his tone of voice softened.

"Although your attitude hurt me a little, I know that people are constantly changing. The process of change is lonely, but also full of hope. Because of this, I also know that it is unfortunate not to change or to be powerless to change."

Kato Ai raised her eyebrows, turned her head to look at him and said:

"...What does this mean?"

"If we're friends, I can help you practice. Maybe next year we can all play together on stage. Anyway, you have to relax when you're learning. The oboe isn't that simple."

"......"

Kato Ai's lips opened and closed repeatedly, like a fish, as if she was hesitant.

Gongling Wang said:

“It’s not just me, Liu Mu and the others probably don’t want you to leave directly either. Even if you’re not interested in playing wind instruments, unless you absolutely have to leave, why not use this as a bond to maintain your friendship?”

Kato Ai's face gradually flushed, and her toes curled tightly. To hide it, she lowered her head, exhaled a breath of hot air, and said:

"Why are you putting this kind of emotional pressure on me out of nowhere?"

However, it is undeniable that she did make many friends in the brass band, and if she leaves the band, she will definitely have less contact with them.

"People should push themselves a little harder."

"And what about you, Miyamine?" Kato Ai asked curiously, "What's your reason for persisting?"

Gongling Wang pondered for a moment and then said:

"To put it simply, it's probably about pleasing Liu Mu."

"Uh, that's it?"

"Hmm... I initially wanted her to rely on me more, but now there are a lot of girls around me, so I have to grit my teeth and continue."

"..."

Kato Ai was dumbfounded. This was so stupid; it didn't sound like the truth at all.

And they're all related to girls!

At that moment, the sliding door of the first music classroom opened, and Daidouji Seiko, having put on her shoes, walked towards them.

The moment Kato Ai opened the door and saw Daidouji Seiko, she quickly turned her head and stared intently at the scenery outside the window.

"Kato-senpai".

Daidoji Seiko stepped forward and said.

"I've handed over the matter of leaving the department to Minister Gu Hua. You can go in and talk to her directly."

Kato Ai scratched her head shyly and said, "I understand."

After she finished speaking, she jogged towards the music classroom.

"Gongling".

"Yes."

Daidouji Seiko stared directly at him, as if she wanted to say something, but swallowed it back and changed her words:

"How's your practice of the piece going?"

"We haven't started practicing yet."

Unsure whether to praise his honesty, Daidouji Seiko raised an eyebrow and said:

"Focus more on playing the flute, and don't feel safe just because there are fewer flute players."

"Yes."

A gentle breeze blew by, neither too hot nor too cold. Daidouji Seiko raised his hand to smooth his bangs, a simple gesture that stirred a strange flutter in Miyamine Nozomi's chest.

Will you be fair in the selection process for the trumpet section?

"This shouldn't concern me, right? I'm not the one who decides who will be the Editor-in-Chief."

But he could easily have Tenma Hayami act as his mouth double.

Daidoji Seiko crossed his arms and, with the air of someone who had been through it all, said softly:

"I don't think that the selection process is over just because the selection is over. The selection of the smaller candidates is completely finished."

Gongling Wang simply shrugged.

But he didn't expect that he and the cold-blooded senior student had the same idea.

Selection is one thing, whether or not one agrees with it is another.

As Liu Mujie had said before, if anything unexpected happened during the selection of the trumpet player, she should be chosen, as she was unwilling to be left behind by Kirishima.

In some way, is Daidouji-senpai the same? Miyamine Nozomi wondered.