I play wind instruments in Kansai.

Liu Mujie turned his head and looked around. Being surrounded by boys was better than being surrounded by girls.

"What are the boys talking about?" Kato Ai, a classmate, suddenly asked.

"Who cares? They're always laughing and joking about things. I don't understand what's the point."

"Wow, Kato, did you get a new manicure?"

"Yes, isn't it cute?"

Kato Ai raised her hands to show them off; she had short nails decorated with stars.

"Kawaii~~~"

Amidst the girls' chorus of "Kawaii!", Kato Ai was overjoyed and smiled at Yanagi Yuuki, saying:

"Jie Deng, why don't you try getting your nails done too?"

"Me?" Liu Mujie was stunned for a moment, then quickly shook his head and said, "I won't do it."

She didn't quite understand why some people liked to do those fancy, colorful things on their nails.

"It's very beautiful!"

Kato Ai said,

"If you don't like my style, you can try the 'no-makeup makeup' look."

Willow Knot Lamp, who knew absolutely nothing about this, asked:

"what is that?"

Kato Ai explained:

"Even without these decorations, it can make your nails look better, and...it should make your complexion look much better!"

One of the girls, Pingyang Huacai, with short hair, directly took out her phone and said:

"Hey, what's the point of you saying all this to Jie Deng! Sister, let's video chat!"

The "no-makeup" nail art in the video is not eye-catching; it has no glitter, no contrasting colors, and no exaggerated embellishments.

The nails had a very pale flesh-pink hue and a slightly damp sheen, and the originally whitish nail surface was now covered with a light apricot color.

Willow Wood Lamp's mouth opened slightly. Even though she didn't usually wear makeup, she was still a little moved.

"Let's take this one! When Gongling sees it, he'll definitely want to kiss this instead of your lips!"

"I want to kiss her, she's so beautiful."

"Kawaii~~~"

Hearing their repeated sighs in her ear, Liu Mujie's fingertips unconsciously curled up, and she said nonchalantly:

"Who cares whether he likes it or not."

"Alright, alright, but you have to enjoy watching it yourself!" Pingyang Huacai knew exactly what her good friend was thinking.

Liu Mujie Deng subconsciously turned his head to look at Gong Lingwang.

He was looking at the phone the boy had handed him, as if he had seen something incredible, his face showing utter astonishment.

The boys next to him were chuckling, probably showing him something inappropriate.

"Will it be very expensive to make this?"

"It depends on whether you want to go to a nail salon or do it yourself."

Ai Kato is very experienced in this area.

"If you go to the salon, you get a 30% discount with your student ID, and it will cost around 4,000 yen. It will be cheaper to do it yourself, around 1,000 yen."

"Well."

Willow Knot Lamp nodded slightly. DIY would be cheaper, but could she achieve the same effect?

“I can help you,” Kato Ai said, patting her chest. “Although I’m not very good at musical instruments, I’m a nail art genius! I did all of this nail art myself.”

"Wait, I didn't say I had to do it," Liu Mujie Deng quickly said.

"I'm free tonight. Let's go home together after school. A few hours without practicing won't kill us."

Kato Ai seemed extremely happy; she was very helpful in this regard.

"If only her oboe skills were as good as her nail art," Willow Knot thought.

At the same time, she was somewhat expectant, anticipating the expression on Miyamine Nozomi's face after he discovered her manicure.

◇

After school in the afternoon, Gong Lingwang got up and walked to Liu Mujie Deng's side.

"Let's go to the brass band together."

Willow Wood Lamp spoke calmly, head down as she packed her schoolbag:

"No need, I have something to do tonight, so I won't practice. I've already told Daidouji-senpai."

Gongling Wang paused for a moment, then quickly squatted down next to Liu Mujie Deng, taking the opportunity to place his hands on her thighs and squeeze them, saying:

"You're not deliberately getting back at me, are you? I really didn't do anything last night."

"What are you saying?"

Liu Mujie quickly slapped his hand away. Seeing his somewhat anxious look, she suddenly felt a surge of joy, but she still suppressed a smile and said...

"I'm going to the Kato family's house."

Gongling Wang stood up, puzzled, and said:

"What can you learn at the Kato family's house? Why not come to my house? I'll teach you many things you've never learned before."

"Hey, that's really going too far!"

Kato Ai stood behind him, hands on her hips, frowning and speaking in a low voice.

"I have many good points too, okay!"

Gong Lingwang turned his head, first looking at her expressionlessly, then shrugged and chuckled softly, but did not speak.

It rose another five points today, so it seems that it is still in a situation of oversold rebound.

But so what? Gongling Wang has already given up on her.

Wow! You—!

Kato Ai clearly sensed that he was being looked down upon, and she was furious. She could only grit her teeth and say...

"Just you wait! Get out of here, Jie Deng!"

Willow Wood Lamp picked up his schoolbag and was about to leave.

Miyamune suddenly reached out and grasped her wrist; compared to her thigh, this part appeared extremely bony.

"There shouldn't be any other boys, right?"

His voice was like lukewarm water, gently flowing over, leaving only a soft feeling in Liu Mujie's heart.

She pursed her lips slightly, turned her face away to hide her gradually blushing cheeks, and said:

"Hmph, I'm not you."

After saying that, Yukiyuki shook off his hand and left with Ai Kato.

The girl's thighs swayed, her pleated skirt rising and falling like a breathing anemone.

Miyamine Nozomi knew that Yukito would never go to any boy other than him.

The reason I asked that question was simply to let her know that I have always cared about her, nothing more.

"I'm so thoughtful," he couldn't help but marvel at himself.

Upon arriving at the club building, Chiyo Akamatsu and Hijiri Nakajiko were sitting in chairs in the corridor, occupying a row of windows for their practice.

A silver-lacquered trombone and a gold-lacquered French horn.

They weren't the only ones in the corridor; almost every row of windows had members practicing.

With the selection for A-level positions approaching, the members are increasingly inclined to practice individually in private. Although they all get along quite well, no one is willing to give up their spot.

The battle has begun.

The two were playing the exposition section of "The Last Letter from Murdoch".

Gong Lingwang stopped and listened to a few bars. The two senior students' instrumental skills were quite good, but not particularly good. They were just passable.

The two seemed to be practicing a section, and even though there was no rest, they still stopped.

“Senior Zhongshigu.” Gongling Wang stepped forward.

"Ok?"

Holding the French horn, Medieval Koji turned her head, and the beauty mark under her eye made her appear even more dignified and noble, making it impossible for anyone to feel any dislike for her.

"The B-flat in the third measure is notated as the dominant of F major, but the actual pitch is E-flat. You played it as a dotted rhythm that was slightly rushed."

Gongling Wang leaned closer, looking at her French horn score, and said...

"And the ascending arpeggio of the F major chord just now was alright, and the breath control was also good, but in this measure, you used the first valve for the B flat, right?"

Medieval Kohsho was somewhat confused by his sudden instruction, and he and Akamatsu Chiyo exchanged bewildered glances.

The latter simply smiled and shrugged, making no comment.

“Uh…yes, I did use the first valve,” Nakajiko Rizhao nodded.

Gongling Wang rested his chin on his hand and said in a calm tone:

"The first valve's range is a bit too high. In order to make the bass accurate, you will unnaturally tighten your throat. Try the third valve."

The main difference between the first valve and the third valve is that they can change the pitch by different amounts; the former can lower the pitch by a whole tone, while the latter can lower it by a tritone.

This difference will further affect fingering, pitch, and even the instrument itself.

"Hmm..."

The air seemed to freeze. Nakajiko Hitsuru blinked, and Miyamine Nozomi exuded an aura of a mentor or advisor.

She doesn't dislike being guided by younger colleagues; in fact, she finds it a very good thing to have her shortcomings pointed out.

As long as progress can be made, the concept of superiors and subordinates is not worth mentioning.

Even so, she wouldn't easily offer guidance to her seniors.

Miyamine looked at Akamatsu Chiyo, with whom he shared "spiritual affinity," and said:

"And Akamatsu-senpai, you were fine up to that point, but in the eleventh measure, when you jumped from F to Bb and ascended a major sixth, when you shifted from the first position to the sixth position, your movement was definitely a beat too slow. Did you hear the glissando that occurred in the middle? It shouldn't have happened."

"Ah, am I going to be trained by you, Gongling?"

Compared to the somewhat bewildered Medieval Kohatsu, Akamatsu Chiyo appeared extremely candid, smiling as she touched her fair neck with her hand.

Her movement caused her chest to thrust forward, making her breasts appear full and round under her uniform.

Although Chiyo Akamatsu herself was always lusting after the other members' good looks, she was no less attractive than Seiko Daidouji.

“You can try it, blow it again using my method,” Gong Lingwang said.

"alright."

Medieval Kohatsu raised his French horn and repeated the passage he had just heard with Akamatsu Chiyo.

As expected, there has been considerable improvement compared to before.

Although the melodies of the two instruments were somewhat monotonous and simple, the timbres of the low and high notes were quite rich, and the members next to them subconsciously turned their gazes toward them.

They could naturally sense something was different.

"Amazing..." Nakajiko Rinshō was stunned and couldn't help but exclaim.

Chiyo Akamatsu's mouth opened into a circle.

As a wind instrument player, she can clearly perceive the changes in tone during the playing process, and the abdominal breathing in particular is absolutely accurate.

"It would be best if you could clearly see the difference yourself." Gongling Wang smiled and walked along the flute practice section.

Nakajiko Rinzo stared blankly at his departing figure, and subconsciously uttered:

Is this correct?