I play wind instruments in Kansai.

Yuki glanced at Kirishima Ryuka, whose expression seemed somewhat unnatural.

"The Wind Ensemble Federation does not allow substitutes in wind ensemble competitions, and the assigned pieces and the self-selected pieces must be performed by the same group of people."

"Really? What if something unexpected happens?" Sumire Amamiya asked.

Willow Knot Lamp said:

"The most common remedy is to use a substitute instrument, replacing the existing part in the score—"

As she spoke, the melodious sound of a trumpet drifted from the music classroom.

The high notes are clear and bright, each staccato note is sharp like a blade, yet the ending is clean and crisp.

Even after listening to just a few bars, you can feel the performer's overwhelming control over the trumpet.

Inside, Miyamine Nozomi was shocked by Daidouji-senpai's double-tongued tongue technique, her breathing incredibly steady.

Almost perfect, it's hard to find a single flaw; her voice is bright and captivating, just like her voluptuous figure.

Hayami Tenma's mouth was slightly open and closed, as if he had been punched in the forehead. The high-pitched sound vibrated through the air, almost piercing his eardrums.

The sound was full of tension, enveloping the entire music classroom perfectly.

Hayami Tenma, who considered himself a good student, had intended to find some flaws in Daidouji Seiko, but to his surprise, he found nothing to criticize at all.

"It's really improved a lot compared to last year."

When Daidouji Seiko finished playing, Tani Hanane smiled approvingly, and even Shida Nana, who was standing next to her, nodded seriously.

Just as Hayami Tenma was in a daze, Miyamine Nozomi applauded from the side.

An unnamed emotion suddenly surged up from my chest.

Honestly! He didn't clap for any of the girls before, but he started clapping as soon as Daidouji Seiko finished playing.

Isn't this a clear sign of goodwill?

Hayami Tenma pursed his lips, but also clapped along, and said with a smile:

"That's great. With Daidouji-kun here, the trumpet part won't have any problems at all."

"really."

Gongling Wang rested his chin on his hand, and after a long while, he slowly looked at Daidouji Seiko and asked with a smile,

"Does Daidouji-senpai want to stay and come with us?"

"No, thank you." Daidouji Seiko shook his head and said, "I'll just go out and wait. The decision is yours."

"it is good."

Gongling Wang's expression remained calm and composed.

"I'll go call them."

Taking advantage of Daidouji Seiko's absence, Miyamine Nozomi took over her previous seat.

The warmth left by Daidouji-senpai on the chair surface had long since disappeared.

"Supervisor Hayami, can I take a look?" Miyamine asked, leaning closer.

She had a faint, pleasant perfume scent.

Hayami Tenma handed him the selection form directly.

Miyamine Nozomi glanced around briefly and found nothing particularly surprising; these were mostly decisions made by Hayami Tenma and the others themselves.

"How is it?" Hayami Tenma asked in a low voice.

Her tone was more like she was asking a tutor for an answer.

"no problem."

Miyamine Nozomi placed the form on her thigh, which was covered in stockings.

"Supervisor Hayami, please have more confidence in yourself. You've done a great job. Even if you make a mistake, I'll help you correct it."

Hayami Tenma Sei simply pursed his lips, pretending to be completely unconcerned.

Actually, isn't this already acceptable?

Thinking about this, I couldn't help but hum softly.

"Junior Gongling, isn't your tone a bit off?"

Shida Nana suddenly raised the black pen in her hand, pointed at him, and said slowly,

"Although I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong, something just feels off."

"Sorry, I'm not paying attention," Miyamune Nozomi said.

Nana Shida shook her head and said:

"No, I didn't mean anything by it."

What does that mean...?

A short while later, the next third-year female student came in.

The members of the trumpet section are generally quite good; they are all students with a solid foundation.

More than ten minutes later, it was finally time for the first year.

Gong Lingwang began to appear somewhat restless.

Daidouji-senpai's singing was excellent, and her tongue skills were superb. He knew that Yanagi Yutō could never compare to her, not even if he had time to catch up.

Because while she was chasing, Daidouji Seiko was also moving forward; no one would stay in one place waiting for anyone.

"Please introduce yourself: your grade, name, and the instrument you play."

Tani Hanako seemed very interested, resting her chin on her hands and looking at the girl in front of her with a big smile.

"One year, Kirishima Ruka, trumpet part."

Her fair and slender legs were pressed tightly together beneath Kirishima Ryuka's skirt, and the white socks covering her feet were spotless.

"Is the tuning okay?"

"Yes, it's already adjusted."

"Can we adjust it again now, just in case?"

"It's okay, it's already been adjusted."

"Should we close the window?"

"No need, this is fine."

Miyamine Nozomi felt extremely admiration that Minister Tanihana showed unusual thoughtfulness when facing Kirishima Ruka.

“Let’s begin,” said Hayami Tenma Sei.

The same trumpet score was played again, producing the same notes.

The moment the first note came from the mouthpiece, Hayami Tenma Sei's ears could not immediately detect the difference between her and Daidouji Seiko.

The two performers seemed to be playing from the same template, with smooth melodies where the transitions between notes were barely perceptible.

Each note is imbued with a lingering resonance that makes one's whole body feel warm.

Hayami Tenma thought there was something wrong with his ears and subconsciously looked at Miyamine Nozomi next to him.

His expression was extremely solemn, a stark contrast to his usual carefree demeanor.

"That's amazing, it sounds so good."

Kanon Tani stood up excitedly and clapped, her face flushed, seemingly even happier than Ruka Kirishima herself.

Hayami Tenma felt that this reaction was a bit excessive, but she couldn't say anything explicitly.

"You can go out now."

"Thank you."

A few seconds after Kirishima Ruka left, Yanagi Yuuka walked in.

At the same time, Miyamine Nozomi could sense that the three women on his left were all looking at him.

Willow Knot Lantern sat in the chair, taking a deep breath. To mask her increasingly rapid heartbeat, she raised her voice and said:

"One year, willow wood lanterns, trumpets."

Remembering what Minister Tanihana had said earlier, Miyamine Nozomi smiled and said:

"Liu Mu, is the tuning okay?"

"Ah."

Willow Knot Lamp nodded, assuming it was a normal inquiry.

Gong Lingwang disagreed, crossing his arms and saying:

"Can we adjust it again now, just in case?"

Liu Mujie's brow twitched slightly, and she glared at him, saying:

"...I said it was changed."

"Should I close the window? It would be better if it were closed."

"Tsk, no need."

Liu Mujie couldn't hold back any longer. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she retorted mercilessly to him.

"Why do it this way? Just do whatever everyone else does, honestly! Let's get started!"

"Oh."

Gong Lingwang wasn't embarrassed at all, and said with a smile,

"Minister Gu Hua, shall we begin?"

Kanon Tani didn't seem to care, maintaining a gentle smile throughout.

"Row."

“I’ll do this,” Miyamune Nozomi suddenly said.

"Huh?" Hayami Tenma was taken aback. "What do you mean by 'you do this'?"

Gongling Wang looked at the score and said:

"Liu Mu, start with the 36-note melody of the trumpet, then follow the part that connects with the French horn and timpani. When it comes to rhapsody form, you really have to listen to this part."

Willow Wood Lamp quickly lowered his head to find the passage he had mentioned, which was also the audition section in the theme song.

This is not surprising.

Miyamine Nozomi took out an electronic metronome and said:

"I'll turn on the metronome, and you keep playing until I tell you to stop. As for when to stop, that's up to you."

“Okay.” Willow Wood Lamp nodded.

Click, click, click—

The metronome emitted a recurring melody, and Willow Knot Lamp took a deep breath, his chest rising slightly, and sent the breath into the mouthpiece.

Fingers moved across the keys, and low notes turned high, double tonguing, arpeggios, and glissandos came one after another.

The entire passage was extremely exciting, and before we knew it, it had exceeded the audition selection, playing a much longer section than the other trumpeters.

But Gong Lingwang never called a halt.

A thin layer of sweat appeared on Yukito's forehead, and Hayami Tenma and Tani Hana were unable to stop her, even forgetting to listen to her voice.

The girl's breath began to tremble slightly, and she felt like her lungs were about to explode. Only the thought of "keeping playing" was supporting her as she moved forward.

"Alright, that's enough—"

Gongling Wang turned off the metronome, and the trumpet music stopped abruptly.

90. Hayami Tenma's Repayment (7K)

Only Willow Wood Lantern was asked to play a temporary excerpt, but Tani Hanane and the others did not question it.