I play wind instruments in Kansai.

"Hmm..." Liu Mujie blinked as she watched his retreating figure, her steps slowing down by half a beat.

◇

Every day, students clean the teaching building at Zhimu Academy. It's fine for the girls, but anything stick-shaped in the boys' hands becomes a toy.

Right then and there were three boys with brooms, playing a game of swordplay in the corridor, causing dust to fly everywhere.

One of them was Mizuno Soji, who held up a broom and pretended to play a trombone:

"Sonic Wave Impact!"

Other skills?

"It sounds so beautiful! It's simply heavenly!"

There are still listeners?

The boy who was hit flew backwards several meters before finally lying on the ground clutching his chest, making it seem like a real scene.

Miyamune didn't join in their antics; there would always be a supervisor to keep things in check.

Back in class, he saw Kato Ai chatting and laughing with some female classmates. He sat in his seat and pondered for a while, thinking about how to control Kato Ai's study progress.

After all, he had heavily invested in her. What if, what if Anhe and his senior took her out to play games again? Wouldn't he suffer another loss?

No, I have to put some pressure on her, even if it means seducing her, I'm willing to do it.

Thinking of this, Miyane Nozomi stood up with a serious expression, only to catch a glimpse of Shiraishi Hitomi looking at him from the next seat.

She was known throughout the school as a quiet girl, her eyes revealing no emotion whatsoever; any restless or uneasy feelings seemed to melt away in her expression.

Last time she said that because she doesn't talk, she doesn't talk either.

Out of politeness, Miyamine Nozomi opened her mouth and said, "Good morning, Shiraishi-kun."

"Hmm." Shiraishi Hitomi nodded at a fraction of a second.

It seems there's no further news. Never mind her, business is more important.

Miyamune no Mikoto bypassed her and headed straight for Kato Ai.

"Wow, Xiao Ai bought a new phone? It must have cost a lot of money!"

"It's alright. A while ago, my family gave me some extra money when I was buying an instrument, so I was thinking of buying a new one. The old one had been used for two years."

"So what are you going to do with your old one?"

"The old one, I—"

"Kato-kun?" Miyamine Nozomi interrupted the girls' conversation, immediately attracting the attention of Yanagi Yuuka.

If someone is handsome, they're bound to be well-known on campus.

The girls who were chatting with Kato Ai suddenly fell silent, staring intently at him.

Light streamed in through the west window, drawing the eye as if drawn by something invisible, from his slender knuckles, up the lines of his forearm, and finally resting on his earlobe, which was almost transparent in the light.

You can hear the soft breathing of several girls.

Kato Ai, however, seemed completely unconcerned, standing up and smiling as she asked, "What's wrong, Miyamune-kun?"

They seem to have a very good relationship.

"Can we come out and talk?" Gongling Wang said with a smile.

"okay!"

The response leaped from her throat faster than she thought, her tone a half-degree higher than she had expected. Her movements were somewhat hurried, and her knee bumped against the inside of the table leg, causing a dull ache.

Many people in the class are staring at me! Like I'm the center of the universe!

Kato Ai held back her laughter, feeling as if her body was filled with a light, airy energy, and she had to be very careful to maintain her normal pace.

Willow Wood Lamp's gaze remained fixed on the girl, who still had a lollipop in her mouth, one cheek puffed out.

My friend whispered to me:

"Confession?"

"How could that be?" she retorted, feigning indifference.

The broom war between the boys cleaning the corridor was over, and Supervisor Hayami was giving the three of them a lecture in the corridor, but she was shorter than them, so the scene looked a bit incongruous.

Hayami's thighs don't look as firm as Yanagi Yuki's, but they still have obvious lines, and they must feel very good to the touch.

"What's wrong?" Kato Ai asked.

Miyamine Nozomi withdrew her gaze from Director Hayami and said calmly:

How's your oboe practice going lately?

"Hmm? This?" Kato Ai was a little surprised, but still answered truthfully, "It's alright, but it's harder than I expected."

"After all, it's widely recognized as the most difficult instrument. Is someone teaching you?"

"No, I read books and buy courses online by myself now."

How many hours do you train each day now?

"About three hours..."

"It's fake. It'll only be about an hour. And why ask these questions?" Kato Ai was somewhat disappointed.

Are there any senior oboists in the club?

"No."

"Just you?"

"Yes, isn't that amazing!" Kato Ai proudly puffed out her slightly full breasts.

Miyamine said, "Are you sure you're okay? Special instruments are usually a must, so you'll be under a lot of pressure."

"That's true... but it shouldn't be too big..." Kato Ai had already done her 'research' and everyone in the brass band was about the same.

"wrong."

Gong Lingwang, his face tense, leaned closer and whispered.

"Kato, you must become a genius at the oboe. Only you can save the brass band."

His sudden approach made Kato Ai instinctively take a step back, her cheeks slightly flushed as she said:

"Huh? Uh...me, me? A genius?"

Gongling Wang stated bluntly:

"Yes, I have high hopes for you. Believe me, I used to play the flute in a top school in Hokkaido, so I know what qualities a genius needs."

Kato Ai swallowed hard. As a naive young girl, she couldn't resist the urge to kiss his cheek.

"What conditions?"

“Middle class,” Miyamine Nozomi said seriously.

"Huh?"

"Yes, middle class! You already have that!"

Gongling Wang said,

"You are the only oboe in the department. Only you can become a star who will be admired by the world. You will lead everyone to the whole country with your playing talent. Only you can do it."

"I...I..." Kato Ai held her breath, forcing an awkward smile, and said, "Was that going too far...?"

"No, I'm very good at judging people," Gong Lingwang said. "By the way, are you and Anhe-senpai close?"

"Senior Anhe? She's alright. It's really strange, she's so outgoing, like we were best friends in a past life."

Kato Ai was completely unaware of this.

Gong Lingwang frowned.

"I heard that Senior Anhe loves playing games. You can't be fooled. This is a critical time."

"Uh......"

How did he know that Senior Anhe took her to play games?

"How about we practice together sometime? The flute and oboe are a perfect match, even people who don't play wind instruments know that, and you should understand too, right?"

Kato Ai was somewhat stunned when faced with Miyamune Nozomi's invitation to join her team.

Because she didn't expect that building a good relationship with a famous person would be so easy.

“Of course.” Kato Ai nodded happily.

Gong Lingwang was very pleased to see this, thinking that she wasn't too difficult to train:

"That's settled then, Kato-kun. Don't forget, you're a once-in-a-century genius."

"Ah...yes."

Kato Ai was so hypnotized by him that she almost believed his words.

"That's settled then, good luck."

"Ah."

As soon as Miyamine Nozomi returned to the classroom and sat down, Yanagi Yutaka walked right up to her, a lollipop in her mouth, but her eyes didn't look sweet at all:

"What did you say to her?"

"I told her to focus on playing the oboe, as it's our unique instrument, and not to be misled by other forms of entertainment. Only in this way can the band go further."

However, Miyamine Nozomi's true feelings were completely ignored by Yanagi Yuto, who frowned and said:

"You didn't tell me this?"

"But I'm telling the truth."

"Say it or don't, it's up to you."

Liu Mujie couldn't believe it. She turned around and went back to her seat. Three little girls gathered around her, chattering excitedly.

◇

The practice room for the bass section is next to the first music room.

The four girls gathered together, but they didn't play any musical instruments; instead, some snacks were piled up on the table.

"Given the current situation of the brass band, 'The Swordsman's Entrance' is indeed the most suitable for us."

The head of the brass section, Tani Hanane, leaned against the table, resting against the hardwood edge. The pleated skirt that covered her lower body suddenly tightened, pressing a deep, fleshy indentation under her buttocks.

"The Swordsman's Entrance" is a famous work by J. Fucik, which is well-known to the public. It was arranged by Mr. Eiji Suzuki and has a typical ternary structure of marching music.

This piece is also famous within the brass band, thanks to "Kyoto Tachibana" winning the gold medal at the national march with it.

"I remember we played this piece a year ago."

An Hechun squatted on the ground, her skirt tucked between her thighs, her hands pressed to her sides, only her head peeking out, glancing up at the group as she spoke.

"Is it really okay to still be bragging about this now?"

"You have to learn to make choices. There's no time to choose, so just get by."

Shida Nana sat on the chair with her legs crossed, her gaze initially set on the snacks, but Daidouji Seiko's ample bosom, hidden beneath her uniform, was simply too large; she'd noticed it was actually quite well-shaped when she stayed at the dormitory before.

"...What we need to focus on is the repertoire for the brass concert. Kirishima-senpai's trumpet can be a great help to us, and Kato-senpai has also started practicing the oboe, so we should make use of that."

Daidoji Seiko rested his hand on his chin and said:

“I have no objection. The prominent sections in the club right now are trumpet, clarinet, bass, and percussion. Our core strategy for selecting music is to choose pieces that provide a space for these sections to showcase their talents.”

"If I say that, those flute players will be unhappy again, won't they?" Gu Huayin said with a somewhat embarrassed smile.

"Whoa~~~!" A golden lightbulb seemed to appear above An Hechun's head. "I have an idea!"

"What?" Nana Shida asked.

An Hechun held up one finger, revealing a set of big white teeth, and said:

"Isn't Kirishima-senpai good at manipulating people? We can have her turn those flute players into underlings we can do whatever we want with, and then everything will be fine."

Tani Hanane said as if she were coaxing a child, "Jun, manipulating people's hearts and such doesn't even exist."

"What we actually need more is a proper mentor or advisor."