I play wind instruments in Kansai.

Erika Toda subconsciously raised her small hand and waved at him:

"See you tomorrow."

Gongling Wang left the practice room and followed Liu Mu Jie Deng away.

At this time, there were practically no people left in the wind band section.

Because there are no rules about mandatory practice time within the department, and there is little initiative, most members leave around 4 PM.

"You two get along really well, don't you, Toda-senpai?" Yanagi Yuto said calmly.

"Yes, Toda-senpai is a very nice person, and it's very comfortable to be with her."

Gongling Wang said from the bottom of his heart,

"And he's very humble; he'll listen to anything I say about the flute."

"That's how Toda-senpai is. As long as you play the flute better than her, she'll obediently listen to you."

Liu Mujie Deng wasn't angry after hearing this; on the contrary, he felt it was perfectly reasonable.

The twilight light had faded below the window sill in the corridor, creating a distinct line of light and shadow, and the two shadows moved forward above them.

The sound of their footsteps echoed softly in the empty stairwell, with Willow Wood Lamp walking slightly ahead.

Gong Ling looked at her body in her uniform. This position seemed to have never changed, from the rice paddy path she walked home from kindergarten to the school corridor now.

The only difference is that she has become more voluptuous, and my thoughts about her are no longer simple.

As I passed the stairwell, a melodious voice came from behind me.

Even though the sound is somewhat muffled by the walls, it cannot block the unique, bright, penetrating power of brass instruments.

It's a trumpet, and the breath control is incredibly steady. The high notes are especially moving, full and rounded.

Willow Knot Lantern suddenly stopped, and Gong Lingwang almost bumped into her back. Just as he was about to speak, she held up one finger and said:

Did you hear that?

"It's hard not to hear it, it's so beautiful, is it Daidouji-senpai?"

"Daidouji-senpai and Tani-hana-senpai left long ago; it's Kirishima."

There was a strange emotion lurking in Liu Mujie's words.

"How annoying."

Continue walking down Gonglingwang:

"She's in the wind band, you should be happy that she plays well."

"She's using a secondary account, and so am I."

Willow Wood Lamp followed along somewhat sullenly, carrying a schoolbag on his left shoulder, and the two switched places.

How many people are in the trumpet section now?

"Seven."

How many positions are available for the A-level positions?

"Usually five."

"That's not something you can just take anywhere."

Gong Lingwang chuckled softly.

"Unless just getting into the A-level program isn't enough to satisfy your little ambition, Liu Mu."

Willowwood Lamp's fingers gripped the backpack strap as she whispered:

“I can lose to anyone in the trumpet section, but I can’t lose to Kirishima. If she goes to the first section, I’m doomed if I go to the second or third.”

Gongling turned his head to the side and said:

"Where does this inexplicable targeting come from?"

"You didn't listen to a single word I said before, did you!"

Willowwood Lamp raised its foot and roughly kicked his shin, saying,

"I don't like her at all."

“Even if you can’t compare to her, no one will look down on you,” Gong Lingwang said.

"I know, but I still don't want it to be like this."

Willow Knot Lamp felt an unusual heaviness in his arm as he carried the instrument case.

I want to ignore Kirishima Ruka's existence, but that's simply impossible.

Several times she struggled with whether to tell her seniors that Kirishima wasn't a good person, but she couldn't bring herself to do it because she couldn't bear to gossip behind someone's back.

But Gongling Wang was different; Liu Mu Jie Deng was happy to chat with him about Kirishima.

As for why, delving into the reasons was too embarrassing and selfish for her to consider.

As I stepped out of the student association building, I could already see the faint crescent moon against the backdrop of the orange-red sunset.

A faint scent of the sea wafted from the direction of Kinoko River.

There were no other students in sight on campus. Beneath the walls of the school buildings, potted plants from the horticulture department were piled up, their vegetation growing extremely lush and green.

A slender girl was squatting down to take care of something. Miyamine looked at her a few more times and thought it was Shiraishi Hitomi.

But there was no reason to go up and greet her.

Willowwood Lamp also noticed her, but another figure passed by and took her attention, speaking up shortly after.

"Gong Ling, Liu Mu, why are you still at school so late?"

It was Hayami Tenma Sei, carrying a white cloth bag.

"Supervisor Hayami, have you forgotten that we are the brass band?" Yuuto Yanagi turned her gaze away from Hitomi Shiraishi.

She heard the sound, turned around, and saw several people.

"Well--"

Hayami Tenma paused for a moment, then his shoulders slumped slightly, and he said in a dejected tone,

"I'm sorry, I forgot again."

"Supervisor Hayami has not attended the recent meetings."

The willow wood lantern seemed to be pronouncing her crime.

"And they are all quite important. Even if you don't come, you should still sit down. That way, some people won't make things difficult for you. It's always good to have an adult present."

"I'm sorry, I've been a bit busy lately. I'll make sure next time."

Hayami Tenma Sei was actually holding back his anger, but it wasn't something a supervisor should do to lose his temper with students, so he could only suppress it for the time being.

Gong Lingwang felt that she was completely different from usual. Her lips were pursed into a line, and her brows were slightly furrowed, as if something heavy was pressing on her shoulders.

"Bye then, drive safely."

"Okay, goodbye supervisor."

After Hayami Tenma Sei left, Yanagi Yuto watched her retreating figure and muttered to herself:

"He doesn't act like an adult."

What is an adult like? A sense of responsibility? The ability to stand on their own? Or perhaps someone who smokes, drinks, and chatters away with friends?

Gongling Wang really wanted to ask, but after thinking about it carefully, Liu Mu probably wouldn't understand either, and would think he was just being difficult, so he simply kept quiet.

The Orange Box convenience store near the school gate becomes lively when the setting sun casts its glow on the store sign.

A boy in a white shirt was standing in front of the freezer, pondering which drink to buy, while several girls in loquat-colored uniforms were chatting quietly in front of the magazine rack.

"I'm so thirsty," she said. "I want an ice pop."

“Gari-gari-kun?” Miyamune said.

It's a popular popsicle brand with a very affordable price; even after the price increase, it's only 130 yen.

"Okay, you hold it for me."

She handed him the instrument case.

The convenience store's freezer hummed, and white steam seeped out from the gaps in the sliding door.

Willow Knot Lamp bent down, one hand holding onto the transparent sliding door, the other fingertip hovering above the row of colorful packaging bags, hesitant to drop it.

"Soda... or honeydew melon?" Her muffled voice echoed in the freezer.

Gongling Wang stood half a step behind Liu Mujie Deng, his gaze falling on the top of her black calf socks, where the skin on her legs looked very taut.

You can see the soft creases in the back of your knees, neither too deep nor too shallow.

It couldn't contain the light inside the convenience store, but it could contain the gaze that Miyamine Nozomi couldn't help but look at, yet dared not look too long.

"I'll have honeydew melon, but I'll give you the watermelon flavor."

Willow Wood Lamp took out two packets, and Gongling Wang quickly looked away.

When it came time to pay, he tried to give her the money, but she said it was only a little over a hundred yen and she didn't need to pay.

It was getting a bit hot, so Miyamine Nozomi pretended to be focused on tearing open the packaging of the popsicle in her hand. She tore it too hard, and the bag split open in a strange arc in the middle.

"It's been so long since I've had an ice pop." Liu Mujie took out a honeydew melon-flavored ice pop.

A chill wafted out, like holding a small piece of frozen winter.

She opened her cherry-colored lips, took it in, pressed it against her lips, and then released it, leaving a faint tooth mark on it.

The girl's lips were glistening and moist from the ice water.

Juice dripped down the edges of the icicle. Willow Knot Lamp raised the popsicle a little higher, then stuck out his cherry-red tongue to catch the dripping liquid.

She held it in her mouth again and used the tip of her tongue to make a small circle around the top of the popsicle.

Gongling Wangdu was almost stunned; he could feel his breath catch in his throat, and the air was hot and dry.

The girl took a small bite, the ice making a soft crackling sound between her teeth, and Liu Mujie's eyelashes trembled slightly.

"So cold!"

Her voice was muffled, with the last syllable rising in pitch. The girl covered her mouth with the back of her hand, but a little juice had already spilled from the corner of her mouth.

It was as if some inexplicable, unseen presence existed within it, making Miyamine no Mikoto unable to look directly at it.

The watermelon flavor melted in my mouth, unreasonably sweet, yet so cold it made my temples ache, and my fingertips were slightly red from holding the popsicle for so long.

He doesn't really like letting the popsicle melt naturally in his mouth; he immediately starts crushing the ice.

"Buy another one?" Willow Wood Lamp thought he liked it because he saw him finish it in one go.

"That's enough," said Gongling Wang. "I'll just watch you eat."

"rogue."

Liu Mujie was complaining, but a slight smile still appeared on his lips.

As we prepared to head to the station, a dark blue car drove out of the parking lot next to us.

The view through the glass was very clear, and I could see the driver's face clearly.

"Supervisor Hayami?" Miyamine asked instinctively.

The willow wood lantern also cast its gaze.

Sitting in the car, Hayami Tenma gritted her teeth. She and Osaka Ayaka immediately wanted to replace the windows with ones that would prevent people from seeing inside the car.

That's great!

She could only roll down the car window and say with a smile:

"What a coincidence, are you taking this route too?"

However, Hayami Tenma Sei forgot to turn off the car's music, which was still Miku's.

'The World's Number One Princess'

Treat me like a princess, understand?

Not good!