I play wind instruments in Kansai.

"The trumpet section is very strong right now. Whether it's Seiko, Liu Mu, or Kirishima, they are all very impressive in my eyes. But I heard that you and Kirishima don't get along very well?"

Willowwood Lamp's eyes twitched slightly. He clasped his hands behind his back and said calmly:

"This is a private matter between her and me, and it will not affect the operation of the club."

"That won't do. Such a thing..."

Gu Huayin raised her hand to smooth the brown strands of hair that fell across her chest, her smile undiminished.

"No matter what, you should put aside the conflict. The atmosphere will affect efficiency. Now that Kirishima-senpai has finally come to school and is staying with us, we should take good care of her. Besides... her trumpet is the best."

When she said "the best," a strange look appeared in her gentle eyes.

It was as if Tani Hana knew what choice Yanagi Yuuto would make after she said those words.

To Miyamine Nozomi, Minister Tanihana's words were neither a request nor a discussion, but rather a gentle notification—

"Your relationship with Kirishima will affect her efficiency, and at the same time, her alternate account is the best. I have to make a choice."

33. You must strive, you must keep going!

Unlike the gentle, arched eyebrows of the senior student in front of her, Liu Mujie Deng's eyebrows were slightly raised, and the corners of her eyes were also upturned, giving off a natural sense of defiance.

Gong Lingwang glanced at her and had to admit that she was truly beautiful when she glared at people. The beauty mark under her right eye added a touch of alluring, moth-to-a-flame charm to her sharp gaze.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

Her tone was completely different from before, lacking the most basic respect she had for her senior classmates and the band members.

Gu Huayin's gaze remained gentle as she repeatedly rubbed her hair with the pads of her right hand, saying:

"Kirishima finally got to participate in a violin performance, and her trumpet is the best. Can't we all just get along peacefully?"

"I already said I won't interfere with club activities."

"Okay, okay, don't be angry. I was just saying it casually."

As if to soothe her emotions, Tani Hanane spoke in a calm and unhurried tone.

"I just think... it's been so long, isn't it petty to still hold a grudge? Hey, Gongling, what do you think?"

"Hmm?" Gong Lingwang was taken aback, not expecting her to ask for his opinion.

Before he could answer, Liu Mujie crossed her arms, turned to the side, and glared at her, saying:

"Petty? You have no idea how much pride I put on when I went on stage! And in the end, I was still laughed at!"

Gu Huayin narrowed her eyes slightly and said in a high-pitched tone:

"If that's the case, you know you'll be laughed at if you go on stage, so why do you go on stage? Besides, you're not a genius, Liu Mu."

"Wait, what are you saying?"

Willow Knot Lantern stood ramrod straight, his gaze sharper than usual, and his beauty mark twitched slightly with the movement of his muscles.

"Are you trying to make me run away halfway? Do you think I'm like Kirishima?"

"Sorry, I thought you would be a little smarter," Tani Hanane said with a smile.

Willowwood Lamp's beautiful yet almost cold face stared at her:

"Now I finally understand. Everyone was saying that you, Tani-senpai, were a good person, but now it seems you're just a biased person. So what do you want? To make me leave the club?"

"How could that be?"

Gu Huayin raised her hand and very steadily tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I just wanted to ask, does Junior Liu want to choose the present or the future?"

"What do you mean?"

"Who do you think is the best in the trumpet section right now?"

When Gu Huayin spoke, Liu Mu Jie Deng was momentarily speechless.

She really wanted to answer that it was herself, but that wasn't the case.

The trumpet section now has seven members, including herself: three third-year seniors, two second-year seniors, and two first-year students, and each one of them is quite formidable.

From a young age, she thought that Kirishima Ruka's trumpet playing was the most amazing she had ever heard. It wasn't until she entered Osamu Academy that she discovered Daidouji Seiko, another trumpet genius.

She suddenly remembered watching women's figure skating competitions when she was a child. The TV screen showed the first to sixth place, and the top five were all from the same country.

The sixth one is certainly a once-in-a-century genius, but there are five other once-in-a-century geniuses, and only one true genius.

Although many people around me say, "Liu Mu, you are simply a genius at playing the trumpet!", these words come from people who don't understand the trumpet, so their reliability is almost zero.

Liu Mujie believes that if she really had to decide on a rank, her alt account would be at A, as it has a strong ability to crush lower-ranked characters.

However, as compensation, Kirishima Ruka and Daidouji Seiko's alternate accounts will be rated S, or even S+, in this world.

That's the truth, but Willow Wood Lamp was unwilling to say it out loud.

Noticing her hesitation, Gu Huayin didn't press her to speak. Instead, she looked at Gong Lingwang and smiled, saying:

"What do you think, Junior Gongling?"

Miyamine Nozomi had never heard a trumpet ensemble before, and the ensemble practice of the wind instrument section had not yet begun.

But he could often hear the sound of trumpet practice after school, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was the most diligent department in the school.

Willowwood Knot Lantern crossed her arms over her chest, clasping them together and squeezing the fabric of her uniform into several fine folds, as if waiting for an answer.

"Liu Mu is the most amazing in my heart," said Gong Lingwang.

The moment the words left his mouth, Liu Mujie's shoulders trembled slightly. His sharp, upturned eyes remained sharp, but something flickered deep within his pupils.

Tani Hana simply raised her chin, her gaze lingering lightly on Miyamine Nozomi's face, and said gently:

"Really? You two have a very good relationship."

Gongling Wang stated bluntly:

“We’ve been childhood sweethearts. Although we haven’t seen each other for a few years, our relationship has recently recovered quite well.”

"Hello--!"

Liu Mujie Deng, who had maintained a cold and aloof expression, couldn't help but blush when he heard him say that, but he couldn't help but feel a little excited inside.

She doesn't think favoritism is a good thing; on the contrary, she feels it's very unfair, so she dislikes the current Minister Gu Hua.

But when this actually happened to her, she felt that the feeling of being cared for was wonderful.

"Ah, that's wonderful." Tani Hanane laughed even harder. "But don't let this affect your judgment, okay?"

“I’m not lying,” Miyamine Nozomi reminded him.

"Hehe, after the procession ends, we'll have to choose the competition song and the participants. Although I shouldn't say this, it's better not to let these feelings override the club's interests. Well then, I won't bother you anymore, bye-bye."

After Gu Huayin finished speaking, she turned and left, and the place instantly fell silent.

Then Gong Lingwang received a light but not heavy blow to his ribs. Liu Mujie Deng struck him with his elbow, clean and swift.

Turning his head, he saw her looking at him from the side, but there was no coldness in her eyes; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was innocent.

What nonsense are you talking about?

Her question was direct, but it also carried a hint of hesitation, a reluctance for him to admit it.

“I’m not lying.” Gong Lingwang raised his hand and looked at her. “I’m talking about my heart. That’s absolutely true. You are the strongest in my heart.”

"......"

Liu Mujie pursed his lips, seemingly organizing his thoughts, his earlobes growing increasingly red, before finally uttering only a stiff, curt sentence.

"Isn't that the case in a fair sense?"

"Of course, I've never heard of Daidouji-senpai or the others."

A surge of anger welled up in Willow Wood Lamp's chest for no apparent reason, but he quickly calmed down.

"When Senior Guhua came to me, she must have hoped that I would vote for Kirishima in the future and make her the first chief of the trumpet class."

"You don't want to?" Gong Lingwang asked.

"Do I look like a villain who won't let his enemies get away with anything?"

"You look like a good girl who has no enemies."

"......"

These words made Liu Mujie choke on his words, his face flushed, and he clenched his forearm as he spoke.

"I won't give up either."

[Market Update: Willow Knot Lantern, +3%, +1725 yen]

[Analysis of the anomaly: Based on Guan Yin's statement, it is inferred that the competition for the top spot in the small-sized trumpet competition will be decided by voting, no longer based on grade level.]

Current stock price: 59

A system interface popped up in front of him. Gong Lingwang had invested very little in Liu Mujie Deng and only earned enough to buy drinks and ramen on a regular basis.

If we were to judge a person's playing ability based on stock price, then Kirishima Ryuka's current score is 81.6, which is far higher than Ryuki Yuto's.

Meanwhile, Daidouji Seiko's stock price has reached 123.

Gongling Wang was puzzled. Was there another criterion for judging this stock price? Or was it determined solely by a person's playing ability?

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the pricing criteria were based on the individual's personality, playing ability, and family background.

This also explains why Daidouji Seiko's stock price is so high; her family background seems to be extraordinary, as she can easily kick out Supervisor Hayami without being questioned.

What are you standing there for?

Willow Knot Lamp lifted his foot, which was wearing indoor shoes, and gently touched his calf.

"I was thinking, Kirishima's parents seem to have died."

Given this, her personality will inevitably be affected, hence the lower stock price.

"......"

Liu Mujie's brows furrowed tightly, and he unceremoniously reached out and pinched the flesh of Liu Mujie's arm.

"Don't say that out loud!"

"Ouch!" Gong Lingwang winced in pain and said instinctively, "I just suddenly remembered this."

What exactly are you thinking about all day long?

Willowwood Lamp said with great dissatisfaction,

"You're so irresponsible. If you spent all that time thinking about how to play the flute better, who would dare to bully you?"

"I wasn't bullied either."

"You're being bullied by me right now and you don't even realize it?"

"Really? I thought this was a common flirting routine for childhood sweethearts."

Willow Wood Lamp's eyes widened slightly, her eyelashes trembled, and her chest rose and fell through her loquat-colored sailor uniform. She blushed and rolled her eyes at him.

"......nerve."

"Hey, you two, it's almost time for the morning meeting, what are you still doing here?"

A voice came from behind them, and the two turned to look, only to find it was Tenma Hayami.

Unlike her usual bodycon skirts and pantyhose, today she wore a fitted, waist-cinching long dress decorated with small orange flowers.

Hayami Tenma Sei's long hair was pulled back, revealing her elegant neck and slender figure.

She looks stunning in this fitted dress; from any angle, she could be a model for an online photoshoot.

"Sorry, I'll be leaving right away."

Yuuto's eyes darted away, avoiding direct eye contact with Tenma Hayami. He simply bowed slightly and quickly left.

"Gongling".

Hayami Tenma Sei turned his gaze away from the walking girl, and walked forward with his lesson plan in hand. The fullness of her breasts, covered by the fabric, made one want to look away but couldn't bear to.

"Didn't I just tell you yesterday? Don't talk about dating? At least not so blatantly."

She didn't seem angry; she just tilted her head slightly.