I play wind instruments in Kansai.

Hayami Tenma rubbed her neck, a faint blush creeping up her ears. She then realized that her favoritism towards Miyamine Nozomi was a little too obvious.

"I'll go down first."

"Goodbye," said Miyamine Nozomi.

"Ah."

As Hayami Tenma Sei walked off the stage, he nodded slightly to Hasebe Souta, but the latter puffed out his cheeks, looking very unhappy.

In Hasebe Souta's eyes, this supervisor was one of them, and he was beyond saving.

Daidoji Seiko's already full breasts rose and fell continuously, a breathtaking sight.

"As soon as your homeroom teacher comes back, he takes the opportunity to mock me."

"what?"

Miyamine Nozomi paused for a moment, then turned to look at Hayami Tenma Sei's swaying, round buttocks and said...

"Is there?"

Daidouji Seiko clicked his tongue:

"So slow."

"Okay, okay—! Be a few decibels quieter!"

An Hechun held up one finger and said:

"Listen up, members of the wind instrument club. We will play an original piece first. Everyone should listen carefully. Then, the voting weight is the same. Whether it's the club president, me, or any of you, it's one vote."

"What about us!" shouted the other students who weren't in the brass band.

An Hechun said with a smile:

"It's not too late to join the wind band now; you'll have the right to be exempt from club fees."

"No~~!"

"In short, only members of the brass band have the right to vote."

A short while later, the music of "Libertango" began to play in the museum.

Although there were many people in the venue, only a handful could actually understand what was being said.

Piazzolla's piece has a very long melody, often requiring a single breath to last for more than ten seconds, with few good breathing opportunities in between.

The first challenge is to make the music full while conserving breath.

The placement of accents, the rhythmic feel of 3-3-2, high-speed chromatic scales, large leaps, ornaments, and overtones...

Kirishima Ruka discovered the difficulty of the situation even after only a brief listening.

She wasn't sure about Miyamine Nozomi's actual abilities, but she figured that since he had attended a top school in Hokkaido, he couldn't be too bad.

Moreover, the fact that I used to spy on him when I was a child also adds to my positive feelings towards him.

As the rest ended, the lingering notes of the original flute melody still filled the hall, and Miyamine Nozomi had already taken to the stage.

He had a handsome face and a tall, slender figure. Even before he started playing, he had already drawn gasps from many girls in the audience.

"So handsome..."

"Look at his fingers! Are all wind instrument players like that? They're so beautiful!"

"Can you all be quiet! I came here to listen to him brag!"

"You really just want to hear him brag? You don't want to help him brag?"

"Sh-!"

Several girls were pushing and shoving each other, laughing hysterically. Liu Mujie, who had vaguely overheard some conversation, became furious, stood up abruptly, clenched her fist, and shouted:

"Quiet down, all of you!"

The noise in the arena immediately quieted down, and Akamatsu and Nakaseko behind her cast surprised glances, not expecting her to be so bold.

Hundreds of eyes fell on the willow wood lantern.

"Thank you!"

She sat down immediately after speaking, hugged her knees, looked at the stage, and muttered something unsatisfactorily.

"Honestly, so many people came, there was no need for them to come!"

Gong Ling looked at her with gratitude, then said nothing more, simply raising the flute to his lips.

I first took a deep abdominal breath.

Controlling your breath is always the first step; too light and you'll feel weak, too heavy and you'll lose your elasticity.

The first note glides out from the low register, and the vibrato makes the long note tremble slightly like a string instrument.

With a light touch of the tongue to the roof of the mouth, double-tonguing breaks up three consecutive eighth notes, short and crisp, like a dancer's heel striking the floor.

In just a few bars, one can't help but worry that even breathing might disrupt his performance.

Daidoji Seiko remained behind the curtain, staring intently at Miyamine Nozomi, her breathing quickening involuntarily, a glint of light shining in her eyes.

As the main section begins, the fingering suddenly becomes denser, with the fingertips rapidly switching between the B key and B flat, and the ring finger half-covering the D sharp, causing the tone to narrow immediately.

Rapid chromatic runs are extremely demanding in terms of skill; too light a touch will result in air leakage, while too heavy a touch will produce overtones.

The breathing point was precisely timed by Miyamine Nozomi to the sixteenth rest between two musical phrases, with a quick and deep inhale.

Erika Toda, who was in the audience, was stunned. Having studied the flute for three years, she knew how difficult this piece was.

Even if she were to play it now, she wouldn't be entirely confident in playing it well.

However, Miyamine Nozomi was able to play perfectly, producing notes that were like exquisite watch parts, each one in its proper place.

The other members looked at each other in astonishment.

If Miyamine Nozomi were a third-year student, their reaction wouldn't be so strong; they might even think, "That's amazing!"

The problem is, he's only a first-year student.

Although they play different instruments, they are still senior members of the wind instrument section.

As elders, how to applaud the younger generation has become the most difficult point for them.

In the last two measures, Miyamine added a very short rising trill before sliding into the last long note.

The breath gradually subsided, and the volume decreased evenly, like a straight downhill line, until it disappeared completely.

A moment of silence fell over the audience; even those who knew nothing about wind instruments could sense the atmosphere by looking around.

"The performance was so good that I didn't know how to react."

Liu Mujie gasped, only then realizing that her hands were trembling slightly.

She realized one thing: from beginning to end, she had underestimated Gong Lingwang's strength.

I thought she was about the same level as me, but it turns out we're not even in the same league.

The balance between the two was originally stable, but now it has suddenly shifted towards Gong Lingwang.

Willow Wood Lamp's heartbeat quickened without her realizing it, and her inner thighs, covered by her skirt, were sweating profusely.

She had a vague feeling that something was amiss.

If she doesn't keep trying, the balance between her and Gongling Wang will completely tip, and he will go find a girl who is more in line with his abilities.

One day in the future, the one who goes to his room, smells his pillow, and shares the same sheet with him will only be another, smarter girl.

Who?

Yuuto's gaze unconsciously drifted to Kirishima Ruka, who was sitting to her left; her little ears were slightly red.

No, absolutely not.

Kato Ai, sitting next to her, gasped and her eyes widened.

She had initially thought that Gong Lingwang's lectures were just an attempt to woo her and use musical instruments to enhance their relationship.

I never expected him to be serious.

wrong......

Kato Ai frowned, wondering if it was really because she had performed so poorly that he couldn't stand it and that's why he contacted her? Or was it because he liked her?

“Wow, that’s amazing…” Kohinata Hina muttered.

Anwa Juncai realized what was happening, strode forward, and made a clapping gesture towards the audience.

The people in the audience seemed like puppets incapable of independent thought; they only clapped along when An Hechun clapped.

Applause surged forth like a tide. Gong Lingwang, feeling quite pleased with himself, bowed slightly and stepped aside.

"And next—"

Just as Anhe Jun was about to speak, Shida Nana quickly stepped forward and whispered something in her ear.

"No way? Really?"

"Okay, just make up any excuse, let's leave it at that for today."

"Uh--"

An Hechun looked troubled, then suddenly something occurred to her, and a golden lightbulb seemed to appear above her head.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, today's battle has come to an end. Thank you everyone for your support! Goodbye!"

Force majeure is the most authoritative excuse in the world.

"No? What's going on? I came here specifically to watch the show."

"Where is he? Is there only one?"

"Where's Hasebe? Isn't he going to perform? I came here specifically to watch the show!"

The audience erupted into chaos, with only a few indifferent people leaving, while the members of the brass band looked utterly bewildered.

What happened to the promised battle? Why was only one contest promoted? How are they supposed to vote?

"What's going on..." Kato Ai whispered.

Willowwood Lamp was very agile; it stood up immediately, and there were obvious marks on its thighs from the compression.

"where are you going?"

"Go and ask what happened."

"Count me in."

"Then I'll go too."

Kohiko Hina quickly got up, but after sitting cross-legged for too long, her legs ached and she leaned back, falling into Nakajiko Hina's arms.

Be careful, okay?

Senior Nakajiko's expression was gentle and her tone was warm. Kojiko's face turned red and she quickly got up.

"Thank you! Wait for me!"

"And what about us?" Nakajiko Rinzo smiled at the lively female students, turned her head and asked, "And what about us?"

"Well--"

Chiyo Akamatsu pondered, her hand resting on her chin.

"I guess after seeing Gong Ling's performance, he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of so many people, so he made up an excuse to get away with it. I've seen this kind of thing before. Let's go and wait for their news."

"Alright..."

Medieval ancient sun rose and said,

"Speaking of which, is it really appropriate for us to just leave like this...?"

"What's wrong with that? Staying doesn't prove I love the brass band, and leaving doesn't prove I hate the brass band."

Chiyo Akamatsu said in a relaxed tone,

"Look at you, your skirt is stuck to your butt."

"I know......."

"Let me take a picture."