I play wind instruments in Kansai.

59. What a polite junior!

At the entrance, Gong Ling's parents placed large and small bags on the ground.

"I said I was just delivering things, but I ended up bringing all this back myself." Gong Ling's father looked at the items packaged in various convenience store plastic bags.

Most of the items inside were agricultural products they grew themselves, as well as beverages that were about to expire at home, which they said they were taking back for Gongling Wang to drink.

"What can I do? If I don't take it, people will think I'm being unfilial."

Gongling's mother sighed, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a pair of black loafers neatly arranged in the entryway.

"have a guest?"

"What guest?" Gong Ling's father narrowed his eyes slightly and said bluntly, "This child brought a girl home because we weren't home."

"This won't do!"

Gongling's mother raised an eyebrow. Although she didn't want to interfere in her son's private life, she believed that adolescence was the age when things were most likely to go wrong.

If my son dates a hot girl at school who has no future, his early life will be ruined.

"Why are you back?"

Just as she was feeling a little irritated, Gong Lingwang appeared in the stairwell, looking completely calm.

But behind him, Liu Mujie Deng clasped his hands in front of his lower abdomen, his face flushed, and with an expression of guilt, said:

Hello, Uncle and Aunt.

"The little knot lamp?"

Gongling's father's expression softened, and he smiled as he said,

"You've grown so beautiful! You've got time to come over today?"

His words didn't actually have any profound meaning, but to Willow Wood Lamp's ears, it sounded like—

"You're free to come over and have some fun while we're away today?"

Liu Mujie didn't know how to answer, her face flushed, but she pretended not to notice the heat rising on her face.

"Well, I've finished all my homework for today, and I've almost finished my playing practice, so... I just stopped by to take a look."

Gong Lingwang inwardly complained that she was now acting like a coward, full of guilt, and that if she had just used the same temper she used on him, the situation wouldn't have been so awkward.

"Ah~~~"

Gongling's mother raised her hand to cover her mouth, and said with a teasing smile,

"Oh my, is Xiao Wang busy with something with you? We're back too early?"

“That’s right,” Miyamune Nozomi said.

"No, that's not true!"

Willowwood Lamp retorted impatiently,

"No, that's not true! You've misunderstood! Really! Well, I have to go home now, goodbye Uncle and Aunt."

She walked quickly downstairs, her skirt fluttering with each step.

Under the watchful eyes of the Gong family, the girl put on her loafers, blushed, and left without looking back.

Gongling's mother slightly twitched the corners of her mouth and gave Gongling Wang, who was standing in the stairwell, a meaningful smile.

"Nothing much was done, don't overthink it, it's just about building rapport."

Compared to Willow Wood Lantern's panic, Gongling Wang appeared much more composed.

Although it's a bit of a pity, he has always believed in the idea that happiness accumulates over time.

Even if you don't experience the happiness of craftsmanship today, this happiness will accumulate and double next time.

It sounds a bit like self-hypnosis, but Miyamine Nozomi believes that if you don't hypnotize yourself properly, your mood will become depressed.

"What do Liu Mu's parents do now?" Gong Ling's father suddenly asked.

“My mother works at a fish farm and is a full-time housewife.”

Gong Lingwang went upstairs, opened the refrigerator, and drank another cup of barley tea. The initial heat from his parents' arrival and the cold tea gradually suppressed his desire.

"How much can you earn in a month?" Gong Ling's father asked.

"I am not sure."

"She didn't smell of fish at all; in fact, she smelled quite nice."

Gongling's mother said as she packed the things she had brought from her hometown.

"Girls nowadays pay a lot of attention to their appearance, unlike me in the past, when I only used shower gel and shampoo."

Gongling Wang didn't really want to discuss her mother's past life and wanted to turn around and go upstairs.

"Hey! Are you dating her?" Gong Ling's mother asked.

"..."

Gong Lingwang remained silent, unsure whether he was dating Liu Mu.

Even if she didn't say it, if her parents hadn't come back, she probably had already taken care of it for herself.

Since you've already helped with that, then you must have that kind of relationship, right?

Gongling Wang always thought he was not slow-witted, but when it actually happened to him, he was unable to make up his mind for a moment.

"do not know."

He went upstairs after he finished speaking.

"Don't do anything that crosses the line! Understand? Studying is important!"

He ignored his mother's warning.

On the bed, the slip dress that Liu Mujie had been wearing was lying haphazardly, indicating that she didn't really want to take it away in front of her parents.

Gongling Wang stepped forward to tidy up the skirt, which still carried a lingering warmth, mixed with the girl's light sweat and the delicate fragrance of a virgin.

The faint milky scent lingered in the air, seemingly still emanating from the neck of the willow tree.

Gong Lingwang looked at the sundress in her hand and took a deep breath.

In the end, he abandoned the idea of ​​using it for something bad, put it in the bag, and planned to deliver it to her another day.

◇

The next day, the sky was clear and sunny. When Gong Lingwang looked up, even the space between his fingers was pure blue.

I took the tram and didn't encounter any familiar faces along the way.

When I arrived at the school gate, I saw An Hechun. She was carrying her schoolbag in both hands, standing straight, and with her model-like figure, she exuded a youthful charm.

Like Liu Mujie Deng, she also belongs to the black calf stocking party.

The other person also spotted Miyamune immediately, but did not greet him right away. Instead, he waited until Miyamune got closer before giving him an expression that said, "Oh, I see you."

"Good morning, junior Gongling," An Hechun said with a smile.

"Hmm, good morning." Gong Lingwang glanced around and said, "Are you waiting for someone?"

"Well, I guess that's true. By the way, what happened to Hasebe yesterday is true," she said.

Gong Lingwang looked surprised: "It's true? What does that mean?"

“He wasn’t faking it; after the examination, it was found that he really did have a health problem.”

A hint of pity appeared on An Hechun's beautiful face.

"According to what Professor Ōmiya said at the time, it was called 'stress-induced abdominal pain.' He stayed in the infirmary for a while, didn't take any medicine, and was almost fine."

Ms. Omiya is a teacher at the Oki Academy Medical Center and also a single young woman in her late thirties.

"I think it's because you praised him so well back then that his body couldn't handle it."

An Hechun didn't know what expression to wear on her face. Perhaps because they were both third-year students, she felt a sense of empathy.

Miyamine Nozomi didn't actually care about Hasebe-senpai's physical condition; he only cared about one thing:

"So, we have to start all over again?"

"Hmm? Daidouji really didn't tell you anything?"

An Hechun raised her eyebrows.

"I thought she would notify you immediately. After Hasebe came out of the infirmary yesterday, he talked with Tani and the others for a while and then signed his resignation from the club."

"......"

Miyamine Nozomi paused for a moment. At the time Hasebe Souta was signing his resignation form, he was playing with Yui Yanagi, who was wearing a sundress, on an artificial chair.

"so?"

"The current group leader is Toda-senpai, and it should be announced today," Anhe Jun said, leaning on her hip with one hand.

Gongling Wang nodded, observing her expression, and said:

"Senior Anhe, you don't seem very happy?"

"I?"

An Hechun paused for a moment, then her cherry-colored lips curved into a gentle smile, no different from before.

"It's not that I'm unhappy, it's just that sometimes I get inexplicably nervous."

She didn't say it explicitly, and Miyamine Wang wouldn't press for details.

"Then I'll go first."

"Goodbye."

Back in class, Kato Ai was still chatting with some girls, covering a wide range of topics and seemingly able to talk about anything.

Perhaps because of yesterday, Miyamine Nozomi's gaze first fell upon the figure of Willow Wood Lantern.

But she was not found.

"Kato-kun."

"Well?"

When Miyamine called out to her, Kato Ai was genuinely confused.

After yesterday's psychological counseling, she now knows that Gong Lingwang doesn't like her.

What surprised Kato Ai was that, despite what should have been a blow to her pride, she now felt more at ease when she was with him.

"Have you seen any willow trees?"

"She should be in the brass band by now, right? She arrived even earlier than me."

"Row."

Gong Lingwang glanced at her a few more times. Her stock price had dropped by 30 points at the opening today, and was now below 10 yen, quoted at 8.43.

The interpretation of the anomaly is still that he is unable to play.

Miyamune was helpless in this regard; his system was too selfish and could not help anyone with music theory upgrades.

Although he wanted to buy at the bottom, the problem was that if Ai Kato made no progress, the money he invested in this girl would disappear without a trace when the stock was delisted.

Should we give up? Or should we continue to invest our funds in more promising value stocks, such as Hitomi Shiraishi?

"W-Why are you looking at me like that?"

Kato Ai increasingly felt that Miyamune Nozomi's gaze contained a hint of scrutiny, and even a touch of pity.

"No." Gong Lingwang smiled and turned to walk towards the club building.

"What's going on...?"

Kato Ai's lips twitched slightly. Since that day, he had never mentioned playing practice again. Did he think he was completely hopeless?

She was a little unhappy, but there was nothing she could do about it; she didn't consider herself a genius at playing wind instruments.

Well, it's fine to go gaming with Senior Anhe.

◇

As a club that values ​​unity, friendship, and competition, Erika Toda has always felt that having talented people around you is a bittersweet experience.