I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 3

"Yes... but no."

Nagase Tsukiyo seemed to be enduring something; her breathing suddenly became rapid, her chest heaving, and the strands of hair around her delicate ears swayed excitedly.

"Don't you think this is strange?"

"What's weird?"

As Yuka Isomoto spoke, her gaze fell upon the girl sitting opposite her, who had a Bluetooth earphone in her left ear.

She kept her head down, eating her dessert, but she took very small bites, as if afraid of being bitten. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was being extremely careful.

The jet-black bangs, combined with her fair skin, made her hair, eyelashes, and pupils appear even darker and shinier.

She couldn't help but think to herself that even though Kanzaki Eri wasn't saying anything today, she was still as cute as a doll.

“What’s so strange about this? It’s perfectly normal for this selection process.” Saito Harutori tilted her head curiously, rarely seeing Tsukiyo show such an anxious expression.

"I'm not talking about the selection process, it's just that our current situation is too strange, isn't it?" Nagase Tsukiyo's delicate eyebrows twitched, and her smooth lips turned to one side.

"Not strange at all? This is good—"

Saito Haruka rested her arms on the table, cupped her face in her hands, and smiled as she spoke.

"Everyone is here. Let's go to the Asahikawa Music Festival together, and then to the Hakodate branch meeting and the National Congress meeting together."

Nagase Tsukiyo looked at her with a cool expression, her brows slightly furrowed, and said to Fujisai Harutori with obvious displeasure:

"And then what? Keep embarrassing yourself? I've had enough."

"Ashamed or anything... there's no such thing."

"Isn't it shameful? We've been to the All-Round Conference twice and only got a bronze award. What are we going to do this year? Go and get another bronze award?"

The other three were stunned by what Nagase Tsukiyo said. She was stunningly beautiful, but when she got angry, she could instantly make people feel her powerful aura.

Saito Harutori saw her throat bobbing slightly, and the sunlight, gradually obscured by dark clouds, was slowly slipping away from her soft thighs beneath her skirt.

“But we’ve been improving every year, we’ve never regressed. We’re number one in the Hakodate branch competition every year, aren’t we?”

"Number one every year?"

Nagase Tsukiyo wore a slightly self-deprecating smile as she spoke in a tone that was both questioning and playful.

"Are you talking about the Hakodate branch, which can only muster three A's to form a school? There are only two enemies. Don't you feel ashamed to say that?"

"That's not what I meant," Saito Harutori quickly tried to explain. "It's just that we haven't backed down, have we?"

"Isn't the idea that 'no progress equals no regression' even more disgusting?"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent. Even Kanzaki Eri, who had been nibbling on her dessert, stopped swinging her legs under the table.

Yuka Isomoto immediately sensed something was wrong. She realized that the moon was like a balloon filled with hydrogen, and that if a single drop of orange juice were splashed on it, it would explode completely.

"...Let's not talk about that now, are we having a pretty good time?" she said with a careful smile.

"That was an act, and Yuuka, you were too—"

"Eh?"

"Every time after school, it's either a dessert shop or a dance machine. I've only ever seen you playing the trombone in the brass band. What do you do the rest of the time? You have no ambition at all. The fact that you made it to the audition is only because that Kitahara teacher's level is not up to par."

“I…” Yuka Isomoto’s pupils contracted as she was told this, her fingernails digging incessantly into the knife and fork in her hand.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Saito Harutori's palms began to sweat, and she quickly said:

"Tsukiyo, Yuuka has always worked very hard! And what does this have to do with Kitahara-sensei! This just proves that others are not as good as Yuuka!"

"What effort? Last year, I was also dragging everyone down."

Nagase Tsukiyo glanced to the side, tilted her head slightly, and looked down at Isomoto Yuka, saying...

"Yu Xiang, you're really good at pretending. You felt guilty for three days after the competition, and then acted like nothing happened. You're so cunning."

"What... Moonlit Night, how could you say such a thing...?"

Saito Haruka covered her mouth in disbelief. She never expected that the words "pretentious" would come out of Tsukiyo's mouth. It was the complete opposite of her usual gentle self.

"You too, Haruno, you don't care much about grades, but you're very interested in pleasing people," Nagase Tsukiyo said mercilessly.

"Moonlight, you...we've been friends for years! How can you say something like that? Don't we mean anything to you?!"

“They say it’s precious, but they don’t really cherish it at all—” Nagase Tsukiyo sighed and said, “That’s it.”

Tsukiyo's words hit the nail on the head, leaving Saito Harutori stunned. She licked her already dry lips, her voice trembling slightly as she asked, her tone sounding quite pathetic:

"What do you mean... just like that?"

Nagase Tsukiyo stared at the half-eaten Black Forest cake, swallowed hard, then looked away, her voice low and menacing:

"I'm leaving the department. Instead of wasting time on meaningless things, I'd rather study hard and get into a good university. You should all make your decisions as soon as possible."

“Wait a minute, we finally got a mentor this year, don’t you want to try again?” Saito Harutori retorted.

"Guidance advisor?"

As if she had heard the biggest joke in the world, Nagase Tsukiyo's lips curled into a disdainful sneer as she tilted her head and said:

"Are you talking about that recent college graduate from Sapporo University? He probably doesn't know as much music or sheet music as I do. I've asked him most questions before, and he usually doesn't know the answer."

This isn't a mentor or advisor; this is someone who thinks they're a great student but is completely clueless in the workplace, knowing nothing. The school was just there to appease us.

Chapter 3.3. Between winning favor and achieving good grades

"Um... sorry, I'm also from Sapporo University."

As the woman continued to vent her frustrations under the moonlight, a short, chestnut-haired woman passing by, carrying a plate, said in a rather embarrassed tone,

"I hope you can be more considerate in your words."

Unexpectedly, there were people from Sapporo University present. Nagase Tsukiyo's face suddenly turned red, and she quickly stood up and bowed respectfully.

She was neither the kind to be bold and expansive, nor to bow and nod rudely, but rather to use a fixed and graceful manner of etiquette.

This gesture made the woman with chestnut-colored wavy hair raise her eyebrows in curiosity.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to discriminate against Sapporo University, please don't take it to heart."

"It's alright, it's alright. After all, we're really just a third-rate university, so it's normal to be looked down upon. If you were to say that Sapporo University is amazing now, I would feel insulted," the woman said with a wry smile.

"I'm so sorry, please forgive my poor eloquence."

Nagase Tsukiyo's fingers nervously kneaded the hem of her skirt, her face flushed.

"Alright, but I still hope that you students can show some respect for your teachers." She smiled and walked past the girl.

Through her black hair, one could vaguely see that the girl's earlobes were bright red. She gritted her teeth, picked up her schoolbag from the chair, and quickly walked out.

"Farewell."

"Moonlit Night!"

Saito Haruka subconsciously got up, wanting to chase after her, but she didn't know what to say if she caught up, so she could only watch her leave.

Kanzaki Eri, who had remained silent throughout, slumped to her feet, only to have her wrists grasped by Saito Haruka.

"Eri, where are you going?"

"I'm full, it's time to go."

"Eri, what about you? Are you also leaving the club?" Her expression was very sincere.

Eri Kanzaki tilted her head slightly, revealing her fair neck, her hand stroking her chin, her mouth brimming with a silly aura:

"Hmm... Either way is fine. I can quit the club or not, but if I quit, I'll have nothing to do. I think I'd better not quit and just stay where I am."

She was as quiet as ever, rarely showing her emotions through her expressions, and always had an indifferent look on her face.

Saito Haruki was at a loss for words.

"I'm going home." Dejected, Yuka Isomoto picked up her schoolbag, leaving a table full of untouched desserts and cakes.

"Yu Xiang, don't take it to heart. Yue Ye only said it in anger. She'll definitely realize she was wrong tomorrow."

"Well, Qingniao, you should go home early too."

The gathering, which was originally for four people, was reduced to just Saito Haruka. She stared blankly at the three or four plates of desserts on the table that hadn't been eaten yet for a long time, feeling increasingly regretful.

"I'll pack it up and take it home..."

◇

"ha--!"

Kitahara Hakuba, who had just come out of Saizeriya's shop, couldn't help but sneeze. He shrank his neck and put his hands in his pockets.

Sunlight filtering through the gaps in the clouds and through the foliage swaying in the spring breeze cast dappled patterns on his face.

"Kitahara——"

Just then, a voice reached his ears.

He turned around and saw a familiar figure.

The woman in the white cotton dress was tall and beautiful, with dark brown eyes like crushed maple leaves.

The woman walking towards us with small steps has well-defined facial features, chestnut-colored wavy hair, and a curvaceous figure, all of which exude the charm of an adult woman.

"...Shinomiya?"

"Oh, you still remember me, I'm so happy~~" She smiled and made a peace sign.

Haruka Shinomiya was his classmate in college. Because they were in the same major, they would chat occasionally.

I never expected that she would be in Hakodate, and she even had a new hairstyle. Compared to her university days, she now looks more mature and charming.

What are you doing in Hakodate?

A warm feeling suddenly welled up in Kitahara Hakuba's heart. He finally understood what it felt like to meet someone from his hometown in a foreign land.

"Oh, of course I had no choice but to come here." She walked up to him, and a scent of violets wafted towards him.

"You're insulting me?"

Shinomiya Haruka looked up at him with sparkling eyes and comforted him in a big sister's tone:

"No, you're amazing. You're capable of finding a job on your own, and you even dared to make the decision to travel this far."

Kitahara Hakuba glanced at her.