I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 91

I'm just a speck of dust in this game. When I go for job interviews in the future, HR will probably just wave me away like dust. Well, if I really want to eat a big lobster, it'll definitely be a tough nut to crack.

Shinomiya Haruka rested her chin on her hand, gazing at her curiously, and asked:

"What's Isogen's career path? Can you tell us? The third-year students should have filled out the career path survey, right?"

"Yes, all of them are filled out."

Yuka Isomoto raised her finger, scratched her cheek a little embarrassedly, and said, "I should probably go straight into the workforce to gain experience, since my grades are just average... I might as well learn some skills to make more money."

"Have you never thought about continuing down this path of music?"

With a slightly furrowed brow and a serious expression, Shinomiya Haruka, clearly puzzled, said...

"Aren't you working so hard now to plan for the future? Or just to earn money after graduating from high school?"

What can we do?

Haruka Shinomiya's words left Yuka Isomoto completely speechless, unsure how to respond.

It feels slightly astringent on the tip of my tongue.

Yes... If her goal is simply to graduate high school and enter the workforce directly, then what is the purpose of her current efforts?

Waiting for the moon to return?

No, it was clear from that moonlit night that she wouldn't be coming back, and Kitahara-sensei also said to her the cruel words, "The brass band can still function without you."

yes.....

Hiroka Isomoto's slender neck undulated up and down, her brain appearing as if coated with a thin layer of paint.

Her slender fingers squeezed the chopsticks tightly.

What is she after now?

Chapter 98, Section 97: Training, it's so much fun! (4K) Please give me your monthly votes!

Hiroka Isomoto, her gaze fixed on the white rice in her bowl, wore a pained expression, looking extremely apologetic, as if she hadn't even considered the issue herself.

I graduated from high school, my family isn't well-off, and I have no relatives who can help me out...

What can I do next? I guess I can only start in the service industry. Should I start practicing my service industry sales pitch tomorrow?

And right now, I'm not focusing on my studies; I'm only thinking about playing the euphonium well. My goals are all over the place. Although I'm having a good time in the brass band with Saito Harukori, what happened next...?

Her purpose was like a rose petal knocked off a rainstorm, sinking into the soil and never to be found again.

"If we don't win gold at the All-Japan Tournament, we third-year students should retire from the brass band in September. We'll think about it then, and maybe we'll continue to study at a regular university."

As if to cover up her embarrassment, Yuka Isomoto added with a smile,

"Actually, I don't really understand this kind of thing either...hehe..."

"Teacher Kitahara said you're the hardest-working student in the club. Wouldn't it be better to continue down the path of music? Like him, maybe become a music instructor or something," said Haruka Shinomiya dismissively.

Yuka Isomoto first gave Hakuba Kitahara a grateful look, then tilted her head and smiled wryly:

"Teacher Kitahara only said I was the most hardworking, but he didn't say I was the student who improved the most. In other words, others didn't work as hard as me, but they improved more. I really don't have any advantage at all. Is pursuing a career in music really worthwhile...?"

"Oh my, you seem rather silly and cute, but you're surprisingly perceptive." Shinomiya Haruka exclaimed in surprise.

"What are you saying...?"

Kitahara Hakuba smiled and shook the lobster meat off his chopsticks.

"Don't talk about these things while eating, it will ruin your appetite. The dead lobsters would cry if they heard it."

That's the kind of person Shinomiya Haruka is. When she gets serious, she doesn't care about other people's feelings at all, and when she's having fun, she doesn't care about his feelings either. She handles everything herself.

Is she selfish, or just acting on a whim...?

However, she was genuinely offering advice to Yuka Isomoto, though she didn't change her mind.

After dinner, Shinomiya Haruka took the two of them to the soundproof room used for practice.

Since Kitahara Hakuba rented this place, it has been unused. The environment inside is very nice, with warm and cool lighting, and all kinds of facilities are available.

Yuka Isomoto walked in carrying a euphonium; the golden instrument, subtly reflecting the light, shimmered in her arms.

"Wow... is this the soundproof room? I thought the first music classroom was it."

She looked around and finally fixed her gaze on a rectangular mirror on the wall.

Looking at her reflection and that of Kitahara-sensei in the mirror, she couldn't help but raise her hand to adjust her bangs.

“The first music classroom only has sound-absorbing mats on the floor, so the effect is very weak,” Kitahara Hakuba said, arms crossed.

"Then, then I must thank you, Shinomiya-nee." As one of the beneficiaries, Isomoto Yuka quickly bowed to Shinomiya Haruka.

Shinomiya Haruka stood at the door and said with a smile, "No need to thank me, you have to pay."

"How much?" Yuka Isomoto spat out a mouthful of saliva. She only had a little over ten thousand yen in her wallet.

"Of course you won't pay, because your teacher Kitahara has already paid."

Yuka Isomoto mouthed "Wow!"

"Teacher Kitahara, you're rich."

"You don't have any money at all, so practice hard."

Kitahara Hakuba knew that Shinomiya Haruka said this on purpose, wanting Isomoto Yuka to know that every second she spent here was not wasted.

"Yes, sir!" Isomoto stood at attention.

Shinomiya Haruka gripped the doorknob, a smile playing on her lips, and said:

"I'm not here, so don't let a man and a woman alone in a small room do anything unrelated to playing the instrument, okay?"

The hint was so obvious that if Yuka Isomoto still didn't understand, she would seem dull-witted. Blushing, she said:

"No, no way!"

“Little sister Isogen, I’m talking to your teacher Kitahara.”

“No, it won’t.” Kitahara Hakuba sighed.

"Well then, good luck." Shinomiya Haruka gently closed the door.

Hiroka Isomoto sat in a chair, holding a euphonium, her legs pressed together nervously.

It would have been better if Shinomiya hadn't said anything, because her words made Shinomiya even more nervous. She didn't have this strange feeling when she was at Kitahara-sensei's house.

Doing things with your teacher that have nothing to do with playing the wind?

I can't even imagine it.

"Iso Gen-kun? Are you not feeling well?"

Kitahara Hakuba's simple question made Isomoto Yuka tremble all over, and a thin layer of sweat seeped from her palms.

"No, I'm very healthy."

"That's good. Check the instruments and let's tune them first." Kitahara Hakuba picked up the tuner on the table. "Just like at home, remember to use the fourth key to help adjust the pitch."

"Yes."

Pistons are ready; tuning tubes and mouthpieces are ready; there are no air leaks.

Yuka Isomoto took a deep breath, and her lungs slowly expanded.

Then, gently exhale and blow a few long notes to raise the temperature of the euphonium, and tune it to the standard A tone played by the tuner.

After the tuning was finished, Yuka Isomoto breathed a sigh of relief.

"very good."

Kitahara Hakuba turned off the tuner, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. Just one glance was enough to make Isomoto Yuka's face turn bright red.

Everything was normal at Kitahara-sensei's house, so why is it like this here...?

Yuka Isomoto pursed her lips, and the expression reflected in the musical instrument looked utterly pathetic.

What is this? A shy, blushing girl's face? Me?

"Now that you're here, I'll do my best to teach you. Let's start with the lesson piece and practice it ten times from beginning to end."

Kitahara Hakuba flipped through the sheet music, noticing Isomoto Yuka's flushed face, but chose not to point it out.

"......yes!"

Ten times is a headache for the other members, but for Isomoto Yuka, who has been secretly trained by Kitahara Hakuba for several days, playing it ten times in a row is just a regular occurrence.

Not to mention that this time, Kitahara Hakuba completed Kanzaki Eri's mission and cleared away the negative effects of "Gathering Time".

For Yuka Isomoto, playing ten times in a row is equivalent to playing one hundred times in a row in terms of experience points.

In Kitahara Hakuba's mind, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Isomoto Yuka was going to be promoted three ranks today.

The mellow, rich tone of the euphonium filled the room, vibrating the air with a gentle tremor.

Yuka Isomoto's gaze followed the notes on the sheet music, her fingers frantically pressing the piston valve, each note stretching infinitely and elastically throughout the room.

"Stop!"

Before he could even play a few intervals, Kitahara Hakuba interrupted him, frowning as he said:

"No, although you've caught your breath in this legato section, the instability causes the tone to break and sounds terrible. Let's do it again."

"Yes!"

Next came more than three hours of private coaching.

"Stop! Why is there a delay here? This is the last thing that should happen. Let's do it again."

"Yes!"

"Stop. You marked the dynamic changes in this measure, from p to f. The euphonium plays a very important role in harmonic support. You need to adjust the playing volume flexibly at all times."

"yes...

7

"Stop. When playing softly, you need to control your breath flow. Soft doesn't mean weak. Let's try again."

Kitahara Hakuba divided the score into several sections, practicing each section one by one, focusing on overcoming the technical difficulties.

Only when an individual has mastered the skill can they avoid holding others back during ensemble practice.