Chapter 106: Training Camp (1)
After leisurely spending the second day of the Bon Odori holiday, the wind band had a three-day and two-night training camp.
The gathering was scheduled for seven in the morning, which was more than enough time for Toru Watanabe, who started jogging in the streets of Yotsuya residential area at six every day.
In addition to a change of clothes, he also brought a few books to pass the time.
Amid everyone's excitement, the school bus left the city and, after driving on the highway for an hour, arrived at the training ground.
Toru Watanabe twisted his neck and looked up. In the bus with the curtains closed and the air conditioner on, most people were sleeping.
I don’t know if it’s because I played too much during the two-day holiday or because I got up too early in the morning.
When Koizumi Aona opened his mouth to wake everyone up, he got out of the car first.
As soon as he stepped out of the car, Toru Watanabe smelled a rich scent of grass.
This is a resort-like place, the houses are also made of wood and are surrounded by lush green forests.
Koizumi Aina, who woke everyone up, got out of the car first and said to him as he stretched himself: "It feels good, right?"
"Yeah. It feels like I'm back home. The air in Tokyo is so bad." Watanabe Toru took a deep breath.
"Are you already concerned about the quality of the air at your age?" Koizumi Aona said with a smile, "When I first came to Tokyo, I just thought, 'It's so prosperous! I want to stay here forever!'"
"When did the teacher come to Tokyo? Is it also a high school?" asked Kiyono Rin as he got out of the car.
"University. My grades in junior high school were not good, so I could only go to the public high school in the town."
"But I heard from Miyazaki Miyuki that you, Mr. Koizumi, are very good at studying and were admitted to Waseda University's Faculty of Education."
"Miyuki, why do you tell me everything?" Koizumi Aona sighed helplessly, "It was from the first semester of the second year of high school that the teacher started to study seriously, which shocked everyone around him."
After that, she said to the members of the wind band who had already walked down: "The teacher only started working hard in the second year of high school, and was able to enter Waseda University from a high school with an average deviation value of 53. So even if you have a poor foundation and start late, as long as you work hard, you will definitely get the national gold medal! The teacher believes in you!"
“Thank you, teacher!”
“We’ll do our best!”
"I will definitely win the national gold award!"
"Yes!" Koizumi Aona nodded encouragingly, "Then, hurry up and start moving things!"
"yes!"
Everyone first placed their luggage in their respective dormitories, and then unloaded the musical instruments from the truck.
It was not until half past nine that everything finally settled down and everyone gathered in the concert hall.
"Before lunch, practice the assigned songs and optional songs ten times," announced Qingye Rin.
"Ah!" There was a cry of pain from below.
As the accompanying teacher, Koizumi Aona sat in a corner of the concert hall and encouraged: "Everyone, come on! The teacher will be with you too!"
"These ten times must reach a level that I approve of. I know you guys have rested for two days and your skills are a little rusty, but that has nothing to do with me." After saying that, Qing Ye Lin looked at Watanabe Toru, "Let's get started."
Toru Watanabe blew his breath into the reed and blew a long note.
The others quickly picked up their instruments and followed the oboe in tuning.
" March , first movement."
Kiyono Rin raised his baton, and everyone took a breath at the same time. The next moment, the magnificent timbre of the musical instruments resounded throughout the concert hall.
Amid the cries of "Do it again." "That's not right." "Let's just skip eating today." It was not until three o'clock in the afternoon that everyone managed to finish playing the game ten times.
At this time, everyone was overloaded, and even Qingye Rin had a layer of sweat on his forehead.
"Finally, we've returned to the level before the holiday." She raised her white wrist and looked at the dial. "Dinner time is from three to three-thirty, and bath time is also thirty minutes. Evening training is from four to eleven. Dismissed."
Everyone ignored the more strenuous training schedule in the evening and slumped in their seats, but their appetite immediately took control and they stood up and walked towards the cafeteria.
"Seino-san is so strict. This is the first time I see this side of her." Koizumi Aona, who was already hungry, whispered to Watanabe Toru.
"More than that. Mr. Koizumi, if you weren't a teacher, I guarantee you'd be scolded just for sitting there. 'You can't even stand up straight, you're not even a human being', 'Keep your legs together, are you a boy?'"
Aona Koizumi was amused by Toru Watanabe's poor imitation and laughed like a girl.
"What are you talking about?" Qingye Rin walked up to the two of them at some point.
"I'm wondering how much it will cost for this training camp with such great facilities and accommodations."
"Why do I hear someone talking about me?"
"Nothing." Watanabe Toru said without blinking.
Seeing that Qingye Rin was not going to let go of Watanabe Toru, Koizumi Aonai quickly said, "Qingye-san, you were responsible for the entire training this time. How much did it cost in total? The teacher is also curious."
Qingye Rin first glared at Watanabe Toru who was talking nonsense, and then whispered to Koizumi Aona: "The school paid part of the money, and with the fees of the wind orchestra and the human observation department, the cost is just right."
"Eh? Wait." Watanabe Toru was a little concerned about some of the words, "The Human Observation Department also has departmental fees? Where's my share?"
"Your memory is only 1M, no, 1k? I just said, use it."
"Kiyono-san, did you inform the members before using it?"
"Now you know."
"Teacher, I am reporting Qing Ye Lin with my real name, and I strongly demand that the minister be re-elected!"
"Hmm... what should we do?" Koizumi Aona said in embarrassment, "Our school advocates student autonomy in clubs. Watanabe, you can discuss with Seino-san who will be the director."
"Discuss?" Toru Watanabe looked at Kiyono Rin.
"Report using real name?" Qingye Rin sneered, "It seems that I also have to report someone's glorious deeds to Kujo Miki using real name."
"Minister Qingye, I am the deputy minister you promoted! No one will support your leadership more firmly than me! I will continue to hold high your great banner and implement all the development plans you set!"
"Yeah?"
"Of course! I will firmly uphold all decisions made by Minister Qingye, and I will always follow all instructions given by Minister Qingye. All actions will be subject to the command of Minister Qingye!"
Qingye Rin sighed and said, "I finally understand why you can hang out with Kujo."
Koizumi Aina was watching from the sidelines and was very amused. She said with a smile, "Okay, let's go eat quickly too."
The three of them walked towards the restaurant.
"Forget about the department head. When will the department fees be reissued? Oh, I'm not only a member of the Human Observation Department, but also a member of the Wind Band Department. Remember to give me two..."
"Watanabe-san, for a boy, you are really too long-winded."
"Teacher, look at her!"
"Well...you two have a really good relationship."
"No, it's very bad. It's simply a class conflict." Watanabe Toru denied.
Qingye Rin remained silent, looking like she didn't want to speak anymore.
Plates of food are displayed on the restaurant table. Each person can choose three dishes they like, plus a serving of rice and miso soup.
Toru Watanabe ate hamburger steak, fried pork cutlet and salad.
Rin Kiyono and Aona Koizumi declined his set meal and both chose food that was just enough to fill them up but not too caloric.
The rest time passed in a flash, and the evening practice began under the strict guidance of Qingye Rin.
One imperfection after another was pointed out.
The missed intervals, the irregular beats, the volume ratio between instruments, the timing of increasing the volume, the method of blowing out the melody, the method of adjusting the timbre...
Once a problem occurs, dozens of repetitive exercises will be required.
Rin Kiyono doesn't have any special skills to guide the wind band. She relies on: her ears that can always hear Toru Watanabe saying bad things about her, and repeated practice.
Repeating the same measure in an ensemble is dull and boring, but in the process, you can find that the stability of the song is improving.
The members of the wind band were already exhausted, but relying on their anticipation for the national competition and the music that was indeed becoming smoother, they persisted in the monotonous practice without any complaints.
After finishing the evening ensemble, it was already past eleven when we returned to the room.
After a tiring day, the boys who had been planning to play cards, fight monsters online, and chat about girls during their break fell asleep as soon as they touched the quilts.
Toru Watanabe picked up his wallet and walked out of the room.
The amount of exercise during the day was nothing to him, and eleven o'clock was not his bedtime.
The corridor was dim and silent. Following the green light , Toru Watanabe walked towards the vending machine.
I ate Mapo Tofu in the evening, and after practicing all the time, my throat was very thirsty.
The vending machine sitting in the corner was emitting a cheap white light, with a few moths flying around it.
I didn’t want to drink flavored drinks at night, so I bought a bottle of purified water.
While gulping down the water, he walked towards the dark concert hall.
When you turn on the lights in the concert hall, you can see that most of the seats are placed with musical instruments, and large instruments like the euphonium are standing on the ground.
Under the light, the musical instruments reflected a dazzling light.
Toru Watanabe sat down in his seat, put the plastic bottle at his feet, picked up the oboe, tuned it, and started playing.
The melody, like that of a gospel singer in a church, lingered in the empty concert hall.
He didn't like musical instruments and had no interest in the national competition. He just wanted to try to improve his oboe to the "transcendent level" before the national competition was over.
Because, after the competition, he would probably never touch the oboe again in his life.
After playing a piece, Toru Watanabe began to think about how to play better than before.
With such talent, a person can keep moving forward. In the end, the oboe in his hands can produce beautiful sounds that have never been heard before and will never be repeated.
Toru Watanabe picked up the plastic bottle and drank the water while thinking about playing techniques, emotional expression, emotions, etc. in his mind.
Ideas for improvement continue to emerge.
Just as he put down the water bottle, put the reed back into his mouth, and prepared to blow again, footsteps were heard outside the concert hall.
"Is there anyone here at this hour?"
"Tamamo-san, there is no shortage of hardworking people in this world."
Two people pushed the door open.
"Watanabe?"
Compared to Tamamo's surprise, Kiyono Rin didn't show any surprise. She nodded and said, "Good evening."
"Good evening." Toru Watanabe glanced at the two beautiful girls who were dressed coolly.
Kiyono Rin was wearing a long-sleeved hooded top and the school's summer sports shorts;
Tamamo Haomei is dressed much more beautifully, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and hot pants, and she is so hot that even the air is a little warmer.
"What are you doing here so late?" he asked.
"Tamamo-san wants to practice for a while longer, so she asked me for help. I just can't sleep in an unfamiliar environment, so..."
"Wait a minute, don't say it out loud!" Tamamo Haomi interrupted .
"Hmm?" Qingye Rin looked at her puzzledly.
Tamamo Mimi whispered, "Because, after the training, if I continue to practice alone in the middle of the night, won't people call me a hypocrite? That's too embarrassing."
Watanabe Toru: “…”
He is serious.
"...It's actually the truth." Qingye Rin seemed shocked and it took her a while to speak.
She pressed her temple as if she couldn't bear it. "I really don't understand what you are thinking. I wanted to use you as an example tomorrow to encourage everyone to practice hard."
"Ah! No, no! I'll be laughed at!"
The way Tamamo Yoshimi waved her hands repeatedly reminded Watanabe Toru of the time when he was forced to sing when he went out to play with Kunii Osamu and the others.
Not all tone-deaf people can sing with the mentality of killing one thousand enemies and losing eight hundred of their own!
This is true even when all the people around are friends!
"You can use me as an example," said Toru Watanabe.
Qing Ye Lin glanced at him and said, "Even if they want to train, they won't be happy to be alone with you in the concert hall at night."
"That's not necessarily true."
At least Senior Mai won’t dislike him!
Kiyono Rin didn't intend to waste precious time at night, so she ignored Watanabe Toru and said to Tamamo Yoshimi, "Okay, I won't tell anyone, so start practicing quickly."
"It's a deal." Tamamo Yomi walked towards her seat, and when she passed by Watanabe Toru, she gave him a look that said, "If you dare to tell anyone, you're dead."
Watanabe Toru glanced at her breasts, which were probably not wearing any underwear, and nodded sincerely.
Tamamo Haomei hummed with satisfaction.
Watanabe Toru put the reed in his mouth, blew the oboe with his current mood, and glanced at Kiyono Rin out of the corner of his eye.
Well... because it's too small, I can't tell whether she is wearing it or not.
And the clothes are very conservative.
The two girls who were out and about late at night had no idea that the boy was judging them instinctively, and was giving them careful instruction and practice.
"Tamamo-san, your performance is good, but there are still some details that need to be paid attention to in order to express some emotions. For example, here, you have to imagine that you are lost in a dream where there is nothing."
"Uh-huh."
"Here, when you come out of the dream, your melody needs to be happy. It's not enough to just play according to the score... Try practicing."
Tamamo Yomi practiced until eleven-forty and couldn't help yawning.
Qingye Rin asked her to go back and rest early to avoid affecting tomorrow's practice.
"Thank you, Kiyono-san."
"fine."
"Well, good night~"
"Um."
After Tamamo Yoshimi left, Kiyono Rin glanced at Watanabe Toru who was still practicing.
"When are you going to leave?"
"You go ahead. I'll turn off the light."
Qingye Rin nodded, but did not leave. Instead, she came to the trumpet group and picked up a silver-plated trumpet from the seat.
Watanabe Toru glanced at him and said, "Come to think of it, you said you played the trumpet, right?"
"Um."
“How’s your level?”
Qing Ye Lin looked at the trumpet and answered without looking back: "I can get the hang of anything quickly. In addition, I have been practicing since I was a child, so there will be no problem for me to join a professional brass band."
"So powerful? Can it attract pigeons?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Can't you do it? It seems that Baru is still the best."
"Baru?" Qingye Lin frowned slightly, "I've never heard of a trumpet player with this name."
"The protagonist of "Castle in the Sky" used a trumpet to attract pigeons."
Qing Ye Lin looked at Watanabe Toru who looked as if it was a matter of course, and showed a terrifying expression as cold as a polar bear: "If you keep talking nonsense, I will tell everyone that you forced your arms around my waist."
"I'm sorry, I was wrong. It's my attitude that's wrong. I shouldn't joke with you like this."
"Hmph." Qingye Rin turned and walked out of the concert hall.
Toru Watanabe decided to practice the oboe with the goal of attracting pigeons.
Sooner or later, he would play the oboe in the elevated corridor of the school, attract the pigeons from the Suga Shrine, and make Kiyono Rin stunned and realize that he was not talking nonsense.
"Come on, baby."
After speaking to the oboe in his hand, Toru Watanabe continued practicing.
