Chapter 112 Cultural Festival (1)
The second day of the Kanto Tournament, August 26th.
Although I want to make use of the last time of summer vacation to continue practicing hard, as a high school club, it is impossible to focus all my time on the competition.
"Does anyone have any good suggestions?" Misaki Komatsu, the head of the wind band, stood on the podium in the music classroom.
"Wouldn't it be better to just play the competition piece?"
"That's right, this way we don't have to waste training time."
"Now I just want to train, train, train!"
"I understand everyone's feelings, but the competition repertoire alone is not enough." Komatsu Misaki said with difficulty, "This year the school has allocated 30 minutes for the wind ensemble, and the competition repertoire is only 12 minutes. In order to cope with the extra time, we must practice new songs. Kiyono-san also agreed with this."
Everyone looked towards the edge of the classroom, where the seats were allocated for guests. A beautiful girl named Kiyono Rin, who had nothing special except her beauty and intelligence, was sitting there quietly.
The autumn wind blew the white curtains, and the girl's black hair swayed, outlining a scene that could only appear in a youth movie.
Facing everyone's gaze, Qingye Rin nodded.
Her nod was much more convincing than Komatsu Misaki's, and everyone immediately stopped objecting.
"Then what song should we choose?" asked Tamamo Yomi, who was playing the trombone.
"It's better to choose something simpler to save practice time."
"It's not too easy, is it? We are the first team in the history of Kamikawa High School to win the gold medal in the Kanto Competition, and we are the team representing Kanto in the national competition!"
"...Are you too proud of yourself?"
"It doesn't matter if it's simple. Most people who come to listen to our performances don't know how to play wind instruments. Choosing popular songs may actually be more popular."
"That's right. We can play the competition pieces anyway, and people who really understand them won't question our level."
"So which songs are popular right now and have suitable scores?"
"I'm not sure. During this period, I was either training or on the way to cram school. I have been out of touch with society."
Everyone was in a similar situation. Just as we were about to ask Google for help, Watanabe Toru said, "How about anime songs? For example, the theme song and interlude of Demon Slayer, and the ending song of Sword Art Online. These two anime are very famous and many people have heard them. The instrumental versions should be available online."
"I know Sword Art Online, but what is Demon Slayer?"
"The latest new animation is said to be super popular." Toru Watanabe also heard this from Kunii Osamu and Saito Keisuke.
He has been busy with his performance of "Transcendence Level Oboe" recently and hasn't watched any animation.
"It's super hot!" A boy from the percussion club stood up excitedly, bent over, and used his drum sticks to make a sword-drawing gesture, "Focus on it and reach the pinnacle!"
No one paid any attention to him.
Even Toru Watanabe didn't know what he was doing.
After a brief silence, Komatsu Misaki spoke up to help the boy ease the embarrassment.
"Then we have decided to select songs from popular animations. We don't have extra time to spend on song selection. The leaders of each section and the third graders will come to the euphonium section classroom to hold a meeting and determine the specific songs. The rest of the students will practice on their own."
"yes!"
The scene above shows the wind orchestra preparing for the September cultural festival.
After the morning training, in the classroom of the Human Activities Department, Toru Watanabe asked Rin Kiyono, who was reading a book after lunch, "What should we do?"
Kamikawa school rules stipulate that in addition to classes, each regular club must also come up with its own activities at the cultural festival.
“Questionnaire.”
“Questionnaire?”
"Yes. A questionnaire about your views on lying."
"What's fun about that kind of thing? It's boring." Watanabe Toru said dissatisfiedly.
He was full of anticipation for exotic events such as cultural festivals, summer festivals, and fireworks displays.
I finally got out of the village, and thought I could live a campus life like in the second dimension, but I found a girlfriend in the first semester - although she is very beautiful and rich, now I have to face a boring questionnaire at my first cultural festival.
It’s not as fun as the flea market I went to in my lifetime.
"Then what do you want to do?" Qingye Rin turned the page of the book without even raising her head.
"How about forming a makeshift band? You sing, I play guitar, and we can get Meiji to sing the theme songs of Slam Dunk and Dragon Ball."
"I don't really like being on the stage, and the wind band thing is something I have to do."
"You don't have the final say on this matter." Watanabe Toru slammed the table, "I declare: this school festival, our SOS Brigade must do something interesting!"
"SOS Brigade?"
"Oh, wrong, it's the Human Observation Department. The Human Observation Department has to do more interesting things!"
"reason?"
"With our grades, the first year of high school only comes once in a lifetime, which means that the school festival in the first year of high school also only comes once. Shouldn't a once-in-a-lifetime event be made as memorable as possible?"
"Every meal you eat only happens once in your life. Do you eat what you want at every meal?"
"There is a difference between the two! Although each meal does only happen once in a lifetime, eating is something that happens many times, so you can definitely look forward to the next time," said Toru Watanabe.
"What's the difference? There's only one cultural festival for the first year of high school, but there are cultural festivals every year for the second and third years of high school, and in college."
"This..." Watanabe Toru couldn't argue with her, "No matter what, I don't agree to hold any questionnaire."
Qing Ye Lin sighed as if : "You can give suggestions. If there are activities that I think are good, I have no problem changing them."
"Band, band, didn't I just say that? As long as we do this, I swear to Yotsuya Station, no, to the entire Shinjuku City, that our club will definitely not take first place in the 'Best Cultural Festival Event' vote!"
Qingye Rin closed the hardcover book with a "snap" and rolled her eyes at him: "Didn't I just say that? I don't like being on the stage."
"Then... Miss Kamikawa's beauty pageant? I can swear to the whole of Tokyo that if I'm not welcomed, I will immediately send down a torrential rain that will flood the entire city and turn the entire Kanto Plain into..."
"Next." Qingye Rin interrupted him emotionlessly.
"A stage play? Romeo and Juliet? I'll be the director, screenwriter, and miscellaneous staff, and you and Meiji will be the male and female protagonists. This is incredible! I guarantee with my hometown of Iwate Prefecture: no one will dislike two beautiful girls being affectionate with each other!"
Qing Ye Lin did not object immediately. Instead, she put her hand on her chin, chuckled and said, "If you can convince Kujo Miki, I have no objection."
"… Let's just keep this as a record."
"Anything else?" Qingye Rin lost interest and looked at the hardcover book in his hand.
Watanabe Toru used his brain and ruled out things like maid cafes and haunted houses.
"At this point, we can only rely on the help of the captain!" Watanabe Toru gritted his teeth and said, "Let's make a movie!"
"Movies? Can you convince Kujo Miki?"
"It's okay if she doesn't act. The wind band has a total of 86 auxiliary members, plus Kunii Osamu and Saito Keisuke, so we have more than enough people! Although we don't have the power of the leader, we can definitely make a movie that surpasses "The Adventure of Asahina Mikuru"! Maybe it can be shown in a theater in Shinjuku and make a lot of money!"
"'The Adventure of Mikuru Asahina'? A movie made by a high school student? Is it good?" asked Rin Kiyono in confusion.
"It's not a question of whether it's good or not. It, it, it really is one of those rare movies that can encompass the secrets of the world." Toru Watanabe did not lie, but he did not tell the truth either.
"Can it be this deep?" Qingye Rin fell into deep thought.
"That's right. Although it wasn't shown in theaters, it's very popular among young people. If you think about it this way, isn't it worth transcending?"
"We also have to take care of the national competition, so I'm afraid we don't have that much time to make a movie."
"What's the big deal? The members of the wind band have to participate in their own class activities anyway. We won't be able to play together before the cultural festival is over, and you and I don't have to train. As for the main actors and extras, why don't we just find someone who is willing to help to guest star?"
Qingye Rin thought about it and nodded in agreement.
“That’s great!”
That's right, this is how a youth romantic comedy should be!
To hell with that old-fashioned activity called questionnaires!
"On one condition."
"Ten is fine."
"Oh, you're so polite? Then ten will do."
"Wait, wait, your answer is weird. I'm just being polite!"
Qing Ye Lin smiled beautifully and let go of Watanabe Toru: "My condition is that I will be the director and screenwriter."
"You don't want to be the heroine?"
"Not interested." Qingye Rin took out a brand new notebook from the drawer, "Since we have decided to make a movie, the first thing we need to do is..."
"Confirm the script, actors, and borrow equipment?"
"No. Read "The Adventure of Asahina Mikuru" first."
"Kiyono." Watanabe Toru took a deep breath.
"what?"
"I like to talk nonsense, say some weird things, and make jokes on you. But there is one thing I hope you can remember: no matter what I say, deep down in my heart, I am your friend forever."
"Why are you suddenly saying something so chilling?" Kiyono Rin tightly grasped the hem of her pleated skirt, where a pair of snow-white, slender legs poked out.
"Nothing. I thought about it and it seems that making a movie is not very reliable. One month is not enough time to make a satisfactory movie."
"Of course there's not enough time for a normal movie. Twenty or thirty minutes is no problem at all. There's more time for "The Adventure of Asahina Mikuru"..." Kiyono Rin suddenly reacted.
She let go of her skirt and shot a cold gaze at Watanabe Toru: "What's the story behind this movie?"
"Qiono, Qingye-san, Qingye-san, I apologize for all my mistakes, but please continue filming the movie! I'm betting my life on this event!"
"Watanabe-san's life is really worthless," said Miss Kiyono with a sneer.
"I was wrong." Watanabe Toru was already quite skilled at this, and his tone was particularly insincere.
"It's decided. The name of the movie will be "The Adventures of Toru Watanabe"."
"I don't have any super powers at the moment! And it's okay to plagiarize, but at least make some revisions !" Toru Watanabe said quickly.
Ignoring the wailing Watanabe Toru, Qing Ye Lin said thoughtfully: "As for the content of the script... a certain existence from another world, for some reason, reincarnated into this world and became a boy named Watanabe Toru."
"…Ms. Kiyono."
"What? Not bad, right?"
"Can you please not have abilities more perverted than mine? It would really shock me."
"I've only given you the beginning. I haven't thought about the real development yet. You can wait until the movie comes out before you pay homage to me."
"No, I am now a member of the Kiyono Cult. Please give me the power to change the world instead of spending all day on campus trying to figure out how to get girls."
"Then let you become that weird card face. Set the location in Shinjuku? No, since it involves super powers, it is better to have more places. But this will make funding a problem, it seems necessary to seek sponsorship."
Kiyono Rin raised her head and looked at Watanabe Toru, who was praying to her with his hands clasped together while eating fruit from the refrigerator.
"What are you doing? Never mind. Congratulations, Watanabe-san. Your good looks can finally be put to use."
In the afternoon, Misaki Komatsu distributed the music scores to be performed at the school festival.
They are "Gurenge", the opening song of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba", "Unlasting", the ending song of "Sword Art Online", and "Gurenge no Yuu" the opening song of "Attack on Titan".
Two competition songs, plus these three popular anime songs, plus introductions and breaks, thirty minutes is just right.
For Toru Watanabe, an afternoon was enough time to practice his part well, and he focused his main energy on the film that Kiyono Rin was about to start shooting.
After all, it was his suggestion, and even though the script was not what he hoped for, "A Few Things Between Kiyono Rin and Kujo Miki," it had to be taken seriously.
Before the end of the academy festival, the wind band will finish training at 5pm. Whether you want to stay and continue practicing depends on whether you are willing.
Rin Kiyono and Toru Watanabe left on time at five o'clock and began to prepare for the school festival activities of the Human Observation Department.
They came to the embankment where Toru Watanabe often practiced the oboe.
It was summer, and the surrounding area was overgrown with weeds, and unknown wild flowers with vigorous vitality were blooming everywhere. On the river bank, the reeds that were almost as tall as Kiyono Rin seemed to sway and dance comfortably in the evening breeze.
The two sat on an old bench.
"What place did you choose?" Qingye Rin said somewhat dissatisfiedly.
"Isn't it nice here? It's quiet and has a great view."
“There are mosquitoes.”
"It doesn't matter." Watanabe said nonchalantly, "They all know me and won't suck my blood anymore."
"I'm talking about me."
"That's a problem. Kiyono-san's blood looks delicious." Watanabe Toru nodded in agreement.
"How do you know?"
"Your legs make me want to bite them. Don't you have the same urge when you take a shower or look in the mirror?"
"No, I don't have such impulse at all." Kiyono Rin stared at Watanabe Toru who was looking at her legs with a cold gaze.
"You must be kidding, right? As expected, you are a strange person, Qingye-san. You are different from ordinary people."
"Toru Watanabe, I want you to be treated well in the script." Kiyono Rin said word by word.
"...Can I refuse to act? Usually the real protagonists are doing odd jobs on the side."
"What do you think?"
"Can!"
Qingye Rin sneered: "I will let you perform your favorite transformation move at the intersection in front of Shinjuku Station and Shibuya 109 Building."
Shinjuku Station, the station with the most people in the island country;
Shibuya Crossing, the busiest intersection in the world.
"There's a cafe nearby that overlooks Shinjuku. It's very quiet. How about we go there? It's my treat."
