Chapter 150 National Competition (Final)

The corridor leading to the grand concert hall was filled with solemn silence.

Pushing open the soundproof door, everyone from Kamikawa High School came to the back of the stage.

The stage was filled with dazzling lights, in stark contrast to the pitch-black backstage. From behind the curtain, one could see the school where the performance was taking place and part of the audience seats.

Kujo Miki sat in the VIP area, her head resting on her hands, her expression nonchalant. With tickets hard to come by, there was a large area of empty space around her.

"Senior Komatsu is still the same as always. Her speech before the last Kanto Tournament was the same, saying that we must not lose to other schools." Toru Watanabe turned around and looked at Kiyono Rin who was standing next to him.

Qing Ye Lin said softly: "It's not just her. From my observation, most of Kamikawa's students are like this. They are used to the concept of 'either don't do it, or if you do it, you must be excellent'."

"Yeah, that makes sense. You're that kind of person, too."

"Describe me as excellent?" Qingye Rin looked at him dissatisfiedly.

"Perfect, you are perfect."

Kiyono Rin turned around and said, "That's good enough," and continued watching the performance on the stage.

Toru Watanabe stared at her profile. She had tied her hair into a bun for the competition.

"What are you looking at?" Noticing his gaze, Qingye Rin frowned.

"Pretty girls look cute no matter what hairstyle they wear."

"…It's just my appearance, what's there to say?" Qing Ye Lin turned her head away, "Please pay attention to my grades, sports, art, etiquette, and my impeccable spirituality."

"Impeccable on the spiritual level, huh—"

"Do you have any questions, Toru Watanabe-san?"

"No, I just think you're really cute."

"Are you looking down on me?" Qingye Rin crossed his arms and looked at Watanabe Toru with a sneer.

"No, how could I look down on you?"

"Lies." Qing Ye Lin's face turned completely cold. "I underestimated you, Watanabe Toru. I didn't expect you to be so ignorant."

"It's also cute to wear a men's suit."

"I'm telling you..."

"Even when she's angry, she's still cute."

Qing Ye Lin took a deep breath and said sternly: "I'll tell you again, Watanabe-san, superficial things like appearance are not worth mentioning."

"The sound of inhaling is cute, the lips when speaking are cute, the angry eyes are cute, the movement of hugging arms is cute, the quick blinking when shy is cute..."

"Superficial." Qing Ye Lin loosened her arms, pursed her lips, and widened her eyes. "If I am not satisfied with your solo later, you will be in trouble when we return to Tokyo!"

She snorted coldly and turned away completely, not even showing her side profile to Watanabe Toru.

But unfortunately today, she had tied her long hair, which was as black as lead, straight and soft, into a bun, so her delicate white ears were exposed.

Toru Watanabe looked at the crystal red ears, listened carefully to Kiyono Rin's breathing in the darkness, and an inexplicable emotion surged in his heart.

However, he turned his gaze towards the audience, and the oboe in his hand emitted a black luster.

No matter how cute Kiyono Rin is, his music is played for Kujo Miki.

【You have a new email】

【Oboe: Master→Transcendence】

"…R-san, you must be a god, right?"

"Shut up."

…

I pushed open the heavy door leading to the stage, and the sound of high school music immediately flooded into my ears.

Unlike the Kyoto Competition and the Kansai Competition, once it comes to the national competition, no school is weak and they are all well-known strong wind instrument schools.

"But don't be afraid. Kitauji is one of the 29 teams that will compete, and it is a strong school for wind instruments!" Kumiko swallowed her saliva while holding the Uehara trumpet.

People from Kitauji filed into the backstage. There was already a school ready to go on stage, Kamikawa High School, representing Kanto.

A private school with a deviation value in the top ten percent nationally.

A few students have extremely smart minds, some are frighteningly hardworking, and the rest are all smart and hardworking.

In Ye Yue's words, the last type of people are so disgusting that they don't give ordinary people any chance at all.

They were dressed in neat black uniforms, their faces calm and solemn, like a well-trained army.

Kumiko found a corner, feeling difficulty breathing and her heart beating rapidly.

She closed her eyes, and there was bottomless darkness.

"Don't be too nervous." A steady voice mixed in with the sound of footsteps, reminding her in a low voice.

Kumiko opened her eyes and nodded silently to Toru Watanabe who was walking over.

"Are you confident?" asked Toru Watanabe.

“Is there…” Kumiko herself didn’t know.

"You must be fine."

Kumiko looked at him in surprise: "Why do you say that?"

"Now, here, at the Nagoya International Conference Center, there are many talented people. Including Kitauji, there are many people with excellent playing skills, such as the oboe player, and another euphonium player, and your good friend Reina, is even more beautiful and talented."

"What kind of reason is that?" Kumiko sighed speechlessly.

"But I don't care about those guys I just mentioned. In the whole Kitauji, only you, Kumiko, are qualified to be my friend. This is why you must be fine."

"Why?" Kumiko asked softly.

It was strange, was it because of the upcoming competition? Even though Watanabe Toru was saying bad things about her respected seniors and Reina, she was not angry at all.

Or maybe, is it because Toru Watanabe sees himself as a friend?

He went to Tokyo to study alone, did hard labor, has a girlfriend who makes the organizers afraid to vent their anger, can easily get the first place in the country, has impeccable looks, and is definitely the epitome of standing above everyone else. For such a person, treat her as a friend.

Even Reina, whom she regarded as a treasure and whose eyes sparkled, was not taken seriously by him, but she could.

"You and I," Watanabe Toru pointed at her and then at himself, "are the same kind of people."

"How did you know that?" Kumiko hoped he would say more.

In her previous life, she had always been called a good child and gentle, but she had never received this level of recognition before, and she felt a fulfilling sense of pride in her heart.

"This kind of thing is like it's engraved on your forehead. You can understand it at a glance."

Kumiko glanced at Watanabe Toru's forehead. This man had no blind spots and was very handsome, but there was no engraving on him.

She looked confused.

"How can I explain this to you..." Watanabe Toru thought about it in annoyance, with a slight wrinkle on his brow, "For example, if I am the "Tokyo handsome guy", then you, Kumiko Koumae, are the "Kitauji's perfect heroine."

"No," Kumiko was stunned, "The range is too different, isn't it? After all, she is the "perfect heroine of Kyoto"! "

Watanabe Toru did not comment on Kumiko's complaint, but chuckled and said, "How is it, are you still nervous?"

"...So you were just comforting me. What you said just now was all false?" Kumiko said dissatisfiedly.

She felt it carefully and found that her originally tense body had relaxed unconsciously.

"How is that possible? Just ask everyone in Shinjuku, who doesn't know that my greatest virtue is honesty."

“Who would believe you!”

"Well, the "Tokyo Handsome Guy" part is absolutely true, I'm not lying to you."

Kumiko was about to say something when there was a sudden burst of warm applause from the audience in front of the curtain - the previous high school's performance had ended, and it was Kamikawa's turn.

Kumiko, who had just relaxed, suddenly became nervous again.

She looked at Watanabe Toru worriedly, but what she saw was a face that was not moved at all.

In all the competitions she had participated in so far, Kumiko had never seen such a confident expression on anyone.

Watanabe Toru raised his fist toward her.

Kumiko stared at the fist for a while, then as if suddenly remembering something , she gently bumped it with her much smaller fist.

"I went."

“Yeah, come on!”

"Enjoy my performance, Kumiko. There has never been a performance like this before, and there will never be a performance like this in the future."

Toru Watanabe took his oboe and music score and walked away, together with the people from Kamikawa High School, they stepped onto the stage that belonged to them.

Kumiko, left alone, closed her eyes again.

In the bottomless darkness, particles of light float beneath the thin eyelids.

"No problem. I can do anything now."

"Kumiko." Rina came over, "Let's get closer. I want to see what that guy is capable of."

Kumiko opened her eyes and responded softly, "Yeah."

The two walked up to the curtain.

The place is already full of people, including those like Luhui who enjoy listening to the performance, and students who are obsessed with handsome guys or perverts looking at beautiful girls.

Looking at the stage exposed to strong light, Kumiko's heart began to beat hard again, but it was no longer because of nervousness. Instead, she was full of anticipation for the future and was eager to perform on stage.

Now, I can play even the most difficult transitional syllables perfectly!

"Next, number nine, the Kanto representative, a student from the wind orchestra of Tokyo Metropolitan Kamikawa High School, will perform for everyone."

Each section of Kamikawa High School sat in the designated seats, and the music scores that had already been filled with notes were placed on the black music stands.

"The designated song is the fourth piece, and the free song is "Prosperous Four Seasons" composed by Kawa Hideaki, and conducted by Kiyono Rin."

As the announcement ended, the auditorium suddenly fell into darkness, with only the spotlight on the stage still on, the snow-white light shining on the black uniforms of Kamikawa High School.

At the command post, the commander, who was the same age as them, looked at everyone's face one by one.

She raised the baton with her slender fingers, and the rest of the people in Shenchuan raised their instruments in unison like soldiers seeing a commander's flag.

Kumiko couldn't help but grab the hem of her skirt.

Then, the baton swings downward.

In an instant, uniform notes gushed out from the mouthpieces of the instruments without a trace of impurities.

The trumpet is powerful, the percussion is running forward, the brass plectrum is clanging, the bass drum is roaring loudly, the snare drum is like thunder, and the sound is continuous...

The sounds constantly collide with each other, and the main melody is complex and shocking.

Suddenly, the beautiful melody of the flute blew by like the night breeze, and the fierce performance was slowly subdued. Then, the euphonium came with a lingering tone like a love song.

The notes overlap and connect seamlessly.

Although the role of the euphonium is more of a foil, adding to the quality of the flute like a slow cooker, the tone is so beautiful, so transparent, and so warm.

That was the most beautiful euphonium sound Kumiko had ever heard.

She, who also played the euphonium, couldn't help but look over. There were two euphonium players in Kamikawa, but at this time there was only a girl with an indifferent expression playing.

She wasn't looking at the music score, nor at the conductor. Following her gaze, she saw Kamikawa's oboe player.

It's Watanabe. Just as I thought this, the field suddenly became quiet.

Kumiko quickly looked at the conductor, and Qingye Rin put down her hands and nodded slightly to the oboe.

"The timing of the solo is left to the performer himself!" Lina couldn't help but whisper in surprise.

Kumiko was surprised.

Reina is Kitauji's trumpet soloist, but she is strong enough to be a soloist in her first year, and the timing of her start also depends on the conductor's arrangement.

The soloist cooperates with everyone, rather than everyone cooperating with her.

The silence continued, filling the concert hall.

Gradually, the atmosphere began to become anxious, and a few audience members even began to whisper.

But when Watanabe Toru held the reed in his mouth and exhaled into the oboe, the only thing left in the world was a sad and melodious melody.

The notes seemed to extend to the ends of the earth, driving away all uneasiness and anxiety and filling every inch of the concert hall.

Everyone's heart was beating violently, vibrating their eardrums.

As always, that sound intoxicated Kumiko, shook her soul, and resonated greatly with people.

In a trance, a bluebird hatched from the oboe.

She grew slowly, stretching her wings lazily, adjusting to her body, and then, spreading her wings, chirping and flying.

In response to her call, all the clarinets sounded together, with the golden clarinets gathering at the back, following the bluebird like a flock of birds.

but.

Just as everyone was mesmerized by the ensemble and swallowed up by the torrent of sound, the bluebird suddenly let out an arrogant cry.

The cry broke through the air, disrupting the coordination of the ensemble and forcibly piercing their eardrums regardless of whether everyone wanted it or not.

The audience, the judges, Kitauji in the backstage, and everyone watching the live broadcast on TV were all stunned at the scene on the stage:

The clarinet and the golden flute were all abandoned by the bluebird. She danced alone, flying higher and higher, and the light began to shine and the colors gradually became colorful.

As she hovered in the concert hall and everyone bathed in her radiance, everything, everything, was convinced.

Kumiko felt like her brain was about to melt.

…

"Please ask representatives from each school to line up on the stage."

Before I could react, the award ceremony had already begun. The sound of the oboe is still lingering on everyone’s eardrum.

A whole row of golden trophies, shining brightly under the stage lights, further aroused everyone's desire.

"Number one, representative from Hokuriku, Yiyan Commercial High School, bronze medal."

A disappointed sigh came from somewhere in the corner, but no one cared about them.

"Number 4, Kanto representative, Tokyo Metropolitan Komazawa High School, gold medal!"

"Ah——" Mixed in with the boy's roar was the girl's sharp voice and cry of joy.

The schools that were still waiting for the results looked livid. Gold awards only accounted for 30%, and with one more school, their chances would be even smaller.

"Number 5, Kyushu representative, Qingliang Girls' High School, gold medal!"

Two gold medals in a row.

The girls at Qingliang Girls' High School were running and jumping, their legs were exposed under their skirts, and they were hugging each other. This was a scene that usually attracted people's attention, but now no one cared.

"Number 6, Kanto representative, Tokyo Metropolitan Katakura High School, gold medal!"

There was thunderous applause.

The sound waves hit the heads of all the remaining school students hard.

Three golds in a row.

Even though they knew that this was beyond human control and that the next one would not be a silver or bronze just because the gold medals were close together, No. 7 already had despair on his face, and some female members could not help sobbing.

The faces of everyone at Shenchuan High School also looked unhappy.

Representative from Kanto, two schools have already won gold medals. Will the last school also be awarded a gold medal?

Will there be judges who cannot stand Kanto’s dominance, or think that since Kamikawa is entering the national competition for the first time, just giving him a silver medal is enough?

"Number 7, representative of Shikoku, Shikoku University Affiliated High School, bronze medal."

The people at Shikoku University Affiliated High School covered their faces dejectedly, and some boys gritted their teeth as if they hated their own uselessness.

On the stage, Misaki Komatsu's hands were cold, the beating of her heart spread through her bones throughout her body, and her feet began to feel numb.

Behind her, Asu Mai pressed her lips into a straight line.

"Number 8, representative from Tohoku, Iwate Prefectural Hinode High School, Silver Medal."

Her breathing became heavier and heavier, and Komatsu Misaki watched woodenly as the representative of Hinodezawa High School accepted the trophy and certificate with satisfaction.

If Kamikawa only got the silver medal, she would never forgive herself.

Kamikawa, our school is a place where graduates who didn’t get into Imperial University feel embarrassed to attend the reunion. We will never allow ourselves to lose to other schools after giving our all!

"Number nine, Kanto representative, Tokyo Metropolitan Kamikawa High School..."

Everyone in Shenchuan couldn't help but hold their breath.

The girl clasped her hands together and closed her eyes to pray, while the boy didn't blink, clenched his fists, and stared at the emcee who announced the result.

In the silent meeting room, the emcee's stern voice rang out:

“Gold Prize!”

"ah--"

"Gold medal! Gold medal! Gold medal!"

“Senior——!!!” The junior girl suddenly threw herself into the arms of the senior girl in the same singing department.

"Don't cry, we won the gold medal! Don't cry...ah!" While comforting her, the senior student couldn't help but burst into tears loudly.

The moment she heard the result, Komatsu Misaki felt like she was going to collapse.

The sound faded away, the scenery was still, and that short second was stretched hundreds of times longer. Off the stage, the screams from everyone hugging each other seemed so distant that it seemed like something out of a dream.

That’s great, it’s really great.

"Misaki." Asuka Mai called softly.

"Yeah." Komatsu Misaki tried hard to hold back her tears, walked forward with Asuka Mai with her head held high, and received the trophy and certificate.

The host's steady voice continued to come through the microphone.

"Number 10, Kansai representative, Kyoto Prefectural Kitauji High School, bronze medal."

…

“I always feel like taking photos is not enough!”

"Senior, what on earth do you want to do? This is so troublesome. We just want to have a good meal!"

"You didn't have this attitude when you cried in my arms just now!"

"You're so long-winded! You're almost turning into an old woman!"

"Alright, alright, Ichinose, what else do you want to do?"

"Hmm...ah, I got an idea. Let's shoot a video and sing the school song! Save it in the brass band!"

"Hey - the square is full of people, it's embarrassing to sing the school song!"

"That's right! No, no!"

“1, 2, 3, sing!”