Chapter 222: Restless Valentine's Day: What do you think of (1)
Neither retreating nor lowering the target is an option, so we have to think of a serious solution.
The Human Observation Department fell into a thoughtful silence.
"Hello, senior." Qingye Rin spoke first.
"Has Kiyono-san come up with a solution?" Hayami Kaoru looked over expectantly.
"I can tell you my experience in managing a wind orchestra. How about you try to follow my example?"
"Hmm..." Hayami Kaoru thought for a moment, "I'm afraid that's not going to work."
"reason?"
"I don't have the musical prowess that you do, Kiyono-san. I'm not even necessarily the best in the second grade, so it's hard for me to get everyone to obey me."
"What about the minister's authority?" Watanabe Toru asked curiously, "Shouldn't it be like the Human Observation Department, where the minister has the most power?"
"Are you dissatisfied with something, Toru Watanabe?"
"No." After dealing with his own minister, Watanabe Toru said to Hayami Kaoru, "That's about it. Did you see it?"
Qingye Rin was even more dissatisfied, but she really had no way to refute what happened just now.
Hayami Xun couldn't help laughing twice, and then said helplessly:
"Before, maybe it was possible, but after Kiyono-san, the brass band has become a place where strength is everything."
"The main reason is that you are not strong enough as the director." Regardless of how hurtful this truth was, Qingye Rin pondered to himself and continued to think of a solution for Hayami Fumio.
"Sorry." Toru Watanabe apologized to Hayami Kaoru on her behalf.
"It doesn't matter. What Kiyono-san said is absolutely right." Hayami Kaoru has seen Kiyono Rin's 'venomous tongue' before. "Besides, even if I am strong enough, my character is too weak. I can't force everyone to obey."
"Being gentle isn't a bad thing," Toru Watanabe comforted.
He thought about it and said, "I have an idea."
Qingye Rin raised his head: "Tell me about it."
"The first thing we can agree on is, if we adopt Kiyono-san's style, can we change the current situation of the wind band?"
"Yeah." Hayami Xun nodded.
"Then why don't we just find someone who can replace Kiyono-san?"
"Watanabe-san," Rin Kiyono crossed her arms and stretched out her beautiful swan neck, "No one can replace me. I am the most special, above all others."
“…”
Using others' praise for her to praise herself?
How can there be such a narcissistic person?
There's no hope.
"I also think that no one can replace Kiyono-san." Hayami Kaoru nodded in agreement.
"Do you want to join the church?" Watanabe Toru couldn't help but ask.
"Join the religion?" Hayami Xun looked at him puzzledly.
"Nothing." Watanabe Toru skipped over this private topic, "Of course no one in this world can replace Kiyono-san. I know this best."
"What does Watanabe-kun mean?"
"We can create an artificial intelligence and input Kiyono-san's will into it..."
Kiyono Rin looked over with a warning look.
"Hmm." Watanabe Toru cleared his throat. "What I mean is that the wind band can set its own rules."
"Company rules?" Hayami Kaoru asked subconsciously.
"It is indeed a feasible solution." Qingye Rin nodded in agreement.
"Hmm?" Hayami Xun looked at her again.
"Hayami-san, you don't have enough strength and your personality is too gentle, so we will formulate strict rules and everything in the wind orchestra must be carried out according to the rules." Kiyono Rin explained.
"So that's how it is!" Hayami Xun clasped his hands together lightly and said excitedly, "I've always been thinking about how to ease the relationship between the first and second years, but I didn't expect to solve the problem fundamentally."
"Before we make the rules, there is one last question left: should we favor first-year students or second-year students?" said Toru Watanabe.
He and Kiyono Rin looked at Hayami Kaoru.
Any suggestions may be made, but whether or not they are ultimately adopted, and to what extent they are adopted, is the orchestra's own business.
Faced with this problem, Hayami Xun's gentle personality - to put it bluntly, she's a good person - made her hesitate again.
"Senior," Toru Watanabe tapped the table lightly, "Your goal is the national gold medal."
"I know, but..." Hayami Kaoru grabbed the hem of her pleated skirt.
"Are you worried that the rules are too harsh and you'll be expelled from the club in your second year?" asked Kiyono Rin.
Hayami Xun didn't say anything, but nodded.
"These people are so confident that they think they can win the national gold medal if they just work hard next year?" Qing Ye Lin laughed contemptuously, "Being good at studying is one thing, but they actually think they have extraordinary talent in music."
Watanabe Toru noticed that Hayami Kaoru's face turned slightly red.
It seems that this senior student also has the same idea.
"But I can understand it." Qing Ye Lin's tone returned to calm, "People with excellent grades tend to be blindly confident in areas they have never been exposed to. I have long observed this from that man."
Watanabe Toru pointed at himself in confusion.
Qingye Rin nodded, confirming his doubts.
After dealing with Watanabe Toru, she continued:
"Senior Hayami, you are the head of the wind band, so it is up to you to decide what to do. All I can do is tell you my thoughts."
"Well, thank you. Go ahead."
"Last year, even I was able to lead you to win the national gold medal only with the help of Watanabe-san. If it weren't for Watanabe-san, even if a miracle happened, with the level of the Kamikawa Wind Orchestra, we would have only won silver at best."
After saying that, Qingye Rin stopped talking and gave Hayami Kaoru some time to think.
Hayami Kaoru didn't hesitate.
Unbuttoning her wrinkled pleated skirt, she looked at the two of them and said in a very transparent voice:
“The goal of the wind section is national gold.”
Qing Ye Lin smiled and said, "Well, let's start discussing the rules."
It was Kiyono Rin and Hayami Kaoru's job to make the rules, while Watanabe Toru continued reading his book.
The beginning of spring is the day after tomorrow, and the chill brought by the north wind outside the window has not diminished at all.
Perhaps it was the contrast between the whistling of the cold wind outside and the humming of the indoor heater, but when he heard Kiyono Rin's voice at a low volume, Toru Watanabe felt his body warm.
The two ended their discussion when the club activity time was over.
Watanabe Toru took the paper covered with handwriting:
"1. All members (including Department B) must attend training from Monday to Friday."
"2. Training on Saturdays and Sundays, starting from April, everyone (including Department B) must participate"
"3. Before the club activities end, you must greet the leader of your section."
"4. When younger students see older students, they must say hello and bow at a 45-degree angle."
"5. The small bucket used to hold the water in the instrument must be cleaned after use."
…
The series of "musts" seemed to have indeed been injected with a lot of "Kiyono Rin's will".
In addition to training, there are also many daily etiquettes.
This is incomprehensible to Toru Watanabe, but for the Japanese, it is normal.
He had no intention of raising any objections, as this was an island country after all.
Most importantly, it has nothing to do with him.
"After this system is implemented, Senior Hayami will probably be blamed." Qingye Rin put her hand on her chin and pondered.
"It's so rare that you actually care about others? Are you unexpectedly a gentle person? Have I misunderstood you before?" The only person who dared to say this was Toru Watanabe.
"So," Kiyono Rin said, "Hayami-senpai, you can just tell everyone that the idea of making the rules was proposed by Watanabe-san."
"This..." Hayami Kaoru looked at Watanabe Toru.
"Why?" Watanabe Toru's voice was slightly above the north wind outside the window, expressing the emotion without being harsh. "I don't have any intention of providing shelter for others."
"Then talk about me. I'm the one who made most of the rules anyway." Qingye Rin said indifferently.
"…Forget it, just talk about me." Bei Feng's voice drowned out Watanabe Toru.
Qingye Rin remained expressionless and not a bit moved.
She calmly said to Hayami Kaoru, "Then let's just talk about the two of us."
" Thank !" Hayami Xun used honorifics to address his juniors, "Don't worry, I will say that I took the initiative to ask you two for help!"
"You're welcome. I will do this. I just think that even if there are rules, they won't follow them if they are just 'rules set by Hayami-senpai'."
"That's right." Hayami Xun had to admit it and nodded.
Is Kiyono Rin gentle or not?
When Toru Watanabe and Rin Kiyono walked out of the school building, it was already past the normal school dismissal time.
Over on the playground, the baseball team, which had vowed to leave the school if it failed to make it to the Koshien finals this year, was still practicing hard.
"The baseball club recruits famous baseball players from junior high school. Even so, they are training hard," said Toru Watanabe.
Qingye Rin knew that he was mocking the brass band that didn't train well but still dreamed of winning the national gold medal.
“The wind orchestra won national gold last year, so there should be some pretty strong new students enrolling this year,” she said.
After returning from Mizawa Village, Kiyono Rin was not as afraid of the cold as before and was able to speak a few words in the cold wind.
The baseball that Kunii Osamu deliberately hit this way rolled to Watanabe Toru's feet.
He bent down and picked it up.
"By then, there will surely be many boys who admire you and will enroll in the school." Toru Watanabe exerted force and the baseball flew out at high speed.
"Ah, are you jealous?"
"What kind of jealousy can there be between friends?"
Qingye Rin's pale cherry lips were hidden in her scarf: "There are more girls who admire your oboe."
In the distance, Kunii Osamu was running as fast as he could, chasing a baseball flying in the sky.
February 2, rain and snow
The monorail was shaking, and the carriage was silent, with the passengers all lowering their heads.
Small drops of water slowly slid down the glass window.
The silent atmosphere continued until Toru Watanabe walked into the classroom.
The classroom was heated and the atmosphere was lively.
Kunii Osamu, Saito Keisuke, and Ikeda Kazumi gathered together and chatted.
"Good morning, Watanabe-kun~" Ikeda Kazumi, who was facing the back door, was the first to see Watanabe Toru.
"Good morning." Watanabe Toru sat down in his seat, "What are you talking about?"
The heat from behind him blew his hair slightly.
"Watanabe," Kunii Osamu patted Watanabe Toru's shoulder, "Speaking of February, what do you think of?"
"Final exam?"
"Guess again."
"Did the Dutch East India Company's governor of Taiwan, Kou Yi, sign the surrender document and formally surrender to Zheng Chenggong's army?"
“……” The boy was speechless.
"Watanabe-kun, you are so funny~" the girl laughed.
"I'll give you a hint," Saito Keisuke said seriously, "sweet."
"sweet?"
"Yeah." Ikeda Kazumi nodded.
"Ah, I see." Watanabe Toru suddenly realized, "February is the best month to eat sugarcane."
“…”
"Hate it, Watanabe-kun, it's chocolate." Ikeda Kazumi smiled and pretended to hit Watanabe Toru.
Watanabe Toru naturally avoided the contact and said, "By the way, people with weak spleen and stomach should not eat it."
"Enough! It's Valentine's Day! Valentine's Day!" Kunii Osamu said loudly.
"It's only natural that Watanabe doesn't take Valentine's Day seriously." Saito Keisuke began to feel sorry for himself. "He must be fine. Our situation is not good."
"Kazumi-chan, will you give us chocolate?!" Kunii Osamu begged.
"As for giri chocolate," Ikeda Kazumi said cheerfully.
"Thank you, Master Hemei!" They both bowed 90 degrees at the same time, "We will return the favor!"
"You are exaggerating!" Ikeda Kazumi covered her mouth with her hands and was amused by them.
The winter school uniform sweater was deliberately stretched to cover most of her hands - this is Mengshou.
"By the way, if it's handmade chocolate, we will..."
"Get out of the way!" Ikeda Kazumi rejected it bluntly.
Saito Keisuke looked at Watanabe Toru: "Watanabe, will Kujo give you chocolate?"
"Kujo-san doesn't look like someone who would do something like that," Kunii Osamu speculated.
"Even if Kujo-san didn't give him any, Watanabe-kun would have received a lot of chocolates." Ikeda Kazumi said with a smile, "I heard that many girls are going to give him hand-knitted scarves and sweaters."
"Scarf and sweater? Please spare me, my K-san will kill me. I only dare to accept charity chocolates." Watanabe Toru said helplessly.
"Where is the birthday chocolate that Kiyono-san gave me?" Ikeda Kazumi asked mischievously.
"Don't make fun of her." Watanabe Toru's tone did not change.
Everyone tactfully stopped mentioning Kiyono Rin.
"Guess how many chocolates Watanabe will receive then?" said Keisuke Saito.
"If you don't want the natal chocolate, I'll give you thirty pieces, no, forty," Ikeda Kazumi said firmly.
"Forty? The return gift alone would have to cost 100,000 yen, right?" Kunii Osamu couldn't believe it.
Not only them, but also Class 4, and even the entire Shenchuan, no, other high schools are probably also entering a season of restlessness.
After school, when I walked to the corridor of the club building, I could often hear girls passing by chatting about Valentine's Day.
Walking in the elevated corridor wet with rain and snow, and hearing the euphonium of Aoi Ikki, Toru Watanabe thought of Mai Asuka.
By the way, starting today, third-year students are not required to come to school in order to prepare for the private university entrance exams.
At this time of year, spring break is not far away - the day when Asuka Mai moves to Shinano Town.
Today's Human Observation Department:
Kiyono Rin is reading a book;
Miki Kujo was lying on the sofa, with her legs crossed, listening to music with headphones and playing with her cell phone.
Toru Watanabe pulled down the hem of Miki Kujo's skirt to cover her overly revealing pantyhose.
"Meiji, why are you here today?" He sat down in his seat.
"Take a day off." replied Kujo Miki.
Taking a day off to go to school? Rich people have it hard.
"It's already February in the blink of an eye," Watanabe Toru paused, "Speaking of February, what do you think of?"
"La Bohème premiered in Italy." Kiyono Rin continued to look at the hardcover book in her hand.
"Po-Poshi what? Never mind. Meiji, what about you?"
"February? Real estate is off-season."
“…”
This is even more ridiculous than the 'Dutch East India Company surrendered to Zheng Chenggong', which is a famous historical event after all.
Does this mean that I won’t receive any chocolates from these two people on Valentine’s Day this year?
Watanabe Toru's originally restless heart was cooled down by the rain and snow.
