The weather was clear, with an occasional breeze blowing through the azure blue sky. The huge "Kamikawa Festival" banner prepared by the calligraphy club made a rustling sound.
In the gymnasium, the stick dance section in gymnastics uniforms are performing on the stage, and the wind band is preparing behind the scenes.
The wind orchestra has more than a hundred members, but only eighty of them were on stage this time, and the orchestra leader, Kaoru Hayami, was the conductor.
"Have you heard?"
"What did you hear?"
The girls holding various musical instruments were talking in low voices.
"It's about Tamamo being the next minister."
"Tamamo in the trombone section is so beautiful?"
"She's the only one in the wind band with the last name Tamamo!"
“Why should she be the next minister?”
"Are you talking about that rumor?"
"Rumor? It just means it's not confirmed yet?"
"I heard from the third-year senior that Hayami-senpai is still considering it."
"Why her?"
"It is said that Hayami-senpai went to the Human Observation Department, and after returning, she started thinking about Tamamo."
"Human Observation Department? Is that Kiyono-san's opinion?"
"No." The girl holding the flute lowered her voice, "It's Watanabe-kun."
"You're kidding, right?!"
"Yeah! Don't they have a bad relationship? Tamamo always says bad things about Watanabe-kun!"
"By the way, isn't it too early to start thinking about the next minister now? There's still the national competition."
"Third-year students from other clubs will quit after the cultural festival. Maybe it's because of this that we, the club leader, will consider these things in advance."
The best way to keep a secret is not to tell anyone, and the news soon spread to the trombone section where Tamamo Yoshimi was.
The girl in the wind band who was close to Tamamo Yoshimi secretly asked her whether this matter was true or not.
Tamamo Yoshimi had no idea about this, Watanabe Toru didn't tell her, and Hayami Kaoru didn't talk to her either.
"Everyone is welcome to enjoy the performance of the wind orchestra. Last month, we qualified for the national competition. Next month, we will work hard to bring back good news from Nagoya."
After the performance, Tamamo Yoshimi found an excuse to separate from her friends and went to Class 4, Grade 2 alone.
I originally just wanted to chat with Watanabe Toru, but I couldn't get in at all.
There was a long line in front of Class 4's classroom. Inside the classroom, in order to provide guests with a good dining environment, the number of people entering and leaving was limited, and curtains were used to cover the glass to block the view from outside.
Caught in hesitation of whether to wait or not.
"What a nice view?"
Tamamo Haomi looked over and saw that it was a boy in the class.
"Are you coming to eat too? Should I give up my seat to you?"
"Need not."
After rejecting the boy, Tamamo Yomi walked to the back of the line.
"Just treat it as lunch." She put on her headphones and listened to music played by Qiangxiao to pass the time.
Finally it was her turn, and as soon as she walked in, she heard a familiar voice.
"Poor hospitality!"
She curled her lips and walked towards the podium.
"Welcome light...Huh? So beautiful!" Ikki Aoi greeted happily.
"Aoi," Tamamo Haomi took off one of her headphones, "Are you the cashier?"
Ikki Aoi struggled to lift up a metal box that was originally used to store biscuits: "See? It's all money!"
“There are a lot of guests.”
"Thanks to Watanabe-kun, do you want to have fried rice? As a friend, I can give you half price~"
"No! Fried noodles!"
Sitting in the newly cleaned seat, Tamamo Yomi looked at Watanabe Toru in the food area and found that she seemed to have waited in vain.
How can I talk to him with so many people around?
"Guest, your fried noodles and barley tea."
"Thank you." Tamamo Mimi looked at the male classmate in front of her who was wearing a maid outfit and behaving in an elegant manner, with undisguised disgust on her face.
"It's noon, time for the shift change!"
"Thanks for your hard work!"
A group of new students entered the cooking area and replaced Watanabe Toru and his friends who had been busy all morning.
"No, I haven't had Watanabe-kun's fried rice yet!"
"It's obviously my turn!"
"Sorry, please come back tomorrow afternoon!"
Seeing Watanabe Toru untying his apron and preparing to leave the classroom with Ikki Aoi, Tamamo Yomi stopped eating her fried noodles and hurriedly followed them.
After leaving the classroom, he stopped the two men in the corridor.
"So beautiful?" Ikki Aoi looked at her in confusion while she was supposed to be eating.
"Aoi, can you let me talk to this guy Watanabe alone for a while?" Tamamo Yoshimi requested.
"Sure." After saying that, Ikki Aoi turned to Watanabe Toru and said, "Watanabe-kun, I'll go first."
After watching Ikki Aoi go away, Watanabe Toru asked Tamamo Haomei: "What do you want from me? If you want to borrow money, you must write an IOU."
"Who wants to borrow money!" Tamamo Haomei retorted subconsciously. She looked around and said, "Follow me."
In order to avoid the crowds everywhere, Toru Watanabe followed Tamamo Yoshimi to the staircase platform leading to the rooftop on the fifth floor.
The door to the rooftop was locked with a rusty iron lock.
Unlike the scenes in animations where people often eat lunch on the rooftop, in reality, the rooftop is not a comfortable place.
It is hot in the summer and cold in the winter, and key schools will not be open to students.
No one would go to such a place except students who want to do bad things secretly in school, and deliberately put themselves in the position of "sleeping on the dirty ground with their hands behind their heads".
"What's your plan? Why did you recommend me to be the minister?" Tamamo Yoshimi asked in a questioning tone.
“Because you have talent.”
"Do you mean that you have to train very hard to join Group A, or that you have to attend summer tutoring because your grades are at the bottom?" Tamamo Yoshimi's face suddenly came close to him and poked Watanabe Toru's chest with her finger.
Toru Watanabe leaned back slightly to avoid physical contact.
"There are people down there, if you mess up I'll call for help," he said.
Tamamo Haomei was not panicked at all. She unbuttoned her chest and threatened:
"If you don't explain it to me, I'll yell at you as a pervert."
Watanabe Toru turned his gaze towards the bottom of the stairs, where Hyakunin Ichibu had set a challenge.
"I saw you practicing alone in a corner of the school a few days ago, and when Senior Hayami came to ask, I recommended you."
"You peeked at my breasts, didn't you?!"
"Steal... forget it." Watanabe Toru was too lazy to ask how many misunderstandings there were. "I just recommended you to be the minister. Why do I care so much?"
"You want to see me make a fool of myself!" Tamamo Haomei said with certainty.
"Idiot." Watanabe Toru cursed unceremoniously.
"What did you say?!"
"I said it because you have talent."
"What, what talent?" Although Tamamo Harumi still looked unreasonable, she was still a human being after all, and deep down in her heart she was secretly looking forward to Watanabe Toru's answer.
"effort."
"Hard work is also considered talent?!"
"Of course." Watanabe Toru explained, "In this world, many things can be achieved with just hard work, such as getting into a good school and getting a stable, high-paying job."
"It's not that easy."
"Yes, it's not easy. People who can do these things are envied by most people. Why?"
"Because it's not easy." Tamamo Yomi glanced at Watanabe Toru with a 'is there any need to ask?' look, but found that he was not looking at her.
She looked down at her chest, which was white and round, and made people drool just by looking at it.
"Hypocritical." She muttered under her breath and buttoned her clothes.
Watanabe Toru ignored her muttering and her actions and said:
"For most people, these things can be done with just hard work, but the seemingly simplest efforts are not something that everyone can do. It is a talent that can be acquired at any time, but there are very, very few people who can acquire it, and you are one of them."
"...There are many people in the wind orchestra who work hard, why me?" Tamamo Mimi played with her hair with her fingers, feeling a little secretly happy in her heart.
" Because I want to see what you will become."
"What do you mean? Do you really want to laugh at me?!"
"If possible, I hope you can become the center of attention through hard work, not just through your appearance."
Watanabe Toru withdrew his gaze from the Hyakunin Ichibu and looked directly at Tamamo Yomi: "Haven't you been doing this all along?"
"What is it to you!" Tamamo Haomi's tone suddenly turned fierce again, but even the typhoon that had not yet arrived could hear her bluffing.
After a moment of silence, just as Watanabe Toru was about to end the conversation, she asked fiercely:
“What should a minister do?”
"As for you..." Watanabe Toru didn't care about her tone, "First, remember the names of the more than 100 people in the wind band."
"I……"
This was completely different from the minister that Tamamo Yoshimi had imagined, but just as she was about to open her mouth to refute, she realized that she really didn't know that many people.
Not to mention the wind orchestra with more than a hundred people, she doesn’t even know the full names of some of the boys and girls in the class of forty.
This has nothing to do with whether your memory is good or bad, the key is whether you care or not.
Unable to refute, she changed the direction and Tamamo Yomi mocked, "You are the same age as me, yet you are so self-righteous and talk a lot of nonsense."
"It's not really a truth, it's just some summary of life. And whether you are old or young, it doesn't matter at all. What matters is what you have experienced."
"... Humph!" Tamamo Haomi twisted her lips, then stretched out her hand and said reluctantly, "Let's make peace."
In order to avoid school rules as much as possible, the pair of fair and delicate hands were painted with light-colored nail polish.
"I already have a girlfriend, so a handshake is fine."
"Tsk—" Tamamo Haomei immediately withdrew her hand, "Don't act like you're a loyal man, it's disgusting! Also, if you don't make peace with Haomei, don't blame Haomei for continuing to say bad things about you!"
"As long as you don't say that I molested you. I'm going to rehearse the drama, and you should do your best too. Bye." Toru Watanabe waved his hand and turned to leave the staircase platform.
After watching Watanabe Toru disappear, Tamamo Yoshimi took out a small mirror from the pocket of her pleated skirt, adjusted her bangs and makeup, making sure she appeared in front of her classmates in the most beautiful posture.
'Because you have talent.'
She looked at herself in the mirror. Her bright and lively eyes and delicate face were so beautiful.
“…The Minister.”
My shoulders suddenly felt heavy and I took a deep breath. Along with the pressure came the expectation for the future.
The blood started to rush and I had an urge to do something immediately.
"Okay! First, remember the names of the more than 100 members of the wind band!"
Tamamo Haomi closed the mirror, took a step forward, and walked down the stairs briskly.
…
"What did you say?" As soon as Watanabe Toru entered the club classroom, he asked Kujo Miki, who was holding her face with her hands and reading the script casually.
Ikki Aoi, who arrived early, had already explained the reason for his lateness.
"Tell her that hard work is also talent and that she should have confidence in herself."
Kujo Miki raised her eyes and looked at him: "You are quite gentle."
"I have no interest in her and I don't have any intentions." Toru Watanabe walked over and sat down.
"Has the next director been decided?" Ikki Aoi asked doubtfully, "Isn't Hayami-senpai still considering it?"
...It's a difficult situation.
Watanabe Toru suddenly realized that he seemed to have said enough just now. In this case, there was no way to prevent Tamamo Yomi from becoming the minister.
If you think about it carefully, it’s not a bad idea to let her be the minister.
Judging from the way she looked just now, the future would probably develop in a positive direction, at least that's how it seemed for now - and that was enough.
"Let's start practicing." Qingno Rin was not interested in these things.
In preparation for the performance the next day, the six of them rehearsed diligently the entire afternoon. Fortunately, the cultural festival lasted for three days, so after the performance tomorrow, they still had time to walk around.
Toru Watanabe has decided to join the shogi club and win the title of "Kamikawa Ryuoh" that he missed last year.
This has nothing to do with losing 200 yen last year.
"The wind outside seems to be getting stronger." Towards evening, Ikki Aoi lay by the window and looked at the sky.
Yesterday at dusk, Tokyo's sky was a rare purple-red color, and today it was just like usual, but with strong winds.
"The school sent a message," Koizumi Aona said, holding her phone in her hand, "notifying the teachers to organize the students to finish the cultural festival and leave school early."
"That's all for today." Qingye Rin put down the script and rubbed his brows with a slightly tired look.
The fair and pretty little face is a little delicate, so beautiful that people can't help but wonder: How can someone be so beautiful?
"Everyone, be careful on the road. Watanabe, Mai, go to the office and wait for me, I will take you back." After giving the instructions, Koizumi Aona left the club to inform other students.
The remaining five people packed up their things and left the club.
Ikki Aoi went to look for the friend she usually went home with;
Kiyono Rin is going to return the club key and go to the office with Asuka Mai.
Toru Watanabe sent Miki Kujo to the school gate.
The first floor was crowded with people, and many students who had received the news in advance and changed their shoes and were ready to leave were crowded there.
The wind was strong outside. When Watanabe Toru and the others went downstairs, the sky had become gloomy at some point, and the sky and the earth were dark.
Several boys rushed out in one breath, their clothes immediately stuck to their bodies and their ties flew up.
"No... cough cough cough!" I couldn't even speak in the wind.
They retreated back again.
"What should I do? If I don't leave now, I won't be able to leave later!"
"I don't know how long the typhoon will last. It doesn't matter if it ends before 10 o'clock. Don't worry."
Toru Watanabe and Miki Kujo stood behind the crowd.
"Can the car drive in?" asked Toru Watanabe.
Miki Kujo took out her cell phone. Her hands were slender and well-proportioned, but they were girls' hands after all, and overall they were not big, which made the already not-small cell phone look even bigger.
She was just about to make a call when a broadcast came over the radio.
There was no preface, the announcer just said:
"Students who have not left the school yet are not allowed to leave! Please go to the gymnasium in an orderly manner!"
It was broadcast three times in a row. As soon as the broadcasting sound disappeared, the physical education teacher and several other teachers came over and closed the glass door.
The whistling sound of the wind suddenly became distant.
"Go to the gymnasium immediately and use the passage on the second floor! No opening of windows or going out is allowed!" the teachers shouted.
The students changed back into their indoor shoes in an orderly manner. Instead of being afraid, they talked excitedly and walked towards the gymnasium.
"Go back or stay?" Watanabe Toru asked Kujo Miki.
The wind is very strong now, but it can't do anything to the modified car of Miki Kujo.
"Forget it." Kujo Miki said lazily, "The civilians stay to take refuge, and I will stay to pretend. It is necessary to maintain equality in front of the public, not to mention that this is just a typhoon that is not a big deal."
"Staying by my side is the best option."
"We want to die together? You can't let me live alone." Kujo Miki turned her head and asked him.
"That's not bad either." Watanabe Toru said with a smile.
The two walked towards the gymnasium, and Miki Kujo used her cell phone to inform the driver to go back.
In the corridor, the Student Union, Discipline Committee, and Cultural Festival Executive Committee were maintaining order.
Before we even reached the gymnasium, strong winds blew down raindrops as big as beans.
Through the corridor windows, the huge sounds of rain and wind made it feel as if the school building was being dragged away.
The students in the corridor were even more excited.
The sounds of laughter, running in the corridor, and loud shouting, and the rain hitting the glass windows of the classroom, flowing down like a waterfall.
These noisy sounds, in the dim and closed campus, are like the roar of sea water rushing into the school building, one after another.
Looking into the distance, the oak trees were swaying in the wind and rain, and their leaves were like weeds, falling in one direction.
Most of the cultural festival promotion banners hung above had disappeared, and only a few were stuck in the branches and were floating like ghosts.
This scene soon disappeared.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier, the scenery outside was almost indistinguishable, and all I could see out the window was rain and fog.
Everything in the world seemed to be holding its breath in this storm.
There was only the creaking of the windows and the wind whistling through the first-floor corridor, making a shrill sound like a flute.
"This is the first time I've seen such a strong typhoon. I hope there won't be a power outage," said Toru Watanabe.
"Where is your [Sunny Doll]?" Miki Kujo glanced at him.
"You want such a big typhoon to disappear suddenly?"
The two chatted as they walked into the gymnasium.
The second-floor corridor leads to the second floor of the gymnasium, where there are indoor ping-pong tables and other equipment.
Then he went downstairs and came to the basketball court which was already crowded with people.
"Grade 1, Class 1! This way!"
"Students from Class 3, Grade 3, gather here!"
"Everyone keep quiet. We're going to start calling the roll now. Please answer when your name is called!"
The teachers did their best to maintain order.
The two came to Class 4, Grade 2. Koizumi Aona and Kiyono Rin were already there, and Asuka Mai was also there.
"Are you okay?" Koizumi Aona asked the two.
"It's okay, teacher, how about you?" asked Toru Watanabe.
"I'm fine too."
"Hello! Please keep quiet!" The principal stood on the stage holding a microphone.
"The school has received news that the Sobu Line and Odakyu Line have been suspended due to strong winds!"
"The power lines on the Chuo Line and the Yamanote Line were down because of the typhoon, so the trains can't move! In addition, the Keio Line and the Toyoko Line are also stopped!"
There was an immediate buzz of discussion below.
"So tonight, everyone must stay in school to take shelter. Parents have been notified, and everyone can contact their parents themselves!"
After hearing the news, only a few people were scared, while more students were excited.
"The school has supplies specially prepared for evacuation, which will be distributed later!"
The student council, the cultural festival executive committee, and the class presidents brought a lot of things.
There is water, biscuits and beds.
Because there were so many people, there were no quilts unless two people slept in one.
After distributing the supplies, everyone squeezed together and sat on the beds.
Koizumi Aina and Akiko, Kiyono Rin and Asuka Mai, Watanabe Tetsu and Kujo Miki.
The student council president, who also serves as the executive chairman of the cultural festival, appeared on the stage with a microphone.
"Everyone, since we are staying in school, the cultural festival is not over yet!"
"Next, until ten o'clock in the evening, we will arrange for the chorus, shogi, wind instrumental, stick dance, kendo, social dance, street dance, debate, light music, magic, and rakugo to perform on stage for everyone."
"Very good!"
"It's just like watching a show. There's no sense of refuge at all!"
"Why isn't there a film research department? We want to show our own films!"
"In addition!" The student council president hadn't finished speaking yet, "If you are from other clubs or classes and want to perform on stage, please use your mobile phone to contact the executive committee of each class. After you get permission, you will be notified of the time to perform on stage."
“I want to sign up!”
"I remember you were from the 'Paranormal Research Society'? What kind of performance are you going to perform? It's not even a club."
"Sign up for the debate club!"
"Sign up for the Guzheng Club!"
"Bullmaster - forget it! There are so many people here, I even forgot how to play the strings!"
The Human Observation Department is also discussing it.
"Should we sign up?" asked Ikki Aoi.
"There is no entrance fee, and all your money will be gone," Toru Watanabe reminded.
"Yes!" Ikki Aoi responded, "No, no!"
Kiyono Rin first glanced at Watanabe Toru, then said to Ikki Aoi:
"It is uncertain whether the cultural festival will go on tomorrow. In order not to waste all the hard work over the past few days, it is safest to perform now."
Ichimoku Aoi thought about it and nodded with difficulty: "Okay, I've already eaten a lot anyway."
"Watanabe-san, contact Mikami Saya-san," Kiyono Rin ordered.
"Think about it carefully, how did I get her contact information?"
"Let me do it!" Ikki Aoi took out his cell phone and started sending messages.
After a while, she looked up and said, "Okay, we almost missed it. The line is almost full. We are the last one."
After a short wait, the announcement was heard in the storm.
"Chorus performance, "Three Lines of Flowers"!"
The curtain on the stage slowly opened, revealing the chorus neatly arranged on top.
As the song started, many people followed the beat.
When they sang "The past comes clearly to mind, the years when I lived with you", everyone couldn't help but sing along.
"The awakened longing continues once again..."
The power of a thousand people, coupled with the isolation of the gymnasium, temporarily overwhelmed even the violent storm.
"Thank you for the chorus. Now it's the shogi club. Everyone can come up on stage and challenge. The challenge fee is 200 yen, and the winner can take all the prize money! Oh, and one move every three seconds!"
"Why can the Shogi Club charge money?!" Ikki Aoi said unwillingly.
"Want to try it?"
"How will the Shogi Club perform? No one can see."
As everyone was wondering, the lights in the gymnasium dimmed and a chessboard projection appeared on the stage.
The head of the shogi club knelt behind a chessboard, waiting for someone to challenge him.
She looked quite gentle, with a wooden sign next to her that read "Battle for the Dragon King of Kamikawa! The strongest! Invincible! Supreme!"
“It looks interesting.”
"Is anyone going up? This is a great opportunity to show off in front of the whole school!"
"How many girls know shogi? Do you think it's baseball?"
"Just win, don't worry about the rules!"
"Win? The shogi captain is said to be a professional shogi player, known as "Ponytail Ichi-Hime"!"
"What's that nickname?"
"She won the elementary school celebrity competition. Others gave her the nickname. She had a very long ponytail at the time, but she cut it later."
On the other side, Toru Watanabe clenched his fist.
"Do you want to go on stage?" asked Miki Kujo.
"The title of Shenchuan's strongest must belong to me!"
Kiyono Rin, who was sitting next to Watanabe Toru, moved her legs slightly to make room for him to leave.
"Wait, the bonus isn't there yet... my momentum hasn't built up yet. I'm going to avenge what happened to me last year with a force as powerful as thunder."
Qingye Rin rolled his eyes at him.