thefictionvixens Page 9
Page 9
Saito Haruka choked on her breath, biting her lower lip as if she was enduring something; few people had ever seen her so at a loss.
Suddenly, a deep, heavy voice rang out in the quiet office.
"What are you two doing in the office?"
Approaching was Eiji Ferry, who had been outside dispersing the smoke. He walked over with a thick frown, hands on his hips, and said to Saito Harutori and the other person,
"Saito, Nagase, do you think you can cause trouble anywhere just because you're good at studying?"
Saito Haruka bit her lower lip, bowed in apology, and left the office.
"Nagase, you're quitting the club, right?"
"Yes."
"Kitahara, allow it according to her wishes."
"Um, okay."
Kitahara Hakuba had no choice but to nod, take out his black pen, remove the cap, and write his name in the "Club Guidance Advisor" section.
Regarding the reason for leaving the department, she only wrote—
"The academic workload in the final year of high school is heavy"
"Nagase-kun, don't you want to give it your all this year?" Kitahara Hakuba was still a little reluctant, his tone full of regret.
"Need not."
"But I've been following you, you're amazing."
After Kitahara Hakuba finished speaking, he did not receive an immediate reply. He raised his eyebrows and noticed that the girl's right thumb nail was deeply embedded in the skin of her index finger.
"I know I'm very strong, stronger than anyone else in the department, and that's why I can't accept it."
The girl's gritted teeth and resentful tone clearly indicated her grievance, and Kitahara Hakuba dared not comment further, only silently reinserting the pen cap into the nib.
The "click" sound was particularly jarring.
"I'm sorry to have troubled you teachers."
With an elegant gesture, Nagase Tsukiyo smoothed the wrinkles on her sleeve caused by Saito Haruka's grip, straightened her back, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and her delicate face showed no emotion whatsoever.
◇
"Today seems to have been a complete mess!"
"Yeah, I heard that Saito-senpai even rushed into the office."
"As I passed by the office, I saw Saito-senpai holding Nagase-senpai's arm."
"Ah, if it were Saito-senpai, who is a friend, who took action, Nagase-senpai wouldn't have quit the club, right?"
Today's lunch break was a gathering of everyone from Kitahara Hakuba, and the first music classroom was already packed with people.
Because they weren't seated according to the practice seating arrangement, the first-year and second-year students were chatting comfortably, their gossip creating a tangible noise in the space of over eighty people.
"Nase-senpai doesn't seem to be here." Kirishima Mai sat obediently in the chair, her fair legs peeking out from under her skirt.
In the past, Nagase Tsukiyo would always arrive early and sit in the front row at every gathering, but now she is nowhere to be seen.
“She’s retired from the department forever, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll definitely handle the ‘1ST section’ better than her.” A nonchalant voice came from beside me.
Kirishima Mai glanced to the side and saw a short-haired girl intently playing with the ends of her hair, her white teeth visible between her thin lips.
The "1ST" she mentioned is the first trumpet in the trumpet section, which plays the main part and usually plays the melody line or the high notes.
Then there is the "2ST" which is paired with the "1ST" part, usually playing harmony and counterpoint melody.
Some complex pieces require the use of "3ST" to increase the richness of the harmonies.
When Nagase Tsukiyo was there, she played the "1st" position. However, in the brass band, the "1st" position in each instrument club is usually held by a third-year student.
Mai Kirishima had been paying attention to this short-haired girl since she enrolled in school; her surname seemed to be Kuno.
Judging from her manner of speaking and her style of doing things, it's not hard to guess that she is an extremely arrogant person, the kind of person I don't want to associate with so far.
To hide her inability to reply, Kirishima Mayi gave a nonchalant smile.
"Junior, don't spread these rumors—"
Suddenly, a slender, white, and delicate hand rested on the shoulder of the short-haired girl. Saito Harutori, with a beaming smile, bowed slightly behind her, her soft, long hair falling to her chest in an arc.
"Tsukiyo-san will always be the 1st in the trumpet group. She's just in a bad mood lately and will rejoin the club in a few days, so... don't spread rumors like she'll never join again."
"Huh?" The short-haired girl suddenly turned her head, her sharp gaze fixed on Saito Haruka. "Are you teaching me how to do things?"
Startled by these words, Kirishima Mai involuntarily lowered her head.
However, Saito Harutori was not angry; instead, she smiled and said:
"No, I just hope you can respect everyone, and also respect the senior students who have been here for three years. Otherwise, you won't have any friends at school."
The short-haired girl raised an eyebrow, intending to stand up from the chair with a show of strength, but she was still half a head shorter than Saito Haruka. A trace of regret flashed across her delicate face, but it was quickly filled with a tenacious stubbornness.
"I have no friends? Compared to you, who is good at reading people's expressions, flattering them, and spouting slanderous words without any restraint, it is you who has no friends."
Her words were merciless, piercing Saito Haruka's face and penetrating every pore of her skin.
Seeing the sharpening gaze from the senior student in front of her, the short-haired girl's lips curled into a mocking smile, and she rested one hand on the back of the chair as she said:
"Hey, Nagase-senpai left the club because people like you were so prevalent. Also, my name is Kuno Tachibana, not Kuon."
Saito Harutori clenched her hands, frowned, and stared at her as she said:
"You want to fight?"
"Hey, this is great! If arguing can bring Nagase-senpai back, then let's argue!"
From Kuno Tachibana's nonchalant attitude and layered tone, one could vaguely detect a hint of mockery, and the sound of the chair corner scraping against the wooden floor continued.
Saito Haruka's deep eyes instantly lost their warmth, and her long eyelashes blinked slowly and deliberately.
Just as Kirishima Mai was fidgeting and mustering the courage to speak up and act as a peacemaker, a calm yet powerful voice instantly brought peace to the chaotic music classroom.
"Everyone, sit down."
Chapter 10, Section 10: A Conspicuous Bag
A man in a khaki trench coat walked into the crowded music classroom, and the eyes of more than eighty people all fell on him.
The man was tall and slender with regular features. The clear sunlight streaming in from the window fell on his bangs, giving his handsome face a faint, translucent hue.
He gives off a gentle impression, and you can tell at first glance that he is a quiet and delicate person, which is very much in line with the mate selection criteria of some teenage girls.
Even if you stare at his profile all day, you won't get tired of it at all.
Kitahara Hakuba walked to the podium, looked at the crowded classroom, and saw Saito Harutori, who immediately returned to her seat.
But what he actually saw was information about the department members that filled his entire field of vision, from the lowest-ranking D to a handful of S-ranks.
The information of more than eighty members popped up, making it impossible for him to see the details. He had no choice but to delete them all first and then look at them slowly later.
"Minister Yukawa, have all the people arrived?" Kitahara Hakuba asked.
Sakurako Kawa stood up, her neat bangs styled sharply to her eyebrows, and her distinctive black braided hair.
Her eyes kept scanning the room, as if she were mentally calculating the number of people present.
"Teacher Kitahara, there should be eighty-two people, and there are eighty-two people present."
Kitahara Hakuba smiled, feeling relieved and relaxed, and said:
"It's great that everyone is so enthusiastic."
"Teacher Kitahara, Nagase-senpai hasn't arrived yet."
Just then, someone suddenly shouted. Kitahara Hakuba looked in the direction of the sound and realized that it was the girl who had been facing Saito Haruka earlier.
She had shoulder-length short hair with slightly inward curls at the ends, a slender figure, and breasts that resembled newly blossoming flower buds.
[Character: Tachibana Kuno]
[Instrument played: Trumpet lv12 (small adult)]
[Growth: DS]
[Resilience: DS]
Two Data Sector Leaders (DS)?
Kitahara Hakuba blinked, thinking he was being dazzled by so many beautiful young women.
Looking again, there are still two DSs.
The system? Come out and explain yourself!
[Warning: This character is overly arrogant. If defeated in a direct confrontation, he will fall into a prolonged period of self-doubt. During this phase, any practice experience will be virtually nonexistent until he regroups.]
Kitahara Hakuba understood.
He understands this; it's like a little devil who's been critically attacked!
"Kuno-senpai, these things are none of your concern."
Saito Haruka uttered a cold voice, and a hint of warning gradually crept into her eyes, making some of the girls who thought she was very gentle tremble.
Kuno Tachibana raised her slender white fingers and fiddled with the ends of her hair, putting on a troubled expression as she said:
"Oh, I was just worried about Nagase-senpai. After all, our brass band club can't function without her."
"whispering sound--"
Saito Harutori could easily tell what she was implying. She immediately lowered her head darkly, clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and muttered something in a low voice so no one could hear her.
"Just a first-year student..."
"Kuno-senpai, please follow Kitahara-sensei's instructions. Please be quiet and don't disrupt the order."
Sakurako Yukawa frowned in dissatisfaction, but her girlish charm was too strong, and she couldn't exude any authority at all.
Kuno Tachibana said in a very coquettish tone:
"Oh my gosh, my adorable minister!"
Kitahara Hakuba glanced at Saito Harutori, whose face was sullen, and Kuno Tatsuka, who was starting to feel smug and waiting for his reply, and realized that there seemed to be some disharmony within the brass band.
Let's just follow what this little devil wants to say for now. If she can maintain her S state, that would be the best outcome.