"Stop."
Rin Seino held her hand in the air as if gripping an invisible baton, and the grand sound of the music room instantly fell silent.
Her expression remained calm as she flipped through the sheet music.
"Low brass, starting at measure forty-one, the counter-melody will be a solo by Asahi-san."
"And clarinets, as I've said before, this section needs to be lighter and more lively. Can you manage that next time?"
"Kitahara-san, did you really practice yesterday? Please practice until you can play it correctly."
"..."
"Ten-minute break. Each section, practice individually."
Rin Seino dismissed them, picking up the files from the desk and turning toward the Human Observation Club's activity room.
"Seino-san." Kaoru Hayami called after her.
"Yes? What is it, Hayami-san?" Rin stopped in her tracks, waiting for her to approach.
"Watanabe-san wasn't at the club today. Do you know what happened?"
"He asked for leave, for the July monthly test."
"Did you approve that, Seino-san?" Hayami asked, a hint of surprise in her voice before muttering to herself: "Of course, Watanabe-san is a beginner. No need for him to perform."
Monthly tests are minor quizzes; the school doesn't have a rule to suspend club activities a week in advance.
Even if there were such a rule, clubs like the wind ensemble, preparing for a summer competition, would still practice secretly. Asking for leave voluntarily would be nearly impossible.
Watanabe Tetsu was the exception. As an oboe novice, and with the oboe being notoriously difficult, he simply couldn't perform the full score before the Tokyo prefectural competition.
"Anything else?" Rin Seino reminded the distracted Hayami.
Meanwhile, the music room had already erupted with whispers.
"Is she seriously acting like she's our advisor?"
"Even the faculty advisor wouldn't criticize us this harshly."
"We played really well, yet she didn't give a single compliment."
"I don't need praise from juniors! Gross!"
The murmurs all pointed at Rin Seino, whose face remained composed.
Hayami's expression was apologetic, regretting that she'd called Rin over and inadvertently let the students' complaints reach her.
"Sorry, Seino-san."
Rin shook her head casually. "It's fine. I'm leaving now. Practice well, Hayami-san."
As she closed the sliding door, she glanced at Aoi Ichiki, who was being comforted by the low brass section, while Mai Asahi continued practicing with her usual blank expression.
Time crawled agonizingly to the last day of June.
Lunchtime, Class 4.
"Watanabe, how do you think you did on the test?"
"I don't think there was anywhere left to gain points."
"What an arrogant thing to say!"
The trio sat in the corner of the classroom, pushing desks together to eat.
"Three-day weekend starts tomorrow. Got any plans?" Keisuke Saito asked.
"No way! Baseball club's training camp," Shuichi Kunii said, pulling his uniform open to let the wind in while stuffing food in his mouth.
"I see, then there's no choice. Watanabe, what about you?" Saito looked at Watanabe, who had finished his meal. "Seino-san's busy giving the wind ensemble extra training, so you should be free, right?"
Kunii stopped tugging at his collar. "I heard recently that Seino-san's been disliked by some girls. Do you know why?"
"Who knows," Watanabe replied lazily, folding the plastic bag from his bread and grabbing a large bottle of barley tea from the side of the desk. He twisted the cap and gulped it down.
The sunlight outside lit up his fair neck and prominent Adam's apple, as well as the amber liquid in the bottle.
"Did you two have a fight?"
"Other than Miki, I have no intention of quarreling with anyone." Watanabe put down the bottle and pulled out his phone to play games.
"Ew!" The two boys shivered. "Saying something so sweet to us single guys? That's cruel!"
After two afternoon classes, the school organized a campus-wide cleaning for the three-day weekend.
The wind ensemble members, forced by Seino-san's strictness, handed off the cleaning tasks to classmates and used every spare second to practice.
Before cleaning was even over, they had already rehearsed together twice.
"Stop."
Seino's gaze swept across every face.
"If you keep performing at this level," she said, "you won't even win gold at the Tokyo competition, let alone the Kanto high school championship, or the nationals."
"You wanna fight?"
The aggressive voice dropped the temperature in the room by three degrees. Everyone instinctively held their breath.
A senior in the flute and piccolo section kicked her music stand aside.
"Ishiya-san, was I wrong?" Rin asked calmly, her tone exactly as usual.
"You're being way too arrogant."
"No one cares whether you're a senior or junior on stage. Judges only look at whether your basics are solid, if your performance conveys emotion, and if the melody flows."
"Shut up!"
The room froze. The timid girls covered their mouths, frightened.
Mai Asahi, bored, gazed out the window, finger movements rising and falling over her pistons according to the sheet music.
Nearby, Asako Hanada, cradling her low cello, glanced anxiously between Rin and Haru Ishiya. She wanted to step forward and mediate but was too shy in front of the crowd.
At the trombone section, Konomi Tamamo lowered her gaze, focusing on her increasingly annotated sheet music.
A junior trying to lord over seniors, giving them orders—so foolish. She turned to the passage she'd found awkward in the previous rehearsal.
Rin showed no fear. "Weak in skill, unwilling to accept guidance, venting anger ineffectively, and relying on age..."
The classroom door suddenly slid open with a "clack."
"Tired—ugh—" A handsome young man with an oboe tucked under his arm rubbed his shoulders and strolled in with a teasing smile.
Watanabe Tetsu's arrival broke the tense atmosphere.
Several girls glanced at him, whispering, "No way… too handsome."
Asako relaxed. With Watanabe here, everything would be fine.
Konomi Tamamo's long eyelashes trembled as she looked at the cheerful boy in front.
On her low brass pistons, Mai Asahi's fingers moved a little faster.
"This doesn't concern you," Hase Haru's voice softened.
She wanted to be annoyed at Watanabe for his closeness to Rin, but instinctively restrained herself, awed by his appearance.
"Senpai, don't say that. I'm a member of the wind ensemble too," Watanabe smiled brighter, and Hase's anger melted.
He added, "If I'd known Group A was this capable, I wouldn't have had to do cleaning. What a waste of energy."
A suffocating silence took over the room. Most, including Hase, stared at him, astonished.
Watanabe remained calm, a mysterious smile on his face. He rubbed his shoulder, pulled out his oboe, and addressed Rin at the podium.
"Advisor Seino, I'd like to do a second audition. I'm capable of this level with Group A."
Before Rin could respond, Hase's sharp voice cut through.
"This level? You pretty boy…"
"Pretty boy?"
"Your instrument was bought by Yuki, right? You country—"
"Yes, I admit I'm very handsome."
"You—"
"What?" Watanabe interrupted, smiling and spreading his hands. "Hase-senpai wants to fight me? Fine. For being a senior, two years older than me, I'll give you both hands."
His gentle tone, charming smile, and casual gesture radiated youthful beauty, but the room's tension spiked.
"I'll teach you a lesson today!" Hase's eyes burned with embarrassment and anger as she rushed forward and swung at him.
"Hase-senpai!"
"Watanabe!"
"Wait!"
"Ugh—"
With her pained groan and the crash of desks, chaos erupted before the room fell silent.
"Wasted a bit of time," Watanabe said, retracting his foot from the floor, and addressed Rin. "Advisor, let's start the audition. Listen to my performance."
Ignoring consent, he lifted the oboe.
Though the melody was familiar from countless practices, the tone was so exquisite that even those who had just been arguing couldn't help but hold their breath.
The sound was like a gospel singer's voice—gentle, intricate, and heavenly.
Hase, on the floor, swallowed nervously, her heart trembling, goosebumps rising.
In an instant, the summer air in the room was filled with soft, sweet harmonies.
By the time they realized, the performance was over. No one moved or spoke.
"Pass?" Watanabe asked.
"...Pass," Rin replied, still dazed from the performance.
Watanabe looked at Hase, then at everyone.
"You played terribly, made countless mistakes, and yet started giving the advisor a hard time?"
He ran a hand through his hair, slapped his forehead, and sighed dramatically.
"Never mind. You people will never change. It's good to recognize the gap between people early."
"Watanabe-san?!" Hayami stood up.
"Am I wrong?" Watanabe spread his arms. "I've only practiced for half a month, folks. Yet I can perform at national competition level. You? No matter how much you practice, you'll only get a bronze at the Tokyo competition—or maybe a silver, if the judges favor Shinkawa Academy."
"Does the truth hurt? But you know best whether I'm telling it honestly."
"Watanabe, shut up," Rin Seino interrupted.
Everyone looked surprised, including Watanabe. Had Rin seen through his intentions, planning to stop him?
No, that wouldn't do.
Rin's cold gaze cut through him. "I am their advisor. I may speak freely, but no one else is allowed to lecture them."
"Seino-san." Their voices were filled with apology and gratitude.
"Also," Rin's usually cold eyes now burned with fire, "I believe everyone here, if they work hard, can reach nationals and even win gold."
Gasps echoed through the music room.
It was Rin's first praise.
Even though Watanabe spoke on her behalf, the warmth spread unexpectedly through everyone.
Asako didn't know whether to feel joy or shyness, but she clenched her small fists and said, "Seino-san, I'll do my best in the competition!"
"Me too!"
"Me too!"
Watanabe gave everyone a playful, knowing look, then casually said to Rin, "You're Seino-san, head of the Seino household. Whatever you say goes."
"This guy!"
"Such a terrible personality!"
Whispers rose again, but now the target was Watanabe.
"Watanabe-san, audition over. Take your seat with the woodwinds. And I don't want to see any more conflicts between members."
"Yes, yes, yes."
"Fine. Conflicts or personal dislike don't matter. Stop wasting time. Keep playing."
Rin glanced at Hase, helped up by others.
"One, two, one-two-three-four—"
"Stop."
"Hey," Watanabe leaned on a metal chair back before Rin spoke. "Saxophone—middle one, yeah, the one with thick legs—didn't you go off-pitch just now?"
"You—"
"Watanabe Tetsu!" Rin groaned.
"What? Seino-san, pointing out mistakes doesn't count as a conflict, right?"
Rin drew a deep, frustrated breath. "It doesn't, but—"
"Seino-san," Kitahara stood up. "I'll play correctly!"
Watanabe leaned back in the chair. "Your only goal is not going off-pitch? Fine. Using my level to push you all might be too much."
Kitahara, tearful, shouted, "I'll play correctly!"
"Good. I trust you."
She froze, realizing Watanabe's words were meant to encourage.
The second rehearsal began.
"Kitahara with thick legs, can you manage? And you, percussion on the far edge—your arms are thick but you have no strength. That can't be all fat, right?"
Third rehearsal.
"Ugh—unbearable. Thick legs, you and you, honestly, without you guys, the rest might manage silver—or even gold with my help!"
"Watanabe Tetsu." Rin's glare met him.
"Sorry, Seino-san. Got too angry and made personal attacks."
Fourth rehearsal.
"Legs—"
"Watanabe Tetsu, enough!" a senior scolded, hugging Kitahara who was crying.
"Really? Wrong about her legs? Or pitch?"
"You can't talk about girls like that!"
"You can critique me too. Point out my mistakes or flaws, if it's true, I won't argue. You, single-eyelid senpai, please."
"Y-you—"
"See? Nothing to say. My motto: the only way to silence me is to surpass me in every way."
Kitahara grabbed the resisting senpai: "I'll try harder!"
The senior sat down, others shrank.
Though they wanted to beat Watanabe, they feared his tongue targeting various peers.
'We must win gold for this guy to see!'
Thus ended a full day of wind ensemble practice.
In the Human Observation Club room, Watanabe disassembled his oboe, packed it, and prepared to leave.
"Not seeing me off today?"
"Huh?" Watanabe looked surprised at Rin.
She glanced at the night outside. "Almost midnight."
"I don't mind."
Locking the door, they walked down a street lit only by lampposts.
Night wind brushed past. Occasionally, headlights from a passing car were blinding.
"Thank you for today." Rin's voice came with the hum of tires on the asphalt.
"You saw through my plan?!"
"You don't think it was very secret, do you? Did you expect me to misunderstand you?"
"Uh." Watanabe froze briefly.
"So, you didn't stop me, even deliberately opposed me?" Rin tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ear, smiling.
"...Yeah."
"You were willing to be disliked to help me. How could I betray you?" Rin's lips curved into a delicate smile.
"Is that really 'betrayal'?"
Rin paused at the red traffic light. "Aren't you afraid of being disliked?"
"For me, it's good. Being disliked lets Miki relax. Though I feel bad about attacking the girls personally. Hate me if you want, just hope they're not scarred."
"Thick legs, single eyelids... hard to handle."
"I only said it for you. If they're scarred, it's your fault. Carry that guilt."
Rin sighed. "Sometimes I can't tell if you're gentle or not."
"Of course I'm gentle. I said it to prevent you from falling for me."
"Don't worry. My love isn't that cheap yet. But," Rin turned to him, smiling, "you've won my friendship. From today, you're my first friend."
Passing car headlights highlighted a faint blush on her face.
"Can I refuse?"
"No."
The light turned green. Rin crossed with a smile.
"How did you improve your oboe so quickly?"
"You think I'm anyone?"
"Watanabe Tetsu."
"No." He spread his arms against the night wind. "I am a god."
"Ugh, can your chūnibyō ever be cured?"
"Ah, Seino-san must be worried about me?"
Her playful grab at his waist made him wince.
"Ouch—Seino-san."
"Liar. I didn't even grab hard."
"My heart aches."
Rin shivered and stepped back.
"One more thing—I hope you won't single out Kitahara next time."
"Why? She went off-pitch."
"By the second rehearsal, she didn't."
"Eh?" Watanabe stopped. "You tricked me?"
"What do you think?"
Watanabe blushed. "So tonight, I didn't embarrass myself too badly?"
Rin laughed. "Your performance scared them. They subconsciously thought you could hear nuances they couldn't, and since I didn't expose you as the authority, they never doubted you."
"Don't tell anyone else." Watanabe warned.
"Poor Kitahara."
"If I did, the poor one would be me!"
"Don't worry. You're my subordinate. And my friend."
"Feeling shy?"
"Talkative people usually get a rough end."