Chapter 322: Karuizawa in August (17)
The Dahe Concert Hall was open, with soft tones leaning out from the inside.
Toru Watanabe and Rin Kiyono parked their bicycles and walked in.
The fifty-five members of the Kamikawa Wind Orchestra sat on the stage, with a few scattered audience members sitting below, making it seem like a performance by a less famous orchestra.
The two walked to the first row.
The two members of the wind ensemble were spotted on the stage, some with their eyes wide open, some playing more seriously, and some making mistakes in panic.
When Qingye Rin slightly frowned her cold and beautiful brows, all these people became obedient again.
Toru Watanabe looked at the row in front of him. Koizumi Aona was sitting there bored, holding a cell phone in her hand and glancing at it from time to time.
"Good morning, Mr. Koizumi."
"Hmm?" Koizumi Aona heard the voice, straightened up and turned around, "Kiyono-san, long time no see."
"Long time no see, Mr. Koizumi." Qingno Rin replied.
Koizumi Aona looked past her and behind Kiyono Rin, and saw Watanabe Toru winking at her.
Koizumi Aona's mouth smiled uncontrollably.
On the stage, Hayami Kaoru, who was originally the conductor, noticed the arrival of Kiyono Rin, shook her hand, and asked everyone to stop playing together.
She herself stepped off the stage and walked towards Kiyono Rin.
"Long time no see, Kiyono-san, Watanabe-kun." There was a hint of urgency in Hayami Kaoru's voice when he greeted her.
The wind band had not received any instruction from Kiyono Rin since August, and as the competition date was getting closer, she, as the band leader, was becoming extremely anxious.
"Long time no see, nice to see you, senior." Watanabe Toru replied.
Before Qing Ye Lin could speak, Hayami Xun looked at her and said, "Qing Ye, could you please guide us?"
"That's why I'm here."
The two of them didn't waste any time and went straight onto the stage.
Hayami Kaoru took her bassoon and sat among the others in the wind orchestra; Kiyono Rin took the baton and stood in front of the music stand.
"After being reminded, there are two reasons why I haven't improved. One is that I don't work hard enough, and the other is that I don't have enough ability."
"But no matter which one you are, you are worse than I thought."
As soon as he came on stage, Shinto Kiyono told the brass band what it meant to be emotionless.
The wind section held its breath and concentrated.
Some people feel ashamed, some think that the baseball club's cheering wasted training time, so they think it's unfair.
But no matter who they are or what they feel, they all have to obey the scolding at this time.
"Start with the flute in the woodwind section. Take turns playing for me." After a few ruthless lectures, Qingye Rin immediately began to give instructions.
"yes!"
When Toru Watanabe sat down next to Aona Koizumi, he glanced at the tourists in the back row and saw that they all looked surprised by Rin Kiyono.
The two sat side by side, watching the wind band hold a meeting, and writing down every word that Kiyono Rin said on their respective music scores.
Koizumi Aona hesitated how to start.
As lovers or as teacher and student.
There were so many people in the concert hall, and so many students in front of me... It could only be a conversation between teachers and students...
"Did you receive my letter?" Watanabe Toru said in a low voice.
Koizumi Aona's original feeling of regret and discouragement was immediately washed away by these words.
"Hmm." Her voice was very light, like the timbre of Tamamo Yomi's flute on the stage at this moment.
"Why didn't you go play?"
"She's a teacher after all." Koizumi Aona said in a girl's tone.
“I like teachers the most.”
"I don't believe you."
"Why?" Watanabe Toru turned his head to look at her.
Because the stage was full of people, he didn't smile, but his eyes showed smile and kindness.
"Have you forgotten?" Koizumi Aonai crossed her arms and put on a teacher's majestic posture. "One month into last year, you didn't even know my full name, but you said you loved the teacher the most and that you studied for the teacher."
"Teacher, you are wrong."
“I remember it very clearly!”
"When I said 'I like teachers the most', I meant I like the profession of teacher, not you."
"What does that mean? Planning to be a teacher in the future?"
"What I mean is, no matter whether I graduate or not, please continue to be my teacher."
Watanabe Toru's ambiguous tone made Koizumi Aona, who often heard Miyazaki Miyuki say "students just yearn for beautiful female teachers", immediately understand.
"Be serious!" She said with shame and anger, her fair oval face blushing.
"If I wasn't sitting in the first row, I would put my hand on your leg right now."
"Watanabe-san." On the stage, Kiyono Rin turned around and cast a cold look at Watanabe Toru.
"exist!"
"Come up."
"What's up?"
"It's fine to sit there anyway, so you can be in charge of coaching the woodwind instruments."
"……oh."
"Come on!" Koizumi Aona smiled gently.
"Remember how I taught you to train and guide them?" Watanabe Toru whispered as he stood up.
"Hmm..." Koizumi Aona pointed her finger at chin in confusion, "Do you want me to blow it again?"
"You were using my body to do such... girlish things?"
"Yeah." Koizumi Aona nodded to Watanabe Toru, who was obviously lying.
"I……"
"Watanabe-san."
"Here we go, here we go. The deputy minister also wants human rights."
Correct the missed intervals, make the beats neat, adjust the volume ratio between instruments... practice the same part repeatedly several times, dozens of times.
The audience came and went, and few people remained interested in the wind section practicing for long.
Keep practicing without stopping.
Around noon, Miki Kujo and the two ladies arrived.
Koizumi Aona dodged her gaze left and right, but finally mustered up the courage to step forward and said, "Good afternoon, Kujo-san, Kiyono-san, and Miki-san."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Koizumi." Mrs. Kujo said gently.
She looked as young as Aona Koizumi, but with a slight change in tone, she naturally revealed the maturity of a high school girl's mother.
"Where is Watanabe?" Miki Kujo didn't see Toru Watanabe on the stage.
"I will be directing the woodwind section in the Second Concert Hall," said Aona Koizumi.
"Yeah." Miki Kujo nodded and walked straight to the second concert hall.
"Let's go and take a look too." The two ladies didn't even look at Kiyono Rin on the stage.
Qingye Rin didn't notice their arrival and was concentrating on instructing the brass group.
Under her guidance, everyone gradually gained a clear understanding of the music that they had played countless times.
Even though they already knew that they would be able to play better if they just did what Kiyono Rin said, they still felt trust and admiration for her from the bottom of their hearts.
On the other side, Miki Kujo and the two ladies walked into the second concert hall.
Mrs. Kujo took a quick look and saw that except for Toru Watanabe, all the others were girls.
They were playing, and Toru Watanabe was staring at the music score with a listening look on his face.
Hearing someone coming in, the girls continued to play, and Toru Watanabe looked up.
"Play it again." He said to the woodwind section without saying hello to Kujo Miki and the other two.
"Ah——" the girls in the woodwind section wailed.
"Watanabe-kun," said Hayami Kaoru, bassoonist and head of the wind section, "We have played this passage ten times. It's about time you tell us what's wrong."
"That's right!" First-year oboe player Horikita Mai echoed, "Senior, you can tell me now!"
"You guys are so stupid." Watanabe Toru sighed.
"Yes, yes, Watanabe-kun, you are the smartest, tell us quickly!" The girls didn't care at all and urged one by one.
Toru Watanabe deliberately adopted a bad coaching style, but it seemed to have no effect.
"Think carefully about what you should be thinking about when playing this part? How are you going to present this solo? I'll give you three minutes. If you can't do it, keep practicing today . I hope you can practice more parts during the three-day training camp and don't stop at this point."
After saying that, Watanabe Toru ignored them and walked straight towards Kujo Miki and the other two.
"Why are you here?" he asked.
"I came to have dinner with you." replied Kujo Miki.
Toru Watanabe raised his left hand and looked at the black dial. It was indeed time for dinner.
"Dismiss, have dinner." He turned and said to the woodwind section.
"Tell me what's wrong!" The girls didn't let him go.
"What are you thinking about when you play?" Toru Watanabe asked tentatively.
"'Harbor Wind', of course it's the harbor!"
"It's a harbor, but it's not Tokyo Bay. This song was composed by a Yokohama native. Look up Yokohama Bay while you eat."
After dealing with these people, Watanabe Toru turned around and said to the ladies, "What do you want to eat?"
"Go eat with the high school students?" Mrs. Kujo said with interest.
"Okay." Watanabe Toru had no objection.
The four of them walked towards the First Concert Hall together, ready to look for Kiyono Rin.
"Watanabe-kun," Mrs. Kiyono said, "I thought you were going to be affectionate with Rin-chan, but it turns out you're here to give instructions to the wind orchestra."
"What image do you have of me?"
"Anyway, he's not some innocent boy."
"This is the biggest misunderstanding of the whole month of August."
"I don't think it's a misunderstanding." Mrs. Kujo also joined in the fun, "You have a lot of little ideas. But, do you plan to go into politics in the future?"
"No, Meiji and I have decided to develop high technology, holographic projection and artificial intelligence, and rule the world."
"He's so serious even when joking. He's really suited to be a politician," Mrs. Kiyono affirmed.
Mrs. Kujo said, "When you graduate from college, I will arrange for you to be a secretary to a minister, and then enter the House of Representatives. Step by step, you will become the chief cabinet secretary, party president, and prime minister. It will be quick."
"Dear mother, I really plan to study artificial intelligence and become the king of the world."
"It seems that I have to arrange for you to stay in a mental hospital for a while." This is what Mrs. Kujo thinks of her son-in-law's great dream.
Watanabe Toru took Kujo Miki's slender and soft little hand and said to her:
"My dear Meiji, starting from tonight, your Toru will not be able to accompany you. He plans to study artificial intelligence. Please help him prepare relevant teaching materials and papers."
"Just don't disturb my sleep."
"What it means is that you can study, but you still have to do what you need to do every day?" Watanabe Toru said with a low laugh.
Kujo Miki rolled her eyes at him.
They called Kiyono Rin and went to the hotel with the brass band to have dinner.
The food is not extravagant, but still plentiful.
Salt-grilled saury with grated radish and a slice of lime; seasonal vegetables with dried bonito;
There were also egg rolls, pickled cucumbers, rice, and a bowl of chicken soup with matsutake, lentils, and bamboo shoots.
"It's a good meal," said Mrs. Kujo. "I usually eat about the same."
"I usually only eat rice with tea," said Toru Watanabe.
"So pitiful? Meiji has been so bad to you, come to our house." Mrs. Qingye said with a smile.
"That won't work." Watanabe Toru raised his hand to refuse. "Last year during the typhoon, the eldest daughter of the Seino family was hungry all day, and bought two discounted bento boxes at the supermarket that night. With such treatment, you still want me to go?"
"Hahaha!" Except for Kiyono Rin, Kujo Miki and the other two all laughed.
"Is there such a thing?" Mrs. Qingye asked her daughter with a smile on her face.
Kiyono Rin squeezed the lemon mist out and let it fall evenly on the swordfish, then took a sip of the chicken soup, picked up the rice, and ate it slowly.
He simply ignored the excitement of the four people.
After dinner, Kujo Miki and the ladies rode away on their bikes, saying that the weather was so good that they planned to go play golf with the ladies from the restaurant that delivered the Dorayaki.
Toru Watanabe, Rin Kiyono, and Aona Koizumi walked back to the concert hall.
Although there is a lunch break, many diligent members of the wind band continue to practice after eating - the three of them are there to guide these people and ensure their safety.
We practiced in groups until three in the afternoon, and then played together for another hour.
"Good morning, senior." Qingye Rin's forehead was slightly sweaty.
"exist!"
"I'll leave it to you now. Please make sure they practice what I pointed out today until they are completely familiar with it and have completely corrected it."
"No problem, please leave it to me." Hayami Kaoru assured softly but firmly.
Before leaving the conductor's seat, Qing Ye Lin looked at the fifty-five members of the wind band again and said one last sentence:
"I hope I won't be disappointed tomorrow."
"yes!"
There was not much applause from the audience.
The tourists and audience were moved by the youth and hard work of the wind band and recognized their performance.
"Going back?" Toru Watanabe asked Kiyono Rin as she walked off the stage.
"Um."
"Aunt Youzi sent us a message asking us to buy some food on the way. They are just getting ready to go back now."
Qingye Rin had no objection.
"Teacher Koizumi, see you tomorrow." Toru Watanabe said to Aona Koizumi.
"Well, see you tomorrow. Thank you for your hard work today."
After saying goodbye, the two walked out of the concert hall and were about to leave on their bicycles when they ran into Akiko and Miyazaki Miyuki, who were holding shopping bags.
"Hello!" Toru Watanabe greeted with a smile.
He often went to their apartment for dinner, and the three of them were considered friends.
"Going back?" asked Miyazaki Miyuki.
"Yes, I've been here for a day."
"Aina, are you so happy?" Akiko asked teasingly.
"I can't tell. Please ask her for me tonight." Watanabe Toru said with a smile.
"What are you thinking about? I'm not your undercover." Akiko immediately gave Watanabe Toru a cold look.
"Yes, yes," Watanabe Toru replied, "Where did you go during the day?"
"I went to the Outlets today," said Miyuki Miyazaki.
"We went to see it a few days ago. What did you think?"
"The internet says it's a paradise for shopping, but when I actually went to see it, the prices are not competitive at all! Most of them are original price, and the discount is only about 30%!" Huangzi complained.
"Haha!" Toru Watanabe laughed twice without any sympathy.
Akiko raised the shopping belt in her hand and pretended to hit him.
Watanabe Toru pretended to hide for a moment, then said with a smile, "We still have to go buy groceries , so we'll leave first."
"goodbye."
The two rode their bikes to the supermarket and took a big shopping cart.
A handsome boy and a pretty girl, the two of them walked together, the clerks, the customers, everyone would look at them.
"Are the rice and soybean paste out of stock?" Qingye Rin walked in front of the shopping shelf, turning around and looking around.
"Yeah. There's not much beer left in the fridge. Your mother didn't say anything, but buy a few cans."
"good."
Qingye Rin took an item from the shelf from time to time, looked at the description on the bottle for a while, put most of them back, and put a few into the shopping cart.
"She is worthy of being a young lady who can live alone." Toru Watanabe expressed his admiration.
"You live alone and only eat supermarket bento?" Qingye Rin picked up a bag of Canadian matsutake mushrooms and checked their freshness.
"I mainly eat leftover food from the shop where I work part-time, fried food, bento, the kind that's free."
Rin Kiyono shook her head, not at Toru Watanabe, but at the Canadian Matsutake.
She put the matsutake back and continued walking along the shelves filled with vegetables.
Toru Watanabe followed behind pushing a shopping cart.
"What should we eat today?" Qingye Rin whispered as she chose.
Even Watanabe Toru had never seen such a homely Kiyono Rin before.
"What do you like to eat?" asked Qingye Rin.
"I'm fine with anything. The two ladies will probably want edamame and tofu. They can eat these while playing mahjong and drinking in the evening."
Toru Watanabe took a bag of edamame and put it into the shopping cart, while Rin Kiyono took some tofu.
"Do you have any more soy sauce and chili powder?"
"The soy sauce is gone. Did you forget that Meiji poured half a bottle in at once last time?"
"She can cook too?" Qingye Rin laughed at him unceremoniously.
Toru Watanabe suddenly had an illusion that he, Kiyono Rin and Kujo Miki were already a family.
"Buy six cans of beer, is that enough?" Qingye Rin was still enjoying shopping.
"That's enough."
Before checking out, Qingye Rin checked the items in the shopping cart one by one, like a housewife.
"All ready, let's go."
After paying the bill, I carried the bag out of the supermarket and put the items in the cart basket.
Before starting to ride, Qingye Rin tore open a piece of chocolate she had just bought to replenish her energy after a hard day.
"Do you want to eat?" she asked.
Watanabe Toru, who was already on the bicycle, nodded, and Kiyono Rin broke off half a piece for him.
Watanabe Toru put the chocolate into his mouth: "Go home!"
As I pedaled the bicycle, the evening breeze started to blow.
