163 You are there

Today was the day for the concert band club to start their club after a long "Golden Week," but unlike the previous year, there was a huge difference between this year and the previous year. 

The biggest change came from the club's new advisor. 

Previously, everyone thought that the new advisor would come after the "Golden Week," but unexpectedly, this new teacher would come before their activity stopped due to the placement exam. 

During their first meeting, everyone's impression of this teacher was only one: good-looking. Yet, there was no doubt this teacher's appearance was still far from Mizuto's, which everyone had to completely agree, especially the girls, who had fallen under the spell of Mizuto's handsome face. 

Nevertheless, the teacher only cared a little about this. Instead, he asked them one question, "What is our goal this year?" He asked everyone straight forward what they wanted to do this year. 

Everyone was confused, and naturally, they answered that their goal was to compete at the national. Yet, even if they said those words, they couldn't believe that they could do it. Instead, this goal was nothing but a slogan, something to beautify their activity. 

If it was another teacher, they would follow this and follow what everyone believed, but this teacher directly crossed out this goal and told all of them that this year's goal was to "play around." 

When forced to face the truth, everyone felt uneasy, yet they didn't know how to argue, as this was the reality of the concert band. Everyone was lazy, and they didn't even use their time to train. They only chatted and played in the name of youth or to make good memories during their high school life. 

Nevertheless, this new advisor teacher never gave mercy, and with his kind, gentle attitude, Noboru Taki said, "Then, let's choose it by yourselves. I am fine with whatever you choose." 

Taki never forced them to be serious about the club. Instead, he told them to make their own choices to choose whether they would play around or spend their time at the club seriously. 

Once again, no one could argue with this, as it was the truth. The truth has always been painful and uncomfortable. Moreover, once they knew the truth, they needed to change, and this change was troublesome, expensive, and even hard to do. 

Yet Taki was still smiling and telling them to do it, so in the end, the club leader, Haruka Ogasawara, wasn't sure what to do, was nervous, and felt extreme anxiety, as she had a weak personality. 

However, the vice president, Asuka Tanaka, took charge of everyone and, with a vote, made everyone choose their goal for this year. 

"What a vote?"

"This is the fairest and fastest way to choose, right? I mean, how can we possibly choose what to do with these numbers of people except for voting?" 

Yet, being asked to vote, could they even say that they wanted to play around instead of doing the club seriously so they could compete in the national?

So, in the end, as no one dared to say that they wanted to play around and take it easy, all of them raised their hands and chose to compete at the national. Still, some didn't raise their hands, and one person raised her hand, expressing her thought that she only spent time in the club to make a good memory. 

Nevertheless, as the majority of the voters chose to compete in the nation, on that day, the goal of the concert band club had been decided to compete in the nation. 

Now, some might be confused: what is it to compete in the nation?

To compete in the nation is to participate in the All-Japan Band Competition. 

What is the All-Japan Band Competition?

The All-Japan Band Competition is a large wind band competition in Japan, organized by the All-Japan Band Association and the Asahi Shimbun. The competition is divided into four groups: junior high school, high school, college, and adult. Each symphonic band plays two pieces: a required piece and a free-choice piece. There are three types of awards given: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Based on the sheer number of musicians participating, the All-Japan Band competition is the largest music competition in the world.

Their goal was to participate in such an event, and naturally, it required a lot of hard work. 

Yet, even if they had made such a goal before the "Golden Week," nothing had changed after the "Golden Week." Everyone was still lazy as usual, but their teacher didn't come or even remind them; no one changed, and they thought they could spend their time lazily as usual. 

However, Reina has always been different. Whenever everyone was lazy, she would be alone, working hard with her trumpet, honing her skills so she could become a professional musician in the future. 

Frankly, if there was something that attracted her to this school other than Taki Noboru, the new advisor teacher, it was also the fact her father had once taught this school's concert band together with Taki's father, leading the club into a regular finalist and frequent gold-medal winner in the final national stage of the All-Japan Band Competition. 

So, whatever the situation of the club was, the sound of her trumpet had always been clear, bold, and beautiful. 

Even though Reina was only in her 1st year, there was no doubt her play was the most beautiful among the trumpet sections. Even the trumpet section leader, Kaori Nakaseko, was below her. Yet, while Kaori knew that, she still worked hard and trained to be better with her play.

However, Reina didn't care about those things and only focused on honing her skills.

Yet, Reina's actions caused dissatisfaction in the 2nd year, especially among those who had been taken care of by Kaori, thinking that this underclassman got ahead of herself. Nevertheless, it didn't mean that Kaori told them to do so, but it wasn't like Kaori wasn't blamed since Kaori was soft-spoken and never expressed her thoughts as she didn't want to cause a conflict to become huge; she never said anything and just treated everyone fairly, and stopped them from talking Reina. 

Nevertheless, the conflict never arose as they knew that no matter how good the 1st year was, they wouldn't have a chance to enter the competition. 

The tradition of the club among the high school had always been like this. 

Instead of the best, they chose the older one who would participate. Even if the older was worse, lazy, and had many other negative traits, as long as they were older, they would be the ones who were chosen. 

It was the same case as last year, and this year, they also thought so. 

It was why, even if Reina was better than all of them, no one thought much of her since Reina definitely wouldn't be able to play in the competition as she was just the 1st year. 

Nevertheless, Reina never cared about them and just did what she did as usual, training, especially when she had someone to support her, like Mizuto, Yume, and Akatsuki. She was no longer alone and believed she could be better and achieve her dream. 

Today should be the same case. 

As everyone was talking and playing around, Reina would practice by himself, honing her skills to be better every day, yet unfortunately, she couldn't do so. The words that Mizuto had said to her in the classroom still echoed in her mind, and she knew that he would come to her. 

By then, what would he say to her?

If it was someone else, Reina knew that they would confess to her, but if it was Mizuto? She wasn't sure, especially when she knew that he only felt lust instead of love toward her. 

Yes, she knew that she was a troublesome girl. 

She admitted that, and it was the thing that made her heart a mess. While she didn't mind losing her virginity to him, she felt like... it was just too sad when everything was just over like this. 

Nothing has changed between them, and that's it. 

If it had been before, she might have liked this since her heart was for Taki Noboru, but as Mizuto came into her life, she realized that she hadn't thought of Taki as much as she used to. Even when Taki came to the clubroom for the first time, she wasn't that excited and only thought of working hard so Mizuto could be proud to have a friend like her. 

Mizuto had preoccupied her mind and heart and made her a mess. 

Still, even so, she never stopped practicing, yet with such a condition, could she even practice?

While she didn't realize it, her play, which had been perfect before, was in disarray. Instead of the beautiful and clear sound of the trumpet, it was like the sound of the lost girl's cry. 

Naturally, this was noticed by many and made them confused, considering they knew how stoic Reina was. The thought of this perfect girl in a mess never crossed their minds since they thought she was a robot who just kept playing.

Still, Kaori, the beautiful trumpet leader, felt worried, and when Reina stopped playing, she came to her and asked softly, "Kousaka-san, are you okay?" 

Reina, who stopped playing, turned her head and saw a beautiful young woman with short, bobbed, dark-brown hair, matching brown-reddish eyes, and a mole on her left cheek.

"...I am okay." 

Kaori still showed a soft smile and said, "Is that so? If you don't feel comfortable, please don't force yourselves, okay? It's okay to rest and go home early." 

"No, I will continue to train." 

Reina became stubborn and kept playing, but in the end, even after the club ended, she was still in a mess. Naturally, many were cornered about her, especially Kumiko Oumae, who hadn't said anything to her. 

In the original, their relationship was close, especially when Kumiko felt guilty for what she had said to Reina after the end of their competition during their middle school time. 

Yet, at this moment, such a thing hadn't happened, and their relationship was still hard to describe, especially when they didn't have heart-to-heart contact. 

Nevertheless, Reina didn't care about those things, and she wondered when Mizuto was going to meet her. She checked her smartphone and saw that he didn't even send her a chat. It was clear. He said nothing as usual, as he had done after their trip to Ise-Shima. 

As she walked out of the clubroom, she also tried to search for Mizuto's figures, but unfortunately, no matter how she tried to find him, she couldn't. 

'In the end, it's like this after all...' 

In Mizuto's eyes, Reina knew that she was just like any other girl. She was nothing special, and in his heart, there was nothing but Yume. While she knew the truth, it hurt. Nevertheless, she tried to be strong, holding her tears so they wouldn't come out, as she didn't want to shed her tears for that bastard. 

As she walked to the parking lot where she put her bicycle, she held her sadness, but as her steps came closer to the parking lot, her feelings kept piling up, and soon, it was almost overflowing, yet—

"Reina." 

This deep and low voice...

Reina looked up and saw Mizuto was there, waiting for her in the parking lot. 

At that moment, everything disappeared, and it was only him who she saw in her eyes.