Chapter 148: Streamside Communication
The tone gradually becomes stronger and weaker, and as time goes by, almost every detail is gradually improved through repeated practice.

"Today's practice ends here. Dinner will still be at the usual time. Everyone remember not to be late."

"Yes--!"

The members answered the club leader Aoyama Shoko in a drawn-out voice, and then began to pack up their instruments, chatting with each other as they prepared to go back to the dormitory to rest.

It was obvious that everyone was tired, and Matsumae Shinchun felt that she was the same.

But it's only afternoon.
Why do I feel exhausted?

Because Mr. Fujii was not here this morning?
It seems to be so
When she heard in the morning that Mr. Fujii had to go to Tokyo for something and that today's class would be taught by Akai Muko, Matsumae Shinharu felt that she instantly lost her energy.

Mr. Fujii
Mr. Fujii
Mr. Fujii
Matsumae Shinchun placed the violin flat on her legs and looked up at the sky.

The sunlight diffused the green outlines of the tree shadows, and the light spots gradually became dazzling and blurred in the field of vision.

The girl put her hand up to cover her forehead, making the sunlight much weaker.

The air was filled with the scent of grass and forest.

Karuizawa is worthy of its name. Even in the hottest season, the forest still maintains a cool and refreshing feeling.

Green leaves, mountain springs, and music.
These elements feel very suitable for Mr. Fujii.

Songqian Xinchun couldn't help but feel sentimental.

I really hope that one day I can go traveling with my teacher.

In their spare time, they would pick a few lotus leaves as placemats, and enjoy food, appreciate books, and meditate under the shade of green trees.
When you feel sleepy, close your eyes and lie in his arms.
It's wonderful.

"Kokoroharu-chan!"

"Chi-Chitose?!"

Chitose Yangkui suddenly hugged Matsumae Shinharu's neck from behind, and the girl was startled and her heart was beating wildly.

"Scared me."

"I'm sorry!" Yang Kui Chitose let go of Matsumae Shinchun's white and fat neck, softened her tone, and apologized sincerely.

"It's okay." Matsumae Shinchun came to her senses.

"But Xinchun-chan seems to be scared every time. I heard that people who feel guilty or are afraid of ghosts are always scared, while other people are not afraid! Xinchun-chan seems to be the type who is afraid of ghosts."

"I don't like ghost stories."

"Isn't Xinchun-chan a shrine maiden?" Yang Kui Chitose leaned close to her ear.

Matsumae Shinchun didn't pay much attention to her intimacy. She grabbed the violin case beside her and began to slowly pack up her violin.

"When I was a child, the place I lived in was too big. As a shrine maiden of the Matsumae family, I had to run back and forth between the courtyard and the shrine every day. Although they were both at home, I was still afraid of the night road in between. Over time, I developed a fear of the dark."

"No one's with you tonight? You're a young lady!"

"No. As the daughter of the head of the family, independence is also very important."

Chitose Yang Kui was moved: "I thought it was an excuse that Kokoharu-chan used to evade me that night, but I didn't expect it to be true."

"How could I lie to you? Chitose, you are my good friend."

Seeing the other person's smile as warm as the sun, Yang Kui Chitose felt that she had misunderstood Xinchun again, and guilt surged in her heart.

I shouldn't have been so suspicious of Xinchun.

Xinchun is just a simple and gentle young lady.

"Let's go play by the creek."

"why is that?"

"Anyway, I have nothing to do now, and it's cool over there! Let's go."

"But the creek is beyond our range. Akai-sensei will be angry."

Yang Kui Chitose frowned and shook her short hair, "She's angry, so she's angry! And Xinchun, don't you think Akai Muzi still has bad intentions towards Brother Shu? Humph, I won't listen to her~"

Matsumae Shinharu smiled at Chitose's cute look.

"Chitose is jealous."

"No sister likes to see her good brother being touched by other women, okay!"

"That day, Qiansui was jealous like this?"

"Of course! So Xinchun, please stop hugging Brother Shu like that, okay~ I still treat you as my good sister!"

"Ah."

"Well, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's go to the creek. I know there's a good place nearby!"

"That instrument" Matsumae Shinchun glanced at the violin case in her hand.

"It's okay, it's okay, just put it here, no one will take it, I'll put it here too, let's go, let's go! Stop wasting time!"

"Hey! Slow down!"

Chitose Haruki ran out of the end of the practice area holding Matsumae Shinharu's hand.

The two secretly climbed over the fence and came to the other side of the forest, upstream of the Karuizawa River.

When the wire mesh blocked the two of them, Yang Kui Chitose climbed over it in just two steps. She wanted to take care of Xinchun, but she didn't expect Xinchun's hands and feet were also very agile. He climbed up the wire mesh in a few seconds and then jumped down from the height.

This shocked Yang Kui Chitose.

"Chitose.? Why are you staring at me?"

"Xinchun-chan doesn't look like a pampered young lady at all. How come she is so good at fighting!"

Matsumae Shinchun smiled reservedly, "I also took self-defense lessons when I was young. I asked an elder from the clan to be my teacher. I also learned some kendo and judo."

"Then will Kokoro-chan still fight?!"

"It's not a fight, just self-defense."

"The eldest daughter of the Matsumae family is so amazing!"

"No la."

The two girls continued to move forward.

Passing through the grass and stepping over dead branches, the two soon arrived at the stream that Yang Kui Qiansui mentioned. This is at the foot of the mountain, and there is a small waterfall.

Water cascades down from the scaly rocks on the top of the mountain. The water below is fast-flowing, yet clear enough to see the bottom.

Matsumae Shinharu squatted on the shore, reached out to touch the flowing water below, and the cool feeling rushed straight to his heart.

This is the most refreshing feeling on a hot summer day.

"This"

"Hehe, what a great place!"

"Hmm! How did Chitose find out?"

"I saw it on SNS. Someone said there is this place on the back mountain of Karuizawa. So I went here to take a look during my free time. Sure enough, there is this place! Not many people know about this place now~~"

Touching the cool water with her hands, Matsumae Shinchun looked at her own reflection in the ripples of the stream and smiled.

She probably understood why Chitose had dragged her here.

This is really treating yourself as a true good friend.

There is such a pleasant place and I want to share it with myself as soon as possible.

She also felt like playing at this time.

She took off her shoes and socks on her own initiative, stepped her snow lotus-like little feet on the green grass, then sat by the river and put her toes into the stream.

A cool feeling spreads throughout the body.

Matsumae Shinharu played with the water with her little feet. The waves of the stream surged and flowed between the girl's pink toes.

She looked very happy.

"Xinchun's feet are so pink and white."

"is it?"

"Hmm," Yang Kui Chitose also noticed the red string on her ankle, "and why does Kokoroharu-chan have a little bell tied to her foot?"

"this?"

Matsumae Shinchun gently lifted her right foot and floated to the surface. Her entire lotus foot, with water and a string of bells, was exposed to view.

"Ah."

"This is a foot bell my mother made for me. It's for my protection. In the past, the foot bell would allow mothers to locate their children, but now it has more symbolic meaning."

Matsumae Shinchun started playing with the water with her feet again.

Just like a child.

"Kokoharu-chan must have been very lonely when she was little."

"How do you talk about this?"

"Because I asked Brother Shu about Xinchun-chan later, and Brother Shu told me your previous story, Xinchun-chan."

Chitose Yang Kui's eyes turned to the small bell on her best friend's ankle.

Talking about the past and her mother, Matsumae Shinchun felt a little sad, but she still smiled and answered:

"It's in the past."

"It is precisely because Brother Shu is a student of Xinchun's mother that Xinchun has a special feeling for Brother Shu."

"Hmm." Matsumae Shinchun stopped playing with the water and supported her hands on both sides. "Teacher Fujii told me a lot of things about my mother, things about my mother that I didn't know."

"Why did Xinchun-chan's mother leave?"

"I'm not sure. No one in the family wants to talk about these things. But it seems that after my mother left, my father seemed to have become a different person because of family matters."

"Xinchun is so pitiful." Matsumae Xinchun encouraged Yang Kui Chitose with a smile: "Chitose is more pitiful than me! But aren't you still so happy now?"

"Me? I'm different. I've had Brother Shu and the dean since I was a child. After Brother Shu left, I still have my current adoptive parents."

Yang Kui Chitose took off her shoes and socks and sat beside her to play with her feet in the water. She stared at her reflection in the water.

"Everyone is still taking care of me. I feel at home. It's lively every day at home. I feel very happy helping my father run the hot spring shop every day. I wonder if you have ever had this feeling, Xinchun."

".Home?"

"Correct."

The two of them stared at the stream at the same time, remaining silent.

"Very rarely," Matsumae Shinchun replied in a low voice, "I can still feel it from my aunt. I see my father less and less. The last time I saw him was a year ago."

Yang Kui Chitose was silent for a long time again.

"I understand more and more how you want to be Shu's brother or sister. Okay, Xinchun, hug Shu a little bit in the future, just for a little while. I can agree to it. But! Just don't do it in front of me! I will still be jealous and unhappy."

Matsumae Shinharu showed a happy expression that Chitose understood her.

"Chitose is so cute."

"Brother Shu also likes to praise me like this."

As the two chatted, Matsumae Shinchun remembered something and asked:

"By the way, Chitose, do you know what Mr. Fujii was doing in downtown Tokyo today? Purchasing musical instruments?"

".Go find Jiuhuayue."

"Looking for Xiaoyue?!"

"Yes." Yang Kui Chitose hugged her legs and buried her face in her knees, "She said she wanted to go see a performance by Jiuhuayue."

"I see."

"Hmm? Xinchun, aren't you jealous?"

"Jealous? Why are you jealous?"

"Brother Shu is also your brother now," Yang Kui Qiansui said in pauses, as if he was a little reluctant, but forced himself to be willing, "He is also your brother!"

"That's right. But Mr. Fujii went to see Xiaoyue because they were friends, right?"

"Why would Xinchun think so?" Chitose was curious.

"Why?" Matsumae Shinchun wondered, "Isn't that exactly the case?"

".No, no! Jiu Huayue had bad intentions towards Brother Shu from the beginning! She said from the beginning that she wanted to become Brother Shu's 'student'!"

Matsumae Shinchun asked back: "But does this conflict with the friendship between Satsuki and Fujii-sensei?"

"."

Yang Kui Chitose was stunned and speechless for a moment.

right
It seems that there is no conflict
She wants to become Brother Shu's student, which does not conflict with her friendship with Brother Shu.

"Chitose, I also know about the quarrel between you and Jiuhuayue. At that time, it seemed that you were fighting over the 'student' that Mr. Fujii mentioned, right?"

"That's it"

"What does Chitose think of this position?"

"It's one-of-a-kind. This is the only chance to help Brother Shu make up for his regrets in college!"

"I have a different opinion."

Since she was a good friend, Chitose Yangkui listened to everything she said patiently.

What Kokoharu meant was simply that "I am not the only one who has realized Mr. Fujii's dream."

Chitose Yang Kui understood what her good friend meant.

But she didn't want to do that in her heart.

Only she can make up for Brother Shu’s regrets, only she can stand on the award-giving stage for Brother Shu and make Brother Shu happy for her.

What Xinchun said obviously made sense, but she just didn't want to do it.

Matsumae Shinharu rested her cheek on her knees, tilted her head and smiled at Chitose:
"If Chitose still thinks this way, then what does Chitose think of my current identity? I also want to make up for Mr. Fujii's regret. I also want to know how my mother feels when she sees Mr. Fujii standing on the stage if she is still alive.

"Chitose is going to be hostile to me too? Are you going to deliberately use some method to kick me out of the club?"

"I--"

Yang Kui Qiansui was extremely conflicted. She didn't know how to answer, nor did she know how to refuse.

If it were an ordinary person, she would definitely fight with the other person.

But this is Xinchun.

The scene of her celebrating her birthday and giving herself flowers is still vivid in my mind.

Matsumae Shinharu rested his chin on his raised knees and looked toward the small waterfall on the stream:
"Teacher Fujii wanted to know what my mother felt at that time. I think my mother would not care about the number of her 'students'. She would be very tolerant and give them the same encouragement and care.
“On the contrary, I think my mother would be happier to have such a group of students who help her realize her ambitions and make her happy!
"If Chitose wants to help Mr. Fujii realize his dream, then she wants Mr. Fujii to be happy, right?"

"Yeah" Yang Kui Chitose couldn't refute.

"Since the more 'students' there are, the happier Mr. Fujii will be, why would Chitose want to stop this behavior?"

"."

Xinchun's words are impeccable.

It was so flawless that even Yang Kui Chitose wanted to blame herself.

“It’s selfish”

Yes, it's selfish.

Only selfishness would limit Brother Tree's happiness to himself.

Do I really want to see Brother Tree like this?
Don't want
For Chitose, making Brother Shu happy is what she should always do to repay him.

Yang Kui Qiansui thought for a long time.

"Okay. Xinchun convinced me! But Xinchun said these..."

"I want Chitose and Satsuki to reconcile."

"Um"

"From now on, there will be three of us. Oh, and Rinka will be included. In the future, the four of us good friends will be together happily, isn't that good? And now Xiaoyue can't compete with you, Chitose, for the position of trumpet player, right?"

Yang Kui Qiansui sighed: "Xinchun is so kind, she is still thinking about her good friends in the past at this time."

"Then Chitose's answer was—"

"Okay. I promise. I will try to reconcile with Jiuhuayue."

Songqian Xinchun smiled brightly and immersed her feet in the stream again, splashing water.

"That way everyone is happy."

After finishing this topic, the two girls talked about many happy things by the stream.

Every time Yang Kui Chitose smiles, she feels how good it is to have Xinchun as a good friend.

But as she looked at Xinchun, she seemed to suddenly remember something.

"By the way! Xinchun, your birthday is coming soon! I'm here to celebrate for you!"

"It's thoughtful of you, Chitose, but this time I'll invite you to my birthday party instead."

".why is that?"

Shinharu Matsumae looks up at the blue sky:

"After all, I am the daughter of the head of the Matsumae family. Since the Matsumae family has such a large industry and a good reputation, it is natural that they will hold a grand party. People from all walks of life will come. Sorry, Chitose, I——"

I turned around and looked at my good friend, only to find that she was holding her hands up excitedly:

"Then Kokoro-chan! I can go to your birthday party!"

Too
This is Chitose.

Matsumae Shinchun smiled bitterly: "Of course."

"Who else should we invite?"

"All the classmates in the class will be invited, and those who are close to us in the club will also be invited. There is no need to worry about anything, just join in the fun."

"Then I! Then I want to be the first person Xinchun invites!"

"It's okay."

"Xinchun!"

"what happened?"

"Hey, you're so nice~"

Matsumae Shinharu, who was hugged by Yang Kui Chitose, was a little at a loss for a moment, but she still smiled and hugged the other person.

"Me too."

That's probably it.

It's the feeling of having good friends.

very nice.

correct
On my birthday, my aunt said she wanted someone to dance with her.

Will Mr. Fujii agree?
If I agree, wouldn't it be bad for Qiansui to see it?

(End of this chapter)