Chapter 238 Return to the Matsumae Family
"Is everyone here?"

After practice, President Shoko Aoyama stood on the podium and methodically explained the schedule before the Hokkaido representative competition in October.

Fujii Itsuki stood beside her silently, looking around.

When he first took over the wind band, he always arranged many affairs within the club out of habit. Whether it was rehearsal plans or logistical arrangements, he would personally give instructions to everyone in great detail on everything.

Recently, Fujii Itsuki has begun to try to delegate the affairs in his hands to the people in the club so that everyone can perform their respective duties.

After two competitions, everyone has grown. We no longer need to ask him for advice on many things, and most of the time we can take the initiative to complete our tasks.

"Anyway, this is the arrangement. If you have any objections or questions, please raise your hands now," said President Shoko Aoyama, holding a handout.

A hand was raised among the crowd.

Fujii Itsuki looked in the direction he was looking, and the president also looked over there.

"Onda-san, please speak."

"President! In other words, starting from today until three days before the competition, we will have to train every morning and afternoon? Not only will this take up class time, but afternoon practice will also last until about 6:30, is that right?"

Her problem is also the problem of many classmates.

"Yes." Aoyama Shoko nodded seriously, and then bowed to everyone sincerely, "So it will be even harder for everyone during this period of time."

As soon as he finished speaking, many classmates immediately echoed him with words like “It’s not hard!”, “President, you are the one who works the hardest!”, “It’s all the same for everyone!”, “No need to apologize!”, “Let’s work hard together!”

Everyone was talking at once.

Hearing this, Shoko Aoyama's shoulders trembled slightly. She lowered her head, tightly clenched the lecture notes in both hands, and a little moisture appeared in her eyes.

Ugh.
Fujii Itsuki looked at this scene and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

As the instructor of the wind band, he witnessed the dedication and growth of these children.

Apart from Xinchun and the others, these old members of the club are undoubtedly the most hardworking.

In order to rebuild the wind band, they went against all odds and broke up the old circles, and even suffered a lot of cold stares and ridicule for it.

Among them, Shoko Aoyama, as the president, must be under the most pressure.

She has worked hard for so long.

Aoyama Shoko calmed down a little, raised her head again, and looked at everyone with a firm look:
“Thank you, thank you for your support. No matter what the result of the representative competition in October is, I believe that as long as we all work together, we can do our best.”

Fujii Itsuki couldn't help but smile, and felt a warm power flowing among everyone in the wind band.

In fact, for everyone, this is not just training for the competition, but also a journey of growth, right?
Everyone is on this path, gradually becoming stronger.

This is what is called youth.

He looked at Aoyama Shoko, nodded, and took over the conversation, "It is true that everyone has worked hard, but I also believe that everyone's efforts will definitely bring rewards. In the days to come, we will work together to make this experience a precious memory in everyone's heart."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was warm applause in the club.

"Win the Hokkaido representative competition in one fell swoop!"

——Such a voice echoed in the corridor of the Tachibana Kita Society Building.

[Brother Shu~ Tomorrow is Saturday again~ After the morning training, Brother Shu, do you want to come to Chitose's house——]
Qiansui is a kid who likes to keep people in suspense even after sending a message.

Fujii Itsuki smiled and leaned against the evening campus corridor.

He tapped the screen with both hands and was about to type a reply of "OK" when he suddenly saw the words "Saturday" sent by Chitose.

He was stunned for a second and scrolled down to check the time.

27 number.

this.
Just at this moment, several girls from the same club as Matsumae Shinharu walked out of the music classroom.

Matsumae Shinchun's gaze immediately fell on his face, and his gaze immediately fell on the girl's beautiful eyes.

Of course, the eye contact only lasted for a moment.

A call of "Teacher Fujii" woke them both up at the same time.

After realizing what was happening, Matsumae Shinharu followed the female classmates beside her and bowed respectfully to Fujii Itsuki to greet him.

Fujii Itsuki responded.

The girls' navy blue sailor uniforms quickly disappeared around the corner of their vision.

Fujii Itsuki looked up at the sky and suddenly felt much more melancholy.

No wonder Xinchun has been in a bad mood these past two days. Another year has passed.

It was getting late, and after Fujii Itsuki saw that there were no other students left in the music classroom, he walked towards the office.

The teachers in the office have all left.

He checked the doors and windows, picked up his briefcase, locked the office door, and went downstairs.

Fujii Itsuki walked along the campus corridor towards the school gate.

The baseball club, football club, and tennis club were cheering loudly outside, and a few seabirds, flying from nowhere, flapped their wings and flew overhead.

As soon as I stepped out of the school gate, I saw a familiar figure standing under a tree not far away.

It’s the child Xinchun.

She stood there quietly, looking up at the sky, as if she was looking for something, or waiting for someone.

Fujii Itsuki stopped and watched her raise her head slightly, the wind blowing the strands of hair on her forehead.

The light of the setting sun shone on her cheeks. The girl was holding her schoolbag with her hands folded in front of her. The fiery golden clouds were floating above the treetops.

The girl's skirt was blown up.

At this moment, Fujii Itsuki actually felt that she was a treasure.

And I, just like the protagonist in the TV series, was attracted by her beauty and couldn't help but get closer to her.

The girl seemed to sense something. She blinked slowly and hard, and her gaze turned around, happening to fall on Fujii Itsuki's face.

"teacher."

She bowed respectfully.

Fujii Itsuki walked up to her and asked, "Waiting for me?"

"Well, today, I want to go back with the teacher."

"Row."

Xinchun didn't like Nagayama Sakura picking her up in a luxury car in Otaru.

She doesn't know how to drive, so her commuting method is the same as Fujii Itsuki, which is to take the bus.

Normally, she would not sit on the bus with Fujii Itsuki after school, but today was an exception.

Matsumae Shinharu was looking at the sunset outside the window, and Fujii Itsuki took the initiative to sit next to her.

"Teacher," the girl's voice was like a whisper.

"Yeah." Fujii Itsuki looked at her and reminded her softly, "Xinchun, tomorrow is Saturday."

Matsumae Xinchun was stunned for a moment, then looked at him, "Teacher, do you want to go together?"

"Seven years?"

"Well, then, teacher, you——"

"Tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, Ying Bo will pick me up in the morning."

"No wonder you said you'd take a day off tomorrow. Now I have to take a day off too."

After Fujii Itsuki finished speaking, seeing that Matsumae Shinchun did not respond, he took the initiative to reach out and hug her, letting her lean on his shoulders.

At this time, a message came on the phone.

"Is it Chitose?" Matsumae Shinchun asked.

"correct."

"Chitose, you are calling the teacher to come home."

"It's okay, Xinchun, don't worry about it."

Matsumae Shinchun lowered her head, "It's okay, the teacher already had an appointment, and because I missed the appointment with Chitose, Chitose will be unhappy, so just go."

"Today is an exception, Xinchun." "Teacher, don't worry. Besides, I will go with you tomorrow, right? And I will also meditate for my mother in front of the Fox God tonight."

"Is it inconvenient for me to disturb you?"

"Ah."

"Then I'll stay home with you for a while, and then I'll go to Chitose's place when you're ready. I'll be back in the evening."

"it is good."

Today is Friday, and Fujii Itsuki originally wanted to drink less, but due to the sad mood at the moment, he couldn't help but drink a little more.

".Brother Shu, you are not allowed to drink!"

"Chitose."

"Brother Shu, what a fool! If you don't listen to Qiansui, I won't let you drink even a drop in the future!"

After Chitose Haruki left angrily holding his beer cup, Akai Muko, who was sitting opposite him, asked him what happened.

"It's nothing, it's just that tomorrow is the anniversary of the professor's death."

"Is that so?" Akai Muzi nodded gently, "Then you don't have to come to school tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," Fujii Itsuki nodded, "I also told Chitose about this."

Akai Muzi was silent for a while, "You still have to go for this kind of thing. Don't worry about going tomorrow. I will help you take care of the wind band."

".Thank you."

"It's okay."

Thanks to Chitose taking his wine away halfway, Fujii Itsuki only drank a little.

But it was already late at night, and Fujii Itsuki had no choice but to sleep in Chitose's guest room, soaking in the hot spring alone and looking at the moon.

The moonlight is like a veil.

Thinking back to the night the professor left, the moon seemed so bright.

When I learned that the professor had been in a car accident, I hurriedly dropped my chopsticks and ran to the hospital.

In the hospital, when I saw the professor, she was already lying in the intensive care unit - wearing an oxygen mask, with her eyes closed, and no relatives around her.

I can still remember how cold and anxious the atmosphere was at that time.

If the dean is one's first mother.

Then it is no exaggeration to say that the professor is his second mother.

It is obvious that I am just an ordinary student in her teaching career.

But she took care of me like a mother.

She paid for me to rent a house, brought me meals she cooked, and gave me holiday gifts from the school.
Time flies by so fast.

In the evening, Fujii Itsuki was escorted home by Muzi.

It’s funny, I was supposed to accompany Xinchun, but it turned out that Xinchun was the one taking care of me.

The next morning, at six o'clock, a light blue drizzle fell from the sky.

Fujii Itsuki changed into a suit and waited for Nagayama Sakura who drove over.

Matsumae Shinharu also changed into a simple white dress today.

She wore a small rose hat on her head and held a snow fox in her arms. She had a bit of Western style and a bit of Japanese tradition.

Fujii Itsuki got into the car with her.

In the car, he observed Xinchun's mood all the way.

The girl looks like she didn't sleep well last night.

Fujii Itsuki wanted to hug her and comfort her at this time, but the butler was in front of him, so he couldn't hug his eldest daughter.

It wasn't until he got out of the car, held an umbrella, and walked up the mountain that he had the chance to talk to Xinchun.

Tiny raindrops condensed into beads on the umbrella surface.

"Are you okay?"

Matsumae Shinharu shook her head.

"Teacher, I can't explain how I feel. Last night I dreamed that my mother was still by my side, calling my name as if it was yesterday."

Xinchun has not gotten over it even after seven years, and she must be obsessed with her mother.

"Teacher, you liked your mother, didn't you?"

"Heart Spring."

Fujii Itsuki couldn't tell how Xinchun felt when he said this at this time. He only saw the moss on the mountain road under his feet was lush and green in the rain.

"I'm sorry I haven't told you, teacher. Actually, Xinchun had already vaguely noticed this at the birthday party. Teacher, you had a lot of good feelings towards me at the beginning because I look a bit like my mother. Teacher, actually, you still feel the same way until now, right?"

Fujii Itsuki was somewhat at a loss for words.

Indeed, Xinchun and the professor look extremely similar, both in their general appearance and in the teardrop mole under their right eye.

The fact that I can accept Xinchun now is also due to the influence of the professor to a certain extent.

He himself likes the professor, so he can understand why Xinchun likes him.

He doesn't mind the relationship between the two parties.

"Teacher, please answer Xinchun." The girl's eyes were extremely serious.

Fujii Itsuki didn't like lying to her, so he answered honestly, "Of course there is."

".Teacher, Xinchun doesn't mind."

"How can I not mind?"

"It's true. I don't mind at all. You can treat Xinchun as your mother. It's all fine."

"Xinchun, what are you saying?"

The professor’s monument is not far from the Song family residence, just on the back mountain.

But he was not buried together with the members of the Matsumae family, but was given a separate place.

According to Xinchun, this was what her father asked for.

At this moment, Matsumae Kitahiro and Matsumae Yoshiko had not arrived yet, and Fujii Itsuki and Matsumae Shinharu were the first to arrive at the professor's monument.

The stele was very simple, with only the relationship between the professor, Beijing Broadcasting Institute and Xinchun written on it.

There was some moss growing on top, so Fujii Itsuki and Xinchun began to clean it with the brushes they had prepared in advance, and also removed the weeds at the same time.

Xinchun takes special care of it.

Fujii Itsuki then remembered that Xinchun must have known for a long time that the professor didn't treat her as his daughter, right?

What the professor did was definitely wrong, but why did Xinchun still miss the professor as if she had no complaints?

At this time, Matsumae Kitahiro and Matsumae Yoshiko came over with flowers.

The entire memorial ceremony was simple, and Fujii Itsuki only had a brief exchange with the two.

After paying tribute to the professor, Matsumae Kitahiro invited Fujii Itsuki to dinner.

When everyone gets together, they are silent and don't say much during meals. The atmosphere seems a bit depressing.

After a simple meal, it started raining harder outside.

Fujii Itsuki and Matsumae Shinharu came into a room.

He stood on the eaves of the corridor of the Matsumae family and watched the rain outside for a while.

Then, he was suddenly hugged by Matsumae Shinharu from behind.

"teacher"

"."

When Matsumae Shinharu called out to her, Fujii Itsuki knew how she felt at the moment.

(End of this chapter)