Chapter 55: What did you want to be to Brother Shu?
"Have you heard that the new instructor of the wind instrument club eliminated more than 30 people as soon as he arrived at the club!"

"No way, there are only a few people in the entire wind band."

"It seems to be over forty, but definitely not fifty."

"Ah? Doesn't that mean that almost the entire wind band was kicked out?"

"I heard that except for the first-year students, almost all the second-year and third-year students were kicked out!"

"As soon as you join the club, you kick out all the seniors, even if they are teachers. That's a bit too much. After all, it's a place where everyone has been staying for a year or two."

"Yes, yes. Of course, those seniors who were kicked out of the wind band club were not convinced. They went to the academic affairs office to complain to Sasaki, the academic affairs director."

Wind Ensemble
When Hiiragi Rinka heard this word, she stared at the short silver ring on her right little finger as if something was on her mind.

"What happened next? Don't leave your words half-sentenced. Tell me now."

"The seniors all went to ask the school's academic affairs office for an explanation, but Sasaki didn't say anything and didn't respond to anything."

"This is a bit strange, isn't Dean Sasaki always easy to talk to?"

"That's right! So there are rumors in the school these days that Mr. Fujii is too young and came to Tachibana Kita because he committed a crime in Tokyo and was dismissed by the school. Other schools don't want him, and he was able to come to Tachibana Kita through the school's back door."

"Where did this rumor come from? It's not a good idea to just say it casually."

"You don't believe it? I do, because Fujii is Tachibana Kita's official teacher, Tachibana Kita's 26-year-old official teacher! And Akai, who entered the school at the same time as him and returned from studying in the United States for seven years, is just an external employee. If you say there is no trick, I don't believe it at all. And there's more."

Bang!
Rinka Hiiragi was startled by the sound of the table being smashed and suddenly lowered her head.

She looked up and the first thing she saw was a clenched fist. Then she looked up again and saw a beautiful girl in a sailor suit standing up opposite her.

Her shiny black hair, beautiful eyes like purple gemstones, tall figure and straight back fully reveal her incomparable personal charm and confidence.

However, the girl now had no expression on her face, and was as cold as ice.

"Jiu-Jiuhua-san?"

"Can I borrow the water cup?"

Hiiragi Rinka immediately understood what she was going to do, "Wait a minute! Kuka-san, those are the seniors!"

But before anyone could persuade her, Jiu Huayue walked over to the senior schoolmate at the next table.

"Hmm? Classmate, what brings you here?!!!"

Rinka Hiiragi covered her face with her hands in fear, but she couldn't help but look at Jiuhuayue through her fingers.

When the happy senior turned her head to look at Jiuhuayue, she poured all the water in the cup on her head.

The air froze for two or three seconds before the senior student responded.

"First grade, you——!"

Before the senior sister could finish her words, another cup of cold water was poured on the other person's head.

"."

The female classmates who were sitting at the same table with the senior student all covered their mouths.

Rinka Hiiragi didn't even dare to look at Jiuhuayue's profile. Looking at that beautiful face for too long was not good for the heart.

"You guys, all you do is gossip behind people's backs?"

The senior student reacted after seeing the white bow tie around Jiuhuayue’s neck.

"First grade, it's your turn—"

She was just about to say what it was to her, but she was shocked by Jiuhuayue's aura, which was cold, arrogant, and impossible to ignore.

"I will never allow anyone to speak ill of Mr. Fujii in front of me, absolutely not. I will dare to come after you once if I hear it. The first time was to throw water, but the second time will be more than just throwing water."

Jiuhua-san has a terrifying aura.
After the girl finished speaking, she turned around and glared at the other second-year girls surrounding the senior.

"You too, did you hear that clearly?"

"okokokok!"

Those girls were obviously frightened and nodded repeatedly.

The students in the cafeteria all looked over, and the senior who was being doused with water bit her lips tightly as if she had been greatly insulted. She clutched her skirt tightly for a long time, wanting to get angry, but for some reason she didn't dare to stand up.

The oppressive gazes of her classmates and the humiliation of having two glasses of cold water poured on her by the first-year students, strong emotions brewed in her heart, and finally she couldn't help crying.

The senior student left her unfinished meal, wiped her tears all the way, and left in full view of everyone.

Jiuhuayue walked back to her original position and continued eating her udon noodles.

"Classmate Jiujiuhua"

"It's okay, continue eating."

"So what did you just say about the wind band? Is Mr. Fujii really..."

"Ah, that's true," Jiuhuayue admitted, "but everything Mr. Fujii did was for the wind band. Everything he did was to give the wind band, which was like mud, a new lease of life."

"But kicking out more than 20 or 30 people at once is a bit too much."

Jiuhuayue thought of how Fujii Itsuki was often called to the Academic Affairs Office these days, and lowered her voice unhappily, "So, Mr. Fujii is under a lot of pressure himself, and these people are still spreading rumors spread by those losers. It's obviously because those guys themselves are incompetent and Mr. Fujii doesn't come to the club, they are lazy themselves, but they order the first-year students to practice non-stop. What a bunch of rubbish."

"."

Seeing Jiuhuayue's expression, Hiiragi Rinka didn't dare to ask any more questions.

*
Fujii Itsuki learned about this during the first class in the afternoon.

He had just finished his Chinese class for Class B when a colleague came over and kindly told him that a classmate in his class had gotten into trouble.

After school, he called Jiu Huayue to his office and asked her to sit next to him and stay in school to write a self-criticism.

All her colleagues have left, but she is still writing here.

Looking at the girl's stubborn and serious face, you can tell that she is totally unconvinced.

"Are you happy after being punished? Is it easy to write a 3000-word self-review?"

"It's what she said that made me uncomfortable."

"So you chose to humiliate the senior in public?"

"I do not mind."

"It's not a question of whether you care or not. It's about whether you know the school rules of Jubei. This will affect your future grades and promotion."

"I don't care," the girl repeated.

"You don't care about being suspended from school?"

"I do not mind."

"So what do you care about?"

Jiuhua Yuebin glanced at Fujii Itsuki with her purple eyes, then looked away and continued to write her self-criticism.

"What's the secret?"

"nothing."

"If you don't explain, I can only treat it as if you were the one causing the trouble, because according to the testimony of the students who witnessed it, it was you who suddenly walked up to someone and poured two large glasses of water on the senior's head."

"."

"You'll be suspended for a week."

"."

"Come on, Jiuhua. Now that the teachers are gone, there are only two of us in the office. There's no need to be so restrained."

"She said bad things about you." Jiuhuayue's voice was as thin as a mosquito.

"Talk about me?"

Fujii Itsuki was a little surprised, as he roughly knew what the words were.

"I don't care about that at all."

"I care!"

Jiuhuayue lowered her head and buried her face, and her voice became small and weak.

"I just don't want you to be said that by others."

"."

After hearing this, Fujii Itsuki fell silent.

He pulled Akai's bench next to him and sat down next to the girl.

The two of them were as close as friends, and the setting sun shone on their backs, shining brightly.

"Does Jiuhua know why I agreed to take over the brass band club?"

"not sure."

"What do you think wind music is to me?"

Jiuhuayue's mind flashed with Fujii Itsuki in the video, ".It should be, not just a hobby." "You are quite perceptive, of course, not just a hobby. The person who has the greatest influence on my life is my university mentor, Professor Fujinomiya. Her novels gave birth to my ideal of becoming a teacher. Also, because the protagonist of her novels likes to play the saxophone when confused, I joined the wind instrument club in junior high school and learned the saxophone.

“Later, when I was in college, I was admitted to Kyoto University and met my idol.

“My professor took great care of me and had a huge influence on me during my freshman year. To me, the professor is not just a professor, but also a second mother who gives me direction for my thoughts and dreams.”

When Jiu Huayue heard what he said, she saw the nostalgia and melancholy in his eyes. He obviously wanted to smoke, but when he knew this was a school, he stopped.

"Jiuhua, do you understand how important the professor is to me?"

"Yeah, I understand." Jiuhuayue's eyes reflected the appearance of Fujii Itsuki.

"The professor likes to listen to classical music. She said that she can always hear a lot of emotions in classical music that don't need to be expressed in words. And from the music that the professor often listens to, I can hear another side of her heart. She is very similar to you, Jiuhua."

".And me?"

"Yes. Although the musical forms are different, they all reveal one characteristic - loneliness.

"At that time, I instantly thought of the professor who had been staying alone in Tokyo for many years. She had no relatives around her and only countless books at home. The professor had done me so much good, so I was willing to become her relative for her sake. At least I could play a piece of music for her in her spare time.

"When the professor knew what I was thinking, he smiled and said to me, 'Why don't you take part in the national competition and win the gold medal? I would rather see you shine there, just like you said, for me, but also more for yourself.'

"I agreed. This is the agreement between me and the professor."

"."

Jiu Huayue remembered that the uncle said that his mentor died in a car accident when he was in his first year of college.
Doesn't that mean -

"Three years later, I stood on the podium, but the seat below the stage that should not have been empty was left vacant forever."

Fujii Itsuki smiled, "My dream since childhood was to become a teacher who guides others, and my teacher guided me. I am willing to accept the wind band because I want to try to go back to that place. I want to sit in the professor's position and understand what the professor would think and feel if he saw me fulfill the agreement between us. I want to be a professor, and I want to be the teacher who watches everyone grow to the end.

“That’s the regret in my heart, the thought in my mind.

“That’s why I was willing to lay off so many people in order to reorganize the wind band.”

Jiuhuayue had thought clearly about why she joined the wind band club. She liked music and admired the back of Fujii Itsuki. She wanted to grow up and become Fujii Itsuki's lifelong friend.

And now, looking at Fujii Itsuki's gentle eyes that were so close to her, her heart was surging.

She suddenly had an impulse, a new idea.

".Fuji, Mr. Fujii"

"Hmm?" Fujii Itsuki turned her head to look at him, "Why don't you call me uncle anymore?"

The setting sun slanted into the office in the evening, and Jiuhuayue's beautiful eyes were shining under the afterglow of the setting sun.

The girl's beautiful face was extremely determined.

"I want to realize Mr. Fujii's dream!"

".?"

"I want to be your real student, Mr. Fujii!"

".Jiuhua? You don't want to be friends with me anymore.?"

"Not really! We are both teachers and friends. There is no conflict!" Jiu Huayue's eyes were filled with longing, "I want to be the student that Mr. Fujii admires and is pleased with, just like the relationship between you, Mr. Fujii, and Professor Fujimiya!"

"."

He saw anticipation and excitement in Jiuhuayue's eyes.

It took Fujii Itsuki less than a moment to realize that the current Jiuhuayue was no different from herself back then.

I am the "professor" in her mind.

"I see, but Jiuhua, I have this idea and accepted the brass band, which proves that I already have a candidate for this 'student' in mind. Otherwise, I wouldn't have taken such action and made such a big fanfare to reorganize the brass band."

Has anyone chosen?

Jiuhuayue was stunned for a few seconds, "Who is it?"

"Chitose."

"."

Jiu Huayue didn't expect that the place in the uncle's heart had already been occupied by someone else, and that person was a new friend she knew well.

"Why. Would it be Qiansui?"

"Why does Jiuhua think Chitose took so long to learn the trumpet? And practiced every day?"

Jiuhua Yue instantly thought of the relationship between the two, "Because Chitose was influenced by you, Mr. Fujii?"

"That's right. It was because of my influence that Chitose chose to practice the instrument for so many years. She said she wanted to play for me many years ago. It was also many years ago that I had the idea of ​​training Chitose. I originally wanted to wait until she was admitted to university and came to Tokyo to teach her. Unexpectedly, things changed. I returned to Otaru and had the opportunity to teach her in high school, so I moved the time to now."

"."

Fujii Itsuki did not want to undermine Jiuhua Yue's confidence and tried to comfort her, "So Jiuhua, you——"

"No, it doesn't matter, Mr. Fujii."

".?"

"Even if you, Mr. Fujii, have Chitose in your heart, it doesn't prevent me from becoming that kind of person. I want to be the most unique student in Mr. Fujii's heart!"

This confession-like words also made Jiu Huayue react after a while. The girl's face flushed slightly, and her tone became like the tone they usually used when they were together in private. "Of course, this is also to repay you for playing so many songs for me alone for so long. You know, I don't like to owe people favors."

Repaying gratitude and having aspirations for yourself, right?
Fujii Itsuki completely understood Jiuhua Yue's thoughts. To be honest, he really saw his own shadow in Jiuhua at this moment.

I was the same at the beginning. Facing a professor who was both my teacher and friend, a professor to whom I had received countless favors and whom I admired very much, I always wanted to do something for the professor.

".Jiuhua, have you really thought it through?"

"I've made up my mind!" Jiuhuayue said firmly, "I will help Mr. Fujii and realize your dream of returning to the national competition!"

"."

After hearing this, Fujii Itsuki was silent for a moment and said nothing more.

"I understand, but Jiuhua, you should write your self-review first. If you don't, you will be suspended for a week. How can you take my class?"

"Ok!"

"Then you have to work hard next."

"Of course! I'll try my best."

*
I barely finished the 3,000-word self-criticism at 7 o'clock in the evening.

Fujii Itsuki went to the toilet and asked Jiuhuayue to wait for him at the school gate before going back together.

In order to get some fresh air, Jiuhuayue went to the office window.

The girl looked up at the distant night sky and reached out of the window to catch the falling snowflakes.

The coolness of the snowflakes spread across her fingertips, but Jiuhuayue felt that at this moment, the snow was soothing, cool and refreshing.

The snow is no longer so cold.

It's been a long time since I had this feeling, this burst of passion and the desire to move forward for a goal.

When she thought about the day when she would be able to stand on the podium and fulfill the uncle's long-cherished wish, she was so excited that she was happy for him and herself at the same time, and her heart was filled with indescribable excitement.

Jiu Huayue was in a good mood. She packed her handbag, closed the office door, and then went to the school gate to meet the uncle and prepare to go home.

But just as she walked out of the office door, her right arm was clamped tightly by a hand.

Jiuhuayue was a little panicked because it was night and the person who caught her was so strong that she thought he was a pervert. When she turned her head, she found it was Yang Kui Chitose.

Chitose Hinami was looking at her.

Jiuhuayue breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm so scared! Chitose, I thought you were some pervert who's been staying in the corner of the school. Chitose, why haven't you gone back yet?"

"."

Chitose Yangkui had no expression at all, not a smile, nor any anger.

Jiuhuayue noticed her expression and was about to invite her to go back together, but was interrupted by Yang Kui Qiansui, who stared at the girl's pretty face:

"Jiuhua, you said in Brother Shu's office before, what do you want to be to Brother Shu?"

"What?"

"answer me."

Jiuhuayue did not answer immediately, but noticed the current time.

If Chitose Yangkui did not go home after club practice in the afternoon, then she was waiting outside the office for the entire afternoon.

"Chitose. You."

Yang Kui Chitose showed no emotion at all, just staring at her, squeezing her right arm with her palm, and gently repeating the question:

"Answer me, Jiuhua. What exactly do you want to be like, Shu-ge?"

(End of this chapter)