Chapter 3: April 8, 2024 - The Welcome Concert

"Congratulations to all first-year students on your enrollment. We, the current students, have been eagerly waiting for you..."

The person who was dragged out of my sight by the scruff of her neck just a while ago is now giving a speech on the stage. Apparently, she is the Student Council President. When the MC announced, "Representative of Current Students, Student Council President, Asumi Kiriya!" she answered with a crisp "Yes!", so there's no mistake.

Trying to keep a straight face, I glanced sideways. Hiroto-kun was listening seriously, but Yo-kun looked like he was struggling to hold back laughter. As for Miku, her jaw was practically on the floor.

I don't blame them. The gap is incredible. She has an aura. She looks pure, dignified, and overflowing with intelligence. Moreover, she's delivering this speech without even looking at her notes. But the impact from this morning was so strong that her congratulatory words aren't entering my head at all.

"...However, there may be times when you don't know what to do or what goals to set. In such times, please consult not only your teachers but also us. We can definitely be of help to you. We will support you with all our might. Let us enliven this school together and walk a fulfilling high school life.

Representative of Current Students, Student Council President, Class 2-1, Asumi Kiriya."

She bowed and walked down from the stage.

"Please consult us," "We can definitely be of help," huh...

It was the complete opposite this morning. But maybe that just means the school culture is open enough to talk about anything.

Still, a Student Council President in her second year... Since this is a prep school, the third-years probably retire from both club activities and the student council to focus on university entrance exams. That means for the Band Club, we only have two chances to go to the competition.

If you want results, you have to be desperate, right...?

After the entrance ceremony and our first homeroom, we were dismissed with pamphlets for club activities.

It seemed the sports clubs had set up recruitment booths at the student entrance, so students interested in sports headed there.

Cultural clubs were holding orientations in their respective clubrooms, so the three of us girls, along with Yo-kun and Hiroto-kun, headed to the Conference Building where the Band Club practice was being held.

Yahagi-Kita High is built on a small hill, so the school buildings are connected east to west to match the elevation. The Conference Building is on the south side, down a connecting staircase from the first-year classroom building.

When we went down the stairs, nearly thirty first-year students had already gathered in the conference room, which served as the practice room. With four hundred students in a grade, I guess this is a decent turnout? Some might just be here to watch.

The seniors were already gathered in the room, warming up individually. Since it wasn't a music room, there were no sound-absorbing holes in the walls, so the sound reflected and sounded loud.

The number of members... twenty... twenty-seven, I think. If they can form an ensemble with just second-years, that's impressive, even if it's a small number.

Standing next to me at the back of the room, Mion-chan and Miku were smiling, while Yo and Hiroto listened to the sound with serious expressions.

...I could feel glances directed at Yo-kun from both the seniors warming up and the other first-years.

Well, of course, I thought. Just then, the club advisor standing nearby stepped onto the conductor's podium. Next to him, the club president began to greet the first-years in the room.

"Welcome to the Band Club, everyone! I'm so happy to see so many people here. Please enjoy our Welcome Concert until the end, and listen to our 'Hade-Kita Sound'!

The songs are 'Takarajima' (Treasure Island) and 'African Symphony'!"

"Hade-Kita Sound" —with "Hade" meaning flashy or loud... My sister told me about it before. It seems to be a phrase passed down like a tradition.

Maybe because the school culture is bright, that open personality shows in the music too.

I wonder what kind of "Sound" it is—.

The plump, kind-looking teacher bowed to us, and the seniors readied their instruments.

"Takarajima" is a super famous number in the Japanese wind band scene, composed by Hirotaka Izumi of the legendary fusion band T-SQUARE.

It started with the light rhythm of the Agogo bells, a sound that anyone would recognize as "Takarajima" the moment they heard it—.