bookbashuk Page 297
Page 297
"What? Do you think Mr. Kitahara's qualifications aren't enough?"
A cruel smile tugged at the corners of Nagase's mother's lips. Before her daughter could respond, she answered herself,
"That's true, it might be more reassuring to find a master."
Hmm:
Hesitation caused her to miss the opportunity again. Nagase Tsukiyo was initially disappointed, but she quickly regained her composure.
Mr. Kitahara would never tutor me privately just for money; he's not that kind of person.
Rather than focusing on just one student, he would definitely prefer to bring in as many students as possible.
This is what sets him apart from other teachers; money holds no appeal for him, otherwise he would have already tried to curry favor with them.
"By the way, you're going to Tokyo tomorrow, right?" Nagase's mother said.
"Yes, I've already taken the leave."
"Oh," Nagase's mother glanced at the auditorium, a breeze brushing a strand of hair from her temple. "Are you going with Kitahara-sensei?"
Her gaze was fixed on her daughter.
Nagase Tsukiyo's fingers unconsciously gripped her pleated skirt, her soft, cherry-colored lips moved slightly, and she asked instead:
"Is it not okay? I don't think Kitahara-sensei is a bad teacher, and Eri and Harutori went with her, it's not just me alone."
"I didn't say he was bad."
Nagase's mother explained with a smile,
"Because you are very beautiful, as a mother, I would definitely worry."
“Teacher Kitahara isn’t one of those people with ingrained thoughts,” Nagase Tsukiyo bluntly defended.
Nagase's mother observed her daughter's expression and body language, narrowed her eyes slightly, and smiled faintly, saying:
"I believe you. By the way, Haruno hasn't been home lately. I found out she had some conflicts with her family. Treat her well. After all, she's been with you for so many years. Even if you can't call her a friend, you should treat her with the same affection you would a maid." These words almost made Nagase Tsukiyo breathless. The image of Saito Haruno's face flashed through her mind, and her heart was clenched.
"Alright, I should probably head back now."
Nagase's mother took a key lock from her small handbag and said gently,
"Here's the key. You can stay in this apartment in Tokyo. I'll send you the address to your phone. Your dad and I haven't stayed in Tokyo for a long time. Remember to send me a message if you have any questions."
Nagase Tsukiyo took the key and nodded.
"It's a bit more expensive in Tokyo than here, so remember to tell your mother if you run out of money."
Nagase's mother stroked her daughter's hair and said,
"Don't force yourself to suffer, okay?"
Nagase Tsukiyo knew her mother was referring to her previous part-time job to earn tuition fees, and a faint smile appeared on her lips as she said:
"Oh, I see."
"good."
Nagase's mother smiled and turned to leave.
Nagase Tsukiyo took a shallow breath and stared at the key lock in her hand.
She had only been to Tokyo once in her life, during the summer vacation after she was in third grade. After that trip, she never wanted to go again.
The buildings in Tokyo are tall and cramped, the air isn't as fresh as in Hokkaido, and there are so many people that everyone walks around with a tense expression.
Shopping? Luxury goods? Social networks? Convenience services in big cities?
She doesn't need any of that. Small Hakodate is enough to satisfy her needs and allow her to find happiness in it.
But she doesn't think people living in Tokyo are stupid, because she has a wealthy family and doesn't have to face the real problems caused by money.
But this time she said she was going to Tokyo to stay in a large, single-level apartment: ... It was empty, and she was all alone.
It feels a little strange just thinking about it.
But what if I stayed at Kitahara-sensei's house?
This idea suddenly popped into Nagase Tsukiyo's mind, quickly took root, and spread into an uncontrollable forest, its branches and leaves flourishing, as if it had instantly blocked out all clear judgment.
After a short while, she shook her head.
Even if she wanted to live under the same roof as Kitahara-sensei, Eri and Harutori wouldn't allow her to do so, not to mention that the two of them definitely had their own ideas.
It's like I'm indulging in fantasies here by myself: ::: thinking about these things
Nagase Tsukiyo's heart was like a lake rippling in the wind, with waves constantly spreading and a sense of helplessness churning within her chest.
Perhaps, everything about him can only be imagined now.
Chapter 232, Section 231: Mother! You have no idea how good your child has been to them! (4K)
The brass band's performance at this year's cultural festival has finally come to an end. (The End)
Warm applause rang out in the hall, and the dark red curtains on both sides moved closer to the center, gradually covering the members of the wind band on the stage.
"Time flies so fast, it feels like it's all over in the blink of an eye!"
"Hehehe, I can't wait to play with you too."
"Next year there will probably be a lot of off-campus performances, and it will definitely not be as easy as this year."
As the members tidied up the chairs and music stands, they discussed the arrangements for this cultural festival and the brass band next year.
Even when leaving the venue, everything was done meticulously.
The command platform was carried down by Tenkai Sou and Matsuoka Nobuyuki. Tenkai Sou initially wanted to carry it by himself, but his expression made it seem as if he would die on the platform at any moment, which frightened Matsuoka Nobuyuki so much that he quickly helped carry it.
Sakurako Yukawa was still standing on the stage, looking ahead, as if she could see the audience leaving in order through the now-closed curtain.
"Minister, what's wrong? Is there a problem?" Kitahara Hakuba noticed that she was not moving, so he also turned his gaze to the curtain.
It's very clean and looks thick; there's nothing wrong with it.
Sakurako's eyelids twitched slightly, her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and she gave a dry laugh:
"No, it just feels like it went by so fast. The cultural festival for the third-year students in the brass band is over."
Kitahara Hakuba then realized that she was regretting this moment.
Those beautiful days are like morning dew, fleeting yet dazzling.
These third-year students hadn't even had a chance to savor their time before they quietly disappeared.
"This cultural festival has come to a perfect end," Kitahara Hakuba said.
"Yes." Sakurako Yukawa nodded gently, gazing at the curtain, wanting to quietly wait for the waves of emotion to subside.
"It feels very youthful."
Kitahara-sensei's sudden remark made Yukawa Sakurako blush, and she quickly said:
"Please don't make fun of me like that."
Kitahara Hakuba didn't answer, as if enjoying her reaction, with a mischievous smile on his face.
That was a wicked smile that Sakurako Yukawa had never seen before.
I always feel that my understanding of Kitahara-sensei is not deep enough.
"I really don't want the National Conference to come so soon ::::" The girl with the three braids unconsciously tightened her grip, and the words that slipped from her lips were her true feelings.
Kitahara Hakuba's gaze swept over the first and second-year students who were happily leaving the stage; they showed none of the worry and sadness that Yukawa Sakurako had.
How can I comfort her?
No, he couldn't offer comfort, because words seemed too pale; only actions truly mattered.
As for his actions: He does not have the ability to travel back in time.
Kitahara Hakuba could only change the subject, saying, "You've really worked hard today. Without you, the concert might not have ended so quickly."
Combined with the earlier statement "time flies," this sentence has a strong sense of "it's all your fault for being so serious that it ended so quickly."
But from his words, full of gratitude and humility, Sakurako knew that Kitahara-sensei did not mean that, and that he was not the kind of person who would be sarcastic or eccentric.
Sakurako's fingers brushed through her hair, revealing her small, fair ears:
"It's alright, it's what a minister should do."
"Sakurako! Still here chatting secretly with Kitahara-sensei!"
Sayaka Akamatsu had already carried her things off the stage and walked over quickly. Her pleated skirt swayed suggestively with the movement of her soft thighs.
“What do you mean by ‘chatting secretly’?” Yukawa Sakurako sighed. “Please don’t use such misleading language.”
Sayaka Akamatsu, with one hand on her hip, said with a smile:
"It's only interesting if it causes misunderstandings!"
"Yes, the Shinkansen tomorrow morning."
"Oh, oh, oh, then have a safe journey," said Yukawa Sakurako with a smile.
At that moment, the crisp sound of heels hitting the floor rang out, a stark contrast to the girls' indoor shoes.
The three looked towards the source of the sound and saw that Haruka Shinomiya and Seiko Ashida were walking over.
"How did you get in?" Kitahara Hakuba asked in surprise.
"Because I didn't know when you would come out, I thought I'd come in to find you."
With her curvaceous figure, Shinomiya Haruka tossed her chestnut hair; with just that one small gesture, she was enough to utterly captivate all these innocent young girls.
Sakurako covered her slightly flushed face with both hands, thinking to herself, "What a lewd body!" while saying aloud:
"Ms. Shinomiya, you're getting more and more beautiful!"
Those breasts, that waist, those hips, and those beautiful legs in black stockings.
If she had one of those, boys would be begging her to date them, not just during her three years of high school, but even during junior high.