Dubian Che was defending her...
But everyone felt a strange warmth in the depths of their hearts.
Hanaoka Asako didn’t know whether she was happy or embarrassed, but her throat itched, and she had to say something.
"Kiyono, the competition," her small fists clenched, she took a deep breath, "I’ll do my best!"
Dubian Che looked at everyone with a ’Get a clue, folks’ gaze and perfunctorily said to Kiyono Lin, "You’re the young lady of the Kiyono family, whatever you say goes."
"Such a terrible attitude!"
Familiar whispering murmurs spread, but this time the target was Dubian Che.
"Mr. Dubian, the audition is over, please take a seat with the woodwinds. And I don’t want to see any more discord among the club members," warned Kiyono Lin.
"Alright, whether it’s conflicts or disliking someone, it’s all irrelevant. Don’t waste time, let’s continue with the ensemble."
Kiyono Lin glanced at Hase Haru, who was being helped up by others.
"One, two, one two three four"
"Hey." Before Kiyono Lin could speak, Dubian Che, leaning on the back of a metal chair, turned around and said, "That saxophone, the one in the middle, yeah, the one with the thick legs, that’s you, you were out of tune just now, right?"
"Dubian Che!" Kiyono Lin called out helplessly.
"What?" Dubian Che turned back, "Come on, Miss, pointing out each other’s mistakes counts as discord?"
Kiyono Lin took a deep, exasperated breath and said weakly, "It doesn’t, but..."
"Kiyono," Beiyuan stood up abruptly, "I can play well!"
Dubian Che leaned back wearily on the metal chair, "Your goal is just to stay in tune, forget it, you’re all , expecting you to meet my standards is indeed too much."
Beiyuan yelled at him with tearful eyes, "I’ll play it well!"
"Alright." Dubian Che sat up straight, "I believe you."
Could it be that Mr. Dubian was just trying to encourage me?
"Who was it, the one with the thick legs, Beiyuan, can you even handle it? And the percussionist on the end, your arms are so thick, yet you have no strength when you play, don’t tell me it’s all fat?"
"Ah—I can’t take it, thick-legged girl, you, and you, honestly, without a few of you, the rest might just be able to get a silver, no, a gold award with their own skills plus mine—after all, I’m here."
"Dubian Che." Kiyono Lin glared at him.
"Sorry, Miss. Got a bit too angry and made a personal attack."
"Dubian Che, enough!" shouted a senior girl, standing up to defend Beiyuan, who was in tears.
"Hmm? Did I say something wrong? Her legs aren’t thick? Or was she not out of tune?"
"How can you talk about a girl like that!"
"You can say the same about me. Tell me where I played poorly, or where I’m ugly, as long as it’s the truth, I won’t argue. Please, this, um, single-eyelid senior girl."
"See, speechless, aren’t you? Let me tell you my motto: The only way to shut me up is to be superior to me in every way."
Is this truly a motto? It sounds more like a taunt.
Beiyuan held back the senior girl, still wanting to argue, "I’ll do my best!"
The senior girl sat down reluctantly, and others shrank back.
Although they wanted to beat Dubian Che up, they also feared he’d start on the buck-toothed club member, the one with yellow teeth, short-legged club member, no bridge of the nose club member...
’I must get a gold award to show this guy!’
With that thought, the Wind Instrument Club’s day of practice ended.
In the Human Observation Department’s activity room, Dubian Che dismantled his oboe and placed it in its case, ready to leave.
"You’re not walking me home today?"
"Hm?" Dubian Che looked at Kiyono Lin in surprise.
Kiyono Lin glanced at the night outside the window, "It’s almost twelve."
After locking the door, the two walked on the street lit only by streetlights.
A cool night breeze blew gently, and occasionally a car with its high beams on passed by, blindingly bright to the point of forcing one to squint.
"Thank you for today," Kiyono Lin said, her words carried along with the sound of car tires rolling over the pavement.
"You’ve seen through my plan?!"
"You didn’t think it was very secretive, did you? That I’d misunderstand you?"
"Uh." Dubian Che felt awkward for a second, "So, you..."
"Didn’t stop you and instead deliberately opposed you?" Kiyono Lin gathered her wind-blown hair behind her ear, smiling as she continued.
"Mr. Dubian would rather be hated to help me; how could I betray you?" A nice smile appeared at the corners of Kiyono Lin’s mouth.
"’Betray’ isn’t used like that!"
Kiyono Lin looked at the red traffic light and stopped, "Mr. Dubian, aren’t you afraid of being disliked?"
"It’s a good thing for me," Dubian Che said nonchalantly, "Being disliked makes Meiji feel at ease. But, attacking a girl personally, made me feel a bit guilty. I can handle being hated, I just hope they don’t end up with mental scars."
"Thick legs, single eyelids... that’s tough."
"Ultimately, it was for your sake that I said those things. If they really end up traumatized, it’s your fault. Carry that guilt."
Kiyono Lin sighed, "Sometimes, it’s hard to tell if you’re kind or unkind."
"Of course I’m kind. The reason I said that was because I’m afraid you’d fall in love with me for doing such things."
"Don’t worry, my love isn’t that cheap. But," Kiyono Lin turned her head, smiling at Dubian Che, "you’ve earned my friendship. From today on, you are my first friend."
The passing car illuminated her small face clearly, casting a faint blush upon it.
As the red light turned to green, Kiyono Lin walked across the zebra crossing with a smile on her face.
"By the way, how did you manage to improve your oboe playing to this level in such a short time?"
"Who do you think I am?"
"No." Dubian Che spread his arms against the nighttime wind, "I am God."
"Ah, will your chuunibyou ever be cured?"
"Ah la, Kiyono Lin is worried about me, isn’t she?"
Her terrible imitation prompted Kiyono Lin to unapologetically reach for his waist.
"Hiss— that hurts, Kiyono."
"Lies. I didn’t even use force."
Kiyono Lin moved away with a look of disgust.
"There’s one more thing, I hope you won’t target Beiyuan with your performance next time."
"Why? Wasn’t she off-pitch?"
"The second time she played, she wasn’t off-pitch anymore."
"Eh?" Dubian Che stopped in his tracks, "Are you kidding me?"
Dubian Che felt his face begin to heat up, "So I’ve made a fool of myself tonight?"
Kiyono Lin started to laugh, "Your performance scared them. They subconsciously thought that you could hear the subtle differences that their ears couldn’t pick up. Plus, with the most authoritative me not exposing you, they won’t doubt it."
"Don’t tell anyone about this," Dubian Che warned.
"That’s so pitiful for Beiyuan."
"If this gets out, I’m the pitiful one!"
"Don’t worry, after all, you’re my subordinate, and also my... friend."
"People who talk too much usually meet a dire fate."