After she had walked away, Ichiki Aoi whispered, "Those two definitely have something going on!"
"Don’t talk nonsense!" Yuzao Haomei retorted, displeased.
"That’s right! Dubian’s got a girlfriend now, there’s no way he’s involved with Kiyono!" Hanaoka Asako clenched her little fists, asserting this, but her tone sounded like she was convincing herself more than anyone else.
"But did you guys not see them bickering before the competition started?"
"I thought it looked like it, too."
"Eh, doesn’t that count as cheating?"
"Scum Dubian is capable of anything," a girl said disdainfully.
"Then why do you always stare at him?"
"Don’t deny it, you’re right in front of me, I know exactly where you’re looking."
"Ah—, will you just shut up!"
As they were pulling at threads of gossip, the heavy doors of the concert hall were pushed open, and Kiyono Lin and Dubian Che walked in.
The two "beautiful boys" walked side by side, one pure and aloof, the other handsome and confident. For some fangirls, they probably couldn’t help but imagine some dirty scenes in their heads.
They seemed to be talking, and it wasn’t until they got closer that the members of the Wind Instrument Club could hear what they were saying.
"Don’t forget, you’re still wearing your school uniform, representing Kanagawa High School. Try not to do anything that damages the school’s reputation," Kiyono Lin said in a warning tone.
"I told you, the ones who whistled at the girls from the neighboring school were those two guys, I just took a look," Dubian Che said, his voice full of grievance.
"...Yes, I also whistled, but that was mainly to teach those two how to whistle more attractively, without any intention of flirting! I swear on Bunkyo District, let it have an earthquake right now if I’m lying."
"You pass," Kiyono Lin glared at him.
Ichiki Aoi looked at the others, and said in a low voice, feeling smug, "See, I told you!"
"I think it was just a very typical warning," Yuzao Haomei glanced at the two people who were approaching.
"That’s enough," Komatsu Misaki clasped her hands and interrupted the conversation, looking towards Mayi Asuka, "Mayi, please come on stage with me."
"...Yes," Mayi Asuka replied emotionlessly.
The two represented Kanagawa High School and walked towards the stage, while representatives from other schools also began to ascend the stage one after another.
Standing beside girls her age, Mayi Asuka looked clearly more attractive, her chest full and legs long, standing out from the crowd and drawing murmurs from the audience below.
Dubian Che glanced at Mayi Asuka under the spotlight. No matter what, he just couldn’t overlap the present her with the Mayi he saw in bed looking at a 1980 yen catalog.
Although it was frustrating to be harassed, having such a dazzling schoolmate who showed a different side only to him was a matter of pride for a boy.
His gaze shifted to the left, where the sparkling trophies and certificates shone. Just looking at these things from afar was enough to quicken one’s heartbeat.
The emcee, holding a list, slowly walked towards the microphone, and the only sound left in the music hall was the thumping of hearts.
The folded list slowly unfolded, with the results of the twelfth to twenty-third performance schools and the names of the three schools that advanced to the national competition.
"Number twelve, Chiba Prefecture representative Ritsuzaimo High School, bronze award."
A group dressed in black western-style school uniforms let out sighs of despair in the distance.
At this point, no one cared about them; everyone was preoccupied with their own results.
Dubian Che glanced at Kiyono Lin; she had her arms folded, her charming face expressionless, but her eyes were fixed on the emcee.
Noticing his gaze, Kiyono Lin looked over.
’What are you looking at?’ she seemed to ask with her eyes.
’Nothing,’ Dubian Che shrugged.
Kiyono Lin saw his hands stuck in his pockets and his relaxed demeanor, snorted softly, and slightly loosened her clenched hands.
"Number thirteen, Tokyo representative Juze High School, gold award!"
Excited cheers erupted from the front, as people cast envying glances their way before returning to await their own results.
"Number fourteen, Kanagawa Prefecture representative Huakai Girl’s High School, gold award!"
Two golds, one after the other.
Dubian Che looked over to the distance where Honma Ayako was vigorously shaking the shoulder of a girl beside her, then hopping around, making a victory sign in their direction.
Her face was smiling as bright as a morning glory grown on cow dung, and Dubian Che couldn’t bother to make eye contact.
The emcee, regardless of happiness or sorrow below, continued to announce the results at the same pace.
One after another, and it was quickly the turn of number twenty-one.
"Number twenty-one, Tokyo representative Katakura High School, gold award!"
Out of three representatives from Tokyo, two had already won gold awards; the next was Tokyo’s last and also Kanagawa High School.
Yuzao Haomei tightly gripped the hem of her skirt, the pleated skirt she usually cared about so much was already wrinkled in an unsightly manner.
Ichiki Aoi was so tense that her chest hurt, her heartbeat sounding as if it came from her throat.
The emcee was still business-like, glanced at the list, then slowly lifted his eyes and announced into the microphone:
"Number twenty-two, Tokyo representative Kanagawa High School, gold award!"
"Ah—" The atmosphere erupted in an instant.
"So great! It’s so great!"
"Gold award! Sister! It’s a gold award!"
"Don’t get excited! Don’t get excited! Phew, phew, we still have to go to the nationals, we still have the nationals!"
Because of the proximity, Dubian Che felt shouts and cheers coming from all directions.
He glanced at Kiyono Lin, who, like him, didn’t show much reaction, still waiting for the emcee to announce the advancing spots.
On the stage, Komatsu Misaki’s mouth corners lifted, her lips forming a line as she tried to suppress the laughter. Next to her, Mayi Asuka remained expressionless.