No matter what kind of goal it is, no matter how difficult or difficult it is to achieve, as long as Shiori Shinohara, as long as she can still see the hope of success, she will always do her best to achieve the goal by all means.

That's her character, her way of doing things.

But at a certain moment, just sitting in the seat in the orchestra room, playing a melodious trumpet, the thoughts flowed through my heart like a trickle...... It was obvious that she was concentrating on playing the trumpet, but the conversation with Hazuki Reya in the café that day did suddenly flash into her mind.

Sometimes it's like this, obviously doing something that has nothing to do with it, but that thing that has nothing to do with it is silently occupying the mind.

And then it was at this moment that Shiori Shinohara suddenly understood a fact:

She is far from her goal, and the goal of Hirakawa-sensei who wants to monopolize her, seems to ...... It's getting farther and farther away.

It's not an illusion, it's getting farther and farther away, so far away that she doesn't seem to see any hope.

Moreover, this biggest enemy is actually not Kuda, but Hazuki.

Reya Hazuki, who has already lived together and has left a place in Hirakawa's heart.

If the relationship between herself and Kuda is one or the other, then the competition between her and her, no matter what, there will only be one person left in the end, she can see hope, and she has the confidence to win the final victory.

And in fact, if there is even the slightest hope, she will do it. So she can say that she will hold all of Hirakawa-sensei's hands.

But Hazuki is not.

She stayed by Hirakawa's side, repeating the absurd idea over and over again.

In other words, the competition between her and Hazuki may only have: Hazuki stays, she and Hazuki stay, these two possibilities.

Because Hazuki and Kuda are different from her, she and Kuda may choose to give up when they can't see hope.

But Hazuki won't, not anyway, she will be by Hirakawa's side no matter what, even if she wants to let that teacher go towards the goal of all, she will not hesitate.

Recalling what Reya Hazuki told her in the café that day, the news of declaring war on Kuda for the sake of Hirakawa, Shiori Shinohara understood her philosophy in this way.

Do you still like that?

To be honest, Shiori Shinohara didn't know, after all, in her cognition, liking must be linked to possessiveness.

Therefore, in Shiori Shinohara's eyes, the idea that you can agree with the other party's wayward all because you like it is as difficult to understand as withdrawing for the sake of the other party's better.

To like is to exclude.

Shiori Shinohara, she will not choose to give up because she wants the other party to be better, even if she wants to fall into the abyss. In the same way, she doesn't agree to the ridiculous idea of sharing the person she likes with others just because she likes it.

That's why she's confused.

Hazuki wouldn't give up no matter what, so it seems that her exclusivity can't be achieved anyway.

What's next for her?

Give up?

To be honest, how could she have the idea of giving up again? has come to the point where it is now, those things that have happened, the emotions that cannot be avoided, and the words that Hazuki Reya relayed to her - [No matter what, I will not give up Shiori]......

This is what her Hirakawa teacher once said.

Naturally, she likes Hirakawa, and he likes her too.

All of the above are pushing her forward.

But there is no road ahead.

The existence of Reya Hazuki has completely sealed the path of monopoly.

However, on the fork in the road, there is a sign that reads, "Share Mr. Hirakawa with others."

The future seemed to be predestined, and either she would back off and leave, or she would stay, turn to the fork in the road, and accept reality.

Because of this, what is fighting against Shiori Shinohara is no longer Kuda or Hazuki, but her own ideas.

Give up completely, or stay?

"Stop." In front of the phalanx of the Wind Club, Suzuko Ogasa suddenly stopped practicing, and the activity room fell silent.

"Shinohara-san." Ogasa Suzukiko called her name.

Shiori Shinohara, who was distracted, silently took the mouthpiece of the trumpet in her hand away and looked at Ogasa Suzuki in front of her.

"You seem to be distracted." Ogasa Suzuki said, "Are you thinking about something?" ”

"I'm sorry, Ogasa-sensei."

"That's—"

"I want to take a break."

"Huh——? Feeling unwell? ”

"Just take a break."

“……”

……

The meeting with Shiori Shinohara is still set at that café, after all, there are other people in the family.

"That...... Shiori. ”

When Tetsufumi Hirakawa arrived, Shiori Shinohara was still sitting there a long time ago,

"Yes, Hirakawa-sensei." Miss Shinohara, who was sitting on the chair, raised her neck slightly, and looked down at it from his point of sight, the slender snow-white neck between the girl's collar was very eye-catching.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa stood in front of her, hesitated slightly, and finally pulled the chair opposite Shiori Shinohara and sat down.

Some were silent, some didn't know how to speak.

Since the last time I had an awkward relationship with Shiori Shinohara, especially this eldest lady usually has to go to school, and she is still picked up by a special car on the way to school, so it is difficult for Tetsufumi Hirakawa to have time and opportunity to be able to say something to her.

Things almost came to a stalemate.

Until today, Shiori Shinohara finally responded to him and promised him to meet.

But how do you speak?

Shiori Shinohara solved such a problem for him.

The first conversation between the two was Shiori Shinohara's mouth, and what she said was:

"Mr. Hirakawa, I heard that Mr. Kuda and Mr. Hazuki have already moved into your house."

“……”

Tetsufumi Hirakawa involuntarily lowered his gaze, avoiding Shiori Shinohara's gaze, looking at the table, and only responding for a moment.

“…… Be. ”

"You haven't told Shiori about it, it's Hazuki-san."

“…… I don't know how to say it. ”

"yes...... Most people really can't think of how to talk about it with their girlfriends and talk about living with other girls. The calm voice was tingling, with the slight sarcasm of Miss Shinohara.

"......" is sarcastically quite right, Tetsufumi Hirakawa did not dare to look up.

Shiori Shinohara looked at Hirakawa, who was a long distance away from her, paused for a moment, and spoke again.

"Hirakawa-sensei, you should remember that Shiori is your girlfriend, right?"

"This kind of thing ......"

"Then why are you so far away from Shiori?"

“……”

From Shiori Shinohara's delicate but unwavering face, it is impossible to see what she is thinking today.

However, after answering the question, Tetsufumi Hirakawa silently got up and moved the chair to Shiori Shinohara's side.

As soon as he sat down, the hand that was close to the girl was naturally held, and her fingertips touched his palm with a slight coolness.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa grabbed the girl's hand.

Shiori ......didn't know what to say, but his and hers' eyes finally met and no longer avoided them.

Mr. Hirakawa...... Tell Shiori what you think? Shiori Shinohara took his hand and said.

"Good. Concerning......? ”

"Why did you tell Shiori that because of Mr. Kuda, I can't kiss, and then I turned around and was with Hazuki-san?"

“……”

"Can't answer?"

"It's not." Tetsufumi Hirakawa shook his head.

"That's because?"

"......" Tetsufumi Hirakawa let out a dull breath in his chest, and finally made up his mind to tell the truth, "At that time, because Hisuda had just finished talking to me, she didn't want me to continue to fall...... I don't want to let her down. ”

"What about Hazuki-san?"

"She changed my mind." Tetsufumi Hirakawa said without much hesitation...... He wasn't going to hide it anymore.

"It seems that Hazuki-san did provide a lot of help to Mr. Hirakawa's ridiculous ideas."

"......" Tetsufumi Hirakawa was speechless.

"What about Mr. Hirakawa, what do you think now? Straight to the point, Shiori is ready. ”

“……”

"You have made up your mind, and you will never be shaken by others again?" Shiori Shinohara asked.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa nodded silently without refuting.

Although she was ready, when she received the expected answer, Shiori Shinohara's eyes still showed sadness like water.

"What if, because of Mr. Hirakawa's ridiculous idea, Shiori wants to leave Mr. Hirakawa?"

“……”

Tetsufumi Hirakawa clenched the cold fingers in his hand, his eyes flickered a little, but he still faced the girl in front of him and said this.

"I can't give up Shiori."

"It's like you can't give up Teacher Kuda, it's like you can't give up Classmate Hazuki, is that so?"

I didn't get an answer, but I just acquiesced.

Shiori Shinohara didn't know what to say anymore, and her chest was dull and speechless, and she was stuck in her chest.

She was tired and leaned down weakly, leaning on Tetsufumi Hirakawa's shoulder.

It was a long time since I could speak again.

Shiori Shinohara thought about a lot of things, and after thinking about it, she thought about the future—whether there was a future for Tetsufumi Hirakawa or a future without Tetsufumi Hirakawa, she thought about it.

She was so weak that she couldn't even sit up straight, and the air was as heavy as water, pressing her almost out of breath.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa put his hand on Shiori Shinohara's delicate shoulder at the moment and hugged her.

After another unknown amount of time, Shiori Shinohara finally felt her soul squeezed out of her body by the air and returned to her body.

The mind returned.

After all, what was actually thought about, all possible futures, were thought about before we met.

But sure enough, every time I think about it, I still feel sad, sad to the point of sadness.

"Hirakawa-sensei, do you know?" Shiori Shinohara's clear voice suddenly sounded again, but at this time, no matter how clear her voice was, it seemed heavy.

“…… What? ”

"Shiori has had this mood several times in total." Shiori Shinohara said.

"The first time was in the third semester of the first year...... That's right, it was when Shiori's mother asked Shiori to give up playing wind music. ”

"The second time was when Hirakawa-sensei hinted that Shiori should not be able to have forbidden feelings for you."

"The third time is the awakening of the summer festival at the end of the festival."

"The fourth time is ...... now"

"The common denominator is that Shiori really can't see any hope...... I don't know what to do. ”

“……”

In addition to this common denominator, another common denominator is that even if there is almost no hope in sight, in the end, she still has to fight for it.

I already knew that she would never accept the future without Hirakawa, but it was absolutely impossible for her to just look at that kind of future - the future with others.

"Hirakawa-sensei." Shiori Shinohara suddenly raised her voice and said.

"Shiori...... What's wrong? Tetsufumi Hirakawa responded.

"Even if she knew this, Shiori wouldn't be able to quit like this...... It looks like it's almost impossible to change the future, but it's better to give it a try. Shiori is such a person who will not give up as long as he doesn't see the result. ”

“……”

"Did you know?"

“…… I know, Shiori is such a person. Tetsufumi Hirakawa leaned against Shiori's head and nodded.

"So Shiori still wants to give it a try...... Let's try to see if I can take all of Mr. Hirakawa's hands in my hands, and try to see if I can make Mr. Hirakawa's heart only leave Shiori alone. ”

“……”

"I didn't know that Mr. Hirakawa liked poetry, and it was difficult to give up, but now, Mr. Hirakawa has said that he likes poetry and will not give up poetry, so there is no reason for poetry to give up."

“……”

"What sustains Shiori like this, that's the reason, Shiori likes you."

"Well, I like Shiori too." Tetsufumi Hirakawa said.

However, in the next instant, Tetsufumi Hirakawa heard Shiori Shinohara's low, almost indistinct voice, faintly trembling.

"That being said, it's ...... Shiori will be sad too...... There will be times when you want to give up......"

“……”

“……”

The faint cry was like a pinprick in the heart.

But Tetsufumi Hirakawa couldn't do anything.

He held Shiori Shinohara's cold hand, his throat was blocked, and he couldn't say anything.

……

Long.

"Hirakawa-sensei, go back to Moriya." Shiori Shinohara suddenly said, "Be the instructor of the wind club." ”

“……”

“……”

……

In the third grade, at the beginning of April, Tetsufumi Hirakawa once again went to Moriya and became the instructor of the wind club.

It's almost decided, and the book will be completed in March, thank you for being with me all the way.

The new book will be released at the end of March.

(End of chapter)