Departure: Exploring the Ensemble Section

This week, Mr. Sasaki emphasized again during the class meeting before school ended: "The club visit and experience only lasts for one week, and the forms must be submitted next Monday. Those who haven't decided yet should hurry up."

Asuka pulled the club application form from her textbook, glanced at the three words "Ensemble Club" neatly written on it, and then looked at Xia Mo next to her—

The same three words were written on his form.

"How about we go take a look after school today?" Asuka asked tentatively.

Xia Mo was stuffing sheet music into her schoolbag when she heard this. She looked up, her expression blank.

"Well, we need to confirm the instrument allocation anyway."

Asuka noticed that he said "confirm" instead of "take a look".

No wonder he's a man who's been in the Home Return Club for two years; even when he's looking at a club, he uses such formal language.

The school bell rang, and the classroom immediately became lively.

Some people rushed to the playground with their backpacks on, some went to the convenience store in groups of three or five, and a few girls gathered together to discuss which club to visit.

Feiniao and Xiamo walked out of the classroom side by side and headed up the corridor to the third floor.

The ensemble's activity room is located at the very back of the third floor, just around the corner from the music room.

Before I even reached the door, I could already hear the sounds coming from inside—

It wasn't the sound of musical instruments, but a person's voice. The volume wasn't loud, but the speaking speed was astonishing, like someone firing a machine gun into a microphone.

Feiniao and Xiamo exchanged a glance, then pushed open the door and went inside.

The activity room is much more spacious than the music room, with various musical instrument racks neatly arranged along the walls.

Brass instruments lined up, gleaming golden in the setting sun; woodwind instrument cases were stacked in the corner; percussion instruments occupied a large area at the back of the classroom, from snare drums and bass drums to triangles and castanets, everything was there.

Behind the long table in the middle stood a girl with a high ponytail, holding a baton, explaining something to a few fourth-year students who were visiting.

"—And this is the clarinet! From the woodwind section! The tone is exceptionally gentle! Perfect for students with a good temperament! You have a good temperament, why don't you give it a try?"

The fourth-grade girl was startled by her sudden enthusiasm and took a half step back.

As Fei Niao watched from the side, he inexplicably felt that the scene looked somewhat familiar.

She remembered—when she applied to the comedy club last year, the club president had also enthusiastically pulled her in.

However, the head of the ensemble club is clearly more powerful than the head of the comedy club.

She noticed someone else coming in through the door, and immediately turned around. Her eyes shone like searchlights, and the moment she saw Fei Niao and Xia Mo, she pounced on them.

"Ah! New student!" She walked over in a few quick steps, drawing a circle in the air with her baton.

"Welcome, welcome! I'm Yuka Morimoto, the club president of Class 5-3! The ensemble club is short-staffed right now! You've come at the perfect time!"

Feiniao was a little dizzy from the overwhelming enthusiasm she was giving him, and subconsciously shrank back towards Xia Mo.

Xia Mo remained expressionless, pointed to herself and Fei Niao: "We'd like to visit the ensemble section and see what instruments are available."

"No problem!" Department Head Mori waved his hand. "Come, come, let me introduce you!"

She led the two of them around the activity room, knowing each instrument intimately.

"This is the flute; it's not too difficult to learn, but breath control is very important. This is the clarinet; it has a beautiful tone and is relatively easy to pick up in the early stages. This is the saxophone—"

She patted the large, golden megaphone, her tone carrying the pride of a salesperson introducing the store's prized possession.

"The saxophone often has melodic parts in ensembles, and it sounds cool to play, so it's suitable for guys!"

Xia Mo glanced at the saxophone, her gaze calm and uninterested.

Minister Mori then pointed to a row of gleaming brass instruments next to him:

"Over there are trumpets, trombones, and French horns. The French horn is the most difficult; the mouthpiece is small, and it requires a lot of breath control. Our club doesn't have any French horns now because the one who used to play transferred to another school."

Feiniao was completely confused, her head starting to spin. She had thought the ensemble was just about everyone playing instruments and singing together, but she hadn't expected there to be so many complex instruments.

After Minister Mori finished introducing the musical instruments, he remembered something important.

"By the way, have you learned any musical instruments before? Can you read sheet music?"

Xia Moxian replied, "I started learning piano at the age of four, and I've been practicing cello for three years. I have no problem with sheet music."

Minister Mori's eyes lit up, he nodded, and then turned his gaze to Asuka.

Asuka hesitated for a moment: "I... only started learning piano last year, and I'm not very good at it. I can read sheet music, but I'm not very proficient."

Department Head Mori looked at her thoughtfully, then at Natsume, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two of them a few times.

"Okay, Xia Mo, you can look around and choose any instrument you like. I won't force you."

Xia Mo was taken aback for a moment, not expecting the minister to be so generous. She nodded slightly and turned to walk towards the woodwind instrument area.

President Mori then grabbed Hina's hand and pulled her towards the back of the classroom: "Saito-san, come with me!"

Before Asuka could react, she had already been dragged to the percussion area.

A row of percussion instruments was neatly arranged in front of me—small drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, castanets, wooden fish, and several huge copper pot-shaped instruments in the corner.

"This is a timpani." Chief Mori patted the large, semi-circular copper pot, his tone becoming more serious.

"You've studied piano, so your sense of rhythm is definitely not a problem. The timpani is a highly sought-after instrument in the entire ensemble; it's indispensable in every piece. Besides, there aren't many people in the percussion section to begin with, so there's less competition. If you join, you'll be a key player."

The bird blinked.

"The most important thing about percussion is rhythm. If you have a foundation from learning piano, it won't be too difficult for you to pick it up."

Minister Mori's tone carried a sense of certainty, as if he had already considered everything for you. It didn't sound like he was making a sales pitch, but rather like he was making a sound decision.

Asuka looked at the golden timpani in front of her, then at Chief Mori.

"I don't need to blow air, right?" she asked.

Minister Mori nodded very firmly: "No need to blow air. Just knock."

Asuka hesitated again. She was indeed a little afraid of instruments that required putting your mouth to the ground to blow—

She couldn't even play the recorder very well; her teacher always said she didn't have enough breath control in music class. The timpani was much simpler; you just had to hold the drumsticks and hit it, without having to strain your lungs.

"Well..." Asuka asked tentatively, "Shall I give it a try?"

"Great! It's settled then!" Department Head Mori clapped his hands, his smile even brighter than before. "The percussion group finally has some fresh blood!"

Feiniao felt something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She turned to look at Xia Mo, hoping to find a clue in his face.

Xia Mo wasn't looking at her.

His gaze passed over the long table and landed on a cabinet in the corner of the classroom.

The cabinet was against the wall, piled with old sheet music and odds and ends, and among those odds and ends, the corner of a black box was faintly visible.

"What's that?" Xia Mo walked over and reached out to pull the box out of the pile of clutter.

It was a black musical instrument case that looked quite old. The edges of the box were worn white, and a layer of dust covered the clasp. He unlocked the clasp and lifted the lid—

Inside lay a wooden oboe. Its body was dark brown, gleaming warmly in the setting sun.

The three sections of the tube lay separately on the velvet lining, with an unopened box of reeds, a cork plaster, and a cleaning cloth in the adjacent compartment.

Xia Mo picked up one of the reeds and examined it from all angles.

The reed was very small, shorter than his little finger, made of two reeds joined together, the tips of which were cut extremely thin.

"This..." Morimoto's voice came from behind, "This seems to have been left behind a long time ago. Several years ago, a senior at school learned this, and after he graduated, the instrument has been left here ever since. Because nobody knows how to play it, and nobody takes care of it."

"Oboe." Xia Mo put the reed back in its case, her gaze fixed on the instrument, as if she were frozen in place by something.

"I choose this one."

Minister Mori paused for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Oboe?" she repeated, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "Xia Mo, are you really sure?"

Xia Mo nodded.

Minister Mori opened his mouth, then carefully considered his words.

"That's right, the oboe is... a very difficult instrument. Not to mention anything else, just the reed is very difficult to control. Many middle school wind bands can't even muster a full oboe section, and in our elementary school ensemble, almost no one chooses this instrument."

She paused, then added:

"I'm not trying to discourage you, I'm just worried that you might find it too difficult after you choose it, and then you'll have to leave the club—that would be such a waste."

Xia Mo didn't speak, but simply held the instrument case in her arms, showing no sign of letting go.

Department Head Mori sighed, "Well then, I can't make that decision on my own. We don't have any senior students in our department who can teach us how to play the oboe, and the reeds need to be purchased separately. If you insist on choosing this, you'll have to let your instructor take a look and give you his approval first."

"When can I meet my mentor?" Xia Mo asked.

"Our advisor is Mr. Tanaka from the music department. He comes to the club every Tuesday and Thursday," President Mori thought for a moment.

"Fill out the application form next week and submit it. I'll write in the remarks column that you want to choose the oboe. When Mr. Tanaka arrives, I'll have him talk to you privately."

Xia Mo was silent for a moment, then nodded and carefully placed the oboe box back on the cabinet.

"Can I take a look at it before the teacher agrees?" he asked.

Minister Mori hesitated for a moment: "...Okay, as long as you don't break it."

Feiniao walked over from the percussion section, glanced at the black box on the shelf, and then at Xia Mo's expression—an expression she had seen before.

She had that same expression in the music room, when he played "Secret," and when she first agreed to go to the fireworks festival with him.

That was an expression that said, "I've made up my mind."

"Are you sure?" Asuka asked.

Xia Mo nodded.

"Um."

The setting sun outside the window was slowly sinking, bathing the entire activity room in orange light. Golden light fell on the brass instruments, refracting into dazzling spots of light.

Asuka stood next to the percussion section, looking at the huge timpani drums in front of her, and suddenly felt like she had been tricked.

But she glanced at the black box on the cabinet, then at the timpani in front of her, and frowned.

Oh well, we're both complete beginners anyway, so we're pretty much evenly matched.

The oboe is so difficult, I can't possibly learn it slower than him, can I?

"Club application forms, due next Monday." President Mori cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound more formal, but the excitement in his eyes was impossible to hide. "You two—"

"Ensemble Club, welcome to join!"

Asuka took out her application form from her pocket, and in the "Club Name" section, the words "Ensemble Club" were already written.

She added a line of small print below: "Percussion - Timpani".

Xia Mo also took out her application form and wrote "Ensemble Club" in the "Club Name" column.

He added a line below, hesitated for a moment, and then wrote it down: "Request for application: Woodwinds/Oboe (subject to teacher's approval)".

The two people's handwriting, one delicate and upright, the other neat and small, are written side by side, like two streams that finally merge into the same river.

During spring break, she was still thinking that it would be great if we could be in the same class in fifth grade.

Now we're not only in the same class, but we're also in the same clubs.

Feiniao folded the form, stuffed it into her pocket, and glanced at Xia Mo as if it were nothing.

Xia Mo was still standing in front of that cabinet, looking down at the black musical instrument case, her fingers lightly touching the clasp on the lid.

"You really want to learn that?" Asuka couldn't help but ask.

Xia Mo thought for a moment and said something seemingly out of the blue: "I heard from the minister that when the oboe is tuned, the entire orchestra has to follow along."

Asuka paused for a moment, then asked, "What do you mean?"

"Before a symphony orchestra plays, the oboe always plays a standard pitch first, and then the other instruments tune accordingly," Xia Mo said. "It's the starting point for all the instruments."

Feiniao didn't quite understand these things, but she sensed something in Xia Mo's tone.

It's not about showing off, it's not about curiosity, it's about a serious desire to "be like that."

She didn't ask any more questions.

The two walked out of the activity room side by side. The corridor was empty, and the setting sun shone through the windows, turning the entire corridor orange.

The bird walked on the left, and Xia Mo walked on the right, with a half-step between them.

"What if the teacher doesn't approve of your oboe?" Asuka suddenly spoke up.

"Then we'll find a way to get him to agree."

"What if he just disagrees?"

Xia Mo was silent for a while, then said something that Asuka never expected.

"Then I'll practice alone."

Asuka turned to look at him. Summer's expression was calm, neither sounding like she was speaking out of anger nor joking.

"Anyway, I can practice at home. Piano, cello, oboe, one more won't make a difference."

The bird stared at him for two seconds, then turned its face away.

"...You Chinese are really stubborn," she said, her voice muffled.

"You Japanese aren't bad either," Xia Mo retorted.

"I'm of Japanese and Burmese descent, and I'm not stubborn!"

The two walked down the stairs and out of the teaching building. There were hardly any people left on the playground, except for the soccer team members still running in the distance.

The April wind blew in from the playground, carrying the scent of grass and ruffling the wisps of hair on the birds' foreheads.

"Your timpani," Xia Mo suddenly said, "do you know what you're supposed to learn?"

Asuka shook her head, then nodded: "It's just... playing the drums."

Xia Mo glanced at her, revealing an expression that said, "I knew it."

"I just asked the minister, and timpani need to be tuned; each one needs to be tuned to a specific pitch. You think you can just bang them around and that's it?"

Asuka paused, her expression shifting from "I'm very confident" to "Wait, what did you say?", and then to "I've been tricked."

"The minister didn't tell me this!" She finally realized.

Xia Mo's smile widened a little more.

Asuka glared at him resentfully, quickened her pace, and walked ahead, her ponytail swinging high, as if to say, "I don't want to talk to you anymore."

But after taking a few steps, she stopped and turned around.

"Then teach me how to tune it," she said.

Xia Mo followed, his hands in his pockets, the evening breeze ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead.

"I don't know how to play the timpani."

"Didn't you study piano? Your pitch should be about right." Asuka's tone was confident, as if she were stating an undeniable fact.

Xia Mo thought about it for a moment and surprisingly did not refute it.

"...Maybe."

The bird snorted and turned back to continue walking. After taking a couple of steps, she added:

"Don't be timid when you meet your mentor next week."

"I won't."

"You'd better be!"

The April evening breeze passed between the two, scattering their conversation in the sunset.

The soccer team was still running on the playground, their shouts carrying from afar, indistinct and like sounds from another world.

Feiniao walked in front, and Xiamo followed behind, always keeping a half-step distance between them.

Not far, not near.