Akane who?
At this moment, this question echoed through the minds of both Sato and the girl called Akane.
Sato looked somewhat confused.
Because he had never met this girl before, yet why did everyone else seem so familiar with her?
Shinoda Akane had the same confused expression.
Why was there a boy here? Why was he in Konomi-senpai's room?
"Oh right, you two don't know each other yet. Let me introduce you."
Seeing the two staring at each other in confusion, Fujimiya Konomi immediately realized what was happening. She lightly clapped her hands, walked to Shinoda Akane's side, placed both hands on her shoulders, and introduced her to Sato with a bright smile.
"This is my junior from the concert band, a first-year student, Shinoda Akane. Though when the new school year starts, she'll be a second-year student."
"H, hello, senpai! I'm Shinoda Akane!"
The red-haired girl suddenly bowed deeply toward Sato, then called out to him in a nervous, stammering voice.
She seemed somewhat clumsy. Or perhaps she was simply bad with strangers?
"Akane, Sato is the same as you."
"Eh? Did I misunderstand again?!"
Shinoda Akane's face immediately turned bright red from embarrassment, even her ears becoming flushed.
Sato asked curiously,
"Why did you say 'again'?"
"T, that..."
Shinoda Akane stammered for a long time, unable to explain herself properly. Seeing this, Koshigaya Komari laughed from the side.
"When she first met Hotaru, she thought Hotaru was her senior and used a lot of honorific language toward her."
Shinoda Akane's face became slightly red. Clearly, she still remembered that rather unpleasant memory.
Sato turned his head and looked at Ichijou Hotaru, silently sighing in his heart.
Mistaking her was understandable!
To be honest, Ichijou Hotaru really was too developed. Without knowing her well, someone seeing her for the first time might easily mistake her for a high school student.
Afterward, Fujimiya Konomi introduced Sato to Shinoda Akane as well.
"This is Nohara Sato. He's currently studying in Chiba. If he hadn't gone to Chiba, it's possible that he and Akane would have become classmates."
"He's actually the same age as me?"
Shinoda Akane looked at Sato in surprise.
Sato smiled and nodded at her, then turned his questioning gaze toward Fujimiya Konomi.
"What did you mean earlier when you said 'today's guest'?"
"Fufu!"
Standing behind Shinoda Akane, Fujimiya Konomi held her shoulders and revealed a brilliant smile.
"Actually, the reason I asked everyone to come this time was to listen to Akane's solo performance!"
"Eh?!"
Everyone present exclaimed in surprise.
Miyauchi Renge blinked her adorable large eyes at Shinoda Akane.
"Akane, are you going to perform?"
At this moment, Shinoda Akane was still standing there in a daze. Only after hearing Miyauchi Renge's voice did she suddenly come back to her senses, looking toward the mastermind behind everything, Fujimiya Konomi, in a panic.
"T, this is the gift you said you were giving me?!"
What kind of gift was this supposed to be?!
"Yes. Since starting next semester, we might not get to see each other anymore, so I decided to completely solve your fear of strangers!"
Fujimiya Konomi stood beside Shinoda Akane, smiling as she put her hands on her hips.
Uu...
Shinoda Akane felt like she was about to cry from being moved. Konomi-senpai really was too kind, but... but could you at least have given me some mental preparation first?!
Shinoda Akane felt like crying inside.
"Can you tell me what happened?"
Sato blinked while looking at Fujimiya Konomi.
So what exactly were you doing?
Didn't you invite me here to play?
Fujimiya Konomi giggled, then sat down beside Sato and explained,
"Akane is my junior, but she has a very serious fear of strangers, so I've always been helping her."
"So we're here as supporting actors?"
Sato suddenly felt like he had been used again, looking at Fujimiya Konomi with an innocent expression.
"Fufu, I invited you here to listen to her performance. Akane is very talented. It's possible that she might become a master-level figure in the future!"
After saying that, she turned her head toward Shinoda Akane, who had already become somewhat stunned.
Senpai, you're exaggerating too much!
"Akane, I won't be able to help you anymore in the future."
Hearing that, Shinoda Akane immediately regained her senses. She tightened her grip on the transverse flute in her hands, her eyes slightly red as she looked at Fujimiya Konomi.
"Senpai... thank you for all your help!"
She suddenly bowed deeply toward Fujimiya Konomi.
"Since that's the case, then give a good performance!"
"Eh?!"
Shinoda Akane let out a startled cry, holding onto the transverse flute in her hands as she looked around the room at the pairs of eyes watching her.
It... it still feels so embarrassing!
Shinoda Akane thought with a flushed face. However... however, maybe she would never see senpai again after this.
Thinking of that, she slowly became more determined.
Sato silently watched the changes in Shinoda Akane's expression, then suddenly said to Fujimiya Konomi beside him,
"Looks like your training worked pretty well."
Fujimiya Konomi rolled her eyes at him cutely.
"Don't use such a strange word!"
"Then what should I say?"
"You should say that I taught her well!"
Fujimiya Konomi proudly raised her fair chin.
Sato smiled.
"So this is the reason you applied for Chiba University's education department?"
"Do you think it's not suitable?"
"It's suitable! Of course it is!"
"You're just saying that."
Fujimiya Konomi stared at him and lightly snorted before slowly saying,
"I want to come back here in the future, and take over Miyauchi-sensei's position."
"Asahigaoka."
Sato felt a little nostalgic. After hesitating for a moment, he said,
"Asahigaoka has a high chance of being closed down in the future, doesn't it?"
Fujimiya Konomi shook her head.
"That isn't necessarily true. Although there are fewer people in the surrounding villages, there are still some children."
"It's just that in a few years, Miyauchi-sensei might be transferred to the prefecture. At that time, there might not necessarily be someone willing to come here."
"Then that's really going to be hard work for you."
After falling silent for a moment, Sato said this.
Fujimiya Konomi did not respond. She sat beside Sato, hugging her legs while watching the girl who was taking the transverse flute out of its case.
The girl wrote several characters on her hand, then swallowed them. Afterward, she carried the transverse flute to the center of the room and nodded toward Fujimiya Konomi's encouraging gaze.
Standing in the center, she took a deep breath.
The girl placed the transverse flute to her lips, and a graceful melody slowly began to flow through the room...