Trapped in the sunset

Qingfeng Dahui. . .Laughed.

It's because I finally found an opponent who can beat me, so I feel happy from the bottom of my heart. . .

There was no hiding the gleam in his eyes.That kind of excitement, the fighting spirit without distractions.

"Seirin 101:100 Tong Huang"

When the whistle sounded for the end of the game, everyone stared at the scoreboard with their eyes open.

Then--

Thunderous, eardrum-shattering cheers instantly filled the entire stadium.

Contrary to the atmosphere of Seirin crying with joy, everyone in Tonghuang stared blankly at the opponents who congratulated each other.At that moment, an unbelievable feeling emerged in the hearts of Tonghuang's players and the audience who supported Tonghuang.

Aomine Daiki let go of the previous hostility, as if he had returned to the Teiguang era, just a boy who simply lost——

"I lost?" He murmured blankly: "I, will I lose too?"

Wei Young looked at all this on the court, turned her head to the boy beside her and said - "You are all really good, Akashi-kun." Even playing a ball game can make her blood boil even if she doesn't know how to play.This feeling of being deeply shocked - still originated from basketball - is the first time in history.

"The mood recovered?" Akashi glanced lightly at Aomine who was fighting Kuroko Tetsuya on the field, and asked instead of responding.

"Huh?" Wei Young blinked, and then smiled knowingly: "Do I seem to be such a person who feels sorry for others?" She looked straight ahead: "What happened between Tetsuya and you, I am Never mind. But—"

——But I believe that all your holidays and displeasure will be resolved.

"Let's go."

Akashi ruffled her hair and walked out ahead.

Tetsuya's next game is the day after tomorrow, and there will be one every day after the third game.

Today, let him celebrate with his teammates and rest well.

Wei Young raised his hand towards Zhe Ye from a distance, clenched his fist—"Congratulations, Zhe Ye. 』

As the seeded team, Luoshan has not played in the past two days.The second round of the day after tomorrow will be the first match for the seeded teams - 32 remaining teams, [-] games a day.The truly fierce battle will only start on that day.

Hei Zizhe also looked at his childhood playmate who had left with his former captain, a trace of worry flashed in his eyes. . .There is also paradoxical peace of mind.

As a former teammate of Akashi Seijuro, Tetsu also knows his personality very well—whether it is the gentle boy who is gentle, polite, and good at taking care of others in the first and second years of the country; or the almost lost to Atsushi Murasaki in the third period. His second personality, the boy who is the only one who respects himself, cannot be violated, and is so indifferent that he is almost cruel.

Although it is called a second personality, Tetsuya now finally knows that Akashi Seijuro is not suffering from "schizophrenia" as it is called in medicine.In his condition, it might be better to say that he threw away the gentle external mask he had been wearing all along when he was being pushed into a hurry.I thought that the gentle him was swallowed up, but the gentle expression he showed towards Wei Young today overturned not only his own perception, but also everyone in the Age of Miracles.

That smiling, gentle person still exists.It's just that he buried it deep.

However, Zhe also never thought that it would be Wei Young who broke the wall in Akashi's heart. ——A girl who has just returned to China and knows nothing about them.

Akashi-kun, she actually needs exactly this kind of person.

. . .

Wei Young walked out of the gymnasium, looked up at the starry sky.

The cold winter wind blew in her face, stinging her cheeks a little.

"Where are the seniors and the others?"

It was only then that Wei Young remembered that there were other people and asked belatedly.

Akashi walked to the side of the road and took a taxi with his hands—"I called Coach Platinum to let them go back first."

"...Really." Hearing this, Wei Young didn't give any comment, she bent slightly and sat beside him.

After the car started the engine, Wei Young relaxed her unintentionally tense body, and leaned softly on the back of the chair.She let out a long breath before allowing herself to recall the information she received today.

As she has admitted before, she is a person who only knows how to read and can't play basketball.

But even so, she still understands the relationship between people.

It is regrettable that everyone in the most intimate era of miracles will come to this point today, but it is inevitable.As Akashi-kun said, they were too strong at that time, so strong that even they themselves didn't know what to do.Aomine Daiki is the most extreme and the best Liezi.

Longing for an opponent while feeling disheartened by the cognition of "may never find it", after that, he let himself become lazy and arrogant as if he gave up on himself.

What he wants, in simple terms, is actually an opponent who can defeat him.

Tetsuya pays attention to teamwork; Kise Ryota's original intention to play is because he yearns for Aomine Daiki; Principles force him to do his best to do his job well; Momoi Wuyue is the only one who agrees with Tetsuya's beliefs because of his childhood sweetheart.

Maybe these people really love basketball.

However, that pure enthusiasm disappeared slowly and bit by bit under the passage of time.

Jointly, there should be a very good relationship between them.

but--

The smile that Aomine Daiki finally showed 10 minutes ago, Tetsuya and his teammates' brilliant victorious faces were frozen in Wei Young's mind.

At this moment, the silent cell phone in her pocket vibrated.Wei Young took out her phone, smiled apologetically at Akashi, and pressed the answer button—"Hello?"

"Xiao Yang, it's me."

Hearing the familiar voice on the other end, Wei Young straightened up and asked in surprise, "Brother? Why are you calling?"

"Of course I call because of something. Do you know what time it is here?" Haiyin Sizhen complained dissatisfied.

"Brother, you said it the wrong way." It wasn't her who called him, what was he complaining about?Wei Young pursed her lips, showing a half-smile.

"It's not the opposite, it's you who prevented me from having a good rest this morning. Do you know that someone called from the post office early in the morning, saying that there was an important letter for you, but when they went to our house No one is here, so let me go and collect it right away."

"...so urgent?" Wei Young frowned.

Haiyin Sizhen sighed: "Anyway, I brought it back. It was sent by the Royal Academy of Music."

"Huh?" The Royal Academy of Music?Now, Wei Young, who has always been shrewd, is really confused.She subconsciously looked at Akashi, her silver-gray eyes met red and gold eyes of different colors, and the calmness in them instantly soothed her restless emotions.

"Would you like me to take it apart for you?"

"...Um."

Wei Young's hand holding the phone slightly tightened.

There was the sound of an envelope being torn open, followed by a brief silence. --"elder brother?"

On the other end, standing by the window was really staring at the letter in his hand, a smile gradually climbed onto his face.

"This is the invitation letter for the International Piano Competition sent by the UK headquarters. Your teacher in St. Paul sent a letter of recommendation to the organizing authority. They have watched your performance and thought it was very good, so they are now sending this letter to inform you The detailed data and time of your competition. When did you sign up? Why didn’t you tell us?”

wait wait wait--

"You mean, the International Music Competition?"

It is undeniable that Wei Young panicked at that second.

. . .

Hanging up the phone in a daze, Wei Young stared blankly at the phone.

--What exactly is going on?

Wei Young doesn't remember when she signed up, let alone when she recorded a video that could be sent to the selection.

The red-haired boy stood aside silently, listening to her intermittent conversation one-sidedly, and got a general idea.

He watched the girl pick up the phone again, opened the contact book and played another call.

"Hello, is this Mr. Peterson?"

This time, in the small space of the taxi, Akashi could clearly hear the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Oh, it's you, Xiao Weiyang."

A strange voice came.

This long-lost voice and tone made Wei Young's already aching forehead even more painful.

"Yes, it's me, teacher."

"Let me guess, have you received the letter? You really deserve to be my favorite student, I am very optimistic about you. You must perform well when you come to England in January!"

"No!" Wei Young spoke before Matthew Peterson's voice fell. "Teacher, what's going on here?" She asked the question that had been bothering her all the time: "When did you sign up for me? I haven't heard of it, nor have I thought about participating in that competition."

"Hey, don't be so rigid, Xiao Weiyang. Your talent is to be used so well. Don't you want to? Show your own music on the world stage, and then walk off the stage amidst warm applause. Of course After that, you can go to Paris to have a vigorous Paris romance! How romantic!"

Weiyang helped the forehead.

Matthew Peterson was one of her piano instructors at St. Paul's Conservatory of Music, and the one who pushed her onto the stage for that piano performance with his prudence.

In terms of personality, she thought of Franz von Stresemann in "Symphony Dreams" more than once—although, unlike the unscrupulous conductor, the teacher only went to nightclubs all day long.

"Master's music is genuine."

As Chiaki Shinichi said, she has the same opinion about Peterson-sensei.

So even though the teacher has never had a real positive experience, she still respects and believes in him.

"Teacher, what is the reason? Besides, I have just arrived in Japan, so it may be very difficult for me to take such a long vacation from school suddenly..."

"I know this too." Peterson shrugged irresponsibly: "So even though you have already passed the initial video pre-selection for "video audition", you can still refuse to participate."—Of course, based on his understanding of Haiyinsi Weiyang, she will not refuse.

Wei Young closed her eyes and smiled bitterly: "Teacher, you are really cunning."

"That's it, I'll hang up first. Little Weiyang, please work hard~ Ah, yes! The song I sent over is Liszt's "La Campenella" that you were practicing before you left."

"Guest, it's here."

The taxi driver's voice made Wei Young suddenly realize that they had parked outside the hotel where they were going to stay for the next two weeks.

Schools across Japan officially started winter vacation two days ago.All schools that have teams participating in the Winter Cup and are located in other places will more or less take care of the daily life of the players and coaches for the past two weeks.Luoshan, a private university, even spent a large sum of money to book a hotel for the players to live in.

Wei Young is not a contestant, so of course she is embarrassed to occupy the room specially prepared for contestants in the school.As a really nameless manager, she paid for the room herself.Therefore, Akashi's room is on the ninth floor, and hers is on the No.11 floor.

In the airtight elevator, Wei Young, who had already calmed down, raised her head slightly to look at the boy who was almost a head taller than her.

——The height of 1.7 meters three is actually not considered short among boys.But it is another matter to be placed among many 1.8-meter and 1.9-meter basketball players.

"Did you hear what happened just now?"

Akashi nodded expressionlessly.

Wei Young stared at him quietly, different emotions flashed across her eyes quickly.Many words finally turned into one sentence——

"What do you think I should do?"

Being able to have enough qualifications to participate in this competition is the common dream of these musical talents who have not stepped into the professional circle.Even if they didn't get the ranking, as long as they passed the preliminary selection, their future would already be guaranteed to a certain extent.

The brunette girl's question was laced with fragile bewilderment.For a girl who is not mentally prepared at all, and who doesn't even have any spare repertoire, suddenly asking her to go to a competition or something, really, is it okay?

Mr. Peterson, are you asking her to choose the competition repertoire from the repertoire she has practiced before?

Akashi's answer was very simple, only ten words.

. . .

That night, Wei Young lay on a soft bed, staring at the ceiling without focus.

The words that the boy said in a gentle voice kept repeating in his ears.

He says--

—— "Weiyang, do as you wish."

Then very quiet, very quiet laughter diffused in the space lit by orange lights.

Unshakable determination replaced previous confusion.

Wei Young closed her eyes until she fell into a deep sleep, with a faint smile still on her face.

--yes.

— as long as she does what she wants.

. . .

Since when did that red-haired boy know her better than herself?

He even knew the answer from the bottom of her heart that she didn't realize. . .

The author has something to say: Because I really can't wait for the progress of the anime, I worked hard and read the manga. . .

By the way, can anyone tell me about Luoshan's battle table? "No matter how hard I look, I can't find it. . .no? 』

Speaking of competitions, I've actually participated in one before. . .But the semi-finals were kicked out. . .Also laughed at by a very nasty boy. . . "angry"

In other words, it is really difficult to mix music and basketball into one story! ! ! "If you are not satisfied with this chapter, don't be angry. . . 』

☆, trust

The author has something to say: Happy Valentine's Day! ! !First of all, let me say here to the singles who are alone in the festival like me: "You have worked hard!!" TAT

Well~ This is Akashi's bg article, I, as the author, should be the first to get out of here~(⌒▽⌒)~

PS: Originally, I wanted to have a Valentine's Day episode, but I wanted to put Valentine's Day in the real chapter. . .That's all.

PS2: I dedicate Valentine's Day to you readers.Hurry up and get excited! ! ! "Actually, it's because no one celebrates with me—" "Running Tears"