A Core Ship From The Start
Chapter 1483 - 1001: Club Activities_3

Chapter 1483: Chapter 1001: Club Activities_3

"Are you talking about those second-year students who supposedly all quit the club?"

"That’s right."

Nakagawa Natsuki nodded.

"At the time, they were still first-year newcomers, so they were very hardworking and enthusiastic. Many of the first-year students wanted to persuade the upperclassmen to pull themselves together, hoping everyone could practice well and win big awards. But back then, how should I put it... this club was actually pretty lazy. The upperclassmen didn’t seem interested in winning awards; they just wanted to attend activities casually and create happy high school memories together."

"Isn’t that a good thing?"

Hearing Nakagawa Natsuki’s story, another petite first-year student asked curiously.

"But their efforts were all in vain, because the upperclassmen crushed them."

"Eh? Crushed?"

The girls’ faces instantly turned pale.

"Was it bullying...?"

"No, it wasn’t bullying."

Nakagawa Natsuki shook her head.

"They merely ignored them, pretended they didn’t exist. After all, you know that wind band performance is a collective activity. If the majority of the upperclassmen didn’t want to participate in practice, then no matter how hard the first-year students tried, it was useless. Of course, there were also quite a few upperclassmen who took practice seriously..."

"So the ones who couldn’t accept it decided to quit the club?"

"Exactly."

"........."

Hearing Nakagawa Natsuki’s answer, everyone fell silent for a moment. But soon, Duanmu Huai broke the silence.

"How foolish."

"Eh?"

Hearing Duanmu Huai’s words, everyone raised their heads in surprise and looked at him.

"Teacher Duanmu, what do you mean by that?"

"Just what the words imply."

Duanmu Huai spread his hands.

"Freshmen who just entered school want to make a big impact and do something noteworthy—that thought is understandable, and their enthusiasm is commendable. But does that mean students who just want to enjoy their school life are in the wrong? Do we have to turn every Light Music Club into an endeavor to make it to the Martial Arts Hall? Is it fair to say that not making it to the Martial Arts Hall equates to a failed life? What’s so bad about everyone cheerfully participating in club activities, singing, playing music, and happily spending three years together? Participating in competitions, exhausting one’s youth, and losing in the end—is that supposed to be a beautiful memory?"

"This..."

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances. Finally, Huang’zen Kumiko summoned the courage to look at Duanmu Huai.

"Then, Teacher Duanmu, do you think the upperclassmen were right, and the first-years were wrong?"

"Just as I thought—children. You’re completely missing the point."

Duanmu Huai waved his hand dismissively.

"What I’m calling foolish isn’t about you or them. Listen carefully: whether you’re upperclassmen or first-years, you’re all students. And the ultimate goal of a club is determined by the teacher."

"This..."

"So, last year’s adviser must have been an idiot. Whether the goal is to have a relaxed, carefree time or to strive for competitions, one has to choose. If you say, ’Our goal isn’t some gold medal, but for everyone to leave happy high school memories together,’ then everyone would lose motivation and slack off. Or if you say, ’Our goal is the gold medal—if you don’t achieve it, don’t come back!’ then those who can’t accept it will surely drop out, and those who remain will naturally obey. Isn’t that right?"

"Ah......!!"

Hearing Duanmu Huai’s words, the crowd froze, exchanging glances once again. Suddenly, they remembered that when they first joined the Wind Band Club, Teacher Long had indeed presented them with two choices.

Would they cheerfully engage in high school club activities?

Or aim for the national competition?

They chose the latter—and what followed was a grueling training regimen akin to hell.

"That’s why I say that adviser was an idiot. It was their responsibility, but they ignored it and pushed everything onto the students... Even armies need commanders to give orders before taking action. Without a commander’s orders, an army acting independently naturally ends up as an unorganized mess."

At this point, Duanmu Huai cleared his throat.

"Alright, gossip time’s over. Remember this: for collective work, a clear goal is essential. It doesn’t matter what you think or what someone else thinks—none of that means anything. Ultimately, the goal is decided by the person at the top. So no matter what you think, you need a definitive directive. Those first-years back then shouldn’t have confronted the upperclassmen; they should have approached the adviser teacher directly. Even if all the upperclassmen had gotten motivated like the first-years, if the adviser didn’t have any drive, you still wouldn’t have been able to accomplish anything, right?"

"Um...... seems like that makes sense."

This time, the students exchanged glances again, nodding quietly. Indeed, when they thought about it carefully, the adviser did hold the ultimate power over the club. If the adviser didn’t approve, it seemed like no amount of effort from the students below could make a difference...

"Alright, that’s all for now. I remember Teacher Long mentioned your goal this year is the national tournament?"

"Yes!!"

"Then work hard. Don’t overthink it."

Duanmu Huai left this remark, then turned and walked out of the classroom. As his silhouette disappeared, the group finally heaved a sigh of relief.

"Phew...... That scared me, Kumiko."

The petite girl let out a long breath.

"You actually dared to talk to Teacher Duanmu just now—I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest!"

"But surprisingly, Teacher Duanmu was easier to talk to than I expected."

Nakagawa Natsuki seemed much calmer, even a bit excited.

"And thinking about it, what he said made sense—yeah, back then the upperclassmen were slacking off, and the adviser really didn’t care either..."

"That’s likely why Teacher Long was brought in to replace the adviser this year..."

The chatter among the Wind Band Club members had nothing more to do with Duanmu Huai. After hearing their gossip and stating his opinions, he’d contentedly left the school, preparing to find somewhere to eat. However, at that moment... Duanmu Huai’s phone suddenly rang. He picked it up and immediately heard Banriya’s voice.

"Lord Duanmu!"

"Hmm? What’s wrong? What’s happened?"

Hearing Banriya’s anxious tone, Duanmu Huai’s expression immediately grew serious.

"I-I am with Lord Mio, and we’re being hunted by a Fallen Angel!"

"Hunted?"

Upon hearing Banriya’s report, a flash of hostility appeared in Duanmu Huai’s eyes.

"Tell me the location—I’ll be right there!"