Salut D'Amour

Measure 20: Welcome!

TSUCHIURA'S POV

***

"Don't lose your number!" The friendly girl by the counter giggles and I smile.

"Sure," I say as Kanazawa-sensei swings his arm over my shoulders. "Hey Kanazawa-sensei!"

"Tsk tsk tsk," he wags a finger infront of me, "you sly boy. With your build and your irresistibly gentle nature, you'll have a lot of girls flocking over you in no time Tsuchiura!" He laughs and I take his arm off.

"Eh?!!" I mutter. "That isn't true..." I scratch my head but Kanazawa-sensei just shrugs his shoulders and points to a group of girls who are circling Yunoki-senpai.

"Yunoki-sama~" They all giggle in chorus.

"It seems that you boys are attracting a lot of attention," Kanazawa-sensei laughs. I look around and realize that each of the guys in the group were surrounded by girls. Hihara-senpai, however, wasn't really happy.

"Ano...Excuse..." He tries to get away but the girls won't let him be.

"May I ask for your autograph?! I saw you at a CM!" A girl squeals and Hihara-senpai looks over at me for help. 

"KYAAA!~" Another group cries as they huddle around Shimizu-kun who is busy studying a statue of a cellist by the hallway.

"Excuse me, but you're that world-famous violinist Tsukimori, aren't you?!" A girl cries as she approaches Tsukimori-kun who amply nods.

Tch..Even this guy has fans. But despite the girls who try to ask for my name, my eyes search the crowd for that one girl.

"If you're looking for Hino - "Kanazawa-sensei calls and I jolt.

"Eh?!!" I squeak but Kanazawa-sensei ignores this.

" - she and Fuyuumi went ahead into the orientation. I'm going there as well so when you're done with all your popularity shows, we'll be at the auditorium. Bye!" He continues to head to the hotel's auditorium and I can't help but sigh.

So that's where she is. 

"Excuse me, but I have to go," I politely make way through the crowd and hurry myself into the auditorium. The hotel is actually huge! They have a chandelier and stuff.

"..right Fuyuumi-chan?" I look to the left and see Hino happily talking with Fuyuumi-san. I smile as I walk over to them.

"Mind if I take the seat beside you?" I ask politely and Hino gives a smile.

"Tsuchiura-kun!" She says and nods. "Sure!"

"This place is really huge, I thought you got lost again," I joke and she flusters.

"Oi oi! What do you take me for?!" She tries to stick her tongue but I just laugh.

"Someone who has a knack of getting lost," I tease and she pouts.

"You are such a --" She smiles. 

"Oi! Tsuchiura! No fair~" We look to our back and we see Hihara-senpai and the rest fill in the seats beside us. "I wanted to sit beside Hino-chan." 

"Hihara," Yunoki-senpai chuckles, "I think it was partly your fault since you got caught with those girls." Hihara-senpai suddenly waves his arms around.

"EH?!!! I didn't like the attention Yunoki!! I was so scared!" Hihara-senpai whines and we all laugh.

"Hello? Testing testing 1, 2,3...is the mic on?" A voice pounds on the mic up the stage and everyone settles. "Alright. Welcome everyone to the 185th Musical Conference here at Gendou Island!"