I joined the concert band back in the spring of my first year in high school.
This is the story of the six seasons that have passed since then.
A story of miraculous chance encounters,
unravelled mysteries,
and the secrets that dwell in people's hearts.
Loosen up, Chika-chan.
You've taken up a really weird pose.
Homura-senpai, if you look that tense,
you'll make the rest of us anxious too.
But who would've thought we'd make it this far?
Tell me about it. It's a miracle we're standing here at all.
Yeah...
It's all one big miracle.
Getting to play the flute on stage,
reuniting with Haruta,
and meeting Kusakabe-sensei.
I don't know how or why,
but adolescence is always full of unsolvable mysteries.
BLOSSOM
THE MELODIOUS CODE
Shimizu Minami High School
Good morning, Homura-san.
Today's the day you finally join us, right?
The volleyball team's waiting for you!
Well, you can stop waiting.
My mind's already made up.
Wait, Homura-san!
You were such an amazing libero back in junior high!
Not to mention your leg strength and jumping ability!
And receiving skills.
Seriously, you were meant to join the volleyball team!
What's holding you back?
Is it an injury?
Teammate issues?
A sudden desire to try a new sport?
None of the above.
Junior high volleyball was like a year-round job, and pulling overtime was the norm.
Be it Sundays, public holidays, Christmas, or Valentine's,
there were no days off.
Sick of the constant practice,
I started to wonder if I really wanted to spend my youth this way.
That's when...
I happened to see it.
The All-Japan High School Concert Band Competition!
In that moment, I knew what kind of high school girl I wanted to become.
So I got my grandma to buy me this as an enrolment gift.
From here on, I'll walk the path of an elegant, cute girl.
I don't like your chances, but good luck!
Do your best!
Hang in there!
The volleyball team will always be waiting for you!
Waiting to welcome you with open arms!
Fire Hydrant
I'll reinvent myself for sure,
Fire Hydrant
just you watchoo!
Fire Hydrant
Are you all right?
Yes.
Seems like there's a lot of pollen in the air this spring.
Use these, if you'd like.
Th-Thank you.
How pretty.
Your flute case is still brand new.
Fire Hydrant
Are you going to join the concert band?
Yes, that's the plan.
You can probably still find them in the music room right now.
It's just about time for morning practice to end.
Uh...
Oh, I'm Kusakabe, the music teacher.
I only started last year, though.
Fire Hydrant
I'm Homura Chika, of Class 1-2.
I'm sure the band will welcome you with open arms.
But I'm a complete beginner.
Don't worry.
You'll learn to play soon enough...
if you put in the effort.
Of course!
The flute's a wonderful instrument, don't you think?
Its delicate and elegant tone is almost like the singing of a bird.
Indeed.
All right!
I'm playing the cute girl to perfection!
That must be the horn.
Such a nice sound.
Who could that be?
Smooth, silky hair,
long eyelashes,
and double-edged eyelids...
Such an elegant and ladylike...
boy?!
Oh, good morning, Kusakabe-sensei!
Good morning, Kamijou-kun.
Huh?
Chika-chan?
"Chika-chan"?
Wait, "Kamijou-kun"?
Is that you, Haruta?!
I mean, Kamijou-kun...
Music Prep Room
So the two of you were childhood friends?
That's right.
Our chance reunion really surprised me.
We were next-door neighbours until grade school.
It's been nine years, right?
Indeed.
What's wrong, Chika-chan?
You were nothing if not energetic.
"Nothing"?
You don't mean that.
Remember how you used to make me cry all the time?
Surely not.
You sure did.
You would place me in wrestling holds,
eat all my snacks,
and stuff spotted frogs down my shirt.
Kamijou-kun, might you be mistaking me for someone else?
Nope.
You also forced me to climb up trees
and play in puddles.
When we slid down that river bank, I thought I was done—
Shaddup already!
I knew it. You haven't changed one bit.
Hey, Kamijou. Give me a hand here.
Oh, Prez. Sure, but first...
Sensei, there's something you need to see.
What is this?
When we came to the music room...
...for morning practice...
...we found these gross, blood-like markings.
It's red paint.
Who would do this?
It's like one of those dying messages in horror movies.
You're the culprit?!
This is Homura Chika-san.
She'd like to join.
Join?
Could you be any more misleading?
Sorry about that.
Is that a flute?
Yes.
At last, we have five members.
Five?
Wait, just five in total?
Four, without you.
So this is all of us?
Yep. I'm Katagiri, the president.
I'm a second-year, and I play the trumpet.
These two are Asahina KaeSae, also second-years.
Wrong way round.
And don't introduce us like we're ManaKana.
I'm Kae, the elder twin. I play the clarinet.
Sae, the younger twin. Bass tuba.
Pleased to meet you.
Sorry to drop this on you right away, but could you help me clean this off?
Oh, sure...
Hold on.
This is no mere doodle.
Look at this.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
"To Kusakabe-sensei".
"I'm sure you understand ....what this melody means".
This melody?
Do you know this melody, Sensei?
No.
This is kinda creepy.
Aren't these white clovers?
What about them?
In floriography, white clovers stand for...
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
...revenge.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
To Kusakabe-sensei
I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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I'm sure you understand
what this melody means.
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BLOSSOM
Revenge?
Homeroom's about to begin.
You should head to class.
I'll clean up here.
Okay.
Kusakabe-sensei,
please don't wipe out the score.
It's probably a code.
A code?
A message that only the sender and intended recipient can decipher.
I know that much.
But it's clearly sheet music.
It's a musical cryptogram.
Sensei, you know about the Art of the Fugue, right?
Bach, yes?
What's that?
Surely even you've heard about it.
Is it a detective novel?
What, Bach is a mystery author now?
Hey, I know who Bach is!
A man with hair like this, right?
Great, she's an idiot.
The first detective story is said to have been written in 1841.
Edgar Allan Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue".
It was published close to one hundred years after Bach died.
The Art of the Fugue is an incomplete work that Bach began writing in his final years.
The phrase "Si flat-Ra-Do-Si" repeatedly shows up in this piece.
This is the code.
Si flat-Ra-Do-Si?
And what would that be in German notation?
German notation?
Chika-chan...
You wanted to take up flute without even knowing that?
I'm a complete beginner.
Goes without saying that I know absolutely nothing.
Do is C, pronounced "Ce" in German.
C, D, E, F, G, A, H.
Si flat is B.
Got it.
Then what would this phrase be?
Si flat is B, then A, C...
BACA?!
The last one is H. Come on.
Ah.
BACH, not BACA.
You just solved this musical cryptogram.
This is the Art of the Fugue.
Bach put his own name in the score.
So this score can be decoded the same way?
Nah.
This doesn't look like a simple conversion to German notation.
All you get is gibberish.
What are these little digits?
Homeroom's about to begin.
I'll leave it up, but only until I go home.
Okay!
What makes you think it isn't just a doodle?
Don't you sense anything from it?
What do you mean?
You're so dense.
What about you? Can you solve that code?
I don't think they could've made it all that difficult.
The culprit is probably someone who went to this school and graduated this year.
How can you tell?
They know Kusakabe-sensei, who only started working here last year,
so they must've been in this school last year.
And the reason they snuck into the usually empty music room at night
was because they couldn't come here during the day.
Which narrows it down to this year's graduates.
I see.
Judging from the message card, they're left-handed,
and they must've romanised the message in order to conceal their handwriting.
Oh, the crown of white clovers might stand for the number zero.
Like, they resent Sensei for giving them a zero on a test.
Must be nice to have such a crazy imagination.
What's that supposed to mean?
You really haven't changed at all since then.
Say what? You haven't changed either!
You never show any tact or know when to stop talking!
And yet you pretend to be this smart, mature guy!
This is 1-1, you know?
Pay more attention to your surroundings.
If you space out too much, you'll let something important slip by unnoticed.
I'm not spacing ou—
He seriously hasn't changed one bit!
Actually, he was way more adorable as a kid!
Well, maybe "adorable" is pushing it.
Though I was just a child back then,
so I might've been a bit rambunctious myself.
You're funny, Homura-san.
At first glance, you seemed all mysterious and ladylike.
But I ruined it by opening my mouth?!
Oh, no, you're just a little different from your first impression.
In a good way.
Damn that Haruta.
Now no one will see me as the elegant, cute girl I planned to be.
"Cute girl"?
No, just you watch, Nozomi!
Uh, sure!
I'll become a great flutist and have people recognise me as a lady!
You really are a beginner, huh?
Good posture, though.
Probably has good lung capacity, too.
If she didn't suck at playing, she'd be perfect.
Right?
You don't need to dig that deep for praise.
No, you're playing confidently, without fear of failure.
I'm sure you'll improve with practice.
Thank you!
But you'll have to practice alone for a while.
Get started with the basic drills.
Okay.
This way, Homura-san.
I'm not much of an expert on the flute, but I should be able to offer you some advice.
Thank you very much!
You'll be good enough to practice with the others before long.
Welcome to the concert band.
Thank you for having me!
Did you solve it?
I thought this code was a substitution cipher...
Cipher
Sighfur?
Code made using two sets of symbols, horizontal and vertical.
For example, arrange the musical scale horizontally,
those little numbers vertically,
and combine them to identify Japanese syllables.
Do2 would be "i",
I
and La3 would be "fu".
Fu
I
I-fu-i-na-i-ni?
I
Fu
I
Fu
I
Fu
I
Fu
I
Fu
I
Fu
I
Fu
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Yeah, it makes no sense.
Those numbers only go up to three.
Well, wipe the board clean before you go home.
Okay.
We're out of time, huh?
I should take a picture.
There.
Oh, I should text my mum and tell her that Haruta goes to my school.
Haruta's still a chee
"Haruta's still a cheeky brat."
Haruta's still a chee
Haruta's still a cheeky brat.
Let me see that, Chika-chan!
I was only kidding.
So it really was...
"Affettuoso".
A... what?
It means "lovingly".
With this, the score is complete.
What do you mean?
You solved it?
I did.
What's it say?
But this is a personal message to Kusakabe-sensei.
You solved it a long time ago, didn't you?
All right, erase it.
It's time to go home.
Huh? But we want to know what's written, too.
Same here!
This is a simple code that combines notes and numbers to identify a letter.
But I didn't know what the actual table was.
I thought they used romanised Japanese to hide their handwriting,
but it was actually a hint.
Take a look.
A keyboard?
The keyboard has three rows of alphabetical letters.
That's why these numbers only went up to three.
Do1 is I.
L.
O.
I lo...
"I love you."
"Thank you."
This is a love letter addressed to Kusakabe-sensei.
They wanted to tell him about their feelings, but they were unable to.
So they poured their feelings into this piece.
But then what about the white clovers?
White clovers don't just stand for revenge.
They can also mean "Think about me".
"I love you"...
So the culprit is in love with Sensei?
Culprit?!
Sensei, do you have any idea who could've written this?
A left-handed student who graduated this year—
Haruta!
Sensei...
Yes, let's end our game of detective here.
But...
I want school to remain a place where students are allowed diversions,
as long as they find what's precious to them.
I'll erase this.
N-No, Sensei! We'll do it!
Unrequited love can be so painful.
I thought solving the riddle would help me figure out Kusakabe-sensei's secret.
Sensei's secret?
He was a conductor with a promising future.
Conductor...
Kusakabe Shinjirou, twenty-six years old.
As a student, he came runner-up in the Tokyo international music competition,
after which he was invited to study abroad.
But upon returning to Japan,
he abandoned his career and went into hiding for years.
Until last year, when he came to this school as a music teacher.
Why do you know so much?
Oh, I just heard rumours.
Hay fever?
Got any tissues?
Nope.
Hey, you've got your own!
These ones are important to me.
Wanna drop by and see my mum?
Nah. I'm not hungry today.
I never said anything about dinner.
Later.
Haruta!
I hope we'll have lots of fun again.
Chika-chan, if you can't manage at least scales soon, you won't be able to take part in practice.
I know!
That so? Well, good luck.
I'm so gonna get better than Haruta!
I'll practice all year, even on Sundays, public holidays, Christmas, and Valentine's!
"You've grown so much better, Homura-san."
"It's all thanks to you, Kusakabe-sensei!"
Hug!
Chika?
Welcome back.
Morning!
I'm off!
Shimizu Minami High School
In at 6:45!
Shimizu Minami High School
Don't underestimate a former volleyball player, Haruta!
This melody...
Huh? You're early, Chika-chan.
Here for morning practice?
What about you?
Why were you playing that piece?
I guess you were paying attention after all.
You like Kusakabe-sensei too, right?
Wha—
Wait, "too"?!
Is that why you joined the concert band?
Of course not!
Thank goodness.
I seriously want to go to All-Japans.
I'm sure even the most minor concert bands still have the right to aim for it.
Me too!
Then until we stand on the hallowed stage at Fumon Hall,
there'll be no stealing of marches on each other.
Got that?
"Each other"?
So you really are...
I take both music and love very seriously.
I won't lose to you just because I'm a guy.
My rival in love is my childhood friend...
and a boy?
No way!
I refuse to accept this love triangle!
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
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Ha
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Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
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Ha
Ru
Ha
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Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
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Ha
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Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
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Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ha
Ru
Ka
Chi
Ka
Chi
Ka
Chi
Ka
Chi
Ka
Chi
Ka
Chi
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Chi
Ka
Chi
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Chi
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Chi
Ka
Chi
Ka
Chi
Ka
Chi
Ka
Chi
Ka
Chi
Ka
Chi
Ka
Chi
Ka
Chi
Ka
Chi
Ka
Chi
BLOSSOM
Narushima Miyoko, Class 1-3.
You know of her?
She's an outstanding talent I want in our band at all costs.
You can't do it.
That cube is impossible to solve.
CROSS CUBE