Kumiko enters Kitauji High School having been unable to forget what Reina said at a middle school concert band competition. She goes to visit the concert band at school along with classmates Hazuki and Sapphire, where they meet Reina again.

Kumiko and the others prepare for Sunrise Festival. Kumiko and Shuichi talk about Taki-sensei on the way home from school, when they run into Reina.

The concert band receives their marching band uniforms and begins marching practice in preperation for SunFes. Things are different now, with the members all more engaged in practice. And SunFes day arrives.

The band is abuzz with talk about who they'll be going to the upcoming festival with. There's someone Hazuki wants to go with, but that someone is already going with someone else. Meanwhile Kumiko somehow ends up going with you-know-who.

The audition for the competition participants has come. Everyone must demonstrate their abilities, whether they're a third-year or a first-year. And then, the results are revealed.

Taki-sensei's proposal relieves the upset within the band, and everyone returns to practicing. Reina no longer isolates herself either, much to Kumiko's relief. But then she sees Yuko, who's been antagonizing Reina, speaking with her.

The competition's coming up. Kumiko is suddenly asked to play a difficult phrase from a different part. She begins practicing, but...

The competition performance is "only" 12 minutes long. It's both a blink of an eye and an eternity. The Concert Band members bet their entire youths on this competition. And Kitauji High School Concert Band's performance begins.

Having won first place at the Kyoto competition, Kumiko and the band are preparing to compete in the Kansai competition. A shadow looms over them when an old member, Nozomi Kasaki, enters the picture.

The high school Kitauji fanfare begins its intensive summer camp before the Kansai competition. Kumiko is still trying to find out more about Asuka's refusal to reinstate Nozomi and intends to respect her promise to the girl.

Nozomi finally meets Mizore. She learns, the hard way, why Asuka had been keeping her away.

Only three schools will be selected at the Kansai Concert Band Competition to compete in the Nationals. Will Kitauji High School be one of them?

Asuka invites Kumiko over for a study party. With Kumiko's sister quitting college and Asuka's band membership uncertain, Kumiko and Reina are forced to contemplate the role of music in their lives.

Asuka is about to lose her seat competing in the Nationals. But that might not be why she invited Kumiko over.

With Asuka back in the competition, the orchestra is just about set for the Nationals. Meanwhile, Kumiko tries to understand why Reina is upset at her.

With the competition over and the third-years graduating, Kumiko is left to sort through her feelings: Is it a love of concert band, of the euphonium, or of something else?