In a World Where Chastity Is Reversed, I Kept Provoking Girls Until Things Went Too Far - Chapter 33: Archery Tournament

Chapter 33: Archery Tournament

On Saturday morning, the sky was clear without a single cloud.

School was off, but today was his older sister Rika’s archery tournament. Kouta had been sent off by Mom with a “Go cheer her on,” and now he was riding the train with his younger sister Mio toward the archery hall attached to the gym in the next town over.

“…Hey, big bro.”

“Hm?”

“Why do I have to go too? An archery tournament sounds so boring.”

“Take that up with Mom. Well, she’s actually in the tournament, so it’d be kinda sad not to cheer her on.”

Mio grumbled a bit, but there was a hint of excitement in the air around her.

As they passed through the ticket gate, they spotted a few high school girls in hakama here and there in front of the station.

With their bow cases slung over their shoulders, they walked straight through the sunlight, and it made them look really beautiful.

“Whoa… it really feels like archery.”

“Big bro, you into girls like that?”

“Nah, I’m not looking at them that way or anything.”

“Hmm. …Well, it suits Sis better anyway.”

Mio gave a little sniff and walked on ahead.

When they arrived at the venue, a tense atmosphere enveloped the two of them. The inside of the gym was deathly quiet, and on the shooting range, the competitors were holding their bows in perfectly synchronized movements.

From beyond the target came a dry “pashin” sound. Every time an arrow sank into the target, a small round of applause rose from the spectator seats.

“…It’s amazing. The air feels different.”

“Yeah…”

Mio’s voice naturally dropped to a whisper.

And there she was among them. One figure standing tall in her hakama—his older sister, Rika.

At home, she was the caring but a bit naggy type. But the way she held her bow was like a completely different person—calm and beautiful.

Kouta caught his breath without thinking. The taut string’s sound, her focused profile, the moment she released the arrow—everything was like a painting.

(…Sis is really something.)

With that admiration in his chest, he glanced to the side, and Sana was gazing at their sister the same way. But her expression seemed to mix a subtle hint of jealousy with the respect.

“…If only she’d be that quiet at home too.”

“Don’t say that to her face, okay?”

Their quiet whispers got swallowed up in the tense air.

It was a large archery hall like a gym.

During a break in the matches, the footsteps of club members heading back to the waiting room and the dry sounds of arrows hitting targets gradually faded away. Here and there in the spectator seats, supporting families were opening bentos or chatting about their impressions.

In that atmosphere, the two quietly watched for their sister’s turn. Next to him, his younger sister Mio fidgeted restlessly.

“That last shot was awesome, Sis!”

“Yeah, her draw is so pretty after all…”

“Big bro, you’re looking super serious. You really admire Sis, huh?”

“Well, I know how hard she works.”

That gentle exchange between brother and sister got interrupted by a sudden voice from behind.

“Hey, hey, are you—Rika-senpai’s little brother?”

When he turned around, there were four or five girls in hakama standing there with big smiles. All of them still holding their bows, looking casual like they were on a break from practice.

“Whoa, you really do look just like her~!”

“She really has a little brother! Just like she said.”

“You two are so alike~ And that calm vibe is similar too.”

“Rika-senpai said, ‘My brother’s coming, so I might get a little nervous’~”

“Eh, she said that!?”

Kouta’s voice cracked without thinking. That reaction hit their funny bone, and the girls burst out laughing.

“So cute~! Hey, do you have a girlfriend or anything?”

“N-No! N-Not like that yet…”

“Such a serious guy~ That’s just like Rika-senpai too.”

“Wait, you’ve got a cute face. You must get a ton of attention, right?”

As the girls closed in, Kouta backed away little by little.

And then—a small hand tugged gently at his sleeve.

“…Big bro, you’re in trouble, huh.”

Mio stood up and planted herself in front of her brother, looking up at the girls with a serious face.

“Aw, the little sister? She’s super cute!”

“Rika-senpai’s little sister is cute too? What kind of genes are in that family!?”

“Are you guarding your brother~?”

“N-No! It’s just… um, a little… too close.”

Mio took another step forward and spread her arms wide to stand protectively in front of Kouta.

“Don’t do anything weird to my big bro!”

“What’s that, protecting him? So cute~!”

“You’re worried your brother’s gonna get stolen~”

“Little sis, you’re totally the type who’s gonna be super popular someday~!”

Mio’s cheeks turned bright red. That just made it even funnier to the girls—

“Whoa, little sis is blushing~! So precious!”

“Hey, little bro, you’re a total heartthrob. Getting protected by your sister and all!”

“W-Wait, please, we’re just here to cheer…”

“Hang on—you girls.”

Rika stood there quietly with a fixed smile. Still in her hakama, retying her sweat-dampened hair. At the sight of her, the girls instantly straightened up.

“Eek, Rika-senpai! We were just chatting a bit!”

“Yeah! Your little bro’s so cute, we couldn’t help it!”

“…Enough teasing already. Focus on the next match.”

“Yes!”

“S-Sorry!”

The club members dashed back laughing.

The spectator seats fell quiet again. Rika let out a small sigh and sat down next to Kouta and Mio.

“Seriously… those girls get carried away.”

“You’re popular, huh, Sis.”

“I don’t need that kind of popularity. It’s just ammo for teasing my brother.”

Mio pouted and gripped her brother’s sleeve tight.

“…Next time, I’ll guard you so no one else can even talk to you.”

“Nah, you don’t have to go that far.”

“No way. I don’t trust girls.”

Kouta gave a wry smile, but he noticed Rika watching their exchange with a small smile of her own.

“…Well, a little liveliness does help loosen up the match nerves, I guess.”

As she said that and stood up, her older sister’s back looked just a bit proud.

In the evening, long shadows stretched outside the venue. Kouta, Mio, and Rika walked side by side down the tree-lined path behind the gym.

“You were amazing, Sis! That last shot hit dead center!”

“Thanks. …But I’m still nowhere near good enough.”

Rika smiled a little bashfully and patted the bow case on her shoulder lightly.

“My hands were shaking from nerves at the end. And with you two watching, it made it worse.”

“Eh, our fault?”

“Half of it, yeah. And seeing my brother surrounded by all those girls? No way I could stay calm.”

“Well, that wasn’t really being surrounded… more like just getting teased…”

“But you looked happy about it.”

“Urk…”

Mio puffed out her cheeks and pursed her lips.

“You were all excited, big bro. Your face was grinning like an idiot.”

“Eh!? N-No, it wasn’t!”

“Bingo.”

Rika laughed, and Mio ended up laughing a little too, caught up in it.

A short walk from the venue brought them to the shopping street.

“I’m hungry…”

“Mio, you got too worked up. You acted like you weren’t interested at first.”

“But I got nervous cheering for you, Sis.”

“Alright, let’s swing by the convenience store on the way home then. I’ll treat you to drinks.”

“Yay!”

“We haven’t walked side by side like this as a trio in a while, huh.”

“…Yeah. I’ve been coming home late from club, and Mio’s been all stressed from studying.”

“I was only stressed because of you, big bro.”

“My fault again!?”

“Hehe.”

Rika let out a small chuckle.

They hit the road home again, sipping the juice Rika had bought them.

“Thanks for today. For coming to watch.”

“Nah, you were cool.”

“Me too! When Sis was holding her bow all serious, you looked kinda sparkly…”

Rika smiled shyly and twisted open the cap of her PET bottle, tilting her head back to the sky. The faint orange-tinged clouds hid the creeping approach of night.

“…Pushing yourself like that isn’t so bad after all.”

“Yeah.”

“Sis, you got another tournament coming up?”

“Yeah, the summer prefectural one. Next time, I’m aiming higher.”

“Alright, we’ll cheer again then.”

“Just be careful not to get mobbed by girls this time.”

“Ur… I’ll try.”

Their laughter overlapped at that reply.