The Beautiful Senpai from the Archery Club Is Sleeping in My Room with Her Stomach Exposed. - Chapter 1: Rare Midnight Event— 1

Rare Midnight Event— 1

I shifted my school hours and was able to witness something unusual.

A tall female student was waiting at the traffic light on the way to school—this, in itself, wasn’t particularly remarkable.

What stood out, however, was her posture.

Despite just waiting for the signal, she stood with perfect posture, as if she were about to receive an award.

She wore a long-sleeved cardigan, and on her back, there was a long, narrow bag. It was nearly 2 meters long, easily surpassing her height. Even though I was an average-sized first-year boy, I had to look up to her.

Despite carrying such a heavy item, the girl stood still, unmoving.

Her slightly short skirt didn’t sway.

Her legs, wrapped in black tights, remained still as well.

The only movement was the thin strands of black hair that had been tied into a bun at the back of her head, fluttering gently in the autumn breeze.

As I watched her, two girls walking nearby began to chatter excitedly.

“Hey, isn’t that Watanuki-senpai?”

“Seriously, she’s carrying a bow to school this early in the morning…!”

“I heard it’s part of her training. One of my friends in the archery club told me.”

Noticing that they were gossiping about her, Watanuki-senpai turned around, smiled, and gave a polite bow. She smiled brightly, then effortlessly turned back to face forward again.

Just from the brief glimpse of her profile, I could tell. She was the real deal.

There was no trace of annoyance from her at being whispered about. Her smile was refreshing, perfectly fitting the clear autumn day.

In fact, the girls nearby were so taken by her expression that they let out small, high-pitched gasps. They were practically squealing. It felt like something out of a Takarazuka performance.

I hadn’t realized there was a senior in the archery club with such an aura at our school.

As the traffic light changed, I watched as Watanuki-senpai briskly walked away, while I lazily began heading to school myself.

Well, it’s not like I’ll be interacting with her anytime soon… After all, I’m in the club where we go home after school and have nothing to do with sports.

Besides, at the moment, I’m too focused on maintaining relationships with my classmates.

“…I’m so sleepy.”

I could feel the stress from staying up late accumulating.

I might need to hold one of my special relaxation sessions soon.

“Yawn…”

I let out a yawn, expressing my sleepiness freely.

Unlike that beautiful senior, no one was watching me. So, I could afford to show my exhaustion without worrying. Heh, saying that just makes me feel a little sad.

“Yo, Amemoto! Thanks for playing ranked with me yesterday! I was so happy I gained XPs that I couldn’t even sleep!”

Even I, someone with little presence, had classmates who greeted me in the morning. It’s okay to be a little invisible. I’m managing just fine.

A life with little stress is the best.

“Good morning. I’m sleep-deprived too.”

As I savored the peaceful school life, I casually responded, feeling a sense of quiet satisfaction.

***

After another late-night gaming session with my friend, it was pretty much already time for bed.

As soon as I entered the living room, Mei, who was lounging on the sofa, lazily spoke up.

“Hey, Touyaaaa, go buy some ice cream, will you? And make sure to dash.”

“Ugh, no way. I don’t want to get my heart rate up at this hour. Do you even know what time it is?”

“Just before midnight… A bare-faced high school girl like me can’t go outside at this hour.”

“Then just resist the ice cream. You’re seventeen now, right? You’re practically an adult. Show some restraint.”

“Eh, no way, no way, I can’t resist! I’ve never grown past my kindergarten self. I need to rely on my grown-up little brother to survive.”

“….”

Mei is really a year older than me, right? She’s my older sister, right?

It makes me want to question my own memory because lately, the older sister in the Amemoto family has been acting rather sloppy.

“I’ve been really working hard on my diet lately, so I deserve a treat! Please, please? I just really want it right now!”

“…Fine. Just this once.”

At this point, I treat Mei like a spoiled little sister, even though she’s my older sibling. It’s better for my mental health that way.

“Really? Thank you! As a reward, I’ll let you have one bite of my ice cream!”

“A bite… You’re such a stingy older sister.”

“I’m kidding, kidding! I’ll let you have as many bites as you want! Now, hurry up and go get it. Move quickly. If you get it safely, I’ll give you a big, loving hug!”

“I definitely don’t want that.”

Her send-off was far from heartwarming.

As Mei fiddled with her nails, her legs, wrapped in grayish short pants, were propped up on the backrest of the sofa, clearly no longer paying attention to me. Maybe I’ve been spoiling her too much, even though I owe her a lot…

I reflected on that as I got ready to head out.

***

On a chilly night in mid-September, I walked slowly down the quiet road.

There was no need to hurry. The convenience store was just a stone’s throw away from the Amemoto house (which was two years old).

So, even though it was pretty safe for my sister to go buy something, she insisted, “I can’t show my bare face to anyone other than family! I’d die!”

I really think Mei can be so childish. Even though she’s the same type of high school girl, she’s completely different from Senpai Watanuki, whom I saw in the morning.

If that dignified Senpai were my older sister, she wouldn’t ask me to go on a late-night errand.

Lost in such daydreams, I entered the convenience store.

The lively background music welcomed me in. I looked up, and then immediately widened my eyes.

Standing in front of the cashier, who was busily scanning items, was none other than—

“Oh no, I put too many in… I don’t have enough money. Sorry.”

It was Watanuki-senpai, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

“Can I return four of these?”

Her shopping basket was piled high with energy drinks.