The Beautiful Senpai from the Archery Club Is Sleeping in My Room with Her Stomach Exposed. - Chapter 14: The So-Called Dark Cloud Part.

The So-Called Dark Cloud Part.

A towering stack of bread.

The sheer visual impact of it left me crouching in the shadow of the classroom door, my bento still in my hands.

Wait, what? I found myself instinctively shifting into eavesdropping mode.

I squatted down in the hallway and glanced around. Not many people were around. Even if an unfamiliar second-year student saw me, I was the kind of person whose presence was easily forgotten.

While I prayed not to be discovered by anyone I knew, the conversation between the seniors continued.

“Rino-chan, hasn’t she been acting a bit strange since the day before yesterday? She even left her bow behind, though she usually takes it home.”

Oh, at least she kept the bow safe.

Well, she also kept her meal intake safe—but in a totally unexpected way.

“Yeah. A junior was worried about me and advised me.”

“Worried?”

“They were concerned that if something happened, I might get crushed under the weight of my bow.”

Right, because if she got anemic again or tripped, carrying that heavy bow could lead to an injury.

Good. Now she wouldn’t have to deal with unnecessary strain during her commute. If this could help reduce Watanuki-senpai’s fatigue, even just a little—

“So, starting today, I’ve decided to wear 2kg weights on both my legs when I go to school.”

Wait… what? (Visibly recoiling)

“This way, I won’t have to worry about getting crushed, and I can get some training in at the same time.”

This is the first time I’ve seen someone walking around with weights in real life. Are you from a battle manga? Just what are you training for…?

“Oh, and about my morning runs. That junior gave me some advice, so I made a little change.”

Given the way this is going, I’m sure it’s something ridiculous, right?

“They said 10km every morning was too much, so I’ve cut it down to just 5km.”

…Wait, that’s actually good. Watanuki-senpai, that’s a solid improvement.

“I decided to use the extra time for walking. Today, I walked about 7km. Taking in the scenery felt really nice.”

She’s saying this with such a satisfied expression, but doesn’t this mean her total distance actually increased?

I feel like I just fell for a trick question…

“Ohh, that makes sense. Rino-chan, you do seem in a better mood today.”

“Right? That junior gave me some great advice. I can be a bit rigid sometimes, but I think I’ve loosened up a little.”

Aymori-senpai nodded in understanding while an unfamiliar upperclassman smiled.

I mean, I appreciate the praise for my advice, but I can’t help feeling unconvinced…

“I’m really grateful to that junior… truly.”

Hearing that quiet but cheerful voice, I almost wanted to let it slide.

For now, this is fine.

This was just a test run.

I’ve seen how she responds.

Next time, I’ll go for a direct hit and bring about a real change in Watanuki-senpai’s lifestyle. I made up my mind—

“T-Touya? Why are you sitting in the second-years’ hallway?”

“Huh?”

The person who made my bento, Mei, was looking at me with genuine concern.

She had just returned from the restroom, gripping a damp handkerchief.

Crap. I got caught by the last person I wanted to find me. If it were any other upperclassman, they’d probably just think, “Oh, some first-year’s acting a little weird.” But this is Mei…

“…If you don’t have friends to eat with, wanna join my group?”

Ah, there it is—the look of pity reserved for a tragic family member.

“Come on, you should! We’ll definitely welcome you way more than those other first-years!”

“Wait, first-years aren’t some evil cult that ostracizes me. I’m actually getting along just fine.”

“I can’t believe that after seeing how sad your lunch break looks! You came here to see me, right? Don’t be shy, let’s go!”

“Wait, hold on—”

And just like that, Mei dragged me into the second-years’ classroom.

Later, I got bombarded with questions (or rather, teased endlessly) by a bunch of flashy upperclassmen.

I swear, I’ll never eavesdrop again—while being toyed with by these radiant older students, I made that vow.

***

In my room, Watanuki-senpai’s eyes sparkled.

Sitting formally on her knees, she kept glancing at my face, like a child eager to show off a good test score.

“Amemoto-kun, Amemoto-kun! I worked really hard these past few days.”

“Seems like you’ve been following my suggestions.”

“Yep! I reduced my morning runs, I leave my bow at school, and I eat plenty at lunch. Thanks to that, I’m feeling a bit better.”

Hearing only this, I’d have given her a perfect score. But knowing the full reality, I can’t exactly praise her unconditionally…

“So, so, Amemoto-kun! It’s been a week, so do I get to experience that special relaxation course again today?”

She was looking forward to it with all her heart. Seeing her eyes shine like that, I wanted to give her something even more satisfying—but…

“No, unfortunately, today we’re doing this.”

I flipped over the whiteboard and smacked it dramatically.

Time for Round Two: “Let’s Lighten Watanuki Rino’s Burden”

“A-Again? But I’m already satisfied with the results of the first one…”

“Not enough. I’m not convinced. I refuse to consider this mission complete with such minor results.”

“…!”

Hearing my determination, she nodded seriously.

“You’re right. I staked my soul on this, yet your efforts still aren’t enough—far from it! I can see room for even more improvement.”

“Exactly.”

Good, she’s willing to reconsider. Now we can have a proper discussion.

“This time, I want to conduct a hearing.”

“A hearing? You have questions for me?”

“Yes. What I want to know is—how do you personally perceive your current situation?”

Her original concern was that she was overwhelmed by studying late into the night, struggling to balance life and her role as captain of the archery club.

But after closely observing her, I couldn’t help but notice—wasn’t she actually managing just fine?

She never skipped her morning runs. She was surviving on just two pieces of bread for lunch. Her juniors in the club admired her. Even Urushibara seemed to respect her.

Which made me wonder—what exactly did she find difficult about her previous lifestyle?

“Please tell me, Senpai. How do you perceive your daily life right now?”

“How? I still feel like I’m not doing enough. I’m inexperienced. I need to become best friends with every junior in the archery club, but I can’t seem to approach them…”

“Wait, all of them?”

Did I hear that right?

“And I need to rank in the top few percent of every subject, but right now, I’m only managing that in two subjects…”

“We go to a huge school, right? That percentage is extremely competitive, isn’t it?”

The more she talked, the more absurd it got.

So, she stays up late because she’s struggling to befriend every junior and excel in every subject?

This person… she’s been relentlessly pushing herself all along.

“Uh… so that’s why you’re staying up late?”

“Yeah. I’m not very good at handling things efficiently. I keep coming up with all these strategies to get closer to my juniors, but… none of them have worked so far. You’re actually my first younger male friend. Even though I’m so clumsy, you still get along with me… Th-thanks.”

She gave me a shy smile and said something so unexpectedly kind. I should have felt more deeply moved by it.

But more than anything, I was panicking.

“J-just one more thing—why do you set your goals so high, Senpai?”

“? If you’re the captain, you have to set an example for your juniors. Even if it’s tough, aiming for the ideal is just natural, isn’t it?”

Her eyes gleamed as brightly as when she was asking for that special relaxation course. There wasn’t a hint of hesitation.

It didn’t seem like this was something I could resolve with logic… More importantly, I didn’t even feel the urge to try persuading her.

This… might be a problem beyond my ability to handle.

I tried to force a smile, but all I could feel was my face twitching.