The Beautiful Senpai from the Archery Club Is Sleeping in My Room with Her Stomach Exposed. - Chapter 18: Love Advice or Looking for a Loophole.

Love Advice or Looking for a Loophole.

After School,

The family restaurant in front of the station was filled mostly with students wearing uniforms from my school.

And this table was no exception.

Sitting across from me were two students.

On my right was Urushibara, who had greeted me this morning. And on my left—

“Once again, hello~. I’m Ayamori Eiko, and I’ve been dating him since summer break.”

“Oh, I see. Nice to meet you.”

Seated there was an upperclassman with soft, fluffy hair and a gentle demeanor.

So they’ve already been a couple since summer, huh? I mean, if they’ve moved past the confession stage, what kind of love advice could I even give? Can I go home now?

“T-Today, I really appreciate you taking the time to meet with us, Amemoto. Please, I need your help!”

Just as I was about to stand up, Urushibara bowed deeply. His forehead and both hands were practically glued to the table. Sometimes, I really feel the samurai spirit in this guy…

“First of all, lift your head. I’m not confident I can be of much help, but I can at least listen. But, Ayamori-senpai, are you sure I’m the right person for this?”

At my question, the senior, who had been elegantly sipping her cappuccino, placed her cup back on the saucer with a troubled expression.

“Well, as long as my boyfriend is okay with it, I don’t mind. Though, honestly, it’s not really the kind of thing we’d usually discuss with outsiders…”

“So, this love story has something to do with the archery club?”

“That’s right—very much so. Our club has had a no-dating rule for years now. Apparently, three years ago, there were constant relationship troubles that caused major issues.”

So, this seemingly harmless upperclassman and this younger guy are actually rule-breaking rebels. You really can’t judge people by their appearance.

The key issue here seems to be that the archery club has a no-dating rule. I should probably get more details.

“Is that an official rule? Like, would there be consequences if you got caught? Three days of fasting or water torture?”

“N-No! Our archery club doesn’t have a torture system!”

Given how seriously Urushibara was taking this, I almost thought there were actual penalties. But I guess it’s not that extreme.

“No, nothing that severe. The worst that could happen is that a senior who couldn’t date until retirement might try to persuade you to break up, or you could get shunned by girls who are close with the alumni.”

“That… actually sounds pretty harsh.”

Man, the archery club’s dating policies are more complicated than I thought. The whole no sneaking around rule enforced through peer surveillance feels pretty intense.

It’s the classic burden of being a social creature, amplified by the dynamics of a small group.

So, I wonder what the person in charge of this group thinks.

“Has Watanuki-senpai said anything about this no-dating rule?”

“No, I’ve never heard the captain explicitly ban it. But, without a doubt, she’s the strictest when it comes to romance.”

“Really? That same person who was in my room the other day, hugging my cushion and kicking her legs while swooning over a rom-com manga she borrowed from Mei—she’s strict about romance?”

“Hmm, well, Rino-chan is someone who values discipline. She’s especially tense during practice and very particular about maintaining the club’s atmosphere. I wouldn’t be surprised if she outright banned relationships. Honestly, I’m too scared to even ask her.”

Maybe my skepticism was obvious because Ayamori-senpai, who seems to know Watanuki-senpai well, added that explanation.

Alright, this makes her stance on the rule even clearer.

“So, let’s assume that Captain Watanuki supports the no-dating rule, and the other members are following it as an unspoken agreement… Even knowing that, you two still decided to date?”

“I accepted his confession knowing the risks. I already thought he was a great guy, and since we started dating, I’ve been really happy. But…”

She glanced sideways at her boyfriend. He remained serious, unfazed. Right, the real person seeking advice here isn’t her—it’s him.

“Urushibara, are you regretting confessing to her?”

“…If I had held back my feelings until she retired, there wouldn’t have been any risk. I always feel a bit guilty about it.”

I see. Also, Urushibara calls his older girlfriend by a nickname in private, huh? Sorry, that detail hit me so hard that I barely processed the rest of the conversation.

“I keep telling you not to worry about it. We’re in this together, right, Kou-kun?”

…Ayamori-senpai too, huh?

She gently placed her hands over Urushibara’s fists. They were already gazing into each other’s eyes. Their forbidden romance was only making their love burn brighter.

Feeling a bit out of place, I sipped my drink bar’s complimentary oolong tea. It was so watered down, I could barely taste it.

“I get the situation. But after all that, I still don’t know what you need from me.”

“Ah, yeah, right! Now that we’ve established that getting caught in the archery club would be bad, I have an important question for you, Amemoto—someone with plenty of life experience!”

With that, the baby-faced Urushibara leaned forward, finally asking the question he’d taken so long to reach.

“What exactly counts as behavior that makes people suspect two people are dating?!”

“…Holding hands is probably borderline unacceptable.”

That was the only safe, generic answer I could give.

Seriously, I’m not the right person for this.

“Eh? But girls hold hands all the time, and even guys can do it as a sign of friendship. I’m confident we could play it off if anyone saw.”

“Then, Ayamori-senpai, what do you consider a dead giveaway that someone’s dating?”

“French kissing.”

…What kind of romance perspective does this upperclassman have? So, anything below a full makeout session is fair game? She’s got a deceptively predatory vibe despite her gentle demeanor…

“Alright, Urushibara, what do you think crosses the line?”

“I’ve thought long and hard about this!”

His voice was full of confidence, as if he had cracked some grand mystery.

“If people find out you frequently visit someone of the opposite sex’s house, that’s definitely a red flag!”

“No, that’s totally fine.”

The moment I denied it, my throat went dry, and I downed my oolong tea in one gulp.

Yeah, I’m safe. Probably. I don’t know why, but I suddenly broke into a cold sweat. Still, this should be fine… right? Not exactly a reassuring conclusion, though.

“Ohh? So, by your logic, holding hands is out, but hanging out in someone’s room is totally fine? Huh, interesting.”

“Ugh, please don’t corner me with logic…! This feels like being on the losing side of a Werewolf game…!”

Maybe Senpai and I just aren’t compatible after all.

***

After hours of intense debate at the family restaurant, we finally settled on the conclusion that a kiss on the lips lasting more than three seconds—if seen by others—would be just barely enough to be considered dating.

I mean, I wasn’t fully convinced, okay? Senpai just kind of steamrolled me into it. She probably just wants an excuse to kiss for two seconds in public.

Still, it was fun. It wasn’t really a love consultation—it was just us chatting. Afternoons like this aren’t so bad once in a while.

As I reflected on that, I arrived home.

It was around 7 PM. Mom was working late again today. Mei should be making dinner.

After washing my hands, I stepped into the lit-up living room.

“I’m home.”

“Oh, welcome back, Touya.”

“You’re late, Amemoto-kun. Welcome home.”

“…Huh?”

Watanuki-senpai was in the kitchen… and not with her usual bun, but a ponytail instead. The warm, homey vibe of her look was further accentuated by a pastel-colored apron. It was undeniably cute.

That aside…

“Huh? I’m pretty sure I told you I wouldn’t be home after school today.”

“That’s why Mei-san and I made dinner while waiting for you. After all, today— we have to celebrate my midterm results, don’t we?”

With that, Senpai tapped her chest confidently and flashed a natural, effortless wink.

Someone who pulls off a sweet surprise like this couldn’t possibly be the strictest member of the archery club, right?

Maybe I should ask her about the whole ‘no dating’ rule over dinner.