The Beautiful Senpai from the Archery Club Is Sleeping in My Room with Her Stomach Exposed. - Chapter 6: Provisional Contract Information.

Provisional Contract Information.

There’s a perfect spot for a secret conversation—

That’s what Watanuki-senpai said as she led me to a bench under the shade of a tree, a little away from the school building.

It was completely empty. A private moment.

As I sat down and looked up, I saw that the leaves were already beginning to change color. Beyond them, the sky was a pale blue. Whether I wanted to or not, I could feel the onset of autumn.

“Just a short walk from here, and you’ll find the archery dojo. See that roof with the traditional tiles, almost like it’s from another time?”

“Oh, you’re right. I didn’t know that… I didn’t go check out any of the clubs.”

“Well, the archery club is always open to new members. How about you give it a try?”

There was an archery club at my middle school too.

One of my friends who joined said, “I thought it would be graceful, but it turned out to be a tough athletic club.” In other words, it’s not for me.

“No, I’ll pass. I’m too scrawny. I’d probably end up being the string for the bow.”

“Heh, what’s that?”

She laughed softly. I hadn’t had a joke land like that in a while… in class, I usually just nod along, so it felt like a rare moment.

“Too bad. But if you joined, I’d have to be strict with you… I think I prefer this relationship.”

She looked up at the clear autumn sky, her gaze distant.

—In the short time I’ve spent with her, I’ve learned a few things.

It seems like Watanuki-senpai might be a little tense when there are a lot of people around, almost like a bowstring pulled tight.

I’m not sure if that’s related to her troubles, but it’s a thought.

“By the way, could you tell me why you need so many energy drinks? I’ll consider that my ‘thank you’.”

“You’re really bringing that up now… can’t we talk about something else? If you really want, I can spend up to 5000 yen on you. How about a fancy cookie tin or something?”

“I don’t really eat sweets that much.”

“Really? But sometimes they’re really good. If you want to try, I can help you eat them… We could work together on that.”

“No, I have just one request. Please tell me about your situation, Watanuki-senpai.”

“I see…”

Watanuki-senpai broke off a piece of the salt bread she was holding and ate it with a somewhat sad expression. She looked clearly downcast.

Uwaa… I felt an inexplicable guilt tugging at my chest. Maybe I should have just asked for the cookie tin instead…

No, no, calm down, I told myself. Trust your instincts.

The problem she’s dealing with is probably something I’m good at handling.

“Earlier, Urushibara came to me because he trusted me to keep things quiet. Yesterday’s energy drink situation, I even kept it from Mei. If you don’t think I’m trustworthy, then I’ll give up and settle for the cookies.”

“No… it’s not something I need to hide from someone who’s helped me. I trust you, Amemoto-kun. I’ll tell you… Honestly, you’re the only one who’s seen this side of me.”

She leaned forward, giving me a slightly awkward smile. Looking up at me with a mischievous, playful expression.

So, she could make a face like this too. That alone might be enough for me to consider this a “thank you”—but I’ll keep quiet about it for now. She’s about to share something with me.

Seeing my expectant look, Watanuki-senpai furrowed her brow.

“You’re expecting too much. It’s not a big deal… I just have trouble with studying.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yeah. If I don’t stay up late with energy drinks, I’ll fail some subjects.”

It was true—Watanuki-senpai gave off the impression of someone who effortlessly scored near-perfect marks. That was how strong the impression she gave off from her appearance alone was.

“But the truth is, everyone thinks I’m the epitome of being both academically and athletically talented, but that’s only because they don’t know the reality… I study late into the night, just scraping by. I have dark circles under my eyes. I hide them with concealer, but I can’t show them to anyone.”

She smiled wryly while lightly tapping the area under her eyes where the bags were. The deep blue that was hidden beneath her natural makeup was invisible to the surface.

“I wish I could be more efficient with everything… But lately, my efficiency has been dropping in every area. Since becoming the new club captain, I’ve just been spinning my wheels. I can’t focus on archery like I used to—honestly, I don’t even know what to do anymore.”

“Senpai…”

I’ve been in a similar situation before.

I aimed to become a professional in FPS gaming, fell into a slump, and tried desperately to break out of it, but I just dug myself deeper… In the end, I collapsed.

Is Watanuki-senpai heading toward the same downfall? Like me back in middle school, could she end up unable to recover?

It might be just me projecting, but it didn’t feel like someone else’s problem.

“It’s such a boring story, isn’t it? For you to use your ‘thank you’ for this, it seems like you’re not so good at making deals.”

“No, the information I was looking for is right here. I’m glad to have heard about your troubles. By the way, the deal starts here.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m sure I can help solve the problem you’re facing—please let me assist you. Let’s make a preliminary agreement. You can pay me later.”

***

Watanuki-senpai’s situation was mostly clear now.

However, after just listening to her during lunch break, I couldn’t come up with any concrete solutions.

No matter how you looked at it, I was just a background character in high school… Sitting like an armchair detective, hearing the story alone wouldn’t get me anywhere.

The information I needed had to be gathered from the field.

“—That said, you don’t really need to join me for the morning run, you know?”

“No, I’ll run alongside you. I’ll follow your schedule for today, so I might be a burden, but I’ll appreciate your help.”

I said this while stretching. I had made up my mind. Before leaving home, Mei had tearfully sent me off, saying, “Don’t collapse, okay? Come back alive!”

The current time was 5:30 AM, and we were at a running path by the river. We were both in our high school uniforms. Honestly, I was tired. What kind of time are we doing this at…

“Are you sure? About the ‘usual schedule’ you want? I’ll send you a PDF of it later after I summarize everything.”

Her voice was filled with concern.

Yesterday, she’d readily accepted my suggestion, but it seemed she was worried about the burden I’d have to face, especially after she tried to convince me not to push myself too hard before lunch break.

But there was meaning in pushing myself here. I needed to explain.

“Please, let me run with you. I need the credibility as an advisor.”

“Credibility?”

“Yeah. You wouldn’t want to change your lifestyle based on advice from someone who hasn’t struggled, right?”

“Well… I guess you’re right. If you’ve really thought this through, then I won’t say anything else. Alright, let’s run together today.”

I could tell my determination reached her. Watanuki-senpai crossed her arms and nodded. Her ample chest was accentuated, but I wasn’t focused on that. I was more motivated to run.

“Alright, we’re done with the stretching. Let’s get going. How far do you usually run?”

“Depends on the day, but usually about 5 kilometers one way.”

“So, 10 kilometers round trip.”

I felt my motivation for running drop drastically. Wait, that’s like a quarter of a marathon…?

“I’ll slow the pace to match you as best as I can. You’re doing this for me, so I’ll cooperate! We’ll take breaks and run the whole way. Ready?”

With the commanding tone of a club captain, Watanuki-senpai took off running.

Wow, she’s fast. I feel like I’m going to regress into childhood as a form of escapism. And she’s slowing down?

…Sorry, Mei. I might not make it back alive today.