When We Found Out We're Not Blood-Related, My Little Sister Became Seriously Love-Brained ~When a Little Sister Stops Being a Little Sister, the Ultimate Heroine Emerges!~ - Chapter 50 & 51 & 52 & 53 & 54

Chapter 50: Cursed With Women Again.

Yamaguchi’s eyes darted around.

He looked at me, then slowly looked at Suzune.

“No waaaay!”

With a scream, Yamaguchi tried to run past us in a zigzag.

Thud!

Yamaguchi’s foot caught on Suzune’s sub-bag.

Skrrrraaaape!

He went down hard, face-first, and the impact sent the contents of the bag slung over his shoulder flying everywhere.

His glasses, textbooks, pens—everything floated through the air for a moment, then scattered all over the ground.

“Yamaguchi-kun. Here.”

Suzune picked up his glasses, but Yamaguchi’s lips were trembling and he kept frantically picking up his things without stopping.

Once he’d gathered most of it, he snatched the glasses, put them on, and sprinted off while letting out a strange cry.

On the ground, the only thing left behind was Yamaguchi’s pencil case—though it should’ve been picked up.

Suzune, still stunned, covered her mouth when she saw the pencil case.

“What do we do…? Yamaguchi-kun took my pencil case by mistake.”

The other club members also chased after him and disappeared.

“Hey—Yamaguchi-kun!”

Suzune tried to chase him, but after only a few steps, she stopped, guarding her left foot.

“I feel like we did something bad.”

At my words, Suzune gave a strained smile.

“I’ll return it later. He took mine, and I got his.”

Her grip tightened on the pencil case.

“I’ll come with you. Let me know when you return it.”

Yamaguchi probably isn’t a bad guy.

But jealousy is scary.

We reached the clubroom.

The kyudo clubroom is behind the dojo.

It’s far from both the school building and the gym, so there aren’t many students around.

“Good luck with your final tune-up.”

When I said that, Suzune rose onto her tiptoes and tilted her face up.

But a half-beat later, she clenched her fists in front of her chest, then lightly shook her head.

And she set her heels back down.

(She’s thinking about what happened earlier.)

Chu.

I braced my hand against the wall and kissed Suzune on the cheek.

“That’s payback for earlier.”

My breath turned white and brushed her cheek before dissolving.

Suzune twirled her bangs around her fingertip.

“Hehe. Y-you can’t do that… other people might see… mmm.”

She narrowed her lips.

Squish.

I covered Suzune’s mouth.

“Don’t get carried away.”

“It’s your fault, Yuuma. You make my heart race.”

The rim of Suzune’s ear was red.

“Don’t push your left foot too hard. Seriously.”

“With the power of that kiss, I’m going to overdo it!”

Waving, Suzune headed into the clubroom.

“…Honestly.”

Suzune’s practice won’t end until the afternoon.

I decided to head home for now.

As I left the building and reached the side entrance—

“Shinomiya… Yuuma… Yu-kun.”

When I turned around, it was Hotaru.

“Your way of calling me is getting kind of suspicious.”

Hotaru hugged the bag she’d been carrying to her front.

“Can’t help it. It’s awkward.”

Yeah.

This is the first time I’ve talked to Hotaru alone since she confessed to me at the park.

Hotaru was in her school uniform.

“You had business at school too?”

“Yeah. About a make-up lesson.”

“Aren’t you pretty good at studying, Hotaru?”

Hotaru scratched the tip of her nose.

“I’m actually bad at modern Japanese.”

I’m the opposite—modern Japanese is the one subject I’m good at.

“If you want, I can teach you—”

My chest stirred uneasily, and I stopped mid-sentence.

“N-no, it’s fine! Honda said he’d tell me a good reference book, so I’m okay!”

Honda again.

Honda Ao—the popular kid in class.

Good at both sports and academics, and people say his personality is good too.

From what I’ve observed from the corner of the classroom, he really does seem like a good guy who cares about his friends.

That’s what I think too.

As long as romance isn’t involved… but.

And on top of that, his attitude in the shade earlier.

Honda is still hung up on Suzune.

And Hotaru isn’t popular with the boys in class.

But she’s Suzune’s best friend.

There’s a real chance Honda will target Hotaru as a substitute.

Hotaru is my friend too.

I can’t just let a girl like her fall into his hands.

“Are you into guys like Honda?”

Hotaru answered my question.

Her expression was the same as always.

“Not at all. I don’t need a boyfriend for a while. But when I said I was going to school, he told me he wanted to meet one-on-one. I refused at first, but he was persistent.”

Honda again.

Not sure if it’s right for someone who rejected her to say this, but after what I saw earlier, I can’t help wanting to say something.

“I see. You should avoid meeting Honda alone.”

Hotaru gave me a flat stare.

“Oh? Jealous? Fine, I get it. Then I’ll turn Honda down, so in exchange, Yu-kun, teach me a reference book. You were good at modern Japanese, right?”

“Yeah, but…”

Hotaru started operating her phone.

A moment later, her phone lit up with a notification.

Hotaru turned the screen toward me and smiled.

“Suzune says it’s fine too. Practice might end early, so she says for the two of us to wait.”

—So the fortune slip’s “bad luck with women” was about this?

Chapter 51: The Nosy Librarian

Even if club activities ended early, it would still be a few hours.

Spending that time alone with Hotaru, huh.

Awkward.

“Then, hey—why don’t we try going to the library?

They’ve got reference books too.”

Our high school is a prep school.

Because of that, the library has tons of past entrance exam questions and study guides—more stocked than the bookstore in front of the station.

Hotaru hitched her bag back up onto her shoulder.

“Okay!

I’ve barely ever gone to the library, so I’m excited.”

…Seriously?

My grades are worse than hers.

That kind of stings.

When we got to the library, maybe because it was a day off, there weren’t any students there.

It was just the librarian and us.

“Hey, hey.

Isn’t something like this good?”

As she said that, Hotaru brought over several study guides.

I flipped through them, but they all felt like the kind of books that only “make you feel like you understand.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to start with something easier, even if it’s kind of plain?”

“Got it!”

Hotaru nodded, beaming, and went back to the shelves again.

“Is she your girlfriend?”

When I turned around, it was the librarian.

Our school has a huge collection, so we have a dedicated staff member.

She was a calm-looking woman, about twenty-five or twenty-six.

Apparently she works two or three times a week, and I often see her at the counter.

There was a name tag on her chest that read: “Librarian — Sakurazaka Madoka.”

“Ah, no.

She isn’t.”

Sakurazaka-san lowered her voice.

“Hm.

You’re a kid who comes here a lot, aren’t you?

Looks like no one else will be using the library today, but if you talk, keep it quiet, okay?”

Yeah.

Even if nobody’s here, it’s still the library.

“Ah—well, the reason I come here a lot is just because I don’t have friends.

Uh, thanks.”

“Oh?

Is that so?”

Sakurazaka-san gave a wry smile and went back to the counter.

And that’s when I realized.

I don’t have many friends.

So I end up coming to the library a lot, and it’s basically forced me into reading a ton.

Maybe it’s because I have so few friends that I’m good at modern Japanese.

When I think about it like that, it’s hard to be honestly happy.

I sat down in a chair.

It smelled good—paper and ink.

Quiet.

From a short distance away, the only sound was Sakurazaka-san tidying the shelves.

Hotaru stood straight-backed, choosing books.

“Yuu-kun.

What’s wrong?

You’ve got such a serious face.”

After a while, Hotaru came back with some books.

“Ah, no.

I was just thinking again how I really don’t have many friends.”

“You can tell just by looking!

Sheesh!”

Hotaru laughed.

“That’s cruel.

Guess that’s what you’d expect from someone living the good life.”

“Been a while since I’ve seen someone actually say ‘living the good life.’”

For some reason, she burst out laughing at me.

When she finally calmed down, Hotaru said:

“But honestly, I’m kinda the same.

The only ones who come up to me are guys who seem… light.”

“Really?

From where I’m standing, you’re all sparkly—like the definition of an extrovert.”

“This is a prep school, right?

I kind of stand out.”

“Still, guys talk to you a lot.”

Hotaru isn’t liked very much by our classmates.

But here and there, some guys do come hovering around her.

Hotaru brought her mouth close to my ear.

“Because they all think I’m someone they can easily sleep with.

But the truth is, I really do… right away—mm.”

I covered Hotaru’s mouth.

“I don’t want to hear that.”

“…Sorry.”

“No, it’s not like I’m mad.

It’s just—how do I put it—I think you’re a good kid, Hotaru.

You’re cute, you’re kind, and you care about your friends.

So when your self-esteem is that low, it just pisses me off—like, it gets under my skin.”

“Yeah.

I’m sorry.”

There was no teasing tone in Hotaru’s voice.

“That part of you.

You’re so straightforward.”

“And you, Yuu-kun.

You say you’re not mad, but you’re totally pissed off.”

I scratched the tip of my nose.

Seeing that, Hotaru laughed.

“True.

Okay then—question.

‘Explain the difference between being angry and being pissed off.’”

Hotaru tilted her head.

“Huh?

Aren’t they the same?

Um—like, I’m kinda pissed at you, Yuu-kun, but I hate Honda.

And I love Suzune.”

“…Can you answer the actual question?

‘Angry’ didn’t even show up in there.”

“Umm.

I’m angry at myself!

I should’ve saved my first time for someone I actually liked.

I felt like I was being needed, so I gave it to some guy I didn’t even care about…”

“That example is vivid as hell.

And you just casually confessed you’re pissed at me.”

“Yeah.

Because you rejected me.”

Hotaru puffed out her cheeks.

“I’m really sorry.

I’m a hopeless, out-of-my-depth siscon…”

Then Sakurazaka-san stopped what she was doing and spoke up.

“Huh?

You rejected her?

What a waste.

Did you tell her properly?”

“Tell her what?”

When I asked, Sakurazaka-san looked toward Hotaru.

“Ever since first year, whenever you were in the library, she’d peek in a lot, you know?

With this spaced-out look on her face.”

“I-I wasn’t!

That was someone else—!”

Hotaru’s face instantly turned bright red.

She put her book down on the desk, hurriedly packed up her things, and ran off somewhere.

“Please don’t tease her…”

When I complained, Sakurazaka-san smiled.

“Sorry.

Actually, I graduated from here too.

Back when I was a student, I used to peek at the person I liked in the library as well.

It brought back memories, and I ended up wanting to cheer you on—just a little.”

…Same generation as Sarasa-san, huh.

Then she might’ve known Sarasa-san back in high school.

I want to ask for some old stories, but right now I need to follow after Hotaru.

“It’s not like that with Hotaru.

We’re friends.”

When I said that, Sakurazaka-san gave a wry smile.

“…Maybe that was sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong.

But there’s a path where you treasure her as a friend, too.

I think an opposite-sex best friend is even more precious than a lover.

Here—go catch up to her already.

I’ll put the books back.”

Like hell—this is your fault it turned into this!

I swallowed that retort, handed the books to Sakurazaka-san, and left the library.

And there Hotaru was, standing right beside the entrance.

“Sorry about that.”

Hotaru was back to normal.

“It’s fine.

Looks like Suzune’s about to finish.

Wanna go pick her up at the club room?”

“It’s already that time, huh.”

An opposite-sex best friend is precious… huh.

Because Hotaru’s so cute, and such a good kid.

Keeping the right distance is hard.

For someone like me, who never had any connection with girls, it doesn’t really feel real…

But maybe becoming best friends with a girl is actually incredibly difficult.

When we reached the kyūdō club room, Suzune was there.

When Suzune noticed us, she waved.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, you two.”

“I wanted to see you, Suzune!

Yuuma bullied me!”

Huh?

Wasn’t the one bullying her the librarian…?

Then Suzune hugged Hotaru.

She patted Hotaru’s head, then glared at me and said:

“Yuuma!

You can’t bully Hotaru!”

So with three people, this is my role, huh.

But this vibe…

Honestly, it’s comfortable.

Chapter 52: Suzune’s Winter.

—The day of the kyūdō tournament, the district qualifiers.

Hotaru, Mom, and I were in a certain gymnasium.

The restless voices all around us.

They were like the ringing in your ears in complete silence.

Whether I liked it or not, they stirred up my heart.

“The schedule got changed this year, right?”

“Your fingers get numb, so it’s rough for the kids who have to compete.”

Mom rubbed her hands together as she said that.

“Yeah.

Suzune’s actually kind of timid, so I’m worried.”

Hotaru had taken the day off from her part-time job to come.

Hearing us talk, Mom gently took Hotaru’s hand.

Hotaru had come over to our house many times and got along well with Mom.

Back then, I was basically treated like part of the scenery.

When the opening ceremony started and the pompous old guy finished his speech, the preliminaries began.

“Hey, Yuu-kun.

What number is Suzune shooting?”

“She’s in the third group.”

They enter in groups of five and line up side by side.

“Everyone’s moving so slowly.”

Hotaru tilted her head.

“That’s a formal sequence called shaho hassetsu.

It’s originally a martial art, after all.”

“Whoa, that’s kinda cool!

So the people who hit the most arrows move on, basically?”

“They shoot four arrows, and if you hit three, you advance.

Only the finals are done as an elimination shoot-off, where you’re out as soon as you miss.

If you place up to second, you go to nationals.”

“Nationals?

That’s amazing.

Wonder if I’ll have the money to go cheer…”

The second group finished, and next up was Suzune’s group.

“It’d be nice if we could talk to her directly.”

As I said that, I remembered this morning.

※

A little after five in the morning.

Suzune was sitting at the kitchen table.

Mom had gone out to see Dad off, so it was just the two of us at home—me and Suzune.

“Morning, Yuuma.

Your breakfast is over there.

Mama said she’ll make it in time to cheer at the tournament.”

Saying that, Suzune poked at her grilled fish with her chopsticks.

On the table were grilled fish, simmered beans and lotus root, and rice bowls.

I put the miso soup on the stove and sat down across from her.

Suzune looked… the same as always.

“Huh?”

At the sound of her voice, I turned around and saw a soybean had fallen onto Suzune’s rice.

“Mm.”

When Suzune tried to pick it up again, the bean slipped and rolled away.

The tips of her chopsticks were trembling.

Then Suzune gave a strained smile.

“Somehow, I can’t grab it right.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m scared.

If I mess up… it’s not fair to the kids who wanted to compete but couldn’t.”

“The kyūdō club has a lot of members.”

“Yeah.”

Suzune’s phone lit up.

“It’s from Hotaru.

She says she’s coming to cheer.”

“That’s great.

Here, say ‘aah.’”

I picked up the bean with my chopsticks and held it out to Suzune.

“Eh?”

She looked flustered, blinked a few times, then lowered her gaze.

Her throat moved just a little, and she opened her mouth.

“I… said ‘aah.’”

“Here you go.”

I popped the bean into Suzune’s mouth.

“…There was no love in that.

You just tossed it in.”

Her cheeks puffed out.

“Then show me how it’s done.”

At my words, Suzune hesitated for a moment.

“Eeh, what should I do…”

Good.

The stiffness had left her smile.

Suzune picked up a soybean and pressed a kiss to it.

“Get all tasty.”

Saying that, she held it out to me.

“Do I have to eat this?”

“If you bully me… I’ll cry, you know?

If I cry and mess up at the tournament, it’ll be your fault, Yuuma.”

The pressure was intense.

“Okay, okay.

Aah.”

I ate the bean from Suzune’s chopsticks.

I couldn’t tell if it tasted better, but it felt sweeter than usual.

“Is it good?”

As she asked, I reached out and touched Suzune’s hair.

She hunched her shoulders, ticklish.

“Yeah.

Your shaking stopped.”

“You’re right.

Yuuma, thank you.

Thank you, always.”

“You’re welcome.

I’ll come cheer you on too.”

“Yay.

I feel more confident now!”

Saying that, Suzune went back to her room.

About five minutes later, I heard a door open upstairs.

While I was eating, Suzune, now in her school tracksuit, peeked into the dining room.

She took her shoes out of the shoe cabinet and sat down on the step at the entryway.

At her feet were white sneakers.

“Hmm, I can’t tie these right.

Onii-chan, tie my laces.”

She let go of the laces she’d been holding.

“You really are helpless.”

I stepped down into the entryway and knelt.

I tied her shoelaces for her.

“Onii-chan.”

When I looked up, Suzune was holding out both arms.

“You want a hug?”

Suzune nodded over and over.

I hugged her.

Then she whispered in my ear.

“Hold me tighter.”

I put more strength into my arms.

Through the tracksuit, my forearms pressed against her shoulder blades.

Suzune wrapped her arms around my back and spoke again.

“Hold me even tighter.”

I squeezed her harder.

Her back arched like a drawn bow.

Our chests pressed together, and I could feel Suzune’s heartbeat and warmth.

From near her ear came the scent of her shampoo.

I spoke.

“Suzune, you’ve worked so hard at club every single day.

Go give it everything you’ve got at the end.

No matter what the result is, I’ll still respect you a ton.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.

You’re the strongest little sister and the best girl there is.

I’ve been watching all the effort you’ve piled up.”

Still in that position, Suzune answered.

Right by my ear, her voice sounded a little husky.

“Yuuma, Yuuma, Yuuma.

I love you!”

Smooch.

The instant our bodies parted.

Something soft brushed my lips.

“Hey—!

You just said the Count out loud when you kissed my mouth!”

Suzune opened the door and turned back.

The light behind her turned her hair into something sparkly.

“Hey, Yuuma.

If I win the championship, take me on a Christmas date, okay♡”

With a light step, Suzune walked out.

“Even if you lose in the first round, I’ll still take you.”

Watching her back as she went, I muttered that.

Chapter 53: A Hit Without Applause

The third group—Suzune’s turn.

They entered in a single line and lined up side by side.

Suzune started to fuss with her hair, then stopped her hand.

“Suzune’s… nervous,” Hotaru murmured, looking worried.

“Talking is strictly forbidden here, okay?”

“Ah—s-s-sorry.”

“Shh.”

I raised my index finger and pressed it to my lips.

Suzune was third.

The shooter ahead of her was still firing, but Suzune was already beginning her preparations.

Shahō hassetsu.

Suzune opened her left foot just slightly and drew her right in, biting the floor with the arches of her feet.

She held her torso straight, as if it were suspended by a thread.

She took up the bow and the arrow.

—But it seemed like something wouldn’t settle for her, and she re-gripped the arrow with her right hand several times.

“Suzune’s totally nervous,” Hotaru whispered.

Her fingertips tightened on the hand resting on my knee.

Suzune drew the bow and string evenly with both sides and assumed her stance.

For an instant, silence fell.

“Pashin.”

A crisp, pleasant sound snapped from the string.

“—Tan!”

A clear, carrying thud echoed as the arrow sank into the target.

Applause spread through the venue.

In the preliminaries, Suzune’s arrows—all four shots—hit.

“This concludes the individual preliminaries.

After a ten-minute break, the women’s individual semifinals will begin…”

The announcement rolled across the hall.

“Fuuu…”

The three of us let out a big breath.

“Suzune’s next is the semifinal?

But she hit dead center—shouldn’t that add some kind of bonus points or something?”

Hotaru said it while darting her eyes around.

In this tournament, if you hit three out of four, you advance—mechanically.

Suzune did have to re-grip her arrow once, but she still made it through the preliminaries.

“It’s just hit or miss—there’s no extra bonus.

Even hitting that small a target at all is already an incredible thing.”

“Huh.

Even though she’s nailing the middle, she gets judged the same as someone who barely clips the edge?

That’s weird.”

Hotaru pouted, clearly dissatisfied.

“I think I’m gonna run to the bathroom.”

Maybe it was the nerves, but I had to go.

Hotaru stood too.

“Ah, I’ll go too.

Ma’am—should I go buy cola or pizza or something?”

Mom and I both gave wry smiles.

“…This isn’t a baseball game.

No eating or drinking.”

Ten minutes later, in the semifinals, Suzune swallowed down two moments of wavering and advanced again with three hits out of four.

—The women’s individual final.

The final uses the ishizume format.

The archers shoot one arrow at a time, and anyone who misses is eliminated.

It repeats until only one person remains—a straight-up sudden-death system.

Even after their own turn ends, the competitors don’t take their eyes off the target.

The air is stretched taut.

Suzune’s third shot.

Shahō hassetsu.

Ashibumi.

Suzune looked toward the target, stepped her left foot open, returned her gaze to center, then pressed her right foot into the ground.

“Huh, that’s different from before.

Did Suzune get serious all of a sudden?” Hotaru whispered anxiously.

She was right.

Up until the third shot, Suzune’s footwork had been a one-step opening—bringing the right foot in close to the left first, then placing it.

…But that just now was a two-step opening—setting the width with both feet.

Was she cornered, and finally going all-out?

Breaking her routine isn’t like Suzune.

Just watching makes my heart hurt.

The air in the venue feels thin.

Suzune draws the string.

The bow flexes into a half-moon curve.

Force loads into the back end of the arrow.

It feels like I can hear a grinding, right-on-the-edge sound from here.

Suzune released her right hand.

Bashun!

(…A dull sound?)

—Once, Suzune taught me something.

“When it’s a good shot, you get a clear sound called a ‘sunny’ sound.

But when it’s a dull ‘shadow’ sound…”

In the next instant—

The arrow stabbed into the target.

The feathers on the arrow lodged at the rim wobbled and shook.

Usually, it doesn’t shake like that.

There’s no applause.

“She did it.

Suzune hit, right?

Right?”

As Hotaru said that, she grabbed my hand.

Mom’s hand layered over ours.

—Both of their fingertips are cold.

Chapter 54: Flowers on Both Elbows

When everyone finished the third round, the target-side judge went over to Suzune’s target.

Whether it was a hit or a miss can be seen on the hit-display board set up beside the shooting range.

Several judges gathered and talked.

Gulp.

I swallowed.

The target-side judge shook his head and signaled the judging committee.

Then, on the hit-display board, in the spot for “No. 3 / Round 3,” an “X” appeared.

…A miss.

Hotaru grabbed my sleeve.

“Huh, why?

The arrow’s stuck in properly, isn’t it…?

Are they being mean to her?”

“No.

It stuck, but it didn’t count as a proper hit.”

That dull sound when it struck.

The trajectory must’ve bent.

It was lodged from the edge of the frame.

“It has to hit straight-on.”

Suzune was the only one who missed in the third round.

Three archers hit.

“W-wait, but…

There aren’t many people left.

Suzune can still go to the next tournament too, right?”

Hotaru looked like she was clinging to hope.

“No.

Only the top two get to go to nationals.”

At my answer, Hotaru lowered her head.

Between the gaps in her bangs, I could see her lips pressed tight.

Mom, who’d been watching us, smiled.

“It’s too bad, but Suzune worked so hard, and she gets a big gold star.”

Yeah.

No point in us getting crushed.

“Yeah.

That’s right.

Suzune’s a perfect 100 out of 100.”

I forced a smile too.

Suzune placed fourth and received an award.

—Then the indoor announcement played.

“This concludes all events of today’s tournament, but we ask all spectators to please remain seated until the awards ceremony has ended.”

The first-place winner stood before the tournament committee chair and accepted a trophy.

Next, the second-place and third-place winners received silver shields.

“Will Suzune get something too?

That shield is kind of cool.”

Hotaru said that, fidgeting.

They read out the names from fourth place down.

“Fourth place: Shinomiya Suzune.”

Suzune held out both hands and accepted her commemorative item.

But what she received wasn’t a shield—it was a small box.

Prompted, Suzune opened it.

Inside was a placement badge—a tiny pin.

“What’s that?

Suzune doesn’t get a shield?”

Hotaru clenched her fist hard in her lap.

“If you squeeze that hard, you’ll hurt yourself.”

When I tried to loosen her hand, Hotaru grabbed mine instead.

“Yuu-kun, your palm’s red.”

When I opened my hand, red nail marks were left in my palm.

It looked like the thin skin had split.

Mom patted Hotaru’s shoulder and mine.

“Thanks, you two, for being this frustrated on her behalf.

But when Suzune gets back, you need to smile.”

“But isn’t it awful for her?

She worked so hard…”

Drops fell onto the back of Hotaru’s hand.

(…So this is what a best friend is.)

If I lost a karate match, would Saitou cry?

No—he’d probably laugh his head off.

“Even ‘best friends’ come in different forms, huh.”

I stared at Hotaru and drifted off thinking that.

Then the announcement continued.

“In this tournament, a Technical Excellence Award will also be presented.

This award is given to the competitor whose archery technique, form, and attitude are the most outstanding.

The commemorative prize will be awarded by Selection Committee Member Yamanouchi.”

Hotaru slapped my thigh.

“I’ve seen that old guy before!

I’m pretty sure it was in Suzune’s room.”

“Calling him an old guy…”

I looked at the man standing up on the presentation platform.

Yeah—I’d definitely seen his face in Suzune’s room.

If I remembered right, he was a winner of the All Japan Kyūdō Championship, a pretty famous figure.

“Competitor, please step forward.

Saginotani High School: Shinomiya Suzune.”

“Yes!”

Suzune answered in a loud voice.

Suzune stepped forward and accepted a red shield.

On her way back to her seat, Suzune glanced this way for a moment.

Not with a bitter face—she was smiling.

After the closing ceremony ended and we stepped outside the venue, there were staff carrying a TV camera.

On their armbands it said “XX TV.”

It was hard to see since they were partly hidden, but it looked like a student was being interviewed.

We were too far to hear what was being said.

“Hey, you two!

That’s a TV station!!

Wait—maybe I’m gonna be on camera too.

Should I go fix my makeup in the bathroom?”

Hotaru desperately adjusted her bangs.

So I said it.

“You’re fine as you are.”

I scanned the area and kept going.

“Look—no matter who you compare with around here, Hotaru’s the best.”

Smack.

Hotaru hit my shoulder as hard as she could.

“When you say stuff like that, it’s embarrassing!”

Her cheeks puffed out.

“Have more confidence, Hotaru-chan.

Yuuma kind of reminds me of your father when he was young.

Hehe.

You’d better watch out for love triangles, okay?”

Mom was grinning.

“A triangle?

W-what role am I supposed to be?”

Hotaru asked a question that made no sense.

“Hm.

If anything, I guess I’m the ‘me’ role?”

Mom fired back with an even more mysterious answer.

“You two, give me a break.”

That was all I could say, with a wry smile.

Hyu—went the wind.

The cold air that slipped in at my collar sank all the way down to my gut.

“I should’ve brought a scarf.

Where’s Suzune?”

I popped up my coat collar as I said it.

Then I overheard the parents next to us.

“That selection committee guy earlier—apparently he’s an incredible person who’s even received the Medal with Purple Ribbon.

And this time, it seems like his daughter is competing too.”​

That explains it.

So that’s why a TV station’s here.

A TV station at district qualifiers isn’t something that normally happens.

Hotaru tapped my shoulder.

“Hey.

Isn’t the one being interviewed right now Suzune?”

I moved in closer too.

“Ah—everyone, sorry.

I have to go.”

The girl being interviewed turned around.

It was Suzune.

“Just a little more, please,” the interviewer said, turning.

But Suzune slipped away in a quick dodge and came running over, holding a red shield.

“I did my best!”

Suzune puffed out her chest.

“Yeah.

You were insanely cool.”

I put my hand on Suzune’s head and answered.

“Um, so…”

Suzune reached into the quiver slung over her shoulder and took out an arrow.

She adjusted the shape of the fletching with her fingertips, then held the arrow in both hands.

“What’s this?”

At my question, Suzune lowered her voice.

“I gave some to my underclassmen too, but this one…

This is the arrow I used the longest out of all of them.

I decided I wanted to give it to you, Yuuma.”

“Thanks.

But are you sure?

Something this important…”

I’m a complete amateur at kyūdō, but I could tell this arrow was special.

Suzune smiled.

“Yeah.

That’s why I want you to have it.”

I accepted it.

A chilly metallic feel spread into my fingertips.

It should only weigh a little over ten grams, but I could clearly feel its weight.

The weight of her feelings.

“Thanks.”

“…May your karate win, Yuuma,” Suzune whispered.

“Huh?”

I haven’t officially restarted yet.

So I can’t really inherit that kind of wish.

—but.

“Um, could we talk a little more?”

The interviewer lady from earlier came chasing after us.

“Huh?

Do you still need something?

I already answered earlier.

This is scary.”

Suzune’s voice was trembling.

She probably didn’t understand why she was being followed.

But it was obvious.

“The reason is because out of all the competitors, Suzune’s the cutest.”

“Yuuma thinks so too?”

The trembling vanished from Suzune’s voice.

“Yeah.

Even counting the spectators, Suzune’s overwhelmingly number one.”

Squeeze.

Suzune clung to me.

I felt Suzune’s body heat on my left elbow.

“Hey!

Yuu-kun, you just said I was number one earlier!

I get that Suzune’s cuter, but I can’t accept ‘overwhelmingly,’ okay?”

Hotaru complained, sounding annoyed.

(…I mean, I guess I did say that.)

“Sorry.

It was a 0.5-point difference.”

“Hah?

Wait—that’s basically within the margin of error!”

Now Suzune pressed her chest against me even harder.

She looked seriously dissatisfied.

Seeing that, Hotaru pressed in too.

A soft, full sensation against my right elbow.

—Flowers on both hands.

That was exactly me right now.​

And right in front of us was a TV camera.

“There’s a red light on the camera…

Are you recording right now?”

I asked, timidly.

For some reason, the interviewer lady lowered her voice.

“Um, actually… we’re live on-air right now…”

I looked at the armband.

XX TV—one of the key stations.

My brain cells kicked into overdrive.

A key station.

The hub of a broadcast network—referring mainly to the five major commercial broadcasters based in Tokyo.​

And on both my elbows were two beautiful girls, standing side by side and pouting.

—Which means, in this situation…

“So this is being broadcast nationwide?” Suzune and Hotaru said in unison.

They flustered, fixed their hair, and flashed huge smiles at the camera.

Their timing was ridiculously in sync.

And they were pointlessly cute.

Seriously?

I might be finished.