Episode 303: Goddess of Victory

「Hmm, it’s harder than I thought.」

「I can’t hit it right~」

「Darn… Why? Why won’t it hit?」

Just as I expected, the three of them were struggling right from the start.

Well, it’s for the same reasons Sara-san and the others had, so it makes sense.

Also, I’ll just put Hanako-san’s anime-style phrasing on hold for now.

「Two shots left~. Do your best!」

Hanako-san and her group had already used three shots, and all three of them still had zero results.

As the one helping, I really want her to at least get the snowman she’s after, but…

The aiming is entirely up to Hanako-san, and I honestly have no idea how accurate she can be with such an irregular shooting setup.

It’s a complete unknown.

「Kazunari, I’ll hit it this time.」

「Hanako-san, let’s just stay calm.」

One thing that concerns me is that my helping might actually be putting pressure on her. She looks like she’s overthinking it.

She’s lost her usual cool, so it’s probably best to try and settle her down.

「But, you’re helping me, Kazunari…」

「Don’t worry about that. Just relax, B… Big sister.」

Ugh… saying that in a place like this is pretty embarrassing.

But I couldn’t think of any other effective way to calm her down.

The people around us already seem to think we’re real siblings anyway (even if I don’t agree with it), so I’ll just stop caring at this point.

「………」

「Um, Hanako-san?」

Hanako-san stared blankly at my face like she didn’t understand what I’d just said. Honestly, I’d really prefer it if she didn’t just give me zero reaction.

「Kazunari…」

…Or so I thought, but then she whispered my name.

「Your Big sister will do her best!」

And she looked incredibly happy.

She gave me a dazzling smile that almost made me space out for a second.

「………」

「…I’m in love.」

「…Me too…」

「…Little angel… the best…」

「Alright, next one, let’s go!」

「U-Um, yeah!」

「Kazunari!」

「Alright, let’s do this.」

The panic and strain from before were gone from Hanako-san’s face as she called my name. She looked purely filled with spirit and motivation.

It looks like she’ll be fine now.

「Heave-ho…」

Hanako-san set the gun, leaned over the counter just like before, and I supported her from the side.

Then she started to take aim.

「A little more… just a bit… there.」

I adjusted the gun’s position in detail according to her instructions and fixed the angle.

It’s a lot harder to do this for someone else than it is to hold it yourself.

「Here we go~」

「「「 On three!! 」」」

Bang!! Bang!!

And the fourth cork bullet that was released… the cork bullet was!?

「U!? Did I graze it?」

When I looked over at Hanako-san’s surprised voice… it was true, the position of the prize on the shelf had shifted slightly. That meant that instead of just grazing it, she’d hit it hard enough to move it.

If that’s the case, and if Hanako-san remembers the feel of that shot… she should still have a chance with her last one.

「Yes! I got it! Jackpot!!」

「Congratulations, Yoko!」

Turning my gaze toward Tachikawa-san’s joyful voice, I saw a single doll lying flat on the shelf.

In other words… the balance had finally been broken.

「Hanako-san.」

「I’m fine, I’m not panicking. I’ll definitely knock it down next time.」

Just as she said, Hanako-san looked extremely calm and settled.

I guess I was worrying over nothing.

「It’s okay, leave it to your Big sister.」

Plus, she ended up telling me that instead.

It seems she「read」me even in a situation like this.

As expected of my Big sister.

「Okay, this is your last shot. Good luck~」

「Yes. Marina, Hanako-san, here we go!」

With a cheer from the reception girl, Tachikawa-san started her final preparations.

Following her lead, Todo-san started loading her bullet… and Hanako-san started setting her gun on the counter as well.

This is finally the last one.

「Alright, I’m gonna get another one!」

「Me too, this time for sure!」

「Target in si…」

「Hanako-san, that’s not allowed either.」

I don’t know why, but I felt a sense of duty to stop Hanako-san’s words again, so I blurted out a quick quip.

The world really is full of mysteries… yeah.

「Just kidding. I’ll finish it this time.」

If she’s relaxed enough to joke around, she should be able to fire calmly this time too.

I focused on the support.

「Kazunari, a little more.」

「How’s this?」

「Mmh… and, stop right there.」

Now, the final preparations were complete.

Hanako-san’s expression was dead serious, not looking at all like someone just playing a game. But… I felt like I could see a faint smile.

Hanako-san probably hasn’t had many chances to play with friends like this before. If she’s enjoying this situation, it makes me happy too.

「Here we go~」

「「「 On three!! 」」」

Bang!! Bang!!

Then a short popping sound echoed through the tense room, and the final shot was…

Hanako-san stood up immediately, so I stopped supporting her and looked at the shelf.

The snowman was gone.

「I did it… I got it… I got it.」

Expressing her joy with her whole body, Hanako-san started jumping up and down with a victory pose. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her act this giddy.

But, I guess that just shows how happy she was.

「Congratulations, Hanako-san!」

「Yeah, I’m so happy, it’s thanks to you, Kazunari!」

「No, it’s because you worked hard, Hanako-san.」

I only helped with her posture.

Hanako-san was the one who selected the prize she could definitely hit, and she was the one who aimed. I just stabilized her and didn’t help with anything else.

「Here you go, congratulations!」

The guide girl brought over the prizes the two had won.

The snowman mascot she’d just successfully knocked down was handed over to Hanako-san.

But… in the end, Todo-san didn’t get anything.

「Aww… what a shame, I’m the only one who didn’t get one.」

「I only got one, so it’s really just down to luck at this point.」

But Todo-san didn’t seem as frustrated as her words suggested. In fact, she had a smile that showed she’d purely enjoyed herself. She looked like she’d be okay.

If anything, this just gave Hayato a reason to work hard.

「Kazunari, the snowman!」

Then Hanako-san, acting like a child in her excitement, held out her success right in front of me.

How should I put it, her slightly childish gestures are just incredibly cute.

「…Whoa, that girl is too cute.」

「…Right. I kind of wish I had a little sister like that.」

「…But a pair of siblings that close is pretty rare.」

「…Wait, are they actually siblings?」

「…I don’t care if she’s a loli anymore.」

「…Are you sure? That’s a path of thorns.」

「…If you want to shoot the general, first shoot the horse…」

「Good job, Hanako-san.」

「Yeah. This is my treasure, along with the brooch.」

Hanako-san held the small snowman mascot to her chest as if it were precious, showing a truly happy smile.

Since I’d helped her, it would’ve been pretty awkward if she’d come away with nothing.

Anyway, all’s well that ends well.

「Kazunari, I’ll thank you later.」

「Huh? No, just the thought is enough.」

「No. I want you to accept it.」

「I… alright.」

Since Hanako-san is being so insistent, there’s no reason to flat-out refuse.

It’s not like I can’t come up with a reason like a thank-you for the bento, but if it makes her feel better, I should probably just accept it.

Besides, people who reject other people’s kindness are… well, you know.

「Kazunari… thanks.」

She said that while looking at the mascot she was holding to her chest again.

Hanako-san gave me a brilliant… yeah, just like a sunflower, such a cute smile.

「Now then, last up are the men!」

The girl finished restocking the prizes and smiled at us.

The time has finally come.

「Alright then…」

When I looked at Yuji and Hayato, they both looked completely fired up.

Judging by their expressions, I couldn’t feel even a hint of them wanting to「enjoy」the shooting gallery as a「game」anymore.

To be blunt… they’re going full try-hard.

「You’re looking pretty intense, Kazunari.」

「Yeah. It’s been a while since I’ve seen that face, you know?」

To be honest, I’ve never been this fired up over a game either.

I mean, I think even I’d look at someone and think they were being a bit much if they were this serious about a shooting gallery.

But…

「Kazunari, I’m winning this time.」

「Sorry Yuji, I’m definitely the one winning this time. I’m going for every single one.」

Invisible sparks flew between my gaze and Yuji’s. It was「that thing」you see in manga or anime right before a battle.

「Um… Kazunari, Yuji, why are you two so…」

On the other hand, Hayato, who couldn’t keep up with the mood, gave a reaction that suggested he was a bit put off by us. Of course, I expected that kind of reaction, but this time I don’t care what anyone thinks.

「…It’s like I’m watching a battle manga.」

「…Kazunari is trying to get revenge for the Wife. That’s why he’s serious.」

「…Well, it’s very like Takanashi-san and it’s heartwarming. But it looks like there’s more to it than just that…」

「Kazunari-san…」

「Sara-san… just watch. I’m definitely going to win. I’ll win, and I’ll definitely get that cat plushie for you…」

「…Yes. Kazunari-san… your hand.」

Sara-san gently took my right hand.

She held it in both of hers and lifted it up to her face.

「…W-Wait a second, what is with those two…」

「…It’s a lie, right? I’m just misunderstanding, right?」

「…I still don’t believe it, it’s definitely not what it looks like!」

「…Hey, hey, those two…」

「…I-I knew it after all!?」

「…No, but that’s Satsukawa-san we’re talking about!? She’s holding a boy’s hand!?」

「Sara-san?」

「Fufu… this is a lucky charm from me.」

Saying that, Sara-san leaned her face toward my right hand, closed her eyes… and then…

「Kazunari-san… do your best…」

Chu…

She gave a soft, gentle kiss to the back of my right hand and wore a light, soft smile.

「「「WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!????」」」

「S-Sara-san…」

「Please, just do not overdo it, okay?」

「…Okay.」

I feel bad for Sara-san, but that’s actually the one thing I can’t do.

I’m at maximum motivation right now, so I’m going all out no matter what.

In the worst case, even if I have to use a secret technique (it’s not against the rules)…

「…Whoa! Satsukawa-san is really going for it!」

「…I-I’m shocked, that Satsukawa-san actually…」

「…I knew those rumors were real after all!?」

「…Yeah. I mean, the guys are literally speechless (lol).」

「…Haa… those two have done it again.」

「…………」

「…Nishikawa-san?」

「…There is no response. It’s just…」

Sara-san stared into my eyes and slowly let go of my hand.

Now that I’ve been cheered on this much by the person I love most, I’m definitely going to win.

There’s no way I can lose now.

「Yuji, you understand, right?」

「I’ll do my best…」

「Not enough spirit. I told you, there’s really going to be a penalty if you lose.」

「…Understood.」

I see, so that’s why Yuji is so motivated.

He’s speaking quietly, but Yuji can’t hide the seriousness in his eyes as he looks at me. This is the real deal.

「Um… Kazunari, Yuji, are you two actually good at shooting galleries by any chance?」

「Well… I’ve got a little confidence?」

「I’m pretty much the same.」

I meant that「little」as a bit of humility, of course.

To begin with, Yuji and I have「a certain」reason for being somewhat confident in our shooting skills.

This goes back to our elementary and middle school days.

Back then, one of the friends we often played with had a father who was a so-called「professional booth operator,」and we had plenty of chances to learn from him.

There was a garage at his house, and inside were old shooting gallery tools and prizes that were just sitting there. His father set them up for us to play with, and that’s how it all started.

We’d line up prizes we weren’t using and play like it was the real thing, and his father would teach us tricks when he was home. Honestly, I even heard some industry secrets I probably shouldn’t have, but I also learned some secret techniques.

In short, those experiences are the foundation of my confidence that I have「a chance of winning」this time.

Though, no matter how much you practice or how many techniques you learn, the prizes you can actually get in a real festival shooting gallery are already decided… well, let’s stop thinking about that for various reasons.

Anyway, as far as this time goes, I’ve already confirmed that my knowledge and skills will be more than enough.

I haven’t been checking the prize shelves for nothing this whole time.

「Hmm… you definitely look confident. It doesn’t look like I’ll be much competition, so is it okay if I just drop out? To be honest, I’m fine if I can just get one thing.」

「Got it. Then it’s a duel between me and Yuji.」

Having him play on the same level as us would basically be a regulation violation anyway. Besides, Hayato probably just wants to make sure he gets a present for Todo-san.

…Wait, when you put it that way, isn’t that true for me too?

「I’m winning this time, Kazunari.」

「No way. I absolutely can’t lose this time.」

Well… whatever.

Going with the flow is important too.

As Yuji said「this time,」our record so far is about 7 to 3 in my favor. But that is that, and this is this.

I’ll put everything I have into this fight. That’s all.

「Three shots each, good luck~」

「Eh!?」

「Wait!?」

「Um, wasn’t it five shots?」

I doubted my ears at the girl’s declaration, but the small plate that was actually brought out really only had three bullets on it.

Why!?

「Well, listening to you talk just now, you guys sound like pros. If you take too many prizes, it’ll be a problem for us.」

「Ah…」

「I see…」

I found myself nodding in agreement.

I guess from their perspective, they can’t afford to have all their prizes taken as part of a simple customer service attraction.

I guess I got a bit too carried away and talked too much.

「Then how about this, no matter how many we knock down, we only get one prize?」

Hayato came up with a saving idea.

With that rule, we can play to our heart’s content.

In the end, as long as I get a present for Sara-san, I don’t have any problems. One prize is enough.

「I’m fine with that.」

「Same here.」

Yuji will probably be satisfied as long as he has a present for Natsumi-senpai, so there shouldn’t be an issue.

「Well, that would be a help for us. But still only three shots, okay?」

「Ugh… understood.」

「I get it.」

「Yes.」

Well… if she says so, there’s nothing we can do.

So, a three-shot match it is.

The fact that we’re doing it doesn’t change, and the rules of our duel will stay the same as always.

Very simply, whoever gets more wins, or if we’re tied, whoever gets a larger one wins.

「Well then, good luck.」

We all nodded at the girl’s words and immediately started our preparations. But before that, I’ll do a condition check on my gun.

First, I dry-fired the gun to check the feel and sound. It’s still new, so there doesn’t seem to be any wear and tear.

Next, the cork bullet check.

By the way.

The easiest and most important thing to check is these「cork bullets.」

Since the material is cork, they can get chipped or cracked as they’re used, and those might get mixed in when they’re handed out. This is actually something you have to watch out for.

Shooting galleries use air pressure to fire the bullets, so if a bullet is「chipped」or「cracked,」pressure will naturally leak from those spots.

In other words… the bullet’s momentum will be weaker.

I checked them one by one with that in mind… these are OK too.

Once I finished all my checks, I firmly pulled the gun’s lever and loaded the bullet perfectly.

I don’t intend to go as far as using secret techniques for a school festival shooting gallery, so I’ll just fight like this!

「Alright…」

I leaned over the counter as far as I could go and aimed the gun with just my right hand. Keeping one foot on the ground, I brought the muzzle as close to the prize as I possibly could.

「Good luck, Yokogawa-kun!」

「Kyaaa, Yokogawa-kun is so cool!!」

「Go for it, Yokogawa-kun!」

Suddenly, high-pitched voices that weren’t there before started rising from inside and outside the classroom.

But considering Hayato’s popularity, it’s not surprising… if anything, it’d be more unusual if they weren’t there.

「Yokogawa, you’d better win!」

「Don’t go easy on him just because he’s your friend!」

「Don’t lose to the Vice President!!」

And some slightly questionable cheering(?) from the guys started too.

I mean, am I really that disliked?

I don’t remember doing anything particularly bad… hmm?

「Yokogawa, you can definitely do it!」

「Yeah! Definitely take the Vice President—」

「BE QUIET!!! If you open those dirty mouths one more time, I will kick every single one of you out of here!!!」

「「「Ugh!?」」」

Sara-san’s intense and fierce anger, a side she never shows me and has never directed at me, completely silenced the guys whose words were bordering on heckling.

And it didn’t stop there. It even swallowed up the high-pitched cheers directed at Hayato… silence.

Once again, an unnatural silence fell over the noisy space.

I pulled back for a second and looked at Sara-san. There she was, glaring at the guys with an expression of intense fury… and Hanako-san too?

「Look into my eyes and say the rest.」

Hanako-san approached one of the boys while radiating a dangerous aura. She spoke in a chilling voice while giving him a cold stare that seemed to pierce right through him.

The boy, on the receiving end of that, was clearly starting to panic and hurriedly looked away.

「If you can’t stay silent and just watch, then leave this instant.」

Sara-san’s voice was so cold it almost made me shiver just listening to it. And the guys who had been making a fuss just now were listening to those words, which were practically a final ultimatum, with awkward expressions.

「I will never forgive anyone for showing malice toward Kazunari-san. Next time, I will kick you out without question. Remember that!!」

After leaving that powerful final word, Sara-san turned toward me as if she had no more business with them.

Our eyes met just as I was watching the scene, and Sara-san softened her expression slightly before giving a small nod.

…Thank you, Sara-san.

「Anyone who insults my little brother… I will definitely crush them, whoever they are.」

Hanako-san left her own pretty dangerous comment and then turned toward me. For some reason, she gave me a serious-faced thumbs up.

I feel like things have become quite a big deal, but if I were in their position, I probably would’ve snapped in the same way… so I’m purely grateful.

「…Whoa, this is already confirmed then.」

「…Yeah. Satsukawa-san and the Vice President, huh… this is gonna be a huge deal.」

「…But the guys are in trouble now. If they’re frustrated and take it out on the Vice President, they’ll just be branded as enemies by Satsukawa-san.」

「…There aren’t many idiots in this school who would want to make an enemy of Satsukawa-san, after all.」

「Now then, shall we continue?」

Hayato restarted the game with an extra-refreshing voice, as if to sweep away the awkward atmosphere.

He’s right, it’s probably best to just get on with it.

I took a deep breath to pull myself together and then released the gun’s cocked state. Intending to start over, I reloaded the bullet and leaned way over the counter just like before. I stretched my right arm out as far as it would go, bringing the muzzle as close to the prize as possible…

And the first target I’m aiming for is that.

The small cat mascot Sara-san had been aiming for.

「Here I go.」

I didn’t really need to say it, but I figured it’d help with the mood and the presentation.

「「「 On three!! 」」」

Bang!! Bang!!

A familiar popping sound was accompanied by a light recoil in my right arm.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve felt this.

And in front of me, a single prize easily fell over after taking a direct hit from the cork bullet.

Since it’s an easy one, I don’t really feel a sense of accomplishment, but… it was something I definitely needed, so I’m relieved for now.

I checked on Yuji too, and it looks like he aimed for a prize similar to mine.

A small prize was lying flat on his shelf.

As for Hayato… unfortunately, it looks like he missed. But the prize he was aiming for had a slightly higher difficulty level, so I guess it can’t be helped.

「Whoa, they both knocked one down on the first shot.」

「Takanashi-kun and Tachibana-kun are really good…」

「It seems so. I am starting to feel a bit nervous.」

I was a bit curious about Sara-san’s reaction, so I stole a glance in her direction.

There was Sara-san, wearing a happy smile and giving me some air-claps.

And Hanako-san, noticing I was looking, gave me another thumbs up.

I responded to their cheers with a smile, and Sara-san gave me a small wave… I’m getting even more fired up now!

I turned back to the prizes and immediately started selecting my next target.

Normally, the standard move would be to go for a safe one, but Yuji will definitely do the same. So if I want to gain an edge, I have to take a bit of a risk.

And Yuji will naturally be thinking the same thing…

In other words, this is where the real fight begins.

Target selection will play a huge role in determining the winner.

I checked where the prizes were touching the shelves, picking out the ones that looked easy to knock down despite their size.

Oh? Is that…?

…No, even if it is, aiming for that is a last resort.

It might affect Hayato, so I’ll put that on hold for now.

So, the next target I’ve chosen is that.

A penguin ornament standing on two legs that looks relatively easy to knock down. It’s a bit large, but if I aim for the head, I should definitely be able to do it.

「Kazunari, Hayato, are you ready?」

「I’m good.」

「Ready anytime.」

I responded to Yuji while preparing my gun and then took my position after leaning over the counter. The last prize was one that would fall just by hitting it, but this time I need to aim for the head… so I fixed the position perfectly.

The target is… right here.

「「「 On three!! 」」」

Bang!! Bang!!

Just like before, the popping sound and a light recoil traveled through my arm… and the penguin ornament, taking the cork bullet to the head, wobbled for a second before falling flat.

「Yes.」

Phew… that made me a little nervous.

But now I’ve got my second one… I wonder how Yuji and Hayato did?

「Alright!!」

「I did it!」

Hearing their joyful voices, I checked the prize shelves first… there were three prizes lying down in total. That meant that this time, not just Yuji but Hayato had succeeded as well.

Hayato was already showing off his success to Todo-san while waving, and Todo-san was happily waving back.

「…Eh, what, what’s up with that girl!?」

「…She’s the girl from the Student Council, right!?」

「…Wait, what’s her relationship with Hayato-kun!?」

And a massive stir seemed to be rising from the girls who had been cheering for Hayato.

「I feel bad for Sara, but Yuji is going to win.」

「That is not possible. Kazunari-san will not lose to anyone right now.」

「Kazunari is going to win this match.」

「…I’m starting to get caught up in the heat of the moment too.」

「…Female friendship is just that once a man is involved…」

「…Nishikawa-san, that look is scary, so please stop.」

「Okay, this is the last one~.」

Our scores at this point are likely equal in both number and size.

I’d expected this development, but it looks like a three-shot match might not be enough to settle this.

Besides, both Yuji and I have already gotten what we needed… so I started to wonder if there was any point in getting this worked up.

But…

Even so…

I cannot lose.

Technically speaking, this might not even be for Sara-san’s sake anymore.

But even if that’s the case, Sara-san cheered for me. Sara-san is watching from behind. That’s more than enough of a reason for me to do my best.

That is why I will win.

I absolutely cannot lose.

「Kazunari, Yuji, I’m out. I won’t get in your way, so finish it.」

Hayato, having achieved his own goal, seemed to be being considerate, so it unintentionally turned into a duel between me and Yuji. I feel a bit bad, but I’ll make sure to thank him properly later.

But setting that aside…

This means the one reason for me to hold back is gone.

「Let’s finish this, Kazunari.」

「Yeah.」

I responded to an unusually serious Yuji, and we began our final preparations.

I pulled the lever, loaded the bullet…

And then I turned back one last time.

There were Natsumi-senpai and Hanako-san, their eyes closed and hands together in a prayer-like pose.

But only Sara-san was staring straight at me.

She was certain of my victory.

So there was no need to pray.

I felt like her eyes were saying exactly that.

And because my Goddess of Victory gave me a gentle smile…

I will win this match.