Crack! Crack!
The sharp pops of cork guns echoed through the room.
The cork bullets flew toward the shelves, but unfortunately, not a single prize toppled. A few shots looked like they had grazed their targets, but they hadn't carried enough force to knock them over.
"Huh? That’s strange..."
"Oh dear, I was sure that hit..."
"Ugh, it only grazed it..."
They had already finished their third shots. The current score was one for Nishikawa-san, while Sara-san and Natsumi-senpai both sat at zero. It was a far more lopsided development than I had expected.
Especially in Sara-san's case, she had such a natural, genius-level talent for everything that I’d assumed she would succeed the moment I showed her how.
"Whoa, this is getting a bit dicey..."
"Aiming for the light items is a good strategy, but because the targets are so small, it actually makes them harder to hit."
"If it's come to this, I should take a risk and go for something larger... but..."
Sara-san and Natsumi-senpai, neither of whom had claimed a prize yet, were clearly beginning to feel the pressure.
However, since the three of them had framed this as a contest—even if they hadn't explicitly said so to me—it wouldn't be right to meddle. I didn't want to throw a wet blanket on their competitive spirit.
The truth was, this shooting gallery had a much longer range than the average festival stall. That alone made the difficulty level significantly higher. Furthermore, unlike the boys, Sara-san and the others couldn't exactly throw their bodies across the counter. Trying to hit tiny prizes with cork guns that didn't fire straight at that distance was a tall order. With that much distance, the kinetic force of the cork dropped to almost nothing.
"A-Alright. Here I go again!"
"Right."
"T-This time for sure..."
I watched them with a mix of concern and frustration, but since the seniors were running this as a courtesy, I couldn't exactly complain about the setup. All I could do was watch over them in silence.
Do your best, Sara-san!
"I... I lost to Eririn..."
"Sigh, that was fun!"
"I-It was a total blunder... To think I couldn't take even one prize... I can't even look Kazunari-san in the eye like this..."
In the end, the disadvantage they faced was never overcome. The game had proceeded as a matter of half-luck.
Nishikawa-san finished with two prizes, Natsumi-senpai with one, and Sara-san... zero.
Against all odds, Nishikawa-san had emerged as the victor.
However, for the sake of Sara-san's honor, I felt the need to point out a few things. Nishikawa-san had been wearing a casual outfit with pants, and being the tallest of the three, she had a clear physical advantage from the start. In fact, she was the one who had leaned the furthest over the counter. As for Natsumi-senpai... that was probably just a bit of luck.
"...Ghhh, I want to jump in right now and win a prize for them."
"...Do you really think stealing a march like that would be allowed?"
"...Tch, it's too crowded to move."
"...Let go, I'm going!!"
"...I'm not letting you go!!"
"...Now, it's our turn."
"Hehe... my trigger finger is itching."
"I haven't really done this much before, though..."
The second group, including Hanako-san, stepped forward with varying degrees of enthusiasm—excluding Todo-san—while Sara-san and her group swapped out and returned to where I was standing.
Sara-san looked utterly dejected. Seeing her like that was painful; I wanted to pull her into my arms and comfort her right then and there. Why didn't God grant her beginner's luck at a time like this? He really could be quite inconsiderate.
"Uuu... Kazunari-san, I am so sorry. Even after you were kind enough to teach me so carefully..."
"No, the conditions were stacked against you. The distance from the counter to the prizes was far too long. Besides, you're a beginner, Sara-san. It’s only natural that it would be difficult to get it right away."
"Yes... that may be true... but still..."
"It’s okay. Leave the rest to me."
I wanted to reassure her and lift her spirits as much as possible. I gave her my most confident smile and gently reached out with both hands, tenderly enveloping Sara-san's right hand. I gazed intently into her eyes, hoping my feelings would reach her.
Sara-san looked startled for a split second, but her expression immediately began to soften.
"""Whaaaat!!???"""
"I'll win enough for your share too, Sara-san. So... please, just leave it to me."
"Kazunari-san..."
Even though I knew I was being a bit of a show-off, I kept the confident smile on my face. This wasn't about a shallow desire to look cool; I simply felt that if I couldn't make Sara-san smile right now, I would never be able to forgive myself.
It seemed to work. Sara-san gave me a truly radiant smile and nodded over and over again.
"Yes... yes! I shall leave everything in your hands, Kazunari-san!"
"Yeah, leave it to me!"
To be honest, I felt like I might have raised the bar too high for myself, but if I couldn't meet her expectations here, I wouldn't be a man. Besides, I wasn't just talking big—I actually had a decent plan for winning.
Alright, time to get serious.
"...W-Wait a minute! Hey, aren't those two seriously suspicious!?"
"...N-No, there’s no way... How could that be!?"
"...B-But look, he’s actually holding Satsukawa-san's hand..."
"...And Satsukawa-san looks so incredibly happy!?"
"...Wait... aren't they calling each other by their first names!?"
"Kazunari, your Big Sister is going to do her best, so watch me."
My name being called drew my attention to Hanako-san. She was clutching a gun in her right hand and striking a cute pose. The way she puffed out her chest with such pride was genuinely endearing.
"Good luck, Hanako-san!"
"Mm, I'll do it."
Given how much trouble Sara-san had, I expected Hanako-san's height handicap to be even more severe, but I sent her my heartfelt support regardless. In response to my cheer, Hanako-san flashed a smile and a thumbs-up before turning her eyes toward the shelves to scout her targets. She was clearly brimming with determination.
"...What did that Little Angel-chan just say?"
"...Didn't she just say 'Big Sister'?"
"...Whaaat!? The Vice President and her are siblings!?"
"...No way! If I had a Big Sister that cute, I wouldn't even care about getting a girlfriend..."
"Todo-san, you can do it!"
"Yeah! I'll do my best!"
On the other flank, Todo-san, who was the only one appearing truly nervous, received a cheer from Hayato. She clenched her fists and struck a small, adorable pose. That kind of gesture really hit a guy where he lived. Hayato looked like the happiest man alive.
"Hey, Yuji... Come to think of it, you didn't cheer for me at all, did you?"
"No, I thought I was just reading the room..."
"Hmm... 'reading the room,' was it?"
"I-I'm sorry..."
"Well then, as a punishment, you’d better win."
"Ehh!? No, Kazunari is the one who's actually good at shooting..."
"It’s a punishment if you lose."
"...Yes, ma'am."
Natsumi-senpai looked like she was having the time of her life, while Yuji hung his head in total defeat. Their dynamic had completely flipped from earlier; they were a truly entertaining couple to watch.
"Sniff sniff... I'm the only one without a fan club..."
"Tachikawa-san, good luck."
"Please do your best, Tachikawa-san."
"Yes! I'll do my absolute best!!"
Tachikawa-san, who had been fake-crying, perked up immediately at the support from Nishikawa-san and Sara-san. Since she practically worshipped Sara-san, she looked genuinely thrilled.
"You've got five bullets each, good luck~"
The Receptionist Lady repeated the familiar line and handed out the small plates of ammunition. I wondered how Hanako-san and the others would fare.
"I know Marina’s never done this, but what about you, Hanako-san? Are you any good?"
"Hmph... having studied extensively on YouTube, I have no blind spots."
"No, that’s not what I... ah, never mind."
As if realizing the futility of the question, Tachikawa-san went quiet. I knew Hanako-san had spent a fair amount of time as a shut-in, so I could guess what Tachikawa-san was thinking.
The three of them picked up their guns and began to prepare, but as I had expected, the guns looked a bit too large for Hanako-san to handle comfortably.
"Muu... this is unexpectedly difficult to balance."
Just as I thought, Hanako-san struggled with the weight and ended up resting the gun on the counter to steady it.
"...Crap... that Little Angel is insanely cute."
"...S-So this is what 'moe' feels like..."
"...N-No, I'm normal, I'm definitely not a lolicon..."
"Alright, I'm ready."
"Good to go here too."
"I'm ready as well."
Following the lead of the first group, the three girls checked in with one another and raised their guns in unison. However, the height issue was glaring. Because Hanako-san was so short, she was at an overwhelming disadvantage. She leaned as far over the counter as she could, but the targets still felt miles away.
"Mugugu... j-just a little bit closer..."
Hanako-san was trying so hard to compensate for the distance that she was leaning dangerously far over the counter. Looking at her from behind, I started getting worried about her balance. Actually, it was already past the point of concern. Even if it was still safe visually, I couldn't just stand by and let her struggle like that—especially with a crowd of idiots watching from behind.
"Senpai, do you have a stepstool or some kind of platform she could use?"
I called out to the senior at the booth while casually moving directly behind Hanako-san. She stopped leaning for a moment and looked back at me. I wasn't sure how to handle this without being too blunt about the risk.
"Ah, right, I didn't think of that! Hey! Do we have anything like that?"
"Hmm..."
"We might not be able to find one right away~"
"Well, we could let her shoot from the child's distance..."
"Muu... I am not a child."
"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean it like that... B-By the way, are you and Vice President-kun really siblings?"
"Huh?"
I didn't remember mentioning it, so the question caught me off guard. Ah, wait—Hanako-san had just called herself "Big Sister" earlier, hadn't she?
"Kazunari is my Younger Brother."
"Heh... So it's true? That's a bit of an unusual... well, never mind. But if that's the case, why not have your Younger Brother help you out?"
"Help... me?"
I had a bad feeling about where this conversation was heading.
"Yeah. Why don't you support your Big Sister from behind?"
"Eeeehh!?"
Support Hanako-san from behind? I briefly imagined the posture, and all sorts of problematic scenarios flashed through my mind. I didn't have any impure intentions, but still, was that really acceptable? And more importantly, how would Hanako-san feel about it?
"If Kazunari supports me, I can concentrate with all my heart."
She was completely on board! In fact, she looked like she’d been waiting for me to ask, her expression practically begging me to do it.
"Uh..."
I didn't give an immediate answer. Instead, I looked toward Sara-san. She gave me a small nod and a wry smile. Well, if Sara-san gave her blessing... and if I really was just providing physical support, maybe it wasn't something to overthink.
"A-Alright, then."
"Great, I'll leave it to you~. Go ahead and show us what you've got!"
Satisfied that the problem was solved, the senior stepped back. Hanako-san turned to me with eyes full of expectation.
"Kazunari, come here."
She spread her arms toward me in a mysterious gesture. No, no, that’s clearly a request for a hug. We’re supposed to be swapping roles, aren't we?
"Ahem!!"
Of course, Sara-san wasn't about to let that slide. She let out a sharp, pointed cough that could have cut through steel. Hanako-san reluctantly—for some reason—turned back toward the counter and leaned forward again.
Now, the question was how to support her. Since Hanako-san was wearing a long skirt, it was fine as long as her feet stayed on the ground. The real issue was stabilizing her arms.
"Mugugu, if I could just get a bit more leverage..."
"Hanako-san, stop. Don't lean any further."
"But... like this, I can't put any power into it. I can't keep my arms up."
"I'll support you, so just keep your body steady."
"Okay."
She held the gun while I moved into position directly behind her. I placed my hands on her shoulders to stabilize her posture, then reached forward to help lift her arms, helping her bring the gun up to eye level.
"What’s the target, Hanako-san?"
"The snowman."
...A snowman? Was there one on the shelf? Ah, there it was—a small, white mascot tucked away on the edge of the second shelf. It was definitely a snowman.
"Do you like snowmen?"
"...Yeah. Someday, together... it's my dream."
"...I see. I understand."
I liked to think I wasn't so tactless or dense that I couldn't read between the lines. That one sentence told me everything I needed to know about what she wanted.
"...Is that okay?"
"Actually, I've been thinking about something. I was going to talk to everyone about it soon."
To be more precise, it wasn't just about Hanako-san. I had been considering a winter trip for the whole group. Winter meant snow and hot springs. I’d even mentioned the idea of skiing—which I’d never actually done—to Sara-san, and she’d been all for it. I was just waiting for the right moment to suggest it to the rest of the group. If the plan went through, Hanako-san's wish would come true.
"I understand... it's a promise."
"Yeah, you can count on it."
At my answer, a bright smile broke across Hanako-san's face. Now I had one more reason to make sure this trip happened. I really had to work hard on the planning. Of course, my number one reason was still to spend time with Sara-san.
"Are you all ready~?"
"We're fine."
"Kazunari, please."
"You got it!"
The golden rule of the shooting gallery was to get the muzzle as close to the prize as possible. Getting so close that you didn't even need to aim was the ideal, but since we couldn't do that here, we had to make do.
"A little more to the right, slightly up... stop there."
I adjusted the position of her arms based on her instructions. Hanako-san was the one doing the actual aiming; I was just the tripod.
"Here we go!"
"""One, two!!"""
Bang!! Bang!!
With a rhythmic pair of pops, the first shots were fired.