Now then...
The biggest problem was deciding which target to pick for the final shot.
In a situation like this, there was no point in aiming for a prize I was certain to hit. Both Yuji and I were making our selections on the premise of taking a gamble; if I aimed for a small prize now, I would undoubtedly lose the size comparison.
But even so, aiming for a massive item that was clearly impossible to topple would be nothing short of suicide—and I knew Yuji was thinking the exact same thing.
Which meant I had three options left.
The first was to aim for a prize that I had a borderline chance of toppling. The risk was high, but if I gauged the center of gravity correctly, it wouldn't be impossible.
The second was to aim for a prize about the same size as the last one, which I was certain I could knock down.
However, that was a passive plan that relied more on Yuji making a mistake than my own skill. To be honest, I didn't want to choose it. Besides, my intuition told me that if I played it safe, I would lose.
Normally, a person would choose between those two, and in that case, the first plan would be the obvious choice. Both sides would aim for the absolute limit, and whoever succeeded at the narrowest margin would win. It was a simple, high-stakes duel, and usually, there were no other alternatives.
But...
Today, I had a third choice.
The reason I had thought of Sara-san as a Goddess of Victory earlier was because she was the one and only absolute existence who granted me the power to win.
But that wasn't the only reason.
She was the one who had revealed this third choice to me.
That was why I was certain Sara-san was the Goddess of Victory.
I had originally noticed it when I spotted the cat plushie that I intuitively felt Sara-san would like. That prize was in Hayato's play area, meaning if I aimed for it, I would be intruding on his space. Moreover, the distance was significant. Between the size and the awkward angle, the shot would have to be diagonal.
Under normal circumstances, it was a prize I should have given up on immediately. Yuji would have thought the same.
But from my current position...
I could see a tiny sliver of the tail supporting the cat plushie.
It didn't look like a cheap trick used by the booth to keep the items from falling; rather, it seemed the plushie couldn't stand on its own without using its tail for balance.
In other words, it was extremely unstable.
Honestly, I was impressed with myself for noticing a tail that was only visible by a hair's breadth. But then again, if I hadn't been searching for something for Sara-san, I never would have spotted it.
That was why I believed this, too, was thanks to Sara-san.
And because Hayato had stepped down early, I could now aim for it without reservation. Luck was truly on my side. With the stage set this perfectly, there was no room for doubt—Sara-san was my Goddess of Victory.
With the Sara-san's blessing, I could hit that tail even from this distance. No, I definitely would!
"Here I go," I said.
"Yeah," Yuji replied.
It had been a long time since I'd heard Yuji sound so fired up. He was playing for keeps. But even so, I wasn't going to lose!
As Yuji leaned over the counter, I mirrored his posture. I extended my right hand to its limit. The target was further away than I'd anticipated, and the mark I needed to hit was incredibly thin.
Normally, I should have moved my entire body closer, but this specific angle was the only way to thread the shot. I would never have attempted such a high-risk shot in a casual game, but...
"...Um, isn't the prize Takanashi-kun is aiming for impossible?"
"...Yeah, I couldn't move it at all."
"...Right, I tried for that one first, but it didn't budge even when I hit it, so I gave up."
"Takanashi-kun is taking a massive gamble. But why shoot from so far? He should just get closer."
"No. If Kazunari-san is doing it this way, there is a reason. It will be absolutely fine."
"Kazunari... do your best!"
I was fine. I could do this. If finding that spot was part of Sara-san's blessing, then I had every reason to take the shot.
""Ready... go!!""
Our voices overlapped perfectly.
And in that split second...
Sara-san's smile from earlier flickered clearly in my mind's eye.
Now!!
Bang! Bang!
Two sharp reports echoed through the room. Yuji fired a fraction of a second before me. The cork bullet discharged from my gun, catching the full force of the compressed air, and flew toward the intended spot.
The classroom fell into a hushed silence. Right before our eyes—and the eyes of everyone watching inside and out—two prizes standing on the shelf...
Quietly toppled over.
"...I did it..."
"...Amazing. It didn't move an inch when I shot it..."
"...How did he even knock it down?"
"...Ah, so that's where he aimed."
"...Vice President-kun, you actually hit that?"
"...What? How did the Vice President win?"
"...I don't know. It looked like he missed slightly."
"...Tch, the Vice President won?"
"...Hey, quiet, or Satsukawa-san will yell at you."
The prize Yuji had knocked down was a mascot a bit larger than the one from the second round. It was roughly the same size as the one I'd considered for my first option. I wouldn't know for sure without a side-by-side comparison, but if I hadn't gone for the cat, it would have been a very close call.
"...Kazunari, you actually got that one?"
"To be honest, it was a close-run thing. I just hit the weak point."
"I see. Regardless, this is a complete defeat. When the gap is this wide, I'm not even frustrated anymore."
"It wasn't just my own skill, though."
I wasn't being humble or joking. It truly wasn't my power alone. Thanks to Sara-san, I had noticed the weakness, and thanks to her, I had the confidence to take the shot. That was why I won.
I had hit the tail perfectly because Sara-san had smiled at me.
"I suppose you're going to say it's all thanks to Satsukawa-san anyway?"
"Of course. It's the truth."
"Pfft... Hahaha!"
When I said it without a hint of irony, Hayato gave a wry smile and started laughing. It really was the truth, though...
"Ah well, I guess this means a lecture from Natsumi-san is in my future. I'm already terrified."
"Look who's talking. You're actually looking forward to it."
I had noticed long ago that Yuji secretly enjoyed being scolded and bossed around by Natsumi-senpai. Anyone who looked at them could tell.
"You two, here are your prizes."
"Thank you."
"Thank you very much. And I'm sorry for taking the big prizes during a service play..."
I'd gotten caught up in the heat of the moment, but taking the top prizes during a promotional service play felt a bit like overkill. It was too late now, but maybe I should have held back a little?
"It's fine. We have plenty of prizes left, and because of this crowd, we're getting a ton of regular customers now. See?"
The senior pointed toward the door. A massive line had formed while we were distracted.
"While you guys were having that heated battle, the crowd just kept growing. We actually want to thank you, so don't worry about it."
"...I understand. In that case, we'll accept them gratefully."
Yuji and I took our prizes and bowed. Since we'd achieved the goal of helping them attract a crowd, I decided to accept the win without guilt. Still, hearing our game described as a "heated battle" made me realize how embarrassing we must have looked from the outside.
Well, it was fun, so I suppose it didn't matter.
With our prizes in hand, we returned to our group.
"Kazunari-san..."
Sara-san didn't cheer or make a scene; she just stood there with a quiet, gentle smile. She looked happy, but more than that, she looked... proud.
"Sara-san, I won."
"Yes. I saw everything."
"Yeah, I know. That's why I was able to win. It was all thanks to you."
I didn't expect anyone else to understand the weight of those words. But I knew Sara-san would...
"No, that's not true. You won through your own skill, Kazunari-san. I didn't do anything—"
"You're wrong, Sara-san."
"Eh..."
I knew she would try to credit me entirely. That was why I had to say it.
"The only reason I even saw the chance to win this was because I was thinking about you. I wanted to win this cat plushie because I thought it would make you happy... and because I was thinking that, I noticed the weak point."
As Yuji had noted, I never would have taken such a risky shot under normal circumstances. If it hadn't been a prize I wanted for her, I wouldn't have even looked at it. And if I hadn't looked at it, I never would have seen the flaw in its balance.
"And... in the final moment, your smile appeared so clearly in my mind. You smiled at me just before the shot, and that image was the perfect signal to pull the trigger."
At that distance, even a microscopic tremor would have sent the bullet wide. I had to hit the narrow tail precisely. If my timing had been off by a millisecond, I would have missed entirely.
"So, I won because of you. That's not just me being humble; it's a fact."
Sara-san listened, her face flushing slightly with embarrassment, but she gave me that same soft smile once again.
"Fufu... thank you. If I was able to be of help to you, Kazunari-san, nothing could make me happier. But... this is a little embarrassing."
"Sorry, I guess I got a bit dramatic... Anyway, please take this."
I offered her the cat plushie I'd fought so hard for. It had a comical, adorable expression.
"Yes... I will gladly accept Kazunari-san's feelings."
Sara-san accepted it with grace and without hesitation. She understood that me winning it for her was the whole point.
"Fufu... it's so cute!"
"Yeah, it has a lot of character. But..."
But to me, Sara-san adoring the plushie was...
"But... what is it?"
"No, nothing..."
"Kazunari-san... please tell me."
Her expression was pained, as if she knew exactly what I was thinking but was pleading for me to say it out loud anyway.
"Kazunari-san..."
When she cast her eyes down with that look of feigned sadness... ugh, that was cheating.
"I just meant... that you're much cuter than the plushie, Sara-san. More than anything, or anyone..."
This was brutal. Even if she wasn't doing it on purpose, being forced to say things like that in public was a total humiliation play.
"Kazunari-san... I'm so happy..."
Whether she realized my internal struggle or not, she beamed with a radiant smile. She was so cute that I felt my heart might actually stop.
"...Seriously, what is with this sweet sugar space?"
"...I have no words..."
"...That's really Satsukawa-san? She's so... soft."
"...I can't believe it. Is she really the same person?"
"...She's a completely different person from the one who was terrifying the boys earlier..."
"...What is this...?"
"...Aaaaaah, my Goddess!"
"...This is too much to witness..."
"...My Goddess is... no, this has to be a dream. It must be."
"...And here they go again."
"...Whoa, do they really do this everywhere?"
"...Once they enter a world of their own, they completely lose sight of their surroundings."
"..............."
"...Whoa, Nishikawa-san, your eyes are terrifying right now!"
"Kazunari-san..."
Still clutching the plushie, Sara-san snuggled up against me, leaning into my chest.
"""WHATTAAAAAA—!?"""
She looked up at me with those upturned eyes, still wearing that slightly pained, pleading expression. My heart started hammering against my ribs.
"Kazunari-san... first, a thank you for this little one..."
While looking up at me, she reached out her right hand and cupped my cheek, tilting my face slightly. Then, she placed her other hand on my left shoulder and stood on her tiptoes.
"Mm..."
Chu.
"""!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????"""
I felt the soft, warm press of her lips against my left cheek. Her kiss was incredibly gentle and filled me with a sudden surge of joy. As she pulled back, she seemed almost reluctant to break the contact. Then, looking at my face, she gave a playful, airy laugh.
"And this... is a reward for your victory, Kazunari-san♪"
She shifted her body to the right and adjusted my face again. She placed her hand on my other shoulder, leaning her weight into me as she stood on her tiptoes once more.
"Mmh..."
Chu.
This time, the soft sensation was on my right cheek. I could feel all of Sara-san's kindness and affection in that kiss. I tried to keep my expression neutral, but it was a losing battle. The warmth of her body against mine and the touch of her lips made me feel like the luckiest man alive.
"............"
"...ki"
"""KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"""
"""NO WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"""
The room erupted.
"Wait, what are those two doing!?"
"Whoa, Satsukawa-san is being way too bold!"
"Kyaaaaaaaa!"
"Are they really doing that in public!?"
"What is that!? What is happening!?"
"You've gotta be kidding me!!"
"Uwaaaa, I can't look!"
"Sa-Satsukawa-san is... Satsukawa-saaaaaaaaaan!"
The girls in the crowd were screaming and jumping, clutching their hands together in excitement. The boys, however, were in a state of absolute devastation.
"It's a lie! I won't believe it!"
"Guaaa, it's true... the Vice President and Satsukawa-san are actually...!"
"Dammit, I just built up the courage to confess to her!"
"My Goddess... my Goddess is...!"
At that moment, it genuinely looked to me like the boys were weeping tears of blood. It was probably just an illusion, but the intensity of their despair was palpable.
Surprisingly, I didn't feel the same level of panic I used to. I felt a little bad for causing a scene in the seniors' classroom, but this was for Sara-san—for us. It was a necessary step to make our relationship common knowledge. In a way, this was exactly what I wanted.
"Kazunari-san?"
"It's nothing. I just realized I won't let anyone get between us."
"Fufu... I'm glad to hear that. You're so cool, Kazunari-san♪"
She rested her head against my chest, leaning her full weight into me. I felt her warmth and the steady rhythm of her heart.
".........chi"
Sara-san was—
"""DAMN IT ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"""
Rumble rumble rumble...
An earth-shaking roar erupted as a stampede of boys suddenly thundered out of the classroom and away into the distance. I recalled a similar sight earlier this morning. Where were they all going? Probably the same place as before.
"...It got quiet all of a sudden."
"...It's fine. Those guys were just making noise; they weren't going to buy anything anyway."
"...True."
"...Deja vu."
"...Me too."
"...Wait, do they really do this all the time?"
"...Ahaha, Takanashi-kun and Satsukawa-senpai are just very close..."
"...If you can call this 'close,' then Nishikawa-san wouldn't have turned this dark."
"............"
"Kazunari-san, thank you. I'll take very good care of this kitty."
"I'm glad."
Sara-san hugged the cat plushie to her chest with a happy squeeze. With her blend of adult elegance and girlish innocence, she looked like a literal angel—no, a Goddess.
She was so cute it was almost painful.