"Oh, look! Found it, found it!"
Natsumi-senpai let out a joyful cry as she spotted a particular stall along our path.
Since we had been making nothing but detours until reaching this point—I won’t say who was responsible—it had taken much longer than expected. Still, that was just part of the charm of the night.
"Oh, welcome!"
The man who called out to us from behind the counter as we shuffled in front of the tent was a burly, bearded guy.
For a split second, I felt a sense of déjà vu, as if someone’s father was greeting us... but no, that was impossible.
"Well, there’s no way, right?"
"Yuji..."
It seemed Yuji was thinking the same thing. He muttered those words and looked at me with a wry smile. For the two of us, what had happened back then was a vivid, shared memory.
"Mister, three for the game!"
"Coming up. So, is it just the lads playing?"
"Yes. This is a battle between men."
"Hoho, that sounds interesting! And with a lineup of beauties like this watching, a man can’t afford to lose, no matter what!"
The man let out a hearty, boisterous laugh at Hanako-san’s overly blunt explanation. He then turned an inquiring gaze toward the three of us, as if sizing us up. Well, now.
"Yo, Takanashi!! What a coinci—woaaaaah!?"
"S-Satsukawa-senpai is in a yukata!?"
"S-Sublime... she’s more than just beautiful..."
"W-What is this situation!? This is too incredible!!!"
Suddenly, a very familiar face—and several unfamiliar ones—called out. It was a group of boys made up of my classmates and probably some guys from other classes. Among them was...
"H-Hanasaki-san..."
One guy stood there, completely riveted by Hanako-san, ignoring everything else. It was, of course, the most famous man in our class, Yamakawa.
"What?"
"...T-That yukata, it’s, it’s, it’s very..."
"I know. Thanks."
"Too blunt!!"
"I’m not particularly happy about it."
"Gah—!!"
Hanako-san’s response was a total salt response, completely shutting him out without leaving a sliver of hope. The sight of Yamakawa dropping his shoulders in defeat was a familiar scene. He must have known it would turn out like this from the start, yet he remained a challenger to the end.
"S-Satsukawa-senpai!! That yukata looks incredibly good on you!!"
"Really, really!! You’re seriously way too gorgeous!!"
"I’ve seriously never seen anyone this beautiful before..."
"U-Um!! I-If you’d like, why don’t we go around together—"
"That's enough flattery. It’s merely annoying."
"'Annoying'!!?"
Surpassing Hanako-san’s earlier reaction, this went beyond a simple salt response—it was Sara-san’s absolute, ice-cold rejection. She delivered it with an emotionless, deadpan face without a hint of mercy. I could almost empathize with the guys falling to their knees in despair... actually, no, I couldn't.
Because Sara-san never made that face at me, and she never said things like that to me.
"Takanashi, are you guys doing the shooting gallery?"
"Yeah."
"...Alright, then I’m doing it too."
"Yamakawa?"
His usual cheerfulness had vanished. Yamakawa suddenly stepped forward with a strangely intense look. Moreover, that gaze seemed directed not at Hanako-san, but at me. Was it just my imagination?
"Oh, what’s this? Is this an appeal to Hanako-san?"
"No, it’s not like that."
"...Why are you getting so serious?"
"Shut up!! Anyway, I can’t back down either!!!"
He seemed to be completely worked up now, barking loudly as if he wouldn't yield an inch.
But if it really wasn't because of Hanako-san, just as he said... if the sense of wrongness I felt wasn't my imagination, then I couldn't think of a reason at all.
"Well, isn’t it fine?"
"I don’t particularly mind. What I have to do won’t change."
"...If you two say so."
I didn’t have a particular reason to refuse, and as long as they didn’t get in our way, it wasn't a problem. Besides, I was somewhat curious about Yamakawa’s uncharacteristic intensity.
"Alright, then I’ll do it too!"
"Me too!"
Following Yamakawa, two more guys suddenly volunteered. These two, conversely, were easy to read. They were pretending to talk to me, but in reality, they were stealing glances at the female officers, making it blatantly obvious what they were after.
That said, letting them participate for such a ridiculous reason was—
"Oh, then you three use the table on the left. It fits up to six people perfectly."
"Roger that."
"Then let’s get started."
"Takanashi, it’s a match!"
Despite my misgivings, once the shopkeeper spoke up, I couldn't really interject. Since it had come to this, we just had to proceed.
Since we were already being stared at by the whole world, I just had to ignore them and focus on the match.
"Yuji!! Don’t you dare lose!!"
"Yeah, yeah..."
"H-Hayato-kun, fight!"
"Yeah, thanks, Marina-san!"
Receiving cheers from their special someone, the two of them showed expressions of renewed determination—though Yuji’s was subtle. And then...
"Kazunari-san..."
Sara-san gently snuggled up to my right arm and tenderly squeezed my right hand, enveloping it in hers. Then, she slowly lifted that hand up to the level of her face.
"Sara-san..."
"Fufu... as I thought, a victory good luck charm is necessary this time too, isn’t it?"
"Huh?"
Suddenly wearing a mischievous expression, Sara-san slowly brought her face close to my right hand.
As I found my eyes drawn to those glossy lips approaching closer and closer, they eventually...
"Mm..."
Chu...
They lightly touched the back of my hand.
The sensation of those soft, warm lips sent a jolt through my entire body, like an electric current running through me in an instant.
"Please do your best... Darling?"
"Y-Yes!!"
Filled with kindness, affection, and beauty—it was truly the smile and gentle kiss of a goddess!
This was an absolute for me, a great blessing that guaranteed victory!
Therefore, in this match, there was absolutely no way I could lose. No matter what anyone said, the one who would win was—
"Gwaaaaaargh!!??"
"W-What was that just now!?"
"'Darling'!? A kiss!?"
"D-Damn it all!! The atmosphere is completely different from before!!"
"I’m definitely not losing!! I’m definitely not losing to Takanashi of all people!!!"
Setting that aside, it seemed the guys over there had also been fired up, albeit in a different sense.
Well, even if that was the case, I wouldn't lose.
............
......
...
"Ah... much appreciated."
I paid the money to the shopkeeper, who had a strangely complicated smile—I knew the reason. We took our positions: the three of us at the right side of the counter and Yamakawa’s group on the left. Six players total.
"Now then..."
I immediately picked up the gun placed in front of me and began my usual routine. I dry-fired the gun to check the trigger pull while simultaneously scanning the prize shelves.
First, I ignored all the large items on the top shelf since they were just for show. As expected, the medium-sized ones would be the key this time. Since it was unlikely the match would be decided by the tiny items alone, especially between Yuji and me, the choice of targets would determine victory or defeat.
Utilizing my past experience and data...
"Here you go, five shots each."
The man brought the cork bullets on a small plastic dish, so I checked them as well. And wait, this one is already a dud.
"Mister, please exchange this one and this one."
I picked up two cork bullets with small chips in them and held them out to him. I secretly wondered how he would react.
"Ho... here you go!"
Wearing a grin that was almost unpleasantly knowing, he easily exchanged them for fresh bullets from under the counter.
I checked those as well. They seemed fine.
"Hmm... Lad, you look like you’ve done this a fair bit."
"Do you think so?"
"Heh, don’t play dumb... Well, with a transcendent beauty of a girlfriend like that, I guess you’d be fired up."
"Haha... I won’t deny that."
"Oh, bold of you. But seriously, I’m purely jealous. In my line of work, I’ve seen all kinds of people, but I’ve never seen a beauty like her—"
"Mister, please exchange these bullets too."
"...What, over there too? Coming!!"
Once the man left to attend to Yuji for the same reason, I applied the final trick. I secretly rubbed on some of the hand cream I had borrowed from Sara-san earlier.
I hadn’t gone this far during the school festival, but this was a real festival shooting gallery. Since this was a serious match, I wouldn't hold back. Besides, I was sure Yuji would do the same.
"Alright, is everyone ready?"
At the man’s final confirmation, everyone nodded. The preparations were complete.
"How should we do this? Everyone shoot at once?"
"Yeah, I don’t mind."
"That works for me too."
"Then, Kazunari, if you please?"
"A-Ah, alright. Then, let’s begin."
For some reason, the role of coordinator fell to me. I called out to everyone, took a breath, and gripped the gun.
"Yuji..."
"Hayato-kun..."
"Kazunari-san..."
With the voices of our special someone at our backs, we first began loading the cork bullets.
Even for this simple task, there was an ironclad rule: "pull the lever before loading the bullet." I did so reliably.
"Are you ready?"
"Yeah!!"
"Ready anytime!"
"We’re good here too."
With everyone set, it was finally time for the real thing.
I braced the gun with both hands. For certain reasons, I wouldn't use "that way of shooting" from the school festival, where I held it with one hand as close to the prize as possible. I would stick to the honest Two-handed Style. The first prize I aimed for was a boxed item of decent thickness on the bottom shelf. That one would fall easily no matter where it was hit, making it perfect for a test shot.
"Ready, go!!"
Pulling the trigger as everyone’s shout echoed mine.
Holding the gun firmly so the muzzle wouldn't jump, the cork bullet flew out with a light "Pop!" It sped straight toward my target.
The result: the prize fell over flat and easy.
That was one.
"Alright!!"
"That’s how it’s done!!"
"Nice!"
Joyful voices rose from the left counter; it seemed the guys over there had all succeeded as well. The duo was sending smug looks toward the female officers, but unfortunately for them, our girls only had eyes for us.
"Well, I guess it’s like this."
"Now then..."
Yuji and Hayato were nonchalant. Yuji was already starting to set his next shot; when it came to competition, he was truly a stoic guy.
For the first round, everyone had aimed for something easy as a warm-up. It was only natural that we all hit.
"Alright!! Sara, watch closely. This time Yuji will—wait, Sara?"
"It’s no use talking to her. The wife only has eyes for Kazunari."
"Kazunari-san... so wonderful..."
I heard voices from behind getting excited, but I focused on the match. Time for the next one.
"Going again?"
"Anytime!!"
"Hurry, hurry!!"
After loading the next bullet and bracing the gun with both hands, I gave the signal.
"Ready, go!!"
Accompanied by slightly uncoordinated shouts, the "Pop! Pop!" of the shots echoed inside the tent. Each cork bullet flew toward its intended target.
The one fired from my gun aimed for a prize one size larger than the last.
As for where it went...
............
......
...
"Alright!! Perfect so far!!"
"Though you’ve only been taking super easy small stuff, haven’t you?"
"If anything, it’s only natural you can get those."
"Shut up!!"
With the fourth shot over, the current standings had Hayato and Yamakawa tied for first with perfect scores. Yuji and I followed one point behind, with the remaining two trailing further back.
But that was only in terms of the number of items. Considering the actual prizes...
"Wait, isn’t Takanashi too good at this!?"
"The other guy is also getting big ones consecutively."
"Why are they getting them normally even though they're shooting like that!?"
Up until now, Yuji and I had been raising the difficulty of the prizes we aimed for with each shot, using them as a warm-up for the finale. Therefore, compared to Yamakawa, who was obsessed with a perfect score and safety, or Hayato, who was aiming for safe zones, the sizes of the prizes we had obtained were significantly larger.
If this match were only about the number of items, it would be a different story, but since large items counted as high scores, I wasn't worried.
However, everything depended on the final shot.
"T-Takanashi-kun and Tachibana-kun failed!?"
"No, that was likely a setup for the next one."
"With that shot just now, the prize’s position shifted significantly. The match will be decided with the next one."
It was just as Hanako-san and the others said; that last shot had been a setup to take down a large item. By the third shot, I had grasped the feel of the gun and the bullet drop, so I had made my move starting from the fourth shot. Yuji had clearly come with the same strategy.
"By the way, Sara, you’re doing something rare, aren't you?"
"Do you think so?"
Incidentally, Sara-san was currently aiming her smartphone camera at me, intent on filming. Since there were no shutter sounds, it was clearly in video recording mode. While not unusual in itself, seeing Sara-san do it was certainly rare.
"I want to properly record this as a precious memory too."
"I see. And then in the future, you’ll enjoy looking at memories of Papa with the kids... is that it?"
"W-W-Why are you suddenly talking about that!?"
"Well, you know... Hanako-san, what do you think?"
"...She doesn't seem to mind the idea."
"T-That’s, well, um... wait, Hanako-san too!?"
Sara-san was uncharacteristically flustered by Natsumi-senpai’s sudden leap in logic. As for the content of the conversation, I had no choice but to stay silent. Today’s Sara-san was dangerous in many ways—she was so cute it was becoming a hazard to my health!
"Satsukawa-senpai’s kids!? But since Takanashi is her fiancé... Eh!? T-That means... it meanssssssssss!?"
"Ukyaaaaaaaaa!! Don’t say any more than thattttttt!!"
"Ooooooh, Satsukawa-senpai isssssssss!!"
"I don’t want to think about itttttt!!!"
"S-Sara and... Takanashi-san’s... k-k-ki... k-ki... kid..."
"Hieeeee!? N-Nishikawa-san, it’s scary so please don’t think about it anymore!!"
Various screams rose from the crowd, and gazes gathered on me from all directions. Moreover, Sara-san was stealing glances at me bashfully with upturned eyes. Doing that after such a conversation was way too much!
"Takanashi-kun, do your best!"
"Vice President, fight!"
"Ha-ya-to!! Ha-ya-to!!"
"You guys, don’t you dare lose to the Vice President!!"
"Satsukawa-san in a yukataaaaaaa!!"
"Move!! I can’t see!!"
"N-Nishikawa-san... she’s beautiful as always..."
"Haa haa... the Little Angel has reached her peak here!!"
"What’s this? Is something going on?"
"Dunno. They said an idol is here or something..."
"Oh, there are so many super cute girls gathered!!"
"Crap! That girl with long black hair is totally my type!!"
I suddenly noticed a massive crowd had formed. Before I knew it, a barricade unit—likely Nishikawa-san’s people—had formed a human wall behind us, holding back a swarm of spectators.
"Hmm, it was the same during the Rinka Festival. I guess it just ends up like this."
"It seems we’ve stood out a bit too much. The commotion has grown so large that even people who don't understand the situation are gathering out of curiosity..."
"No, Eririn, this isn't the time to be analyzing so calmly..."
"Good grief... how noisy. Kazunari-san can’t concentrate."
"Eyesores. If they’re going to interfere with Kazunari, then forced dismissal..."
"That’s right. Let’s just deal with them all at once..."
"Wait, you guys are actually serious, aren’t you!?"
"Of course."
"Off course."
Setting aside Sara-san and the others’ dangerous conversation, the situation behind us was getting out of hand. While many were just curious, a crowd this size could quickly lead to trouble.
"Hahaha, this is great!! Your girlfriends must be celebrities, right?"
"No, no, nothing like that..."
"Well, whatever. It’s great for business, so I don't mind at all!"
"Haa..."
The shopkeeper was happy for the publicity, but I was worried about things spiraling out of control.
"Crap, I’m getting fired up!!"
"Takanashi!!"
"I’ve gotta nail it at the very end!!"
The guys on the left, however, seemed to be thriving on the attention. The duo was posing with their guns, trying to appeal to a crowd that wasn't actually looking at them.
"Kazunari, it’ll be faster if we just finish this."
"Let’s do it, Kazunari."
"...Alright."
Indeed, the best way to end the commotion was to finish the match.
"Alright, last one, here we go!!"
I steeled my resolve and called out to everyone.
Maintaining focus in this chaos was difficult, but the condition was the same for everyone.
"Ssssh..."
"Haaah..."
Yuji closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I did the same, long and slow. I focused my spirit, centering the gun in my hand and the target in my sight, imagining the trajectory in my mind.
Alright... I’m calm.
I can see the path.
"Kazunari-san..."
The surrounding clamor vanished. Within my stilled consciousness, only one thing remained—Sara-san’s beloved voice. It heightened my focus and made me realize once again how precious she was to me.
With these feelings...
"Kazunari, this time I’m going to win!!"
"Yuji, the winner is me!!"
Not to be outdone by Yuji’s spirited shout, I threw back my own. The crowd didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the match with Yuji.
For Sara-san... no, together with Sara-san!
"Ready, go!!"
Everyone’s shouts, which had been uncoordinated until now, aligned perfectly. In that instant, my world began to move in slow motion.
Tucking my elbows in and stabilizing the gun, I aimed for a single point: the upper right corner of the prize, which was already halfway tipped.
The angle was difficult, but I knew I could do it.
I aimed for that tiny point and pulled the final trigger. At that exact moment, I felt as though I could see Sara-san’s smile.
The target is here!
"!"
I pulled the trigger.
My core was solid, my aim was true, and my hands were steady. As the bullet flew, I knew it was the best shot I had ever fired in my life.
"Ah!"
Someone let out a short cry. The prize I had aimed for shifted violently. The right half was knocked back, aligning it with the left half—at the very edge of the shelf. It had hit exactly where I intended.
"A-Ah!"
"It’s falling..."
The prize crossed the line of the shelf. Having lost its balance and its support, it couldn't remain in place.
It followed gravity.
"It fell!!"
"Incredible!! He actually knocked that down!?"
"Yaaaaay!! Takanashi-kun, you’re amazing!!"
"Vice President-kun, you’re so cool!!"
A massive cheer erupted from the gallery. But rather than the crowd... what about Yuji!?
"Phew... no good... huh."
With a heavy sigh, Yuji looked up at the ceiling. In front of him, the prize sat perfectly parallel to the edge of the abyss, expertly maintaining its balance.
It was so close that a single vibration could have knocked it over, yet it remained standing.
"Aaaah... so close..."
"This is... it’s a fail, but only just."
"A match is a match. But that was right on the edge."
"Indeed. As expected of Tachibana-san, I suppose?"
Honestly, it was a miracle it was still standing. It had been an incredibly close-run battle, decided by the narrowest of margins.
But a win was a win.
"Whoa, you actually got that one by yourself?"
"Haha, I was just lucky."
"Lucky, huh... Well, it was good publicity, so I don't mind."
Prizes of that size were meant for two or three people to target together. The shopkeeper was genuinely impressed. My secret use of the hand cream had likely provided that extra bit of grip and stability needed.
"Man... we’re seriously such mobs."
"Well, it can’t be helped. We lost completely."
"Damn it... damn it all."
I didn't know the exact score for Yamakawa’s group, but his frustrated expression told the whole story.
"Incredible as always, Kazunari."
"Hayato, congratulations on your perfect score too."
"Ahaha... I guess I managed to make a show of it in my own way...?"
Hayato had achieved a flawless perfect score. It seemed he had taken a gamble on his last shot as well, knocking down a medium-sized plushie. He really did have a talent for this.
"Yuji..."
"Kazunari... it’s my loss again."
"Yeah. Though that prize staying balanced was amazing in its own way."
"True. I didn't think it would stay like that either... but a loss is a loss."
Yuji looked genuinely frustrated. To lose by such a hair’s breadth was painful. But to me, that "luck" was simply Sara-san’s blessing.
"Yuji, that’s too bad."
"Natsumi-san, I’m sorry..."
Natsumi-senpai didn't say anything mean at first. She wore a compassionate smile as if to console him...
"Now then, what should the penalty game for the loser be? ♪"
"Eh!?"
...Or not. She was as merciless as ever. She looked like she was having the time of her life, while Yuji’s face began to twitch.
"Kazunari, congratulations on winning."
"Thanks, Hanako-san."
Hanako-san beamed at me and lightly tugged on my sleeve. She gave me her usual "lean forward" look, but...
"Moo... a reward from your big sister..."
"What is this about a reward, Hanako-san?"
"N-Nothing..."
An intense pressure radiated from Sara-san. Hanako-san hurriedly let go of my sleeve. Sara-san’s smile didn't change, but a Seven-colored Aura—or perhaps Conqueror’s Haki—seemed to flare up behind her.
"If there is to be a reward for Kazunari-san, then that is my role. In any case, this match started because of my selfishness..."
"Sara-san, I don't think it was selfish at all—"
"Fufu... You are kind, Kazunari-san, but for me..."
"Sara-san?"
Muttering something under her breath, Sara-san’s cheeks flushed. She gazed at me with moist, entranced eyes and snuggled up to me directly.
"Kazunari-san... you were truly wonderful. No, you are always wonderful, but I..."
Bashfully, she stared into my eyes. She leaned her weight against me, seeking comfort.
"Kazunari-san, congratulations on your victory. I believed you would win."
"Thank you. but I only won because of you, Sara-san."
"No, this was your own skill..."
"To me, you are the Goddess of Victory. That’s why I can do more than I’m capable of. Even luck is on my side because of you."
"I’m so happy... in that case, I will always be with you..."
"Sara-san..."
Sara-san’s flushed face and glossy lips made my love for her overflow. Just being near her wasn't enough anymore.
"Fufu... in any case, first is the reward, isn’t it? ♪"
Sara-san looked up and gave me an exquisitely soft smile.
"Mm..."
Chu...
In the moment I was distracted by her dazzling smile, she leaned in. The world was filled with the scent and warmth of her lips.
"Fufu... you were truly wonderful, D-a-r-l-i-n-g ♪"
"S-Sara-sa—"
"G—"
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"
The sky was filled with dark screams of despair and high-pitched cheers of excitement! The crowd erupted, and the voices I had been ignoring crashed into my consciousness like a tidal wave.
Ah, crap...
"Oooooh!!! Someone erase my memory!!"
"Damn it all!!! What’s with that guy!?"
"What was that just now!? What was that 'Darling'!?"
"H-Hey, look at that girl’s ring finger!!!"
"No way, does 'Darling' actually mean that!?"
"You’re kidding! So that’s why she suddenly disappeared from the ranking site..."
"Thanks for the feast!! Man, those two are seriously something!!"
"As expected of the Legendary Stupid Couple!!! The name Miss Contest Crusher isn't just for show!!"
"Really, Satsukawa-san has changed, hasn’t she!!"
"She's completely a girl in love now!!"
"No, no, that’s more than love, that's pure devotion!!"
"Uuu... Takanashi-kun is..."
The area fell into a state of pandemonium reminiscent of the tragedy of the Miss Contest. The commotion showed no sign of dying down. My friends seemed to be backing away, looking fed up—especially Natsumi-senpai.
"Sigh... maybe we should just go home..."
"Wait, Nishikawa-san!?"
Nishikawa-san stood there with pitch-black eyes, looking like she had transcended to another realm.
"Darling..."
But Sara-san, the center of the storm, looked incredibly happy. Ignoring the world, she leaned against my chest.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
"E-E-ENOUGH ALREADYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!"
And so, once again, the dark soul’s cries of the boys and the ecstatic cheers of the love maidens were launched into the night sky like fireworks.
Incidentally, the crowd was eventually dispersed by the intervention of security guards... but that is a story for another time.