“Mori-, yood at maths, right? you expin this to me, I didn’t really get it?” one girl said, ing over to Eri’s desk. Beside her anirl piped up. “Yeah, please help us, Mori-! It must be o be smart, share the wealth!”

  I was about to intercede as Eri was looking a bit flustered, but she took a long breath, calming herself down aured a slight smile. “All right then. I guess I help a little. I’m not going anywhere until Aiko finishes her practice, so I have some time.”

  Wow, surprising. It looked like I wouldn’t have to interveer all, and several mirls and even one of the boys from our css joihem, watg Eri as she tried to expin how to use the formus to solve the equations they had been given.

  “I think it’s nice.” Yae-san said from beside me. Rika-san was nodding along too, looking at Eri like a proud mother seeing her daughter make friends, which was rather strange. Wow, hey, Eri is my friend, not yours!

  Before I could respond, someone else interrupted me. It was Tomoya-kun, one of the guys in css. He wasn’t anything special, but at least he wasn’t as annoying as those two. My gaze strayed to the two empty desks at the back of the css. Since Eri had chewed them out yesterday they had been leaving the moment csses finished, which retty much a relief to everyone, especially the girls.

  “Yeah, she’s ged pletely. It’s pretty incredible.” Tomoya-kun observed.

  I shot him a harsh look. “Don’t be getting any ideas now. I know she’s cuter than ever, but she’s taken. If my big bro finds out you’ve been ogling his fiancée he’ll be really mad…”

  “Hey, it’s not like that!” he protested, holding his hands up. “I’m a boy, I like looking at cute girls, your brother would uand that. But I’d never do anything inappropriate. I don’t think anyone would. But you know, seeing Mori-san take an i in other people, it’s good to see. I know you two are close, but everyone needs more friends, right?”

  Well yes, of course I worried about how shy Eri was. still, it isn’t like that has ged… I nodded despite myself. “… Still, Eri hasn’t ged as much as you think. She’s suffering a bit there, I tell.” She was quite pale, and speaking slower than usual. “Of course, she’s making an effort. She knows if she’s going to be an adult now, she ’t just shut herself away in the house, waiting f bro to return. That’d just worry him. Besides, she wants to grow as a person. It isn’t all for my brother.”

  “That’s right.” Yae-san agreed. “I like to think that we know each other a bit better nht Ai-? After all, we are close friends, even your brother thinks so, doesn't he?” She grinned impishly. “Little Ri-Ri simply realised she had to grow up. It happens to a girl in love. Even I grew up a bit when I started dating. Although…” she sighed. “… a shame all my boyfriends were rubbish. I envy her, I really do. A real man is very different to childish boys.”

  “Well if you are looking for a…” Tomoya-kun began, but Rika-san cut him off.

  “Don’t get full of yourself.” she warned. “We are in the market for real men, who’ll treat us like princesses, right Yae, Ai-.”

  “Leave me out of it!” I protested, but the mood had shifted, which was a relief. Looking back at Eri, surrounded by students, I kind of uood the smile Rika-san gave her earlier. Sometimes I fet, but Eri is a little older than me. She always seems younger because she’s so shy, but…

  “So yes, if you substitute that here, the answer is either…” Eri finished up, and arouhere were murmurs of prehension.

  “If that’s everything, I’ll be going then. I want to go and watch Aiko practice.” Eri said, making to stand up. Before she could, one of the girls in css asked a question.

  “So, I’ve been dying to ask…” she said, looking flushed. “If you really are… are pregnant, how are you going to…”

  hat a stupid question. I was sure we’d beehis yesterday. I should definitely stop this …

  Yet again before I could, Eri spoke up, interrupting the girl and my thoughts. “I’m nnant.” she said, her voice a bit above a whisper, but as the room was silent, waiting for her answer, everyone heard.

  “You aren’t? But…” the girl tinued, but shut up as Eri stared at her, bck eyes hard.

  “I’m not. You’re a girl right, you get it.”

  “Oh… ah, yeah.” she stammered, flushing. Around her several others tittered maliciously at her humiliation.

  Wow, so… really? You old me… I’m a little hurt…

  Seeing my gaze, Eri looked down, a little ashamed. “I was going to tell you ter, I was. This m, well… ugh, this is not a versation I wao have again. It was bad enough with my mother. I’ll be going to Inuyama ter. So I wao watch your practice first. After that would have been the best time to say.”

  The girls were nodding, their expressions knowing, and the boys were embarrassed. Tomoya-kun had backed off, finding the insides of his school-bag suddenly iing, and a couple of other boys had left. Yeah, girls’ biology is a mystery to boys, and that’s the best way…

  “Well, I’m not sure whether to gratute or iserate you, little Ri-Ri.” Yae-san shrugged. “Still, I do think it’s probably for the best. You have all the time in the world for motherhood ter, right?”

  As murmured agreements echoed all around, Eri sighed, a loion of mixed feelings. “Yeah, I ’t say I was thinking clearly. Akio and I should have a child wheime is right, and now… it probably isn’t. He has a lot going on, and I’m not… not yet good enough. Still…” she smiled then, and I blushed at the allure of it. “… I have a lot to look forward to, don’t I?”

  Tomoya-kun was standing awkwardly, and I nearly gagged. w, gross. Cockroach-guys strike again. Seeing my hard gaze he made to leave, when the door swung open, and beside me Yae-san groaned. Yep, I get it, I really do. I don’t want to see them either…

  Eri joined me in gring at the newers. They hadn’t really bothered her, but when Kenji-kun had been harassing me, she had taken it personally. Of course she would have. Eri and me, we always have each other’s backs…

  Masaki-kun brightened as he saw Yae-san. Behind him, Kenji-kun, who had been avoiding everyone sihe festival, id his eyes on me, and I recoiled a little at the annoyand desire tained within, shiverie the heat. Wow, God he is just so… ugh. This is spoiling my mood; I had a good feeling about practice today as well…

  “Yae-, I’ve been wanting to speak to you for a while now.” Masaki-kun began, ing towards her, but Yae-san dropped behind me and Rika-san. “Don’t be like that. I came to ask you if we could… well, you know, get back together? It’s been over a week now, so ’t we just fet about that? I took a lot of ribbing from the guys in the baseball team, but I still like you, so I’m willing tive…”

  “Five? Five… me?” Yae-san was indignant. “I wasn’t the one who bet me like I’m just your stupid toy, was I? And worse, lost like a little kid."

  “Yeah, but I thought I’d win…” he began, but she wasn’t going to let it pass. Which is just a … little… unfair sidering she was getting tired of him before this, but it isn’t my job to look after her love-life is it?

  “Well you didn’t. her you nor Kenji-kun, right? What brings you here, nothing equally as stupid, I hope?” Yae-san pined acerbically.

  “Yeah, I think you said everything you had to say before.” I agreed. Masaki-kun sighed and stepped away, indig this had nothing to do with him, which was the first bit of good sense I could credit him for.

  “No, I have plenty to say.” Kenji-kun grated. “Aiko-…”

  At his use of my first name and the - suffix I was already set on edge. I could be a little overfamiliar myself at times, but… no way, you have nht.

  “I still like you. Maybe… maybe I didn’t go about it the right way, but you never show any i in boys other than your damn brother. How.. how else was I supposed to go about getting you to go out with me?”

  “Well, here’s the thing.” Rika-san chimed in. “You don’t. If a girl isn’t ied, hard luck. Being a man is about realising things like that. Damn, it makes me miss Ai-’s brother now. Akio-kun was so mature.”

  Hearing my bro’s name, Kenji-kun ground his teeth, annoyed. I guess he did get trashed by my brother. No wonder he’s sore. That reminds me… “Oh yeah, did aually watch Kenji-kun here at the festival? We never got to see him apologise to everyone for taking on my bro. Watg Eri’s big fession was way more important, right?”

  “Aiko, don’t embarrass me.” Eri whined, rememberiruggle, face red.

  “I saw it.” One girl piped up. “It was kinda mean, making him do it, but he half-assed it anyway, so don’t feel too bad.”

  “It doesn’t surprise me.” I shrugged. “I guess it doesn’t matter. My bro only wao make a point. Let me be clear, Kenji-kun, you other boys too. If I was ied in anyone here, I’d have said so. You think I’m some shrinking violet who blushes at the thought of fessing to a boy? Wow, that’s so not me. No, sorry but I like my guys more mature, someone who is going to look after me. I ’t let big bro do it forever, even if I joke about it. After all, he’s marrying Eri now.”

  “That’s crap.” Kenji-kun snapped. Masaki-kun grabbed his arm, but he shook it off. “Surely there’d be someone in this town who you’d like. Are you a lesbian? Do you like girls, like some pervert? Or… are the rumours true and you have a thing with your brother after all? Such a waste, you are sporty and pretty, to think you’d be so…”

  "That's not cool, Kenji-kun." "Whoa, so me. Shut up, man!" “You shut the hell up!” Rika-san, Yae-san and also Eri all snarled simir orders at him at the same time.

  “You don’t know anything about Aiko!” Eri was in his face, fists g. He took a step back, surprised at her iy. “You don’t know anything about Akio either. I uand why you are fixated on her, my best friend is truly beautiful, kind and brave, but you…” She was looking at him like he was filth. “… all you have is a stupid ego. If you’d have asked her out nicely and when she said no you’d ughed it off, maybe you could have been friends. Who knows where that could have gone over time? But no… you had to treat her like a… a prize to be won, a trophy to be paraded. That isn’t love, it’s simple greed. I hate that. Love isn’t something you deserve, it’s something you earn!”

  “She’s right.” Yae-san said, patting the trembling Eri on her shoulder after the rant. Turning to Masaki-kun she nodded her head a little. “Sorry, Masaki-kun. Maybe we could have handled our break-up better, but still… it just wasn’t w out for me. You aren’t a bad guy… not like some…” She eyed the steaming Kenji-kun then. “… but I guess I just need something different. But we still be friends, 't we?”

  He sighed then, head hanging limp, defeated. “You’ll never have Oshiro-san, even if he buys you presents. All you are to him is a friend of his sister and girlfriend.”

  “Yeah, I get that, I do. It hurts my pride a little, but peting with a cute childhood friend was just too high a hurdle. Little Ri-Ri is adorable after all. But it made me see what I want, so…”

  “Here’s where I step in.” I’m pretty damn mad, but s this out ond for all makes sense. “Seriously, Kenji-kun. You think girls don’t talk amongst each other? Our town is small, and everyone is going to find out just how pathetic you are being here. As for your snders… I’d much rather go out with a cute girl than most of the boys in this pce. Maybe I’d get with Eri if she wasn’t already taken.” I grirying to take some of the tension out of the room. I don’t want it to e to blows, Kenji-kun is fuming mad. If Eri was to get caught up in the crossfire…

  “As for my brother, don’t be vile. I make of the fact I love my bro. And why wouldn’t I? He probably saved my life as a child, he’s always been there for me… hell, thanks to him st weekend I was riding a helicopter over the Grand yon! Top that if you . But seriously, of course I love him, he’s my family. Don’t you love your family, Kenji-kun?”

  “It isn’t the same…” he protested.

  “No, it is the same. Sure, everyone jokes I’m a bro, which is funny but just a little annoying. But all it es down to is, my brother makes me feel safe. Eri too.” She nodded beside me, agreeing.

  “I’ve no iion of doing something immoral with my bro, and he’d be disgusted at the thought… not to mention, my dad would literally kill him, no questions asked.” I giggled at the thought. Dad was hard, true, but to me he was way more lehan he was with Akio. “Besides, even if I wao, which to crify again, I don’t, well, do you think I could do that to Eri? So e o a grip. Is it wrong for me to want a man who makes me feel safe, like my bro does? I’d feel like a loser if I didn’t bag a husband as good as Eri has, after all.”

  “If Ai- ever does decide to girls maybe I’d snap her up.” Rika-san giggled. Turning more serious, she addressed the guys. “All right, it’s time to let this go. It all got… so messy. That stupid wager. It was funny and all, but…”

  “Yeah, let’s just let it drop.” I agreed. “Sorry I’m not into you, Kenji-kun, but there are plenty of irls out there.”

  He didn’t look happy, in fact he looked like he was chewing on a sour fruit, but after a long, bitter pause, he forced a nod. Masaki-kun also agreed with a sigh. Still, he couldn’t resist o parting shot. “Err, Yae-, if we are friends again, if I became a better man, would you sider going out with me again?”

  Yae-san shrugged. “No promises, but if you wow me, I’ll think about it.”

  With that the chaos came to an end, the girls in the room rexing again. Yeah, that did get annoying aed.

  “Umm, Aiko, I was going to tell you ter about… well, you know.” Eri touched her belly and I got it immediately. Wow, you silly girl. I’m not angry…

  “Oh e on, don’t be like that. ces are you wouldn’t be anyway, if it was that easy, Japan wouldn’t have a popution crisis, right?” I grinned. “Still, these st couple of days you’ve been very bold, I think the irls might be starting to look up to you as a guru on love matters!” I teased her, earning pouting protests iurn.

  “e on then. I’m te for practice. I had a good feeling earlier until those boys ruined my mood. Maybe I get it back?”

  ***

  Damn, it just doesn’t feel right again. The arrow had hit the target, sure, but that was only the first and most basic stage of Kyūdō. Only Eri was waiting now, the irls having gone home. I know she has to go to Inuyama with her parents. Birth trol. Thinking about it makes me remember that night… I pulled at the front of my chestpte, fanning air down my hot body. I guess it’s lucky big bro gave her that bank card. Otherwise the Mori’s would struggle to pay for them… damn, I’m just accepting they are going to carry on… ugh. Not my problem, definitely not my problem. That’s for them.. and maybe Shaeu… to worry about. No… I o focus on…

  Spoiler

  [colpse]My archery was suffering, and I wasn’t making enough progress on mastering the abilities my bro and Shaeu had. Still, the visualisation of both was simir in a way, and even if Eri got a very unfair boost I couldn’t take advantage of, she was learning the same way I was and managed, so I could definitely succeed. Willpower and sporty energy. That’s what I need and what I’ve always been good at. I do this!

  First, I closed my eyes. It was easier to visualise the teiques Shaeu taught me, doing that. It might seem stupid practising with my eyes shut, but I o grasp the feeling first… I took the first stance, pg my footing, the Ashibumi. All the while I trated on the feeling of drawing energy into me, moving it as Shaeu had indicated. I had to fight the embarrassing thought of her running a finger over my bare skin though. Lewd.

  I arranged my body into position, the Dōzukuri, and while doing this small prickles of hot and cold were pooling in my lower abdomen. It made it hard for me to trate on the position of my body, but I felt I was getting my best results with the training while doing Kyūdō, so I wouldn't stop.

  The three phases of Yugamae were , orienting my hands on the bow correctly, while moving energy up to my heart. This was as far as Shaeu had instructed me, as she was worried by the y lunar Chakra, whatever that was. Big bro and Eri had ohough, so why couldn’t I manage? I’ll show them I won’t be left behind…

  Raising the bow, the Uchiokoshi, I paired with raising my energy, and the prickles grew in iy, feeling strangely warm and heavy. Ugh, it feels like I he toilet now… no, ing distracted. This is the sharpest I’ve felt all evening…

  Drawing the bow, the Hikiwake, I could feel the ho burn of strain in my muscles. I loved sport, I really did, moving my body. It went even beyoing strength to protect myself, Eri and my brother. That was important too, but I wao express myself through sport, to find something I was good at, that I enjoyed… f my mind ever inwards, the weight in my lower body reading to my heart, my lungs feeling damp ay.

  Uerred, I moved to the Kai, drawing my bow fully. My parents had scrimped and saved for this bow, my brother tributing too, so I’d always looked after it. My hands were sweaty, my breath ing in hot gasps, yet despite that I felt full of energy. Now it was time for…

  Hahe release. Opening my eyes I released the arrow held taut against the string of my bow. It streaked towards the target, and it almost felt as if… something… was lifting free from me, streaming out of my lower body, following the arrow. I felt hot in my lower body, the pressure, the weight diminishing, and the final stage, the Zanshin, where I should remain joined with the shot, my sciousness with the arrow, shattered pletely. Wow, shit. No way. I didn’t wet myself did I? Even if only Eri is here, my life would be over at that point…

  As I was thinking stupid thoughts, cheg my lower body, finding in relief I was still dry, the arrow strue iarget with a distinct thud. Prickles of energy were still moving through me despite my tration having stopped, and as I went to retrieve my arrow I was surprised to see it havirated far further than normal. It was quite the effort pulling it free, the edges where the arrow had bit in were cut smooth like gss.

  Wow, that’s pretty odd. Hmm… A sudden pain sparkled in the tre of my forehead. Perhaps I had been pushing myself too hard tely. I was slick with sweat and exhausted, so I decided to call it a day. After all, Eri had things to do as well. As I returned, bow in hand, Eri raced over with a cold towel.

  Taking it, I gri her. “Tomorrow we get to see big bro again, right?”

  “Yes, I ’t wait.” she agreed, smiling broadly. “I don’t think it’s going to be fun for Akio, talking to our parents, but if we have time to spend together, I’d be happy. Maybe Shaeu even has a solution for… well, you know.”

  “Oh, I do.” I nodded. “Fortunately, you still have tonight to practice. The quicker you master it, the quicker you go back to snuggling my bro.” Snuggling hemism of course. I have some delicacy. And wow, some trauma too.

  “It isn’t just that I want…” she protested weakly, and we shared mhter. “Oh, by the way Aiko, that st shot… it was the best I’ve ever seen. It almost seemed to shine iting sun. You looked so pretty taking your stance.”

  “Yeah, I’m not sure why, but it really went in deep. Maybe I’m just that good?” I chuckled, the hole iarget fresh in my mind, while my body still tingled, somehow itchy within…