It was a complete surprise to me that someone was willing to join me in practicing my archery, let alone simply be there to appreciate it. It was even more of a surprise that it was Kotori-chan. Out of all of my compatriots, she was one I'd least expect to ever do anything of the sorts. So of course I was excited when school ended and I had the time to practice. I will admit that it was odd to have so much free time considering what things had been like the previous year. Although we still committed many of our evenings to the school idol club and practice, it was not nearly as much as it had been. It was bittersweet because although it was nice to return to reality, leaving behind μ's and the wonders that came with it still affected all of us greatly. It was time for new idols to shine by using the path we helped pave for them, and that was something to be proud of. Although all of this is beside the point. I do apologize. I just hoped that by explaining these feelings… ah, it's nothing.

Anyways, I met with Kotori after school had ended. Although she was smiling softly as usual, something about her demeanor was off. Perhaps she was nervous about the practice. I had no idea what else it could be. "Kotori-chan, are you sure you still want to do this?" She paused for a moment, caught off guard. She must have been lost in her thoughts.

"I…o-of course I do. I mean, unless you'd prefer practicing alone?"

"No, you just seem hesitant. Are you?"

"No, I… have a lot on my mind."

"Did you need to talk about it? We can always hold off on the practice." I assured her. The sparkle in her eyes wavered but returned quickly.

"It's nothing to worry about. Maybe practicing will help me forget."

"Alright, but if you need to talk, you know I'm always here for you."

"Of course, Umi-chan. Let's get going, hm?" With that we made our way to the practice range, a route so familiar to me, I could probably follow it exactly with my eyes closed. Kotori was close but kept herself at an angle just slightly behind me, as if afraid to walk by my side. It was odd behavior for her, but I decided I'd let it go unless it was something that persisted after we had finished.

"First, we must change into our traditional attire," I announced as we entered. Although I tried to sound as professional as possible, I was already bursting with excitement, and even I could hear it in my voice. "There's a few spare pairs of clothing, gloves, and padding. Let's see if we can find some that will fit you," I said, opening the closet which I had finished organizing the previous time I had been there. I let her choose her gloves and quickly picked out a dress that would fit her from my well organized masterpiece. I then handed her the chest piece. "You can go change in the back," I explained as I went about gathering my own gear. It seemed to be taking her some time to get everything on, but I waited patiently, not wanting to cause any embarrassment for her or myself even though the changing room was meant to fit more than one girl. I waited for a while, but she never reappeared. "Um, Kotori-chan, is everything okay in there?" I finally asked, approaching the door.

"Yes, I just, well, I can't figure out exactly how to get on this padding."

"The chest piece?" I asked.

"Mhm, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong."

I was about to barge in but hesitated. "Okay, but you're dressed otherwise, right?"

"Mhm," she muttered. With confirmation, I entered to see her struggling with the straps, her brow furrowed and the tip of her tongue sticking out from her frowning lips. Kotori was absolutely adorable. She always was, but even more so now. I chuckled, causing her to look up. "What?"

"You're just overthinking it… and you have it sideways."

"Oh… wow," she muttered, her face aglow with pink as she flipped it back and forth.

"Here," I said softly, stepping to her and grasping the piece in my hands. Our hands touched for a moment and her entire body froze as she let go. She was still acting strangely, but somehow whatever fear or anxiety she held within her made her even cuter. I placed the piece over her chest and instructed her to hold it while I strapped it in on the sides.

"Thank you," she cooed softly as I straightened my back, our eyes meeting. I couldn't help but smile. It was both empowering and utterly enjoyable to have so much experience over someone. It would be even more exciting once I began to teach her the basics.

"Now before you start shooting targets, I'd like you just to observe me for a while."

"I can do that." I smiled at her response, nodded my head and grabbed my bow and arrows, excitedly at that. I strapped the quiver of arrows to my side, pulled an arrow, and readied it. As I concentrated on the target before me, adjusting my aim ever so slightly, I saw Kotori out of the corner of my eyes. Rather than simply watching and waiting quietly for me to shoot, she was doing exactly as I had asked. Her expression seemed almost blank, but I could see the slightest quiver of concentration in her tightening lips. She barely moved a muscle, making note of my every move. I was overjoyed to see that she was actually paying so much attention, but I could not let it distract me. I returned to my aiming, taking a few more seconds than I usually would to readjust, and then with the swift movement of my two fingers, I let the arrow release, and nodded proudly as it hit so near the bullseye. I was taken aback by sudden applause. "Wow, Umi-chan is amazing!" Kotori cheered, causing me to become even more than flustered.

"K-kotori! There's no need for applause… but thank you."

"But you're so incredible and have such talent."

"I… thank you, Kotori-chan," I let out with a sigh. Although it was rather awkward to have such singular adoration focused on me, I did appreciate it. I shot a few more, every hit accompanied by another round of Kotori's applause, even on those that strayed farther away from the bullseye then I had intended. My smile grew wider with each arrow I pulled back, and my body filled with joy. I decided it fair to let Kotori experience that joy as well, she deserved it after all. After a final shot, I lowered my bow and turned to her. "So now that you've seen me go through the motions, are you ready to give it a try?"

"Oh… I'm not sure Umi-chan. I can't live up to something like that."

"Well, not yet at least. It took years of practice to get me to this point. I'm sure you'll be incredible for a beginner though. Let me grab you a bow." I motioned for her to follow me to the rack and she did so, her anxiety looking to have increased. I picked out a few bows, holding them up to her body to make sure the size was correct. I then nodded, handing her the bow I had chosen. I took my quiver from my side and strapped it to her waist, the remaining arrows awaiting her hopefully nimble fingers. "Now stand where I stood, get a firm footing, and ready your arrow. Now, raise your bow so that the arrow is level with your eyes, and as you do so, pull it back." Her eyes darted to me hesitantly. "Take a deep breath, relax yourself… aim. Aim a little above the target. You can make more adjustments after the first shot. Okay, one more deep breath… and shoot!" She blinked and gasped as she released the arrow with little grace, sending it off to the right and plummeting into the ground with a small puff of dust, the ground dry from the heat of summer and lack of rain. Kotori turned to me, eyes dazed with confusion and a frown on her face.

"I… I'm sorry," was the first thing she muttered.

"For what?" I asked, laughing softly. "You need to relax more and keep that state of mind when you shoot. Don't let it slip like the arrow. This time, aim slightly higher and to the left.

She gave a quick nod. "Okay." I watched patiently as she went through the motions, and then sighed as she flinched slightly when releasing the arrow. It was closer to the target at least. She turned to me, and I smiled softly.

"Let me help," I said, stepping behind her and just slightly to her side. I wrapped my arms around her waist and placed my hands over hers. They were warm at first, but then seemed to grow cold, her arms trembling softly. I tried my best not to press my body against hers, but it was inevitable if I wanted to show her the proper way to fire a bow. Her breath released from her lungs as my breasts and then stomach pressed against her. She seemed to be fine with any sort of close contact and friendly intimacy, so I found it odd that she was acting so nervously. Of course, she had been acting that way ever since the school day had ended. "It's okay," I said even more softly than I had been speaking now that I was so close to her ear. "Pull back, aim," I said as I maneuvered her arms. "Slightly to the left, higher, breathe." An incredible sensation overcame me as we breathed in unison. I could feel it on her sides and back. I couldn't help but smile, my body warming.

"Um, Umi-chan?" she whispered, causing me to realize that I'd paused for longer than intended.

"Shoot." I released her hand swiftly but gently, hoping she'd do the same with the arrow. She did, although her movements were still unrefined. I smiled as I heard the familiar thunk of the arrow sticking into the target. That smile widened when I noticed it was closer to the bullseye than I had expected. Kotori turned to me with a glimmer in her eyes. Something overtook me, and I grasped her in my arms, spinning her around. She grasped back tightly, her arms squeezing at my waist and her hands cupped against my back. That was when I realized what I was doing and quickly pulled away. I felt like an idiot, and I was one. I was sure my face was glowing red, but so was Kotori's.

"… That was great. A-anyways, try it on your own now." Her body straightened and she nodded in affirmation. Her expression grew serious. She turned then grabbed and strung and arrow before pulling it back. Her movements were much smoother and more confident now. I knew it was going to be a good shot, but it turned out to be even better than that. I stood silent in shock before letting out a delayed gasp. She had hit the bullseye… directly. "K-kotori-chan…" I muttered. She turned to me her eyes wide.

"I… I did it."

"You… did." I was beyond impressed, but quickly assured myself it was just luck. I decided it was best to assure her this as well. "It must just be beginners' luck, but still, nice shot."

"Oh?" she asked, a hint of disappointment her tone. "I guess your right… I just tried so hard to do everything you said."

"It takes a lot of practice," I told her, but quickly took back the remark as her frown grew. "Of course, maybe it was skill. You could… try it again, and we'll see." She nodded, sucking in a deep breath of air before turning to the target once more and pulling out another arrow. With a moment of silence followed by a thunk, another arrow protruded out from the target, side by side with the previous, so snug that their shafts nearly touched. My jaw dropped. Rage built inside me. How could someone so unskilled do that twice in a row? It was unbelievable. I could get bullseyes of course, but it took much more honing to get there.

"Umi-chan!" she yelled out excitedly, hopping up and down, her shoes clacking against the floor below. She shrunk back as I huffed, my fists clenching, and then cowered as I ripped the quiver of arrows away from her waist, strapping it around my own. I retrieved my bow and she quickly stepped out of the way. I huffed once more to calm myself. I let my eyes blink shut and then opened them, concentrating fully on my target as I pulled an arrow and aimed. I smiled as I felt the arrow release smoothly from my grasp, but then gasped in horror, missing the bullseye by a longshot. I could feel a fierce rage building up inside my chest, my stomach tense as well. I pulled another arrow and did my best to calm down before pulling back and aiming. I felt good about my release again, and it was in fact closer, but still no bullseye.

"It takes skill, not luck," I growled. "Skill… that I should have after this many years!"

"I-I'm sure you do, Umi-chan," Kotori muttered. "Maybe you're just having bad luck?"

"Skill can overcome any bad luck, Kotori-chan! I'll show you." I pulled the last arrow from the quiver, not realizing how many the two of us had gone through. "You can do this, Umi. You've done it hundreds of times before. Don't give into pressure." After my silent speech to myself, I steadied my trembling hands before pulling back the arrow. I took breath after breath, my vision seeming to blur every time I prepared to release. Finally, it seemed clear, but this caused me to release too hastily, sending the arrow plummeting to the ground directly in front of the target. I was no longer angry, but embarrassed. My entire body shuddered as I let the bow fall to the ground. I quickly released the strap of the quiver and let that fall as well. I did my best to avoid any sort of eye contact with Kotori, and was glad she hadn't said a word yet. I hastily grabbed my bag and my school uniform which I had folded and piled neatly beside it, then left, not looking back for a moment.