Together Forever

Chapter 13

Time to Concentrate

Note: Because it's been so long since I've last updated, you can expect longer chapters from here until the end of the story. Expect a question at the end of this chapter asking for your guys' input about the future of this story. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy and I hope to hear back from you guys.

For the rest of the week, archery club was just me and Umi-chan. It was nice. She was able to teach me everything she knew and I was able to watch everything she did. I know it sounds weird to watch her every move, but it truly helped me. She was a great teacher and a great example. It was almost as if she was the one who created the art of archery.

The more I spent time with her alone, the more my mind started to wander and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Her long beautiful hair flowing in the wind. Her strong amber eyes made me weak in the knees. Her slender body got me all heated inside.

I know it's wrong to check out another person without their permission. It didn't seem that wrong since Umi-chan and I were a thing. I just wanted to give her more respect as a woman because she was clearly more of a woman than I was. She could do it all and make it look easy. When we weren't at archery, she would be helping me with my academics. If it wasn't academics, we would hang out. Her cooking skills were amazing, as if I was dining with a world-famous chef. And of course, her mannerisms were something I have never seen before. Her grace and elegance made me feel like I wasn't even a girl.

The one thing I did have her beat at was my knitting skills. She told me all about how she tried to get into it, but she just never had the knack for it. This made me feel good. I was horribly losing to her in every aspect, but to have one thing I was good at that she wasn't made it all the better.

Umi-chan decided to make it official to the entire school that we were together. It was an interesting move for her to do this, but I guess it was needed. All of the girls were giving me horrible looks and wanting to rid me of Umi-chan, but Umi-chan had more to her plan than I initially thought. We walked to school together, ate lunch together, and walked home together. Umi-chan may have tried to hide it, but I knew that she was on the lookout constantly. When we walked together, she locked her hand with mine and gave anyone who looked at me the death glare. Personally, it was kind of scary, but I knew that she was doing all of this for a reason. Umi-chan wasn't an irrational person.

Eventually, Umi-chan started up a conversation with me that was a lot different than what I was normally used to. She took it very seriously so I did the same.

"Kotori, I hope you're not mad at me."

"Eh? Why would I be mad at you? You've done nothing wrong."

"No, I have. I've been pretty much secluding you from the outside world. I make sure no one looks at you wrong and I make sure no one talks to you wrong. I'm almost like a dog who's too territorial about its space."

"Umi-chan, it's not like that at all. I don't mind at all. When I first came to this school, I had the intention of trying to make as many friends as I could. Unfortunately, it took a turn for the worst where no one wanted to be my friend. It wasn't until you showed up where my life changed. It got easier and you made me feel wanted. That's when I realized all I really needed was you."

"So you're not mad with my doglike manners?"

"Of course not. In all honesty, I think it's pretty cute."

My words obviously hit the sweet spot because Umi-chan ended up blushing and turning away. I don't see this side of her often, but when I do, it's worth the wait.

…

More time went by and our first archery competition came around. When the club members' suspension was revoked, they apologized to me and got to work. Surprisingly, they were a lot nicer and a lot more supportive towards me. I could still feel a tension in the atmosphere, but I knew that Umi-chan changed them. This also made me feel bad. Umi-chan was doing this all for me and I wasn't doing anything for her. How was our relationship fair? She's works so hard for me and I just sit back and enjoy the luxuries that she provides for me.

I wanted to change that.

I had to change that… somehow.

…

It was the day of our competition and I was super nervous. I didn't how these things worked and I didn't even know how I would fare against the other club members. It was a big event with at least ten other school clubs competing. The layout of the tournament went as follows: Team tournament and individual tournaments. The individual tournament was first followed by the team tournament. The individual tournament scared me the most because it was a free-for-all setup. Even if you were club members, it didn't matter. The bracket was randomized so whoever was next to our name, we had to shoot against them.

I couldn't help but panic. I was thinking about what I'd do if Umi-chan's name was next to mine. She would easily destroy me, but I don't think I could even concentrate if I knew she was my opponent. The entire atmosphere of the tournament was so intense. I looked around constantly and everyone looked so calm and collected. It wasn't until Umi-chan found me in the busyness and helped me out.

"How are you feeling?"

"Uuuhhh, I don't really know."

"Haha, don't worry about everyone else."

All of a sudden, she grabbed my hands and gently kissed them. Her lips were so soft that my face immediately turned red and my body started to tremble.

"All you need to do is concentrate on everything I've taught you and you'll be fine. I'm sure you'll be great today."

"O-Okay."

"The individual tournament bracket has been established! Please check your name and we'll start in 10 minutes!"

At that moment, the entire crowd migrated to the event stands where the bracket was posted. We were all scrunched up, but somehow, we were able to find our name. I found my name pretty quickly. However, I was more interested in finding Umi-chan's. I eventually found her name nowhere near mine, but on the same side of the bracket so if by some chance I make it to the finals, I would have to face her. Once I was done with the bracket, I broke away from the crowd and headed to my things. Umi-chan was close by and broke the silence yet again.

"I looked at your route and I don't think you have anyone to worry about."

"How do you know that?"

"I've competed against most of these girls so I know their tendencies. Just relax and let the arrow fly. You'll be fine."

She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.

"Good luck. I look forward to seeing you in the finals."

I was awestruck; both by the kiss and her words. I couldn't believe she had this much confidence in me. I didn't have this much confidence in myself. How could I? This was my first time ever competing in archery while Umi-chan's a natural prodigy. My mind continued to wander these thoughts until I remembered her words: Relax and let the arrow fly. That's when I assembled my bow and headed to my first match.

…

My first opponent was a very nice girl. She greeted me with a smile and wished me the best of luck. I don't know if it was her or me, but I shot really well. I averaged 7-8 which allowed me a close win against her. After that, there was no time to rest. I had another match against a more formidable opponent. She was shooting 8-9 while I was still in the 7-8 area. It wasn't until the wind started to thrash which pushed her towards the 3-4 area. I managed to keep my composure and pass her in points. That was two rounds down. If I continued this trend, I'd have to shoot 4 more rounds with Umi-chan being my last.

Thankfully, I was given a short break which allowed me to find Umi-chan's match. Right as I got there, the atmosphere was completely different. The crowds were a lot bigger and the skill was a lot higher. The two of them were shooting 9-10 easily, but Umi-chan always had the edge on her opponent. Nothing managed to phase which amazed me. When she drew back her bow, it seemed as if she was the only person on this planet. Her calm eyes and her motionless body told me that she was confident in herself. That was something I didn't have. Umi-chan ended up winning and I immediately ran up to her with a big smile.

"Congratulations Umi-chan."

"Thank you. I had a few shots that didn't feel very good. How are you doing?"

"I've won my first two matches, but I still have a long way to go."

"I guess we're on the same page then. That was my second match too. Make sure you don't get tired because I expect your best when we go against each other."

"Umi-chan…"

"What?"

"How can you be so confident that I will reach the top?"

Suddenly, she held me by my cheeks and looked me in the eyes. I couldn't help but tense up no matter how much affection she told me. Something about her made me lose myself.

"Because you're still here and I want you here. You've been trying your absolute best and I know that your efforts will be paid in full."

"Umi-chan…"

"Now, go get ready. You don't want to be late for your next match."

"Okay."

She gave me a smile and I returned the favor. My only wish was to be able to use my words in situations like that.

…

By some stroke of luck, I made it to the finals. When I headed back to the official's booth, I noticed that Umi-chan's match still wasn't done yet so I sprinted as fast as I could to catch the final shots of a true archer.

The crowds were even bigger than the last time I was there which made it difficult to even see the action. The score was tied heading into the final 3 shots of the round. Umi-chan's opponent was first and shot a 9, 9, 10. For me, I was amazed because my best shot today was a 9, but I only managed one of those. This girl shot two right before my eyes. However, those thoughts quickly left my mind as Umi-chan stepped up to the line and transported me to another world. Her long hair flowed with the wind and her eyes were looking right at the target.

Woosh! She released her first arrow and landed a 10. Cheering wasn't allowed during rounds, but I could see the look of amazement in everyone's eyes. She pulled back and released once more. It was a 9. Now, it was getting scary because she needed a 10 in order to win. She took a deep breath and pulled her bow back once more. This time, she took a little more time concentrating on where her shot would go until something happened.

Snap! Her bow string snapped and whipped her in the eye causing her to collapse to the ground. The crowd went into shock. The officials wave the emergency flag and the match was halted. I tried breaking through the crowd to get to Umi-chan, but it was just too much. All I could do was watch as paramedics surrounded her and did their job.

I didn't know how bad it was, but it pained me to see her like this. She was about to win when the worst possible thing just so happened to occur. I was restless. I jumped around and moved around hoping to get a better look at what was happening, but it was no use. I was forced to wait until the situation was resolved.

It took about 10 minutes for the paramedics to exit the situation. as they did, I noticed them taking away a handful of gauze covered in the blood. This only scared me even more. I looked to Umi-chan and saw that that side of her face that was struck was red and her eyes was covered. My chest suddenly grew tight. Umi-chan doesn't get hurt. Why did she have to get hurt and why wasn't I able to do anything about it?

"Sonoda-san, we cannot delay any more. Are you able to continue or will you forfeit?"

She was slow to answer, but she eventually nodded her head with a confident smile. Then, one of our teammates handed her their bow and the crowd grew silent. Umi-chan checked out the bow and went forward with her routine. She locked her arrow and drew back her bow. The wind was blowing ever so slightly, but it didn't affect her. She slowly lined up the shot and let out her last bit of air.

Woosh! The shot was so quick and so precise that everyone took a second before looking to the target. When we all turned our heads, we saw a shot in the yellow right in the between the 9 and 10. Officials quickly ran to the shot and examined it carefully. Only a few seconds went by until they finally reached a verdict.

"Winner: Sonoda Umi!"

The crowd went wild. Umi-chan won. They quickly flooded the dojo to try and talk with her. I followed along, but unfortunately, I was in the back. I looked all over, but I couldn't find her. I called out her name multiple times, but the overpowering crowd was too much for me to listen back. It got the point where I could barely stand. People were shoving and shifting all over the place to where I could barely stand. Right as I felt that I was about to fall, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me towards them. I fell into their body and embraced them unknowingly.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I look forward to our match coming up."

I looked up and it was Umi-chan holding me in her arms. That's when I lost it. Tears started to form in my eyes and my muscles were unable to hold back the tears. I grabbed her tight and she held me close.

"Umi-chan, I was so worried about you!"

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't ever do that again," I said as I hit her in the shoulder.

"Haha. I'll try not to next time."

All I could do after that was sniffle and hide my ugly face from sight. This girl was truly something out of a fairy tale. Beautiful, perfect, and selflessly loving towards me. I didn't deserve her and yet… I didn't want her to let go of me.

End of Chapter 13

Ending Note: So I've had this idea running through my head for quite some time, but I wanted to run it by you guys to hear what you think. Once I'm through telling this story through Kotori's perspective, would you like it if I told it from Umi's perspective as well? Let me know and I'll make a decision by the next chapter:)