"Fujiwara-kun, have all the members of Kazemai High School's Kyudo club gathered?"

Fujiwara Shu turned his head and nodded toward Motomura Hiroki, who is the leader of their Kyudo club and also his upperclassman. The man smiled. He had just received a text message on his cell phone, saying that they were all assembled and would be getting ready for practice in a moment. This is a group practice that Kazemai High School and Kirisaki High School always do. Last week, it was Kazemai High who came to Kirisaki High to hold a practice.

"Minato just told me they will be practicing in a moment." Shu put his cell phone in his pocket and smiled even more. He really likes to compete in Kyudo with his childhood friend, Narumiya Minato. For him, Minato was not only a childhood friend but also a rival, who could make him rise and develop in Kyudo. Minato had stopped doing Kyudo for some reason, and Shu always believed that the man would return to doing Kyudo. And that belief has been proven.

"Fujiwara-kun, where should we go from here?" asked Sase Daigo, another upperclassman. Sase and Motomura are in their third year of high school and this is their last year participating in all of the existing Kyudo tournaments.

"Turn that way, I think," Shu pointed to the right. "Even if we get lost, we just have to ask. This is not a forest."

The twins, Sugawara Mangi and Sugawara Senichi, chuckled when they heard Shu's words just now. Just like Shu, they were also first year students. The three of them are a regular team of Kyudo at Kirisaki High School.

As soon as he turned right, Shu smiled when he saw Kazemai High School's Kyudo Hall. He couldn't wait to have a match with Minato. He also wants to ask Takigawa Masaki, the Kyudo coach of Kazemai High School to teach him some things. Shu and the others had seen Masaki's way of doing Kyudo and the man's technique was excellent and perfect. Techniques that fascinate him. A technique that reminded him of someone he had not seen for a long time. No news at all from them. But, Shu had heard glimpses of news about her brother. They are both great at Kyudo.

"Excuse me!" The exclamations from the Sugawara twins, Motomura Hiroki, and Sase Daigo made Shu shake his head in amusement. They took off their shoes in unison, bowed to greetings, then entered the Kyudo Hall. Then, the five of them stopped walking and frowned in confusion.

"Hey, is there a commotion at the Kyudo Kazemai club?" asked Sugawara Mangi, whispering to his twin brother, Sugawara Senichi. The twin shrugged and looked at Shu.

"Fujiwara-kun, what's going on?" asked Motomura Hiroki. "Did Narumiya-kun not say anything to you?"

Shu shook his head. "No. He just said they were ready to train. Only that. I was just as surprised and confused as Senpai."

When Shu was about to open his voice to call Minato, his eyes widened. That figure, who was standing with her back to him, made Shu's heart pound. Her long hair fluttered in the wind. He hadn't seen her in a long time but somehow he could always recognize her anywhere.

"No, because I hate Kyudo."

The words that the long-haired girl said in a cold tone made Shu flinch. His hands clenched tightly at his sides. Subconsciously, he stepped forward. Not heeding the ban from his two senpais, Motomura Hiroki and Sase Daigo.

"Ishida... Andini...?"

Shu called out the name doubtfully. Hearing Shu's voice, Narumiya Minato, Takehaya Seiya, Kurosaki Inga, and all the members of Kazemai High School's Kyudo club turned their heads.

"Shu?" Minato approached his friend. "You've come? Ah, just now, Kurosaki Inga and Ishida Andini said that they know you. Did you know them?"

However, Shu did not answer Minato's question. The man stepped forward and approached Andini, who froze when she heard him calling the girl. He held Andini's arm, then stood beside Masaki, in front of the light-brown eyed girl.

"It's really you, right? Andini-chan?" asked Shu to make sure. Andini's face is still the same as before. Beautiful and adorable. However, somehow the aura around that girl, her expression, the look in her eyes, were all different.

"Long time no see," said Andini in a cold tone. Even her tone made Shu not expect Andini to change drastically like this. In the past, she was a cheerful and warm girl. "Shu."

Andini didn't expect that she would meet Fujiwara Shu so soon. She took Shu's hand off her arm, then looked back into Masaki's blue eyes. Blue eyes that seemed to penetrate into her world. And that clearly made Andini feel afraid. Afraid that everything she hides will come out one by one to the surface. This man named Takigawa Masaki is really dangerous.

"You've heard my answer right, Takigawa-san? If so, then excuse me." Andini bowed, then said goodbye. She turned around and intended to leave in front of everyone but her arm was again caught by Shu. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Andini was forced to look back at the man. "What else do you want?"

"I… overheard your words. You said you hated Kyudo. That's not true, right? I mean, it's impossible for Ishida Andini to hate Kyudo. You really love Kyudo. You even—"

"Shu," said Andini in a firm tone. "People can change over time. Who I am now is not who I used to be. The Ishida Andini you know, the one Inga-chan knows," Andini glanced at Kurosaki Inga with a firm glance. The girl looked like she wanted to protest but held back as best as she could. "It is no longer in this world. She died. Likewise her love of Kyudo." The girl jerked Shu's hand from her arm. "So, don't ever appear in front of me again and talk about Kyudo to me."

The girl immediately ran out of Kyudo Hall and everyone without looking back.

"Kurosaki-san, what exactly happened to Andini-chan? When did she return to Japan?" asked Shu insistently. He looked at Inga, who took a deep breath and looked worried.

"I don't know, Shu. I also want to know what happened to her."

In his place, Takigawa Masaki looked down with his hands on his hips. Thinking about the attitude of the girl named Ishida Andini and also the wound on her cheek from last night's arrow.

###

After tutoring members of Kazemai High School's Kyudo club, Takigawa Masaki returns to his house.

Today, he didn't bring his car as usual. Since the distance from his home, his family' shrine, and Kazemai High School wasn't too far, Masaki didn't really mind if he had to walk. The man fiddled with the keychain in his hand and as he was passing through the park, Masaki stopped in his tracks. The blue-haired man sharpened his sight. In the park, sitting on a swing, a long-haired girl who earlier this afternoon had said she hated Kyudo, was sitting with her head down.

"Ishida Andini?" muttered Masaki. The man looked around. The streets around here as well as the park were very quiet. And more importantly, it's already night. What was a girl like her doing in such a quiet place at this time? Masaki crossed the street and immediately approached the park. He approached the swing that Andini was sitting on from behind, then cleared his throat.

The cough made Andini flinch and turned her head around quickly. She breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she knew who the person who was near her was. At least, Andini recognized the person. If the person approaching her right now was a stranger intent on harming her when she didn't even have any weapons to defend herself, perhaps she would have run again like last night.

"What are you doing here, Andini-san?" asked Masaki in a confused tone. "It is late. It's not good for a girl to be in a lonely place like this alone."

Andini stood up from the swing and raised one eyebrow. "I don't remember giving you permission to call me by my first name, Takigawa-san."

Masaki smiled and shrugged. "Then, you can call me by my first name. Just call me Masaki. That's what Inga-chan, Minato, and the others do."

"I do not know you."

"It doesn't matter. We can get to know each other from now on, right?" Masaki put his hands on his hips and looked around. "So, what is a sixteen year old girl doing here all alone? What if you get bullied by bad people like last night? You were lucky last night to run into my shrine and meet me practicing Kyudo, so you could borrow my bow and arrows to threaten them. But now? You are alone and there are no weapons here."

"I'm only here for a moment."

"Then, let me take you home."

"Huh? Err..."

Seeing Andini's slightly suspicious movements, Masaki raised one eyebrow and crossed her arms.

"Normally, I'm never wrong with things like this," said Masaki in a firm tone. "Did you run away from home, Andini-san?"

Andini growled and massaged the bridge of her nose.

Why should this man know if she ran away from home?