Chapter 66 – The Tokyo Trip Ends
"I still need to deliver the trophy to the teacher, so I'll head off first." Shirou said as he slung the bow gear case over his shoulder and made his way toward the rendezvous point.
Hiratsuka Shizuka was currently sitting on a bench in the smoking area nearby, listlessly holding a cigarette while playing a mobile game.
"You're the chaperone teacher, right? Are you sure it's okay to be slacking off like this?" Shirou commented.
"No problem, no problem. You're the only one still competing anyway. I trust you one hundred percent," Hiratsuka replied nonchalantly, extinguishing her cigarette and tossing it in the trash.
"Here, this is for you. That should wrap things up, right?" Shirou said, handing the trophy over to her.
"Oho! I got the Holy Grail! But are you sure it's okay to give it to me?" Hiratsuka took the trophy with a big smile, clearly delighted.
"Yeah, I don't have space in my room for something like this anyway," Shirou replied indifferently.
"Thanks, Shirou~! Now I can get reimbursed by the school for the cost of the bow! I love you~!" Hiratsuka hugged the trophy, rubbing it lovingly as she beamed with happiness.
"Come to think of it, with your family background, shouldn't this kind of money be nothing to you?" Shirou asked curiously.
Hiratsuka wagged her finger at him and said, "Shirou, you really don't get it. Things like houses and cars can come from my family – that's how parents show love for their daughter, a way to pass on their life's value. As the daughter, it's fine to accept it.
But as an adult, things like living expenses, gas money, and entertainment costs should be earned through your own intelligence or labor.
That's the foundation of living independently and healthily."
"I see." Shirou's impression of her changed slightly – turns out she had put serious thought into her way of life.
"And besides, if I reach this age and still can't support myself, it won't just be about being forced into matchmaking. They might literally dump me into some politician's household as a vent-wife!" Hiratsuka's face darkened.
"Ahaha…" Shirou gave a dry laugh. Her life didn't seem easy either.
Now that he thought about it, Hiratsuka-sensei really was kind of like Fuji-nee. Fuji-nee also grew up under the loving but non-spoiling guidance of her grandfather in the Fujimura family and turned out to be a good person.
A bit scatterbrained and over-the-top at times, sure, but still a fundamentally good thing, right?
With clenched fists and enthusiasm rising, Hiratsuka declared, "Besides, money for gacha rolls must be earned personally! That way, when you pull your favorite Servant, the joy is doubled!"
Yup, this person's hopeless. She should go talk to Mash about this stuff.
"Alright then… see you later, I'm heading back." Shirou turned and walked away, leaving the suddenly fired-up teacher behind.
After that, Shirou met up with the girls and accompanied them for a bit of sightseeing nearby before sending them off at the train station.
On the morning of the third day, the awards ceremony was successfully held.
That afternoon, Shirou boarded a chartered bus with the archery club to return to Chiba.
Thus ended their Tokyo trip.
What Shirou didn't know was that his archery showdown with Erina had been recorded and uploaded to a popular video-sharing site.
In the video, the boy appeared like a sword hiding its edge, showing sharp brilliance only in the moment of releasing the arrow.
The girl, by contrast, blazed like fire, exuding a sense of violent, iron-blooded beauty.
Even those unfamiliar with compound bows were captivated by the cool, magnetic appeal of archery shown in the clip.
When the video revealed their faces, it turned out the two leads were a handsome boy and a beautiful girl – the view count soared past one million overnight, creating a major buzz and sparking a wave of interest in learning archery.
Meanwhile, over at the event organizers' side, someone had already called the principal of International High School to shower praise upon Shirou.
"Principal Gin, you've really raised an outstanding student. Shirou-kun's performance at the tournament was absolutely splendid! The huge response to the event is all thanks to your school's participation."
"Ahaha, you flatter me. I just tell the students to stay humble and focus on doing each small task properly every day," Principal Gin replied modestly.
"…We hope your school will definitely participate in the next event as well."
"…Of course, of course."
Principal Gin hung up the phone beaming with joy. He hadn't expected an archery tournament to generate such a buzz. This would be another feather in his cap as the head of International's branch campus.
"Right. With such an excellent student, he must take part in this winter's exchange event. I'll ask Hiratsuka-sensei to handle it," he murmured to himself.
.
.
.
Shirou had taken a nap on the bus.
By the time he woke up, they had already arrived back at school.
Since it was Sunday, the archery team members put away their equipment and parted ways, each heading home.
When Shirou opened the front door of his house and stepped inside, Komachi came smiling to greet him, holding a color-printed flyer in her hands.
"Big bro! Let's do this one! As my entrance celebration, come with me to this festival!" Komachi held the flyer up in front of him.
Shirou looked closely – it was for a fireworks festival scheduled for next Wednesday evening.
"Oh, sounds good. Are you inviting friends too, or just me?" Shirou asked.
Komachi sighed in disappointment, covering her face before saying, "Big bro… why is your brain like this? Of course it's more fun with more people!"
"Then why not just invite your friends?" Shirou asked, puzzled.
"Komachi is very generous, and she'll only get more generous in the future. But for your sake, I think it's best to keep it under five people. So, for Komachi's sake, please go invite your best senpai girls! Also – absolutely no boys! Here!" Komachi reminded him as she handed over the flyer.
"O-okay…" Shirou took the flyer like he was receiving a mission. He didn't fully understand, but as long as he invited everyone, that was fine, right?
"To celebrate Komachi's enrollment, aside from a delicious, extravagant dinner and carefully chosen gifts, just seeing my big bro happy is enough for me. Ah~! Based on Komachi's personal scoring system, I'm already getting high marks!" Komachi said, indulging in her own fantasy.
"You've already asked for enough when it comes to dinner and gifts, haven't you?" Shirou retorted.