Chapter 8: Dazed Rin
"Eh? What's wrong, Tohsaka? You're spacing out an unusual amount of times today."
Ayako Mitsuzuri waved her hand in front of Rin's face. Noticing that Rin had been staring blankly in one direction the entire time, she followed her gaze with a curious tilt of her head.
Upon seeing the scenery over there, even Ayako Mitsuzuri couldn't help but be momentarily stunned.
In the somewhat chilly morning, the two people standing at the school gate had attracted almost all the attention.
"Whoa, is that the new transfer student? He's unexpectedly handsome. And he looks like he's trained; both his gait and aura are incredibly steady. It would be great if we could pull him into our Archery Club!"
Ayako Mitsuzuri practiced karate at a high level, so she was able to detect something extraordinary about Shirou.
As Ayako was saying this to Rin, the boy walked over, a smile on his face as he waved toward them.
"Long time no see, Rin."
Rin's eyes widened as if she were waking from a dream. Then, she raised her hand and pointed at Shirou, her face a mask of astonishment.
"You, you you you—!!!!?"
The youth before her was clearly identical to the stranger who had attended her father's funeral all those years ago! The unprecedented nature of the situation left Rin so shocked that her speech became a stutter.
"I'll explain the specifics to you slowly later," Shirou said to the Rin standing before him.
The Rin of today had blossomed from the little girl of ten years ago into a quite outstanding beauty. The girl, graceful and dignified, stood there looking up at Shirou with a complex gaze. Her ink-black, waist-length hair was tied into twin tails. Her school uniform was spotless, carrying an air of meticulous purity. Her black knee-length skirt rested lightly against her thighs, its hem exuding youthful vitality, while a pair of black over-the-knee stockings adorned her straight legs before disappearing into her leather shoes.
"Hmph... Long time no see. You've been missing for quite a while, Orihara-kun."
The girl gave a light hmph, her tone slightly displeased, and she even added a formal honorific to his name.
"Umm..."
Sakura also looked at her sister nervously, seemingly unsure of how to speak.
Seeing the atmosphere turn so eerie, Ayako Mitsuzuri spoke up to Shirou.
"You must be the new transfer student, right?"
"Yes, that's right," Shirou responded with a smile.
"In that case, you haven't joined a club yet, have you? Why don't you come check out the Archery Club!!" Ayako said in an enticing tone.
"Hey, Mitsuzuri...!" Rin, knowing exactly what Ayako was up to, immediately glared at her.
"Ara~ it's fine. You'll have to get used to the campus sooner or later anyway. Since you all know each other, it's even better," Ayako said briskly, tossing her hair. "My name is Ayako Mitsuzuri, a second-year high school student. Nice to meet you!"
"I am Shirou Orihara, a second-year student transferring in today. Nice to meet you," Shirou said with a light chuckle.
Then, with the excuse of showing them the campus, Ayako Mitsuzuri lead them toward the Archery Club with great enthusiasm.
They arrived at the Archery Club; since it was still early, there was no one in the dojo.
"Come on in, I'll go make some tea."
Saying this, Ayako stepped into the dojo with a light step.
The group sat and drank steaming hot tea. In the idle winter dojo, the hot tea was actually quite delicious.
"Do you want to try shooting some arrows? It's very interesting~"
Ayako, who had already changed into her dojo attire, immediately began to urge them.
"May I try?" Sakura asked, showing a bit of interest. Although she attended the same school as Rin, Sakura usually went home with Illya after school and hadn't had any contact with the Archery Club.
"Of course, please!"
Ayako began to teach Sakura step-by-step how to use a bow and arrow safely.
"Like this...?"
Sakura picked up the bow with some nervousness, then notched an arrow and drew the string to its full extent.
"Eh... you drew it fully on your first try? That's amazing!" Ayako was surprised to see Sakura draw the bow so easily. "Have you studied this before?"
"No, I haven't," Sakura replied with a smile.
As for the ten years of studying magecraft and firearms under Irisviel and Maiya Hisau at Einzbern Castle, she naturally wouldn't tell an ordinary person. Sakura's current strength might not be top-tier among magi, but an ordinary person could never be her match.
"You're practically on par with that Tohsaka fellow."
Ayako's remark made Rin pout in dissatisfaction. "Hey, Mitsuzuri, don't talk nonsense."
"Hmph, compared to Tohsaka, I'm really just an ant trying to stop a carriage," Ayako let out an exaggerated sigh. "And don't give me that 'no athletic nerves' rubbish; I'm still holding a grudge over losing to you in last year's physical fitness test."
"If you're going to put it that way, I lost to Mitsuzuri in lung capacity. And Mitsuzuri is heavier than me, too."
Weight is undoubtedly a sensitive point for girls. Being called out on it in front of Shirou and the others made Ayako's face turn red instantly.
"I'm only three kilograms heavier! Hey, what's so great about winning on weight, you fox!" Ayako slammed the table hard.
"The tea will spill, Mitsuzuri. You're the captain; you should cherish the dojo," Rin smiled elegantly and took a sip of tea.
"You...!" Ayako gritted her teeth.
At this point, Sakura had already finished her archery stance.
"Hmm... an eight-ring. Being able to hit the target on your first try is already impressive, and hitting the eight-ring makes you a total genius! How about it, want to join the Archery Club?" Ayako immediately extended an invitation.
"Eh... this..."
Sakura turned a pleading gaze toward Shirou.
"If you don't want to join, then refuse," Shirou said, standing up and taking the bow from Sakura's hand.
He weighed it in his hand, then casually picked up a wooden arrow.
"Umm... if you're going to use it, you need to wear protective gear..." Ayako saw Shirou's movements and quickly spoke up to warn him.
Swish—!
The flying wooden arrow pierced the air, striking the bullseye with absolute precision.
"This..."
Ayako was suddenly speechless, sitting there in a daze with her mouth slightly open.
Shirou, completely unconcerned, picked up a second arrow and aimed again.
Swish—!
The second arrow shot out again with the force of breaking the air. This time, it pierced straight through the first arrow already lodged in the bullseye. The pierced wooden arrow burst apart; from a distance, it looked like a flower that had just bloomed.
"Wha... what is this...?"
Seeing this scene, Ayako felt as if her brain had short-circuited. There are very few people in the world who can hit a ten-ring consecutively. But hitting not just consecutive ten-rings, but also the previous arrow itself—Ayako had never heard of such a person. Even her father couldn't do something of this level.
"So powerful... I didn't expect this transfer student to be a master archer...!"
Ayako felt a strange sense of defeat; even her position as the captain of the Archery Club felt a bit unstable now.
"What's wrong, Mitsuzuri? Is there a need to be so depressed?"
Rin wasn't familiar with archery, but she had witnessed Ayako's expressions shift from curiosity to surprise, and then to dejection.
"Eh... well, if Orihara-kun comes to the Archery Club, my position as captain probably won't be safe." Ayako said dejectedly.
"And so...?" Rin looked at her friend.
"But even so, we can't let such a talented person go. We must pull him into the club! That way, in the next competition, we'll definitely crush the other schools!"
When such a powerful person had the potential to be a teammate, most of the depression in Ayako's heart vanished, replaced by a sense of shared pride. "If he's willing to join, I don't mind handing over the captaincy!"
Then, she turned a hopeful gaze toward Shirou.
"I refuse," Shirou said without hesitation.
"Eh—!? Why!!" Ayako looked puzzled.
"Because I don't have time lately."
As he spoke, Shirou looked at Rin. After their eyes met, Rin immediately understood what Shirou was referring to, and her elegant smile became a bit forced.
However, in Ayako's eyes, their eye contact had a different flavor.
"Flirting right in front of me, you two! Ah, I see. Because the boyfriend is here, you're tossing your friend aside, right, Tohsaka?!"
"Mitsuzuri!" Rin's cheeks flushed red, and she shouted anxiously, "Don't talk nonsense! He and I aren't in that kind of relationship!"
"Eh? Are you still having a lovers' spat?" Ayako had a look of 'I understand' on her face, then looked at Shirou. "Orihara, you have to coax Tohsaka properly. Her personality is very awkward."
To put it simply, she was a tsundere, but Ayako didn't say it in front of Rin; after all, she might lose a friend the very next day if she did.
At that moment, the school bell suddenly rang.
"Looks like it's about time to go."
Ayako put her hands on her hips with some regret, then went to the dojo's changing room to put on her school uniform.
"Let's go."
On the way back, Ayako hurried to Shirou's side.
"How about this? You only need to help us out when the competition comes. As a reward..." Ayako rested her chin on her index finger and thought for a moment. "How about I treat you to ramen?"
Shirou pondered for a few seconds.
"Then, for the sake of being Rin's friend, I'll help you this once."
"Thank you so much!" Ayako clasped her hands together to thank Shirou.
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