Cherish This Everyday Life

"You've never touched a bow or kyudo before, have you?"

Senior Qiao Heng opened the door to the club's dedicated activity room.

You En walked in. The place looked as vast as a sports field—just cleaning it would be a massive undertaking.

"It's fine. What I'll teach you is different, not proper kyudo. Official members are all practical fighters—they use whatever works."

Senior Qiao Heng said, "Unofficial members train in kyudo proper—things like kyudo culture, shooting etiquette. These rituals have some practical use, but they're more of a spiritual discipline. For official members, those are just electives. The most important thing, of course, is shooting itself."

She picked up a well-maintained traditional bow from the side, holding it steadily with one hand, and said to You En, "Here. Catch."

You En took it from his senior's hands and examined it.

Senior Qiao Heng spoke up, "When you're ready, shoot one arrow for me to see."

"Huh?"

You En looked up, his eyes full of confusion.

"Just shoot like this? No need to learn anything first?"

Senior Qiao Heng nodded.

You En didn't quite understand, but since he planned to join the Kyudo Club and become an official member, he figured he'd put in a bit of effort.

"Hoo—"

He took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and repeated the cycle a few times.

You En raised the bow, his concentration razor-sharp, as if it might spill out from his body. Besides his own hands, he saw another pair of hands that didn't exist—the "other self."

Since his transmigration, he had no golden finger to rely on. All he had was his present self and his past life's self.

Compared to others, his ability to absorb information and grasp it was far, far faster—exactly how much faster, he couldn't say.

You En focused entirely on himself, not on the bow, because he knew nothing about bows and had never handled one.

Relying purely on "feel," he slightly spread his legs, adjusted his stance, nocked the arrow, and drew the bowstring as steadily as he could while keeping his arms stable.

He aimed at the distant target, but barely. In his view, even if he aimed for ages, he might end up missing by even more. Better to release the arrow when it felt right.

"Oh..."

Senior Qiao Heng's eyes narrowed, then suddenly widened, and she clapped her hands.

"Too bad. You missed."

"Sigh. No talent for this?"

You En let out a sigh. He knew he wasn't a genius—just someone willing to learn and study whatever interested him.

He looked at his senior, trying to lighten the mood with a teasing smile. "Guess I can't get the moon before it rises, huh."

Senior Qiao Heng didn't react immediately. After a moment's thought, she realized the "moon" referred to her, and a smile curled at the corners of her lips.

"If you work hard and grow strong enough, I'm not saying I wouldn't agree. Alright, get ready to fill out the form—the official member application."

"Huh?"

You En stared at her. "So I passed?"

Senior Qiao Heng countered, "Are you saying that someone with zero experience has to hit the bullseye on their very first try to qualify as an official member?"

That would be a bit harsh, You En thought to himself, then asked, "So, what was the point?"

Senior Qiao Heng pulled You En down to sit. She didn't mind his unrefined, cross-legged posture—in fact, she even adjusted her own to match his.

"This is pretty comfortable too,"

she said, sitting cross-legged facing the shooting range, her gaze drifting to the target You En had aimed at, a hint of absent-mindedness in her eyes.

"I was just sizing you up. Since you've never touched a bow before, that first arrow you shot was a snapshot of your life over the past decade or so. Whether you have talent, whether it can be honed later—I can roughly tell from that one arrow."

"That impressive?"

"It really is that impressive."

Senior Qiao Heng showed no false modesty.

"You passed, but your talent in kyudo isn't top-tier. Your learning ability is strong—you can imitate your way to a certain level—but there will always be chasms you can't cross."

"Is that so?"

You En didn't lose heart. "Being able to see your own limits, to reach them—that's already interesting enough. Isn't challenging your own limits also a kind of fun?"

"Fun... challenge?"

Senior Qiao Heng repeated those two words a few times, then said to You En, "Fill out the form, then you can leave. It should be around dinner time now."

"Alright."

You En filled out the form, handed it to the senior, and left the Kyudo Club activity room.

"Senior, are there any training sessions? How will I be notified? How about we exchange contact info?"

Senior Qiao Heng saw through his little scheme. "Then let's exchange it. I'll notify you when there's a teaching session, little junior."

Once You En got the senior's contact info and left satisfied, Senior Qiao Heng walked to the spot where You En had just stood, closed her eyes, as if simulating his feeling from a moment ago.

"One more self that didn't release the arrow? Interesting."

"But trying to date me, your senior, is still a bit tough... Hey, Aka, what do you think?"

In the display cabinet, a dark red old bow faintly glowed.

"You think he's interesting too? What... you say he'll surpass me?"

Qiao Heng wasn't annoyed. The phantom of that youth still stood before the target, slowly preparing.

Since he was going to do it, he'd do it best.

Once he started, he'd never turn back. The most resolute "arrow" was already nocked.

That was his will—she understood it.

"Let me witness your 'experience,' then."

She walked out the door. Less than half a minute had passed, yet no one noticed anything unusual.

Just as she returned to the recruitment spot.

Ike Kanji ran over. "Um, senior, I'm also interested in becoming an official member of the Kyudo Club."

He'd just seen that ordinary guy from his class getting pretty close with this extremely charismatic senior. Maybe he could use this to get closer too?

Qiao Heng simply closed her eyes, then "opened" them.

Ike Kanji instinctively looked up, ready to meet her gaze... but the instant before his eyes locked with hers, the blood in his veins nearly froze.

It was as if eons of evolution had told him through his genes—never look into those eyes. Instinct and the history carried in his biological genes warned him: danger, extreme danger.

He cowered, lowering his head, and never lifted it again.

"You don't have the qualifications, classmate."

Qiao Heng said calmly. She hadn't wanted to put it so harshly, but lacking even the most basic courage, not daring to meet her eyes, not daring to seek a goal—what kind of archery talent could that be?

"..."

Ike Kanji stammered, unable to form words. Finally, he could only force an awkward smile at himself and flee the scene.

"You found an official member?"

The senior from the neighboring Kendo Club ran over.

"Mm."

Qiao Heng nodded lightly.

The Kendo Club senior grabbed her arm and shook it. "The entry requirements for official members of advanced clubs are getting stricter. Some advanced clubs don't even assess a single newcomer in a whole term.

Hmph, still pretending. You're definitely gloating inside!"

"I sold myself out."

Senior Qiao Heng sighed.

"Huh? Isn't that you getting the better deal? An older leftover woman nibbling on fresh young grass!"

At the mention of age, Qiao Heng couldn't hold back.

"Hey, Yui, I'm only around eighteen, you know."

"Yeah, in this school, we're all 'forever' eighteen,"

Senior Yui looked into her eyes.

"But how long have our pasts really lasted?"

Senior Qiao Heng shook her head. "I don't remember. Can't count it. Don't want to."

Yui clapped her hands. "Alright, tell me how you tricked the little junior."

"I said if he makes it into the top ten in the upcoming individual assessment, I'd consider dating him."

Senior Qiao Heng paused.

"But Crimson said I'm not as good as him. I have no idea what that broken bow was thinking. Sure, that junior is a bit special, but it's just a 'Second Self'—nothing remarkable."

"Second Self? A normal human in this era can unlock that?! Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Yui's face turned frosty. "Qiao Heng, something's off. What's his name? I need to go see him—there might be a problem."

"Hmph?"

Qiao Heng saw right through her good friend. "Seeing if there's a problem is fake. Poaching him is the real deal."

Yui shifted back, putting on a reasonable expression. "Not at all. It's just a possibility. I'm probably a bit better off than you in some ways. Wouldn't it be only natural if he changed his mind?"

"I have to say, in some respects, you two are pretty alike..."

Senior Qiao Heng looked at the shamelessness of the person before her.

"But don't think you can steal him. I've already submitted his name to the S System, and it's been accepted. He's entered the Kyudo Club's training pipeline."

"Tch, you move fast. You're way too desperate."

Yui wiped away nonexistent tears.

"My poor junior is going to get drained dry every day from now on."

"What nonsense are you saying?"

Senior Qiao Heng turned her face away.

"He hasn't even passed the first assessment yet. Let him survive first."

Yui gave a sly smile. "Hey, are you blushing from embarrassment?"

Qiao Heng knew she couldn't let this go on.

"Say that again... and we'll fight."

They messed around for a bit, then calmed down and watched the new students signing up.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka gathered with the trio.

Yamauchi Haruki looked at the listless Ike Kanji. "What's wrong?"

"I was hoping for a fateful encounter, finding a girlfriend in a club, but it feels like all the girls here are really fierce—including the ones from other classes in our grade."

Ike Kanji recalled his recent experience and sighed in disappointment.

"Looks like I'll have to find a girlfriend in Class D."

"Hey, Ayanokoji, what about you?"

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka snapped back to attention. The reason he was with the trio was mainly that he'd lost track of both You En and Horikita Suzune.

He said to Ike Kanji, "If anyone takes a liking to someone like me, I'd be thanking my lucky stars."

Ike Kanji said, "You look like you've got no confidence. Look at Yamauchi Haruki over there."

Yamauchi Haruki puffed out his chest proudly. "That's right, Ayanokoji. You need to learn from me. Confidence is a man's greatest asset."

You're not confident. You're an idiot.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka simulated You En. He'd probably say something like that in this situation. But right now, he was playing the role of an ordinary high school student, so he could only nod.

"You're right."

Yui withdrew her gaze. "Some are stupid, some are infatuated, and some are playing dumb. This batch of new students is really boring."

"Isn't that just everyday life?"

Senior Qiao Heng said, "We were the same once. We had no idea what kind of place this really is."

"Heh," Yui couldn't be bothered to deny it, but her eyes flickered.

"What about him? That junior you took in?"

"Him?"

Senior Qiao Heng replayed every moment she'd spent with You En in her mind, this time with questions, and finally noticed something off.

"He... seemed to guess what was coming next. And it was like he was... looking forward to it."

"Not bad. Are you sure you won't tell me?"

Yui tilted her head, a strand of purple hair slipping onto her shoulder. She glanced sideways at Qiao Heng, a red glint flickering deep in her black pupils.

"I'm really, truly interested now."

Qiao Heng knew that even if she didn't tell her now, the other woman would find a way to get close.

But Qiao Heng chose to respect her junior You En's own choice. She stated her position very seriously and warned Yui.

"If he's interested in swordsmanship, then one day, you'll meet him in your own era, just as you wish.

'Death Blade' Yui, leave him some of his last normal days."

"His last carefree moments, huh?"

Senior Yui smiled.

"It seems you really do fancy him," said Qiao Heng of the Red Bow...

"I hope he can truly save you."

"I don't think that. I just like his eyes."

The senior said, her tone desolate. In her field of vision, both she and the other were transparent and blurred.

The two stood amid the flow of people, yet no one could see them, no one could hear them.

In the end, they did not belong to this everyday world.

What remained in the school of days past

was nothing more than

a lingering shadow of bygone times.