Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 44

Bullseye!

Itsuragi stood, gun in hand, aiming at a palm-sized cat plushie, and fired.

The first shot missed; lacking a foundation in shooting, she didn’t get her posture right and ended up shooting off target.

Several more shots, and she missed again.

“Snap!”

On the fifth shot, she directly hit the cat plushie in the chest, knocking it down.

“It’s actually quite interesting.”

Finally scoring a hit, Itsuragi gradually grasped the knack of shooting during the process, brightening her eyes.

Compared to the claw machine, shooting was indeed more enjoyable, and with each shot, she could feel herself improving.

The subtle sound of hitting the target was especially stimulating.

“Snap, snap!” With the remaining five shots, she hit two more small plushies.

“3 out of 10, not bad.”

Itsuragi was satisfied with her results.

“That’s more than just ‘not bad.’ Young lady, is this your first time playing? You’re naturally talented!” The owner of the shooting stall was a clever person. Instead of being discouraged that his prizes were taken, he was happy to praise her.

Between his words, he placed the plushies back on the shelf and took out several unopened packaged ones, putting them on the table.

“Who’s next?”

“I’ll go.” Kurosawa was eager to give it a try.

Since obtaining expertise in archery, he hadn’t had the chance to test it out. Now, he finally had an opportunity.

Although this was shooting, not archery, they shared a common origin. At least in terms of aiming, he was very confident.

The two girls had no objections and made way for him.

Kurosawa stood at the stall, straightened his posture, held the gun with a slight bow, and his eyes became sharp. He aimed at the target.

Seeing his stance, the two girls couldn’t help but glance at each other.

It felt like his posture was exceptionally formal, as if he was doing everything right. Especially his eyes and gaze, like an eagle fixating on its prey, even standing on the side made people feel a bit scared.

“Looks like a master has arrived…” Seeing this posture, the stall owner couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. 3 out of 10, he could still make a profit, but if he encountered a master, he might end up losing.

“Bang!”

In the next moment, Kurosawa pressed the trigger, and the cork was shot out.

However, this shot missed.

A fake pose? 

With the missed shot, the stall owner immediately breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself.

However, Kurosawa didn’t mind much. He just picked up the cork, reloaded it into the gun, as if he had realized something.

Raising the gun again, this time the cork shot out, directly hitting the head of a rabbit plushie and knocking it down from the stand.

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

Following closely, every time Kurosawa reloaded and fired, it hit the target, even achieving headshots, displaying remarkable accuracy and stability.

His movements were quick and smooth, requiring little aim, as if he was doing it effortlessly.

In the end, after ten shots, 9 out of 10 hit the target.

“Looks like it’s quite versatile.” Kurosawa was satisfied with the result.

Even with different tools, the aiming, posture, and body stability brought by archery could enhance accuracy.

The first shot missed purely because he was calibrating, uncertain about the shooting force and angle of this particular gun.

“So skilled…” Ninomiya praised, looking surprised.

As for Itsuragi, upon hearing Ninomiya’s praise, she chose to stay silent.

“I’ve practiced before; it’s your turn now,” Kurosawa said happily in response to her compliment.

“Sure.” With the confidence gained from their achievements, Ninomiya nodded calmly and took a confident step forward.

It seemed that shooting was not as difficult as it appeared.

Following suit, she imitated their stances, held the gun with determination, focused her gaze on the target, and exuded a fierce momentum.

The first shot missed, but she remained unaffected, gaining some insights.

The second shot missed as well, and she remained calm and relaxed.

However, as the third, fourth, fifth, and even the seventh shot missed, her expression gradually became more serious.

“Miss, you can lean on the table to assist with your shooting,” the stall owner suggested, fearing that she might miss all the shots.

This was, after all, an amusement park, not a private stall at a festival. The goal was not just to make money but also to ensure that visitors enjoyed their time.

“No need, thank you for your kind offer,” Ninomiya declined after glancing at the table.

If it were a guy leaning on the table to shoot, it would be a natural thing… But as a woman with a rather ample bust, it wouldn’t look very elegant if she leaned on it.

With this in mind, she gathered her courage, took a deep breath, and focused her mind to shoot again.

The eighth shot still missed.

This situation greatly discouraged her, and her mood soured. Unable to bear it, she glanced sideways at Kurosawa, casting a pleading look for help.

This glance left Kurosawa somewhat dazed, as he was captivated by it.

Because Ninomiya had always been calm and confident in front of him, and he had never seen this kind of helpless, pleading expression from her before.

“I’ll teach you,” Kurosawa quickly regained his composure and walked forward.

“Mm-hm,” Ninomiya didn’t want to leave empty-handed and at least wanted to hit one shot.

“Excuse me,” Kurosawa walked behind her and whispered.

Immediately, Kurosawa pressed against her back, lifting her slender arms from both sides.

“…”

This movement resembled a hug, making Ninomiya’s body tense up.

She never expected that Kurosawa would teach her in this way, and a sense of embarrassment surged within her.

What was the difference between this posture and a hug?

“Look ahead. Are you planning to hit that panda?” Before she could protest, Kurosawa’s deep and composed voice sounded close by.

“Yes.”

Feeling his seriousness, Ninomiya suppressed her embarrassment and looked at the panda plush toy, nodding.

“Don’t let your arms shake.”

“Adjust the angle.”

“Aim.”

“Shoot.”

“Snap!”

Hearing the sound of a hit, Ninomiya was a bit distracted, and her body relaxed.

However, behind her, there was a man, like a solid wall supporting her—broad, warm, and emitting a pleasant fragrance.

It wasn’t perfume or any recognizable scent; it was difficult to describe but incredibly soothing.

“You did it! You did it!”

Seeing this scene, Itsuragi on the side immediately cheered.

The reaction was so intense that someone unfamiliar might think a goal had been scored in the World Cup.

“That’s it. There’s one shot left; give it another try.”

Kurosawa was also happy, no longer holding her arms and taking a few steps back.

Ninomiya stood in place, and the supportive wall behind her disappeared.

“You know there’s only one shot left. Help me shoot it.”

After hesitating for a moment, Ninomiya turned to look at Kurosawa.

What she didn’t even realize was that there was a bit of coquettishness in her voice.

The cool tone remained, but there was a touch of tenderness, and her words carried a hint of playfulness.

Kurosawa was momentarily surprised but then smiled.

“Okay.”