Noroi's eyes scanned the area, searching for a suitable target for practice, until they landed on a pink bird perched on a tree branch, singing a sweet and gentle melody. It harmed no one and radiated a peaceful calm.
Noroi pointed sharply at the bird and said coldly.
"Shoot it."
Haruki's eyes widened at Noroi's command to kill a helpless, defenseless bird. A wave of hesitation washed over him, as though he were split into two halves , one unwilling to harm any living creature, and the other desperate to prove he was worthy of being part of the team.
Yamika stood in the back, watching from a distance with her back resting against the trunk of a tall tree, arms crossed over her chest, curious to see whether Haruki would actually go through with it or not.
Haruki took his stance, spreading his feet shoulder-width apart. He raised his bow after setting the arrow in place, then bent his elbow, pulling the string back until it aligned with his face, his eyes locked on the pink bird , blissfully unaware of what was about to happen to it.
He swallowed hard, the lump of guilt tightening in his throat.
He shut his eyes for a brief moment, recalling childhood memories of playing shooting games with the neighbor's kids and always winning. Then he opened them again and whispered softly, almost apologetically.
"I'm sorry, little one."
Haruki released the string from between his fingers, sending the arrow shooting forward at blinding speed. The metal tip caught the sunlight for a split second as it sliced through the air.
The little bird froze in place, ready to meet its end, its dark eyes reflecting the image of the rapidly approaching arrow. But at the very last moment, the arrow veered off course, piercing a hanging fruit instead , the shaft quivering as the fruit fell to the grass, the arrow buried perfectly in its center.
Noroi's expression didn't flicker , no surprise, no emotion. He stepped toward the fallen fruit, crouched down, and gripped the wooden shaft of the arrow. After examining it briefly, he straightened up, turned his body toward Haruki, and said in a cold, firm tone.
"You failed."
Yamika pushed herself away from the tree trunk and spoke up in a firm tone, defending Haruki.
"He didn't miss , he aimed for the fruit on purpose."
Haruki's eyes sparkled with emotion, and he raised his hands to cover his mouth in a dramatic expression, clearly touched by Yamika's defense.
"Yami… you're the best!"
Noroi's eyebrow rose slightly , it was clear he didn't buy their explanation. He narrowed his eyes a bit before asking coldly.
"And why would he do that?"
Haruki answered confidently, completely convinced by his own reasoning.
"Because it looks cute."
Noroi stared at him hopelessly, then lowered his gaze and rubbed his forehead with his right hand before letting it drop to his side. He turned away, saying coldly.
"Do whatever you want."
As soon as Noroi walked off, the bird fluttered down and quickly perched on Haruki's shoulder, rubbing its pink-feathered head affectionately against his cheek in gratitude for sparing its life.
Haruki laughed joyfully at the bird's adorable behavior, raising a finger to gently pet it as it chirped happily.
"Wahaha, you're so cute!"
He set his bow on the ground, then cupped the little bird in his hands, stroking its head softly while it sang in contentment, feeling safe between his palms.
Looking toward Yamika and Noroi with a bright, hopeful smile, Haruki asked in an excited, childlike tone , as if pleading to keep a stray kitten he'd fallen in love with.
"Can I keep it?"
Noroi's eyes turned to the weak, helpless, useless creature in Haruki's hands; it looked like a tiny pink ball with two large black pupils.
Noroi redirected his gaze to Haruki, who was looking at him with wide, pleading eyes that shone like a begging puppy, but those eyes would have no effect on Noroi. Without giving it much thought, he replied to Haruki's request.
"No, we already have an animal."
Noroi said this while pointing over his shoulder with his thumb toward Yamika, who was standing directly behind him, arms crossed below her chest, nodding steadily in agreement with him. "She didn't realize the insult was hers".
Haruki pushed out his lower lip in a pitiful, exaggerated way, adding more insistence, while the bird in his hands mirrored his pleading expressions.
Haruki spoke at length, his voice full of entreaty and urgency, trying to convince Noroi to let them keep the little pink bird on their journey.
"Pleeeease!"
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Thank you for reading! If this moment touched you even a little , please consider adding it to your library.💐