Ahmed sat down at the device, the surroundings quiet; he put on the sound isolation headphones, looked through the sniper scope, and although his heart fluttered, his hand remained steady. In front of him was the first target: a watermelon placed on a distant platform. He took a deep breath, adjusted the scope, and pulled the trigger. The watermelon exploded instantly, and its fragments flew into the air.
The audience swayed with joy; Haruki's family cheered and the gang members applauded, the voices of Mrs. Sayuri and her five daughters echoing with a mix of astonishment and delight.
They moved him back slightly from the watermelon, and one of the men gave him a replacement bullet, then the second target was set: a red apple on a pole. The tension mounted; Ahmed aimed steadily, fired a first shot that missed, then he stabilized, adjusted the scope, and fired a second one that hit the apple precisely, its skin scattering suddenly. Cheers and shouts erupted around him, and he felt a gentle shyness bloom in his chest.
Then came the final, most insane challenge: a glass bottle filled with water at a distant range. They reloaded him with two more bullets, and the third camera was positioned to monitor the scene. Ahmed lay down, controlled his breathing, focused all his sight in the scope, and surprised everyone by firing a single, decisive shot that pierced the glass and shattered it into hundreds of pieces, the water bursting in shimmering sprays under the sunlight.
The gang members rushed towards Ahmed, congratulating, applauding, and chanting his name, while Mr. Haruki advanced with confident steps, smiling proudly:
"Ahmed, what skill is this? You truly impressed me! Come back again to repeat the show!"
Mrs. Sayuri laughed and lightly hit Haruki on the arm, saying in a firm, joking tone:
"Calm down, man, let the boy rest; did you see? Does this young man have real skill or is he just playing with a pellet gun?!"
Ahmed smiled shyly and replied with simple confidence:
"I have experience, madam."
Haruki's daughters approached to get acquainted with him, and Ahmed politely and affectionately introduced himself to them. I gave the five girls Japanese names to suit the family atmosphere:
Aiko, Yumi, Haruka, Emi, Sakura.
Ahmed shook hands with them one by one, and they chatted briefly with a faint smile on his lips, as goodwill and curiosity were exchanged between them. Then Ahmed called Mr. Haruki, saying with graceful seriousness:
"Come on, sir, let's go back to Yemen. The time is right, and hearts are yearning."
Haruki nodded, smiling, and replied:
"Alright... to Yemen we return then."
The test ended successfully, and they left the location for Haruki's headquarters, feeling that a new step had been taken on the path of that fragile and growing relationship between Ahmed and Misaki, and the beginning of a new chapter of adventures and commitments.