A/N: Written for the 31_days challenge at lj, for December 02 2012: prompt=patient is the kind that gets you paid. The reason I didn't put it up earlier is because I intended to write something further…except now I can't remember what it was, and this stands alone well enough.

Enjoy, and tell me what you think.

Archer

'I can't believe we're late,' Takuya gasped, holding a stitch. 'Man, I'm so out of shape.'

Kouji opened his mouth, but Junpei beat him to the punch. 'At least it's no-body's fault this time,' he said. 'Except the train.'

'I never knew inter-city trains got delayed,' Tomoki admitted. 'I better tell Ni-san, otherwise he might wind up being late to a lecture.'

'Half an hour off a lecture won't kill him,' the warrior of fire, and certainly not the most studious of their group, muttered.

'It could kill us.' Izumi was the farthest ahead. 'Come on, the juniors are almost done. We might have already missed him!'

'We better not have,' Kouji said under his breath, but threaded through the crowd behind the female, the others falling in behind them. 'Oth – oh, there he is.'

And Kouichi was putting on his guards on the archery field, flexing one hand as a team-mate whispered last-minute instructions or encouragements.

Takuya made to yell out, but Kouji hit him on the shoulder.

'You'll disturb his concentration,' the warrior of light hissed while the other shot around to rebuke.

And it was true; Kouichi looked to be in deep thought as he adjusted his bow and strung the first arrow – or the last, according to the announcer. The arrow sat on top of his index finger; he took a deep breath and aimed for the target. The entire stadium seemed to watch in anticipation – and why not? The scores were almost level; it was the last shot for the match. Anything in the inner two rings would give Kouichi's school the victory. The third ring would give a draw. The outermost or a miss would see their loss.

In other words, everything rode on his shoulders.

It would have caused others to panic. To rush, flustered. But not Kouichi. Maybe because, while he was competitive in his own way, winning a tournament meant less to him than other things. And one of those was doing his best. Taking his time – and after his fall in Shibuya station, was it any wonder?

He took another breath and let go of the string.

Cheers rose from the crowd as they witnessed the bull's eye sealing the victory.