Chapter 1-Yata no Mori (Part 1)

Translation Notes: https://uppsalakyudo.se/english/information/glossary.html

1. Owl in Japanese is “fukurou”, so it’s like naming an ostrich “Os”.

2. A gi is the white uniform martial artists wear, so a kyudogi is the kyudo version of it.

3. So this word was originally “穹天” (kyuuten) which seems to be a Chinese word rather than
Japanese. It apparently means “the vault of heaven” and I’m 50% sure the author chose this
word because the 穹 character because it has the 弓 radical in it
When he looked up, Minato’s eyes reflected the hazy blue sky.

His graceful body, fitting for a fifteen-year-old, was wrapped in training clothes, and he
advanced along the straight mountain path where snow still remained. When he passed under
the tunnel of treetops, he could see the three-car train travelling slowly in the distance. The
surrounding mountains were sprinkled with yellow-green, the mountain cherry blossoms
spreading out here and there.

It was the mountain in springtime. The budding trees were dazzling.

The final point of his running route every morning was the neighborhood park. He washed his
face with water from the water fountain in the corner, then lifted the hem of his T-shirt to
wipe it. A long, white scar was briefly exposed on his uncovered left flank.

Because he didn’t wipe himself up properly, water dripped from his bangs. If it were the old
him, he wouldn’t have done such a lazy thing. It was an act of sensing that he had forgotten his
towel, and because the reason that he must leave was approaching.

A boy in casual clothes, seeming to be taking a walk in the neighborhood, stood next to
Minato. His full-rimmed, plastic glasses frame was familiar, and one of the objects that
symbolized him as intelligent and calm. One got the impression that he was more mature than
Minato, and not just because he had already celebrated his sixteenth birthday.

A smile appeared on his face, like he was making fun of his companion.

“Morning, Minato. Even though it’s spring, it’s still cold in the mornings.”

“…Seiya, good morning.”

It wasn’t that Minato didn’t want to see Seiya. If anything, he was the only person he could call
his best friend, and he had known him the longest. However, he did not want to meet him
during training if possible.

Seiya, upon realizing that, spoke with an innocent look on his face. “It’s usually my dad’s job,
but he was busy this morning, so I took his place.”

“Oh, are you walking Bear?”

If someone only listened to that exchange, they might have gotten frightened. “Bear” was the
name of a dog. He was a Bernese mountain dog, a mountain dog that originally came from
Switzerland. They were weak to heat, so this area, which had a high altitude and was relatively
cool even in Japan, was perfect.

Even though there were those who would take the “Bernie” part of its name and name it
“Bunny-chan” like a rabbit, there weren’t a lot of people who would name it “Bear”. Seiya’s
naming sense may be in doubt, but a family who allowed him to give that name was also
worthy of respect.

Minato also greeted Bear, and Bear waggled his tail. He had long fur with a black, white, and
brown luster, and the round, light-brown tufts of fur above his eyes resembled eyebrows.
When he was embraced, his transmitted body temperature felt good. Bear licked Minato’s
face. He then brought his nose close to his left flank, gesturing for him to show it.

“Hey, Bear, you’re tickling him. That spot’s already fine.”

Having been chided, Bear immediately stopped, and sat next to Minato. Four years ago, he had
been a mischievous puppy, but he grew up kind and smart. Just like his owner.

The two people and one dog went to the back of the park, entering the forest there. Bear was
a dog who enjoyed being useful to people, and went to the front as though telling them to
follow him. There was a wide paved road which could be reached by car, but this way was a
shortcut, and on the way, there was a narrow path that one person could barely squeeze past.
It was a path made by the denizens of the area coming and going—an animal trail, so to speak.

Seiya grabbed Minato’s arm, who seemed like he was about to faint from the tone of the
morning that was so different from usual.

“Are you alright? If you collapse and miss the entrance ceremony in the morning, that’ll be a
spectacular high school debut.”

“Shut up.”

“Well, at that time, I will offer to nurse you faithfully in our special hospital room.”

“And I’ll politely turn you down. I don’t know what you’re going to do.”

“I’m not going to do anything. Right, Bear?”

Bear made an answer that was unclear as to whether or not it was positive or negative.

Seiya’s house was an orthopedic clinic, and right behind Minato’s house. For Narumiya Minato
and Takehaya Seiya, today was their entrance ceremony at the same high school. As this was a
small town in the mountains, it wasn’t unusual for their high schools to be the same. But
Minato hadn’t known this until just a few days ago. Unlike Minato, who chose the
neighborhood public high school for financial reasons, Seiya could have chosen the best school
in the prefecture or a challenging private school.

While feeling something muddled, Minato thought about the new life that would be beginning
from now on.

The Kazemai High School’s entrance ceremony.

Cherry blossoms that weren’t supposed to bloom yet in this region greeted Minato and the
others.

It wasn’t just the plants that were making merry early with the arrival of spring. What lied in
wait after the new students finished the ceremony was recruitment for club activities. All of
the groups were shouting, including the girls from the cheerleading squad holding colourful
bonbons in red and orange, and the well-built boys holding a cheering banner that read,
“Passing is love!”

Immediately, there were freshmen who were caught by the soccer club. The glints in their eyes
were only things indiscriminately sharp upon their suntanned skins. Next to them, there was
an idol-like boy who attracted gazes, frequently waving at the female manager.

Giving a sidelong glance at Seiya, who was looking around with interest, Minato quickly passed
through the area. However, suddenly, a large boy placed his arms around their shoulders from
behind, and two of them couldn’t move.

What an obnoxious recruitment. Minato gave the attacker an indignant look. Then, before his
eyes, he gave a friendly smile. Minato felt something similar to deja-vu.

“Aren’t you Minato? And here’s Seiya! It’s been a while. I didn’t expect to meet you guys here
again at high school. This is awesome!”

“Wait, you can’t actually be Ryouhei!? Haven’t you gotten too big? I didn’t recognize you for a
moment,” Seiya said, then continued. “Minato hadn’t noticed, but I found your name on the
class register.”

“I knew that you were being sworn in as the freshman representative. You’re still as smart as
ever, that’s expected. That’s great. And Minato, you’ve gotten cooler and cooler since the last I
saw you.”

“Stop talking like you’re an uncle flattering your nephews,” Minato said. Ryouhei had a truly
strange expression on his face as he stretched.

“I am? But I was looking at you when I said it.”

Yamanouchi Ryouhei was their childhood friend who transferred schools when they were in
fifth grade. His body grew bigger, but he was still a simpleminded child on the inside. When
other people said words that were taken as sarcasm, Ryouhei said them with a smile. There
were few people who could get seriously angry at a puppy that they had become attached to.

That nostalgic face caused Minato’s tense-looking face to break into a smile. They couldn’t
stop recounting their childhood stories, like when they lost their shoes swimming in the river
after school, or when they got scolded for sneaking into Seiya’s family’s hospital when it was
closed and playing with the athletic tape. They were a gang who spent time together like
brothers. There was a strange sense of solidarity.

Although there was lingering excitement between the three of them, a small man approaching
them caused them to break off their conversation. He was an acquaintance of Ryouhei’s.

“What’s up, Tomi-sensei?”

“Tomi-sensei?” Minato asked.

“Yeah, he’s my homeroom teacher, Morioka Tomio-sensei.”

Tomi-sensei was an old man teacher. He stood on tiptoes to survey the three of them, moving
his face closer with effort.

“I have received a certain incognito order. Expecting that all of you are close, I come to stand
for the white-feathered arrows. An incognito order is a mission.”

“Mission!? What is it, what is it??”

While Minato was thinking about how suspicious that was, Ryouhei’s eyes shone with
curiosity.

“Ah, actually, this school has a kyudo club, but it has hardly been active recently. It received
the order to be rebuilt from the principal. Kyudo tends to be thought of as an individual sport,
but when everyone’s breathing doesn’t match perfectly, it won’t go well.”

Minato’s heart beat faster at the word “kyudo”.

“And? And?” Ryouhei said, completely on board. “At the middle school I went to, I chose
kyudo as my compulsory martial arts course. My kyudo teacher praised me, saying that I had
‘good muscles’. I thought I’d do it seriously when I went to high school. Plus, I might have been
influenced by Minato and Seiya.”

“Are these two experienced in kyudo?”

“They are. Narumiya and Takehaya were in the kyudo club in middle school. Narumiya in
particular wanted to do kyudo, and I heard that they took the entrance exams for a private
middle school with a kyudo club. He’d been talking about the bow since forever.”

Tomi-sensei smiled broadly.

“There are few junior highs with a kyudo club, so people with kyudo experience are valuable.
However, It would seem that I have found three all at once. These old eyes are not mistaken.
This mission is nothing but a success. Well then, everyone, shall we head for the kyudojo (place
where kyudo is performed)?”

Minato panicked. He was troubled by the conversation continuing on without him.

“Please wait. I don’t plan to join any club. My mother died, so I have to do most of the
housework, and I also have to make dinner for my father…I’m sorry.”

The white mark on Minato’s left flank was the scar of the injury he had sustained when he was
involved in a traffic accident with his mother, which happened one month after Seiya got Bear.
However, four years had passed already. The innocent Bear, time, and the passions that they
had devoted themselves into had healed the wounded Minato and others. The whitening scar
was the proof of that.

Then, why do you keep running every morning…?

Minato felt like he had heard Seiya’s voice. However, Seiya hadn’t said anything.

“I’m so sorry to hear that. Well, if your situation changes, you can just come by and visit us
anytime. How about Takehaya-kun and Yamanouchi-kun over here?”

“I’d certainly like to join the club.”

“Me too, me too!”

Seiya, who was supposed to be right next to him, looked to be far away.

Minato wasn’t going to do club activities. Seiya was joining the kyudo club.

Even though there shouldn’t be any problem, his perturbed heart felt unsatisfied. Seiya turned
back to look straight at him.

“I’m going to go ahead to the kyudojo.”

“I’m not doing kyudo anymore.”

“I know you’re carrying around your treasure.”

Minato grabbed his bag in spite of himself. And when he realized he fell for Seiya’s bluff,
Minato could only make the meager comeback of simply leaving that spot.

Refusing other invitations from his classmates and girls, Minato returned home alone.

Although he lived only with his father, he never felt very lonely or inconvenient because Seiya
and his parents were kind. He told Tomi-sensei that he was busy with household chores, but
his father often didn’t take dinner at home, so that was the perfect excuse. When he
confirmed that the pouch with the dragonfly pattern was in his bag, he flew out beneath the
darkening sky.

He loved riding his bicycle.

The wind was frosty, sweeping away the words that he was saddled with, cooling down that
aching heat. After a while, he hit a long slope. While standing to pedal up the hill, a car coming
from behind honked its horn. Although he quickly went to the side, the honking was
completely unexpected.

After riding around aimlessly without deciding on a destination, when it was soon time to go
back home, a small yellow bird flew out before his eyes. It was a grey wagtail that flew before
him as he rode. Although both sides of the road were lined with forest, it glided along the
surface of the endless paved road.

Before he knew it, Minato was in an unfamiliar place. The yellow bird disappeared, and in its
place, an old sign board reading “Yata Shrine” caught his attention. He stopped his bike before
the torii gate, and climbed the stone steps.

This forest was called Yata no Mori, where deciduous trees like pin oaks and Mongolian oaks
thrived. Minato looked up, and as if trying to test him, the trees swayed, making a rustling
sound. In the dim light, the new sprouts shone, looking like hands clasped together and
dedicating prayers up to the sky. The red-violet buds of the mountain azaleas were stiff, and
wearing light brown caps. From somewhere faraway, a crying sound could be heard.

After passing through the forest, he arrived at Yata Shrine. There was a cherry tree there, dying
the ground beneath in pale pink. The shrine was snug in that old way, and there was no sign of
people.

It looks like a place where ghosts would come out… When he thought that, he was startled
from hearing a sound.

It’s tsurune, I heard a tsurune—.

From somewhere, he heard a high bang sound.

Like bamboo sprouts shooting up from the earth towards the sky overnight, the sound was
carefree and crisp. He couldn’t believe that it was possible to create that metallic-sounding
timbre with a bow. It is said that tsurune was the sound made when the bowstring hit the bow
after firing an arrow; and the sound that occurred when the arrow left the loosened bowstring
and tension returned to the original form of the string, was also considered tsurune.

It overlapped with his old memories. He wondered if it was the same archer that he saw with
his mother when he was little, pulling back the bow.

The light was on in the building next to the front shrine.

There was a built-in mailbox at the entrance of the traditional Japanese house, where a
signboard hung with the words “Yata no Mori Kyudojo” on it. It was considerably aged, and the
wood was corroded and covered in moss. Suppressing his fast-beating heart, he went past the
entryway, heading for the right side of the building.

He didn’t think that there would be someone drawing a bow in the forest in the evening.
Maybe it really was a ghost. No, it didn’t matter if it was a ghost.

Please don’t disappear.

Don’t disappear until I get there.

While praying that silently in his mind, he passed through the trees, and went around to a
corner where outdoor viewing was possible. When he peeked forward through the bamboo
fence that acted as a partition, he saw the spacious shajo (building where the archers shoot
from) illuminated by fluorescent lamps.

There was a lone young man there, clad in a white kyudogi (2) and hakama.

As expected, it was a different person from the archer he saw back then. The mysterious figure
looked like he was in his twenties, and his shoulder-length hair was tied back.

The man nocked an arrow to his bow, then looked to check for any problems with the string or
the arrow. He took the string with his right hand, and held the bow with his left. Facing the
target, he lifted the bow and arrow with both hands. His stance—like a column of smoke
loosely rising up to the sky on a windless day—was textbook perfect.
He pulled back half the length of the arrow and stopped briefly, then pulled it even further
back from there. This was the daisan stage (midway point), of the hikiwake. In everyday
language, this would be called “drawing back the bow,” but the Japanese yumi was a bow
which was lifted up and pushed open equally on both sides.

The climax was called kai. The kai was the term for drawing a bow all the way back to the
length that was most suitable for the archer. It was the moment when bow and archer became
one, for a long time until the arrow was released. It was the very moment when bow and
archer met. In Minato’s eyes, that man was as elegant as an actor performing in a program
that was a marvel… As his skin got chills, the arrow was breathed in by the target.

It hit the target right in the center. And what’s more, that wasn’t the only shot. All five of the
arrows he had shot before had pierced the target. After that, he finished collecting the arrows
and shot six arrows again, all of them hitting the center.

Twelve hits.

If this was a competition, he had won. No, more than just winning, his shots were beautiful.
The man placed his bow aside, got into seiza, and took off his yugake, the glove used in kyudo.

When he saw the man going towards the target to collect the arrows again, Minato heaved a
big sigh. He rubbed his sweaty palm against his jacket. Wondering whether he should try to call
out, he suddenly heard a “Gyaah!” sound above his head, and his body spontaneously
shivered.

“…Was that an owl? Don’t get so scared.”

“What are you doing?”

It was a person’s voice.

The man from earlier was standing right in front of him when he had looked back at the
strange phenomenon. He had clear eyes, a high nose bridge, a tall stature, and was blessed
with a well-balanced body. But he approached me without making a sound, so who the heck is
he?

The man wrapped the indigo-dyed hand towel he carried around his left arm, and held it up
towards the trees. “Fuu,” he called out, and something with large, spread-out wings flew
down, stopping on the man’s arm.

Its flapping created a wind.

Glancing sideways at Minato, who was standing stock-still, the man addressed the being with a
heart-shaped face.

“Fuu, you were the one who was more surprised. Who knew there was a person over here.”

“…Excuse me. Um, could ‘Fuu’ be the name of that owl?”

“Yes, it’s a good name, isn’t it? (1) A long time ago, it was injured and I took care of it, and so I
gave it that name back then. I had thought about it carefully. Oh, and I did have permission to
look after it.”
Is it my imagination, or does that name seem like it was incredibly easy to come up with? It’s
better than naming a dog “Bear” at least.

The owls of the true owl family were as big as the falcons used in falconry. Fuu play-bited at
the man’s long fingers. When he caressed his mottled wings, it comfortably closed its large
eyes.

“It’s really attached to you.”

“It’s more like it got used to me rather than getting attached. It thinks that when I call it, it’ll be
able to get food. Today, I called it even though I don’t have any. Sorry, Fuu.”

“Food?”

“Pink mice. Mice that were skinned.”

“I see…”

“Do you want to try touching it? But you are forbidden from making loud sounds. Owls have
good ears.”

Doing as he was told, Minato reached out fearfully. When he stroked the feathers on its head,
Fuu suddenly shrunk its body, looking like it was withdrawing itself.

“It’s kind of fluffy.”

“Owls can fly noiselessly thanks to their soft feathers. But leaving that aside, you’re bleeding
from the back of your left hand.”

“What?”

When he looked, sure enough, blood was welling up. Maybe a branch or something cut him.

“Come with me to get some medicine for that.”

“No, um, I…”

“No way, are you suspicious of me? I’m not going to charge you extra for the medicine, so
don’t worry.”
The man narrowed his eyes and grinned.

He followed the man, who seemed like he ruled over the shajo, to there. The judge’s area was
at the side of the shajo, with tatami flooring spreading as wide as twelve tatami mats, and the
floor one level higher. It was equivalent to the kamiza (higher position) so the household
shrine and the national flag were enshrined there. Passing through the judge’s area to the
back-right corner, they arrived at the waiting room of the dojo.

The man placed Fuu on Minato’s left shoulder. It was lighter than he had expected, and along
with a pleasant weight, Fuu gripped his shoulder tightly. Since its talons weren’t clipped, he’d
probably get holes in his clothes. While he was focused on Fuu, the man opened the accessory
drawer.

“So, where’s the medicine…ah.”

An unpleasant bang sound rang out, and the contents of the entire drawer flew out. This
caused Fuu to tremble with a jump. The man had been trying to retrieve the medicine in the
back of the drawer, and pulled it out.

“Oh no, I did it again.”

He said he did it again, so does that mean he pulls open that drawer and cause stuff to fly out a
lot?

“Um, are you okay?”

“Yeah. This is because it’s sturdy, unlike the poorly built stuff made nowadays. Oh, there it is.”

The man found a worn-out tube from among the scattered items, and held it out to Minato. He
doubted the efficacy of the ointment, which was considerably aged.

While rubbing on the medicine, the exhausted fluorescent lamp flickered. Minato and Fuu
looked up at the ceiling, which the man noticed.

“Sorry, your eyes must be pretty irritated. I have a replacement tube but it’s quite a bother.
Someone would change it eventually.”

“…I’ll do it.”

Returning Fuu from his shoulder to the man, he took the new fluorescent tube and got out the
stepladder in the corner of the room. It was also an antique.

The man spoke in an easy-going way, “Thanks. I always neglect it until it goes out.”

“I think your entire house should have LED lighting installed, so you won’t have to replace it so
much, sir”

“Indeed. You’re pretty smart.”

Even though he meant for it to sound sarcastic, it didn’t seem to have gone through at all.
The man went to the edge of the shajo, and shook his arm towards the outdoors. Fuu
disappeared into the nighttime forest. After seeing it off, he took out something from his bag.

“Having a drink after work is the best. Here’s a thank-you gift. Go ahead and take it.”

“No thank you. The law states that the drinking age is twenty years old, and if I drink alcohol,
my brain will shrink.”

“…You are amazing. I want to compliment you on how honest you are, but just come and take
a better look.”

The man was holding a can of coffee with a picture of a snowy mountain on it.

When he finished drinking, he put the can aside and headed for the targets again. He repeated
the entire process of shooting the arrows on hand and retrieving them, all over again.

Still holding his can, Minato watched his beautiful movements. He never paid heed to Minato’s
watching, nor told him to go home. Before he knew it, the pain of his wound faded away.

He asked him a question when he saw him jotting something down in a notebook.

“How many targets did you hit?”

“I’m not keeping track of how many I hit or miss. Just the number of arrows.”

“How many did you shoot as of now?”

“Eighty.”

“Eighty times? Do you always shoot that much?”

“Yep. I’m shooting a hundred arrows every day, and aiming for a total of ten-thousand arrows.
Today’s the seventy-ninth day.”

“What’s your goal?”

“Nothing in particular. Just a whim, so to speak.”

The man narrowed his eyes and smiled his crescent moon-smile again.

A tsurune that glowed against the deep blue heavens (3).

As he placed his feet on the pedals of his bike, the moon was shining above his head.

Tsurune Book 1 Chapter 1-Yata no Mori (Part 2)

Translation Notes

1. The Raiki Shagi and Shahoukun are two important ancient texts in modern kyudo. They are
written in the front of the Kyudo Kyohon and provide a lot of the philosophy behind Kyudo.
2. Yoshimi Junsei is a famous archer of the Tokugawa Period (1603-1868) who wrote the
Shahoukun.

3. Yazuka measurement (not to be confused with yakuza) is the distance from the center of the
body to the tip of the middle finger of the left hand when standing upright. This measurement
is used to determine proper bow size.

4. Kataboushi yugake is a type of archery glove that has a hard thumb cap (I think???) There
are three-fingered, four-fingered and five-fingered types.

5. Kake gae no nai ( 掛け替えのない) is a Japanese saying that means “irreplaceable”.

6. “Makuuchi” is a term for shooting an arrow into the curtain.

7. Gyousha is the movements comprising the act of aiming the bow and shooting the arrow.

8. Oyaki is Japanese stuffed dumplings.

9. Yips is a disease that causes the loss of fine motor skills in athletes. It manifests as twitches
and jitters and occurs a lot in sports like golf and darts.

What was that?

Who was that?

He thought back to that breathtakingly beautiful shooting, and Fuu’s deep black eyes.

He tried searching online, but couldn’t find any search terms to enter. The kyudojo of Yata no
Mori didn’t have a website, only having its name entered in a list of all the kyudojo in the
prefecture. And because of the Personal Information Protection Act, the identity of the person
who owned it could not be disclosed either. In that case, he should have asked the man for his
name. But, what would he do if he did asked for it?

Minato was heading for the school’s entrance to go home after school. It was bright outside
the open windows, and he could hear the sounds of people going to club activities. When he
narrowed his gaze on the still distant sunset, the wind died down.

Then, his shoulder was grabbed from behind again. I guess I don’t need to check to see who it
is anymore.

“…Ryouhei.”

“ ‘Sup Minato. What are you so dopey about?”

“Do you know how big you’ve gotten? You’re heavy.”

“Sorry, it’s just a habit.”

While apologizing, his hand remained on his shoulder. The other hand was waving at the
people passing by.
Since elementary school, Ryouhei liked to join shoulders with other people. Minato disliked
being clingy with people, but when he saw Ryouhei’s smile, he couldn’t turn him down, so he
left it as it was. Even during the several times when Minato and Seiya fought, Ryouhei would
squeeze between them and join shoulders, saying with teary eyes, “I get sad when you guys
fight,” and then it became impossible to get angry. Minato had a bad feeling as he felt the
similar emotions from those times.

“Isn’t it too early to go home? Let’s go to the kyudo club’s information session together.”
Ryouhei said.

Minato replied without a moment’s delay, “No. I’m not going.”

“Alright, then at least listen to some of the information. Tomi-sensei has back pain so he can’t
do the practical skills, so it looks like Seiya will be demonstrating them.”

“Ryouhei, did Seiya bribe you to do this?”

“It’s not like that. But, he told me to tell you this: ‘If you don’t come today, then I’ll never let
you see Bear again.’ Did they finally start to keep a bear over there? Sweet.”

No, that’s really not something to be impressed about, Minato quipped in his mind.

“For me, Seiya’s the sage, and you’re the hero. You have a heroic saga too, don’t you? Hey, do
you remember what happened on our kindergarten trip?”

“Trip? Oh, the one where the hornet landed on my arm, and I kept walking without shaking it
off? But, that’s not a big deal. Even though the hornet kept approaching me, the teacher
warned me repeatedly not to kill it with my hands.”

“That’s not it! It’s the one where you barehandedly caught the crayfish that I couldn’t touch.
When I saw that, I was like, ‘This guy is cool!’”

Minato was completely drained, and placed his hand on his knee.

“Ryouhei, we aren’t in kindergarten or elementary school anymore.”

“How’s that different from being in high school?”

Ryouhei’s innocent gaze pierced Minato.

Minato was an only child, but he was got the illusion that the naughty younger brother, who
had always followed behind him, had suddenly matured.

“Actually, when I was in the second-year of middle school, I accidentally saw you drawing your
bow. When I saw that arrow firmly hitting the target, I was so excited. I thought that I want to
draw like that too. I want to do kyudo together with you and the others—. You said that you
were busy with chores at home, so I gave up the other day, but I guess if Seiya and I cooperate
we’ll manage somehow? It took a lot of trouble to meet you like this. Just try to listen to the
information first. And then can you make your conclusion?”

“Ryouhei, I’m…”
“I want to do kyudo with you…is that no good?”

Ryouhei’s ears seemed like they were drooping down dejectedly. Minato was never good at
handling his juniors.

“…All right. But I’m only listening.”

Ryouhei’s face lit up. He couldn’t understand why Seiya involved him into this, but he couldn’t
refuse that face. Minato hung his head in shame at his weak-minded self.
-----------------------------------
At that time, Seiya headed to the kyudojo with Tomi-sensei before everyone else.

Kazemai High School’s kyudojo was located inconspicuously in a corner of the schoolyard. For
kinteki (close-range) tournaments, the range was twenty-eight meters, with room for six
people to draw at the same time. Though it wasn’t being used, it was well maintained, thanks
to Tomi-sensei’s hard efforts bringing in senior citizen personnel during spring break. Seiya
only resumed breathing when his hand traced the nameplate that read “Kazemai High School
Kyudo Club.”

They bowed once as they entered the kyudojo, and then went ahead and bowed twice in front
of the kamiza. Being barefoot is strictly forbidden in the kyudojo, for the same reason entering
someone else’s house barefoot is impolite.

To prepare the kyudojo, first apply water to the azuchi (target bank), and then place the
targets with their centers twenty-seven centimeters above the azuchi. The targets used were
kasumi-mato (mist targets), which were targets with a diameter of thirty-six centimeters
where black concentric circles were drawn.

Next was preparing the kyudo equipment. The arrows were placed in the yatate-bako (arrow
stand), and the bowstrings were stringed onto the bows. The height of the ha—the distance
between the bow’s grip and the string ー was about fifteen centimeters. There were dedicated
tools for measuring that height, but Seiya measured it using his right thumb and said, “This is
fine.” Then he went on to rub “ma-gusune” on the string. He did this by applying kusune,
which was a boiled mixture of pine resin and oil, onto a small waraji woven from hemp strings,
and then using it to neaten the loosened string by fusing it with friction. The saying “to be
ready and waiting for (te-gusune o hiku, 手ぐすね引く)” definitely came from kyudo, but the
use of kusune was different.

After he got that far, he changed clothes. Shooting a bow right after stringing it was a cause of
bow damage, so it was necessary to make it adapt ahead of time.

Seeing Seiya turning towards the makiwara (straw practice targets), Tomi-sensei spoke.

“Oh, Takehaya-kun, where are your glasses?”

“I use glasses because I have dry eye, but I only use contacts when I’m drawing a bow. Before,
the bowstring would get caught on my glasses and send them flying.”

“The lenses cracking would be pretty shocking. But, when people who normally wear glasses
take them off, do you think it’s okay to be so defenseless?”
“I am seeing perfectly now. I am completely prepared for the attack, far from being
defenseless.”

“I say, that’s frightening.”

“Tomi-sensei, thank you for inviting me to the kyudo club. I’ll definitely make your mission a
success..”

“I’m counting on you. Fu-ho-ho!” Tomi-sensei laughed.

To Seiya, Tomi-sensei was a happy miscalculation. Before the entrance exams, he had already
investigated that the Kazemai High School Kyudo Club was on the verge of disbandment.
Minato probably knew that as well. So, he planned to revive the kyudo club with his own
hands.

A favourable wind was blowing.

In order to stand at that place once more—.

Seiya encouraged himself, as an unseen power pressed against his back.

On this day, an information session titled “Introduction to Kyudo” was scheduled, and people
began to trickle in. Probably twenty or thirty people of mixed genders. For the boys, their goals
weren’t just being introduced to club activities.

“Don’t you think kyudo girls are hot?”

“Yep.”

However, with the entrance of one attention-attracting boy, the boys’ ambitions were abruptly
destroyed.

“Sorry I’m late. Thank you for preparing everything.”

When greeted with cries of “Nanao-kuuun!” from the girls, he made peace signs with his
hands and waved at them. They then exchanged incomprehensible greetings of “Merha~”
“Merha~.”

It was a boy with bright, somewhat unruly hair, and who seemed like his whole body was
shining beams of light. He was swinging a quiver in his hand, which was more a “pearls before
frogs” accessory than “pearls before swine.”

Seiya set his bow down, and waved Nanao over.

“You’re Kisaragi Nanao-kun, right? My name’s Takehaya Seiya, and I’ll be with you today, nice
to meet you. The frog on that quiver is pretty funny.”

“Oh, this is nice, right? Right now my room’s full of frogs. Oh, you can just call me Nanao.”

“All right, please call me Seiya as well. By the way, what was that ‘Merha’ you said just a while
ago?”
“It’s short for ‘Merhaba.’ It’s Turkish for hi.”

While wondering why Turkish, Seiya let it pass. This was probably the reason why he was
popular with girls. It wasn’t a type you saw much among boys who did kyudo.

When he picked up his bow and quiver, another person who didn’t seem to belong in a
kyudojo appeared.

It was a boy with healthy, suntanned skin. Because of his sharp eyes, he was more a wild
person rather than a refreshing sports boy, and a somewhat hard-to-approach aura floated
around him. Even the girls who surrounded Nanao quickly backed away to surround him from
a distance.

“Nanao, don’t block the entrance. Let me in right now.”

“Ehh, Kacchan, you’re so impatient~”

“Stop calling me Kacchan.”

“But aren’t you Kacchan, Kacchan? I can’t call you anything else at this point.”

“This sucks, having to be in the same high school as you, and then in the same club.”

“Aren’t you joining the soccer club? Didn’t the guys in the soccer club ask you ‘What position
did you play in middle school?’ on the first day?”

“I’m not joining the soccer club, I’m set on the bow. I’m different from the guys who started
kyudo just to wear a hakama, like you.”

“I look pretty cool in a hakama. Of course, it’s not for show. Today, I have to show the girls my
charming figure. That’s why, Kacchan, you should work hard too.”

“The only one I don’t want to be told that by is you.”

Noticing Seiya being taken aback, Nanao formally introduced him.

“This here’s Onogi Kaito. My cousin.”

“Onogi-kun, I’m Takehaya. Nice to meet you.”

“…I’ve seen you at a match before. What’s your middle school?”

“Really? It’s a private school, so it’s not around here, and I don’t think you’d recognize the
name even if I told you. But putting that aside, I want to start soon, so the two of you should
go change your clothes first. I’ll keep your bow strung.”

Kaito looked like he wanted to say something, but he entrusted his equipment to Seiya and
headed for the waiting room (hikae shitsu).
---------------------------
The first round of Introduction to Kyudo has begun.
Seeing Minato and Ryouhei among the gathered people, Seiya murmured, “Ryouhei, good
job.” under his breath.

Tomi-sensei cleared his throat.

“Everyone, relax your feet. This is a good gathering. It seems that I’m popular. I’m blushing.”

A laughter that said “That corny introduction is enough, so please quickly get on with it” rang
out.

“Well then, first, some requests. Kyudo is a martial art. You need to respond with spirit. And
then, this is essential, but if you nock an arrow to the bow, you absolutely cannot point it at
other people, even as a joke. Even if you did not intend to release it, it can lead to a serious
accident. Also, absolutely do not take the arrow off the bow to ‘dry fire’ it, as there’s the
danger of snapping the bowstring. You must always obey these rules.”

And then, they chanted in unison the “Raiki Shagi” and the “Shahoukun” (1) that were printed
on the right hand side of the kyudojo (TN: this is called wakishoumen or position where one is
facing the kamiza and the targets are to the left). The former began with “The shooting, with
the round of moving forward or backward can never be without courtesy and propriety. After
having acquired the right inner intention and correctness in the outward appearance, the bow
and arrow can be handled resolutely,” an inscription mainly preaching the ideals of kyudo. The
latter began with “The way is not with the bow, but with the bone, which is of the greatest
importance in shooting,” written by Yoshimi Junsei (2), and was mainly the dying instructions
of his technique.

Tomi-sensei asked one of the students in the front row, “Do you understand the meaning?”

“No, not at all.”

“I was also completely clueless about what was written in the beginning. But as I kept
practicing, I thought that 'Oh, this is what that was talking about.’ You can look forward to that
as well.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And, this is also a breath control technique. As reading out loud is a way to continuously
exhale, this action will enhance your parasympathetic nerves and relieve tension. A good
presence of mind is essential for drawing a bow. Isn’t it hitting two birds with one stone to
learn the essence of kyudo and do breath control?”

“I seeee.”

The voices were overlapping each other.

It was Ryouhei’s and Nanao’s. Nanao had at some point sat down next to Ryouhei, and they
were giggling as they looked at each other. Minato and Kaito, who were on both sides of the
two, had sour looks on their faces.

Tomi-sensei held up the kyudo equipment.

“There are three main equipment necessary for kyudo. The bow and arrow, and the ‘yugake’
(archer’s glove). It is a glove made of deer skin used for protecting the hands. Most students
use the three-fingered yugake. Now, let’s see the actual shooting technique. Tournaments are
done with three or five people. Today we’ll have three people.”

Seiya, Kaito and Nanao got up. At that moment, a visitor came and informed them that sorry
for the interruption, but Nanao was being summoned over the school PA system.

“Really? Did I do something? Sorry, Tomi-sensei, but I have to leave for a while. If you like,
please replace me with someone else.”

Tomi-sensei looked around when the girls said things like, “Eh—, if Nanao-kun isn’t going to
draw a bow then should we just go home?”

“Well, there was another person with experience here. What’s more, he’s a good-looking guy.
Narumiya-kun, you can choose to change into a hakama or not, just try drawing the bow for a
little bit.”

After a pause, Minato exclaimed, “What!?”

“I can’t. I haven’t held a bow for more than half a year already.”

“I just want you to show everyone how it’s done. The equipment is borrowed, so everyone
naturally understands that you won’t be able to strike well. Everyone wants to see him shoot,
right?”

Because they all applauded at once, Minato was cornered into a hard-to-refuse situation.

While waiting for Minato to get ready, the others were touching the kyudo equipment. Tomi-
sensei and the others moved to the wall.

Kaito took an arrow and approached Minato.

“Since it’s troublesome to have the bowstring caught on your buttons, change into a gym
uniform and put on a chest protector (muneate). What was the draw strength of the bow you
used? Hold out your left arm so I can do the yazuka measurement.” (3)

“Hey, hey wait a minute. I never said that I was going to draw it. Right, I heard that Ryouhei
also drew a bow in class when he was in middle school.”

“Even if he did it in class, it was still dangerous. Plus, Tomi-sensei said that it’s natural that you
won’t be able to hit anything, and nobody cares about your skill.”

“It’s not that, it’s not that at all…”

“This is getting annoying. Just do the one or two things you’re asked to do. Aren’t you ashamed
to be not much of an archer?”

Minato became speechless at the word “archer.”

Kaito took that as acknowledgement, and used Minato’s throat as a starting point to verify the
length of the arrow. If it was too short, there was the danger of accidental discharge when the
arrow was pulled towards the inside part of the bow.

Seiya stood next to Minato.

“Let’s trying shooting at the makiwara first. If that seems impossible, you can decline. Though
the club has some as equipment, what will you do for the yugake?”

“…I’m fine.”

“All right. It’s a waste of time to go back to the classroom to get your gym clothes, so I will lend
mine to you.”

Minato changed into the t-shirt and jersey, and took out the dragonfly-patterned pouch from
his bag. Inside was a well-used yugake. The other day, when Seiya had said that he was
carrying around a treasure, he was referring to this.

There are people who think that when shooting a bow, the end of the arrow was pinched and
pulled back, but in fact, the thumb was used to hook the bowstring and pull it. Minato used a
three-fingered kataboushi yugake (4), and the groove at the base of the thumb where the
bowstring is hung from was called the tsurumakura. Since the position and form differed
slightly depending on the yugake, it was difficult to use something unfamiliar. “Kake gae no
nai” (5) was an expression that came from kyudo, with the “kake” meaning yugake.

Minato put on his shitagake (under glove) and yugake, applied giriko (glove powder) to his
middle finger to prevent slipping, making a squeaking sound.

As he stood in front of the makiwara, his heart was striking the alarm bells. Although he never
failed to do muscle training and rubber bow practice, this was actually the first time in a while
that he had held a bow. The anxiety of not knowing whether his movements were correct or
not grew stronger. However, his body moved by itself, and before he knew it he had already
nocked his arrow.

He performed gyousha (7). He carefully drew the bow back to its limit. When he drew the bow
back to its fullest position, “kai,” Minato counted.

One, two, three, four, five—.

The arrow left Minato’s hand, and hit the center of the makiwara.

When he set down his bow, Tomi-sensei called out to Minato.

“Ooh, you have a beautiful form. If that’s the case then you’re fine.”

Minato tightly pressed his lips together, and took out the arrow embedded into the makiwara.
When he exhaled on his shoulder, Seiya, who was watching attentively from a little distance
away, also sighed heavily in the same way.

Once they finished preparations, Seiya, Minato, and Kaito lined up at the entrance in that
order. It was the beginning of nyuujou (entering the dojo).
They bowed, then moved forward with their feet scraping the floor. They turned towards their
respective targets, and then briefly sat down and gave a shallow bow. Their lined-up position
at this moment was called honza. When they stood up, they got into the position for shooting
and then sat down again. This position was referred to as shai, the position where one shot
from their sitting position was called “zasha,” and the position where one was always standing
was called “rissha.”

As the three of them nocked their arrows together, Tomi-sensei began to explain.

“As you can see, aren’t they nocking two arrows? Those two arrows are called ‘hitote,’ shot in
the order of haya (first arrow), and then otoya (second arrow). First up is Takehaya-kun. The
first person to shoot is called the ‘oomae.’”

When he was called, Seiya stood up with his nocked bow. He spread his feet, set the bow on
his left knee, and removed his right hand from around his waist. With that as his cue, Minato,
who was second, also stood up, and followed Seiya’s movements.

Seiya took the bowstring with his right hand, gripped the bow with his left, and faced the
target again. He raised both arms in front of his body, slowly bringing the arrowhead to the
center of the target. The exact moment when the bow was taut was the highlight of kyudo.
The cross shape formed by the person and the bow conferred a pleasant tension to the viewer,
and of course the person themselves.

One, two, three, four, five—.

It hit the center. An ooh sound went up.

With Seiya’s tsurune as a signal, Minato got his bow into the uchiokoshi position. Everyone
thought that Minato’s arrowhead would slowly approach the center of the target as well.

However, the arrow left Minato’s hands early, not aimed at the center of the target at all, and
it landed a great distance before the target. “Before the target” meant the right-hand side, and
“behind” it meant the left. Since the arrow was released at a speed as though he was startled
out of his wits, the kyudojo became noisy in an instant. Some people were looking at each
other with expressions that said, “What was that?”

Tomi-sensei spoke playfully, “Were you nervous so many beautiful ladies here? Whether you
hit or miss, having a poker face is one of the basics. It is courtesy with regards to others to not
show emotions. Unlike archery, you can gain a point just by hitting the target anywhere. You
only either hit or miss. Well then, the person who goes last is called the ‘ochi.’”

Kaito should have used Minato’s tsurune as a cue to get his bow into the uchiokoshi position,
but he had to be told to do it. He drew the bow to its limit, and waited for the moment of
hanare, but the arrow missed the target.

In the second round, the arrow that Seiya released went behind the target. Having finished
shooting the arrows he had in his hand, he began the process of taijo (exiting the dojo), but
Minato didn’t move. The raging palpitations of his heart, and pulsations at the back of his neck
were deafening. He cautiously got his bow into uchikoshi, and seemed to be drawing it close to
the target on the lawn, but he couldn’t breathe.

I can’t let go, I absolutely cannot let go—.

Minato repeated that many times in his heart. He pulled the arrow to half of its length, and
then tried to draw it even wider from there, but the arrow flew out again while he was doing
that, and it went high above the target, hitting the curtain that was covering the azuchi.

In the end, Kaito managed to hit the target, and it ended with a total of six shots, with two
targets of 1:0:1.

“It’s more difficult than it looks to hit the target in kyudo. That’s why, it is such a pleasure
when you do hit it. As I’m thinking of everyone learning together, people who are interested
are sure to gather here tomorrow as well.”

After they were dismissed by Tomi-sensei’s words, Kaito waited for Minato to finish changing
clothes before approaching him.

“Oi, Narumiya. What was with those earlier shots… Even though the ‘makuuchi’ (6) can’t be
helped, why did you do it so early? Since you shot it so early, I couldn’t even get into yugamae
in time.”

“Hey, didn’t I say that I couldn’t do it from the beginning? I didn’t mean to release it so soon.”

“Hah? What a lame excuse. You shot normally at the makiwara. But as soon as you stood in
front of the target, you did those messy shots. Aren’t you ashamed as an archer?”

“…Oh, I am. I’m already not an archer anymore… Move, I’m going home now.”

Minato shook off Kaito, and walked quickly towards the exit.

“Minato, are you coming tomorrow? …Since I’ll be waiting for you.”

“You don’t have to, since I already stopped doing kyudo!”

Standing next to Seiya as they watched Minato run off, Tomi-sensei whispered to him.

“Takehaya-kun, is it possible that…”

“…He has hayake.”

------------------------------------
Minato mounted his bike and sped off without looking anywhere but ahead.

It began to rain. Gripping the wet, slippery handlebars tightly, he pushed his bike on and
ascended the steep hill road. His tail lamp left a trail of red afterimages on the gleaming
asphalt, and the sound of car tires repelling the water overtook it. When he saw the torii, he
stopped his bike and entered Yata no Mori.

At the Yata no Mori Kyudojo, the man was standing on the other side of the bamboo fence of
the outdoor stands. As if so that the man would not find him, he crouched down on the spot to
watch him. Maybe because of the humidity being high due to the rain, the clear tsurune from
before couldn’t be heard, but the shots he sent out from his relaxed limbs were still beautiful.
Deviation-free movements that were somewhat liberated. And yet, there was also a somewhat
solemn feeling.
It was as though he was performing a prayer.

What would I wish for on a night where the moon and stars couldn’t be seen?

Suddenly, he met eyes with the man. Was it natural to spot him because the other side was on
a higher ground?

The man made a scissors gesture with his yugake-covered right hand, and casually beckoned
him over. Minato didn’t refuse him, simply staring vacantly at that gesture without using his
brain. Then, the man placed his bow at his feet, and then went to the edge of the shajo and
crouched down. “Come, boy,” he beckoned him with both hands.

It’s like he’s—.

“I am not a dog or a cat.”

“Well then, come here quickly. A soaking wet boy in the dark looks like a ghost from here, so
it’s really scary.”

“I don’t want to make the shajo dirty.”

“It’s fine, it can just be mopped up later. You’re going to mop it up, right?”

He laughed, just like that night. Minato went up to the shajo, still dripping wet. The man picked
up his bow lying on the ground and left that spot, then returned with a wrapped packet in his
hand.

“Take off your clothes and dry them out, since I’m lending you this beginners’ training uniform.
The men’s changing room is right in front of the reception desk. Also, you don’t need to be so
formal with me.”

After he changed his clothes and returned, the man was sitting in a corner of the shajo. The
spots where Minato dripped on were also completely wiped clean. “There you are,” he said,
handing him a can of coffee that had a flame design on it this time.

Minato cupped the can with both hands.

“…It’s hot.”

“It gets cold at night. Oh, I have something good. Do you want to eat it too?”

When he wondered what was going to appear, it turned out to be oyaki (8). With red bean
paste. Minato tossed the sweet oyaki into his mouth, downing it with the canned coffee.

After finishing his drink, the man began to adjust his bowstring’s nakajikake (nocking area). The
groove of the arrow’s nock was slightly bigger than the bowstring’s thickness. In order to make
it easier to nock the arrow, glue was applied to the bowstring and then it was wrapped in
hemp, before it was adjusted to a reasonable thickness.

Minato looked up at the night sky and muttered, “Is it impossible for Fuu to come since it’s
raining today?”
“Yeah, I’m going to call him on the next sunny day. Your shoulder is the perfect perch for him
after all.”

“I’m not an ornament. By the way, how long do you do this for?”

“It was supposed to be until around nine P.M., but I only seem to be using it in the daytime
recently. When I use it, I take the key out of the mailbox, then place the fee on the reception
desk. 50 yen for an hour. Apparently couples sneak in here at night, since there’s no one here.”

“And this is supposed to be a sacred dojo…”

“You don’t seem to have much experience in that area. Shall I teach you the basics?”

“You perverted old man.”

The man grinned, as he used two small wooden block-like objects, called douhou, to tighten
the nakajikake firmly. Thinking that he was restarting his practice, he instead said something
unexpected.

“I get the feeling that you’re experienced with kyudo. Do you wanna try shooting a bow for a
bit?”

“Um, no thanks.”

“Don’t be shy. Didn’t you come here because you want to shoot a bow?”

“I said, no thanks!”

Minato came to his senses at his own raised voice.

“…Sorry, I’m going home now.”

“Before you go, it’s okay for you to let out whatever you want here. Telephone lines don’t
even pass through this kyudojo, so it’s a place isolated from the modern world in a sense. I’m
someone who doesn’t exist in your reality. What you say now will never be told to anyone
other than me.”

The man waited for Minato’s reply.

A long time passed, and Minato squeezed out the words, as if he was gasping them out.

“How are you able to do such beautiful shots? …I got ‘hayake’ in my last middle school
tournament, and after that…I’ve gotten scared of shooting a bow.”

Hayake was a condition where one shoots an arrow even though one hasn’t decided on it.
Without arriving at kai, the arrow was shot in the midst at drawing the bow apart. It was said
to be a serious affliction in kyudo, much like the yips disease in golf. (9)

“After I lost in the tournament, I resumed practicing. Even though I could endure standing in
front of the makiwara, I couldn’t last even one second in front of the targets. My own body
wasn’t listening to what I was telling it at all. The more I think that I must not shoot it, the
more the arrow slips from my hands. Before long, even drawing the bow became scary.
Staying like that, I caused trouble for everyone.”

When he first joined the club, he had a senpai who could hit very well. Someone who could
have served as the team captain. However, when that person got hayake, the club had
dropped out right before the prefectural tournament. It was a mystery at the time. Why did he
let go so quickly? What made him let go even though he didn’t want it to? He must be a weak-
spirited person.

Now that he himself was in that position, he finally understood. Even though he was scolded
by his sensei with “Why are you releasing it?” even though he was criticized by his teammates
with “You’re shooting it too early,” he couldn’t do anything on his own. It was exactly like a
disease. Before he knew it, nobody said anything. He knew that they had given up on him.

“And so, I quit just like that. Today, I held a bow for the first time in half a year. I was hoping
that it might have been healed, but I was still no good… This is so uncool, right? This is what a
talentless hack is like.”

“I see, that must have been so painful for you.”

Minato raised his head in surprise.

What did he say just now?

Painful? Was I in pain?

He reflexively guarded his eyes. It was the best he could do to withstand the things that were
welling up.

The fear from the appearance of the hayake was similar to drowning in a muddy stream, but
not everyone could sympathize with it.

“…Could I ask for your name? I’m Minato, Narumiya Minato.”

“Takigawa Masaki. Since I’m mostly called ‘Masa-san’, I’ll call you Minato as well.”

“Masa-san, I don’t know what to do… I don’t want to do kyudo anymore. I don’t want to
reconfirm my unsightly self. So when my dad told me to take the entrance exams for a public
high school because our finances were tough, I thought I was saved. With that, I didn’t have to
continue on with the private school I was attending, so that was a justification for quitting
kyudo. But even so, I couldn’t stop running and doing muscle training. It feels like the bow is
trying to call me back…”

—The tsurune is calling me.

The number of promises that he had failed to fulfill had become his fetters. Will you abandon
everything and run away? The heroics of Minato that Ryouhei talked about were in the past,
and nowadays he was the same as a warrior scurrying back home after losing a battle.

“But you still want to draw a bow. Am I right?”

“…Yeah. But how can I recover from hayake…?”

“You’re looking at someone who overcame hayake right now.”

Masa-san grinned.