Tsurune Book 1 Chapter 2-Home (Part 1)

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

1. Shoumen no kamae is where the bow is kept in front of the body. Shamen no kamae is
where the bow is held to the left side. Both methods are accepted in kyudo (Source: KYUDO :
The Essence and Practice of Japanese Archery)

2. Daisan is the intermediate stage of the hikiwake where half of the yazuka is drawn.

3. A tasuki is a cord used to tie up the sleeves of a kimono. I think Kashuu from Touken Ranbu
wears one as his casual clothing?

4. Makiwara practice is more close-ranged than target practice and the arrows used are
different as well, as they don’t have fletching and therefore not suitable for long distances
(Source)

5. Dantian breathing, tl;dr, is a type of Daoist breathing exercise that centers around points of
energy on the body called dantian. (Search Wikipedia for more info)

6. The original phrase used here was 褒めて育てろ, which literally means praise and raise,
where the basic idea is that you help your kid grow better by praising them. A type of
parenting method in Japan

7. The actual word used here is mushin, which is the Buddhist term for being free from
obstructive thoughts.

8. The Daishadokyou school is a kyudo school that focuses more on the spiritual aspects of
kyudo.

9. The tateyoko-juumonji (vertical and horizontal crosses) refers to the vertical axis of the
spine and legs and the horizontal axis of the shoulders and arms being perpendicular to each
other. Crosses are a very important form in kyudo. (Source)
At the Kazemai High School kyudojo, about twenty jersey-clad new recruits gathered.

“Today, I would like all of you to learn the ‘kihontai’ (Fundamental Forms). They can also be
called ‘taihai’ (movements), and all of the movements are centered around posture. Don’t all
excellent athletes hold steady postures?”

Tomi-sensei instructed Seiya to hand out the extracts from the first volume of the Kyudo
Textbook.

“The four ‘Fundamental Postures’ are the standing posture, the sitting posture, the kneeling
posture, and the kneeling-on-tiptoes posture, and there are also two types of the kneeling-on-
tiptoes posture: the kiza (kneeling with the balls of the feet on the floor and sitting on one’s
heels) and the sonkyo (crouching). The eight ‘Fundamental Movements’ are the way of
standing up, the way of sitting down, the way of walking, the way of stationary turning, the
way of moving and turning, the way of kneeling and turning, rei, and yuu.”

There was someone who made an “ugh” face listening to that.

“Don’t worry about it, didn’t you see three archers doing zasha (shooting while sitting)
yesterday? That consists of almost all of these kihontai. All you have to do is break them down
and memorize them.”

First, it was how to enter and exit from the kyudojo. They lined up at the entrance with the
toriyumi (bow-holding) posture.

“When you enter the kyudojo, pay attention to the kamiza. The oomae will do the ‘three
breaths of rei’, and the archers following will do the ‘two breaths of yuu’. The movements are
carried out with proper breathing.”

Ryouhei asked a question.

“What are the ‘three breaths’? I know ‘rei’ is a deep bow, and ‘yuu’ is a shallower version of
rei, though.”

“The three breaths are bending the body while inhaling, exhaling while the body is bent, and
inhaling while straightening up. The two breaths are inhaling while bending the body and
exhaling while straightening up. In a nutshell, when you enter the kyudojo, the first person
does eight counts of rei, and everyone after does four counts.”

Even though Ryouhei had experience with kyudo as his compulsory martial arts course in
middle school, he hadn’t properly learned taihai with shooting technique as a focus. They
repeatedly practiced walking while scraping their feet on the floor, trying to not show the
backs of their feet as much as possible and without bending their knees.

When they took a break, Seiya and Ryouhei took drinks from their water bottles.

“This tea is so good—. And my knees and thighs hurt too—. Kiza is a lot harder than I thought
it’d be.”

“Just doing taihai properly is little bit like doing muscle training.”

“By the way, Minato didn’t come. I wonder if he felt sick the other day.”

“Well, he will be here eventually. It’s still April, so I think he can still join during the middle of
it.”

“Seiya, you and Minato were kyudo regulars during middle school, right?”

“Yes, but we lost in the finals of the prefectural tournament.”

“Maybe he’s still carrying that around with him?”

“Losing in the prefectural tournament wasn’t the direct cause. It’s probably my fault…”

“What do you mean? What are you saying?”

“Sorry, I’m not good at explaining with words.”

“Oh, so it’s that kind of thing. You guys always knew each other too well.”
Seiya ended the conversation by bringing his bottle to his mouth. He thought that he had
talked too much. He had felt relaxed in front of his companion who he used to spend time with
like a brother when he was little. Ryouhei seemed to be an airhead as well as surprisingly
sharp. Even if the person himself had unintentionally seen through to the truth of the matter.

He knew that even if he spoke about his past failures, it was useless. He could only do what he
can do right now. It was precisely because Minato wanted to change somewhere in his heart
that he continued to secretly practice behind Seiya’s back. He was fully aware that it would be
a long battle. He told himself that it was useless to rush it.

After the break was over, Tomi-sensei opened up the document again.

“Next, let’s do the shooting techniques. For example, if people were told to ‘imitate pulling a
bow’, most will stiffen the left arm holding the bow and pull the string with just the right arm.
However, when using the Japanese yumi, you put it in the uchiokoshi position—that is, raising
it up—and then you push it open equally left to right. Finally, the process of shooting the bow
is divided into eight steps and named. Those are called the ‘Shahou Hassetsu’. By the way, the
left and right hands are called the ‘yunde’ and ‘mete’ respectively, or the ‘oshide’ and ‘katte.’”

The Shahou Hassetsu were as followed.

----------------------------

First, ashibumi: Spreading the feet wide. Forming the proper posture to shoot a bow.

Second, douzukuri: Placing the bow on the left knee, and the right hand on the right hip. At
this time “tsurushirabe” (checking the bowstring up and down) and “noshirabe” (gazing along
the arrow shaft to the target) are also performed.

Third, yugamae: The right hand takes the bowstring (torikake), the left hand’s grip is adjusted
(tenouchi), and the eyes are on the target (monomi). The two methods of yugamae are
“shoumen no kamae” (frontal stance) and “shamen no kamae” (oblique stance). (1)

Fourth, uchiokoshi: The bow and arrow are raised upwards in the left and right hands. The two
methods of uchiokoshi are “shoumen uchikoshi” and “shamen uchiokoshi”.

Fifth, hikiwake: The raised bow is drawn to the left and right evenly. Taking the “daisan” (2)—
short for oshi dai moku hike sanbuichi (push big and pull one-third), and then pushing and
pulling until the yazuka length (the draw length or length of the arrow to draw that is most
suitable for the archer) is reached.

Sixth, kai: The condition where hikiwake is completed. The peak of the draw.

Seven, hanare: Where shooting occurs. The arrow leaves along with the activation of fighting
spirit.

Eight, zanshin: The position after the arrow leaves. The conclusion of the shot.

------------------------------------

They entered into bare-handed shooting practice. Bare-handed shooting was where one went
through the motions of drawing a bow without holding anything in one’s hands, and it might
seem silly when watching from close by. Just because one joined a kyudo club, it didn’t mean
that one could suddenly grab a bow and shoot an arrow. After practicing “bare-handed
shooting,” “rubber bow shooting,” and “subiki” (drawing the bow without an arrow), one
could finally shoot an arrow at a “makiwara.” It was still a long way off before one could draw
a bow in front of a target.

During practice, the names of Seiya, Nanao, Kaito and Ryouhei as well as the names of three
girls were called. The words that came out of Tomi-sensei’s mouth were unexpected.

“Do you all want to try participating in the qualifiers for the prefectural tournament? Since I’m
looking after the beginners, I want you all to switch to yakazu (repeatedly shooting arrows)
practice for the competition.”

Seo Rika, the leader among the girls, combed her short hair upwards. Usually she gave a
dignified impression, but she was obviously confused as to how to respond. Hanazawa Yuuna,
who had fluffy bobbed hair, and Shiragiku Noa, who had long hair with a hime cut, responded
on behalf of Seo.

“The prefecture’s district tournament is in the middle of May, sir. Will we be good enough for
it by then?”

“Even though I have experience, I have never been in an official competition.”

Nanao interjected.
“Isn’t it great? Let’s do it! If I’m together with a cute girl, I’ll be completely motivated.”

“You should be quiet. Seo’s feelings are important.”

“…Okay.”

It seemed that kyudo girls were a hard nut to crack even for a boy who was naturally popular
with girls. Tomi-sensei continued the talk he was giving to Nanao and the others.

“At the beginning, I had been thinking of asking you all to participate for the time being in
order to create a record of activities, but I changed my mind while I watched all of you
shooting. You are good at this. There aren’t enough people for team competitions, but what
do you all think of participating in individual competitions?”

The three girls met face to face with each other, and Seo relayed their agreement on their
behalf. But, there was someone who objected to it.

——It was Seiya.

“Please let the boys enter the team competition. I cannot take part in individual competitions.”

Hearing that, Kaito objected even further.

“What are you talking about? Don’t you know how hard it is for beginners to even just stand in
front of the targets? Even if you let Ryouhei in, there’s currently only four people to take part
in competitions, so you’re forcing us into a five-person team competition.”

“There is another person who is planning on joining the club. Are there still days until the
deadline for club applications? Can’t we wait until then?”

“Hah!? Who are you talking about? No way, you can’t mean that guy who only showed up
once?”
“Narumiya Minato. There are some circumstances, so he’ll be late in joining the club.”

“What circumstances! I don’t know what the hell hayake is, but he ran away from the bow.
Can you acknowledge a guy like that as a teammate? For the individual competitions, if it’s me
and Seiya we can aim for the top. In the first place, there’s no meaning in letting a guy at
Nanao’s level participate.”

“I think Minato has more natural ability.”

“What did you say?”

Ryouhei was completely startled by Kaito’s vehemence and tapped Nanao on the shoulder. As
if he understood, Nanao winked.

“Kaccha~n, are you underestimating me? Want me to expose that secret?”

“What, what do you mean by secret?”

“Is it okay? I’ll spill it all here.”

“I said, what are you talking about!”

“Leaving that aside, I’m thirsty. Kacchan, please give me your sports drink.”

“I ain’t doing that. Buy your own.”

“Well then, I’ll ask Sakurako-chan. Oh, or maybe Maki-chan.”

“…I’ll give you mine. Don’t bother other people.”

“Thanks, Kacchan!”
“I—told—you, don’t call me Kacchan!”

As Nanao and Kaito unfolded their comedy routine, Seiya was already thinking of something
else.

That he had to change the plan and fast.

-------------------------

The sky was dyed in a deep red, and the wind grazing his cheeks was pleasant.

Minato was visiting the Yata no Mori Kyudojo as though he went there every day.

When he passed through the entrance, Masa-san, who was naked to the waist in his hakama.
Seeing his limbs glowing in the evening and hearing his tsurune, Minato unintentionally
stopped his feet. Kyudo was a formal discipline where one wore traditional clothing, but to
avoid having the left sleeve get caught on the bowstring, men stripped to their waists and
exposed their left upper body, and women tucked up their sleeves with a tasuki. (3) Finishing a
series of movements, Masa-san lowered his bow (yudaoshi) and grinned when he noticed
Minato.

Time was flowing slowly here. The scent of the grass and soil riding on the wind, the insects
that gathered by the lights, and the creatures that crawled on the ground. The forest and
people gently mingled together and respected each other.

After changing into a hakama, Minato headed for the targets. Masa-san, who was Minato’s
oomae, was at the third target, and the last target was empty as it was reserved for the sensei.
This kyudojo was also a six-person kyudojo like the one at Kazemai High School.

While waiting for the timing to enter the target bank from the target viewing area (kantekijo),
Masa-san shivered at the sound of the released arrow. The bamboo arrows Masa-san used
were different from Minato’s aluminum ones, but the sound they made as they flew was more
amazing than any he had heard before. It was the sound of cutting through the air at high
speed.

He never got tired of watching Masa-san shoot. Every time he flicked his right hand (mete), a
beautiful tsurune flew into the night sky—. That joy in those ideal shots existing right in front
of him. How should I express that excitement in words? Should I say that it’s good to be born?
Yes, I’m thrilled.

Masa-san seemed to be related to this kyudojo. Indeed, if that was the case then he could
accept many things. Such as drawing the bow at night, as well as his remarkable ability. But he
also felt uneasy. When they met for the first time, Masa-san said that he shot a hundred
arrows each day and was aiming for a total of ten-thousand arrows. In other words, a hundred
days. Today he was about to pass ninety days, and when he finished shooting ten-thousand
arrows, was he not going to draw a bow at night anymore?

As Minato returned from recording the shots, Masa-san spoke.

“Let’s go down in weight for the bow. Nobisun bows (bows that are 6cm longer than a
standard one) are fifteen kilograms now, I think?”

“This one is fine. In the past, I was taught by my senpai that changing to a heavier bow would
increase my hitting rate. I couldn’t afford to buy a new one so I stayed with my old one
though.”

Bows can be handled by men and women of all ages without any problems because the person
chose a bow that fit their physical strength. There were bows weighing from around six
kilograms to twenty-three kilograms, and some of them were even forty kilograms. The
average weight for a normal man was sixteen kilograms. For bow lengths as well, there were
namisun bows (standard bow size of 221cm), nobisun bows (227cm), yonsun bows (12cm
longer than standard), etc, that matched the height and the yazuka of the archer. Masa-san
used a twenty-two-kilogram yonsun “bamboo bow,” but “glass bows” made of glass fiber were
commonplace among students.

“Since a strong bow makes arrows fly well, it can gloss over the badness of the shooting form.
There are also people who get hayake with the change to a stronger bow, so if you want to
increase your draw weight, you should do muscle training while correcting your shooting form,
so don’t go up a level is what I’m saying. Right now it’s better to focus on keeping the kai long.”

As he said that, he prepared another bow.

Masa-san’s handling of his bow was gentle. When stringing the bow, many people pressed
their weight on the bow and firmly pressed down, but Masa-san dipped up the bottom part of
the bow and gently placed it on his knees. His usual movements and behavior were rough and
sloppy, but only when it came to bows was he well-conducted.
The makiwara practice began.

“Minato, you’re bending back. Push your hips forwards more. Like you’re peeing standing up.”

“Peeing standing up…”

“After daisan, you should stretch your upper right arm more. Sort of a ‘look at my armpit hair!’
feeling.”

——Correction. Masa-san’s advice was vulgar. It was far from good conduct. He wondered if
there wasn’t just another way to say it. However, it was very accurate and easy to grasp the
feeling behind it. Because he couldn’t see himself shooting, he was thankful that there was
someone here who could see it.

“Get a makiwara arrow (close-range practice arrow) and try to go in front of a target.”

“Eh, but if you shoot an arrow without feathers in front of a target, isn’t it dangerous since you
don’t know where it’s going to go?” (4)

“Are you scared of letting it go? That’s the aim. The no-shoot shooting method is a type of
practice where you draw the bow without letting the arrow go, and then returning back to the
start. The not letting it go part is pretty close to subiki (drawing the bow without nocking an
arrow). Let’s try to hold out for three seconds first.”

“Is this really okay?”

“Even if it’s said that a featherless arrow would meander and not fly straight, it won’t go all the
way to the neighboring targets. Well, try, and you can do it.”

Now, he thought. His feet froze when he went in front of the target. He was still scared. Scared
of facing a target. He was worried that his string would escape from his yugake, but somehow
he finally reached daisan. He slowly and carefully drew the bow. And then, without firing the
arrow he returned to the start.
“Did you do it?”

“…Yeah.”

“If you did it for three seconds, you’ll then be able to do it for five seconds. Try to be aware of
your breathing.”

“Is that like that abdominal breathing thing and dantian breathing thing? (5) It’s really difficult
to grasp the image.”

“The internal organs that humans can consciously move about are the lungs. When you
imagine the lungs are a big organ stretching from the collarbones to the solar plexus to the
back of the body, and inhale, the air will enter the abdomen properly as well. Kai is the point
from where you continue to exhale until the arrow leaves.”

After that, to the shouts of “Exhale. Thinly, drag it out, keep on exhaling like you’re letting the
air leak,” he went back and forth between the makiwara and target, carefully drawing the bow
enough times for twenty shots.

When the moon was visible, Masa-san called Fuu. Minato stroked the feathers of the owl that
he had gotten to perch on his arm, discovering that its whole body expanded and shrunk
slightly in time with its breathing. When Fuu went back to the forest it was coffee time. Masa-
san had a lot of books about kyudo, and he quickly looked through them. There were books
that were for students and those that weren’t commercially available, even monthly kyudo
magazines that were serialized in the past, and photocopies that were bound together into
one single book.

“It’s amazing that you collected all of these books together so thoroughly.”

“I didn’t do that, they were a gift.”

“I knew it.”

“What do you mean, 'I knew it.’”

“It’s because that kind of detailed work doesn’t suit Masa-san.”

“Do you not feel like treating your superiors with just a little respect?”

“Not at all.”

“Good grief, does that mean I have to teach you by praising you?” (6)

Masa-san put something on Minato’s open book. When he looked closer, he saw that it was a
rubber animal mascot that could fit in the palm of his hand.

“Is this a dormouse?”

“Yep. Don’t they look cute when they sleep? Since I’m giving it to you, clench it everyday.”

“Why?”

“Since it’s not for grip strength but an exercise for better controlling the triceps brachii
muscles, grip it with your pinky and ring finger. Then, rotate your shoulder blades every
morning for ten minutes. This is for increasing the flexibility of your trapezius muscles.”

“I’ve never heard of that kind of practice before.”

“Thought so. That’s because it’s a method recommended by my sensei.”

“Hey, Masa-san. Why does hayake happen? Did your sensei say anything about that?”

Masa-san closed the book in his hands and gently placed it beside him.

“I’ve read materials relating to hayake on my own and tried anything and everything. It’s said
to be an illness that appears when one improves their skill and shoots well. That it’s easy to get
hayake if the desire to hit the target is strongly expressed. Does anything come to mind?”
“Hmm, there is. My hayake started up during a tournament, where I was thinking that I
absolutely must hit.”

“Even though it’s all called hayake, the symptoms and courses of illness are wide-ranging. In
your case, Minato, you can’t stand in front of a target but you can somewhat keep your cool in
front of the makiwara. That situation has many cases where it is healed. As for completely
separating yourself from the makiwara, it will become serious and difficult to overcome if you
do that. Because the cause is not clear, an effective treatment cannot be established.”

“I heard that counting numbers at kai helps, though.”

“There are people who say to count to ten in your mind and chant sutras. That is good for
preventing hayake, but not very effective for those who already have it. The more you think
about not shooting, the more you will end up shooting.”

“So in the end, you’re saying that I can only stop thinking about it?” (7)

“You do know that it’s not as easy to stop thinking as it is to say it? Drawing with the bones
instead of muscles, seeing with the mind instead of the eyes, shooting without aiming—that is
the peak of enlightenment. Though the theory is understood, the people who can personify
that are rare. That’s probably why books like Zen in the Art of Archery were created.”

Zen in the Art of Archery was a true story where the German philosopher Eugen Herrigel
became a pupil to Awa Kenzou of the Daishadoukyou school (8), questioned Eastern ideas with
Western ones, and did things like Zen dialogues. There was a famous scene where Awa-hanshi
(Master Awa) shot two arrows in the dark, and the second arrow pierced and got connected to
the nock of the first arrow which had hit the target. That was called a “tsugiya” (joined arrow) .

“Hayake tends to be spoken of something spiritual, but the mind and body are linked. Practice
correct breathing and shooting forms over and over so that your body will remember it and
you’ll be able to do them reflexively. The most important form in kyudo is the vertical and
horizontal crosses (9). Extend in all directions, don’t shoot the arrow even if you want to, and
wait for the arrow to leave you naturally, or something like that. Kai is just an infinite hikiwake
after all.”

“So I don’t think about wanting to hit?”

“If I say not to think it, then I will be lying. Think that you’re just lucky if you hit. For archers,
the sound of a matooto (sound of the arrow hitting target) is sweet. The pleasure of a hit
becomes a habit. Then after that, in order to 'make practices open, practice openly,’ it is better
to practice while being exposed to the public so that you can get used to the situation. Even
though I’m doing it by myself now, I don’t recommend practicing alone. Well, that’s out of the
question here though.”

“It’d be great if I drew a bow.”

“If you drew a bow, huh. Well then, will you draw one?”

Masa-san looked at night sky for a moment.

He put on his yugake, then took the “girikoire” tied onto his tsurumaki.

Giriko was a powder made of pine resin that was used to stop the yugake from slipping, and
girikoire was its small tube-shaped container. Its materials ranged from cheap ones like plastic
to expensive ones like the inner bark of cherry trees and water buffalo horns, but Masa-san’s
was wooden and something was wrought on the surface.

“What kind of drawing is that?”

“Oh, Minato is a healthy young man as well, eh?”

Looking closer at the girikoire handed over to him, he saw three triangle designs.

“No way, this is…”

“Yep, it’s a bikini.”

“…You have some rare items here, old man.”

“I am honored to receive a compliment from you.”

“It wasn’t a compliment—!”

As Masa-san laughed, he found himself softening his own lips as well. For some reason, he was
weak against Masa-san’s smile.

-----------------------------

After changing back into his street clothes, Minato went home.

There was a figure of a person in front of his house. When he looked closer he saw that it was
Seiya along with Bear.

“Minato, are you coming home just now?”

“You’re the one walking Bear?”

“Well, yes. By the way, where did you go last night? My mom asked me to bring some side
dishes to your house, but you were not there.”

“Oh, I see. Sorry about that.”

Without telling him that he was going to another kyudojo even though he kept turning down
invitations to join the kyudo club, Minato went to park his bike in the garden as though he was
escaping from the situation.

Suddenly, Seiya touched Minato’s hair. Surprised, Minato instantly brushed his hand away.

“Ah, sorry. What, what is it?”

“There was a bird’s feather stuck there. Did you keep a bird at home? And, it’s quite a large
bird, isn’t it?”

Looking at Seiya’s hand, he saw a brown feather with white stripes there. It was probably Fuu’s
feather. Seiya placed the feather on top of Bear’s nose, and Bear shook its head and let it fall.
Seiya’s gaze also fell to the feather.
“Minato, where do you go every night?”

“Not anywhere really… Just wandering around on my bike.”

“Wandering, huh.”

Seiya exhaled deeply, then got a resolved look on his face.

“Minato, let’s go to the prefectural tournament together.”

“…Eh?”

“Right now, there are four people with experience among the boys, and if you join it will be
five. We’re entering the team competition at Inter-high. Isn’t it rare to have an opportunity
where you don’t have to fight to become a regular? And, there are no worries about getting
harassed by someone who didn’t get a regular spot, or losing and getting called unmotivated.”

“You talk about team competitions, but I’m not even in the club.”

“You can turn in your club registration form tomorrow. The Kazemai High School Kyudo Club is
really nice. Everyone’s really enthusiastic and feels at home there. Tomi-sensei is also sorry
about pressuring you during the introductory class. He even told me that he is taking
responsibility for you, and that he will work hard to help you draw a bow without hesitating.”

Minato wondered if all the blood in his body was flowing backwards.

“What the hell are you talking about! Haven’t you seen my ugly shots lately? Did you forget
about us being losing at the finals of the prefectural tournament in middle school?”

“Oh, I remember. I can’t forget it.”

“At that time, all you said was, 'What a shame,’ but it wasn’t just that. Even though you said
nothing after that, why are you so determined now after such a long time?!”
Because he raised his voice, Bear made a whining sound like it was worried. Minato lowered
his voice.

“We lost in the prefecturals because I, who was the oomae, got hayake. After the tournament,
everyone was all, 'What happened? You shot so early’ and 'Don’t worry about it,’ giving me
words of pity and sympathy. And yet you guys, who were in the same team as me, said
nothing. That guy who was the ochi (last archer) just stared at me with cold eyes as well. And
then he won the individual competition beautifully. It felt like he was showing off the
difference between our positions.”

“It wasn’t just your fault that we lost that competition.”

“I told you, I hate it when you say that!”

There were those who thought that even though kyudo was called a team sport, it was more
like an individual sport, so it had nothing to do with team play, but there were also those who
let themselves get influenced by someone else who messed up the rhythm. Particularly,
because Minato’s hayake first appeared at that tournament, Seiya, who stood behind him, was
thrown off guard. Even though the person in front of him had finished shooting, he himself
hadn’t even finished yugamae yet, and that caused him to get impatient. It was inevitable that
the shot will get messed up when one was impatient. Minato’s three-person team had a total
of twelve shots with seven hits; Seiya had two hits, and Minato had one.

“As long as my hayake is not cured, things like tournaments are impossible…”

“Was hayake really the only reason?”

“What else is there?”

“Beyond you getting hayake and losing the tournament, shouldn’t you be more concerned that
I missed the target because I let myself get affected by your bad condition? But, that’s not
anyone’s business. I judge myself on my own terms.”

The sky, unable to hold itself back, let fall drops of rain.
While Seiya took refuge with Bear under the eaves, Minato remained silent. Even if he wanted
to object, he couldn’t, so he said nothing. Because Minato also hated to lose, Seiya knew that
he would be considerably annoyed.

At first, Seiya hadn’t understood what hayake was. He just thought that it came from
tournament nerves, so he hadn’t recognized that it was a serious disease with such a lasting
effect. Since Minato seemed worried about it, he thought that he should left him alone for
now and it’s better to push him to the side a little, which is what he did, but then it turned into
everyone in the club seemingly abandoning someone who was suffering from a disease. Seiya
himself didn’t want to admit that error of judgement that was due to inexperience. That was
why he didn’t want to fail this time.

Minato pressed the scar on his left flank through his clothes.

His old wound was throbbing. He still didn’t have self-confidence. He just wanted to be left
alone a little more. Today, he finally faced the target. Once he started to stand confidently on
his own two feet, he thought that he would like to report that to Seiya.

Even though many words were running around in his head, the single sentence he should say
was that his place to go was still lost.

Seiya took off his wet glasses and spoke.

“Minato, let’s stand at that place one more time.”

“Weren’t you the one who suffered most from my hayake, Seiya?”

“Next time I won’t let myself get affected by it. Therefore, it’s fine if you have hayake.”

“That’s enough! You said it’s my fault that we lost, so why aren’t you blaming me!? I don’t
want to do kyudo with you anymore, Seiya!”

Crap, Minato thought.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to do it with Seiya—he just hated to cause trouble for him, but he
didn’t know how to convey that better. If he joined tournaments in a state where he wasn’t
able to defeat his hayake, he would cause trouble for his teammates. He especially just didn’t
want to do anything that would hold Seiya back a second time.

Seiya also understood the gist of what Minato wanted to say. However, he couldn’t quite
withstand the phrase “I don’t want to do it with you.” To be able to rely on Minato was Seiya’s
anchor.

Perhaps due to being soaked to the bone by the cold rain, his normally gentle face
disappeared. His gaze looked cold, as though he was looking down on his opponent.

“…Actually, can you endure it if I did blame you? Or can’t you? It isn’t difficult just to make you
cry.”

“——!”

Minato grabbed Seiya’s collar, the momentum blowing the glasses Seiya was holding away.
They fell onto the ground with an unpleasant sound. A Seiya without glasses was in complete
attack ready mode. Pushing him back while his collar was still being grabbed, he thrust his
opponent to the tree behind him. Minato’s face twisted with pain, and his eyes that should
have had a clear shine was blurred by the rain as well.

They gazed at each other without moving, as Bear’s barks and the sound of the rain
reverberated.

Tsurune Book 1 Chapter 2-Home (Part 2)

Translation Notes

1. The shape of eight here refers to the character for eight “八”

2. Schools, as in “school of thought”, not the schools students attend

3. I have no clue what it means, except that it’s talking about a frog?? Here it is in the original
Japanese: カエルケロケロてへぺろケロ、あわせてケロてへエケぺろルロ
4. Ritsuzen, literally meaning “standing zen meditation”, is a term used to refer to kyudo
sometimes because it requires a lot of control and focus, and you have to stand to shoot. It’s
complementary to sitting meditation.

5. Term used here, joubutsu (成仏), means going to nirvana/becoming a Buddha as well as
passing away.

6. This saying here, ボタンを掛け違える, literally means “to button up incorrectly” and it
also means to bungle up the order of something. I looked for a lot of synonyms before settling
with “not seeing eye to eye” because not only is that what happened, it also keeps the button
theme (since buttons go through buttonholes which look like eyes geddit hahahahaha I’m just
using this to pat myself on the back hahahahahaha)

At the Kazemai High School kyudojo, the beginners were occupying themselves with rubber
bow practice and subiki.

The rubber bow was a practice tool where about twenty centimeters was cut out of the part
where one gripped the bow and filled in with rubber. Subiki was where one drew a bow
without a nocked arrow with their right hand wearing a cotton glove. In this way they learned
the Shahou Hassetsu.

Ryouhei put on a brand new yugake, then stood in front of the makiwara. There were two
makiwara in this kyudojo, and Nanao was standing behind him.

“Ryouhei, your ‘ashibumi’ might be too narrow. The distance between your feet should be
about as long as your own yazuka, about half your height.”

Following what he was told, Ryouhei spread his feet half a step without taking his eyes off the
makiwara, then drew his right foot to his left foot briefly before stepping to the right and
opening the feet in a fan-shape.

“Oh yeah, that much is good. Don’t make your soles parallel, make them in the shape of the
character for eight (1) at angles of about sixty degrees.”

“I didn’t know you use one feet to open in modern shooting (reishakei) and two feet in
traditional (bushakei). And the arrow-holding positions are different too.”
“It’s a competition and judging method to have a system where everyone shoots in the same
way even if their kyudo schools (2) are different. Kazemai High doesn’t really belong to any
school, but in terms of system we must be using the modern form of shooting.”

“Huh, that’s pretty interesting.”

When Ryouhei was pulling out his arrow from the makiwara, Kaito approached them.

“Y'all know where my bow is? I put it in the rack (yumitate) when I was getting my arrow from
the target, but I can’t find it anywhere.”

From behind came a frenzied “Oh” sound. Wondering who it was, they discovered that it was
Seiya.

“Sorry, I was using it. I guess I mistook it for my own bow.”

“Hah? Were you shooting someone else’s bow? Normally, you’d think it felt off.”

“I had thought that it was somewhat tougher.”

“Oi, are you alright? Your face is redder than usual.”

Kaito placed his hand on Seiya’s forehead.

“It feels hot. Wouldn’t it be better for you to take a break? You’re busy with a lot of things,
right?”

“I’m fine, even though things look this way I’m used to doing all kinds of work because I was a
former student council president. Putting that aside, Kaito, your hand is cool and it feels nice.”

“That’s because I just washed my hands at the azuchi.”

In front of Seiya, who had responded to him with his eyes closed, Kaito creased his eyebrows
together. Looking at the two of them like that, Nanao whispered into Kaito’s ear.
“Seiya doesn’t seem like himself today.”

“Minato probably turned him down. I already got rejected too.”

“I understand he wants everyone to join the the tournament, but aren’t those two too
stubborn? That Minato guy is such a calamity, being popular with both boys and girls. I’m only
popular with girls on that point.”

“Nanao, Ryouhei, do you have a minute?”

“Alriiiight!”

Having been suddenly called out to, even Nanao made a weird sound. Since they brought their
faces closer together to talk, they hadn’t noticed Seiya coming next to them.

“I’ll be going to Tomi-sensei after this, so could you two watch over the beginners for me?”

“Got it!”

“Thank you.”

After watching Seiya leave, Ryouhei placed his hand on Nanao’s shoulder. His eyes looked
puzzled.

“Nanao, why did you immediately accept what Seiya said to you? You act so bossy towards
Kaito-kun, though.”
“Seiya’s just like my homeroom teacher in elementary school, so I feel like I have to follow
everything he says. Kaito’s a weakling so it’s okay with him.”
“It’s just like you to call Kaito-kun things like weakling. At first, I was really scared of him. I
thought that he was someone who I must not meet eyes with. Now I’m completely fine
though.”

“It’s because in the past, Kacchan couldn’t say ’kaeru kerokerote e pero kero, awasete kerote e
eke pero ruro’.” (3)

“What is that?? Kaeru kerokerote e pero kero, awasete tekke…ow, I bit my tongue.”

The two’s conversation was quickly turning to a ridiculous direction, but since the people in
question were having fun, there was nothing to do about it. For the girls who were listening
next to them, they had absolutely no idea what was so funny. Because they were convulsing
with laughter for a long time, Kaito finally shouted at them.

“You guys, don’t just stand there and chat, practice!”

“Geez, Kacchan, don’t take your anger out on us because Seiya’s gone.”

“Hah? What are you saying?”

“Don’t you watch Seiya a lot?”

“Of course. Kyudo is practicing while watching each other’s shooting forms.”

“Then, watch my shooting.”

“In your case you have too much you need to fix, so I don’t know where I should start with.”

“So you’re useless then, Kacchan.”

“I told you, don’t call me Kacchan. Daaaah—! Damn it, how many times do you plan on having
this exchange!”
“Until Kacchan himself admits that he’s Kacchan, Kacchan.”

When Nanao talked, everyone around him got caught up into it and it turned very lively. Since
Tomi-sensei couldn’t supervise club activities all the time, self-practice became the norm.
Ryouhei’s task was to get used to the equipment, in particular to get his hand to fit his new
yugake.

-------------------

Meanwhile, Minato spent the whole day avoiding Seiya, and as soon as class was over, he
rushed out of the classroom.

His bike pedals were heavy. He wondered if something strange got on his back. When he
arrived at the Yata no Mori Kyudojo, he mindlessly took off his jacket and stringed a bow.

“There’s blood on your back. You sure have a lot of injuries, Minato.”

Before he noticed, Masa-san was standing behind him. It must have been the wound he had
gotten when Seiya shoved him against the tree last night. No wonder he felt an uncomfortable
feeling on his back.

“Show me. I’ll stick a bandage on it.”

“It’s fine.”

“When I stand behind you and see blood on your back, so isn’t it natural for me to be
worried?”

“….Okay, I’ll leave it to you.”

He reluctantly took off his shirt. He shivered from the touch of Masa-san’s hands on his back
when he applied the bandage. They were so cold that they didn’t seem like they belong to a
living person. The scar on his left flank was seen but there was no helping that.

His shooting that night was the worst. When he faced the makiwara, the arrows pierced in
diagonally, and although he was able to do the no-shoot shooting method for five seconds in
front of the target, he almost let the arrow go.
Unable to just watch, Masa-san spoke up.

“On days where you don’t feel like it, going home without drawing too much is also a
technique.”

“No, I’m drawing.”

“Got it,” Masa-san said with a bitter smile.

After finishing half of his fifty shots, he took a break. He was drinking tea, unusually. Perhaps
because there was no smell of coffee, Minato felt somewhat unsatisfied. After his short rest,
Masa-san put on his ink-blank yugake and picked up his girikoire.

“Hmm? The cord came off from the tsurumaki. I’ll restart practicing, but Minato, you can still
rest.”

“Masa-san, call Fuu.”

“I can’t see it in its usual tree today. Besides, Fuu won’t necessarily come even if I call it. I’m
not keeping it as a pet after all. After healing its injury, it already left my hands.”

“So when you healed it, did it dump you?”

“Is there some kind of problem?”

“Noooope.”

Minato flicked the can Masa-san finished.

“What’s wrong? You seem anxious.”

Putting his girikoire away in his breast pocket, Masa-san placed his hand on Minato’s head.
Like he was comforting him, like he was treating him like a child. It made him feel mixed
feelings.

Minato confided to him about being invited to the kyudo club. Masa-san slowly blinked his
almond-shaped eyes.

“——I see.”

“I haven’t said anything about wanting to join the tournament. So why won’t he leave me
alone… He says he wants to do kyudo together with me, but I feel like he just wants to make
up the numbers.”

“Well, I suppose there are cases of friends acting too forward, but I don’t think you are
worrying to that extent about him.”

“That other guy is just selfishly reading too much into things. He’s always been meddling in
everything.”

“Despite you saying that you don’t want to do kyudo anymore, you’re conveying to the other
person that you still have lots of lingering attachments. Why don’t you try shouting out more
straightforwardly that you love kyudo? Does he know about your hayake? Wouldn’t it be nice
to cast aside that petty pride of feeling uncool and sorry that you got hayake, and try taking
advantage of your friend’s kindness?”

“It’s not that I’m refusing to join because of pride. It’s just that I have no confidence.”

“In the future, when you have someone you like very much and you have to part from that
person, when that time comes, are you just going to give up without doing anything because
you have no confidence? There are things you cannot beat no matter how much you wish to
be strong. But, if you do meet something that you truly do not want to lose, it should be able
to make you cling to it and scream.”

“I’d never do such an embarrassing thing in my whole life.”

Masa-san stood up with his bow and arrows in hand.

“Then, what do you want to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Minato, are you going to continue to draw a bow by yourself from now on?”

“By myself…”

“Don’t think that I’ll be here forever. You shouldn’t come to this place.”

A sudden wind roared.

Beneath the night sky covered with clouds, the trees rustled noisily. The dry leaves that flew
from somewhere made scraping noises as they rolled.

Why did he say such a thing just now.

It was just like something a child would declare to a cat who they had picked up because they
pitied it, then told it that they didn’t want it anymore because they had gotten bored of it.

“Ah, damn it. Minato, here, put this in my drawstring bag.”

It seemed that Masa-san had mistakenly put his girikoire in his breast pocket while standing in
front of the targets. He tossed it to Minato. The three triangles landed on his hand. He looked
up at the distant sky to deflect his eyes.

I wish I could at least see the stars——.

But as for wishing on the stars, I cannot seem to be able to do that.

---------------------------
After that, his feet went away from the Yata no Mori Kyudojo. When he went home, he
vacantly faced his desk, robotically got through his tasks then went to bed. The long, sleepless
nights. The small animal given to him by Masa-san was always in his dreams.

On that day, Seiya was absent. Minato had noticed that he seemed dispirited and was doing
things listlessly for a long time, though now he seemed to be finally resting.

Despite avoiding him, before he knew it he was searching for Seiya. With his chest grating, as
he went to the hallway, a boy was waiting for him. He raised his dropped gaze and walked
slowly in front of Minato.

――It was Kaito.

“Narumiya, let’s talk for a minute, so come with me.”

At this uncommon atmosphere, his classmates who were getting ready to leave surrounded
them at a distance. Kaito walked away without even glancing at the curious onlookers, and
Minato followed behind.

When they went outside, a warm wind was blowing violently. It was just like what they called a
spring storm. As a cloud of dust whirled up, Kaito shielded his eyes with his hand.

“You, stop leaving things hanging and just finish it off. Don’t raise people’s hopes like this.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Seiya said he isn’t going to do individual competitions, and that he’s only going to enter team
competitions.”

Minato closed his mouth, and Kaito brought his nose closer.

“Seiya and Ryouhei invited you to the kyudo club. And yet, when I see you not even bothering
to show up for club activities, it doesn’t seem like you have any motivation at all? If that’s the
case, then turn them down cleanly. Say you’re not joining the kyudo club.”
“…I did.”

“Well then, keep on refusing until Seiya and the others give up. You can say that you don’t
want to do kyudo even if you die. Kyudo is said to be a 'ritsuzen’ (4), so a messed-up breathing
is directly connected to skill. It’s subtle and delicate enough that you get warned for blinking
too much. You must know that much at least, if you did kyudo in middle school? Don’t upset
Seiya.”

“I’m not going to follow your instructions. I’m the one who will make my own decisions. I think
Seiya won’t forgive your butting in as well.”

A tint of anger appeared in Kaito’s eyes.

“…I don’t know how much skill you had in the past, but you’re the only one I don’t want to be
in a team with. For this tournament, the Kazemai High School Kyudo Club will only take part in
individual competitions. Seiya too. Go celebrate in the going-home club. So from now on, you’ll
have absolutely nothing to do with kyudo.”

Minato watched Kaito’s departing back for a long time.

-------------------------

Going home from school, Minato stopped by Seiya’s house. His parents were busy working so
it was difficult to let them know he was there, and there was no response when he pressed the
bell that was directly connected to their own home. As there was nothing he could do, he took
out the stick-shaped sweets called Pucky from his bag, drew a picture of a dog on the box and
tossed it into their mailbox. This imitated what Seiya did to put in the intent of reconciliation
after they had fights when they were little.

When he took out the sweets from his back, he took into his hand the dragonfly-patterned
pouch. He noticed that the feel of it was different from usual, and when he looked at it he saw
that he was holding something unexpected.

A wooden girikoire—Masa-san’s belonging.

It seemed that he had brought it with him by mistake. It looked like it was a favorite of his, so
won’t it be inconvenient if he didn’t have it with him? Even though Minato was half-hearted
about it, he went to the Yata no Mori Kyudojo.
When he peeked in, he saw many people practicing there. There were only working adults
there, but he was shocked to learn that it was this crowded during daytime. He thought about
dropping it off with someone, and approached a nearby woman.

“Um, excuse me.”

“Yes, what do you need?”

“Could you please help me pass this on to Masa-san, I mean, Takigawa-san?”

“Eh, Takigawa-san? He was supposed to have died a year ago.”

“…Huh?”

“He was someone who truly loved the bow. Oh yes, his hands were quite nimble with it.”

“No, he’s, um, the person who has been using this place since evening…”

“So you mean Takigawa-san? I only come here to practice during the day, so I have only ever
met him at tournaments and end-of-year parties. Also, there shouldn’t be anyone who is using
this place at night recently.”

Still clutching the girikoire, he left the kyudojo. The wind was as strong as usual, and the sky
was still blue.

No matter how many times he pondered it, he couldn’t understand the meaning at all. What
was that woman saying? Did I hear something wrong? If he died a year ago, then who was the
Masa-san Minato met every night?

The Masa-san he couldn’t meet unless the sun set.

The Masa-san with hands so cold that they didn’t seem to belong to a living person.
Was this what he meant when he said “You shouldn’t come to this place?” Come to think of it,
he said it before as well. That he isn’t someone who exists in my reality.

No way. There’s definitely a mistake.

I saw Masa-san right there before my own eyes. He made a beautiful tsurune resound…

Minato ran in the wind many, many times over.

------------------------------

The neighborhood was already pitch-dark. The worn-out outside lights were flickering.

The clouds that covered the sky were swept away, and the moon shone brightly. The droplets
spilling from the moon became the lake, and the hand extending from the lake’s surface
beckoned to Minato. It felt like he would sink slowly if he set foot in it.

He heard the tsurune from the Yata no Mori Kyudojo. The beautiful tsurune resounding in the
sky, a tone of longing. And yet, on this day was as melancholic as a funeral march.

When he passed through the entrance, Masa-san was there dressed in traditional clothing and
drawing a bow. His pale, exposed skin. His fascinating profile. The way he drew his bow to the
limit so accurately that it seemed mechanical. Even with the noise from the trees, it was just
like a skillful stage production.

Things that fluttered. The ones that gathered here were the forest and its inhabitants.

He begged that the night would never end.

To Minato who was standing quietly at the side, Masa-san made his usual smile.

“You came at just the right time. I will achieve ten-thousand shots with just two more arrows.”

“Masa-san, here… I think I accidentally took it with me and went home the other day, sorry.”

“Oh, it’s no big deal since a girikoire can be replaced. That’s right, I came up with a fun idea.”
Masa-san put his sleeve back on and headed for the waiting room, then returned with incense
sticks in his hand. He went to the azuchi and was doing some kind of work in front of the
targets. When he returned he had on his yugake and was tightly rubbing giriko on it.

“I want to try and see if I can recreate that scene from Zen in the Art of Archery. Minato, help
me.”

By the time he finished nocking his arrow, the lights illuminated everything. The trees became
black silhouettes and the night sky looked bluish. In the darkness, a wisp of white smoke was
rising from the azuchi.

Masa-san raised his bow.

The waterway burbled as he parted his bow to push open his shoulders. The shooting range
(yamichi) became a river with the surging water, and the tremors on the water’s surface
indicated the way that should be advanced on. This place was no longer the green forest, but
the blue sea. People were born of the water and returned to the water.

Masa-san’s entire body was covered by a blue flame. It wavered and swayed, just like the
flicker of life. That shot sharp enough to the point of coolness, the air becoming chilled as the
arrow flew.

So that he could hold his breath in that water, Minato watched the next shot.

Daisan, hikiwake, kai——.

The arrow left, the matooto adorning the night.

With lights, they saw two arrows stuck in the center of the target side-by-side.

“…This is incredible. It’s the first time I ever saw something like this.”

“As I expected, they didn’t become a tsugiya like the one in Zen in the Art of Archery. Thank
you, Minato. With this, I have no regrets anymore…”
Masa-san took his gaze off Minato and looked up at the distant night sky.

Minato’s heart beat violently at seeing Masa-san, who seemed like he was about to vanish at
any moment. There was a roar in his head. The blood in his body was surging tempestuously,
struggling to find an exit.

He didn’t do things like wishing on stars.

If he did decide to wish——.

Minato stood in front of Masa-san and grabbed him roughly with both hands.

“Masa-san, don’t go to nirvana!” (5)

“…Hah?”

“Are you a ghost? No wait, a zombie? You’re so cold… But I’m never letting you go! You’re still
my master, after all. Until the master passes on all his skills to his disciple, it’s his responsibility
to watch over him. No wait, you don’t have to be my master. I want you to stay here, Masa-
san. If you’re a ghost you can possess me, if you’re a vampire then I’ll give you my blood, and if
you’re a zombie, umm, well…I’ll try to not mind even if it stinks a little!”

Masa-san’s jaw dropped and let the bow he was holding slip down to the ground.

“I’m leaving my left chest exposed in this cold weather. Your hands are getting that cold as
well. Well, in the first place you do have a child’s body temperature…”

“But, I was told that Takigawa-san died a year ago.”

“——That’s Takizawa-san!”

“…Huh?”
When he listened to the story more carefully, he learned that it was the ninety-one-year-old
Takizawa-san who had died, and that woman had gotten them mixed up. Takigawa Masaki
didn’t only shoot at night because he was a ghost or a zombie, but in fact it because he was the
junior priest of Yata Shrine, and during the daytime he was working as the chief priest of the
shrine. This kyudojo was owned by the shrine, and it seemed that the kyudo association was
responsible for its management.

Masa-san burst into laughter, holding his stomach. It was a laughter like he couldn’t stand how
funny the situation was.

“Oh wow, this is amazing. That 'the sillier the kid is, the cuter they are’ saying really is true. Are
you relieved that I’m not a ghost?”

“How, how was I supposed to know!”

Minato hurriedly wiped away the tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. Masa-san was still
laughing all the while.

He was so embarrassed he could die.

“Could it be that you didn’t show up lately because you thought I was a ghost?”

“N-no. You said that this isn’t a place where I should come to.”

“Fuu returned to the forest. I was thinking that Minato should go back to where he originally
lives as well. But even so, you just immediately came back. I couldn’t do anything about that.”

After the arrows were collected, the two of them sat next to each other. Masa-san drank his
canned coffee as usual. When his throat was watered, Masa-san played with his girikoire.

“This girikoire was given to me by my master. He was my grandfather, as well as the previous
chief priest. To tell you the truth, there is a certain meaning in my ten-thousand shots all this
time.”

“Eh, it’s not on a whim?”

“I think I’ll tell you about it. Are you fine if it gets too long?”

“Uh-huh.”

“My master also worked as a lecturer at a kyudo classroom at the prefectural budokan (martial
arts hall), and though he was popular as an enjoyable teacher, he was strict on the students of
his own dojo. Grandpa was too serious and stubborn, and the more seriously he taught, the
more it seemed like everyone was about to quit. When I won the Inter-High in my third year of
high school, he told me, 'Are you going to continue this ateyumi forever? Well, if you’re fine
with it then it doesn’t matter.’ That triggered the break-off of our relationship. Ateyumi means
'your shooting is not kyudo, just playing around,’ so it was a humiliating word to archers who
are seriously working hard. It’s like, exactly what of me are you seeing?”

“Oh…I kind of understand that.”

“I was tending towards hayake at that time, and even though I tried so hard to fix it, I couldn’t
maintain kai long enough. If it was off it was still fine, but because I needed to hit perfectly, I
felt Grandpa getting into a rage. And so, I was discarded as someone who didn’t follow
instructions. Simply put, I was someone to be completely ignored. After that, I went to
university but didn’t join the kyudo club. And while one thing or another happened, Grandpa
passed away… Although it was a so-called state of excommunication, in the end he was still my
master for more than fifteen years. Within me remained thoughts of reconciling with him one
day, and so, I started to think about what to try and do——”

“The ten-thousand shots.”

“Exactly.”

Masa-san deftly turned the lid of his girikoire with one hand. His hand movements seemed
nostalgic. Since he put that kind of design on it, his master must have been someone with a
sense of humor. Those two loved the bow too much and somewhere, they were unable to see
eye-to-eye. (6)

Those were shots to send a soul to rest.

Masa-san was shooting ten-thousand arrows in order to talk with his deceased master.
“I almost never shot in this dojo, but in the end, I returned to this place again. I couldn’t stop
drawing the bow. I felt like I got myself completely involved with a troublesome thing.”

“Masa-san…”

Close to the Yata no Mori Kyudojo, the red-purple Miyama azaleas were in full bloom. The
sprouts in the forest that had been pointed towards the sky like they were offering prayers
were now proudly spreading their leaves. The things that grew pale-colored hair in order to
protect themselves were shining in the moonlight.

Minato stood up.

“I want to try shooting a hitote in front of a target.”

“Aah.”

After getting dressed in kyudogi, he faced the target. He slowly raised the bow with his two
hands and placed himself into its middle. Even though he could see the target, he didn’t see it.
He wasn’t thinking anything. He didn’t need to. He could stay just like this. As long as possible
—he was waiting for that moment to come.

When the wind blew across the nape of his neck, his arrow got stuck in the very edge of the
target’s frame. With Masa-san watching, Minato nocked another arrow.

There was still a numbness running through his body after he released the arrow. Dominating
from his brain to his feet was a feeling of ecstasy that he craved once he tasted it.

What should I do, I’m so happy.

I’m so happy that I feel like I’ll die.

Was I this hungry for the bow?

His body moved to follow nostalgic memories. Memories that he couldn’t forget even if he
tried. They were marks carved into his flesh and bone. They had always been talking with each
other like this——.

When the sound of rustling leaves ceased, the arrow was sucked into the target.

Masa-san spoke.

“Did you recover it as well?”

“Yes. ——I’m joining the Kazemai High School Kyudo Club.”

------------------------

Before leaving home, Minato put his palms together in front of the memorial tablet.

His father spoke.

“Did you talk to your mother? Have a good day, Minato.”

“I’m heading off now, Dad.”

The sky was perfectly clear, and the mountains were getting increasingly bluer. From behind, a
comfortable wind was blowing.

Carrying his bow and quiver, today he rode the bus to school. Because he had contacted him
last night, even though it was early in the morning there was someone standing in front of the
Kazemai High kyudojo. He was dressed in kyudogi and hakama and wore a gentle smile. What
was different from usual was that he wasn’t wearing his familiar glasses.

“Seiya, the premium Pucky in my mailbox yesterday was delicious.”

“Welcome to the Kazemai High School Kyudo Club. ——Welcome home, Minato.”

Minato blinked his eyes. If he didn’t do that, the hot things would likely spill out.
As they slowly walked forward, he placed his hand on Seiya’s shoulder.

“I’m home, Seiya. Sorry to have kept you waiting…thanks.”

“Yes…”

Seiya felt the weight of Minato on his shoulder and closed his eyes as though he was relieved.

From the middle of the kyudojo, they heard a noisy clattering sound.

“Minato, you came! You’re late!”

“I told you not to run in the dojo.”

Ryouhei, also dressed in hakama, ran over to Minato. Their shoulders joined together like
always, and the three became one.

Minato was thinking.

I’m not going to run away anymore.

If it’s for the sake of feeling the strength of these hands, I won’t be afraid of any difficulties or
pain.

The three stood in a row with Minato in the middle and took one step forward towards the
targets.