Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part1 (2/2)

“It looks easy, but hitting all the targets ten times is impossible to achieve if you’re not an incredibly skilled archer. Mom used to do kyudo in high school, but it would have been great if I even hit half of them.”

“So kyudo is that hard…”

The men finished four rounds without reaching an outcome, and the black bull’s-eye on the white target became a size smaller from the comlike (1) pattern circling on the target. Though they shot for more than four rounds, still neither of them missed the target.

Suddenly, the place became noisy.

“It’s amazing, how they are still not missing the target…Probably because Yasaksensei, who’s usually in the referee’s seat, is partic.i.p.ating. Shall I say, ‘Just as expected?’”

“Since they keep doing izume (2) without switching into enkin kyousha (3), isn’t the physically younger one at more of an advantage?” Similar conversations reached the boy’s ears.

A middle school boy was standing by himself, watching the match with intense concentration. His long fingers trembled slightly.

That boy asked about what he had been most curious about earlier.

“What’s that ‘tw.a.n.g’ sound?”

“Oh, that’s tsurune. It’s the sound the bowstring makes when an arrow is shot. The thump sound when the arrow hits the target is called matooto.”

“Tsu-ru-ne? Sounds like an instrument.”

“That’s true. Just like an instrument, the sound is different depending on the bow and ability. Originally, it seemed that the tsuruoto (4) that was above all others was called tsurune, for beautiful sounds that had especially clear reverberations. Even if the same person uses the same bow, it will not always sound the same. Because bows and people are sensitive, they are very easily affected by the weather and the condition of the mind.”

“—I want to try kyudo.”

“Fufu, how wonderful. If Minato is in a tournament, Mom will cheer you on with all her heart.”

“Really? You have to come and see me do my best. Promise?”

“Okay, I promise.”

A great sigh went out from the venue. Someone had missed their twentieth shot.

The area had turned completely silent. The sound of swallowing his breath burned his ears, and his skin stung with pain. Everyone’s attention was fixed on the lone elderly man standing on the kyudojo.

He slowly pulled back his beautiful yumi bow, its length boasted as unparalleled in the world.

After a long, long time, the arrow was released at the target.

A tsurune that soared to the heavens. Matooto.

“All right!” Everyone cheered.

His heart would not stop pounding.

I want to make a tsurune that sounds like that too—.

The boy thought that, when the kyudojo was engulfed a huge round of applause.

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