Japanese archery.

"Shooting" originated from the Six Arts of Gentlemen during the Zhou Dynasty in ancient China. It was a skill that everyone in the Zhou Dynasty's nobles needed to master.

After it was introduced to Japan, it gradually evolved into the later traditional kyudo, and a complete set of standards and theories were developed based on this - commonly known as the "Eight Sections of Archery".

It is widely circulated in the country.

Step on the ground, settle down, set the bow, raise the bow, draw the bow, aim, shoot, and pay attention.

There are eight movements in total, and each movement has detailed requirements and explanations, making it very easy for beginners to understand and get started.

As long as you can do these details well, you will definitely hit the target, that is, you will definitely hit the target if you shoot straight!

To sum up, this is actually a sport that is more ornamental than practical.

People tend to pay more attention to a person's shooting pattern and status than whether he hits the target or not. Hitting the target is just a result.

certainly.

Since it is a competition, there must be a winner.

So the target hit rate became the criterion for judgment.

In the team competition.

There are a total of ten players in the two teams.

A group of players each has 4 arrows, a total of 20 arrows.

The team with the highest number of hits can advance.

If the two teams hit the same number of targets, each team will shoot one more arrow as the winner.

Regarding specific standards.

Competitors have to shoot a target with a diameter of 36 centimeters from a distance of 28 meters.

After three consecutive days of competition, there is still one final battle for the king in this selection meeting, which will be held in 10 minutes.

In the auditorium.

While thinking about the specific rules of the game, Sayu put his hands to his mouth, took a breath, and rubbed them gently.

From Hokkaido to Tokyo.

Hiding it from everyone, she took a plane and came here alone.

The origin of the matter begins a week ago.

From Aizawa Uichi, she learned something about that person.

…

"Anyway, my knowledge of Kato-kun is relatively limited. As you know, I met him at the end of summer, that is, at the National High School Athletics Meet."

"Having said that, I only interviewed his teachers and some classmates at school. He himself doesn't seem to like to appear in the media."

"Let me talk about my specific impression... He had black hair at the time and was tall. His appearance made people feel clean and refreshing. He seemed to be quite low-key."

"You may not believe it, but Kato-kun didn't attract much attention before the game at that time. It was another player who was sought after by everyone.

As a result, Kato-kun later achieved astonishing results at the semi-professional level, and that was probably the beginning of his fame.”

"What happened after that was similar to what was circulated on the Internet. He did not develop in track and field, and I didn't hear anything about him for a long time..."

"What people didn't expect was that he later became a cartoonist and was even interviewed on television! It's really impressive that he could achieve such an achievement at such a young age."

"Of course, Ogiwara-san, you are not bad either. I also heard about your heroic deeds of sacrificing your life to save others. You are so brave!"

"Back to Kato-kun, he has changed a lot since I first met him.

Not only has the color of his hair changed, but he has also become a popular figure and is very popular with girls. Is that why you came to me?"

"Huh? You asked me what happened to the color of his hair? Sorry, I don't know much about this, but it shouldn't be an illness or something. Maybe he dyed it himself?"

"Basically, that's about all I know. As a bonus, I can tell you one more piece of news."

"I heard that Kato-kun seems to be participating in this year's Kyudo Tournament, which will be on December 24th.

Not many people know about this matter at present, so if you are interested, you can pay attention to that information."

…

that's all.

To learn more about that person.

With an indescribable fear and anxiety, Sayu came to the site of the archery competition.

Running away from home for the first time in my life.

First time coming to Tokyo.

The unfamiliar environment brought her not only nervousness, but also an indescribable and subtle feeling.

She felt that she must be crazy, otherwise why would she do such a crazy thing, trying to prove that her delusion was real.

but.

The moment she actually saw him, all those concerns and worries turned into determination.

"Iwanami-san..."

The girl chanted softly, and wisps of white air escaped from her lips.

Just like the promise I made to myself that day.

No matter what, she must find him...

While thinking about this, the voices of several students in the front row suddenly reached her ears.

"Ah, the last match of the team competition is against Kato Yusuke from Toyosaki Private School. Are they okay, seniors?"

"After all, he has hit all the shots since the beginning of the qualifiers..."

"Isn't that guy first in the individual competition?"

"No..."

"That's amazing. He's only in the first grade."

"I really can't stand it. What's the first grade? He just became a monk halfway and came to play kyudo, right?"

"The target hit rate is 100%... Damn it, you actually have to fight against that kind of monster?"

"And he didn't even move the bow back! Didn't the shock of the bow have any effect on him? I even broke the calluses on my hands."

"Seriously, isn't this guy exaggerating? A track and field champion, a cartoonist... he's even so good at kyudo. It's just cheating!"

As he spoke, his voice became louder.

Sayu raised his eyes and looked over.

Several boys and girls wearing the same sportswear were talking there, with expressions of mourning on their faces.

After looking at them for three consecutive days, she recognized that those people were students from another strong school in this archery tournament, and they were also the school that would compete with the private Toyosaki Academy for first place.

'It seems to be called Tongxian High School, right?'

She thought a little uncertainly, a soft smile blooming on her cute little face.

Although she felt a little sorry, she couldn't help but feel happy inside.

The more in-depth you investigate, the more you will know how good that person really is.

Sayu didn't know much about kyudo and had never been exposed to this sport before, but this did not prevent her from understanding the situation at all.

after all--

Being able to take the top spot among more than 200 contestants selected from 43 counties across the country is not something that anyone can do easily.

Frankly speaking, that person's level of excellence is enough to make anyone feel ashamed.

'No wonder so many people admire him...'

While she was thinking about this, a sound came from the speakers arranged in the venue.

"Next is the men's team competition, the second round of the finals."

"The first shooting range, private Toyosaki Academy."

"No. 1, player Kato."

"..."x4

"The second shooting range, Tongxian High School."

"..."x5

As the players walked out from behind one by one.

Sayu's attention was immediately attracted by one of the figures.

It's like the protagonist stepped out of a comic book.
To be continued...