Tsurune Book 3 Chapter 2 - Rainbow-Colored (Part 1)
I don’t know if you guys can tell...but my motivation for working on this novel is kinda low. But thankfully the author has ways of pushing me by putting in some of the most insane shit that makes me question if I know how to read
Also for the Tsurune: Irodori no Issha audio dramas: it’s not that I’m too lazy to do them, it’s that I keep forgetting about them. I’ll get them all out eventually
Glossary here
Full list of translations here
Translation Notes
1. An oonusa is a wooden wand traditionally used in Shinto purification rituals, salt water is also used sometimes
2. Oshikura manju is a children’s game where children gather in a circle with their backs pressed close together and tried to push each other out
3. The words used here is チラ見えの帯 and I have no idea what this is referring to
4. Guu Choki Paa is some kind of Japanese rock-papers-scissors song
5. The Iroha poem is an ancient poem that contains each character of the Japanese syllabary exactly once
Previous | Next
In the morning, Minato was standing on the balcony of his room.
Raindrops beaded the railing. The transparent drops were bathed in the morning sun and glistened in orange, green, and blue. As he gazed at the sparkling water droplets glittering together like jewels, he heard his father’s voice calling him from downstairs. He hurriedly wiped the laundry pole.
Suddenly, a figure entered his field of vision. It seemed to be looking at him. He moved closer to the railing, but the figure was already gone. Thinking that it must have been his imagination, he held the empty laundry basket in his hands.
Recently, Minato had made some changes to his morning routine. He had added ritual chanting to the gods and sutra chanting after doing his run. He learned this from Saionji-sensei, and had stopped since he got target panic in his third year of middle school. Many foreign kyudo enthusiasts were inspired by Zen in the Art of Archery to start kyudo. Mindfulness was underpinned by Buddhist concepts.
The sutra Minato was reading was the Heart Sutra. It gave concrete examples of the Buddhist idea of emptiness and explained how to attain the wisdom of the Buddha. The author was unknown, but it was translated into Chinese by Xuanzang, made famous by Journey to the West. It was a very short sutra of 262 characters and was composed in the form of Kannon talking to Sariputra.
Minato, who was in fifth grade when he heard the Japanese translation, wondered what “All is empty.” When he told Saionji-sensei that he didn’t like the idea of enlightenment if it meant the absence of feelings of happiness and sadness because it wasn’t human-like, Saionji-sensei told him, “You aren’t capable of contemplation. Please study more.”
The Golden Week training camp of three days and two nights began today.
The venue was the same as last year, Yata Shrine.
The rain that lasted the night before cleared up, and red-purple mountain azaleas and white fringed irises were blooming in profusion. Because of the renovation work, the Yata no Mori kyudojo was now extremely bright with LED lightning instead of fluorescent lights.
But Minato’s spirits were heavy. Lately, Masa-san wasn’t looking him in the eye.
He would immediately look away whenever their eyes met, and he seemed somewhat distant. Minato hadn’t seen his grin in days. Was he avoiding him? Or rather, he felt like he was being ignored. Did I do something to make him hate me? He wondered if he yelled something like “Masa-san’s a dirty old geezer!” in his sleep without realizing it. Once he started worrying about it, he couldn’t stop himself from spiralling deeper and deeper. His head was spinning with delusions summoning more delusions.
Tommy-sensei was standing in front of the referee’s table.
“First of all, the selected members will do a demonstration of the competition format.”
The selected members, Kaito, Ryouhei, Seiya, Kanbayashi, and Minato, lined up at the entrance.
At last year’s training camp, they had a lot of trouble stepping together as five, but now they had grown to the point where they were able to match each other’s steps in an instant with someone they were grouped with for the first time. Kaito, walking in the lead, learnt to feel the presence of the people behind him and didn’t miss anyone. After he nocked his arrow and fixed his eyes on the target, he raised his bow towards the sky.
After everyone finished four shots, the results were announced. It was four, three, four, two, for a total of seventeen hits.
Kanbayashi sank down onto the floor after returning his bow to the rack.
“I didn’t think this when I was watching you all, but everyone’s kai is really long. Being between President Takehaya and Narumiya-senpai is really nerve-wracking.”
Seiya knelt down next to him.
“Don’t be so nervous. Just be your normal self.”
Overhearing their conversation, Kaito glared at them.
“Kai isn’t ‘long,’ but ‘deep.’ And it’s no good shrivelling or getting too worked up, no matter who’s in front of you or behind you. Well, I can’t blame you for getting distracted if Seiya’s in front of you, though.”
Seiya stood up and got his face right up to Kaito’s nose.
“I wonder what do you mean by that, Onogi-senpai.”
“I meant it exactly as it is.”
Kanbayashi blinked his eyes rapidly and Keyaki looked fed up as they watched Kaito and Seiya’s exchange. When Nanao was about to step in between them to divert the conversation, Tommy-sensei asked them to gather again.
“Now, the theme of this camp will be ‘Steady Mind and Body.’ The way you breathe is very important.”
The first-years, excluding the competitors, gathered near the makiwara, while the rest stood in front of the targets.
Masa-san undertook demonstrating the practical skills.
“Let’s start by practicing the ‘dantian breathing technique’ again. I want you to listen with the understanding that there are various theories about dantians and I may correct this at a later date.”
“Yes, sir,” everyone answered.
“First, about dantians. It means ‘a place where energy is cultivated.’ There’s a theory that there are three dantians: upper, middle, and lower, but generally speaking, dantian refers to the lower abdomen dantian, which is three sun below the navel. That is, about ten centimeters below. It’s in the middle of the belly, not in front. Next, let me explain the ‘martial arts-style dantian breathing technique.’ The reason why I added the words martial arts is because when we say abdominal breathing or dantian breathing, people are generally taught to expand their abdomens when inhaling and contract it when exhaling.”
Ryouhei raised his hand.
“My sister had childhood asthma, and she told me she learned how to do it at the hospital. They do the same thing in yoga, too.”
“However, in kyudo, exhaling doesn’t cause the stomach to depress. In recent years, there’s a theory that has been adopted by athletes and has proven successful. That is the Stanford-style ‘IAP breathing method,’ also known as the ‘intra-abdominal pressure breathing.’ It is a breathing method that increases the pressure in the abdomen and tightens the area around the abdomen when inhaling and exhaling. Top athletes and musicians can naturally do IAP breathing.”
“Musicians do IAP breathing too?”
“I’m sure some of you have been told to project your voices from your stomachs during choir or vocal training. An easy way to understand this is that clenching your butt holes can help you produce higher-pitched sounds.”
“Ahh, ahh,” Ryouhei tried it, and he certainly did sound different. It had a resonance to it, not just a flat sound.
“For a singer, their body is an instrument. It’s the same for archers. The tsurune is the sound of the bow and string when an arrow is shot. Bow, string, and person become a musical instrument and resonate. Even among ‘tsuruoto,’ ‘tsurune’ refers to a particularly clear and beautifully lingering sound. To be alive means to breathe. There are times when everyone unconsciously does dantian breathing, but that’s when they’re laughing like ‘ha-ha-ha.’”
Seiya sighed.
“It feels like we’re listening to a monk’s sermon rather than an explanation of shooting techniques.”
“I am a priest. Yata Shrine is a shrine that has its roots in Shugendo, so there’s a fusion of Shinto and Buddhism here. Many teachings have been handed down, such as the Buddhism of Gautama Buddha, the esoteric Buddhism of En no Ozunu, and the secret teachings of Kuukai.”
“In other words, Masa-san, you’re a hybrid of a priest, monk, and old man.”
“Hahaha, you sure have a way with words, Seiya.”
The two’s smiles froze the boys there. The six girls gathered, and Hanazawa and Shiragiku put their hands on their own abdomens and Seo’s to compare the firmness.
After that, they began practicing on their own. Before they knew it, the first-year Himuro became the oomae. Minato wondered just when did he get there. He was like a stagehand, someone who was on stage but treated as though they didn’t exist.
Masa-san looked at everyone’s shooting in order starting from the front, but he skipped over Minato and went straight to the person behind him.
His eyes blinked weakly. Kanbayashi was also doing the same thing in front of the makiwara.
Minato covered his eyes to hide how much he was blinking.
Early next morning.
Same as last year, Minato was woken up by Masa-san’s older brother Ren pulling his hair. When he turned around, he found that he was sprawled out on someone else’s futon with one elbow propped up. Ryouhei, awakened by Minato’s voice, tried to pull Ren’s arm away. Beside him, Nanao was still half-asleep.
After finishing the morning preparations, the club members gathered in the front shrine. They were attending the morning offering and worship.
Masa-san chanted the ritual prayer loudly. After reciting the words in a rite called the shubatsu, the purification was performed with the oonusa and hot salt water. (1) Minato couldn’t look at Masa-san in fear that he would avert his gaze again. He turned his eyes to the window and caught a dark shadow moving quickly.
The club members then proceeded to clean up. The second-year boys were in charge of the precincts. When Minato and Kaito finished sweeping around the pond and took a breather, they found a white tabby cat sitting under the shrubbery.
Minato slowly crouched next to the cat so as to not make eye contact. If you looked into the eyes of an animal you were meeting for the first time, it would think you were threatening them and run away. You hold out the back of you hand to have it sniff it, and if it gives you permission, you stroked its chin. His grandfather taught him this way to interact with cats when he was little.
The cat purred.
It was the sound of “I love it.”
As Minato was stroking its back, it got onto its back as though tell him to stroke its belly. Minato learned that it was a mother cat.
Kaito’s feet had become a puddle of cats in an instant. A brown tabby cat with one ear cut into a V-shape clung to him with its tail up.
“Oh, is this a Sakura cat?”
Sakura cats were stray cats that had been spayed and neutered by animal protection groups. They were also called local cats. They got their name because the V-shaped scar looked like a sakura petal.
The white tabby cat kicked him and left, perhaps because he stroked him too persistently.
Kaito’s cat puddle also disbanded. In their place, Ryouhei, Nanao, and Seiya gathered.
“Minato, you really love fluffy things,” Ryouhei said.
“I’ve always wondered this. Why aren’t humans covered with fur and feathers? We used to have them, didn’t we? Did we like clinging together?”
Hearing that, Seiya and Ryouhei sandwiched Minato between them and they ended up looking like a game of oshikura manju. (2)
“Stop it, you guys! I didn’t mean to clinging to me.”
“Really? Then what did you mean?”
Ryouhei separated from him with a puzzled look on his face. It seemed that his habit from childhood still hadn’t gone away. Not wanting to go through that again, Minato took a step away from his two childhood friends.
Kaito propped his chin on the end of the broom handle.
“Seiya, as the club president, you shouldn’t be fooling around.”
“Huh? Kaito, do you want to be squeezed too?”
“No way! I’m gonna punch you!”
Seiya covered his mouth with his hand and turned around, his shoulders shaking.
Minato expressed what was on his mind to Kaito.
“Actually, recently, I feel like someone’s been watching me. Ever since the training camp started.”
“Huh? Aren’t you just being too self-conscious?”
“It might be one of Nanao’s groupies. We have to be careful.”
Seiya smiled. The mole under his eye stood out. “I don’t think it’s either of them. It’s probably just your imagination. Come on, let’s go back and change into our hakama.”
“Yeah…I guess you’re right.”
Seiya, Ryouhei, and Nanao headed for the kyudojo.
Kaito, who was one step behind, couldn’t quite make sense of it. Seiya was so overprotective of Minato that Hanazawa, Shiragiku, and Seo teased him by saying, “Seiya Home Security, watching over you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.” But for some reason, he wasn’t concerned about this case.
Minato was walking away from the four of them. Nanao walked in place to slow down his pace and naturally ended up next to Minato.
“Minato, I really am okay. Is there something you’re worrying about too? Tell me about it if you want to.”
“…Lately, our eyes aren’t meeting.”
“Oh, oh? Is this about romance?”
“Not at all.”
“Hmm, the eyes can say as much as the mouth, and you can pretty much tell what people are looking at. For example, who’s the person you care about looking at? Who’s the person you always care about looking at, Minato?”
“Mm, I guess it’s the gods?”
“Mm, that might be outside my area of expertise.”
A bird chirped.
The two looked up and they could see the blue sky and the fleecy clouds between the budding trees. At first, they couldn’t make out where the bird song was coming from, but when they strained their eyes, they were able to spot a varied tit on the treetops.
Minato’s eyes, which reflected the fresh green, shook.
“It’s so pretty.”
“That’s right …I realized that I wasn’t so frustrated when I didn’t make it into the regular lineup. I was fine with being a substitute.”
“You really are fine with that?”
“What’s important to me isn’t winning or receiving praise from anyone, but being able to feel Kacchan’s presence.”
“——I want you to stay by my side.”
“Whoa, Minato, you can read my mind?”
“Of course not. Maybe we just happened to think the same thing?”
“Yeah. If you had that ability, you’d be at the top of the class after reading Seiya’s mind. Oh, look, there’s Masa-san.”
In the direction Nanao pointed, there was Masa-san, who had changed into his practice clothes, and Ren, who had a camera in his hand. The two of them were smiling, and Masa-san had a childish expression on his face that wasn’t normally seen.
When Nanao waved at them with a “Merha,” they also replied with “Merha,” but Minato looked away.
The twins ripped the target papers together.
I’m so frustrated. I’m so frustrated.
They peeled off the hole-filled target papers from the target frames.
To lose to that newbie and have our places next to Shuu stolen. Ah, I can’t believe it.
They were cleaning up after practice at Kirisaki High School’s kyudo club.
In order to set a good example for the new members, the second-years were taking the initiative. After washing the target frames with water, they left the rest to the first-years and went to the azuchi. When they slammed their trowels against it, part of the azuchi crumbled, and they hurriedly scooped up the crumbled earth.
Senichi and Manji felt the same way. It was absolutely unacceptable to be disrespected by a cocky junior who had no idea what he was talking about, just when they were starting to communicate with their seniors, Kabashima and Yushima. They themselves had also done quite a lot of trouble, but they of course put that aside. They quickly swept inconvenient things under the carpet.
Shuu was silently facing the makiwara. Kuon asked him a question with a composed expression.
“Fujiwara-senpai, you promised to watch my shooting when we’re together, didn’t you?”
When someone around them remarked, “I hate to admit it, but the two of them are a perfect match in terms of looks, ability, and pedigree. Even the clothes they wear are first-rate,” the twins glared at the person who made that comment.
A few days later, Senichi and Manji sprang into action. At every possible location, they guarded Shuu by staying ahead of Kuon.
What should we do to win against him?
He’s a strong man. Men speak with their fists.
They started going to a kickboxing gym. Jumping rope, shadow boxing, hitting mitts. One-two hook and one-two uppercut, middle kick from cut, then straight right. Kyudo emphasized shooting form, but in kickboxing, even if your form was good, it was meaningless if it didn’t work on your opponent. Put your weight in it and bring your fist down!
After sweating, they took care of their hair and skin to master the art of beauty. Ayurvedic beauty treatments from India. Dripping oil on the forehead had a great detoxifying effect. Their tired skin and hair became glossy and lustrous, resulting in well-moisturized young men.
They decided to completely remake their appearances. Aiming to be fashionable men, they were stylish even down to the places that weren’t visible. They bought silk underwear and layered obis (3) at a long-established kimono shop, and wore intellectual-looking glasses. While they were at it, they put a wig and silk hat on Yushima. They had used those props for the Rokumeikan Café during the school festival.
Yushima Kaoru, dressed in his kyudo uniform and silver wig, stared at them with narrowed eyes. At this time, the kyudojo was only for second-years, but there was a stir coming from the female members.
Manji spoke. “Kaoru-senpai, the crew cut is cool and on, but have you considered growing out your hair?”
“…Hey, twins, do you see something wrong with the direction of questions here?”
Kabashima also chimed in. “I don’t care if you look nicer or got stronger, but what about kyudo practice? I hope you haven’t been slacking off.”
“Huh? We practice properly. Look at our feet. The gaps between our toes are open, and we were praised for having nice feet. Maybe we can be both archers and martial fighters.”
Senichi and Manji took off their tabi socks and showed off their bare feet. The two faced each other and began playing Guu Choki Paa (4) and feet rock-paper-scissors. Kabashima buried his head in his hands even more at their comical movements.
“You know, a fighting man has to put his life on the line. What do you think Fujiwara recommended hot and cold baths and home cooking for?”
“So we can become househusbands and mountain hermits.”
“No, you got it wrong. They are ways to recover and nourish the body, to develop the strength and steadfastness necessary for an athlete.”
“Nope, nope, no way. We’re living far away from that kind of thing.”
“Hey, Fujiwara. Say something to these disgraces of Kirisaki High School. It’s setting a bad example for the juniors if their senpais are messing around too much.”
Called to by Kabashima, Shuu put down his bow. He sat on his heels and took off his yugake. His straight back, graceful nape of his neck, and swaying bangs made all those who saw him fall into raptures.
“Isn’t it good to try different things? You never know if something’s good or bad until you try it, and you might get something out of it.”
“Fujiwara, are you aware that you actually spoil those twins too much?”
“My father told me that a well-bred person respects others. Life dwells even in the plants and roadside stones. The rock cannot be cut by those who cannot see its life. He said that this isn’t a metaphor, but him telling the truth as it is. Sen and Man put their hands after the meal. The two of them are fine just the way they are.”
“Shuu!”
Senichi and Manji rushed over and tugged on Shuu’s sleeves from both sides. As expected, he didn’t seem to like that and quickly brushed them off before returning to practice.
Kuon, who was watching the situation from afar, raised his eyebrows.
He had a dream the other day.
In it, he and Shuu were having a conversation on a wide lawn with a Western-style building behind them.
“I’m thinking of welcoming a dog into my family,” Shuu said.
“Have you decided on the breed?”
“It’s hard to decide between Japanese and Western. A black Shiba inu, a Labrador Retriever, or do I go with the classics and choose a standard poodle? It’s pleasant to imagine a furry creature snuggled up to one’s side.”
“It is wonderful.”
“That’s right. There’s a cute creature that’s always bright and energetic, and when it sees my face, it flies towards me, and even shrinks its huge body when it fails.”
And then, Shuu turned to a tall man. “Your hand,” he said.
“Awoo,” he said and put out his hand.
“Your chin.”
“Awoo—wait, what are you doing, Shuu-kun!”
That was when he woke up. Kuon was covered in cold sweat.
What kind of dream was that?
Who is this guy who’s so familiar with my Fujiwara-senpai?
The crime of disrespect is also serious. Unforgivable, even if it’s just a dream, something like this would never happen. Fujiwara Shuu is a solitary genius. Everyone kneels before him in awe and reverence. Being the sublime Young Lord is his truth. Associating with lowly people will only degrade your status. Playing around with them is outrageous.
Dogs must be strictly disciplined.
The training camp at the Yata no Mori Kyudojo was on its last day.
A practice match was held. A total of twenty-five mixed male and female archers, excluding five first-year students who didn’t participate in the training camp, shot four arrows in zasha in teams of five. The order was decided with “yaburi.” Himura took an arrow from each participant, held it in a bundle behind his back, and then placed them in a random order on the floor, one at a time. The order was determined by checking the arrow and the owner calling out their own name.
The entrance ceremony began. The first-years were a bit slow, with their shoulders tensed and their steps not in sync with each other, but their spirit was well-conveyed.
It was fun shooting in a different lineup than usual. Seiya was behind Seo, and Hanazawa and Shiragiku were behind Kaito, neither of them giving an inch. What made kyudo great was that it allowed men and women of all ages to compete without handicaps.
The first-years were checking that they have memorized the shooting form and Eight Stages of Shooting, so hitting was of secondary importance. Still, they were so happy that they felt like they could soar when they hit one. Everyone shouted “Yes” as if it were their own. When all the shots were finished, there were three who hit with all four arrows. It became a tie-breaking match, and in order to shorten the time, it was an izume match instead of an enkin match.
Masa-san and Minato left the kyudojo to pick up the kimonos for the nosha.
The disciple followed the master who was walking in a hurry, but there was no casual chat as usual. The two of them were in the positions of working adult and student, and keenly aware of their different speeds and strides.
Unable to stand it, Minato called out to him.
“Masa-san.”
“What is it? If there’s something you need, it can wait until after camp is over.”
“Since this year’s beginners are using the bow earlier than usual, I know that you and Tommy-sensei must keep an eye on them in order to prevent accidents. But why are you only ignoring me?”
“Wait, Minato, let’s talk about this later.”
“It’s true that no matter how many times I’m told, I forget to tense the little finger on my left hand, and I can’t even do dantian breathing, but am I such a terrible disciple that I’m given up on?”
When Minato grabbed Masa-san’s arm, he heard a quiet voice.
“I’m sorry, but please don’t look at me with those eyes.”
Minato let go of his grasping hand.
In his blurry vision, he saw Masa-san covering his face with his left hand.
“It’s not what you think. When Seiya took a survey of the club members, he found that ‘Coach Takigawa shows favouritism towards the second-year boys. Especially Narumiya-senpai.’ So, to avoid misunderstandings, I tried not to talk to you too much in front of the first-years.”
“…Huh?”
“And Minato, you were the one who didn’t react when I waved to you.”
“I thought you didn’t want to make eye contact with me.”
“It’s more like there are times when it’s troublesome.”
“What do you mean, troublesome? Tell me clearly.”
“I sometimes find myself wanting to pat your forehead uncontrollably, but I can’t let anyone else see me like that, now can I?”
“Wh-wh-what are you talking about?”
Just when Minato was at a loss for words, two figures suddenly appeared and stood in front of him.
“Making our grandson cry, you’re a failure as a coach!”
Minato couldn’t believe his eyes. He had seen these faces before.
“…Grandpa!? Grandma!?”
“We thought that this club must be an exploitative club, since they have club activities during the holidays, but it seems that we were right. Isn’t it important to spend time with your family and friends outside of club activities?”
“Grandpa! There were people who were against training during the holidays, but we were the ones who asked for it. That’s why only volunteers are participating.”
His grandfather, who was about to grab Masa-san, loosened his clenched fist. After understanding the situation, the grandparents turned to Minato.
“When we learned about your kyudo activities, we really wanted to see you face to face. Since we were against the marriage of your parents, we were too embarrassed to go see you, so we hid and watched you,” his grandfather said.
“We’re sorry for coming to see you so late. We haven’t seen you since the funeral. Your mother had been sickly ever since she was little, so we were worried about letting her live so far away. Because we were so stubborn, we never got to see our precious daughter and grandchild. We weren’t able to properly express our feelings. We can never get rid of our regrets, so this is how…” his grandmother said.
“…I’m the only one who survived… I wondered if Mom was in more pain than I was, or if she was scared, but I couldn’t breathe…”
When Minato pressed his hand against his left side, his grandmother gripped that hand and his other hand.
“What are you saying! There’s a song your mother used to sing to herself when she was a child. It goes like, When I cross that mountain, I will feel very peaceful and content. Your mother always loves your smile.”
Masa-san placed his hand on Minato’s back.
“Ui no okuyama kyou koete, asaki yume miji yohi mo sezu—that’s the ‘Iroha poem.’ (5) It talks about how when you cross the mountains, Miroku-sama will come and greet you.”
“Yes, that is also an interpretation. You seem to be a diligent person who studies hard. I’m relieved that there’s someone like you by Minato’s side. Please continue to take good care of him for a long time.”
“No, I should be thanking you.”
While still holding Minato’s hands, his grandmother exchanged a few words, then let go of them in reassurance.
“We’ll come visit again!” Minato saw his waving grandparents off.
Kaito and Seiya, who were looking for Minato and Masa-san because they were late in coming back, hid behind a tree.
“Seiya, you knew that Narumiya’s grandparents were secretly checking on him, didn’t you?”
“Oh, I knew. They visited us. That’s why I left it alone.”
“Good grief, you should have told me. If I had known, I wouldn’t have gotten worried.”
“Sorry, Kaito.”
Kaito stiffened at Seiya’s honest response.
Afterwards, the nosha was held. Nanao, who won the match, was the archer, and Minato served as the first kaizoe, and Kaito as the second. They wore peach, bamboo-green, and crimson kimonos respectively.
Previous | Next
77 notes
·
View notes