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thefinalcinderella · 8 months

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Tsurune Book 3 Chapter 6 - Genuine (Part 1)

Finally...finally the last chapter...

Glossary here

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

The kumotatewaku is a traditional Japanese pattern that resembles rising clouds. It is often used in the costumes of ancient nobles

The expression used here is 白羽の矢を立てる (literally: sticking a white feathered arrow), which is an idiom that means "selecting someone out of many people"

A chindonya is a kind of old-timey marching band that dressed in elaborate costumes to advertise for shops

Block style or kaisho style calligraphy is the regular script and the most commonly used. Every stroke is carefully executed

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In early June, the prefectural preliminaries for the National High School Kyudo Tournament, also known as the prefectural tournament, were held.

Kyudo supply stores and photo studios were set up around the venue, and the storefronts were lined with commemorative goods for the tournament. The wind was strong on this day, and the young archers were moving against it. The competition event was close-distance shooting, using thirty-six-centimeter kasumi targets with a shooting distance of twenty-eight meters.

For the boys’ individual competition on the first day, Fujiwara Shuu of Kirisaki High School once again won by landing all his arrows. Second place was Kabashima, also from Kirisaki, and third place went to Asahina from Haneina High School, showing the strength of the powerhouse schools. For the girls’ competition, Seo from Kazemai High School placed fifth.

On the second day, it was finally time for the team competition. The format was five-person teams and four shots in zasha. In the preliminaries, the time limit was eight minutes. Forty-two schools were participating in the boys’ competition, and the top eight teams with the highest number of hits in the two rounds would advance to the final tournament.

Tommy-sensei raised his voice. “Now it’s time for the team competition. Kazemai will show its true strength. Everyone, I wish you good luck!”

“Yes!”

After completing the registration process, Kaito, Kanbayashi, Seiya, Himuro, and Minato put their numbers on their right hips. Ryouhei and Nanao were reserve members.

Himuro was expressionless like he always was, but Kanbayashi gently stroked his number.

“Oh no, I might be really happy after all…”

Keyaki nudged Kanbayshi. “Don’t grin like that and get it together. I don’t wanna hear you whine.”

“Of course.”

Next to them, Ryouhei was tying his yellow-green headband.

“Today, my sister, Sae-chan, and Toujou-san are coming to support us. I’m psyched!”

“That’s great, Ryouhei,” Minato and Seiya said.

The Nanao Fan Club had updated its cheering goods and prepared fans with a frog wearing a crown. They also handed them out to support groups and parents, and when the bright green of them swayed, it looked like a chorus of frogs.

As they were about to pass through the noisy venue, people approached Minato and the others. A young prince, twins, a boy with a square face and thick eyebrows, a boy with pleasant features and a crew cut, and an antique doll.

They were Kirisaki’s Fujiwara Shuu, Sugawara Senichi and Manji, Kabashima Umetarou, Yushima Kaoru, and Kuon Takumi. The twins burst into laughter in front of so many of their rivals.

Shuu brought his face close to Minato’s right ear. Since their master Saionji’s left ear was bad, Shuu only showed this habit to Saionji and Shuu.

“Thanks for the birthday present the other day. I’ll treasure it.”

Shuu put his thumb on his yugake. A white underglove with a purple pattern could be seen beneath it.

“I’m glad I was able to give it to you on May 11th this year. I thought it would be perfect for you.”

“The kumotatewaku pattern is rare for undergloves. (1) ——See you in the finals.”

“Yeah, the finals.”

The two of them bumped yugake and returned to their teammates.

Shuu’s gaze drifted to Kuon. Kuon was in the starting lineup for the day, but he was standing separate from everyone else. Everyone could tell that he was isolated, and was not a proudly solitary existence like Shuu. A dissonant sound was wafting from Kirisaki High School.

Kuon, who didn’t care about other people’s concerns, had moved onward. In fact, he was frustrated because he didn’t do well in yesterday’s individual competition.

Manji rested his elbow on Senichi’s shoulder.

“Will we okay with Kuon? I’m more suited to be the starter.”

“It’s frustrating, but his hitting rate is usually high. The coach said there was no problem either.”

“Alright, everyone, let’s go!”

At President Kabashima’s order, Shuu and the others headed to the venue.

Meanwhile, Tommy-sensei and Masa-san were in the shade of a tree, away from the crowd.

Masa-san straightened his collar.

“Why did you remove Ryouhei and Nanao from the starting lineup? There was nothing to criticize about their results.”

“If we make it to the finals, each person would have to shoot twenty shots in total. Even if it’s difficult to shoot twenty shots and hit, how about twelve shots? The aim is to preserve stamina.”

“There’s one more thing I’d like to confirm before we get into the tournament. On the day of the entrance ceremony, I heard you say to Minato and the others, ‘I have given you white-feathered arrows.’ (2) I’m sure that you knew that saying originated from the custom of playing an arrow with white feathers in front of the house of a girl chosen as a sacrifice. Why did you purposely use it?”

“It’s to prepare them. Once a ship leaves the port, you can’t turn back even if you shout to get off.”

“Are you telling them to prepare to share the same fate? Even though those who are wounded might fail again?”

“Hohoho, I didn’t mean it in such a sad way. Youth is the greatest weapon, since they can just start over again and again. I just felt that they could make it to the new continent. The first fleet, the Kazemai High School’s boy’s kyudo team, started with six members. Takigawa-san, you’re the first-born son. When I was able to convince you, I was convinced that we had completed our mission.”

“That’s a bold opinion, typical of Tommy-sensei.”

“It’s true of all sports, but one cannot win by the strength of the athlete alone. Especially in kyudo, the character of the master comes out strongly. Everyone resembles your shooting, Takigawa-san.”

“…My shooting was said to be very similar to my grandfather’s.”

“It’s the spirit of archer that is passed on.”

“…Yes.”

Masa-san looked at the treetops swaying in the wind and laughed.

Following the opening ceremony, the yawatashi ceremony was held.

The boys’ division was called for the preliminaries, and they headed to the waiting area with Masa-san leading them. As always, the most stressful time was sitting in the chairs and waiting. When the team before them finished, the “stand up” signal was given, and they rose from their chairs and advanced to the honza. They bowed at the signal to “begin,” walked to their shooting positions and knelt down. They chose two arrows from the four they had.

First up was the oomae, Kaito. It was lovely how he never trembled when facing the target. The lovelier he became, the more stubborn he got, and he would end up saying things that were different from his true feelings. He would say, “I have no interest in you,” but would grab the other person’s arm and not let them go in the same breath. He lived and breathed kyudo. That was Kaito’s everyday. After his right hand flicked, shouts of “good” came from the stands.

The second, Kanbayashi, raised his bow. The midsummer sun encouraged growth. He absorbed more and more of what was told to him and expanded towards the blue sky. He had seniors who he admired and pursued the shooting he admired. His longing had a zeal that surpassed his anxiety. His arrow pierced the target with a grand hanare.

The third, Seiya, was quiet. Wearing a straw hat and an insect cage, he entered the forest, but stopped when he saw a field of flowers. The neat and trim flowers swayed. When he lay down and looked up at the rising clouds, he felt like he was about to float away. He heard a familiar voice and stopped returning to the sky—he hit.

It was the fourth, Himuro’s, turn. He took the bowstring with a bodhisattva’s hand and looked at the target with a bodhisattva’s eyes. His ability to make an uncurving douzukuri was probably something he was born with. It was his natural posture with no effort put into it. The frogs in the stands jumped when he hit.

The fifth was the ochi, Minato. The white-feathered arrow was proof that he had been allowed to come into contact with the gods. He didn’t resist, go against it, and accepted it as it was. His limbs, stretching vertically and horizontally, were incredibly supple. His body of sixteen, which couldn’t be wished once more after it had passed, embraced the earth, wide and endless.

The matooto sounded.

Hanazawa, Shiragiku, and Seo, sitting in the stands, held their breath.

“The boys are amazing.”

“I feel like they have become more and more refined.”

“I heard that Narumiya and Takehaya have also been going to Saionji-sensei. Their drive is different.”

For the second shot, everyone except for Kanbayashi hit.

For the third shot, Kaito, Seiya, and Minato hit.

Keyaki’s chest swelled at the success of his fellow first-years. “Kazemai, do your best!” Shuu’s younger sister Sae and their butler Toujou cheered in a small voice.

For the fourth shot, Kaito hit with all four of his arrows and left the shooting range to applause. After him, Kanbayashi, Seiya, Himuro, and Minato all hit the target. Their result was four, two, four, three, and four for seventeen hits out of twenty. It was a very good start.

Kirisaki was the sixth team to enter the shooting range. A wall of people filled the surrounding area to catch a glimpse of the champions’ shooting.

The oomae, Kabashima, released his arrow.

Senichi, Kuon, and Yushima all hit. The ochi was Shuu.

Wash your heart and turn it into incense; revere your body and turn it into flowers. Those were Kukai’s words, meaning that it was the duty of a virtuous person to serve others without any thought. Those who had a pure heart were fragrant. Shuu knew firsthand that this wasn’t a metaphor. The feeling of euphoria he felt when he brought his face close to the owner of that scent. He heard whispers of wanting to be intoxicated, of not minding sinking to the bottom of the lake if he could have it all to himself, but those were the words of a demon. He must not fall for the sweet words of someone who looked like him.

Shuu’s evil-expelling arrow dashed forward.

The results for the two rounds were announced.

For the boys’ division, Kazemai had thirty-four hits out of forty, Kirisaki had thirty-six, and Haneina had thirty-five.

The Kazemai girls had only twenty-eight hits, so unfortunately they didn’t pass the preliminaries.

Minato and his teammates got the ticket to go to the finals.

After lunch, the finals began. In the afternoon, the wind became stronger and their hakamas fluttered violently.

“It’s time to change the lineup. Yamanouchi-kun will be second, and Kisaragi-kun will be fourth. I’m counting on you,” Tommy-sensei said.

Ryouhei and Nanao received their numbers.

Minato adjusted the position of Ryouhei’s number.

“It looks like the five of us will be standing on that stage again. A year ago, you invited me to the information session for the kyudo club. That was the first time we five met face to face.”

“I wasn’t the only one who invited you. Everyone wanted to do kyudo with Minato.”

“Now, I can draw a bow. I’ve never been happier.”

Kaito brusquely held out his right hand, and the five boys looked at each other. Passionate feelings could be conveyed without words or skin contact.

Ryouhei, Nanao, Kaito, Seiya, and Minato bumped their yugakes together.

Kazemai’s opponent was Uyoshiro High School.

They were wearing bright red headbands. They lived in an area associated with military commanders who were famous during the Sengoku period, and when they went to a competition, they wore a certain armament. It was glasses. It might seem comical from the outside, but they did it very seriously.

The group stood in the first shajo. The oomae readied his bow and fixed his eyes on the target.

The bow maker, the yugake maker, and the arrow maker were the three gods of kyudo. The archer was the one who became intimate with these materialized gods. If there was a slight doubt or confusion, the string would make a muddy sound with those negative emotions. The twill brocade woven by the trinity of gods resembled battle attire. The flowers, birds, wind, and moon on the robe were the prayers of the samurai, and the butterflies (moths) represented the parents of the silkworm, production.

The flowers scattered. The flower battle was a warrior’s honor.

The oomae’s matooto resounded.

Kazemai’s oomae, Kaito, was undaunted. The wind beat mercilessly at his face, and his douzukuri felt like it was about to collapse under the wind, but he withstood it. Patience was his natural disposition. He might seem short-tempered, but he had the conviction to never give up. To not run away from the way of the bow. He was determined to cling to it for the rest of his life.

The nimato, Ryouhei, was listening to the news of the wind. Seeing the faces of his parents and sister in the stands, he felt strongly that he wasn’t alone in this fight. It seemed that people became stupid when they were angry and when they were happy. Their brain stopped working properly. The state in which one’s mind was clear and free from all distractions was called munen musou, and he learned from the path of the blade that you couldn’t fulfill your duties if you weren’t passionate.

The naka, Seiya, had found the answer to Minato’s question some time ago.

Why did humans shed their fur? It was to continue walking.

The ancestors of humans who left the forest for the grasslands learned to walk or run long distances in search of food. Body hair had a heat insulating effect and protected the skin from UV rays, but in order to prevent the body temperature from rising too high, they chose to abandon their fur and sweat instead. Humans had great endurance. The way one breathed was important in walking the long way of the bow.

The ochimae, Nanao, was thinking. Thinking was a linguistic activity.

There were two types of word formation. One was to give a name to something that had been hidden and make its existence manifest, and the other involved the intention of first creating a word and having the concept follow. When you learned a language, you not only acquired wisdom, culture, and thinking, but also the spell of words.

Letters and patterns were magical techniques that had their own power. If you looked down on them as just a means of communication, everything would be embodied and pour down upon them. There were no magic words; words were magic. A story was a kind of magic and truth. If you write it as tsurune, it would be called tsurune. A tsurune was the beautiful sound of a bowstring.

Nanao’s sharp hanare brought forth the next wind.

The ochi, Minato, held his bow.

Just how heavy was this shot?

Just how light was this shot?

“I” was the one who gave it meaning. The god of the bow didn’t smile at those who couldn’t love themselves or others. Because humans were incarnations of the gods.

Minato forgot that he was a human and turned into the matooto.

Uyoshiro had three, three, four, two, and four for a total of sixteen hits.

Kazemai had three, four, three, four, four for a total of eighteen hits.

Minato and his team made it through the first round without incident.

The second round began.

The stands were filled with people wearing blue and yellow-green headbands. The two waves struggled, almost swallowing each other up, almost to the point of spilling over onto the yamichi.

Kazemai’s opponent was Konoe High School.

Their blue arrow feathers and headbands were their trademarks.

Only those with kyudo experience would understand the exhilarating feeling of seeing the actions of five people overlap. There were rules even for movements such as taking a step forward, sitting, and nocking an arrow into a bow, and because there were rules, it was possible to match each other. Ikiai was the embodiment of the red droplets that circulated around the body.

They shot arrows every day. The faces were almost the same. The repeated daily routines were a series of miracles. They take up the bow, hoping to grow even just a millimeter better than they were yesterday. For most people, landing a hundred hits with a hundred arrows was just a dream, and it was precisely because they couldn’t do what they wanted to do that they got absorbed in it. The sound of the arrow hitting the target was pleasant, and they wished it would happen again, but the god of hitting was a contrarian. The moment you wished it, the chance escaped. Approaching something without wanting to approach it was nothing but a dilemma for humans, who had developed enlarged brains.

Don’t think, just feel, as a martial artist once said. How long would it take to reach that state? Even if it was achieved, would it be possible to maintain it? If you kept thinking like this, it seemed that you still had a long way to go.

Kazemai’s archers faced themselves in the form of the targets.

The aggressive Kaito, the lively Ryouhei, the intelligent Seiya, the sparkling Nanao, and the pure Minato.

They highlighted and polished their inherent colors.

Their inexperience became a weapon. Even though they were told that there was darkness an inch ahead, they wouldn’t be able to understand unless they looked into it, and they wouldn’t notice it unless they fell into it. Pain was something you only knew when you suffered it, and hate was something you feared only when you possessed it. The cry of the inner soul could only be learned through experience, and words were powerless there. No matter how many words you wrote, they would never be understood by those who never experienced it. Only an archer knew the heart of an archer.

A world of just two people, the bow and the human.

The bow caught the innocent body falling.

The ecstasy a bow gave you was different from that of humans. Skin with goosebumps and surging droplets. It was a ritual to bind the soul that was about to drift away to the body. There was no sound without a container. You couldn’t make a sound with an empty shell.

Minato and the others raised their bows, spread them wide, and released their arrows. Ashibumi, douzukuri, yugamae, uchiokoshi, hikiwake, kai, hanare. They followed these eight stages and headed towards the heights.

The results of the second round were as follows.

Konoe had three, four, four, three, four, for a total of eighteen hits.

Kazemai had four, three, four, four, four, for a total of nineteen hits.

Kazemai won by a difference of one hit.

Since there was some time until the finals, Minato went out to the front.

He wasn’t feeling bad. If anything, he was focusing on calming himself so he didn’t go too fast. A dull mind and a weak body. At first glance, it might seem like a state far removed from martial arts, but eliminating the “self” was the secret to being able to freely manipulate the body. As long as “I” resided in the body, the god of the bow would not descend upon you.

To become empty.

Even if it could be understood as a concept, it was extremely difficult to embody it.

An elderly man called out to Minato.

“It’s almost time for the finals. Just like last year, the match between Kirisaki and Kazemai is a must-see.”

“Thank you very much. But the match between Kirisaki and Haneina is about to begin.”

“No, no, the match is already decided before it even began, right? Did you see the head of those students from Haneina? A chicken’s cockscomb and a horse’s tail. The training clothes they wore in their Yotube streams looked like something from an old marching band. (3) You’re wearing a clean white kyudogi and your hair is neat. It’s praiseworthy. That’s what a Japanese boy should look like.”

“…I do have short hair, and I like white kyudogi. But, if someone is serious about kyudo, I will acknowledge them as an archer no matter what they wear.”

“What’s with that way of talking? Seems like I thought too highly of you.”

The man left. Minato went outside to focus his mind, but he ended up inviting needless interference.

His yellow-green headband was fluttering. It was something a master had prepared for his disciples.

Minato took a deep breath once more.

The card of Kirisaki versus Haneina in the second round got people excited.

Asahina raised the corner of his mouth.

“Nice. It looks great.”

Eddie tied an orange headband tightly.

“I am trembling at the prospect of a worthy opponent, that I am.”

Matsuda, who had poor eyesight, placed his hand on the shoulder of the poet Kanuma. Igarashi started walking while holding flowers. People naturally gave way to them. The existence of Haneina’s kyudo club was already dramatic in itself. The five of them walked leisurely down the flowery path.

The two schools began to enter the shajo, and the spectators held their breath as they watched.

In the first shajo, Eddie raised his bow. His blond ponytail swayed and sparkled in the sunlight. A stop, an upward turn, and a sweeping stroke. His shooting was like the block style of calligraphy. (4) A work of art that changed seven ways depending on the tools, brushstrokes, style, and word selection. His stance was to never prepare practice sheets, but always treat it as though it was the real thing. He quickly drew back his brush, and the arrow flew towards the target.

The second, Matsuda, hit.

The third, Kanuma, hit.

The fourth, Igarashi, hit.

The fifth, Asahina, begun to raise his bow. His red hair stood out against the green grass. His self-confidence and warm-hearted personality brought out the bright sun. When he drew his bow, his limbs stretched to infinity. The matooto resounded.

Kirisaki also matched their pace.

The oomae, Kabashima, hit.

The nimato, Senichi, hit.

The naka, Kuon, hit.

The ochimae, Yushima, hit.

When the ochi Shuu hit, the scoring board was lined with circle marks.

No one missed their second shot as well. The sound of the matooto and the cheers of the crowd made their bodies numb, and the elation made them desire more and more matooto. They became greedier and greedier.

Kuon was confident that he would never lose to the red-headed guy. If they went on to win, he would be placed in the same picture frame as the Young Prince, Fujiwara Shuu. What a beautiful picture it would be!

He melted into the world of images.

Now, let’s sneak in.

This was Tsujimine High School.

A boy with the hood of his white hoodie pulled deeply over his head walked over. A boy with streaked hair was standing a little further away. He stole the key from the staff room and hid it in his pocket.

Nikaidou and Fuwa were in the music room. They stood in front of the piano and gently opened the lid.

Along with Fuwa’s piano melody, Nikaidou played the drums using his hands and knees. He was very into music games and could even reach an uncanny level of fast drumming in games like Kotaiko no Tatsujin.

One day, after club activities, Nikaidou was tapping a rhythm on his knees on a whim when Fuwa correctly guessed the name of the song.

“Konahanasakuya-hime.”

“…Correct.”

Since then, the sneak-in sessions, not street piano, had continued.

Konohanasakuya-hime no Mikoto, the origin of the song’s title, was the name of the most beautiful goddess in the history of Japanese mythology. Her father was Ooyamatsumi no Mikoto, and her husband was Ninigi no Mikoto, grandson of Amaterasu Oomikami. Her husband accused her of infidelity, and in order to prove her innocence, she set fire to the delivery room and gave birth to three children in the flames.

When the two of them were babies, they had a scarlet seal stamped onto their faces at a festival called Hatsuyama to pray for their healthy growth. It felt creepy thinking that they might have passed by each other somewhere.

Fuwa began to play a song. As he proceeded at a walking pace, Nikaidou stood next to him.

A fearless smile—the start of a duet.

My fingertips hit the keyboard. The melody, chords, and bass line. Nikaidou sped up the main melody while adding improvisations. There was no way Fuwa wouldn’t take up this challenge.

“Nikaidou, can you keep to my speed?”

“Hah, there’s no way I’m following you.”

“Good grief.”

Fuwa ignored Nikaidou and decided to go fast. He was crafty with techniques such as giving someone glimpses and keeping them in suspense. Fuwa always kept his distance from others. Though he had purposely drawn a line telling them not to come over, those who crossed that line were, so to speak, prey. There was no need to hold back. He would shake them, shake them, shake them until they begged for forgiveness.

Nikaidou attended piano lessons when he was a child, but quit after learning “Turkish March” and had been studying on his own ever since. On the other hand, Fuwa’s mother was a piano teacher. Knowing the difference in their abilities, Nikaidou devised a plan. He tried to find rhythms that players might not be comfortable with, such as lowering the key by a semitone or changing chords.

Fuwa made full use of his techniques. Nikaidou clicked his tongue, then reached over Fuwa’s arm and hit a high key. It was more of a fierce battle than a fun session. Sound and breathing filled the room. The music room wasn’t air conditioned in order to prevent unauthorized use. If the sound leaked out, the shame would be unbearable. They played the whole song while sweating.

“It’s not fun at all playing with you,” Fuwa muttered.

“Same here.”

“Get out of here.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’ve always been an arrogant king, Koushirou.”

Nikaidou took off his white hoodie. His body was hot and he was breathing heavily. He reached into his bag to get something to wipe off his sweat and grabbed a towel and his phone.

The results of the prefectural tournament where Minato and the others were in were displayed on the screen.

“…Oh man. I think I’m gonna laugh.”

“You laughing by yourself isn’t a good thing. Alright, I’ll ask. What happened?”

“Kirisaki lost in the second round of the final tournament.”

“What!?”

Fuwa stared into Nikaidou’s large eyes.

“That’s a big upset. Who was their opponent?”

“It’s the school of the Yotubers Asahina and Eddie. Shuu-kun really is a lovely man. As expected, my special won’t let me down. I wonder if Minato-chan will entertain me as well.”

Nikaidou loosened the collar of his white shirt.

After the wind that had been blowing since the morning calmed down, an incredibly bright blue sky spread out above Shuu’s head.

Kirisaki had nineteen hits.

Haneina had twenty hits.

The powerhouse Kirisaki High School was defeated in the second round of the prefectural tournament.

Under the sunlight, the Kirisaki members calmly began cleaning up. “We all did well,” the president Kabashima exclaimed, and Yushima smiled and said, “It’s been a fulfilling three years. I’m grateful to everyone,” but Senichi and Manji couldn’t hide the heaviness of their steps. They endured the overwhelming mixture of feelings of inadequacy and jealousy toward those who had earned the smile of the goddess of victory.

There was only one person who missed in this team, and that was Kuon. Despite the weather having returned to calm, he looked as though he had inhaled a cloud of dust.

One could almost hear the crunching sound of it.

“Fujiwara-senpai, I’m so sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for.”

“But, still! Even if it’s to yell at me, please just say something to me.”

“I have nothing to say.”

Shuu left without saying any more.

Devastated, Kuon turned to face the person who appeared in the corner of his vision.

Minato, who was going to talk to Shuu, saw what happened.

“Kuon-kun, it’s usual for Shuu to not express his thoughts after a match. Don’t worry about it,” he told him, then immediately followed Shuu.

Kuon stared at Minato’s back and bit his lip.

Was he pitying me?

Who on earth were you talking to when you said “don’t worry about it?”

I can’t believe someone of the lower class is looking down on me!

Minato had no clue about Kuon’s delusions. He was running after someone he must not lose sight of.

He shouted the name of his brother disciple.

“Shuu!”

Shuu turned around and smiled. It was all he could to not drop his bow.

“I’m sorry, Minato. I wasn’t able to fulfill our promise to meet in the finals. It seems that I don’t have any luck with team matches.”

“That’s not true, Shuu. You’re my first bow friend—a genuine archer. We met at that kyudojo when we were little.”

“Minato.”

“Someday, we will definitely team up together.”

“…Yeah, I’m looking forward to that.”

What a cruel person.

You were the one who lit this fire under me.

God of the bow, please save me.

We are babies who don’t know anything. Although no ships nor people have arrived there, the sun is a red, blazing star that will someday turn to dust. We never witnessed the beginning and end of the story, and we believe in an empty dream that cannot be verified. Dreams are seen when one is asleep. People are still sleeping. A dream from which we can never wake. In the darkness, only my old friend knows what I did. Only you can burn me to ashes.

Shuu touched Minato’s forehead with his yugake-covered hand. His cold fingers were trembling.

He couldn’t let go of that unforgettable body warmth.

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#tsurune translation #tsurune

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malewifemaki · 2 years

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Sum1 asked me to compile sd characters names in kr, so here u go! I hope this makes it easier for u fellow twt hoez✌️

Slam Dunk: 슬램덩크

Shohoku (Buksan / 북산)

Sakuragi: Kang Baekho (강백호)

Akagi: Chae Chisu (채치수)

Mitsui: Jung Dae Man (정대만)

Miyagi: Song Tae Seop (송태섭)

Rukawa: Seo Tae Woong (서태웅)

Kogure: Kwon Junho (권준호)

Yasuda: Lee Daljae (이달재)

Ayako: Lee Hanna (이한나)

Anzai-sensei: Ahn Hansoo (안한수)

Yohei: Yang Hoyeol (양호열)

Haruko: Chae Sooyeon (채소연)

Ryonan (Neungnam / 능남)

Sendoh: Yoon Dae Hyeop (윤대협)

Uozumi: Byeon Deok Gyu (변덕규)

Fukuda: Hwang Taesan (황태산)

Koshino: Ahn Yeongsoo (안영수)

Hikoichi: Park Kyungtae (박경태)

Kainan (Haenam / 해남)

Maki🫶: Lee Jung Hwan (이정환)

Kiyota: Jeon Hojang (전호장)

Jin: Shin Junseop (신준섭)

Shoyo (Sangyang / 상양)

Fujima: Kim Soo Gyeom (김수겸)

Hanagata: Seong Hyeon Joon (성현준)

* note that im only including more prominent characters. Feel free 2 rb and add more if u want, or just ask n i ll reply.

** the romaja is just how i personally read the names so there might b sum weirdness in the spacing, romanization, etc🤪 but i 100% guarantee that the hangul/kr letter is correct.

#enjoy the fruits of my labor (meager kr skillz).#slam dunk #hanamichi sakuragi #kaede rukawa #hisashi mitsui #miyagi ryota #takenori akagi #shohoku #akira sendoh #etc etc etc

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conflagrate · 2 years

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Tsurune S2 06

It’d be cool to see the girls shoot some arrows!

Indeedy!

Seo is cool!

They were third!! Yay!!!

Saionji-sensei!!

That’s gonna look fancy! And hooray, Minato’s back on the field (starting tomorrow)

#tsurune

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ulkaralakbarova · 2 months

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Bruce Wayne faces a deadly menace from his past, with the help of three former classmates: world-renowned martial artists Richard Dragon, Ben Turner and Lady Shiva. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Bruce Wayne / Batman (voice): David Giuntoli Richard Dragon (voice): Mark Dacascos Lady Shiva (voice): Kelly Hu Ben Turner / Bronze Tiger (voice): Michael Jai White O-Sensei (voice): James Hong Axe Gang Leader (voice): Eric Bauza Jade (voice): Jamie Chung Rip Jagger (voice): Chris Cox Schlangenfaust (voice): Robin Atkin Downes Lady Eve (voice): Grey DeLisle Jeffrey Burr (voice): Josh Keaton Silver St. Cloud (voice): Erica Luttrell King Snake (voice): Patrick Seitz Film Crew: Characters: Bob Kane Executive Producer: Michael Uslan Executive Producer: Bruce Timm Producer: Sam Liu ADR Editor: Kelly Ann Foley Production Supervisor: Bobbie Page Executive Producer: Sam Register Producer: James Krieg Characters: Bill Finger Original Music Composer: Joachim Horsley In Memory Of: Denny O’Neil Administration: Frances E. Chang Characters: Martin Pasko Characters: Walt Simonson Characters: Steve Englehart Other: Greg Emerson ADR Editor: Patrick J. Foley Online Editor: Darren Griffiths Casting: Wes Gleason Writer: Jeremy Adams Foley Mixer: Aran Tanchum ADR Editor: David M. Cowan Producer: Kimberly S. Moreau Executive In Charge Of Production: Peter Girardi Executive In Charge Of Production: Brian E.S. Jones Character Designer: Jon Suzuki Characters: Chuck Dixon Editor: Bruce King Character Designer: Aluir Amancio Post Producer: Julie Osborn Characters: Tom Lyle Production Manager: Marlene Corpuz Animation Director: Seo Seon Jong Visual Effects Production Manager: Sharon Yvonne Lopez Supervising Dialogue Editor: Mark A. Keatts Production Manager: Ed Adams ADR Editor: Michael Garcia Line Producer: Angela O’Sullivan Character Designer: Dusty Abell Character Designer: Tina Duong Graphic Designer: Brenna Kraus Post Producer: Kip Brown Post-Production Manager: Marissa Llano Administration: Liz Carroll Post-Production Manager: Brittany Canasi Movie Reviews: JPV852: Has its moments I guess and liked the 1970s-like styling though another animated movie where Batman is merely there to help sell rather than a major factor in the story. Gets a bit repetitive towards the end to the point I was kind of dosing off but didn’t mind the animation and the voice acting was okay. **3.25/5** SWITCH.: ‘Batman: Soul of the Dragon’ was a chance to reinvent an old and potentially interesting character and launch him into its modern canon. However, Warner Bros. has to start taking chances on movies with other heroes in them besides Batman if it wants its lesser-known properties to get some time in the spotlight. – Jake Watt Read Jake’s full article… https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-batman-soul-of-the-dragon-pushing-the-boundaries-of-batman-fatigue

#death of master #martial arts #superhero #Top Rated Movies

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thefinalcinderella · 1 year

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Tsurune Book 3 Chapter 2 - Rainbow-Colored (Part 2)

Not much to say about this one except the headache it gave me

Glossary here

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

1. First flush refers to the “the very first plucking of a tea plant's harvest season. It’s said to yield the purest and freshest cup of tea

2. Imina is the real name of a deceased person or a noble

3. An interpretation of imina as a combination of inochi and na (life and name)

4. 妥協 (dakyou) is the word for compromise using kanji, while 折り合い (oriai) is a more “Japanese” way of writing it

5. Buji Kaeru or “Safety Frogs” are frog-shaped charms hung from children’s backpacks to pray for a safe return home

6. The ge (餉) in asage (breakfast, 朝餉) and yuuge (dinner, 夕餉) means “boiled rice.” Gekare is written with the characters 餉枯れ which means “withered rice”

7. Inko means “parakeet”

8. Kaito says “ぴーちくぱーちく” which means the chirping of small birds or the high pitched sounds of people talking

9. Greensleeves’ lyrics are in the original English in the novel but there was also a Japanese translation after this that included another fifth line so I just pasted the corresponding line in English there

10. These people are saying Edo era slang. Teyandee means “what the hell are you saying”

11. Edo shigusa refers to the system of behavior and manners for Edo merchants

12. Shihan-Mato archery is a more casual activity than kyudo. The archer uses a short bow and shoots sitting on the ground.

13. The etymology of Himiko’s name is debated but the hi in Himiko can mean “sun” and “miko” can mean priestess or just child

Previous | Next

The café restaurant near the highway was popular for its abundant use of vintage-feeling wood, which gave the restaurant a nostalgic and warm atmosphere.

The Kazemai and Kirisaki kyudo clubs jointly held a work experience event. Since many people quit kyudo after high school, the aim was to deepen friendships in places other than kyudo and to seek a way of living where everyone could continue to do kyudo even after graduation.

Tommy-sensei stroked his chin.

“In the restaurant industry, not only individual skills are required, but also coordination between each area, such as procurement, cooking, customer service, and accounting. The restaurant has kindly allowed us to fully book the location to perform a simulation.”

Everyone rushed to their roles. They put on waiter’s aprons. Hanazawa, Shiragiku, Seo, and Masa-san acted as the customers.

“Welcome.”

Minato went to take their order. Upon getting there, the long apron tied around his waist fell to the floor.

Masa-san spat out his coffee.

“W-W-What happened?”

“Sorry. I was in such a hurry that I didn’t tie the ribbon tightly enough.”

As Minato was putting on his apron again, Shiragiku frowned.

“Doesn’t it smell like something is burning?”

In the kitchen, Kaito had immediately burned the hamburgers.

Nanao dealt with it with a smile.

“My deepest apologies, but please wait a little longer. That Kacchan, he’s totally hopeless.”

Nanao started preparing dessert. Next to him, Seiya was trying to pick ingredients from the shelf at his feet. It happened when Nanao was about to peel off the plastic wrap.

“Ah!”

“…This is the first time in my life that I’ve had pudding on my head.”

“Sorry, Seiya!”

“It’s fine. I was just thinking of trying a new hair treatment anyway.”

Nanao could practically see a menacing demon behind Seiya.

“I’m really sorry! Don’t get angry!”

“Don’t they say that life has valleys and valleys?”

“Isn’t that just valleys—and anyways, don’t make me do such a cliched comedy skit!”

After the meal was finished and the bill was paid, Ryouhei said, “Thank you very much. The three girls playing the role of customers said, “It was a delicious meal,” and clutched their stomachs.

Meanwhile, there were those who watched the members of the Kazemai High School Kyudo Club, who seemed like they were performing a corny gag.

“What are those guys doing?”

“That’s why you can’t expect anything from amateurs.”

The twins were totally calm and collected.

Senichi and Manji’s father was the founder of a restaurant chain. Under the corporate philosophy of “Sincerity” and “Do things right away,” he focused on offering a comfortable space and a healthy menu, as well as reducing food waste and excessive packaging. Saying that those who didn’t know the field were useless, the twins, who had experience in the kitchen and the dining area, were in charge.

Shuu was drinking black tea with a cool expression on his face.

“It smells good. Is this first flush?” (1)

“It’s nice, isn’t it? We secretly prepared it for you, Shuu.”

The actual owner of the restaurant’s voice echoed.

“Who made this chocolate parfait? It’s mixture with mango jam added in. We don’t have something like this on our menu.”

“Crap.”

Senichi and Manji were scolded by the owner.

After the completing the work experience, the members of Kazemai and Kirisaki sat around the same table.

Ryouhei was talking animatedly in front of Shuu.

“Whoo, it was so fun. I’ve started to keep a hand-tamed Java sparrow. I don’t know what to name it, though.”

“Ryouhei, don’t ask Seiya about that no matter what,” Kaito said, and Seiya answered immediately.

“Bunta, Bunko, Bunzaemon.”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry, so stop it.”

Minato asked Nanao, “How was Lucy’s name chosen?”

“It was decided at a dinner party at the Onogi house. My mom did a homestay in Australia, and her host family’s cat was named Lucy. According to her, the cat loved people and climbed into everyone’s lap.”

“Is that so,” Upon hearing that, Hanazawa, Shiragiku, and Seo murmured.

Shuu put down the cup in his hand.

“When Captain Cook found a peculiar animal on his first visit to Australia, he asked the natives what the animal’s name was, and they replied in their language, ‘We don’t understand what you’re saying,’ which sounded like ‘kangaroo.’ Nowadays, it’s widely believed that it’s a fictional story.”

This was the first time Senichi and Manji were hearing of this.

“You mean that’s a lie?”

“Kangaroo was the original name. Who first told this story, was it a joke, or was there ridicule in it? Or was this story a hoax?”

Masa-san took over the conversation.

“This isn’t a made-up story, but I have a similar anecdote. In the old days, babies were given ugly names on purpose to protect them from illness and accidents. When they grew up, they changed their names, but when the family registration system was introduced in the Meiji era, there were many unfortunate Ainu people whose childhood names were recorded as is.”

“Names are important things,” Minato said.

“Because a name is the greatest gift from the gods. In ancient times, telling someone your real name meant giving your life to them. They are called imina.” (2)

“——As in ‘name of life’, maybe?” (3)

After endless uninterrupted conversation, Tommy-sensei called it a day.

It was decided that once Ryouhei had decided on a name for his sparrow, he was to let everyone know.

After the Kazemai and Kirisaki joint work experience event ended, the club members were busy practicing at the Kazemai kyudojo. Although the event was only for the second-years, the new members had grown more comfortable with the place, and here and there one could see easygoing conversations between seniors and juniors. These days, all the first-years referred to Coach Takigawa as Masa-san.

Kanbayashi said, “Narumiya-senpai, I don’t get this part.”

“Oh, about that…”

“Narumiya-senpai, I’m going to buy replacement strings later. Can you help me choose some?”

“Yeah, sure. I was just thinking about going to the store too.”

Yes.

He secretly made a fist.

Kazemai first-year, Kanbayashi Hikaru, was Narumiya Minato’s fan. Of course, no one knew about this. If President Takehaya were to find out, he wouldn’t be able to take a single step closer to Minato, so he was being extremely careful.

Kanbayashi blinked a lot. Not only during tournaments, but also during practice, his nervousness increased even if there were just people in the stands. In kyudo, the moment when the bow was drawn and the archer remained still was the highlight, so if you blinked a lot, it would be very noticeable. He couldn’t fix it no matter how many times he was warned about it. However, there was an advantage. Even when he stared at Minato, he wasn’t found out because he blinked so much on a daily basis.

Kanbayashi complained in his mind.

I never thought I’d become a regular. Huh? Is that decision really the right call? Does everyone really understand? I’m Kanbayashi with the blinking eyes, you know? Someone who visibly shows how freaked out he is, something an archer shouldn’t be?

That day, he immediately went to Tommy-sensei to give up his position.

“This position is too much for me. Today was a fluke. It’s proven that I can’t do tournaments.”

“Ho ho, let things happen the way they happen.”

He was flatly refused.

Even if this school got second place at last year’s Inter-High, aren’t they being too generous, or rather, bold, or maybe just careless? This definitely isn’t normal. Everyone here’s crazy.

He started kyudo in middle school because he thought that since kyudo was an individual sport, even if he wasn’t good at it, he wouldn’t get in the way of others and could learn slowly at his own pace. He hadn’t expected group tournaments, and he keenly realized how poorly he had done his homework and how unimaginative he was.

Minato really loved kyudo. He had experienced target panic in the past and was still working on preventing a recurrence. He was extremely straightforward, hardworking, and somewhat of an airhead. Kanbayashi had never met such a pure person, or rather, someone who didn’t seem like he was of this world. He worried if Minato could survive in this troubled world with such defenselessness, but it seemed that he would be fine as long as the president was by his side.

Kanbayashi sometimes fell into a strange state when he looked at Minato.

I’m a wicked person. I’m sorry. I’ll reflect on myself. Before he knew it, he found himself repenting. And then, for no apparent reason, he’d end up smiling. He didn’t know if this was the right way to describe it, but it was similar to the feeling he got when a baby was staring at him.

There was reality in Minato’s words. His daily actions proved that there were no lies or falsehoods in them. Above all, Kanbayashi could tell that he really cared about other people without asking for anything in return at all. And even if the problem wasn’t solved at all, you’d feel, Well, it’s okay. I feel like this person understands me, and that I’ve been pardoned.

But if someone with such clear eyes sympathized with you, the sullied ones might bite back, unable to accept the facts.

There was a period when Minato and Masa-san didn’t talk to each other at all. He wondered what happened between them, but before he knew it, they were back to normal.

“Masa-san, I found the not-for-sale book you told me about before, but it was too expensive.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s buried somewhere in my apartment. Do you want to come over to find it?”

“To your apartment? …No, it sounds like a pain.”

“Don’t think you can get fish without working for it.”

“I like meat better than fish.”

“Isn’t being vegetarian the trend these days?”

“The Narumiya family has always been meat eaters. In the first place, Masa-san, you’re a generation behind.”

As the conversation between Minato and Masa-san continued, with topics flowing endlessly from one to another, Kanbayashi couldn’t help but think, Ah, I’m so lucky to be able to spend time with these people. Perhaps Kanbayashi was broken as well.

On the way home after practice, first-year Keyaki, second-year Kaito and Seiya, and Masa-san often engaged in a kind of debate. Keyaki and Kaito had completely different appearances, but they shared the same views on many things, so they often worked together as a tag team.

Keyaki was serious and earnest. He was diligent, hated unreasonableness, and was most likely not wrong in what he said. However, the strong sense of purpose in his eyes and overbearingness were intense.

Damn it, telling women and children to shut up? I won’t accept defeat, and I won’t tolerate being underestimated!

His intensity was so overpowering that it exhausted them as well. If you approached someone belligerently, the other person would also be on guard. Even when he tells him to relax more, he knew that it wasn’t easy to do so. Kanbayashi also couldn’t stop blinking even when he’s told to stop.

Masa-san said that Keyaki’s enemy was society. The society was a large discarnate entity that operated according to a fiction that was created by someone. It was like a religious organization with strict commandments, and any violation of these prohibitions would result in strict judgment. Peaceful conversations were necessary for compromise. It seemed that compromise, or as they said in native Japanese terms, “coming to terms,” (4) was more important than making distinctions about whether or not something was black or white.

Kazemai’s strength was trust. Everyone caring for each other. He thought that such things were platitudes and didn’t exist in reality, but he couldn’t hide his surprise when he was confronted with them before his eyes.

Kanbayashi was addicted to crane games. This was the only area he was confident in. He didn’t really want it, but he happened to find a stuffed “Yomigaeru” toy with a halo on its back in an easy-to-get spot, so he got it.

As thanks for allowing him to touch “Minahead,” he decided to give it to Nanao.

Around that time, Ryouhei was alone in front of the bus stop.

Elementary school students were passing by while singing the Frog Song. The Buji Kaeru (5) charms tied to the sides of their backpacks bounced to the rhythm of their walk. It made him happy that the elementary schoolers of today also sang nursery rhymes.

When the bus arrived, he sat at the window seat in the very back. Looking out the bus window, he saw many yellow hats neatly lined up and moving away from him. Were those children with matching bags sisters?

My sister works people hard.

She would say things like, “Ryouhei, go buy mom and dad a present for their wedding anniversary. I’ll shell out two-thirds of the money.”

She’s very energetic, and she eats well, sleeps well, and laughs often every day. Even now, she’s humming a poem that she learned in reading practice in elementary school.

This happened a long time ago.

I woke up in the middle of the night, hearing something that sounded like a scream. It must have been my imagination. Well, I fell sleep right away.

About a month later, Nee-chan suddenly started throwing out stuff from her room. Not just books and clothes, but also all of her precious drawings she kept.

Another month later, she said that she was going crazy. There was a haze in her head, she couldn’t retain anything she read or saw online, and when she shopped, she really didn’t know how much she was spending. If she went down an unfamiliar road, she couldn’t go back to where she was before and got lost. They say it’s as though she had dementia, but from my point of view, there wasn’t anything outwardly unusual about her.

She spent hours replying to a text from a friend and only sent two lines. She would feel nauseous and run to the toilet, but had nothing to vomit. At some point, she holed herself up in her room on the second floor and only came down to eat. She was startled by even the slightest sound and would find herself crouching on the floor. She said that she had trouble breathing and she couldn’t move her head and limbs because they were numb.

Dad took her out to various places, saying that she shouldn’t be cooped up at home, and Mom showed her therapy books, but they only made her feel worse and had no effect. Nee-chan hardly speaks at all, and the only words that come out now and then are “I’m sorry.” When we took her to the hospital, they told us that if she lost any more weight, she would catch pneumonia and die, so she was given an IV drip and prescribed many medicines.

Mom and Dad had a heated battle over whether to continue giving her the medicine or not. Neither side would give an inch, both saying that I’m right and you’re wrong.

Nee-san asked to be admitted to the hospital because she was going to be a burden, but our parents refused. Nee-chan couldn’t touch her phone, computer, or the home phone, and she was even too afraid to write, so she couldn’t do it herself. Mom wondered if this was all an act.

She had no desire to do anything. She couldn’t take baths and complained that even brushing her teeth is hard work. She couldn’t get up from bed at all. The only time she went out was to go to the hospital. Dad lamented that his daughter was so weak-minded, and Mom cried and wondered why she couldn’t get better. I rubbed my sister’s back when she curled up, unable to breathe. Everything was so painful that I cried.

Nee-chan was found to have an internal disease and had to undergo surgery. I don’t know the name of the disease. Tired of taking care of her, Dad would sigh loudly, and Mom began to mumble to herself. Our meals were almost always convenience store bentos. The plants in our house were dying, and the vacuum cleaner and dryer wouldn’t turn on.

Our family was at its breaking point. I was making plans to live on my own.

After being discharged from the hospital, Nee-chan was taken to Grandma’s house. I was relieved.

Nee-chan returned a month later, but as expected, she didn’t return to how she was before. She barely spoke, moved, slept, and spent most of her days wrapped up in her futon.

After an extraordinary amount of time passed, I returned to Dad’s hometown to go to high school. I reunited with Minato and Seiya there. Nee-chan would get in a good mood when I talked about them.

After that, I would visit Nee-chan’s bedroom when she was sleeping and end up just talking about club activities. Nee-chan just listened to me with a smile, but I felt kind of relieved. When I was going to be away from home for a few days, she told me to call her, so I did.

Five years had passed since that voiceless scream.

Before I knew it, Nee-san was cured.

The days where she would be eating at the dining table like before after waking up continued, and she was able to go outside. Apparently it’s called remission, not complete recovery, but we don’t know the exact reason why. Grandma calls it the “medicine of time.”

What was said and done to her at her new school? I couldn’t ask or find out. I was too scared and didn’t want to know.

I heard something from Masa-san. “Kegare” in Japanese is transformed from the word “gekare” from the words asage and yuuge, (6) and it seemed that it originally referred to the state of not being able to eat. They moved those who were too weak to eat to a remote house and kept them away so that they themselves would not be dragged to the realm of the dead.

Masa-san is a knowledgeable adult and always smiling. Minato and Kaito looks up to him as their master, and are devoted to kyudo. Seiya and Nanao support the two of them, and I’m rooting for everyone.

Shuu-kun is cute, and Senichi and Manji are playful. Tommy-sensei is Kazemai’s captain, Hanazawa-san, Shiragiku-san, and Seo-san are charming and pretty. Keyaki-kun has a strong gaze and always talks about complicated things. Kanbayashi-kun is always standing next to him and smiling, and Himuro-kun is, um, er, sorry, I don’t really have a strong impression of him.

There are several small flowerpots lined up in our yard. Nee-chan planted acorns she picked up in the mountains in them, and now there are adorable leaves opening. Today, I planted some seeds brought by birds.

Nee-chan has resumed her studies. She wants to go to university after graduating from high school and study Japanese literature, biology, and physics. I think she’s being too greedy.

I started keeping a hand-tamed Java sparrow. I named it “Inko” after Seiya recommended it to me. (7)

People, birds, animals, mountains, sea, sky, and the sun. I love them all. I hate bugs, but I’m fine as long as I don’t touch them.

I’m invincible because I got everything I love.

When they got off from the minivan, they heard the sound of dogs barking.

The seven members of the Kazemai kyudo club boys’ team and their coach had arrived at “Wan-Nyan Land.”

As the name suggested, it was a theme park where you could play with dogs and cats. It was divided into small dog, large dog, and cat areas, and there was an open space for enjoying shows.

“I’m really excited. But is it okay for just us eight to come here?” Minato asked Seiya.

“This is our mission from Tommy-sensei to ‘secrete the comfort hormone oxytocin,’ and it’s an eight-passenger car. Don’t worry, I explained it to Keyaki.”

When the eight reached the entrance, Masa-san widened his eyes. Familiar faces were lining up in front of the entrance.

“Masa-san!”

“Keyaki!?”

“When I heard that the boys’ team was coming here, I invited everyone here as well. Please let us join you as well.”

Including the three second-year girls and the first-years, there was a total of sixteen people. While Masa-san was busy with the group visit procedures, Seiya briskly gave instructions.

“Okay, everyone, let’s pause. Now then, Masa-san, please accompany the first-years. You have the responsibility as the adult in charge, right? Don’t worry, the second-years will be looked after by me, the president.”

“Seiya, you…”

Masa-san took Keyaki, who had a big smile on his face, another first-year boy, a blinking Kanbayashi, an expressionless Himuro, and the three first-year girls with him and headed for the Wan-Nyan Show.

“Wan-Nyan? More like Squeak-Squawk,” Kaito said. (8)

“Kacchan, you act like an old man. Baby birds are cute,” Nanao said.

“I wonder if Masa-san will be alright. He was walking with Keyaki hanging from his neck,” Minato said.

“He’ll be fine, he’s an adult,” Seiya said.

“Everyone, let’s go!” At Ryouhei’s call, the eight second-years moved out.

Minato and Ryouhei ran to the corner at the very front. Puppies were running around energetically in a circular area with a roof. The two of them charged at the frolicking mass and started petting all of them. Even Nanao couldn’t speak as the puppies approached them curiously.

Hanazawa, Shiragiku, and Seo opened the double doors to the neighbouring circle. This was where the trained dogs were, and people could hold them in their arms. Someone who seemed to be a regular visitor picked up a running dog from behind and sat down in the corner of the fence. The three girls also managed to sit down with dogs in their arms.

Seo’s cheeks flushed red.

“You really can’t beat the real thing.”

Her hobby was watching animal videos. Shiragiku’s heart fluttered at the sight of Seo petting the dog with an unaccustomed hand, and the lens of Hanazawa’s phone was locked onto her.

Meanwhile, Seiya and Kaito were heading to the dog park for large dogs.

The large grounds were bathed in sunlight and the grass underfoot was tinged with heat. One dog approached them and sniffed at Seiya’s blue-striped shoes and Kaito’s red shoes. Perhaps not interested in either of them, it moved away before they could hold out their hands.

Seiya approached a dog lying down and stroked its chin. The dog got up and entrusted its whole body to him. Kaito watched the two of them out of the corner of his eye as though he was the one who wanted to be spoiled.

“It’s clingy. Isn’t it heavy?”

“I’m used to big dogs. But I have to take a shower before I go home. If its scent is left on me, Kuma will know that I’ve been playing with another dog.”

“Where are you going to take a shower?”

“Minato’s house. I’m going to enter from the back door so Kuma doesn’t see me.”

“They’ll think you’re a thief.”

“There’s no problem, I do this all the time.”

Somebody whistled.

The dog slunk up and went under the small hut.

The name of the song was “Greensleeves.”

Alas, my love, you do me wrong.

Greensleeves was all my joy.

Greensleeves was my delight.

For I have loved you well and long

Delighting in your company. (9)

Nostalgia brought to mind scenes that they may or may not want to remember. The two went into the shade of a tree to avoid the sun.

A heat haze shimmered on the grass.

“I recently learned that the Bernese Mountain Dog is one of the most short-lived dogs. According to a Swiss proverb, ‘Three years a young dog, three years a good dog, and three years an old dog...all else is a gift from God.’ The Ainu call bears kamuy—gods. I named my short-lived dog God and placed him by my side. Ignorance is a scary thing.”

“There’s not really a problem there, is it? It’s just an elementary school kid giving his dog a name that sounds strong. The Ainu people saw the bear as a god. Isn’t that all there is to it? Unlike in the past, medical care is now more advanced. You’re seeing too many connections that aren’t there, Seiya.”

“Fu, you have a point. –Hey, Kaito.”

“Hm?”

“Ah…it’s almost lunch time. Let’s go back to the meeting place.”

The red shoes followed the blue shoes in the sunlight filtering through the leaves.

People who had many secrets to hide, who made it unsure whether or not you should catch up with them.

Was it selfish of me to want to know what you’re carrying, or to ask you to entrust some of your burdens with me?

Before they knew it, a cool breeze blew by them as they walked side by side.

After lunch, the eight who came by the minivan plus Keyaki moved out. Minato and the others headed for the cat corner, where they first changed into rental kimonos. The moment they set foot in there, they were transported to another world.

The name of this space was “EDO.”

In the reconstructed Edo streetscape, kimono-clad townspeople, samurai, and cats passed by. The concept was to interact with the cats that lived in this town, all of which were former rescued cats. It was run by a non-profit organization, and the idea was conceived by a local high school student.

The cats roamed freely in the town and slept next to old ladies on porches. There were no Sakura cats there. A fight immediately broke out over Kaito.

In a slightly secluded area, the neighborhood was filled with Edo specialties such as wind chimes, Edo faceted glass, and glass beads against a checkered background. People dressed in happi coats and zori sandals were saying things like, “Teyandee! Damn it! I’m a trueborn Edoite!” (10) and “Oh, my God! I need to hurry up. It’s starting.” They were fake Edoites in every way, but real Edoites didn’t care about such details. In response to the women performing the “Edo shigusa” of tilting their umbrellas as they passed by each other, they said, “Hey, that’s so stylish!” (11)

Kaito touched the obi wrapped around his waist.

“Masa-san, kimono really suits you. It feels like you’re used to wearing them.”

“You’re looking handsome too, Kaito.”

“R-Really? This place is pretty intricate. Hey, what’s that?”

“Oh, that’s called ‘Shihan-Mato archery.’” (12)

Kaito was pointing to a group of people sitting on their soles on old tatami mats laid out on the ground, aiming at targets with long arrows. The origin of the name Shihan-Mato came from the fact that the distance of the target area was 4.5 ken, the bow and arrow used were both 4.5 shaku, the diameter of the targets were 4.5 sun. Everything was four and a half, and its long arrows were what made it distinctive.

Himuro and Keyaki decided to take on the challenge. Himuro hit the target so often that it was his first time, and Keyaki had a look of desperation on his face. While Kanbayashi was waiting for his turn, two boys were standing behind him.

“He’s hitting a lot. Film this.”

One of the boys had pinkish-red hair, and the other had blond hair in a ponytail. The redhead put his hand in the cuff of his happi coat and folded his arms, while Blond Ponytail had a camera in his hands.

Nanao clapped his hands together.

“Oh, I know you guys. You’re the Yotubers Asahina and Eddie, right? I watched ‘Shooting targets in the dark.’ It was a shame.”

Redhead was the one who answered. “You watched it? Yeah, I couldn’t see the target at all, so I couldn’t align the arrow to the height. Eddie hit the curtain, you know. Hmm? What’s with all the familiar faces?”

Redhead and Blond Ponytail looked at Minato.

“Are you guys from Kazemai High School? You’re Narumiya, right? I saw the live broadcast of last year’s Inter-High finals.”

“Yes, that’s me. Thank you for watching.”

“It was a great tournament, really nice to watch. I’m Asahina You, and this is Eddie Fox. We’re second-years from Haneina High School. Nice to meet you! So you’re the fated rival of that famous Young Prince?”

Seiya took a step forward towards Asahina, who was a true extrovert with a brilliant smile.

“Is this live?”

“No, we’re going to edit it later.”

“We came here as part of our club activities. You need our school’s permission to upload this on the internet.”

“Got it. Stop filming.”

Eddie put down the camera at Asahina’s instruction.

“We came here to film because we can see genuine Yumihiki Douji here. Although, those dolls apparently weren’t made in the Edo period, but Heisei era facsimiles.”

Eddie made a strange pose that was reminiscent of a flamboyant gesture in kabuki.

“I am one who is quite learned on all things Japanese. Karate Karaoke Kyudo. Miso Senpai Karoushi. Kawaii Mottainai Hentai.”

Kaito scratched his head.

“Is that good or bad?”

Seiya wore a complacent smile.

“If you like Japanese things, there’s a real Shinto priest here.”

“Oh, my, God. May I visit next day? Which temple do you preside over?”

Eddie seemed to have mixed up temples and shrines, but even Japanese people didn’t distinguish between the two. When visiting a shrine, one would often hear people ask, “Is it okay to clap my hands here?” (13)

Masa-san answered politely, as one would expect from one of his profession.

“Please come visit. I’m often asked this by foreigners. ‘Kami-sama’ is the one enshrined at ‘Yata Jinja.’ God is the name of the god in monotheistic religions such as Christianity and Judaism, and if you translate that as ‘Here is God,’ you’d receive questioning looks like, ‘What is this guy talking about?’ The term Shinto deity isn’t a name, but a description.”

Hearing that, Minato said, “It’s like mistaking Satou-san for Smith-san? I read somewhere that when you say ‘shrine’ in English, it refers to a quiet place for pilgrims and people like them and has nothing to do with Shinto at all, while ‘temple’ refers to a noisy place where people gather to pray.”

“The way of calling and writing proper nouns is surprisingly difficult. Himiko is probably ‘the miko of the Sun’ or ‘child of the Sun.’ (13) In a place where people worshipped eight million gods, Buddha arrived, and the Shinto and Buddhist traditions were combined. In order to counter monotheism during the world war, State Shinto was created and the kami and Buddha were once again separated. State Shinto and ancient Shinto are two completely different things, and Shinto is a prehistoric nature religion.”

“Ooh, I found a heart cat!”

Everyone turned around at Ryouhei’s voice.

“Fare thee well!” Asahina and Eddie ran away, chasing after the calico cat with a heart mark.

Kanbayashi lowered his brows. “Those people sure are lively, Narumiya-senpai.”

“They are. Sorry, we kinda got sidetracked.”

“That’s not true. The teacher-student dialogue was fun!”

Afterwards, Minato and the others enjoyed themselves with the Shihan-Mato Archery, sent a group photo to Tommy-sensei, and headed home.

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#tsurune #tsurune translation

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zapperrr · 3 months

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Which Tool is Best for Web Development?

In the ever-evolving landscape of web development, the choice of tools can significantly impact the efficiency, creativity, and success of a project. With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), a plethora of tools have emerged promising to streamline processes, enhance user experience, and automate tedious tasks. But amidst this array of options, which tool stands out as the best for web development in 2024?

Understanding the Landscape

Web development tools can broadly be categorized into traditional tools and AI-powered tools. Traditional tools include popular frameworks and platforms like WordPress, Drupal, and Bootstrap, which provide robust frameworks for building websites with extensive customization options. These tools rely heavily on manual intervention and coding expertise, offering flexibility but requiring more time and effort.

On the other hand, AI-powered web development tools leverage machine learning algorithms to automate various aspects of website creation and optimization. These tools promise to expedite the design process, improve user experience through data-driven insights, and optimize for search engines and responsiveness automatically.

Evaluating AI-Powered Tools

1. **Wix ADI and Bookmark AI**:

- Wix ADI and Bookmark AI are renowned for their AI-driven website builders that simplify the design process. They use algorithms to generate personalized layouts and content based on user inputs, making them ideal for users who prefer a guided approach without deep technical knowledge.

2. **Frosmo and Zyro**:

- Frosmo and Zyro excel in optimizing user experience through AI. Frosmo enhances e-commerce websites with personalized product recommendations and dynamic content, while Zyro automates design adjustments and SEO optimizations, catering to businesses seeking efficiency and performance.

3. **Elementor and Adobe Sensei**:

- Elementor and Adobe Sensei focus on enhancing design flexibility and creativity. Elementor’s AI capabilities aid in designing responsive layouts and widgets, while Adobe Sensei integrates AI into its design tools like Adobe XD, facilitating intuitive and visually appealing interfaces.

4. **Duda and B12**:

- Duda and B12 are preferred for their comprehensive AI-driven solutions that encompass design, content creation, and SEO. Duda offers adaptive websites with AI-generated content and layouts, while B12 automates the website development process, providing personalized recommendations for optimization.

Benefits and Considerations

- **Automation and Efficiency**: AI-powered tools significantly reduce development time by automating repetitive tasks such as layout design, content generation, and SEO optimization.

- **User Experience**: These tools enhance user experience by providing personalized content, responsive designs, and intuitive interfaces that adapt to user preferences and behaviors.

- **Flexibility vs. Automation**: Traditional tools offer greater flexibility and customization options but require more manual effort and technical expertise. AI tools prioritize automation and ease of use but may have limitations in customization for complex projects.

The Best Tool: It Depends

The choice of the best web development tool ultimately depends on the specific requirements, goals, and expertise of the development team or individual. For beginners or small businesses looking to establish an online presence quickly and efficiently, AI-powered tools like Wix ADI or Zyro might be the ideal choice. These platforms offer intuitive interfaces, automated design processes, and built-in SEO optimizations, making them accessible even to those without extensive coding knowledge.

Conversely, developers and agencies handling complex projects may prefer the flexibility and control offered by traditional frameworks like WordPress or Drupal. These platforms allow for extensive customization, integration with third-party tools, and scalability, albeit requiring more upfront investment in time and expertise.

+64 21 701 435

[email protected]

261 Sturges Road, Henderson, Auckland 0612, New Zealand

#web development #website design and development #web development company

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sabatahir826 · 4 months

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"Tube Magic - using AI Tools For Growing on YouTube Digital - Software"

Introduction to YouTube Growth and AI

The Intersection of Creativity and Technology

Importance of AI in Modern Content Creation

AI-Powered Video Editing Tools

Streamlining the Editing Process