Arrival
He nodded in acknowledgment, hearing the slight rustle of clothes as Ayako shifted aside to allow the new student to enter.
Dressed in the traditional clothes of an archer, Arisugawa Yuusuke brushed past Ayako and took a place next to Rei as the door slide closed behind him. He chanced a glance at his new instructor, wondering who he was. He was surprised to find his instructor to be much younger than he thought he was. Yuusuke had heard all the rumors that the Ishikawa's current master was not yet past his boyish years, but he didn't expect to find a high school student sitting next to him. He thought there must have been a mistake and searched the room for someone more suiting to his ideals.
"They're all students here, just like you. Some are from my archery team." Yuusuke jumped and chanced another glance. Rei's green eyes were focused on a young boy in his late elementary years taking aim.
"Suimasen," he apologized in a slightly alto voice. "I had heard rumors that the Ishikawa's instructor was young. But I didn't expect you to be a high school kid." Rei turned to him, his face calm and his eyes clear. Yuusuke flinched unconsciously at the stare. In the moment Rei held his gaze, he saw what kind of student had walked into his dojo. He noted Yuusuke's cropped hair, cut close to his head in the back, and his brown eyes. He also saw the smile that never seemed to leave his face no matter what kind of situation he was in.
The moment was broken by a young voice, calling for Rei to show him, again, how to aim properly. Yuusuke broke the eye contact and saw that it was the same boy from before and noticed none of his arrows hit center. He heard and felt a slight rustle of fabric as Rei stood, adjusting the glove on his right hand, and move towards the boy. As he made his way, students and archer team members alike moved aside, allowing him to pass. They took seats on the floor to listen to his instruction.
Plucking the bow and arrow gently from the boy's hands, Rei patted him once on the head. Yuusuke wondered if he ever smiled, noting the expressionless mask he wore as the boy sat at Rei's feet. He watched in silence along with the rest of the people there as Rei fixed the arrow to the bow, glanced at the target, adjusted the bow, glanced again, aimed, and fired. The arrow hit dead center, yet no one made a sound.
"In order for your arrow to hit your target," Rei said, turning to the people seated around a behind him, "you have to aim higher that the desired target point. The arrow flies in a parabola pattern. Aiming higher accounts for the arc pattern the arrow will fly in before hitting your mark.
"Release with your hand, not your arm. Allow your fingers to slip from the line, releasing the arrow. Releasing with your arm jerks the arrow off course.
"Once you've released your arrow, follow it with your eyes. Analyze how it flies and adjust it in the next shot. Don't take your eyes off of the arrow until it has hit the target."
"Hai," rang a chorus of voices. Patting the boy on the head again, Rei handed the bow back to him before resuming his seat next to Yuusuke, the others resuming their practice.
"You can join them if you like. My team has a tournament in a week so today is just for them to practice."
"And your students?" Yuusuke asked.
"I treat the team and the students the same. My dojo doesn't have a tournament for another six months. It's a rather large tournament, encompassing not only schools in Japan but all over the world. So they need practice as well."
"When does my instruction begin?"
"As soon as you like." Yuusuke grinned as he got to his feet.
"Ja, my classes were called off for tomorrow. Once everyone leaves, I'd like you to instruct me."
"As you like." Another grin crept across Yuusuke's face as he went to retrieve a spare bow. Rei watched him as he took a spot and fired his first arrow. It didn't hit the center target, but seeing the look on Yuusuke's face told Rei the arrow had hit where he had intended it too.
He learns quick, the Ishikawa instructor noted mentally, observing Yuusuke as he allowed someone else to take his place and took a position next to a young girl, the two of them chatting quietly soon after. He stood when his name was called and knelt to help a young elementary girl take aim.
"Na," Yuusuke said to the girl beside him as they watched their instructor helping the girl. "How well do you know him?"
"Ishikawa-senpai?" the girl said, sounding a little amused. "He's a grade higher than I am at Kujin Gakuen. Atashi Tsukiyono Mariko desu."
"Arisugawa Yuusuke. Is he always this quiet?"
"I've never seen Ishikawa-senpai anything but quiet. He keeps to himself at school, hardly associates with many people. But all the teachers love him, think he's the sweetest person in the world. I have to agree with them. Although he's quiet, Ishikawa-senpai is very sweet. He's never said an unkind word to anyone.
"To tell you the truth, I joined the archery team because of Ishikawa-senpai. I heard he was really handsome and wanted to see for myself. But I also heard he was only of the best archers in Hokkaido and thought it would be a good chance to learn from him. He often holds practice in the mornings so that we can't be disturbed. But when we have tournaments with other schools, he holds double practice and we often come here in the afternoons."
"Are the rumors true about him? Does he really live alone and run this entire school by himself?"
"You met Ayako-san on your way in, didn't you?" Yuusuke nodded, remembering the slightly elder lady who saw him into the dojo and gave him the clothes to change into.
"Ishikawa-senpai has no family other than his grandparents. But they live in Okinawa and hardly come to Tokyo to see him. I think they come about twice a year, once for Senpai's birthday, another for Christmas and New Years. Other than that, Ishikawa-senpai has no family; his parents died when he was 13, leaving him the house and the dojo.
"Ookami Ayako-san is the maid of the house. There's also the accountant Oshiro Kotaro-san�"
"Oh, I remember him. He was the guy who got me registered."
"Hai. Kotaro-san keeps track of all the students and the finances. Mano Kazuya-san takes care of the gardens and grounds. Mano Suzume-san, his wife, takes care of the kitchen. Miyu-chan, their daughter, runs errands and goes to school."
"So he has a bunch of servants watching the place when he isn't here," Yuusuke mused.
"I wouldn't call them that," Mariko chided. "Ishikawa-senpai doesn't treat them like servants. I've spoke to Ayako-san and Suzume-san before. Senpai is really kind to them.
"Demo, I think Senpai is really lonely. He never shows it much less speaks about it. But you can tell he's lonely."
"So ka." Yuusuke would have said more if Rei had not decided then to dismiss the class and the archery team. The entire room stood and bowed to him, then to each other, before leaving for the changing rooms�all save Yuusuke. He remained seated, where he was, fixing his gaze on Rei. The younger man gazed back at him steadily. Neither said a word until the last sound of students leaving had faded.
"Now then, Arisugawa-kun," Rei said, taking a seat on the floor. "I understand you took archery for a little bit in junior high."
"Ah�" was all Yuusuke could manage, amazed he knew such details of his life. "It wasn't for very long, about a year or so. Then I entered high school and got interested in other things."
"Your form is nearly perfect. You keep yourself tall and never take your eyes off the arrow. Even after it hits the target, you still stare at it for a moment, almost as if you're estimating how to shoot the next one." Yuusuke's brown eyes widened slightly. He had known Rei was watching him with he took the first shot, he hadn't realized the young master was watching him so closely.
"I was told I was a quick learner."
"Perhaps. If that's so, why are you still here? All you really need is more practice."
"Well, that's why I stayed."
"Oh?"
"There aren't many kyudou practice grounds other than in the dojos. I wanted to stay and practice until�"
"Until when?"
"Until I could aim and hit the center of the target three times consecutively." Rei elegantly arched an eyebrow; this Arisugawa Yuusuke was getting more and more interesting by the minute.
"Have it your way. The moment you hit the center of the target three times, you may go." Yuusuke bowed as Rei stood and left the room, shutting the door behind him as he left. Slowly, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.
Aitsu, he thought to himself as he faced the target again, drawing the bow string back as he took aim. He's just as the rumors said. Ishikawa Rei�I'm beginning to like you more and more.