That’s How I Joined The Archery Club

Karou, Kondo-san, and I were invited to a first-year welcoming party; upperclassmen would hold such events to help the younger years get to know one another. Beneath the canopy of traditional Japanese lamps, students mingled with one another. The scent of delectable cuisine wafted through the air, promising an evening of delightful food. The welcome party painted a vivid introduction to the next chapter of our lives.

We shared a table with three other students, who were more energetic than us. Although they were interesting people, I didn’t think that they were the type of crowd I would want to hang out with.

“Little bro!”

I turned around to find Reika and Inaba-chan approaching us. They were part of the upperclassmen who were hosting the event.

“So-kun!” Inaba-chan proclaimed, hugging me from behind.

“Are you drunk, Inaba-chan?”

“No! I’m not drunk!”

“She’s definitely drunk.”

“Don’t worry. I’m taking care of her. And don’t worry. I’m one hundred percent sober.”

I had entrusted Inaba-chan to make sure Reika did not drink, but it seems that Reika was being the responsible one. What a reversal of roles!

Excusing myself from the table, I went to the toilet. The contrast between the silence of the toilet and the lively dining area was unbelievable. Although I was in the toilet, I felt relieved that I was out of that busy place; it was too energetic for me. Before I returned to the table, I texted Sensei, informing her about what I was doing.

Exiting the toilet, I passed a blonde girl with a bob cut who gave me an odd look. Something about her seemed familiar.

“It’s good to see you again, Kurosawa-kun.”

I turned around and watched the girl enter the toilets. Her voice… I recognised it from somewhere, but I’m not sure who she was.

At the table, I eagerly waited for that girl to exit. She finally reappeared, but she did not look like anyone I knew. She saw me looking at her and winked. Who was this girl?

I was snapped out of my trance by Karou, who kept calling my name.

“Hey! What are you looking at?”

“That girl… Does she look familiar to you?”

“Who? The blonde one with the bob cut?”

“Yeah.”

“No. I don’t recognise her. Why?”

“I think I heard her say my name.”

“And?”

“Nevermind. Why did you keep calling my name?”

“Yeah. I wanted to know if you have joined a club yet.”

“Oh. No, I haven’t.”

“Well, Mika-senpai here mentioned she was part of the archery club, and they were looking for new members.”

“And what makes you think I would be good at archery?”

“I remembered that you used to play with that toy bow when we were kids.”

“That was a toy!”

“And I also remembered that your dad was in the archery club when he was your age.”

When he was young, my dad was a member of his university’s archery club. He never had any experience before joining, but over time, he gradually became better. He became so good that he became the club’s best shooter. He participated in many competitions, and he would always get the highest score. He was practically worshipped by his fans as the Arrow God. Eventually, when he married my mother, he decided to quit playing and focus on raising his family. But from time to time, he would take me to an archery range and teach me how to properly shoot a bow. It was one of my favourite father-son activities to do with him.

“I would like to invite you two to a taster session for the club.” Mika-senpai said

“I don’t know, Karou…”

“Come on, Sozen! It’ll be fun.”

“If you don’t think you’re cut out for it or it’s not your cup of tea, you don’t need to join.”

“Please, Sozen.”

“What about you?”

“‘Oh. I’m already in a club.”

“Then what’s the point of me going?”

“Please, Sozen.”

She looked at me with puppy eyes, which was one of my weaknesses.

“Ugh, fine. I’ll come to the taster session.”

“Yay!”

“Great! The taster session is tomorrow after school. I hope to see you both there.”

The next day, Karou and I went over to the archery range, which was nestled within the corners of the university campus. Upon entering, we were greeted by the sight of an archer standing poised at the edge of the shooting line with their bow in hand. In the hush of anticipation, the archer inhaled, and with an intense focus and a delicate touch, they drew the bowstring back until it aligned with the corner of their mouth. With a fluid motion that belied the strength required for this sport, they released the bowstring. The arrow pierced the air and found its mark. In a second, the arrow soared through the air and hit the target. We were so impressed by the archer’s skills.

Mika-senpai approached us. “You’re here! I’m so glad you could come.”

A tall archer with long black hair approached us.

“This is Matsumoto Jurou. He is the captain of the club.”

“You must be here for the taster session. Welcome.” Matsumoto-senpai said in a calm manner.

“Thank you for having us.”

“Shall we start?”

First, they guided us through the safety protocols and how to use a bow. There was a lot of information, but I was able to comprehend it all. Karou went first, and she managed to hit one of her five arrows on the target. I was next. Following their steps, I took a deep breath, drew the bowstring back, and released the arrow, which almost hit the bullseye. The crowd that was watching me was amazed by my first attempt. With a sense of calmness overcoming me, I continued to fire my arrows, which all hit the same place on the board.

“You’re precise. Very interesting.”

I couldn’t tell if Matsumoto-senpai was impressed or not, but to me, it was clear I needed to improve my accuracy.

“For an amateur, you’re not bad. We could definitely improve your skills, and with time, I think we could unlock your potential. Come again tomorrow.”

“Yes, Senpai!”

That night, I video called Sensei to let her know about my day.

“How was your day?”

“Not too bad. I’ve just been busy with paperwork. How about you?”

“Karou and I went to an archery club taster session.”

“Ooo. Interesting. How was it?”

“It was alright. The captain said I had the potential to be a great archer.”

“Really? I never saw you as someone who had an interest in archery.”

“Well, my dad did teach me when I was young, so I have some knowledge on how to use a bow.”

“So are you going to join?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

“Why’s that?”

“I’m not good at it.”

“You just said the captain said you were good.”

“He said I wasn’t bad.”

“I’m not sure if I have a right to say this, but I think you would be honouring your late dad by joining the archery club.”

Sensei had a point. Being my favourite father-son activity, I have a lot of memories of the times my dad and I went to the backyard and practiced shooting. Earlier, during the taster session, I remembered how my father used to hold me by the hand and guide me. He was always proud of me whenever I hit a shot, and he would also comfort me whenever I missed. If my dad was still alive, what would he advise me to do?

The next day, Karou and I went back to the archery range. This time, my skills from when my father taught me reawakened. Like a soaring hawk, my first arrow hit the bullseye. It surprised me and everyone else when I managed to hit the bullseye two more times.

“Wow, Kurosawa-kun! You really upped your game today.”

I turned to Matsumoto-senpai. “Um, Matsumoto-senpai. If you’ll have me, I would like to join the archery club.”

I bowed my head in respect for the captain but also as a plea for him to let me join the team. I felt two hands land on my shoulder.

“Welcome to the team, Kurosawa-san.”

The club cheered, making me feel welcomed. When I looked back up, I could see Sensei standing in the doorframe. She gave me a thumbs up before leaving.

I was officially a member of the archery club.

As we were walking home, Karou congratulated me on joining a club, claiming it was because of her that I was recognised for my hidden talent. That’s when I heard a voice call out to me. “Kurosawa-kun!”

We turned around and saw the blonde girl from the welcome party standing there.

“Sorry, but who are you?”

“I guess you wouldn’t recognise me since we haven’t seen each other since middle school.”

“Wait. You went to our middle school?”

“Yes. We were quite close.” She slowly approached me and laid her hand on my chest.

“Who are you?”

She took her hand off my chest and began to walk away. “I’ll see you around, Kuro-kun.”

A chill ran down my spine, and my heart began to ache. I had not heard that nickname in a while. The way she said it was so nostalgic but terrifying at the same time. I was certain. That girl was Matsuura Katsumi, and I used to belong to her.