Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 81 Archery, follow its natural course.

Chapter 81: Chapter 81 Archery, follow its natural course.

Ogata Asaka, cold and indifferent, her gaze as sharp as the arrows she shoots.

Under the sky, the sound of the string is crisp and loud.

She is second only to Sugita Shuhei in the Kyudo Club.

On Fridays, the Kyudo Club does not require practice, so this dojo located in a quiet corner of the campus feels even more serene.

"Isn’t it normal for Senior to occasionally miss a shot?" Chitose Mai said with a smile from behind a few others, as she watched and studied the form and shooting styles of her seniors.

This was advice given to her by Seisuke Yooya, though the head wasn’t present today.

Right in front of her, Sakurai Fumiko lowered her longbow and turned to her, "Although it’s normal to miss the target, Uesugi’s arrow has already flown onto the lawn."

Sugita Shuhei gazed straight ahead, nocking an arrow and pulling back the string. The small groove in the kake on his right thumb hooked the fully drawn bowstring, "Kyudo emphasizes bearing and storing power without showing it. Uesugi’s level has already surpassed that of a beginner, showing the demeanor of an excellent archer. Such a missed shot indicates a problem."

Another arrow released, the target 28 meters away was already peppered with dozens of arrows.

"Shooting is like a gentleman. When missing the target, one should introspect themselves,"

Uesugi Sakura saw the character "target" hanging above the shooting target and suddenly thought of this phrase, "It’s indeed my problem."

Even without the Precision attribute’s blessing, his basic skills shouldn’t have resulted in such a wild shot.

Sugita Shuhei nodded slightly, "Seisha Hicchu—right shooting ensures hitting, mental state is very important."

The quiver beside him had only one arrow left, and his arms were somewhat tired and weary, so Uesugi Sakura didn’t plan to continue shooting.

Every time he drew the bow, it took a lot of mental energy to cope.

Setting down the longbow, his right thumb felt quite uncomfortable, a stinging red mark was pressed out.

"I’m still not used to the Kyudo Club’s kake." He raised his hand, looking at the four-finger kake he wore on his right hand.

Ogata Asaka, holding the bow with both hands, stared at the target directly ahead. The black hakama skirt added a touch of elegance to her posture, "You need one custom-made, as a shooter without a proper kake cannot demonstrate the best stance."

"Absolutely necessary," the pretty Sakurai Fumiko immediately echoed, "Once you get used to your own, you can never go back to using another kake."

In the Kyudo World, "kake" usually refers to the top layer of deerskin gloves worn on the outermost right hand.

A "kake" is an irreplaceable tool for those who study Kyudo.

The Japanese idiom "irreplaceable" is derived from this concept.

The initial speed of the arrows shot is 216km/h, enough to pierce through an iron frying pan from more than ten meters away.

Without a suitable "kake", fingers pulling the string too much will become extremely uncomfortable due to the bowstring’s force, and the state after continuous shooting will inevitably decline.

Therefore, a well-suited "kake" can also be regarded as a lifelong partner for an archer.

Choosing a "kake" is also an art.

"Position of the thumb and wrist," "Direction of the thumb," "Length and width of the ring finger, middle finger, and index finger," "String pillow for string pulling"...

All these issues need attention and adjustments to fit one’s right hand.

Best to have it customized.

That means spending more money.

"Do I need to go buy one?" Uesugi Sakura asked, though he really wanted to save the money.

"I strongly recommend it!" Sakurai Fumiko said seriously, "If Uesugi needs one, I recommend Senior Sugita’s bow shop. It’s very famous, located in Chiyoda District. I had my bow and arm guard customized there."

Click...!

The sound of the string nearby did not cease, this was already the sixtieth arrow Sugita Shuhei had released today.

Noticing Uesugi Sakura looking at him, Sugita Shuhei turned slightly and said, "Kanda Suda-cho 1-16, Chiyoda District, Tokyo. Sugita Bow Store. If you really need it, you can come find me on the weekend."

"Thank you, Senpai, in advance."

Uesugi Sakura had no knowledge of choosing bow equipment, but the guidance from a senior is currently the best outcome.

It seems unlikely he would be scammed.

"No worries," Sugita Shuhei replied simply.

"Sigh~ Even the senior is going to buy his own bow equipment," Chitose Mai said with a disappointed expression, looking at her hands, "I haven’t even hit a target yet, does that mean I’m useless?"

"Haha~ Don’t worry, we all went through it," Sakurai Fumiko said with a natural smile in her eyes, warm like a breeze in spring, "I couldn’t even pull the bowstring at first. Actually, as long as you persist in Kyudo, without trying too hard, you’ll gain a wonderful experience and shooting skills. Keep it up!"

Chitose Mai looked at the longbow in her hands, still somewhat discouraged, "Every time I draw the bow, it shakes, am I not strong enough?"

Uesugi Sakura: "The Japanese bow is long at the top and short at the bottom, besides needing certain strength to pull the string, it also requires the shooter to balance the bow, controlling the amplitude of the bow and arrow when pulling the string. Pay attention to my actions."

Speaking, he pulled out the last arrow from his quiver.

"First step—’Treading’, be mindful that the angle of your feet should not be too deep or too shallow."

Uesugi Sakura stood upright, with his feet wide apart.

"Second step—’Posture’, be careful not to twist your waist."

While keeping the upper body still, he turned his head to observe the shooting field.

"Third step—’Ready’, the smaller the hand interior, the better, the ideal state is ’Okoshi’."

The string pillow on the right thumb hooked the bowstring, the other fingers tried to move towards the palm, the closed fingers were curling innocently like a child’s.

"Fourth and fifth steps, ’Raise Bow’, ’Draw’, ensure the arrows don’t deviate, and the left and right forces when pulling the bow must be equal."

Uesugi Sakura raised the longbow with both hands, paused slightly when the bowstring was drawn halfway, then drew it fully in one go.

Breathing, smooth and steady.

Chitose Mai’s eyes shone, feeling that Sakurai Senpai looked extraordinarily poised at this moment.

Sugita Shuhei, Sakurai Fumiko, and Ogata Asaka also stopped, observing Uesugi Sakura’s shooting skills intently from their respective positions.

"’Holding’, ’Release’, press tightly against the chest string, complete application of power, maintain steady breathing."

At this moment, Uesugi Sakura’s full draw posture was very close to the perfect ratio of the golden section.

The next second,

The arrow flew off the string.

With a "clang", it directly appeared above the target filled with bamboo arrows as naturally as rain falls from the sky.

"Last step ’Residual Heart’, maintain the body balanced from all directions, Qi Union steady."

After slowly lowering the longbow in his hands, Uesugi Sakura said to Chitose Mai who was observing seriously behind him, "These are the issues I encountered during practice, consider it a reference for you."

The smooth sequence of actions gave Sugita Shuhei a sense of satisfaction, he turned to Chitose Mai and said, "What Uesugi demonstrated are very typical shooting techniques. If these actions are completely digested, shooting a (di) single arrow isn’t a problem at all."

Chitose Mai said with a helpless tone, "Seems so hard..."