In Tokyo, I just want salted fish

Chapter 227 A Painting
Indoor physical education class in the afternoon.

Goto, who was tackled countless times by his opponent, was so annoyed that he could only call out Uesugi for help.

He patted him on the shoulder solemnly and said:

"It's up to you, Uesugi! The glory of my life rests on you!"

Kaoru Uesugi glanced at the table tennis racket in his hand, and said calmly, "What is your glory?"

Goto thought for a while.

"Find a school idol to marry."

"Isn't it a photographer?"

"The purpose of the photographer is to take photos of the private houses of idol wives."

OK, there are reasons and evidence.

Kai Uesugi walked to the table tennis table.

Opposite is a boy from the class next door, who is known as "Ping Pong Noble Master".

I heard that he has been in the top three in many school district leagues.

And Goto is already the No. 16 defeated player in the class.

He's a little handsome, but his manners are just as good.

"Young Master" held the white ping-pong ball in his left hand, posed for a serve, bent down and grinned, and said, "Student Uesugi, it's coming!"

As soon as the words fell, he threw the ball upwards with his left hand, and at the same time, he immediately led the racket with his right arm to the left rear.

A right backspin!

Goto, who was standing on the sidelines watching the game, knew that this trick was the serving technique to beat the 16 players in his class.

The function is to make it difficult for the opponent to return, and it will be the home field of his attack in the next few rounds.

This backspin ball has strong spin and fast speed, making it extremely difficult to catch.

To deal with the spin ball, it is necessary to actively return the ball with high quality, so that the opponent does not fully grasp the attacking rhythm.

All in all, it is to let the server completely control the situation.

"Uesugi!"

Uesugi Kai heard Goto's loud reminder, but the ball, for him, it's over if he shoots back.

He casually raised his hand pinching the board.

With a sound of "嗙", the backspin ball was taken back as a matter of course.

"very good!"

The young master smiled slightly, and immediately moved his body sideways, and violently counterattacked with his backhand.

It's an all-out smash, and he's very confident about it.

"Now—"

Just when your son thought Uesugi couldn't catch the ball, the opponent hit him back again.

Seeing that Kai Uesugi was holding back, Goto, the cheerleader, immediately shouted:

"Oh! Awesome!"

Your young master also showed some strength, and fought back again, saying at the same time:
"Very good! Uesugi-san, hahaha! You deserve to be my opponent!"

10 minute later.

Uesugi, who was holding a ping-pong ball, glanced at the "Young Master" who was panting from exhaustion, put the board and ball on the table, and walked away slowly.

The atmosphere in the stadium instantly became noisy.

People from the two classes were already watching, and they really couldn't understand why these two guys could play a ball for 10 minutes.

But in short, it was very exciting to watch during the period. When people saw them catch the ball and return the ball, they would guess who would lose first in the next counterattack.

Kaoru Uesugi sat in the rest area of ​​the gymnasium, unscrewed the water bottle and took a sip of cold water.

"Uesugi, I suddenly discovered that you seem to be good at all kinds of sports!" Goto Iwakatsu, who recovered the scene, patted him on the shoulder.

"About the ball, the metropolis is more." Uesugi Kai said.

After Uesugi chatted with Goto for a few more words, Kitagawa Sakaki came over and stood in front of her.

After Goto Iwakatsu glanced at them each, he consciously left to find Pingchuan who was playing games on the other side.

Kitagawa Sakaki sat beside Uesugi Kai, turned to him and asked:

"Why did Hua Huo Jiang go to England?"

"dream."

As a young lady who has always been overprotected by her brother, Kitagawa Sakaki has never heard of this word:
"Why does everyone have a dream? Is it that important?"

"People always have some goals."

Kitagawa Sakaki, who was wearing a white tracksuit, hugged her legs and leaned her face on her knees, "Actually, I came to this school mainly to find Hanabi-chan, and I didn't expect her to be gone."

"Do you have a good relationship with her?" Uesugi Kai asked.

"Of course it's good! Because of her, I'm not even angry with you for bullying me."

"What's the matter?"

"Last time in Kabukicho, you threw a stone at my leg!" Kitagawa Sakaki pointed hard at her face, "I was almost disfigured! Do you know!"

Kaoru Uesugi thought about it for a while.

"In my eyes, that's just a thief stealing something."

"That's my own house—never mind."

Kitagawa Sakaki's beautiful face suddenly became angry, "I won't be angry anymore after I agreed with Hanabi-chan."

This appearance reminded him of the two talking in the back garden.

——and the way Hanamaru Hanabi secretly gave her lunch. At that time, Hanabi was not in a good mood, and Kitagawa even comforted her.

This shows that Kitagawa Sakakisa's nature is not bad, it's just that the environmental reasons give her a bit of a young lady.

Staring at her black sneakers, Kitagawa Sakaki whispered:

"Dreams. Are they really that important?"

Uesugi Kai who was drinking water looked at her sideways.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, September 9, Uesugi Kai came to the Kyudo Department with his bow bag on his back.

"A rare guest, I haven't seen you for a long time." Minister Qing Youya joked with a smile.

"Has there been any competition recently?"

"Oh? Are you interested?"

"I want to find something to do." Kai Uesugi took off the bow bag on his back.

Qing Youya also looked at his winding movement and said, "Nothing recently, but there is a hundred-shot meeting, you can try to participate."

"Hundred Shooting Club?" Uesugi Kai put the string on the end of the bamboo bow with some unfamiliarity.

"As the name suggests, one hundred close shots, the current record is Sakamoto Tadao in Showa 49, all hits, that is, 100 consecutive hits."

"49 years? It's very early."

Showa 49 was 1974, decades ago.

"The records in recent years are in the 99th, 61st, Hosei University." Qing Youya also said to Uesugi Kai, "How is it, are you interested?"

"The game is in Tokyo?"

"It's at the second shooting range of Meiji Jingu Shrine."

Kai Uesugi stood up, holding the bow with his right hand, "Then please ask the minister to help you sign up."

"These are trivial things. Do you have any thoughts on the exam?"

"No, rank is useless to me."

It is not difficult for Uesugi Kai to take the bow and shoot the arrow, and the various postures and shooting methods are also close to perfection.

Under the white and slender bow hakama uniform, a very beautiful posture is reflected.

Kai Uesugi, who raised his bamboo bow over his shoulder, pulled the bowstring and focused his thoughts on the target outside the grass.

dream
Hanabi's dream. What is it?
The drawstring of the bow vibrated slightly on the taut string.

Kaoru Uesugi has never heard her talk about his dream, he only knows that she loves painting very much, is very good at watercolor and illustration, and is good at composition of characters that echo the scenery.

But love. Is it a dream?
What is her dream.

Let go of your right hand, and the resonant string sound flies through the entire bow dojo, and the spinning arrow flies towards the target at high speed.

The reverberation and chord sound of hitting the target escape together under the light rainy sky.

"It's raining again." Uesugi Kai raised his head and put down the longbow in his hand.

"I thought your skills would decline after this month, but it seems I was overthinking." Suhei Sugita shot an arrow, which also hit the target.

"The etiquette movements are still a little rusty, only the head is not lowered."

Sohei Sugita didn't refute anything. Modern Kyudo is completely an exhibition game, and etiquette is an integral part of the entire Kyudo system competition.

"There will be many new members joining tomorrow, do you want to come?"

"It depends on the situation, I will come if there is nothing."

Fuko Sakurai brought out a few cups of hot tea from the lounge, looked up at Kai Uesugi who walked down the shooting position, "I always feel that Uesugi-san is a little out of shape."

Chitose Zhenyi also came out of the lounge, heard what the senior sister said, blinked and said:
"Isn't the senior still like this? The hit rate is also high."

"Well~ I don't know how to describe it if I insist on it." Fuko Sakurai held her chin with her right hand, "But it's just the feeling, do you understand the feeling? Zhenyi."

Chitose Zhenyi distributed cups of hot tea to everyone who stepped down from the shooting position, "It feels like the most unreliable thing, so don't use this to explain the problem, Fuko-senpai."

Uesugi Kai picked up the handle of the cup, stared at the rippling steam in the cup, and asked everyone:
"Do you think dreams are important?"

Sakurai Fuko and Chitose Mayi looked at each other.

"Look, I feel right."

"Senior is just asking a question, and it doesn't prove that he is out of shape." Chitose Shinyi retorted, "But I don't think dreams are important."

Fuko Sakurai: "Dreams are not important. Without dreams, you don't even know how to move forward."

"I don't have a dream." Chitose held the teacup with his right hand. "If the way ahead is all set, that would be the most boring choice. Besides, dreams will change with environmental factors."

Hirata Masanobu forced a smile: "I also agree with Chitose-sister's point of view."

The cold Ogata Asaka inserted a sentence behind everyone: "A goal is a goal, a dream is a dream, and if a dream can be achieved, it is not a dream."

Minister Qing Yuya also saw some clues, and asked Uesugi: "Did Uesugi encounter something?"

"It's nothing." Kai Uesugi shook his head, "I was just thinking about the reason for something that must be done."

Suhei Sugita put down his teacup and said calmly:
"I think the so-called dream is just enjoying the process of pursuing progress, when the goal is achieved, the result is just icing on the cake.

"In the process, only the people you meet and the emotional interaction with the period are the most precious things in your dream journey. Without the people and things in the middle, the dreams you achieve are nothing but emptiness in the end."

Chitose Mayo said curiously: "Senior Sugita's words are so profound!"

Suhei Sugita shook his head: "There's nothing profound about it. The toy is the most precious moment in the window, and the process of getting it is what needs to be experienced most seriously."

Uesugi Kai just looked at the cup of tea in his hand, carefully comprehending what Sugita-senpai said.

------------

In the evening, Kai Uesugi returned home with his cousin.

"Now there is a very serious problem." Shio Uesugi took off his shoes, and on the slender legs protruding from the hem of the skirt were black knee-length stockings.

"what is the problem."

Kaoru Uesugi stepped on the floor with his schoolbag slung over his shoulders, put on his slippers.

"With Xiao Huahuo gone, no one will make dinner for us."

Uesugi Kai was stunned, this is indeed a very serious problem.

"Sister Xi, can't cook?"

Shio Uesugi crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, "It's okay to let me help in the kitchen, but when it comes to cooking, I'm not much better than yours."

Kaoru Uesugi is well aware of his level:

"Then let's go to the convenience store and buy bento."

"Who's going?"

Ten seconds later.

Uesugi looked at his raised slap with his lazy royal blue eyes, "Why have I never won?"

"This thing also has a secret."

"What's the secret?"

"If you tell the secret, can it be called a secret?"

Kai Uesugi walked to the back room, waved to his cousin who was still standing at the entrance, and said, "I want a beef bento, plus a bottle of Calpis, anything else is optional."

Shio Uesugi picked up the key, picked up the umbrella, put on the shoes he just took off, and walked out of the house.

The first thing Uesugi did when he returned to the room was to lie on the bed, pick up Hanabi’s big shark, lift it up and ask:
"What is Hanabi's dream?"

Big Shark: "Stupid! Of course it's painting!"

"But she never said that to me."

Da Shasha: "If you haven't said it, it means you don't have it! You know, she insists on drawing by herself every day."

"But I don't think that's the case. She gave me a painting when I was a child. I can't remember that painting."

Big Shark: "If you can't remember clearly, don't think about it! It's only been three years, and it will pass soon."

"Three years, soon?"

Kaoru Uesugi, who was talking to himself, put down the shark, stared at the ceiling, and put his arms across his closed eyes.

I kept thinking about a few questions that echoed in my mind.

The hazy drowsiness gradually enveloped the fuzzy brain.

The scene is blurry, but it seems to be spring.

The cherry blossoms on the banks of the Kanda River are especially impressive.

"Brother Zhao has painting class today, but Hanabi's drawing is so bad, everyone is laughing around Hanabi."

"Are they well drawn?"

"No, no, obviously everyone is similar to Huahuo's painting"

"Then you don't paint, don't you?"

"But. Brother Zhao. That's a task assigned by the teacher."

"Well—how about it, you draw a picture every day, no matter what, try your best to draw it, and when you feel that you have drawn the most beautiful look in your mind, how about showing it to me?"

"No, no problem, but Brother Kai, you don't hate Hanabi's paintings, do you?"

Uesugi Kai felt helpless to the little girl beside him who was grabbing the corner of his clothes, sighed and said:

"Don't worry, even if you don't study in the same academy as me now, I won't hate you."

"So it's settled?"

"Yeah." Kaoru Uesugi replied casually.

The little girl was silent for a long time, thinking of all kinds of deeds these days, she suddenly looked up at him:

"Hanabi. I really want to go to school with Brother Kai."

"There will be a chance"

"Then Huahuo let Dad take Brother Zhao over, okay?"

"tell you later."

The little girl just grabbed his clothes with her fleshy hands and lowered her head.

For some reason, he suddenly recalled this picture of Uesugi Kai who was about to forget the picture, and suddenly opened his eyes.

"painting."

He got up quickly, walked out the door, and ran to the utility room to find a box that had been dusty for a long time.

(End of this chapter)