Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 101

Windchaser Dojo

After having lunch with them, Kurosawa mentioned that he had some matters to attend to in the afternoon and took his leave.

Establishing a company involves a lot of paperwork and procedures, and it’s not something that can be done instantly; preparations are necessary.

At 12:50 PM, Kurosawa took a taxi and arrived at his destination.

“Sir, the Windchaser Dojo you specified has been reached. Please make sure you have all your belongings.”

“Thank you, I’ve got everything.”

Expressing his gratitude to the driver, Kurosawa got out of the taxi.

Before him stood an ancient-style mansion, even the surrounding walls were different from modern houses, very tall walls.

Beside the main gate, there was a plaque with the calligraphic characters “Windchaser Dojo.”

The mansion was enormous, and in front of it, there was a spacious area for parking.

“It really has an ancient charm.”

After a brief inspection, Kurosawa, holding a bag, adjusted his clothes and walked towards the door, pressing the doorbell.

After waiting for two minutes, the door opened.

A middle-aged woman, dressed in a blue and white kimono with her hair done up, greeted him. She exuded an elegant and well-dressed aura.

“Oh my, may I ask why the esteemed guest has come?”

The woman in the kimono glanced at Kurosawa with a hint of surprise, her lips curved into a smiling inquiry.

Her astonishment seemed as if she had encountered an unusual visitor, and her voice was gentle and warm.

“Hello, I’m Kurosawa Hikaru. I’d like to visit and learn at the Windchaser Dojo.”

A reciprocal smile formed on Kurosawa’s face as he explained.

You give me three points of respect, and I return you three feet of courtesy.

“May I ask if the guest has a letter of recommendation?”

Upon hearing the name, the woman in the kimono showed no recognition and immediately inquired.

“A letter of recommendation?”

Kurosawa was taken aback upon hearing this term.

“Yes, if there is no letter of recommendation, Master Sato does not allow others to enter his dojo.”

The woman in the kimono explained with a somewhat troubled expression, her hand supporting her cheek.

“I am friends with Miss Shiromiya. Could that be considered a recommendation?”

Realizing the situation, Kurosawa thought for a moment and asked.

“Without a letter of recommendation and not on the appointment list, guests are generally not allowed to enter. I’m sorry for the inconvenience; please go back.”

The woman in the kimono maintained her gentle and soft-spoken demeanor throughout.

After nodding, she closed the door.

“…”

The door was shut, and Kurosawa, rejected outside, stood there in bewilderment.

Wasn’t it enough to join the archery club? Why wouldn’t they allow visits?

What should he do? If he couldn’t get in, how could he keep the appointment? 

Moreover, it was only a few minutes away from the scheduled 1:00 PM.

“I should get some contact information…”

Kurosawa, lost in thought for a while, started pacing back and forth with a headache.

Without a letter of recommendation, he couldn’t enter. The crucial point was that he couldn’t contact Shiromiya Mirai.

In reality, he could contact her, but it was troublesome. 

For instance, he could reach Shiromiya through her mother. 

However, would he dare?

Staying in the same place wasn’t a solution. Kurosawa thought for a while and opened his phone, finding Ninomiya’s Line, and sending her a message.

“Do you have Mr. Uesugi’s phone number?”

His phone only had Ninomiya’s contact information, as she was his teacher responsible for various matters during his university period.

As for Mr. Uesugi, his full name was Uesugi Masaki, the coach and club advisor of the Tokyo University Archery Club.

“I don’t, but I can find it. Why do you need it this afternoon? What do you want from him?”

“I have something urgent to discuss with him.”

“Wait a moment.”

Ninomiya didn’t ask further questions and just responded.

Not long after, she sent a string of numbers.

“Thanks.”

After a quick reply, Kurosawa immediately dialed the number.

“Mr. Uesugi, this is Kurosawa Hikaru.”

The phone rang several times before being answered, and Kurosawa promptly introduced himself.

“Kurosawa Hikaru? I was just looking for you. You need to come to the archery club this weekend to report and learn with everyone. Even if your archery talent is strong, you know too little about archery. You must polish your basics.”

Uesugi was surprised by his call and became more spirited.

“I want to meet Master Sato, but to enter the Windchaser Dojo, I need a letter of recommendation. Can you help me figure out a solution?”

“Why do you want to meet him?”

“Can you help me get in? I’m right in front of the Windchaser Dojo, but I can’t get in. It’s a bit urgent.”

“Master Sato is a national treasure in the archery world… It’s not easy to meet him.” Uesugi sounded a bit hesitant.

“What do you need from me to help me? I’m in a hurry, so just say it straight.”

Kurosawa had a hunch that he must have a way, so he went straight to the point.

Originally, if he had successfully entered, he should have met Shiromiya by now.

But in just a short while, it was already 12:58, and in a few minutes, he would be considered late. The longer it took, the worse it would be.

“Hehe, there’s still half a month. It’s almost summer vacation, right? On August 10th, there is the National University Archery Championship. I hope you can participate and receive guidance during the summer vacation.”

Seeing that he was cooperative, Uesugi smiled and made a proposal.

“Half a month? That’s too long. I’m very busy, at most three days.”

Kurosawa frowned upon hearing this condition.

The upcoming summer vacation should be a period of career development for him, and it was uncertain what arrangements would be made. 

Besides, he also had a dating mission, and half a month was too long.

“Then three days,” Uesugi had no objections to the duration. 

This kid had tremendous talent, and as long as he was willing to learn, it was negotiable.

“Okay, hurry up and help me find a way to get in.”

After some thought, Kurosawa agreed.

With three days’ time during the summer vacation, he should be able to arrange it.

Today’s dating mission was crucial. The reward for the date could upgrade his piano skills to the mastery level.

In comparison, a perfect level in archery wasn’t as necessary because it wasn’t practically useful in daily life and seemed a bit redundant. 

Moreover, he had made an appointment with Shiromiya, so it wouldn’t be good to break that commitment.

“Wait a moment. Let me change my clothes, and I’ll drive over immediately.” Upon receiving his verbal agreement, Uesugi responded promptly.

“You’re coming over? Can’t you just call and let me in?”

“If you want to meet 9th dan Sato, you either need to be a notable figure in the archery world, have a recommendation letter and invitation, or be an acquaintance or disciple. Your teacher is a 6th dan Uesugi, and is considered somewhat famous. I’ve met him a few times, if I show them my identity, I can take you in.” (1)

“How long will it take?”

Kurosawa was getting anxious. He hadn’t expected that entering an archery dojo would be so troublesome.

“I’m still at school. It’ll take about the same time as from the University of Tokyo to the Windchaser Dojo.”

“Please hurry.”

“I know you’re in a hurry, but don’t rush. Do you just want to visit, or do you want to do archery? If it’s archery, did you bring all the necessary equipment?”

“I want to do archery, and I have a finger guard with me, but nothing else.”

Kurosawa glanced at the bag he was carrying and replied.

The last time he went to the archery club, he didn’t have any equipment, so he borrowed tools from the club.

At that time, he heard people say that a finger guard was essential for archery. So, before coming, he made a special trip to a relevant store and bought a deer skin finger guard, spending over 60,000 yen.

“I’ll carry your stuff over.”

“Alright.”

Kurosawa nodded, looked up at the gate, and then glanced at the high wall nearby.

In fact, he could use parkour techniques to climb over the wall, but doing so would be an illegal intrusion. 

He had to dismiss that idea.

TL Notes:

1. 1. 1. 1. The term “dan” is used in martial arts, including disciplines like archery (kyūdō) or martial arts like judo and karate. It signifies a ranking system to assess the skill level of practitioners. In this context, “6th dan” refers to the sixth degree or level of mastery. In kyūdō (Japanese archery), achieving a higher dan rank indicates a higher level of expertise, experience, and skill in the art.