The Archery Range

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CHAPTER 11: THE ARCHERY RANGE

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I found the archery range by accident.

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It was on the edge of the school grounds, behind the gymnasium, in a narrow strip of concrete between the equipment shed and the fence. I didn't know it was there. I had been walking home the long way, the way I always walked home, because the long way had fewer people and more quiet.

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I heard the sound first. A sharp thwip followed by a pause, then another thwip.

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I stopped at the fence and looked through the chain-link.

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Yuki was alone.

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She was standing at the far end of the range with a bow in her hands and her feet planted and her posture perfect. She drew an arrow from the quiver at her hip. She nocked it. She raised the bow. She held it for a moment — one breath, two — and then she released.

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The arrow hit the target. Dead center.

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She didn't react. She didn't nod. She didn't smile. She just drew another arrow and did it again.

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I watched her shoot ten arrows. All ten hit the center.

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She didn't stop. She didn't rest. She didn't drink water. She just kept shooting.

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There was another girl sitting on the bench at the edge of the range.

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She was quiet. She had short hair and a brace on her wrist and a notebook open on her lap. She was writing something. Every few minutes, she would look up and watch Yuki shoot, and then she would look back down at her notebook.

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She noticed me watching. She looked up, met my eyes for half a second, and then looked back down.

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She didn't seem surprised. She didn't seem suspicious. She just seemed like someone who was used to being overlooked.

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I looked back at Yuki.

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She was still shooting. Her rhythm was the same. Draw. Nock. Raise. Hold. Release. Draw. Nock. Raise. Hold. Release.

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She didn't miss once.

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I stayed at the fence for twenty minutes.

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The sun was going down. The shadows were getting longer. The girl on the bench had stopped writing and was watching Yuki with a different kind of attention. Not observation. Concern.

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Yuki drew another arrow. She nocked it. She raised the bow. She held it.

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She released.

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The arrow hit the target.

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But it was off. Just barely. Just a centimeter to the left of the center.

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Yuki stared at the target. She didn't move. She just stood there, frozen, like the arrow had betrayed her.

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Then she drew another arrow. And another. And another.

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She shot until it was dark. She shot until I couldn't see the target anymore. She shot until the girl on the bench stood up and walked over to her and said something I couldn't hear.

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Yuki lowered the bow.

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The girl put her hand on Yuki's shoulder. Yuki didn't flinch. She didn't pull away. She just stood there for a moment, breathing, and then she nodded.

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The girl walked away. Yuki stayed at the range.

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I walked home. 112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMA112vYNlx

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