The Archery Club

CHAPTER 23: THE ARCHERY CLUB

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I found the archery club on Saturday.

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I wasn't looking for it. I was just walking. I had nowhere to be. I walked through the neighbourhood and past the school and past the park and I ended up at the archery range again.

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Yuki was there.

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She was shooting. Same rhythm. Draw. Nock. Raise. Hold. Release. She didn't look at me when I walked up. She didn't acknowledge that I was there.

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Sora was there too.

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She was sitting on the bench with her notebook open on her lap. She looked up when she saw me and nodded once.

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"Hi," I said.

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"Hi."

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"Are you here every day?"

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"Most days."

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"You watch her."

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"I watch out for her."

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I looked at Yuki. She was still shooting. Her rhythm was perfect. Her arrows hit the center every time.

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"She's good," I said.

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"She's the best."

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"Then why does she keep practicing?"

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Sora looked at me.

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"Because she doesn't believe it," she said.

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Yuki finished her set and lowered her bow.

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She saw me. She didn't say anything. She just set the bow down on the rack and walked over.

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"You're here," she said.

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"I was walking."

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"You were watching."

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"I was standing."

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She stared at me. Then she looked at Sora. Then she looked back at me.

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"Stay for a while," she said.

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It wasn't a question. It wasn't an invitation. It was an order.

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I stayed.

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They shot together.

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Yuki and Sora. Side by side. Same rhythm. Draw. Nock. Raise. Hold. Release. They didn't compete. They just shot. They moved together like they had been doing it for years.

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I sat on the bench and watched.

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At some point, Sora missed. Her arrow hit the outer ring. She frowned.

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Yuki stopped. She looked at Sora. She didn't say anything. She just walked over and stood behind her and put her hand on her shoulder.

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Sora relaxed.

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

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She released.

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It hit the center.

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Yuki nodded. She didn't smile. But something passed between them. Something I wasn't supposed to see.

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I noticed.

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I walked home with them.

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We didn't talk much. Yuki walked with her hands in her pockets and her eyes straight ahead. Sora walked beside her with her notebook clutched to her chest.

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They stopped at the corner.

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"This is where we split," Yuki said.

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"Okay."

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Sora looked at me.

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"It was nice to meet you," she said.

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"You too."

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She looked at Yuki. Yuki looked at her. Something passed between them again.

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Then Yuki turned and walked away. Sora walked the other direction.

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I stood at the corner and watched them go.

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I didn't understand what I had seen.

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But I knew it was something. 74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSzQ4t2ktP

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