Ikémen Sengoku: Transcriptioned Romances Across Time (Masamune)

Masamune Date You Can Rely On Me [August 2019] Chapter 2

Masamune and I were scouting the village and talking, when suddenly--

Child's Voice: "All right! Got it!" We heard a child's enthusiastic cry.

Masamune: "What do you suppose that is?" There were some kids playing nearby. "Looks like they're playing target practice." They've drawn a circle on that tree and are throwing rocks, trying to hit it.

Mai: "...You kids look like you're having fun. How does this work? Are you playing in teams?"

Child 1: "Yep! And whichever team wins, they get to make the losers do whatever they ask!"

Masamune: "Sounds like a good sport."

Mai: "Did you play games like this when you were little, Masamune?"

Masamune: "Yeah. Then I started winning so much that everyone refused to play with me." I can picture that.  Despite being on teams, every time a child hit the target, the whole group cheered. It was easy to get absorbed, watching them have so much fun...

Child 1: "Gohei, you suck at this game!"

Child 2: "Yeah, you haven't hit it a single time!" But a couple of the boys were starting to pick on one of their teammates who was lagging-- That's not good sportsmanship!

Masamune: "Looks like a fight might break out."

Mai: "Yeah... Everyone? There's no need for that. Let's keep the game fun, all right?" While they were just kids, I couldn't stand aside if there was bullying going on--

Masamune: "Hold on, lass." Masamune stopped me from stepping in to defend the young boy, Gohei. Why? Weren't you the one who said it looked like they might fight?  "I know how to handle this." Masamune called the young boy over to where we were. "Gohei, right? Come here for a moment." The boy did, looking curiously at Masamune.

Gohei: "What is it?" Masamune picked up a rock and tossed it, snatching it out of the air with impressive dexterity.

Masamune: "When you throw, it's not about throwing as hard as you can. There's a technique to hitting the target regardless of your strength." He handed the rock to Gohei and pointed at a tree with a break in its trunk. "I'll show you. First, try hitting the split in that tree over there."

Gohei: "All the way over there? No way. I couldn't even hit the target the others hit--"

Masamune: "Don't give up before you start." Masamune fixed Gohei with a look. There was no harshness in Masamune's firm expression, only experience.

Gohei: "All right, I'll try."

Masamune: "There you go! First, take a good look at your target..." When Masamune had finished instructing him, Gohei took the rock, threw it, and--

Gohei: "I hit it!"

Mai: "Good job!"

Masamune: "See how easy it is once you learn the steps?"

Gohei: "Yeah!" Gohei brightened right up too!

Child 1: "...That was so cool! Teach me too!" The other children, who'd been watching, quickly gathered around Masamune.

Masamune: "There's only one of me. The rest of you will have to learn from Gohei here. He's my first disciple, after all."

With Masamune's encouragement, Gohei began teaching the other children as Masamune had taught him. Once the outcast, Gohei was now the envy of every boy in the group. Masamune figured out a way for him to join the others without any trouble.