MARRIED TO A KITSUNE

CHAPTER XXVI

Three weeks and two days had passed since Honoree returned to Takao's place.

She woke up inside her room, lying on bed in a fetal position, holding tight the crystal ball close to her chest. It was an awfully silent past midnight, and she lay still as she tried to analyze what happened back at the kingdom. Before the sun rise, she grabbed a pen and paper and wrote Yuuji's promise to her as if fearing that she might forget it.

I'll get back to you no matter what.

Honoree felt a threatening wave of sadness as it starts filling her up.

-----

Takao noticed how much Honoree had changed since she came home. It's like she's with him but her attention is nowhere. He constantly finds her lost in deep thoughts while looking at the sky during their afternoon teas, after she got back from school and did all the house chores. She suddenly spends a lot of time inside the honden during the weekends, sitting in front of Inari's statue while clutching a strange crystal ball.

At the Academy, Ayame began to be aware of Honoree's apparent change when they've gone watching her during the Target Archery Club. Honoree was the most valuable member of the Academy's Archery Team and for the upcoming annual target archery competition, everyone expects that she'll maintain the Academy's place at the top. But during the practice in which Ayame, Naoki and Akira watch, Honoree keep making low errors in which she grips the bow too tight, aiming longer and drawing shorter than usual, causing the arrow to jerk in a different direction, mostly away from the target's center.

It was the third day of the club's practice and Honoree is still into making the same mistakes so to address the problem, the club's adviser, Shino Miyagi-sensei* stands beside Honoree as she draws her bow. He was staring at her with furrowed eyebrows under his eyeglass, hands crossed on his chest. The tension between them had built up and is coming to a confrontation if Honoree still did not show him what he wants to see from her.

"Hold your bow gently Ishirama. Relax your bow hand. Gripping too tight will make that shot of yours less steady."

Honoree prematurely releases the bowstring and the arrow landed on the inner white circle giving only two points, far from her usual shooting on the outer gold which is equivalent to nine points.

"If you continue to do that what do you think will happen?"

"I'm sorry, I just---"

Shino Miyagi yelled at her. "We don't need your sorry little lady! I am asking you what the hell will happen if you continue to grip on to your bow tightly during a draw!"

"The tension in the string will force the bow to align in certain---"

"I am not asking you the technicalities. Do you want me to repeat my question?"

Honoree shook her head. "If my shooting error continues, my shooting form will degenerate to a state where it becomes difficult to even reach a full draw."

"Good. Some archers have given away this sport in shear frustration over this problem and I am already making you aware of it. Some takes months to recognize they have a problem until its too late for them to turn back. And what do you think is the cause of this?"

"I am gripping---"

"What do you think Ishirama? Answer me with what you've learn from me regarding our archery lessons," he sneered.

Ayame, Naoki and Akira can feel the heat of their conversation from afar. They watched as Honoree keeps her worried face bow down. This kind of situation has never happened before and the members of the club knew it too. Everyone remain silent and unmoving as Shino Miyagi grinds Honoree.

"The fault is not physical Sensei. It's all in the way I think, thus it's more in my mental aspect. The brain has to learn many skills of very fine controlled muscle movement in order to shoot an arrow consistently."

"Very good. This seemingly small error of yours can cause a drop in your score and to compensate for that, you will try harder to control your shooting. The more you try to control the shot, the worse the problem grows. And then what Ishirama? Please tell everybody what will happen."

Honoree did not speak for a moment. She was squeezing the lower limb of her bow tight. "The archer's confidence---"

"Your confidence."

"My confidence in my ability to aim the center of the target or even release may suffer," she concluded.

"It will surely suffer if you don't do a thing about it." Shino Miyagi said. "The bow reflects the archer's heart." he sighs and turns around. "You will be dismissed for today Ishirama. Go home and rest. I'm expecting the best of you, the you we've known, during our next session."

Honoree bows to him and meet the others at the door of the dressing room.

"You disappoint me today," Ayame said, "I'm doing my best in tennis while you just stand there and gave us a half-assed play you called target archery. I never thought exchanging my date in order to watch you would be such a waste." She walked passed Honoree and bumped her shoulder.

Naoki reached for Honoree's hand and tried comforting her. "She's just encouraging you Hono-chan, don't take it seriously" she said and smiles nervously, "You know how Aya-chan's ways of encouragement sounds like, do you? She's just worried that you might not be the Academy's representative for the competition. We all know how you work hard for it."

"You go change now Hono-chan. I'll walk you home." Akira offered.

He watches Honoree sighs every ten minutes during their walk home but unlike before she was oblivious to his eyes.

"Hono-chan, do you want some ice cream?"

Honoree lifted her face and clutches the scarf around her neck. When she spoke, her breath was visible in the air. "Thank you Akira-kun but I'm cold already."

Akira laughs. "I'm kidding, I only want to make you speak." He patted Honoree's forehead with his right hand and his with the other. "You're not sick, then what could it be that's bothering you? During the practice, I know you well to say that it wasn't like you back there. You love that sport enough that there's a smile on your face every time you made an arrow flying on the target. Where is it now?"

She stops walking and fix her bag behind. "Akira, how did you deal with it?"

"Deal what?"

"When you and your girlfriend was apart. How do you deal with the crushing weight that seems to eat you up?" It was an honest question and Akira felt the sincerity in Honoree's voice. She knows Yuuji will do exactly as he promised but she regretted not asking him how long does she have to wait for him. The tattoo on her ring finger had vanished and she's afraid that Yuuji may forget her. What will she do if that happens? It was a question Honoree did not even dare to think. Just thinking about it makes her eyes swell. "Every day, I feel like I'm being squeeze. I... I wanted to see him but I can't do anything."

They continue to walk until they arrive at the stone stairs. Akira searched Honoree's eyes and smiled at her. "I was going to ask you for a date on Christmas, Hono-chan. But it looks like you manage to found someone special." Deep inside, Akira told himself that finally, he can gave up Honoree. They will remain friends and he will be the most special man next to her special man. Oh wait! I'm the fourth special man, with Ojii-san as the second and her father the third. "Hmm. Let's see. Distance. Sometimes it's necessary Hono-chan. You wouldn't know how much you love him until you've been apart from him."

"But why does it feel like this?"

Not having any additional answer for her question, Akira moves closer and wrapped his arms around Honoree. It didn't make her feel any better, but it's all that anyone can do for her.