Living in Tokyo, all I want to do is laze around.

Hanamaru Hanabi paused for a second, then whispered:

"Kai's competition is more important than fireworks."

"Hanabi's rest is more important than my match." Uesugi Kai knew she would say such a thing. "Don't be too hard on yourself."

Hanabi Hanabi shook her little head. "Hanabi didn't make things difficult for herself. Hanabi just wanted to keep her promise to Kai-kun."

Kai Uesugi glanced at her small hands clasped in front of her skirt and said with a smile, "Let's go watch the competition first; our team competition hasn't started yet."

"Hmm." Just as he took a step, Hanabi Hanabi suddenly gave him a very nice smile. "Kai-kun looks very handsome today."

Her smile always has the power to charm those around her.

"As long as Xiaohuahuo likes it."

A total of 72 universities participated in this district-level competition.

There seem to be many, but less than half of the clubs can actually execute twenty out of forty arrows.

Mastering a bow that is several tens of centimeters taller than oneself is no easy task.

Most students are well aware of their own abilities and participate in this competition as an opportunity to gain experience.

The real highlights are just a few well-known schools.

When Yuzhi High School entered the field at the referee's signal, all eyes were on them.

Five people, with the same posture and movements, holding longbows and arrows of different colors, entered the arena calmly and slowly, and walked to their shooting positions.

"Have the people from Yuzhi entered yet?"

"Just by looking at them, you can tell they're completely different from the previous ones."

"The movements, the posture, the demeanor, especially the person walking at the very back—so...elegant..."

"Is that Feng Yeti? I heard he holds the record of hitting the target with twenty consecutive arrows."

With his excellent hearing, Uesugi Kai heard the whispers of the audience behind him. Putting everything else aside, the strength with which he shot twenty arrows in a row was truly remarkable.

Compared to other types of bows, the posture of holding the bow high and drawing the string requires more strength and puts more strain on the arm muscles.

When ordinary people first come into contact with archery, they can barely lift the bow above their shoulder before they can no longer pull the string.

Chitose Mayi pulled Hanamaru Hanabi aside and started talking about random, girly topics, which Uesugi Kai wasn't interested in listening to, even though most of it was about him.

"All five members of Yuzhi participated in the individual competition?"

Upon hearing his voice, Sugita Sohei said, "Seven, plus two substitutes. It's kind of a tradition; basically, all the Michi members participate in both the individual and team competitions."

After paying their respects upon entering, they sat on the benches prepared in the dojo.

The referee then called for the next batch of high school athletes to enter the arena for the individual competition.

Compared to Yuzhi, they receive far less attention.

The broadcast announced: "First shooting range, number one, Michi High School's Kazeya player."

Second round, Tsukishima High School's Takayanagi player.

Third round, Asanuma, a student from Michi High School.

Fourth, Noda, a player from Tsukishima High School.

Fifth place, Michi High School, Shimokawa player.

Second shooting range, first shot, Tsukishima High School player Oya.

Second round, Michi High School, Yagi player.

Third, Makita, a player from Tsukishima High School.

Fourth place, Yuzhi High School, Fuchigami player.

Fifth place, Higa player from Tsukishima High School.

......

"There's no suspense in the preliminaries; the people from Michi will advance." Kanai Eiyoshi focused his attention on Kazeya Tei, who was ranked first.

###Chapter 122: Entering the arena, then preparing to showcase archery skills###

The captivating string music is as soothing as bathing in the spring breeze of April.

This was the impression Feng Yeti left on everyone during the individual qualifiers.

------

At noon, the group gathered at a brightly lit family-run restaurant.

Due to the competition, the restaurant was overwhelmed with customers, and the staff were in a flurry of activity, serving food at a pace more than twice as slow as usual.

I always hear the shop assistants say things like, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Hanabi Hanabi and a few girls from the archery club sat at another table, their voices still soft as they talked with Mai Chitose and Fuuko Sakurai.

By high school, Hanabi seemed to be very popular, especially among the girls.

If it had been like this in elementary school, her intermittent feelings of inferiority would probably have been much better.

"I had heard of Michi's strength before, but after actually facing him, all I can say is, 'As expected.'"

Silence.

"Actually, it's alright. Not everyone got it right." Uesugi Kai took the steak and vegetable set meal from the clerk.

He politely returned the courtesy after she repeatedly apologized.

"That's you, Uesugi. We ordinary people are on a completely different level from you," Hirata Masanobu said, pursing his lips and waving his hand.

"We... need to work even harder."

Hiroki Kanai rested his right hand on his chin, staring at the foam on the coffee below. "We're just holding Uesugi and Sugita back. With our current strength, we're not enough to defeat Michi."

Sugita Sohei: "Don't say things like 'holding us back.' We're all classmates in the same club. Even Uesugi and I can't achieve a 100% hit rate."

"Everyone grows stronger, and our opponents are not gods. They are powerful, so we must strive to defeat them."

Qing Youya smiled and continued, "So, after the preliminary rounds, we're preparing to start a training camp. The principal has already agreed to our request."

"My only concern right now is Guan Jing's studies."

He was a member of the same department as Hideyoshi Kanai, and he knew about his current situation.

"fine."

When Hideyoshi Kanai accepted the invitation to participate in the competition, he was already prepared for this situation. "The monthly test just ended, so I can relax a little."

His goal for further education is Tokyo Metropolitan University, which, although not the University of Tokyo, is still one of the top public universities in the country and is a well-known university in Tokyo.

Kai Uesugi understood that getting into such a school required many times more effort, and that saying he could relax a little was only relative.

“I’m fine with it too,” he said.

Hirata Masanobu: "Okay!"

"Alright! Since everyone has agreed, I hereby declare the training camp plan for the archery club of Shin-Ko High School officially underway!"

Minister Aoyuya also placed her fist in the middle of the fragrant table, "From now on, let's grow and work hard together! For a group that hasn't achieved much, let's set our sights on defeating Michi!"

The group looked at each other for a second, then each extended their fist.

"alright."

"clear."

"Ah."

"Oh!"

The final sound amplified the attention-grabbing effect, causing all the other contestants eating around them to turn and look at them.

"..."

------

Compared to team competitions, individual qualifiers take much less time.

The main reason is the small number of people.

Therefore, both mornings of the weekend were allocated to the individual qualifying rounds.

This afternoon is the time for the team qualifiers.

16:03:23

The members of the Kanzaki-Eshito Archery Club have been summoned to the waiting room.

Because of Sugita Sohei's presence, the audience paid extra attention to this team.

The title of being among the top ten in the national competition is undoubtedly prestigious.

The contestants from Yuzhi High School were already watching intently from the stands.

Feng Yeti—this naturally elegant man seemed to care about him very much.

"I wonder if Sohei has any hope of achieving a higher ranking this year."

"What do you think, Tei?" The elderly advisor, Ikemoto, spoke slowly and deeply.

"Difficult." That one word is enough to explain his current thoughts.

“That’s right,” Advisor Ikemoto said, looking back at the dojo. “After all, who among those who can stand there wasn’t a genius at some point?”

The bustling venue reached its climax with the arrival of Sugita Sohei.

Last year, many people witnessed his composed demeanor and masterful shooting style on Japan's public television network.

At the age of 17, he rose to the center of a group of prestigious figures.

The word "genius" is deeply ingrained in my heart.

Unlike most viewers, Advisor Ikemoto focused his attention on the unusually unfamiliar Kai Uesugi.

He put his hands behind his back, and deep wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes.

"The top position in the Kamikoshi Archery Club is actually filled by a newcomer who has just started learning archery. Even if they are a high school with a small number of students aiming for higher education, this arrangement is still inappropriate."