Hotaka: Through My Eyes by John Heffernan
Author:John Heffernan [John Heffernan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2017-01-12T00:00:00+00:00
âYou shouldâve seen him, Sakura. He was awesome.â
Hotaka doesnât feel awesome as he hobbles home with his two friends. His feet, his ankles and both upper arms are all bruised where Tarou struck hard with his shinai. One elbow is throbbing and his back and ribs are sore from some nasty jabs delivered on the sly.
âTarou committed one foul after another,â Osamu says. âHe wouldâve been disqualified ten times in a proper match. Hardly a legal hit the whole time.â
âHe knew he could get away with it,â Hotaka explains. âCoach was on the other side of the gym, his back to us all the time. We were only meant to be practising together. But Tarou went ape. It only took a few minutes, four at the most, but it had nothing to do with kendo. He was out to hurt me; and he did it while the coachâs back was turned. All I could do was fend him off as best I could.â
âYou did more than that, bud. You deflected heaps of his strikes but you also scored a few top hits. He wouldnât have expected that.â
âHe didnât; I saw the surprise in his eyes when I scored that first whack on his helmet. Heâd let his anger over-rule his mind, and he knew it. But that only made him wilder.â
âSure did. He got really brutal near the end. Iâm amazed you put up with it.â
Hotaka could have pulled out or protested. But heâd made up his mind at the start to see it through, whatever. It was all about personal honour. Do it properly, kendo style â âthe way of the swordâ.
He could have played dirty, too. But he refused to, and that actually injured Tarou more than any blows Hotaka might have achieved by cheating.
When the session was over, Hotaka was very relieved indeed. He couldnât have hung on much longer, and he left the floor incredibly sore. But he also felt he was the real winner.
âYouâre a hero in my eyes,â Osamu says as he hops on his bike. âSee you later,â he shouts, and pedals off.
Hotaka and Sakura walk on in silence. He senses a coolness in her, and wonders about it. Only when theyâre almost at the harbourfront does he eventually speak.
âYouâre quiet, Sakura. You havenât said a thing since we left school.â
âHavenât had a chance. Osamuâs been singing your praises nonstop. He worships you. How come? Did you save his life or something?â
Hotaka laughs. âDonât be silly.â He blushes. âBut yeah, he does go on a bit. I wish he wouldnât.â
âLiar. You love it. Youâd be feeling very pleased with yourself right now.â
âI donât know what you mean.â
âCome on, admit it. Wounded warrior, honourable to the end in true kendo spirit. Hotaka good guy, Tarou bad dude. Am I right?â
Hotaka bristles. âWell, I didnât cheat, if thatâs what you mean.â
âOf course you didnât. Honourable Hotaka cheat? Unthinkable! You couldnât cheat to save your life.â
âHang on, am I supposed to feel bad about not cheating?â
âNo. But nor should you think yourself better.
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