Kousuke

The Trainee with the Ramen Hat was an easy target for jokes. Like many others, Kousuke was brought to Waterfall City by Shokei-moji, a stray gathered into a community of strays. They clung to their strawberry milk like a relic from a past life, and the bowl on their head made them seem more suited for a food stall than the archery range. But then they would draw the bow. The jokes would stop. A stillness would fall over them, their eyes locking onto the target with a focus so complete it was unnerving. Their instructor gave them their first solo assignment today: a scouting mission downriver, where frog merchants have been disappearing. Kousuke just nodded, finished their milk, and adjusted their hat. No one knows if they are ready, least of all them.