Tokyo life starting with painting

As mentioned before, there are various clubs in the North Yiyuan School, and the Calligraphy Club is one of them.

However, the calligraphy club is another level weaker than the kendo club, judo club, and art club of Kitajuku.

After all, the above three departments can achieve good results every year, and the honors of the Calligraphy Department can be counted on one's fingers.

Therefore, as the second-year calligraphy director, Matsumoto Jun felt inexplicably helpless.

He was originally in a good mood today. After all, the student council president Kijo Aiko took the initiative to approach the calligraphy department, hoping to find someone to purchase a vertical calligraphy banner for the Hokuyi Juku Art Festival in half a month.

The calligraphy club students also wanted to show off their skills in front of the beautiful student council president.

But in the end, after looking around the whole calligraphy department, Kijo Aiko couldn't find a candidate that satisfied her, so she politely said some polite words to Jun Matsumoto and left.

Of course, these things are unknown to the students below. They are even now discussing who Aiko Kijo will choose to write the vertical banner.

This made Jun Matsumoto shake his head helplessly.

The calligraphy quality of this class of students is indeed not very good. Most of them come here just to join the club and hang out, and there are very few who study calligraphy seriously.

After all, who could withstand this group of young and energetic young men facing black ink on rice paper all day long?

But Aiko Kijo went to the studio to find someone who knew how to calligraphy?

This made Jun Matsumoto a little unconvinced.

After all, there is still a specialization in the art industry.

Do you want people who learn Western oil painting to write calligraphy? This is all a joke.

At least Jun Matsumoto felt that it was impossible for Aiko Kijo to find a suitable candidate in the studio.

At best, it's just a matter of luck.

Just as Jun Matsumoto was thinking this, Aiko Kijo had already walked into the calligraphy club with Asami Mamanaka and an unknown boy.

Did she really find a suitable candidate for her?

Jun Matsumoto thought to himself and stepped forward to greet him.

There is no way, I have to give face. If the student union is upset, Asami, as the accountant, will lose more than the gains of the calligraphy club's club funds.

"President Mu Tiao, is there anything else you can do? And who is this person next to you?"

Matsumoto Jun said, looking at the boy standing next to Kijo Aiko.

Huh - he looks quite handsome, but I don’t know what his skills are.

"I am Higashinoji, a first-year student. Please give me some advice from Matsumoto-senpai." The young man named Higashinoji made a good first impression on Matsumoto Jun. He had a smile on his face and was very polite.

"Well, let's ask each other for advice." Matsumoto Jun said to Higashinoji with a smile, and then looked at Kijo Aiko: "Is this the calligraphy expert that President Kijo found in the studio?"

Well

Aiko Kijo couldn't answer this question.

After all, she had never seen Higashinoji write, so she didn't know much about his calligraphy skills.

If Higashinoji's skills were not good enough and he was not as good as the calligraphy club students, then she would be a little embarrassed.

"President Kijo doesn't know my level, but I requested to participate without authorization. If my level is not good enough, then I have to rely on Matsumoto-senpai and my classmates from the calligraphy club."

Higashinoji's words of advance and retreat in a controlled manner not only relieved Kijo Aiko, but also made Jun Matsumoto feel particularly comfortable.

Jun Matsumoto glanced at Higashinoji with satisfaction, and decided to wait for a while. Even if Higashinoji couldn't write beautiful words, he would never laugh at him: "It's okay, Higashino-kun, everyone has a first time, and everyone needs to try. .”

"Then I wonder if Matsumoto-senpai can bring me some paper so I can practice my hand? I haven't written for a long time, and my hand is a little raw."

"Of course."

Jun Matsumoto was so happy that he turned around and started to make arrangements.

Asami Mamanaka, who was watching from the side, was even more confused when she saw Higashinoji getting closer to Jun Matsumoto with just a few words and a smile.

Was Higashinoji's communication skills so strong in the past?

Not in my impression.

While Asami was thinking about it, Higashinoji over there had already gotten ink, a brush, and a towel under the inkstone from Jun Matsumoto.

The towel had obviously been used many times. The original white towel had a lot of ink stains on it, and it couldn't be washed clean.

Ink, inkstones, and writing brushes are bargains that can be found everywhere, including the rice paper that was brought over.

After all, it is just for practice. Students in the calligraphy department usually use tools of this size when practicing - in fact, sometimes they also use scrap newspapers to practice calligraphy.

Only when they participate in calligraphy competitions, they will take out expensive rice paper, special inkstones, and inkstones for preparation.

"Ink," Higashinoji was somewhat dissatisfied in his heart.

There is an essential difference between industrially produced ink and regular ink ground from an inkstone.

The ink produced by grinding the ink will have an obvious layering, but the industrial ink does not have this layering. In addition, it is made of chemical raw materials such as formaldehyde. If you use too much industrial ink, it will make your eyes sore and your throat dry.

But forget it, it’s just for practice anyway.

Higashino placed the ink and inkstone in front of him, held the brush in his hand, and breathed in and out slowly.

He was not kidding when he said he was good at writing. It is easy to fall behind if you don't practice calligraphy for a day. You must practice first to become familiar with the feel of Japanese brushes and the texture of Japanese ink.

Higashino spread out the rice paper and gradually calmed down.

You must meditate before writing calligraphy. You will not be able to write good calligraphy if you are impatient. Only by writing and writing with a calm mind can you write good calligraphy.

Next to him, Jun Matsumoto, Aiko Kijo and others just watched curiously and did not make a sound.

They also want to know what level Higashinoji is.

Then--

Matsumoto Jun swallowed, turned his head and whispered to Kijo Aiko: "President Kijo, did you really find Higashino-san from the studio? How come his handwriting is so good?"

"He just said he knew calligraphy. I didn't know he was so good."

Watching Higashinoji steadily enter, start, and finish the pen, and his actions were even a bit like everyone's, Kijo Aiko beside him couldn't help but be stunned.

Is this really a treasure? Does Higashinoji really know everything?

While they were thinking this, Asami Mamanaka, who had been watching Higashinoji without speaking, felt an inexplicable emotion in her heart.

It's not that I regret it, just a slight feeling of complaint.

You obviously know so much, why didn't you show me these strengths at that time?

It feels a bit like eating lemon pantothenic acid.

"It feels a bit like the Shizunji sect, but not quite like it. It also feels a bit like Quling Lake. It's so grand."

Next to him, Jun Matsumoto murmured quietly.

His muttering was naturally picked up by Higashikata.

Higashinoji thought it was quite interesting.

Most Japanese people like to divide many things into genres to make sure their style is unique.

For example, the kendo school, and the judo school, even calligraphy has not escaped their "poisonous hands", and has been divided into many schools.

But looking at Japan's history, it is easy to find that Japan's calligraphy aesthetics are actually very tired, and its calligraphy culture is not that rich.

While there are many schools, it’s easy to spot the commonalities.

Therefore, even though there are many schools of calligraphy in Japan, they are not as clearly differentiated as Chinese calligraphy.

This is not deliberately flattered by Higashino, but is a recognized fact.

After all, calligraphy was introduced to Japan from China.