Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 15 - Chapter 4.1

  TIME SLIP

A special express train is sitting in the back corner of Kyoto Station.

“This …… is it, right?”

It’s so far out on the edge of the platform that I’m starting to doubt myself while I wait for Machi Kugui to arrive. It’s not like her to show up late for anything.

“Still, I never thought I’d be doing a cramming session there of all places. I was sure we’d be somewhere in Kyoto proper–––.”

When suddenly……

“Ryuo-saaan! ♡”

Booouuunce. Booouuunce. I’m not the only one captivated by the beautiful young woman bounding her way through the station. Pretty much everyone is looking at her.

“My preparations …… pant pant …… took longer than I anticipated …………”

Running late, Machi shows up with her hair down but glasses on. She’s right in between her Shogi player and journalist selves.

“I was unable to put my face on …… Oh, how embarrassing this is, to be seen in such a state of disarray ……”

Pulling two huge suitcases behind her, Machi is wearing a form-fitting knit sweater. It really amplifies her chest.

“That’s ……… a lot of …… luggage you’re carrying ……”

Glancing (peripherally) at the two sets of things weighing her down, I thank her for her tremendous effort.

Why do glasses and long black hair go so well together? For that matter, why do knit sweaters and huge boobs knock men to their knees like a one-two combo punch?

My eyes glued to the living definition of attractive, I ask, “I-Is this the right train?”

“Aye. The first car.”

Suitcases rolling behind us, we head to the front of the train.

The first half of that train car is designated as the business-class Green Car. It looks like Machi reserved seats for us here.

“Not a soul around …… We have it all to ourselves?”

“Weekdays tend to be this way.”

Well, we have the Green Car to ourselves. The thing is that the seat numbers printed on our tickets are right next to each other.

Hmmm ……

We’re allowed to sit further apart at times like this when no one else is around …… right? This is a business trip and I have a girlfriend …………… That is, assuming she hasn’t dumped me yet ……

“Kuzuryu-sensei.”

Machi speaks in her journalist voice while pulling on my sleeve and adjusting her glasses with her left hand at the same time.

“I did not reserve the Green Car in order for you to enjoy the view. It was so that you would have the perfect writing environment to complete even one more word before our arrival. I shall be supporting you along the way. Now please, take a seat.”

“Oh, right.”

And so, I get pulled into the seat right next to Machi.

The train leaves the station as I’m setting up my laptop. Naturally curious, I take a look out the window and Machi asks, “Is this your first time on the Sagano Line?”

“I …… think so. I’ve never had a title match in this direction.”

This line stops at stations like Kameoka and Fukuchiyama, so we must be going north.

“Big Sis and I went to classrooms all over the country when we were kids, but we usually went further west, around Okayama or Hiroshima. That’s where the strong classrooms were.”

“It’s time to refocus.”

“Oh, right.”

And so, nothing but the soft clicks of the new author’s keyboard fill the air.

The beautiful editor’s eyes are glued to it.

I can’t slack off for an instant, not while I’m being watched like this. Not only does she announce every typo as it happens, but she also points out all my bad typing habits as inefficient. Huh? Is this some kind of torture?

The pages are filling up, but my speed starts falling after a while–––.

“It seems like you’re losing concentration. Perhaps now would be a good time to eat the lunches I purchased at the station to replenish nutrients.”

“Yay! I love those station lunches. What kind did you–––.”

“Don’t move!”

Machi issues a stern warning just as I’m about to get out of my seat. Then she says the last thing I ever expected.

“I will feed you, so please continue working. Keep your eyes on the screen and your fingers on the keys.”

“Huuuuh?! I-I couldn’t possibly–––.”

“Now, say ahh.”

“Um …………… ahh ……”

“Fingers on the keys.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Chewing food. Gulping tea. Clicking keys.

I feel like a patient in a hospital or something. For some reason, Machi leaning over to ask, “Is it good?” every so often feels …… familiar somehow.

She must be thinking the same thing.

“In the past, I invited you to accompany me on a Shogi retreat soon after the Elementary Meijin Tournament came to a close, Ryuo-san. While there, I served you food while you were engrossed in a match, just like this. He-he-he.”

“Ah ……!”

Now I remember.

I wanted to keep playing even though it was dinner time. The problem was that the onigiri rice balls they gave us didn’t have seaweed around the outside. I didn’t want to get the pieces dirty, so Machi feed me instead.

Wow, that brings back memories ……

“Now that you mention it, yes. Back then, having a girl like you, Ma-ch …… Machi, spoiling me like that felt brand new. I think that’s why I took you up on the offer.”

I let the words pour out of my mouth as I relived the memories in my head.

“The only other girls my age back then …… demanded that I do everything for them ……”

“As in Ginko and O-Ryou?”

“I’m not allowed to say their names.”

I close my mouth and get back to work. Now’s not the time for pointless conversation.

Click, click, click ……!

Getting to a good stopping point, I take a look at the newly completed part of my manuscript and am pleasantly surprised by how much I got done.

“…… Not bad for two hours, don’t you think?”

“In my experience, during transit tends to be the most productive time to work,” Machi says with a satisfied nod. My progress has put her in a good mood.

“I …… I think I can do this! I’ll hit the ground running as soon as we get to the inn!!”

“He-he. See to it you do.”

My beautiful editor then pats my head. This balance between carrot and stick is addictive. So this is how I’ll get used to being under her thumb ……

That passes through my head as the train comes to a stop.

“Huh? Are we there already?”

“It’s the next station. However–––,” says Machi as she removes her glasses and returns to her normal way of speaking. “The train shall reverse course from where we are at Miyazu Station. As it is only a few minutes, there is no need to change the seating alignment.”

Just as she said, the train started going backwards.

It’s an odd sensation.

“…… Going backward like this feels like a time slip, doesn’t it?”

“Time slip?”

“Yeah. Everything out the window going backward makes it feel like time itself is going in reverse …… Next thing we know, we’ll be kids again.”

Maybe I’m tired from working too much?

Is part of writing a book looking deep into yourself and reviving old memories?

“Back to …… childhood ……”

That comment did come out of nowhere. Maybe she’s confused? 

Machi quietly whispers, “………… Ryuo-san. Do you ever wish for a chance to relive your life? To correct the mistakes you’ve made thus far ……”

“I’m not sure. I’ve made so many mistakes already. It’d be nice to have a Mulligan on quite a few of the bad moves that I’ve made recently. Ha-ha-ha.”

But I have a feeling that things would come out pretty much the same even if I did get a do-over.

Sure, some of the details might be different.

At the end of the day, though …… Ginko would still have disappeared and Ai still would have left.

“It’s the same in Shogi, don’t you think? Since you do so much research in order to play the best move at the time, the record would still turn out identical even if you got to play the match over again. You tend to mess up in the same spots.”

“Ryuo-san ……”

Machi is looking at me as if she just had her heart broken.

I can’t take it and break the silence.

“But since we can’t slip back in time anyway, it’s pointless talking about it. Sorry about that, Machi–––.”

“Would you like to try? A time slip.”

“Huh?”

Her fingers slip in between mine.

Then, like back when we first met, she calls me by my name.

“We have arrived. ………… Yaichi.”

Just like back then, she sounds a little shy.