.

.

.

.

.

.

.

--------------

Halfway into the summer break, in a countryside far, far away.

"Phew. So darn hot."

After hastily shutting the door behind him, Hiroshi rejoiced at the cool air blowing in the clinic. He only had a bunch of electronic fans back home, making air conditioning a luxury. However, with the amount of money the Ocean Oasis is generating recently, that might change soon.

"Welcome back." Doctor Tonma greeted Sasaki Hiroshi, who had returned to the doctor's clinic. The latter forgot to bring his wallet and thus fetched for it amid the summer heat. "I bought the alcohol since you were taking too long. It was hot out there, huh?"

In Doctor Tonma's hand was a beer bottle. With a closer look, the beverage was already half-empty. Many of the same bottles were on a nearby table, along with all kinds of finger food cooked by Hiroshi.

"Nice. I'll pay for the booze next week." Hiroshi plopped himself down on the nearest chair after grabbing one of the unopened bottles. "Miki and the boys aren't here yet?"

"They have a busy day. Unlike you, other bars and restaurants stay open on the weekends."

"That's true, but I'm getting old, y'know? I need more break days since more people are coming to the bar. Every day is so tiring..."

The doctor chuckled at his friend's exasperated expression.

For the past 30 years, Doctor Tonma has been a loyal customer of Ocean Oasis. Apart from genuinely liking the food and drinks, Doctor Tonma also dined there to help his friend financially.

The Ocean Oasis wasn't overly famous or overly deserted in the past. A few empty tables here and there were the norm, but as times changed, so did the people's palate. The Ocean Oasis slowly faded from its golden years.

"I can't believe it. I had to wait in line for the first time in 30 years. I thought you changed your menu to attract the young'uns," Doctor Tonma tried one of Hiroshi's finger foods, "but it tastes the same as always."

"Well, I do have a new helper..." It was Hiroshi's turn to chuckle. "Eira is more like the bar mascot now that I think about it. All the customers are fawning over her. She's just way too adorable."

Hiroshi paused, realizing that Eira was nowhere to be found. "Where is she anyway? Is she playing with that Akira brat again?"

"Hey, that's my Akira you're talking about. Don't call him a brat."

"Is he not? He's way too touchy! Tell him to keep his hands to himself."

"Jeez, no need to be so serious. Eira and Akira are just kids. Let what happened last week go and act like the adult you're supposed to be."

Hiroshi dismissively waved his hands. "Never. I'll take this to the grave."

"Oh. Is that how it is..."

The two grandpas glared at each other. A staring contest ensued, with neither refusing to blink nor look away.

The refreshing cool air in the air-conditioned room seemingly turned frigid as their eyes narrowed into slits.

After a few seconds of intense glaring, a strange noise broke the tense atmosphere.

"Pfft!"

One of them started laughing, and the other did as well.

"Ahahaha! Kanpai-!"

"Kanpai-!!!"

Sasaki Hiroshi and Doctor Tonma clinked their bottles together and chugged. They weren't really at odds, merely playing around.

At that moment, the door to the clinic opened. Two bulky men accompanied by an older woman entered with heavy footsteps.

"Oh, you guys have started already? Leave some booze for us, Hiroshi, Norio!"

It was Granny Miki and two of her sons.

During a formal setting, like a medical examination, Doctor Tonma is addressed by their professional title. However, his full name is Tonma Norio, and only those closest to him may call him by his first name.

People like Sasaki Hiroshi, and even more so his wife, Tonma Miki, were undoubtedly close to the doctor.

(A/N: I'll keep calling Doctor Tonma "Doctor Tonma," and Hiroshi Sasaki as Hiroshi or with a grandpa added.)

Doctor Tonma noticed that Miki and the boys were sweaty from working hard on a hot day. He said, "Take your time freshening up. I'll watch and make sure Hiroshi doesn't chug all the drinks too quickly."

One of the bulky men replied, "Thanks, Dad. Hold yourself back too, Uncle Hiroshi," before heading to the bathroom with the others in tow.

"Miki is way too old to be coming with the boys." It was Hiroshi's turn to speak. "Isn't she older than me? She should stay at home and chill out. What if she breaks her back or something?"

"That's what I tell her, but she doesn't like not having anything to do." Doctor Tonma expressed his agreement.

"Tsk tsk, I'm jealous. Miki is working because she's bored, but I'm working to pay for the booze next week," said Hiroshi before standing up.

"Where are you going?"

"To my granddaughter. Miki and the boys won't be ready until later anyway. We have time to kill."

Hiroshi walked towards the garage as Doctor Tonma gave him a knowing smile, aware that Hiroshi was leaving to keep an eye on Akira.

"I'll come with. I'm also curious about how well the kids are getting along."

"Alright." Hiroshi didn't mind.

While walking to the garage, the elderly duo began hearing a low, distinct sound.

*Ping* *Pong* *Ping* *Pong* *Ping* *Pong* *Ping* *Pong* *Ping* *Pong* *Ping* *Pong* *Ping* *Pong* *Ping* *Pong* *Ping* *Pong*

The closer they were, the louder the sound became. Finally, Hiroshi and Doctor Tonma saw the two kids.

Hiroshi's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "What the hell? Are they possessed?"

The ping pong ball traveled at speeds too quick for Hiroshi to follow. However, while he failed to keep the ball in his eyes, Akira and Eira smashed it back to their opponent with pinpoint precision.

*PING*PONG*PING*PONG*PING*PONG*PING*PONG*PING*PONG*PING*PONG*

The kids hadn't noticed the old duo's entrance as they were too focused on the game. Hiroshi and Doctor Tonma didn't dare disturb them and quietly watched from the sidelines, jaws nearly touching the floor. Their rally continued for what seemed like an eternity until Eira messed up.

"Have you warmed up?" said Akira.

"Yeah. Let's start the match. How about we do best out of three sets of eleven points? The winner gets to use the Gameboy for five rounds."

"No. It's my Gameboy anyway. I don't need your permission for anything."

"Tsk. Then I'll bet a bit of my pocket money—"

"It's a deal!"

Hiroshi immediately frowned when he heard the conversation between the two. Before he could confront the two kids, Doctor Tonma placed a hand on his shoulder.

"There's no need to get involved, Hiroshi."

"Yes, I do. Eira's getting scammed."

Hiroshi knew exactly how good of a player Akira is. If Hiroshi bragged about his granddaughter's cuteness, then Doctor Tonma bragged about his grandson's prowess with a table tennis racket.

"Let them be. I'll ask Akira how much he won and tip Eira back the same amount when we eat in the Ocean Oasis next time," said Doctor Tonma reassuringly.

And so, the fast-paced table tennis match between the grandchildren started without delay.

...

..

.

..

...

Eira lost with a set score of 2-1.

"Tsk."

She nibbled on an apple while enviously watching Akira play games on his Gameboy. As a side note, Eira gave Akira ¥500 according to their agreement.

"I won't lose next week. I'll have figured this sport out by then, just like I did with Tetris."

"..."

Akira seemingly ignored her comments. His fingers continued to tap away on his handheld console, controlling the rapidly falling Tetris pieces. On the inside, however, the earlier table tennis match replayed in his head.

'It's only been a week since she started playing...'

Akira pouted. Eira was improving too fast. She made Akira use every fancy serve he knew as she quickly grew accustomed to any of his old serves; it only resulted in him gaining a minor advantage. Akira had no doubts that by the next game, Eira wouldn't fall for the same tricks twice.

'...'

But was it a bad thing?

'...it was kinda fun.'

Unconsciously, Akira began to smile. Just a little.

*T-tring!*

The Gameboy in his hand vibrated all of a sudden. High-pitched video game music sounded in his ears. The screen had changed amidst his musing.

[GAME OVER]

[PLEASE TRY AGAIN <3]

His pout returned with a vengeance, even more so when Akira saw Eira's high score at the top of the leaderboard. He had a long way to go until he could beat her.

Eira didn't notice Akira's mood swings. She was on her way to meet Akira's grandmother, Grandma Miki, to fish out the address of the store selling Gameboys.

"Grandpa Hiroshi? Grandpa Doctor? Why are you here?"

She saw the two grandpas watching the ping pong match from the sidelines.

"We were watching your match to pass the time. How is it that you never told me you were a good table tennis player? Right, Tonma?"

Doctor Tonma nodded. "Yes. It was very entertaining. I didn't know that a ping pong ball could swerve so much in midair. It was hard to know who had the upper hand."

Eira blushed at the unexpected praise from her grandfather and Doctor Tonma. A short "Uh, thanks." was all she could say in response. "Oh, right. Where is Grandma Miki? I want to ask her about where I can buy a Gameboy."

"Miki?"

In the past week, Eira had no chance to come to talk to Grandma Miki.

While working at the Ocean Oasis, Eira was too busy attending to customers to ask Granny Miki about the Gameboy store.

So it was surprising when Hiroshi told Eira they could visit her on her next check-up with Doctor Tonma.

'They were married? The Grandma Miki that Akira was talking about was the Granny Miki who always ate at the Ocean Oasis. The world is a small place,' thought Eira.

"Miki came to watch you two play earlier, but she left just as quickly. She's probably drinking all the booze right now," said Hiroshi, who realized he should return before all the food disappeared into Grandma Miki's stomach.

"Got it."

It didn't take long for Eira to find Miki chugging a beer. After a verbal back and forth and a head pat, Eira finally knew the directions she needed to take.

"And Eira," said Miki as she chewed on a piece of chicken skewer, "If you get lost, you can always ask the folks around. They won't bite as long as you politely ask."

"Okay. I'll ask if I get lost."

Finally, after a week of waiting, Eira set off to buy her own Gameboy.

...

..

.

..

...

Piercing stares from the townsfolk came from all directions. Eira was a bit unnerved. However, she couldn't do much about her main character hair or eyes. Her closet had no masks or sunglasses or a hoodie she could use to hide them. It's not like Eira wished to wear a mask or hoodie in this ungodly summer heat. Something like that would be tantamount to suicide.

It's good that Doctor Tonma—thank the author for Doctor Tonma—had umbrellas Eira could use to shade herself from the sun. Umbrellas during summer were straight-up lifesavers. She immediately placed "buying the biggest umbrella I can find" at the top of her to-do list, but that is for the future. Eira only brought enough money for a Gameboy for this shopping trip.

"...I think I'll end up getting lost."

Alas, the first obstacle of the hero's journey presents itself.

Miki's directions were quite complicated. Eira noted them down on a piece of paper and followed them as follows:

"So, you're going to start by heading down the road, going downhill and not up. Then you'll come across a park. Take a left there. Now, you'll walk straight through the park until you hit a crossroad. At the crossroads, take a right. You'll see a seafood shop on the corner. After passing that shop, walk straight ahead. Then, you will see a small statue of a crab holding a kitchen knife to your left. Right before the crab statue, take a left onto a narrower street. Walk straight for a short while, and you'll reach another crossroad. Take the path to the right. Now you're on a wider street again. Keep going straight until you spot a blue mural of Big Totoro on your left. Got it? Then, take a right immediately after the Totoro mural, and you'll be on an alleyway. Walk to the end of the alley, and then take a left. You're almost there by then. The Gameboy shop should be just a few steps ahead on your right, with a colorful neon sign. Got that? Of course, you got that! It's not that hard to memorize. Don't forget to be polite to the shop owner when you get there so that he might give you a discount. And also don't forget to decline his invitation to play a game of shogi or he'll never let you leave. That guy is way too addicted. He's always talking about it... blah blah blah, was what she said."

Eira stared at the crab statue in front of her. It was dual-wielding a spoon and fork, not a knife like Miki said. Was she supposed to ignore this statue and keep walking forward since it wasn't the correct one? What if the owner of the crab statue switched out the utensil the crab was holding since Granny Miki came by?

"If I had the system map, this wouldn't be a problem..."

Just in time, a person turned a corner and started heading her way. Eira immediately brightened.

'I can ask that guy for directions.'

Eira took five steps forward...

'...'

...before retreating ten steps back.

"Nevermind. I can figure this out on my own," mumbled Eira under her breath. In reality, she got a bit shy. "Stranger danger... don't talk to strangers... yeah, something like that... would've been awkward to talk to them anyway..."

After watching the person disappear into another corner, Eira pulled out a silver coin from her wallet. One side contained three blooming flowers, while the other had a massive "100" take up all the space.

"Heads and I go straight. Tails and I turn right."

This was her trump card. Eira was leaving everything to luck. It wasn't a bad option, considering that she did get chosen by Truck-Sama out of everything else. Besides, she can always go back and retrace her steps.

*Clink*

Eira flicked the coin and caught it.

"Straight it is."

Wouldn't you know it, she came across another crab statue. However, this one was holding a pitchfork.

*Clink*

"Straight."

Eira kept flicking her coin until she found the correct statue. Only then did she stow away her 100 yen coin. From there, she followed Miki's directions, which led to her spotting the Big Totoro mural and arriving before a sign spelling "Antique" in eye-catching, blue neon lights. A sign on the door said the place was open, so Eira went straight in.

It was a small shop with a few shelves here and there. The items that filled them were old-tech, making Eira remember the good old days when 5G and Attack On Titan games existed.

"Hello? Old man Yoshimura?" she yelled.

Eira reached the counter. No one was behind it. However, a hallway led to another part of the store, possibly the room where the owner was, so she called out to it.

"I'm coming, young lady."

Footsteps, slow and steady, made their way to her. From within the other room, old man Yoshimura emerged. The scent of coffee followed wherever he went, something Eira could not detect. All she saw was Yoshimura holding a cup with something steaming inside.

When Yoshimura saw Eira, his seemingly closed eyes slightly widened. "Are you wearing a costume? Is this what the youth are up to these days?"

Having expected a similar reaction, Eira promptly replied, "I was born with white hair and red eyes."

"Albinism?"

"Kind of, but not really. My doctor thought of albinism at first, but he's not so sure now. I'm not that sure either."

Eira was, in fact, very sure.

Yoshimura nodded sagely. "Anyway, what did you come here for?"

"I would like to buy a Gameboy."

"That'll be ¥12,000, quite expensive. Did you bring enough money?"

"Yup."

Eira rattled her wallet.

"Wait here. I'll get the product from the back."

Not long would pass when Yoshimura returned. Apart from a box that held the Gameboy and a selection of games for Eira, Yoshimura also brought out a checkered board.

Eira opened her mouth to decline the battle of wits, but Yoshimura spoke first.

"I know Miki sent you. I know she also told you about my 'shogi addiction' and that you will decline if I ask for a match now, so let me propose a deal." Yoshimura gestured to the numerous games he brought with the Gameboy. "If you play shogi with me, I'll give you a free game. If you win against me, I'll let you take home three games instead of one."

'I can get free stuff?'

Play a game of shogi for one Gameboy game. Win a game of shogi for three games. Wasn't that a situation where Eira could only win?

She immediately agreed.

"Deal. Let's play shogi!"

There was just one problem.

"How do I play shogi?"

Shogi, as far as Eira knew, was Japanese chess. The checkered board in Yoshimura's hand was not 8x8 like in chess but 9x9. There are bound to be further differences that Eira is unaware of.

Yoshimura calmly sipped his coffee on the side. "We can play a practice match. It'll let you learn the rules and maybe even a few tips and tricks. It won't count, of course, so take your time learning."

Yoshimura began arranging the pieces under Eira's curious gaze. All sorts of pieces descended on the checkered board, differentiated only by the kanji characters written on top.

The structure resembled chess but also diverged from it. Eira may have played chess a great deal and thus knew it like the back of her hand, but it begged the question: Will it prove useful in this foreign shogi battlefield?

"...interesting."

Eira felt her heartbeat quicken, almost like her heart would pop out of her ribs. It wasn't uncommon for her to feel this way. Eira had felt this feeling before. Playing table tennis with Akira elicited the same effect. So did playing Tetris on his Gameboy.

Adrenaline? Perhaps. Or maybe, it was something more profound.

For now, Eira had to focus. She listened to the beating of her heart, how it rang so loudly in her ears. Using the rhythmic thumping allowed Eira to think more clearly.

"Alright! I'm ready! Let's play!"

Beating Yoshimura will be a fun side quest to complete!

.

.

.

----------

A/N: I have something to say in the next chapter :(