The Scarce Board Game
Training grounds
You idiot!
A furious voice carries itself through the training site.
What do you mean you went home right after class ended?! Even though I stressed to you how important it was to come today....just how long do you plan on skipping class like this?!
(I wonder...is she dealing with some kind of delinquent?)
You're so utterly difficult...Ah, maybe she'd have grown up to be more diligent if I had kept a better watch of her at school...
The uma hanging her head is Air Groove. As you would expect from the student council, her strict yet caring personality shines through in times like these.
(Looks troublesome...)
Trainer's home
With the day done, I return to my room and start up my PC to hop on the game. It's a board game called Reversi, I only recently got into it.
It may be a simple classic game, but the intensity of the online battles are unmatched. That's because--
Heya, can you hear me? --Hm, alright, let's get that bread.
I look forward to working with you today, domi-san.
--You can find yourself mingling with the masterful player, who boasts unmatched strength in the online gaming community, "dominare"-san--or domi-san for short.
What's the plan for today? 8×8 sounds good, but....it's about time you try 10×10, don't you think?
Well...it still feels like too tall of a hurdle for me.
Haha, really? Well, you're not wrong. You have to adapt to the significant tactical difficulty 10×10 gives, with the increased squares and all.
Now then, let's show 8×8 who's boss. I wanna see how far you've come...I expect greatness, ok?
I admire domi-san as a player. We may have become close enough to battle each other over voice call often, but that doesn't mean I admire their extraordinary skill any less.
I'm pulling out all the stops for a good match today.
Time skip
The corners are the core of Reversi! Day and night, I used all my resources practicing the "Corner-Catching" strategy--
The second corner, thank you very much
Oho...quite the move you've made. You've studied thoroughly.
--How naive.
While you were busy focusing on the four corners, did you think to consider what I've been doing?
I had cut off your retreat.
What's the meaning of this...slow to catch on, I turned my gaze over the board.
Only the lethal squares remain...I'm cooked!
That's right, you clung too tightly to the "Corner-Catching" strategy. It's why you failed to realize I had been depriving you of your options all along.
Fixating on your immediate advantage clouds how you look at the board. That's the focusing illusion--typical cognitive bias.
Don't restrict yourself to patterns. Don't be tempted by a single move's gains. Rule over the whole board--that's the heart of board games.
I, I've been defeated..!
I've been utterly annihilated. To be so skillfully defeated like this...
domi-san's really amazing, huh...I look up to you.
Haha, I'm happy to hear that from you. But seriously, you're improving considerably, too. You gave me a challenge today.
I can see you getting accustomed to 10×10 quickly, along with some other board games, right? I'd be glad to play chess or card games with you, too.
domi-san's knowledge of various board games, from the classics to the latest titles, never fails to amaze me. Since I look up to them so much--
I might have to give it a go...
Oh, you're interested? I can always show you the ropes. We can gather an online group for games like Werewolf or other capture-the-territory games.
For sure!
Alright, look at the time. Let's call it a night. Let's battle on 10×10 next time for sure.
Thank you so much. When are you free next?
I'm good any time, whatever you wanna do. I'm usually online, so you're good to drop by whenever.
We promised to hang out over the weekend, and then headed our separate ways.
Clubrooms
Come on already, you idiot!!
One afternoon, Air Groove's furious voice reaches my ears, involuntarily stopping me in my tracks. ....I'm feeling déjà vu.
Ruler! Oi, answer me, Ruler! Do you hear me?! Are you awake?!
Tucked away in the corner of a long row of clubrooms, I see her pounding on the door of a tiny, ancient-looking building. Perchance the delinquent barricaded themselves in there...?
What's wrong, are you ok?
Yes. You are...a trainer? What's wrong is Ruler...the idiot made this her own headquarters to slack off.
You can't just make a clubroom your little hideout without permission, even if it isn't being used anymore...
Even though I made it crystal clear she had to come in for training today, she still continues to neglect her duties, or even give me a reply, that girl!
Something like that...is a little worrying.
Sleeping in or just ignoring her would be an issue of it's own, but if she had fallen ill and collapsed...I don't wanna imagine that.
Have you tried calling her on LANE?
I see...if she's asleep, that should wake her up.
Purururururururu--click!
!! That girl, she hung up, huh...?! Hm, LANE? ..............
What's that? Did you get a LANE message from her?
too noisy
im gaming rn
imma be busy til the day after tmrw
I've never seen such bold truancy... Shutting yourself in for three whole days, there's no way I can ignore that.
Is there any way to get her to come out?
Ahh..so it's come to this. I'll have to pull out all the stops.
Like she promised, Air Groove reached into her pocket-- and pulled out the clubroom key!! The power of the student council vice president shines brilliantly..!
I'm not dealing with your crap today!! I've been far too lenient with you until now!!
Higyaaaah?!
Come out already, you idiot!
But whyyy?!
You're actually gonna go run today!!
Ouchie, uwaaaa--
(--Huh?)
The voice I'm hearing-- I feel like I've heard it somewhere.
Hey, just wait-- please let me go, Air Groove-san! I really wanna go through my game backlog today~~!
No, it's not a memory issue... That voice, I hear it every week...!
H, hey...
Hee? Who are you...
By any chance, are you..."dominare"-san?
--Eh?