A Sprint to the Finish

A pair of pink and white sneakers pounded the turf across Tōin Academy’s race track. At first the stomps were measured and slow, but as they reached the finish line, they furiously rained down on the rubber as the girl they belonged to propelled herself forward. Blue twintails bouncing, sweat soaking her shirt, she had long, graceful strides and a reddened face with sharp contours that caught the sunlight. Patter patter, patter patter, 300m… 200m… 100m… 0… her final time?

Three minutes.

“Argh!!!” She threw the stopwatch onto the grass.

Rio Komori was a bit sporty, but was otherwise an ordinary girl. She took great care of her appearance, her health, and her academics, and though she generally had good judgment, she’d made exactly one questionable decision—she’d enrolled in the Tōin Academy Gaming Club. When she saw Chiyo running out of the clubroom later that day, flustered, laptop in her arms, Rio’s common sense had become so warped that she didn’t bat an eyelash.

“What happened, Matsumura? I thought you were tutoring after school?” Rio asked as she stepped inside.

“That’s on Friday,” Takae said, sitting on the couch and staring out a window, watching a group of athletes who were still running laps. “Don’t you have track practice now yourself?”

“I sprint every day, but sometimes I just need time to relax.”

“Board games are a very serious business,” Takae said. “But if they improve your mental recovery, I’m happy to assist.”

If Takae kept acting so stiffly, he’d be sure to drive out anyone who joined the club. But for Rio, who was always pressed for time, his ruthless efficiency helped ensure she could get some games in before whatever was next on her packed agenda. She waited for Takae to make one of his amazing gaming suggestions.

Then waited some more. The clock’s long, twitching hand made a full rotation.

“Komori, you watch dating shows like The Single Man and Eighty Day Elopement, right? How can I tell if I’m in love?”

“What brought this on?” Rio asked. “Hold on, you didn’t confess to that poor girl or anything like that, right?”

“No, not at all! We were just playing a game together and disagreed on the rules,” Takae insisted. “I’m just wondering about the theories, evidence, precedents, all that stuff. Speaking highly unprofessionally, I’d have to say that she’s my type, but I can’t quite figure her out.”

“Can you just set up the board already? I have another club meeting right after this one,” Rio said, though her sapphire eyes were gleaming.

“To be clear, I would say Fujitaka-san’s part of a scaling archetype—she seems pretty relaxed, but once you get to know her and what she’s passionate about she becomes more and more energetic and interesting. And when it comes to her build itself…” Takae bit his lip.

“Her build? What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing!” Takae said.

“Oh?” The sparks in Rio’s eyes coalesced into searchlights, as her lips twitched up into a feline grin. “I thought you liked explaining things, Mr. Board Games President.”

“I’ll grab a chess board and a clock so we can get started.”

When Takae stood up, Rio grabbed his arm and pulled him back down onto the couch.

“What you’re saying might not be important, but it does sound like it could be interesting. Dramatic, even. I can’t have you distracted when playing board games y’know, so maybe you should tell me.”

“In that case… Fujitaka-san is a first-year who just joined the Gaming Club. We’ve only met twice, but she already feels like a friend I’ve had for years. That’s strange, right?”

“Tell me more.” Rio breathed.

“And when she was around me, I noticed my heart was beating quickly, my thoughts were racing and I felt like I had to pay attention to everything she was doing.”

“Are you sure that wasn’t because you were trying to counter her gaming strategy?”

“I thought it was because of that too. But my heart was still pounding even after I’d lost.”

“So you’re feeling some terrible angst? Guilt about a forbidden romance between a Club President and a lowly member? A nostalgia for a long-lost childhood friend who could be something more? Or even better, a bitter hate for an enemy that you’re wondering could actually be something else?”

“No, nothing like that.”

Rio sighed. “As much as I’d like to give you advice, I’m not sure why you felt the need to ask me about something that straightforward. Even you, Matsumura, should be able to tell that you’re in love.”

Takae shrugged, then walked to the clubroom’s set of drawers and dug through the boxes—the cardboard towers were cast in shadows, but he knew them all by touch. He picked out a well-worn box, lifted it up, and cradled it close to his chest.

“It’s just that while my heart feels light when I think about her, there’s also this piece of iron inside there too. Or that when I listen to her, she’s speaking a beautiful melody, but then there’s suddenly a sour note. Or to put it more concretely, it’s just— it’s just—oh, I don’t know!”

Takae grasped what he’d chosen as though it was a life preserver. Rio intertwined her fingers and stretched as Takae tripped on his tongue. She waited for him to fall silent, and when he finally did so, she pried the chess box from him before she spoke, in a voice that was sharp and abrasive, but not unkind.

“I think I get it. Matsumura, in dating there are things called green flags, yellow flags, red flags, and dealbreakers. A green flag is what you like in a romantic prospect. A yellow flag is something you’re worried about, but are willing to look past. A red flag is something that’s dangerous and harmful, and a dealbreaker is exactly what it sounds like."

“I know what green, yellow, and red flags are, but I can't quite grasp what you mean by ‘dealbreakers,’” Takae said.

“I’ll explain it more intuitively.” Rio stretched and arched her back, massaging it, and then she searched the drawers for a game of her own. She plopped it onto the table, eased away the cardboard top, took a deep breath, and took out the instructions until—

“Oh! I get it! It’s a dealbreaker! Like in Dealbreakers, that party game where you try to make a character someone would date, and you play Dealbreaker cards to sabotage the other player’s profiles?”

“Yes. Just like that,” Rio pressed a finger against her forehead, pondering. “Unlike red flags, dealbreakers aren’t about who’s right and who’s wrong, they’re just strong personal beliefs you can’t change even for your partner. For example, a Buddhist and a Christian might have a hard time marrying if they both insist that the other converts to their beliefs.”

“Renouncing a god could be difficult,” Takae agreed.

“Or a husband and wife could want different amounts of children. You can’t compromise by only having half a child.”

“I’d like four to six kids.” Takae nodded.

“That’s a lot, but what’s important is that you and your partner agree.”

“All those kids should be at least ages three and up. And smart enough not to choke on any small, plastic parts,” Takae said, staring at a cluster of board games on the desk, with the player counts and safety advisories listed on their sides. WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD—Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.  

“That’s not how babies work, Matsumura. I guess you could adopt if you really wanted kids like that.”

“I was making a joke, Komori! A joke! You really thought I was serious?” Takae said. “Even I wouldn’t be that crazy!”

“What’s your opinion on having a girlfriend who dislikes board games?”

“AN ABSOLUTE NO-GO!!!” Takae said, in English, and Rio nodded again. She didn’t need to be a detective to understand what might have happened in the clubroom just minutes before.

“If liking board games is a dealbreaker for you, Mr. President, and she doesn’t love them as much as you do, then that might be a little awkward. Have you tried any hobbies she likes instead?”

“I could try some video games, just to see if my thoughts on them might have changed. But what if she keeps hating board games no matter what?”

“Then either give up board games or give up on her,” Rio answered. “If playing board games with her really is a dealbreaker for you and she’s not changing her mind, then those are your only real options.”

Takae reached for the chess box that Rio had taken, but Rio kept pulling it away. Of course, she understood that Takae’s feelings were more important right now—and also, as she glanced at the clock, that there was no longer enough time to finish playing even if they started.

“I’m not sure if I can give up on Fujitaka-san,” Takae murmured. “But I can’t give up on board games either. I spent my youth building up the Gaming Club piece by piece... Komori, you’ve seen me work on it all this time.”

“If you really can’t compromise, then there’s another thing you can do,” Rio said quietly. “Treat dating just like the people on Heart Island do. Take things casually.”

“Ca-Casually?” Takae stammered. “Like the kind of relationship where we’d come home, we’d play board games together on my nightstand, and then I’d never talk to her again?”

“What? Where did you even—no, it’d be nothing like that. A casual relationship is just one you enter with the understanding that it might not last. Even though high school might seem like the be-all and end-all of romance, only a handful of high school sweethearts actually go on to get married. It would take a very, very special couple to make a relationship work for longer.”

Takae’s shoulders slumped and his eyes were low, but Rio forged onward with a bright voice.

“Like I said, maybe you wouldn’t be able to seriously date someone who disliked board games, but in a casual relationship that’s bound to end, principles like that don’t really matter. It’s not about committing the rest of your life to that person, it’s just about enjoying whatever time you have with them—like how we all pretend to like math in math class, even though when we graduate we’re all just going to use a calculator.”

“I think math is quite enjoyable… but you’ve still made things very clear…” Takae murmured. “I've got to keep things casual… keep things chill and cool… lower the intensity… dial it down… if acting in this casual manner would provide me a way to sort out my feelings, then maybe I should give it a shot.”

Rio nervously tapped the table, watching as Takae collected himself.

“I appreciate your advice, Komori; it’s good to have someone normal to consult with in the Gaming Club. I asked Father about this subject and all he said was that it wasn’t like a Matsumura to be so awkward.” Takae twisted his face. “When it comes to board games the rules are written out so clearly, but with relationships, it's like it's all in a fog. 

Rio gave Takae a friendly pat on the arm. “Ah-ha-ha! Don’t worry about it, that’s what I’m here for! You need someone in the club who’s not as all-in on gaming as you are. Now, I’ll be heading to track and field club—and then swimming, archery, kendo, volleyball, softball, basketball, steel ball throw, naginata practice, judo, bocce ball, sumo, football, cheerleading, and karate later this week, so please call me if you have any more questions.”