Chapter 12:

Skating Around Love

Time Traveler Magical Girl Runa: Memories of Romance


I lie on the bed face down and groan, completely depressed. Mayumi has already left for the night leaving me alone with my thoughts. Said thought are currently tormenting me. I said I would help her, but I don’t know if I can. No, I proudly determined that I would help her. Why did I have to say it so confidently? I’m so embarrassed. At least the bed smells nice.

“What’s up, Runa? I know you’re a girl, but don’t worry too much about things that haven’t happened yet.” Hota’s rabbit form unzips himself from my bag on the floor. He knows me so well already.

“I’m nervous, Hota! Aren’t I going to stand out way too much by being here and on the dates? Also, last time the trouble was between middle schoolers. I understand middle schoolers because I am one. I don’t know anything about adults and their love troubles! What if their small nuances slip right under my nose, I pick the wrong man, and I fail the mission?”

“That’s what you’re worried about? You’ve watched a lot of romance shows, right? It’s all pretty much the same stuff. As for the standing out, it should be ok since the owner, Mayumi, suggested it. Everyone around her must be used to these kinds of antics from her.” Hota hops on the bed and tries to reassure me.

I pick myself up a bit both physically and mentally. “I guess you’re right. There’s just more kissing with adults.” Mayumi probably wanted me there to prevent the kissing so no need to worry about that.

“It’s not like Mayumi is the pinnacle of maturity or anything. I doubt there is going to be a lot of high-level banter like word play or something. Love of all ages is based more on gut feeling, anyway.” Hota doesn’t pull any punches, does he?

I’m not thoroughly won over. I don’t know any high school or college age people. I feel like there is so much I don’t know and so much to lose. My emotions are going haywire. I play with the bed sheets between my hands, squeezing a clump three times in each hand. “Hota, how often do people fail these missions?”

“It’s rare, but unfortunately it’s not unheard of. I’d say it’s about ten percent of the time.”

“So, I have a ten percent chance of failure every time?” Oh no, I want to cry. That’s like, one out of ten worlds I enter must end in failure and I’m already on the second. “Even if I complete this one, the next one has like, a thirty percent chance of me failing it!”

“That’s really not how statistics work… Besides, every situation is different. Don’t forget you already have one victory under your belt! Now cheer up or tomorrow I’ll start moving around constantly in your bag making you look even weirder. How will you talk yourself out of that?” He points his tiny rabbit paw at me.

I should tug on Hota’s ears again for that “even weirder” comment but I start thinking about the people I met in the first memory world and calm down some. “So Keiko’s memories should be back to normal now, right? I wonder what the real memories of her and Minoru are.”

“Yes, they should be. She should be forgetting all about her fake memories and wondering why she was ever doubting Minoru. It’s not a guarantee, but they probably did meet up at the jazz café and then hit it off at the festival. Just with less drama involved.”

“Yeah, but I wonder what he said to her that made her fall in love with him! She was pretty against dating at all up until the end. And then they ended up staying together all these years after that! I’m sure his speech was really romantic.” I put my hands together and swoon just thinking about it.

“They were in middle school. I doubt it was anything award winning but I guess you might think it was.” Hota gives me a side eye look. What is he implying?! “Anyway, I’m curious. Tell me more about why you ended up picking Makoto over Minoru. I thought they were both just as much in love with Keiko.”

I pause trying to collect my thoughts. Love really is kind of a gut feeling but I should put some words to it. “I just thought Minoru seemed to know Keiko better. She wanted a man who would treat her as an equal. Makoto was trying to win Keiko over with gifts and money while Minoru was just trying to be there for her.”

“Oh, is that how it was? Keiko seemed pretty upset at Minoru though.”

“Sometimes girls just aren’t honest with their feelings. But yeah, it was easier to know that she ends up with one of them considering how upset she was with the both of them.”

“I’ll never understand humans. Just tell others what you want and when you want it.”

“If it were that simple we wouldn’t be human! Well, I’m going to bed. And for once you don’t have to jump on my face to wake me up tomorrow. Mayumi’s date isn’t until after work hours.” I turn off the light and get cozy in bed. Hota wishes me good luck for tomorrow. I can only hope Mayumi is right about me being a lucky charm.

Mayumi and I both wake up late in the afternoon. Her mom makes us some brunch while Yutaka is watching TV on an old looking color television set in the living room. Somehow I get the impression that this is a luxury item only families like the Ichikawa’s can afford. After we eat, Mayumi and I sit with Yutaka for a bit, trying to kill some time.

“What kind of lady wakes up at noon? How are you going to be a housewife like that, huh? Mom gets up at like, five in the morning, you know.” It’s the first thing he says to his little sister at the start of the day. Is this how it’s like for all siblings?

“Mind your own business! I’m not a housewife yet so I can take it easy. How are you going to impress that girl you like when all you can do well is talk mean to girls? Luckily, I am a kind lady, and am still willing to give you a special homemade charm for luck in love. I think you need it.”

“I don’t need your help! And I’m good at other things! Besides, I don’t believe in charms anyway.”

“Oh yeah, you’re good at that one sport that was popular a few years ago, but that’s it. Girls don’t care about sports, you know. Especially ones that are just a fad. If you don’t believe in my charms, I’ll just give you a curse instead.”

“It’s not a fad! Roller derby is here to stay! I can feel it. Whatever, you wouldn’t understand true love. By the way, I’m going out with my friends and that girl to the roller rink so don’t give me any curses. I don’t want any bad luck.” I thought he didn’t believe in that kind of stuff.

Mayumi huffs and turns to me. “I’ve got an idea, Runa. Let’s go to dad’s work early and see my potential fiancés in action. It’ll be funny to catch them off guard. What do you say?”

Yutaka and I look at her in surprise. At least she asked me this time before involving me in another idea. Her brother has to remark at everything she says though. “You just love causing problems for people, don’t you?”

I defend her. “N-no, I think that it’s a good idea! We can see some of their true colors this way! Surprises are romantic after all!”

“I knew you’d see it my way! Let’s go get ready right now.” She bounds off the floor.

We change into our clothes and get ready to leave. She has on a bit more makeup today and another nice dress. It’s light blue this time with a red purse. She puts some light makeup on me as well. Just some foundation and blush. She says I’m as cute as ever but my luck has doubled, as red is a lucky color today. Am I really that cute to her? I don’t think I am, but I’ll take the compliment from someone as pretty as her.

We walk outside and I almost regret it. It’s another scorcher, and it’s the middle of the day. I look to Mayumi but she doesn’t look fazed at all. “How can you walk in this heat like that, Mayumi?”

“Hm? I love the hot weather. Doesn’t the sun make you feel alive? It’s the cold weather that makes me feel like the life is being sucked out of me.” She rubs her arms just imaging the cold.

“Maybe it’s because I was born in the winter, but you sound like a plant to me. Thin, nice to look at, and loves the sun.”

“Was that a compliment or not? At least call me a bamboo plant. Those bring good fortune!”

“Yes, yes. You’re a bamboo plant in full blossom.” I laugh. “Anyway, is your brother, Yutaka, always that rude to you? I’m an only child so I don’t know how siblings are supposed to act.”

“Oh, he’s just putting up a tough front in front of you, our guest. I’d say we get along really well normally. He’s a freshman in university and he’s already found a nice girl in his club but he’s too scared to ask her out. I really want to help him in some way.”

“Is he in the roller derby club? I’ve never heard of the sport myself.” It really must have been a fad.

“Right? No one cares about it anymore. It was popular a few years ago and he got into it because of the game broadcast of Japan versus the United States last year, but it’s already fallen off of people’s radars now. He likes to say it’s still popular in America so it won’t die, but what’s he going to do? Move to America to play? He needs to face the facts.” Siblings must love to make fun of each other’s hobbies.

“Well, at least he met a nice girl in the roller derby club because of it.”

“Yeah. I hope things work out between them. Don’t tell him, but I secretly make paper love charms for him and burn them before I go to sleep.”

“That’s sweet of you, but why do you burn them? Sounds dangerous.”

“That’s how you get the universe to listen to your requests! Besides, I can’t just give them to him. He wouldn’t appreciate them.” Too bad I’m only here for her love troubles. Hopefully something worked out for him in the end.

We make it to a large building in a business part of Tokyo. There are many men in suits with skinny ties walking around. I relish in the air conditioned air as we enter. Mayumi tells the lady at the front that we are here to see Mr. Ichikawa and she pages him down. He comes down the elevator looking quite flustered.

“Mayumi! What are you doing here? You’re supposed to wait till after we’re done for the day.” He has reason to be upset but he sounds too used to this kind of behavior.

“I thought it would be a good idea to put both men on their toes by showing up early. Then I can see how they really are. I wanted to see them in their natural habitat.” The way she puts it makes it seem like they’re animals at a zoo.

“Hm. I guess you have a point.” There goes that overly generous attitude again. He’s way too nice to her. “You two can come up, but try not to disturb my team.” We get visitor badges and go up the elevator with her dad.

We make it to a pretty high floor before getting off. It looks like a normal office even from what I’m used to seeing. The biggest difference being there are no computers. There are stacks of papers and slide rulers everywhere. The men of the office are busy crunching out numbers on a calculator and pencil. Some are on the phone. They all look really hard at work so no one notices us. This must be the engineering or the design team.

“The secretary is out today so you two can sit here for now.” He points to a small desk near the front of the office. It has a typewriter and a few notepads. We quietly take a seat and start observing.

Immediately, Hiroshi walks up to Mr. Ichikawa with some papers in his hand. “Boss, I finished this work you gave me earlier in the week. I finished way before the deadline this time!” He seems pretty pleased with himself.

“Hiroshi, these were supposed to be on my desk yesterday.” He seems upset.

“…today isn’t the sixteenth?” Hiroshi shuffles the papers in his hands nervously.

Another man chuckles and approaches Mr. Ichikawa with a smile. He has shorter hair and more muscle definition than Hiroshi. “Boss, I faxed all the papers you gave me this morning and now I need more work for the day. Please let me take on another project.”

“What? I didn’t tell you to fax those papers, I told you to duplicate them, Takashi. We still needed to check over the details on those.” Mr. Ichikawa doesn’t look like he can get any more upset and still be professional about it.

Takashi freezes and it looks like his blood ran cold. His smile is looking a little strained now. “…I already sent them to three of our biggest clients.”

Mr. Ichikawa takes a deep sigh. “Takashi, my daughter is here early for your date today, so you can take the rest of the day off. She’s over there. Hiroshi will try to fix your mistake while you are out.”

Takashi and Hiroshi turn to us in surprise. Mayumi happily waves at them. I can only manage a smile. They do both seem like idiots. Takashi coughs and runs his hand through his hair before walking up to us. Hiroshi stares at him in jealousy before running off.

“Hello Mayumi and… smaller Mayumi.”