A Girl and A Hitman - Chapter 6

On the return flight, I was playing a game of Othello. There were other games that seemed more interesting, but I was in the mood for Othello. Although it wasn’t something that came pre-installed on the plane, repetitive games like popular mobile games have a certain appeal in the real world. They are simple tasks, but they come with levels, rank systems, and items that can be compared with others, making the effort put into the game feel valuable. However, I was not someone who

However, the Othello on the plane was so weak that it was unplayable. It was probably created with a simple program that assigns evaluation values to each placement on the board and plays according to that, with no twists at all. I could even guide the opponent into a position where they couldn’t place a stone and win. For someone like me, who can hold my own against the world’s top computers, it was nothing but boring.

The woman sitting next to me, unable to bear it any longer, said, “Would you like to go out with me?” I wonder how long she had been watching me. She was a beautiful woman who looked to be around my age. I went along with it. I won the first two matches in a row. Looking at the number of stones, it might seem like a big difference, but I had managed to get to a point where I could turn it around if I played well. I think the outcome would have been different with just one more move. And then I lost in the next one. It felt refreshing. I thought to myself, “It’s been a while since I lost.” I couldn’t remember who my opponent was. The woman and I continued our competition until the plane arrived.

Overall, I won with thirty-five wins and twenty-one losses. By then, I had treated her to coffee three times, and she had treated me to coffee three times as well. It had been quite a long battle. But when was the last time I was so engrossed in something? I thought I was better at Othello than she was. When I said, “Thank you, it was fun,” the woman replied, “It was fun after a long time.”

After the long flight ended, we left the place as if we had no connection at all. We had a cheap meal at the airport.

The meaning of the blue rose she placed is “miracle” and “blessing.” Could it be that what she possesses is “my memories” that fill the empty vessel…? If so, who is she, the one who is targeted by the federation and easily returns me? Which form is the real one? Did she initially take on the appearance of a high school student to lower my guard…? I was so curious about such things that night, trying various things to see if my memories would suddenly resurface.