Interlude: Sealed Move New Game Plus
Why did it have to rain today of all days?
The sound of raindrops splattering on my head felt like they were beating down on my pathetic self, and tears suddenly welled up.
—Tojo walked home without even taking her umbrella out of her wet bag.
"...!"
As if trying to shake off the countless raindrops, she walked with her face cast in shadow.
She had always walked like this. Step by step, steadily building her strength.
Effort isn't easy. There's no guarantee it will bear fruit, and the time spent on it will never come back.
That’s why Tojo was so incredibly proud of the strength she had gained through effort.
Because she felt her current self was at the limit—at the very edge—she could have pride in aiming even higher.
...She loved the old openings. The 'Yagura 24-move sequence,' which forms a beautiful symmetry when both sides give their best, was beautiful enough to save her from her own complexes.
But thinking that being trapped by those old sequences led to today’s defeat made her heart ache.
To move past this by starting 'from scratch'... To let all that effort be washed away like this pouring rain... There was no way—.
'Isn't that what effort is?'
Tojo bit her lip at the words echoing in her head.
Yes, effort isn't always rewarded. Sometimes you think it has borne fruit, only for the time to come when you have to throw it away.
Even if you strive recklessly to move forward, it means nothing if you hit a wall that won't break.
"...I have to change."
Tojo looked up and, ignoring her soaking wet uniform, started running toward her house.
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