～Chapter 1 ～

-Tiger Shark-

　Fresh grass covers the field. The gentle scent of young flowers tickling my nose gives me a good feeling. I feel like I have become one with the entire field, from my shoes on the grass to my head in the air. I need to have a clear view, so I can see the next play in my mind and be able to act decisively.
　 Anticipating the movements of the defenders, I suddenly turned to the right on my pivot foot by 90 degrees to shake off a marker. At the same time, a sharp pain rose from my pivot foot. From the stands, it probably looked like I had stumbled and was being shoved aside by the opponent. I heard the marker behind me click her tongue and say derisively, “You're slow.”
　 I was thinking that the opponent was a total fool, when I yelled, “Reina!” Reina was our team's leader of defense. She was so pale that her skin looked as though it was the same powder blue color as that of our team uniform. Then, I took a deep breath and passed the ball to her. “You too!” I said tauntingly to the opponent.

～Chapter 2 ～

-Cradle-


　The ball is floating by through the air. I catch the ball with my crosse (stick), pulling it toward me while keeping the ball in the pocket by the centrifugal force of the movement. This technique, called ‘cradling,' is one of the key skills needed to play lacrosse. Since lacrosse is one of the fastest ball games you can play, I didn't understand why cradling needed to be done with such a deliberate and precise motion. Still, top players can pass or shoot a ball at speeds of 160 km an hour or more.
　 French settlers in North America saw Native Americans playing a ritual game in which they used a stick that resembled a crosier, the ceremonial staff carried by bishops in Catholic churches. So, the French settlers called the game ‘la crossier,' which later became ‘lacrosse.'
　 Today, both men and women play lacrosse. However, their rules and the way they play the game differ. One of the differences is that the pocket of the crosse in men's lacrosse is deeper than the one used in women's lacrosse.
　 The deeper the pocket, the faster the ball can be passed or shot. Also, men play with a crosse that is a little longer than women's.
　 Now, I race around the field with my 100 cm stick playing lacrosse.

～Chapter 3 ～

-Byerkut-

　I knew Shannon would be able to shake off a marker and get free by the time I got the ball to her because of her excellent speed and technique. Nearby was Mindy, who was a midfielder and the team captain.
　 We had moved to the state just before I was to enter high school. Shannon and Amy were the only two people I knew that played lacrosse. Besides playing catch with them, I could also tell them anything that was on my mind. They were the only two people who I could share all my thoughts and feelings with.
　 “Shannon, Amy! . . .” Shannon was cutting across the field from the sideline like a golden eagle when Amy fed her the ball. With her curly golden hair flowing behind her, Shannon caught the ball and carefully cradled it with her stick. When her position was just right, she shot the ball and scored a goal.
　 I ran to Shannon and hugged her tightly. Although flushed with excitement, she just nodded shyly. Amy with her red hair was standing near the crease and gave us a wink. In contrast to us, the other teammates were just standing around the field with blank looks on their faces. This was the usual scenario when we played a game.

～Chapter 4 ～

-Dead run-

　 A lacrosse field is much larger than what most people think. It is 55 meters wide by 100 meters long. To score, you must shoot a ball into a goal cage that is only 180 square centimeters.
　 Mindy, a midfielder and the team captain, was always racing around the field at full speed. So, Coach McPherson usually had to put in a substitute for her. The coach looked over at Jessica, one of the older players. “I'll take care of it,” she said while jumping up and running onto the field in a flash. “Saying it is one thing, but doing it is another,” I thought.
　 I took out my mouthpiece and gargled cold water in my parched throat. Coach McPherson kept his eyes concealed behind sunglasses so that we couldn 't see his reactions to our play. Looking at the field from the sideline, it seemed obvious that the momentum of the game had shifted in favor of our opponents. Just like in any sport, you never know when the flow will go your way . . . or the other.

～Chapter 5 ～

-I'm on my way-

　“Coach, let me play. I'm ready to go,” I asked the coach, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible. Jessica lacked flexibility in her technique, and this limited her playing ability. She passed without ever considering the tactical or strategic implications, and her feint never fooled anyone. Jessica's playing style would make a good example in a lacrosse manual of ‘how not to play the game.' “Li . . .Lisa . . . your turn . . .” Jessica gasped.
　 After having waltzed around the field without helping our team at all, the ‘princess' was returning to the bench. Jessica breathed deeply, expanding her chest in an exaggerated manner. She reached up to give me a high five, but I ignored it and said, “You won't be going back in this game. Go dance on the bench.”
　 A look of frustration and hatred immediately came over Jessica's face.
What she felt didn't really matter to me. Jessica is pretty useless as a teammate, anyway. Without expending some effort, you couldn't expect to survive long in this world. Putting in my blue mouthpiece, I jumped up, raced onto the field, and told each player what she had to do so we could win this game.

～Chapter 6 ～

-Have a nice day-

　“Why did you say that to her?” the little voice in my head shouted at me. I knew I had hurt Jessica's feelings. Although she had turned away from the field and hidden her face with a towel, her pained expression stayed with me as I went into the game. She didn't even sit down on the bench.
　 “Ouch!” I gasped as someone crosschecked me in the ribs. In women's lacrosse, crosschecking is a major foul. Still, it happens all the time. The referee should have penalized the other team, but I suddenly found myself with two defenders guarding me. One of the defenders behind me whispered, “Why don't you go back to the bench, too.”
　 I shouted, “I don't want to lose a match to anybody! April, give it to me!” With the two opponents guarding me, I feinted first to the right, and then to the left. Then, I made a sudden turn, allowing the force of gravity to bend the upper half of my body.
　 “Here is where I turn to the right!” I quickly thought. The spectators expected me to fall, but I suddenly pushed forward on my right foot and took off running down the field, leaving the two opponents behind. Dark brown hair fluttered over the green grass of the field like a shadow on a stream. “Goodbye, ladies . . . you had no chance . . . you got no imagination,” I taunted them in my mind.

～Chapter 7 ～

-State of Connecticut-

　 An old man is looking at the newly built lacrosse field of Brainville High School, proudly located along the shady grove of Evergreen Boulevard. To Robert Micaville, the wind in Bridgeport seems to be sandy, and the sandy wind feels as though its noisy and hectic quality gets mixed into the normally quiet state of Connecticut. The population of Bridgeport is larger than that of Hartford, which is the state capital. A lot of Japanese people live in suburban Greenwich, including his dearest wife, Seiko.
　 His granddaughter can handle a short stick as an attacker or as a midfielder. She has developed her physical ability and her own cradling technique so that an opponent is at her mercy. Her lacrosse skills draw people's attention.
From her grandfather's loving view, Lisa resembles Seiko more and more as she grows older. Obviously, Lisa has special qualities that set her apart from the crowd.
　 “Lisa . . . you know, the boughs that hang the lowest bear the most fruit,” he solemnly tells her.

～Chapter 8 ～

-Gungnir-

　 Although Lisa was just a rookie last year, she was voted the MVP in the state of Connecticut by a committee of sports writers and coaches. Part of Lisa's magical ability derives from her short stick (cross), which she calls “Gungnir.” In Norse mythology, Gungnir is magic spear that never misses its target. Centrifugal forces create a process of transformation in which the pocket, the head of the stick, and the ball are changed into a swan. Every time Lisa releases the swan to the sky, amazing results occur on the field.
　 “Seiko…it seems that Lisa doesn't want to understand the nature of her existence,” Robert quietly spoke. He grasped the Japanese lacquer mirror that his dear, departed wife had left to him. He talks some more to his late wife, just with his smile. Memories of his life with her remain as clear as the wrinkles in his hands. The prints of cherry and crane on the mirror flutter beautifully. The mirror is obviously valuable as a work of art.
　 Lisa yells, “Natalie, can't you see!?. . . damn!!!”
　 “Sorry….” Natalie said. Still, Lisa was irritated. Her aggravation had reached its peak..

～Chapter 9 ～

-Desperado-

　 Natalie, the long-stick midfielder, was scared by Lisa's harsh words. The long-stick midfielder is the only midfielder who uses a long stick (cross), and who cannot go on the attack. “I don't care,” Lisa murmured, “I'm stupid to depend on others,” as she passed by Natalie. Then, Lisa said, “Our goal isn't just winning one game. If we can't win the championship, all our effort makes no sense.”
　 More than 400 species of sharks exist in the world, but the three most dangerous to humans are the great white shark, the tiger shark, and the bull shark. The “Tiger Sharks,” the name of the North Bridgeport High School girls' lacrosse club, are very famous. The team uniform consists of a jersey and a wraparound skirt that are designed to simulate the black and white stripes on the backs of tiger sharks. The black stripes looked beautiful, as if they were shimmering under the shallow water in the sunlight. At the same time, those beautiful stripes camouflage the hunters, so their opponents hardly know that they are about to be hunted.

～Chapter 10 ～

-Queen of diamonds-

　The whistle signaled the end of the game. I raised my head, closed my eyes slowly, and let out a long sigh. As I opened my eyes, Shannon and Emmy gave me a wink, which made me smile. However, the other teammates were bent over with exhausted looks on their faces. “Well, you could at least look happy since we won the game,” I muttered to no one in particular.
　 Popping my neck twice, I placed the scarlet handle of Gungnir on my right shoulder with the pocket trailing behind me. Coach McPherson was romping around the bench in a good mood. He said, “Shannon and Emmy were free, especially in the second half, when Lisa was drawing away all the Thunderbolt defenders.”
　 Although Coach McPherson's speech after the game began with an excited voice, his style resembled a lousy actor performing a soliloquy in front of a dinner theater audience. He's the kind of person who likes to start with a proverb, and then tediously point out all the lessons that can be learned from it. The victims of his speech were not only the players, but also the parents and other spectators who came to cheer.

～Chapter 11～

-Robert-

　I took off my mouthpiece, quickly changed from my uniform to my street clothes, and was leaving the locker room when I heard a familiar voice.
　 “The Tiger Sharks sure dominated the Thunderbolts today. It was like a shark taking the bait, line, rod, and even the arm of the fisherman.”A　 broad smile covered my face right away. When I turned around, there was a man who is very dear to me wearing traditional Japanese work clothes.
　 “Robert!!”
　 He grinned and said, “Congratulations, Lisa.” Robert Micaville is my grandpa. When I was a child, he always took me everywhere with my grandma, Seiko, who wore a kimono all the time. When Grandma died, my grandpa didn't shed a tear during the funeral or burial. However, he hugged the gravestone and wailed for most of a day in a heavy rain after the ceremonies were done.
　 “That was a good simile, Robert.”
　 “Yep, ‘the shark took the bait, line, rod, and even the arm of the fisherman,' right?”

～Chapter 12～

-Barbarossa-

　In fact, the Brainville High School Thunderbolts' defense had set marvelous traps and covered me closely in the second half. In the first half, the Thunderbolts had guessed that Emmy wasn't an outstanding player, so they set traps around her when they went on a counterattack.
　 "They looked very excited when Emmy got the ball," I said, as I struggled to control myself from bursting into laughter.
　 Emmy did a good job of covering her territory in the first half and was able to disrupt their game plan. The Thunderbolt's strategy for the game would have succeeded, except they underestimated Emmy's ability. They
figured that she was a player who didn't have any stamina. The Thunderbolt defenders felt they didn't have to worry about Emmy being a threat when she had the ball. But when Emmy got the ball, their strategy for the game didn't look so good.
　 The Thunderbolts believed they didn't have to worry about Emmy because they evaluated her lowly as a player. However, she played well and showed that she had excellent skills. In the second half, Emmy was dominating the
game against the opponents who had vastly underestimated her.
　 "Looks can be deceiving. They thought we'd be easy to beat, but we showed them. They learned something from playing with us, didn't they?" I said.

～Chapter 13～

-Antique mirror-

　 “The State Contest is coming up, Lisa. Don't holler till you're out of the woods,” Grandpa Robert said. Light from the setting sun reflects on the antique mirror that Grandpa Robert has in his hand. The random reflections sparkle on the windows and mirrors of the cars around them. I feel like I am inside a giant prism of light.
　 “I know, Grandpa. But our teammates don't even try at practice, except for Shannon and Emmy.”
　 “Listen, Lisa. Sadly, we are not all born equally. Not everyone has an ability for lacrosse.” “Grandpa, I've made a lot of effort to practice harder than the others everyday! But they
just say I'm gifted or a genius,” Lisa interrupted him in a loud and quavering voice that brought tears to her eyes. Her “real feeling” from the bottom of her heart had gushed forth, their immanence in the form of words being realized to the world.

～Chapter 14～

-Genius is…-

　“Lisa, don't you think I know you made a lot of effort? Of course I do. Thomas Edison once said, ‘Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.' Even if you make your best effort, you can't be a genius without the one percent of inspiration. You may want to be a genius, but sometimes you just can't. More than anyone else, I know you've made a lot harder effort than the others. And since you've got that one percent of inspiration, you made it. Your enthusiasm for lacrosse can be overwhelming, and to your teammates it may seem like you're too strict with them. But you are very kind at other times. Hey Lisa, look at this.”
　 Grandpa Robert, smiling wickedly, took out his antique mirror and a hand mirror and showed them to his beloved granddaughter. She wiped her eyes and nodded, recovering her composure, as she listened to him.

～Chapter 15～

-The mirror is a wizard-

　A mirror, which is very familiar to us, can be a wizard. Lisa, do you know what will happen when two mirrors are held facing each other? You can see the reflections of things in plural. You can calculate the number of reflections you will see as follows: 360÷Mirror's angle−1 = The number of things reflected. For example, if a mirror's angle is 45, there will be seven Lisas in the other mirror. (360÷45−1 = 7.) The possibilities are endless.
　 There are three sacred imperial treasures in Japanese mythology, a mirror being one of them. Mirrors are said to be a miracle tool in the world. Mirrors reflect the world, yet those reflections don't actually exist in it.
　 "That's me. This is also myself..." Lisa's conscious mind was drifting away. Seven Lisas reflecting from the reflections between the mirrors make me wonder about the nature of existence itself. "Lisa, Lisa!" someone desperately calls to me. "Oh, that's Grandma's voice." As Lisa's consciousness slowly returned, she clearly heard the sound of the hand mirror breaking. Submerged in a sparkling white light, she saw a lot of Lisas in the shattered glass of the hand mirror. 　"What's happening to me?"

～Chapter 16～

-After the festival-

　 Japan had been rapidly absorbing western civilization. With increased wealth and military power, Japan was winning external wars against countries and catching up with the western imperial powers.
　 I am living in the Taisho Era, which contrasts sharply with the one before, the Meiji Era. If the Meiji Era can be characterized as a "village festival," then the Taisho Era might be seen as a "sleeping village." A wave of modernization had poured into Kyoto since the inception of the Meiji Era. The Kyoto station had been improved. There had been strong competition between the Kyoto Railway Co., Ltd. (Kyoden) and Kyoto Municipal Railway Co., Ltd. As a result, the city of Kyoto bought Kyoden six years ago in 1918, which was a golden period for railways in Kyoto.
　 "It's strange to see so many things to ward off evil spirits here. At least for me anyway, I can take a shortcut."
With bamboo groves all around them, people in Kyoto go about their daily life. A girl in her kimono silently stepped into one of the bamboo groves and ran like the wind, pushing aside bamboo grass and branches skillfully.
　 Bamboo is a sacred plant. It is said that bamboo has a magical power to keep evil spirits away. Kyoto has a history of conflicts and has been called "a place of the devil." With all of the bamboo groves around, Kyoto is a good place to be if pandemonium breaks out.
　 "It gives me goose bumps to think about it. Ohhh! What's that?"
　 A sparkling flash from several meters away covered Seiko in its light.

～Chapter 17～

-28 September 1914 Kyoto-

　 Seiko tried to see through the fingers of her left hand. Her sight is gradually recovering, after the sparkling flash had caused her to lose it temporarily. When she was finally able to open her eyes, she could see everything except for the color white. However, she found that the bamboo grove had completely vanished from her sight.
　 The streets of Kyoto consist of finely wrought elements. Empty space merges into the air outdoors, and the mosaic-like bamboo grove is scattered all over Kyoto.
　 "The bamboo is gone...What's that?"
　 In one area where the bamboo had been, a girl was crouching. Seiko was upset by the sight, but she ran up to the girl. Her long chestnut hair was unkempt, like the anthers and filaments of a dandelion. The girl was wearing a purple jacket, and her arms were wet. Most women in the early Taisho Era wore kimono except for high-ranking society people or teachers. Seiko usually wore skirt-like trousers because she was a student at that time. Waitresses at coffee shops were beginning to wear western-style clothing. However, Seiko had never seen a girl wearing such a bold style of clothes before.
　 "Uh..." As the girl turned her body slightly, her face became visible. Seiko was surprised that she recognized the girl.

～Chapter 18～

-Time axis-

　It was like an alarm clock ringing loudly in my head. I couldn't understand whether the sound was from a person or a wild animal. It was similar to the feeling when my mother used to wake me up every morning. The only difference that I felt was being in an uncomfortable bed. The part touching my bare skin was stinging and smelled like soil.
　 Lisa, disturbed in her sleep, gradually, but reluctantly, became conscious. Much to her surprise, there stood a woman who was wearing kimono that looked very similar to what her grandmother used to wear when Lisa was young.
　 "Is this a dream? If it's a dream, it is a bad joke. If it's real, it is also bad." Lisa coldly smiled.
　 "She's a real foreigner. Oh, she speaks English...What should I say to her?" Lisa wondered.
Lisa was able to guess that the grandma-like woman spoke Japanese. Her grandmother was Japanese, so that made Lisa partly Japanese. Lisa used to hear that Seiko often spoke Japanese.
　 "Are you alright?"
　 Lisa was shocked. The words coming out of the woman's mouth were clearly English.

～Chapter 19～

-What a nightmare!-

　"It's an elaborate joke, isn't it? Who is behind this? Lena or Jessica?"
　 Lisa said with steady calmness, running her fingers through her chestnut hair, which is like a bubbling stream.
　 "Where am I? Why are you wearing kimono? What's going on!?"
　 However, her desperate effort ended up in vain. It had taken only a few seconds for her instinct to overtake her reason.
　 Lisa had revealed her emotions to the girl in kimono standing in front of her.
　 "Here is Kyoto. I do not understand the situation. I am sorry . My name is Seiko. What is your name?"
　 The woman named Seiko seemed frightened, but tried to smile as she talked to Lisa using unfamiliar English.
　 Her face really was like the late-grandma.
　 Then, Lisa said, "I guess we're both in the same situation."
　 Lisa looked up at the blue sky and took a deep breath. Then, she looked at Seiko and held out her hand as she apologized and introduced herself.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm Lisa. Nice to meet you, Seiko."

～Chapter 20 ～

-Camisole-

　 "You wear quite unusual clothes, don't you?" Seiko politely said."
　 These? They're not as unusual as yours. They're normal," Lisa said, smiling coolly, as she pulled on a strap of her camisole.
　 They then went to Seiko's house. Her house has a barber shop in it. Seiko often talks with a regular customer who is a student at Kyoto Teito University. She learns English from him. Seiko wants him to help her communicate with Lisa in English.
　 "That's my house."
　 A broad street traversed its way through the forest of bamboo.　Seiko pointed out one place. There were two men who appeared to be absorbed in playing chess. The younger man seemed to be her teacher.
　 Seiko looked at him and said, "Hiroshi. Will you do me a favor?"
　 The man was smoking with his arms crossed and watching the chess board intensely. When she called, he reluctantly looked up. He was so stunned by the scene that the cigarette dropped from his mouth.
　 "What a beautiful girl! Is she wearing new underwear?"

～Chapter 21～

- I Did It My Way-

　 Hiroshi, a 25-year-old university student, was wearing glasses. He majored in English literature and had a quite good command of English. Lisa could easily tell his ability when he introduced himself.
　 After a few detours and wrong turns, he decided to study and enter a university. He liked the free spirit of the school where he enrolled and started his new life in Kyoto. He was the kind of person who has a finger in the pie of whatever happens to have his interest at the time. He wrote a novel after his friends in Tokyo encouraged him to write something. He liked sports a lot, and he was interested in gambling. He had a lot of hobbies.
　 "I live my way," he said, lighting another cigarette.
　 "So do I. Frank Sinatra...well, perhaps you don't know him. A famous American singer said the same thing in his song "My Way." John Bon Jovi also sang about it in his song "It's My Life" about Frankie..." Lisa was saying.
　 "Unfortunately, I don't know him..." He interrupted Lisa and said, "It's very difficult for us to live as we like to do. We feel alone, but manage to live. That's because we have friends. We can't live without friends."

～Chapter 22～

- 28 November 1913 Karasumori-

　 One year was left before the opening of Tokyo station. The terminal of the Tokaido Line had been changed and the name of the place, "Karasumori," was supposed to be changed to "Shimbashi." Ryu, coughing as he walked along the street, was visiting several mah-jong parlors where Hiroshi would probably be, checking the signboards along the backside of the street.
　 Ryu stood in front of the parlor whose window was written in bad handwriting with white paint, and slowly opened the old, creaking door. The door opened more smoothly than expected. From the open space of the door, cigarette smoke instantly came out around him.
　 "The flow of the wind will change...soon." Hiroshi said silently. He stretched his arms, deeply settling into the chair. He felt tired and yawed, naturally.
Hiroshi took a deep breath and made a ring of smoke as he exhaled. He saw an old friend standing at the partly opened door.

～Chapter 23～

- Mah-jongg-

　 Mah-jongg has 136 pieces. Some of the names of the pieces are "character," "ball," "bamboo," and "honor" among others. The combination of certain pieces makes a winner. This is a zero-sum game, and most of the time it is played as gambling because the points are easily calculated on a monetary basis. This is a game that has recently been introduced from mainland China. Since the game is still new to players in Japan, the rules often change day by day.
　 Ryu coughed and put his left hand over his mouth. He narrowed his eyes and his face became serious, which brought a chilly feeling to the parlor. The other people in the parlor looked at Ryu with cold, blood-thirsty eyes. Then, Ryu saw Hiroshi calling and weakly waving his right hand.
　 "Don't try to bullshit me!"
　 Ryu's face is not usually ruddy. He actually looks kind of sickly. But this time, his anger reached its peak.
"You...!!"

～Chapter 24～

- Glory Days-

　 "Did you start playing Mah-jongg? It's nice to develop some hobbies. Broaden your knowledge, make your life better..."
　 "It's none of your business!"
　 Right after he shouted, he gave Hiroshi a clean right jab to his left cheek.
"What on earth were you doing for the last two days? What do you think I was doing? Are you disgracing people who treated you kindly? You have a chance to start a life in Kyoto."
　 A taste of blood spread in Hiroshi's mouth.
　"Do you think I'm that type of person?" Hiroshi answered, wiping off the blood from his mouth.
　 His open-hearted, daring character makes him a person who wants to win all games. He always speaks for someone and never minds to be a scapegoat for someone. He is about 24, 25 years old. He had experienced lots of wrecked hopes that would leave a normal person in despair. Ryu knows this better than anyone else.
　 "I swear that I've never deceived you. I'm worried about you."

～Chapter 25～

- These Days-

　"Are you talking about something in the past, Hiroshi? That's unusual." Seiko distributed tea and Japanese sweets to everyone with a smile.
　 "Ah ha ha ha... I heard about Lisa's past story. This is in return." Hiroshi lit his last cigarette and then crushed the empty pack. He took a deep breath and smiled as he exhaled, watching the smoke rise into the air. The shadows of his friends dissolved into the contours of the smoke.
　 "You have a lot of friends, Hiroshi. Mine are terrible. There are few teammates who are 'useful'. Recently, they are..." Lisa seemed disgusted with her teammates, complaining with a sigh.
　 "I couldn't hear you. You said 'useful' or something?"
　 "Yes, a 'useful' person."
　 "Lisa!" Hiroshi's roaring voice echoed around the room.
　 "Teammates and friends are the same. Of course we trust them, but not enough to give them credit, right?"

～Chapter 26～

- So what? -

　"We use the same word 'trust.'"
　 "So what?"
　 Hiroshi said, "This word does not allow counterargument. Perhaps it is the strongest word."
　 "You don't understand the difference about English expressions. But 'giving credit' means to believe in yourself. That is to say, you believe in things around you. 'Trust' means to totally believe in yourself."
　 "....."
　 "What you need is to believe in yourself, accept others, achieve what you have to do, and to trust your teammates. Find yourself and what you need to do and the most important is to believe in what you see and not to doubt...This is where you must start, Lisa."
　 "My teammates..."
　 Hiroshi continued talking with a wry smile.
　 "I'll tell you something important. I won't charge you, though."

～Chapter 27～

- Let's go -

　"The difference between a boss and a leader?"
　 "Yes." Hiroshi started talking slowly as he sipped the tea that Seiko had made.
　 "I don't know much about the sport 'lacrosse', but I can say one thing since it requires team play.
　 The difference between a boss and a leader: a boss says, 'Go!' - a leader says, 'Let's go!' Don't you think so?"
　 "Ah..."
　 "You are talented and have been chosen as the leader. We don't need two coaches on the field. A leader organizes a team on a field and makes a miracle happen. You can do it, Lisa."
　 Lisa answered with a full smile, admitting that she was defeated by the argument and shrugged her shoulder.
　 "'You can do it.' 'I won't charge you'...How many people have been wrongly affected by these words so far?"

～Chapter 28～

- Stay humble -

　"The more noble the more humble."
　 "What?"
　 "I said, 'The more noble the more humble.'"
　 Seiko repeated the sentence with a smile. She winked at Hiroshi giving him a message to check if her English is correct or not.
　 Satisfied with her answer, Hiroshi's face looked like a teacher's, eye's closed, and head nodding with his arms folded.
　 "Aunt...well, Seiko can speak English pretty well."
　 "That's because she has a great tutor. Daily English conversation is no problem for her," Hiroshi said confidently while massaging the stubble of beard on his chin. The reason why Hiroshi became Seiko's tutor is that her father is a famous professional shogi player in their neighborhood. Hiroshi lived near her house and he asked her father to teach him how to play shogi like a professional. Her father taught him shogi free of charge. Hiroshi felt bad about this, and asked him what he could do to return the favor. Her father thought a moment and then asked him to teach his daughter English.

～Chapter 29～

- Never say die! -

　During the Taisho Era, there had been a movement calling for women's rights in Japan. Voting rights for women would be realized in 1925. That was another ten years in the future. Those living in 1915 would be required to wait another ten years for that historical event to occur.
　Not only in Japan, but also in western society, it was a common prejudice that people thought men should participate in society, and women should just support the men. It was not until the time around the end of the19th century and the beginning of the 20th century that women's suffrage was realized in many countries.
　The foresight of Seiko's father in educating her was unusual for those times. For Lisa, it was such an ordinary idea that she did not understand the importance of Seiko studying English.
"I heard that they study English in Japan and there are many international students from the U.S."
　"But now, the situation in Japan..." Seiko shook her head with a wry smile.
　"I don't know the current situation in Japan. Don't give up before you even try."
　"Well...I know. Lisa, you know 'the chapter 26 of the gospel according to St. Matthew'..."
　"Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword."
　"Sorry, I know that I have a sharp tongue," Lisa said with a bitter smile.

～Chapter 30 ～

- Going where the wind brows -

　"Instead of standing firm against something, it's all right to let yourself go where the wind blows."
　 Hiroshi blocked the breeze with his left hand and hunched down a little bit, lighting another cigarette.
　 "You're the one who takes everything on your shoulder, right? Take it easy. It's OK to exert 100% of your strength, while thinking with 80% of your mind. If you don't have some spare time to relax, you'll kill yourself eventually. 'Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.' You may lose or even want to disappear sometime. Don't work too hard."
　 Tears ran down Lisa's face in a continuous stream. The joy of hearing the words, that Lisa had wanted for so long to hear, had at last opened the floodgates of her deep mind allowing the the floodwaters to flow freely from it.

～Chapter 31～

- Do you believing magic? -

　"How long has it been since I cried like this?"
　 Neither Hiroshi nor Seiko put a gentle arm around her shoulders or spoke words of sympathy to her. They knew that doing so would be meaningless. After a few moments, Lisa recovered her composure and spoke in a staccato fashion with courage, her gaze focused on them steadily.
"Do you believe in magic?"
　 Seiko was taken aback by her impromptu question, while Hiroshi smiled audaciously and looked at her as if he knew it was coming all along.
　 "The story about the mirror I heard...It's difficult to understand in so short a time, but you are here now. It seems that the future might not be so bad. At least I'll be able to appreciate the dress that looks like underwear here in Japan, right?"
　 "I mean...I..."
　 "I do believe. Your presence and the magic." Hiroshi muttered, but with a steely determination.

～Chapter 32～

- Water Line -

　"The ancient origin of mirrors probably traces back to seeing reflections in pools of water. Seeing your reflection on the water would be the first step toward self-recognition. That is to say, to look at yourself objectively,"
　 Lisa and Seiko looked at Hiroshi with the same feeling showing on their faces, as if they were twin images being reflected in a hall of mirrors.
　 "Perhaps you felt a mysterious feeling, like seeing yourself in a mirror. It's not an unusual thing to believe that there is another world through a mirror. It's like 'this' world and 'that' world. The meaning of the word 'glass' in English is kind of like the word 'mirror,' right?"
　 Hiroshi lit a cigarette and took a deep breath, and said.
　 "A mirror is said to be a looking glass. A newspaper in Britain called the 'Daily Mirror' was first published about 20 twenty years ago. Its name implies that this newspaper communicates the truth like a mirror."
　 While seeing that Lisa and Seiko were stunned, Hiroshi looked at them one by one with his arms crossed, and said,
　 "Your presence here, Lisa, is not a miracle. It's only natural.. Lisa, have you found anything during this trip?"

～Chapter 33～

- Why don't you try at all? -

　"Shall we walk for a while, Lisa? Seiko, can you wait here?"
　 Seeing Hiroshi's serious face, Seiko reasoned that she should wait and show no interest in what he was about to do. She just said, "Yes."
　 Putting out his cigarette, Hiroshi stood up and started walking slowly, putting his hands in his pockets. His walk was the same as a gambler's.
　 "Well, I...Seiko...Seiko is..."
　 "She must be someone who is related to you."
　 "What? You..."
　 "There are several things in the world that should not be said, and there are a few other things in the world that can never be told."
　 Hiroshi didn't notice that Lisa was closely reading the wry smile on his face.
　 He must be falling for Seiko. Well, he's finally understood everything because of my presence...
　 "Don't make such a face, Hiroshi. Why don't you try to tell her how you feel?"

～Chapter 34～

- Signal -

　 "Just what do you mean by 'I'm doing nothing?'"
　 Lisa could no longer completely conceal her emotions as their volatility increased with each passing moment. Anger overtook her reasoning ability. Likewise, her face was about to show the turmoil occurring within her.
　 "Since you seem to be angry, perhaps your anger has arisen from the fact that I'm correct. But don't despair, there is no life that is without redemption." Hiroshi spoke slowly, memories of his past overlapping one another, as though his mind had suddenly transformed into an organic kaleidoscope.
　 He troubled his parents. He'd been able to drop out of school and still survive because of his friends who helped him a lot. It was thanks to Ryu that he was able to live in Kyoto now.
　 "There are good things and bad things in life. Some friends are really good now, but others have drifted away. Several places have completely changed from what they once were, but others have remained the same as they've always been. You could say, in total, I like my life."
　 "If you want to change yourself, you can do it right now, Lisa. Don't blame yourself. Forgive yourself, so that you will be able to forgive others as well. Great things can come in small packages. In other words, some little thing might give you a great chance."

～Final Chapter～

- In My Life -

　Seiko's figure is just bright as if it had been absorbed by the greenery. Hiroshi is a type of person who doesn't really believe in gods. But he thought Seiko was given to our present world as a goddess from gods.
　 "Lisa, Seiko will get the chance to go abroad in the future.The best way is to have a command of communication skills, which means English. Understanding another language is to understand the country."
　 "Hiroshi is...Hiroshi is..."
　 Lisa just understood. Hiroshi knew he was giving Seiko a chance to jump into the world, while his love for her remained unrequited. Lisa just wanted to ask him why?
　 "Even if we go different ways, we are in the same world. That's all. At this moment, I am tied with you just as this sky is connected across the world."
　 "Hiroshi...?" Lisa said.
　 "Thank you for saving me."
　 Hiroshi said and held a hand mirror that is quite familiar to Lisa. The mirror, kept in Lisa's grandma's room, was Hiroshi's! Perhaps he gave it to Seiko on the day of her departure. He must have gave it to her as a farewell present while making a joke. Well...My grandma had the mirror. That means...
　 "Don't give up, Hiroshi. I will believe in myself and my teammates. So you..."
　 Hiroshi put up his face.
　 Tears ran down from his eyes. He cried tears of both joy and sadness. He understood that there was another possibility for him. But he did not choose that. He could not endure that Lisa's existence would be gone.
　 "How wonderful this world is...It's full of miracles..."
　 A bright sparkle covered Lisa.
　 "You can change, and myself too."