Cherish the time

"calm down--"

Haruo Eguchi was taking his third deep breath.

Today was the last day of his internship, and the editorial department half encouraged and half tested him to do a personal interview with a well-known chess player.

Thinking of the editor-in-chief Nagikawa handing over the note with the address and contact information with a smile on his face, Eguchi felt a dull pain in his stomach.

"Alas..." He let out three long breaths from today's No.20, "Why don't you call senior..."

"Although it seems to be very cowardly...but I don't care so much..."

"After all, this is an interview with that Taya Ryo - no matter how important it is..."

He walked around muttering alone, and took out his cell phone as if he had finally made up his mind.

"Excuse me, do you have anything to do with me?" A calm and clear voice sounded behind him, which startled Haruo Eguchi.

When Eguchi turned around, he saw a face that he often saw in magazines.

"Ta, tower, tower, teacher Toya!" Haruo Eguchi immediately bowed ninety degrees, "Hello! I am Haruo Eguchi from "Go Weekly", and I was sent to interview you today!"

"Oh... I know." Taya Ryo, who was in his prime, smiled slightly, and opened the door for the nervous interviewer, "Stop standing at the door, please come in."

Ta Yaliang led him into the living room, then made him a pot of tea and brought him two plates of snacks, and then sat on the sofa opposite him amidst the young man's series of "don't bother" persuasion.

"So, what do you want to ask?" His hands were naturally placed on the knees of his legs, and his whole person looked gentle and elegant.

"Uh..." The nervous Haruo Eguchi quickly opened his interview book, "The first question, last month, you finally won the position of chess master from Ogata Judan and became another master who has completed Grand slam chess player, may I ask how you feel?"

"Very happy and grateful."

"Oh?"

Taya smiled slightly, but didn't intend to explain.

"Uh..." Nervous Eguchi quickly flipped through his interview book, and found another pre-set question after a dozen pages, "Then what do you think of this game? Everyone is paying attention to your interview." Move 142, may I ask how did you come up with the idea of ​​placing the white stone at that place?"

"...just happened to see it." Taya thought for a while, and said with relief, "Actually, you don't have to be so nervous."

"Ah? Ah! Thank you!" Eguchi hurriedly stood up again and wanted to salute, but was given to be on the spot by Taya's gesture, so embarrassed that he didn't know what to do.

Seeing him so nervous, Ryo Taya thought for a while, and asked about Eguchi's situation in an anticlimactic manner. After chatting for about ten minutes, Eguchi could barely talk to Taya naturally.

Only then did Taya hand over the dominance to Eguchi, and the interview resumed.

……

"Everyone knows that you have been playing Go for more than 12 years since you entered the ranks at the age of 20," Haruo Eguchi asked the last question, "During your 20-plus years of Go career, do you have any regrets?"

"Yes." Ta Yaliang replied without hesitation, "I still want to play a game with him."

"Oh? Who is he referring to?"

Hearing this question, Ryo Taya had an obvious expression change for the first time in this interview.

His eyelids drooped slightly, his brows were retracted, and his lips were pursed fiercely. He looked extremely sad, but because of the flash, he showed another meaning.

"...I once had a friend who was very good at chess."

"Huh?" Haruo Eguchi was attracted by his tone, and subconsciously followed.

"And then he died."

He said flatly, without any fluctuation in expression.

"...Ah?" Eguchi didn't expect such a development, and the "really" was held back in his stomach.

"He's dead, so I don't have this chance to play chess with him." Ta Yaliang seemed to be explaining and talking to himself, and his eyes drifted away all of a sudden, "...Even if I still remember that chess game... ..."

"...What?" Eguchi didn't hear his whisper clearly, and leaned forward to ask a question.

Taya was pulled back by his question, shook his head with a smile, and said.

"...that's already a story of the past."

After the interview, Taya Ryo sent Eguchi out of the courtyard gate.

He watched Haruo Eguchi leaving, stood there wearing slippers for a while, and soon felt his feet were cold, and shivered uncontrollably.

So he walked back slowly, across the yard, up the veranda, into the drawing room, down the corridor, and at last to his room.

Ta Ya Ryo opened the closet carefully, and there were all kinds of sundries and utensils that had not been used for a long time, and the surface was covered with dust.

He bent down and struggled to drag out a plain brown paper box from the bottom.

It was a box with the thickest dust.

Taya took a breath, and part of the dust was blown away, so that he choked and coughed.

After he finally finished coughing, he looked at the box again and became dazed.

Finally, as if he had finally made up his mind, he opened the box that seemed to have been dusty for a long time.

Daylight shines through the panes on the contents of the boxes.

A kind of dusty moisture mixed with the sun's warmth for a long time, giving people a feeling of nostalgia.

Taya Ryo took out the contents of the box one by one, and placed them neatly by his side.

a letter.

A thick stack of chess records.

A goldfish bowl without water.

A pair of old cell phones.

A torreya wood chess table that looks quite old, and two matching boxes of chess pieces.

There is also a pair of handmade hand puppets.

Ta Yaliang gently picked up the pair of dolls and put them on his hands.

A faint dust mixed with the smell of mold rushed into his nostrils, but he just quietly stared at the pair of happy hand puppets, and after a long time, a little smile appeared on his face.

…Obviously more than 20 years have passed.

That guy's silly look with the doll is still as clear as ever.

Ta Yaliang moved his hands subconsciously, and the two little guys moved happily, opening and closing their mouths, as if they were happily chatting about something.

- "Hi, Xiaoliang, long time no see."

- "Hi Hikari, are you okay?"

For the first time in his life, he made such a childish move without any embarrassment.

Some are just full of nostalgia and warmth, full of love, as if trying to give his heart a mouthful.

——Xiao Guang, are you okay?

He thought about the last time he saw that person.

I remembered his smile and said goodbye to him.

He suddenly wanted to ask.

Ask the guy who has been burned to ashes by a fire, lying in the cold ground.

--How are you?

I miss you.