Pressure Root

The band was becoming so tight that it hurt.

Should I be concerned?

The doctor asked, "Could you tell me about your profession, Ms. Minami?"

"I'm a programmer at a game company."

"Interesting. Video games are everywhere nowadays, aren't they? My kids ask for a new game at least once a month, and my coworkers talk about them during lunch daily."

"Yeah," I replied. "Ah, is it okay if this hurts?"

"If everything went correctly, it should be done around… now."

A couple of seconds of silence later, the band quickly deflated.

"I almost got it," the doctor said as she stood up and approached the box. While pressing the buttons, she asked, "I suppose your profession requires you to stare at a screen for several hours a day."