It’s made up of articles that a Shogi magazine only runs twice a year.

This scrapbook, which only contains the one two-page article that’s quietly slipped into the back of that magazine twice a year, has become 100 pages thick. Where did the time go?

I doubt it’s worth much at all to most people.

But I treasure it.

Ever since I was six years old when I found out that professional Shogi players exist, I’ve been holding on to these articles, even when I ended up throwing away the rest of the magazine.

“4-dan promotions.”

Short essays that only two people, the ones who make it through the 3-dan division’s six-month season, can write. People who have given the prime years of their youth to Shogi pour their heart and soul into a single page; the life of the professional Shogi player in a nutshell.

My life has revolved around getting to write my own article.

On those long nights before my matches on regular activity days in the Sub League when sleep never came, I would pass the hours by reading through this scrapbook and thinking about what I would write once my turn finally came.

What would I talk about?

How hard life in the Sub League was?

Matches during my time in the 3-dan division that had the biggest impact on me?

The jealousy I feel toward the others who turned professional before me?

Gratitude for my Master?

Gratitude for my parents?

Gratitude for my fellow Sub League members?

The joy of playing Shogi?

The day my heart shattered?

The match that restored my fighting spirit?

As the years in the Sub League dragged on, I noticed there was more I wanted to say and the content had changed.

However, the way I wanted to conclude the article always stayed the same.

That sheer determination is what allowed me to endure my darkest days in the Sub League.

Passed up by my juniors, I managed to put up with the indignation of calling them Sensei and serving them tea while working as a match recorder during their matches because I knew what I wanted to write.

I endured giving the king’s seat to players younger than myself and taking on a secondary role after having led practice sessions for so long. Even after winning the Newcomers Tournament as a Sub League member for the first time, I managed to prevent the question why do weaker players than I am get to become professionals and I don’t? from rotting my heart away.

Reading through this scrapbook, I drift off into peaceful slumber.

It’s the final match of the 3-dan division, and I hold the top position. Having placed my opponent in checkmate by deploying a Gold in front of their King, I see myself stamping a white victory star on the division annuals. Everyone at the association office is congratulating me as journalists and reporters line up to take my picture. Once that’s over, I contact Master to tell him the news and then call my family soon after. It’s hearing my mother’s tears of joy on the other end of the line that makes me cry for the first time.

I promoted to 4-dan …… I have become a professional. Processing all that joy as best I can, I sit down with a pen and start writing my article one letter at a time. My own 4-dan promotion.

Once I have finally gotten the words that have been brewing in my heart for so long down on paper, I start thinking about a title for my article. Ah, that’s perfect. I’ll call it–––.

Awake, I reach for the scrapbook by my pillow.

Then I look for the article that should be there.

Copies of it had already been sent to the association and his parents.

Not a hint of anger came through in its words… not toward the director or the sponsors who threw him to the wolves without any support, not for the Shogi professionals who criticized him for simply not understanding how strong Shogi software was before he lost, and not even for the fans who knew nothing yet and called him a disgrace to humanity.

The message was much more businesslike–––an apology for forfeiting a league match held in his hometown, a desire to help spread the popularity of Shogi, and how he didn’t want the association to host the funeral. The man had made sure that note was securely fastened to the back of his scrapbook.

Meticulous, he had saved every article he had ever penned since becoming a professional player.

There weren’t many at all. The writer had turned down all jobs outside of playing matches for he believed that research and becoming stronger were a Shogi player’s true calling. Thus he committed more time to researching his craft than anyone without sharing the fruits of that research with a soul. He was willing to play against anyone, should they only ask. Amateurs, professionals, Women’s League players, even nonhuman opponents.

The man flips over his scrapbook and goes back to the beginning.

There on the first page was the first article he wrote as a professional. His eyes skimmed through the few short paragraphs–––his “4-dan promotion.”

I would think those words whenever I lost a match.

These six-and-a-half years in the Sub League have been stressful, to say the least. Hokkaido is a long way away. All the hours spent on a plane go without saying, but thinking of the time that my parents spent driving me to and from the airport made me question whether it was all worth it with each loss.

The ones who gave me the strength to sit down in front of a Shogi board each time were my fellow Sub League members from outside of Tokyo. The nights we stayed at the association before matches were precious, as they were my only opportunity to play with other people. The kindness behind the words There’s no one else to play with, so come on is what saved me.

I’ve been a burden to my parents and so many others: my Master who has constantly watched over me, the Shogi fans in Hokkaido who have supported me, and my fellow Sub League members who have fought with and against me. I know of several who left the league after a loss at my hands. Each of them has reached out to me after one loss or another when I would swear that I’ll never play Shogi again, and told me this: You will be a pro one day, Yo. I guarantee it. ……

Now that I have, I know in my heart…

Even if I were to be born again, I would want to be a professional Shogi player.

Then, only after awakening in a hospital bed …… and realizing that he was still himself, did the man shed a tear.

Only now, after watching the big board analysis on my tablet for untold hours, do I notice the sun has gone down and it’s gotten pretty dark in my room.

Commentator Tamayo Rokuroba Women’s 2-dan’s high-pitched voice sounds more suitable for an anime character as she squeals: “The Meijin has surrendered! Now the Challenger for the Crown Title Match is official! What’s more, he’ll be the youngest Challenger for the Crown Title in its history at only 18!!”

“Quite strong,” analyst Jin Natagiri 8-dan adds.

He’s supposed to be the one moving the pieces around the big board, but his hands have been hovering in place for a while now.

The camera feed switches to the arena.

The one deeply bowing their head inside the special arena within Tokyo’s Shogi Association building in Sendagya is …… the strongest Shogi player to ever live: the Meijin.

He recently defended his Meijin title to pull off the seemingly impossible feat of having 100 cumulative title seasons.

This player, who has six eternal titles, 1,434 victories, and countless other accolades to his name, is bowing down in front of one teenage boy right now.

Dragon King Ryuo–––Yaichi Kuzuryu.

Having just turned 18 today, the youngest person in Shogi history to ever have a title is trying to catch his breath while thanking the Meijin for the match.

Match recorder Sumito Sakanashi takes the match record out of the room as an avalanche of reporters burst into the arena to take his place.

The audio feed switches back to the two enthralled commentators as even more people stream into the small room.

“Last time, Kuzuryu-Ryuo was eliminated from the Crown League during the preliminaries. This season, however, he made it through without a single loss and continued winning all the way to the Challenger Match. Now he’s defeated the Meijin and claimed his first chance to be a multiple title holder with the spotlight squarely on him …… Wow, that was really something to watch!” Rokuroba 2-dan says with enthusiasm.

“He held the Meijin in check from start to finish. Keeping an opponent of that caliber at bay in a big match like this as the defender …… Only Yaichi could perform like that,” Natagiri 8-dan adds.

“He played Ranging Rook, too!”

“His match against Oishi-King …… well, formerly King now, was impressive to be sure, but this Shogi was full of twists and turns that no one could’ve predicted.”

“Even the evaluation software didn’t see it coming! Which reminds me, Natagiri-sensei, you are one of the Meijin’s research partners, right? Does he use software as well?”

“Barely, if ever, I believe. He sees the software strategies that I use and other young players use and learns from them, but I doubt that he has ever directly used a program.”

As for the future …… Natagiri 8-dan swallows those words.

“Okito-Crown is known for being the first Shogi professional to become as strong as he is using software. How do you think his seven-match series against the face of the new generation of players, the Ryuo, will play out?”

“It’s hard to deny that Mr. Okito turned to software to help sharpen his declining Shogi senses as he got up there in age. Yaichi uses software, as well, but uses it to broaden his own horizons instead–––.”

“So, you’re saying they use it in completely opposite ways?”

“That about sums it up. It’s funny how a little imagination can use the same thing to open brand new doors… depending on how you use it …… Heh heh! Interesting! …… Quite interesting indeed ……!”

“We’ve just been notified the Ryuo is ready for an interview! Please enjoy!”

Rokuroba Women’s 2-dan deftly cuts in as the topic starts getting iffy and the audio feed switches back to the arena.

Suddenly, Yaichi’s face takes up the whole tablet screen.

“……!”

The heat of battle still radiating from his eyes, I get drawn in and can’t look away.

My chest is squeezing itself so tight, I can’t breathe ……

“You’re in position to take a second title for the first time. Can you tell me what that feels like?” asks a journalist from the Kobe Sannomiya Newspaper, a paper representing a coalition of five regional companies that sponsor the Crown League.

“Well …… It doesn’t feel real yet. It was an extremely close match ……”

Yaichi is struggling to say anything.

I’m sure part of it is that the just-defeated Meijin is still sitting right in front of him, but he genuinely looks tongue-tied.

Plus, he zones out like he has a fever after playing matches that come down to the wire.

Only I know he does it …… But that never happens when Yaichi plays against me. That habit of his ……

“Okito-Dual Title is on track to become the next Challenger in the Ryuo Title Match. If he qualifies, the two of you could play 14 consecutive title matches for both Ryuo and Crown.”

“It’ll be a long battle if that happens, but …… This will be our first time playing in league matches, so playing against him won’t get old. I’m looking forward to it.”

He chuckles and the tension starts to lift.

“You have a strategy in mind? Please share any details you are willing to give.”

“Strategy? Well ………… Hm. There is one thing–––.” Looking into his lap and scratching his chin like he’s deep in thought, Yaichi looks back up and says, “I would like to practice sealing moves.”

“Sealing …… moves?”

His unexpected answer sends a murmur through the crowd.

Meanwhile, blood is draining from my face. Is he seriously ……?

“Yes, it’s true that the Crown Title Match uses a two-day format, but don’t you have plenty of experience with it during your Ryuo Title Matches?”

“No. I don’t have nearly enough experience,” Yaichi says matter-of-factly. “I was too nervous to taste anything the last time I did a sealing move.”

“Taste …… a sealing move?”

The interview has officially gone off the rails. This is live across the country!!

“Somebody! Shut that idiot up before it’s too late!” I yell at the Yaichi on my screen knowing full well my voice will never reach the other side.

“I don’t have enough experience at all! I want to practice more sealing moves, the more the better!”

“H-Hmmm …… So, you want to increase your level of experience with sealing moves right now ……” A little overwhelmed by Yaichi’s enthusiasm, the reporter lets the topic slide by saying, “A new perspective from a rising star!” and tries to get the interview back on track. “Will you be practicing with your live-in apprentice?”

“Huh? S-Sealing moves with my …… Ai is in grade school!! Are you crazy?!”

“Huh?”

The reporter has no idea why he is getting yelled at, but still comes back with a question.

“So …… It’s inappropriate to practice sealing moves with grade school students ……?”

“Of course it is! Get your mind out of the gutter! It’s a sealing move, so you’ve got to be somewhere you won’t be interrupted by anyone …… and it has to be with, you know, someone special! Just the two of you, quietly, with plenty of ……”

“I-I see …… Sealing moves must be done with a certain partner, quietly ……”

The reporters are nodding and taking notes, but they’re completely off the mark.

The real meaning behind the sealing moves Yaichi is getting at …… Only I know what it is.

My cheeks are burning so red I can feel it. Probably because my chest is squeezing even tighter than before …… My heart may as well be beating in my ears.

Hot.

“…………… That idiot ……! Idiot, idiot, IDIOT!!”

Ranting at the tablet out of sheer embarrassment, I grind my knuckles into the face of my boneheaded younger brother apprentice as he goes on and on about sealing moves, but with a completely wrong meaning.

Then, I touch those fingers to my lips …… Hot.

It takes almost no time at all to get ready to leave during summer matches.

The Meijin says one last thank you with his watch strapped to his wrist and bag in hand before quietly stepping out of the arena alone.

“Ah …………”

I had something important to say to him, but …… I wasn’t sure if telling him right after winning was okay and ended up not saying a word.

“Kuzuryu-sensei. A get together is scheduled to take place at a nearby Chinese restaurant. You will be in attendance, yes?”

“What? Oh, yes …… Of course,” I absentmindedly tell the journalist in charge of the Crown Title Match as I stare at the spot where the Meijin disappeared.

That’s when the match journalist Mato comes in with questions of her own.

“Ryuo. I would like to follow up on a few points that were mentioned during the review session if you don’t mind.”

“Oh, sure. Then, we should go to another room–––.”

I make up my mind as soon as I start getting up.

“Sorry! Could you give me a minute?!”

Rather than wait for her to answer, I race out of the special arena and down the hallway without bothering to put shoes on in hopes of catching up with the Meijin.

I make it to the elevator, but it isn’t moving.

No one is sitting on the bench outside the arena either. Which means ……!

Bounding down the stairs, I spot a familiar figure on the next landing and call out to him.

“Um ………… Meijin!!”

He stops on the spot and slowly turns around to look up at me.

“About Big Sis …… Oh, um, Ginko Sora, my older sister apprentice–––.”

This is the first time I’ve looked him in the eyes outside of a match, and it’s really intimidating.

“She saw your interview when you received the Citizens Award. You talking about her becoming a female professional …… helped my older sister apprentice come back from a really dark place. Your words meant a great deal to her ……”

Man, this is irritating.

It was so easy talking to him during the review session, but I can’t string words together at all now that we aren’t talking about Shogi.

“So, um ………… Thank you so much!!”

I practically yell at him with my head bent low.

The Meijin’s eyes jump with surprise behind his glasses.

Then, he cracks a smile–––and nods ever so slightly.

“…………!!”

I lower my head again, so much so that my knees bump into each other.

“Keep at it.”

I feel him say.

Footsteps echo from the stairwell after a few moments …… Looking up, he’s already gone.

“Are you aware of the first match I ever worked as a journalist?” says Miss Mato, who is suddenly standing next to me.

I figured it out right away.

“…… His?”

“It was indeed.”

She goes on to tell me about it like a girl reminiscing about her first crush.

“It was the Challenger Match for the Crown League, just like today. His opponent was Tsukimitsu-sensei, and the Meijin had traveled to Kansai for the match. As there aren’t many Shogi journalists based in the Kansai area, I was given a chance.”

Maybe it’s because he felt bad about making the blind Tsukimitsu-sensei travel, but the Meijin has made quite a few trips to Kansai over the years, even when he wasn’t required to.

“Nerves set in the day before, and I arrived at the arena the morning of the match, before the match recorder. I was too nervous to even greet the Meijin once he arrived ……”

I can totally relate.

I used to pass by him in the Kansai Association’s narrow hallways every now and then when I was in the Sub League, and all I could do was keep my head down and my mouth shut.

“It felt like eons passed by the time the match recorder, Mr. Kagamizu, finished preparing tea and brought it into the arena. Once he did, the Meijin looked at both of us in surprise and said this.”

Miss Kugui does her best Meijin impression as if remembering the exact moment.

“‘Oh? Is that you, Miss Kugui? Working as journalist today, are you?’”

“…… You must’ve gotten chills.”

“I still feel it to this day. Though I had joined the Women’s League, I had yet to claim a title. Nevertheless, he took the time to learn the name and face of a junior high school student in Kansai he had never met before.”

“That’s amazing …… He’s busy enough as it is.”

“I remember other veteran journalists talking at the party that followed that match. They said there were so many new Sub League members and young professionals that they couldn’t remember who was who, even at the association …… That got a laugh out of the professional players present at the time, but the Meijin looked truly shocked and said, ‘Really? I know everyone.’ That’s just the kind of person he is. That’s exactly why–––.”

Yes. That’s why all of us look up to him and admire him so much.

The number of titles he has and his Citizens Award don’t matter at all.

“………… Thank you so much!” I say once again to the place that man was standing just a moment ago and make one more respectful bow.

The jam-packed schedule of a title Challenger hit me square in the face the moment I won the final match of the Crown League!

The get together that was held after the match ended up lasting until morning, after which I took the first bullet train from Tokyo back to Osaka where Shogi Association Chairman Seiichi Tsukimitsu called me into the association building before I could make it back to my apartment.

Good grief.

I just had my 18th birthday AND won a chance to claim a second title, but I haven’t had time to celebrate either with my apprentice!

“Thank you for coming on such short notice, Ryuo. And, congratulations.”

The blind, A-ranking pro Shogi player quickly gets down to business after saying a quick hello.

“While I hate to hit the ground running, I would like to discuss details of an upcoming event we would like you to participate in.”

“Of course, Chairman! I’ll take on any job you ask!”

It’s standard for players to open their schedules for the title match once they have advanced past a certain point in a league. Some of the more confident ones will schedule drinking parties to celebrate their victories, as well.

As for me, I’ve already freed myself up for the Crown and Ryuo Title Matches, and those last from August all the way into December.

In other words, my schedule is pretty much blank for the rest of this year.

Of course, losing early on would really sting, but …… There are plenty of ways to fill a schedule without matches. I can set up practice groups, instruct my apprentices ……

Or …… You know. That.

Go on dates? Or something? Hah-hah-hah.

“Ahaha …… Hah-hah-hah-hah ……”

“You seem to be in a great mood, Ryuo. Were you that excited to become the Crown Challenger?”

“Huh?! Ah, yes. Of course ……”

Whoops …… I’ve got to be more careful.

I can’t just come out and say: I was fantasizing about going on dates with Ginko if I lost all my matches right off the bat. We’re not officially together either ……

But my cheeks get hot if my mind starts wondering. Hah-hah-hah ……

Rather than pursuing the topic any further, the blind chairman continues.

“Splendid. Now, Ms. Oga, if you will.”

“At once.”

Former Women’s League 1-dan and secretary to the chairman, Sasari Oga slides a piece of paper across the table.

“This is the event we would like you to attend.”

“Please, show me!”

Fan meet and greet? A Shogi tournament, maybe? Do they want me to do a lecture?

“Um, Ms. Oga? Is this the right printout? It has nothing to do with the Crown Title Match …… It’s actually a local summer festival in my neighborhood. The kind of thing I would get in my mailbox.”

“Yes. It is a flyer for a local summer festival.”

Say what?

“A Shogi boom the likes of which has never been seen before is currently taking place on the Japanese archipelago due to the Meijin’s Citizens Award and Sora-Dual Title’s entrance into the Sub League …… Thanks to your assistance.”

“……!!”

The assistance she’s talking about …… is my taking Big Sis outside of Osaka.

These two took care of finding us a hotel room, contacting Big Sis’s parents and Keika, and probably pulling several more strings that I don’t even know exist. Then again, I haven’t told them about us going into my parents’ place, and they shouldn’t know about the move (the sealing move to be specific) that got Big Sis back to her usual self.

But it’s like they know somehow …… Terrifying ……

“As a result of the sudden increase of popularity, the association has received a deluge of requests for Shogi players to participate in events all over the country. In short, we have run out of players to dispatch. That is why we have come to you with this request, Ryuo.”

The chairman adds to Ms. Oga’s explanation.

“There was much deliberation about who we should send, but someone currently living in the area made the most sense.”

Reading through the flyer, they apparently reserved a spot for a Shogi booth during their annual Obon summer festival. Other than that, nothing else has been decided. So we have to plan the thing too, huh?

“Then you want me to be on the planning committee …… Well, that’s fine.”

“Not you specifically, Ryuo.”

“Huh?”

“We will be asking Ai Hinatsuru to join the committee. You are to assist her.”

“Huuuuh?!”

Not only does this have nothing to do with the Crown Title Match, but I have to assist my apprentice?! I’m a title holder, remember?!

“A-Are you sure leaving that much responsibility to a grade schooler is the best idea?! I know she’s officially joined the Women’s League, but what’s the rest of the committee going to think–––?!”

“Are you unaware of Miss Hinatsuru’s popularity in the area? She has become a local idol. In fact, the organizers have expressed great interest in having Miss Hinatsuru involved.”

As if the chairman’s words weren’t shocking enough, Ms. Oga delivers the knockout blow.

“Your name was not mentioned once during the negotiations.”

“I-I, um, I see ……”

Considering that Ai attends Kita Fukushima Elementary School, which is almost connected to the shopping arcade, it would make sense that the kids participating in the festival would also go to that school.

I’ve actually been there to teach the Grade Schooler Practice Group quite a few times myself, so I can confirm that the grade school student/Women’s League player Ai Hinatsuru is pretty much a rock star.

“You mustn’t take the attitude that this is merely a summer festival, Ryuo,” the chairman says in a stern voice. “Tokyo’s Sendagaya, where the Kanto Shogi Association building is located, has done very well branding itself as the Shogi City. Surely you remember the statue located on the Hatonomori Hachiman Shrine grounds? Osaka’s Fukushima district would also like to brand itself as the Shogi Arcade. This event is an important first step to make that a reality.”

“…… All right. I just need to support Ai as her Master, correct?”

“Support? Why, no. Our expectations for you are not that high.” The chairman turns his head to the side and says, “We merely don’t want to you to get in her way. Understood?”

“…… It feels like I haven’t been home in forever.”

After getting back from my runaway trip with Big Sis, I was held up in a hotel in Tenmabashi for two weeks to sign the onslaught of requests for certificates after the Meijin won the Citizens Award. I’ve been home since then though.

I only spent two nights in Tokyo for the Crown Title Match, but …… It’s been a long time since I’ve been home without a whirlwind of things going on.

“Then again …… I’ve actually got more things to do.”

Getting ready for the seven matches that will decide the Crown Title.

Helping out with the summer festival the association assigned me to.

And most importantly …… I have to tell Ai about Big Sis and me. That’s going to be the hardest ……

“Haaa …… I just can’t see her smiling and saying that’s great! no matter how much I think about it ……”

It’s hard to describe just how icy their relationship is. A dark cloud builds over my head as I reach for the doorknob.

Turning it, I open the door and see–––.

“…… Thanks, Ai.”

My first apprentice is sitting on her ankles in the front hallway, waiting for me with an infectious smile on her face.

I can’t help but smile back at her.

She gets to her feet with a little hop and congratulates me on my victory.

“You’re the challenger, Master! Congratulations!! Beating the Meijin to get there …… You’re so amazing! The strongest ever, Master!!”

“Hah-hah-hah. Luck was on my side. Anything happen while I was gone?”

“Lots of people who looked like they work for the news were outside …… But they went away as soon as I asked Ms. Oga what to do.”

“They did, huh ……?”

While I’m not sure what story they wanted to talk with me about, it had to be really scary for a grade schooler like Ai to see all those strangers outside the apartment.

“Sorry about that. I’ll speak with the association myself.”

“Okay ……”

Ai squeezes my arm like a scared kid looking for reassurance.

––– The innocence ……!

A warm, fuzzy feeling washes over my heart. Somehow, I manage to hold back the urge to hug her long enough to come to my senses …… I’ve got to be careful!

I mustn’t touch her! Ever!

Live-in apprentice, yes. Touching, no.

Any physical interaction between a grade schooler and her Master that could be considered over the line only leads to trouble. I have to pay extra attention!

“Master? Is something wrong? You’re standing like a statue.”

“I-I’m fine. Just a bit tired ……”

“I bet you are! Sorry for holding you up in the hallway.”

Ai immediately grabs my suitcase, spins on her heel like a cute little bird, and takes it to my room …… While her ears turn bright red as she whispers, “………… Master came back to me …… I’ve never been this happy ……”

–––So innocent!!

Another urge to hug her from behind washes over me …… Gah! Down, right hand! Down I say ……!!

“Nghhh!! Gaaahhh ……!!”

“M-Master?! Are you sure nothing’s wrong? You’re clutching your right hand awfully hard ……”

“I’m fine, just go! Go before I can’t control this beast anymore ……!!”

“Uwhee?”

She looks at me, confused, but disappears into the kitchen. I take a few deep breaths to chain down the monster for good and follow.

What greets my eyes as I step into the kitchen is …… a mountain of food spread out over the table.

Even better–––.

“These …… These are all my favorites! Wow! I was just thinking how nice it would be to have every one of them, too! How did you know?!”

“Ehehe♡ I remember every single dish you’ve ever said was delicious or that you wanted to have again, Master!” Ai proudly puffs out her chest with a, “Hn-hmm!”

She’s just so cute that I couldn’t help patting her on the head and saying, “That’s my girl♡” This kind of touching should be fine. It’s positive reinforcement, which is part of teaching.

But, it’s not just the food that blows me away.

“Wait? I know that smell–––.”

“Can you tell? It’s the same fragrance that Keika used to wear when you were a live-in apprentice, Master. Also, I got your favorite kind of bath soap and the same brand of cushions and slippers you’ve always used …… I get paid per match now, so I went and bought them for you.”

Come again?! She used what little precious earnings she has …… on me?!

“Keika taught me what to do! I wanted everything to be perfect for you when you got home, tired after your long trip …… That’s the only thing I can do for you ……”

–––Too dang innocent ……!!

Ai’s ear-to-ear smile suddenly gets blurry.

I must be tearing up ……

“No matter how tired or hurt you are …… I want you to be able to relax when you’re here with me. You can be the real Yaichi Kuzuryu. This is my birthday present for you!” she says before smiling the same extraordinary smile she had when I walked in the door. “Happy birthday, Master!”

“………… Thank you, Ai. Really ……!”

Warm, delicious food.

A bright, welcoming room that looks and smells like home.

But, most of all …… The reassurance that comes from coming home to a smile.

That happy family feeling is my apprentice’s birthday present to me.

“Eeeverything in this room is all yours, Master. Help yourself♡”

“Don’t mind if I do!” I answer with my mouth watering, but …… So many thoughts pop into my head that I don’t touch the food.

Wondering why I’m sitting at the table holding my chopsticks in midair and deep in thought, Ai asks, “Is something wrong?”

“No …… I was just thinking about the day you first came here, Ai.”

“It’s been a year and a half, already. I made tsukudani with seaweed for breakfast.”

“Things really went downhill afterward, though! Big Sis barging in here while you were in the shower–––.”

Only now do I remember my true objective.

That’s right. I have to tell this girl what’s going on.

Even if that puts a few cracks in this happy home we have …… I decided to put Ginko first, and that’s that!

Determined, I look at Ai and say, “I have something important to talk to you about.”

“If it’s the summer festival, Miss Oga already told me about it.”

“Oh? I …… I see. Great, no problem then.”

She said she talked to Ms. Oga about the reporters, so it makes sense that they talked about the festival then, too. Sure, sure.

…… The conversation got cut off, didn’t it?

The timing gone, I decide to eat first. Ai spent all that time making it, so it would be a shame to let it get cold ……

“That was really good, Ai. Thank you for cooking.”

“You’re very welcome! I made a cake for dessert, so I’ll get some coffee ready, too.”

“You baked a cake on top of all this?!”

“Heh-heh! What’s a birthday without cake? But it’s not from the store, so don’t get your hopes up too high, okay?”

Ai brings her homemade cake and a glass of iced coffee over and puts them on the table in front of me.

It’s a simple, square cake with two Shogi pieces on top.

A big piece that has Ryuo written in frosting and a small piece that has the character for Pawn.

The two are right next to each other, a pair.

“Ah …………”

I’m not the smartest guy in the world, but even I can pick up on the message. It’s me, the Ryuo, and Ayumu, because he uses the same character as a Pawn to write his name, as a couple …… Nah, who am I kidding? That kind of a thing wouldn’t cross her mind.

–––Do her feelings for me … go beyond being Master and apprentice?

Because if they do, I need to stop them from escalating.

Ai is a fifth grader. She’s still just a kid, but she’ll be in junior high in no time. That just a kid excuse won’t last another two years.

–––The sooner the better, while the wound won’t go that deep ……!

Regaining my determination, I strike up a conversation again.

“Ai. I have something to tell you.”

“Agh! I’m sorry, Master. I forgot to get the bath ready!”

She claps her hands together and jumps up before hurrying to the bath as fast as her little feet can carry her.

“Oh ………… The bath, right. Yeah. Thanks ……”

Determination, shattered.

I go ahead and help myself to some cake for now. It’s not as perfectly balanced as a cake from a bakery, but there’s a homemade taste to it that warms me from head to toe ……

“Sorry for interrupting you, Master. What were you going to say?”

“Hm? Oh, that …… It can wait for another day.”

I smile at Ai as she comes back into the room and tell her the cake is delicious.

Hmmn ……

I can’t put my finger on it, but I seem to be missing my chances by just a hair each time …… Like she knows my next move ……

Nahhh! It’s a coincidence, right? I’m just …… overthinking.

I-I’ve had a long few days, too! I should rest up for now.

“I’ll be unpacking in my room, so let me know when the bath is ready.”

“Oookay!”

Her innocent, bubbly response echoes in my ears as I head into my room.

Putting my suit jacket on a hanger and taking off my tie, I face plant into my bed without bothering to take off my collared shirt or suit pants.

“Whoa ………… It’s like I’m floating on a cloud …………”

I’ve barely had time to catch my breath since the match finished yesterday. All that built-up tension is gone, along with any motivation I had to do anything else.

This must be what it’s like to jump into an icy pond before getting into a hot spring, feeling tingly all over.

It’s not fatigue, though.

More like overwhelming comfort. My muscles are yelling at me to stay right here and relax for the duration.

The sheets smell like they were dried in the sun. Like a warm summer’s day ……

“…… This is so nice ……”

Exactly.

Living with Ai is so dang comfortable.

And it’s impossible to deny that she’s directly responsible for my dramatic upturn in winning percentage.

If Ai had never shown up, I’d still be title-less and wallowing in the depths of C-2 right now.

Two titles? Yeah, in my dreams.

Which of course means Big Sis and I would never have gotten close …… And she would never give me the time of day.

“…… Who is that grade schooler, Lady Luck?”

Whoa …… I can’t picture this apartment without Ai in it anymore …… Just me getting destroyed in the Crown Title Match ……

Ai doesn’t just give me a high quality of life.

In terms of Shogi, she has already paid me back tenfold by using her Shogi sense to give me that extra jolt I need to stay on top of my game ……

Then it hits me.

“S-Since when … did I get to the point where I can’t survive without Ai?!”

I roll over on my bed comforter in anguish.

“What …… Just what am I supposed to do …………?!”

I want to date Big Sis.

To be boyfriend and girlfriend.

To marry her.

To have children with her.

To make our own household.

When it comes to Ai, I want to fulfill my duty as her Master. At the very least, I want to train her up to the point where she’ll have no trouble making it on her own.

That’s not coming from a sense of duty. I want to bring out Ai’s potential with my own hands, as a pro Shogi player!

The future I want is–––.

“Preferably …… I’d spend half the week here with Ai and the other half with Big Sis in her apartment.”

Perfect! That solves everything!! …… The very fact that the idea crossed my mind at all sends me into despair at my own stupidity.

“Seriously?! That is the worst answer I could’ve come up with!!”

An indecisive friend to everybody?!

I’d end up hurting both of them that way. Besides, I couldn’t leave Ai here all by herself for half the week while she’s still in grade school.

“………… What’s the right answer ……? What can I ………………?”

Faced with the decision that I can honestly say is so much harder than any move I’ve had to make playing against the Meijin, I stay in bed without changing and keep racking my brain.

A deep sleep overtakes me before I can come up with an answer.

“Hmn ……? ………… Crap. I slept through the night …………”

The next morning.

Waking up to sparrows singing outside my window, it takes me a while to piece things together.

“I don’t think …… I took the bath last night, did I? Didn’t change clothes, either ………… Huuuh?”

Weird.

I went to bed sweaty, but I feel nice and clean. What’s more, I’m wearing pajamas. I know this brand …… It’s the same kind I used to wear when I lived at Master’s place as his live-in apprentice.

“…… Did I get up in the middle of the night, take a bath, and change but don’t remember?”

That’s the only thing that makes sense, so it must be true. Well, I did just play in a league match and was really tired, so I reason with myself as I start getting up.

When my right hand suddenly comes down on something soft.

“Hm? What’s that?”

Squish squish.

It’s soft, but there’s something solid at the core …… Yeah, like a fruit that needs to ripen a bit more. There’s a semisweet smell in the air, too. It’s summer, so it has to be!

“………… A peach, right?”

I was wrong. It’s not even a fruit. Fruit doesn’t just randomly show up on my bed in the first place.

Lying next to me is–––.

A little girl wearing a men’s sized collared shirt and fast asleep.

“Mnn ……… Master ……”

Wiping her eyes, Ai sits up and smiles at me with loving eyes.

Wrapped around her pearly white skin is the collared shirt that I distinctly remember falling asleep wearing. There’s something nice about girls wearing men’s clothes, yeah? The baggy sleeves ……

What am I thinking?

Huh?

Hold up, hold up, hold up?

“S-Sorry! I-I-I-I didn’t know you were there and–––.”

“Hehe!”

Ai grins as I have a small heart attack and looks at me in a way I never expected a 10-year-old would know how …… Now I’ve got butterflies.

I’ve seen that same kind of look recently.

Wait.

Those eyes …… That’s how Ginko looks at me––––––.

“You were really tired last night, Master, weren’t you?”

“Huh?”

“Well …… You wouldn’t wake up no matter what I did.”

Stunning words from the mouth of a grade schooler.

Hold on a second, just what exactly did this girl who was wearing my shirt and sleeping in my bed do to me and would it be counted as cheating ……? Or worse, grounds for being arrested because what I felt when I was getting up had to be her b-b-b-bu–––.

“I’ll go start the laundry.”

With that, Ai leaves the room still wearing my shirt. And, I’m pretty sure she was sniffing the collar the whole way ……

“…………………………”

Wh-What in the world ……… Happened to me last night ………?

I don’t have anything specific to do today. Nothing official, just …… a hunch.

“Ah.”

A hunch that turned out to be right on the money because I see her the moment I get on the elevator.

Ginko Sora.

My older sister apprentice, she is the first-ever female member of the Sub League’s 3-dan division. Holding two Women’s Titles of her own, she is undefeated against Women’s League players.

She is without a doubt the strongest girl to play Shogi over its 1,400-year history.

Her silver hair, seemingly translucent white skin, silver eyes that sometimes take on a blue tint, and fairy-like feminine features make her nickname Naniwa’s Snow White extremely fitting. Her fame makes her pretty much the face of the Shogi world.

And–––.

She’s ………… my special someone.

“L-Long time, no see ………… Big Sis.”

“……… Uh-huh …………”

Too shy to make any kind of eye contact, we exchange awkward greetings.

Big Sis stutters as she asks.

“Wh- …… What are you doing at the association at this hour?”

“I, you know. I’ve got to confirm the Crown Title Match schedule …… What about you?”

“I …… have 3-dan division matches tomorrow, so I came to do my own inspection ……”

I can’t pass up this chance to tease Big Sis as she mumbles and looks the other way.

“An inspection for 3-dan division matches? You’re playing here in Kansai, so why would you need to do an inspection?”

“Y-You …… could just as easily confirm your schedule over the phone, yes?”

Yeah, that’s what’s going on here.

We promised not to see each other so we could focus on Shogi. After all, we both have big matches coming up.

So we used a sealing move to put our feelings on hold until Big Sis promotes to 4-dan, until she turns pro.

But there’s no way to prevent bumping into each other by accident…

Which is why we both ended up aimlessly walking around the association for no real reason.

We didn’t plan this.

Just happened to be thinking about each other and crossed paths. In other words, we were thinking the same thing.

Whoa.

A girl this cute actually likes me? We like each other? I could die right here.

Those are the lips I …………… Gulp.

“………… Quit staring, idiot. Perv ……”

Big Sis whips open her fan and covers her mouth, which actually makes my heart pound even faster.

“Big Sis. Follow me for a second.”

Giving a slight bow to the guard I see almost every day, I lead Big Sis to the out-of-the-way back entrance next to the security guard’s office that the night staff uses.

“There’s no telling who might show up if we stay by the elevator. We can talk here.”

“…… Doufu,” Big Sis answers, barely moving her lips at all.

By the way, doufu is a Shogi word to describe when you take the piece your opponent moved last turn by moving a Pawn into the same space.

It’s sometimes used as a way to say yes in the Shogi world.

In that way, it also means I agree with that. What a handy word to know.

“So, hey, Big Sis. Since we happened to run into each other, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

“That being? No promises, but I’ll listen.”

“There’s a birthday present that I’d like.”

“Congrats. Done.”

Big Sis turns to walk away, but I grab her hand and pull her close before wrapping my arm around her waist to keep her from leaving.

“Wha- …… N-Not so close ……!”

“No one’s watching.”

Everyone uses the front door this time of day.

I lean in close enough for our noses to almost brush against each other and whisper, “I’m 18 years old now.”

“Doufu.”

“Being 18 means I’m an adult now. That’s what the law says.”

“Doufu.”

“I can get a driver’s license.”

“Doufu.”

“I can get married.”

“…… Doufu.”

“I’d like to have two kids so they can play Shogi with each other.”

“Dou- …………?!”

“I’ve grown up.”

“…… Yes, yes, doufu, doufu. Your point?”

“I’d like a more adult sealing move for my birthday.”

“Dou- ………… Huh? What would that be, exactly?”

Big Sis isn’t picking up on it. Maybe I need to be a bit more direct?

“You know …… that. Interlocking.”

“Ki- …… An interlocked sealing move? Oh, like holding hands and interlocking our fingers? Doing it …… like couples do?”

Just how innocent is she?

“Not like that.”

I can’t take a chance that anyone else will hear, so I pull Big Sis in tight against me and softly whisper into her ear.

“More like …………” (mumble, mumble)

“?! Whaaa ……?”

“Then, our tongues …………” (mumble, mumble)

“Gasp?! That’s …………… Huuuuuh?!”

Poof! Big Sis turns bright red from the neck up.

It’s almost like Naniwa’s Snow White has an apple for a head. Fitting, considering the fairy tale the name comes from.

But she grabs my neck with a murderous glare in her eyes.

“Th-That’s not something you can just ask for!! Trash! Pervert!! H-How could I bebber do d-d-dat?!”

Big Sis being so focused on her tongue that she stutters has got to be the most adorable thing in the world.

“Besides, ki- …… doing a sealing move here, on the Shogi world’s holy ground, with someone who doesn’t properly address their superior within the Shogi family, I wouldn’t dare! Follow the protocol! There are rules!!”

“So, I can call you Ginko outside of the association?”

“Um ………… W-Well ………… If you want to, I wouldn’t say no ……♡,” says Big Sis, fiddling with her hair as she looks away. It’s almost like she wants me to call her Ginko.

Taking Big Sis by the hand, I lead her out the back exit and into the parking lot outside.

Staff and players’ cars and bicycles are lined up out here, but there isn’t a soul around. The building itself blocks the view from the road, so there’s no way anyone can see us.

“What about here?”

“Address me as Big Sis.”

I take her one step out of the parking lot toward the street and ask again.

“And here?”

“G-Ginko is ………… fine ……”

Interesting. Even a single step outside the association is enough.

Pulling Ginko along, I take her to the front of the building and ask outside the front door, “What about here?”

“Big Sis …… Probably.”

“What about at Twelve?”

The restaurant on the first floor of the association has a separate entrance. So it’s tough to know which is which.

Big Sis’s answer is–––.

“Big Sis, so long as other players or staff members are there. If we’re alone, Ginko should be fine ……”

“So, I can feed you with the spoon if we have the place to ourselves?”

“W-Well ………… If we’re alone and the owner won’t see ………… Doufu ……”

“Then, what about at the gift shop?”

“No, absolutely not! My goods are on sale there!”

“What about the space behind the door …… You know, just outside?”

“Here ………… Big Sis.”

“But it’s a public path, you know? You don’t have any authority here, Ginko.”

“Yes, it’s a public place, but! The association is right there! You will follow the protocol! No means no! You idiot!!”

“Rules are meant to be broken. I’ll call you Ginko all I want! Ginko, Ginko, Ginko!”

“Wh-What do you think you’re doing, stupid Yaichi! I’m telling you, no! Geeze!”

Our little discussion in front of the Kansai Shogi Association turns into a game of tag.

It turns out to be someone we never expected.

“M-Mr. Sakana …… shi?”

Sumito Sakanashi 3-dan.

Registered with the Kanto Sub League, he’s ranked first in the 3-dan division this season. If I remember right, now is his last chance to promote before the age limit forces him to retire.

In more ways than one, he’s a Sub League member that I’ll never forget.

He’s probably going to stay at the association tonight for tomorrow’s Sub League regular activities.

Mr. Sakanashi is standing there dumbstruck with a travel bag slung over his shoulder.

“U-Ummm ……… Ehhhh …………”

Her face shifting from red to a bluish green as fast as an off-color traffic light, Big Sis is in no shape to talk. So I take it on myself to ask the important question.

“………… How long have you been there?”

“For about five minutes ……”

Then he saw most of that ……

I avoid making direct eye contact as Mr. Sakanashi offers a few words.

“Well, um ………… I’m not about to say to keep your distance from each other, but wouldn’t it be a better idea to stay out of sight? So many people know who you are ……”

He’s exactly right.

Even without our fame, we should know better. That had to have been hard to watch. To think, we were acting like one of those lovey-dovey couples. Somebody—kill me now. Big Sis is hiding behind me and looks like she already has one foot in the grave.

“…… Pardon us. Please go on inside.”

Bowing as deep as I can to simultaneously avoid eye contact and hide my embarrassment, I step off the main path to allow Mr. Sakanashi to pass.

I ask him on his way by, “Aren’t you scheduled to play against Mr. Karako and then Mr. Kagamizu tomorrow?”

“?! Y-Yes, I am ……”

“I’m truly sorry you had to see that right before playing important matches against the top players in the 3-dan division. Please, forgive me.”

“Kuzuryu ………… sensei.”

Looking surprised, he still considers his position as a Sub League member and calls me sensei.

“You remember ……?”

“Huh? You were the match recorder just two days ago when I became the Crown Challenger. Of course, I remember who you are.”

“Not that …… Our match in the Sub League–––.”

“How could I forget? It was the match that decided who would promote and I saw you as the strongest player in 3-dan division before that season started, so I’d been working on a strategy against you for months.”

“A strategy? …… Tailored against me?”

“Yes. I asked Ayumu for help.”

Openly admitting it like this is a bit awkward, but there’s no reason to hide it.

I knew that the timing worked out so that Mr. Sakanashi would promote if he won that match as well, so I went right for the win that day.

Even after all my preparation, that match came down to the wire …… It was a contest of wills from start to finish.

I still dream about that match all the time.

Except, I make a mistake in the late game and am still in the Sub League in that nightmare ……

“It was our first match against each other, and I was fortunate that this sequence I researched played out the way it did. I would’ve lost if the match turned into a head-to-head brawl. The media and the Shogi world were pushing for me because they wanted to see a junior high school student turn professional while you were the final obstacle. I was lucky.”

“I overpowered you, though,” mumbles Big Sis under her breath. Loud enough for even Mr. Sakanashi to hear. Big Sis just can’t stand losing anything, can she?

I force a smile and say, “Your match against Gin- …… Big Sis is over, right? I have no reason to avoid you.”

Honestly, I’d like a chance to sit down and talk with him.

Mr. Sakanashi’s Shogi has the whole Shogi world excited to see how he’ll do after promoting out of the Sub League.

“I know! Why don’t we have lunch? There are some great restaurants around here.”

“No, thank you.”

Instant rejection.

The shock must be written all over my face. Mr. Sakanashi looks visibly uncomfortable as he quickly makes an excuse.

“…… Please don’t hold it against me. I already have plans.”

I was looking after the Kiyotaki family business, the Noda Shogi Center, when she stormed in, but I left the classroom in the hands of one of the regular customers I trust.

Pouring a glass of cold iced tea for the clearly upset Ginko, I carefully say to her, “I had no idea you were coming …… Father isn’t around. Zaou-sensei invited him to go drinking and I don’t think he’ll be back until tomorrow afternoon. It seems like he’s always hung over these days–––.”

“That’s fine. I’d rather he not be here.”

“Oh, I see.”

I thought she wanted to talk to someone about the 3-dan division matches tomorrow, but it seems like something other than Shogi is on her mind.

In that case, it might be better to talk in the kitchen rather than the tatami room. Pouring a glass of tea for myself, I sit down at the table.

Ginko is on the other side but is silent as a rock.

“……………”

Though, I have to say …… she really is beautiful ……

Sparkling silver hair and smooth milky skin, whiter than virgin snow.

Then there are her eyes, blue as ice …… Naniwa’s Snow White truly is the perfect name for her. I wonder who came up with it?

She was pretty when she was a little girl, but she’s become absolutely stunning ever since she joined the 3-dan division. Maybe it’s the boost of confidence that came with it? Almost like a brilliant blue flame ……

“What’s wrong? I don’t know if I can solve it, whatever it is, but …… you can tell me if something is bothering you.”

“……………”

Her iced tea is sitting in front of her, untouched, as Ginko clenches her mouth closed.

This is big, that’s for sure. It’s starting to make me nervous ……

A few moments pass before Ginko asks while looking everywhere but at me, “………… You won’t tell anyone?”

“Of course not.”

“Really? Because you can’t tell anyone, ever.”

“Have I ever let any of your secrets slip before?”

“………………………”

After another minute or two of silence, Ginko finally starts to open up.

“I-It’s about ……………… m-my friend ……”

You don’t have any friends, now do you, Ginko?

My lips start curling into a grin, but I managed to stifle the chuckle. Control, control.

“Oh, a friend of yours? And what’s going on with this friend?”

“S-She ………… my friend ……… recently, got something like a boyfriend ……”

It’s here.

It’s here, it’s here, good gosh it’s here. It’s finally happened.

“That’s great news! You’ve liked him for so long, haven’t you? Congratulations!”

“Th-Tha- ………… No, this is my friend. And yes, she, um …… has liked him for a long time and he told her he liked her, too …… And she’s very happy ……”

“Happy, but it sounds like she’s got something on her mind, no?”

“…………” (Gulp)

Yep, yep. I know that feeling.

So, she’s reached that age.

It’s, what should I call it, uncertainty? Confusion?

Those two grew up like siblings but always had a relationship that was more than friends, but not quite lovers, so figuring out what distance to keep must’ve been really tough …… Nghhh! So bittersweet!

And it sounds like Yaichi made the first move. Nicely done!

Making a mental note to praise him the next time I see him, there does seem to be some trouble on the horizon. Yes, now is my time to shine!

“And, and? What’s bothering y- …… this very happy friend of yours? Trouble with her boyfriend?”

“He, really ………… wants to do it.”

“Mn-hm.”

Ah, it’s that kind of advice she’s after.

It’s only natural, though. He’s a teenager.

That just proves he’s a healthy boy, but I can totally understand why pressing for that right after starting a relationship would make her feel like he only wants me for my body and not know how to react.

“I see. So, she’d like to know how long you should ask him to wait before bringing it up?”

“N-Not quite ……… It’s… already happened ……”

“HUH?!”

I jump to my feet before I know it, nearly knocking over my iced tea.

“I-I see ………… It’s happened already ……”

“J-Just once, though!! Only once ………… Haauuu ……”

Ginko hides her bright red cheeks in her hands. Even her ears are turning red.

J-Judging by that ………… Looks like she’s telling the truth ……

Yaichi just turned 18 the other day.

Ginko is less than a month shy of her 16th birthday.

That isn’t too early for a first time. Actually, those two have secretly liked each other for over a decade, so it feels like they finally got over that hump.

But …… yeah?

I know I did spur them on a little bit here and there, but still.

There’s a part of me that kept saying they’re still just children, so I felt safe knowing they wouldn’t go beyond that line.

Now that they’re suddenly adults …… I miss those days.

Plus, there are lots of other things to warn them about now that they’ve made it to this point. It’s really lucky that Ginko came to me so early on. I just hope it’s not too late ……

But, it happened. It’s done.

“Well, let it happen once and of course he’s going to want it two or three more times. Teenage boys aren’t known for self-control. But, the fact that he keeps coming back proves that he’s crazy about you, Ginko.”

“Well, maybe that’s true! But, the 3-dan division is …… cough, cough! K-Keika!! I’m talking about my friend, not me!!”

“Oh, that’s right. And? Keep going.”

“Right now, um …… She has to focus on studying for entrance exams. So there’s no time for a real relationship until promoting to 4-dan …… g-getting into university. He promised to give her some space, but now wants it whenever they happen to see each other ……”

“He’s that insistent, is he? It’s not like he has a lot of time on his hands, either …… If he’s showing up at your researching room, it might be a good idea to take away the key you gave him–––.”

“No, no. More like in the back hallways, out-of-sight places ……”

“Back hallways?!”

“Trying to put it in my mouth ……”

“He’s trying to put it in your mouth in back hallways?! I’ll kill him!!”

I grab the sharpest thing I can find in the kitchen and head for the door. Ginko jumps up in a desperate attempt to stop me.

“Wai-! Wait, Keika!! What do you think you’re doing with those scissors?!”

“Cut off that trash’s dragon, what else?!”

“I don’t want you to go that far!!”

And …… Ginko trails off, the tips of her ears turning bright pink.

“I-I’m …… not against the idea, just ………… too shy ……”

“He’s trying to stuff it in your mouth in a back alley somewhere and your only problem with it is that you’re TOO SHY?! Are you serious right now?! I raised you better than this!!”

“Wh-What’s the big deal?! Kissing is a way to say hello in foreign countries ……”

“Huh? Hm? …… Ginko? What’s he asking for?”

“Huh? L-Like I’ve been saying ……………… to kiss …………”

“Kiss? ………… That’s all?”

“A-All ………? He’s trying to stick his tongue in for goodness sake!!”

Ginko leans over the table, yelling at the top of her lungs.

That reaction alone is enough to know for sure she’s not an adult yet.

“He’s asking for kisses? As long as no one else is around, why not go to town? It’s not like there’s a limit to kissing anyway.”

Sigh …… I got worked up over nothing.

Turns out these two are still children after all.

“Oh, I see. Kissing. That’s a relief. Still, kissing is a big step for children who have no relationship experience. Making a fuss comes with the territory.”

“………… Ngh.”

“Just let me know if he gets bored with back hallways and wants to go to a building that looks like a castle, okay?” I say to tie things up with the bow.

But Ginko defiantly puffs out her cheeks and staunchly grumbles, “Been there many times already. Like in Sakuranomiya.”

“Huh?! T-To do what exactly?”

“I’ll leave that up to your imagination.”

“Oh, no, no, no. Please don’t, because that’s important. If anyone should see them going in and out of one of those …… And babies are no laughing matter. Women’s League players have to take a leave of absence if they get pregnant.”

“It wouldn’t be a big deal as a professional because she can get married …… I mean, having a b-baby wouldn’t be a problem …… Hanadachi-sensei made it to a title match when she was pregnant, and even got stronger–––.”

“Ohhh? This friend of yours is a Shogi player?”

“Gasp!! U-Umm …………… Employed!! I’m talking about after she gets a job! Anyone who gets the money to do something as a professional, yes? Am I wrong?”

“Sure, sure, a job. Well, you’re right in a way.”

If she still thinks I’m buying this friend story, she really is still just a child. The big night is still far off on the horizon. Light years away.

Even if she’s telling the truth about the hotel, it was probably just a spur of the moment impulse. I’m sure nothing major happened.

Sigh ………… I got worried over nothing.

Pouring myself another cup of tea, I chug the whole thing to moisten my parched throat.

“…… So, um, Keika. I was wondering if I could ask you about something ……”

“And that would be?”

“Have you ever dated someone in the Shogi world?”

“Sorry to say this, but I haven’t.”

“Oh. ……………Then you wouldn’t know……”

“!”

You wouldn’t know …… Wouldn’t know …… Wouldn’t know ……

Those few words plunge through my heart like daggers.

Getting tossed aside by a child I’ve looked after since she was four years old, how humiliating …… To be totally honest, it hurts so much more than losing a Shogi match. The pain ……

“Then, what about from school or a part-time job?”

“A few, yes.”

I’ve dated just as much as the next girl.

I’d like to think I did better than most girls when it came to boys, actually.

“But marriage has never crossed my mind. I’ve been to amusement parks and movie theaters plenty of times, but things ended with holding hands.”

“…… Pfft.”

Hmm?

She just laughed through her nose, didn’t she?

“Okay, I see. That’s why you weren’t getting the gist earlier. You’ve never had the stress that comes from trying to hide liking someone at work and won’t understand.”

Oooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?

Liking someone at work is the worst thing in the world, hmmm?

What is this, an I have a boyfriend superiority complex? This little girl is looking down at me, a single woman starting the latter half of her twenties, like she’s got a leg up.

Then, the final straw–––.

This little girl drops a bomb.

“You’re so lucky, Keika. You can focus all your time on Shogi.”

“……………………………………………………………… Sure can.”

Now I get it.

Yep. Loud and very freaking clear.

The reason talking to her now is getting under my skin finally clicks.

She’s not here for advice.

She’s here to brag.

“Very true. I have it so great. Actually, you’re the one who has it rough, Ginko. I gotta say, I’m impressed, though. No time to focus on Shogi during the 3-dan division and you somehow managed to get back on track. I’ve got nothing but respect for you, Ginko. A true super girl.”

“D-Didn’t I tell you, Keika? This isn’t about me, it’s my friend–––.”

“Want your head on a pike?”

“Hey …… That’s my line ……”

“I know you came to me for advice and everything, but it looks like I haven’t dated enough people to offer anything useful. My Shogi is weak, too. So why not ask around? You could survey everyone at the Shogi association. How about that?”

“N-No! It has to stay secret …… Keika, you can’t tell anyone.”

Saying that after coming this far, huh?

Worse, I can’t even take her at her word.

“I’m too shy to say it myself, so go tell everyone for me, Keika. That way, people will come to me and ask: Are you and Yaichi together? Come on, I want the attention!”

It’s so obvious, I can almost see it in her eyes.

I’m done. I don’t care anymore, to the point that I go to the fridge, grab a canned cocktail, flick open the tab and down that sucker right then and there.

It’s a stiff drink, okay? Got a problem?

I won’t be able to make it through this without one, all right?!

“Look, just wear one of those surgical masks if she’s worried about him trying to put it in? Physical barriers work like a charm.”

“Hmm …… A mask.”

Ginko drinks down her now room temperature tea.

“Well, I’ll pass along the suggestion.”

“Yes. Please let your friend know.”

Would you pass along this message while you’re at it?

“Drop dead, normie. Want me to end you?”

’Kay, thanks.

Beneath the tracks at Fukushima Station.

At a sushi restaurant so cramped there’s only room for a counter.

Waiting for me at this-hole-in-the-wall restaurant is–––my opponent for tomorrow’s 3-dan division match.

“It has been a while. And …… thank you, Mr. Kagamizu.”

About a week ago now, I sent him a message.

“If you have the time, why don’t we meet at the usual place?”

He never responded, nor did I expect a response. The chances he would come here today were 50-50 at best.

But Hiuma Kagamizu greets me with a smile just like he always does.

“I thought you’d show up pretty soon, so I put in an order for you. You like sardines, right?”

“…………… Thanks.”

For a minnow who lost four straight matches to start this season of the 3-dan division like myself, eating another weak creature feels like cannibalism. However, I cannot refuse a senior Sub League member’s kindness. Taking a seat, I help myself.

Taking a bite out of his shirauo gunkanmaki, a ball of rice wrapped with seaweed and topped with an icefish that’s named after a battleship, Mr. Sakanashi strikes up a conversation.

“We live in a strange world. Everything’s a competition, including the sushi. We tend to pass up on minnows and end up choosing barracuda or seabass. Even little superstitions, like thinking sanma mackerel is good luck because it sounds like sanman— a quick advance—in mah-jongg, are all over the place.”

“…… As silly as they sound, I found myself following those superstitions before I knew it. Are they part of competition?”

“Heh …… I wonder.”

“Though, you aren’t a typical Sub League member. Who would normally sit side-by-side with their soon-to-be opponent and eat sushi?”

“Well, I am at the top. You do have a point, though. Anyone willing to be buddy-buddy with a guy they’re about to face in the 3-dan division probably isn’t normal.”

Setting aside the fact that we are both facing matches that decide if we promote or are forced to retire, a true do-or-die late-game situation, even players on the best of terms will avoid each other the day before they play. That’s only natural.

“It’s just, turning down an invitation wouldn’t be normal for me. You knew that when you sent me that message, right, Sakanashi?”

“…… I did.”

Divided by East and West, Mr. Kagamizu and I are not particularly close, which is why we’re not on a true first name basis.

This routine of ours all started on one fateful day.

“I happened to run into Kuzuryu on the way here. He and Sora were playing a bizarre kind of hide-and-seek.”

“What is going through their heads ……?”

“Seeing them like that, having sushi together right before regular activities, seems like nothing at all. Kansai truly is a different world.”

Three years ago.

After allowing the birth of Yaichi Kuzuryu 4-dan, I was in a terrible rut.

No matter how sick I was of hearing about the exploits of that junior-high-school-aged professional, there was no escape. The youngest title challenger in history claiming it …… And every time I heard about him, I couldn’t help but remember the move that sealed my fate.

“If only I had made this move instead ……”

Maintaining a stable state of mind while having constant flashbacks to a lost match is impossible. My next season in the 3-dan division was a disaster.

Since I had hit a wall, I decided to do something out of the ordinary.

Travel to the Kansai Shogi Association on a whim.

It wasn’t to hunt down and extract some sort of revenge on Kuzuryu. The idea just came to me one day …… and I was on a bus for Osaka that night.

It pulled up in front of Osaka Station bright and early the next morning and I walked to the Kansai Association in the Fukushima district. Cautiously peeking into the Player’s Room, I found ……

Hiuma Kagamizu was sitting at a table and greeted me with a friendly smile.

“Well, if it isn’t Sakanashi? Would you be willing to teach me a thing or two in a match?”

I lost in the most pathetic fashion. I doubt I even advanced to his side of the board.

That wasn’t all.

That was also the day I faced a still kyu-ranked member of the Sub League, Sota Kunugi, the first time. Rumors about him had reached me in Kanto, but …… He was so strong I could only laugh at myself after losing ten 10-second speed matches in a row.

There are people stronger than me.

They have fought harder and suffered more than I have.

Yet they can’t promote to 4-dan.

Once that realization hit me …… all the scenarios that had been running through my mind seemed insignificant and I finally was able to focus on the Shogi in front of me again.

“That day …… When I saw you in the Player’s Room playing Shogi so early in the morning, I realized what I was lacking. You have my thanks.”

“You were strong the whole time, Sakanashi. One look at a player’s match records and you can tell how much research they do, yeah? I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to learn something.”

He’s being nice, but I know most of that is a lie.

I may have regained my form now, but there was nothing he could have gained from playing against the shell of a man I was three years ago.

“I also need to thank you for this season.”

“Hm?”

“When I was overwhelmed with despair after starting the season with four consecutive losses and couldn’t stand the sight of a board …… You happened to be in Kanto and told me that there was still plenty of time and to keep my head up. It’s thanks to you that I got my head on straight. I wanted to thank you in person.”

“Hey, where’d that come from? Thank me all you want, but we’re still splitting the check.”

“After my losing streak, I decided to get a driver’s license. A person with minimal education who can’t drive stands next to no chance of finding employment, now do they?”

“Are you quitting?”

Mr. Kagamizu seems surprised.

“Finish with a winning record and you can extend your time in the Sub League, just like I did.”

“That’s alright. I’ve decided that this year will be my last.”

“…… I see.”

He doesn’t tell me to reconsider.

My sending him that message probably gave him some idea that I was planning to move on.

“…… You’ve got guts, Sakanashi. Really.”

“Me? You’re the one who has fought tooth and nail to extend your career–––.”

“No. I’m just scared, that’s all,” he says, almost aggressively.

I certainly wasn’t expecting that tone.

“Shogi has become so ingrained into my life that I’m scared to go into the outside world. My heart hasn’t been in Shogi for years. That’s the same as quitting.”

“But, Mr. Kagamizu, you–––.”

“I worked as a match recorder the day after I promoted to the 3-dan division. It was the Meijin against Tsukimitsu-sensei, their golden card match. It was so much fun, and the match was so intense, I wondered if I would be recording that match for the rest of eternity ……”

Mr. Kagamizu whispers as if trying to get the words off his chest.

So I sit quietly and encourage him to continue.

“Tsukimitsu-sensei asked me if I had any thoughts during the review session. Since I was recording everything, I decided to explain the sequence I had in my head and this time it was the Meijin who said, ‘Oh. What a nice idea.’ …… That meant the world to me.”

I can relate, painfully so. That is the highest praise a match recorder can receive.

“But, even working as a match recorder before my first season of the 3-dan division ever started …… From lunch break on the first day, there was part of me that was thinking: man, sitting on my ankles so long really hurts.”

“……!”

“Surprising, isn’t it? I wondered how long it’s been since my heart drifted away from the game, but I could never place it …… I was stunned.”

“But you have the top position right now! Your Shogi, there’s an edge to it that no one else has …… You can’t expect me to believe your heart isn’t in it!”

“Well, I did make a promise.”

“A promise ……? To whom? What about?”

“…………”

He doesn’t answer.

It must be very personal. I won’t press any further.

“If I may ask, is it true that Sota Kunugi lost to Sora?”

“Sure is.”

“This may not be my place to say, as I surrendered a come-from-behind loss to Sora in the opening match of the season, but …… That shouldn’t be his match to lose, right? Just what was the problem?”

“He’s probably still a bit naïve and held back.”

“What for? Out of concern for Sora after her three-match losing streak?”

They don’t seem particularly close to me ……

Again, Kunugi is just an elementary school student. His skill is more than sufficient, but there are plenty of examples that show his mental maturity may not suffice. At this rate, he may find himself in a downward spiral before promoting to 4-dan–––.

“Look at you, 25-year-old Sumito Sakanashi. Have you risen so high up that you’ve got the time and energy to worry about an 11-year-old prodigy?”

“……! I wouldn’t say I’m worried ……”

“You’ve got Karako first tomorrow, right? That man laid the foundation for what the Kansai Sub League is today. His style may be old, but his fighting spirit is as strong as they come. Don’t take him lightly.”

“What, the Karako Theory? I admit that Kansai stubbornness has given me plenty of headaches over the years.”

“Heh. I hope that’s all it does ……”

That’s all? What does he mean by that?

“Excuse me, can we get a final round?”

Almost as if the sushi chef behind the counter was waiting for this exact moment, he pulls out two plates and sets them down in front of us.

“Fried egg roll sushi.”

People in the sushi industry call it gyoku. That strikes a cord to Shogi players, who use the same word for the King, and overlap the meaning with taking a lunch break by saying “gyoku wo toru,” or “take the king.” …… It’s a bit forced, in my personal opinion.

I eat mine all in one bite.

Mr. Kagamizu, on the other hand, slowly sinks his teeth into the fried egg sushi and savors it.

“Let’s play a good match tomorrow. One that …… we can both leave without any regrets,” Mr. Kagamizu says as we leave the restaurant.

With that, we shake hands and part ways.

I watch, stunned, as my opponent reaches his hand across the board.

Kanto player Kasasugi 3-dan’s right hand floats in midair for a few moments before I realize he’s waiting for a handshake.

“Miss Sora?”

“Um …… Sorry, but shaking hands with an opponent right before a match ……”

“Oh, of course! Don’t mind me.”

He pulls his hand back with that same smile on his face and finally starts lining up the pieces.

–––So, this is the sportsman I’ve heard about. He has an eloquence to him, but ……

To be blunt, I can hardly stand people like this.

Kasasugi 3-dan is a unique Sub League veteran in his early twenties who apparently graduated from an athletics university. I’ve heard he has a teaching license as well.

–––He’s only won two matches this season, yet he’s so cheerful …… because of his sportsmanship mentality?

Today I’m playing the 13th and 14th 3-dan division matches at the Kansai Shogi Association building.

Including today, there are only three more regular activity days remaining in the six-month season.

Since the final matches will be taking place in Kanto, I only have two more days left of playing in home territory.

–––I can’t drop any match and still have any hope of advancing. I’ll win them all!

I’m not the only one brimming with determination.

There’s something clearly different about the air in the arena today, something that wasn’t here earlier in the 3-dan division season.

The top players’ eyes are glowing with a refusal to lose while staying drearily quiet.

The ones in the second tier just beneath them, myself included, have an air of just win about them. We’re ready for a fight.

However, the ones producing the strangest vibe out of anyone …… are the ones who failed to get enough victory stars and who are starting to face the very real possibility of demotion or retirement.

For the 3-dan players at the bottom of the standings, death is staring them in the face. They’re getting set to play with a noose around their necks …… Forced to play Shogi while panicking from suffocation and despair.

And, as their opponents, the resolve to finish them off is demanded of us.

“Peak fervor.”

It’s a state of mind most people never experience. When it comes to playing Shogi under such extreme conditions, I doubt there’s any place on earth that could rival the 3-dan division.

Doing my absolute best to politely mask all the explosive emotions running through my head, I make a small bow.

“…… I’m ready when you are!”

“Same here! On your mark!!”

After that unnecessarily loud response, Kasasugi 3-dan starts the match and keeps an even tempo with every move.

In marathon terms, he’s trying to outpace the pack.

He obviously wants the lead in the early-game, and then to pull away late.

On defense, I maintain my formation and endure the attack while giving his forward pieces as little leeway as possible.

–––Now is the time to endure. Steady ……

My Shogi skill has definitely leveled up after my battle with Sota. Even I can tell that I’ve gotten stronger and my momentum is still going strong.

I barely lost any of my practice matches over the Internet in the past few weeks.

While it’s true that I’m seeing better moves in the late game …… What’s really been surprising is how well I can identify the exact moment to switch to a late-game mentality.

–––Now!! Change gears and finish this one swift stroke!!

I had been playing at his speed, but I see my opening to go for the throat and barrel down the final stretch. Going on the offensive, my counterpunch hits home.

It worked even better than I imagined.

“Kh! …………… You’re good …………… Didn’t think I’d be on the ropes already ……,” Kasasugi 3-dan says just above a whisper as he steals glances at my face. Suddenly his eyes go wide when he checks his remaining time on the chess clock.

It’s ticking away.

Waiting time is barely noticeable when your attack is going according to plan, but it practically evaporates before your eyes when forced to defend.

Kasasugi 3-dan is already doing one-minute Shogi. Meanwhile, I still have over 30 minutes of waiting time.

–––Even better, I have the advantage …… No, I’m in victory position.

I’ve calmly maintained a balanced formation up to this point, but I quickly rein in my excitement.

Because I remember Yaichi telling me: In the 3-dan division, players get stronger the farther they are behind.

The matches today are meaningless for players who’ve already secured a winning record.

However, for those who haven’t won enough and are facing demotion or retirement, they’ll resist with every ounce of life they have in their bodies.

–––As they say, there’s nothing more dangerous than a wounded bear.

Kasasugi 3-dan’s record makes him that bear this season. He’ll keep struggling all the way to the end even if he knows he’s beaten. Striking the final blow won’t be easy.

–––Stay alert! No getting complacent until he acknowledges defeat!

“! …… Time ………… That’s all I’ve got left!!”

Caught off guard by the ticking countdown, Kasasugi 3-dan hastily snaps down a piece.

Then, just as I start reading the board to find the final sequence.

“P-Pardon me!!” he shouts, jumping to his feet and rushing out of the arena.

What just happened?

“Huh? ………… Huuuh?”

He wouldn’t …………

In the middle of one-minute Shogi ……… he wouldn’t go to the restroom, would he?

“………… No way.”

The players at the board next to me stop their match and look over with disbelief in their eyes.

It comes to me in a flash.

–––Play a move now, and he’ll run out of time! I’ll win!

Make my move right away, and he’ll only have a minute.

That’ll be cutting his restroom trip extremely close.

Plus, he’ll have to figure out exactly what move I made. Match records are not kept in the 3-dan division, so it’s impossible to tell what move was made right away–––.

–––Play the last thing he would expect, and he’ll be confused! The match will be mine!!

He’d notice immediately if I stick to the same sequence.

However, moving a random piece should baffle him to the point when time runs out before he realizes what I did. It’ll work!

–––But …… If I do that, rumors will spread ……

One of her victories came because her opponent ran out that time, yeah?

That’s not how a real pro wins.

People will be saying that until the end of time, I just know it. That I am a fake professional, a coward who lucked out because my opponent couldn’t beat a clock.

–––I can win this match normally, without relying on the clock. In that case ……

Then …… What would happen if I don’t make a move?

I didn’t think Sora was that kind.

She waited for her opponent to come from a potty break? Really? I’m not scared of playing one-minute Shogi against her at all now.

Having that kind of reputation as a person is wonderful, but it’s a hindrance as a competitor. Plus, ending this match early can conserve my precious stamina for the second match.

–––Which is it?! What is the correct answer ……?

Everything about my formation for this late-game match disappears from my mind.

From victory position and straight to peak fervor.

I have to make my decision, now.

–––There’s no time to waste making up my mind! Play something, anything!!

I reach out over the board, hand racing back and forth trying to figure out what to move …… when I catch something out of the corner of my eye and freeze.

I notice…

Kasasugi 3-dan, who I thought made a mad dash for the restroom, is staring at me through the very slight gap in the fusuma sliding doors.

Just a tiny opening …… but I can see his eye locked on me with an abnormally intense gleam.

And that silent eye is screaming at me.

Move! Play a move already! Make the worst one you can think of!!

Actually, that calms me down very quickly. I pull my hand back away from the board.

–––…… So, that’s the sequence he had in mind.

With a cool head, I read through him instantaneously.

If I’d let the situation get the better of me, I would’ve surrendered my waiting time advantage.

Without the leeway to think through my formation, the chances of playing a bad move increase dramatically.

–––That was too close. I was two seconds away from making the wrong decision ……

“Haaaa ……………… Hff ……”

I take a moment to expel the dark thoughts that tried to seep into my heart with a deep breath and focus solely on reading the board in front of me.

Calm, cool and collected, I continue with the same sequence I had been using before he left.

Kasasugi 3-dan sulks back to the board, glances at it with a “Tch!” and tosses a piece in surrender. There isn’t a shred of the eloquent sportsman left.

“…… Thank you for the match.”

This time, there wasn’t so much as a thank you, too in return.

Although I have the white victory star I wanted, I don’t feel like I’ve earned it.

In fact, it feels like he soiled what I hold most dear.

–––He would have had a chance to win if he had played normally, so …… why?

If the 3-dan division robs players of not only their decision-making ability but the most basic level of human decency, then what does Shogi have to do with it?

–––Win or lose …… This place is hell.

Seeing that peak fervor from a veteran 3-dan, for whatever reason …… was more painful than I ever thought.

But, that naïve way of thinking gets shattered within minutes.

“Two in a row again today, huh? Strong indeed,” says the usually quiet director when I visit him to report the results. He even goes out of his way to compliment me.

“Thank you very much, sir.”

I accept his kind words and bow.

“…… However, with my three previous losses I will need plenty of luck. Otherwise, I don’t stand a chance of promoting.”

“I wouldn’t say so.”

“Huh?”

“The top players are fighting amongst themselves to get those final stars.”

The director says those words while pointing to the black-and-white stars on the sheet in front of him, which completely shatters the levelheaded state of mind that I had maintained through my matches.

“…………!! …………Ah ………… Agh, ahh ………”

Heart palpitating, can’t breathe.

Pressure the likes of which I’ve never known seizes hold of me. I crouch down on the spot, clutching at my chest in a desperate attempt to draw breath.

–––I-I can’t lose …… I must win …… No matter what I have to do ……!

Memories of Kasasugi 3-dan’s eye gleaming from between those sliding doors float to the surface of my mind, but I shake them away just as quickly.

What face will I make once I’ve reached true peak fervor ……? Thinking about it terrifies me.

Faced with a greeting far too friendly for someone he was about to fight to the death, Sumito Sakanashi silently stared at the person across from him.

Shoji Karako 3-dan.

A man in his forties.

Sumito’s first opponent today returned to the Kansai Sub League after a previous stint via the Admission Exam.

Shoji wasted no time getting comfortable in the lower seat and offered the upper seat to his 25-year-old opponent with a beckoning smile.

“Please, take the upper seat, Sakanashi-senpai.”

“No, I couldn’t–––.”

“Nonsense! I’ve been gone, so don’t worry about it. Please, I insist!”

Energetic and friendly opponents. The hypocritical courtesy of offering the upper seat back and forth. As both were unique to Kansai; a Kanto native like himself was at a loss.

“Then …… I accept.”

Sumito acquiesced to all his opponent’s requests as a means of avoiding the trivial pre-match rituals that came with them.

–––I may have refused, if I were still in position to promote ……

For he had already accrued four losses. A dead man walking.

On the other hand, Shoji was at the top of the division right alongside Hiuma Kagamizu.

Sumito had also heard much about him from other players in Kanto who had already faced him.

Shogi so solid it feels like he’s playing with six Golds and Silvers.

His playing style revolved around inundating his own territory with pieces; a very Kansai-esque way of playing that focused on not losing rather than going for the win.

–––Karako Theory …… To think I would one day sit across the board from its originator in the Sub League.

Even amateurs will have match records should they become top-class players. Sumito had identified Shoji Karako as a viable threat before this season of the 3-dan division began and set about researching his match records to develop a counter strategy.

–––I sure am glad I researched him before the season started ……Sumito thought to himself with a grimace as he unleashed his prepared sequence in the early-game.

Had he attempted to do this research after his four consecutive losses to start the season, he doubted he would have had the energy or motivation to complete it. Not to mention he would’ve prioritized studying and practicing for driving school.

His strategy bore fruit right away as Sumito took control of the pace of the match.

––– However, this is where things will get complicated.

After crossing his legs to sit and think for several long minutes, Sumito corrected his posture by sitting on his ankles and braced himself for what would no doubt be a heavily contested late game.

Dead man walking or not, Sub League members fight with every ounce of their being from the moment they sit at a Shogi board.

Sumito was the living personification of that pride. Drawing from it, he braced himself for Shoji’s next move–––.

“Yep. I lost this one.”

“Huh?”

Sumito couldn’t contain his surprise.

Shoji’s next move …… was to raise the white flag.

It was stunningly early and anticlimactic. The other matches taking place around them were still in the mid-game. Sumito had purposefully preserved waiting time so as not to be overtaken in the late-game ……

“I can see why you’re ranked number one! Way too strong for me, that’s for sure!” Shoji said, opening his fan as he marveled at Sumito’s Shogi skill. “Yeah, I lost through and through. Your early-game strategy countered mine perfectly and you never let up all the way to the end. I don’t see the point in doing a review session. Let’s call it good here.”

“S-Sure ……”

“Which reminds me, Sakanashi-senpai. Your next match is against Kagamizu, right? Best of luck to you!”

Overwhelmed by his opponent’s grace in defeat, Sumito was unsure what to make of it as he left the arena. Though it’s true that he was elated because the strategy he spent so much time to develop had worked so well against such a strong opponent.

Furthermore, the match ended early enough that he would be able to buy the extremely popular fried chicken lunch set today rather than having to settle for leftovers as he usually did.

The second match, however, became a hard-fought battle. There was no comparison to the first.

“………………… I’ve lost.”

After a flurry of lead changes, the one to make the last mistake–––was Hiuma Kagamizu.

“Th- …… Thank… you …………”

Sumito lowered his head as he fought to catch his breath. He had become so exhausted that he couldn’t sit back up for several moments.

Though both players beamed with pride in the knowledge that a spectacular match record will stay in their memories forever ……

“See, I knew you’re strong, Sakanashi ……,” said Hiuma with a look of painful acceptance in his eyes.

“No …… This match came down to stamina. Your first match today had a repetition draw, yes? Playing another match on the spot meant you had no time for lunch.”

“True. No one is about to give the front-runner an easy win …… Whew, today’s Shogi took a lot out of me ……” Hiuma leans back, staring at the ceiling as the words, “I’m beat ……,” weakly rolled off his tongue. “I can count the number of weeks I’ve been on top of the division over the past few years on one hand. Who knew staying there for nearly six months took this much energy ……?”

“Hah. I was in the same position last year. Since I lost my chance to promote so early on this season, I’ve experienced far less fatigue than–––.”

Sumito suddenly fell silent in mid-sentence as a chill ran down his spine.

“………… Fatigue?”

He caught a glimpse of a match still in progress out of the corner of his eye.

There he saw Shoji Karako, battling with a demonic ferocity that had been absent during their match earlier that day.

His opponent was a small child who looked extremely out of place.

And, that grown man in his forties howled at the child, “YeeeeSSSSAAAHHHH!! HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT–––?!!!”

SNAAAAA–––P!!!

Shoji yelled at the top of his lungs as he brought the piece down onto the board with both hands like a lumberjack swinging an ax. The boy sitting across from him merely trembled, his shoulders jumping on impact.

As if he were being scolded. Then–––.

“………… I lose ……”

In a tiny voice seemingly on the verge of tears, Sota Kunugi conceded defeat.

Murmurs passed among the 3-dan players who had been observing the match not a heartbeat later.

“Kunugi lost ……!”

“Karako’s given the prodigy a second black star!”

“Holdin’ out that long usin’ Normal 3rd File Rook and turnin’ the tables at the very end …… That was some impressive Shogi ……”

The child prodigy who had been sailing through the 3-dan division without a single loss until the previous regular activities day had just lost to a man who was once forced to retire due to age restrictions.

Nothing tastes sweeter than the misfortune of others. Especially so when that other happens to be a prodigy.

Elimination is at the core of the Sub League, no matter how anyone may try to say otherwise.

A system designed to prevent an oversaturation of professional Shogi players, it tends to spoil promising talents and pluck them off one by one …… Or so Sumito had found himself thinking from time to time.

The very atmosphere within the Shogi world seemed to be chanting: Lose Kunugi, lose.

Sub League members and even some professionals were thinking it …… though none would say so out loud.

–––Maybe it’s because I’ve given up on promoting, but am I the only one who doesn’t mind if Kunugi becomes a professional?

In fact, he was hoping for a chance to see Sota Kunugi’s overwhelming talent destroy the modern Shogi world from the inside.

“Here, I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Huh?”

Amid all the swirling energy within the Onjyoudan no Ma Arena, only Hiuma Kagamizu was wholeheartedly concentrating on their own board.

“This move, right here. I wanted to protect that space until the very end, but this is where my formation cracked.”

“O-Oh …… I agree. So, if you had done this instead–––.”

Sumito hastily returned his focus to the review session.

Despite their efforts to continue, however, the rest of the 3-dans’ conversations showed no signs of slowing down.

“What will happen to the standings?”

“Mr. Kagamizu will still be on top, but …… Now that both front-runners each dropped a match–––.”

“It all comes down to ranking: Kagamizu, Karako, then Kunugi.”

“So, Mr. Kagamizu and Mr. Karako will promote as it is now. After all, he beat Kunugi head-to-head, so he’s got the tiebreaker.”

“That geezer’s pretty tough, don’t you think?”

“There’s a good chance Kunugi just wasn’t that good to begin with.”

“I thought he’d be stronger than that. Still, people with three losses now have a chance–––.”

The not-so-quiet whispers between the Sub League members only served to splash poison onto Sota’s wounds, still fresh from defeat.

Then Shoji’s loud voice broke through the din.

“Haaah! I thought I was done for after Sakanashi-senpai tore me apart this morning, but it worked out for the best! Winning became all that mattered, and I gave it my all! Just goes to show that even a regular guy like me can beat a prodigy if they go all in to win! That’s the Sub League for you, you’ve got to put it all on the line to win the match in front of you!! Forget that, and you’re toast.”

The players watching from the side nod in agreement.

“…… Put it all on the line …… to win the match in front of you ……?”

In that moment, everything that had transpired that day clicked into place for Sumito.

–––What would have happened if Mr. Karako and I …… had fought to the last during our match?

Even if he had defeated Shoji in the end, winning against Sota in such a fatigued state would have likely been impossible. The match would come down to stamina.

Sumito also knew he would have lost to Hiuma had he fought while physically and mentally drained. After all, Hiuma’s drawn-out first match is what gave him the ability to win in the end.

As a result …… Shoji managed to get through consecutive matches against the top two players, Sumito Sakanashi and the child prodigy Sota Kunugi, with an even one-and-one split while simultaneously handing his front-running rival a loss.

The conclusion was forgone.

“Shoji Karako threw the match against Sumito Sakanashi.”

Lose in a tournament, and that player is eliminated on the spot.

League matches, however, are based on a victory star tally.

Shoji gave both Hiuma and Sota black stars in exchange for taking one himself. He understood losing would put him in a better position in the long run.

–––Meanwhile, I was congratulating myself like a complete doofus …… and kicked dirt in the face of the man who brought me back from my darkest days!

His own obliviousness irritated him to no end.

However, a different emotion held stronger within Sumito’s heart.

Giving the exhausted Hiuma his complete attention as the Sub League veteran conducted a thorough review session, Sumito spat words under his breath so quietly that no one else could hear.

“Play fair and square, and you will never promote …… We’re too naïve. Me, and Mr. Kagamizu both ……”

After going to a press conference, doing some interviews and a photo shoot for the Crown Title Match in Umeda, it’s early evening by the time I get home.

“I just got so into it. Ah, oh well! Big Sis won both her matches, too!”

Getting that message from the director put me in a really good mood. So I stopped to get some fruit shortcake, the one that’s really popular right now, as a treat for the Grade Schooler Practice Group. They should be having a practice session right now, but ……

Something’s not right.

“Huh? No snapping pieces or chatting …… But it looks like everybody’s here ……”

Several pairs of shoes are by the door.

Four pairs to be exact, the perfect size for grade-school girls and all neatly lined up against the wall. That’s adorable.

Except …… It’s too quiet.

The energetic buzz that only grade schoolers can make is nowhere to be found. That chaotic power they have to keep on talking no matter how many times I tell them to quiet down, it’s missing.

“Have I lost the ability …… to sense them all together?”

It couldn’t be!

“…… Maybe they played so much that they all conked out for a nap?”

If that’s the case, it would be a shame to wake them up. Taking off my shoes as quietly as possible, I head inside.

What I see when I get there–––is beyond words.

All four of the girls are at the kitchen table, not in the tatami room, and writing something in complete silence.

“What’s everybody doing in here rather than playing Shogi? Summer homework?”

“A side job!”

Mio looks up and smiles at me. The other girls must be really in the zone, because their hands don’t stop moving for an instant.

Ai Hinatsuru looks like a girl possessed. Every stroke of her pen seems to be funneling her heart and soul onto the page. It’s a little scary actually.

“A-A side job?”

“Yes. We’re making prizes for a prize machine at the summer festival,” says Ayano as she puts the finishing touches on her own paper and caps the colorful pen she was using. Then she starts folding that piece of paper.

“Hmm? What are you …… Agh!!”

At first, I thought it was some pretty origami, but I’ve seen that shape before.

“Isn’t that …… the secret note fold that girls do in the middle of class at school?!”

It’s the way girls would pass notes during class and make sure the boys couldn’t read it, just a class-wide relay of people saying: pass it on. Wow, that takes me back!!

Mio says, “Prize machines with girls’ letters are really popular right now! They don’t cost that much money to make, so we decided to write them ourselves! Isn’t that right, Ayano?”

“Yes. We’re using our individual writing styles and personality traits to make prizes charming enough that visitors will want to buy more.”

“Cha, too! Cha wikes pwize machines! Cha wote wots and wots!”

“And you’re going to sell them in one of those capsule prize machines?!”

I mean, I knew those things had everything under the sun in them these days, but I had no idea handwritten letters would sell, too!

“Wait, just who would buy those things? Sure, boys would be curious, but I don’t think they’d pay money to get random ones–––.”

“Masta …… Yew don’ want Cha’s wetta ……?”

“I’ll take it. Is 100,000 yen enough?”

I reflexively reach for the bundle of ten bills in my jacket pocket and hand them to Charlette.

“You bought one, Kuzunyu-sensei! You bought it on the spot!”

“Dah?! W-Whoops ………… Hah-hah ……”

On a side note, players with seniority traditionally treat their junior counterparts to dinner. That’s why I was taught that title holders should carry 100,000 yen at all times.

That’s especially true for me, considering the people who mooch off me …… Like Ryou Tsukiyomizka and Machi Kugui.

“100,000 is far too much. One prize from the machine is 200 yen. Our estimates show that, even after management costs, we should make a considerable profit,” says Ayano matter-of-factly as she types numbers into her smartphone’s calculator.

Hmm. She’s right. If all their prizes sell, then they’ll be able to pay all the festival participation fees by simply doing instructional matches and secure the money to pay for next year at the same time.

“W-Well …… Yes, I have to admit there’s some appeal to those prizes. And at 200 yen, plenty of people would be interested in giving it a go.”

Getting all four of their letter variations will cost at least 800 yen. Taking duplicates into account, people will probably need about 1,000 yen.

A business plan that perfectly matches supply and demand! I can hardly believe grade schoolers came up with it. That’s pro-level work.

“So, who taught you girls how to set this up?”

“Akira.”

Well, that explains it.

Mio and Ayano start giving me more details.

“We went to the association to ask what we should sell at the booth during the festival, and Akira just happened to be there and gave us some pointers. Her advice helped out a lot!”

I would assume so. She’s a businesswoman, first and foremost ……

“We taught her the Demon Killer Strategy as a thank you.”

That ploy?

“Oh! Kuzuryu-sensei, would you read the letter I wrote? I wanna hear what you think!”

“That is a good idea. Lolic- …… cough. Young men are the target demographic, so your opinion would be very useful.”

Was Ayano about to call me a lolicon?

“Well, let’s see ……”

Don’t sweat the small stuff.

My heart beating a bit harder in my chest, I unfold one of the letters and have a look. She must have done a rough draft first, because the fruity smell of one of those scented erasers wafts into my nose.

Her writing is cutesy, just like I’d expect grade-school girls to write.

“Whoa?! Y-You scared me ……”

I yell, clutching the letter as Mio actually backs away. Three steps away.

“It’s not real, of course. But it made your heart skip a beat, didn’t it?”

“I seriously thought this was you saying you had a crush on me, and I nearly asked you out myself.”

Butterflies are still fluttering in my stomach as Ayano calmly explains the process behind it.

“There are actual prize machines in Nagoya filled with letters that real high-school girls were hired to write using provided examples. They seem to be selling extremely well. By the way, men apparently came up with all the examples.”

“It’s the handwriting that makes it feel real ……”

That’s the whole point, now that I think about it.

“The fact that it’s real handwriting rather than a printed copy is probably why it sells. There’s a kind of warmth to it …… It feels more personal.”

The Ryuo or the Meijin sign Shogi certificates and stuff like that, but it’s putting pen to paper that has value rather than good or bad handwriting. Just like with those certificates, who wouldn’t want to have a note written by a grade-school girl?

Handwritten letters are so valuable in the age of smartphones and email because you can actually hold them in your hands.

“Thanks for working so hard on this festival. You must be tired after writing so many letters. I brought some cake for you girls, so take a break and help yourself.”

“Yay!”

Grade schoolers love anything with sugar. There’s no better treat for tired kids than cake topped with a pile of fruit …… At least, there shouldn’t be.

Ai completely ignores the cake and keeps writing. Wow, she’s focused ……

“Oh, Ai? There’s a letter on the floor.”

I crouch down to pick up the letter my apprentice wrote and take a glance at what’s in it.

“Um, hey …… Ai? This letter seems, a bit oddly specific …… Is it …… meant for anyone …… in particular ……?”

“………………”

The fluorescent pen that Ai is writing with suddenly comes to a stop as she looks up at me with a surprisingly mature smile and says in a kind voice, “Do you know who it could be?”

“Huh?! N-No …… Not really …… It just seemed …………”

“Then there’s no problem, is there?”

“No ………… I guess not …………”

Ai goes back into writing mode. She hasn’t touched the cake.

D-Does …… she know what’s going on between Big Sis and I ……? Hang on, those two have always been like this …… Wait, if Big Sis sees this, she’ll know right away I haven’t told Ai about us and kill me on the spot ……

I-It’s all right, no problem!

I’ll just buy them all before Big Sis has a chance to see them. Yes, I’ll buy the entire stock. H-How much is that going to be ……?

I tremble at the mountain of papers piled up next to my apprentice as Ayano eats her cake like a well-mannered young lady with a knife and fork while explaining.

“That is the Master and apprentice version. As we will be running a Shogi booth, having that theme seemed only natural.”

“Natural??? I wonder???”

I don’t think the average Shogi apprentice would comment on their Master’s love life ……

“Stories about couples with an age gap are popular right now. The main target is lolic- …… cough… older boys, so this is a natural fit.”

Mio, who practically inhaled her cake right off the plate, puffs out her chest with pride.

“We made a bunch of variations! Like teacher and student, oh! And with a senior at a school club!”

“Eight in total.”

“Ah, that makes sense. People will want to read them all out of curiosity.”

Seriously, I’m gonna have to feed that prize machine for hours, aren’t I ……?

Feeling my soul sink, Charlette comes up to me with a letter in her hand and cake frosting on her cheeks.

“Masta! Wead Cha’s!”

“Sure.”

Unfolding Charlette’s mess of an origami, I take a look inside.

But she used Chinese characters, so I can tell she worked really hard on it. Okay, the Ryuo has work to do: turn that machine’s dial as many times as it takes to get those prizes!!

“Why am I here? For a bath, what else?” wearing a smile befitting of a clown, the man, Shoji Karako, answered as he wiped his brow for a few seconds too long. “I worked up quite a sweat defeating that child prodigy in the 3-dan division today. I could really use a hot bath.”

“You beat Sota Kunugi?! You?!”

“There’s no need to act so surprised. Little Miss Ginko beat him, too.”

“This is a bit much to take in all at once …… Though I do have a hard time believing that broken record you call a playing style would actually work against the younger players in line for promotion.”

“That pint-sized software omen sat his King down on a Gold like it was its own pillow to make that weird castle, but I found a way.”

“! …… That’s …… the Futatsuzuka strat, what Okito zealots started playing ……”

It was a brand-new strategy first used by a young Kanto player who made the bold claim that he made it through the Sub League only practicing with software and thus earned the nickname Translator.

At its core, the strategy revolved around building quick, and surprisingly strong, defensive formations much like the Mino Castle–style employed by many Ranging Rook players. Thus, it was the Static Rook players who had to rely on worldly senses to win. The Ranging Rook mentality that some bad exchanges are acceptable at first so long as the major pieces are free to move became worthless and thus ushered in a new era of defensive strategy.

–––That new strat is the whole reason I abandoned Ranging Rook against Okito in our series. Now this ……?!

“Anyway, the kid is still a kid no matter how much talent he has or how good he is with computers. There are plenty of holes if you know where to look.”

“Holes ……?”

Despite being called one of the Three Crowns of Kansai along with this man and the doctor who oversaw Ginko’s therapy, Kiyoshi Akashi, Mitsuru felt at odds with his former fellow Sub Leaguer.

In terms of natural talent, Mitsuru was by far and away superior.

Even with that reputation, Mitsuru struggled to beat Shoji in head-to-head matches. He was his nemesis in every sense of the word.

–––Why didn’t my worldliness ever work on this guy ……?

The Worldly Maestro would find sequences that bordered on works of art to take the lead during the mid-game and still be unable to crack the final defenses when it mattered most.

Ginko had sharpened her own worldly senses under Mitsuru’s tutelage. What would happen if those two were to collide ……? Doubt and uncertainty seeped into his heart.

–––Is that what he’s trying to do? Get to Ginko by shaking up the people around her ……?

Underhanded and devious as it was …… it might very well do the trick.

Even if Ginko steeled herself against Shoji, she fully trusted Mitsuru. His words could easily sway her one way or another. However, what bothered him the most was that Shoji’s unexpected visit had shaken him to the core.

“Seriously, why are you here? You’ve never been the type to tell everyone and their mother that you beat a kid prodigy just ’cause you’re happy about it. You’re here to laugh at me for losing my title, is that it?”

“Really, Mitsuru, what do you take me for? I’m lonely! Being the Sub League’s one and only old fart isn’t easy, you know? There’s no one to talk to, so I came to see my old buddy.”

“Oh, is that right? Well, I can see the results on the 3-dan division’s home page, so you can save your breath. Go take a dip and head on home.”

“Of course, of course! I’ve got my next match to prepare for, after all. Ah, before I forget.”

Shoji took his time, drawing out every word of the shocking truth.

“There are big plans in the works to broadcast the final day of matches over the net and on TV. I’d love it if you’d tune in to cheer me on!”

“………… What… did you just say ……?”

Mitsuru was floored …… His voice shaken.

“Little Miss Ginko’s in high school. Sota is an elementary kid. There are laws in place to protect them from the media and nobody’d try to argue otherwise. But an old fart like me? Go ahead and film away! There’ll be cameras all over the arena on the last day.”

“Cameras …… In the 3-dan’s exclusive arena, and on the final day of division matches? Chairman Tsukimitsu would never allow such–––!”

“All matches are held in Kanto on the final day. My new Master, an association board executive, has already given the green light. It’s happened before, too. Speaking of Kanto, that bench where you cried your heart out after hitting the ceiling in the 3-dan division back in high school is still there.”

“I knew that without you telling me.”

It had been his reserved smoking spot when he was in Kanto for matches. Though, now that there was a designated room for smoking, he didn’t use it anymore.

“Pass on a message to our friend Kiyoshi, will ya? Tell him if he’s so worried about Little Miss Ginko, he should come up to Tokyo on the last day himself. It’ll be easy to blend in with all the reporters around.”

“You–––?!”

How much do you know? Mitsuru stopped himself before finishing that sentence. He didn’t want to complicate Ginko’s situation by revealing any more information than necessary.

Instead, he countered with this question.

“What …… kind of life did you lead after retiring? What made you throw away your Shogi player pride?”

The Worldly Maestro asked this new version of the man who had entered the Sub League the same year he did. His tone wasn’t so much angry as sad.

“Why do you …… hate Shogi so much now?”

The Shoji Karako who Mitsuru knew was talentless and stubborn to a fault, but that had only proved his sincere love for the sport all the more.

He had more pride as a member of the Kansai Sub League than anyone. Overwhelmingly so at times. He was a traditionalist, to the point where he would have staunchly opposed any media presence whatsoever ……

“What kind of life …… you ask?” remarked Shoji, the smile of a clown plastered to his face. “First, I was a facility janitor.”

Without a high school diploma or qualifications of any kind, the employment options available to a 26-year-old man who had spent the bulk of his life playing Shogi were limited to low-wage, physical labor jobs.

“Then I worked at a restaurant part time, was a deliveryman, a security guard, looked after the elderly, did some telemarketing, spent one harvest season living on-site and worked the cabbage fields. I was even a deckhand on a fishing trawler. You could say I did everything apart from Shogi. Some things were more legal than others, too. All so I could live to see tomorrow.”

“……”

“Any idea what the most painful ones were?”

“Beats me. The heavy lifting?”

“The ones where my coworkers followed Shogi.”

“……!”

“I swore I’d never play Shogi again the day I got booted from the Sub League. Cut off all contact with everyone in the Shogi world at the same time. But there was no avoiding it if someone mentioned it at work. The topic of pro Shogi players would come up one way or another. And when it did … another knife went through my heart. My dreams from the old days… dashed once again.”

Shoji bit down on his lip as he continued, spitting out each word like blood.

All with a smile.

“Shogi kills just as many as it lets live. As one of the people it killed off, I hate it. I hate it with every fiber of my being …… But in the end, Shogi is all I’ve got. Even if it kills me.”

The man recounted his return from hell without once losing his clownish smile, laying his love-hate relationship with Shogi bare.

“Even if I were born again, I would want to be a Shogi player. I came back to the Sub League because that dawned on me. No matter what people say, no matter how many smug looks I get, I’ll be fine so long as I get to play Shogi. I rediscovered the happiness of holding a piece between my fingers …… because I didn’t have anything else.”

The fingers clutching the coins to pay the entrance fee were trembling.

That’s when Mitsuru noticed.

The smooth hands he had seen from across the board so many times when they played in the Sub League …… had become heavily calloused.

“Only someone who knows an even greater joy in playing Shogi than I do stands a chance against me now. Someone who won’t back down, who keeps fighting no matter how bleak their chances get.”

How much of that statement was true, Mitsuru didn’t know. Just …… all the healed scars and rough skin covering his hands were not lying.

Shoji could tell his story had taken Mitsuru aback, so he lightened his tone and asked.

“Actually, those were just the second most painful. Any idea what was the worst?”

“………… No.”

“Nah, there’s no way you would, Mitsuru.”

With that, Shoji Karako left the coins on the counter and hummed a tune to himself as he went into the changing room.

After the Crown Title Match meeting (the real one) ends, I stop by the Player’s Room on the third floor of the association for the first time in a long time.

It’s always lively around here, but it’s oddly silent today. Actually there’s just one person in here: Sota. He’s sitting by himself in the back corner of the long, rectangular room playing through match records.

Without looking up, he says, “Yes, just me. There aren’t any league matches scheduled for today and having practice sessions or versus matches against people doesn’t seem to be very popular these days.”

“I see …… Well, it is that time of year.”

Summer vacation. Lots of pros are out at Shogi events and Sub League members are busy helping them.

Not to mention the 3-dan division is entering the final stretch.

Mr. Kagamizu pretty much rules the roost in here. Without him around, the younger guys rarely bother showing up.

“The Kiyotaki Classroom closed?”

“The kyu-ranking players seem to be going per usual. You haven’t seen Kiyotaki-sensei at all recently have you, Yaichi? Shouldn’t you tell him you became the Crown Challenger yourself?”

“Hm? Y-Yeah …… Been busy. Keika has been passing messages along for us, though.”

Honestly, I’ve been avoiding him because it’ll be awkward telling him about Big Sis.

O-Of course, I’ll have to say something once we’re officially going out, but …… There’s no guarantee Big Sis will promote to 4-dan, and he raised us like we really were brother and sister so he might be against it, which would lead to us eloping again–––.

“Yaichi? What are you making that face for?”

“What?! I-I was making a face?!”

“Yes. Blushing and kind of ogling …… Obscene.”

D-Did he just call me obscene?!

Just as I’m racking my brain, trying to figure out how a kid his age knows that word.

“…… Yaichi.”

“Yeah?”

“I ………… I still have talent, right?”

I don’t think I’ve ever heard this boy wonder’s voice shake before. He’s always overflowing with confidence.

“I heard you had a few mistakes against Big Sis and Mr. Karako, yeah?”

“…… It’s driving me crazy. This having six of the eight combined Golds and Silvers is an advantage thing. Deploying the Gold that should be the final blow in your own territory …… Tilling the board, over and over again! That’s not Shogi! That’s farming!”

People tend to see defensive playing styles as a sign of having no talent.

Talent really shines in the late-game.

The ability to cut straight through all the complicated sequences and checkmate the opponent like a bright beam of light: that’s what people see as talent.

That’s how Ai Hinatsuru and Chairman Tsukimitsu play. Sota …… is more like the Meijin, preferring to take the circular path more than a straight line.

It goes without saying that every style of Shogi takes talent to play, but ……

“That is not Shogi! I’m trying to become a pro because I wanted to play Shogi! I wanted to win every match, to go into the last day undefeated! Because then …… Then I ……”

Slam!! Sota hits the file folder in front of him with his fist, mouth clenched shut.

Taking a glance at the match record in that file …… I understand why he’s so upset and why he wanted to go into the final day without a loss so badly.

“What even is talent?”

“Sota ……”

“The Sub League is supposed to be a place to test it, right? In that case …… Why can’t talent be a number? If only it was–––.”

The boy who made it into the Sub League faster than anyone ever wails.

“If it was, we wouldn’t need to kill each other off like this.”

August 15, the morning of the 15th and 16th 3-dan division matches.

As it is my turn to prepare the boards and pieces, I walk into the arena at the Kansai Shogi Association well before the matches are scheduled to begin only to find someone already inside and struggling to carry a stack of Shogi boards.

It’s surprising to see the silver-haired man in here because he’s not a member of the Sub League, but the staff–––.

“Mr. Mine? G-Good morning …… What are you doing?!”

“The first round of the Sub League Entrance Exam will be taking place today on the fourth floor, but only the 3-dan division is meeting today, yes? I couldn’t stand the thought of making those young ones prepare the boards for matches that will affect the rest of their lives. So I decided to do it mysss…daahhhh!!”

“?! Careful!!”

My body moves before I know it, protecting Mr. Mine from the stack of Shogi boards falling over him.

“Sorry, Ginko! Your hands …… Are your hands alright?!”

“…… Don’t worry. I’m not that clumsy.”

I habitually protect my right hand, no matter the circumstances. More importantly–––.

“What were you thinking, Sensei?! Someone your age shouldn’t be carrying so many at once!”

“Ha-ha-ha. How many years has it been ……? You haven’t called me Sensei in quite a while, Ginko.”

“…… Have you reflected on what you did?”

Mr. Mine used to oversee the match cards at the association’s classroom. He would always be there to rein in Yaichi and I with a warning whenever we had one of our inevitable arguments …… I can’t count how many times he praised me, probably hundreds.

Getting compliments from the man we called The Principal back when I played in the second-floor classroom is one of the reasons I became stronger. There were days when I wanted to go back to that time, but now my mind is set.

Working together, the two of us finish setting up the arena. Mr. Mine stares at the corner of the room and whispers to me, “Ginko. Is the veteran seat still around?”

“Veteran seat ……? What do you mean?”

“You know, in front of the scroll in the Onjyoudan no Ma …… In the very back? The place reserved for only the most experienced player who everyone recognizes as the strongest.”

“Mr. Kagamizu typically sits there, I think ……”

“So, it’s still going strong. How nostalgic.”

Thinking back to how Mr. Mine knew exactly how to prepare the arena, I ask him, “Pardon me if I’m wrong, Mr. Mine, but …… were you a member of the Sub League?”

“I was, indeed… though I was registered in Kanto.”

Back when my heart was shattered, I remember Yaichi telling me a story.

It was about a Sub League member who seriously tried to take their own life. He said it was someone I know very well, but–––.

“You couldn’t be …… the person who jumped out the window and broke their leg, could you?”

“That story has reached your ears, has it? Well, this is embarrassing.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Why …… you ask?”

Mr. Mine stares at his feet, looking forlorn.

“Ginko. Working at the association on staff after having to retire from the Sub League …… Some days are agonizing.”

“…… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up ……”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Huh?”

“It’s having to say goodbye to the young ones I’ve watched grow for so long.”

“Ah ……”

“I can weather my own pain. There was quite a bit in the early days, with my former colleagues arrogantly bossing me around from the professional ranks and such. But that, I got over it at some point. The real pain comes from ……”

Oh …… I get it ……

He’s been seeing shades of himself in all the Sub League members who have had to quit for one reason or another for decades now.

I bet he feels genuinely happy for the players who have the necessary talent to become a professional and reach 4-dan.

However, he empathizes more strongly with players like me and himself who know they have no talent and eventually get forced out of the league.

“Young people who loved Shogi with their very hearts and souls when they entered the Sub League leave it hating the sport to the point that they never want to so much as see a piece again so long as they live. After working so hard and becoming so strong, that strength becomes what they despise most in this world.”

Children who love Shogi will come knocking on the Sub League’s door to take the Entrance Exam this year as well, just as I did seven years ago.

More than 90 percent of them won’t become professionals.

Whether it’s five, ten or fifteen years from now …… They’ll be cursing the time and effort they spent along the way.

“My heart aches every time I see one of them off for the last time …… Every other former Sub League member who worked alongside me in the office couldn’t take the pain and quit years ago ……”

–––Mr. Mine …… saw himself in me ……

That’s why he never said a word.

So that I would never think about the reality waiting for me after leaving the Sub League. As someone who has kept such a close watch over the Sub League’s members all these years, he must’ve been able to tell that I only had enough talent to get in, but not through. It was all in his gentle yet agonized gaze.

–––What will I do if I don’t make it?

If I can never break the sealing move with Yaichi …… I would most likely just want to disappear from everyone’s memory.

And never play Shogi …… never be involved with the Shogi world ever again.

Yaichi would spend nights like the one we had but with someone who’s not me …… I can see it so clearly in my mind that it feels real. The girl next to him is younger and much more talented than I, the ……

–––No!! Anything but that, anything ……!!

If only I could disappear into a cloud of bubbles like the little mermaid. Unfortunately, reality doesn’t work like that. People must bottle up their disappointment and frustration and find a way to live their lives that doesn’t involve Shogi.

It must be …… a living hell that makes dying seem like a better alternative.

“Though, every so often a young man like Sho comes around. What a nice surprise that was!”

“Sho? Mr. Shoji …… Karako?”

“Yes. There was a time when the veteran seat was his. His Shogi was gritty, a never-surrender style that embodied what it meant to be a Kansai player. He had a great impact on those around him and the league itself.”

Mr. Mine chuckles to himself, saying that also made him a lot of enemies, as if taking a stroll down memory lane.

“He drifted from job to job after leaving …… Fell out of contact for a while, too, before suddenly making a name for himself as an amateur from out of nowhere. Lo and behold, he makes a return to the Sub League using the Admission Exam. That man has grit in spades.”

“I …… got the same impression playing against him myself.”

“Ginko. You will play against him again, yes?”

“I will. He’s my first opponent on the final day.”

“How great would it be if both of you promoted! I would certainly love for Hiuma, Sota and all the young men in Kanto to make it as professionals as well, but …… It hurts so much, having to say goodbye to them.”

“Mr. Mine ……”

“But it won’t last much longer. I’m retiring after this year.”

“I see …… Thank you for everything. It’s meant a lot ……”

“To be honest, I considered hanging it up a long time ago. But–––.”

Then Mr. Mine tells me the reason why he continued to work at the association all the way until retirement age.

“I stayed because of a little girl who suffered through more pain than anyone else and still had a pure, unmistakable love for Shogi. You have my thanks, Ginko.”

“……! Mine …… sensei ……”

“The phrase do your best has never sat well with me, so …… Let’s be true to ourselves to the very end.”

Even though I had help setting up the arena today, I had to fight much harder than I ever expected once the matches got started.

I’ve held back tears after matches plenty of times.

But …… today was the first time I’ve ever had to do that before one.

Birds sing outside my window as rays of sunlight flood into my room from between the blinds.

“………… Mnn? Morning already ……?”

I’m much more used to the chatter of little girls waking me up rather than birds at this point. Yeah, yeah, I’m the loli-king, so what?

“Nghhh ……! Ah, summer vacation. It must be so much fun getting together with your friends every day.”

I stretch my arms high over my head to wake up when I hear my smartphone vibrating on my desk.

“Who could that be? …… Huh? Ayumu?”

Surprised to see that name on the screen, I answer the call. The voice of my friend and rival echoes through the room in no time flat.

“Ha-ha-ha …… To think, you would be conscious at this hour. So, a creature of darkness can also be a morning person! How befitting of my eternal nemesis!!”

“That’s a big compliment, coming from a guy who gets up at the crack of dawn to help his parents make tofu. I’m hanging up.”

Whatever it is, it doesn’t seem important. Just as I’m about to hit the button …… another voice with the bubbly chatter I know so well comes out of my phone.

“Heh! How foolish of you, Drakin. Passing up on the chance to speak with one such as I after a long absence!”

“Wait …… The princess loli?! That’s you, isn’t it?!!”

I quickly switch my phone to a video feed. Sure enough, she and her brother, who have nearly identical personalities, are posing on screen with one hand in the air. A double pose. Like a pro wrestling tag team.

Ayumu’s little sister, Maria Kannabe (fifth grade).

In the same academic year as Ai, she has a very distinctive personality and two bundles of hair on her head that look just like cat ears.

Even though she lost to Mio in the King of Naniwa tournament finals, she joined the Shakando Shogi family and is set to take the Sub League Entrance Exam this year …… Oh, that’s what this is about.

Today’s the day of the exam, isn’t it? But Maria doesn’t have to participate until the second day because she’s the Elementary Meijin–––.

“Let me get this straight. You’re feeling nervous about the exam coming up tomorrow, so you’d like to stimulate your mind with a few practice matches against Ai or Mio, right?”

“Wh-Why, no!!”

“Then I’m hanging up.”

“Cease with the teasing!” squeals the princess loli with tears in her eyes as she swipes at the screen. Too cute.

Ayumu yanks his little sister away from the camera and says, “You needn’t be so harsh, Drakin. Even those possessing impervious Shogi skills struggle to settle the nerves the night before their Sub League Entrance Exam.”

I was never going to hang up, of course. Just having a little fun.

“Concerning the Crown Title Match… Were you aware that I will be serving as the assistant observer for the opening match?”

“I heard, all right. I’m surprised you accepted the job.”

Since its Ayumu, I was sure that he’d strike a pose and say, Though I will only be observing your next title match as a player, mu-ha-ha-ha! or something like that.

“Not being in the match myself, I admit, is disheartening. However, there have been whispers telling of the significance of this match and the importance of bearing witness to it …… My soul speaks to me!”

“So, you want to know exactly how my match with Mr. Okito will play out, is that it?”

“Affirmative.”

“A player who only researches with AI against a teenager, the first title match of its kind …… good grief.”

“Devising a plan of action will be no easy matter.”

“Yeah …… Mr. Okito has probably used software more than anyone and I think he got rid of all his other Shogi senses on purpose. His mind works on a level higher than regular players can even imagine.”

I’ve never played against myself, but I can just tell.

Ever since the moment he became the first pro to ever lose a match to software …… and tried to take his own life, Yo Okito seems to have given up on humanity entirely.

“…… Hey, Ayumu.”

“What is it?”

“Have you ever wanted to become a computer?”

His answer is immediate, literally no time at all, and extremely obvious, “There would be no point.”

“Yeah. No point at all.”

I follow it up with common sense, “People can’t become machines.”

Everyone knows that, but people seem to misunderstand.

“Back when humanity was fighting against software, how do you think they thought they could beat it?”

“Software late-game readings are far too precise. Therefore, they must be overpowered at the outset, in the early game.”

“Then, after humanity started losing every match, how do you think people wanted to use its strengths in their own Shogi?”

“Human beings cannot hope to replicate software in the late-game. That is only possible early on in the match.”

“Yeah. That’s probably what most players think, too, actually.”

I hit a major slump after fighting against the Meijin in the Ryuo Title Match.

I thought it was caused by sitting across the board from the strongest person to ever play the game …… But that was probably just the trigger.

I started using the latest software in my own research at around that time.

Since I had adjusted to playing at the Meijin’s pace, I assumed I could naturally do the same with software, too. That I could learn how it opens matches and get used to it.

I thought I could do the Katsura Single Jump and other strange openings, including the defensive formations that software builds to open matches. I won quite a few victory stars that way.

“But all that’s just an illusion.”

Copying what software does in the early game is just monkey see, monkey do.

“Where software’s strength really shines, where it’s literally inhuman ability to make perfect decisions, is actually when there are unlimited options …… in the early mid-game.”

Calculation abilities that go far beyond what people are capable of.

Then there are the sequences that result from those calculations and a memory powerful enough to never, ever forget.

No one in the world has those.

No matter how devoted Mr. Okito is to software or how hard he tries to learn those abilities, it’s physically impossible. People can’t become machines.

So–––.

“Okito-Dual Title, as strong as he is, cannot play the same early game as software, and trying to do it will only leave openings for me.”

That’s my conclusion, for now anyway.

“So long as he doesn’t plug a calculator into his brain, nothing he does will take me by surprise. Well, I’m sure he realizes that, too, so I think it’ll be a surprisingly orthodox match. There’s no need to strain yourself coming up with predictions at the opening night party.”

It’s standard for pro players and media people to make their own predictions about the upcoming title match once the match participants have left the room.

“Do not belittle me, Drakin. I am aware of that much, as well. But” he angrily says, “there’s a problem if those orthodox formations have been enhanced by software’s superior reading abilities! Continuously playing the optimal move for all eternity, and an ironclad wall of research! Is that not what occurred during the King Title Match against the Worldly Maestro?!”

“You read that far, huh ……? I should have known my rival would be up for that.”

“Enough patronizing! Retaliate with the best moves, and the match can only end in repetition draw or stalemate!! How can that be dealt with?!”

Ayumu isn’t trying to horn in on my research.

He’s just worried about me as a friend.

And, because I understand that …… I let him in on the meat of my findings.

“Two options come to mind.”

Mr. Okito is most likely trying to do one of them.

In putting the formations that humanity has discovered over the centuries into the software program and using it to find the hidden details and thus improve their effectiveness even further… if people couldn’t change it, then–––.

But I chose a different path, one a bit more human.

“I’ve come across a very interesting match record. It’s all I’ve been using for research these days.”

“A record? Could it be …… a match between software programs? While I admit it may be possible to find flaws using such a method, I–––.”

“No. That would only identify habits of the individual programs, and humans can’t play like that anyway.”

It’s been eight months since the Ryuo Title Match ended. During that time, I was dealt a painful loss by soon-to-retire Zaou-sensei in the placement matches and had several more slipups after I started using software for research.

How could I get stronger?

Now that I’ve overcome the strongest person on earth …… I was sure that the answer could only be found with software.

But, it turns out, I’d already had the answer for a long time before then.

Ever since a tiny angel landed at my front door one day last spring–––.

“The record I’ve been analyzing isn’t from software, or even a pro. The hint I got came from someplace else.”

“Then, a match record of whom?”

“…………… AI.”

“Hm? Didn’t you just say–––?”

Ayumu gets cut off midsentence by Maria pushing him out of the frame.

“Enough of this complicated jibber jabber. One such as I desires to engage in conversation and indulge in a few matches of Shogi with the weeds to calm my nerves for the morrow!!”

“Yes, yes, yes, yes. Stay on the line, okay? I’ll take my phone to the girls’ room.”

Leaving my bedroom, I follow the young chattering voices toward the tatami room.

What’s this? The fusuma doors are always open, but they’re closed for some reason.

I bet they were worried about waking me up.

There are at least three voices coming through the door. I don’t hear any snapping pieces, though. Maybe they’re doing some last-minute preparations for the festival?

“Morning. Everybody awake?” I say as I slide the door open.

Well, everybody’s here, but ………… Not dressed.

The whole Grade Schooler Practice Group is right here.

Just, they don’t have any clothes on. Just birthday suits.

“EEEEEEKK!! PERVERT––––––!!”

Ai and Ayano’s faces turn bright red as they curl up into a ball.

Mio grabs the colorful piece of fabric off the floor to hide everyone from sight.

Charlette, on the other hand, comes up to me with a big smile. She says, “Masta♡” with her arms out for a hug. Of course, there’s not a stitch of cloth on her either.

I scream loud enough to drown all of them out.

“DAAAAHHHHH?! In the buff?! WHY?!”

Oh! That fabric on the tatami mats …… Yukata robes?! So, they were in the middle of putting on yukata?!

However, they must not have been able to see that through the smartphone camera.

“N-Nude, you say?! So many girls so close to sunrise …… You are a fiend to behold, Loli-king! Holding multiple young maidens hostage in your lair ……! Is this your preparation for taking multiple titles?!”

“What titles are you talking about?!”

Ayumu, just as clueless, jumps in after his sister’s rant.

“Ngh …… Drakin, you scoundrel …… Has what remains of your human soul already fallen so far?! Has the demonic energy that pulses through your Shogi soiled your spirit as well?!”

“No, no! Listen to me, will you?! They’re getting ready for the festival tonight!!”

“A party? So then, you entice adolescent girls in the midst of summer vacation into your abode with the allure of a party only to unleash such evils upon them …… I was wrong, your human soul no longer exists!! It has been that blackened by evil!! Hello, police department?”

“Nooooo! Please, don’t call themmmm!!”

After that, a relatively calm Mio explains the situation, clears up this mess and saves me from getting arrested right before playing in a title match.

Maria has a great time talking with everyone, too!! You better pass the Entrance Exam, damn it!!

“Haaa ………… Haaa ……… Haaa ………… Nghhh!!”

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee––––––

The chess clock tracking my remaining time now that I’m in one-minute Shogi counts down the seconds like a heartbeat, as if telling how long I have to live.

“Gasp!!”

Whack!! My fist practically falls onto the chess clock switch, preserving what life I have left.

Beeeeee ……

Beeeeeeeee ……

Beeeeeeeeeeee …………

I keep hitting that switch, pounding it with my fist again and again and again, just like a cardiac massage to keep my heart pumping.

I don’t know what I’m doing anymore, let alone what pieces I’ve moved where.

This is …… which match of the 3-dan division?

Late-game? Of the …… second match? Against who? Am I in position to win? Or am I about to lose?

I don’t know. Thinking about those things only makes my life tick away faster. Just move a piece and hit that switch. Keep the heart beating.

The whole room is swaying from side to side. Both of my fists are pressed against the tatami mat, but I still can’t see straight. Sweltering heat. Throat bone dry. My chest …… my chest hurts ……!

Master’s face. That’s him, peeking out from behind that pillar over there.

Which means …… this is a dream? Then, I don’t have to keep moving, do I? My hands are swollen, joints aching. Lungs filled with pins and needles. Whole body burning up.

My heart …………… could stop at any second.

“Agggghhhhhhhhh!!!!”

Wham!!! Even so, I hit that switch. My instincts are telling me to keep hitting it. That I should never stop.

The dream that feels like it could last an eternity ends abruptly.

“I lose.”

Ah ……

I collapse in front of the board, as if that voice were scissors that severed a puppet’s strings. My opponent has surrendered. Oh, so this wasn’t a dream. I’m so glad I kept moving pieces. I’m so glad I kept hitting that switch.

Glad ………… that my heart didn’t stop.

“M-Miss Sora? Are you feeling okay?”

A worried voice. Garnering concern from a defeated opponent, failure as a Shogi player …… Master will be angry with me ……

“…………… Just ………… fine …………”

“If you’re sure …… Good luck on the final day. I’ll be rooting for you.”

“…………”

Lowering my head takes every ounce of strength I have. Pathetic, so much so that my chest hurts even worse.

–––Two victories ……… Two victories again today ………… Still ……… only three …… losses ……

But just for a mere moment as I feel the tug of the rope around my neck… I’m standing on my tiptoes, not home free.

Far from it …… The rope could get tighter depending on how the other matches today played out ……

“………… Still ………… three losses ………… Consecutive wins ………… Two in a row …………”

“Sora.”

Somebody’s hand is on my shoulder.

The one saying my name with concern is a professional player, a Sub League director.

“Ah …………… I-I apologize. I’ll go to the meeting–––.”

“Everyone’s gone home. The 3-dans were the only ones playing today, so we decided not to hold a post-match meeting. I made the announcement this morning, remember?”

Looking up, I find that I’m the only one still left sitting on the floor of this large arena.

How long have I been here? I honestly have no idea.

Crouching down to my level, the director looks into my eyes and says with concern, “Are you alright, Sora?”

“Chu- ………… Nanzeki-sensei ……”

“Chuni is fine. No one else is here, see?”

Kansai Sub League Director Nanzeki 5-dan and I met seven years ago today when I took the Sub League Entrance Exam.

Even now, I clearly remember everything. It was an extremely hot afternoon in the middle of the Obon summer holiday.

He was in his second year in junior high, chu-ni or eighth grade, while I was a second-grade student in elementary school. I fell victim to the Sub League’s signature late-game tenacity and lost a match that I was on the verge of winning. I never surrendered, but I ran out of time.

I had a heart attack that day, one single move away from victory.

Of course, my Entrance Exam ended in failure.

I took it again the next year and passed, but …… After that day, I started targeting Mr. Nanzeki and calling him Chuni. I always volunteered to play against him when he was about to promote so that I could be the one to stop him. Looking back, I’m ashamed of myself.

I mean, it’s most likely my fault that he decided to become a director at such a young age ……

“Chuni ………… What were today’s results ……?”

“Kunugi and Mr. Karako each took their third loss. You and Mr. Kagamizu won both matches.”

“Sota and Mr. Karako, both ……?! ………… Wait. Does that mean, I …… I–––.”

Ba-thump! Ba-thump! My heart starts hammering away in my chest yet again.

No good ………… My brain won’t work ……

“Kagamizu has two losses. Karako, Sora and Kunugi have three. In other words, you have officially moved into third place. Even better, you play against the top two on the final day. Isn’t that great?”

The hand on my shoulder tightens as Chuni smiles.

…… Great? What’s great? I won’t understand unless you spell it out for me.

“You are in control, Sora.”

“……!!”

I have a hold on his arm the next thing I know. My grip is strong enough to sink my fingernails into his skin. The fog that clouded my vision lifts in the blink of an eye.

I control my own destiny.

I won’t have to wait to find out if I promote based on the other match results. I win, and I advance.

Win …… and I will become a professional!!

“I’m impressed you won in the shape you’re in. It’s true that neither of your opponents were facing demotion, win or lose, but both were among the best in Kanto’s Sub League. Seriously, you’ve gotten very strong. What secret magic did you use?”

“I’m not strong …… Nearly lost …………… I even thought I saw Master in the middle of the match ……”

“Kiyotaki-sensei is downstairs if you’d like to see him.”

“Huh?”

“The first day of the Sub League Entrance Exam was held today and he served as a judge. You didn’t know?”

“………… Master …… was ……………?”

Now that I think back on it, wasn’t Master the first one who rushed to my side when I collapsed even though he didn’t have a reason to be at the association that day?

Master standing over me, thick eyebrows high on his forehead, eyes trembling with worry. He looked so concerned at the time, but he avoided the subject altogether once I was home. He’s even been avoiding me recently, never home when I come to visit. Cowardly and also benevolent …… My master in a nutshell.

–––He was watching over me but never said a word …… And after how hard I had to fight to convince him to let me take the exam in the first place ……

That’s exactly like him. A single tear rolls down my cheek and hits the tatami mat.

“Are you in pain? I can call Kiyotaki-sensei for you.”

“No.”

Releasing my grip on Nanzeki-sensei’s arm, I will my leg muscles back to life and get to my feet.

“I’m just fine. I can walk on my own.”

I want to prove that I’m not the weak girl I used to be.

To show my concerned Master that I’m fine …… and make it so everyone can stop worrying about me.

“Hey there! Congrats on your wins!”

My next opponent …… and the person one place above me in the standings who carries the same three losses I do.

“Looks like neither of us can afford to let the first match on the final day slip away. I’m not sure if I wanted to declare war or to wish us both the best of luck, but still I wanted to say something and here I am.”

Shoji Karako 3-dan doesn’t let me get a word in edgewise and keeps on talking.

My adrenaline still hasn’t subsided, I’m thoroughly exhausted, and my voice is ragged …… But I won’t run away. I can’t let him see my weakness.

“I’ve got to tell you, Miss Sora, you’ve gotten pretty tough! I remember thinking you were a pretty strong girl when we played during my Admission Exam, but never in a million years did I think you could take that child prodigy! I was playing in Kanto that day, so I don’t know exactly how the match played out, but I hear it was really impressive. Scaaary.”

“…… I hear you beat Sota as well.”

“You’re the one who knocked him off his high horse, so beating him was a cinch. The boy lost again today, yeah? You passed by him because of the rankings, so his chances of promoting are pretty much gone.”

“I also heard that you lost.”

“Yep, to the top, Mr. Kagamizu.”

The acceptance in his eyes, it’s almost like he knew he would lose before the match even began. He even starts complimenting Mr. Kagamizu’s skills.

“Whew, he’s strong. His aura, too! I’m older, but there’s no way I could take the veteran seat from him! Well, I’ve got two years to work with while this season is his last chance, so I suppose that would make all the difference.”

“……”

–––He’s trying to get insurance right now.

Mr. Karako wants to make sure he can promote from second place. Defeating me directly would be the fastest way, but he needs me to lose my second match for any hope if I beat him.

My second opponent–––his promotion would hinge on my losing to Hiuma Kagamizu 3-dan.

–––How unfortunate for you, old man. No damage.

I know Mr. Kagamizu’s strength without being told because I’ve seen it with my own eyes more than anyone. The first 3-dan I met eleven years ago …… It was Mr. Kagamizu who proved to me exactly how amazing Sub League members are.

But the pitiful clown has no idea and keeps running his mouth.

“How old are you now, Ginko? Fifteen? That’s eleven years before the age limit kicks in, so you’ve got plenty of time …… Oh, almost forgot. You don’t know how much time you have, do you?”

After calling me by my first name like we’ve known each other for years–––he says something unbelievable.

“There’s no telling when your heart might give out.”

“?!”

Those words seize hold of me like an eagle snatching a fish out of water. I can’t breathe… at all.

How?

How ………… does he know …………?

“Are you sure you’ve recovered? Kiyoshi is a bit too much of an optimist, if you ask me. I saw you clutching your chest during your match today, you poor girl. How about going to the doctor? Oh, wait, they might force you to rest, which means you’d have to forfeit. Not that I would complain!”

“………… Did Dr. Akashi tell you about me?”

“Oh, no, no! He’s an upstanding doctor! Kiyoshi would never breach doctor-patient confidentiality. Haven’t seen him in over ten years, by the way.”

His words are so full of lies I can’t tell what’s true.

It’s not just his words, either.

That clownish smile of his must be fake as well.

–––This person …… Just who is he?

Part of me wants to know the real face beneath the clown makeup.

Getting distracted by something so trivial in the middle of a match would be horrible. But ……

The more I think about it, the more I realize that this is an off-the-board ploy designed to pressure me into igniting a bomb inside my rib cage. One that could go off on the final day.

“Oh! That’s right.”

As if setting up for the final blow, Mr. Karako prods at the dormant explosive in my chest.

“Do you know what happened to all the children you played Shogi with in your ward, Miss Sora?”

They were discharged, released from the hospital. That’s what I was told.

Just like me, they should be fully recovered and living full lives by now–––.

“They died. Every single one of them.”

With that, the clown passes by me and goes out the association’s front door.

After all the searing heat that pulsed through my body not so long ago, it’s now frigidly cold.

The air conditioning is probably turned up too high. That’s strange. The association never turns on the AC in the lobby. But this arctic chill has to be coming from the AC.

Because …… I’m shivering too hard to stand.

The Grade Schooler Practice Group, all wearing yukata and wooden sandals, walk down the shopping arcade as if they’re on the red carpet.

“You’re the Shogi girls, right? Good luck!”

“I got high hopes fer all ’o ya!”

“See you at the booth later tonight!”

All the people setting up for the festival say hello to them on the way by. The girls smile and wave right back.

It seems like somebody is saying hello to Ai with every step she takes. She’s a celebrity at this point. No one cares that her Master, the Ryuo, is literally two steps behind her ……

“Wow, Ai! You’re so popular, so good at Shogi and even taught us how to put on yukata!”

“I would expect nothing less from someone who grew up at a hot spring inn!”

Mio and Ayano, very happy with their yukata, shower Ai with compliments as they set up vinyl Shogi boards on a long table and line up plastic pieces on them once we get to the booth.

“The only hard part about yukata is the obi sash …… Oh, Master.”

“Hm?”

“Your collar is crooked. Come here.”

“S-Sure ……”

Doing as I’m told, Ai starts fixing the collar on my yukata.

H-Her face is so close ……

“Hey, hey, look at you!”

“Just like newlyweds on their honeymoon!”

But Ai just laughs off Mio and Ayano’s teasing with her grown-up smile. She’d always gotten defensive before.

Maybe she’s matured a bit? Or ……

“Cha, too! Cha wants to do neweewed dings wid Masta!”

Charlette puts down the Animal Shogi pieces she’d been stacking up and rushes over to me, but Ai doesn’t even flinch.

“But you’re going to be his apprentice, right Charlette? Which do you want to be, his apprentice or his wife?”

“Ohh? Umm …… Bwoth!!”

One heck of an answer. Mio’s eyes go huge.

“She’s going for both of them!”

“You can’t, Charlette. You only get one in the end, even if you go for two.” Ai calmly chides Charlette’s bad move but tightens her grip on my collar and says, “Isn’t that right, Master?”

“Hm?! W-Well, you know how it is. Don’t run a fork in the road as they say ……”

“That means you can only claim one in the end, so don’t fret. You’re seriously worthless trash, Sensei.”

That bratty tone could only be–––!!

“Ten-chan?!”

“Hmph! This is a shopping arcade? Hardly! It’s my first time setting foot in this dump, and it reeks of poverty!”

Wearing a black yukata of her own, the young girl flips her tied black hair, unusual for her, back over her shoulder like a bird’s wing as a taller woman, also in a black yukata, stands at her side.

My second apprentice, Ai Yashajin, and her bodyguard, Akira Ikeda.

Ai Hinatsuru happily waves at the new arrival and rushes up to greet her.

“Ten-chan! I didn’t think you were coming!! After all those invitations I sent, the only response I got was I don’t care–––.”

“D-Don’t get the wrong idea!! After Akira gave you that messed up suggestion …… As her employer, I have to accept responsibility!” Lady Ai Yashijin snaps back, her whole face turning bright red. The other girls just grin and invite her into the booth.

Visitors are starting to increase now that it’s past dinnertime. The Shogi booth is in full swing.

Passing out pamphlets explaining Shogi rules and Shogi puzzles she made herself to people in the street, Ai Hinatsuru is drawing in customers.

“Try out our wonderful prize machine! You don’t have to know about Shogi to enjoy the prizes!”

“Register for instructional matches over here! They’re real cheap!”

“Animal Showgi, wight ober hewe!”

Ayano targets the non-Shogi fans while Mio and Charlette try to get some business going. Ai Yashajin is reclining in the Shogi booth, waiting to do an instructional match. Meanwhile, Akira is fishing super balls out of an inflatable pool with the local kids. Talk about a free spirit.

Instructional matches with the Women’s League players Ai Hinatsuru and Ai Yashajin are 1,500 yen each. Mio and Ayano are still in the Practice League, so playing with them costs 500 yen, while a game of Animal Shogi with Charlette only costs 100 yen.

Mio is trying to use those prices to appeal to passersby.

“Play with the youngest Women’s League players ever, one time for 1,500 yen! Pair with a grade-school pro for only 1,500 yen! If you like amateurs better, you can try two grade school girls for 500 yen! Or you can try younger for 100!”

…… Out of context, that would be a bit …… Worried that some real perverts might get the wrong idea, I take a 10,000 yen bill out of my wallet, hand it to Ayano and place my order.

“100 rounds of Animal Shogi. Make out the receipt to Big Bro.”

Now those perverts won’t be able to go anywhere near Charlette because I’ve got her booked for the whole night!

Ai Hinatsuru rushes back to the table and says with a smile, “Master? Please stop playing around and do some work, okay?”

“…… A title holder shouldn’t be doing instructional matches for peanuts.”

The association won’t tell me what to charge, but working for a measly 1,500 yen feels ……

“You won’t be reprimanded for doing them at a small summer festival like this. Besides, the association asked us to work here.”

Now even Ai Yashajin is telling me to work, so I don’t have much of a choice anymore.

A customer shows up almost the second I sit down at the table.

“A four-piece handicap, please.”

“Ah, sure ……… Huh? Kanegasaka-sensei?!”

Misao Kanegasaka teaches at the nearby elementary school and is also Ai and Mio’s homeroom teacher. I’ve done Shogi lessons for her class, too.

“How nice of you to come. Are you here on your own time?”

“This is part of my job. It may be summer vacation, but teachers are still hard at work.”

It’s Obon, but they don’t get any time off ……? Grade school teachers really have it rough!

“Off-color individuals tend to congregate at events like this. Rather than scooping super balls or goldfish out of pools, they attempt to scoop up children for coins. As a teacher, I must be vigilant.”

“Oh, I see! Some people are just horrible!” I say with resentment while removing pieces from my side of the board. I don’t even notice how loud they snap.

“But if that’s why you’re here, are you sure you should be doing an instructional match? Shouldn’t you be walking around the festival ……?”

“It’s more efficient to keep suspicious individuals under observation, yes?”

What?! There’s someone after the girls here at this booth?!

“Where are they?! I’ll catch them myself!”

“In that case, please stay right where you are.”

A rather strange request, but that’s easy. All I have to do is do an instructional match. All right, the Ryuo is beefing up security!

After finishing up a 40-minute instructional match with Kanegasaka-sensei, the next customer steps up almost immediately.

“U-Ummm ………… A-A R-Rook handi- ………… Uh, two-piece handicap, please ……”

“Asuka! You too, Maestro?!”

The Worldly Maestro, Mitsuru Oishi 9-dan, and his daughter Asuka, who’s the same age as me, are at the booth.

“G-Good evening ………… I-I brought… something for you ……”

“Tonpeiyaki? Yaaay! Thanks, Asuka!” says Ai Hinatsuru from the other side of the table.

Asuka makes the best tonpeiyaki pancakes. Ai inhales those things. Considering she’s been working nonstop without taking time to eat or drink anything, I’m sure she’s thrilled to have something to snack on.

The girls start talking among themselves, so I decide to strike up a conversation with Asuka’s stone-faced father.

“I’m not used to seeing you in crowded places like this, Mr. Oishi.”

“Heh. I was looking forward to kickin’ back during the Obon holiday, but Asuka wouldn’t take no for an answer ……,” says Mr. Oishi with his head on a swivel.

“…… Say, Yaichi, is Ginko around?”

“Big Sis? She had 3-dan division matches today. I’m sure she went straight home …… Do you need to talk to her?”

“Nah, it’s not that important. Not that important, but ……”

Trailing off, the Maestro suddenly changes gears.

“I heard you’re challenging for the Crown. First off, congrats.”

“Thank you.”

I will avenge your defeat, Mr. Oishi! …… He’d tear into me if I actually said that.

It’s best for the junior to keep quiet at times like this. Now I get why Mr. Oishi came all the way out here in the first place.

“Let me share a piece of advice.”

“Please do.”

“That guy, Okito, he seemed to be trying to force a repetition draw whenever he was on defense. It’s a valid strategy for defenders, I know, but …… It felt excessive.”

Mr. Oishi doesn’t sound scared or frightened, more like he’s confused.

“It didn’t feel like an option on the table, but like he wanted to force a repetition draw no matter what …… Catch my drift?”

“Thank you very much. That’s very helpful information …… Extremely helpful.”

Even in the opening formation, the defender is rated at a very slight disadvantage. That’s why software gives the advantage to offense in Shogi.

Which means that software playing on defense will prioritize getting that negative rating as close to zero as possible.

Zero–––in other words, a repetition draw.

In a match pitting software against software where both programs only play the best move available, that opening formation rating gap never changes. The two programs will keep playing forever.

Repetition draws and stalemates have gone way up as a result.

Rules have even changed for software tournaments to compensate.

“………… If he was already that way during the title match against you, Mr. Oishi …… Then it must be true Mr. Okito …… No, maybe not yet …………”

“Heeeello?”

A woman’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

“May I trouble you for an instructional match, handsome young man?”

“Oh, yes, sure! …… Wait, Keika?!”

Standing across the table from me is Keika, decked out in a summery yukata.

Of course I recognized her voice, but …… I never thought she’d come here wearing that. She’s enthralling, to say the least.

E-Especially …… that slightly open collaaaaaar ……!!

“Yaichi, that was quite a face you were making. What’s on your mind?”

“C-Cleav- …… No. Mr. Oishi told me something very interesting.”

Apparently, I had sunk so deep into the ocean of consideration after he gave me that tip that I didn’t notice the Maestro went off for a smoke and that Ai is doing an instructional match with Asuka right now.

“But Keika, you’re not serious about getting an instructional match, are you?”

“Sorry, Yaichi. The match isn’t for me.”

Saying so, Keika steps to the side and …… reveals a floral fairy behind her.

“Huh? …… Big Sis?”

Right after her 3-dan division matches? She still came? Even did her hair?

On a side note, the director already sent me the results, so I know exactly what happened. But I can’t let her know that I’ve been getting messages behind her back, so I ask Big Sis with a flower in her beautifully braided hair as calmly as I can, “Are pigs flying? Because you’ve never gone to events no matter how many times the association has asked you to before, so why in the world would you show up to a tiny summer festival in a shopping arcade like this–––?”

“Hah? What’s so bad about taking a break to visit a festival? Is there a rule that requires all 3-dan division members to hole themselves up in their houses and do research from dusk until dawn? Want your head on a pike?”

“Easy …… I-I never said it was a bad thing ……”

Keika grabs Big Sis by the arm and pulls her back to keep her from sinking her teeth into me and then says, “Come on, you two. Isn’t there something else you want to say?”

“…………”

Going quiet, all sorts of different emotions suddenly erupt inside both of us. I get a handle on all of them right away, but …… The pit of my chest is burning ……

Too embarrassed to look her in the eyes, I stare at the table and say what I really feel.

“……… It’s nice, to see your face.”

“………………… Doufu ……”

That’s all Big Sis says. That by itself …… is enough to make butterflies dance in my chest.

She couldn’t have had much time to prepare at all. Still wearing her school uniform, she braided her hair so that she could fit in with everyone else at the festival, even just a little bit. She accessorized, too. Would it be too much to think she made herself pretty just for me?

–––But …… I’m allowed to think so, right?

Desperately fighting back the urge to hug her right here and now, I do everything in my power to burn this moment into my memory. I want how she looks right now to come to mind when my spirit is about to break in the upcoming battle ……

“Ah! It’s Sora-sensei!”

“Wady Snow White!”

Mio and Charlette recognize Big Sis and rush over to say hello. Now that I think about it, these girls and Big Sis have become pretty close after meeting at the first Grade Schooler Practice Group session.

Their eyes sparkled with admiration the first time they saw Big Sis but they couldn’t do much else.

Now they’re just fine running right up to her–––.

“Sora-sensei! Try our prize machine!”

“It’s 200 yen to turn the dial.”

N-N-N-NOOOOOOOO!! Don’t you DAAAAAARRRRREEEEEE!!

“Big Sis! Th-That’s for, um …… for kids! Those are kids’ prizes! An adult like yourself should show some restraint! You are an adult, right Big Sis?!”

“…… You’re acting suspicious.”

The bustline of a kid but the mind of a full-grown adult, Big Sis’s keen senses pick up on something fishy. So she pesters another adult woman for coins.

“Keika. Allowance.”

“No, no. You make enough money on your own now, right Ginko?”

Keika politely refuses Big Sis’s request and looks me right in the eyes.

“You owe me one, okay?”

“Yes. I’ll pay you back even if it takes the rest of my life.”

If Ginko and I ever get to the point that we’re officially dating, I’ll never be on equal footing with Keika again …… Not that I am right now, though.

Desperate to change the subject, I ask Keika about something that seems off.

“By the way, where’s Master?”

“Today was his first day overseeing the Sub League Entrance Exam, remember? Uncle Seiichi asked him to fill in this year.”

“Master… a judge? Those poor kids ……,” I mutter before stopping myself, but Big Sis nods.

“Doufu. Just as Yaichi says, it’s hot and humid enough in those rooms as it is, but having to look at those gray whiskers of his all day would make me want to die.”

“I didn’t go anywhere near that far!!”

Our first comically meaningless argument in forever continues until.

“Master. Sorry to disturb you when you’re busy.”

Ai Hinatsuru calls out to me in that mature tone of hers. Big Sis glares at her, but Ai is taking extra steps to make sure that she avoids making eye contact at all costs …… Oh, boy ……

“S-Sorry, Ai! I need to get back to doing matches, don’t I?! Tell you what, I’ll do four once, no, ten–––!”

“That won’t be nearly enough.”

“Huh?”

“We have a big problem.”

“Huuuuh?! Wh-Where’d all these people come from?!”

I was so wrapped up in Big Sis I didn’t notice, but …… There’s a huge crowd of people surrounding the Shogi booth right now.

And, I’m ………… not the one they came to see.

“…… That’s Naniwa’s Snow White, isn’t she?”

“No way! It’s really her?!”

“You’d never find a cuter girl anywhere! Look at that silver hair! It’s natural, too!!”

“I, like, have to be dreaming! OMG, I’m a huuuuuuge fan!!”

It’s not just Shogi fans. Actually I’d say they’re in the minority.

More and more people of all ages are flooding in with their smartphone cameras ready. The crowd is blocking the entire street around the booth.

This is some TV star power right here …… Wait, Big Sis is on TV quite a bit, so her ability to draw a crowd is hitting full-blown celebrity levels.

All these people are thinking they have a chance to shake Naniwa’s Snow White’s hand and take a picture with her, so they start lining up. Th-The whole booth is going to get overrun at this rate ……!

“…… Fine, I’ll fix this. Yaichi, out of the way.”

“Huh?!”

Ai’s, Keika’s and my voice all harmonize in shock.

It’s extremely rare for Big Sis to even show her face at events, let alone little ones like this summer festival …… But now she’s talking with the fans?! This’ll make the news!!

“I-I never thought I’d see the day you would volunteer for this, Ginko …… Has there been a change in the wind?” Keika remarks.

“Ha-ha-ha. Just as long as it doesn’t bring any rain,” I jokingly add.

Just then.

Plip ………… Plip …………

“Hm?”

Shhaaaaaaaaaaaaaa––––––……!!

“Dahhh! A downpour?!”

“Eeeek!!”

“Th-That’s lightning! It’s close! Everyone… get inside, quick!”

“Hail, too?!! The heck is going on?!”

The people lined up in front of the booth scream and run for cover.

Just when I thought a few drops were running down my cheek, rain starts coming down in buckets!

Lightning… and hail! In the middle of summer?! The whole shopping arcade is panicking.

Of course, the Shogi booth is pure chaos with everyone trying to get under the eaves of nearby shops.

Ai angrily glares at Big Sis and yells, “What do you have to say for yourself?! Everyone worked so hard on this, and now …… Half of our summer vacation is wasted!!”

“Th-This isn’t my fault! …… Now is it?”

Big Sis looks over at me, unsure. Dou …… fu?

“Wheew, this doesn’t look like it’ll lighten up anytime soon ……”

“It’s a good thing the pieces and boards are not made of wood ……,” say Mio and Ayano as they quickly gather up the Animal Shogi set. It’s made of cardboard, so it’ll get mushy if it gets wet …… The vinyl boards and plastic pieces are getting soaked in the rain, but there’s not much we can do about that at this point.

If only there was a place where we could keep doing instructional matches–––.

“Big Sis. The 3-dan division matches are over, right? Do you think we could take everyone to the arena or the multipurpose room at the association?”

“And how exactly are we supposed to transport this many people in the middle of this downpour?”

“…… Good point.”

Well, my apartment is nearby. Then again, I wouldn’t care if it was just me, but my grade school-aged apprentice lives there, too. Having so many strangers know where we live wouldn’t be a good idea …… Not that all these people would fit in there in the first place ……

Just as that thought crosses my mind…

Kanegasaka-sensei arrives back on the scene with a solution.

“Permission has been granted. Everyone, please make your way to Kita Fukushima Elementary.”

Despite a large group of people engrossed in instructional matches and Animal Shogi not too far away, Ai Hinatsuru sat by herself just inside the front hallway.

It was her job to draw in any customers who happened to pass by.

–––…… That’s… not all ……

The printouts she made are stacked in a pile on the desk in front of her, Ai lets her legs swing beneath her folding chair as she, stubbornly, avoids looking at the group.

After all, there was something there she would rather not see.

Much to her dismay, that something not only approached, but started talking to her.

“May I sit?”

“No.”

“Thanks,” Ginko Sora snaps in response and takes a seat next to Ai without another word.

Ai, looking the other way, grumbles, “………… I said no.”

“Did you say something? You need to speak up when it’s raining this hard, otherwise I won’t hear you.”

“Darabuchi ……”

“As I don’t know what that means, I’ll take it as a compliment.”

Then, Ginko puts on an arrogant air as she appraises the summer festival.

“Things turned out pretty well for being planned by a pipsqueak. About 60 points, maybe?”

“It would’ve been a perfect 100 if someone hadn’t shown up and brought rain with them.”

“…………”

“…………”

The air between the two was rife with tension despite the lack of eye contact.

I can’t stand this girl!

That was the one thing they agreed upon. That, and that alone.

“Heh ……,” Ginko scoffed through her nose, glancing down at Ai’s printouts like a sister-in-law berating a wife who can’t cook or clean.

“What is this Shogi puzzle supposed to be? Are you trying to push fans away, giving people who know nothing about Shogi something this difficult? Besides, what’s the point in working through so many moves in the first place?”

“Solving puzzles has been said to be the best training method for a long, long time. Since you seem to be having trouble in the 3-dan division, Sora-sensei, would you like my copies of Shogi Musou and Shogi Zukou? I’ve already solved and memorized all their puzzles!”

“The boastings of a child who doesn’t know real competition. Solve all the puzzles you want; they’ll never make you stronger.”

“You don’t have to act all high and mighty just because you can’t solve it.”

“Say that again.”

Ginko grabs a printout off the pile and starts reading.

“………Reverse Check and idouai, yes? Interesting, but that combination would never happen in an actual match.”

The key to her puzzle revealed in an instant, Ai was flabbergasted.

Reverse Check is a situation in which a player in check moves their King out of the way or deploys a piece, which consequently puts their opponent in check.

An idouai is when a player’s only viable option is to move a piece already on the board to block a check rather than deploy a piece from their piece stand.

On their own, both only appear in matches once in a blue moon.

Therefore, they are a blind spot of sorts for many players and thus often used in Shogi puzzles.

This particular puzzle has over 100 possible sequences, and only once the end is reached can someone realize they are the key to the final answer.

In other words, Ginko worked through that many sequences in the blink of an eye. She got to the core of Ai’s painstakingly crafted puzzle in mere seconds.

–––Is this …… how strong 3-dans are ……?

In an attempt to cheer herself up after this overwhelming realization, Ai put on airs of her own.

“S-So? That’s one of the easy ones! I could make something so much harder if I tried!!”

Then she flipped a printout over and started drawing out a brand-new puzzle.

“This one is based on a sequence I used in a real match, for your information. If you can’t solve it, that means you’ll never figure it out in a real match!! It’s a Double King problem, the piece stand has–––.”

Ginko watched the girl set to work for a few moments before whispering under her breath.

“………… Please, watch out for Yaichi.”

“Huh?”

“He doesn’t see anything else when he is focused on Shogi, especially during title matches. He’ll work himself sick, forget to eat ……”

Ginko thinks through a virtual treasure trove of memories and recounts one in particular.

“He’s always been that way. He nearly got pneumonia more than once because he came up with something in the bathtub and got out to work through that sequence, but forgot to put on clothes first. Seriously, Shogi is all he thinks about. Falling into open manholes, missing his train stop and causing all sort of problems …… I had to go get him every time something happened… so that he wouldn’t end up on the other side.”

“………… What’s that supposed to mean ……?” Ai retorted, trembling. “Is that your way of telling me you’ve known him longer than I have?! Well, I know more about him than you do!! I live with him, so I know so many things that you don’t!!”

“Sorry to break it to you, but I’m not backing down. I’m number one,” said Ginko in no uncertain terms. “But please: stop Yaichi if he starts going astray. Grab his hand and pull him back.”

“If you’re that worried–––!”

Then why don’t you do it yourself?!

Ai managed to stop herself from saying that at the last second. The very thought of Ginko saying, “Then I will,” frightened her beyond words.

She had her suspicions.

But …… she was afraid to find out for sure.

“…………………”

Ai fell silent. In a Shogi match that has already been lost, the situation worsens no matter what move is made.

However …… she would not give in. Surrendering was the one thing she absolutely refused to do ……

“Your Shogi is good enough as it is,” Ginko said as she neatly folded Ai’s newly drawn Shogi puzzle and put it into her pocket as she stood up. “Keep going straight forward on your own path. I may not need these long sequence puzzles, but they could be vital to your success. You may be able to absorb ideas Yaichi comes up with that I will never understand… being the Shogi Martians that both of you are.”

Shogi Martians?

Ai couldn’t understand the meaning behind Ginko’s words.

Was this some backhanded attempt at encouragement? Or–––.

“I was hoping for one more chance ………… to play against a stronger Ai Hinatsuru.”

“Huh ……?”

–––She, she just said my name for the first time ever ……?! Wait, before that ……

However, Ginko opened an umbrella and stepped outside before Ai had a chance to ask.

She disappeared into the squall in a matter of moments.

All by herself… into the darkness.

“What did you mean by that ……?” Ai whispers at the frigid air still glinting silver where Ginko had passed.

For some reason, she couldn’t stop trembling.

Three young girls met at Twelve on the first floor of the Kansai Shogi Association building to conduct an extremely cute get-together of sorts.

“The second Kuzuryu Shogi family meeting is in session!!”

“Secwond Kuduwu meetwing! …… What’s dat?”

“………………”

The three participants, however, had differing levels of enthusiasm on the matter.

Ai Hinatsuru, the first apprentice and leader of the meeting, was ready and raring to go.

The second apprentice, Ai Yashajin, was far less so. Ten-chan couldn’t keep up with her older sister apprentice as Ai seemed bizarrely energetic these days. Perhaps it was the summer weather?

“I came all the way here because you wanted to talk about something in secret, but are you sure we should be doing this here? What if a customer comes in?”

“There are a few hours between lunchtime and when the restaurant opens for dinner, so the owner said we could have the place to ourselves. Ah! He went home to relax, so it’s okay to share secrets!”

“You realize we’re just watching the store for him, right ……?”

After serving on the committee for the summer festival, Ai Hinatsuru had become somewhat of a bigwig in the Fukushima district. She could throw her weight around.

“Oh, and by the way, that time when you complimented me on my article about your match was the first meeting! Let’s be open about how we really feel just like we were back then, okay?”

“Fine by me. But ……”

“But what?”

“What is …… the golden French fry doing here?” said Ten-chan, jerking her face at the girl sitting across the table.

“Uhh?”

As for Charlette, she did not understand what was about to take place. The one thing she did know, however, was that she could spend time with two of her favorite people: Ai and Ten-chan. That alone made her happy to be there.

Ai explained her reasoning. “Charlette is an apprentice in training. Isn’t that right?”

“Oui!”

Giddily slapping her hands on the table, Yaichi Kuzuryu’s (prospective) third apprentice nodded with a big smile on her face.

“Masta, Masta said Cha can be his apwentice!”

“Huuh? When?”

“At the King of Naniwa Tournament. Charlette fought so hard in the Lower Grade Division that she passed out. Apparently Master got so caught up in the moment that he said he would take her ……”

“Cha, Cha twied bewwy hawd and Masta gabe Cha a tweat!” said Charlette, her eyes twinkling with glee.

All the while, blue veins started to pulse on Ten-chan’s wide forehead as she listened to the story.

“That utter piece of trash! Taking on yet another girl …… He just can’t help himself, can he?!”

“Ten-chan …… Yew don’ like Cha being Masta’s apwentice?”

The young girl looked up at her (soon-to-be) older sister apprentice with heartbroken eyes.

Even Ten-chan couldn’t find it in her heart to say no to the gaze of an abandoned puppy.

“………… Well, French fry, you always have been Trash’s favorite. I suppose this is better than that you can be my wife nonsense he used to spout.”

“Yaaay! Cha, Cha lubs Ten-chan!!”

“In exchange, you will respect me as your older sister apprentice! Refer to me as Miss Yashajin this instant!”

“Yabashin?”

“Ya! Sha! Jin! Don’t forget the Miss!”

“Misyavawhin?”

“Not even close! ……Yava …… No, Miss Yashajin!!”

“Ya ……… Virgin?”

“Not virgin! Well yes, but say it right!!”

Ai watched their exchange and giggled to herself as Ten-chan angrily pounded on the table.

“Aha-ha! It looks like Charlette can’t yet,” she added with a grin.

“Can’t do what? I won’t accept her as a member of this Shogi family if she can’t properly follow the rules.”

“Well, Ten-chan, you properly respect me as your older sister apprentice, right?”

“Ugh ……”

“Now back to the meeting! There’s something very important to talk about!”

Now it was Ai’s turn to smack the table.

Exhaustion already on her face, Ten-chan got the ball rolling.

“Ginko Sora said something weird to you, right? I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious, but what did she say, exactly?”

“You see–––…”

Ai recounted the conversation she had with Sora-sensei on the day of the summer festival.

It was a long story with several complicated elements, meaning Charlette lost track of it within moments and simply stared up at the other girls for the duration.

Ten-chan, on the other hand, was burning with rage.

“Are you serious? Is that her way of saying she’ll never have a chance to play against you again because she’s going to be a professional?”

“So, you think so too?”

“What else could she have meant? My word! Is she that confident that she’ll make it through the 3-dan division so easily? Defeating Sota Kunugi doesn’t mean you can get full of yourself!”

“But she’s just one victory behind Mr. Kagamizu at the top, isn’t she? Maybe that’s why she’s so confident.”

“She’s ranked second from the bottom, remember? Those rankings are used as a tiebreaker in case two players finish with the same number of victory stars. Besides, even our sensei couldn’t get through the division in a single season.”

“If Auntie does become a professional …… what happens to her Women’s Titles?”

“You should really look into that much yourself.”

Ten-chan was clearly irritated, but still succinctly explained everything for her older sister apprentice.

“As the rules stand now, a professional player cannot participate in the Women’s League. In other words, the titles in Ginko Sora’s possession, Queen and Women’s Throne, will have to be returned.”

“So the Challenger Match would become the Title Match?”

“Yes, it would. It’s the same as the year they were introduced,” Ten-chan said with a nod before adding an even more meaningful statement under her breath. “…… Well, personally I don’t think the association or the league sponsors will just let Ginko Sora walk away so easily.”

“Uwhee ……?”

“More importantly!”

Wham!! Ten-chan slammed her palms onto the table as she cut to the chase.

The most important topic for discussion during this iteration of the Kuzuyu Shogi family meeting, that being–––.

“What is her and Sensei’s relationship? Is it true that things seem suspicious?”

“……………… Yes ……”

“How far along are they?”

“Fourth row ………… Probably ……”

“Fourth row ……? Worse than I thought.”

The two rated the possible romantic relationship in Shogi terms. Even slow-moving Pawns can promote with a single move from the fourth row.

Both Ai and Ten-chan seemed to sense danger looming, but ……

“And you’re okay with this?”

“No! Of course, I’m not!!” Ai yelled back instantaneously, her face turning sour.

“But …… I live with Master, and I’ve been watching him for so long …… I can tell exactly what he’s thinking ………… So–––.”

“What? Are you bragging now too?”

“I just ………… I can tell where Master’s heart is ……”

“…………”

Ten-chan didn’t say a word as Ai struggled to form words through the pain and longing in her heart.

She had seen Ai struggle to speak like this once before.

It was the first time they ever played Shogi.

That was the same face Ai had made after letting a seven move check path slip through her fingers ……

A few heavy moments passed before Ten-chan broke the silence.

“Have you ever considered how I felt when I learned that Yaichi Kuzuryu had taken an apprentice?”

“Huh ……?”

“It wasn’t so simple as how could he?! or that jerk! It was the despair of watching the world I had always believed in come crumbling down. My parents had always told me I would be Yaichi Kuzuryu’s first apprentice, that he would come for me one day and I believed every word.”

“Ten …… chan …………”

“I kept playing Shogi by myself in my family’s manor until that day, never questioning that the prince would arrive at my doorstep. Hah! Laughable, isn’t it? Life never works that way.”

Humph …… Ten-chan snorts through her nose, scoffing at her former self.

“The reality was that he took some novice who showed up at his door as an apprentice before ever realizing that I, with my years of experience, even existed ……”

“Is that why ………… you had the association dispatch a teacher all those times? Not request him as a Master?”

“It was. Yet I still couldn’t ask him to take me as an apprentice to his face. I didn’t want to accept it. I wanted to be Yaichi Kuzuryu’s apprentice for so much longer, and yet …… I was passed up for a girl my age who had only been playing for a mere six months.”

“Ten-chan …… I-I didn’t know–––.”

“You’re the one who opened up first.”

So this time I’m returning the favor.

Social interaction was far from Ten-chan’s strong suit, but the bond she shared with her sister through Shogi gave her the strength to keep talking.

“The feelings you keep bottled up inside are pointless unless you act on them.”

“……!”

Ten-chan said bluntly.

With no uncertainty in her eyes whatsoever.

“No matter how lofty your goals, how perfect your plans are, without taking that first step …… Without the courage to step forward, nothing will ever happen. It sounds corny, but nothing starts without taking action.”

“The courage ………… to take the first step ……”

Ai tightened her grip on the fan in her hand.

A present from her Master, it was her most prized possession and never left her person.

“I fought against Ginko Sora once, and I failed. Utterly failed. I committed myself wholeheartedly, poured as much effort into research as I possibly could, and still failed,” Ten-chan continued.

However, rather than speaking to Ai across the table, her words were aimed more or less at herself.

“There was nothing more I could’ve done to prepare, and I lost …… My heart has never been so broken as it was that day. My composure, my pride, my confidence, everything was in shambles. I never thought I would recover. Not until I broke, that is.”

“……!!”

“Precisely because I was so thoroughly defeated, losing doesn’t scare me anymore. There’s no other direction to go but up once you hit rock bottom. It makes everything surprisingly simple.”

With that, a smile came to Ten-chan’s lips. She flipped her hair like a black wing over her shoulder.

“My mind is made up; I will fight. I couldn’t care less how bad I get hurt or if my heart breaks again!”

“Ten-chan ……”

“I’m grateful to you. Grateful because I didn’t become his number one. Seeing him choose someone else is what made me as strong as I am today.”

Ten-chan lifted her hand into the air.

“It gave me the will to resist, no matter how unseemly. Even yukata at summer festivals are fair game. The me willing to go to any lengths to win is far stronger than who I was… stronger than the girl who only waited.”

Clenching her raised hand into a fist, Ten-chan poured her heart and soul into every word.

“Make your choice, and make it happen with your own hands. I figured out that nothing else is worth it.”

Then she posed this question.

“What about you, Ai Hinatsuru?”

“I ……”

Both of her hands clung to the fan in her grasp because they had nothing else to hold on to.

“………… I don’t know. I don’t know what to do ……”

I don’t have …… that kind of courage ……

Watching the girl on the verge of tears squeeze the fan where the person she loved had written courage, Charlette asked, “Does yewr tummy huwt?” and “Awe yew okay?” but her words merely echoed off the empty restaurant’s walls.

“It is?! O-Oh …… Sorry about that.”

Quickly grabbing at my collar, I apologize to a girl eight years younger than me.

The girl who gave me this necktie as a gift–––the dressed-up Ai Yashajin–––is furious with me.

The angrier she is, the prettier she gets.

Getting overwhelmed by my apprentice, I try to explain myself.

“Ties need to be broken in, and it’s the first time I’ve worn this one …… It’s good quality fabric, but that makes it slip and slide around. Judging the length is also really hard to do, and with all these nice clothes, it–––.”

“Just let me fix it for you already! Lean in closer.”

“…… Sorry. I really do like the present, though.”

Back on the day of summer festival, just before going home…

Ai Yashajin gave me a really expensive necktie.

“For your birthday, and to say congratulations on getting to the title match. But don’t go getting the wrong idea. My sensei looking like a slob in front of everyone would be more humiliating than I can stand.”

Never in a million years did I think Ai would give me a present. Not only that, it’s something I can use for a long time. So I was surprised by the gesture, and also by how grateful I was.

“Thank you so much! I have to wear kimono for the title matches, so I’ll wear it at the opening night party.”

“I couldn’t care less. This tie isn’t for that night anyway.”

“Huh? Then …… what is it for?”

“My next lesson will be at a place with the dress code. That’s what the tie is for.”

“D-Dress code?”

“Be sure to wear a matching suit.”

…… And, well, here we are.

Dressed in my best suit, I just spent two hours instructing Ai on a terrace with an ocean view. Now, the two of us are on our way to dinner someplace else in the same building.

It’s in the hallway that I get scolded for the crooked tie.

In the end, Ai gives up on fixing it and just reties the whole thing like she’s done it hundreds of times.

“That suit isn’t half bad. When do you wear it? I’ve never seen you wear this one to any of your matches.”

“Sitting on ankles can really be hard on suit pants. They wear out pretty quick. That’s why I never wear expensive suits to matches.”

Either I buy a bunch of suit pants that match one jacket or get suits that are so cheap I don’t care if the pants get ruined.

“Okay then, when?”

“For events where I don’t play Shogi. Someone else’s anointing ceremony, stuff like that. Oh, and I wore it when I made my 4-dan debut announcement. I became a pro in this suit.”

“Is that right ……? It must be very important to you.”

“Yeah. Big Sis picked it out for me.”

“So that’s why it looks horrible on you.”

“Dah?! H-Hey, Ai! That’s too tight, too tight ……!”