☗ APPRENTICE, BY FORCE
Let’s sort a few things out.
There’s a little girl in my room, a room that should have been empty, looking at me with sparkling eyes.
An extremely cute girl.
As for age … Probably in elementary school. The backpack over her shoulders is a pretty good hint.
She’s sitting on her ankles right in front of me, delicate arms and legs tucked away in perfect posture and staring up at my face with puppy dog eyes in the entrance way. There’s a pull-string bag at her side.
Look familiar …? No.
So an elementary school girl who I’ve never seen before is, for some reason, in my apartment.
I have, by the way, been living in this two-bedroom apartment ever since I graduated from junior high.
One room would’ve been enough, but I ended up with this one because Big Sis seemed to like it. First of all, I’m not sure why she tagged along on my house hunt at all, but I really don’t understand why her opinion carried more weight than mine. It’s my place, yeah?
But enough about that.
I need to focus on the grade schooler in front of me right now.
Wait a sec. I’ve got a funny feeling she said something really weird just a moment ago …
“Well, ummm … You are? And why are you in my room?”
“Yes! You’re Yaichi Ku! Kujuryuryu!”
Stuttering!
“A-are you all right? Your tongue is gonna have a hernia at this rate …”
“… I’m aright …”
Looks painful.
Tears in her eyes, she waits for her tongue to recover and says “Kuju … Kuzryu …” over and over, trying to say my name. Hang in there, kiddo!
Then——.
“Kuhyu … Ku … Kuju … Sensei, right?!”
She threw in the towel!!
“That’s me, yeah …”
This might take forever if I took a dig at her now. And forever gets me nowhere. So I just nod.
But I’m surprised.
As the youngest title holder in history, my picture gets circulated all over the Internet. I still get stopped on the street every now and then. You’re that Shogi kid, right? Brighten up, would ya? Well screw you.
But this little girl just called me by my full name, even adding “sensei.” That’s the first time that’s ever happened outside of the Shogi Association, not that she can say my full name, but hey.
That word from a grade schooler I’ve never seen before is actually quite a shock.
“I’m here to become your apprentice, like you promised!!”
Huh?
“What? … My apprentice? Come again?”
“Yes! Um … yes!!”
“Me? I made a promise to take you as my apprentice? You?”
“YES!!”
“I did? When?”
“Huh? U-um … last year … during the Ryuo Title Match …”
“…?”
“… Don’t you remember?”
Her anxious voice in my ears, I reflect back on that fateful day three months ago, the title match——.
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