Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 1 - Chapter Ep

☖ EPILOGUE

“Has it already been a week since Ai went home to the north coast ……? Time sure flies,” Keika says along with a really, really long sigh as the two of us drink coffee after grabbing lunch at Twelve on the first floor of the association.

“She wasn’t here that long, but there’s something about her that makes it feel like she was always with us …… It’s almost like there’s a big hole in the classroom where she should be.”

“…… Yeah.”

“Are you lonely? …… I suppose I don’t have to ask.”

“……”

I silently take another swig of coffee. That warm bitterness spreads out inside my mouth.

It’s still pretty early in the afternoon, so Keika and I have the horseshoe-shaped counter all to ourselves. The always-quiet chef is cooped up in the kitchen.

A week has passed.

News of the “Ryuo Ai-Prostration Incident” spread across the Shogi world like wildfire. Everyone involved with Shogi knows. I even got a message from Ayumu in Tokyo later that day. Thanks to smartphones and the Internet, there’s no time lag between Kanto and Kansai. Information travels fast.

The Shogi chatrooms seem to know a little too much, discussing everything at length at the same time reputable sites were starting to post articles.

“What’s up with the fourth junior high school Shogi pro, youngest title holder in history and now youngest player to ever take an apprentice, Yaichi Kuzuryu-Ryuo?!”

“I heard it’s a 9-year-old girl apprentice.”

“Apparently he said, ‘Give me your daughter’ to her parents with his head on the floor—had to be a shock to the parents.”

“Then that’s why they took her home right away! I would too!”

“You guys hear that the Kansai pros call him ‘Loli King’? Haha I can’t laugh lol.”

“So he’s got a second title now …… The guy’s on a roll ……”

“There’s also evidence he rounded up a bunch of grade school girls for a practice session in his apartment.”

“For real, practicing what?”

An insider has to be involved, yeah? For me, the fact that Loli King came up makes Big Sis suspect number one.

“…… Even my father is grumbling.”

“Master too?”

“Yes. My cute little granddaughter has up and gone home without sayin’ goodbye. Woe is me, woe is me. You get the picture.”

Keika drinks the last of her coffee and puts the cup down on the saucer.

“That’s why he wants to make sure that Ai stays at the house when she comes back today, no matter what. Have the whole family tree sleeping side-by-side for the first time in a while.”

“Sounds great. Ai’ll be thrilled.”

She went back to the north coast with her parents to make all the necessary arrangements to transfer schools and prepare for the move, but today’s the day that she comes back to Osaka to put her nose to the grindstone and start training.

I knew she was coming right back, but it’s been a long week ……

“She’s taking the afternoon train by herself, right?”

“Yep. By herself.”

Ai’s parents only had this to say about me taking her as my apprentice: “There’s no point in going through with it unless you’re as stern as possible at all times. So, please don’t go easy on her.”

“Ai is coming here with the mindset that she won’t go home without claiming her first women’s title. So, as her Master, I intend to not only push her to the limit in Shogi, but to be strict with everything else too. She’ll never, ever, get special treatment!”

“One of those let your darling children travel kind of things?”

“Then again, it’s a bit dangerous for her to walk alone through the city, so I was thinking of meeting her at Osaka station. But I haven’t heard a peep from her.”

“Meet her at the station? …… Fukushima Station is just down the street from here, one stop away from Osaka.”

“Open your eyes! Think, Keika!! A girl that cute walking through Osaka City is bound to get scouted by who knows what agency?! What if she decides to take up an offer for modeling or acting and completely ignores Shogi …… I’m her Master!! It’s my job to protect her from those things?!”

“……… And? She’s coming directly to us after getting off the train?”

“That depends on how much she brought with her, I guess. She sent most of her stuff to my apartment in boxes already, so she might bring a bag but that’s about it.”

I did some asking around and set up a welcome party at Master’s house tonight. Everyone that was part of the Grade Schooler Practice Group is coming.

“By the way, Yaichi. Did you tell Ginko about the party tonight?”

“Me?! I thought you were going to tell her?!”

“I haven’t said a thing?! You made the arrangements, so that’s your job?!”

“I-I think she’d be much more receptive if you give her the invitation ……?”

“This is your apprentice’s welcome party. How will it look if you, the Master, can’t do the simple things?”

Well, I guess there’s no room to retreat now. Oh boy ……

“Then, um …… Calling her scares me …… So, I’ll send the message ……”

“Don’t bother.”

“!!”

“I heard everything.”

“B …… Big Sisss ……”

Big Sis walks into the suddenly quiet restaurant and orders without even glancing at the menu. “Dynamite, C set.” Ordering the manliest item on the menu, she takes a seat next to me.

Keika panics and starts spouting excuses.

“G-Ginko. No one was leaving you out, okay? There was just a little confusion about who was supposed to tell who because the organizer is even more useless than I thought——.”

“Isn’t that going a little too far, Keika?! Useless?! A little much don’t you think?!”

“Well, I’ve got cooking to do! See you later!”

She leaves some money on the counter and makes a quick exit.

Now it’s just me and Big Sis in the restaurant.

“……”

“……”

“……”

“…… Um, Big Sis? A-about the party tonight——.”

“Sauce.”

“Huh?”

“It’s almost out so get more.”

Big Sis didn’t say another word after that.

Just to translate for people unfamiliar with how she communicates, that’s her way of saying, “I’m going.” Big Sis likes to use a lot of sauce, so buy another bottle because she’ll use it.

Ever since she was four years old …… ever since our first game of Shogi, she’s never said what she means. That’s just how Ginko is.

Now that Big Sis is officially coming tonight, I left Twelve feeling so light and free that I could swear I had wings. Picking up the bill didn’t bother me one bit.

“By the way, never would have guessed that’s what Dynamite was …… Never in a million years. Even a pro Shogi player wouldn’t see that coming ……”

Basking in the joy that comes from solving a mystery that plagued me for years, my smartphone buzzes.

“I’m here.”

That’s all the message said.

I pick up the pace a bit. She didn’t exactly say where here is though.

But I had an idea.

A part of me knew where Ai would want our reunion to be even before her message came. So I made sure the door was always unlocked.

I walk through Naniwa toward the station.

Cross the crosswalk.

Go into the shopping district and pass in front of a small supermarket.

Then, the instant I open my apartment’s front door——I hear the same words I heard that day, “Welcome home! Master!!”

“…… Thanks.”

I give Ai, backpack still strapped to her shoulders, one heck of a smile. Tomorrow’s as good a day as any to start being strict.

“I’m Ai Hinatsuru, a fourth grader!” said the girl who has grown a little bit since we first met, just like that day but with even more energy and an even happier grin on her face.

“As promised, I’m here to be your apprentice!!”