Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 13 - Chapter 1

TERMINAL: THE FINAL GRADE SCHOOLER PRACTICE GROUP SESSION PART 1

I–––Ai Hinatsuru–––have a particular habit.

And that is looking up words that I’ve never heard before.

My mom, the owner and manager of The Hinatsuru Inn, told me I should always do that.

“Ai. Working in this business means that we interact with far more people than the average person. Therefore, we can’t afford to be biased or be uninformed about anything.”

It makes sense to me.

So I’ve looked up everything I didn’t understand since then.

I asked people to read difficult characters for me when I was younger, but now I can look up words myself since I can read them on my own.

This habit could be why I discovered Shogi in the first place.

I didn’t know anything about it until my family’s inn hosted a Ryuo Title Match, so I read some of the books my grandpa left behind to learn how pieces moved and the rules.

But there were tons of hard words in the parts about strategy, so I ended up only doing the puzzle sections ……

There were so many new things to look up when I first got to Osaka, it was overwhelming.

For example–––

Tonshi: Sudden death

(Meaning) Perishing despite best efforts. In Shogi terms, a presumably safe King escapes in the wrong direction and gets checkmated.

Lolicon : Lolita complex. 

(Meaning) Seeing minors as romantic options.

Ever since I discovered Shogi and became Master’s apprentice, I found out that there were a bunch of words I already knew that meant something else to Shogi players. A brand new world opened up to me.

I ended up learning some dirty things that I never wanted to know in that new world, but …… Knowing about them is part of becoming a grown-up, right?

It’s really easy to look anything up on the spot now that I have a smartphone. I can just open my phone on the train and, poof, there’s the word.

Here’s the last word I looked up.

Ta-minaru: terminal

(Meaning) A place where multiple means of transportation and/or routes converge. For example, terminal station; bus terminal

Taking the Kanjou Line bright and early to Tennouji Station, I spot a girl dangling her feet from on top of a huge suitcase a few platforms away.

“Mioooo! Good morning!”

Tennouji is one of South Osaka’s few big stations, so there are platforms everywhere.

It’s a modern area of town. The Abeno Harukas building is right by the station. But, go up a few floors, and you can see Osaka’s old famous spots like Tsutenkaku Tower and Tennouji Zoo.

The subway connects right to Umeda and Shin Osaka stations and the trains go out to Nara and Wakayama, so this is definitely a terminal station! So many people are always passing through that it’s like a big festival every day.

“MIOOO! Heeeey! M-I-OOO!!”

I jump up and down, calling her name and waving my arms. But Mio Mizukoshi is still sitting on her suitcase. She doesn’t even look up.

“…… Umm. I guess I’m too far away ……”

Hehehe! I’ll sneak my way over there and surprise her!

“…………… Sneaky ……”

I work my way over to her platform. Then, careful not to make a sound, I get into her blind spot.

Just like my mom taught me, stalk- …… no, ninja feet.

She made me learn how to not be noticed so that our guests at the inn could relax. To her, it was part of customer service. She’s been teaching me for years, so I’m sure I can sneak up on anyone.

That skill has come in handy since coming to Osaka. It’s true! Like when I check up on Master’s behavior, or when I’m serving tea while working as a match recorder so I don’t disturb the players, oh, and …… when I make sure Master is behaving!

And now, I’m using it to sneak up on Mio. Hehehe …… Piece of cake.

I watch and wait for a moment. There’s a chance she might be trying to surprise me, you know?

…… Nope. She has no idea I’m here. That backpack she has on is stuffed so full, I don’t think she can see anything behind her. What in the world does she have in there?

Plus, she’s looking up at the ceiling and–––.

“…… Achin’ …… thrix …… pond …… book …… three ………”

Uwh ……?

Mio’s mumbling something. But it doesn’t …… make sense.

I don’t get it …… But now’s my chance!

Sneak, sneak …… ––––––Gotcha!

“Miiiooo!”

“EEEEP?!”

I tap her shoulders and she’s so surprised that she falls right off her suitcase.

That worked perfectly!

I end up falling over on top of her, too, but I help her up off the floor and ask, “Ahaha! Did I get you?”

“A- …… Ai?!”

“Good morning, Mio. What were you mumbling about just now?”

“N-N-N- …… Nothing!! What are you doing … scaring me in a train station? It’s dangerous! What if I fell onto the tracks?!”

I was expecting something like I’ll get you back! ha-ha, but she’s actually mad at me. Awe.

“I-I’m sorry ………… You’re right. It’s not safe … goofing off here ……”

“Ah! ……… I-I’m not mad at you or anything …… I’m sorry, too. I wanted today to be fun the whole time ……”

“! Mio ………… I’m so sorry!”

I bow my head and give her an apology from the bottom of my heart. She’s right. I wasn’t thinking.

I mean, today is–––.

“Arrrrgggghhhh––––––!!!”

“Wh-What’s wrong, Mio?!”

“The train! Our train!! It’s already here!!”

“Uwhee?!”

I was so desperate to apologize that I completely forgot about that!

A completely white train pulled up to the platform and I didn’t even notice. Almost everyone in line has already gotten on.

Oh no!

“Ayano and Charlette are on that train! We’ll never get to meet up with them if we don’t get on!”

“Y-You’re right! Hurry, Ai! Ummm, where’s my reserved seat again? …… Wh-Which car?!”

That’s when we hear Ayano and Charlette calling out to us.

“Ai! Mio! It’s this one!”

“Mowning!”

They step outside the car and wave their arms over their heads.

Mio pulls her huge suitcase from the front as I push from behind. We zoom across the platform!

“Please, do not rush onto the train,” the stationmaster yells at us.

“Sooorry!”

We make it onto the train just as the door closes! Ayano takes Mio’s suitcase and heaves it onto the luggage shelf with a soft mngh. Charlette’s cheering her on. Okay, that’s cute.

“S-So heavy ……! What did you put in there?!”

“Ahaha …… Thanks, Ayano. You really got us out of a jam.”

What a relief that there was an open spot for her suitcase on the shelf.

“Da twain is leabing! Choo-choo!”

“Wheeew …… I thought we’d missed it for a second there ……”

I breathe a deep sigh of relief now that we’re moving. Missing a train normally wouldn’t be a big deal, but …… I would’ve hated myself for missing this one for the rest of my life.

“Our seats are …… ah! Found ’em! Ai, let me flip this one around before you sit down.”

“Sure, Mio! Spin ……!”

Now we have a four-seat box all to ourselves!

Mio slides down over to the window and puts her overstuffed backpack on her lap.

“This is an express train …… Haruka, right? I thought reserving seats was a little much, but now we can talk all the way there! Thanks for suggesting this, Ayano!”

“And, getting to put your suitcase on that luggage rack is so nice! Look at all this legroom ……!”

I’m in the aisle seat, so I’ve got even more space.

And the window: it’s so big! I can see everything outside! Even the seats are comfy and colorful!

“They chose a good nickname for the train, don’t you think? Haruka! It sounds like it goes to faraway places all over the world. I get excited just hearing it!”

“Look!” I answer Mio, pointing. “That’s a power outlet and they have free Wi-Fi! My battery is running low, too!”

“Huh? What are you so excited for? All the bullet trains have those. Aren’t they pretty much standard now?”

The very moment Mio criticizes me.

“………… No, they’re not ‘standard.’”

Ayano hasn’t said a word since we sat down, but she starts rattling off facts in a surprisingly low voice.

“Out of all the existing trains in West Japan Railway’s fleet, this one, Haruka, was the first to offer outlets and Wi-Fi!”

“Oh, um …… r-really?”

Mio looks and sounds like she just took a punch she never saw coming. But Ayano’s rush is just getting started!

“What’s more, this Haruka isn’t just any Haruka! This particular model only started operating this past spring! Not only did they add more cars to the existing model, the new design includes large monitors at both ends of each car. The ceiling was raised 70 mm to accommodate them. They also widened the luggage rack to fit bigger suitcases while changing the design and coloring of each car so customers wouldn’t confuse it with the Kuroshio model. Then they got rid of the old design altogether! Every possible detail has been taken into account to help foreign tourists and sightseers get where they need to go! This Haruka is JR’s–––No, Japan’s gift to the world! It’s an overwhelming marvel of modern technology!”

Actually …… Ayano’s description is a lot more overwhelming than the train.

Wow …… I don’t really understand most of that, but wow ……

Meanwhile, Charlette looks about as bored as can be.

“Ayanyo twook pictuwes all da way fwom Kyoto to Tennougi.”

Pictures? Of the inside of the train?

I can understand taking pictures out the window, but …… there’s only chairs and trays in here.

Why ……?

“B-But … chances to ride a Haruka don’t come every day! Let alone the newest one ……! Now that I have these pictures, I can compare the new model to the old 281 series on the way home! Doesn’t everyone do that?!”

No, everyone doesn’t.

“Cha, Cha was bowed.”

Charlette is sitting in her seat, dangling her legs. She was bored, for sure.

Mio leans over to whisper in my ear.

“…… Ayano’s always been a bit of a train buff.”

“…… I-I never knew that ……”

She has a lot of hobbies, but I didn’t know that trains were one of them. So that’s why she was so insistent on reserving tickets for us.

“Do me a favor and make sure she doesn’t go too wild the next time you’re on a train with her, okay Ai?”

“Ah ………… Sure.”

Oh.

I never realized it because Mio was always there to keep her under control this whole time.

“…… I will, Mio. It’s a p–––.”

Just as the word “promise” was coming out of my mouth …

“?!”

*B-Beep!*

A news alert pops up on all our phones. We take a look and see what it is.

Breaking News: Shogi Association announces the first female professional in history, Ginko Sora 4-dan, will not attend today’s press conference as well. She will release a statement this afternoon.

*B-Beep!* *Ding!* *Bzzzzzt!*

Other phones in the train start going off like the whole car is singing a round. The announcement must be making its way all across Japan right now.

“Ginko Sora …… She’s Naniwa’s Snow White, yeah? That idol-lookin’ girl.”

“Going pro in Shogi is really really hard to do. But she did it in high school! That’s crazy!”

“Cute and a Shogi wiz. Pretty much a pro at life if you ask me.”

“Word is she’s in the hospital. Seriously, how do you hurt yourself playing Shogi?”

“Rumor has it she was a sickly kid. One site I found online said she’ll never fully recover–––.”

People around us start talking. All four of us lean in close to whisper so they won’t hear.

Mio starts, “………… Sora-sensei has really gotten popular.”

“………… All the morning news shows have been talking about her since yesterday. It seems like the general public is more excited to hear about her than Shogi fans,” Ayano adds.

“Tons of Senseis have been on TV a whole bunch, too! Like Rokuroba-sensei! She was on almost every channel last night. Does she ever sleep?”

“Cha, Cha’s fwiend in Fwance, she says dey’re tawking abwout Sowa-sensei, too!”

“She made the news in France?! That’s amazing ……”

“So, does that mean I can brag about playing against her when I get over there?!”

Mio’s eyes light up and she turns to me.

“Hey, hey, Ai. Did Kuzuryu-sensei or Sora-sensei tell you about what the final match in the 3-dan division was like yesterday?”

“Uwhee? Um …… It was at the Tokyo Association, so I don’t know much. I messaged Master a few times after he won the first Crown Title Match, but that’s it. He wasn’t allowed to have his phone during the match.”

“It’s over, so he can use it now, right?”

“Yes, but Master went straight to see Sora-sensei in the hospital. Keika and I only reached him because he was in the taxi on his way there …… I don’t think he’s left since.”

“Oh, I see why you’re worried, then ……”

“…… Uh-huh.”

There were two huge matches in the Shogi world yesterday.

The first was Sora-sensei’s chance to become a professional player on the final day of the Sub League.

The other was Master in the challenge for the Crown title, the first match in the series.

Both of them happened in Tokyo, so Master left me at Kousuke Kiyotaki 9-dan’s house like he always does when he has to travel overnight.

“I got a call from Keika last night,” says Mio. “She was gonna come with us today, but she went up to Tokyo to look after Sora-sensei instead, right? She apologized, I don’t know, 10, 20 times over the phone.”

Yes. Four grade school students traveling by themselves is a little dangerous, so Keika was supposed to come with us today.

I explain how it all happened.

“The original plan was for Grandpa-sensei to go to Tokyo. But Master said Sora-sensei might need to stay in the hospital for more than a few days. So she’d need some extra clothes and some things from home. That’s why Keika had to go.”

“Why couldn’t Sora-sensei’s mom go?”

“Because there are things only Shogi players would understand. Books on standard strategies, tablets with software installed …… It sounded like she needed things to study while she’s there. Keika’s the only person who could do everything.”

“If that’s the case, aren’t you and Kiyotaki-sensei worried about her? You wanted to go to Tokyo too, didn’t you ……? Sorry for making you come out here–––.”

“Don’t worry about it! I wanted to come with you and I’d just get in the way if I went to Tokyo.”

My heart twinges.

The truth is, I …… told Master flat-out that I wanted to go to Tokyo with him.

Of course, my plan was to come back to Osaka in time to join this trip, but …… I don’t think I could have made it back with everything that happened. Worse, I would’ve just been holding Master back.

That’s why I’m glad I stayed in Osaka. Now I am, anyway.

“She needs study material ……? It sounds like Sora-sensei is planning to be in the hospital for a long time. Is she that sick ……?” askes Ayano.

“Sorry, but I don’t know how much of it is true. Even if I did, I’m not allowed to say anything ……”

“Ah! …… I’m sorry I asked!”

She hurriedly covers her mouth with her hands and sounds sad as she says, “I should have known that, considering your position, Ai. I won’t be bringing up this topic again …… I should have been more thoughtful.”

“…… I’m sorry, too.”

Just as the air starts getting heavy, Charlette chimes in.

“Cha, Cha hates stwudying!”

“Me too, Charlette! If I hafta be in the hospital, lemme be a couch potato!”

Mio backs Charlette right away, sliding down in her chair just like her.

Ayano, on the other hand, asks Mio harshly, “Mio, you need to study now more than ever. Have you made any progress?”

“Please, don’t ask ……”

He-he-he. But, I’ve seen it myself.

On the platform back at the station, Mio was trying her hardest to memorize something.

That had to be ……

“Kujyuru-sensei doesn’t need to be there, but Sora-sensei will be fine as long as Keika is looking after her! But, enough about that. I’ve got a big announcement to make! News that’ll make you forget all about Sora-sensei!”

“Nushu?”

Charlette, still trying to get comfortable in a chair way too big for her, sits up with a start.

Mio’s big news. It’s–––.

“Time for presents!”

“Presents?”

Mio tries, but fails, to keep down a giggle at our surprise and pats the overstuffed backpack on her lap.

Then she reaches inside and pulls something out.

“Here, this is for you, Ayano.”

“Huuh?! This …… Mio, it’s the autographed red lacquer fan you received after winning the King of Naniwa Tournament, is it not?! That’s Chairman Tsukimitsu’s handwriting, attention to detail, right there–––.”

“Yep, yep. You like writing a lot, Ayano, so I thought the attention to detail fits you better!”

“Th- ………… Thank you! I’ll treasure it, you have my word ……!!”

Ayano is so touched, she’s shaking.

Mio rustles around in her backpack for a moment and pulls out the next one.

“For you, Charlette! My Shogi water bottle!”

“Waoooooh ……!”

Charlette, giddy, takes the Shogi piece–shaped bottle that Mio always brought to our practice sessions from her with both hands.

I don’t think it’s …… all that easy to use, but it’s the cutest thing ever! Charlette always bit her fingers with envy whenever she saw Mio with it. I guess Mio must have noticed.

“B-But … are you sure? This is really valuable ……,” asks Ayano. She hasn’t budged since Mio gave her the fan.

“I want you to have it! Besides–––,” answers Mio with a grin.

“You’ll remember me more if you have things that used to be mine, right?”

I gulp the moment she says that.

This Haruka train’s last stop …… is Kansai International Airport.

From there she’ll get on a plane and Mio …… Mio will go overseas all by herself.

We’re coming along to see her off.

This trip is to say goodbye.

That’s why we didn’t say anything until she brought it up herself, almost like she wouldn’t have to go if we didn’t talk about it ……

Ayano was so happy when Mio gave her that fan, but now she looks completely serious.

“…… Even without this, I will never forget about you. How could I ever forget?!”

“I know, I know. But I’d still like you to have it.”

Ayano isn’t sure how to feel, but Charlette couldn’t be happier with her present. Does she know that today is Mio’s last day in Japan? I’m a bit worried ……

“Alrighty.”

Mio sits up straight, puts her knees together, and turns to face me.

“!!”

It’s my turn ……!

My imagination runs wild, excited to find out what my present is. But Mio just opens her arms and says, “Ai ……………… I don’t have a thing for you!”

“Uwhee?!”

“I mean, you’re a Women’s League sensei and you live with the Ryuo! Everyone’s talking about the Kiyotaki Shogi family, and you’re in it! All of my Shogi stuff would be junk to you! Junk!”

“It’s true that any boards or pieces that Kuzuryu-sensei has used are worth a considerable amount of money, and now Sora-sensei’s are so valuable they’re priceless.”

“Uwheee …… But ……”

Sure, I sometimes take one of Master’s handkerchiefs to my matches without telling him, but …… O-Of course, I wash them and return them!! Just …… without telling him ……

But! That’s not the same as one from a friend!

“…………”

And also? If she wants to give me a present …… there’s one thing I’ve been wanting for a long time.

Mio said she doesn’t have a thing for me.

If …… I asked for something that wasn’t a thing, would she make it come true?

“………… Um, Mio? In that case–––.”

I can feel the tears building as I try to find the right words. Mio, on the other hand, is biting her lip to keep from laughing as she reaches into the front pocket of her backpack.

“So–––I wrote this for you!”

“Huh? What is ……?”

“A letter.”

She holds out a folded piece of cute pink paper.

There’s even a golden Shogi piece sticker sealing it shut.

To Miss Ai Hinatsuru is written in her handwriting on the top.

“You already have everything that I have when it comes to Shogi goods and stuff like that. That’s why I thought I’d write down how I feel and give that to you instead.”

Mio has her own style of handwriting, clear but full of energy. Those are her characters.

Just seeing them spell out my name warms my heart …… The corners of my eyes are heating up, too.

“Ah! Don’t open it yet, okay? I’ll get embarrassed if you read it in front of me,” Mio says as she fidgets. “Buuuut … I still want to see the look on your face, so promise me you’ll read it before I get on the plane!”

“Then, which is it?”

“Dat’s shewfish, Miow!” Ayano and Charlette say as they look at my letter with envy.

“I want you to read it when I say read it. Then …… you know what? I’ll hang onto it! I’ll give it back to you at the airport!”

“Okay! It’s a promise, but don’t forget, alright?”

I nod and give the letter back to her. Mio slips it back into her backpack’s front pocket.

What does it say?

Is it gonna make me cry? I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop it …… But I have to send Mio off with a smile!

“Speaking of letters, what about the ones we gave you at the going away party at school? Did you read everyone’s yet, Mio?”

“Yep, sure did! I thought everybody was just going to sign a big card, but everyone made one just for me. We were only fifth grade classmates for one semester, but I’m going to miss you……”

Mio and I go to the same school. We’ve been in the same class since fourth grade.

Her transfer arrangements were made before the school year began, but she stayed for the second semester opening ceremony. Our class had a party for her that afternoon.

“You were all smiles all time, Mio, but everyone else cried. Mihane was beside herself ……”

At first, she was saying things like, “If you’re transferring, then don’t bother showing up to the opening ceremony! You should’ve just taken off after last semester ended!” and being kind of mean, but–––.

“Seeing you here …… I’m going to miss you so much! A semester without you is too long!!”

Once she started bawling, the rest of the class cried along with her.

“Talk about a surprise! I thought she hated me.”

“I don’t think anyone at school hates you, Mio. I mean, you don’t hate anyone either, do you?”

“That’s true. I was always careful to stay on everyone’s good side,” Mio answered without missing a beat. “…… It’s my way of getting stronger.”

Her way? Having lots of friends?

No, wait …… She gets stronger that way?

I’m trying to figure out what she meant by that, but it looks like she said it so quietly that only I heard her.

“But I’m glad your departure date was set for September,” says Ayano. “I was certain you would leave as soon as the first semester finished ……”

She’s clutching the fan that Mio gave her to her chest like a precious treasure.

“I am, of course, sad to see you go, but we had a wonderful summer together. That local festival in the shopping arcade …… I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”

“Aha-ha! It got rained out halfway through, but that just made it even more fun! We got to play Shogi with everyone at school during the storm!”

“Your parents have already moved, right? Didn’t you want to go with them?”

“Papa gets so caught up in his work that Mama has to be there to take care of him. She’s never been outside Japan before, so it’d be really hard to look after both me and him at the same time, don’t you think? That’s why they decided to get a head start and have me fly over later.”

Mio’s father is a researcher for a big international pharmaceutical company.

Back when I was having a tough time after Master took Ten-chan as an apprentice, I asked Mio about some drugs. What kind of drugs? Truth serums, of course!

“And I wanted to hang out with you guys as much as I could. It’s our last chance, you know! There was some paperwork since I’m leaving the Practice League, so everything worked out great.”

“So, that’s why you’ve been staying at your grandpa’s house!”

“Yep, he only lives a few blocks away. The only problem is he keeps telling me to stay and live with him every single day. It’s not like we’re never going to see each other again!”

…… But, he misses you. We all do.

The words almost come out, but I stop them just in time.

It’s Mio who’s going to be the loneliest. So long as she can put on a happy face, it’s up to us to smile and laugh along with her!

“School over there doesn’t start until October. Can’t you stay in Japan a little longer?”

Smile, smile ……

It seems the harder I try not to say anything, the easier it is for Mio’s leaving to come up. Sigh ……

Even still, Mio answers with a smile.

“First, I’ve gotta go to some language school, I think? I can’t do anything if I can’t talk to anyone.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to go to a Japanese school the way Charlette goes to a school for French students?”

“I guess I could, but I wanna make friends as long as I’m over there, you know? I wanna teach everyone at school how to play Shogi!”

““Ohhh!””

Mio going to make friends to play Shogi with because there isn’t anyone who already knows. That’s just like her!

“I asked my Master, Kuresaka-sensei, and she gave me a whole bunch of boards and pieces! And I’m taking them all with me. That’s what’s in my suitcase!”

“Are you saying I lifted all those heavy things onto the luggage rack ……?” Ayano mumbles in shock after hearing that Mio’s suitcase was full of armrests and thick, high-quality boards.

“By the way …… I don’t think I ever asked you. What country are you moving to, Mio?”

“Hm? What was it again? Something –land …… I’d never heard of it before.”

“I’m very worried about you ……”

Knowing that her friend is about to get on a plane to a country she can’t even remember makes Ayano turn pale.

Uh-huh. I’m worried, too ……

“It doesn’t really matter, does it? It’s not like the whole country is surrounded by water like Japan. Anyone that’s in a country that’s part of the EU can go anywhere they want. If Shogi gets popular somewhere else, I can just go there and play!”

“I’ve heard that Shogi is gaining popularity in places with a high Japanese population like Hawaii and Brazil.”

Just like Ayano said, Shogi is starting to make waves in Hawaii.

I’m pretty sure that Ryuo Title matches have been held in France and Germany before, so there are probably people who can play over there somewhere.

“Charlette. What’s Shogi like in Europe? Do kids play at school?”

“Wha?”

Charlette has been watching out the window but gives Mio a confused look.

“Cha, Cha neber pwayed Shogi in Fwance.”

“…… That means I can be a pioneer!”

What a positive angle. That’s just like Mio.

Just then, Charlette looks back out the window and squeals with delight.

“Woooah! Da oshen!”

“The ocean?!”

Suddenly it’s all blue outside …… Even the light coming in sparkles with the waves.

It’s like the train is following a track through nothing but air on its way to the man-made island in the distance.

Looking out the window, it’s just the sea, the sky, and that little island on the horizon.

The view is bringing back lots of memories.

That’s our destination–––Kansai International Airport.

It’s in sight, but Mio stands up with a start.

“Ngh …… Where’s the toilet ……?”

“Oh! Haruka’s restrooms have been fitted to accommodate wheelchairs! Please, take a picture for–––!”

“Are you trying to make me have an accident?!”

She runs off, clutching her tummy. Ayano sits with her camera out as we watch her go.

“I’ve never seen her so nervous,” she says.

Nervous?

Oh, because she’s about to get on a plane?

“That’s a first. I didn’t think Mio ever got nervous.”

“…… From what I can tell, Mio is always nervous when you’re around, Ai.”

“Huh?”

Wait …… What is she talking about? I started to ask, but Ayano and Charlette are happily looking out the window. I missed my chance.

One more thing.

The word terminal has another meaning besides a place where people gather …… Something completely different.

That’s–––the end, a conclusion.

That artificial island in the distance is now really close. The train is speeding the whole Grade Schooler Practice Group to the airport.

It’s the last stop we’ll ever have as a group.

“Wooow! It’s huge in here!!”

We’ve arrived at Terminal 1 in Kansai International Airport, and the decorations in here are astounding.

The building doesn’t look like much from outside getting off the train.

But one step inside and it’s amazing!

Especially the fourth floor, where all the international counters are crowded together and people from all over the world are coming and going. The ceiling is hypnotic!

Mio looks up at it while rolling her suitcase behind her and starts talking to me.

“You’ve been here before, right?”

“I have! Master and I left from here when we went to Hawaii for his title match.”

“Hawaii ……!! I’m so jealous! Why couldn’t Papa have been transferred there instead?!”

It was the first match of the Ryuo Title Match last year.

I went there with other players from Kansai like Chairman Tsukimitsu, his secretary Miss Oga and other members of the Kiyotaki Shogi family. We all met here in this lobby before getting on the plane.

The Meijin and his group left from Narita Airport in Tokyo, so we didn’t see them until we landed in Honolulu. From there, we got in a limousine …… So many memories.

I have some fun memories from Hawaii, and some not so fun.

Bittersweet, like dark chocolate.

Just thinking about it made my heart sting until not too long ago.

But …… now I think of what happened with Master back then as what helped him get stronger. Sure, I hate being away from him, but ……

I try to sound upbeat and start explaining.

“You’ll need to go to the international gate area after going through security, okay? There’s a driverless train that will take you out to where your plane is!”

“There’s a train inside the airport?! WHOA!! I wanna ride it!”

“Hmmm …… Its official name is the Wing Shuttle. This pamphlet says it can travel at 30 km an hour.”

Ayano hasn’t said anything since she picked up a pamphlet inside the front door. Adjusting her glasses, she starts recounting things written on it one by one. It’s different from a real train, but I guess it’s close enough to get her attention. She is a fanatic ……

By the way, Ayano loves reading about anything and everything.

Books, pamphlets, whatever: Ayano reads and understands it right away.

I’ve heard she always gets good grades in school. That must be nice …… I’m good at a few subjects, but I’m horrible at the rest. I like books about Shogi, but the ones that explain strategy are hard to understand and make me sleepy …… Sigh.

Charlette comes up to Ayano and tugs at her shirt.

“Cha, Cha wants to see pwanse!”

“I wanna see the plane I’m gonna ride, too! Is there a spot where we can go to see it together?” 

“Oh! There’s–––.”

Just as I start explaining,

“The Kansai Airport doesn’t have a typical deck where visitors can watch the planes. You will need to take a complimentary bus over to the Skyview observation area.”

*Thwmp!*

Ayano opens the pamphlet and reads it out loud before I can get in another word. I wanted to say that ……

“So, you won’t be able to watch my plane take off ……?”

“Actually, there’s a trade secret.”

“Trade secret?!”

“Exit the airport from the fourth floor and follow the pedestrian path all the way to the end, and we should be able to see the planes waiting their turn to take off.”

She did that much research?!

Wait …… How in the world did she find out about that?

“But I hear that it’s a very limited view. Most of the planes are blocked by the airport building. And you can’t see the runway.”

“A-Ayano …… Aren’t you a little too in-the-know? This is your first time here, right? How did you get trade secrets?”

“Through the grapevine …… Just like the way some train fans love taking pictures, airplane enthusiasts called spotters have their own network. That’s where I read about it.”

“S-Spot- …… ter? Anything like Harry Potter ……?”

“Not even close. They are people who spot airplanes.”

I still don’t get it.

Ayano goes on to say that people who enjoy taking pictures of individual plane models call themselves spotters. But instead of going sightseeing in other countries, they prefer taking pictures of the inside of the plane and the model number so they can refer back to them later.

I listen to what she’s saying, but I just can’t understand what people find so interesting about coming all the way to the airport just to take pictures of a model number ……

“Is it like the websites that talk for hours about what Shogi players order for lunch, maybe?”

That seems to be a good enough comparison for Mio.

“Still, you can see my plane from that path once it takes off, right? Wave at me and I’ll try to find you on the way up!”

“Sure!”

That’s a promise!

Mio gives us all a huge smile.

“Alrighty! What’s the first thing I have to do now that I’m here? Go to security?”

“First, you have to go to the airline service counter. They’ll give you your boarding pass and take your luggage. It’s a lot easier to walk around when you don’t have a big suitcase.”

I explain the process. This time, I’m faster than Ayano.

“Wow, you Women’s League senseis know your stuff! You guys are used to traveling all over the place! I’m glad I’ve got you here to help, Ai!”

He-he-he. That was nice of her to say!

“We had to wait in line a long time when we went to Hawaii, so we’d better go to the counter right away. Mio, what’s the airline? JAL? ANA?”

“Umm, let me see. It’s ……”

I’ve never heard of the airline that Mio is taking.

Actually, I can’t even tell how to pronounce it. Trusting some unknown company with my friend’s life is a little scary.

“C-Can we …… trust this company? I’ve never heard the name before, their counter is tucked in a back corner in the middle of nowhere, and no one else in line is Japanese ……”

“According to the website I found, they had an accident two years ago and only recently resumed business operations.”

“I’m dead ………… I’m so dead …………”

Why did you have to say that, Ayano?!

“B-But, look! The person behind the counter is Japanese! Ask her as many questions as you want before you get on! Then you don’t have to worry, right?!”

“I agree. No one will understand Japanese once you’re on the plane, so now is the time to gather information. The correct brace posture, for example ……”

AYANO!!!

Everyone’s worried, but Mio doesn’t have a choice. She has to take their airplane. Just like in Shogi, there are no mulligans with air travel.

Mio starts to get ahold of herself once she understands that.

Shogi really taught her how to hang tough!

But she gets more anxious the closer we get to the front of the line. Fidgeting, she turns to me to say, “I-It feels like I’m waiting for one of those surprise bag inspections at school ……”

“Relax, Mio. You’re allowed to have manga and toys with you here.”

“Agh! I totally forgot to get back from her the manga Kanegasaka-sensei took away from me!”

Misao Kanegasaka-sensei is our class 5-4’s homeroom teacher. She’s good at teaching, but she’s stricter than all the other teachers at school.

She found out that Mio brought a volume of old baseball manga to lend to one of the boys and confiscated it, but–––.

“That manga was yours?! She had the whole series on her desk when I went to talk to her.”

“She bought the rest?!”

It’s our turn at the counter before we know it.

Mio rolls her suitcase up to it, undoes the lock and shows the woman what’s inside her backpack.

“Do you have a mobile smartphone battery with you?”

“Nope! I don’t!”

“Any liquids?”

“Yes! In these little bottles here!”

Big bottles aren’t allowed on planes, so Mio had to pour them all into little bottles from a 100-yen shop. “This one is soy sauce, this is ketchup, that’s my mother’s recipe ……,” she explains one by one. That’s a lot of sauces. 

The woman holds one of the bottles up to the light and asks, “What is this here? Lighter fluid is strictly prohibited–––.”

“Oh! That’s camellia oil!”

“Camellia oil ……? Is it a beauty product? Or for aromatherapy?”

“No, no. It’s to clean my Shogi boards.”

“Sh-Shogi boards?”

“Yes. That’s what these wooden boards are here. That one’s eight inches thick, this one is two. The pieces are in these boxes here. Oh, and this is a chess clock, those come together to make a piece stand, that’s a fan …… Ah! It’s signed by the Meijin, so should I have declared it under valuables?!”

“……………”

Mio explains as she takes things out of her suitcase one by one. She’s being very detailed, but the woman doesn’t know about Shogi, so all the extra information is just making her more confused.

Mio must be really nervous because she is talking a lot faster than she usually does.

And, that leads to–––.

“What’s this ……?” 

“I’ve never seen it before ……” 

“Let the supervisor know ……”

Airline employees are having a meeting behind the counter!

“Ughhh …… This is just like the time I found that endangered lizard and the teachers called me into the office ……”

Mio …… Why would you pick it up ……?

It looks like they can’t make a decision on their own, so one of them leaves to go talk to their manager.

“I apologize, Miss Mizukoshi. Can I ask you to wait for the time being?”

“Oh, yes! I’m fine, but ……”

She looks back at us apologetically, but we smile and nod.

“I can wait with you!”

“I also don’t have any plans today.”

“Cha, Cha’s gonna stay wid Miow!”

So we get out of the line and find a spot close to the counter to wait for them to make up their minds.

Mio anxiously says, “………… This is turning into a big deal ……”

“Aha-ha. You’re probably the first person who’s ever tried to take oil for cleaning Shogi boards onto an airplane.”

It’s a foreign company, too, so they might not even know what Shogi is. It wasn’t in their manual, that’s for sure.

“But Ai? What did you do for the title match if you couldn’t take camellia oil with you? The Ryuo Title Match started in Hawaii, didn’t it?”

“Yes, but that board was used for just that one match. Don’t you think they cleaned it in Japan before they went?”

“Ah, I gotcha.”

“But who knows how many years you’ll be over there. There’s a chance you’ll need to clean the boards, so I think you’ll need that oil, Mio,” I tell her, but Ayano has a question.

“You say so, but simply wiping the board with a cloth is enough in most cases. I can’t think of a situation where the board would get so filthy that you would need something extra ……”

Mio’s answer is lightning quick.

“What if I use one as a table and spill noodles by accident?”

“The problem there isn’t how to clean. You’re not supposed to do that to begin with ……”

Master would kick me out of the Shogi family if I ever ate off one of his boards. The Kiyotaki line is very strict about that.

“And … oh yeah! They’ll get dirty if I play Shogi outside, right?!”

“Outside? Like, on a picnic?”

“There’s the mountains and the beach, too. Foreigners like doing things outside, don’t they? Saltwater and sea breezes would dry out the boards real quick.”

“Playing Shogi on the beach? Who’d ever …… Wait, we did ……”

More accurately, we meant to.

It looks like Mio remembers exactly what I’m talking about and looks off to nowhere in particular with nostalgia in her eyes.

“That’s right. All of us went to Awaji Island.”

“It’s already been over a year. My first summer in Osaka, a big trip to the beach …… but it was actually a Shogi field trip practice session.”

But it’s not the beach or even the Shogi that I remember most about that day ……

It looks like we’ll be here a while.

Now’s a good time to reminisce.

While we’re waiting for an official decision on whether camellia oil can be taken onto an airplane or not, the four of us relive that trip to the beach–––.