Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 14 - Chapter 3.3

  WHAT IF ……?

Ai is back to her usual self after a few minutes. Whatever that was, it looks like that curry was what triggered it. That’s somewhat wicked food ……

But my relief is short-lived. A whole new problem greets our eyes as soon as we get out of the market.

“Huh?! It’s raining!”

“It sure is.”

Since the market has a roof connecting all the buildings, I had no clue. The streets are soaked so it must’ve been coming down for a while.

Ai, on the other hand, calmly reaches into her backpack.

“It’s not a problem, Master. I brought a collapsible umbrella with me.”

“Oh? You really did think of everything.”

“E-he-he! It rains so much in Kanazawa that people say, even if you forget your lunch, always have an umbrella. Did I do good?”

“Yes, very good.”

“Te-hee♡”

I give her a gentle pat on the head and she squeals with delight. Maybe the curry hasn’t worn off just yet?

It’s raining, but not cats and dogs. It’s closer to misty sprinkling.

Our jackets should be just fine in this, but–––.

“He-he. Let’s share my umbrella, Master♪”

“…… Yeesh. My apprentice is almost 11 but clingy as ever.”

“Yep, yep♡”

Ai is practically hanging off my arm already. Dammit, how is she so cute?

“This street is called Hyakuman Goku-dori. This road does a loop around the middle of Kanazawa City, so it gets used for parades all the time!” explains Ai as we walk toward the center of the city.

“You sure know a lot about this place.”

“Because I was planning on living here.”

“Huh?”

“If I hadn’t gone to Osaka …… I think I would’ve gone to high school in Kanazawa. I have relatives out here, so I would’ve stayed with them.”

“I see …… This could have been your second hometown.”

Ours is a strange connection, now that I think about it.

A boy, the middle child of three brothers from an average family living in the mountains of Fukui.

A girl, born as the only daughter of a family that runs a prominent onsen inn who was trained to eventually take over as the owner from a very young age.

To think, those two are currently living together in Osaka ……

“This is where all the young people are: Korinbo! There are lots of fancy clothing stores here!”

“It certainly doesn’t look like the tourist spots so far.”

Most of the groups around look like college students, and junior high or high school students on their way home from club activities pass by every now and then.

Looking around, it hits me.

“…… If I’d never found Shogi, I’d probably be studying really hard to get into a university in Kanazawa.”

“Master, a college student ……? That’s fun to think about!”

“It’s because my brother got into a great university. It would’ve been a lot of pressure.”

“Then there’s a chance we could have met here in Kanazawa!”

“Ha-ha. Yeah.”

Me, in university, and Ai, in junior high.

Two students who might happen to cross paths in Kanazawa.

We might have run into each other on the street. But, maybe …… We might have gotten to know each other for completely different reasons.

There’s one thing I know for sure–––.

It definitely wouldn’t have been as Master and apprentice.

We leave Hyakuman Goku-dori, go into the back streets of Korinbo …… and end up in an area that looks straight out of the history books.

“Ai? What’s this place ……?”

“The Nagamachi Samurai District! It’s really popular with foreign tourists!”

“I can see why …… It’s like stepping back into the 1700s ……”

Of course, we take a picture, flash☆

Not a very good one, since we’re squeezed under the same umbrella. That’s when a passing older lady, a tourist probably, comes up to us.

“My, my, you have such a darling girlfriend, young man!”

“Huh?! No, she’s——”

“YES! We’re boyfriend and girlfriend!! Right, Yaichi♡?”

Ai is pressing my arms to my sides with her whole body. Grinning happily.

…… Meh, what could it hurt?

These kinds of sightseeing trips are more fun with a special someone, not as Master and apprentice. So, just for now, I’ll keep that mindset and walk a different life in a town where it could’ve happened had things worked out differently.

“Why don’t I take a picture for you?” the friendly old lady offers. We take her up on it and get a decent picture to remember today. Hard to do while carrying an umbrella ……

“Yaichi. I want dumplings!”

“Sure, sure.”

She’s even stopped calling me her Master.

I’m carrying the umbrella, Ai has a stick of three dumplings.

She eats the top one and holds up the rest in front of my mouth.

“Have one, Yaichi! Say ahh♡”

“Hey, that’s a little bit much …… Ouch! Ai! Having a pointy stick right there is scary, okay?!”

“Ahhh♡”

“…… Ahh.”

“Delicious, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s delicious.”

Since when?

How long have Ai and I been able to spend time together like this without Shogi?

After getting past the near breaking point during last year’s Ryuo Title Match?

Or …… Could we have gone on walks like this even earlier without talking about Shogi?

I don’t know. I’ve never thought about a life without Shogi before.

But I have a feeling that if I had met this girl in the city without ever having played Shogi …… she would’ve become special to me in some way.

I’m glad I got the chance to experience what it would’ve been like …… sightseeing with her like this today.

Looking around, none of the tourists are carrying umbrellas.

“The rain let up.”

“Humph! It didn’t have to stop …… Why can’t rain take a hint?!”

“Ha-ha. It rains on and off all the time in Kanazawa, right? It might start up again.”

I hand the umbrella back to Ai. She neatly folds it up and slips it back into its carrying case. She’s surprisingly well suited to living in vintage Kanazawa.

Actually, the city itself seems to bring out all of her charms.

The kind of charms that Ginko has never had: housekeeping. Ai positively glows with the ability to make a happy home …… I look away as fast as I can.

If I’d kept my eyes on her, I don’t think I would’ve ever been able to look away again ……

“…… All right! Where to next?”

“There’s a bus stop just up the street, so we’ll take the next one to–––.”

Ai starts walking as she slides the umbrella back into her backpack when.

Slip!

“Agh ……!!”

She loses her balance on the wet stone pavement and falls flat on her back.

“Ai?!”

She stays down and I rush to her side.

“Are you okay?! Is your ankle twisted?! Your right hand …… Is your hand alright?!”

“Eeep ……”

She must not have been expecting me to prop her up because her face goes bright red against my chest.

Her right shoe came off during her fall. She reaches down to touch her foot and says, “I …… I’m fine, Master. ………… I’ve got a blister on my heel and tripped when I stepped on it ……”

“I see.”

That’s a relief.

Maintaining proper posture with a sprained ankle is extremely painful and makes focusing on Shogi nearly impossible. A blister shouldn’t be too much of a problem …… That’s the silver lining here.

I help her sit up and go get her shoe. But guilt takes over as I bring it back.

–––It’s my fault that Ai had to walk so much today.

These tiny little feet …… had to keep up with me, an adult, for hours. She must’ve known they’d give out sooner or later ……

Despite that, she still happily led me around from place to place with that big smile.

“………… There are so many more places I wanted to show you in Kanazawa, Master …… We never got around to seeing the Higashi Tea District, the Ninja Temple, the Sai River, Mt. Udatsu, or the 21st Century Art Museum–––.”

She’s still trying to be my tour guide …… Ugh, I can’t take it!!

“Uwhee?!”

She yelps even louder than when she fell. It was because I put her on my back.

“M-Master?! I-I-I can walk just fine on my own!”

“C’mon, you’re light as a feather. Don’t forget, I’m 18 now. Let me show you how strong grown-ups are.”

“But ……”

“Besides, you rented me for the day, remember? I can’t do anything without you telling me to,” I say with a grin and tighten my arms around her legs to let her know that I won’t be putting her down. “Now! Where is our next stop?”

“…………”

Ai doesn’t say anything for a long time …… Then a soft whisper comes from behind my ear.

“………… I don’t want to go anywhere ……”

“Huh?”

“I want to stay right here ……… Like this, forever––––––.”

So soft in fact …… I barely hear anything.

Something warm runs down my neck.

Is that …… a tear? Is she crying?

“Ai? What’s wrong? …… Your foot must really hurt. I’ll call a taxi–––.”

“Don’t!!”

“…… Ai?”

“It would be a big waste of money! The bus stop is right there. Just walk quickly to catch it, okay?”

“Sure, sure.”

Giving up on the taxi, I make my way to the bus stop where Ai gives me her final command for the day: to get on.

Her voice sounded a little disappointed and as wispy as the clearing clouds, so it was a good thing I was still giving her a piggyback ride.

…… Carrying a grade schooler on my back in the middle of a bustling city while waiting for the bus was pretty embarrassing, but …… The other people in line seemed to think they were witnessing a tender moment and took tons of pictures ……

Our last picture for today is at Kanazawa station.

We took it in front of the famous Tsudumi Gate with Ai still on my back, so it came out looking hilarious. I mean, my head is floating at the bottom of the frame ……

The two of us laugh for a solid minute.

Ai’s eyes start watering …… She’s laughing so hard that it almost looks like she’s crying since some tears spilled down her cheeks.

“Haaa ………… One day really wasn’t enough ……,” she sighs as she wipes her cheeks, but the tears are still coming.

“Hey, there’s no rush. We can just come back.”

“…… You’re right!” Ai nods through even more tears of laughter.

Today was as wild as Kanazawa’s weather, laughing and crying all around. Ai really does change with the wind.

After we buy too many souvenirs to carry in the shop at the station, the two of us board the Thunderbird Express bound for Osaka.

Yes. We can come back here again. Along with Ai Yashajin, Master and Ginko, too.

We’ll always be together. Always Master and apprentice.

So long as we both keep playing Shogi …… No, even without it our bond will never be broken–––.

“Master?”

“Yeah?”

“I challenge you to Shogi puzzles!”

Our first contest in a long time played out on the express train and ended with a final score of 9 to 1.

That’s one win for me and nine for Ai ……

Feeling refreshed after being a tourist for a day, I wasn’t afraid to lose in the Fourth Crown Title Match and played aggressively.

Though I did push a bit too far and ended up slipping like Ai ……

Amid my backbreaking schedule and extremely intense matches, the reason I’m able to enjoy playing Shogi again …… is all thanks to the bond I share with my apprentice.

“Our hearts are always connected even if we’re apart.”

My unshakable faith in that allowed me to fight my way through the remaining Crown Title Matches without any anxiety at all.