Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 17 - Chapter 5.06

  COMPILING NAMES

“Welcome home, Miss Hinatsuru!”

Waiting for me in the lobby after Takeru-sensei paid for my taxi home is Master’s older brother.

He seems excited about something.

“You have guests! Come on, now! Hurry!”

“At this time of night?”

The last trains have already left.

They must plan to spend the night, but who?

———Ah! Maybe …… Just maybe ……!!

I look up at Master’s brother’s face and my heart leaps.

Even though I didn’t see his face, we were both in the same room today. So, there is a chance ……!!

But my high hopes fizzle out the moment I see the door Master’s brother leads me to.

“In here. Everyone is waiting for you!”

“This is ……”

After the Women’s Legend Conferring Ceremony.

It’s the same room where I talked with the most important people in my life. It’s my dressing room. Now my heart is aching for a completely different reason.

“Miss Hinatsuru has returned!” Master’s brother announces and flings open the door before I can get my thoughts in order.

And what I see on the other side is———

“Huh?!”

I’m too stunned to breathe.

Everyone is here.

All the people who left on that day are right in front of me ……

“Ya played a heck of a match!”

Greeting me right inside the door is Grandpa-sensei.

That day ……

His air is so much different now compared to when he said he couldn’t support me and walked out.

Actually, he’s totally tan?! What happened?!

I’m thrown for a loop while Grandpa-sensei starts recounting a story from a long time ago.

“’At meant a lot to me, ya breakin’ Mr. Usui’s System, Ai …… After all, I was Usui System’s first victim!”

“That's the legend.”

Natagiri-sensei comes up to his side and teases him.

“Your surrendering after a mere 47 moves is what put Usui System on the map in the first place.”

“Yeah. I’m always makin’ legends. Even now.”

Now?

What does he mean by that? My heart is beating like wild. It takes all my willpower to keep my voice steady as I ask.

Slow and steady.

“U-Umm ………… Everyone? What are you doing here?”

“At my beckoning over the phone,” explains Shakando-sensei, the only person in the room sitting down.

“What? I simply used you as an excuse to have a long phone call with Kousuke for the first time in ages. My heart was all aflutter …… It seems I appeared to enjoy it so much that Ayumu is still bent out of shape.”

“Do you see how tan Father is? It’s because he’s been outside so much,” says Keika from her spot close to the table.

There’s a big tray next to her with a big bowl of Kansai-style nikusui beef soup.

…… It’s one of my favorites that she used to make for dinner all the time ……

Including that time I was so depressed coming back after losing my first league match at the Kanto Shogi Association building ……

“Father went around visiting retired professionals in Kansai. He didn’t even come home.”

“Retired …… players?”

I …… can’t ……

The corners of my eyes are warming up with tears ready to fall.

I can’t get my hopes up …… The last thing I can do is drag all of them into this, and yet part of me is still hoping ……

———Professional players have a vote in the Player’s Meeting even after they retire.

Grandpa-sensei rubs his dark brown skin, saying, “Active players can’t avoid backlash. But retirees’ll roll with ya when ya give ’em the right push. Drinkin’ together and lowerin’ yar head usually does the trick. Just say, It’s fer my darlin’ granddaughter! I beg ya! and they’ll do what ya want!”

His stark white teeth look so funny against his dark skin that I giggle when he smiles.

A bunch of tears come out at the same time.

Someone kindly offers me a handkerchief.

A pretty, perfectly ironed handkerchief.

“I did what I could to help as well. That said, I just went down the list of phone numbers and said my student could use some support.”

I knew who it was right away.

Because I’d seen that handkerchief so many times when I was in the Practice League ……

“Kuruno-sensei ……”

“Hn. Ever since I played against you in your Practice League Entrance Exam, I knew your talents were well beyond the Practice League and even the Women’s League.”

Sensei has been watching out for me all this time. As he does for all his students, fairly.

Even after I left for Kanto without saying a word ……!

“Besides, as one of the Practice League directors, the fact that Women’s League members are shut off from the professional league should be my problem to tackle.”

“But …… I was so rude to all the professional senseis …… I ruined my Conferring Ceremony and caused so much trouble for everyone in Kansai———”

“Learn Shogi to become life’s Meijin.”

“……!”

“I’ve tried to teach every Practice League student how to live a great life even after they’ve graduated from it. Our time was brief, but some important lessons should have come across through Shogi.”

Yoshitsune Kuruno 7-dan gently places his hand on my back.

Then, just like he would always do when I lost in the Practice League, he offers encouragement.

“I, the Practice League director, am proud of you, Ai. It’s time to look forward.”

“Women’s League players are really proud of you, too, Ai!”

Rin Koiji Women’s 4-dan has a file in her hands.

“Everyone is and always has been. The catch is that nearly all of us can’t vote in Player’s Meetings and over half have pros for a Master. Speaking up for you might’ve actually hurt your cause …… It’s a tricky spot to be in.”

I thought they made the obvious choice.

That’s why I couldn’t believe the next words out of Rinrin-sensei’s mouth.

“Everyone without a vote signed petitions saying Please support Ai Hinatsuru and brought them to the Women’s 4-dan players like me.”

“Wha ……?”

“As to who chipped in the most …… I don’t hafta say, now do I?”

Rinrin-sensei steps to the side.

Behind her is …… exactly who I expected.

“Tama ………… yon ………… sensei …………”

Out of all the people in the room, Tomayo Rokuroba Women’s 2-dan is the only one looking the other way and not making any effort to hide her discontent.

Rinrin-sensei pushes her back toward me as she talks.

“Only Women’s League members 4-dan and up have a vote at Player’s Meetings. But Tamayon isn’t like the rest. That had to’ve been tough, yeah? Not being able to help you in any way.”

“Ms. Rokuroba came to Kansai, actually,” Keika adds. “She was so shy about it at first, saying it was just for work. But she told Father and I about how hard you worked and everything you went through in Tokyo. Also, she’s the one who told people in Kansai it was okay to oppose you, but not until they’d seen how strong you are with their own eyes.”

———Then that’s why Oishi-sensei came!

It finally clicks. Now I know where I went wrong.

A mistake so bad I can never take it back.

———I was trying to protect Tamayon-sensei ……

I mean, she’s already given me so much that I could never repay her for everything as long as I live. How could I ask for more?

But if I were in Tamayon-sensei’s position———

“………… Here’s the deal!”

Tamayon-sensei grabs my collar and pulls me in close.

“I wanted to be on your side! I’d made up my mind to be there to protect you even if the whole world hated your guts! Nobody forced me! I wanted to!!”

And I rejected her passionate support.

Anyone would be upset if that happened to them.

Right now, I’d love to go up to the me who set off on her own without even understanding how the person closest to her felt and slap her in the face with all my might.

“We lived in the same room, looked at the same ceiling ………… But it turns out you were looking much, much higher the whole time. And that ………… That …………!”

She loosens her grip and looks me square in the eyes.

“It can wait until it’s all over, but tell me. Talk to me about the weight you’re carrying.”

“………… Okay ……”

How can I ever thank her? She’s so kind, I don’t even know where to start. Nodding and leaking tears is the best I can do ……

“I’m sorry …… Thank …… you ……!”

“While I hate to interrupt the moment you’re having.”

Natagiri-sensei holds out a smartphone.

“I can’t say I’m completely on board with your way of thinking, Ai. But …… there’s someone else who’s been waiting their turn to share their thoughts with you!”

“……?”

Slowly, I take the smartphone from him and put it to my ear.

“Hello?”

“It’s a pleasure to speak with you.”

I shiver from head to toe once I hear that voice.

The person on the other end keeps talking quietly while I can’t even breathe.

“Your match against Mr. Usui was very exciting to watch. I had to tell you so myself. Personally, I feel it’s only natural that you would like a chance to become a professional without playing in the Sub League and support the courage it requires to announce it to the world.”

My match today? This person was watching my Shogi?

I can’t even get thank you out of my throat.

If I ever sit across the board from him …… I’d tremble so hard that the pieces would slip out of my fingers, for sure.

How did Master ever beat him?

“Destiny smiles on the brave. Please pursue the path that you believe is right. I earnestly hope that you can smile from the bottom of your heart one day.”

That’s where the call ends.

It feels like I dreamed the whole thing …… The conversation didn’t even last 30 seconds, but I’ll never, ever forget it.

Natagiri-sensei takes the phone out of my trembling hand.

“Just so you know, I didn’t put him up to this. He keeps an ever-watchful eye on the entire Shogi world and you caught it a long time ago.”

“But, to be frank, this alone won’t amount to much,” says Shakando-sensei in a slightly dark tone. “Arrangements with sponsors couldn’t be completed, and we couldn’t line up current title holders’ endorsements. The Meijin has expressed his support for you behind closed doors, but he cannot afford to make any public moves. Your Master and younger sister apprentice included.”

Master …… Yaichi Kuzuryu—Dual Title and Ai Yashajin—Dual Women’s Title.

The opinions of the two people who should be closest to me might draw a lot of attention from the public.

“It also hurts,” adds Natagiri-sensei, “that there is no input from current 3-dan division members or young 4-dans who just exited the Sub League. They’re the ones who’ll face the greatest impact, after all.”

Shakando-sensei nods along with him.

“Public opinion is the largest wild card.”

Public opinion …… what people outside the Shogi world think.

“It changes with the wind. Should the gust be strong enough, getting their support is quite a simple matter. It’s triggering that gust that is a challenge. Even if your string of victories against professional players continues, it will be overshadowed by the likes of Sota Kunugi. Timing was not on your side.”

“……”

“Making your intentions known once you have a stronger stance is a viable path. There is no shame in it. The choice is yours, Ai Hinatsuru.”

“I will fight, right now,” I answer immediately.

Part of it was the adrenaline left over from the match, and I’m sure hearing how passionate everyone is helped, but that’s not everything.

———Because, I don’t think …… there’s much time left.

I press the corners of my eyes.

When Usui-sensei said we’re going, I managed to trick him by touching the tatami mat right away, but …… that was definitely eating away at me.

Master’s older brother comes back into the room carrying a sheet of nice paper and an inkstone.

“Then let’s draft a petition to the association right now! E-mails don’t cut it for this kind of thing!”

Everyone watches as I pick up a brush and write out the message in a few quick strokes.

“I intend to become a professional Shogi player. I formally request that the Shogi Association of Japan institute a Professional Entrance Exam.”

Once I add another sentence that the directors and Player’s Association should be the ones to decide what is included in the test itself, I sign the petition as Women’s Legend Ai Hinatsuru.

Then, Kousuke Kiyotaki 9-dan and other professional players add their names as endorsers.