AT THE CENTER OF THE WORLD
Today the world revolved around a certain boy.
“So-chaaaan!”
“Go get ‘em!!”
Osaka seemed to draw people in like a magnet. The road from the Kanjo Line’s Fukushima Station to the Kansai Shogi Association building was inundated with people hoping for a glimpse of Sota Kunugi. It had, for all intents and purposes, become a pedestrian byway.
“…… I wish I could’ve shown Mr. Kagamizu this in person,” Sota muttered to himself as he watched the scene on the TV in the association’s office room and thought it would be broadcast in Miyazaki as well.
On this day, airwaves throughout the country had been hijacked by Sota Kunugi.
A young prodigy who hadn’t lost a single match since his debut was now tied for the longest winning streak ever at 28 matches in a row. Today he played to make his mark on history with a 29th win.
His opponent today was an A League player, someone who outclassed all the other professional, decorated amateurs and Women’s League players Sota had defeated thus far.
While not the Meijin, this opponent had about the third or fourth most popularity and name recognition of all Shogi players. The latest Shogi boom …… the So-chan Boom had reached a new fever pitch.
“Kunugi-sensei. Please make your way to the arena.”
“Oh, right.”
Sota collected his belongings and made a quick stop at the Player’s Room next door.
Only one league match had been scheduled inside the Kansai Shogi Association building today. The classroom, gift shop, and even the restaurant had all been closed for the day. With the unprecedented number of media and all of their equipment inside the 40-year-old building, there was a very real concern the floor might give way. Not only were live commentary and analysis not being held, professional players and Women’s League players had been asked to refrain from holding practice sessions in the building.
However, there was one person in the Player’s Room. A rather fidgety girl who looked to be of college age was sitting in front of a monitor displaying a live feed of the arena.
“Good morning,” Sota greeted her upon entering the room and she literally jumped to her feet.
“K-Kunugi 4-dan?! G-GGGGG-Goo———”
Sota ignored the girl spattering goo-goo sounds …… Asuka Oishi, and placed his smartphone and other belongings into a locker.
He checked for new messages before turning off his phone, but there was nothing from the person he was hoping to hear from.
“…… It wouldn’t kill him to send me a text like I’m rooting for you or keep a cool head at this point, would it?”
Sota grumbled under his breath but was quick to reassure himself that there was nothing he could do about it.
After all, his opponent was someone Mr. Kagamizu held in high regard.
While he would be supporting Sota, of course, being caught in the middle between the two players must put Mr. Kagamizu in a complicated position ……
Taking the private stairwell up to the fifth floor, Sota walked into the arena only to be assailed by countless camera flashes from the army of reporters who had been stationed there.
“Flash photography is prohibited before matches! Please have some consideration for the players!!” an association staff member warned again and again, but the general media paid them no heed.
The intelligent boy understood that becoming famous came with a few drawbacks and simply waited for them to finish taking pictures.
Once the flashes finally died down———one man came into view.
He was sitting in the Onjyodan no Ma arena’s upper seat and intently focused on wiping the Shogi board.
———Yaichi did the same thing sometimes, now that I think about it.
Sota had once asked him about it.
“I’d say I clean the board a lot when I play Ranging Rook.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I’ll be sliding the Rook, yeah? Wiping the board first makes it easier to slide.”
———I thought he was teasing me back then.
But now, watching this man clean the board with enough intensity to draw out beads of sweat on his forehead, Sota thought that Yaichi may have been surprisingly on point.
He waited until Mitsuru Oishi had finished cleaning the board before taking a seat.
It was so immaculate that Sota could see his reflection staring back up at him. While he was surprised by his own exaltation, he said in a loud, confident voice, “I’m so glad for a chance to learn Ranging Rook from the best there is, the man called the Worldly Maestro, Mr. Mitsuru Oishi 9-dan!”
“That you are, huh?”
“Yes. Today will be one to remember.”
Then Sota spoke quietly so that only Mitsuru could hear.
“Because today is the day Ranging Rook comes to an end.”
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