Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 2 - Chapter 1.4

  A SUMMONS

The Kansai Association’s Player’s Room is a long, thin rectangle.

Located on the third floor, it’s always filled with pro players, Women’s League players, Sub League members and journalists burning the midnight oil. It’s a place where members of the Kansai Shogi world come together to practice and encourage each other in practice groups.

Big Sis and I are in here doing just that, playing practice Shogi.

“Say, Big Sis.”

“…… What?”

Each of us only has ten seconds to make a move, so the clicks come one after another as I look up at her face and try to make it seem like I’m striking up small talk.

“How often do you work with the Practice League these days?”

“Why do you ask?”

“No reason in particular.”

“Then don’t ask.”

Conversation over. But I can’t give up now.

I couldn’t get everything Onizaka-sensei said yesterday out of my head even after I got home.

Just how am I supposed to raise Ai?

Masters also show their affection by throwing their apprentices into the fire.

His words reminded me of something I heard about in the past.

There was a time when it was said that Shogi Masters only played against their apprentices twice.

The first was when they first took them as an apprentice. It was to measure their abilities firsthand.

The second was when they retired from the Sub League without going pro.

And it’s said that the Master let their apprentice win.

You may not become a professional, but you’ve improved so much since you started.

It was a confidence booster——all so they could make a fresh start in a new world.

Big Sis and I have each played thousands of matches against Master. It’s considered common practice for Masters to take a hands-on approach in teaching their apprentices these days.

But I love this story because it just hits you right in your feelings.

I understand this now that I’m a Master myself. Making an apprentice fend for themselves is much more difficult than giving them special treatment.

Unfortunately, pro Shogi players are extremely isolated. There’s no one that can help you in the middle of a match. No one can get better if they’re always protected.

Only those with self-driven strength to improve can become strong.

That’s why I have to expose Ai to the harsh reality of this world but …… 

There’s this one …… huge obstacle in the way.

–––Ai is just too damn cute.

She makes me wonder if creatures possessing that level of cuteness should be allowed to exist in this world. There’s a phrase that means even putting it in your eye wouldn’t hurt, and truer words have never been spoken. Just looking at her makes all my problems go away. In that case, even if my eye gets crushed with her inside it, it’ll just heal right away. Now how could that hurt? Now isn’t that the ultimate image?

But she’s more than just cute.

Ai does housework. She’s not selfish. She always tries her best and is damn cute for it.

“Is there anything you’d like?”

When I asked her, she fidgeted a little bit before saying, “I want to play Shogi with you, Master ……”

How about that? Just what is this cute creature? She’s just too lovable! No matter how strict anyone tells me to be with her, it’s just not possible! How could you help but give her a treat?!

That’s why I’ll always instinctively hold back and never be able to push her to the edge, and I bet Ai will never get that I’ll win no matter what it takes! feeling playing against me. A Master can never be a rival.

That’s where Big Sis comes in.

Knowing her, she’d push Ai to tears without a second thought. Ai’s thirst for revenge after the Practice League test will bring out her best, for sure. A grudge match like that will become a duel to the death.

“Then again …… Big Sis might ……”

“…… Hold up. Huh? What are you blabbering about?”

There’s absolutely no way that Big Sis would help out with Ai’s training even if I asked her. There’s nothing in it for her.

Plus, she always tries to break her opponent’s spirit, practice match or not. There’s a very real risk that she’d destroy my precious apprentice.

That’s a problem. A big problem.

So, I decided I would try to figure out the secrets behind how she became this superwoman Shogi machine for the time being. That might give me some ideas.

“Big Sis, how’d you get so good at Shogi?”

“Playing Shogi.”

“Well, yes, I get that, but there’s something more, right? Doing Shogi puzzles, replaying Shogi records, a certain way that you studied?”

“Playing Shogi.”

“B …… But just doing matches all the time, don’t you hit a wall at some point? I’m trying to ask what to do at times like that ……”

“Play Shogi.”

“You’re right. Playing Shogi is the best answer. But, you know, what about those times when nothing seems to work no matter what you do? When that happens–––.”

“Play Shogi.”

“What if you’re in a slump–––?”

“Play Shogi.”

“I was stupid for even trying to ask ……”

“Wanna be laid out on the slab?”

Tempers flaring, our match became just as fiery. Stubbornly pressing forward, our hands are moving so fast they bump into each other over and over again as I squeak out a victory. How’d you like that, Ginko!

“Ryuo.”

“Yes?”

A voice came from behind me as if someone had been waiting for our match to finish.

As to the certain someone that called me out of the blue, it was–––.

“…… Ms. Oga?”

“One’s name is thus.”

Sasari Oga. A female association staff member, a secretary to be exact.

She used to be a Women’s League player, but had to retire as a 1-dan.

She’s in her early twenties if I remember right, but her bad win-loss record forced her out of the league. The same is true for the main leagues, but the world of women’s Shogi is fierce.

“Ryuo. I apologize for bothering you during practice but–––.”

“Oh, yes. It’s about that, right?”

I stand up from my chair and Big Sis glares at me.

“So, you’re just going to win and dash?”

“My apologies, twin title holder. The chairman summons.”

“Well, you heard her.”

“…… Drop dead.”

I turn my back on Big Sis’s curse and follow Ms. Oga out of the Player’s Room. Winning and dashing feels awesome.