Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 4 - Chapter 2.4

  OLD TRAINING PARTNERS

While a group of elementary schoolers’ unexpected appearance on a live broadcast was sending waves around the world–––.

“Sigh …… So what if I got through the challenge matches, there’s no way to get stronger overnight, is there ……?”

Keika continued to play Shogi in the classroom for hours … alone.

Then, when she left her seat to buy something to drink …

“Kei ……? Is that you?”

Someone she never expected to see called out to her.

“………… Sen?”

“It’s been …… A long, long time.”

A nostalgic face, one of her training partners from long ago stood before her.

Sen Kouzui, Women’s League 3-kyu.

Originally from Nara Prefecture, she sharpened her Shogi skills alongside Keika in the Kansai Practice League until two years ago. Sen had relocated to Tokyo as soon as she achieved Women’s League 3-kyu in hopes of furthering her training. She just turned twenty-seven.

–––Twenty-seven years old: the age considered to be a death sentence for women trying to join the Women’s League.

Should they not fulfill the requirements within two years, 3-kyu-ranking Women’s League members return to the Practice League …… However, only those under the age of twenty-five are allowed to join.

In other words, Sen cannot go back to the Practice League.

There is also a requirement that amateurs joining the Women’s League without passing through the Practice League via Tournaments must be “under twenty-seven years of age.”

Keika knew that Sen had hardly won any matches since becoming Women’s 3-kyu.

Sen’s only chance to remain in the Women’s League was to claim victory in the Mynavi Preliminary Matches …… Should she fail, her path to the League would close forever. Her dream would end right then and there.

Also, Sen surely knew that Keika has a B on her Practice League record. It was written all over her face when she spotted her old friend.

Keika, finally managing to force a smile, starts the conversation with the safest topic she could.

“So, Sen …… What’re you doing here at the association today ……?”

“I’m working as an assistant for children’s Shogi classes. I know other things should be more important …… But right now it’s too late to let myself stress out, so here I am.”

“I, um ……, had Mynavi Challenge Matches yesterday.”

“Yes. I saw the match records …… Pretty impressive.”

“Ahaha …… How embarrassing. I can’t exactly say I won the last one ……”

“Nothing to be ashamed of ……”

They hadn’t seen each other in two years.

There was so much catching up to do but …… The words wouldn’t come, no matter how happy they were to reunite.

Time crawled by until Sen shyly waved her hand.

“…… So, I’ll see you at the Preliminaries.”

“Yes. See you there ……”

How about a match for old time’s sake?

Neither one made the offer.

Even now, each one considered the other an irreplaceable friend …… It was for that very reason they knew the other would become their greatest obstacle.