Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 4 - Chapter 4.1

  THE WAITING ROOM

While Yaichi and Ginko were goofing around in the commentary break room …… a bizarre air had descended upon the participant’s waiting room.

It seemed friendly enough on the surface. Women’s League players were shooting the breeze with people they knew, so much so it was hard to believe their matches were about to begin.

…… However, look a little closer, and it would be possible to recognize that the players were avoiding eye contact with their soon-to-be opponents, as well as anyone they may have to face. All were very much aware of the impending battle but pretended to be oblivious, turning the atmosphere into an unlit powder keg.

Inside that room, the two amateurs making their first appearance, Ai Hinatsuru and Ai Yashajin, stood out from the crowd. They received inquisitive glances from time to time, but–––.

“It’s so nice to see you again. How’ve you been?”

One Women’s League player approached them from out of the blue.

Tamayo Rokuroba Women’s League 2-dan.

“Well, aren’t you two the girls of the hour? I was worried you might be getting anxious, what with all this attention. But you don’t have to be.”

With the refined grace of an experienced idol, Tamayo smiled at them and offered kind words.

“All of the spectators here to watch you today aren’t the least bit interested in how you play Shogi, so no pressure.”

Still smiling, she continued.

“Because, think about it. If they wanted to see a good Shogi match, they would watch two Women’s League players play against each other. So, the people who paid all that money to sit closer to your boards don’t care what happens. They just want to see two cute little girls try their best. It doesn’t matter if you lose, or even if you make too many mistakes to count. See?”

“……”

Ai and Ai quietly listened to what the Women’s League 2-dan, a person far outranking them, had to say.

Their reaction satisfied Tamayo Rokuroba.

(They’re scared stiff. Just two brats after all ……)

Her intention was to intimidate the two girls rather than poke fun at them.

(The dark brat is in my block. I might have to go against her in the last round …… Better set the tone while I’ve got the chance.)

Naïve amateurs can become a major problem if they don’t get put in their place.

Therefore, sowing a few negative thoughts in a preemptive strike before the match begins is an effective off-the-board strategy.

Of course, wanting revenge after being ridiculed by Ai Yashajin on Nico Live two weeks prior most certainly motivated her actions–––.

However, Tamayo realized her plan had failed when she heard Ai Yashajin’s next words.

“Who … are you?”

“……!!”

This was no off-the-board counterattack. Ai Yashajin had honestly forgotten who she was.

“A-Ai …… It’s me. The one who did commentary with your Master on Nico Live ……”

“Ohh, that Women’s League player. The one with no late game.”

“D-Don’t say things like that, Ai …… You’re being rude to one of the Women’s League Senseis,” said Ai Hinatsuru, gently tugging at Ai Yashajin’s sleeve with her eyes focused upward on Tamayo.

“You can show her how it’s done on the board later. Okay?”

“……?!”

–––Jolt!

A cold chill raced down Tamayo Rokuroba’s spine.

That’s when she noticed. The elementary school girl looking at her with big, round eyes …… had yet to blink even once.

Not only that, those big eyes had been trained on her like a suspicious spotlight from the moment she came into the room …… Only her.

All people who play Shogi have a blacklist in their hearts.

Opponents who humiliated them in a loss.

Opponents whose style and personality clashed with their own.

Opponents who, for whatever reason, rubbed them the wrong way.

Names on the blacklist are written in blood and become deeply carved into their very being. Anyone who takes Shogi seriously has that list. New names naturally get added to the list as long as they keep fighting.

A simple victory is never enough to satisfy someone when playing against an opponent on their blacklist. They set out to shatter their opponent’s spirit and trample their dignity …… But even if they should succeed, that name will never come off the blacklist. That only happens when one or the other passes away.

Tamayo knew without a shadow of a doubt.

Her name was on Ai Hinatsuru’s blacklist.

(F-Forget the dark brat–––this one is so much more trouble ……!)

Having never experienced such blatant, pure hostility from a little girl before, Tamayo was unsure how to handle it.

(Why …… What did I do to make her hate me this much ……?!)

The thought that her teasing Yaichi on Nico Live was, for Ai, an unforgivable offense punishable by death didn’t even cross her mind.

Oblivious to Tamayo Rokuroba’s quandary, “You’re right. There’s a chance we’ll meet in the last round if things work out that way, so I’ll teach you then. Teach you how much talent you don’t have.”

Ai Yashajin agreed with Ai Hinatsuru’s suggestion before she continued with a but.

“But … since a Women’s League Sensei was gracious enough to give me advice, I’ll give some in return.”

Flipping her hair over her shoulder like a long, black wing, Ai Yashajin said with a smile, “The two of us are the youngest to ever participate in the Mynavi Preliminary Matches … which means that we’re much more talented than you. So there’s no shame in losing to a little girl. Don’t get down on yourself.”

“…… Brat.”

A new name was carved into Tamayo Rokuroba’s blacklist.

That name was–––Ai Yashajin.

Meanwhile, while two grade schoolers and a Women’s League player were throwing verbal punches in the middle of the waiting room ……

“……………”

Keika was in the corner, ringing out her handkerchief with trembling hands. No matter how much sweat she wiped off, her skin wouldn’t dry.

One Women’s League player walked up to her.

“Kei.”

“…… Sen.”

This was the same person she happened to meet at the Shogi Association in Tokyo two weeks ago, her old training partner–––Sen Kouzui Women’s League 3-kyu. Keika, who’d been stiff as a statue due to nerves, relaxed enough to greet her with a faint smile.

Sen, watching the two grade school girls a short distance away, said, “I looked at their challenge match records. There are some real strong kids in Kansai now ……”

“Those two are in a league of their own …… and making my life difficult.”

“Ahaha. Strong kids keep coming out of the woodwork. Must be tough over there.”

“…… Sure is.”

“……”

“……”

There was so much they wanted to say, both had been looking forward to seeing each other at this very spot, but the words wouldn’t come out.

Sen knew that Keika had a B on her Practice League record.

Keika knew that Sen was in the midst of a long losing streak in the Women’s League.

Both knew one more thing.

Keika and Sen were assigned to the same block for today’s preliminary matches. Should both progress through the first round, they would collide in the last.

After a long silence too thick for words, it was Sen who spoke up.

“…… Back when I got Women’s League 3-kyu, when I decided to transfer to Kanto …… everyone in the Practice League sang a song for me. Do you remember?”

“Of course.”

“That song …… I listened to it every day when I got to Tokyo. It was thanks to that sendoff that I’ve kept going for two years …… Kept going without breaking down ……”

With that, Sen started humming one phrase of the song just above a whisper. Keika joined in right away. The muscles in her tense face eased just enough to bring her smile back.

Bridge of Glory.

It was a song from when Keika and Sen were in junior high school.

The younger members of the Practice League berated it, saying, “Who would know such an old song?” and the like. All eventually gave in to Keika’s strong request and practiced it to sing together on Sen’s last day.

Overcome with emotion, Sen had collapsed in tears with a bouquet of flowers in her hands. Keika bawled right along with her. The younger members saw them crying their hearts out and couldn’t help but get caught up in the moment and cry too. It was a long day.

The song tells the story of a young person working hard to achieve their dreams.

Tears flowing. Many sleepless nights.

“I’m not done dreaming,” Sen said once the song was over. “It’s an absurd dream, I know. These past two years have taught me that much and then some …… I’ve thought about quitting Shogi altogether so many times after losses I’ve lost count, but I couldn’t go through with it. That’s why I’m here.”

“…… It’s the same for me,” Keika replied, slowly spreading out her wrinkled handkerchief as she spoke.

Her skin, which had been soaked with sweat, was now bone dry.

“I saw something for the first time when I realized my dream could be coming to an end. A window …… And I refuse to let it close.”

“Kei ……”

Keika’s unwavering determination caught Sen off guard.

“Well …… See you in the last round.”

“Yes. The last round.”

Sen Kouzui and Keika Kiyotaki swore to meet across the board from each other.

Both of them knew.

Knew that—should they both keep their word–––the other’s dream would be broken.