Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 7 - Chapter Ep

  EPILOGUE

There’s a piece of paper in front of me.

“……… Joyous Promotion Comments, great.”

It’s a column where Shogi magazines ask newly promoted players to submit their own articles.

It can be about anything. Most players reflect on the path to promotion and thank the people who helped them along the way.

I’d normally type this up on a computer, but I’ve always wanted to handwrite this when I got the chance.

Most players are probably the same way. It’s a special article for us, after all.

“But …… what exactly am I supposed to say ……?”

I’ve been dreaming about writing this Joyous Comments article for so long.

But, now that it’s here, I have no idea what to write.

After Master’s Letdown Party finished up, I carried my sleeping apprentice all the way home on my back just as the sun was starting to come up this morning. Now, I’ve spent hours in the tatami room staring at this blank sheet of paper as sunbeams filter through the window.

My apprentice is out like a light next to me, my sweatshirt still clutched in her grasp.

“Zzzz …… Zzzz ………… Master …… You’re …… the best ………”

Her sleep talk makes me grimace. She’s not wrong about one thing, the Dragon King Ryuo is de facto number one.

But, I’m certainly not the best player in the Shogi world. If I were undeniably the strongest, I wouldn’t have lost to Zaou-sensei on the day he was set to retire.

Placement Matches

There’s another sheet in front of me with that title and over 100 names on it.

Next season, my name will be listed at 83.

That’s the very bottom of C-1.

I barely advanced from C-2’s basement to be the lowest of three players promoted to C-1. What’s worse, it happened by default rather than my own skill.

“…… The supposedly best player, the Ryuo? Pathetic ……”

All the trust and confidence I had built up are gone.

I don’t even know what kind of Shogi I should play anymore.

But–––.

“The kind of player I want to be is still burned into my memory.”

I pick up my pen and start writing down words as if trying to beat them out of the paper itself.

The first things that came out were my regrets, as well as reprimanding myself for letting success get to my head. Then, I reflect on myself as a whole while the wounds are still fresh. There isn’t a joyous word in here. Instead, it’s all me talking big like a kid and boasting about dreams I’ve had ever since I was one.

That, and putting my gratitude and admiration for my Master into words.

This article also ran in the same Shogi magazine that month.

The First Father and Daughter Ever on the Professional Shogi Stage

An Interview with Kousuke Kiyotaki & Keika Kiyotaki

Written and Edited by Mato

While there have been examples of fathers and sons becoming Shogi professionals in the past, there has never been a father-daughter duo until now.

The ones who accomplished that historical feat are Kousuke Kiyotaki 9-dan and his daughter Keika Kiyotaki Women’s League 3-kyu. I recently had an opportunity to speak with them at their abode.

Once the home of live-in apprentices Yaichi Kuzuryu-ryuo and Ginko Sora-dual title (Sub League 3-dan), the Kiyotaki household is now home to a practice group calling itself the Kiyotaki Classroom. Nary a moment goes by without the wooden snap of a Shogi piece going off these walls.

Father and daughter took time out of their busy lives to give me a peek inside.

“What month’s this for again?”

Upon telling him May, the elder Kiyotaki grumbled.

“Well, that leaves a bad taste. All those Joyous Promotion Comments and I’m the only one gettin’ demoted …… Like offerin’ up my own head.”

His daughter Keika burst into laughter beside him. This was in fact a joke meant to put me at ease.

The ice immediately broken, I start off by asking Kiyotaki about his state of mind.

“I was thinkin’ the C division was my grave when I first dropped. But, the real grave was thinkin’ that way in the first place. There ain’t nothin’ wrong with fightin’ there. I can still play Placement Matches as a pro. Which means I still qualify to take a run at bein’ Meijin. All that’s left is me puttin’ in the effort to get there.”

Though demoted by the slimmest of margins, Kiyotaki emerged victorious from his final Placement Match last season against Ayumu Kannabe 7-dan whose promotion had already been determined.

In addition to running the day-to-day operations at the Noda Shogi Center, Kiyotaki has been busy overseeing the massive practice group called the Kiyotaki Classroom as well as his apprentices’ progression.

Not to mention that Kiyotaki has always been known to travel great distances to promote the sport of Shogi whenever asked.

Could this overwhelming schedule be behind the demotion?

Kiyotaki rejected that notion straightaway.

“I promoted to A the same season I took two live-in apprentices. My B-2 and B-1 promotions weren’t a cakewalk either, comin’ durin’ the aftermath of the Great Kansai Earthquake and after losin’ my wife …… Seems I promote when I know I gotta do this! Actually, I get knocked down when I start thinkin’ I’m in good shape (haha). I don’t think bein’ busy is a problem.”

What season did you feel you committed yourself the most?

Once again, Kiyotaki’s answer was instantaneous.

“C-2 into C-1, without a doubt …… I was focusin’ on another level back durin’ that first time. I swore to myself I’d make it happen.”

Keika gives her father an inquisitive glance.

“The first time you promoted? Was there a reason?”

“Ya don’t know?”

“?”

“Ya’d just been born.”

“!! …… Father! You’ll make me cry ……”

Keika dabbed her eyes with the palm of her hand. Her father’s unexpected comment left her no time to reach for a handkerchief.

While on the topic, I asked Kiyotaki the meaning behind the name Keika.

Was it you who came up with it, Sensei?

He answers, “’Course I did. Came to me in a flash when I was lookin’ over a board. It was so good, I rushed straight to the ward office to register her without tellin’ my wife (haha).”

He boasted with confidence.

However, his daughter had a surprising take on her name.

“Honestly, I’m not very fond of it.”

“Huh?! Y-Yar not ……?”

“Well, the keima Knight and kyousha Lance are both amazing pieces that can jump over others and charge forward as far as they want. I can’t compete with that …… It’s a lot of pressure.”

“……” (Looking despondent.)

“Ah! I-I don’t hate my name!! The Knight that can jump over pieces and the Lance that can burst forward …… I’m happy to be named after both of them. It’s just–––.”

Keika turned to address me.

“My favorite pieces are Pawns. There may be many of them and they may be the weakest piece on the board. But they never retreat, advancing forward step-by-step without faltering until they promote into a piece as good as a Gold. Seeing them achieve that goal …… It reminds me of my father.”

“K …… Keika ……!”

This time it was her father’s turn to wipe tears away.

Are you happy you decided to continue playing Shogi?

Upon posing that question, Keika responded with a resounding, “Of course! It’s always what I’ve dreamed of doing and, while there were times I thought about giving up on it …… I’m so happy I became a Women’s League player. Seeing my efforts pay off is great, but the best thing is knowing that my Father will always be my Master in the Shogi world. You see, I was jealous of what Yaichi and Ginko had. Their bond with my Father through Shogi.”

Taking her Father’s hand, the younger Kiyotaki opened up.

“But, jealousy doesn’t help anyone. Being connected by blood doesn’t require any effort. On the other hand, being a Shogi family is hard work. That’s true for everything.”

Effort and hard work. Keika used those words many times.

“If it hadn’t been for Shogi, I’m sure I would have lived a sheltered life. I’m very thankful to Shogi for giving me the opportunity to grow as a person …… And for making Yaichi and Ginko true members of this family after living together for so long. Ai Hinatsuru and Ai Yashajin are a bonus!”

On further inspection, this family isn’t just a father and a daughter, but has grandchildren as well. The bonds they share are most definitely thicker than blood.

Shogi is a board game.

That being so, the day that software reveals all its intricacies may be on the horizon. It could very well mark the end of Shogi as a game.

However, Shogi is not just a game.

For without it, Ginko Sora and Yaichi Kuzuryu would have never come to this household. Without Shogi, this father and daughter would be nowhere near as close. Ai Hinatsuru would still be living on the north coast and Ai Yashajin would most likely still be haunted by her tragic past if Shogi did not exist.

Shogi is a driving force behind life stories.

Wins and losses send many people down different paths.

Everything arises from one simple move on a board–––and no software rating could ever predict all its outcomes.

I truly feel that this family is living proof.

“I wanna show that I can still hold my own even while my apprentices are in the spotlight. Only way to do that is to get results. Demoted? Just get promoted back up. I’ll promote outta C-1 next season, and outta B-2 the next. Then, from B-1 …… What’s the record for the oldest player to promote to A again?”

60 years old.

Kiyotaki’s face turned solemn, nodding at my answer.

“Alright. Then, I’d say it’s about time that record got broken.”

Kiyotaki went on to tell me about his hopes and dreams for the future.

They weren’t all about himself. He talked about his daughter, his apprentices, the Sub League and Practice League members continuously sharpening their skills at the Kiyotaki Classroom, as well as continuing to enjoy the game he loves.

His daughter sat beside him, listening with a smile on her face. One thing is for certain, this household will continue to bear many more Shogi children.

Lastly, Kiyotaki donned the look of a boxer stepping into the ring as he made one last assertion.

His biggest dream of all, one that he’s held dear since his childhood days and has allowed him to keep fighting as a professional Shogi player.

“I want to be the Meijin.”