Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 7 - Chapter SS

REVIEW SESSION

“Let’s grill outdoors and barbecue!”

That suggestion came out of nowhere.

Women’s King Ryou Tsukiyomizaka bursts into the Kansai Shogi Association Player’s Room just as Yamashiro Ouka Machi Kugui and I finish a practice match and runs right up to us.

“Come again? A barbecue? Huh? …… Why?”

“Splendid.”

I’m still trying to come to grips with the way-too-sudden invitation but Machi jumps on board right away. “I shall provide transportation,” she adds and I was in the backseat of her favorite orange car before I knew it.

Ryou in the passenger seat, we hit the road.

She wouldn’t let anyone sit in the passenger seat before because she said it’s too much of a distraction. Maybe she’s gotten used to driving? Or did she just make up that excuse to keep me from sitting there last time ……?

“Load up on meat! Beef! Pork!! Chicken!!!”

“Vegetables are also a must~.”

We stop at a supermarket to get what we need along the way. While the two ladies are busy getting the ingredients they want, I find a portable gas burner, paper plates and whatnot.

We meet up at the register.

“Kuzu. Foot the bill.”

“Say what? Me? Why?”

“Cuz you’re the one that got promoted, yea? Fork over that wallet.”

“How kind you are, Ryuo-san♡”

While I’m not happy about this arrangement, it’s customary in the Shogi world for the one being celebrated to cover the costs. My hands are tied. Who would’ve thought prepping for a cookout would be this expensive? Well, buying all this will be worth it if I take Charlette out for a barbecue …… I convince myself and just go with it.

“Alright? Where are we doing this?”

“Next to any old river’d be fine, wouldn’t it?”

“Huh?”

So then, the mastermind didn’t have a plan all along.

“That spot over there should suffice,” says Machi as she turns the wheel toward a riverbank that just happened to come into view.

There isn’t much here at all, just a meandering river surrounded by flat ground. That’s where we start setting up our cookout. Well, it’s not like anything around here will catch fire and water is right there just in case, so I suppose it’s the perfect spot.

“…… Are open flames permitted at this location?”

“Aghh? Sure are. It’s blazing.”

That’s not what Machi meant ……

“For such low-cost meat, eating outside sure makes it flavorful.”

“What’d I tell you?! Shogi players are always cooped up inside. Having some fun outdoors every once in a while’s good for you!”

One thing’s for sure, the food is delicious.

Spring is just starting. The cherry blossom trees growing along the riverbank barely have buds on their branches, but the hint of a warm breeze and the sound of flowing water make it really nice out here.

I’m standing next to the burner, manning the grill, while Ryou and Machi have the car trunk open and are using the luggage space like a bench. There’s something about the situation that just screams adolescence! I had my reservations at first, but this is pretty fun. Maybe it’s all this nervous energy coming from not knowing if we’re allowed to be out here, but all this eating and talking is a blast.

Then, after about an hour of living it up …

Ryou takes a swig of cola right from the bottle and says under her breath, “…… Say. You guys remember the day we first met?”

Of course I do. Clearly.

“The Elementary School Meijin Tournament. I was in third grade and both of you were fifth-graders. Ayumu was there, too.”

“I was beside myself, bawling after losing to O-Ryou–––.”

“And I beat Ayumu in the semifinals to play against Ryou in the final.”

“An’ I buried my fist in your gut after the Award Ceremony cuz seeing you in first place pissed me off so much.”

“That really hurt …… To think, all of that was ten years ago.”

People who have the makings of a pro Shogi player typically know how to play around the time they figure out the difference between left and right.

Then they meet in classrooms and tournaments.

Shogi attracts them like magnets from every corner of the country. Just like the way all of us met for the first time at the Elementary School Meijin Tournament.

That’s why we’re childhood friends, but also rivals at the same time.

“It’s incredible when you think about it. We met in the worst way possible, and yet here we are grilling outdoors and enjoying ourselves.”

People stumble across other people who share their personality traits and values completely by chance during all those competitions dating back to when they were just kids.

They become fellow warriors, their bonds deepening every time they clash.

Including Ayumu, the four of us are exactly that.

“Well, knowing we’re going to be like this whether I like it or not for at least another ten years is kind of depressing. Fated to be your personal punching bag ……”

“…… Sounds good to me.”

“…… Seconded.”

Wait, what? I thought to myself … because these two are never this serious.

Just when I was about to ask them about it.

Weeeoooo, weeeooo~~~!!

“Crap! It’s the feds!!”

“Huuh?! That’s a police siren?!”

Ryou jumps to her feet, reacting like she’s heard that sound plenty of times before and Machi revs the engine to life. I throw all our supplies and garbage into the back seat and the tires squeal the instant I close the door behind me.

Luckily, we lost the police car thanks to our perfect teamwork.

“Wheeew! That was far too close.”

“Oh, that was good. All thanks to me hearing it early.”

“Good?!! There was nothing good about it!!”

Finally feeling safe with the door closed after being a split second away from being flung out of the car, I yell at the girls giggling in the front seat. Great, now they’re high-fiving each other.

“Don’t both of you realize that we’re title holders?! All of us getting arrested at once would be the biggest scandal in Shogi world history!!”

“That’s of no concern. Because we’re minors, after all.”

“Yep. The papers can’t publish our names.”

“That’s not the point!” I yell at the top of my lungs, leaning in between the two front seats as Ryou responds.

“Well, I’d have to forfeit my match in three days if we all ended up in the slammer. That’d royally suck.”

“Perhaps we should atone for our actions by tidying up the riverside next time?”

“Yeah, I’m down for that. Sounds good.”

Despite nodding along with her, I’ve been so focused on my own matches recently that I’m not exactly sure what match Ryou has coming up.

“…… By the way, what match are you playing in three days?”

“The Yamashiro Ouka Challenger match. Against Ika Sainokami.”

“The what?!”

That’s huge!

Machi Kugui–––the Yamashiro Ouka title holder giggles to herself as she says, “I wonder if my chances of a successful defense would increase should the passenger side happened to collide with one of those concrete power poles on the side of the road.”

“No denying I’m stronger than Ika.”

“Indeed. Ika may be more talented, but you’re twice as stubborn, O-Ryou.”

“As if.”

They’re giving each other a hard time right now, but–––.

I’d be willing to bet that if Ryou does win and becomes the Yamashiro Ouka Challenger, these two won’t be in the same car like this again.

Ryou won’t be dropping by the Kansai Association to practice and the three of us won’t be going off on stupid adventures.

It’s not like their friendship will disappear because of the impending battle.

But, all of us have devoted our lives to Shogi. And titles are life for Shogi players. So long as we’re fighting for our lives, no one can emerge unscathed.

Shogi isn’t a physical sport, so no one will have visible scars.

It’s the heart that takes damage.

That’s why the wounds cut so deep. You can put bandages on physical injuries, but hearts take much longer to heal.

–––Today’s jaunt wasn’t to celebrate me at all. It was a farewell party ……

Ryou and Machi just can’t say it.

They act like everything’s normal but are pushing the envelope much further than usual.

It’s just that these two have never fought for their lives against each other before, so doing something stupid was an experiment.

Testing to see that no matter how bad the battle gets, their …… our relationship will always go back to normal.

They want to believe that, even if they’re wounded after the battle, those wounds will heal up one day.

Sensing the vibe, I join in from the back seat.

“Both of you might as well go down in a fiery wreck together! That way, my apprentices won’t have as much competition for titles.”

“Machi, put her in reverse. Smash Kuzu along with the trash.”

“As you wish!”

“Uwwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Hey, hey, why am I the only one actually going to get creamed here! Whhhhooooaaaaa! Seriously! You’re going to hit that pole! Stop, stop, STOP! STOOOOOP––––––!!”

Three days later.

Two Women’s Title Holders clashed in an all-out brawl in Kanto.

Both were so dead set on winning that two Repetition Draws were triggered, extending their match late into the night, which is extremely rare for women’s matches because of the short waiting time. The eventual challenger emerged victorious because of unbreakable grit and the persistence to come back from the brink of defeat.

That challenger’s name–––is Women’s King Ryou Tsukiyomizaka.

When asked about her feelings on the upcoming match in the post-challenger match interview, she stated, “As long as I’m doing this, I’m taking the title. I’ll rip it out of her dead hands if I have to.”

Spring. Around the time pink cherry blossom petals grace the streets of Kyoto.

The Yamashiro Ouka Title Match is set to begin.