Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 9 - Chapter 1.3

  SECRET GARDEN

Now, the day after Ai Yashajin became the Queen Challenger.

I’m waiting for a certain person to show up.

“Oh …… Hi there. It’s been a while ……”

“……………”

Popping up without a sound right behind where I’m sitting at the counter, she stares down at me with those ash-colored eyes without saying a word.

Queen Ginko Sora.

The opponent Ai is about to face.

“We can go to the table in the corner if you want?”

“Here is fine.”

Big Sis sits down next to me at the counter but never once looks me in the eyes.

She is wearing street clothes.

Having graduated on March 1st, Big Sis stopped wearing her sailor-style school uniform wherever she goes (though she’s still technically treated like a junior high school student in the Shogi world until March 31th).

Recently, with all the attention she’s been getting, Big Sis has started wearing a baseball cap as a disguise quite a bit.

Also …… sometimes …… gulp sometimes …… She cosplays for me. I do feel guilty about that ……

She and I were getting together for practice sessions with King Mitsuru Oishi, but with the King Title Match heating up and all sorts of scheduling conflicts, those three-person practice sessions naturally got put on hold.

As a result, I haven’t seen Big Sis all that much these days.

We are siblings bound by Shogi.

There’s no doubt in my mind that we have the strongest sister/brother apprentice bond in the entire Shogi world.

But, on the flipside, that also means that we barely have any relationship at all without Shogi.

–––Which is why I needed a reason to invite her out like this ……

That reason was a phone call.

I was busy playing my own match when Ai Yashajin was fighting to become the Queen challenger, but the Shogi Association offices received two phone calls as soon as my match was over, like they’d been waiting just for that. One of the calls was Akira.

The second was from Keika.

After Mr. Mine, one of the association staff members, told me my apprentice was going to be playing in a title match I assumed that Keika was calling to talk about that. I picked up the phone, excited when ……

“Ah! Hi there, Keika!! Listen to this! Ai is going to be in the Queen Title Match! Did you already know?! How should we celebrate–––?”

“Yaichi. Talk with Ginko in person, right now.”

“Huh? Why? Wouldn’t it be better to wait until the title match is over? I mean, my apprentice is the challenger, so wouldn’t that be awkward–––?”

“That doesn’t matter. Just listen to me. You need to speak with Ginko face-to-face as soon as you possibly can. Also, give her present. It needs to be something special, something you wouldn’t give anyone else.”

“A present???”

I had no clue what she meant, but following her advice about Big Sis has never come back to bite me. So I decided to go along with it.

–––I just happened to have something I wanted to give her anyway ……

I reach into my pocket to make sure it’s still there.

Keika also said, “Are you listening, Yaichi? There’s one more important thing you should do.” 

But …… I’ll talk about that later.

So, that’s why I invited Big Sis to meet me at the Kansai Shogi Association’s first floor restaurant, “Twelve.”

“……”

The ever-silent chef puts a menu down in front of Big Sis. That’s his way of saying to hurry up and order.

Neither of us bothered to open it as we say what we want.

“I’ll have the Extraordinary Pork Beauty A set. What about you, Big Sis?”

“Dynamite C Set.”

The two of us first came to this restaurant 11 years ago, so we have their whole menu memorized at this point. Big Sis has always gotten the Dynamite C Set. She never changes ……

Since the lunch rush is already over, the chef whips up our food in no time at all.

Putting our hands together in silence, we dig in.

“…………”

“…………”

A good amount of time goes by where the two of us concentrate solely on getting the food into our mouths. When the heck am I supposed to start talking ……?

It turns out that we finish eating and the chef takes our dishes back into the kitchen before I find the right timing.

“Big Sis. Um ……”

“What is it?”

“Well ………… You see ……” 

“Well what? I haven’t got all day.”

“H …… Here!!”

I take her present out of my pocket and put it down on the counter.

It’s––––––a spare key to my apartment.

The same one that she hurled at me in a rage during the middle of the Ryuo Title Match …… and I haven’t been able to get back to her until right now.

“Isn’t it a lot harder to meet at the Gokigen Bath House with our practice sessions with Mr. Oishi being put off? Also, now that Master’s place is being used for the Kiyotaki Classroom, there’s always a lot of people there. I think my apartment would be the most convenient place for practice sessions …… don’t …… you ……?”

My words trail off toward the end.

Because, well, I can’t read her face …… at all ……

“So, I …… Um, I’d like …………… you to have this key, Big Sis ……,” I say with the key sitting on the counter. Hoping and hoping.

Big Sis says–––.

“I don’t need it.”

“……!”

In a cold, flat refusal.

Sharp pain slices through my heart. She doesn’t want to have practice sessions with me anymore …… That feels like she’s saying she’s fine with cutting our bond once and for all.

–––Should’ve figured …… Her opponent for the title match is my apprentice ……

But that wasn’t the case.

Rather than the key, Big Sis takes my hand and says, “Forget about that and follow me.”

“Huh?”

Big Sis leads me out to–––.

“Is …… this it? This apartment building?”

A newly built apartment complex along the riverside about a 15-minute walk away from the association.

“Big Sis? What are we doing here? Do you know someone who lives here?”

Ignoring my confusion, Big Sis goes inside the building without me. She then takes a key out of her pocket to open the inner auto-locking doors.

“Hurry up. Want to get locked out?”

“Wait for me!”

I trip over my feet in a rush and end up sliding through the doors just as they close behind me. From there, it was into the elevator and up to the eighth floor.

Starting to get a bit nervous, I follow Big Sis all the way down the hallway to–––.

“Room 801”

Stopping in front of the door, Big Sis uses her key to open it.

“Get inside. Hurry up.”

“S-Sure ……”

She ushers me through the door.

It’s a simple, one-room floor plan.

There’s almost nothing in here. All I see is a wireless LAN router and a tablet plugged into the wall to charge. Oh, and there’s a really beat-up book, too.

“So …… What is this place?”

“I bought it. For research.”

“You did?”

“With my saved-up prize money.”

She flat-out bought her own apartment at 15 years old ……

What’s more, a great location like this all for research …… Hm? Research?

“Research …… Big Sis, does that mean you’re not going to high school?” I ask, looking around the barren room.

The whole country wants to know whether or not Naniwa’s Snow White will enroll in high school but even I, her younger brother apprentice, haven’t been told of the answer.

“Yaichi. Here.”

“?!”

Rather than answering my question, she throws something at me. Surprised, I grab for it a few times before finally catching it.

“This is the spare key. It’s your job to clean this room when I’m not around.”

Whaaat ……?

“Well?”

“O-khay.”

She didn’t take my key because she already had this room …… Seeing the Silver Shogi piece keychain attached to the one that she tossed me both surprises me and lifts my spirits at the same time.

This proves that I’m not just anyone to her. Even if she thinks of me as a janitor.

“But, I’ve got to say …… There’s really nothing in here, is there?”

“I just bought it. And I don’t want there to be any distractions while I’m doing Shogi research.”

“I understand that, but wouldn’t having a table and some chairs be a good idea?”

“…………”

Without answering me, Big Sis takes off her baseball cap and tosses it across the floor.

“Then, be my chair.”

“Huh?”

“Just sit down already.”

“Owwwch?!”

Big Sis nails me a low kick right to the shins!!

Everything below my knees is taken out by that scythe-like strike. I collapse to the floor and watch as Big Sis’s little bottom comes down on top of my lap.

She then leans into me like I’m some kind of floor cushion.

So, this is what she meant when she said to be her chair.

“…… Too bumpy. Get softer.”

“Get softer ……? The human body doesn’t have that feature ……”

Maybe she’s mistaking her younger brother apprentice for slime?

Shifting her bottom around to find a comfortable spot, Big Sis puts her knees together and sets her tablet on her lap before turning it on and opening Shogi software.

“See? We only need to use one tablet this way. Now, what move would you make with the formation like this?”

“Hmmm …… If it were me–––.”

I reach out toward the screen but freeze with my hand in midair.

The tablet is resting on her thighs, so reaching out for it is kind of …… like, um ……

I’m embracing her from behind …… ish?

“Touch my breast and I’ll kill you.”

“Can’t touch what isn’t there ……”

“What was that?”

“I won’t. I won’t touch anything.”

Strong words coming from a member of the itty-bitty titty committee ……

The thing is, I’m powerless to stand up to her. Big Sis is right up against me. Her hair and skin smell so good that I can’t think straight, which is what’s keeping me from resisting whatever she says.

I don’t get it. Back when we were little, we used to bathe together all the time and it wasn’t a big deal …… But now, it’s like she’s become a completely different species.

I can’t see her face from this angle, but I can tell she’s not feeling anything by the sound of her voice. My heart is the only one that’s racing, so I force myself to calm down and focus on Shogi research before Big Sis catches on.

“Well …… Moving this piece here in this situation is trending right now.”

“Isn’t this the valid move?”

“I agree, that one does feel right. But, if you move that other piece forward–––.”

Hmmm ……

Sitting like this is kind of nice ……

Seeing analysis from the same side of the board gives an angle you can’t get from researching on opposite sides. It’s easy to get on the same page, I guess.

This is a new discovery. I should try it out at the next Grade Schooler Practice Group session …… Is how far my train of thought gets before Big Sis slams the back of her head into my chin. Owch!

“What was that for?!”

“You were thinking about little girls just now, weren’t you?”

S-she’s sharp ……!

I did my best not to think about the grade schoolers from then on, but it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Because, Shogi is here to distract me. Shogi …… and my younger older sister.

Once our research got to a good stopping point, Big Sis stretches out her arms and legs with a long “Nghhh!” before saying.

“I’m hungry.”

“I see.”

“I’m hungry!”

Big Sis starts kicking her legs up and down. What is she, a kid?

I thought we just had lunch a little bit ago, but glancing at the clock tells me that was actually more than a few hours ago.

Strange …… All I was doing was being Big Sis’s chair in an empty room, so why did time go by so fast? Shogi can really eat up time when you’re not paying attention.

“Don’t look at me. There aren’t any pots or pans in the kitchen, so we can’t cook anything. How about going out to eat?”

“Simple. Delivery.”

“Oh, that makes sense. How about pizza?”

“No. I want sushi.”

“O-khay, o-khay.”

Just as Snow White desires, I start ordering sushi on my smartphone. I do this all the time for the Grade Schooler Practice Group, so all the info is saved already.

I go downstairs to pick up the delivery once it arrives (I made the order, so of course I went) and bring everything up to Big Sis.

“We research while we eat. I won’t be wasting time.”

She’s telling me to be her chair again. I have no choice but to obey.

“All right, so we grab one whenever we feel like it?”

“Fingers will get dirty.”

“Just use chopsticks.”

“Feed me.”

Well, she’s right about fingers getting dirty, which will make the tablet’s touchscreen get sticky …… I convince myself as I grab Big Sis’s favorites and bring them to her lips one after another.

“Yaichi. Put them all the way inside my mouth.”

“That’s hard, like one of those two-person helping hands comedy routines ……”

“Then get better at it. That way, it’ll go smoother next time.”

Next time? She’s going to make me do this again?

Does that mean all my practice sessions with Big Sis from here on out are going to be this style?

“Yaichi, you may eat some too.”

“…… Thank you.”

I’m so happy I could cry. Getting to eat the sushi that I paid for myself? This must be heaven!

And so, we get back to researching while snacking on sushi.

The nice thing about sushi or pizza is you can grab a piece or a slice whenever you want. The problem is you get so caught up in a sequence that the half-eaten piece stays in your hand for a long time and can get messy.

My hands and lips were sticky by the time our research got to a good stopping point.

“Whew …… I think that’s as good a conclusion as we’re going to get. Let’s move on to another subject.”

“Yaichi, you’ve got rice on your cheek.”

“I do? Where?”

“…… Your moronic face.”

Big Sis rotates her body to face me, plucks the piece of rice off my cheek, and eats it.

“……!!”

Squeeeeeze!! My whole chest tightens up and a feeling I can’t put into words washes over me.

This kind of thing used to happen all the time, but …… Now it’s seriously embarrassing. It’s hard to sit still ……

“L-look at the time! Staying out too late would be, you know, so shouldn’t we be heading home?”

“………………………………”

Big Sis kind of mumbles for a few seconds before saying this in a feeble voice.

“I don’t have any more plans for today …… We can keep going, if you want? ………… Or do something else ……”

Something else?

D-does she mean ……?!!

“You want to work on Ranging Rook, too? You’re really bound and determined.”

“Drop dead, trash.”

“What are you grilling me for?!”

Now, Big Sis is angrily puffing out her cheeks for some reason.

What else would there be to research? Ranging Rook versus Ranging Rook?

She moves away from me, pouting as she sits down with her knees together in front of her chest and says without looking at me.

“…… And? What are we going to research next?” she asks, stretching out her toes while running her fingers between them.

“Yaichi, you don’t have anyone to research with now that our practice sessions with Oishi-sensei are on hold, right? You’re the one in a pinch, so I guess I could help you out if you want. But, I’ll be extremely busy with the 3-dan division starting in April.”

“The 3-dan division …… That’s right. It’s about to start ……”

Hearing those words is like taking a bucket of ice water to the face.

It’s like a big tournament that takes place over six months for every 3-dan ranking member of the Sub League. The top two at the end get promoted to 4-dan …… They can turn pro.

So, what kind of Shogi do you think gets played under those conditions?

Not a single match record produced in there could be called pretty. Everyone is so focused on not losing and making their opponents dread facing them again that they hit each and every weakness they can find without mercy.

Even the winner walks away with their heart in pieces and losing kills it all together.

The nail in the coffin is the age limit. It’s said that some people couldn’t take the pressure and took their own lives.

While I didn’t suffer that much, just thinking about my time in the 3-dan division makes me depressed.

The one thing that all Shogi pros agree on is we don’t want to go back there again. It’s hell on earth.

And Big Sis is about to take her first step into it.

A 15-year-old girl … in that hellhole.

I was really happy about this arrangement at first, but …… thinking about it rationally, now is not the time for her to be having laid-back practice sessions with me.

“I’ll be very, very busy, but I’ll make time for you if you say you absolutely need it, Yaichi. It won’t be easy, but as your elder sister apprentice, if you absolutely insist–––.”

“About that. Let’s stay away from each other for the time being.”

“……?”

She freezes like a statue, a look of shock on her face with her mouth wide open.

I’m sure it hurts, being told this after going out of her way to help me, but …… I can’t go along with her kindness right now.

I want Bis Sis to focus on herself right now. Only on herself ……

With that in mind, I put it to her like this.

“Well …… At least until the Queen Title Match is over, I think we should stop doing these practice sessions. We’re not exactly facing off, but you bringing me, the Master of your opponent in a series of matches for a title, into your apartment for practice sessions will cause a lot of misunderstandings.”

“…………… Well, obviously.”

“I thought so. I’m expected to do a lot as Ai Yashajin’s Master as she tries to claim her first title, so having practice sessions with her opponent would leave a bad taste.”

“Of course it would. That much is common sense. You don’t have to tell me. Are you brain-dead? Why would you actually say it? Would you die already?”

“I-I apologize ……”

This level of outrage is absurd, but yes, me telling that to someone of Big Sis’s standing point-blank was rude. Even I’d get angry at someone telling me something so basic.

But, if I don’t put it out there right now, Big Sis is so kind that she’ll end up wasting what little precious time she has on me.

“Anyway, I suggest we continue these practice sessions after the Queen Title Match is over.”

“Makes sense.”

She gives me a short nod. I thought that would be the end of it, but–––.

“But, are you okay with that, Yaichi?”

“Come again?”

“The Queen Title Match typically ends in June. The placement matches will have started by then, so aren’t you worried about not having a partner for practice sessions?”

“I’ve gotten pretty good at researching by myself with software, so I’ll be fine.”

If I’m being totally honest, I want practice sessions. As many as possible.

Playing against software and playing as a person are totally different, having a place like this to do research would be perfect, and not seeing Big Sis for that long hurts for a different reason, but …… I can’t be selfish right now.

Just as Big Sis said, having both the Queen Title Match and the 3-dan division going at the same time will be rough.

If she tries doing practice sessions with me on top of that, she won’t be able to pull out all the stops because there’s a chance that info might make it to Ai Yashajin. No one can do worthwhile research when they’re trying to hide exactly how much they know.

–––It’s better we don’t see each other right now. For both of our sakes.

I put on a happy face when I turn her down so she won’t feel guilty.

“Thank you for worrying about me! But I’ll be all right! I can wait until after the Queen Title Match to see you again, no problem!!”

“…………………………………………………………”

Big Sis stares at the floor in silence then raises her head with a snap.

“Leave.”

“Huh?”

“I have plans.”

“Huh? But you just said you didn’t–––.” 

“I just remembered.”

“What kind of plans?”

“An extremely important secret errand.”

Big Sis pulls me to my feet and pushes me all the way out the front door and says as she’s closing it, “I’ll speak with the association about the upcoming schedule.”