The First Morning

“…U…nn…?”

Kok kok. Tok tok. I woke up to those sounds.

“…Smell of…miso soup?”

A homely scent reaches me, and I, who just woke up, am left confused

Strange? This is…where is this place?

“…Did I wander into Master’s house? Keika-san’s cooking…?”

Was I actually dreaming of the days when I was serving my disciples.h.i.+p? So I wondered, but it was not the case.

I opened my eyes, and found that it was the 2DK apartment I rented, the smartphone by my pillow indicating that it was almost noon.

“Ah…speaking of which, we played shogi until late into the night…”

Rather than late into the night, it would be more precise to say that it was almost dawn. My opponent was unable to withstand the sleepiness, and was drowsy, so we ended our match, and went to bed.

As for that opponent, I remember–

“Ah! Master! Good morning!”

I walked out of the bedroom, and an energetic voice immediately greeted me.

There was an elementary school girl dressed in an ap.r.o.n, standing at the kitchen.

“…”

I got to repeat this, since it’s very important.

There’s someone in the kitchen! In an ap.r.o.n!! An elementary school girl!! Standing there!!

“…Erm.””

“Ai! Ai Hinatsuru! I became your disciple yesterday!”

“Eh? No, I never said anything about taking disciples–”

“Breakfast is almost done here! Please enter the bath, Master!”

“B-bath?”

I entered the bathroom, with the elementary school girl pus.h.i.+ng me from behind, and found that there was already hot water inside.

Ever since I started living by myself, I would take showers, so this might be the first time I had a leisurely bath in my house. Also–

“There’s some nice smell from the hot water…”

“Yes! I brought some ‘Wakura Bath Salt’ from home! It’s a bath soap that contains minerals from our onsen! It can relieve fatigue and make people feel good♪”

Right, this kid’s family owns an onsen inn…

An inn, but it felt like a luxurious hotel. That place won the top prize in j.a.pan for consecutive years, and the Emperor himself lived there, or so I heard during Christmas Eve…

Huh?

Then, isn’t this kid…some rich princess?

“Please put your dirty clothes in the basket there. I shall wash them later. Shall I put your change of clothes and the towel here?”

“Ah, yeah.”

Before I knew it, this elementary school girl knew where the clothes and towels were at. This development surely isn’t normal, but as I had just woken up, my head was still groggy.

It felt as though I arrived in a hotel, having a towel fight. I soaked myself in the bath salted water, and continued to enjoy this gracious care.

“Master! Breakfast is ready!”

“Ah, yes.”

“I’ll serve it immediately.”

I had a nice good bath while the sun was high, and with much relief, sat at the short j.a.panese table as plain but intricately prepared, piping hot food was served before me. Such exceptional housemaking skills overwhelmed me,

“Sorry. I took the food from the fridge.”

“It’s fine…”

The scrumptious meal before my eyes stunned me, and I took the bowl. It was a hill of rice.

“Amazing. You prepared everything?”

“Yes! There was a lot of food in the fridge, so I can’t help but use that much.”

“What’s this black thing?”

“Seaweed! Simmered Seaweed!” (TN: Nori no Tsukudani. Nori, or the j.a.panese term for edible seaweed. Tsukudani is basically food simmered in soy sauce and mirin.)

“Why is there simmered seaweed here?”

“I made it. There’s dried seaweed and sauces here.”

“Eh? You can make that at home?”

“A frying pan will do though?”

“I-I see…itadakimasu…”

“Sorry that it’s just some simple dishes.”

With the elementary school girl seated in a seiza, staring at me, I reached my chopsticks for the dishes.

So, let’s see how it tastes–

“Um! This is delicious! You’re amazing!”

“Ehehe♡”

Upon hearing me praise her, Ai looked really delighted, grinning like a puppy.

At the very least, it was different from how tentative she was the previous day.

I guess this was her true nature. Shogi could show the personality of an opponent, and this girl was a feisty one who would not back down. 100% full offense. Most female shogi players are like this, like anedes.h.i.+, and anedes.h.i.+, and anedes.h.i.+.

“Hm? Ai-chan, you aren’t eating?”

“Yes! I have to serve you, Master! I’m the disciple!”

“Enough with that, let’s eat together. You’re hungry now, right?”

I was very concerned by her service. Besides, I never agreed to take her in as a disciple.

I had her  sit opposite the table, and we faced each other as we had our meals.

“Then…erm, itadakimasu…”

“Yep.”

“…”

“…”

…Just awkward.

There was a strange feeling as I face her, having this meal…no, I’m not getting excited by an elementary school girl? I just mean that I’m nervous, you know? You get it, right?

It’s one thing if it’s playing shogi, but any other occasions, and it’s a common symptom for shogi players to get tense as long as we had to face someone of the opposite gender. Even if she’s an elementary school student…

“Erm…Master? There’s a lot of ingredients in the fridge. Do you cook for yourself?”

“Hm? Ahh, that’s not me, but my anedes.h.i.+…”

“Ane? Master, you have an older sister?” (TN: Ane: older sister)

“Not exactly…well, kinda.”

Anedes.h.i.+ would always come by my house to do some cooking to practice ‘living by herself’, so she said (at the very least, it looked like cooking). To be honest, the (what appears to be) cooking was hard to swallow, but if I did not eat, I would be whacked by the corners of a 7 inch board, so I could only force myself to swallow. A 7 inch board would normally crack a skull, and I still have some outstanding loan.

“Well, leaving that aside…I remember you saying that you have been playing shogi for three months? How did you study?”

“Ah, yes!”

Ai put her hands down, and sat properly.

“Back in our hotel, my dead grandp…grandfather loved shogi, and had a lot of books about shogi, so I read them. I couldn’t read when there’s a lot of kanji though…”

“That’s it?”

“And then, when I helped out at home, I would try to solve tsumeshogi. My household owns an onsen inn, and I needed to help in lots of things, so solving them took up the most time.” (TN: Tsumeshogi, shogi end game puzzles to checkmate the opponent. Unlike Chess, there’s no such thing as stalemate in shogi given that you can replenish your board, so all problems are considered mates)

I see, I see. Tsumeshogi; no wonder she displayed such ability during the end game.

It’s not that solving tsumeshogis will naturally improve one’s shogi abilities. There are some tsumeshogi authors that do not play shogi. However, this method might suit her.

“Anyway, I’m impressed. You managed to keep studying even while helping out with work.”

Normally, she would have angered others for playing shogi while helping, but this was my opinion of her as a shogi player. If you have the time to study, why not practice shogi? This is the world for us.

“Ehehe. It was tough trying to memorize the puzzles at first, but I can easily recite them now.”

Hm, memorize…the puzzles?

“…Wait a moment. You memorized the puzzles? You didn’t bring any book or copies along?”

“Yes. Erm, at first, I brought them along with me, but mama found them…but now that I remember them, I won’t forget, so it’s fine even though my book got confiscated!”

“An-anyway…how many puzzles can you remember at one go?”

“About 30 puzzles? If they’re long, 10 puzzles at most.”

Wait wait wait wait wait…

It’s already amazing that she’s able to memorize the puzzles and solve them in her head, but she could memorize 30 puzzles at once? And not forget after she memorize them once? What’s her mind made of…

“W-what kind of puzzles did you solve? 3 step tsumeshogi?”

“I just solved this recently.”

Ai took out an old book from the bag in the corner of the room.

And the words written on the book was ‘Shogi Drawings’ (TN: Shogizukou, 將棋図巧)

“I couldn’t solve the last puzzle at all, until I finally managed to do it while taking the train here! It’s really difficult.”

“Y-you really……solved that…one?”

“Yes, six hundred and eleven steps, right?”

…Correct. No way…

“Shogi Puzzles”, a famous collection of really difficult tsumeshogi puzzles by a shogi player in the Edo Period called Kanju Ito, and there are 100 puzzles altogether.

Each of them are famous in their own right, but the last three, ‘Naked Gyoku’, ‘Smoke Mate’ and ‘Long Life’ are hailed as three of the biggest masterpieces in tsumeshogi history, artistic, and unbelievable in difficulty. It’s definitely not something an elementary school kid can simply solve and then say “It’s difficult, that’s all.” (TN: ‘Naked King’, or Naked King, where you literally beat the opponent with just a king: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Um5AyyD2UI, ‘Smoke Mate’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeQgNRA8cYo))

Just to note, the follow is an ordinary tsumeshogi (mate in 3 steps)

(TN: Just a note to all readers, there is a rule unique to shogi called Drop. Instead of moving a piece, you can use a turn to place one of your captured pieces onto the board. Answer: Drop gold generals down 5-three and 5-two)

And this is the final puzzle ‘Long Life’ in the ‘Shogi Drawings’.

(TN: 611 steps. …kids, just watch the video, though there is somehow one additional piece. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQv4i3tfvCc)

A terrifying board, isn’t it?

Unbelievable, right?

This is tsumeshogi, and then…

She solved it in six hundred and eleven steps, inside her head, without using any board…

“I spent 2 weeks solving every puzzle in this book, but I was really happy when I was done! I feel like making my own tsumeshogi too♪”

Seeing that innocent, delighted face on that elementary school kid, I couldn’t help but feel a chill up my spine.

This kid is…way too weird.

Her talent’s definitely extraordinary. A pro player will need several months to solve the ‘Drawings’. There was a saying in the past that anyone who can solve this ‘Drawings’ and another really difficult tsumeshogi collection called ‘Shogi Unrivaled’ can become a pro player. (TN: literally, Shogi Musou, written by Soukan Ito III, the older brother of Kanju Ito)

A girl who only started shogi three months ago, while helping with housework, solved it in 2 weeks…

It was too startling, and I could only stare at the simmered seaweed, while Ai-chan was probably worried by my att.i.tude, as she worriedly asked,

“Erm…Master? Is 2 weeks too long?”

The opposite.

“W-well…it’s rather amazing for an amateur, I guess? A pro can solve it on one glance though.”

“…I guess.”

“This ‘Long Life’ has six hundred and eleven steps, but it’s still a work from the Edo Period. There are modern tsumeshogi puzzles that are longer.”

“Like how?”

“‘Micro Cosmos’. one thousand five hundred and twenty five moves.”

“Eh?”

“One thousand five hundred and twenty five moves.” (TN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iZQdP7nPOg)

“Hii…hiiiiiii…!”

“All pro players can solve it.”

If I’m Pinocchio, my nose would definitely be longer than the Abenos Harukas. (TN: Located in Osaka, the building is also known as Harukas 300, for the 300m height, the tallest skysc.r.a.per in j.a.pan.)

“Pro players are amazing!” I tried my best to shun from the elementary school staring at me with glittering eyes as she commented, and asked,

“…And? Any other methods you learned with?”

“Ah yes. I played shogi on the school internet.”

“Internet shogi?”

“Like ‘Two Four’ and ‘Wars’.

So Shogi Club 24 and Shogi Wars. That’s basic.

“I would borrow a smartphone or tablet from my friends if they brought them to school, and play after cla.s.s. During cla.s.s, I’ll reflect on the match and think of which moves were wrong.”

Hohoh, playing internet shogi on the tablet in school huh?

Times have changed…this might make a teenage brat sound like an old geezer here, but I did not continue my education after graduating from Middle School, and it had been a year since I left school, so everything felt nostalgic.

“…I’m full.”

“Yes! I’m full! Ah, I’ll brew tea for you now.”

She cleared the cutlery and utensils, and brewed tea. She really was a girl thorough with what she does.

Once she skilfully brewed tea for me, Ai washed the utensils at breakneck pace, and asked me,

“Sorry, Master, may I borrow the washroom too…?”

“Ah, yeah. Take your time…and also, I’m not your Master.”

“Yes! Master!!”

A cheerful sound echoed from the bathroom, and I could only drop my shoulders weakly.

VERSUS

I had a sip of tea, and started to change my mind about accepting Ai as a disciple.

“Talent-wise…she does have it.”

Tsumeshogi can improve a person's shogi abilities, for one can learn how to 'checkmate'.

"This method…was the same method to solve that tsumeshogi."

This remedial-like lessons would seem to be very helpful for shogi, and if one is able to play to an end game situation through instincts, one would be able to reach out for victory further and faster than the opponent.

This is the end game ability.

Typically, end games patterns can only be experienced through feeling, but Ai's extraordinary memory managed to acc.u.mulate a precise and vast set of information.

"In other words, if that kid…keeps playing shogi, and solves more tsumeshogi, she'll get stronger."

If I'm asked if she can be an outstanding female shogi player,

"Certainly. No problems."

And if she was groomed carefully, attaining a t.i.tle wouldn’t be difficult for her. There’s only a few of such female shogi players I knew who had such talent.

And–

“She only played for three months…”

Ai’s 9 years old.

But if she wanted to aim for the top of the shogi world, she’s a little late when it comes to age.

“Normally, they’ll get the rules memorized before entering elementary school, and by now, they should be starting with actual cla.s.ses.”

There’s a vast difference in shogi ability compared to my anedes.h.i.+, twin t.i.tle holder Ginko Sora, at age of nine.

Then again, anedes.h.i.+ was the devil's child, able to memorize all the rules of shogi at the age of two. Looking at potential, I can't deny that Ai, who managed to improve so much in 3 months, has the talent to possibly surpa.s.s anedes.h.i.+. Also, there is a trend of females starting off later than male shogi players.

If one were to ask me if I wanted to groom her,

"Of course I want to groom her–"

She had outstanding talent.

Personality wise, she might be straightforward, but her defiant personality makes her suited to be a shogi player. She’s good at cooking. Hearing the humming from the bathroom, I suppose she’s good at singing too.

Furthermore, she has that angelic face that would likely peg her as a new idol in the world of shogi. Maybe millions of people would be added to the population of the world of shogi.

And all I want–would be to see what kind of shogi she would play in the future with that talent of hers.

“…Which means I can’t be her Master.”

Right.

I’m the ‘Sc.u.m Ryuuou’ who had difficulty handling my own business, so how could I possibly take care of an elementary school kid, a girl at that?

It’s impossible for me to have her as my disciple. It’s for her sake.

“In other words, I need her to be in someone else’s care…hm, who do I leave her to? Someone related to the Hokuriku–”

And right when I was wondering about that.

Ding Dong♪

The doorbell chimed.

“Yes? Who is that?”

“Me.”

“Eh?”

“Me.”

Ane…des.h.i.+…!?

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

Hurry! Got to get there fast!!

I rushed to the door at full sprint, grabbing the door handle firmly with both hands.

Anedes.h.i.+ has the spare key, so normally, if I did not respond or was not at home, she would enter on her own. I did not mind, since I gave up on trying to explain to her, but this was a terrible situation! There’s an elementary school kid showering in my house!!

“Wh-what brings you here, anedehi!? Wh-wh-wh-wha-what do you want!?”

“VS” 

“So I seeeeeeeeeee!!!”

We promised this last night before we went home! I forgot about it! So many things happened!! An elementary school kid just entered my house!!

“Hurry up and open the door. It’s hot.”

Anedes.h.i.+ prompted me, sounding really impatient. This ‘Snow White of Naniwa’ with white skin who’s weak to sunlight really hated waiting outside.

“No, erm…I’m a little…busy, right now…?”

“What?”

Anedes.h.i.+ let out an impatient, and skeptical voice.

“Y-you see! I haven’t been in top form, right? Though I didn’t want to say this!”

“And so?”

“So I wanted to try a playstyle during our match today that I never did! I think I spent too much time…”

“You can try the Cheerful Central Rook or the Bishop Exchange Fourth File Rook all you want, but why do I have to wait outside?” (TN: Cheerful Central Rook: ゴキゲン中飛車, a formation with the Rook on the Central tile. Bishop Exchange Fourth File Rook, 角交換四間飛車 , also shortened to KKS, is where the rook moves to the Fourth Tile to the lateral opposite side, fourth tile, while preparing moves to exchange bishops. Both openings are for offenses)

“Erm…I needed to prepare…”

There’s an elementary school kid bathing in here, so please wait! There’s no way I could say that, and I got increasingly unable to fend for myself.

I was unable to say anything, so anedes.h.i.+ said,

“…Yaichi, are you bathing?”

She probably mistook because of the shower sounds. The bathroom window’s right next to the corridor.

“Y-yeah! Th-tha-that’s why I can’t open the door now!!”

If she were to see an elementary school kid she didn’t know of showering, then no matter what excuses I might find for myself, anedes.h.i.+ would simply kill me without a second thought. If she’s not going to use the 7-inch board, she’s probably going to stuff my mouth, eyes, ears and a.n.u.s with shogi pieces and drop me to sink into the Dojima River. (TN: That is, a subsection of the Kyu-Yodo River in Osaka…)

“I see. A shower.”

“Y-yes.”

“I’m relaxed then.”

“What?”

“…I thought you hate me, Yaichi.”

“Anedes.h.i.+…”

If she knew that there’s a nine-year-old kid living in my house, and bathing right now, there’s no way she would relax, but it’s cute when this ignorant her said such words.

However…what I said was half the truth.

Just two years ago, on October 1st, when I became a pro player, I fought my way from the lowest division of the Ryuuou battles, the 6th group ranking battles, to the main battles, and from there, continued to beat down top players with top abilities, becoming the challenger. By the time I noticed, I charged up from the bottom of the shogi world to the top in the shortest distance possible.

I attained the honor of the youngest champion in shogi history at the age of 16 years and 4 months, and me attaining it 1 year and 2 months after being a pro was the fastest record in history. Most shogi players would fight on for thirty years or so, and retire as a 7th dan. In a year, I managed to catch up to their thirty years of hard work, and got a dream sequence for the Ryuuou battles. Even when eating cup ramen, it tasted like a Ryuuou, and the takeout food of the ‘Yamagi Soba’ opposite the road of the a.s.sociation tasted like Ryuuou too, yep.

And then, h.e.l.l began.

3 months after I obtained the t.i.tle of Ryuuou, I never won an official match. I suffered 11 straight defeats, and the losing streak just kept increasing. My win rate fell below 30%; my dream became a nightmare.

“And then, I finally realized, I managed to win the Ryuuou battle because I was too weak.”

“Yaichi…”

“As someone who just turned pro, there’s insufficient data on me, and so everyone let their guard down against me when they played me. I was the one who thoroughly a.n.a.lyzed the data on them, and planned strategies, and because I’m ranked lower, I could play with whatever style, whatever despicable methods. In fact, I played every match by hara.s.sing them to the point that they got impatient, and I came back to win…”

But after becoming Ryuuou, the situation changed completely.

My shogi skills were thoroughly a.n.a.lyzed, exposed in front of everyone, and n.o.body held back from attacking the weaknesses I laid bare.

And not only that. Once I got to the highest position in the world of shogi and got everyone’s attention, shogi fans would demand high quality shogi befitting of the position.

“That’s why I need to a.n.a.lyze all kinds of strategies and play shogi people will agree befits the position of the Ryuuou, and aim for the flawless shogi so that I won’t get criticized by others–”

“Yaichi.”

“What?”

“You suffered consecutive defeats not because you’re too weak. You aren’t weak at all. This isn’t–“

Right when anedes.h.i.+’s explaining this,

“Master. Please get me a towel.”

Ai just had to choose this perfect timing to walk out from the bathroom.

Her hair was dripping wet, and she was smiling away, not wearing anything at all. As the daughter of the onsen hotel, she had no issues going around naked, I guess♪ But I’m troubled!”

“Wait!? Hey! Why did you come out while naked?”

“Sorry–(>_<>

I forgot my towel. So Ai said carelessly. Why aren’t you panicking!? You’re fully naked!?

“…Did I just hear a girl’s voice?”

“N-no-no-no-not at all!? Sh-should be the TV, I guess?”

“But you don’t have a TV at home, Yaichi.”

“Master? Is there someone outside?”

“Not at all~! n.o.body’s out there!!”

I yelled, loud enough for both anedes.h.i.+ outside and Ai inside to hear. And then–

“…”

I could hear some rustling from outside the door.

This is bad! Anedes.h.i.+’s looking for the key!?

“n.o.body! n.o.body’s inside here!”

I held the handle firmly, yelling as loudly as I could.

“Anyway, Master, what are you doing here?”

Ai asked, wondering that it was strange for me to be at the corridor. She’s still naked.

“Do-don’t worry about that! Get a towel and put on your clothes!”

“But the floor will get wet though?”

“It’s fine! It’s fine even if it gets wet! Wear some clothes, bring your stuff along, and hide in the cupboard!”

“Eh? Why do I have to hide?”

Gacha gacha gacha! Thud!!

“Yaichi! You’re holding onto the handle, right? Didn’t you say you’re showering!? Open up!”

“Eeeekkk!!”

“Master? Did someone come by?”

“Eh, this is…”

“…A woman?”

Ai’s voice got lower out of a sudden. Eh, sounds scary.

“Master! Who’s that outside!? Were’s that woman from!? Explain clearly!!”

“No! You’re not wearing anything!!”

“Not wearing anything!? There’s a naked girl there?”

The end game came without warning.

“Look at me!” Ai pulled me, causing me to fall to the floor, and at the same time, anedes.h.i.+ opened the door–

This was the setup. Surely it was checkmate.

“Yaichi…who, is this young girl…?”

“Master!? Who is this woman!?”

If this was shogi, this could be ended with a surrender. Unfortunately, the game called life has no option to surrender, and no reset b.u.t.ton. Seriously, this is a really s.h.i.+tty game.

The back of the Shogi Board

“…Anyway, didn’t I say so just now? It’s an unfortunate accident, and I didn’t do anything bad or anything that I should be guilty about!”

I was forced to seat in a seiza in the j.a.panese room (without a cus.h.i.+on), trying my best to fend for myself.

Anedes.h.i.+ asked.

“And then?”

“‘And then?’ Look, anedes.h.i.+, did you really hear me out? I didn’t call this girl in here, she forced her way into my house! She insisted! Alone! From Hokuriku!”

“And then?”

“And! It’s the daughter of the hotel owner who invited us over to the t.i.tle match, so if there was any slip-up, it’s not good for the Shogi a.s.sociation, right? For the time being, I’ll take care of her, and it’s ensuring her safety at the same then.”

“And then?”

“A-and then, didn’t you say that I should try the Cheerful Central Rook or the Bishop Exchange Fourth File Rook? So–”

“So you want to try it on a little girl?”

“That’s not it!!”

Anedes.h.i.+ looked at me as though I was a a lowlife, slandering my honor, and I solemnly protested.

“I have no intention of having her as a disciple, but I find that it’s not a bad thing to be teaching her shogi!”

“Ho? Yaichi, since when did you start being so pa.s.sionate about learning shogi?”

“I-I just felt a little more responsibility after winning the t.i.tle…”

Ai was seated in seiza, hiding behind me. Of course, she was already dressed up.

“..Pff.”

And troubling me was that Ai wasn’t terrified of anedes.h.i.+ at all. Those two looked like they’re sizing each other up. Elementary schools kids sure don’t know what fear is…

“Yaichi.”

Anedes.h.i.+ called my name, and pointed her fan at the corner of the room.

“Bring that 7-inch board here.”

“Yes…”

“Turn it around.”

“Like this?”

I turned the table upside down. Once done, I saw that there were the four legs and a strange ditch at the center, but I did not comprehend anedes.h.i.+’s intentions. Ai, hiding behind me, reached her neck out worriedly, looking at the back of the board.

“Yaichi, do you know what kind of shape do these legs of the shogi board take?”

“Legs? Hm…it’s probably some fruit…”

“Gardenia fruit.”

“No mouth? (TN: 梔子 and 口無し, both read as kuchinas.h.i.+, with respective meanings).

“In other words, stop finding excuses before the shogi board.

I lowered my head, and bit my lips.

It’s not my fault that Ai came to my house, lived here, showered, and got naked; they’re all beyond my control. Well…my excuses certainly are unfitting for a shogi player. Shogi players are forbidden from doing things like saying ‘wait’.

Anedes.h.i.+’s more furious about me trying to make excuses than about Ai living in my house or being naked, so she brought the board out to teach me, the junior, a lesson. (TN: Junior, or otoutodes.h.i.+, Junior disciple, or in this case, little brother disciple. Too lazy to type out the j.a.panese t.i.tle, 6 letters vs 11)

Shogi taught me lots of important things…

“Also, over here. There is a ditch, no?”

“Yep.”

“Do you know what that is?”

“Who knows?”

“This is called a ‘blood pool’, for chopping off the heads of those who maliciously made foul play, and for putting the head on, so that the blood can drip in, and no worry of dirtying the floor. You may leisurely leave your head there for others to chop, and I shall put your head there.” (TN: Blood pool, 血溜まり, or Chidamari (Sketch). In fact, that is the informal name. The formal name for that would be 音受け, oto-uke, or sound receiver, which helps to nullify the sound from the shogi board when playing)

An unexpected request came from her mouth.

“Th-this has to be a joke…right?”

“There is a chopper in the kitchen, no?”

“Tell me you’re jooookkkkkiiiinnnng!!!”

What’s with this person!? She’s going to behead her junior with a chopper!? That’s way too terrifying!!

“Please stop!”

Right when anedes.h.i.+ was about to stand up and get the chopper, Ai charged out from behind me to stop her.

“I don’t know your relations.h.i.+p with Master, but I don’t think you have the right to do this!!”

She spread her arms wide like an anteater intimidating an enemy before it. “What is this creature?” Anedes.h.i.+ showed such a face, and slowly asked,

“…You don’t know who I am? Even though you play shogi?”

“Not at all!!”

Hearing Ai’s denial, I fl.u.s.teredly explained,

“A-Ai, she’s my senior…like an older sister.”

“Older sister…?”

“And she’s the holder of two of the biggest t.i.tles ‘Queen’ and ‘Ladies Champion’–”

"Queen…?"

"Yeah yeah, Her Majesty. Very high understand?"

"I-I understand!"

‘Wah wah wah’ Ai pointed her index finger at anedes.h.i.+ in fear,

“You’re…an S and M person, right!?”

At that moment, I burst into laughter like an empty bag filled with air exploding.

Anedes.h.i.+ threw the fan at me, the light gone from her grey eyes as she stared at her junior, calmly asking,

“…What’s funny?”

“N-nothing at all! S-sorrryyyyyyyyyyyy!? Wait, no! It hurts!! Stop whacking me with the faaaaaaaannnnnnnn!!”

“As-as I thought! I was right!”

“Way off, idiot!”

Anedes.h.i.+ told off Ai. It was rare to see her react in such an agitated manner to someone other than me.

Such vigor intimidated Ai for a moment, but,

“Please don’t hit Master! Violence is not right! I oppose to corporal punishment!”

“This isn’t corporal punishment.”

“Then what is it!?”

“A reward?”

Anedes.h.i.+’s words and actions really seemed like SM.

“Anyway, no can do! Master’s supposed to be Ai’s Master, and teach Ai how to play shogi!”

“Shut up, brat.”

“I’m not a brat! My name is Ai Hinatsuru!!”

“Then, kid. You’re noisy. Can’t you keep quiet?”

Shoo shoo. Anedes.h.i.+ waved her off as though she was chasing a fly away.

“Muu~!” Ai’s face expanded like mochi, but she suddenly beamed, and said to anedes.h.i.+ with a cute angelic face and voice,

“Dara.”

“Huh?”

“Darabuchi.”

“…Wait, Yaichi. What is this kid saying?”

“Who knows…?”

Some dialect from Is.h.i.+kawa prefecture? I couldn’t understand at all.

Anedes.h.i.+ let out a little sigh, re-positioned herself on the cus.h.i.+on, and sat properly again.

I knew that her mood did not improve, and she did not forgive me.

As long as Ai kept calling me Master, her mood would become extremely horrible, and I could see her fiddling with her fingers to count the number of times Ai called me this. I’ve been watching.

“I, say, Ai-chan.”

“What is it, Master?”

“Is it okay if you don’t call me Master?”

“Eh? Then what do I call you then?”

“…You can think of that yourself.”

Anedes.h.i.+’s att.i.tude towards that elementary school opponent was really spiteful, and my face tensed up.

“You can call me teacher or Ryuuou or anything you want. Anything other than Master.”

“Whatever I want…?”

Feeee, Ai put her hands on her cheeks, her eyes glittering as though the cake shelf was filled with them, put out in front of her as she gave that ‘I don’t know what to choose!’ look.

Since it was a rare quiet moment, I took a slow sip of hot tea. In turn, anedes.h.i.+ opened the fan with the word ‘unyielding’ on it, and brought it to her face. (TN: Unyielding, 百折不撓,a traditional Chinese idiom adapted into j.a.panese)

Ai then slowly lifted her gaze at me, and said tentatively,

“Th-then…Yaichi onii-chan.♡”

I spat tea.

“Wh-why call me onii-chan here!?”

“Because I always wanted one!”

“…I get it. Just call me Master. Please call me Master.”

“Is that okay!? Yay yay!”

Crack.

I heard a strange sound, and was curious, so I turned to that direction…and found that anedes.h.i.+ broke the fan. The ‘Unyielding’ was snapped at once.

“…Let’s go.”

“A-anedes.h.i.+? To where…?”

“Where else?”

The ‘Snow White of Naniwa’ threw the broken bamboo and paper onto the tatami, declaring with the expression of vengeance towards the stepmother who tricked her into eating the poisoned apple,

“To Master’s House.”

Shogi Home

“Master’s…master?”

“Yep. 9th dan Kousuke Kiyotaki.”

The three of us too the train, and I started explaining about Master to Ai.

“He said he went to your hotel a few times, Ai. He saw my Ryuuou match that time.”

“Ermm…I didn’t have any impression on anyone other than you, Master…”

Ai sheepishly lowered her head as she sat by my left, and anedes.h.i.+, seated at my right, kept flapping her (spare) fan, looking peeved as she glared at the adverts dangling on the train. Actually, this person here did show up for my t.i.tle match.

“So, Master’s master…how do I call him?”

“Um…elder master?”

“‘Kiyotaki-sensei’ will do. That brat isn’t your disciple, Yaichi.”

“..Darabuchi.”

“I say, what do you mean by that? It’s not something of praise, right?”

Please, don’t create this dangerous atmosphere with me sandwiched in the middle.

“But anedes.h.i.+, bringing her along to Master’s house is–”

“…We can’t leave an elementary school kid alone at home.”

Poor tone, but she was still thinking for Ai’s sake. Perhaps she was praising Ai for having the guts to come alone from Hokuriku. She really likes vigor and feisty.

I guessed it would be best to leave this to Master, and had no objections to this. The objection came from elsewhere.

“Master…? What do you mean…?”

“Simply, I want my Master to take over and be your Master–!”

“I-I don’t want! I want you as my Master, Master! Didn’t you say that I can call you Master!”

“Master here Master there! Shut up brat! I don’t understand what you’re saying at all!”

And so we kept yapping away until we reached Master’s house. There’s only one stop, so we arrived immediately.

It was an old styled j.a.panese house combining the house and the shogi cla.s.sroom–master Kiyotaki’s house.

“”We’re back!!””

Anedes.h.i.+ and I called out in unison, entering the entrance.

Whenever anedes.h.i.+ or me show up at this house, we would not say ‘please excuse me’, but ‘I’m back’, as master requested that from us.

As formal disciples for about ten years, we spent our time here honing our craft. To us, who lived in this place for longer than we did back home, this was a very significant place.

"You're back."

Saying that in a courteous matter of fact manner, and showing her face from the kitchen was the sole daughter of master, Keika.

It's a beauty in her twenties, genial and kind, good at cooking, pretty, and has a hidden buxom, my ideal woman. "I want to marry Keika when I get older!" I declared this when I was younger, and often got beaten up by anedes.h.i.+. We were always fighting over her.

"I'm back, Keika!"

"Welcome back, Yaichi. Sorry about what about yesterday, okay?"

"I don't want to say this to you, Keika, but if you don't educate him on how to use the toilet…"

"I did so. You too, Ginko-chan. Welcome back."

"…Yes."

Anedes.h.i.+ smiled at Keika, and rubbed her forehead into Keika's shoulder like a kitten. Keika's probably the only one in the world anedes.h.i.+'s willing to open her heart tom, a G.o.ddess to anedes.h.i.+'s eyes.

"You don't have to hold back too, cute lady there. You can relax here, you know?"

"Y-yes! Sorry to intrude!!"

Ai bowed deeply, and curled like a shrimp. Anedes.h.i.+ instinctively twitched in anger, but it seemed she intended to go along with Keika's forgiving presence. As to be expected of a G.o.ddess!

Anedes.h.i.+ then asked everyone's Keika.

"…Where's Master?"

"Should be at the phone, no? He seemed to be talking to someone for a while–"

"Ginko, Yaichi. You're back."

Master Kiyotaki walked over, making loud thuds on the floor, and appeared before us.

Once he saw Ai, "Yep." he nodded away without waiting for anedes.h.i.+ or I to explain.

"Good timing. Please have that child come along. Keika, prepare dinner. We shall have dinner inside."

"Yes."

Things seemed to be developing rapidly.

"…What's going on?"

"What is the matter?"

Anedes.h.i.+ and I exchanged looks, and I prompted Ai, who was tense, and followed after Master.

The Power of Admiration

"Actually, I've just received notification from the a.s.sociation."

We were facing each other, seated at a table in the twelve tatami sized room, and Master said this as he looked at Ai.

"Ai Hinatsuru-chan, yes?"

"Y-yes!"

"Do you remember me? We've met before."

"During…the last Ryuuou match…?"

"Not only that. We've met a few times before."

"Eh?"

"Probably when you were around two or so, Ai-chan? I visited the 'Hinatsuru' as a witness to the t.i.tle match, and I met you when you were still young."

"Re-really…?"

It appeared Ai had no impression of this at all, and she shrank back fearful. She was just 2 back then, so it's no wonder she wouldn't be able to remember it. It'll be terrifying if she's able to remember. Anedes.h.i.+'s the weird one for being able to start playing shogi at the age of two.

"I attended your grandfather's wake. In any case–"

Master sat upright.

"Ai-chan, no matter how much you like shogi, you can't be running away from home like that."

"Eh!? Run away from home?

Ai's face paled, and she lowered her head, her fists on her knees as she s.h.i.+vered…it appeared Master was right.

"Yaichi, what did she say to you?"

"Well…she said that her parents were understanding enough to let her look for a master."

"It's obvious that there's no way this can happen if you think about it. Are you an idiot? Brain dead?"

Anedes.h.i.+ immediately told me off, but thinking about it properly, there was really no way any parents would leave a nine-year-old kid in a man's house. At the very least, they would have contacted beforehand.

"Besides, wasn't that brat carrying a backpack here? Don't you find it strange?"

…I couldn't say anything.

"Yesterday, the elementary school graduation ceremony ended, and Spring break began. Ai-chan never returned home, and came from school to her. I heard from her parents that she had been slipping change of clothes and stuff to school, and prepared everything…is that true?"

Ai nodded, appearing to have given up on defending herself.

"But why was the a.s.sociation notified?"

"Ever since that Ryuuou match, Ai-chan has been strangely pa.s.sionate about shogi, and Ai-chan's parents knew about it, so maybe they thought…so I heard."

But I never expected them to go look for Yaichi. Ai-chan sure has some fine tastes. Master started laughing as he said that, though I did not think it was something to laugh about…

"Ai-chan, why didn't you discuss this with your parents?"

"…Because they definitely won't agree…"

"Not agree to you learning shogi? Or coming to Osaka?"

"…Both…I guess…"

"Ai-chan, why didn't you discuss this with your parents?"

"…Because they definitely won't agree…"

"Not agree to you learning shogi? Or coming to Osaka?"

"…Both…I guess…"

Ai said that she secretly learned shogi while helping out at home.

Her grandpa's an avid shogi lover, but her parents weren't too kin on it. She probably ran away because she just wanted to escape from her parents' eyes and was overwhelmed with pa.s.sion to play shogi. If that was the case, it's not something I couldn't empathize with her. People like us can't continue living without shogi. In terms of priority, it's 1. Air, 2. Shogi, 3. Water.

"Master."

I sat upright, and started to explain.

"This kid…Ai does have talent in shogi. I hope that she can continue playing, so can you please convince her parents? If there's a need for me to help, I'll do my best to a.s.sist, I did promise her…"

"I see. I can notify the branch in Kanazawa to introduce her to a dojo–"

"I don't want!"

Ai yelled. Her eyes were really red.

"I-I…I want to be the disciple to Yaichi Kuzuryuu!! I don't want to be anyone else's disciple!!"

"…Why Yaichi (this guy)?"

Anedes.h.i.+ pulled me by the ear as she called me 'this guy'. Ai immediately answered.

"Because he's so cool!!"

"Something wrong with your head?"

Hey, Ginko, that's too much.

"The Ryuuou match was the first time I saw a shogi match, and the players…looked so serious and so battered…the way they sat in front of the shogi board, moving the pieces, fanning themselves, or crawling on the corridor in pain. Everything was so cool!!"

As Ai said that, I could not help but sizzle in embarra.s.sment.

"So I want to play shogi too! I want to become…a shogi player, like Master, the first time I had such a  dream, and I really want it…!"

Ai clutched at her chest, tugging at her clothes firmly.

I…felt embarra.s.sed, and at the same time, delighted. Really delighted.

Because she saw me, the me like this, had such a match, and was able to love shogi so much.

At the same time, I was shocked. The motive as to why Ai started playing shogi was basically…

"So, you want to become a pro?"

Anedes.h.i.+ asked, her grey eyes staring right at Ai's eyes.

"Pfue?" Ai looked sceptical, her expression like cotton candy.

"Are you hoping to become a pro player like Yaichi, and attain a t.i.tle? Or become a female pro? Which one?"

"Wait…don't tell me you don't know the difference between the pro players and the female players…?"

"O-of course. It's common knowledge."

Looking at her reaction, she definitely didn't know.

"Uu…fe-female? As in female players, pro as in male players, right?"

"Master."

Anedes.h.i.+ cut off Ai's words, and said,

"This brat isn't intending to play shogi, just an elementary school kid who idolizes someone. It's impossible for her to endure the training, and there's no need to have her as a disciple. She should return home.

"Is there anything wrong with idolizing?"

""What?""

Upon hearing such unexpected words from Master, anedes.h.i.+, I and even Ai were stunned.

Kiyotaki seemed bemused by our reactions, and said,

"Yaichi, tell Ai why you became my disciple."

"A-at this timing?"

"It's a great timing."

"Master…?"

With Master prompting and Ai looking, I made up my mind, and said my motive,

"…I really respected Kousuke Kiyotaki-sensei–the Master who had guidance matches at the shogi tournament."

Ai's widened her reddened eyes.

"Is that so…?"

"Well…yeah."

It was a little embarra.s.sing for me to talk about this, so I really didn't want to say it. But…

"For me, dad and my older brother taught me shogi, and I would attend tournaments from time to time–"

I had a guidance match against Master, and I was left in awe of his strength.

"I was just 6 back then, but I still remember it. Back then, I was challenging the adults at the dojo or the tournaments at my local area, and everyone was calling me a "Genius!", so I felt unstoppable. I thought I could beat a pro player fair and square, "So, how about two pieces handicap?", when he said that, I challenged him to a 'bishop handicap.' Instead…" (TN: Two pieces handicap, 二枚落ち, with no rook and bishop, bishop handicap,  角落ち, where the bishop is removed instead.)

"So you lost badly…?"

"No. I lost by one step."

"Then it was a close match, right? As expected of yout!"

"That wasn't the case."

Recalling that incident had me smiling wryly, and I continued.

"Master let me lose by that one move. He was worried that I would lose so badly, that I would be shocked."

But in fact, this shocked me more than a crus.h.i.+ng defeat.

It was more difficult holding back and losing by a move than it was to win overwhelmingly. He read my moves, and created near win scenarios, techniques that only pro players could attain.

Master's playstyle was methodical, completely different from my old playstyle, and even I, an immature brat, could understand that. Back then, there was an excitement and overflow of emotions that could not be experienced in the dojos on the road or some casual tournament. That match stole my heart, and my heart was burning with the desire to become a shogi player like him.

“Then…after that guidance match against Master, I was more pa.s.sionate about meeting him and having guidance matches against him than attending the tournaments.”

As long as I heard that there was a shogi tournament, I would head there, no matter wherever it was in j.a.pan.

“Once I got there, I would find out if Master was there. If he was, I would immediately request for a guidance match. If not, I would not show up. Everyone was shocked by this strange kid.”

“I too was shocked and delighted by how pa.s.sionate he was.”

Master gave a wry smile, somewhat embarra.s.sed.

“And so, I asked him. ‘Do you want to learn shogi from me’?”

“And I became his disciple.”

Back then, I was only six. It was before I entered elementary school.

I did not know what was a pro and all. I was just delighted to be able to get close to Kiyotaki-sensei, and I found joy in it, so I did as he said, and followed him.

That’s why I was shocked, and that I could understand her feelings, that I really empathized with her.

“Back then, I was really shocked.”

Keika entered the room, preparing for dinner, and said,

“Dad was in charge of judging the shogi tournament, and brought a boy back, saying , ‘he’s going to be living with us, starting today’, but just two ways before, he brought a girl back.”

“Sorry…”

Master immediately apologized, and as for the girl who became a disciple two weeks before I arrived, she was giving the look of a kitty who had some food and still wouldn’t approach people.

While my motive to join was ‘admiration’, anedes.h.i.+’s motive was ‘revenge’.

Back then, anedes.h.i.+ lost a guidance match against Master at the age of four, and found Master’s home address through the internet. Every day, she would take the train here to challenge for revenge. There was even a legend of how she could not reach for the ticket machine, and that the train station staff had to prepare a stool for her to step on.

As it was really too dangerous, Master had a talk with her parents, and took her in as a disciple.

“Back then, one reason why I took Yaichi as a disciple was because I was worried Ginko would be bored. As I expected, they really got on well and spent entire days dabbling in shogi.”

Upon hearing Master talk of that h.e.l.lish meeting between anedes.h.i.+ and me as ‘got on well’ as a wonderful memory, I really wanted to refute many parts to it, but I finally managed to hold it in.

“So Yaichi became a pro, got a t.i.tle, and brought a disciple today…time sure pa.s.ses by quickly.”

Master looked up at the ceiling, lamenting, tears welling in his eyes.

“Yaichi, I shall try to convince Ai-chan’s parents. In the meantime, she shall be your disciple, so train her and make sure she pa.s.ses the ‘Training Group Test’.” (TN: Training Group Test, 研修會試験, an entrance test for the six training cla.s.ses. This particular test is only for female professionals)

Training Group Test…so in other words, have Ai become a female pro?

But more importantly was–

“Have her as my disciple!? Not yours, Master!?”

“Yes. You shall have her as an uchides.h.i.+.” (內弟子, live-in student)

“Uchi–”

“What does ‘uchides.h.i.+’ means?”

“A disciple who trains and lives in the Master’s house.”

I was momentarily speechless, and Master answered.

“Ai-chan, are you able to leave home and stay with Yaichi? It’ll be tough training as an uchides.h.i.+ given your age, you know?”

“I can do it! N-no problems at all!!”

“Oh, a reliable one. Do your best.”

“Yes!!”

“W-wait a second!!”

I fl.u.s.teredly interrupted the duo who made their decision without my approval.

“I’m only sixteen, you know!? Isn’t it too early for a teenager to be having a disciple!? Besides, I’ve only been a pro for two years, and for a guy to have an uchides.h.i.+–”

“A t.i.tle is enough experience. Besides, there are pros who took in disciples in their rookie years.”

Master insisted,

“Ai-chan really wors.h.i.+ps you so much that she left home alone. It is a shogi player’s responsibility to accept her determination. Are you so determined to have a strong-willed girl wander the streets of Osaka? No wonder they call you Kuzu Ryuuou.

“I’ll be told off as sc.u.m for taking an elementary school kid as a disciple! …And I’m on an eleven match losing streak…I don’t have the time to take care of kids…”

“Yaichi, do you know what is ‘repayment’ to Master?”

“Winning in that match, right? Like yesterday?”

“That wasn’t an official match, so it doesn’t count.”

Master insisted,

“Real repayment isn’t about beating the Master; that alone is not considered repayment. What Master really hopes for a disciple to do is to win t.i.tles, and raise new disciples.”

“…! Disciples…”

The master-disciple relations.h.i.+p in the world of shogi is really strange. Masters won’t get repaid by disciples at all, and by raising disciples, they might end up as martyrs, raising future enemies.

There’s only one reason as to why shogi players would continue with such high risks.

That they too were raised by certain people.

So, if Master insists that I take in a disciple, I can’t refuse, and of course, anedes.h.i.+ can’t. It’s not regimental, but those words were more formal than any law or rule.

“…”

Again, I looked at the girl who might become my disciple, trying to determine if everything was real, from what she said about her wors.h.i.+p of me and pa.s.sion for shogi, to how they prompted her to leave home, to her determination.

At this moment, I inadvertently spotted the hem of the skirt.

There was a crease on the right side, the side of the right hand that would pick up the shogi piece.

Once I saw that, I made up my mind.

“…Understood. I’ll take her in as a disciple and request for her to take the Training Group Test.”

“”!!””

Ai’s face immediately lit up, and anedes.h.i.+ glared at me with daggers.

“However, only during this Spring Break. I can take you in as an uchides.h.i.+ during Spring Break, but after that, you’ll have to go back home, and you’re not going to be living with me. Is that okay?”

“So, uchides.h.i.+ (Kakkokari)?” (TN: Typically, kakkomari, 仮, means provisional, so like in this case, temp live-in disciple. However, there is an additional furigana to this one word…and refers to the Marriage System in Kancolle)

Master…you’ve been going overboard on those smartphone games, haven’t you? So i thought…

“Don’t spend too much money on it.” Keika muttered, but I guess this isn’t the problem, right?

“But well…I finally have a grandpupil (kakkokari)…Keika! We’re going to celebrate tonight! Let’s have sekihan for today!” (TN: Sekihan, steamed sticky rice with red beans, often for special occasions, so much that ‘let’s have sekihan’ can be read as ‘let’s party!’)

“Dinner’s okonomiyaki.”

Keika, who had prepared dinner, ignored her dad’s words, and checked the temperature of the hot plate. “I see” Master looked forlorn, but he immediately perked up. “With this little girl here, okonomiyaki’s good too’. Looks like his sore loser tendencies only happens for shogi.”

“Good for you, Ai-chan. Hope we can get along.”

Keika smiled as she put the pork and egg onto the plate, and then let out a long sigh,

“But this means that Ginko-chan and I will become aunties…I feel conflicted…”

“Aunties?”

“Those under the same school are like kin. Master and disciples are parents and child, and disciples are all brothers. For me, anedes.h.i.+’s an older sister, while Keika’s the younger sister, so your aunt, Ai.”

“…I will never accept being in the same school as that pipsqueak.”

The hot plate was steaming, and anedes.h.i.+’s figure was swaying on the other side. Sure looked scary.

"So, how about it, Ai-chan? Is Osaka's flavor fine?"

"Delllissshh!!"

Ai gobbled down the okonomiyaki, sauce dripped on her lips as she gave a radiant smile. She's so cute.

On the other hand, anedes.h.i.+ wordlessly ate the okonomiyaki that was covered in black sauce…this person always has black sauce on her food, and more than usual today. Looks ominous…

I was stuck between those two, feeling uneasy about future developments, and had no appet.i.te at all, putting some katsuobus.h.i.+ into my mouth. Salty. (TN: Here is a dialect term that doesn't translate well. しょっぱい, s.h.i.+oppoi, is a Kanto dialect that means literal saltiness. However, it can also mean 'miserable', 'miserly'. Given the current usage of the word 'salty', I decided to leave it as such.)

Keika broke a second piece okonomiyaki, and said,

"Will everyone be staying here today? Take turns to bathe after you're done with dinner."

"No, I still have a match tomorrow."

"You're going to lose anyway. Congratulations on your twelfth consecutive defeat. Lose badly."

"Master won't lose! Enough nonsense there, aunt!"

"Who are you calling aunt here?"

"Ai-chan, you can call me 'grandpa' here, okay?"

What do I do with this? Seriously…