Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 1 - Chapter 4.2

☗ GRADE SCHOOLER PRACTICE GROUP

Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle.

“Master. No one will be here for an hour yet.”

“Oh? I … see.”

The day has arrived.

Since my apprentice’s friends are coming over to the apartment today, I’ve been on edge ever since I woke up. Yes, me.

Three girls are coming. Two of them are the same school grade as Ai and apparently already in the Practice League.

Ai had been hard at work in the kitchen making everyone sandwiches for lunch until she looked at me sitting next to the 8½-inch Shogi board in the tatami room with a curious look on her face and asked, “Master … Why are you wearing a suit at home?”

“Ah, would traditional Japanese clothes be better?”

“Normal ones are fine …”

“Don’t you think everyone’s a little late? Did they get lost?”

“There’s still plenty of time.”

“It might be a good idea to go meet them at the station——.”

No sooner did I say that and Climb to my feet than …

Ding dong ♪

“Oh! That’s them for sure!”

Ai takes off her apron and rushes to the door, her feet thumping all the way.

I quickly straighten my posture sitting on my ankles on top of the floor mat and start lining up old match records in front of my 8½-inch Shogi board. Sort of a We-always-practice-Iike-this, what-of-it? type of setting. Usually, I use a gridded cloth for these things to keep the noise down.

“Thank you for having us!”

“Thank you for having us!”

A very energetic greeting.

Two girls appear behind Ai.

“N-N-Nice to see you again. I’m Mio Mizukoshi! Th-th-thank you for hosting!!”

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Ayano Sadatou. I’ve been looking forward to today.”

The first is the sporty girl I met in the classroom, Mio.

The second, Ayano, is a tall, lady-like girl I’ve never met before.

“Nice to meet you too. I’m glad to see Ai has made such nice friends.”

I greet them from my seat on the pillow.

“Squee!!”

“He said Ai! Just Ai! No Miss or anything!”

Well, they’re unusually excited. Ai’s face turns bright red. “I-I’m his apprentice! That’s normal! Come on!!”

What’s going on?

I can’t keep up with these grade schoolers … Just when I was getting worried.

Peek.

An extremely cute blonde girl with green eyes pokes her head out from behind Ayano, comes up to me, and gives me a hug.

“Cha, Shaulot Izuoor.”

Come again?

“She’s Charlette Isoir.”

Ayano steps in to translate.

“She attends a school for French children in Kyoto, a first grader. She also comes to my Master’s classes.”

“Cha go, every day!”

Why’s this girl so damn cute? Why won’t my heart stop pounding?

I try to get a handle on the thing slamming against my ribs and start a conversation with little Charlette still clinging to me.

“S … So, Mio and Ayano, you’re already in the Practice League? Who’re your Masters?”

“Kuresaka-sensei!”

“Kayaoku.”

It’s more polite for apprentices to introduce their Master’s name to other people without a title. Mio’s still learning about these things, but Ayano’s already got it down pat. It’s always fun to see different personalities in action.

“Kayaoku-sensei … That would make you Ms. Kugui’s?”

“That’s correct. Machi is my elder sister apprentice. I have heard much about you from her, Kuzuryu-sensei. She wanted me to bring you this.”

With that, Ayano hands me a bag filled with tasty treats from Kyoto.

“Also, this is from my parents.”

“Oh, m-my parents also wanted to give you something as a thank you!!”

“Cha has gwift for you too?”

Cookies and madeleine cakes were thrust into my hands after the Kyoto-style treats. Charlette gave me large acorns with faces drawn on them with magic marker. “Cha’s tweasure!” she tells me.

Saving their presents for snack time at 3 o’clock, we head right for the Shogi board.

There are many types of practice groups.

Some focus on deepening their understanding of one specific battle formation. There are some where participants talk about the latest trends without playing a single match. Some ignore Shogi altogether and just play Monopoly——.

It goes without saying that most practice groups mainly play matches. Participants play as many matches as they can throughout the day. During the matches, everyone says what they would’ve done in each situation and they all exchange opinions.

Practice groups also go by many names.

Master/apprentice family trees form “School Groups,” gatherings in Abeno Harukas are aptly named “Haru Groups,” beer lovers come together for “Keg Groups,” in “Tochigi Groups” all participants are from Tochigi Prefecture, just to name a few practice groups.

So, this will be a practice session made up of nothing but elementary school girls. “Grade Schooler Session” is it? Well, this’ll be legendary …

“Everything you need is already here. Help yourself.”

I’ve got two Shogi boards (equipped with legs) set up in the tatami room. Since match clocks and notebooks (it’s much more common to use regular lined paper for practice groups rather than special record-keeping paper) are all ready to go, so they can jump right in——or so I thought.

“Um, Master … Charlette …”

Ai apologetically glances toward the little blonde girl … So little in fact, that she almost disappears behind the board.

I guess I shouldn’t have gone all out and set up these big boards for today.

“Hmm … It might be a good idea to get a chair or something for her to sit on.”

“How about stacking floor cushions?”

Ayano offered her own floor cushion, but mine are so thin that stacking them wouldn’t make much difference.

“It’s probably still hard for her to maintain proper posture anyway. Ai, why don’t I get your stool in the kitchen for her to sit on——?”

I was just about to stand up when a hand tugged on my shirt.

“Masta.”

“Yeah?”

“Cha sit here.”

Wheeh?

“Masta, soft knees.”

“Haaaa …………! Hah, wheeeh …………”

“Pway Shogi wight here!”

Apparently, little Charlette has declared that she’ll “play Shogi right here” after climbing onto my knees.

What is this cute little creature?

That’s really, really cute. She’s even calling me “Masta”? What is she? An angel?

Of course, I do not have a Lolita complex.

Absolutely, one hundred percent no. Older women is where it’s at, I’m well aware. Little girls do nothing for me.

But ………… What the heck is this? What’s with this sweet lightning bolt in my chest?!

“O …… Okay then. Would you … l-l-like to play on my lap …?”

“Pway Shogi!”

Snap, snap. An angel sitting on my knees starts lining up pieces on the board.

KER-CLAP! A much louder snap came from the next board over, as if to drown out the cute little clicks. KER-CLAP! Enthusiastic echoes bounced around the room.

“Ai. Easy on those pieces, the neighbors will complain.”

“Sure!!”

KER-CLAP!!

“I just told you to quiet down, didn’t I?”

It could be because her master is right next to her, but Ai is raring to go, facing down Mio with her bright red cheeks puffed out. She’s even playing a bit more aggressively than usual.

“So Charlette, why’d you start playing Shogi?”

“NARUTO!”

“Huh?”

“The Naruto manga series. She was inspired by a scene where the characters play Shogi.”

… I don’t remember that scene.

I got a little concerned, but apart from the fact that Charlette couldn’t reach the edges of the board, she plays a pretty good game. She’d compete with the amateur 3-dans, no joke.

“Masta, gimme at one.”

“There you are.”

I pick up the piece she wanted. We’re already working as one. Snapping sounds coming from the next board are getting even louder. They must be close to the end of the match.

We do a quick review session after the first games conclude, switch partners and start up again.

Mio versus Ayano and Ai versus Charlette plus me.

“Let’s give it our all, Charlette?”

“Oui!”

“… Master darabuchi.”

There it is. Dara showed up again. Just what the heck does it mean?

Ai’s even more ramped up than before, snapping the pieces down with enough zeal to scare Charlette. Meanwhile, I’m sweating buckets, praying that this angel on my knees doesn’t start crying …

Mio’s got her head in her hands, staring at the board now that Ayano has her in check next to us.

“That’s not good! Funasshi …”

“Funasshi?”

“Ah, it means she is out of Pawns,” Ayano explains.

Being out of Pawns = fu ga nai = lack of Pawns = fu nashi = Funasshi.

How the heck should I know?

“Hey, Ayanon. What mascot did you think would be the best at Shogi? Think it’d be Sho-chan (the Japan Shogi Association’s mascot)?”

“Kumamon has 1-dan.”

… Looks like Mio and Ayano are having a good time.