Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 12 - Chapter 5.9

  SEALING MOVE

“OUTTA THE WAY!! MOVE, MOVE, MOOOVE IT––––––!!”

There’s a throng of media people and curious onlookers outside the Shogi association building, and Ryou Tsukiyomizaka drives the motorcycle right into it.

“GOTTA DEATH WISH, EHHHHH?! THEN MOOOOOOOOVE!!”

People run around every which way like baby spiders when the lights come on. The bike screeches to a halt right by the association’s front door.

This girl’s totally crazy! And …… totally cool!

I pull off the helmet and jump off the motorcycle.

“Thank you so much, Ryou!”

“Get in there, Trash! Just don’t forget you owe me big time!”

The parking lot isn’t all that big to begin with, but it’s downright tiny with all these TV vans and cars jammed into it. The entrance and lobby are just as crowded, but I know exactly where I’m going and force my way through.

“Hey! Was that ……?”

“What is he doing here?!”

Ignoring those voices, I keep running. Dunking and diving my way through waves of humanity, I finally get to the stairwell.

The crowd outside is huge, but it’s even noisier inside.

Reason being–––.

“Sota Kunugi promoted!!”

“The first ever elementary school-aged professional!!”

“Breaking news!!”

“He’s doing a press conference on the second floor!! Go, go, go!!”

TWP, TWP, TWP, TMP, TMP, TMPPPPPP!! The stampede shakes the whole building like an earthquake. People are going crazy outside. I’d have never gotten upstairs if I got here a minute later.

“Sota …… Wow. Way to go.”

Well, that makes junior high pros like me a thing of the past …… I start feeling down on myself when other voices echo through the hall.

“Who’s the other one?!”

“Don’t know yet! Word is the match is almost over, but–––.”

Ba-thump!! My heart leaps into my throat.

The other one.

Who knew three little words could have so much meaning? They’re talking about–––.

“If Sota promoted but Mr. Kagamizu hasn’t yet, that means ………… that… right?”

Big Sis and Mr. Kagamizu. Whoever wins that match turns pro.

My insides feel all mixed up.

I slow down a bit to make as little noise as possible as I climb all the way up to the fourth floor.

“………… It’s quiet …… up here ……………” 

Peaceful, like I walked into a completely different world.

I had a match in this arena one month ago. It was a big one, the challenger match against the Meijin.

But this time, I can’t set foot past the elevator.

Only players fighting for their lives are allowed to go past this point.

It’s holy ground that only Sub League members can tread.

“Whew–––––– ……………” 

There’s a long brown chair outside the arena entrance on the fourth floor. Sitting down on that antique with torn covers, I let out a long sigh.

I feel like I’m in a hospital waiting room.

The battle must still be going on because I can hear pieces clicking and the electric beeps of the chess clock through the door.

“………… Big Sis ……!!”

I put my hands together and stare at the floor, almost like sending up a prayer.

How long have I been sitting like this? I look up when I hear someone coming–––.

“!!”

Someone I know very well is standing there.

“Mr. Kagamizu ……”

“Hey.”

He pats my shoulder as I look up at him from the chair, stunned. Then he walks past me.

Halfway down the stairs, he says, “Guys… give the two of them some privacy.”

The remaining Sub League members follow him downstairs.

Then, on this deserted hallowed ground, a girl with silver hair appears.

“Yaichi.”

“Big Sis.”

She drifts over to me on wobbly legs. I burst out of the chair as if shot out of a cannon.

Stepping out into the hallway without her shoes, Big Sis can hardly stand. I rush up to her, opening my arms once I get close.

“Yaichi.”

She falls into my chest.

Pretty much a feather in my arms, I catch her.

“I did it, Yaichi,” she says with her head against my shirt.

“I promoted to 4-dan.”

She tells me probably the happiest thing in her life …… More tears start rolling down her cheeks.

“I beat Mr. Kagamizu and promoted.”

“…… Yeah.”

“I was sure I lost. There was a point when I thought I was done for. But I couldn’t bring myself to give up.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s why I vowed to play until a Gold got deployed in front of my King, to play until my heart stopped beating.”

“Yeah.”

“And you know what? A miracle happened at the very, very end. A miracle, from the Shogi gods ……”

She tells me about that miracle as tears drip off her face.

“I saw Pawn Drop Mate and Reverse Check sequences …… That’s what kept my spirit from breaking. After Mr. Kagamizu did a Discovery Check, I countered with an idoai by moving my Silver from 8 Five to 9 Four …… and won. Isn’t that miracle?”

“Yeah ……”

“I have to remember to thank the pipsqueak ……”

Big Sis… being grateful to Ai?

Going against her nature and openly acknowledging Ai’s mind-blowing talent probably made her stronger in the end.

“Yaichi, I ………… I cut down …… Mr. Kagamizu ……!”

Big Sis wails as the roller coaster of emotion she is on takes a sharp downturn.

“After all he’s done for me! He’s always been so kind, but how did I repay him ……? I ……… I ………!”

“It’s alright.”

I pull Ginko in for a big hug. Because she might fall apart if I don’t.

Mr. Kagamizu, Mr. Karako …… She’s walking barefoot over the shattered dreams of so many other players. That white skin of hers is splattered with the blood of battle to the point that the gashes all over her heart and body are much deeper than everyone she’s defeated.

Just thinking about it is making me want to cry along with her …… I can’t even say a word.

So–––.

“Want to open it?”

“Yes.”

It’s time to say the words we sealed away.

After finishing what we started to say back on that night, Ginko’s breath is hot on my ear as she says, “Can …… I sit down? I’m exhausted ……”

“Yeah. Sorry.”

I almost lay her down onto the seat and then sit down next to her.

Ginko rests her head against my shoulder.

Like a silver-haired cat wanting attention.

“I didn’t get any sleep at all last night.”

“Same.”

“Oh? You, too?”

Hearing that must’ve made her happy because Ginko smiles like a little kid.

I gently brush away her bangs so that I can burn this smile that took forever to see into my memory.

Every little thing about her is captivating.

But effectively expressing feelings is impossible for two tongue-tied idiots who only know how to play Shogi like us.

So we end up talking about Shogi.

“…… Yaichi, how was your match?”

“I won.”

“I see. You really are strong ……”

“I wonder if I’ll be able to catch up,” …… Ginko quietly whispers.

“It’ll be fine. You’re a pro now.”

“………… You’re right.”

We’re lying to ourselves. Getting up to where I am as a title holder from a newly promoted 4-dan is not easy.

Ignoring that reality for a moment, we talk about our dreams.

“I ………… I love you, Yaichi ……” Ginko takes my right hand and whispers, “I want to hold hands and walk around the city with you. I want to go to the cinema, go to the beach, just the two of us. As a couple, not sibling apprentices ………… I’ve always wanted that.”

Revealing the desires she’s kept hidden in her heart all this time, Ginko finishes with this.

“But, you know? What I really want to do is–––.”

I couldn’t make out the rest.

Ginko… exhausted with her eyes closed.

As quiet as a dusting of snow the same color as her skin.

So fleeting that she might melt away with a single touch.

But–––.

“………… Hot ……”

Her hand is burning up. She’s always been this way, running a fever whenever she takes a match seriously ……

The ruckus is about to begin.

The ruckus that will turn Japan on its head.

First, it’ll be endless waves of interviews. Then, Naniwa’s Snow White will take her place next to the Meijin with the entire Shogi world on their shoulders in this new era.

It’ll last forever, so long as she stays a pro.

The excuse that she is in the Sub League won’t work anymore.

Waiting on the other side of the hell that is the Sub League …… is a path of carnage that goes on for eternity.

I doubt she’ll have any time to play Shogi for a while. While anyone would be jealous to have that problem, it’ll probably be torture for her.

I mean, what she really wants to do is–––.

“Me too …… Ginko.”

So I do what I can for her right now: give the shoulder for her to lean on and let her only think about Shogi.

About the league match we’ll play someday.