Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 15 - Chapter 3.4

  BEFORE GETTING TO THE BOARD

“Wait right there. I’ll come with you.”

Just as I’m about to leave for my league match in Sendagaya, Rokuroba-sensei hurriedly puts on a coat and follows me out the door.

“Huh? But …… Sensei, you don’t have a match today, do you?”

“I’m on winter break, so I’ve got extra time on my hands without classes to go to. So I thought I’d take care of some of the autographs the association asked me to sign and do an interview. Popular Women’s League players are always busy because there’s so much work to do.”

So we leave the apartment together.

I’m playing my sixth Women’s Legend League match today.

I’ll be playing against Kazumi Houroku Women’s 3-dan for the first time. She’s known for her aggressive style, even being nicknamed after her home prefecture: Gunma’s Dynamite. I’ve also heard that she’s beaten an A division professional before. She has the first move, so I’ll be on the receiving end, I think. Is my defense strong enough ……? If I remember right, Keika made a mistake defending against her in the Mynavi Women’s Open Challenge Match. Let’s see, I think she played like ……

“Stop.”

A hand on my shoulder stops me in my tracks while I’m thinking about my opponent.

“Do not go into the shrine.”

“Uwhaa?”

It’s Hatomori Shrine, just across the street from Sendagaya Station. I’ve come here with Master and the Grade Schooler Practice Group before.

“But …… since it’s on the way, I thought I’d stop by and pray–––.”

I always stop here before going to a match in Tokyo, so I thought I would go inside today too, but …… I can’t go? Why not?

“Do not enter the shrine, coming or going. The same goes for parks, too. Stay where it’s well lit and there are lots of people. The rule of thumb is: don’t go anywhere alone.”

“But ……”

Almost all the league matches are on weekdays, so it would be impossible to have someone with me all the time, wouldn’t it?

And …… people always look down on me just because I’m in elementary school. I’m not a baby that needs a chaperone all the time!

“If I may say something! I came to Tokyo by myself to get stronger–––.”

“Gooooood morning, everyone! Tamayon is here~☆”

Rokuroba-sensei ignores me like a soft breeze and walks straight into the association. Her first stop is the front office.

This floor is much, much bigger than the first floor of the Kansai Association.

I’m always too nervous to say anything here because I don’t know anyone. The last thing I want to do is disturb them, so I only speak when I have to fill out a form.

Rokuroba-sensei goes around the office and greets everyone with a big smile.

I watch her from the spot next to office door until–––.

“Oh, yes, that’s right! That girl there, she’s my new roomie!”

Yank!

She pulls me all the way up to the counter where the staff members are working.

“Go on. Introduce yourself.”

Uwhee?! S-So suddenly?!

“I-I’m Ai Hinatsuru! Um …… It’s nice to meet you ……”

“Well, my roomie has a match to get to. I need to swing by the Women’s Player’s Room for a minute and I’ll be back to sign some autographs.”

We were there for about five minutes.

Once we step outside the office, Rokuroba-sensei issues another order.

“Greetings are extremely important. Don’t just stand around like you just did. Always, always, always take initiative and say hello. Make sure you say hello every time you come to the association. Understand?”

“B-But …… I-I don’t know who works at the office and who doesn’t ……”

“All the more reason to say hello to everyone. Simple, don’t you think?”

“…………”

Lots of visitors come to the association building’s classroom to play Shogi. Should I say hello to them, too ……?

Our next stop is a small room at the end of a long, dim hallway on the fifth floor.

Rokuroba-sensei opens a door with a sign that says Women’s League Player’s Room on it and goes inside.

“What are you waiting for? Get in here.”

“………… But ……”

“Why is it you had no problem barging into my home, but you’re too scared to go inside a room that is literally set aside for you? You’re part of the Women’s League, so you qualify to be here. Get inside.”

I get pulled forward again and look around the room. It’s not what I expected.

“It’s c-cramped ………… And there are a lot of things in here.”

“It’s okay to call it messy, you know?”

I wouldn’t dare ……

“Is this really your first time in here? What have you done before your matches until now?”

“Um …… found someplace nearby and waited until it was time ……”

“Someplace? …… Are you telling me that a little girl like you has been loitering around in convenience stores and cafés in the middle of the day?! You’d get picked up by the police for sure!”

“A-Actually …… that already happened ……”

“You got taken away ……”

“I called the association and had someone on staff explain it to them …… Then the policeman dropped me off at the association, in his car ……”

“A patrol car ……?”

“Yes …… his patrol car ……”

Master might end up riding in one of them someday, but I never thought I would ride one first.

“Unbelievable …… What if he took you to the station first, hmm? You would’ve missed your match, that’s what. Women’s League players don’t have much waiting time to begin with, so you might have to forfeit even if you’re just a little late. Besides, it’s not like you can focus on Shogi after something like that anyway.”

“…………”

I lost my match that day, so I can’t say anything back to her.

In fact, I visit the shrine because I don’t really have a place to be inside the association building and I might get taken away by police officers if I’m walking around outside ……

I think that Rokuroba-sensei has already figured all of that out.

“I’ll be going home with you, too. I don’t care how early your match ends. Wait for me in the Women’s Player’s Room.”

I manage to keep Houroku-sensei’s aggressive style under control and win the match. Out of all six of my matches in the Women’s Legend League so far, I think it was my best one.

Defensive Shogi is hard because you have to keep your mind steady the whole time.

That’s many, many times harder than attacking for me. So I think being so calm before the match was a big reason I did so well this time.

–––Is that why …… Rokuroba-sensei came with me today ……?

That’s the only reason that makes any sense.

–––I have to thank her! I’ll say thank you as soon as I see her ……!

I’m now at three wins and three losses.

I’m still on the brink of dropping out from contention, but …… Winning enough victory stars to break even in the Women’s Legend League has restored my confidence! Well …… just a little.

We finish the review session, and then I talk to reporters because my match was broadcasted today.

But Houroku-sensei didn’t use much of her waiting time at all, so I get to the Women’s Player’s Room pretty early despite all of that. I sit down and wait for Rokuroba-sensei, but–––.”

“You’re Ai Hinatsuru …… Women’s 1-dan, aren’t you?”

A different Women’s League sensei comes into the room first.

“Mind if I sit down? There’s something I want to ask you about.”

Rokuroba-sensei comes back to the Women’s Player’s Room 30 minutes after that.

“Oh? You finished up before me, huh?”

“I’ve been waiting for you!”

I jump to my feet and bow right in front of her.

“Um …… I won today thanks to your help! I really appr–––.”

“I’m aware. On a side note, did you talk with anyone else while you were waiting? I passed by several other Women’s League players at the elevator.”

“Wha?! Y-Yes ………… O-One of the senseis came up to me ……”

“What did you talk about?”

“Um ………… Nothing, really ……”

I swallow my words.

What we talked about …… would be difficult to say to Rokuroba-sensei.

“Ohhh? Well, I don’t really care either way!” she says and walks right out the door. 

I jump up and scurry after her.

Women’s League matches typically have one or two hours of waiting time.

That’s why they usually end in the late afternoon, before the sun goes down, even if both players use all their waiting time.

But we were there a bit longer than usual today, so it’s already dark when we leave the association building.

–––I didn’t know …… it got this dark around here at night ……

The Kansai Association building is on a main street and surrounded by shops and restaurants. Everything is lit up, even at night.

Here in Sendagaya, on the other hand, there are many narrow streets crisscrossing around the building and the shrine. The station is close, but … going through here alone would be a little scary.

Walking down one of those streets–––.

“……?”

What was that?

Is someone following us around ……?

“You noticed? Keep your eyes straight forward and stay next to me. We’re power walking to the main street …… Then we’ll find a café or something to lay low.”

“……?!”

Rokuroba-sensei whispers to me without breaking stride, but I’m starting to panic.

The only thing on my mind right now …… is staying right at her side.

I breathe a sigh of relief as soon as we step inside a small restaurant. We go stand by the window and watch the person who was following us.

It’s a man I’ve never seen before ……

There’s a smartphone in his hand.

He stays outside the restaurant, not doing much of anything for a while, but …… He finally gives up and disappears.

My knees are trembling, and I couldn’t speak if I wanted to. Rokuroba-sensei looks at me and says, “Your match was broadcast in real time today. The start time and ending time were put out there for the whole world to see. Do you understand what that means?”

“……?”

“That you can be ambushed.”

“?! Amb–––?”

Why would ……?

“He could’ve been a well-meaning fan. I think most of them are. And I know that their support is what allows us to keep playing Shogi. However, I don’t think I have to tell you what might happen if he wasn’t one of those well-meaning fans.”

Rokuroba-sensei calls a taxi just to be safe, and we leave the restaurant.

She then tells me about a lot of things while we’re in the car.

All sorts of stories about times when men came up to Women’s League players out of the blue.

There were even some who were chased down by someone on a bicycle or in a car ……

“Even if they are a well-meaning fan, as a woman, it’s scary to have a man you’ve never met try to strike up a conversation somewhere that has nothing to do with Shogi. They know all sorts of things about you, but you have no idea who they are.”

“B-But …… That man just now didn’t say anything …… Maybe we overreacted–––.”

“The ones that speak up might be better.”

“……?”

“What if you never notice them following you because they never announced themselves? If I hadn’t been with you today, you’d have led that man right to where Jin-Jin and I live, you know?”

“Ah ………………!” 

“That’s what it means to live in Tokyo. The only one you can count on to protect you is yourself. That’s why I came with you today. To protect myself.”

A really eye-opening day is almost over.

My mind is all over the place. But there’s only one thing I know for sure.

–––I have to ………… thank Rokuroba-sensei ……

She was just being shy, saying that she was only protecting herself …… She came to protect me ……

We get out of the taxi and go up to the apartment. Just before going in, I bow my head low and say the most heartfelt thank you I can.

“Um! Rokuroba-sensei, I can’t thank you enough for–––.”

“You really aren’t cut out for the Women’s League.”

“………………?!”

Those words feel like a slap. It’s all I can do to stay standing.

“After today, I can tell. You’ve got a bit of a lucky streak going but that’ll fizzle out eventually. You should go back to Osaka… now. I’m 100 percent serious.”

“………… Why do you say that ……?”

“You’re already losing by the time you get to the board.”

“Before …… getting to the board ……?”

“That younger sister apprentice of yours, she’s a powerhouse in that regard.”

“Ten-chan ……?”

“Not only does she have a bodyguard with her, but she uses her assets to make sure she goes in at her best. She knows that there are more battles being fought than one using pieces. I hate that about her, and I’m jealous. But, just because I’m angry about it doesn’t mean I think it’s unfair.”

Rokuroba-sensei doesn’t look angry at all to me.

“However, you don’t seem to get what the word equal actually means.”

She just keeps spelling out truths one after another.

All the true reasons why I don’t deserve to be in the Women’s League.

I would rather if she were angry at me …… This hurts so much more ……

“Are rich and poor equal? No. How about men and women? No again. Everyone is equal at the board sounds pretty, but that’s about it.”

“B-But! Shogi isn’t like sports! There’s no difference between boys and girls!! Sora-sensei becoming a professional player proves–––.”

“Have you had girl problems yet?”

“Girl ………?”

“I’ll take that as a no. In that case, I’ll give you a heads up.”

That turn is so unexpected that it leaves me speechless.

“I can’t speak for everyone else, but Shogi is the last thing I want to do during my time of the month. My stomach hurts to all hell, the tiniest little things tick me off and I can’t focus at all. But I still have to play league matches. It’s a normal thing for women and we’re not sick …… is what some big wig at the association thinks.”

Sensei starts talking faster and faster.

In terms of biology …… I know there’s a difference between the genders. But I’ve never thought of it having any connection to Shogi until just now.

I had always assumed that a path would open up for me if I got strong. All I needed to do was put myself in the right environment: the stricter, the better.

But I never had any guarantees or support to go with that assumption …… It was all my own thinking ……

And Rokuroba-sensei saw right through that–––.

“You might think you can become just like Yaichi Kuzuryu. Well: news flash! You won’t… ever.”

She crushed the one hope I held dearest to my heart.

Easily. With just a few words.

“People who refuse to acknowledge their own weaknesses will never fix them. You are beneath Ai Yashajin. As long as she’s around, you’ll never claim a title. You’ll only amount to a second-rate Women’s League player who goes titleless for the rest of her life. You get popular, maybe, but you’ll never have a title.”

Each of her words feels like a sharp dagger raining down on me.

They all slice into my heart, and I feel the blood gushing out.

The pain. It hurts so much.

The strange thing is that I don’t feel angry at Sensei at all.

That must be because–––.

Rokuroba-sensei looks to be in a lot more pain saying these things …… than I am hearing them ……

“The problem comes before being strong or weak or whether you have talent or not. It’s that you’re not doing things as a Women’s League player that you should be doing. You can but don’t. That’s just bad class right there.”

I’m not doing things that I should ……

“That’s what pisses everyone off about you. Get it?”

Rokuroba-sensei opens the door and goes inside without me ……

All I can do is stand here, staring at the door in front of me.

I’m too overwhelmed to take a step.

“…………”

Because I realized I’m shallow enough to be seen right through in a single day.

I was clueless.

I had no idea how sheltered I was while living with Master.

I had no idea how much everyone did to protect me when I lived in Osaka.

How naïve I was to leave Master’s side, and how that rashness is causing so much trouble for Natagiri-sensei and Rokuroba-sensei.

–––I can’t …………… step forward anymore …………

My heart is this close to shattering.

I won my match, but my fighting spirit is cracked …… For a moment, throwing all this away and leaving Tokyo right now sounded like a good idea.

“………… Even so, I want ……!”

It hurts. It’s painful, but….

Even so–––I was already taught what I need to do.

And, one more thing.

The meaning behind what I can do but am not doing.

“…… You’re saying that …… I can do it, aren’t you?”

I wipe away a tear with the back of my hand just before it falls.

Then I force myself to smile, open the door and greet her as loud as I can.

“Ai Hinatsuru! I have returned from the association!!”

Rokuroba-sensei looks a little surprised at first, but then, like nothing happened at all, says, “Welcome back.”

After that, she blushes awkwardly and demands, “Now make dinner. I’m starving.”