Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 16 - Chapter 1.7

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ODDLY THIN WALLS

Helping myself to grade school girls’have to take off my belt before having a seat on the sofa and leaning all the way back.

Not like that, though. I put on some weight while I was cooped up writing my book.

“Masta!”

“Ooof!!”

And Charlette jumps on top of me like I’m some kind of trampoline!

“Masta, Masta, Masta! Hug Cha?”

“I-Is something wrong, Charlette? I don’t remember you being this lovey.”

“Mngh!”

Wrapping her hands around my neck, Charlette shoots me an angry glare through teary eyes.

Then she yells, “Masta, yew meanie! Cha wanted to see yew a wong wong time ago!!”

“…… Sorry for being such an irresponsible Master.”

Once I saw how serious Charlette was about getting stronger, I promised to take her as my apprentice.

I had offered to take her as my bride before to distract her from asking me about that before, but I had a change of heart after she went all out at the King of Naniwa Tournament.

Those hot tears were just too convincing ……

But I was so focused on doing my own thing that I completely ignored this girl.

Now she’s telling me off for being irresponsible, and I wouldn’t blame her for thinking she’d been abandoned …… And yet, she still yearns for me.

It’s up to me to answer those feelings.

“As a man, I take full responsibility! Be my wife!!”

Thud!!

The incredible timing of that impact in the room next door made me realize I said the wrong thing.

“Oops. I was taking you as my apprentice, wasn’t I?”

“Bwoth!!”

Charlette is such a hard worker, she wants to have me as both her Master and her husband.

Yeesh …… Only one piece can be moved at a time in Shogi, so Charlette’s going to have to choose one or the other at some point. It looks like I still have to teach her some of the basics.

“But as they say, Don’t run from a fork in the road — take both if there are two! If you are absolutely serious about this, Charlette, then I will step up to the plate and–––”

Thud! Thud thud thud!!

More noises from the room next door. I wonder if a repair man is busy over there right now?

“K-Kuzuryu-sensei! Uh …… Um ……”

It’s Ayano this time. It looks like she’s trying to muster up the courage to say something.

“Since Ai and Mio don’t live in Osaka anymore, Charlette and I …… are the only two left. But, well …… you see ……”

“What is it, Ayano?”

“I-If it’s all right with you, Sensei! Could we continue the Grade Schooler Practice Group?!”

Almost yelling, Ayano plunges her head down into a deep bow.

Oh. So that’s what this is about.

“Of course it’s alright! Our group will last forever!”

“S-Sensei ……”

Tears start streaming down Ayano’s face.

Now I feel even more guilty.

Here are these pure-hearted students who only long for my teaching, but I was too wrapped up doing my own thing to give them the time of day ……

“I’m so glad …… Everyone… everyone went away …… My Master was always in Tokyo, too …… Charlette and I were all alone with no idea how to improve. It was so bleak ……!”

“And I’m sorry about that. But you don’t have to worry anymore.”

The most important thing right now is to reassure these girls that everything is okay.

I gently pat Ayano’s head and say, “I found a sequence of moves that’s perfect for you even though Ai would have a hard time pulling them off.”

“Whaaa?! J-Just for me ……? A dual title holder’s strategy ……?”

I can almost see the fireworks going off in her eyes.

Unfortunately, those anxious clouds come back just as quickly.

“But …… Ai is a prodigy. How could a Practice League member who can’t seem to promote like me ever hope to use a strategy that she can’t? …… Does one exist?”

“It’s true that Ai can make split-second decisions on sight, so I don’t blame people for thinking kids like her are prodigies.”

“They’re not?”

“What I’m saying is that there are different types of talent. That is Ai’s, but you have plenty of your own kind of talent, Ayano. For example, you like reading books, don’t you?”

“Y-Yes. I enjoy reading about how strategies work in Shogi books more than playing them in matches. Lining up match records is fun, too ……”

“Big Sis was the same way.”

“Sora-sensei was?!Wh-What a surprise ……!”

My older sister apprentice was sickly growing up. If she tried to play a lot of matches in a row, she’d end up bedridden with exhaustion.

She wound up reading a lot more books than most kids her age, which I think worked out as a plus for her in the end.

“It’s like school, if you think about it. You know how some kids can just understand something by reading it in the textbook? Shogi is a game that lets those kinds of kids show off their talent!”

“I have …… the same talent as Sora-sensei ……?”

“There’s no set number of matches you need to play to get a thorough understanding of the strategy or sequence, but if you can get that knowledge efficiently from a book? Don’t get me wrong, not just any book will do. The important thing is to find a good one and read it over and over again, understand?”

“Kuzuryu-sensei! I don’t know why, but I feel like I could beat Ai right now!”

“That’s the spirit! And, I’ll even give you my book, Kuzuryu’s Notebook, to help you get started! Autograph included!”

“W-Wow! I’ve never received a book directly from the author before ……!!”

“Everything you’ll ever need to know is written right here in Kuzuryu’s Notebook.”

“I understand! I’ll take your word for it and only use it to study! I’ll read it cover to cover many times, too!”

“Posting a good review online would help me out a lot, if you have the time.”

“I’ll give it five stars! I’ll write a whole essay!!”

Language arts have always been Ayano’s strong suit. Knowing her, she’ll write something that will convince people to buy my book on the spot. Sweet.

Brainwashing? No, no. It actually is a great book.

“Everyone has a weakness. Ai can see the best moves in the late-game, but she depends on that ability so much that she just goes with the flow in the early-game. Though it looks like she’s gotten better at it during her time in Tokyo.”

“Yes, I remember almost always having the advantage in the early-game when I played against Ai in our practice matches. The strategies I read about in my books always seem to work against her.”

“Ai also tends to get jealous, so she’s quick to strike, right?”

“A-ha-ha. Mio was always worried that she would pull a knife on you someday, Kuzuryu-sensei.”

“That was the only thing I was worried about back when we lived together. Moves are only meant to be made on the Shogi board ha-ha.”

Ker-thud!! WHAM!!

“…… Whoever is next door sure is making a lot of noise.”

“For being such a fancy hotel, the walls are oddly thin.”

Ayano could be right about that.

Even though most of this floor was rented out by the association, there are still some regular customers staying in rooms here and there. There’s a chance the person staying next door doesn’t like Shogi at all. We should probably keep the strategy talk to a minimum.

“Cha, too! Cha wants to wearn some moobes!”

“Hah hah hah! Of course, I’ve got some special moves to show you, too, Charlette! Now join me in bed!!”

We can’t play Shogi on the hard floor, so I sit down on my ankles in the bed and get ready to teach them some tricks until the lunch break ends.

Everything I said was out of goodwill but–––

Riiing, riiing, riiing. The room phone goes off.

“I’m sorry to disturb you. This is the front desk.”

“Can I help you?”

“Um …… We received a call from the room next to yours saying–––”

“Oh, a complaint? I’m sorry. We might’ve been a little loud.”

“Not a complaint so much as ……”

The person on the other end pauses like they’re trying to choose their words very carefully.

“They said that a grown man has been putting moves on two underage girls in bed in your room since noon today……”