Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 18 - Chapter 4.01

  The Decision

The seven members of the Shogi Association’s Board of Directors, including Chairman Seiichi Tsukimitsu and Bruno Redmond, convened in a meeting room on the second floor of the Kanto Association building. One additional former member of the association joined the meeting remotely from the Kansai Association building, as well.

Only one of the directors was female, Rina Shakando Women’s 8-dan. The rest were all men with distinguished careers as title holders and A League membership added to their names.

Their mere presence was suffocating.

Ai Hinatsuru sat in a folding chair, her spine erect as she endured the pressure.

The only other seat granted in this gathering was given to the vice chairwoman of the Women's League, Tamayo Rokuroba. The pressure was causing a sharp pain in her abdomen, however.

At the same time, she couldn’t keep her hopes from climbing ever higher.

―――Everyone’s here …… Then we have a legitimate shot, don’t we?

“……………”

Ai Hinatsuru, sitting next to her, was remarkably calm. Almost scarily so.

She was the living embodiment of a strong Shogi player focusing their mind before the most important match of their life. No matter the result, the competitor in her heart would continue the fight.

Seeing this girl not even flinch while being stared down by so many top Shogi professionals was striking for Tamayo, and even somewhat reassuring.

―――Aren’t I supposed to be giving the emotional support here?!

“The board of directors have come to a decision.”

It was Chairman Tsukimitsu, located in the center of the room, who spoke.

A silence as thick and heavy as molasses followed. The clicks of Shogi pieces from the classroom next door were faintly audible as he cleared his throat.

“Concerning Ai Hinatsuru-Women’s Legend, an exception shall be made to allow a Professional Entrance Exam to take place. The selection of the examiner and criteria shall be made at the board’s discretion.”

“Yee― …….!!”

Tomayo nearly jumped to her feet, a triumphant cry of “Yeeeeees!” on her lips before she hastily planted herself back in her chair.

Bruno Redmond 9-dan grimaced at his problematic apprentice before shifting his gaze to Ai Hinatsuru.

“Congratulations. You’re now entitled to become only the second person in history to take this type of exam. It was a unanimous decision, by the way. We will contact you with a specific date for the exam ―――”

“I refuse.”

“………… Huh?”

Bruno and Tamayo echoed simultaneously.

Their shock was apparent, but Ai repeated herself without so much as a stutter.

“I refuse to take the exam under those conditions.”

“…… Would you please explain why?”

Seiichi softly inquired and Ai calmly answered.

“I want to create a permanent path for anyone, including Women’s League players, to become a professional Shogi player without going through the Sub League, not be an exception. I’m willing to leave the content of the exam up to you, but I refuse to undergo the exam until that change has been put in place.”

“That matter can be addressed once you have passed the exam and proven yourself as a professional player, yes? Is that not enough?”

―――Exactly! That’s a great deal!

Tamayo applauded Seiichi in her mind. Go, make Shortie say “yes”! Quickly!

But.

“No.”

Ai stubbornly refused that path.

“If I were to accept that condition now, I would just become a previous example. Becoming a professional can’t be taken as lightly as trying to get a vaguely defined exception. There have to be clear requirements!”

“…………”

The blind chairman listened intently to Ai Hinatsuru’s assertion.

Bruno spoke up from beside him, tension beginning to seep into his voice.

“Were your Grand Master, Kousuke Kiyotaki 9-dan with us today, he would surely tell you that you couldn’t have asked for better conditions. I’m positive he would want you to take the exam. Are you going to betray all the people who worked so hard to get you into this position in the first place?”

“Just the opposite. I can’t be satisfied with my own situation because of all they have done for me. Kiyotaki-sensei would absolutely say so!”

Ai stubbornly held strong. Desperation was starting to set in as Bruno turned to his apprentice.

“…… Rokuroba Women’s 2-dan, talk some sense into her.”

“I think―――”

In that moment, Tamayo realized what her Master had in mind.

Making an exception for an individual to take a Professional Entrance Exam was most likely always within the board’s jurisdiction.

However, they had to convince Ai that they were willing to work with her, otherwise she would tell the media and use public opinion to put pressure on them to change the system.

All members of the board were here today to pressure her into saying yes.

And she hadn’t been brought in to give Ai courage …… but to convince her to go along with the adults.

She was the Gold deployed to checkmate King Ai Hinatsuru.

―――And that’s fine by me! Defending here is the only move anyway!

Tamayo Rokuroba knew because she was also an adult.

Her master Bruno Redmond had no sway over the association. Although he made it into A League, he never claimed a title. Though he had name recognition as the first foreign national to become a professional Shogi player and join the board of directors, he was just as low on the totem pole as she was at the end of the day.

The chairmanship was customarily held by a person with title experience, so if Seiichi Tsukimitsu was not at the top, he wouldn’t even be able to maintain the administration. Bruno constantly complained to her about his weak position. Even the meeting when Ai accused her of having a sugar daddy was originally meant as her way of encouraging him as an apprentice.

Even now, Bruno’s desperate gaze clinging to her proved she was right. Were they alone, there was no doubt in Tamayo’s mind that he would be pleading at her feet right now.

―――Some bigwig sponsor probably had some harsh words for him.

The Sub League system was the backbone of the association. It was the only line that truly separated amateur from professional.

Should it disappear, the association would lose its status …… or so some sponsors seem to think. The fact was that they maintained several systems including the Women’s League and promotional instructors, but even those were funded by sponsorship contracts based on professional matches. So long as appeasing the sponsors took priority above all else, arguments between the players themselves were next to meaningless.

However, Tamayo had a change of heart just as she was about to spell out that truth for Ai.

The deciding factor: the young girl’s hand was trembling when she took it.

――― …… This kid, I swear ……

Behind that almost cheeky exterior, Ai was terrified. She had made a pivotal move that put everything she had built up thus far at risk of being lost forever.

Going through with it required far more courage than sitting across the board from a professional player.

―――She’s been fighting this whole time! Me, on the other hand ……

That’s when Tamayo’s mind was set.

She gave the trembling fingers a reassuring squeeze.

“I think that proposal is a valid option.”

“……!”

Tamayo’s tone made Ai Hinatsuru flinch for the first time since entering the room.

She grinned over at her junior and continued.

“But! If she …… Ai Hinatsuru has another option in mind, then that is the right move for her! We have made the collective decision to support her. Not because she claimed a title or because she has defeated professional players, but because she is fighting on behalf of all Women’s League players all by herself!!”

“T-Tamayo ……”

Though she felt sorry for her shaken Master, Tamayo made one final push.

“If we don’t show support for her now, it would be no different from when we were doing nothing at all. Therefore, the Women’s League will honor her judgment to the very end even if that means going against the board’s wishes.”

“Well done.”

Amidst the stunned silence of the board members, only the former Women's League Chairwoman Rina Shakando applauded.

“For the love of?! Are you TRYING to throw everything we’ve done out the window?!”

“I-I’m sorry …………”

The two left the association building and settled in at a nearby burger joint where Tamayo Rokuroba began venting her frustration by devouring everything on her tray.

“…… Look, it’s not like I don’t get where you’re coming from. Frankly, I think you’re right. But you just turned the entire board against you, yeah? Do you have your next move planned out?”

“…………”

Ai looked down at her lap, silent.

―――Here we go again. She’s hiding something, isn’t she? Why’s she in such a rush anyway?

The elementary school student was behaving like an elderly person trying to finish a bucket list after being told they only have a few months left to live.

―――I’m not sure why, but maybe this is the only chance she’ll get? But, if that’s true, then ……?!

Tamayo vigorously crumpled up the burger wrapper and downed the last of her shake in one big swig.

“I gotcha. It’s my turn to step up and take one for the team.”

“Huh?”

“Look, a few weekly magazines have offered to run articles about the Pro Entrance Exam if I do a sexy photoshoot for them. A bikini …… No, I’d be willing to go as far as a hand bra pose if that’ll convince them! After all, the bulk of the Shogi population is middle-aged men! An appeal to both their hearts and their pants will―――”

“That won’t work.”

“What?! Are you saying my girls aren’t worth that much?! Huh? HUH?!”

“No, no! That’s not what I meant ……”

Tamayo slammed her empty shake cup to the floor and Ai jumped to her feet in an attempt to soothe her furious friend. Then, speaking just loud enough for Tamayo to hear.

“The board’s reaction taught me something very important. Now I know who we need to ask.”

It wasn’t the media or the most powerful people within the association.

They needed someone―――with enough influence to move the entire country.