Volume 1 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Daily Life with Disciple
”Sorry Master! Did I keep you waiting?”
”No. I just arrived.”
I was standing before a shop at the first level of the a.s.sociation, and Ai came running down from the dojo on the second level, grinning away.
It had been a week since Ai came over, and the days living with my disciple became my daily life.
In the morning, we would bring bentos to the a.s.sociation, and Ai would have training in the dojo on the second floor for the Entrance Test, while I would head to the shogi room on the third floor to attend the research club.
If both of us were free at noon, we would head to the nearby park to have our bentos.
In the evening, we would gather here again before heading home. That's our 'routine'.
”Ara ara. It's like you're lovers.”
The pretty lady following Ai down the stairs saw us meet, and showed a G.o.ddess-like smile.
She's Keika Kiyotaki (hidden buxom), the daughter of my Master, 9th dan Kousuke Kiyotaki.
Keika's a current member of the Research Group, doing her best for Ai's test.
”Sorry Keika. You had to do so much, including helping out at Master's cla.s.sroom…”
”It's fine, it's fine.”
Keika waved her hand heartily.
”But you won't be able to promote to C1 if you're occasionally showing up for training, right?”
There are ranks in the Research Club.
They go from F to A, and then to S. Even the F rank, the lowest tier, requires the ability of an amateur 2nd dan.
To become a female player, the ranking has to be C1 at minimum.
Keika's only at C2. For many years, she was unable to make the final hurdle.
”I'm already twenty five. I'm almost at the maximum age to join…playing shogi with someone with outstanding talent like Ai-chan is stimulating for me.”
Keika officially started playing in the third year of high school.
She entered the Research Group and aimed for the pros after she graduated from high school, and so became Master's disciple later than anedes.h.i.+ and me. So basically, Keika's my junior. It's a complicated master-disciple relations.h.i.+p, as complicated as Sazae-san's family. (TN: A very old yonkoma: /wiki/Sazae-san)
”Oh yes. Ai-chan, you got promoted at the dojo today. Right?”
”Yes! I'm at third rank amature!!” (TN: Typo deliberate)
”Ohh, that's good.”
I patted Ai on the head as she gleefully showed me her record card. ”Ehehe♡” she narrowed her eyes, looking really happy. I got to reward my disciple for being so hardworking.
”Oh, right. To celebrate your promotion, I'll buy something for you.”
”Really? Yay!!”
”Can't be too expensive though. Has to be within 500 yen though.”
Seeing Ai so overjoyed as she dashed into the shop, even I started to feel happy.
It's strange.
It wasn't long ago that I was envious of others winning and promoting, but Ai promoting felt as though I was the one promoting. I was really happy for her. Was I maturing?
”She's growing. Ai-chan.”
Keika whispered as she stood beside me, not allowing Ai to hear.
”What do you think after playing with her?”
”I feel her getting stronger with every match…no, every move. It's because she has talent though—”
Keika said, and looked a little gloomy.
”…If only I started playing at her age.”
I couldn't say anything.
The world of shogi is a world of talents. The younger one is, the faster the talent can grow.
There are people who started playing shogi in high school and became pros. However, most of us, including me, decided on being pros before we started elementary school, started training, and improved our abilities by taking on all the talented youths in j.a.pan.
”Master Master! This! Can I buy this!?”
Ai chose a shogi piece strap (400 yen + tax)
”That's fine, but you're choosing the 'Rook'? The 'left horse' there should be luckier, you know?” (TN: The rook starts on the right, and given that it's the strongest unit, most gameplans involve around capturing it. Choosing the horse on the left is tantamount to 'avoiding' danger, especially for the knight that moves in an unorthodox manner.)
”Ahh! It's so hard to choose! (>_<>
My disciple, holding straps in both hands, squealed in frustration. She's so cute.
Seeing her like this, Keika showed a tender smile on her face, telling me,
”Yaichi, anything you want to buy for Ginko-chan?”
”What?”
What's this person saying here?
”Why do I have to buy something for anedes.h.i.+? She should be buying something for me, the junior.”
”…I say, Yaichi.”
”Haa~” With a long sigh, Keika suddenly sounded stern.
”If you do buy something for Ai-chan, you should buy something for Ginko-chan, you should be buying something of equal rank for Ginko-chan. If you can't maintain the situation, you'll end up in lots of trouble, you know?”
”Is that so?”
”That is so.”
Is that so~?
”Ginko-chan's already fuming that Ai-chan is here, and she's going to transform from Snow White to an Ice Queen running away from home…if you make a mistake in your opening moves, you'll end up with unsalvageable failure, you know?”
”As long as I can reverse things in the end game…”
”This situation isn't applicable to modern shogi.”
Like shogi, a woman's heart is hard to understand. I'll never be able to understand.
”Really…why are you people so pa.s.sionate about shogi and so aloof about the opposite gender…”
”But I like you, Keika?”
”Yes yes yes.”
She took me for granted!
The three of us had agreed to have dinner together, but she said, ”I have to take care of father.” And hurried off alone. She's probably scared that he'll splurge on game gachas if she kept her eyes away from him.
”Master? Are you going to buy another one?”
”…Nope.”
I put the 'Silver General' in my hand back onto the rack.
I understood anedes.h.i.+ very well, so I didn't need to do such a thing. Right.
Curry Meijin
”5-four p.a.w.n.”
On the way back to the apartment, Ai and I continue to practice for the Entrance Test,
”4-six p.a.w.n.”
”5-two Silver.”
”3-two gold.”
”3-six p.a.w.n.”
”3-two king.”
”3-five p.a.w.n!”
While walking, we played 'blind shogi'.
The pa.s.sers-by overhearing our conversation were either looking troubled or surprised. However, it's not too difficult if anyone's ability is of a certain extent. For Ai especially, who created the shogi board in her mind, it's effortless.
At this moment, we're playing a fixed set of opening moves on the board, somewhat like a memory test.
”What about 2-two silver?”
”4-eight silver!”
”6-two gold.”
”4-seven silver.”
”6-four silver. Now, what do you move next?”
”3-eight rook!”
”Right! Playing the sleeve rook and attacking down the third and fourth files is called the 'second p.a.w.n a.s.sault opening.” (TN: /watch?v=4utYMMpOdso)
The higher ranked will take down the rook and the two generals by the corner, basically 'sacrificial Shogi' (TN: 駒落ち将棋)
Basically the two openings that often encounter such a scenario are the 'second p.a.w.n a.s.sault opening' and the Silver Surrounding. (TN: 銀多伝, Gintaden, where the silver generals are s.h.i.+elded in various directions)
In contrast to a Silver Surrounding where the rook is placed down the middle and the defense is solidified before attacking, the 'second p.a.w.n a.s.sault opening' is more suited for Ai's style.
But even so, defending's equally important.
”Next, read out the moves to surround the king after this. ”
”6-eight silver, 6-five p.a.w.n, 7-eight gold, 6-four gold, 6-nine king, 7-three horse, 5-eight gold!”
”So what's the name of this surrounding?”
”Crabby attack!!”
It's surrounding crab, okay?
”Good. You basically memorized all of the sacrificial shogi openings, right?”
”Yes! It's easy to win after memorizing!”
”Yep.”
The growth of a disciple is the delight of the master.
My matches had been going well. I won a few matches recently, consecutively!
As the t.i.tle holder, winning a few consecutive matches isn't something to be particularly happy about, but after having gone through a miry series of defeats, the world just looks brighter than ever.
”Ai, what's for dinner tonight?”
”I want to cook curry…do you like curry, master?”
”Oh, not bad! Let's go buy ingredients before heading back then.”
”Yes! I'll serve you some real Kanazawa Curry!”
We bought some ingredients at the supermarket in the shopping district, and went home to cook.
”You let me stay here, so I'll do all the housework! Leave it all to me!!”
So Ai insisted, but I really felt awkward about it. I'm not so much of a devil to force an elementary school kid to handle all the housework.
And finally, we made a compromise to share the housework.
”Alright! Let's do it!!”
”Let's do it!”
Both of us stood in the kitchen. Ai's standing on a stool to cook due to her height, but her skill with the chopper's pretty good, as to be expected of someone trained in a hotel, more skilful than anedes.h.i.+ and me. To be honest, anedes.h.i.+'s dishes aren't considered cooking at all.
Ai showed off her culinary skills while cooking the curry.
The speed she peeled the red carrot was five times of mine, and once done with the potatoes, she started chopping the cabbage at an amazing speed.
Hm?
”…Cabbage?”
”We use cabbage as a side dish for Kanazawa curry.”
Curry with cabbage…sounds like it works? Sounds like it'll be refres.h.i.+ng when eaten.
The thinned ingredients were fried, and thrown into the work. Blurp blurp.
We continued to solve tsumeshogis while waiting for the ingredients to stew for a certain time (some of the ingredients got burned).
After that, pour the curry in, and it's done!
So I thought, but,
”Hm…”
Ai frowned, narrowing her eyes as she stared inside the brown wok, looking more serious than when she was solving tsumeshogis.
”…The color of the curry block bought at the market is too dilute, I guess.”
”Eh? It should be this kind of color, right?”
”No, has to be blacker.”
…Blacker?
”Master, do you have any sauces here?”(TN: Okonomiyaki sauce)
”Eh? Y-yeah…it's Osaka, so sauce is a necessary ingredient in homes.”
”Okay.”
”Wait!? Why are you adding it into the curry!?”
Ai added an unbelievably large amount of sauce into the curry, and stirred it.
The originally golden brown curry immediately became a black brown.
”Goody♪ This is the kind of color that can increase appet.i.te.”
Really? Is that really the case?
Ai then lowered the flames, and kept stirring the curry. She's not just stirring the ladle to prevent burned stuff at the bottom of the pot; she's using it to squash all the ingredients. Sweat's showing on the little forehead; I didn't know you could make curry this way…
”It-it's about done now, right?”
”No, it's not mushy enough…”
”Eh? Mushy?”
”We have to stew the ingredients until it's all sticky and gooey, until we can't see the shape…I guess it's not mushy unless it's done with a pressure cooker gayo…and not nice looking if it's not stainless silver gaine…”
Gayo? Gaine?
What do I do? My disciple's saying weird stuff.
Ai started to mutter her thoughts out, ”Un!” But it seemed she found it acceptable, nodding.
”Looks like this is the limit! Let's eat!”
”O-ohh! Let's eat, let's eat.”
Ai served the rice on the plates, poured the curry gravy on them, laid out the pork fillet bought from the supermarket and cabbage, before flavouring them with sauce. This pork (victory) curry was made to pray for good luck to a player, and really was a delicate act of kindness from my disciple. She's a natural compet.i.tor. (TN: Katsu means either pork or victory)
As for what she was holding, a fork of course.
”Eh? Eating with a fork?”
”Yeah?”
”Don't you normally use a spoon?”
”No way~ master. Curry has to be eaten with a fork!”
”Re…ally?”
”Yes!”
Oh, I see. Ahahaha, just felt that something's strange here, but I still clapped my hands together with my disciple, laughing away.
I was wondering if a fork could scoop curry, but as the gravy was extremely thick, there was no problem.
And then, I put the curry into my mouth—
”Master.”
”Hm?”
”Pull yourself together, okay?”
What?
I was wondering about her strange words, and my hand that stopped continued to put the curry into the mouth. The flavour of the curry spread in the mouth, and seemed unexpectedly sweet.
And then, the spiciness,
Caught
Up
To
Me
”………………..Ah……….eh…?”
The sound of the fork dropping onto the table caused me to wake up.
It appeared I pa.s.sed out without removing the fork from my mouth. The curry that was oozing steam had become lukewarm, and there was a thin layer on it.
”Ho-how long…have I been like this…?”
”Fufu.”
Ai was already done eating the curry, her elbows on the table as she cupped her hands on her cheeks, looking at me, showing a deep, meaningful smile as unpredictable as this curry…
And then, I started gobbling down the curry, as though I was possessed by something. I did not pa.s.s out like I did the first time, yet the hand holding the fork could not stop. I ate a mouthful, and then another mouthful, until the black color of the sauce vanished from the bottom of the plate.
I was done.
A delightful, unprecedented sensation engulfed me.
What's this…it's different from the curry I had before…
”Wh-what is this…did you add cannabis in…?”
”No way, I didn't add such a thing in. Huhuhu.”
”I want…I want this tomorrow…two days later too…I want this every day…”
”Yes! I'll make it more delicious tomorrow ♪”
After trying such a taste, would I be able to go back to the original taste…?
”Wh-what about the dojo? Made any friends there?”
After finis.h.i.+ng the curry, I gulped down some water to suppress my heart, asking how my disciple's doing. What's with me being shocked while eating curry…
Ai, giving a Buddha-like smile, suddenly frowned.
”What?”
”…Master.”
”Hm? What is it?”
Did she get bullied at the dojo? It's common for everyone to gang up and attack a super strong rookie. Back in the day, there were groups to 'defeat Ginko Sora'.
To prevent this from happening, I had Keika accompany her…
”Erm…well…”
Ai seemed to have made up her mind as she stared at me, giving me an unexpected confession.
”C-can we? Can we have the Research Group here?”
”…Research group?”
”Yes!”
Again, Ai lowered her head, stammering as she had difficulty saying out the reason.
”A-actually, erm…I talked about how I ended up at master's house, and everyone…”
Want to know where the Ryuuou (dragon king) stays! I guess it probably ended up this way.
What. So that's how it is.
”Of course! You don't have to worry about this.”
”Th-thank you…master!!”
”Hahaha, just ask if you need anything, whether it's the shogi board, pieces or clock.”
Thud!
I smacked my chest, a.s.suring my cute disciple.
At this moment, I did not understand what would happen if I invited elementary school girls to my house for a research group.
Not yet, at this moment.
JS Research (TN: JS => elementary school kids)
”(Nervous, nervous).”
”Master, everyone will only be here in an hour.”
”Oh, I-I see.”
On the day of the research group.
As the disciple's friends were to arrive at my house, I was so tense right from the morning.
There would be three others coming, two of the same year as Ai, and said to be in the Research Group.
Ai prepared sandwiches for everyone, and she watched me sit in front of the seven inch board, asking with a bothered look,
”Master…why are you dressed in a suit at home.”
”Ah, should I be wearing j.a.panese clothing?”
”You could be dressed normally…”
”Is everyone late? Did they get lost?”
”It's not time yet.”
”I guess I should head to the station to meet them—”