While checking the date of Kuzuryū and Kannabi's match in the Ōza League and feeling excited about the approaching start of the original story, the President of the Japan Shogi Association, President Gekkō, summoned me one day.
He is, incidentally, my master. He is my master on paper only; we haven't spent much time together, and this temporary master-apprentice relationship is not uncommon in the modern Shogi world.
I also address him as "President Gekkō" and not "Master Gekkō," and he doesn't seem to mind; it's an extremely dry relationship between us.
「How are you, President Gekkō? We haven't met for a while.」 (Ōki)
「Welcome. Is this the first time since our match in the Asahi tournament?」 (Gekkō)
In the Shogi world, a disciple defeating his master is called "repaying the favor," but a case where this repayment is completely devoid of any emotional change or reaction between the master and the disciple was truly rare. Well, I haven't even had a single training match with him.
「What is your request today?」 (Ōki)
「Well... I will tell you my request first. I want you to take an apprentice.」 (Gekkō)
「... An apprentice?」 (Ōki)
And today, he is asking me to take an apprentice. Oh, this is the same subject. It concerns Yashagami Ai's application to join.
... Wait? Why is he directing this conversation toward me?
(Isn't this strange!? I am not a title holder, nor am I an A-League player!) (Ōki)
(The Asahi tournament can be considered a quasi-title, and do you think there are title holders or A-League players who are not busy right now?) (Ai)
(What about Kuzuryū? Ah, right! He's currently on a five-game losing streak!) (Ōki)
(A record of two wins versus nine losses after winning the Ryūō title is very dangerous ☆, plus I think this issue can be 100% avoided if you show her [Yashagami Tinay] an unseemly appearance.) (Ai)
「Yes. She is the granddaughter of a businessman who supports the Shogi world, and she is nine years old, in the third grade of elementary school.」 (Gekkō)
「Nine years old? Is she a granddaughter seeking to become a professional player?」 (Ōki)
「We haven't confirmed it yet, but most likely. And she refuses to have a master who is not a title holder or does not play in the A-League.」 (Gekkō)
「... I am not a title holder, am I? What about Kuzuryū the Ryūō?」 (Ōki)
「The Ryūō is going through a difficult circumstance right now. Could you take responsibility for her until May, which is the date of her entrance exam for the training group?」 (Gekkō)
The conversation continued quickly, and I eventually agreed to take responsibility. I recall the anime or manga mentioning that a number of professional players were indeed rejected, but were they truly being rejected?
... Oh my god, what should I seriously do?
(There is a possibility that you will be rejected from the start, so why don't you just go?) (Ai)
(That's true too. This is the place, then. ... It really looks like a Yakuza gang building.) (Ōki)
(If a fight breaks out, the Master will die with 99.97% probability, so do not take any inappropriate action.) (Ai)
(Don't say dangerous things!? Wait, won't that put me in a bind? I can't act inappropriately!) (Ōki)
Afterwards, Ikeda Akira came to receive me, a personage with a strong presence in the original story and affection for Tinay. From a distance, I was thinking about how beautiful this belle in sunglasses was, but she approached me with astonishing speed.
「Is this, surprisingly... is this really Ōki Haruo 6-dan?」 (Ikeda)
「Uh, well, yes. I am the real Ōki Haruo. I see you know my full name?」 (Ōki)
「I certainly know it. Breaking the 29 consecutive wins record was broadcast in breaking reports, wasn't it? Come on, this way.」 (Ikeda)
The fact that Miss Akira knows me means I will proceed with the interview, right? Miss Akira pushed me from behind, and I entered the gate, where an unusual scene unfolded.
Men wearing sunglasses were lined up on both sides, bowing deeply. Simultaneously with Miss Akira saying, 「The Master has arrived!」, they greeted me with a husky voice saying, 「Welcome!!」 No, this is truly frightening. The 0.03% survival rate was a lie, wasn't it? This rate is 0%. I am absolutely certain I will not survive.
I was led inside, and upon entering, I found an old man there. His name... I have definitely forgotten it. I presume I haven't met him before.
「Has Master Ōki arrived? I am aware of all your activities. I am the head of this family, Yashagami Kōken.」 (Kōken)
「I am Ōki Haruo. I came here after receiving the message from President Gekkō.」 (Ōki)
「As long as you come via referral from President Gekkō, there will be no problem. Please come this way.」 (Kōken)
We exchanged introductions and agreed on what had been discussed. Mr. Kōken, Tinay's grandfather, escorted me to Tinay's room. There, a beautiful, attractive girl wearing black clothes was sitting. She is Yashagami Tinay.
「I will never call you Master.」 (Tinay)
I received the usual impudent remark from her. Wait, isn't Mr. Kōken saying anything about this? Well, he isn't saying anything. Okay, I understand.
「Do not be mistaken. You are merely a paid tutor hired to teach me. I do not want an ordinary Shogi player who won 29 consecutive matches by sheer luck to pretend to be a Master.」 (Tinay)
Having said that, Tinay-chan began arranging the pieces. Wait? Am I not going to be rejected from the start?
(Your fame has increased significantly. I forgot that because your self-assessment is so low. They don't seem to have any intention of rejecting you now that you are a famous person.) (Ai)
(Oh dear, really? Well, I will offer her guidance, even if only formally.) (Ōki)
As I sat facing her, I truly wished this beautiful girl a bright future. Since we wouldn't be able to talk after the match, I would guide her during the play.
「Huh? What is that move? It's totally bad!」 (Tinay)
The guiding match started with a "two-piece handicap" [giving an advantage]. The play unfolded as follows: we attacked and gave pieces back to the opponent, while completely crushing Tinay's offense. There was a reason for this tactic; Tinay excels in defense [Static Rook Shogi] to the extent that the Ryūō praised her, and I wanted to gauge her talent for offense.
I repeatedly snatched Tinay's attacking pieces and returned them to her as if they were worthless. The second time, she seemed to notice and attacked me with an angry face, but she was still completely weak. No, she is incredibly strong for a child in the third grade of elementary school.
She is strong enough to join the Apprentice School [Shōreikai] right now. Although there is some roughness in her play as an elementary student, her defense will quickly grow to an acceptable level in the Apprentice School. If her talent increases at this rate, she might reach the level of becoming a professional player.
... If it's just about training her to become a rival to Ai-chan, I can do that. Ah, right. This girl has been studying alone until now. And I (supposedly) gained my strength through self-study.
Naturally, I seem to be the most suitable person for her. Ah, that's right. Let me check with her guardian just in case.
「Has this girl studied Shogi by herself until now?」 (Ōki)
「Yes. She studied by herself. No one at home can play Shogi...」 (Kōken)
I continued the conversation with Mr. Kōken while playing Shogi. Tinay was insistent on reading the attacking lines, and she would soon destroy herself.
「There is talent in her ability to play at this level through self-study, but... her method of self-study until now has been extremely inefficient.」 (Ōki)
For the first time, I managed to provoke Tinay's anger with these words. Her eyes fixed on me for the first time. Perhaps the reason was that she felt insulted by the word "inefficient".
「I gained my strength through self-study. And I might be the first person to reach the professional level entirely solo. I believe I can teach you many ways to strengthen yourself on your own.」 (Ōki)
「What!? Do you think you have already won!? The match is still...」 (Tinay)
「It's over. It ended a long time ago.」 (Ōki)
The match ended with an immediate checkmate on Tinay's King, which I had ignored the entire time. When she realized she was defeated [checkmated], she burst into tears and fled.
「Master Ōki, I ask you to take Tinay under your care.」 (Kōken)
I looked at Tinay as she ran away, wondering: Wasn't the sequence of events in the original story similar to this? I left the mansion carrying a question mark.
... Can't this be considered the start of the original story? No, the start of the story is still Kuzuryū meeting Ai-chan. In any case, I should have forcefully refused President Gekkō's request when he brought it up. I felt a sense of kinship because of the phrase "self-study."
(What will you do?) (Ai)
(Mmmm, I will decide to teach her the method I trained with. I only reached the title of "Shogi Star in Middle School" that way.) (Ōki)
(That method worked because you are the Master, didn't it? If I hadn't existed, you would have stopped halfway.) (Ai)
(Shut up. You parasite, shut up and think of other ways to strengthen Tinay.) (Ōki)
(... Did you fall in love with Tinay?) (Ai)
(Rest assured, it's 90% pity and 10% curiosity.)(Ōki)
(Don't you think you are very scummy?) (Ai)
(I am the one who knows best that I am scum. But I maintain some decency in public.) (Ōki)
After that, I started thinking about various training methods for Tinay. I have indeed become an ordinary Shogi player pretending to be a master.