The Game of Shogi

With the end of term approaching, the air was thick with tension, like a storm was brewing.

After school that day, Hoshida No received an anonymous message containing only a time and place: "Tomorrow at four p.m., Third Music Classroom. I look forward to a real match. —A"

The sender was obviously Sakayanagi Arisu.

Hoshida deleted the message.

At three fifty-five the following afternoon, Hoshida arrived at the Third Music Classroom right on time.

The classroom was on a secluded floor of the old building and was rarely used. Its door was ajar.

When he pushed it open, he found the room softly lit.

A small round table had been set up in the center of the room. On it sat an elegant shogi board, the pieces neatly arranged on either side.

Sakayanagi Arisu sat in the chair by the window, her cane leaning against the table.

Today, instead of her uniform, she wore a well-tailored dark blue dress that fell to her knees.

Her hands were folded in her lap, and her face bore its familiar faint smile.

Standing just behind her was Kamuro Sumire, still in her uniform.

Her gaze had fixed on Hoshida the moment he entered. She made no effort to welcome him.

"Right on time, Hoshida-kun."

Sakayanagi Arisu spoke first, her voice especially clear in the empty classroom. "Please, have a seat."

Hoshida said nothing. He walked over and sat in the chair opposite her.

His gaze passed calmly over the board, the pieces, and Sakayanagi Arisu, then paused on Kamuro Sumire's face for less than half a second.

"Kamuro will make sure we aren't disturbed," Sakayanagi Arisu explained with a smile. "After all, a pure match requires a quiet setting. You don't mind, do you?"

"Let's begin," Hoshida said plainly.

"Hehe, straight to the point, as expected."

Sakayanagi Arisu gestured for Hoshida to make the first move. "Please."

Hoshida didn't hesitate. He picked up a pawn and made the first move. The game was underway.

The only sound in the classroom was the crisp click of pieces landing on the board.

The first dozen or so moves passed quickly as both players laid out their basic formations.

Kamuro Sumire stood motionless the entire time. Most of her attention was on the board, though she kept Hoshida's overall demeanor in the corner of her eye.

As the game entered the middle phase, the pace slowed noticeably.

"Hoshida-kun,"

Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly spoke during a pause to think. "What do you think is the biggest difference between shogi and the games at this school?"

She didn't look up, lightly rubbing the top of a bishop with her fingers.

"The rules are clearer, and there are fewer variables." Hoshida made a move as he answered.

"Indeed." Sakayanagi Arisu smiled. "The rules of shogi are fixed, the pieces are visible, and luck is almost irrelevant. It's pure intelligence and calculation. But here..."

She finally looked up at Hoshida. "The rules seem clear, but they're actually vague.

"The pieces have minds of their own and can act in unexpected ways. Luck—or, rather, chance—often plays an important role, too. Isn't that... more interesting, and more troublesome?"

"How troublesome it is depends on how well you can process information."

Hoshida calmly captured one of her Silver Generals. "Shogi also requires you to process information. The difference is where that information comes from."

"Nicely put."

Sakayanagi Arisu didn't seem to mind losing a piece. Instead, she watched with interest as Hoshida removed it from the board.

"Then, Hoshida-kun, you seem quite good at processing people as information, too. Ryuen Kakeru's recent irritability, the rumors within Class C being quelled so quickly... you've had a hand in both. And I've even heard..."

She paused, her tone turning playful. "Your relationships with those two lovely girls in Class B are... quite stable, too?"

Kamuro Sumire's lashes flickered ever so slightly. Her attention was fixed on Hoshida.

"Personal relationships have nothing to do with the game." Hoshida's answer left no room for question. He made another move, quietly building his attack.

"Is that so?" Sakayanagi Arisu tapped the edge of the board with a fingertip, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "But sometimes, personal relationships can become unexpected variables in a game.

"For example, what if Ryuen Kakeru didn't spread rumors, but took more direct action against a girl you're close to?

"Or what if certain feelings grew strong enough to become a burden that affected your judgment?"

She smiled, but there was little warmth in her eyes. "Can you calculate the effects of these emotional variables as precisely as you calculate your moves, then find the optimal solution?

"Just as you've noticed the opening on my left flank, yet chosen a safer, if slightly slower, advance because you're wary of a possible counterattack trap."

Hoshida fell silent for a few seconds, scanning the board.

Sakayanagi was right. He had seen an attacking line that would have given him an advantage sooner, but he'd also noticed the risk of a counterattack. He'd chosen the safer option.

"The optimal solution," he said slowly, moving a Knight rather than taking the aggressive route Sakayanagi had hinted at, "is a comprehensive judgment made after assessing every possibility and risk. Emotional variables are part of that risk. They can be assessed and factored into the calculation. But to calculate them, you need enough information and an understanding of how those variables behave."

He looked up at Sakayanagi Arisu. "I know more than you think."

Sakayanagi Arisu's smile faded slightly, and her gaze sharpened.

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she carefully examined the board.

Hoshida's Knight move had seemed cautious, but it had actually blocked one of her hidden counterattacking lines and quietly cleared the way for the aggressive route she'd mentioned.

He hadn't missed the opportunity. He'd simply chosen a subtler setup after calculating several moves further ahead.

"...Impressive," Sakayanagi Arisu murmured, this time praising his play.

"I almost overlooked the possibilities that move opened up. Hoshida-kun, your depth of calculation is even greater than I imagined."

She fell into a long silence as she thought.

Kamuro Sumire's gaze moved back and forth between Hoshida and Sakayanagi.

She might not have been a top player herself, but she could tell that this match had long since transcended the board. It had become a silent contest between the two of them.

This boy... was definitely no ordinary person.

After thinking it over, Sakayanagi Arisu made an unconventional defensive move, intending to disrupt Hoshida's rhythm.

The game entered an even more complex and difficult phase.

Both players' calculations and predictions reached remarkable depths, and every move concealed another layer of intent.

The classroom was so quiet they could hear each other breathing.

Another twenty minutes passed, and Hoshida gradually gained a slight advantage on the board.

His pieces were better coordinated, forming a potential encirclement around Sakayanagi's King General.

Sakayanagi Arisu stared at the board, unconsciously tapping her cane with her fingers.

After a long while, she suddenly sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"I lose." She admitted defeat readily. There was no frustration on her face; instead, she looked satisfied.

"I could struggle on for dozens more moves, but the outcome is already settled. Hoshida-kun, I completely acknowledge your skill. This is the second game you've won against me."

She looked up, her smile returning. "That was a thoroughly enjoyable game. Thank you for accepting my invitation."

"You're welcome." Hoshida began collecting the pieces, his movements steady.

"Then, as a little post-game treat from the loser..." Sakayanagi Arisu looked toward Kamuro Sumire. "Sumire, could you bring that over?"

Kamuro Sumire silently nodded. She went to the corner of the classroom, picked up an elegantly wrapped paper bag, then walked to the table and handed it to Hoshida.

"A small gift. Consider it thanks for your time, and praise for your skill," Sakayanagi Arisu said. "It's some fine tea. I hope you'll like it."

Hoshida didn't take it right away. He looked at Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Don't worry. It's only tea."

Sakayanagi Arisu smiled. "As for any strings attached... I hope we'll have another chance to play like this. Outside the battlefield, of course."

Hoshida accepted the paper bag. "If the opportunity comes."

He finished collecting the pieces from the board and stood.

"Hoshida-kun," Sakayanagi Arisu called out as he turned to leave. "The game is over, but the games go on.

"I'm looking forward to seeing how you use your exceptional abilities in the upcoming Special Exam. And..."

She paused, her gaze seeming to pass over Kamuro Sumire. "How you'll react when something unexpected happens."

"I'll handle it," Hoshida replied, as succinctly as ever.

He gave Sakayanagi Arisu a slight nod, then glanced at the silent Kamuro Sumire. She was watching him too, her expression difficult to read.

Hoshida opened the music room door and left.

Inside the music room, Sakayanagi Arisu remained seated, gently running her fingers over the smooth surface of the shogi board.

"Sakayanagi," Kamuro Sumire finally said in a low voice. "Is he really that good at shogi?"

"Yes."

Sakayanagi Arisu spoke softly. "Good enough to excite me, and good enough... to make my heart flutter."

She turned to Kamuro Sumire. "Sumire, what do you think he meant by that last look he gave me?"

Kamuro Sumire thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't know. But he definitely realized I wasn't just standing there."

"Exactly." Sakayanagi Arisu smiled. "I'd originally asked you to observe him, but I didn't expect..."

Leaning on her cane, she slowly rose to her feet. "All right, we should get going too."

Kamuro Sumire followed without a word. Before leaving, she too found herself glancing at the empty board and the chair across from it.

Hoshida walked back toward the dorms, weighing the tea in his hand.

"A gift is a gesture of goodwill, and a way of marking me."