After Yukima Azuma finished presenting the company's assets
The man sitting opposite, Hinatsuru Takashi, was left wide-eyed and slack-jawed.
Although he was only a live-in son-in-law, he had still married into a prestigious family.
Hinatsuru Ai's father, despite appearing timid in front of Hinatsuru Akina, was still considered a rare young talent in society.
He had graduated in economics and business administration from the University of Tokyo and continued his studies there for a master's degree. During his university years, he had also been a prominent figure.
Otherwise, how could he have caught the eye of Hinatsuru Akina?
However, despite being a young and talented man with a family, the gap between him and Yukima Azuma was like night and day.
Given the scale of Laplace Corporation
If Azuma and Hinatsuru Ai were to be together in the future, the Hinatsuru family would not have the standing to demand Yukima Azuma to marry into their household.
On the contrary, it would have to be Hinatsuru Ai marrying into the Yukima family.
And from the moment she appeared until now, maintaining her icy demeanor, Hinatsuru Akina finally showed a hint of surprise.
After a brief moment of astonishment
A sharp glint flashed in the eyes of this beautiful woman.
"Yukima-sensei, I can clearly feel your determination. To be honest, even I think Ai is being given too much favor."
"If that's the case, entrusting Ai to you is, of course, not a problem. However, there are some conditions that need to be discussed first."
Hinatsuru Akina's icy attitude gradually thawed.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
Hinatsuru Ai, hearing her mother's agreement, secretly lifted her head.
She saw that her mother was actually smiling.
At that moment, even the ahoge on top of her head stood straight up in shock.
From childhood until now, she had never seen her mother smile at an outsider.
Even toward herher own daughterit was only an occasional occurrence.
"Shishou, you're amazing!"
Hinatsuru Ai didn't understand much but could only whisper in admiration.
Yukima Azuma gently stroked the girl's hair.
Reality proved that all unfavorable situations in this world stemmed from the incompetence of the parties involved.
"Please go ahead." Yukima Azuma responded.
Hinatsuru Akina nodded slightly.
"Although it may seem strict, Ai is our only daughter, so there are some matters that must be clarified in advance."
"If Ai does not earn the title of Queen before she comes of age, she must give up shogi."
"At the same time, Yukima-sensei, you must marry Ai. One of your children must take the Hinatsuru surname."
Yukima Azuma nodded slightly.
The conditions were not unexpected.
As the future heir of the Hinatsuru family
Hinatsuru Ai bore the responsibility of continuing the family lineage.
If Yukima Azuma wanted to take her along the path of shogi, he also had to take on a corresponding responsibilityto ensure the continuation of the Hinatsuru family.
Living as a son-in-law was not realistic, so the only option was to raise a child to become the future successor of the Hinatsuru family.
If they got married, Hinatsuru Ai would take on the Yukima surname.
Taking away a Hinatsuru meant returning a Hinatsuruthis was entirely reasonable!
Meanwhile, sitting beside Yukima Azuma
Hinatsuru Ai's ahoge was now spinning like a propeller.
Even when Yukima Azuma tried to hold it down, it refused to stay still.
Her sapphire-blue eyes, despite not being in the middle of a shogi match, gleamed with a faint purple light out of excitement.
Her petite body was brimming with enthusiasm.
"Shishou, let's do our best together!"
As she spoke, Hinatsuru Ai's small body twisted restlessly.
The corners of her mouth curled up uncontrollably.
"You'd better be talking about working hard in shogi!"
Yukima Azuma was caught between laughter and tears.
"Hehe, of course!"
Hinatsuru Ai nodded enthusiastically.
At this moment, she looked as if she wanted to throw away all sense of shame and jump straight into Yukima Azuma's arms.
But when it came time to actually play shogi
This little girl would surely give it her all with absolute seriousness.
Through the time they had spent together
Yukima Azuma had gained some understanding of Hinatsuru Ai.
Despite her cheerful laughter
Deep down, she was undoubtedly feeling immense pressure.
And as it turned outYukima Azuma was right.
At this moment, deep within her heart, Hinatsuru Ai had already made up her mind.
She was determined to win the Queen title as promised.
Shishou had placed such trust in her and had even dared to stand up and vouch for her.
She absolutely could not let Shishou down.
. . .
After settling the matter regarding Hinatsuru Ai
The atmosphere around the tea table immediately became much more harmonious.
Everyone sipped tea and exchanged small talk.
Even though it was just casual conversation
Yukima Azuma spoke with remarkable wit, his knowledge far beyond that of an ordinary high school student.
Instead, he conversed effortlessly with the Hinatsuru couple.
The more Hinatsuru Akina observed Yukima Azuma, the more satisfied she felt.
Initially, when she arrived, she had carried some lingering anger.
She had thought her daughter had been lured away by some unknown blond-haired brat.
But now, the situation had completely turned around.
"Yukima-sensei, when do you think would be an appropriate time to hold the official disciple ceremony?"
Hinatsuru Akina asked.
She had already planned out the arrangements for the ceremony in her mind.
"Let's do it in September. After the Ryuou Tournament concludes, I'll win the Ryuou title, which will be more beneficial for Ai."
Yukima Azuma replied.
Hinatsuru Akina smiled and nodded.
She had also considered this but had refrained from bringing it up.
Being accepted as a disciple by an ordinary professional shogi player versus being accepted by the Ryuou
The reputation that would spread would be completely different.
And Yukima Azuma had confidently brought it up on his own.
That alone showed how much he truly cared for Hinatsuru Ai.
As Ai's mother, this naturally pleased her.
"Then we'll wait until Yukima-sensei returns victorious. At that time, we'll hold a grander banquet to celebrate both the ceremony and your Ryuou title."
Hinatsuru Akina's words finalized the decision.
By now, everyone's teacups had been emptied.
Hinatsuru Akina could tell that Yukima Azuma had no intention of lingering.
So she did not take the initiative to invite him to stay for dinner
Or to visit the Hinatsuru household.
However, as she stood up, Hinatsuru Akina's gaze instinctively drifted toward Hinatsuru Ai.
Seeing her daughter clinging to Yukima Azuma like superglue,
Hinatsuru Akina's eyes shifted slightly before she spoke:
"Now that I think about it, Ai is currently on summer break."
"She had been asking to stay at Yukima-sensei's place to study shogi, but we didn't agree."
"After all, back then, we hadn't met Yukima-sensei yet, so we were naturally worried about our daughter."
"But if it's Yukima-sensei, of course, we can be at ease. The only question isdo you have the time to teach her?"
Hearing this, Yukima Azuma was genuinely a bit surprised.
No matter how outstanding he was, surely it wasn't enough to make someone entrust their daughter to him this easily.
Most prestigious families still valued propriety and formality.
At the moment, Yukima Azuma hadn't even officially taken Hinatsuru Ai as his disciple.
They ought to be more concerned about their reputation.
Just as he was still pondering
He felt a light tug on the hem of his sleeve.
Turning his head, he met a pair of round, sparkling eyes.
Hinatsuru Ai.
This little girl was just one step away from outright writing "Please, Shishou" across her face.
At that moment, Yukima Azuma finally understood.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly
This Hinatsuru woman always wore a cold, unreadable expression.
But in reality, she doted on her daughter to an extreme degree.
To the point where she was almost on the same level as Sayuri.
"Umu, during summer break, she can stay at my place. I still have a spare room."
Yukima Azuma nodded in agreement.
"Then I'll be counting on Sensei to take care of her. I'll send Ai's personal belongings to your residence today."
Hinatsuru Akina said, then pulled out a black card from the sleeve of her kimono.
She placed the card on the table and slid it in front of Yukima Azuma.
"This is my daughter's disciple fee, as well as her daily living expenses. Please accept it, Yukima-sensei."
Yukima Azuma did not refuse and picked up the card without hesitation.
He accepted the money with dignity.
As for the exact amount inside the card
Yukima Azuma didn't care in the slightest.
Rather than the specific figure, he was far more curious about the card's original purpose.
There was no way Hinatsuru Akina had prepared a disciple fee in advance.
Letting Hinatsuru Ai stay at his place had clearly been a spontaneous decision.
Which meant this card
Could it be that legendary type of card!?
"There's five million in the card. Stay away from my daughter."
As Yukima Azuma took the card, Hinatsuru Akina smiled slightly, a subtle emotion flickering in her eyes.
As expected, Yukima Azuma had guessed correctly.
Originally, this card had been prepared to drive someone away with money.
Hinatsuru Akina knew her daughter's personality very well.
She was incredibly stubbornonce she set her heart on someone, it was nearly impossible to change her mind.
If Yukima Azuma had really been some delinquent Gyaru-oh, she would have used this money to make him leave, crushing Hinatsuru Ai's spirit in the process.
However
There wasn't just five million in the card.
There was a full one hundred million yen.
But now, Hinatsuru Akina felt like that amount might not be enough.
When the official disciple ceremony was held, she would add more.
(note: I'm not sure what to say... I just don't like this chapter)
Chapter 169: No Longer Alone
Stepping out of the tea room.
Sora Ginko had been waiting outside for a long time.
Regarding Hinatsuru Ai's family matters, she naturally couldn't eavesdrop.
Initially, Hinatsuru Akina had arranged another tea room for Sora Ginko.
But out of concern for Yukima Azuma, she truly couldn't sit still.
She had stepped out of the tea room, waiting in the hallway.
Seeing everyone walk out, chatting and laughing together
Sora Ginko let out a sigh of relief.
She quickly approached Yukima Azuma and softly asked:
"They didn't do anything to you, did they?"
Yukima Azuma held Sora Ginko's hand.
He gently stroked the back of her hand, soothing her emotions.
"Of course not, they're Ai's parents, we only discussed the apprenticeship."
Hearing that, Sora Ginko finally felt at ease.
After all, no matter how you looked at it, Hinatsuru Akina didn't seem like an ordinary woman.
Aside from her status in the shogi world, Sora Ginko was just an ordinary girl.
Her family background couldn't exactly be called prestigious.
Faced with a situation straight out of a manga, confronting power and influence, it was natural for her to be nervous.
But when Yukima Azuma held her hand and gently reassured her
Sora Ginko immediately felt at peace.
She knew that if Yukima Azuma said there was nothing to worry about, then there truly was nothing to worry about.
Hinatsuru Akina glanced at the tightly clasped hands of Yukima Azuma and Sora Ginko.
Then, she turned her gaze toward her daughter.
The matter of age, huh...
But it wasn't too concerning. They were still young, after all.
By the time Hinatsuru Ai grew up, Yukima Azuma would only be twenty-five.
What happens then is still uncertain.
"And this is?" Hinatsuru Akina asked politely, as if trying to learn more about Yukima Azuma's acquaintances.
"This is Sora Ginko, my Shogi Senpai. After Ai becomes my disciple, she'll be our fellow apprentice as well."
Yukima Azuma introduced her.
"Ginko-senpai, this is Lady Hinatsuru Akina, Ai's mother."
Hinatsuru Akina hadn't expected this.
She was momentarily stunned, but then she slightly bowed in greeting.
Sora Ginko maintained a serious expression and returned the gesture.
"So, a fellow apprentice of Yukima-sensei... That means we'll be like family from now on."
"I came too hastily this time and didn't prepare a meeting gift. After the apprenticeship ceremony, I'll be sure to make up for it."
"My daughter, I'll be counting on you two to take care of her."
Sora Ginko gently nodded.
Though she usually carried a cold and aloof aura, she was actually quite shy.
When facing strangers, she was easily flustered.
Seeing Sora Ginko looking a bit awkward, Yukima Azuma smiled slightly.
He pulled his adorable Senpai behind him
Casually cutting off the formal pleasantries.
"It's getting late. We'll take our leave now. Thank you both for your hospitality."
...
After bidding farewell to the Hinatsuru couple
The three of them boarded a train back to Yukima's home.
"Why is this little brat tagging along too?"
Now that they were among familiar people, Sora Ginko had returned to her usual self. She glanced at Hinatsuru Ai and asked in confusion.
"Oba-san, Ai will be living with shishou from now on!"
Hinatsuru Ai hid behind Yukima Azuma and boasted.
Hearing that, Sora Ginko's gaze instantly turned cold.
She stared at Hinatsuru Ai, as if trying to freeze the smug little girl in place.
The temperature around them seemed to drop by a few degrees.
Hinatsuru Ai shivered slightly, then immediately scooted closer to Yukima Azuma, clinging to his other arm.
Seeing this, Sora Ginko pouted.
The atmosphere gradually became filled with gunpowder.
"Ginko-senpai, next spring, you'll be entering high school, right?"
Yukima Azuma suddenly asked.
Sora Ginko was slightly puzzled but still nodded.
"At that time, apply for a school in Tokyo. Toyogasaki offers direct admission for shogi players."
"That way, next spring, we can experience school life together."
As he spoke, Yukima Azuma pulled out his phone and scrolled to the admission regulations page of Toyogasaki Private Academy.
