A group of photographers looked as if question marks had popped up above their heads.
(" v ") ?
They followed her gaze and turned to the entrance.
Only then did they notice Yukima Azuma standing there.
Several of them suddenly understood.
Naruhodo ne...
So that expression earlier wasn't for the camera.
It was the look she had when seeing someone she cared about.
Looks like today's shoot ends here.
One of the photographers replayed the photo just taken.
Even though Sora Ginko wasn't looking at the camera, that moment's expression was genuinely moving.
Sora Ginko's usual emotionless face was already enough to drive a horde of fans crazy.
But that expression she wore, looking at someone she held dearnow that could truly stir hearts.
( )
As for the main character, Yukima Azuma...
He watched Sora Ginko take light steps running toward him.
And felt... absolutely no special fluttering of the heart.
After all, his senpai always ran over to him like this whenever they met.
Truly, blessed and unaware of it.
...
"You... why did you come here?"
Arriving in front of Yukima Azuma, Sora Ginko blinked joyfully and curiously asked.
"Well, it's spring break now, right? I came to the shogi club and didn't see senpai."
"Keika-nee said you were at a magazine shoot, so I just came straight here."
Yukima Azuma explained with a smile.
Hearing that, the corners of Sora Ginko's mouth rose slightly without her realizing it.
()
This year's spring break was an especially important time for Sora Ginko.
To be more precise, it marked the end of her term.
Because this year, Sora Ginko was graduating from middle school.
Once she finished the national integrated exam, she would officially enter high school.
And Sora Ginko and Yukima Azuma had made a promise.
They had to pass the entrance exam for Toyogasaki Private Academy in Tokyo.
By then, Sora Ginko would be able to move to Tokyo for school.
Not only could she enjoy school life together with Yukima Azuma
More importantly, if she were to study in Tokyo, living in Chiba would be inconvenient.
And if she had to live in Tokyo...
She'd have to rent a place anyway, so really, wouldn't it make the most sense to live at... Yukima's house?
(. .)
Already full of anticipation for the cohabitation life, Sora Ginko
Upon discovering Yukima Azuma had come to pick her up
Could barely contain her overflowing joy.
It's just that this senpai was a tsundere by nature.
If not for that tsundere tendency holding her back, she'd probably have already leapt into his arms by now.
"The results aren't out yet."
She tried her best to hold back her smile.
Sora Ginko softly said.
The integrated middle school exam was held later than the high school one.
It had already finished now, but the results hadn't been released yet.
"It's early this morning."
Yukima Azuma had already planned to check the results with Sora Ginko.
"Umu, then let's go, back to the shogi club."
Sora Ginko nodded.
Yukima Azuma glanced at the group of photographers and reporters still eavesdropping behind them.
"All done with the shoot?"
Obviously, it didn't matter what the cameramen thought about whether the shoot was over or not
As long as Sora Ginko thought it was done, then it was done.
Luckily, the magazine cover was already done.
A photo of Sora Ginko not looking into the lens ended up on the cover of the next issue of the shogi magazine.
And just to add, that issue turned out to be the best-selling one to date.
Despite being released during a period with no major shogi tournaments
It even outsold the issue released during the Ryuuou title match.
...
After leaving the editorial office,
Yukima Azuma curiously glanced at Sora Ginko's left hand.
On Sora Ginko's left wrist, the crown-shaped jade stone sparkled enchantingly under the sunlight,
Swaying gently with her every step.
Of course, Yukima Azuma wasn't looking at the crown-shaped jade bracelet he had given herThe one Sora Ginko always wore on her wrist, even refusing to take off while bathing.
Ginko: (,,><,,) b-baka!
What caught his eye was the paper bag in her left hand, completely plain and unbranded.
"What's that?"
Yukima Azuma asked with a hint of curiosity.
Sora Ginko wasn't the type to carry bagslet alone hold one herself.
Following Yukima Azuma's gaze,
Sora Ginko gave the paper bag in her hand a little shake.
She replied casually:
"Clothes the editorial office prepared."
Hearing that, Yukima Azuma raised an eyebrow slightly.
So they did prepare outfits after all.
But Sora Ginko didn't wear them.
Could it be those kinds of clothes?
(_)
If it was that kind of outfit, Yukima Azuma was already mentally prepared to give this editorial team a little taste of some capital shock.
"Can I have a look?" Yukima Azuma reached out his hand.
Hearing that, Sora Ginko nodded and handed him the paper bag.
Opening the paper bag
Inside were two outfits.
A bright red blouse and a matching long red skirt.
At a glance, the design clearly screamed Lunar New Year fashion.
Like something little girls wear when going around to greet relatives and collect lucky money.
But it was completely different from what Yukima Azuma had imagined.
These two outfits could be described as extremely conservative.
The blouse had long sleeves, with no slits or see-through designs at all.
As for the neckline, far from being low-cut, it actually had a high winter-style collar.
The long skirt was even more modestreaching past the calves.
Yukima Azuma quietly retracted the capital shock he was about to unleash.
He looked at Sora Ginko with slight doubt.
"You didn't have to wear this during the shoot?"
Sora Ginko shook her head.
"I didn't want to change."
If that little reporter had known what Yukima Azuma was thinking...
She'd probably scream out a grievance more tragic than Aqua's.
;
Every time the editorial team prepared clothes, they were always proper, respectable outfits.
But every time, Sora Ginko refused to wear them.
To the point where, eventually, the clothes just ended up being gifts from the editorial office to Sora Ginko.
The photographers had no choice but to keep changing backdrops and finding new angles for each issue.
They had no other optionsthis was a shogi magazine.
And there were only a handful of people who could even be on the cover.
Getting Sora Ginko to appear on camera at all was already a blessing.
And then there was one more personthe one the editorial team invited every single issue, but never managed to schedule even once.
That's right, they were talking about Yukima Azuma.
Every time a report of Yukima Azuma's match was published
Shogi magazine editorial teams across the country were pounding their chests and stomping their feet.
A bishonen like thiseven if we used a brick Nokia phone, the cover would still be heartbreakingly stunning!
Damn it! Just let us get one damn shot!
()
Chapter 285: Keika The Wingman
Chapter 285: Keika The Wingman
"The time that sifts through everything just to leave only you behind; my world keeps changing, but you never miss a beat~~~"
The sound of a phone ringing echoed.
Yukima Azuma took out his phone.
A soft, pleasant guitar melody played.
Sora Ginko blinked a few times, trying to recall the song.
She found it really nice.
But it seemed she had never heard it before.
Yukima Azuma glanced at the caller ID.
It was Kiyotaki Keika.
He answered the call.
"Keika-nee? Umu, I've picked up senpai already, we're on our way back."
"Huh? I see. Got it. Then we'll just eat out."
After that brief exchange
Yukima Azuma hung up.
"What did Keika-nee say?"
( -)?
Sora Ginko asked curiously.
"Keika-nee said something suddenly came up and she had to go out. Master's not home either."
"No one's at the club right now, so she told us to come back a bit later."
Yukima Azuma repeated what Keika had said, though his expression looked slightly doubtful.
(_ )
Upon hearing that, Sora Ginko's eyes lit up instantly.
Perfectnow she could have Azuma all to herself!
( )
And since it was almost lunchtime, they could eat out together.
It was practically a date!
Yukima Azuma, however, recalled what Kiyotaki Keika had been wearing when he left
A comfy home outfit.
She didn't look like she was planning to go out at all.
And Master? Wasn't he at the club playing some gacha Bishojo game?
They'd barely been gone for that long. Why were both of them suddenly "busy"?
Azuma: ( — ) Suspicious
Keika: (>) Ehe~
...
Since they weren't heading back to the club
The two decided to change plans on the spot.
They found a local Chinese restaurant in Chiba.
"Welcome~"
"What would you two like to order today?"
A middle-aged man in a black suit approached, holding a menu.
Sora Ginko, being shy around strangers, hesitantly hid behind Yukima Azuma.
"Anything you'd recommend?"
Yukima Azuma asked casually.
He had a fairly good impression of Chinese restaurants in Japan.
First of all, being both Asian cultures, the flavors and cooking styles were somewhat familiar.
Secondly, the two countries were geographically close, and cultural exchange was frequent.
So Chinese cuisine in Japan generally stayed quite authentic.
Even when dishes were tweaked for local palates, they didn't taste "off."
Unlike in Europe, where it was a whole different story.
At the very least, Yukima Azuma had been to Hawaii and Wall Street before, and not once had he dared step into a Chinese restaurant over there.
Hearing Yukima Azuma ask for a recommendation
The middle-aged man, who seemed to be the owner, immediately flashed a friendly smile.
"Do you two like mapo tofu? That's our specialty dish."
"Actually, I'm quite confident in my mapo tofu."
"To strike the perfect balance between aroma and flavor, I use five different spices."
"To really bring out the freshness of the tofu and the fragrance of the chili, we've put a lot of effort into our cooking techniques."
As the restaurant owner enthusiastically went on and on
Sora Ginko instinctively clicked her tongue.
"It won't be as good as Azuma's, anyway."
Though she didn't speak loudly
It seemed the owner still heard it.
The man who'd just been rambling passionately suddenly stopped, casting a glance at Yukima Azuma, his expression briefly stunned.
( _ )
Seeing the poor guy visibly shaken, Yukima Azuma gave a small cough to smooth things over:
"Uh sorry about that. We'll have one order of mapo tofu, one special sauced rib, and a combo fried rice set, please."
The owner nodded silently and walked off with the menu.
Sora Ginko pressed her lips together, a little embarrassed.
(,,,,)
She had just blurted it out without thinking
But honestly, she meant it.
After all, Yukima Azuma had level 8 cooking skills, and Chinese cuisine was his specialty.
Sure, saying it so bluntly might've been a little rude
Yukima Azuma gently patted Sora Ginko's head.
The small, flustered look of his little senpaiawkward and shy like thiswas undeniably adorable.
He took her hand and led her toward a two-person table in the restaurant.
They both sat on the same side.
Sora Ginko slid into the inner seat.
She casually removed her thick white fur coat.
Yukima Azuma reached over to help her pull one sleeve off.
Watching him hang up her coat
Sora Ginko's eyes curved slightly as she smiled softly.
Even so, a true tsundere would never admit she was happy.
(,,><,,) b-baka!
"Oh right, the Meijin Tournamentare you planning to join this year?"
Trying to ease the atmosphere, Sora Ginko brought up a topic herself.
After placing her coat carefully, Yukima Azuma shook his head in response.
The Meijin-sen was held every spring.
Among all the major titles, it carried the highest level of prestige.
"Meijin" was considered the ultimate destination for every professional shogi player.
If the Ryuuou title represented the birth of the strongest genius
Then Meijin represented the gathering of the absolute strongest players.
And yet, Yukima Azuma wasn't aiming for it.
Even his motivation for claiming the Ryuuou title hadn't stemmed from the title itself.
Maybe someday, if he had time to spare, he might casually pick up the Eternal Meijin title.
But this year, barring any special reason, he had no plans to enter any more tournaments...
At most, he'd just focus on defending the Ryuuou title.
Seeing Yukima Azuma shake his head
Sora Ginko seemed a bit surprised.
"Really? Then you're going to turn down the Meijin's challenge too?"
"Huh?"
Yukima Azuma looked confused.
Seeing his blank expression
Sora Ginko blinked once.
"Keika-nee didn't tell you?"
"Yesterday, the Meijin asked President Tsukimitsu to visit our shogi club."
"He said he wanted to arrange a match with you."
"And since the Meijin-sen is coming up, he also asked whether you planned to participate."
Yukima Azuma shook his head again.
He honestly had no idea about any of that.
In truth, Kiyotaki Keika had completely forgotten to tell him.
At first, after some casual chatting, she had planned to bring it up
But the moment Yukima Azuma mentioned Sora Ginko
That onee-san-senpai of theirs immediately switched into wingman mode, too busy playing matchmaker for her two kouhai.
Keika: ()*
And just like that, the challenge was yeeted straight out of her memory.
After a brief moment of surprise
Yukima Azuma realized it actually wasn't that strange.
The current Meijinwas the top figure in the world of shogi.
In fact, possibly the greatest shogi player in history.
After successfully securing the Eternal Meijin title
He'd fixed his sights on a singular pursuit.
To discover shogi's ultimate answer.
In the end, does the first move truly hold the advantage?
Or is it better to go second?
To answer that, Meijin had studied nearly every possible sequence of shogi moves.
He'd battled countless powerful, unconventional opponents.
And in the world of shogi todayexcluding a few "old relics" with level 9 skill who'd already retired
