If I Become a Meijin, Will you Marry me, Master? - Chapter 13

“Sniff… hic…”

“Alright, enough crying, Momoka. Here, use this tissue.”

“I’m sor– BWAAAHH!”

Lately, I’ve found myself handing out tissues to people sobbing their eyes out way too often.

“Haha! Sorry, Mako. Totally forgot today was the day we agreed on.”

With a booming laugh, my senior apprentice Keiko brings coffee over to the dining table where we’re sitting.

“Momoka-chan, would you like some coffee too?”

“Yes… thank you very much.”

Finally starting to calm down, Momoka accepts the coffee Keiko offers with a warm smile.

“But seriously, this room is a mess… Are you even managing to live like this, senpai?”

The dining table is miraculously clean, but the rest of the room is in chaos. Books and magazines are piled directly on the floor in geological layers, and laundry, still unfolded after drying, lies in mountainous heaps. I sigh at the scene.

“You’re still such a nag, Mako, like a mother-in-law, even though you’re my junior disciple.”

“Our late master, Nakatsugawa-sensei, did ask me to look out for you.”

“Come on, it’s just us now. You can call me Kei-chan like you used to. I wonder how Nakatsugawa-sensei is doing these days…”

“He’s dead. So, not doing much of anything. Don’t forget, this year marks the seventh anniversary of his passing.”

“Yeah, yeah. Still, you can drop the formalities and call me Kei-chan.”

Not in front of Momoka though… that’d be too embarrassing.

She’s three years older than me, but ever since we were kids, Keiko’s been curious and carefree, so I often found myself looking after her despite being the younger disciple.

We were both disciples of the late Akinobu Nakatsugawa, a 9-dan master. She was my senior in the dojo, but we grew up together like siblings.

“Wait, you’re Ayase Keiko, the former women’s pro?! I’m so sorry I didn’t recognize you earlier. Um…”

Momoka stammers, clearly unsure how to phrase what’s on her mind.

“Haha! It’s okay. You probably didn’t recognize me because I look so different from when I was a pro, right?”

Laughing lightly, Keiko jokes about the unspoken thought Momoka couldn’t express.

She’d at least washed her face, but she was still in a T-shirt and sweatpants, straight out of bed.

Well, it’s just family here—no need to put on a front.

“Actually, it’s not the outfit so much as… your, um, body shape. Your chest is clearly… way different from the old videos.”

“Pffft!”

I nearly spit out my coffee.

What the hell is my disciple saying to someone she’s just met?!

“Oh, when you wear a kimono, you have to flatten your chest with towels or padding so it doesn’t come undone at the collar. Otherwise, it opens up and gets messy.”

And now Keiko’s just casually explaining it?! In front of me? I’m still here, you know?!

“I see…”

Momoka listens intently, instinctively covering her own chest with her hands.

Honestly, these kinds of tips are beyond me. It’s useful advice for her, sure… but I wish they’d save it for when I’m not around.

“Oh, and Momoka-chan, you can call me Kei-chan too.”

“But you’re my master’s senior disciple, so you’re basically like my aunt disciple…”

“Don’t call me that! I’m still in my twenties—I’m not ready to be called ‘aunt’ yet!”

Keiko laughs sheepishly.

Honestly, I get it. I was pissed the other day when Momoka’s homeroom teacher called me an old man.

“Well, then… you’re like an older sister, so I’ll call you Kei-chan.”

“Great! Looking forward to working together!”

Keiko squeals with excitement. Though, seriously, isn’t calling someone “-chan” at her age a bit much? I keep that thought to myself.

“No, really… if you’re my master’s senior, that means you’ll eventually be my sister-in-law disciple…”

…Okay, what the heck is Momoka saying?

That doesn’t make sense, even in Japanese.

“So anyway, Keiko-senpai, about that favor I mentioned—can you take the job?”

Trying to cut off the awkward girl talk, I steer the conversation back to the main topic.

“Sure. I’m just a freelance writer now, so I’ve got time.”

Keiko agrees without hesitation.

“Time, huh… But seriously, why did you quit being a pro, senpai?”

“Like I’ve told you, it wasn’t because I hated shogi or anything. I just suddenly wanted to travel the world.”

“Yeah, well, you submitted your resignation to the Federation right after the master’s funeral. That was a nightmare for me, you know.”

With our master gone, I was the only one left in our dojo group. All the questions and concerns from others fell on me.

Momoka became my disciple right after that, so today’s the first time she’s meeting Keiko.

“It was during a season when I didn’t hold any titles. I figured it wouldn’t cause much trouble. I never intended to quit while I was still winning—it would’ve tarnished sensei’s name. But then he passed away suddenly, and, well… the timing just lined up.”

Once she decides something, she charges ahead full throttle.

That’s Keiko for you—free-spirited and always dragging me along.

Come to think of it, Momoka might be cut from the same cloth…

Putting those two together feels kind of risky…

“Well then, senpai. I’ll be counting on you as Momoka and my manager.”

“Got it!”

“Huh?! Manager?! Kei-chan’s going to be our manager?”

Momoka gasps in surprise, turning to me.

“That’s right. Once spring break’s over and the new school year begins, your professional activities will get serious. I won’t be able to handle everything by myself.”

“Ugh…”

She protested emotionally when I briefly mentioned it during our bullet train ride after the final day of the promotion league, but this time she stays quiet.

She must’ve realized that having me accompany her everywhere isn’t practical in the long run.

“Don’t be fooled by her current appearance—Keiko-senpai is sharp when it comes to work. She’s a former women’s pro with a title to her name. There’s no one better to manage you. Even if she lives in a place that looks like a disaster zone.”

“Should I be flattered or offended, Mako?”

I ignore Keiko’s retort and continue pressing Momoka, trying to corner her into agreement.

“But… still…”

Momoka glances down, fidgeting, clearly hesitant.

“What is it, Momoka?”

I’m confident I’ve already won this argument. All that’s left is the final nod of acceptance.

“It’s just… I want to be with you, Sensei…”

Her voice trembles, and with teary eyes, she looks straight at me.

I say nothing.

She knows, logically, that she shouldn’t burden me. But emotionally—on a deep, almost instinctual level—she can’t help it.

That’s why she’s crying silently, not knowing what else to do.

I glance at Keiko, who raises her hands in a “not my problem” gesture.

In the end, people aren’t moved by logic alone. Understanding something and accepting it are two different things.

And for Momoka, only I can say the words that truly matter.

“Alright, alright… If our schedules line up, I’ll go with you now and then.”

“Sensei, I love you soooo much!”

In a flash, Momoka dives into my chest, all smiles as if she hadn’t been crying moments earlier.

Did she really just have tears running down her face?

I have no way to confirm, as she nuzzles her head into my chest, hiding her expression.

I guess I really am a soft-hearted master when it comes to my disciples.

Then again, our master, Nakatsugawa-sensei, was the same way with Keiko…

So really, this is all his fault.

Yup. I’m not to blame.

With that mental excuse, I brace myself against Keiko’s warm, knowing gaze.