In the quiet tea room, two people sat facing each other across a shogi board.
Hiratsuka Nohara patiently guided Akira, teaching him the rules bit by bit. Akira listened attentively, his sharp mind quickly absorbing everything.
Within half an hour, he had already memorized the basic rules of shogi.
Then, the game began.
Because Hiratsuka Nohara held a professional shogi rank, his strength was naturally overwhelming. And his dominance was showed clearly in every exchange.
He was a master of standard shogi techniques, applying them with effortless precision. Each time he used a tactic, he would also explain it to Akira afterward, breaking it down carefully for him to pick up.
Akira listened closely, his mind working like a machine.
He not only remembered every tactic but was able to reproduce them and even counter them when used again.
The first game ended quickly.
The results?
Hiratsuka Nohara won with ease.
The second game also went to him, this time through he won after using refined tactical play that he normally used.
The third game, however, was different — Akira narrowly lost, forcing Hiratsuka Nohara to take him seriously.
By the fourth game, Hiratsuka Nohara looked at the board with a serious expression.
Akira's progress was beyond anything he had expected.
If Akira hadn't been using the very tactics he had just taught, Hiratsuka Nohara might have believed the boy was a professional player in disguise.
Uncle Tamura, the Butlet had entered the room quietly, placing a tray of freshly brewed tea beside them.
Hiratsuka Nohara lifted his cup without glancing at it, his eyes remained fixed on the shogi board. He was searching for a way to break Akira's formation.
Just then—
Click.
The door slid open.
Akira turned his head and saw Hiratsuka-sensei standing at the entrance, dressed in a pure white kimono.
It was the first time he had ever seen her dressed like that.
His eyes widened slightly, a flicker of surprise in them.
"Beautiful…" he murmured, without realising.
Shizuka Hiratsuka's face turned faintly red, as She glared at him in embarrassment.
Akira feeling her gaze, smiled at her, before turning is head back to the board, and made a move he had long been planning.
The moment Akira made his move, Hiratsuka Nohara's expression shifted immediately.
This… this move…
Shizuka, who was now sitting quietly behind Akira, glanced over the board.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Reason—
Akira was about to win.
She knew that although her father's Shogi skill weren't particularly high, but for Akira—someone who supposedly had no experience—to beat him like this seemed almost impossible.
"Is it that memory again?" Shizuka muttered softly.
She knew that her father had always been passionate about swordsmanship and shogi. So, It was natural that he would want to teach Akira these things.
Watching them now, she couldn't help but see a reflection of her younger self in the boy's focused expression, as she secretly glance at him.
A few minutes later, Hiratsuka Nohara sighed quietly.
"I lost."
Akira smiled politely. "Thank you for your guidance. I've really come to enjoy shogi."
"Fujimiya, you… you learn frighteningly fast," Hiratsuka Nohara said, still stunned at his terrifying improvement.
"My memory has always been good," Akira replied confidently.
"I see…" Hiratsuka Nohara murmured.
"If you keep using new tactics, I'll probably keep losing," Akira added with a smile as he sipped his tea.
"Haha"
Hiratsuka Nohara chuckled softly, saying nothing more. He glanced toward his daughter and rose to his feet.
"You two can continue talking. I have some matters to attend to."
He stopped at the doorway and looked back at Akira.
"If you're bored, have Shizuka take you for a walk around the estate. And stay for lunch."
"Thank you," Akira replied politely.
Hiratsuka Nohara nodded and left the tea room.
...
Click!
As soon as the door closed, Akira turned his head towards Shizuka with a teasing smile.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, you look stunning today."
"Thank you for the compliment. I suppose I agree," she replied dryly, rolling her eyes.
"Your father seems to think highly of me," Akira said with a sly grin. "Should I tell him what I think of you?"
"...If you dare say anything weird, you're dead," she snapped, her cheeks burning, she raised her clench hand.
"For Hiratsuka-sensei, I'll die without regrets," Akira said solemnly.
She turned her head sharply. "Hmph, I don't believe a word of it."
Akira noticed the faint blush on her face and stepped closer.
Shizuka turned her head—and found his face inches away from hers.
"..! "
Her breath caught, and her cheeks flushed even redder.
Akira chuckled softly. "Can you please, show me around."
.....
In the corridor.
"This place used to be a kendo dojo," Shizuka explained as they walked. "It had many disciples before, but it is closed down and was abandoned."
"The rooms on this side were converted into storage, and those over there are guest rooms. The pond doesn't have koi anymore, but there are edible fish. I even caught one and grilled it once."
{Koi are ornamental, colored varieties of common carp, prized in Japanese culture for their beauty and symbolism of luck and good fortune. These fish, also known as nishikigoi, are kept in outdoor ponds and water gardens around the world and are known for their vibrant colors and patterns.}
Akira glanced at the pond, watching the gentle ripples at the surface.
"Hiratsuka-sensei's house is so big. If I stay overnight, can I share a room with you? It will be very lonely to sleep along."
"I can knock you out if that helps," she replied sweetly, smiling menacingly.
"...Is that how Hiratsuka-sensei treats her guests?"
"No,This is just for you," she replied, smirking. As she walked forward, her mood improving.
Akira's tone softened.
"So… what really happened?"
Shizuka paused, turning around, looking at him quietly. "...It's a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
"No matter how long it is, I want to know," Akira said earnestly.
"Alright," she said at last, exhaling softly. "Actually, it started like this…"
She told him everything.
Akira listened in silence, piecing together what her father had done — the proposal, the conditions, and the hidden intention behind it.
It was clear now: Hiratsuka Nohara her father— had used the situation to help both his daughter and the girl in need. By allowing Shizuka to form a family, he could also ensure the other girl was cared for. It was, in a sense, a practical solution — though a complicated one.
Akira sighed softly.
It's a chance for her… but it's not an easy one.
When she finished, he asked quietly, "Are you really not planning to get married?"
Shizuka didn't answer directly.
Instead, she crouched beside the pond, watching the fish swim lazily beneath the surface.
"...It seems," she said softly, "that my life commission ends here."
Akira looked at her with a faint smile. "I feel like I didn't help you at all."
"You've helped me a lot," she said, glancing back at him. "And I might have to trouble you again in the future."
"...." Akira calmly looked at her, "Are you not going back?" He asked after a pause, his voice calm.
"I have to take care of that girl for now. I probably won't return for a while," she said quietly, her eyes reflecting the pond's surface.
".... "
".... "
They both fell silent.
Akira gazed at the distant garden while Shizuka looked down at the ground.
The stillness between them lasted until a fish suddenly leaped from the water, breaking the calm environment between them.
Akira sighed as he turned to her. "I'll keep that room for you."
"I probably won't move out before you graduate. I'll still come back," she said softly.
"And after we graduate?"
"Then… you can come visit me at my new home sometimes."
"Can I stay overnight?" he teased.
"Do you want to get spanked?" she shot back instantly.
"Hiratsuka-sensei can't beat me."
"You— you really know how to get on my nerves."
There bickering continued, as they both enjoy the moment.
.....
Lunch time.
They all eat their meal in silence.
The sound of chopsticks against plates was the only thing breaking the silence.
Hiratsuka Nohara occasionally glanced between his daughter and Akira, sensing something he couldn't quite place.
When lunch ended, Akira stood up.
"Thank you for the meal." Akira bowed his head as he thanked him for the meal.
Hiratsuka Nohara nodded and called Uncle Tamura to see him off.
After Akira left, the room felt oddly quiet again.
"...What's going on between you two?" Hiratsuka Nohara asked, watching his daughter.
"Nothing," she said, looking down, her expression unknown.
"I can see there's something…"
"I'm full," she interrupted quickly, standing up before he could finish.
Her father sighed deeply. "Sigh, Forget it. Just… live well from now on."
"I'm sorry," she whispered, walking toward the door.
As she stepped out into the hallway, the sound of her footsteps faded softly behind her—leaving the tea room quiet once more.
...
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Bonus Chapter:-
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6 Bonus Chapter at 150 powerstone
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Word Count — 1,541