The ten-year trace of the soul of chess

Although the end of the year is approaching, various competitions and jobs are still coming one after another.

Liang and Guang each successfully passed a new round of celebrity battles, first pre-selection and one round of battles, and then rushed to the next work place without stopping.

Liang's job this time is to be invited to participate in a three-day Go promotion event organized by a local sponsor. He is mainly responsible for explaining and performing chess games to amateur Go fans, and conducting exchanges with Go fans in guiding chess after the event.

After the first day of guidance, the reporter of "Go Weekly" Kosegawa found Ryo and conducted a brief interview with him.

"Speaking of which, Shindo-kun should be in Kobe today, right?"

"Ok, I know."

Furosegawa was quite surprised by Ryo's answer.But I have always heard that Taya regards Shinto as an opponent, so it is reasonable to know the opponent's movements.

At the end, Furosegawa's voice suddenly lowered a bit: "By the way, there are two more pieces of news, have you heard about it, Mr. Toya?"

the other side.

After finishing the day's work, Guangming was planning to relax tomorrow and take some sightseeing in Kansai, when the Chess Institute called and asked Guangming to temporarily take over a chess player's work in Kobe the day after tomorrow.The specific work content will be sent to a commissioner to explain to him later.

It is impossible to say that there is no dissatisfaction in my heart.

Since the staff did not specify in advance which chess player he would be partnering with, when Hikari arrived at the hot spring hotel where he was staying overnight and saw the figure standing at the door, he couldn't help being surprised.

"Taya?!"

"good evening."

Due to the presence of another staff member beside Taya, the two did not communicate much.After checking in and listening to the staff briefly introduce the work content, Guang was taken to the tea room and participated in the chatting among the chess players.

Guang watched around silently, all the chess players, except Ta Ya, were all dressed casually.Probably because of staying in a hot spring hotel, several of them have already changed into the yukata specially provided by the hotel.

After entering the room, Hikari naturally sat down beside Taya.

After listening to the chat for a few minutes, Guang secretly figured out that he had to find an opportunity to escape.

"Young people are awesome, Taya-kun, are you only 15 years old this year?"

"Yes. After December, you will be 16 years old."

(Huh? Only 16 after December? This guy is younger than me?!)

"It's amazing to have achieved what I have achieved now at the age of 15!"

"You're taking it too seriously. I just did what I was supposed to do."

"Is it already so good just by doing what you should do? That's even more amazing, it's simply a genius..."

(Hey, Ojisan, have you said enough, it's really annoying!)

Light couldn't sit still.From the corner of his eye, he kept glancing at Taya who was sitting next to him.This guy should really dislike this kind of entertainment...

Noticing that Taya kept looking down at the drink cup in front of him after finishing speaking, Hikaru said something silently in his heart, sure enough...

After that, I chatted with other chess players for a while, and took Taya away from the scene early on the pretext of asking Taya about tomorrow's schedule.

Finally leaving the boring place, Hikaru couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief, and turned to ask Taya: "How is it, do you feel better now?"

"Eh?"

Hikaru stared at Taya speechlessly: "I really convinced you! If I remember correctly, you should not be used to or like to deal with the situation just now, right?"

Facing Shang Guang's confident smiling face, Liang nodded silently: "Mmm..."

On the way to the room, the CD-ROM counted: "It's rare to stay in a hot spring hotel, let's go to the hot spring together in a while! I checked on the way here, and the baths in this hotel are very famous!"

Isn't this just out of Longtan and into the tiger's den?

Liang couldn't help feeling a little tired.Seeing that Jin Teng beside him was so excited, he reluctantly agreed.But as soon as he entered the male soup locker room, Liang couldn't help feeling a little regretful.

"Taya, I'll rub your back for you later!"

"No, no need." Taya put the bathrobe she took off into the box and locked it with a key.

Seeing that his kindness was rejected, Guang could not make any more demands, so he had to bow his head and walk to the shower area.

After taking a bath, the two of them walked into the sulfur-containing bath one after the other.

Soaking in the hot spring water, Guang was in a good mood, and kept humming a little song.

Finding that Taya has been silent since just now, Shinto leaned closer to him: "What are you thinking?"

Liang glanced at it, and moved a little to the side: "I heard that next year's team competition is no longer only for chess players under the age of 18, but for all chess players of all ages in China, Japan and South Korea, amateur chess players You can also participate. The specific competition rules have not been announced, but it should be soon..."

"...Please, you don't think about Go all the time, do you?"

"Not really." Liang looked sideways at Shindo beside him, only to see that he was also looking at himself.The pupils that stare at him seem to be filled with dots of stars...

Liang looked away unnaturally, scooped up a handful of water, and poured it on himself.

There seems to be a different atmosphere in the hot spring pool.Once everyone enters, they will deliberately lower their voices.

After that, the two didn't speak again.

When Hikari looked up again, he found that Taya had fallen asleep at some point.

Serious people will work harder...

It was the first time to observe this "noble chess master" so closely and openly.Exquisite facial features, dark green hair, and elegant temperament, I feel more like Mrs. Akiko.But the sense of oppression when playing chess is very similar to Teacher Taya.I don't know how this guy spent his childhood?Been playing chess?Do you have other playmates?

Looking at Taya quietly, Hikari suddenly remembered the right hand tightly held by Taya on the day when the two almost separated.At this moment, as if it was a psychological effect, the wrist was feeling a little hot.

How long has it been since you relaxed like this?

The sound of running water and whispers continued to come from my ears.It's not that I'm so tired that I can't open my eyes, but I enjoy the current state.

Some people, some things, slowly passed through Liang's mind, and he put them in the memory box properly.

For example, I accidentally saw the figure of my father sitting in the chess room that night.

Why do people feel lonely?It seems that I only realized the existence of "loneliness" after I met Shindo.What about the father?That night, he placed the chessboard opposite the chess pier, and who was he waiting for to make the next move?Is it Sai?I don't know what kind of expression will appear on my father's face after knowing that Sai has disappeared...

After a long time, Liang opened his eyes: "What time is it?"

"I don't know. But everyone else has left, and we are the only ones left in the wind pool." After saying this, Guang blushed for no reason.Fortunately, Taya didn't see the clue.

Back in their respective rooms, thinking of important matters and not asking Taya, Hikaru reluctantly knocked on Taya's door.

Entering the room, he found a chess book upside down on the bed, and Guang couldn't help complaining, "You don't have to work so hard, do you?"

"Just take a look. I'm used to it." Taya closed the door and sat back on the bed.

Originally, he just wanted to ask about Ta Yaming's work in the next two days, but the conversation turned into a casual meeting between the two of them.

"Hey, Taya, do you remember how old you were when you learned Go?"

"I heard what my mother said, when I was about 2 years old." Liang replied lightly, as if the words his father once said came to his ears.

—You already have two very valuable talents.One is to work harder than anyone else.The second is to love Go more than anyone else.

"I've been playing Go since I was 2 years old..." Guang stared at the ceiling and sighed, "Don't you feel bored?"

"I was too young to remember clearly..."

"What about other activities? Have you been to amusement parks, temple fairs, etc?"

"I've been there. But there were too many people, so I didn't go there much later..."

On the other hand, when I was a child, I was at the end of the crane, didn't go home at night, and went to wherever the excitement was.

"It seems like two completely different lives."

But even so, they still met.If calculated based on the population of 1200 million in Tokyo, the probability of their encounter is simply one in ten million...

Light smiled, turned sideways to face Taya.

"However, being a student is happier. After graduating, I realized that it is not easy to become a social person. Unlike before, there is no problem at all if you occasionally miss a class or skip a class."

"Do you regret choosing the path of a professional chess player?"

"No, it's just an occasional exclamation. By the way, I have calculated it before. According to the points I got in this year's Dashouhe competition, it should not be a problem to be promoted next year, hehe." After Guang finished speaking, he laughed .

Seeing Shinto look full of anticipation, Ryo decided not to tell him "that news" for the time being.Let's wait until it's confirmed...

Although he played as a "substitute player", the promotion activities for the next two days finally came to a successful conclusion without any risk.

Even so, on the Shinkansen back to Tokyo together, Hikari was still brooding over the episode of the night before: "Taya, no matter how soundly I slept that night, you should have woken me up!" "I didn't say What nonsense?!"

Thinking of whether I woke up in Taya's room yesterday morning or was woken up by him, I felt awkward.It's not that I don't want to sleep in the same room with Taya, but, it's...

That kind of feeling, I can't explain it clearly for a while, I can only feel sullen all by myself.

Liang at the side glanced at it, didn't speak, only slightly hooked the corners of his lips, and then turned to look out the window.

This is the most annoying part of Taya.It seems that no matter what happens, he can remain unmoved and deal with it indifferently.

In the carriage, it was a little too quiet.

After a pause, seeing Taya with earphones plugged into his ears, Guang couldn't help being curious: "What are you listening to?"

"Dvořák, From the New World." Liang said, handing one of the earphones to Light.

Just put the earphones into the ears, and then the violin ensemble poured into the ears like a tide, giving people a magnificent feeling as if they were in the mountains and plains, but as the violin gradually faded out, the flute joined in the middle, and the whole movement Gradually tend to be brisk and lively...

"Hey~ Do you still like classical music?"

"Well, I listen to it occasionally." Liang's eyes fell on the white headphone cable, "In fact, if you think about it, Go and music also have a lot in common. Music is a way to express people's thoughts and emotions. Listeners can learn from In the ups and downs of the melody, we can hear what the composer wants to express. And when we play chess, we can also use the opponent's chess to understand the opponent's mood and the message he wants to express when playing chess."

Hikaru vaguely understood what Taya meant, and nodded to express his understanding.

At this time, it may be due to the change of the movement. After the whole piece gives people a sense of enlightenment, it tends to be soothing and soft again.There seemed to be an entire forest in front of him, a peaceful scene.

The quiet atmosphere, the high and low music sounds, made Guang can't help but relax the whole person, and the sleepiness seemed to take advantage of it...

Feeling his shoulders suddenly sink, Ryo tilted his head slightly, and saw Shinto had already fallen asleep leaning on his shoulder.The golden bangs fell softly on his forehead, looking undefended.The weight of the whole person seemed to be attached to himself.

Before I knew it, I was already a head higher than the light.Usually when looking at each other, you always have to look down, but at this moment, it is just right.

Liang moved his body cautiously so that the pillow could be more comfortable.Suddenly there was an urge to pull out his left hand and hold the aperture in his arms, but he managed to control it.

The weight from his shoulders did make his movements difficult, but Ryo didn't think there was anything wrong.On the contrary, after gradually getting used to the breath of light and living with light, the discomfort brought by being alone suddenly surprised Liang himself a little.

The hand that had already touched that layer of tulle did not intend to move forward even an inch.

For a certain moment, Liang felt that this was very good.Maintaining this state is enough for him.

Hikari's cell phone rang when he was about to arrive at Tokyo Station.

Liang hesitated for a moment, but pushed to wake him up.

He picked up the phone in a daze, and Guang's voice was obviously a little sleepy.After hearing the other party's voice clearly, he immediately sat up straight and his voice became slightly respectful.

Guang said a few words on the phone, then covered the phone and asked Taya in a low voice: "My mother heard that you kindly took me in last time, and insisted on asking you to come to our house for dinner tonight. Are you coming?"

Liang was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Then I'd rather be respectful than obey my orders."

This is the second time that Mitsuko has seen someone of the same kind as Hikari after the visit of a young man named Yijiao last time.

After the door opened, Mitsuko couldn't help being a little surprised.He is a boy of about the same age as Guang.His words and deeds are more stable and elegant.

"Auntie, hello! My name is Taya Ryo, I'm sorry to bother you today." Ryo bowed slightly, and then handed the gift prepared in advance to Mitsuko.

"It's fine if people come, why are you so polite." After receiving the gift box from Liang, Mitsuko hurried out of the passage and let the two of them in.

When entering the house, Hikaru did not forget to tease Taya: "I told you earlier, I don't need to buy anything." Thinking of Taya insisting on buying a souvenir after getting off the car, Hikaru couldn't help laughing.

For a long time, Mitsuko didn't know much about the world in which Hikari lived.Only vaguely felt a little cruel.That's why on the day of the Beidou Cup, she left early.It is true that part of the reason is that he cannot bear the criticism of his son from others, but another part of the reason is that he cannot bear to see Guang lose chess.

However, seeing such a friend beside Hikari reassured Mitsuko a lot.In my impression, I seem to have seen his photo in "Go Weekly", about... a three-stage chess player?

The dinner was as expected because of Taya's arrival.

During the dinner, Mitsuko asked Liang about all kinds of Go from time to time.The young man's polite answer and friendly demeanor left a very good impression on Mitsuko, so that when she heard that the other party was born nearly three months later than Hikari, she unabashedly expressed her surprise. Even the idea of ​​"if only Taya-kun was my son" appeared in my mind.

Listening to the conversation between his parents and Taya, I just remembered that, in December, this guy's birthday will be coming soon...

The streets of Tokyo are like teenagers who are restless.Just after Halloween, Christmas decorations are decorated on both sides of the street and in the windows of major department stores.

On this day, when Liang arrived at the Go club, he felt a little strange.

It was clearly normal business hours, but the Go Club was completely dark.Is there a power outage?But the elevator leading to the clubhouse didn't stop working because of this...

Liang walked a few steps closer, and the moment he opened the door, the lights in the clubhouse were lit up, and congratulatory sounds of "Happy Birthday" immediately spread in the air one after another.

The way to celebrate birthdays in my own home is not very grand.

In previous years, when it was my birthday, I usually just cut the cake with my parents, and after saying blessings, it was over.Besides, there are still several chess games to be prepared before this year's birthday, so I haven't considered how to celebrate.

But at this time, Liang was suddenly at a loss when he saw everything that everyone had prepared to celebrate his birthday.

"Why are you standing still, come and take a look at the cake we prepared!"

Almost mechanically, Miss Shihe pushed it to the cake table, and saw that the whole cake was specially made into the shape of a chessboard.Cream and cocoa powder are used on the surface to distinguish the horizontal and vertical paths of the chessboard.Where the "star" position is indicated, several small macaroons symbolizing black and white chess pieces are specially adorned.

On the birthday card made of chocolate standing on the upper left corner of the cake, it is clearly written:

アキラへ:

おBirthday おめでとう! ! !

(Happy birthday to Liang!)

While he was in a trance, a sunny smile suddenly came into view.

"Taya, happy birthday!"

Instinctively replied: "Thank you."

Immediately attracted the usual complaints: "Ah?! Just this reaction? Don't you think it's a bit too gloomy?"

It was the first time being evaluated like this, Ryo didn't know what expression to show.

"Yeah, it's rare that Shinto suggested this time!" Miss Shihe added in a timely manner.

is that so?My heart seems to be filled quickly by something.

"Since it's your birthday, you should be happy! A boy should have the vigor of a boy! Like this!" Ignoring Liang's somewhat complicated expression, Guang reached out and pinched his face involuntarily.

Facing the sudden "salty pig hand", Liang was a little confused for a while.Taking the opportunity, Guang directly put a lump of cream on the tip of his nose.

At this moment, Miss Shihe yelled: "Look here!"

The two turned their heads in unison, and the picture was frozen on the Polaroid photo.

When everyone gathered around Taya and sang the birthday song, Hikari's mind was full of pictures of Taya smiling.This was the first time he saw him smiling so happily, it was like a hibiscus blooming, and the entire clubhouse was gorgeous.

As long as I think of Taya's smile, my heart beats fast as if out of control.

thump - thump -

It's like seeing the name written on the cake for the first time today.

Akira, Akira...

Because I have always called that person "Taya", I almost forgot that "Ryo" is his name.

Thinking about it carefully, so many people call him "Liang".Mr. Ogata, Mr. Awara, Miss Ichikawa.Perhaps the same is true for the Taya couple.

What about yourself?

If he changed his name and called him "Liang", what would that person...how would he react?

Suddenly I dare not continue to think about it...

As if eager to calm himself down, Guang turned his head and looked out the window, but was caught off guard by the white elf floating on the window that caught his attention.

Outside at this moment, heavy snow is falling to the ground, as if it is going to cover the world in a vastness.

But the light at that time was still unknown, and a wind of reform was sweeping towards the Japanese Go world with lightning speed like the snow outside the window...

The author has something to say:

The content of Heisei 14 (2002) is about to come to an end here, and the next timeline will enter the turmoil of Heisei 15 (2003).This year has been a very hard (たいへん) year for both the Japanese Go world and Liang Guang himself~

Also, to make a digression, after finishing this chapter, it will be updated this Saturday at the earliest, so you don't have to wait for the update for the time being.Although I don't know if there will really be a judge who is waiting for an update...