Ai's expression began to waver. She couldn't believe it and backed away a few steps, finally crouching in a corner, clutching her head in a gesture of "I don't believe what you're saying."
She had been researching these past few days. The Kuzuryu Yaichi she admired was the strongest chess player, the youngest Ryuo in history.
Someone so powerful was hailed on various Shogi forums as the future strongest player, the world's number one board king.
How could he possibly lose to Kaito!!
It has to be said that when people praise someone, they love to frantically use the title of world number one.
But considering Shogi is only popular in Japan, their praise wasn't entirely wrong, because other countries simply don't pay attention to Shogi. The mainstream games are Go, and Chess.
These are the internationally recognized two major mainstream board sports in international events.
Shogi? What is it?
Akina was very smart. Through Kaito's conversation, she left the room and returned with a tablet, starting to search for the aforementioned information.
Sure enough, Shogi really didn't have much international presence; it was only popular in Japan.
But when Akina told this to Ai, Ai's emotions were still very agitated, still firmly believing that Yaichi was the strongest.
"Ha... In that case, let me play a game with this Ryuo."
"Mrs. Hinatsuru, I think with your abilities, you can contact him."
"Asking him to play a game will cost some money. At his level, inviting him for a game indeed requires a 'game fee', unless he volunteers."
"Besides that, just tell him this: the world's number one board player from China wants to challenge him."
At this time, Yaichi probably hasn't yet entered the period where he loses consecutive games due to a bottleneck and is jokingly called the grassroots Ryuo. He should still be in a state full of fighting spirit.
Therefore, if he hears that the world's number one board player from China wants to challenge him, and there's money involved, he'll most likely come.
"I understand. I'll do as you say."
Akina was already determined. Seeing her daughter so obsessed, she realized this couldn't go on.
In that case, she might as well be a bit ruthless.
Let Kaito defeat that Ryuo boy.
As for her daughter transferring her admiration to Kaito, that was something she would gladly welcome.
Kaito had such good qualities – a good person, ridiculously handsome, and especially luckier than anyone else in the chat group. His potential was undoubtedly limitless.
She believed that in the future, the chat group would open up opportunities for offline meetings.
Then the two could spend time together, develop feelings, and wait a few more years. Problem solved.
"Brother Kaito, give it up. My future master will not lose."
Ai, hearing their conversation, raised her head and interjected proudly.
More than that, her first reaction was joy at being able to see Yaichi again.
Lose?
Impossible.
How could the person she admired ever lose!
"Hehe, but what if he does lose?"
"If he loses, then I'll apprentice myself to Brother Kaito as my teacher! But if Brother Kaito loses, then don't stop me, and you have to convince my mom, deal?"
"Oh? Deal."
'Clever girl, bargaining.'
'Oh well, as long as she agreed.'
Next, as long as he defeated Yaichi, Ai's admiration should shift away from him.
Conversely, if Ai agreed to apprentice herself to him right now, Kaito would suspect whether she was really Hinatsuru Ai.
'Yaichi, look at all the effort I'm putting in for you.'
'Be honored. This way, you won't be called a lolicon, and you won't have to keep saying that line, 'I'm not a lolicon'.'
Kaito thought to himself.
He then chatted briefly with Akina, confirming that she would start looking for someone to contact Yaichi, and then they ended the video call.
'It seems entrusting this to Kaito-san was indeed the right choice.'
Watching her daughter continuously stroking the board Kaito gave her, picking up various pieces and arranging them, then playing against herself, Akina's brow relaxed and her eyes smiled as she spoke.
Next, following Kaito's plan, her daughter's 'personal safety' would be guaranteed.
As for that Ryuo boy, Akina admitted he was indeed very strong.
But he was ultimately too young, a junior high school dropout, which made her deeply untrusting.
It wasn't uncommon in her Japan for young boys to do impulsive things, and many girls lost their precious treasure at this age.
What about her daughter?
She was really afraid she might lose it before even reaching middle school.
On the other hand, there was Kaito.
He was elegant and handsome, almost perfectly so.
Coupled with his gentle and sunny personality, he gave off a feeling of being unhurried, unconcerned with worldly affairs.
This was simply the perfect male god.
If she were still young, she might pursue him fiercely right now.
Come to think of it, if she really liked Kaito, she would be even more headstrong than her daughter, because she had precedent...
"Ai, this chessboard isn't just for Shogi. You can also play Go, Xiangqi, and Chess."
Putting down her phone, Akina taught Ai how to use the chessboard.
When Ai saw that the board's grid was composed of golden rays of light and changed when she pressed the button, her eyes filled with starlight, and she kept asking her mother how it was made.
To this, Akina replied that if she wanted to know, she could ask him herself then.
She believed Kaito would give her daughter a reasonable answer.
"Mom, you really do like Brother Kaito, right?"
"Actually, your daughter knows. Now that Mom is alone again, if you're too embarrassed to speak up, I can help you then! Hehe"
Ai suddenly changed the subject, walked over to Akina, covered her mouth with one hand, and nudged her waist with her elbow, wearing an "I've seen through it" expression.
Otherwise, why would her mother keep promoting Kaito?
"You..."
At this moment, Akina was about to vomit.
'I'm finding you a husband! It's not me looking for a husband! Do you have to be this "dutiful"!?'