"...I lost my job, Gojima sensei."

Ishida Saiichi somehow managed to muster the courage to say it while looking at Gojima's face, but couldn't keep at it for long.

Gojima Kenzaburou was someone he had met before in the parent-teacher meetings. They weren't exactly strangers, but they were not that close with each other either.

Their conversation had mostly been limited to exchanging pleasantries, no more than that.

Was it weird that he was now sitting in an restaurant with that person while telling him stuff that he would normally be extremely ashamed of admitting? Maybe. But he did it anyway.

He had to admit that he was feeling a little lighter. Saiichi was extremely anxious about how to exactly break it to his family. But here he was, discussing the situation with his daughter's teacher.

Was it a perk of the teachers? To understand what others had been going through? To help them articulate their feelings? Probably not. The teachers he had in his high school never paid attention to him.

Then maybe it was the person itself? He kinda reminded him of the old man from his childhood who used to own a candy shop. He had very keen eyes. He could easily tell who was telling the truth and who was lying. And when he played Shogi, he could easily figure out what his opponent was thinking.

He was usually very stingy with money, but he always used to give him free candies whenever he felt down. He had died a decade ago. Saiichi sometimes really missed him.

Other than Mitsuki, he was probably the kindest person he had ever met.

He had once asked him how he could read people like that. The old man just smirked and said that it came with experience.

Experience... it was an amazing thing. A human could try something over and over, fail over and over and eventually become the master of it. But someone with experience would also be reluctant to try new things.

Wisdom of age? Or spirit of youth? Which was more important?

Sometimes, unfortunately, people valued someone who would try out new things even if they made mistakes. Like his company.

They allowed a 23 year old to take his post while simply firing him.

"...In this tough times, we need the spirit of youth to drive us forward—they said."

"..."

"I had worked for them for the last twenty years, gave my everything. But my hair kept turning gray, and I could not work as energetically as before. I never made any mistakes, though. I... might type a little slower than the young people, or might not understand the new catchphrases or the trends as instantly as them... but I never made mistakes. But there was no value of my loyalty."

"..."

"The young people... they would always liven up the atmosphere, would always try out new things, would never shy away from a work being handed to them, would never—"

"—be needed to be given a huge amount of increment?"

"...What?" Saiichi blinked at the sudden interruption.

"Whenever some company shouts about youth and stuff during a financial crisis, its most of the time because they want to get rid of people who they will have to pay a huge amount of increment and who is not exactly vital to the company. You were good at your job, but you were not exactly at the level to be 'irreplacible'. I guess the new employee in your place makes more mistakes than you?"

"...A lot yes, but—"

"But he can still do the grunt work with strict supervision with almost half the amount of salary?"

"..."

"If a company wants to change their brand image, they do not need to wait till a economic bubble burst. I am sure you already know the truth."

Saiichi took another sip from the beer, and sighed.

"...But it doesn't change the fact that I was one of the old ones who got laid off. Because... I was not exactly good enough to be 'irreplacible', like you said."

"...You surely want to beat yourself up over it, huh?" Gojima said with a wry smile. Saiichi simply looked downwards with a forlorn look.

"I am... tired, Gojima sensei. And... envious. Tired of going through everything. Envious of the people who can blaze through them with their spirit alone. I tried my best, thinking of my wife and daughter. But its... too hard. Sometimes, I really wish I could be like others. Full of energy and spirit. I wish I were capable of jumping from the 4th floor to save a damsel in distress."

"?!!Tha—"

"My daughter told me, Sensei. She just kept blabbering about the incident and raging about how nobody managed to record it."

Gojima felt embarrassed for a moment, but soon regained his composure after seeing Saiichi's eyes.

Tired and envious.

"...I wish I could remember what it is like to be young again," he said with a sorrowful chuckle.

'At first I wanted to help him because his eyes seemed hollow and it brought back unpleasant memories... but, he does have some really unhealthy notion of youth and senility inside his brain, doesn't he? I wish I could help him, before it all explodes. He needs regular sessions and I am not a psychiatrist anymore.'

Well... you could still help him feel young again in a way. Want me to unlock the original's memories of all the soaplands and his personal hooker ranki—

Whoosh! "Ah, sorry, I just saw a mosquito and went for it without thinking." He assured a startled Saiichi.

"O-oh. No problem at all."

Gojima inhaled and exhaled deeply. Time to get into his old profession.

"Ishida sa—"

"Areee?!! If isn't Gojima kun? I heard that you had been hospitalized. Are you alright now?"

Gojima looked up at the person who was starting a conversation with him.

Kiriyama Yugi, the pro Shogi player. He was here with the other Shogi enthusiasts Kobayashi Satoru introduced him to.

"Good afternoon, Kiriyama sensei, Hatsushiba san, Ryugamine san, Kamado san and Gundou san. I just got released this noon."

"Then shouldn't you be resting?"

"...I think I've gotten enough rest in the last 10 days. I do not see Tatsuya san here today, by the way. How is he faring?"

The whole group became silent and had grim expressions on their faces.

"Well... he, uh—" Hatsushiba, one of them tried to say something, but Gojima and Saiichi could see the hesitation in his face. One of his other companions, Kamado replied in his stead with a serious tone.

"He... got arrested. He got caught with a minor in a love hotel during a police raid. He will probably lose his job and everything."

Saiichi and the others noticed Gojima's face contorting in extreme hatred for a moment, but then it became calm. Too much calm for their own comfort.

"Oh. Is that so?"

They all flinched at the coldness of his voice. And his eyes. They looked calm, like the chilling depths of an ocean. It scared them.

"W-well... h-he got his due punishment! My wife has already talked with his wife. She is thinking about filing for a divorce. She was devastated by the news." Gundou said, trying to ease up the atmosphere.

"As any wife should be. Especially someone as pretty as her. You know, she could once rival even the Seven Flowers of Miyabi of our era in terms of beauty! And she has only gotten prettier with time!" Kamado added.

"Hmm! She aged like fine wine! Just what was going through that idiot's head!!!"

"That idiot was recently blabbering about stupid stuff like 'energy of youth' and 'wanting to feel younger' and stuff! I should have realized those red flags and warned him!" Ryugamine added as well.

Everyone in their group sighed. Saiichi felt Gojima's eyes on him for a moment. He flinched.

There was no way he would try to do something so idiotic! He had a family!... Well, the other guy probably had them as well, but he would be smarter!

"Well, he will have to pay for his due crimes. His love for his loving wife weakened with time. As for me, my love for Shogi is eternal. Well then, Gojima sensei, I believe you are now well enough for another match? After our last match, I really wanted to play with you again." Kiriyama 6-dan grinned.

"...I'll probably pass for today. I plan to go to my office to see how things are faring right now."

"Oh, that's a shame. Well... how about your friend here? We haven't been introduced yet, have we?"

"Ah! Where are my manners. He is Ishida Saiichi, father of one of my students. And this is Kiriyama Yugi, a pro Shogi player, this is—"

"Kiriyama... Yugi? Kiriyama of B-2?" Ishida Saiichi murmured. Kiriyama's eyes narrowed in amusement.

"Oh? You've heard of me?"

"I... do watch the matches on TV. Your last match with Rikudou 6-dan was quite impressive. Especially the move of Silver General to G6."

"Hmm... interesting. Care to play a match with me, Ishida san?"

"...Huh? M-me?"

"Yes. Sorry Gojima sensei, but our match will have to wait. Some other time then?"

"Sure. I'll see you later then. Goodbye, everyone." He simply left.

Everyone looked at him leaving.

"Wow... that was intense." Ryugamine muttered.

"I felt like the air went heavy and suffocating for a moment." Kamado added.

"I guess as a school teacher he found an adult engaging in sexual activities with a minor disgusting? Well, to be honest, anybody would. But his seemed more than just disgust." Hatsushiba said.

"Everyone has their own reasons and own views on justice," Kiriyama commented, "I think we should not pry further on someone's personal matters. Tatsuya kun will face his due punishment in time. As for me, I do not think I will be interacting with him anymore from now on. Anyways, now let us focus on what we have in front of us. Ishida kun, right?"

"Y-yes."

"Let us begin, shall we?" Kiriyama 6-dan, the one Saiichi used to watch on TV, was actually in front of him.

He would have to try his best.