Mash-Up Anime World: Anything for Money

The word "survival"—Hakuto had written it countless times over his two lifetimes, yet he had never found the perfect definition.

"As Ginko said, I first got into shogi because of an elementary school classmate…"

"I had a bit of talent back then, and playing against the kids at school was basically bullying. I made quite a few of them cry…"

"After that, I remember one of their parents stormed in and gave me a nasty scolding, accusing me of using some kind of trick to cheat…"

"Later, I found out that one of the kids I beat had been playing shogi since he was two and a half." 

"No one around him could ever win against him—his father, his relatives, his friends all saw him as a prodigy."

"But after losing to me, he locked himself in his room every day. He was just an elementary schooler, yet he was already thinking about… suicide."

"That was when I realized—winning in shogi isn't always necessary. Sometimes, losing brings more benefits… and is much easier."

Hakuto spoke softly, as if recounting a trivial matter, all while playing against Ginko. His shogi pieces struck the board like raindrops.

"What do you mean, winning isn't always necessary?"

Ginko clenched her fists. She had been playing shogi since she was two. 

By the time she was four, she was already playing online, where she met Hakuto and her current mentor, Kiyotaki Kōsuke.

From childhood to now, the moment she placed her hand on a shogi piece, she had only one goal—winning.

Win. Win. Win.

She would use every method, exert every ounce of effort, just to win.

It was this mindset that earned her the title of "The Snow White of Naniwa."

And now, Hakuto, the person sitting across from her, was saying that sometimes losing was more important than winning.

She couldn't accept that. She couldn't understand it.

Seeing her reaction, Hakuto chuckled, as if he had expected it.

"Ginko, human nature is terrifying… especially jealousy."

"Even so, I still don't understand what you mean by losing being more important than winning."

"Don't rush—just keep listening."

Hakuto glanced at the rook in his hand, his thoughts drifting back ten years.

"After that incident with my classmate's parents, I never played shogi at school again."

"But news travels fast. That event caused quite a stir around campus."

"Later, the kids at the orphanage started challenging me too."

"As you can imagine, the results were the same. They all came in smiling but left with bitter expressions."

"I didn't hold back. None of them lasted more than ten moves against me."

"In the end, they would just force a smile and compliment my talent."

"But I heard them whispering behind my back out of jealousy more than once."

"Saying things like, 'That orphan, he's got nothing but his stupid shogi skills.'"

At those words, a fleeting sadness crossed Hakuto's face, but it quickly disappeared.

After all, even though he didn't have parents, he had plenty of people who cared about him. He never really felt lonely.

But Ginko saw his expression and thought otherwise. She had always known that Hakuto was an orphan.

That faintly melancholic smile looked more like a mask of forced strength in Ginko's eyes.

Thinking of this, she clenched the folding fan in her hand so tightly that it crackled.

But Hakuto didn't notice. 

He simply continued recounting his past to her.

"After I defeated everyone at the orphanage, no one asked to play shogi with me anymore..."

"Oh, no, that's not entirely accurate."

"Aside from a few elderly people close to retirement and the director—who was like a mother to me—no one else played against me."

"Jealousy is a terrifying demon in people's hearts. After that, I started to notice some people subtly pushing me away. But I didn't care..."

"After all, they weren't worth associating with."

"And then, I met you online. From that point on, for the past ten years, you were the only one I played shogi with."

"Ginko... tell me, after winning all the way from elementary school to the orphanage, what exactly did I gain?"

"Don't tell me I gained victory or praise—I want something tangible."

If not for the context Hakuto had given, Ginko would have blurted out the word "victory" without hesitation.

She looked down at the shogi board, memories flashing through her mind—those times she visited Hakuto at the orphanage.

More than once, she had noticed some people looking at him with disgust. Back then, she didn't understand why. 

But now, she did.

Winning... The word echoed in her mind as she looked at Hakuto.

He had won from school to the orphanage, but what had he really gained?

Parents scolding him? 

Baseless accusations? 

Classmates shunning him? 

Fake smiles from people at the orphanage? 

Gossip behind his back?

Did those victories mean anything?

The fan in Ginko's hand trembled, unable to bear the pressure. She desperately wanted to find meaning in Hakuto's victories.

"Ginko... You always say I'm incredibly talented, but I never thought so myself. Because you weren't the first to say it."

"All the others wore those disgusting fake smiles. But you're different—I could feel that you were genuinely happy for me."

"And that's why I'm willing to keep playing shogi. To keep playing shogi with you."

Hakuto smiled gently, speaking slowly, as if wanting her to absorb every word.

Ginko froze, stunned, as the shogi piece and fan slipped from her hands, falling to the ground.

She had heard Hakuto say similar things many times before.

But never had it felt this sincere.

Shogi... To Ginko, it was everything. Playing shogi with Hakuto was one of the most important things in her life.

She stared at the shogi piece she had just dropped—this thing she considered irreplaceable.

Yet for Hakuto, it had caused him so much pain in his childhood.

And yet, despite all that, he still made shogi a part of his life—for her.

She looked at Hakuto. He was adjusting the bangs that had fallen over his eyes.

Sensing her gaze, he glanced up and smiled, playfully winking at her.

___

Advanced Chapters will be available on p@ tr eon (.) com/HalflingFics

Also, please point out my mistakes in the comment, thank you!

Don't forget to leave a review too~

___