Chapter 26 - A Game of Shogi (The Third Hell Month: Louis)

Week 1

There was a knock at Louis' door as the deer looked up. He opened it and then smiled when he saw Shogi, holding a box with the board game with his name.

"Hello, Louis-sama!" he grinned. "I had to go out and buy this for you since we didn't have it in the building, so please take good care of it!"

Louis crossed his arms. "Looks like we will just have to use it multiple times." He stepped to the side. "Come on in."

Shogi looked apprehensive, looking left and right. "Are you sure, Louis-sama? I don't want to get fired over this…"

"Nonsense, you're just keeping me company as my personal servant," Louis said.

The sheep considered this, then nodded. "I suppose you're right." He walked in and set the game down on the desk. "Where shall we play?"

Louis shut the door and locked it, the sheep blinking and then swallowing.

"L-Louis-sama?"

Louis walked forward. "It's just Louis. You don't have to treat me like your master in here."

Shogi blinked again. "Excuse me?"

"I think servants are unnecessary. We can all do things on our own," the deer explained. "Here, we can be equals."

"I...don't understand…" the butler said.

Louis came over and put his hand on his shoulder. "I'm trying to tell you that we can just hang out here and talk normally."

"What are you trying to do, Louis-sama, erm, Louis?" the sheep asked.

"I want to be friends," the deer smiled warmly. "That's all."

"With all due respect," the sheep tapped his fingers together. "I already think we're friends...You are way nicer to me than you have the right to be."

Louis went and put his hand on the box of shogi. "There's no point in treating you like dirt."

"That's very nice of you to say," Shogi smiled. "Shall we play?"

Week 2

"My brother is actually very ill," Shogi explained, sitting on his side as he moved his piece on the board. He and Louis had decided to play again after last week's game (Shogi won and Louis wanted a rematch). "I'm the only butler that doesn't live in the building. It pays well, especially working for Oguma-sama."

Louis nodded. "Wow, that's very noble of you to want to help him that way." He moved his piece.

Shogi put a hand on his chin as he thought about his next move. "I honestly like the job. Making food for you has been wonderful."

Louis looked to the side."About that…"

The sheep looked up, stopping the game. "Don't tell me you don't like what I make…"

The deer shook his head. "No, it's not that. I...haven't really been eating it."

Shogi blinked. "Huh?"

The deer looked down. "I apologize. I know you put a lot of hard work into the meals, but I'm just never hungry enough to eat three meals a day. Sometimes, I don't even eat the meals I do take. I'll start eating them and just...stop."

The sheep blinked again. "Goodness, are you okay?'

"Honestly...I don't think so. A few months ago I thought about jumping out the window to a grisly death." He truly was more open when he was alone with someone.

"G-goodness! You should get help," Shogi said.

"I'm fine," he said. Then he decided to bring up a topic he had been wanting to discuss since Azuki visited. "...Have you ever been in love?

"Uh...once?" Shogi recalled. "A while ago."

"Well...I'm in love now..." Louis mumbled.

"With who?"

He buried his head in knees, embarrassed. "Urgh...It's just some...Wolf…"

"What's her name?" Shogi asked. The game had been completely interrupted.

"His name..Is Legosi…" Louis mumbled quieter.

Shogi gasped. "I've heard about him! Oguma-sama told us not to let him anywhere near you."

Louis had a Legosi shaped hole in his heart and it only grew bigger with that statement. "I hate him."

"I can tell," the sheep said. "You can tell me about him, if you want."

"You're not alarmed by the fact that I'm gay?" Louis asked.

"Even if I may not like males myself, Louis-sama, it's a part of you that you can't change. Plus, I have no say in your affairs, as your butler," he winked.

Louis sighed. "Where to even begin with someone like Legosi...He's not like any other carnivore, that's for sure. He's very shy and clumsy and he goes along with pretty much anything...He makes me feel like my existence is the most important one there is. It seems like he always wants to be by my side, but I don't know how he truly feels...I always worry I am just carrying love that's unrequited. He saved my life, you know."

Shogi changed positions to a more comfortable one. "What happened?" A carnivore saving an herbivore…

"Due to my status as future Beastar, some carnivores tried to lynch me so they kidnapped me and were about to eat me. I...I actually was probably very close to dying." Here comes that thought of how much better it would be if I had died…

"Goodness! Good thing he saved you!" Shogi was awe-inspired. "I'm assuming your father knows about how you feel? That's why he won't let you see him?"

Louis shrugged his shoulders. "I wish I could tell you. I really have no idea why the fuck he's acting so ridiculous. He doesn't know how I feel or that I like males."

Shogi perked at the language. "I honestly don't even know why Oguma-sama keeps you locked up in here."

"It's because I want to live my own life."

"Hm?"

"I told him I didn't want to be a Beastar anymore," Louis said. "I want to make my own choices. I don't see why there's such an issue." His mind reflected back to his lack of a response when Louis asked if Oguma loved him. He doesn't love me anyway…"

"Does his love matter to you more than Legosi's?" Shogi asked.

Louis looked at him. "I don't even know how Legosi feels but...I guess I couldn't care less how Oguma feels."

"Exactly," Shogi said. "I feel so bad for you, Louis. This is is definitely an unfair situation."

Louis was missing Legosi too much at this point, a heavy weight in his chest. "I...actually have a plan to escape if he can ever get in here...somehow."

"Whatever it is, I will go along with it," Shogi said. "Tell me."

"Can I tell you next week…?" Louis had a wave of sadness wash over him and it was dragging him down. "I think I want to postpone this game."

Shogi nodded. "You have quite a bit of heavy stuff going on. Don't worry." He stood up, grabbing his butler vest and putting it back on. "Back to servant mode for me."

Louis nodded, walking him to the door. "I'll see you later."

Shogi waved and then left down the hall, Louis closing the door behind him. He trudged over to his bed, past the unfinished game they were playing and huffed into the pillow. He curled up and laid on his side.

Legosi...Where are you right now? Are you happy? Are you thinking about me? When will I see you? Why is this so hard? I don't care if you don't love me, I just miss you. Please...Hurry. I know you're coming. It's not like you to let things like this lie...We can do my plan and escape together...I'm scared that I'll come back to a world where you're dating Haru-chan and I become less important to you. Or will you treat me the same, even if you have her?

He felt tears stinging his eyes. Why do I feel this way...I already know I miss you, isn't that enough?

Week 3

"That's a very dangerous plan," Shogi blinked, moving his piece on the shogi board. They had continued their game from last week. It was strange seeing it unfinished and sitting there for so long, but now a winner would be decided. "You could get in even more trouble than you started out with."

Louis nodded. "But imagine if it does work. I'll be out of here and I'll never come back." He made his move on the game.

"I'll be happy for you…" Shogi said. "I actually made you something, just to thank you for spending time with me and being so kind." He pulled a yellow card out of his pocket, handing it to him.

Louis looked down at it and a crooked smile came to his face. "A recipe for your cream of celery soup?"

"Yes. If you ever do escape, please make that at least once for me and remember our friendship."

Louis put a hand on his knee. "Don't worry, I have no idea when he'll be coming. Hopefully sooner rather than later. It's your turn."

Shogi looked back down at the game. "We should make this a weekly thing, Louis. I enjoy our talks."

"I agree, it's nice to actually talk to someone about things," Louis said. "Legosi is such a good listener, I used to talk to him all the time."

"You don't think he'll...eat you, right?" Shogi asked, taking his turn. "Us herbivores are always in danger with things like this."

"Honestly?" Louis thought about his next move. "My body thinks he will. I refuse to believe it, but I can't know for sure. If it does happen, I guess that's that." He moved.

The sheep sighed. "I hope I get to meet him someday."

"You will. I promise." Louis said. "I'm sorry I can't stick around forever."

"You have a whole life to live. I'm out of here once I get enough money to get my brother treated, then I can live my life, too." He moved a piece on the board.

"So you'll help me if Legosi comes?"

His friend nodded. "Of course. I am required to take any request you have besides the ones Oguma-sama has forbidden me from."

"The future is looking bright," Louis gave a small smile, making one last move. "Also, I just won."

"I saw that coming," Shogi smiled back.

Week 4

Louis looked at Shogi, who was standing by the table in between he and Oguma, who was seated at the other end.

"Congrats, father. You've kept me here for three months. How do you feel?" Louis asked.

Oguma snorted through his nose. "Don't think I take joy in this."

"I do have something very important to say," Louis spoke, taking a bite of his food.

"What is it?" Oguma asked, even though it sounded like he was already ready to argue against whatever Louis had to say.

"You should give Shogi a raise," Louis said, point-blank. The sheep looked at him with boggled eyes.

Oguma squinted at him. "And why I should do that?"

"He's been personally tending to me for three months straight now, going above and beyond in every way possible. He honestly makes this place pleasurable because he's such a good servant."

"I'm glad you think he is doing a fine job."

"Did you know his brother is sick?"

The sheep's eyes widened even more. What is Louis doing! We'll be caught!

Oguma blinked. Of course he already knew of the sheep's situation. "Is that so?" His head turned to Shogi, frowning. "You were not to communicate with my son on personal matters."

"Shut your mouth, father," Louis said. "He was only acting under my orders."

The buck huffed. "Why must you act like such a child? He was not supposed to become your friend, he was supposed to be serving you."

"It turns out I know how to treat people, unlike someone I know." He took another bite of his dinner.

"I can have him fired," Oguma threatened.

"You're going to fire someone that was only following your orders?"

"..."

"Give him the raise," Louis demanded.

"Why would I take orders from my own son?" Oguma asked.

"Because you know you have the money, you're just an awful person."

"There you go again with that," Oguma snorted again.

"Please, just do this one thing for me. If you do...I'll...Stay in my room like you ordered and make no friends. I'll even stop talking to Shogi." There was no way in hell he was going to do that. "I'll even think about becoming a Beastar again."

Shogi was just embarrassed the whole time, wishing he could cover his face, but he stayed still. Louis would really give up his happiness for a little sheep like him?

"...Fine, I'll consider it." Oguma spoke. "But don't ask me again."

"Thank you, father." Louis sighed, relieved. He could have cost the sheep his job with that move, but that wasn't what happened. His father had told him he'd consider it, which was a step in the right direction. He couldn't help but smile as he looked down at his plate. He thought about how happy the sheep must be.

Louis had just won another game of Shogi.