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I was born at the end of August. It was on the night of the new moon and the stars were shining brightly in the dark summer sky. My star sign is Virgo — the maiden that is bound to the earth, as her element and Mercury, as her ruling planet. I always felt the influence of those factors in my life; as a child I was clever and curious, guided by my knowledge, more than my emotions. I felt a strong connection with the earth too. I was grounded and realistic; I stood firmly with my two feet on the Earth’s surface. Yet, somehow, I’ve never stopped feeling a faint pull from the stars above me.
From a young age, I loved looking at the night sky. I would search for the placement of the stars, the patterns of constellations, and the movements of celestial bodies; it was a passion I shared with my father. He knew every star by its name and every constellation by its story. He shared them with me — the old legends of how the night sky came to be. My father told me about valiant heroes, cunning generals, beautiful maidens and mythical creatures. I loved his stories; my father was a great narrator and I was a good listener. Of course, the night sky and the stories were not the only passions we shared.
We both loved shogi. My father was a professional player and I was his dutiful student; when I first started learning how to play, he told me one of my favourite stories. It was about the great kingdom of Togo, which was situated between the grid of the shogi board. It was ruled by a just and ingenious queen, who commanded a powerful army. Like the stars and constellations, the shogi pieces came alive before my eyes — they were my warriors and I was their ruler. I took the game to heart. I rarely lost a match when playing against my peers — I couldn’t disappoint my vassals, after all.
The first time I won a game against my father, he was genuinely impressed.
“You make very queenly decisions, Hifumi,” he said. “It’s like a divine power guides your hand when you move your shogi pieces. You will be a great player one day. The stars watch over you and your future looks bright.”
One day, though, everything changed. If I tried to describe how it felt back then, in my words now, I’d say that it was like pulling out a reversed card during a Tarot reading. In one moment everything in our lives changed. Health turned to illness, hope into despair and disappointment, and the opportunities my family had into nothing. There were no more stories, no more practice matches, and my future didn’t look bright anymore; none of ours did.
My father’s illness turned our whole world upside down. He was now bedridden, barely able to do the simplest things. My mother was glum and miserable. I retreated to my kingdom and focused on becoming the best shogi player I could be. With my father unable to provide for us anymore, my mother had to quit the job she loved and work twice as hard to support us. The money was tight and she grew more and more sullen. My mother had a dream of being famous, but with our circumstances, this dream was getting further and further away from her. Instead, she decided to bring fame to me.
“You are going to be a star, Hifumi,” she said one day. “I will make you the most famous idol in all of Japan… Maybe even the world! Your face will be on the cover of every magazine. Your looks are wasted at the shogi board, anyway.”
I protested, but it was no use. We managed to find a compromise though. I could still play shogi and work toward becoming a professional; my mother thought it would make for an interesting story. Soon the legend behind the too beautiful shogi player was born — I was just happy to continue playing. I couldn’t abandon my kingdom, not even for fame and money.
I joined the female shogi association. I won my first formal match, then another, then another. It felt a little too easy, but I was confident in my skills. My father taught me well and my loyal army wouldn’t fail. Once I won the championship, the journalists took interest in me; I got offers for interviews and photoshoots. They called me the Venus of shogi, implying my looks of course. I chose to think of this nickname differently — Venus, the planet, was always known as the Morning Star, the herald of dawn. Just like Venus, I would become a beacon of a new age in the world of shogi — the first woman, who played professionally outside of her league. It was also known as the planet responsible for love and romance; not that I had any knowledge or experience in Venus’s domain. As a future idol, I wasn’t allowed to date anyone.
Still, it felt like the stars were watching over me once again and for a moment my future looked bright.
However, my mother had other plans.
Soon my fame spread way beyond my club and my school. My mother arranged for TV interviews and magazine covers. I was recognized on the street. Men asked me for photos and handshakes. My mother was thrilled, I was terrified. My seniors looked at me oddly, they thought I only played the game to achieve celebrity status. Rumours spread that some of my matches were fixed; they disturbed me, but my mother just shrugged them off. She believed that there was no bad publicity. I tried to do the same but couldn’t. It didn’t help that nobody in the association would play with me anymore. Like before, I found solace in my kingdom. The grid of the board, the feel of a shogi piece in my hand — they brought me comfort once again. Except now, I was playing alone. Occasionally the priest from the church in Kanda joined me for a match; he allowed me to come and practice there.
Too much light was shining on me and I was lost in it.
That was when I met Akira Kurusu, the leader of the Phantom Thieves. It was a hot summer evening. A boy about my age entered the church and headed straight toward me. I mistook him for another fan at first — someone, who is only interested in the too beautiful shogi player. I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. I agreed to play a game with him, then another and then another. Something was fascinating in the way Akira played the game, though he was clearly an amateur. During my games with him, I was able to come up with my best game strategies — without realizing it I started to look forward to our game sessions.
At times he would suggest a different way to spend an evening and at times I would oblige. It helps one's creative mind to try different things now and then. I was able to share one of my favourite places in the city with Akira — the used bookstore at Jibonsho. That was where I found my first books on shogi game theory, as well as an old atlas of the night sky. He took me on outings around the city parks and different popular destinations — those were not real dates of course. My mother would never allow it. But, I can’t deny that maybe... I saw something more in him than just an interesting shogi opponent. For most of my life, I was guided by Mercury, the planet of the Mind. Now, I let Venus, the planet of Heart, take the lead.
My mother grew concerned about the time I’ve spent with Akira; she started to push me more toward a career as an idol, reminding me that I was not allowed to date anyone. We started to argue again. More often than not I would confide in Akira; talking to him was strangely liberating, I was somehow able to put my deepest feelings into words.
One time I remember particularly well; we were on one of our “not dates”. He suggested visiting the Sky Tower and I agreed; the view from that place was supposed to be breathtaking, filled with the sparkling city lights below and the stars above. I, however, was too focused on the magazine article to see any of the beauty around me. It was devastating to have all my family information out in the open like that, and yet barely anything was said about my shogi career. I felt close to giving up. I didn't want to be an idol. I didn't want to be a star. I just wanted to be me.
Then I heard Akira’s voice.
“Do you still like shogi?” he asked.
I thought about it for a moment. Of course, I did. Talking to him made me realize my true feelings — I couldn’t quit, I would never quit. I would never abandon my kingdom.
There was still the issue of my mother and her desire to make me an idol. No matter my resolve, her heart was set on fulfilling her dream through me. She continued to push for more interviews and photoshoots — she even wanted to cancel my first professional match. I didn’t know what to do, so once again I confided in Akira. I was grateful to have him by my side at that moment. Before I met Akira I was always the one who listened to others, now I had someone who listened to me. He was supportive, understanding and a good friend. Just a very good friend, I had to remind myself.
After my conversation with Akira, my mother changed. She told me about the matches she had fixed for me, she let me continue with my first professional match, she even told me I didn’t have to be an idol anymore. I was grateful for that change, but it made me think. No one else could have done it but the Phantom Thieves. From there on my life changed tremendously. I told the public the truth about my matches. I faced my first professional opponent and I lost. Still, I wasn't upset, in fact, I felt happy — I’ve used my own skills in a professional match! For the first time since my mother tried to make me an idol, I didn’t feel like I was drowning in the spotlight.
Akira and I went on another “date” to celebrate the changes in my life. We went back to the Sky Tower. When we were here last, I hadn’t seen things clearly; my vision was clouded by my mother’s desire to make me an idol. But now, I saw the world in its true light. The city lights below me were forming their own constellations. The stars above me were shining as bright as ever. And maybe, just maybe I could see a sparkle in the eyes of the boy who was standing next to me. At that moment I knew I could do anything — face another professional shogi player or rejoin the female players association. My dreams were achievable if I relied on my skills. I was inspired; I could see all the great opportunities laid out in front of me, and I felt hope fill my heart. It was like the cards in my Tarot reading were finally upright — everything that was lost before had returned.
I might be the Venus of shogi or the phoney princess. It didn’t matter; I knew who I was.
I am Hifumi — the valiant queen of the Togo kingdom. I am the commander of the powerful army of shogi pieces. I am connected to the Earth and I feel the pull of the stars. I was born under the rule of the planet of the mind, but I am guided by the planet of the heart.
I am a child of the stars and my future looks bright.