March Comes in Like a Lion

After playing a match with someone who knows him, teenage loner and shogi professional Rei Kiriyama receives a sudden invitation to dinner.

Rei's self-professed rivals Nikaidou and Matsumoto each make an overly dramatic appearance. Later, some of the players visit Akari's bar.

Longtime opponents Rei and Harunobu face each other in their first official match, each spurred by the memory of their initial confrontation as children.

Hinata wants to make a special homemade bento meal for her crush, the local baseball ace, but Akari is critical of her methods.

When Momo trips and falls after Rei picks her up at preschool, Rei recalls the tragic events that led him to his profession while treating her bruise.

Despite having become a professional player earning his own money, Rei feels stuck in a rut after he loses his chance to advance to the next level.