Physical Tendencies
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Touya's grip was as Hikaru remembered, firm and unyielding.
And though Hikaru hadn't said anything unforgivable like he had that day, though Touya wasn't chasing Hikaru as desperately as Hikaru had been avoiding him that time, these were the same eyes overflowing with furious determination, this was the same Touya who went to all lengths to get what he wanted.
So maybe the part about Touya not chasing him as desperately anymore was wrong after all.
In the middle of a Go tournament with pros and fans possibly watching -- instead of strangers running for shelter from the rain paying no heed to two schoolboys arguing on the street -- Hikaru had declined to go with Touya on a trip to Korea for a rematch with Ko Yongha, and Touya had grabbed his wrist.
Hikaru was only a little surprised at the sudden contact; it wasn't like he hadn't expected Touya's reaction to this.
But they were no longer sixth-graders, and that had made all the difference.
"Touya 6-dan and Shindo 5-dan in A Heated Rivalry", he imagined the Weekly Go headline would be, seeing as Amano-san was already whispering conversations with Ogata-pro.
More suspicious glances aimed at their skin contact told him the unofficial rumours would be about something entirely irrelevant to Go, as few people knew of their near-physical exchanges like the regulars at the Meijin's Go salon did, and even fewer knew Touya Akira's whims like he did.
And Touya, on his part, was one of the few who knew Hikaru's brashness inside out, but Touya didn't know about May the fifth... yet.
"I have something to do on the day of the trip," Hikaru said finally. Their private conversation had turned public at the moment of Touya's outburst, but he made no move to extract himself from Touya's oblivious hold.
"Can't you postpone it? It would be hard to ask them to reschedule with the Korean side so--"
"Your match with him is the one they want to see, right? The schedule is fine the way it is."
The hold tightened. "Are you saying you're not concerned about this anymore? Lately, your games were also..."
...littered with old joseki as if he couldn't shake off his Shuusaku fixation after losing to Ko Yongha, and that was why Touya thought Hikaru should take this opportunity to have a rematch for himself. He knew that. But there was little point in doing that before he could improve enough to crush the Korean player.
"What's wrong with that? I still win them."
"If that is your new standard of winning, Shindou--"
"Let's play a game, and I'll show you what my standard is," he cut Touya off. "And if you win... I'll tell you the reason."
Touya's eyes glinted at the challenge, the glare fixed on Hikaru for just one moment before he dragged him off in search of an unused board; and Hikaru was sure Touya didn't even see the pointed glances he could feel on the back of his neck. This was Touya at his finest, but Hikaru had to remind him that this was not his father's Go salon.
"The tournament's closing," he said, stopping Touya. "Let's play at the Go salon." And with the hand that Touya was holding, he pulled him towards the exit.
Touya let go of Hikaru's hand then, being unaccustomed to following anyone's lead, and fell into step beside him.
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They saw the photograph more than a week later, considerately placed on an inside page of Weekly Go, under the coverage of Touya's match in Korea.
"Touya 6-dan requesting Shindou 5-dan for a practice game before the trip", the caption read, clearly understated.
Touya stared at it for a second, looking mortified at being caught at his moment of discourtesy.
Hikaru saw his expression, and shrugged. "How do you think it looks like every time we argue?"
Touya recovered soon enough, not actually minding much of propriety when it came to Hikaru, it seemed. "If you noticed you could've said something," he said calmly, and Hikaru thought that attitude might as well be, if Touya was ever going to hear the rumours about them that Waya was already turning into tease material for him.
"Well, you did win your match thanks to that 'practice game'," he said lightly.
Touya looked back at him, then wordlessly began to lay down stones on the previously neglected board. It was their first weekly meeting after his trip, and he hadn't shown Hikaru the game yet.
Hikaru took over white after several hands, responding with his own moves, and they moved further and further away from the kifu, but Touya still won when they had finished counting territories at the end of the game.
"So," Touya said casually as they were clearing the board, "why did you refuse the rematch?"
Hikaru paused at that. This cunning potential of Touya Akira he had yet to know. "Even though you win this time," he couldn't restrain an amused smile, "you still lost that game, Touya."
Touya looked close to scowling. "Will you ever going to tell me?"
That sounded familiar, and his contemplative smile didn't escape Touya even as he turned away to hide it. Touya's hand reached out towards him, and Hikaru, having anticipated that, grabbed it instead, because he wasn't much for following leads, either.
"Maybe..." he said to Touya's surprised face, "when you defeat me in an official match in the Room of Profound Darkness."
Touya took a little longer to recover this time, but it was probably out of the understanding that it was a larger question he was going to get the answer to.
"I will hold you to that," he said. He made no move to pull away either.
When Hikaru let go, it was to pick up a Go stone and set it on the board.
And Touya followed suit -- fair enough.
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