The atmosphere frothed with the allure of Halloween. Black and orange streamers hung from ceilings and walls, lights had been dimmed, and stringy, orchestral music haunted the hallway where Shindo Hikaru crept with as much caution as he could muster. He was supposed to be at the Halloween costume party, but no one had told him exactly where in the Go building the event was located.
Hikaru swallowed. He was lost. It didn't help that every passageway was decked with skeletons, ghosts, and gravestones, either.
"Hikaru!" Sai whined from over his shoulder, "This is scary! Where are all the other Go players?"
Hikaru was busy disentangling himself from the layer of cobwebs he'd walked into. He batted them out of his path, jealous of the way Sai floated through untouched and oblivious to the snare.
"You shouldn't be scared," Hikaru told Sai wryly. "You're a ghost too, or did you forget?" He rounded a corner and thought he could hear more music emanating through one of the walls.
"I'm not a ghost like them!" Sai insisted, thrusting out his fan to point at a strangely misshapen sheet with empty sockets.
Hikaru rolled his eyes, just as he collided with a vampire in a high-collared cape.
"Ahh!" he exploded, before realizing whom he had crashed into. "Waya – don't do that!"
Waya laughed, baring fangs in a feral grin. "Why - did I scare you?" He didn't wait for Hikaru to answer. "Nice costume," Waya said next, running his eyes over Hikaru's ugly, monstrous form with appreciation.
Hikaru responded with a wide grin. "I picked it out with my grandfather. I'm a goblin." He flicked his mask back over his face to emphasize the point, shaking his head so the bulbous green nose waggled.
Waya chuckled and led Hikaru back down the hall. "What are you doing out here?" he asked. "The main ballroom is on the third floor."
"I couldn't find it," Hikaru admitted sheepishly, stepping into the elevator beside Waya and blinking in the harsh light. "What about you, Waya? Why aren't you already at the party?"
The elevator ground to a halt, and they exited.
"I was at the party," Waya said, "But I heard that Kuwabara Hon'inbo was here with Touya Meijin in the staff room, so I figured I'd check it out."
Hikaru raised his eyebrows, but he was content enough with the answer. They had entered a world of costumed fright, and his attention turned to the myriad bright colors and sounds. Loud music echoed from the entrance to the ballroom, and Hikaru could see flashing lights and a throng of people. As he sidestepped a clown in polka dots that he took to be Ochi, he heard Sai whisper loudly in his ear.
"Touya Meijin? Hikaru – ask him what Touya Meijin was doing in the staff room!"
But Waya was already giving Hikaru instructions. "Ogata 9-dan is at the table over there. You need to get a badge from him, and then we can go in. Wait'll you see the set-up in there," he added with a wink. "I helped them prepare this morning."
"A badge?" Hikaru asked. He looked down at Waya's chest and saw the floret made of ribbon. "Oh. Like at the other big tournaments."
"Right," said Waya. "Even though this event is recreational and isn't concentrated on the games, Pros and Insei are still marked. I'll wait for you inside."
The older boy disappeared into the melting pot of music and monsters. Hikaru approached the table where Ogata Seiji sat checking off names. The 9-dan was not in costume, and Hikaru thought it spoiled the mood.
"Shindo Hikaru," Hikaru announced himself as a greeting, and Ogata peered at him through the eyeholes of his goblin mask.
"Shindo," he said, "I was wondering when you might arrive." He handed Hikaru a floret made of black and orange ribbon, and Hikaru pinned it clumsily to his front. "I hear that your last game was a success?"
Ogata checked Hikaru's name off the list, but before Hikaru could answer, an approaching pair of cowboy boots caught his gaze. He turned around.
"Isumi-san!"
Isumi smiled, tipping up the rim of his hat to better view Hikaru. "Shindo-kun, I'm glad you're here. Are you ready to go in?"
"You bet!" Hikaru nodded hastily to Ogata before following Isumi into the ballroom.
Costumed dancers gyrated and flickered underneath a pair of strobe lights, and festive, dark music loomed from the speakers on the far end of the dance floor. An unraveling mummy offered Hikaru a pumpkin cookie from a tray of sweets, and he took it with a giggle at the mummy's trailing bandages. Hikaru licked off the frosting and searched for Waya while Isumi conversed with Fukui.
Sai bounced gleefully at his side. "Look, look Hikaru! There's someone over there with a hat like mine."
"Hmm?" Hikaru mused, not really hearing Sai's excited words as he spotted Waya at the refreshment table. He slid his way around the guests, past a bowl of blood-like punch, a plate of what appeared to be writhing worms, and napkins with Jack-O'-Lanterns that grinned as he passed.
Waya offered him a gooey looking piece of candy when he reached his destination. Hikaru made a face and prepared to turn it down, but something beyond the table caught his eye.
Sai saw it too. "A Go board," he exclaimed, just as Hikaru asked curiously, "Is that a Go board, Waya?"
Waya's golden eyes followed Hikaru's gaze to the raised platform in the corner. The area was partially blocked by a skeleton on strings, and a murderous looking scarecrow that leaked straw from its midsection.
"You're right," Waya said, folding his arms. "I wonder what it's doing there? They didn't mention any challenges going on tonight."
Hikaru and Waya exchanged glances. Then they abandoned the refreshments to investigate.
"Maybe it's a haunted Go board," Waya added with a snicker as they mounted the three stairs that led to the enclosure. A blacklight shined onto the board's surface and made it glow.
Did you hear that, Sai? Hikaru asked the Heian era player mischievously. Waya has no idea about real haunted Go boards, does he?
Sai brought a sleeve to his face. "I don't know, Hikaru," he said. "I think this board looks pretty scary, too."
"How can a real ghost be afraid of so many things on Halloween?" Hikaru burst out, exasperated.
"What are you yelling about, Shindo?" Waya turned from his examination of the board to give Hikaru a skeptical stare.
"Er, nothing," Hikaru insisted, waving his hands in front of him until his goblin mask wobbled dangerously. He adjusted it and reverted to a casual tone. "What do you think this board is for, Waya?"
Waya rested a hand on his chin. He looked like a vampire posing to have his portrait painted, that he might hang it later on his castle wall to frighten the bats. After a moment of nothing but low, undulating music and the distant laughter of guests, Waya raised his head.
"I think it's for Masked Go," he decided at last.
Hikaru felt a chill course through his insides. "Masked Go?"
Waya nudged one of the mats with his foot. "In a Masked Game, the players hide their faces from each other. No one speaks – you omit the greeting and everything. The idea is not to let the other player figure out your identity. At the end, the loser reveals himself and tries to guess the winner's name. Usually, he can't guess, because the winner has disguised himself so well."
Hikaru absorbed the information slowly. He could hear Sai making noises of anticipation behind him.
"It's perfect for Halloween, really," Waya continued. "Everyone is already in masks and costumes."
Just then, Isumi waved frantically at them from across the floor. Waya grimaced. Hikaru, confused, followed Isumi's gestures and saw the object of the commotion. A rough, dark-haired man in a kimono had entered the ballroom and was looking around with a frown.
"Morishita-sensei's here," Waya muttered. "I was supposed to greet him when he arrived. He'll kill me if he finds out that Touya Meijin came and I didn't tell him. I'd better go." He smiled to himself, then at Hikaru. "I'll come back soon, okay? Then maybe we can find the rest of the group and start dancing, or enter in the costume contest."
"Waya!"
But Waya was already striding toward his teacher. Hikaru stood alone between the Go board and the sinister, flopping scarecrow.
"Hikaru," Sai began immediately. "Let's find someone to play Masked Go with! I think it would be fun."
Hikaru searched the mass of revelers for signs of people that he knew, frustrated with the turn of events that had left him feeling awkward. "Geez, two seconds ago you were scared of that Go board, and now you want to play a game?"
Sai didn't seem to hear him. "I think I'm starting to like Halloween," he mused, lifting his fan in reflection. "At least now that there's Go involved."
Hikaru opened his mouth to protest, but it snapped shut when a mysterious figure in a silky kimono slipped past him. Hikaru blinked. The boy was dressed in a stunning diamond pattern – the rich garment was more a declaration of wealth than a Halloween costume. An intricate Noh mask hid his features.
"It's the person that has a hat like mine," Sai exclaimed, watching him pass. Hikaru vaguely recalled in his haze something similar leaving Sai's mouth before. "He's dressed like a Noh performer. See his special fan?"
Sai babbled on in delight, and for a moment, Hikaru felt the same sensation of excitement rising in his own body. The boy's costume suggested a presence that expanded the longer one stared. Hikaru found that he was unable to follow Sai's passionate words about the art of Noh theatre and its unchanged convention.
"Noh has been the same for thousands of years," Sai was explaining, fanning himself eagerly as he kept his vision locked on the boy in costume. "It reminds me of my life at the palace."
The Noh performer ascended the stairs to the Go board, tabi socks caressing the floor beneath. Hikaru's heart caught in his throat as the boy positioned himself on his knees. His back was straight, and his posture as solid and unmoving as a work carved in stone.
"Hikaru," Sai whispered. "I think he wants to play Masked Go."
Hikaru swallowed. "A-am I supposed to play with him?"
Sai's smile was secretive, encouraging. "Why not? You're the only one here."
The Noh performer remained still as the grave, unaffected by the colored lights and noise of the Halloween party. Hikaru deliberated silently, until another prod from Sai caused him to mount the stairs. He quivered behind his goblin outfit as he positioned himself on the opposite mat.
S-Sai, Hikaru thought nervously, his hands like ice, I don't know if I'll be able to do this…
"Don't worry," Sai said softly. He leaned down to speak low into Hikaru's ear. "I think I've figured out the idea behind it."
The boy in the Noh outfit bowed low. The tip of his tall hat reached Hikaru's side of the board.
Hurry up and tell me, Hikaru pleaded, Before this guy eats me alive.
"It's no good to simply hide your face," Sai began, staring hard at the mask on Hikaru's opponent. "The placement of the stones is like a map into a player's heart. You'll need to disguise your own style and movement as well, to prevent your opponent from reading you. Such a rule makes Masked Go tricky to play."
Hikaru felt the sweat beading on his skin. This is going to be worse than I thought.
Sai was hardly swayed by Hikaru's anxiety. He tucked his hands into his sleeves. "Hikaru," he said coolly, "I will play every third hand, to help you hide yourself from this Noh player."
If you say so, Sai.
Hikaru bowed back, his vision never leaving the dark eye holes in the other boy's mask. He felt exposed, but when he reached for a container filled with stones, the desire to play Go surged through him. He steeled himself. Nothing else mattered now.
"Hikaru. Look at his floret."
Hikaru glanced at the black and orange ribbon. It formed a garish spot against the pattern of his opponent's diamond kimono. The Noh performer was a Pro.
But so was Hikaru, even if he had only recently passed the exam. Hikaru took a deep breath and removed the lacquered lid of the bowl to grab a handful of stones.
Sai's outburst nearly made him drop them all.
"The stones are orange!" Sai cried, aghast.
Hikaru squinted, unsure whether Sai's declaration was accurate. They were sitting under a blacklight, and the green of Hikaru's goblin costume reflected in odd hues as well. Yet a further glance told Hikaru that Sai was not wrong – rather than black and white, the Go stones were black and orange for Halloween.
"Weird," Hikaru exclaimed aloud. The Noh player glanced up sharply.
Hikaru sealed his lips shut while Sai flailed in a panic. "Hikaruuu, don't say anything! You'll give away the game with your voice!"
I don't think he heard me over the music, Hikaru said reassuringly. They counted stones. Hikaru claimed the orange set.
"You're both Pros," Sai observed, "And this game isn't being recorded because it's only for fun. There won't be any handicaps."
The Noh player placed his first black stone. Hikaru suppressed a groan as the idea of Masked Go hit him at last.
We're both Pros, but this guy could be a 7-dan or 8-dan, for all I know, and then I'm doomed!
"You'll be fine," Sai encouraged. "Place a stone."
Hikaru forced himself to focus. He put down a stone, taking comfort when it felt cool and smooth between his fingers. Almost immediately, the mysterious player across from him placed another. Hikaru retaliated thoughtfully, knowing that the game had barely been started.
When his turn came again, Sai stayed his arm.
"It's the third hand - my turn. Eleven four." His voice reverberated.
Hikaru placed the stone, and the Noh player paused.
Sai, what did you do?
Sai hid his grin behind his fan. "I threw off the pattern of your movement by picking an unexpected – but effective - position. Between the two of us, a style will emerge that is quite different from your own. It won't affect the Go, only make it harder for your opponent to read your personality. I've made it so that you yourself will still be able to see my thinking and make the following plays accordingly." He beamed.
Awe stilled Hikaru's hand for a long moment as Sai's strength entangled his mind. He barely noticed the black stone that found its way onto a threatening intersection. Finally, after some deep deliberation, Hikaru laid another orange piece. Fujiwara no Sai nodded in approval.
Back and forth they went, the goblin and the Noh actor, placing stones on a board that glowed with a surreal light. Hikaru could feel himself loosening slowly. His shoulders untensed; the steady motion of the game calmed his nerves. Sai's fan extended to point out positions when it came time for him to intervene; his dark hair slipped forward to sweep the rim of the bowl of stones.
"Nineteen fifteen, hiraki," the Heian era master directed. He remained silent until the black stones responded. Then he gasped.
Sai, what is it? Hikaru was loath to take his mind off the game, but he had noticed the wash of realization cloaking Sai's face. It worried him. Sai?
"Hikaru," Sai said in a hush, "This boy is an incredible player." He quickly schooled the expression of shock that graced his feminine features, and his eyes narrowed instead. "He hid his style for so long that I almost missed it completely."
An orange stone went down at Hikaru's bidding. Missed what? Are you saying that you recognize his style now, even though he's masking it?
"His ability to disguise his own playing while still maintaining the upper hand is astonishing. You should know his movements too, Hikaru. So far he has played with a strong cunning, but after my last move, it was impossible for him to hide any more."
Sai – be clear! You're making my head hurt.
"Your opponent is Touya Akira."
A brick dropped into the pit of Hikaru's stomach. He had to fumble not to open his mouth and release a disbelieving shout.
Wh-what? Touya? Don't be ridiculous, Sai! He risked a whisper from beneath his goblin mask. "As if Touya would waste his time playing games that don't count!"
Sai shook his head vigorously. "Look at the last play, Hikaru – Akira is the only one capable of making a move with that much foresight under pressure. That's the downside to Masked Go. As the game reaches its height, it becomes impossible for the players to conceal themselves if they truly want to win. He's giving his all against you and risking his identity in the process."
Hikaru's chest pounded with emotion. Touya, on the other side of the Go board? It seemed impossible, and yet…
"If we can tell that it's him, there's a chance that he knows you, too," Sai warned. "Because it's Akira, maybe he knew even sooner. Hikaru, you'll have to play carefully from now on."
Fear crawled up Hikaru's spine like a line of spiders. He glanced across at the painted Noh mask. It stared at him like the face of a corpse – sightless and foreboding. Even so, the player radiated calm; his fan tapped thoughtfully at the palm of one hand, and he reached for another black stone.
"Hikaru," Sai urged moments later. Hikaru realized he had been turned inward and failed to notice his turn. "It's your move."
It's not Touya, Hikaru decided, flexing his fingers experimentally when Sai protested. There's just no way.
He ignored the vexed manner in which Sai covered his face in disagreement.
Touya wouldn't be at a party like this, Hikaru stressed more vehemently. He slammed down another orange stone, regretting his action when the player in the Noh mask flinched.
He'd been working hard to catch up to Touya Akira in the world of the Pros. Were he to face Touya in a game, he would not have wished it to be a Masked Game, unrecorded and casual. Touya was too important for that.
"Sai," Hikaru whispered so that his opponent would not hear him, "Let me play the rest of the game by myself."
-- x --
Waya munched his third pumpkin cookie, grinning as Ochi ambled past in his clown costume. The short boy was struggling with his round red nose, fighting to keep it attached though it came loose at every step.
"Waya," came Isumi's voice over the quick tempo of the music, "Do you know where Shindo is?"
"I'm not sure," Waya said, swallowing his cookie thoughtfully and glancing around the dance floor. "I haven't seen him, now that you mention it. He's missing all the fun."
Isumi shuffled awkwardly in his cowboy boots and fidgeted with the fringe on his western-style vest. "I thought we might all go outside for some air," he said. "I don't like to dance much."
Waya shifted his vampire cape. "We could always go scare people," he volunteered.
Isumi brightened a little. "Actually, I hear there's a game going on in the staff room," he said. "Touya Meijin agreed to play Kuwabara-sensei in a casual Halloween match."
Waya snorted. "I'll bet Kuwabara bullied Touya Meijin into it," he said. "But you're right – Morishita-sensei told me about that game. After he chewed me out for earlier, that is. If we can find Shindo, we should invite him along to watch. It'd probably do him good."
Isumi scanned the crowd. "Is that him in the corner over there? He's a goblin, right?"
Waya followed Isumi's extended finger. "Yeah. Oh, he ended up playing a Masked Game with someone after all."
Isumi's eyes widened. "Shindo's playing Masked Go?"
"Looks like it." Waya headed to the refreshment table to pour himself some punch, and Isumi followed.
"But that's Touya Akira he's playing."
Waya spewed his drink across a plate of brownies. He swiped a hand over his mouth and prayed no one saw him do so. "Touya Akira?" he repeated in disbelief, coughing and sputtering like a madman.
"Yes," Isumi replied. "I talked to Morishita-sensei before you did, while you were still with Shindo earlier. He mentioned that Touya was here with his father. He supposedly came dressed as a Noh performer, and that's what it looks like from here." He shrugged. "A Noh actor and a goblin playing Go."
Waya searched for a napkin to wipe the excess punch from the side of his cup. "Good Lord," he said, "And Shindo doesn't even know he's playing him. What do you think he'd do if he knew he was facing his ultimate rival? He'd probably have a heart attack."
"I'm more concerned about Touya," Isumi exclaimed darkly, handing Waya another bunch of napkins. "If he can read Shindo, it may not be a good situation. He was very rude to Shindo the last time they came across each other at an event."
Waya monitored the dueling pair through narrowed eyes, not daring to move closer to observe. "We'll see," he told Isumi quietly. "We'll have to wait and see."
-- x --
Touya Akira tried hard to choke back the shock that clouded his movements. If he had possessed any doubt at the start of the game, all uncertainly was now dispelled.
The goblin sitting across from him was Shindo Hikaru.
Akira's breathing quickened. Shindo, Shindo in front of him, casually playing him in a Go match on Halloween night. Akira fought back waves of emotion. He thought he'd been hallucinating at the start of the game, when what sounded like Shindo's voice had drifted from below the goblin's nose. But now he was sure.
Akira wanted to writhe - he wanted to fling off Shindo's mask to study his face - but he knew he couldn't. He forced himself to remain composed.
Shindo placed another orange stone on the board, and Akira felt desire wash through him next. A second later, he contained it. There was no reason to get so worked up. The game was informal, unrecorded. It meant nothing, and Akira knew that.
He stretched forward, placing another black stone with his long, slender fingers. He strained to keep them from trembling. If it had not been for his father, Touya Kouyo, Akira would not have bothered to attend the Halloween celebration at all. He risked a glance at Shindo once more and thanked his lucky stars that he'd been given this chance to evaluate the other boy's skill level.
But what are you thinking, Shindo?
Akira furrowed his brow. Shindo's movements were erratic and random – poorly disguised by any normal standards in Masked Go – and yet they had somehow still done the job. It had been difficult for Akira to determine whether it was truly Shindo he faced. A pattern had emerged eventually though, one that had stunned Akira to his core. Every third move, Shindo placed a stone that threw the game in unexpected directions and veiled his style. It had been hard for Akira to keep up at first, but now he was in the lead, controlling the game and carefully monitoring every third move.
Still, something bothered him. Shindo was not playing like Shindo at all, not even like the internet "sai" that Akira suspected Shindo to be connected to. Yet somehow the familiarity still came through. Perhaps it was the shoddy playing before and after every third move that gave Shindo away, or perhaps the energy that flowed between them, but…
Akira's heart skipped a beat. He was afire with enthusiasm, and he wished it would stop. He had given up on Shindo Hikaru ages ago. When the boy survived the Pro preliminary exams, Akira had indeed felt a peculiar jolt of excitement, but that too had passed. It melted into the depths as it had time and time before, facing Shindo again and again only to be continually disappointed. Akira grimaced. The past spoke volumes, so why was he allowing himself to feel hopeful facing Shindo now?
You stir something within me, Shindo. I can't forget about you no matter what I do.
Shindo reached forward, a goblin's arm snaking out to put a threatening stone down on eight seventeen.
That move is so like you. Why are you showing yourself to me?
Akira responded with a speedy black stone to defend his territory. He watched Shindo pause, wondering whether Shindo could feel his presence. A part of him yearned for the game to pick up again, for Shindo to make a move that would turn the tables, but Akira knew it was hopeless. The game would end soon, and he would be its victor. Was Shindo playing seriously, or was this the true extent of his ability? Would it be any different if they were playing face-to-face in an unmasked game? Was Shindo finally worthy of being Akira's rival, or would he forever fall below, into the shadows where he posed no threat to Akira at all?
Why do you make me want to know you so badly, Shindo?
The answer was like a bird – it fluttered away on slight wings. Akira stared hard at the pattern of his kimono, feeling power radiate through the ancient Noh costume. Noh was nearly as old as Go, and he felt like all knowledge was at his disposal.
He would vanquish Shindo.
Akira ignored the bolt of pain that careened through him. There was no sense in drawing the game out. In a few more moves, Shindo would have no openings. He would resign, and Akira could leave. Perhaps he could watch the match between his father and Kuwabara-sensei.
Akira's intensity multiplied as he arranged his black stones on the board. Six seventeen to Shindo's last move, and nine eleven to counter the one after that. He bit his lip beneath his Noh mask as Shindo prepared to strike. Akira was ready for him – this was the third turn.
Shindo placed a stone that didn't fit with the pattern.
Akira froze. Disappointment and anger surged through him. It was not a bad move – in fact, it was a rather brilliant one – yet Akira could not help but wonder if he was being toyed with. Did Shindo know it was him? Why was he changing the pattern now, so close to the climax? This was Masked Go, this was a game of deception and cleverness, but Shindo's disguise was as see-through as stained glass.
Akira slammed down a stone and felt the tension rocket up his arm. He could sense Shindo's hesitancy. If Shindo had not seen his own demise a move ago, he would see it now, no matter what his strange objectives were. Shindo was going to lose.
It was over sooner than Akira had expected. He watched emotionlessly as Shindo bowed. The defeated words slipped from his lips.
"I resign."
Akira waited. It was customary for the loser to reveal his identity at the conclusion of a Masked Game, and to try to guess that of the winner. Akira did not have to ponder whether Shindo would be able to guess who he was. Shindo had no chance.
The goblin across from Akira shrugged. "I'm Hikaru," he said, "Shindo Hikaru, just turned Pro this year." And then he stopped. "But, you're…"
Akira held his breath. He realized then that some deep, hidden part of him yearned for Shindo to reveal him for who he was. He wanted Shindo to guess his identity – no, he craved it. He longed for the impossible, and yet, the hope that swelled him from the inside filled him to the brim, made him want to burst, to—
"I'm sorry," Shindo said, bringing a hand to the back of his head in embarrassment. "I don't know who you are."
Akira bit his tongue. Hard.
"You sure played well, though," Shindo added, collecting his festive orange stones to drop them back into their bowl. "I should get Waya to play you next." Akira didn't need to see Shindo's face to know his grin was apologetic. Shindo was just as disappointed as he was.
Without a word, Akira stood, careful to arrange the sleeves of his elegant Noh kimono so that they fell where they were supposed to. He would not allow himself to feel ruffled by the match. It didn't matter. It didn't count. He descended the steps from the haunting Go board, leaving Shindo Hikaru kneeling alone.
The burning in his eyes was nothing but a reaction born of his own foolishness.
-- x --
"Touya, I said," Sai was hollering in Hikaru's ear as the Noh performer walked away. "It was Touya! Why didn't you guess it was Touya when I told you to?"
Hikaru was sure he was getting a headache. He lifted the cumbersome goblin mask to glare directly at the flustered Heian Go player. "Because I told you, Sai – I don't think it was Touya at all!"
"Stupid Hikaru!" The yell nearly sent Hikaru bowling over backward.
Hikaru rubbed his ears, as they had begun to throb. "Come on, Sai. Even if I agreed with you, guessing Touya wouldn't have been fair, would it? It was you that figured it out, not me." Sai retreated into a far corner to pout next to the jangling skeleton.
Hikaru stared hard at the Go board. He'd cleared his stones, but his mystery opponent had left the black ones in place. Six seventeen, nine eleven… No matter which way Hikaru looked at it, he couldn't sense Touya.
"What if Touya wanted you to guess that it was him?" Sai called from his corner, waving his fan around uselessly. "Now he's going to hate you because you didn't—"
"Be quiet, Sai," Hikaru said suddenly. Something buzzed in his head, something louder than the Halloween music and the sound of voices and revelry. He narrowed his eyes at the stones that lay there, combing them for answers. At once, something seemed to fall into place.
The moves. They had been Touya's.
Hikaru sprung up from the mat, leaping down the triple stairs in the direction that the Noh performer had gone.
"Hikaru, wait for me," Sai cried frantically.
-- x --
Akira slammed his fist against the wall, knowing full well that no one would hear his growl of frustration in the empty hallway. He closed his eyes, seeking the control he so desperately needed. If only Shindo would leave his mind, just long enough for him to recompose his mask of indifference…
Fast footsteps rang down the corridor behind him, and Akira straightened. His teeth were gritted hard enough to crack, but he spread his Noh fan and ignored his discomfort. Here was not the place to unravel. He continued on his way.
"Hey, wait a minute!"
Akira was halted by a voice that he knew all too well. His heart leapt.
Shindo pounded up the hall to meet him, his goblin mask tucked under one arm. He panted, sucking in air with his hands resting on his knees as if he'd run at top speed in pursuit. Akira waited.
"Are you… Touya?" Shindo managed, breath coming in ragged gasps.
Akira's ability to speak evaporated at the sound of his own name.
Shindo plowed recklessly onward. "You are Touya, aren't you? Touya Akira!"
Akira's voice came back in a hoarse rush. "Sh-Shindo!" Then he clapped a hand to his mouth in horror, realizing he had spoken aloud and given away the game once and for all. He felt slightly faint.
"Hah!" Shindo burst out, "I knew it was you, Touya!"
Akira slowly removed his mask. Shindo's eyes alit with jubilant fire.
"Touya, what are you doing in a place like this?" he asked impishly. "You look like an old man in that Noh costume."
Akira felt his cheeks redden. "Easy for you to say, Shindo. Never mind my costume – your Go was terrible!" Disgust made his lip curl, but he tingled with a sensation like honey over cinnamon as Shindo's eyes met his.
"Terrible?" Shindo echoed, hands on his hips. He looked insulted. "You were scary, staring at me through your mask the whole time like that!"
"You can't blame me for lousy Go."
"Fine, then I'll blame the volume of the music!"
"Stop making excuses, Shindo!" Akira panted with the effort it took to yell back with as much energy as Shindo did. Then he went numb.
Shindo was laughing at him.
"I liked playing with you, Touya," Shindo said, and Akira's eyes flew wider than the pumpkin cookies he had been offered upon arrival. "I'm glad we got to play a game that wasn't serious."
Akira balled his hands. "All games are serious, Shindo!"
Shindo's grin expanded until it covered his entire face. "Maybe. Either way, I liked this one the best. It didn't—" He stopped. "It didn't feel like you hated me so much this time," he tried again, softer.
Akira's head reeled. "Hated you?" But Shindo didn't seem to take his response into account.
"I'm catching up to you, Touya," came the bold declaration. Shindo retreated back the way he had come. "So make sure to watch out for me during the Pro matches. I'll show you how well I can play, and we really will be rivals!"
Akira squeezed the fabric of his kimono until his knuckles turned white. He was sure the color was draining from his face as well, even as excitement coursed through him.
Rivals.
-- x --
Hikaru could hardly contain his good mood as he made his way down the hall, humming softly to himself. Sai walked a pace behind him as always, with his mouth hidden behind his fan.
"Hikaru," Sai asked, after allowing Hikaru to bask a while in his happiness. "When did you realize for yourself that it was Touya?"
Hikaru's arms came up to lock behind his head in an expression of self-content. "You said a map of a person's heart is in the stones, Sai," he reminded. Then he glanced back as if to drive his point home.
Sai's eyes were twinkling behind the fan. "Yes, I did say that."
"Well," Hikaru went on, "While I was looking at the stones, I felt it. Even the jumbled pattern of Touya's movements became clear. He was hiding, but he wanted me to find him, didn't he?" Hikaru gave Sai an expecting glance, and Sai averted his eyes delicately. "You knew that the whole time, Sai, didn't you?"
They made their way back to the door of the ballroom. Ogata waved with his cigarette hand, motioning Hikaru in again after he flashed his black and orange floret. Strains of music floated spooky and orchestral over groups of costumed heads, and Hikaru took it in with satisfaction, thinking with fondness of the special orange stones he'd used.
"Once I stopped thinking about the Go and the masks," Hikaru said, "I concentrated on the feeling. I could feel him, Sai. I could feel his energy flowing through me at every placement of the stones, like a message being sent right to me. It felt like Touya."
Waya and Isumi called out to Hikaru then, and Hikaru waved.
"Is that the power of Go between two players, Sai?"
"Perhaps," Sai revealed, low and thoughtful. "Or perhaps it's more. It could be the power of Go between two perfect rivals."
Hikaru met Sai's profound look with a quizzical one.
"If you don't believe that," Sai said instead, a smile playing about his painted lips, "Then maybe it was the haunted Go board on Halloween night that gave you the strange impression."
A/N: Yes, this Halloween fic is late, I know. I didn't get the idea until midnight on Halloween itself, which is why. I have a few other apologies to make too. I wrote this during English and History (out of sight of my professors), and by the time I got it typed out, I was utterly brain dead. Hence, I am sorry for typos/mistakes due to rushing and carelessness. If I ever have the time, I'll aim to fix those things.
Lastly, this is my first foray into the realm of Hikaru no Go, so I'm sorry if characters seem OOC, etc. I could use some critical feedback. I'm glad I got to write this, though. I fell completely in love with Hikaru no Go recently, and I've been waiting for something appropriate to pop up and give me a chance to test the waters. Guess this was it!
Happy (late) Halloween! Hope you all enjoyed this. xP