Disclaimer: Hikaru no Go is the copyright of Hotta Yumi and Obata Takeshi, Shueisha and TV Tokyo, This is a fanfiction and is not to be used for commercial purposes.

Hikaru's Student

By Ching Mak (ching_mak@hotmail.com)

Translated and edited by Kinny Riddle

Beta-read by Hieronymus (hieronymus@sbcglobal.net)

Translator's foreword: This fanfic is my first post on FF.N, it's translated with permission from the Chinese fanfic by the hilarious Ching Mak. If you can read Chinese, I strongly recommend you to read the original fanfic found in his website. It contains various Hikaru no Go and Hunter X Hunter fanfics and fancomics. Special thanks to Hieronymus for beta-reading this fic.

Notes: Italics mean the character is thinking the sentence instead of speaking them out, as well as sound effects.

Chapter 1: Sai Reincarnated?

   It has been many years since Shindo Hikaru met Sai in his dreams and received his fan, and now he has just defeated Kurata to win his second title, and his strength now matches his rival, Touya Akira. These two are known as the Twin Dragons of Go in Japan, with Hikaru being the Black Dragon and Akira being the White. (Go watch Hayo Miyazaki's Spirited Away and you'll know why.) Currently, Hikaru works part-time as a teacher in various Go classes for children, including being assistant teacher to the Inseis and sponsors many children Go tournaments. Hikaru is usually seen playing with different children in these tournaments, and he does this all for one purpose: to find out if Sai has reincarnated. For many years, he had wished that Sai was reincarnated so that he could meet him again. His apartment is full of books with kifus about Honinbo Shusaku, it's like a mini Shusaku library, he even had custom made Sai dolls and a portrait of Sai, drawn by an artist hired by Hikaru who described Sai's features for him.

………………………………….

One afternoon, as Hikaru returns home after work in the Go Association, he saw a young girl eating ice cream at the corner and didn't pay much attention. When he turned around to look at the girl, he was suddenly shocked and just stood there staring at her. For the girl had long dark hair, and she looked exactly like Sai; however, she was much shorter than Sai.

   Hikaru thought to himself, "Could she be…Sai? I just had a strange feeling that this girl is Sai reincarnated. There's only one way to find out."

   As Hikaru walks slowly towards the girl, the girl also notices Hikaru's presence, and turned around to see a man with a weird smile approaching her. Hikaru saw her looking at him and smiled at her, "Hey! What's a little girl doing here alone in the streets? Would you like a present? How about some sweets? Or maybe dolls? Or even board games?" To the bystander, Hikaru would sound completely like a perverted sicko, which was the conclusion the girl reached.

   "I'm waiting for my dad to fetch me home after piano lessons. Who are you anyway? Are you one of those bad men who kidnap little girls and do bad things to them?"

Hikaru: "NO! Of course not! It's just that, I want to play a game of Go with you, because I know you're born with a talent in the game."

Girl: "Can you tell whether someone is talented in Go just by their appearances? I don't believe you!"

Hikaru: "Look, I only need to play a game with you, and then I'll buy anything you want. I promise!"

Girl: "But dad told me not to accept anything from strangers."

Hikaru: "I'll buy you a year's worth of Jump!"

Girl: "Really?! OK! I'll go with you, but you must keep your promise!"

Hikaru: She sure agrees quickly. "I know of a Go Salon nearby, it belongs to my friend's father, why don't we go there? Oh, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Shindo Hikaru, a Go professional, what's your name?"

Girl: "My name's Kishimoto Sae."

Hikaru: She even has a similar name to Sai…could this be fate? But where have I heard of Kishimoto before?

Girl: "My dad finishes work in about an hour, so I gotta go back to my waiting place by then."

   After a while, they arrived at Akira's Go Salon. After greeting with Ichikawa, who still works there, they went to a quiet corner. As Hikaru sits down, he asks, "Have you ever played Go before?"

Sae: "Nope! This is my first time. There's a Goban in my living room, but my dad doesn't allow me to play. He said he was too into Go, and as a result couldn't get into Tokyo University."

Hikaru: "I see…Anyway! I'm sure you'll fall in love with the game once you play it. Let's start with an even game, you use white! Just place the stones wherever you like!"

   And so Hikaru gave Sae a brief explanation of Go and started playing right away. In the beginning, Sae seems to be copying Hikaru's moves, and Hikaru showed signs of disappointment, but as the game progresses, he started to realize something was happening. "She's placing them in places where Sai would normally place them, could she have been affected by her previous life's memories?"

   Upon entering mid-game, Hikaru was even more amazed. "Even though this is her first time playing, she has started to stop me connecting. Even if she isn't Sai reincarnated, she definitely is a Go prodigy!" Even though this was a Shidou-Go* game, and Hikaru had held his strength back, Sae doesn't show any signs of being at a disadvantage. The game remained even. It was at this moment Hikaru placed a critical stone, and thought, "There is only one way out of my formation. If she really is Sai, she will place it where I think she'll place it." Pachi! Sae elegantly placed a stone on the board right on the spot where Hikaru was watching, and then she waited for Hikaru's turn.

   "It's your turn now!" She said impatiently after waiting for a while, but as she looked up, she saw tears flowing from Hikaru's eyes.

   "Shindo-nisan…?"

   Hikaru was completely moved to tears. "It's him! She is Sai reincarnated! Just by seeing her play, no! Just by her appearance, I knew she is definitely Sai!" After more than an hour or so, the game finished with Hikaru winning by a large margin.

Hikaru: (looks at clock) "Damn! It's past seven already, looks like I'll have to buy your manga another day."

Sae: "It's alright. Man, that sure was a fun game, now I know why dad was so into it. But I still lost by ten and a half moku…"

Hikaru: "Haha…well, that's only Shidou-Go, but to be able to count the territory in your first game is amazing enough. We should play more often."

Sae: "Why is it I have a feeling that I've played with you before even when this is my first game?"

Hikaru: There's no doubt she is Sai…

   When they walked back to Sae's waiting place, Sae's father was already there waiting impatiently, worrying where his daughter has gone off to. Sae immediately ran towards him, "Dad! I'm here!"

Sae's dad: "Sae, where have you gone off to? (Sees Hikaru) Shindo??"

Hikaru: "Do you know me? You must have read Weekly Go."

Sae's dad: "Don't you remember me at all?! I'm Kaio's first captain in the Junior High Go Tournament! You played with me before!"

Hikaru: "You?! (Shocked) You're Sae's father?"

Kishimoto: "Ever since I quit becoming an Insei, I concentrated on my studies. But it was too little too late, and as a result I couldn't get into Tokyo University. So now I'm stuck with this job as a petty sales clerk. Anyway, what are you doing here with my daughter?"

Hikaru: "Oh, I went to play a game of Go with her. Look, your daughter is a born Go genius, you gotta let me tutor her one-on-one. Let her come to my place to play everyday, let her…"

   POW! The next thing Hikaru knew was that he was beaten by Kishimoto's fist and fell on the ground. "I never want to hear about this stupid game anymore, and you better leave my daughter out of this! Let's go home, Sae!" As they walked away, Hikaru slowly crawled up, thinking, "Just you wait. I WILL get Sae to be my student, then I'll have her wear a Heian costume and carry a fan, and have her sweep the Go world! MWA-HAHAHAHA!!!!!"

………………………………….

   And so, day after day, Hikaru is seen lurking around Kishimoto's house, only to be chased away by Kishimoto's baseball bat. But still Hikaru lurked in the shadows, refusing to go away until he has met Sae.

   One night, as Hidaka (Kishimoto's wife, former girls' first captain at Kaio) opened the curtains she saw someone sinister standing behind a lamppost. She turned to her husband and said, "That stalker still won't go away, I thought you've called the police to chase him away already."

Kishimoto: "What can the police do? Charge him for loitering? Don't worry! He's a title-holder, soon the media will get hold of this incident."

Hidaka: "I don't care! Just call the cops already! He's freaking me out!"

   In the following week, Hikaru's face can not only be seen on the cover of Weekly Go, but also on all the major tabloids.

GO TITLE HOLDER IN PEDOPHILE SCANDAL

   The holder of two Go titles, Shindo Hikaru 9-dan, is currently being investigated by police in a stalking incident. Police sources have reported that Shindo has been harassing the household of a 9-year-old girl in the name of giving her Go lessons. The incident has shocked many parents who sent their kids to Shindo's Go classes for children. They are now boycotting lessons and urging other parents to not enroll their kids into his class. There are already calls for his resignation from the Go Association. So far the Japan Go Association and Shindo himself has refused to comment on the situation.

   In a dark room in the Go Association building, Hikaru is being interrogated by the Go Association officials and tournament sponsors concerning the "stalker incident".

Go Association official: (Throws the tabloid at Hikaru, in which Hikaru coolly avoids) " Do you know how embarrassing this incident is to the Go Association? You and Touya are labeled as the Go world's 'Twin Dragons', we even printed posters and calendars of you two! Do you know how much female Go fans we're gonna lose because of this incident?"

Sponsor: "If this gets any worse, we'll just have to cancel our contract with you on your merchandise, including that 'Sai's Hand of God kifu collection'."

Hikaru: That book never really sold well anyway, thanks to you guys. "What did I do wrong? I just found out about her talent in Go and wished to tutor her."

Official: "Well her parents don't agree and you shouldn't trouble yourself with it anymore. So stay away from that girl! If there's anymore news concerning this 'stalker incident', we will have no choice but to expel your membership and ban you from all tournaments."

   After the interrogation, Hikaru walks home, still felling pissed off. "They just don't understand, if Sae doesn't play Go, then it'll be a great loss to the Go world. Anyway, if she really is Sai, she will know the fun of playing Go and will eventually find a way to play without her parents knowing. Sooner or later, she'll be begging to see me. Just you guys wait."

To be continued…

Note:

Shidou-Go – Teaching Go