Authors Note: I re-posted all the chapters for these story because of some mistakes on the Japanese terms. At the beginning I wasn't planning to put any but this story was written almost at the same time as Twist of Fate, my other story and I didn't upload it for the a long time. When I decided to do so. I forgot to check the chapters and posted it up. Anyways these mistakes are not done of purpose and I am sure the Japanese people are very understanding. Even I make mistakes when writing in English. It is not like I wanted it to happen. We are humans after all and we make mistakes :) Anyways, there isn't any major changes in the chapters. Just some changes in the Grammar and Japanese terms. Though I am not sure if I managed to spot everything.

Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no GO

Chapter 1: Meeting

Fujisaki Akari had become a first year high school student. Her hair was now long tied up in a ponytail with a yellow bubble hair tie. She rushed up the stairs from the underground train station and into the crowded street.

Her school backpack hung loosely on her right shoulder. Her uniform consists of a dark blue blazer with white collared button blouse inside, a black and white checkered skirt were slightly disarray. Two top buttons were undone showing off her nicely shaped collarbone.

Even it was early on a Monday morning in Tokyo, the pavement was crowded with working people and students. Cars were honking and the road was packed. It was late April and spring time. The air was still cold exemplifying that winter was gone not too long ago.

She ran on dodging people along her way when she realized a jpop music Everlasting Snow by DRM was ascending from the pocket of her school uniform. With one free hand she reached into her pocket and flipped out a red cell. She was late and she knew her friends were all waiting.

(Everlasting Snow by Dream is the cover song for the Hikaru no Go Movie anime special: Road to Hokuto Cup. If I am not mistaken it was also in the anime but I can't remember which episodes.)

"I'm coming!" She exclaimed without hesitating as soon as she answered. "I'm only 10 minutes away!"

With only that statement she hung up and continued to pursue towards her destination.

"Akari-chan!" Someone shouted.

The high school girl with long burgundy hair turned and saw her best friend waving from a car. She smiled at the sight. Akari dashed towards the car parked at the side of the road waiting for her. Her best friend Tsuda Kuniko who was wearing the same uniform was gesturing for her to come into the car.

"I'm glad we saw you!" Kuniko said to Akari when she entered the car.

"Ohayo Kuniko-chan." Akari managed to take in huge breaths as she spoke. "Ohayo obasan!

(Ohayo [おはようご]: Morning)

(Obasan [おばさん]: Older woman or aunty)

"Ohayo, slept in a little too long Akari-chan?" Kuniko's mother asked good-naturedly.

"I've only slept like 3 hours!" Akari explained and yawned. "I slept through my alarm clock. It was a lucky thing I woke up later and had just enough time to get ready."

"What were you doing up late at night?" Kuniko's mother exclaimed surprised.

"I was preparing the presentation for today's English class." Akari pulled out a piled of nicely typed assignment from her bag and hand it over to Kuniko. "The information that Mitani-kun gave me was insufficient. I was up all night trying to get more information on the net. I hope it will turn out alright."

"This is good Akari-chan." Kuniko said after scanning through the pages. "Wait till Kaneko-san hear about what Mitani-kun did. She will hit him on the head."

Akari chuckled. "It's alright I already suspected what Mitani-kun will do." She had buttoned her blouse and was busy trying to put on her red bow tie before they arrive at school.

Soon the high school Akari and her friends were accepted into loomed before her as the car drew closer. The wall next to the grill gate had the name of their school engraved on it - Tokyo Gakkan Urayasu High School.

Miles away GO Institute

The room was so quiet that anyone could hear a pin drop. The clock on the nearby wall ticks softly, while everyone in the room was concentrating hard on their GO game. Shindou Hikaru sat on the last two rows of the game hall. Whilst, four rows away from Hikaru sat Touya Akira.

Even they were far apart. Their game proceeds in a fast and steady pace. No one had even gone half way through the game, Shindou Hikaru and Touya Akira had already gone way ahead of their opponents. There wasn't even chance for them to reverse their bad situation. Both their opponents bowed their head in defeat and surrendered.

"Arigatou." Hikaru and Touya bowed. (Arigatou [ありがとう]: Thank You)

They got up together after they put away their GO stones into the GO-ke.

"Going anywhere today Shindou?" Touya asked while they were outside the room wearing their shoes.

"Nope." Hikaru shook his head. "Maybe I will go grabbed some ramen for lunch."

"Drop by my salon when you are done." Touya told him.

"Join me for ramen and we will go there together later." Hikaru told him.

Touya sighed softly. "You know I don't really like ramen."

"Come on…"Hikaru urged on. "It's boring eating alone."

Touya sighed and nodded. They walked towards the lift when Hikaru suddenly cried out which surprised Touya. He turned to Hikaru with rather wide eyes and watched Hikaru then took out his cell from his jeans pocket.

"I almost forgot that I promised to call Akari when I'm done." Hikaru explained. "We hadn't been meeting for two weeks and we live next door. Looks like l finished in time, she should be having her break now."

Touya remained silent and only watched while Hikaru pressed a speed dial number on his phone that was reserved for Akari. He could barely remember the girl. He thought he might have seen her a couple of times before when they were in junior high but he couldn't remember when or how they met or even how she looked like anymore. Had it been almost maybe two years? Touya wasn't sure either.

"Yo…" Hikaru spoke over the phone while the lift arrived. "I hope it's alright to call now. It should be your lunch break… right?"

Tokyo Gakkan Urayasu High School

"Yeah, so how was the game today…?" Akari smiled through the phone. She was glad that Hikaru remembered to call. He always forgets. "That's great! So you will be receiving more DANS now …"

Her friends watched Akari while she talked. They were all eating their Bento together in the classrooms near the window that overlooked the large field. Kuniko was grinning cheekily while Kaneko smiled. Mitani looked bored but rather knowingly at Akari. As soon as she hung up they were all watching her closely.

"What?" Akari looked back at her rather inquisitive friends with rather wide eyes.

"Your hubby called?" Kuniko asked her mischievously.

"He is not my hubby." Akari rolled her eyes. "We had been friends since childhood."

"Right childhood friends and now boyfriends and girlfriends." Kaneko pushed on.

"Then the wedding bells ring!" Kuniko sang.

Mitani scoffed and rolled his eyes at the girls' conversation. He was wondering why on earth was he there with them. But it had been a habit for him now since junior high when they were always together during GO club sessions. It was amazing that all of them managed to get into the same school again and moreover the same class too.

Akari ignored them and continued with her lunch. It was true that she had always been with Hikaru since they were kids. It somehow had been like a routine that she follows him everywhere. Somehow their distance developed when he became an Insei and now a Professional GO player. They hadn't been seeing each other very often. Even when they meet it was always like another routine going shopping or eating in his favourite ramen restaurant. They really looked like a perfect couple.

Akari could only smile softly to herself about being a perfect couple. The truth was Hikaru had never asked her to be his girlfriend. She had never asked him to be her boyfriend either. They seemed like they just click automatically and knowingly what to do or be. Somehow Akari was rather unsure. She had always looked only at Hikaru and no one else. Her life had always been around him but somehow those years apart had made her think. Those unspoken words and thoughts had become uncertainties. She wondered what Hikaru actually thought about her. Was she just a responsibility because they had known each other for so long, had it become a routine to him? Are these feelings really called love? If this was called love it was far from what Akari had thought it would be. She always thought that being in love would make one feels fussy, light headed or whatever excitement there might be in love... or was there?

As years went by they were coded the perfect couple and somehow it seem to fit by appearance. It was what everyone said and she believed it since she was with him for as long as she could remember. Her train of thoughts was interrupted when two girls suddenly squealed with excitement over an article they were reading from the teenage magazine. Everyone from Akari's table turned to look at those girls whom were giggling now.

"What was the fuss about?" Mitani mumbled rather furious at the sudden outburst that surprised him. "Can't there be a little peace around? I want some sleep..."

Kuniko stifled her giggle "You were sleeping the whole morning in class anyways. So what do you even need sleep now?"

"Part time job..." Mitani yawned. "Late night... need money..."

Without more explanations he lay his forehead down on his arms crossed on his desk in a huff.

"Well, I'm sorry we disturbed your beauty sleep." One of those girls said obviously offended at what Mitani had said. "Besides, it is lunch break."

Mitani peeped up at those girls again and went back to sleep without another word.

The girl who spoke sulked and held up the magazine they were reading.

"Besides you know one of this guys here don't you?" She said haughtily. "We heard you talking over the phone with him!"

The two girls were looking at Akari. She was rather wide eyed when she stared back at them. She had her chopstick with a tamagoyaki clipped on it halfway in the air because she stalled at their statement. She stared at the magazine the girl held up at her.

(Tamagoyaki [たまごやき]: Japanese fried egg roll that is usually sweet)

"Huh?" She was rather bewildered. "Me…?"

The girl pointed to a picture in the magazine. There were two pictures, one of Hikaru and Touya in the same page. She pointed towards Hikaru.

"You know him don't you?" She asked.

"Er… we are friends…" Akari answered rather slowly as she scanned through the article. It was about their GO skills in the professional level and how they are role models for teens their age. Akari already knew without having to read that article. She finally looked up back at the girl. "What about him?"

"They are now the most popular teenage boys our age in the GO world." The girls told them. "Beside Touya Akira is so cool!"

"I think Shindou Hikaru is better!" Another girl argued.

Akira's friends all raised an eyebrow at those girls.

Akira raised both her eyebrows at them and then back at the picture of Touya. The picture showed him playing a game in the GO room with one of the higher DAN GO professionals. His face was serious as he stared on the goban solemnly full of concentration. As for Hikaru the picture was taken while he was in an interview with one of the reporters. She blinked slightly. Hikaru had changed so much as she watched his serious face. She knew that when she talked to him one evening after school during junior high. He had decided not to proceed with his high school and concentrate only on GO. Since it was like a professional job he was allowed to forgo his studies.

"Touya Akira is more admirable." The girl who thinks Touya was cooler retort in returned. "He decided to go High School even though he doesn't need to anymore. He is a school role model for his good grades and also throughout Japan teens!"

"Even Shindou Hikaru decides not to go high school he is climbing really fast in the GO DAN examinations!" The other girl debated. "I heard he never lost any games!"

"Neither did Touya Akira!" The other girl cried.

"Whao!" Akari cut in at their heated quarrel. "Both of them have their special qualities!"

The girls snorted at one other and turned away from each other but still remained with Akari and her friends by the table. Akari almost laughed at their childish manner. But they were really cute.

She looked down at the magazine again and studied Hikaru's picture, then at Touya's… Somehow, Touya intrigued her. Hikaru had talked about him sometimes during their dates and she only knew him by the stories Hikaru told her. She knew Touya was talented. He had started GO at a very young age and no one in his age could be in par with him. Somehow he seemed lonely.

Personally Akari couldn't remember much about Touya except the couple of times he came to look for Hikaru during junior high in school. During those short meetings she only remembered vaguely that they did talked only once maybe for a few seconds. She could barely remember what they were talking about either. Maybe it was asking where he could find Hikaru.

Touya Akira, Akari pondered over him as she stared at his serious face. Every time she sees him in person which was years ago or now in magazines, she had never seen him smiled before. Somehow she wondered how would he be like if he did smile...

I want to see... Akari thought silently when she wondered about Touya smiling.

Her thoughts came to a halt when the girls started talking again.

"Anyways I'm Matsumoto Keito." The girl who admired Touya introduced herself. "This is my friend since Junior High Natsuki Hana."

"Fujisaki Akari," Akari raised her hand. "Tsuda Kuniko, Kaneko Masako and Mitani Yuuki."

Akari's friends raised their hands as they were introduced, except Mitani who grunted in reply.

"So," Natsuki Hana cried excitedly. "You really know Shindou Hikaru?"

"Well…" Akari smiled slightly. "Our parents were like schoolmates and then they lived next door. So I know him since we are young."

"Do you think we can meet?" Natsuki asked. "Please let me know if we can."

"Well, he had been really busy lately." Akari laughed. "We lived next door and I barely even see him."

"Do you think you can make up a group meeting where I can meet Touya too?" Matsumoto asked. "I mean we can do like a weekend group together or something like that."

"Er… I don't know Touya-kun so I wonder if he is alright with it." Akari said rather slowly. "But I'll ask Hikaru when I meet him…"

The girls rather downcast but either way they pulled up a nearby chair and sat with Akari's group. They continued chatting about Touya and Hikaru. Akari listened to their views rather amused and she made two new friends in High School while Mitani groaned inwardly because in his case he had met another two new chatty girls.

GO Salon

"Don't you both get tired of bickering all the time?" Ichikawa asked while she brought tea for the both of them who were taking deep breaths as she speaks." It had been almost two years now that you both played GO together and still…"

"It just makes the game more interesting." One of the older guests laughed at the teens.

"He just doesn't listen." Touya mumbled softly and agitatedly.

"What do you mean by that?" Hikaru was ready to start another argument.

However a ringing tone from Touya's slacks stopped the boys. He reached down to get his cell out his pants. It was his mother calling asking him to return home early tonight because his father had returned from his trip.

"Well, looks like we have to continue this game the next day." Touya told Hikaru. "There is no match for me tomorrow so I'm going to school we will meet around four pm."

"I don't know why you bother to go school." Hikaru said while cleaning up his go stones. "Since we are exempted from it I see no point going. We keep missing classes because of the matches."

"I like school." Touya answered rather indifferently. "The teachers in school keep me posted with subjects and projects I miss."

"Teacher's pet." Hikaru scoffs rather jokingly.

"No," Touya got up from his chair forcefully indicating that he really needed to go. "I just don't want to fall behind in school. It is important to me just as much as GO is."

Without any more delay Touya left the salon swiftly. Hikaru took a deep breath and finally wondered if Akari was free to meet him then. He took out his phone and called. He went into her voice mail immediately. Right she should be on her way for her part time job. She always have bad connection in the train station. With a sigh he got up and left the salon too. Maybe Waya will be free to have a game with him now.

At the train station after school hours...

"I really have to go now." Akari said over the phone. She was running down the stairs to the platform. "The train's coming. I don't get good reception when I'm underground."

Akari put away her mobile quickly as the train sped pass blowing her long hair that she now tied in a pony tail with a yellow bubble hair tie. She held her hand over her head to stop the wind from messing her hair but with no avail.

"Darn..." She whispered to herself pulling off the hair tie so that she can redo her ponytail.

Finally the train came to a halt and as soon as the doors open passengers started to get out. Akari moved slightly to let the crowd move out while she held the bubble hair tie in her mouth and holding her ponytail in one hand as the other trying to brush her hair out using her fingers. As she was in the middle of her task, someone from the train suddenly ran out and knocked onto her. She gasped at the sudden impact and dropped her hair tie, plus letting go of her hair.

Due to that sudden push Akari lost her footing and fell onto someone behind her. The person supported her from falling any further. The man who had pushed Akari had ran off into the crowd and disappeared.

"That was rude!" Akari exclaimed turning towards the direction of that man had gone and that was when she felt a pull of her hair. "Ow!" Her head jerked back.

"Daijoubu?" A rather deep voice behind told Akari that it was a boy that she had knocked into. "Don't move so much it will get worst."

(Daijoubu [大丈夫] : Ok/ Alright. It can be used as a casual question to ask someone if one is all right. It can also be use as a statement to tell others one is fine or ok)

"Ah!" Akari turned around and felt the pull of her hair again."Ow..."

That was when she came really close face to face with Touya Akira. Akari's eyes widened at her encounter. Shouldn't he be playing GO with Hikaru now? That was what Hikaru told her that they practice GO together after school hours.

"Gomen nasai!" Akari quickly exclaimed and turn away. "I lost my footing when..." (Gomen nasai [ごめんなさい]:I am sorry.)

"It is ok, it wasn't your fault." Touya replied since he saw the whole incident. "Your hair... "

Akari blushed then. Even she had her back towards him they were standing pretty close. Besides that her hair got tangled around one of the buttons of Touya's shirt and he was trying his best to get it untangled. She couldn't help but noticed how good looking Touya actually was.

Akari could tell that Touya didn't remember her and she felt rather despondent about it. But she couldn't blame him. They had only maybe met once or twice during junior high and they barely even spoke to one another. Besides she remembered him because he was famous and she wasn't.

However, Akari didn't dwell long in her thoughts when the announcement stating that the doors were closing.

"Oh no..." Akari jerked away from Touya again.

"Ah... wait..." Touya exclaimed still unable to get Akari's hair off his button.

Then there was a crack heard...

Both of them looked down and saw Touya stepped onto Akari's bubble hair tie. The bubble was crushed under his shoes...

"Ah?" They said in unison.

'The door is closing'

Akari's attention went back to the train and finally the door closed. Not long the train was starting to move again.

"This is not good..." Akari sighed in defeat, her hair still stuck around the button of Touya's shirt. "I'm going to be late for work."

"Sorry..." Touya muttered softly looking down at the broken bubble hair tie.

"Ah?" Akari turned back to Touya. "Don't worry about the hair tie. It is a pretty old and I was thinking of changing it anyways."

After a minute of struggling with Akari's hair, at last it came off and Touya knelt down to pick up the hair tie. The broken yellow bubble lay on the floor in pieces. He passed the tie without the bubble back to Akari.

"I will compensate for that." Touya told her.

"You don't have to, Touya-kun." Akari smiled at him.

Touya blinked wondering if he knew her and she laughed softly.

"You may not remember me." Akari explained. "I'm Hikaru's childhood friend, Fujisaki Akari."

That was a realization cross his face and a sudden warmness wash over Akari. What was this feeling anyways? Somehow it felt rather nice when she found that Touya might not recognized her but remembered her by name.

"Erm... I really have to go." Akari looked down her watch. "Or I will be really be late for my part time job. Since I miss the train there is a bus I can catch a block around here. If I hurry I may be able to catch that..."

"The hair tie..." Touya called after her when she was about to leave.

"Don't worry..." Akari held up the tie with a smile and tied her hair back into a ponytail. "I can still use this and like I said before it was pretty old. It was from a summer festival like say five years ago. It is no longer in fashion..."

Touya blenched and Akari's eyes widened with surprised at his expression.

"Eh?" Akari blinked.

"That will mean I might not be able to get the same one back for you. " Touya looked dismayed.

He looked so down over something so small... Akari thought silently. He seemed like a pretty decent guy even though he always looked so solemn.

"You know, you really don't have to Touya-kun." Akari quickly tried to convince him that it was actually something insignificant. "It is fine really."

"But..."Touya frowned slightly still looking troubled.

"See the tie still looks good!" Akari grinned and turned her head slightly to let him see her ponytail. Then in a more uncertain voice she continued. "Ano...Touya-kun, my part time job starts in fifteen minutes so I'm very sorry I have to run. I will see you around...!"

With that Akari turned and ran off. She didn't want to be late for her part time job. Somehow after telling Touya that she will see him around, she wondered if she will again. It was such a surprise that she managed to bump into him by coincidence. It was not an everyday occurrence. She turned around slightly to see Touya watching her run off into the crowd until they both lost sight of each other.

In the evening...

Down the lonely neighbourhood, Hikaru walked home from the bus stop. He had stopped by Waya's place for a few games of GO before he decided to get home for dinner. The sun was setting in the distance giving the sky orangey reddish look. While walking alone, a familiar figure not far from him made him smile slightly. He picked up his phone and pressed the most used number on his cell…

Akari was hurrying home after her part time job when her cell rang. She got it out and answered.

"Hikaru? What's up?"

"Well, just finished some games with friends." He answered rather nonchalantly. "I was wondering to the same person walking home alone at this hour."

"How did you…?" Akari turned around to see Hikaru only a few feet from her and she smiled. "How often is it that we actually meet like this coincidently?"

"Well, Touya had to leave early today so that's why I'm here." Hikaru shrugged. They hung up together and walked on side by side.

"Oh I wanted to call you but I was slightly late for work. I saw him today in the train while I was on my way to work." Akari said while waving her cell in her hand. "He didn't really remember me though."

"I'm not surprise; he never really met you before." Hikaru answered and saw the difference of Akari's hair tie. "What happened to your hair tie?"

"Oh…" Akari touched her ponytail lightly. "Erm… the bubble kind of broke but the tie is still usable…"

"It is pretty old after all." Hikaru said rather thoughtfully. "Almost since elementary school…?"

"Yeah…" Akari answered slowly letting her hands fall to her side after patting her ponytail. "Maybe it's a sign telling me to get a new one…"

Hikaru laughed. "Yeah maybe… you wore it as soon as I gave it to you. Even then your hair was still short."

"It was a gift from you." Akari touched her hair lightly.

Hikaru smiled slightly at her statement. Akari had always been there for him no matter what happened. She was rather supportive and was always helping him. She had always treasured small little things he had given her all her life. He was glad that he met her after all. Maybe when they were younger he might have thought she was a nuisance in his life. She was always following him and always doing whatever he did. But now that he thought about it, he realized that Akari might have only wanted to understand him better.

"So how are Sunday GO classes going for you?" Hikaru asked.

"Well, I think I am getting slightly better than before…" Akari chuckled to herself. "At least I don't move the GO stone away from getting captured anymore."

Hikaru laughed. He remembered that day he tried to teach her. He got so angry at her for moving the stones. He recalled many episodes of squabbles and arguments he had with her. Even he never treated her well; after their disputes she always comes back to him. No matter what happened Akari had always followed him and looking only at him. It was like they were just meant to be without needing for words. Somehow he was sure that Akari felt the same way or she wouldn't be always there for him. He knew that he was lucky in some way.

In a quiet Japanese traditional residential prefecture, one of the biggest houses in the area, Touya had finally gotten home. He was putting away his jacket when his mother came to greet him.

"Okaerinasai Akira-kun." She welcomed him warmly. (Okaerinasai [おかえりなさい]: Welcome home)

"Tadaima okasan, when did otousan came back?" (Tadaima okasan [ただいま, お母さん]: I am home Mother) (Otousan [お父さん]: Father)

"Not too long ago." She answered. "He had just gone to get a bath and changed. Maybe you should too. Dinner will be served shortly."

"Hai…" Touya replied and started towards his room.

Usually, his mind would be preoccupied with his GO games but somehow that evening he couldn't forget meeting Fujisaki Akari again. It was obvious that he had not remembered how she looked like. But somehow he felt that Akari remembered him. Probably it might be the way she was talking to him.

So this is the girl that Shindou always talked about and always calling after his GO games. He thought to himself. She looked like any ordinary girl who was rather kind.

Feeling uneasy that he had broken her hair tie he knew that he wouldn't rest until something is done about it…

tsuzukeru... (to be conitnued)