Edit 1
Whoops I realized I got the name of the Young Lions Tournament wrong. It's Wakajishi-sen ^^; What I had before was just plain Lions Tournament. I also fixed the spelling for Hikaru's name.
By the way, anything to do with the last day of the Hokuto Hai/North Star Cup refers to the events in my previous fic 'A Path To Walk With You' where Akira is consoling Hikaru over his two losses (blatant self-promo? oh well ^^).
Edit 2
Another mistake. Hikaru and Akira met in the second round ^^; I've changed a few things to fit that *sigh* I never really was good at reading japanese.
*sound effect*
'character's thoughts'
"character's speech"
--quote--
*Pachi*
The Wakajishi-sen... It certainly bought back memories. The last time he'd played in it, Sai was still with him, looking over his shoulder with that smile of his. No, he corrected himself, Sai was still with him, in his games... always.
'Please watch, Sai, the shadow of your Go in my own. Even though you're no longer here in body or spirit, I will show my opponents that you existed, through my games. And... I owe it to Touya...'
*Pachi*
Hikaru frowned. He could see what Akira was trying to do. At this point, he could lose the large chunk of territory in the top left corner, giving the game to Akira. But, he wasn't going to give it up without a fight. It would be a battle of wills, having absolute belief in ones strength.
'Let's see if you can take it away from me, then. I've changed, Touya. Can you see?'
*Pachi*
The crowd murmured over the seemingly bad hand. What was Shindou trying to do? Isumi and Waya traded a look, each knowing what the other thought. Shindou had seen a move that they had all missed somehow, read so far ahead where no one could see.
"Urgh." Akira glared at his rival. Hikaru's Go had changed a lot in the past week, since the end of the Hokuto Hai. Each time they had played at Ichikawa's Go salon, he could feel the stubborn resolve behind each move increase. It was as if Hikaru had found some new reason to play. What had he said?
--To link the far past and the far future. That's why I'm here.--
'Something to do with Shuusaku, for sure. But... that's why you're not going to win.'
Doggedly, he had been studying Shuusaku and Hikaru's kifu to prepare for this game. Moves that looked bad but in actual fact turned the game to favour him. They seemed to be his specialties. But, his ability to read ahead was equal to Hikaru's. This would have to be a psychological fight then. Whoever backed down, even by a hair's width, would lose.
*Pachi*
Hikaru grinned at his rival's answer. He had expected no less. Akira would fight to the bitter end, would take whatever risks had to be taken to win.
'I won't give up either. I have less experience in battles but it's something that can only be learnt if I step into it without hesitation. I refuse to fear the blade I see before me!'
*Pachi*
"And the advancer in this match is... Shindou Hikaru! What an upset in the tournament! Touya Akira's 3 win streak is finally broken..."
The crowd buzzed. What an exciting game! This wasn't even the final match. Both players had placed all their cards on the table and made each other walk across many tightropes. The future of Go in Japan was very rosy with these two youngsters in the lead.
In a corner of the hall, Ogata Seiji hid a smile and slipped quietly away. Hikaru's potential was still hidden but what he had glimpsed today gave him shivers down his spine like the incident two years ago. It wouldn't be long now before he would face the youngster in a real battle.
"Take this move here... What an incredible gamble! And yet, it's success turned the tide of the game!"
"Un! And this one was an outright challenge! Look how it pinches Black's group here!"
Hikaru was gasping under Waya's congratulations-thumping on his back while Isumi and Nase where busy commending him and discussing his moves. Akira was being uncannily quiet and Hikaru cast a concerned glance over the goban. Their eyes met and Akira smiled back.
"It was a great game. The best you've played, I believe."
"Only because it was you."
Akira blinked, speechless.
"Want to discuss it over lunch? You don't mind ramen again, do you?"
"Hey, are you trying to ditch us?" Waya demanded.
"What, you don't see enough of me already?"
"Why you-!"
Hikaru laughed as Waya fumed over his reply. They'd both come a long way since their insei days; Hikaru the mere class 2-er and Waya the somewhat more responsible class 1-er. Despite their childish bickering over the smallest things, the two boys were fast friends and insults were brushed off, after a flood of further insults.
"Come on, Touya, let's get away from these noisy people." He got up, ignoring Waya's protests.
Akira followed, uncertain. Hikaru's friend seemed to have something against him and this wasn't making it any better.
"Ah, you two! You're leaving already? Are you coming for tomorrows games?"
"Yeah." "Yes, Shinoda-sensei."
Akira blew over his noodles, brooding over the game. He had underestimated Hikaru. Even though Hikaru's way of playing was similar to Shuusaku's, Hikaru had his own Go, like everybody else.
'How could I have made such a silly mistake?'
"See, your move there was a big threat to my position. I had to go here to escape it."
Glancing at the magnetic goban, Akira mentally shook his head and gave Hikaru an annoyed look.
"That was much too risky. You were relying on the fact that I'd protect rather than enforce. This would have been a much better move."
"Hmmm... But the deficit you gave me here wouldn't have been overcome, then. Oh well, if I connected here, maybe..." Hikaru moved a few stones in succession. "No way, then it'd look like a shape only you'd fight with." He laughed and took back the previous moves.
'No, it wasn't that I'd made a silly mistake. This wasn't speed Go nor were either of us deprived of sleep. We had both played our best. If I don't at least admit that, then I'll never be able to move on. That's right, it wasn't me... It was Shindou... He hadn't wavered from any of his decisions. I even had the impression that I was trying to shake off a bulldog during the game. He never lost sight of the win, no matter what...'
With a start, Akira realized that it was he who was behind Hikaru, even as small a margin as this.
"Are you going to keep blowing on it? I'm sure it's cold already." Hikaru indicated the strands of noodles draped over the chopsticks.
"Ah." Sheepishly, Akira slurped up the remaining noodles.
Hikaru stared at his bowl. Akira was being so quiet. He couldn't be taking the loss badly, could he? No, that was ridiculous...
Still, he hadn't properly thanked Akira for what he'd done on the last day of the Hokuto Hai. That night, his offer of a friendly hand had helped him climb out of the darkness. What he had said, did he realize how much it had affected him? Now would be a good time to say those words. 'But why is it so hard to say?' he wondered.
"Nee, Touya."
"Hm?"
"You know that... You know that you can't get stronger at Go by playing just anyone, right? Opponents are important."
'Special... people... like you. It was your eyes, those serious eyes that made me chase you down a path I had never known. From the moment we played that first game your gaze has been directed at Sai. For so long I wanted you to see me.'
"Only, certain people, can push me to play great games like I did today. Being rivals... It's not that simple. There are many people who are my rivals but you are the only one who I think of as my true rival."
Akira stared at Hikaru. He couldn't have known... What his father said-
--I think of everyone as my rival.--
'No, father, that's not it. Shindou is right, there is only one true rival for each player. Is that who you were waiting for? That night, in front of the goban.'
Gazing at the magnetic goban, Hikaru continued. "Do you know? Each time we play each other, we push each other forwards. Strength similar to my own... We build on each other's moves, helping each other to make a better move than either could have thought of alone."
'And everytime I play, Sai is there to see our progress, and I can feel him smile...'
Akira twirled his chopsticks in his bowl slowly. He felt it too, when he played with Hikaru, he could feel it too. Like some kind of invisible hand, pushing him onwards, firm and irresistible. But he'd known long ago that Hikaru was his rival and the one he wanted to play against for the rest of his life. There was something else, something important.
Hikaru shifted uncomfortably in his chair and coughed. "So anyway, what I'm trying to say is... that playing you is what makes me stronger. Having you as my rival, I realize that I'm very lucky. Thank you, Touya. I hope we can play many more games like we did today."
The air seemed to press in around Akira so that he could hardly breathe but somehow he managed to whisper "Me too." which unfortunately went unnoticed in the busy ramen store.
The second Shindou, the one hidden in shadows... Maybe it was finally time to let him go? The Shindou now was right before him, brighter and clearer than ever before. Who did he really want to play? Who was he racing with?
A little embarrassed by his speech, Hikaru guzzled down the remaining soup in his bowl and attempted a half-laugh. "At least I don't feel like I'm looking at your back anymore. Chasing after Touya Akira is a job and a half." He glanced at the store's clock. "Ah, we should get going or we're going to get yelled at." Hikaru stood up and then jumped in surprise when Akira let out a laugh. "What? Do I have ramen on my face or something?"
Akira shook his head and followed his rival's lead. "No, I was just thinking of a promise I made a long time ago."
"Promise?"
--Don't make me laugh. Chasing after me with his ability? Then I will go to a far off place where he can never catch me. I won't let him near me.--
'Had I always been underestimating Shindou? Perhaps I could never see past the first him I'd met, couldn't let it go. What was it that someone had said? "Humans cling to their first knowledge of you." But this current Shindou... Yes, I am clearly seeing him for the first time. And what a rival. The shadow... I will always wonder but, he said himself that he would explain it one day. Until then, with the current Shindou...'
Hikaru laughed. "You said something like that, huh? I'm glad you didn't keep it then. Some promises are made to be broken."
Notes and Message:
Yatta! *sigh of relief* This was the hardest piece of writing I've ever written and took much blood, sweat and tears *shows you a pool of gunky stuff* It might be because I've already written an ending for the Hokuto Hai and there wasn't anything else I wanted to write about (I can't write two endings for the same series -_-;; ). There's also a major problem with the theme I chose for this and that is...
Akira has already acknowledged Hikaru's strength and they both know they're rivals etc. I am such a baka for revisiting that theme again because that's what I got stuck on. In fact, Akira and Hikaru's terribly OOC here and everything sounds semi-shounen-ai...*cringe* it's SO hard to have the two boys support each other without making it sound shounen-ai! *raves on about how much the fic is screwed*
Also, I hope you don't mind the japanese sound effects and all. I was really tempted to put 'chigau' in many places instead of 'no' as well because it made more sense, but I ended up clumsily translating it.
Please review! T_T
** Thanks to toriyamaworld.com for the quotes from the manga, as always :)
** Unusual thanks to Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce for a quote.
** Thanks to the wonderful seiyuu and other artists who sang Hikago songs which I listened to while writing this fic ^^ *has fallen in love with Waya singing*
** Thanks to all my previous reviewers! You have no idea how happy you make me! *sniffles*
** Hikaru no Go is out in Shounen Jump in english! Support the series and buy it! (I would too... if I wasn't lacking money)
** Shameless self-promo, my HnG site: mewmeow.hostrocket.com
Replies:
Chian: I'll keep that shounen-ai comment in mind :)
Aeis: I'd send you a bunch of chocolates if I could to thank you for being the first to review my fic ;_;