My Go Pro Father
Note: As you all know, Hikaru no go belongs to Hotta Yumi and Obata Takeshi. This fanfic is just based on my thoughts and if there is any similarity to other fanfics of hng, it is purely coincidental.
Chapter 1: My Pro Father
"Oh no! I'm late!" A girl exclaimed as she ran down the stairs in quick steps.
Akari heart almost stopped beating for a moment as she saw the way Sakura ran down the stairs carelessly. "Sakura! Careful!" Akari chided sternly.
"I'm late for school," Sakura explained in an obvious manner as she quickly grabbed a piece of bread and bag, ready to go.
Akari looked at her weirdly. "Sakura, today is Sunday."
Sakura froze. Sunday? She stared at the calendar which was hanging on the door of the refrigerator. The date on Saturday was marked with a big red cross. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief and gave a closer look. Confirmed it was Sunday, Sakura slumped onto the chair wearily. "Mum, why don't you say earlier?" she groaned.
Akari shook her head as she laid down the breakfast of the day in front of her. "You and your father are so alike," Akari commented. She remembered those days where Hikaru's mother, also her mother-in-law, complaining about how Hikaru always tend to be late for school and rushing out of the house. After her marriage to him, she personally witnessed it though it was muchbetter now, according to Hikaru's mother. Now, their daughter got that trait of his.
Sakura ate a mouthful of rice and looked around the house for the sign of her father. "Where's Dad?"
"He has a match today."
Sakura face brightened significantly. "Really? What match? What time? Will it be shown on TV?"
"Meijin tournament, third preliminary. If he won this match, he will enter into the final," Akari replied.
"Cool! I know he will win," Sakura said confidently.
"Who's his opponent? Uncle Touya?"
"Kisei Kurata, if I did not remember wrongly."
"Oh." If only it was Uncle Touya. Impossible though, he was the title holder of the Meijin. She did not know why but the match she loved to see most was between Uncle Touya and her father. Their match had a very different feeling. So, sometimes she would go to Uncle Touya's Go salon and watch them play. It felt so special seeing a different side in the both of them, a side that was not found in the official match, a side that no one knows beside her.
Whenever she see them play, she wished she had a rival.
Like her father, Sakura loved and played Go too, under much influenced from her father. Since young, she remembered seeing her father on TV, playing a game with black and white stones, seeing him practice often at home too. When she was six, she decided to learn the game. At the beginning, it was her mother who coached her the basics and sometimes, her father would do the job. Three years ago, as her skills improved to another greater step till her mother could not teach her anymore, her father became her teacher. If times allowed, she would tag along when her father attended Morishita-sensei study group or Uncle Waya study group. When times allowed, her father would go to this Go salon he used to go during his insei days and once, during her holiday, she followed her father there. The uncles there were very friendly and treated her to sweets and drinks. In there, she heard many stories regarding her father younger days and Kawai-san always ruffled her father hair and he would gave that annoyed but helpless look.
Not long after, she joined the Go club in her elementary school and now in Haze Junior High, the school her parents attended. The Go club was much more developed now, according to her parents, as there were much more members now and it was a recognized club in the school. The Go Club had its own room at last. One thing remained unchanged. To defeat Kaio Go Club. Once a while, her father would come over and played some games of Shidougo with the members.
Her father strongly encouraged her to stay in the Go club and never once mentioned anything about the Insei test. One day, she mentioned about it and his reaction was quite strong. He was strongly against it and that event caused her not to talk to her father for one whole day until her mother explained to her for her father strong reaction.
During his junior high days, he went to search for members to participate in the inter-school competition then. He managed to find Uncle Mitani and managed to join the competition. However, in order to chase after Uncle Touya, he became an insei and his wish to defeat Kaio Go Club with his team members remained unfulfilled. Mum believed it was one of the greatest regret of his life. So, he hoped that she would not follow his footsteps. Now, she was enjoying her days at the Go Club too with her friends around, thus there was no urge for her to take the Insei test.
The game ended. The photographer started taking photos of the match and congratulated the winner and encouraged the loser.
"Well done, Shindo sensei," one of the pros praised.
"Kurata sensei also did very well," another commented.
"Shindo, your skill improved again," Kurata said, smiling happily.
"You too, Kurata-san."
"Still not good enough to beat you," he replied.
"I'm just lucky," Hikaru replied humbly, smiling. "We still have the dan-series."
Kurata-san grinned.
After a short interview from Amano-san, everyone went into the discussion room next door and discussed about the match.
"This is a good step," Isumi 9-dan pointed to one of the black stone at the top right. "It not only defend its own territory, it's also a step to prepare for the attack at the left."
"And there are a few unexpected but very good moves too," Kurata-san said. "I thought that after so many years of playing, should at least able to counter it. Still, there are some that manage to beat me."
"Shindo always surprise us," Waya said in remembrance. "Since insei days."
Another few hours had passed and the discussion came to an end.
"Bye Shindo, will be match up with you soon, I believe?"
Shindo nodded. Smiling.
"I'll win that match," Waya swore.
"You sure?"
"You wait and see."
Shindo laughed. "I will. Don't you have an appointment?"
"See you."
Shindo walked to the vending machine, buy a cup of can drink, resting on the chair beside it. He leaned his head against the wall with his eyes closed. Not long later, he felt a presence and he knew who it was.
"Touya, you won?" he asked, eyes still closed.
"You too?"
Shindo woke up and grinned. "If I win another round, I'll be your opponent."
"I'll wait for your challenge," he replied back with the same intensity.
Both of them stared at each other, words unspoken but the meaning was perfectly clear to each other. After all, they were destined rival. Eternal rival. The strong bond between them could not be broken so easily.
"Are you worried about the Japan-Korean tournament next week?" Hikaru asked casually as he sipped his drink.
"What do you think?"
Hikaru laughed. "True. You won't. Can't wait to play with Su Yon again. Wonder how much he improved after a year."
"Ko Yeong Ha too, right?" Touya added.
Hikaru smiled. Long ago, during the second year of the Hokuto's Cup, although he did not managed to play with him again, after the match, surprisingly, Yeong Ha requested for a game. It was during that time where his hatred towards him for insulting Shuusaku was gone as he explained to him the truth. Since then, they became opponents.
"Sakura-chan, congratulations on your father winning the semi-final match," one of the Go Club members, Fuji Ryoichi compliment, his hand grabbing a copy of the Weekly Go magazine.
"Yea, he is so good. I wish I can be like him," Keito sighed dreamily. "And also can be with Ismui-san."
"Dream on," Yuki immediately retorted, dashing her hope. "You think it is so easy being a Pro? Even Inseis also have difficulty, not to mention you. And before you think about that, try beating Kaio Go Club first."
Everyone laughed.
"What about Sakura's father? He also able to be a Pro without beating the Kaio Go Club," Keito argued indignantly.
"Do you have his talent? He only played like 2 years and managed to pass the Pro test and you? Play for at least five years and still can't even beat me," Yuki smirked.
"Fine! Let's have a match and we'll see who's right, who's wrong."
"Sure."
Not long later, each member has found their partner and started playing. The pa-chi sound of the Go stones could be heard often, coming out from the room.
"Dad, you going to Korea a few days later, right?" Sakura asked during dinner.
"Yes. Do you want any souvenir?" Hikaru asked gently, smiling.
Sakura shook her head. She had more a lot, all in her room. Whenever her father went to other countries for matches, mostly China and Korea, he would bring souvenirs back until it was so much till she had no space to put. So, she asked him to stop buying and he changed to food instead.
"For two weeks?"
Hikaru nodded.
"Uh… after that is May, right?"
Hikaru faced saddened slightly but it disappeared in a flash. "Yes. Why?"
Sakura took a few mouthful of rice, considering whether to say out or not. Finally, she spoke. "Can you bring me to Innoshima too?"
Hikaru was stunned.
"Sakura!" Akari chided.
"Because every year, during May, you will go there and whenever I want to follow, you refused, saying I'm still young. Now, I believe I'm grown up enough to go too," Sakura said quickly before Hikaru could say a word.
Every year, on 5th May, her father was not the normal father she grown up with. He became quieter and less talkative. Even her mother did not know why but remembered about him being weird and stopped playing Go during that period. There was something he was hiding from her, she knew but she did not have the courage to ask. He would go to Innoshima on that particular day every year without fail and came back a few days later. After that, he was back to normal. It seemed that particular day held a very significant meaning to him.
She asked those people around who remembered. Kawai-san only said that he did behave a little weird and seemed like finding something. Then, she asked Uncle Isumi and he said that when playing a game with him, suddenly he cried and after that, he recovered. Lastly, she asked Uncle Touya and he was as mysterious as her father. He only smiled and said that he believed her father would tell her one day and walked away. He did know something. She was sure.
"And on that day, it was Saturday and I end earlier on that day. So we can stay there without affecting my studies," Sakura added anxiously. Now, he had no more reason to reject her.
After some moment of thought, Hikaru agreed.
"Hikaru!" Akari was surprised.
"Never mind," Shindo assured with a smile.
"YES!" Sakura cheered victoriously.
At the Touya Go Salon, like any usual days, Touya and Shindo were having a match.
"Finally you agree to bring her along huh? I'm quite surprised. I thought it will take you another few years," Touya remarked as he placed a black stone on the Go board.
"She has always been bugging me to bring her along and seeing her so earnest, can't help rejecting her. Also, I think she is able to understand it better now," Shindo replied as he thought of various ways to counterattack Touya's strong attack on his territory.
"You're going along too, right?" Shindo added as he placed a white stone at the far left.
"Of course." And the time for talking had ended as the both of them were putting their full concentration onto this match.
Interesting? I don't know. Just want to try writing about Hikaru's life 20 over years later and his daughter. It is going to be a short story containing a few chapters. My first story that is longer than 1 chapter. It has been written for quite a long time but did not post it up till now aftersome thoughts. I actually plan to use Otousan and Okaasan but change my mind cause since some I going to use English term, might as well make it all English. Hope you wont't mind and enjoy this long chapter. It is six pages long. ;)
Crazeblue27