The buzzing noise sounded on the black alarm clock, waking Shindou Hikaru before he wanted. Reaching over, he slammed off the alarm. Pulling his blue cased feather pillow over his head, he sighed heavily and continued to sleep. But something kept him from doing so.
"Hikaru, what's that thing that goes BEEP-BEEP-BEEP every single morning? And why do you have such rage towards it? It has not done anything to you that I have seen..."
Hikaru groaned from beneath the sanctity of his pillow. Yanking off said sleeping device, he glared dangerously at the shinigami before him. "Don't you ever sleep?"
Sai shrugged, looking rather startled at this inquiry. "Sleep? I have been dead for hundreds of years, Hikaru. I have no need for sleep."
"Then you wouldn't understand, would you?" Hikaru asked, slumping back beneath his covers. Finally answering Sai's question, he said: "That thing is a device to wake me up in the morning."
"Then why do you slam it?"
"Because I don't want to wake up."
Sliding beside the bed, Sai asked, "Don't you have to? You will miss shool if you don't."
Hikaru pulled the blankets off from over his head, and stared at his ghost. "'Shool?'"
"Yes. That's what it says on your book."
"That's school, baka."
"'Skool?'"
"Yes. School."
Fujiwara-no-Sai shook his head, while watching Hikaru appraisingly. "You and your modern-tongue. There are so many things that I don't know about this new world. So many things..." Contemplating, he floated off and disappeared into the Go board in the corner.
Now that Hikaru was (begrudgingly) awake, he slid out of his bed and made his way to the bathroom. Shutting the door behind him, he flipped on the switch before looking into the mirror. Seeing his tassled and misshapen bed-head, he attempted to straighten it out. After he finished with that, he picked up the toothpaste and squirted some on his toothbrush. As he raised the brush to his teeth, he was scared when Sai appeared out of nowhere beside him.
"Hikaru! What are you doing? What is that stuff? Why are you putting it in your mouth?"
"It's toothpaste." Hikaru growled, giving Sai a nasty sideways glance, which Sai failed to notice. "It keeps my teeth clean, and gets rid of the bad breath."
"Interesting..." Sai looked absolutely intrigued. "Could... could I try some?"
"No!"
Sai pouted. "Why not?"
"Because you're a ghost! How could a ghost use toothpaste? Besides, you don't sleep and you don't eat; what would you need minty-fresh breath for?" A few tears fell from Sai's eyes, but he nodded his head in agreement. He understood. Therefore, he watched as Hikaru brushed his teeth and washed up his face.
After the middle schooler changed into his school uniform, he headed down to get breakfast before leaving to catch the train that brought him to school. Sai followed him. "What's that, Hikaru-chan?"
"A car." Hikaru replied, uninterested.
"What are you eating, Hikaru?"
"Bagel."
"What's that white stuff on it?"
"Cream cheese."
Sai gasped loudy. "They can cream cheese?" Slumping down, Hikaru tried to pretend that Sai would just vanish. He was being awfully annoying that morning. Yet, despite his wishes, Sai did not disappear, and he did not stop talking.
After they made their way into the school via the front gates, Sai quieted a little. Most of the things in that area Sai knew, so he had no reason to ask the name of everything, and its specific function. Sighing with relief, Hikaru finally thought he would be able to relax.
"Hikaru!" Shindou Hikaru turned around as he heard his name being called, only to find Akari run towards him. He cringed slightly, not willing to talk to her. Yet there was no turning back now. "Hikaru, look at this! Isn't it neat? My father got it for me as a gift." She held out a monkey with cylinders in its hands. She wound it up from behind and smiled happily as it started to clash the mini cylinders together.
Sai was ecstatic. Bouncing around behind Hikaru, he asked the possesse, "What is that, Hikaru? What is it? It's so... bizarre. But funny. Isn't it? Huh-huh-huh?" Ignoring the two of them, a sweatdrop fell from Hikaru's forehead.
Somebody help me... he pleaded within his mind.
All throughout the day, Sai's annoying habit grew increasingly. When their history teacher decided to show them a video on modernization in Japan from an "old-world" standard to becoming more westernized, Sai would not stop asking questions; everything from how the device could play a movie, to why it was such a contreversy back then, to why Japan decided to become the way it was. Hikaru was only a middle schooler, and usually slept through most history classes, so he could not provide the answers. Yet Sai seemed to become more persistant each time.
After the bell rang to go home, Hikaru was beat. Dealing with Sai's endless inquiries all day took a lot out of him. Deciding to skip The Go Club, he told Sai he was going straight home to go back to sleep.
But that's not where he ended up.
In downtown Tokyo, Hikaru entered a little side shop filled with shamanic items, and various other things to summon or exorcise spirits. As he walked up to the counter, the middle-aged woman asked, "Are you looking for something?"
"Do you have anything that could..." Hikaru paused for a moment and glanced around him, looking for Sai. The ancient Go sensei was on the other side of the shop, gazing at all the mysterious items. Leaning closer to the counter, Hikaru whispered, "Silence a ghost?"
The older woman furrowed her brow. It was hard to tell if she was confused, or thinking through her inventory as she surveyed Hikaru. Finally nodding, she said, "I might have something. Granted, it might not last long, but it may work to your advantage." Hikaru was willing to try anything at that point. Pulling out his wallet, he said,
"I'll take it."
A few hours later...
"Oh, this is very nice, Hikaru." Sai said, looking through his master's books. "There are so many interesting things here... like comic books and more comic books and..." he paused, glancing over at Hikaru. "Do you own nothing but comic books? Look, there is not even one on Go! How are we supposed to beat everyone and help me fulfill my dream, when you have no books on the subject? I am so ashamed of you, Hikaru!"
Meanwhile, Hikaru was over at his desk, doing his homework. Two ear plugs stuck out his his ears, and a smile was finally present on his face. Those ear plugs may not last forever, but Hikaru was happy because he could at least ignore his ghost in peace.
Owari.
Standard Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to HnG.
This is my first HnG fanfic. You like? I know it is not clutch-yo-stomach-cuz-its-funny, but I hope it provided a chuckle or two. Review, onegai, and I will be happy! Woot!