Chapter 1

Hikaru and Akira were at the endgame of their game. It was the first time where they hadn't interrupted their own game and broke out into an argument. Hikaru was thankful for that. It was the first time that the two hadn't broke out into a shouting match, and Akira hadn't criticized his moves. That must mean that Hikaru had gotten better. At least, that's what Hikaru thought. Akira on the other hand, had other things on his mind. He remembered when Hikaru had that amazing strength when they first met. That strength had never returned after that. And then he remembered what Hikaru had said once. About how he was going to tell him everything someday. Well, was that day today? He had been waiting for so long, and he really wanted to know.

Akira opened his mouth to say something then closed it. He hesitated. Should he blurt it out? Should he murmur it? Or was it something private so should he whisper? Akira hesitated and looked at Hikaru's face. He had a small smile on his face. He was in a good mood, Akira figured it would be okay.

"You said you were going to tell me about everything someday, can you tell me now?!" Akira asked in one breath. When he opened his eyes, he noticed Hikaru was still smiling the same as before as he placed a stone down. He looked as if he hadn't heard him. But then, Hikaru looked up and gave Akira a puzzled look. "Huh?" He said.

"You said you were going to tell me everything someday. Can you tell me now?" Akira asked again. Hikaru still gave Akira the same look. "You're making no sense." He said. Akira glared at Hikaru and then began cleaning up the stones even when the game was so close to being finished. "Forget it." Akira said and he hurried up to leave. "Wait, Touya!" Hikaru chased after him. "I'm sorry, but I don't get what you're saying." They were already out of the Go salon and on the sidewalk in front of it.

"I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. And I didn't want to mess up the game. Just explain it a little more." Hikaru pleaded. Akira by then, had had his arms crossed. "Please." Hikaru begged. "What were we wearing?" Hikaru asked. "Nevermind, Shindou." Akira said sternly. But Hikaru kept pressuring him. "I was wearing a purple sweater and you were wearing yellow. You said maybe I'll tell you everything someday. I asked you to tell me then, but you said someday is someday in the future (as Akira was telling him all this, Hikaru was becoming wide-eyed and open-mouthed) and called me a moron." Akira said then looked at Hikaru's surprised look.

"Now you remember." Akira pointed out looking at Hikaru's face. "So can you tell me now?" Akira asked feeling a little anxious. "No!" Hikaru said. "Why?" "Because I haven't had that much time to recover!"

"What?"

"He left me only a year ago!" Hikaru yelled and then covered his mouth.

Akira was surprised. "He left you???" He asked a disturbed look on his face. (Note: Akira doesn't know who Sai is and that he left Hikaru so when Hikaru said 'He left me only a year ago!' Akira is thinking that Hikaru was going out with some guy. But of course Hikaru wasn't) Hikaru looked at Akira.

"Not like that!" He snapped and Akira felt relieved. Then Hikaru turned around and ran back inside the Go salon. Akira grabbed his arm. "Just tell me!" He asked. "No!" Hikaru said trying to pull away. "You said you'd tell me someday, were you lying about that?!" Akira yelled making Hikaru feel a little guilty and then hurt. He looked at Akira's face.

"Alright, I'll tell you." Hikaru finally said after a long moment of silence. Hikaru sat down, and Akira sat across from him. "When I was twelve, I went to my grandpa's house to look for something to sell to make money. My friend Akari was with me. I saw a Go board and wanted to sell it. But it had a blood stain on it, so I decided to wipe it off. I tried but it wouldn't come off. Akari didn't see it though. And just then, I was hearing a voice. And a bunch of light came from the board and then I fell unconscious after seeing something coming out of the board." Hikaru explained. Akira listened closely and then put on a grim face. "Light doesn't come from Go boards. And why would a blood stain be on it?"

"It was the blood from Hon'inbo Shuusaku!" Hikaru yelled and Akira got a skeptical face on. "Stop making things up." Akira said smugly. "I'm not!" Hikaru protested. "So... what happened?" Akira asked with a bored look on.

"I went to school the next day, and I found out that a ghost was in my head. He had at first possessed Hon'inbo Shuusaku and had played all his games. But Shuusaku died and then he came inside me." Hikaru said.

"Yeah right, like your grandpa would have Shuusaku's Go board in his house." Akira rolled his eyes.

"Will you just listen?!" Hikaru said. "I found out that the ghost was a Go player. He was begging me to play Go, because he couldn't touch or anything. And only I could see him. So we went to your Go salon and I played you. That was when I first met you. I played you... well actually the ghost played you. Nobody would ever be able to play that well on their first game." Hikaru said.

"So... what was this ghost's name?" Akira asked actually beginning to believe Hikaru's ridiculous story.

"Fujiwara... no Sai." Hikaru replied.

"We played a lot of games together and I decided that Sai shouldn't play in public, or I'd get a lot of publicity. So we decided to use the Internet. And our name was.... sai." Hikaru admitted. Akira was shocked. "That... that was him?!" Akira stood up. Hikaru nodded solemnly. Ogata walked into the Go salon and caught sight of Akira.

"Mr. Ogata." Miss Ichikawa exclaimed. "I came to pick up Akira." He said. "He's over there with Hikaru." She said pointing and smiling. Ogata nodded and then headed over to the pair.

"And then Sai... he.... he disappeared?!" Akira exclaimed a little too loud. Hikaru nodded. Ogata was shocked. That name... the name from the Internet. Had he returned?! And Akira was even talking to Hikaru about it! Akira turned around and saw Ogata. "Master... Ogata..." His voice trailed off. "I was driving by and decided to pick you up." He said but his eyes the entire time were on Shindou. Akira nodded and then headed off with Ogata. "We'll talk later." Akira mouthed to Hikaru over his shoulder. And Hikaru nodded as he watch the two leave.