Disclaimer: I do not own Hikaru any Go though I wish I did cuz Hikaru's just too cute.

Summary: A light burns out. Who will be there to rekindle the fire?

(Hajimari)

"Wha-what d-did you say?"

"What's the big deal, Touya? I just asked if you liked anyone."

The raven haired boy blushed darkly. How did Shindou Hikaru, the Shindou Hikaru, of all people find out? Was he that obvious? How long has everyone known? Just mere days ago, Shindou had asked this other pro, who was it? Ah yes, Isumi 2-dan, he had asked Isumi-san why girls were chasing him and stealing whatever they could get their hands on. They had all found out that Shindou's parents had never actually given him the talk. How sad was that? Although, he couldn't blame them really, Hikaru wasn't all that close to his parents and his insanely childlike manner would discourage any decent person from speaking with him about the "birds and bees". Akira had been so careful too. How was it that someone as dense as his rival could figure out that he like someone?

"Y-yes, I do." He dare not meet his best friend's eyes. "She's an older student from Kaiou though, so I really have no idea how to approach her."

"I see." Akira missed the pained look in the other boy's eyes. By the time he looked up again, it was masked by an almost painfully bright smile. "What the heck are you worried about? You're the Meijin's son for Kami's sake. You're smart, you're rich, you look nice and you smell like strawberries. I'm surprised she's not begging to go out with you."

"It's not that simple Shindou!...Wait, how do you know how I smell?"

"Oh, remember when you were in Hokkaidou? Well, yeah, I was caught in the rain that night running home from your parlor because I forgot my umbrella. I met your mom on her way back from a shopping trip and she offered to lend me some of your stuff and a rain coat. They all smelled like strawberries."

Akira blushed even darker. His mother had let Shindou go through his closet? Akira knew all too well the opinion the other boy had on his style of dress. He probably used the turtle neck and black slacks.

"Anyway…" Oops, he for got to listen to Shindou's monologue. "If you like her, Touya, just talk to her. Love knows no bounds and all that jazz, you know. I'm sure she'll be glad for someone like you."

The younger boy (he is younger right?) patted his friend on the shoulder before turning around. "Mata ne."

Akira watched as the bi-color haired boy walked away, jealous of his over flowing confidence.

"I swear, Shindou, you have more belief in me than I do." Akira though to himself as he too turned towards home.

later

Tear prickled the edges of emerald green eyes. Ever since Waya and Saeki…uh…enlightened him on the facts of life. Hikaru had been thinking. Apart from being mentally scarred for life, the boy had realized that the person closest to him was Touya Akira. True, his friend had told him that normally, these interactions happened between a girl and a guy, but Hikaru couldn't think of any girl who was like that at all.

Akari, well, despite all logical conclusions, had grown to like, off all people, Kaga Tetsuo. Don't ask him how, he wouldn't know. Anyway, it was a hopeless venture on the girl's part. The former Haze Shougi Club captain didn't seem all that interested the last time they met. Everything, except maybe Shougi, came second to his strange hobby of harassing the nervous and modest former head of the Haze Go Club, Tsutsui Kimihiro (poor Tsutsui-kun). He didn't know the other members of the Go Club too well. As for his insei friends, only Nase really talked to him beyond natural pleasantries and she was going out with Isumi besides.

On the other hand, he spent scandals of time with Touya and they have both come to see each other as equals. Akira was also as pretty as any girl could hope to be, and he was important too Hikaru.

But Touya wasn't strange like him. No the 4-dan was a perfectly normal guy, who like girls.

Hikaru collapsed onto his favorite swing at the children's park, a sorrowful tear sliding down his cheek. That was the cue for the flood gates to open. Oh, how desperately he had wished that he had kept his mouth shut. At least then, he could always dream.

"Shindou?"

(Owari)

How was that? Should I continue?