Disclaimer : I don't own Hikaru no Go.
A/N : I'm not a Japanese but I know some of Japanese tradition and beliefs. Thanks that I read many Manga :D
Blahblahblah : a normal talk
Blahblahblah : a thought
/Blahblahblah/ telepathy
Along the Sanzu river
Chapter 1 : An ordinary day
It was a usual day like everyday in Hikaru's life. He had finished him game already, right now he was heading to Akira's Go salon. Then, they would play a game and argue during their post-discussion. Akira would call him as ' The Idiot Blond', he would snap back him with ' The Snobbish boy with a girly hairstyle'. After swore that he would never ever set foot in this creepy Go salon again, Hikaru would storm out of the place with a sonic speed leaving the furious Akira behind. Few days later, he would stomp in the said Go salon and challenge his rival to a game of speed Go. Then, they would play a game and yell at each other like a 5-year-old kid pointing out each other's weaknesses, Akira would shout at him calling him as……
Yeah, it was just an ordinary day for Hikaru, just another ordinary day……The problem was…it wasn't…
" Man, I can't believe I'm late again," Grambling, Hikaru was on his way to meet his lifetime rival, Touya Akira.
Gruu…Gruu…
Gruu…Gruu…
Hmm, a piece of hamburger maybe nice. Rubbing his tummy, he thought…There should be a convenient store at the corner… "Okay, Here I come, Hamburger!" Walking to the corner near by, Hikaru's eyes blazed with determination as he had already forgotten about his meeting.
/No/
" Eh?"
/No, Not the way/
" Eh?" Did someone say something? He stopped walking and looked around but no one was around there. " That's weird," Turning at the corner, he noted.
/Nooo/
" Eh?"
" Get out of my way!" Galloping hastily, a tall man in a black overcoat shouted wildly.
" Eh?"
Bump!
That man violently bashed into him. Both of them fell down and hit the ground hard.
" Freeze! Stay still!" A young policeman yelled piercingly as he fastened the mysterious man with handcuffs, " Get up!" Pulling his prisoner off Hikaru, he ordered intensely.
" Are you alright? Boy," asked another policeman, " Thank you for helping us catching this thief,"
…………………..
Hikaru didn't move or say a word, he was still lying on the ground on his stomach.
" Boy, are you alright?" he asked again as he turned the blond over, " !"
What he saw was a knife stuck into the boy's chest just like the way Excalibur stuck into the sacred stone, sticky red liquid was pouring out of the wound as if it was a fountain, " Call the ambulance!"
Shindou Hikaru didn't make it to the Go salon.
This time Shindou is gone by far! How dare he keep me waiting for 3 hours! 3 Hours! Cursing the 1 Dan wrathfully, Touya Akira set off at the most rapid pace back home.
" I'm home," he song as he entered the entrance.
" Welcome home, Akira-san," Touya Akiko greeted her son tenderly, " Dinner is ready, your father is waiting for you at the dinning table," she informed him in an affective manner.
" Hai," Akira nodded and followed his beloved mother to the dinning room. Greeting his father softly, the dinner began quietly. It was just another peaceful day at the Touyas' manor.
………………….
………………….
" What is it? Akira," Questioned Touya Kouyo as he noticed that his son looked a bit troubled. Was he frustrated? Since when Touya Akira knew what the word ' Frustration ' meant anyway? " Is there something bothering you?"
" Bot..bother, no, it's nothing, Father," Avoiding eye contact, Akira denied and pretended to be busy with this supper.
The ex-Meijin didn't have to press any further since he knew his only son very well, all he had to do was…nothing…just remaining silent was enough.
Feeling awkwardly by a long unnatural silence, finally the young prodigy gave in, "…It's just Shindou forgot our meeting and kept me waiting for 3 hours," Sighing despairingly, he stated boringly.
" Maybe he had an argent duty," the old gentleman pointed out positively.
" At least, he should have called me," Akira pouted moodily.
" Shindou-kun?..Umm…," Akiko was so sure that she had heard this name before, " Ah! Is that the nice young boy with golden bangs?" she asked curiously.
Nice young boy? Her blue-eyed son almost choked on his hot green tea.
" Yes, the boy whom you met at the hospital," Touya Senior confirmed his wife.
Pleasing to know that at last her introvert son had a friend in the same age, Akiko came up with an idea, " You should invite him to our house sometimes, Akira-san,"
" Eh?" Jumping by the idea of having his greatest rival at his house, the 3 Dans exclaimed surprisingly. Me? Invite Shindou here?
" I'd like to have a word with him too," Unlike his son, Kouyo took his wife's side. So I can ask him to set up a game with Sai again.
Not You too, Father. " Let's see what happens today," Attempting to change the subject, Akira turned on the TV.
" Today a 15-year-old boy is attacked by a thief with a knife," the reporter announced, " It seems that the poor boy ran into the thief while he was running away from 2 policemen who were chasing after him. Then, they accidentally knocked against each other. The boy was stabbed with a knife by chance,"
" Oh my! What a poor boy!" Feeling pity for the unfortunate unidentified boy, Mrs. Touya cried out, " He's in the same age as you,"
" Akira, you must be more careful since now Tokyo is getting more and more dangerous everyday," Kouyo lectured the future Meijin worryingly because lately he often left his precious son alone while he went aboard.
" Yes, Father," Akira nodded in return.
"…Even though, it's just an accident but this misery comes into question whether Tokyo Metropolitan Government can guarantee our children's safety. How can we be sure that tomorrow our kid won't be shot by a thief or taken hostage by a drug-addict?" The experienced reporter marked with his inquiring tone as he received a small piece of paper from his colleague, " We just got their names. The thief is a 30-year-old drug-dealer named Tateshita Eji. Tateshita has been arrested 4 times in the last 5 years under the same charge which is selling illegal drugs,"
" My, my, they should lock him in prison," Akiko commented dryly , "So he won't able to harm someone else,"
" …The wounded boy is a professional Go player…" the middle-aged reporter informed.
" A Go pro?" Akira uttered breathlessly with terror. How many 15-year-old boys were there in the Pro world anyway?
" ..Shindou Hikaru is now having an emergency operation…" said stilly the reporter.
A/N : Oh! No! Hikaru!
Extra Info :
The Sanzu River : The Japanese Buddhist version of the River Styx.