Go in three
Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no go, and therefore, claim no rights toward it.
Chapter 1
Summer holiday. The words sounded like music to Hikaru's ears. It was finally here, the mummer holiday that he's been waiting for the entire week. For Shindo Hikaru summer was all about playing go, spending time with his friends, reading manga and playing video games…and there was the homework they got from school, but he didn't care too much about that part. He always did that in the last week, when he would desperately call a classmate to help him.
He already had plans for the next day, Waya was having one of his go club reunions in his new apartment and most of their friends from the institute will be there. Hikaru hasn't seen his friends for some time because school took most of his time, he had exams to pass and he also had games to play being a go pro player and all.
He just came from school when the phone rang and his mother told him that it was for him. It was Waya.
"Shindou. Isumi and I are going to a go club and play wanna come?"
"Sure."
"Good, I'll see you at the Institute in half an hour. Don't be late."
"Ok." He ran in room and changed his clothes since he was still in his school uniform then left the house.
Twenty minutes later, he was in front of the Institute. Waya and Isumi were already there, waiting for him.
"So where are we going?"
"Well I'm hungry so how about we eat something first."
"Let's go have ramen."
"No, sushi. We had ramen last time."
"So what? I want ramen." Waya and Shindou would always argue about that so Isumi was expecting it.
"Waya, Shindou calm down there's no need to argue about that." They finally stopped arguing and went to have sushi in Waya's favorite restaurant.
They finished eating and were walking down the street when Isumi noticed a new go saloon he didn't know about.
"Look boys, a new go club. Let's take a look." The boys agreed and entered the club.
It was a small room, with only 10 tables and everyone seemed to be gathered in the back of the room, watching a game. The boys went closer to the group and saw a girl playing shidou go with four men at the same time. After finishing the games, she patiently explained them all the mistakes they made during the game.
The boys were surprised to see that she was playing like a pro, no she was better than many pro players her age but she couldn't be a pro. They've never seen her before.
She finished discussing the games and her opponents left the tables. That's when she noticed the three boys watching her from the back of the crowd.
"Shindou-san am I right? You are Shindo Hikaru, Toya-san's rival."
"Yeah, that's me. The one and only." Everyone turned around to have a better look at the boys.
"Please make yourselves comfortable. We don't have every day such guests here. Would you like something to drink? I'll treat."
"Yes, sure." The boys said almost at the same time.
She entered another room and a moment later, she came with a trey and three sodas. Everybody in the room wanted to play the pros so the boys decided to play as a team against the challengers. They just wanted to have fun. Of course, Waya and Shindou wanted more than that. They wanted to be in the center of attention and crush some old geezers who thought that they could to teach the young pros a lesson about the game of go.
Isumi had other thoughts. He wanted to play that girl and see how good she was against him.
They won the first game by 3-0.
"So you crushed us like bugs but I'd like to see you crush our Rey if you can." One of the defeated men said a little nervous.
"You just don't know to loose do you Ichiraku-san. They are pros, what did you expect?" Said another one.
"He's right you know. You should be happy to have the opportunity to play them." Said the owner of the place.
"Huh. They just came here to show of." Said Ichiraku-san.
"If that's what you think why did you play them?"
"I will feel a lot better after I see Rey playing them. Rey-chan, come over here."
"What is it Ichiraku-san?"
"Why don't you play some shidou go with these boys." The old man gave the girl a wink and smiled.
"I don't think they need me to play to play shidou go with them. They're pros."
"Just do it." As the old man said that, he pushed the girl toward the chair in front of Hikaru and made her sit down. She noticed that no one rushed to take the other two seats so she brought closer to her the bowls with black stones.
"Onegaishimasu."
"Onegaishimasu." The boys said at the same time.
"What handicap do you want?" Hikaru was apparently underestimating his opponent.
"None. I want to see what I can do without handicap."
"Ok but don't cry if you lose."
"Hey, watch the way you're talking to Rey-chan." It seemed like Ichiraku-san was the offended one even though Hikaru was talking to the girl.
The games started and the boys realized that it wasn't so easy to win against the girl. She was giving all of them a hard time and they had to concentrate hard, like they did when playing the pros. The games didn't end in their favor. Rey won against all of them with a half moku difference. It was only after they finished counting the territory that they realized what happened. The counted the territory during the game and won all the games at the limit.
-
The next morning Toya Akira went to the institute and he found Waya and Isumi talking on the hallway. He didn't want to enter their discussion, but he heard what they said and he became interested.
"….Ochi wouldn't stand a chance against that. He'd probably lock himself in the bathroom for a week." Waya said laughing.
"To loose like that with an amateur…I guess he would." Isumi replied.
"I believe Shindou, but I still can't believe that you lost against her."
"You shouldn't underestimate Shindou like that. I thought that after all this years you knew better than that."
Akira became very interested and he was determined to find out more about what had happened the other day. He would make Hikaru tell him the whole story.
That afternoon Hikaru went to Toya's go saloon as usually. He was going there at least four times a week to play go with his rival but he always left after a game because they couldn't play without arguing and Hikaru hated that. He entered the go saloon and gave his bag to Ashiwara-san.
"Good morning Shindo-kun! Akira is waiting for you in the back."
"Thanks." He went to the table where Akira was waiting for him while recreating a game.
"Shindo, you're here. Sit down." Akira said while cleaning the board.
"Ok, let's play. I'll nigiri."
"I'm black. Onegaishimasu."
"Onegaishimasu." Akira started the game and they played for a while without talking. "Toya? Are you ok?"
"Of course I am. Why do you ask?"
"Well…you usually tell me that I make stupid moves and that I'm not thinking before playing but now you're so quiet…"
"You didn't do anything stupid so far."
"Toya…you can't fool me with that."
"I heard Isumi-san and Waya-kun talking about you at the institute. They said something about you and Isumi-san loosing a game."
"That's what's bothering you?"
"I know your go, Shindou. You're a good player when you give your best in the game. You may be a 1-dan pro but you're better than that. They also said your opponent was an amateur and that's what's bothering me."
"You shouldn't underestimate amateurs, Toya."
"I don't. But it still bothers me."
"Like our first game bothered you?"
"I guess so. Yes. I want you to tell me what happened. Who is he?"
"It's a she. She works in a go saloon."
"Take me there. Now."
"Ok, if you insist." They walked together at the train station in silence. For some reason Akira was bothered too much about this girl. He remembered his first games with Hikaru, well….Sai actually, he was afraid, afraid that someone else might surpass him, someone who didn't even work hard so many years like he did. He still didn't understand what happened then, why was Hikaru such a terrible player afterwards and why did he play such a foolish game against the Meijin when he became a pro. He asked Hikaru several times for an explanation, especially when he wanted to give up playing go but all Hikaru had said was that he might tell him one day.
His relationship with Hikaru was different now. Akira didn't have doubts that Hikaru was his only rival anymore. Yes, they were rivals and…..friends. Hikaru was the only true friend Akira had ever had and Hikaru's friendship meant a lot to him. He didn't care anymore if Hikaru surpassed him, not as long as their friendship and rivalry remained. But this amateur….she might change everything. What if she became Hikaru's rival? Akira felt that if he lost Hikaru's rivalry he would also loose his friendship.
"We're here."
"…."
"Toya? Did you hear me? I said we're here."
"Let's go."
"Are you alright? You didn't say a word since we left your saloon."
"I'm fine. Where is she?"
"At the table in the back." The girl was playing shidou go with an old customer. Akira went closer to the table and watched silently every move the players made. The man was a good player, he had high chances to win against a one dan pro with only a two stone handicap. The girl was carefully pointing out every mistake the man did and Akira realized that she had experience with this.
The game nearly ended and it was obvious who the winner was. Akira didn't want to wait any longer, he wanted to play.
"Play me!" It wasn't a request, it was an order. He was angry and his hands started to shake.
The girl razed her head to look at the person who spoke and saw Hikaru behind Akira trying to calm him down.
"Shindou-kun, it's nice to see you again. I see you've brought a new friend this time."
"Yes, well…this is Toya Akira."
"Toya, of course, I've read in the go magazines about you. So you want to play? Have a seat."
"Onegaishimasu!" I'll take white.
"Onegaishimasu!"
It was a long and hard game but Akira won. He left the go club without saying a word and Hikaru had no other choice but to follow him after giving some stupid excuse to the curious people.
"What's wrong with you? You won, isn't that what you wanted. Didn't you want to prove yourself that you're better."
"You don't understand, do you?"
"You're damn right I don't, so tell me what's you're problem."
"I didn't come here only to win. I came here to see how good she is. She's better than any other girl go player I've ever played. And I played many of them, pro players and insei. She surpasses them all and I have a feeling that she didn't do her best in this game."
"You mean she could have won?"
"No. I just mean that she could have done better. I don't think she can surpass me or you but she has surpassed many male pro go players and that says a lot."
"Ok but I still don't understand why it bothers you so much. She's a girl, and you know as well as I do that girls and boys don't play in official games. Boys play only boys and girls play girls."
"you're right, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't care about them. Girls never play boys in official games but boys are often compared to them. Among the girls she is at the same level as I am among the boys. You know what that means right?"
"You mean she's that good?"
"She is."
"I never thought about it that way."
"There is one thing I still want to find out about her."
"What?"
"What's keeping her from becoming a pro."
-
"You're late again sleepy had. What's the matter with you, you look like shit?"
"Sorry Waya, I overslept."
"What have you doen last night?"
"Akira just wouldn't let me go. He made play with him over and over again the games we played with Rey."
"Rey? Where did he find out about that?"
"He heard you and Isumi talking about it at the institute and he made me take him there to play her."
"And did you?"
"Yes."
"Great! Now he's got a reason to laugh at us."
"He won, but I don't think he's going to laugh at us. He was very troubled after the game."
"Toya? Troubled?"
"Yes." Hikaru told his friends everything Akira said the day before and they all agreed that Akira had a point there. What was keeping her from becoming a pro player?
"Why don't we go there and talk to her, she must have a good reason." They went to the go saloon only to find Akira shouting to Rey.
"You're stupid you know if you let that stand in your way. If you want to play go then play go but don't waste your talent in a go saloon." And with that he left. He didn't even stop when he bumped into Waya who was standing in front of the door.
"Hey watch it you…"
"What happened Rey? What did Toya want?"
"Shindou-kun, he wanted to know why I'm not a pro player and when I told him, well….you heard what he said."
"By the way….why aren't you a pro player?" Isumi spoke first but it was obvious that he was speaking for all of them."
"My parents don't want me to. They say I should have a real job and earn my money with hard and honest work. I don't have the money to pay the tax for the pro exam. That's why I came here. Here I can play go and have a gob my parents agree with."
"We might find a way to help you with the money for the exam."
"Would you do that for me?"
"Yes. You're a good player, you should be among the pros."
"Can I talk to you for a second Shindou, outside."
"What?"
"What were you thinking about when you told her that you can get the money? Where are you gonna get that money from."
"I don't know yet ok? But I'll find a way. I have some savings too. Not much though…I'll think of something."
"I hate it when you talk before you think Shindou."
"I'm sorry but I have to agree with Waya here."
"Fine! If you don't want to help I'll do it myself." Hikaru started walking. He needed time to think and he didn't feel like going home, so he just walked without noticing that he was heading towards Toya Meijin's go saloon. He passed the saloon but stopped when he heard a familiar voice.
"Shindou! Where are you going?"
"Toya? What are you doing here?"
"What do you mean what am I doing here. This is my father's saloon."
"Oh! Oh yeh."
"What's going on Shindou?"
"Nothing."
"Will you stop that? Come in and let's play."
"I don't wanna play right now. I have something more important to do."
"Like wandering all day?"
"What the hell do you know?"
"I don't know if you don't tell me. I might be able to help you." Akira grabbed Hikaru's arm and dragged him inside. Eventually Hikaru gave up and sat down at the table in the back.
"I saw Rey today and I asked her why she didn't take the pro exam."
"I asked her too. She's just stupid that's all." Hikaru went on as if he hadn't heard Akira.
"She doesn't have the money for the pro exam and I promised to find a way to get her the money."
"Where are going to get it from?"
"I don't know. That's what I'm trying to figure out."
"What have you got yourself into Shondou? I'll talk to my father. He might help."
"Thanks Toya."
"Now, how about a game?"
"Ok."