A One shot I decided to write after reading volume…9 I think it was…or maybe it was 10? Oh well, it's what happens after Isumi plays Hikaru and loses and Isumi's old friend comes and snaps him out of his losing streak before his match with Occhi (I think that's how you spell his name…)

Please Enjoy and REVIEW!!

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Pairing: Isumi X OC

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'I can't believe I lost…' Isumi was sulking in the break room replaying the match in his head over and over again. 'I mean, I know that I technically cheated…moving my hand off the stone and all…' He was drinking his 3rd can of Ponta (me: PONTA! GIVE ME SOME!!! reader: Shut up and get back to the story bops author on the head me: falls unconscious) 'I shouldn't have been so careless…now I might never pass the pro-exams…' He let out a huge sigh, packed his things and started heading for the door, when he came face to face with someone he thought he would never see again.

"HELLOOOOO!"

"Akari…what are you doing here?" Isumi asked, thinking this was all a dream. Akari giggled and walked over to him, pulling him into a hug.

"Well, I know you said that we would meet again after you passed the pro-exams and then came to America…but you were taking so long I hopped on a plane and came to see you!" she cheered, pushing some of her dark blue hair behind her ear and started walking over to where the Go matches were.

She smiled and turned back to him "Well? Aren't you coming?" she laughed and pulled him into the room. Isumi looked at her, then around the room, flashes of the matches he lost came back into his head and he wanted nothing more then to run out of there and forget about everything. He turned toward the door and started heading out, when he was suddenly tackled to the ground. He yelped in surprise and found that his attacker was none other then Akari, he glared at her and was about to tell her to get off when she started talking.

"Not so fast!" she said "Waya told me about what happened with your matches, and I have to say I'm disappointed," she pouted and got up, pulling him up with her and lead him toward a Go board.

"Remember this Isumi?" she asked pointing to the Go board; he looked at her like she was crazy. I mean, come on, it's a Go board.

"Akari…" he started, "That's a Go board," he said it in a voice that an adult would use on a 5 year old when they didn't get something that would seem so easy to another. Akari sighed and pushed him down so he was sitting in front of it.

"Yes, I know it's a Go board Isu-chan," she said making Isumi, much to her delight, gasp in surprise. That was the nick name she gave him when they were in middle school, he never thought they would result to using their embarrassing childhood nick names.

"What I meant was…" she started, pausing for dramatic affect, "Do you remember this particular Go board?" she asked, using the 5 year old voice he just used on her. He took a closer look at the board, he always thought this board was familiar to him, but he could never put his finger on it.

His eyes widened once he saw it, she was right. This board used to belong to them when they first started taking lessons, but they donated it when they got a new one. How did it end up here?

Akari, seeing his reaction, started bursting out laughing. "Surprised aren't ya?" she asked. Isumi just nodded, not being able to find any words to say. She pulled out some Go stones form her bag and set them on the board. "Wanna play a game? For old time's sake?" she asked, batting her eyelashes-he has never been able to resist when she did that.

Isumi just started laughing and nodded, 'Akari hasn't changed a bit.'

(I don't wanna write about the Go match…they did some stuff with the stones and it got all dramatic and stuff, but in the end Isumi won)

"Thanks for the game Isumi!" Akari said bowing slightly to him. Isumi smiled and bowed to her too. It was a tradition they came up with, bow before and after the game. It always confused people when they lost and would bow to the person who beat them, but it made sense to them and that's all that mattered.

Akari cleared the table and put the stones back into her bag, she looked up at Isumi and smiled before telling him what she originally came to tell him.

"Isumi, did you have fun playing that game with me?" she asked, it sounded like when a 5 year old asks his/her parents of they love them, she had a small smile on her face.

"Yeah…" he said, "It was a good game, you've improved a lot since the last time we played," he smiled and looked into her eyes, like he was trying to show that he was sincere.

"And that's what Go is all about, right?" she asked, slightly glancing away from him.

Okay, now he was confused.

"Playing Go…" she started "Is about enjoying the game, and improving yourself all throughout, no matter how many wins…-she looked back at him- or loses."

To say Isumi was shocked was an understatement. He stared wide-eyed at her with his mouth slightly open, and then he let his mouth curl up into a smile. Akari was right, as always. He let himself get so worked up about the loss to Hikaru, he completely forgot about why he was even taking the pro-exams. To play the game he loved so much, and…to be with her. He looked back into Akari's eyes, she was always so beautiful, and now…he couldn't even think of words to describe her. She always thought she was just average looking, but to him she was the most beautiful creature alive.

He thought that if he became a pro he would be able to afford to go to America and see her again. That was his life goal, since she moved to America; he couldn't stand being away from her. Even Go was second best when it came to Akari.

He started leaning in closer to her, staring into her eyes, he used the Go board to support himself. Akari knew what was coming and she quickly grabbed her bag.

"I should go Isumi," she said. "My mom's probably having a panic attack," she started getting up, but was soon pulled down and into a kiss. At first she was shocked, and considered pulling away and running. But soon she melted into the kiss, slowly closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Eventually they both pulled away, slightly out of breath. They just stared back at each other, not sure what to say, when Akari grabbed her bag again and said her goodbye, again.

"Well, it was great seeing you again Isumi," she said. Before she left she bent down next to him and placed a light kiss on his lips, then headed for the door. She turned to him and smiled.

"I wish you luck on tomorrow's match," she sounded 3 times as cheery then when she first arrived, Isumi chuckled to himself. "I'll e-mail you once I'm back in America, that's a promise," she winked at him then closed the door behind her.

Isumi smiled, he never felt so good. His mind was cleared, and was ready for a new start; starting with the pro-exams.

'I'm going to win, and pass the exam' he thought to himself, as he started heading out the door. 'Not just for me…but for me and Akari. I'll become a pro and go to America, that's a promise'

THE END: Whaddya think? I know it's a little sloppy, but this idea was buzzing in my brain all through 8th period, I had to put it on or else I would have gone crazy!

Oh and I haven't seen if Isumi or Waya or Hikaru make it through the exams or not, so when you review, don't spoil it for me. If you do...MUAHAHAHAHAHA

Anyway, please review and you'll get a mental high-five from yours truly

much love,

Strawberries-and-Cherries