Title: Sepulchral Storytelling
Disclaimer: Hikaru no Go belongs to Yumi Hotta & Takeshi Obatta
Warning: not a love story
Author's Note: This is actually excerpts from Shindou & Touya's 19th Golden Week (more than 8,000 words long yaoi, rated M) without the romance. I'd be glad to accept correction for any mistake – be it spelling, punctuation, grammar or misinformation.
The new Meijin holder – the youngest Meijin in history – Touya Akira, was contemplating the igo board in his room alone, replaying his last Honinbou match with Shindou, to which he lost four moku, when he heard the telephone ringing. Since no one else was home, he picked the phone.
"Hello, Touya's residence."
"Hello. This is Waya Yoshitaka," a shaking voice spoke, "Shindou got hit by a truck about half an hour ago. He had passed away before the ambulance arrived. His last, unfinished words were 'I still haven't reached Hand of God with Touya… why now−'."
Touya felt an abrupt emptiness. Waya's voice dispersed into void. Only pain abode. So painful that he found himself awake with tears.
What a dream! It's gotta be the worst nightmare in my life!
Undoubtedly, calling the current Honinbou's cell phone became the first thing he did that morning.
"Touya, this is 6:30 a.m.; what's so important?" Shindou grumbled over the line.
There was a pause before Touya answered in an apologetic tone, "Sorry. I was thinking if we could get a short vacation together this upcoming Golden Week."
Golden Week. It had been in the Golden Week that Sai disappeared four years ago. On the fifth of May. On Tango no Sekku or Boys' Day. On Torajirou's birthday. As the koinobori fish flags fluttered in the wind, Sai's spirit vanished. Just like that.
On hearing Shindou's silence, Touya continued, "It's okay if you don't want to."
Somehow, the youngest Honinbou in history, who managed to claim his title in the same year as Touya Meijin, reckoned it was the time for his most important person to learn the truth about his deepest secret.
"Gee, that's a great idea, how can I say no? You've got a place in mind?"
"Not yet. What about you?" replied Touya.
"Yes, as a matter of fact. How do Innoshima and Kyoto sound to you, Touya?"
"Innoshima? As the one in Hiroshima Prefecture?"
"Yup!" confirmed Shindou.
Kyoto is indeed popular for tourism, but why Innoshima? "I've never been there." Touya was about to say "Anything special about it?" when it struck his mind that Shindou went there four years ago and rephrased his reply "I'd love to visit it with you, and, yeah, Kyoto too."
Shindou sounded pleased. "So, the day after tomorrow, 10 o' clock at the station?"
"Sounds good."
"OK, I'll book the accommodation later on today, but for now let me just get back to my sleep. See you."
After that, Touya made a mental note to be as friendly as possible to Waya Yoshitaka, who actually felt irritated whenever he met Touya in reality.
Two days later, Shindou arrived at the station twelve minutes before their appointment. Touya had been waiting for him, nevertheless. When they bought their ekiben – lunchboxes, one of the other buyers recognized them. While requesting their autographs, he remarked how lucky he was to see both the youngest Meijin and Honinbou in history at the same time and how deep their rivalry must be, traveling together like that. Touya gave him a courteous smile, but deep inside he grinned widely. Whenever someone, anyone, mentioned the rivalry between Shindou and him, he always felt so… alive!
After playing magnetic go on the bullet train, Shindou dragged Touya to tour all historic Heian period places they could find in Kyoto. Touya had indeed noticed some classical Japanese literature books intermingled with manga and go magazines on Shindou's bookshelf, back in the house, but he never thought his rival would be this obsessed with Heian-related subjects. Every now and then, Touya found sad yearning in Shindou's eyes, especially when they visited the site where the Heian court would have abided a millennium before. Yet, Shindou wouldn't tell him what went wrong.
On the fourth day of their vacation, May 5, Shindou and Touya left for Innoshima. They traveled with a bullet train from Kyoto to Onomichi station, and then caught a bus to Innoshima. They saw birds flying on the crystal clear sky from their bus window as they crossed the bridge which connected the ancillary island from the main one. For Touya, the day seemed perfectly fine; for Shindou, every second felt like hour.
After putting their luggage in their booked ryoukan – Japanese traditional inn – Shindou asked his travel mate, "Are you tired?"
When Touya shook his head Shindou said again, "Come! There are things I want to show you."
Shindou brought Touya to a cemetery. The two young men passed several tombstones until Shindou halted at a particular grave marker bearing Shuusaku's name.
Shindou closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Sai, Torajirou, please lend me your strength. After feeling the gentle spring breeze swept over his hair, he opened his eyes again and broke his prolonged silence, "Touya, will you listen to a ghost story?"
Touya had no special interest to supernatural beings, but he did not fail to notice Shindou's repressed urgency. Hence, he nodded.
"One rainy day, a twelve-year-old boy and girl found an old igo board in an attic. The boy saw bloodstains on the board, but the girl didn't. Then, there was a voice asking whether the boy could hear him. That voice belonged to a ghost in Heian court attire. His long dark hair streamed like river flow. His amethyst orbs gazed unfathomably like deep purple abyss. The fan in his hand concealed his mystique smile.
The ghost had taught the boy how to play go from scratch henceforth. He was only visible and audible to his host alone. He told the boy where to place the go stones on the board and triumphed over all opponents with absolute victories. Nobody knew about the ghost's existence; people simply assumed the boy was gifted in go. The ghost, after all, had done the same method before, on another boy named Torajirou in Edo period. The ghost had even earned Torajirou fame far and wide under the name of Honinbou Shuusaku.
The ghost was initially a Heian emperor's go instructor. He was cheated during a game, but accused of cheating instead and banished from the court. He couldn't bear to live on after such dishonor and drowned himself.
And yet, there were times when the ghost's current host grew selfish and wanted to play his own games. Worst of all, this boy sabotaged a game with an important opponent who had gone through such length just to an opportunity to re-challenge the ghost. The game ended in catastrophe; the opponent's expectation was betrayed.
The boy wanted to repent for his mistakes and become a worthy opponent for the one disappointed. He couldn't afford the ghost to play with any other player face-to-face again, however, so he used net go. The ghost's capability soon popularized, leaving the boy no choice but to quit net go, though not igo in general.
Step by step the boy walked down the path of go by becoming an insei first and then pro. Just then, three springs since the boy met the ghost, the ghost disappeared. Therefore, the boy stopped playing go, in hope that the ghost might return if he let the ghost play as he used to. After months of waiting, the ghost did not return still.
It was one of the boy's friends made him realize that the ghost did not vanish completely. Instead, he lived within the boy's go. The boy resumed his go path, pursuing his life-long rival." Shindou ended his story.
Touya gazed at the sadness in the eyes of the only one he regarded his eternal rival. Tenderly he spoke, "This story is about you, isn't it?"
Shindou nodded. He did his best to hold back the bulky tears at the brink of his eyes from gushing.
"… And Sai?" Touya added, though with a considerable degree of hesitancy.
Shindou shuddered at the very mention of Sai's name. "Do you believe me?'
"Well … it did sound like a tall story at first, but then some facts do fit. The first two games I played you in my father's salon were enough to display Shuusaku's brilliant moves despite how awkward you held the stones. Besides, you've got… er… mysterious aura of an experienced player back then.
You held the stones correctly enough when we played in the Junior High tournament, but your go skill was still at beginner's level. Sai's name disappeared from world igo net after I told you everybody was curious about Sai's identity. You finally became a pro with your own strength and were desperate when Sai left – that's why you ditched your matches for months.
You were extremely pissed off when Ko Yongha insulted Shuusaku in our first Hokuto Cup – though you won 7 moku against him the following year – because the ghost who resided in Shuusaku changed your life. The ghost, whose talent people recognize to be Shuusaku's, introduced you to the wonders of go. And thanks to him, my go is no longer dull since I met you."
At the sound of Touya's words, tears streamed down on Shindou's cheeks.
"Akira…!" For the first time Shindou Honinbou called Touya Meijin by his given name.
Surprised as Touya was with so many things jamming in his mind, he managed to reach for the tearful youth and gently put his hands on Shindou's shoulders.
"I… I was afraid you were g-going to… leave m-me… thinking I'm a… liar or lunatic!" Shindou stammered between his sobs.
"Hikaru," Touya called with sincerity in his voice, "I trust you and admire you too much to think so lowly of you."
Go had been Shindou's heart and soul. Touya Akira, the man standing before him was his reason for seriously playing go. This was his most intriguing opponent. The one who understood him better than any other creature alive. His perpetual rival by mutual acknowledgement. His best friend by tacit agreement.
After a while, Shindou broke his cry to face Touya. "Fujiwara no Sai," he said, "That's his full name."
"Fujiwara no Sai," the Meijin replied, "Thank you for helping Hikaru into the person he is today; I will treasure him all my life."
THE END