Disclaimer - these are not my characters, this is not my world or set up, all credit, thanks and apologies go to Hotta Yumi and Obata Takeshi.

Chapter 2

He had a date. Hikaru let the thought roll around in his brain. He'd always assumed he'd end up on a date at some point and as Akari was the only girl he hung out with any regularity, it should come as no surprise that she'd ended up as his partner.

According to comments made by old class mates, the worst part of the date was getting up the courage to ask the girl, the threat of rejection and humiliation plaguing even the notorious cool guys. Hikaru supposed he should count himself lucky that Akari had gone to the effort of asking him out.

No, he should be counting himself lucky that she only saw through half of his problem. Which moronic brain cells had come up with the "I have a friend" scenario? He should have told her that Waya needed help avoiding Ochi's advances. Or even better, Hikaru shouldn't have told her anything at all.

Problem was, he hated keeping secrets. It wasn't in his nature. Nor, according to everyone that knew him, were tact and being perceptive to other's emotions. Which was why it had been a relief when Akari had asked him to tell her his troubles. She was a girl, and hence an expert in the emotion business. Plus, Hikaru knew from experience that Akari would have pestered him until he relented to whatever she wanted. Come to think of it, why hadn't she forced him into a date years ago?

Part of him was glad he'd spoken about his problem. Before it had almost seemed a figment of his imagination. Now it was real, solid. And Akari had even managed to give him some good advice. Now, what exactly had she been saying?

It wasn't that they spent all their time playing go, reasoned Isumi as he placed a white stone on the board. Originally, Shindo had come over to the apartment that Isumi and Waya shared in order for Waya to show off his new computer.

It had arrived the previous day in two large boxes, featuring a numerous images of caucasians in various states of open mouth ecstasy while they played games and compiled spreadsheets. At least that's what Isumi thought they were doing. The text was in English, a language of no real use to a professional go player. The online store Waya had ordered it from promised that the manual was multilingual, and indeed the set up instructions were in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and something only vaguely resembling Japanese. - "To be set your lovely computer, please follow as read" they began. Even better, the machine seemed to have shipped with only a single power cord. Undeterred, Waya had gone shopping and dragged Shindo over, confiding in Isumi that Shindo knew more about computers than he let on.

The setting up of the computer had gone reasonably well, although Waya's desk was obviously sagging under the weight of the monitor. Why Waya needed something with such high resolution when all he played was online go was beyond Isumi. When they turned on the machine they were greeted with with an impressive animated movie, the point of which was lost on them as it was all in English, as was the text that appeared on screen.

Waya insisted that there was a way of switching the language over to Japanese. Isumi watched until Waya's cursing and his own desire to point out that perhaps there was a reason why the computer was so inexpensive, drove him over to the go board. Witnessing Shindo's habit of reaching out and pressing keys at random had caused Isumi to suggest a game.

They played to the sounds of annoyed mouse clicking in the background and Isumi marveled, as he always did, at how much Shindo had improved since they last played. Even in his Insei days, Shindo had been a devil when it came to fighting for territories. You had to be completely aware of your holdings, otherwise he'd pick away at your lead, one stone at a time. But such skills were hardly rare, especially when one played professionals.

Rather, what set Shindo apart from even mid rank players were the almost clairvoyant moments when he predicted the future shape of the board, and used insignificant moves to trap and confound his opponents. They weren't common stone patterns, so either Shindo had access to a whole slew of go games that the rest of them didn't or he was coming up with them on his own. Those moments of genius were becoming almost regular, Isumi noted as he studied his current disadvantage.

Or maybe, and this was a disturbing thought, Shindo had always had the ability to see such patterns, and he was just getting better at leading his opponents into his traps. Pay attention to the game, Isumi reminded himself. Maybe Yaeko-chan was right about his id undermining his play, or was that his superego?

With a final curse that showed he remembered something from English class, Waya came to down sit beside him. He looked in a particularly foul mood. It would pass, so long as no one actually provoked him. Too bad provoking came so naturally to Shindo.

"I hear," said Shindo in a voice that was trying to sound offhand and failing, "that Toya's pretty good at English, want me to call him over?"

Waya's nostrils flared, but he managed to keep his voice relatively even as he said, "Please tell me you're winning, Isumi."

"Fraid not, he's building up here, so I'll have to defend. And when I play here," he indicated the spot, "he'll move in here to capture all this territory. Am I right?"

Shindo nodded, "There's still a way for you to get out of it."

"Where?" asked Isumi, he'd been trying to find a way out for five moves.

"Yeah," added Waya. There was a relieved look on his face which could be interpreted as a desire to see Shindo defeated, but Isumi thought it came from an excuse to ignore his computer.

"Here."

"What? But, he'll loose these five stones,"

"Yeah, but he doesn't he'll loose all eight. This way he's only down by three."

Which, against Shindo, especially with yose still to be played out, was a lot. Still, if Shindo though there was still a chance. . . Isumi studied the board looking for an inventive Shindo opening.

"It's too much," declared Waya, "You'd have to be the former Meijin to find a way out of that."

"Or his son." muttered Shindo, indicating how his informal matches against his rival must be going.

"Yeah, Toya's just the best at everything." Waya's face was blank, but Isumi could hear the sneer in his voice. Even on a good day, Waya could handle maybe two Toya references an hour, and, after a full morning of struggling with his computer, today wasn't a good day.

"Toya would find a way to win this game." Shindo insisted.

Shindo bickered socially, it was his equivalent of small talk. The reason why he still had friends, good friends even, was that he seemed incapable of holding a grudge for longer than an hour. Isumi chalked it up to Shindo's easy going nature. But, as Yaeko-chan was fond of pointing out, everyone had buttons, and most of Shindo's revolved around Toya Akira.

"Just because you're constantly loosing to him doesn't mean he's invincible."

Shindo's eyes dropped, and his cheeks went pink. Waya, realizing he'd gone to far, added, "I mean, it's so far along in the game. These other two corners are already decided. To get four stones off of you . . . I'd like to see such a game."

"Yeah," said a mollified Shindo, "It wouldn't be easy. I wonder where Toya would play. Hey, I'm playing him this Wednesday. Want to come watch. We could play from this point on."

Waya studied the board once more and said in a genuine tone. "I think I will. And if Toya can pull out even a tie, I'll treat you to a ramen dinner."

"All right. And if I win, I'll buy dinner. Oh, you can come too, Isumi."

"I'd like to, but -"

"But Isumi has a date." added Waya in a singsongy manner, "With Mitanti-chan." He seemed disappointed when Isumi merely rolled his eyes.

"A date?" Shindo seemed unusually interested, "What are you going to do?"

"A stroll in the moonlight," said Waya, "in which she'll look up into Isumi's eyes and say, 'Oh please, tell me more about this wonderful game of go.'"

"She's interested in go?" ask Shindo, failing to catch the irony.

"The first two dates only," said Waya, "Now she carries a romance novel in her purse to pull out whenever Isumi and I play a game."

"Oh," said Shindo, looking unsure, "that's too bad."

Isumi caught Waya smiling for the first time since he powered on his computer. Shindo wasn't much good at predicting traps outside of a go game. Maybe a bit of good natured Shindo baiting was what Waya needed to lift his mood.

"Or would be if Isumi wasn't getting other stuff out of the arrangement."

"Like what?" asked Shindo with wide eye innocence.

"Like sex." said the ever blunt Waya.

"Waya!" Isumi shouted, despite himself. Wasn't Shindo supposed to be the source of amusement here?

"What?" asked a none too innocent Waya. "That's why you keep going out with her, right?"

"That's not funny."

"What's not funny is the way she's always hanging around doing her psychoanalyzing schtick. Apparently" Waya turned to address Shindo, "I'm manic depressive with a paranoid complex. She says it's all fun and games for me now, but later on I'm going to need medication. Name one PG rated thing she's good for."

Isumi could mention that that Yaeko was a whiz at configuring trashed computers, a necessary skill when working at an internet cafe, but Waya didn't deserve that information just yet. Instead Isumi said:

"She's a good cook. I've never heard you turn down a meal from her."

It was just enough of a joke to take the edge off the conversation. Waya gave a half smile and nodded.

"Well, all right, I'll give you that. She's good for two things then. That's probably the best that you can expect from a girl."

"Really?" asked Shindo.

"Really what?" was Waya's reply.

"Is that really all you can expect from a girlfriend?"

Shindo had one of his "They play go in Korea?" looks. Yaeko-chan had diagnosed Shindo as an idiot savant, but Isumi just pegged him as clueless. Very clueless.

"Pretty much. If you're really lucky, you'll find one that will wash your back and clean out your ears," said Waya.

He kept his face serious, even when Shindo nodded, like he'd just been given sage advice. Very, very clueless. As the older, more responsible male, Isumi decided he'd better step in. Otherwise Shindo was going to end up offending any potential girlfriend.

"Waya, knock it off. Shindo, there's a lot more to a relationship. There's companionship, and talking, shared experiences . . ." This sounded much better when Yaeko explained it. Of course, she was specializing in marriage counseling. "Look at other couples, like, um, your parents."

If it was possible, Shindo's face had gotten more confused.

"I mean," said Isumi, not sure why he had to explain this, "When your father gets home from work and you all have dinner together. You guys talk and all?"

"Dad usually works late so Mom just leaves his dinner in the oven."

"And afterwards?"

"Mom draws a bath for Dad. Then he watches TV."

"How about weekends?" Isumi asked with morbid curiosity.

"Mom usually spends weekends with my grandfather, to help him out with the housework. And that's when Dad's community baseball team practices and has games."

"Mornings?" Isumi couldn't stop himself from prying. It must be Yaeko's bad influence.

"Dad's not a morning person. He's kind of monosyllabic until he's had his second cup of coffee and then he has to run to catch the train."

"Typical Japanese household," said Waya, "does he hide behind the newspaper at the breakfast table?" Shindo nodded.

"Your parents talk all the time." Isumi pointed out.

"Yeah, about the price of beans and at what point of over ripeness the peaches should go on sale." Waya's parents ran a grocery store together.

"Well my parents do volunteer work together. And Mitani Yaeko's parents play mixed doubles tennis. And" Isumi was aware that he was running out of long term relationships, "look at Toya Akira's mother, she's traveling around China with her husband."

"But it's not like she plays go." said Waya.

"Even if she did, she'd never be able to play at the Toya-sensei's level." Finding a mate that could play go was something Isumi had given up long ago. There weren't many professional female go players, and most were married or old.

"How come you're so interested in women all of a sudden, Shindo?" asked Waya.

"My friend . . . I mean, I . . ." Shindo looked uncertain, "have a date."

Isumi hadn't known Waya's face could hold such a large smile.