HOSHI
Rules of the Game Arc


AUTHOR: Kenen
DISCLAIMER: Hikaru no Go is a product of Hotta and Obata . . . damn them both.
PAIRINGS: Touya + Hikaru, Ko Yeong-Ha + Hikaru, Sai + Hikaru, others.
WARNINGS: M/M, Angst, Manga Spoilers, Suspension of Disbelief in effect, and Religious views.
NOTES: Will write for comments! Much thanks (danke) for all.


Chapter Two: On the Go


The Weekly Go newsroom was in its usual state of orderly disarray one week and two days after the Hokuto Cup tournament. Kosemura sat across from Amano's desk as the other reporter spoke on the phone. He felt itchy, but in an excited kind of way. Because approximately seven years, five months, and three days ago an American publishing company stationed in Los Angelos, California had a Japanese chairman of the board who had loved Go. Luckily, two years before, a manga entitled Go-Jyasu Takashi had been published in Japan dealing specifically with the game in question. The American publishing company bought the rights and translated the manga at the chairman's urging.

It had taken many years - almost a decade - but suddenly the American populace had a great interest in the game. And so to promote the manga as well as grow an even greater following, the company - Solar Productions by name, Home of all Stellar Manga by catchphrase - wanted to host the next tournament in America. Of course this declaration may ruffle a few feathers in Korea, whom was supposed to hold the second tournament as they did win the first; but it was just too great an opportunity to put off another year. The most exciting part, Kosemura had to say was that he and Amano had been personally called to break the story to Go fans young and old.

"All right, we'll be in contact then. Thank-you and goodbye." Amano placed the phone in its cradle and turned to Kosemura. The excited gleam in his eyes, goofy grin on his face and twiddling of his hands were vaguely reminiscent of a school girl with her first crush, Kosemura noted. He felt the same way of course, Go in America was without a doubt the highlight of his entire career.

"What did he say?" Kosemura queried anxiously. Their boss usually never minced words, and if something Go related were to be done then there was no stopping its implementation.

Amano's grin became an even goofier smile. "Only that AGA and Weekly Go will begin advertising for the next North Star Cup Tournament to be totally 'stellar' in America as a tag team tournament!"

"Huh?"

"Don't you get it?" Amano was positively gleeful. "Not three of a countries' best players but the top six. This means more young people are presented playing the game, it gives every country a chance to redeem itself in case of a loss, and most importantly there will be greater exposure in America of all places. They even said they have at least three young players ready right now. While that isn't enough to participate in the tournament they can help teach shidougo for Asian players who don't speak English very well. It's a really great idea."

Amano's enthusiasm was contagious and Kosemura was just as giddy by the time he finished speaking. "What are you telling me all this for then? Put it on paper and let's get word out!"


Touya Akira was in quandary as he so often was when concerning Shindou Hikaru. His rival was a maze inside a labyrinth, a puzzle inside an enigma, a . . . well in any case Shindou was complicated in the least confusing of times. But that mystery that was Shindou had been part of his initial attraction, Akira admitted. He had been fixated for years on Shindou's seeming dual personalities when it came to Go, only to find out that all this time the boy had been telling the truth. There was no real mystery, only two friends. Shindou wasn't Sai. And after meeting Sai, Akira wished to God that he had been right instead.

To say that he hadn't been mentally prepared to meet Sai was an understatement. The most he had been equipped to do was confess to Shindou and hope for the best. That was all anyone in the utterly deplorable position of unrequited love could ask for after all. And when in such a situation no one wanted to meet someone like Sai on the arm of the person they liked.

Sai possessed a rare, frail beauty and a wonderful personality that was warm and inviting. He was the kind of person you didn't mind doing things for and couldn't stay angry with no matter what they had done. Not that Sai had done anything wrong. He only existed and Touya couldn't possibly fault him for that. Touya's shoulders slumped. Was he discouraged? He had to admit that he was.

Fujiwara Sai complicated things even further when it came to Shindou. To be perfectly honest his rivalry with Shindou was the only aspect of the boy's life that Akira had exclusive rights to. When there was only his half baked speculation that Shindou was Sai there was still a sort of friendly rapport that they had. Akira could even honestly say that with the exception of their occasional fights, he and Shindou got along perfectly, perhaps even better than Shindou did with Waya and Isumi. Furthermore, until that moment, Akira hadn't any reason to believe that Shindou hadn't began taking Go seriously because he wanted to be able to complete with him and only him. A living breathing Sai threw that logic to hell. Shindou's Go now became utterly dependent on beating Sai's skill level which was considerably above Akira's own; it became more about standing on equal footing with a friend, not a rival. Akira was ashamed of himself for missing that aspect of his relationship with Shindou.

They - in all honesty - weren't friends.

They didn't have any non-competitive history.

They didn't do non-Go related things together.

They didn't call each other on the phone.

They didn't frequent restaurants just to enjoy the company of the other.

They didn't make conversation for the joy of conversing.

They weren't rivals in the way they should be rivals.

They weren't moving in together.

They weren't moving in together.

They weren't moving in toget-.

Touya Akira swallowed hard.

The entire crux of his problem could be summed up in one little sentence, five words, period. It had nothing to do with how beautiful Sai was, or anything to do with whether or not Shindou liked boys in that way. The things they didn't do, and didn't say, had compounded over the years into that day that could be explained in five words. Shindou was moving in with someone that wasn't him. and Touya Akira didn't know what to do about it, aside from regret all those actions, all those words, and every hour of every day that he hadn't told Shindou how he felt about him.

There was a soft knock on the door to his room before it cracked a bit and a dark head peaked in. "Akira?"

"Come in, Mother." The boy sat up on his bed as Akiko entered the room balancing a cup of tea and cookies on a tray.

"I brought you some snacks in case you felt like eating," she offered, her smile hopeful even though her tone was rather neutral. The snacks were for a highly unusual second study session his father was having this week. Akira didn't feel he could face the others or properly concentrate on the game so he was skipping it again.

The son presented a small encouraging smile to her. "Yes thank-you." Akiko, his mother, was one hell of a lady. Touya wouldn't often think such a thing, but the truth could only be said in such a vulgar, however enthusiastic sentence. He wasn't aware of exactly how many years his mother had been trying to speak with him as unobtrusively as possible. Her tone was always so mild and her smile could be very misleading. Was it truly only a couple mornings past that he'd realized what a treasure she was to be so understanding and patient for so many years? Even now as she fussed over placement of the snack tray on his desk she was imitating cheerfulness as she consciously loitered, as though waiting. Whereas before the boy knew he would be somewhat irritated with his mother for taking so long to accomplish such a simple task, it was endearing now; Akira understood why she always hesitated, comprehended it quite easily after speaking with her at length. Akiko was waiting on some gesture or phrase that would allow her to stay longer. And if she didn't receive it, she would smile anyway as she retreated and probably hoped for more the next time.

He wouldn't lie, before he had often disdained Akiko's lack of interest and inability to play Go, but he was learning to love her despite that, on her own terms.

"Mother?"

Her head snapped up a little too quickly. Akira knew he was right then. It really did mean a lot to her when he spoke with her. "Yes?"

The boy patted the bed beside him and waited until his mother crossed the room and somewhat uncertainly sat down beside him. She was nervous, but he could also see her anticipation of what was to come. But he wasn't going to ask for advice about Shindou now. And he wouldn't cry anymore, only sissies did that. He just wanted to know one thing. "Mother, why aren't you angry about my liking a boy?"

Akiko's smile was gentle, there was nothing misleading in it at all as she reached out her hand and tentatively tucked long strands of her son's hair behind his ear. She sighed, "People say that being a parent is hard. That it is expensive, and children in this time are difficult to raise because they go their own way."

Missing the touch of his mother's smooth fingers Akira inclined his head toward her, and before he realized it, he was laying on his mother's shoulder for only the second time in his memory. As he inhaled he could only think that if sunshine could be bottled and given a scent, it would smell just like his mother.

"But I say," she continued in her soft voice as her arm came around him and rested on his back, "that your children will be richer than an emperor, and happy, if you love them for who they are."


A floor below in the Touya household, after having reviewed a few kifu, Ashiwara, Kouyo, and Ogata sat at the kitchen table taking part in the snacks Akiko had prepared. Touya had a very good wife, Ogata thought this often. She was supportive without being intrusive. She never pretended to be even remotely interested in either her child's or her husband's profession, but she was always present. When lying abed with his current conquest, who always looked much better the night before than in the morning, he would smoke a cigarette and he would say to himself, 'I wish this person were just like Akiko.'

As the older players solemnly ate, Ashiwara would look miserable at the younger Touya's absence and delighted with a pastry he was eating by turns. Ogata was sure the younger player was doing it on purpose; for a reaction from him. He decided not to take the bait, and instead pondered the younger Touya's absence. Oftentimes, Ogata forgot Touya Akira's age; today was not one of those days he could do so. He hadn't seen the boy as vulnerable as he currently was since . . . well, it had been a while if ever he had. However, usually the only person who could upset him was Shindou, and Ogata couldn't recall any recent events between the two that could have spawned Akira's mood. However, a name that often popped up and even more often than that disappeared for lengths at a time, had caused a reaction he would never have thought of Akira. It was troublesome being able to speculate on many things but never receive anything definite. Sai hadn't been spoken of after Akira had mentioned him the other day. Kouyo had wisely refrained from comment, and Ashiwara and he had followed suit, if for no other reason than it was Touya's house. Ogata wished he could have just a few minutes alone with Akira so that he could ask.

In between a sip of tea Touya Kouyo calmly remarked, "By the way, I've met the mysterious Sai." His train of thought disrupted, Ogata stood. The sudden action jostled the table, which in turn disturbed Ashiwara's grip on his food. As the pastry landed in a forlorn puddle of crumbs on the floor, and Ashiwara's face decided to maintain its abject façade, and Ogata's adrenaline skyrocketed after his brain completely grasped what he'd heard; he watched Touya Kouyo sip from his tea again with a serenity Buddha would have applauded. Damn him.

"What?" Ogata demanded. His tone was barely appropriate for indoors. "When was this? Why are you just telling me about this?" He was treated to seeing the cup raise to Kouyo's lips again; his ire raised another notch. The tea had to go. Delaying tactics at this moment were not appreciated.

"When I went for my usual check-up I sat beside a person with the most outstanding hair I'd ever seen in my life," Kouyo answered after what felt like an eternity. Ogata wanted to rip the man's tongue out and fillet it for following the orders that were producing more questions than answers.

"What has that to do with anything?"

"That person had the saddest most interesting and frightening eyes . . ."

Ogata sat down, hands clenched on the table top to keep from causing bodily harm.

"When he was called from the lobby room he thanked me for the game we had," Kouyo concluded, punctuated with a sip from his tea.

Ogata's mouth worked silently a moment as his vexation waned and he could fully understand what Kouyo had been explaining; albeit in a roundabout way. Sai was a person with long hair and sad eyes, a person Touya Akira and then Touya Kouyo had seen in the flesh . . .

"I was later told by a nurse that my room was right beside Sai's during my stay in the hospital. She was shocked that I hadn't met him during that time as we are both Go enthusiast."

Side by side in the hospital and he hadn't noticed, Ogata wanted to fall into a Xeroxing machine just so that he would be able to kick himself. Wait a minute . . . side by side in the hospital, and as he'd once thought, Shindou Hikaru knew Sai . . . and that time he'd caught the boy on his way to visit Touya Kouyo after the collapse . . . It appeared he would need more than one copy when it came to kicking himself.

"Do you know how to get in contact with him?" Ogata wondered.

Kouyo shook his head, but he had that gleam Ogata had come to respect during their many games in his eyes once again. It was then Ogata knew it wouldn't be too much longer before their search for Sai reached a definite conclusion.