First of all, I'd like to apologize to the early readers who have read chp 3 as soon as I updated on fanfiction. I wrote the whole chapter and uploaded it from my iPad and things went so wrong with the published version. I already have it fixed and good to go. I'll be careful when using a different writing app from now on. (Thank you,reesessweetie, for pointing it out)

On the topic of 'Discussing about the direction of this fanfic'

The brotherly love is not very common here at fanfiction but it is not rare. I intend to explore more about relationship between family members and friends rather than going head first into angst department. (That's all I can hint!)

*Drum rolled*And the die hard fan award goes to...reesessweetie! Yes! Kitajima was the guy who frequented Touya Meijin's Go salon in the manga/anime. He didn't really like Hikaru , had never liked Hikaru actually. So I think it'd be a good use if I bring this guy to my fanfic and give him a reason to dislike Hikaru from the beginning.

As always, I appreciate your reviews. I confess I've reread all of your reviews with a big smile on my face whenever I take a break from writing this story. Thank you, reesessweetie and Kanrei for giving me the chance to stalk your profile page(kidding). Thank you, Yuu,Guest and Anonymous who still left comments though you guys shy away from me (please come back again). All reviews help speeding up my writing greatly and I'll keep doing my best knowing I have you cheering me on :D

Oh, my, enough talking. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. see you next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go


Takagi Kiriko couldn't help staring at her would be opponent for the day. She knew fully well how important it was for the game she was about to have this morning. Since if she lost, it would be her fourth and resulting in a straight win streak in addition of her young opponent passing the exam. But she couldn't get her face straight no matter how much effort she put into it, not when this boy directed his indigo color eyes to meet hers. This certain teenager was the talk of the exam since day one. At the earlier period of the pro exam, there wasn't even a single female player who didn't talk about his attractive look. Kiriko still remembered one guy who walked up to him and asked for the boy's phone number, thinking that he was actually a girl. That one guy received a hostile glare from the said boy up until this day. But as of late, the male players started talking about him too, even the topic involving him among the female examinees had also changed its direction. With his unstoppable winning streak and his strong but balanced play, the exam participants had started calling this dark horse a prodigy.

"I still can't believe he won against Ogata-kun the other day, and by ten mokus at that!" A man in his twenties turned to his friend as soon as they spotted Sai sitting by himself in the cafeteria.

"Poor guy, I know he didn't want to resign but it would be better doing otherwise. Losing by ten mokus when he was expected to pass with a spotless record, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes right now." A girl in her high school year didn't care to lower her voice.

"Can you believe he doesn't belong to any study group? Is it even possible for someone who studies by himself to play so well?" said another teenage boy in a far corner.

"He doesn't even have a master!? Are you blabbering nonsense!?" A burly man stood up indignantly after his acquaintance whispered quietly into his ears.

The small talks went on and on until a teenager with light brunette hair walked in. His glasses reflected the neon lights in the room for a short moment before he marched to the feminine looking boy who had been the center of attention for the past two months.

"Morning, twentieth century Shusaku," Sai looked up from his book 'The great Games' to see his opponent from the other day standing arm-crossed in front of him. Ogata Seiji stared him down with a frown as if Sai was a bug that had to be squashed for good.

"Good morning, Ogata san." The teen prodigy replied flatly, showing no interest in engaging in the conversation between them any further. The polite but unfriendly gesture didn't pass Ogata's scrutiny unnoticed.

"Do you know? Even Shusaku studied with a master. Doesn't it sound too much like a bad joke when you said you don't have one?" Ogata took a seat on the opposite side of the table uninvitedly. Sai's gaze followed his gesture but his face didn't show any hint of interest.

"I was merely stating the fact. Choosing what to believe is your choice to consider." Sai got up from his seat, his book was still in his hand as he prepared himself to walk away. "And my name is Fujiwara. Calling me Shusaku is a disrespect to the great master. Now if you will excuse me, I have a game to attend."

"Wait, I want a rematch!" Ogata quickly grabbed onto Sai's wrist. The latter boy didn't struggle against the hand that had restrained him. Instead, he narrowed his eyes dangerously "I don't see why you should be so eager. I believe we'll be facing each other again once you pass the exam, isn't that so?"

"I mean an unofficial rematch."

"We can talk about that some other time. Most importantly, it is very inappropriate to request for a game with me when you still have an opponent waiting to have a match with you. I think you should know better." Sai jerked his hand back. His face remained stern as he snapped shut the cover of his book and walked towards the exit, leaving behind the very tensed looking teen to glare after him.

~o0O0o~

Beads of cold sweat rolled down Takagi's temple. She had heard about this boy's terrifying rumors, of course. But those talks didn't seem to prepare her for the inevitable and devastating lost that she was facing. She scanned over her shape to find some way to come back from her fall against white who had already swept over half of the board. Her eyes shone viciously as she spotted a few opening in Sai's formation.

'I still have control over the two top corners plus the lower side of the board. And there is a hole in his defense. If he strengthens it, I can take the area near the middle. If not, I'll break his wall'

Takagi bit her lips to suppress the sudden excitement that had been revived within her. Her hand shook in anticipation as she placed her black stone onto the exact spot where she had been staring only seconds earlier. Unfortunately, her luck was running thin as she also failed to notice Sai's hand which he lifted up to cover the lower half of his face, concealing his smirk with his pretended contemplating gesture.

Sai's response came sharply the moment Kiriko let go her stone. Her breath was cut short as her gaze fell on the newly added white stone. Did he make a mistake? That last move wasn't as beneficial to him comparing to defending his position. She tried to read deeper behind the move, yet nothing came to alarm her. Something in her gut was screaming at her, telling her not to make another move. But she couldn't give up the chance to plunge into his defense. And so she placed her stones.

Pachi, Pachi

Pachi, Pachi

Pachi, Pachi, Pachi

Plack!

Sai slammed down his last stone and earned a gasp from his opponent. Kiriko had finally see the boy's intention behind the move he made a few hands earlier. The move she thought was a mistake turned out to be a very meaningful hand. The boy didn't place that move to deflect her attack but to exploit her very own weakness. He had lost a few territories near the center due to her few stones. But now that very first stone was spelling doom for her whole area in the bottom. She could still fight for the center but by doing so, she wouldn't be able to safe the dying stones on the top left corner as well. Her only choice now was to defend her position in the bottom. But would that be enough for her to come out with leading mokus?

Kiriko looked up at the clock on the wall. Only an hour and some minutes had passed but to her, it felt like an hours-long match. She had gone through most of emotional range while playing this game. And it proved to drain her mental state immensely. So this was the level of play which belonged to the boy who pulled the top contender, Ogata, from his throne. The no name boy with unknown skill and no master who walked into this exam hall nearly two months ago would graduate today as a Go professional player with his crowning glory record to boot. Kiriko couldn't help feeling a pang of jealousy for this newly crowned king. Her gaze strayed to the very white stone that spelled her death sentence. Her lips were pressed tightly together as one disheartening word kept on repeating itself in her mind.

~o0O0o~

"I resign" Ishiyama Takeshi bowed to the boy across the Goban, his hands clenched together until his knuckles turned white. In all his years of private tutoring and studying Go, he had never lost to someone so badly, and so fast, at least not to a six year old boy who looked like he belonged in a sand box rather than in a competition for a game of strategy. He felt that his lost would be somewhat acceptable if this boy was the young prodigy, Touya Akira, who was rumored to had been taught by his fast rising 9-Dan pro father since he was two.

"Who's your master?" Ishiyama asked bitterly. At least if the boy was studying with a pro, he'd feel better for having lost to someone who had a formal study of the game.

"Master? Sorry, I don't know who you're talking about." Hikaru shrugged casually as his opponent's eyes twitched in annoyance at his attempt to avoid answering the question. "Alright, I don't actually have a master. But if you meant the person who teach me how to play Go, it's my older brother."

"What is his name? Is he a pro?"

"His name is Fujiwara Sai. And he is definitely better than most of the pros out there." Hikaru rubbed his finger against the tip of his nose smugly.

"Aren't you being bias? Just because he is your brother doesn't mean he can win against the pros. And if he is as good as you claim him to be, why haven't I heard of him until today?" Ishiyama pulled a face at his younger opponent.

"It's because you have been burying yourself with those average pros that you never get to know my brother. Mark my word, he will certainly snatch a title or two after a few years." Hikaru scowled at the other boy before his frowned slowly turned into a smirk. "If you think your tutor is better than mine, you are welcome to try again. But I can't guarantee I'll go easy on you this time though."

Ishiyama suddenly went very red. He gritted down on his teeth so hard that Hikaru heard they gridded against each other from where he sat. The boy slapped his hands on the table angrily as he got up from his seat, earning them both a negative attention from people around them.

"Thank you for the game!" Hikaru waved after the furious boy who took off without saying another word to him. "Now, what should I do until my next match?" He wondered out loud.

~oO0Oo~

Hikaru walked around leisurely within the event area. He breezed through his second round easily since the junior competition only used the 13x13 boards and not the 19x19 board as he always played with his brother. His grandfather would come and pick him up when the third round finished and all he had to do was waiting for him at the reception area. He pulled up his sleeve to look at his watch before ended up sighing dejectedly at the remaining time he had to wait until his next game.

"I already watched children tournament after wining against that guy. I sure don't want to do that again. Should I go watch the old geezers this time?" He pursed his lips in thought. However, before he reached the adult zone, his eyes caught on some commercial booths full of Go related goods. His feet brought him into a stop in front of a specialty book shop which also carried some stationary as the side attraction. His rounded eyes fell onto a particular fan in the shop's display counter and Hikaru involuntarily paused his breath as he admired its simple elegance.

"Do you like this Kawahori?" An old man approached him from the side, startling him a little. Hikaru nodded as he placed his hands on the glass to crop the view over his favorite one. The old man looked back at him with his kind gaze while pointing at the fan.

"This style is quite simple. Do you want to buy it for your grandfather, perhaps?" The shop owner bent down to talk to him.

"No, for my brother. I think he'll look good holding it." Hikaru eyes traced the bigger folds of the fan. The paper was thick and its edge was rimmed with a material in golden color. It was the most elegant fan he had ever seen.

"I think the price is a little too expensive for you. Why don't you try looking for a cheaper one? I'm sure your brother will be equally happy receiving a gift from you, even if it's not the one you have in mind" the owner guided his gaze to look at the other fans he had on the shelf and Hikaru let his gaze strayed onto some of them as the old man suggested but still, he couldn't find anything that caught his attention like the first one he spotted. He sighed in defeat. Maybe he'll ask his grandfather to buy it for him and find a way to pay him back. He admitted that he hated the idea but he would have to live with it if he wanted the fan by the end of today.

"Hey, gramp, how much is that one?" A middle age man pointed to Hikaru's favorite Kawahori. The old man who was with Hikaru earlier greeted his potential customer with a price tag. "It is 4,000 yen."

"A bit pricy there, don't you think? Can't you give some discount?"

"I'm very sorry but this price is final. But the quality is of the best and it is handmade. I guarantee that it will worth your every penny if you decide on it." The wrinkled owner spoke confidently as he advertised his fine-quality product.

"Hm, I really like this one too. It looks plain but very elegant." The man fetched his wallet after a small pause. "Alright, I'll take it."

"Thank you very much. Would you like to write something on it?" The old man smiled brightly as he reached inside the glass display for the fan.

"Oh, can you write 'Kitajima' in small letters on the inner fold?"

"Yes, as you wish."

"Wait, you can't do that!" Hikaru who was listening in on the whole conversation with increasing horror decided to butt in. The only fan in the shop he had his eyes on was about to be sold to this plumpy middle age man. He even wanted the fan to be written. Who in their right mind would do that to such luxurious handicraft?

"I can do anything I want. I bought the fan" The chubby man chuckled.

"I saw that fan first!" Hikaru protested childishly.

"Look, you brat, it doesn't matter who saw it first, I'm the one who have money to buy it." The man raised his voice at him in frustration but Hikaru wouldn't give in.

"Then I'll ask my grandpa to buy it once he comes to get me."

The man scoffed as he turned to the shop owner. "This is a child fight. Hurry up and finish your writing. People are starting to give me weird looks."

"I'll pay for it!" Hikaru barked "I'll buy it for you if you win against me."

The two men went quiet before the younger of the two burst out laughing. "Brat, do you know what you are talking about? Are you asking me for a game? Don't you think you're ten years too early, no twenty years even?" The man mocked openly as he stepped closer to tower over him. Hikaru's body was trembling. It was fear. He had never played any grown ups out of his family circle, much less playing an intimidating middle age man who seemed very capable of eating him alive. But he had no other choice. If he wished to safe the fan now, he must fight for it.

"I want a game." Hikaru mustered his courage. "I'll pay for the fan if you win. But if you lose, the fan is mine."

By that moment, people who was patrolling the shops around them had witness the challenge from the boy whose height was barely three feet tall, to the middle age man whose size was a little over the average especially around the middle. If the man chose to fight, people would talk that it wasn't a very fair game considering the age different. But if he walked away, the brat would certainly start making a scene.

"Stop your none sense. Even if I let you have twenty handicaps, you still can't beat me." the man turned, readied himself to walk away.

"Are you scared? I didn't ask for any handicap, not that I'd need it against some old man like you." Hikaru raised his voice, earning some gasps from bystanders. The man smirked. He didn't have a reason to accept the challenge earlier but now that the boy was out of line, it only seemed appropriate for an adult to put the youngsters into their places.

"If you went that far, I'll have no choice but to accept your challenge." he grinned openly at the frowning boy in front of him.

~oO0Oo~

A small group of middle age men gathered around a previously unoccupied Goban. Some of them arrived there out of curiosity after witnessing what seemed to be a suicidal challenge. Some of them were already there, loitering around from one board to another, seeking for a game worth to watch. A match up between one small boy and a fully grown man was something that didn't occur in everyday circumstances. That alone was certain to gather a lot of attention among Go amateurs.

"Nigiri" Hikaru commanded with his almost steady voice.

"Now, now, I did agree on no handicaps. But people will talk if I nigiri with a boy who is young enough to be my grandson. You take black." Kitajima suppressed his sneer. The cheekier the boy acted, the more entertaining this game would turn out to be once this little one got crushed into pieces.

Hikaru pulled the bowl with black stones to his side. His brows creased into one another, making the sternest face ever seen on a six year old. When Kitajima finally sat still, Hikaru bowed his head and muttered formality quietly.

He started with a hand on the upper right star point. Kitajima did the same on the left. Black went 3-4 on the lower right, followed by white 4-3 on the left side.

Hikaru made a small pause, staring at white's latest stone. He gulped down nervously, trying to calm his dry throat as he felt his hands began to sweat. 'Calm down, Hikaru. This man isn't your brother.' He bit his lips.

His next hand came as a surprise to those watching the game. Hikaru made a knight move on 3-5 above Kitajima's 4-3 on the lower left corner, a daring move even for a grown up player. This boy wanted a bloody fight and he wasn't afraid to show it on the board.

'Feisty, are you? Well, let's see if you have the skill to back it up' Kitajima placed his next stone calmly on 5-3, a knight move to Hikaru lower left stone.

Some ten moves into the game and both players, bystanders included, were starting to see the faint outline of what would be a hard to win game for black. While white (Kitajima) had roughly claimed the upper left and the right side of the board, black had a very weak wall on the left side and a fight to win in the bottom area, not to mention that his upper corner was threatened as well.

Hikaru stared at the board, not batting an eye in the least when he moved to extend his black in the bottom area. Kitajima couldn't help grinning at the weak display the boy had performed in spite of him playing the courageous move earlier in the game. 'You think you can fence me out with that kind of wall? Well, try this!"

They exchanged hands as Kitajima tried to plunge into Hikaru's left side. After a few more hands, the boy had succeeded creating a solid line to fend off white but at a price of closing his own chance to advance to the center.

Kitajima smirked again as he took Hikaru's black that was in Atari off the board. That ought to deal some mental effect to the boy since the youngsters didn't like their stones taken. They didn't like the idea of sacrificing for the greater good.

What he didn't know was that Hikaru was never an ordinary boy. His next move came quickly as if he was praying for the spot that his middle age opponent just took. Not only that he didn't fall for Kitajima's mental plan but, with a few more hands, he successfully claimed the upper right corner which previously, was dying.

Kitajima gritted his teeth. The boy had some guts, good, this made beating the boy all the more worthwhile. He made another knight move to jump into the center. It was a very good move as it prevented Hikaru's black to further his territory from the upper right corner where he had recently dominated. The crowd seemed to agree as most of them nodded when Kitajima let go his hand from the stone.

He smirked. 'Now, show me if you have it in you. I, for one, don't believe in beginner's luck. Luck has nothing to do with this game. It is about experience and knowledge of the game that matters. For someone as young as you, I bet you wouldn't dare to jump…'

And then Hikaru jumped into the center, a beautiful, daring move from white's latest stone. That move alone silenced every soul watching the game, even those people nearby had turned their heads as the eerie silence started to seep into the surrounding areas.

"Hey, what happened? What did that boy just do?" whispered the new comer.

"See that lone stone in the middle? He just placed it there. What an arrogant boy" someone from the onlookers whispered back.

"Interesting, how old did you say the boy is again?" this time the voice came from the back.

"I guess he is in elementary school, at least. He can't be younger than that to play like this."

Kitajima felt a heat spreading to his cheeks. If the boy thought he could get away with just that move, he would destroy the brat's upper right corner from many openings that he had ignored. He then placed a stone into the boy's territory. Hikaru couldn't ignore this and he chased white's group out of his now reduced corner. There wasn't many left but he'd live.

"Heh, that guy has just gotten serious." came more whisper beside the table.

"What's the point of giving it all to a mere boy? Is he really that good or the guy just plain lousy?" the other guy chuckled. Kitajima's head turned at this.

"Hey! I don't want commentators to my game!" he bellowed heatedly.

They continued their fight to the center as Hikaru managed to create a shape that threw Kitajima's group into one big cluster. It turned out that Hikaru was aiming for the man's right side of the board from the beginning. And now the boy even had a chance to connect his newly gained territory from Kitajima to his own bottom right while still maintaining a good prospect in the center.

Kitajima was now gulping his sand dry throat. He couldn't believe an amateur player like himself had been cornered into making eyes to survive, and by an opponent no other than this elementary school boy.

Hikaru didn't wait for his opponent to recover. He moved to take off Kitajima's stone that was in Atari. That very stone was also the last straw to form a solid wall for white's survival. Judging from the still look on Hikaru's face, it wasn't his intention to deal an emotional blow on his middle age opponent. But Kitajima seemed to be holding a grudge against him over that Ko fight if the change of color in his face was any indication.

They continued their bloody battle. Kitajima crept into Hikaru's bottom area. Hikaru took off another white stone, reducing a chance for white to play in the center as his influence sprung bigger and wilder. A few more hands from both players and Hikaru decided to make another sneaky move.

A move at 3-3 at the upper left corner, originally Kitajima's area but now Hikaru decided that the guy got too big of a chunk and that can be bitten off so he played there to invade white.

"Hey! Wasn't that move too deep? No way would that man let this kid gets away with his territory"

But no random reply came. The crowd seemed to finally change their opinions about this boy at this point. There was a high possibility for him to steal the area and get away with it, based on his skill they all witnessed just moments ago. This loud mouth brat did have a skill to back it up.

Now the game had finally reached yose. The two of them alternated their hands to solidify their territories. Hikaru gained the entire left side, most of the bottom and the right side safe for the small corners in the bottom left and the top right for Kitajima.

At this point of the game, it wasn't about their little bet any more. Kitajima was losing his face along with the center area of the board. Even though he had put forth his desperate fight, it didn't seem like he would come out as a winner for this game at all.

The boy seemed to realize this too as he allowed his back to recline back into his chair, his breath was long and soft as if he was saying that he was done placing the stones. Some of the bystanders were glancing at each other before landing their final gaze on the boy who now had a bright smile plastered on his face.

"Go get your damn fan." he grunted as Hikaru spun down the path back to the shop.

~o0O0o~

Shirakawa Mishio walked around the event ground, his eyes searched for the man in a traditional kimono. He wished the person himself could see the game he had witness but as it turned out that he didn't, at least he would play it out on another board for the man to see. His wandering gaze fell on the younger version of his master, the child prodigy Touya Akira. The boy seemed to be enjoying himself, watching games after games all day long without losing interest.

"Akira-kun, do you know where your father is?"

"Good afternoon, Shirakawa-san. I think he's still in the back with other pros. I was with him just a moment ago." the six year old Go addict pointed to the door which he had just exited. "I can go with you if you'd like."

"Were they busy? I have something I need to show him." Shirakawa started to head towards the door, accepting Akira's offer ever so subtle.

"They were taking a break. Father had just finished commenting a game."

"I think you'll like what you will see." Shirakawa smiled "By the way, Akira kun, do you happen to know a boy around your age, I think his name is...Fujiwara Hikaru?"

~o0O0o~

Hikaru squeezed his way through the throng of Go amateurs as fast as he could. He didn' think that the casual pick-up game would take him almost an hour to finish. His mind was so immersed in the match that he completely forgot about his own tournament which had already started around twenty minutes ago.

"Gramps! Where's the fan?" He leaned on the shelf for support as he heaved for air.

"What? You won? Against that man?" the owner wore the same unbelievable look as those men who had watched the game until it was finished. However, Hikaru wasn't in the mood to brag about his unlikely victory. He still had another game to attend and if he didn't have the priced Kawahori in his possession within the next two minutes, he would certainly be in a big risk at forfeiting his match.

"Yes, I did. Now give me that fan!" he hastily urged the old man.

"Do you want to write some-"

"No, leave it as it is!" Hikaru abruptly cut him off. He nearly gave in to the idea of biting his nails as he waited for the elderly owner to finish his wrapping but he decided against it in the end. "Are we done yet?"

"Hikaru!? What are you doing here? I was going to watch your game!" Shindou Heihachi appeared out of nowhere from behind his grandson, holding a few Go books in his hands.

"G-Grandpa!" Hikaru stuttered.

~o0O0o~

It turned out that Hikaru didn't make it in time for the game and as a result, had lost by forfeit. It took the old Shindou all his wits to convince the boy out of his sulking mood but all that he actually needed to fix the problem was some homemade cookies from his wife and a game of Go at his place.

"Come on, grandpa, one more game!" Hikaru whined as they finished their second game.

"Wait Hikaru, let me take a break." the old Shindou never thought he would hear himself saying this line again in his life time. His grandson's character was almost the copy of his brother's, although the former never had a chance to meet him since his brother had passed away long before his grandchildren were born. But their love of the game was unmatched. They were so alike to the point that they could keep playing and forgot about their meals until someone would remind them to eat.

"I'll get you some more cookies and a hot cup of tea for myself." Heihachi smiled knowingly to himself after a short moment of reminiscing his old days. His troublemaker grandson lid up at his delicious offer.

"Wah~ cookies!" Hikaru beamed brightly, his distress from losing the match earlier long forgotten. He looked out to the small Japanese garden in the middle of the house as he slowly relaxed himself onto the polished wooden floor.

'I want to play more...' a voice said quietly a few moments after his grandfather disappeared behind the door. Hikaru jerked up in surprise.

"Grandpa?" Hikaru thought he heard his grandfather from the garden despite the fact that the kitchen was in the opposite direction. He ran to the back of the house but he couldn't find anyone there.

'More games...' the same voice whispered softly, this time from the small pond next to the flower bed in the garden near the storage shred. Hikaru followed as fast as he could but he still couldn't find his grandfather once he was next to the pond. He looked into the water, observing his own reflection when the view of the shred began taking a clear shape. One of its windows suddenly snapped shut when Hikaru was starring into the shred's second floor through its reflection in the water. He would have thought it was the wind's doing if he hadn't seen a white figure reaching an arm out to pulled on its leaf.

"Grandpa?" Hikaru giggled. It wasn't everyday that his grandfather decided to play hide and seek with him. He stormed into the shred, spun his body to climb up the dark stairs. He finally found himself on the dusty second floor, his eyes switching back and fourth in an effort to find the old man. Since the floor was dusty, he'd use this to spot some footprints. That'd easily lead him to...

There were no footprints to be spotted, not even a single one. How did his grandfather do this? The longer time he spent engrossing in his thought, the more he realized that something didn't feel right in this situation. A cold chill started running down his spine. Every single hair on his body was slowly rising for no apparent reason. His mind though was numbed, told him to start running. Hikaru would gladly obey his own wish if only his legs allowed him to.

'This time...for my own sake...' the same sad voice echoed through the attic.

"Who's there?" Hikaru nervously stared at the old crate where the voice seemed to have originated from. His legs automatically moved closer to the spot. He finally stopped by an old piece of wrapping cloth which seemed to have covered another object. For some unknown reason, his hands moved to pull the cloth out of its place, revealing an old Go board underneath.

"A...Goban?" His hand shot to its surface. The corners of his lips slowly curled upward. The wooden board was still smooth and shiny despite the condition of the room it was stored. It was hard to believe that his grandfather would leave such a wonderful board in this moldy place and used a normal quality one in his living room instead. "Why did he keep it here?" He muttered mindlessly.

His small fingers abruptly halted at a crimson stain on one of the board's corners. It couldn't be a paint. No one would dare vandalizing such an expensive looking board. "Is that…blood?" Hikaru snatched his hand back as horror began creeping up on him for the second time.

'Little one, did you see it?' A voice sounded from behind him.

"Who's there!? Who are you!?" He snapped his head to look around.

'You can hear me?' The same voice reappeared somewhere on the left side of the room.

"I'm not deaf! Show yourself!" He barked. His legs wobbled weakly but Hikaru was still able to force himself to stand.

'Oh, gods in heaven, I am grateful for the chance you have given to me. I shall now able to play the game I love so dearly, once again...' Before him, a man dressed in a less formal type of Kimono appeared in the midst of a cloud of misty fog. His lustrous raven hair was tied up into a knot which attached neatly at the top of his non-shaved head. A pair of very light brown eyes seemed to gleam with a strange shade of gold as the man looked up at him from behind his ebony bang.

Hikaru felt a wave of emotions rushed into him the moment their gazes connected. His heart was tightly clenched as he felt regret and loneliness. His inside was stirred with happiness and anticipation before tears gradually rolled down his pink, smooth cheeks.

"Hikaru, what are you doing up here?" Hikaru remembered now. This voice certainly belonged to his grandfather. Slowly, he turned back to face the old man.

"Grandpa," his voice came out hushed and quiet before his conscious finally gave in and he was plunged into darkness.