SHADOWY GO

Chapter3: Caught in the lie of the truth.

It was already way past eleven when Hikaru and Yuuichi were placing the stones back to their respective pouches and Hikaru was rearing to go, he doesn't want to be late for lunch. His mom had insisted long ago that the family will have their lunch together every Sunday since it's a rare occassion to actually sit together for lunch during weekdays. With school, school works, going out with friends thrown in to the mix and their father's busy schedule. Sunday lunch was the only time his mom asked for.

"I haven't told you my name, have I? It's Yuuchi, but I don't mind being called ojisan." The old man smiled to Hikaru.

"I don't mind calling you that either, I mean you look like an ojisan to me." Hikaru laugh.

"Do you live around here, Sai? I would like to play with you again if you or your parents doesn't mind. Maybe you could come to my house or I could come by yours. I don't want you to have to pay to come here so we could play." The old man explained.

Hikaru's hand stilled for a moment. He can't have him come to their house, he already introduced himself as Sai and the old man was so nice he would hate it if he thinks him a liar. And what would his parents say? Besides he doesn't want it known that he can play go, because he can't. And he doesn't want to be forced more than he already was, to play some board game when he had better things to do, like go to the arcade or play hoops with Tagami and Shibuya. But he likes the old man, he woudn't mind it very much to give some of his time or Sai to him to play. Hikaru's mind went blank. What to do? What to do? Then he thought, why not just stick as close to the truth as possible?

Hikaru finished placing all the stones back to its pouch and handed it to the old man. "Don't worry about it, Yuuichi san. I'll meet you here same time Sunday. This is the only time and place I can play go. You may not believe me but I'm a ghost you see." Hikaru smiled jokingly. "So don't tell anyone about me, OK?"

Hikaru climbed out of the pavilion same way he climbed in. Stretched a little and turned to the old man and smiled, "Ja ne! I'll see you when I see you, Yuuichi san."

He waived then darted past between the bushes as fast as he could to make it in time for lunch or he'll never hear the end of it. His mom may have the patience of a saint but she sure can be difficult when she thinks she's right.

Yuuichi stared at the bushes where the boy darted past. The leaves was still fluttering evidence of the boy's passing. What a strange boy, Yuuichi thought. What could he mean by it? A ghost? The boy is sure being fanciful. So he thought himself a ghost did he? He chuckled to himself and couldn't wait to tell Kouji about it. He'd be amazed about the boy's skill, he's sure Kouji wouldn't be able to defeat him either. Kouji is an 8-dan amateur go player and he won the JAL Cup World Amateur 9 years ago at the age of 72, he had won plenty of tournaments before but he could still give Kouji a run for his money. They'd studied go together as boys but Kouji had pursued it more passionately than he did and where in the name of blue blazes was Kouji?

Yuuichi packed up his things and start to head out for home. Lunch first then visit Kouji, he's excited to share his experience about the strange boy named Sai who called himself a ghost. Who could he be, who is his mentor? Surely he's been trained by a professional? His skill is not raw talent but shows refinement, he had been taught by a master, Yuuichi was sure of it.

xxxxxxx

Yuuichi found himself knocking on Kouji's door that afternoon. Kouji lives alone and her youngest daughter Yuta Emiko comes twice a week to check on him. He lives in a one bedroom apartment, spacious enough for a person with the minimum of furniture and since Kouji is a minimalist, the apartment was big enough. He's been knocking and ringing for five minutes and still no answer. Could he have gone out? Yuuichi was sorry he missed him, he will have to wait until tomorrow then.

When he reached home he tried Kouji's number and no one answered. Where could he be? Should he try contacting his daughter? They were suppose to meet at the park like usual, could he have met with an accident? He was so wrapped up in his thought about the boy that he didn't contact Kouji immediately to find out why he didn't show up to their meeting. Yuuichi began to feel worried, he should have called Kouji right off. Yuuichi went to the desk and open a drawer, he took out a little telephone book, put his reading glasses on and looked for Emiko's number. A man on the other end answered it and Yuuichi almost dropped the receiver when he got the news. Kouji was rushed to the hospital yesterday evening, heart attack. He's in ICU right now in critical condition, they don't know if he'll make it. He got the name of the hospital and rushed right there and then. He wants to see his friend before it's too late.

At the Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital, he found Emiko and Kouji's eldest daughter sitting in the visitor's lounge with swollen eyes and dark circles beneath. They look like they've been crying and hadn't had any sleep. When Emiko saw him, she stood up and met him half way, a tear fell but she caught the sob and tried to smile.

"Yuchan, I'm so sorry I forgot to call you..." she said in a tremulous voice but Yuuichi interrupted her.

"I understand, Emiko chan, don't worry about it. How is he?" Yuuichi was afraid to ask.

They've always been together, he couldn't imagine life without Kouji. He had been the one to drag him to learn go. As a boy, Kouji had been the bane in his life, always getting him into trouble wanting to try new things. They were neighbours back then, went to school together, did everything together. Kouji was such a mischievious child but always with a sunny disposition, you can't get angry at his antics.

"He's in a coma, they have him on life support. The doctor informed us this morning that there's no brain activity. They can keep his body alive indefinitely if that's what we want but without brain function he can be declared dead." Emiko's said tearfully.

"We don't have the money to keep him like that and I don't think he'd like us to do that either. We decided to let him go tomorrow morning at sunrise." Emiko this time couldn't hold back the tears.

Yuuichi put his arms around her and patted her shoulder, "You've always been a devoted child Emiko chan, I'm sure Kouji will agree with you on this one. May I see him one last time?"

"Of course, Yuchan. Father would like that." Emiko said while wiping the tears with the back of her hands.

Yuuichi was escorted past through a locked double doors by one of the nurses. The beeping sounds and strong smell of antiseptic hits Yuuichi like a hammer. The nurse instructed him how to wash his hands at the sink and wear some sort of hospital gown to cover over his clothes. They went through a small hallway, past the nurse's station into a small cubicle at the end of the hall. The nurse pushed the curtain aside and showed him in, bowed a little and left. At first, he didn't recognized that it was Kouji on the bed, not because there's a tube and tapes attached to his mouth, he looked small among all the strange machines attached to him. He moved a chair close and sat beside the bed, took one of his hands and look at it, the same hand. He tried to see the boy he once knew in the old man lying on the bed and his tears started falling.

"You're so selfish Kouji, why do you always have to be the first?" He whispered, a lump had formed on his throat. "You said we'll do everything together but somehow you're always doing things first and I end up just following you." His throat hurt and he almost couldn't get the words out. "For once, this time I would have like to go first. I would be lonely without you my friend, the people we grew up with are gone now too. And here you are leaving me behind, honestly, what could you have been thinking?" Yuuichi talked to Kouji all night, he talked until he couldn't talk anymore and just sat there in silence. He stayed until sunrise and finally said goodbye.

xxxxxxx

The funeral was held two days later, he offered incense three times, he could hear sutra being chanted by a priest in the background. He could also see a lot of Kouji's family seated at the front, some he knew and some he didn't. He wanted to leave as soon as possible but he didn't want to disrespect Kouji so he stayed until the end of the funeral ceremony.

He saw Emiko approached him with a boy in tow. "Yuuchan, I would like you to meet my grandson Fukui. He took after his grandpa and plays go, he's very good at it I was told. He is an insei at the Nihon Ki-in, he wants to be a professional someday. If you want you can play go with him just like you did with father." Her voice sad but at the same time there is pride in it too. Yuuichi stared at the boy blankly and suddenly remembered another boy called Sai.

"...I promised this day to a friend...you might not believe me but I'm a ghost you see..." Yuuichi's eyes misted, but the sadness has lifted. He smiled and suddenly he couldn't wait for Sunday to come.

xxxxxxx

It's the end of class and Hikaru along with his other classmates were sweeping the hallways clean. It wasn't so bad, he'd rather clean hallways than restrooms any day. He couldn't wait to finish, he's going to the gym today with his friends to join the basketball club.

"Ne, ne, Hikaru, when are we gonna play igo again?" Sai's voice broke into his thoughts.

"Come on Sai, didn't I say every Sunday only? You know how busy I am already." Hikaru grumbled.

"But Hikaru, what about the afternoons? Why only the mornings? Sai whined.

"Are you nuts or something? I'm not gonna spend the whole day of Sunday playing that stupid game." Hikaru stood up from his crouching position to stretch his body. Cleaning floors was sure hard on the back, he thought.

"Besides you almost made me cry that time, that was embarassing Sai!"

"I'm sorry Hikaru but it's been so long I couldn't help it!"

"So what do you think of that old guy I found for you?"

"He's good but his moves are predictable, he will never prevail against me."

"My, my, are we boasting or what?" Hikaru teased.

"Hikaru, I want to play more." Sai in an urgent plea.

"You and me both. Do you think my time is my own? Surely you've been with me long enough to see that." Hikaru frowned.

"But Hikaru..."

"I don't wanna hear it and that's that. Sunday mornings are yours and the afternoons are mine. You got a problem with that then go attach yourself to someone else. Really, you think I can just do whatever I like?" Hikaru was getting aggravated with Sai's unreasonable demand.

"Forgive me Hikaru, I didn't mean to sound ungrateful..." Sai's voice trailed off as if he couldn't get the rest out.

"Sai, I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that." Hikaru sighed, having a ghostly companion is sure tough. "We have summer break, you know. I'll let you play as much as you want then. So cheer up, OK?"

"You mean that Hikaru? As much as I want?" Sai seems to perk up at that.

"Hey! Have I ever lied to you?" Hikaru in a teasing voice.

"Hey Shindou! What are spacing about for?" Tagami with a light blow on his shoulder to get his attention.

"Oh hey! Have you been there long? Hikaru asked wanting to know if they noticed anything weird about him.

"Long enough to see that you've been standing there with a stupid look on your face." Tagami with his usual tact.

"Come on you two, let's go!" Shibuya pushed both of them towards the stairs.

"Wait, I'm not ready. Let me get my stuff first." Hikaru hurriedly return the cleaning cloth to the cabinet inside his classroom, went to his desk to get his bag.

"OK, come on, come on!" As he ran past them to get to the gym first and the race was on.

xxxxxxx

It was after dinner and Hikaru was washing the dishes with his mind elsewhere while his sister Akari was helping their mom gather the left overs to be stored in the fridge. Hikaru was in a foul mood since school. They went to the gym to join the basketball club but those assholes said you have to be at least 170 cm to join their club, he was only 160 cm. But what the hell, so what if he's short? He hasn't stop growing yet, couldn't they wait? "Bastards, the lot of them." Hikaru grumbled to himself. Shibuya and Tagami were accepted and he felt mortified that he was left out.

He told Tagami and Shibuya that it was OK, that they could always play basket outside school. But still the disappointment was great, they planned to join the same club so they could hang out more. First, he was separated by class and now he won't be with them in the same club. He felt lonely already. "Hikaru, don't feel this way. You're not alone, I'm with you." A soft voice whispered in his head.

"You're all I need Sai." He said in a sarcastic tone. Sai must be dense because he felt it made the ghost happy.

There were other clubs there at the gym taking in applicants and he approached the table with the least line of hopefuls. He didn't want to join something popular, if it's not basketball he might as well choose a club that won't take much of his time. The kendo club sucks, there were only four first years that joined and he's the fourth. He told them he didn't know anything about kendo but the club didn't care, all they want is a body to keep the club going.

A whack on the head took him out of his trance. "What's with that stupid look on your face, Hikaru?" Akari just love to bully his little brother. Actually she loves him to distraction and is quiet indulgent when it comes to him. But like any other sibling, it makes her day to tease her prickly little brother. And just like any prickly porcupine his hackles rose. "Well at least it looks better than your face without make up!"

Akari took an unwashed frying pan and was about to whacked him with it. He ran around the table to his mom and put her between them. "Not that oneechan, that pan is still greasy." He let out quickly. "Don't oneechan me, shortie. Come here and let me whack you like a good little brother."

"My, my so energetic still?" Her mom was amused with their shenanigans.

"I'm sorry! It's not my fault I'm short." Hikaru was frustrated at his lack of height.

"What are you talking about?" Akari asked while putting the pan into the sink.

"I wasn't accepted in the basketball club, OK?" Hikaru said with the disappointment heavy in his voice.

"Oh my poor little Hikaru, come here and let me hug you." Akari took a step towards his brother.

"Stay away from me, you crazy woman!" Hikaru knew just how his sister loves to tease him but she made him feel a little better.

xxxxxxx

Sunday morning and Hikaru was already at the park waiting for Yuuichi. He didn't want to come early but Sai was driving him nuts with his whinings. He was lying down dozing under the pavilion when he heard the crackling of leaves as footsteps approachesd. He saw the old man and waived at him, "Ohayoo Yuuichi san!" He called out.

The old man hurried up to him, and he could see he was a little out of breath. "I'm glad you're here Sai." I wasn't sure you'd come again.

"Why would you think that, Yuuichi san? Didn't I say, I would?" Hikaru asked.

"But if you're a ghost, you could disappear after forty nine days, right?" Yuuichi wanting to confirm if the boy was only joking that time.

Hikaru was speechless. "Hey Sai, are all go players crazy?"

"I don't know what you mean by that Hikaru but he's old and you did tell him that you are one."

"Well let's not disappoint him then. OK Sai, say something ghostly."

"Hikaruuu... meanie!"

"I said ghostly not childish, stupid."

"Don't worry Yuuichi san, it's still a long way from the 49th. It's only about a week, you know." Hikaru joked. "So would you like to play right now?" Hikaru had to ask because he can feel Sai like a live wire. He can't wait to start the game.

"If that's what you want Sai, you did come back just for that." Yuuichi replied. He sat down opposite him and took out the foldable goban, the two pouches of stones, pencil and graph papers?

"Uhmmm, Yuuichi san, what's the paper for?" Hikaru asked.

"I want to record our games, if you don't mind. It would be a pity if nothing exist to prove that you were here." Yuuichi explained.

"Sai would it be a bother if I asked you to write your name on here?" Yuuichi took out a sketch pad. "I planned to bookbind the kifu of our games in the future with your name on the first page."

"Ehhhhh! Really? No, no, of course, I won't mind. It would be an honor Yuuichi san." Hikaru replied as he could hear Sai urging him to do it.

Yuuichi took out a writing brush and a bottle of ink and handed it to him. Hikaru stared at the items like it was something alien and thought, what am I gonna do with this? I don't know how to use this. Who uses brush nowadays?

"I'll do it Hikaru, let me write my name, I want to write my name!" Sai was like a broken record.

"Godamnit! Hold your horses Sai, it's not going anywhere." Hikaru stood up, put the sketch pad on the wooden seat, uncap the bottle of ink and place it by his left, took the writing brush with his left hand, dipped it into the bottle and made some bold strokes on the paper and handed the pad back to Yuuichi.

"Fujiwara no Sai," Yuuichi intoned like he was in awe. "Your calligraphy is beautiful Sai and you call yourself like in the olden days."

"I am of the Fujiwara clan." Sai answered proudly.

"He can't hear you, idiot." Hikaru replied to Sai silently.

"Then tell him for me, Hikaru." Sai sounded crazy to Hikaru.

"No way I'm gonna do that."

"Uhmm, Yuuichi san, could we play now? I have to be back before twelve." Hikaru hurriedly explained but what he really wanted was for the talk about this ghost nonsense to stop. It's starting to creep him out. Does the old man really believe his a ghost? Or is he just humoring me.

"Of course Sai, let me just get all this things out of the way and we'll start." Yuuichi said as he gathered his things and put them back to his bag, the sketch pad he let dry by his side.

"Can I have the white stones this time, Yuuichi san?" Hikaru asked, he had the black stones all the time last time and he like to handle the white stones this time.

"Knowing your strength, I think it's only right that you have white. No need to nigiri."

"Nigiri, Yuuichi san?" Hikaru asked.

"It's a system to determine who should go first."

"Like rock, paper, scissor you mean?"

Yuuichi smiled, "Yes, just like that."

Yuuichi spread the foldable goban between them and made his move, and just like before placed it at a corner but this time at 3-4 point. Sai told Hikaru that Yuuichi play by the book.

"Let's shake him up a bit Hikaru."

"As long as you don't give him a heart attack, Sai. Knock yourself out." Hikaru replied.

Sai placed his stone at 5-3 point kakari and Yuuichi's eyes bugged out. An attack as the first move? Yuuichi placed his stone at his other corner but Sai followed him and just like before poised for attack. And it goes on and on until the end with Yuuichi at the defensive, with Sai hedging him, waiting for him to make the wrong move and he made plenty as evidenced of his thirty five moku loss.

(End of Chapter3)