"Hikaru, I thought you were taking a pro exam, and now you want to be an insei?" she asked, wearing a mystified expression. "You have no confidence in your Go?"
'A few weeks, and she's already talking the Go lingo,' Hikaru thought, impressed with mom in keeping up with him. Their nightly conversation probably helped with that, at Sai's insistence.
"I do, mom, but, well, my Go is kind of hard to explain to people, so I'm maintaining appearance of being a normal kid…" he said, trying to get mom to think what she wants.
"Oh, I see, you don't want to be singled out, of course…" she said, nodding in understanding. "Yes, I can understand that. Well, when do you need for me to come with you to the insei interview?"
"This Saturday at 1pm," he replied, getting up to go get ready for bed.
"All right, have a good night," she said, smiling. She watched her son go upstairs, leaving her in the living room with the brand new goban her husband's father had bought Hikaru.
They had been playing a game together almost nightly, and she took joy at getting closer to her son in this way. 'And to think that I thought we were becoming distant!' she said, smiling to herself. She stroked the goban once before getting to her feet.
She was starting to understand what Shirakawa-sensei had been saying—to know Go to such extent as her son had learned in just seven months time seemed inhuman.
But, it was her son, after all.
Full of motherly pride, she got ready for bed herself. She couldn't wait to tell other friends what her son was up to! She had felt shame in the past few years, not having any achievements to share with others over her child while others praised their own having done some accomplishments in sports or grades.
Humming to herself, she turned in for the night.
In Hikaru's room, he played another game of Go against Sai on a second, cheaper, spruce goban—dragging the board up and down the stairs got tiring after awhile, and his dad had decided to get his son a second board for Hikaru's room for studying purposes. The entire family including Sai had agreed the more expensive goban looked beautiful in the living room. Sai couldn't stop dancing with joy, especially after Hikaru's dad decided he wanted to learn Go himself. Grandpa could absolutely not be more pleased with the news when that day had happened.
"Hey dad, want to play a game?" Hikaru asked.
"Sure, it's good to have a real board for once," Masao replied.
"What, you are playing Go? Really?" grandpa asked his son, looking at Hikaru and back at Masao. "Really?"
"Yes, dad," he said with a sigh. "After all these years, too."
"Oh, this day has finally arrived! To think… oh, what blessed day this is!" grandpa said, doing a jig in his son's living room. "And to think I only came here to drop off the goban and maybe play a game with Hikaru! Everyone is learning Go!"
Hikaru smiled in rememberance as he placed the next hand against Sai.
"Sai, thanks for making me talk to my family about Go," he said. Sai smiled. "I had no idea… that things would change this much because I invited them into my world. I thought they wouldn't be interested, not being able to understand what I was doing. Thought them stupid, actually."
"Never underestimate the power of love your parents have for you. You'll understand when you have kids of your own."
"That's a long ways off, Sai!" he exclaimed, not wanting to think about settling down any time soon. Sai chuckled, and it seemed off to Hikaru "Sai?"
"Hm?"
"Did you have a family?"
"No, but it was a dream of mine. I had to content myself with teaching children to play Go. So, I can at least imagine what it means to be a parent."
Hikaru stared at his ghostly friend for a moment. "I'm sorry, Sai."
Sai laughed, "It's all right, I've had a thousand years to let go of my regrets over my old life. Except for that last game."
Hikaru didn't speak after that, not knowing what to say, and decided to focus on the game between them again.
A few hands later, Sai spoke up. "If you had placed this stone here instead of there, your stones would not be in atari," Sai said, pointing to a place on the board with his fan.
"Aww man!" Hikaru said, frowning. "Hm, I see, I see, so if I had placed there, then I could also attack that group too…"
"Exactly, Hikaru."
"Ready to go in, Hikaru?" Mitsuko asked, looking at the formidable building before her. It was where her son would all but sleep for the foreseeable future. "But should you really wear that wig?"
"Mom! Shut up!" Hikaru whispered to her, looking around carefully. "Remember my reasons? I worked it out, and, it's basically this—I have a twin."
"Hmm…" she stared at her son with dubious looks. She let out a sigh for a moment. "Well, as long it doesn't hurt your future."
"I'm trying to ease it in, and I will reveal it after a time as people get used to the idea that I have… I'm good. I won't lie or anything if people ask, mom."
"That's good at least. That's what I raised you—not to lie to people about who you are, Hikaru."
Hikaru nodded once then went inside, glad that no one had appeared to overhear their conversation.
'Who was that kid? Wasn't he with Ogata-sensei awhile ago? Why would he need to act as though he is a twin?' Waya thought, leaning against a pillar, sipping juice through the juice box's straw. "A twin, eh? We'll see about that. "
He squeezed the carton into a crushed mess and chucked it out into the trashcan before going in for the afternoon match against Ochi.
Hikaru followed the teacher into the room, and his mom followed.
"Your situation is rather unique, Shindou-san," Shinoda said to the boy. "Dante-san explained as much as he was able to me. I don't know the specifics, but if you are willing to do both for the time being, then I suppose—well, Ogata-sensei did put in a very good word in for you. He can be a difficult man at times, so to get a good word from him about anyone is quite impressive."
"Heh, thank you sir," Hikaru said, scratching his head.
"Now, this…" he said, looking at the kifu in his hands. "I don't quite understand. Maybe that is why Ogata and Dante were not able to explain very well to me in the difference of Kifu. I had already seen the kifu for your pro exams."
"I can explain that, sir," his mom spoke up, and Hikaru looked at her with a puzzled look.
"What is that, ma'am?"
"They are twins, the one taking the pro is, er," she looked at him for a moment and winced, "the smarter of the two at Go. The smarter one's real name is Sai, and this one is Hikaru."
'Mom?! How did you know about Sai?' Hikaru thought, panicking on the inside, but he restrained himself from blowing up at her.
The teacher raised an eyebrow at her and then at her son.
"Or at least, that's the story we're sort of building," she said, chuckling. "It won't last, but just to ease him in into the world of Go."
"Ease him in? What do you mean by that?"
"I'll play you two different games," Hikaru said, thinking a moment. "If you promise not to leak it out too soon."He asked, looking at the ghost to his right, "Sai?"he whispered.
"Right here, Hikaru," he said, looking at the teacher with a determined face.
"Hikaru?" his mom asked, confused.
"Sorry mom, it's hard to even explain it to the pros," he said, scratching his cheek nervously.
"Hmm…" the teacher muttered and thought, 'I'll go along with this, because I am not sure where this is going.' Shinoda pulled out a second goban from behind him. Then they played.
Shinoda and Hikaru played a few hands, but the teacher noticed a great disparity of strength on the boards. The one on the left cried experience and power, but on the right screamed beginner. Shinoda did a double take, it seemed as though Hikaru was barely paying any attention to the game on the left, yet was able to play to this skill level. Shinoda took a cursory look around the room for any mirrors or cameras that might show the boy the current game on the left, but found nothing. The boy's eyes rarely strayed to the left board except to place a stone, giving full attention to the board on the right.
Was the boy even looking—no, studying—the left board?
"I resign," Shinoda said, gesturing to the board on the left. Hikaru barely gave a nod, refocusing on his own game.
'His own game? The left game was never his to play?' Shinoda thought, startled.
"That's enough, Hikaru, I was only gauging your skill level. I never let the potential students play the full game during their interviews."
"Oh, okay," Hikaru said, sitting up. Shinoda looked at Mitsuko, who also looked confused, studying the boards.
'Does she understand Go?' he wondered and decided to ask later. "Hikaru, I suppose I will have to accept the fact that there's two Go to you, just as Ogata-sensei was saying. There is no need for you to be playing a twin."
"B-but—"
"I am the director here, Shindou-san, and I can make sure your pro and insei schedules will never conflict. However, it will be a busy one, I hope you can understand."
"I do, sir," Hikaru said after a moment of surprise. "But I'm afraid of being hounded by loads of people, asking questions…"
"That's a part of the Go Institute's job, to make sure that our players are not… unduly disturbed by others. After all, playing Go is very much a mental discipline."
Shinoda could see on the boy's face just like the sun rising in the East—it seemed as though a huge burden had been lifted off the boy's shoulders. And, if he was not mistaken, were those tears in the boy's eyes? Mentally shaking his head, he smiled at Hikaru.
"Welcome to the ranks of insei. Would you like to meet the students here?"
"I would like that, sir," Hikaru said, grinning, looking at the boy's right. Shinoda did notice the boy's tendency to look there. It was the exact spot where the (Shinoda's) left board had been played. Did that mean something?
'Well, maybe the mystery will be revealed one day…' he thought, getting to his feet.
Inside the study room, Hikaru looked around, surprised by the number of kids here. "Wow."
"Oh, you passed?" a boy asked, looking at Hikaru.
"I did, I'll be here in a month as an insei," he replied, walking over to where the boy was discussing the game with another student. "My name is Shindou, Shindou Hikaru."
"Waya Yoshitaka," he said, grinning. "What happened to your wig?"
Hikaru's face grew hot, and stammered—Shinoda and his mom had left to discuss some important stuff like waivers.
"That was… that was…"
"Hey, don't pick on him, Waya!" an older boy scolded him.
"I kid, I kid, sorry, Shindou, geez, Isumi."
The boy Waya had been discussing with was Isumi Shinichiro, as Hikaru had learned.
"So, what was the story with the twin, or something?" Waya asked.
"Y-you heard…" Hikaru said, still not recovered from having been found out. "Um… well, it's… complicated."
"Whatever, we'll know more about each other in about a month. Maybe."
"Maybe?" Hiakru asked.
"We're taking the pro exams. Well, we have to do the prelims first, though. We're not obligated to come to the institute on insei days if we're taking the exam."
"Oh, I see… then I'll see you in the prelims then," Hikaru said, nodding.
"Hah? But you just became an insei!" Waya exclaimed.
"Like I said, it's complicated," Hikaru said, scratching his head. "That's why I wanted to do the twin story, but Shinoda decided it was not needed. The Go world could do with a mystery story or two, or something like that is what he said."
Isumi and Waya looked at each other for a moment.
"Play me a game!" Waya demanded.
"I would like to play too," another insei piped in.
"I can play a double game," Hikaru offered. "And you are?"
"Call me Fuku," he said in greeting.
"Double game, eh? You can't spend more time on each hand, you know."
"I know, I won't even need to look at the second board but to play a hand here and there."
"That's insanity. You better not do that to me," Waya said, glaring at Hikaru. HIkaru grinned.
"I think I will."
"Why you!"
"Hikaru, let's go home."
"Aw, mom, can I stay another hour, please?" Hikaru begged.
"Yes, please, Shindou-san!" Waya said, piping up. "I want to play a game against him!"
Shinoda chuckled, "You might, in about a week for the prelims."
"So, he wasn't joking!" Waya exclaimed, spinning on Hikaru.
The bleached bang boy only grinned and an idea came to his mind. Hikaru wrote his phone number down. "Please share my number with Isumi-san, and Fuku-san. I hope to meet up with you guys soon."
"Hikaru," his mom called again, pushing him to hurry. She had to get food ready for dinner, and needed to buy a few things on the way.
"Coming, mom! Nice to meet you all, bye! Thank you again, Shinoda-sensei," he said, bowing to the teacher before leaving to get his shoes on.
"Who is that kid, sensei?" Waya complained to the teacher.
"An interesting kid," he replied. "You'll know more about him in a week."
"Isn't he Sai's disciple?" Isumi asked. Shinoda's eyes widened in surprise.
"Sai?" he asked, remembering that Mitsuko had said the fake name. "What about Sai?"
"Do you know of him, sir?" Waya asked, calming down.
"No, not really, I thought it was a fake name for his twin. It means something more?"
Waya stared at his teacher for a moment, "Sai is on Net Go, and he's undefeated. Even pros across the world cannot beat him. Sai said, one day, that he had a disciple placing the stones for him, like a proxy, because he can't hold the stones himself."
"Really!" Shinoda said, smiling. He turned to leave, "Really, it makes sense now… a proxy, huh? What does that all mean? Interesting, how interesting! It would be interesting if that were true that they are the same Sai…"
Waya looked at Isumi and Fuku, wondering what to make of their new insei, and soon to be pro exam entrant.
"I heard Touya Akira is entering too, the exams," Fuku said after a moment.
"The exams this year… is going to be intense," Isumi said, feeling his stomach clench with anxiety.
"For sure," Waya agreed.
"What were those two games about, Hikaru?" she asked her son, cooking dinner while Hikaru studied the kifu on the dining room table.
"Oh, that," Hikaru said, fumbling around in his mind. "Well, it's like Shinoda-sensei said, it's complicated and hard to explain. Not even pros would understand, mom. If I tried to explain it to you…" he looked at Sai. "Yeah, I would seriously short-circuit your brain, no offense, mom. But of all the things I've been explaining, this one just can't be explained. Not now at least."
She still looked dubious.
"Mom, if I thought it would make you worry less if I explained, then I would, but, please, trust me on this."
"So, you're saying I would worry more if you explained?" she asked, almost casually.
"…That's a trick, question, mom," Hikaru complained. She chuckled and faced her son.
"All right, I will trust you on this point, as long as it doesn't put your life in danger in any way."
"It won't, it doesn't; in fact, it's what has, um, how did you put it, help me grow up?" he said.
"I guess so, Hikaru," she said, resuming her meal-making.
'Phew, she backed off, Sai,' he thought, looking at the kifu he got on Ogata-sensei against a title-holder of Tengen. It was their first game.
"You've gotten better at hiding things, while making them feel satisfied with what information they have, Hikaru," Sai commented.
"Heh, heh, yeah…"
"Good game?" his mom asked, appearing at his shoulder, causing Hikaru to jump in fright.
"Gah! Mom! Little warning, please!"
"Sorry, honey," she said absent-mindedly, moving away again.
"And, no, mom, I was just thinking about something else. I got distracted… Say, mom, how did you know about Sai?"
"Hm? Oh, I hear you say the name a few times to yourself, so that's what came to my mind," she replied.
Hikaru wondered if he should be worried at the response.
"And, what do you make of that?"
"Oh, I figured it was one of your imaginary friends," she said as though it was an obvious answer.
Hikaru wanted to scream, no, he most certainly did not have an imaginary friend then stopped himself. 'Okay, maybe I'll let her think that if she wants to. No need to agonize her over this… I'll just have to stop talking out loud.'
"Well, I guess that's fine, mom," Hikaru said, resuming his studies.
Hikaru got a phone call a few days later and found it was from Waya.
"Want to meet up and play?" Waya asked after their customary greetings.
"Sure, when?" Hikaru asked, looking forward to meeting the insei.
"Got time today?"
"Umm," he looked at Sai. "Yeah, I do, where?"
Hikaru found Waya and Isumi sitting on the bench nearby where they would meet.
"Isumi, Waya!"
"Shindou!" Waya said, getting up, followed by Isumi. "Ready to get pounded?"
"Not exactly, you won't," Hikaru retorted.
"Guys, guys, let's go in," Isumi said, grimacing at the looks they were getting from other people.
Sitting down with the goban between Hikaru, and Isumi and Waya. Sat took his place in front of Waya's board.
"Are you seriously going to play both of us?" Waya asked, frowning.
"Yeah, people will just have to get used to me playing twice, starting with you guys," Hikaru replied and began playing, and he let Sai play Waya just to spite the boy.
Halfway through the game, Waya resigned with a frown on his face, looking at Hikaru.
'Is he Sai of Net Go? But…' he thought, looking at the game between Shindou and Isumi. 'Shindou is playing poor against Isumi. What is Shindou playing at? I hope Isumi doesn't feel insulted by that game. I know I would be.'
He thought for a moment, and remembered something. 'Shindou never looked at our game at all.'
He really wanted to find out the answer to the mystery now, but he waited until the game finished. Some minutes later, Waya heard Shindou resign.
"What's the meaning of this?" Waya demanded.
Isumi was silent, studying the boards between them for a moment and blinked.
"I don't understand," Isumi said, looking at Shindou.
"Like I said, get used to the mystery," Hikaru said, ignoring the indignant expression on Waya, "I'm trying to learn Go, Isumi-san, so please be patient with me. This is the insei me."
"And this," Waya said, pointing to their board, "is the pro you?" Hikaru nodded. "What are you?"
"Just a kid with a secret," Hikaru grinned. "Want me to switch?"
Isumi and Waya looked at each other nervously.
"Sure," Isumi accepted the offer to play the pro Hikaru. Waya nodded. Hikaru switched places with Sai, and faced Waya.
"Man, I thought I was close to securing that group!" Hikaru complained as they left the salon.
"You just needed to place that stone where I pointed out, and not where you placed it," Isumi said with patience.
"I know," Hikaru said with a sigh. "Thanks for playing with me today, guys."
"Anytime, weird kid," Waya said, grinning. "Next time, go out to eat with us."
Hikaru grinned, "Right, see you in two days!"
"Waya, you shouldn't call him weird," Isumi said as they walked away.
"But he seems fine by it!"
"Would you like to be called a freak or a snob?"
"…No, I wouldn't, I was just…" Waya said as their voices trailed off into the distance.
Hikaru looked at Sai, and both laughed as they went home.
Hikaru found himself at the Institute again, steeling his resolve. 'Ready, Sai? It's all yours,' he thought.
"Yay, yay, I'm playing strong opponents today!" he said, dancing around Hikaru. He still couldn't believe the difference of Sai's personality, and his Go. They entered the building and signed in.