Chapter 4: Safe!

(I DON'T OWN HIKARU NO GO)

~Ring~

"Ah…my mum's calling now I gotta go, bye!" Shindou Hikaru shot out of Touya Akira's study room like a bullet train while listening to his mum 'remind' him to call when he's late. To be honest, he had never been more grateful for his mother's nagging than now.

Shindou sprinted out of the go salon and into a nearby alleyway. Panting, he leaned back on the dusty brick wall and fell down. Suddenly, without warning, tears came streaming down his flushed cheeks.

'Hikaru…Gomenasai…Don't be sad…I shouldn't have asked to play Touya…gomen gomen!'

'Nevermind…I had also forgotten that he knew too much to risk it, and I'm not sad…just relieved.' Actually, Shindou had never forgotten, he just wanted to grant Sai's wishes as much as possible.

'But—'

'Forget it Sai! I forgive you!'

The ghost remained silent as his human friend caught his breath and wiped his eyes. For a while, neither uttered a single word before Sai suggested that they go back now.

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'Sai…I'm telling you that I forgive you, besides my mother saved me. So why are you still sulking?'

Shindou is now on the MRT while reassuring a sulky Sai. They were 2 stations away from their destination and Sai still had a black cloud above his head.

'I just feel guilty; I made your relationship with him become worse by asking to play.'

'Nevermind that! Maybe Touya feels a little guilty too; we just need a little space before it'll turn back to normal'

'Really?'

'Yeah.'

'…Ne ne HIkaru, do you wanna play Shido or study kifus tonight?'

'Let's go for Shido.'

Unbeknownst to the ghost, a smile crept on Shindou's face as the ghost ranted on. Sai was back to his usual childish self and he was glad that he did.

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'Hikaru! Hikaru! Wake up!'

"Sai…what's wrong?"

'You promised to take me out today!'

"Huh…Oh yeah…" While they were playing speed go last night, Shindou had promised, to the delight of Sai, to take him out the next day when he remembered that he and Sai never did anything else besides go.

"What time is it now?" Shindou mumbled sleepily as he groped for his alarm clock on the bedside table.

"What the…SAI! I SAID I WAS GONNA TAKE YOU OUT AT 11! NOW ITS ONLY 6:30! I'M GOINGING BACK TO BED!" Shindou cried out in frustration and rolled over in a huff, earning a whimper from Sai.

"Hikaru! Everything all right up there?" Shindou Mitsuko shouted up worriedly.

"Yes Mum, don't worry!" Her teenage son shouted back.

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'Okay…Where do you wanna go first?'

Shindou and Sai are standing near the escalator of a bustling shopping mall. Sai grinned childishly as he bounced towards an accessories shop, Shindou sighed as he quickened his pace to keep up with his ghost friend.

"Ne ne! See this hottie with bleached blonde bangs at the rings section near the cashier?"

"Yeah yeah! Kyaaa~ he's so cute! I wonder if he has a girlfriend."

"Baka! Men wouldn't walk in a girly accessories shop alone without a reason! He must've come to buy something for his girlfriend."

"Aww…That sucks….He's just too cute!~"

"Shh! He'll hear you! Come on! Let's go!"

Unfortunately, Shindou overheard the conversation between the two young ladies and felt uncomfortable. He had never once thought that he was 'hot' or 'cute', Sai, on the other hand was gazing at the rings without a care in the world.

'Sai…Can we go to another shop now? We've been here for 20 minutes already and everyone's staring at me.'

'Another 5 minutes pleaseeee~'

'Okay okay! I'll wait in front of the store so come out when you're done.' With that, Shindou rushed out of the store followed by the cashier's angry stares.

*5 minutes later*

'Where to next?' Shindou asked as they stolled along the third floor.

'Let's go into that big bookstore over there! Maybe there are go books there!'

'Of course not! That's a manga store, nevertheless, let's go in anyways.'

Shindou had also wanted to buy the latest issue of 'One Piece', a manga about a man named Monkey D. Luffy who wants to become a pirate. As he was browsing through the shelves, Sai called him out from another section.

'What is it?'

'That book looks interesting, and the main character has your name too!'

'Oh…I finished 'Hikaru No Go' ages ago, the best and only manga about go… written by 'Hotta Yumi', too bad it finished…it was a good story.'

'hmm…maybe I'll read it someday.'

They spent about an hour in the manga store and left after Shindou bought the lastest One Piece manga.

'Sai…I'm hungry, can I eat first?' Once the ghost gave his approval, Shindou made a beeline for the nearest ramen shop, Ichiraku* which is just opposite the manga store.

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'That ramen shop is good…maybe I should drag Waya, Isumi-san and them here'

'I think Waya prefers sushi…but anyways let's go!'

After 15 minutes of wandering aimlessly, Sai spotted a small shop that sells go stuff. And of course, both headed straight for it.

Once they were in the shop, both went separate ways—Sai to the Kaya boards and Shindou to the kifus. They were engrossed with the merchandise that they never said a word to each other apart from Shindou's 'don't wander off!' reminders.

At the same time, around 15 miles away. An exhausted Touya Akira was ordering his lunch in a soba shop near the Go Institution.

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'Thanks for buying the go stones** I wanted…although I can't even touch them'

'No big deal! Besides I've got plenty of cash to spare from my matches.'

'And yet you still depend on your mother'

'heh heh….Oh look! Balloons!' Shindou diverted his attention to the guy selling balloons nearby.

Fortunately for Shindou, Sai was too distracted by the 'colourful floating objects' to argue with him.

The pair decided to take a stroll in the park on the way home after an hour more of walking.

When they entered the park, Shindou sat on one of the wooden benches while Sai rolled around in the grass like a 7 year old.

'Hikaru…What will you say when you meet Touya again? You can't avoid him forever,' Sai turned serious after he had enough of rolling around.

'I don't know, but one thing's for sure, I'm not telling him a single thing about you.'

'But you should tell him one day…he knows too much already.'

'I'll wait until we both are ready, I don't want Touya to think I'm mental.'

'How about Waya?'

'No Way! Although he knows as much as Touya., He's my best friend and all but he'll just think I'm a lunatic! Heck, maybe he'll even ship me off to mental hospital or something!'

'You seem so against it'

'Heck Yeah! I still want my friends you know! And why are we arguing? Forget Touya for now.'

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At the same time…

"Achoo!"

"Are you okay Touya-sensei? That's the third time already,"

"Yes, thank you for your concern Iba-san, lets continue."

The elderly lady just shrugged then concentrated on her shido game with Touya.

'Maybe someone is talking about me…or am I sick? Oh forget it! Concentrate, Akira concentrate!' Despite his thoughts, Touya found it incredibly hard to stop himself from sleeping although he had just drunk 3 cans of black coffee. His eyelids drooped and just when he was going off to dreamland…

"Ano...Touya-sensei? It's your turn now."

"Ah! I apologize, ma'am"

"You know sensei, you really need a day off."

"Oh, not really."

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Touya Akira clung onto the pole like his life depended on it. Anyone who looked at him will think the guy is drunk as his cheeks are also slightly pink. But Touya is just tired….no, completely worn out.

It is now 7pm and Touya is on the MRT going home. He had to hold the pole for support otherwise he would faint from exhaustion, both physically and mentally.

Touya staggered out of the MRT doors when it reached his destination. The world seemed to be spinning. How he walked from the station to his house without falling, Touya didn't know. Maybe it's the sheer thought of his futon that kept him going.

Touya opened the door and took off his shoes. His willpower didn't last any longer. No sooner had his shoes been neatly placed on the rack than he collapsed right on the doorstep.

"Akira? Is that you? What's that….sound…Oh! Akira are you all right!"

Touya Akiko appeared from the kitchen and shrieked at the sight of her sixteen year old son. She put her hand to his forehead and gasped; Akira had a slight fever.

Author's notes

Okay, this only looks bad (for Akira)… but I promise it'll get better. So Akira fans, have mercy on me please~ Don't leave meeeeeee~

This is the longest chapter I made; I hope you aren't bored of this chapter… The next one will definitely be more interesting…maybe?

*= Ichiraku is the same remen shop that Uzumaki Naruto (from Naruto and Naruto shippuden) goes to. He is the same age as Hikaru now and also likes ramen.

**= I don't know if the stones can be bought separately from the board, if can't then sorry for the error.

btw I'm going to Thailand, Bangkok on 25/11/11…you know….the flooding country :( …in South-east Asia. (Still don't know? go look at the world map.)

Please please please review…otherwise it'll look like no one's reading this TTOTT.

Thanks! :)