Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go. Otherwise, I'd know a little more about Go than I really do.
Story: Hikaru was turned to the hacker world at an early age. Haunted by Sai, she reluctantly integrates Go into her carefully crafted world. Of course, she uses multiple personalities as an excuse to everyone else, seeing as how she has the bad habit of being a con artist.
Set AU.
Spoilers: Probably.
Warnings: Age difference and anyting else that comes up.
Pairings: Eventual Ogata/Hikaru, though plenty of one-sided Others/Hikaru
Split Hack
Chapter Seven: Fujiwara's Entrance IV
She couldn't resist. She really, really couldn't resist.
Hikaru just had that bad habit of wanting to get into things she really shouldn't be in…and more like she couldn't resist trying to pretend to be something and see how far she could go –if she could get away with it even.
There was just something in her that brought up the urge to do things like this.
She couldn't help it. For as long as she could remember, she somehow always got herself to end up impersonating something or other because she just had to. And the numerous confidence tricks she pulled off as well, had been something of an obsession also.
Not that Hikaru (or her parents) relatively acknowledged it as such.
"Eh, Megane-chan, I'm entering a tournament."
Hikaru hummed, waiting for a response as she gave a thumbs up to Sai, who was very excited about being able to play in a tournament.
"How'd you get this number?"
"Do you really have to ask?" Hikaru rolled her eyes, as he should have remembered all the information she'd pulled on him already.
"Yeah, whatever. A…tournament, you say? That's encouraging. May I come?"
"Of course! That's why I called you, Megane-chan! Sheesh. Anyway, this Sunday, 10 am, at Kaio High. See you~"
"Wait! A school tournament? Hikaru –"
She hung up and all he could think was that it was going to be a massacre.
"Sai~ I'm so excited. I get to visit my new school for the tournament!"
Oh, she had it all worked out too. She was going to play it straight Sai, as she had through all the times she'd visited the Touya Go salon. That way, when she entered the school year, she would be female and blonde. That's right, she was going to finally get the dye job she's been wanting. Combined with the new hairstyle and being a female MPD student (and different personalities), she wouldn't be associated with 'Sai' who entered the tournament this year for Haze High!
And if they connected Sai and her, well…there is a reason Sai's a "split personality." Hikaru didn't really have control over him, and should therefore have no responsibility over his actions while she was 'out' and he was 'in.' She should be exempt for her alter ego having entered a tournament she had absolutely no idea about.
She'd just have to avoid the principal, is all.
Meanwhile, Ogata stared at his phone in horror, still picturing a hall full of devastated and horrified high school Go enthusiasts, all taken down by some midget of a girl. He winced and put his phone away, trying not to trudge into the salon.
He saw Akira in the back, still slightly depressed and yet also oddly thoughtful as he continued to stare at that ridiculous map encompassing the wall in the back. He glanced around and noted that several customers were still grumbling at their lack of foresight and action after the Meijin versus 'Sai' game, where they'd been in so much shock at the outcome that they hadn't thought to come after Sai or question him or-or-or anything! But it was very understandable. Someone (and a young one at that) had just beaten Touya Meijin, in an even game. A feat not even their precious Touya Akira could claim.
It was hard to believe. Even Ogata had trouble believing it himself, regardless of having seen it.
When he'd reached his mentor's son, he stood by Akira's side and quietly examined the Map of Sai Akira (and the rest of these meddlesome folks in this place) had created. Snidely, in his thoughts at least, he wanted to say that Akira should add that 'Sai' was actually a girl, and really named Shindo Hikaru at that. And also, for some reason, pretending to be afflicted with multiple personality disorder, with her alternate personality as some Heian Go-loving noble.
Another voice in his head mentioned that a more feasible addition to the wall would be that her eyes were the exact shade of jade green.
It was almost embarrassing to admit that his older brother's exactness of color coding had rubbed off on him for all these years, and that he would notice something like that with her.
"I want to play him again," Akira said suddenly, but instead of the determination he had expected to hear, it was with wistfulness and longing that he heard instead.
"Then go after him," Ogata snorted, shoving his hands into his pockets.
He was still wondering if he should just blurt out Akira's Sai was really a girl, when Akira spoke again and startled him with his next words.
"I'll wait," the determination Ogata had expected to hear was shown here. "Even on the level that he'd fought against my father, I still wish to play him again. And I will wait for that chance."
"You'd really wait?" Ogata asked doubtfully.
"Yes," Akira sighed tiredly. "I shouldn't rush things. Good things come in time. Life should be lived and shouldn't be hastened or wasted. And though I know, having learned of the game between he and Father, that I am probably completely outmatched and may never catch up…it will be a good game, when the time comes."
Ogata scrutinized the other. "You'd grown wiser. You've always been much more adult-like than your peers, but playing at being an adult is much different than being wise."
Akira gave him a small smile. "I've done a lot of thinking since meeting Sai, and the things he'd said to me. I've pondered over those words quite a lot."
Ogata made an agreeable noise, but didn't say anything to that.
He understood, of course. He'd heard Hikaru speak in the Go salon that day, and saying wise, awe-inspiring words (if a bit vague) to all, but mostly the Meijin. And from what he'd heard from Akira and the various customers in the salon, the words spoken to Akira were just as wise and almost as intense (if not as) as the words spoken to Kouyo. Both very meaningful and very breathtaking.
Remarkable words from such a strange, little girl.
"Will you take the Pro Exam this year?" Ogata changed the subject as his eyes passed over Ichikawa's amusing addition of Hikaru's hands and fingers to the map, but even at this he was surprised.
"No," Akira surprisingly said. "Sai won't take it and doesn't believe in it. But I know, in time, that he will. He's had a taste of that world from Father, and I know it's only a matter of time before he's drawn back and can't help but want to enter it, if only to play more incredible games and create more universes. Then, and only then, shall I take the Exam and walk that path with him."
Ogata refrained from rolling his eyes and sighing in aggravation, just knowing his girl was absolute trouble for everyone.
And most of the people he knew still thought she was a boy.
That fact was only reiterated on Sunday, having seen and picked up Hikaru from her home and her wearing a Haze High boys' uniform.
"You're…you're still in junior high, right? So why are you in a high school uniform?"
She shrugged, getting into his car without an invitation from him. He ignored it, as he was getting used to.
"'Cause I'm going to enter the tournament as Sai, a Haze High student," she said in a matter of fact manner, and without further explanation.
"What?"
But she didn't answer, merely strapping herself in safely and humming cheerily. He grumbled in his head, but started his car and drove over to Kaio, where upon they separated as she went to see the school matchups and he went to shove a baseball cap onto his head (without mentioning the fact he was already out of his usual suits and was wearing a casual t-shirt and jeans, with dark sunglasses to match). He was not going to be recognized at a school tournament.
Then she saw someone she recognized as the brother of a neighborhood friend and freaked out, hurriedly looking for Ogata (who was in his silly getup).
"There's someone who knows me here," she hissed at him, and he looked at her with an eyebrow raised.
"What do you want me to do about it?" he asked sarcastically.
"Just…do something!"
And so, somehow, he'd promised to keep an eye on the kid and had ended up even situating himself nearby the kid that had Hikaru so worried about every once in awhile, if he wasn't checking in on Hikaru.
She, on the other hand, had finally settled down and had sat with her team at their assigned table, and who were warily looking at her. They knew she was a girl, as she'd worn a skirt and was kind of girly at the festival, but they also knew she had a male alter, who apparently loved Go (since she'd switched to Sai during the game with Kaga, and had afterwards periodically changed between herself and 'Sai' after meeting the other two more closely and working with them to prepare for the tournament).
They liked her, she knew enough, but as Kaga said the first time: "This is too fucking weird."
She hummed happily in her head, very excited about it all. Sai echoed her excitement, though he gave her a look crossed between worried and exasperated when she began to chant 'Slaughter, slaughter, slaughter~' in a sing-song tone in her head.
"Really too much like Reiji-niisama sometimes," Sai sighed.
'You mentioned him before,' Hikaru noted. 'Who's he?'
"Ah, my older brother. The eldest, in fact. He was…quite the aggressive and forceful man," Sai chuckled in remembrance.
'Really? Huh. You should tell me more about yourself later, instead of always about Go. In the meantime, let's slaughter everyone, ne?'
Sai sweatdropped, but nodded even as he muttered under his breath, "Yes, 'Reiji-niisama.'"
She and Kaga were synchronized (purposefully because the two of them felt like it and thought it would be cool to do it) as they opened their fans, the flapping sound loud in their corner. Their opponents from the other school took one look at Kaga's fan, and one of them sneered.
"Tch. What? You have a shougi member as second board? You didn't have enough members? Couldn't even find three people?" Hikaru's opponent remarked.
Hikaru tilted her head behind her fan, hiding her face, though she was sure she heard Ogata's disdainful snort from where she could see him blending in with people behind her.
"Just shut up and nigiri," Kaga snapped irritably, fanning himself.
"You sure? You wouldn't rather look for a shougi board?" Hikaru's opponent continued to mock.
"You're lucky we're playing Go," Kaga huffed. "Your king would be dead in five minutes if it were shougi. Because it's Go, it'll take me ten minutes. You get to have five more minutes of life."
Hikaru was definitely sure she heard snickering coming from Ogata's direction.
"You don't even know how strong I am," Hikaru's opponent growled angrily.
Kaga sniffed condescendingly. "Whether you are strong or weak will become clear soon. Except against Sai-kun," he added as an afterthought, pointing at Hikaru. "Never mind, he'll just slaughter you."
Hikaru's opponent bristled, while the other two puffed up in anger.
"Anyway, guys who start whining before the match are weak," Kaga started picking his nose.
Hikaru wasn't mistaken at all, hearing Ogata chuckle.
There was a call for them to begin already, and nigiri was completed. Hikaru was white, so Kaga became black and Tsutsui white as well. Hikaru was ready.
Er, well, she thought she was.
"Hey, you forgot to hit your clock," her opponent said.
She blinked. "Huh. Clock? What is –oh, I see. My apologies."
"Heh, aren't I nice?" he and his teammates snickered.
At the same time, Tsutsui had taken out his book and Kaga and he were making a commotion about it, and being loud. One of the members from the game next to them asked for them to quiet down even.
She frowned, seeing the looks on their opponents' faces, and just knowing what they were thinking. A guy who doesn't know about the clock, a shougi player, and a guy with a book…An easy win for the first round…
It wasn't too long until Hikaru and Sai had beaten the one who was talking too much, and Kaga actually had beaten his opponent in ten minutes, forcibly making him say "I've lost" loudly. It took a little longer, but once Tsutsui got into yose, he didn't make any mistakes and beat his opponent as well.
The next round was a cinch as well. Kaga beat his opponent, and as expected Hikaru showed no mercy (she was very into it, while Sai shook his head at his charge). Tsutsui hadn't managed to win this time, but with Kaga and Hikaru winning, they managed to make it to the finals and face Kaio anyway.
This time, as they fought against Kaio, Kaga lost. His opponent was much tougher than his last two, and he knew the rumors about Kaio's Go club being the best were true and that they were all a bunch of Touya Akira types. Tsutsui almost resigned, but found a single opening that led him to having a miracle win over the other, with an eight moku loss for the other.
Hikaru and Sai were ecstatic at the game unfolding before them, and though it would be inevitable that they'd win, it had been a beautiful game that had drawn many people to watch it. The boy cried at his loss, but his teacher comforted him and congratulated him on a good, well-played game and that that mattered more than winning, acting very supportive and thoughtful of his students.
She and Sai smiled behind their fans. This 'Yun-sensei' seemed like a caring, kind, and gentle person –a good soul.
However, this meant that Haze won the tournament and that Kaio actually lost. With exclamations about that, Haze was just about to be declared the winner, when the person she'd been worried about recognized her.
"Shindo –?"
But that was all he managed to say, getting cut off and unheard as suddenly Ogata was there, covered his mouth, and then dragged him off somewhere.
So Haze still won and it was another successful ploy for her.
All in a good day's work.
The three had been celebrating in good cheer together, when Ogata ambushed her from behind, shuffling her off. They were outside already, by the time her teammates had caught up.
"Hey y-yooouu…" they dragged out, trailing off at the end as they stared at Ogata, who had shoved off his hat and glasses and placed them into his car.
"You're…you're Ogata 9-dan," Tsutsui gaped.
Holy crap, if that's Ogata Seiji actually grabbing and abducting Hikaru, then that meant…
"So she…she really met Touya Meijin and Touya Akira…?" Tsutsui's head was spinning.
Ogata gave them a derisive look. "Yes, of course."
"So wait! You mean she actually beat the Meijin?!" Kaga blurted out.
Ogata's look turned into surprise. "She actually told you about that? Whatever, doesn't matter. Get in the car," he directed towards Hikaru. "We need to get you out of here before you get caught and discovered."
She was in the car without another word, and Ogata slipped in and turned on the engine, driving off quickly after.
"She…really beat the Meijin," Kaga said dazedly.
Tsutsui fainted.
At her home, she was in the middle of amusing herself with messing around and idly searching through Ogata's laptop, as the man shuffled around her kitchen in disgusted amazement, stopping his mutterings about how could she not know about the clock.
"What is with all this instant crap?!" he exclaimed, before pulling out pots and placing them onto the stove.
Hikaru shrugged, but Sai nodded in agreement with Ogata, starting in on a lecture about nutrients and stuff Hikaru needed to grow in order to become a proper lady. She glared at him and huffed quietly to herself, though Ogata caught her glaring at seemingly nothing.
"What are you glaring at?" he narrowed his eyes at her.
She held up her hands in awkward surrender. "No one, no one…"
But Sai was like, "Me!" grinning like a cheerful loon.
Ogata made a mental note about her reply 'No one' in response to his asking of 'what' she was glaring at. He felt it was important, but he'd probably not get an answer about it now.
"'Sides, I'm not a bachelor living all alone in an apartment, so I have no need to know how to cook."
He twitched, but just barely refrained from turning to growl at her. He focused, instead, on trying to get started on cooking dinner for her.
"Where's your parents anyway?" he grumbled, changing the subject. "I haven't seen them yet, and they've been absent all the times I've come over here. I'd expected they'd be a little worried and suspicious about some strange man coming over all the time, and whatever. Or run into me somehow, and find out about me in the first place."
"Saa, don't hold your breath," Hikaru said dismissively. "Kaa-san has been going back to school for a medical degree –she's boarding over at the university. Tou-san is overseas, working in America for the corporation he's employed by over there. They're never around and the house is practically mine. You don't have to worry about running into them."
Ogata paused in his movements, moving slowly to look at her closely.
She wasn't looking at him, her face bored and slightly detached as she continued to idly mess around with his laptop and look at the programs and whatnot on it. He swallowed and looked back at his preparations.
"There's NetGo on my computer. You can log on, if you want," he changed the subject again, purposefully avoiding answering back to her about her parents for her sake.
"Eh? What's NetGo?"
He furrowed his eyebrows, and glanced at her over his shoulder. "You don't know what NetGo is?"
At her shaking her head, he launched into a brief but clear explanation about it, and she began to look excited.
"Oh, oh! Can I create a profile on your computer?" she asked excitedly.
"Yeah, yeah! Pretty please, Ogata-san?" Sai echoed after her, though he knew the man wouldn't be able to hear him.
"Yeah, whatever. Go ahead," he grunted, stirring the pasta.
"Yatta! Megane-chan, you can be alright, you know that?"
"Ugh."
Only too quickly, Hikaru had created Sai's profile and had begun playing in earnest. She hadn't realized that she'd started Sai's internet reign much earlier than had been expected, and that the carnage she was dealing out would catch widespread attention.
But she and Sai were playing Go, and Sai was happy. That was really all that mattered.
"Ohhh, this guy's an American," Hikaru grinned. "I've always been interested in America."
Ogata scooped up a tiny portion of the sauce to taste. "Really? Why?"
"It's always been my dream to hack into the Pentagon."
Ogata choked on the sauce he'd been taste testing, and Hikaru proceeded to make friends with the American amateur Go player.
Started 4/21/13 – Completed 4/21/13
A/n: Ohoho, the differences I made have shown the changes happening, eh? It's just great how everyone likes my Ogata and how he and Hikaru interact. I should mention that Hikaru's own Go will get to be featured a bit more in the next chapter, as well as some Go salons appearing early. Anyway, I'll try to update this every Monday and if you enjoyed, please review! I love everyone's comments!
To anon: Thanks! I don't know how I'd be able to explain Go, other than it's a game played on a 19x19 board, using black and white stones to capture territory. Having Hikaru mess around with everyone is some of the best stuff writing about XD I really enjoy it. I wish I could make this into an anime :D
Also to this "Guest" who wrote this: :I've just read the summary (obviously) but this could have been cool had it not been gender-fucked. So If you have time to re-write it with correct genders etc do it, or if not maybe have someone else do it for you. The base idea itself is good - But unreadable to the majority which is a shame.
Okay…you should have known it was genderbent from the beginning, and must've ignored it (which is just stupid). I'm not going to go hand over my hard work or do more work rewriting it just to put in the correct genders (and Hikaru is the only genderbent here, plus some shit in here ain't going to make sense if Hikaru was male). If it's so unreadable, I must be fucking illiterate and this whole thing must be littered with grammar/spelling issues, and no one is reading it. This is trash, so it goes to the trash. Deleted.
I don't mind CC, but don't whine to me about your preferences. I don't care. I've already said my piece about what I write on my profile, go fuck off otherwise. Sorry to everyone who had to endure that, but I'm just not afraid to call anyone out.
