Summary: Shindou Hikaru never publicly made himself known to the Go world, preferring to stay in the shadows of NetGo. But even he knows he can't stay hidden forever, not when Sai disappears. It's time to fulfill the Go master's last wish.
Note: In the manga/anime, Hikaru calls Isumi "Isumi-san". He does not do that here.
Guys? I just want to say… WOW! I have six chapters and 100 reviews, but this story has 203 favorites and 263 alerts! And it's been added to 20 communities! AND IT HAS MORE THAN 20,000 HITS. OMGGGGG.
Kudos to anonymous reviewer M.L for being my 100th review for this story.
Miles Across the Universe
VII. The Young Lions Tournament, pt. 3
In the end Isumi gracefully admitted to his defeat at the hands of Shindou Hikaru, though he lost by 6.5 moku. The boy was excellent; he would love to have a rematch with him when they had free time. He looked forward to it. Shindou's mind was a sharp blade that sliced through an opponent's defenses like butter, and unlike most of the minor professionals he had the skill to back it up. People like Touya Meijin, Touya Akira, Kurata Atsushi, Ogata Seiji, and Morishita Shigeo were similar to him. They all were geniuses in their own right. Of course there were others, like Zama Ouza, or Ichiryuu-sensei. He himself wasn't as gifted as Shindou and Touya, but he wasn't one of those wannabe players either (like Matsuda… he was still irked that the arrogant asshole became a professional before him).
"That was an amazing game, Shindou," said Isumi. He smiled at the younger boy.
"You were pretty fierce at some points yourself, Isumi," replied Shindou, grinning back at him. "Right at this corner you attacked me pretty viciously. I was hard-pressed not to just give it up."
"Really? Well, in this area over here you crushed me like bug," said Isumi, pointing at the 12-8 intersection where he had attempted to form a living cluster, but Shindou had completely outmaneuvered him. And his attempts died within twenty hands.
Shindou scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, no hard feelings right? I really enjoyed playing against you," he said. "I think we should play again some other time, maybe in a less… uh, competitive environment, I guess."
"I would like that," answered Isumi eagerly.
After cleaning up the board, Shindou went to record his win against Isumi. The blue-haired boy watched him go, tracking his movement across the room. Shindou Hikaru. Previously he'd known next-to-nothing about said boy aside from rumors, news clippings, and whatnot circulating around the Go community, but having faced off against him across a goban, he felt he had learned more about the teenager than he had in the past few months. Despite the most forthcoming whisper of Shindou being a Go monster right out of your worst nightmares, Isumi had found the boy's company pleasant and enjoyable. The game had been intense, challenging, and exciting. It had called to him with fervor, the thrill humming along in tandem to his heartbeats, singing its way through his blood. It was refreshing.
There was a quick break after this so the participants and any gathering crowds could take a moment to stock up on their energy. The administrators advised that the remaining two players in the tournament should eat something healthy and drink some water. They needed to keep up their strength if they wanted to retain the sharpness of their minds for the upcoming last battle to be the Champion of the Wakajishisen.
Shindou snacked on a bag of salty potato chips and a can of sweet green tea, to the administrators' dismay. He waved off their concerns with nonchalance. "I'll be fine, I'm already geared up and ready to go," he told them. "Touya is my next and last opponent for this tournament; I don't think I'm going to be able to focus on any hunger issues while I play. Go requires mind strategy, you know."
"If you're sure -" one of the men overseeing the tournament room said.
Shindou cut him off, "I'm sure. Now let's get back to the room; I've got a game to play."
He slouched a little on the way back to the main tournament area, leaving the men scowling behind him. "What a punk," muttered a man angrily. "I hope Touya Akira gives him a good thrashing." The others soundly agreed, except for one, who looked thoughtful.
"While I'll admit that Touya Akira has a high chance of winning, that boy didn't earn his nickname as 'The Demon' for nothing," he mused.
"Yoi-san, are you saying that Touya Akira might lose?" gasped the group simultaneously. "He is one of the biggest names in the Go world! The one that everyone needs to watch out for."
"There's always a chance, gentlemen," said Yoi. "I'm sure all of you have kept up with the news? You should already know by now that Shindou Hikaru is rising in fame just as quickly. In his shodan match against Touya Meijin, he lost by a very small amount of moku, which isn't a feat that any normal wet-behind-the-ears rookie could pull off."
The men looked uneasily at each other, realizing that Yoi was right. Touya Akira might just lose the Wakajishisen this year.
"Shindou," greeted Touya when his opponent came to the table. The other boy smiled brightly at him, his wide grin matching his enthusiasm. Touya could almost feel his heart begin to thud faster against his ribcage; the feeling of that intense gameplay coming back to him. Finally, finally, he and Shindou would have their match. Finally he would see who was better at the game.
"Yo, Touya!" he said cheerfully, plopping down in his chair. "Let's have a great match, yeah?"
Touya inclined his head a little, a small smile gracing his features. "Yes. The best game we will have played in our lives," he replied.
The announcer cleared his throat as a hoard of eager people crowded around the table where the last game of the tournament would be played. With it being the last game, along with the fact that it was Touya Akira playing against Shindou Hikaru, no wonder there was such a fuss over it. The size of the crowd was insane!
"Attention, everyone! We will now commence the final game between tournament contenders Touya Akira, the prized son of Touya Meijin, and Shindou Hikaru, the fierce outsider nicknamed 'The Demon'," said the announcer into his microphone, the device amplifying his voice loud enough to be heard over the chatter of the crowd. The crowd roared their approval. Through the buzzing cacophony, the two players could hear faint calls of people cheering them on.
"Quiet! The game will begin as soon as you all pipe down," said the announcer. The crowd quieted to allow the two players to concentrate on their game.
Shindou smirked at his opponent across the board. "Are you ready for this, Touya? Give me all you've got!" he half-shouted.
So it began.
Touya Akira was black. Shindou Hikaru was white. And the drums of war began to beat heavily, matching the throb and tide of excitement rushing through the bloodstream of both players. Touya Akira dipped his fingers into the bowl, aquamarine eyes gleaming.
Pachi! Hoshi.
Pachi! 4-17.
Pachi! 17-4.
Pachi! 4-3.
Pachi! 15-3, shimari.
Pachi! 17-10.
Pachi! 3-5, kakari.
Pachi! 4-7, defend.
Pachi! 5-5, ikken tobi.
Pachi! 6-4, katatsuki.
Pachi! 8-4.
Pachi! 6-5.
Pachi! 5-6.
Pachi! 7-6.
Pachi! 3-3, tsuke.
Pachi! 3-2, hane.
Pachi! 2-3, extend.
Pachi! 4-4.
Pachi! 3-6.
Pachi! 10-4.
Pachi! 5-2.
Pachi! 4-2.
The game was starting to heat up. True to his aggressive nature, Touya began attacking Shindou at the corner. Shindou fought back with equal aggression and grace, determined to defend his territory from its new threat.
Pachi! 7-2, ikken tobi.
Pachi! 6-3, extend.
Pachi! 9-5.
Pachi! 9-2, keima.
Pachi! 8-3.
Pachi! 8-2, threat to cut.
Pachi! 7-3, prevent the cut.
Pachi! 3-7.
Pachi! 5-7.
Pachi! 8-7.
Pachi! 6-6, connect.
Pachi! 8-5, threat to cut.
Pachi! 9-4, prevent the cut.
Pachi! 5-8.
Pachi! 6-8.
Pachi! 5-9.
Pachi! 6-9, tsuke.
Pachi! 5-10, extend.
Pachi! 8-9, ikken tobi.
Pachi! 9-9, tsuke.
Pachi! 9-10, hane.
Pachi! 9-8, extend.
Pachi! 10-3, hane.
Pachi! 11-3.
Pachi! 11-4, cross.
Pachi! 10-5.
Pachi! 11-2, atari.
Pachi! 12-3, extend.
No! Not yet. He… he was losing? Shindou… you are a worthy opponent.
Pachi! 10-2.
Pachi! 9-6.
Pachi! 12-4.
Pachi! 10-6.
Pachi! 11-5, atari.
Pachi! 12-5.
Pachi! 11-6, atari.
Pachi! 13-5.
Pachi! 10-7, captured.
Ha! Take that, Shindou. Touya let no expression show on his face, but mentally he was feeling giddy that he was starting to get one-up on his opponent. Shindou seemed unperturbed, however, and calmly moved to his next point. Touya quickly followed suit.
For the next hour they danced around each other's corners, attacking, defending, and generally struggling to overpower each other. Shindou had more influence on the bottom and right, while Touya had control over the top and left. It was a close match, which had both players' hearts thudding excitedly within their chests as they played piece after piece.
They had a ko-fight going close to the central area, and neither player was willing to give up. It was a test of their determination, their resolve to win. They would keep fighting until their souls were battered from exhaustion, but even then they would still clash. They would fight for an eternity if they could. Neither one wanted to lose.
When the game finally entered yose, the game almost became a speed-go frenzy. Yose was, unfortunately, Shindou's biggest weakness in the game because he was so strong that most opponents tended to resign before they finished. He would have to wing it, and hope he came out on top. He slapped a go stone down on one of the intersections, fire burning in his eyes.
The game ended with Touya's final move clicking into place. The crowd held their breaths in apprehension, for most of them were unable to tell who won. The tension was so thick it was palpable, and the two players were staring each other in the eye.
Touya broke it.
"You win, Shindou," he said softly. Black had 86 moku. White had 81 moku, but with the additional komi added to the score, it was 86-86.5. Shindou had narrowly scraped by with a victory of 0.5 moku.
For a moment there was complete and utter silence.
Then the crowd broke out into a thunderous cheer for the victor, although some fans were screaming obscenities at Shindou because they had wanted Touya to win. Shindou's grin afterwards was brighter than the sun. The crowd felt bedazzled by it, and they too had to smile at him. Joy seemed to radiate off his being, standing up there in front of all the cameras, waving and smiling like he hadn't just won the fiercest game of his life. He turned to his opponent.
"That was the best game I've ever played, Touya," he said. "We should get together some time and play games just for fun. I enjoyed facing off with you."
Touya looked taken aback by the offer for a second, but then he nodded and smiled. Even though he had lost, he didn't feel it at all. Shindou had been an amazing opponent to play against across the goban, and memories of the game still gave him chills down his spine, making him shudder from the thrill.
They cleaned up the board, putting all the stones back into their respective containers. As soon as they stepped off the stage, both players were swamped by a flood of excited, chattering reporters shoving microphones into their faces. Touya dealt with it in his typical calm fashion, explaining to the reporters that even though he lost he learned a lot from the game itself. After all, go is not about winning or losing; it's about the meeting of minds across the board to create a beautiful game. He and Shindou had done that. He was satisfied.
On the other hand, Shindou was trying to escape from the reporters. He answered a few questions here and there, but they were so jumbled up and mixed up with one another that he could barely hear them. He tried to shove his way through the crowd, but every time he passed one reporter three more took his place. It was frustrating! Couldn't he have a little peace?
"Alright, that's enough," called out a voice. "Let Shindou have some air." The crowd of babbling reporters paused in unison and backed away, revealing the red-haired man, Amano. Amano was the main reporter for Go Weekly, but unlike those carnivores he did not try to pester Shindou for answers. Instead, he merely requested a short interview with the victor. All Shindou would have to do was tell him about his feelings for the game he just won, how he felt about his opponent, and so on.
Shindou agreed. Amano also called Touya Akira over to be part of the interview. He took them to an empty room for privacy. They sat down in the green armchairs in the room, both players gazing calmly at the middle-aged man. Amano cleared his throat, whipping out his pen and paper.
"Now," he said, locking eyes with Shindou, "please tell me how you felt about this game."
Shindou took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, he began:
"I felt excited, because this would be my first time playing against Touya in a really long time. I wanted to test how much I'd grown since our first game, when we were both thirteen. This game was… important to me, I guess. I really wanted to win, to prove that I wasn't some no-name brat who happened to pick up the game. Playing against Touya, it almost felt like a dream."
Amano nodded, scribbling down Shindou's response. "How do you think you would feel if you had lost?" he questioned.
"If I lost…" echoed Shindou. He smiled softly and shook his head. "Even if I had lost, the game would still be important. It would just tell me that I have to improve even more, so I wouldn't lose next time."
"And you, Touya Akira? How do you feel about this game?"
"Same as Shindou," admitted Touya. "I lost, but I don't feel as if I lost. It was an amazing game, which I hope to play more of in the future."
Amano hummed thoughtfully. "Thank you, you two," he said, standing up. "This game is going on the cover tomorrow as one of the biggest games of the year. I hope you don't mind if we take a picture of you before you leave?"
Shindou shrugged. "Fine by me, I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere," he said. Touya nodded in agreement.
"Excellent! Come with me," said the reporter.
Amano had one of the cameramen snap a photo of the two players standing together, then one photo of each player individually. Afterwards, as Shindou and Touya walked out from the Institute together, they began discussing when and where they wanted to meet to play against each other. Their quiet conversation was interrupted when a loud voice bellowed behind them, "Oi! SHINDOU! Wait up, will you?"
Shindou turned around in surprise. "Waya?" he said. "And Nase, Honda, and Isumi too. Did you guys come to watch our game?" Touya was secretly pleased that Shindou said 'our' game and not 'my' game. The player hadn't forgotten he was standing next to him.
Waya slapped the younger boy on the back, laughing, "That was great, Shindou! You kicked that bastard's ass, just like I knew you would!"
"Waya, I didn't 'kick his ass', as you said. I barely won," sighed Shindou. "And he's standing right next to me, if you haven't noticed."
Waya's head whipped to the side, where he did indeed behold the sight of a certain Go player standing uncertainly next to his friend, a frown tugging at his lips. He scowled. He hated that person with a passion, even though Shindou seemed to be standing by him with no problem. He knew Touya had told Shindou that he would be waiting for him in the upper Go community, but to the point that the two seemed almost… friends? It was bizarre.
Shindou turned back to Touya, ignoring his friends for a moment, and said, "Well? Do you want to meet up at your dad's salon then?"
"Sounds good," agreed Touya. "Saturday at three?"
"Sure."
Sorry for the late update. I struggled a lot with this chapter, since I honestly just didn't know how to write it without making it sound really awkward. The version you just read is the only one that I'm halfway satisfied with.
I'm on Spring Break, even though it's Friday and it's ending soon. I've decided which college I want to go to, and it's only about an hour away from my house.
Oh, and another reason why I was kinda late with this chapter is because I became obsessed with Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Seriously. In two and a half weeks, I watched all 203 episodes plus the bonus episode. As I wrote this chapter, I listened to some of the character songs, lol.
Go terms:
Wakajishisen - Young Lions Tournament
Moku - points in a go game
Goban - cube-ish go board, 19x19
Hoshi - star point
Shimari - move to strengthen your corner defense
Kakari - move to threaten your opponent's corner
Ikken tobi - one-point jump
Katatsuki - shoulder hit
Tsuke - connecting move
Hane - move to wrap around an opponent's stone
Keima - knight's move
Cut - move to cut opponent's cluster(s)
Atari - state which an opponent's stone(s) can be captured with one move
Yose - end game
By the way, the moves I used for Shindou and Touya's match came from the game animation that Wikipedia used. I have a Go program I used to PAINSTAKINGLY hand-copy the moves from the animation (which was no easy feat, I tell you…). Except that last move, which I made up myself.
Please review. I'm sorry this was late. Don't expect another update any time soon because I don't know when I'll write another one.
Hey, I warned you at the beginning of the story, right?
MangaFreak15