Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The Bottle

"YAY!!" Schuichi began to laugh and threw his hands in the air still holding onto the video game controller. "This is great! I don't think I've ever been so lucky! If you don't watch out, I'm gonna win." Schuichi began taunting his video game competitor. He finally looked over at him. Hikaru was staring off into space, not paying attention to Schuichi's gloating.

Hikaru went over to Schuichi's apartment after school that day. He really didn't feel like going home and he certainly didn't feel like going to Morishita Sensei's study session tonight either. He called Waya and told him he wasn't feeling well, which in a way was true. It had only been one day since Hikaru drank Toya Mejin's sake and his head still hurt. He didn't mean to drink it. He was just caught up in the moment and things got out of control. This was his first experience getting drunk. His thoughts turned to Akira. He didn't mean to cause trouble for him and he really wanted to fix things. The thought of Akira being angry with him gave him a terrible feeling in his stomach.

"Hikaru?"

"Hmm? What?" Hikaru said half listening. He turned to look at Schuichi when he was met by one of the pillows from the couch hitting him in the face. "What was that for!?" Hikaru got angry.

"You deserved it."

"What?"

"You're not paying attention to the game. If you're not careful, I'm going to win." Schuichi leaned back. "I'd like to beat you fair and square but if I have to win this way, I guess I'll take it."

"What does that mean? You've never beat me at this and I'm not about to let it happen now!" Hikaru yelled. He grabbed his controller. "Let's go!"

They continued playing. As they got more and more into the game they each began pushing the buttons on their controllers faster and faster. "Come on, come on." Hikaru said under his breath. A few moments later, "YES!" Hikaru shouted. "I'm still undefeated! I told you, you wouldn't be able to beat me!"

Schuichi laughed. "Yeah, I guess not. I don't think I'll ever be good enough to beat you."

Hikaru quickly changed moods from being happy and excited back to feeling down and depressed. He knew that Schuichi was trying to distract him and it worked for a while, but the underlying problem still remained.

"Are you hungry?" Schuichi asked as he put away the game system.

"Not really."

"Come on, you should eat. Let me make you something." Schuichi got up off the floor. Hikaru stood up as well.

"You can cook?"

"Yeah." They walked to the kitchen. "What? Are you surprised?"

"A little."

"Come on give me some credit." Schuichi opened the refrigerator door. "Let's see what we have."

'When is Yuki coming home?" Hikaru asked.

"Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be home soon."


Yuki made his way down the hall to his apartment. He unlocked the door and walked in. Yuki immediately noticed the extra pair of shoes next to Schuichi's. He then heard the faint voices coming from the kitchen. Yuki quietly shut the door and took off his shoes. He then walked in the direction of the kitchen.

"….you can't have this one!"

"Why not? I need it!" The kitchen door was open enough for Yuki to peer through. He saw Hikaru trying to grab something out of Schuichi's hand. He couldn't quite see, since the door was in the way.

"But this is Yuki's!" Schuichi was trying to push Hikaru back away from him. "And besides, it's half full."

"I don't care…."

"You drink once, and you've already become addicted to alcohol?" Yuki walked in and grabbed the familiar bottle of sake away from Schuichi. "If you want to drink that bad go somewhere else to get loaded. Stay away from my stuff."

"Yuki."

"Please," Hikaru began. "I need that!"

"You can't be serious. You're that desperate…"

"No!" Hikaru interrupted. "I need that to replace an empty bottle!"

"You can't just expect to waltz in here and take whatever you want. What are you a moron?"

"Don't call me a moron!"

Schuichi stepped in. "Yuki, do you know where we can get a bottle of that particular sake?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"You see, the night we all got drunk, Hikaru accidentally drank an entire bottle of that brand of sake."

"You're the one who gave it to me in the first place!" Hikaru yelled.

"We need to get a replacement to give to Akira so that he won't get in trouble."

Yuki just stared at the two of them.

"And you think I'm going to help you?" Yuki turned around to leave. "Leave me alone."

Schuichi and Hikaru ran in front of Yuki to block him from leaving. "Yuki, we just need to know where to go to get that."

"I haven't the faintest idea where you can buy it." Yuki said getting quite annoyed.

"How can you not know? How did you get that one then?" Hikaru was losing his temper.

"I got it as a gift." Yuki raised his voice.

At this, Hikaru felt like he had reached a dead end. Schuichi looked at Hikaru for a moment. "Yuki, who gave it to you?"

"Tohma did for my birthd…" Yuki finally realized what Schuichi was asking. "You want me to see if I can get another bottle for you? Hell no!" Yuki tried to move but Schuichi kept stopping him.

"You could just ask him where he got it from."

"This isn't my problem. Akira should've known better when it came to you two. If you want it so badly, you ask him."

"But I'm sure if you ask, he'll get it for you immediately and we kinda need it by tomorrow." Yuki looked at Hikaru who was now off in his own world looking quite depressed.

The phone began to ring. "Excuse me, I need to answer that." Yuki began walked out of the room.

"Yuukkiiiii!!"


Yuki stood there starting at the door. After getting a rather annoying phone call from his sister, he took that as an opportunity to get out of the apartment before Schuichi and Hikaru gave him a headache. He brought his hand up to knock on the door. Wait a minute, what am I doing? I'm leaving. Yuki turned away from the door and began to walk away.

"Eiri?"

Yuki cringed.

"What are you doing here? Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine." Yuki turned around to face the person who was speaking to him.

"I never expected to see you here. Are you sure everything is ok, Eiri?" Yuki's brother-in-law carried a very worried expression on his face.

"I was nearby so I thought I would stop by." This was the best excuse Yuki could come up with at the moment. He tried to change the subject. "You're working late."

"That's what happens when you're company president, band producer and band member." Tohma moved towards his office door. "Would you like to come in?" Tohma smiled. Tohma didn't wait for Yuki to reply. He opened the door and walked in. Yuki hesitated for a moment before walking through the door Tohma was holding for him.

"Would you like something to drink?" Tohma closed the door and walked over to a small refrigerator.

"Sure."

Tohma took out a bottle and two glasses and poured drinks for both of them. Tohma walked over to Yuki with the glasses and handed one to him. Then he sat down in one of the chairs. He took a sip of his drink. "This is certainly a rarity, Eiri. You coming to see me. I'm always the one to come visit you."

"He's entertaining his cousin tonight." Yuki sat down to the left of Tohma.

"I see." Tohma took another sip of his drink. "How is Shindo? I trust everything is going well with you two?"

"The same as always." Yuki took a big gulp of his drink. The ice cubes clanked against the glass when he lowered it. "He drank all of my sake."

"Pardon?"

"The sake you gave me for my birthday. He drank it all." Yuki kept his eyes on his drink.

"Oh dear, that is too bad."

"Could you get me another bottle? Or at least tell me where you got it? I'd pay for it, of course."

Yuki looked up to see a stunned Tohma. "I'm glad you liked the sake so much." Tohma smiled at Yuki again. "I wouldn't dream of making you pay for it." Tohma put his drink down and got up. He walked over to his desk and opened a drawer. On his way back to his seat, he carried a white paper bag which he placed on the table in front of Yuki.

"I was going to give it as a gift to a TV producer that had Nittle Grasper on their show recently, but Ryuichi had other ideas in mind."

Yuki looked at the bag. "Thanks." He finished the rest of his drink and put it on the table. He stood up.

"Leaving so soon, Eiri?" Tohma looked up at him.

"I should get going. I need to make sure they're not tearing up the apartment." Yuki grabbed the bag and began to walk towards the door.

"I hate to say it, but I really do envy Shindo at times." Yuki stopped walking.

"You would never come to me if you needed anything. But if it's for Shindo, you wouldn't hesitate for a moment."

Yuki said nothing.

"I guess I shouldn't complain. I got a visit from you, after all."

"Go home, Tohma." Yuki walked out of the office.


Schuichi sat in the living room on the couch with Hikaru while he slept. It was late. Schuichi called his aunt to tell her that Hikaru was staying over and that he will make sure Hikaru makes it to school in the morning. Yuki left soon after receiving the phone call. He had no idea who it was or why Yuki was going out. Schuichi heard the apartment door open and then close. Schuichi got up to meet the person at the door.

"Yuki. Welcome home." Schuichi said in a low voice.

"Did your cousin go home?"

"No. He fell asleep in the living room waiting for you to come back."

"What an idiot." Yuki said to himself. "Here." Yuki handed a small white paper bag to Schuichi.

"What is it?"

"It's what you and your brat of a cousin wanted." Schuichi looked inside the bag.

"You got it? That's were you went?" Schuichi didn't expect this at all.

"Don't get the wrong idea." Yuki said as he walked past Schuichi and towards the bedroom. "It was a better choice that watching you sulk and listening to you bitch and whine for the next two months. Now I'm going to bed." Yuki walked into the bedroom and shut the door.

"Yuki." Schuichi said quietly as he smiled to himself.


"Hikaru, wake up. We have to get going soon." Schuichi was standing over Hikaru who was still asleep on the couch. Hikaru opened his eyes slowly.

"What time is it?" Hikaru asked.

"It's 6:30."

"6:30? I don't need to get up now." Hikaru turned away from Schuichi.

"We're going out to breakfast."

"I'm not hungry besides I'd rather sleep."

"Get up or you're going to have some serious problems." Hikaru immediately recognized this other voice he wasn't expecting. Hikaru turned his head and looked up to see a gun being pointed at him. He was now fully awake. "Ok, Ok I'm up." Hikaru slowly sat up and K retracted his weapon.

"Good. We're leaving in ten minutes. Make sure to be ready by then."


"So Schuichi, why did you call me out here this early?" K sat in the restaurant booth across from Schuichi and Hikaru.

"I need your help in making a special delivery."

'What would that be?" Schuichi handed K the small white paper bag.

"I need you to give this to Akira."

Hikaru looked at the bag and wondered.

"I guess there is a first time for everything. You got the sake before I did. How did you manage that?"

'K, you were trying to find a bottle as well?" Schuichi asked.

"You mean that's the sake?" Hikaru jumped in, excited.

"Yep, and it's all thanks to Yuki." Schuichi gloated. "See, Yuki's not such a bad guy."

Hikaru wasn't sure about his cousin's last comment.

"So you want me to give this to him?"

"Yes, but I also need another favor as well." Schuichi started. "Akira's parents are expected to be back today and Akira is in school, isn't that right Hikaru?"

"Yeah, he doesn't have any games scheduled today so he should be in school."

"So all I have to do is give this to Akira after he gets out of school and make sure he gets home before his parents do?" K summed up the situation. "That shouldn't be too hard." K drank the rest of his coffee and stood up. "I should get going. I have a lot to prepare."

Hikaru looked at Schuichi and then at K. He was very confused by the previous conversation that just took place between his cousin and K. What is K going to do?

K picked up the white paper bag and caught Hikaru staring at him. K smiled at Hikaru. "Don't worry Hikaru. It's all going to work out. I'll also make sure to mention your part in this as well." K turned around and left.

What's he talking about? "Um, Schuichi, what's going on?"

"Weren't you listening to what we've been talking about?"

"K is going to give Akira the sake. I got that part, but what about the part with his parents? How is he going to prevent them from coming home before Toya?"

"I don't know." Schuichi began to think. "But he seems to have an answer to solving any problem one way or another."

"Why doesn't that make me feel better?"

Schuichi turned to Hikaru. "K is the perfect person for this job. It's the only way to help Akira."

"Yeah, I guess."

"You're thinking about this too much. I'm sure Akira will be very happy to see you after today."

"The next time I'll see Toya is next week."

"Why do you say that?"

"We both have a full schedule of matches for the next couple of weeks. I'll be facing him officially for the first time next week." A combination of emotions showed on Hikaru's face. Determination, excitement and a bit of nervousness. He just stared at his food on the table.

"He must be a very good Go player for you to have that expression." Schuichi knew that look all too well.

"Akira is one of the reasons I became a professional Go player. I'll finally get to see how far I've come when I play against Toya."

"I had no idea." Schuichi said surprised.

"What do you mean?" Hikaru turned to his cousin.

"How could you not tell me that Akira is your rival?"

"Rival? How did you know?"

"I happen to know a thing or two about rivals. But he is more than that, isn't he?"

Hikaru just gave Schuichi a very confused look. Schuichi saw the question on his cousin's face.

"My rival used to be my idol. Your rival is also your lover." This fascinated Schuichi.

Hikaru blushed. "He's not…!"

"What's it like, Hikaru? Dating your rival?" Hikaru turned away from Schuichi. "Does this also mean that you consider him your Go Idol?" Schuichi thought out loud to himself then he turned back to Hikaru. "Come on." He saw Hikaru's ears were bright red. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. If you like him that much…"

"What makes you think there is something going on between me and Toya!?" Hikaru turned and screamed at the top of his lungs disturbing the few patrons and workers in the restaurant.

"What about the other night?" Hikaru's face turned bright red, but this time because he was remembering the night at Akira's. The memory of that night in Akira's room hit him so unexpectedly. He was trying for the last couple of days not to think about those events. The feeling of Toya's hands on him. He couldn't believe how good it felt! Hikaru closed his eyes and covered his mouth with his hand. They really did those things. They were drunk but it still happened and he remembered it and Schuichi, his cousin, knows what happened between them! What did Toya think about what happened, if he remembers that is? Part of him was afraid to find out.

Schuichi saw Hikaru staring off into space. "Um, Hikaru? Are you Ok?"

It took a moment for Hikaru to respond. Schuichi just observed his cousin. A moment later Hikaru removed his hand from his mouth. "I think I should be getting to school now." Hikaru didn't look at Schuichi.

"Did I say something to upset you?" Schuichi asked very concerned.

Hikaru forced a faint smile. "I'm fine, I just don't want to be late for school, that's all."

Schuichi paid the bill and they left the restaurant. "Have fun at school and don't worry, K will make everything right." Hikaru just smiled at Schuichi.

"See ya, Schuichi." Hikaru began to walk away from Schuichi. Schuichi stood there watching his cousin leave.

Hikaru was deep in thought the moment he turned away from Schuichi. How does he actually feel about Toya? Toya is his rival. There is no question about that. Catching up to Toya is one of his major goals. There has always been that feeling that he never understood or paid any attention to. Until now. What does it mean? Could he like Toya? Or perhaps he feels something even more? Hikaru stopped walking and turned to face his cousin. He knew there was one person who would be able to help him understand his feelings. Hikaru just stood there not moving.

"Hikaru?"

Hikaru closed his eyes. Not now. "It's nothing." Hikaru turned back around and continued walking down the street. I can't ask you now.


Two days had past since that night. Akira still hadn't come up with any solution to his problem. He wasn't going to go to Ogata. He was already upset with him and Akira didn't want to make it any worse. Ashiwara was still underage so he couldn't turn to him either.

Akira was at his shoe locker getting ready to leave school. His parents should be home by now. He began walking towards the school gate still pondering what he should do. Someone rushed past him almost knocking him over. Akira was taken away from his thoughts. He watched the kid that ran into him running past the school gate and around the corner. His gaze stopped at the familiar man standing at the gate. Akira stopped walking. Why is he here?

K stood on the sidewalk outside the school. He was wearing his sunglasses looking at Akira. Akira closed his eyes then sighed. He gripped his school bag tighter, opened his eyes and walked towards K. He really didn't need this right now. He had his own problems to deal with.

"You're looking a little pale there, Akira."

"What can I do for you Mr. K?" Akira ignored the comment.

"No 'hello, how are you K?" "It's good to see you again'? I'm hurt!" K pretended to be crying. Akira wasn't buying into the act. Students that were walking by were staring at them.

"I really need to be going." Akira began walking away.

"Wait, Akira!" K commanded.

Akira heard the other students screaming and saw them running away. He stopped walking wondering what was going on. He heard two consecutive clicks. Akira froze.

"And after I went through all the trouble to come and see you."

The expression on Akira's face was that of shock.

"Now turn around, slowly."

Akira turned around to face K. "Are you going to shoot me?" His expression was blank. No one was left in the area.

"That depends on you."

"And what exactly is it that you want from me?"

"To take this." K lifted the small, white paper bag he was holding.

Akira looked at the bag and then back at K. "What's that?"

"A present. And I suggest you take it quickly."

Akira hesitated for a moment and then began walking towards K. He took the bag. K lowered his gun and put it away.

"There, that wasn't so hard now was it?"

"What is it?"

"Why don't you see for yourself."

Akira put his school bag down and parted the handles of the bag and looked inside.

"H-how?" Akira couldn't believe his eyes.

"You have Hikaru and Schuichi to thank."

"Shindo?" Silence lingered. "I can't accept this."

"Of course you can."

"But…"

"Akira, Hikaru and Schuichi got that for you so you can avoid a confrontation with your parents. Think of it as an apology for all the trouble they caused."

"It's probably too late for that. My parents came home early this afternoon."

"No. They won't be home for another" K checked his watch. "Twenty minutes."

"How do you know?"

"I've arranged for a slight delay in your parents' arrival."

"How did you manage that?"

"I have my ways."

Akira was silent.

"Hikaru's been worried about you."

Akira didn't expect to hear this.

"Is it really that surprising to hear?"

"Why do you care what happens to me or to Hikaru for that matter?"

"I don't suppose you realize how much influence you have over Hikaru. When you're hurting, he's hurting, and when you're happy, he's happy."

"What are you talking about?"

"I need him to know that you're happy and not angry with him. He's no good to me the way he is now."

"I still don't understand."

"Right now you don't have to. But I suggest you get going." K looked at his watch again. "You have seventeen minutes left."