Chapter 8
Go – game of heart
"I will wait" said Su-Young "For the day in which you will forget about him"
Hikaru scrubbed the goban before him "Yeah, but I cannot promise you that."
"No matter what will happen – it was you who saved my Go." boy stood up "Nothing will change it, you are only player in my eyes. Goal that I must reach is your Go which lurked into my mind."
"Thank you." Hikaru smiled
"No, I thank you – for giving me a chance to realize how far behind you I am." he let his go-hand wander by goban "Next time I will be stronger. I won't be inferior to him"
"Neither do I"
Hikaru felt other one passion and admiration, his heart warmed up – someone treasured his Go just like he himself did. Sai would be proud of him. Unwillingly Su-Young grasped the difference he praised Hikaru Go and at the same time it was prising his teacher... Sai Go lives and lurks into people mind – that is Sai. But its Shindou who plays it.
Few weeks later – new semester
Hikaru looked at his students, kids that knew of Go or those who entered this classes just 'cos of they were supported by Etoile. Some of them looked bored other impatient...
"Attention class." he finally entered "I wonder if any of you played before... I guess some did." he looked at boy who already started a game "I ensure you that you may resign in any moment." he moved his eyes to bunch of girls who talked abut cloths "Etoile won't know of it."
"Sensei?"
"I know – I ended school here too." Hikaru played with his fan "Not for long, but I had a pleasure to join Etoile class. She is protecting me since then, but it has nothing to do with this classes." he focused eyes on the closes board on which game already started "Go is the game of heart and pride. If you don't act up to this ideals you shouldn't be here."
"Is that true that you lived in Japan, sensei?" asked girl
"Call me Sai-sensei. Yes that's true." said Hikaru
"Everyone." one of boy stood up "Enough."
"You are class 2-A representative, aren't you?" recalled Hikaru
"Yeah, I'm Damien" said the boy "I will be in charge of this class too."
"I was told – about your idea on gathering." praised Hikaru "I'm looking forward to work with you and your class."
"It's the same with me, Sai-sensei." boy smiled "And I apologize for those questions – I will lecture them again later."
Hikaru sat on his chair and recalled what Shelly told him.
Flashback
"Damien will look after your secret – for them you will be Sai-sensei, non of them will know that you are a Pro. They are still kids – to not fire up their questions we must us this cover."
"Yeah, there are still questions that I don't want to answer."
"Hikaru, was that okay to go back?" asked Shelly "That boy – Su-Young, he actually looks up to you... and he is strong – he would crave path for you in Korea"
"Somehow I fell that must be here. Now I can mail him and play on Net whenever I want to – that's all I need"
"I see." she looked troubled
"Your right, I still cannot step on Su-Young road – not when my mind is taken. If I did that I would be acting like Akira did."
"I see, that's for the better. Count on us – you will teach here as long as you need. No one will bother you."
"Thank you."
End of the Flashback
"Group has 30 students" informed Damien "Ten of us played Go before."
"I see." Hikaru rubbed his head "Do you have any questions?"
"Yes." girl from third year stood up "I would like to know what is 'Hand of God' – boy's talked about it before."
"Good question." praised Hikaru "That's what we all long to know. I can only tell you what I think it is – would that satisfy you?" girl nodded "Go is a game of heart, to be played with pride by two equal players. When those two meet and play a game with all their minds in it – seeing only each other – their moves will create perfect game. That's 'Hand of God'." Hikaru smiled "That's how my Sensei saw it."
"Game of heart?" questioned one of boy's "Go is game of power."
"That's what you think?" asked Hikaru
"Yes, and I'm not going to listen to such nonsense" said agitated boy
"Ryu!" Damien shouted "I apologize, Sai-sensei." he bowed quickly
"Damien, don't apologize for someone else." said Hikaru "He can think as he see fit." looking at rude boy he said "Before you leave play me."
"For what?" boy asked
"Oh, do you fear of my Go – filled with heart?" Hikaru agitated him more "Do you want a handicap? You can have it."
"No!" boy sat before the board
"Nigiri" Hikaru smiled looking at the boy, he resembled Mitani a lot "I go first. Komi is 5.5"
"Fine"
"Good luck" Hikaru bowed his head, but boy left it without response
'Pachi!'
'Pachi"
Stones slowly filled the board, one by one...
'Pachi!'
'Pachi!'
Ryu looked at the goban with awe – those moves, strong and filled with something known...
"Who are you?" he whispered
"Hmm? Play, you can do better than this." Hikaru bit his lip "Play."
'Pachi!'
'Pachi!'
And finally Hikaru placed final stone sealing boy stones in one corner.
"I have nothing." admitted Ryu
"Thank you for the game." Hikaru pointed at the Go piece in the middle "You shouldn't have play here, but 13-7"
"You are a Pro" Ryu looked at him with wonder "Why are you here?"
"To teach you how to play. - Maybe one of you is my rival."
"That's too much." said Damien and everyone looked at him with shock "You praise us too much."
"No, not at all." Hikaru looked at the goban "This match was rather good – this boy have a potential."
Ryu was shocked – who was this teacher, he didn't seamed to be offended at all and he even praised him. What's more his Go – resembled one from the past... Sai who lurked in Internet.
"Are you Sai?"
"And what do you think? Am I?" asked Hikaru
"I don't know" boy bit his lip "But you resemble him."
"Thank you."
Others were shocked – Sai was for most of them just a name... new Sensei name. Shell who stood right beside the doors smiled.
"Good luck, Hikaru" she walked away "Teach them well."
During that time Headmaster was talking to someone by phone
"Yeah, we will pay."
"..."
"International Team Tournament" director wrote something down "Yeah, That's right."
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What will happen next? will Hikaru aka Sai find himself a new rival? what about Akira? what will happen to him? Also what is the headmaster planning? Find out soon in the up and coming chapters ^_~
Thank you all for Reading please feel free to review and suggest anything you wish to happen next.
