Perspective of the Abandoned
"Toya Akira, I would like a word with you, if you don't mind," a polite voice called as Akira was taking his shoes from his locker. The teen turned to look up at a man he didn't fully recognize.
"Yes, Sensei?" he asked, mind racing over anything he might have done wrong or forgotten about over the short time he'd been at Kaio. He hadn't done anything intentionally, but he wasn't exactly popular with some of the other kids in his class. That one boy had been rather offended when Toya admitted he knew nothing about baseball or soccer, and bullies had certainly tried to pin things on him in the past.
"I'm Yun, the advisor of the Go club." Several of the other students in the locker room were looking over. Toya figured they were in the club, and hoped he wasn't about to be asked to join. "There was a boy who was going to start Kaio this year named Shindo Hikaru. He said he was a friend of yours, and he was very interested in the Go club. He was rather ill, from what I understand, and I was wondering if you knew anything about it."
"Oh," Toya said, thrown completely off balance. He honestly hadn't even considered Shindo's illness when the other boy had disappeared from his life. He'd been too angry about him not playing with his full strength and figured the other boy had not wanted to talk to him after being caught out. "I don't know, sir. I haven't talked to him in a while," Akira said, mentally cursing himself. True, the game Shindo had played that day was in another universe compared to the wavering and stumbling strength he'd shown Akira, but he hadn't given the boy a chance to explain. His style when playing Akira had been sharp and twisted: he'd make bad moves that turned out to be brilliant and good moves that ended up being terribly weak. Perhaps his opponent had struck him just exactly on that balance and his potential was unleashed? No, that was impossible. The game he played at the tournament was the sort of game Akira's father would play. It showed a deep and even power that gently overwhelmed the weaker player in a teaching game.
"I know he was accepted, but there was a commotion about it. When I asked the secretary she shouted at me for encouraging whatever it was that happened. I'm not sure if he is actually enrolled," Yun explained.
"I know he was having trouble getting in because his schooling was abnormal," Akira agreed. "I'll have to find out."
"Please tell me when you do," the teacher said. "He was an amazing, if slightly unreliable, player and I was looking forward to watching his style develop." With that the teacher nodded his farewell. Akira was left with the bitter feeling of having turned his back on someone who did not deserve it. He hurried outside and saw the car waiting for him. He had to set this right, even if it meant confirming that Shindo was holding out on him.
Ichikawa-san let Akira use her phone to call Shindo's house, glad that he hadn't removed the scrap of napkin Shindo had scribbled on from his wallet. A woman, Shindo's mother he guessed, answered and said that Hikaru was staying after school for the Go club at Haze Jr. High so that's where he asked the salon clerk to drop him off. After thanking her for the ride and explaining that he'd take the bus from there Akira set upon his mission.
He asked the first person he saw, which turned out to be one of a pair of girls. They didn't know what a Go club was. That was fine; perhaps they were first year students. He asked a few older looking boys and they didn't know anything either. He walked over to a couple boys in baseball uniforms and got a similar answer. At least those two knew enough about Go to ask if he meant to ask for the Shogi club. Akira felt like he'd been dropped onto an alien planet. Could so many people know nothing about Go? Could a club good enough for Shindo to join really be so little known? Why would someone of his level be happy in a school Go club anyway? He saw a woman in a lab coat getting into a car and rushed over.
"Excuse me," he called.
"Yes, oh, a Kaio student, right? How can I help you?" she asked.
"I'm looking for the Go club, but I'm having trouble. Does it really exist?"
"Go club? You must be talking about them. They could be in the science room with the old goban and cracked stones my father used to play with," she explained. Akira was floored. Shindo's Go club met in the science room around a single castaway goban? "If you go around that way you'll come to the science room's window. If they aren't in there keep going around the building to the right where the sports complex is. They were selling cookies there yesterday."
"Alright," he said shakily and started walking. This was just wrong. None of the windows he passed were open, so he continued around the corner. He saw a girl eating a muffin and couldn't stop himself from asking about the elusive Haze school Go club. He had to know if he'd imagined that teacher.
"I didn't think the cookie stand would be popular enough for someone from another school to come looking. They're just over there, and they still have chocolate chip muffins left." Akira thought he might scream. He was not here for a muffin!
"Thank you, but I actually play Go and am looking for someone in particular. Is Shindo-kun there?" he restrained himself to saying. If she said no he could leave and just try calling his house again later.
"I don't know any of their names, but the whole club is working at the stand," she said. "I have to get back to the painting club, excuse me." As she walked away Akira thought he heard her call him a weirdo, but he ignored it. If someone from this place thought he was weird then he'd take it as a compliment.
"Shindo?" he asked as he walked around a row of pillars holding up an awning between the buildings.
"Hey, Toya-kun. What are you doing here?" Shindo asked. Akira took a moment to collect himself. Shindo was standing behind a table with various baked goods wrapped in plastic. A fair number of students had collected on the patio, snacking on the treats and chatting. Standing closest to Shindo was a boy with red hair Akira would bet wasn't completely natural that was either very bored or very angry. On Shindo's other side was a girl with hair dyed the color of red wine, that pink-purple shade simply couldn't be natural. On her other side, Akira's far right, was a boy with oversized glasses and sensible hair. That couldn't be the whole club, could it?
"I came to find out why you didn't come to Kaio," Toya said as calmly as he could, sidestepping a rather chunky boy to get to the table. "Yun-sensei said you'd been accepted, but there was some commotion about it."
"You got into Kaio and you came here?" the boy with glasses said, amazed.
"It was my dad. He got really pissed off at how snobby the dean was about letting me in with my weird school record and lower-class family. He said something to my mom while they were alone about a boy like me being happier around kids of my same social level," Shindo said like it was no big deal. "So he did what he does best: pulling strings in back rooms as a set up, financial analysis reports, and convincing people that he is right about how they should run their business. He even dug up something about the school's budget to toss at them. By the time he was finished the dean had enough egg on his face to supply the cafeteria." The other boy giggled about this, scratching the back of his head. "Once he heard the words 'your son is accepted' he turned around and very politely told them where they could shove the acceptance letter."
"Harsh," the dangerous looking redhead snorted.
"Shindo-san is… a lot like Hikaru-kun," the girl said thoughtfully. "It takes something special to make him truly angry, but once you do it you'd better get out of the way."
"I see," Toya said, wondering if he should have gone home to change out of his uniform. "You haven't been back to the salon either. I'm usually there."
"He's been in lockdown, but we fixed that," the redhead said. "He came to a salon with me this past weekend."
"I hate owing a debt, and Mitani-kun helped me out a lot," Shindo said, motioning to the redhead. Then he pointed over at the other two. "You remember Akari, and that's Tsutsui-san, by the way."
"You can call me Fujisaki-chan," the bubbly girl chirped. Akira's memory finally kicked in, this was the girl from the ramen shop. Tsutsui just waved awkwardly, as he had been grabbed by a customer.
"It wasn't that big a deal," Mitani drawled, "and your mom makes good curry." He was glaring at Akira from the corner of his eye, and he was standing very close to Shindo. It twisted something inside Akira, and he suddenly hated the other boy.
"I don't see why someone with your strength is in a school club anyway," Akira said. "Don't you want a greater challenge?"
"What bigger challenge is there than working to build a club from scratch? It's annoying to play endless teaching games against some people," he glanced over at Akari when he said this, "but it's a lot of fun to work together. We're going to get as many new members as we can and do our best at the next tournament, right Tsutsui-san?"
"Yeah," the gangly boy said, beaming with happiness. "We'll all work hard together."
"You may be the founder of the club, but there is a good chance you won't be in the tournament, Tutsui-san. It wouldn't take much for a new member to surpass you," the redhead murmured just loud enough to be heard.
"Well, that's true, but you and Shindo-kun are both very strong. If we found a third even close to your level I'd be happy to step aside." It seemed that Mitani was as abrasive as Tsutsui was nice. With Shindo's tactless nature, they made quite the set.
"You don't find people like us just wandering around, Tsutsui-san. I wouldn't even bother with this club if it wasn't for Shindo." There seemed to be something behind the other boy's speech, and Akira didn't miss the familiar way he spoke of Shindo. Akira identified the twist in his gut as jealousy, though it was his own fault. If he wanted to be Shindo's friend he should have come after him weeks ago.
"Please don't say that, Mitani-kun," the girl panicked. "We need you here! We're going to be part of school history, remember? We're founding a legacy!"
"Do you have to scream in my ear?" he asked, and suddenly Shindo jumped.
"Leave him alone, Akari. He's here and he's staying," Hikaru quieted the girl. "Anyway, I'd like to come over to your dad's salon sometime. This is the last day for the cookie sale."
"Alright," Akira said, feeling out of place. "If you don't mind me asking, why weren't you allowed to go out?"
"He got caught gambling," Akari accused. "He was already grounded at the time."
"It wasn't a big deal, but mom went nuts," Shindo assured. "Mitani came over and we played a few games. It was only a couple coins between friends."
"Oh," Akira said, his hand toying with the tablecloth. Shindo had been grounded, not sick. He let out an irritated breath. Shindo had been grounded for gambling with this Mitani person.
"We'll be here for another two hours, that's when the clubs are all over. I've got a ton of homework to do, and my mom will skin me if I don't go home to do it. Tsutsui can't be at the club tomorrow so I could come over to the salon then, if that's alright," Shindo said.
"Yes, I'll be waiting for you tomorrow after school." Akira tossed his shoulders back, for once sure of what he was saying. There was no way Shindo would forget him. No matter how good the red-head was, Akira would be a greater challenge.
"Uh, you'll leave me to teach Fujisaki-chan?" Mitani drawled.
"We'll have plenty of fun together, Mitani-kun," the girl chirped, reaching over to grab the boy's arm. Mitani flinched at the sudden invasion of his personal space.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Toya-kun," Shindo said before turning around to try and re-insert himself between the other two. Akira bowed slightly in recognition and made his way off the school grounds. The less time spent at Haze school, the better.
AN: This took a while because life got in the way. Please continue to point out mistakes and errors, I do go back to my master story file and fix them. Firedraygon: According to cannon, he didn't start that until there was a sale at an electronics store. Pure Shikon: Well, I knew life was about to get in the way, and I didn't like leaving this part off, but I had to cut it there. Amiri: Nice to be appreciated, glad you noticed. Fey: I got a certain impression off Mitani, and I don't know how much of it I'll get to work into this story. I've given him a fuller back story in my mind but I don't want to force it into this storyline. Please keep any and all chibis under supervision, this is rated K after all. I'm glad you like how I've characterized everyone. Gracie: Don't worry about it. I'm happy, I'm writing, and I'm reading all sorts of things (and stopping to read reviews as they come to my e-mail). Ash of Mine, DeathGodGirl: Toya teleport power, away! 'snicker' So that's what the Meijin teaches at those study sessions. Qem: I don't think Toya appreciates being called a girl. He'd haul off and slap Mitani or Shindo if they even dared think it. Speaking of which, you might want to duck. 'whack' And Toya storms off… Wait I need you for the next chapter! akuma-river: I believe private school hold group meetings where the administrators are available to the parents for an annual report, similar to the school board meetings for public schools. I said PTA because school boards are a public institution and Kaio is private. Steeple333: I made Sai a bit of a traditionalist, there were kana symbols that Honinbo would have seen in their modern forms, but he prefers the 'old way' of writing. I'm putting Sai early in the Heian era, so the kana were coming into the mainstream while he was alive.
