I'm sorry for the incredibly slow update. I haven't been doing well this year for my studies, but I have improved in the year end exams, so I now have time to write this chapter. I'm trying to get back into the mood of writing, so if there are any strange sentence structures, do tell. I'll see what I can do about them.

Thanks for all the reviews. =) I'm really happy about them and now I'm once more starting on a new chapter. There is just one thing I find endlessly odd. I got the most reviews for chapter 9 when I've got the least hits for chapter 9. That is just strange. I'd like to think that those reviews are from my 'die-hard fans' who have stuck with the story throughout the long and painful waiting period…or perhaps I'm just getting carried away with my narcissism (which this story's Hikaru is quite lacking in).

Can you believe this story has reached chapter 10? I can't. I can't believe that I have the patience to write 10 chapters, I can't believe that I have the ability to press on even though I've lost quite a bit of interest, I can't believe I've actually got 131 reviews for 9 chapters. I can't believe I have more words than I have hits. No, wait, actually, I can believe the last one.f

Anyway, this chapter, as its name implies, will cover Hikaru's first visit to Touya Meijin's study group. Seeing as I have not read the series in a long, long while and my interest has kind of dwindled a bit, if you spot any flaws in my use of Japanese/Go terms, please do not hesitate to point them out so I can edit them. Of course, if the flaw encompasses the plot on a whole, just keep it to yourself, okay? I'd really lose my spirit if someone told me, "GO REWRITE YOUR ENTIRE STORY BECAUSE IT JUST DOESN'T WORK OUT THAT WAY!"

I'll reply to some of your reviews in the authors' note at the end of this chapter.

Oh yes, I also realised that I typed in 'won by default' a few times in chapter 8 when it should have been 'won by resignation'. Hope it didn't cause too much confusion.

EDIT: 2 January 2011. Some spelling errors were corrected and sentences added. No major changes to the plot.

Two Sides to a Face…or More

Chapter 10: Study Group

Hikaru shuffled his feet as he waited outside the double wooden doors of the Touya's residence. Standing before such a huge and magnificent traditional house was kind of freaking him out. Certainly, both Touya Meijin and Touya did look like they'd look good in traditional garb but finding out that they lived in a traditional house still came as a bit of a shock, and it was more a mansion than a house! The street in which Hikaru's home was located had modern homes as far as the eye could see.

Clenching and unclenching his fist Hikaru pressed the doorbell and waited for someone to answer it. A woman with sleek black hair answered the door and asked him, "Are you Shindou-kun?"

"Ah, yes," Hikaru replied, stumbling over his words. He didn't understand how he could be so nervous. It was just a gathering of people who so happened to be Go pros, just a gathering of people who meet up to discus about Go, nothing more, nothing less.

You're afraid because Touya Meijin would be there. Hey, Hikaru, let me play with him, will you? Please, Hikaru! Sai pleaded with earnest, the idea of being close to a man with such well-honed Go skills sent excited shivers down his spine.

You know I can't, Sai, if I do Touya-sensei will think that I have some godly skills which I don't!

The woman broke into a demure smile and said, "We have been expecting you. Please come in. I'll get Akira to show you to the room."

Hesitating a little, Hikaru took a step into the residence and was overwhelmed by the large quantities of plants in what he supposed was a garden. A stone pathway was laid out from the wooden doors to the house within, and if Hikaru didn't know better, he would have thought the house was being overrun by those leafy green things that just couldn't wait to devour the entire residence whole.

Upon reaching the wooden platform that was the entrance to the house, Hikaru took off his shoes and placed them neatly against a white wall before being greeted by a slightly flushed Touya who looked like he had ran to meet him.

"Shindou, you're early," Touya exclaimed with slight surprise evident in his voice.

"Don't make it sound as if I'm always late," Hikaru scowled, trying to ease off the tension he felt in his muscles. It was just a gathering of people, he repeated to himself, but the uneasy feeling in his stomach would not disappear. He could just feel his legs about to give way under him.

"I'm not implying that. You just look like the kind to get lost very easily," Touya said bluntly, before his eyebrows shot up and he clammed his hands to his mouth, uttering a very inaudible, "Sorry."

Hikaru felt very amused. Did the great and almighty Touya Akira just say something inappropriate? "Hey, Touya, say that again," Hikaru teased with a large smile on his face. Perhaps, if Touya was attending the study group too, then it wouldn't be that bad after all, since Hikaru had a feeling that they would one day be friends so close that Touya would keep any secret for him.

Hikaru, what about me! Sai whined after the pair as they made their way, one laughing and one flustered, to the study group.

As more people entered the room, Hikaru felt his anxiety increase exponentially until he found himself trembling in his seat.

Sai observed as Hikaru's face morphed from a relaxed expression to one that was tense beyond belief. At first he assumed that this was due to the fact that Hikaru was in the presence of the man who commanded great respect in the Go world but was forced to change his mind when the grimace on Hikaru's face intensified as each member of the study group entered the room, and Ogata was the drop of water that made the cup overflow.

Hikaru's back was stiff as he took in the people gathering in the room. There weren't a lot, but there wasn't a little either, and Hikaru's discomfort only increased when Ogata took a second look at Hikaru and squinted.

"Bleached fringe," Ogata murmured, "Shindou Hikaru?"

Startled, Hikaru turned to Ogata with mouth agape and shouted tactlessly, "Ah! It's you from that time! You dragged me to play with Touya-sensei!"

"Yes, and as I recall you ran out yelling before the game could progress beyond a few opening hands," Ogata replied calmly, taking off his glasses and wiping them before putting them back on, as if to get a better look at Hikaru. "I hope your handling has gotten better."

Hikaru didn't know how to reply without sounding like a whiny child, so he kept quiet, hoping that the burning gaze of Ogata Seiji would leave him as quickly as possible. Ogata didn't look like a man who could put up with children, especially ones that were immature.

Akira, as if sensing Hikaru's discomfort, quickly warned the 9-dan sternly, "Ogata-san!"

Ogata raised an eyebrow at Akira's rather unorthodox reaction. Was this Shindou Hikaru that much of a treasure that even Akira wanted to protect him? Ogata could not deny the incredible potential he saw lying within Shindou ready to be unlocked and exploited, but could it have been that while he was not observing this boy had already released his abilities? He had been hoping to see it as it unfolded, although this was not too bad either. He had been longing to play a game with the Shindou that was to come; having his potential fulfilled earlier was nothing more than an added boost. Calmly, Ogata brought his examination of Shindou to an end and turned to face the Meijin.

He didn't know how he knew but when Ogata's eyes left him Hikaru felt a sudden calmness wash over him, and instead of mulling over how frightening Ogata was he turned to Akira and offered the boy a grateful smile. Akira returned it with a smaller one of his own, and said to him, "Tell me if Ogata-san does that again. He usually doesn't do it intentionally, but it's still just as scary."

"Someone should seal that expression from his face forever," Hikaru muttered to himself, still slightly shaken over what had just transpired.

Having overheard, Akira grinned mildly, "That's his natural expression though; he's always looked like that for as long as I've known him."

"Then someone should do something about his 'natural expression'," Hikaru replied, making inconspicuous air quotes with his hands.

Akira merely shook his head with amusement and nudged Hikaru lightly, "We will be beginning soon. Everyone's here."

"Right," Hikaru said, a little of the previous nervousness coming back. He straightened his back as best as he could, having the impression that the entire Touya study group would be an uptight bunch and any slouching would be severely frowned upon, especially by Ogata 9-dan. That man was the scariest person Hikaru had ever come across. He wouldn't be surprised if little kids had nightmares about this man even if they just met him on the street only once.

Hikaru! That's not the way to think of your seniors! Sai berated loudly. You should be respecting him for being such a powerful player!

Hikaru winced inwardly. Respecting that man will be the hardest thing to do, aside from defeating both Sai and Touya-sensei. Speaking of Touya-sensei, the study group was now in session.

Fujiwara no Sai had never met a man who commanded as much reverence and respect as Touya Kouyo. Even as a ghost, or maybe because he was a ghost, Sai was strongly affected by the incredible aura that surrounded the Meijin. It exuded pure elegance and strength, that of a lone hunter prowling the forests for the best catch with a sharp edge to him that promised no mercy toward his prey. Sai badly wanted to play with this man. He wanted to experience the intensity that a game with this man would promise. He desired to be challenged by this man across the board, to be given a hard time and to be pressured like he had never been before.

This man's aura attracted Sai so much that he would give up his thousand years just for one game. Okay, maybe not just one game, but he would give up his thousand years for a few games with Touya Kouyo. His Go was beautiful and so alluring, a style Sai had never yet seen. Hikaru's games were fantastically played, yes, but none of them spelt the same grace and experience that the Meijin's practically yelled. Sai would wait for Hikaru to nurture his Go if he could, but a hundred and forty years of confinement to the board had made him hungry for a good game.

Touya Kouyo was able to deliver the game. He would be able to satisfy Sai's incredible hunger for a good game. In fact, Sai was willing to bet that he would satisfy him, and then more.

The Meijin was such a lonely man. Sai could tell at one glance that he did not have a rival to play with, no rival to help him grow and to drive him to better his game. There was a strange longing from within Sai that maybe; just maybe, he was the rival whom Touya Kouyo was waiting for. There really wasn't any other person who could match this man in his skills other than Sai himself, but at times Sai questioned his thoughts due to constant reminders that he was, after all, just a ghost.

Sai could not meet him face to face or feel the Meijin's piercing gaze on him should they be able to play a game against each other. Sai could not challenge Touya to a game nor could he discuss with him the games which they may have played. Sometimes, Sai wondered if he had been born in the wrong time. There wasn't anyone else for the Meijin, so why couldn't Sai be there to play him? Every man deserved a rival to argue with and to find faults in his game. Sai didn't have one, neither did the Meijin, so why couldn't they have been born together and be given the opportunity to be each others' rival?

It wasn't fair. Even though Sai was a ghost he could still feel pain and longing, gladness and pleasure, and jealousy was not excluded from the variety of emotions Sai was capable of experiencing. He would admit that he was jealous of Hikaru, very much so. Hikaru had a rival in Touya Akira, and friends in said rival and the insei. Hikaru had a family to support him in times of difficulty, and mentors from whom he could learn. Hikaru had everything Sai wanted and more, things Sai didn't have, things Sai had to watch die, things Sai could only dream of.

But after considering all of these and others, Sai couldn't come to hate Hikaru. Hikaru was the very reason for his current existence, his current chance to once more play Go again. Hikaru was fun to be with, and interesting to watch as his Go grew. Sai thanked whatever power that granted him Hikaru as his host for allowing him to mentor this boy, to be able to take pride in his disciple whose Go had improved beyond even what Sai had expected. Sai could not detest Hikaru for being good at Go, neither could he express abhorrence of Hikaru's fortunate life. He could not do much but be disappointed that he was not given the same opportunity as Hikaru.

Sai watched with lidded eyes as Hikaru listened attentively to what the Meijin was speaking about. Now wasn't the time for self-reflection and contemplation about his misfortune, he should be grateful for being allowed to know Touya Kouyo and to be sitting in the same room as him while he taught others. But Sai couldn't help it.

As he tried to turn his attention back to the Meijin's discussion, he sighed as one thought lingered: Why wasn't I born to be his rival? If not I, then who?

"Hey, Sai," Hikaru muttered under his breath as he trudged down the street, the hot summer sun beating down on his neck. He didn't know what to think about Touya-sensei's study group. It had been an eye opener, that's for sure, but sometimes he felt incredibly out of place. Everyone in the group had had years of experience playing Go, as well as passion to fuel their play. Hikaru felt inferior to them in many ways, although he himself did love Go just about as much. To add to his discomfort, everyone had expressed great surprise when Hikaru solved a problem which the Meijin had set out before any of them did. Hikaru didn't intend to blurt out the answer. He didn't want anybody to judge his abilities yet.

That was not just it. Hikaru also felt frustrated by how everybody kept complimenting his problem solving abilities but were disappointed when it came to his game play. It was not that Hikaru wanted them to be awed by his game, for he had played at half his strength again, but it was Hikaru himself who frustrated him. Hikaru wanted to play his best, he really did. He wanted to show the Meijin how good he was, but something held him back. Was it the fact that he was actually accustomed to playing with restrictions that led to him playing at such a low level? Hikaru saw the critical gaze of Touya-Meijin scrutinise him as he played with Ashiwara, and then identified puzzlement in his eyes when Hikaru lost the game.

Yes, Hikaru? Sai said with a worried expression. Ever since the Meijin launched his first word Hikaru had become increasingly flustered, and his mood had from hence spiralled downward.

"Sai, I don't know what to do. I wanted to play my best today, Sai, in front of Touya-sensei, but I couldn't. I really wanted to show him my abilities," Hikaru's strained voice said. "Maybe it's because Touya was there and I didn't want him to see that I was better than him, or maybe it's because I've been playing too many games without using my abilities fully, but I couldn't even play Ashiwara properly! I know I am better than him, I really do, but somehow I didn't want to see him lose either, no matter how much I wanted Touya-sensei to see the real me."

Hikaru, I don't want you to play well because you want to impress someone. I want you to play well to respect your opponent. How long have you been playing Go already, Hikaru? Sai said, a frown spreading on his face.

"It has been one and a half years since you came out of that goban," Hikaru replied after a brief period of silence.

Precisely, Hikaru. This should have been enough time for you to learn the importance of playing seriously. Stop thinking that your skills may kill your opponent, stop thinking that your opponent is so weak he will give up on Go if he lost. Hikaru, you have to learn to trust your opponent and believe in his strength. Go is a game based on trust, trust that neither party will cheat during the counting, trust that both sides will play a satisfying game, trust that the game will be one that will develop both parties. Hikaru, you cannot play a good game of Go if you do not trust your opponent. What use is a teaching game if you do not have trust that your opponent will learn from it?

"I do believe that the insei will learn from my teaching games!" Hikaru yelled back indignantly, attracting some rather unwanted stares from the passers-by.

That is trust on one level. You have to take it to another level if you want to be a good player. Good players are not born because they can play Go of a high standard. Good players are born because they know to play their best and to deliver their all into a game. That, Hikaru, is a good player. Make no mistake though; a player that goes out of his way to destroy another is a very bad one. Sai's clear admonition left Hikaru very flustered and ashamed of himself, but however hard he tried, he was sure he would still play the same restrained game.

Sai shook his head silently as he watched Hikaru struggle with whatever made him restrict his play. Sometimes Sai wondered if he just being there was what ruined Hikaru's play. Without Sai Hikaru wouldn't see people lose so often that it made his spirit dull, but without Sai Hikaru would never have come to know Go, play Go, and love Go. Although Hikaru wouldn't be in so much pain now if all these things never happened. Was the love for Go worth going through so much turmoil for? Sai's answer certainly would be yes, but what about Hikaru's? Did he think the same way Sai did?

Hikaru didn't think much of Go before Sai came into his life and flooded his days with it. He could have continued to live his happy life as a normal student, albeit an underperforming one. There would never be dilemmas like there are now, and there most certainly wouldn't be any sneaky play or hidden talents. Then again the Go club would never have formed; Hikaru wouldn't have gotten to know Tsutsui, Mitani, or the other Go club members, all of whom brought so much joy and laughter into his life.

Hey, Hikaru, do you regret meeting me?

"Why'd you suddenly ask something like that?" Hikaru said, puzzled. Sai hardly ever asked questions, and even if he did he was asking them so that Hikaru could answer it and learn something. This time Sai was asking about something he truly did not know about. What had brought about this change? Did Sai get some strange thoughts into his head?

Nothing, I just wanted to know.

Hikaru kicked at a pebble, suddenly remembering the time when Sai tried to get him to use stones and imitate handling Go stones the proper way. "I don't regret getting to know you. Yeah, you've been troublesome at times, but if I never met you I wouldn't learn how fun Go could be."

But this very same Go is what's making you so troubled right now. Don't you wish you've never heard of 'Go' this word?

He kicked at another pebble again, this time with so much force that the pebble hurtled a few metres forward. "I can't help it. Even though Go is so painful, I still can't imagine what kind of life I'd be living without it. I know it sounds silly, but I really cannot give it up. You probably feel this way too, Sai."

I do. I love Go, and I don't regret dying for it. What I do feel sorry for is that I didn't persevere enough, that maybe I could have played Go outside the capital. I had been blinded by love, so to speak. Sai said fondly. He could still remember the dark waters strangling his throat, filling his lungs up till all the air had bubbled out of him. He recalled his dimming sight and violent choking until he finally passed out. Go was his life and he couldn't do without it, but it was his folly of course overlooking the fact that Go may likely be found outside the capital as well.

"See?" Hikaru said, "There is nothing to regret. We both love Go, and that's all there is."

All there is, huh?

After the session Touya called Hikaru to ask him if he would come for the next study group, and Hikaru agreed after much pestering by Sai. Little by little Hikaru was assimilated into the Touya study group. It was a slow and tedious process but having a sunny personality like Ashiwara within the group helped Hikaru tremendously. He was getting close to Touya too, but it seemed, the closer they became the more they yelled at each other. It was strange.

Ogata still proved a bit of a problem, but ever since Hikaru gathered his courage to speak with him their relationship had gotten a lot better. Their conversations were short to the point of not having one at all but the tension in the air dissipated with every passing session. Hikaru actually dared to say that Ogata was almost fond of him. It would have been a rather disturbing thought half a month ago but right now Hikaru felt like it was a good position to be in. It was interesting, seeing how Ogata never appeared to be fond of anyone before.

"Hikaru! A call for you!" Hikaru heard his mother call for him from below.

"Coming!" Hikaru yelled back, "Just give me a few more minutes!"

"The phone isn't going to wait for you!"

"I know, just a few minutes, please!" Hikaru turned his eyes back to the computer screen. His father's company recently got a new set of computers and was looking to dispose of the old ones, and Hikaru, seeing this as a chance to let Sai play NetGo in the comfort of his home, asked his father if he could acquire one set for him. Hikaru's father merely spared a curious look at him but brought a set back the very next day. Setting up the computer took the entire day, though, so Hikaru was really anxious to begin.

It had been a while since he had logged on. Sai suggested that Hikaru get himself a handle, which Hikaru thought was a brilliant idea since he had resolved on his first day visiting the Touya study group that he would play with full strength, provided that none of those whom he'd already played with before were present to witness the game. Being anonymous would help Hikaru a lot.

Under the very creative name of FUJIWARA, Hikaru took the online Go world by storm. Still unaccustomed to playing at full strength, Hikaru took to playing teaching games which were suspiciously similar to games higher-dans would play. He tried to play his best, really, he did, but every time he came across a player with mediocre skills he would immediately switch to teaching game mode, which was very often, until Hikaru finally realised that playing like this would never help him unlock his full strength.

That aside, however, the online Go community was in a riot over who FUJIWARA was. FUJIWARA's playing style closely resembled SAI's, and many had also noticed that whenever one was online the other wasn't, and when one logged off the other would appear a few seconds later. Also, neither answered anybody's messages to them. Some theorised that FUJIWARA was actually SAI using a different handle to distinguish between teaching and competitive modes, and many accepted this.

It wasn't long before it became a silent rule that anyone seeking a teaching game would go to FUJIWARA for a game, and Hikaru's screen never stopped the onslaught of game requests that popped up every second or so. Both Sai and Hikaru resigned to the fact that Hikaru would be unable to use FUJIWARA to play at his full strength but that did not deter them from continuing to use the handle. There were people out there who really needed all the help they could get.

The game he was playing right now was deep into endgame. It would not be difficult to crush this person but Hikaru's kindly personality would not allow for such a thing. Instead, Hikaru dragged the game out to show this Kaito1990 where improvement was needed.

Hikaru, you really should consider a career in teaching Go. Sai said, amused. It seemed like Hikaru was having a lot of fun playing these anonymous teaching games where he didn't have to pretend to be really bad at Go. In fact, Hikaru's strength shone through brightly, and not only in a way which showed off his Go prowess but also revealed his gentle mentoring. There was a saying that said that only when one can teach what one has learnt has one really grasped the concepts. Hikaru was doing a splendid job teaching these people through NetGo.

"Pros teach," was Hikaru's short reply. He had seen some teaching games pros held at Go conventions which ordinary people could sign up for. It seemed like a normal occurrence. Touya had also missed one or two study group sessions for teaching games.

Then hurry up and become a pro already, Hikaru! There'll be so many more exciting games to play when you get there! You'll be in the same place as Touya and that man! Sai's said animatedly, flailing his arms with anticipation. You will go pro, right?

"I don't know," Hikaru said, clicking on his mouse to place his second last stone. "I'm not ready to play full force with people I know yet. I don't want them to scorn me for not playing them well the first time round. I'm not even sure if I can play with full force."

That's where you have to learn, Hikaru. You've already taken a step forward with this FUJIWARA identity, and you will only continue to grow. I have faith in you. Sai said, patting Hikaru's hair with his sleeved hand. Hikaru could feel him, of course, but not with his physical senses. His 'spirit' sense tingled whenever Sai touched him.

"Yeah, but I've kind of placed a limit to the game requests I accept. I won't play those above 7-dan because I might suddenly change play if they're strong enough to pull me out of teaching game mode and then that'll scare way those whom I've been teaching. Right now I want to use FUJIWARA to teach. Besides, what if pros are online? I'd get crushed! Oh, the game ended. I've got to answer that call. Wait for me, okay? I'll change handles when I get back," Hikaru said and hurried out of his room. As his mother said, the phone didn't wait.

"Hello?"

"Shindou! What were you doing? Did you know how long I waited?" Touya's angry voice yelled at him from the other end of the phone.

"About three minutes?" Hikaru answered sheepishly. If he knew it was Touya on the line he'd have gotten down immediately. Touya had such a short fuse it was a wonder how he kept up his icy image in public.

"Five minutes, Shindou! Five!" Touya raised his voice yet again.

"It's only five minutes! What's there to be so angry about?" Hikaru yelled back indignantly.

"Your conduct is atrocious! If you continue making this a habit one day you'll be late by thirty minutes! Thirty minutes is enough to disqualify you from a game!"

"It's not like I'm going pro!" Hikaru retorted. Really, what was with everybody and their comments about him going pro? He just didn't have that desire now.

"You'd better go pro! You're good enough to be one, so just go and take that test already!"

"I'll take it when I'm ready, so just quiet down already! What did you call to talk about? How tardy I am?"

A short pause wherein Hikaru could hear Touya steadying his breath made Hikaru realise just how quiet things were before both of them started yelling at each other. He could hear his mother stir frying something in the kitchen, as well as Sai calling for him to hurry up.

"No, I called to inform you of the next study group session," Touya's steady, calm voice came through the receiver this time. "It will be held at my house, as usual, same time in two day's time."

"Okay," Hikaru said, making a not-so-reliable mental note to keep that day free. "Do you have anything else to add?"

"That's it. See you then." It was slightly unnerving how Touya could lose his temper one second and regain his cool the other.

"Yeah, bye," Hikaru put down the receiver and rushed back up to his room. Sai would kill him for making him wait so long for his game.

"Ah, good morning, Hikaru-kun, you're quite a bit early today," Touya Akiko said as she greeted Hikaru. The years had been kind to her, and even though she was in her mid forties, a secret she told no one save Hikaru, she looked not a year over thirty. The two had bonded very quickly over a cup of orange juice which Hikaru had left the study group to get, and before they knew it they had chatted until the session ended. Hikaru got a good scolding from Touya for missing half the session when the group was dismissed. The housewife only looked on as her son yelled at the other boy who was scowling and yelling back. Hikaru had changed him. He was no longer that much of a recluse and even though his relationship with Hikaru was awkward they were still friends, the first he had at that.

"Good morning, Touya-san! The train came a lot faster than usual." Hikaru replied brightly as he shook off his shoes. Touya's and his own mother were so similar, both friendly to a fault, that it made Hikaru very comfortable when around Touya's mother. He briefly wondered for a moment if Sai's mother was anything like them.

"The session is held in the usual place," Touya-san said with a smile. She always smiled. She was like the sunny disposition Touya-sensei didn't have, and she complemented him perfectly. Whatever it was that he lacked she had, and whatever she lacked he had. Out of the few things that they shared, two were their respect for tradition and their silent elegance.

"Thank you! Can I have some lemon juice this time?" Hikaru said, making his way to the room.

"I'll get Akira-san to bring it over later along with the others when the group begins," Touya-san called back as Hikaru disappeared round the bend. Really, the house was too big for just three people.

Hikaru slid open the door and settled himself comfortably in a cushion by the gobans. Seeing nobody in the room Hikaru sidled up to a goban, Sai, do you want to play?

Play? Sai repeated, disbelief and excitement apparent on his ghostly face. Are you sure? The rest could come any time now. They might suspect you of being me.

Ogata already does. He keeps eyeing me whenever the rest start discussing about SAI. He's too creepy sometimes, but I'll just have to get used to it. Come on, Sai, don't you want to play? We haven't played for a while now since the computer came.

Sai felt his half-hearted resolve dissolve completely and jumped into the cushion on the opposite side of the board. The sparkle in his eyes intensified tenfold as he fingered his fan eagerly, almost hungrily. He wanted to see for himself how good Hikaru had gotten, and he would be lying if he said the prospect of playing Hikaru did not interest him in the least. Hikaru was one of the most interesting persons to play with, barring Touya Meijin and a select few others. It was his unpredictability that proved so much of a challenge to Sai, a thrilling experience though it was.

Please.

Touya Kouyo was just getting ready to put away the book he was reading in his room when a shiver ran down his spine. It was more of an electrifying excitement than a chilling tremble, and Kouyo felt his heart race and breath shorten with a strange, unknown anticipation. As if directing themselves, his legs hurried to the room where he often held study group sessions.

He knew this sensation. It coursed through him every time he entered the Room of Profound Darkness, a room where top matches were played, like a wild fire that blazed intensely. The entire room was usually saturated with this thrill to the point of suffocation, an atmosphere pros would have to get used to if they so wished to play in the room. This said, he had never felt an atmosphere this electrifying and static before, not even when he played Kuwabara Hon'inbo. This tense, crackling air told him that someone somewhere very close to him was playing an incredible game and his inner Go enthusiast could not let the opportunity to witness such a game pass by him just like that.

His mouth shook as each step brought him closer to the study room. This spirit he was feeling was incredible, it was like a roaring river pushing its way forcefully into the sea, stopping at nothing to get what it wanted. He could feel the strength of the player. He paused for a moment to briefly savour the ambience of determination, momentarily noticing another aura fighting to make its headway among the much stronger one. This fighting aura would grow to become something incredible, that Kouyo was sure of, but right now what he wanted to know was the owner of the dominant air. He wanted to know, and he wanted to play, a rare occurrence for one who had been playing for the entire of his fifty odd years of life.

He did not bother pondering on how such a talent could have possibly appeared on such a day in his home, and swiftly pushed open the sliding door.

What he saw left him stunned. "Shindou-kun?" Kouyo breathed quietly, surprised.

Before him Shindou-kun sat at one of his aged and scarred goban, eyeing the board fiercely, a majestic game spread out before him like a universe brilliantly crafted.

Uwah! I'm finally done with another chapter. This chapter took really long to write, especially the first third. The two last thirds were written within a week or less. The holidays will begin soon so I will probably use this time to write another chapter. I'll try to get the next one uploaded by the end of this year, if not the start or middle of the next.

Now to answer some reviews.

-w- easy enough: WAH! I didn't notice took away all my line breaks! Sorry, I've put them in now so hopefully the story will be easier to read. And, yeah, I'm thinking of pitting Hikaru against someone other than Akira because he will be going much higher. Akira will still have people to challenge with who are around his standards for a while to come.

MadaMag: For Hikaru's standards, refer to the author's note at the end of chapter 5. He's grown a little since then but there shouldn't be too much of a difference.

Daniel Wolf: Sadly, I do not play Go on KGS, and even more sad is the fact that I do not play Go at all. I did try, as I have mentioned in a few of my previous author's notes, but Go didn't really interest me. I'm actually not into games and the only board game I ever have confidence in is Chinese checkers, which did not originate from China in the first place. This is the reason why I absolutely cannot think up of any more ideas for Go games in this story. If I were to hazard a guess at my ranking, I'd say 18-kyu, because that's where I was the last time I tried. Ah, I'm pretty bad at the game. Hikaru's gonna be so disappointed in me…

Iatheia: Sad indeed that Hikaru and Akira may not walk down the rival's path together, but I have greater plans for Hikaru so it cannot be helped. Hikaru's not perfect either. His potential may be huge and possibly perfect, but the road to fulfilment isn't one without hardships and stumbles. Sometimes you backpedal too.

I know the concept for the FUJIWARA handle seems very sketchy and flimsy, but I have my reasons for making Hikaru play teaching games with that handle. I don't want him to play at full strength yet because I want it revealed in a more...dramatic way. I don't particularly like the way the 'logic' flowed when I described FUJIWARA but since I myself also believe that there is no reason why Hikaru didn't have the ability to play at full strength with FUJIWARA, it was quite difficult writing that explanation. My story is going against my beliefs...oh joy.

That's all for this chapter. If anyone has other things to clarify (or ideas to suggest) you know what to do. The review link is not too far away.