Yaoi Betrothal
Chapter 13

The Match That Wasn't Played

"This was a match I played two years ago. I was white," Akira told Ochi one day during their tutoring sessions when Ochi asked why Akira was obsessed with Hikaru.

You mean besides him being my fiancé? Akira thought to himself as he began to recreate the mentioned game.

"Who was black?" the young Insei asked as the game unfolded, revealing the genius mind behind the game.

Akira frowned. "Shindou."

Well, actually, it was Sai, but he doesn't need to know that, that would just confuse him. Besides, the way Hikaru has progressed ever since he met that ghost is terrifying. Hikaru has always been able to challenge me, but it was because he knew my playing style. He could beat amateurs easily, but he had trouble when playing against the professionals, and often lost when we were growing up. But now, he's my equal for another reason. It doesn't matter if he knows how I'll respond or not, because he's able to see so far ahead he can instantly create such advanced traps half the time I don't even see them until I'm already caught. If this continues, he's going to pass me… and he's not far from being able to give Sai a real challenge, as well.

Of couse, I don't think Hikaru truly understands his true strength. He's so embarrassed by his sudden talent that he won't even admit to it, he just pretends to be a beginniner in all of his matches. But that's part of the reason why he is as good as he is now; when a player puts mental limits on himself, he has no choice but to play at a higher level, because he has to keep track of more than the other player, as well as see farther ahead than the other player. On top of that, he has to do it without letting the opponent know, for if he or she found out, they'd be insulted that you didn't think they were good enough to play them at full strength. So truly, it's not surprising Hikaru has come as far as he has in such a short time…

"How could this happen to me? I hate this I hate this I hate this!" Ochi raged, throwing down the newsletter in his hand and running out of the Go Association building.

"What's going on?" Hikaru asked, walking over to where Waya and Isumi sat in the break room provided for those taking the pro exam. "The match is about to start, and there's no way he would miss this! He's been talking about nothing but beating me today for months!" The two wordlessly handed over a yellow note that lay on the table in front of them.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

The Pro-Exams are now complete. No further games will occur. Shindou has no losses, Ochi has one loss, Waya has two, and Isumi has four. These are the only players that only have less than five losses. Even if Shindou, Ochi, and Waya lose and Isumi wins, Shindou will have one loss, Ochi two, Waya three, and Isumi four. No matter who wins or loses in today's match, Shindou, Ochi, and Waya will pass. Thus, there will be no game today. Sorry for any inconvenience. Our web server is down, and thus we couldn't update the website, and we didn't have access to our directory. Again, sorry for any inconvenience.

Hikaru frowned. "Really? I didn't really pay attention to the game records, so I never realized that the winners had already been decided."

"No one did. This wouldn't have happened if we hadn't all won on Thursday, no one stays for all the matches to finish, and the server's been down all week for maintenance," Isumi told him as they all stood and walked out of the room.

"I see… I never check the website, anyways, I don't have Internet access at home. Anyways, I'll see you later!" he told Isumi and Waya, turning right from the break room.

"Where are you going?" Waya asked in confusion, "the exit's left. You can't still be getting lost!"

Hikaru laughed. "I'm not leaving yet. There's someone I need to talk to. See you later!" He then hurriedly left Waya and Isumi behind, not wanting to have to answer the questions they were sure to have about who he needed to speak to.

Waya frowned. I wonder what's up with him. He's been acting really out of character lately, and right before the preliminaries his game improved really fast, just barely winning enough games to make it to the test in time. I wonder… no, that's impossible. Why would he have held back until he had to improve fast in order to take the test? I must be crazy.

"Waya, is something the matter?" Isumi questioned his friend in concern.

"Huh? Oh, nothings wrong. Do you want to go to a go salon?"

"Sure."

A few minutes after leaving Waya and Isumi, Hikaru came to a small room with a table in the center and a television mounted on the screen. Akira sat at the table, waiting to record the moves shown on the screen; a game between his father and Ogata. The game was set to begin in fifteen minutes time. Akira looked up when he heard the door open, and gasped in amazement. "Hikaru! Why aren't you in the exam room? The last match will begin in five minutes; you can't be late! I don't care if you've already passed or not, you should play every match you're scheduled for; even a win teaches you more about the game! You know that!"

Hikaru smiled, walking across the room without a word. He pulled Akira's chair out from the table, and then sat down in the boy's lap, leaning sideways into his chest. "There is no match today."

"What do you mean, Saiai?" Akira asked in confusion.

"The Go Association decided there was no need; no matter who won or who lost, the winners would not change. Ochi, Waya, and I are the ones who passed."

Akira smiled, wrapping his arms around the new go pro's waist with pride. "Well then," he muttered, kissing Hikaru's neck, "I guess congratulations are in order. Although I don't think you need them, I've known you'd pass since the test began.

Hikaru raised his right eyebrow, tilting his head to the side to glance at his fiance' through the corner of his eye. "A bit over confident about your soon-to-be-husband, Akira?"

"You know it," Akira grinned, kissing Hikaru's lips before the blonde-banged boy stood, sighing as he glanced at the television screen. "The game's going to be starting soon, so I'll take that as my signal to leave."

"That would be best, but be at my house at seven tonight. We have more planning to do for our wedding."

Hikaru nodded his head in agreement as he walked out of the small room and leaving the Go Association, headed towards home.

Note: Chapter replaced August 28, 2008