The Never-ending Road: Chapter 36 – Heart's Conundrum

By Leitbur

"Well Hikaru, this is certainly a pleasant surprise. Come in, how have you been, Mr. Kisei?"

Frowning as he removed his shoes and stepped into the house proper, Hikaru gave a contemptuous stare and replied, "Stop calling me that Grandpa, it's bad luck. The league is only half over, I still don't know if I'll even be able to stay in the League yet."

Cocking an eyebrow as they made their way toward the living room, Heihachi Shindo gave his grandson a confused look and responded, "What do you mean? You've won three matches already haven't you? There's only two games left, I would have thought that with such a record you couldn't be knocked out now."

Pausing as they crossed the patio overlooking the garden in the backyard, Hikaru took a moment to glance over toward the entrance to the loft and answered, "Well it's pretty complicated. Since I wasn't in the League last year I lose all the tiebreakers so if I lose the rest of my matches and a few wins or losses occur in a certain way I guess I can still be knocked out."

"Oh, I see." Turning to head off into the house Heihachi continued, "Well I'll go get the goban and then you can tell me all about it. I'll be just a minute."

Turning to glance off at his grandfather's back for a moment, Hikaru returned his gaze to the backyard, hesitated a moment, then stepped down into the yard and moved on off toward the loft, his feet unconsciously sliding into a pair of slippers next to the stairway. Moments later he was across the yard into the den and looking up the ladder to the loft. Hesitating once again as perspiration began to form on his palms, Hikaru gulped and then began to climb his way up the ladder.

It was likely silly of him, always going up to check, but if there was even the slightest chance that this time Sai might be up there waiting for him then he'd gladly be silly. Besides, after his victory two days ago against Ogata, the dream and everything that had happened, maybe, just maybe…

Reaching the top and pulling himself to his feet, Hikaru began to make his way toward the back of the loft to where the old goban rested. Kneeling down before it and brushing off a bit of the dust that had settled onto it with one hand, Hikaru gazed upon the board that had changed his life forever. It had been on that day four years ago that he had found this board, seen the stain that only he could see, and met Sai. It seemed like a lifetime since then, and in some ways he supposed it had been a previous life, a life completely different from the one he lived in now.

Sai wasn't here; he was now gone yet this board remained. It was like a relic, a reminder of his existence in this world, a memento of his divine greatness. Grandpa had offered to give him this board countless times yet he had always refused. This place, it was like a shrine in some ways, the place where this board seemed to belong. It would be best if it were left here, in the place where it all began.

"Hey Hikaru, are you up there looking at that board again?!" His grandfather's voice rang loud from the bottom of the ladder, bringing Hikaru back into reality. "Come on, I've got the board all set up."

Chuckling to himself as he rose to his feet, Hikaru answered back, "Yeah, I'll be right there Grandpa." Turning to take one last glance back down at the board, Hikaru then spun and headed for the ladder.

"You know," Heihachi commented minutes later as Hikaru walked by him on his way to sit on his side of the goban, "you can just have that board if you want. It'd be better off if you took it if you're just going to keep coming over and looking at it like that."

Shaking his head with a slight laugh as his prediction came true once again Hikaru answered, "Nah, that's ok. It'd seem weird if it wasn't here."

Waiting for Hikaru to take his seat before the board, Heihachi then said, "If that's how you want it. So then, explain to me how your victory over Ogata Judan isn't enough to keep you from being knocked out of the Kisei League yet."

Moaning softly as he stretched his neck and back in an attempt to feel more comfortable, Hikaru replied, "Well it's not that it wasn't enough exactly. It'll be enough if one of two things happens. If they don't then it gets tricky."

"Oh," Heihachi replied, "and what are those two things? Nigiri."

Giving his grandfather another contemptuous glare before sighing and reaching for the stones, Hikaru shook his head in frustration. He'd given up trying to convince his grandfather to take a handicap, but he had hoped that likewise his grandfather would have given up his stubbornness on not needing one. "Well basically if Akira wins his next match or if Ichiryu 9 – Dan loses either of his two remaining matches then I can't be knocked out no matter what."

"I see. Oh, I'm Black." Then pausing as if a thought had just occurred to him, Heihachi turned to grab the Weekly Go that he had set down beside him and opening it said, "Akira… as in Akira Toya? I remember now, he's the boy who's responsible for your wanting to go pro in the first place right? Lets see, who does he play?"

"Next Thursday against Zama Oza," Hikaru provided, "and yes, he's sort of the reason why I decided to go pro."

Nodding his head, Heihachi continued to scan the page until he spotted the name. "Ah yes, there it is. Do you think this Toya can win?"

His eyes glazing over as if peering into the misty reaches of the future, Hikaru answered somberly, "He's lost to him twice before, but Akira is strong. I think… it will be a very good match."

"Hmmm," Heihachi said, his eyes beginning to scan further down the schedule, "Zama Oza, isn't he your next opponent?"

His voice and eyes remaining as they were, Hikaru answered, "He's my next Kisei League opponent yes. That game hasn't been scheduled yet however. My next opponent is Ochi next Wednesday."

His eyes locking onto the listing in the paper, Heihachi read aloud, "Kousuke Ochi 3 – Dan in the… Honinbo 1st Preliminary Final huh. Well, that shouldn't be too difficult after defeating Ogata Judan right?"

His head turning slightly away, Hikaru glanced up out the window at the clear blue sky and answered, "Ochi and I became pros at the same time. He's very competitive and I doubt he'll go down easily."

"Well," Heihachi added as he set the copy of Weekly Go back down, "I'm sure you'll do just fine. After all, you're going to be the next Kisei right? Onegaishimasu."

"Onegaishimasu." As the game began, Hikaru felt his mind wandering slightly, pondering thoughts that had no place during a Go match, even a casual game against his grandfather. The next Kisei huh? It was difficult to believe it really, but with his most recent victory he was now the frontrunner in League A to challenge for the title. Kurata was also undefeated over in League B, but he had yet to play his third match against Mizunuma 9 – Dan, so really at 3-0 Hikaru, at this moment, was the frontrunner to challenge period.

He wasn't there yet, not by a long shot with two powerful opponents still looming. Losses to both would certainly eliminate him from the title hunt, possibly even from the League altogether. With that in mind it seemed crazy to be looking ahead to the possibility of facing Kurata or whoever came out of League B for the chance to challenge for the title, but yet here he was doing just that. Ogata had pushed him to the very limits of his abilities and beyond, and now Zama Oza was looming on the horizon. It seemed like a simultaneously dream and nightmare schedule, four straight matches against titleholders and the former Kisei himself, and then Akira for the finale. For someone of his strength to cut a path through all that and claim the Kisei title, it seemed impossible. And yet here he was, three games behind him and one more titleholder to face, the undefeated frontrunner. Could it really be possible?

Zama Oza would bring a new kind of challenge, one that he had yet to face. The previous players like Kuwabara and Ogata had known about him, had been keeping their eye on him even expecting to see great things. While that meant that they were certainly respectful of his talents, it also meant that part of them likely had wanted to see just what he was capable of, if even on a subconscious level. And even then he had only been able to defeat Ogata by… well he wasn't quite sure what it had been.

Ichiryu on the other hand had two strikes against him in that he had been slumping and that his pride told him that Hikaru had just been a lucky 2 – Dan to make it here. How much he had underestimated him Hikaru didn't know, but his arrogance had allowed Hikaru to sneak in under his radar until it had been too late. This would not be the case with Zama Oza. With his victory over Ogata, a player who only last week had been praised in the Weekly Go edition that lay next to his grandfather as Japan's current strongest player, there would be no underestimating, no slipping in under a high Dan's radar. Everyone in the Go world right now was likely speaking his name today, searching through online game listings to see just how strong he really was. From now on he was a name that pros everywhere would take as a serious force to reckon with.

Even if that was not the case, a player like Zama Oza who had faced Akira twice before would not have taken him lightly, not after that Shinshodan match against Akira three years ago. Nor was this an opponent Hikaru knew well, or that had been watching him like Ogata and Kuwabara. There was no admiration, no curiosity as to how he might respond, if he could find a way to overcome a situation, to Zama Oza, he was, like all the other pros high and low that stood in his way, a pest that needed to be squashed on the road to Ishibashi and the title of Kisei.

Thus only one advantage remained to him, fatigue. While Hikaru had been busy defeating Ogata, Zama had lost in the Tengen Main tournament's final round match to Fujisawa 9 – Dan, losing his chance to play for the Tengen title. While a title challenge of course would have been helpful in draining Zama's endurance, Serizawa had at the end of August won the right to challenge Zama for the Oza title, a Final that would begin in two weeks, the week after Zama was finished facing Akira.

Two possibilities loomed, that either Hikaru would have to wait almost two months from now until the Finals were over to play his opponent, or else they would schedule a break halfway through the tournament for their Kisei League match to occur. While both scenarios offered advantages, the latter seemed better, if only because having to wait that long to play again would be quite irksome. Of course they could always schedule it in reverse, having him play Akira first and then face Zama afterward, but that was…

"So Hikaru," Heihachi remarked, freeing Hikaru from his deep thoughts, "how's that insei friend of yours doing? You know, the girl you're mentoring?"

"Her name's Nase Grandpa." Hikaru answered in a monotone voice before letting out a sigh. Nase, that was the other issue at hand, along with Akari. He had waited last night to see if she would come for their weekly games, but to no avail. Either she felt it was unnecessary now that she had passed the exam or else she was avoiding him due to what had happened on Wednesday night. Either way he couldn't say that he blamed her.

Looking up from the board at his grandfather, Hikaru then said, "She stopped by the house on Wednesday to tell me that she had passed the Pro Exam."

Lifting his head from the board where he had been struggling to read a position that was worsening by the turn, Heihachi smiled and replied, "Really now, she passed the Pro Exam? That's wonderful Hikaru, I'm sure you're… Hikaru?"

Lifting his eyes back up from where they had been drifting, Hikaru answered, "Yes Grandpa?"

"You don't seem very pleased about this news. Is something bothering you?"

Biting his lip as his fist squeezed together, Hikaru paused. This had been part of why he'd stopped by today, to discuss the situation with his grandfather who had been so helpful with his concerns about Nase last time. He'd actually been trying to figure out how to approach the subject, and now the path had been laid before him. So why did he seem to be hesitating now? "It's… complicated."

Sitting up straight as he removed his hand from his Go bowl, Heihachi cocked his eyebrow and responded, "Complicated? Does this have anything to do with what we discussed before, about your maybe not wanting her to pass?"

Shaking his head, Hikaru answered, "No, it has nothing to do with the Pro Exam. It's that… on Wednesday she… she kissed me."

Bringing his fist up to his lips in order to hide the grin that was beginning to form on his face, Heihachi replied, "Reeeally. Well this is interesting indeed. Do you know what provoked this?"

Shaking his head, Hikaru again answered, "No, but then Akari walked in on us."

His eyebrow cocking at this new revelation, Heihachi repeated, "Akari walked in?"

Nodding, Hikaru continued, "Yeah, I'd asked her to come by to play a game with me, help calm my nerves and such. I guess her and Nase know each other somehow, I don't know the details, but when I got home Nase was already there waiting in my room. She told me she'd passed, started to cry, hugged me, then the next thing I know she's kissing me and Akari is in the doorway to my room."

His smile fading as the details poured in, Heihachi felt himself beginning to sigh. What is this? It sounds like a scene from a poorly written romance film. All that's missing is Akari running out in tears.

"And then," Hikaru added, "Nase said, 'Fujisakii, you mean the guy you told me you were in love with was Hikaru?' and Akari started to cry and ran out."

Rolling his eyes despite himself, Heihachi began to shake his head. Of course she did. Then the words sank in. This Nase girl had confessed Akari's love to Hikaru? He and Mitsuko had often speculated, even joked about the idea that Akari had feelings for Hikaru, but for such things to be true, it was… well not unexpected just rather sudden. "And what do you think about that Hikaru, about what Nase said?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Hikaru replied, "I don't know, it's all just so sudden. Akari's my friend, both of them are. I never gave ideas like this a second thought, it just seemed so far in the future and I had other things to think about like tournaments and stuff. Then they throw this on me right before the match and… it's all just so confusing?"

Rubbing his chin as he watched his grandson carefully, his attention taut and serious, Heihachi inquired, "Do you love Akari?"

His head jerking up at those words, Hikaru responded, "What? Love Akari… what kind of a question is that?"

"One that is very important to this situation I'd say. If she loves you but you don't love her then there's definitely an issue. So do you?"

Throwing his head back and closing his eyes, Hikaru sighed deeply. Did he love Akari? How was he supposed to know that? What was love, how could he tell if he loved someone or not, he wasn't even sure how it was that Akari had come to love him. Now that he really thought about it, he'd been rather cruel to her over the years, all those comments and insults, disregarding what she thought to pursue his own selfish lines of thought. How could she have fallen in love with someone like him, someone who treated her like that?

But how could he answer whether or not he loved her back? She had always just… been there. The idea of life without her around was unpleasant, and he wanted her to be in his life but was that love? After all he wanted Waya and Isumi and Nase and everyone else to stay in his life as well, but that didn't mean he loved them. He loved the game of Go, loved it with all of his heart and soul, but love of a game and love of a person were two separate types of love, they had to be two separate kinds of love.

"I don't know Grandpa, I just don't know. I can't even figure out what all of this means let alone-"

"It means," Heihachi interjected, "that those two girls have very strong feelings for you. If this was a Go game of Love, then by kissing you and confessing Akari's love it seems that Nase has played her move along with Akari's move. So I'd say that it's up to you to make the next move."

"But I don't even know what my move should be Grandpa. I don't have any experience with this stuff, I don't even think about it really. What am I suppose to do?"

At this Heihachi found himself chuckling lightly. He couldn't help it, the whole situation, that age old question, it was just too interesting to hold back. "Hikaru, speaking from my own experience I can tell you that the next move is rarely clear, especially in such murky waters as this. Plus I doubt any amount of thought you give to a subject like this is any help once it's upon you. I can't tell you what your next move is or how you should handle it, but I would suggest that you start by going to talk to Akari about how you feel about all this."

Confusion taking further hold of his mind, Hikaru responded, "Why start with Akari? Besides, how can I tell her how I feel if I don't even know how I feel?"

It was now Heihachi's turn to give a contemptuous glare. Sometimes it was truly hard to believe that his oblivious grandson was a professional Go player, possibly even the next Kisei. "Because she's the one who ran out in tears. Nase can wait, you owe it to your childhood friend to go see her first I'd say. As for not knowing how you feel, all that might not matter."

Doubt still apparent on his face, Hikaru just answered, "Well… I guess."

"Well now," Heihachi added, "back to our game. I'm not going to make this easy on you Hikaru, even if you are having girl problems."

Cracking a smile at this, Hikaru shot back as Heihachi played his move, "Don't overdo it Grandpa, you're not as young as you once were."

"Ha! Like that's going to work. I'll have you know that I was at the doctor's office just last week for a checkup and he told me that I'm in such good health that the only danger I was in would be if I had a heart attack due to another one of your sixty-point wins."

Chuckling at that, Hikaru quipped, "All right then, sixty points it is."

As he walked down the empty hallways of Taro High School, Hikaru noted the differences between it and Haze. It was certainly bigger, even perhaps a little more elegant than his junior high had been, but then it was a somewhat better ranked school than Haze had been. Not by much, but attending this school certainly gave college outlooks a more credible shot than the type of high school that he likely would have gotten into.

Then again with the passing of the Pro Exam it was something he'd never know, whether or not he could have gotten into a high school of this quality. By the time he would have been thinking about such things Go had already become the focus of his life, and ideas like going to high school seemed lame in comparison.

Turning down another hallway, Hikaru's eyes came to focus on the door that led to the mathematics room that the Taro Go Club practiced in. This would be only his third visit to the club, his schedule having prevented more trips since then. This was where he'd find Akari, and Grandpa had been right earlier this morning, both about his needing to talk to Akari and the sixty-point loss. While he wasn't entirely sure what he would say to her, he certainly owed it to Akari to try.

Sliding open the door to the room and stepping inside, Hikaru felt a strange sensation as the room's occupants turned to look at him. A chill began to run down his spine as looks of anger and disgust shot back at him, particularly from the girls in the room. A quick glance across the room however revealed no Akari.

Nervousness beginning to take hold of Hikaru as he stared back into this cavern of icy cold glares, he opened his lips and said, "Um hello… I'm looking for Akari. Do you know where I could um… find her?"

As he finished the new club President that Akari had introduced him to last time, Itsuki Ayase, began to walk over toward him from where she had been commenting on a game between a female sophomore and a young boy about his own age that Hikaru did not recognize. As she did Hikaru continued, "Um, Ayase, do you know where I can-"

SMACK!

A sharp sting shot up through Hikaru's cheek spreading out across the left side of his face, his head having shot off to the side as Ayase's open palm had made contact. A slight dizziness began to fill his mind like a foggy haze as a sudden reality began to kick in. Had he just been… slapped?

Before he could completely recover from this sudden revelation Ayase's voice began to ring loudly in his ears. "How DARE you come here after what you did?! How could you DO THAT to Akari, you no good, two-timing piece of-"

"Ayase-sempai, calm down please," one of the male members interjected as another pair grabbed her from behind in an attempt to restrain her from what had appeared to be an attempted attack on Hikaru's lower half. Then as Ayase's had shot out in an attempt to grab a handful of glass Go stones a third male student quickly pulled the bowl away as the other two struggled to hold her back amongst screams from Ayase for them to let her go.

As comical as the scene might have been had it not been so serious, not to mention physically harmful to himself, no one was laughing. In fact that only change thus far had been that several of the other girls had likewise risen from their seats, even if they had yet to make a move as they had begun to eye the male students with the same distaste that they had eyed him. Most likely they were upset that the boys had moved to stop Ayase from pummeling him further.

Backing up a step, Hikaru was beginning to sense that a tactical retreat might very well be the best option since it appeared that while Akari herself was not present, she had related to the club the events of Wednesday night and then allowed them to come to their own conclusions. As he turned to exit however Hikaru felt himself collide with something warm and bulky, even if it was rather soft. Stepping back as Ayase suddenly stopped her yelling, Hikaru looked down at Akari who was now lying back on the floor rubbing her butt from the fall.

"A-Akari."

At the sound of her name Akari promptly lifted her head and froze as she locked eyes with Hikaru, surprise all over her face. "…Hikaru?"

Suddenly feeling all eyes in the room once more looking upon him coldly, Hikaru quickly stepped forward and helped Akari to her feet. "Sorry about that, I was just…" The words seemed to stick in his throat as he struggled to continue. It had seemed like a good idea at the time to go talk to her at her Go club, but now that he was here with all of these eyes on him it seemed rather… weird.

"It's ok. I should have been watching where I was going anyway." Akari chimed in during his silence. Turning her head away slightly as her cheeks began to redden, Akari began to fidget for a moment, then turned around and began to head back out the door.

"Akari wait!"

Freezing in place, Akari stood with her back to the room for a long moment, then looked back behind her to see Hikaru with his arm outstretched, panic on his face. "Akari, don't go. I… I need to talk to you."

A light smile forcing its way onto Akari's face as her eyes began to show the signs of moistness, she nodded her head and said, "Ok."

Stepping out into the hallway, Hikaru took a glance back into the classroom and then motioned with his head to Akari for them to head down the hallway. Nodding again, the pair began to walk down the hallway, staring straight ahead without looking at one another. Halfway down the hallway Akari then said with dread in her voice, "So what do you want to talk to me about?"

Taking a deep breath, Hikaru answered, "It's about Wednesday night and what happened." Hikaru paused, this was difficult, he wasn't even sure where to begin. Turning to look at her, his eyes glancing back down the hallway at the classroom door, Hikaru exhaled. He might as well try to remove the misunderstandings before the rest of her club tried to castrate him or something.

"Akari, about that thing with Nase kissing me on the bed, that was-"

"You don't have to try and apologize about it Hikaru, I understand." Akari interjected, tears welling up in her eyes. "Asumi told me a lot about you, her teacher, and how she feels about you and I don't want to get in the way of the feelings you two have. She-"

"NO!" Hikaru broke in loudly, "Akari it's not like that at all. Nase, she, well I don't know what she was thinking or doing but she just jumped on me like that and kissed me. I didn't know she was going to do that, I think it just sort of happened since she passed the Pro Exam that day."

"But you had your arms around her, don't try to pin this on Asumi alone Hikaru. I know how you are!"

Taking a small step back at that, Hikaru felt a slight pain shoot through his heart. Had it been the harshness of that last statement that had caused it, or the fact that he knew it was true. "Akari… you're right, maybe I am to blame. But please try to understand, she kissed me. I…" Shaking his head as his voice faded, Hikaru began to rub the back of his neck. This wasn't going well, the topic was moving away from where he had wanted it to go. Damn, why did stuff like this have to be so hard?

"Akari, about what Nase said, about your feelings… was that true?"

Her face turning crimson at those words, Akari began to fidget again as she stared down at the floor. "Well, that is…"

No, this was going all wrong again. Damn it, what was he supposed to say? This was ludicrous, trying to figure out what the other was thinking when he wasn't even sure what he thought or felt himself. Was this really how people had been able to keep the species alive all these centuries, it was a wonder humanity hadn't gone extinct with such a crazy system. Frustration at himself and the situation in general flooding into him as he saw the tears still forming in Akari's eyes, Hikaru spun around in a contemptuous fury and said, "Akari I don't love you!"

As the words left his lips Hikaru's mind caught up with them as he desperately tried to will the words back into his throat to no avail. Tears began to gush down Akari's cheeks as the words sunk in, causing Hikaru's own heart to feel as if it was beginning to break. Damn him and his stupid mouth, he hated it when she was upset like this, it was just like when he saw Nase cry and his heart yearned to reach out and comfort. "I mean… I don't know."

Turning and leaning against the wall with his head down in defeat as he struggled to continue, Hikaru placed his hand on his forehead as his own tears began to well up. "Damn it Akari, I don't know what I'm saying or am supposed to say or how I feel or anything. All this love stuff, you and me, me and Nase, all of it, I just haven't ever really thought about it. I don't know, I care about you and want you in my life; it just seems like my life wouldn't be quite the same if you weren't there but I don't know what that means or what love is or any of it. I understand Go so well, it all just clicks in my mind and everything is so clear but this… it's like a murky swamp or mist that I can't see through or even a meter in front of my face.

"It was all just so sudden, Nase being so happy and then she kissed me and you were there and that whole confession and all of it and I just don't know what to say or think. I just always thought of both you and Nase as friends. I don't know what sort of relationship you two have, neither of you ever mentioned the other, I just wish I knew what to say or do to fix this, to… have it all make sense. I'm sure I sound like an idiot going on like this I-"

Hikaru suddenly found his words cut short by Akari's finger being pressed up against his mouth. As he raised his eyes to look at her he found that while traces of her tears were still present on her face she was beaming a warm smile at him. "You really are a dummy sometimes Hikaru. You're just an oblivious dummy who can't see what's been there in front of you. I don't know why but that's part of what made me fall in love with you I guess."

Continuing to hold her finger to his lips as she sniffed away her tears, Akari then went on, "I understand what you're trying to say, like I said, I know you. I know why Asumi likes you so much, she's like me in that she can see just how big your heart is. I don't know what's happening between the three of us either, and maybe all of it is moving too fast for a dummy like you, so I guess Nase and I will just have to step back and give you a little time. After all, I've been waiting for so long already, what's a little longer?"

Removing her finger from his lips, Akari continued to smile brightly at Hikaru who found himself returning it wholeheartedly. He didn't quite know how all of that had worked out like it had, but Akari's smile made this whole torturous ordeal worth it. He really did hate to see her cry after all.

"Oh, and Hikaru," Akari added, "about what happened Wednesday night between you and Asumi…"

"Yes?"

Without warning Akari's arms wrapped around Hikaru's head as she pulled his face down to her own and their lips met. Once again shock shot through Hikaru's body as his brain began to feel light, Akari's soft lips pressing against his own, her arms wrapping themselves around his neck as he fell back against the wall, her body pressing up against his chest.

Then just as quickly it was over as Akari released him, a slight mischievous grin on her flushed face. Taking a deep breath, she then finished, "we'll just call it even now ok?"

His mind still lightheaded from moments ago, Hikaru just watched Akari turn and walk back toward the classroom, his eyes watching her hips sway back and forth as she walked. What had that been? Had that been her… tongue?

Author's Notes:

Wow, talk about a chapter. I know that I said that it was going to be a fluff chapter, and I had meant it to be one but I guess it just worked its way into a little bit more seriousness, or at least it felt rather heavy when I was writing it. The conversation between Hikaru and Akari was especially difficult, and I ended up rewriting it quite a few times. In some ways I felt like Hikaru in that it was just so difficult to get out exactly what I wanted each to say, and every approach I tried seemed to just lead into roadblocks or unwanted paths. Several times it actually became a scene where Hikaru confessed his love, and other times Akari gave up on him so he could have Nase, and all other sorts of occurrences. Finally I bared down and this was the result. Hopefully it came out alright, because it's actually quite hard to portray that Hikaru doesn't know what he feels toward either girl and not have it come out with any sort of bias.

The first half of the chapter was actually a lot easier to write, being it had Grandpa and all. While I know many of you said he should talk to Akira, given the events in Chapter 14 Grandpa just seemed a better choice. Not only that, but I think going to see the board again tied in nicely with events from the previous chapter.

Terms:

Kisei League (redux): this is to explain the way tiebreakers and such work in Pro Tournaments. Basically if two players tie for either the right to move on or challenge, or in terms of being knocked out of the tournament all together, what is looked at first is what each player's League record was the year before (for non-leagues, it's how far each advanced). Since Hikaru was not in the previous Kisei League, it means that unless he ties with someone else who was not in it last year (Akira) he loses the tiebreaker. Now should that tie occur, the next tiebreaker looks at comparative rank for each player, and should there be a large difference (9 – Dan v. 4 – Dan) the higher rank wins. If the ranks are close (4 – Dan v. 2 – Dan) then they tie and only then is a playoff match done to decide the winner. For those of you wondering about the EXACT means by which Hikaru would be knocked out of the tournament, email me.

Note: To those of you who inquired about or were otherwise informed by me that Akira's match against Zama Oza was two weeks after the Hikaru-Ogata match, I apologize for the mistake. When I went to create the schedule for that match (I have a week to week schedule that shows who plays who and on what day covering all major tournaments and select minor tournaments) I had forgot to factor in Zama Oza's above mentioned defense of the Oza Title. Once I realized this mistake I immediately made the change as not doing so would result in a very large headache for me in finding a way to get all the games to fit right. Again, my apologies.

Now onto your questions. For those of you who are unaware, I have posted a Standing for the Kisei League on my yahoogroup site in the Files section should you desire to know how the entire league is playing out without waiting for a character to comment on it.

Well whether Hikaru's new skills are permanent I suppose depends on what you think happened. If you think Sai came to help him out, then no because Sai won't be there for every match. If however you believe that Sai didn't help out and rather it was Hikaru tapping into his own latent Go skills then I suppose they're permanent since they are his to begin with and were always there. Regardless, Hikaru's fingers won't be glowing against Ochi.

Wow, a fellow anthropologist. Well I don't know why they wouldn't like it since HnG is very cultural in its theme despite the modern setting. I should think that the world's oldest game (that is still played in its original form) would be quite anthropological. Maybe they're too busy anthropologizing (my brother made up this word) other areas of the world like the !Kung or Yamamamo?

Yes, that win was an important statement, as Hikaru's above monologue suggests.

Ah, someone using Wikipedia I see. There are actually quite a few different definitions for the Divine Move, most being of the gist that you either become capable of playing at the level of God or that it is to play the perfect game. Given the way it is talked about in the series, I believe it to be (in a HnG context) something that has never been achieved, and is striven for by everyone. Your definition suggests that it can only appear when a player is losing as it is a game-changing move. Back in Chapter 6 I actually did give a definition for the Divine Move in the Terms section, and I still go by that definition. SO no, Hikaru did not play the Divine Move against Ogata.

I was wondering if anyone had noticed that I had flipped the sound effects in the dream sequence. Nicely done.

"There's something strange, in the Kisei League. Who ya gonna call?

Go Busters!" Anyway, cute reference.

Good to hear that you didn't read the end first, that's just not right. It's like those people who read the last chapter of a Harry Potter book first so they know what happens. That's just not fun at all, I mean the mystery is half the fun (I figured out who died in HBP by the second chapter and who the Half-Blood Prince was by Chapter 14 btw).

Well Go matches might be seen as boring since normally a fair amount of time will pass between moves in a big match like this, or a title match. Imagine sitting there for half an hour or longer waiting for a player to make one move. I just speed it up with monologues and time progression. Now a hayago tournament, that's intense.

Speaking of hayago, it's a term from Chapter 21, and it is a lightning Go tournament (about ten to thirty seconds per move).

Note: New longest chapter, definitely not something I set out to do.

Well maybe next chapter won't make me feel like I just played a Kisei League match myself. Next time we'll get to hear more about the reaction to Hikaru's match against Ogata and see Hikaru vs. Ochi (I know, kind of lame after his match against Ogata). Also, news of foreign players begins to stir.

Wow. Most. Reviews. Ever. I actually delayed releasing this by a day or so to allow for any more reviews to come in since I was getting so many and I didn't want to cut anyone short. Man, and to think I was worried that the chapter wouldn't be received well (probably because I feel like my writing edge is dulling a little). Hope to see more, so everyone R&R!