Disclaimer: Hikaru no Go was written by Yumi Hotta and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. I do not, in any way, profit from this story.

Go, Soccer Player, Go!

Chapter 50: Welcome to My High School Life IV.

...

It probably came as a surprise to no one that Mitani Yuuki did not have a lot of friends.

But this wasn't some sob story about no one understanding him or everyone hating him or something. Mitani Yuuki, quite frankly, did not have a lot of friends because he didn't want a lot of friends.

Yuuki just didn't like other people. If he had liked other people, he would probably already have any number of hangers-on or mindless sycophants following his every whim. Because of his family, there were plenty of people interested in him based solely on his wealth. And it wasn't as if he didn't see these kinds of people with his sadistic and manipulative sister every day.

Those were just not the kind of friends Yuuki wanted.

And Yuuki already had friends. Though the idiot was a soccer maniac who wouldn't shut up about the sport, who had strange interests and hobbies, and who was one of the most annoying people Yuuki had ever met, he still counted Shindo Hikaru as one of the small number of his few close friends. Because, though Hikaru could sometimes be selfish and oftentimes oblivious, Hikaru was the type of person who was well-liked and made friends easily…and who relentlessly kept those friendships at all costs.

Yuuki was not like Hikaru. He wasn't a very easily-liked person. Yuuki was almost always in a constant state of irritation, and often reacted poorly to both his situation and the situations of others. A person like Yuuki needed someone like Hikaru as his friend, because it was friends like Hikaru who wouldn't give up on you. And Yuuki knew himself well enough to know that it was terribly easy to give up on him.

So, Mitani Yuuki—despite all of his complaints and grouchiness and general dislike of other people—committed himself to at least act as a good friend would sometimes. This meant doing things for your friends out of the goodness and kindness of your heart, even if it was frustratingly difficult and tedious and you didn't want to do it.

Mitani had never hid it (Because why would he do that?), and Hikaru would know it if the idiot were ever not completely oblivious to everything around him, but Yuuki was the biggest sponsor of the Tokyo Team of the Japan Youth Soccer League. It had been the first investment he had ever made on his own. And he had had to scrupulously prepare an actual investment presentation in order to convince his father to do it. But Mitani believed in Shindo Hikaru's sheer determination. And Mitani had never once doubted that Hikaru would one day do great things.

The investment had led to a completely renovated stadium, which later attracted attention from a few other sponsors, which had already been good enough for Yuuki. But then, in just under two years since his sponsorship, the Tokyo Team became one of the two finalists playing for the Japan Youth Cup. And because the game was playing in Tokyo, and broadcasted on a national network, the advertisements for Mitani Group placed all around the stadium alone would boost name recognition. The Mitani Group employed an entire advertising department which hadn't been as successful in accomplishing this as Yuuki had. And Yuuki's father, much to Yuuki's immense irritation, was actually impressed.

But today wasn't about investments or advertising or any of the tedious business Mitani found himself putting up with in the days and weeks leading up to finals game day. Today was a much greater show of his friendship than just throwing money at something.

Today, Mitani Yuuki was…hosting a party.

"Good to see you, Mitani-kun!" Akari's happy, smiling face greeted him as Mitani stood stiffly beside the door to receive his guests.

Yuuki's answer was a grunt of recognition. And Akari knew him well enough to accept that response as she would any regular verbal answer from any other person.

"Yo, Mitani." Waya Yoshitaka-pro waved as he and Isumi-pro trailed in behind Akari.

Isumi bowed politely and gratefully to his host, offering a very kind smile to the rather blank look Mitani gave him in response.

The former-insei were more Akari's friends than either Hikaru or Mitani's. But they were all on friendly terms, so Mitani had sent the young go-pros invitations. (Mitani had sent Ochi-pro an invitation too. Not because Hikaru and Ochi actually got along, but because Mitani had known the sour kid would decline. Then Mitani could point out that Ochi hadn't actually been excluded if he were ever forced in that kid's company again.)

After the obligatory greetings, Waya and Isumi headed straight for the catered buffet, where Nase Asumi and Honda Toshinori were already standing. And Fuku and Akari were clustered with the former Haze Go Club members at the other end of the long table.

Amongst the other guests, Mitani had also invited the entirety of Class S. Only a fraction had been able to attend, and Mitani really had no idea who any of them were despite all of them being "famous" at their school. He only vaguely recognized Nakamura Daichi because Hikaru was always complaining about the volleyball player.

Personally, Mitani thought this was a very strange group of people. But considering Shindo's personality, he wasn't at all surprised.

Not-so-discreetly checking his watch, Mitani breathed a sigh of relief that the game would be starting soon. Then he wouldn't have to stand here and accept all of these greetings like a good host. When the game started, he was going to get a good seat, and not bother moving or socializing until the end of the game.

Besides, having been checking off his mental guest list since the guests had started to show up, there was only one more guest expected. And Mitani really doubted that guy would ever be late to anything.

Just as soon as he had thought it, a single figure hurried into the room, just slightly out of breath from rushing down the hallway.

"Hello, Mitani-kun," Touya Akira greeted with a quick, polite bow. "And thank you again for inviting me."

Somewhere on the side of the room filled with young go-pros and former go-club members, there was a collective silence. Thankfully, the Class S students barely even bothered to look up and recognize their classmate as having arrived. An entire room suddenly going quiet and staring at them would have been beyond irritating, in Yuuki's opinion.

"Hey, Touya." Mitani returned the greeting in his usual brusque manner. "Game's about to start. Glad you could make it."

Yuuki didn't even bother to acknowledge Akira's very polite smile in response. Instead, he led Touya further into the room and began to scout prospective seats for himself. He would take the seat at the very center, in front of the large viewing window. That one had the best view of the field.

Meanwhile, Touya Akira resisted the urge to nervously fidget as one of the attendants courteously took his jacket and scarf and whisked off somewhere unobtrusive.

On the side of the room nearest the buffet, everyone was staring at him. It wasn't that unusual, given his fame within the go world, but it still made Akira hyper-aware of himself. Akira recognized most of them as young go-pros and insei his age, though he had seldom met any of them even in official matches, and had, at best, only spoken to them a few times.

On the other side of the room, clustered in front of the large television broadcasting the game, were his classmates. Akira's presence didn't attract much attention from them, though he was on casual speaking terms with everyone. But, at the very least, he knew he could sit with that group comfortably without being stared at.

The person Akira was most familiar with in this room was actually Mitani Yuuki, who Akira oftentimes played speed go games with during lunch. They had been re-acquainted through Hikaru, whose general attitude had been to let bygones be bygones and let his friends become each other's friends.

But Akira knew better than to bother Mitani now. Mitani had very clearly reached his quota for social interaction today, and was projecting the aura that everyone should leave him alone.

Before Akira could make up his mind on which side of the room he should go in (sitting with his familiar classmates or politely greeting his professional peers), the decision was made for him.

"Touya!" Waya exclaimed in obvious shock. "Shouldn't you be playing in the Oza league right now?!"

Resisting the urge to cringe at being called out for that, Akira dutifully made his way towards the buffet where everyone was staring at him as if he were an apparition of some sort.

"Hello, Waya-san. Isumi-san." Akira greeted politely with an acknowledging inclination of his head. He didn't quite know the others well enough to know them by name, though he acknowledged them all with a polite nod in their direction as well.

Isumi seemed stunned, but politely nodded back. Waya did not stop openly gaping at him.

"The match was finished early." Akira informed everyone, deciding to just explain this directly.

Those in-the-know understood this to mean that Touya had very brutally crushed his opponent, ending the match early. They all hid their collective cringes of sympathy for the poor soul who had had to face Touya Akira in a hurry.

"And fortunately, the match was in Tokyo and played at the Go Association." Akira continued his explanation without noting the impact of his words. "It's very close to here."

"Yeah, I get that!" Waya exclaimed. "But why are you here?!"

Immediately, Isumi pulled warningly at Waya's forearm, simultaneously throwing immensely apologetic looks at Akira. Nase glared at Waya. And Akari fumed, looking ready to slap the clueless boy. Everyone else just watched in wide-eyed shock.

Meanwhile, Touya Akira was hit with sudden, embarrassing unworthiness. The shock and humiliation flashed somewhere in the space right behind his heart, as painful as a kick to the stomach. And for just half a second, all he wanted was to disappear or run away or have the ground swallow him up whole.

But beyond that hit of emotion, he felt a flare of righteous indignation. The burn was quick and consumed everything in its path, even the bitter taste of his first-felt anxiety. Akira felt that he had every right to be here, as much right as everyone else. And though he might have once given in to his initial emotional response and felt that he was unwanted here when compared to Hikaru's other friends, he was no longer that person. Akira clenched his fists at his sides as his jaw tensed into a hard line inside his mouth.

"I'm Shindo Hikaru's classmate. And even more importantly, I'm also his friend." Akira declared vehemently, not shouting at the other teen only because of his tightly-wrought control.

Akira looked straight at Waya then, decisively ending this unnecessary explanation, daring Waya to say otherwise.

"And I was given an invitation to this event just like everyone else."

Everyone stared back at him, wide-eyed with a different kind of shock now.

Waya sputtered and choked on his own words, only now realizing that what he had said had sounded like an insult.

"No!" He exclaimed, holding his arms up in frantic apology. "That's not what I meant, Touya. Really! I know our study groups are rivals but—I—Oh man! I just put my foot directly in my mouth sometimes."

Isumi very painfully elbowed Waya, who yelped loudly at the assault.

"What?!" Waya turned to Isumi, only to recognize immediately what Isumi wanted with his very upset glare.

"I mean—" Waya turned back to Touya. "I'm sorry!" Waya bowed apologetically.

Akira just blinked. Unlike his previous response, he didn't quite know what to do in this situation.

"I guess…" Waya scratched at the back of his head nervously, avoiding Akira's gaze. "I just never thought you'd be interested in soccer. Err…I kinda always thought you were a go machine or something."

This time, Akari really did smack Waya in the back of the head.

Everyone else glared at Waya to tell him he deserved it.

"Oh." Akira said. Now, he was a little embarrassed he had reacted so strongly. Only the fact that everyone else seemed to be just as (possibly even more) outraged at Waya kept him standing there.

"Actually, I'm not much of a sports fan." Akira admitted. "It's just… Shindo." He shrugged in an offhand manner.

Thankfully, this seemed to relieve the tension immediately. Everyone here was more than familiar with the meaning.

Akari rolled her eyes sympathetically in Akira's direction.

"Believe me," Akari commiserated loudly with her new kindred-spirit. "I know. Hikaru used to drag me kicking and screaming just so I would help him practice when we were kids."

Akira offered her a relieved smile in reply, recognizing the olive branch for what it was.

"Please sit with us during the game, Touya-san." Nase offered with her friendliest smile. "We would love for you to join us. Despite some—"

Nase very pointedly glared at Waya.

"—We're actually all very friendly." Nase finished with a charming smile back in Akira's direction.

Akira glanced towards the seats at the front of the window. Considering the number of people in the room and the seats already taken, Akira better take the seat next to Mitani and prevent any unfortunate person from suffering Mitani's wrath.

"Thank you." Akira nodded to the other go-players in reply, moving to join them as they all settled down for the main event.

Mitani looked up when Akira took the seat beside him, but looked away just as quickly. Touya was okay, in Yuuki's book. Touya could be trusted not to bother him with prattling conversation and to leave him alone for the whole game.

Author's Note:

A whole chapter without Hikaru in it… Weird!