Nothing Better
Prologue
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A/N: I do realize that all of these new story ideas are just a really piss-poor way of putting off updating IDC and PITD. I'm just trying to save you from the horrendous works of my imagination on the still-unfinished-and-getting-absolutely-nowhere chapters. Enjoy the new story, or whatever.
A crash, followed by a string of mumbled curses.
Shindou Hikaru looked down at the remains of his once-working computer. The computer itself was quite pitiful, really. Hikaru thought the little circuit boards and bits of wiring littering floor was an improvement from the bulky, heinous white box that he called a 'computer.' Though Hikaru thought the ugly thing was a complete and total waste of money—he tried to get his parents to buy a half-decent computer, but they bought him this piss poor thing—it was the only way he could play Go without being hounded.
On the internet, he had taken up this whole You-can't-beat-me-cause-your-Go-stinks-like-shit-and-I-totally-handed-you-your-ass persona, inadvertently earning the pros an excuse to hunt him down. It wasn't his fault that he totally kicked ass at Go, even if he didn't want to become a pro.
"Damn," Hikaru mumbled, kicking a bit of the wiring out of his way to stalk to the door. "Mom, I need a new computer!" His mother sighs from somewhere in the house, obviously mumbling some rebuke Hikaru doesn't need to hear.
The youngest Shindou slammed his door shut, and threw himself on his bed.
He thinks, because he has absolutely nothing better to do.
While he reaches the conclusion of becoming a pro has its upsides, the teenager also counters his thoughts with the poor skill levels of most of the pros today. Because really, only a few were relatively interesting enough to capture the boy's attention. That doesn't make the whole hounding thing worth it, really, why would he come out into the open and play pros with shitty skill levels?
He glances at his goban, and at the light layer of dust covering it. The fifteen-year-old sighs, then rolls off his bed to wipe some of the dust off. He figures he needs to do at least that much, considering his old man dug into his wallet to buy the ungrateful brat a real goban and stones.
"Hikaru," his mother called, "Akari's here!"
Hikaru glanced over at the calendar beside his bed, examining it. Akari normally came on Thursday for a game of shidou-go.
"Send her up!" he yelled back, continuing to aimlessly wipe dust from the goban with his sleeve.
His door opened slowly after a few moments, and Akari walked into the room. "Hikaru, what happened?"
He smirked a bit and replied, "My computer blew up on me. But, it's old and cruddy, so I'll just have to save up to buy a new one."
"Oh," she mutters, stepping around the remnants of the computer. She pushes aside some circuitry, and plops down on the opposite side of the goban.
"Are you ready?" Akari nodded her head, determined. Hikaru smiled faintly, gestures for Akari to place stones.
"Aw, Hikaru, couldn't you've gone a bit easier on me?" Hikaru laughed, then looked up at Akari.
"I did, compared to what I play like on the internet. Look here," he said as he pointed to a cluster of stones. "If you played a kosumi here, that could've gotten you some of my territory. But, if you played against an insei, I guess you could make it at most to chuban."
"Hikaru, why don't you become an insei? Surely they must be more exciting than playing teaching games with me." Hikaru shrugged, looking at the floor.
"I dunno. I never really thought what it would be like being a pro or an insei, just what would happen to me." He paused, glancing at the goban. "I mean, you know I'm really good, right?"
Akari nodded. "But they'd be more fun for you to play." she asserted, repeating her earlier statement.
Hikaru sighed a little, an obvious sign of defeat and annoyance. "Listen, if it makes you feel any better, I'm probably going to take the insei exam. I need some money for a new computer, and becoming a pro will give me money and I get to play go."
Akari grinned, triumphant. "Makes me feel much better, baka."
"Right."