viii

Hikaru yawned as he approached the Community Center building. It seemed as if it had been an eternity since he had been here last, but in reality it had been little more than two years ago. Akari had mentioned back then that Shirakawa had been inquiring about him, and he had gone to visit, much like he was again today. The difference now was that he was visiting not as an enthusiastic Go player, but as a pro, as Shirakawa's equal.

"HIKARU!" Akari's face lit up as she ran over, stopping just short lest she tackle him in a hug. "I can't believe you're here. It's been so long since the last time we were together. I've been wondering how you were doing and all, but you've just been so busy it seems studying Go, and I just didn't want to bother you. Oh, but now you've come here. Did Shirakawa-sensei ask you to come?"

"Yeah, Shirakawa-sensei asked me to come today, said I could help out with the class. You're right though, it has been awhile, since graduation right?"

Akari nodded, a bright smile plastered across her face. "Oh, I heard you got to play against Akira Toya again. Sorry to hear you lost, I know you really wanted to beat him."

Hikaru nodded, his smile declining only slightly at the mention of his rival. "Yeah, but there will be other games. I'll beat him sooner or later."

"Beat Toya 3 – Dan, that sounds like a tall order, even for you Shindo."

"I only lost by half a point last time. Defeating him isn't a dream."

"But I know you'll do it, Hikaru!", Akari cheered. "Well we should get going for now. The class will be starting soon."

Hikaru nodded, then glanced up at the television sitting on a shelf in the upper corner of the room. It was showing the 6th game of the Honinbo Finals between Kuwabara Honinbo and Ogata Judan. It was only the first day of the two-day match of course, so the game wouldn't be decided until tomorrow. Still, with Kuwabara leading the best of seven series three games to two, it could be the last game of the series. It was a game that Hikaru would have normally preferred to watch, but today he was here to see Akari. Pulling his eyes away, he smiled again at Akari and made his way towards the Go classroom.

Shirakawa's lecture began and several minutes into it Hikaru began to yawn. While the fundamental fuseki that Shirakawa was discussing was probably quite interesting and helpful for many of the players here, it was boring for someone of Hikaru's level. Trying to find something to keep his interest, not to mention to keep him from falling asleep, Hikaru glanced over at Akari. She was listening to Shirakawa rather intently as he went into a discussion on the nadare. Smiling, Hikaru sighed deeply. It certainly was nice to see Akari again. It was weird really, even though he hadn't spent time in the Haze Go Club for a long time, he had still seen her in the hallways at school on non-game days. Now though he was done with school, and while she was off at high school, he had his job to focus on, his Go.

He and Akari were now in separate worlds, and how that would effect their friendship, the relationship they had with one another, was certainly in question. How did other pro players handle it? Did friends not in the Go Pro world drift away, lost to the devotion to the game? He certainly hoped not, but then he wasn't about to give up his study of Go either. It was a vexing issue that he'd have to address one of these days. Maybe he could ask Waya about it, or Akira.

"Hikaru, would you come up here and help me discuss this please."

Taking a deep breath, Hikaru took one of the magnetic white stones and turned towards the diagram.

Shirakawa nodded, his respect for Hikaru showing in the way he looked at him and Hikaru explain his reasoning for liking the variation, it certainly was looking better in new light. Hikaru continued meanwhile undeterred. "So with White blocking at 8-5, Black can secure with a move to 5-6, and then White will probably hane at 8-6 at which point Black can move to 3-7 to further support, or he can finally make the move at 3-2 securing the corner."

Nodding his head pleasantly at the diagram board, a large grin plastered across his face at seeing the young prodigy at work, Shirakawa thanked Hikaru then turned to the class and said, "Ok everyone, let's play some games."

Turning to leave the front of the room, Hikaru began to make his way back to his seat. This had been the real reason had agreed to come, a chance to play against Akari, to see how strong she had become since their last game almost a year before. The day before he finally played Akira equally as a pro.

###

The sun had already begun to set as Hikaru and Akari began making their way home.

"You've gotten stronger Akari. I'm impressed."

Looking over at him, Akari beamed a smile his way and replied, "You really think so? Even Mr. Akota has trouble against me now….That was a fun class today! You were so good up there explaining that problem, Hikaru."

Looking up at the stars that were just now beginning to appear in the darkening sky, Akari exhaled and smiled. It was such a beautiful evening. "You know Hikaru, when I think about how long we've known each other, it just seems strange, because it feels like we've known each other forever, yet at the same time I can still clearly remember the first time we met like it was just yesterday."

Hikaru smiled, drifting slightly closer to his childhood friend as he did so. "Yeah. Now that I think about it too, it does seem that way."

Turning her head away from the stars to look up at his smiling face, one she so enjoyed looking at, even yearned to look at some nights, Akari added, "I think about you a lot Hikaru. Some nights as I'm walking by your house on my way home I stop and just stare up at your window. I know you're up studying Go when the light's on and I'm tempted to come visit, but then I don't want to disturb you either."

Turning to look down at her, Hikaru replied, "That's stupid. If from time to time you want to stop by I won't mind it."

Akari's face, which had begun to react to his 'stupid' remark, froze and then shifted to a bright smile. So he didn't mind her coming by every so often. "Thanks." Returning her gaze to the night sky, Akari added, "You know, sometimes I miss the old times, when we got to spend all that time together, having fun together… being together."

Hikaru nodded. "Yeah, I miss the old times too. Playing Go in the science room with Tsutsui and Mitani, going to the tournaments together, it was so much fun. Those were really good times. And do you remember that time when Touya stormed into our school to ask me play him, but I just turned him down and closed the curtain? I have made him waited…I have waited and waited,too, until I can worthily face him and answer his moves. "

Closing her eyes, Akari sighed. Yep, all he thought about was Go. Playing and studying Go - that was his passion, what filled his thoughts these days. Why couldn't he see the other things around him that weren't tied to that game? It wasn't that she hated the game, in fact she enjoyed it quite a lot. Still, there was a certain resentment for Go as it had stolen Hikaru away from her. And Touya Akira! Who is that boy to Hikaru? Hikaru has known Akari for his whole lifetime, but yet, even while recalling his childhood memories, he couldn't help including this Toya. Akari took a deep breath and exhaled. Go was his great love, something that nothing and no one could replace within his heart. And Touya Akira is something undetachable to Hikaru's Go world. Akari wondered whether his heart had room for anything, or anyone, else…