*******************
Title: Hikaru's New Look
Chapter 2: Searching for a Cure
Author: Inuyasha
*******************
Warnings: Spoilers. After Hikaru has become a Pro. Touya Meijin has
retired, but Sai is still around. Shounen-ai. The rating will be raised in
later chapters. There is also some cursing.
Disclaimer: Hikaru no Go does not belong to me.
Sai experiments with his 'mystic power stuff' and ends up changing Hikaru into a .. what?! Is the change permanent? And what fun is going to be had because of it? *******************
Hikaru rolled onto his stomach and pillowed his head in his arms. His ears twitched as the fine hairs came in contact with the pillow. He could clearly feel the weight of his tail against his leg. He cursed and swung out of bed.
Morning had come and still there was no change.
Hikaru grumbled as he dressed. He tucked his tail through the belt loops of his jeans and scrounged around his room for a hat. "C'mon Sai, time to do some work."
Sai's eyes gleamed in the morning light. "We're going to play go?" His eyes shined happily.
Hikaru finally found a black baseball cap and stuffed it over his feline ears. He frowned at Sai. "Is that all you can think about? We're going to the library."
They left the house after writing a note to Hikaru's mother. Sai trailing after Hikaru, sulking.
***********************
Hmm... ghosts, ghosts, ghosts. Hikaru walked through the aisles of books. Anything in there about people turning into cats? He'd been searching for two hours already. Turning up anything he could find about Shape-shifters, Ghosts, Magical Beings, and Mystical Powers. Nothing.
He went back to the table where he had been reading and picked up the stack of books he'd read through. There was nothing here. Time to figure something else out.
"Try asking your friends." Sai suggested beside him.
Hikaru gave him a Look. And say what? He asked mentally. Do you know anyway to reverse a curse a ghost has given you? One that turns you into a neko?
"It's just a suggestion. And it isn't a curse." Sai muttered. "It is a..."
Hikaru raised an eyebrow at him. A misunderstanding? He said sarcastically.
Sai made faces at him as they walked down the street.
"So where are we going to now?" The robed man asked.
"I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday. I'm STARVING. Unlike you I need to eat something!" Hikaru dramatically staggered into the nearest ramen shop.
Then stopped in surprise. "Touya!" Hikaru blinked.
Touya Akira looked up from his meal. "Shindo?"
"Hey!" Hikaru slid onto the bench across from him. "What are you doing here?"
Touya raised an eyebrow eloquently. "Eating."
"Oh, well, yeah." Hikaru felt himself blush. Being around Touya always made him feel stupid. Therefore, he said stupid things. "Me too." He smacked himself mentally.
He ordered a beef ramen from the waitress. An awkward silence passed and he wondered why exactly he chose to sit with his rival.
Duh, he mentally berated himself, just because he's my rival doesn't mean I don't like him. He seems like a real nice guy, but I haven't seen him hanging around with anyone else. I wonder why?
"So what are your plans for the day?" Hikaru blurted out suddenly.
Touya blinked. "I don't really have any."
"I was thinking of going over to the Go Institute and playing Waya and the others. You wanna come?" He asked without thinking.
"Why are you asking me?" Touya questioned.
Hikaru shrugged.
"Ok then." He returned to eating his noodles while deep in thought. What does Shindo want from me? Is he trying to be friendly with me? I thought we were rivals. Doesn't matter. I'll figure out what he's up to eventually, meanwhile it'll be a good chance to study his go.
The rest of the meal passed in silence.
**********************
They passed through the glass doors of the Go Institute and took off their shoes. Hikaru could already pick out the voices of his friends and smiled.
They walked side by side into the room. "Waya!" Hikaru waved when he saw his friend look up from where he was studying a fellow pro's game.
"Hikaru." Waya smiled, but his lips froze once he saw Touya.
"C'mon Touya." Hikaru tugged at the other boy's sleeve as they walked over to Waya. "Waya, let's play! Where's Ochi? He can play Touya."
"Iie. I'll just watch this game." Touya replied calmly. His eyes pierced through Hikaru with his stare. "I want to see your strength."
Hikaru grinned at the challenge. I'll show you yet, Touya. He declared to himself. I'm catching up to you. I'm in the pro world now. It's only a matter of time...
Waya clenched his teeth and sat down in the chair across from Hikaru. Timers ready, set for 2 hours. They began.
****************
Touya watched as the intensity of the game grew. Eyes focused single mindedly on the board, all three felt that the end was near.
Waya grit his teeth. Hikaru had gotten stronger since he last played him. Well so had he dammit! He wouldn't be beaten easily.
Hikaru concentrated only on the game. Predicting the moves of his opponent far ahead in the game. Waya had gotten better, but he was confident he would win.
Touya watched stoicly as Waya placed his stone. Good hand. Hikaru immediately replied with his own. Touya's eyes widened. Shindo had come up from behind in an absolutely amazing hand.
Waya bowed his head. "I have lost." A 3 and a half moku win.
Hikaru leaned over the board, pointing out a few small things then sat back with a smile. "Wow Waya, you've gotten much stronger since we played in the pro prelims."
Waya chuckled good-naturedly. "So have you! Geez, you must study twice as hard as me." He winked. "Or be extra lucky."
Hikaru stuck out his tongue and pulled down on his eyelid.
"That's attractive." Waya rolled his eyes while putting away his stones.
"I know." Hikaru laughed and cleaned up also. "Touya, you wanna play?"
"Yes please." Touya replied as polite as ever.
Waya vacated his seat. "Hey Hikaru, what up with the hat anyway? I never seen you wear one before."
He straightened up in his chair nervously. "Uh, well..."
"What's the matter? Got a bad haircut?" A mischievious look entered the brunettes eyes.
"Um.. yeah. Real nasty." Hikaru answered with a small laugh.
Waya grinned mentally and did what good friends did. He created a sinister plot to embarrass his friend. Devious thoughts entered his head. I wonder if he got one of those horrible buzz cuts.
"Please." Hikaru began.
"Please." Touya smoothly echoed.
The first stone was placed and the battle began in earnest.
*****************
They had been playing for two hours already. They had decided to forego the clocks, just as when they first played against each other. They were deep into yose when Touya chanced a glance at his rival.
His breath caught in his throat. Those intense green eyes stared at the board with determination. There was a longing in those eyes. Touya realized that the boy across him was looking for recognition. He smiled slightly. There was an odd feeling in his gut that he didn't have a name for.
Suddenly those eyes were looking into his own with confusion. Touya snapped his head down to the board with a start. He had been staring! He must look like a fool now.
Hikaru blinked at the smile that ghosted across his rivals lips and couldn't help but smile in return. He felt something inside of him melt slowly into a warm puddle. He felt his cheeks heat up and bowed his head. Ack, why am I blushing?! Good thing Touya didn't notice. What's wrong with me today? He rolled his eyes at that thought. Other than the obvious neko additions that is.
Waya took the pause in the game as his cue to intervene.
Hikaru paled deathly white in fright as his cap was pulled of.
Disclaimer: Hikaru no Go does not belong to me.
Sai experiments with his 'mystic power stuff' and ends up changing Hikaru into a .. what?! Is the change permanent? And what fun is going to be had because of it? *******************
Hikaru rolled onto his stomach and pillowed his head in his arms. His ears twitched as the fine hairs came in contact with the pillow. He could clearly feel the weight of his tail against his leg. He cursed and swung out of bed.
Morning had come and still there was no change.
Hikaru grumbled as he dressed. He tucked his tail through the belt loops of his jeans and scrounged around his room for a hat. "C'mon Sai, time to do some work."
Sai's eyes gleamed in the morning light. "We're going to play go?" His eyes shined happily.
Hikaru finally found a black baseball cap and stuffed it over his feline ears. He frowned at Sai. "Is that all you can think about? We're going to the library."
They left the house after writing a note to Hikaru's mother. Sai trailing after Hikaru, sulking.
***********************
Hmm... ghosts, ghosts, ghosts. Hikaru walked through the aisles of books. Anything in there about people turning into cats? He'd been searching for two hours already. Turning up anything he could find about Shape-shifters, Ghosts, Magical Beings, and Mystical Powers. Nothing.
He went back to the table where he had been reading and picked up the stack of books he'd read through. There was nothing here. Time to figure something else out.
"Try asking your friends." Sai suggested beside him.
Hikaru gave him a Look. And say what? He asked mentally. Do you know anyway to reverse a curse a ghost has given you? One that turns you into a neko?
"It's just a suggestion. And it isn't a curse." Sai muttered. "It is a..."
Hikaru raised an eyebrow at him. A misunderstanding? He said sarcastically.
Sai made faces at him as they walked down the street.
"So where are we going to now?" The robed man asked.
"I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday. I'm STARVING. Unlike you I need to eat something!" Hikaru dramatically staggered into the nearest ramen shop.
Then stopped in surprise. "Touya!" Hikaru blinked.
Touya Akira looked up from his meal. "Shindo?"
"Hey!" Hikaru slid onto the bench across from him. "What are you doing here?"
Touya raised an eyebrow eloquently. "Eating."
"Oh, well, yeah." Hikaru felt himself blush. Being around Touya always made him feel stupid. Therefore, he said stupid things. "Me too." He smacked himself mentally.
He ordered a beef ramen from the waitress. An awkward silence passed and he wondered why exactly he chose to sit with his rival.
Duh, he mentally berated himself, just because he's my rival doesn't mean I don't like him. He seems like a real nice guy, but I haven't seen him hanging around with anyone else. I wonder why?
"So what are your plans for the day?" Hikaru blurted out suddenly.
Touya blinked. "I don't really have any."
"I was thinking of going over to the Go Institute and playing Waya and the others. You wanna come?" He asked without thinking.
"Why are you asking me?" Touya questioned.
Hikaru shrugged.
"Ok then." He returned to eating his noodles while deep in thought. What does Shindo want from me? Is he trying to be friendly with me? I thought we were rivals. Doesn't matter. I'll figure out what he's up to eventually, meanwhile it'll be a good chance to study his go.
The rest of the meal passed in silence.
**********************
They passed through the glass doors of the Go Institute and took off their shoes. Hikaru could already pick out the voices of his friends and smiled.
They walked side by side into the room. "Waya!" Hikaru waved when he saw his friend look up from where he was studying a fellow pro's game.
"Hikaru." Waya smiled, but his lips froze once he saw Touya.
"C'mon Touya." Hikaru tugged at the other boy's sleeve as they walked over to Waya. "Waya, let's play! Where's Ochi? He can play Touya."
"Iie. I'll just watch this game." Touya replied calmly. His eyes pierced through Hikaru with his stare. "I want to see your strength."
Hikaru grinned at the challenge. I'll show you yet, Touya. He declared to himself. I'm catching up to you. I'm in the pro world now. It's only a matter of time...
Waya clenched his teeth and sat down in the chair across from Hikaru. Timers ready, set for 2 hours. They began.
****************
Touya watched as the intensity of the game grew. Eyes focused single mindedly on the board, all three felt that the end was near.
Waya grit his teeth. Hikaru had gotten stronger since he last played him. Well so had he dammit! He wouldn't be beaten easily.
Hikaru concentrated only on the game. Predicting the moves of his opponent far ahead in the game. Waya had gotten better, but he was confident he would win.
Touya watched stoicly as Waya placed his stone. Good hand. Hikaru immediately replied with his own. Touya's eyes widened. Shindo had come up from behind in an absolutely amazing hand.
Waya bowed his head. "I have lost." A 3 and a half moku win.
Hikaru leaned over the board, pointing out a few small things then sat back with a smile. "Wow Waya, you've gotten much stronger since we played in the pro prelims."
Waya chuckled good-naturedly. "So have you! Geez, you must study twice as hard as me." He winked. "Or be extra lucky."
Hikaru stuck out his tongue and pulled down on his eyelid.
"That's attractive." Waya rolled his eyes while putting away his stones.
"I know." Hikaru laughed and cleaned up also. "Touya, you wanna play?"
"Yes please." Touya replied as polite as ever.
Waya vacated his seat. "Hey Hikaru, what up with the hat anyway? I never seen you wear one before."
He straightened up in his chair nervously. "Uh, well..."
"What's the matter? Got a bad haircut?" A mischievious look entered the brunettes eyes.
"Um.. yeah. Real nasty." Hikaru answered with a small laugh.
Waya grinned mentally and did what good friends did. He created a sinister plot to embarrass his friend. Devious thoughts entered his head. I wonder if he got one of those horrible buzz cuts.
"Please." Hikaru began.
"Please." Touya smoothly echoed.
The first stone was placed and the battle began in earnest.
*****************
They had been playing for two hours already. They had decided to forego the clocks, just as when they first played against each other. They were deep into yose when Touya chanced a glance at his rival.
His breath caught in his throat. Those intense green eyes stared at the board with determination. There was a longing in those eyes. Touya realized that the boy across him was looking for recognition. He smiled slightly. There was an odd feeling in his gut that he didn't have a name for.
Suddenly those eyes were looking into his own with confusion. Touya snapped his head down to the board with a start. He had been staring! He must look like a fool now.
Hikaru blinked at the smile that ghosted across his rivals lips and couldn't help but smile in return. He felt something inside of him melt slowly into a warm puddle. He felt his cheeks heat up and bowed his head. Ack, why am I blushing?! Good thing Touya didn't notice. What's wrong with me today? He rolled his eyes at that thought. Other than the obvious neko additions that is.
Waya took the pause in the game as his cue to intervene.
Hikaru paled deathly white in fright as his cap was pulled of.