A/N : Chapter 2! I hope I update this fast enough ^^ Well, enjoy!
To Princess-Anime : About the italic words, maybe you should save it in a HTML mode. Hope that can help ^^
Disclaimer : Not mine, believe me…
Warning : Read chapter 1
Words in italic are for thoughts
//Words here// are for Sai's speaking
//Words here in italic// are for Sai's thoughts
Chapter 2 : Landfall
Author : SIB
Akira opened his bedroom's door and entered. Once, he glanced backward and saw the odd man was still following his every step. For he was raised to be a well-mannered boy, albeit his hesitation, Akira let his guest in. The other man gave him a sidelong look but took his invitation nevertheless.
The green-haired boy shut the door closed and sat in front of the stranger who was fascinating his go board. His eyes were sparkling with interest.
//You have played go for a long time, haven't you, Touya?// suddenly he said, a sad smile appeared on the beautiful face. He brought his taper fingers to the board but dared not to touch it. In the other hand, Akira had the opportunity to observe the callused hand, the hand of someone who had dealt with go for the length of his age. Still, the new discovery didn't bring much explanation regarding his father's incapability to see this man.
"Yes, my father has taught me since I was three years old," he answered politely. And there was the problem that his guest seemed to know him rather well while he himself had no memory whatsoever of him.
The stranger chuckled lightly. //He and you are different, like heaven and earth, yet I come to you eventually.//
Akira listened at the obscure words silently since he didn't understand them even a bit. But the unacquainted guest, oblivious of his scrutiny, resumed his chattering. //No matter how far I walk, I always end in go. And you…// the voice faltered, //…you are the third.//
Just what he's talking about, the bewildered boy drowned in confusion even deeper. Oddly, his guest seemed to know his unuttered question as the feminine face turned to face him. There was a soft understanding smile on the calm countenance.
//Ah, forgive my rudeness. I should remember that you couldn't see me in our previous meetings. My name is Sa-// he stuttered at the mention of the ill-defined syllable. Still, the prevention was too late. Akira didn't miss the awkwardness which suddenly appeared, even though no words came from his mouth. He merely gave a glance from his piercing eyes.
//…Fujiwara,// at last the stranger continued. //My name is Fujiwara.//
"Fujiwara-san," Akira repeated carefully. The other man nodded. "So, how do you- no, why can't my father see you and I can that time?" He felt uneasy to ask such an odd question.
Meanwhile, Sai stared at the boy in front of him with mild interest. //He is so different from Hikaru, so calm and composed. He did not even shout or yell when I appeared so suddenly in front of him. I wonder how my life will change if I'm beside him, to think that I was with the loud Hikaru…//
"Fujiwara-san?" Instantly, Sai was pulled out of his reveries by the soft-spoken words. When his eyes made contact with Akira's green one, he could not help but marveling this young man's beauty, when at the same moment, he was also handsome. The white pure hand, taper fingers, perfectly sculpted face, and the gentle soothing voice were one to count. Not to mention the undefiled soul which seemed to glow from within him. No wonder Hikaru always took quite a time if his thought was dancing around this particular guy.
"Fujiwara-san?" the confused boy repeated.
"Ah, yes, Touya-kun," the specter promptly answered as inwardly he sighed at the long explanation he was about to narrate. Three times of it would be enough to make any storyteller bored. "Actually, I lived in the Heian Period…"
* * *
"Where is Akira?" The 10-dan Ogata asked to his sensei, while the other members of the study session were busily discussing a game which had just been finished. The absence of the go-lover boy seemed to protrude clearly in the small club, considering it was held in the house where he lived.
The former Meijin sighed and answered, "He is upstairs, he ran from me after I asked him something. It appeared that he was talking to someone here but there was no one in my sight."
"You mean, he talked to himself, Sensei?" The younger man cautiously inquired.
"I don't know," the father replied, still with indefinite concern in his deep voice, "he was just staring at this go board, as something was there."
"This board?" The 10-dan player repeated in confusion, "Didn't you say this was a Honinbou Shuusaku's board?" His teacher just nodded as an acknowledgement.
"Well, let's just hope our Akira won't be a weird boy like that Shindou," Ogata commented with a chuckle, "He often talks to himself, I know that, mumbling incoherently to no one. And about that Sai too…" with the final words, he spared a glance at the former meijin who was too occupied by his own thoughts to make any response.
* * *
It was practically weird, especially for an introvert guy like Akira to welcome someone who would haunt and stalk him every now and then, even when he slept. Just like the predicament he was in now. Unable to close his tired eyelids, Akira stared blankly at the quiet ghost who was sitting motionlessly in front of his go board. The unremitting sadness was still there, hovering over as it was glued to the feminine face.
What can possibly bring him here, was the question which bothered him unstintingly. Despite the go ability the late man possessed of course.
His thought crawled to their game which occurred right after Fujiwara had finished his long story. Being a curious professional go player, it was hard for Akira to decline his offer of playing one game. From Fujiwara's words, he seemed worth enough to be a decent opponent.
As the surprise he had received for the day wasn't adequate, the specter was proved to be a high skilled player. Moreover, his every move reminded him of Sai. Those new ideas bothered him so that it was hard to maintain the rate of concentration he needed. No wonder the 3-dan lost miserably and he was too ashamed to ask a rematch.
//You are not that bad, you know,// suddenly Fujiwara's voice rang through the dark quiet room. The statement made Akira look at him uneasily. I forget that he can read my mind…
"My loss? You do know it was terrible, Fujiwara-san. All you have to do is to admit it and do not worry that I will despise you due to your honesty. Even a beginner dan can do a lot much better than I did."
The older man smiled slightly, //I see you make a very strict limitation on yourself, Touya-kun. But sometimes we need to loose ourselves. Being too serious will not make you a better go player, mark my words.//
"You think so?" Akira said thoughtfully. The ghost nodded.
//There are lots of things beside go that can be fun, even for you. Don't encage yourself between these walls, Touya-kun, no one wants that from you. Beside, your adolescence is too precious to waste. You will not experience it for the second time.//
The boy shifted his body and lay flat on his back, his gleaming eyes were directed to the ceiling, "Even if you say it, this is the way I live and presumably will still be. Go is the only thing I have, the only thing I know, and," his stare was brought back to his new companion, "the only thing I love."
//So does it for me,// Fujiwara stated, //why do you think I appear from a go board? Still,// he resumed in a more subdued tone, //I can see life from a different point of view, thanks to someone.//
Akira's gaze softened at these words. He may be weird, but I guess we can get along well.
"You really love Go that much?" the curious boy asked.
The specter smiled again, brighter this time, //As deep as your love for it, Touya-kun. If you die, I guess you will occupy another board as well. And talking about weird, I think you are as much as a weirdo as I am.// With those words, he grinned mischievously.
In return, Akira gave him a sheepish smile, "Maybe, who knows?"
There was a silence filling the bedroom as Akira's thought drifted to his timetable for the next day. Looking at the seemed so lonely ghost, he suggested hesitantly, "Fujiwara-san, tomorrow I will have a go match. So if you don't mind, what about coming with me?"
No trace of the previous mature impression was left on the beautiful face as soon as Akira spoke his idea. In a blink of an eye, the specter had knelt beside his bed, too excited by the news. //Really, Touya-kun? I can come with you tomorrow!?//
Flabbergasted by the sudden exchange, the younger boy could only nod. After receiving the approval, Fujiwara bounced happily around the room, despite it had been late of night. Seeing the unusual but amusing scene, Akira silently laughed let his new friend to celebrate his happiness. He lay back on the bed and sighed. Tomorrow I will show him what I am capable of. I don't need those soothing words, I only want him to acknowledge me.
Akira lifted his hand and unintentionally, his thought drifted to another matter of acknowledgement. A face of a young boy seemed to be imprinted on his palm that he could almost see it as clear as a mirror. When will I acknowledge you if you keep running away?
TBC