Distress due to Love
(1) Hikaru's Girlfriend


Inside the institution of Go

"If you moved like this at that time, the situation would have been different!"
"I see."
"Really?"
"Yes, yes. Touya! Just let me pass, OK?" Touya is always so serious, Hikaru tells himself secretly, while adjusting his sitting posture to ensure himself more comfortable.

It has been seven years since his real match with Touya Akira. They've never stopped quarrelling during discussion over Go. How long would this situation last? May be a lifetime --a lifetime, which sounds to be the phrase used between the lovers.
The lovers?! Hikaru begins to find him forget something important. He grasps his head, hoping himself can remember. However, nothing comes into his mind.

"Let's begin another Game, OK? I'll play black this time." Touya suggests.
"OK!" Hikaru decides to play Go first, and to put the 'important but forgotten' things aside.

Akira just puts the fist black stone on the Goban when Waya hurried in and cries out to Hikaru, "Oh, Shindou, You told me to remind you that Akari would wait for you outside the institution of Go at 3:00 this afternoon, but I did not remember until now!"
"Ah!" Hikaru finally remembers what he has forgotten, "Waya, how could you have forgotten such important thing! I'll be killed this time! Akari will be absolute angry…" so will be Kaga -- swallowing the horrible phrase, begins to think about his miserable density.
"What you should do know is to go out to meet her as soon as possible, and then try your best to make her happy so that she can forgive you!" Waya pulls Hikaru away from his seat and push him out of the room immediately.

"Are you sure it will be alright?" Hikaru till can't help worrying.
"Girls are easy to treat. The only thing you need to do is to compliment her and then everything will be OK." Waya comforts his worried friend vaguely.
"Really?" Hikaru asked uncertainly.
"Yes, yes." Waya kept promising Hikaru that everything will be OK.

Watching Hikaru pulled away by Waya who acts like a storm, the only thing Touya can do is lowering his head and looking at the lonely black stone he has put one the Goban until a smile of self-mockery shows off on his face. Shindou is dating with his girlfriend; as he has told himself before, such situation would occur sooner or later, doesn't it? He has been preparing a lot for this situation, hasn't he? However, how come he still feels hurt?

"Waya, has Shindou got a girlfriend?" Naze's voice comes to Touya's ears at the just moment.
"Yeah, her name is Fujisaki Akari. Shindou and she get to know each other when they were in primary school!" Waya answered.
"Is that Fujisaki girl so awful that Shindou is afraid of her?" Orchi joins the conversation as well.
"No, she is a very kind girl. But sometimes she could be extreme awful for Shindou, especially when Shindou made stupid mistakes. Once, Fujisaki was so mad at Shindou that she even threw stones at him." Waya seems very pleased to tell others such things about Shindou.
"Ah, you know so much about him, Waya!" Isumi says.
"Of course, just consider the relationship between Shindou and me!" Waya replies proudly.

"The relationship… between Shindou… and me?" Touya can not hear any more of Waya's words since he falls in deep thoughts: what's the relationship between Shindou and me?
"Shindou is my internal rival" Touya told himself that from the very beginning and also he believed in that. However, things changes with time. What he wants becomes more than just an internal rival which Shindou is to be. What a wonderful thing it would be if they have not grown up! Touya really wishes time has stopped at seven years before when they first played Go as pros, though that's just a stupid wish, as stupid as him who is sitting here and waiting for the one won't come back today.


Hikaru runs outside of the Insitution of Go.
"Akari, I'm sorry that I'm late!" Hikaru puts the cutest smile on his face so that Akari would forgive him.
"You have been late for half an hour." Akari said emotionlessly. "Just wait for Kaga and Mitani to treat you 'well'!"
"Akari, wait!" Hikaru hurriedly keeps up with the angry girl, "Please cover for me so as to keep Kaga and Mitani from being mad!"
"It has nothing to do with me!" Without looking back at Hikaru, Akari walked directly to the subway station.
Hikaru shakes his head and sighting, "She is becoming as horrible as Touya while being serious…"

"Shindou, how dare you to come late when I was waiting for you!" Kaga grapples Hikaru once the latter comes in the seminar room for the University Go Club.
"That's because…because…" Hikaru tries his best to think out a good excuse.
"Because you played with that Touya Akira and forgot the time, right?" Kaga sounds to be more dangerous.
"Oh, God bless me!" Hikaru says to himself silently, "Touya is the last person Kaga wants to hear about in the world. Kaga seems ready to kill me once I let out the word 'yes'. How can I rescue myself from his anger?"
"Kaga, it's not Hikaru's fault. Since it was I who was late for this meeting and Hikaru waited me." Akari finally rescues Hikaru with her lies.
Kaga knows Akari was lying, but he doesn't want to embarrass the gentle girl. He lets out Shindou and says, "OK, forgive you this time since Akari helps you!"

Hikaru and Akari walks out of the university together after the meeting.
"Hikaru, won't we go home together?" Akari asks strangely.
"Sorry, I still have something to do." Touya should be very angry since he was pulled away when they were playing Go. Although Touya would have been home, Hikaru decides he had better go back to apologize. After all, Touya is much more horrible than Akari during being mad.
"After all, thanks for covering for me today, Akari." Hikaru says to Akari thankfully.
"You're welcome. Just be punctual next time." Akari replied with smile.


Hikaru finally comes back to Go Institution.
"Has Touya left? "Hikaru wonders when he hurries to the room where they played Go. Usually, Touya won't leave until 8:00pm and now is only 7:00pm.
"Touya, I'm sorry that…" The prepared apologetic words stopped as Hikaru find nobody is in that room. A feeling of emptiness comes to Hikaru's heart for some unknown reasons. "I should not be so disappointed since it was me who left first. There's no reason for him to just wait here." Hikaru persuades himself, but he can't help walking towards the Goban they played today. However, Hikaru suddenly stands blankly when he finds what's on the Goban - a lonely black stone stays at the same place as he left this afternoon.