Hikaru gulped at the request.

"Shindou, please," the man begged, noticing his hesitancy.

The pro's eyes wandered a bit and said, "I'll have to talk to him first."

"Last time, you said Sai really wanted to play me and you were the one who begged me. Has he lost complete interest in me already after I've lost to him? I don't care if it's online and I promise I won't ask for his name and ..." Touya panicked, but tried to hide it. He was quite desperate to play Sai, just like how Akira used to go through so much trouble in order to play Hikaru.

"No, I just haven't talked to him in a long time, Sensei," Hikaru explained and suggested, "How about I contact you after I've talked to him?"

Touya Koyo paused and thanked him, "I look forward to your good news then." Hikaru stood there for a while after the man left, then decided to go back to Torichirou's room and discuss this with them.

He knocked on the door once again before letting himself in. "Tori-" He then realized that the boy lying in the bed was asleep. Hikaru shrugged and was about to leave, but stopped midway.

"Sai? You listening?" The pro asked quietly the practically empty room.

"Yes, I am, Hikaru!" Sai replied enthusiastically, as if he could still hear him. The ghost slowly frowned as he noticed the unchangeable expression on the boy's face.

"Well if you are, listen up. I bumped into Touya Sensei outside just now. He said he wants to play a game with you again," Hikaru said, eyes wandering every corners in the room, not quite sure where Sai might be standing.

"Really?? Yeah, Hikaru! You're the best!" Sai ran toward his previous host and made an attempt to hug him, but his arms went right through the pro's body. The ghost blinked and pouted unhappily.

Hikaru, still standing still and unaware of Sai's unsuccessful attempt, said, "Tell Torichirou to give me a call, alright? Later." He turned around and left.

"Bye, Hikaru," Sai whispered. The word made the man even more depressed. He never used to have to say "Bye" to Hikaru, since they had never separated. The one and only time he said the word was when he disappeared two years ago. From now on, however, Sai knew that he might have to get used to seeing the pro depart while leaving him behind. The door closed with a click.

* * * * * *

"Hikaru?"

"Torichirou, how are you feeling?" The blond asked. It's been almost a week since he had visited the boy at the hospital. Hikaru almost thought he would never receive this call, since he hadn't for so many days.

"I'm fine. Mom wouldn't let me check out from the hospital since she's a huge worrier," came the reply.

"Well, all mothers are like that," Hikaru commented.

"I'm free this Saturday, Hikaru," Torichirou finally got to the main topic. "Are you?"

"Me? What does it have to do with me?" Hikaru saw himself as only an organizer. All he had to do was to arrange the time of the game and make sure both parties would be available at the agreed time. He wasn't Sai's host anymore, so he figured that he needed not to be there during the game.

"Sai wants you to be here with him," Torichirou answered with a slight tone of jealousy. "He wants you to watch the game."

"I can watch it online."

"You know it's different," the other end simply said and Hikaru knew it was true. Seeing the each stone appearing on the goban online abruptly and actually seeing the cursor of the mouse move to the destined intersection were by far two different feelings.

"How about one o'clock? We can grab lunch first, then we'll play?" Hikaru suggested.

"Great, see you then!"

"Wait! I need to confirm it with Touya Sensei first to make sure he's fine with the time too. Give me your number just in case, and your address," Hikaru jotted down the information on a piece of scrap paper, and hung up. He then went upstairs to grab his phonebook, and returned to the phone within a minute.

*Ring Ring*

"Touya's residence," Akira answered.

"Touya?"

"Shindou," Akira sounded quite surprised that Hikaru would call. Hikaru never called. "How are you?"

"Great, is your dad home?" he sounded like he didn't want to talk to the other boy.

"My father? Yes," Akira sounded a little disappointed that this only time his rival called was to talk to his father rather than himself, but he kept his manner. "Please hold on."

Hikaru then heard footsteps quickly approaching the phone. "Shindou?" Touya Koyo's anticipated voice came through the line.

"I've arranged a time, Touya Sensei. I just want to make sure you are fine with it."

"Anytime's fine with me," The man assured him gratefully.

"Saturday at one?"

"Thank you very much, Shindou," Touya smiled in relief that Sai was willing to play against him again.

"Umm, just to make sure you remember, same rules apply. Please don't let anyone know about my connection with Sai," Hikaru pleaded.

"Of course," he promised. "Not even my son."

"Well, he knows, and two other people excluding you, but that's about it."

"He does?" the man was a little surprised that his son knew about it. He supposed that Akira would, given that they are rivals. "Well, thanks again, Shindou. I'll be online at one."

* * * * * *

Saturday finally came. Akira noticed that his father had been exceptionally quiet in the past few days, ever since he got off the phone with Hikaru. As his father put down the chopsticks on the table after he was done with lunch, Akira could not hold back his worries and curiosity any longer. "Father! What did Shindou call you for?"

Across the table, Touya Koyo closed his eyes for several seconds with his arms crossed as the grandfather clock on the wall ticked endlessly. "It's time," he simply said and stood up to leave. Akira followed immediately to his den without any further questions. When he saw the man sat in front of the computer and connected to the Internet, the boy remained silent. He knew what was going on.

The gray-haired man waited patiently for Sai to come on. He had looked forward to this for years. He could finally play the legendary Sai again. It did not matter whether he would win or lose, the most important thing was the process of the game, the satisfaction of how excellently your opponent would respond to each and every single move of yours and vice versa.


A/N: Sorry to disappoint you, but ... I'm... not ... planning...to...write...about...the...match. *dodge tomatoes and eggs* It doesn't matter who wins or loses, right? But you know what? I think Sai would win...or maybe a tie. But anyhow, I won't write about who the winner would be. In the next chapter, things are probably gonna get wrapped up. Ya, I think the next chap's gonna be the FINALE.