A/N: I'm back. ^__^ *smacks herself* Lazy Fuuko-chan finally gets off her butt to update this... *sighs* Oh, Happy New Year to everyone who celebrates the Lunar New Year!
Disclaimer: HnG is not mine. (I happen to have forgotten HnG's authors' names. -.-;;) I do own Mei Ling and her annoying little brother though.
Thanks to all you reviewers and your comments: Akujunkan, mewmeow, Ayako, Kamitra, ILLK, Kleptomaniac Can Opener (luv the name!), AibouEnjeruAibou, Aeis (glad to know that you like my fic too!), Hirame, Lady Addiction.
Also thanks to Kally-chan for beta-ing this for me. *smiles*
Note: Just to clear up some confusions: "Mei Ling" is not Chinese. She just came to China on an abroad learning program, and so did Akari.
~*~ I'll Be The One ~*~
Chapter 2: The Encounter.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Someone should remind me why the hell I am here again. I gaze at the landing airplanes without really paying attention. One down… one up… people come in… and out… again… Argh, this is so damn annoying…
"…-- please come to Gate 9 immediately…"
I sigh, listening to the announcement with much disappointment. There isn't any news about the flight I want to know about yet… Waiting is what I hate the most in this world… maybe. My brother's flight was delayed again without any announcements until the last minutes, and now I have been waiting here for one good hour.
"Hey, Mei Ling." I turn and see Akari smiling brightly at me as usual, her hands holding two Cokes. "For you." She hands me one and then leans casually against the fence next to me, looking at the up and down airplanes I've been staring at with a strange fascination. The familiar bright smile that is playing on her face seems to lighten up my mood a bit.
Akari is also waiting for someone, and that someone happens to be a certain great Go player of Japan named Shindou Hikaru. Akari was really surprised when I told her that my brother was also coming to China for his Go Tournament. We both guessed that those two would participate in the same tournament, since according to the news, there is only one Go tournament being held this month in Beijing. But that would be impossible, because that tournament is an amateur Go tournament, so Shindou can't be participating since he's already a professional Go player.
We both got kinda confused, so Akari called her friend to clear up the confusion. It turned out that Shindou would only turn up at that tournament as an honorable guest player together with Touya Akira, so this trip is more like holidays for him. Oh, speaking of Touya Akira...
I shift my position, turning my gaze further to the clear blue sky, waiting for the figure of a definite airplane. I find myself unconsciously playing with the cool can in my hands, while my mind is wandering endlessly with thoughts and wonders... Where was I again? Ah yes, Touya Akira - Shindou's eternal rival, as Akari calls him. So this seemingly cold guy is also coming with Shindou. Not that I complain...
I truly feel lucky to get to know these great Japanese Go geniuses in person... but, it's just that... I also feel something wrong nagging at my sense, like a sign of bad luck... Don't even bother telling me that I am too sensitive or superstitious, because I study psychics. But really, I trust my instinct, which is usually right... All the things I've heard about Touya Akira just don't give me a very good impression of him. He always somehow sounds strange and... dangerous to me... Oh well, I guess geniuses are always strange. Distracting myself from those thoughts, I glance at the clock again.
It's already ten o'clock, so I'm not gonna have to wait for long anymore. Shindou's flight arrives at ten, but I told Akari that my brother's flight arrived at nine, so she insisted on coming with me. Now I am really thankful for that, because my brother's flight now arrives at ten as well, by courtesy of the damn delay. Well, that can't be helped...
"Hey, isn't that Hikaru's flight?" Akari suddenly bolts up, her face brightens. I indeed just blink. I guess I didn't hear the announcement since I was busy with my thoughts and not really listening at all. Oh well... I shrug while following Akari into the main hall. There aren't any signs of my brother's flight yet. Damn...
Akari has been bouncing up and down for weeks upon hearing Shindou's trip, so she is really excited for this moment. She continually asks me if she looks all right and what she should prepare for him and all... It's as if she's meeting up with her long-seen boyfriend. Ouch, I would not say that out loud, since Akari would surely beat me up for that. She keeps insisting that there's nothing between her and her childhood friend, though the way she acts kinda makes me curious. Well, I wouldn't know because I have no close childhood friends, would I?
Anyway, I should stop thinking randomly if I don't want to lose sight of Akari in this crowded place... People from the flight have been coming down for their luggage. Alas, and I wish I had thought of that earlier, before I slammed right into someone with a really huge luggage and stumbled backwards. That person was more unlucky than me, for he almost fell backwards because of the weight of his luggage.
"Hikaru!" I suddenly hear Akari's high and... excited voice right behind me. What...? Before I can regain my balance after the impact, she has already... err... practically flew past me towards the guy I've just bumped into. She almost yanks him up in her bouncy excitement. I blink. This guy... has his front locks of hair dyed blond.
"Oi, Hikaru, you're finally here! How are you? Was the flight all right? Do you need to--" Ah right, before I know it, she has babbled on and on to Shindou Hikaru, despite his seemingly dazed state after that impact earlier. I can't help but blush a little. What's with me these days, thinking randomly all the time and bumping into people endlessly... Shindou smiles dismissively at his friend and finally gets back his voice. I notice that his smile is equally bright as Akari's. Oh yeah... shiny people...
"Ah, I'm all right, Akari. Nice to see you again too..."
Shindou Hikaru looks even more handsome than he does in those magazines, that I have to admit. He seems to be the typical happy-go-lucky type of people that have always struck me as weird. He is wearing what can be considered really typical and stylish for any guy at his age: short-sleeved red T-shirt, light blue jeans, sneakers, and a really colorful big rucksack. He is indeed shining, especially with that red T-shirt of his… which hurts my eyes… Did I mention that I hate bright colors? Oh well, he seems nice enough… a friendly guy, I see. Just so much like Akari. I can understand why they can be friends for that long…
"Shindou, I thought I told you not to wander around without any of us knowing." A calm and deep voice suddenly startles me. I look up and see a familiar guy with shoulder-length black hair and piercing eyes. Ah yes, I immediately recognize him as no other one than the infamous Touya Akira, for Shindou Hikaru is right there. And he was indeed scowling at the other guy. I wouldn't really know for what reason though... It's not like what Shindou does matters to him, is it?
"Ah, Touya..." Shindou's bright smile seems to falter a bit... or is it just my own imagination? But really, it's not like anyone could be so cheerful when someone's scowling at them like that, right? Even I feel uncomfortable, although he isn't looking at me.
Touya Akira is obviously the opposite of Shindou. He sounds cold, he looks cold. Damn, he is cold. Too much for a civil person. He is wearing what can be considered my father's favorites: blue grey suits, white shirt underneath, dark tie and all… He looks twice his age, really. But then again, I guess that's not too abnormal for a traditional Go player like him…
"Touya-san, nice to see you again." Akari stops in the middle of her excited fit. She turns and bows slightly at Touya Akira, a friendly smile presenting on her lips as always. Touya looks at the girl in front of him with a bit of surprise.
"Ah... Fujisaki-san..." Touya bows politely at her. Shindou also takes a step forwards to stand next to the guy, his ever-cheerful smile is back into place again. I frown, feeling somehow strange about this. His smile is different from Akari's. Like there is something wrong.... I suddenly realize that all of them have been staring at each other tensely. I knew it, there is something wrong... So I decide to break the tension.
"Shindou-san, I'm really sorry for that accident earlier." I manage my best polite smile and also slightly bow at him.
"Eh, it's all right..." Shindou looks at me with surprise and confusion clearly in his eyes. I grin faintly. His eyes show all of his emotions too well, without any veils at all... so unlike... I snap myself out of my musing. This is not the time for that.
Akari seems to understand her friend's confusion and quickly introduces me.
"Ah, this is Tiao Mei Ling - my best friend here in Beijing. Her brother is also gonna participate in this Go tournament." Akari smiles brightly (as usual) and pulls me near to stand next to her. The typical introduction and "Nice to meet you" are exchanged as always. Even though Touya doesn't really give me the best of impression, at least I still appreciate his politeness. I have almost forgotten about one certain person, until I hear that someone shout out my name. Unfortunately enough, he is right behind me.
"LINH!!! Are you deaf or something?!" The familiar shout nearly has me falling over in shock. I really don't need to turn back to know that the owner of this horrendous shout is indeed my dear brother. How long has he been here? Why didn't I know...?
"When did you land?" I ask him with mild annoyance. I am not annoyed at him, but at myself. Really, I didn't even hear the announcement... There is definitely something wrong with my senses these days... Just as I guessed, my brother stares at me blankly.
"There's definitely something wrong with you, you know." He unconsciously repeats what I am thinking. I sigh, waving off the comment, and that makes my brother stare at me even more weirdly. I turn towards Akari and the two other guys, smiling slightly, and then introduce my brother. The kid seems pretty shocked upon meeting the two Japanese pros. Well, anyone would be.
After settling all the necessary introductions, we head off to the hotel where all the players will stay in. I am a little bit surprised as Shindou isn't carrying any luggage except for his rucksack, but then he smiles and says that Touya is carrying both their stuff because his hands were hurt in an accident back home. That got me even more surprised. Touya, carrying luggage for Shindou Hikaru? Oh, there are many things I don't know about, really… Maybe I shouldn't judge Touya from his looks…
Although the tournament is only one week, my brother has decided to stay for two whole weeks, so I would have plenty of time with him... And it also seems that Shindou would stay a bit longer... I don't know about Touya though, but I guess he'd come back to Japan sooner. He doesn't seem the type for playing around without any real reasons. Little do I know how much I am wrong this time...
~*~*~*~*~*~End Chapter 2~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Okay… maybe I'll stop here. Sorry if it's too short… -.-;; I'll try to write longer next time… maybe. The angst will come in from the next chapter. Somehow my mind has created some really weird ideas… not my fault though… R&R, guys!