Chapter Two: Koubai - Red Plum Blossoms
"Akira?"
"Did someone call me?" Akira had distantly heard the sound of the telephone from his room, where he had been putting on his clothing. The tie would just not lie flat...
"Not exactly... it was your mother. She recently talked to the principal of your school."
"My grades are fine," defended Akira. "I make up any work that I miss during tournaments, and my teachers said..."
"No, no, it's not that." Touya Kouyo sat down in one of the plain kitchen chairs, gesturing for Akira to also sit. "You know how your mother is." He smiled, a rare sight for the grim-faced former professional whose stony demeanor was as legendary as his amazing skill. "She worries about you.. so does the school. It's not your grades. If anything, you keep remarkably good marks for someone who misses so much school."
"Then... what is it?" Akira was fully aware that his life was somewhat abnormal. Being a fourteen-year-old professional Go player was really only the start of it. Having Touya Kouyo, the one-time holder of 5 prestigious Go titles who recent retirement was the subject of media controversy, for a father only added to his problems.
Touya Kouyo knew he wasn't much of a father. Outside of playing Go, there was really nothing that he knew of to do with his strange, silent son. So, he threw all of his passion for playing into grooming his son into the competent pro-level player that he was today. He wondered, though, if that was enough for Akira. It hadn't been enough for Akiko... There were no harsh feelings between him and his more-or-less estranged wife. If anything, they remained close in the rearing of their son, although Akiko had been sharing a flat with her older sister for the past three years. "I know I'm second in your heart, Kouyo" was all the explanation she ever gave for leaving. When he reassured her that there was no other woman, she said she would have been relieved if it was only another woman. Women have ways of competing against each other. Against that all-encompassing game that some thought of as a pastime, others a lifestyle; they both knew that she had lost. Like in Go, it was better to resign than to fight a bitter, losing battle to the end. Akira was the remainder, always shuffled back and forth like something no one wanted.
"People are concerned about you. You never show any interest in people your own age. If you backed off from a few teaching engagements, no one would fault you - you're a young boy, not an old man like your father." Akira's face was blank and his mouth set in a hard line, the very picture of his father.
"I'm... content. The pros are more than enough, I don't need people my own age..."
"Akira!" interjected the Meijin sharply.
"I mean what I said, father..."
"I know you do." Akira's mask faltered a little in surprise. "But I also know how I felt when I was your age. It's a lonely world, this life, with only old men and the ghosts of past masters living in it. Sooner or later the loneliness works its way in until it becomes a part of you, and destroys a part of you. You know... your mother and I... we did love each other, but there was always something between us." Touya Kouyo sighed. Akira light tapped his fingertips against the table in consternation.
"I... I don't need anyone else," he muttered irritably.
"Akira... in the end, Go is only a game. There are more important things." The former Meijin began to walk back to the other end of the house, thinking to do a bit of reading. Akira scowled at the tabletop as if all of his uncertainties lie within the wood grain to be stamped out by the fingertips pressing hard into it. "And by the way, Akira - that Shindou boy called. There's some kind of cultural festival going on at the shrine near his school, and he wondered if you would want to help out. You should go."
"But Father..." began Akira, stalling. "We always play a game in the mornings."
"If you go, I'll record it as a win." Akira stared morosely out the window. At least he could make the best out of a bad situation.
Useful Japanese section!
Koubai - "Red Plum Blossoms" is the title of chapter 43 from "The Tale of Genji" Meijin - It's one of Akira's dad's many titles, for winning the Meijin tournament. You probably know that... but sometimes people think it's his given name! His real given name is Kouyo.
"Akira?"
"Did someone call me?" Akira had distantly heard the sound of the telephone from his room, where he had been putting on his clothing. The tie would just not lie flat...
"Not exactly... it was your mother. She recently talked to the principal of your school."
"My grades are fine," defended Akira. "I make up any work that I miss during tournaments, and my teachers said..."
"No, no, it's not that." Touya Kouyo sat down in one of the plain kitchen chairs, gesturing for Akira to also sit. "You know how your mother is." He smiled, a rare sight for the grim-faced former professional whose stony demeanor was as legendary as his amazing skill. "She worries about you.. so does the school. It's not your grades. If anything, you keep remarkably good marks for someone who misses so much school."
"Then... what is it?" Akira was fully aware that his life was somewhat abnormal. Being a fourteen-year-old professional Go player was really only the start of it. Having Touya Kouyo, the one-time holder of 5 prestigious Go titles who recent retirement was the subject of media controversy, for a father only added to his problems.
Touya Kouyo knew he wasn't much of a father. Outside of playing Go, there was really nothing that he knew of to do with his strange, silent son. So, he threw all of his passion for playing into grooming his son into the competent pro-level player that he was today. He wondered, though, if that was enough for Akira. It hadn't been enough for Akiko... There were no harsh feelings between him and his more-or-less estranged wife. If anything, they remained close in the rearing of their son, although Akiko had been sharing a flat with her older sister for the past three years. "I know I'm second in your heart, Kouyo" was all the explanation she ever gave for leaving. When he reassured her that there was no other woman, she said she would have been relieved if it was only another woman. Women have ways of competing against each other. Against that all-encompassing game that some thought of as a pastime, others a lifestyle; they both knew that she had lost. Like in Go, it was better to resign than to fight a bitter, losing battle to the end. Akira was the remainder, always shuffled back and forth like something no one wanted.
"People are concerned about you. You never show any interest in people your own age. If you backed off from a few teaching engagements, no one would fault you - you're a young boy, not an old man like your father." Akira's face was blank and his mouth set in a hard line, the very picture of his father.
"I'm... content. The pros are more than enough, I don't need people my own age..."
"Akira!" interjected the Meijin sharply.
"I mean what I said, father..."
"I know you do." Akira's mask faltered a little in surprise. "But I also know how I felt when I was your age. It's a lonely world, this life, with only old men and the ghosts of past masters living in it. Sooner or later the loneliness works its way in until it becomes a part of you, and destroys a part of you. You know... your mother and I... we did love each other, but there was always something between us." Touya Kouyo sighed. Akira light tapped his fingertips against the table in consternation.
"I... I don't need anyone else," he muttered irritably.
"Akira... in the end, Go is only a game. There are more important things." The former Meijin began to walk back to the other end of the house, thinking to do a bit of reading. Akira scowled at the tabletop as if all of his uncertainties lie within the wood grain to be stamped out by the fingertips pressing hard into it. "And by the way, Akira - that Shindou boy called. There's some kind of cultural festival going on at the shrine near his school, and he wondered if you would want to help out. You should go."
"But Father..." began Akira, stalling. "We always play a game in the mornings."
"If you go, I'll record it as a win." Akira stared morosely out the window. At least he could make the best out of a bad situation.
Useful Japanese section!
Koubai - "Red Plum Blossoms" is the title of chapter 43 from "The Tale of Genji" Meijin - It's one of Akira's dad's many titles, for winning the Meijin tournament. You probably know that... but sometimes people think it's his given name! His real given name is Kouyo.