Chapter 10: Waning Starlight
~Hikaru~
I sit opposite my opponent for today. Apparently, Wang Shi Chen really wanted to play Aki since he beat Lu Lee last year, so Team China made a last minute switch. Needless to say, not everyone is happy about the idea. The organizers and the public are calling it a lack of sportsmanship because Wang is rather obviously stronger than Chang, but who cares what the world says anyway? Well, anyway, Chang Li Zhe 4-dan is quite a pretty boy, albeit no match for my Aki in that respect. He has black hair and black eyes like most of his countrymen and is one year my junior. Next year will be my last year and his second-last, that is, if he makes it here next year. His long black hair has red, orange and yellow highlights, and his four-coloured braid paints a really interesting picture. His fringe is plain black though, as are his sideburns and I wonder absently which one of his teammates he's with. Okay, so maybe not all guys are gay but still, that seems to be the trend around here. So still I wonder...
We nigiri in silence. He wins black. So Aki's black and Yashiro's white now. The buzzer sounds and I tap my match clock, waiting patiently for him to begin. I will not underestimate my opponent today even if he is weaker than Wang Shi Chen. He lifts a black stone and his hand hovers over the board for a few moments, then he simply drops the stone. It lands on the board and bounces once before landing again and he adjusts its position on the intersection it lands on. 7-9. Everyone, the organizers and the general public are shocked, I note, as my opponent taps his match clock. Everyone looks at me. No one is sure if that was against the rules, since no one has ever done that before, so if I choose to complain, I guess they will declare it a disqualification. I see. Luck. Well, if he wants to play that way, I don't see why we can't make this game a little more interesting, Hokuto Cup or no Hokuto Cup.
I reach for a stone, take it, and flip it like a coin on to the board. 15- 8. I adjust the position before looking up at him with a grin. He answers my grin with one of his own and holds up five fingers. Right. Five hands based solely on luck. After that, it's skill that counts. Let's see whose luck is better and who can salvage games better. I incline my head agreeably. Life just gets spicier and juicier by the day. He tosses again. 11-5. I almost pity the Goban and stones. 13-7. 5-16. 10-8. 9-12. 4-6. 14- 5. 3-15. Then, he does a hoshi on my lower right and I do a komoku on my upper left. He does a hoshi on my lower left and I respond with a komoku on my upper right. He moves in to attack my upper left corner and I respond by attacking his hoshi on my lower right. Now, let's see how chuban goes.
Evidently, either my luck is much better than his or my coin-flipping skills apply to flipping Go stones as well. My stones are in much better positions than his are. He has a more widespread influence, but they are separated and some of my stones are wedged pretty neatly between them. It's hard for him to connect and easy for me to separate. Aki would be appalled at what we just did; he holds the Goban and Go stones in higher esteem than almost everything else. That's why I said he reminds me of Sai sometimes. They're both pureblooded Go freaks. Li Zhe responds to my attack on his corner. His corner is the only corner that is free from the stones we dropped and is thus the only one suited for the usage of joseki since there are no interfering stones. I begin one of Shuusaku's –or rather, Sai's, depending on the perspective- less famous but very effective ones.
About halfway through the sequence, I feel some strange force guiding my hand towards an intersection that isn't part of the original set of moves. Billowing robes... Long wisteria-scented hair... I am so stunned that I actually drop the stone in my fingers back into the tsubo and look up sharply. I crane my neck searching for that memorable, coy knowing smile, for soft long purple hair, for that familiar presence I felt just moments ago, but I cannot find my whiny, Go-obsessed ghost anywhere. I look back at the board. My opponent is staring at me. Sai. I can almost see his fan tapping on the intersection the way it used to when he played with me. Is that where I should go, Sai? Is that what you're trying to tell me? I remember Sai telling me after his game with Aki's father that he had gotten stronger, that he had grown. Is this an improvement to the original joseki, Sai?
I place my stone on the new intersection and watch as my opponent's eyes widen at the deviation. He moves to respond, but hesitates. He is not sure how to respond to this new move. I find my gaze inevitably drawn to a nearby intersection. Is this where you would play against your own move, Sai? Is that the vital point? Li Zhe perpends it for some time and eventually deviates from the joseki as well. Too bad he's wrong though. I immediately play on the vital point and we continue playing. Li Zhe looks distressed. He realizes the improvisation now and how much extra territory it has gained me. I can almost see Sai smiling happily behind his fan, crying tears of happiness just for being able to play Go again. A great game of Go always was like a glimpse of heaven for him. Sai...
I have this corner now, thanks to the improvement Sai saw fit to inspire me on. I know for sure now with supreme conviction that I'm never alone. Sai will always be here. As long as I keep on playing, as long as I keep on walking the path to the Hand of God, he will always be with me. And now, I have Aki too. I don't know... Maybe he is my Hand of God. What do you think, Sai? Will you ever find yours? But I'll keep on walking, keep on searching for the perfect move. I grip my fan tightly. Aki will walk with me, you will walk with me. I'm never alone on this road. And right now, my first step is to win this game. I don't want you to stop smiling, Sai, and I don't ever want Aki to stop smiling either. I love him so much. With that in mind, I respond to Li Zhe's move. We are expanding into the centre and he is trying very hard to make up for the loss in the corner. We both try to connect our stones but his connection is inevitably in the way of mine and I'm only too happy for the extra excuse to cut his. Japan's going to be first this year, just you watch.
~Akira~
Damn, I'm short I think. Half a moku, maybe a bit more. Wang Shi Chen has gotten so much stronger over the last year. Naturally, his yose techniques are flawless. We finish the game and I anxiously proceed almost automatically with Seichi. I move the stones almost mechanically into squares and rectangles disconsolately. Then, I feel hands on my shoulders. From the tentative way in which the touch is placed, I am certain that it is my lover. I sigh as the verdict is announced. Half a moku exactly. Hikaru is going to be so disappointed. I know he wanted me to win. No, it's me really. I wanted to win this game so badly. I'm disappointed in myself. I stand and turn, expecting a slight frown and disappointed eyes in that ever-cheerful sunny smiling face, but when I look up, there is only a soft carefree smile curving his lips and a kind loving warmth in his murky green eyes. I step forward into his arms and let my head rest on his shoulder.
"Need I ask?"
"No," he answers gently. "3.5 moku."
"I'm sorry," I whisper. "It was just one more moku. I'm sorry I couldn't..."
"Shh..." he silences me, wrapping his arms more tightly around me and pulling me closer to him. "It's alright. You don't have to apologise, stupid. I know you tried your best."
In spite of myself, I almost automatically snap back, "I'm not stupid."
He pulls me away slightly to grin at my scowling face. "Yes, Aki-dear, you are."
"Am not." I stick out my tongue at him. That felt so wonderfully immature.
His grin only widens as he messes my hair up a little. "Are to."
"Am not!" I raise my voice slightly.
"Are to!" He raises his voice slightly.
"Am not!!"
"Are to, but I still love you. Now, go check out Yashiro's game for me. I've got someone to rescue," he says, looking over to where the rest of Team China is standing.
I pout and give him a dark look, but don't reply as he saunters off to where our opponents are. Instead, I make my way over to where Yashiro still plays with Chao Shii. Well, well, well... It seems like Yashiro's leading by 2.5 moku. They're in yose now. I smile to myself. Looks like we get to be first after all. We've won, Hikaru, we've won it together! I feel tears of joy springing to my eyes. I look up to where the Hokuto Cup is standing. It's ours this year, Hikaru! It's ours this year! We finally did it, Hikaru. Finally, we did it.
~Hikaru~
I look back to see my lover gazing happily at the Hokuto Cup with tears of joy in his eyes and I know that Yashiro's won. We're first this year!! I feel a burst of elation wash over me as I finally arrive at where Yang Hai- san is probably busy biting Li Zhe's head off over the whole lucky five hands issue, seeing as how he is yelling at pretty four-toned-haired boy and all.
"Yang Hai-san, what's all the screaming about?" I ask innocently.
"You! How could you go along with him?" he bellows the question in Japanese.
"It was such an interesting game."
"What if he starts doing stuff like this at other tournaments? Not all his opponents are crazy gay Japanese kids, you know."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure he knows the type to try that sort of thing with. Don't you, Li Zhe?"
The Chinese kid grins gratefully and nods.
"See? Bet he looked at me once and knew I liked spicing up games."
Li Zhe nods encouragingly again.
"Well, I don't ever want you to do that again, crazy opponent or no crazy opponent. Do you understand me, Li Zhe?!" Yang Hai tells him imperiously.
The Chinese boy just grins sheepishly and nods.
"Good."
"Yang Hai-san, you mind if I borrow him a minute?" I drag my recent opponent off without waiting for the team manager's reply.
"Thanks a tonne for saving me from Yang Hai-san. He was so going to kill me," Li Zhe says in slightly accented Japanese, scratching his head and chuckling nervously with a sheepish grin on his rather heart-shaped face.
He looks so cute, but I still think Aki's cuter. My lover would be proud. I am so loyal to him. "You do realize that it's only temporary; he still has the entire night and journey home to attempt murdering you," I inform him.
The look of dread that passes briefly over his face would have done a horror movie director proud. "Well, at least I have a few more hours to live then," he says brightly. "He could have killed me right there and then just now if you hadn't come by to rescue me." He laughs.
"Optimism. That's good. Say, I was just wondering, are you taken?"
At this, he blushes. "Ah... Yes."
"Don't get me wrong; so am I, but I was just curious... Uh... Who's your... lover?" I decide not to assume that he's gay and stick to a more unisexual term.
He blushes even redder. "Uh... I... Well... He's still playing." He averts his gaze nervously.
I glance to where the game tables are. Yashiro and Chao Shii are still at it. "Chao Shii?"
The four-toned-haired boy nods, still looking away.
I giggle softly. "Well, well... Who would have thought? Cradle snatcher."
"I... He's sixteen!" Li Zhe protests defensively. "I'm sixteen! What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing. I was just teasing you." I laugh. "You didn't have to get all defensive. I'm just a year older. You two make a really cute pair."
Li Zhe goes as red as a ripe strawberry. "I... Well..." He's at a loss for words.
I grin. "If you take everything I say seriously, you'd go crazy before you know it."
He laughs at that. "You sound like me. Other people are just so serious all the time!" he complains. "I learned to take almost everything people say seriously because there are too few people like us."
I chuckle at that. "I know! You know, I think we'll make great friends. I just sort of knew it when I looked at you. You just seem the type I'd like to hang out with," I enthuse cheerfully with a sunny smile. "Interesting."
"Yeah!" he gushes. "Let's!!" He holds out his hand.
I take it in my own and give it a hard shake and squeeze.
"Ow!!" he yelps in pain, before glaring at me balefully.
Just then, the verdict of Yashiro's game is announced. He won by 2.5 moku! The 2-1 win is declared and Japan is proclaimed winner of the Hokuto Cup. I grin at Li Zhe's defeated look and we both go over to the game table. Chao Shii steps into Li Zhe's comforting embrace and I congratulate an ecstatic Yashiro. I know how important winning this tournament is to him. If it was something international, it could finally mean something to his parents. They probably won't accept his relationship with Tatsura when they find out either, no matter how much they presently like Tatsura for his religious affiliations and international work as an interpreter. They don't approve of his other job, but they think he's a nice enough youth and a very independent and responsible person apparently. In any case, where Tatsura is concerned, Yashiro has decided that he doesn't care if his parents don't approve. If they object, he'll just move in with Tatsura since he's already financially independent.
Done congratulating Yashiro, I turn to my waiting lover, my beautiful Aki. He nearly jumps into my arms and throws his arms around me happily. I know he really wanted to win this with me. I wanted to win this with him too. My precious Aki... He looks so full of life, overjoyed and loving. Is he really going to die? I vehemently push away the depressing thoughts. This is supposed to be a joyous event, a cause for celebration. I shouldn't be thinking about that. I've been making sure he takes his medication, reminding him when he forgets and stuff, but even the doctor says the surgery is tough. What if...? I shove the thoughts away again, concentrating instead on holding him close. I love him so much, my beloved Akira.
"I love you," I whisper to him. "Touya Akira. My rival, my lover, my sweet, sweet jerk."
"You'd better," he tells me in a soft but imperious voice.
"Why?"
"Because I..." His voice falters. "I..."
I understand. He's thinking about it too. "I know. Shh... And I do love you. Always," I whisper back to him.
He pulls away, smiling as Tatsura comes to give Yashiro a congratulatory peck on the cheek before running up to join the organizers and the MC on stage for the closing ceremony. I notice Li Zhe and a very miserable Chao Shii still standing nearby and decide to try being nice.
"There's always next year, you know," I tell them.
Li Zhe translates for Chao Shii as Yashiro snorts. "Easy enough for you to say. You got to skip the qualifiers! At least last year, there were two places free. This year, you two got your places by default due to track record and title and everyone else had to fight an all-out desperate battle to get that final place. It wasn't easy, you know," he informs Aki and I irritably.
Chao Shii didn't get a word of what Yashiro said and Li Zhe is too busy chortling away to translate, so he just nods in response to my earlier statement and cheers up slightly. Seeing his lover's expression brighten a little, Li Zhe decides that it was better left unsaid anyway and Aki concludes that he shouldn't interfere.
Suddenly, someone taps my shoulder and I turn. Su-yon. He smiles wanly. "Congratulations."
"Thank you. Are you staying for the ceremony?" I ask him, curious as to how desperate he is to avoid Young-ha.
"No. I've spoken to the organizers about it, saying I wasn't feeling very well. They reluctantly allowed me to go home."
Okay, very desperate. "Now? You're really going home now?"
"Yeah," he replies tiredly. Either his acting's really great or he really is physically unwell, since he looks so convincing at it. "Here." He hands me a piece of paper. Is tomorrow at three okay? Just show the taxi-driver this address. It's a popular area; there's no way he won't know it."
I nod. "Three is fine. You should go before you're spotted. The ceremony is starting."
He nods. "Bye. See you tomorrow then."
"Bye."
I watch as he disappears into the crowd and then turn to look at Young-ha and Iruf-han at the other side of the room, still oblivious to Su-yon's presence here. The ceremony begins with some speeches, then we all go up on stage to receive the prizes and take pictures with a mock cheque and the other teams. Team Korea isn't happy about not winning. They're probably even less happy about Su-yon's absence. The 'natural' jerk looks mildly distressed even. Team China looks utterly miserable about being dead last, but I think Aki's smile is more than worth it. It's beautiful. To think that soon, I might not be able to see it anymore. I love that dazzling smile, I love those jewelled eyes, I love everything that is Touya Akira. That's why I won't let you go, Aki, ever. I won't let you go.
~Akira~
I am overjoyed. No, that's an understatement. I'm euphoric, ecstatic, elated, over the moon... You name it. We won the Hokuto Cup together! Just like we said we would. I smile at my lover; he looks so happy too. I want him to be happy always, whether or not I'm here, but I think that's kinda hard if he loves me so much. So I won't die; I won't ever leave you, Hikaru.
It's quite late at night after the celebrations and we are all walking back to our rooms on the sixteenth floor. Apparently, all the participants are staying on the same floor, since Team China is behind us. They don't look too happy about losing, but well, we weren't too happy last year either and that's the way it is. Kurata-san is busy trying to annoy the hell out of Yang Hai-san and Ten-son-san again. No, sod that. He doesn't have to try; Kurata-san *is* annoying. The only part of Team Korea that stayed to celebrate was the manager. I wonder where the other two have gone. The others go into their rooms, saying 'goodnight' and a last 'congratulations'. Soon, only Tatsura, Yashiro, Hikaru and I are left, since our rooms are among the furthest down the corridor.
Suddenly, I hear the sound of staggering footsteps behind us and I turn to locate the source of the sound. I turn with the rest to find Iruf-han helping a very drunk Young-ha back to his room. He reeks of sake, or soju, as the Koreans call it and I wonder absently how much he drank during the time we were celebrating. Iruf-han looks up at us briefly, before returning his concentration to the task at hand. I almost pity Young-ha. Almost. I guess he really does love Su-yon a lot. They're just not communicating correctly, that's all. I turn to mind my own business and head back to the room, but Hikaru suddenly pushes past me and walks determinedly towards them.
"Tatsura-san," he says as he walks past, indicating that he should come along to translate.
The older boy follows my lover wordlessly and I tag along. Iruf-han reaches his room door but pauses in the process of opening it as he notices Hikaru's approach.
"What do you want now?" Tatsura translates Iruf-han's virtually hostile words for Hikaru.
I notice Hikaru's eyes flicker briefly towards a very drunk Young-ha who is mumbling incoherently in Korean. "Here." He shows Iruf-han a piece of paper with some neat black hangyul on it. "If he wants to see him, we're meeting Su-yon here tomorrow."
At this, the redhead cracks open an eye. "Su-yon?" he repeats, his words slurred. "Where?" He points at Hikaru. "You're not Su-yon." He laughs mirthlessly, almost in bitterness, I think. "He's gone... Su-yon's gone." He laughs that same bitter laugh again as Tatsura translates for Iruf-han. "He's ill, they said. He lied, I know." He continues to laugh bitterly. "You." He points at Hikaru. "You made him go away... it's your fault he left."
At this point, Tatsura decides he's had enough of Young-ha's drunken ramble and points his finger at a point on the side of the laughing redhead's neck. There is a slight movement of air and then the older Korean slumps to the floor. Iruf-han looks suspiciously at Tatsura. "He's asleep, that's all," the Shougi player tells him reassuringly in Korean. "Ki."
The Korean checks his friend just in case, then nods and takes a last look at the paper, most likely committing the place to memory.
"Give me his cell-phone number in case Su-yon switches last minute. He's pretty desperate to avoid cocky bastard here. He has one, right?" Hikaru continues. I look curiously at my lover, wondering why he is helping the 'natural' jerk, as he calls the redhead.
Tatsura translates for Iruf-han and the other nods. By now, Yashiro has joined us as well. Iruf-han takes the paper and scribbles some numbers on the other side of it. "Why are you doing this?" he asks as he hands the paper back to Hikaru.
Tatsura translates for my boyfriend. His eyes flicker to the redhead's now sleeping figure. "Don't misunderstand. I don't give a damn what happens to this 'natural' jerk here, but I care about Su-yon. He's a friend and I want him to be happy. Can't say I agree with his taste in men, but that's his choice. Tell the jerk to be a bit late, so that we'll be inside the salon and Su-yon can't walk away so easily." Hikaru turns and walks away as Tatsura translates for the other.
I look from Iruf-han to Young-ha to Hikaru's receding back. Yashiro looks questioningly at Tatsura, but his lover isn't being forthcoming. Iruf-han thoughtfully watches Hikaru go and finally turn right and open our room door before turning to carry an unconscious Young-ha into his room. I give the two Koreans one last look and bid Yashiro and Tatsura goodnight before hurrying after Hikaru as Tatsura starts helping Iruf-han carry the redhead in. I find the latch wedged between the door and the doorframe to keep the door open for me. I move it out of the way and let the door click shut. I double-bolt it, latch it, and step into the room. Hikaru's clothes are on the bed and there is light under the closed bathroom door. A moment later, the sound of running water reaches my ears. My lover is in the shower already. I smile and quickly strip off my clothes before joining him in the shower. I step into the cascade of water and wrap my arms around him. He turns and kisses me deeply.
We finally break off and I ask him, "Are you sure it's alright to tell Young-ha?"
"Of course."
"But Su-yon doesn't want to see him," I protest.
He trails a hand down my spine. "Yes, he does."
"What do you..."
"See, Aki, you're socially impaired so you don't understand," he tells me with the kind of look a patient teacher has when explaining something to a very slow student. "Hm... Let's see... Okay, if I told you now that I never wanted to see you again, would you believe me?"
I give him a Look. "No."
"See? It's exactly the same thing. Su-yon's just saying it. He doesn't want to spend time away from Young-ha; he's just given up on the jerk right now. If he does and says the right things to Su-yon tomorrow, they'll get back together anyway."
"But how can you be so sure?" I'm still sceptical.
"Come on, you heard him too. Remember? He said he always loved and always will love the jerk." He gives me this are-you-stupid-or-what? look.
At that, I recall the look in his eyes when he said the words this afternoon and imagine myself in his situation. "Yeah, I guess so," I admit. I wouldn't really mean it either, if I said that I needed time away from Hikaru. I grin at him. "Since when did you become the resident expert on this topic? I recall you saying that I was your first."
"Definitely my first lover, but did I say first boyfriend?" he asks innocently.
I narrow my eyes, which must have clouded over and I think my expression darkened. "Who was it?" I ask with a dangerous edge to my voice.
"No one. I was just teasing you," he replies, laughing. "I so love it when you get all jealous and possessive like that. But even if you weren't my first boyfriend, does it matter? You're still my one and only right now."
I blush. He's right; I sounded like an over-jealous and over-possessive wife. But well, if he likes it... "I guess not," I decide. "So where did you get your expertise?"
He gives me that cat-that-ate-the-canary grin again.
"Oh, no. You've got to be kidding me."
He pulls me close against him and I feel myself hardening at the feel of his bare skin against mine. "Kidding you about what?" he questions nonchalantly.
"You can't seriously have learned that from manga too."
"What if I did?" He slides his right hand down my body to stop at my hips.
"Did you really?" I let mine trail up and down his spine.
He shivers slightly. "Yeah, some of it at least." His fingers dip lower and begin to lightly caress my inner thighs.
I moan softly in pleasure. It was such a sweet, sweet pain whenever he touched me this way. "Don't. I really don't want to know."
"Come on, Aki, don't be such a spoilt sport. You can learn a lot from some of them, you know," he coaxes, both with his words and with his hand that had now repositioned itself somewhere more sensitive.
I hold on tighter to him as my knees turn to jelly. "It... It's okay... Sp- Spare me..." I tell him breathlessly.
"Spare you from...? This?" He stops what he is doing.
"No!" I move against him. "Don't stop," I plead softly.
"Hm... You should try out Ai no Kusabi perhaps," he tells me, resuming his work where he had left off.
"Wedge?"
"Yeah, it's erotic. Like this." He does something with his fingers and I gasp.
"Whatever. Watch it or read it with me some day. Right now, just... aah!" I cry out. Close, so close.
"Just...?" he prompts.
*So* close. "Shut up... aah!!" I almost screamed as the sweet pain engulfed me.
"Well, whatever you say, koi," he says, claiming my lips again. His tongue flicks against my lips and I part them for him. He explores my mouth thoroughly and he slowly guides me down to the floor, hands trailing all over my body. I smile into the kiss. This will be the second time we'll be making love in the shower. We break off.
"Hikaru?"
"Hm?"
"You're a perv," I tell him.
"Only for you, Aki," he replies, voice husky and seductive. "Only for you."
And I don't get an opportunity to reply.
* * *
Su-yon is leaning against a streetlight, waiting, when we get off the taxi at ten minutes to three in the afternoon somewhere near Nam Dae Mun, one of those huge wholesale market complexes that Seoul is famous for. The streets are crowded as always despite the biting cold. The young Korean player is wearing black corduroy pants and a knee-length black coat with a red scarf and red gloves. With a black beret-style cap over his hair and ears, he cuts a rather striking figure amidst the crowd. Hikaru is wearing his favourite midnight blue trench coat with a pair of navy blue jeans, a Prussian blue scarf, and high-cut Prussian blue sneakers. I picked to wear my birthday present from Hikaru with my favourite viridian trench coat and dark brown sneakers. It was so matching, just in different colours. Hikaru was being sarcastic this morning; he saw me take the sneakers out of my bag and he went, "Oh my God. Touya Akira wears sneakers. No, sod that. He even owns a pair of sneakers? Wow." I glare balefully at his back. He's just implying that I'm anal-retentive.
"Yo, Su-yon!" Hikaru lets his gaze travel up and down his Korean friend's body in an appraising look. "Looking good today," he remarks. I'm jealous.
The other rolls his eyes. "Thank you, but I don't need you to tell me that."
My lover reaches out to pull me closer by the waist. "My Aki's still prettier though."
I rest my head on his shoulder.
"Can we go somewhere more private before you guys get on with it?" Su-yon asks, looking around at the crowd in hope that no one was staring.
Hikaru nods and releases me. I think it suddenly struck him like it did me that we were probably making Su-yon envious with all our displays of affection. "Where are we going?" he asks. "I can't read hangyul."
Our friend and tour-guide laughs. "It's just around the corner. Come, let's go." We all start walking briskly in the chilly winter air. "Traffic jams in Seoul start at four and are at their peak at around five. If we spend the time in the Salon and then go back late in the evening, we'll miss the jam," he explains the time of his choice.
"Right," I agree. "Traffic here is really bad. When the jams are at their height, a twenty-minute-drive ends up taking more than an hour."
He nods and we lapse into silence for a while.
"Su-yon," Hikaru begins quietly.
"Hm?"
"I... Young-ha was drunk last night. Soju," he tells the other.
For a long time, there is only silence as Su-yon looks the other way, avoiding our gazes. Finally... "He... doesn't drink soju. Beer, yes, but never soju," he says softly, clearly disturbed. "And he's never been drunk in the entire time that I've known him. That's at least three years."
We don't answer and silence falls again. I exchange glances with Hikaru before returning my gaze to Su-yon. I take note of a nearby kiosk and telephone booth just before the Korean leads us up a flight of stairs into a neat and quiet Go Salon. He pays the entrance fees for three wordlessly before leading us off to an emptier side. He removes his coat to reveal a long-sleeved red sweater and sits down. I note his unusually clouded eyes. He's worried about the redhead, I think.
"Can you wait? I'd like to play with Shindou first," he tells me.
"Yeah, sure." I meet Hikaru's gaze and he nods slightly. "I think I'll go down and buy something for my pig here to chew on," I say teasingly.
"I know that's not true, so I will not dignify it with a response," he tells Su-yon without looking at me.
The other chuckles as my lover takes off his coat to reveal his long- sleeved yellow shirt, sits down opposite him and takes the cover off his tsubo. I smile and turn to leave as we planned earlier today. I walk back to the kiosk and quickly purchase some candy for cover before going into the phone booth and calling the number on the back of a piece of paper.
"Hello. It's Akira. Are you coming?" I ask in Korean when the other picks up.
"Hello. Where are you?" Ko Young-ha asks back.
"I think the place is called Dae Nam, if my hangyul-reading is right."
"I didn't realize how desperate he was to avoid me. That place costs twice the normal rate and I never go there," he mutters, half to himself. The redhead probably doesn't realize I heard everything. "Okay," he says, this time to me. He hangs up.
"Okay," I echo thoughtfully. Does that mean he is coming or what?
I wander back to the Salon and let myself in. The lady at the counter looks up briefly and knowing that I've already been in before, she returns to reading her magazine. I make my way to Hikaru's side; he's sitting facing the doorway, while Su-yon has his back to it. He looks up briefly from the game and I pass him the candy. He grins widely at the sight of the honeydew- flavoured bubblegum; honeydew's his favourite flavour. He looks me in the eye. I shrug slightly. He turns and offers some candy to his opponent. I know he got the message: I don't know if Young-ha is coming. The board before me shows the difference in the players' skill. Hikaru is considerably stronger than Su-yon. Su-yon ponders the situation calmly, sucking on a piece of tea candy.
The bells hanging on the door jingle as the door opens. I turn to see a familiar figure walking in through the door. Young-ha is dressed in tan- coloured corduroys with a grey canvas jacket and a light brown scarf. The jacket has white cuffs, a white-trimmed hem and a white collar as well as a hood with white trimming. He leans over to converse quietly with the counter-lady, then walks over without paying the entrance fee. At that moment, Su-yon looks up at Hikaru.
"You're so much stronger than the last time we played. I guess I should have known, since you beat Young-ha and he is stronger than I am. I resign. Thank you," he says, bowing his head in a display of game etiquette.
"Thank you." My lover looks up. "Hey, Su-yon? I think someone's here to see you."
Su-yon doesn't even have to look up; he just turns slightly to see his lover's hand and he knows who it is. He stands abruptly and turns to leave without even glancing back. Before he can even take two steps, however, Young-ha reaches out and pulls him back.
"Su-yon."
"Let me go," he orders in Korean.
"No." Young-ha pulls Su-yon towards him.
"Let me go! Stop it!" The shorter boy struggles, but the redhead has phenomenal strength for a Go player. "Let me go!"
Young-ha grabs a frantically struggling Su-yon who is still screaming to be released and shakes him in his arms. "Stop it, Su-yon! Stop doing this!!"
The younger boy just relaxes suddenly, as if exhausted. "Let me go..." he pleads softly, tears gathering in his eyes. Young-ha makes as if to gather Su-yon in his arms, but the other whispers, "Don't."
"Why not?"
"Just don't. I don't want that. It's over, Young-ha. Just leave me alone." He doesn't even want to look at the redhead. He tries to leave again.
I exchange glances with Hikaru, silently asking him if he was sure this is a good idea. He shrugs and indicates the older Korean, as if to say that it depends on him.
"No, Su-yon. It isn't," Hikaru's 'natural' jerk insists, holding the other back.
"Yes, it is."
"No, you still love me."
At this, Su-yon looks up at the redhead. "Yes, Young-ha, I do. I always will, but that doesn't change anything." He tries to leave again, but Young-ha refuses to let go. He averts his gaze again.
"This isn't about them." He indicates us. "What is it that I did, Su-yon?" The normally lazy lackadaisical expression has been replaced by one so unfamiliarly serious, it's amazing.
Hikaru rolls his eyes. I give my lover a withering look.
"If you don't already know, then it's useless. Forget it." He attempts leaving for the third time since he stopped struggling.
"No. At least tell me what went wrong." Young-ha's usually confident voice is actually quivering even. I hope it works out, really. He truly doesn't want to lose Su-yon. They really do love each other and if Hikaru and I were in their situation now, I'd be terribly miserable.
"I told you; if you don't already know what it is, then there's no point in my telling you." He makes another attempt to leave, but the redhead obviously isn't going let him walk away until he gets a satisfactory explanation. If you're going to play a daring hand, play it out till the end; there's no turning back.
Hikaru moves his chair back a little and pulls me down on to his lap. I sit and lean back against him comfortably. He wraps his arms around me and his hand dips between my legs. "No," I protest quietly.
"Why? We can do it softly, can't we?" he whispers back in question, a naughty grin on his face.
"Not here! A Go Salon! You're a perv!" I hiss back.
"Yes, I know. But only for you, 'Kira, only for you," he murmurs.
"It doesn't have to have a point! Tell me what I did wrong, Su-yon!" the older Korean grates out harshly, shaking his lover hard and instantly grabbing my attention again.
"No! It doesn't matter anymore! It was never going to work anyway!" Su-yon insists, raising his voice. Tears are already streaming down his face as he tries to leave –I don't know, for the fourth time?- again.
Young-ha sighs at that. "Is that what this is about?" He pulls the other into an embrace. The younger Korean doesn't fight it; in fact, he practically collapses in the redhead's arms, sobs racking his body almost spasmodically. "It's your family, isn't it?"
Su-yon shakes his head, no. "That's not it," he manages between tears.
"Well, then what is it?" The jerk looks ready to tear his hair out in frustration.
"You," his lover replies simply.
"Yeah, I got that part. What about me?"
Su-yon looks up at that. "Don't you ever get it?! You never understand, Young-ha, never! Just let me go, okay? It doesn't matter! Just leave me alone!"
"Of course I don't understand! You never tell me anything!!"
"That's 'cause telling you doesn't help!! Every time I try to tell you anything, you change the subject!!"
"That's 'cause every time you tell me something, it's bad news and you get depressed!! I was trying to cheer you up and take your mind off things!! It's not like I can help you anyway!!"
"You don't have to help me, Young-ha!! You're just supposed to listen!!"
"I don't like it when you're depressed!!"
"I don't like it when you're an immature jerk!! Do you care?!"
"I'm not always one!! You're always depressed!!"
"Well, I wouldn't be if you were any more supportive!!"
"They sound like they're married," Hikaru tells me near my ear.
"And we don't?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow.
"Nope. Just like we're parents."
"What's the difference?" I enquire, this time genuinely curious.
"Well, they only argue about each other. We argue about everything," he replies with a grin.
I merely offer him a withering look in reply. Meanwhile, the Korean couple is still going at a hundred and seventy decibels.
"If it was support you wanted, you could have just said something!!"
"I'm not supposed to have to say anything!! If I had to tell you to, it wouldn't mean anything!!"
"I'm not a mind-reader, Su-yon!! I don't always know what you want!!"
"Well, you seem to do just fine on bed!!"
I choke. Hikaru looks at me curiously. I translate. He chokes. I never imagined Su-yon would actually say that here at that volume. Indeed, Young- ha chokes as well.
"That... That's different!!" he splutters.
"Whatever! It's beside the point!!"
"Well, what is the point?!"
"The point is..." Su-yon stops suddenly.
"What?" Young-ha asks, concerned.
"I... I don't know."
"What? Don't know what?" he asks, mystified.
"The point, Young-ha! I don't know anymore!!"
I burst out laughing before I can help myself.
"What?" Hikaru questions.
I translate for him and he starts laughing too. Su-yon blushes. Young-ha blinks in confusion.
"Well... Well, anyway, you're supposed to listen and be supportive! It doesn't matter whether or not you can help!" Su-yon manages to say most of it without stammering.
Young-ha just smirks. "Whatever you say." He pulls Su-yon close. This time, the shorter boy doesn't resist. He rests his head on the other's shoulder. Almost inaudibly, I hear the redhead whisper words 'I love you' in the other's ear before pulling back a little to kiss him.
Su-yon slides his eyes shut and then someone clears her throat. They both suddenly remember where they are and Young-ha straightens as his lover jumps back. "I've just about tolerated as much as I can. Either shut up and play, or get out," the counter-lady orders imperiously.
Young-ha looks appalled. Perhaps because most of Korean society still practises gender bias, the idea that a woman should speak to a man so rudely no matter the age difference is shocking. Of course, mothers, relatives, and the elderly are excluded from this norm when speaking to youths, but in this case, the lady is none of the three. The redhead looks quite ready to exercise his superiority, but Su-yon shakes his head and gives him a warning look. Finally, Young-ha just shrugs lazily, shoulders rolling fluidly as he pays his share of the entrance fee. The lady turns and makes her way back to the counter. For a long while, everyone is silent. Then...
"Well, now that you've resolved your issues, shall we get back to the original reason we came here?" Hikaru asks from behind me. "You owe me a game," he informs Young-ha pointedly.
Su-yon translates for his lover and the redhead's smirk widens. "Certainly. I'll crush you, of course, but then I guess you want to be crushed anyway," he replies, walking casually over to the chair.
"Stop being a jerk," Su-yon commands, sitting down next to him as I translate for my lover. "I know he told you where to find me today."
"Guilty as charged," I say, indicating Hikaru when the redhead doesn't answer.
Hikaru ignores me, instead talking to Young-ha. "Well, how about some ten- second-per-hand-speed-pair-Go? I'll have Aki and Su-yon nigiri."
Su-yon translates and Young-ha simply shrugs carelessly. "If you like."
I translate for Hikaru as I take my place beside him. Su-yon nods and we nigiri. I win black. Hikaru's white today. Young-ha requests two match clocks. The lady brings them and we begin. Japanese couple versus Korean couple. It sounds like an international tournament, despite how unofficial everything is. Well, I think as I place my first stone, let's see how we fare today.
* * *
"KANPAI!!" Everyone clinks his or her glass against everyone else's.
We're all at this Go convention cum winner's gala to commemorate our victory at the Hokuto Tournament. This is celebration part; the Go convention part comes later. There's even going to be a press conference to interview Hikaru, Yashiro, and I after this. We all came in and they gave us each a glass of juice. Many Go professionals are present today, as well as many people from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the organizers of this convention. Not many professionals are staying for the convention part, since the ministry only requested five and more have already volunteered. Besides us, Waya and Isumi, Ochi, Honda, Ogata-san, Morishita- san, Saeki and Ashiwara, and my father are staying. Of course, Kurata-san could hardly wait to further popularise himself and will definitely be staying, team manager or no. Plenty of people from the Go publicity department are around, just waiting for the press conference. The celebration is a private function, but the convention will be open to the public.
The Minister of Culture and Tourism gives his speech. It is boring. I read the line-up for the day and decide that I am going to need a lot of entertaining today. Well, I guess that since my boyfriend is a perv, I won't have any trouble passing my time that way, but there's no way we can do that all day, right? I sigh. We have another five speeches to listen to, including Kurata-san's, before one of us is has to make a speech too. I glance at Hikaru who is busy talking to his friends from his junior high school. They weren't supposed to be allowed in, but well, the Honinbou and a Hokuto Cup winner's words carry pretty great weight and they were allowed in in the end. Yashiro is busy conversing with Tatsura and some people from the Kansai Go Institute.
Hikaru's friends are LOUD, especially the tall guy with the fan. Hikaru said he was the Shougi club head back when he was in Haze. What was his name... Kaga? I don't know; I feel like the name's kind of familiar, but I just can't place it. He's with this guy who reminds me a bit of Isumi, just a bit taller and with glasses; Tsutsui, was it? Now Kaga is talking to Tatsura about Shougi. I look at them, feeling full force just how socially impaired I am. I really don't have any friends my age and I fell in love with the first one I got. So that leaves me with one lover and well, if I count Yashiro, then it's one friend and if I count Su-yon, then it's two, I guess. The rest are more Hikaru's friends, not mine. I wonder absently how Su-yon and Young-ha are doing. In the game after they resolved their issues, Hikaru beat the redhead by half a moku while Su-yon won against me by 1.5 moku. Young-ha didn't quite get to crush my lover after all. I smirk at the thought, then shrug. I'm probably going to be the one making the speech again this time. Those two... Well, let's just say that they won't be making the speech.
Hikaru turns to smile at me and I smile back. I think he notices how very bored I am, since he beckons me over to his side. I trot over and he immediately puts his arm around my waist and pulls me close. Isumi, Waya, and Hikaru's other friends from his Insei days come over and Hikaru introduces everyone. I rest my head on my lover's shoulder and he tightens the arm around my waist briefly. The girl he introduced as Akari doesn't look too happy at the gesture of affection, despite Hikaru's having said that she was the guy called Mitani's girlfriend. I think she still has a crush on my lover; it was just that they have been practically living in different worlds since he became a Go professional and besides, she probably just found out today that her childhood friend was gay. Well, in any case, Hikaru's mine and I'm not about to share. I put my arm around Hikaru's waist possessively; the girl looks away, pretending to be interested in whatever the others are saying.
Suddenly, we hear the MC calling us up on stage for the speech. I sigh resignedly as Hikaru gives me a hopeful look and Yashiro joins us as we make our way up to the stage. I flash the crowd a smile, as do my teammates, and walk over to the microphone with Hikaru and Yashiro behind me. The applause dies out and I say my long list of greetings. I used to be nervous whenever I had to speak in public, but I eventually got used to it after all the speeches and exhibitions I've done. I smile and begin the speech I had prepared mentally before Hikaru called me to him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it gives us all great pleasure to be here today to celebrate our winning of the Hokuto Cup. We are happy to have had the opportunity to participate in such a prestigious tournament and we are grateful for all your support. As you may well know, the Go world is a world of skill, a world where age is irrelevant to strength. Physical attributes mean little when the strength of mind is put to the test. Thus, the recent introduction of this international tournament for players below the age of eighteen has received more than its fair share of attention. Whereas in other tournaments the older and more experienced players have long since dominated and overshadowed the others, the age limit of the Hokuto Tournament allows younger and newer professionals to pit their skills against each other internationally and thus, gain increased recognition as the great players that they are. As such, we are proud to be the winners this year and to have raised again the name of our nation in this increasingly challenging and competitive world. My teammates and I hope for your continued support as we strive to further do all of you proud and we would like to encourage all the eligible professionals who did not make it to the tournament this year to grow stronger and try again next year. Thank you once again, ladies and gentlemen, for your all your support and... Aaahh!!" I collapse to my knees with a sharp cry of pain as white- hot liquid fire sears through my head.
"Akira!!" Hikaru's voice seems to come from a great distance away.
"Hi... ka... ru..." I call out softly before the darkness engulfs me completely.
~Hikaru~
"Akira!!" I call out, rushing to my lover's side. He's on his knees, clutching his head in obvious agony. The crowd is murmuring and many people look concerned. People are coming over to see what the problem is.
"Hi... ka... ru..." he calls me softly, collapsing into my waiting arms. I pull him close.
"Aki?! Aki?!" I shake him gently as I call his name frantically. "Aki!!" No response. I look up. "Someone! Anyone! Call an ambulance!!" I shout as loud as I can, close to panicking. Aki, you anal-retentive jerk, why do you always do this to me? I pull him closer and bury my face in his soft, sweet- smelling hair. His cologne smells wonderful, the scent of it a musky lavender. I'm warning you right now that if you die on me, 'Kira, I'll find a way to the other side to personally kill you a second time for it.
A/N: Yay!! Cliffhangers! Oh well, not so yay for the readers, but I'll
try to update soon. Hope you enjoyed it and please review all my fics!!
Thank you for all your support!
~Hikaru~
I sit opposite my opponent for today. Apparently, Wang Shi Chen really wanted to play Aki since he beat Lu Lee last year, so Team China made a last minute switch. Needless to say, not everyone is happy about the idea. The organizers and the public are calling it a lack of sportsmanship because Wang is rather obviously stronger than Chang, but who cares what the world says anyway? Well, anyway, Chang Li Zhe 4-dan is quite a pretty boy, albeit no match for my Aki in that respect. He has black hair and black eyes like most of his countrymen and is one year my junior. Next year will be my last year and his second-last, that is, if he makes it here next year. His long black hair has red, orange and yellow highlights, and his four-coloured braid paints a really interesting picture. His fringe is plain black though, as are his sideburns and I wonder absently which one of his teammates he's with. Okay, so maybe not all guys are gay but still, that seems to be the trend around here. So still I wonder...
We nigiri in silence. He wins black. So Aki's black and Yashiro's white now. The buzzer sounds and I tap my match clock, waiting patiently for him to begin. I will not underestimate my opponent today even if he is weaker than Wang Shi Chen. He lifts a black stone and his hand hovers over the board for a few moments, then he simply drops the stone. It lands on the board and bounces once before landing again and he adjusts its position on the intersection it lands on. 7-9. Everyone, the organizers and the general public are shocked, I note, as my opponent taps his match clock. Everyone looks at me. No one is sure if that was against the rules, since no one has ever done that before, so if I choose to complain, I guess they will declare it a disqualification. I see. Luck. Well, if he wants to play that way, I don't see why we can't make this game a little more interesting, Hokuto Cup or no Hokuto Cup.
I reach for a stone, take it, and flip it like a coin on to the board. 15- 8. I adjust the position before looking up at him with a grin. He answers my grin with one of his own and holds up five fingers. Right. Five hands based solely on luck. After that, it's skill that counts. Let's see whose luck is better and who can salvage games better. I incline my head agreeably. Life just gets spicier and juicier by the day. He tosses again. 11-5. I almost pity the Goban and stones. 13-7. 5-16. 10-8. 9-12. 4-6. 14- 5. 3-15. Then, he does a hoshi on my lower right and I do a komoku on my upper left. He does a hoshi on my lower left and I respond with a komoku on my upper right. He moves in to attack my upper left corner and I respond by attacking his hoshi on my lower right. Now, let's see how chuban goes.
Evidently, either my luck is much better than his or my coin-flipping skills apply to flipping Go stones as well. My stones are in much better positions than his are. He has a more widespread influence, but they are separated and some of my stones are wedged pretty neatly between them. It's hard for him to connect and easy for me to separate. Aki would be appalled at what we just did; he holds the Goban and Go stones in higher esteem than almost everything else. That's why I said he reminds me of Sai sometimes. They're both pureblooded Go freaks. Li Zhe responds to my attack on his corner. His corner is the only corner that is free from the stones we dropped and is thus the only one suited for the usage of joseki since there are no interfering stones. I begin one of Shuusaku's –or rather, Sai's, depending on the perspective- less famous but very effective ones.
About halfway through the sequence, I feel some strange force guiding my hand towards an intersection that isn't part of the original set of moves. Billowing robes... Long wisteria-scented hair... I am so stunned that I actually drop the stone in my fingers back into the tsubo and look up sharply. I crane my neck searching for that memorable, coy knowing smile, for soft long purple hair, for that familiar presence I felt just moments ago, but I cannot find my whiny, Go-obsessed ghost anywhere. I look back at the board. My opponent is staring at me. Sai. I can almost see his fan tapping on the intersection the way it used to when he played with me. Is that where I should go, Sai? Is that what you're trying to tell me? I remember Sai telling me after his game with Aki's father that he had gotten stronger, that he had grown. Is this an improvement to the original joseki, Sai?
I place my stone on the new intersection and watch as my opponent's eyes widen at the deviation. He moves to respond, but hesitates. He is not sure how to respond to this new move. I find my gaze inevitably drawn to a nearby intersection. Is this where you would play against your own move, Sai? Is that the vital point? Li Zhe perpends it for some time and eventually deviates from the joseki as well. Too bad he's wrong though. I immediately play on the vital point and we continue playing. Li Zhe looks distressed. He realizes the improvisation now and how much extra territory it has gained me. I can almost see Sai smiling happily behind his fan, crying tears of happiness just for being able to play Go again. A great game of Go always was like a glimpse of heaven for him. Sai...
I have this corner now, thanks to the improvement Sai saw fit to inspire me on. I know for sure now with supreme conviction that I'm never alone. Sai will always be here. As long as I keep on playing, as long as I keep on walking the path to the Hand of God, he will always be with me. And now, I have Aki too. I don't know... Maybe he is my Hand of God. What do you think, Sai? Will you ever find yours? But I'll keep on walking, keep on searching for the perfect move. I grip my fan tightly. Aki will walk with me, you will walk with me. I'm never alone on this road. And right now, my first step is to win this game. I don't want you to stop smiling, Sai, and I don't ever want Aki to stop smiling either. I love him so much. With that in mind, I respond to Li Zhe's move. We are expanding into the centre and he is trying very hard to make up for the loss in the corner. We both try to connect our stones but his connection is inevitably in the way of mine and I'm only too happy for the extra excuse to cut his. Japan's going to be first this year, just you watch.
~Akira~
Damn, I'm short I think. Half a moku, maybe a bit more. Wang Shi Chen has gotten so much stronger over the last year. Naturally, his yose techniques are flawless. We finish the game and I anxiously proceed almost automatically with Seichi. I move the stones almost mechanically into squares and rectangles disconsolately. Then, I feel hands on my shoulders. From the tentative way in which the touch is placed, I am certain that it is my lover. I sigh as the verdict is announced. Half a moku exactly. Hikaru is going to be so disappointed. I know he wanted me to win. No, it's me really. I wanted to win this game so badly. I'm disappointed in myself. I stand and turn, expecting a slight frown and disappointed eyes in that ever-cheerful sunny smiling face, but when I look up, there is only a soft carefree smile curving his lips and a kind loving warmth in his murky green eyes. I step forward into his arms and let my head rest on his shoulder.
"Need I ask?"
"No," he answers gently. "3.5 moku."
"I'm sorry," I whisper. "It was just one more moku. I'm sorry I couldn't..."
"Shh..." he silences me, wrapping his arms more tightly around me and pulling me closer to him. "It's alright. You don't have to apologise, stupid. I know you tried your best."
In spite of myself, I almost automatically snap back, "I'm not stupid."
He pulls me away slightly to grin at my scowling face. "Yes, Aki-dear, you are."
"Am not." I stick out my tongue at him. That felt so wonderfully immature.
His grin only widens as he messes my hair up a little. "Are to."
"Am not!" I raise my voice slightly.
"Are to!" He raises his voice slightly.
"Am not!!"
"Are to, but I still love you. Now, go check out Yashiro's game for me. I've got someone to rescue," he says, looking over to where the rest of Team China is standing.
I pout and give him a dark look, but don't reply as he saunters off to where our opponents are. Instead, I make my way over to where Yashiro still plays with Chao Shii. Well, well, well... It seems like Yashiro's leading by 2.5 moku. They're in yose now. I smile to myself. Looks like we get to be first after all. We've won, Hikaru, we've won it together! I feel tears of joy springing to my eyes. I look up to where the Hokuto Cup is standing. It's ours this year, Hikaru! It's ours this year! We finally did it, Hikaru. Finally, we did it.
~Hikaru~
I look back to see my lover gazing happily at the Hokuto Cup with tears of joy in his eyes and I know that Yashiro's won. We're first this year!! I feel a burst of elation wash over me as I finally arrive at where Yang Hai- san is probably busy biting Li Zhe's head off over the whole lucky five hands issue, seeing as how he is yelling at pretty four-toned-haired boy and all.
"Yang Hai-san, what's all the screaming about?" I ask innocently.
"You! How could you go along with him?" he bellows the question in Japanese.
"It was such an interesting game."
"What if he starts doing stuff like this at other tournaments? Not all his opponents are crazy gay Japanese kids, you know."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure he knows the type to try that sort of thing with. Don't you, Li Zhe?"
The Chinese kid grins gratefully and nods.
"See? Bet he looked at me once and knew I liked spicing up games."
Li Zhe nods encouragingly again.
"Well, I don't ever want you to do that again, crazy opponent or no crazy opponent. Do you understand me, Li Zhe?!" Yang Hai tells him imperiously.
The Chinese boy just grins sheepishly and nods.
"Good."
"Yang Hai-san, you mind if I borrow him a minute?" I drag my recent opponent off without waiting for the team manager's reply.
"Thanks a tonne for saving me from Yang Hai-san. He was so going to kill me," Li Zhe says in slightly accented Japanese, scratching his head and chuckling nervously with a sheepish grin on his rather heart-shaped face.
He looks so cute, but I still think Aki's cuter. My lover would be proud. I am so loyal to him. "You do realize that it's only temporary; he still has the entire night and journey home to attempt murdering you," I inform him.
The look of dread that passes briefly over his face would have done a horror movie director proud. "Well, at least I have a few more hours to live then," he says brightly. "He could have killed me right there and then just now if you hadn't come by to rescue me." He laughs.
"Optimism. That's good. Say, I was just wondering, are you taken?"
At this, he blushes. "Ah... Yes."
"Don't get me wrong; so am I, but I was just curious... Uh... Who's your... lover?" I decide not to assume that he's gay and stick to a more unisexual term.
He blushes even redder. "Uh... I... Well... He's still playing." He averts his gaze nervously.
I glance to where the game tables are. Yashiro and Chao Shii are still at it. "Chao Shii?"
The four-toned-haired boy nods, still looking away.
I giggle softly. "Well, well... Who would have thought? Cradle snatcher."
"I... He's sixteen!" Li Zhe protests defensively. "I'm sixteen! What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing. I was just teasing you." I laugh. "You didn't have to get all defensive. I'm just a year older. You two make a really cute pair."
Li Zhe goes as red as a ripe strawberry. "I... Well..." He's at a loss for words.
I grin. "If you take everything I say seriously, you'd go crazy before you know it."
He laughs at that. "You sound like me. Other people are just so serious all the time!" he complains. "I learned to take almost everything people say seriously because there are too few people like us."
I chuckle at that. "I know! You know, I think we'll make great friends. I just sort of knew it when I looked at you. You just seem the type I'd like to hang out with," I enthuse cheerfully with a sunny smile. "Interesting."
"Yeah!" he gushes. "Let's!!" He holds out his hand.
I take it in my own and give it a hard shake and squeeze.
"Ow!!" he yelps in pain, before glaring at me balefully.
Just then, the verdict of Yashiro's game is announced. He won by 2.5 moku! The 2-1 win is declared and Japan is proclaimed winner of the Hokuto Cup. I grin at Li Zhe's defeated look and we both go over to the game table. Chao Shii steps into Li Zhe's comforting embrace and I congratulate an ecstatic Yashiro. I know how important winning this tournament is to him. If it was something international, it could finally mean something to his parents. They probably won't accept his relationship with Tatsura when they find out either, no matter how much they presently like Tatsura for his religious affiliations and international work as an interpreter. They don't approve of his other job, but they think he's a nice enough youth and a very independent and responsible person apparently. In any case, where Tatsura is concerned, Yashiro has decided that he doesn't care if his parents don't approve. If they object, he'll just move in with Tatsura since he's already financially independent.
Done congratulating Yashiro, I turn to my waiting lover, my beautiful Aki. He nearly jumps into my arms and throws his arms around me happily. I know he really wanted to win this with me. I wanted to win this with him too. My precious Aki... He looks so full of life, overjoyed and loving. Is he really going to die? I vehemently push away the depressing thoughts. This is supposed to be a joyous event, a cause for celebration. I shouldn't be thinking about that. I've been making sure he takes his medication, reminding him when he forgets and stuff, but even the doctor says the surgery is tough. What if...? I shove the thoughts away again, concentrating instead on holding him close. I love him so much, my beloved Akira.
"I love you," I whisper to him. "Touya Akira. My rival, my lover, my sweet, sweet jerk."
"You'd better," he tells me in a soft but imperious voice.
"Why?"
"Because I..." His voice falters. "I..."
I understand. He's thinking about it too. "I know. Shh... And I do love you. Always," I whisper back to him.
He pulls away, smiling as Tatsura comes to give Yashiro a congratulatory peck on the cheek before running up to join the organizers and the MC on stage for the closing ceremony. I notice Li Zhe and a very miserable Chao Shii still standing nearby and decide to try being nice.
"There's always next year, you know," I tell them.
Li Zhe translates for Chao Shii as Yashiro snorts. "Easy enough for you to say. You got to skip the qualifiers! At least last year, there were two places free. This year, you two got your places by default due to track record and title and everyone else had to fight an all-out desperate battle to get that final place. It wasn't easy, you know," he informs Aki and I irritably.
Chao Shii didn't get a word of what Yashiro said and Li Zhe is too busy chortling away to translate, so he just nods in response to my earlier statement and cheers up slightly. Seeing his lover's expression brighten a little, Li Zhe decides that it was better left unsaid anyway and Aki concludes that he shouldn't interfere.
Suddenly, someone taps my shoulder and I turn. Su-yon. He smiles wanly. "Congratulations."
"Thank you. Are you staying for the ceremony?" I ask him, curious as to how desperate he is to avoid Young-ha.
"No. I've spoken to the organizers about it, saying I wasn't feeling very well. They reluctantly allowed me to go home."
Okay, very desperate. "Now? You're really going home now?"
"Yeah," he replies tiredly. Either his acting's really great or he really is physically unwell, since he looks so convincing at it. "Here." He hands me a piece of paper. Is tomorrow at three okay? Just show the taxi-driver this address. It's a popular area; there's no way he won't know it."
I nod. "Three is fine. You should go before you're spotted. The ceremony is starting."
He nods. "Bye. See you tomorrow then."
"Bye."
I watch as he disappears into the crowd and then turn to look at Young-ha and Iruf-han at the other side of the room, still oblivious to Su-yon's presence here. The ceremony begins with some speeches, then we all go up on stage to receive the prizes and take pictures with a mock cheque and the other teams. Team Korea isn't happy about not winning. They're probably even less happy about Su-yon's absence. The 'natural' jerk looks mildly distressed even. Team China looks utterly miserable about being dead last, but I think Aki's smile is more than worth it. It's beautiful. To think that soon, I might not be able to see it anymore. I love that dazzling smile, I love those jewelled eyes, I love everything that is Touya Akira. That's why I won't let you go, Aki, ever. I won't let you go.
~Akira~
I am overjoyed. No, that's an understatement. I'm euphoric, ecstatic, elated, over the moon... You name it. We won the Hokuto Cup together! Just like we said we would. I smile at my lover; he looks so happy too. I want him to be happy always, whether or not I'm here, but I think that's kinda hard if he loves me so much. So I won't die; I won't ever leave you, Hikaru.
It's quite late at night after the celebrations and we are all walking back to our rooms on the sixteenth floor. Apparently, all the participants are staying on the same floor, since Team China is behind us. They don't look too happy about losing, but well, we weren't too happy last year either and that's the way it is. Kurata-san is busy trying to annoy the hell out of Yang Hai-san and Ten-son-san again. No, sod that. He doesn't have to try; Kurata-san *is* annoying. The only part of Team Korea that stayed to celebrate was the manager. I wonder where the other two have gone. The others go into their rooms, saying 'goodnight' and a last 'congratulations'. Soon, only Tatsura, Yashiro, Hikaru and I are left, since our rooms are among the furthest down the corridor.
Suddenly, I hear the sound of staggering footsteps behind us and I turn to locate the source of the sound. I turn with the rest to find Iruf-han helping a very drunk Young-ha back to his room. He reeks of sake, or soju, as the Koreans call it and I wonder absently how much he drank during the time we were celebrating. Iruf-han looks up at us briefly, before returning his concentration to the task at hand. I almost pity Young-ha. Almost. I guess he really does love Su-yon a lot. They're just not communicating correctly, that's all. I turn to mind my own business and head back to the room, but Hikaru suddenly pushes past me and walks determinedly towards them.
"Tatsura-san," he says as he walks past, indicating that he should come along to translate.
The older boy follows my lover wordlessly and I tag along. Iruf-han reaches his room door but pauses in the process of opening it as he notices Hikaru's approach.
"What do you want now?" Tatsura translates Iruf-han's virtually hostile words for Hikaru.
I notice Hikaru's eyes flicker briefly towards a very drunk Young-ha who is mumbling incoherently in Korean. "Here." He shows Iruf-han a piece of paper with some neat black hangyul on it. "If he wants to see him, we're meeting Su-yon here tomorrow."
At this, the redhead cracks open an eye. "Su-yon?" he repeats, his words slurred. "Where?" He points at Hikaru. "You're not Su-yon." He laughs mirthlessly, almost in bitterness, I think. "He's gone... Su-yon's gone." He laughs that same bitter laugh again as Tatsura translates for Iruf-han. "He's ill, they said. He lied, I know." He continues to laugh bitterly. "You." He points at Hikaru. "You made him go away... it's your fault he left."
At this point, Tatsura decides he's had enough of Young-ha's drunken ramble and points his finger at a point on the side of the laughing redhead's neck. There is a slight movement of air and then the older Korean slumps to the floor. Iruf-han looks suspiciously at Tatsura. "He's asleep, that's all," the Shougi player tells him reassuringly in Korean. "Ki."
The Korean checks his friend just in case, then nods and takes a last look at the paper, most likely committing the place to memory.
"Give me his cell-phone number in case Su-yon switches last minute. He's pretty desperate to avoid cocky bastard here. He has one, right?" Hikaru continues. I look curiously at my lover, wondering why he is helping the 'natural' jerk, as he calls the redhead.
Tatsura translates for Iruf-han and the other nods. By now, Yashiro has joined us as well. Iruf-han takes the paper and scribbles some numbers on the other side of it. "Why are you doing this?" he asks as he hands the paper back to Hikaru.
Tatsura translates for my boyfriend. His eyes flicker to the redhead's now sleeping figure. "Don't misunderstand. I don't give a damn what happens to this 'natural' jerk here, but I care about Su-yon. He's a friend and I want him to be happy. Can't say I agree with his taste in men, but that's his choice. Tell the jerk to be a bit late, so that we'll be inside the salon and Su-yon can't walk away so easily." Hikaru turns and walks away as Tatsura translates for the other.
I look from Iruf-han to Young-ha to Hikaru's receding back. Yashiro looks questioningly at Tatsura, but his lover isn't being forthcoming. Iruf-han thoughtfully watches Hikaru go and finally turn right and open our room door before turning to carry an unconscious Young-ha into his room. I give the two Koreans one last look and bid Yashiro and Tatsura goodnight before hurrying after Hikaru as Tatsura starts helping Iruf-han carry the redhead in. I find the latch wedged between the door and the doorframe to keep the door open for me. I move it out of the way and let the door click shut. I double-bolt it, latch it, and step into the room. Hikaru's clothes are on the bed and there is light under the closed bathroom door. A moment later, the sound of running water reaches my ears. My lover is in the shower already. I smile and quickly strip off my clothes before joining him in the shower. I step into the cascade of water and wrap my arms around him. He turns and kisses me deeply.
We finally break off and I ask him, "Are you sure it's alright to tell Young-ha?"
"Of course."
"But Su-yon doesn't want to see him," I protest.
He trails a hand down my spine. "Yes, he does."
"What do you..."
"See, Aki, you're socially impaired so you don't understand," he tells me with the kind of look a patient teacher has when explaining something to a very slow student. "Hm... Let's see... Okay, if I told you now that I never wanted to see you again, would you believe me?"
I give him a Look. "No."
"See? It's exactly the same thing. Su-yon's just saying it. He doesn't want to spend time away from Young-ha; he's just given up on the jerk right now. If he does and says the right things to Su-yon tomorrow, they'll get back together anyway."
"But how can you be so sure?" I'm still sceptical.
"Come on, you heard him too. Remember? He said he always loved and always will love the jerk." He gives me this are-you-stupid-or-what? look.
At that, I recall the look in his eyes when he said the words this afternoon and imagine myself in his situation. "Yeah, I guess so," I admit. I wouldn't really mean it either, if I said that I needed time away from Hikaru. I grin at him. "Since when did you become the resident expert on this topic? I recall you saying that I was your first."
"Definitely my first lover, but did I say first boyfriend?" he asks innocently.
I narrow my eyes, which must have clouded over and I think my expression darkened. "Who was it?" I ask with a dangerous edge to my voice.
"No one. I was just teasing you," he replies, laughing. "I so love it when you get all jealous and possessive like that. But even if you weren't my first boyfriend, does it matter? You're still my one and only right now."
I blush. He's right; I sounded like an over-jealous and over-possessive wife. But well, if he likes it... "I guess not," I decide. "So where did you get your expertise?"
He gives me that cat-that-ate-the-canary grin again.
"Oh, no. You've got to be kidding me."
He pulls me close against him and I feel myself hardening at the feel of his bare skin against mine. "Kidding you about what?" he questions nonchalantly.
"You can't seriously have learned that from manga too."
"What if I did?" He slides his right hand down my body to stop at my hips.
"Did you really?" I let mine trail up and down his spine.
He shivers slightly. "Yeah, some of it at least." His fingers dip lower and begin to lightly caress my inner thighs.
I moan softly in pleasure. It was such a sweet, sweet pain whenever he touched me this way. "Don't. I really don't want to know."
"Come on, Aki, don't be such a spoilt sport. You can learn a lot from some of them, you know," he coaxes, both with his words and with his hand that had now repositioned itself somewhere more sensitive.
I hold on tighter to him as my knees turn to jelly. "It... It's okay... Sp- Spare me..." I tell him breathlessly.
"Spare you from...? This?" He stops what he is doing.
"No!" I move against him. "Don't stop," I plead softly.
"Hm... You should try out Ai no Kusabi perhaps," he tells me, resuming his work where he had left off.
"Wedge?"
"Yeah, it's erotic. Like this." He does something with his fingers and I gasp.
"Whatever. Watch it or read it with me some day. Right now, just... aah!" I cry out. Close, so close.
"Just...?" he prompts.
*So* close. "Shut up... aah!!" I almost screamed as the sweet pain engulfed me.
"Well, whatever you say, koi," he says, claiming my lips again. His tongue flicks against my lips and I part them for him. He explores my mouth thoroughly and he slowly guides me down to the floor, hands trailing all over my body. I smile into the kiss. This will be the second time we'll be making love in the shower. We break off.
"Hikaru?"
"Hm?"
"You're a perv," I tell him.
"Only for you, Aki," he replies, voice husky and seductive. "Only for you."
And I don't get an opportunity to reply.
* * *
Su-yon is leaning against a streetlight, waiting, when we get off the taxi at ten minutes to three in the afternoon somewhere near Nam Dae Mun, one of those huge wholesale market complexes that Seoul is famous for. The streets are crowded as always despite the biting cold. The young Korean player is wearing black corduroy pants and a knee-length black coat with a red scarf and red gloves. With a black beret-style cap over his hair and ears, he cuts a rather striking figure amidst the crowd. Hikaru is wearing his favourite midnight blue trench coat with a pair of navy blue jeans, a Prussian blue scarf, and high-cut Prussian blue sneakers. I picked to wear my birthday present from Hikaru with my favourite viridian trench coat and dark brown sneakers. It was so matching, just in different colours. Hikaru was being sarcastic this morning; he saw me take the sneakers out of my bag and he went, "Oh my God. Touya Akira wears sneakers. No, sod that. He even owns a pair of sneakers? Wow." I glare balefully at his back. He's just implying that I'm anal-retentive.
"Yo, Su-yon!" Hikaru lets his gaze travel up and down his Korean friend's body in an appraising look. "Looking good today," he remarks. I'm jealous.
The other rolls his eyes. "Thank you, but I don't need you to tell me that."
My lover reaches out to pull me closer by the waist. "My Aki's still prettier though."
I rest my head on his shoulder.
"Can we go somewhere more private before you guys get on with it?" Su-yon asks, looking around at the crowd in hope that no one was staring.
Hikaru nods and releases me. I think it suddenly struck him like it did me that we were probably making Su-yon envious with all our displays of affection. "Where are we going?" he asks. "I can't read hangyul."
Our friend and tour-guide laughs. "It's just around the corner. Come, let's go." We all start walking briskly in the chilly winter air. "Traffic jams in Seoul start at four and are at their peak at around five. If we spend the time in the Salon and then go back late in the evening, we'll miss the jam," he explains the time of his choice.
"Right," I agree. "Traffic here is really bad. When the jams are at their height, a twenty-minute-drive ends up taking more than an hour."
He nods and we lapse into silence for a while.
"Su-yon," Hikaru begins quietly.
"Hm?"
"I... Young-ha was drunk last night. Soju," he tells the other.
For a long time, there is only silence as Su-yon looks the other way, avoiding our gazes. Finally... "He... doesn't drink soju. Beer, yes, but never soju," he says softly, clearly disturbed. "And he's never been drunk in the entire time that I've known him. That's at least three years."
We don't answer and silence falls again. I exchange glances with Hikaru before returning my gaze to Su-yon. I take note of a nearby kiosk and telephone booth just before the Korean leads us up a flight of stairs into a neat and quiet Go Salon. He pays the entrance fees for three wordlessly before leading us off to an emptier side. He removes his coat to reveal a long-sleeved red sweater and sits down. I note his unusually clouded eyes. He's worried about the redhead, I think.
"Can you wait? I'd like to play with Shindou first," he tells me.
"Yeah, sure." I meet Hikaru's gaze and he nods slightly. "I think I'll go down and buy something for my pig here to chew on," I say teasingly.
"I know that's not true, so I will not dignify it with a response," he tells Su-yon without looking at me.
The other chuckles as my lover takes off his coat to reveal his long- sleeved yellow shirt, sits down opposite him and takes the cover off his tsubo. I smile and turn to leave as we planned earlier today. I walk back to the kiosk and quickly purchase some candy for cover before going into the phone booth and calling the number on the back of a piece of paper.
"Hello. It's Akira. Are you coming?" I ask in Korean when the other picks up.
"Hello. Where are you?" Ko Young-ha asks back.
"I think the place is called Dae Nam, if my hangyul-reading is right."
"I didn't realize how desperate he was to avoid me. That place costs twice the normal rate and I never go there," he mutters, half to himself. The redhead probably doesn't realize I heard everything. "Okay," he says, this time to me. He hangs up.
"Okay," I echo thoughtfully. Does that mean he is coming or what?
I wander back to the Salon and let myself in. The lady at the counter looks up briefly and knowing that I've already been in before, she returns to reading her magazine. I make my way to Hikaru's side; he's sitting facing the doorway, while Su-yon has his back to it. He looks up briefly from the game and I pass him the candy. He grins widely at the sight of the honeydew- flavoured bubblegum; honeydew's his favourite flavour. He looks me in the eye. I shrug slightly. He turns and offers some candy to his opponent. I know he got the message: I don't know if Young-ha is coming. The board before me shows the difference in the players' skill. Hikaru is considerably stronger than Su-yon. Su-yon ponders the situation calmly, sucking on a piece of tea candy.
The bells hanging on the door jingle as the door opens. I turn to see a familiar figure walking in through the door. Young-ha is dressed in tan- coloured corduroys with a grey canvas jacket and a light brown scarf. The jacket has white cuffs, a white-trimmed hem and a white collar as well as a hood with white trimming. He leans over to converse quietly with the counter-lady, then walks over without paying the entrance fee. At that moment, Su-yon looks up at Hikaru.
"You're so much stronger than the last time we played. I guess I should have known, since you beat Young-ha and he is stronger than I am. I resign. Thank you," he says, bowing his head in a display of game etiquette.
"Thank you." My lover looks up. "Hey, Su-yon? I think someone's here to see you."
Su-yon doesn't even have to look up; he just turns slightly to see his lover's hand and he knows who it is. He stands abruptly and turns to leave without even glancing back. Before he can even take two steps, however, Young-ha reaches out and pulls him back.
"Su-yon."
"Let me go," he orders in Korean.
"No." Young-ha pulls Su-yon towards him.
"Let me go! Stop it!" The shorter boy struggles, but the redhead has phenomenal strength for a Go player. "Let me go!"
Young-ha grabs a frantically struggling Su-yon who is still screaming to be released and shakes him in his arms. "Stop it, Su-yon! Stop doing this!!"
The younger boy just relaxes suddenly, as if exhausted. "Let me go..." he pleads softly, tears gathering in his eyes. Young-ha makes as if to gather Su-yon in his arms, but the other whispers, "Don't."
"Why not?"
"Just don't. I don't want that. It's over, Young-ha. Just leave me alone." He doesn't even want to look at the redhead. He tries to leave again.
I exchange glances with Hikaru, silently asking him if he was sure this is a good idea. He shrugs and indicates the older Korean, as if to say that it depends on him.
"No, Su-yon. It isn't," Hikaru's 'natural' jerk insists, holding the other back.
"Yes, it is."
"No, you still love me."
At this, Su-yon looks up at the redhead. "Yes, Young-ha, I do. I always will, but that doesn't change anything." He tries to leave again, but Young-ha refuses to let go. He averts his gaze again.
"This isn't about them." He indicates us. "What is it that I did, Su-yon?" The normally lazy lackadaisical expression has been replaced by one so unfamiliarly serious, it's amazing.
Hikaru rolls his eyes. I give my lover a withering look.
"If you don't already know, then it's useless. Forget it." He attempts leaving for the third time since he stopped struggling.
"No. At least tell me what went wrong." Young-ha's usually confident voice is actually quivering even. I hope it works out, really. He truly doesn't want to lose Su-yon. They really do love each other and if Hikaru and I were in their situation now, I'd be terribly miserable.
"I told you; if you don't already know what it is, then there's no point in my telling you." He makes another attempt to leave, but the redhead obviously isn't going let him walk away until he gets a satisfactory explanation. If you're going to play a daring hand, play it out till the end; there's no turning back.
Hikaru moves his chair back a little and pulls me down on to his lap. I sit and lean back against him comfortably. He wraps his arms around me and his hand dips between my legs. "No," I protest quietly.
"Why? We can do it softly, can't we?" he whispers back in question, a naughty grin on his face.
"Not here! A Go Salon! You're a perv!" I hiss back.
"Yes, I know. But only for you, 'Kira, only for you," he murmurs.
"It doesn't have to have a point! Tell me what I did wrong, Su-yon!" the older Korean grates out harshly, shaking his lover hard and instantly grabbing my attention again.
"No! It doesn't matter anymore! It was never going to work anyway!" Su-yon insists, raising his voice. Tears are already streaming down his face as he tries to leave –I don't know, for the fourth time?- again.
Young-ha sighs at that. "Is that what this is about?" He pulls the other into an embrace. The younger Korean doesn't fight it; in fact, he practically collapses in the redhead's arms, sobs racking his body almost spasmodically. "It's your family, isn't it?"
Su-yon shakes his head, no. "That's not it," he manages between tears.
"Well, then what is it?" The jerk looks ready to tear his hair out in frustration.
"You," his lover replies simply.
"Yeah, I got that part. What about me?"
Su-yon looks up at that. "Don't you ever get it?! You never understand, Young-ha, never! Just let me go, okay? It doesn't matter! Just leave me alone!"
"Of course I don't understand! You never tell me anything!!"
"That's 'cause telling you doesn't help!! Every time I try to tell you anything, you change the subject!!"
"That's 'cause every time you tell me something, it's bad news and you get depressed!! I was trying to cheer you up and take your mind off things!! It's not like I can help you anyway!!"
"You don't have to help me, Young-ha!! You're just supposed to listen!!"
"I don't like it when you're depressed!!"
"I don't like it when you're an immature jerk!! Do you care?!"
"I'm not always one!! You're always depressed!!"
"Well, I wouldn't be if you were any more supportive!!"
"They sound like they're married," Hikaru tells me near my ear.
"And we don't?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow.
"Nope. Just like we're parents."
"What's the difference?" I enquire, this time genuinely curious.
"Well, they only argue about each other. We argue about everything," he replies with a grin.
I merely offer him a withering look in reply. Meanwhile, the Korean couple is still going at a hundred and seventy decibels.
"If it was support you wanted, you could have just said something!!"
"I'm not supposed to have to say anything!! If I had to tell you to, it wouldn't mean anything!!"
"I'm not a mind-reader, Su-yon!! I don't always know what you want!!"
"Well, you seem to do just fine on bed!!"
I choke. Hikaru looks at me curiously. I translate. He chokes. I never imagined Su-yon would actually say that here at that volume. Indeed, Young- ha chokes as well.
"That... That's different!!" he splutters.
"Whatever! It's beside the point!!"
"Well, what is the point?!"
"The point is..." Su-yon stops suddenly.
"What?" Young-ha asks, concerned.
"I... I don't know."
"What? Don't know what?" he asks, mystified.
"The point, Young-ha! I don't know anymore!!"
I burst out laughing before I can help myself.
"What?" Hikaru questions.
I translate for him and he starts laughing too. Su-yon blushes. Young-ha blinks in confusion.
"Well... Well, anyway, you're supposed to listen and be supportive! It doesn't matter whether or not you can help!" Su-yon manages to say most of it without stammering.
Young-ha just smirks. "Whatever you say." He pulls Su-yon close. This time, the shorter boy doesn't resist. He rests his head on the other's shoulder. Almost inaudibly, I hear the redhead whisper words 'I love you' in the other's ear before pulling back a little to kiss him.
Su-yon slides his eyes shut and then someone clears her throat. They both suddenly remember where they are and Young-ha straightens as his lover jumps back. "I've just about tolerated as much as I can. Either shut up and play, or get out," the counter-lady orders imperiously.
Young-ha looks appalled. Perhaps because most of Korean society still practises gender bias, the idea that a woman should speak to a man so rudely no matter the age difference is shocking. Of course, mothers, relatives, and the elderly are excluded from this norm when speaking to youths, but in this case, the lady is none of the three. The redhead looks quite ready to exercise his superiority, but Su-yon shakes his head and gives him a warning look. Finally, Young-ha just shrugs lazily, shoulders rolling fluidly as he pays his share of the entrance fee. The lady turns and makes her way back to the counter. For a long while, everyone is silent. Then...
"Well, now that you've resolved your issues, shall we get back to the original reason we came here?" Hikaru asks from behind me. "You owe me a game," he informs Young-ha pointedly.
Su-yon translates for his lover and the redhead's smirk widens. "Certainly. I'll crush you, of course, but then I guess you want to be crushed anyway," he replies, walking casually over to the chair.
"Stop being a jerk," Su-yon commands, sitting down next to him as I translate for my lover. "I know he told you where to find me today."
"Guilty as charged," I say, indicating Hikaru when the redhead doesn't answer.
Hikaru ignores me, instead talking to Young-ha. "Well, how about some ten- second-per-hand-speed-pair-Go? I'll have Aki and Su-yon nigiri."
Su-yon translates and Young-ha simply shrugs carelessly. "If you like."
I translate for Hikaru as I take my place beside him. Su-yon nods and we nigiri. I win black. Hikaru's white today. Young-ha requests two match clocks. The lady brings them and we begin. Japanese couple versus Korean couple. It sounds like an international tournament, despite how unofficial everything is. Well, I think as I place my first stone, let's see how we fare today.
* * *
"KANPAI!!" Everyone clinks his or her glass against everyone else's.
We're all at this Go convention cum winner's gala to commemorate our victory at the Hokuto Tournament. This is celebration part; the Go convention part comes later. There's even going to be a press conference to interview Hikaru, Yashiro, and I after this. We all came in and they gave us each a glass of juice. Many Go professionals are present today, as well as many people from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the organizers of this convention. Not many professionals are staying for the convention part, since the ministry only requested five and more have already volunteered. Besides us, Waya and Isumi, Ochi, Honda, Ogata-san, Morishita- san, Saeki and Ashiwara, and my father are staying. Of course, Kurata-san could hardly wait to further popularise himself and will definitely be staying, team manager or no. Plenty of people from the Go publicity department are around, just waiting for the press conference. The celebration is a private function, but the convention will be open to the public.
The Minister of Culture and Tourism gives his speech. It is boring. I read the line-up for the day and decide that I am going to need a lot of entertaining today. Well, I guess that since my boyfriend is a perv, I won't have any trouble passing my time that way, but there's no way we can do that all day, right? I sigh. We have another five speeches to listen to, including Kurata-san's, before one of us is has to make a speech too. I glance at Hikaru who is busy talking to his friends from his junior high school. They weren't supposed to be allowed in, but well, the Honinbou and a Hokuto Cup winner's words carry pretty great weight and they were allowed in in the end. Yashiro is busy conversing with Tatsura and some people from the Kansai Go Institute.
Hikaru's friends are LOUD, especially the tall guy with the fan. Hikaru said he was the Shougi club head back when he was in Haze. What was his name... Kaga? I don't know; I feel like the name's kind of familiar, but I just can't place it. He's with this guy who reminds me a bit of Isumi, just a bit taller and with glasses; Tsutsui, was it? Now Kaga is talking to Tatsura about Shougi. I look at them, feeling full force just how socially impaired I am. I really don't have any friends my age and I fell in love with the first one I got. So that leaves me with one lover and well, if I count Yashiro, then it's one friend and if I count Su-yon, then it's two, I guess. The rest are more Hikaru's friends, not mine. I wonder absently how Su-yon and Young-ha are doing. In the game after they resolved their issues, Hikaru beat the redhead by half a moku while Su-yon won against me by 1.5 moku. Young-ha didn't quite get to crush my lover after all. I smirk at the thought, then shrug. I'm probably going to be the one making the speech again this time. Those two... Well, let's just say that they won't be making the speech.
Hikaru turns to smile at me and I smile back. I think he notices how very bored I am, since he beckons me over to his side. I trot over and he immediately puts his arm around my waist and pulls me close. Isumi, Waya, and Hikaru's other friends from his Insei days come over and Hikaru introduces everyone. I rest my head on my lover's shoulder and he tightens the arm around my waist briefly. The girl he introduced as Akari doesn't look too happy at the gesture of affection, despite Hikaru's having said that she was the guy called Mitani's girlfriend. I think she still has a crush on my lover; it was just that they have been practically living in different worlds since he became a Go professional and besides, she probably just found out today that her childhood friend was gay. Well, in any case, Hikaru's mine and I'm not about to share. I put my arm around Hikaru's waist possessively; the girl looks away, pretending to be interested in whatever the others are saying.
Suddenly, we hear the MC calling us up on stage for the speech. I sigh resignedly as Hikaru gives me a hopeful look and Yashiro joins us as we make our way up to the stage. I flash the crowd a smile, as do my teammates, and walk over to the microphone with Hikaru and Yashiro behind me. The applause dies out and I say my long list of greetings. I used to be nervous whenever I had to speak in public, but I eventually got used to it after all the speeches and exhibitions I've done. I smile and begin the speech I had prepared mentally before Hikaru called me to him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it gives us all great pleasure to be here today to celebrate our winning of the Hokuto Cup. We are happy to have had the opportunity to participate in such a prestigious tournament and we are grateful for all your support. As you may well know, the Go world is a world of skill, a world where age is irrelevant to strength. Physical attributes mean little when the strength of mind is put to the test. Thus, the recent introduction of this international tournament for players below the age of eighteen has received more than its fair share of attention. Whereas in other tournaments the older and more experienced players have long since dominated and overshadowed the others, the age limit of the Hokuto Tournament allows younger and newer professionals to pit their skills against each other internationally and thus, gain increased recognition as the great players that they are. As such, we are proud to be the winners this year and to have raised again the name of our nation in this increasingly challenging and competitive world. My teammates and I hope for your continued support as we strive to further do all of you proud and we would like to encourage all the eligible professionals who did not make it to the tournament this year to grow stronger and try again next year. Thank you once again, ladies and gentlemen, for your all your support and... Aaahh!!" I collapse to my knees with a sharp cry of pain as white- hot liquid fire sears through my head.
"Akira!!" Hikaru's voice seems to come from a great distance away.
"Hi... ka... ru..." I call out softly before the darkness engulfs me completely.
~Hikaru~
"Akira!!" I call out, rushing to my lover's side. He's on his knees, clutching his head in obvious agony. The crowd is murmuring and many people look concerned. People are coming over to see what the problem is.
"Hi... ka... ru..." he calls me softly, collapsing into my waiting arms. I pull him close.
"Aki?! Aki?!" I shake him gently as I call his name frantically. "Aki!!" No response. I look up. "Someone! Anyone! Call an ambulance!!" I shout as loud as I can, close to panicking. Aki, you anal-retentive jerk, why do you always do this to me? I pull him closer and bury my face in his soft, sweet- smelling hair. His cologne smells wonderful, the scent of it a musky lavender. I'm warning you right now that if you die on me, 'Kira, I'll find a way to the other side to personally kill you a second time for it.
A/N: Yay!! Cliffhangers! Oh well, not so yay for the readers, but I'll
try to update soon. Hope you enjoyed it and please review all my fics!!
Thank you for all your support!
