Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go. It belongs to Hotta Yumi and Obata Takeshi.

Hotaru Umi

"Today is our last day at this convention. Did you get anything worthy from this event, Shindou?" Ogata asked Hikaru while the three of them were having their breakfast.

"Yes. Uh, thank you for letting me tag along," Hikaru replied a bit shy. Finally he said that.

"No problem." Then there went another odd-charming smile from Ogata.

"Ogata-san," Akira spoke. "After this event ended, I and Shindou are going to the beach together. I hope you wouldn't mind go back to Tokyo by yourself. Is it okay with you?" Akira asked politely.

"Together? You mean just you and Shindou?"

"Yes."

Ogata put down his fork slowly. Meanwhile, Hikaru locked his stare at Ogata. He wondered if Ogata was going to disagree to what Akira said.

"That's fine with me," Ogata smiled to Akira.

"Thanks," Akira smiled back. Hikaru nearly thanked Ogata too, but he knew that would sound weird.

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The convention ended successfully. Hikaru was very very grateful being able to be there. Inside, he thanked Akira for asking him to join along and also Ogata with his extra invitation.

"Do you want me to drive you boys to the beach before I left?" Ogata put a cigarette between his lips.

"Thanks, but you don't have to, Ogata-san," Akira took his bag Ogata handed him.

"I'll tell your mother you'll be spending more time here."

"That's okay, I'll call her and tell it to her by myself," Akira smiled softly.

Ogata stared at the boy in front of him. "Okay," he said then.

"Take care, boys," Ogata waved and left for his rented car.

"I never thought I'm going to say this, but he's a nice guy," Hikaru said to Akira.

"Yes, he is," Akira's eyes got soften again, "Well, we should be going too."

Hikaru smiled cheerfully, "Yes. Anyway, I've asked the hotel staffs where the most beautiful beach is and they told me there's one near some high school a couple of blocks from here."

"What is it called?"

"Uh, I forgot the formal name, but they said that the native teenagers use to call it hotaru umi (fireflies sea)."

"That's a nice name. Well, let's go then," Akira smiled mildly and started to walk leaving Hikaru behind rather astonished.

Finally he got to see Akira's smile that was meant for him only.

Hikaru thought maybe he could see it more often if he spends more none-Go time with Akira. Suddenly he wished that he was just a common friend. A friend that can't play Go and that means won't be a person that Akira would consider as a rival.

For all this time, the thing that he and Akira were doing together was only about Go. They spent their time together playing Go at the Go salon and it always ended in a furious quarrel.

Hikaru was so familiar with Akira's piercing stare and serious expression. He wanted something else.

Hikaru wanted Akira's eyes got soften because of him. He wanted Akira's smiles become the sweetest when the smiles got to do with him.

He wanted Akira stares at him just the way Akira stares at Ogata. A familiar and comforting stare.

And before he could stop himself from thinking such thoughts, Hikaru wanted Akira to wish the same thing.

"Aargh!" Hikaru shook his head hard trying to get rid off those thoughts.

"What's the matter, Shindou? You don't feel well?"

"Huh? Ah-No! I'm fine, he-he…"

Akira stared at Hikaru a bit confused. "We'll take a bus from here. You know where we're going to get off, right?"

"Yes."

Then Akira and Hikaru walked to the nearest bus stop.

While walking to the bus stop with Akira, Hikaru tapped his own head a couple of times made Akira knitted his brows.

"Are you really okay, Shindou? If you don't feel well, we could just cancel the trip…"

"No, no! I'm fine, really. I just felt my head a bit itchy, that's all," Hikaru smirked. Actually he was trying to push off the thoughts about Akira that kept on popping up in his head.

"Are you sure?" Akira asked Hikaru again. It seemed that Hikaru's reply didn't manage to convince him.

"Yes, I'm fine." Hikaru smiled to Akira.

Akira just stared at him without saying anything. Suddenly he put his hand on Hikaru's forehead.

"W-What?" Hikaru got freaked out and pulled away from Akira.

"I just want to see if you're really okay. Well, you don't have any fever which means you're fine."

"I said I am, didn't I?" Hikaru replied rather grumbling. His cheeks went blushing.

"I was just worrying, you don't have to be that mad."

"I'm not mad!"

"Your voice got high."

"I always talks like this!"

"Only when we were discussing our games, and incase you forgot, we're not at my father's Go salon right now."

Hikaru got silenced. Yes, for a while he forgot about that. Maybe the quarrels they had were becoming too usual.

"I guess we only suit at that kind of conversation, huh?" Akira threw a rather bitter smile.

Suddenly Hikaru felt he messed up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you."

"It's okay. Not like it's the first time. Maybe I was just got overreacted there," Akira tried to neutralize things.

"No, I was the one who got overreacted."

"It's okay Shindou, really. We should just get going or we're gonna waste the whole day by just apologizing each other."

"Uh, okay," Hikaru grinned apologetically. Yes, he himself didn't want to waste the day and the moment. It was becoming good lately, no fighting should wreck the peaceful moment.

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"Wow! It is a beautiful beach!" Akira said spontaneously as they set their feet on the soft sand.

"Yeah, but I wonder why they call it 'hotaru umi'."

"Maybe we could find fireflies around."

"That is so silly," Hikaru smirked. He took off his shoes and went to the shore.

Akira observed him and smiled inside. Hikaru looked so free and enjoying himself as usual.

Akira never said this to Hikaru, but for him, Hikaru has always been very 'alive' and it was fun to see him like that. Somehow, it sent a spark of spirit and excitement to Akira to live his life.

"Maybe we could watch the sunset here. What do you think, Touya?" Hikaru turned to Akira behind him.

"That would be fun." Akira took off his shoes too and sat on the sand.

"Hey, instead of sitting there and doing nothing, why don't you join me over here? The water isn't too cold. Come on!"

"Umm…" Akira scratched his chin, "Okay."

The two boys walked along the shore. Akira kicked the sand and the bubbles along his way.

Hikaru went further in to the water. His feet were dipped in the water to his knees. "It felt nice!" He jumped and made the water splashed around.

"Hey! Watch it!" Akira pouted when the water got on his face.

"Come over here, Touya! You can swim not only on summer, you know!" Hikaru laughed and splashed more water to Akira.

Akira muttered, "I'll make you pay…" He went in to the water too and started to splash Hikaru's face with the cold water.

Both Hikaru and Akira were very wet, but they didn't mind. They have never done this before and this felt more fun than playing Go together.

"You look terrible," Hikaru grinned and wiped off his wet dyed hair from his forehead.

"You too," Akira panted but he smiled.

"Let's change our clothes. I don't wanna get sick." Hikaru took his shoes scattered on the sand.

"But the sun will be set in no time," Akira said observing the horizon.

"You're right…" Hikaru stared at the sun far ahead. It seemed as if it's going to drown itself in to the sea. "Well, I guess it would be okay to wait for the sunset. I think it won't take long. What do you think?" Hikaru turned to Akira.

"I think we should just sit for a while and wait for the sunset."

"Okay."

Both Akira and Hikaru sat still on the sand. The sun was getting lowered and sent some glorious shine to the darkened sky.

"Awesome, isn't it?" Hikaru said. His eyes weren't moving from the scene played before him.

"I prefer to call it beautiful," Akira replied. He also got his eyes locked at the same view.

'Beautiful.

Yes, it's beautiful, Touya. Not only the sun, but also this whole place. The sand, the sea, the sky… me and you.

Aren't we beautiful together, Touya? Do you agree with me?

Aren't we beautiful… Akira?'

The sun was nearly hidden behind the calm sea. It reflected itself on the water surface before it sank, sending a certain sparkles on the water.

Hikaru widened his eyes to see it. "Look, Touya! Fireflies!"

Akira smiled softly, "That's why they call it 'hotaru umi'."

The sparkles were dancing along with the waves as if it was a crowd of fireflies. And when the sun set, the fireflies were gone with all of their beauty leaving the two boys in silence.

Hikaru knew that the setting sun was already gone. But he couldn't move his feet to leave the place. The beauty was too shocking and stiffened him.

"Let's go," Akira was the one who spoke first. He stood up and headed to the toilet near by the beach to change his wet clothes.

"I can't move, Akira."

"What?" Akira turned back

"I said I can't move. I don't know why, but just give me a couple of minutes. I think I need to calm down myself."

"Not that, what did you call me before?"

"Huh?" Hikaru looked at Akira.

"You've just called me 'Akira', Shindou…" Akira said in a hesitant tone. It seemed that he couldn't believe his own ears.

"I… I did?"

Akira approached Hikaru. "Why?"

Hikaru didn't know what to reply to the question because he didn't realize that he called Akira by his first name. "I… I don't know…maybe it was because of the sunset."

Akira was still staring at Hikaru. He took Hikaru's hand and helped him to stand. "Let's change and then we go home."

Akira walked to the toilet followed by Hikaru in silence. Hikaru stared at Akira's back. He felt hesitant to ask something, but he felt he really had to ask it.

"A-Akira?"

Akira stopped and turned around facing Hikaru behind him. "What is it?"

"Do you…. Do you mind I'm calling you Akira?"

Akira didn't reply, but then he smiled. His eyes went soft. "No. Not at all… Hikaru."

Hikaru felt his heart jumped to hear that. Why did his name sound so beautiful when Akira was the one who mention it?

"Let's go." Akira walked again. Hikaru chased him and walked right beside him.

They walked side by side and didn't say anything, but it didn't felt awkward. In fact, it was somehow heartwarming.

It should be enough for now. Both of them wouldn't ask for more.

It was a very pleasant trip. Not only for Hikaru, but also for Akira.

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Hikaru and Akira weren't planning to spend another night at Kanagawa, so they took the last shinkansen heading back to Tokyo.

Hikaru snuggled on his seat. He felt very sleepy. Slightly, he glanced at Akira sitting beside him.

Apparently Akira already fell asleep. Hikaru smiled. From now on, they're going to call each other by their first name. Hikaru felt excited because in that way he knew that they were getting more familiar.

He remembered how Akira smiled and stared at him at the beach before. It was the comforting stare he wished for all of this time.

"Thank you, Akira."

Suddenly Hikaru grinned remembering he also got another person to thank to.

Ogata.

He and his extra invitation also have their own important role to this.

"Thanks, Ogata. You are such a nice person." Still smiling, Hikaru closed his eyes and went to his peaceful sleep.

tbc