Disclaimer : I don't own Hikaru no Go.


Chapter 7 : The opening night

In the evening, at the opening ceremony

Isumi brought Waya to the ceremony to meet Le Ping. Team China didn't stop babbling about them. They kept asking them if they were twins, a long lost brother, cousin or anything like that. Hikaru was one of them.

" How can we be twins? I'm three year older!" Waya reminded him the most important thing. I'm much much taller too.

" What about a long lost brother who separated since the they he was born?...I don't know… A ship sank and he floated away, you tried to reach out him but you couldn't. And Voila! There was a fisherman passing by and.." the blond in a navy blue suite told the possibility.

" Listen to yourself! This isn't a housewife soap-opera! You're watching a television too much! " Waya couldn't believe this was what his friend actually thought. A broken Ship? A Fisher man?

" Well, well, it's quite noisy around here," said the Korean pro in a white suite with a blue tie. He looked like a mini-Ogata.

" Oh, Ko, Listen.." the golden bangs boy was about to reach him. Then out of no where, Akira showed up, he was standing between Hikaru and the Korean. Actually, he was facing Yongha and turning his back to Hikaru. He glared at Yongha as if he wanted to say " If you want to talk to him, you can talk through me."

" Hey, what's going on? Shin…" Suyon ran to them. What does he do this time? He hoped that his teammate didn't do anything childish again. He hadn't approached the blond yet, Yashiro stepped forward blocking his way. " What the!" Yashiro didn't hate or dislike Suyon or anything but it pissed him off to know that the young Korean had never noticed him. He was his rival, For God's sake, not Hikaru.

" Yongha? Suyon?" An-Teson and Songkim rushed to the young pros. Kurata saw him running toward his team.

" What do you want with these kids?" demanded Kurata. If the Korean manager thought that he could bully his players, he was wrong.

If God was watching this scene from above, it would be quite a view. Hikaru was in the middle completely had no clue what the hell was going on, he was surrounded by three Japanese pros who thought that they were three musketeers protecting a prince ( or princess?) from cruel thieves. But it seemed that God or whoever was up there didn't like watching a movie. Before the situation went worse, a young lady on the stage announced.

" Before we continue this loving evening, the manager and the leader of each team will give us a short greeting,"

" Touya, it's time," Kurata told his team leader. Akira nodded and followed him to the stage.

All of a sudden, the large stage became so small, it was crowd with six guys the young lady who was not only a public speaker but also a skilful interpreter.

Three managers would give a speech first then follow by three leaders. Kurata was the first one who spoke, although Team Japan had lost in the 1st Hokuto Cup but Japan was still the host.

" We will win! We will win! An-Teson! Mark my word!" It was so Kurata to say something like that in the international tournament. WE Will Win!

" We come here as a winner, we will go home as a winner," An-Teson's declaration made Hikaru wondered if all Koreans were always so arrogant.

" Well, it seems that time can't change some people," As always, Yanghai was the only person who could bring a laughter to this tense moment. He was born to be a great entertainer. Grow up, Both of you!

Akira's greeting was always polite and educated, " I'm very pleased to attend the Hokuto Cup again. It's not everyday that we have a chance to play with other players around our ages from different countries. My friends and I will do our best, Thank you,"

" You know what Yashiro, I think he should work for the Foreign Affairs," Hikaru whispered and giggled at his rival's speech.

" To tell you the truth, the 1st Hokuto Cup in last year didn't interest me at all," It was Yongha who was talking. An-Teson had heard thatYongha became friend with Hikaru so he thought that it would be fine if he let his best player gave the speech again. " I thought that it would wasted my time when I should be at home studying my kifu," He looked at Hikaru with a high admiration and smiled sweetly, " But I was wrong, a young Japanese pro taught me that,"

" Wow..what a speech!"Waya exclaimed.

" Is that really Ko-Yongha?"Isumi wondered.

Everyone was surprised by that speech. As far as they remembered that guy was the same guy that had insulted Shusaku, the greatest Go player of all time.

" What possessed him to say that?" Hikaru heardKosemura said that.

Hikaru was more than surprised, he was stunned. He didn't even know how to call this feeling. It was a combination of astonishment, amazement, surprise, delight, self-respect and a little embarrassment.

" It would be my honor to play with him again, it'll be a shame if I don't have that chance," Reports, guests, organizers and all players turned their attentions to Shindou-pro. They lost their words, all they could do was just looking at him.

Hikaru looked at Yongha, he was more than stunned now. He was greatly dulled. He was unable to think, to hear or to speak. His mouth was moving but there was no voice coming out from it. The ceremony turned to be a Broadway show. Everywhere fell into the darkness, then there was a ray of light beamed down on them. The world seemed to stop spinning round for a moment.

" But if that really happens, if I have to play against another player," Yongha turned to face Akira, " I'll crush that player down to prove that I'm the only worthy rivalhe has, I'll crush you!" he pointed his finger right to Akira's face. Akira was shaking with anger and hatred.

Poor Wang-Shi-Chin, nobody listened to what he said afterwards.


Liliath : Thanks for the cookies :)

kathy :Those laser beam can kill someone this time.

To :) : Sorry that Waya and the gang didn't have a role here, but I intend to write a side-story about them. If you wonder why I don't justput it in this fic? Well..if I do that this fic must be at least 30 chapters-long!

siobhn01 : Now Akira turns to be angry.