Disclaimer : I don't own Hikaru no Go.


Chapter 13 : Friends and rivals

Akira left the hall as soon as the game ended. His fans tried to comfort him by telling him how good the game was but he didn't stop to listen. He went into the elevator and headed back to his room.

Somehow, Akira's loss clamed Hikaru down. He knew Yongha was a strong player but he didn't expectTouya Akirato lose. He wasn't angry anymore, he became the same lighthearted Shindou Hikaru. Then he thought of his rival, he knew how it felt to lose to someone you didn't like, he had experienced that. Now his rival was walking through the same path and he felt that it might be his fault. He didn't want that to happen, he didn't want Akira to feel the same pain.

The next thing he knew was he was now standing in front of Akira's room. He wondered if the door was locked or not.

It isn't locked. He took a deep breath before he went into the prodigy's room.

It wasn't a big room, just a standard room in the hotel. There were a double bed, a small table, two chairs, a television and other things that should have in a hotel room.

The Meijin's son was sitting on a chair, he didn't look up from the floor to see who the intruder was. Hikaru thought he had already known that it was him. He was right, Akira had already known.

Hikaru didn't know what to say, in fact, a part of him told him not to say anything. He trusted his instinct so he just sat on another chair saying nothing.

They didn't know how long they had been sitting there in silence…half an hour? An hour? One hour and a half? They didn't know. Finally Akira spoke up.

" It's funny, isn't it? When I wanted to talk to you, you ran away. Now you want to talk to me but I'm the one who isn't ready," he looked up from the floor and laughed at himself.

"…"

" You come here to remind me about my loss?" he asked tiredly.

" You think that I'm that kind of man?" the blond asked back.

"..No, I don't," A soft smiled appeared on Akira's face. Hikaru was glad to see that smile.

" So now we're even,"

" Even?" the long-haired boy said dumbly.

" Yeah, we both lost to him," the red earrings boy clarified.

" Right,…Don't worry, I'll win next time," Akira smiled again.

" What! Hell No! I'll play with him next time!" Hikaru blew out immediately.

The 5 Dans knew that his rival would react like this. Shindou is so predictable. He chuckled lightly.

Hikaru had just realized that his rival did it on purpose. But that was okay, he didn't get mad this time. So he laughed, Akira laughed. They laughed together.

" Still angry at me?" asked the team leader.

" No, not anymore," Hikaru replied with a gentle smile.

" Friends?"

" Friend,"

" Rivals?"

" Equal rivals," the 3 Dans corrected it.

" Equal rivals," Akira confirmed.

" Yeah,"

Then they laughed again louder than last time. Suddenly, Hikaru's cell phone rang, he took it out and…

" Hey! What's up man?... Tomorrow night? Yeah, I guess so…….Really?...Of course, I'll be there!...Gemini? That one that belongs to Mako and Miki?...Yeah, I remember. Listen, can I bring my friends with me?...4 including me…Okay, see you, Bye" Hikaru turned back to Akira and gave him a fishy smile.

I know this look " What?"

" Let's go out tomorrow!"


A/N : Heehee, for who may wonder why did I ask about the cigarette, well...I wanna write more about another my favorite blond. That's right, I wanna write more about Ogata., right now, I'm characterizing him.

crywolf : Haha, I don't turn this web to a fighting game, don't worry.

kathy : Yeah, what will Yongha do next?

Liliath : Thanks