Touya took a look at the inside of the bus, and whished he hadn't. He wasn't so sure now that taking it was the less hot and tiring option.

"Wa, it's crowded" Hikaru wisely noticed. Always so observing, Touya ironically thought, and couldn't help a half smile.

"I wouldn't mind walking, you know" Touya shrugged, hoping that Hikaru would take the hint. No way he'd get in such a crowded bus, with all that unknown sweat and contact everywhere.

"Oooh, nonono, I'm 'not' walking half the city under this damn sun!"

"It was YOUR idea to have lunch at such a far place!" Touya was getting pissed. He had beared with Shinodu begging and whining for a whole week so that they'd eat at that new super-famous restaurant. He had beared with the noon sun and the long distance between the Go-salon and the damn restaurant. He had beared even with discovering that the 'restaurant' was a DAMN RAMEN STAND (it was Shindou anyway, he should have seen that coming). He was proud of being a really calm and collected boy, but even those lost their patience sometimes.

"Ok, ok" Hikaru put both hands in front of himself, jokingly pretending to protect himself from whathever angry Touya could do to poor innocent him. "I guess walking's fin--OW!" the bleached pro was suddenly pushed forward by a bunch of people wanting to take the bus, and couldn't help dragging Touya along. "Heyheyhey, watch that hand!"

"Shindou, what are you doing?" shouted Akira, desperately trying to avoid being thrown into the bus.

"Hey, it's not my fault" Hikaru shouted back, looking at Touya and noticing how close they were. They had been facing each other before all that mess started, and now Hikaru's nose was an inch apart from Touya's worried face, and the other boy's hands were placed at his chest, trying to protect himself from the crowd's rampage. Hikaru's face got red, and he couldn't look Akira in the eyes.

"Oh, wonderful. At least we don't have to argue over taking the bus or not anymore" Akira said, grumpy, when the doors closed trapping them inside. He reached for a bar to hold on, since they obviously weren't gonna seat anytime soon. Hikaru missed his hands on his chest as the skin that had been uder his touch felt cold and empty.

"Well, not gonna die 'cause of it" Hikaru said. He laughed at Akira's disbelieving face, as the long haired boy looked around at all that people, wondering if there was gonna be enough oxygen for everybody. His eyes suddenly snapped wide and he turned around, his back facing Hikaru.

"Huh?" the blonde was a little surprised by the sudden move. Then he noticed Akira's blushing and a group of girls squeaking while one of them was pointing at him and at her own hand. Hikaru started laughing loud and so hard that he'd have bend in half in there was enough space. "Oh God, I can't believe it" he said between laughs "I can't believe Akira... Akira Touya was just... ABUSED BY A PERV FANGAL! BWAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHA!"

Touya's face was bright red now, and his eyes was so wide that it wouldn't be surprising if they just popped out. Oh great, like all that people cramped together weren't invading his personal space enough, now they were harassing him too.

"Shindou, this is NOT funny" Hikaru laughed harder "Shindou, did you hear me? This... SHINDOU! Damn" Touya tried to go through the thick wall of people that blocked his way to the bus' door.

"Waitwait!" Hikaru giggled some more and breathed hard to calm down"Touya, wait. Why did you get so upset?"

"SHE GRABBED MY FRIGGIN' ASS!" Touya shouted, trying to force the obvious into Shindou's thick head. "And you were laughing at me!"

"Oh c'mon, I can't believe you got so upset just because of a few hormone-driven fangals. And I wasn't laughing AT you, I was laughing WITH you."

"But I wasn't laughing at all!"

"You would if you had seen your face" Hikaru tried to control the burst of giggles that almost came off as he remembered how cute embarassed Touya was."You looked likea virgin feeling violated!"

Touya rolled his eyes and gave a small chuckle. He didn't know he could do such a face. He risked a glance at those girls and his smile was gone right away."I'm not so sure if I'm not. Look at them, they're staring like they're gonna eat me."

"Gosh, they sure are creepy" agreed Hikaru, feeling simpathetic for his friend. Then, he had an idea. "Do you wanna make it to the go-center safe? I mean, with your ass and all other bodyparts intact?"

Touya slowly agreed with his head, trying to figure out what was going through Shindou's messed up mind.

"Then, leave it to almighty me" he gave a playful smile and turned clueless Touya around. Then, with his back facing him, he put both arms around the other's waist, resting his head on the curve of Touya's neck.

"Shindou, what are you doing?" Touya stiffened. "Trying to protect you from your adorable friends over there."

Touya glanced at the fangirls once more and decided that they looked a lot more itimidating than Shindou. He relaxed in the embrace, feeling safe and warm.

"So, what do you have against fangirls anyway?" Hikaru whispered close to Akira's ear. He looked at the girls' confused faces and chuckled. "Their obsession is pretty healthy for one's ego."

Touya thought about it for a long second (for some reason, Shindou's warm breath close to his face made concentrating harder), then shrugged."Your're right, I guess. I'm okay with them, since they don't mess with my go."

"And how exactly could a girl mess up with your go?" Hikaru asked with a chuckle. Now he was sure, in Akira Touya's head was go, and go only."I dunno" Touya shrugged and leaned further into the embrace. "Wanting me to take her out during competition times, or whining about me caring more about go than her."

"Girls just can't seem to understand" Hikaru agreed.

"It's not about being a girl, I guess. It's just that someone who doesn't play can't understand the... the passion. But if it was Ichikawa-san, for an example... she'd understand" Touya said thoughtfully. Hikaru shifted his position, suddenly unconfortable.

"So you like her " it was more like a statement than a question, and not a very enthusiastic one.

"Hn? Oh, no... I don't think so. She's not really my type."

"Oh" the bleached boy seemed interested. "and what would be Akira Touya's type?"

"Stop calling me like that" said annoyed Akira.

"Like what?"

"Akira Touya."

"It's your name, you know."

"OF COURSE I know" Touya rolled his eyes. "but you make it sound unreal... like some sort of idol."

"Well, you're an idol. The proof is those drooling gals over there, which I bet never even heard of go before you came into the scene" Shindou pointed with his head to the fangirls, who were now watching him with poisonous eyes and killing him painfully in their minds. Touya gave a small laugh.

"But seriously, how do you wanna be called then?" Touya pondered about it a little. How'd he like Shindou to call him? "Akira." he liked how his first name sounded in his rival's mouth. It sounded right, personal and meaningful. He'd never had someone that caled him by his first name, except maybe for his parents... and yet, they added the honorific 'san' that made he always feel like an undergrown adult.

"Akira, hn? I like that, Akira-chan" Hikaru laughed a little while he tried to hide from Touya's glare. "Akira-kun then?" Glare. "Okay, Akira. Gee, you never cut me some slack." both Hikaru and Touya knew this was a lie. And knowing that he was the only one that Touya let call him by his first name made Shindou happy, in some sort of sugary way that felt like butterflies were flying on his stomach. And yes, he noticed there wasn't a single manly word in those thoughts, and the weirdest part was that he honestly didn't care.

Then they heard that annoying noise that announced that the bus was stopping. They were already close enough to walk to the go-salon.

"Shall we?" asked Hikaru with fake gentlemanlyness. Touya nodded and they both got down, not before Hikaru waved the furious girls good-bye. Then, when the bus had already gone away, Touya noticed that Hikaru's arm was still upon his shoulders. He looked at the other boy's reddened face, and felt he was tense. Then hethought about it a little, shrugged and said:

"Just don't mess up with my go, okay?"

PS . Thanks to everyone who was patient enough to read my first fic like it wasn't lame enough, messed its lines up X/ that's what I deserve for not reading the notes on the submitting page. Someday, if I feel like, I'll edit it X/

PS .. Thanks to all reviewers. I wasn't really expecting compliments at all, but you encouraged me. Oh, and if you find any grammar mistakes, please let me know about it, m'kay?

PS... Probably 'gentlemanlyness' is not a word, but you got the meaning.