Disclaimer : I don't own Hikaru no Go.
Chapter 6 : Planning the masterly plan
At the present time, In Hikaru's room in the hotel
Until today, Hikaru still blamed Sai for causing him a slow promotion to achieve his 2nd Dan.
After Touya Meijin had lost to Sai and declared his retirement, Sai had gone into what Hikaru called " A Depress Mode". For Sai, Touya Meijin was the strongest opponent he had ever seen. At last, he had found a worthy rival who was meant to be his eternal rival but he himself had driven the said rival away by making him quit playing Go. Hikaru had found it very amusing for Sai to feel this way. After all, he was talking about the heart ( or a man) who threatened his life for the past couple years.
" I can't believe you actually take it as your responsibility. It's not your fault, you know," This was what he had told his educator a year ago after Kouyo's declaration.
" If he quits playing Go, I'll never find the Hand of God," Sai had replied.
Hikaru remembered smirking and laughing at himself for being such a fool. Of course, it was about The Hand of God, it was always The Hand of God and it would always be The Hand of God. What had possessed him that day to truly think that someone like Sai genuinely cared about somebody else? This guy had no sense of guilt, he had never hesitated to menace him. Why would he care for the ex-Meijin?
What's more, Sai's depression had caused a great effect on him too. Hikaru had found himself being in the same depress-mode without reason. He had always felt so tired out as if he had been ready to drop any time. It was like he had lost control of his body, once he had burst out in tears crazily in the Room of Kifu at the Go association. Then the situation had gone even worse, the worst, he couldn't play Go! Whenever he had come closer to the Go board, he had felt sick. At first, he had thought that Sai would recover soon but he had been wrong…again,as always.Sai's gloominess had continued for months. When Akira had confronted him asking him why he hadn't attended his games, he hadn't knownhow to answer, " Because my heart doesn't want to," seemed to be too dramatic. Not only Akira who had concerned about him, so had his family…especially, his mother, Mitsuko.
When Hikaru had first told Mitsuko that he had wanted to play Go, she had beentotallytaken off guard. She hadn't known why suddenly her athletic son wanted to play a boring-old-man game and quit playing football that he loved. Yet, she and other members of the family had supported him, after all Go was better for Hikaru's health. It didn't require a physical activity, it was much much safer than football. It had come to her surprise to know that her son had passed the Pro exam and soon he would become a Go pro. Mitsuko hadn't been worried about his health anymore, she had been worried about his future instead. After her father-in-law had reminded her that Hikaru's future might not be that long, she had decided to let her son do whatever he want.
Just when Mrs. Shindou had thought that she had made a right choice, Hikaru swiftly had changed his mind by stop playing Go. She hadn't known what had been going on, all she had known was her baby had change, sadness and pain had been all over his face and she hadn't known what to do. " First, I have to bring him to a surgery, now I have to bring him to a psychologist?" She had irony asked herself back then. One day, when she had lost all her hope, a polite young man had appeared in front of her door and came to her rescue.
Hikaru remembered that day too, the day that Isumi had unexpectedly visited him, it was about 6 months after Kouyo's retirement. Hikaru had taken almost half a year to assure Sai that his meant rival would never ever quit playing Go. He had explained to hispartner that the former-Meijin only wanted to change his style and became a stronger player to be the winner next time they played. Finally, after months of promises, Sai had bought Hikaru's word, he had told his young successor that he would wait for his rival. Until the day came, he would take a nap to restore his power and prepare for the next game causing the boy no trouble. Firstly, Hikaru had had no idea what the hell the heart had been talking about. When he had reluctantly accepted Isumi's request for a game, things had become clear to him.
" Let's continue that game …for my sake," The older guy had told him.
He had hesitatingly placed the stone on the Go board fearing that Sai would make him sick again. The last thing he had ever wanted to do was to vomit on the other man. To his surprise, he could actually play the game, he had called Sai to thank him for letting him play Go again but the heart hadn't answered his call. Sai had taken a nap like he had told him before, he had given Hikaru back his life! That day, Hikaru hadn't thrown up in front of Isumi, he had cried instead.
" Hikaru, Hikaru," Sai called bringing him back to the real world.
" Huh?"
" I'm asking you when I can play with him again?" he repeated the question.
" ….I can't believe this," Closing his green eyes, Hikaru sighed boringly again.
" Huh?"
" After a one-year sleep," he stated, " And the first thing you wanna talk about is your game with Touya-Sensei. At least, can't you just say Hello?" he complained.
" A year? I've slept for a year?" Sai exclaimed, " It feels like yesterday,"
" It's been a year, partner,"
" …Okay…Hello,"
" Geez! You're really bad at this, you know that?" Loosening his tie, the bleached bangs pro shook his head in frustration, " Don't do or say anything unless you mean it,"
" You're a difficult boy, you know that?"
" I learn from the best," he snapped back.
Hikaru wondered what the others would think about him if they heard him arguing with his heart…well, not exactly his. Actually, Sai couldn't talk since he was just a heart so he didn't have a mouth, however, they could communicate by using telepathy. In fact, Hikaru didn't need to say it out loud in order to talk to him, just thinking would be enough because Sai could read his mind anyway, however, he prefer the normal way.
Sai also had neither ear nor eye; therefore, technically, he couldn't see or hear a thing but he could sense it. Somehow, he knew what his student knew, even he himself didn't know how. His abilities didn't surprise his green-eyed partner at all, Hikaru thought it was possible for Sai to acknowledge what was in his mind since they did share the same body and the same nerve system.
Sai thought this theory was reasonable enough, after all he could talk to his apprentice. Why couldn't he comprehend what the boy saw or heard?
What fascinated the blond the most about his sixth sense was he could sense people's feeling. He knew whether the person Hikaru was talking to was angry or sad, this skill was very useful for the slow Hikaru.
" So? When it'll be? The game, I mean," Sai asked curiously.
"…I don't know, we have to check our schedules first,"
" Our schedules? Whose schedules?"he wondered.
" Touya's and mine, of course,"
" Which Touya?"
" Touya Akira,"
" Why do we have to check his schedule? He has nothing to do with this! Just set the game as soon as possible will be enough," he said in his bossy tone.
" Don't you think it'll be such a coincident if Touya-Sensei plays with you right after he came back to Japan and met me?" Hikaru said annoyingly, " I don't want to rise any suspicion,"
" Ah-huh, but why do we have to check his schedule? If you say Touya Kouyo, that makes sense, I don't see why we need Touya Akira's timetable,"
" Listen, just leave it to me, okay? I've a plan," the trendy teenager guaranteed, " A very good one,"
" May I ask what the masterly plan is?" Asking in mockery tone, the mysterious Go player questioned. He still didn't understand what Akira had to do with his game.
" It's simple but effective. I check our schedules, select the date then I'll tell Touya-Sensei that you wish to play with him. Voila, it's done! You got yourself a game with Touya-Sensei!"
" Will it be that easy? What if he can't play on that day? What if he isn't available? If he's already had a plan," the heart notified the possibility. Frankly speaking, this plan seemed to be too simple to be 'the masterly plan'.
" Believe me, he'll cancel it just to have a game with you," the young pro declared with 100 percent confidence.
" Really?" Feeling to be someone important and special, Sai was flattered.
" Yap," the 1-Dan confirmed.
" How can you be so sure?" the heart asked inquiringly.
" Com'on, Sai, he's dying to play against you!" Hikaru reassured his partner, "We're talking about the man who ditched his 5 titles just because he wanted to find a new strength to beat you, remember?"
"…Maybe you're right, there's only one problem left,"
" What is it?" the golden-bangs boy doubted, he was so sure that his plan was perfect.
" How can we contact him without Touya Akira's help? Where can we find him? He's not in the hospital this time,"
" You don't have to worry about that, my friend," Smiling triumphantly, the playful boy promised, " All we have to do is waiting…Touya-Sensei soon willappear beforeme,"
" You mean he himself will come to see you? Why?" Sai was completely lost now. What the hell Hikaru was talking about?
" As I said, he's dying to have a game with you and I'm the only connection he has. To play with you, he knows he needs me. He'll find me," Hikaru stated.
" How?"
Shrugging his shoulder indifferently, the 15 year-old pro replied uninterestedly, " One way or another, I don't know either but he'll, Trust me,"
" Though we don't have to run around to find him, though he'll be the one who's looking for us, I can't figure out how he can do it behind Touya Akira's back," said Sai, "Eventually,your rivalwill know," he predicted.
" He promised us to keep our connection in secret. I believe him, he's a man of his word.," the raising star had faith in the old gentleman, " Besides, I'm the messenger, he knows it won't be wise at all to make the messenger angry," That was right, he was the one who knew everyone and knew everything, he got the upper-hand.
" Still, I don't understand why we need Touya Akira's schedule," the great internet Go player brought back the old subject.
" Because we have to use it to select the perfect date," That was the acceptable answer.
"So, when will it be the perfect day?"
" Well, it must be the day that Touya is busy but I'm free. We'll play the game when he's working, this way he can't witness the game in the net," he told the reason.
" Since when you become good at this?"
" Since the day I found myself talking to the heart, I guess," he answered playfully.
" At least, I've a good effect on you. Then we have to go to the association to ask them for the timetable then,"
" Why bother to go to the association while we have the internet at home?" the modern boy suggested.
"….Bloody genius, Hikaru, Bloody genius,"
" Thank you," he smirked.
" So, what will we do next?" Knowing that his student had become some kind of ' The Prince of Conspiracy,', Sai let the genius decide what would be their next move.
Getting up, sitting on the edge of his bed, said The Prince of Conspiracy, " First, we take a shower and go to bed,"
A/N : I don't know if you can feel it but I want to imply about their relationship in one chapter only.
As you can see, they don't love each other that much, unlike the real Sai and the real Hikaru.They're more like colleagues, a teacher and a student, partners…business partner…sort of that.
gravitation gig : Heehee ( giving you my evil grin )
kari , d.a.r.s.h., kathy and Coiling death: Now you know why Sai disappeared, what happened during his vacation, how he played Go and how he taught Hikaru the game. ( I knew that you guys would ask me about this, I'm well prepared, right?) Well, For me, this Sai isn't just a heart, he's more like...Ghost in the heart, I focus on Sai's spirit more the organ ( the heart)
Firehedehoq : Thank you.