Sai parked his car in the car park with Hikaru sitting beside him. Hikaru's toddler's seatbelt was unfastened with a click and Hikaru was grabbing on a black Go stone in his hands. Noticing that his father was getting ready to leave, Hikaru too, struggled with the door and pulled the lever to the door, but the door could not be unlocked. Sai chuckled, and pressed switch, to unlock the children's lock. The third time Hikaru tried with the lever, the door opened, but Sai was already outside his door.
"Idiot," Sai chided, playfully, while Hikaru just copied him ('Baka Paa-paa, baka Hikaru, baka Paa-paa!'). Sai carried Hikaru out of the car, and placed him on the ground due to Hikaru's whining, wanting to walk by himself. A hand holding Hikaru's little palm, Sai brought none of the necessary stuff, knowing that things would be very much easier now, as Hikaru was already potty trained.
"One," Sai counted, together with the child.
"Ichigo (Ichi meant one)!" Hikaru cried, while Sai just shook his head witheringly. For the umpteen times, he tried to correct Hikaru that 'Ichigo' meant strawberry and 'Ichi' meant one. However, for some reason, Hikaru always do make the same mistake.
Father and son both trotted to the lift, counting the steps they have taken. Out of the lift, Sai was greeted by the receptionists and they blabbered about Sai's disappearance for seven months while something caught Hikaru's attention.
A vending machine.
Hikaru wondered what that was and the reason why it contains the snack that his father often gave him, the yummy and smooth yogurt. Hikaru, interrupting the long chat that Sai longed to stop, pointed at the vending machine. Sai looked at him, blinked once, twice and excused himself.
As they get closer to the vending machine, Hikaru ran, as fast as his little legs could take him, in front of the vending machine. Sai saw his enthusiasm, and brought him a cup of yogurt. They headed to the main room, where go boards were aligned and the place where the Pros played.
In the far corner of the room, was the entrance to the Room of Profound Darkness. Sai glanced at his wrist watch, ten more minutes to the start of all games. Sai smiled, it was his third titles, and he was supposed to play for the title that Ogata held, the title of Gosei. After, he breezed through the challenger league last few months, though his existence was not known to all, which was why the whole disappearance business was about.
Sai knelt down to Hikaru's height who was enjoying the cup of yogurt. Sai pulled out a hanky from his pants-pocket and wiped Hikaru's mouth. Hikaru grinned with his mouth wide while Sai just smiled lightly. Sai ruffled Hikaru's hair while throwing the empty cup into the bin.
"Paa-paa! Go! Play!" Hikaru cried, pointing at a Go board nearby. Sai just smiled, knowing that Hikaru had this brightly lighted fire in his heart which belongs to Go and it'll take more than his lifetime to extinguish the fire away, not that he wanted to, though.
"Well, I guess it won't hurt, we still have ten more minutes…" Sai murmured, while Hikaru was taking all his might to pull Sai to the Go board with his little body. Sai placed both the black and white stones on the board, a mini puzzle for the kid to solve.
"Now Chibi-chan, where should I go if I don't want to lose the game?" Sai asked, while Hikaru fingered an empty stop by the far corner of the Go board and placed a stone on it. Sai smiled, ruffled his head and nodded.
Pa-chi.
"Right, but if you put it here, and I put it here," Sai whispered, fingering a corner diagonal to where Hikaru places his stone. He put a white Go stone on it.
Pa-chi.
Hikaru spoke gibberish for a while, and placed another stone beside the black Go stone he just placed. Sai laughed, and shook his head.
Pa-chi.
"Chibi-chan, you're just digging deeper into the hole," Sai murmured, and placed a white Go stone on Hikaru's fatal weakness in the game. The whole game was his. Hikaru was still searching of means, knowing that he had been checkmated.
Ogata proceeded to the room for his game with Fujiwara no Sai, half curious about the person he was going to bring and the other part of him was trying to regain his composure. Upon entering, he saw Sai playing with… Hikaru, a toddler. Cautiously, he strode to the game they were playing.
Knowing that the toddler was using black and Sai, white, he noticed that the game was already over. The father and son were still fooling around uncontrollably and had not noticed his existence in the room.
He glanced at Sai. He was the most informal one in the Pros. Fujiwara no Sai alwaysdo whatever he wanted, yet everyone respected him. As informal as he was, like wearing a tee and jeans when playing for a title, his skills were immeasurable. At such young age, for Sai, had not played a game seriously. He had never shown his true strength, without a doubt.
Sai was a merciless Go player. Just like a swordsman, he skillfully slashed his opponent without haste, till his opponent has fallen into the hole of despair.
Hikaru, while tugging his father's long locks, noticed Ogata. As Ogata was the one who gave him a stuffed toy (the toy teddy), he remembered him clearly. Sai too, noticed Ogata and gave a smile.
Hikaru loosened his grip at Sai's hair and wobble towards Ogata. His green orbs looking at him longingly for any toys. Kid was easy to bribe, indeed. Ogata, saw the kid and gave a slight smile. He could not hold up his resistance barrier to this boy, alas, it was the same to Sai.
"Ah, Ogata-san rarely smiled Hikaru, better tug his coat for more," Sai teased, while Ogata regained his cool composure but carried Hikaru in his arms. Sai just lied on the carpeted ground and looked upon the ceiling.
"I'm going to play with you for the title right?" Sai questioned, placing his gaze on the lights. Hikaru was playing with Ogata's spectacles, gurgling. Ogata just smirked and nodded.
"I will not give up my title so easily," Ogata murmured and the ten minutes is up. The other Pros started to gather in the room, with Ogata, Sai and Hikaru entering into the Room of Profound Darkness.
A/N: Ara… Sorry for the late update. :D The next chapter would be Hikaru's Talent and Sai's Depth. Thank you for reviewing, but u-u I still want my 25 hits. Never mind it :D
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