a/n: Okay, I admit it, this is pretty much just drivel written to help me get over writer's block I'm experiencing with something else, but c'est la vie. It's fun.

Part 2: Interesting Strategy

The crowd was beginning to break up. Those reporters who'd been present had long since finished their interviews and run off to submit their stories. Fans and well-wishers had for the most part been dealt with, and the officials for the match had said their farewells. The two stars of the evening had somehow wound up in the elevator alone together. It hadn't been entirely intentional, but then again, it hadn't been completely unplanned either.

"You played well tonight," commented Touya, knowing as he said it that Shindou was probably only thinking of the various mistakes he'd made and opportunities he'd lost. Even so, it had been one of their better matches. The spectators had been impressed, and even the less knowledgeable members of the crowd had appreciated the energy and intensity of the opponents. "I was wondering, though, what was so funny during the opening?"

"Huh?" Shindou seemed momentarily floored, and Touya knew he'd been reviewing his attack on the lower right.

"You nearly laughed every time I placed a stone for the first seven hands." Something clicked, and Shindou's mouth curled into a grin, even as his eyes became reflective.

"Kinume."

"Your daughter?" It was Touya's turn to be confused. "I didn't notice her in the crowd. Was she here?" The elevator reached the lobby, and they exited, heading for the taxis out front. By unspoken agreement, they shared a cab, and Shindou instructed the driver to take them back to their hotel. He leaned back in his seat, with a smile on his lips and amusement in his eyes.

"She's at home with Akari. They had a big night last night, though. It seems they spent it in the emergency room." He was nearly laughing.

"And that's funny how?"

"It seems Kinume has taken an interest in go." Now he was laughing and Touya was beginning to get irritated. Shindou could be so cryptic sometimes, considering what an open person he was generally. He seemed to notice his friend's annoyance, however, and clarified. "She woke Akari last night, saying she had a tummy ache. Akari tried the usual stuff, but I guess the kid was really hurting so she finally took her to the ER. Turns out it's my fault. You remember that match I had against Kurata two weeks ago?"

Touya nodded. It had been another excellent game, but Shindou had been perturbed by some aspects of it and had been going over it ever since. Touya well understood that particular compulsion.

"I set it up on my board at home, and I guess I forgot to put the stones away when I left. I was kinda in a hurry, you know?" he put his forehead in his hand and smirked, ruefully. His rival suppressed a shocked premonition of what had happened. Shindou continued. "I guess Kinume went in and decided to swallow twenty-four of the stones. It's a miracle she didn't choke. They gave her some stuff at the hospital to help... er... get rid of them, and they said she's going to be fine, but Akari gave me hell for it anyway." He gave an apologetic grin to his rival. "I just couldn't stop imagining her picking up those stones. It must have been adorable."

Touya smiled in the darkness of the cab. It was the sort of impulsive, single-minded thing one might expect from a daughter of his rival. "So Shindou, what color did she choose?"

"Black. Every one of them." He seemed slightly nonplussed by the question, until his rival caught his eye. Understanding bloomed as perspective shifted and the joke was complete. Shindou laughed quietly at the city lights beyond the glass.

"Interesting strategy." Touya murmured.