The Future of Go: Chapter Five

by Ami-chan

The preliminaries of the pro tournament had ended and a good number of the Insei that had been unable to skip them had made it into the actual tournament. It was hard to keep myself grounded because I knew the pro world was just around the corner and I could feel it and I remembered what it had been like with Hikaru. I wanted that excitement, that challenge – it was the sort of thing I thrived on. Yet, I was also still a pre-school student and Souko-chan was my best friend; I knew, because she told me that we were, so I supposed it must be true, though I had never had a "best friend" before. Of course, I was also best friends with Kita, Mai, and Suka because they wouldn't be left out, either.

I vaguely wondered if there would be anyone really challenging at the pro test for me to play against, but I didn't hold on too tightly to that hope. After Ibecome a pro then I couldstart playing against people that were more at my level.Hikaru and Akira were more or less tied for status of "best Go player" and they were the ones I wanted to play – well, that and I had never given up on the dream of playing Touya Meijin-san. I shivered in anticipation of that thought, of facing him as me, in this body and testing him with my full strength. He would be a challenge I looked forward to; if only he hadn't retired! I could still conceivably get to him through Hikaru or Akira, though, but that would have to wait. First, I would have to officially meet them.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

I managed not to sigh. I had lost count of the times she had said that, having spent the last week listening to all number of things that I could do instead. It was a pitiful attempt to distract me, but 'kasan didn't understand that I could not be distracted. This seemed to be her last hope, as if she knew if I stepped into that room, the same room I had gone to for every Insei match and yet was different this time because it was not just the Insei room it was the pro testing room now, that there would be no returning. I turned to look at her and smiled faintly. "I know," I said simply. "You don't have to wait if you don't want to."

I stepped into the room and she waited, both of us knowing we didn't have to, but unable to change our courses – I desired to go through the tests to become a pro and she desired to wait on her only child. It made me feel slightly guilty. She had wanted a child and not, not whatever I was.

Then there were no thoughts but of the game before me, the strategy, the struggle, the fight, the victory. I placed my first stamp of the pro tournament down and found okasan again. That's when we saw the reporters, after we had gotten off the elevators, since they weren't allowed to disturb the players. Theireyes latched onto me, as if sensing a story there. I would assume it was because I was a child and that always makes a cute story, I guess.

"Excuse me, are you here to cheer on an older niichan or neechan in the Go tournament?"

'Kasan had nudged me slightly behind her, protectively, as I replied, "No, I was here to play in the tournament." It seemed a simple thing to say, but it attracted a lot of attention. Suddenly pictures were being flashed at me and I was momentarily blinded. Questions were fired at me and I had no idea where to start – how old was I? how long had I been playing Go? what did I think my chances of winning were? wasn't I the youngest person to try to take the pro tests? – so I didn't start at all.

I was jerked into the air, held firmly in 'kasan's arms as she dodged past the reporters, politeness be damned. My heart sank for a moment. Never had I considered the sort of attention I might receive just for playing Go – I saw the professional Go players on TV, yes, I heard the stores about Hikaru and Akira, but I had never thought about what that might mean for me. Of course they jumped at that, a little child playing Go to become a professional. What would they do when I won, because I knew I was going to, I couldn't not win when I wanted it so much.

Then I shook myself out of it. It didn't matter what they did. This was what I wanted and I would deal with all of those things later. They would likely lose interest in me when I became older and not so cute and then I would be just another Go player. Yes and until then I could just deal with whatever they threw my way. They wouldn't expect much of me, maybe a childishly optimistic phrase here, a smile for a picture there and I could do that just fine. After all, had I not mingled with royalty in my previous life? I could do this now.

Later, when 'tousan was watching the evening news and I was curled into my corner of the living room where my Go board was set up, a picture of the Go Institute flashing across the screen caught my attention. I turned to look, focusing in on the words that were being spoken.

"…and in other news, the pro Go tournaments have started again and this year, according to our sources, there is a particularly young Insei trying to advance into the pro world. This Insei, who is amongst the top Inseis, is four year-old Yamamoto Shinji, as seen here." Footage from earlier was playing on the screen; me, standing beside my mother looking wide-eyed and surprised. "We were unable to get any statements from him at this time, but we will certainly be watching his progress."

The screen cut back to the studio and the two newscasters seated there. "How do you think he will do, considering his age?"

"Likely it will be a tough competition, but as he is doing so well as an Insei it could be possible that he'll make it fairly far into the ranks."

"Then his chances of actually ranking in the top three and moving on to become a pro are…?"

I tuned it out then. 'Tousan was talking quietly to himself and then he turned to smile at me. "What do you think? Do you think you can become the youngest professional Go player in Japan?" He seemed pleased when I told him yes, though I somehow got the impression he wanted me to win more for the novelty of it rather than because he was supporting my own personal goals. I didn't mind so long as he wasn't against it.

The next day was fairly quiet at preschool, though Souko did tell me that her otousan had seen me on the news and had been impressed. Well, Souko-chan hadn't used the word "impressed", but that was the gist of it. Just as I was getting ready to leave Kimura-san told me that she had also seen the news and that I should do my best and that she was proud of me for trying. It implied that she thought I wouldn't make it very far and was attempting to gently prepare me for that eventuality, but I didn't mind. She was a nice person so I thanked her and told her that I would try my hardest even knowing that I wouldn't necessarily have to try my hardest to win. I would do enough to win, yes, but there was no need for overkill.

As expected, the press had seized onto the story of the child Go player and they laid in wait for me after reach match was played. I was asked how I did and each time I dutifully reported that I had won. I spouted the desired cute lines of, "I will do my best!" and "I hope to become a pro Go player" and whatever they wanted me to say. 'Kasan never allowed them to bother me long and I certainly appreciated her protectiveness.

There was only one match during the tournament that I regretted – a snide Insei that I had played before, but had to have played in the preliminary rounds in order to get this far suggested that I was really an inferior player because I hadn't won by much when I had played against him and that I was only winning because the people I was playing against were letting me win. Rather, not "letting" me win, but that they had been paid off by the media since it made a good story to have a little kid winning. He made me angry, naturally and that translated itself into the game. I showed no mercy.He hadn't a chance and afterwards I felt guilty. We were the first ones done that day and it was very hard to look up into his shocked eyes, deadenedby his astounding defeat.

I was pounced on by the reporters as soon as I got off the elevator. By my expression they asked if I had lost; I knew I was nearly in tears so I shook my head and told them that I had won. When they questioned me about my sad demeanor I told them simply that some victories were hollow.

The Insei I defeated was eliminated after the next round and the tournament went on. Sometimes I watched the news as they speculated about my chances of going pro after I had already managed to climb so high. "Even if he doesn't rank in the top three this time around," one newscaster had said, "Yamamoto Shinji-san certainly has a future in Go!"

It wasn't long before my status was ultimatelydetermined – with no defeats the last game for mewas more or less for show and everyone knew that. Excited reporters had asked how I felt about knowing that regardless of the next match's outcome that I would still be going on to become a professional Go player. I told them that it felt good, though honestly I don't know what they expected me to say. Of course it felt good. I guess they just wanted the statement to be said by me.

Along with me, Inoue-san was one of the final players and if he lost it was possible he wouldn't make it – however, if I won, which I intended to do, and he lost there would be a final tie-breaking match between my opponent and Inoue. That was, of course, assuming Inoue-san lost. If he won there would be no tie-breaker.

I dragged my lastgame out for a bit, giving my opponent a fair chance as well as making the game a bit more interesting for me, before finally claiming the victory. I managed to get 'kasan to stay afterwards so that we could wait for the results of Inoue-san's match. We waited for some time before they emerged and I immediately went to Inoue-san. I couldn't tell by his face so I asked who had won.

After a moment he looked down at me and smiled. "Well, Shin-kun, it looks like you won't be turning pro without me." I latched onto his hand in my excitement and told him that I was glad. "You did good, kid. You'll be challenging some of the greats soon and I'll be right on your heels, hear me?"

"Yeah." This was what I had been missing as a spirit, this companionship. I knew now how Hikaru had managed to forget that I was there at times in the heat of the moment, in his own planning ofwhat he wanted to do in the future. I could do that now. And I fully intended to. "Who do you think you'll play for the first pro match?"

Inoue-san gave me a look that suggested he hadn't even thought that far ahead and I wasn't surprised. He hadn't even been sure of his victory before. "I have no idea. Who do you want to play?"

That was easy. "Shindou Hikaru-san!"

"You're a Shindou-san fan, aren't you?" he said with a light laugh. "You never know who they might pick, though, so don't get your hopes up."

I nodded in agreement. "I know. If not Shindou-san than maybe Touya-san. I do wish Touya Meijin-san hadn't retired so soon, otherwise I should have liked to play against him!"

"You are very ambitious, Shin-kun."

I supposed I was, but only concerning Go. When the press swarmed around us I happily informed them that Inoue-san had won and then 'kasan pushed through the crowd and we made our escape. The twenty seconds devoted to Go on the nightly news had the newscasters expressing their delight at the child who had been so pleased at his friend's victory while dismissing his own.

Souko, Kita, Mai, and Kita were all excited the next day. They had all gotten their parents to follow my victories so that they had been updated on them, too. Then Souko-san had gotten very quiet and asked if that meant that I would be leaving them now, because I was a pro Go player. I had to explain that I would still be attending preschool and that I wasn't going anywhere. Souko-san had already decided that we would all be attending the same elementary school the following year and I had made it a point to ask Souko-san's otousan which school she would be going to and then recommending to my 'kasan that that was where I wanted to go. It was hard for me to imagine not spending time with her or the other girls and even if Suka, Kita, and Mai went to different elementary schools then at least Souko-san and I would be together.

-To be continued-