Hello once more. I'm sorry, was the last chapter confusing? Okay well let me ask you something. Is there anyone out there who actually believes Sai wanted to leave Hikaru in the first place? Or that Sai with all his love for Go and Hikaru would just move on in the other world to thrive in eternal redemption or reincarnate as a bunny or something? NO people I think not. Sai is still out there, haunting limbo if you will…or in my story he is…hehehehe.

Hikaru Shindou stared at the predawn sky. There was no wind so the kites flopped like droopy pieces of cloth. The only sounds about the house were of the ancient plumbing and ticking of the manual clock his mom had put in the room to replace his broken one. He turned on his bed to stare at the ceiling instead.

Sai had been in his dreams again accompanied by twelve year old Hikaru. This time the young dream Hikaru had seen Hikaru standing by watching the game and asked Sai if he knew him. To which Sai had replied, "No I don't know him, pay attention to the game Hikaru."

Hikaru had been on the verge of going up to the ghost to shake and make him understand he was the real Hikaru, not a mere memory, he was real. But the dream had ended so he now laid on his bed thinking things through.

This was stupid; he had a full life ahead of him that didn't include Sai. He had to get over that or else there would be many predawn wakings like these. The North Star cup was a few hours away and he wasn't as prepared as he wished to be. Rei Verona's face flashed before him, Sai's face and he winced.

No…he if he wanted to move on he would have to play Rei just one more time. One more time….

"Have a safe flight," Akira said smiling up to his towering father. No matter how much Akira grew, it seemed his father was destined to watch him from above. Akira carried the luggage to the front of the house with his father behind him. They stood waiting for the cab listening to the chirping birds.

"You'll do fine in the tournament?" Touya senior mumbled fishing in the pockets of his sports coat. He took out a bottle of aspirin and popped two into his mouth dry.

"Don't you feel good?" Akira asked frowning, "Why don't you go sit down inside and wait there. Or maybe you should cancel; it could be your heart again."

"No, no. Akira, you sound like your mother. I think I'm catching a cold, that's all. Now answer my question."

"I didn't think it was a rhetorical question," Akira replied grudgingly looking away.

"Your mom said Hikaru called last night, what did he want?"

Akira's turned his face pretending to look for the cab. He didn't want to look his father in the eye.

Hikaru had called last night to say Rei had refused to reschedule, he wanted to play on Friday.

"And I assume you told him to go to hell right?" Akira had said irritably to the mouth piece.

"….."

"Shindou, you can't be thinking of going. You couldn't possibly be that stupid, it would put a huge stain on your career as a pro."

"…..Yes I know," had been the weak reply.

"Shindou, I need to know, will you be there tomorrow or not?" Akira had finally snapped.

"….."

"Shindou! Shindou answer me, will you be playing by my side or his, I need to know."

"I just need to lie to myself a little bit longer Touya. Then I'll move on….I have to go, bye."

The click of the dead line was enough to drive Touya into hysterics. He hadn't understood a word of that, it wasn't even an answer!

'I just need to lie to myself a little bit longer.'

What the hell was that? It wasn't an answer, it just wasn't! And besides, just exactly who did Hikaru Shindou think he was to ruin the entire reputation of Japanese Go for a simple miscellaneous match with a nobody? Because that was who Rei was; a huge nobody in the world of Go, no one worth while.

"Shindou just wanted to ask for the time of the beginning ceremony," Akira finally said knowing that he wasn't fooling anyone, but thankfully his father caught the hint and said nothing.

The red and white cab finally arrived cueing the final goodbyes.

"I'll call you tonight at your hotel room and ask how it was," Touya senior said hugging his son goodbye.

"Okay, don't stress yourself too much," Akira added seeing how sallow his father's face was.

"Damn colds," his father said hoarsely getting in the cab, "To the airport please."

He turned to Akira smiling warmly, "Tell your mom bye for me, she left early for work so I couldn't do it myself. You take care…and don't worry, Shindou will come along, he's not a stupid kid. I'm sure he knows where his loyalties lie."

With that the cab took off with his father, leaving Akira feeling forlorn. He wasn't so sure his father was right. Hikaru was very stupid in his opinion.

"Shindou-sensei, you again?" Kuragi looked up from a game that he had barely begun with a small red-haired girl with many freckles.

Hikaru breathed hard, he had ran all the way from the station wrinkling his powder blue suit, his tie was suffocating him. "Where is Rei, is he here yet?"

Kuragi shook his head putting a stone on the board then turning back to him, "Rei usually hangs in classroom 5-B with some of his asshole friends before the bell rings, but you shouldn't go they're jerks—."

Hikaru was out the door in a flash asking for directions for the class from random people.

"Shindou, our match doesn't start until school is over," Rei's voice appeared out of nowhere when he opened the door to room 5-B.

"I know, but you know I can't," Hikaru said looking around. It was a normal classroom that didn't face the sun, with the lights turned off it was full of shadows. Hikaru was glad Rei was alone, no asshole friends were to be seen.

"I don't care, later, I'm not in the mood, okay?" Rei was seated far in a corner looking out a window. In the dark his eye looked worse than ever but the swelling seemed to have gone down, he could blink normally again.

"I can't play you later, I have to play you now," Hikaru said stubbornly putting down his duffel bag on top of one of the desks.

"Going somewhere?"

"Huh? Oh—I'm going to the hotel for the North Star tournament after this so we have to hurry."

"I told I don't want to play," Rei stood up looking irritated. "I hate you, Akira Touya and Go, so why don't you just go to your wonderful tournament and leave me the hell alone?"

Hikaru stood his ground beginning to feel desperate. He had to play, he just had to then everything would be over. Just one more time…

"Why do you hate Go, you are so good…" he began meekly but Rei wouldn't have any of it.

"Don't compliment my game," Rei growled, "It's trash—just like yours."

"You are better than a pro how can it be trash?" Hikaru asked beginning to get frustrated, this was getting them nowhere.

Rei sat back on the top of a desk to look out the high window his back to Hikaru.

"Shindou, who taught you Go?"

"Uh…" taken aback by the question Hikaru blinked stupidly, "I…taught myself."

"Liar," Rei said softly still not facing him. "My dad taught me. He wasn't a pro himself but he was obsessed with the game. He would study kiffus of pros day after day forcing their knowledge into me. When I wanted to go out and play he would just lock me in the basement with a Go board and new kiffus I had to memorize.

"That was my life: Go. It was like a twenty-four hour cram school you know? My mom and he used to get into fights about it all the time. But he wouldn't let me quit no matter how much I yelled and said I hated him and that stupid game. He just wouldn't let me stop…"

Hikaru began to fidget in his spot, this was something he had never thought of discussing with Rei and still…it was sad.

"When I turned six he took me in for the Insei exam. I passed of course but once in the class I began to loose on purpose. I remained in the bottom of B class for half a year until he blew up and told me my game was trash and he gave up.

"I was relieved of Go, and kiffus. He has never asked me to play since then, not even against him. So I guess my game is trash…"

"That's not true," Hikaru protested, "Your game is further from trash, you beat Touya!

And—and your dad was wrong to tell you that! He should've known how good you were. It was bad of him to force Go to you that's true, but what was worse; he gave up! Teachers aren't suppose to give up, they're not!"

'Did Sai give up on me, is that why he left?'

Hikaru shook his head, no, Sai was proud of him, of that he was sure. Sai was his teacher and his best friend. The reason he had left him was probably because…maybe he thought Hikaru was ready to be alone…

"You hate Go not because you were forced to learn it but because your father after all those years of hard work of believing in you gave up."

Rei didn't reply or turn around.

"Go is the best game in the entire world!" Hikaru continued enthusiastically. "It takes a lot of hard work and you have to play all day and night if necessary but it is okay because you enjoy it. You might feel lonely sometimes because—because there is no one behind you but there is. There's someone always behind of you edging you on. And there's also someone in front taunting you keep up. That is just how Go is…you enjoy it because you are not alone! There is always someone…" Hikaru trailed off a huge smile plastered to his face. He wasn't alone! There was no reason to feel lonely as he had before. He had his friends and Touya Akira as a rival before and behind him, both taunting and supporting him.

"It does sound good," Rei said finally turning to face him smiling, "but it's just not for me Shindou."

Hikaru's smile froze on his face both from shock and confusion. A stranger with long black hair and blue eyes and a bruised eye was staring at him. He had a strong jaw and high cheekbones. The smile was different too. There was no trace of Sai in him…

'Maybe there never was,' Hikaru thought to himself while the subway rocked below him. 'A phantom face.'

He shook his head laughing slightly, life was weird. Sometimes it was hard and confusing, sometimes sad but he would get through it, he would move on.

Hikaru arrived at the grand hotel in high spirits. Maybe he could stop worrying from now on and prevent early hair loss. He went to the registers and asked if Kurata was here already. The lady told him they were waiting for him in room 129. He hurried humming tunelessly as the elevator zoomed up. He got up there and knocked on the door which opened immediately. Instantly he was met with commotion. There were yells from the press around and miserable faces stared at him from every corner of the room.

Hikaru saw Isumi and Kurata in a corner looking pale and tired, Akira was nowhere to be seen.

"What happened?" he finally asked reaching the two. And then they told him.

Touya Kouyo had left for China today.

Touya Kouyo had had a heart attack on the way to the airport.

Touya Kouyo was dead.

Hello and bye once more. This was one of the hardest chapters for me to write because it was so emotionally disturbing. I'm sorry if I disappointed anyone, really, I am cuz' it was sad and confusing even for me to write but whatever. Read-Review-Complain, I deserve it. Bad BlackWingedGabriel, bad.