Author's note: Well, I've finally gotten to updating! Gomen nasai! Seriously, the only time I ever get to sit down and write is when I'm on vacation… and I'm sad to say that my next vacation isn't until March, and that's only a week long. I would like to thank everybody who has reviewed my fanfiction over the past year… I greatly appreciate your devotion to this story despite the fact that it takes me all eternity to update. Hmm… if anyone would to nag me for updates online or just want to discuss Hikaru no Go, I have my e-mail addy: reachbeyondstars yahoo dot com and those with AOL/AIM can reach me at hikaotaku1203.

And when you guys are done reading, I have a bit of a favor to ask you all… I want to make sure that this story is going the way I want it to, so based ON THIS CHAPTER ALONE, could some of you please tell me what you think about Hikaru's and Akari's personalities? If you don't want to put it in your review, you can just e-mail me.

I'm really nervous about your reactions to this chapter!! I hope you guys like it!!! And reviews are always appreciated!

Disclaimer: Any familiar characters are not mine, and whomever you think I randomly made up… well… I did.

Chapter Seven- A Night of All Sorts

Hikaru took his seat at the Fujisaki table as guests began to trickle into the party room at about 6:50. While waiting for Akari to come down (she was still getting ready for the party), he gazed around the room. He had heard that Kagami came from a rich family and the room that he was sitting in confirmed that. Not to mention that they were staying in one of the most lavish hotels in the area. Miyuki would be set for life once she got married.

And that got him thinking…

If he were to get married one day, what kind of life would he able to provide for his future wife? Hikaru, while staring pensively at a small candelabrum in front of him, pondered his financial status. As he would slowly rise in Dan level, the Go Institute would pay him more. Thanks to the fact that Hikaru was a bit thrifty and didn't have a family of his own, he had more money in his bank account than most other 3-Dans. If he got married in, perhaps, five years, he would be able to provide for his wife quite modestly. There were also tournaments bound to come up that he would be eligible to compete in….

"Hikaru?"

Akari's mere utter of his name broke Hikaru's train of thought. Instinctively, as Hikaru used to do to her, he turned to Akari to yell at her for ruining it. But… just as during their date, Akari didn't have her trademark pigtails and instead had her hair neatly brushed. She also switched her casual clothes for a slim fitting black dress. To say the least, he was happy she was with him. Screw what he was just thinking about. Akari looked very nice that night.

"Another second of you staring at me and I'm going back to my room," Akari then said crossly after about half a minute of Hikaru's staring. But did he want to stop staring at his girlfriend? Not really.

But a second later, he found out that Akari had really meant what she said. She had already vanished up the closest stairwell as Hikaru wormed his way out of the reception room. As Hikaru made his way to the stairwell, he wondered where Akari would go. Even before he put his foot on the first step, he felt a pair of gentle hands take hold of his shoulders.

"In case you didn't know, my daddy was looking at you quite furiously while you were staring at me," Akari stated.

Hikaru frowned. Why were fathers so protective of their daughters? "Then when will I be able to stare at you again?"

Akari blushed. "When my last name isn't Fujisaki."

It took a while for that to register in Hikaru's mind. When he did, Akari laughed at how quickly flustered Hikaru became. It was in those amusing moments that she absolutely adored him. Tightening her grip on his shoulders, she turned Hikaru around so he could face her. He was clearly surprised by the last comment she made.

Akari let out a soft laugh. "I'm sorry, change of subject. We can't have you go back to the party looking so red."

Hikaru attempted to regain his composure. It usually wasn't a problem for him since he had to do it before many matches, but he was currently having a hard time doing it. Akari Shindou… the thought of it made him lose it even more. It took him a while for him to realize that Akari was leading him outdoors.

"Why are we going outside?" he asked, looking down at his girlfriend in a panicky manner.

"You're unusually red, and it's unusually cool outside. The cool weather would do you some good," Akari replied calmly, looking around the area for a door.

"But there's going to be a lot of people out there, so it's going to be warm," Hikaru protested.

Akari turned to him and gave Hikaru a sly smile. "Not where we're going."

Instead of going to the front of the hotel, Akari led Hikaru through a door at the back and led him out to the garden where her sister and fiancé had pictures taken earlier. Nobody was there, thus it was quiet. Almost immediately, Hikaru found the will to regain his composure. Taking a look around, he could see signs of summer dying. Leaves on the trees were starting to transform from green into many different vibrant colors and most of the flowers that were usually there had begun to die. Also, the sun was already setting, a sign that the days were slowly shortening.

To his right, Akari let out a sigh, taking note of their surroundings too.

"Two more weeks and I go back to school. I wish summer were longer," she said wistfully as she gazed at the darkening sky.

Hikaru frowned. "At least you get vacation. The only time I'll ever get a vacation is when I retire."

"Well, that's the life you chose."

"I don't regret it. Isn't it funny? I once never cared about Go and now most of my life revolves around it."

"What's funny is that your interest came out of nowhere. But because of you, I started playing too," Akari said happily.

Sai. Dozens of memories suddenly flew through Hikaru's mind. 'I thank God he entered my life. Not only through him that I became a Go player, but the games he played through me inspired many other people.' Reflecting on all the games Sai played online, the first few games with Touya, Sai was truly an example of how one person, or rather, ghost, could make all the difference in people's lives. It was Hikaru's turn to make a difference, but not only in Go.

Hikaru took hold of Akari's hand. "The best things that can ever happen to a person occur out of nowhere. Imagine what would be happening if I hadn't followed you into the library last month."

He felt Akari's warm fingers entwine with his. After a few minutes of silence, Akari turned to her boyfriend and watched as the last of the sun's soft rays danced across his face. The name "Hikaru" meant brilliance, and it suited the person in front of her in all sorts of ways. He was the most handsome boy of their age that Akari knew of, then there was his status as a Go player and also his cheerful demeanor… to even now as the setting sun shone on him as he stood next to her. Akari felt her heart flutter as a smile crept on her lips. She was deeply in love with Hikaru. When would she have the courage to confess her love for him?

By the time Hikaru and Akari went back inside, Miyuki's engagement party was progressing quite nicely. Waiters were approaching the tables to find out what people wished to eat, so the couple rushed over to the Fujisaki table so they could place their orders.

Mrs. Fujisaki looked at the pair worriedly as they sat down. "Where were you two? Akari, many of our relatives had been looking for you," she gently scolded.

As Akari gave excuses to her mother, Miyuki reached over and tapped Hikaru on the shoulder. Hikaru looked over the other Fujisaki women to see what Akari's older sister had to say. Miyuki motioned over to a man sitting next to her. "You haven't met my fiancé yet, I believe. Hikaru, this is Kagami Nakada. Kagami, this is Hikaru Shindou, Akari's boyfriend."

Hikaru looked at the light brown haired man, and gave a respectful head nod. Kagami's bright blue eyes however, shone in excitement. "Shindou 3-Dan?" he asked his fiancée incredulously. Hikaru was taken aback by Kagami's sudden enthusiasm and gave Kagami a strange look as Miyuki nodded for Hikaru.

"I've been a big fan of yours since the Hokuto Cup. It's a shame that was the only time the tournament was done, isn't it? Are you doing any tournaments any time soon?" Kagami asked Hikaru eagerly.

Hikaru sweatdropped as he slowly shook his head. It was going to be a LONG night.

To avoid further occurrence, Hikaru ate in a manner that kept food in his mouth all the time. Also, it was helpful that Kagami was a co-host of the party; when he wasn't eating, Miyuki was introducing him to members of her extended family in attendance. And for a party that was late notice, a lot of the Fujisaki family had shown up.

There was the Fujisaki family, the Nakada family… and then there was Hikaru all by himself. What an awkward situation.

He had a strong urge to talk to Akari, but she had eaten her dinner quickly and was currently dancing to an upbeat song with her cousins. Hikaru scowled. He didn't dance and absolutely refused whenever anybody asked him to. Dancing wasn't his thing at all. He would just wait for Akari to come back to the table after getting tired from the dancing she was doing.

But five songs later, it didn't seem like she was getting tired at all.

A blonde petite woman stepped out from a taxi parked in front of the hotel the party was occurring in. Patting her black beaded bag reassuredly, she headed inside. At the hotel's front desk, the receptionist heard someone clear his or her throat.

"Excuse me?"

The receptionist looked up from his crossword puzzle to see a very pretty woman whom was upset to see was rather forlorn. He put the crossword aside and wheeled his chair closer to the woman.

"Yes, how may I help you?"

"I'm looking for the engagement party that's being hosted here tonight."

After a moment, the receptionist shook his head. "I'm sorry, but the party started two hours ago and the Nakada family is very strict about promptness. They don't let any guests in after the first hour."

'Damn,' the woman thought.

"Then may I have a room for the night? I live an hour and a half away and I'm sure I couldn't handle the journey back home much too soon."

"Certainly."

The woman smirked as the receptionist went to look for a room key. Good. Not all was lost. It would be risky if she tried to get into the party, but once she got a room for the night, she could go and find out what rooms Shindou 3-Dan and his girlfriend were staying in. With the right method of snooping, she would get what she needed.

The receptionist reappeared from a small room and handed her a small key. In return, the woman paid for her lodging and went off on her way. She glanced down at the numbers etched on her key. 961. Hopefully that was somewhere nearby the lovebirds. She would have to keep her eyes and ears open.

The last hour of the party had swung around, and what a surprise, Hikaru was still sitting at the table. He decided it was time for him to head up to his room. The party anyway, was nearly over and it would be wise to get a head start on everybody to get up to the rooms.

Without the thought of saying goodnight, Hikaru left the party and proceeded to an elevator to head up to the ninth floor. Mrs. Fujisaki had given him his room key during the party, so Hikaru pulled it out from his blazer pocket. Hikaru smiled. He was in Room 962, right across from Akari's room.

About half an hour later, Akari noticed that Hikaru was no longer at the party. What a shame, she would have liked to have the last dance with him. She excused herself from her cousins and went in search of her mother. Mrs. Fujisaki was helping her husband fix his tie when Akari found her.

"Mother, do you have the list of everybody who's staying over tonight? I need to see it, please."

Wanting to concentrate on the tie, Akari's mother handed over her pocket book, which contained the list of who was in which room. Armed with the information she needed, Akari headed for the ninth floor.

Hikaru heard a knock at his door as he changing into his pajamas. Only one person would ever pay him a visit. He hastily pulled his shirt on and went over to the door to let Akari in.

She looked sad. "Why'd you leave early?" she asked him as he closed the door behind them.

"You were dancing and plus, I didn't feel like I belonged there," Hikaru answered honestly.

Akari let out a giggle. "If you had told me something, I would have stopped."

She stopped suddenly as she heard somebody knock on the door again. Akari looked at Hikaru curiously. He just shrugged. Hikaru clearly didn't know who it was. Akari moved back to the door and opened it to see who was there. But nobody was there, not even in the hallway. Then she felt her right foot slide over fine china… she looked down to see a nice tea set at her feet. Assuming Hikaru had ordered something from the front desk, she picked the tray off the floor and brought it back inside and set it on Hikaru's dresser.

"Hikaru?"

"Mm?"

"I was hoping to have the last dance with you," Akari confessed wistfully.

Hikaru's eyes widened as he put his day clothes away in the closet. "Akari, you know I don't dance."

Akari's gaze shifted down to the floor. She knew he'd say that. "I-I know. It was just a wish of mine." She looked up at Hikaru for a moment, then looked back down at the floor as she proceeded to leave the room.

Hikaru stared at her retreating figure. All the years she had been there for him… and this was how he repaid her?

Just as she was going to walk out the door, Hikaru rushed forward and took hold of her hand. "Akari!"

Shocked, she turned to him. "You don't like dancing, so I won't ask anymore."

Hikaru nodded. "But ever since we've known each other, I don't think I've ever thanked you for always being good to me. Not even one dance with you would be enough to thank you for all you've done… and what you are to me."

All Akari was capable of was smiling.

As the couple danced into the early hours of the morning, the woman next door rubbed her hands gleefully as she looked down at a screen. Wireless technology was a beautiful thing.