A thing of words meant solely for the reader. Everyone else; go 'way:

I began this story with every bit of it mapped out. I knew the story, I knew how Hikaru and Akira's fight would be resolved, and I knew how it would end. I began it with the optimistic idea that I would finish. I was foolish to think that, but I can not, will not let that hope die. It would be bad road.

But I should explain why first.

Only a few months after the story's birth onto the screen, I began to feel unsatisfied with fan works. Not that they are not a grand pass time, but they are limited in their scope. I am bound to fit within the standard confines of another author's universe. Many people solve this by writing "alternate reality" works, but this does not satisfy me. I do not want to stick to principals and characters which are not my own. So, somewhere in the span of four months after beginning this, I knew that I would be unable to continue. At least for a long period of time. I burnt myself out and the only way to continue writing was to write for myself. By myself.

Since then, I have received occasional reviews, none of which I have the ability to respond to. Every time I get one, I say to myself, "I need to finish that thing." I never do.

I have continued to write. My writing has developed not only through blogging but also through often tedious English classes. I have done my best to improve, and I will not say that I have not (which is not what I will tell you about my visual art). In any case, I feel that it is time to finish this.

So now, nearing two years after its beginning, I will continue, and hopefully finish the story in this one chapter.

-

When Hikaru had first told her that he was not gay, Akari had been doubtful. For days afterwards, she resisted whatever connections he tried to make with her. She often tried to stay out of his presence entirely. She would stay cooped up in the library, with only Mimiru as a companion, or often no one at all. When she came home, Hikaru would be waiting on the couch. Sometimes the go board would be sitting on the table waiting for a game to be played. More often than not, Akari would say something along the lines of "I'm tired." She would then retreat to the safety of their shared room and then slip into a fitful state of half-sleep.

On one of these days, Hikaru would not allow her such comfort. "Akari, come here," he said urgently as she stepped into the apartment. She cocked her head in confusion and moved towards him. "Sit down. Over there." He pointed to the cushion across from himself.

At first she thought it was a ploy, a trap which would prove deadly if she fell in. She looked suspiciously at the pillow on the floor, inspecting it from afar. Seeing no sign of a trap, however, she sat down. Not without reluctance of course, but she sat none the less. "What is it?"

"I don't like this." Akari did not fully appreciate what he meant by that. She realized almost instantly that it had to do with the recent strain in their relationship, but she could not understand what he was implying by the simple sentence he had spit forth.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't like the way your treating me. You move through the apartment like a wraith. You don't talk to me, you don't play go with me. Plus you don't cook for us, which very clearly violates the terms of our agreement for your living here," the last bit had been a gag. Hikaru did not want the conversation to be unbearably thick with discomfort. However, part of the statement was worrisome. She did not cook for them anymore, and she showed it. Her frame had become thin and pale. She had done too much running away from Hikaru and not enough refueling. "I don't like it."

"Are you saying I have to move out?" she asked. A natural first worry.

"No, I'm saying how you're reacting to the past. . . Look, it's just not healthy. The way you look is starting to scare me. You remind me of how you were just before you moved in," he paused. He wasn't sure what to say now. He had been thinking of this conversation since the day after his game with Akira. The first day in which Akari had behaved this way. "I want you back."

Akari stared at the floor. "Hikaru. . . I just don't know what to make of all of this. I had hoped that we. . ." she stopped herself midsentence. Suddenly her eyes became twin wells, threatening to overflow. If she admit that she had feelings for Hikaru, whom seemed to be more inclined to members of his own sex, she would burst. Agonized by the thought of more rejection, she turned her head away from him.

Hikaru understood. He had previously been unable to think of why she would be so distraught by his previous relationship. He knew he was not the brightest man in the world. Not by any means. But when it finally hit him he felt like a moron.

He moved from his seat and cupped her face with his had, forcing her to face him. Without a word, he embraced her, he kissed her. She pulled away, shaken by this sudden connection, but kissed him back a moment later, with much more ferocity.

The rest of the night, glorious and memorable to both Akari and Hikaru, was one of those moments that can move one to speechlessnes, but it is meant to be enjoyed privately, only by those who participate. I will not describe all that happened, because it would be tacky to say the least, but I will tell you that it was the final brick in the foundation of their relationship.

-

Seven years later, two years after they were married, Akari gave birth to Kai Shindo. A curious little boy with his mother's eyes and his father's spirit, Kai's birth finally brought about Akari's reconciliation with her family. Akari's mother broke down at the sight of the now three, and as she cried, Akari's father apologized, begged for her forgiveness. Their relationship would still endure much strain, but Akari would eventually reconnect with her family.

Waya's daughter would be born from Mimiru only a month later. She, unlike her father, would have very little interest in go. However, she was born a replica of her mother in body, and her father in personality. Somehow, much later in life, Kai would be drawn to her like a moth to the flame.

Life is a funny thing. You can live a cautious life and end up more wounded than if you had fallen off a cliff. Conversely, you could take uncalculated risks and end up in a ditch. But part of life is knowing when to take risks, and when to find a smarter course of action. And then there's fate. Some things can only be decided by chance encounters and our reactions to these events. And sometimes it's the things that happen by chance which are the most cherished.