Disclaimer: Oh I remembered it this time! I solemnly swear I do not own Hikari No GO. For a moment I nearly type I solemnly swear I am up to no good LOL (From Harry Potter)

Chapter 2

"You will never make me happy Akira, now leave me alone!" A tall slim model figure young lady said in an arrogant way. "All you care about is GO! You think GO is your girl more than I ever could be."

"Yuii, what are you talking about?" Touya couldn't understand why she was talking that way.

"Well, you are selfish brat." Yuii said. "I don't need you to tell me about GO. I hate GO! With your attitude you will never find a girl to be with you forever and besides I only am with you because you're rich but now I don't need you anymore. Someone who is much well of than you are, is in love with me and can make me happier than you ever will!"

BEEB BEEB BEEB BEEB BEEB

Slowly Touya opened his eyes staring up the shadowed ceiling. He was covered in sweat feeling uncomfortable of the dream he just had. He reached his hand out towards the side table where he placed his alarm clock and slammed it shut.

It had been a long time since he had that dream. He sat up from his bed putting his palm on his feverish forehead, taking deep breaths. Today will be his final round in the Honinbou match. His opponent was Ogata 10 Dan player. Of all days to have that annoying dream.

"Today will not be a good day." He whispered before he swiftly got out from his bed. "This really sucks."

"Arigatou gosaimas!" Akari said optimistically bowing as her customer walked out her café.

When she looked up again Touya walked in. It had been his morning routine to have breakfast in Eternal Snow ever since that hot afternoon last week after Touya discovered Akari's café. It was very pleasant to see Akari greeting him with her warm smile every morning.

"Oyaho gosaimas, Touya-kun." Akari smiled going up to him when he entered. "Having your usual breakfast?"

"Hai, Fujisaki-san arigatou." Touya smiled weakly.

"Well, take a seat your breakfast will be serve shortly!"

Touya smiled softly watching Akari marched herself into the kitchen to get his order down. He stride over his regular table and sat down. There was actually a reserve sign on the table he was on. He remembered Akari told him that she noticed he liked this quiet part of the café so much she had put the table on reserve for him since he comes here for breakfast every morning.

"Fujisaki-san is really thoughtful." Touya mumbled softly to himself looking at that reserve sign.

"Did you say something Touya-kun?" Akari asked coming up with his breakfast.

"You are really fast with my serving." Touya quickly changed the subject turning to her.

"Well, it is actually prepared since I already knew what you are having."

"What if I wanted to change my order?" Touya asked her wide eyed.

"It doesn't matter, than we will just make another." Akari laughed.

Touya smiled.

"Is something a matter Touya-kun?" Akari asked bending over slightly watching him worriedly. "You look rather pale when you came in today. Are you sick?"

"Iie just hadn't had a good night sleep and having a slight headache that's all."

"Are you having a fever?" Akari asked impulsively putting her hand on his forehead. "You do feel slightly warm."

Touya blushed at her gesture but Akari didn't notice it.

"Well, leeks usually help with fever…." Akari said thoughtfully. "I'll make some leek soup for you."

"Don't worry about it Fujisaki-san!" Touya exclaimed standing up slightly trying to stop her but she was already walking away. "I am fine honestly."

"Daijebu, daijebu Touya-kun." Akari stopped and turned around slightly with her usual joyful smile. "I read from the GO Weekly you will be having your Honinbou final round today. You need your strength. I will be rooting for you."

Touya was speechless as he stared at Akari skipping back into the kitchen. He only realized his legs were aching from half standing, his posterior inches away from the chair when Akari disappeared into the kitchen. He sank back on the chair with a sigh and placed his cold palm on his heated forehead.

"Am I having a fever?"

Touya smiled as he picked up a fork and started prodding his scrabbled eggs. Why do Akari's smiles always have that effect on him? It seemed like her smile was contagious towards him. It didn't take Akari long to make the leek soup for him. She appeared momentarily after he finished his toast and eggs.

"Here you are Touya-kun." Akari placed the steaming bowl on his table and picked up the empty dish. "It will be on the house."

"Iie I can't possibly…"

"Well, I forced the soup on you and I can't charge it in your bill." Akari grinned. "So it's on me Touya-kun."

"Ariga…." But his sentence was cut short when another customer called.

"Please I will like to place my order." A man called from the other side of the café.

"Hai," Akari called giving Touya a wink and left.

Touya watched her walked over to the other table and looked back down the leek soup she had made. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad day after all.

"Hontoni arigatou Fujisaki-san," Touya said softly though she will never hear.

"Mitani-oneechan can you handle the café today without me?" Akari asked after talking on her mobile phone for a short while in the staffroom and now running out to the cash register where Mitani was. "I need to get to the hospital right away."

"Something happened?" Mitani asked worriedly.

"Oh, not to worry, nothing serious I guess." Akari said putting on a cardigan over her uniform without changing. "My mom slipped and fell down the stairs breaking her left ankle. My father is busy at the moment and couldn't fetch her back from the hospital."

"You need someone to fetch you there?" Mitani asked. "I can call Yuuki…"

"It is all right, Yuuki will be coming to pick me up in the hospital." Akari explained anxiously. "He was the one who called me and I think okasan got to him first. I should be going now."

"All right, be careful." Mitani called after her departing figure.

At the hospital

"Slowly okasan," Akari said holding her mother's arm. "Yuuki had his car parked at the porch. He will be taking us home."

"Yuuki-kun is such a thoughtful boy," Akari's mother started on her match making again. "You know Yuuki-kun can be…"

"Okasan you know I don't want to talk about relationship." Akari said rather impatiently. "We had this talk many times before and I don't want to hear it again."

"Akari-chan, you are in your mid twenties and I just thought it is time you settle yourself with a family."

"I am happy as I am." Akari sighed. "Please okasan, please respect my wishes."

"You don't wish to be alone all your life do you Akari-chan."

Akari frowned slightly and remained silent. She never thought of having to be alone forever because she had her friends right now. Her family and friends were always with her though she knew that they will have their own life to lead when they have a family to take care of.

"Akari-chan, mama won't be here next to you forever, put that in mind."

Alone?

That word seemed so cold and dark but being alone was better than being hurt again. Her heart was like the never ending snow that falls forever. Her café was name after her forever freezing heart though not many people know about it. If she had to be alone for the rest of her life so be it.

Damn I never knew my day could turn out this way, Akari thought furiously.

They stepped out the front door of the hospital where Yuuki waited for them next to his car.

"Obasan is everything alright?" Yuuki asked helping Akari to guide her mother to the car.

"Of course," Akari's mother replied pleasantly. "It is very kind of you to come today."

"No problem obasan anything for Akari and you." Yuuki said trying to hint.

Akari's mother entered the car and Yuuki shut the door turning to Akari standing slightly behind him her head bowed slightly.

"Arigatou Yuuki, I am very sorry to trouble you and I know okasan called you to come." Akari smiled ignoring that hint he made.

"Don't worry, what are friends for?" Yuuki smiled. "You know the summer festival is coming up next week. I am wondering if you would like go with me. My sister and her family will be going too. I thought it would a great if you come along with me."

"Of course, it had been sometime since I had fun. Besides how can I miss the summer festival? It's only once a year! I always love the fireworks!" Akari exclaimed, pushing her anger away. "Maybe I will call Kaga-san and Tsutsui-san and his family to join us too since we hadn't meet up with them for a long time."

Well no point getting angry, okasan was only worried about my future. Akari thought and was glad that her mother was still there for her.

Yuuki's face fell when Akari was going to call Kaga and Tsutsui to join them. She always did this whenever he ask her out. There wasn't once he was able to get her alone with him.

"Ano Akari don't you think it would be better if it's the two of us?" Yuuki asked softly.

"What are you talking about?" Akari was grinning cheerfully. "The more people the merrier the festival is going to be! I am sure we will have a great time!"

"Right…." Yuuki said softly and miserably watching Akari got onto the front seat of the car and he helped her closed the door. He sighed deeply before he went to the other side of the car and got in.

Akari stayed with her mother in her childhood home until her father came home. Since after college she had moved out to stay by herself in a small one room apartment near the city where she worked. She was always tired of her mother continuous talk about Yuuki.

That night Akari made her way home slowly pondering at what her mother had told her. She ignored the passer bys as she walked on the sidewalk deep in her own thoughts. She knew how Yuuki was nice to her and how he felt for her but she just couldn't make herself to like someone else again. With a sigh she looked up the dark starless sky.

"I am positively hopeless aren't I?" She whispered.

With a shrugged she looked down again to see a familiar figure quite a distance away from her in the mists of the crowd. He had his back on her but she recognize that dark green hair and light violet suit. It was Touya's trademark suit. He always had that suit on when he goes for GO Tournament or Function. She had seen him wearing that suit many times whenever she reads the GO Weekly. Akari remembered he was having his Honinbou match today but why is he in this part of town?

"The match should have ended but…" Without knowing why Akari quicken her steps towards him.

When it felt like ages to reach him she sped up towards him, running as fast as her legs could carry her, afraid she might loose sight of him in the crowd and collided into his back when he stopped walking abruptly.

"Gomenesai I was…." Akari reach out slowly to tap his shoulder when he didn't turn around but before she could even touch him, he whirled around so suddenly it gave her a shock. "To…Touya-kun?" Akari looked at him wide eyed.

"Fu…Fuji…Fujisaki-sa…." Touya whispered and fell on her. He never knew he could be so glad to see someone before.

Akari shrieked when Touya's head landed on her shoulder. Her hands were still on her sides unable to move as if they were paralyzed on the spot. Passer bys were staring at them strangely and Akari felt her face grew hot. She was blushing like a tomato. Great first her mother's lectures now this.

"Daijebu Touya-kun?" Akari asked her voice laced with concern.

"My head it's killing me…." Touya mumbled.

Finally Akari raised both her arms to grab his. Gently she moved his head away from her shoulder holding up his left arm and placed them around her shoulders. Her other hand gripped his waist. He looked like he was about to pass out any second.

"My apartment is in this neighbourhood." Akari said half dragging him along the sidewalk. "I am bringing you there."

"I won the match…." Touya muttered half consciously.

"Congratulations…." Akari grunted at his heavy weight. "Well, let's not talk about that now until I get you to my place."

It was a huge difficulty dragging Touya up the stairs to her apartment because it was on the first floor and there was no lift in her three storey high flat. She was really happy that she wasn't at the highest floor for her legs felt like it was about to drop off after she made up to the first floor. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if she had to climb up to the third floor.

Akari fumbled for her keys in her handbag and when she finally got it out she had difficulty in putting it into the key hole with having to balance Touya not letting him slip to the floor and her hands were beginning to feel heavy. She was overjoyed when she finally got the door to open and pulled Touya into her apartment, slamming the door shut.

She reached out to switch on the lights dumping her keys and bag on a small dining table near a small and very neat kitchen. There was nothing much in her apartment except for a small television, an old goban and two large bean bags to replace the couch. With her final ounce of strength Akari guided Touya to her room and hurled him on her queen size bed, losing her balance when she did that, fell along with him and got stranded on top of him with his hands around her waist.

Akari blushed when she found how close their faces were to each other. Touya was having such a bad headache he didn't even know what was happening around him moved his legs pushing Akari closer to him. Akari gasped and broke away from his hold landing hard on the floor on her posterior.

"That… that…." Akari stammered slightly shaking from the incident. "Was an accident and nothing more than that…. Nothing happened…."

Touya groaned snapping Akari out of her astonishment. She stood up swiftly and went back to his side worriedly. While guiding him to her apartment he felt like he was burning and she suspected that Touya was having a high fever. To make sure she placed her palm on his forehead and it felt worst than this morning.

"Touya-kun, why are you working yourself to death?" Akari whispered and left the room to the kitchen to get some ice and medicine.

Akari reenter her room to find Touya clutching his head with both hands as if he was in severe pain. She rushed to his side again putting the glass of warm water, aspirin and ice bag down on the side table. She sat on the edge of the bed touched his shoulder lightly.

"Touya-kun…."

"I feel like my head is going to split open." Touya groaned.

"Here, I got some aspirin for you." Akari said taking the two tablets of aspirin and with the other hand helped Touya to sit up slightly so he could take his medication. "It will help a bit."

Akari put the tablets into his mouth and reached for the glass of water, gently fed him some water so he could swallow those tablets easily. After Touya took a few sip of the warm water, Akari gently positioned him on her pillow where he could take his rest.

"I am going to place an ice bag on your forehead Touya-kun." Akari said softly but there was no answer from him.

Slowly so she wouldn't frightened him Akari place the ice bag on his forehead gently. When she realized that he was still wearing his shoes she went to the foot of the bed to take them off gradually so that she wouldn't wake from his slumber.

She stood over him watching him silently pondering whether to take off his very uncomfortable looking tie and coat. After a few minutes of debating whether to do it or not, Akari finally went back to his side to untie his tie, take his coat off him and covered him with her blanket lightly. Akari took out a hanger from her cupboard to hang up his coat and tie not wanting to crease them. She looked back at Touya's slumbering figure one last time before she left the room quietly.

Behind closed door Akari lean her back on her room door and slid down towards the floor drawing her knees to her chin. That moment of closeness when Akari stared at Touya's gentle and beautiful features, her breath caught in her throat and her heart started to beat so fast she thought it was about to thump it's way out her chest. She had never felt anything like that before but she remembered years back whenever she met Hikaru when she was younger that was how she used to feel.

"What have I done?" Akari uttered burying her face in her crossed arms on her knees. "I wasn't supposed to have any feelings for anyone!"

When the morning sun shone slightly through between the crack of curtains drawn across Akari's window Touya opened his eyes slightly glad that his migraine went away. He stared up the unfamiliar looking ceiling wondering what happened last night.

He did recall leaving GO Study Centre after the discussion at the end of the match. Then he was on the way to look for Akari because he wanted to tell her the good news that he had won the final round but when he reached her café, her colleague told him that she had some emergency family matters to attend to so she left work early that day. By that time, Touya head was hurting him so terribly he didn't even remember how he ended up here in this strange place. But he did remember hearing Akari's voice though he wasn't very sure.

Slowly Touya sat up looking around the small room he had spent the night in. It was very small but had the cozy effect. The walls were cream in colour with a line of small blue flowers decorated across it. The bed he was sitting on was placed right to the wall next to the window. At the foot of the bed was a cupboard with his coat and tie hung on the knob very near to the door and a small dressing table across the cupboard near to the bed next to the side table where there was an alarm clock and a table lamp on it. A photo frame on the dressing table caught Touya's attention.

He flung the covers away from him and got off the bed towards it. Slowly he picked it up and saw a photo of some students from Haze Junior High. He recognized their uniform. He blinked, slowly he examined the students and his eyes fell on the younger version of Akari in the middle of her friends smiling cheerfully back at him. They were all holding their graduation cert and at the corner of the photo was a dainty handwriting on it, 'Haze Junior High GO Club'.

Gradually Touya remembered bumping into Akari on the streets when he was about to fall unconscious. She must have brought him back to her place when she saw how sick he was and not knowing where he stayed. He placed the precious photo frame back on its original place gently and headed for the door. When he opened it he was hit by a waft of aroma which smells like pancakes. He stepped out the room and spotted the small unclose kitchen and the only thing separating it from the small living room was a miniature counter.

He studied her small, clean and neat apartment wonderingly. She was living by herself? He never knew. There was a small dining table near the kitchen next to a balcony. The glass sliding doors were opened letting the morning breeze in, flapping the curtains softly. The television was near the exit door and two bean bags near it. To his surprised he saw an old goban next to the television.

She must still play GO for her past time even school had ended. He walked up to Akari standing over the stove flipping the pancake on the small pan. He smiled softly at her though Akari didn't see him because she had her back on him.

Akari flipped the last pancake she was making and turned off the fire. She turned around and nearly jumped when she saw Touya standing behind her quietly watching her. Even without his coat and tie, his shirt un-tug and the top few buttons of his collared shirt were undone he still had that neat and collected look. Not to mentioned extremely good looking too.(AN: swoon swoon, couldn't help myself for typing that sentence LOL) She smiled even he had startled her though Touya had no idea Akari was feeling uncomfortable about last night incident because he had no memory of it.

"Ohayo gosaimas, Touya-kun." Akari greeted placing her last pancake with the rest of the stack on a plate at the counter. "I only have eggs and flour to make pancakes so I couldn't make your usual breakfast."

Touya usually had toast, scrambled eggs and sausage at her café. He usually had heavy breakfast because he skips lunch sometimes. Especially during his gaming days when he will finish his match before he eats and that will sometimes take the whole day.

"Ohayo, iie, I don't mind." Touya smiled in returned. "Arigatou for helping me out last night."

"No trouble at all," Akari kept her smile carefully not to show any nervousness. "What are friends for? I am already done with the pancakes. Please take a seat."

Touya sat down at the dining table that Akari had prepared a pair of fork and knife and two mugs. Besides that a jar of sugar, small jug of milk and a bottle of honey and butter were placed in the middle. He watched Akari taking out plates from her kitchen cabinet. After she placed the plates on the counter, she let her hair which she had tied into a bun down and took off the blue apron she was wearing. She folded it neatly and placed it on the counter before she carried the plate of pancakes and empty plates to the dining table.

"What do you like to drink?" Akari asked. "I had made coffee but if you want tea I can…"

"Coffee will do." Touya said quickly. He felt slightly uneasy that Akari had waked up early made breakfast for him and treating him so politely he just didn't know what to think. It was the first time any girl had personally made breakfast for him and not to mention it was his first time sleeping on a girl's bed in her apartment for the night.

"Hai," Akari turned back to the kitchen to get the coffee she had brewed it a glass coffee jug.

Akari was still slightly shaken by remembering how close Touya and her were last night but she try to act like she usually do smiling and grinning cheerfully but her heart was still thumping so fast since she saw Touya standing behind her. She even wondered if Touya could hear her beating heart. She will not be surprise if he could.

"Ano Touya-kun why were you in the city at that time after your match?" Akari asked pouring him some coffee. "You were meeting someone?"

"I went to see you but you weren't at your café."

Akari nearly over poured the coffee. Luckily she stopped in time.

"Ano, was there something you need to see me at that time?" Akari asked trying to sound calm. Please don't be another troublesome love talk. She thought quietly. It was hard enough to ignore and act dense whenever Yuuki tried those talk on her.

"I wanted to tell you about the match." Touya smiled gently. "And it was thanks to you I had the determination to win that match."

"Eh?" Akari raised an eyebrow and took a seat the other side of Touya. She never expected that.

"You were so encouraging that morning." Touya explained. "Well, I had a bad dream the night before and I had sort of lost the vigor for the match yesterday. So after you encouraged me and said you will be rooting for me I just got back the determination to show that I could go through anything even I had a bad night."

A real smile appeared on Akari's face, her troubled thoughts of last night flew out of her mind immediately.

"I am glad I was able to help." Akari grinned and thought to herself silently. I am sure everything will be alright. Touya-kun only needed a friend who can support and encourage him. He seemed really lonely maybe I can be able to help him forget whatever he needs to let go of like all my friends had done for me.

TBC

Thanks to everyone who had reviewed. Mountain Dew; I'm glad you like this fic, thank you so much. If you are looking for non yoai stories there is another story Building Castle by Loveling a TouyaAkari pairing too. An interesting piece of work she has. Another of my favourite is Journey of Illumination by Lady Lark a very interesting story she had created also... but there is no catogory of pairing for her story. Kari55; hehehe yup you are not dreaming. It's pretty hard to look for non yaoi fics in this section so I wrote one myself. Glad you liked it. Thank you so much. VKempt; I hope I will do OK with this story. I am trying my best. You can't me my beta? You are looking for one? Well guess it makes the both of us rights. Thanks for the encourangment :)