Disclaimer: Don't own Hikaru No GO

Thank you for your reviews, from Kreuz4eva, Halcyon Clouds, Kickkid3 and Haruka Akira. It is not a very long chapter but hope everyone enjoyed it very much and thanks to everyone who had offered to beta for me! I really appreciate it alot! I was advised not to use too many japanese words in the fic, so I had changed most of them already. If I had confused anyone earlier, I hope I don't right now.

Chapter 23

"Cheers!"

Five mugs of beer were held into the air. The loud music blared in the background, the place was crowded, a small group standing around a round table cheered and took a sip of their drink.

"It had been some time since we are out for a drink like this." Kaga said. "I realized our group is getting smaller. Last time we still had Tsutsui with us until he got married, then it will be your turn Fujisaki."

"Don't tease!" Akari said rather exasperatedly. "This is what everyone's been doing the past few days!"

"Ah well it is because we never thought you'd get married before we do!" Kuniko quipped, putting an arm around Kaneko's shoulders.

"Come on, give her a break!" Yuuki came in to Akari's defense like usual. "All of you should be happy for her."

"We are," Kuniko grinned. "So happy, that we are celebrating for her right now!"

"All of you exaggerate sometimes!" Akari rolled her eyes but grinned back at her friends.

She was happy beyond words and she was also glad to have such supportive friends. Sometimes, Akari knew how lucky her life was, with people who care for her so much and now a love life that seemed so perfect! She smiled, looking down her engagement ring on her slender finger. She just couldn't ask for more.

After their gathering at the pub that night, Akari had to half drag and carry Kuniko back to her apartment. Kuniko still couldn't take as much alcohol as Akari could and was already quite drunk on only one mug of beer. As soon as Akari got into her apartment, she let Kuniko flop onto the couch.

"You really have to get use to drinks…" Akari said softly.

"I am fine, just a little dizzy!" Kuniko chuckled slightly getting up. "I need to use the washroom and can I borrow your pajamas?"

"Yeah sure."

Something on the table caught Kuniko's eyes and she grabbed it before Akari could take it away.

"These don't look like your apartment keys…" She said rather curiously and also knowingly, dangling the bunch of keys in her fingers.

"They are not." Akari snatched them back.

"Let me guess, Touya-kun's house keys?" She teased.

"Yes, you happy now?" Akari gave her a slight push towards the washroom. "Now go, the bathroom is that way."

After getting clean and changed, Kuniko rested on a tatami and Akari on her own bed. They stayed in the small room silently until Akari broke the ice. (Tatami: Mats to sleep on the floor)

"What is it with you and Kaga-san?" Akari asked. "You like him don't you?"

"Of course not!"

"In denial, like me before…" Akari smiled and propped up on her arm to look down at Kuniko, who snuggled in the thick warm comforter staring back up at her. "We are not really young anymore Kuniko-chan. If you really think that Kaga-san is the one for you. Don't hesitate."

"I can't believe this, I am hearing this from a person who dances away in denial!" Kuniko huffed.

"And trust me, don't do that! I wasted a lot of time or I may have been with Akira much earlier."

Silence from Kuniko as Akari flopped back on her bed drawing her comforter up to her chin for warmth.

"Anyways, we are not children anymore. If you find the right person, all I can tell you is: 'go for it!'"

The weather in Tokyo was still freezing when Akari walked along the busy walkway in the city. She had been strolling along the rows of shops for the past hour and her hands were already frozen. She clutched them together and sporadically blowing her warm breath on her numb fingers. She tugged her jacket closer and walked into another shop. The sales assistant bowed when she entered.

"How may I help you?"

"I was thinking if you would be able to repair this." Akari said holding out Touya's watch towards the man. "I had gone to almost ten shops in this street and no one could."

"Let me have a look."

Akari passed the watch to him and waited as patiently as she could for him to inspect it. She rubbed her hands together to create warmth while she waited.

"You are in luck, miss." The sales assistant smiled. "It is true that there are no longer parts for this watch, but my shop will be able to get it fixed."

"Really," Akari's eyes widened with surprised and with bliss. "That is great. How long will it take?"

"Maybe two weeks to a month… please come this way where I can take down your particulars. When it is done, I will give you a call."

"Alright," Akari nodded and followed him.

This will be great! Touya would be so happy to know that his watch could still be repaired.

"Are you leaving early today, Akira-kun?" Ichikawa asked when Touya was getting his coat from her.

"Yes, Akari and I are celebrating my birthday today." Touya said with a small smile. "She is cooking dinner at my place."

"I see, like a loving wife already." Ichikawa teased.

"Ichikawa-san!" Touya protested, blushing slightly. "Not so loud…"

She laughed and propped her head on one of her hands.

"Still so shy," She added. "Ah well, you better run along now!"

Touya shook his head slightly still smiling before leaving the salon. Akari never really said she was preparing dinner, she only told him to come home and she had a surprise for him. He guessed that she may have prepared dinner for the both of them or maybe thrown a small party. But Akari knew that he was never very fond of parties. So that option was cross out.

He will soon find out when he reach home anyways, so he stopped trying to guess what Akari had in her mind. When he reached home and stepped into the house, he was immediately greeted by a lively Akari popping out from the kitchens to the hall.

"Welcome home," She cried cheerfully.

"I'm home," Touya smiled taking off his shoes before he walked further inside and gave her a hug. "So what are you planning to surprise me with?"

"I think you know that I prepared dinner. After that you will have to wait and see."

"So the surprise is after dinner."

"You can say that." Akari grinned cheekily. "It is something I have learned today for fun."

"Learned?" Touya arched his eyebrows slightly, "What is it you have learned that will surprise me?"

"You will see," Akari still refused to tell him.

Akari had presented her usual traditional Japanese style cuisine. After both of them finished with dinner she cleaned away all the dishes. Touya asked to help but she refused and told him to wait here at the dining table.

Touya didn't wait for very long for her to clean and put away the dishes. She came back with a huge shopping bag in her hand. She placed it on the floor and sat in front of him at the dinning table. Touya watched her going through the things in the bag with a raised eyebrow, waiting patiently for her to come up with something that she said would surprise him.

"You said you learned something." Touya said, his curiosity got better of him. "What is it?"

"Magic," Akari replied taking out a black hat from the bag finally and a long black stick. "I told you it is for fun."

Touya blinked, that really surprised him. Akari learned magic today? This is so strange. Akari grinned at Touya's look. He looked more astounded than she expected him to.

"Ok, the first trick!" Akari took the hat at poke it with the stick. "This is just for warm ups. The real surprise will be after all this."

Akari placed the stick on the table and wave the hat slightly before she plunged her hand in for a second and pull something out. Just as her hand came out of the hat, party poppers flared their ribbons out from the hat and all over the dining table. Touya nearly sat back with shock at the sudden appearance.

"Sorry did it frighten you?" Akari asked, looking at Touya's wide eyes.

"No, just caught me by surprise." Touya wanted to laugh.

Akari had learned all this to surprise him tonight? He was really amazed. This was something new to him. He had never been to a magic show before, and now seeing the person he love performing it in front of his eyes really was something special.

Grinning, Akari continued with her performance. This time she placed the hat down and picked up the stick. She did a few flips and twirls in her hand before she flicked it and a bouquet of fake paper flowers emerged from the tip. This time Touya chuckled when the flower landed on his lap. He picked it up and placed it on the table.

"Ok this time, the real surprise for the night." Akari said rummaging through the paper bag again and took out a round metal cake shaper. "OK, as you can see, it's empty right…"

Touya raised his brows with a small smile on his face before he nodded once. Akari took out a piece of white paper from the bag and placed it into the cake shaper. She then passed a lighter to Touya while she held onto a metal round cover.

"Light the paper." Akari told him.

Touya did as he was told and as soon as the fire touched the paper it sparkled with red light. He was surprised that a paper could make such a reaction while it is burning, he sat back slightly. He was thinking of getting water to put it out when Akari slammed the cover over the shaper.

Touya breath out relieve slightly and realized that Akari actually knew what she was doing. She was smiling cheekily at him now and motioned for him to come closer towards the shaper, which Akari still had the cover over.

"Ta-da…" Akari opened the cover quickly as Touya peered into it.

A small fluffy cake with white cream all over it, decorated with fruits on top and a square message card on it written 'Happy Birthday Akira' had materialized inside, fitting the round shaper perfectly. Touya looked up at Akari, who was grinning and she suddenly conjured a plastic knife out of midair in her hand and passed it to him.

Touya took the knife and was going to cut the cake but Akari stopped him.

"Before you cut the cake…" Akari continued, showing Touya both her empty palms. "You would have to make a wish and blow out the candle."

With that, Akari moved her hands and turned over her palms covering the cake from Touya's view for a few seconds before removing them and now the cake was lit with a candle in the middle. Touya looked up at Akari, flabbergasted. He put the plastic knife down on the table slowly.

"You learn all this in a day?" He asked. "How did you do it?"

"It is a secret." Akari winked. "Now make a wish and blow the candle."

Touya couldn't help but chuckled for a second before blowing the candle.

"Did you make a wish?"

"I have everything I want already." Touya replied, looking back up at Akari. "There is nothing to wish for anymore. Except for one thing…"

"What?"

"I don't think I should tell or it may not come true." Touya replied, remembering how Akari refused to tell him what she wished for at the temple.

"Oh that, I think I am able to tell you now because it had already come true." Akari smiled. "I wished that you would be able to get the Meijin Title."

Touya couldn't help feeling contented at her blessing.

"Thank you…" He muttered softly. "You are always thinking for me."

Akari shrugged. "You are the first that came into my mind."

Touya leaned over and kissed her gently on her forehead.

"There is one more surprise."

"Another one?" Touya eyes widened again. "How many more do you have?"

"Only one more." Akari said leaning over to him. "It is a simple trick."

Touya watched her reached her empty hand to the back of his head, when it came back to the front, there was a box nicely wrapped in shiny blue wrapper with a ribbon on her upturned palm.

"Happy Birthday, Akira."

"You did a lot for me today; this is really uncalled for Akari." Touya said taking the present from her hand. "What is it?"

"Open it and see."

Touya tore away the wrapper and found him self looking at the box of a Tag Heuer watch. He inclined his head slightly and pushed opened the lid. He blinked at the new watch, which lay in the velvety interior of the box.

"It took me a pretty long time to find a place to get your old watch fixed, since they no longer produce the parts." Akari said. "Only today I managed to find someone who said he was still able to repair it without the parts, so I thought that you may need a watch while waiting for the old one…"

"Thank you very much Akari." Touya stopped Akari from her nervous blabbering. He knew that Akari was afraid that he wouldn't like the watch she had picked. "I love it very much."

He could see Akari's shoulders relaxed visibly and a smile returned on her face. He leaned towards her again and captured her lips this time in a gentle lingering kiss before he settled down on the floor again. Gently placing the present on the table he picked up the plastic knife instead.

"What some cake?"

"Yes please…"

Touya walked into the usual jewellery shop to get a Christmas gift for Akari. He knew that he couldn't miss out on giving her something in return this year, while he was looking through necklaces. He did recall getting her a necklace for her birthday before, so Touya thought that he should be getting something different instead.

"What about a gift set?" The sales assistant came to help him when he saw Touya unable to make up his mind. "It is a Christmas special."

The sales assistant showed him towards the glass casing, displaying a beautiful set ruby necklace with matching earrings and bracelet.

"This will look beautiful on your loved one Touya-san."

Touya bent over slightly studying the structure and delicate design carefully before he straightened up and nodded to the sales assistant. Smiling brightly because Touya was going to get the set, he quickly got the keys to get the set for Touya.

"This set is the only one on display with very rare rubies. You did make a right choice. That person must be someone special."

"She is." Touya admitted, taking the paper bag that held his gift from the salesperson.

As soon as he stepped out the shop, he was greeted by Yuii leaning on the wall waiting for him. He frowned at her. Now, being more confident, Touya was no longer afraid of her taunts and threats.

"I've never seen you buy something that valuable for me before." She said rather hatefully.

"It is maybe because you were never that important." Touya replied rather nonchalantly before turning away and walking off, leaving a rather furious Yuii behind.

"Just you wait." Yuii's eyes narrowed dangerously. "That sweet girl of yours will leave you one day and I'll make sure she does that."

With that, she turned to the opposite direction and strode off, swiftly disappearing into the crowded street.

TBC

Thank you so much to Halcyon Clouds for beta reading this fic. She gave me alot of help. Improvement credits goes to her.

Thank for reading this fic, I will put up the next chapter same time, same day!