Disclaimer: Don't own Hikaru No Go

Thanks to abc and Xiar for reviewing the previous chapter...

Chapter 27

Winter dragged on dully and freezing cold. The sky was gloomy and day became shorter. Walking down the crowded street, Touya felt as gloomy as the weather. A lonely feeling had been settled in his heart for almost a month now. He felt like missing something in his life when Akari was not around.

Touya stopped in front of the watch shop and he looked down at the receipt in his hand. This should be the place to collect his watch. Yesterday, he got a call from the shop owner informing him that his watch was ready. He entered the small shop and a sales assistant immediately walked up to him and bowed.

"How may I help you?"

"I am here to collect my watch." Touya replied giving him the receipt. "I was told it is ready."

"Ah yes, the special edition…" The sales assistant replied looking at the receipt. "I was expecting a lady to come, since she was the one who brought it in. The poor girl, she looked practically freezing that day."

"Freezing?" Touya's eyes widened at the news.

"Ah well yes, it was pretty cold outside that day." The sales assistant continued with his chatter while he looked into the cabinets for Touya's watch. "She came in asking if the watch could be repaired. She said she had been to almost ten shops down the street until she came by this one. She must be really cold for wondering in such weather that long."

Touya was speechless.

"There it is." The sales assistant took out the watch, wipe it clean with a towel before handing it to Touya. "You must be very lucky to have such a caring wife."

"She is…" Touya wanted to tell the sales assistant that Akari wasn't his wife but he couldn't do it and he finally said. "Yes, I am, domo arigatou."

Touya took the watch and put it into his pockets. Recently, Touya always wore the watch that Akari had gotten for him. So, even the watch that his father had given him was repaired, it could be just for memorial purposes only. Since Akari took such effort to have it repaired, the watch had become even more valuable.

Touya stepped out of the shop and he couldn't help but feeling happy and miserable at the same time. He was happy because Akari had done so much for him. He was miserable because he missed her.

"If only you know how much I miss you, Akari." Touya said softly to himself as he walked down the crowded street towards his only sanctuary, the GO salon.

The snow storm of the night before had died down early this morning. Akari and Itoe were shoveling the snow outside the drive way since it had piled up tremendously due the storm. The huge snow pile had prevented the cars from driving up this morning. However, Akari was diverted from her work when three girls skipped out of the inn guest van and run towards her. As a courtesy of the inn, her grandma hired a driver to pick up the customers from the train station and bring them back here.

"Is that you, Fujisaki?" One of the girls exclaimed.

Akari looked up to see her old friends from her ice skating team in school years ago. Since there was nothing to hide about her past, Akari smiled at her friends walking up towards them.

"OMG, it is really you." One of them exclaimed. "The last time we bumped into you at the ice skating ring, why did you run off like that?"

"Yeah we were so disappointed!"

"I am so sorry!" Akari cried cheerfully giving them all a hug. "I was in a hurry that night."

"Were you in a hurry to go somewhere private with your boy friend?"

Akari stiffened at the question. The three girls continued their chatter unaware of Akari's downcast expression but Itoe, who was watching nearby, noticed her change of mood and cleared her throat.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"Ah well Akari-nee, why don't you bring you friends inside, I can finish this myself."

"You're sure?" Akari said looking at all the snow. "I can still help."

"Well, don't worry; I do this all by myself when you are not around." Itoe shrugged. "Go on inside and show your friends around. I am sure they had never been here before."

"Right, we haven't," A girl with long curly dark brown hair answered. "I am Sakamoto Chiaki."

"Nakamura Miyaka." Another girl grinning cheerfully with a flamboyant attitude answered. Unlike Sakamoto she had shorter black hair that she clipped up with a pin.

"Masahiro Hara." The other introduced. She looked rather pretty in light brown curly short hair.

"Hajimemashite, I am Fujisaki Itoe." Itoe replied politely with a bow. "Akari-nee is my cousin. Welcome to Yamada Inn and enjoy your stay."

"Here, let me bring you to the reception area and check you all into your rooms." Akari said ushering her friends inside. "So how have everyone been? Have you all improved in your ice skating?"

"Do I hear mockery?" Sakamoto said. "We improved much more than you can imagine."

"Yeah that is right Fujisaki." Nakamura answered with a small pout. "Don't look down on us!"

"I am not!" Akari protested. "I am glad to hear that, girls. I was just asking!"

"Leave Fujisaki alone," Masahiro said rolling her eyes. "You know she just wanted to know how many other tournaments we had been."

"Domo," Akari turned to Masahiro with gratitude. "You always understand me better than these two."

"Well it is because Masahiro no longer skates, like you." Nakamura said in a disappointed voice.

"What happened, Masahiro?" Akari turned to her friend anxiously. "You got hurt too?"

"No, no, not like that." Masahiro laughed. "I stopped because I wanted to further something else in my life."

"What is that?"

"She wants to be a doctor!" Sakamoto replied heatedly. "I was like telling her to reconsider since she is so talented in ice skating, she should consider it as a profession but she wants to be a doctor."

"It is good to follow your dreams." Akari answered rather thoughtfully.

"Not you too!" Sakamoto and Nakamura chorus exasperatedly.

Akari smiled and turned to Masahiro who smiled in returned.

"You have to eat something, Touya-kun" Kuniko said pushing a bowl of ramen towards him. "Keeping yourself hungry will hurt you physically in the end."

"I am not hungry."

"Try," Kuniko said holding out a pair of attached wooden chopsticks in her hand towards Touya. "This is my treat anyway, so at least you should respect me and eat."

Touya looked up at Kuniko who watched him rather apprehensively. He gradually took the chopsticks from her and split it apart before he poked them into the bowl. He still stared solemnly at the ramen not wanting to eat.

"Well, I heard from Akari-chan that her friends had visited her today." Kuniko said.

Touya looked up at her.

"Those friends from school in her ice skating team." Kuniko continued. "She is doing alright, so stop worrying."

"How can I? I can't even see her!" Touya raised his voice and attracted several customers' attention in the restaurant.

Kuniko looked around with an uneasy smile and bowed apologetically for his outburst before she turned back to Touya and sighed softly.

"Look, if it really hurts you more to know about what she is doing right now, I will stop telling you." Kuniko said exasperatedly. "I really don't want to be blamed for causing grief to the most famous GO player in Japan!"

"No, don't!" Touya cried out anxiously but not as loudly as before. "You are the only source that links to Akari. I need to know where she is and how she's doing!"

"Where she is, is a question I can't answer and for how she is, that I am be able to help you."

Touya remained silent.

"Start eating, the ramen is getting cold." Kuniko urged digging into her own bowl too.

After finally consuming some solid food, Touya felt slightly better. What he didn't understand was why Kuniko was helping him since Akari was so mad at him. Being her friend, he thought Kuniko would have cut all relationship with him. When they walked out the restaurant together after the meal, Touya asked her.

"Why are you doing all this?"

"I am not doing this for you but Akari-chan." Kuniko replied stiffly. "So don't misunderstand."

"But why?"

"Because I know Akari-chan still cares for you deeply." Kuniko answered. "She loves you."

Touya was glad that Kuniko didn't use past tense.

"I know she still does but she just needs time to think. I thought it is best to leave her as she is for now." Kuniko continued. "I really hope everything will turn out alright. This is the first time I'd ever seen Akari-chan so happy and the reason is because of you."

Touya looked pain for a moment and thought that he also caused her unhappiness.

"Look Touya-kun," Kuniko stopped walking and turned to him. "I may be visiting Akari-chan soon and I will come back to tell you more about her condition. Before that, I have some important matters to attend at my firm. So please be patient."

Touya nodded.

Kuniko was about to walk away when a girl came up towards her and slapped her so hard on her cheek she nearly fell over. Touya immediately grabbed Kuniko in his arms to prevent her from loosing her balance and he turned to stare at Yuii angrily. Yuii glared back at him.

After regaining her balance, Kuniko looked inquiringly at the woman who dressed in very expensive clothing with her black hair so long it reaches to her posterior. Kuniko touched her cheek that still throbbed rather painfully.

"What are you doing, Sugisa?" Touya exclaimed furiously.

"As soon as that bitch is out of your life, you go out with another!" Sugisa shouted angrily.

"Sugisa?" Kuniko frowned at the name because she knew that name. Her lips pursed into a thin line and turned to the woman irately. Pushing Touya out of her the way. "I know you."

Sugisa narrowed her eyes at Kuniko. "I don't think I know you."

Kuniko gave a derisive laughter that shocked Touya. Kuniko who was always so sweet, soft spoken and friendly, could act that way. That was something Touya never knew.

"You know, I find that a blessing! But I can see that that blessing is over since now I've met you."

Yuii fumed. "How dare you?"

"I DARE!" Kuniko screamed. "Just because your father is suffering from lost right now, you think you have the right to berate me!"

Yuii froze with shock and her mocking stance diminished. "What you mean my father…"

"I AM the lawyer who sued your father till bankruptcy!"

"You…" Yuii's voice quivered slightly.

Touya turned to Kuniko's with wide eyes. She is a lawyer?

"Black market, life threats, fake contracts…." Kuniko named out all the illegal trades her father was involved in. "I can't even name out all the lists here! I had nailed him for years and finally I got him! So why are you accusing me of going out with Touya-kun?"

Kuniko was confused for a moment about Yuii mentioning that Touya was going out with her. She had thought that she got slapped for causing Yuii's family's bankruptcy but Yuii said that she didn't know who Kuniko was. So why…? Kuniko furrowed her eyebrows for a minute and, suddenly, realization hit her.

"She is your ex?" Kuniko turned to Touya incredulously, who still stood next to Kuniko in shock at the news of her profession.

Touya merely nodded.

"Oh I see," Kuniko finally put bit and pieces of everything together. "You came snuggling up to Touya-kun because your rich boyfriend had lost everything trying to help you and Touya-kun is your next target."

"How did you know about my boyfriend?" Yuii asked almost weakly.

"I am a lawyer and it is my job to find every single tiny bit of news from your family." Kuniko shouted poking her. "You wiped him dry, didn't you, that poor bloke. Touya-kun must be really lucky for not being that blind! He is taken, so GET LOST!"

Kuniko stepped up to her and slapped her hard on her cheek.

"That was for slapping me!" She said furiously and slapped her again. "This is for Akari-chan." And then another, again… "And that is for hurting Touya-kun."

Something which hardly happened, but Touya's mouth dropped opened. Women can be scary sometimes, he thought. After slapping Yuii, Kuniko turned and pulled Touya away with her. They only stopped when Yuii was out of sight. Kuniko dropped Touya's arm while taking a deep breath and shaking her wrist with a grimace.

"Damn that girl!" Kuniko grumbled. "Giving me a sore cheek and a sore hand. I hope still can use my hand or I will litigate her till she can no longer stay in Japan!"

Touya was thunder struck as he continued to stare at Kuniko.

"What?" She turned to him, rather surprised at his look.

"You are a lawyer?"

"Yeah," Kuniko answered with raised eyebrows.

"I never knew."

"You never asked."

"Right," Touya smiled slightly for the first time in weeks. "Domo… Tsuda-san."

"Ches, I am not doing this only for you, there is Akari-chan," She paused for a moment and added. "…and myself!" She touched her sore cheek slightly and hissed with pain. "That girl had the nerve to slap me."

Touya chuckled softly and Kuniko looked at him with surprise.

"It is good to see you laugh again after such a long time." Kuniko said with wide eyes and smiled. "You should do that more often…"

"Akari told me that before." Touya replied softly with a gentle smile.

An uncomfortable silence issued and Kuniko quickly cleared her throat and changed the subject. Something that made her rather curious and she will have to ask him no matter how much he hated the question.

"Right," Kuniko begin. "Did you know that Sugisa Yuii's father was in illegal trading cooperation in Japan?"

There was a short pause before Touya answered.

"Has this got to do with your case…?" Touya narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"It had nothing to do with the court case. I am just curious what you actually saw in Sugisa-san."

"She was a nice girl when I met her." Touya answered shortly. "And I never judge people by their parents' wrong doing, just as long as that person doesn't get involved."

"You did not really answer my question directly but the way you put it, I gather the answer is yes." Kuniko said rather matter of factly. "You must have loved her very much." She could see Touya tensed at her last statement.

"It was all in the past." Touya answered tersely.

Kuniko sighed and put a hand on her head with a small frown on her face. She then asked another question, dropping her hand to her side, and looked directly into Touya's eyes.

"Does Akari-chan know about this?"

"About what?"

"About Sugisa-san and your relationship was so deep that you can even disregard the fact that her father was a crook." Then she added rather grudgingly. "A very smart crook I must add… it took me years to close this case."

"But what has it got to do with me now?" Touya snapped. "I had ended all ties with her…"

"It has everything to do with it because Akari-chan didn't think so!" Kuniko shouted back which startled Touya slightly. Then in a more calm voice Kuniko continued. "Look, Akari-chan left because she thinks you still love Sugisa Yuii! If she even found out about this, I think she will never trust you again!"

"But, she had always trusted me…" Touya protested. "Why now, when everything was going on so well…? She had told me that nothing in the past was going to affect our relationship. So why would it matter if she knew about this! I am sure she will understand."

There was another long pause before Kuniko gave Touya a rather frustrated look and she continued talking.

"I don't know what happened during Christmas Eve because Akari-chan did not tell me and I have a feeling that you wouldn't either."

When Touya was about to say something Kuniko held up her hand to stop him.

"Let me finish. I don't intend to find out either. Whatever happened; it will be up to Akari-chan to understand, not me. Besides, before she left, there was something she told me that made me think that she lost trust in you even before Christmas Eve."

Touya's eyes widened. No wonder Akari had acted so weird. It started after the family gathering in the Meijin Temple. She acted really strange ever since. She was quieter and hardly smiled much. Finally, Touya's suspicion was that Akari might have seen him talking to Yuii before the family gathering. She may have interpreted the situation in a wrong way.

Touya frowned slightly, remembering how sad Akari looked at the end of the day but she didn't say anything. She had hidden her feelings away from him. Touya groaned inwardly. Why can't she tell him when something was bothering her?

"She didn't say anything…" Touya uttered softly, furious at himself for not realizing it sooner.

"Akari-chan is the type of person who is always strong from the outlook," Kuniko replied, looking down at her watch for the time. "But inside, she is fighting an inner battle of trying not to break into pieces."

"I know… but I still overlooked that fact." Touya sighed.

"Anyone can, since Akari-chan always hides her feelings and does not want people to share her burden and sadness. She could force a smile on the worst day of her life. So don't blame yourself for failing to notice that."

"She will be my wife soon! I am not supposed to overlook such a matter!" Touya yelled furiously. "I should have taken more time…"

"Touya-kun, you know that you hardly have time with your busy GO schedule." Kuniko cut him off, trying to calm him down. "No one is blaming you, and Akari-chan never did!"

"How would you know…?" Touya never felt so angry with himself before. He felt like he was about to hit something but held back his anger.

"I am her best friend, of course, I know." Kuniko smiled softly. "She always looks so happy, and even whenever you are not around, having one of your GO discussion or GO match. She will be happily waiting for you to call, wanting to know how your day went. A blind person can even tell that she is very proud of you. That is why I believe that Akari-chan will return. She just needs some time to sort out her disoriented feelings and thoughts for now."

Touya was speechless for a moment staring at Kuniko with wide eyes.

Kuniko could only smile weakly at him before she looked at her watch again and then she sighed.

"Ah well, I should get going. I am already late for a corporation meeting, ja-ne… Touya-kun. Please take care of yourself when I am away!"

There was silence from Touya.

Kuniko waited until Touya finally nodded his head once and only did she walk away in a hurry. She must be really late for this meeting.

Touya watched Kuniko walked away and understood, for the first time, what it meant to have real friends. Kuniko had tried her very best to make everything better; even being late for the most important meeting, she stayed behind to make sure he was alright before she left.

He turned away and walked off the different direction, having more confident feelings that he will be able to get Akari back. He had friends backing him up and helping him and Akari.

"I never knew your family owns a skiing inn." Masahiro said while Akari and her friends dipped themselves in the onsen. "Had it been a family business?"

"Yeah sort of, it belonged to my father's parents." Akari replied. "But I hardly come back here that often."

"Why are you back here now?" Nakamura asked.

"Just wanted to see my relatives again," Akari answered indifferently. "It had been a long time since I last saw them."

"I see," Sakamoto replied. "I read about the papers that you are getting married to that Professional GO Player. Is that true?"

"Right!" Nakamura exclaimed excitedly. "It is that guy we saw you with, isn't it?"

Akari remained silent as she stared into the water.

"But that article seemed to be writing negatively about you, Fujisaki." Masahiro said thoughtfully. "Is everything alright?"

"Hai," Akari nodded once and looked up with a smile. "Everything is just fine."

Akari's friends looked at one another and back at her. They changed the subject automatically because they knew that Akari didn't want to talk about it. Akari sighed inwardly. Everyone knew about that, thinking rather sadly, all because she is going to marry a famous GO player or maybe she was. Is it really a good idea? She only wanted to live a normal happy life with a person who she loves and loves her. She had thought she found him.

Even she was belittled by the media because they thought she was unsuitable for Touya, she had strive on, thinking that nothing will break her. So why is she feeling so tired and confused right now? Are her defenses finally breaking? She has been strong all along, hasn't she?

TBC

I promise everything will lightened as chapter goes... and Touya and Akari will meet again... its just how and and when? ;) So lets see how it goes as the chapters continues.

Thanks for reading!