This time it's butter cookies! Fresh out of the oven! *Holds out a tray*
Shinigami Clara: YOU HAVE DEFINITELY GONE HYPER! Please, drink some water and calm down. Now, now, don't play with guns, it's dangerous^_~ Thanks for the reviews!
Regatto: Thanks for coming back! Yes, the deal about Akira and Sai will be explained in this chapter! I know, I was being lazy with the last chappie, because it was three in the morning, man…my senses aren't quite working properly so the angsty-pangsty emotion was kinda numb^^;;; But this chapter will hold a good deal of angst! So, wash that big butter cookie down with it^^
Shimizu Hitomi: Ooo, Akira WILL get peeved off alright. You just go read that first sentence…anyways, he was too shocked from hearing Hikaru say such a thing to act at the moment. I find the Hikaru interesting too, because I still need to dig into his character a little. But this chapter is about Touya Akira^^ I know Sai being a title holder at 15 is really very bizarre, but if I don't pronounce him to be somewhat godlike Akira would never be so hot on Sai's (and his brother's) heels^^
JMJV: Am I doing that? Only giving out small portions of the story? I must be doing it subconsciously, since I already know what's going to happen I guess reading the chapter over doesn't have much effect on me^^;;; Argh, I know! To make up for that loss of emotional goodness I put a lot of effort into this chapter^^ Sorry if I keep doing cliff-hangers…but then, isn't the end of every chapter of an unfinished story a cliffie? I personally find it so^^;;; Oh man, I can see a sky full of angels now, just giving you an idea about THIS chapter…*wink*
allyyang: *sniff* the prologue was indeed sad, I don't blame people for blaming me^^;;; The reason you couldn't figure out why Akira knows about Sai is because I haven't told you about it yet! It will all be explained in this chapter^^
LadyJessy: I'm happy you found it good! Once again, the prologue was depressing, even for myself. Things should brighten up a bit now…You have theories about where this story goes? Heh heh, don't be afraid to share it^^
jia: I honestly hope I updated soon enough…I'm glad you like my fic^^ After all, a story is written for the sake of readers^^
Talen: This will go…well, you'd have to read on to know^^
Urain: Welcome back^^ Glad you like the bit about Akira. Well, here's a good bunch of it^^ Wasn't this update really soon?
Lili-chan: Glad you like the fic. You think my writing style is good? Gosh, I've never had that sort of compliment about my English before, thanks^^
Following in Your Footsteps
By Halcyon Clouds (A.K.A. Sal)
Intro: (Last time on Following: Hikaru meets Akira on a train and gets dragged to the Go Salon. Hikaru storms off after expressing that he hates Go.)
Chapter you've been waiting for…why does Akira get involved in all of this? Why is he so obsessed with Hikaru and Sai? It was because of something else that happened in the past…
Disclaimer: I own nothing more than the pixelated letters that manifest your screen.
Chapter 2 -- Promises of the Past
That bastard.
Akira clenched his fist with growing fury as every second ticked past. However, his unflappable face showed no sign of the internal struggle. Learning Go required discipline, and it came easy for him.
I…I thought…
"…Akira," A deep firm voice snapped him back into reality.
Akira raised his head to look into the weathered face of his father, the Meijin was regarding his son with an air of sternness and a look that demanded an immediate explanation of some sort. Akira gulped, he could creep past just about anyone with him and his own thoughts, but his father was not one of these people.
"I--I'm sorry, otousan." The green-haired boy lowered his head in apology as his straightened himself in his kneeling position. "I was…lost in some thought."
"A good Go player never takes his concentration off the game."
"Yes otousan, I won't do it again." Akira silently cursed himself for disappointing his high-standard Go-playing Dad. There were things wiser to do.
Touya Koyo folded his arms across his chest, above the little tuft of fur across the middle of his bathrobe. Expressions not permeating through the heavily wrinkled features.
"There is no real point in continuing this game if you have other things troubling your mind." He said in a low, rumbling tone, the same casual fashion.
"I don't." Akira bit his lower lip at the lie.
Through the bangs in front of his eyes, Akira saw his father sigh and stand up. The Meijin knew perfectly well that it was a lie, but he didn't press on further about the issue. When Akira decides to hold his tongue about matters he doesn't want to discuss, you couldn't get it out of him no matter what. There was no point in pursuing. He simply left his son to face the unfinished game on the Goban in solitude.
The stones glinted their own protests.
Akira gritted his teeth. He had never felt so…disappointed, and…cheated in his life.
So, is this what I'm left to deal with? He thought bitterly.
***************************************
You made a promise.
You broke it.
Was there…never…a promise…?
***************************************
8 years ago…
Touya Akira, five years old, sat on the porch of his home. The sky that morning was of a bright shade of grey, the typical colour of winter skies.
He watched the gates intently.
The cobbled walkway was deserted of any other being. Bamboo lining the curve of the path rustled in time with each breath of wind, a periodic 'tok!' came from the water-timer originating somewhere from other branches of the estate. The air was cold and biting on bare feet, Akira drew his bathrobe tighter to his body and sneezed.
Tok!
The sound of footsteps approaching brought him to look up.
Two people entered from the gates. One of them he recognised as his father, a younger Meijin. Tall, majestic, and illuminated by an aura of power. In young Akira's eyes, it was those qualities about his father that he admired, and wished he could learn from. To him, there was first the Kami, but the second space below the Kami held otou-sama.
Who was the other person?
Akira had never seen him before. The stranger was young, a lot younger than the Meijin, but still a good deal older than himself. An atmosphere of elegance surrounded this person, an energy completely different to that of Touya Koyo, but not lacking in its intensity. The youngster had an uncanny amount of observation power in his short years, there was something else, he could tell but not distinguish, something more than the surface…something…celestial about that person, perhaps?
"Akira, what are you doing out here?"
Akira blinked up at the looming figure of Touya Koyo.
"I was waiting for you, otousan."
"You'll catch a cold like this. Come on, let's get inside." The Meijin held out a hand to his son, and Akira grasped it with his own smaller version. They pulled open a sliding door and entered the warm interiors. The stranger followed in behind them.
Akira looked up at the older boy, his vision met by violet eyes, usually the eyes always told him some clue about the individual. But this one's didn't, dark and enigmatic, yet lucid like crystal, it said nothing.
"I haven't introduced you yet," The Meijin spoke, breaking the silence. "Shindo-kun, this is my son Akira." (A/N: Now THAT also sounded incredibly weird!)
"Konnichiwa." The older boy nodded his head at the child. His voice like lake water rippling under a gentle breeze. "I'm Shindo Sai. Yoroshiku."
Akira said nothing, but continued to look up at this person. Shindo Sai didn't seem a bit troubled under his inspection, he simply smiled.
"The Kenkyuukai won't be starting in another hour or so." Touya Koyo said, oblivious to his son's quietness. It wasn't unusual. "You took the trouble to come so early, how about a game before they arrive?"
"I'd be honoured." Shindo Sai bowed.
Akira raised his eyebrows. Who was this person important enough to be invited to the Kenkyuukai and a game by none other than Touya Meijin in person? He looked a bit older than Ashiwara-san, but definitely not past the age of twenty. Still, why is otousan so bothering to relate to a person so young?
They had already set up the Goban. Akira trotted over to watch.
"Onegaishimasu."
No handicaps?
The Meijin's son narrowed his eyes at the board vacant of any black stones. Who is he?
Playing on equal terms with otousan?
The youngster knew perfectly well of the pride his father holds. He'd feel insulted if an equal game was played against someone who's standards weren't quite up to his. The game had started, he riveted his attention from Shindo Sai to the board. I'll find an answer here. Akira thought decidedly.
***************************************
Young Akira had never seen such a game played in his life before. It was as if a wildfire broke out on the plains that is the Goban and the hearts of the players, for both were burning with such blazing passion and strength that made him almost cringe from the heat. Tension spout from every hand the two sides put forth, force pushing like straining a rubber band to the limits of its capacity. Some moves he understood, but many still only gradually came into the light with the progression of the game. Akira found himself trying to predict where the next stone will be sent, only to find his own guesses contradicted and reduced to superficial struggles as the players present their own brilliantly foreseen moves.
Akira felt, for a fleeting second, small and insignificant compared to the other two people in that room. It was an unfamiliar feeling, for three years it had been fact to him that he was the most advanced of players his age, and was due to become an intimidating force in the Go world later on. But that game showed him a glimpse of the vast, vast universe. And he was only reaching out a hand to the clear night sky, there was still a very long way to go before he could soar free. That sort feeling he had already felt towards his father ever since Go became a substantial part of his life, and now -- Akira turned to his father's opponent -- this person, he concluded firmly, also held an entire universe.
Oh, how he wished he could be like them, and have people like them recognise him as a worthy opponent! His father was a godlike figure, but this person was young. If he can measure up to otousan at such an age, so can I!
"I will play like you someday!" Akira blurted out amidst his thoughts, looking straight at Shindo Sai, as if that was the thing he was trying to express all along today.
Closing the lid on a container of white stones, the other boy smiled pleasantly as though he too, was expecting it all along.
Akira looked at him indignantly, ignoring a critical glance from his father. "Someday I'll make you and otousan see me as a rival!"
"Akira!" The Meijin boomed.
"Of course, and I'd like to play against you equally someday, too." Sai continued to smile at the green-haired boy, "I've heard so much about the talented Meijin's son."
"I've only been teaching him for three years, Shindo-kun." Touya Koyo spoke up, "He still has lots to learn."
But Akira wasn't listening to his father speak, he had only heard the comment Sai made, and his insides were quivering slightly.
Shindo Sai suddenly stopped smiling and looked a bit thoughtful, "How old are you, Touya-kun?"
"F-Five…" Akira, not expecting a question, stammered the answer.
"You know, I have a brother who's the same age as you." Sai told Akira in a small voice, although not small enough for the Meijin to be left out of the conversation. "He knows how to play Go too, although," He added with a chuckle. "not very diligent. Maybe one day you might meet him."
Akira wrinkled his nose, he wasn't too bothered about meeting more people of the same age and beating them effortlessly. What he cared about was what Shindo Sai had said a while earlier.
"You mean it?" He asked.
"Mean what?"
"That you'd like to play equally against me someday!" Akira explained, flustered, "Even…even otousan had never said that to me…"
"Akira, I will know when the right time comes." Touya Koyo reminded his son sternly.
"I did mean it." Sai replied, looking at Akira directly in the eye, "You will certainly be up against me on equal terms someday."
"I will." The youngster echoed, as if to hear his own voice clearly. "You mean it."
Sai nodded.
***************************************
He sat, thunderstruck, as they talked amongst themselves about the news.
"You've heard? Shindo Sai was killed in a traffic accident…"
"It was in the late news last night…"
"I'd say the Go world lost its brightest star ever."
"Touya-sensei isn't talking much, he doesn't look too well after hearing it."
"Akira-kun, is Touya-sensei al…Akira-kun, Akira-kun!"
Akira recovered from his shocked state with a jolt, to find Ashiwara looking down at him with concern on his face.
"Are you okay?" Ashiwara asked the young boy.
"Eh…uh." Akira managed a feeble reply, his mind was still elsewhere. The other boy took the answer but didn't look too convinced.
Why?
Akira had been told about death and its upshots long before. However, it had never seeped so vividly through his mind prior to this moment.
Why?
He had been asking himself that question over and over again, knowing his own conscious won't be able to provide the answers he needed so badly.
Why did you go and die…
It was not as if anyone had a choice to surrender to death or not, but…
Why did you go and die before I had a chance to challenge you?
Akira squinted his eyes tightly shut at his own, true thought. It pained him.
You said it yourself too.
Anger bubbled out from within him.
You broke your promise. No one can replace it now, no…
Akira paused, memories of the meeting on that cold morning came flooding back afresh. There was something else Shindo Sai had told him…something he must've shoved to the back of his mind…
He…has a brother?
He recalled.
My age?
He felt the weight lift off his chest a little. A little spark of hope ignited in his downcast spirit.
If…if I can find this person. Maybe, will he fulfil that promise?
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Fat chance of that happening. Thought Akira of the present time angrily. The higher the hopes, the deeper the disappointment. Somewhere in him he felt immense disgust at what Shindo Hikaru, the brother of the phenomenal Go prodigy Shindo Sai, had said to him in the Go salon. Akira had been utterly shocked to hear it coming out of the mouth of someone he takes to…might…having the same amount of talent as Shindo Sai. He had been elated at the finding of, or rather, found by this person. Where was the Shindo Hikaru he met on the train, all-out and lecturing him about what really did happen in that title game?
Maybe he didn't mean it, what he said. Something in Akira's awareness stirred. Or else why is he contradicting himself so badly?
He furrowed his brows, lips pursed tightly. Whether he meant it or not, he made us Go players all sound like we're crazy. He should feel ashamed to play Go.
A tingle went up his spine, oddly enough, it felt quite appropriate at the time.
Maybe…he really is ashamed of playing Go…?
But, hell. WHY?
***************************************
A/N: That was fast! So now you know Akira's story. What happens next will depend on me^_^
……I was thinking too much of Yuki from furuba and Mihara Oujirou from Angelic Layer!!! Don't blame me if you know what I mean…but my idea of that Sai is just like those characters!
Bleah, I didn't announce who won for that game between Sai and Touya Koyo because I don't want either to lose! But it would be too…dreary to force a tie, as I don't like those things anyways…so, the result is free to your interpretation.
This…might seem to some people as being slightly shounen-ai towards later chapters, I never planned for it to be, but you can think what you like and not mind my opinion.
Besides, anyone know of any good Hikago fics newly published lately? I'd love to read more, and make some fic recommendations in the next chapter…
Okay, here comes the prompting of reviews as always in the last sentences…The reason I prod myself to write until 3 in the morning is because I know people want to read it. So review if you would like to see more soon^^
--
Sal (halcyon_clouds@hotmail.com)
P.S. Young Akira in a bathrobe…KYAAA~~!! And also kawaii 12-year-old Ashiwara! (go check his age from manga vol.18^^)