CHAPTER 3
By id62000
"Hikaru! Dinner's ready!" Mrs. Shindou shouted up the stairs.
"Coming – give me five minutes mom!" came back the reply.
Mrs. Shindou smiled and sat down at the table, her hands fiddling with the letter from the Juuban School Principal and another from the Go Association. Somehow every thing was fitting in just fine. Her son was lucky there were empty seats even at this late submission date. He could still get into a good collage, a good job, good environment… she frowned. That is- if he concentrated more on his Math and English. He should have taken biology and not history- like Akari! There were more job opportunities there. He should have-
"Ramen! "
In came the delighted Hikaru.
"I could smell it all the way from my room!"
Shindou san smiled. Her son will never change.
"You're having some tournament?" Mrs. Shindou inquired.
"Nah! Just tutoring!"
To Shindou san it didn't seem fair. Small boys teaching older people? Once Hikaru had told her he was going to tutor an old lady! That was ridiculous! Or so it seemed to her. And pros don't get paid much either! But Wayas' family seemed comfortably well off. Didn't Waya san say that pros get paid higher if they secure titles? There was no way Hikaru could do that! Why! Waya kun himself has been playing Go for eight years! He's a 2ed Dan. Hikaru was a first Dan, Wasn't he? And he lost both matches at the International tournament! She was sure they had picked lots to see who plays. But Touya kun was extremely good. He was a third Dan ne? He had been playing for fourteen years.
"Urgh! This is bad!" Hikaru said as he scanned the Go Association letter and threw it unceremoniously on the chair.
"Is something wrong?" Shindou san asked.
Hikaru gave her a skeptical look.
"I think they're trying to mock me!" scowled Hikaru, "They are awarding a one up Dan to those who won the matches at Blue Star tournament. Damn! Touya is fifth Dan now!"
"Oh!" Shindou san had nothing else to say. She wasn't sure what these 'Dans' were, but she knew this- her son was a beginner Dan, Waya kun was a second Dan since he was a win short in the 'Dan Series' that was conducted during the Blue Star Cup training to rise to the next Dan, Touya kun was third Dan and now he's Fifth Dan and Hikaru's study group teacher was ninth Dan. Didn't Hikaru say that a certain Ogata san was Tenth Dan now? Wasn't Touya kun's father a Tenth Dan too?
"How could the Go Association ever allowed this?" Hikaru glared at the innocent piece of paper lying on the chair, "Just because we were at International level does not mean that Touya is good enough for a Dan rise…or two! They should have taken votes or something! Just handing out Dans as if they were candy! What were they thinking about? That is-If they were thinking at all!"
Shindou san winced! There was no need to get all bothered about it, it was just two Dans. That made Touya kun …5-Dan - hmmm…it did seem a bit closer to 9 Dan!
"You can try next year Hikaru. Didn't you say that it was being held next year as well?" Shindou san said comfortingly.
"This was an inaugural privilege- just to say that the Japanese Go Association has recognized Hokuto Cup as an official one." Hikaru looked thoughtfully at the paper, "It doesn't say anything about Korea or China though. I don't think their Go Associations would be generous enough to offer such luxuries…Still…"
Hikaru shook his head and suddenly noticed the time.
"WAAAAA! I'm LATE! Mom, I'll buy lunch! And I'll be late! Study group! Bye!"
Shindou san shook her head as she watched her son jump the gate and sprint through the pavement - much to the astonishment of the passer-bys.
"Maybe Hikaru enjoys Go more than anything else." mused Shindou san, "I'll just let things go for a while, after all, there are two more years in high school."
The more she thought about it, the better she felt.
"Even if he's missing the first day, he's still going to school whereas Waya kun dropped out."
Smiling to herself, a satisfied Shindou san made her way to the kitchen.