Disclaimer : I don't own Hikaru no Go.

Chapter 13 : Breakfast at the Touyas' manor

Next morning, Japanese Go Association, in the elevator

" So, Ochi, Isumi-san and I won the 1st round," Hikaru summarized to the blue-eyed ghost, " But, in the end, only Ochi won the 2nd round,"

" Too bad that you didn't have a chance to play with Touya-kun. But you played well, Hikaru," Sai noted with a soft smile , " I can guarantee that,"

" Ochiai-pro is tough," the blonde commented rationally, " Just like Nase-chan said I had to play against strong opponent to gain strength and become a better player,"

"……."

" I want to play, Sai," With earnest eyes, she declared firmly, " I wanna play more, against a good opponent, like Ochiai-pro who I played with yesterday,"

" Hikaru,"

" I can be better, I'm sure I can," she stated.

Feeling glad to see his student set herself a high goal, Sai smiled, " So am I,"

/ Ding/ The elevator reached the 6th floor, the first one the duet saw was Touya Akira, the Meijin's son.

" Not you again," Shaking her head, Hikaru sighed in boredom and hung her head down. What does he want this time? I'm not ready for another fight.

An hour ago, at the Touyas' manor,

The Touyas were having breakfast. They weren't well-known for being talkative, however, this morning they seemed to be quieter than normal. Maybe it was because they were nearly suffocated by a strange pressure which spread out all over the peaceful Japanese dinning room, the pressure that radiated by Akira.

" Mother, another bowl of rice, please," Akira almost hit his mother's face with his empty rice bowl when he handedit to Akiko.

" Y..yes, Akira-san," Mrs. Touya clumsily took the bowl, filled it with rice and hurriedly gave it back to her difficult son.

Attacking his roasted eggplant as if it had been his family's enemy for centuries, the boy grumbled moodily in his thought. Why did she have to treat it like a big deal? It's just a little misunderstanding. And it's not that I intentionally confused her with a boy. If she hadn't dressed and behaved like that, I wouldn't have misunderstood in the first place. Yet, I was generous enough to apologize for something which wasn't my fault! And look how she treated me! He sharply stabbed that innocent eggplant with his chopsticks. If it was a man, he would be charged with 1st-degree murder.

" Err..Akira-san," Akiko called.

Looking up to his mother, Akira tried to reply with his typical cool voices, " Yes? Mother," Still, there was a heavy irritation in his voice.

" Well…are you alright?" the worried mother asked uncomfortably, " You seems…frustrated," she wasn't sure if it was the right word to describe him since her glacial son had never been frustrated before, in fact she thought that her emotionless son had never ever shown any emotions before! Of course, she would like to see Akira showing his feeling like other normal human being but she hadn't expected the first feeling he showed was " Anger". Anger and Touya Akira? It didn't get along at all.

" I'm fine, Mother, Thank you," the displeased young boy lied, " I'm not frustrated, I've never been frustrated ," he stated brashly.

" But something is bothering you, isn't it?" Kouyo spoke up, he also noticed his son's unusual behavior.

" No, Father, there's not…,"

" I can see it in your Go," Cutting off, he mentioned. Every morning the Meijin played a game with him, today his son seemed a bit distracted, it had never happened before. Therefore, something must have happened.

I can't hide anything from him. Go showed one's soul, it was a universal truth, Akira was aware of that. He sighed in defeat and sneaked a glance at his lovely mother. Maybe I should ask her, after all women are all the same, maybe her women's intelligence will give me the light. Stopping assaulting the poor guiltless eggplant, the disturbed boy put down his chopsticks, " Mother, can I ask you something?"

" Yes..yes, of course, Akira-san," Akiko was taken a bit off guard. Akira was the ideal son that every mother wished to have. He was clever, he studied hard, his score was perfect and he had never caused her any troubles. He thought carefully before he acted or said anything, that was the reason why everybody adored him for being such a well-mannered boy. He could do everything by himself…No, that wasn't completely correct. Every now and then, he had a problem with his Go. Whenever that time came, he ran to her husband asking him for his guidance, he had never run to her. It wasn't his fault anyway since she didn't play the game but…still, the fact that Akira was closer to her quiet husband than to her made her envy her own husband a little bit. She wasn't proud of that, yet, she couldn't help it, Akira was her only son. Sometimes, she wished him to face a really hard time so she was able to perform her duty as a good mother, yet, it had never happened. Not until this morning, today was the day, this was the first time in his life he had ever asked her for her advice, not Kouyo's. What a wonderful day!

" You have wore your hair short since you were little, isn't that correct? Mother," Akira posed the big question.

" ……" Well, that wasn't what she had expected him to ask her in any way. Akiko had prepared herself to answer a tough difficult question, not a weird one like this.

" Yes," Confused, she nodded slowly. This is what he wants to know? My haircut? She had been waiting for this moment for 14 years but this was the best her son could come up with? Poor Akiko, Baka Akira.

" Have someone ever... mistaken you for a boy?" the blue-eyed boy inquired timidly with doubt.

Getting confused even more, the puzzled mother couldn't believe her ears. This question was even weirder than the 1st one, " No,"

" What…what if someone thinks that you are a boy," Testing the waters, Akira shyly set an example, " Will you be mad?"

Eh? What is this all about? But... since he wants to know, I'd better…" Well, I honestly don't know since it has never happened to me before," Akiko replied, she highly wondered where this conversation would lead to," But I don't think I'll be happy about it,"

" Do you mistake a girl for a boy? Akira," Kouyo made a right guess. He could read his son thoroughly, both on the board and in real life.

Sighing, the restrained boy eventually confessed, " ……Yes,"

" Who is she then? " the Meijin wondered there were few female players in the Pro world, Akira shouldn't confuse them as a boy and he didn't have any insei friend either.

Turning to his father, Akira gave another defeated sigh. He'll know anyway, " Father, Do you know that Shindou is a girl?"

Shindou…Shindou? " You mean Shindou?" Kouyo uttered in surprise, he just wanted to make sure that it was the same Shindou they were talking about, " Shindou Hikaru?"

" Yes, Father, Shindou Hikaru," the son confirmed confidently.

" Shindou…is a girl?" Mr. Touya said hesitantly in disbelief. I thought she was a boy.

I know it! Even father thought she was a boy!

Giggling, Akiko asked with a laugh, " I can't believe it, you two confuse a girl as a boy?"

Just like his son, Kouyo didn't like the idea of being wrong, " She had short hair," he tried to defend himself.

" Me too ," his young wife uttered back.

" She wore jeans," Akira supported his father.

" My, my, just like they say," Mrs. Touya chuckled cheerfully in amusement, " The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it? "

It means that it's my fault? The black-haired boy mentally hissed.

" So, have you apologized to her yet?" Akiko asked. It's because of a girl! My son and a girl? He's never been interested in any girls before, is she his girlfriend? No, she can't be since he didn't even know she is a girl. Anyway, this is a good sign! " You did apologize to her, didn't you?"

" I tried," the Future Meijin replied with an intense tone, " But, she didn't even want to see my face, she refused to listen to me and…just walked away," he narrated angrily. How did she dare shout at me like that? Who did she think she was?

" Then find her and tell her you are sorry," Akiko told him. Thank God, I thought this day would never come! I'm teaching my son how to make up with a girl!

" But…"

" I agree with your mother, Akira," Kouyo sided with his gentle wife, " I know you didn't mean to but you are a boy, son,"

"……Yes, Father," Akira eventually reluctantly conceded. This is not fair.

A/N Personally, I like this chapter, the Touyas should communicate more, don't you think?

Yami no Kaze : Dense Akira is cute too, don't you think so:)

Samara-chan : Japanese is difficult to understand sometimes, huh.

Rebbi : Yeah, happy the year of the dog!

Kinlin : I always think that Hikaru is the only prove for Akira's humanity.

nina-b : Here, they meet again.

Kathy : Haha, don't worry, Study hard again, huh?

Giftfrombelow : I think I'm pretty violent myself " Is that so? Interesting ( grinning)

xiar : "i really read all your fics and reviewed EVERY CHAPPIE? you sure?" In fact, I'm not, but you often review me, that's enough for me.

Lady Adako : " how old is Ogata-Sensei anyway?" Nobody knows since the manga and in the anime has never told us. "Do Go Pro's have their own fan club?" Hmm, I guess only Akira has. I don't think there'll be a fan club for Morishita or Kuwabara...many admire them, of course, but I don't think they'll form a club for them.

Meoima : Thank you, I update everyday, don't worry.

zeynel : Wait til next chapter :)

dragon shadows : You're welcome.