Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go.

Important Advice : While you're reading this chapter, why don't youlisten "Glasgow Love theme", a piano song from Loveactually?

Chapter 22 : Promise

Asahikawa Palace Hotel, Tokyo

The 48th challenge for Ouza title would begin in 10 minutes. Zama-Ouza, the title-defender, was in the elevator going down to the 5th floor.

/ Ding/

The elevator stopped on the 8th floor, it looked like he had a company. The door opened, a man in a traditional Kimono was there, in front of him. How funny it was? There were at least 6 billions people in this world, but another passenger, his traveling companion, happened to be him, the man who was only here to take his Ouza title away. Yes, that man was Touya Kouyo.

" Good morning, Zama-Sensei," Kouyo greeted with the same polite manners like his son.

" Good morning," the Ouza said back aloofly.

The challenger stepped into the elevator, the door closed and the elevator went down again. Both players stood in silence as a brutal psychological battle went on in their thought.

December 2000, Japanese Go Association, the lobby

" Hmm?" A skinny man mumbled when he saw a familiar face in Weekly Go.

" Good morning, Kuwabara-Sensei," A middle-aged pro with glasses greeted him, " Is there anything interesting?"

" Well, there is a result of the Pro exam," Kuwabara, the Honinbo, replied.

" The Pro exam?"

" Ah, that girl passed it too," he uttered, " Oh, Her name is Shindou," he read it out loud, " Shindou Hikaru,"

" Shindou?" the other pro murmured. I heard this name before.

" I met her once," the most highly respectable Go player narrated, " Yes, there, about 6 months ago," he pointed at the elevator near by, " I was walking out of the lift then I saw a group of those insei kids," he thought back to the day he had met the girl. When she had passed by him, he had felt a strange feeling, his accurate instinct had told him that… " There is something special about this girl,"

" Special?" thepro in his mid-forties repeated curiously, " Very interesting," he took another Weekly Go and looked for the article about the Pro exam, anyone the Honinbo described as ' Special' was worth looking for, " Ah! It's her! The one they are talking about!"

" Eh?"

" Haven't you heard? Kuwabara-Sensei," he questioned in surprise since the rumor went widely, the old man should have heard about it, " She is the talk of the town, Touya-kun's girlfriend who can pass the Pro exam with perfect clean record!"

" Eh? You means the Meijin's son?" Kuwabara exclaimed, " Touya Junior's girlfriend?"

" Yes," the pro with glasses nodded. Of course, it was the Meijin's son! How could it be the Meijin himself?

" Hmm, is that so?" Maybe, she is the new wave that Ogata mentioned. The old thin man laughed with pleasure, " Things are getting better," And she's the Junior's girlfriend too.

At night, Shindous's house, Hikaru's room

" Hikaru, What's wrong?" With a worried look on his face, Sai who was sitting on the floor questioned nervously. The talkative girl hadn't said anything for a while now, all she did was staring out the window by her bed.

Hikaru opened the window, sat on its frame and kept on gazing into space.

" What is it? Hikaru," Getting more worried, the troubled ghost asked again, this time he spoke with deep anxiety in his voice. What was wrong with his precious sister?

Without turning around, the blonde finally opened her mouth, " Do you still remember what happened during this time last year?"

" Last year?"

" I joined the insei class," she told him the answer.

" Yes, that's right!" Tapping his fist on his hand, Sai uttered excitedly, " We started our insei class last December!"

" Yeah," Still looking at the night sky, she confirmed, " What about the year before that? Do you still remember?"

" You mean what happened in December two years ago?"

" I found your Goban," she enlightened the forgetful ghost.

" !"

"……………."

"……………."

" Is that so? It's been 2 years already?" the long-hair teacher said softly, " It feels like yesterday," Sometimes it scared him when he thought about how fast times went by. 2 years….He observed the girl sitting before him, Hikaru's short hair had grown long to her back. He didn't want to sound like a pervert or anything but his little Hikaru was a very attractive slender girl indeed. You're growing up everyday. I want to be with you…forever…to watch you grow up…Still, I wonder how long this perfect moment will last….Will God lets me be with you till the end?

" I come this far because of you," Hikaru declared clearly, she did really mean it. This statement, it came from the heart.

" Well, that's not exactly correct," Flushing lightly, the departed big brother said, " You've been working hard and…,"

" We'll always be together, Ne?" Cutting off, the bleached bangs girl slowly turned around to face her mentor. Her searching green eyes met Sai's stunned blue eyes, " You'll be with me forever, right?"

" Hikaru?" Startled by the sudden question, Sai widened his eyes with astonishment. Apparently that his sole sister was thinking the same thing as him.

" Right?"

Hikaru…. " Of course, I will," he replied with a solemn tone, " We'll stay together forever,"

Satisfied with the answer, Hikaru smiled kindheartedly before turning back to look toward the winter night sky again.

Without realizing, Sai clutched his fan tightly in his hand. I'll be with you until your very last breath, Hikaru.

A/N: I know, I know, what a short chapter right? Well, I want it to be a short but meaningful chapter. Do you guys still remember the stroyline? It is an introduction of The Beginner's Dan Series.

Don't you think that the song goes well with the scene that Hikaru is talking with Sai? Do you guy have any song with matches for your favorite chapter?

Mira-hime : "Will be Hikaru play with Touya-sensei in next chapter?" Be patient, princess :)

Kireshai-chan837 : "never,ever, suggest that a person wears ballet shoes around the place" I think there's a BIG misunderstanding here, " ballet flats" is not a " ballet shoes". It is only a term to describe shoes with very low heel-height similar to ballet shoes, not the ballet shoes itself.

ady : "will it be Hikaru or Sai that plays with Touya Meijin?" You'll find out in next chapter :)

xiar: "this Shirakawa-Sensei and Hikaru relationship so SWEET" Yeah, it's 'coz this Hikaru studies with him since she was 12, he saw her growing. Sai is more like a brother ( or a sister) - -".

Kinlin: "Oh just imagine his face once he knew Hikaru-chan and Akira-san are friends" One day, he will :)

zeynel: "they must play together," At this moment, they don't play together, just shopping together. Maybe, it's 'coz they don't meet each other so often like they used to, so they choose to hang out like real friends, instead of playing Go when they rarely meet.

karin1004: Haha, that man can be shy :)

OokamiFuu : I hope this sweet chapter can help you have a good impression about me :)

Giftfrombelow: "poor Morishita. He's almost like Ochi-kun in a more likable way" Really?

Lilac-Blossom-Neko: Oh, thank you. From the storyline, I think, you know by now that this fic is more 25 chapters, yeah, so freakin' Long!