Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go.

Chapter 23 : The Meijin's request and the mother's suspicion

January 2001, the Touyas' manor

" Thank you for letting us have this interview at this time of the year," Amano thanked both Touyas, he closed his notepad as he had no question to ask anymore. His boss wanted to put the article about the Touyas in the New Year issue really badly, that was the only reason why Amano and Fujioka were here at the Meijin's house instead of being with their families during the New Year weekend. They were here for questioning the Touyas, now the interview was over.

" Both of you are going to be even busier, especially Touya-Sensei, don't you think so? Touya-kun, It's too bad that your winning streak was stopped at 26 games but we're looking forward to even greater heroics this year," Amano chatted while Fujioka took the last picture, the picture of father and son in traditional Japanese Kimono with a beautiful written scroll hanging on the wall as a background was surely magnificent.

" I'll do my best," Akira told the reporter.

" Well, I should leave now, Thank you again," Getting up, the journalist said.

" Amano-san," Kouyo called him.

" Yes,"

" About the match between the rookie and the higher Dan…" he mentioned.

" Oh! The Beginner Dan Series!" Amano exclaimed with excitement, " You'd like to play? For the past 2 years, you're very busy so we don't want to bother you but you will participate in it for us?"

" But I wish to choose my opponent," the 5-titles holder set the rule.

! Father…

" It'll be 2 years since I've seen that person," he spoke in an intense tone, " Finally, she's appeared,"

Shindous's house, Hikaru's room

" Sai, What is it?" This time it was Hikaru who posed this question with acute worry. Lately her nosy whinny ghost didn't seemto be himself, he didn't talk much like usual. Plus, whenever he thought that she wasn't looking at him, he would take a long directionless stare into distance, however, the girl noticed it. This is weird, he's never been this quiet. " Sai?"

" Eh?" Waking up by the call, Sai uttered.

" Sai, what is it? Something's bothering you, isn't it?" The blonde pressed.

" No, no, there's nothing," the blue-eyed man lied, unfortunately he wasn't much a good liar. According to Ogata's theory, it was because he was a guy, therefor, he wasn't an innate liar.

" Sure, right," Leaning forward, Hikaru drew her face close to Sai's, " S-pill-it-out," she demanded threateningly, their faces were only 2 inches away.

" Well…I…," Stammering, Sai jumped a bit, " Hikaru, you… you are scaring me," he spoke weakly.

The future 1-Dan slowly leaned backward, she fixed him with a long inquiring gaze, " Don't worry," she thought she finally got it.

" Eh?"

" I'll do everything in my power to get you a game with Touya-Sensei," she promised.

Her declaration was refreshing like a pouring rain in spring. Sai didn't know if he should count himself lucky or not. Hikaru's kind words definitely brought him sheer happiness, yet, she got it all wrong, that wasn't what worried him. Still, he said, " Thank you,"

" You're welcome," the 15-year-old girl simply shrugged her shoulders.

Sai knew what it meant, it meant ' That's alright, it's not a big deal,'.

" Ru….Hikaru…." Mrs. Shindou was calling her daughter from downstairs.

Hikaru walked to the door, opened it, sneaked her head out and shouted back, " Yes? Mom,"

" A call from Go Association…n," the mother song.

" Coming…g, Let's go, Sai,"

Hikaru skipped joyfully down the stairs with Sai lifelessly padding quietly behind her, " Thanks, mom," She jumped down from the stairs and reached out her hand to receive the telephone. As she took it from her mother, she spun herself around as if she was dancing before greeting merrily, " Hello, it's Shindou Hikaru,"

Seeing the balletic movement, Mitsuko smiled with amusement. She went into the living room before turning around to sneak a peek at her daughter who was on the phone right now. Until today, she didn't understand the reason behind Hikaru's unexpected changes. For example, why Hikaru, who had swore to wear her hair short for the rest of her life just because it was easier to take care, swiftly changed her mind and grew her hair long? Why suddenly the loud hotheaded Hikaru stopped saying swears words and became a polite sweet girl? It was like she had another secret mother behind her back. Is it because of the hormone? Still, Mitsuko accepted that she liked the changes, it was the very first time in her life, she acknowledged that she actually had a daughter, not a son.

Yet, there was still one thing about Hikaru that she thought she would never ever understand, it was the most surprising change of all her changed attitude which shocked Mrs. Shindou the most.

Mitsuko knew that her little girl wasn't a kind of a girl who was meant to be a house wife like herself. Since she was good at sport, she could be an athlete. She was also very good in History and Japanese, she could be a historian…a teacher, maybe.

But a Go professional player? What the hell was that? Could people actually play Go for a living? Just sitting and placing stones randomly on the board, that was her job? For crying out loud , why didn't she choose a normal career? Why Hikaru even played the game in the beginning? Go was an old man's game, wasn't it? Then Why? Why? Why? God, why?

Of course, Mitsuko was well aware that her father-in-law had tried to teach his granddaughter the game but the girl had never shown any interest, she had even refused to look at the board. Then why? Why? Or there was really a secret mother who hid in the dark shadow, trying to steal her baby girl away, brainwash her and turn her into someone she didn't recognize?

It was a surprise attack to hear that Hikaru had passed the exam and soon would be announced as an official Go pro in spring. Then the 2nd shock wave came when Masao, her husband, finally consented to Hikaru's request. After a short but serious family discussion, Masao allowed their only daughter to be a Go pro under one condition, Hikaru had to continue her studies in high school. It was lucky for them that they could convince the girl to believe that only junior-highschool education couldn't guarantee her a great promising future. Apart from having an unusual job, Hikaru is still a normal teenage girl, right? Well, in that case, I can live with that then.

" Eh? Yes," Hikaru uttered, " The Beginner Dan Series? Yes…yes…So, who am I going to play with? What? Touya-Meijin?" she cried excitedly.

" That man?" Sai came to life when he heard that name.

Unlike the hidden mother and her daughter, Mitsuko didn't know anything about the Go world. The Beginner Dan Series? Touya-Meijin? Who is he? Realizing that she couldn't possibly understand why the hell her little girl got so thrilled, she went back to the kitchen.

" Yes, yes, thank you, yes, goodbye," Hikaru hang up and forcefully put the telephone down.

" Have you heard it? Sai," she mentally shouted enthusiastically, " We're going to play against the Meijin! Our chance finally comes!"

" Hikaru, would you…"

" Of course, you stupid," she interrupted. Sai didn't have to say it, she had already known what he wanted to ask, " I'll let you play with him,"

" Really?" the 1000 year-old man exclaimed with gladness, he sounded like a 10-year-old boy whose mother promised to buy him a new toy for Christmas, " Thank you, Hikaru, Thank you….Eh? What's wrong? Hikaru," he questioned when he saw his student's troubled expression. Does she change her mind?

" …It's not an equal game, Sai," the blond-haired girl marked.

" !"

" There's a handicap, remember?" she knew well that her big brother wanted to face the Meijin in a serious game….the real battle, however, it wasn't everyday for a rookie to have a chance to play with Touya-Meijin.

" !" An idea crossed Sai's mind, he had just come up with a clever plan to make the game become more…even.

" What's on your mind? Sai," Hikaru wondered.

A/N : I really enjoy writing about Mitsuko here :) Well, if I write about Akiko's thought but don't write about Mitsuko's, it will be unfair, right? So, here it is.

Rebbi : Okay, Next chapter, the Shodan match starts!

Aya-Mikage2002: I cry when Hikaru met Sai in his dream.

Kinlin: previous chapter is a short but touching chapter, right?

Kathy : Here, the answer :)

xiar : "ie Sai going to disappear" I'm sorry to say but...Yes, Sai is going to disappear. Just I used to told you, this fic is very similar to Anime.

Zeynel: " THIS Hikaru worries a lot about HER Sai!" Yap, being a girl makes Hikaru be much much more considerate.

thuyhy-thuyhy: You guys keep telling me that the previous chapter is sad, now I wanna cry too!

karin1004 : " will sai leave hikaru?" Yes, just wait and see how Hikaru-girl will react, okay?

GiftFromBelow: "I don't think Touya Meijin has actually acknowlegded Morishita-san in any way," I agree witth you.

Lilac-Blossom-Neko: Okay, I tell you a good news, tomorow I'll put 2 chapter in a row.

Yue Ryong - Shadowborne: "...Hikaru is so far above Isumi ..." Yes :) Don't worry about Isumi-san, he'll be okay :)