Disclaimer: I don't own Hikago

A/N: I want to apologize for starting this fic off with an epilogue. It's not really suitable, an epilogue should be at the end of a story. The only thing that I can say to my defense it that I really really felt that the original manga wasn't really finished when it ended. And I found it impossible to write a fic starting after the Hokuto-Cup without first dealingwith that. And I found it very important that Hikaru finally overcomes Sai's loss before I start with anything else.
I hope you'll like how it goes on!
I know my English isn't best, so I want to apologize too for any mistakes I make. If anyone wants to beta, it would be very, very welcome!

So then, enjoy!

Chapter 1

Part I

The nearer she walked to the Go Institute the slower her steps became. When she was about fifty paces from the entrance, the whole building was in view and she stopped. Her heart was beating rapidly, fluttering irregularly in her jest, the hot blood of nervousity turning the muscles in her knees to jelly. The next three months would show if she was worthy of fulfilling her dream of being a Go pro. She tried to push her numerous failures, she had fallen through the exams four times already, out of her mind and proceed, but like a black cloud they seemed to be hovering over her, pouring sticky black droplets of rain, like the black circles of defeat on the exam paper, down on her, gluing her to the ground.

She felt her spirits dampening, her heart getting heavier. Even though she knew she should good enough to pass, she lacked the self-confidence to be sure. What if she ended like Isumi, who had failed several times despite being first of the insei?

For a fleeting moment the thought of giving up, simply turning around and never coming back, of leaving all the stress behind, flitted through her mind. The thought dissolved as quickly as it had appeared but, nevertheless, she couldn't bring herself to make a step forward either.

She was only shaken out of her thoughts by her cell phone vibrating in her pocket, telling her that she had received a message.

To her surprise it was her old insei friend Waya, and he encouraged her for the pro exam!

'I'm sure you'll pass!' he wrote, 'Just play your best.'

A small ray of sunshine, she thought, but all the black clouds vanished before it.

'I will!' she answered.

With a smile she took a deep breath of the warm September air, and confidently strode along several peers, who had emerged as a group from the metro, to the double doors of the Go Institute.

Irresolutely Akira stood in front of his mirror, holding several chemises against his chest, trying to pick one to wear today. His choice was limited, because most of his clothes waited to be washed. In front of his parents he had bragged that he was doing very well by himself, but now, since they were abroad for ever longer time spans, the task of cleaning, washing and especially ironing became more tedious every passing day.

And he was already running out of time. It was a Wednesday morning and he had an Oteai game starting in one hour. Stroppily he dropped the three chemises he held onto the small stool that stood in his room, and stared at his bare chest in dismay. At the moment he'd prefer to wear a simple shirt like Shindou always did, but unfortunately that wasn't his style and besides, when he had looked out this morning, a fresh wind had blown vast amounts of coloured leaves by his nose. He would need at least a jacket today.

He changed his gaze from his chest to his chemises. Maybe there wasn't a problem with them. Maybe he simply was reluctant to go out of his house. If his mother were here, she would simply pick one for him. Sometimes he missed her deeply. And simply by her presence she had the ability to soothe all his worries away. Not that he had a problem with his opponent for today. He knew he could easily beat Waya Yoshitaka. But he had slept heavily that night, and his dreams hadn't been pleasant. And one of them had been about the reddish-brown haired youth with the strong eyebrows. An involuntary shiver ran over the naked skin of his chest as he remembered. It had been a similar situation like at his pro exam when Waya had shouted at him and affronted him without any reason. He had been surprised then, shocked at Waya's behaviour, and even though he didn't like the sound of the truth it had hurt him deeply. He had long forgotten about that incident, but right now his feelings were as clear as if it had happened yesterday.

He shook himself free of his thoughts and simply picked the chemise that lay on top. He wasn't going to be intimidated by a dream or some unpleasant memory! A glance at the watch told him that he was almost late. Ridiculous, he thought, I'm never late (especially not because of a dream).

When he rushed out of the door of the garden, he almost stumbled over a brownish lump that lay there. Only at a second glance he recognised it as a small animal. A cat, actually a little kitten was crouching on the grey pavement in front of his garden door, shivering in the cool wind that made its hair stand up in all directions - like Waya's, he thought with a wry smile. As he still stared at it, wondering how it could have gotten there, the kitten opened its mouth and meowed, a small, piteous sound. The kitten appeared so lonely that his heart clenched painfully. Out of yellow round orbs it stared at him, pleading for his help. And he knew he couldn't leave it out here, all freezing and afraid and alone.

He glanced back at his house. He didn't know what his parents thought about pets; actually, he had never considered having one. But then he shrugged and picked the little kitty up from the ground. He was surprised it was so light, its long coat made it look much bigger than it really was. His parents weren't here and wouldn't return for one month. And the house was huge and empty and he would like some company. Whatever problem the little cat might pose, it was very hungry he supposed because as soon as he held it, it started to suck at his fingers, he would deal with when it arose. In the meantime there was still some fish left in his fridge which the little cat would hopefully like.

Impatiently Akira sat in front of the Goban, waiting for Waya to finally announce his defeat. He didn't know what the other could still be thinking about, it had been clear for ten hands that he didn't have the slightest chance to even postpone his defeat. From the corner of his eye he saw Shindou leaving the game room. He tore his gaze back to Waya who hadn't spoken a single word to him before the game. But from his body language alone Akira knew that Waya's strong dislike of him still persisted. Now, analysing the emotions graved into Waya's face, Akira realised that Waya probably took so long to give up not because he didn't know his defeat but because it hurt his pride too much. Inwardly, Akira smirked. He knew it was very unprofessional to gloat over a victory, and he rarely permitted himself this emotion, but for Waya he was willing to make an exception.

He became so absorbed in his own thoughts that he almost didn't catch Waya's mumbled: "I have nothing."

Before he had even finished to give the ritual answer: "Thank you for the game," Waya had stood up and quickly exited the room.

Akira shook his head and followed. From Waya he wasn't surprised to not get any courtesy. He felt anger arising but tried to push it away. Waya wasn't worth any of his attention.

But in the entrance hall he saw him again, talking to Shindou. He couldn't catch the words but from the look on Waya's face he supposed it was nothing good about him. For a moment he thought about having a word with Shindou, but then decided against it. He wasn't too sure of how Shindou would react to him in Waya's presence and frankly, he didn't want to know. Besides, they already had decided when they would play next in his Go-salon. So he didn't really need to talk to him.

Still a pity, he thought with a sigh, I'd have liked to simply exchange a few words.

He went on his way out of the Institute, but as Shindou noticed him and flashed him a quick smile and a wave, before he continued talking to Waya, Akira returned the greeting by giving Shindou a nod of his head, feeling a little brighter than before.

Waya, who pretended to ignore Touya, still noticed the quick greetings the two young men had exchanged. Touya's cool nod in contrast to Shindou's warm smile. His anger at Touya still seethed deeply in his blood. He followed the black haired pro with the disgusting hair style with his gaze until he left the building.

Gritting his teeth, he asked Shindou: "Don't you mind him treating you like that?"

"Treating me like what?" Shindou asked naively.

"Like that," Waya spat, jerking his head in the direction where Touya had left. "Him being all cold and aloof."

Shindou shrugged. Waya didn't get it, as Shindou shook his head, saying: "No, why should I? I think that's just the way he is."

Waya snorted. Shindou sometimes liked to idealise Touya a bit too much for his liking.

"I'm not sure if you two are really rivals," he said, more to vent off his anger than to offend Shindou, actually, but who had pissed him off nevertheless, "He pays no more attention to you than at that time when you were an insei!"

Shindou jerked and his eyebrows drew together angrily: "Of course we're rivals! We play at least once every week if we have time!"

Waya wasn't impressed. "And have you ever beaten him?"

"No… but that doesn't matter!" he insisted, but a little doubt had sneaked even in his voice.

About two weeks later Nase met with Isumi and Waya at Waya's apartment to discuss her games halfway through the pro exam. She had done very well, and both prided her for her success. Because even if she had lost three of the games she still had a chance to succeed if she didn't lose any more.

"From now on it will be even harder," Waya said, "but we know that you can do it! We'll be here to support you!"

"Yes, of course you can do it!" Isumi agreed, "When even I managed to finally pass!"

"Thank you…" she said, lowering her eyes. She didn't want to appear unthankful, but the words she had to try hard not to utter were: but you two have easy talking, because you're already pro.

To turn her thoughts back to her supporters, she asked: "And how have you two been faring in the last time? I haven't had the time to follow the 'Go Weekly' regularly, but I remember having read that you have reached two-Dan recently, Isumi-san. Congratulations!"

Isumi accepted her praise with a reluctant, almost embarrassed expression. Nase inwardly smiled, because Isumi, despite having twenty years had never lost his awkward self-consciousness around girls.

"And you Waya? It seems you have lost a game against Touya!" she said with a teasing smile. As she had predicted Waya erupted in a splash of loud denial and huffed justifications that because of Touya he hadn't been able to play his best until Isumi stopped him by explaining to her that Waya had again been impressed by Touya's reputation.

"No, no!" Waya protested vehemently. "It's not what you think! But he was being late! Late, you understand!" He hit his fist hard on the floor and his face screwed up in intense anger, "He was disrespecting me, I tell you, and I got deconcentrated, and… that bastard… that…" he lost himself in a selected collection of names that made Isumi blush even more than Nase.

Several minutes later Waya took a deep breath and drank a glass of the lemonade Nase had brought.

"But there are happier news, aren't there, Waya?" Isumi said when Waya had calmed down.

"Heh?" he asked, looking stupidly at Isumi.

"Waya is going to Europe next week!"

"Oh, really?" Nase exclaimed at the same time as Waya said: "Ah, you mean the Euro-Go seminary!"

"That's great!" Nase said. "I heard of that. It's a Go-seminary organised by the Ki-in for European Go players for ten days. The hotel is at one of that European hot springs and a very fancy one too." She smiled as she remembered the pictures in the 'Weekly Go' that had immediately caught here eye. She loved hot springs.

"Yeah," Waya grinned, "That's it. And I'm very lucky to be there, too, because the places are all reserved for older players," Waya gesticulated, his cup still in his hand, but fortunately without content, "but Morishita-sensei gave me his, because he said it would be good for my Go if I had some other influences!"

"I'm so envious of you," Isumi sighed.

"Me too, me too," Nase agreed heartily, again thinking of the fancy hotel and the fine, good-looking masseurs they would have there.

Waya leaned back a little, resting his weight on his hands behind his back.

"I wish too that you could come! I looked at the list of participants and it's full of old geezers!" he groaned, "There is only one place left open, and this one's cursed…"

"Cursed?" Nase frowned. "How's that?"

"Listen," Waya said, launching into the story, "At first it was a distant friend of Saeki's who got the place on the trip. I can't even remember his name, though Saeki told me. Well, this guy, he noticed that he, being not from the Nihon Ki-in but the Kansai Ki-in, didn't get the full financial support from the institute and he gave the place to hid friend Sasano-san."

"From the Nine-Stars-Club?" Isumi asked.

Waya nodded. "Yes, but he didn't hold the place for long, because his girlfriend won in some kind of lottery a two week cruise, which crosses dates with the European seminary."

"No…" Nase exclaimed, her eyes were dreamy, "How much I'd give to win something like that too…" And to have a person to go with, too…

"So…" Waya continued, "The place passed on to Tsukimura-san, who was hindered by something else, I can't even remember, but then Saeki-san got it."

"And what happened to Saeki-san?" Isumi asked, curious of what was still to come.

Waya frowned in dismay. "Saeki-san got problems yesterday with his wisdom teeth and the dentist prescribed some really bad treatment, with hospital and operations and all…"

"No, but that's awful!" Nase said compassionately.

Isumi, who hated dentists with all his soul, could only mutely agree.

Waya sighed. "Yes, poor Saeki. He knew he probably wouldn't be fully recovered in time, so he preferred someone else to go in his stead." Waya shook his head, "And so I asked Shindou.

"Shindou agreed… only to tell me two days later that his mother had forgotten to tell him about his cousin's wedding that would take place that week – though I suppose he forgot it himself, and was only too ashamed to admit it – and so he couldn't come. And now… the place is free again."

"Wow…" Nase and Isumi said at the same time.

"That's incredible!" Nase said.

Isumi grinned. "Either the place is really cursed or you have a very lively imagination!"

"It's true!" Waya insisted.

"And who's got that place now?" Nase asked.

"I don't know…" Waya answered.

The day of his study group, the last study group before his travel to Europe, he stood in the entrance hall of the Ki-In looking at the notice board, checking once again all the dates of the Euro-Go. He knew it by heart, but he was early. Absentmindedly he wondered who would get the last, the 'cursed' place, when suddenly he heard a soft, smooth voice, whose owner was a person he deeply detested, sounding through the open door of one of the secretary rooms. Touya Akira.

"… am very thankful for your consideration and the rescheduling of that many of my games and I sincerely want to apologize for causing so much trouble due to my spontaneous decision."

"That's no problem, Touya-kun," the deep voice of the pro responsible for the game schedule answered complaisantly, "Your father sometimes did have to reschedule some of his games too. We'll arrange that immediately, absolutely no problem!"

Waya had to suppress the urge to throw up when he noticed how eagerly the pros were boot-licking Touya, just because of his father, the ex-Meijin.

"Thank you very much," Touya said politely before he left the office. He strode out of the building with a very mature air about him, not noticing the glances full of hatred that bore into his back.

Suddenly, when Touya was long away, the repercussions of what the reason for his rescheduling could be hit Waya. Dread filled him with every heartbeat.

Please, God of Go, he prayed, one of the rare times in his life. Please let it not be Touya who has the last place on the trip!

If he were… the place would be really, entirely, cursed.

Waya knew that the last pro who joined them would share his room.

The airport was buzzing with noise and activity. Large groups of people, some girls hysterically chatting to each other, parents tearing their crying children behind them along with their luggage, lovers parting in tears, everything around him seemed to share the atmosphere of depart that Waya felt. The slight tingling in his feet, the eagerness he felt in his own steps, his slightly accelerated heartbeat… he was ready for a journey.

He was surrounded by the group of suit-clad elderly pros he would be going to Europe with. Each of them had his little suitcase with rolls and a long handle. Only one of them wasn't here yet.

Waya's heart dropped when he saw a person with an unmistakeable haircut crossing the hall towards them. His nightmares had become true.

"Excuse-me for being late," Touya 3-Dan apologized to the organisator, Mizokushi-sensei, even if he had been perfectly on time. "I'm replacing Shindou who was prevented."

Waya could have strangled Touya instantly. Only his good education held him back. Touya's passing glance at him when he had greeted the group of pros, as quickly as he had beat him last week. He had made sure that Waya was the last to greet. Waya hated him.

But when he felt his cell phone vibrating in his pocket, he pushed Touya, the airport and Europe out of his mind, hoping that the message was from Nase, with the news of the win in her crucial game against Adachi.

Nase sighed and lugubriously stared at the shining Goban in front of her. The horrible game she had played today was already cleared of it, but still she saw ghostly black and white stones clicking down.

She recognised the succession of moves that had decided the outcome of the game. Very deep in her mind, she knew she should have been able to counter Adachi's final attack easily. But even now, when the game was over, her thoughts weren't able to penetrate the thick fog that clouded her mind.

Finally she managed to stand up, staggering against the weakness of her legs, as the games she had lost tried to keep her on the floor.

She was the last person leaving. She had waited until everyone else had gone; she hadn't even wanted to talk to Fukui.

Putting on her jacket, she took out her cell phone and switched it on, finding a messagefromWaya.

'How was your game?' he asked.

'I lost against Adachi.' Nase wrote.

Damn, Waya thought, mindlessly following the other participants of the Go seminary to the gates, The pro exam is nearing its end and Nase has held up well so far. Komiya is ahead from the others, but Adachi has been only one win ahead of her.

The loss of today weighs heavily for Nase.

His bag rolling behind him and in the other hand holding his cell phone, he quickly typed a message to Nase.

Nase smiled melancholically as she got the return message from Waya.

'Don't give up!' He wrote, 'I'm rooting for you!'

Waya was trying to encourage her. She didn't know why, but since before the beginning of this year's pro exam, Waya had been trying to take care of her. He seemed convinced that she would make it. And she tried to think positively herself too, but it was hard. There wasn't much she could do anymore, after today. Even if she won every single of the last games, Adachi still had to lose before she could pass. Depressed, she shook her head.

Before she could sink deeper in her misery of having lost, she read Waya's message again. 'Don't give up!'

Yes, it's not over yet, she thought.

'I will fight!'

A/N: A little note at the end. I hope you like Nase (and Akira and Waya, of course). The name of Nase sounds quite funny in German, because it's exactly the word we have for 'nose'...