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Chapter Five: I Will Not Lose!
The McDonald's that Hikaru, Waya and Isumi often frequented was more crowded than expected. The fine Saturday afternoon encouraged many parents and grandparents to take their young ones out for a treat.
"Che! We should have gone for sushi!" Waya muttered crossly as he scanned the noisy dining area impatiently for available seats. Finally, several seats by the storefront windows opened up when an elderly couple and a young child stood up to leave.
Without waiting for his companions, Waya hurried over with his tray of food. He was determined to be the first to claim those seats. Hikaru followed automatically with a light spring in his steps.
Hikaru turned his head to say something to Isumi, but then realized with a start, that the dark hair pro was still standing by the cash registers looking down at the floor.
"Hey! Isumi-san!" Hikaru called to Isumi in a loud energetic voice. Half the store must have heard him.
"Oh!" Isumi glanced up with a sheepish smile as he hastened to catch up. The small smile was replaced by a troubled look as soon as Hikaru turned the other way. Nevertheless, more than a few female customers threw appreciative glances at the unsmiling Isumi as he walked by.
"Ne ne... did you see that hottie?" a young woman in her mid-twenties said in a low voice as her eyes covertly followed Isumi's movements. She was answered by a bout of girlish giggles from her friends.
As soon as Hikaru sat down, he pulled the Kawasaki promotional flyer from his backpack and carefully straightened it out next to his tray on the small table. He looked excitedly down at the flyer and hummed softly under his breath as his hands deftly unwrapped his burger. Waya looked contemplatively at Hikaru from across the table as he unwrapped his own burger.
As usual, everyone is interested in Shindou, Waya thought as his gaze fell on the flyer. Yeah. There's something compelling about him that attracts people to him, Waya thought as he took a big bite from his burger. Strange. I've often wondered why I don't feel more jealous of him, heavens, I think I should! Waya sighed as he shook his spiky red hair. On the other hand, Touya is a totally different story. My blood boils just by looking at him. So, what's the difference? I really don't get it. Man! I hate it whenever I start to think like this. This line of thinking gets me nowhere. I really shouldn't dwell on it, Waya told himself sternly.
"Oi, Shindou. Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?" Waya asked casually as he pointed at the flyer.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Hikaru asked, surprised.
"How do you expect to cream Touya if you can't even beat Isumi-san?" Waya asked with a smirk. He was enjoying the indignant expression on Hikaru's face.
"Che! That was only today! Anyway, I don't see us having sushi right now!" Hikaru retorted as he scowled at Waya.
Waya grinned.
"Ne, Isumi-san. It looks like we're gonna be counting on you to cream Touya at the Young Lions," Waya said as he leaned back on his seat.
There was no response.
"Isumi-san?" Waya asked as he turned to look at Isumi. The dark hair pro looked unnaturally subdued and his lunch remained untouched. Now that Waya thought about it, Isumi had barely said a word since they left the institute.
"Isumi-san?" Waya repeated, a little louder this time. Even Hikaru noticed the brooding expression on Isumi's face. As if waking from a dream, Isumi looked at Hikaru and Waya with a confused expression. A light blush stained Isumi's cheeks as he remembered where he was.
"I'm sorry. Were you saying something Waya?" Isumi asked in a slightly flustered voice.
"Not really. I was just wondering whether you were okay since you seemed to be so out of it just now," Waya answered.
"Oh. It's nothing," Isumi said with an embarrassed laugh. Waya and Hikaru did not look convinced.
"Something is bothering you. We're friends right? You can tell us," Waya urged. Hikaru nodded his assent.
Isumi sighed to himself as he looked up at the ceiling. He was so transparent. His friends, especially Waya, always managed to notice whenever something was bothering him. He probably won't hear the end of it until Waya dragged it out of him.
"I was thinking about the Kawasaki Championship," Isumi began hesitantly.
"What about it? I thought you would be really excited since you didn't get to compete for the Hokuto Cup," Waya said, confused by Isumi's downcast expression.
"I am excited," Isumi said carefully.
"You sure don't sound like it," Waya said, now more confused than ever.
"According to the rules, Japan, Korea and China will each get to send three players to the Kawasaki, correct?" Isumi asked quietly as he looked first at Waya and then at Hikaru.
Both Waya and Shindou nodded mutely.
"If Kosemura-san is correct, two of the slots have already been filled by invitation - one by Touya and the other by Shindou, which means ...," Isumi let his voice trail off.
"Which means that you, me and the rest of the pros twenty and under will be pitted against each other to fight for that one remaining spot," Waya finished for Isumi in an equally serious tone. "Yeah, I know."
Isumi nodded solemnly.
Hikaru shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Shindou, it's okay. Invitations are given out all the time," Waya assured Hikaru with a small smile, but his voice betrayed his disappointment.
Isumi nodded in agreement as he looked kindly at Hikaru.
Hikaru lowered his head. His blond bangs fell forward to hide his face from Waya and Isumi. He was so psyched at getting a second chance to play against Ko Yongha that he never gave a second thought about his friends. Based on what Kosemura said earlier, he did get the impression that his proposed invitation was based more on commercial value than on actual merit. Although he had done well since his return from that horrendous string of defaults, his overall record still paled in comparison to pros like Touya and Ochi.
As much as I want to play against Ko Yongha, this isn't the way to do it, Hikaru thought as he wrestled with the whirl of complicated emotions within him. This isn't fair to Waya or Isumi-san. I want the whole world to know that I'm at the Kawasaki because I've earned the right to be there and not because I'm some poster boy to be brandished about. If Sai was here, he would have felt the same way.
"Shindou? Are you alright?" Waya asked as he tried to peer at Hikaru's expression.
This is absolutely ironic, Hikaru thought wryly. Now that I'm finally getting my wish to play a rematch against Ko Yongha, I'm practically throwing it away. This unfathomable sense of pride must be what Ochi felt when he insisted on playing against Yashiro at the Hokuto qualifying round.
Hikaru had decided.
"I'll turn down the invitation if Kawasaki ever decides to offer it to me," Hikaru said with deceptive calmness as he looked at Waya squarely in the face.
"Say what?!" Waya exclaimed loudly as he unconsciously stood and slammed his hands on his tray, his honey-brown eyes wide with disbelief. "Are you crazy?!"
"I will not lose!" Hikaru spat forcefully as he stared Waya down.
--0--0--0--
"Akira-kun!" Ichikawa greeted Touya Akira cheerfully from behind her counter as Akira stepped into his father's go salon. Ichikawa's amber-colored eyes greedily took in the sight of Akira in a custom-tailored navy business suit, which impeccably showed off his slim, but undisputedly masculine figure. The ensemble was set off to perfection by a crisp white shirt and a patterned yellow tie.
The ends of Akira's forest-green hair swished softly against his jaw line as he turned to give Ichikawa a quick smile. Ichikawa felt herself blush like an infatuated schoolgirl under his smile as she quickly raised her hands to cover her cheeks. Akira was so used to Ichikawa's little quirks by now that he did not think twice about her behavior.
Ichikawa allowed her gaze to sweep quickly over Akira's smooth face which had grown more angular and infinitely more captivating as he matured. She noted with some concern at the hints of tiredness around his eyes which he sought to mask with his smile. "You really should take it easy on the weekends after your tutorial go sessions," Ichikawa said with mild disapproval as she crossed her arms across her chest. She made it her business to know Akira's schedule by heart.
Akira nodded obligingly and said, "I guess you're right Ichikawa-san."
Today had been a long and unpleasant day so far. Akira was stuck playing tutorial go with several high-powered executives at a major corporation. As soon as he walked into the plush office, Akira recognized the type immediately. Those executives were arrogant. They were the kind of men who had a penchant for go only because they were led to believe, by the legion of brownnosers that flittered around them, that they possessed some semblance of genius for the game.
Akira knew from the start that he was not there to play go, but was merely there to stoke egos. Nevertheless, he pasted a smile on his face and bore with it. Ogata taught him long ago that such appointments were necessary because they always paid well and because they were a good way to build connections. Besides, Akira did not want to be a burden on his parents forever. The sooner he became financially independent, the sooner he could distance himself from his father's formidable shadow.
As much as it grated on Akira's nerves, he was obligated for the most part to lose to the executives. Not only did he have to lose, he had to make it look convincing, which drained him far more rapidly than a professional match would have. He had also learned from experience that it was not acceptable to purposely force draws just to avoid losses. Although, if anyone cared to keep count, one would discover that Touya pro tended to draw more games than most professionals in similar situations.
Ichikawa watched as Akira tugged absently at his cuffs. It was a tell-tale sign of Akira's restlessness.
"Akira-kun, why don't you go and take a seat? I'll bring you your tea in a minute," Ichikawa said with a sweet smile that she reserved exclusively for Akira.
Akira smiled at her gratefully and accepted with a polite "thank you."
As Akira walked into the main gaming area, he politely exchanged greetings with some of the regulars as he passed by their table. Without hesitation, Akira chose a table flushed against the wooden paneling of the wall that was situated near the middle of the room. Akira and Hikaru's "usual table" was the result of an unspoken compromise between them. It was semi-private because of the wall on one side, but it was still sufficiently out in the open so that it satisfied Hikaru's need for space. As Hikaru had so eloquently put it, "space" referred to standing room for the salon's customers so that they could comfortably witness the defeats of their young sensei at his hands. Of course, an interesting shouting match broke out after that comment.
So far, Akira rarely lost to Hikaru in a serious private game. However, losses to Hikaru were unavoidable whenever Akira played for the sake of trying out a new move or strategy. After all was said and done, it really did not matter who won or lost as long as they both got a good game and a good "post-game discussion" out of it.
In a swift and graceful motion, Akira shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it neatly across the back of the chair next to him. He reached up to loosen his constricting tie as he pulled a chair to sit down in front of the go board.
Automatically, his hands reached to remove the bowls of black and white stones from the board and set them to his right. Despite his fatigue, Akira had been looking forward to today's private match with Hikaru. As he reached into the bowl for a black stone, he recalled with a chuckle how he had swiftly crushed his opponent on Wednesday so that he can keep an eye on Hikaru and corner him for a game today. Akira did not bother to hide when he was following Hikaru at the go institute, but Hikaru was so oblivious to his surroundings that Akira managed to surprise him once again.
I wonder is Shindou planning to show up today? Or, am I simply wasting my time sitting here? Akira thought as he stared at the go board with a frown while his right hand idly fingered the black stones in the bowl.
Akira leaned his left elbow on the table and rested his chin lightly on his left hand while his right hand remained in the bowl of black stones. To the casual observer, Akira looked like he was deep in thought for the opening move. In actuality, Akira was thinking of the events from a week ago. Specifically, what Akira said to a dejected Hikaru right after his loss to Ko Yongha at the Hokuto Cup.
This is not the end.
There is no end.
Instead of answering, Hikaru gave Akira a penetrating look. That look assured Akira that Hikaru was not going to quit go over one loss to Ko Yongha. Well, that was last Saturday.
A day later on Sunday, after Hikaru won his private match against Hon Suyon, Hikaru told Akira flat out that they were not going to meet for their private match this week. Before Akira could utter another word, Hikaru had scurried off. Akira was furious and somewhat anxious. Warning bells went off.
Akira did not like what he saw on Wednesday. Hikaru looked like he had not slept for several days and it was also clear that the blond-hair pro was trying hard to avoid him. By the time Akira caught up with Hikaru at the deserted corridor, it was clear that Hikaru was distracted and that he did not hear a word that Akira said. As a last resort, Akira forced Hikaru to accept a piece of note paper with the time and place of their private match, hoping that Hikaru would come to his senses.
Shindou, always shrouded with a veil of mystery, even your moods are a mystery this week, Akira thought with a scowl.
Akira jumped slightly and was startled out of his reverie by a dull clunk of a teacup being placed on the hard surface of the table.
"Oh! Akira-kun, I'm sorry to have startled you," Ichikawa said apologetically as she hugged her tray to her chest.
Akira smiled and shook his head, the ends of his forest green hair swished lightly against his chin.
"I didn't expect to see you today," Ichikawa said with a bright smile, not that she's not pleased to see him. "Oh that's right! Congratulations! I heard from Kitajima-san that you won both matches against China and Korea in the Hokuto Cup," Ichikawa beamed excitedly.
"Thanks. Ichikawa-san," Akira replied with a small embarrassed smile.
Awww... how sweet, Ichikawa sighed contentedly. That smile really made her day.
Akira did not notice the effect of his smile on Ichikawa. As an afterthought, he added, "Shindou is supposed to show up at three."
Ichikawa nodded in understanding. Why else would Akira-kun be here?
"Speaking of Shindou-kun, I've also heard that he lost both matches at the Hokuto Cup. That was a shame," Ichikawa said, a little bit too loudly.
Kitajima snickered upon overhearing Ichikawa's last statement, prompting him to boom in a loud voice, "Yeah. That brat is nowhere near our young sensei's level!"
Ichikawa shot Kitajima an icy look. She knew that Akira disliked it when customers unjustly disparaged Hikaru.
Kitajima's opponent, Hirose, gave him a mild look and told Kitajima that it was his turn. Kitajima fell silent and frowned in concentration as he studied the change on the board caused by Hirose's last move.
Akira looked up at Ichikawa and said quietly, "Even though Shindou lost to both China and Korea at the Hokuto Cup, he played a private match against Korea's third board and won."
"Oh, really?" Ichikawa said, surprised by the information.
"Yes. Shindou's reputation as a strong player did not suffer as a result of the Hokuto losses. On the contrary, both Korea and China have taken notice of him and will most certainly remember his name in the future," Akira continued in a quiet voice.
"Wow! I guess Shindou-kun is pretty good isn't he?" Ichikawa replied just as quietly, but with a tinge of doubt. She did not want Kitajima to overhear her conversation with Akira lest it set off another bout of Shindou bashing. Personally, Ichikawa believed that Kitajima had a fairly high opinion of Hikaru, but he was too proud and enjoyed bashing Hikaru too much to admit it.
Ichikawa flashed Akira one of her best smiles and said, "Both of you are planning to compete in next week's Young Lions Tournament right?"
Akira nodded.
"It'll be a shame if Shindou-kun breaks your streak of winning the tournament three years in a row," Ichikawa spoke a little louder than she intended.
"Ic-chan! Stop talking nonsense back there!" Kitajima yelled with a scowl on his face.
"I will not lose!" Akira spat forcefully as he glared at the startled Ichikawa with his bright turquoise eyes.
A/N: Did you like this chapter? For some reason, I had a hard time writing the McDonald's scene. I rewrote it three times with three different outcomes! I ultimately chose the one that I believed had the least OOC-ness and the least ripples down the storyline (we want to read about those games don't we?) D. In case you're wondering, one of the discarded possibilities was Waya getting insanely jealous over the invitation. He and Hikaru exchanged bitter words and ended with Hikaru storming out of the restaurant. :-p I've never seen Waya outright jealous in the series, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. Another time, ne?
Ichikawa no ecchi! XD Poor woman, all she does is check out Akira at the salon. Ha ha ha... If anyone has ever read the manga, you'll see that Ichikawa really does have the hots for Akira. (Who doesn't?) proudly waves her akira flags
One more thing, some of the conversation between Ichikawa and Akira came straight out of the side story from volume 23 of the manga. I merely embellished it, that's all.
Lachesis's shrine to reviewers:
Lucathia - I love reading your reviews (but you knew that already!). I think the storyline was influenced somewhat by your reviews.
Lyeza - Thanks for your continuing support! I'm still debating on who gets to go to the Kawasaki and who gets to win the Young Lions...
mikaii - You're so sweet! I see you're a Hikaru fan. :-) Don't worry, both Hikaru and Akira will get a chance to shine (and suffer...).
Kenji14 - Thank you for all of your reviews! I will try my best to keep this up!
Plutodo - Thanks! I'm glad that you think so. It's getting harder and harder to get that manga feel since I know so little about go. sigh
e - You'll get the Akira/Hikaru argument scene in the next chapter. D
Night-Owl123 - I'll try to update when I can!
As for people who reviewed chapters 1 & 2. HUGS!