Disclaimer: Same as before.
Note: In the manga, So Chang-Won was a high-dan (probably a 9-dan) Korean pro who acted as Touya Kouyo's host and translator during Kouyo's stay in Korea.
Chapter Seven: Unforgettable Opponent
Seoul, Korea
So Chang-Won raised a hand to muffle a yawn as he padded softly down the corridor of his spacious home in his house slippers. With the prize money from his baduk matches, the fees from his lectures and the royalties from his publications, Chang-won purchased a modest house in a semi-rural area away from hustle and bustle of the noisy city. As he walked pass the archway leading into the living room, he saw the profile of Touya Kouyo, sitting in seiza on a floor cushion with his arms folded across his chest, looking meditatively down at the baduk board. The sliding glass doors to the backyard were opened to allow the fresh morning air to circulate freely within the room.
Why is Touya-san staring at an empty board? Chang-Won wondered. No, wait a minute. There's a slate stone in the upper right corner komoku. Hm... it looks like Touya-san is devising a new opening. If that's the case, it would be rude for me to intrude, Chang-Won thought as he turned to walk noiselessly away.
From his peripheral vision, Kouyo noticed a movement at the door. He looked up just in time to see Chang-Won turning to leave.
"Good morning, So-san," Kouyo called out.
Chang-Won turned in mild surprise and returned the greeting. "Ah! Touya-san, I didn't mean to interrupt your studies and, oh, please excuse my appearance," Chang-Won said as he looked sheepishly down at his pajamas. Kouyo was already fully dressed in a light brown shirt and charcoal gray slacks. "It's not even seven yet, so I didn't expect anyone to be up."
"It is I who should apologize since I have once again imposed on your kind hospitality," Kouyo answered politely. "I hope I am not being a bother," Kouyo said as his fingertips lightly patted the smooth surface of the traditional agathis baduk board in front of him.
"No, not at all."
"I must be getting to that age. I don't seem to require as much sleep as I used to," Kouyo said with a smile.
"That makes the two of us. I tend to be an early riser as well," Chang-Won answered with a small chuckle. "As a matter of fact, my wife's number one complaint is that I would often wake at an ungodly hour in the nights before a major match. As you can imagine, she doesn't get much sleep during the tournament seasons."
"No wonder Akiko gets along so well with your wife," Kouyo commented with an understanding smile.
"Yes, precisely," Chang-Won agreed and returned the smile.
Kouyo nodded as Chang-Won politely excused himself from the room.
Sleepless anticipation? Kouyo thought as he looked contemplatively at the seemingly vast expanses of the board. Yes, I know that feeling well, perhaps, all too well, Kouyo thought as he closed his eyes, the breeze from the opened doors felt cool against his skin. It carried a faint scent of trees and greenery which reminded him of home.
Everyday I ask myself - is this the day? Is this the day that I will find you? Kouyo thought as he looked pensively at the empty seat across the board from him.
Will that seat be ever filled?
Is it merely my selfishness that I want a rematch? Kouyo thought with a sad smile. Once I find you, we will play. Not just one match, but hundreds and perhaps thousands more if we live that long. This time, I will not let you go. Can you blame me? A hint of a smile touched Kouyo's lips. That game on the internet was truly extraordinary.
You exhibited a remarkable depth of wisdom in each and every one of your carefully orchestrated moves. There was no mercy - it was kill or be killed, Kouyo thought reflectively. His turquoise-colored eyes held a steely glint as he gazed at the solitary slate stone in the upper right corner komoku. Even though I cannot see your face, I can clearly sense your aura, reaching intangibly out with an overwhelming oppressiveness, trying to make me falter. Moreover, yours is a weathered spirit. A spirit forged and tempered in the heat of innumerable battles over a period of many years. You may be hiding behind Shindou, but you are definitely not him. Shindou has great potential, but his spirit, like Akira's, is far from mature. Kouyo sighed softly at the thought of Hikaru and his son's ongoing rivalry.
At our level, there is no room for error. Every stone has a purpose for being. Every stone is important because it serves as an integral link to the tapestry as a whole. Together, the stones form a universe. Together, you and I will one day create a universe where the hand of god exists, Kouyo thought with a small smile as he looked down at his callused fingers.
Kouyo stood and took a step toward the backyard garden, his left hand rested lightly on the frame of the glass door as he looked up at the clear blue skies. The iron-gray hair around Kouyo's eyes fluttered ever so slightly at the gentle touch of the breeze. The lines at the corner of his eyes and mouth appeared less pronounced in the bright morning light, making Kouyo look younger and less stern than usual.
At the Hokuto Cup, Yang Hai proposed an interesting hypothesis about you, Kouyo thought as he lifted a hand to move a strand of hair out of his eyes.
He has shown us his strength, but no one knows who he is.
It's as if he was a reincarnation of Shuusaku.
If he was truly the wandering spirit of Shuusaku then...
that would explain why he can't leave the Net, because he doesn't have an existence apart from the Net.
Regardless of who or what you are, your strength in go is ample proof of your existence, Kouyo thought firmly.
You're out there somewhere, waiting for me. I won't rest until I find you.
Sai.
--0--0--0--
"Sunday traffic is the worst!" Chang-Won grumbled as he honked the red Hyundai Sonata that had just so rudely cut in front of them.
"Tokyo is just as bad in the weekends," Kouyo answered with an amused smile, unable to keep a straight face. Several blocks back, Chang-Won rolled down the windows and yelled something unintelligible in Korean at the truck driver who almost scraped the side of Chang-Won's car. This certainly was not the unflappable So Chang-Won that Kouyo usually saw at the go matches.
Chang-Won sat up straighter on his seat as he continued to navigate through the horrendous traffic. One of his hands constantly hovered over the horn, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
"Touya-san, I can't believe that you're actually going to participate in an amateur tournament this week. It's going to be a slaughter," Chang-Won said as his eyes continuously scanned the traffic on the road. Kouyo gave Chang-won a sidelong glance. He did not want to distract Chang-Won from his driving, but it seemed rude not to respond.
"Not necessarily," Kouyo answered while lightly shaking his head. "Some of the best players in this world are not pros."
"You're referring to Sai?" Chang-Won asked after they stopped at a red light.
"That is a good example," Kouyo said smoothly. "I have heard rumors that there are some bright talents in this particular amateur competition. Besides, until the Korean Baduk Association officially grants me the status of a guest pro, I will need this in order to qualify for the Samsung Cup."
Chang-Won nodded without comment. He was too busy honking at a blue sedan that had the audacity to cut in front of him. Kouyo darted a quick look at his companion's frustrated expression and suppressed a smile. Next time, I will insist that we take public transportation, Kouyo thought as his turquoise eyes swept over the bumper to bumper traffic. Chang-Won took a moment to calm down as they stopped for another red light before speaking.
"The Samsung Cup will take place at the end of July right? That is so convenient since the games in the first half of the Chinese League ends at the end of June."
Kouyo nodded amicably.
"Speaking of the Chinese League, it appears that So-san's Chongqing Team is again the favorite to win this year."
"We have only played four or five games this year so far, so it's too early to tell," Chang-Won answered diplomatically. "Besides, ever since Touya-san joined the Beijing Team, there is a lot of speculation among various parties that Beijing will emerge the victor this year."
Kouyo smiled without comment.
"What do you suppose Sai is doing right now?" Chang-Won asked suddenly.
Kouyo glanced briefly at Chang-Won in surprise, without hesitation he responded, "He is preparing for his next encounter with me."
"You are very confident," Chang-Won commented, noting Kouyo's serious expression from the corner of his eyes.
"Yes, very."
--0--0--0--
Suyon unconsciously wiped his sweaty palms against the sides of his jeans as he stared transfixed at the match between Touya Kouyo and Yongha before him. The other Korean pros that surrounded the small table wore similar looks of fascination as they unblinkingly watched the beginning of the endgame.
Yongha is so awesome! After he fell into that trap earlier, he still managed to make it this far with Touya sensei. If it was me, I probably would have resigned a long time ago, Suyon thought as he waited tensely for the next move.
Yongha's hazel eyes methodically scanned the pattern of stones on the baduk board as he mentally worked out the variations in the remaining number of potential moves.
At the moment, my black groups control about forty-five points on the right side of the board, Yongha thought as he absently stroked his chin. However, Touya sensei has a vast territory of about forty-points to the left. After factoring in the corners that he took earlier on and the five and a half komi (1), there isn't a move I can make at this point that will give me a win.
"I resign," Yongha said politely in Japanese. He had started to take Japanese lessons recently and this was one phrase that he hoped not to use too often. Suyon silently exhaled behind Yongha. He was so tensed. It was almost as if he was the one sitting across from Touya sensei instead of Yongha.
"Thank you for the game," Kouyo answered with a slight smile and a nod of acknowledgment. "As expected, Ko-kun played a great game. I would have loved to see you play against Akira at the Hokuto Cup."
Chang-Won sat on one side of the table in between the two pros as he patiently translated the conversation between them.
"Yes, I had expected Touya-kun to be my opponent, but it appears that Team Japan's team leader had a change of plans at the last minute," Yongha replied.
"Kurata-kun is very savvy," Kouyo nodded amicably. "Your match against Shindou-kun turned out to be very fascinating. It kept both the pros and the crowd on the edge of their seats throughout most of the game."
"I had not expected that level of game play from him," Yongha said honestly.
"Neither did I, but then again, no one quite knows what to expect from him," Kouyo remarked with slight smile on his lips. "That is why Shindou-kun is so interesting."
Hm... this is a surprise, so even Touya sensei has noticed Shindou, Yongha thought as he attempted to gauge the look on Kouyo's features.
"Kawasaki Motors is sponsoring a teen battle tournament that will take place in a couple of months. It will be interesting to see whether it is Shindou Hikaru or Touya Akira who will ultimately represent Japan as the first board," Chang-Won said and repeated his comment in Korean for Yongha and the others.
"I think it will be Akira," Kouyo said calmly with a smile on his lips.
"Oh?" Chang-Won asked, surprised.
"Let's just say I understand my son very well. He can't stand to be second for long," Kouyo replied. Chang-won and Yongha exchanged a look as Kouyo calmly took a sip of warm barley tea.
Yongha pursed his lips in thought. It will be interesting to see how I measure up against Touya Akira in competition since I've heard so much about him. But, the person that I'm really looking forward to playing against is Shindou. Yongha looked at the baduk board thoughtfully. How good is Touya compared to his father? Will he impress me as much Shindou did? Yongha smiled. The future of Japanese baduk may not be so hopeless after all.
"I saw it in the newspaper the other day that Ko-san is playing in the Wangwi League this year with a record of two wins and one loss thus far. That is quite an accomplishment," Kouyo said. (2)
"Thank you, but that is nothing compared to Touya-kun's accomplishment of playing in the Honinbou League," Yongha answered modestly, flattered that Kouyo followed his progress.
"Both Honinbou and Wangwi are impressive titles," Kouyo said with a smile. "When is your next match?"
"Round four is the following Monday," Yongha answered politely. "But, as this game with Touya sensei just demonstrated, I still have a lot to learn."
"But not from Honinbou Shuusaku?" Kouyo asked with an amused glint in his eyes.
Yongha raised a hand to stifle a cough, using the opportunity to look away and to hide the light blush that crept into his cheeks.
"Touya-san, about that..." Chang-Won interrupted while casting a sharp glance at Yongha.
Kouyo chuckled, waving Chang-Won's explanation aside.
"I'm not upset," Kouyo assured Chang-Won with a smile, the wrinkles at the corners of his mouth creased as he smiled. "I was young once too. After spending so many years in the professional go world, most of us grow complacent with our accomplishments and stagnate, living only in the past."
Kouyo paused with a thoughtful expression on his face as he allowed Chang-Won to translate.
"However, if Shuusaku was alive today, he would certainly strive to update his techniques and reinvent himself. Very few people would stand a chance against that Shuusaku," Kouyo said softly, a strange indecipherable look in his eyes as he spoke of Shuusaku. An awkward silence fell over the room as the Korean pros in the room attempted to grapple with what Kouyo just said and with the abrupt change in Kouyo's demeanor.
No one spoke. For some odd reason, no one can come up with an adequate response to Kouyo's plain statement. It was not so much as to what he said, but rather, it was the way he said it that left the Korean pros standing in respectful silence.
Chang-Won was the first to snap out of the strange mood created by Kouyo, "Let's discuss this game. I was just wondering, why did Touya-san ..."
--0--0--0--
"Touya sensei is everything that I thought he would be," Suyon gushed excitedly as he cleared the black stones off the board. After Kouyo and Chang-Won left, Suyon and Yongha stayed behind to practice for the matches coming up this week. "He's calm, cool and collected. Nothing fazes him. I want to play just like that!" Suyon grinned happily as he continued to ramble on with a starry-eyed look.
However, Yongha was not listening to him.
"It's almost as if Touya sensei believed that Shuusaku is still alive," Yongha mused, half to himself. His long fingers reached out to clear the white stones without any conscious thought.
"Huh... what did you say?" Suyon asked, noting Yongha's distracted expression.
Yongha flashed Suyon a quick grin and said, "It's nothing, I was just thinking..."
"You were just thinking how great it would be to become the youngest player ever to win the Wangwi title?" A pleasant voice smoothly interjected from behind Yongha.
A flicker of annoyance crossed Yongha's features. In Yongha's ears, the voice had a certain unsavory quality to it. His instincts told him that it would be unwise to ignore that fact. Suyon looked up at the newcomer and greeted him with a smile, "Hyong-Kim! What're you doing here?"
"I heard that Yongha was playing against Touya sensei so I thought it'll be interesting to check it out," Hyong-Kim said as he glanced around the near empty room. "It appears that I'm too late."
Yongha turned to casually draped an arm over the back of his chair and said coolly to Hyong Kim, "Yes, we're just about to leave."
"Oh? I was hoping that we can get a game in? Aren't you free right now?" Hyong-Kim asked with a good-natured smile on his face.
"No," Yongha said as he stood to level a cold glance at Hyong-Kim. Ahn Hyong-Kim was one of the few Korean pros who was almost as tall as Yongha. Like Yongha, he was sixteen years old and was a member of the Wangwi League. Hyong-Kim raised a hand to scratch the back of his light orange hair as if puzzled by Yongha's open hostility towards him. His dark brown eyes looked searchingly at Yongha and was about to say something when Yongha suddenly turned on his heels and left the room. Suyon's eyes widen in surprise, but he quickly recovered. He bowed quickly to Hyong-Kim and hurried after Yongha.
After they exited the baduk institute, Yongha and Suyon walked at a brisk pace in silence until Suyon's patience finally reached its breaking point, which did not take long at all. "Yongha, that was rude!" Suyon complained with a scowl as they stopped at a street corner, waiting for the pedestrian crosswalk light to change.
"Why?" Yongha asked with a small charming smile while giving Suyon an innocent look, "I told him no."
Uh-oh, Suyon thought. It's THAT look. I wonder what Hyong-Kim did to piss Yongha off so much?
"You know what I mean! What did you do that for? Hyong-Kim is so nice. I can't understand why you hate him so much," Suyon asked in puzzlement.
"So you think he's nice, eh?" Yongha asked with a curl to his lips.
"Yes..." Suyon answered uncertainly, unwilling to openly contradict Yongha.
"Besides, everyone thinks he's the closest person worthy of becoming your rival."
"Others can think what they want, but people like Ahn Hyong-Kim can never be my rival. I can see him as no more than an obstacle to my goal of clinching the Wangwi title," Yongha answered, his tone told Suyon that it was dangerous to pursue this topic any further.
Suyon looked sullenly at the ground, unhappy that Yongha did not trust him enough to divulge more information. As the light changed, Yongha quickly reached over and playfully pulled the front of Suyon's baseball cap over his eyes.
"Hey!" Suyon exclaimed, surprised by the sudden prank. By the time he lifted his cap, Yongha was already half way across the street. "Wait for me!"
"Let's find a baduk salon to practice," Yongha grinned broadly. Suyon found his own smile returning, unable to resist that charismatic smile.
Back at the institute, Hyong-Kim stared at the spot where Yongha stood just moments ago. His body shook with rage at the callous way that Yongha dismissed him. The good-nature features that had graced Hyong-Kim's handsome face were now replaced by an ugly scowl of jealousy and hatred.
Ko Yongha, you are the most arrogant asshole that I have ever met in my life, Hyong-Kim thought savagely. You think that the world evolves around you, don't you? Hyong-Kim bit his lower lip as he mentally counted to ten to calm himself down.
If you win two more matches, you'll become the Wangwi challenger. You better pray that you lose your next match because I will do whatever it takes to win the Wangwi title, Hyong-Kim thought as he crossed his arms against his chest, an angry gleam in his eyes. Yes, you better pray because I will take everything away from you that are rightfully mine. But for a scheduling conflict that prevented me from competing in the Hokuto Cup, I would have fought tooth and nail with you for that coveted first board spot. You won't be so lucky this time.
Hyong-Kim's pressed his lips into a cold hard line.
Let it be known that, I, Ahn Hyong-Kim, will represent Team Korea as the first board in the Kawasaki Tournament.
--0--0--0--
Tokyo, Japan
Hikaru sat cross-legged in front of his go board as he stared at the black go stone that had mysteriously appeared in his half-recreated game. Yesterday, after his return from the Touya go salon, Hikaru immediately started his analysis of the mysterious move. It took him less than half an hour to confirm his initial impression that he could have won if he timely played this move. Timing was absolutely critical. If he played this too soon, Ko Yongha would undoubtedly have found a way to neutralize the threat. On the other hand, if he played this too late, the advantage would be lost. It would take an extremely skilled player to spot this kind of opening.
Someone like Sai, Hikaru thought as he bit his thumb in frustration. This shouldn't be possible. Assuming that it was Sai, he has never been able to move stones without my help, Hikaru sighed as he fell backwards to lean on the side of his bed.
Sai, if that was you, why won't you come out and see me? Do you hate me because I didn't let you play as often as you liked?
--0--0--0--
"Good afternoon, Kuwabara sensei," the sales clerk at the concession stand bowed and politely greeted Kuwabara as he strolled leisurely by her stand. He acknowledged her greeting with a brief nod and a low grunt as he slowly made his way to the elevators. Sunday was a busy day for the institute since this was the day that the insei's came for their lessons and the day that the general public came for various seminars and instructional go sessions offered by the institute - for a modest fee, of course. The lobby was especially busy since this was the lunch hour.
"Yes, yes, business is booming," Kuwabara mumbled with a satisfied nod as he peered at the people walking in the lobby through his half-closed eyes. Despite appearances, Kuwabara's eyesight was as sharp as ever. That being said, he wouldn't hesitate to play the role of a helpless old man if he thought that would lull his opponents to underestimate him. Nevertheless, few pros would fall for that trick since Kuwabara's craftiness was almost as legendary as his skill in go.
Kuwabara never had to weave his way through the lobby since the path before him automatically cleared as he approached. Most people recognized him; they bowed and respectfully stood aside to let him pass.
Ah, the Honinbou has its privileges, Kuwabara thought gleefully as his eyes surveyed the bowed heads around him, his stern demeanor and his title commanded nothing short of absolute respect.
That's why I love being the Honinbou, Kuwabara thought with an easy smile on his old wrinkly features. Kuwabara adored being the center of attention, that's what he lived for.
If that whipper snapper Ogata thinks that he can steal my title away, he'll be sorely disappointed, Kuwabara thought coolly. This old bag of bones still have some fight in him. I certainly don't plan to leave center stage anytime soon now that the new wave of go talent is just about to wash in. Kuwabara chuckled as he hobbled into the elevator.
"The fun is just beginning," Kuwabara mumbled to himself. Unable to resist, he cackled with pleasure as he thought of the myriad of ways that he can use to unnerve the "young ones" as they slowly made their way before him. The people in the elevator with Kuwabara cast wary glances at the eccentric old man as they politely tried not to stare.
--0--0--0--
Kuwabara strolled slowly down the stairs of the go institute as he treaded the familiar steps toward his final destination for the day - the Room of Deep Contemplation. As expected, the corridor was deserted since the general public was not allowed to wander into this area. The Room of Deep Contemplation was Kuwabara's favorite room. He often visited this place even when he did not have a game since it was a tangible reminder of why he loves being the Honinbou.
Kuwabara dropped all his pretenses of agelessness and reached with his left hand to gently rub his lower back. "Age is an unforgiving thing," Kuwabara murmured as he slowly walked down the deserted corridor. Suddenly, Kuwabara felt a presence behind him.
A toothless grin spread over Kuwabara's lips as his sixth sense told him who it was.
"Shindou-kun," Kuwabara said triumphantly as he turned around expecting to see the energetic blond hair pro.
"Eh?" Kuwabara exclaimed in mild surprise when emptiness greeted him. He scratched the top of his bald spot with a crooked finger as he glanced around the empty corridor. The presence that he felt earlier had disappeared.
"Hm..." Kuwabara rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
I trust my sixth sense. Someone was definitely here, Kuwabara thought with certainty. Whoever you are, you'll be back because you can't stay away, Kuwabara thought with a shrug and gave out a hearty cackle as he walked into the Room of Deep Contemplation.
(1) The komi in Korea, as well as in Japan, is now six and a half moku for most (if not all) tournaments. China's komi is seven and a half moku. Hotta sensei decided to simplify matters by keeping everything at five and a half moku.
(2) Wangwi literally means the "throne." It is a major Korean baduk title. There is a total of eight players in the Wangwi League (think of the Honinbou League). The league players engage in round robin matches where the winner is the person who did the best in seven games. In Yongha's case, he has to win two more games to become the Wangwi challenger (He has 2 wins, 1 loss out of 7 so far). The challenger plays the best of five matches against the title holder. Are you confused yet? All you need to know is that I'm putting Yongha at the same level as Akira. :-D
A/N: In the manga, Kouyo and Chang-Won used polite speech (-masu forms) with each other. Therefore, their relationship is probably more in the nature of a business acquaintance than good friends. That's why they're pretty polite to each other.
In this fan fic, Kouyo has turquoise-colored eyes because I believe that he passed those killer orbs to Akira. :-p
I know that many readers are looking forward to the Young Lions (so am I), but again, I didn't get to it this chapter. –-; Gomen!!! I'll get to it eventually!
This chapter drained me on imagination so I hope it wasn't too bad. By popular demand, this chapter is chock full of Sai references... I'll leave you to guess where this is going.
I agree with Lyeza that we need to know what happened to Yongha and Suyon in the meanwhile. Therefore, this chapter is sorta like a continuation of ch 1. I picked up a couple of loose ends and added a couple more. D Ahn Hyong-Kim is my first OC in this fic. Let's see how I do! In any case, we'll be checking in with Korea every now and then to see how Yongha and Hyong-Kim are doing in the Wangwi League.
Lachesis's shrine to reviewers:
Lucathia – Yes, Hikaru has a bad habit of leaving people behind. I had that in mind when I wrote Akira's line about having to go through me. It really disturbed me how short Hikaru's attention span seems to be. :p It would be interesting if Akira, Hikaru and Yashiro finished each other off at the prelims wouldn't it? /grins evilly/ I love your fic so keep at it! As for including more go scenes, um... I'll do it, but it's going to take forever. (I chickened out on this chapter --;) I'm going to have to call on my go expert soon. Hattuteline are you still there??
Lyeza – If you were surprised that Akira decided to turn down Kawasaki's invitation then I got his character right. :-D I feel that it's in his nature to do the unexpected whenever the matter concerned Hikaru. Akira behaves the way he does because he doesn't want to be left behind. It's a matter of opinion whether Hikaru considered Akira a rival or an obstacle at this point, probably both. :-D
There'll be more hints about the Kawasaki prelims and potential candidates for the Kawasaki in the next chapter. Hopefully, that'll alleviate some of your concerns. All I can say is – bumpy road ahead! I had intended to write about Yongha sooner, but one thing led to another and it never happened until now. Yongha now has his little subplot so he should appear a little more often from now on.
Kenji14 – Thanks! See my response to Lyeza since both of you had a similar comment.
Night-Owl123 – as usual, thanks!
O-B-E-L-I-S-K1 – OK, it looks like you got both Kuwabara and Touya sensei in this chapter. Ahh... the power of reviews! You'll probably see the two insei kids at the Young Lions.
Lady Addiction – Thank you for your compliments! /beams happily/ I believe that Hikaru is more mature than most people give him credit for (he was super mature at the end of the series) and that Akira is fiercely possessive. Yes, I imagine that the go world is intensely competitive – anywhere you go. I hope that came through in this chapter as well! Technically, this is not a Yongha fic. In any case, his role should enlarge as it comes closer to the time for Kawasaki. I like to write about him since he's a relatively unexplored area. (no dirty thoughts intended...) :p
Fujiwara-no-Sai-no-Go – This series has touched me deeply too! This chapter has lots of Sai references – hope you liked it!
e – Thanks! The Young Lions is still anybody's game.
Ky – Thanks!
Sydnee – Oh thank you! If you think this feels like the manga then I have accomplished a great chunk of my goal. ) Yes, I do my homework so I'm trying!
Rianna – Thanks! This fic is dedicated to fans like you!
a.n.g.e.l. – Thank you for your lovely review!
Rune-Rune – Eh... oh no ... you found me out... NOT! I wish I was Hotta sensei. ) Alas, I am not – I'm just a fangirl obsessed with Hikago.
Ashura Akuma – I can't tell you what will happen in the qualifying prelims since I haven't written it yet. D Stay tuned! Thanks for adding me to your favorites – it's extra fuel to get the next chapter written!
Whew! Thank you for all your wonderfully detailed reviews! Keep them coming!! I know I didn't address everything in your comments, because I didn't want to give too much away. In any case, feel free to e-mail me if you like to send me more ideas, suggestions and whatever else. Remember, reviews influence the lives of the go players in this fic!!! You have the power! (Oh, that was really cheesy!) :-P