Disclaimer: All characters and specifics of "Hikaru no Go" are copyrighted Hotta Yumi, Obata Takeshi, Shueisha and Studio Pierrot. All rights reserved. This fanfiction is property of Shikami Yamino and is not intended for any monetary purpose nor an infringement of copyright laws. No one is to post/host/use any aspect of this fanfic without explicit permission from the author.

Notes: Umm... what can I say? First of all thanks to everybody for their reviews! Secondly... umm... enjoy?? ^^;;; *brain is dead*

Hikaru no Go: "Blind Descent"
 by Shikami Yamino

Part 3 - Girls, who needs 'em!

Stepping into Akira's apartment, Hikaru grinned unabashedly as he left his slippers at the door and followed the other pro barefoot into the kitchenette.

"I should stop feeding you whenever you run out of food. At least it'll teach you a lesson," Akira muttered under his breath as he picked up his spoon to stir the curry simmering on the stove.

Hikaru shrugged. "Then I'd just order take-out."

To this, Akira rolled his eyes. "You're just lucky I usually make more than I can eat."

Spying the empty curry packaging sticking partially out of the rubbish bin, Hikaru's eyes twinkled impishly. "And why is that, I wonder. Could it be because you make instant stuff too?? Mr. I-know-how-to-cook!"

Akira turned and threw the laughing boy a dark glare. "I don't *have* to feed you, you know."

Hikaru, still chuckling, waved off the harmless threat and proceeded to help by gathering utensils and dishing out rice; neatly stepping around Akira, who turned off the burner and carefully brought the pot of curry to the kitchen table. Both boys' easy movements in avoiding each other in the restricted space clearly indicative of the regularity with which Hikaru tended to run out of food.

Settling down at the table, both muttered a quiet "itadakimasu" before digging in hungrily.

"This is good Touya," Hikaru commented after a few mouthfuls. "Even if it is instant."

Akira didn't feel the need to justify that with a comment, knowing that either way would have his rival laughing at him.

Getting up to pour two glasses of water, Hikaru set the other one down in front of Akira as he resumed his seat. He then let out a laugh. "Did you see Waya's face today after lunch when Isumi-san got mobbed by all those girls when we got back?? I thought he was gonna full on blow up the way you could almost see steam coming out of his ears!"

Akira nodded his thanks for the water and couldn't keep a slight smile from playing across his lips at the thought of the scene after lunch. "Isumi-san didn't look too comfortable either."

"Yeah... it's too bad. Otherwise they would both come to more go conventions and we wouldn't be stuck playing as much shidougo as we are. Girls," Hikaru snorted, "who needs 'em."

Blinking, Akira raised an eyebrow. "I'll be sure Fujisaki-san hears about that the next time we see her."

Hikaru shook his head knowingly. "Nah... Akari's too busy with Mitani and the University Go club to have much time to hang out." He paused. "Not to mention Mitani would kill me if he thought I was butting in on his time with Akari."

"Do you miss her?"

"Who? Akari?" Hikaru started at Akira's genuinely curious question. "I s'pose... in a way... but not really..." He scrunched up his brow, at a loss as to how to express his feelings about his long-time friend. On one hand, she was his oldest friend and he was sorry that they weren't spending as much time together as they had in the past. On the other, he also knew that they were now practically living in different worlds and it would be impossible for them to develop the rapport that they had previously shared. He had that sort of rapport with other people now... and there was the fact that she and Mitani made a really cute couple.

The bleached-blond boy shrugged off his thoughts. "It doesn't really matter anyway... we still talk and stuff. Just not as much as we used to."

Akira digested this information slowly. Having never had a friend that had not been as dedicated to go as himself, and certainly never had a friend for as long as Shindou had had Fujisaki-san, it was hard to imagine what it would be like in Hikaru's shoes. He thought that it had to be harder than Shindou was making it sound, trying hard to imagine how he would feel if Ashiwara-san or Kurata-san, or maybe even Shindou, someday lost their passion for go...

Lost in his thoughts, it took a while for outside noise to filter through.

"..ya! Touya! Oi Touya!!"

Blinking himself back to reality, Akira managed his most intelligent reply possible. "Huh?"

Hikaru gave him an exasperated look. "The phone, stupid! The phone!"

"Don't call me stupid!" was the reflex reply before Akira could even process what Hikaru was saying. By the time he realised that the annoying noise in the background was the ringing of his own phone, the machine had picked up.

::This is Touya. I can't come to the phone right now. Please leave a message.:: *beep*

"Are you okay?" Hikaru probed his friend with a worried look.

"Yes... fi-" Akira cut himself off as the voice on the machine filtered through.

::Ummm... Touya-san, this is Nakamura... Nakamura Chitose... I don't know if you remember me, we met a few weeks ago at Ogata-sensei's birthday celebration. Umm... Ogata-sensei said that I should give you a call about... go lessons... I'd really like it if you could call me back. My phone number is...::

As the recorded voice rattled off a phone number and subsequently hung up, Hikaru raised an inquiring eyebrow at his companion.

Akira sighed and rose to clear off the remains of their dinner. As he began filling the sink to do the dishes, he heard Hikaru come up next to him and grab a dishcloth, ready to start drying. It was a ritual that had started the first time Hikaru had shown up on his doorstep with a plea for dinner, and Akira had to admit that it was nice having someone to share chores with.

"So..." Hikaru began as he accepted a plate from Akira. "When does someone asking Touya 6-dan for go lessons sound that nervous on the phone?"

"When it's Ogata-sensei who suggested that they call," Akira replied calmly, hoping that Hikaru would drop the subject.

Alas, to Akira's misfortune, Hikaru was impervious to the art form known as subtlety. "Ogata-sensei's trying to set you up?!" he asked in an incredulous voice, eyes wide and the humour in them apparent.

"Shindou..." Akira warned in a low voice.

Hikaru burst out laughing as he gently accepted another plate that had been almost violently thrust at him. "That's a bit hypocritical don't you think? Ogata-sensei's what...? Gotta be around mid thirties right? He doesn't even have a steady relationship himself and he's trying to set you up??"

"The Nakamura's are old friends of his." Akira finished up washing and set about putting the dried plates and utensils back into their cupboards and drawers. "To his credit, it probably wasn't his idea."

"So what're you gonna do?" Hikaru asked, a wicked smile playing across his face.

Akira sighed again, valiantly preventing a pained look from being displayed on his face. It would hardly do to deny Ogata-sensei this one favor after everything that the older man had done for him. "Call and arrange a time I suppose."

Hikaru squinted at him, as if trying to see him properly, still grinning. "I can't picture you with a girlfriend. She'd have to be a goddess or something to be able to put up with you."

Looking offended, Akira retorted, "What about you Shindou?! It isn't as if your situation's any better than mine!"

"Yeah, but I've got the better personality," Hikaru stated matter-of-factly, eyes twinkling. He even raised a finger to emphasise his point. "Besides, I've got my work cut out for me just chasing you. The way you're going, it's a full time job as it is. I don't have the time to waste on girls."

With an annoyed huff, Akira turned his back on his infuriating friend and walked out of the kitchenette towards the phone.

Hikaru followed the long-haired boy out with a light smirk. Detouring to Akira's fish tank next to the couch, he proceeded to tune out the phone conversation behind him by sticking his fingers into the water to watch the fish come up and nip at his fingertips. The fish had apparently been a house-warming present from Ogata-sensei; and with a few well-chosen pot plants, they gave Akira's apartment a much more lived-in look than Hikaru's own minimalistic and messy décor.

Hearing the phone being hung up behind him, Hikaru lifted his head from watching the fish. "Oi Touya! Your fish are hungry!"

"Shindou, how many times have I told you not to stick your fingers in there?!"

Flicking the water from his fingers, unruffled, Hikaru stepped aside to make way for Akira as the other pro approached the fish tank with the feed. "Oh by the way, you need me to feed the fish while you're in Korea?"

Akira blinks as he puts the feed away after dropping a few pellets into the water. "That's right, I almost forgot." Retrieving an extra key to his apartment out of a kitchen drawer, he handed it over to Hikaru. "Don't forget to water the plants as well."

Hikaru took the key with a jaunty salute. "Yes sir!" Stringing the key onto his own key ring, he said, "Two weeks right? Not long now..." The end of the sentence was punctuated by a tired yawn that Hikaru couldn't suppress. Glancing at the clock, he was surprised that it was almost eleven. "Guess I'd better get some sleep... still got study group tomorrow."

Akira nods. "Me too."

With a wave over his shoulder, the slightly shorter boy made his way out of Akira's apartment. "Thanks for dinner Touya!" And with practised ease, shut the door just as Akira's routine reprimand of "Remember to buy your own groceries next time!" began filtering through to his ears.

Shuffling back to his own apartment, Shindou Hikaru collapsed onto his futon and was asleep as soon as his head touched his pillow, a contented smile never leaving his face.

End Part 3... to be continued.

Author's Notes: The people who would like to take a frying pan to the backs of Hikaru and Akira's heads to make them realize what's in front of them, please raise your hand *raises both hands* I swear these two are taking on a life of their own and forcing me to move this fic along at a snail pace... ^^;; Akira and Hikaru, taking the term "adorably clueless" to new heights... Hopefully I'm not boring anybody *L* But for a change of pace, look for SumiWaya action in the next part ^_^