Back again with yet another chapter muahahahah!
By the way, just a quick note. I will be addressing Hikaru as Jung-shin when he is in Korea, upon his return to Japan, his name will be returned to Hikaru.

Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own HnG or any of its characters.

Chapter 2

Seoul, Korea...Hikaru is 13 years old.

"Jung-shin! Wait up!"

Jung-shin turned around in response to the voice which had addressed him. It was Su-young, one of his juniors a year younger than him. Said boy was currently in a mad dash towards him, barely stopping in time before he slid past Jung-shin. Su-young, despite being only 12 years old was a rare talent at Go, becoming a Go professional at the age of 10. Both Su-young and himself hit it off almost immediately after meeting each other. Su-young though, seemed to have a self-claimed rivalry with Jung-shin when he lost their first match together. Jung-shin could remember the guilt he felt when the younger boy burst into tears. After all, it wasn't common to find an 11 year old Go professional around, Su-young most definitely wasn't used to getting defeated by a boy close to his age.

Getting back to the current situation, classes had just ended and Jung-shin had made off with a Go book in hand, walking down the corridor while reading. This was one of the rare days in which Su-young didn't have a game and was present in school. Jung-shin smiled at his friend,"Slow down Su-young, I'm not in a hurry."

Su-young sent a glare his way,"you aren't but I am! When are we going to play that game you promised me?!"

Jung-shin gave him an almost innocent look,"I think that question should be asked by me Su-young. We rarely ever see each other due to your job to even play a game, when will you have the time to play a game with me?" Jung-shin was in a way also impatient to play a game with the younger boy, after all despite not proving a challenge to him, Su-young was still miles ahead of the members of the Go club. As many would wonder, how was Jung-shin fairing in the Go world. He had long gotten used to his strength in Go after figuring that all these probably had something to do with his past life. It was the only conclusion he could come to after months of headaches. Eventually, he gave up trying to find out anything or investigate if his hypothesis was true. He decided to fully immerse himself in his love that was Go, working towards the similar goal of his past lives. The Hand of God.

Su-young spluttered for a come back but could think of none. "W-well, I'm free this afternoon, we could play at my house,"he mumbled before walking past Jung-shin. Jung-shin grinned and followed his younger friend. As they walked, Jung-shin returned his attention to the Go book in his hands, but before long Su-young interupted him again. "What book are you reading?"

Jung-shin looked up from the book and flipped it to the cover page, showing it to the other boy. "An advanced book written by Touya Meijin himself,"he replied. Su-young looked at the book curiously, taking the book from Jung-shin and reading it himself.

Moments later, Su-young looked up from the book and stared at his friend incredulously. "I can't believe you understand this, and you aren't even a Go professional. How far does your strength go Jung-shin?"

Jung-shin shrugged, he truly believed that he didn't have an answer for Su-young. After all it wasn't everyday that you see a boy with a year of experience in Go, beating a Go professional. No one would believe him even if he told them the truth. Jung-shin had once been naive enough to confide in his mother when she asked him of his sudden interest in the game. He told her everything, his sudden love for Go, the visions in the attic and his suspicion that he may be the reincarnation of Shuusaku whom was the reincarnation of Sai. But said woman only told him to lay off the manga in future. That was when Jung-shin decided that it was useless telling anyone and that it was better to keep it to himself, even he agreed that it was unbelievable.

"I don't know,"he replied. "But I do know that you're a long way from ever beating me,"he grinned. Su-young's eyes narrowed as he rolled up the book, thwacking the back of Jung-shin's head with it. "Oww! Careful there, that's my book you're using and it isn't exactly very thin there," Jung-shin whined, rubbing the forming bump.

"That's the whole point of using it isn't it?" Su-young replied, guiltless. Jung-shin grumbled under his breath and continued to follow the younger boy.


'Pachi'

The sound of a Go stone echoed throughout the room, relished by Jung-shin's ears. He'd never get tired of listening to the sound of Go stones being placed upon the goban. The atmosphere of the room was serene and calm, Su-young was in front of him ponderng on his next move. Sweat beaded down the 12 year old boy's forehead despite the cool air-conditioning in the room. Jung-shin watched his friend quietly, observing his expressions which was also an important way to read his opponent. People tend to let down their guard and let their expressions show when in deep thought, this way Jung-shin could tell if the opponent was planning something just from expressions alone. But this wasn't the first time Su-young was playing with him, he learnt his lesson after Jung-shin explained this fact. It was a lie to say that Su-young didn't learn a thing from him, in fact he had improved tremendously since meeting Jung-shin.

'Pachi'

Su-young made his move. Jung-shin's eyes flickered as he returned his attention to the board, lips twitching the slightest bit but unnoticeable. Su-young had stepped right into the trap which he had elaborately created since the beginning of the game. His expression betrayed nothing as he placed down another soldier, forming an eye right in the middle of the battlefield. Territory successfully captured.

Su-young's eyes widened in realization and he hurriedly slapped down another stone in attempt to regain more territory. However, in fifteen hands, he saw the consequences of his actions. While trying to regain territory, his initial ones were left with poor defence and succumbed to Jung-shin's merciless army. It was a total massacre. Jung-shin was never one to go easy on opponents weaker than him. He wouldn't call that bullying them either, in his perspective, going easy on his opponents meant disrespecting their Go. And Su-young shared that view as well, no honourable Go player would accept mercy from their opponents.


"Goddamnit you're merciless Jung-shin," Su-young whined after resigning. He looked at the clock and grumbled even more,"you're even worse than Yeong-ha, beating me in half an hour. Yeong-ha takes at least forty-five minutes."

Jung-shin grinned,"well, whoever this Yeong-ha is, you must be not in his league as well if he beats you in such a short time." He quickly ducked when a cushion came flying at him. Sticking out his tongue, he continued to tease his friend,"you should work harder before looking for me again." He danced out of the other boy's reach when Su-young came at him with another cushion. Laughing, Jung-shin ran out of the room with Su-young hot on his heels. A cushion connected with the back of his head and he finally stopped running. "Geez Su-young, you should stop being so violent, girls wouldn't like you that way,"he teased again.

Su-young threw another cushion in his face. "I don't need one and what would you know of girls at your age anyway?"

Jung-shin placed his hands on his hips and snorted. "I know plenty. Tell you what, since you're my friend I'll let you in on a secret,"he wrapped an arm around Su-young's shoulder and whispered. "When I was in Japan, you can't imagine how charming I was. I had girls grovelling at my feet every single day and at least ten confessions during break. My locker would always be filled to the brim with love letters instead of books-"before he could continue, Su-young pushed him away laughing.

"As if I would believe that,"he replied amidst his giggles. "If that were truly the case, you would be a child celebrity instead of eating books in school."

Jung-shin sniffed and fingered a piece of his blonde fringe,"how insulting and incredibly crude you are my dear friend. As difficult as it is to lie to you, you should at least tell me I'm handsome since I'm your friend."

Su-young laughed again,"I wouldn't want to lie to myself,"he replied and toppled over from laughter when Jung-shin started wiping invisible tears. "If anything, I would say that Yeong-ha is the most handsome kid I've met so far. He's 14 this year and even women are already falling at his feet. Literally."

"Stop!" Jung-shin exclaimed as he shot out his hand dramatically to stop Su-young from saying more. "I don't want to hear no more! Not a word!" He cried, wiping at invisible tears and crumpling his shirt in the expression of clutchng his chest painfully. Su-young fell off the chair clutching at his stomach, laughing hysterically.

"Enough! I can't take it anymore, my stomach hurts so bad!"he cried, trying to cease his laughter. "Let's discuss the game instead."

Jung-shin straightened up and followed hs friend back to the room, a large grin still on his face. But when they got back to the goban, the still atmosphere was back. His eyes darted over the board, replaying the whole game inside his head. Trying out different scenarios in which the game could have been played better, all these happened over a few seconds until Su-young waved a hand over the goban to get his attention. Jung-shin's eyes snapped back up to look at Su-young.

"Quite the concentration you have there,"Su-young mused,"you couldn't even hear me." He pointed to an area on the goban,"I don't get why my territory over here was taken even when I had built up a strong defence." He couldn't fathom why, he had so carefully built up a wall to protect his largest territory but Jung-shin had so casually made it his.

Jung-shin smiled,"look at the placing of my stones from the eleventh hand onwards, you'll see why then,"he replied. The question that Su-young had asked was related to the elaborate trap he had created, it seems that the boy still hadn't realized that it was there. Su-young heeded his friend's words and started to study the position of Jung-shin's stones carefully. His eyes slowly widened when realization hit him,"the heck! I could never have spotted that if you hadn't told me!" he exclaimed. Jung-shin was truly out of his league, perhaps even better than Yeong-ha. Su-young knew that, but he never would have thought that such a well hidden trap could be created by a 13 year old boy.

"And that's the whole point of me usng it, isn't it?"Jung-shin replied, throwing Su-young's words right back at him. Su-young sulked and they returned to discussing the game.


Two hours flew by quickly as they lost track of time, noses buried deep into the game. When they finally finished, Jung-shin looked at the clock and cried out in horror. "Crap! It's past my curfew. Gotta go Su-young or you'll see me a starved man tomorrow, byeee" He quickly grabbed his bag and rushed to the door, swinging it open only to bump into a tall chest. Jung-shin cradled his nose and cursed his luck inwardly, why were Koreans so tall? Mumbling an apology, he raced out of the compound.


"Who was that?" a 14 year old Ko Yeong-ha asked when he had settled down on the couch in Su-young's flat. A unique boy had bumped into him, pale skin and black hair with the exception of bleached bangs. The boy looked like a punk despite his age, someone whom Su-young would never hang out with. Not to mention, he didn't look Korean.

"That was Jung-shin, the boy I told you about. He's half Korean and Japanese,"Su-young replied excitedly. To be precise, everything about a Go made him excited.

Yeong-ha yawned,"you've told me about many people Su-young. I can't remember if they're not significant enough,"he replied, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the couch. Did Su-young tell him about a boy with bleached bangs before? He truly couldn't remember. Then again, whatever Su-young told him was always related to Go, but Yeong-ha never truly paid attention unless they were worth his time.

"He's a prodigy at Go! Probably even better than-" Su-young exclaimed but was cut off by Yeong-ha.

"Is he a pro?"

"Well no...but-"

"Then I'm not interested," Yeong-ha cut him off again. He finally remembered who Su-young was talking about. A boy who was a year younger than him...better than him at Go? The world would have to end by then, Yeong-ha didn't believe that a kid in his generation would be better than himself, he was the best around. If there truly were kids his age who were better than him, Yeong-ha would have had a rival by now instead of having to play old geezers every single day. Old geezers with breath the smell of stale cigarettes which made him want to retch, people who didn't understand youngsters. Yeong-ha couldn't stand them, but his love for Go made him tolerate. He didn't want study sessions with them but he had to for Go. How Yeong-ha longed for a rival. If there truly was a kid out there who could match him in strength, Yeong-ha hoped that he appeared quickly...


Author's note:

Finally done with the second chapter, sorry for the wait peeps! So Yeong-ha finally came out, hope I played his character well. Don't forget to review and tell me on how I can improve. And lastly, if there are any mistakes I made, they are not on purpose but do point them out to me. Arigatou mina!