SHADOWY GO
Chapter5: A ripple in the water.
Hikaru's new hair style had caused quiet a stir in his school and it made Hikaru really uncomfortable. He could feel the side glances and he was thinking they're probably staring at him when his back was turned. His parents were also shocked at his new appearance but his sister Akari was so proud of it, she made them think without meaning to that it was her idea, which in truth could be right.
His hair had gotten a little longer which started to creep down to his neck, covered his ears and half of his face. So Akari cropped his hair shorter, exposed half of his ears, trimmed his bangs up to his eyes and gave it layers before bleaching and coloring his bangs platinum. It framed Hikaru's face beautifully, he looks like his auditioning to become a rock star. No one dared to make comments in front of him though or teased him about it. Hikaru had gained the reputation of being a bad ass since that first incident which earned him a detention, and his new look didn't help matters. His homeroom teacher was the only one with the guts to take him aside and asked him about it. He took the easy way out and blamed it on her sister, Akari.
It was lunch break and he didn't want to be stared at so he stayed in his classroom and had his lunch there instead of going to the cafeteria. He was done eating and was putting his lunch box back to his bag when Tagami and Shibuya appeared. They each took a seat and sat opposite each other at each side of his desk. They just sat there staring at him.
"What? You two are giving me the creeps, you know?" Hikaru said.
"Nice hair, Shindou. What's the occassion?" Shibuya asked.
"Nothing, I just felt like it." Hikaru shrugged his shoulders.
"You ditched us yesterday. What's going on with you?" Tagami said in an accusing voice.
"I didn't feel like playing basket yesterday so I went to the arcade instead." Hikaru explained lamely.
"Alone? By yourself?" Tagami quiet shocked at the idea.
"Yeah, I had fun." Hikaru gave them a mischievous grin.
"I don't believe you, you hate going alone." Tagami suspicious.
"Could it be that you have a girlfriend we don't know about, Shindou?" Shibuya added.
"You have a girl? Who is she? Tell me, tell me." Tagami now getting excited.
"I don't have a girlfriend, OK? I feel like going alone so I did."
"Oh shucks, that's so boring. I'd rather you have a girlfriend." Tagami quiet disappointed.
"Shindou, you're not angry at us, are you?" Shibuya voiced out his doubt.
"Angry? Why would you think that?" Hikaru was surprised at the question.
"For joining the basketball club, for not sticking with you." Shibuya in an apologetic tone.
"Yeah, Shindou. Shibuya and I talked about it yesterday and we thought that maybe you're angry at us because the three of us did promised to join the same club together and we just went on ahead and left you." Tagami being tactful.
"Hey you guys, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you both feel bad. Geez! Come on, I just had some personal stuff I need to take care of. It's no biggie and I'm OK with it now so watch out I'm gonna kick both your asses next Sunday, OK?" Hikaru laugh.
They talked some more, joked like they used to and they teased Hikaru about his new look unmercifully which Hikaru accepted in good grace. The school bell rang which signaled the end of lunch break and the two went back to their own classroom.
"You have good friends there, Hikaru." Sai said softly.
"I know but now that Shibuya mentioned it, I feel kinda betrayed." Hikaru a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Don't feel bad Hikaru, I'll never leave you." Sai trying to make Hikaru feel better.
"I know, Sai. That's what I'm afraid of."
"Hikaruuu..." Sai wailed.
xxxxxxx
Hikaru settled into the normal routine of junior high; classes usually ends at four thirty, a few minutes of homeroom meetings, fifteen minutes of cleaning and school was done. The kendo club only meets on Tuesday and Thursday not that he attends ever, he was just a body count after all, so by five o'clock Hikaru was home free. He seldom uses the Tokyo station anymore for fear of meeting that other obsessed go nut, not that he was afraid, he just doesn't want the complication. He had to use the local train since the fast train doesn't stop at Hatchobori station but at least it's less than a ten minute walk from his school.
Sai had no choice but to be content with playing Yuuichi every Sunday morning but since Hikaru promised him that he could play as much as he wants when summer break comes, he gets by without complaints. He would have preferred to play that brilliant kid, Akira again but Hikaru was dead set against it. Not just because he took exception to the kid's personality but he refuses to pay 500 yen to play some dumb game. So Sai instead of giving Yuuichi palpitations with his genius, decided to play shidogo with him. And as weeks passes Yuuichi's other opponents actually noticed his improvement. Hikaru on the other hand played basket with his friends every Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile at the Touya Go Salon, Akira's defeat at the hands of an unknown kid was still the talk of the customers there. Those who witnessed it were asked to recreate the two games. The first game they can't since they weren't watching at the time and the stones were cleared immediately for the next game and with the added excitement no one had the prudence to remember it. The second game for some reason they have trouble recreating, they can't figure out how the stones were laid out in what order and Akira flatly refused to recreate it for them.
The news of Akira's spectacular defeat eventually reached the go community but was dismissed as rumors since all the supposed witnesses cannot even recreate the game, and to think there were two games played. So no one really believes it and was just thought of as some jealous opponent's way of getting back at Akira, and a lame way to damage his reputation. And with Akira's cold personality and as Touya Meijin's son, nobody dared ask how true the rumors were.
At their home Akira seems to guard silence these days that even a small cough seems embarassing. He would sit for hours in front of a goban just staring at it, place a few hands and then remove the stones again and do the same thing all over again. His mother, Akiko got so worried that he told her husband to do something about it. So Koyo took his son aside and tried to find out what was wrong.
"I wanted to play him again father, but he ran away from me." Akira sounded so confused and bewildered.
"Who do you mean, son?" He already had an idea but since Akira refused to talk about it, he didn't want to push it and so just waited for the right time.
"That boy, Ichigo. We played twice and he was so strong father, and I can't... I don't..." Akira fell silent.
"Would you like to show me that game you played with him?" Koyo asked gently.
Akira debated whether to show his father those games. For so many people to have seen it and not one able to recreate it made him feel special, that that game was played just for him. It has been many weeks now and yet for someone to be that strong in their small world yet unheard, unseen except for that time he came just to play him, made it all mysterious. Those who had seen their games wants him to recreate it but he guarded those games jealously, it was a game just for him which he didn't appreaciate at that time. Maybe that's why he ran away from me, I was angry for losing when I should have been thankful for those great games. There is no shame in losing to that kind of strength.
"Alright father but just the first one. I can't share the other one yet." Akira decided.
Father and son went to the next room which was divided with a shoji sliding door. It is a large room roughly the size of twenty tatami with a traditional goban gracing the middle of the room. It serves as study room for the Meijin's study group. The Touya residence was as traditional as you can get, their home designed with tokonoma, shoji sliding doors and windows, detailed handcrafted tatami, even the wooden gate is like a romon, a single roof gate with stone steps.
Akira knelt down in seiza in front of the go board and placed the two goke beside him. His father knelt opposite him and watched as his son recreate the game. Koyo stared at the game's progress with fascination, he taught his son go since the time he understood what go was and he knew his son's ability well. He afforded him four handicaps for when they play because more than that and he would be in trouble. His son was better than most pros, he already rivalled the higher dans and the title holders had been keeping an eye on his progress for years now knowing that someday, Akira will go after their title eventually.
Koyo couldn't believe that there was another boy with this kind of skill and yet unknown? When Akira finished recreating the game each was lost in his own thoughts as they stared at it. Koyo could see his son's brilliance as he answered the moves made by the opponent but he could also see the pure genius of the hand behind the black stones. With komi, Akira would have won but this game was played without handicaps so he was sure they forgo the komi too. But it was not that, black did not play to win. His eyes widened, this game, it's a teaching game!
"Akira, this boy, this game..." Koyo was speechless.
"I know father, he played shidogo with me and I didn't even know it." Akira confirmed.
"Son, would you mind too much if I showed this game to our study group? Koyo asked, he never thought he'd get excited at his old age.
Akira thought about it for awhile, he felt a little lighter now that he shared this with his father. Maybe it would be good to share this with the group to get their opinion about the boy and maybe, just maybe someone heard of him before? "Alright, let show it to them and see what they think about it."
xxxxxxx
The next day after school, Akira found the study group already discussing a game previously played by Ogata 9-dan and Takayama 7-dan. Including his father there are a total of nine people in there which is a goodly number for a study group; four insei, 3 higher dans and Hiroyuki who just passed the pro exam, his father the Meijin and now him, which makes him the amateur in the group. He was never an insei and was yet to take the pro exam but everyone knows his strength.
When the four insei left after two hours of playing, analyzing and discussing their game with the higher dans, Koyo asked his son to recreate the game again for the pros to look at. He then asked them what they thought about it, as they sat seated around the goban with the Meijin a little behind his son.
"I admit the game is well played but is there a reason why this game should be special?" Ogata asked lazily.
"Look again Ogata san, and tell me what's wrong with it." Akira his fists clenched on his lap.
"Did you play this game, Akira kun?" Hiroyuki asked.
"Yes, with a boy a year older than me." Akira replied.
"You lost by two moku, right? Your opponent was black, with komi you still won by 4.5 moku." Ogata responded.
"That's not the point, Ogata san. I want you to look at it, I mean really look at it." Akira beginning to loose patience with Ogata.
"Why don't you just tell us what it is Akira kun, it will save us the trouble." Ogata replied with impatience of his own.
The other three pros were analyzing it in their minds, if this game can agitate someone with such a cold nature then there must be something in it they're missing. It was Shirai 4-dan who saw it first.
"This game, it's shidogo!" Shirai exclaimed.
"What? Really? Oh yes... I see it now..." Hiroyuki seemed to be in awe.
"Now, you all know my son's strength. You all helped mold and train him, and to have someone play him like that with such assurance of his own ability, such profound understanding of the game, that kid could rival all of us here."
"How can you decide that with only just one game? This could be just a chance occcurence, it may never happen again." Ogata argued. It didn't settle well with him that there could be someone out there more stronger than Akira. He already had to be careful when playing this boy, he doesn't need another one to watch out for.
"No, Ogata san, this was just the first game." Akira said softly.
"You mean you played this boy again, Akira kun?" Takayama asked.
"I challenged him after the first game. I got angry, I couldn't believe I lost to a kid, I thought I just underestimated him." Akira a little ashame of his behavior now that he has time to reflect on it. "That's why he didn't want to play with me again... he ran away from me... he never showed up again." Akira's voice dropped to a whisper. The other pros were flabbergasted at that statement and tone, if they didn't know any better he sounded more like someone who just got dumped by his girlfriend.
"Would you show us the second game, Akira kun?" Hiroyuki asked just a little tad too eager, it broke Akira's daze and brought forth his possessiveness.
"No! That game is mine." Akira said fiercely.
"But... but..." Hiroyuki trailed off as he was interrupted by Shirai.
"What is the name of this boy, Akira kun." Shirai giving Hiroyuki a warning glance.
"He wrote down Kurosaki Ichigo and that his strength is captain." Akira sounding confuse at that last bit.
"Captain? Well, the boy could be an amateur and didn't underst..." Shirai was interrupted by Hiroyuki's strangling noises.
"Hey! Hiroyuki, what's wrong with you?" Takayama asked as he was pounding Hiroyuki's back none too gently.
"Hey, hey! Get a hold of yourself!" Shirai this time.
He wanted to laugh so bad but he knew it would be bad manners to do so especially with the solemn atmosphere. And he didn't want Touya sensei to get mad at him or the other pros either. So he tried to swallow it but he ended up turning blue, a knot on his sides formed from contracting his muscles too hard, and on top of that swallowed his spit the wrong way and now he felt like dying. It didn't help that Takayama was beating on him and Shirai trying to get him to drink something at the same time. It took a moment for him to recover and when he did he apologized. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... I was just surprised is all..." Hiroyuki wiping his tears with his sleeves.
"You know him, you know who he is?" Akira seemed to get excited all of a sudden.
"No, no, no, it's not that. That name is just a character from an anime. My younger brother watch it all the time so I couldn't help but follow the story." Hiroyuki explained seriously, he didn't want to be accused of doing such an infantile thing as watch some kid's cartoon. "If he says his strength is captain then he must be really strong." Hiroyuki added.
"That means it's not even his real name?" It looks like Akira is getting angrier by the minute. For someone who was suppose to be cold he sure shows mercurial changes in his emotion.
"I'm not sure, all I know is that the name Kurosaki Ichigo only exist in fiction." Hiroyuki explained.
"He made a fool of me, that bastard." Akira looks furious.
"Akira, mind your language. The boy doesn't want to be found, but if he really is that strong then he will appear before us pros, sooner or later." The Meijin predicted.
xxxxxxx
Later that week Sunday, Sai was playing with Yuuichi at their usual spot in Shinjuko gyoen. Yuuichi had noticed for weeks now that Sai had been playing teaching games with him and so had taken to calling the boy Sai sensei as a joke at first but it sounded so right that calling him plainly as Sai was not just right anymore. And the boy doesn't seem to noticed but take it as if it's the natural thing in the world for him to be called that.
"Sai sensei, I won't be here next week. My friends and I planned to go and watched the 14th NCC Cup Go Tournament on Sunday at nine. I wish it was for another day but there's no helping it. We planned this a long time ago so I can't get away from it." Yuuichi apologetic, he really did want to play with Sai but he also wants to watch the tournament with his friends. His friends had commented that his go had become stronger in his advanced age, it spurred him on and he found the passion for the game he lacked when he was younger.
"Don't worry about it Yuuichi san, there's always the next Sunday." Hikaru didn't really mind, in fact he was glad he didn't have to come next Sunday.
"Hikaruuu... what about me, I won't have anyone to play with, waaahhh!" Sai in distress.
"Uhm, Yuuichi san, where is this tournament being held?" Hikaru sounding as if he's just making random conversation and not really interested.
"Ah, at Shinagawa Prince Hotel auditorium." Yuuichi smiled he could hear the interest in the boy's voice nonetheless. "Would you like to come with us? You probably wouldn't like to be with a bunch of old farts like us but I brought an extra ticket if you decide you'd like to come, either with us or alone." Yuuichi bend down to get his bag and fished out one ticket. "I'm sorry, I only have one to spare. This was supposed to be Kouji's but since he's gone now, I might as well give it to you." Yuuichi sense the rightness of it, the boy was Kouji's replacement after all and more.
When noon came and their time was over, Hikaru went on ahead and bid Yuuichi farewell. He had accepted the ticket and thanked Yuuichi although he said he might not come. When he reached home he took off his cap which he had been wearing everytime he plays with Yuuichi now. He didn't want him to see his new look, he didn't want Yuuichi to recognize him anywhere other than in the garden. He knew him as Sai, but he was not Sai, he was only Sai when he plays go with him in that time at that place.
"Hikaru, Hikaru, Hikaruuu... we're going next Sunday, aren't we?" Sai sounded over the moon.
"What makes you think that, you stupid ghost." Hikaru faked disgruntlement.
"Because you accepted the ticket?" Sai concluded, in his mind you don't accept things if you have no intention of using it.
"So what, I could give it to one of my friends." Hikaru just trying to be contrary.
"But Hikaru, you don't have friends who plays go." Sai pointed out.
"Oh shut up, if you know we're going then don't ask stupid questions." Hikaru irritated with Sai for pointing out the obvious.
"But Hikaru..." Sai wasn't able to finish.
"Hikaru, you talking to yourself again?" Akari hollered and banged a little on the wall.
"You're imagining things again, oneechan." Hikaru hollered back.
xxxxxxx
Hikaru woke up at six thirty, courtesy of his hyperactive ghost. He told Sai to wake him up again in another hour but he couldn't get back to sleep with Sai mumbling, grumbling and wailing. He told his parents before hand that he was going to see some kendo tournament on Sunday and he can't make it to lunch. Three of his sempai from the kendo club would be part of the tournament and as members they are told to be there to lend their support. His mom had made him bento so he wouldn't have to spend too much on food. He finished breakfast by eight and off he goes to Shinagawa.
Hikaru made it to the tournament on the dot. There were only few kids there his age, most are ojisans, to his mind people above twenty are all uncles. He fell in line and gave his ticket and followed where the usher motioned where to go next, he tried to see if he could spot Yuuichi san's group, but he never saw them. Hikaru chose a seat which was way in the corner where people won't be able to spot him immediately. He felt he's becoming an expert in dodging attention although with his new hair style, he stands out.
Sai was all excitement and eagerness. He wondered at the large goban, the booming sound and just the newness in general. Hikaru was sitting there for less than an hour listening to the game until it bored him to death and lulled him to sleep. He slept through the rest of the game and only woke up when Sai nudged his mind gently that the players were taking a lunch break and that he might as well. Hikaru walked to the lobby to stretch his legs, at least he got to sleep and it actually refreshed him. He bought soda from the vending machine and went to look for somewhere to eat when he noticed lap top computers being displayed by the far wall of the hall. There was a large streamer that advertised a gaming site for go. He got curious, he plays video games a lot and it never crossed his mind that he could play this game over the net. He approached the guy explaining how to get into the site and how to use the controls using the keyboard if you don't have a mouse.
"... this is online gaming and you play in real time against real opponents. So once you start, treat it just as if you play with a person in front of you. Remember this is not a video game, you must treat your virtual opponent with courtesy..."
"Is this gaming site free?" Hikaru very much interested but not if he had to pay top yen for it.
"Yes, it's free. All you need to do is register and you can play anytime anywhere and to opponents all over the world." The guy explained.
Hikaru thanked the guy for explaining it to him and he was excited for Sai. He promised Sai he'd let him play as much as he wants during summer break and now he just had the thing. Although he was not saying anything for now, knowing his ghost, he wouldn't hear the end of it if he knew. Hikaru ate his lunch in a hurry and went back to the tournament and just like before sleeps the game away.
(End of Chapter5)