CHAPTER 2
"Hikaru! Your call!!!"
"Yea~ I'm coming!" Hikaru shouts from his room. He quickly puts down his book and scrambled down the stairs.
"Hello?"
"Hikaru?"
"Ah, Waya. What's up?"
"Are you busy?"
"Not really. I was just looking through some books on China."
"So you are confirmed going to China?"
"Yup. The organizers called me up just now and inform me about the trip. But actually I knew about it earlier. Touya told me this morning."
"Oh. You met Touya?" there was a disappointed tone in there but Hikaru did not notice.
"Yea. We both have a match this morning but not with each other. Moriwase 4-dan is not bad."
"Haha, not better than you."
"What about you? I heard they are bringing 6 kishi there. Three of us are already in, plus Kurata-san will be four. Another two will be selected next week. Are you taking part?"
"Hm... I was thinking of joining too."
"Yea! It would be fun if we can all go together."
"You really think so?"
"Em! Touya says that we can compete with kishi from China. I can hardly wait."
Touya again... Waya sighed. What is this bitter feeling when his name is mentioned by Hikaru?
"Alright. I'll register with Ki-In tomorrow. Ochi and Isumi had already registered."
"Haha. Ochi as well?"
"Yea... he said it's being sponsored anyway..." Waya let a small sigh...
"Hikaru, I really want to be chosen."
"Don't worry. You can do it. You have improved a lot."
Waya felt a surge of happiness when Hikaru complimented him. His face was blushing but too bad Hikaru can't see him now.
"Will you be coming next week? To watch the selection competition?"
"Sure. I'll be there."
"See you next week then!"
"Em. Bye."
"Bye." And all Waya hears is the click of Hikaru's phone.
********************************
The following week...
The Ki-In is full of people. Whether it's kishi who will be taking part in the selection competition to China or those who come to give moral support, everyone is nervous.
"Where is Hikaru? Did you see him?" Waya was so nervous and keep looking out for his friend.
Isumi who was standing beside Waya looks down.
"I'm sure he will come..."
"Yea. He promised me last week."
"Waya, Isumi." Honda who just appears call out to his friends.
"There's Ochi... phew, there's quite a number of people today..."
"Exactly... I'll be playing against Isumi in later rounds." Waya said.
"If you pass those outsiders." Ochi chips in.
"... ... ..." Waya turned his head away from Ochi and back to the crowd. Somehow he's not in the mood to argue with Ochi right now.
"Honda, you are in the same group as Ochi..."
"Sigh... yea, he's a tough opponent."
"Oi~ Isumi! Waya! Honda!"
"Hikaru!!!" Waya responded immediately upon hearing his name. The big smile on Waya's face disappeared as soon as he saw the person behind Hikaru.
"What is HE doing here?" Waya pointed out rudely at Akira.
"Oh, we have promised to meet here last week and watch the match."
"Touya!" Ochi just realized Akira is here. He was talking to another kishi before that. Ochi's mind was a little disturbed. He didn't expect Akira to be here. Why is he here? He thought Akira is not interested in small selection competitions like this one. Is it because... is it because Akira is here to see HIM compete?
"Ochi..." it had been quite sometime since they had talked. Though they met each other in Go events but they hardly had any conversation.
"Alright, everyone! Contestants take your place please! Those who are here to watch can stand aside..." the sensei is calling out.
"Waya, Isumi, good luck!" Hikaru waved at them. Waya's spirit lifts a little after hearing Hikaru's supportive words. He waved back with a smile, ignoring Akira who's standing beside Hikaru.
Ochi walked away but his mind was confused. He felt jealousy rousing in him when he saw Hikaru and Akira talking with each other. Akira's expression is so soft, so sweet... how he wished if only Akira would look at him that way. Ochi brushed off his thoughts. He must concentrate now and win a place. With that, he will be able to be in the same side as Akira.
"Hikaru! Your call!!!"
"Yea~ I'm coming!" Hikaru shouts from his room. He quickly puts down his book and scrambled down the stairs.
"Hello?"
"Hikaru?"
"Ah, Waya. What's up?"
"Are you busy?"
"Not really. I was just looking through some books on China."
"So you are confirmed going to China?"
"Yup. The organizers called me up just now and inform me about the trip. But actually I knew about it earlier. Touya told me this morning."
"Oh. You met Touya?" there was a disappointed tone in there but Hikaru did not notice.
"Yea. We both have a match this morning but not with each other. Moriwase 4-dan is not bad."
"Haha, not better than you."
"What about you? I heard they are bringing 6 kishi there. Three of us are already in, plus Kurata-san will be four. Another two will be selected next week. Are you taking part?"
"Hm... I was thinking of joining too."
"Yea! It would be fun if we can all go together."
"You really think so?"
"Em! Touya says that we can compete with kishi from China. I can hardly wait."
Touya again... Waya sighed. What is this bitter feeling when his name is mentioned by Hikaru?
"Alright. I'll register with Ki-In tomorrow. Ochi and Isumi had already registered."
"Haha. Ochi as well?"
"Yea... he said it's being sponsored anyway..." Waya let a small sigh...
"Hikaru, I really want to be chosen."
"Don't worry. You can do it. You have improved a lot."
Waya felt a surge of happiness when Hikaru complimented him. His face was blushing but too bad Hikaru can't see him now.
"Will you be coming next week? To watch the selection competition?"
"Sure. I'll be there."
"See you next week then!"
"Em. Bye."
"Bye." And all Waya hears is the click of Hikaru's phone.
********************************
The following week...
The Ki-In is full of people. Whether it's kishi who will be taking part in the selection competition to China or those who come to give moral support, everyone is nervous.
"Where is Hikaru? Did you see him?" Waya was so nervous and keep looking out for his friend.
Isumi who was standing beside Waya looks down.
"I'm sure he will come..."
"Yea. He promised me last week."
"Waya, Isumi." Honda who just appears call out to his friends.
"There's Ochi... phew, there's quite a number of people today..."
"Exactly... I'll be playing against Isumi in later rounds." Waya said.
"If you pass those outsiders." Ochi chips in.
"... ... ..." Waya turned his head away from Ochi and back to the crowd. Somehow he's not in the mood to argue with Ochi right now.
"Honda, you are in the same group as Ochi..."
"Sigh... yea, he's a tough opponent."
"Oi~ Isumi! Waya! Honda!"
"Hikaru!!!" Waya responded immediately upon hearing his name. The big smile on Waya's face disappeared as soon as he saw the person behind Hikaru.
"What is HE doing here?" Waya pointed out rudely at Akira.
"Oh, we have promised to meet here last week and watch the match."
"Touya!" Ochi just realized Akira is here. He was talking to another kishi before that. Ochi's mind was a little disturbed. He didn't expect Akira to be here. Why is he here? He thought Akira is not interested in small selection competitions like this one. Is it because... is it because Akira is here to see HIM compete?
"Ochi..." it had been quite sometime since they had talked. Though they met each other in Go events but they hardly had any conversation.
"Alright, everyone! Contestants take your place please! Those who are here to watch can stand aside..." the sensei is calling out.
"Waya, Isumi, good luck!" Hikaru waved at them. Waya's spirit lifts a little after hearing Hikaru's supportive words. He waved back with a smile, ignoring Akira who's standing beside Hikaru.
Ochi walked away but his mind was confused. He felt jealousy rousing in him when he saw Hikaru and Akira talking with each other. Akira's expression is so soft, so sweet... how he wished if only Akira would look at him that way. Ochi brushed off his thoughts. He must concentrate now and win a place. With that, he will be able to be in the same side as Akira.