CHAPTER 7
CRACK
The door opens. The room is dark. Akira puts his key-card on the holder and light automatically spring to live. He saw Hikaru lying on the bed, rolled up on his side. Is he asleep?
"Hikaru?"
No answer.
Akira let out a small sigh and sat on the left side of the bed.
"... No one understands..."
"Huh?" Akira thought he heard Hikaru mumbles. Is he sleep-talking?
He went to the right side and look at Hikaru. His eyes were closed.
"He's asleep..." He was about to stand up but stop abruptly. Akira saw a tear drop from Hikaru's eye. Is he... Is he crying? Crying in his dream?
"Please come back... please..."
Akira felt a slap on his face. What is this pain in his chest? Why does it hurt so badly that he wanted to die? And yet he used to thought that there's no worse feeling than losing a match in Go.
Who is it that Hikaru longs for? Why did he give up Go last year? What is it that Hikaru wanted to tell him in the Ki-In last time? What is this obsession over about Honinbo Shuusaku? He really wished he could get the answer ... it's like an unsolved math question that keep dangling in his mind. He just can't get it out.
"Hm..." Hikaru rolled over and rub his eyes.
"Oh, you are back... how long did I sleep? I was reading some magazine and then dozed off..." he yawns without noticing the hurt look on his rival.
Akira did not answer him. He went straight to his bag and took out a book. Hikaru notice that there's something wrong with him.
"Is there anything wrong?"
"Ask yourself that question."
"What? What did I do?"
"... ... ..." Akira opens his book and sat near the window.
"Say something, will you?"
"What do you want me to say?" he croaks out. It even hurts to talk to him now.
"What's wrong with you? Things were fine when we arrive here today. Now you are giving me the cold shoulder."
"I am not."
"Yes you are. Something is bothering you. Tell me." He looks straight in his eyes.
No! Don't look at me like that! Akira was about to explode... why that look? Those eyes... he cannot resist them!
"I... I... "And Akira diverts his eyes to another direction. Hikaru confronts him and holds his shoulder, facing him.
"Look in my eyes and tell me the truth." He demanded.
"I... "But all Akira is able to do is just stare at him. Those earnest eyes... sweet, beautiful lips... he wished he could kiss him at that moment... 'No! This is wrong! I shouldn't be thinking about such thing at this time!' he reminded himself.
"Say it. What is it that is bothering you?"
"You won't understand." He pushes away Hikaru's hands.
"I won't unless you tell what is wrong."
"Why are you pushing me to say it? It's my own problem." he said bitterly.
"Because your problem is my problem too." Akira turns his head and look at Hikaru. Is he hearing it right?
"What ... what do you mean?" his heart is thumping very fast. Oh my! Is this the moment?
"I—"Hikaru began...
DING DONG DING DONG
SIGH! Both of them felt relieve and upset at the same time. Hikaru opened the door to see Ochi standing there and glaring at him.
"Ochi what is it?"
"Am I disturbing? I just don't want to stay in the room with Yashiro (actually, I don't want both of you to stay in a room together)."
"Sure... come in." Hikaru hesitated but let Ochi in.
"Touya, have a match with me (to be honest, I want you to see me in front of you)." Ochi brought his travel-pack Go with him.
"Um... Ok..." he steals a glance at Hikaru.
While Akira and Ochi make themselves comfortable on the floor, Hikaru lie down on his bed and continue reading his magazine. The environment is very tense in there.
After about half an hour, Hikaru look at his watch. It's only 8.30pm.
"I'm going over to Yashiro." He announced and left.
Ochi's stomach gave a nervous flip. He is now alone in the room with Touya! Something he dreams of for a long time. But Akira is not happy. He wanted to know what Hikaru was about to tell him moments ago before Ochi came.
"How's the trip so far?" Ochi asked casually while placing his ki on the board. His mind is not on the game.
"It's interesting." Akira answers lamely. He knew his concentration is bad today. Nothing but Hikaru is on his mind.
"What are you doing?" Hikaru asks Yashiro once he steps inside the room.
"Shouldn't I be the one to ask you what are you here for?" Yashiro answered bluntly.
"Haha it's rather boring in the room. Besides, Ochi is having a match with Akira."
Yashiro look at Hikaru for a moment and then sat on the bed. He scratches his head.
"Is it alright to leave both of them in the room together?"
"What do you mean? What's wrong with that?"
Yashiro slaps his own forehead and tumble on his bed.
"Oi, don't joke with me..."
"I am not joking. What's wrong?"
"Sigh Forget it... "
"Ah! You mean worried that Ochi and Akira will do something in the room? Hahahahahahaha you must be kidding me!!! Then isn't it suspicious for the two of us to be alone in this room?" Hikaru throws a pillow playfully at Yashiro.
"What? That's different!!!" Yashiro threw the pillow back at him. Without a moment to waste, both starts to have a pillow-fight and run around the bed/ room (yea, like kids). Hikaru accidentally trips on the blanket and fell backwards on the bed. But before he fell, he try to hold onto something (so that he won't fall) but only able to grasp Yashiro who was nearby. Losing balance, Yashiro fell on top of Hikaru!!!
CRACK. The door opens.
It's Waya and Isumi. They stare at the two boys on the bed.
Yuii-chan: Ochi's words... those in bracket are his true intention but he did not say them aloud, of course.
CRACK
The door opens. The room is dark. Akira puts his key-card on the holder and light automatically spring to live. He saw Hikaru lying on the bed, rolled up on his side. Is he asleep?
"Hikaru?"
No answer.
Akira let out a small sigh and sat on the left side of the bed.
"... No one understands..."
"Huh?" Akira thought he heard Hikaru mumbles. Is he sleep-talking?
He went to the right side and look at Hikaru. His eyes were closed.
"He's asleep..." He was about to stand up but stop abruptly. Akira saw a tear drop from Hikaru's eye. Is he... Is he crying? Crying in his dream?
"Please come back... please..."
Akira felt a slap on his face. What is this pain in his chest? Why does it hurt so badly that he wanted to die? And yet he used to thought that there's no worse feeling than losing a match in Go.
Who is it that Hikaru longs for? Why did he give up Go last year? What is it that Hikaru wanted to tell him in the Ki-In last time? What is this obsession over about Honinbo Shuusaku? He really wished he could get the answer ... it's like an unsolved math question that keep dangling in his mind. He just can't get it out.
"Hm..." Hikaru rolled over and rub his eyes.
"Oh, you are back... how long did I sleep? I was reading some magazine and then dozed off..." he yawns without noticing the hurt look on his rival.
Akira did not answer him. He went straight to his bag and took out a book. Hikaru notice that there's something wrong with him.
"Is there anything wrong?"
"Ask yourself that question."
"What? What did I do?"
"... ... ..." Akira opens his book and sat near the window.
"Say something, will you?"
"What do you want me to say?" he croaks out. It even hurts to talk to him now.
"What's wrong with you? Things were fine when we arrive here today. Now you are giving me the cold shoulder."
"I am not."
"Yes you are. Something is bothering you. Tell me." He looks straight in his eyes.
No! Don't look at me like that! Akira was about to explode... why that look? Those eyes... he cannot resist them!
"I... I... "And Akira diverts his eyes to another direction. Hikaru confronts him and holds his shoulder, facing him.
"Look in my eyes and tell me the truth." He demanded.
"I... "But all Akira is able to do is just stare at him. Those earnest eyes... sweet, beautiful lips... he wished he could kiss him at that moment... 'No! This is wrong! I shouldn't be thinking about such thing at this time!' he reminded himself.
"Say it. What is it that is bothering you?"
"You won't understand." He pushes away Hikaru's hands.
"I won't unless you tell what is wrong."
"Why are you pushing me to say it? It's my own problem." he said bitterly.
"Because your problem is my problem too." Akira turns his head and look at Hikaru. Is he hearing it right?
"What ... what do you mean?" his heart is thumping very fast. Oh my! Is this the moment?
"I—"Hikaru began...
DING DONG DING DONG
SIGH! Both of them felt relieve and upset at the same time. Hikaru opened the door to see Ochi standing there and glaring at him.
"Ochi what is it?"
"Am I disturbing? I just don't want to stay in the room with Yashiro (actually, I don't want both of you to stay in a room together)."
"Sure... come in." Hikaru hesitated but let Ochi in.
"Touya, have a match with me (to be honest, I want you to see me in front of you)." Ochi brought his travel-pack Go with him.
"Um... Ok..." he steals a glance at Hikaru.
While Akira and Ochi make themselves comfortable on the floor, Hikaru lie down on his bed and continue reading his magazine. The environment is very tense in there.
After about half an hour, Hikaru look at his watch. It's only 8.30pm.
"I'm going over to Yashiro." He announced and left.
Ochi's stomach gave a nervous flip. He is now alone in the room with Touya! Something he dreams of for a long time. But Akira is not happy. He wanted to know what Hikaru was about to tell him moments ago before Ochi came.
"How's the trip so far?" Ochi asked casually while placing his ki on the board. His mind is not on the game.
"It's interesting." Akira answers lamely. He knew his concentration is bad today. Nothing but Hikaru is on his mind.
"What are you doing?" Hikaru asks Yashiro once he steps inside the room.
"Shouldn't I be the one to ask you what are you here for?" Yashiro answered bluntly.
"Haha it's rather boring in the room. Besides, Ochi is having a match with Akira."
Yashiro look at Hikaru for a moment and then sat on the bed. He scratches his head.
"Is it alright to leave both of them in the room together?"
"What do you mean? What's wrong with that?"
Yashiro slaps his own forehead and tumble on his bed.
"Oi, don't joke with me..."
"I am not joking. What's wrong?"
"Sigh Forget it... "
"Ah! You mean worried that Ochi and Akira will do something in the room? Hahahahahahaha you must be kidding me!!! Then isn't it suspicious for the two of us to be alone in this room?" Hikaru throws a pillow playfully at Yashiro.
"What? That's different!!!" Yashiro threw the pillow back at him. Without a moment to waste, both starts to have a pillow-fight and run around the bed/ room (yea, like kids). Hikaru accidentally trips on the blanket and fell backwards on the bed. But before he fell, he try to hold onto something (so that he won't fall) but only able to grasp Yashiro who was nearby. Losing balance, Yashiro fell on top of Hikaru!!!
CRACK. The door opens.
It's Waya and Isumi. They stare at the two boys on the bed.
Yuii-chan: Ochi's words... those in bracket are his true intention but he did not say them aloud, of course.