Trickster Damsel

4. Beginner Dan series

You took Akira's advice going inside The Go institute and asked directions from the man behind front desk. He gave you simple directions to the watch room. You got on elevator and as you got off you saw open door to smaller room with television and go boards along with chairs in it. Television showed video from the room of profound darkness, which was mainly used in title matches and new pro's got to play their beginner Dan series there or so you had heard.

You didn't really know all that much about real life Go, just the players. This was your first time in Go institute too, you didn't go into one even in America.

You sat on one chair near the door as the room was still empty but soon after you came some other people entered too and after while of chatting with each other they noticed you.

'' Hello, You seem to be new face here. I'm Hiroyuki Ashiwara and on my right is Mitsuru Mashiba, you ?'' The young pro introduced himself and his companion.

'' Oh... My name is Yuna. Nice to meet you too and that's because I' am new face. Today I came here for the first time as I was invited by akira to come watch his match.'' You answered with slight smile looking at the pair of young pro players. Mashiba had curly blonde hair and Ashiwara clean black hair.

'' Are you friend of Akira's ?'' Ashiwara asked.

'' Well you could say that.'' You answered to him leaving him little puzzled and before he was able to ask anything more Amano came into the room with someone who looked like photographer.

'' Sorry for being little rude earlier.'' The journalist apologized as he saw you.

'' No No for someone with job like yours it's understandable.'' You answered and started to listen other's conversations.

'' What happened ?'' Ashiwara asked looking curious.

'' Oh Ashiwara is here ?'' Amano though aloud noticing Ashiwara.

'' Hello'' Ashiwara greeted the journalist still waiting for his answer.

'' Oh yeah. I thought she was Akira's Girlfriend.'' Amano explained making Ashiwara burst out laughing. '' Not to sound rude but I don't think that Akira will have Girlfriend for a while. That boy doesn't show much interest in anything other than Go.'' Ashiwara said when he was done laughing.

'' True but it's good to expect the unexpected.'' Amano agreed. ''Oh yeah you're student of Toya Meijin.''

'' I'm also a friend of Akira's'' Ashiwara said pointing at himself. '' The second closest to his age after Yuna. Most of his friends are adults.''

'' I wonder If that's why he's so calm and relaxed. It was amazing. All other beginner Dan were either really excited or nervous. He is neither.'' Amano said while lighting his cigarette. ''Mashiba here was as stiff as a board.'' Amano said pointing at Mashiba.

'' Kuwabara is seriously scary. He slammed his first hand on to the board.'' Mashiba defended himself.

'' Ha Ha Ha, You can't fall to something like that.'' Amano laughed at him.

'' That sounds like something Kuwabara would do.'' Ashiwara pointed out.

'' Now how will today's game go?'' Amano wondered aloud and you too looked at the begun game shown on TV screen while thinking about Kuwabara. He was very old Go player but he held his Honinbo title well and he is very good player. Some people say that he has very sharp sixth sense too.

Silence filled whole room as everyone was following the game. That's until two boys entered the room.

'' Oh, Waya and Isumi.'' Mashiba called out as he realized the two teen boys standing near door and you looked at them wondering who they were. Other one had brown messy hair and seemed younger than the black haired one who was quite tall and mature looking.

'' Hey, Isumi. Doing well ?'' The journalist Amano asked.

'' Uh, yes.'' Black haired boy answered, so you guessed him to be Isumi. Meaning the brown haired one must be Waya then but you were still bothered who they were and the fact that you didn't know was bothering you so you decided to ask.

'' um... Who are they ?'' You asked from the other side of room startling both boys, because they hadn't realized you as you were more near back corner than door.

'' Oh right sorry. Black haired one is Shinichiro Isumi and Brown haired one is Yoshitaka Waya. They are both Insei.'' Amano explained to you. It was just like you thought but inseis !

Then is Zelda one of them... you wondered but quickly shook it out of your head as it wasn't important right now.

You wanted to ask but that would let your identity out too or at least raise suspicious. Though good thing is that those in this room only know me by name Yuna. I mean my full name could definitely give out the required hint.

'' Oh you're well hidden. Who is she?'' Isumi laughed while asking.

'' Yuna. Akira's friend.'' Amano answered. Waya was still staring at you with weird look but realized it and then jokingly said, '' So that guy actually has other friends too and not only old men.''

'' Hey I'm not old man either !'' Ashiwara said trying to look hurt making everyone laugh at his reaction, you did too but soon stopped as you felt that certain insei staring at you. What was his problem, you wondered as it was making you feel little uneasy.

'' We 'Il recreate the game from the beginning for you.'' Amano said saving you as both inseis looked at the Go board.

'' I'll be white.'' Ashiwara said placing white stones on goban while Amano placed black ones, ''Everyone is paying attention to Toya Akira.''

'' Isumi, it would be nice if you could pass the Pro exam this year.'' Amano said with his eyes on goban. You got the idea that he had been insei more than two years.

'' uh, yes.'' Isumi answered

'' Isumi is stronger than me, after all. Though I got lucky and passed.'' Mashiba said with smirk on his face. Obliviously trying to annoy Isumi but the one who seemed to be more annoyed was Waya. Isumi just stayed quiet with his black hair covering his eyes but for sure he was frustrated by Mashiba's comment.

'' Being lucky is also ability. The first one to defeat Toya Akira could be you.'' Amano said to Mashiba

'' I would like that.'' Mashiba said with annoying smirk on his face, somehow you seemed to begin dislike this person, even if he is Pro.

'' Sorry but it's impossible for likes of you guys to defeat Toya Akira... Even Zama is struggling.'' Ashiwara said with serious look on his face. In your mind you thanked him for saying that or else you may have had to say something not so beautiful.

You didn't know how strong Mashiba was but he didn't possess any aura compared to Akira. So he definitely couldn't win over Akira. Yes, actually you too had good sixth sense.

'' Yeah that's not how an Ouza would normally play a beginners Dan. He's serious.'' Amano said with his eyes following the TV screen.

'' Look at Zama's two hands here.'' Ashiwara said pointing at the goban, '' A title holder would normally play defensively and attack here. Zama is determined to win no matter what.'' Now that you looked at it Ashiwara was right, even you who didn't know much about games like this could tell the difference between friendly game and hostile one like this but Akira was keeping his place well for a new Pro.

'' Isumi, let's recreate it over there.'' Waya said pointing at the goban next to you.

'' Yeah.'' Isumi agreed.

'' um.. Can I join you guys ?'' You asked moving your chair closer those two.

'' Of course.'' Isumi answered.

'' Y-Yeah.'' The brown haired guy answered seeming little nervous for some reason and you could see Isumi smiling at him but you didn't see Waya's face as he looked away from you.

For next minutes you could hear Pro players and journalist discuss the reason why Zama seemed to be annoyed and about some habit of him biting his fan, which Amane went to check some time ago and came back telling that he was right.

Waya and Isumi were discussing the game and you were impressed how well Akira played against many times more experienced Pro.

Ashiwara was about to get coffee but instead he got pulled along the door as young boy hurried to the room, whom you guessed to be insei too.

'' What's going on with Toya ?'' He shouted as first thing not realizing Ashiwara but apologized immediately as he did. You couldn't help but laugh at the hilarious scene.

'' Shindo'' Waya called and Shindo answered by calling Waya's name seeming little relieved to see his friend.

'' He is Shindo Hikaru, an Insei.'' Isumi introduced to you and you just nodded back, inspecting this Shindo guy. His bangs were dyed blonde but rest of his hair was black. He also seemed to be youngest out of three insei in this room.

'' I'm Yuna, Nice to meet you.'' You introduced yourself to the new insei with slight smile and he smiled back or more like grinned.

'' Another insei...'' Mashiba said unhappily annoying Waya who shouted off something unexpected. 'He's not normal insei. This is the only guy Toya Akira views as his rival !'' Everyone in room seemed very surprised and Isumi confirmed that it was true.

'' Toya's rival ? He didn't say anything about that when I interviewed him.'' Amano thought aloud and Shindo amazingly well crushed the tense atmosphere by asking who those people were in front of us. You couldn't help but laugh at him and Waya shouted who they were to his naive friend's face.

After that Isumi started recreating game with Waya to show Hikaru the game but stopped seeing that Ouza entered the territory, which Akira didn't protect. Everyone's eyes were fixated on screen but you already knew the outcome, so you turned to look at the young boy who was said to be Akira's rival.

He was smiling for some reason. Not the kind of mocking smile to see his rival losing but happy one like he understood something, that only he could see in this game.

'' Oh it's snow,'' Hikaru said seeing white snowflakes falling on the other side of window. Everyone stopped to look outside for the falling like it was enchanted. In your option snow always was.

Beautiful snow glittered as light met the snowflakes. Winter was like spell, which just seemed to stop the flow of time for a while. Nights felt long and when you stepped outside you were greeted by white snow drifts and fresh air. On freezing nights the sky looked very clean too, so you could see stars very well.

While you were watching the falling snow, others too seemed to notice that the tables had been turned and now Ouza was leading. Everyone was saying that Ouza would be winner now but Hikaru was yelling that Akira could still turn the game around. Though that wasn't possible with the way Akira was playing now. Thus he resigned.

Everyone left the room but Hikaru stayed looking at the game. He didn't seem to believe at first that Akira lost but he had to accept it.

You wanted ask some questions from him, so you leaned against the wall outside the room where you were earlier and waited. He seemed to be speaking alone and you didn't mind but one sentence got caught in your head...

~Tyragosa