As you probably know, I don't own Hikaru no Go and appreciate the owners letting me play in their universe.

This is really half of a full chapter, but I decided that half a chapter sooner is better than a longer chapter two weeks from now.

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When Akira came out of the elevator the next morning he saw the familiar blond bangs and immediately went over to Hikaru. He was just removing his shoes and there were no other players around him.

"Shindou, are you coming to the salon this afternoon," Akira asked. There was a bit of urgency in his voice but he had consciously tried to keep his voice even and low.

"Yeah, sure," Hikaru replied. "I always come over after the match on Wednesdays, don't I?"

"Yes, but I want to be sure. I have a game I need to show you."

"O.k., that's fine with me." Hikaru was about to ask Akira who had played the game but Honda came by at that moment. He was smiling and walked towards the room with confidence.

"Good morning, Shindou," he said with a smile. Honda nodded politely to Akira who responded in kind.

"Good morning, Honda," Hikaru replied. "You sure look like you feel good today."

"I do indeed."

"Who are you playing?"

Honda just grinned. "It's a club game."

"Oh, so that's the reason you're in such a good mood," Hikaru said. "Well, I'd wish you luck but I presume you won't need it today. Go get him."

"Thanks," Honda said before heading into the game room.

"Just what do you mean by 'a club game'? Akira asked with a glare. His voice was tight. "Is this another one of your little insei clique's invitational games, Shindou SAI? Did you enjoy buying sushi for everyone?" Akira said with an arch look on his face.

'Ouch,' Hikaru thought. He knew Akira's nose was still out of joint that he hadn't been invited to play in the Sai Invitational along with most of the other pros in his age group. It didn't matter that it wasn't a real tournament and that he really had been very busy. He had not been invited.

"Aw, come on, get over that. Your whining is getting old. We both know you couldn't have played in it anyway. You would have turned it down with some obnoxious comment. You were too busy with real leagues to play in our little teaching league."

"You mean, Waya 3-dan's little teaching league." Akira sniffed.

Hikaru looked at him and then caved. He knew Akira better than he thought he did. He possibly knew Akira better about some things than Akira knew himself. Akira was hurt he had been left out of an event most of the other professionals his age had been able to join. The bonding experience of the participants of the Sai Invitational Cup was irreplaceable. The fact that Akira truly had not had time to play in an eight game round robin practice league made no difference at all. He had still been left out. Hikaru was getting to know Akira better all the time, and he knew that Akira's feelings were hurt. He also knew that hell would freeze before Akira admitted it to anyone.

"Don't worry, Touya," Hikaru said with a grin. "I'm sure you're a member of this club without even realizing it. This is the "Don't Lose to Mashiba Club."

"Huh?" Touya looked blank. "Who is Mashiba and why does he rate this attention?"

"Mashiba is that stocky red haired pro who passed the same year you did. He's still a 2-dan and not a particularly skilled one at that." Hikaru told him.

"Eh?" Touya couldn't remember who had passed his year. They were unimportant and had never really registered with him. "If he is such a weak player, why is there a club dedicated to beating him?"

Hikaru laughed. "That's because he's an arrogant ass."

"But he must be very weak if he is still a 2-dan and passed with me. What on earth does he have to be arrogant about?"

"Our point exactly. The club is made up of the professionals who passed my year and the year after that. That's Waya, Ochi, myself, Isumi, Kadowacki and Honda. There are a few others in the club such as Saecki and Nakayama. Pretty much anyone who was an insei and turned professional in the last 5 years or so is a member. They all knew Mashiba." Hikaru looked solemn. We are dedicated to never losing to Mashiba."

Just then Mashiba himself walked by. He looked vaguely familiar but Akira would not have recognized him had Shindou not been described him and if he hadn't just said good morning to him. Akira watched him and had to agree. His whole face seemed like his nose was up in the air. He nodded distantly at Akira and scowled at Hikaru.

"Good morning, Mashiba. I hear you're playing Honda 2-dan today. Have a good game." Hikaru's smile was angelic but his eyes were wolfish. Mashiba's scowl deepened.

"I intend to win this game. I have experience over Honda."

"Good luck with that. You can tell me later how that works out for you," Hikaru said with mock politeness. Mashiba just glared and stalked into the game room.

"Hikaru," Akira said, "that was terribly rude. Why are all of you so fixated on beating this 2-dan anyway?" Sometimes Akira felt like the parent constantly reining in Hikaru's over the top behavior.

"He insulted Insumi during the Young Lion's tournament in my insei year. Isumi beat him handily and Mashiba was mad about it. He made a couple of really nasty comments about how it didn't do any good to be a great go player and top of the insei if Isumi always choked and failed the pro exam. Isumi is a great player and he's going places. He isn't going to muddle around in the middle of the professional pack like some people. He just needed a little more experience in the mental practice of winning a game before he could turn pro and he got that from the Chinese. Isumi will definitely be one of the top players eventually.

"Then Mashiba has this habit of strutting around here acting like he's a title holder. The Club members are dedicated to keeping him from winning games. See, you must be a member of the club. I'm sure you've never lost to the likes of him."

"I'm sure I haven't" Akira agreed. "It still sounds like a lot of energy to devote to some know-nothing pro. I can understand you beating him, but why bother having yet another special group to formalize it? Why are you doing it? Why do Ochi 3-dan and Kadowacki 2-dan take part in this 'club'?"

Hikaru looked uncharacteristically solemn. "I think they do it just because they want to beat every person they play and this club is just a way to get psyched up for a game. Also, even though Ochi would die before admitting it, without this group from our insei days I don't think Ochi would have any friends at all. He might act like he doesn't need them, but everyone needs friends and a group to belong to." Hikaru saw a strange look on Akira's face and realized what he had said. He hurried to continue talking.

"My reason is different from the others. I met Gokiso 7-dan in less than good circumstances. He's a washed up 7-dan who I met just after I had passed the exam but before any of the games officially started in the Spring. Sai was still with me back then and I took him to a go convention. He really liked those things. Gokiso was encouraging fake sales and over pricing in collusion with some scummy dealer. He had shin kaya goban listed as kaya and priced as kaya." Hikaru frowned when he remembered that day. "Gokiso had arranged for the dealer to be at the tournament and then took a cut of the dealer's profits. Beside, he forged Torajiro's name on an antique goban and claimed it had belonged to Shuusaku Honinbou. He was trying to sell it for 6 million yen. This all happened just after I turned pro. Sai instantly knew it was a fake and he about had a hissy fit in the middle of the convention. I'm lucky I hadn't had much breakfast."

"How is this related to Mashiba 2-dan?"

"Mashiba could easily become a second Gokiso. He has that combination of weakness of mind and arrogance." Then Hikaru looked falsely virtuous. "I feel it is my civic duty to prevent Mashiba from getting ideas above his station in the go community. All of us in the club are even more motivated to beat Mashiba than an ordinary game. Since Waya started the club Mashiba's only won one game among the former insei who passed in the last five years.

"Shindou, that is truly bizarre."

"Well, everyone needs a hobby." Hikaru laughed and Akira shook his head with mock despair before the two friends walked companionably into the playing area to start their games.

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If any readers don't know to what Akira and Hikaru are referring when they snipe about the "Sai Invitational", please read my piece "The Invitational." I think its funny, but then, naturally I do. I wrote it

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