Touya couldn't contain his sighs between the mundane instructing and second-rate matches he was providing the amateurs, but this particular tournament had gained a lot of coverage in the years previous due to his presence as a professional tutor. In fact, he was as much of an attraction as the tournament itself if the line of Go-obsessed nobodies in line to play against him was any indication. He was allowed no rest between matches, sometimes even taking on five opponents at a time to make up for the sheer demand to face him. He had yet to be seriously challenged when he was allotted a short break for lunch. He was exhausted regardless.
So when Kurata Gosei approached him just as he was opening his store-bought obento, Akira was unable to suppress a large groan. The man's froglike face bore an unmistakable desire for battle.
"Please, Kurata-sensei, not now. I will accept a friendly match at any time when I am not otherwise occupied." He broke apart his chopsticks for punctuation. "Until then, I look forward to our upcoming match in the Honinbo league." He ate a bite of broiled salmon almost daintily.
"No, no. You misunderstand me, Touya 7-dan." Kurata dragged a young girl from behind him. She had light brown hair that hung low over her face, trailing down past her shoulders. Her eyes were darkened by the accented frown on her face. "This girl is here to challenge you."
Touya regarded her calmly. She was probably only in middle school. She seemed scrawny, but it could have just been that her clothes were too big. A plain green tee shirt and khaki cargo pants sagged around her body. Her fingers twitched occasionally. She looked anywhere but at Touya.
"How does she play?" Akira asked, content to pretend she wasn't there until she personally acknowledged him.
"Well enough. Four stone handicap, perhaps?" His smile turned sly as the girl burned with embarrassment.
"I don't need a handicap against someone like y—!" the girl shouted, startled at her own outburst. She was fuming but still refused to raise her head.
'Way to throw down a gauntlet,' Touya thought, recalling times when even he had been so immature. He finished his lunch quickly.
"Okay," he said, wiping his mouth on the corner of a napkin. He gathered up his garbage and looked directly at the young girl. "I'll face you right now."
Kurata was pleased, but the girl still gave off a violent air. She sat and glared venomously at the surface of the goban.
"I will be white, so play whenever you wish." Touya took the appropriate goke and laid it delicately beside him. "Onegaishimasu."
Without a word, the girl slammed a stone at the upper star point. Touya responded quickly but with decorum. He almost laughed at his opponent's intensity within his iron mask. She continued her lightning play with the same ferocity, gritting her teeth at every gentle response from Akira. Though he laid each stone lightly, his play was equally as vicious as hers and she felt it. She trembled, slapping stone after stone, unwilling to break off her initial aggressiveness though she felt it crumble. They had only been playing for about twenty minutes when she broke off, taking time to study the board. She muttered to herself, mile a minute, words completely lost on Touya. He studied her face instead, trying to place the girl into a role he could understand.
'No make-up, worn-through boys' clothes, unkempt hair, but she's clean and almost seems to be wearing some kind of perfume…' He shot a glance at Kurata who still hovered behind her. He was smiling, considering the board thoughtfully. 'Her game is straightforward. She isn't a bad player at all, but there's something missing. Rather, it seems that she hasn't had any formal training…' He looked back to the board. 'She wants the top and bottom in order to secure at least a third of the center. I let her claim the bottom already, thinking she would spread up gradually, but she doesn't seem to want to do it that way.'
The girl cracked her knuckles and played a stone while Akira cringed involuntarily. Kurata chuckled to himself. It was a simple peep, not exactly what Touya had been anticipating, but easily countered. Instead, he played a tamer honte steadily, seeming to defend against her invasion. Really, he was waiting. Kurata wouldn't bring just anyone to play against him. This girl had to have some kind of power, and Touya wanted to draw out whatever potential she might have.
"Really?" she whispered. It was so soft, Akira almost doubted that he'd heard it, but then a new onslaught of rapid fighting began. Each white stone that clicked to the board seemed to offend the child personally. The simple peep hadn't only pressed into his territory; it was the beginning of a bridge that threatened to form diagonally into the center, claiming at least half of the board if Touya couldn't stop it within fourteen hands.
'And this little girl almost had me in this semiai.' Touya remained calm, seeing a way out of the problem in four moves, but the girl almost radiated the desire to win. It was a parched kind of need that Akira knew to shy away from. In any event, he broke out of the semiai and cut off the bridge before it became too dangerously formed. A great pincer challenged her in the bottom right and she should have no choice but to resign.
She sat there, staring stupidly at the board. A small sound of protest shook out of her mouth. All of the anger was momentarily dissipated and Touya got a good look at the girl's eyes: ochre with flecks of gold that sparkled in the bright halogen lighting. They darkened considerably as she grumbled, "I have nothing," and flung herself out of the seat and managed to get all the way across the room before Kurata could even protest.
"Sorry about that," the Gosei holder apologized, helping Touya clear the stones. "My niece can be a handful."
"What's her name?" Touya asked as he scooped a handful of white away.
"Ito Yuka. She just recently became an insei."
"Not surprising. She's talented, but…"
"You felt it too, huh?" Kurata laughed heartily. "I thought you might. She's plays a lot like you used to."
"She sticks to the fundamentals well. I'm sure she plays a mean endgame, which is why I cut it off when I did. Besides, she was getting frustrated with shidougo." Touya thought hard for a moment. "Do you intend for her to learn from me?"
"She needs an instructor. Your last pupil dropped out of the insei program rather recently, right?"
"A few weeks ago, yes." Touya allowed himself an ironic smile. "He struggled through every step and became frustrated with my methods. He gave me an earful before quitting and leaving the city altogether."
Kurata laughed heartily. "You really seem to attract the hotheads," he chuckled. "So, what do you say, Touya-sensei?"
"Since the great Gosei is asking, how could I refuse?" His sarcasm called another cheery laugh from the older pro.
"I'll hold you to it, Akira-kun!" the man exclaimed. "I'll bring her to your house Friday evening!"
Akira tried to protest, tried to tell the man that he had plans, but he kept his words to himself. He was curious about the girl, even if he had a long-standing ritual of playing his rival on Fridays from lunch till evening, or at least until one of them became too irritated or tired to continue.
Surely Shindo would understand…
The apartment that Hikaru had recently started renting was small, but it was enough for the young pro. It had worn out, second-hand appliances and furnishings—namely a hideous orange and yellow plaid sofa and his family's old dining table—a beat-up TV set, and the goban his grandfather had gotten for him in the main room. Hikaru kept his modest kifu collection in the bedroom, tucked in his closet and out of the way. Unfortunately, it made digging through them to get to the ones he was looking for extremely difficult.
"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" he hissed, fresh papercut already pooling tiny drops of blood. Setsuko giggled delicately in the corner of the room. He snatched up the kifu he had been looking for and did his best not to acknowledge the spirit in the alcove.
"Do you have to be so annoying?" Hikaru demanded, sucking on his damaged finger. The ghost made a motion akin to a shrug. "Geez…of all the ghosts to get attached to…"
Don't be like that. I'm helping you study, aren't I?
"A great help, that!" Hikaru snapped. "You barely know how to play!"
How am I supposed to help that? The priestesses were disinterested by such tedious games. I received no instruction at all once I left the capital. She was pouting again.
"Whatever, just stay quiet while I study."
Hikaru had to admit to himself that he was curious about his new companion, but his career ultimately came first. He was losing confidence with each kifu he laid out on the goban, studying from selected collections that Waya had lent him in exchange for Akari's phone number.
'She's gonna kill me for that, I just know it,' he thought miserably, his concentration completely gone to shit at that point. He kneed the goban and flopped over.
Setsuko was humming to herself and staring out the window. Everything seemed to fascinate her, which was one of the few endearing things about her.
"What is it?" he asked, standing and joining her at the window.
The buildings are so tall,she crooned, pointing to the cityscape. Is it like this everywhere? In the car, everything seemed so green, but here… She shivered, making a face. Everything here is gray and miserable.
"Should we go to the park, then?" he wondered out loud. Setsuko perked up.
Can we? Can we go? I want to play!
"Hey! My body, my rules! You can play again when you figure out how to keep my body normal. I don't want to miss a match because I can't walk or something." Setsuko had misbehaved and possessed him while he slept, much to Hikaru's chagrin upon waking to a dizzy and unresponsive body. Her guilty expression made him sigh. "But we can still go to the park." She bounced giddily in place as Hikaru put on his shoes.
On the way to the park, Setsuko had a surprising number of questions prepared about things around her or that she had recalled seeing. Hikaru could barely keep up with all of her excited chatter, but did the best he could to try and explain the world to her.
How big is it, really? she asked for the third time, craning her head to look at the sky. The world seems much bigger now than it did in Saiku.
'Saiku?'
My home as the Saio. It was called the Bamboo Palace. Her eyes shone proudly. It was a grand palace that housed me and my attendants, as well as the priestesses of the shrine. The days of Saiku were filled with poetry, flowers, sake, and the loveliest of music. She produced her plectrum from within her sleeve.
'Saio, huh?' He thought for a moment. 'How did you become the Saio?'
I was chosen, she explained. There is a ritual to select the Saio with every coronation. The former Saio returns to the capital and an unwed relative to the emperor takes her place in Ise. My brother was made emperor, and I was selected by a divination to replace the former Saio when I was only thirteen.
'How old are you now?' Hikaru asked, ready to be chastised for impertinence again, but Setsuko remained quiet, as if calculating to herself the passage of time.
Twenty-six, she answered simply. A cold air surrounded her. Unwed, shackled to the title of Saio, and my brother would not call me back to the capital. A brief silence, then a giggle and Setsuko regained her characteristic effervescence. But the soft, sweet life in Saiku agreed with me. I was only ill one time in my life.
'Setsuko…' Hikaru stopped walking, just looking at the spirit. 'How did you die?'
No idea. Her grin was strange, but not forced.
'I see…' He felt a bit silly for being so somber when the woman seemingly had no qualms about her past. He started walking again.
Hmm? Setsuko paused near a stroller, utterly perplexed by its function until the small child inside burst into tears. Oh no! Oh, my word, Hikaru! The boy didn't break stride. The toddler was soothed by its mother and Setsuko scurried after her host. Did he see me? Was he frightened of me? The notion bothered her until Hikaru's mind was buzzing with anxiety.
'No one can see you but me, Setsuko,' he comforted her blandly. She didn't seem convinced, but his effort was enough to make her smile again.
Explain 'airplanes' to me again.
And the questions continued. Even after Hikaru had reached the park and knotted his fingers in the soft grass, Setsuko interrogated him, starving for knowledge of the world she had never known. He stretched out on the lawn and smiled to himself.
What about music, Hikaru? How different is it in this time?
"Music has evolved, too. There are many different kinds, but deep down, the core of it hasn't changed." Setsuko kneeled beside him, her expression a maze of concern and doubt. "Don't worry too much. Many people still remember the traditional songs. Just because things have grown and changed doesn't mean that we have abandoned our roots."
Hikaru swallowed a cold gulp of saliva. He felt horribly nervous, waiting for Isumi to join him at the goban.
You should relax, Setsuko chastised him. This boy is a friend of yours, right? To challenge a friend is the healthiest competition. Her eyes lit with passion.
'Setsuko, I thought you didn't play Go.'
I was thinking of Mahjong, of course! Hikaru bristled at her careless laughter, too absorbed in telling her off to notice the dark-haired man take his place across from him. A noise in his opponent's throat called his attention back to the physical world.
"Long time no see," Isumi said almost hesitantly, seeming to test the air between them. Hikaru could only grin at his friend.
"How was China?" he asked, almost surprised at the depth of warmth rising from his gut. All of the nervousness he had felt seemed absurd as he regarded his old friend. "I feel like it's been years since we've played."
Isumi laughed, saying, "It was a lot of fun. Waya and Lei Ping fought all the time, so they both pushed themselves, getting all kinds of strong. And I…" he scratched at his neck, "…got a lot stronger too." His tone tried to be modest, but Hikaru felt himself getting fired up. He grinned at the challenge.
"Don't think for a second that I've just been picking my ass these eight months," he teased. "You won't push me around as easily as you did last time."
With the signal to begin, a rough game spread slowly across the board. The trickle of Isumi's black stones fought with an uncharacteristic tenacity. Hikaru's attacks barely affected Isumi's play, and black fortresses built up steadily in the game's future. Hikaru picked up his fan from beside the goban, squeezing it in his palm. Setsuko materialized to his left, sprouting from the floor. Her long sleeves trailed behind her as she tossed them delicately out of the way. She leaned close to the edge of the board, jingling as her hair ornaments collided.
Hikaru, are you winning?
He ignored her. He sat horribly disadvantaged at the opening stages of chuban. Two of his large knights were about to be split and captured as he responded to an elaborate peep that he hadn't known Isumi to be capable of.
'He wasn't joking. He's seriously strong.' Possibilities flashed before his eyes, leaving even Setsuko slightly dazed. It occurred to an unengaged part of his brain that she hadn't seen him play a game before, but he immediately dismissed all unessential thoughts from his brain. One that couldn't escape him was, 'Would Touya have this kind of trouble with him?' He felt himself grow angry, felt his insecurity that he always encountered when he compared himself to his rival.
Hikaru! Setsuko shouted. Her presence in his head flared, cutting off his concentration. He blinked, looking at her. A deep frown divided her face. You are being horribly inconsiderate to your opponent. Look at yourself!
'Setsuko, not now! I'm in the middle of—'
You told me that this man is your friend, Hikaru. You should be happy to see him grow! Your behavior is shameful and you had better apologize!
Hikaru blinked again, unused to such scolding. The spirit was fuming, face a bit pink even through the heavy powder. He allowed himself a small sigh.
'You're right.'
His fist loosened around his fan, setting it down. The young pro laughed to himself a bit, almost glad to have someone to chastise him for his thoughts again. He crossed his legs, tired of kneeling formally. It wasn't his style, and he needed to regain his typical gameplay. The frustration had managed to consume him and it devastated his concentration. He shook his head, knocking back the negativity and then he smiled at Isumi.
"You weren't kidding," he said, indicating the game. "You're way stronger than I imagined you could get in such a short time."
Isumi returned his smile with just a hint of irritation. "You didn't take me seriously, did you?" He shrugged. "Well, I suppose I'll just take the win this time. But you'd better give me an honest match next time."
"Oh? Who said you could have this match?" Isumi seemed pleased with the fire behind those words. They only managed to play a few more hands before the break for lunch. As Isumi stood and stretched, Hikaru regarded the board carefully.
"You coming?" his friend asked. Hikaru couldn't tell if he was just being polite or not.
"I'll pass, thanks." He looked up to smile, to reassure his friend that he was actually okay. "I need all the time I can get." Isumi nodded and stepped out, leaving Hikaru alone in the match hall. Well, almost alone.
"I don't suppose admitting you were right would solve this?" Hikaru hazarded. Setsuko tossed her head, haughty expression melting into a look of concern.
For now, it is enough that you pay adequate attention to this match. Her eyes were distant. Play this game, Hikaru. Do not worry about anything else, if only until you finish this game.
Hikaru nodded, picking up his fan and replaying the entire game in his head. He was twenty moku behind if Isumi had his way for the rest of chuban. He still had three chances to break his current formations, if they continued the way they had. Isumi's new gameplay was the problem.
'I should have given more effort to studying the Chinese kifu. It's because I took Setsuko to the park, isn't it?' He sighed, dismissing the thought. It was his own fault, in any event. 'If I pretend to ignore this peep, I can save this knight move from earlier, and I can make a wedge in the upper left. The center is already forfeit, but I can push my bottom territory up to reclaim that bit, and at that point, the peep will have formed a chain, but I can…'
Setsuko watched quietly, not that Hikaru would have noticed any attempt at interruption. He snapped his fan occasionally, the sound a distinct reminder of the slap of her bachi against her skin. Pulling the plectrum from her sleeve, she struck her hand experimentally. Silence. She shook her hair, and the tinkling of the silver ornaments filled the room. She stared dumbly at the triangular plectrum, feeling its weight in her palm, tracing the ivory of its handle…
Hikaru snapped his fan.
'I can win by six moku if I don't make a single mistake this way; with that way, I lose by four. That way, I lose by eight. Win by nine. Loss by twelve. Loss by seven. Loss by eight.'
"Geez…" he grumbled. "I shouldn't have taken this structure so lightly. I should've cut this formation here or here. I—" He bit his tongue to stifle his frustration, remembering Setsuko's words. He couldn't change the stones on the board, he could only take his best route out. So, barring any foreign strategy that he had overlooked, he still had a chance. When Isumi returned, Hikaru placed his stone and play resumed.
"I should apologize," he said quietly. Isumi laid his piece and tapped the clock in a fluid motion. It followed Hikaru's plan perfectly. "This game must be really unsatisfying." A white stone replied in its prepared position.
"Shall we play again after this game?"
=chk=
"Not today. I have plans. Also—"
=chk=
"—I don't think I could play any better than this today."
Isumi had found the key weak point of the strategy, turning his earlier watari not into a bridge, but a net. His structure was immediately compromised. Isumi had won.
"I resign," he said, bowing his head. "Thanks for the game, Isumi."
"Should we discuss it?" Isumi asked, regarding the bleach-banged boy warily. Hikaru's grin was reply enough.
"Wait for the rematch, Isumi. I promise it'll blow you away."
The walk home seemed longer with Setsuko trailing behind him. He often stopped to look at her over his shoulder, but her eyes stayed closed and she wordlessly refused to walk any faster. He turned to face her, and she halted, keeping a large distance between them.
'Setsuko?' he called to her. Pedestrian traffic ghosted around her, almost consciously avoiding her. 'If it's about earlier, then we should—'
Keep walking, Hikaru. Her voice was small, almost fragile. We shouldn't be discussing this here.
Hikaru grumbled, but complied. He took a detour to the park they had been at the day before. The boy plopped down on a bench and beckoned for the spirit to join him.
Her junihitoe billowed at her feet as she took a seat beside him. The light jingle of her hair set him more at ease, though the cold feeling in his stomach seemed to be directly caused by Setsuko's unexpected ire.
"I know that there's a lot that you don't agree with right now," he said, trying to pull an actual conversation from the telling-off he had gotten earlier.
Hikaru, why is Touya Akira so important? she asked. If Isumi-san is a friend of yours, if he is the one you are facing currently, why should it matter what Touya would think of this match?
"Touya's my rival. Every game I play is a step towards meeting him on level terms. But…" his hands balled on his knees, "he keeps moving forward, too. It's like I can't quite reach. And every time I stumble in these kinds of matches, he doesn't break his pace. I can feel him getting farther away every time I fall."
Setsuko regarded him with a chilling calm. So you mean to say, she began icily, that every person that isn't Touya is just a stepping stone for you?
"Um…yes? I wouldn't say it that way, but—"
She didn't change her face, but Hikaru felt pinpricks in his throat that made his voice give out. They don't matter, so long as they fall to your feet and allow you to step on them? Are you happy to treat your friends this way? The stress on that word made Hikaru take a harsh gulp. The small victory at discovering just why she had been upset with him died away as he realized that she was entirely correct. Sure; he had many friends among the pros, but when he faced them across the goban, it was Touya who took precedence in his mind every time.
Setsuko's eyes turned soft, freeing Hikaru from the icy aura she had surrounded him with.
There are more people than you can even imagine in this world, Hikaru. Even in my time, in such a small bubble, the Bamboo Palace held more people and feelings than I could comprehend. She looked at the sky, smoggy and overcast over the city line. All people have as many feelings and dreams as you do. Of course, most probably have more than you do. She chuckled lightly, allowing the mood to grow more pleasant. To overlook the essence of life in all of the people that surround you is the height of ignorance and the worst of selfishness.
"It isn't like that, Setsuko," Hikaru asserted, hating the defensive tone in his voice. "It's not like I look down on them or treat them like they don't have any feelings or whatever, it's just…"
Touya Akira…right?
Hikaru colored, pushing Setsuko from his thoughts unintentionally. "He's just special to me. It's nothing like that!" he emphasized as he felt her thoughts turn almost lewd. "I swear, you always manage to turn things into that, and—"
Hikaru? the spirit interrupted. Hikaru sighed, slumping with exhaustion.
"What. What can I do for you now?"
Would you mind…getting something for me? She donned a pitiful expression. Just something small…
"What could a ghost even need?" Hikaru demanded, skeptical.
I need a bachi. She held up her plectrum, folding her hands together. You can get one for me, right? Right, Hikaru?
The boy laughed raucously, causing several neighboring bystanders to stare. "Look at you, begging like a dog! Aren't you supposed to be a cat?"
Please, please , please! Setsuko squealed, clinging to Hikaru's sleeve as he collected himself and stood up.
"Sure, sure. So long as it isn't too expensive."
In his inner thoughts, Hikaru couldn't stop marveling at how absolutely terrifying women could be; frigid and furious in one instant, excitable and bubbly the next. And making demands.
'Maybe it's just Setsuko who's like that,' he hoped.
Nnn?
'Nothing!'
Early on Friday afternoon, Touya had straightened up the main part of his house and prepared the main room for the study session with Kurata-sensei's niece. He puzzled over what the girl might drink, but all he had in the kitchen was a bit of jasmine tea.
'It will have to do,' he thought as he set it to brew. 'I guess I'll go shopping…' His schedule was so full that he hadn't even had time to ask Shindo about his match against Isumi. The doorbell ringing interrupted his train of thought as he set the tea tray down by the goban. 'Maybe I'll ask Ichikawa-san to make dinner. But then I'll have to give her a lesson in return. When could I—'
The door opened as he approached it. A young girl stepped through and then slammed it in Kurata-sensei's face. Akira blinked, finding the girl familiar, knowing it should have been Ito Yuka, but this girl…
She wore a skirt that fell above her knee, her light hair was styled and it curled elegantly down her back. She was wearing a school uniform Touya didn't recognize. Only the annoyed expression on her face seemed familiar. She kicked off her shoes.
"Please excuse me," she grumbled, pushing past Akira to enter his house before he could say a word.
Touya hastened to let Kurata-sensei in, completely dumbstruck at the girl's demeanor. And appearance. And…
'I thought she was twelve or so! And so rude! What on earth…'
Kurata laughed openly at his baffled expression as he removed his own shoes. "I didn't tell her where we were going until we were already here. So forgive me, but she might be a bit cranky today. Now…" he clapped, "what's for dinner?"
"Eh? I wasn't aware that you planned to dine here."
"Oh? Then shall we order something? We haven't eaten yet."
"Sure. Whatever you would like." Touya felt himself being dragged along at Kurata's pace and he sighed, turning to collect Ito-san from wherever she might have wandered off to. Kurata followed, chattering about food.
"You really shouldn't have expected anything less from this fatass," a rude voice called from the room Touya had prepared earlier. Ito Yuka was sitting cross-legged at the goban, her skirt barely covering her lap. Kurata admonished her with a light swipe to the back of her head.
"You behave yourself. Sit properly and be respectful to Touya-kun." His tone was pleasant. Kurata seemed remarkably patient to Akira. Yuka rearranged herself and glared at Touya as he poured himself a cup of tea.
"Would you like some tea, Ito-san?" he asked politely. She rubbed her head absently and didn't answer. Akira took his seat and sipped at his tea for a moment. "How many stones would you like to start out with?" he asked. She flushed, staring at the surface of the goban.
"Now, now," Kurata tutted as he sat beside the board. "There's no shame in it, Yuka-chan. Touya's a 7-dan. You're barely an insei right now."
"Dan rankings give little indication of absolute skill, Kurata-sensei," Touya said lightly, growing tired of using the same lines. Yuka raised her head. "Ito-san is an insei because that's where her path began. There are amateurs in the world that are even stronger than my father." Kurata made a face but didn't speak.
"If it means you'll play me honestly, then I think I'll take four stones," the girl mumbled, setting her stones on the corner star points.
Play was slow at first. Both players took their time with their moves, recalling the directions of the previous game.
'She almost memorized my style just from that match,' Akira noted, impressed with the girl's attention to the game and her level of concentration. Her play was much less intense than it had been at the amateur event, but that was good. He still had that peculiar feeling that there was something missing in her Go.'Her game seemed almost impulsive before, but it wasn't clumsy either. And she's only recently an insei…What is it that I'm not seeing?'
"I imagine you'll be taking the pro exam this year. How old are you, Ito-san?"
"Sixteen," she answered levelly, playing a stone. Tsuke.
He attacked the stone. "Do you think you can pass this year?"
"I do." She connected the stone, retreating.
"Do you attend any study sessions or receive direct tutelage currently?" Akira pressed into the black formation at the top right.
"I haven't ever studied Go seriously up until now." Touya blinked at her. Amber eyes closed half-way, regarding his attack. "I suppose you're asking because you want to teach me?"
Akira's head felt too small. It was Shindo all over again. No teacher, no training, no interest…
'Where do they spawn from? What in hell does this mean?' He could almost hear Kurata's grin stretch across his face.
Ito's gaze was fixed on the board. She closed off her territory without bothering to meet his challenge. "Sorry, but I'm rather busy with my schoolwork at the moment."
"Then, this summer—"
"I resign," she interrupted, bearing a look of complete indifference. She stood slowly and adjusted her skirt. "Where's your bathroom?"
"Over here, Yuka-chan." Kurata-sensei pointed her down the hall before rejoining Akira. The young pro was staring stupidly at the goban.
'There was no reason for her to resign. She was still winning. I hadn't even started my counter attack, but…'
"Don't worry, Akira-kun." The Gosei sat across from him. "She was just being stubborn. There's no way that girl could have read so far ahead without knowing your style very well." Akira looked at him. "I can't see it, either. You've barely started chuban, but any idiot would know that you have the upper hand, even without seeing the game board."
"You let me assume that she was just a child before, didn't you? So that I would underestimate her?"
"Well, I did, but I expected a similar result."
Kurata didn't know just how terrifying some twelve-year-olds could be.
"Who taught her how to play Go?"
"I did a few years ago. She seemed to have the head for it, but she's never been very serious about her playing."
"But she's an insei, right?"
Kurata scratched his chin. "Well, I kind of tricked her into taking the insei test..." Akira twitched.
"But then, why stay with it? Why take the pro exam at all?"
"I moved out of my parents' house," Yuka said blandly, materializing beside her uncle. "I don't have any other skills, and I can stay in the insei program and attend high school at the same time. I could even be a pro and attend any university. It shouldn't be too difficult."
'Really now, even Hikaru has more tact than this infuriating fool, honestly telling me this. Ito Yuka…' Akira couldn't remember the last time he had been so offended. 'Such rude, selfish reasons. As if professional Go is some kind of joke.'
"So, that's how it is," Kurata said, his words almost an apology. Kurata Gosei of all people should understand what an insult his niece's intentions were, and then Akira finally understood what had been missing in Ito Yuka's Go.
'Her game has no spirit at all. She's just placing stones on a board…' He bristled as he remembered that Kurata-sensei had compared her play to his, if only in the past.
"I will teach her," Akira said calmly, ignoring the girl's presence entirely, "if she does one thing first." Kurata seemed intrigued rather than put out. "I want Ito-san to meet with Shindo Hikaru."
Sorry this chapter took so damn long to put out. It doesn't make much difference writing longer chapters if it takes twice as long, huh? T-T To be honest, I wasn't so sure about Yuka-chan's character, but I think I've worked it out well enough to be at the very least amusing. The girl's a piece of work. I've already started working on the next chapter, so it shouldn't take as long to get out. I apologize and look forward to the next few chapters.
Definitely, Waya and Isumi and a few of the other secondary characters will be present in future chapters, though I can't quite address their prevalence in the plot. I do know that Setsuko will gain more and more relevance, but Hikaru won't be playing the biwa anytime soon. He had a certain disposition for playing Go, but Setsuko isn't as fixated on the biwa as Sai was on Go. And that's about all I can safely say about that...
In other news, I should have the next chapter out by early next week. I can't say that I'll be regular in my releases after that; I'm going back to school soon and I might not be reliable in my updates, which I'll apologize for now. I hope I can at least stick with one chapter a week though. I'll be updating my profile with some release info every few days. Stay tuned! More to follow shortly...