Disclaimers: Hikaru no Go and its characters are created and/or owned by Hotta Yumi, Obata Takeshi, Shueisha, Studio Pierrot (all rights reserved). I just borrow them to provide - hopefully - a bit of free entertainment to the fans.

Warning: spoilers everywhere!

The Way of Go
by VKempf

6. The God Game


After they left their shoes in the spacious genkan of Touya's mansion, Akira ushered his guest into the living-room.

It had not changed a bit since Hikaru's last visit: the same low table in the middle of the room, surrounded by a few pieces of furniture neatly arranged on the tatamis with almost painful perfection. Even the black flat screen of the TV set didn't look out of place amidst the traditional stuff. Hikaru imagined the Touyas watching it, sitting seiza on thin cushions, and the mere idea made him shudder.

"What's the matter, Shindo?"

"What?"

"You're just gaping around like it's the first time you come here."

"Once again, Touya, it was two years ago. Besides, we were so engrossed by our training for the Cup that I hadn't even time to admire your home."

"Admire as much as you like, but don't let your backpack right in the middle of the room," Akira said, shifting the bag to the side. "There, it won't lie in the way."

"Yes, Mom."

It was Akira's turn to feel in need of some smacking tool. Finding nothing at hand, just like Shindo the other day, he just moved to the screen doors and pushed them open briskly. Light, warm air, and the buzz of cicadas invaded the dark room.

One thing Shindo had not really noticed the first time was the enchantment of the garden. As strictly arranged as the rest of the house, it gave nonetheless a very relaxing impression, undisturbed by the distant drone of the city. That peaceful ambience was only punctuated by the periodic clack of the shishiodoshi on its stone base.

"Wow!" Hikaru let out. He stepped outside onto the veranda, looking around in awe. "I've already seen Zen gardens, but none as cool as yours!"

You mustn't have seen a lot of those, then. But Shindo's praise sounded so sincere that Akira kept his snide comment for himself and brightened up.

"That's partly what I had in mind when I suggested to play here," he said modestly. "Actually, it's not as cool as the salon with the AC, of course, but..."

"You kidding? It's way cooler here! Playing on tatamis with a sight on that garden! It's Yugen no ma without the tension and the camera. I guess your father always plays here, I mean, when he's home?"

"Actually he plays in his own study room next to this one, which also opens on to the yard," Akira explained, pointing to shut screens on the left side. "There he keeps all his books and kifu. I've often watched him recreate a game under the sole light of the moon."

"Sugoi!" Hikaru marvelled. "Let's play under the moon tonight, Touya!"

"Er... I don't mind you staying over, Shindo, but last night was moonless and so is the coming one..."

"Nothing's perfect..." Hikaru moaned, disappointed. "OK, call me back in two weeks."

He suddenly crouched down on the edge of the wooden platform.

"Look, there are living carps in the pond! Haha, thinking of it, the guys at the Ki-in can't even afford real fishes in their lobby!"

Akira couldn't help smiling, watching Shindo enthused over things he was himself too accustomed to. He went to his room to fetch his personal goban. When he came back to set it by the open screen, the other boy was lying face down over the pond, a whole forearm stirring the water, seeking coolness or a fine catch, Akira didn't know.

"Those are not to eat," he said before Shindo planned a more thorough dive. "If our games last up to dinner, I have a whole plate of sashimi left in the fridge. But sorry, I forgot you don't like..." he added mockingly.

"Sashimi are fine for me," Hikaru corrected at once. "Ramen's better, of course, but don't worry, I won't watch you eat alone!"

He ran his wet arm against his forehead in a vain attempt to cool down a bit, then crawled back lazily to the living-room where Akira and the goban were waiting for him.

"Phew, so hot!" Hikaru sighed. "Lucky fishes... Why don't your parents dig a pool instead of this shallow pond? I'm not too keen on baths, but today..."

"A pool in a Zen garden, I dare not imagine!" Akira smirked.

"I don't care if they make it Zen style. I even agree to share it with the carps, for that matter."

"Will the carps agree, that's the question."

"Carps don't speak so we'll never now, and I won't ask their permission anyway," Hikaru concluded. "Now, why don't you show me Yashiro's current strength?"

Akira nodded and started recreating his game against the 3-dan. For half an hour, the two pros discussed it - in their usual way:

"How could you start a ko fight without removing the double threat first? Everybody knows that!"

"As if you'd have seen it! You mistook it for a simple miai as well!"

"Because here I'm all cool and relaxed. In the real game, I wouldn't have missed it! And you shouldn't have either!"

"And you shouldn't bring forward your 'when-I-play-seriously' so often, it's way too easy!"

After a few more heated retorts, they agreed Yashiro had played a really cunning and deceiving sequence. The temperature was helping a lot in their calming down.

"Man, I'm dripping," Hikaru groaned, wiping his forehead with the bottom of his shirt.

Akira stood up.

"I'll get us drinks. What would you like?"

"Oh great! Anything as long as it's icy."

Akira slipped into the kitchen. He came back soon with two glasses on a tray and a bottle of ice tea. One of the glasses was intently half-filled with a good load of ice cubes. Akira put it next to his guest, who was now lying on his back, his belly carelessly exposed.

"Is it icy enough?"

"Aah, sankyuu!" Hikaru greeted gratefully.

He sat up again while Akira was pouring the ice tea, and somehow managed to hold himself long enough until his rival's glass was filled too. Then, "Cheers!" and he gulped his down with visible relief.

"Ah, I feel better now, you're a life savior, Touya."

Akira didn't answer and just swallowed a mere couple of sips. Hikaru looked again at the goban.

"Too bad they've stopped the Hokuto Cup," he said longingly. "Just because our stupid sponsor has suddenly decided to withdraw."

"It can't be helped, Shindo. That kind of international event costs a lot in management and logistics. Since Hokuto's buyout last year, I've heard that the new shareholders aren't eager to spend more money on this."

"But the previous tournaments both had good audience, they had to make a third one!" Hikaru retorted.

Akira smiled.

"You still have your revenge against Ko Yongha to take, haven't you?"

Hikaru smiled too.

"Yeah. That, and..."

"And?"

Hikaru remained silent for a while, pensively sucking on an ice-cube.

"I miss the feeling of playing with you guys by my sides..." he muttered eventually. "Though it's not really true, with the separate tables and all the TV stuff. But fighting, yunno, as a team, just like the..."

Hikaru trailed off. He was about to evoke the Junior High Go tournaments, but even though he had fond memories of them, the bitterness of the third game against Akira had never completely subsided. For his rival, it was probably even worse, so he quickly drifted the conversation.

"Our friend Yashiro has become a dangerous guy. If you don't watch out, he may grab a title before you do."

"If we don't watch out," Akira corrected, a bit confused by Shindo's behavior. "I always do."

"That's why you were haunting the libraries these days? Looking for new strategies?"

"Not at all. It has nothing to do with that."

"What was it all about then?"

Akira sighed. He should have known Shindo wouldn't let go like that.

"If you really want to know, I was interested in the historical and philosophical roots of Go... especially its connections with Taoism."

Hikaru's eyes bulged.

"Daoism?" He was hearing the word for the first time.

"Er... as you wish," Akira said, misunderstanding Shindo's reaction, thus making his rival even more puzzled. Hikaru's brain used to phase out on such odd words, but for once, he was decided to go further.

"So... This has to do with the history of Go..."

"... and its philosophy," Akira completed.

Hikaru took a moment, ruminating over his next question.

"In all your studies... d'you know by chance anything about Go in the Heian era?"

Now Akira was the puzzled one. Since when was Shindo interested in history?

"He- Heian?"

"Yeah, yunno, the time before the Shoguns, when-"

"I know when it is, thanks!" Akira cut sternly.

"Well, fine, but no need to get all worked up like that!" Hikaru replied at once.

"I'm not worked up!" Akira shouted. Then blushed. Then took a good breath. "...now."

Hikaru shrugged.

"I'm just asking."

"What does interest you about the Heian, anyway?"

"I told you: Go!"

"But why in the Heian?"

"Why not!" Hikaru shouted.

Akira noticed the uneasiness was changing sides.

"You're the one getting worked up."

Hikaru blushed.

"It's your fault..." he grumbled.

Akira was much tempted to push him further, but he was already foreseeing a furious exit that would make this meeting barely different from the others at the salon.

"I haven't got much to tell about Heian Go," he said at last. "The roots of the game are more ancient, and are located in China."

There was a short moment of silence, when Akira nearly expected Shindo to drift into another subject naturally. Outside of the game though, Akira's expectations about Shindo rarely held water.

"The roots of the game..." Hikaru repeated dreamily. "I wonder how the game was in the beginning. D'you know something about that?"

Akira shook his head. That was precisely the question he was trying to avoid.

"Only suppositions. Some say it was... quite different."

Please don't ask how.

"How different?"

Akira sighed.

"I think it would take too much time to explain..."

"Hey!" Hikaru yelled. "Don't talk to me like I'm a complete moron! Maybe I'm not as cultured as you are, but everything about Go, I can understand!"

"I didn't mean you're a moron, I just thought you'd be bored!"

"You think wrong, I'm very interested! So feel free to put your airs aside and take your time to explain the Da...Da'ism stuff."

"My airs? What the-"

"I'm listening!" Hikaru cut, staring straight at Akira.

For the hundred-and-sixteenth time (at least), Akira reckoned Shindo could be really exasperating.

Yet... maybe this was the opportunity to have a last shot at Fuku's theory? Akira's last encounter with Kuwabara sure got him cold feet, but perhaps it might not look so weird to a wacky guy like Shindo... Well, he just had to be extra-careful not to mention the Kami no itte. Actually, it would do better if he didn't explain anything. How could he manage to do that?

"As I said, they're just suppositions, of which I don't think much" (useful remark) "but since you're here and you've brought it up, well... why don't we check this together on the goban?"

That was the best plan he had found...

"Right now? Don't you want to explain the whole thing before?"

Akira realized how hard it was to make Shindo act according to his own plans - to anybody's plans altogether. He had known him long enough to grasp the uselessness of bossy talk against him. For Akira who had been raised to respect authority, it was quite unnerving. He wasn't prone to admit it, but it fascinated him too. So, for the moment, he had no choice but to remain flexible and negotiate carefully. A downright application of what he had read about Taoism...

"Look, if I try to tell you the whole thing, as you say, we're not done before tomorrow morning... Not because you're stupid" - he promptly added - "but you know I've spent days and days in the books, so you can imagine how much I'd have to tell. Actually, the thing is, I don't even know how to begin with... So I guess the best start is here, on the goban. Of course, it's not really the Go we're used to play, but it also needs two players, preferably of equal strength if we want it to be fairly tested..."

Akira didn't think his little speech was very convincing, but the words "equal strength" had already pushed the right buttons on his rival.

"Okay, okay, let's see that," Hikaru said, straightening up again in front of the goban.

Akira nodded and put down a stone. It was better to play first and lead the game, especially when exploring unknown territories...

It all began quite classically, until Hikaru threatened Akira's left moyo. Then, instead of reinforcing it, Akira chose to put his stone on the other side, in a symmetrical way. Hikaru almost gasped on this, but Akira didn't react, as if nothing was wrong. So they continued, and soon, Hikaru noticed his rival repeatedly failed to answer his hands, making instead what were - in his own sense and that of any decent player - highly preposterous moves.

Several times, he threw interrogative glances at Akira, but the 5-dan just kept focused on the board, thoughtfully building his next erratic sequence. After fifteen minutes, Hikaru was about to explode and shout at Akira to stop that nonsense. Yet he didn't. As silly as it seemed, it had to be something serious, because Touya was always serious about everything he was doing.

Thus they managed to fill two thirds of the board until Akira relented:

"Let's stop. As I guessed, it doesn't make sense at all."

Hikaru looked at the board. Indeed, by the terms of the real game, he had crushed Touya more severely than when he was playing Sai's hands.

"Maybe it'd make sense if you explained a bit what you're up to?" he said, scratching his head. "You can't honestly believe the first Go players used to play like that, can you?"

Akira shook his head. He had no intention of spilling the beans to Shindo; telling Kuwabara had been embarrassing enough.

"Maybe, maybe not. Anyway, it's not important. Another drink?" he asked, picking the bottle.

He interpreted Shindo's vague nod as an approval, hoping to wash the whole subject away in the same time. Ill-fated hope, his behavior was much too dismissive not to be suspicious. Ignoring the refilled glass of ice-tea, Hikaru removed the stones from the board back to a certain stage, then raised concerned eyes toward Akira.

"Here, it's my turn. What d'you expect me to play now?"

"I told you it doesn't make sense. Can't you understand?" Akira retorted, his exasperation rising fast.

"Come on, Touya!" Hikaru protested. "You say it doesn't make sense, but you were very serious playing those stupid hands. I want to understand why!"

"There's nothing to understand! How many times must I repeat..."

Fortunately, the phone ring resounding from the far end of the room interrupted a dialog once again going sour.

"Excuse me," Akira said, striding to the receiver and pretending he was not especially happy about the excuse.

Meanwhile, Hikaru started to replay the so-called game, striving to find Touya's intention behind the hands. He didn't had a clue. All of them were so unlike Touya he wouldn't have believed they had been played by his rival had he not watched it himself.

Actually, they reminded him of someone else... Someone much younger, much smaller too - lost in a junior high uniform way too large for him. Someone who used to hold stones between his thumb and forefinger, who totally ignored what was really at stake in the game, more interested by the small private universe he was building on the board, and cockily declaring to a scandalized Kaga - and a bewildered Sai: "On this goban, I'm going to become god!"

Someone he - and Sai - knew very well.

It can't be...

Incredulous, he was gaping at Touya coming back after what sounded like intensive negotiations on the phone.

"It's Ichikawa-san," Akira sighed. "Looks like I've missed the salon once too often... Uh? What's the matter?"

"Touya..." Hikaru began, half chuckling, "...don't tell me... you want to play god?"

"Ah..."

Completely taken aback, Akira couldn't find a properer answer, but his flushed face was enough to send Hikaru rolling on the tatamis, shaken by a roar of laughter.

Mortified, the other pro quickly gathered the bottle and glasses on the tray and took everything to the kitchen, where he shut himself in, while Hikaru's mirth was growing wilder.


Leaning over the sink, Akira was furiously washing the same glass over and over again.

I knew it! How could I believe playing Shindo would help me find an answer? What was I imagining? Why can't I just SHUT UP!

Of course, he wasn't looking seriously for an actual answer to those questions. He was much more concerned with the near future looming up: now he had completely made a fool of himself before Shindo, he just had to prepare himself to be the laughing stock of the Tokyo Ki-in first, then of the whole Go world. Oh great!

Maybe it had already begun? What if Kuwabara had gossiped about him all around, and Shindo heard something of it? Then all that prying into his personal activities may had been nothing but a trick to worm a confirmation out of him. Why would he have mentioned the god game otherwise? In his disarray, Akira was already picturing a wide-scale conspiracy aimed against his reputation.

He heard the screen door slide, as Shindo, whose fit of giggles had finally calmed down, went in. It was not unexpected since Akira had been staying in the kitchen for more than ten minutes, nonetheless the long-haired boy felt outraged by the intrusion. He was still washing the glass, ready to throw it at anybody, if anybody dared laugh again.

Hikaru though just leant his butt upon the edge of the worktop next to the sink. Akira was still focused on the overclean glass, but he could guess from the corner of his eye the mocking grin plastered on his rival's face.

"You miss that, don't you?"

The soft tone surprised Akira. He stopped his senseless cleaning and raised his stare upon Shindo, who was actually grinning, but not in the way Akira expected.

"... M-miss what?" he mumbled.

Shindo's head jerked toward the living-room.

"That. Making fun of the game. That's something you've craved to do for long, nee?"

For a couple of seconds, Akira couldn't trust his own ears.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You know, Touya, I totally understand you on this one. I went through that stage when I was twelve, so I..."

"Stop that, Shindo!" Akira shouted. "I'm not twelve and..."

"And you're too proud to admit. But Touya, that's not so big a deal, I mean, it's normal!"

Akira flushed again, and the flood of his anger made him unable to retort.

"You couldn't do it so far, living under the eyes of a scary dad - yeah, your father's awesome, but you can't deny he's scary! Now he's gone far away, you just have to get this out of your system, it's that simple!"

Akira couldn't decide which was the most insulting: Shindo laughing at him, or Shindo pretending to coax him in order - so Akira thought - to humiliate him completely.

So, that's your way of making me lose my face?

The most incredible was that innocence Shindo displayed as he was ranting on... as if he really meant what he said. Akira knew his rival was not a very good actor, and much to his horror, he had to conclude that, yes, Shindo did believe he was some kind of a late transgressive child.

"Shindo..." he snarled, his voice shivering. "As much as you imagine things, I won't let you call my respect for the game into question! How can you doubt..."

"But I don't!" Hikaru cut. "I've never doubted your respect for the game, Touya. That's the first thing I've learned from you, remember?"

Everything in his eyes and his voice conveyed the pure accent of truth, that unsettled poor Akira even more.

"Yet, you..."

"Yet I think there's that guy deep within you, who'd like to have a little bit of fun sometimes. But you never let him show up, even less get what he wants. So now he wants fun so badly that he makes you act weirdly!"

Akira's face was beyond crimson, soon it would turn into a worrying purple.

"I'm not acting wei-"

"You can put this glass down, I think it's clean now," Hikaru winked.

Akira looked at the glass, then nearly smashed it into the sink.

"Hey, no need to get mad because your complicated plan goes awry!"

Akira swiveled around to glare at him.

"My complicated plan?"

What about yours! Akira still held on to the conspiracy theory.

"Yeah, the one you've made up just to get me into your little god game. First, instead of the salon, you invite me in your house where there's nobody to interfere. Then, you bring up the ancient Go stuff..."

"You brought it up! You wanted to know about my studies!" Akira bellowed.

"OK, I brought it up and you seized the opportunity to bring your agenda in!"

"Oh, you're so wrong!" Akira whined. Shindo was turning him crazy.

"The question is, why me?" Hikaru continued, undisturbed. "Oh, I bet you thought, 'Shindo's so loony l can act funny and he won't get a clue.' Well, too bad..."

Akira gritted his teeth, because Shindo was not so wrong now.

"But you know, Touya, I'm not upset about that. Actually, I'm flattered you've chosen me..."

Now, a desperate Akira was covering his face with his hands.

"This was a mistake, from the beginning," he muttered feebly.

"No, it wasn't!" Hikaru protested. "You did choose the right guy! Because wherever there's fun to have, I'm in, no matter how strange it is! So next time you want extra-entertainment, just ask me plainly: 'Shindo, let's have fun now!' And no need to resort to Maoism or whatever."

As much angry as Akira was, he couldn't do but let out a chuckle. This whole conversation was so silly!

"There you go!" Hikaru grinned. "Now why don't we replay this god game, since I finally understand the rules? Come on!"

Before Akira could reply, he felt a brotherly arm sling around his shoulders, gently pushing him back to the living-room. So intense was the shock he didn't try to resist, and he let the older boy guide him out of the kitchen, all stumbling.

"You're still totally wrong," he muttered. "Those were real studies. And I didn't invite you here because I... I..."

After such an emotional surge, he felt unable to speak coherently.

Hikaru let go of Akira, and they were now sitting again by either side of the goban. Akira was trying hard not to shake, but his present turmoil was not an easy feeling to hide.

"It doesn't matter, Touya," Hikaru gently replied. "You can keep on with the serious guy act, but now I've finally understood what you need, believe me, I won't fail you on this."

Akira shook his head. Everything he could say was useless, Shindo had already made his mind.

"All right," he said. "Believe what you want to believe, but I forbid you to spread that silly theory of yours around, or else..."

Hikaru smiled.

"Or else what?"

Akira's eyes blazed.

"That stupid game will be the last we ever play together, officially or not!"

Hikaru sighed.

"Oh no, back to your old ways again... Touya, you really need to loosen up. And I mean, really. You don't want me to blab about you? All right, that had never been my intention."

"Thanks," Akira replied dryly.

"You're welcome, nobody would believe me anyway," Hikaru smirked, as Akira was again looking daggers at him. "At least, Touya, you sure have taken a weight off my mind today."

"Oh, have I?"

Hikaru nodded.

"I can tell you now, all these years, I've been trying like mad to get as serious as you are, because I thought I would reach your strength that way. I was really obsessed by that."

"I didn't notice," Akira replied, uncredulous.

"Of course, I'd never tell you! But you can ask Waya or Isumi-san."

That confession didn't help in appeasing Akira. Hikaru's acknowledgement of his strength should have pleased him, but he couldn't avoid a twinge of jealousy because Hikaru would confide this to his friends before - even though Akira knew he shouldn't expect otherwise.

"I'll leave it to your word," Akira replied. "So, must I understand you're not obsessed anymore?"

"Now I've discovered your not-so-serious side, I feel relieved!" Hikaru grinned. "So will my Mom, after whinging about my lack of concern for so many years, now she begins to think I should slow down a bit on Go. Hahaha, can you imagine that?"

"Is that your plan? Slow down a bit?" Akira asked in a frightening whisper. "In the middle of the competition?"

Hikaru took a long, appreciative stare at him.

"Ah, the scary look! No matter how much I try, I can't beat you on this, you and your dad are undisputed champions!"

"Stop mocking me!" Akira yelled.

"Hey, take it as a compliment! This is a formidable weapon you have; I'd like to put the wind up my opponents before the game begins, as you do."

Actually, Hikaru had his own reputation on the matter, though not as established as Akira's, but he never seemed aware of it.

"Then let me tell you it's useless, if you feel cocky enough to release the pressure!" Akira snapped.

"Don't worry, I'm not cocky and I won't release the pressure... especially against you. You're still scary, yunno?" Hikaru winked.

"Liar."

"Why liar?"

Akira stared at him.

"You've never been scared of me."

"You kidding..." Hikaru moaned, remembering every creepy time Touya had appeared out of nowhere in front of him.

"What about our very first game then?"

Hikaru looked away, blushing. Akira was hitting right on the sensitive spot, the point whence Hikaru would invariably retreat into his shell. Though intensely curious about Shindo's mystery, Akira had always been careful to avoid the subject. Shindo said he would tell him some day. Though it wasn't a formal promise, Akira was patiently waiting, and Hikaru appreciated this tacit agreement. Yet after what he had just endured, Akira quickly threw his scruples away.

"Would you say you were scared that time?" he asked defiantly.

He could literally watch the pressure rising in his rival. Fair enough, he thought. After a moment of nervous twitching, Hikaru raised serious eyes.

"If you talk about our very first game, yes, I was scared as hell... scared and very eager too."

Akira clenched his fists. Shindo was eluding, as usual, but he was not going to let him get away with it.

"And what about our very first meeting?"

This time, Hikaru didn't answer, and his stare lowered again. Akira had him cornered, and for a moment, he nearly thought the long-expected revelation close to come out.

But Hikaru resolutely kept his lips shut tight, and Akira knew his rival well enough to see breakdown coming instead, that would shatter everything the two of them had been slowly building along the years. As vexing as Shindo had been this afternoon, Akira didn't want that to happen at any price. He wouldn't let go without knocking a last nail though.

"Sooner or later you'll have to tell me, Shindo. About my first games with you and Sai."

Hikaru took the blow, and kept mute. Akira noticed the creeping sadness that had flooded the usually cheerful face, and he suddenly felt the urge to dispel that shadow.

"OK, you won't tell me now," he said quickly, "so I tell you: the first time we met, you were not scared the least by me... and I liked that."

Hikaru rose his head, wide-eyed. Akira's tone still sounded defiant, but a subtle curling in the corner of his lips confirmed his unexpected declaration. Hikaru brightened, then laughed.

"I like it when you're scary," he said, his eyes twinkling.

Akira smiled.

"Idiot."

And that was all. They didn't resume the so-called god game, but started a normal Go one. As they were walking the familiar path of the stones, their minds slowly recovered peace.

After this memorable afternoon, they both had good reasons to be glad: Hikaru had kept his secret, and so had Akira, since Hikaru so conveniently misunderstood his. Moreover, Hikaru had found new interesting traits in Akira's personality, that he was impatient to explore further.

For his part, Akira merely wanted to clear everything off his mind, from the various Kami no itte theories to Shindo's stupid imaginings, and definitely turn the page. He was now confident that everything would go back to normal, starting with the sane competition against his rival.

He was wrong. After so many years of uncertainty in their relationship, Hikaru had finally smashed his way through several layers of ice in one go. It had been a painful experience for Akira, but now he was able to feel a new warmth that had nothing to do with the summer heat.

There was no turning back, and for both of them, everything began here.


(to be continued)

NOTES:

Genkan: the place right after the entrance door in a Japanese house, where people leave their shoes.

Shishiodoshi: a water-filled bamboo tube which clacks against a stone when emptied. Originally used to scare animals from the cultivated fields (thus the name "threatening a deer"), it's now a common piece of visual and aural ornamentation.

Sugoi: wonderful, amazing. I try to refrain from inserting too many of those Japanese idioms in the fic, but tell me if I grow slack!

Yugen no ma: The "Room of Profound Darkness/Artistic Inspiration" in the Nihon Ki-in (HnG vol. 6, chap. 47).

Miai: an alternative in the game, where two positions are equally playable by white or black without benefiting (at first) one or the other. I have little idea to what extent miai can be confused with ko threats, especially by pros of Akira and Hikaru's stature. It may be even more preposterous than Akira's god play, in which case the miserable ignorant I am begs for merciful oblivion.

Sankyuu: need I translate?

Taoism/Daoism: both terms are correct, though pinyin-abiding people prefer the second one. In Japanese, it's doukyou, so the lousy puns in this chapter are mostly irrelevant. We'll just assume our two preferred rivals have found equivalent ones in their own language!

--

My, my, six months to publish a single chapter! You have every right to blame me. In my defense, I'll just say that, as much as I love making those two bicker endlessly, I had a hell of a time making the last piece of dialog coherent and IC. Same problem as in the previous chapter: many ideas flying, hardly holding together when stuck on the page. Oh, you can blame Zelda too (not my girlfriend, but the insanely addictive game from Nintendo).

I'll try to make up for this by spending time with each of you, gentle reviewers of chapter 5:

Aeris: your extended review is so rewarding I feel all the more ashamed of my procrastination. Don't worry about shonen-ai, as I've already written, it never goes much beyond what you can all have a glimpse of in this chapter.

Fayalargo Winterwoelfin: "informative as well as funny and well-written" is the delicate balance I try to maintain chapter after chapter, so your support is much welcome!

inu-youkai 911: thank you for including this fic in your favs! Makes me think I should start to fill my own lists...

therhoda: I haven't told you yet, but I appreciate a lot your regular reviewing. I hope you like this chapter. Sorry again for the cliffies and my starving Muse!

stareater22: yes, Igo is almost a character in HnG, that I try to insert as often as possible in my fics, though my 72 kyu level doesn't help (OK, that's not possible). Since you talk about it, I've recently watched Onmyoji 2, didn't like it as much as the first one, though.

Troy Thomas: I'm glad you enjoyed, I'll make my best for the following chapters.

Rebbi: I have a real problem with Oka's gender. Every English translation I find tend to assume she's a girl. I'm not certain of their reliability, since Obata-sama has drawn the character with so many boyish features. In the end, considering that girls in HnG are way too scarce (especially pretty girls, but I'm afraid Oka is of little help on this...), and that I don't want an all-male master/disciple relationship, my choice is made. So, if Oka's a boy, well, too bad for him! (August 2006 edit: quite bold of me - see notes in chapter 7)
By the way, hope to read you soon!

Pamreg: yes, I've committed and I hereby commit myself again to finishing this story if God lends me life. Thanks for reminding me!

And thanks again to all of you, readers and reviewers, chapter seven is on its way!

Valérien