The next day, a Tuesday, showed sunny weather as Akira waited outside in front of the Go Institute. He was running early, so he still had five minutes until the time he was supposed to meet Hikaru.

The day before, the blond and black-haired Go pro had been old by his former teacher, Sai, that he had only a week to live, unless he fell in love, and quite frankly, it unnerved Akira. He was very worried about his friend. Loosing Shindou was something he knew he would not be able to handle, and it wasn't just because they were rivals. 'No,' Akira thought. 'Hikaru and I are closer than that. We are closer than friends, even. Or at least, we could be. Except, I don't think he would want that.' Akira had been calling Hikaru by his first name in his mind for some time now, and had already realized his feelings for the boy. 'I will have to give them up, though, when he finds someone else.'

He then saw Hikaru approaching, as promised, since it was two-thirty. "Touya! You're here!" Hikaru said as he stopped next to his friend, panting. His hand was on Touya's shoulder to balance himself as he leaned forward, trying to get his breathing back to normal.

"What happened? You look like you just ran a marathon."

"I was running late, and didn't want you to go inside to look for me if I wasn't going to be there, so I ran the whole way here," Hikaru answered after he caught his breath.

"Ah. Well, where are we going, Mr. Bright Idea?"

"I'll show you. Come on!" He pulled on Akira's hand, apparently having regained all his energy, and began running towards their destination.

"Shindou, hold on! We don't have to run there!" Akira yelled.

"Well, I told Waya we'd be there in five minutes!"

"Waya?" He asked. He didn't like the brown-haired pro very much, and he didn't know why they were meeting with him anyway.

"Yeah, so, come on! We have to run or we'll be late!" He continued to drag the taller boy along by the hand. 'It feels nice to hold Akira's hand,' Hikaru noted to himself.

'Hikaru, don't let go,' Akira thought. 'I don't want to be alone, either, and I hope you won't leave me so… Although, if it's to save your life, I'd ignore my own feelings in a heartbeat in order to help yours along, even if you love someone else….'

When they finally got to Waya's apartment, the sky was cloudy, and they were both breathing heavily. Touya leaned against the wall, and Hikaru leaned his head on Touya's shoulder after ringing the doorbell. Evidently, the redness of the green-haired boy's face wasn't only from running.

Waya chose that moment to answer the door. He stared at the two boys for a moment, until Hikaru stopped leaning on Touya. "Shindou, hey. I didn't know he was coming," Waya said, pointing at Akira.

"Yeah, well, this is important, and he had to come." Hikaru told the brunette. "Is Isumi here?"

"Yeah. We were just reviewing a game, actually."

"May we come in now?" Normally, Akira would wait to be invited, but since it was Waya, he didn't mind being a little impolite.

Waya looked over to Akira, and then notice the latter boy's and Hikaru's joined hands and smirked. Deciding to keep his comments to himself until Isumi saw it, he said, "Of course," and led them to the living room, where Isumi was waiting. "Isumi?" Waya said.

"Yes?" Isumi replied. He looked up and noticed the two other boys. "Oh, hello, Shindou, Touya."

"Hello to you, too," Akira said, polite as ever.

"Hey, Isumi," Hikaru said.

"Shindou, why did we come here?" He looked at his rival.

"I thought they could help."

"I told you I'd help you." The jealousy was obvious in Akira's voice.

"Well, they can help, too."

"…."

"…."

"Fine…."

"Good."

"Well, obviously, they, or rather, Shindou, needs our help with something," Waya said.

"Oh, okay. What do you need help… with…?" Isumi trailed off, noticing Akira and Hikaru's linked hands. "Uh… why are you guys holding hands?"

They both looked at their hands and blushed, letting go immediately.

"Gomen, Touya. I forgot I grabbed your hand," Hikaru said.

Akira looked towards the floor, away from Hikaru, trying to hide his blush. "It's okay…."

Waya smirked. "So—"

"What was this problem of yours?" Isumi interrupted, giving Waya a look that said, don't bother them about it.

"Well… someone told me that I only have a week left to live…" Hikaru started.

"WHAT?" Isumi and Waya both screamed.

"…Unless I fall in love with someone who would risk their life for me."

"…Huh?" Waya asked.

"What does that have to do with it?" Isumi asked.

"Well, Sai said—"

"Shindou!" Touya yelled. Hikaru realized what he said and quickly covered his mouth.

Waya's eyes were wide. Then Isumi asked, "Who's Sai?"

This got Waya's attention. '"He's that really famous NetGo player. No one knows who he is. Except, apparently, Shindou and Touya." He glared at them.

Hikaru looked down.

"Waya, that's not fair. He has a reason for not telling anyone," Touya defended his friend.

"And what about you?"

"I just found out yesterday, and I still don't know the whole story!"

"Well, then, let's hear it, Shindou!" Waya was obviously angry.

"…."

"We're waiting."

"…Fine, but you'd better not tell."

"Whatever."

"…I guess I'd better start at the beginning. I do hope I can trust you guys, because I don't need to be sent to some mental asylum." Waya just stood there, arms crossed, while Isumi and Touya just looked between the two. "Well… It started when I went to my grandfather's shed one day with Akari, looking for something to sell. There was an old Go board, Torajiro's Go board. I was tring to wipe off some stains I saw, but they wouldn't come off. Then, a voice asked if I could see the stains and hear him, and I said 'yes' to both. Then, there was a bright light, and… Sai was there."

"Your saying he came from some guy's Go board?" Waya asked, disbelieving.

"Yeah. Sai was a thousand-year-old ghost who taught the emperor and was banished for cheating in an important match, even though it was the other guy who cheated. He was so distraught that he… drowned himself…. Then his spirit lived on in the Go board for centuries until Torajiro, or I guess you would know him as Shuusaku, got the board." The three other teens' eyes were wide in shock. "He let Sai play all of his Go games, when he died, Sai went back to the Go board. For some reason, I was bale to see Torajiro's bloodstains when no one else could, so he came to me. He's the one who taught me Go, four years ago. But, once I learned, I never let him play enough Go…." Hikaru looked down.

"So, what you're saying is that Sai is a one-thousand-year-old ghost known as Shuusaku?"

"Yeah. Sai was the best…." Hikaru smiled, sadly. "He loved Go so much. That's why I let him play NetGo. But… he still couldn't touch the stones… I'm sure he can touch them now, wherever he is…." A tear slid down his face.

"Hikaru…" Akira said, reaching a hand up to wipe the tear off of his friend's face. The three other boys looked at him, shocked.

"Did you… just call me…?"

Touya's eyes widened. "Ah… I suppose I did." He composed himself. "Gomen, I didn't realize I said it…." He was blushing again. "Don't worry, though, I won't do it again."

"No, I like—" Hikaru stopped himself, blushing. Touya was looking at him, surprised. The bleached-blond looked down, nervous. "I like it when you call me that," he said softly.

Touya smiled, looking like he was glowing. "Alright, Hikaru. Then you can call me Akira." Hikaru looked up at the green-haired beauty before him and smiled back.

"Okay, Akira, I'll do that."

Waya glanced at Isumi, smirking, and then looked back at the other two. "Hey, you two are acting like a couple. Hikaru, maybe Akira's the one you're supposed to fall in love with. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm not supposed to call you guys that. It doesn't sound as loving coming from me."

"He doesn't like me like that," Touya said at the same time Hikaru said, "It doesn't sound loving coming from me, either!"

Waya and Isumi raised their eyebrows.

"See?" Akira said.

Waya sighed and shrugged, raising his hands, palms up. "I beg to differ, but if that's the way you see it…."

"Oi, Waya, mind your own business!" Hikaru yelled.

"Hey, you made this my business by coming to me. I'm just trying to help."

"Well, you aren't helping!"

"Waya, Hikaru," Akira said, "calm down. There's no reason to yell."

"Stay out of this, Touya!" the two yelled. Akira only seemed to hear Hikaru, though, and a look of hurt flashed over his face before it turned to anger.

"I will not stay out of this, Shindou!" Hikaru flinched, subtly. "This is about me, too!"

"Yeah, well, it doesn't have to be!"

Akira continued to hide his sadness behind his anger. "Actually, it does, because I told you I'd help you no matter what!"

"Well, I don't need your help! And I certainly don't need you!"

This time, Akira couldn't keep the hurt look off his face. He felt as if his heart had been stabbed. His hair fell over his eyes and he laughed emptily. "Heh. Of course you don't. I don't know what I was thinking, hoping I could help you. I'm such an idiot." He turned around and began walking towards the door. As he opened it, he muttered, loud enough for the others to hear him, "No one ever needs me." Then he walked out and closed the door, leaving a path of destruction behind him.

The three other teens stared at the door, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Then, Isumi and Waya turned to Hikaru, Isumi saying, "How could you say that to him?"

But Shindou wasn't listening. He was staring at the door, a look of despair and self-loathing in his eyes and tears streaming down his face.

"Shindou…" Waya said. He and Isumi looked at the other boy sorrowfully.

"No, I'm the idiot, Akira," Hikaru whispered. His tears wouldn't stop.

"Shindou, go after him," Isumi said. Hikaru looked at him.

"Do it, Shindou. He needs you, and you know damn well you need him, too. So go," Waya said.

"Hurry, before it's too late."

Shindou stared at them for a moment longer, and then nodded, wiping his face on his sleeve and hoping his tears had stopped, yet feeling too numb to actually be able to tell. He walked to the door, and as soon as it was opened, he ran outside after Akira.

'I'm so sorry, Akira,' he thought, running down the stairs. If his friend had taken the elevator, he might be able to catch him before he left the parking lot. When he got to the bottom, however, Akira was nowhere in sight. 'Where are you?'

He ran to the end of the parking lot and looked both ways, seeing if he could see his rival. As he looked to the right, he saw a glimpse of green turning a corner. He then ran that way after the person, hope overflowing in his heart.

The clouds that had gathered earlier were now dark gray, and just as Hikaru got to the end of the block, it started to rain, soaking his clothes within ten seconds. He just ignored it and continued running, needing to catch up with his friend. As he turned the corner at the end of the next block, he saw him. The other boy was just as soaked as him, and he had stopped in the middle of the block. Hikaru noticed, as he got closer, that the other boy's shoulders were shaking.

"Akira!" he yelled. Touya turned around to see him, his eyes red, and Hikaru kept running 'til he reached him, hugging him hard. Akira stiffened at the contact. "I'm so sorry, Akira! I didn't mean it, I swear! I was just angry, and I yelled at you without thinking…. I'm really, really sorry…." Hikaru looked into Akira's eyes. "I do need you. I really, truly do. And I'm sorry for saying otherwise."

"Hikaru…" Akira said, unsure what to say. He noticed that Hikaru's eyes were red as well. 'Was he crying? But I'm the one who was yelled at. Why did he cry? Unless he really didn't mean it….' Akira looked deep into those hazel, red-rimed eyes, and saw so many emotions that he couldn't even name them all. The most powerful, though, were regret and concern.

"Akira…. Please, please forgive me?" he closed his eyes and hugged Akira closer, putting his head on the other's shoulder.

Akira slowly relaxed, and hugged Hikaru back. "Okay, Hikaru… I forgive you. But, try not to do this again. It's the second time in two days." He smiled, and he could feel Hikaru's smile against his shoulder.

A minute later, after realizing that they were getting poured on and would probably catch a cold, Akira said, "Let's head back. We'll get sick if we stay here any longer." Hikaru nodded against him, and they let go of each other, each taking a step back. Then, suddenly, Hikaru grabbed Akira's hand and tried to pull him along with him. Akira had been expecting it, though, because he pulled back, just as hard. "No, I'm not running this time. Let's just walk. Besides, it's not raining as hard anymore."

"Fine," Hikaru said, not letting go of Akira's hand.

As they continued walking, hand in hand, Akira said, "I need you, too, Hikaru." They both smiled and continued on their way.

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