Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go
It began peacefully.
Despite Ogata's attempt to rile up the boy, the younger Fujiwara became all too quiet when his gaze fell on the Go board. He placed his stones firmly and calmly even though the boy knew he was up against a pro. His focus was so sharp it allowed him to tune out all the noisy spectators who had gathered around the table to watch their game.
So this is the result from years of training with Fujiwara Sai. Ogata grinned. Interesting, for a boy so young to play like this, he would be standing in the spotlight by now if it was not for his brother's overwhelming strength.
Then again, 'that guy' was the one who started his baby brother on Go. The proof of his careful work was evident in the familiar shape before him. Ogata accidentally let out a faint chuckle as the shadow of the seven-year-old Fujiwara Sai gradually replaced the Fujiwara boy who was sitting across the board, playing this game against him. It was as if he went back in time and was now playing the younger version of Fujiwara Sai himself. He smirked at the thought and placed a stone casually, not wanting to start the fight before it was necessary. After all, he was quite certain that he didn't need to get serious in order to win this game. It would be a different story if he were playing the lanky boy. Because then, he'd have quite a pleasure of taunting him on the board, courtesy of acting all sassy with him earlier. But since he didn't have any grudge against this shorty, he was content with a few mokus victory.
"Oh, I see." The boy suddenly perked up, his tone was dripped with sarcasm. "This game is not even a warm up for you. You only want it to help you relax before your big matches."
"Oh? Do I have to get serious with you?" Ogata smirked, knowing if he couldn't tempt the younger Fujiwara, he would settle for poking fun at his friend. The short-tempered boy who was standing and watching their game didn't even bother hiding his hostile glare every time Ogata made a remark towards either of them.
"Fine, you can keep that up." The young Fujiwara mumbled. Ogata noted the hint of frustration in the boy's tone and that cost him to miss the predatory glint in the boy's eyes before his hand came striking down the board, causing a few amateurs to wince at his display.
However, the boy's last move made Ogata frowned. Instead of attacking Ogata's weaker position at the bottom of the board, the boy chose to ignore that area and pushed for the lone stone he had just placed. Ogata knew he had missed something important so he tried to read ahead.
Is he cutting? No, that shape is quite stable. And he shouldn't fight there if he wanted to connect his weaker group to the right side where his area is stronger. Ogata's hand clenched on his white stone, not knowing what to do since he couldn't see behind the move.
Refusing to believe that a mere boy could see the move that he didn't, he decided to play safe. Whatever scheme the boy had in mind, the last stone could post a threat if Ogata ignored it. If there was any chance to counter that move, that chance was now.
Ogata's hand darted for the stone while he kept a close watch on the shape of his group. The boy's respond came down at the moment Ogata's hand left his stone, resulting in a tighter knot in his gut as he was now certain that the boy had taken advantage of his opening despite his reading had not detect anything wrong with the current stone position.
Then Ogata saw it, the two groups of black stones, which almost successfully escaped the heavy guard of his white group. He was about to flick a stone and started sealing its fate when out of corners of his eyes, he spotted another black group sat waiting.
'No! How on earth I didn't see this before?' Ogata stared at the further group of blacks. His mind raced to find a way to prevent the seemingly inevitable. The boy's two other groups would soon connect to the larger one further down near the bottom of the board where he could choose to invade Ogata's territory or made a jump to the existing possibility in the middle of the board. Ogata gritted his teeth as he quietly admitted that it was too late for white to severe the connection between the three black groups. It came down to two choices, whether he would strengthen his defense on the lower side of the board or he would try to halt the boy's influence which surely would spread to the middle if he chose to ignore. Either way it would still cost him quite a several mokus. Choosing the middle area would make it a hard life to live but there was still hope. Choosing the bottom area and it would be a hard fight to win the battle.
Ogata took a deep breath as he steeled his racing heart. The thought of picking on the two boys were gone. Ogata couldn't even start to believe that he was force to take this game seriously, and yet here he was, searching for a way to gain back those lost mokus. But this was far from the end. His pride and perseverance would never let him throw away the slim chance he still had. The victory was still undecided.
"Oh? Having a change of mind now, aren't you?" The boy quirked a brow at Ogata's solemn expression. The teen pro merely stared back.
"Shut up and keep playing." And the rising pro slammed his stone onto the board with a renewed determination.
~oO0Oo~
It was too short. He was one and a half moku too short, despite giving the game his best. From the moment he lost his concentration, gaining back the winning edge had proved to be a straining task.
His jaws clenched tightly as he tried to wipe the sweat in his hands on his pants. His eyes darted around to look for a possible weak spot on the board. The harder he looked for it, the dimmer his hope had become. If only he did not foolishly placed that stone while he was in his erratic state of mind, this whole situation would never have happen.
'And if he tried to invade here, I will slow him down with a threat on the other side.' Hikaru grinned. However, before he could successfully lay his trap, a familiar face popped up among the crowd and pointed a finger at him.
"Obocchama! Didn't you say you have a soccer practice today!?" a man in his sixties was starring at him with wide eyes. Hikaru knew his face all too well, since he was the only employee who had an open invitation to visit the Fujiwara's mansion whenever he wished. The man was also his grandfather's old friend and most trusted personal assistant, Akiyaba Kichirou.
'Trouble' was the only word that had suddenly surfaced in Hikaru's mind. Not even a close game on the board in front of him could bring him back from many dire possibilities which he now expecting to face once he had return home. Without even realizing it, he had accidentally place his move on the board, exactly on the very last spot where he had wanted to play.
'No!' Hikaru stood up abruptly. He didn't even need to look up at his opponent to know that the guy was now openly smirking with delight. He gritted his teeth, trying to correct his careless mistake while adjusting variations of moves and calculating his territories at the same time. Still, against the opponent of this level, would there really be a second chance for him?
Hikaru dropped the black stone he was clenching. His eyes were shut tightly, feeling the dread of the upcoming outcome of their match. Was this all he could do? Was this really all his potential? He had been hard at work when it came to improving himself, even though his nightly lessons could be considered less than normal and his master was someone who had been limited to the knowledge of Go from a hundred years ago but he could tell that his play had improved since the time he left Tokyo. He knew he had pushed his opponent and he did enjoy the game greatly. But to make a beginner mistake and not be able to recover from it? No, he should not have lost. Not like this.
"Ah~ Did I perhaps overestimate you? Seeing it as you're the little brother of the renown Go prodigy, so I thought I should be careful with my moves. I think I went too far this time." Ogata taunted him. Apparently, he had seen the final moment in his mind too.
"Then again, I should have known that you're nothing like your brother. I guess it's my bad that I expect too much from you?" That was Hikaru's limit. He didn't think he could keep listening to the guy anymore. If this guy wanted to confirm his victory so badly, he didn't mind saying it out loud. At least he could get away from these people who were starting to give him a good once-over look, as if they were trying to believe if Sai was really his brother.
"I have noth…" Hikaru didn't get to finish his sentence as he watched someone shot out his hand and poked his finger on the board.
"I can't guarantee a sure win, but this spot is an interesting approach. Want me to play?" A very familiar voice chimed up next to him. Hikaru looked up sharply at the figure that he didn't expect to see in his wake. His jaws slacked loosely in an unsophisticated way as he stared at the supposed-to be-dead Go master.
"TORAJIROU!" Hikaru's lips moved without his consent. He quickly covered it with his hands although his eyes were still wide with surprise. The Go fanatics around him were all moved back a few steps, trying to get away from Hikaru's antic. But they still craved to see the final moment of the game so they lingered around instead of abandoned their spots. Hikaru sat back down in his seat, feeling both elated and confused. He didn't trust himself to talk to the Go master at the moment since he was afraid he might blurt out whatever he was trying to say to the spirit.
"Are you alright, Fujiwara?" Yashiro looked at him warily but he still had enough patience to wait for his reply.
"I think I might give it another try after all." He answered quietly as his hand reached for a black stone.
~oO0Oo~
"He challenges a kid?" Sai lifted his brows at the pro who came to deliver the news to him.
"There are two of them actually. I didn't really see what was going on myself. But my friend who was nearby said one of the kids pissed him off so he decided to teach them some lesson." The pro said with mild disinterest. "Kids nowadays have gotten real cheeky too. I think he has the right the get irritated."
But Sai wasn't listening. His face turned left and right, hoping to see the boy whose face had a fair share of some similarities with him.
"Are they still playing?" Sai asked him, trying to sound as calm as he could manage.
"I'm not sure. But my friend says Ogata was having a tough time trying to win. I guess they might still be at it if that boy can really give that Ogata so much trouble."
"He's having a hard time winning? That Ogata?" Sai murmured. His voice became rasp due to some strange excitement which gradually piled up inside his chest.
"Yeah, can you believe that? There's a limit to how much rubbish one can talk. As if anyone would believe such a kid exists." The pro snorted, taking Sai's mumbling as a negative reaction.
"Sorry, I think I need to take a little break. Can you sub in for me? I won't take long." Sai hurried out from his booth, leaving the long line of Go fans both young and old who were here for a game with him (some were here for his photos and his autograph) in a disheartened state as they saw him left his post.
"Meh, that guy sure loses his composure when it comes to his rival. I sure envy that Ogata boy, getting quite an attention from the superstar himself." The pro scratched his head at the lost of what to do with Sai's fans.
Unbeknownst to him, it was not Ogata whom Sai was looking for but rather his mysterious opponent whom no one had paid any interest to from the beginning. He squeezed his way through the crowd, prodding some of them who were standing in his way ever so politely. Perhaps he forgot that it was a bad idea to draw attention to himself since doing so would immediately attract people who could recognize him which in this case, turned out to be almost every Go players in that hallway.
"Fujiwara-san! I was looking for you earlier! You didn't watch Touya-sensei's commentary?" Ashiwara Hiroyuki beamed at him when he was about to pass a group of noisy amateurs who tilted their heads towards Ashiwara as he was making quite a ruckus with his cheerful demeanor. Sai saw some of them began to fetch writing utensils while glancing up at him with hopeful eyes.
"Uh, no sorry I didn't." He said with a bit of haste. "I'm really sorry, Ashiwara-kun. But I'm in a rush. I'll talk to you later." And Sai bolted away.
"That's weird. I have never seen him act like that. He didn't even ask why I'm here." The teen Ashiwara said with a mock pout of his cheeks as his gaze followed the retreating pro.
"Oi, you insei kid! Get back here and finish our game!" The grumpy old man who was sitting at the nearby booth bellowed at the good-nature teen who quickly got back in his seat obediently, mumbling his displeasure under his breath about his thunderous opponent.
Sai went on for a couple more blocks. He didn't really pay attention to other pros' assigned booths when the event organizers had given each of them their planners. Thus, he had no idea where Ogata was. His only clue was to look for the place where it was most crowded. Since Ogata's game should be exciting to watch for many amatuers, regardless of whether or not his opponent was a pro.
"Fujiwara," a deep, regal voice called him from behind. Sai was getting irritated with all the distraction he had received since he left his post.
He turned with an obvious frown on his face but it quickly disappeared as he stared directly into the eyes of an older pro whom he had respected so much ever since the time before he turned professional.
"Touya-sensei!" Sai blurted out in the way that he never thought he was capable of. The other pro really did catch him off guard this time.
Touya Kouyo blinked with surprise. He seemed a little startled at the yelp that came from the teen pro but only showed it with a quirk of his eyebrows.
"It is rare to see you in a hurry." He said calmly.
"Ah, yes, something came up and I need Ogata-san right away so..." Sai slurred all that into one, none-punctuated sentence. His manner was freaking him out. He took a deep breath to calm his nerve as the older pro turned toward the booth to his right.
"I think he is somewhere down that way." Sai sharply bowed in gratitude as he tried to say the next sentence slowly and clearly.
"I'm sorry I didn't get to see your commenting. I'll have to bother you about it again when you have time." The much respected pro nodded but before he could say that he was currently on his break, the teen prodigy had hopped down in the direction that he had received and disappeared into the crowd.
"He seems so disorganized today." The veteran pro furrowed his brows.
Sai would certainly be mortifying if he had heard his idol figure saying commenting about him. But since he was already nearing another big crowd when Kouyo uttered his surprise, he was safe from that fate.
Sai didn't have to tip-toe to see that Ogata was standing quite a few feet from him, thanks to the fact that boys in their generation had an impressive growing spree thus, rendering him and Ogata some advantage to sort out each other among the herd of Go fanatics.
"Wait! Fujiwara!" Someone was calling him from the crowd. He turned to his left where the sound was at its loudest, his patience was coming to an end. What was with people getting in his way today?
"What is it this time!?" He finally snapped, getting a great deal of attention from the tall boy who had shouted for him earlier together with the Go fans around the area, his cheeks were tinted pink with frustration.
"Excuse me?" The boy stared at him dumbfounded. Sai was also taken back.
'What? He didn't call me out?' Sai began to turn around as his brain started to put the pieces together. His gaze stopped at the all too familiar figure, standing quite a distance from him. Hikaru, his baby brother was looking at him with an unreadable expression on his face. His surprised, blank stare eventually contorted into a very bitter glance before he rushed off toward the exit with the tall boy from earlier hot on his tail.
Sai was too confused with the stare he had received that his feet didn't move to follow his brother. When he came to his sense and started moving again, another glare was directed at him. It was from a man who wore a messy hair and a top-notch, the hair style that would look ridiculously outdated in any eyes of the modern Japanese. But the strange thing was, no matter how much of a sore thumb he had been sticking out among the crowd, no one was looking at him.
Sai's eyes were widened as he found himself staring back openly. Something was not right about this guy. He had an ancient air around him despite his fairly young look. While Sai was sure that he had never seen this guy before, his mind was telling him otherwise. The longer they stared at each other, the more chilling his nerve had become. Sai felt as if he was suffocating in the tension between them. He was getting really uneasy when the guy suddenly turned away and started towards the exit, breaking their staring contest.
"Fujiwara, don't you have games to teach?" Ogata approached him quietly. The pro seemed oddly agitated but Sai wasn't in the mood to ask any question. He stayed quiet, still tracing his gaze after the stranger who had mysteriously disappeared from his sight even though he kept a close watch on the guy.
"Did you play a game with my brother?" He asked. His tone was unusually smooth and monotonous.
"We did." The other teen pro patted Sai's on his chest before letting go of a red earring in a plastic bag. The bag didn't stick to Sai's shirt and predictably fell onto the ground. The glint in Sai's eyes flickered dangerously as he caught sight of the object lying near his feet.
"I won that over. But I have no use of it, seeing as I don't have a pierce on me. So I decide to give it to you." Ogata said as he smirked. Sai narrowed his eyes at his extremely edgy colleague. Normally, Ogata wouldn't treat him like this. Unless...
"Show me that game between you and my brother." Sai commanded coldly. He watched Ogata's eyes turned wild for a second.
"I refuse." The other pro replied without any hint of hesitation. Sai's interest was peaked. His fellow new pro would never refuse to show off his prowess, even though he had done it humbly most of the time. The fact that Ogata was trying to rub his victory in Sai's face earlier could only mean that he felt threatened by his brother's play.
"How much have you improve within a month, Hikaru?" Sai mumbled as he turned to walk back.
~oO0Oo~
It had been weeks after Kyoto Go convention, the event that featured many hectic memories from various participants ranging from Ashiwara's (accidentally) underage drinking incident to the case of a female groper of Fujiwara Sai. However, there was one other event which garnered quite a lot of attention from the pros and the locals, although most people in the former category immediately dismissed it as a mere rumour, few remained suspicious about the matter.
After all, it wasn't everyday that a boy managed to chase a pro into a narrow victory.
Ogata himself hadn't deny playing the match but refused to replay the game when asked. The people who knew him well enough to read in his mood knew better than to press their luck. Those who didn't and kept up their pestering received his bone chilling glares in return.
His young colleague, Fujiwara Sai, treated this incident as something else altogether. He saw it as a chance invitation to visit his brother who he hadn't contact in months.
'You only care about Go and how to improve your skill, don't you?' Hikaru stood trembling in the early spring cold. He had sneaked out from his room to meet with Sai from the back gate of the mansion as he couldn't come down and greeted him in the main house earlier.
'You didn't even ask me why we cant meet in the house?' Hikaru's voice was almost inaudible as he looked down at his feet. The sleeping Kosode he wore was much lighter in texture compared to Sai's winter coat but Sai doubted that the piercing cold had anything to do with his brother's shaken form.
'Grandfather said you were sleeping and he didn't want to wake you up.' Sai replied in an equally depressed tone. He didn't think he had to guess why Hikaru was so angry with him. In the midst of an excitement, he rushed here to talk to Hikaru about his game and had forgotten about his long absent calling routine which would certainly create some awkward moment between them whenever the chance of meeting each other again had surfaced. He intended to apologize at first but at the sudden appearance of his brother waiting for him around the corner of the street, he was so elated at the sight of the boy that he had inadvertently said the first thing that was on his mind at the moment.
'And you believe him?' Hikaru bit his lips to prevent himself from raising his voice.
'Even if he had lied to me, it only means that he didn't want us to meet. What would you do if you were me then? Forcing your way in?' Sai frowned at the turn of their conversation. If only Hikaru would give him a chance to apologize...
'Oh, I'm sorry. I always forget why you are their favorite grandson. Always so trusting and so obedient, you won't utter a single word even if they tell you to work your ass off for the family's name.' Hikaru looked up at him. His voice dripped with sarcasm as he spat out those words heatedly.
'Hikaru, what's wrong?'
'I've been grounded! They've found out about me going to the convention and they ground me for playing Go!'
Sai furrowed his brows. 'But they said they'd let you play Go whenever you have time-'
'And you believe them like the role-model grandson you are!' Hikaru quickly cut him off, having had enough of Sai's good child act. Certainly his brother didn't receive the same treatment as him when he was younger. It was a waste of time trying to convince him to believe in what had happened behind the door during Hikaru's stay.
'How long will you be grounded?' Sai asked quietly after an awkward pause.
'Why bother asking? So you can jot it down in your packed schedule the time that I will be let out of this hell hole and come ask me about the game again?'
'HIKARU!' Sai raised his voice in sudden burst of frustration. Here he was trying to deal with it calmly and getting his worries across to the boy but his brother just wouldn't take any of it. Those words hurt him more than he expected and it nearly brought him to tears. Only his dignity of being an older sibling held him back from showing how truly vulnerable he was. 'That was a terrible thing to say! I was trying to have a talk with you!'
'Would you even come here to talk to me if it's not for that game I had played with your pro friend?' Hikaru barked. A tear of frustration finally dropped onto his pale cheeks. 'You're the one avoiding me for the past few weeks since something went wrong with that game we played on the phone, remember? You didn't even bother telling me you were coming to Kyoto.'
Sai felt as if someone punched him in his gut. How could he tell his little brother that he was mulling over that game since the last time they played? How could he openly admit the ugly jealousy that he felt and something else resembled fear had been nibbling at his heart. He longed for the chance to speak with Hikaru again, however awkward their last encounter might have been, and he jumped on the first opportunity presented, rushing all the way here despite the biting cold air in the morning, hoping for a cheerful talk of a great game with Hikaru but failed to see that his brother might think differently of the time they spent apart.
'Hikaru, it's not what you think...'
'All this time I've been trying to find a reason for your sudden distancing, nii-chan.' Hikaru clenched his fists, looking in to his eyes with dampened eyes. 'I've tried to tell myself that you must be busy with your new life, that it must be hard to keep in touch all the time. But even if everyone is using me for their own good, I keep on believing that you are and will always be the only person who will truly care for me.' He averted his gaze, yet silently hoping to hear some comforting words that he once knew. Only one word of reassurance from his brother and Hikaru was ready to throw all the doubt he had away. However, his hope began to fade as the heavy silence slowly stretched from seconds to minutes. The sound of some early-rise housekeepers woke both of them from their reverie, and Hikaru realized he was baiting for the one word that probably never came.
'Can't you even lie?' He turned to walk away, his lonely back facing his brother who he had always admired. 'It makes me wonder, if I didn't start playing Go at that time you've taught me, would you even want to call me your brother at all?'
~oO0Oo~
It was such a fine day. The sky was so clear and high that one could see the refreshing blue stretched out endlessly above, such an artistic contrast from the scattered cherry blossom petals which swirled around in the air. Despite all that beautiful scenery, there was one gloomy face stood in line at the bus stop which situated two stops away from Japan Go association.
"Oi, Erizawa! Why the long face?" The man who was quickly approaching him called out. He seemed to be awfully energetic this morning.
"Good morning, Gokiso-San." He sighed. "I don't really feel like playing this morning. It was so hard to make it this far in the Kisei prelims yet I know I have to give up today. What's with my luck, having to play against Ogata-kun when I was only steps away from entering the challenger's league?"
"Ogata, you say? Gah! You don't have to worry about him then. With your current level, I doubt you'd lose this game." Gokiso pro thumped him on the shoulder.
"What do you mean? It 'is' Ogata-kun! I'd lose no matter how you look at it." Erizawa's yell was earning him some stare from the fellow bus riders but he didn't care. His nervousness was growing by the minute and he couldn't do anything about it except whining.
"Haven't you heard? He went spiraled down in his playing since that rumor started. Judging from the way he reacted, I think there was some truth behind all that nonsense." Gokiso said snobbishly.
"But he is still the Ogata we all know. It's true that his play seemed distracted but he is still holding no loss in the prelims." Erizawa frowned. He was in this world for over two years to know better than hoping to take advantage of the downfall of such an opponent. The teen pro was strong even when he was in his slump.
"Get yourself together, will you? It was unsightly seeing you getting all scared before the game." Gokiso pro teasingly hit his head with the newspaper he was holding.
"Sure, you can talk! You only want to unnerve me to make yourself feel better." The younger pro murmured. "You are throwing away this game without thinking anyway. That's why you can relax." He added bitterly.
"Who says I'm doing that? I'm wining this game for sure!" The older pro said with an evil smirk on his face.
"Please don't force yourself, Gokiso-san. Even though there are not many people who like you but none of the pros would fancy seeing you vomiting blood.*" (a joke on the famous blood vomiting game, see google for info)
Erizawa made a sideway glance at the cunning pro while the bus was approaching the familiar building. "It's impossible to win against that guy after all. You might have a chance if you're at Meijin's level, but since you're not, isn't it better to just let go?" The younger pro pressed for his stop. He saw several people readied themselves to get off, recognizing some of those faces as the fellow Go pros.
"I've got a very good tactics for today's opponent." Gokiso still kept his grin on his face, only now it looked even more sinister than before.
"Yes, yes, if you say so. Well, I wish you very best luck for your game today." Erizawa sighed. Maybe it was better for their mental strength to have Gokiso's mind set before the game. But if he was in his senpai's shoes, Erizawa thought that he'd felt more relax to prepare for his lost. After all, Gokiso's opponent for today was none other than the famous player who earned the title of Honinbou Shusaku of the twentieth century at the age of seventeen.
~oO0Oo~
"What did you say?" Sai narrowed his eyes at his would be opponent of the day, a flash of quiet fury briefly pass over them before it quickly disappeared.
"I said I can show you the rumored game of your rival and that Kyoto boy." Gokiso grinned knowingly before his snotty voice toned down into a whisper. "If you lose this game to me, that is."
Sai had to stab his nails into his palms to prevent himself from strangling the pro in front of him. Somehow, this despicable guy had known that he was trying desperately to get a glimpse of that game and used it as a tool to fix their match. For a Go pro to say such thing, to even came up with such a ploy,
The young pro worked his clenched jaws stiffly as he said, "I can't trust you for your word. How do I know if you were really there, watching their game?"
"How about I show you half of the game during lunch break and let you decide for yourself if it was really your friend's game? But that still depends on how far I can hold this game against you on the first half of the day," Gokiso chuckled. His greedy glance which was directed toward Sai every now and then made the teen pro felt dirty to the point that he almost couldn't stand breathing the same air as this snake.
Their game went on smoothly, for Gokiso at least. The middle age pro had never thought he could see the day that his own moves would be dominating the white stones of the genius Fujiwara Sai on the board. He could even begin to taste the sweetness of victory on his tongue when suddenly, the bell signaling their lunch break rang throughout the game room.
"Game first, food later. So I know you won't be running away with your empty promise." Sai forced the words through his gritted teeth. Gokiso only chuckled in response as he followed the teen into the elevator, leading them to the first floor lobby where there would be Go boards available for public use.
Sai's gaze fell on the lone stone which Gokiso had placed. At the moment, Hikaru who was playing black, had a very slim chance to make a comeback. His brows furrowed even deeper as Ogata's white stone responded, blocking one of the easier ways for black to advance. This was it. If it was Hikaru, he should have resigned here.
But then it hit him. This game was not over. If anything, it was far from over. Since he remembered Gokiso said that it was only the first half of the game. "Oh, no, I should stop here or we won't have enough time for lunch. I sure don't want my young opponent here to lose with an empty stomach on top of it. People might talk that I win the game because I keep you hungry, you know?" He openly laughed as he stood up.
"Show me a few more moves after this, just to prove that you watched their game till the end." Sai said with a carefully blank expression, a rare display of coldness on his handsome face. Most people knew better than to antagonize the agreeable type like him, especially with him being a respectable rising pro. However, there were a few people who couldn't help themselves testing the waters, to see how far they could get away without getting burnt by his anger, and so far there was only certain someone whom Sai always allowed to slip pass his ire.
Gokiso-pro hadn't made that list.
"Well, a few moves won't prove anything. But I guess I can spare you a few pointers to keep your interest to our bargain." Gokiso grabbed a few black and white stones and started placing them without sitting back down. Sai's eyes widened the moment that he saw black's change in tactic. It was not the kind of move that Hikaru would normally played and knowing his brother, Hikaru was not the type to change his thinking out of desperation. The move looked too different than to be Hikaru's hand.
"Are you sure there was no one helping him?" Sai glared at the older pro.
"Who would dare? The boy was already very good and I doubt there would be any amateur who had a better idea at this point." Gokiso waved his hand dismissively while he was having a laugh at Sai's seemingly absurd question. "Not that his level would stand a chance against me though." He added pompously.
"Is that so?" Sai's brow twitched slightly before he began to smile. He stood up and immediately left the table.
"You'd better keep your end of the bargain, or you would never know the result." Gokiso muttered as he watched his famous opponent walked away. Sai didn't say anything back as he made a beeline towards the elevator, getting back up to the upper floor for his lunch.
'I already have the result I am looking for.' The corners of his lips turned upward at the thought of the coming afternoon game.
~oO0Oo~
'Devastating', if someone was to describe the game on the board with only one word, the word devastating would fit the game in every sense of its definition. Ever since the beginning of the second half of the game, Sai had place his stones without a single pause of thinking. He attacked relentlessly, destroying the shapes of the black stones without a hint of mercy. By the time they were fifteen minutes into the match, the tables had turn for the young pro. Gokiso bit down on his nails as he glared daggers at the Go prodigy who was now had a calmer look on his face.
"You filthy little brat! You're not going to keep your word." He hissed out the words with much venom.
Sai turned his eyes toward his opponent. "First of all, there was never any sort of agreement between us." Sai replied with a frown on his lips. "You only said that you would show me the game if I lose to you. So I 'let you think' that you had dominated the board. You are the one who showed it to me out of your own free will."
"That's because you said so!" The middle age pro almost burst out in his rage if not for the fact that he was able to catch himself before he could do so. Sai shook his head.
"All I did was only asking. You have every right to reject or comply to my request." Sai answered quietly as he placed another white stone. He looked up to see Gokiso's eyes had gone from a threatening glare to an understanding but panic stricken stare. Sai felt a tad bit of sympathy crept onto his heart but he couldn't bring himself to feel for the guy.
"Secondly, I despite the people who use any mean of cheating, especially when it involves the game of Go which I have devoted my life to." He paused to give Gokiso a firm look. "So you're greatly mistaken if you think I would throw away any game for something else I deemed worthy." Sai pressed his lips together as he slapped his possible last move onto the board, hiding a satisfying smile behind his slightly opened fan and hoped that the despicable pro would see his inevitable end.
~oO0Oo~
Three years later, Japan Go Association, Tokyo
"Touya-kun! We are all visiting some random salon today. You should come with us!" Nase Asumi grabbed hold of the young Touya who was about to walk out of the sliding doors.
"Ah...that would be nice but...do you really think it is alright for me to join?" The soon to be fifth grader looked in the direction of the three older boys warily. One of them smiled sweetly at him, as he always had from day one when Akira officially joined the insei class. The other two were somewhat ignoring Nase's antic while avoiding to make eye contact with him altogether. These two were not as hostile towards him when he first joined the class. But as his wining streak kept pilling up one on top of the other and the common jealousy had taken its root, their originally teasing jabs became something more of a sarcastic verbal bash.
"Isumi-san, you don't mind him coming right?" Nase lift Akira's arm in the air, making a wave with his hand at the oldest boy of the trio.
"Not in the least. Join us, Touya-kun. The more there are, the merrier." The big brother figure of the whole insei class beamed at him. Actually, Isumi Shinichirou had just turned all brotherly only since last year when Ashiwara had finally joined the first dan of the pro career. Akira thought he might feel the need to take care of other younger inseis after the former mother hen (Ashiwara) had successfully graduated into the real world. Although Saeki Kouji was currently the oldest insei but when it came to the matter of maturity, everyone in their class agreed that Isumi had the right personality for the job.
"Oi, Nase, why didn't you ask us too?" Waya Yoshitaka frowned at the only female insei in their group, his friend Kaga Tetsuo, nodded eagerly at his question on the side of him.
"Because your opinions are unwanted. Touya-kun is coming, hands down." She locked her arms with Akira's and he blushed slightly as his elbow brushed against her chest.
"Oi, look! He's getting all red after he touches her boobs! The new Meijin's son is a pervert!" Kaga would probably shout that sentence if it was not for the fact that their sensei was approaching.
"Be careful on you way back home, kids." Shinoda sensei told them as he walked by. It was a narrow safe for Kaga since if their instructor wasn't there, he might probably get a punch or two in the gut from Nase as his punishment for making fun of her breast and poking fun at the easily embarrassed Touya. They all waited for Shinoda sensei to disappear completely before returning to their playful banter. Saeki was the last one to arrive at the group.
As they all began to move out from the lobby, the group almost walked into a young pro. Nase was standing the closest to the guy and her nose immediately registered the light scent of wisteria from his dark navy blue kimono. Without having to see his long hair that he usually donned into a thick braid and his signature gold-rimmed kawahori fan, Nase knew without a doubt who this person was.
How many pros were currently in their twenty? About less than ten in total. But how many would wear an old fashion kimono and still came out looking better than the time he was wearing modern business suit? Asked any pro and the answer would certainly turned out to be 'only one'.
"Fujiwara-Kisei! All insei except for Nase who was still in a daze was bowing their heads, calling out his name in an almost perfect chorus.
"Oh, you don't have to use the title with me." Sai winced at the awkward combination of his last name and his newly acquired title.
"F- Fujiwara-sensei!" Waya was the first one to blurt out but to his horror, his idol immediately moved to hide his smile behind his unfolded fan.
"That makes me feel so old, especially when that comes from someone who was a few years younger than me."
"Fujiwara-san, please stop teasing him." Akira said in a voice that was a bit louder than a whisper. During these past few years he had discover a lot about the pro's personality. A playful character was one of the many unexpected sides of him. "The eight years gap between you and him can hardly be called a few years." Akira added.
"I'm just lighting up the mood. Everyone has been so stiff around me lately it makes me want to tease them more." He smiled at Akira who had to look up at him to return the gesture. But as soon as their gaze connected, his fan came down tapping on Akira's forehead.
"I got you!" Sai tried to suppress his laugh at the slightly annoyed look Akira sent his way. The rest of the inseis were observing the situation with awe (in Waya's case, with jealousy). Sai smiled for one last time at them and nodded to the rest of the inseis before he left for the elevator.
"Fujiwara-san!" Touya suddenly called out, causing the pro to turn and glanced at him. "Congratulations on your coming of age."
Sai's face suddenly lighted up. He was now smiling openly as he looked back at Akira.
"Thank you, Touya-kun."
At the same time, Ritsumeikan elementary school, Kyoto
Hayashi Kouta had been running around in search for his soccer team's captain for quite a while now, about fifteen minutes to be exact. Their manager, Yashiro Kiyoharu told him to try the library or the tea ceremony room in case he couldn't find his captain anywhere else in the school. He was getting irritated from all the extra sweat he had collected. But it was not like he could vent it out on his captain anyway.
Correction: who would dare venting out on his captain?
At first he thought everyone was more or less intimidated by his family's influence. But it turned out that the whole team really respected him for various different reasons.
Their goalkeeper said he was reliable, especially in a tight situation. The forwards felt they could easily score the goals with him supporting from the midfield. The midfielders and defenders were happy to have him around as they said he had quite a vision for reading the games thus getting everyone on the team in positions was done almost twice as fast compared to other schools' teams. Even the older students didn't have anything bad to say against him.
Except for the fact that he always disappeared whenever the team took a long break and wouldn't return until someone was sent to find him.
"Captain!" Hayashi looked around the library and finally spotted his target. He panted as he began to walk toward a lone boy who was sitting on the waist-high bookshelf by the open windows. His left knee propped up against his unused arm as he fold his other leg into a comfortable sitting position. His right hand alternating between the two stone bowls as he skillfully placed the black and white stones onto the Go board.
"Fujiwara Captain!" Hayashi called him again when he didn't get a reply.
"Just a bit more, Kouta. Give me two minutes." His captain said quietly.
"Yashiro-san said if you're late this time, he'll add five laps to each minute until you show up on the field." Hayashi told him in his raspy voice.
"Then say it sooner! Don't you know how many laps I have to finish per day? I'll be kicking the bucket if he adds even one more to my routine." Hikaru suddenly sprung out of his personal seat, looking genuinely terrified. Hayashi followed his captain out of the library in silence. His eyes fell on the red armband that was clipped to Hikaru's right arm then his gaze moved to the back of his jersey.
"Number 5 suits you pretty well, captain." Hayashi braced himself for another run as his captain sped up as soon as they were out of the building.
"Isn't it? I think so too." Hikaru let out a carefree laugh. "By the way, add ten more laps to your routine as a reward for finding me."
"..."
reesessweetie: Sorry for the cliffhanger. I love Ogata too! Though I put him in quite a role in this chapter but I never feel the need to bash him, hence I got Gokiso to take Sai's heat instead of him. I planned to have Sai seeking for his brother's revenge at first but as you can see, Hikaru's play deals quite a blow on him already so that idea is crossed out. Thanks for your support. As always, it is very inspiring to read your review. The story will take a faster pace from here on so stay tune!
Demon-Slasher: Sorry for the wait, and a few days late on top of that. I'm sorry Ogata didn't get thrashed (blame it on my OC). The Hikaru as of in this chapter won't be so strong though. Although I'd say he's quite very skill already considering how narrow of a victory Ogata has. Thank you for your review. The story's pace is getting faster too so I hope to see you again.
loveinyou: Nope, I have no one. The only discussion I have is from the reviews of the story. I have thought about getting a beta reader too but due to my impatience nature, I tend to get upset when I don't get a quick reply/edit for my work. And I understand everyone has a life outside of the internet so whining is out of question. If you feel like you can help me with the discussion or you know someone who is willing or some readers here who are reading this review and want to give a hand, I welcome your PMs anytime.
mikhal69: Appreciated
No Name: Now you know! Thank you for your review.
Kanrei: He'll have more games to play from now on. Thx for your review.
Rieyama Yuuko: Yes, I am a girl, and with a sister complex to boost.
And I sooooo want see the manly Hikaru, with muscle and all. I dont even mind half naked (I get the tissue ready for my nosebleed). I hope you enjoy this update as well. See you again soon!
Laurie: Oh, You're French! I took French in my high school but it's been years and I already become so sluggish with it. I have no problem understanding French. It just takes minutes for me to reply in a normal conversation. Thank you for your review. If you decide to drop by and give another review, don't hesitate to type in French. Although I may have to reply back in English, if you don't mind.
KK: Thank you for your review and You're welcome :D
harukadesu00: I like Obocchama-Hikaru as well. Can't wait to write him when he is all grow up. I'll keep trying with the story. Thanks for your review!
Catcrazzed: Welcome
xXNeverEndingFireXx: It'll get even better. Thank you for your review
3j4: I can understand French but I can't speak very well. Thank you for the wait and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Merci beaucoup pour votre critique.
MilleCrepe069: Thank you for your thumbs up. I'll try to keep up the pace. Hope this chapter is not too long for your liking and Thx for your review!
greymouser: Uh-uh it didn't happen. But Hikaru still ended up somewhat happy as I hinted at the end of the chapter. We'll get to see more of everyone now. I can't wait to write more as well. Thank you for your review :D