Hello, readers! Another extremely hard to write chapter is finished! I had my thoughts scattered all over the place and I would be lost without the help of my beta reader. Anyway, this Kyoto arc is coming to an end...in this chapter! And the story will be back to focus on the rivalry, the chase, and the mystery of a Go player on the net. Any suggestion for the future chapters is highly appreciate.

Warning! This chapter contains explicit use of language as a result of our canon characters' growing up.

Special thanks to yunicielo, my beta reader, for editing out the cheesy romantic scene that isn't suitable for a fifth grader (my opinion on second reading).

Thank you again for reviews, favs, follows and community adding. I'll come back and write a proper reply to your reviews when I get to my computer at home (currently on ipad, sitting in a coffee shop on Sunday afternoon). i hope you enjoy reading this chapter and I hope I'll see you again soon.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go.

Hikaru packed his clothes into two separate bags. The first one which was wrapped in Furoshiki contained the Yukatas he had been wearing while he was living on the top floor of the store. The second bag was a sport duffel filled to the zipper with shirts and shorts in addition of other soccer equipments. Hikaru already handed the laptop over to Yashiro a few days earlier and he planned to have his friend keep it during the term. He wouldn't deny that it was hard to part with the gadget after all these past weeks of spoiling himself with internet Go. But things had to eventually settle down to its original pace. He could always dropped by Yashiro's house during the weekends while his weekdays would be reserved to soccer practices and secret meetings at Yasaka shrine.

The meetings which he used the chance to play Go as an excuse to spend time with a certain Shikomi.

It puzzled him how the news of the practice camp could put him in the gloom. The thought of not seeing her for one whole week was strangely unbearable. Hikaru missed the time when he looked up to see the girl stared down at the board, frowning as she considered the moves he made and most of the time, ended up whining when she realized he didn't go easy on her.

"It can't be help," he sighed, swinging a sport sack onto his shoulder as he thought of his duty as a captain team. His other hand grabbed tightly on the pile of Yukatas which was neatly bounded together inside the traditional Japanese wrapping cloth.

"Akiyaba-san!" He called out and the sound of footsteps echoed along the corridor outside of his room.

"You called, Obocchama?" The young man droned. Hikaru made a sudden slide at the door, startling his personal caretaker.

"Send this back to my house." Hikaru looked at him with a cold expression as he struck a wrapped clothes on the man's chest. "I won't be coming back here when I'm done with the camp. So don't forget to clean up the room."

Hikaru didn't like the guy after the first few days of living under the same roof. Although this guy was the grandson of his grandfather's friend, Akiyaba Kichirou, but they had nothing in common in regards of their views on working ethics. The young master didn't feel the least bit guilty when he left the room filled with bits of crackers and empty shells of beans. It took serious effort the make the tatami mats squeakily clean again but that was the guy's job which he had to do perfectly so not to get scold later by other employees, or worse, by his grandparents.

Hikaru forced down his smile as he saw the guy openly wrinkled his nose. One would have to wonder about the current state of the room when they glanced at the neatly tied Furoshiki that Hikaru managed. He never allowed turning his room in the mansion into one big mess since he had to keep it cleaned and organized to prevent the unexpected visits from the maids and discover the hidden Go related items in his possession.

"What's in this wrap?" The man eyed the package with contempt, not caring if his tone picked up an edgy characteristic.

"Why don't you find out yourself? You're good at that, aren't you?" Hikaru smirked at the double meaning his dialogue was hinting before he left the man behind to enjoy the day of hard work. He didn't turn back to take the last look at the room until he was outside, standing in front of the shop.

"Well, guess I'll see you again next summer." He smiled at the set of windows on the top floor before turning to walk towards the train station, heading to his school where the whole team would meet up with their coach to board the bus which would take them on a ride to their famous summer camp.

~o0O0o~

Ogata Seiji quirked his brows as the brown hair teenage, who was leading a small group of teens around his age, almost bumped into him just outside of his colleague's house. He never understood why someone like Fujiwara found the need to offer cheap group lessons to children and inseis who sought his guidance when he could charge expensive fee from private tutoring or leading his own study group.

"Ogata-9 dan!" The teen nervously staggered backward as he looked up at him. The pro let out a low grunt in reply to their bewildered reaction. Most pro would take the awe in their eyes as a compliment but not him. He was never the type that could be easily pleased with the title of 9-dan. That mention only served to stir his well concealed anxiety of not being able to acquired the next stage in his career.

"What of it?" His voice came out sounding sharper than he had intended but he took a little satisfaction from watching the teenagers winced away from his gaze.

"Ogata-san, please stop intimidating them." The current contender for Japan's topmost pro tucked his thick braid to the side of his neck. The sight of him wearing a casual kimono was a sight to be expected for whoever that had the chance to visit this mansion whenever the pro wasn't busy with his tightly packed schedule. "They are already terrified of you without your added effort." Sai added with a sigh.

"I'm just being my usual self." He replied, glancing at the group of teens with his stoic face. "What are you still lingering around for? You want a lesson from me too?" Ogata added sternly before the group scattered away.

"Really, you don't have to go out of your way to scare their senses out of them. They are good kids." Sai huffed in annoyance as he set up a board. Ogata helped himself with the seat cushion.

"Blame it on nicotine craving." Ogata glared at his colleague accusingly, hinting at the no smoking rule that the guy issued to any guest visiting his house. "Anyway, I want you to see something. I take that you don't play around with computer much, am I right?"

"Yes?" Sai nodded. He watched Ogata's hand darted to the Go bowls and began to flick the black and white stone pieces onto the board.

"I've been watching this guy on NetGo for quite sometime." The bespectacled pro said as he recreated one of the most memorable online match between white and black. "Any idea who played white?" Ogata grinned in anticipation.

"Ichiryu-sensei," Sai replied without a hint of doubt in his tone. His eyes widened almost painfully when he realized that white's influence in several areas on the board was quickly diminishing.

"Exactly, although I would say that this game happened after he had lost his title to you so it might be because he was still in quite a shock of losing a title. But we can't deny that he is still one of the top Japanese pros, whether he is in a slump or not. To lose a game to an amateur like this..." Ogata trailed as he sneaked a glance at his colleague's face. He almost broke out a sneer at the frown between the brows of the current Kisei.

"This..." Sai stared at the familiar tactics that one of his insei students had just used during the lesson. He had discarded it at first, thinking it was the result of the boy's intensive study on some of Shusaku's style that sometimes, differed slightly from the master's usual hands depended on the games that played. However, the second encounter with the same move on the same day had successfully drew his attention. Sai began to analyze the shapes, the timing that this player had placed his hands, his style of defense and the moves that he preferred when attacking. His heart raced against his ribcage at a painfully fast rate. The formations and the tactics reminded him of the game he was never allowed to discuss about. The game that put his colleague into a slump for almost seven months and it was also the last game that he knew was belonged to his younger brother.

"Any idea who played black?" Ogata asked carefully. His glasses glinted cunningly against the lighting of the room.

Sai didn't give him any reply. It was true that this player had display a high level of skill and a thorough understanding of Shusaku's techniques. But this wasn't the Hikaru he knew of. He couldn't even begin to comprehend how his younger brother managed to improve his Go to such level without the help of a mentor or a much needed time required to practice and hone his skill. On the other hand, if this player was the man who was behind Hikaru's unthinkable change of tactics when he played a game against Ogata a few years ago, then he had finally found the first clue to the mysterious person who he had been seeking for all these years.

"Well?" Ogata nudged him impatiently.

"Sorry, I wish I knew more about this man too." Sai placed a white stone, blocking one of black's carefully calculated paths to advance to the center where Ichiryu sensei had failed to do so when he first played the game.

~o0O0o~

Yashiro looked at the rest of the team in pity after their coach had dissembled them from the day long practice. The team members (every players from regulars, first strings, and second strings) had their thanks to the coach who had came to personally request a meeting with their captain. Without him, there would probably be more casualties as a result of following the exhausting practice menu that their captain demanded from them.

"Hayashi, just go and apologize to him about breaking that laptop already. Or we all might die from exhaustion if he keeps this up." Arata, the regular goalie, spread eagle on the polished floor.

"He's puking outside, that guy." Kamio, the handsome ace striker, coughed his reply. "And I thought a school in Tokyo turned down his application for joining their Junior high. Isn't that why he's so grumpy with the practice?"

"Quite the opposite, actually." Yashiro said quietly, thinking that he was only mumbling his thought out loud. "He's the one that turned them down."

"What!? Then the rumor that he was going to Rakuzan middle after he graduates is true?" Imai, one of the defenders in Yashiro's and Hikaru's year perked up with the rest of the team. "Then what's the problem with his mood? Rakuzan is a national level school for sports and he can even continue with the high school section. I would be grinning like mad by now if I were him."

Yashiro pursed his lips in reply. He didn't feel like telling them his suspicion about the matter. The two of them had only resumed their Go meeting only a few days ago at the start of this summer camp. But Yashiro had already noticed the wider gap between their skills. How his best friend managed to improve his play with only the help of an internet Go during the busy summer break remained a mystery. He only knew that Hikaru didn't completely give up on his dream. Otherwise, why would he feel bothered turning down his only chance to go back to his hometown where he knew he could play Go freely.

"Yashiro senpai, please help me talk to him." Hayashi, or Kouta as Hikaru usually called him, came back into the gym after hurling out the content in his stomach due to the gruesome practice. "I still wanna go back home alive." The bench player wailed at Yashiro's feet.

His best friend needed to realize that his indecisiveness was effecting others whether Hikaru was aware of it or not. Yashiro was almost certain that his friend's unstable state would only turn more troublesome if the problem was left unsolved.

~o0O0o~

"Is this Akira-kun's backpack?" a bespectacled customer glanced at the bag next to the name register.

"Oh, sorry. I'll put it away right now." Ichikawa hastily grabbed the bag and put it under the long counter.

"His backpack is still in such good shape. My grandson is in sixth grade and his is all scratched up." The customer gave the bag a long look of admiration.

"Isn't it just like Akira-kun? He's been diligently coming here and has never gone anywhere else after school for fun." Ichikawa smiled proudly as she talked about the boy she had been admiring for years.

"Is he reviewing a game with Ashiwara-pro?" The customer glanced at the table where the two were conversing while exchanging hands.

"It's a study game. Although I don't really know who's teaching who at the moment." Ichikawa chuckled fondly at the sight of the two. She lifted a tray carrying the two cups of hot tea and walked towards them. The chubby bespectacled customer followed right behind her.

"Hey, you two. Please have some tea." She chimed up before gently placing the cups next to them.

"But, really Akira-kun, you're going to become a junior high student next year. Shouldn't you consider turning pro already? There's no one your age who could give you a proper challenge anymore, is there?" Ashiwara serenely sipped on his hot tea, acting like a hermit in possession of great knowledge.

"Huh?" Akira turned his attention away from his drink and looked up at the young pro. But it was Ichikawa who continued the talk instead.

"What do you mean by 'huh'? Are you not going to take the exam? You're already good enough to pass, aren't you?" She turned to the young pro for help at the reluctant look on Akira's face. "Right, Ashiwara-san? I mean, even you were able to become a pro." The young pro sprayed his drink back into his cup at the jab.

"Honestly, I thought you were going to take it this year. Why are you so hesitant to become a pro?" The customer joined in on their conversation.

The young Touya paused with a blank look on his face. "I just think I should get a little better first..."

"Didn't you mean you are waiting for a rival?" Ashiwara grinned knowingly.

"I'm not really...looking for...a rival." The young Touya gave them a hesitant answer. "Because I'll make Fujiwara-san, Ogata-san and my father recognize me as their rival someday." He reluctantly smiled.

"I mean someone your age, Akira-kun." Ashiwara scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"That's impossible! Didn't you just said so yourself that there can't be anyone at Akira-kun's age who can be his rival?" Ichikawa accused him heatedly. Akira gave them a small laugh as the two started bickering at each other. There was someone his age who could rival him in skills. But that boy had moved away since a long time ago, and if he had stopped playing Go since that time like Fujiwara-san said he probably did, Akira doubted if their skills could be compared anymore.

~o0O0o~

"...keep playing soccer?" Hikaru didn't even realized that his friend was talking to him as he kept track of the shapes and alternating the possible moves that Yashiro might play with his next hands. He was the first of his team to arrive at Yashiro's house that evening as they all planned to visit a shrine together (the Kitano Tenmangu shrine for their luck on exams) on New Year's Eve. Fall term had begun since a few months ago and went by in a blink of an eye. His life as a student had also returned to its mundane routine. He went to school alone in the morning with a company of a scarf around his neck as the weather quickly became colder. The soccer practices also finished much earlier than in spring and summer thanks to the shorter daytime hours. Everything around him was slowly changing as the new season rolled over.

Everything included the carefree time that had spoiled him good when he wasn't force to make a clear path in his life.

"Oi, Fujiwara! Hear me already!" Yashiro clapped his hands in front of him, snapping him back to the reality outside of the universe of black and white stones. "Are you planning to keep playing soccer? Because if you do, you better transfer school."

"I'm not planing anything. I'm not even serious about soccer, remember?" Hikaru shrugged as he tried to get back to starring at the game. Yashiro clicked his tongue at him for brushing off his question casually. He reached out his hand and wiped away a cluster of stones in the middle where Hikaru had been fixing his gaze on, a tensed look appeared on his face when his friend sharply looked up at him in rage.

"Oi! The hell you do that for?" Hikaru barked.

"I've been meaning to ask you this, since last summer actually, But...do you plan to keep things going at this rate until you graduate from high school? Because I don't." Yashiro said calmly while watching his best friend's jaws dropped from its hinge.

"What do you mean?" The young master furrowed his brows.

"Look, I have fun playing Go with you and all." He began nervously. "But it's not enough for me, not anymore. The longer I keep playing you, the more I realize I want to do this for a living." The lanky pre-teen pressed his lips as he stared into the other boy's eyes.

"In other words?" But Hikaru didn't need to hear the answer as he watch his friend averted his gaze to the floor. He sighed, rubbing the middle of his chest as he felt a hole inside of it. Maybe the reason he was able to enjoy his fleeting daily life was because he had friends who would always be there to lighten up his misery, friends who understood him more than those who related to him by blood. What would he do when the possibility of parting with them arise? Would he be able to keep smiling when the last of them had to leave him for the future they chose?

"So, that's why I have a favour to ask." Yashiro cut him off from his musing. Hikaru glared at him, feeling somewhat betrayed. But his cold stare almost immediately slipped off his face as Yashiro collapsed onto the floor, his forehead connected to the carpet of his room.

"PLEASE TURN PRO WITH ME!" He shouted, sounding sincerely hopeful and desperate at the same time. The silent befell the room where the two boys occupied, only interrupted by the clicks of stones that fell from the board onto the wooden lid of the Go bowls.

"I thought you knew better, Kiyoharu." Hikaru sent a sharp look at his friend who steeled his gaze back at him with a fierce determination on his face.

"I know your circumstance," Yashiro said slowly. "But I also know that you haven't give up on Go, not completely anyway. That's why the recruiting session with the coach from Tokyo bothered you so much." He tensed as he saw his best friend stood up and made his way to the door.

"I've had enough of this talk. I'm going home." Hikaru turned away, breaking the staring contest they were engaging a moment ago.

"Are you running away?" Yashiro shot himself onto his feet, forgetting the heavy air that was overwhelming him a moment ago. "Don't you dare tell me that you never thought of becoming a pro all these years! Don't you feel frustrated at the way they push you around for their own good?"

"Kiyoharu, you bastard, don't you dare!" Hikaru snapped his front back to face his friend. He balled his hands into fists as his lips trembled with contained rage.

"At least say you'll consider it!" Yashiro threw a brown envelope at his friend. "Stop picking on those useless rats that lower than you just because they were easily intimidated. For once in your life, Fujiwara, fight back!"

They were so engrossed in their own fight that they forgot the volume of their conversation. It wasn't until Mrs. Yashiro knocked on the door that they put a stop to their argument.

"Is everything alright in there, Fujiwara-kun, Kiyoharu? Your teammates are already waiting downstairs."

"We're practicing a play, Mrs. Yashiro. Everything is fine. We'll meet with everyone downstairs in a minute." Hikaru schooled his voice into his usual calm while his hand crunched down tightly on the envelope that hit his face just seconds ago.

"If you ever consider me as a friend at all, take a good look at it before you decide what do you want to do next." Yashiro added with a firm tone as he twisted the doorknob and let both of them out his room.

~o0O0o~

"So you haven't talk to him ever since?" Shibasaki looked up at Hikaru with a light frown. They were having a teaching game, with Hikaru relaying the comments and tips from his master to the Shikomi. The two decided to meet up at the salon where Shibasaki's grandfather frequented. It had been weeks since the argument with Yashiro but the weather outside still remained cold and windy with a slim chance of any positive change, just like the state of the current relationship between him and his best friend.

"I mean...we do talk but...it is just abrupt and to the point kind of talk." He flicked a white stone on the board, strengthened his defense by roughly connecting his small group to a larger one in the bottom.

"Seriously, why don't you two sit down and talk it out? I'm sure whatever your resolve turn out to be, he will have to accept it and respect your decision. You two are best friends, ain't ya?" Shibasaki sighed at him. Her hands were now clamped together on her lap instead of grabbing a black stone and place her next move. Hikaru, however, let out a low chuckle at her accent.

"Your accent is getting more obvious." He teased.

"It's occupational necessity. Now, stop distractin' me and promise that the two of you will make up soon. I don't want to see you makin' that abandoned puppy face ever again."

"Are you sure you don't like me looking at you with these adorable eyes? 'Cause I swear I caught you giggled a few times when I used this on you." Hikaru teased her. His heart began to beat in a weird, irregular rhythm when he managed to make her crack a smile despite her attempt to conceal it. She playfully slapped his hand as a punishment for making fun of her.

And Hikaru knew that his resolve to stay by her side, watching the smiles on her face as his master tutor her for the pro exam, was the best decision he had made so far.

~o0O0o~

The snowy winter of Kyoto had finally passed, leaving the trails of icy puddles to turn into pools of sakura petals. The mild scent of the pink flowers had a calming effect on the majority of Kyoto's residents. However, a young Ojousan of Hayakawa family didn't seem to share the peaceful sentiment with the rest of the locals if her stiff face was anything to go by.

Hayakawa Ikuko had tried to do everything in her (power to get Fujiwara's attention for the past school year, albeit without any result to show. The young master seemed to prefer spending more time playing Go with his best friend and the rest of his time on beating his team into shape. But the issue that managed to frustrate her more than his busy schedule, was how frequent she caught her crush walking side by side with a Shikomi from Gion district.

Hayakawa saw her before. How could she forget the face of a girl who snatched Fujiwara's attention away from her? Her idol had changed since last summer. He had been blunt in turning confessions and chocolates away on Valentine's, even told her that he didn't like her clinging onto his arm whenever they walked together, although he never said a word when she first started it. It would only spark a hint of suspicion in her mind if she hadn't found out that Fujiwara and the girl had been meeting in secret for god knew how long.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and stomped down the narrow but clean street that led to the Fujiwara's kimono shop as she tried to force away the painful memory of her crush seeing the Shikomi off at the back of her Okiya. Her chest was clenching cruelly at the thought of them smiling at each other as they enjoyed that old man's board game together. Hayakawa ignored the blunt stares that people gave her as she stormed her way into the shop.

"You!" She daringly pointed her finger at the young part-time shop assistant, Akiyaba whatever his name was, and practically screamed her mind out at the guy. "Aren't you suppose to look out for your young master? What in the world are you doing?"

"Working," his eye twitched impatiently.

"It's because of you that he's stuck with all the wrong people. First with that brash scholarship student who had no other interest beside playing Go for the rest of his life, and now that attention seeker future-Geiko who wouldn't leave his side because he could entertain her with the game!"

The whole shop was silent. Most of the customers were stunned at the rude display of Hayakawa's behavior. But the silence coming from the part-timer still managed to send a nauseating chill down her spine. He stared at her blankly for a short moment before a sickening grin spread across his face.

"Would you be so kind to relay what you have just said to me in details?" He said with a smile.

~o0O0o~

Hikaru had been enjoying his life as a last-year elementary school student for quite sometime. After many discussions and arguments between him and his best friend, Yashiro finally gave up on his quest to persuade him down the path of professional Go player. It wasn't easy for him to finally break clean from his reluctant intention. But he couldn't deny that it was such a great relief for the troubling mind he was carrying inside all these past years.

If it was now, he might be able to start forgiving his brother for choosing fame and fortune over the dream of chasing the divine move together.

He had his best friend who, although they would eventually grow apart as Yashiro became a pro, would come running for him whenever he needed him most. He had his mentor who would always remain his constant companion till the last day of his life. He had Shibasaki whose smiles would never fail to drive away the sorrow of his soul.

And Hikaru had his Go. With the help from a group of as-good-as-pro Korean players whom he had been constantly playing against as of late, reaching the divine move with his phantom Go master didn't seem to be a farfetched dream any longer.

He sighed with a forlorn smile on his face. This was the best solution he could think of that would make everyone happy, including his stern grandparents.

"Obocchama! Your grandfather needs you in the living room." A young maid came up to greet him and retrieve his school bag, cutting him off from his musing.

"I'll be there after I finish changing." Hikaru was about to walk away when the female housekeeper suddenly blocked his path.

"I'm really sorry, young master. But he said it is urgent." Hikaru frowned at the uneasiness in her tone but thought nothing of it as she turned to lead him down the polished corridor.

That was until he spotted several people coming out of his room, carrying books and magazines that looked a lot like those he had been hiding for the past years.

"What in the world are you doing? I said no one is allowed in my room!" He pulled on one of the maids' arm, clearly angry.

"I allow them." A stiff voice addressed him from behind. Hikaru felt all the strength suddenly left his legs. Even though he didn't turn to look at the owner of that voice, his instinct already told him who it was.

"Grandfather," his lips moved on its own. His gaze darted to the paper envelope that his grandfather was crushing in his fist.

"What's the meaning of this?" The oldest Fujiwara asked slowly as he stepped out of his grandson's bedroom.

"It wasn't-... I-I am not planning to take it." Hikaru paled. How should he explained it so that his grandfather would understand? The situation was too sudden that his brain couldn't keep up with the stress of constructing believable lies on the spot.

"Then what is it doing here, hiding in your room?"

"It's a gift! For- for a friend!" He stuttered, thinking of actually giving it to Shibasaki once this all ended.

"With your name written in the participant's bracket?"

Hikaru's eyes widened in horror as he only remembered now that his name was readily printed on the application form of Go professional exam. Thus denying his involvement in this was a futile effort from the start. His blood froze in his veins as he tried to wreck his brain for a convincing explanation that would pull him out from the current situation. A cold sweat ran down on the side of his temple as he realized that he couldn't avoid his grandfather's rage without dragging his two friends into the picture.

A hand came down hard on his cheek, sending him flying into the shoji door that separate the mansion's inner corridor and the garden outside. Hikaru tasted the warm blood in his mouth as he accidentally bit down on the inside of his cheeks when he collided with the paper door. He watched his grandfather stood in his spot, glaring down at him with the eyes that possessed no trace of affection.

"It's him. It's that Yashiro boy you are always hanging around with. You think I didn't know that you two have been wandering around in town, playing Go in your passtime? I turned a blind eye, and look what happens when I decide to let you keep your precious little game as a hobby with that filthy boy from a low income family. You even went and befriended a Shikomi from Gion just because she's a pretty face who plays the same game as you. What a disgrace!"

"I don't see anything disgraceful about befriending her!" Hikaru's temper immediately flared up at the insult his friend had received. "And Kiyoharu was only trying his best to help me with my trouble. You don't have any right to judge them just because their positions in society aren't high enough to receive your approval!"

Hikaru received another punch in his face and he stumbled back down on top of the broken shoji door with his face buried deep in the paper shred, waiting for another half of his conscious to fully return.

"You will never see that Shikomi again or I can guarantee the grim future of her Okiya." His grandfather was trembling with rage. "The same goes for that Yashiro boy! Although I will have to reward him for encouraging the kind of behavior that you had just displayed."

Hikaru's snapped open his eyes despite the tormenting pain at the side of his head. He began crouching down on his hands and legs with the remaining conscious he had left in his mind.

"No, please, not them." He yanked on the bottom hem of his grandfather's kimono as if keeping him close would prevent him from harming the friends he cared for the most. The vexing tears he had been holding were finally trailed down his face. "Please, I beg you. I'll do everything you want me to. Just please, leave them alone," Hikaru gripped down on the silky fabric as hard as his trembling hands would allow him.

"Regardless of your promise, one needs to learn the consequence of his action. Don't you agree?"

~o0O0o~

"Mrs. Yashiro, if you would let me explain!" The door was slammed in Hikaru's face as soon as it opened. A week had passed since the incident with his grandfather during which Hikaru wasn't allowed outside of his room, even to go to school. It wasn't a surprise when he realized the disappearance of his best friend the moment he stepped inside the murmured classroom. It seemed his grandfather had successfully made his statement known to those who were planing to oppose him by making an example out of his own grandson.

"Psst!" A paper ball hit him on the head. Hikaru looked up to see his best friend starring at him from his bedroom window on the second floor. "Can you climb?" Yashiro jerked his head to the side, motioning him to the roof drain near the window sill.

"Good to see you're a climber, you'll need it to get back down." Yashiro said with a smirk as he dropped onto his own bed after Hikaru managed to land safely inside of his room."How's school?"

"Other than our classmates keeping a distance from me and the teachers acting overly lenient when I asked a question, everything goes on as usual, including those of us from the team." Hikaru said, flopping down on a pile of seat cushions. "Are you coming back, still?"

"Not likely, they cancelled my scholarship for the next term. And since we don't have enough money to pay for the expensive tuition fee, my dad thinks it's better for me to wait it out at home until the transferring process is done." Yashiro shrugged nonchalantly.

Hikaru, on the other hand, shifted awkwardly in his seat. His friend didn't seem to be angry with him, unlike his openly hostile mother. "And your dad?" He added guiltily.

"He got demoted but he'll live." Yashiro sighed. He sneaked a quick glance at his friend before shifting his gaze out the window. "So...what are you going to do now? We can't meet up for a game any more and you can't even see your girlfriend, less likely touching a Go stone again in your life time."

"She's a friend." Hikaru corrected his best friend as he rolled his eyes at the latter. His cheeks betrayed his own words by choosing that moment to show the blushes which Hikaru had been desperately hiding. But his face quickly fell as he stared down onto the carpet beneath his feet, thinking of the news of the young Shikomi he had just heard. Her Okiya was informed of her Go activity and her Okaa-han was furious to know that she was secretly plotting to escape the life of future Geiko. Hikaru couldn't stop blaming himself for what happened to his crush. It took all the wits from his mentor to keep him sane during the week that he was excommunicated from the outside world. But now that he had discovered the damage that his best friend had received, Hikaru couldn't help feeling the strong surge of hatred toward his grandparents who took away the happiness from the only people he cared about.

"I don't think I can live in that house anymore, not after what they have done to you and your family." He made a long, audible sigh and stretched his legs into a more comfortable position. "I don't even know if I could be forgiven for the mess I've put you through."

"What if I say I'll forgive you if you become a pro," Yashiro sprung up from his bed, looking deadly serious as he stared back into Hikaru's eyes. "Will you do it?"

Hikaru didn't give his friend an immediate reply. But it only proved that he was truly considering the option. Minutes had passed in silent as the two pre-teens kept to their own musing. It wasn't until Yashiro decided to give his best friend a break from drowning in his own thoughts that he started up a new topic.

"You were saying something about leaving your grandparent's house. Are you planing a run away trip or something?" He chuckled sarcastically. He knew someone who had a lot to lose like Hikaru wouldn't just abandon the comfort of his own home and choose to live on the street. Yashiro didn't even know if he would have enough gut to do that himself.

"SERIOUSLY?" The lanky sixth grader almost toppled over his own pillows when he saw his best friend deliberately glanced up at him.

"I haven't talk to anyone about this plan except for my grandparents on my father's side. They were surprisingly accepting when I told them that I was kicked out from the house. Somehow it makes me feel insulted like they were waiting for it to happen. Anyways, I'll be leaving for Tokyo within the next two days."

"Oh, wow, that's new. I never thought you had it in you, running away with your tail between your legs, that is." Yashiro feigned a theatric surprise, earning him a seat cushion squarely on his face.

"Fuck off! You were so serious about me going on a rebel just a moment ago." Hikaru barked. His face became ripening red as his friend laughed openly at his expense.

It wasn't until the sky were painted with crimson shades of sunset that the boys decided they had nothing more to talk about and it was time for Hikaru to leave his friend's house, for one last time.

Hikaru looked down from the edge of the window sill as he was about to climb back down to the ground below. But he sharply turned to face his best friend, taking a deep breath as he prepared himself to offer an apology.

"If you're going to say sorry, then don't." Yashiro cut him off. "I'm not sorry for egging you on with the exam. So don't say you regret it."

Hikaru looked taken aback at his friend's intuition but he didn't say anything in reply other than the small smile that appeared on his face.

"Well...I guess this is it then." Hikaru gulped down his trembling voice as he lowered himself onto the ground below. They both knew that this wasn't really a goodbye. Because they had a promise that would be kept no matter what happen in the future.

"Don't you dare keep me waiting at Oteai matches." Yashiro frowned as he tried to hide the crack in his voice. "I will personally hunt you down and force you to take that damn exam myself if I need to."

"Cocky! You better pass the exam before you come and hunt for me then!" Hikaru beamed as he waved to his best friend, pretending that the trails of tears on Yashiro's face were the tricks of evening light.

~o0O0o~

It took around three hours and a half to arrive at Tokyo station by the slowest line of Shinkansen trains. Hikaru had timed his trip so that he didn't have to wrench his way out of the train platform among the herd of salarymen during the evening rush-hour. It should be easy to find his grandfather's place from there. What he didn't anticipate when he worked his plan inside his head was the really bad rainfall and the dramatic change in Tokyo's landscape. He gaped openly at the tall buildings that he didn't remember seeing when he left. The roads were wider and the traffic got busier, and considering his sloppy skill in detecting his desired route course, Hikaru had no choice but to scrape his original plan of traveling to the Shindou's resident by himself.

"Grandpa? it's Hikaru!...Yes, I'm already here and...actually I'm a bit lost. You think you can pick me up?" Hikaru bellowed at the payphone over the rain. His brows shot upward at the unexpected rejection that Heihachi had given him.

"At five? But I'm sopping wet! Wait! Grandpa! Hello!?" He made a low grunt when his line was disconnected. His body was quickly loosing its warmth. He knew he would need to find some cozy place to warm himself very soon or he probably would have to spend the next few days playing Go with Torajirou in bed.

He quickly took cover under the shade of a three stories building. Glancing up to the signboards of the shops, his whole face lit up at the surprising find of one Go salon.

"How about there, Torajirou?" Hikaru chirped at his mentor, feeling strangely giddy at the first chance to play the game without having to conceal his identity.

"You're the one with legs here." Came Torajirou's usual grumpy reply, although this time the smirk on his face contradicted the mood showed in his tone.

~o0O0o~

Akira was in quite a depressing state since a few days ago. He should have listen to his father's warning and turn down a random challenge coming his way. But he was too elated at the chance of finally meeting a potential rival. With the boy's impressive profile of winning children Meijin tournament where more than 2,000 kids all around the nation gather to compete for the title, Akira could feel his fingers pricking with long awaited excitement as he agreed to the boy's challenge.

However, it ended with much disappointment and the bitter feeling in his gut grew even stronger than before. The sullen look on the boy's face as the match came to an end had haunted him for days that followed. It made him wonder, if the best opponent that he sought couldn't even give him the challenge he craved, then who else would be strong enough to fill the spot.

But his worries were all wiped away today. His father's acknowledgement of decreasing his handicaps pulled him out of his own self doubt. He wouldn't hesitate again. If there was no one out there who could match him, then he would rise to the top and bring along those who follow him down the path.

"Oh!? There's a kid playing!" Akira heard a voice by the front of the salon and he turned to meet a boy in a black and yellow sport cap who was pointing a finger at him with a wide smile on his face. "Can I play him?" The boy added cheerfully and started to approached him without waiting for Ichikawa's answer.

"Ah! Wait! It's 500 yen for children." Ichikawa reached out after him. Akira watched the boy's face took a pink shade for a moment before the color was drained from his cheeks.

"Oh, no! I used up my last 500 on the phone. Well, guess it can't be help..." Akira quirked his brow at the accent in the boy's tone but he didn't dwell on it much as he made a quick approach to the front counter.

"How about cutting him some slack, Ichikawa-san?" He looked at the female shop keeper as the two heads turned in his direction. "It's his first time here, right?"

"Really? Thanks a bunch!" The boy excitedly jumped on his offer and began to follow him to the back of the shop, bouncing his steps eagerly as they went.

"I'm Touya Akira." He turned to smile at the boy.

"I'm Shindou," The boy shrugged the duffel bag he was carrying onto his shoulder, steadying the strap with his sturdy form.

"Shindou Hikaru, sixth grade," he beamed.

Reviews!

greymouser: sorry for the wait! I hope you are still hanging in there with the rate my story goes. The reunion match will be update in the next chapter :)

guest: hmm...yaoi is not my strong point at all. Tho I don't mind reading this genre when it's not involve characters from canons.

mogui9: you're very welcome!

Kuro-neko-kyoko: I'm glad that you like it And welcome to HKG fandom. Thx for your review. Pls drop by again sometimes!

greymouser: The shenanigans are quite hard to write but I'll try my hardest. Thx for sticking with me this far into my fic. Hope to see you again :)