Hikaru no Girl
Chapter 2: Being a Genius is not the Same as Being Smart
Akira Touya knew where Hikaru lived. He had visited his school and found out his address back when he was trying to track the elusive boy down for a Go game. He had also asked around Haze Middle School and found out what time he normally came home, before he realized that following Hikaru home might be a tad stalker-ish, even if it was for Go.
He also had Hikaru's phone number, because the other boy had kept sending him messages. It occurred to him that he might as well confirm that it was Hikaru's cell phone.
It had been fairly easy to confirm that Hikaru didn't have a sister. Not that Akira had expected anything else, really. But Hikaru's neighbors had confirmed that only one boy lived next door. Just to be sure, he'd also tracked down some hospital records to confirm that Hikaru did not have a twin. He'd also made sure that yes, the baby had been a boy. (Akira had put his "good-boy" looks to serious use to obtain that. He'd always known that adults were easily persuaded when he acted sincere, but this was the first time he'd put this to such shameless use.)
But having confirmed what Hikaru was not (not more than one person and not female) Akira was still at a loss to understand what he was. He had first wondered if Hikaru's parents were some sort of evil anti-Go fanatics oppressing their son's talent and forcing him to drastic measures. But questions around Hikaru's school had only revealed that Hikaru's grandfather had been a Go player and his parents had offered no protest to his joining the Go club. Then could Hikaru be involved in some sort of illegal Go gambling? Akira winced at the way Ogata had laughed at him when he'd brought up criminal Go gambling. Besides, according to the bank manager who was so willing to help the nice polite Hikaru Shindo who was so worried about his parents, the Shindos had no financial problems. Akira didn't think Hikaru was the type of boy to become a criminal without a good reason. Then, he'd never known that he himself was so good at lying.
Long story short, when next weekend rolled around Akira was no closer to unraveling the mystery of Hikaru Shindo.
Hikaru's absolutely brilliant and completely fail-safe plan had hit an unexpected snag: Akari had noticed her bag was missing. This was a puzzle to Hikaru, who had once gone two weeks without noticing that he'd left his backpack at Akari's house. (He'd thought his back seemed much lighter than usual as he walked to school, and optimistically concluded that he must be putting on muscle with puberty.) Even more to Hikaru's surprise, Akari had actually remembered where she'd left her bag last, had barged into his room without permission to look for it (how dare his traitorous mother let her in?) and, worst of all, noticed with her evil girl senses that her uniform had been worn. And now she had him at her mercy.
Akari cooed, "You know, Hikaru, growing up together as only children, it's almost like we're siblings. But do you know what?"
"What?" Hikaru asked, wincing as the hairbrush snagged on a tangle in his hair.
"I actually always wanted a sister!" Akari squealed as she held up some black hair extensions. "Oh, my, this is going to look lovely."
"Whatever you did to my bangs had better wash out," Hikaru warned her.
"It will," Akari said dismissively. "Those types of highlights don't suit a girl, Hikaru. Now hold still, I'm almost done with your hair."
Akari had taken Hikaru's uniform theft in stride, in fact with alarming alacrity. She had insisted on her uniform back, of course. Then she had insisted on providing replacement clothing. And then she hadn't let Hikaru get any further then explaining he was meeting a boy who thought he was a girl before she insisted on doing his hair and make-up.
Eyeing the clock, Hikaru said, "Akari, I'm going to be late."
"Just let me fasten this—done! Aw, come over here in front of the mirror and take a look."
Of course, Akari had a full-length mirror in her room, being a girl. Hikaru avoided looking himself in the eye, or the eye shadow. She had better be telling the truth about her parents not being home for another two hours.
Akari's eyes misted over as she looked at him. "Hikaru, you look like a princess!"
"You're not going to mention this to anyone, are you?" he asked.
"Of course not. But there is one favor you could do me."
"What?" Hikaru asked warily.
"When we're alone, do you think you might call me…Onee-san?"
Hikaru got the hell out of there.
Today, Akira had placed his Go cup carefully out of range of where his arm might knock it over. This saved him from another accident, although did not protect his forehead from damage when it collided with the table after Hikaru Shindo walked in the door.
Hikaru was wearing a scarlet shirt with a white fleece vest, and a black leather skirt with a silver-studded belt. Long black hair draped around his neck in silky ringlets, reflecting the same shimmer as his dark eyes, and fastened with a butterfly pin. Of his bleached bangs, there was no trace. His skin seemed smoother than usual, his lips redder. Was that lipstick?
Hikaru slid into the seat in front of Akira. "You're late," Akira managed.
Hikaru shoved a notebook at him. Akira took a look and read. "My name is Sai Shindo. I was separated at birth from my twin brother because my family owed a huge debt to the wealthy Fujisaki family who rule Japan from the shadows. Now I live together with my big sister Akari as her little sister and we are best friends."
Akira shot Hikaru a puzzled look. Hikaru avoided his gaze as he reached for the bowl with white stones.
The writing was not Hikaru's handwriting. Akira knew that because he'd rooted through Hikaru's backpack once. Looking for clues, that was all.
If Hikaru was completely delusional, that might explain a great deal. Or perhaps he simply enjoyed toying with Akira. Distracting him from Go. With barely an "Onegaishimasu," Akira angrily attacked the board.
Half an hour later, Akira knew that he had played his best: and still lost. Miserably. He stared at the board. Why couldn't he seem to grasp this opponent's playing style? It was like dueling with air. And he understood the mind behind that skill even less.
Hikaru Shindo stood up abruptly and walked out. Akira didn't even have time to ask him if they would play again next week. Sometimes he felt like he'd spent the entirety of their acquaintance chasing after Hikaru.
"Gah, I can't believe Akari put me through this!" Hikaru grumbled as he scrubbed off some make-up, hunched over in the corner of the restroom in case someone else walked in. He preferred ducking into the men's restroom when no one was looking to change, rather than going home and risking the neighbors seeing him.
"Are we playing again next week?" Sai inquired.
"I don't know. I'm not sure if Akira will be satisfied until he beats you—but he's not anywhere near your level right now, is he? And I think I should quit before this gets out of hand."
Sai's face twisted in disappointment. Hikaru supposed it was at the loss of a regular Go game. The ghost asked, "Do you think Akira frequents that particular Go salon often? I think we should go back. You could stand to practice a few games on your own."
"And we don't want to run into Akira, right. Well, if we go back now he'll have just left. I wouldn't risk going where he might be otherwise."
Hikaru turned to leave, wondering why Sai looked frustrated. Usually the ghost was happy to do anything that remotely related to Go.
Except Akira hadn't left. He was still there, still in front of the same dumb board. He seemed to be replaying his game with Sai—the very first one.
Hikaru paused outside the window, then turned to go.
"Ask him for a game!" Sai hissed.
"What, you want to play him again? Didn't crushing his ego once today satisfy you?"
"Not for me! For you!"
Hikaru shook his head. "He has no interest in playing me, remember? Let's go home."
It was sheer coincidence that Akira happened to look out the window at that moment. Happened to see who was walking past.
It was Hikaru. Wearing his same dumb orange jacket that he always used to wear before he developed an interest in cross-dressing. What had brought him back again?
Before he even had time to think, Akira had leapt to his feet and was running for the door, ignoring Ms. Ichikawa's surprised look.
He'd forced himself in front of Hikaru before he realized he didn't know what to say. "Hello," he said breathlessly.
"Hello."
What would he do if Akira called his bluff? Asked why he was lying and pretending? Would he tell the truth or just disappear forever?
"Your sister is very good at Go. We had a great game today."
"I became an insei. I want to take the next professional exam," Hikaru said, a note of challenge in his voice.
Does he really think Akira would say he can't do it? When after crushing Akira himself just half an hour ago? "You don't need any training for that."
Hikaru jerked. "Not Sai. Me."
Stop pretending already, Akira wanted to scream. I know who you are, I know how you're capable of playing, I know you don't need any practice to become a professional, what I don't know is what is the point of this charade!
Hikaru is a mystery, and Akira needs to understand. Father once told him it is possible to get feeling of a person through their Go. "Do you want to play a game?"
Hikaru didn't ask, "What, right this very second?" which was how people usually reacted when Akira got in the mood to drop everything and play Go. Instead, he said, "With me? Not Sai?"
"Yes."
"Well, I suppose I can spare you a few minutes." Hikaru did not turn away fast enough to hide his grin.
As he half-expected, Akira found himself playing the Hikaru from the Kaio game, not Sai. And yet now that he had already played "Sai" it wasn't such a disappointment to face someone else, so he treated Hikaru as he would any weaker opponent, and set about systematically crushing him.
It was over in about five minutes, and Hikaru bit his lower lip as he muttered, "I resign."
Akira searched Hikaru's face for any trace of a joke, but found nothing. Hikaru looked as genuinely disappointed as anyone would after losing. His attention hadn't wandered during their game, nor had he moved too quickly—he'd stared at the board with great concentration, and winced every time Akira captured a stone. In other words, he'd taken their game completely seriously and played with his whole heart.
Not just the skill of the game had been different, but the style as well. "Sai" played an old-fashioned game, but also a complex strategy that turned your own moves against you. Hikaru was prone to frontal attacks and eclectic moves.
After seeing it with his own eyes, Akira couldn't doubt that he was honestly playing a different person from the one he'd challenged earlier this afternoon. Or that both his opponents had played honorably and with all their skill. His father was right: you could understand people through Go.
Akira said, "Makemashita." Then, clearing the board, he said, "That was a good game. Would you like to go over it, so we can discuss how it could have gone differently?"
He spent the next half an hour trying to teach Hikaru without looking too much like he's teaching him, as he suspected that would hurt Hikaru's pride.
When he was done, Akira didn't go home. He went straight to the library, and asked for every book they had on Multiple Personality Disorder.
Outside the salon: "I think that went well. He doesn't suspect a thing," Hikaru told Sai.
"…And then he asked if I wanted to play him again another day! That must mean he enjoyed the game, right?" Hikaru asked. There was a distinct spring in his step as he walked towards the train station.
"That's good. It's good that he doesn't only like you in Akari's clothes," Sai mumbled. "Hikaru, do you think Akira might want to walk by the river with you?"
"What river?" Hikaru asked. They're in the middle of Tokyo, for crying out loud.
"I was something people did to become closer, in my time."
"For Go-players?" Hikaru asked disinterestedly.
"Not only them," Sai said delicately. "In this era you would—go see a play?"
"Still a hundred years too early, Sai. I think you mean see a movie."
"Yes. That. Hikaru, I very much want to walk by one of these movies. Why don't we see if Akira wants to movie after next time we play?"
"Movie isn't a verb, Sai." Hikaru was suspicious. Since when had Sai ever cared about anything besides Go? Was he up to something?
"Ooo, Hikaru! I see Touya Meijin in a shiny box!" Sai declared, pointed at a television in a store window. "Please kindly tell him that if he will come out of the box, we can play Go!"
Sai, plotting something? Nah.