Hikaru no Girl

Chapter 4: Go Professionals Can Be Kind of Scary When Their Fuseki is Invaded

At that devastating dinner, as one professional after another fell and the food was forgotten in favor of crowding around the computer screen, for the final game Honinbo Kuwabara had played again and this time the other players had gathered around and given him advice on each move (which Akira had thought was sort of cheating) and even so, they had lost. And afterwards they had all turned as one towards Akira, who was eyeing the door as politeness warred with survival instinct.

"Akira-kun! Would you care to introduce me to your charming Net friend? I would almost suspect you and your father of playing a little practical joke on us, were it not for the fact that the player had a very old-fashioned style, and that I know Koyo Touya is completely computer illiterate. So? Now that you've set us up so neatly, what was the point?"

"I didn't set you up," Akira said. "I happened to have heard from a friend that there was a really strong player named Sai on the net. You came up with the idea to challenge him on your own. I don't know anything about him. Or her. Probably some really strong professional from Korea or China."

Kurata asked, "Then why were you talking about a player who couldn't enter tournaments? Someone who was sick or in the hospital, you said?"

Akira said, "I was only making conversation. It had nothing to do with Sai."

Kuwabara cackled, "Now where might you have the opportunity to meet someone from China or Korea, young Akira?"

"Oh, this person isn't a foreign professional," Ogata said. "Akira bites his bottom lip when he lies, don't you Akira?"

The world had lost a great evil mastermind the day Ogata had taken up Go, Akira thought sourly.

The interrogation continued all night. Akira had stuck to his story and was certain that he became less convincing with every repetition. He was allowed to escape when his mother called to ask why he was out past his curfew; she had insisted that Ogata drive him home.

Ogata had been making more appearances than usual at the Touya house. Quite a few other people had started to find excuses to come over as well. Akira tried not to be in the house. He could only be grateful that no one had said anything to his father, as he wasn't sure he could have resisted pressure from that front. (The truth was, Japan was rather proud of having one of the few professionals in existence who hadn't yet fallen to Sai, and no one wanted to tell Touya Meijin about the Saint of Net Go for fear he'd instantly decide to seek out the strong player.)

Yesterday, Akira had walked in on Ogata and another professional he barely knew (except that he might have been at that fateful dinner) discussing how Akira's game style seemed to have been influenced by Sai, and trying to narrow down Akira's acquaintances into possible suspects. He was starting to feel like a deer during hunting season.

He could have taken all the pressure off himself by telling them the truth. He had originally wanted to introduce Sai to the Go world. The problem was, Akira had realized exactly why Hikaru tried to keep Sai a secret—too late.

The male Hikaru personality was a genuinely talented Go player. He was inexperienced and reckless and unorthodox, but he was improving at an amazing rate. But no one who ever saw Sai play would even give Hikaru a chance.

If Sai and Hikaru were revealed as one and the same, the entire Go world would seek him out. And if Hikaru tried to enter the professional world with his weaker personality, no matter how magnificently he played, he would be met with nothing but disappointment. They would hound him and harry him to bring out Sai. And maybe the first doctor who tried to cure him of DID would want to keep the "genius" personality and eliminate Hikaru. It wasn't fair and it wasn't right. And it bore a strong resemblance to the way Akira had treated at first Hikaru, as he now remembered with shame.

Akira actually understood how the weaker version of Hikaru must feel. Akira himself had faced high expectations as Touya Meijin's son. He'd usually been able to meet them with ease, but it had still been frustrating to know that people judged him by his father's skill not his own. Yes, Akira understood exactly why Hikaru wanted to keep Sai secret.

Last night, Akira had searched for news of Sai on the internet. A wealthy Go professional had offered a reward for any information leading to Sai's identity. Other players and Go fans had decided to contribute as well. The total amount was now at 1,200,000 yen and increasing daily.

Akira wasn't sleeping very well these days.

With Akira and Hikaru playing every weekend, it made sense for them to start meeting at the train station and walk over to the Go salon together.

Akira was attempting to subtly find out if Hikaru knew anything about the tsunami he'd generated across the Go world. But today he was meeting Sai-Hikaru not Hikaru-Hikaru, and this version was as uncommunicative as ever. Occasionally, if he was persistent, he could get a one-word answer typed on a cell phone.

He'd been watching Hikaru closely for changes in expression that might pass as communication, so it was really only a coincidence that he caught a glimpse of Ogata's reflection in the glass.

Ogata was just about to turn the corner. Akira's heart stopped. In his mind, he could see exactly how this would play out.

"Why Akira, who is your lady friend?" Ogata will ask mockingly. "Sai Shindo," Hikaru will mumble. "Oh, Sai? How interesting. And what are you doing with Akira? Playing Go? How even more interesting. Mind if I come along? Can I make a phone call first?"

And then, if Akira is very unlucky, Ogata perhaps even recognize that this teenager dressed as a girl (in a rather fetching yellow sundress, Akira can't help noticing) is the same boy he ran into at a Go tournament. And then? Akira's mind goes blank.

Glancing around frantically for an escape, Akira's eye caught on a poster. "Oh, Space Battleship Yamato is out in theatres! I've been waiting to see that!" he babbled, yanking on Hikaru's arm. As Ogata approached, Akira began to attempt to half-drag, half-carry Hikaru into the movie theatre.

This did not work as well was he planned, as Hikaru was too heavy. Luckily, once he'd gotten over his surprise he allowed Akira pull him inside the double doors just as Ogata turned the corner.

"But we were going to play Go?" Hikaru asked, and then for some reason repeated the question in a high falsetto.

"We can do that later?" Akira suggested, peeking out the door to see if Ogata was still outside. He was.

"What are you looking at?" Hikaru asked from right behind him. His breath ghosted against Akira's neck.

"Nothing! Hik—uh, Sai, um, let's go watch, uh, that movie."

"You mean Space Battleship Yamato?"

"Only if I have to," Akira said glumly.

"I want to see 13 Assassins," Hikaru suggested (ignoring Sai's protests that My Darling is a Foreigner looked like a more romantic movie).

Ogata was no longer outside the theatre after the movie. It was a sign of Akira's increasing paranoia that he actually checked before stepping outside.

"That movie was great," Hikaru enthused. "I think the villain was my favorite character. In the love-to-hate-him sense."

"It was better than I expected," Akira admitted. At some point in the movie, Hikaru had switched from his "Sai" personality to his "Hikaru" personality. He didn't seem to have noticed.

"Do you really think so? What types of movies do you normally see?"

Akira searched his mind. "My mother likes to watch dramas. My father sometimes watches historical films."

"And you never go to the movies yourself? What a waste. Look, I have a shelf of old samurai movies at my house, and some great Hollywood movies with subtitles. My parents are eating out tonight and won't be back until late. Want to come over for a few hours?" He didn't wait for an answer before dragging Akira off.

Once at Hikaru's house, there was a girl of all things at his doorstep. "Hikaru, I need my wig back, I brought a new hair pin I want to try. Who is this? Oh, could you be Akira?"

"O-oh." Hikaru looked down, as if remembering the dress for the first time. "Look, Akira, I just remembered that I have to do girl things. With this girl here. Just give me a second and I'll send out my brother to watch movies with you instead." With that, he bolted into the house.

Hikaru couldn't be serious, could he? He must know that Akira knows. There is no way he would be that stupid, or think that Akira is that stupid. Right?

"I'm Akira Touya, nice to meet you," he said to the girl.

She replied, "Akari Fujisaki. Sai is my little sister. I've heard so much about you!" She winked at him.

Just when Akira thinks that the universe can go no more insane, Hikaru Shindo demonstrates in some graphic fashion that he is wrong.

The reward on information leading to the identity of Sai the Saint of Net Go has reached 3,200,000 yen. Some people are talking about hiring a private detective to look for Sai.

Someone has posted that Akira Touya is rumored to have information about Sai's identity.

Sai is really happy about all the people online who want to play him.

The crisis was mostly Akira's fault, later events suggested. Hikaru could have been more careful, but he had no reason to be. Akira was the one who knew about the reward, and the fact that it was now public knowledge that he had a connection to Sai.

But Akira had been desperate. Sai had completely disappeared off the net a week ago, and professionals from around Japan had been stopping by to interrogate him. Yesterday, Lee Rinshin from China had stopped by too. His father must have noticed something was up because he was starting to make conversation in a way that was almost asking questions.

After being questioning at their last game, Hikaru had explained that his sister Sai was no longer playing Net Go because a friend of theirs had been letting her play for free at a net café, but had now caught a flu bug that had been going around and was out sick. She would probably be back at work in a few days, but Akira couldn't wait a few days. In desperation, he had decided offer "Sai" his own laptop on indefinite loan. Akira was not looking forward to explaining to his parents where his computer was, but he enjoyed even less the prospect of explaining to reporters that he really couldn't say anything to the rumors that Sai was in his hospital on his deathbed or quitting Go or kidnapped by aliens. And so he'd brought his laptop to his weekly Sunday game with Sai.

He had no idea that Mr. Amano from "Go Weekly" was following him. How could he know?

And Seiji Ogata dropping in to ask him to return a Go book he'd borrowed from Akira's father was really nothing but a nasty coincidence.

"You sure you don't mind me using your laptop to play a game here?" Hikaru-Sai asked, in a whisper. "I know you don't want to miss our game. I'd play at home, except we don't have a computer so we don't get internet."

"There are a few restaurants with free wireless. Or a net café might charge less if you bring your own computer," Akira suggested. "But I think it would be a great idea for you to play a game right now. We can play afterwards." Honinbo Kuwabara was coming over for dinner at the Touya house that night. Akira would be very happy if Sai would make a reappearance before then.

Hikaru-Sai opened her mouth, then seemed to remember that she didn't talk on Sundays, and attempted with her eyes to convey an interesting combination of polite gratitude, indifference to the manner in which games were played, and the idea that actually paying money to play Net Go was unthinkable. Then she logged in and began looking for an opponent.

The sight of a computer was a siren call for the reporter lurking sketchily inside. He blew past Ms. Ichikawa and was behind Hikaru and Akira before there was time to think about closing the laptop.

"Sai! I knew it," Mr. Amano declared, pointing at the screen. "You're just a kid! Amazing! Would you care to give an interview? And your real name?" He reached for his camera.

At the word "interview" Hikaru realized he was dealing with a reporter. A jolt of horror shot straight up his spine. Newspaper headlines danced through Hikaru's head: "Famous Go Genius Actually a Cross-Dressing Boy! Mother Commits Seppuku in Remorse! Neighbor Girl Tells Sickening Story of How He Stole Her Uniform! Experts Blame Exposure to Manga!" True, Go didn't normally make Japanese headlines in regular newspapers, but Hikaru was willing to bet that they'd make an exception for a story like this. They'd probably call it "human interest."

When he saw the camera, he ran for his life. A few too many curious people were now crowded between him and the door, so he bolted for the women's restrooms.

The pressure of a room full of gazes now fell hard on Akira Touya, who planted himself between the crowd and the restroom door.

Smiling like a shark, Mr. Amano said, "It's a pleasure to see you again, Akira Touya. Would you care to make a comment?"

Akira shook his head.

"Your friend will have to come out of there. Or, would one of the ladies present volunteer to go in? If you'll take my camera, then I'll pay."

"Don't," Akira pleaded. If someone caught a picture of Hikaru, it would be all over. "Leave us alone, please."

Mr. Amano looked a tad guilty at bullying middle-schoolers, but he rallied. "This is the biggest scoop in Go all year…no, perhaps even in the entire decade! I can't very well let it go."

A murmur went through the crowd. The regulars who Akira knew and often played him were suddenly all potential enemies.

Mr. Amano continued, "Everyone here wants to know who Sai is, don't they? The Saint of Net Go, the mystery in the shadows, the modern legend?"

Inside the bathroom, Hikaru was discovering that there were no windows to jump out of. Sai offered a stream of unhelpful advice while he clamped his hands over his ears and prayed. There was no way out. He was caught, and even being caught as Sai was the least of his worries at this point. No, not the least of his worries. Just two days before the professional test, and this! What would Waya and Isumi say? What if they reacted as if they'd been betrayed, the way Yuki had when he decided he wanted to become a professional? What if he was never allowed to play a Go game as himself again? Suddenly he understood Sai's desperation to play Go, as he now felt it himself.

And Sai? He'd once commented that the one thing he didn't miss from his last life was the backstabbing that came with being famous. Sai like playing everyone, weak and strong, with honor and love for the game. But once the sordid story hit the papers and he was exposed as a cross-dressing pathological liar, Sai would be treated as a curiosity by all his future opponents, not as a worthy opponent. He would be stuck playing people who treated him as a circus attraction. Hikaru was seriously considering whether he and Sai might not fare better living in South America for a while.

"I won't let you in," he heard Akira tell someone outside. Hikaru felt a wave of gratitude, and even though this mess was really all Akira's fault to begin with, he still wanted to apologize for dragging him into this.

Mr. Amano said, "You owe a duty to the Go world to bring Sai into the open."

"He's not Sai." Akira swallowed noisily. "I am."