There truly is no try, huh? Well, from now on I won't be talking about when I "try" to update. I just promise you that I will, sooner or later.
Thank you, again, for the reviewers (I hope everyone's stayed sane so far, this fic's hardly worth losing you mind!), and all who've favorited/watched this too! And one more general comment: Hikaru's great skill at go is partly due to the lack of any other distractions, true, but there are other reasons behind it, too. But I guess I won't go into that, yet...
Chapter 3: Tokyo
One weekend, as the year was nearing its end, Hikaru's father came again to visit them. Hikaru was happily playing go on his mother's computer while his parents had a long talk. He had been able to play two games completely unbothered when his father's voice called for him. He was just about to start a new game, but the tone of the voice told him that he'd better put it off for a moment.
"Hikaru," his father said as he entered the room. "We have been talking about you two moving to Tokyo."
Hikaru stopped at the doorway, hovering there, hesitant. His mother looked at him and her eyes were dry, but he could smell tears in the air, and he was quite certain it wasn't his father who had cried.
"We haven't quite reached an agreement yet, though," his father went on, sounding displeased. "And so we thought that perhaps you could come to spend some time in Tokyo during the winter break. We could spend the New Year there. How would you like that?"
That caught Hikaru's attention. "New Year at Tokyo?"
"It's true that everything's been going quite well for a long while," Mitsuko said quietly. "This would be a good test. Maybe we really could move to Tokyo when you start middle school."
Hikaru stood still, thinking. Move to Tokyo, to stay? He thought about what he knew about the city (which wasn't much, and mainly based on movies and manga): towering buildings, bright lights, hordes of people and cars. Then he thought about their little house, the town, the forest in which he and Akari at times played – and he thought of Akari, and all the people he knew, and all the people in Tokyo he didn't know, and who didn't know him, and who would find his hands freaky.
"Yeah," he said finally. "I guess it'd be a good test."
"So, it's decided!" Masao said, standing up as if they were going to leave right away. He smiled at his son. "I'm sure you'll love Tokyo. You can't even imagine how different it is from this place. And," he went on, turning to Mitsuko, "if you were to move there, I could supervise his studies myself. If his grades stay like this in middle school, he won't ever make it into high school! You must have been too lax with him."
Mitsuko was shaking her head. "I doubt he would have done any better in Tokyo. He just isn't interested in anything but go these days."
"Umm," Hikaru said. He didn't want to listen to this conversation. "I'm gonna go back to play."
As he left the room, he heard his mother's voice behind his back. "See? It's all but impossible to keep him away from the game." He didn't listen to his father's reply. Sitting down by the computer he stared at its screen where the screensaver was making wavy patterns, at the same time excited and oddly anxious.
Your mother seemed somehow distressed, Sai pointed out. As Hikaru said nothing, he went on, I just wonder why? My mother would have been overjoyed if my father had invited her to live in his mansion… and your father doesn't even have other wives, does he? Your mother is truly in a happy position!
Hikaru sighed. "I've no clue what you're talking about, Sai," he muttered and started a new game.
…
A couple of weeks later they arrived to Tokyo. They were going to stay at his father's small apartment, nowadays, luckily, a little bigger than a simple studio, for that would have become quite crowded. Even so, Hikaru could sense that Sai was not overly impressed.
"Not exactly a mansion," Hikaru whispered to him, amused. "What did you expect?"
The times, of course, are different, Sai stated diplomatically. This is a very… nice… apartment.
Hikaru shot a look around the room. His father really hadn't seen the need to get any more furnishings that absolutely necessary. "Is not," he stated dryly. But that didn't matter. It wasn't for the apartment that they were there. A week in Tokyo! That was something.
No movie or manga would ever do justice to Tokyo, Hikaru concluded quite soon. One had to experience the skyscrapers, the masses, the jungle of lights to really understand it. The first time his father took him sightseeing, he was a little overwhelmed, but the feeling disappeared soon, giving way to excitement. So much to see and explore! And so he started exploring, and within the first two days managed to lose his parents three times. His mother was beginning to despair, trying to make him understand that a big city like this could be dangerous, and his father strictly told him that if he got lost one more time, he'd spend the rest of the trip in the little apartment – with no access to net go.
"It's not my fault, really," Hikaru muttered to Sai, annoyed. "The waters flow all wrong here!"
I know, Sai agreed. It is often like that in big cities, these days. But that means your parents are right. We need to be more careful when we can't count on the water to guide us.
"Annoying," Hikaru stated. This was a side of Tokyo he didn't like – there was nothing natural about the movement of the water in the ground. There was water, quite a lot of water, flowing around everywhere in the city, but its directions made no sense. Back at home he was able to feel from the ground where he was, but here the water misled him, and that was quite disturbing.
With time, we might learn, Sai said. But for now, let's be careful.
"Alright then," Hikaru sighed. And the very next day they got lost again.
.
"It's all your fault," Hikaru muttered as they vainly tried to spot his father in the crowd on the busy street.
My fault? How can it be my fault that you lost him again?
"I just stopped cause you were so excited about those stupid fake fishes!" Hikaru exclaimed aloud and got weird looks from the passers-by. He waved toward a shop window where a bunch of mechanical fishes were swimming around in an aquarium.
But… but even so, you could have…
"Well, whatever." Hikaru stood on his toes in a vain attempt to see farther. "It's his fault, really. He should have kept an eye on me and not the other way round."
It's probably because of that phone call he got. Why are they calling him from work if he has vacation?
"How should I know?" Hikaru sighed. "Let's wait here, I'm sure he comes back when he notices I'm missing."
Time passed. Hikaru watched the passing people, beginning to grow bored, when Sai suddenly exclaimed, Look, Hikaru!
"What?" Hikaru shot a glance around. "Is it dad?"
Up there! Look up there! See that sign?
It took Hikaru a moment to realize what Sai was talking about.
"Go, huh," he said then.
There's a go salon! Sai's excitement was enough to make his palms itch. Let's go to take a look!
"I'm not sure if it's a good idea. Dad might come back soon…"
Yes… Sai paused. But… just a quick peek?
Hikaru rolled his eyes and said nothing. Even so, his eyes kept on wandering to the sign.
"What's taking him so long," he finally muttered. "This is ridiculous."
He stared at the sign. "Oh well. He's probably mad at us what ever we do. And if we're gonna spend the rest of the week grounded anyway, better to take this chance, right?"
Sai was practically bubbling with joy in his mind as he started walking toward the sign.
The go salon was in the eighth floor. Hikaru paused at the door – it was his first time in such place, and his eyes wandered across the room. Mainly old geezers, he noted a little disappointedly. The only woman in the room was the one standing behind a desk. She was giving him a wide smile.
"Welcome! First time here?"
"First time in a place like this," Hikaru answered. "Can anyone play here?"
"Sure! I just need your…"
"Hey look, there's a kid there!" Hikaru exclaimed, not listening to her. He started walking past her, and she was waving frantically, trying to get his attention.
"It's 500Y for children," she called. That did catch Hikaru's attention.
"What?" he stopped to give her a stunned look. "I have to pay?" He patted his pockets. If he counted all his coins, he thought, he might have – barely – three hundred. "Umm…"
The other boy had walked to them. "It's his first time here, so why don't you let him come free?" he said with a smile at the woman, who practically swooned at him.
"Whatever you say, Akira-kun," she said in voice so sweet Hikaru gave her a weird look.
Akira-kun, he heard Sai echoing the woman and turned back to the boy.
A coincidence, Hikaru thought back at him, but gave the boy a long, estimating look, nevertheless.
"I'm Shindou Hikaru," he introduced himself with a bright smile. "And you…"
"Touya Akira. Nice to meet you." The boy was smiling politely to him now, but somehow, Hikaru thought, the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "So, you play go?" Akira went on, and kept on smiling as Hikaru nodded. "That's great. We don't really see children here too often."
"I guess. So, can we play?"
"Sure." Akira led him to a free board. "How many stones do you want?"
Hikaru raised his eyebrows at him. Then he grinned. "To be honest, I think that's my question."
Akira looked a little taken aback, but only momentarily. "Let's play an even game, then?" he suggested.
They chose for color, and Hikaru got black. When he picked his first stone to play, he noticed the slightest frown on Akira's face, but it disappeared soon.
You should learn how to hold the stones properly, Sai told him.
Yeah, sure. Some day.
It was clear that Akira didn't quite take him seriously from the beginning. Or… that was wrong, Hikaru realized as he watched his opponent – he got a feeling that this boy was unable not to take anything go related seriously. But he had started the game most likely thinking he would be playing a teaching game. Hikaru grinned inwardly.
Well, if a teaching game was what he wanted, he'd get one.
Don't be nasty now, Sai chided him, but he didn't dignify that with a reply.
It was almost amusing to watch Akira's face during the game. It didn't take the boy long to realize that his opponent indeed was skilled. Hikaru could easily spot the moment he understood he was the one being taught.
Hikaru… take it easy, Sai said again. Don't play too good a game.
You're getting boring, Sai. Why not? He's just a kid, like me – why would it be weird if I won?
You know he's not 'just a kid, Sai said sharply, and Hikaru paused.
It was true that this boy's game really was good. Of course, Hikaru couldn't quite know on what level children of his age usually played – and many of his online opponents had been clearly stronger than Akira… but even so.
Too late for that, he just thought. He knows already I'm playing shidougo with him.
The game went on in silence. Akira's eyes never left the board, but Hikaru found himself observing his opponent more closely than the game.
Akira, he thought. His play is familiar. Do you think… should we ask him if he plays net go?
What if he asks you if you play? Sai replied quietly.
Hikaru bit his lip. He looked at the board, and the game that was getting close to its end. I… don't know. What should we do?
What should he do if this was the 'akira' from net go, and if he realized he was playing against 'sai'?
Two pretty big ifs, Hikaru thought to himself, and tried to push the thought away. Even so he found himself playing moves that were not typical to him, just to mislead his opponent. But what would it matter if both of those ifs are correct, he asked himself, and had no reply. Somehow he still was nervous, suddenly feeling the surroundings quite clearly. The water. In the tea the players were drinking. In the pipes in the walls.
Sai, he thought sharply. Is that you? Stop it, you're making me nervous.
I'm sorry, Hikaru, Sai whispered back to him. I can't help it. You mustn't let anyone find out about us.
Why?
Because… because it could be dangerous. Sai sounded genuinely worried, and that confused Hikaru. What was there in a young kid to scare a spirit?
You're being silly, Sai, he informed his companion, but even so he shuddered a little, feeling the tension in the air.
And the water. The water. The water in the air, in the people around him, in the bonsai tree on a nearby table. He all but shivered, feeling it course through his own veins, the pull of it in Akira's veins…
He took a deep breath. "Dad," he muttered, a sudden thought coming to his mind. He stood up so suddenly his chair almost fell. "I need to go. Dad's waiting."
And he ran away, leaving Akira stare after him, stunned.
He was lucky. The elevator was in the right floor. He rushed in, pushed the ground floor button. As the doors were closing he heard running steps, a voice calling him. "Shindou! Shindou-kun! Are you…"
The door closed, cutting off the rest of the sentence.
He kept on running as they came down. After a while, as his side was beginning to hurt nastily, he slowed down, and as he glanced over his shoulder and saw no one following them finally stopped.
"Sai," he muttered under his breath, "what was that about? It's not like you to panic like that!"
I'm sorry, was all his companion had to say.
After that he went into a store, asked to borrow a phone to call his father, who was not pleased when he arrived. Still, he admitted that this time he was just as much at fault as Hikaru, and said nothing about the threat of being grounded.
I think he has something else on his mind, Sai pointed out, as Hikaru whispered to him how lucky they were. As it was, his father had barely reprimanded him. They met his mother at a café – she had been doing some shopping of her own – and Sai's observation turned out to be true.
"I got a call from my boss," Masao said as he and Hikaru sat down with their coffee and hot chocolate, respectively. "I know this is a short notice, but we've been invited to a New Year's party. He'd somehow heard you're here, and he said he wanted to take this chance to 'meet my family'."
"Oh dear." Mitsuko was grasping her tea with both hands, looking a little stunned. "I'm not sure if I have anything suitable to wear…"
"That dress you took with in the case we go to a restaurant should be fine enough," Masao said dismissively. "I'm more worried about…" he glanced at his son who met his gaze with a clueless look and a chocolate moustache.
"What?" Hikaru blinked. Then he caught on. "It sounds boring anyway. Do I have to come?"
"We were all invited. It would be rude if you didn't come."
Hikaru grimaced, and Masao turned to look at his wife. "See? Do you think he can behave himself?"
"Of course I can!" Hikaru exclaimed.
"He can," Mitsuko said evenly. "But… do they know about his…" She left the sentence hanging.
"They know he has a medical condition. I haven't really told anyone the details. But it shouldn't be a big deal."
"If you say so." Mitsuko sipped her tea, looking doubtful.
…
So, a couple of days later, Hikaru found himself dressed up more fancily than ever before. His mother had even bought him a tie. It was tight around his neck, and every time she looked away he tried to pull it a little looser.
Sai was sympathetic. The clothes of your era, he stated, really look uncomfortable. So… tight.
Tell me about it, Hikaru thought at him darkly. This wasn't how he had dreamed about spending the New Year in Tokyo. Well, he wasn't exactly sure what he had thought they'd do – there would be fireworks, that he knew – but a boring cocktail party hadn't been an option in his mind. At least the food in the buffet was good and no one stared too openly at his hands. And his father's boss's house might have been a bit closer to what Sai meant with a 'mansion', what came to that. Not a bad place. He hoped he'd be able to do some exploring at some point.
Perhaps, Sai told him. But remember, we're quests here. You can't just do whatever you want to.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Hikaru was clearly paying more attention to his food than in what was being said to him.
Hikaru wasn't the only youngster in the room. His father's boss had apparently decided that this was a good time to get to know not just Masao's family, but quite many others as well. Though, as Sai noted to Hikaru who wasn't listening, he didn't seem to be spending much time 'getting to know' that many people.
"This is an important chance for me," Masao had impressed on them before the party. "I've never before been invited to my boss's home before. This is a sophisticated party, and you need to be on your best behavior." Technically he was talking to both Hikaru and Mitsuko, but his eyes had been dwelling on his son.
"Sure, dad," Hikaru had said lightly, his mind wandering somewhere far away, and Sai had sighed, deciding that he would do his best to chaperone the boy. So far, so good. People certainly did give the boy some odd glances at times, both at his hands and at his hair, and every now and then Mitsuko had to tell him in sharp whisper not to stuff himself at such rate, but at least the boy hadn't done or said anything rude. So far. It probably did help that most of the time his mouth was full of food.
Hikaru, Sai chided him as he headed toward the buffet one more time. Haven't you had enough yet?
This is good. What'd you know? You don't need to eat.
Even so. Look, there are some other boys talking in that corner. Why don't you go to talk with them?
Hikaru shot a look to the direction Sai indicated. I don't know. I'm not sure if I have much to say to them.
Don't be such a hermit, Hikaru! Come now, you can always try!
"Whatever." Hikaru approached the boys slowly, but stopped soon, hesitating. The boys, three of them, were all older than him. They were talking about computer games, or PlayStation, maybe, he wasn't quite sure. He stood there and listened, and thought it did actually sound kind of fun. Maybe he should ask for PlayStation for his next birthday.
Sai felt doubtful. Do you think one can play go on it? he asked
Hikaru shrugged. No clue. But it could be fun to play something else, too.
Now one of the boys had noticed him hovering behind them, and turned to look at him.
"Hey," he said. "I don't remember seeing you before. I'm Morioka."
"Narita," said another. The third one, youngest, stared at him a moment.
"Isobe," he said then. A short while Hikaru wondered why the name sounded familiar; then he realized it was his father's boss's name.
"Shindou Hikaru," he said, bowing his head a little.
"So, I take it your father works for my father," Isobe said, and Hikaru disliked him immediately. Not for the words themselves, but the way he said it, literally looking at him down his nose. "What does he do?"
"He…" Hikaru paused. What did his father do? He didn't have a clue. "Oh, he's got an important position. He's been awfully busy lately – I don't wanna brag, but his work is vital for the company."
Hikaru… Sai said in a slightly reproachful tone.
The boy was still staring at him with this slightly haughty look on his face, when his eyes fell on Hikaru's hands and he frowned
"What's the matter with your hands?"
All three were staring at them, and Hikaru too glanced at his hands self-consciously. "It's… it's just some kind of syndactyly, that's all." From the looks of the boys he figured they didn't know the word, but he wasn't about to start explaining. Their problem.
"We were just talking of our favorite games," Morioka said after a while. "You like gaming?"
Hikaru shrugged. "Dunno. I don't really play other games than go."
"Go?" For the fist time there was something akin to interest in Isobe's eyes. "You play go?"
The way he said it, skepticism clear in his voice, made Hikaru find him even more annoying.
"Yeah," he said with a tilt of his head. "Why not?"
"You just… didn't seem the type. Have you played long?"
"A few years. So, you play too?"
"Yes." Isobe was still watching him with a long, evaluating look, as if trying to figure out whether or not this conversation was worth carrying on. "I do," he said then, apparently deciding on the former.
Hikaru grinned. The guy couldn't be a total idiot, he figured, if he played go. "That's great! I don't know many kids of our age that play. Actually, just one."
"Oh?" Isobe raised his eyebrows at him. "Your school doesn't have a go club then?"
"Well… no." Hikaru didn't quite feel like starting to explain where he was from and what his school was like. He didn't know for sure, but he had a feeling that a single class in a school around here would have almost as many students as his school had altogether. "But I just met someone the other day," he went on, wishing to change the subject. "A guy called Touya Akira. It was fun playing with him." Until someone freaked out, he added in his mind, and felt mild embarrassment from Sai.
A sneer flashed on Isobe's face. "Touya Akira? You played against him? Must have been sheer slaughter."
"What?" Hikaru gave him a surprised look. "Why? He played pretty well!"
"Pretty well?" Isobe laughed out loud, a short, bitter bark. "Are you just stupid or are you trying to brag? I've played that guy and I…" He paused.
"Wow," Narita exclaimed. "I didn't know you've played with Touya Akira! Did you win?"
Isobe's face was very blank. "Not… quite. But anyway, the point is that I know the level of his go, and if you think you're impressing me when you say he played 'pretty well', as if you had won against him or something, you…"
"But I did win," Hikaru put in. Well, technically the game remained unfinished, but he most definitely could not have lost.
Isobe paused, stared at him. "You expect me to believe that?"
"I don't really expect anything," Hikaru said, frowning and beginning to grow annoyed again. "But I won."
"That," Isobe said with emphasis, "is just about as likely as your dad being of any importance. I'd know his name if he were. And I'd sure as hell know your name if you were good enough to beat Touya Akira!" he all but yelled.
I told you Akira is not 'just a kid', Sai stated. Hikaru wasn't listening.
"Just cause you lost to him doesn't mean no one else would be able to beat him either! Who do you think you are, some kinda go champion?"
"He is the child meijin," Narita pointed out, giving him a contemptuous look.
"So? That's supposed to impress me or something?"
"You…"
"Hey, hey, calm down!" Morioka stepped between them as Narita took a step forward. "No need to start fighting here!"
"True," Isobe said, face calm again. "I don't want to cause a scene at father's party. But if you'll come with me, we can play a game. Someone needs to show this brat his place."
"Who's the brat here?" Hikaru retorted, but followed him.
They left behind the noise of the party and, passing through a hall and a stairway, reached a small study. Isobe took out a go board and sat down. Without waiting for invitation Hikaru took a chair and sat too.
"Shall we choose for color, or will you just take black?" Isobe asked. Hikaru rolled his eyes.
"Believe me, it makes no difference."
Isobe shrugged and gave black to him. No use to tell me play nice now, Hikaru thought to Sai as he took the first stone.
Sai sighed. I can see that, he just said.
Hikaru played his first move, and Isobe snorted at the way he held the stone. "Someone who claims to have beaten Touya Akira doesn't know how to hold the stones properly?"
Hikaru glared daggers at him. "You'd better pay more attention to my moves than to how I play them."
A tiny smile tugged Isobe's lips at that as he played his first move.
As the game proceeded, Hikaru gradually calmed down. He didn't lose his anger, but it turned, changed, from frothing like a sea in storm to an ice-cold determination. This would not be a long game.
After a few moves Hikaru was inwardly shaking his head. What was this guy doing, talking so big? He's nowhere near to Touya's level!
But still he is very good for his age, Sai said. Hikaru frowned, disbelieving. As I keep on telling you, Sai went on, sounding a little exasperated, Touya Akira is not just any kid.
Hikaru glanced at his opponent. Isobe was good enough to realize the game was not going well for him. He kept on trying, strained with each move to gain more territory, but no matter what he did, a wall of black stones rose in front of him.
So this was the level kids play at their best, Hikaru thought wonderingly. Now he understood better why Sai claimed people would find his skills so impossible.
This guy, he mused thoughtfully, wasn't half as good as Touya, but acted as if he were the best player in the world. Touya, on the other hand, had started playing a gentle teaching game with him, without a word of his own skills. Not to mention that his go was simply much more… inspirational. Isobe simply pursued territory with single-minded determination, seemingly unable to be imaginative with new moves when he faced new situations. A couple of times Hikaru made some tests, playing a stone just to see how he'd respond, and each time he guessed right where his opponent would play.
While Hikaru grew calmer, Isobe was growing clearly more and more shaken. His hands shook a little, and his eyes kept on darting frantically between Hikaru and the board. "Is this why you've done nothing about those hands?" he suddenly shrieked. Hikaru could just blink at him, failing to understand where that came from.
Isobe sat back, glowering at him. "They're freaky," he muttered. "Just freaky. You want to unsettle your opponents, don't you? And maybe you can use that extra skin to hide what you're really doing!"
Hikaru kept on staring at him, wide eyed. "What?"
"Like here!" Isobe pointed at a white stone on the board. "I'm sure I didn't play there! You've moved that, haven't you?"
"What?" Hikaru repeated, eyes flaring. "Don't blame your stupid moves on me! I don't cheat!"
Hikaru does not cheat! Sai echoed him, for the first time sounding genuinely angry.
"Did you notice anything?" Isobe asked his friends. Morioka was shaking his head, looking troubled, but Narita nodded eagerly.
"I'm sure the stone was somewhere here, closer to these stones," he said, pointing.
"That'd be even stupider move!" Hikaru snapped. "Look, I don't have to cheat to win against someone like you! You're just a sore loser, aren't you?"
"Cheater." Isobe spat the word out. "A freaky cheater, that's all you are. I can't believe father's let someone like you into our home. Say, is your dad too…"
"You shut up!" Hikaru stood up, slamming his palms against the table so that the go stones jumped. The anger was back, the frothing sea, and like Sai's fear during the game with Touya, it brought heightened sensations with it. He glared at the boy on the other side of the table, and almost could see the water in him. A moment he thought of just drawing it all out, and hopefully all go with it – for water, like go, was something too pure for this brat. He opened his mouth, but right then something slammed into him, within him, and he gasped a breath, stumbling.
Hikaru, stop!
"But I…" he breathed, straightening his back to look at the boy who was watching him with a glare.
No, listen to me. Ignore that boy, do you hear me! Hikaru! Something shook him again, but not so strongly. Get out. Just get out!
"Is something wrong with you?" Morioka, who was watching him worriedly. Hikaru turned and ran.
.
"I can't believe I've ran away from two go games now because of you," he said aloud to Sai. After some aimless wandering he had managed to find a door that led into a garden. He was now hunching down by a small fountain, listening to its rippling.
That game was over long before you left.
"Even so! What was that about? I wanted to… wanted to…"
Yes?
Hikaru said nothing.
You don't understand, Sai went on. The power you have within you, it is strong enough to kill. You must not use it in anger.
Hikaru frowned. "Kill? But I was just… just…" He paused. What had he been planning to do? He wasn't sure. He shuddered a little. "He just made me so mad," he muttered.
That's understandable. But…
A voice cut him off. "So here you are!"
Hikaru glanced over his shoulder and saw Isobe together with his two friends.
"You're not supposed to be here. Get back in. I'm going to tell father I want you to leave."
Hikaru laughed out. "And your daddy let's you decide who can stay in his party and who not?"
"When I tell him you cheated in go he'll throw you out himself."
Hikaru stood up slowly and turned to look at them. "You're pathetic," he spat out. "Just pathetic. I'm happy to leave this place and I don't ever want to come back." He felt the anger again, but this time he concentrated on the water behind his back, determined to keep his emotions in check.
Isobe, turning to go, gave him a sidelong, expressionless look. "That's good. I doubt your father's coming back again, either. Actually, I'm going to make sure that my father will…"
Hikaru didn't listen to the end. He was in the water of the fountain, in the cold, clear water, as cold and clear as his anger. He felt the water surge up and he struck, hard and with good aim, the retreating boy's words a meaningless mumble in his ears. Morioka had time to glance back and he opened his mouth to shout a warning, but too late. A pillar of water rose from the fountain, high into the air, and suddenly it flew forward over Hikaru's head, hitting Isobe's back with strength. The boy flew forward of the impact and fell down, and a moment just lay there while everyone stared in silence. Then he wailed, long and high, and Narita rushed to him.
"Isobe! Are you okay?"
The boy kept on crying and calling for his parents, and anxious voices carried from the inside. Morioka stared at Hikaru, who gave him an expressionless look and started walking away, leaving the scene in silence.
…
Later that night when the three of them had returned to their little apartment, Hikaru was lying on the bed that had been made for him on the couch, listening to his parents' voices. They were sitting in the kitchen, talking quietly, and he couldn't separate the words, just the tone. Sai could have, possibly, told him what they were talking about, but he didn't want to ask.
The rest of the day had been, to say the least, interesting. Isobe's parents had rushed to the place together with most of the guests, and some wild accusations had been flying around – but honestly, wasn't it just ridiculous to claim that anyone could have caused the accident intentionally, made the water surge up like that?
No one had paid much attention to that claim, for it truly was much too crazy, and also the alleged cheating at go was at the moment ignored. Hikaru had followed the bustle from farther away. His parents came to him, said nothing, but he met his mother's eyes and saw the question in them. Grumpily he looked away, not volunteering any information, and he remained quiet all the way home.
He did feel a little guilty about it, though, once he found out that the surge of water had in fact been hard enough to crack two of Isobe's ribs. Sai said nothing, but he could feel a certain 'I did try to warn' sensation from him.
So what? Hikaru rolled over, drew the blanket to his ears. The boy was a jerk. He deserved it.
The kitchen door opened and someone entered the living room. He heard the footsteps approach and knew it was his father, both from the steps and the smell of his cologne.
"Hikaru?" Masao said quietly. "Are you asleep?"
A moment he considered just laying there, unmoving, hoping he'd go away. You need to speak with them, sooner or later, Sai whispered to him.
He sighed. "No I'm not," he muttered, and rolled to his back. His father sat down next to him and stayed quiet for a moment.
"Hikaru," he said finally. "I'm sure that whatever happened there, it wasn't your fault."
Hikaru looked up at him, long and hard. "And what if it was?" he asked quietly.
Masao frowned. "It couldn't have been," he said, but his voice didn't sound completely certain. "That's impossible. But even if it... somehow… were…" He paused, stared somewhere into emptiness. "You were fighting with Isobe's son, weren't you?" he suddenly asked.
"Kind of," Hikaru admitted. "But it's not…"
"Not your fault, either? Perhaps. And I should have warned you – everyone knows he's a spoiled brat."
"He said I cheated at go," Hikaru said sullenly.
"I heard. Did you?"
"Of course not!" Hikaru bolted up. "I'd never cheat!"
If Masao was taken aback by the fire in his son's eyes, he didn't show it. "That makes me happy," he just said. "But if it's true – that you were able to beat my boss's son, that is… you must be pretty good at go. We've all heard more than we care about the boy's skills – though who knows, maybe he's not that great, after all. But I hear he did win some big competition…"
He frowned, looking at his son. Hikaru lay back down. "This is partly why I'd want you two to move to Tokyo," he said. "It's not just that I miss you and Mitsuko, but I feel like I barely know you at all."
Hikaru said nothing for a moment. "I don't think I want to move to Tokyo," he said then in a small voice. "I'm sorry. I don't… like it here." He would have given much if he could have lain then in his own bed in their little house, where waters flowed as they should and the air wasn't full of something he couldn't name but that got stuck in his throat and stung his eyes.
"Well, let's talk about that tomorrow," Masao said after a moment's silence. "Good night." He stood up.
"Dad?" Hikaru said quietly as he started to leave. "Is this going to cause trouble for you?"
He shot a glance at his son and shook his head with a tiny smile. "Don't worry about that. It's going to be alright."
A couple of days later Hikaru and Mitsuko were back at home. His father had asked him to consider the move with time, not to make any hasty decisions, and Hikaru had nodded, not telling him that he would not change his mind.
Next time he logged into to Net Go, 'akira' was there. A message flashed on his screen.
Do you live in Tokyo?
Hikaru just stared at it, doing nothing. After a while another message appeared. Or were you just visiting? I think we met… Why did you run away like that?
Hikaru reached toward the keyboard, but hesitated.
I'd like to play with you again. A real game, not just net go. Could you come to the go salon again?
Or, if you for some reason really don't want to come, could we at least play online?
Please?
Hikaru clicked the browser close.
…
One night when school had again started and Hikaru was half-sprawling over his desk, supposedly doing his homework, his mind returned to the constant messages Akira was still sending. "You behaved so strangely in Tokyo, Sai," he stated. "With Touya, I mean. What made you so worried?"
…I've told you before you should be careful not to let people know your true skill. Either with go or water.
"Yeah, so you have. But that's just silly! Why not? You think they'd be jealous or something?"
Maybe it is partly jealousy, Sai said, sounding thoughtful. But above all… it's just dangerous.
"That's what you keep on saying! But why? You know Sai," Hikaru straightened his back and lowered the pen he had been twirling on the desk, "I think I'm going to send Touya a message and tell him that yeah, it was me."
Hikaru…
"Unless you can give some sensible reason not to!"
Sai was quiet a long while, so quiet and still Hikaru barely sensed him.
When people found out about my skills, he finally said, slowly, hesitantly, it ended up with them thinking I'm some kind of a demon. I and my mother had to leave the capital – and she died – she was killed – soon after that.
"I… I'm sorry," Hikaru said, a little stunned. He could still, after a thousand years, feel the pain in Sai. "I didn't know. You've never told me anything!"
Because you were so young, Sai whispered. But maybe you're now old enough…
"Of course I am!" Hikaru exclaimed, and felt Sai's laughter. "So, you'll tell me now?"
After you've finished your homework.
"Sai! That's not fair!" Hikaru wailed, but Sai was adamant. Hikaru had no choice but to set intowork, and he was done with his math problems faster than ever before.
I think you made a mistake in…
"Who cares! I'm done." Hikaru snapped the book shut. "Start telling!"
And Sai did, of his life, of his mother and father, and the way he had spent most of his childhood shut into his mother's house. He told of the games he played when he left to explore the capital, and of the short, ill-fated visit at the palace. Hikaru grimaced as he told about his game with Sugawara no Akitada and its result.
"That guy's a jerk too," the boy said. "Just like Isobe."
A bit, Sai agreed. But, you see, Hikaru, after that game we had no choice but to escape from the capital, go into a voluntarily exile. And very soon after we ran into bandits, and they killed my mother. And I, he added in a whisper, killed them.
Hikaru digested that for a moment. He found it a strange idea to think of Sai killing anyone. But then again, if Sai hadn't been there to stop him, who knew what he would have done to Isobe? And Sai, at least, had a genuine reason to hate those men.
Feeling quite uneasy, he decided he didn't want to think about that any longer. "Is that when you… joined the water?"
Yes. I had nothing else left.
Hikaru thought about it. That story truly did explain many things about Sai. "But even so," he said aloud, "times have changed. People don't believe in demons anymore. That's just silly! No one would try to drive us away from our home because of something like that!"
Are you so sure about that? Times might change, the clothes people wear look different, but inside… are they that different inside?
"It's been a thousand years," Hikaru said firmly. "Trust me. People aren't silly superstitious fools anymore."
No, they just are fools in general. Sai sounded strangely sarcastic, perhaps even bitter. A thousand years isn't as long a time as you might think. Besides, I've not finished the story yet.
Hikaru looked up, surprised. "You've not?"
No. I haven't yet told you about Torajiro.
A/N: Isobe hideki, in the case you don't remember him, is that rather annoying kid from vol.18/ep.66 who goes out challenge Touya. Didn't turn out too well for him.
Next chapter is going to be interludish (but also, apparently, longer than I originally thought.) It might not be out before December, though, because, well. NaNo.