[May 18] [Hikaru no Go] Stones in Narrow Spaces 18/?
Title: Stones in Narrow Spaces 18/?
Day/Theme: May 18 - Many are the dead men, too silent to be real
Series: Hikaru no Go
Character/Pairing: Akira/Hikaru
Rating: General
---------------
Shindou was in a retrospective mood after dreaming of Sai. It made him eager to go back to Tokyo, where it had all began. Besides, he needed to phone Iijima to request an update on the case, and to know when he could get his goban back. They made their excuses to a protesting Yashirou, Touya played a game with him and they escaped while Yashirou was still spluttering from his 5-moku loss.
On the train, Touya said, "I'm sure there's something about using Go for unethical means in the the regulations about the professional code of conduct."
"You're the only one I know who's actually read all forty pages of the membership manual, and if you don't know it, I'm sure there's no such thing," Shindou said. "Besides, what's unethical about winning?"
Touya gave a huff of annoyance at Shindou's attempt to be flippant. "It's unethical when you have an interior motive. You might as well be hustling."
Shindou flopped back on his seat. "You and your sense of moral outrage," he said, aware that his lips were twitching with the effort not to laugh. He had teased Touya more than once about what he called Touya's overdeveloped sense of propriety.
"Besides, I knew you wanted to go back to Tokyo."
"Yeah." Shindou glanced out of the window; they were speeding along in a way that made trees appear bent. "I do. When we reach Tokyo, there's a place I want to go first. Will you come with me?"
Touya nodded. "Of course."
***
They didn't visit the Shuusaku memorial in Tokyo that often. Together, that was; Shindou went regularly, by himself. The memorial itself was in Honmyou Temple, where earlier inhabitants of Tokyo--famous or not--were also remembered. Gravesites of various ages and styles gave the cemetary an untidy look, but it was so silent that they could hear leaves rustle in the trees.
Shindou stared at the words 'Honinbou Shuusaku' carved on the stone marker with the same expression of a man staring into a refrigerator, unable to find something he wanted. But after only a few seconds, he looked away, sitting down unceremoniously on the steps nearby.
Touya did not sit down beside him because he felt it was disrespectful somehow, but he stood in front of Shindou, waiting for the latter to speak his mind.
"Do you think it's true, what he said, about the gobans?"
He meant Aikawa Masahiro, Touya realised. "I don't know," he said, deciding not to point out to Shindou that of the two of them, Shindou was the one who had practical experience with apparitions that appeared in gobans. "He certainly seemed to believe it, if the way he treated his goban was any sign."
Shindou looked old all of a sudden. "He's looking for someone who has already left." Like Sai.
Touya heard the last two words even though Shindou had not uttered them. "You tried that once." He didn't add that it was a futile search.
There was a pause, then Shindou gave a soft chuckle. "And sometimes I wonder why I keep coming here," he said. "Sai was not always connected to Shuusaku; he had his own self, too, before he met Torajirou." His voice grew soft and small. "There's nothing of him left in this world."
Touya thought of the dreams that Shindou had of Sai. "You'll always have a piece of him in you, Shindou. Not just his Go, but the part of him that was your friend."
"Thanks," Shindou said. "You're actually good at this comforting thing."
Touya wasn't sure if he was teasing, but when Shindou stretched out a hand from where he was seated, he took it, expecting to pull Shindou to his feet. He panicked for a second when Shindou pulled him down instead to sit beside him. "It's disrespectful-"
"Just for a second. Sit with me. Look, the sun's setting."
Touya glared half-heartedly at him, but said no more as they watched the sun slid towards the horizon, taking the warm afternoon air with it. Around them was the utter silence that only old cemeteries held, a silence that was filled with unspoken names of the dead. He did not protest as Shindou slid an arm around his waist, pulling him close while they waited for the sky to darken.
Then the temple attendant found them and chased them out for 'improper' behaviour.
(TBC)
Day/Theme: May 18 - Many are the dead men, too silent to be real
Series: Hikaru no Go
Character/Pairing: Akira/Hikaru
Rating: General
---------------
Shindou was in a retrospective mood after dreaming of Sai. It made him eager to go back to Tokyo, where it had all began. Besides, he needed to phone Iijima to request an update on the case, and to know when he could get his goban back. They made their excuses to a protesting Yashirou, Touya played a game with him and they escaped while Yashirou was still spluttering from his 5-moku loss.
On the train, Touya said, "I'm sure there's something about using Go for unethical means in the the regulations about the professional code of conduct."
"You're the only one I know who's actually read all forty pages of the membership manual, and if you don't know it, I'm sure there's no such thing," Shindou said. "Besides, what's unethical about winning?"
Touya gave a huff of annoyance at Shindou's attempt to be flippant. "It's unethical when you have an interior motive. You might as well be hustling."
Shindou flopped back on his seat. "You and your sense of moral outrage," he said, aware that his lips were twitching with the effort not to laugh. He had teased Touya more than once about what he called Touya's overdeveloped sense of propriety.
"Besides, I knew you wanted to go back to Tokyo."
"Yeah." Shindou glanced out of the window; they were speeding along in a way that made trees appear bent. "I do. When we reach Tokyo, there's a place I want to go first. Will you come with me?"
Touya nodded. "Of course."
***
They didn't visit the Shuusaku memorial in Tokyo that often. Together, that was; Shindou went regularly, by himself. The memorial itself was in Honmyou Temple, where earlier inhabitants of Tokyo--famous or not--were also remembered. Gravesites of various ages and styles gave the cemetary an untidy look, but it was so silent that they could hear leaves rustle in the trees.
Shindou stared at the words 'Honinbou Shuusaku' carved on the stone marker with the same expression of a man staring into a refrigerator, unable to find something he wanted. But after only a few seconds, he looked away, sitting down unceremoniously on the steps nearby.
Touya did not sit down beside him because he felt it was disrespectful somehow, but he stood in front of Shindou, waiting for the latter to speak his mind.
"Do you think it's true, what he said, about the gobans?"
He meant Aikawa Masahiro, Touya realised. "I don't know," he said, deciding not to point out to Shindou that of the two of them, Shindou was the one who had practical experience with apparitions that appeared in gobans. "He certainly seemed to believe it, if the way he treated his goban was any sign."
Shindou looked old all of a sudden. "He's looking for someone who has already left." Like Sai.
Touya heard the last two words even though Shindou had not uttered them. "You tried that once." He didn't add that it was a futile search.
There was a pause, then Shindou gave a soft chuckle. "And sometimes I wonder why I keep coming here," he said. "Sai was not always connected to Shuusaku; he had his own self, too, before he met Torajirou." His voice grew soft and small. "There's nothing of him left in this world."
Touya thought of the dreams that Shindou had of Sai. "You'll always have a piece of him in you, Shindou. Not just his Go, but the part of him that was your friend."
"Thanks," Shindou said. "You're actually good at this comforting thing."
Touya wasn't sure if he was teasing, but when Shindou stretched out a hand from where he was seated, he took it, expecting to pull Shindou to his feet. He panicked for a second when Shindou pulled him down instead to sit beside him. "It's disrespectful-"
"Just for a second. Sit with me. Look, the sun's setting."
Touya glared half-heartedly at him, but said no more as they watched the sun slid towards the horizon, taking the warm afternoon air with it. Around them was the utter silence that only old cemeteries held, a silence that was filled with unspoken names of the dead. He did not protest as Shindou slid an arm around his waist, pulling him close while they waited for the sky to darken.
Then the temple attendant found them and chased them out for 'improper' behaviour.
(TBC)