[Oyama]
by issen4
Fashion
Shindou worked his jaw a few times before he managed to speak. "Oh god, there's two of them," he said in suppressed horror, causing heads to turn around.
Beside him, Touya whispered, "Do I have to slap you?"
"I'm not hysterical, Touya. But just look!" Shindou pointed to the far end of the hall, where the Korean players for the Korea-Japan Cup had just arrived and were being greeted by senior pros.
"All right," Touya acknowledged, "That is a little disturbing."
Ko Yeongha stood opposite Ogata Seiji, both unmoving in their surprise at each other, their white suits identical.
***
It was the first time he saw Ogata looking anything but cock-sure. "Shindou, you're friends with Ko Yongha-"
"We're not friends," Shindou said. He and the Korean pro had made peace years ago, but that was all.
"But you- you play Go with him and you two have shouting arguments about your game, just as you do with Akira-"
"That's different!"
"-can't you get him to stop wearing those white suits?"
"...what?"
Ogata looked frustrated. "They're my trademark. People identify me with white suits." He adjusted his glasses testily. "People are starting to mistake him for me."
***
Ko Yongha leant against the doorframe with a smouldering expression. "Shindou, I hear that you know this Ogata-" he began in Japanese.
I can see where this is going.
"-can't you get him to stop wearing those white suits?"
Why me?
"After all, in Korea, I'm known for wearing white suits. I can't have someone upstaging me just because I'm in Japan."
"Uh..." Where are you, Touya!
"What if someone mistakes me for him? That'd destroy my image for sure."
Another white blur materialised at the door. "What did you say?" Ogata asked coldly.
***
Shindou had always known that Ogata's glasses could intimidate, but he hadn't realised how deadly they could look when aimed at a fashion rival.
"Take that off."
"No, you take that off." Ko Yongha aimed a glare at Ogata's jacket.
"You're here only for a few days. Surely it's no trouble for you to change your attire."
Ko Yongha's smile was edged. "Or for you, Ogata." He left out the honorific deliberately, one man calling out a challenge to another.
"I see." Ogata's tone indicated that he had accepted the challenge. "Then there's only one thing to do."
***
"I can't look," Shindou said, when they sat down.
"I thought you got over the misunderstanding with Ko-san years ago."
"I did. I mean, I am. No, what I mean is-" Unable to express himself, Shindou only waved a hand towards the front, where Ogata and Ko Yongha were starting their Go game before a television camera. Ogata could be easily distinguished by his glasses and Ko Yongha, his slightly longer hair. At first. But with both wearing similar white suits, those differences faded to nothing beneath the glowing spotlights.
Touya squinted.
"I may be going blind," Shindou said.
(end)
Fashion
Shindou worked his jaw a few times before he managed to speak. "Oh god, there's two of them," he said in suppressed horror, causing heads to turn around.
Beside him, Touya whispered, "Do I have to slap you?"
"I'm not hysterical, Touya. But just look!" Shindou pointed to the far end of the hall, where the Korean players for the Korea-Japan Cup had just arrived and were being greeted by senior pros.
"All right," Touya acknowledged, "That is a little disturbing."
Ko Yeongha stood opposite Ogata Seiji, both unmoving in their surprise at each other, their white suits identical.
***
It was the first time he saw Ogata looking anything but cock-sure. "Shindou, you're friends with Ko Yongha-"
"We're not friends," Shindou said. He and the Korean pro had made peace years ago, but that was all.
"But you- you play Go with him and you two have shouting arguments about your game, just as you do with Akira-"
"That's different!"
"-can't you get him to stop wearing those white suits?"
"...what?"
Ogata looked frustrated. "They're my trademark. People identify me with white suits." He adjusted his glasses testily. "People are starting to mistake him for me."
***
Ko Yongha leant against the doorframe with a smouldering expression. "Shindou, I hear that you know this Ogata-" he began in Japanese.
I can see where this is going.
"-can't you get him to stop wearing those white suits?"
Why me?
"After all, in Korea, I'm known for wearing white suits. I can't have someone upstaging me just because I'm in Japan."
"Uh..." Where are you, Touya!
"What if someone mistakes me for him? That'd destroy my image for sure."
Another white blur materialised at the door. "What did you say?" Ogata asked coldly.
***
Shindou had always known that Ogata's glasses could intimidate, but he hadn't realised how deadly they could look when aimed at a fashion rival.
"Take that off."
"No, you take that off." Ko Yongha aimed a glare at Ogata's jacket.
"You're here only for a few days. Surely it's no trouble for you to change your attire."
Ko Yongha's smile was edged. "Or for you, Ogata." He left out the honorific deliberately, one man calling out a challenge to another.
"I see." Ogata's tone indicated that he had accepted the challenge. "Then there's only one thing to do."
***
"I can't look," Shindou said, when they sat down.
"I thought you got over the misunderstanding with Ko-san years ago."
"I did. I mean, I am. No, what I mean is-" Unable to express himself, Shindou only waved a hand towards the front, where Ogata and Ko Yongha were starting their Go game before a television camera. Ogata could be easily distinguished by his glasses and Ko Yongha, his slightly longer hair. At first. But with both wearing similar white suits, those differences faded to nothing beneath the glowing spotlights.
Touya squinted.
"I may be going blind," Shindou said.
(end)