[One-shot] Untroubled Sky (Hikaru no Go)
Title: Untroubled Sky
Characters: Isumi Shinichirou, Iijima Ryou
Words/Rating: 600+ words / G
Summary: Iijima and Isumi meet for coffee some time after the end of canon.
Author's Notes: If not for everysecondtues and her comment here, I would never have finished this; therefore, this is dedicated to her. ♥ Title from Emily Bronte's To Imagination.
What matters it, that all around
Danger, and guilt, and darkness lie,
If but within our bosom's bound
We hold a bright, untroubled sky,
Warm with ten thousand mingled rays
Of suns that know no winter days?
-- Emily Bronte, "To Imagination"
Isumi watched Iijima stir the coffee in his cup slowly. Clockwise, counter-clockwise, then clockwise again. "My go wasn't good enough anyway," Iijima finally said, shrugging, reaching up to adjust his glasses in a movement eerily reminiscent of Ochi.
Isumi shook his head. "It's not about being good. It's about facing the board and the stones. It's about facing our opponents, but more importantly, facing ourselves. Not all of us can be like Touya Akira, or Shindou Hikaru."
Iijima flinched at Shindou's name. "Well, you can't be like them either, can you?" he asked, eyes narrowed, demanding an answer. "They're brilliant. Geniuses. You're not."
"No, I'm not." Isumi said, nodding his head. He stirred his drink, looking away from Iijima into the milky-brown coffee. "But I play my go."
Iijima's spoon clinked on the saucer. Isumi watched Iijima lean back, desperation in his eyes and a grimace on his face. "Your go, my go, Touya's go, Shindou's go. It's all go anyway. The stones are the same, the moves the same. There are only so many positions the stones can take. What is this searching for the hand of God, Isumi-san? Maybe you find it one day. Maybe tomorrow. Then what, you stop playing? Why not stop now and let the geniuses do the searching?"
"I would sooner stop breathing," Isumi said before he realized he'd done so.
They stared at each other over wispy trails of fragrant steam. Isumi tried to apologize. "That was abrupt of me. I'm sor--"
"No, you're right," Iijima said. He chuckled hollowly. "Look at me, Isumi-san. Washed up, washed out, and I'm not even twenty-five. No wonder you're the pro and I'm the has-been."
"Nase is still trying," Isumi said softly.
Iijima stared into his own coffee. "How's she doing?"
"Perhaps you should ask her yourself," Isumi said. He sipped his coffee, savoring the sweetness. "None of us are insei any more, but she still goes to the same study groups."
Iijima looked out the window at the rain. "I can't face her."
"Why not?" Isumi asked.
Iijima shook his head. "I gave up." On going pro. On the goal we shared together.
Isumi drank more of his coffee, and then watched Iijima, waiting until the other turned back to face him. "You didn't give up, you took a break," Isumi said. "I went to China. Shindou skipped games. You went to university. That's all. And just like Shindou and I are playing again, you will too."
Finishing his coffee, Isumi stood, picking up the check and shaking his head when Iijima began to protest. "I'll see you at the Ki-in," Isumi said with a smile.
"Dammit, Isumi-san," Iijima said, standing.
"Nase will be happy to see your face again." Isumi said, eyes narrowing. "So will Fuku and Honda. We missed you, but we knew you needed the time off. Everyone could see it. Take the time you need, Iijima-san, but don't take too long. We're waiting for you."
Iijima's mouth opened, but no words came out, and a moment later Iijima shut it again and looked away. Isumi waited as Iijima shifted his weight from his left foot to his right.
Finally, Iijima let out a breath. "Yeah."
Isumi smiled. "I'll see you around." As he turned, he saw Iijima sit down again and pick up his coffee cup. Isumi headed for the counter, not looking back.
Characters: Isumi Shinichirou, Iijima Ryou
Words/Rating: 600+ words / G
Summary: Iijima and Isumi meet for coffee some time after the end of canon.
Author's Notes: If not for everysecondtues and her comment here, I would never have finished this; therefore, this is dedicated to her. ♥ Title from Emily Bronte's To Imagination.
What matters it, that all around
Danger, and guilt, and darkness lie,
If but within our bosom's bound
We hold a bright, untroubled sky,
Warm with ten thousand mingled rays
Of suns that know no winter days?
-- Emily Bronte, "To Imagination"
Isumi watched Iijima stir the coffee in his cup slowly. Clockwise, counter-clockwise, then clockwise again. "My go wasn't good enough anyway," Iijima finally said, shrugging, reaching up to adjust his glasses in a movement eerily reminiscent of Ochi.
Isumi shook his head. "It's not about being good. It's about facing the board and the stones. It's about facing our opponents, but more importantly, facing ourselves. Not all of us can be like Touya Akira, or Shindou Hikaru."
Iijima flinched at Shindou's name. "Well, you can't be like them either, can you?" he asked, eyes narrowed, demanding an answer. "They're brilliant. Geniuses. You're not."
"No, I'm not." Isumi said, nodding his head. He stirred his drink, looking away from Iijima into the milky-brown coffee. "But I play my go."
Iijima's spoon clinked on the saucer. Isumi watched Iijima lean back, desperation in his eyes and a grimace on his face. "Your go, my go, Touya's go, Shindou's go. It's all go anyway. The stones are the same, the moves the same. There are only so many positions the stones can take. What is this searching for the hand of God, Isumi-san? Maybe you find it one day. Maybe tomorrow. Then what, you stop playing? Why not stop now and let the geniuses do the searching?"
"I would sooner stop breathing," Isumi said before he realized he'd done so.
They stared at each other over wispy trails of fragrant steam. Isumi tried to apologize. "That was abrupt of me. I'm sor--"
"No, you're right," Iijima said. He chuckled hollowly. "Look at me, Isumi-san. Washed up, washed out, and I'm not even twenty-five. No wonder you're the pro and I'm the has-been."
"Nase is still trying," Isumi said softly.
Iijima stared into his own coffee. "How's she doing?"
"Perhaps you should ask her yourself," Isumi said. He sipped his coffee, savoring the sweetness. "None of us are insei any more, but she still goes to the same study groups."
Iijima looked out the window at the rain. "I can't face her."
"Why not?" Isumi asked.
Iijima shook his head. "I gave up." On going pro. On the goal we shared together.
Isumi drank more of his coffee, and then watched Iijima, waiting until the other turned back to face him. "You didn't give up, you took a break," Isumi said. "I went to China. Shindou skipped games. You went to university. That's all. And just like Shindou and I are playing again, you will too."
Finishing his coffee, Isumi stood, picking up the check and shaking his head when Iijima began to protest. "I'll see you at the Ki-in," Isumi said with a smile.
"Dammit, Isumi-san," Iijima said, standing.
"Nase will be happy to see your face again." Isumi said, eyes narrowing. "So will Fuku and Honda. We missed you, but we knew you needed the time off. Everyone could see it. Take the time you need, Iijima-san, but don't take too long. We're waiting for you."
Iijima's mouth opened, but no words came out, and a moment later Iijima shut it again and looked away. Isumi waited as Iijima shifted his weight from his left foot to his right.
Finally, Iijima let out a breath. "Yeah."
Isumi smiled. "I'll see you around." As he turned, he saw Iijima sit down again and pick up his coffee cup. Isumi headed for the counter, not looking back.