[hachette]
GREATEST NUMBER EVER
by osmalic
The guy Hikaru's teaching is sulky and annoyed. "Just so you know," he says as soon as his father leaves the room, "I'm only doing this for my dad's stupid training."
"Yeah, well," Hikaru replies, nonplussed, "I'm doing this for money." He points to the board. "Now, please tell me you're at least half-Japanese and know how this goes?"
They meet twice a week and the guy is too bored, too unfocused. Hikaru knows by the third week that the guy is good with looking ahead, but he's also too rash-not enough defense. But there is enough of his strategy that he catches on quickly, and Hikaru is impressed despite himself.
"Hey, you did great here," Hikaru says, pointing to a particular part of the board where they tussled earlier.
The guy smirks at him. "I know."
"I still beat you though."
"I had you sweating for a minute there," the guy brags.
He actually didn't, but Hikaru is old enough to know when not to say that this is still a teaching game. Besides, the guy is kind of more packed than him, they're in his house, and his father is paying for Hikaru's time. He only shrugs, asks, "Hey, what's your name?"
"What the hell?" the guy exclaims, scowling. "You've been at our house for...three weeks? And don't you know your clients' names?"
"I'm bad with them," Hikaru admits. He sticks out his hand. "I'm Shindou Hikaru, by the way."
The guy is only slightly older, but still looks at him warily. "I know who you are, you idiot," he says. Then he is smiling when he takes the hand, shakes it. Fingers callused for a different reason, folding over the back of Hikaru's palm. He doesn't bow. "Racer. Speed Racer. Wow, this is crazy, it's been three weeks."
***
One time when Hikaru comes during the fourth month, the father apologizes to him, says that they were unable to contact him but Speed won't be available for teaching since he has to practice.
"S'okay," Hikaru says, already mentally adjusting his schedule. Then, "Practice?"
"He's a racecar driver," the father says, and Hikaru's sure it must have been mentioned before, only it hadn't. Not in Hikaru's memory. "He has an upcoming race to get ready for."
"Cool," Hikaru says politely. "What's his car?"
The man rattles something about chassis, motors, even car doors somewhere, to which Hikaru only nods, still calculating his time. Then the dad mentions casually, "Or, maybe you've heard of it. He drives the Mach Go."
"Cool," Hikaru says again. Blinks, then says, "Wait. Go?"
***
"Didn't my dad tell you today's cancelled?" Speed asks when he walks to the pit where Hikaru is sitting.
"Um." Hikaru shrugs. "I kind of wanted to see your car."
Speed beams. "Knew you'd be that kind of guy. C'mon, I'll show you." He waves at a dark-haired girl looking at them curiously. "Trixie, this is my dad's latest crazy training ideas."
"Also known as 'Shindou Hikaru'," Hikaru supplies, bowing slightly at the introduction.
Trixie also bows, introduces herself as the manager, then tells Speed, "We're still calculating. Take a break."
"I am," Speed says, leading Hikaru away.
The car he shows Hikaru is white and dusty from the recent beating it took. But what grabs Hikaru's attention the most is that there is a 5 painted above a blue circle on the hood and over the car doors. His eyes gleam, already imagining a go stone similarly styled over...everything. "That's so cool," he gushes.
"She's a beauty," Speed agrees. He removes his driving gloves, pats the hood. "My...um. My father and brother put this together and now...I'm driving it."
"Wish I had my own car," Hikaru says mournfully, tracing the 5. Man, the design. "But traffic in Tokyo is horrible."
"I know," Speed agrees. "I never drive her here. I always take the train." He says the word with thinly-veiled disgust.
"Why 'go'?" Hikaru asks, tearing his eyes away.
Speed's face turns red, and he stammers, "Kind of...because...you know, it has um..."
"Isn't five the greatest number ever?" Hikaru asks, grinning.
Speed stares at him as if he's lost his mind. "Are you for real?" There's a pause, then he laughs, "Yeah. It kind of is."
***
Sometimes, they play go at the stands while the team fixes up something or another that's wrong with the Mach Go. Speed explains how different races in different countries can have different rules, but there are also some basics like they can't change tires when they go to the pit, or that they can't overtake an emergency car.
In turn, Hikaru explains to him the komi rule and how it's not always followed, how it's changing all over the world. He tells Speed about strategy when it comes to fights, when to know you have to retreat to or change your focus in order to get something you really wanted.
For the first time since they started their teaching, there is a strange fire in Speed's eyes.
By the fifth month, Hikaru is still teaching him go, but mostly now he just enjoys playing with his new friend.
***
One day, he turns the TV on to see the tail-end of a news-coverage of Speed Racer's big win in Singapore. The reporter asks, "Your car is almost a separate legend from yourself. Rumors say that it's your brother's last car before he disappeared. Is it true?"
Hikaru holds his breath as Speed frowns, shifts uneasily. "My older brother built it, but my father finished it. They're good people. They like to think they're protecting me, even if they couldn't stand each other."
Hikaru remembers Sai, remembers how go is like building universes, but he also remembers how Sai has wrapped this game around Hikaru, made it his, so that it can be a way to remember him. It strikes him that other people don't need go to be loved or remembered; they have other ways. Like driving a car. Never looking back.
"So why is it called the Mach Go?"
The grin is back on Speed's face. "Well. Isn't five the greatest number ever?"
Hikaru throws back his head and laughs.
***
On the seventh month, Speed is waiting for him by the racetrack. Hikaru waves at him.
"Want to take a spin with me?" Speed casually asks him when he is within earshot.
Hikaru thinks of go and cars, thinks of Sai and Speed's brother, of disappearing but never really leaving. He thinks of connection, and how five can bring everything full-circle.
He whoops. Jumps into the passenger seat. Hangs on to whatever he can grab. Trusts Speed with his life.
It's like letting go.
by osmalic
The guy Hikaru's teaching is sulky and annoyed. "Just so you know," he says as soon as his father leaves the room, "I'm only doing this for my dad's stupid training."
"Yeah, well," Hikaru replies, nonplussed, "I'm doing this for money." He points to the board. "Now, please tell me you're at least half-Japanese and know how this goes?"
They meet twice a week and the guy is too bored, too unfocused. Hikaru knows by the third week that the guy is good with looking ahead, but he's also too rash-not enough defense. But there is enough of his strategy that he catches on quickly, and Hikaru is impressed despite himself.
"Hey, you did great here," Hikaru says, pointing to a particular part of the board where they tussled earlier.
The guy smirks at him. "I know."
"I still beat you though."
"I had you sweating for a minute there," the guy brags.
He actually didn't, but Hikaru is old enough to know when not to say that this is still a teaching game. Besides, the guy is kind of more packed than him, they're in his house, and his father is paying for Hikaru's time. He only shrugs, asks, "Hey, what's your name?"
"What the hell?" the guy exclaims, scowling. "You've been at our house for...three weeks? And don't you know your clients' names?"
"I'm bad with them," Hikaru admits. He sticks out his hand. "I'm Shindou Hikaru, by the way."
The guy is only slightly older, but still looks at him warily. "I know who you are, you idiot," he says. Then he is smiling when he takes the hand, shakes it. Fingers callused for a different reason, folding over the back of Hikaru's palm. He doesn't bow. "Racer. Speed Racer. Wow, this is crazy, it's been three weeks."
***
One time when Hikaru comes during the fourth month, the father apologizes to him, says that they were unable to contact him but Speed won't be available for teaching since he has to practice.
"S'okay," Hikaru says, already mentally adjusting his schedule. Then, "Practice?"
"He's a racecar driver," the father says, and Hikaru's sure it must have been mentioned before, only it hadn't. Not in Hikaru's memory. "He has an upcoming race to get ready for."
"Cool," Hikaru says politely. "What's his car?"
The man rattles something about chassis, motors, even car doors somewhere, to which Hikaru only nods, still calculating his time. Then the dad mentions casually, "Or, maybe you've heard of it. He drives the Mach Go."
"Cool," Hikaru says again. Blinks, then says, "Wait. Go?"
***
"Didn't my dad tell you today's cancelled?" Speed asks when he walks to the pit where Hikaru is sitting.
"Um." Hikaru shrugs. "I kind of wanted to see your car."
Speed beams. "Knew you'd be that kind of guy. C'mon, I'll show you." He waves at a dark-haired girl looking at them curiously. "Trixie, this is my dad's latest crazy training ideas."
"Also known as 'Shindou Hikaru'," Hikaru supplies, bowing slightly at the introduction.
Trixie also bows, introduces herself as the manager, then tells Speed, "We're still calculating. Take a break."
"I am," Speed says, leading Hikaru away.
The car he shows Hikaru is white and dusty from the recent beating it took. But what grabs Hikaru's attention the most is that there is a 5 painted above a blue circle on the hood and over the car doors. His eyes gleam, already imagining a go stone similarly styled over...everything. "That's so cool," he gushes.
"She's a beauty," Speed agrees. He removes his driving gloves, pats the hood. "My...um. My father and brother put this together and now...I'm driving it."
"Wish I had my own car," Hikaru says mournfully, tracing the 5. Man, the design. "But traffic in Tokyo is horrible."
"I know," Speed agrees. "I never drive her here. I always take the train." He says the word with thinly-veiled disgust.
"Why 'go'?" Hikaru asks, tearing his eyes away.
Speed's face turns red, and he stammers, "Kind of...because...you know, it has um..."
"Isn't five the greatest number ever?" Hikaru asks, grinning.
Speed stares at him as if he's lost his mind. "Are you for real?" There's a pause, then he laughs, "Yeah. It kind of is."
***
Sometimes, they play go at the stands while the team fixes up something or another that's wrong with the Mach Go. Speed explains how different races in different countries can have different rules, but there are also some basics like they can't change tires when they go to the pit, or that they can't overtake an emergency car.
In turn, Hikaru explains to him the komi rule and how it's not always followed, how it's changing all over the world. He tells Speed about strategy when it comes to fights, when to know you have to retreat to or change your focus in order to get something you really wanted.
For the first time since they started their teaching, there is a strange fire in Speed's eyes.
By the fifth month, Hikaru is still teaching him go, but mostly now he just enjoys playing with his new friend.
***
One day, he turns the TV on to see the tail-end of a news-coverage of Speed Racer's big win in Singapore. The reporter asks, "Your car is almost a separate legend from yourself. Rumors say that it's your brother's last car before he disappeared. Is it true?"
Hikaru holds his breath as Speed frowns, shifts uneasily. "My older brother built it, but my father finished it. They're good people. They like to think they're protecting me, even if they couldn't stand each other."
Hikaru remembers Sai, remembers how go is like building universes, but he also remembers how Sai has wrapped this game around Hikaru, made it his, so that it can be a way to remember him. It strikes him that other people don't need go to be loved or remembered; they have other ways. Like driving a car. Never looking back.
"So why is it called the Mach Go?"
The grin is back on Speed's face. "Well. Isn't five the greatest number ever?"
Hikaru throws back his head and laughs.
***
On the seventh month, Speed is waiting for him by the racetrack. Hikaru waves at him.
"Want to take a spin with me?" Speed casually asks him when he is within earshot.
Hikaru thinks of go and cars, thinks of Sai and Speed's brother, of disappearing but never really leaving. He thinks of connection, and how five can bring everything full-circle.
He whoops. Jumps into the passenger seat. Hangs on to whatever he can grab. Trusts Speed with his life.
It's like letting go.