Fic: Next to NetGo 3/19
Title: Next to NetGo 3/19
Series: Hikaru no Go
Disclaimer: Characters except for Fujimoto, Kaneda and Ohda are created by Hotta and Obata
Pairing: Akira/Hikaru
Type/Notes: General fic. AU where Hikaru continues to play NetGo and never became an insei (or a pro).
Summary: Hikaru is dragged to the world of professional Go, but you can't make him drink.
-------(3)-------
Hikaru immediately clapped a hand to his mouth.
Waya's jaw fell at his outburst. "How did you know that I'm Zelda?" he asked, leaning forward, his eyes intent as he stared at Hikaru. "And how did you know about my exchange with Sai?"
"I-I..." Hikaru's expression was horror-struck, and his gaze flickered to Akira once, and desperately around the room, as though looking for an escape.
"I've only ever told this story to Isumi," Waya went on, "and even he doesn't know that I'm Zelda. How did you know?"
"I-It was an accident!" Hikaru burst out. "I didn't mean to!"
Waya's expression intensified into one of anger. "What do you mean, you didn't mean to?" he demanded, sounding as though he was grinding the words out.
Akira opened his mouth to speak--to say anything--but he found himself tongue-tied. He had never heard of this before. Hikaru had been very insistent that he did not communicate with any of his NetGo opponents, other than to arrange games.
"Well?" Waya asked. Even though he remained seated, he seemed to be preparing to launch himself at Hikaru, like a tiger preparing to pounce on its prey.
Hikaru swallowed audibly, unable to look away.
The entire room was hushed, as though waiting for the kill.
"Stop," Akira found himself saying. "Stop questioning Hikaru. He doesn't have to answer your questions."
"What? You..." Waya leapt for Akira, only to be held back by Isumi. The other insei exclaimed and tried to move out of the way.
"Waya, stop!" Isumi said, holding his friend back.
Looking shocked, Hikaru scrambled back, pulling Akira behind him as he did so. "Don't you dare attack Akira!" he shouted.
"Not unless you explain everything!" Waya was still struggling with Isumi. "What's going on, Shindou!" he shouted. If anything, his face grew even redder. His eyes narrowed suddenly. "Don't tell me you're Sai..."
Hikaru turned so pale that he looked nearly colourless. "M-me? You're joking."
Akira winced inwardly, while Kaneda, Fujimoto and Ohda started to mutter amongst themselves. Perhaps it was too much to expect the secret to remain one forever?
"I'm not," Waya said. "I thought a long time ago that Sai was just a kid. A few people thought it was Touya. But it can't be Touya because I saw him arranging to play a game with Sai myself." He turned to glare at Akira. "I remember, you missed the first day of the pro exams to play with Sai."
Hikaru turned to look at Akira, momentarily distracted by that tidbit.
Waya went on, his eyes still on Hikaru, "So even if you aren't Sai, you must know who he is."
"I-I don't know!" Hikaru insisted. He swallowed. "It w-was a c-coincidence," he began, his words hesitant, "I was at the internet café and I saw this screen showing a NetGo game, so I watched the game. The man playing won against someone called Zelda, but he left suddenly... someone called him, I think. He didn't log out. So..."
"You pretended to be Sai?" Ohda asked.
Hikaru glanced at Akira for a second. "Yeah," he said, before turning to Waya. "I shouldn't have done that, I know. It was very rude of me."
"But that means... you've seen Sai!" Ohda said. "What does he look like?"
"Uh..." Hikaru avoided her eyes. "I don't remember, and besides, I ran away after I saw Waya's reply."
"His reply?" Isumi asked, glancing at Waya.
Hikaru nodded. "He said he was an insei. I didn't know what an insei was..." He took a deep breath. "And that was how I knew that Waya-san was Zelda."
Waya was still frowning. "I think that's a crock of-" he began, but Isumi put a hand on his shoulder in warning. "Fine," he growled, turning away.
After a short silence, Kaneda, Fujimoto and Ohda made a concerted attempt to pretend that everything was normal. They did look curiously at Hikaru a few times, but Akira's warning look stopped them from further speculation.
They decided to discuss another kifu. Waya and Isumi exchanged comments, and Akira made Hikaru sit beside him, though Hikaru grimaced at having to sit seiza. The hunted look was fading from his face, though he still glanced at the other occupants of the room as though expecting an attack.
The discussion ended quickly since neither Waya nor Isumi were inclined to make any more comments, and Akira explained any confusing hands quickly and succinctly. He was aware that this afternoon's study session had hardly been a success, and wondered if he should call things to a close early.
"Shindou-san, since you know Sensei so well, you must have played with him a lot of times," he heard Ohda say, clearly having decided that this was a good opportunity to find out more about Hikaru. Akira wouldn't be surprised if she had managed to obtain his birthdate, his blood type and his phone number by the end of the day.
Hikaru, looking surprised at being addressed, managed to nod heavily. "Yeah. I mean, yes, we play in the Go salon quite often."
"Really? What kind of handicap does Sensei give you?" Kaneda asked, joining in the conversation. He studied Hikaru as though he were sizing up an opponent.
"Um..." Hikaru looked at Akira as though to suggest that Akira should answer instead.
"Sensei is a pro, after all," Ohda said. "So, how many stones?"
"Er... two!"
"None."
Ohda blinked at Akira, who had replied at the same time. "You play with Shindou-san without any handicap?" she asked. "Do you play shidogo, then?"
"No!"
"No."
Now it was Kaneda's turn to blink at the two of them from behind his glasses. "Shindou-san, you don't take a handicap from Sensei, and Sensei doesn't play shidogo with you. Even with us, Sensei sometimes gives us two stones. You must be really good."
"I... er..." Hikaru was starting to turn red.
Waya's eyes were starting to narrow again, Akira noticed, and Isumi looked interested.
A knock at the door saved Hikaru from having to answer.
"Oh, it's Ochi," Ohda said in a whisper, and rolled her eyes.
Sure enough, it was Akira's oldest student--not really a student now, since he had already turned pro. Akira had coached him in the month before the pro exams, and Ochi had made him promise to let him join his father's study sessions if he passed.
Ochi entered, with formal apologies for being late. He had grown taller from the time Akira first knew him, though he still had the strange habit of locking himself in the toilet when he lost games, a practice that was very inconvenient for the others at the study sessions after an afternoon of Go and too much tea.
He saw Waya and Isumi first, and his eyes narrowed for a second; Akira remembered that all three of them had turned professional in the same year, and Isumi had been the opponent Ochi was most worried about. Nonetheless, Ochi greeted them and the other insei, if rather curtly. Then his frown fell on Hikaru. "And this is-"
"This is Sensei's boyfriend," Fujimoto said, seeming to enjoy the start of surprise that Ochi gave. "Yes, Sensei," he said to Akira, "we know that you're dating Shindou-san. Why else would you introduce him to us?"
Fujimoto was too much of a smart aleck for his own good.
Hikaru twitched.
Fujimoto went on, "His name is Shindou Hikaru. Shindou-san, this is Ochi Kosuke, 3-dan. You remember, he was in the Hokuto Cup tournament with Sensei, even though it was three years ago..."
"Thank you, Fujimoto," Akira said firmly.
Ochi's glare seemed to intensify at the mention of the Hokuto Cup. Only Akira had won both his games at that tournament; both Yashirou and Ochi had lost their games, a fact that seemed to rankle at Ochi no end.
Hikaru frowned slightly at the glare, but he said, "Pleased to meet you, Ochi-san."
"You're not a pro, are you?" Ochi asked instead.
Hikaru's uncertainty returned in force. "N-no," he said, glancing at Akira, and at the insei as well. He avoided looking at Waya.
"I was told, before I joined Touya-sensei's study sessions," Ochi said, his tone making it clear that he was referring to Akira's father, and not Akira, "that only good players could be admitted. But you're only an amateur."
"I..." Hikaru glanced at Akira again, his expression uncomfortable.
"Boyfriend or not, you have to prove that you are good enough."
"Ochi!" Akira admonished. "You can't-"
"Play a game with me."
"What?" Hikaru's jaw fell.
Ochi stalked forward. "I said, you have to play a game with me. Or are you too scared?"
That got Hikaru's attention. "Hell, no!" he said.
Sometimes, Akira wished that his boyfriend wasn't so easily baited.
"You don't know what you're asking, Ochi," Fujimoto said, his tone easy-going, as though he was trying to lighten the mood. "Sensei was just telling us that he plays with Shindou-san without any handicap!"
Correction. He was trying to pour napalm on fire. Akira decided that he was going to have a talk with Fujimoto soon.
Sure enough, Ochi's face darkened even more. "Then let's start. No handicap either," he said, seating himself opposite Hikaru, and starting to clear the Go board.
---------to be continued----------
Chapter 2 | Chapter 4