Winning Hearts :: hikagoyaoi.org

Jump: 1 2 3

Prologue:

Everyone in the game room held their breath in anticipation as they watched the three men walk to the front of it. Shinoda sensei, owner of the Go Institute beamed proudly and coughed in preparation for his speech.

“Good evening to all of you. I am sure that you are all as excited, as I am to hear the chosen members that will represent Japan in this year’s Pro Go International Championships in New York City. You have all worked hard these past few weeks and as you know, only the top four passers will get to attend and represent our country.”

He stopped to smile at the two men that flanked his sides and turning to face the eager faces before him, he continued.

“We do believe that we have a really strong contingent this year and we have really high hopes for the four of you. And now…in no particular order, the four chosen representatives are…Touya Akira…please step to the front of the class if you are called.”

All eyes turned to face the stoic boy who rose elegantly to his feet. If he was excited at the news, he was doing a very good at hiding it from the others for his features gave nothing away. He bowed slightly in front of Shinoda and accepted the handshakes from the other men, before turning to face the class with his hands clasped behind him.

“Next up…Ochi Kousuke.”

The small bespectacled boy rose to his feet and walked just as calmly to the front of the class. There was, also, no real expression of joy on his face and like Akira before him, he bowed and accepted the handshakes dutifully.

“Third member…Waya Yoshitaka.”

“Alright!” The spiky redhead jumped to his feet, stopping to give a high-five to the boy that had been sitting next to him. With a grin as wide as ever, he ran to the front of the class and bowed before the officials before standing next to Akira.

“And last but not least…Hikaru Shindo!”

“YEAH!!! I made it!!” The vivacious teen jumped to his feet and ran to the front of the class, narrowly avoiding falling over the other Pros sitting on the floor. He resisted the urge to hug Shinoda sensei or the other men, but that didn’t stop him from slapping Waya’s back in exuberance. “We did it, Waya!” He whispered in excitement as the teacher continued to talk in the background.

Waya winked and gave him a victory sign. “We sure did, Shindo. New York City, here we come!”

Hikaru grinned and glanced at Ochi who looked like he was suffering from a bad stomachache to Touya…whose expression remained as blank as ever.

~ Well, at least Waya seems normal. ~ Hikaru thought to himself. ~ This is going to be great!!! ~

Shinoda gazed at the young men with pride. He had a gut feeling that for the first time in so many years, their country had a good shot at claiming the long elusive title.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you…Team Japan!”

This announcement sent the four boys bowing at the round of applause that quickly followed. And although each tried, in their various ways to contain their anticipation and excitement, there was no doubt in their minds that they had a very long road ahead of them.

The road to discovery was just beginning…

Part One:

“We are going to what?!!!”

Ogata winced at the loud scream from the bleached blonde, but managed to retain his composure. He eyed Hikaru with a wary look and sighed. “You are all going to be roommates.” He reiterated slowly. “It is the rule and there is no getting around it, sorry.

He was currently standing in the lobby of the airport, with the four boys sitting before him. Parents and well wishers lined the long hall, as cameras flashed from the local and national press. Puffing out a cloud of smoke from his cigarette, he pushed his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose and stared at the mortified expressions on their faces.

“What is the problem now?”

Waya was the first to break the silence. “No way in hell am I rooming with him!”

Him just happened to be Touya, who tightened his jaw at the way Waya had spoken about him, but it looked like the redhead wasn’t finished. “I would rather sleep in a room full of snakes than to sleep with Mr. Personality!”

“Keep your voice down, Yoshikata or I will take you out of team.” Ogata chided coldly. “The press is beginning to notice the way you are acting. How will it look if they see the disunity on the team already? Now, you will either behave yourself or you will be kicked out, got it?”

“Yeah…yeah.” Waya pouted and slouched lower in his seat. He turned his head to glare out of the large glass windows, hardly noticing that Hikaru had moved closer to him. “That guy irritates me!”

“Who? Ogata-sensei or…”

“Touya! Who else? Hell, for the past week he has been acting like he is above us or something!”

Hikaru shrugged lightly and stared out of the window as well. It was taking all of his strength not to run around in excitement. He had never been out of the country before and the sight of the large airplanes so close to him, sent all thoughts of the games ahead out of his mind. He was going to New York City…to America! He had tons of American stuff in his collection, ranging from the music he listened to; to the tons of clothes he bought every week. He wasn’t good at speaking English fluently, but he was sure that he could manage well and besides Ochi was much smarter and could act as a translator.

“Have you ever flown before, Waya?”

The redhead shook his head and quickly lost his sullen look. “It is kinda exciting, isn’t it? We get to meet all sorts of people and have tons and tons of fun…”

“The time for fun will come once we win the title.” Ogata interrupted them calmly. “I do not want you all going there with the notion that this is just another field trip. Remember that we are going against some fifty or so countries and one misstep could get us out of the competition.”

“Gee…put the pressure on us, why don’t you?” Hikaru muttered, earning a chuckle from Waya and a snort from Ochi. Hikaru turned to face the smaller boy and nudged him playfully. “You ever been out of the country before, Ochi-kun?”

“No. But my grandfather has. He went to Korea for a Go competition and that’s about it.”

All three fell silent, only to turn their heads (as if on cue) to their silent companion, who was currently reading a book. Hikaru opened up his mouth to ask, but snapped it shut as Waya beat him to the punch.

“What about you, Touya-kun? Ever been out of the country before?”

“I bet he has.” Ochi replied. “His father would have traveled and taken him to some places.”

Akira seemed a bit surprised that they had actually spoken to him and he nodded cautiously. “I have been out of the country once with my father. I was about six at the time.”

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Where did you guys go to?”

“China…and then England.”

Waya made a face. “Geez…that’s two places.”

The 6-Dan laughed sheepishly. “Oh, sorry. But he was taking a tour after winning another Meijin title…and so he took I and my mother.”

“No need to rub it in, Touya. We get the idea.” Waya turned back to face the window, but not before muttering ‘show off’ to himself.

Hikaru, on the other hand, was quite curious now. He moved away from Waya, failing to notice the small look of surprise on the redhead’s features, and sat next to Touya, failing to also notice the small gasp of surprise that escaped the reserved boy’s features. “Tell me more about England. Are you good at speaking English?”

“I…uh…I…” Akira found himself blushing furiously at the close proximity and for an instant completely forgot what he had planned to say, but gratefully, a member of the press walked up to them, announcing that it was time for their final news conference.

Groans from Hikaru and Waya were heard as they all rose to their feet, shuffling wearily towards the microphones that had been placed for them. They had been forced to wear black suits and they all looked rather dashing in them. The past week had been a whirlwind of press conferences, photo shoots, TV interviews and barely enough time to practice. But it was Sai, Hikaru’s friendly spirit that had been the most excited of them all. The thought of seeing other countries playing Go had sent the kind-hearted ghost almost dizzy with anticipation.

Goodbyes, hugs and tears were given and shed as loved ones sent the boys off to the terminal. Hikaru shouldered his backpack and grinned at Akari, his parents and his grandfather. “See you guys in two weeks! And we are going to bring back the Cup too!!”

Waya snickered and grabbed him in a playful headlock. “Tough words coming from your mouth, boy!! You ready to back it up?!”

“Bring it on! I will kick your ass anytime!!”

Ogata didn’t even bother trying to stop the two playful boys behind him. At least he had Ochi and Akira who were the more serious types. Speaking of Akira…he glanced at the quiet boy who walked alongside him. He couldn’t help feeling a bit worried about his reserved nature. It had always worked for the boy in the past, but for this event, Ogata was hoping that Akira would have been more comfortable with the others.

~ I hope you can make friends soon, Touya. I know it might not mean much to you, but you are going to have to depend on these three boys for the next two weeks. Communication is going to be key. ~

Akira blinked and glanced at Ogata, wondering why the older man had such a serious expression on his face. “Is everything alright, sensei?” He asked softly.

The blonde nodded and focused his attention back on the road ahead. “Hai, Touya. Everything is just fine.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Throughout the flight, Waya and Ochi suffered from airsickness, while Hikaru tried to keep awake as much as possible. It was a long trip and there was a lot to do on the plane. They had been treated to first class accommodation and so they had good food, cool games to play and awesome movies to watch.

Waya and Hikaru were seat partners, while Akira and Ochi were forced to be together. Needless to say, one side of the cabin was quite noisy and messy, while the other side was quiet and neat.

“Gosh…I wish they would let us see what the cockpit looked like.” Hikaru mumbled as he watched yet another airhostess blush at Akira’s greeting. He rolled his eyes and yelped as Waya clutched his shirt.

“Oh man…I think I’m gonna barf again.” Came the weak groan from the red head.

“Not on my shirt, dude!! Cut that out!!”

Akira and Ochi tore their eyes from their books to stare at the struggling duo, while Ogata prayed for the flight to be over, for the urge to throw Hikaru and Waya out of the plane was now overwhelming. He placed the black blindfold over his eyes and tried for the umpteenth time to go to sleep, vowing to make sure that both boys practiced extra hours for their bad behavior.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hikaru opened up his eyes and blinked them wearily. It was still dark outside and according to the small TV screen that scrolled out information, they were currently flying over Canada.

~ Almost there… ~

He tried to shift into a more comfortable position on his seat, wincing as he felt Waya’s head on his shoulder. He couldn’t help blushing as he noticed that the other boy’s hand was on his lap. Hell! Waya was practically lying on top of him.

~ Oh man…I need to go to the bathroom. You couldn’t move him off, could you Sai? ~

The spirit, whose eyes were still glued outside the window, raised his hands as if saying ‘I am a ghost, remember??’

~ Great help you are. ~ Hikaru grumbled. He tried to move again, and this time his gaze fell to the seat across him, only to gasp as those familiar intense green eyes stared right back at him. He swallowed tightly and unconsciously clenched his hands into tight fists.

The heat that always came from staring into his rival’s eyes flared down his spine and he was sure that his face was as red as a Christmas bow by now. Why was Akira looking at him in that way? As if he hated him for some unknown reason?

“Touya…” He whispered softly, only to hiss in a sharp breath as Waya shifted and placed his hands right on his groin. “Damn it!” He jumped to his feet quickly, completely ignoring the boy’s mumbled curses and ran towards the small bathroom. Locking himself in, he sat down on the toilet seat and tried to still his thudding heart.

~ What…what the hell was that?! First Touya looking at me like I had done something wrong and then….Waya?? Why…what…oh man…”

He was now hopelessly aware of how hard he was. He needed release and this was all thanks to Waya’s hands and Akira’s gaze. Unable to hold back any longer, his hands unzipped his pants quickly, reaching to clasp the hardened flesh that begged to be touched. He closed his eyes and leaned back on the seat, the images of the two boys filling his mind as he began to work out his frustration.

A particularly naughty one flashed through and biting his lower lip tightly, he arched off the seat, stroking harder and faster, as Akira and Waya’s names were uttered like a mantra weakly. He cried out softly as an intense orgasm ripped through his body and collapsing limply on the seat, he tried to control his rapid breathing. He opened up his eyes, noticing with faint embarrassment, that he had stained the wall with his essence.

“Thanks a lot you guys.” He whispered, as he rose to his feet weakly to clean himself up. “I don’t want to keep doing this throughout this damn tournament.” He washed his face and stared at his reflection in the mirror, clenching his hands into fists and frowning in determination.

“The next two weeks are dedicated to winning the Cup for my country. I don’t have time to think of my personal feelings for anyone. I have to focus and concentrate on my games and never, ever let them know!”

“I think we’ve already seen that Ochi-kun. You don’t have to keep yelling!”

“I think it’s safe to say that this is the first time that Ochi has ever had such an expression on his face.”

The young Japanese-American girl, who had the unfortunate job of being their tour guide, laughed shakily and tried to stop the three boys from pouncing on each other. She wondered why they couldn’t be as well mannered as the boy with the shoulder length hair. He was nice, polite and not bad to look at either.

“Ah…uum…oh dear…and if you would look to the right, you will notice that we are now passing Central Park…”

“You get out! You’ve been hogging the window all by yourself for past few…”

Ogata’s sharp tone sent Hikaru and Waya silent and both promptly sat down quietly on their seats but not before jabbing each other, with their elbows, for being the spoilsport. Ogata glared at them in warning before turning to face the young woman. He motioned for her to continue, which she did with a small sigh of relief.

They had arrived at La Guardia airport about an hour or so ago, to a flurry of flashbulbs and questions from the inquisitive press. It was the first time that the United States would be hosting the event and so it was considerably big news for the media. Several other countries had arrived at the same time and so the airport had been filled with young men from different backgrounds all looking nervous and excited. Each team had been given a small bus that would transport them to the hotel they were to stay in. The Grand Marriott had been chosen as the designated accommodation for the year.

Ogata had been to the States before, so all of this wasn’t new to him. He couldn’t help smiling softly at the awed looks on the young men’s faces, even more so at Akira, who despite himself, was sent gawking at some of the impressive sights.

All too soon, the tour guide and ride was over and they were forced to disembark in front of the large hotel.

“Gosh…never been in any place this huge before.” Waya mumbled as they were ushered into the lobby.

Ogata motioned for them to wait there for him, while he went ahead to secure their rooms at the front desk. A group of boys wearing blue blazers with a British insignia on their arms waved at them cheerfully. The Japanese contingent waved back with winning grins, only to stop as they noticed the smirking look on the Chinese team’s visage. They, too, were waiting in line to be assigned their room numbers.

Hikaru nodded at Waya’s observations, noticing that the familiar faces of China’s strongest players, Li Ping, Yang Hai, Wang Xin and Zhao Shi were there.

“They are not unbeatable.” Ochi retorted coldly. “We just have to stick to our game plan and crush them.”

Waya laughed and slapped Ochi’s back only to withdraw it quickly at the icy look that was thrown his way. “Well, you’ve got a point there…huh? What the hell are they laughing at?!”

The Chinese team were currently whispering amongst themselves and chuckling and the Japanese boys couldn’t help feeling like they were being made fun of.

“Kuso! Can’t any of you make out what they are saying?” Waya spat in frustration.

For several minutes, no one said anything until Akira finally spoke up. “I think they are saying that we are going to be pushovers,” he said quietly.

The other three boys blinked at the highest ranked Pro with mixtures of surprise on their faces. “Sheesh…you speak Chinese too?” Hikaru grumbled.

Akira nodded curtly, his eyes still pinned on the laughing team. “Only a little.”

Hikaru took another glance at his long-time rival, noticing that the hard edge had come back into Akira’s tone. That intense look was now in those amazing green eyes and the bleached-blonde could feel his body tingling with adrenaline. It was the look that he always had before they played a game. That look of deadly quietness that sent many of his opponents trembling in fear. He didn’t fail to notice that Waya was staring intently at Akira as well, and for a moment, Hikaru could have sworn that the red head was actually blushing.

It couldn’t be denied that Akira had a powerful presence and aura about him. Quiet and reserved, he exuded an air of self-confidence that had the tendency to make everyone else around him pale in comparison. He had the height, the looks and quite frankly many thought he was a bit too good to be true. As passionate for Go as he was quiet in other aspects of his life, Akira Touya was a force to be reckoned with.

The 4-Dan snorted and shook his head. “Well, tell them that we are going to wipe the floor with their faces. Those little...”

All four spun around at the loud squeal, not really understanding what the person had said except that Akira’s name had been called out. They came face-to-face with four other boys each wearing small American flag pins on their black blazers. The squeal had come from a dark-haired one, who looked about seventeen and was just as tall as Touya. The boy was slack-jawed and he seemed frozen in place.

Akira’s face flushed with embarrassment as the Chinese team behind him burst out laughing. It wasn’t that he disliked the fact that he was famous in the Go world; it was just the extra attention that bothered him.

The American broke out of his mini-trance and grinned widely. “It is you, isn’t it?! You are Touya Akira, right?! I see your picture everyday in....HIKARU SHINDO?? Holy Crow...and WAYA and....and...OCHI?? Oh man...you can count us out this year, guys! These guys are awesome!!”

“But...Chris...these guys are the best...well, second only to those other guys.” He pointed to the Chinese team, before sighing softly. “Man...we are toast this year. If we make it to the prelims, that would be a blessing.”

The one named Chris cuffed Matt. “Jesus! And you are our captain? Have a little faith in us, will ya?”

He walked up to the stumped Japanese team and held out his hand to Touya with a small smile. “Hi! I know you guys probably don’t hear much of what I say but...I just want to wish you guys good luck in the competition.”

Akira managed a small smile and accepted the handshake. He had managed to grasp Chris’s words and he quickly translated it to the others.

“Oh.” Waya gave a small sigh of relief. “At least they are much better than those bastards.”

Hikaru grinned and stepped closer to the Americans. “Ohayo!” He greeted and bowed, hoping that the boys would take the cue. It would be nice to make some friends here, especially friends that lived in the country.

Matt laughed out loud and motioning for his other teammates to do the same, he bowed and greeted Hikaru amiably. “Ohayo to you too! And welcome to our home!”

Hikaru tried to stifle a yawn as they all stepped out of the elevator that had taken them to their designated floor. A combination of jet lag and having to deal with the loud American boys had caused his sudden weariness. He leaned heavily against Waya, resting his head upon the other boy’s shoulder.

“Mmmm....carry me, darling. You are sooooooo warm.” He joked lightly, wondering if Waya would take that just as playfully or push him away in disgust. He was pleasantly surprised at the actions that happened next. Waya wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer to his lean body, causing Hikaru’s eyes to widen and his face to flush with heat.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” came the husky whisper from the redhead, as he placed a soft kiss on the blonde locks. “I am here to take care of you.”

Hikaru lifted his gaze to Waya’s with a question in them, only to see the teasing glint in the other’s golden depths.

~ Oh...he was just teasing me. ~ Hikaru thought morosely. ~ I really thought that he was serious... ~

Sure enough, Waya’s grip hadn’t slackened and Hikaru’s heart skipped another beat. With a happy sigh, he wrapped his arms around Waya’s waist, only to gasp softly as his skin prickled with awareness. He spun his head around, sucking in a harsh breath as he locked gazes with Touya. Shindo’s heart pounded with confusion and something else he couldn’t define, as those intense green eyes stared at him impassively.

~ Touya...would I ever be able to hold you like this, without making you hate me even more? If only you knew how much I wish to be in your arms. ~

His cause for dismay heightened as Akira snorted lightly and turned his face away. The dark-haired boy quickened his stride and caught up to Ogata, deliberately ignoring the two boys that were still hugging each other. If one had looked closely, he or she would have noticed the clenched fists at Akira’s sides, or even the look of pain that had now filled his eyes.

“Here we are.” The concierge announced with a flourish as he opened up the semi-lavish suite for them. “It is a two bedroom suite, each with double beds and one main bathroom, that connects both rooms. We have the spacious dining area and a mini-kitchen with a well-stocked fridge for whatever you desire. Over here, is the living room where, as you can see, we have a rather large flat-screen TV for your viewing pleasure. Video games and cable and laptop outlets are available too. This glass door leads to the patio that gives you a wonderful view of Central Park and the city itself. And over there we have a small office or as most of our clients like to call them…dens.” He added with a light chuckle. “So, then…are there any questions you would like to...”

“We get first dibs on that room!!!!” Waya interrupted with a loud yell as he pulled a protesting Hikaru into one of the large bedrooms. With it’s Victorian theme, the soft creamy pastel colors gave the room a sense of romance and intrigue. The beds were large enough for two people to sleep in and it had been draped with matching cream-colored silky sheets. There was a small glass door that led to yet another patio and Waya was quick to explore the area.

“Mmmmm….leave me alone. I’m beat,” came the muffled reply, as Hikaru buried his face into the fluffy pillows. He didn’t even bother to take off his shoes and in mere moments, he was out like a light.

“You can almost see the entire city from here, Hikaru! I wonder what it would look like at night…” Waya’s gaze softened at the thought as leaned his head against the cool metal railings. To spend the night looking at the stars with Hikaru and To…

~ Gah! What the hell am I thinking?! We came here to have a competition and nothing else! ~

But he still couldn’t get the moment of feeling Hikaru touch him, rather intimately, or Touya’s intense gaze out of his mind. Feeling his body tingle with warmth, he wrapped his arms around his waist and cursed softly. No use worrying about things that were never going to happen. He might as well learn how to fly with wings at this rate. With a heavy sigh, he walked back into the room, idly noticing that a goban and stones had been placed in a corner. Their luggage had been brought in as well and Waya, feeling exhausted, fell back on his bed and stared at the baroque ceiling.

~ It’s been five years. Five long years of trying to hide my true feelings from the two of you. ~

He lay on his side and stared at the sleeping figure of Hikaru, knowing that he wasn’t awake and so couldn’t hear his whispered thoughts.

“I thought it would be a passing thing, Shindo. I would see you as only a brother and that was it, right? But no…as I watched you and Touya, I came to realize that this need to protect and be with you two…has nothing brotherly involved. At least I can talk to you and you don’t suspect a thing…but as for him…I might as well try talking to a brick wall.”

He slid off his bed and walked over to Hikaru’s bed, carefully taking off the blonde’s shoes. He silently debated within himself on whether or not to take off Shindo’s clothes, but deciding that the blonde might kick his butt later on for doing so, Waya settled for pulling back the sheets and carefully tucking them around his now snoring teammate.

A warm light filled his eyes as Waya gradually stilled his movements. Hikaru looked…

“So beautiful…” he whispered achingly and unable to stop himself, he leaned closer to the slightly parted moist lips.

Mere inches separated them now and Waya could feel Hikaru’s warm breath mingle with his. With a tiny groan of need, he closed his eyes and was just about to press his lips gently against Shindo’s, when the sound of a light cough sent him reeling back in shock and embarrassment.

The dark-haired boy’s visage gave nothing away, for it remained painfully devoid of emotion. But it was his voice that gave his obvious state away, for it trembled slightly.

Waya could only nod mutely, his face flaming red now. Hikaru shifted restlessly in his bed and both boys’ gaze flew to him, only to turn away quickly as they realized what they were doing.

Touya gripped the doorknob even tighter and gave a curt nod. “I am sorry for interrupting. Perhaps you should lock the door next time.”

And with that, he walked out of the room, leaving Waya staring blindly at the floor in dismay.

Ochi eyed his roommate with wariness as he slowly unpacked his own luggage. If Akira was angry or disgusted or both, Ochi couldn’t really tell. But one thing was for sure, the taller boy was clearly not happy about something. Ochi raised an eyebrow as Akira slammed the drawer, after roughly stacking his undergarments inside it, loudly. He watched as Akira stalked like a caged animal towards his closet and began to hang up his suits as if he were in a private battle with the hangers. The handsome face was in a scowl and those green eyes seemed to flash with an inner danger that sent a chill down the bespectacled boy’s spine.

Ochi dared not ask what the problem was. He wasn’t that close to Akira, never had been and never would be. Besides their love for Go, there was really nothing else they had in common.

~ Well, he just came out from Shindo and Waya’s room…maybe Waya annoyed him again. ~

But somehow, Ochi doubted that thought. Waya was constantly getting on Touya’s nerves and the reserved boy rarely showed any emotion or pretended not to care for the redhead’s antics. So, what could have happened to make the normally calm boy this flustered and upset?

The loud slam from the bathroom door closing caused Ochi to jerk alert in surprise.

And with a low grumble, he muttered softly to himself. “Geez…I wonder what climbed up his behind.”

Akira placed his toiletries as neatly as possible in the cream-colored bathroom cabinet, for his hands were shaking badly and the tendency to drop them into the pristine sink below was inevitable. Finally placing the hair shampoo bottle in the neat row he had formed, he closed the cabinet and rested his head against it. His hands gripped the edge of the sink tightly and a low frustrated growl escaped his lips as he squeezed his eyes shut to block out the indelible image of Waya kissing Hikaru.

“Kuso!” He cursed softly, as he felt the pain slice through his chest, causing him to place a trembling hand against it. “Damn them both!”

He sank to the floor and raised his knees, wrapping his arms around his legs to quickly

bury his face within them. But the image stubbornly refused to go away. He could still see every motion as if forced to rewind a tape over and over again.

“No wonder he wanted to room with Hikaru,” he whispered softly. “How can they stand a guy like me anyway?”

And how in Kami’s name had he allowed his two nemesis to get under his skin so much? His daily obsession, from the moment he had played Hikaru so many years ago, had blossomed into an emotion that Touya refused to acknowledge. He had told himself many times that he could care less about Hikaru’s feelings, any more so than the redhead who seemed to have a knack for insulting him at will. But then again…it was only Hikaru and Waya that had the tendency to bring out the more passionate side of him. He rarely showed any emotion, due to years of training himself to become the best at a game he loved to death. He had never had any real friends -- at least those close to his age -- until he had met Hikaru and the Insei at the Go Institute.

And it wasn’t as if he had made himself accessible to others, either. It was no fault of his really. Akira wasn’t sure he could handle himself around his own age mates. He could easily converse with others older than he, but when it came to normal teenage conversations…he was hopelessly lacking in that area. So rather than join them, he kept away, inwardly afraid that he would make a fool out of himself, especially before Shindo and Waya.

He was jealous. Plain and simply put. Jealous of the way Hikaru could make friends easily. Jealous of the way he and Waya could joke and laugh like they had been friends for a lifetime. Jealous of the obvious attraction the two boys had for one another. Jealous that he couldn’t have been the one sleeping next to Hikaru. Kami, it had taken all of his strength not to strangle Waya in the plane last night. And then to top it all…

Akira raised his head quickly as he heard the familiar yet irritated voice behind the door. Scrambling to his feet, he eyed himself quickly in the mirror, hoping that he didn’t look as morose as he felt inside. Satisfied at gaining some semblance of control, he opened up the door that was adjoined to Hikaru and Waya’s room, and came face-to-face with the boy that had filled his thoughts earlier.

Hikaru was no longer in his suit. In fact, the bleached blonde was… topless. He was now dressed in only the dark pants of his suit, which was halfway unzipped and nearly falling off his lean hips. Shindo was also bare feet, having taken off his socks as well.

Akira found himself gawking helplessly at the sight. He had never seen Shindo topless let alone standing before him in this state. Feeling a reluctant heat flare through his body, he tightened his grip on the doorknob and was quick to place another scowl on his face. He tried hard not to stare into those green eyes, and full lips that Waya had had a chance to take advantage of. With a curt nod, Akira spun around and began to make his way back to his bedroom without saying a word.

The blonde stood watching as Touya left, his own face burning now as the thought of he almost reaching out to touch Akira, ran through his mind. As the door closed behind his rival, Shindo sighed and shuffled his way towards the toilet to do his business.

~ Still can’t stand me, I see. What the hell do I have to do to make you like me, Touya? ~

He washed his hands quickly, automatically reaching for the cabinet to see if there was anything he could use. Seeing the neatly arranged toiletries caused a small smile to come to his visage. Touya had some really expensive stuff in his collection and being naturally curious, Hikaru reached for an after-shave lotion and opened it up. The scent was distinctly Touya and Hikaru felt like he could probably drown in that unique smell.

~ Uuuum…what are you doing, Hikaru? ~ Sai asked innocently, only to wince at Hikaru’s loud squeal.

~ How many times have I told you never to follow me into the bathroom!! I need some privacy for Chrissakes!! ~

Sai looked contrite and twiddled his thumbs together. ~ I am sorry, Hikaru, but…your friend Waya was beginning to give off some negative…uh...vibes, as you call it…and I couldn’t stand it any longer. You…you wouldn’t want to play a game with me now, would you? ~ He asked hopefully.

~ Like hell! You come into the bathroom and try to invade my space and then you ask me to play a game with you?! Go play by yourself!! ~

Shindo covered his ears as the familiar whine began. Sai was a nice and kind spirit, but he could be such a crybaby at times. The blonde spun away from the now sobbing ghost, to place Touya’s after-shave back in its place. A sudden loud knock on the door caused him to blink in confusion, before Ogata’s voice was heard.

Waya spoke up with a light snicker. “Probably because he hasn’t seen a Jacuzzi before and he freaked out!”

Hikaru noticed the large tub in the corner of the bathroom and made a face. “You wish, Waya!! You’re the one who’s scared of taking showers!!”

Ogata interrupted impatiently. “Well, hurry up. We all have to go down for dinner in thirty minutes.”

“Yes, sir.” Hikaru replied weakly as he groaned and sat on the edge of the bathtub. He cocked his head to the side and eyed the weeping spirit.

Shindo counted slowly to ten before replying in resignation. “Fine…when I practice with Waya, then you can play.”

The spirit released him quickly and he began to dance around the large bathroom in joy.

~ Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just don’t get too excited and make Waya want to kill me again for making him lose so early, got it? ~

Sai nodded fervently and for a few minutes, both boy and spirit stared at each other….until Shindo remarked dryly.

And as Sai made himself scare, Shindo idly wondered what the spirit had meant about Waya having negative vibes.

“Damn this stupid suit!” Waya grumbled as he tugged restlessly at the constricting black tie. “Why do we have to keep wearing suits all the time?”

“Because it’s a black tie event and we are going to be dining with other professional Go players like yourselves, so please try and carry yourself in a dignified manner.” Ogata replied calmly, as they stepped out of the elevator that led them to the main floor.

Hikaru snickered and nudged Waya playfully. “Hear that, Waya-kun? Stop acting like an idiot for once!”

Waya gave a mock growl and tried to attack Hikaru, only to stop as he noticed the cool look that Akira threw his way. He blushed lightly as he remembered the incident earlier and with a reluctant sigh, he pulled away from Shindo, sticking his hands into the pockets of his dark slacks and turning his face away.

Hikaru blinked in surprise. He had fully expected Waya to tease him mercilessly, or ruffle his hair or give him another headlock. What was with the cold shoulder all of a sudden?

The spirit was already gaping in awe at the large ballroom/dining room they had now been ushered into. It was elaborately decorated with gold and black streamers and balloons. A large banner with the words ‘Welcome to the Annual Igo Competition’ hung above a large podium, where several distinguished members of the Go World sat, all dressed in evening attire. On the main floor, rows of circular dinning tables had been set, with each country that would be participating in the event, assigned to one. The tables looked quite elaborate, with it’s beautiful floral decorations and the silverware that seemed fit for royalty.

The Japanese contingents were ushered to their table, which wasn’t too far from the podium. Hikaru tried very hard not to bump into anything, for the wine glasses and plates looked pretty expensive. He almost laughed at the way Waya seemed to look out of place and as both boys exchanged wary glances, they finally broke down into giggles, only managing to stifle them as Ogata gave them another warning look.

A round of applause was begun as the chairperson of the event walked up to the podium to begin his speech. Hikaru yawned and was just about to place his head on the table, when Sai reprimanded him sharply.

~ Where are your manners, Hikaru? You are about to fall asleep at the most important part! ~

~ Geez! No need to yell, Sai! I am tired. My body hasn’t adjusted to the new time zone and all. Gimme a break, will ya? ~

The spirit pouted and turned back to face the man, who had introduced himself as Kashimoto-san, a Japanese-American, who was a 9-dan and quite popular in the Go World. Hikaru couldn’t understand a single word…well, except for a few phrases here and there, but he figured that they were probably talking about the upcoming event. His eyes roamed the room lazily and their gaze soon fell on a familiar group. With a small smile, he waved at the American group, nudging Waya (who was half-way asleep himself) to take notice. The redhead started and blinked in confusion, before turning to see what the fuss was about.

Matt was mouthing off something and gesturing with his hands and for a moment, the two Japanese players couldn’t make out what he was trying to tell them. They had to be quiet, since the entire room was focused on the speaker and they did not want to alert Ogata in any way.

“Hmmm…do you think he wants us to meet him somewhere?” Waya asked in a harsh whisper, his brows furrowed in a puzzled frown. “He keeps pointing to himself and then to us….and then outside.”

“I guess that’s what he means.” Hikaru reasoned, having to lower his voice as well. He pointed to himself and then at Waya and then towards the exit with a questioning look on his features and as Matt nodded fervently, Hikaru grinned. “Yeah…he wants us to meet him outside.”

“But how do we ditch the others?” Waya asked, nodding lightly towards Ogata, Ochi and Akira. “If we both leave at the same time, they will know that something is up for sure.”

Shindo bit his lower lip in thought as his peripheral vision caught Matt and Chris already leaving the room at the same time. Nobody stopped them, not even their coach and Hikaru exchanged a bewildered glance with Waya.

Waya placed a hand on Shindo’s arm to still his movements. He shook his head and cleared his throat. Leaning closer to Ogata-sensei, he placed a look of pained suffering on his features.

“May I go back to the hotel room, sensei? I have to take this stomach medicine before eating and I forgot to do that. If I don’t take it, I might end up throwing up my meal…”

Ogata waved his hand in dismissal, his eyes still firmly clued to the speaker. “Do what you have to do, Waya.”

The redhead couldn’t believe it was this easy. “May Shindo-kun come with me, too? I need the comp…”

“Just go, Waya.” Ogata hissed in irritation. “Just make sure you get back here.”

“Hai!” He nodded with a pleased grin, before tugging on Shindo’s arm. He could feel Touya’s gaze on him and fighting the urge to blush, he spun around quickly and led them both out of the ballroom and towards the lobby, where Matt and Chris could be seen waiting for them. There was also a boy that looked Japanese, standing next to Chris. Matt was quick to rush forward to greet his friends.

“Ohayo! Couldn’t stand to be in that boring room listening to those guys yapping away. And besides, the coach will tell you everything in the morning, so you guys don’t have to worry about missing much.”

~ Hikaruuuuuuuu!!! We shouldn’t be here!! I want to go back inside! Now! Now! ~

Matt was still speaking. “Oh yeah, least I forget, since you guys probably can’t hear a damn word I’m saying…Tadaaa!! This is Kim.” He pulled the quiet boy closer to the group with a wide grin. “He is in my high school and he will be our official translator. Go ahead, Kim. Tell them that we are going to show them a good time tonight, okay?”

Kim snickered and bowed lightly. He introduced himself to Hikaru and Waya and repeated everything that Matt had said. This news got both Go players excited and Hikaru nodded fervently.

“Cool!! I have always wanted to see the sights of New York City! So where do we go first?”

Matt pursed his lips for a moment. “Uuh…what about Touya? And Ochi? Aren’t they coming?” He craned his neck to see if the elusive players would be heading out as well.

Waya and Hikaru exchanged another quick glance, before the redhead said quickly. “They didn’t feel like coming. They said maybe some other time, right, Shindo?”

The bleached blonde nodded in agreement. “Yeah…that’s what they said. Come on, already! We are going to miss all the fun!!”

Matt laughed loudly, as he placed an arm around each boy’s shoulders and motioned for Kim and Chris to follow.

“Don’t worry, boys!” He announced with an air of self-confidence, as he led them towards the waiting limousine parked in front of the hotel. “I promise to make this a night you will never soon forget!”