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31_days2007-09-09 11:56 pm
issen4.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2007-09-09 11:56 pm
[9 Sept] [Hikaru no Go] And the Waves Crashed on the Goban /?
Title: And the Waves Crashed on the Goban 9/?
Day/Theme: 9 Sept/You're the model of a charmless man
Series: Hikaru no Go
Character/Pairing: Hikaru/Akira, Isumi/Le Ping
Rating: General
-----"You're the model of a charmless man"-----
It was absolutely disgraceful. There was no common courtesy, or decency, anymore. People just sidled up to their friends, or even mere acquaintances, and after exchanging a brief greeting, inevitably, one of them would ask, "Have you heard about Shindou Meijin?"
Then they would start to speculate about the gossip that had been spreading around the Go world in the last few weeks. At first it was very discreet, but after the news came that Shindou Hikaru had woken up from his coma and was recovering, the gossipers seemed to have lost all sense of proportion and decorum, continually discussing the topic from beginning to end, jumping at any bit of old information about Shindou's past behaviour.
Ochi Kosuke was sick to death of it. Always Shindou, he thought with an inner huff, making his way through the hallways of the Go Institute. People were always talking about Shindou. He had always thought of the Institute as a haven for Go study, but the constant gossip was ruining it for him.
He entered the lift, and pressed the button for the reception level. A couple of insei entered, and to his disgust, they began, "Have you heard about Shindou-sensei-" at each other.
Ochi had enough. He pushed his glasses up his nose, and was about admonish them--they were girls, of course; females always seemed to dote on Shindou--when someone outside shouted, "Hold the lift!"
One of the insei immediately jabbed the 'open' button. The doors opened, and a man came in. He nodded thanks at the insei, and did a double-take as the doors closed. "Ochi! What a surprise to see you."
"Waya," Ochi said in greeting, feeling his mood sour even more. Waya, one of Shindou's closest friends, was not someone he wanted to see.
"Waya-sensei," the older of the insei said, "Is it true, what they're saying about Shindou-sensei?"
Ochi was interested to notice that Waya's expression dimmed a little at the mention of Shindou. "I don't know," Waya said. "What are they saying?"
The younger insei, perhaps encouraged by Waya's curiosity, replied: "They say that Shindou-sensei was a super genius in Go when he was only twelve or thirteen, and that he beat many Go pros while playing on the internet as another person. And-" here she paused, her eyes brightening, "that's how he met Touya-sensei!"
Her fellow insei nodded eagerly. "Yes. Is it true, that they started dating then?"
Waya had the expression of a man who had unexpectedly swallowed a pickled plum whole. "Uh-" he began. "You see-I mean-"
Ochi watched with malicious enjoyment. Unfortunately, the lift arrived at the ground level, and they all got out. The two insei excused themselves, still chattering excitedly about Shindou and Touya, and how devoted Touya-sensei was.
Waya muttered, "Touya. Always Touya," before he realized that Ochi was still in the reception area. "Not going home yet, Ochi?" he asked, a little testily.
A few things about the gossip clicked in Ochi's head. "You're the one who's been talking about Shindou," he concluded.
Waya gave a start. "How did you know?"
Ochi pushed his glasses up his nose with a sniff. "Each time there's some romantic drivel in the Institute about how close Touya is to Shindou, it's always followed the next day by talk about how Shindou used to play as Sai and is better than Touya. It's as though someone doesn't like the idea of Shindou being with Touya, and that someone wants Shindou to be Sai."
"But I didn't-" Waya stopped. " 'Romantic drivel', huh?" he said to Ochi, a smile pulling at his lips. "For someone who's been dumped at the altar twice, it sounds like a funny thing to say."
Ochi almost admired him for counter-attacking so viciously. Hoping his face hadn't betrayed him by reacting to the taunt, Ochi turned on his heel and stalked away.
"Or maybe a jealous thing?" Waya said after him.
Ochi nearly turned back, but he made himself walk on. Yes, he thought that gossip about Shindou and Touya were romantic drivel. It was at least better than the gossip that had malicious overtones, gossip that insinuated that their morals were shaky, that they ought not be tutoring young children.
As for the two times he was dumped... Ochi was resigned to the fact that he was not romantic, nor was he good at relationships. He was typical of Go professionals in one respect--he was devoted to Go, and found it meaningless to exert himself just to impress a mere woman (who didn't even play Go). He was not meant to be a charming man.
He stepped out into the sunshine, letting the dark thoughts disappear in the hot summer heat.
Day/Theme: 9 Sept/You're the model of a charmless man
Series: Hikaru no Go
Character/Pairing: Hikaru/Akira, Isumi/Le Ping
Rating: General
-----"You're the model of a charmless man"-----
It was absolutely disgraceful. There was no common courtesy, or decency, anymore. People just sidled up to their friends, or even mere acquaintances, and after exchanging a brief greeting, inevitably, one of them would ask, "Have you heard about Shindou Meijin?"
Then they would start to speculate about the gossip that had been spreading around the Go world in the last few weeks. At first it was very discreet, but after the news came that Shindou Hikaru had woken up from his coma and was recovering, the gossipers seemed to have lost all sense of proportion and decorum, continually discussing the topic from beginning to end, jumping at any bit of old information about Shindou's past behaviour.
Ochi Kosuke was sick to death of it. Always Shindou, he thought with an inner huff, making his way through the hallways of the Go Institute. People were always talking about Shindou. He had always thought of the Institute as a haven for Go study, but the constant gossip was ruining it for him.
He entered the lift, and pressed the button for the reception level. A couple of insei entered, and to his disgust, they began, "Have you heard about Shindou-sensei-" at each other.
Ochi had enough. He pushed his glasses up his nose, and was about admonish them--they were girls, of course; females always seemed to dote on Shindou--when someone outside shouted, "Hold the lift!"
One of the insei immediately jabbed the 'open' button. The doors opened, and a man came in. He nodded thanks at the insei, and did a double-take as the doors closed. "Ochi! What a surprise to see you."
"Waya," Ochi said in greeting, feeling his mood sour even more. Waya, one of Shindou's closest friends, was not someone he wanted to see.
"Waya-sensei," the older of the insei said, "Is it true, what they're saying about Shindou-sensei?"
Ochi was interested to notice that Waya's expression dimmed a little at the mention of Shindou. "I don't know," Waya said. "What are they saying?"
The younger insei, perhaps encouraged by Waya's curiosity, replied: "They say that Shindou-sensei was a super genius in Go when he was only twelve or thirteen, and that he beat many Go pros while playing on the internet as another person. And-" here she paused, her eyes brightening, "that's how he met Touya-sensei!"
Her fellow insei nodded eagerly. "Yes. Is it true, that they started dating then?"
Waya had the expression of a man who had unexpectedly swallowed a pickled plum whole. "Uh-" he began. "You see-I mean-"
Ochi watched with malicious enjoyment. Unfortunately, the lift arrived at the ground level, and they all got out. The two insei excused themselves, still chattering excitedly about Shindou and Touya, and how devoted Touya-sensei was.
Waya muttered, "Touya. Always Touya," before he realized that Ochi was still in the reception area. "Not going home yet, Ochi?" he asked, a little testily.
A few things about the gossip clicked in Ochi's head. "You're the one who's been talking about Shindou," he concluded.
Waya gave a start. "How did you know?"
Ochi pushed his glasses up his nose with a sniff. "Each time there's some romantic drivel in the Institute about how close Touya is to Shindou, it's always followed the next day by talk about how Shindou used to play as Sai and is better than Touya. It's as though someone doesn't like the idea of Shindou being with Touya, and that someone wants Shindou to be Sai."
"But I didn't-" Waya stopped. " 'Romantic drivel', huh?" he said to Ochi, a smile pulling at his lips. "For someone who's been dumped at the altar twice, it sounds like a funny thing to say."
Ochi almost admired him for counter-attacking so viciously. Hoping his face hadn't betrayed him by reacting to the taunt, Ochi turned on his heel and stalked away.
"Or maybe a jealous thing?" Waya said after him.
Ochi nearly turned back, but he made himself walk on. Yes, he thought that gossip about Shindou and Touya were romantic drivel. It was at least better than the gossip that had malicious overtones, gossip that insinuated that their morals were shaky, that they ought not be tutoring young children.
As for the two times he was dumped... Ochi was resigned to the fact that he was not romantic, nor was he good at relationships. He was typical of Go professionals in one respect--he was devoted to Go, and found it meaningless to exert himself just to impress a mere woman (who didn't even play Go). He was not meant to be a charming man.
He stepped out into the sunshine, letting the dark thoughts disappear in the hot summer heat.