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31_days2007-09-28 11:28 pm
issen4.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2007-09-28 11:28 pm
[28 Sept] [Hikaru no Go] And the Waves Crashed on the Goban 28/?
Title: And the Waves Crashed on the Goban 28/?
Day/Theme: 28 Sept/To name the sunrise in you
Series: Hikaru no Go
Character/Pairing: Hikaru/Akira, Isumi/Le Ping
Rating: General
"You might as well come in," Touya said, none too graciously.
Waya was reminded that Touya was still harbouring a grudge against him. He said nothing, however, only nodded and entered the study of the Touya residence, seating himself at the table placed near the door rather than in front the goban placed in the centre of the room. He belatedly noticed the stack of Go Weekly and a few other publications on it, all showing the newest gossip about Shindou.
"He's taking a shower," Touya said. "He's going to take a while-"
"I'll wait," Waya said immediately.
That was not what Touya wanted to hear, judging from the quick frown he gave. "All right," Touya said. "Excuse me, I have some work to do," he said, going to the door.
It was clear that Touya did not want to entertain him. "Can we play a game first?" Waya asked on impulse, taking vengeful satisfaction in the way Touya frowned again. Besides, if he continued sitting at the table, he knew he would not be able to resist picking up Let's Go and reading the what was on it.
"All right," Touya said. Maybe he didn't want Shindou to come in and find that Touya had been giving his best friend the cold shoulder. He walked over to the goban and sat down.
Waya got up and sat opposite him, surprised at the quick capitulation. Maybe Touya was simply worn down by the enforced inactivity--he looked tired.
The growing rumours were most likely taking a toll--on him and Shindou alike.
If he had been his old self, Waya would have thought that it was cosmic justice. Yet Shindou had been keeping the secret about Sai for so long--and from his best friend too--that it seemed almost anti-climatic that he would be undone by his own actions. A secret of such magnitude seemed to call for an exposé. Complete with a teary confession, perhaps.
But that did not happen. Nor was it likely.
"I'll nigiri," Touya said, his hand already closing around a handful of stones in the go-ke.
Waya said, "Even." It was even, so he got to start, while Touya took the go-ke of white stones from him.
"Please give me your guidance," Touya said, formal and coldly polite.
"Please give me your guidance," Waya said, and started with a classic Shuusaku opening.
Touya responded with quick, practiced hands that indicated that he was used to Shuusaku's Go. (Waya was, too.)
Waya had studied the kifu of the second Meijin title game as soon as it was published. (Weekly Go was astonished that all copies of that issue sold out within two days, though in retrospect, they shouldn't have been.) That was the Go he recognised from his days playing Net Go, and studied ever since: it was swift, orderly and perfectly proportioned in every way. As for the way it had steadily and remorselessly trapped Black, leaving Black with no room for retaliation... 'well planned' was not a good enough description.
Waya's strategy was to read and plan ahead too--unlike some who played on intuition, like Kurata--but he was nowhere in Sai's ranks. Impulsive players--like Isumi's Le Ping--were his bugbear; Waya always found that his reflexes couldn't keep up. That was one reason he admired Sai so much.
Unlike him, Sai had always been particularly inspired. Especially when he played White, and the Go that appeared in Shindou's game was similarly skillful.
That was the part that puzzled Waya. Unlike the other rumour-mongers, Waya was certain that Shindou was in fact not Sai. The anguish in Shindou's voice as he told Waya not to ask about 'him' was unmistakable: it was the anguish of a person in mourning for someone irretrievably lost. But in that kifu, it was as though Sai had been playing, not Shindou.
It was so different from Shindou's usual Go that Waya thought, even without the rumours about Sai, that kifu would have raised at least few eyebrows.
The clink of stones wrenched his attention back to the goban. Waya blinked in belatedly dismay as Touya captured six of his stones from a modified ladder strategy. Yes, between Shindou and Touya, Waya could safely say that Touya's Go seemed more in line with Sai's. But the kifu showed a different side of Shindou, which confused Waya. Even if Shindou had known Sai--had studied from him, and had absorbed his Go so much so that he was able to wield it like a part of himself--it did not explain why Sai's Go had manifested itself so clearly in that game.
What was even more uncanny that it had happened again and again. Once could be explained as a freak accident. Maybe Shindou was publicly taunting all those who had been making the accusations. But for the past ten days, Waya had been visiting the Net Go website to find 'S.A.I.' making the rounds. This Sai played the same familiar Go, though with some differences: he never stayed long, and he chose opponents who were obviously amateurs--though he always won.
Some watchers of the 'new Sai games' accused this Sai of being an impostor, a mere imitation of the original Sai. But subscribers of the 'Shindou-is-Sai' theory speculated that Shindou was merely trying to disguise his style. As for why Shindou had shown his true hand--so as to speak--after so many years, it was apparently because his accident and close shave with death had given him new appreciation for life, and he had therefore decided to stop hiding his inner Sai.
But didn't Shindou realize that doing so would open him up to accusations of unprofessional behaviour from the professional Go community? Oh well, Shindou must have realized that he couldn't hide any longer; challengers for his title were growing stronger each year. Just look at the amazing way Touya Akira played!
Then why hadn't Sai responded to questions posed on the Net Go website? That was because...
There was an explanation for everything.
Waya had grown tired of easy solutions. Once he had thought that if only he knew the secret behind Sai, he would be able to understand how Sai became so strong. He remembered how Sai's progress had jumped in only a month. He had burned with the urge to know how that had happened. Only with that knowledge, he was sure, could his Go truly progress. It was why he had been nursing a fascination with Sai for so long.
That line of thought had derailed in the same instant he saw Shindou bleeding into the road, though he didn't realize that at first.
Watching Shindou climb back to health--no, it had started with knowing that Touya was keeping a tireless, hopeless vigil during those first weeks (the doctor had been frank about Shindou's chances). Knowing that Touya was persisting despite low odds had made him angry with himself, then ashamed.
Then Shindou had woken up. He had even forgiven Waya. In retaliation, Waya had gone on to do things that were unfair and uncalled for. Even as he whispered to one tabloid reporter after another, there had been the insistent voice at the back of his mind that this would not work: it would not make him feel better, nor would it exonerate him.
Now it had all grown out of proportion. On impulse, he asked, "Shindou isn't the one playing as Sai on the internet, is he?"
Touya wasn't even rattled. He only played a hand that put two of Waya's corner stones in atari. "No," he said coldly, as though Waya was an idiot for even asking.
Waya looked at him with dislike. The arrogant jerk, always thinking that he was better than anyone else. "Then who is it?" he asked.
That made Touya hesitate. He sat back, and glanced towards the door, as though worried that Shindou was about to enter at any moment.
Waya raised his eyebrows.
Touya glared at him, though Waya had the impression that--for once--that hostility was not aimed at him. "Ask your friend Isumi," he said.
Isumi? Waya mouthed the name in confusion. "What do you mean-"
The door slid open. "Waya, I heard you were here!" Shindou said. He was wearing a yellow T-shirt (with '5' on it) with sweatpants, and he was beaming.
Waya stared. He had seen from the picture in Go Weekly that Shindou had re-dyed his hair, but he was not prepared for the way it made Shindou look. Brightness, like Shindou's name, seemed to shine from within him. It was like a sunrise, too glaring to face with both eyes open. "Uh-" Waya said intelligently.
Shindou limped forward--sans walking stick now, it seemed--and sat down, his attention instantly caught by the game. "It's a close game," he remarked, "but it doesn't fit the expression on both your faces when I opened the door. Now!" he gave them a mock-stern look. "What were you talking about?"
Touya flushed bright red with guilt.
Day/Theme: 28 Sept/To name the sunrise in you
Series: Hikaru no Go
Character/Pairing: Hikaru/Akira, Isumi/Le Ping
Rating: General
"You might as well come in," Touya said, none too graciously.
Waya was reminded that Touya was still harbouring a grudge against him. He said nothing, however, only nodded and entered the study of the Touya residence, seating himself at the table placed near the door rather than in front the goban placed in the centre of the room. He belatedly noticed the stack of Go Weekly and a few other publications on it, all showing the newest gossip about Shindou.
"He's taking a shower," Touya said. "He's going to take a while-"
"I'll wait," Waya said immediately.
That was not what Touya wanted to hear, judging from the quick frown he gave. "All right," Touya said. "Excuse me, I have some work to do," he said, going to the door.
It was clear that Touya did not want to entertain him. "Can we play a game first?" Waya asked on impulse, taking vengeful satisfaction in the way Touya frowned again. Besides, if he continued sitting at the table, he knew he would not be able to resist picking up Let's Go and reading the what was on it.
"All right," Touya said. Maybe he didn't want Shindou to come in and find that Touya had been giving his best friend the cold shoulder. He walked over to the goban and sat down.
Waya got up and sat opposite him, surprised at the quick capitulation. Maybe Touya was simply worn down by the enforced inactivity--he looked tired.
The growing rumours were most likely taking a toll--on him and Shindou alike.
If he had been his old self, Waya would have thought that it was cosmic justice. Yet Shindou had been keeping the secret about Sai for so long--and from his best friend too--that it seemed almost anti-climatic that he would be undone by his own actions. A secret of such magnitude seemed to call for an exposé. Complete with a teary confession, perhaps.
But that did not happen. Nor was it likely.
"I'll nigiri," Touya said, his hand already closing around a handful of stones in the go-ke.
Waya said, "Even." It was even, so he got to start, while Touya took the go-ke of white stones from him.
"Please give me your guidance," Touya said, formal and coldly polite.
"Please give me your guidance," Waya said, and started with a classic Shuusaku opening.
Touya responded with quick, practiced hands that indicated that he was used to Shuusaku's Go. (Waya was, too.)
Waya had studied the kifu of the second Meijin title game as soon as it was published. (Weekly Go was astonished that all copies of that issue sold out within two days, though in retrospect, they shouldn't have been.) That was the Go he recognised from his days playing Net Go, and studied ever since: it was swift, orderly and perfectly proportioned in every way. As for the way it had steadily and remorselessly trapped Black, leaving Black with no room for retaliation... 'well planned' was not a good enough description.
Waya's strategy was to read and plan ahead too--unlike some who played on intuition, like Kurata--but he was nowhere in Sai's ranks. Impulsive players--like Isumi's Le Ping--were his bugbear; Waya always found that his reflexes couldn't keep up. That was one reason he admired Sai so much.
Unlike him, Sai had always been particularly inspired. Especially when he played White, and the Go that appeared in Shindou's game was similarly skillful.
That was the part that puzzled Waya. Unlike the other rumour-mongers, Waya was certain that Shindou was in fact not Sai. The anguish in Shindou's voice as he told Waya not to ask about 'him' was unmistakable: it was the anguish of a person in mourning for someone irretrievably lost. But in that kifu, it was as though Sai had been playing, not Shindou.
It was so different from Shindou's usual Go that Waya thought, even without the rumours about Sai, that kifu would have raised at least few eyebrows.
The clink of stones wrenched his attention back to the goban. Waya blinked in belatedly dismay as Touya captured six of his stones from a modified ladder strategy. Yes, between Shindou and Touya, Waya could safely say that Touya's Go seemed more in line with Sai's. But the kifu showed a different side of Shindou, which confused Waya. Even if Shindou had known Sai--had studied from him, and had absorbed his Go so much so that he was able to wield it like a part of himself--it did not explain why Sai's Go had manifested itself so clearly in that game.
What was even more uncanny that it had happened again and again. Once could be explained as a freak accident. Maybe Shindou was publicly taunting all those who had been making the accusations. But for the past ten days, Waya had been visiting the Net Go website to find 'S.A.I.' making the rounds. This Sai played the same familiar Go, though with some differences: he never stayed long, and he chose opponents who were obviously amateurs--though he always won.
Some watchers of the 'new Sai games' accused this Sai of being an impostor, a mere imitation of the original Sai. But subscribers of the 'Shindou-is-Sai' theory speculated that Shindou was merely trying to disguise his style. As for why Shindou had shown his true hand--so as to speak--after so many years, it was apparently because his accident and close shave with death had given him new appreciation for life, and he had therefore decided to stop hiding his inner Sai.
But didn't Shindou realize that doing so would open him up to accusations of unprofessional behaviour from the professional Go community? Oh well, Shindou must have realized that he couldn't hide any longer; challengers for his title were growing stronger each year. Just look at the amazing way Touya Akira played!
Then why hadn't Sai responded to questions posed on the Net Go website? That was because...
There was an explanation for everything.
Waya had grown tired of easy solutions. Once he had thought that if only he knew the secret behind Sai, he would be able to understand how Sai became so strong. He remembered how Sai's progress had jumped in only a month. He had burned with the urge to know how that had happened. Only with that knowledge, he was sure, could his Go truly progress. It was why he had been nursing a fascination with Sai for so long.
That line of thought had derailed in the same instant he saw Shindou bleeding into the road, though he didn't realize that at first.
Watching Shindou climb back to health--no, it had started with knowing that Touya was keeping a tireless, hopeless vigil during those first weeks (the doctor had been frank about Shindou's chances). Knowing that Touya was persisting despite low odds had made him angry with himself, then ashamed.
Then Shindou had woken up. He had even forgiven Waya. In retaliation, Waya had gone on to do things that were unfair and uncalled for. Even as he whispered to one tabloid reporter after another, there had been the insistent voice at the back of his mind that this would not work: it would not make him feel better, nor would it exonerate him.
Now it had all grown out of proportion. On impulse, he asked, "Shindou isn't the one playing as Sai on the internet, is he?"
Touya wasn't even rattled. He only played a hand that put two of Waya's corner stones in atari. "No," he said coldly, as though Waya was an idiot for even asking.
Waya looked at him with dislike. The arrogant jerk, always thinking that he was better than anyone else. "Then who is it?" he asked.
That made Touya hesitate. He sat back, and glanced towards the door, as though worried that Shindou was about to enter at any moment.
Waya raised his eyebrows.
Touya glared at him, though Waya had the impression that--for once--that hostility was not aimed at him. "Ask your friend Isumi," he said.
Isumi? Waya mouthed the name in confusion. "What do you mean-"
The door slid open. "Waya, I heard you were here!" Shindou said. He was wearing a yellow T-shirt (with '5' on it) with sweatpants, and he was beaming.
Waya stared. He had seen from the picture in Go Weekly that Shindou had re-dyed his hair, but he was not prepared for the way it made Shindou look. Brightness, like Shindou's name, seemed to shine from within him. It was like a sunrise, too glaring to face with both eyes open. "Uh-" Waya said intelligently.
Shindou limped forward--sans walking stick now, it seemed--and sat down, his attention instantly caught by the game. "It's a close game," he remarked, "but it doesn't fit the expression on both your faces when I opened the door. Now!" he gave them a mock-stern look. "What were you talking about?"
Touya flushed bright red with guilt.