Title: Purpose of the Game

Chapter: Conquering (3/3)

Author: Virgo

Author's Note: Oh. And I know next to nothing about Japanese culture, and only what a computer game has taught me about go. Forgive me for any inconsistencies in anything, this is v. rough just because I wanted to finish something. I promised myself I would never post anything without finishing it.

This is the scene I wrote the whole story for. I hope it makes sense. And I'm sorry each chapter got shorter and less detailed. :(

Disclaimer: Not mine in the slightest.

Shindo apparently had not told anyone he was getting married and had just let the invitations arrive in unsuspecting mailboxes to the pro players everywhere. Akira wasn't surprised, it was the impulsive thing Shindo would do… or the irresponsible, forgetful thing he would do as well.

"Why didn't you TELL me?" cried Waya as he backed Shindo into a corner, his finger hitting Shindo's chest as if he were trying to drill a hole into it.

"Tell you what?" asked Shindo, throwing his hands up into the air, trying to block the attack.

"That you were getting MARRIED!" he shouted, and the entire lobby of the Go Institute turned to look. "I practically could have found out sooner if I had read WEEKLY GO!"

Isumi pulled Waya back from attacking Shindo, and helped Shindo back to a more stable standing position. "Really, Hikaru," said Isumi, "You should have told us you found a girlfriend… a fiancée, now, I suppose… it probably would have stopped some confusion."

Akira wondered what confusion that might be, but Shindo seemed to know. His good natured smile disappeared and his gazed turned hard – not steely – and he seemed to look straight at Akira across the room. "Excuse me," said Shindo, and he pushed past his more social friends to talk to Akira. "Touya," he said. "I think you and I should have lunch together, okay?"

"Sure," said Akira. "I'll be waiting for you here. Congratulations, by the way."

"Thanks," said Hikaru. He smiled, and it was at last evident that his upcoming marriage was a source of great joy for the boy. "I'll see you here."

Later, Hikaru set the pace as the two rivals walked towards an as yet undecided restaurant.

"I know you love ramen, Shindo, but I don't want to go there just now." Akira was revving for a fight, he was working himself into a fury to stare down the only person worth staring down in order to win his choice for lunch. Just in case he'd never when anything anymore.

"I don't care, you chose," said Shindo unexpectedly, quietly. Akira stopped in his tracks momentarily, surprised. Then he realized he was being left behind, and hurried to catch up.

"Why don't you care?" asked Akira, trying to figure out why Shindo was acting so strange.

"I invited you out," said Shindo, shrugging. "It wouldn't be polite to force you to eat where you don't want to."

How could they have missed this changed Shindo? This encroaching politeness had been obvious for weeks, why hadn't anyone guessed the source of the change? "She's changed you."

"Yes and no," said Shindo. "I'm still Shindo Hikaru. I'm just a Shindo Hikaru that realizes that there's more to life than winning, go, and winning at go."

"Are you TRYING to blow your title without even getting to hold it?" demanded Akira. "Of course you have to win at go!"

"And Touya Akira 10-dan is telling me, Honinbo Shindo Hikaru how to win at Go?" shouted Hikaru. "I can still win at go, I can still be a competitor as well as focus on other things sometimes! I want to have a life! I don't want to die and wish I had lived another thousand years because all I loved was this game!"

Akira stopped cold. For the first time, he wondered if all he loved was the game.

Hikaru saw his fear and took a deep breath, calmed down a little. "Passion…" Hikaru heaved a sigh. "Passion is what makes a go player great. Passion is what drew me to you all those years ago, what forced me to finally learn go."

"And now you're Honinbo. And you're getting married." Akira wondered why he was feeling so dejected.

"I wanted to talk to you about passion," said Hikaru. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and turned away, as if he was strained and embarrassed. "I want you to understand why people will be looking at you in the coming weeks, and why a good number of people will be staring at you at my wedding."

"What?!" Akira was confused, and for a reason he felt he should be scandalized.

"Our weekly practice sessions are great practice. But we have this history of shouting at one another in a… display of passion." Hikaru sighed. They were standing in front of his normal ramen shop, and he pushed his hands as far in the pockets of his peacoat as they would go and nodded towards the door. "Let's go inside."

They ordered and seated themselves in the corner farthest away from the door. Akira was silent, and he felt distinctly disadvantaged in this conversation, for some reason. He had no idea what Hikaru was talking about. "What do you mean, passion?"

"We shout at one another, Akira."

"Yeah, we disagree."

"We don't disagree, Akira. We want to be better that each other and fight tooth and nail to do it." Hikaru tapped his finger against the chopsticks sitting at the place in front of him. "People tend to think that it's a sign of… romantic interest or attachment."

Akira's eyes grew wide. "What? You and I?" He gripped the table and his eyes darted as if he was looking for an exit. "No! I mean, we're rivals, right? Nothing more?" And finally, there was a note of desperation in his voice.

Hikaru couldn't decide if he should be sad or relieved. He wasn't crushing any sort of hope Akira had; that was good. But for Akira to be this unawares of what people might think… Hikaru couldn't complete the thought. He shook his head. "Nothing more." He sighed. "I just wanted to make sure you were aware of the situation."

"But…" Akira stared hard at the grain of the wood of the table. "but we're rivals. We're like … we would never fraternize with the enemy."

Hikaru smiled. "I'm glad you agree. Akari… my fiancé… is a history major, and she was telling me about all these battles that opposing generals had fought. Apparently, in America, they had a civil war, and the generals were Grant and Lee. And they fought to the bitter end, and finally one surrounded the other and made him give up his sword. It reminded me of us." He paused, then added, "As rivals.

"Because we always fight until the bitter end. I just hope neither of us ever give up our go-ki."

"Never," said Akira, the old competitive glint in his eye. His face changed then, and he looked away and then back. "Besides, I was going to bring a date to your wedding."

Hikaru smiled. "I'm glad. I hope you and your date have a great time."