Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go. It belongs to Hotta Yumi and Obata Takeshi

…

Hidden Agenda

The school yard was very crowded. Some students left the school already and some were still there to do whatever they were going to do.

Akira was one of the students who quickly left the school yard.

When he got in front of the gate, someone approached him. "Konnichiwa, Akira-kun."

"Akira was rather surprised to see the person. "Ah! Ogata-san?"

"I know you got a match today, so I think I'll just ride you to the institute, what do you say?" Ogata smiled.

"Um… okay."

…

"How were your recent matches Ogata-san?" Akira asked while they were on the way to the institute.

"Just fine."

"You're getting closer to the Ouza title aren't you?"

"Yes," Ogata smiled in satisfaction, "I hope I'll be able to reach it."

"Well, knowing your ability, I think you will."

Ogata glanced at Akira sitting next to him. His words really gave him the power of confidence.

"Akira-kun, what do you think about Shindou?"

"Huh?" Akira slightly blushed. He had kissed Hikaru last night. Hearing someone mentioned the name was pretty heart-thumping. "What do you mean, Ogata-san?"

"Well, it wasn't a long time ago since you determined him as your rival, but now I noticed that you two are getting friendlier. I supposed the way you look at him has changed."

"Umm…"

"So, what do you think about him?"

Akira didn't reply quickly. He took his time to think. "I… I think he's a very interesting person. Sometimes you think you know him, but then you realized there are so many things that you don't know about him and those things surprised you. Yet, it makes you wanna know more about him. It makes you want to discover what else that he has that might surprise you. He's interesting." Akira smiled to himself.

Ogata said nothing. But then he spoke rather mumbling, "I see."

"What about you, Ogata-san? What do you think about Hikaru?" Akira turned to Ogata.

Ogata felt a bit uncomfortable to hear Akira said 'Hikaru', but he still performed his calm attitude. "I think he's nice."

"He is, isn't he?"

"Hn…"

Without realizing Ogata's expression, Akira went on, "Since I stopped acting hostile to Hikaru and got the chance to meet him more frequent, I started to think that considering Hikaru just as a rival is a waste of time while I can find something more from him."

"Have you found more?"

Akira smiled softly, "Yes."

Ogata felt his mouth dry.

'I've found something more about you too, Akira. Each day I passed, I found pieces of you that I've never realized you own them. I collected them and treasured them. Why can't you see it?'

In no time, they've reached the institute.

"Good luck on your matches, Ogata-san," Akira said smiling before they parted.

"Thanks. You too."

Akira waved and turned to leave.

After some seconds, Ogata called Akira, "Akira-kun!"

Akira turned again, "Yes?"

"…Nothing… Good luck."

Akira seemed confused, but then he smiled, "Thank you."

Ogata watched Akira's back until he was out of sight. Then the man sighed.

Once again he failed to say it. Every time he gathered the courage to say the words to Akira, he always failed to say it when he saw the tender face.

Ogata put a bitter smile, "I can have all the title in the world, but I might not be able to have you."

Then he left the institute.

…

That night, Akira visited Hikaru at his house. No special occasion, just visiting and planning to spend some quality time together.

Hikaru turn on the TV in his room, "I've borrowed a movie from my friend, maybe you'd wanna watch it."

"Um, I guess not. I'm kinda not in the mood to watch movie."

Hikaru tilted his head to the side. "Well, what do you wanna do?" Suddenly Hikaru leaned forward facing Akira, "Don't tell me you want to play Go!"

Akira chuckled, "No, of course no. Well, maybe I do, but not now."

Hikaru sighed in relieve, "That's good. I thought you're going to say yes."

Hikaru took the magazines scattered on the floor. "I hope you don't mind with the mess. My room is not always like this. Most of the time it's quite tidy."

"It's okay," Akira smiled observing Hikaru who was tidying his room.

"Uh, Akira?"

"Yes?"

"Have you met Ogata lately?"

"I met him today."

"You did?" Hikaru turned to Akira.

"Yes. He drove me to the institute after school."

"Oh… Umm… What were you two talking about?"

Akira tried to recall. "Oh, we were talking about you."

"What?" Hikaru nearly shouted. He felt worried thinking that Ogata might've told Akira about Hikaru's 'heroic' –so Ogata said- statement at the Go salon.

"Yes. Ogata-san asked me about what I think about you."

Hikaru got silenced. Then he said carefully, "And what did you say to him?"

"It's a secret," Akira smiled.

"What? It was me you were talking about! I have the right to know!"

"It's nothing important, really."

"Yes it is!" Hikaru persisted.

Akira crawled facing Hikaru, "It's nothing…"

Hikaru didn't reply again. All he can hear was his heart beat thumping rapidly. His face and Akira's were only a breath away.

Slowly and hesitantly, Hikaru tilted his face to capture Akira's mouth.

Suddenly there was a knock on his door. Hikaru and Akira quickly withdrew.

"Hikaru…" Hikaru's mother walked in with the tea.

"Thanks mom," Hikaru grinned awkwardly. His heart was still thumping. Akira smiled to Mrs. Shindou. He was no less nervous thinking that he and Hikaru were nearly caught in the act.

"Okay, I'll just leave you two," Hikaru's mother smiled and gone behind the door.

"Phew… that was close," Hikaru leaned to the side of his bed. Meanwhile Akira tried to hold his laugh.

"What's so funny?" Hikaru pouted, "I wasn't the only one looked silly!"

"Yes. Both of us were silly, weren't we?" Now Akira really laughed.

Hikaru was still pouting, but then he chuckled.

Still smiling, Akira said, "You're so cute, Hikaru."

Automatically, Hikaru blushed.

"Liking you is like playing Go…" Akira said again, "…very addicting."

Hikaru blushed some more. Actually Hikaru hates being seen by Akira when he blushed. But this time he didn't mind.

"A-Akira?" Hikaru asked carefully.

"What?" Akira sat very close beside Hikaru on the floor.

"Are we… you know… Are we… couples?"

Akira smiled softly, "Sure. Why did you ask that?"

"Just… just to make sure." Hikaru pretended to look careless.

Akira put his arm around Hikaru's head and brought it to his shoulder. Hikaru leaned his head comfortably. He closed his eyes.

Both of the boys were sitting next to each other, closing their eyes and enjoying the peaceful moment.

At this kind of time, it seemed that nothing matters anymore.

Nothing matters beside to be with the one you love.

…

Hikaru pushed the door bell. He was in front of Ogata's apartement.

After the bell rang, in no time, the person Hikaru meant to meet was standing in front of him.

"Shindou? What are you doing here?"

"Uh… I won't be long. I… I just need to tell you something… I… "

Ogata sighed, "You and Akira are together?"

"Huh?" 'How do you know?' "Well, yes… but that's not what I want to say!" Hikaru quickly said before Ogata thinks that he was bragging about it.

"What I want to say is… I never meant to make you upset, but… I really like Akira, actually I love him. And…"

Ogata smiled, "Shindou, you fool…"

"What?"

"I know what you want to say. You don't have to feel sorry. You won this fair and square. I know both of us have the same feeling to Akira, but… it seemed that you're the only one who has the courage to show it…"

Hikaru listened to Ogata in full attention.

"It doesn't matter who met who first. I've spent my time with him longer than you have, but it's you who've touched his heart. You're the one he loves Shindou…"

Hikaru was speechless. Ogata showed his mature side when he said those words. Somehow it impressed Hikaru.

"Well, are you done?" Ogata smiled.

"Huh? Uh… ah… yeah... Umm... Ogata-san, thank you…"

Hikaru left the apartment after he excused himself.

Ogata watched Hikaru from the balcony of his apartment. He felt jealousy, but he didn't hate Hikaru. He couldn't blame Hikaru if Akira loves the boy. Moreover, who could blame love, anyway?

The weather was getting hot. Summer is on the way. Hikaru wiped his wet bangs off his forehead.

"Man, I'm sweating! The weather is really getting hotter each day."

Hikaru entered Touya Kouyo's Go salon. After saying hi to Ichikawa, he went to the table where he and Akira always play Go together.

Hikaru sat there and started to play alone. Akira got an early match, so he'll be at the Go salon in about ten minutes later.

"Hi, Hikaru!"

Hikaru turned to see who was speaking. "Akari?"

"Hi," Akari smiled and took the seat in front of Hikaru. "I never thought I'm gonna meet you here."

"What are you doing here, Akari? Don't tell me on this sunny Sunday you and Shinji are going to play Go for your date."

"No, silly! Yukari-senpai, from the Go club, wanted to meet me here. I guess I'm early, she's not here yet," Akari looked around.

"Oh… But why here?"

"She said it would be good to practice here. I can meet a lot of tough opponents."

"And most of them are grandpas…" Hikaru said carelessly.

Akari giggled, "Don't say that, Hikaru! What about you? What are you doing here?"

"To play Go…" Hikaru cleared the Go-ban. He can't concentrate with Akari kept on talking to him.

"With Touya?"

"Yes."

"Have you kissed him?"

"WHAT?" Hikaru almost fell from his chair. Some elders stared at them.

Akari giggled some more, "I knew it!"

"What did you know?" Hikaru got annoyed and panicked by the giggle.

"It was Touya you're going to kiss."

Hikaru wanted to say no, but he knew it's gonna be useless to lie. "How… how do you know?" he said nearly mumbled.

"For quite some time, I've been guessing there's something between you two," Akari said calmly.

Hikaru leaned forward to the table, "Is that obvious?"

"Somewhat it is. But I wasn't sure. Like I said, I was just guessing, and what do you know, I was right," Akari put a cheeky smile.

Hikaru thought maybe Waya saw the same thing, that's why he said Hikaru and Akira seemed getting closer. Suddenly Hikaru felt very shy. Akari, Waya, and also Ogata might not be the only people who noticed it. Perhaps everyone who knows him and Akira had noticed that too.

"So, how was it?"

"Was what?" Hikaru lifted his face.

"The kiss."

"You might be right that Akira was the one I'm going to kiss, but I haven't kissed him."

"You're lying…" Akari smiled.

Hikaru muttered inside. But then he crossed his arms, "I'm not gonna tell you unless you tell me first about your first kiss with Shinji."

Akari pouted. "Okay, I won't ask."

Hikaru grinned. "Thanks!"

About two minutes later, Akira and Yukari-senpai arrived. Hikaru introduced Akari to Akira and Akari introduced the senpai to both of the boys. Yukari-senpai got excited to meet Hikaru and Akira because she recognized the two pros.

After some bla-bla here and there, they got onto their own business.

…

"Your friend Akari is very nice, Hikaru," Akira said while he and Hikaru walked home.

"Actually she's too cheerful."

"Isn't that something nice?" Akira laughed a little.

"Sometimes it might troubles you."

Akira smiled. "Umm… Hikaru…" Akira said carefully.

"Yes?"

"Last night, Ogata-san called me."

Hikaru raised his brows. "Really? What did he say?"

"He knew about us."

Hikaru said nothing. He thought could it be that Akira was mad.

"I don't know how he knew, but… he said that he hope that I'll be happy. And I don't know why, somehow it was kinda sad when I heard him saying that." Akira tilted his head down.

Hikaru kept silent.

"But he said he's happy to know that we're together… and it made me felt relieve."

"He's a nice person…" Hikaru mumbled. He remembered how Ogata tried to make him feel better when Hikaru met him at his apartment.

"A very nice person," Akira turned to Hikaru and smiled.

Silence for a moment. Hikaru scratched his head, "Um… Say, Akira, summer is coming. What do you think if we go to Kanagawa on our spare time?"

Akira smiled again, "You mean to Hotaru Umi?"

Hikaru grinned, "Yeah. So, what do you say?"

"Sure. I'd love to go there again."

Somehow, Hikaru felt warmth in that line.

"Anyway Hikaru, let's go dine at the ramen shop. What do you say?"

Hikaru smiled cheerfully, "Okay!"

And they walked along the pavement under the night sky, chatting along and laughing together.

Someone said that liking and caring are different color, smell, and taste.

Now Hikaru knows that when Akira said he likes Ogata it means that Akira cares for him. But when Akira said he likes Hikaru it means Akira loves him.

Words tend to send different meanings, especially when you have some suggestive thoughts in your head. But actually, what lies behind those words is the real meaning.

Just like a hidden agenda that hides the real desire and then made you realized things that were unseen before.

And in this case, it made Hikaru realized that he and Akira aren't just rivals or friends.

There was something more.

Something colored beautiful, something smelt nice, and something tasted sweet.

It was love.

owari

…

Crusty's endnote: Ah, finally it's ended. Actually I meant this to be a one shot, but then it turned out to be kinda too long for a one shot, so after I finished it, I divided this fic into twelve chappies you guys viewing right now.

Well, last words, THANK YOU SO MUCH for taking time to read my fic. I really like this fic and I hope you like it the same.

ARIGATOU MINNAAA-! smiles