EXPECTATIONS

I do not own Hikaru no Go. Please believe meeeeee…

Chapter 3: A Glimpse on Talent

By: emeraldxonyx

"Nigiri"

-ooo-

Klak! The sound of the stone on the goban reverberated throughout the hall. If the sudden match up between the unknown rookie and an amateur Go competition champion had caused whispers upon the start of the game, the last stone set by Hikaru had brought the crowd to complete silence.

"How? How did this happen?" Hikaru's opponent thought in panic. It was a close match before Hikaru's turn. He even has the advantage. "How did this stone turned the game? What happened?" The player's eyes looked up from the goban to his adversary. What he saw brought his panic to new heights. Hikaru's smoldering gaze seemed to swallow him up. The aura was too much making him perspire, making him tremble not because of anticipation but because of fear… fear at this child before him. He shook his head at the thought. "That is just ridiculous. He's just an amateur. Calm yourself, Hideki." He self-talked. Hideki breathe slowly. "It's still early. I could still turn the game. This is just a fluke…yeah, a fluke. Why didn't I think of that?" Smiling at this new idea, Hideki picked up another stone and continued the game.

The impromptu match had now caught the eyes of the Go professionals and the aspiring insei. Several of them had even gone to the site where it is held, watching and wondering how a no-name player is able to make such strong and unique moves. Ogata-Judan and Honinbo Sai were walking when they heard about the game.

"Hey! Isumi! Wait for me!" The two well-known professionals step outside of the running insei's path to avoid a collision. And it seemed that the boy had no intention of looking back and acknowledging them. Sai would have ignored the event if not for the news that reached his ears.

Isumi, the other insei whom the boy had been calling, stopped for a moment and looked back to his companion. "Hurry up Fuku! Waya called me. He says an interesting match is happening. His new friend…" And the details had become garbled when Isumi started running again. With a burst of speed, the said boy, Fuku, rushed up to his friend.

"An interesting match? Waya?" Sai repeated to himself. Waya?Ah. He remembered. "Waya-san was with Hikaru. Is Hikaru playing?" A shocking thought paved the way to Sai's mind. "I need to know what's happening." He thought with a determined voice. Without telling anything to his forgotten co-player, Ogata, Sai walked up towards the scene.

Ogata shook his head. He should have been used to it. Shindou Sai had been an enigma even before he became the Honinbo. Upon the goban, the young man had made his opponents kneel down to him but outside the games, he's just a very traditional, friendly-to-the-point-of-annoying man. The man sighed and looked at the man who was paving his way through the crowd surrounding this mysterious game. He should have known that after hearing something interesting which concerns Go, Shindou will make it a point to go there, even forgetting that he was just talking with someone like him. With one last sigh, Ogata-Judan followed the said Honinbo to watch the said match. Shindou and his weird acts.

Hikaru's mind was focused on the game. He doesn't heard anything aside from the sounds that came after he and his opponent set down the stones. His mind knows not of the consequences that this game might have. He forgot even his promise, not to play Go again. Everything he sees is just the game. Nothing exists aside from the universe that he's creating at the goban. After he set the stone that had turned the game, he knew that it was the end. If his opponent will only see, he might have resigned a few turns ago. But the arrogant player has not seen the end of the game and continued to persevere, belittling his skills. Hikaru smiled. If this is what his opponent wants, then he'll give it to him. With his mind focused on the game, Hikaru continued setting his stones, increasing the score difference for every turn. He did not notice the azure eyes of his brother, watching him ,anticipating his moves, reveling at the feeling that his younger brother is playing his beloved game. Hikaru and the others failed to see when Sai's eyes became clouded and a single tear fell as Sai gave Hikaru a serene smile. "Let's play again, otouto."

Waya is shocked. He watched as the game progressed. His new friend, the boy who he thought knows nothing about the game with his punk looks and style, showed talent and strength at playing Go. When he heard that Hikaru challenged the other player, he tried to stop him, thinking that his friend would not be able to do anything but he had been late nad the match had started. But as the game progresses, Hikaru was able to fight hand-by-hand and now as the game nears it end, Hikaru maintained his advantage, increasing the difference by scores. Looking back at the game, something seemed to nag Waya. Hikaru's playstyle seemed very familiar but for some reason, he couldn't remember. As the last stone hits the goban, Waya turned to Hikaru's opponent and sighed. It was a complete defeat. He should have resigned a few hands earlier because now, having an amateur defeat you by more than 40-moku would be very devastating.

Hikaru bowed his head towards his opponent. Hideki is still silent, his head still bowed.

"Thank you for the game." Hikaru told him. Hikaru was about to clean up the game, when a man in white suit approached him.

"That was a very good game. Are you insei?" The man asked him. At that question, Hikaru frozed. He had been angered, became focused on the game that he forgot that he should be lying low…he should NOT be playing Go. Hikaru stood up abruptly, his head bent down trying to hide his face.

"Ah. I'm sorry but I'm not insei. I'll be going now." Hikaru passed by the man, hurrying to go outside, away from the people who had watched the match. As he pushed his way through the crowd, he collided with a very familiar person. The said man helped him up.

"Hikaru, that was a great game." The man whispered to him. Hikaru was shocked. He looked up abruptly to see the face of the single man that he doesn't want to see right now. He knew beforehand what he will see but knowing it is not enough to prevent surprised from passing through his features. In a soft voice, Hikaru acknowledged the man.

"Nii-san." And with that, Hikaru run away from the event.

-ooo-

And that's it! This chapter is more of a collection of POV's of different characters.

So what do you think? I haven't checked it that much so there might have been grammar lapses here and there. Sorry for that. And I also apologized for updating this story so late. I hope you're not angry at me. Please review. Thanks

Next Chapter: And so they met

Hello. Are you alright? Someone asked him. Hikaru looked up and saw a teenager like himself with shoulder-length hair.

"Ah…yes. I'm sorry" He stammered. The other boy helped him up to his feet. Hikaru's dusting his pants when he saw a hand offered in a handshake.

"By the way, I'm Touya Akira."