Hikaru No Go Fan Fiction ❯ The Extent of Denial ❯ Restaurants and Revelations ( Chapter 8 )

Hikaru put the car in park, grinning to himself in the darkness. Akira had called him just an hour ago ago, inviting him to dinner in an oddly spontaneous fashion. It was a nice restaurant, but not outrageous.

 

He could hardly wait, as Akira had been unable to stay after going to the pool the other day, thus leaving him to go out with just Waya and Isumi. It was always a little lonelier without the other boy there.

 

Hikaru jumped out of the car, hit the `lock' button on his key chain, and ran up to the door. It was an extremely humid night, and rather cloudy, as though it might rain soon.

 

As he entered the restaurant and searched for Akira, he thought that he might even be able to convince the other pro to go to the beach with him again. It had been a while since he and Akira had truly been alone.

 

He spotted Akira and raised his hand sharply as if to wave - and froze. Seated next to his rival was a slim, attractive young woman. She was currently deeply engaged in conversation with Akira, distracting him completely. Hikaru would never be noticed, waving or not.

 

Much less enthusiastically than a moment ago, he slowly made his way over to the table. Akira finally noticed him when he was standing next to them, waiting patiently for acknowledgement.

 

“Oh, Hikaru! Thank you for coming. I wanted you to meet my girlfriend, Miho. We were just discussing the upcoming matches. Go matches, as Miho is quite aware of what Go is and reads `Go Weekly' quite religiously. She plays rather well.”

 

Hikaru wanted to slap Akira's pretty head right off of his shoulders. The other boy was giving him a smug, pleased smile, as if to say, `look at my prize'. “I'm sure you'd settle for nothing less,” he returned briskly, seating himself.

 

Akira blinked innocently at him, as if unable to understand his slight attitude. After a moment, he shook his head and turned to his girlfriend. “Miho, this is my fascinating rival, Shindou Hikaru. He also happens to be my best friend.”

 

Miho dimpled prettily, and Hikaru knew a violent, homicidal tendency just then. “It's so wonderful to meet you, Shindou-san. Touya-sama respects you greatly. And your hair is so…trendy. He didn't mention that!”

 

Hikaru felt himself twitch internally. This girl was so much worse than any he had ever subjected Akira to. What had he done to deserve this?

 

Miho turned back to Akira, eyes shining with adoration. “Touya-sama, what do you think of the upcoming match between Ogata-sama and Ochi-san? I hear that Ochi-san is quite determined to win.”

 

With that, Akira and his wretched girlfriend were once again deep in fascinating conversation.

 

Hikaru glanced up at the paper lanterns above his head, and studied the beautifully painted ceramic ceiling tiles. Some had painstakingly detailed paintings of koi on them, while others were adorned with lotus flowers or mountain vistas.

 

The paper lanterns varied in color, some blue, some purple or white, and each had a different kanji painted on the front and back. Some read `love', others `tranquility' - the usual tripe. Where were the lanterns that read `strength', `courage' or `perseverance'? Were these really relevant in a modern era? The state of the world—

 

Dammit, who cared! It wasn't fair! He couldn't tune them out, and he was being painfully ignored. Hikaru glared at Akira's animated face, willing the other boy to notice his irritation. Akira continued to chat obliviously.

 

Without even the distraction of ordering food, or waiting for ordered food, he couldn't imagine forcing himself to endure much more of this. He shot to his feet, slamming his hands against the table. “Look, I'm obviously just a third wheel here and I have nothing to contribute to this enlightened conversation between two brilliant people that were obviously meant for each other, so I'm just going to leave now.” He forced a smile on his face in response to their shocked expressions and bolted out from behind the table, moving towards the door as quickly as possible.

 

Something in his chest felt hard and broken. He couldn't breathe, and his heart was hammering. He had to leave right this instant. How could Akira have invited him here without saying something about the girl? How could the other boy have proceeded to ignore him so completely? He felt betrayed.

 

As he made it to the parking lot, he heard the door open a second time behind him. “Shindou!”

 

He stopped dead, not turning around. “Are we back to that, then, Touya?”

 

“No! I just…I'm used to calling you that, and when you act childishly like this, it just comes out.” Akira's tone was tight and angry.

 

As if he'd been the one to commit some grievous error. He spun to face the other pro and noticed that Miho had come out behind Akira and was standing unobtrusively to the side - not that he cared. “Childishly?? You were terribly rude to me by completely ignoring me! Why did you bother to invite me if you were just going to be talking to her the whole time? And why didn't you say she'd be there? I thought it was just going to be the two of us!”

 

Akira scowled at him, but seemed unaware that Miho was present. “You're being ridiculous, Hikaru. I wanted you to meet her. Besides, didn't you practically ignore me with your stupid girlfriends in attendance? At least I'm not groping her in front of you.”

 

“I did not do anything to Amari! And go ahead and grope your stupid Miho-ho if you want to! I certainly don't care!”

 

“Hikaru!! You are so graceless! Take that back this instant! Miho is a proper, educated girl, and she would never think of engaging in sexual relations with me before marriage, unlike your whores!”

 

Hikaru felt as if he'd been stabbed. He didn't even like those girls. “I'm surprised you managed to find one at all,” he retorted quietly.

 

Akira's eyes snapped and flared with true anger. “Do you think I'm so pitiful and unappealing that I would find no one who would have me? Is that it, Hikaru?”

 

“That's not what I meant!” he shot back, clenching his fists tightly at his sides.

 

“What I'd like to know is what my name tattooed on your backside means!”

 

Hikaru gasped, thoughts grinding to a halt. So Akira had been staring at him when they were getting dressed at the pool. “So do you stare at my ass often, Akira?”

 

The other boy flinched, blushing so darkly that it was discernible even in the darkness. “Who would want to? Besides, when it's hanging out all the time with your torn jeans and other scandalous clothing, who could miss it?”

 

Hikaru felt tears stinging his eyes. “What are you saying, Akira!”

 

Akira put one hand on his hip, gesturing casually at Hikaru. “You're dressed somewhat respectably at the moment, but your typical attire is that of a girl selling herself on the corner.”

 

Left without any comeback to such a terrible thing, he could only stare with burning eyes at the casual, scornful and cold Akira that waited for him to defend himself.

 

“People are staring, Touya-sama…Shindou-san.”

 

Akira jumped as if he'd been goosed and spun to face Miho. “Miho! I didn't know you were there.”

 

“Yes, that was apparent,” the girl returned dryly.

 

Hikaru felt a stab of something dark and unkind in his heart. “Did you ever tell Miho about the time we kissed? I'm sure she'd be interested in hearing all about it.”

 

Miho looked startled and seemed to view Akira in a new light after hearing this revelation. “Is that true, Touya-sama?”

 

Akira stuttered, glancing rapidly back and forth between the two of them. “I…”

 

“I suppose it doesn't matter, as you came out here after him despite my attempts to forestall you. You said it was important, remember? More important than me, apparently.”

 

Akira looked as if the two sides of a bear trap were about to snap shut on him. “He kissed me! I had no say in the matter!”

 

“But who stood there and kissed back?” Hikaru belted out, grinding his teeth.

 

Miho frowned. “I'm very glad that we've met, Shindou-san. I almost made a grave mistake in committing myself to Touya-sama. I'm afraid I will have to speak with his father and bow out of this relationship.”

 

Hikaru winced, looking away. “I'm sorry, Akira. I shouldn't have said that, but the things you said…this is too much!”

 

“HIKARUUU!” Akira snarled, whipping around to face him. The other boy ran at him, clearly intent on hurting him.

 

And he deserved it after sabotaging his friend's relationship and bringing up things he shouldn't have. He stood his ground, braced for whatever Akira might do to him.

 

Akira came to a halt only inches away from him, face very close to his. After a disconcerting moment of staring into eyes more enraged than Hikaru had ever seen them, Akira drew back and slapped him with force.

 

Hikaru's head snapped to the side, and he clapped a hand to his burning cheek. No doubt his cheek would be red for some time. “I'm sorry,” he whispered to those raging aqua eyes.

 

“Not sorry enough!” Akira ground out, turning away from him and walking over to Miho. His entire body was tense and lined with rage.

 

Hikaru slowly got into his car, leaning his head against the steering wheel once he was safely inside. What had possessed him to say, to do, such terrible things? To Akira, no less, his best friend. What was wrong with him?

 

Tears rolled down his cheeks, and he bit his lip, wondering if he had alienated Akira permanently by such an awful action. His entire body trembled with reaction, with emotion, and he had no idea what to do with himself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Akira felt the need to kill something. It should probably be Hikaru, but he couldn't quite bear to destroy his rival. Despite the fact that his rival had just destroyed his first relationship.

 

“Touya-sama, I think I should go now. It's a shame that things didn't work out.”

 

He turned to stare desperately at Miho. “Isn't there anything that I can say? How can you automatically believe Shindou, of all people? Is it the kiss? Because he threw himself on me and forced the whole thing! I cannot be held accountable for his actions!”

 

“But you two are still close friends - or so you said.” Miho's gaze was patient and pitying.

 

“But we've been friends for ages! He's…he's my only friend. Thus he has more liberty than most…”

 

“You should have let him go when he ran out in a huff.”

 

“I couldn't. Hika—Shindou cries, and I didn't want him driving like that, or thinking I was trying to antagonize him…”

 

“Touya-sama…he is threatened by me. That much is obvious. And so what if he cries? He's old enough to take care of himself, isn't he? And look, he hasn't even left yet.”

 

Akira stared at the bright yellow car, wondering what Hikaru was doing inside of it that he hadn't left yet. Crying. Those green eyes had seemed too bright right before he had slapped the other boy.

 

Who cared if Hikaru was crying! After the terrible thing he had done, he deserved to be left to his crying. But he still felt a phantom pain in his chest at the thought of ignoring a crying Hikaru.

 

“Well then, since you believe that he wants to break us up, why would you agree to that, Miho?”

 

“Because it seems you have committed your feelings elsewhere. You want to go to him, don't you? Despite the fact that he caused this mess.”

 

“I don't have `feelings' for him. We're just friends. Besides, that's disgusting. Please, Miho, don't get the wrong idea about this.”

 

She met his eyes and looked sad. “But Touya-sama…he did say that you kissed him back when he kissed you. And you don't look the least bit annoyed or upset about it to me.”

 

Akira covered his eyes with one hand. “I was startled and confused, Miho. Please don't make it something more than it is.”

 

“And what was that you said about your name tattooed on his backside?”

 

Akira groaned. “I just saw it when we were getting dressed at the pool. I turned around at the wrong time and saw a flash of it. What can I say? He's a `freak', as he would put it. Whatever feelings or strange obsessions he might have are beyond my understanding. But he's still my friend, and my rival.”

 

Miho looked suspicious. “I can't take the chance, Touya-sama. You're playing a dangerous game, and I don't want to be involved with you when it blows up in your face. I'm sorry, I truly regret this. I will have to tell your father that I won't be seeing you anymore.”

 

“Thanks,” Akira murmured bitterly, watching as Hikaru's yellow car started, pulled out and drove away. He fought a strong urge to catch the other boy before he left, to check that normally cheerful face for tearstains.

 

“I think he has feelings for you,” Miho said softly.

 

That wasn't possible. Hikaru was very focused on girls. “I apologize for how this turned out, Miho.”

 

“It was for the best.”

 

Akira wondered if that were truly so. He tried not to think about what his father's reaction would be to the news that Hikaru had scared off his first girlfriend.