Hikaru No Go Fan Fiction ❯ The Invitational ❯ The winner ( Chapter 2 )

[ A - All Readers ]

 
As you probably know, I don't own Hikaru no Go and appreciate the owners letting me play in their universe. I definitely don't make any money from this fic.
 
 
 
 
 
 
“I TOLD you he would win. Not only did he win but he did it in back to back wins against Isumi-kun for the finals. So much for a best of three match,” Hondo mourned.
 
“It was a best of three,” Shindou observed. “It just took two games to get a best of three match.” He grinned. “Yay, I'm the winner of the Sai Invitational. This is so cool.” Shindou really was thrilled. It meant a lot to him to win this little educational tournament which was named after Sai.
 
“Are you going to start calling yourself Shindou Sai now?” Saeki asked?
 
“Naw, that would be too freaky. Plus it would be a little hard to explain to anyone who didn't play in the round robin why I seemed to change my name to Sai.”
 
“You know, for a while there I thought you were Sai,” Waya said. Shindou stiffened.
 
“What changed your mind?” He asked cautiously.
 
“You don't play exactly like Sai. You aren't as good as him. He beat Touya Meijin in a match new insei will be studying 50 years from now. That's not you. You're good but not that good. I still think you studied him or studied under him or something, but there are differences in your Go. You're sort of like `Sai lite' or maybe `Sai ultralite,'” Waya said.
 
“I did study the kifus from the internet. That might be why…” Shindou started but was interrupted by Waya.
 
“Yeah, yeah, tell it to the judge,” Waya waved his arms in front of Shindou and looked disgusted. “I don't expect you to fess up after all this time and god knows you certainly don't seem to trust anyone, but I still think you are connected in some way. Same old, same old; spare me the denials. They're old news.” Shindou just stared and everyone else in the room looked uncomfortable.
 
Then Saeki spoke up in a deliberate attempt to change the subject. “The prize. Let's have the awards ceremony. What's in the envelope?”
 
Waya shook off his annoyance and grinned at Shindou. “Yes, the prize. You are the proud winner of the first annual Sai Invitational Tournament. You now have the right to call yourself Shindou Sai for the next year. Of course, everyone outside this room will think you're a fruitcake if you do, but you DO have my blessing.”
 
“Some people in the room would think him a fruitcake,” said Ochi sourly. Even though he lost, he stuck around. Everyone wanted to know what was in that envelope.
 
“Hear ye, hear ye. I hereby announce that Shindou Hikaru is the winner of the first annual Sai Invitational. As such he is entitled to call himself Shindou Sai and to enjoy all the rights and privileges bestowed on him by this certificate.” Waya gave Shindou a large flat sealed envelope.
 
“That's a different envelope than the one you had at the start of the tournament,” Ochi pointed out.
 
“Yes. I had a friend of my sister's do the calligraphy and we changed it when we gave the tournament a name other than `round robin.' Waya explained. “I also sprang for some good paper since someone didn't come through with a cup.” He eyed Shindou who just shrugged back.
 
“That's o.k., Waya. What would I want with something for my mother to dust?” Shindou opened the envelope and pulled out a large piece of handmade paper with beautiful calligraphy and a red stamp design on it. Everyone looked closely.
 
“What's it say?” someone asked.
 
“Congratulations on winning the first Sai Invitational Cup. You now have the right to call youself `Sai.' The winner of this certificate also has the right, privilege and duty to take all 8 of the Sai Invitational participants out for a sushi dinner at his expense.” Shindou raised his eyes from the paper to see shock mirrored in everyone except Waya, who was laughing hysterically on the floor babbling “Sushi. Sushi. It's time for sushi.”
 
 
“WHAT???!??? The HELL you say!” Everyone but Shindou burst out laughing.