Hikaru No Go Fan Fiction ❯ Yume ❯ A Single Word ( Chapter 3 )

AN: I've been busy/lazy lately, so I'd like to apologize to all two of you that read this about how long it took me to come out with this chapter. *bows head in shame * I'll try to work harder.

Warnings and disclaimers: you know the drill

………………………& #8230;………………………… ;…………………………R 30;……………

Chapter 3: A Single Word

Akira had been aware of his feelings for Hikaru for quite a while. He was not sure when obsession turned to lust, and lust to love, but it had occurred. He supposed those feelings had always been there, on some level, since he had first played him all those years ago. Since then there had not been a day when the boy had not crossed his mind, even when he had vocally denied him as his rival.

And now he was having problems, and he would not tell Akira what. Skipping games-it was much like what he had done over a year ago, when he had just stopped going to games for so long, only to mysteriously reappear months later. Although, as far as Akira knew, everything was fine and tomorrow would bring about the normal Hikaru. He could only hope.

Sitting in the salon going over old games, though, he couldn't help but wonder what was troubling his rival so. What wouldn't he talk to him about?

~Maybe I'll tell you someday. ~

Sai. It had to be Sai. That was the one thing Hikaru would never discuss with him.

He got pulled from his sudden revelations by Ichikawa-san's voice. "Akira-kun, a customer! He wants you to play shidougo with him."

"Alright!" He moved to another table to start the game, leaving his thoughts for another time.

………………………& #8230;………………………… ;…………………………R 30;………….

"So what the hell was wrong with you?" Waya asked before slurping up half his ramen.

I just didn't feel up to playing," Hikaru admitted before copying Waya's action. "I was just out of it," he elaborated after chewing and swallowing enough to allow him to speak.

"Well, you better not miss any more games unless it's actually an emergency," Waya warned as he drained the broth from his bowl. "If you pull another streak of forfeits like you did before you could wind up in some trouble."

"You think I don't know that? Yeesh. I just needed a personal day. Gimme a break."

"Well, don't do it again," he poked the other boy with his chopsticks, "forcing me to have a conversation with Touya Akira like that."

"What are you talking about?"

Waya rolled his eyes. "He was asking me where you were. Then after the game he bugged me until I handed over you phone number."

"My number?"

"Yeah. Didn't he call?"

"I dunno…must've been while I was out."

~Ka-san must've told him I was at the bookstore. And I thought that was a coincidence. But…why would he go out of his way to find me like that? ~

"Personally, I can't understand why he would want to know so bad," Waya went on. "He doesn't strike me as someone who actually cares about anyone besides himself." He dropped his bowl on the table and then proceeded to dig through his pocket for his half of the check. "Alright," he said, slapping his money on the table alongside Hikaru's," let's go. Morishita-sensei will butcher us if we're late."

………………………& #8230;………………………… ;…………………………R 30;……………

Hikaru climbed wearily up the stairs, glad that his parents were in the living room watching TV and had not heard him return home. He was just too tired to talk to them.

He'd had a long game, and then the study group. Plus, Waya had thought it'd be a great idea for all of them (Isumi-san, Ochi, Fukui, Nase-chan and the others) to go out together. Hikaru had been about to decline, but then Isumi-san offered to pay.

Now, though, his eyes threatening to close, he began to regret it. After all, he still hadn't slept well the past couple of nights.

He was still dreaming about Sai.

He would come, and Hikaru would ask him why he left, but it never changed; he would only stand and look at him, a sad smile on his face. Then he disappeared, and Hikaru woke up, unable to fall back asleep for fear of more dreams.

As he pulled himself under his sheets now, he tried to empty his mind, so that he might have a dreamless sleep.

It didn't work.

Again he was in the emptiness, with a light on the far end. A shadow took form in front of it, slowly morphing into a body-Sai's body.

Without thinking, Hikaru ran towards it. He never spoke, and always went away, but…but maybe this time it would be different! "Sai!"

Sai smiled faintly, a sad look in his eyes, but he was silent.

Hikaru stopped when he was in front of him. "Sai, please, I can't stand it! I need you to speak, to tell me why you left! I need to know if it was my fault!"

Hikaru thought he saw tears at the edges of Sai's large eyes as he bent his head downwards sadly.

"Can't you speak?" Hikaru asked more calmly.

Sai's head shook sadly back and forth-no, he could not.

"Well…can't you do something? Show me? Or give me just one word for a clue so I can figure it out?"

Sai turned his head upwards then, his eyes closed and his lips moving softly as though he ware asking something. Then he turned his gaze back to Hikaru, moving his lips around a word like before-except now, Hikaru could hear him.

"Touya."

Hikaru's dream eyes widened and he took a step backwards. It was not what he had expected at all.

"W-what?"

But Sai was already disappearing, fading away into the light. Hikaru reached out to grab him and pull him back, but his hand just passed through. "No! That's not enough! I still don't understand! SAI!"

Hikaru woke with a start in his bed, and once reoriented he promptly punched his pillow. "Damn it."

Touya…It was all he had been given. And a hell of a lot of good that did! There were two Touyas; Sai knew that.

Crossing his arms behind his head and staring hard at his dark ceiling, Hikaru began to think.

………………………& #8230;………………………… ;…………………………R 30;……………

AN: I'll try to get Chapter 4 up a lot faster this time. Thanks for waiting ^^;

And if there's anyone else that reads this, please review for me so I know! Think of reviews as crack and me as a very deprived drug addict :3