Hikaru No Go Fan Fiction ❯ Journey of Illumination ❯ The Germs of an Idea ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Hikaru no Go was created by Hotta and Obata. All characters and plots belong to them, including any I create. This is a piece of fanfiction written by fans for the enjoyment of other fans. No money was made by the creation of this work.

 

Journey of Illumination

By Lady Lark

 

Chapter 1 - The Germs of an Idea

 

March 23, 2002

 

oOo

 

Graduation was such a bittersweet time of year, Fujisaki Akari mused watching the members of the Haze Junior High Go Club mingle through the crush of people. It was time of jubilation and accomplishment and paradoxically a time of tearful good-byes and wistful regret. It was fitting that graduation fell during the spring when the air was full of cherry blossoms which were both so lovely and so ephemeral. She never wanted it to end and at the same time she couldn't wait to start the next phase of her life.

 

She walked away from the crowds and onto a path meandering through the landscaped grounds. She wanted a little time alone to think and to remember. In two weeks, she would be starting high school. But for right now, she wanted to savor each memory.

 

A sharp gust of wind blew through the campus, leading the pale pink petals in a complicated dance. Akari wrapped her arms around her body and breathed in the crisp spring air, trying not to dwell on the person missing from this momentous occasion: her oldest friend Shindou Hikaru. As a professional Go player, Hikaru's schedule often forced him to miss classes and other school sponsored activities. She wasn't surprised that he was unable to make the ceremony. Still, she had hoped he would come, if only to say good-bye.

 

Closing her eyes to try to stop the welling of tears, she forced herself to think of happier thoughts - Tsutsui-senpai and Hikaru teaching her to play Go, Mitani returning to the club after his self-imposed exile, winning her game as second chair in the winter tournament. She smiled ruefully when she realized that all of her happy memories centered around Go. Even the majority of her friends had some involvement with the game.

 

“Oi, Akari!”

 

She jumped, startled. Lost in her reverie, she had missed hearing the tell tale footsteps that heralded her friend's approach.

 

“Hikaru! It's good to see you!” she said happily.

 

She glanced over him, taking in his appearance and the easy confidence with which he carried himself, smiling at his bleached bangs. His trademark look brought back memories.

 

When he had first colored his hair back in the fifth grade, he had missed so many spots that he looked like a demented zebra with streaks of blonde and black. The kids at school had laughed at him mockingly calling him names. In tears, he had asked for her help at fixing the mess. She had agreed without hesitation and the gratitude shining on his face was all the thanks she needed. While applying the gritty blue substance, she suggested that in the future he have someone else dye his hair for him to avoid the same thing happening next time. He had looked at her smiling face in confusion searching her face. When he reached her lips, he answered smile with one of his own and nodded. For two years, she had touched up his roots until he had left to become an insei. She guessed he had found someone else to do it for him or he started doing it himself. Still it was a memory that she treasured.

 

She snapped out of her daydream to find Hikaru staring at her with concern.

 

“Sorry, I didn't mean to space out like that. It's just, I didn't think you would make it.”

 

He shrugged accepting her excuse. “I almost didn't.” He paused giving her an inquisitive glance. “Whatcha doin' over here all by yourself? I thought I'd find you with the rest of the club.”

 

“I wanted some time to myself to think and take stock. Do you realize that after this year all of us will be going our separate ways?”

 

“I hadn't really thought about it like that,” he said, scratching the back of his head.

 

“It's true, though. You're not going to high school . . .” she started.

 

Hikaru interrupted her with a dismissive wave. “There's no need to. I'm doin' what I want already. Goin' to school seems kinda stupid.”

 

She nodded. “I know. You're lucky. Me, I don't know what I want to do, the only thing I really love is the Go Club.”

 

“But you suck,” he said thoughtlessly. She winced but didn't argue; she knew her skills at the game didn't even come close to matching his. “What high school are you goin' to?” he asked, blissfully unaware of his earlier faux pas.

 

“Mitaka. Mitani-kun and Kaneko-chan are going there as well,” she answered quietly,

 

“Do they have a Go Club?”

 

“I think so, but if they don't it really doesn't matter since I helped started one before. I can do it again and this time I have two players already.”

 

“Sounds like Tsutsui rubbed off on you,” Hikaru said with a laugh.

 

She nodded. “He taught me so much.”

 

“Yeah.” The two friends lapsed into an awkward silence. “Maybe, if it doesn't interfere with my schedule, I could stop by and see how you are doing,” Hikaru said slowly with a weak smile. “Maybe give you a few pointers.”

 

“I'd like that,” she said, giving him a soft smile of her own. She was happy that he still wanted to be a part of her life. If only in this small way.

 

“So . . . how do you plan to start up?”

 

“The same way Tsutsui-san did, I guess, with posters and maybe a booth at the school festival. Mitani-kun said he'll help with spreading the word. Which has me worried a little, but he means well.” Hikaru laughed at her assessment of the other player. Akari smiled again and continued. “Kaneko-chan can't do that much since she is going to be trying out for the volleyball team. But she says that she will come to meetings when she has the time. It'll work out. I know it will!”

 

“I hope you get lots of members.”

 

“Me too.”

 

“Are there any tournaments?”

 

“Of course there are, silly!” she said, giving him a playful smack. “It's just like junior high with four main tournaments a year. There is even Kaio to go up against since they have a high school that is fed by the Junior High we know. I even hear that their head coach is a professional,” she said a bit wistfully.

 

“Wow, they really are serious about Go,” Hikaru said slowly, almost reverently. Then he shrugged. “But that isn't a surprise. Their junior high coach is an ex-Korean Professional.”

 

Akari's eyes widened. “I didn't know that. It explains why they were so good. I know we don't have a chance of beating them.” She thought back to her last match against the team and even though she had lost the battle had been exhilarating. “But I would like the chance to face them again, even if I won't be wearing the same uniform.”

 

Hikaru grinned at her as if he knew what she was thinking about before glancing at the clock tower. “I have to run. I've got a study session in a half an hour with Morishita-sensei. But it was good seeing you.”

 

“I'm glad you could make it,” she said with a bright smile. She resisted the urge to hug him, it wasn't appropriate since they weren't children anymore.

 

Hikaru gave her a gamine grin. “I am too. See ya!”

 

“Bye-bye!” she said with a small wave.

 

Akari smile faded as she watched him walk away. She knew that she no longer had place in his life anymore and that hurt more than she wanted to think about. He was one of the rising stars in the professional Go world, while she was a typical student. But she couldn't stop herself from wondering what might have been.

 

She squatted down, balancing on her heels, and stared up at the clouds overhead. She supposed she should get back to the rest of the group, but she wanted to organize her thoughts a little more. In a way, she wished that she could focus on a career like Hikaru had, but she knew she didn't have the innate talent he did. Which meant that she had to either go to high school or enter a trade, and the latter was not an option her parents would even think of considering.

 

Akari hadn't told anyone other than her parents that she had tried to get into Kaio on one of their scholarship programs and had failed. Her exam scores were not quite high enough to qualify for the scholarship she needed, although she scored well enough to pass the general admission requirements.

 

After talking it over with her family, she had decided that the tuition was just too much for her family to afford to pay even if she got a part-time job to help offset the costs. In the end, she'd chosen to go to Mitaka because it was closer to her home and the tuition fees weren't too expensive for the level of education she would get.

 

Deciding to rejoin the rest of the Go club, she rose to her feet. Retracing her steps, she made her way back to the central courtyard.

 

Natsume, a tall lanky boy, noticed her return and lightly nudged Mitani who was standing next to him. The red-head lifted his head and his eyes met hers. In them was a hint of worry tinged with some other emotion she couldn't identify. She waved slightly at him and the concern faded from his gaze, but the other emotion remained.

 

She walked up to where the Go club was clustered. “Hi guys!” she called brightly to the group. One by one, the club greeted her in return.

 

“Akari-chan, I missed you! We've been wondering where you went off to,” Kuniko said softly.

 

“Fujisaki-san! You should've come earlier. You missed seeing Shindou-san!” the youngest member of the Go club said excitedly.

 

She shook her head. “Nnn. Koike-kun, I saw Hikaru. We talked for a little bit before he had to leave.”

 

Kuniko gave her had a little squeeze. “Oh, I'm glad Akari-chan. You would have been upset if you missed seeing him.”

 

Akari nodded in agreement, unwilling to elaborate any further. Kuniko knew that she had had a crush on Hikaru since the fourth grade and only recently had started to get over it. It was one thing for her best girlfriend to know her feelings, it was another for the rest of the club to know them. It was too embarrassing to think about.

 

Casting about for another subject she asked, “Did anything else happen while I was gone?”

 

“Nope, it was pretty boring. A couple of students wished us good luck, but that was about it,” Natsume answered.

 

“We also talked about the fate of the Go Club here. Koike's going to have his work cut out for him, “Kuniko interjected and the short boy rubbed the back of his head embarrassed.

 

“See what you miss when you aren't here? You shouldn't run off like that, Akari-san. It makes Mitani nervous. Doesn't it, Mitani-kun?” Kaneko teased.

 

He glared at the other girl angrily. “It does not! I was just worried that some freak was bothering her. She is too nice for her own good and someone might take advantage of that.”

 

“I can take care of myself, Mitani-kun,” Akari soothed. “There's no need to worry.”

 

“Still, I don't like that you didn't tell someone where you were going,” the red-head grumbled.

 

“I'm sorry, I didn't think anyone would notice. I just went off to have time to think and take in memories. I'm going to miss this school so much!” she said, looking around the grounds and the crush of students, teachers, and relatives wandering them after the graduation and goodbye ceremony.

 

“Hey, that sounds like a good idea,” Natsume piped up. “Visit all of your favorite places and fix them in your mind so you don't forget them. I think I should do that, if you don't mind?”

 

“Go ahead, Natsume-kun,” Akari said, not bothering to correct him. “It wasn't the buildings and grounds that she was going to miss, but the people who made up Haze Junior High.

 

“Can I go with you? I know I'm not graduating but I think I would like to do that too,” Koike asked. “I'm going to miss you guys next year.”

 

“You're more than welcome to join me, anyone else want to come?” the tall boy asked looking around at the Go club members.

 

“I'd like to stay here with Akari-chan,” Kuniko replied.

 

“I'm with Tsuda-chan,” Kaneko said.

 

“What about you, Mitani?” Natsume queried.

 

“Sure, why not? But don't run off without me Akari,” the red-head said fixing her with stern look.

 

Akari blinked in surprise at the intensity in his gaze. “I won't.”

 

“Good. Well, let's go.” The boys walked off toward the chemistry lab leaving the three girls alone.

 

“Let's go sit down someplace out of the way of the crowd,” Kuniko suggested after the boys had gotten out of earshot.

 

“That sounds like a good idea,” Kaneko agreed.

 

They walked over to one side of the grounds out of the way of the wandering crowd and sat down under a gingko tree.

 

“I wish we could sit under one of the cherry trees, but it looks like all of the spots are taken,” Akari said wistfully, glancing at the pink petalled trees surrounding them.

 

“Don't trouble yourself over it, here is fine. And it is more private, which is a good thing,” Kuniko said softly.

 

Akari looked at the two sharply.

 

“You're right, Tsuda-chan, this place is more private.”

 

“Umm . . .“ Akari started.

 

Kaneko silenced her with a stern glance. “Why did you run off on your own earlier? And don't try to evade answering with that excuse about gathering or organizing memories. It won't work. Not with us.”

 

“Mou, Kaneko that was very rude.” Akari sighed in relief when she heard Kuniko's words. But her heart sank a moment later when the quiet girl's next words. “It's amazing. How did you learn to be so blunt?”

 

“From watching American television, my favorite show is about a woman warrior in ancient Greece. Xena is my idol.”

 

Kuniko clapped her hands in appreciation. “That's very interesting. I'll have to try it sometime. But she's right Akari, we were worried about you and I think there was more to your statement than just building memories.”

 

Akari shook her head, indicating that she really didn't want talk about it.

 

“Fujisaki, we're your friends. We want to help you,” Kaneko pressed.

 

Sighing in defeat, she looked at the two earnest faces and decided to share some of her concerns with them. “I'm just not sure about what I want do with myself. I only have three years of high school and then what? College? A career? Marriage? I don't know what I want in my life.”

 

“Well, that's very normal,” said Kaneko dryly and Kuniko nodded in agreement beside her.

 

“I know it's normal,” Akari said in an exasperated tone. “But there are times I am so envious of Hikaru I don't know what to do.” Kuniko reached over to clasp Akari's hands urging her to continue. “He was just like me, except worse. He was a mediocre student. Not terribly popular. The only thing he was any good at was sports and video games, and even then he wasn't so great that he stood out.” She paused taking a deep breath.

 

“Go on, Fujisaki,” Kaneko encouraged.

 

Akari took another steadying breath and nodded. “Then out of nowhere he discovers Go and it consumes him, becoming his driving goal. And suddenly, I'm the one getting left behind and left alone. We'd always done things together; that's why I joined the Go club in the first place.”

 

“Really? I mean, I'd guessed but I wasn't sure,” the volleyball player said with a small nod.

“I liked the game a lot. Although, I didn't really know anything about it when I first started.” She stopped, a chuckle coming to her lips. At Kaneko and a Kuniko's curious looks she elaborated. “The first time Hikaru tried to show me how to play, I confused Go with Othello and tried to move a stone to avoid it getting captured. Hikaru was so frustrated with me!” she laughed.

 

The other two girls giggled and then joined her in laughter.

 

“Oh my, I can just imagine Shindou-kun's face,” Kuniko said and then screwed her face up into a fair approximation of Hikaru's exasperated face.

 

Kaneko nodded with a chortle. “I'm glad that I didn't have him for a teacher.”

 

“No, no. He was a good teacher, really,” Akari protested laughingly. She felt that she needed to defend her long-time friend. “He just didn't have any patience with how slow I was. He taught me a lot though. I just didn't have the same drive he did.”

 

Kaneko sobered. “You're wrong, Akari.”

 

“Kaneko-chan!”

 

“Tsuda-chan, hush. You may not have the same skill or talent that Shindou has. But you do have the drive,” the short-haired girl said solemnly. Akari tried to protest but Kaneko held up a hand to silence her. “Hear me out. You were the one who held the Go club together after Hikaru left, Mitani quit, and Tsutsui graduated. You were the one who managed to persuade Mitani to rejoin the club so that we could participate in the tournament. You are the one who kept the kifu and the one who made sure we were able to register. You say you aren't any good, Fujisaki. I say you are wrong. I've been playing Go since I was a child, years longer than you have, and you are not that much weaker than I am.”

 

“But . . .” Akari started but Kaneko cut her off.

 

“No buts. You've improved a lot in the past three years.”

 

“Shirakawa-sensei says so, however I thought that he was just encouraging me,” the auburn-haired girl said softly looking down at her and Kuniko's hands.

 

“So you admit you have the drive to succeed.”

 

Akari kept her eyes lowered. “I guess I do. But at what?”

 

“Well what do you love to do?” Kuniko asked squeezing Akari's hands once more before releasing them. “What do you want to do?"

 

Akari thought about this, trying to find something other than the first thing which had popped into her head. She looked about the school grounds hoping something else would magically appear and proclaim that it was her future. After several moments, she gave up the search and decided to reveal her heart's desire. “I love Go. At first, it was something to keep me closer to Hikaru,” she admitted. “But, then I began to love the game for itself. I would like to do something with Go. But the only thing I can think of is becoming a professional player, and I'm not good enough for that,” she said softly with small catch in her voice.

 

“Don't speak so quickly,” Kaneko said sharply. “I told you that you've improved a lot in the past few years and you have. You are our second board, and I bet if you really applied yourself, you could be first board instead of me.”

 

“I could never do that!” Akari protested.

 

“Yes, you can, Akari-chan!” Kuniko chimed in. “You don't need a handicap against Kaneko anymore and you don't lose by as many moku either. Even I can see that and we all know that I am a terrible player.”

 

Kaneko stuck her tongue out at Kuniko's last statement, but she kept her attention focused on Akari. “She's right, not about her skill but about yours. I haven't improved much, but you've gotten a lot better. I bet if you got an actual teacher, rather than just attending a class you would do a lot better. Maybe even good enough to become an insei or even a pro. But you won't know until you try, now will you?”

 

“I guess so.”

 

“No guessing. Just do it,” Kaneko encouraged. Then she stood up and brushed off her skirt. Reaching down, she grabbed Kuniko's hand and pulled her to her feet as well.

 

“Kaneko! What are you doing?” Kuniko cried.

 

“We're going to leave her alone to think. Besides I still want to say goodbye to the rest of the Volleyball Club and you haven't done the same with the Home Ec club.”

 

“You're right. We'll see you later, Akari-chan!”

 

Akari waved at her two friends. “See you. And thanks.”

 

Kaneko gave her a knowing smile. “What are friends for, Fujisaki? Catch you later!”

 

oOo

 

Author's Note:

 

This is a rewrite of an earlier story that I started for NaNoWriMo. I've edited it and re-chaptered it since the earlier chapters were way too overly long. Even in this form you are going to get long chapters. This redone Chapter One is 10 pages in Word.

 

Betareaders, Editors, and Contributors: Panasonic Princess, Bakabokken, Lady Macbeth, Troy Thomas, Broken Visage and My Mom.

 

Vocabulary/Terminology:

Kifu - Records of a Go game complete with each move marked in order of play. They are recorded on a grid with notes indicating when stones are captured.

Moku - Liberty or opening - it is what is counted at the end of a game of Go to determine the winner

 

FAQ:

Q: What are the pairings of this fic?

A: I don't know all of them but I have one in mind but nothing is set in stone yet.

 

Q: Will there be yaoi?

A: I don't know. If there is, it isn't going to be the focus of this fic. This is Akari's Journey.

 

Q: Your title sucks.

A: That isn't a question. But I agree with you. Help me find a better one.

 

Q: Your story doesn't follow canon exactly.

A: I know. I made a conscious decision to start my Divergence at the High School Graduation. A lot of canon from the OAV and rest of the Manga will be incorporated into this. But not everything.

 

Q: What is the word count of this chapter?

A: Not counting Author's notes - 3,436 words.

 

Q: Do you play go?

A: Yes. Very, very badly

 

Any other questions? Feel free to ask.

 

Reviews are like condiments for the author - they may not be necessary but they make the whole thing taste better.