Hikaru No Go Fan Fiction ❯ The Extent of Denial ❯ It's Not Normal! ( Chapter 5 )

Akira waved back at Shindou as the other pro backed out of his driveway. Even after that ridiculous yellow car had disappeared around the corner, he remained standing there, staring after it. He didn't really want to go inside, even though it was only 10 P.M. or so. They'd returned much earlier than he'd thought they would. That was probably a good thing, considering how strange the night had already been.

 

He touched his own lips lightly, confused. Was Shindou truly unaffected by the random, strange things that he inflicted upon Akira? Why did the other boy keep dragging him out to these sorts of places? He wasn't sure that he understood friendship.

 

Suddenly, it struck him that the other pro still hadn't returned his palm pilot. “Shindou!” he exclaimed quietly, feeling a twinge of annoyance. That palm pilot did not need to be with someone like Shindou any longer - someone who had never respected the privacy of others!

 

Akira groaned and turned to go inside, then noticed that there were lights still on in his house. He paused, slightly concerned, then relaxed. His father had probably forgotten to turn them off, as happened sometimes when he stayed up late playing Go with his associates.

 

As he locked the door behind him, he turned only to be startled half to death by his father sitting on the sofa, very much awake. The man's expression was narrow and critical, which was never a good sign for Touya Akira.

 

“Son…you seem to be making a habit of spending your free time with that Shindou character. I've noticed that you're also not spending as much time at the Go salon. I'd advise you not to become too friendly with that boy. He is a bad influence, and not the type of person that you should be associating with.”

 

Akira knew all of this, but for some reason hearing it from his father made him…angry. He saw brief flickers behind his eyes of Shindou crying, Shindou laughing…Shindou kissing him. Shindou's serious eyes. “I like spending time with him, father. Don't worry, I will not acquire his traits just by being near him.”

 

His father glanced away, looking uncomfortable. “Akira, I have misgivings about your friend. I strongly suspect that he has unnatural tendencies, and I do not want you subjected or exposed to such things. He might contaminate you.”

 

He felt the heat rising in his face and struggled to think of boring, staid things, like playing against amateurs, or tutoring games. “I'm not certain what unnatural tendencies you are referring to, but I do agree that his bleached hair is a bit much. I would never do such a thing, as I'm sure you know.” He smiled tentatively at his father, hoping this would end the painful conversation that they were in.

 

He'd actually come to like Shindou's bleached bangs. Akira couldn't even imagine the other boy without them. It was something that was essential Shindou, just like the stupid things he did and the nonsensical leaps of Shindou-logic that the other boy was always subjecting him to.

 

His father's expression became stern and intent. “I've never known you to speak this way to me, Akira. It seems he is already influencing you. And what is this that you're wearing?”

 

It was somewhat pitiful that he was almost 18 years old and yet still felt like hanging his head in shame when his father used that tone on him. “We went out to a club, so I needed to wear casual clothing.”

 

“You are going the wrong way, son. I think it'd be best if you stayed away from Shindou Hikaru from now on. I will be in touch with some of my associates and will endeavor to find you a proper companion.”

 

Completely speechless, Akira bowed to his father and went upstairs, incapable of thinking until he had safely reached his room. He closed the door behind him and leaned back against it, closing his eyes.

 

Not see Shindou? See someone else, but not Shindou? He felt panic at the very thought.

 

Akira clenched his fists, hanging his head. He had never gainsaid his father in his life, not once. But he wasn't willing to avoid Shindou just because his father was uncomfortable with the other boy's strange behaviors.

 

Shindou wouldn't understand. Shindou would be hurt. Shindou would cry.

 

That wasn't acceptable. Just once, he would have to disobey his honored father. It would be just this once.

 

Inevitably, his thoughts turned back to their evening again. In the car, the other pro had said that he had wished they'd been able to take one of the girls home, commenting on how `hot' they had been. But he distinctly recalled noticing that Shindou hadn't looked at any of the strippers, or anyone else in the club aside from his friends.

 

The feeling he'd had when Shindou had said those things had been…strange. Almost like losing a game to someone other than the bleach-banged boy, which hadn't happened in years. It was a painful feeling, a sharp feeling.

 

Why had Shindou said those things? And why was Akira disturbed by his friend's interest?

 

Perhaps it would help him become more comfortable with himself if his father did find him a companion. Perhaps all he needed was to have a girlfriend or two, just as Shindou had. This awkwardness was likely from a lack of experience with such things.

 

But that was no reason not to see Shindou.

 

 

 

 

 

Waya ground the ice between his teeth, fixing Isumi with his best glare. “It's so annoying.”

 

Isumi arched a brow slightly, but continued unwrapping his hamburger with a determined air. “You're still upset, Waya? That was over two hours ago.”

 

“I know, but god! Hikaru has been acting like a complete moron for the last year or so. It was subtle at first, but it's gotten positively obvious the last few months! The way they carry on, with the looks and all - it's like they're a couple of fags, Isumi!”

 

He glanced up at Waya blandly. “Even if that were true, why would that bother you so much? Is it truly Hikaru you're upset with?”

 

“What are you trying to say??” Waya's eyes narrowed dangerously at him.

 

“You just seem awfully attentive to the nuances of their interactions. I've never seen you be so hard on Hikaru before, nor have I ever seen you carry on about anyone the way you do Touya Akira.” This was why he and Waya were at McDonald's twenty minutes past midnight. He could always tell when the other boy needed to vent about something.

 

Waya clenched his jaw, glancing away to stare at the floor. “It's like they think it's okay. They're taking this friendship thing too far.”

 

The times were few and far between that he couldn't read Waya, but this might be one of them. His friend's notions about the bounds of friendship were rigid and peculiar, as he'd often been reminded when he had somehow crossed one of them.

 

“Isn't it okay if that's how they feel?” he asked softly, trying to appear calm and unaffected.

 

“No!” Waya exclaimed, pounding the table with a fist and pinning Isumi with fierce eyes. “That's bad, no matter what!” There was a slightly desperate quality to the other boy's determined expression.

 

Here was the underlying problem between them. He had been friends with Waya for years, so he could understand how much such a person could matter to another. He could understand Hikaru and Touya's situation because his own was very similar.

 

Isumi cared about Waya more than he ought to, and had for some time. But the moment he entered the other boy's personal space, even though it had always been innocent, he had always been violently rebuffed. Once he had been knocked against Waya on the train and his friend had responded by shoving him away so hard that he had almost fallen backwards. Waya had apologized, but there had been a strained, haunted look in his eyes belying the awkward smile on his face.

 

He had good reason to believe that not only was Waya homophobic, but that perhaps the other boy had a reason to be - something to hide.

 

Isumi met that amber gaze with a frown. “It's not bad, it's just different. Besides, Hikaru dates girls from time to time, doesn't he?”

 

Waya favored him with a scornful look. “Hikaru is gayer than hell. At least, he looks and acts that way to me. I don't know what to think about the girl thing. I also don't know what to think about Touya, aside from the fact that he's got an attitude problem and has a bad effect on Hikaru. I did see Touya checking out Hikaru's ass one time, though.”

 

Isumi rolled his eyes. He had seen it, too, but he wasn't about to fuel this homophobic dementia. “What would you do if Hikaru turned out to be gay?”

 

“Kill Touya,” Waya responded matter-of-factly.

 

“Waya!! Touya is not going to change anything about Hikaru.”

 

“Hmph. I'm sure we've already picked up his cooties, too.” Waya pouted, poking sharply at his dwindling ice cubes with a straw. The lid lay off to the side, having been discarded almost immediately.

 

Isumi sighed, hanging his head. This would be a long night. At least Touya and Hikaru could leave Waya. He had no such recourse.