Chapter 15 - Yield
Submitted October 14, 2010 Updated October 14, 2010 Status Incomplete | AU. Hikaru never entered the professional Go world, opting instead to placate Sai with NetGo and Go Salons. Years pass by and now Hikaru is a normal office employee going about his daily life until…
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Anime/Manga » Hikaru no Go |
Chapter 15 - Yield
Chapter 15 - Yield
Yield
The tension that was building up in the observation room was so palpable that you would have to be rather thick-skinned to not feel it. The spectators watched in anticipation for the next hand by the two warring Go pros.
Pa-chi! 12-7, another move was made by Waya-pro.
Pa-chi! 11-4, countered Toya-pro.
A pause. Waya-pro's hand hovered just over the go-ke, his sharp auburn eyes wandering over the surface of the board in search of an advantageous move to play. The pause in movement continued, as Waya-pro's eyes stopped at a specific cluster of stones to the lower right, a considering light in his eyes at the sudden appearance of such a boon.
His hand continued its downward dive into the bowl, picking up a single stone between his middle and fore-fingers, then swiftly and gracefully placed the stone down in the intended spot near the cluster. The hand played; Waya-pro's shoulder sagged down just by a mere half centimeter in relief. The stone he'd just played would be a starting point in his regaining of territory back from Toya-pro.
Mere moments after his stone was placed down, Toya-pro proceeded to quickly slap down another stone in succession. Glancing up at Toya-pro's face for a sliver of a moment, Waya-pro was taken aback by the usual stoic look the other young pro had placed over his face. Gritting his teeth imperceptibly, Waya-pro set his own face in an expression of grim determination. His gaze was once again focused on the board spread before him, hand at the ready to place yet another stone.
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The game lasted for whole length of time allotted to the two players. In the end, Toya-pro won, just as was expected of the young pro. The score was 60-50, with komi, Toya-pro's score was upped to 65.5 against Waya-pro's 50.
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In the observation room, both Taguchi and Ohka were mesmerized by the level of play exerted by the two pros in the match. Each stunned speechless at the beauty each moved was played in compared to their own still needing refining plays. Akari, though able to recognize a few moves here and there, was not truly able to pick up on the undertones of the quite amazing match. She merely smiled as she watched the awed looks of wonder the two boys wore on their faces.
Isumi, who had continuously explained each hand played to Akari to the best of his abilities, was glad at the heightened level of enthusiasm the two boys displayed after the match. Standing up from the seat he had been occupying, he walked over to a small corner table to pour himself some water for his rather parched throat. Returning to the table, he was surprised to see the two previously quiet boys now arguing over some points on the match they'd just watch, and who would be the one present what problem to their mentor.
Giving Akari a worried look, he asked, "Is it alright to leave the two of them like that?"
Akari just smiled and waved his concerns away, giggling at the twos' antics, "Don't worry, they're always like that. It's rather cute to watch at times."
Nodding to Akari, and trusting her judgment on the matter, Isumi sat back down and promptly ignored the slight disturbance the two boys were making.
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The two adults sat in companionable silence, while watching the antics of the two debating insei, waiting for Waya-pro to arrive in the observation room to meet them. After another ten minutes had passed, the door to the observation room opened and in stepped Waya-pro. Looking around the room, Waya noticed Isumi sitting beside a nice looking lady and two brats. Smirking, he walked towards where the four were sitting and garnered their attention by clearing his throat a bit loudly.
The two adults looked up, while the two brats continued their bickering, unmindful of their audience. Isumi, seeing his friend smiled and stood up, clapping Waya on the back and congratulating him for a match well played.
"You did rather well, especially since it's against someone of Toya-pro's skills," Isumi said encouragingly to Waya, a big smiled plastered to his face for Waya's sake.
"I could've done better," groused Waya, slapping away Isumi's encouraging pats. Turning his attention to Akari, he asked, "Who's this? And where's Shindo?"
"Nice to meet you," Akari bowed slightly and greeted Waya politely, a smile on her face, "Hikaru apologizes for not being able to make it today and asked me to take the boys in his stead. I'm Shindo Akari. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Ah, Waya Yoshootaka. A pleasure to make your acquaintance as well," Waya greeted politely after Akari. He gestured to the two now silently watching boys, "I'd hazard that those two are the terrors Shindo Hikaru spoke of?"
Akari giggled at the description of the two boys, while Taguchi and Ohka both protested at being called "terrors". Straightening herself from her giggling fit, she gave each of the boys a stern look and admonished them for their ill-mannered behavior.
"Now, I want the two of you to introduce yourselves properly to Waya-pro here," Akari requested of the two. The boys nodded their consent.
Taguchi, as usual, spoke up first, a hand thumping his chest, "I'm Taguchi Shun! It's nice to meet you Waya-pro sir!"
Ohka came next, his voice not as loud, but just as eager as Taguchi's, "And I'm Ohka Tetsuo. It's nice to meet you sir."
Smiling at the boys, Waya waved his hand in a dismissing manner, "It's nice to meet you boys too. You don't have to be so formal with me either; I'm pretty cool with you not using polite speech around me."
"Great!" Taguchi cheered, happy to not having to watch his mouth around Waya. Ohka nodded in understanding.
"Now what do you say we go get ourselves some sushi!" Waya exclaimed to the boys. Pausing a moment, he looked to Akari, a sheepish expression on his face, "If that's ok with you Miss Shindo?"
Smiling softly, Akari looked down at the two eager and pleading expressions on Taguchi and Ohka's faces, she nodded to Waya. "I think that's a wonderful idea."
"Great! Let's go guys!" Waya cheered, leading the two excited insei out the Go Institute, followed by Akari and Isumi at the back.
The tension that was building up in the observation room was so palpable that you would have to be rather thick-skinned to not feel it. The spectators watched in anticipation for the next hand by the two warring Go pros.
Pa-chi! 12-7, another move was made by Waya-pro.
Pa-chi! 11-4, countered Toya-pro.
A pause. Waya-pro's hand hovered just over the go-ke, his sharp auburn eyes wandering over the surface of the board in search of an advantageous move to play. The pause in movement continued, as Waya-pro's eyes stopped at a specific cluster of stones to the lower right, a considering light in his eyes at the sudden appearance of such a boon.
His hand continued its downward dive into the bowl, picking up a single stone between his middle and fore-fingers, then swiftly and gracefully placed the stone down in the intended spot near the cluster. The hand played; Waya-pro's shoulder sagged down just by a mere half centimeter in relief. The stone he'd just played would be a starting point in his regaining of territory back from Toya-pro.
Mere moments after his stone was placed down, Toya-pro proceeded to quickly slap down another stone in succession. Glancing up at Toya-pro's face for a sliver of a moment, Waya-pro was taken aback by the usual stoic look the other young pro had placed over his face. Gritting his teeth imperceptibly, Waya-pro set his own face in an expression of grim determination. His gaze was once again focused on the board spread before him, hand at the ready to place yet another stone.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The game lasted for whole length of time allotted to the two players. In the end, Toya-pro won, just as was expected of the young pro. The score was 60-50, with komi, Toya-pro's score was upped to 65.5 against Waya-pro's 50.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
In the observation room, both Taguchi and Ohka were mesmerized by the level of play exerted by the two pros in the match. Each stunned speechless at the beauty each moved was played in compared to their own still needing refining plays. Akari, though able to recognize a few moves here and there, was not truly able to pick up on the undertones of the quite amazing match. She merely smiled as she watched the awed looks of wonder the two boys wore on their faces.
Isumi, who had continuously explained each hand played to Akari to the best of his abilities, was glad at the heightened level of enthusiasm the two boys displayed after the match. Standing up from the seat he had been occupying, he walked over to a small corner table to pour himself some water for his rather parched throat. Returning to the table, he was surprised to see the two previously quiet boys now arguing over some points on the match they'd just watch, and who would be the one present what problem to their mentor.
Giving Akari a worried look, he asked, "Is it alright to leave the two of them like that?"
Akari just smiled and waved his concerns away, giggling at the twos' antics, "Don't worry, they're always like that. It's rather cute to watch at times."
Nodding to Akari, and trusting her judgment on the matter, Isumi sat back down and promptly ignored the slight disturbance the two boys were making.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The two adults sat in companionable silence, while watching the antics of the two debating insei, waiting for Waya-pro to arrive in the observation room to meet them. After another ten minutes had passed, the door to the observation room opened and in stepped Waya-pro. Looking around the room, Waya noticed Isumi sitting beside a nice looking lady and two brats. Smirking, he walked towards where the four were sitting and garnered their attention by clearing his throat a bit loudly.
The two adults looked up, while the two brats continued their bickering, unmindful of their audience. Isumi, seeing his friend smiled and stood up, clapping Waya on the back and congratulating him for a match well played.
"You did rather well, especially since it's against someone of Toya-pro's skills," Isumi said encouragingly to Waya, a big smiled plastered to his face for Waya's sake.
"I could've done better," groused Waya, slapping away Isumi's encouraging pats. Turning his attention to Akari, he asked, "Who's this? And where's Shindo?"
"Nice to meet you," Akari bowed slightly and greeted Waya politely, a smile on her face, "Hikaru apologizes for not being able to make it today and asked me to take the boys in his stead. I'm Shindo Akari. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Ah, Waya Yoshootaka. A pleasure to make your acquaintance as well," Waya greeted politely after Akari. He gestured to the two now silently watching boys, "I'd hazard that those two are the terrors Shindo Hikaru spoke of?"
Akari giggled at the description of the two boys, while Taguchi and Ohka both protested at being called "terrors". Straightening herself from her giggling fit, she gave each of the boys a stern look and admonished them for their ill-mannered behavior.
"Now, I want the two of you to introduce yourselves properly to Waya-pro here," Akari requested of the two. The boys nodded their consent.
Taguchi, as usual, spoke up first, a hand thumping his chest, "I'm Taguchi Shun! It's nice to meet you Waya-pro sir!"
Ohka came next, his voice not as loud, but just as eager as Taguchi's, "And I'm Ohka Tetsuo. It's nice to meet you sir."
Smiling at the boys, Waya waved his hand in a dismissing manner, "It's nice to meet you boys too. You don't have to be so formal with me either; I'm pretty cool with you not using polite speech around me."
"Great!" Taguchi cheered, happy to not having to watch his mouth around Waya. Ohka nodded in understanding.
"Now what do you say we go get ourselves some sushi!" Waya exclaimed to the boys. Pausing a moment, he looked to Akari, a sheepish expression on his face, "If that's ok with you Miss Shindo?"
Smiling softly, Akari looked down at the two eager and pleading expressions on Taguchi and Ohka's faces, she nodded to Waya. "I think that's a wonderful idea."
"Great! Let's go guys!" Waya cheered, leading the two excited insei out the Go Institute, followed by Akari and Isumi at the back.
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