Title: New Leapings
Series: Hikaru no Go
Author: Luce Red
Disclaimer: Characters and situations are the property of Hotta and Obata, Shueisha, Jump and their affiliated parts.
Spoilers: Hikaru's Beginner Dan game
 Notes/pairings: General, gratuitous Japanese, overuse of ellipsis.
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"He bet on me? At the Beginner Dan game? My Beginner Dan game?" Shindou looked equal parts dismayed and outraged, the tips of his ears turning red.

Waya, who didn't expect the reaction, was trying to think of the best way to calm him down. "Shindou, it was just a bet," he said.

"Just a bet? When I think of how seriously I took that game... It was with Touya Meijin, you know, Touya Meijin!"

"Oh? Is that why you took twenty minutes to think of your first move?" Waya retorted. He was surprised at the stricken look that came over Shindou's face at the remark. "Shindou..." he started.

But the look disappeared so quickly that Waya thought that he had imagined it. Shindou only took another step forward, his cheeks flushing. "Where is that old man?"

"Shindou, you can't-"

As if on cue, Kuwabara Honinbou stepped into sight from the doors of the Institute, followed by his fans and a number of reporters.

"Old Man Kuwabara!" Disregarding the dropped jaws and the television camera, Shindou stamped over to the entourage, glaring so fiercely that sparks seemed to shoot into the air from his eyes.

"...call Kuwabara-sensei an 'old man'..." Waya finished weakly, wishing he could give into temptation and cover his eyes.

Kuwabara-sensei, though, didn't look particularly offended as Shindou stood in front of him. Amano-san was quick to say, "Sensei, this is Shindou Hikaru. He became pro last year. Shindou-kun, you should greet Kuwabara-sensei properly."

Shindou, of course, did nothing of the sort, Waya thought dismally. He only glared at Kuwabara-sensei. "I heard that you bet on me during my Beginner Dan game," he said.

Kuwabara said nothing, his hooded eyes watching Shindou.

Shindou's face flushed even more with anger. "Are you making fun of me? I, Shindou Hikaru, am not a horse for you to bet on!"

"You should take it as a compliment, punk," Kuwabara replied, unruffled, "Even if you did take twenty minutes for your first hand."

This time, that mention did not faze Shindou in the least.  He only glared harder.

"Besides, it'll be a while before you young punks are good enough to challenge me," Kuwabara went on, then grinned, wrinkling his lined face even more.  "Unless you'd like to play a game, now?"

No one was surprised when Shindou ground out a terse "Yes!"

******

By the time Shindou resigned, the angry frown had long disappeared from his face.  He scowled briefly as Kuwabara smirked at him, then loudly said, "You're a wicked old man, Kuwabara-sensei."

There was an audible gasp from Amano-san; Waya covered his eyes.

Kuwabara didn't seem offended.  "Oh, I've plenty more tricks up my sleeves, Shindou punk," he said, peering over the stones again with a seemingly frail look that fooled none of the watchers.  "Rather hasty with your attack, aren't you?  Not exactly what I expected of the kid who played that way with Touya Kouyo."

A look of uncertainty entered Shindou's face at that comment.  "I was nervous, and I didn't play well," he mumbled, keeping his eyes steadfast on the Go board.

Kuwabara laughed his distinctive, wheezing laugh.  "You don't fool me, boy," he said.  "Others may think you played a messy game, but I know better."

Panic suffused Shindou's face.  "I don't know what you're talking about," he said gruffly.

"Ha!" Kuwabara-sensei laughed again, but this time it was shorter.  "Keep your secrets, kid.  I'm not interested in knowing them.  Your Go is what interests me."

"Well, I'll get better, Old Man Kuwabara, and one day we'll play together in an official match," Shindou declared with the impetuousness Waya was coming to expect, after more than two years of friendship.

At that, Kuwabara wheezed with laughter so loudly and so long that he had to catch his breath by holding to the end of the table.  Shindou scowled, and crossed his arms with a huff.

"You'll have to enter the Honinbou finals to do that, punk," Kuwabara said, when he regained his breath, "and you're what?  Only in the first round of the preliminaries so far?"

Shindou glared.  "I'll get there, don't you worry."

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Luce (redacanthus@yahoo.com)