Title: Tread Me Softly
Author: Luce Red
Series: Hikaru no Go
Type/Notes: 100-word drabble
Summary: What the less talented think.

------------------

We watched the rise of the prodigies with fear and envy. We knew that dedication did not ensure success. We knew that hard work was sometimes fruitless. We were the faceless opponents, and the likes of Touya Akira and Shindou Hikaru would rise past us, walk over us, and step on us, without even turning their eyes from each other. Our Go dreams grind down and our aspirations fade away; we sweated blood but we have lost our will. We shield our eyes when the brightness of their Go hurts us, and even then, we only say, "Please tread softly."

------------------