16Title: Teaching is Dangerous or Tale of Two Hikarus
Author: therhoda
Fandom: Hikaru No Go / Ouran Host Club
Rating: K
Disclaimer: I Own nothing no where no how
Summary:
Bets are dangerous things to the poor innocent bystanders. Not that Hikaru is all that innocent but the twins teach the teacher new things.
Notes: This has two accompany stories. If this is well received then I will probably post them.
The third music room was unusually quiet given the presence of the Hitachiin brothers. The two red heads seem to be fiddling with something in their hands as Kaoru occasionally looks over at their lap top's screen.
"I think we should get Touya 5-dan."
"No we should get Shindo 3-dan."
A lot of mutual stares and raised eye brows conducts a whole conversational argument in total silence. Till finally one says, "Here look at their pictures," pulling up the respective Go Association web page on the computer. Showing the serious face of Touya 5-dan and the more more comic side picture with the title Shindo 3-dan under it.
A sigh then, "You're right lets go with Shindo." The answer is a concession and a vote all in one.
In an apartment building near the Tokyo Go Association building a phone rings. "Moshi moshi, I am busy, really two brothers. They asked for me? I don't know my schedule... They offered that? For how long... In a month? Really... give me the contact info at least I will call them. Yes. Yes, I will call them, geeze forget one time to call a client... okay so maybe it was a few times but I am getting better. What do you mean just not taking clients doesn't count as better? Just give me the information please." A hasty scribbling sound can be heard as the man writes on a grocery receipt. "Thank you so much for calling."
Standing next to his phone Shindo Hikaru's yellow bangs swing back and forth as he shakes his head. 'What could these,' looking down at his notes 'Hitachiin brothers want with me?' Before he turns and starts punching in the numbers for these his newest clients.
Shindo's first visit to the Hitachiin estate starts off not quite perfect. Shindo looks down at his watch, 'Crap I'm late.' As he runs down the street of what is supposed to be the neighborhood of his destination. There are no houses visible from the road just gates with numbers and the occasional monogrammed iron lettering. '51, 53.' Looking down at the receipt in his hand with its address scrawled on it. '55, this should be it.' He takes a deep breath before walking up to the gate and pressing the intercom button.
"Hitachiin residence, may I help you."
"Shindo 3-dan, I have a tutoring session scheduled."
"Yes Shindo-sensei you are expected, you will be met and brought up to the house. The young masters are very excited to meet you. Please enter the gate to you left." A small metal gate to seem to appear in the wall as it opens invitingly.
Stepping through the discretely marked gate Hikaru is met with a lush green landscape. A drive seems to circle up towards where the house must stand but nothing of it is visible. A silver car is purrs down the drive to stop in front of Hikaru. A man in a gray drivers cap gets out and with minimum fuss settles Hikaru into the back seat. Whisking him up the drive to what seems to be an immense building.
Getting out of the car Hikaru is shown into surroundings that seem to echo with wealth and taste. The efficient staff briskly escorts him into a room with rows and rows of books. In the middle of the room is a classic goban set up with places for people to sit two on one side and one on the other. Hikaru is still looking around the room when the door opens again to admit two red haired mirror images.
They look at him carefully before looking at each other. Hikaru sees an unspoken conversation going on before him.
"Hello Shindo-sensei we're Kaoru and Hikaru Hitachiin" is said in unison greek chorus.
"Um hello." Looking at the teens who have to be his own age. "Which of you is which?"
Another quick eye brow conversation then they step apart. The one on the left
chimes, "I am Kaoru, sensei."
The right one then continues seamlessly, "and I am Hikaru."
Shindo looks between the two, "So what may I help you with?"
"We need to learn how to play Go."
"You mean improve don't you?"
The twins smiles seem to widen and glow a little, "No we need to learn it."
"In a month!" comes flying out of Shindo's mouth before he can stop it.
"Yep we have a bet."
"That we can beat the sneakiest person we know at a game none of us had played till this month."
"We think that the two of us have a chance. As our sensei we need you to explain it to us the basics then we will work from there. Our advantage is there are two of us to one of him."
"Only one of you can play at a time, how will there being two of you be an advantage?" Shindo questions.
The twins seem to entwine around each other and they start to talk, "Well one of us will be playing true," "But the other will be watching," "the player will take direction if it is necessary from the watcher."
"How? There is no talking in a go game." Shindo questions almost instinctively.
Instead of answering him verbally the twins just look at him then turn to each other the fleeting amusement that are getting out of this is loud and clear to Shindo at least without them ever saying a word.
Shindo thinks to himself, 'Well they are paying me about six months worth of bills for one month work. With this I not only get the association off my back for tutoring but I can get that new goban i wanted to the apartment.'
"This might work if you two really can learn Go. I am willing to tutor you, if you are willing to learn."
The chorus again of "Thank you Shindo-sensei," seem to be some sort of cosmic joke that Shindo is sure he is missing.
Three weeks after entering the Hitachiin residence for the first time Shindo yet again gets into the silver car to be driven to his destination. Although the twins have long since stopped depending on him to arrive on time with out a personal pick up. The sight of the silver Mercedes outside his apartment as he arrives home is starting to become routine.
Going straight into the library that has become an intense go study over his repeated visits. Inside playing a round of speed go our his students, if that is what you can call them. Shindo's silent approach is unnoticed as he observes what they are doing with out him.
"Hikaru you can't go there!"
"Why not it blocks you from taking this part of the board."
"Yes but it leaves me the ability to do this." Kaoru says as he places a stone on the board.
"And?" his brother questions.
"That stone will let him split your formation in three turns," Shindo says from the side lines.
Both brothers heads whip around, "Shindo!"
"Yeah, who were you expecting?" Walking closer to the board so he can see the board easier. Shindo is again struck at how different the two boys styles are. Kaoru sees deeply into the stones with a mature outlook on how it should be. While Hikaru is just as quick but has a lighter grasp of the stones with a more original idea of when to attack. On the whole that meant that Kaoru won most of the time. When Hikaru did win it was normally because he had thought of some trap that Kaoru fell into and couldn't recover from. In the whole of it these two monsters had learned the game and were quickly become almost as strong as some on the insei.
"Kaoru, this is a very solid game." the blush from Kaoru is only as bad as the scowl from Hikaru. Shindo proceeds to pick the game apart from the beginning. Neither boy took criticism well and they seemed to react even worse to the other being criticized. It had taken them the first week to work out the method where he could teach them with out one or the other leaving in a huff half way through the lesson.
The key he had found was to treat them as one unit, you don't say "Kaoru did this and Hikaru did that wrong." Instead you have to say, "see this stone it is wrong," or "you can't place this formation like this it will shatter." After that milestone was passed they seemed to soak up the kifu he left with them to study, their intensity was beginning to scare Shindo a little.
Shindo wasn't sure what drove his pupils to such lengths but he was sure they were unpredictable and smart. He also wasn't sure some days if he was their teacher or a kifu research assistant. His mental rummaging is interrupted by a question.
"Shindo-sensei who do you think the greatest go player of all time is?"
Shindo's brain freezes for a second, he can't think his brain cries out 'Sai' but he knows no one knows that name. He rallies with, "Shuusaku Honninbo."
The double stare he receives has become common place in the last three weeks so he then continues. "I brought you that collection of his kifu the second week I thought you to had devoured it by now."
"We did, but he is so old how can he be the best?"
'Because he was a eight hundred year old ghost, who only cared about go thats how.' Shindo thinks snidely. Then says out loud, "because he has never been surpassed in his artistry. If you learn nothing else from me you had better learn to respect this game and to do that you need to respect Shuusaka as the master he was."
The look in Shindo's eyes is so hot the twins both hold out their hands in a surrender motion. Looking at each other then back to Shindo. "We weren't meaning any disrespect Sensei."
Shindo's head shakes like a wet dog coming out of the water, before he comes back with, "Look Shuusaku is a sensitive subject for me. You couldn't know. Just don't disrespect him and we will get along fine for the rest of the month."
The eyebrow discussion the twins have after that is quick but their looks seem to turn wolfish. "Okay Sensei if you say so, we won't touch Shuusaku. How about we discuss Touya Akira instead?"
"Touya? What about him? I have bought you a few of his games." 'Like the one where he got into the Honninbo league.' Shindo questions, "what do you need about him?"
"Is he the greatest go player alive?"
"What? How in the hell do you get that?"
Hikaru pulls out an issue of Go Weekly, "well this week they have been saying that he will be the youngest Honninbo in history if he wins it from the title holder next year." Looking up as if this would be breaking news to Shindo.
"He won't win, that old troll will chew him up and spit him out." Shindo answers vehemently.
This causes a wondrous look between the brothers. The veritable 'Got him' is said to themselves. The following hour is much to Shindo's distress a barbecue for his ego, man hood and anything else he may hold sacred. The mental chant of 'six more days' holds him together. Till one goes a little to far.
"We should have gotten Touya as a tutor, I am sure he would be able to handle us."
"What did you say?" growls Shindo.
The return of the more mature tone to their victims voice brings the attention of both Hitachiins right to Shindo. Eyebrow cocked up to inquire Kaoru take up the line, "that we should have got Touya."
"Sit down." Shindo orders. "I think it's time we play." The tone brooks no denial from the twins. Kaoru sits down at the board.
"Kaoru right?" Hikaru questions.
"Maybe."
"If you're Kaoru put down your five stones if your Hikaru put down six."
Hikaru to the side pouts, "Why does he get five?"
Shindo's answer is the most diplomatic, "Cause he's a better player."
The twins don't like that answer at all. Having admitted to who he is Kaoru puts down his five stones.
"Lets play." Shindo says with that certain tone. "Onegaishimasu." Shindo looks down at the board then his eye snap up to meet Kaoru's. What follows is not a particularly professional game of Go. "Does that answer your questions?"
Kaoru looks over to his brother then back, "yes sensei," so cheeky that Shindo cracks up.
"Man does anyone stay angry at you two?"
Two smiles of mischief are his only answer.
"Well we have three more days of me here would you like to discuss where you went wrong?" Shindo offers cheerfully.
The final day of Shindo Hikaru's tutoring of the Hitachiin brothers doesn't start as brilliantly as he could have wished. The somber feeling of an approaching storm is felt even in the back seat of the silver vehicle.
Muttering to himself, "who ever heard of a school that isn't near any stations, where is this place, the outer edge." Shindo still can't believe he is here for a students match. Thinks back to the conversation from yesterday.
"I think you two will do well if your game tomorrow. If your opponent truly has never played before." Shindo reassures his charges gallantly.
The whine of "Shindo-sensei you have to come for the game." from both red heads is instantaneous.
"Wwhaat? Why would I come to your game? Isn't it at your school?" Shindo incredulously asks.
"You have to." one twin chimes, "Yes you must!" The other continues, "we must insist."
"No, I am not doing it."
A twin steps forward "We have one day left in the month of our contract are you going to break it?"
The other twin leans gently forward onto his brother's shoulder, "Will we have to call the Go Association, Shindo-sensei?"
"Call them?" Shindo stutters.
"Yes of course as you aren't fulfilling your part of the contract, right!" the duo continues. "So we must seek reparation for the last day." The two twins turn to each other still wrapped up in on another. "It really is only fair Hikaru." "Of course Kaoru I mean we did pay for a whole month, we are being shorted. It must be redressed."
"I could get to hate you two do you know that." Shindo capitulates, the go pro is out done and knows it. "What time is your game?"
Shindo comes back to himself as the car pulls to a stop at the front of a pink monstrosity of a school. The clouds do nothing to cut the glints of glass and polished metal from the building in front of him. Shindo glares more then looks down at the piece of paper that had been waiting for him in the seat of his ride.
3rd Music Room
4 o'clock
Shindo moves forward from the groomed and impressive drive way into the pink marble campus. Standing out in his sneakers and pull over shirt with the number 5 fanned across the front, if not his signature hair. Among the uniformed and polished students leaving their school for the day. Walking up to a group of girls that are looking at him like cats.
"Excuse me, could one of you tell me how to get to," Looking down at the paper then back up, "Music room three?"
There is a rustle among the girls till one steps forward, "Are you a Host?"
"What?" Shindo stammers looking down to see if it was something he was wearing. Seeing his normal clothing was still there and had not transformed into a ruffled shirt and a pair leather pants when he wasn't paying attention.
"Shindo sensei!" Comes from his immediate right then an echoing "Your here sensei," from his left. Is all the warning he gets before two red haired devils descend on him. Suddenly supporting the weight of two more people while they loudly pronounce.
"Did you ladies meet our teacher," the devils chant in unison.
"He has been oh so helpful don't you think Hikaru?"
"He has taught us so many things Kaoru."
"But not as much as you teach me Hikaru" Is crooned over Shindo's left ear setting off just enough bells for him to shake of the two devils.
"What the hell!"
"Now Shindo-sensei is that anyway to talk in a school?" comes from one devil. Followed quickly by, "You have taught us so much sensei," from the other one.
"What are you to lunatics doing?"
The soft "ohh" of wonder from the gaggle of girls is over powered by the evil glint the twins develop as they slide back together to lean into one another. "We're here to get you sensei."
Shindo's temper frays a little bit, "Ever heard of maps?"
Not deflated in the least the duo flanks Shindo again then each grabs an arm they start pulling him towards one of the pink mausoleums, "Welcome to Ouran high School, Shindo-sensei."
Shindo's sense of unreality begins to become even more pronounced. As he is dragged past libraries and sitting rooms full of teens in uniforms. The pink marble of the building combined with what looks to be crystal chandeliers gives the building an air of refinement that is really out of place for a school. His escort continues to pull him up the stair to the front of a door with the sign, Third music room, above the door. There they stop, turn towards him, one inspects his hair as the other dusts off his shoulder.
"Ready Sensei?" is all he gets before they propel him through the door. Inside is a huge hall like room with what seems to be stands on one side. Walking down its length he looks to the left and right. A girl with a red pony tail seems to be selling t-shirts with slogans of, "Twins for the win," "Shadow king forever," at a booth beside the seats.
Shindo looks around, "What is this?"
"Its Go." is answered from behind Hikaru. "We are showing that we are not just pretty faces."
The twins turn one looks put out, "Your royal painess what are you doing out here?"
"A father must root for his children, even if they face their mother in combat."
Shindo stares at the starry eyed blond listening till he gets to the Mother comment. "Mother? Hey I thought you jokers were playing some super smart guy?"
"Super smart guy, you two do me to much credit."
"Kyoya!" comes from the twins.
Shindo turns again to see a dark haired boy with a note book standing a few feet away. The boys looks up and Shindo's sense of danger suddenly peaks when a flash of green draws his eye to the left of the boy. "Touya! What are you doing here?"
The green haired pro lifts an eye brow at the shouting. "Ootori-san here has been my student for the past three weeks. And you?"
"Oh well," scratching the back of his head Hikaru looks back to the twins beside him then to the dark haired boy and his rival in front of him. "Umm well Hikaru and Kaoru needed to learn Go, so I have been teaching them." With a shrug of his shoulders to say he doesn't know how better to say it.
"Teaching is it Shindo Hikaru, I hear it is much more than that." The dark haired boy comments on his reply.
Touya looks to Ootori-san then with a more considering stare back at Shindo. "Our seats Ootori-san?"
The incline of Ootori's head is a slight nod to Touya in consideration, "this way I have seats prepared for you Touya-sensei, Shindo you can join if you wish." With a snap of his notebook Kyoya Ootori moves towards the stands. The dignified way Touya follows shows a grace that most would envy.
A murmured "I told you we should have gotten Touya," is heard from right behind Shindo with a "he is so together," as a reply.
"You two Shut UP" Shindo snaps at the twins. Turning to them he grabs an arm each. Dragging them farther away from everyone else. "Look you two, that is Touya and your opponent right?"
A nod of heads is his answer.
"Then listen, Touya can be beaten. Remember the games I gave you of his? If your friend plays like him they should help." Shindo looks at his erstwhile students. "You know the rules now all you have to do is win the war. Remember to read ahead it is a balance to the board you want. He has been at this for less time than you and you never know what he may play like." The slightly patronizing look of the twins gives him no comfort. "Anyway good luck."
Shindo finishes lamely, before he starts walking over to where Touya is seated across from the go board set up in the middle of the floor like a ring at a prize fight. Flopping onto a red silk cushion Shindo looks over to Touya, "So is this going to be blood bath?"
Touya looks over at him then looks back to the go board with out talking.
"Whats wrong with you?" Shindo tries to question his rival and friend. While his attention is on Touya he misses the two opponents sitting down to the board. He couldn't miss the return of the blond though.
"Welcome to the Ouran Host clubs first ever Igo competition. I hope all of you princesses have picked your prince to win. Now here we go." With a flourish he launches himself at a girl who had it seems been helping sell t-shirts in the front.
With the distraction gone the combatants seem to be staring at the board. The Twin is the first one to reach for his goke looking in he finds the white stones so grabs a handful holding them in his fist over the board. His opponent picks up a single black stone placing it silently on the board. Releasing his grasp the twin's stones land on the board. Counting, "Three, four, five, six. Seems I get black Kyoya." The twin observes. They pass the gokes between them. Then both bow so slightly and say , "onegaishimasu."
Hikaru looks over at Touya still looking puzzled over his rivals reaction. He tries again at getting to the bottom of it. "Is your student good Akira?" He whispers as quietly as he can. All he gets is a flash of green eyes in return.
The game continues, as it progresses Hikaru can see his rivals style playing out on the board from his pupil. Unfortunately his student isn't playing with an answering style he seems to be playing a game of stone capture with less than ten hands sight ahead. The longer the game goes the more Hikaru starts to sweat. It isn't as if Kaoru isn't playing well, he is, in fact better than even Hikaru expected. But somehow his opponent has learned all the delicate traps that Touya is so good at and has the timing to play them perfectly. Glancing over to the side closest to the board where Kaoru's twin is sitting he sees the tension that is building up in the features of the one not playing.
After a month of watching the twins communicate through nothing more than a look Hikaru figures this means neither sees a way out of the trap that had just sprang on them. Leaning forward he see that there is a way out of it but neither of them have advanced to reading that far ahead to see it. A huff escapes his lips as he sees the end, which draws his rivals attention. Whispering again, "its all over isn't it." At that point Hikaru realizes that he had really been pulling for the twins to win this match. There is still no response from Touya, Shindo shakes his head at the lack of acknowledgment from his rival.
The go game plays out farther till at last the bright red head bows with a low, "I have nothing."
The smooth, "thank you for the game from his opponent."
The uncharacteristic solemnness on the Hitachiin faces seem to infect the red wearing contingency of the audience. The winning host seem to be proud but wary of what the twins will do.
"So I win," Kyoya questions, "Are you two ready to fulfill your side of the bet.
Kaoru looks up from the ground he had been studying with his bruter at his side, "Yes, we are willing what is it you want us to do for a day Kyoya?"
"I was thinking a beach photo shoot ought to be just about right," a cheer comes from the red wearing fans, "to recoup from this spectacle quite nicely."
"A photo shoot, Kyoya i don't want to," come from the twin still outside the ring.
Taking the bargaining as a sign Shindo makes his way over to his now pouting pupils.
"Well played game guys." looking from one to the other, "Kaoru that was the best game you have played to date. I am sure you will only get better as you practice."
"Practice? I am never going to play this stupid game again"
Shindo squawks a,"what?" seems to sputter a bit till, "but why not? You guys have really learned to play so well."
The twins glance at each other and then slide together like pampered house cats, "Sensei what would you give to keep us playing?"
The, "Huh," from Shindo isn't very loud, the gulp after it is though. "Umm guys I don't think." he backs away from the stalking twins. Bumming into someone, Shindo's head turns to find himself face to face with Touya. "Touya would you like to meet," is all he gets to before he is jostled to the side roughly. As Touya seem to bristle at the approaching twins.
"Is this what you have been doing for a month Shindo?"
The grins on the face of the twins is to dangerous for even Touya to ignore. "Shindo sensei has it only been a month?" "Oh sensei you must introduce us."
Shindo recovering his balance slides in front of Touya protectively, "You two just stop it, Touya isn't going to play with you."
"But sensei he seems to want to play" The twins are eyeing Touya and regaining some of their mischievous aura.
"NO! He's not going to be bothered by you two."
The hiss of breath from behind him is the only warning Shindo gets before he is pulled back closer to Touya,"Shindo what do you think your doing?"
"Touya you don't know what these two are like. They are completely capable of almost anything to get what they want."
"I can take care of myself Shindo." Touya looks across Shindo with a venomous look. "I am sure these two won't be much of a bother anyway."
The twins have been watching this by play with ever widening eyes and smiles. "Touya sensei we would love for you to tell us what you thought of the game." Comes from the twin on the right.
"The game?" Touya questions.
The left twin chimes in, "well you are an expert, what did you think of the playing?" the other echoes, "or is it just Kyoya-sempi you can talk to?"
"Ootori-san has learned very well from my poor tutelage these pass few weeks. He has extraordinarily well developed skills for having only practiced for three weeks." Glancing to where his student stood across from them graciously accepting what looked to be flowers from several girls in grey and purples shirts with the tops of the crown logos from the, king for the win shirts. Then back to the duo in front of him. "For others that have been playing for such a brief time i think you both did very well."
"Really," drawls one twin and they both move forward flanking the listening Shindo.
Touya eyes flash as they comfortably lounge on Shindo as if he were a piece of furniture.
"Shindo-sensei, you never did tell us what you would give for us to keep playing?" One twin sing songs. The other immediately continues, "IT will have to make our loss worthwhile."
Touya's face is flushed as he snaps, "to anyone with any spirit the will to win the next time is what they should learn from such a loss."
The smiles of both red heads brightens by a magnitude, as they gaze at Touya.
Shindo starts swearing under his breath, then to distract the menace from his rival, "So what did you lose?"
"Lose?" The twin seem to subside a little, "we did lose didn't we," one says, the other then goes,"You lost to sensei what do you lose?"
"What?" Shindo starts, "I am not involved, this was my last day and I even came here to watch the match."
"So your saying you had no stake in us wining or losing?" "You don't care about us"
"No you two are not doing this." Shindo states firmly. The tilt of his head warns hes not kidding.
Being balked has never been accepted by the twins, they shift to a less wary target. "Touya sensei what about you?" "Are you willing to give us a game forfit?"
Touya looks taken aback at being in the middle of an onslaught of questions.
"Its not fair, we are beginners." "What about a match of the teachers as a winner take all."
Shindo sense the trap tries to evade, "we don't have time today you guys, Touya is busy."
"Shindo do not answer for me, I happen to have the rest of the evening free."
"No your busy Touya trust me your busy"
"Shindo you are so rude, I am not busy."
"Yes you ARE."
"I am not!"
The raised volume attracts some of the spectators and what look to be the rest of the club to the side where the noise is coming from. A voice comes from the gathering crowd.
"The hall is free till nine this evening, if you two should want the goban to settle your differences." Ootori assures the pros.
His voice brings Touya's attention to the gathering crowd, his student among them. "Ootori-san I wouldn't want to impose on your club hospitality."
The blond jumps in "The princesses would love to see a real game," turning to the standing fans, "wouldn't you?"
"Yes Tamaki-sama!" comes right back at him.
The Hitachiins slide from in front of Touya to where Kyoya is standing. "Shall we make this double or nothing?"
"What could you have that would pay off better than you two in my photo shoot?"
In unison their heads tilt towards the wary go pro with blond bangs, "a guest host?"
Ootori's brow raises and his eyes seem to be assessing the saleability of the above mentioned pro. "And if he wins?"
"Same as before."
"Agreed"
Shindo in the mean time has been trying to persuade Touya how bad an idea this was, "Trust me they are up to something."
"Shindo this is a perfectly good place to have a match we are here, they seem to be interested. Are you not the one that is always trying to bring go out into the world?"
"Yes, but this isn't a good idea Touya I just know it."
At the end of this statement Ootori walks up to them. "Sensei if you would please take my side of the goban." with a slight bow to his former seat. Touya accepts gracefully and moves towards it.
The twins move up to the side of Shindo. "Sensei?" as they gesture towards Kaoru's vacated seat.
"I am not doing it you two. Forget it!"
"But sensei you can beat him and get us out of this mess."
"Why should I?"
The twins look at each other then back to him, "If you win we will continue to play."
"If I lose?"
"You have to come to the beach with us" "But we will play go with you there."
"So its a win win for you." "You said he's beat able sensei."
"All right," Shindo grudging moves towards the cushion across the goban from his rival.