HnG: Different Roads ch5
So here's the next chapter. I cut it in the middle--do you guys think it's a little too short?
Title: DIFFERENT ROADS, SAME DESTINATION
Author: Lady Addiction
Fandom: Hikaru no Go
Pairings: None
Warnings: GEN, AU, angst, people with disabilities
Dedication: In thanks to the Lord for his many mercies in my own life.
DISCLAIMER: Hikaru no Go doesn't belong to me.
SUMMARY: In another universe, events unfolded differently after a ten-year-old Shindou Hikaru is diagnosed by a life-long deteriorating condition. How will him and his family cope with the effects?
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
V.
Hiroshi had been reading a folk story aloud to his grandson when he saw the hand closest to him twitch. The book fell from his nerveless fingers as he stared, grateful tears running down his cheeks. He scrambled to push a button for a nurse.
Two days later, the hospital reported that Hikaru had opened his eyes.
WWWW
:Ne, Hikaru, let’s play Go!:
The young boy sighed exasperatedly and put down the manga he was reading. He had been back home for little more than a week and apart from his new cellphone and the intercom system, it seemed as if nothing had changed.
That was an illusion.
Many things had changed in the four months he had been in the hospital. Hikaru had become the reluctant witness to his parents’ arguing, the hapless victim of his father’s cold silence, and the laughable dunce in his class.
It was mainly due to Sai’s warm presence, Akari’s friendship, and his grandparents’ continuing love that Hikaru was able to keep his spirits up. Still, as much as he liked Sai, Hikaru grew tired of the ghost’s nagging.
He glared at his persistent and annoying friend. :Sai, we just played a game an hour ago! Besides, I’m supposed to play Jii-chan again tonight! I’m tired of Go!:
:Hikaru, how can you be tired of Go?!: The young boy blocked his ears with his hands in a futile attempt to stave off yet another of Sai’s lengthy and flowery monologues on the beauty of Go. He truly didn’t understand why his grandfather or Sai liked the game so much. Sure, he enjoyed the games when he won against his grandfather, but Hikaru didn’t have the same passion for the game as his Jii-chan and Sai did. He tried to think of a way to distract Sai.
:Hikaru? Hikaru, where are you going?:
Hikaru tromped past Sai, rubbing the back of his head. “I’m hungry. I’m going to go see if Kaa-san made me ramen like I asked.”
:I don’t think ramen’s good for you,: the ghost replied doubtfully. Hikaru stuck his tongue out at the ghost. :Biiiiii-da! I don’t care! I have to eat all those vitamin pills and vegetables and stuff all the time anyway! One bowl of ramen’s got to be better than those crap!:
:One bowl? But you never eat only one, Hikaru!:
The boy ran out of his room, hoping that he could somehow outrun the nagging phantom. He skidded into the much smaller kitchen. His mother was sitting at the table, peeling potatoes. “Kaa-san, I’m hungry! What are we having for dinner?” Hikaru pounced on the refrigerator and began to rummage through the contents. He frowned as he noticed that there were far too many green and yellow vegetables and there was no sign of anything like mochi cakes or meat-buns. “Can I have some ramen?”
“I’m making some beef-and-vegetable stew for tonight, Hikaru,” his mother replied sharply. “It’s much better for you than ramen.”
“But, Kaa-san, ramen’s ---“
“Hikaru! Remember your condition! You don’t want to go back to the hospital, do you?” Hikaru scowled at the angry look his mother directed at him. “Now if you’re really hungry, I’ve made some congee for you. It’s on the stove.”
“I hate congee.” Hikaru stomped out of the kitchen and ran out of the house. “Stupid Kaa-san! What’s wrong about having ramen? It’s got protein and carbohydrates and all that stuff the doctor said I need, doesn’t it?” He complained to Sai. The ghost looked helpless and Hikaru snorted. Of course, he would end up with a phantom who’s only good at Go and useless at everything else.
“Oi, Hikaru!” Toshikawa Akito from the house two doors down was waving at him from the front gate. Hikaru grinned and ran to meet his friend.
“Looks like you’re fine,” the short but athletic boy continued. “Hey, me, Junpei, and Yuushi are going over to the arcade. Do you want to go with us?”
Hikaru’s eyes brightened. It had been months since he’d last visited an arcade. “Sure! Just let me go ask for money, okay?”
“Okay, I’ll wait for you here.”
The green-eyed boy sped back to the kitchen. His mother had moved to the sink where she was putting the potato chunks into a basin. She looked up in surprise. “Hikaru-chan, is something wrong?”
“Ne, Kaa-san, Akito-kun and the others are inviting me to the arcade! Can I have some money to go with them?”
His mother’s face darkened. “Why do you need to spend money on such useless things, Hikaru-chan? Besides, don’t you have a lot of homework to catch up on? You’ve missed over two months of classes already!”
“I can do all that tomorrow, Kaa-san! Please!” Hikaru put on his best pleading expression.
“I said no, Hikaru! What do you think we are, made of money? If you must, go to the playground and play with Akari-chan!” With that, his mother turned her back to him.
Hikaru curled his hands into tight fists. “You never used to have a problem giving me some money to go to the arcade before!” he yelled. “What’s so different now?”
“Hikaru-chan, is this how you speak to your mother?! I don’t know what’s going on with you, you’ve become such a spoiled child! Go to your room, young man, and do your homework! Don’t you think you’ve given your father and me enough problems already?!”
He could only stare at his mother in disbelief. Then, ignoring his mother’s shocked cries, he ran out of the house past the surprised Akito and continued on towards the park.
In the small sandy lot where slides, monkey bars, and assorted outdoor toys had been assembled, Hikaru crawled into the tiny doorway of a small plastic house. He closed the little green windows and curled up in the darkness. Sai tried to follow but the space inside the house was barely big enough for Hikaru. He had to settle for kneeling besides the windows.
:Hikaru, your mother didn’t mean it. She’s just tired,: Sai said consolingly. :She’s been so busy lately. I’m sure she’s not really angry with you.:
It continued like that for long moments, Sai trying to comfort the boy but Hikaru remained quiet. Suddenly, a movement at the corner of his eye attracted the ghost’s attention. To his relief, he recognized Hikaru’s grandfather coming their way. Jii-chan was carrying a paper bag. :Hikaru, your grandfather’s here.:
Sai moved aside so that the elderly man could kneel in front of the windows. There was no door so the black-and-red of Hikaru’s sneakers peeked out, revealing his hiding place.
“Hikaru? Hikaru? Jii-chan’s here with some taiyaki. They’re freshly made and I bought some with red-bean and custard, just like you like it,” the old man cajoled. “Come out here and eat them with me before they get cold.”
The two waited patiently. Finally, one of the windows slid open partially. Hikaru peeked out, his eyes a little blood-shot but there were no other signs that he’d been crying. “Ora yo,” his grandfather said, smiling gently. He passed Hikaru one of the steaming-hot, fish-shaped pastries that was making even Sai drool. The old man switched from a kneeling position to a cross-legged one facing the same direction as Hikaru, and took out a piece for himself. Sai watched them eat, feeling a warmth spreading through him.
“Hikaru, your mother told me what happened. I’m sorry that you had to hear that but Mitsuko-chan has been very worried for the past three months. She’s probably very tired right now and not thinking clearly,” his grandfather explained.
“Jii-chan…” Hikaru frowned, then looked away. “Can I have another?”
“Of course, Hikaru! I bought them for the two of us!” Another pastry was passed through the window. “Hikaru, you know your mother didn’t mean it, don’t you? She loves you.”
There was a long, uncomfortable silence before: “I know, Jii-chan.” It came out dull to Sai’s ears, but Hikaru’s grandfather didn’t seem to notice.
“That’s good, Hikaru. Now, why don’t you come out of there and we can go check out to the Kakei Stadium to see when’s the next big event?”
Hikaru crawled out of his hiding place, taking his time to dust himself off. He helped his grandfather to his feet. “Good idea, Jii-chan.” The boy beamed as he followed the older man.
Sai came after them, walking more sedately. He held the tip of his fan to his lips thoughtfully, but he refrained from saying anything.
WWWW
Title: DIFFERENT ROADS, SAME DESTINATION
Author: Lady Addiction
Fandom: Hikaru no Go
Pairings: None
Warnings: GEN, AU, angst, people with disabilities
Dedication: In thanks to the Lord for his many mercies in my own life.
DISCLAIMER: Hikaru no Go doesn't belong to me.
SUMMARY: In another universe, events unfolded differently after a ten-year-old Shindou Hikaru is diagnosed by a life-long deteriorating condition. How will him and his family cope with the effects?
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
V.
Hiroshi had been reading a folk story aloud to his grandson when he saw the hand closest to him twitch. The book fell from his nerveless fingers as he stared, grateful tears running down his cheeks. He scrambled to push a button for a nurse.
Two days later, the hospital reported that Hikaru had opened his eyes.
WWWW
:Ne, Hikaru, let’s play Go!:
The young boy sighed exasperatedly and put down the manga he was reading. He had been back home for little more than a week and apart from his new cellphone and the intercom system, it seemed as if nothing had changed.
That was an illusion.
Many things had changed in the four months he had been in the hospital. Hikaru had become the reluctant witness to his parents’ arguing, the hapless victim of his father’s cold silence, and the laughable dunce in his class.
It was mainly due to Sai’s warm presence, Akari’s friendship, and his grandparents’ continuing love that Hikaru was able to keep his spirits up. Still, as much as he liked Sai, Hikaru grew tired of the ghost’s nagging.
He glared at his persistent and annoying friend. :Sai, we just played a game an hour ago! Besides, I’m supposed to play Jii-chan again tonight! I’m tired of Go!:
:Hikaru, how can you be tired of Go?!: The young boy blocked his ears with his hands in a futile attempt to stave off yet another of Sai’s lengthy and flowery monologues on the beauty of Go. He truly didn’t understand why his grandfather or Sai liked the game so much. Sure, he enjoyed the games when he won against his grandfather, but Hikaru didn’t have the same passion for the game as his Jii-chan and Sai did. He tried to think of a way to distract Sai.
:Hikaru? Hikaru, where are you going?:
Hikaru tromped past Sai, rubbing the back of his head. “I’m hungry. I’m going to go see if Kaa-san made me ramen like I asked.”
:I don’t think ramen’s good for you,: the ghost replied doubtfully. Hikaru stuck his tongue out at the ghost. :Biiiiii-da! I don’t care! I have to eat all those vitamin pills and vegetables and stuff all the time anyway! One bowl of ramen’s got to be better than those crap!:
:One bowl? But you never eat only one, Hikaru!:
The boy ran out of his room, hoping that he could somehow outrun the nagging phantom. He skidded into the much smaller kitchen. His mother was sitting at the table, peeling potatoes. “Kaa-san, I’m hungry! What are we having for dinner?” Hikaru pounced on the refrigerator and began to rummage through the contents. He frowned as he noticed that there were far too many green and yellow vegetables and there was no sign of anything like mochi cakes or meat-buns. “Can I have some ramen?”
“I’m making some beef-and-vegetable stew for tonight, Hikaru,” his mother replied sharply. “It’s much better for you than ramen.”
“But, Kaa-san, ramen’s ---“
“Hikaru! Remember your condition! You don’t want to go back to the hospital, do you?” Hikaru scowled at the angry look his mother directed at him. “Now if you’re really hungry, I’ve made some congee for you. It’s on the stove.”
“I hate congee.” Hikaru stomped out of the kitchen and ran out of the house. “Stupid Kaa-san! What’s wrong about having ramen? It’s got protein and carbohydrates and all that stuff the doctor said I need, doesn’t it?” He complained to Sai. The ghost looked helpless and Hikaru snorted. Of course, he would end up with a phantom who’s only good at Go and useless at everything else.
“Oi, Hikaru!” Toshikawa Akito from the house two doors down was waving at him from the front gate. Hikaru grinned and ran to meet his friend.
“Looks like you’re fine,” the short but athletic boy continued. “Hey, me, Junpei, and Yuushi are going over to the arcade. Do you want to go with us?”
Hikaru’s eyes brightened. It had been months since he’d last visited an arcade. “Sure! Just let me go ask for money, okay?”
“Okay, I’ll wait for you here.”
The green-eyed boy sped back to the kitchen. His mother had moved to the sink where she was putting the potato chunks into a basin. She looked up in surprise. “Hikaru-chan, is something wrong?”
“Ne, Kaa-san, Akito-kun and the others are inviting me to the arcade! Can I have some money to go with them?”
His mother’s face darkened. “Why do you need to spend money on such useless things, Hikaru-chan? Besides, don’t you have a lot of homework to catch up on? You’ve missed over two months of classes already!”
“I can do all that tomorrow, Kaa-san! Please!” Hikaru put on his best pleading expression.
“I said no, Hikaru! What do you think we are, made of money? If you must, go to the playground and play with Akari-chan!” With that, his mother turned her back to him.
Hikaru curled his hands into tight fists. “You never used to have a problem giving me some money to go to the arcade before!” he yelled. “What’s so different now?”
“Hikaru-chan, is this how you speak to your mother?! I don’t know what’s going on with you, you’ve become such a spoiled child! Go to your room, young man, and do your homework! Don’t you think you’ve given your father and me enough problems already?!”
He could only stare at his mother in disbelief. Then, ignoring his mother’s shocked cries, he ran out of the house past the surprised Akito and continued on towards the park.
In the small sandy lot where slides, monkey bars, and assorted outdoor toys had been assembled, Hikaru crawled into the tiny doorway of a small plastic house. He closed the little green windows and curled up in the darkness. Sai tried to follow but the space inside the house was barely big enough for Hikaru. He had to settle for kneeling besides the windows.
:Hikaru, your mother didn’t mean it. She’s just tired,: Sai said consolingly. :She’s been so busy lately. I’m sure she’s not really angry with you.:
It continued like that for long moments, Sai trying to comfort the boy but Hikaru remained quiet. Suddenly, a movement at the corner of his eye attracted the ghost’s attention. To his relief, he recognized Hikaru’s grandfather coming their way. Jii-chan was carrying a paper bag. :Hikaru, your grandfather’s here.:
Sai moved aside so that the elderly man could kneel in front of the windows. There was no door so the black-and-red of Hikaru’s sneakers peeked out, revealing his hiding place.
“Hikaru? Hikaru? Jii-chan’s here with some taiyaki. They’re freshly made and I bought some with red-bean and custard, just like you like it,” the old man cajoled. “Come out here and eat them with me before they get cold.”
The two waited patiently. Finally, one of the windows slid open partially. Hikaru peeked out, his eyes a little blood-shot but there were no other signs that he’d been crying. “Ora yo,” his grandfather said, smiling gently. He passed Hikaru one of the steaming-hot, fish-shaped pastries that was making even Sai drool. The old man switched from a kneeling position to a cross-legged one facing the same direction as Hikaru, and took out a piece for himself. Sai watched them eat, feeling a warmth spreading through him.
“Hikaru, your mother told me what happened. I’m sorry that you had to hear that but Mitsuko-chan has been very worried for the past three months. She’s probably very tired right now and not thinking clearly,” his grandfather explained.
“Jii-chan…” Hikaru frowned, then looked away. “Can I have another?”
“Of course, Hikaru! I bought them for the two of us!” Another pastry was passed through the window. “Hikaru, you know your mother didn’t mean it, don’t you? She loves you.”
There was a long, uncomfortable silence before: “I know, Jii-chan.” It came out dull to Sai’s ears, but Hikaru’s grandfather didn’t seem to notice.
“That’s good, Hikaru. Now, why don’t you come out of there and we can go check out to the Kakei Stadium to see when’s the next big event?”
Hikaru crawled out of his hiding place, taking his time to dust himself off. He helped his grandfather to his feet. “Good idea, Jii-chan.” The boy beamed as he followed the older man.
Sai came after them, walking more sedately. He held the tip of his fan to his lips thoughtfully, but he refrained from saying anything.
WWWW