Chapter Text
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He met Isumi Shinichiro just outside, mere steps from where he had parked his car by the side of the street. Startled and not a little offended--why was he here?--he only nodded curtly at the other pro.
"Good afternoon, Ogata-san," Isumi spoke first, dashing his hopes of avoiding a conversation.
"Good afternoon," he said, torn between a sudden urge to be rude and the desire to retain his usual aloof, polite manner, especially towards pros he expected to meet across the goban soon.
"You're here to see Kuwabara-sensei too?" Isumi said, not seeming the least intimidated by his short reply.
Obviously, Ogata thought, since they were standing just outside the gate of the man's house. "That is why I'm here," he replied, hoping that his annoyance did not show, but not caring if it did. He adjusted his glasses, a seemingly habitual gesture that he knew made him look even more intimidating.
Somehow, the presence of this person, the one who had defeated Kuwabara in his New Shodan game and made the old man's expression turn thoughtful, rubbed him up the wrong way. Perhaps it was his unruffled manner, the way he faced Kuwabara and his bullying attitude without a visible qualm.
It had been years since that game, but the memory still caused a frissure of discontent when Ogata recalled it.
Calm and collected he might be in front of a goban, Isumi showed his age in the way he flushed at Ogata's reply. "Uh... right," he gave an embarrassed nod.
Ogata watched him, aware that his eyes had narrowed just a fraction behind his glasses, enjoying his discomfort. "I'm surprised to see you here," he said, deciding to challenge the younger pro's right to even be here, talking to him.
If there was one thing Kuwabara had taught him, it was that psychological tactics were not too dishonorable to use.
To his surprise, Isumi did not quail at his words. Instead, he suddenly looked more serious and stared at Ogata intently, as though trying to decide something. It only took a few seconds, but Isumi only bowed to him. "I wanted to talk to Kuwabara-sensei," he said, as though Ogata had accused him of something more than mere acquaintanceship with the old man.
"Oh?" Ogata said, thinking that Isumi's expression spoke of secrets that were difficult to keep. He wondered what those secrets were, and started to open his mouth to ask.
"Kuwabara-sensei will be pleased to see you," Isumi said, bowing again, which allowed him to avoid Ogata's gaze, so that Ogata's question died on his lips. "Please have a good visit," Isumi added, and turned to leave.
Ogata watched as he walked down the street, presumably in the direction of the nearest subway station. The other pro disappeared quickly into the distance, though the image of that stiffly held back seemed to loom large in his consciousness. The way he had mentioned Kuwabara; it was as though there was something important.
No matter. Ogata shook himself. He would uncover it soon enough; after all, that was what he had come for.
He pressed the doorbell. A servant came and showed him into the house.
Kuwabara Honinbou had held the title for fifteen years and the prize money, not to mention royalties from books and appearances, had provided for him well. A simple house in Tokyo, upscale enough to have more than just a postage stamp-size garden: there was a large garden, with tall green bamboo swaying by the garden walls. The house was not the traditional structure favoured by Touya Kouyo, but it did have a large tatami room that looked out towards the garden.
Ogata had been here before.
He looked around the tatami room, studying it with a familiar eye. It looked unchanged; he supposed it would have been too obvious that the room, with a beautiful, worn goban taking pride of place in the middle of the room and a stark-looking flower arrangement on a sidetable, would reveal the owner's sudden, shocking decision in some way.
"Well, it certainly took you long enough!" A raucous voice declared, and Ogata would have jumped if he were much younger. As it was, he only turned his head more quickly than he usually did, and watched as Kuwabara Honinbou entered. A servant accompanied him, setting up a small table where Ogata was sitting, and it was there that Kuwabara seated himself as well.
"Kuwabara-sensei," Ogata said in greeting. In spite of himself, he felt himself mentally shoring up his defenses, unwilling to let Kuwabara get better of him. It was a habit he had started to cultivate years ago, to avoid being made a fool by the old man again.
Kuwabara cackled. "I know, you didn't want to look like you were too anxious, right?" he asked, then shook a finger at him. "Tsk-tsk, Ogata-kun-" he said, dragging out the '-kun' as though to emphasise Ogata's age. "What happened to that hot-blooded young man I once knew?"
"He grew up," Ogata snapped. The fact was, he had rushed back from Kyoto the moment he heard the news, but he was not going to give the old man the satisfaction of knowing that.
"Pity." An expression of mock regret appeared on Kuwabara's face. "He was such an interesting opponent. I enjoyed playing with him."
Unable to help himself, Ogata corrected, "You mean, playing him."
"Oh, not at all!" Kuwabara said, but a burst of laughter betrayed him.
Ogata stiffened, listening to him wheeze with concealed impatience. The old man was doing it again, he decided. "I didn't see you at the Annual Go Dinner last month," he said. It was just the type of occasion that Kuwabara, with his seniority and wealth of contacts in the Go world, would have enjoyed.
Kuwabara didn't even blink at the suddenness of that statement. "I had another pressing engagement," he said. "Did you enjoy meeting all the sponsors, Ogata-kun?"
That '-kun' again, as well as the memory of a seemingly endless line-up of corporate sponsors, many of whom were amateur (some very amateur indeed) players, made Ogata's ire rise. It was difficult making small talk with all of them, yet one had to be polite to them--it had taken all his patience. Ogata held on to his temper and managed not to glare at the old man.
But Kuwabara seemed to have sensed the direction of his thoughts anyway, and smirked even more obnoxiously. "It seems as though the younger generation simply doesn't have respect for its elders any more." He shook his head gently as though to express his ineffable sorrow.
A vein was beginning to throb at Ogata's temple. He hated the way a simple taunt from the old man could rouse his anger like this.
"But I heard that you were there alone," Kuwabara said. "No date, it seems," he clicked his tongue, admonishing. "Ogata-kun, in my day-"
"How did you know that?"
Kuwabara looked crafty. "I have my informants, Ogata-kun. Although if you'd told me, I'd have given you a few tips. Did you get dumped? With women, you should-"
"It's none of your business," Ogata could not help gritting out.
A stiffened expression flowed over Kuwabara's face. For a second, he looked almost grey, before he recovered his usual amused mien. "That's not very friendly, is it?" he said. "I would have imparted to you my secrets of wooing women! Have you tried-"
"I've heard it all," Ogata interrupted before he could continue. "I came today for serious matters."
Kuwabara snorted. "Serious matters. You mean Go."
"Of course."
"Of course," Kuwabara echoed him in a mocking tone that made Ogata's hackles rise, before he sat back, his expression settled into the usual one he had in public: amused, dignified and not a little malicious. "Going to remain all professional and cool, Ogata-kun? Impressive."
Ogata glared at him from behind his glasses. "I'll cut to the chase-"
"So sudden?" Kuwabara said, rubbing his chin. "One might even say, hot-blooded."
Ogata gritted his teeth. There was no talking to this old man. "Answer me: Is it true? You're retiring?" he demanded.
"It sounds almost as though you'd miss me, Ogata-kun."
Ogata ignored the '-kun' this time. "Why?" he asked. "It's not like you to do something like this."
"Like Touya Kouyo, you mean?" Kuwabara raised his eyebrows. "If he can do it, why can't I?" His gaze seemed to burn into Ogata's.
"It's-" Ogata found himself at a loss for words. The truth was, he had never felt that it was his place to question why Touya Kouyo had decided to retire. But Kuwabara was somehow different. Ogata sometimes felt that he was more of an equal to Kuwabara than anything else. Maybe it was because they had actually been in competition together for the Honinbou title. "What is your reason?" he persisted. "I have to know."
Kuwabara studied him for a moment. "I've been in the Go world for a long time, Ogata-kun," he began abruptly. "During this time, I've had many good opponents. Zama, Kamaishi, and Haruna--he was before your time, too bad about the drinking--and many more. I've stayed here long enough to see Touya Kouya enter the Go world and retire, and I've met new players like Isumi and Shindou, even Touya's son..." He caught Ogata's eye. "And you, of course, Ogata-kun." He smirked.
Ogata was sure the old man had added that last bit just to needle him.
"Shindou in particular is interesting. He has an aura about him-"
"Your 'sixth sense' acting up again?" Ogata not quite sneered. "You should see a doctor for that."
For a moment the temperature in the room seemed to drop, as Kuwabara looked at him. It was just a look, from eyes set in a wrinkled face that seemed almost cold and alien.
Ogata managed not to reach up and adjust his glasses, a nervous habit he thought he had abandoned after he became a pro. These days, he did it consciously, only when he wanted to intimidate someone. Confusion and something that was not quite jealousy sprang in his mind. He had always known that Kuwabara favoured Shindou...
"No need for that," Kuwabara said, breaking the silence. He seemed to frown for a second, then, as though making up his mind, he regained his smirk. "Shindou has much to say about the permanence of Go in the world and through the centuries. You might even say he has a bit of an old soul inside him," he added, and seemed to find what he had said very amusing, for the wheezing laughter echoed through the room again.
Ogata gritted his teeth. He should have guessed: the old man was just trying to intimidate him.
"He is fortunate to have a rival in the form of Touya's boy," Kuwabara went on. "And if the arrangement comes with 'fringe' benefits..." His eyebrows waggled and he leered at Ogata. He might as well have made an obscene gesture.
Ogata felt sick at Kuwabara's heavy-handed insinuations. For someone his age to actually suggest that Shindou and Akira- he slammed that line of thought firmly down. The old man was distracting him again. "You-"
"And his--no, their Go. You should be looking forward to it, Ogata-kun."
Despite himself, Ogata agreed with that. He still didn't know what the connection between Sai and Shindou was, but there was no denying that Shindou's Go was brilliant. There was even talk of putting his and Akira's official games on the internet so that overseas players could watch them--Ogata supported the suggestion, and had gone as far as to discuss arrangements with the IT department of the Go Institute.
"-and there's Isumi-kun's Go as well." Kuwabara sounded thoughtful.
Ogata didn't know whether to be annoyed at the mention of the young pro. He could stand Shindou--and Akira--being discussed with such anticipation, but Kuwabara's near-instant liking of Isumi was irritating. He recalled the quite, polite demeanor of the pro he had met at the door just now. "He's a strong player, I know." Despite his dislike, Ogata could not deny Isumi's talent. A memory of Ogata himself declaring that Akira was not worth his time and Akira's dismayed look, flashed through his mind. He had a premonition that Isumi could in time prove to be even more mentally resilient than Akira.
"He's more than a strong player. He will be a powerful player." Kuwabara nodded, then mused, his eyes slightly narrowed at Ogata as though to gauge his reaction. "Maybe he'll be the next Honinbou."
Ogata bristled at that. He was in the running for the Honinbou title. In fact, he hoped that this year would be the one where he defeated Kuwabara- "Why are you retiring?" he burst out, realising that he would not be playing with Kuwabara if the rumour was true.
"Maybe I have played enough Go."
Ogata's scoff was audible; even the ends of Kuwabara's eyes wrinkled in a smile.
"Maybe I want to play amateur Go just like Touya Kouyo."
Ogata felt as though the winds had been taken out of his sails. "You-" he began before reason exerted himself. Kuwabara enjoyed the prestige of being Honinbou and being respected for holding onto such an important title. The idea that he would want to play amateur Go was frankly laughable. "That's not true. Tell me why," he demanded.
A flicker of genuine interest stirred in Kuwabara's eyes. "You really want to know?"
"Yes!"
"Then tell me why you really want to be Honinbou."
Ogata frowned. "Need I explain? It's the most prestigious title in Japan."
"Aside from that."
"It's-" Ogata paused. How could he explain that, by dint of being the most prestigious title in Japan--though the Meijin title was close behind--winning it would be a sign that he was truly knew Go? The Go world was growing, especially the new wave with Shindou Hikaru, and Ogata was eager to show that he could be part of it. But he didn't feel as though he could tell Kuwabara something so personal. He was not like Shindou or even Akira, to be blurting out his innermost thoughts to just anyone.
"Never mind."
Ogata looked up at the tone in Kuwabara's voice. "What?"
"I see that it is personal to you," Kuwabara said. His voice was gently mocking. "I shouldn't have pressed you."
"But-"
"Thank you for visiting, Ogata."
Ogata frowned at the dismissal. He had not come here to be humoured or to be made fun of. He had come for answers and he wanted to get them. "Tell me," he ordered.
Kuwabara only got to his feet. "You'll know sooner or later, Ogata-kun. Now, an old man like me needs his rest."
Ogata stared dumbly as Kuwabara left the room.
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