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Happy Hikago Day! Let’s Five!

Hi, Manga Bookshelf readers and friends! I’m Aja, the person who introduced our dear MJ to Hikaru no Go, and I’m so happy to be a guest here, today of all days.

May 5th is a huge day for Hikaru no Go fans. Not only is the date extremely important in the storyline of the series itself, but the Japanese words for “5” and “Go” are identical. In fact, after he starts getting into the game of Go, the protagonist, Hikaru, is depicted wearing a t-shirt that reads, “Let’s 5!” instead of “Let’s go!”

Four years ago, I accidentally started a tradition on my own livejournal, when I created a meme (really, a game) called “Let’s Five!” The idea is simple: you ask one another for your Top Five lists about the series, the fandom, your favorite characters, fics, pairings, the game, anything you want. The person who answers can then ask you for a Top 5 of your own.

You can read the previous incarnations of this meme here (2007), here (2008), here (2009), and here (2010).

In honor of the final publication of this beloved series, MJinvited me to host my annual May 5th meme here as part of Manga Bookshelf’s Hikago Day celebration.

This is especially exciting for me, because it’s the 5th anniversary of my Top 5 “Let’s 5” 5/5 celebration! (That’s five fives!)

So join me in celebrating today, and Let’s Five!

How to play:
1. Comment to this post!
2. Other commenters will ask you for one of your top-5 Hikago related things! For example: ‘Top 5 favorite characters,’ ‘Top 5 favorite game match-ups,’ ‘Top 5 times Touya and Hikaru were embarrassingly in love,’ and so on and so forth!
3. You answer. There is much flailing. REPEAT STEPS 1-3.

READY?

SET?

LET’S FIVE!

Reader Interactions

Comments

      • Oooooh difficult! Okay…. hmmmm… in no particular order:

        1. Nase
        2. Hong Suyong
        3. Hikaru’s mom
        4. Kaneko
        5. Honda

        I left out supporting characters like Waya, Yashiro, and Akari, because they really aren’t “minor” enough, I don’t think, for what you’re asking.

        Reply

        • ooh, hmm, yeah, i’m not sure where i’d fit Yashiro and Akari into the scope of ‘main -> minor’ characters, but to me Waya is definitely a major character. (He’s the one who guesses intuitively, not even 2/3rds through the series, that Sai and Hikaru are the same person! He’s just a casual genius in the background. Love him. <3)

          What are your top 5 things about Haze Junior High? :D

          Reply

      • Oh, wow, that’s an interesting question, because there’s definitely a distinction between characters I consider great characters and those I actually like. Ogata, for instance, is a great character, but I think he’s a total slimeball. But since I feel that way about a whole lot of the older players, I’ll just go for “great characters” here, rather than those I like as people.

        1. SAI (is this too obvious? and okay, I realize he’s not officially ranked, but Shusaku surely was, so…)
        2. Ogata
        3. Kuwabara (I actually do like him, unlike Ogata. heh.)
        4. Kurata (ditto on Kurata)
        5. Touya Meijin (whom I actually don’t like all that much as a person)

        Reply

      • Ohhhh, interesting question!

        1.) It’s cliche, probably, but my favorite has always been #23. I just love that image of Hikaru and Akira, all grown up! *sniff*
        2.) #11 Is just love…Sai and his flute! <33333
        3.) I adore the image of Sai on #15. One of my favorite images of him, period.
        4.) Sai's expression on #17 just makes makes me want to cry ^^;;;;
        5.) Akira on #3 is just…I can't even really explain why I love it so much. The seriousness on one so young is just…so beautiful.

        Reply

      • 1.) The match between Akira and Hikaru at the very end of the series – which we NEVER SEE RAWR! But that’s ok…the scenes leading up to it and following it are enough to make it my favorite of all time.
        2.) The 3rd board Go Club match between Akira and Hikaru, when Hikaru tries to play on his own and sends Akira into a towering rage. To see how upset he was over *winning* is just…I adore it.
        3.) Kuwabara and Ogata for the Honinbu title. The mind games…oh the mind games! XD
        4.) The very first match between Akira and Hikaru, with Sai playing. Still gives me shivers, just because of what’s to come.
        5.) Hikaru and Isumi during the pro exams. It just explains SO MUCH about Isumi’s character and why it took him so long to find himself.

        Reply

      • 1. Hikaru and Ko Yong Ha
        2. Hikaru vs. Tsutsui, Kaga and Mitani (you just know that no matter the outcome, there won’t be a happy ending)
        3. Hikaru and Yashiro in the Hokuto Cup preliminaries because it’s really about Ochi, but it’s REALLY about Waya.
        4. Sai/Hikaru and Touya Sr. in Hikaru’s shin shodan game.
        5. Akira’s threeway game

        Reply

  3. The Borders near me finally got Hikago 23 in stock! I didn’t want to wait for shipping, that would have taken longer. So I know where I’m going after my classes are over! Just to ensure, I’ve reserved the copy at the store, mwahaha!

    Hit me with a top 5, just keep in mind I’ve not read the last two volumes….yet, that will all change by this evening!

    Reply

      • Hmm, I’m going to go with Sai here:
        1) He’s naive about technology, but somehow adorable and not annoying (like most characters like that would be)
        2) He has so much passion for Go it prevents him from passing on
        3) Yumi Hotta’s frustration at people mistaking him as a “her”
        4) The whole online Go playing thing that swept the professional Go world by storm
        5) His game vs Toya Meijin

        Reply

      • 1) Hikaru-seriously, it’s half blond and half black, wtf? Gotta love that inexplicable anime hair dye job!
        2) Yashiro-white haired pretty boys ftw!
        3) Waya-simple anime hair, but it works
        4) Akari-like the way her hair is up
        5) Mitani-actually his hair looks a lot like mine

        Reply

      • 1. Isumi – This one’s easy, it broke my heart when he didn’t pass.
        2. Mitani, when lost to the guy in the Go salon (even if he was being a little cheat)
        3. Tsutsui, any time he lost.
        4. Hikaru, when he lost against the bearded guy in the pro test.
        5. The whole Haze Junior High Go team, when they lost to Kaio

        Reply

        • Isumi was my saddest loss to see too :( He didn’t get to go pro with Hikaru :(
          Glad he came back and took no prisoners the next Go exam!

          Reply

      • Ah crap, I just remembered how long it’s been since I read most of the manga. XD

        5. “You’re Zelda!”
        4. When he asked for money to become an insei. His family were all like “Are you sure about this?” and Hikaru was all “Yep, totes. THIS BOARD GAME IS MY LIFE NOW, didn’t you know?”
        3. All the fun times with Kawai & co.! I will never get tired of seeing Hikaru being a Go dork with hilarious middle-aged guys.
        2. STARS. THE GOBAN IS MADE OF STARS. (okay technically that was Sai’s analogy, but still)
        1. Declaration of eternal rivalry.

        Top five hilarious teenage genre AUs (e.g. zombies, boyband, Gundam)? Or, alternatively, five ways the female characters could/should have had a bigger role.

        Reply

  7. I came across this meme a couple months ago and I vowed that I would participate this year. Gimme 5!

    Reply

      • I want to list all of Akira’s outfits just for teh lulz, but I’ll refrain for the sake of your sanity.

        1. Nase’s outfit on the cover of Vol. 18: http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166570675l/13593.jpg
        2. Ogata’s pimptastic white suit
        3. Mitani in his red shirt and suspenders
        4. Hikaru’s vampire costume: http://www.canadianshack.net/hikagoart/saibook-44.jpg
        5. Akira’s striped shirt and jacket combo are actually kind of nice here: http://gallery.minitokyo.net/view/314927

        My turn! 5 favorite Akira/anyone interactions

        Reply

        • ooh, these are all *amazing* :D I LOVE Nase’s outift, and much loooool for Hikaru’s vampire costume!

          In no particular order:
          1. Akira and Waya. They hardly interact, I know, but I love Waya’s *_* face whenever he sees Akira. And Hikaru’s reaction to that.
          2. Akira and Ogata have a really strange student/teacher vs rival thing going, I find that terribly fascinating how they’re toeing those lines.
          3. Akira and Ichikawa. I don’t know why, they just feel a lot little bro/older sister to me in the way they interact, and his little wink at her in the beginning and her not taking any of his crap :)
          4. Akira and his father. The anime shows so little of their relationship directly, but with HnG it’s all in the subtle little moments and background details, and I think their interactions are painted in a very solemn, calm, healthy way. There’s expectation but there’s also understanding. It’s colored by the cultural background of it all, too, and I love that a lot.
          5. Akira and Hikaru of course. There’s something so simple and honest in all their interactions, and yet it’s so deep and complex and moving, I could gush about all their little moments forever and ever. I think what always hits me most is that first moment when they first meet and Hikaru asks to play and Akira offers, and he expects a beginner, but he still offers to play with him (it made me fall in love with Akira, that little gesture :)

          Reply

          • ahsjdsfajlkl LOVE your number 1. It always makes me laugh when Akira and Waya interact; it’s basically like “Ugh, Touya, why are you here,” or “Touya’s such an arrogant prick,” or “that damn Touya!” And Touya’s just like, “Oh, did you say something?”

            That’s an interesting take on Ichikawa and Akira’s relationship! I always supposed that Ichikawa harbored some maternal feelings towards Akira, treating him like the son she always wanted. But I can definitely see where your interpretation comes from.

            Akira and Hikaru OBVIOUSLY. I remember holding my breath every time they shared a scene. UGH, these two have my heart forever and ever.

            Reply

            • Waya’s fiery glares of dislike never cease to entertain me :D I would have loved them to have a few scenes together where they actually interact because I believe they could be *awesome* friends once they get past their little… insecurities (god, can you imagine, Akira getting jealous because Hikaru and Waya have so much FUN and he’s like :( :( :( we only ever play Go WHICH IS ENOUGH OKAY I LOVE GO BUT… …. … orgasms? :D

              Ahem. Forever and Ever Akira<3Hikaru :D:D:D

              Reply

      • ooh, Insei moments. Hardddd! :D

        1. his application, definitely. the way Hikaru is so uninformed about everything beside playing Go “GO GO GO LET’S PLAY WHUT RULES AND REGULATIONS LET’S JUST PLAY \O/” haha :) that always makes me smile
        2. Every Shindou/Fuku moment ever. They are so hilarious together. Their gaaames *grins*
        3. Hikaru being scared of Tsubaki
        4. JAPAN VS KOREA INSEI MATCH :D
        5. Waya trying to get Isumi to looooove him (and then in the end heart-breakingly deciding that he wants to win more) which makes Isumi go out to find some backbone :) EVERYONE WINS

        OKAY your turn:
        5 things Akira finds silly/stupid about Hikaru (but secretly adores at the same time)

        Reply

  10. I’ve read through the past Let’s Five! posts so many times! Ahh I’m so excited I finally get to participate. :D

    Reply

  11. Since I only got into Hikago last summer and it was after May 5th, this is my first 5/5 day! :D …Too bad I will be busy doing work basically all day, heh, but I can maybe find a break to do a 5 if someone has one for me?

    Reply

      • Hmmmmm.
        1) The music? Ha, I could probably use this for all five times. I simultaneously LOVE the music and find it HILARIOUS.
        2) Sai’s backstory. Ha, I’m so bad, I lol at all these things that are supposed to be taken seriously, and I can’t help giggling at them, but I’m also SUPER CHARMED that the series wants me to take them seriously, awww.
        3) Oh gosh, when Shindou is playing his First Dan game and Ochi and Waya keep having that, “Here’s our friend, peer, and rival” or w/e conversation until they’re finally like “CAN’T KEEP TELLING OURSELVES THIS LIE ANYMORE, AHHHHH WE FAIL.”
        4) When Shindou accidentally blurts things out. EVERY TIME. Particular favorites include when he first told the Insei about Touya requesting third board just to play him, and also the part when he tells Waya what Waya said when he played Sai, heh.
        5) Near the end of the manga, when Shindou and Touya and Yashiro were having their all-evening training matches against each other, and there’s those three panels or whatever in a row with different combinations of them playing, and the other ones falling asleep or then being hit over the head or whatever… Adorable and hilarious.

        Reply

        • I love all of these! Especially your number 5, YES. :D I love the dynamic between these three.

          And lol don’t worry about being bad, I laugh at the most inappropriate times as well. You remember when Haze loses against Kaio during the second school tournament? And Hikaru, Tsutsui and Mitani all burst into tears? I DIE LAUGHING EVERY TIME. I AM A HORRIBLE PERSON, I KNOW.

          You can do me now!

          Reply

          • Ohhhh I didn’t realize it was back and forth. Well! How about five times you wished you could shout at the characters through your TV/computerscreen/the manga page? ;D

            Reply

            • 1. Hikaru, all the time. Boy does not know when to shut his mouth! But the results are hilarious, I can’t lie.
              2. Ogata, after he pushes Hikaru against a wall. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Step away from the child.
              3. Akira, after he shows up at Hikaru’s school and makes that embarrassingly lovey-dovey speech to Hikaru whilst surrounded by Hikaru’s peers. AKIRA YOUR GAY IS SHOWING.
              4. Sai, when he disappeared. I know it wasn’t his fault, but OMG MY EMOTIONS. ;_;
              5. Waya, when he’s being mean to Hikaru and Akira. But his attitude is also the reason I love him. <3

              Reply

              • (My biggest one was the show, after Sai disappeared, haha. B/c Shindou kept being SAD and NOT PLAYING GO and they wouldn’t FIX IT and then they started having these FLASHBACK EPISODES INSTEAD OF RESOLVING THINGS and I kept running out of my room with my eyes bugging out of my head yelling frantically about how terrible it was that the show kept torturing me, while the other people in my house nodded and threw me very concerned glances and tried to stay out of my way.)

                Reply

      • 1) Sometimes Touya notices Shindou talking to that fan he’s taken to carrying around. Shindou always looks so vulnerable when he’s doing it that instead of teasing him, Touya pretends he doesn’t hear.
        2) That one time Touya had Shindou over and it was late in the evening and they started to fight over something stupid during a game and ended up wrestling on the floor, and it sort of turns a little bit into groping, well, if neither of them mentions it later, then it can’t have been, right?
        3) After Touya cooks for Shindou a few times when he’s had him over for practice games, Shindou insists that he can do the same. Touya never lets on that he has eaten regularly at the restaurant Shindou gets the take-out food from that he passes off at his own cooking.
        4) Shindou may think he’s hiding his extensive collection of magazine clippings about Touya and all the matches he plays, but it’s kind of hard to keep hiding those once they become roommates. Anyway, it’s the photographs that are a bit more suspicious. But Touya doesn’t mention it because if he did, maybe Shindou would bring up that he’s discovered Touya’s even larger collection, and that’s just not something Touya feels like talking about.
        5) Every year around the same time, Shindou sneaks off to visit Shuusaku’s grave, and he thinks no one notices, but his obsession with Shuusaku is well-known and when he keeps leaving his travel itinerary laying around the apartment, it’s not much of a secret. But Touya lets him keep thinking it is until the fifth year, when they start going together.

        Erm, and in response, 5 non-Go board games Shindou and Touya play together, and how those work out for them, heh.

        Reply

        • oooh, lovely :D cookery! :D oooh, Touya, haha, oh HIKARU getting take-out food, YOU LITTLE IDIOT *hearts*

          1. Shogi. Complete disaster. Shindou can’t remember the rules and Touya keeps putting Go-stones on the board ‘by accident’.
          2. Scrabble in English. Touya’s mom speaks fluently, and Hikaru only ever spells Go words. Akira keeps having to push his hand off his knee, becuase hello, his mom, but Hikaru just grins.
          3. Monopoly. Isumi kicks everyone’s ass and buys all the expensive streets before anyone else has even scrounged up enough money to look at them. Touya keeps going to prison, every single round. Hikaru cannot stop laughing at this and keeps secretly slipping him cash so he can get out sooner. Waya just stares at Isumi like he’s made of rainbows.
          4. Trivial Pursuit. Waya knows all the answers. Especially for Akira’s questions. Akira sulks, Waya keeps sending him looks of triumphant victory, and Hikaru is still laughing his ass off at them. Isumi and Nase keep eye-rolling at everyone.
          5. they quit playing board-games after that because Waya and Akira actually start fighting for real and then there’s a scuffle and Waya ends up with a bloody nose and Akira with bruises around his neck and honestly, Go is much more fun anyway. Except for Waya, of course, who still can’t win a game against Akira. Hikaru, on the other hand, does.

          Reply

      • OOOOO!

        5. Waya Yoshitaka
        4. Ko Yeong-ha (Even though he drives me NUTS!)
        3.Yashiro Kiyoharu
        2. Shindou Hikaru
        1. Touya Akira (ahaha I’m so in love with him!)

        Top five times Akira would kind of like to hit Hikaru over the head with a goke. XD

        Reply

        • We have the same number 1! \o/

          5. When Hikaru squirms in seat during a formal match and whines “Can we take a break? I gotta use the bathroom.”
          4. When Hikaru unknowingly mocks the new cardigan his mother bought for him.
          3. When Hikaru accidentally spills ramen on his carpet, and then claims “It was an ugly color anyway.”
          2. When Hikaru is about to tell him about Sai, but falls asleep on his shoulder instead.
          1. When Hikaru says, “Crap, I forgot to buy lube again.”

          Reply

          • >2. When Hikaru is about to tell him about Sai, but falls asleep on his shoulder instead.

            Oh, man, when it looks like Hikaru is about to tell Ko Yongha about why he got into Go, all I could think is “OMG. He’s about to tell Ko Yongha about Sai and Akira is _right there_ looking on and there’s about to be the biggest cat fight, because how dare he even think of telling someone other than Akira first???”

            Reply

            • Is that in Vol. 23? I haven’t had a chance to go out and buy it yet, but omg ew, the thought of Hikaru telling SOMEONE OTHER THAN AKIRA about Sai is like, blasphemy. D: But I’m sure Hikaru realizes that somewhere in the back of his head. At least, he better. And lol an Akira/Ko Yongha catfight is something I would pay big bucks to witness. Speaking of which, 5 fist fights you would like to see?

              Reply

              • It’s the very last pages of vol. 22 so I had to wait for what felt like forever to see if Hikaru would *GASP* tell the wrong boy.

                Some of these fist fights are so unbalanced physically that I know they wouldn’t be satisfying but I still want to see them in a virtual sense.

                5. Sai vs. the pro who was all sleazy with the dishonest merchant
                4. Kurata vs. Hikaru / last bowl ramen
                3. Akira vs. Ko Yongha
                2. Ochi vs. Hikaru / winner gets to be Akira’s rival
                1. Akira vs. Ogata if Ogata ever figures out the Sai connection and becomes more obsessed with Hikaru

                Reply

                • Arrgh, all my manga is in my other apartment. Must reread. I think perhaps the idea of Hikaru telling _KO_ of all people about Sai was so against my head!canon that it didn’t even register with me while I was reading it. I’m weird like that.

                  Ochi vs. Hikaru oh my god. We were so close to having this in canon too. ;_;

                  Sai in a fist fight is legit bringing tears to my eyes. BWAHAHA.

                  My turn, my turn!

                  Reply

                  • Sai wouldn’t make a fist but when he got riled up enough, he would break his fan over the guy’s head… maybe? It would be awesome.

                    5 go-themed items that Akira is surprised/shocked/disturbed to find find in Hikaru’s possession
                    or
                    5 gifts Hikaru gives Akira?

                    Reply

                    • Pffft, someone needs to draw this for me asap!

                      5. Akira nearly sobs when he discovers that Hikaru owns exactly 55 articles of clothing. He does sob when he realized each piece is emblazoned with the number 5.

                      4. “Look! They’re Go stones!” says Hikaru excitedly as he gestures to his new pair of black and white polka-dotted underwear. Akira hangs his head.

                      3. Akira comes home to find Hikaru waiting in bed for him, just not in the way that he’d hoped. “What’s that?” he asks with trepidation. “What it looks like, idiot! A bedspread that acts as a Goban! Now we can play Go in bed too!” Akira gapes as Hikaru retrieves multiple small, circular black and white pillows from under the bed.

                      2. “One for me and one for you, ” says Hikaru as he hands the simple charm to Akira. “You take white. I want black.” “How come?” questions Akira, slipping on the necklace. He knows boys shouldn’t wear jewelry, but a Go stone on string hardly seems to count as such. Hikaru answers, “Because that’s how we played for our first match, remember?”

                      1. “Are you kidding? How can you not see it?!” says Hikaru in disbelief. “You have an obsession,” says Akira, but his tone is resigned, because he totally _does_ see it. “Don’t act as if you’re not as bad as me,” replies Hikaru, reading his mind. “We can name him Kifu!” The spotted cat meows.

                  • Oh noooo it looks like you can’t reply to these comments once they get to a certain thread level. :( Anyway your five things below about five go-themed items Hikaru owns is gr8. They all made me lol except #4 which made me AWWWW.

                    Reply

    • Pick a question (or more):

      1) Top five date locations/activities if Hikaru asks Akira out
      2) Top five date locations/activities if Akira asks Hikaru out
      3) Which five under 18 y.o. characters would you hire for your Let’s 5 boyband?
      4) Top five Halloween costumes for Hikaru (not featured in artbook/manga already)
      5) Top five things that Hikaru would really like to see Akira wearing

      Reply

      • So I know this question wasn’t for me, but #3, my answer would be:
        1) Touya
        2) Touya
        3) Touya
        4) Touya
        5) Touya

        Yes, an ALL-TOUYA-CLONE boy band. WOULD POSSIBLY BE MOST PAINFULLY AWKWARD IN POLITENESS WHILE TRYING TO SING BOY BAND EVER, but idec b/c I’d be blacked out from hotness overload.

        Reply

      • 1. He can’t believe Shindou still can’t sit in seiza for more than two hours without falling over.
        2. He can’t believe Shindou can eat ramen for three meals a day, seven days a week without getting sick of it. (Shindou’s response: But there are different varieties so it’s not all the same!)
        3. He can’t believe Shindou is brilliant at calculating moku in his head during a game but can’t seem to correctly calculate change at a store.
        4. He can’t believe Shindou will type with two fingers at a computer keyboard.
        5. He can’t believe Shindou is willing to stay up all night, playing go with him…but that’s why Touya loves Shindou.

        Reply

  14. Can I can I play huh huh huh? Even though I stink at names and details at times? Hit me!

    Reply

      • 1. Shindou loses spectacularly to Touya one afternoon at the Go salon, and while Touya is berating him for his stupidity Shindou thinks about how he could shut Touya up but good, and it occurs to him he could ask him on a date, but his very next thought is that *that’s not the way to do it* because Touya might think it’s a joke, and Shindou is so shocked into silence by these thoughts that Touya actually stops berating him because he’s unaccustomed to Shindou not yelling back.

        2. Touya is getting up from the goban at the lunchtime mark; his game is only about a third through, and he suddenly turns his head to look back at the board, as if seeing something he hadn’t seen before, and in that moment Shindou thinks that turn of his head is the hottest thing he’s ever seen, but he can’t make himself speak at that moment either.

        3. Shindou imagines setting a wager on the game they’re playing: that if Touya loses he’ll go out with Shindou, but Shindou knows he’s not good enough to be sure of winning and that would just be a cheap way to get an unfair advantage if he thought it would unnerve Touya.

        4. Touya reaches over the goban just before they begin playing one day and picks some lint out of the front of Shindou’s bangs, and Shindou swallows hard and turns his attention to the game.

        5. Shindou plays a lousy game against Touya again and this time it’s because he’s been thinking, this is it, this is the day I’m going to ask him, and the game’s long past the point he should have yielded but that would mean he’d have to get to the asking and he’s still working up the nerve, and Touya looks at the mess of a board, looks up in fury, sweeps the stones off the board, leans across the goban and kisses Shindou right on the mouth. When the kiss breaks, Shindou stammers, “I…I can remember where all the pieces were,” and Touya says, “But you’re still so stupid, idiot,” and kisses him again.

        Reply

      • 1. Old man Kuwabara defends his Honinbou title from an ICU bed, but he’ll be damned if he’ll let Ogata get his title from him that year.

        2. Ogata gave up smoking a month before that match. No wonder he loses.

        3. Shindou woke up late and has to play a match ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. It’s inhuman!

        4. Touya is scheduled to play a match in the same venue that a pop star who looks very much like him is also appearing. Touya’s never had to play a match in a ripped shirt before.

        5. The thousand-year-dead Fujiwara-no-Sai plays a game against Touya Meijin imagining he has a ten-stone handicap, through the eyes and hands of a thirteen-year-old boy. (What, you think anything I can imagine could top that?)

        Reply

  15. FIVE ME?

    I’m a little late, I’m sorry, but I prioritized re-watching a few episodes over squeeing. Bad fangirl!

    Reply

    • Since it’s now the 6th where I am, how about a 5+1? :)

      5 times Hikaru was totally oblivious to the fact that someone was hitting on him (canon or otherwise), and 1 time he actually realized what was going on.

      Reply

      • I like this addition thang! Lessee…

        1. Hikaru didn’t get what this guy’s problem was—he’d just latched on to their party when Waya and Isumi went to grab more drinks (and… did they stop to dance on the way to the bar?) and he wouldn’t stop talking about the game Hikaru had just finished. Waya and Isumi were definitely taking their sweet time getting back. Who even was this dude, and why did he care what Hikaru was drinking? Furthermore, his shirt could definitely be a little more buttoned up. Hikaru told him this just as his friends returned with booze. Waya seemed to think it was funny, and the guy didn’t.

        2. Akari had just broken up with her boyfriend and she was all irritable. Hikaru had taken her out for a nice fun game at the closest go salon, at his mother’s suggestion. But now that they were there, Akari seemed to be devoting less attention to the game, and more to looking at him assessingly. It was the same look she always used when his roots were growing out or he had food stuck in his teeth, and it was doing a surprisingly good job of distracting him from the goban. He broke under the pressure, “What, what? I just got my hair dyed, I brushed my teeth before I left, and this isn’t even a soccer jersey!”
        Akari ignored him. “Ne, Hikaru, how do you feel about some… remedial go lessons?”
        She did something weird with her eyebrows.
        Hikaru said, “Well sure, you definitely need them!” She narrowed her eyes and stomped on his foot.
        She nearly won that game (with her 4-stone handicap).

        3. Mini-Chinese-Waya had really terrible Japanese. For some reason he kept asking Hikaru if he’d hold it against him if he told Hikaru he had a beautiful body. Seriously, what was that even supposed to mean?

        4. It was seriously awesome being a minor go celebrity, Hikaru realized as he dug into the cake some fan had brought him. “Seriously, thank you! It’s delicious, and… oh cool, did you write something in the frosting? It sure looks like you worked hard!”

        5. Ochi was freaking Hikaru the hell out. He’d never really gotten over his inexplicable Thing against Hikaru, but here he was, voluntarily spending time playing an exhibition game with him at the Amateur Go Tournament. He kept blinking and touching Hikaru’s hand and didn’t he know EVERYONE was watching him act so weird? Waya, for some reason, looked like he was about to die laughing, and Isumi was doing that “older-brother-disapproves-but-still-finds-this-hilarious” face he’d perfected.
        Ochi looked mad at the end of the game, in that uniquely Ochi way of his, and Hikaru was out of there before he heard Ochi shout that Waya had rigged the bet and nobody had told him Shindou was STUPID.

        AND SUPER-SAPPY OTP ENDING PLZ
        +1. Touya was looking at Hikaru exactly how he always had. It just took a couple years for the message to get through. Luckily, Touya played the long game.

        Sorry I’m so bad at teh sap!

        Can I 5+1 you back? :) If so… five times one player underestimated another, and one time their assessment was just right. Canon, non-canon, whatever floats your boat!

        Reply

        • Ahaha #3 made me lol 4real.

          And, sure! Hmmmmm. I’m like, half dead, so I may go with mostly canon, heh.

          1) Shindou playing Hong Su-yeong. I love that match b/c it’s like, both of them underestimate each other, heh. But I especially love how much Hong Su-yeong disdained Shindou and how Shindou showed him what-for. (Plus, that’s one of my top favorite matches anyway, heh.)
          2) Hm, I guess there’s just a pattern of everyone underestimating Shindou all the time! There’s all of the Insei, when he first started coming to classes.
          3) Oooh, I really liked when Touya played his four-way tutoring game and that one guy ttly underestimated him and Touya pwnd them all, haha.

          eta: and then actually, well. the paper I was supposed to be writing took over and I never finished. but here are three late for you, anyway. ^__^

          Reply

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