Something Different
Akumako Ronso

Series: Hikaru no Go
Rating: R-for language, adult situations, and possible sexual content
Chapters: 2/?
Disclaimer:
I don't own any of the characters except for (female) Ichikawa Sai, her high school American friends, and possibly her parents.

Author's notes:

In the manga 'Hikaru no Go,' Ichikawa Harumi's parents are never mentioned, so I guess they are mine as well. Harumi is the girl that works a Touya Meijin's Salon and treats Touya Akira like a little brother or as if she has a crush on him. Her personality and character aren't really developed in the manga,(at least, not that I know of so far) so I'm making up for her in that department. I don't know how I really want to set the couples but there will be a little yaoi, there will be a mention of Hikaru and Akira acting as if they were a couple, but they won't be.(i.e. they will be very good best friends but not in a nasty or perverted way.....that doesn't even make sense to me...anyway, they will be best friends and we will leave it at that!! ;;)

Chapter 1...

Home once more...

Ring, ring…

Ring, rin-

"Moshi, moshi. Touya residence?" a feminine voice came over the phone.

"Hai, watashiwa Ichikawa Harumi desu. I'm calling to tell Touya Meijin-sama that I won't be working at the salon today. I have family business."

"Hai. I will inform him of your plans. Arigatou for calling." Touya-san said.

"Arigatou gozaimasu."

Ichikawa Harumi sighed and hung up the phone. It was 7:00 am. She was supposed to be at the salon at this time, but she had a lot of work to do today. Besides, Touya Meijin-sama would understand. 'He's probably playing go with Akira-kun, and will find out about now' she thought as she began doing dishes.

As she was doing dishes, her mind began to wander, mostly toward her sister, who she hadn't seen since she was born. "15 years…" she whispered, thinking of how long it's been. It's silly that she hadn't seen her in 15 years, but that's how it was. She'd seen pictures of them: her mother, father, and her sister.

Finishing the dishes, she wandered into the living room to dust. Cleaning the mantle over the fireplace first, she stared at a picture of her little sister. 'She has father's beautiful blue-black hair, and mother's ocean-blue eyes…' she thought, slightly envious. Harumi touched her own hair thinking of the brown hair and blue eyes she gained from her mother. While Harumi's eyes were lively and bright, she noticed that Sai, her onee-chan, had dull eyes, as blank as a sheet of paper. No emotion, no light, nothing. Just a dull blue. And for a moment she was sad.

'She's lived like that for 15 years. While there is a smile on her face, there is no emotion in site.'

Harumi remembered talking to her mother about Sai. How happy she was to find out that her sister was whole again, that she could see her.

That they were coming home.

'I'm finally here at the aiport and I have no clue if they are here or....what gate were they at?....Gate 4.....Oh!...'

"Oh! I hope that's them..." Harumi mutter as she heade up the escalator toward (what she thought were) her parents at Gate 4.

She was nervous. It had been so long! Too long, since she'd last seen any of them! Even though the pictures helped, they usually don't do justice to the actual thing. Picking at her light blue skirt she stood anxiously near the gate.

"I feel so stupid standing like this,"she thought.

That was when she saw them. Her heart filled with joy at seeing her parents.

Running toward them, they embraced. It felt good to hold them again, to touch them, and feel them. And she looked behind them…

Nothing, not even the pictures given to her, could do justice to her little sister.

Standing there, wearing the latest fashion in teenage American kids, was her little sister. Decked out in baggy, black jeans, a yellow '5' T-shirt, and black Vans skateboarding shoes, one would almost think her a boy, if it wasn't for her beautiful black hair up in a ponytail and her pail, angelic face, staring at her in a blank expression, giving nothing away.

Harumi smiled at her, and receiving a hesitant smile in return, said,

"Welcome home…Sai."

And they embraced for the first time since Sai was born.

As they drove to her new home, Sai took in the sites with as much indifference as she could. She still wasn't used to her new self, showing any emotion, nor did she like the feeling of revealing too much about herself in public with her emotions. But she was so excited! She couldn't wait to get to her new home. Not that anyone could really tell. The first thing that she would do was taking out her goban. It had been so hard to get one in America. Not many people played there so it was no wonder.

After playing a few games(which really wasn't fun by one's self), she would...talk to her sister and learn about her. Whatever she could learn, she would.

Coming out of her planning, she caught the last bit of the conversation flowing between her parents and her 'onee-san,' just before they reached the salon.

"I hope you don't mind, but I have to stopped by the go salon that I work at to pick up somethings," Harumi said, as she stopped in the turn lane for traffic.

"Oh, of course not dear. It should only take a minute right? Jet-lag is horrible, right dear?" Sai's okaa-san said, turning slightly toward Harumi, then toward her husband.

"Yes, dear," he said, not turning his attention away from his newspaper.

Kuriko frowned a little. He isn't even paying attention…she thought. Turning back to the road, she watched as the traffic light changed, signaling that they could turn.

"My, my! Traffic hasn't changed much, has it?" she asked, looking out the window.

"No, not really," Harumi giggled. "Well, we're here!"

Turning into a space that was luckily (and surprisingly open) right in front of the salon, she pulled, parked and shut off the car.

Stepping out, Harumi turned back around and peered at the occupants in the car.

"You don't have to come in if you don't want to," she said, when they prepared to get out, "I'll only be a moment."

Her father mumbled an 'alright' before turning back to the paper. Her mother frowned, "It's alright, dear. I wouldn't mind the walk, but I am a little tired...Daijoubu. I'll stay here as well." Kuriko turned back forward in her seat and relaxed.

Harumi smiled and nodded in understanding. Turning to leave, she paused when she heard Sai speak up.

"Harumi-san," she said softly, "If you don't mind, may I come in with you?"

Harumi smiled, gave her affirmative, and waited for Sai to join her.

-kun---I used -kun here in reference to not only her aquaintance to him but also in reference to in the author's note at the beginning when I said that Harumi treats Akira like a little brother. I'm not actually sure what title she gives him. It might be -san or -sama. As I said, I'm not sure, so we (as in you, the reader, and I will go with this for now) ;)

Yay! I got the second chapter up! And it's longer than it was before! I'm still going to add more though. I'm trying to write the third chapter as we speak. Tell me what you think by reviewing. Reviewing helps, because that gives me the impression that people actually want to read what I'm writing. REVIEW!

:D