Hikaru no Go: I taught you Go, and you made the Kisei cry?

"Okay, okay, I'm not kidding anymore. I really won't get off work until very late today, so you should go home first. I'll definitely treat you to a big meal another day."

Just then, a guest pressed the call button. Mitani Yuko stuck out her tongue at Su Ran helplessly and hurried off to attend to the guest.

Watching Yuko's busy figure, Su Ran shook his head helplessly and had no choice but to leave the internet cafe.

On the way, I couldn't help but complain a couple of times:

"Damn it... Now that I'm younger, even dating doesn't seem to be taken seriously anymore. If I'd known this would happen, I would have dressed more maturely..."

……

NCC Cup Go Tournament Venue.

"Sai...did you lose?"

Hikaru Shindo stared blankly at the computer screen. After listening to Sai's words and clicking the surrender button, it took him a long time to realize that the game was over.

His mind was completely absorbed in the game of chess.

Sai nodded calmly and said, "The opponent is very strong. I have never seen such a strong opponent before. Because of his presence, I can feel that I am one step closer to the realm of the God's Hand during the game."

“Sai…”

Hikaru Shindo looked at Sai, opened his mouth hesitantly, unsure how to comfort him.

"Xiao Guang, what are you thinking about?"

Sai noticed Hikaru Shindo's expression and couldn't help but chuckle.

Do you really think I'd be upset about losing a game?

Sai tapped Hikaru Shindo on the head with his folding fan, as if he could read Hikaru's mind, and said with a smile, "Can you feel my overwhelming joy?"

Sai raised his head, pointed at the computer screen with his folding fan, and the chess pieces in his eyes transformed into a sky full of starlight.

"Look, Xiao Guang."

Hikaru Shindo looked up at the computer screen, puzzled.

"This game of chess is the one I have been searching for for thousands of years."

Sai wore a satisfied smile.

"Over the past thousand years, countless masters have challenged me. Their playing styles are all different, some are meticulous, some are unpredictable, and some are subtle."

"But no one has ever played a game as fiercely, ruthlessly, and bravely as Theai..."

"This feeling of meeting a worthy opponent is also slowly awakening me."

"I want to play more, more games."

Sai closed his eyes, looking completely absorbed.

"Xiao Guang, if we have the chance in the future, let's play chess online with other people more often, shall we?"

Sai opened his eyes, his eyes shining brightly: "I can feel it, I can still improve, I can still learn, I can, I can continue, and move towards the realm of the Divine Hand."

"I want to stay here and learn from you modern people about your delicate and gentle modern ways of thinking."

"Then, in your own way, engage in a truly exhilarating battle with THESAI, or any other player."

"I... like this feeling."

Upon hearing this, Hikaru Shindo nodded, still somewhat worried about Sai. After thinking for a moment, his eyes suddenly lit up.

“By the way, Sai, you didn’t lose. You’re from ancient times. In Edo period Go, there was no komi (money), so you should have won…” Hikaru Shindo said excitedly.

"What are you saying, Xiaoguang?"

Sai interrupted Hikaru Shindo, his expression turning serious.

He lowered his eyes and looked at Hikaru Shindo seriously: "Hikaru, if you lose, you lose. Don't make excuses for yourself. That's just a coward's excuse."

"A chess player can be allowed to fail, but he must never be allowed to run away."

Hikaru Shindo listened blankly to Sai's words, as if a string in his heart had been slightly touched.

"If I lose a game, I'll be really sad... Like last time, when I lost to Akira Touya, it took me a long, long time to get over it..."

"Was Sai saying all this to me? He probably knows what I've been thinking about all this time..."

"Why is it that, even though they both lost, Sai is so, so happy?"

“Sai is like that, Touya is like that, and Su Ran is like that... Their attitude towards Go is as if nothing in the whole world can defeat them.”

"They love Go so much...and they approach life with such positivity..."

Hikaru Shindo fell silent, quietly clenching his fist.

"I... also want to truly learn Go, I also want to truly understand life! Together with Sai!"

"I'm going to catch up with Touya and Suran-kun!"

……

One hundred and twenty-two students have registered! The pressure from two geniuses.

Sai glanced at Hikaru Shindo out of the corner of his eye, a smile spreading across his face.

He knew that Hikaru Shindo's mindset had undergone an imperceptible change following his words.

As a chess player, if you aspire to climb to a higher level, often all that's missing is just this tiny change!

With these thoughts in mind, Sai's gaze involuntarily drifted back to the computer screen, his eyes fixed on the offline text of THESAi.

"THESAI...is that the boy named Su Ran?"

"When can I play against you again?"

"Torajiro, if you can see this from heaven, as Honinbo Shusaku, the game just now wasn't a shameful one, was it?"

Sai smiled nostalgically, then blinked and stared at the computer screen.

"Xiao Guang, since we can send *books for free here! Group > 9:8,0s2:0ュ58:5/6, sent by ?呆ュ呆, from the internet, then, how about we play a few more rounds, okay, Xiao Guang?"

Hikaru Shindo stood up from his chair, clenched his fist, and said, "Alright, let's keep practicing and chase after those stronger masters! Sai, I promise you, whenever we have time, I'll take you online to play against others!"

"Okay! Thank you, Xiaoguang!"

Upon hearing this, Sai's eyes lit up with excitement. For him, playing Go was the thing that made him happiest.

……

the next day.

The Yomiuri Shimbun's morning edition published an article titled "The Final Battle of the Chess Saints! The Mysterious Online Chess Players THESAI and SAI Decide the Outcome!" which included the game records of the match between THESAI and SAI.

The moment this game record was published, it immediately sparked heated discussions!

Even some professional chess players, after reading the morning paper, were shocked and regretted that they had not witnessed the birth of such a legendary game.

Some professional Go players even went online to search for THESAI and SAI, but since they went offline last night, neither of them has come back online all day today.

Their online schedule, which is active at night and rests during the day, is as regular as that of a middle school student!

"Who is SAI?"

"Who is THEESAI?"

"When will they reappear, and in what form will they present us with a strategic game, and what move will they make?"

Everyone harbored this doubt and expectation.

Meanwhile, Su Ran arrived at Teacher Chi Shang's chess room.

He came to say goodbye to his teacher temporarily. Starting today, he will be reporting to the chess academy to begin his life as a student there.

To give him a send-off, Harada Ikegami, who is usually too lazy to cook, specially prepared a bento box for him today and stuffed it into Su Ran's hands as soon as he entered the door.

"what."

Su Ran looked at the bento box, paused for a moment, and then smiled, "Thank you, teacher."

Harada Ikegami gave a nonchalant "hmm": "Don't get rejected from the interns. You're a good kid in every way, but sometimes you're too headstrong. I hope that life as an intern can temper your personality a little."

"Don't worry, Mr. Ikegami!"

Su Ran accepted the lunchbox, said goodbye to Ikegami Harada, and then took a car to the Go Academy.

Harada Ikegami watched Su Ran's departing figure, smiled slightly, and his old eyes gleamed with anticipation.

"Senior Ikegami, this is today's morning paper!"

Just as Harada Ikegami was about to return to the Go room, a postman came speeding up on his bicycle, casually stuffed a stack of newspapers into the mailbox, and then sped off to the next post like the wind.

Harada Ikegami turned around and took out today's newspaper from the mailbox by the door.

"Oh... let me see."

Harada Ikegami muttered to himself as he walked into the house.

"SAI and THESAI, two mysterious players who have shocked the Go world, may be able to rival Meijin Touya?"

Ikegami Harada laughed dumbly.

"These days, people will use any headline for clicks. That kid, Touya Kouyo, is certainly not..."

Harada Ikegami stared blankly at the chess score in the newspaper, then suddenly stopped talking. He left the door open and continued reading from the doorway.

Gradually, Harada Ikegami's brows furrowed more and more tightly.

"This chess piece... I'll go in and set it up."

With that thought in mind, Harada Ikegami finally closed the door and turned to go back inside.

Meanwhile, Akira Touya and his father, Kouhiro Touya, were playing a game that had reached its endgame.

"Um……"

Touya Kouhiro nodded slightly: "Your playing style has changed somewhat compared to before, and your strategies have broadened, but you haven't seen far enough ahead."

"Only those directly involved can see the intricacies of the market..."

"Even now, you still can't see through it..."

Listening to his father's words, Akira Touya lowered his head, sweat beading on his forehead.