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

Page 154

"Yet I faintly heard a sigh coming from inside the hall. I'm still too weak..."

Upon hearing this, both Izumi and Su Ran laughed, knowing that He Gu was complaining about the unfairness of talent.

As they talked, the three of them finally arrived at the snack shop, where Isumi ordered a bowl of clear broth ramen.

Waya had a good appetite and ordered a takoyaki, sushi, and a bowl of ramen.

"Wagu, you can eat way too much!"

Izumi laughed and made a sarcastic remark.

“You’re still growing, unlike me, you’re already not going to grow any taller.”

He Gu laughed and retorted, but halfway through, he suddenly realized that Su Ran, a first-year student, was more than half a head taller than him, and he immediately stopped talking in embarrassment.

"Damn it, are all Chinese people this tall? This is so unfair!"

While thinking, He Gu vented all his resentment on the ramen in his bowl and ate it with a slurping sound.

Su Ran had eaten the bento box that Teacher Chishang had prepared for her in the car that morning, and after thinking about it, she ordered a bowl of dumplings.

During the meal, Izumi brought up the new first-dan league, also known as the Young Lions League.

"Speaking of Yao-senpai... we should be able to see Yao-senpai again in the upcoming first-dan league, right?"

Kazuya nodded: "Yes, the Cub Competition is about to begin."

After thinking for a moment, He Gu looked at Su Ran and asked, "Su Ran-kun, do you know about the Cub Race?"

Su Ran nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "I've heard of it. The New First Dan League is supposedly a competition between newly qualified players who have just passed the professional exam and the top players, right?"

"Yes, you could say it's the prelude to becoming a professional Go player."

Kazuya slurped up a mouthful of noodles and said, "In the new first-dan league, outstanding players can even play against the throne and Honinbo title holder, Mr. Kuwabara, or even Meijin Touya."

Izumi nodded as well.

"Right, right, speaking of which, last week, didn't Tahura, who was in the same class as Yao-senpai, play against Touya Meijin?"

"Yes, the celebrity won easily. Senior Tian Pu didn't even have a chance to struggle."

While eating, He Gu mumbled something indistinctly.

"After finishing the game, Senior Tian Pu broke out in a cold sweat and complained to me, saying it felt like he was facing a fierce tiger... Hahahaha."

When Su Ran heard the name Touya Kouyo, the image of Touya Kouyo, dressed in a kimono and standing motionless behind Touya Akira in the Go clubhouse, came to mind again.

"Right, right. Speaking of professional Go players, Watani, did you know that the Go Academy is inviting 5-dan Aota to give a lecture next week?"

Yi Jiao's words brought Su Ran back to her senses.

"Huh? Is that true?"

"Of course, as a representative of the younger generation born from Senior Kurata Saiin, he should be able to impart some knowledge to us, right?"

He Gu nodded; this was routine practice at the Go Academy.

"By the way, didn't we say we were going to nominate someone to play against Kurata, 5-dan? Kazuya, do you have any ideas?"

"No...not at all. Did I go up there and get slaughtered by Kurata-senpai?"

He Gu quickly waved his hand in refusal.

Yijiao and Su Ran laughed together.

……

The ramen shop on the other side.

The boy who had previously played against Akira Touya whispered to the person next to him, "Don't you think the newcomers Akira Touya and Su Ran are really annoying? They're such idiots."

Mashiba nodded and scoffed, "I really want to deflate their arrogance."

"I have a way," the boy said confidently.

Mashiba looked puzzled and asked, "What? You were able to defeat them?"

"No... I can't do it myself, but we can use someone else's help..."

Upon hearing the boy's words, Mashiba seemed thoughtful, and his face darkened: "You mean, let them play against Kurata-senpai?"

“Yes,” the boy nodded, “they definitely can’t get down there.”

"That's right, Kurata-senpai is already a fifth-dan, so it's normal for them, as insei students, to lose, right? Will that discourage them?"

"Do not."

The boy lowered his voice: "That's true, but when professional Go players come to give lectures, they point out the opponent's mistakes while playing and explain them to us. Don't you know Kurata-senpai? He's known for his fiery temper, and he even curses when he's angry!"

"You mean..." Mashiba seemed to understand something.

"Yes, they lost the game in front of everyone. With their arrogant and self-important personalities, they must be extremely ashamed, let alone be criticized by Kurata-senpai!"

Mashiba's eyes lit up, and he nodded in strong support: "Yes, although it's understandable to lose to professional players, it's good to curb their arrogance."

"but……"

Mashiba frowned again: "We can only choose one person to play against... Touya, or Su Ran?"

"Tell the teacher to let them team up against a 5-dan professional Go player, to strategize together. If they still lose, it will be even more embarrassing for them, right?"

"That makes sense..."

Mashiba nodded, but was still somewhat worried: "Will the teacher agree?"

"Have you forgotten? Su Ran always plays the 3-3 move, relying on his superior skill level to win every time. The teacher wants to teach him a lesson!"

"Yoshi!"

Mashiba excitedly slapped the table.

The boy quickly pulled him back and whispered, "Keep your voice down."

……

(PS: Oh my god, an 8,000-word chapter! I'm too lazy to split it into chapters, so please bear with it... Actually, it's mainly because I haven't been to school for a long time and I didn't know how to write about student life. But after thinking about it, I realized I can't do without some setup, so I had to put it all in one chapter... The following chapters will be fast-paced with a tight competition theme. I'll try to tell all the stories I need to tell as soon as possible in the remaining time. The plot will definitely not be as complex and varied as before, since there isn't enough time. Thank you all for your patience.)

One hundred and twenty-eight! Onward to the Chess God! I will forge a new legend!

After finishing their meal, Su Ran followed Isumi and Kazuya back to the Go Academy.

To outsiders, the life of a student in the academy is actually very dull and boring. Every day is just playing chess, summarizing experiences, and making slow progress.

However, it was the crisp, clattering sound of the chess pieces landing on the board that captivated them.

All the students are working towards a common goal: to become professional Go players.

Upon entering the Go room, you can see Akira Touya setting up a Go board and holding a Go book, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.

"They're really working hard. Don't they even eat lunch?" Seeing this, He Gu sighed.

Izumi smiled and said, "Of course, geniuses work harder than us, that's why they're called geniuses, right?"

"I really don't understand. Isn't it important to balance work and rest?"

He Gu and Su Ran sat together in a small cubicle next to the chess academy, enjoying a rare lunch break. The game was scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

"Oh, speaking of which, Su Ran-kun, Akira Touya mentioned THESAI earlier. Do you know THESAI?"

As Kazuya drank the cola he had just bought from the vending machine, he thought of what Akira Touya had said earlier.

"THESAI?"

Isumi chimed in, "THESAI's strength is really impressive. He must be at least a ninth-dan level, right?"

"Sigh...that makes sense."

Kazuya nodded and sighed, "If Su Ran really is THESAI, I can brag to others that I had lunch with THESAI."

"Hahahahaha."

Upon hearing this, Isumi laughed: "Waya still idolizes THESAI as always. Could it be that he's made you stupid?"

"Of course, isn't it? If you've ever played against THESAI, you'd also feel despair at that kind of dominance."

Kazuya snorted, making no attempt to hide his admiration for THESAI: "THESAI seems invincible. Actually, I've been studying his tengen move lately..."

Su Ran was somewhat surprised and asked, "How did the battle go?"

"Ha ha ha ha."

He Gu smiled and touched his hair sheepishly: "I lost terribly... and even got scolded by the teacher."

"Do you have a teacher, Wagani?"

Su Ran's memories of He Gu are rather vague and unclear. She only knows that he was a cheerful and strong-willed intern and had a very good relationship with Hikaru Shindo during their time as interns.

"Yes, my teacher is Morishita 9-dan."

Isumi chuckled and picked up the conversation: "I remember when Morishita-sensei was studying opening patterns in his workshop, you and Izumi-sensei played a game of Tengen. Izumi-sensei was furious and said, 'You dare to look down on me, kid?' You ended up losing by twelve and a half points, right?"

Waya awkwardly scratched his head and whispered, "Perhaps only THESAI can grasp the strategic thinking behind this kind of large-scale move?"

Su Ran listened quietly without interrupting.

"To be honest, I actually prefer SAI's playing style, it suits me better. Although I lost, it's undeniable that SAI is incredibly strong."

Yijiao smiled and sat down cross-legged.

"Pshaw, THESAI is the strongest!"

Kazuya argued with Isumi, looking just like a fan defending their idol.

"SAI is not weak either."

He lost!

"I didn't say that Thesai is not strong, I just want to say that I prefer SAI's playing style a little more."

"Those combat-capable fighters like THESAI are the role models for us, okay?"

“That was just his game against SAI. Didn’t you also look at Thesai’s game records before? Thesai has many different playing styles.”

"That's why I say THESAI is better than SAI!"