As with everything he does, Inui analyzes the situation thoroughly before taking action. This situation, however, is unique to him. As he has never entered into a romantic relationship before, he has to take extra care before he decides to follow through. There are no references he can find, no manuals to consult, no one he can ask specifically about what it is like to be with Kaidoh.
Inui isn't sure why he is attracted to his kouhai. He just knows that he is. He made a note in his notebook long ago to investigate these feelings, but instead of finding a satisfactory answer, the intrigue only grew.
He finds himself taking notes on Kaidoh that have nothing to do with tennis, something he rarely does for the other Seigaku members. He scribbles questions in the margins of his notebooks, and he wants to know the answers. It makes his skin tingle to think that if he does take the next step, he'll find them.
Inui starts a fresh page in his notebook, writing in a special code developed just for this occasion. It would not do for someone – especially Kaidoh – to find this data. Adjusting his glasses, he begins to ponder what it means to start a relationship with Kaidoh.
It means the awkward phase of convincing the younger boy that his feelings are genuine and not a ploy to gather more data. Inui is 93.4 percent sure that he will able to accomplish this, as his feelings are getting so strong that he is surprised the other doesn't know yet. Or perhaps he does. Yet, perhaps he doesn't. The data collector cannot calculate an accurate percentage in this regard. He has found the same to occur with tennis data from Tezuka, Fuji, and Echizen, but only Kaidoh's non-tennis data interests him.
Inui realizes that it means his data concerning Kaidoh will become even less objective than it has been for the past four months, three weeks, two days, five hours, thirty minutes and eight seconds. He is not entirely sure when to start counting, but the first heart scrawled in his notebook after Kaidoh's name seems as good a place as any.
It also means less time for collecting data. Activities spent with a significant other greatly decreases time alone, Inui has found. He will have less time to observe others in his team, less time to enter data into his computer, and less time to formulate new ideas to help improve Seigaku's success rate. It also means he will be less lonely in his apartment when – more often than not – his parents are not around.
It means a decrease in his monetary funds. Dates are expensive. Inui is 86 percent sure that Kaidoh at first will not appreciate being treated to dinner or a movie, and will insist on paying his share. However, Inui is sure that the increase in such outings will still be significantly outside his budget. Of course, there are extra expenses such as a new bandana, a shared ice-cream cone, or a cute stuffed animal to consider as well.
Dating Kaidoh means a 65 percent increase in being subject to hisses and glares. There is even a 14 percent chance in being physically harmed by the second year due to a perceived inappropriate act on Inui's part. The third year is sure that he will not mind this (much), especially if they are accompanied by a 65 percent increase in his kouhai's blushes.
Inui realizes that it also means opening up and making himself vulnerable. He will not be able to hide behind his data anymore, not if Kaidoh is the one looking for him. Inui wants to make data with his kouhai, and not just take it. He will be jostled into a world without numbers to fall back on. He will feel things that he cannot express adequately, even if he uses enough words to fill a dozen notebooks. He is frightened and hopeful. He does not recall ever feeling quite this way, even in his toughest tennis matches. As always, he does not plan on losing this game.
It means a very high probability of misunderstandings. Inui is the first to admit that neither one is very good at communicating. He foresees painful words, all the more hurtful because they will be said unknowingly. He factors in jealousy, rage, and grief into the equation. He knows that he will be both on the receiving and giving end of this. He writes down a 7 percent possibility of crying himself to sleep, a 41 percent decrease in concentration during school and tennis, and a 97 percent increase in depression after an argument. Inui is not fool enough to think that these things will not happen. He is optimistic enough to write the percentages down in pencil.
If he is very lucky, it means long, slow kisses with one hand buried in Kaidoh's silky hair, and the other hand rubbing slow circles on the warm skin of his back. It means mapping out his kouhai's mouth with his own, and the taste of salty skin. It means touching the other's body again and again until he knows it by heart, his fingers and mouth finding out just how accurate he is at taking data on Kaidoh's muscle mass. It means borrowing some of his kouhai's tenacity and never letting go.
Inui sits at his desk for a long time, writing down what it means to be in a relationship with Kaidoh. On the last page of his notebook, he meticulously calculates the probability of success. All things considered, he has a 3 percent chance of convincing Kaidoh to change their relationship from senpai and kouhai into something more.
Inui stares at the last page for a long minute. Then he firmly closes the notebook with one hand and reaches for his cell phone with the other. He dials Kaidoh's number, knowing that the other is at home. For the first time, he hopes that his calculations will be proven wrong.
Inui resolves to find out in practice – and not in theory – what it means to love Kaidoh.