Title: Variable Geometry (8/8)
Author name: Leo Dormiens
Author email: leodormiens2000@yahoo.com
Category: Drama
Warning: Non-explicit Shonen Ai
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A love triangle... No wait! It's a love square.
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Takeshi Konomi. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author notes: Many thanks again to my beta-team, Abinikai and Jennifer M, and to everyone who encouraged me along the way.
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"You're joking, right?"
Inui shook his head. "I'm afraid not."
"Please tell me he's joking." Kamio turned towards his captain. "You didn't agree to this."
Tachibana shrugged. "I figured, if the Seigaku players who lost today had to take this punishment, so so could we. It's only fair."
Uchimura and Mori, sitting next to each other in the karaoke parlor, exchanged nervous glances. Kamio looked even paler than usual. "But, you didn't tell us anything about this...this..." he shook a finger in the direction of the green liquid, grasping for an appropriate word.
"It's called Penal Tea," provided Ryoma with a smirk.
"Do you think it would have made any difference if the captain had told us?" asked Shinji. "You'd have played better?"
"Go on, make fun of me," grumbled Kamio, "I'd like to see how you'd have done against Tezuka..."
"It looks gross," said Mori.
"It smells even worse," added Uchimura.
Kamio sighed. "We don't deserve this."
"Oh come on," snapped Momoshiro, "stop making a fuss and drink it, if you...Ouch!" He yelped as Ryoma kicked him under the table.
"I'd advise you to keep a low profile," answered Inui, not even sparing him a glance.
They were more than thirty in a karaoke room made for twenty-five people, so they had to sit very close to each other. In spite of that, they had managed to isolate Kaidoh and Momoshiro in a corner, as no one wanted to speak to them.
"It's not that awful," said Fuji in a helpful tone. "Actually, some of us even like it."
"Do you want mine?" Kikumaru pushed his glass toward Fuji with a hopeful look.
"Uh, no thanks. Not today."
"It was worth a try," laughed Kawamura, patting Kikumaru on the shoulder.
They'd decided that everyone would drink at the same time, the defeated players a full glass of Penal Tea and the others the innocuous beverages they'd ordered from the menu. Ryuzaki-sensei raised her glass of orange juice, giving the signal. There was a chorus of 'Kanpai!', then a few strangled cries as five boys clutched their stomachs, trying not to throw up.
"Don't panic, you'll live," said Ryoma to a squirming Kamio.
All the Fudoumine regulars looked properly horrified. "Now I'm almost glad I won by forfeit," murmured Ishida.
Kaidoh and Momoshiro were the only ones with nothing to drink. "Do you think they want us to die of thirst?" said Momoshiro, dabbing his puffy eyes with a wet towel.
"You wish," snapped Ryuzaki-sensei, folding her arms.
Inui adjusted his glasses. "Failing to show up for a game without proper justification is an act of treason. Therefore, I've prepared something special for the two of you."
"Something worse than Penal Tea?" exclaimed Ishida in complete amazement. "Is it possible?"
"I've tried my best." Inui stood and went to fetch a pitcher of water and two empty glasses from a tray near the door. He filled the glasses then put them in front of the suddenly terrified boys. "And I have to say," he commented casually, removing a small vial from his pocket, "I'm very proud of my new invention. It's called Gloom Doom."
A few seconds after Inui emptied the content of the vial in the glasses, the water darkened and thickened, transforming into a gray jelly. "Inui- senpai," croaked Momoshiro, "we can't drink that. It's not even liquid!"
"Well, we can ask the waitress to bring you spoons if that would help," said Ryuzaki-sensei, eliciting a collective laughter.
"Why are you so damn cruel? It wasn't our fault, I swear." Momoshiro nudged Kaidoh. "Hey, he always listens to you. Ask him to give us something else. Anything. Please!"
Kaidoh, who had been staring mutely at his own glass, raised his eyes. "Inui-senpai," he whispered, "you can't do this to me."
Inui stared intensely at Kaidoh for a long silent moment. "It's for your own good," he answered softly. "Sometimes important lessons have to be learned through pain."
Tachibana cleared his throat, and sent a bemused glance to his sister across the room. She silently mouthed 'I'll explain later' and gave him a reassuring smile. The Seigaku members ignored the weird undertones in Inui's comment and urged their mates to drink.
Momoshiro fingered the red angry lump on his forehead. "It's not safe for me to take this. I may have a concussion, for all we know, and the side effects..."
Kaidoh took a deep breath, clutched the glass in his left hand ---the one that wasn't wrapped in a white bandage--- and emptied it in one gulp. He then bolted out of the room before anyone had time to ask him how it tasted.
"If he can do it, so can you," said Tezuka in an uncompromising tone.
Momoshiro slumped in his seat, but didn't protest. After a while, he tried to take a sip, but when he raised the glass to his lips, the gray jelly seemed to crawl into his mouth like a small scared animal, disappearing in one go.
"Eww!" exclaimed Tomoka, accurately expressing the pervading disgust.
Ishida shook his head in dismay. "What the hell does he use to make those drinks?"
"Topic number one on the 'Don't Ask' List," Ryoma calmly said.
Momoshiro, his face a worrying shade of green, staggered towards the exit, but Ryuzaki-sensei stopped him dead in the doorway. "Where do you think you're going? Eager to resume your fight with Kaidoh, are you?"
"Do you want me to throw up on you?" Momoshiro managed to articulate through the hand he'd clasped on his mouth.
"Sorry, dear, you'll have to hold it until Kaidoh comes back. There's no way I'll leave you two outside unsupervised."
Momoshiro was making frantic gestures at his teammates, suggesting the best he could without using words that one of them escorted him to the bathroom.
"Any of you feel like babysitting?" Ryuzaki-sensei listened with satisfaction at the stony silence before adding, "See? You'll just have to hold on and wait for your turn."
Except for the captain, all the Fudoumine camp looked quite shaken by the scene. Tezuka felt again the need to apologize.
"Seigaku's methods are effective, that's what counts. I know better than to pass judgment." Tachibana suppressed a nervous laugh and took one of the karaoke consoles from the table. "Well, we'd better start. Who's first?"
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Ryoma yawned and peered around. Until that dreadful day, he'd managed to avoid getting hauled inside a karaoke parlor. Back in New York, it had been easy, but in Japan so many people thought karaoke was the only activity worth doing on weekends, and his classmates constantly pestered him to give it a try. Well, at least from now on he would turn them down with full knowledge of the facts. Honestly, did people really do that for fun? He wasn't impressed.
Ryuzaki-sensei had excused herself to give a phone call to that reporter Inoue, to ask him to forget what he'd seen that afternoon, Ryoma was sure. Momoshiro was quietly agonizing on one of the padded benches, his head resting on Ann's lap. Inui was asking Kamio, Mori and Uchimura a long set of embarrassing questions to assess their reactions to Penal Tea. All the others had their eyes set on the tiny stage. It seemed to be the right moment to escape.
"Where are you going?"
Tezuka. He'd forgotten about Tezuka. Damn. "Uh... the music's too loud. I need a break."
A thick catalogue landed in Ryoma's hands. "Select a song before you go."
"It's ok, I'll pass my turn."
Tezuka shook his head. "You have to sing at least once, to show our host you enjoy their company."
First, Ryoma had to wake up earlier than usual for the extra morning practice. Then he'd been followed and harassed by his own father. After that his team had lost in the most stupid way possible ---treason, Inui had been right to use the word. And to crown it all, he was now required to degrade himself by actually participating to the party. What a wonderful day...
He reluctantly flipped through the catalogue, trying to imagine Tezuka holding a microphone. "Uh, Captain, what song did you choose?"
"I won't sing."
Ryoma frowned. "So, I have to, but you don't. May I ask why?"
"No."
"May I ask why I may not?"
"No."
There was no use glaring at Tezuka. Ryoma bit down a cutting remark and buried his nose in the catalogue. For the first time he understood the real benefits of being the leader of the team. It was worth shouldering all the responsibilities, really, to be able to spare oneself such humiliation. Maybe he should give it a shot.
He settled for 'We will rock you' by Queen. The rock anthem was so popular among sportsmen that surely as soon as the tune would echo in the room, most of the boys would start to sing along ---in broken English, oh god--- saving Ryoma the trouble.
Outside it was already dark. The days were getting longer, but not fast enough, Ryoma felt. The karaoke club was set back from a busy avenue, the narrow street outside the building was deserted and rather silent.
Kaidoh was nowhere to be seen. Ryoma slowly paced up and down the street, scanning all the dark corners in which a wounded animal could seek refuge. The soft noise of a slightly heavy, irregular breathing told him where to look. Kaidoh sat on the steps of the club's emergency exit, on the left side of the building, his face half hidden in the shadows. "Are you all right, senpai?"
"Go away."
Ryoma stretched and turned his face towards the sky. "Mmh, it's so much nicer here. Upstairs, the heat's suffocating."
An irritated hiss was the only answer he got. Ryoma planted himself in front of his curled up teammate to get a better view. Kaidoh had been more dead than alive to begin with, what with the severe beating he'd taken. Now the Gloom Doom thingy had completely finished him off. He probably couldn't move if his life depended on it. Well, such an occasion was too tempting to miss, and Ryoma seized it without a qualm. He sat cross-legged on the pavement just in front of Kaidoh, not caring about getting dirt on his clothes. From there he had a very good view on Kaidoh's face, which was rather convenient since he intended to catch and interpret every single emotion reflected on it.
"You really look like hell," Ryoma commented casually. Kaidoh kept his eyes half-closed and lowered on the ground, and he was obviously making efforts to keep his breathing silent. How mortified he must be to be seen in a moment of total weakness... Ryoma almost felt sympathetic. Almost.
"Ne, senpai, I haven't seen much of you lately. I mean, outside of tennis practice. Aren't you interested in me anymore?"
Kaidoh kept silent, but his jaw clenched visibly.
"I'd like to play a match against you one these days," Ryoma continued, feeling he was getting there. "It's funny how we're always sorted in different groups for the club's monthly ranking. Aren't you curious, Kaidoh- senpai? Don't you wonder, now, if you have what it takes to beat me?"
Stormy eyes flew open, and Ryoma saw in their depth that Kaidoh was indeed near the edge. It was almost too easy.
"It's a bit low, even from you, to start messing with me now."
Ryoma, who had anticipated that amply justified retort, merely smirked and replied "Come on, senpai, don't underestimate yourself. You're never helpless. Not even after getting consecutively trampled by Momo-senpai and poisoned by Inui-senpai."
His cockiness struck Kaidoh dumb for a while. Then after a tired sigh, "I did not get trampled by Momoshiro. How many times would I have to repeat that we didn't fight with each other!"
Ryoma waved his hand. "You should save all your explanations for the coach and the captain. I'm not the one with the means to torture you."
At that last statement, something unsettling flashed in Kaidoh's eyes, and for the first time Ryoma felt uneasy about what he was trying to do. He let a few minutes pass in silence, as much to give Kaidoh some time to recover as to reaffirm his own purpose. In truth, he had nothing to be ashamed of. Whatever was happening, Kaidoh started it, first by stalking Ryoma, then by refusing to justify his actions when he got caught.
"You really missed something, you and Momo-senpai. Fudoumine's gotten awesome. Tachibana in particular played a mean game. You should have seen how---"
"Go back inside," Kaidoh cut in with an unusually flat tone.
"I will. When Kawamura-senpai will be through his disco medley. Racket in hand..." That got a weak smile from Kaidoh. "In the meantime, I'd rather keep you company. You'll miss me terribly during the spring break, so..."
"Don't kid yourself. I can't wait to be rid of you for a while."
Ryoma's grin intensified. "For a while, yeah. Then after a few days it'll start to hurt, seeing me only in dream..."
"I don't spend my nights thinking about you, stupid brat!"
Ryoma cocked his head, pretending to think it over. "Well, they say running is very effective to relieve sexual urges... You probably sleep like the dead, come to think of it."
Kaidoh seemed more dismayed than angry. "You're sick."
"You're one to talk. At least I have never spied on anyone."
"The coach's granddaughter doesn't count?"
Ryoma cringed, but he forced himself not to look away. "Another stupid rumor I should thank you for?"
"Oh no, Echizen. That one, you brought it on yourself without help."
So. Even half dead, the snake still had bite. A change of subject was called for. "By the way, how is it going with Inui-senpai? Have you planned to see each other during the break?" Don't you dare tell me it's none of my business, he thought, watching Kaidoh retreat even further in the shadows. When it became clear he wouldn't get another word out of him, Ryoma ostentatiously checked his watch. "I'd better get back, I guess. It's almost my turn."
He started to rise, then paused in mid-gesture, gathering the nerve to go through with what he had in mind. "Kaidoh-senpai, there's a point I'd like to make clear. Last time we had a 'talk', you got away thinking you had the upper hand. Don't let it go to your head. Whatever happens between us..." he got up, noticing with satisfaction that Kaidoh was following his movements under his eyelashes, "...I'm the one on top."
He crossed the distance in one leap, climbed on Kaidoh's lap and grasped either side of his head. He allowed himself to savor the 'deer caught in headlight' look on his teammate's face before closing the distance between their mouths. At first he'd intended to bite ---well, there wasn't a better way to get even--- but under the pressure the cut on Kaidoh's lower lip reopened and Ryoma tasted blood. He ventured a bit further, thrusting his tongue in the open mouth but quickly recoiled in utter disgust. "Ew, that Gloom Doom's simply the worst thing I've ever... Yuck! What the hell did Inui- senpai put in your glass...?"
"Like you said yourself earlier, you're not supposed to ask."
Speak of the devil...Ryoma slowly disengaged himself from a very breathless, flushed and glaring Kaidoh, stood up and took a few steps to face a calm, collected but nonetheless seething Inui. "Inui-senpai, you have an amazing sense of timing. I take it you're done investigating the effects of Penal Tea for the evening."
"What do you think you're doing, Echizen?"
"You know, I've come to understand what you see him." Ryoma made a show of wiping his bloody lips with the back of his hand. "He's so fun to play with..." He pointedly ignored the furious growl behind him, focusing on Inui.
"He's not a toy."
"Mmh, a challenging puzzle at least, that we could solve between the two of us."
"I don't intend to share."
"Your loss."
"I'm right here and I can hear you, you know!" exploded Kaidoh.
Inui's glasses reflected the streetlights like tiny mirrors. "You're aware you're going to pay for that, right?"
Ryoma sent him what he hoped was the most annoying smile he'd ever pulled. "I'm trembling at the very thought of it."
Inui seemed suddenly tired of dealing with him and walked toward Kaidoh, but Ryoma stopped him by putting a hand on his chest. Oh no, senpai, I'm not letting you near him, he's far too vulnerable right now. "We should go back inside, don't you think? Or Ryuzaki-sensei will send a search party."
Inui stared at Ryoma's bold hand resting on him, then at Kaidoh. He silently turned around and walked away. Ryoma forced himself not to look back at Kaidoh while he followed the third-year.
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Inui gave a small salute to the counter clerk on the ground floor before climbing the stairs, glad he didn't have to fake a cool exterior. He really was calm, in a surreal, detached kind of way. He wasn't going to snap Echizen's neck because the damn brat didn't deserve a clean, quick death. He deserved to suffer.
"Are you mad at me, senpai?"
Inui froze, and Echizen seized that opportunity to jump a few steps ahead of him. It was pathetic, really, to try to compensate the height difference by standing on a higher step. But at least it proved that Echizen wasn't feeling so confident after all.
"Please don't be mad," said the little devil, leaning on the wall. "It' just not worth it. The world we're living in is a very simple one, if we don't complicate it needlessly."
Inui folded his arms. Go on, spit it out. I'm all ears.
"What I suggest is a friendly agreement. You keep out of my business, I'll keep out of yours."
In other words, leave Sakuno alone and you can get Kaidoh back. How sly. How utterly devious. Inui was tempted to accept the deal, but his fast- working brain provided three reasons not to: First, there was no way it'd ever be that simple, not with that unmistakable 'thrill of the chase' glimmer in the first-year's huge eyes. It probably ran in the family, that persistent willingness to try to have your cake and eat it too. Inui should collect more data on the boy's background... Second, he was reluctant to let Echizen off so easily. And lastly, the only time Echizen was willing to compromise was when he was at the end of his rope. Inui shrugged. "You must be pretty desperate, to make me such an offer."
A raised eyebrow, then a smirk. "The game's boring, that's all. I want to move on to something else. You also need to move on, senpai, or you'll never get a life."
Ah Echizen, stop trying to get at me, you're only putting yourself in more danger. "You're in my way."
Echizen pushed himself against the wall and gestured him to pass. "Is that a yes, then?"
"No," Inui replied.
A slight pause. Now you could really smell the fear. "Think carefully."
"I've made up my mind." Inui drawled, holding the door for Echizen.
On the little stage, Ann, Sakuno and Tomoka were hopping merrily, performing a boy-band song with fangirl fervor. They turned towards the door when it opened and Sakuno faltered, putting the two other girls off their rhythm. Was it because of his appearance, or Echizen's? Inui, of course, knew the answer, but he wasn't going to tell the brat. Another seed of doubt planted in Echizen's brain. Soon it would become unbearable.
The trio finished the song in a thunder of applause ---well, the cuteness did make up for the lack of talent--- and got off the stage, waving hands at the audience. That was the moment Echizen chose to do something so unexpected it almost made Inui gape. The first-year pushed past his bemused teammates and threw himself between Sakuno and Tomoka just as they were regaining their seats. He then proceeded to stubbornly ignore both girls as if they were the ones invading his space.
Inui had to smile. For a brief moment, he had feared that Echizen had suddenly grown a romantic backbone and was going to win the war. In fact he was still his rude and tactless self, trying to act on his feelings without admitting he had any. When you knew exactly what was going on, it was rather funny to watch.
Tomoka didn't seem to mind. But then she wasn't in love with him, just star- struck. As for Sakuno...well, one could put it that way: if Inui were to set the girl against Echizen, reminding her regularly of that particular evening would definitely help.
It cost him dearly, but Inui had resolved to leave Kaidoh alone for a while, to let the situation cool off a bit. But on the other hand, it meant plenty of time to see Sakuno during the break. He fished out his notebook and immersed himself in a long summary of the day's events.
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The karaoke party had somewhat dissipated the sting of the defeat, and on the train home the Seigaku members were idly chatting among themselves, dozing or playing cards. One of them however, sat very straight, fists clenched and unblinking eyes staring into space. Three traumatic incidents in just one day, that was a lot, even for Kaidoh Kaoru. The next day would be 'freak out' time, but right at the moment the simple act of breathing was taking all his energy.
Next to him, Momoshiro yawned. "So, Mamushi, did you think about what I told you this afternoon?" Getting no reply, he reluctantly opened his achy eyes. "Eh, are you listening?"
"Just shut up," mumbled Kaidoh, as if to himself. "It's all your fault anyway. If only you'd kept your mouth shut we wouldn't have gotten into that fight, and Inui-senpai wouldn't have made us swallow that thing, and I wouldn't have to hide outside of the parlor, and then Echizen couldn't have- --" He stopped cold, horrified at what he'd almost said.
"How dare you say that? I stood up for you and that's how you thank me!"
"I didn't ask for your help. Keep the 'knight in shining armor' act for the girls and the first-years."
"You're such a prick." Momoshiro shifted in his seat, trying in vain to find a comfortable position. "It's annoying to be constantly likened to you."
"We have nothing in common."
Momoshiro laughed. "You mean, apart from being two guys of the SAME age, attending the SAME school, playing the SAME sport for the SAME team?"
"And let's not forget that you're both pigheaded trouble-magnets." Fuji was kneeling on the seat in front of them, smiling that special smile of his, the one that meant he was going to pull the rug from under your feet. "Ryuzaki-sensei's really mad, you know. The captain's title is completely out of reach, now. Tough luck."
Kaidoh snorted and shook his head. "She can't rule us out. Who else could it be? Arai?"
"Well, why not?" replied Fuji, switching on his cell phone to check the messages. "But don't you think you're forgetting someone?" With a casual head gesture, he pointed to the only first-year regular, sound asleep a few seats from them.
There was a long pause as both boys considered the possibility.
"No fucking way!" exclaimed Momoshiro.
"Over my dead body!" said Kaidoh at the same time.
Fuji chuckled. "Here's the ultimate common ground, don't you think? Put it to good use."
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The other third-years hadn't missed a scrap of the conversation. When Fuji closed his phone and came back to seat next to Tezuka, Kikumaru and Inui were snickering.
"I suppose you're proud of yourself," said Kawamura.
"Quite," replied Fuji, crossing his legs. "No need to worry. The next team will be a strong one."
Tezuka emitted a tiny grunt, which his friends ---having spent three years learning how to read him--- understood as 'I reprove the method but appreciate the result'.
"Eh, we should do something to mark the occasion," suggested Oishi. "After all, we're moving on to another school."
Kawamura was enthusiastic. "You could all come tomorrow at my place. We'll play Monopoly and video games."
Inui accepted with good grace.
"For once you have to come, Tezuka," said Kikumaru. "Consider it your last duty as captain."
"All right." Tezuka answered after a brief hesitation.
"Yeah!" exclaimed Kikumaru. "We'll all be there. A complete third-years celebration."
"Well, I'm afraid I won't join you tomorrow. Yuuta's coming home tonight for the spring break."
"So what?" replied Kikumaru. "You don't have to spend every minute with him."
Fuji gave him the puzzled, slightly outraged look of a priest who'd just been asked to skip mass.
Kikumaru sighed. "Ok, forget what I just said."
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The End
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. Notes: Ok, I admit: this wasn't what I had in mind. I tried to write a fluffy happy end... and came out with this! It went according to plan (all sweet and shmoopy) until my computer crashed, deleting half the chapter. I couldn't rewrite the scenes from memory so the plot took a different turn. But strangely I like it like that, it's so messed up and full of possibilities... No need for a sequel, we all know what's gonna happen: Ryoma and Inui's stupid showdown will be interrupted by Kaidoh and Sakuno's rebellion, and all hell will break loose. Mmh, now that's something I'd like to see. Lol
I shortened the last part by cutting a Arai/Kachiro scene in the train, because somehow it didn't fit in the chapter. I don't know what to do with it, I considered posting it on its own, but it's too short, I think.
Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to drop a line to tell me they've been reading and enjoying. Your support throughout the writing of this piece has made the process a joy. I doubt I would have finished this if not for all your wonderful reviews!
Oh, and by the way, since you asked: no, English is not my first language. I'm so happy some of you didn't notice... (^_^).
Leo Dormiens, a very happy fangirl who found a lot of RyoKai and KaiRyo doujinshis at the Omega Tenipuri convention last Saturday!
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Author name: Leo Dormiens
Author email: leodormiens2000@yahoo.com
Category: Drama
Warning: Non-explicit Shonen Ai
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A love triangle... No wait! It's a love square.
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Takeshi Konomi. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author notes: Many thanks again to my beta-team, Abinikai and Jennifer M, and to everyone who encouraged me along the way.
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"You're joking, right?"
Inui shook his head. "I'm afraid not."
"Please tell me he's joking." Kamio turned towards his captain. "You didn't agree to this."
Tachibana shrugged. "I figured, if the Seigaku players who lost today had to take this punishment, so so could we. It's only fair."
Uchimura and Mori, sitting next to each other in the karaoke parlor, exchanged nervous glances. Kamio looked even paler than usual. "But, you didn't tell us anything about this...this..." he shook a finger in the direction of the green liquid, grasping for an appropriate word.
"It's called Penal Tea," provided Ryoma with a smirk.
"Do you think it would have made any difference if the captain had told us?" asked Shinji. "You'd have played better?"
"Go on, make fun of me," grumbled Kamio, "I'd like to see how you'd have done against Tezuka..."
"It looks gross," said Mori.
"It smells even worse," added Uchimura.
Kamio sighed. "We don't deserve this."
"Oh come on," snapped Momoshiro, "stop making a fuss and drink it, if you...Ouch!" He yelped as Ryoma kicked him under the table.
"I'd advise you to keep a low profile," answered Inui, not even sparing him a glance.
They were more than thirty in a karaoke room made for twenty-five people, so they had to sit very close to each other. In spite of that, they had managed to isolate Kaidoh and Momoshiro in a corner, as no one wanted to speak to them.
"It's not that awful," said Fuji in a helpful tone. "Actually, some of us even like it."
"Do you want mine?" Kikumaru pushed his glass toward Fuji with a hopeful look.
"Uh, no thanks. Not today."
"It was worth a try," laughed Kawamura, patting Kikumaru on the shoulder.
They'd decided that everyone would drink at the same time, the defeated players a full glass of Penal Tea and the others the innocuous beverages they'd ordered from the menu. Ryuzaki-sensei raised her glass of orange juice, giving the signal. There was a chorus of 'Kanpai!', then a few strangled cries as five boys clutched their stomachs, trying not to throw up.
"Don't panic, you'll live," said Ryoma to a squirming Kamio.
All the Fudoumine regulars looked properly horrified. "Now I'm almost glad I won by forfeit," murmured Ishida.
Kaidoh and Momoshiro were the only ones with nothing to drink. "Do you think they want us to die of thirst?" said Momoshiro, dabbing his puffy eyes with a wet towel.
"You wish," snapped Ryuzaki-sensei, folding her arms.
Inui adjusted his glasses. "Failing to show up for a game without proper justification is an act of treason. Therefore, I've prepared something special for the two of you."
"Something worse than Penal Tea?" exclaimed Ishida in complete amazement. "Is it possible?"
"I've tried my best." Inui stood and went to fetch a pitcher of water and two empty glasses from a tray near the door. He filled the glasses then put them in front of the suddenly terrified boys. "And I have to say," he commented casually, removing a small vial from his pocket, "I'm very proud of my new invention. It's called Gloom Doom."
A few seconds after Inui emptied the content of the vial in the glasses, the water darkened and thickened, transforming into a gray jelly. "Inui- senpai," croaked Momoshiro, "we can't drink that. It's not even liquid!"
"Well, we can ask the waitress to bring you spoons if that would help," said Ryuzaki-sensei, eliciting a collective laughter.
"Why are you so damn cruel? It wasn't our fault, I swear." Momoshiro nudged Kaidoh. "Hey, he always listens to you. Ask him to give us something else. Anything. Please!"
Kaidoh, who had been staring mutely at his own glass, raised his eyes. "Inui-senpai," he whispered, "you can't do this to me."
Inui stared intensely at Kaidoh for a long silent moment. "It's for your own good," he answered softly. "Sometimes important lessons have to be learned through pain."
Tachibana cleared his throat, and sent a bemused glance to his sister across the room. She silently mouthed 'I'll explain later' and gave him a reassuring smile. The Seigaku members ignored the weird undertones in Inui's comment and urged their mates to drink.
Momoshiro fingered the red angry lump on his forehead. "It's not safe for me to take this. I may have a concussion, for all we know, and the side effects..."
Kaidoh took a deep breath, clutched the glass in his left hand ---the one that wasn't wrapped in a white bandage--- and emptied it in one gulp. He then bolted out of the room before anyone had time to ask him how it tasted.
"If he can do it, so can you," said Tezuka in an uncompromising tone.
Momoshiro slumped in his seat, but didn't protest. After a while, he tried to take a sip, but when he raised the glass to his lips, the gray jelly seemed to crawl into his mouth like a small scared animal, disappearing in one go.
"Eww!" exclaimed Tomoka, accurately expressing the pervading disgust.
Ishida shook his head in dismay. "What the hell does he use to make those drinks?"
"Topic number one on the 'Don't Ask' List," Ryoma calmly said.
Momoshiro, his face a worrying shade of green, staggered towards the exit, but Ryuzaki-sensei stopped him dead in the doorway. "Where do you think you're going? Eager to resume your fight with Kaidoh, are you?"
"Do you want me to throw up on you?" Momoshiro managed to articulate through the hand he'd clasped on his mouth.
"Sorry, dear, you'll have to hold it until Kaidoh comes back. There's no way I'll leave you two outside unsupervised."
Momoshiro was making frantic gestures at his teammates, suggesting the best he could without using words that one of them escorted him to the bathroom.
"Any of you feel like babysitting?" Ryuzaki-sensei listened with satisfaction at the stony silence before adding, "See? You'll just have to hold on and wait for your turn."
Except for the captain, all the Fudoumine camp looked quite shaken by the scene. Tezuka felt again the need to apologize.
"Seigaku's methods are effective, that's what counts. I know better than to pass judgment." Tachibana suppressed a nervous laugh and took one of the karaoke consoles from the table. "Well, we'd better start. Who's first?"
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Ryoma yawned and peered around. Until that dreadful day, he'd managed to avoid getting hauled inside a karaoke parlor. Back in New York, it had been easy, but in Japan so many people thought karaoke was the only activity worth doing on weekends, and his classmates constantly pestered him to give it a try. Well, at least from now on he would turn them down with full knowledge of the facts. Honestly, did people really do that for fun? He wasn't impressed.
Ryuzaki-sensei had excused herself to give a phone call to that reporter Inoue, to ask him to forget what he'd seen that afternoon, Ryoma was sure. Momoshiro was quietly agonizing on one of the padded benches, his head resting on Ann's lap. Inui was asking Kamio, Mori and Uchimura a long set of embarrassing questions to assess their reactions to Penal Tea. All the others had their eyes set on the tiny stage. It seemed to be the right moment to escape.
"Where are you going?"
Tezuka. He'd forgotten about Tezuka. Damn. "Uh... the music's too loud. I need a break."
A thick catalogue landed in Ryoma's hands. "Select a song before you go."
"It's ok, I'll pass my turn."
Tezuka shook his head. "You have to sing at least once, to show our host you enjoy their company."
First, Ryoma had to wake up earlier than usual for the extra morning practice. Then he'd been followed and harassed by his own father. After that his team had lost in the most stupid way possible ---treason, Inui had been right to use the word. And to crown it all, he was now required to degrade himself by actually participating to the party. What a wonderful day...
He reluctantly flipped through the catalogue, trying to imagine Tezuka holding a microphone. "Uh, Captain, what song did you choose?"
"I won't sing."
Ryoma frowned. "So, I have to, but you don't. May I ask why?"
"No."
"May I ask why I may not?"
"No."
There was no use glaring at Tezuka. Ryoma bit down a cutting remark and buried his nose in the catalogue. For the first time he understood the real benefits of being the leader of the team. It was worth shouldering all the responsibilities, really, to be able to spare oneself such humiliation. Maybe he should give it a shot.
He settled for 'We will rock you' by Queen. The rock anthem was so popular among sportsmen that surely as soon as the tune would echo in the room, most of the boys would start to sing along ---in broken English, oh god--- saving Ryoma the trouble.
Outside it was already dark. The days were getting longer, but not fast enough, Ryoma felt. The karaoke club was set back from a busy avenue, the narrow street outside the building was deserted and rather silent.
Kaidoh was nowhere to be seen. Ryoma slowly paced up and down the street, scanning all the dark corners in which a wounded animal could seek refuge. The soft noise of a slightly heavy, irregular breathing told him where to look. Kaidoh sat on the steps of the club's emergency exit, on the left side of the building, his face half hidden in the shadows. "Are you all right, senpai?"
"Go away."
Ryoma stretched and turned his face towards the sky. "Mmh, it's so much nicer here. Upstairs, the heat's suffocating."
An irritated hiss was the only answer he got. Ryoma planted himself in front of his curled up teammate to get a better view. Kaidoh had been more dead than alive to begin with, what with the severe beating he'd taken. Now the Gloom Doom thingy had completely finished him off. He probably couldn't move if his life depended on it. Well, such an occasion was too tempting to miss, and Ryoma seized it without a qualm. He sat cross-legged on the pavement just in front of Kaidoh, not caring about getting dirt on his clothes. From there he had a very good view on Kaidoh's face, which was rather convenient since he intended to catch and interpret every single emotion reflected on it.
"You really look like hell," Ryoma commented casually. Kaidoh kept his eyes half-closed and lowered on the ground, and he was obviously making efforts to keep his breathing silent. How mortified he must be to be seen in a moment of total weakness... Ryoma almost felt sympathetic. Almost.
"Ne, senpai, I haven't seen much of you lately. I mean, outside of tennis practice. Aren't you interested in me anymore?"
Kaidoh kept silent, but his jaw clenched visibly.
"I'd like to play a match against you one these days," Ryoma continued, feeling he was getting there. "It's funny how we're always sorted in different groups for the club's monthly ranking. Aren't you curious, Kaidoh- senpai? Don't you wonder, now, if you have what it takes to beat me?"
Stormy eyes flew open, and Ryoma saw in their depth that Kaidoh was indeed near the edge. It was almost too easy.
"It's a bit low, even from you, to start messing with me now."
Ryoma, who had anticipated that amply justified retort, merely smirked and replied "Come on, senpai, don't underestimate yourself. You're never helpless. Not even after getting consecutively trampled by Momo-senpai and poisoned by Inui-senpai."
His cockiness struck Kaidoh dumb for a while. Then after a tired sigh, "I did not get trampled by Momoshiro. How many times would I have to repeat that we didn't fight with each other!"
Ryoma waved his hand. "You should save all your explanations for the coach and the captain. I'm not the one with the means to torture you."
At that last statement, something unsettling flashed in Kaidoh's eyes, and for the first time Ryoma felt uneasy about what he was trying to do. He let a few minutes pass in silence, as much to give Kaidoh some time to recover as to reaffirm his own purpose. In truth, he had nothing to be ashamed of. Whatever was happening, Kaidoh started it, first by stalking Ryoma, then by refusing to justify his actions when he got caught.
"You really missed something, you and Momo-senpai. Fudoumine's gotten awesome. Tachibana in particular played a mean game. You should have seen how---"
"Go back inside," Kaidoh cut in with an unusually flat tone.
"I will. When Kawamura-senpai will be through his disco medley. Racket in hand..." That got a weak smile from Kaidoh. "In the meantime, I'd rather keep you company. You'll miss me terribly during the spring break, so..."
"Don't kid yourself. I can't wait to be rid of you for a while."
Ryoma's grin intensified. "For a while, yeah. Then after a few days it'll start to hurt, seeing me only in dream..."
"I don't spend my nights thinking about you, stupid brat!"
Ryoma cocked his head, pretending to think it over. "Well, they say running is very effective to relieve sexual urges... You probably sleep like the dead, come to think of it."
Kaidoh seemed more dismayed than angry. "You're sick."
"You're one to talk. At least I have never spied on anyone."
"The coach's granddaughter doesn't count?"
Ryoma cringed, but he forced himself not to look away. "Another stupid rumor I should thank you for?"
"Oh no, Echizen. That one, you brought it on yourself without help."
So. Even half dead, the snake still had bite. A change of subject was called for. "By the way, how is it going with Inui-senpai? Have you planned to see each other during the break?" Don't you dare tell me it's none of my business, he thought, watching Kaidoh retreat even further in the shadows. When it became clear he wouldn't get another word out of him, Ryoma ostentatiously checked his watch. "I'd better get back, I guess. It's almost my turn."
He started to rise, then paused in mid-gesture, gathering the nerve to go through with what he had in mind. "Kaidoh-senpai, there's a point I'd like to make clear. Last time we had a 'talk', you got away thinking you had the upper hand. Don't let it go to your head. Whatever happens between us..." he got up, noticing with satisfaction that Kaidoh was following his movements under his eyelashes, "...I'm the one on top."
He crossed the distance in one leap, climbed on Kaidoh's lap and grasped either side of his head. He allowed himself to savor the 'deer caught in headlight' look on his teammate's face before closing the distance between their mouths. At first he'd intended to bite ---well, there wasn't a better way to get even--- but under the pressure the cut on Kaidoh's lower lip reopened and Ryoma tasted blood. He ventured a bit further, thrusting his tongue in the open mouth but quickly recoiled in utter disgust. "Ew, that Gloom Doom's simply the worst thing I've ever... Yuck! What the hell did Inui- senpai put in your glass...?"
"Like you said yourself earlier, you're not supposed to ask."
Speak of the devil...Ryoma slowly disengaged himself from a very breathless, flushed and glaring Kaidoh, stood up and took a few steps to face a calm, collected but nonetheless seething Inui. "Inui-senpai, you have an amazing sense of timing. I take it you're done investigating the effects of Penal Tea for the evening."
"What do you think you're doing, Echizen?"
"You know, I've come to understand what you see him." Ryoma made a show of wiping his bloody lips with the back of his hand. "He's so fun to play with..." He pointedly ignored the furious growl behind him, focusing on Inui.
"He's not a toy."
"Mmh, a challenging puzzle at least, that we could solve between the two of us."
"I don't intend to share."
"Your loss."
"I'm right here and I can hear you, you know!" exploded Kaidoh.
Inui's glasses reflected the streetlights like tiny mirrors. "You're aware you're going to pay for that, right?"
Ryoma sent him what he hoped was the most annoying smile he'd ever pulled. "I'm trembling at the very thought of it."
Inui seemed suddenly tired of dealing with him and walked toward Kaidoh, but Ryoma stopped him by putting a hand on his chest. Oh no, senpai, I'm not letting you near him, he's far too vulnerable right now. "We should go back inside, don't you think? Or Ryuzaki-sensei will send a search party."
Inui stared at Ryoma's bold hand resting on him, then at Kaidoh. He silently turned around and walked away. Ryoma forced himself not to look back at Kaidoh while he followed the third-year.
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Inui gave a small salute to the counter clerk on the ground floor before climbing the stairs, glad he didn't have to fake a cool exterior. He really was calm, in a surreal, detached kind of way. He wasn't going to snap Echizen's neck because the damn brat didn't deserve a clean, quick death. He deserved to suffer.
"Are you mad at me, senpai?"
Inui froze, and Echizen seized that opportunity to jump a few steps ahead of him. It was pathetic, really, to try to compensate the height difference by standing on a higher step. But at least it proved that Echizen wasn't feeling so confident after all.
"Please don't be mad," said the little devil, leaning on the wall. "It' just not worth it. The world we're living in is a very simple one, if we don't complicate it needlessly."
Inui folded his arms. Go on, spit it out. I'm all ears.
"What I suggest is a friendly agreement. You keep out of my business, I'll keep out of yours."
In other words, leave Sakuno alone and you can get Kaidoh back. How sly. How utterly devious. Inui was tempted to accept the deal, but his fast- working brain provided three reasons not to: First, there was no way it'd ever be that simple, not with that unmistakable 'thrill of the chase' glimmer in the first-year's huge eyes. It probably ran in the family, that persistent willingness to try to have your cake and eat it too. Inui should collect more data on the boy's background... Second, he was reluctant to let Echizen off so easily. And lastly, the only time Echizen was willing to compromise was when he was at the end of his rope. Inui shrugged. "You must be pretty desperate, to make me such an offer."
A raised eyebrow, then a smirk. "The game's boring, that's all. I want to move on to something else. You also need to move on, senpai, or you'll never get a life."
Ah Echizen, stop trying to get at me, you're only putting yourself in more danger. "You're in my way."
Echizen pushed himself against the wall and gestured him to pass. "Is that a yes, then?"
"No," Inui replied.
A slight pause. Now you could really smell the fear. "Think carefully."
"I've made up my mind." Inui drawled, holding the door for Echizen.
On the little stage, Ann, Sakuno and Tomoka were hopping merrily, performing a boy-band song with fangirl fervor. They turned towards the door when it opened and Sakuno faltered, putting the two other girls off their rhythm. Was it because of his appearance, or Echizen's? Inui, of course, knew the answer, but he wasn't going to tell the brat. Another seed of doubt planted in Echizen's brain. Soon it would become unbearable.
The trio finished the song in a thunder of applause ---well, the cuteness did make up for the lack of talent--- and got off the stage, waving hands at the audience. That was the moment Echizen chose to do something so unexpected it almost made Inui gape. The first-year pushed past his bemused teammates and threw himself between Sakuno and Tomoka just as they were regaining their seats. He then proceeded to stubbornly ignore both girls as if they were the ones invading his space.
Inui had to smile. For a brief moment, he had feared that Echizen had suddenly grown a romantic backbone and was going to win the war. In fact he was still his rude and tactless self, trying to act on his feelings without admitting he had any. When you knew exactly what was going on, it was rather funny to watch.
Tomoka didn't seem to mind. But then she wasn't in love with him, just star- struck. As for Sakuno...well, one could put it that way: if Inui were to set the girl against Echizen, reminding her regularly of that particular evening would definitely help.
It cost him dearly, but Inui had resolved to leave Kaidoh alone for a while, to let the situation cool off a bit. But on the other hand, it meant plenty of time to see Sakuno during the break. He fished out his notebook and immersed himself in a long summary of the day's events.
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The karaoke party had somewhat dissipated the sting of the defeat, and on the train home the Seigaku members were idly chatting among themselves, dozing or playing cards. One of them however, sat very straight, fists clenched and unblinking eyes staring into space. Three traumatic incidents in just one day, that was a lot, even for Kaidoh Kaoru. The next day would be 'freak out' time, but right at the moment the simple act of breathing was taking all his energy.
Next to him, Momoshiro yawned. "So, Mamushi, did you think about what I told you this afternoon?" Getting no reply, he reluctantly opened his achy eyes. "Eh, are you listening?"
"Just shut up," mumbled Kaidoh, as if to himself. "It's all your fault anyway. If only you'd kept your mouth shut we wouldn't have gotten into that fight, and Inui-senpai wouldn't have made us swallow that thing, and I wouldn't have to hide outside of the parlor, and then Echizen couldn't have- --" He stopped cold, horrified at what he'd almost said.
"How dare you say that? I stood up for you and that's how you thank me!"
"I didn't ask for your help. Keep the 'knight in shining armor' act for the girls and the first-years."
"You're such a prick." Momoshiro shifted in his seat, trying in vain to find a comfortable position. "It's annoying to be constantly likened to you."
"We have nothing in common."
Momoshiro laughed. "You mean, apart from being two guys of the SAME age, attending the SAME school, playing the SAME sport for the SAME team?"
"And let's not forget that you're both pigheaded trouble-magnets." Fuji was kneeling on the seat in front of them, smiling that special smile of his, the one that meant he was going to pull the rug from under your feet. "Ryuzaki-sensei's really mad, you know. The captain's title is completely out of reach, now. Tough luck."
Kaidoh snorted and shook his head. "She can't rule us out. Who else could it be? Arai?"
"Well, why not?" replied Fuji, switching on his cell phone to check the messages. "But don't you think you're forgetting someone?" With a casual head gesture, he pointed to the only first-year regular, sound asleep a few seats from them.
There was a long pause as both boys considered the possibility.
"No fucking way!" exclaimed Momoshiro.
"Over my dead body!" said Kaidoh at the same time.
Fuji chuckled. "Here's the ultimate common ground, don't you think? Put it to good use."
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The other third-years hadn't missed a scrap of the conversation. When Fuji closed his phone and came back to seat next to Tezuka, Kikumaru and Inui were snickering.
"I suppose you're proud of yourself," said Kawamura.
"Quite," replied Fuji, crossing his legs. "No need to worry. The next team will be a strong one."
Tezuka emitted a tiny grunt, which his friends ---having spent three years learning how to read him--- understood as 'I reprove the method but appreciate the result'.
"Eh, we should do something to mark the occasion," suggested Oishi. "After all, we're moving on to another school."
Kawamura was enthusiastic. "You could all come tomorrow at my place. We'll play Monopoly and video games."
Inui accepted with good grace.
"For once you have to come, Tezuka," said Kikumaru. "Consider it your last duty as captain."
"All right." Tezuka answered after a brief hesitation.
"Yeah!" exclaimed Kikumaru. "We'll all be there. A complete third-years celebration."
"Well, I'm afraid I won't join you tomorrow. Yuuta's coming home tonight for the spring break."
"So what?" replied Kikumaru. "You don't have to spend every minute with him."
Fuji gave him the puzzled, slightly outraged look of a priest who'd just been asked to skip mass.
Kikumaru sighed. "Ok, forget what I just said."
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The End
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. Notes: Ok, I admit: this wasn't what I had in mind. I tried to write a fluffy happy end... and came out with this! It went according to plan (all sweet and shmoopy) until my computer crashed, deleting half the chapter. I couldn't rewrite the scenes from memory so the plot took a different turn. But strangely I like it like that, it's so messed up and full of possibilities... No need for a sequel, we all know what's gonna happen: Ryoma and Inui's stupid showdown will be interrupted by Kaidoh and Sakuno's rebellion, and all hell will break loose. Mmh, now that's something I'd like to see. Lol
I shortened the last part by cutting a Arai/Kachiro scene in the train, because somehow it didn't fit in the chapter. I don't know what to do with it, I considered posting it on its own, but it's too short, I think.
Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to drop a line to tell me they've been reading and enjoying. Your support throughout the writing of this piece has made the process a joy. I doubt I would have finished this if not for all your wonderful reviews!
Oh, and by the way, since you asked: no, English is not my first language. I'm so happy some of you didn't notice... (^_^).
Leo Dormiens, a very happy fangirl who found a lot of RyoKai and KaiRyo doujinshis at the Omega Tenipuri convention last Saturday!
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