Disclaimer: Same as before
A/N: This can be read alone without any trouble, but it technically is part of a series…shameless plug, I know. Enjoy!
One Shot At: Second Shot – Inui/Oishi
Only by a hairsbreadth did Oishi maintain hold of his racquet, rather than sending it crashing to the court, as he so desired. Rarely did he let his temper get the best of him, but after the practice he had had today, and all that week for all intents and purposes, he was very close to the brink of a complete loss of control. Even as Tezuka called an end to practice he was already marching off the courts, for once not caring if he attracted much attention.
"Hm, data," already scribbling into his notebook, Inui walked closer to the captain and not so subtly began to pry. "Do you know the reason behind Oishi's sudden behavior?"
"No." Despite looking calm, Tezuka was rather worried at his vice-captains behavior. All week he had noticed that Oishi's normally stellar play was off, greatly so, and his mood even worse. Something was bothering the guy but he refused to let on; whenever questioned, he gave a smile, shrugged, and quickly changed the subject after assuring everyone that everything was fine.
"His plays have suffered a rather alarming 28 decrease in effectiveness Tezuka."
"Hn."
Realizing he wasn't going to get anything out of the other player, Inui followed the rest of the team to the club house, not all that surprised to see Oishi already walking towards the school's exit. Interesting.
o-o-o-o-o-
Although the weather was beautiful, traffic light, and his walk home clearer than normal of other pedestrians, Oishi continued to glare at the ground, lost in thought. He had nearly lost it on the courts today, and that was unacceptable, not only as a player, but especially as the vice-captain. He couldn't believe how much his turbid emotions and tumulus thoughts had been effecting everything in his life. And all because of one single person: Eiji.
They had been double's partners for a long time, friends for even longer, and never before had anything like this cropped up. Then one day, upon thinking how funny it was to see all the girls swooning for his hyper and fun friend, it hit him. If they all love him, why don't I? Once that single question had entered his mind, it refused to let go, and now he was utterly confused as to his relationship with his friend. He knew he loved Eiji, as a friend, but what defined love beyond a simple friendship? What constituted real love? He was young, he didn't understand really and he was getting more and more frustrated, unable to focus without letting his thoughts drift, and it was beginning to show. Embarrassingly so.
Realizing he was near his house and that his mother had requested he pick up a few things from the shop nearby, he detoured quickly and grabbed what he needed from the shelves. As he was checking out though, his attention was pulled away by an arm on his shoulder.
"What? Oh, hi Inui."
"Hello, Oishi. Will you come to my house tonight? I have a few questions over our club to go over, and seeing as how we both have tests next week, this weekend will be tied up with studies, so tonight is the best time to meet."
A bit stunned to not only have run into the data-collector, but to have also been invited to his house, it took a moment for Oishi to respond. "I have to make sure it's alright with my family first. I'll call your cell?"
"That will be satisfactory. Have a good evening." With that he walked out of the store without buying anything, a fact that Oishi barely noted as he finished paying and walked home.
o-o-o-o-o-
After receiving his phone call, confirming that Oishi would indeed be heading over after his family finished supper, Inui set about preparing. Although he hadn't lied to Oishi back at the store, he hadn't told the clearest of truths either. Indeed, he wished to discuss matters pertaining to the tennis club; however, more specifically, it pertained to a particular doubles team, and even more specifically, the one member which seemed to be having the hardest time playing his part in the duo. He knew not why Oishi had begun losing focus, yet he could bet that it had somewhere near a 76 chance of being related to Eiji somehow, and most likely, a near 92 chance that it had to do with something beyond their tennis playing alone.
Feeling his stomach grumble at missing his normal meal time, he ran downstairs and fixed a quick meal before heading back upstairs, bowl in hand, to finish entering some data into his computer. Calculating the distance between his and Oishi's homes, he figured he had a good half hour before the other arrived. Plenty of time to finish eating and make sure he was prepared.
Twenty-nine minutes later, there was a knock on his door, which Inui was quick to respond to.
"Welcome."
"Thank you. Where should I…" Oishi drifted off, gesturing with his arm laden with folders and files of the teams activities.
"In my room, follow me." Only slightly guilty at seeing his teammate prepared to talk business over their club, Inui nonetheless lead the way and soon had Oishi settled on the floor with his papers strewn about.
Looking around, glad to see how normal the room looked, Oishi gathered that this would be a meeting for two only. But just to make sure, "Tezuka's not coming?"
"He had another engagement."
"Ah, I see. Well, what was it you wanted to discuss?" Although the caring mother hen type, Oishi was also one to know business, and as such could get to the point of any meeting, large or small. That ability was partially responsible for his getting into student government, and said organization was only helping him further this talent.
"First, would you like some tea?" Seeing the other pale slightly, he quickly amended, "Green tea, or mint, or citrus, whichever. Nothing of mine, I'm currently in the midst of a new recipe, but its not ready to be tested on living subjects." Dipping his head, knowing the overhead lamp would glint off his glasses, he waited for Oishi's hesitant nod and soft thanks before leaving to grab the already prepared teas. Although he was sure he knew what he wanted to ask, he knew Oishi, realized the other seemed stress, and didn't want to add to it by simply confronting him. He took this time to gather his thoughts, to figure out the best way to broach the subject.
While Inui was in the kitchen, Oishi organized his files, shifting nervously on the floor pillow. He had a funny feeling this meeting wasn't only about the team; it seemed too sudden to be coincidental. He had thrown a mini-tantrum on the courts after all, he couldn't have believed to have escaped scrutiny, especially that of their resident data player. With a sigh, he sat back and got comfortable seeing as how it was the least he could do.
"Mint tea. Now Oishi, as the division amongst our players goes, singles and doubles as they are, do you see any glaring weaknesses we should adjust before the next round of matches?"
Taking a sip, and glad to have not been confronted, he thought for a moment. "Tezuka and I have discussed possible readjustments, but as far as I know he's been giving everyone more time, testing out how different combinations work during practice, to see if anything obviously greater than what we have develops. As we stand, we're pretty strong. But again, as each school we play has different strengths and weaknesses, our roster should be flexible enough to change around accordingly."
"I agree. So you would say as we stand, we're utilizing our strongest players to the best of their abilities?"
"Yes. I believe so."
"What about personal dynamics?"
A bit worried, Oishi continued on, "Personal dynamics?"
"Friendships, relationships, etc. According to my data, enough time has accumulated that new relationships from the changing semesters will have begun to solidify by this point. How have these been affecting our skills?"
"Er, well, I guess strong friendship and friendly competition, both of which we have healthy doses of on the team, work towards bettering the club as a whole." He paused. "I'm sorry but I don't know where exactly you're going with this."
"Fraternization Oishi. By my estimate, over half our team has a relationship of some sort, with one other team member, than can constitute fraternization. Now, as you are well aware of, many military units around the globe frown upon such unions, for they see personal matters getting in the way of professional ones. Do you agree?"
Knowing he had been seen through, and beginning to panic, Oishi didn't know how to respond. If he was hearing correctly, did this mean that Inui was thinking him inept as team vice-captain. He knew his emotions had been getting the better of him, but to this extreme? "Inui, you can drop the pretense at this point, please state what you wish you really say." That sounded uptight, even to him.
"Alright then Oishi. You're playing ability has suffered greatly over the past week. Although I cannot be sure as to the exact reason, my best bet is that you have had some conflict with Eiji. More so, it is an internal one for Eiji himself has not shown any change in his tennis skills as of late. Am I right?"
"Yes." For some reason, he was beginning to become angered again, feeling as if Inui was prying a bit too close, even if for the betterment of the team. "However, if you are insinuating that my abilities directly tie into the continued growth of the team…"
"No, that is not what I'm going after at all Oishi." A bit surprised, hearing the anger rising in the other's voice, Inui was quick to put down such fears. He honestly did not mean to insult him, and made sure to say so. "In fact, Oishi, I have great respect for your playing skills and your dedication to the student body as a whole, beyond even the team. That being said, you must realize I'm simply trying to balance the gains and losses of having such relationships form on our team. And seeing as how you are currently in flux over such a matter, believed you to have a good subjective view off of which I can base my deductions."
"Oh." Sheepish, he blushed a little and began to collect his papers, seeing as how they weren't going to be of any real use at this moment. "Well, what about you?"
He didn't see that one coming. "What do you mean Oishi?"
"What about yourself? If over half our team is currently in a relationship, and I'm assuming you're meaning the regulars specifically, then there is a large chance that you're on of the statistics. So?"
"I can assure you Oishi, that I am here purely for the mathematical gain. I, I am not one of those I'm including in the statistics."
Hearing the slight hesitation in his voice, Oishi softened his own, knowing he was onto something. "I'm sorry, I did not mean to pry." Suddenly, he realized that this was probably the only person he could talk about his problems too, even if it was dealt with analytically. Maybe such an objective view was needed to counteract his overly emotional involvement. Sitting crosslegged, he shifted around a bit before cocking his head to the side. "Inui, what is love?"
"Love is the emotion felt between two people who feel close to one another and…"
"Not a definition Inui. To you, what is love?"
"To me what is love?"
He waitied patiently, surprised but hiding it, at Inui's sudden silence.
"I, I could not say. I have yet to collect any data on such a personal subject."
Suddenly feeling sorry for the other boy, he shifted closer. "You've never loved anyone? Or been loved back?"
"Other than familial love, which you might even say is lacking in my case, then no. I have had no real need for such things." Even while saying it, Inui only began to realize just then how well Oishi had manipulated their conversation, but for some reason he wasn't inclined to shift it back to conclude his data. "Do you love Eiji?"
He leaned back. "As a friend, of course, as I care for the team as a whole. But that exact question arose last weekend, and is responsible for my distraction as of late. I do not know. Hence my asking you." He ducked his head, a blush highlighting his features. "I know that I feel very close to Eiji, but, well, and I've never felt this way about anyone, even girls that I've dated, but as for love, I don't know."
"Have you ever kissed a guy?"
"What!" Redfaced, Oishi ducked his head, eyes wide in shock. How blunt could the other guy be? "Excuse me?"
"Well, when people love they usually kiss, right?" Trying to get a semblance of control back into the conversation, he silently congratulated himself. He knew such a shock technique would work.
"I, I guess so."
"Then kiss Eiji."
"Its not that simple Inui."
"Of course it is. If you love him, then you'll know in the kiss, right?"
"But Inui, I'm pretty sure it's not love anyway, its more an admiration."
"Do you admire anyone else?"
"Most everyone else," he stated honestly, "for his or her own unique reasons. Taka-san for his dedication to his family, Ryoma for his natural ability, Fuji for his genius, you for your data technique, everyone has a trait that I'm able to easily envy, and admire."
"Then kiss Eiji and kiss another guy."
Again flustered, he winced. "How would that help?"
"You would know the difference between the two then."
"How?"
"You said you admired me, do you wish to kiss me?"
"Inui, no!" Shocked at his own outburst, he felt immediately guilty but seeing the unchanging expression on the other's face, he could only hope he didn't insult his teammate.
"What about Eiji, do you want to kiss him?"
"I don't know."
"That's less emphatic than your desire to not kiss me; you should try it. Otherwise, there is a 68 chance your skills will continue to decline."
He paused for a moment. "That high?"
"If not higher Oishi."
Surprised at how much his heart's confusion was altering his abilities, he went silent, debating. Inui too sat back, leaving the other to his decision. It wasn't exactly an easily made one, even he was aware of that.
After a good few minutes, he decided that he would indeed have to take immediate action, if only to not let the team down. He didn't want to hurt Eiji, or himself, but it was for the better good. "Thanks Inui."
"None needed. So you believe that fraternization is a positive attribute to any team?"
"Maybe not to any team, and it does have it's weaknesses, but other than my mishap, I have yet to see anything damaging come out of such relationships, do you?"
"No." His voice reflected his lost in thought expression, so Oishi quickly finished his tea. "If that is all, I'll be heading home." He got up to leave.
"Oishi?"
"Yes?"
"I figured only a 61 chance of you refusing to kiss me. Why were you so emphatic?"
Guilt washing over him, Oishi realized his knee jerk reaction had indeed hurt the other's feelings, despite his calculated nature. Sure there were numbers and percentages involved, but for him to have even calculated such a statistic, made Oishi wonder a bit more. "Shock Inui. You shocked me."
"I apologize. Would you still refuse if I stated that I wished to try and kiss you instead?"
Feeling as if in a surreal world, Oishi fully sat back down. He had to ask. "What do your percentages say?"
"Unknown at this time."
Oishi blushed. "Why do you want to kiss me?"
He gave a wry grin. "Data?"
"If that is the only reason, I guess it wouldn't be a problem." Wait, what did I just say!
"Alright then, I know that you've been on quite a few dates, however, I have not. So I shall let you lead."
"Er, alright, makes sense." Ignoring his meshed feelings of confusion, curiosity, and remaining guilt, Oishi leaned in and gently pressed his lips against the Inui's, waiting for a response. Not getting any after a few moments, he pulled back. "Inui?"
"Hm. Not quite what I expected."
Feeling a bit hurt, Oishi pulled back further, only to be stopped by Inui's hand on his wrist. "Yeah?"
"My calculations were wrong. I've included a 10 margin of exaggeration into the accounts from girls you've dated, but now I must reduce that to a mere 3 Oishi." His lips thinned for a moment. "Thank you."
At a complete loss, Oishi simply nodded and stood back up, this time unhindered. After grabbing his stuff, he and Inui walked back down stairs to leave. Unsure as to what to say, he simply turned and found Inui already writing in his notebook, all the while escorting him to the front door. "Is there anything else Inui?"
"No. I believe I have much work to do before the weekend comes. This data is most welcome, even if conflicting."
"Ah, yes. Well then, I'll see you at practice tomorrow morning?"
"Yes. And judging by your new behavior, I believe after a phone call and meeting later tonight, your skills will once again be up to par, if not beyond your previous norm." A slight smile flashed onto his features as he closed the door, leaving a bemused and stunned Oishi on his front step.
Walking back home, again lost in thought, he didn't even realize he was fiddling with his cell phone in his pocket until a rather high pitched voice sounded, "…hey, HEY…ARE YOU THERE?…OISHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
o-o-o-o-o-
Here ends yet another installment of oddities. Please review, they're greatly appreciated. Also, I'm traveling to Greece this week so my next posting will be a bit longer in arriving, but tis already written so I'll get right on it upon my return. Ciao.
