Greetings!
Well, there wasn't supposed to be more to this story, but I received requests and said requests generated ideas and those ideas are currently driving me batty. So, here's Part Two. I imagine there are about two more chapters left of this, one to finish up Inui and Kaidoh and one to deal with Fuji and Tezuka, again because it was requested and sounded like too much fun to pass up.
Enjoy!
Whisper
The Second Notebook: Part 2
Inui was worried about something. It was evident in the scritch scratch of his pencil against the spine of his closed notebook. Oishi wasn't going to ask, though. He wasn't going to intrude.
"Hoi Inui! Come warm up with us!"
No, Eiji was going to intrude, as he usually did when he thought someone needed cheering up. Usually Eiji's methods worked, but this was Inui. Inui was different.
"It is unlikely that Kaidoh will be here for three more minutes. He has homeroom cleanup. I would not want to impose." Inui bowed and walked to the other side of the practice courts, his pencil still scritch scratching away.
"Nyah Oishi, we have to help Inui!" Kikumaru's grip was cutting off the circulation to Oishi's arm. This was normal, though, so Oishi rode it out quietly, waiting for Kikumaru to either let go and start plotting or run to Fuji to engage the tensai in plotting. Either way, there would be plotting. Oishi would not get involved. "Nyah Oishi…" No matter how wide Kikumaru's eyes were or how hard his eyelashes fluttered, Oishi was not going to get involved. "…Fujiko's busy this week, so…" Oishi had given in before, but this time he was going to stay strong. He even crossed his arms over his chest as he'd seen Tezuka do. "…we should help Inui, ne?"
"Eiji, Inui can sort this out on his own." Oishi smiled at his doubles partner and, after a quick glance to make sure no one was watching, put a hand atop the one gripping his forearm and squeezed. It was a quick movement, but Eiji would understand it. "If he needs help, he'll let us know."
$-$
As fortune would have it, twenty minutes later, Inui pulled Kikumaru aside and said, in a whisper so soft Eiji had trouble hearing, "I need to bring something."
Kikumaru blinked up and Inui and smiled. He waited for smart Inui to let him, the still smart but sometimes distracted from the matter at hand Kikumaru, know what was going on. It had to do with Kaidoh, obviously, but that was as far as Kikumaru could get. After a few minutes, Kikumaru stomped his foot and huffed through his nose. "Inuiiii, bring something for who, why, when?
"I…" Inui paused. He seemed like he didn't want to answer Kikumaru's question directly. He was blushing. "If you were going to Oishi's house for dinner, what would you do?"
Inui was weird. "What do you mean, what would I do? If I'm going to Oishi's, I would go to Oishi's. Nyah Inui, are you feeling okay? Did you drink bad juice?" Kikumaru shuddered at the thought of Inui Juice but his resolve to help the data collector kept him from running, instinctually away.
"I have been asked to attend dinner at a friend's house. I am unfamiliar with the protocol for such an occasion." Inui's pen was scritch scratching on the notebook binding again and he kept looking around at nothing.
Oh. The blush and the scritch scratching pen finally registered. "Why don't you ask Kaidoh what is expected? I'm sure his family doesn't do anything weird, like sacrifice goats at the dinner table or anything. Oishi always brings dessert when he comes over, even though I tell him not to." Kikumaru smiled up at Inui, though it seemed to disarm him more than reassure him.
"I…how did you know I was going to Kaidoh's?" The notebook was open. Inui's pen ceased its scritch scratching.
"Oishi told me." Something was nagging at the back of Kikumaru's mind. There was something he was forgetting. "You could bring desserts, too, but I don't know if Kaidoh likes sweets. He always has those nice bentos with healthy things in them." Kikumaru made a face. Sweets were much better than that healthy stuff. Kaidoh ate weird things, just like Fujiko. Oh no. "Fujiko! I forgot, I need to go get the bucket of water for Fujiko!" Kikumaru began hopping from one foot to another. "Gomen Inui, I've got to go." Kikumaru tore off across the courts, picking up an empty ball pale on the way. Hopefully Fujiko wouldn't be vengeance-mad at him for forgetting. It was only a few minutes, and buchou was going to be late today because of a meeting with Ryuzaki-sensei. Yes, yes, there was still time.
$-$
The idiot was smiling at him. "Fssshu." The idiot was smiling at him and stuffing his stupid, big mouth full of filthy snack foods. Disgusting. "Fssshu." Why Momoshiro couldn't go eat on the roof and spare Kaidoh the unpleasant experience of listening to the incessant smacking of his lips as he ate like a wild pig was beyond the mamushi's understanding. "Fssshu." One of these days, Kaidoh was going to beat the idiot senseless. Not today, though. Today he had to finish eating his high-protein lunch (Tuesdays were always high-protein lunches) and study for his history exam. The Dunk Smash baka was probably going to fail the exam. Well, that was just one more thing Kaidoh could shove in his stupid, loud face.
"Oi Mamushi, be careful or your face could freeze that way!" Momoshiro chuckled and Kaidoh threw an onigiri at him. Kaidoh wasn't going to eat it anyway and all that baka's stupidity burned a lot of calories, which was why Momo had to eat so much. Let the fool eat the smashed onigiri if he so chose.
"Fssshu. Baka, leave me alone so I can finish my lunch." With one last glare, Kaidoh turned his attention back to his lunch. The pickled fish was next. It was disgusting, but Inui-senpai said it was good for him. Sometimes he thought Inui-senpai just liked to see him suffer.
"Oi, Mamushi! I heard you and Inui-senpai were going on a date tonight." Momoshiro chuckled and Kaidoh looked for something to throw and failed.
With nothing to throw, Kaidoh resorted to his usual tactic for getting rid of Momo. "Fssshu."
"So it's true!" Momo was clutching his stomach, doubled over in laughter. Kaidoh thought he saw tears starting to stream down the sides of the idiot's face.
"I don't need to listen to someone who can't even make it into Regulars." Kaidoh smiled to himself at the well placed barb- it shut Momo up nicely. Kaidoh hadn't meant for Momo to go sulk in the corner of the room, though. "Fssshu. Baka, you'll get back on Regulars if you train harder…and stop stuffing your face." There, that was as nice as he'd get to the idiot, and the only reason he did it was because Inui-senpai would be upset if his comments jeopardized Momo's advancement.
In the corner, Momo perked up and grinned. "So, Mamushi, about this date you're having with Inui-senpai…"
$-$
"Tezuka, you are not understanding the severity of the situation." Inui pushed up his glasses and pointed to something in his notebook. Tezuka wasn't sure what the little numbers and charts meant, nor did he care. What he did care about was the fact that Fuji was trying to kill him. "Tezuka, do not allow Fuji to distract you. This is important. If Kaidoh's family does not like me, there is a 64 percent chance that our doubles game will be in jeopardy."
Tezuka would eat his racket if Inui was actually concerned about their doubles game. "Bring new grip tape, then. It will show your concern for your doubles game."
"Tezuka, would you bring grip tape if you were invited to dinner at Fuji's house?" Inui sounded annoyed, which was a new expression on the data collector. Tezuka was amused, though he'd rather Inui not mention Fuji.
"I would not go into Fuji's house under current circumstances but, were I to visit, I would either bring something useful or nothing at all." Tezuka refrained from mentioning that he would never bring Syusuke grip tape. Grip tape was long and made out of adhesive, a combination that, in the tensai's hands, could be fatal, highly embarrassing, or both.
"If I bring nothing…" Inui was muttering to himself and writing in his notebook. Tezuka took the opportunity to quietly walk away to continue his lunch in a more data-free environment.
$-$
Inui knocked on the Kaidoh family's door. He heard shuffling then saw a brown eye stare at him from between the living room curtains.
"Kaoru! Your friend is here!" Ah, that must be Kaidoh's mother. Inui's hands twitched for a notebook, but there were none to be found. He'd left them at home. Inui was aware that his data collection was a bit…unusual to most people and, since he wanted to make the best impression possible, Inui was going to act like a normal, tennis-playing senpai.
The front door opened and a miniature Kaoru stood before him. "Aniki's in the shower. Come in." This would be Hazue, Kaoru's younger brother. If Inui's research was correct, Hazue played soccer. Inui would have to mention it sometime in the evening. It would up his acceptance rating with Hazue by 10 percent.
"Thank you for having me." Inui bowed and entered the house, refraining from inhaling deep the scent of the place that Kaoru lived. If he did that, there was an 89 percent chance that Hazue would consider him to be 'weird,' dropping his Kaidoh family acceptance rate by 4 percent.
"You don't look like you play tennis." Hazue closed the door and walked away, heading up some nearby stairs. He skipped every third step. How peculiar. Inui would have to analyze it later, on another visit. If there was another visit. Inui had opted not to bring a gift. Hopefully the Kaidohs wouldn't be offended. Inui removed his shoes and continued to stand in the entryway, listening and taking in the layout of the room. He was going to write all of this down once he got home. There was enough in this room alone for an entire notebook. Baby pictures, coats, shoes, furniture, books, and various knick knacks were placed with care throughout the space.
"Gomen senpai, my brother is rude. Please come inside. Dinner will be ready soon." Kaidoh looked uncomfortable. His shoulders were 10 percent tenser than they usually were.
"Thank you, Kaidoh."
"Hazue, come set the table! Kaoru, why don't you show your guest around the house?" Kaidoh's mother stood in a nearby doorway. Inui imagined it lead toward the kitchen as she was wearing an apron.
"Coming Ka-san." Hazue ran down the stairs, flying past Inui and stepping on his foot. Inui ignored the pain in favor of recalculating his initial acceptance rating with the little brat. As opposed to the initial calculation of 79 percent acceptance, Inui now figured we was beginning with a 43 percent acceptance.
"My apologies senpai, my brother is very rude." Kaoru scowled in the direction his brother had run. "Fssshu. I'll show you the house now."
&-&
"Aniki, please hang up so I can go to bed." Yuuta yawned into his cell phone. "We've been on the phone for two hours. I told you I'm sorry for the other day, but I still don't understand why you're so bent out of shape about Tezuka. Just find someone else." Despite his grumbling that Syusuke was demon spawn and not actually a member of the Fuji family, Yuuta tolerated his aniki. Okay, he kind of enjoyed their talks- their short talks. Lately, though, Syusuke had been engaging his little brother in one-sided conversations that lasted through the night. Syusuke talked, Yuuta listened and did his homework or napped or had a snack or emailed his friends.
"This is important, Yuuta." Syusuke sounded at his wits' end, which was impressive. If Yuuta hadn't known that Tezuka Kunimitsu was a force to be reckoned with, he would have immediately known the buchou's might by his ability to constantly vex Syusuke.
"Aniki, can't you just talk to him." Yawn. "He probably doesn't even know you like him."
"I do not like that pigheaded, inconsiderate…"
"I think the term you used earlier was 'dripping vision of physical perfection.' God, I didn't just have to say that out loud. I'm going to bed Syusuke. I have a test Thursday so I'll be studying all day tomorrow. Don't call me. I won't answer." Yuuta searched for the proper Syusuke-deterrent. "I'm giving my cell phone to Mizuki for the day." There, Syusuke would rather eat live leeches than talk with Mizuki.
"You need better friends, Yuuta. Come back to Seigaku and you can find yourself some quality companions. You'd do well at Fudomine, too. I could speak with Tachibana if you like." Syusuke was trying to keep him up again, saying things to deliberately piss him off.
"I'm going to bed now." Yuuta closed his phone and turned it off. He was going to sleep tonight, dammit, without creepy dreams of his brother and Tezuka. Grabbing his toothbrush, Yuuta made his way to the bathroom to brush the taste of sick out of his mouth.
&-&
Kaoru's senpai was weird. Not just garden-variety weird, there was something super-weird about this guy. Hazue didn't like it. He didn't trust anyone whose eyes he couldn't see. "Please pass the carrots, Kaoru." The carrots were, in fact, next to Kaoru's senpai, but Hazue would be damned if he was speaking to the weirdo.
"Inui-senpai, would you please pass Hazue the carrots?" Kaoru frowned at his little brother, but Hazue ignored it. He was busy watching how Inui lifted the bowl of glazed carrots and set it on the spot next to Hazue. Inui smiled.
"Thanks Kaoru." Hazue ignored the creepy smile and placed more carrots on his plate. Ka-san and Tou-san were really taken with Inui's polite manner. They obviously hadn't noticed how the stranger's hand had unnecessarily touched Kaoru's when they were sitting down to the meal. Hazue kicked Inui under the table, light enough for it to seem like an accident. When Inui turned to him, an eyebrow arched high above the frames of his glasses, Hazue remained silent.
&-&
There was a 69 percent chance that Inui was going to lose it and throw something at the brat. There was only a 23 percent chance that said brat would be able to dodge whatever Inui threw. The only thing holding Inui back from splattering Hazue's face with garlic bean paste was that Inui was 97 percent certain that Kaoru would not approve. It was essential that Kaoru approve of Inui's domestic abilities. Inui's final success rating would drop by 10 percent if the Kaidoh family didn't like him. Sadly, the Kaidoh family included the vermin sitting on the chair next to Inui's.
"I have some vitamin drinks that might be beneficial for Hazue as an after practice snack." Inui turned to Hazue and smiled, light from the chandelier glinting off of his glasses. "I can make some for him if you would like." Inui addressed the comment to Kaoru's mother, who thought he was helpful and an upstanding young man. Offering to help Hazue would bring Inui's acceptance rating with Kaidoh-san to 99 percent.
"That would be so kind of you, Inui-kun. Hazue sometimes looks a little green after soccer practice." Kaoru's mother smiled and took Inui's empty plate. The food had been wonderful and Inui had consumed three helpings at Kaoru's parents' insistence. They wanted to make sure all of "their boys" were well fed in order to keep up with their active lifestyles.
"It would be my pleasure." The corner of Inui's lips turned up and he had to take a sip of his water to keep himself from chuckling and ruining everything. Inui suspected Kaoru knew, though, because his doubles partner had his head in his hands and was hissing.
"Dessert isn't quite ready to serve yet. Why don't you and Kaoru go play some video games upstairs? I'll call you when its time. Hazue, help me clear the table." There was something metallic in the way Kaidoh-san said her son's name that made Inui wonder if she wasn't wise to Inui's plan for revenge. Oh well, now was not the time to be worrying about that. Now was the time to go to Kaoru's room.