a/n: again, this was written as a response to a challenge from lj. the theme this time is Milk.
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Milk
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The clear sky that sported the color of forget-me-not, littered only with frail wisps of clouds showed no signs of rain. It was windy, too. Overall, it was the perfect day to go out for a stroll.
However, this was ignored by Yanagi Renji who chose to stay inside his house and spend quality time with his books and notebooks instead.
He clicked the top of his retractable point pen and was about to start writing when the doorbell rang.
He got up and sauntered to the living room. When he peered through the pinhole, a pleasant smile brightened his face. Then he opened the door.
"It's been a while, Sadaharu." He stepped aside to let him in.
"Yo, Renji."
"Make yourself at home." Yanagi gestured to the sofa. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Thank you, but there's no need." Inui replied absently, staring ahead. (Yanagi could tell albeit Inui's eyes were practically blocked by his thick square eyeglasses.)
"Is there something wrong, Sadaharu?" Yanagi asked, concern audible in his voice.
"Renji... the truth is, I've come here to consult you about something." Inui sighed. "But first, let me ask you, you've been observing me as much as I have been observing you, right?"
Yanagi nodded.
"Then... Please tell me honestly, Renji... Have you noticed any faults in my ability to analyze data? Have you spotted anything that might signal that my accuracy has been failing me?" Inui looked at him, expression hopeful. (Again, lord knows how Yanagi can see that.)
Yanagi was taken aback. "I don't think so, Sadaharu. I'd say you're still in top shape. Why do you ask?"
"It's just..." He took a green notebook out of his pocket, then handed it to his former doubles partner. "Here, take a look. Pages five to twenty, to be specific."
Yanagi opened it and started reading the scribbles on the fifth page. After a mere three seconds he flipped to the next. And then the next. As he continued, he flipped the pages faster and faster until he was frantically flipping, looking alarmed. "This... This is illogical."
"Isn't it?" Inui sighed. "I could not, for the life of me, figure out why the numbers turned out like that. And consistently kept that pattern."
"But data does not lie..." Yanagi replied pensively as he returned the notebook to Inui.
"I've checked and double-checked but I couldn't find anything wrong. Did you, Renji?"
Yanagi shook his head, looking as though he had just lost a tennis match.
They were silent for a moment before Yanagi hit his palm with the bottom of his closed fist. "Sadaharu, I'm not supposed to do this for a rival team but, just this once- for the sake of science- I will help you."
Inui released a breath he hadn't noticed he had been holding in. "Thank you, Renji."
"The first thing we should do is to double, no triple, the number of bottles and see if something happens. If it goes up by even just one or two percent..."
"Aa." Inui nodded eagerly, slightly shaking with excitement. "Let's call this 'Operation Make Echizen Grow Taller'!"
see Ishka get hit by a rather powerful Twist Serve.