A Gentlemen's Wager, Chapter 6
A/N: Playing doubles is quite possibly the dumbest euphemism in the history of ever. Prepare to read it many times.
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"I'm here chaperoning Fuji," the Seigaku boy began. Shishido couldn't remember his name, just that he and Choutarou had beaten him so his name wasn't worth remembering. He did, however, remember the extremely irritating data tennis the boy played.
Shishido looked around skeptically, "I don't see him anywhere."
"He's with Atobe at the moment. I'm waiting until they are finished."
"So you thought you'd spy on us in the meantime?"
The Seigaku guy stood, apparently trying to intimidate him with height. Yeah, like no one had ever tried that before. Plus, people were much less intimidating when they'd just been crouched behind a bench attempting to spy.
"I thought I'd gather some data on your doubles formation, yes. Kaidoh and I are looking for new techniques."
"Nice try. We weren't playing doubles. We were working on the Scud Serve."
He thought he saw the analyst flinch, but with those glasses, who could tell? "Doubles, as you know, is more than just strategy. I am collecting data on the ...other relationships involved in the game as well."
Relationships? "You mean you're analyzing how people date now too?" Shishido raised an eyebrow. He decided there was no reason to hide the fact. It wasn't like he and Choutarou were much of a secret in the Kanto region anyway, and honestly Shishido preferred it that way; more people knew Choutarou was taken.
The boy's eyebrows narrowed. "To put it frankly."
Shishido had to fight to keep from laughing. It would completely ruin his image. He supposed now that he actually considered it, the pair he competed against had shown signs of being a doubles team. He remembered one point where the data player's hand had stayed on his partner's shoulder for nearly a full minute while Shishido waited for the game to continue. "Get in a fight with your doubles partner or something?"
The Seigaku boy's spine straightened as he adjusted his ridiculous glasses. "I'm merely collecting the information we'll be needing for next year. I'll be graduating, and Kaidoh will not. I understood you and Ohtori would be in a similar situation, and thought I'd see how you were addressing the issue."
"Issue? What issue?" If there was an issue, Shishido would know about it. Choutarou warned him when there were issues.
"The issue of being separated. Will either of you be continuing to play doubles?"
"Choutarou will be captain, next year. He won't have to worry about it," Shishido said with an impressive amount of confidence. The dash specialist had faith in very few things, but Choutarou's skill was one of them. If Hiyoshi even thought he could give him a run for his money, Shishido would show him exactly where he could stick his damn Tennis Fu or whatever he called it.
Inui made some marks in his notebook. Shishido frowned as his attempt to glance over the top failed. "And you?"
"What about me? I know how to play singles. We'll keep up our doubles game after practice and both be at the same school next year." It wasn't like either of them had much choice about their schools. Neither of their parents would hear of them attending an academy less prestigious than Hyotei's high school branch. The only good part of the situation, as far as Shishido was concerned, was the high school campus stood a mere block and a half from the middle school.
Another scratch in the book. "And you're not concerned that Ohtori will find someone else in your absence?" he asked in an almost offhand manner.
Shishido shot him a look that could have stunned a bison. "Where the hell do you get off asking me that?"
The Seigaku remained impassive. "I'm simply trying to analyze all possible outcomes."
"Well it isn't a possible outcome. I trust Choutarou, okay? You can't do the same for your doubles partner, it's your problem, not ours." Besides, after what happened with Taki, Shishido doubted anyone had the guts to come between the Silver Pair any longer. With luck, Ohtori's former doubles partner would be able to play tennis again before Nationals ... though not as a regular. Shishido permitted himself a small smile at the thought.
The taller boy frowned, scratching another character in his book. Shishido couldn't be sure, but it looked as if he was underlining it. "Your trust in him, where does it originate?"
"Seriously?" If this was another one of Gakuto's set ups, Shishido was going to see the redhead's chin on the receiving end of a rising shot. The Seigaku, however, didn't so much as chuckle. He nodded, completely earnest in his analysis. Shishido wondered if everyone at Seigaku was this messed up. "Because he's worth trusting, and he's the only person in this damn school who is. He doesn't cheat. He doesn't lie. And he says what's on his mind before it becomes a big deal. Why else do you trust someone?"
"Hmm," the boy mumbled, making a few more notes. "And you return this honesty."
"With Choutarou? Yeah. You can't play doubles if you don't, let alone date." Shishido watched the pencil scribble across the page. "You're really writing all this down. No wonder we beat you guys."
"Perhaps we'll be able to arrange a rematch soon. Kaidoh would certainly be glad of the opportunity. His Boomerang Snake continues to improve."
"Not gonna help if he can't hit Choutarou's serve," Shishido countered. "My advice, get your personal lives together first. Whatever's messing with your head, I say just tell him. It's easier in the long run, trust me."
"I will consider this information," the Seigaku answered, snapping shut the notebook.
"Do that. And quit the spying. It's creepy." Shishido turned to stalk off.
"Ohtori's serve," the boy began, causing Shishido turn around. "He won't improve without a target for accuracy. And the target ought to be at least 70 centimeters off the ground so he can judge the ball's path. A ring of some sort would be most effective."
Shishido raised another eyebrow. The idea actually had some truth to it. Choutarou did need to judge the ball while it was in the air. A ring? Once he'd gone to hide from fangirls in an abandoned construction site not too far off campus. It housed a ton of concrete slabs, a lot of which had holes in them. He could convince Choutarou to go with him...
He realized the other boy was staring at him and quickly said, "Whatever." Shishido headed back in the direction of the clubhouse, only to find himself nearly knocked over by a rather overzealous Jirou darting from Atobe's "office."
"Inui-kun!" he heard Jirou shout. "Fuji-kun needs you. Hurry so we don't leave them alone for too long!" Jirou raced back as spastically as he had come.
So Atobe really was meeting with Seigaku's tensai. Shishido remembered Fuji's name. After Jirou lost a match, he talked about it for weeks, making sure every person in Hyotei knew the skills of his new rival. He still wouldn't shut up about that gum-chewing kid from Rikkai. Well, all the more reason for he and Choutarou to get away from the area.
Sighing, he walked to where he said he'd meet Choutarou. As he did, he saw the Seigaku boy heading warily after Jirou, still marking in that notebook. Shishido shook his head; some people just didn't have the spine to play doubles.
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Jirou watched the two retreating Seigaku figures with an unusual, twisting sensation in his stomach. Generally, the volley specialist didn't believe in worrying or anxiety. If he started to feel nervous, a quick nap usually made him feel much better. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that Atobe-sama had just done something incredibly foolish: he had made a losing bet. And he appeared to be doing it intentionally in a very un-Atobe manner.
"Oy, Atobe?" he asked as soon as they were alone again. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
Atobe smirked, running a hand through his silvery hair. "Ore-sama knows exactly what he is doing."
"It's only..." Jirou hesitated. He was not in the habit of correcting Atobe-sama, but he needed to figure this out. After all, he had been elected witness to the wager and entrusted with Atobe-sama's copy of the document. He ought to be clear on what the real wager was. "Fuji-kun is very good, and he's going to be better if he's fighting for something ..."
"Ore-sama is sure of the outcome of this match. The decision is the correct one." He continued to smile knowingly, seeming to enjoy Jirou's frustration.
Well, two could play at that game. Jirou let out an exceptionally long yawn. He had many dull matches to sit through before Seigaku played Rikkai, plenty of time to determine what Fuji and Atobe were driving at. "Okay, okay. Can I sleep in your office till you're done tonight?"
Atobe let out an amused sigh. "I suppose." The two Hyotei boys headed back inside.
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"You are aware there is a 98 percent chance Atobe is plotting something behind your back?" Inui asked as the two exited Hyotei's impressive school gates.
"Of course." Fuji had not commented on the wager he made without consulting Inui. The data tennis player had been dragged into the office and asked to witness the agreement. The copy was tucked into the pocket of his regulars jersey.
"Do you know what he's going to do?"
"I know how to deal with Atobe."
Great. Question dodging. That boded success. "I don't suppose you could help me determine the odds that Tezuka will be blaming me for whatever happens?"
"Oh, I'll try to make sure they're low. Besides--" here the tensai's smile positively beamed, "-- Tezuka won't find out about any of this until I show up at his door."
With Atobe involved, Inui felt the odds for this were between five and seven percent. Still, he knew better than to inform Fuji of the probability. "You intend to lie to him?"
Fuji turned to Inui, eyes closed but still inquisitive. He glanced at the notebook Inui had subconsciously opened. "Not lying. I just see no reason to inform him of this matter until it concerns him more directly."
Interesting. The data ran exactly contrary to his conversation with Shishido. Did different rules apply to different situations? If so, which rules should he consider when discussing the Renji issue? He should run more figures on this before taking any action.
"Ne, Inui, can I see what you're writing down?" Fuji asked.
Inui snapped the notebook shut. "No."