A Gentlemen's Wager, Chapter 13

A/N: Let's take the two least emotive characters on the show and make them have a conversation about relationships. Tensai, I told myself. Absolutely tensai. On its third revision, I didn't feel so tensai. Hope I didn't butcher either of them too badly.

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Inui stared at his cell phone in disbelief as he took his seat on the bus. Tezuka was calling him? He and Tezuka were friends sure, but not close enough friends to pay the charges to telephone across the world. If Tezuka had something to tell the team, he normally just texted Oishi. Also, it was after midnight in Germany. The odds of this situation occurring were lower than ten percent.

Hesitantly, Inui answered the phone.

"You're playing singles against Rikkai," Tezuka stated. The buchou was nothing if not direct.

"Yes."

"Inui, three months ago you told me about the importance of Seigaku finding a doubles two team. You stated you were devoting yourself to crafting this doubles pair. You started doing additional training after practice. You worked out separate menus for yourself and Kaidoh. You created an entire notebook on Oishi and Kikumaru's various devices. So why, with all that work, are you playing singles?"

"According to the data, I am the only player with the chance to beat their singles three. Fuji and Echizen are already in --"

"Momoshiro and Kawamura are both capable of handling singles three. You were supposed to secure doubles two. Why aren't you doing so?"

"Tezuka, neither Momoshiro nor Taka-san have the analytic skill to deal with Renji's--"

"Yanagi Renji?"

Damn. So, Tezuka knew about that. "Well ...yes, but that fact has --"

"Inui." Tezuka usually only used that voice when he was about to assign a lot of laps. "You need to determine your priorities immediately. I have no problem if you want to play singles again, though I agree that Seigaku does need a stronger doubles two. However, you must decide and inform Kaidoh now. Your indecision is preventing the team's advancement."

Inui straightened in his seat. Easy enough for Tezuka to say with two continents between him and Fuji. "I have every intention of resuming the doubles training once the Rikkai game is over. This is a strategic move and nothing more."

"And Kaidoh agrees with this strategy?"

"Kaidoh ...accepts it."

A stern silence stretched across the line as Tezuka waited for Inui to confess.

"Kaidoh understands that I have to defeat Renji," Inui tried.

Still silence.

"He's willing to do what is necessary to help the team succeed."

Yet further silence.

"Well, what do you suggest I do?" Inui finally sighed.

"I suggest you get your personal life in order. Your doubles partner is going to cause no end of headaches -- and I mean that literally -- until you do."

"Oh? And what are you doing about the headache's Fuji--" Damn it. Talking about Kaidoh and Renji made him far too flustered.

"What?"

Cover quickly. "Just that, you understand my situation. What would you do if it were Fuji ... over-reacting."

"What's Fuji done?"

"As a hypothetical--"

"You're involved in his scheme, aren't you?"

"We're not talking about Fuji."

"You brought him up. Tell me."

He needed to redirect Tezuka's attention in the next exchange or he'd be forced to reveal everything he knew. "Answer my question first."

Tezuka sighed. This time, the silence was a contemplative one. "Inui, I am going to tell you something because I consider you a friend and trust you to keep this in confidence."

Inui's eyebrows raised over his glasses.

"That means close the notebook, Inui."

"Of course." Somewhat disappointed, Inui shut the book that had fluttered open.

"Put it away."

"Hai." Inui shoved it in his backpack. "Okay."

Tezuka geared himself up again. This was bound to be good data. Inui's fingers itched, even while his conscience forced them to hold still. "Honestly, I haven't had time to give you an answer to that. Fuji and I did not actually become..." here the buchou took a breath to prepare himself for the next word "...involved until three days before I left."

It was probably a good thing Inui wasn't holding the notebook anymore. He might have dropped it on the bus's rather unsanitary floor.

"But my data on Fuji stated --"

"Fuji tried. He made many people believe we were, but I ignored him until I knew I was leaving."

"Why?" Inui had always thought the two were one of the more logical couples at Seigaku: the two strongest tennis players, polar personalities that seemed to support one another. It all worked out so well on paper.

"You need me to break this down? Fuji is cunning, manipulative, my friend, teammate, rival, and also a guy ... which may still get me disowned. It was too great a risk."

"So why take it?" Inui gripped the cushion of his seat to keep from shredding the canvas on his backpack to get at the notebook.

Another heavy silence. "It was no longer a choice. And I was leaving, which I thought meant I could postpone the headaches until I returned. I was apparently incorrect."

"Would you call your feelings for Fuji ... instinctive?"

"What?"

"Nothing." Inui pushed up his glasses. Even without the notebook, he slipped easily into data-gathering mode. "Do you regret your decision?"

Tezuka took a moment to consider the idea, then said, "No." The word was solid. No explanation, but no argument either. Just once, Inui wished he could make his own emotions sound that certain. He could have certainty in numbers, in statistics, in tennis ... why not in something as intrinsic as human sentiment? Tezuka continued. "So you know. Now tell me what sort of scheme Fuji is plotting against Atobe."

"I'm on a bus right now, Tezuka. The reception is getting rather poor ..."

"Inui, you know better than anyone how Fuji gets when he's feeling righteous. Tell me before someone gets hurt."

"I don't know much, honestly. He is doing something, but he's very secretive about the details. I believe I have less than fifteen percent of the actual scheme."

"Then tell me the fifteen percent."

Tezuka would never let this drop. Inui tried to determine the amount of information he could part with without incurring either Fuji or Tezuka's wrath. "He and Atobe are playing some sort of game with each other. I can't tell you any more, Tezuka, please understand. I honestly don't know what either of their desired outcomes is."

"Atobe is encouraging this?"

"So it would appear."

Tezuka heaved another sigh. "This is what I meant by headaches. Inform me if I need to put a stop to it."
"Of course."

"And make a decision about Kaidoh. Putting it off is an ineffective solution."

"Ah. My bus is coming to the stop. I'll speak to him before the tournament. Ja."

Tezuka hung up just as the bus screeched to a halt. Inui steeled himself as he walked the block from the stop to the tennis courts. Tezuka was right. He was being indecisive. He could decide which direction to return a smash in a match point within a sixteenth of a second. He'd had plenty of time to decide about his doubles game and his relationship with Kaidoh. He knew the answer anyway. All that remained was to make Kaidoh aware of it, and then beat Renji into the ground. It should be simple.

At least it would be simple if Kaidoh was not mysteriously absent from the registration booth.