11. Playing Go (Inui/Mizuki)

"There's an 87.9 percent chance that you actually have no idea how to play this game."

"Data says it's practically the same as chess, Inui-kun. Or checkers. Or shogi."

"Except all three of those games are entirely different," Inui said, adjusting his glasses.

Mizuki scowled, resting his chin on his hand as he stared at the board. "I've seen the anime, I know how it works. I even know how to hold the pieces correctly." He held up a white stone between two fingers, looking inordinately proud about it, and then slapped it down onto the board. "Nfu, Inui-kun."

"Don't move your hand yet."

Mizuki paused, leaving his fingers where they were. "Why not?"

"There's a 72.6 percent chance that if you make that move, it will disrupt your entire game and you'll resign within the next six moves," Inui said.

Mizuki frowned. "I don't need your sloppy advice," he said haughtily, but then looked down, considering. "That wasn't where I meant to go anyway." He slid the stone to another area of the board and then sat back in his seat, crossing his arms.

Inui smirked. "However, there's a 91.8 percent chance that you'll resign within three moves now."

"What?" Mizuki demanded, leaning over the board again. "Why?!"

"Because I'm going to move here," Inui said, the black stone clacking against the wood as he placed it. "Which kills your entire cluster in that corner."

Mizuki huffed, hand going to his head as he twirled some hair. "Well," he said after a moment. "I'm going to move here and--"

"And then I'll move here, which effectively cuts you off yet again."

"I wasn't finished yet!"

"You moved your hand."

"Well!" Mizuki scowled again, and then abruptly took a deep breath and let his face smooth over. He lifted his chin a bit. "Nfu. I don't want to play anymore. This game is below my level of intelligence."

Inui arched his eyebrows. "So you resign?"

"No, I just don't want to play anymore!"

"Ah," Inui said. "I win either way."

Mizuki flinched. "You know, in the anime, the protagonist loses a lot of his games."

"He wins a lot of them, too."

"I'll win next time!"

Inui paused as he gathered his stones together and looked up. "That's what you said last week."

"Data says you have to lose eventually," Mizuki said, flicking his hair back.

"Data says you should learn how to play before challenging me again."

"I know how to play." Mizuki grabbed his bag, swinging it over his shoulder as he stood. "I'll see you next week, Inui-kun," he said, and then stomped-- um, strode gracefully out of the salon. Once in the corridor, he flipped open his phone. "Yuuta-kun," he barked. "Pull out that Go set your grandmother gave you. I need to become a professional level player by next week and you're going to help me."

Behind him, Inui chuckled. Then he called to thank Fuji for letting him borrow the Go set Yuuta hadn't wanted.

FIN