A/N: They have friends who are trying to step in and making them see the light, but so far it really isn't working. Will they start to listen to the people around them, or will it all become clear as mud? Read and find out. Enjoy the chapter and if you can, please review.

Chapter 6 – Data

Eiji's words kept rolling around in Fuji's mind and he couldn't seem to brush them off. Something in him wanted to believe that they were true and Tezuka had really returned for him, but there was something else that held him back and didn't quite acknowledge the concept that the bespectacled teen came back for him. He had attempted to ask Inui three more times between lunch and the end of tennis practice, but the data man seemed to be slippery and found a way to escape before he could answer Fuji's questions. Tezuka wasn't giving him a straight answer, so that only left one option.

Quickly moving into the locker room while everyone was in the shower, Fuji approached Inui's locker and grabbed one of the notebooks from his bag and replaced it with a dummy notebook. This little book would be the key to getting the information he wanted, and everyone knew he always got what he wanted; Inui just needed to learn not to fight it. He was able to slip the confiscated item into his own tennis bag and get up to leave without anyone seeing him, but that was when Tezuka returned from the showers, and Fuji's attention was drawn to the other teen.

"Are you not going to change Fuji?" Tezuka questioned seeing his friend still in his regulars uniform. He could feel the other man's eyes on him and once again pondered the information Inui had given him earlier in the day.

"Saa, no. I am meeting Yuuta at the street courts and we are going to play a little before dinner," the smiling tensai responded and forced his attention towards the door so that he could make himself to leave, but Tezuka's voice stopped him. He refused to turn around though.

"Ah, don't let your guard down and be careful," Tezuka called out. He wasn't sure what made him say that, but he couldn't stop himself.

Nodding, Fuji glanced over his shoulder and grinned, "Of course Tezuka. Ne, see you tomorrow." He quickly left the locker room and made his way off of the school grounds so that he could meet Yuuta on time. Distance, that was what he needed right now, at least until he figured out what end was up and why Tezuka was there. When he had his answers, then he could move forward. However, depending on the information, it could lead to betraying his boyfriend. Was he prepared for that? Sanada had helped him when he was down and had been there for him, could he hurt that man? Sadly, Fuji knew the answer to it: if Tezuka really loved him, he would do anything he could to be with the stoic former captain of Seigaku. He wouldn't cheat on the Rikkai man, but until he knew the truth, he wasn't ready to let Sanada go… not yet.

As he walked to the street courts, the tensai thought about the plunder he had stashed in his tennis bag. Did it contain the information he wanted? Would he be able to read Inui's analysis and then replace the notebook the next day? Fuji's hands itched to pull out the contraband and start reading it, but he knew now was not the time. He wanted to be able to focus on his brother, and if he pulled out the data, he would not give Yuuta the time he deserved. Their relationship was finally better and he was not going to do anything to jeopardize that; and yet, part of him ached to know the truth. "Soon… you can wait a couple of hours until you get home. Can't you Syusuke?" Fuji whispered under his breath as the courts came into view and he saw his brother already standing next to a court waiting. His smile growing, he called out to his little brother, "Yuuta, have you been waiting long?"

"I just got here, aniki," the younger Fuji sibling responded. Narrowing his eyes, he observed his brother for a moment and knew there was something off about his elder sibling. Yuuta wasn't sure what it was, but something was definitely not right, "What's wrong?"

"Wrong?" Fuji snickered as he tilted his head to the side, "What makes you think something is wrong?"

Yuuta could feel the irritation starting to bubble inside him and he had to remind himself to calm down. His brother was the person that could annoy him the fastest, but he respected Fuji and loved him… even if he didn't always want to admit it, "I can tell, but if you don't want to tell me, then don't. Let's just play some tennis. I have to get back to the dorms and eat dinner sometime tonight."

"I thought you were coming home for dinner tonight. Mom and nee-san made your favorite, and they made an apple pie for dessert."

Knowing he would not be able to win against his stomach when he heard that, Yuuta conceded, "Fine, I will come home for dinner, but let's play already."

"Ne, Yuuta, do you really want to know?" Fuji inquired as he brought out his racket. He wasn't sure why he wanted to confide in his brother, there was just something that made him want to spill.

"If you don't want to tell me, let's just play."

"I told you Tezuka was back?"

"That isn't a secret aniki. Everyone knows he's back," Yuuta snapped. He had known Fuji had strong feelings for the bespectacled teen and had been hurt when Tezuka left. In all honesty, he had been worried about his elder brother when he heard the former buchou was back in Japan.

"He is supposedly is dating Yukimura from Rikkai Dai now."

And there it was, the reason that his brother didn't seem quite like himself. The smile was strained and more forced than Yuuta had ever seen it, and now he knew why. Fuji's first love, only real love, had rejected him and is now with someone else, "Aniki…"

"Saa, it's ok. Let's just play," Fuji chuckled brushing it off and took his position on one side of the tennis court.

Yuuta gazed at his brother and shook his head. Fuji was a master at hiding his emotions and trying to protect others… granted he could also torture them better than anyone else, but as Yuuta gazed at his big brother on the other side of the court, he had to wonder if Fuji was really ok. Smiling, he took his position at the base line to serve, "I am not going to hold back aniki."

Giggling, Fuji stated, "It wouldn't be any fun if you did; ne Yuuta?"

Unbeknownst to the Fuji siblings, someone was watching them from the distance in a copse of trees that were located near their court. Tezuka hadn't known what made him follow Fuji to the courts, but before he realized it, this is where his feet had brought him. He had heard the conversation between the two siblings and he had to wonder if he really heard the catch in the tensai's voice, or if it was a figment of his imagination because that is what he wanted to hear. He wasn't sure; he only knew that his heart had sped up and he wanted Fuji more now than before. Turning away halfway through the match, Tezuka decided he needed to make his way home and silently promised that one day he would reveal all to his blue eyed friend.

In another part of the city, a phone was ringing and another bespectacled teen was answering it, "Moshi, moshi."

"Sadaharu, I need your assistance with a sensitive matter," Yanagi spoke in a matter of fact tone of voice.

"Renji, what can I help you with?"

"I am 93.2% sure you know why I am calling."

"Tezuka and Yukimura."

"Yes, and Sanada and Fuji."

"What can I help you with?"

"I am 100% certain that they are with the wrong people. I am also 100% certain that the relationship between Yukimura and Tezuka is a farce. They are together in order to make Sanada and Fuji jealous. Based on my calculations, this will result in added problems and could result in failure."

"I agree, but I only had it as 96% farce."

"You do not know what I do. It is 100%."

"More data! Please disclose your information and I will inform you of what I have learned," Inui pushed.

Yanagi proceeded to divulge all of the data he had gleamed from observing his friends, and the conversations he had with Yukimura and Sanada. When he was through, he stated, "As you can see, my calculations are accurate and Yukimura and Sanada are with the wrong people."

Clearing his throat, Inui agreed, "Yes, it appears to be the case." He then reached into his tennis bag and remove the notebook that had his most recent data in it, but found it was missing. There was a book similar, but it was not the book his was looking for. "Fuji!" He exclaimed.

"What is wrong Sadaharu?"

"My data is missing and I believe I know where to find it though, however, this is what I have learned," Inui recounted everything from memory, but part of his mind was still on his missing data. If Fuji really did have it, it meant that he could soon find himself in trouble, or at least a sticky situation… and it was one he would not be able to avoid because he needed his notebook back. There was only a 1.2% chance that someone else had it or that he left it somewhere by accident; and those were odds he didn't like. Fuji was known as a sadist and Inui knew this afternoon that when he didn't give the tensai the information he sought there could be trouble, and it appeared it was rearing its ugly head already.

"You believe Fuji stole your notebook?"

"Yes, there is less than a 2% margin of error in that assessment."

"This may work for our benefit. If you tell him what he wants to know, it could positively impact our plans and allow our interference to remain minimal. I would prefer that Yukimura not find out about our conversation today. From what I have learned about Fuji, those two could be rivals for sadistic tendencies. There is a 100% chance of retribution from Yukimura if he learns of my duplicity."

"Then why take the risk?"

There was a slight pause before Yanagi took a deep breath and exhaled, finally answering his oldest friend and former doubles partner, "After we moved, I closed myself off even more than I had before. I didn't want another friend like you or to replace you. I might not have been able to say goodbye to you, but you were still a good friend to me. When they started at Rikkai Dai, Yukimura approached me at tennis practice and the three of us formed a bond. They were my first real friends since you, and I would rather risk their wrath than to see them end up with the wrong people out of obligation or because they are obstinate and stubborn. I am sure you feel the same about Tezuka and Fuji."

"I do."

"And besides, along the way we will be able to gather valuable information on our subjects. Is that not an accurate statement doctor?"

Inui couldn't hold in his amusement and laughed, "You are correct, professor."

"Based on my data, I believe you will meet with Fuji in the morning before morning practice. Am I right?"

"Yes, I believe that will be the best time to confront him about the missing notebook. I can call him tonight, but allowing him to review the limited data I have in there will benefit us and our plans by 73%."

"You are correct."

"He was playing his brother in tennis tonight. After they are done playing, they will return to the Fuji household and have dinner. It is 61% that he will not be able to read the data until he retires for the night, 17% he will read it before dinner after he and his brother enter the house while his brother bathes, 10% he will attempt to look at it while he bathes before dinner, and 9% he will attempt to look at it immediately following the meal. That leaves a 3% margin of error that he will examine the data at another time, but he will run the risk that Yuuta or another family member is there with him."

"It seems most logical to look at it when he doesn't have to worry about anyone else."

"Yes, but this is Fuji and it is hard to pinpoint his actions on and off the courts."

"I agree. I will leave this to you then. Call me tomorrow and inform me of what happens with him."

"I will. Sayonara Renji."

"Ja ne, Sadaharu," Yanagi stated as he disconnected the phone call; now that he had a partner to help him on the Seigaku side of it, he pondered how it would all work out and calculated every possible scenario, "Chances that they will end up with who they are supposed to be with… only 89.4%." He sighed as he turned to his homework and wondered what he could to do increase that percentage.

Sanada was working on his own homework at that moment in time and looked up to find a picture of he, Yanagi and Yukimura together when they graduated from middle school. It wasn't that long ago and yet it seems so far away. It was before he confessed and before he started to date Fuji, and yet he knew if he could he would be at Yukimura's side because he still loved him. Yes, that was a betrayal to his boyfriend, but he couldn't help what was in his heart. He liked Fuji, but he loved Yukimura. It was a troublesome situation to be sure, however, Fuji had nothing to worry about from him because Yukimura didn't want him and was with someone else. Everything was how it was meant to be... at least for now. Turning the picture face down, Sanada returned to his studies telling himself not to get distracted by anyone or anything.

Dropping his charcoal, Yukimura let out an exasperated sigh. He was having a hard time concentrating on his drawing. As he gazed at his pad, the face that stared back at him was Sanada, but the eyes weren't quite right and nothing he did seemed to fix it. He wasn't even sure why he was drawing instead of studying, but he couldn't focus on the books and had picked up his pencil and his hands just started to sketch the man he held dear to his heart. When his plan came to an end, Sanada would know the truth of his feelings and be with him instead of Fuji. Fuji would be with Tezuka, who was the person he needed to be with anyway, and everyone would be happy. Still Yanagi's words echoed in his mind… there was big risk this plan would fail. He wanted to believe the data master was wrong in his calculations, but even Yukimura could not deny the accuracy that Yanagi had in his predictions. Did that mean he should stop what he was doing and just tell Sanada what was in his heart? He wasn't sure and for the first time since he was sick in the hospital, he had some doubts.

Later that night, Fuji lay in his bed and opened the book. Most of what was written down, he couldn't make heads or tails of, but the last page had Inui's data and percentages for Tezuka's reasons for returning to Japan: the number one reason was Fuji. The tensai slammed the book closed and threw it across the room. If Inui was right, why didn't Tezuka listen to Fuji when he was trying to confess? Covering his face with his arm, he could feel the burning sting of tears, but he refused to let them fall. He needed to find out the truth and the first step was to talk to the data man of Seigaku.