Sadaharu Inui - Fashionista?

*I do not own Prince of Tennis – even though it owns me.

style=\'mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\'>Sadaharunormal\'> Inui – Fashionista?

Inui-senpai has been silent
throughout our lunch break. He wasn’t
making notes, reading notes or otherwise appearing preoccupied with data in any
form. The fluorescent lighting overhead
causes his skin to appear sallow and paler than usual.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Outside, the sunlight flatters Inui-class=SpellE>senpai. This
lighting, and on this day in particular, it makes him appear unhealthy and
wan.

I do not ask what is the matter, or if something is
bothering him. We don’t have that sort
of relationship – though I suspect sometimes that Inui-senpai
would enjoy one. He doesn’t seem to have
much of a close connection with anyone, besides Tezuka-buchou
and, honestly, that seems fairly one sided to me, though I’d never say so to
Inui-senpai. I
suppose the only one Inui-senpai seems to truly talk
to, other than Tezuka-buchou, is me.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> I couldn’t tell you why.

I could, however, tell you that Momoshiro
is an idiot. I am convinced that he
chooses to eat lunch at this table only to annoy me during the one block of
free time that I have during the day.
Today he has brought two lunches and, from the moment his backside
touched the chair, has been talking nonstop while shoveling food into that
noisy black hole he calls a mouth. It’s
better if I just ignore him. And I will
– provided that he does not insult me.
He has no common sense.

But Inui-senpai is looking at me
now and if it weren’t for the ridiculous teasing I know I’d get from class=SpellE>Momoshiro, I’d ask him what was bothering him – whether he
appreciated my attentions or not.
Because I know that he would ask me – if the situation were reversed.

I concentrate on my lunch, pretending that it is even
one-tenth as interesting as Inui-senpai is and, when
I am so careless as to be caught sneaking a glance at him, he finally speaks to
me. His eyebrows are furrowed above his
glasses – and I notice that they have not glinted under the lights today.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Not in all the times I’ve noticed him since
first thing this morning, when we crossed paths during my morning run.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> It’s as if his sense of mystery and
confidence have disappeared – and all because I can almost make out the shape
of his eyes beneath his glasses.

“Kaidoh?”style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> He murmurs, chin
propped on his hand, completely oblivious to the people surrounding us.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> I follow his lead – because I trust him.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'>

“What is it, Inui-senpai?”style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> My voice is lower than his.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> I make certain that it stays that way.

“Have you noticed anything…undesirable…about me,
Kaidoh? Anything…embarrassing?”

I blink. And blink
again. And only manage to avoid gaping
at him because any change in my expression will be sure to earn me class=SpellE>Momorshiro’s focus.

Undesirable?style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'>

“Fshhhhhh.”

It’s the best that I can do.
Inui-senpai doesn’t seem surprised by that,
however. He only frowns more and
scratches at his unruly hair. class=GramE>“My clothing, Kaidoh.”

“Your clothing, Inui-senpai?”

He nods, already appearing to lose interest in the conversation,
if it can even be called that. I frown,
now. Why does Inui-senpai
imagine that I am the sort who analyzes his wardrobe?style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Truthfully, his clothing appears no different
from anyone else’s. We wear the same
school uniform and, beyond that, the same tennis uniform.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> What he wears when he is wearing neither of
those is really not something I notice.
Does he imagine that I do? The
thought makes me sweat. I’m very close
to losing my appetite.

“It has been brought to my attention recently that my
clothing is…undesirable.”

I frown. Someone has
told Inui-senpai that he looks unacceptable?style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> The thought angers me – who imagines they
have a right to embarrass Inui-senpai over something
so womanly?

But then…what if it was a woman?style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Some girl who would be
interested in Inui-senpai if it weren’t for his lack
of fashion sense. I frown
again. Somehow, that only makes me feel
worse.

“You should not care what others think of you, Inui-class=SpellE>senpai. It is quite
unlike you.”

There. That was true,
if nothing else. It’s not as though I am
encouraging him to ignore the wishes of some young lady.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Not really.

He nods again, slowly, as though he is thinking about it but
has yet to reach a conclusion he can be happy with.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> “Perhaps I am thinking on it overmuch.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> It’s not as though I will become someone else
simply by changing my clothing, right, Kaidoh?”

I nod – I certainly prefer this avenue of conversation.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> “Yes, Inui-class=SpellE>senpai.”

“Because you appreciate me regardless of my attire, right,
Kaidoh?”

I hesitate at that.
This feels like one of Inui-senpai’s
traps. I do not look at him, afraid that
I will see his glasses glinting at me if I do.
I keep my head down, toy with my lunch.
“You are an excellent senpai, Inui-class=SpellE>senpai. I am
grateful for your time and…”

“Nya, Inui.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Hurry up and eat if we’re going to cut
today. Oishi will give me a lecture if
he catches me sneaking out.”

Kikumaru is hanging on Inui-senpai.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> I wish he wouldn’t do that.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> I know I’m frowning again.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> I don’t look up, though.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> My face feels hot.

“Hoi Hoi,style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Kaidoh, you want to come to the mall
with us?”

I shake my head quickly.
“No thank you, Eiji-senpai.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> I have an exam.”

Eiji-senpai laughs and I don’t
look up to see if it’s me he’s laughing at.
Eiji-senpai would not deliberately insult me,
but sometimes he doesn’t realize that he’s crossed a line.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> I can feel Inui rising from his seat and I
want to kick myself for feeling affected by his absence.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> His plans are none of my business.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> I have to repeat that to myself several times
before I begin to believe it.

“Oi, Eiji-class=SpellE>senpai, what about this afternoon?style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> It’s your turn to treat me and class=SpellE>Echizen!”

That ill-mannered moron.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Always butting in where he doesn’t
belong. Always being
obnoxious. But Eiji-class=SpellE>senpai laughs. “I’ll
be back before practice, Momo-chan.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Ne, Inui?”

Inui does not respond verbally, and I am sure he nods his
assent. I will not look up.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'>

Echizen drains his class=SpellE>Ponta – I can hear him slurping – and asks, “What are you
shopping for, Eiji-senpai?”

I can’t help scowling.
I know he only asks those questions to spur Momoshiro
on. Echizen
can’t possibly care what Eiji-senpai and Inui-class=SpellE>senpai are shopping for.

Eiji laughs. “Inui
needs a new Fall wardrobe.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> I think there’s someone he wants to impress.”

My face feels hotter than before and, even though I don’t
want to, I look up. Inui-class=SpellE>senpai is looking at me.
He is smirking. His glasses
glint.

I look away.

The monkey laughs. “class=SpellE>Oi, Mamushi – why’s your face all
red?”

“Fssshhhhh.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Shut up, class=SpellE>baka.”

I’m going to start taking my lunch to the courts from now
on.