Heartbreaker

Heartbreaker

Summary: Apparently, Kaidoh has a habit of turning people down. He does it politely and as gently as he can, but what happens when someone won’t take no for an answer?
Disclaimer: I don’t own all these wonderful…underage…pretty boys. I just don’t. The guy who made Prince of tennis does…lucky bastard.
Warning: None for now
Author’s Note: I like Kaidoh. I like Inui. But I’m not going to write them as one just yet…

Sumimasen

The outside of the club room was being dyed a brilliant orange by the setting sun though it was largely unnoticed by the group of young boys putting away equipment and saying goodbyes to their school friends. After a while, activity ran down and the day was finally at its end.

A young man left the club room pausing to arrange the class pin on the collar of his jacket. Even though he was just out of practice, he made it his business to make sure he presented himself with class no matter what he was in. When he was done making sure the Roman numeral for two was securely in place, he picked up his tennis bag and was about to move on until he heard a voice call his name.

“Kaidoh-kun.”

The young man turned, his hair moving into his eyes a bit as there was no bandana to restrain it. He gave a small bow and stared.

“Hai, Inui senpai?”

The tall, ninth grader approached the underclassmen, shouldering his own school bag, but not re-clothed in the Seigaku uniform, instead preferring his own baggy white tee and track pants.

“I was wondering if you’d like to come with me this evening?”

Kaidoh blinked. “This evening? I would have to ask my parents. They know I usually go running before dinner, but I can move it –”

“No, not running. I meant come with me on a date.”

There was a long moment of silence and Kaidoh blushed a little, bowing slightly. He remembered the phone incident that hadn’t happened to long ago and had cleared it up a few days afterward after some careful questions aimed at Fuji-senpai. To be honest, the young man had been confused, but delighted to think that anyone wanted to go out on a date with him and even though he’d thought it was odd that Inui was the one to imply it at that time, he thought it was reasonable considering their history of training together.

However now…

“Sumimasen…Senpai.” He lowered his eyes, shaking a little as he contemplated what the punishment could be for turning down a senpai’s request. He hoped it had nothing to do with any sort of Inui Juice.

“Oh. I understand.” The senior said. “No problem then. See you at practice tomorrow.”

With that, Inui walked past him towards the school gates, leaving Kaidoh slightly leaned over in a stiff bow.

Kaidoh fixed himself upright and rubbed his cheek a little, trying to alleviate the heat he felt there.

Inui-senpai…likes me? I just thought…hmmm, never mind it.

While he wanted to spend time thinking about it, there were other things to think about. Things like how much training he could get in before dinner, how much training he could get in after dinner. How long would it take him to complete his math homework in light of the fact that he’d understood nothing in class?

He left school grounds but the thought of Inui senpai asking him out wouldn’t stay dead along with some of the other similar incidents that had happened previously.

The mamushi walked home, staring at the sky every now and then to reflect on the color changing sky. He’d like to think he was an attractive guy, but he just couldn’t figure out what it was about him that had so many people asking about him and approaching him. Not that he didn’t love attention…it was just…

His first few times encountering date offers involved shy, cute but mousy girls holding out trembling love letters or tiny bentos asking him for dates or to the movies. He’d politely taken the letters, turned down the bentos, unless he was really hungry, but otherwise had politely declined. In his mind, when it’d happened, he considered himself to young and too busy (he’d just joined the tennis club) to be concerned with the fragile hearts of girls, however, when one day he’d been approached by a confident year mate he began to consider.

Although the girl had been pretty, quite pretty he’d turned her down as well, but something she’d said had always stuck with him.

“You’ve got quiet strength that girls really go for Kaidoh-kun, like the stoic noble who the Princess falls in love with instead of her betrothed. A lot of people like you Kaidoh-kun…and not just girls so I hope…I hope you say yes to someone even if it’s never me…”

“Quiet strength…” he muttered to himself, turning on to his residential street.

Hadn’t his mother said his father had the same kind of strength? Kaidoh shook his head, no matter. It was over now. He’d turned down Inui senpai politely.

What harm could it cause.

****

Most people weren’t morning types, but for Kaidoh it didn’t matter. He was up running at five a.m. so making it on time to morning practice was his to screw up. He was never late though, so it didn’t matter.

When he arrived at seven, he was surprised to see other people there before him and was immediately beset by a troubled looking Eiji and Fuji, Oishi lingering in the background with Momoshiro smirking off to the side.

Eiji gripped his arm and cried, “You turned down Inui-kun?”

Kaidoh blinked, looking at Eiji then Fuji, his face starting to color. “I…” He backed up and bowed. “Sumimasen!”

Fuji shook his head a bit. “You don’t have to apologize…it’s just…”

Eiji broke in. “Inui-kun has been working up his courage since the year started and oh…” he held his cheeks. “He’s been gathering all that information…Oishiii!” The boy turned and looked at his partner. “You don’t think Inui’ll be too upset do you, nya?”

Oishi gave a sympathetic smile and shook his head. “I’m sure Inui will be alright and even if he isn’t he’ll do his best not to mess up the team dynamic.”

“Oishi’s right…” Fuji said. “It’ll be fine…demo…” He looked over Kaidoh’s shoulder and saw Inui coming. “…I wonder…”

Kaidoh had moved past them to move towards the club room when Momoshiro piped up.

“I can’t believe you turned down a request from a Senpai Mamushi-kun! Did hell freeze over?”

“Fwsssshhh” the youth responded, eyes narrowing. “You wanna fight?”

Momo chuckled. “Whatever.”

Kaidoh went in and Momo scratched his head, grinning crookedly. Though now I wonder if I even have a chance…

When he approached his locker, he gave a mumbled hello to Echizen who was putting on his shirt.

“Kaidoh-senpai?”

“Hn?”

“Did Inui-senpai really ask you for a date?”

“What’s it to you, Brat?” he said, beginning to change. “Yes.”

Echizen put on his hat, adjusting it. “If a senpai asked me out I’d say yes.”

“I’m not you.” He growled.

“Don’t you like Inui-senpai?”

Kaidoh spun. “What is this? Twenty questions?”

Echizen smiled. “So you like him?”

Kaidoh blushed crimson and wanted to throw a racket at Echizen but the door opened and Inui walked in. Echizen said hello and Kaidoh bowed with a mumbled “good morning”. Echizen left and the two youths dressed in relative silence.

The mamushi tied on his bandana and grabbed his racket, about to leave when Inui spoke up.

“I had it listed as an eighty-five percent chance you’d say yes…based on factors of friendship, training, and time spent together as well as the fact that I’m your senpai…I was wrong, wasn’t I?”

Kaidoh turned and couldn’t say anything. Though he couldn’t see much through Inui’s glasses, the boy’s eyebrows told his story.

“I’m sorry I don’t feel the same Senpai…I’d like us to be friends if that’s still possible.”

Inui took up a notebook and put a pen in his pocket. “…data can change. Are you sure a second attempt won’t cause a positive reaction?”

“H-hai…” he stuttered, no longer able to look at his senior.

“I understand…you like Momoshiro then I guess? The data suggested your fights with him and the fact that you are year mates gives him considerable favor over me when it comes to success at asking you out. He’s got a ninety-five percent success rate while –”
Kaidoh stopped him. “Senpai, I don’t like Momoshiro either.”

“Oh…”

Outside they heard Ryuzaki Obaa-chan call foreveryone to gather around and Kaidoh bowed, taking his leave. Inui nodded, took out his notebook, scribbled something down and left after him.

At lunch, Fuji turned his desk towards Eiji’s, taking out his bento and smacking his palms together in a quiet, “Itadakimasu!”. He began to eat when the cat-like boy opened his mouth.

“Can you believe it? I think Kaidoh is a heart breaker!”

Fuji wiped his mouth. “How so?”

“I’ve asked around and you won’t believe how many girl’s he’s turned down! I’ve heard he even turned down that one senior from 9-5.”

Fuji’s brows lifted. “That guy? But no one says no to him? He was interested in Kaidoh?”

The boy shook his head, biting the end off his tempura. “I dunno, nya…but that senior was pretty pissed. Maybe he had something to prove and Kaidoh crushed him?”

“Hmmm…” Fuji drank some tea out of a can. “How’s Inui?”

“Who knows? He seemed okay at practice. Kaidoh is the only one I think he spends time with or really talks to…though he might talk to Taka…”

The prodigy swallowed some egg and put his chopsticks down. “Kaidoh, the Heartbreaker huh?”

“So desu ne, nya!” Eiji piped, popping a sushi roll into his mouth.

**

Afternoon practice seemed to be over as soon as it began and Kaidoh changed and began to go home, noticing Inui lingering around the door. He shouldered his tennis bag and went over to him.

“Inui-senpai?”

“Momoshiro asked me to calculate that data for him. I don’t think he’s going to ask you out now either.”

Kaidoh snorted. “Who’d want to go out with him anyway? He’d got an empty head.”

Inui didn’t say anything, just watched Kaidoh from behind his glasses. “Are you running soon?”

“Yes, then I’m going by the river to train. My mother and Father will be out this evening so I can train a bit longer before I go home and make something for me and my brother.”

“Ah.”

They stood there a bit and Inui spoke again.

“I’d just like you to know…that Momoshiro wasn’t the only one interested.”

“Hm?”

Inui began to watch the sunset through the tennis courts and pushed up his glasses. “Wakato asked as well as…Oshitari of Hyotei.”

“Fwssshhh…”

“…Akutsu.”

“….”

They watched the sunset for awhile and Kaidoh spoke. “Would you like to come running with me Senpai?”

Inui nodded and Kaidoh began to make his way toward the gate, Inui following.

****

“Fuji, why should this information interest me?”

The perpetually smiling genius leaned over Tezuka’s shoulder and smiled wider. “Don’t you like to know how your players are doing outside of tennis? It could impact the way they play! We don’t want Inui all depressed do we? What would you have done if a certain someone had said no to you?”

“Leave him out of it…” Tezuka picked up his pen again and stared at the paperwork in front of him. “I’m sure Inui will be alright –”

“No he won’t! Nya!”

“Eiji stop it!”

Just then Oishi and Eiji crashed through the door, Oishi looking a lot more embarrassed than Eiji who was sprawled gracelessly on the floor.

“Hoi hoi!” the boy chirped, making a little cat paw.

Fuji just smiled and Tezuka’s eye brow twitched. “Who else is out there?” He growled.

A chuckle was heard and Taka and Momo stood there, Echizen pulling the cap down over his eyes.

“Kaidoh-senpai is a heartbreaker…”

“So, will you help now Tezuka-bucho?”

Before Tezuka could react, Eiji spoke. “Pleeeease Bucho?”

Oishi bowed. “Please. We don’t want Inui to be sad.”

“Have any of you asked Inui how he feels about any of this?”

Fuji’s mouth opened a bit. “Oh…”


Inui sneezed as he tied his shoe next to Kaidoh as they prepared to stretch.

“Suminasen” the senpai murmured.

Kaidoh nodded and began stretching.

****

*So I guess the second chapter…will come and be about…something! Lol…sorry for being vague I’m feeling typie…
*Please review!