biology(chemistry)2 ≠ love?
HAHAHAHA LONG OVERDUE BIRTHDAY FIC. I'M SO SORRY, MANA-CHAN. :< *CLINGS*
It took me two months wtf. *fails* Longest one-shot EVER. I think. A-also, first time writing InuKai, so. *fails moar* H-hope you enjoy, Mana-chan? :D I was thinking of your inner geek the whole time. ♥ BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY. ♥
Please note the tenses so that you don't get confused. :) The first and last part are the present, while those in between are flashbacks. And you might get confused by #3 if you haven't watched the anime yet, or just the "It's a date" episode. XD;
Title: Biology(Chemistry)2 ≠ Love?
Author: ieatchu / shikanashi_kk
Rating: PG
Word Count: 5,705
Pairing: InuKai
Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis and all of its characters do not belong to me. Also, those italicized lines with the big words like dopamine and norepinephrine? Doesn't belong to me either. It belongs to K-zone Philippines February 2005 issue. Or was it 2006? *fails*
Summary: There is strong evidence that suggests love is nothing more than a series of chemical reactions. Inui elaborates. Kaidoh suffers.
Biology(Chemistry)2 ≠ Love?
"I'm sorry, sempai," mumbles Kaidoh as both of them plops down on the grass for a rest.
It is nearly eight am now, two hours since they started jogging. Well, since Kaidoh started jogging because he made the mistake of passing by Inui's house again earlier that morning. He hadn't even realized he had taken that route until he found himself pausing his jog at the sound of his sempai's voice calling his name from his bedroom window. In a way, Kaidoh is glad that his feet had dragged him there because the third years' exams have kept them apart for weeks now and it irked Kaidoh more than he'd be comfortable to admit. Nevertheless, Kaidoh was relieved at the sight of his sempai's calm and bespectacled face and all thoughts of just why he had taken that route was forgotten when Inui asked to join him.
"Hm? For what?" replies Inui. The speed of the pencil lead scribbling across his notebook does not lessen, because Kaidoh is too polite sometimes and apologizes even for the smallest things. Still, it is a trait that makes his kohai more endearing.
"Because you still have exams..."is the soft reply, followed by a hiss.
It is true. There are still two days of final exams left before the third years start collecting their requirements and rehearsing for graduation.
The edges of Inui's lips quirk up and this time, he stops writing to look at the other. "If I recall correctly, I was the one who asked to join you in the first place."
Kaidoh's face colors and he hisses yet again, only longer. His sempai is teasing him.
Inui chuckles and apologizes but Kaidoh doesn't buy it because the other is still looking amused even as he returns to his notebook. Kaidoh refuses to say anymore after that, and simply leans on the trunk of the tree behind him, willing the blood in his cheeks to go away.
The day is nice, Kaidoh observes as a way to distract himself. A light breeze rustles his clothes and birds chirp above him, singing with a melodic trill in their voices. The sky is a blend of gray and blue, meshing together in a splash of colors on a wide canvas. To the west, far into the horizon, a faint orange is spread across the blue, just barely reaching the point where the blue ends and the gray begins.
"There's a seventy-nine percent probability that it will rain later in the evening," Inui speaks up, smiling when Kaidoh turns to him, startled. "Still, it is pretty, isn't it?"
Nodding slightly, Kaidoh lets out a hiss. Inui takes that as affirmative.
The quiet is disturbed when a beeping sound fills the air. Kaidoh flips open his cell phone.
"Who is it?" Inui asks, because he can.
Kaidoh frowns just slightly. "That... girl..."
She greeted him good morning. It's rude, Kaidoh knows, but he just can't seem to remember her name.
"Murakawa-san?"
Kaidoh blinks. Oh, right, that's her name. Kaidoh blinks again. "Sempai?"
Inui chuckles. "From second year, class F. She asked you out yesterday after school, right?"
"How did you...?"
"I'm sorry, it's not my business, but I accidentally stumbled upon you two on my way to the library."
"No, it's... It's okay." Kaidoh replies, flustering again at the thought of his sempai witnessing that embarrassing scene. He had more or less spent the whole time either fidgeting or hissing as the girl poured her feelings out to him. He was flattered, but it wasn't everyday a girl came up to him and started rambling about I like you very much, a lot, and oh! I'm sorry, it must be sudden for you but I've liked you for months now and, uhm, Kaidoh-kun, uhm, please go out with me!.
He wasn't (still isn't) exactly experienced in that area, so it was like a brick had hit him when he realized that he had absolutely no idea what to do.
Inui smiles at him apologetically, before resuming his writing.
It makes Kaidoh uncomfortable somewhat. Like something is wrong.
"I, uhm..." He starts, but doesn't know how to finish. "I said no." He says instead, before realizing just how blunt he sounded so he tries again. "I mean..."
His sempai looks at him, surprised as he tries to explain himself. Kaidoh is surprised as well. Why is he explaining himself? But then Inui chuckles and it is freer than the smiles he's been giving out all day so Kaidoh relaxes, letting the tree trunk take the weight of his body.
"You've never been in love, Kaidoh?" Inui asks suddenly, amused as his kohai turns to him abruptly, cheeks a bit more pink than usual and eyes just a fraction too wide.
His sempai is teasing him again. Why ask such a weird question? Yet Kaidoh can't help but stare dumbly with his mouth slightly hanging, wondering how they got to this sort of conversation.
Then it hits him that Inui is actually serious with the expectant expression on his face. He actually expects Kaidoh to answer that? Maybe all the fumes from his Inui juice experiments finally got to his brain.
Still, Inui continues to wait for his answer.
Kaidoh vaguely remembers to close his mouth. "What about you, sempai?" he asks instead because he doesn't think he's ready to answer that question yet, especially to Inui-sempai, and besides, he is genuinely curious.
Unfortunately for him, Inui already knows what he's trying to do but he's in a good mood today so he lets his kohai off the hook for now. That doesn't mean he'll give Kaidoh what he wants though.
"Love is actually a pretty simple phenomenon," he replies, not answering the question.
Kaidoh notices and hisses quietly.
Inui hears, but ignores it and continues on merrily. "There's actually a scientific explanation for why people act the way they do when in love."
Kaidoh is not surprised because the world thinks that there has to be a scientific explanation for everything, but he doesn't say anything because that might disturb his sempai, and surprisingly enough (or not, but he ignores that thought), Kaidoh is interested to what his sempai thinks of the phenomenon that is love. No matter how corny it sounds.
Inui is amused at his kohai's curious expression.
Little does Kaidoh know that this moment, this exact moment, is the start of a very exhilarating (and rather scarring) emotional rollercoaster ride.
one
The hormone testosterone increases, making you want to be with your special someone all the time.
Kaidoh was annoyed, everyone could see that. It was plain to see and it seemed like there were dark clouds surrounding him. Dark clouds! Everyone made sure to stay at least five feet away during tennis practice, ever since Kaidoh accidentally hit a second year after a Boomerang Snake gone bad.
Boomerang Snakes going bad. Just the thought of it was enough to make everyone duck for cover in fear of getting hit by a stray ball whenever Kaidoh stepped into the court and gripped his racket just a little bit tighter than usual.
Momoshiro even made sure to avoid bickering as much as possible. If Kaidoh could give an innocent second year a black eye - and the guy was nice, too - then Momoshiro didn’t even want to think what would happen to him.
Echizen was smart. He kept his smirks to himself (or to Momo-sempai) but lowered the front of his cap whenever Kaidoh passed by, though it didn’t matter anyway because Kaidoh was always too busy lost in thought or muttering under his breath or grumbling or hissing or being frustrated or all of the above to notice him.
Where were the sempais when you needed them? Ever since they stopped coming to practice due to their final exams, the atmosphere during tennis practice was always tense. Not the a-tournament-is-near kind of tense, but the shit-I-don’t-wanna-die-a-virgin kind of tense.
Kaidoh looked like he was just itching to commit murder.
“Did something happen?” Arai wondered aloud to Ishida one day, after making sure that Kaidoh was safely twenty feet away from them in the other court. The poor freshman over there was getting his wits scared the hell out of him after a close call with a tennis ball but hey, better him, not them.
Kaidoh had no idea either if something happened. Of course, he was practically oblivious to the murderous aura he was emitting, or even to the fact that every time he took a step forward, everyone took one step backward.
He just knew that something was wrong. And it bothered him. Frustrated him, to be more precise. And bugged the hell out of him.
After five days of mulling over his thoughts and coming up with, well, nothing, Kaidoh found himself jogging at an unholy hour of five am. Seven blocks later, he turned left instead of right and stopped when he Inui-sempai’s house came into view.
Inui was already awake, already studying by the window and Kaidoh was hit with this urge to yell at his sempai because obviously Inui wasn’t sleeping when he should be sleeping yet again but alas, Kaidoh never got to act on this urge because Inui already spotted him and was waving over to him to come closer.
Slowly, Kaidoh walked near the gate of the Inui household.
“What brings you here, Kaidoh?”
Inui’s voice was tired, a bit strained, but still had that amused (and rather annoying) tone that always seemed to be present whenever he spoke.
Kaidoh tried to think of an answer, because he just realized he had none. “Milk,” he offered lamely.
It was a bit hard talking like that, because their voices had to be loud enough to be heard by the other yet not too loud as well so as to not wake up anyone.
Inui looked a bit surprised. “But didn’t you pass by four convenience stores from your house to here?”
Kaidoh fidgeted. “Out of milk.”
“All of them?”
By now, Kaidoh was starting to get annoyed. Well, he was already annoyed to begin with, at the sight of his sempai awake when he really should be sleeping, but he kept his composure, because Kaidoh Kaoru was a polite person. Even if he had no idea anymore what he was talking about. “Yes, all of them.”
Inui paused for a bit, looking thoughtful and Kaidoh thought about how ridiculous his reason was and about how smart his sempai was. He fidgeted some more.
“Kaidoh,” Inui finally spoke, slowly, as if hesitating. “Have you eaten yet?”
Kaidoh blinked, taken aback by the sudden question. “No, not yet.”
Inui smiled at him in reply. “Would you like to eat breakfast with me?”
Kaidoh stared. Inui waited patiently, knowing fully well how weird his question sounded. Still, as stated above, Kaidoh Kaoru was a polite person. “Is… is it alright?”
“I cook perfectly decent eggs, if that’s what you’re asking, and if I recall, we still have some milk if you don’t want my Inui Juice Super Deluxe Breakfast Edition, though I’d gladly serve th -“
“Milk is fine,” Kaidoh hastily intercepted, not wanting his sempai to get any weird ideas. “But Inui-san…”
“My parents won’t mind. You know my mother always loves having you around.”
Kaidoh hissed in reply, a bit embarrassed at the memory of Inui’s mother always gushing about him and feeding him pies. How her pies tasted as if they were heaven-sent.
“Then…” Kaidoh started, a bit awkward, but not really disagreeable. “I’d love to, sempai.”
Practice that day was peaceful. Momoshiro even pondered on the thought that maybe his longtime rival was actually cheerful.
The peaceful days did not last long.
The next day, Kaidoh was torn between turning left or right after jogging seven blocks. He turned right that day, after a long time of standing in the middle of the intersection looking lost, and the tennis club members suffered the consequences.
two
There’s a sudden drop in the amount of serotonin, the neurotransmitter or the brain’s messenger responsible for keeping you sane.
Kaidoh fidgeted in his seat, actually nervous for the first time under Inui’s gaze. The rain poured down mercilessly outside, and if Kaidoh strained his ears really hard, he could hear the yells and squeals of those outside as they ran for shelter, away from the harsh beating of the raindrops, but Inui wasn’t having any of that.
He sighed deeply, and Kaidoh tensed up. Inui frowned.
“There’s an eighty-eight percent chance that you won’t be able to attend school for the rest of the week,” Inui started, and frowned even more when Kaidoh’s shoulders drooped. He was going about this the wrong way. He straightened his back up into a more comfortable position against the headboard, and continued with a softer tone. “Kaidoh, look at me.”
Kaidoh hissed, trying to hide his surprise at the sudden realization that he hadn’t taken his eyes off his hands on his knees since he entered the school infirmary. Embarrassed but just a bit indignant, Kaidoh raised his head - and immediately turned red at the sight of his sempai’s nervous, relieved smile.
Come to think of it, he’d been feeling rather woozy lately.
“What possessed you to do such a reckless thing?” Inui asked, but not scolding. He was genuinely curious.
Running under the pouring rain, all the way to the other side of the school grounds right after tennis practice wasn’t something Kaidoh Kaoru did. Inui knew that Kaidoh was - or should have been, at least - well aware of the risks that took. His muscles would probably be killing him come tomorrow, if it hasn’t already.
Kaidoh thought just why he did that. Of course he knew that he wasn’t supposed to charge under the cold downpour while still sweating buckets, but then he didn’t remember thinking at that time. He hissed. He knew perfectly why, but he wasn’t about to admit that to his upperclassman. His head and shoulders dropped in embarrassment.
The rain had already started earlier that afternoon, forcing tennis practice to be held inside the gym. Non-members were welcome to watch, as long as they kept out of the way. Practice was about to be wrapped up, when Kaidoh overheard a pair of third year girls whispering about Inui-kun and accident and infirmary and oh, the poor thing.
The accident was merely Inui trying to help a classmate carry two boxes of art supplies down two flights of stairs. A roll of tape fell from the box and Inui tripped on the fourth step. The fall hurt, that’s for sure, but it wasn’t serious. The only reason why Inui was in the infirmary in the first place was simply because of a rather obvious bump at the back of his head. If Kaidoh hadn’t impulsively run off, he’d have heard the whole story and not have had to fight down his panic as he tried to run and breathe properly at the same time.
But as far as Kaidoh was concerned, Inui didn’t need to know that.
Kaidoh sneezed.
And immediately colored up.
“I’m sorry, sempai,” Kaidoh said instead, not answering the question. It was an apology for being reckless and for sneezing, Inui understood, but his kohai was obviously avoiding the topic of why and Inui had learned not to pressure the other, lest he want the level of trust that he worked so hard to achieve wobble.
“Honestly, I was very surprised when you burst in here,” Inui chuckled, letting the matter go for now and just settling for small talk. “You were dripping all over the floor, too.”
Kaidoh hissed lengthily, flustered at the memory of him harshly opening the door and yelling sempai! , much to the horrified chagrin of the school nurse. “Sorry.”
Inui made a mental note to work on getting rid of his kohai’s habit of apologizing unnecessarily, but this wasn’t the time for that. “Don’t mind that. Work on getting well then.” Inui waved it off, but leaned forward to lay his hand on top of Kaidoh’s forehead.
Kaidoh let him, but with much discomfort. Hopefully, it wasn’t obvious.
“You’re burning up.” Inui stated disapprovingly.
Kaidoh fidgeted some more in his seat. He was definitely feeling woozy now.
Granted, Inui had ushered him off nearly immediately at the sight of him wet and dripping like a mother, telling him to quickly dry off and change back into his uniform - his dry uniform. Once dry and warm, Kaidoh nervously re-entered the infirmary, apologized profusely to the nurse, before inching slowly towards the bed where Inui was waiting, still holding an ice pack against the back of his head.
The ice was melted by now, dripping wet and soaking the bed sheets.
“Do you have an umbrella?”
Kaidoh blinked, trying to focus. “No, I -“ Focus, Kaidoh, focus. “I think I forgot.”
Inui frowned at the far-off gaze on his kohai’s face. “Come on now. I’ll take you home. My umbrella’s a bit small, but it should suffice.”
“I don’t want to be a bother,” Kaidoh frowned, thinking about Miki-chan two seats behind him who always brings two umbrellas just in case her little brother in sixth grade forgets. “I can just borrow an umbrella from a classmate.”
Inui chuckled, smiling just a bit as he got off the bed and helped his kohai up. “It’ll bother me more if I don’t see you home safely. Now, slowly.”
Kaidoh blinked in confusion as Inui held on to his shoulder and his arm, helping him up, but he didn’t need to be confused for long as his vision swam before him once he finally got to his feet. Inui kept a firm hold on his shoulders, even as he knelt down to take Kaidoh’s tennis bag from the floor.
They walked like that until they got to Inui’s classroom, where Inui quickly packed up his things. Kaidoh got a little bit used to the wobbliness of his vision and took his tennis bag from his sempai when the other neared. Inui opened his mouth to protest.
“It’s alright, sempai,” Kaidoh muttered, hoisting the strap of his bag on his shoulder.
The umbrella really was small, but they could get by if they stuck really, really close. The air was cold and the rain didn’t look like it was going to cease anytime soon. Kaidoh found himself hissing his embarrassment away the whole trip back, but the sound was barely heard with the nearly deafening noise of the rain. It distracted him for a bit from his dizziness and aching muscles. A bit. He flinched away when Inui reached up to hold onto his shoulder again.
“I can walk on my own,” he let out, flustered.
Inui nodded, and didn’t speak when Kaidoh started to lean against him for support five minutes later.
three
You can’t sleep, can’t eat, and you’d rather daydream all day and night about your love, thanks to the brain chemical norepinephrine.
“It’s a date.”
That was what Inui had said. Kaidoh was flustered beyond belief. No, that didn’t even describe it. Kaidoh was flustered beyond beyond belief. Even when he arrived at the meeting place and found no one, he was still flustered beyond beyond belief. Even when he walked all the way back home. Even when he ate dinner with his family. Even when he did his homework. Even when he got ready for bed. Even when he tried to sleep. Even when he couldn’t sleep. Even when he finally slept.
Even when Inui had apologized to him the next day about all of it being a misunderstanding and Fudomine’s Kamio and Shinji and St. Rudolph’s Mizuki and Fuji-sempai’s younger brother and Tachibana Kippei’s younger sister and Momoshiro and Echizen.
Kaidoh didn’t understand just what had taken place yesterday, but it wasn’t like there was any more room in his brain for such comprehension when the words it’s a date were still ringing in his head in his sempai’s deep voice.
Right.
That was the voice that haunted his dreams last night. Or nightmares.
“Kaidoh, are you alright?”
Kaidoh blinked, and realized that Inui was still talking to him. He colored up, hissing. “S-Sorry, sempai.”
Inui frowned. “Are you mad?”
“What?” Kaidoh blurted out, staring, before the question registered in his brain and he blinked some more. “I mean, uh -“ His sempai thought he was mad? In truth, he nearly wanted to punch his sempai’s face when Inui went “Huh? Yesterday? Oh, that.” when he first brought it up, but thankfully for Inui, Kaidoh got a little bit distracted. By it’s a date.
“…No. I just didn’t get enough sleep last night.”
An eyebrow rose, but Inui nodded slowly in understanding. “Alright then, classes are about to start. Make sure you get enough sleep tonight.”
“Yes, sempai.” Kaidoh let out, relieved as he turned to walk away. Looking at his sempai’s face directly certainly didn’t help matters when the words it’s a date were still echoing in his ears. It’s a date it’s a date it’s a date. His shoulders drooped.
“And Kaidoh?”
Kaidoh jumped, looking over his shoulder almost cautiously.
Inui smiled at him apologetically. “I’m really sorry about the misunderstanding. It must have been bothersome.”
Kaidoh hissed lengthily to hide his embarrassment. “No, it’s alright, it… it didn’t bother me at all.”
He lied.
It did bother him. So much. That his mother became worried that morning because her son was staring into space instead of eating the breakfast that she knew was his favorite. But Inui didn’t need to know that.
It’s a date.
It will be the only thing that’ll occupy his mind for weeks to come.
At least until they actually start training for the upcoming match against Jyosei Shonan.
But even then his mind skitters off into that annoying corner with it’s a date and Inui-sempai’s voice from time to time.
Then one late practice session by the river with said sempai led to said sempai treating him for dinner which seemed awfully like a date and Kaidoh had a whole different thing nailing at his brain.
Inui wondered why Kaidoh has been so jumpy with him lately.
four
Norepinephrine, the same hormone that makes you jump to your feet in an emergency, also leaves you slightly sweaty, and makes your heart pound three times faster when you’re in love.
Kaidoh forced himself to calm down. People licking their lips was normal, because lips dried up so Kaidoh had absolutely no reason to be this perturbed by such a normal action. Everyone licked their lips! Okay, so when Momoshiro licked his lips, it was disgusting. When Echizen did it, it was insulting. When Fuji-sempai did it, it was horribly, horribly scary. Tezuka-buchou - err, well - did not lick his lips but it was Tezuka-buchou so that was normal too.
But when done by Inui-sempai, why did it seem so… not normal? Not that it was abnormal, it was just… not like when other people did it.
It made Kaidoh stare.
And it was rude to stare.
But Kaidoh stared.
And wasn’t it even more rude of Inui-sempai to lick his lips like that? Like… that.
He hissed.
Maybe it was the summer heat. Ever since he stepped out of his house, everything felt like it was sizzling.
“Game, set and match. Six games to love, to Kaidoh-sempai!”
Straightening up, Kaidoh wiped the sweat from the sides of his face with his sleeve. His opponent, another second year, practically dragged himself to the side and started gulping down his jug of water, so Kaidoh turned away as well and didn’t bother to think about shaking hands.
“Great game, Kaidoh,” Inui commented as Kaidoh neared the bench where he stood with his notebook and pencil. Kaidoh accepted the water jug offered to him gratefully, and made the mistake of looking at his sempai’s face. He immediately ducked to hide his burning face. Bad, bad image. He downed nearly half of the jug, desperate for a distraction.
Forget it, Kaidoh. Forget. It was normal. Licking lips was normal, because lips dried up. It was normal… even if it did look unbelievably sexy.
Inui blinked, confused. “Kaidoh, are you alright? Your face seems red.”
Kaidoh hissed. A long and very heavy hiss.
“I’m fine, sempai, it’s the heat. I -“ Kaidoh stopped. His eyes widened. “Sempai, what did you just give me?”
Inui raised an eyebrow at him, before looking at the jug pointedly. “Water.”
Kaidoh turned the jug around. And promptly crumpled to the floor.
Inui hummed in acknowledgement at the strip of paper stuck to the other side of the jug with his name on it written in marker. “Ah, so that’s the new recipe I was working on. I was wondering where it went.”
-
“Ah, Kaidoh, you’re awake.”
Kaidoh slowly blinked his eyes open, narrowing his eyes a bit at the sudden splash of white in his view. His brain helpfully supplied that he was in the infirmary. Again. It wasn’t the first time this has happened, where he had accidentally drunk Inui’s creations. Accidentally. Or not.
Kaidoh glared at his sempai.
Inui looked at him innocently. It was already a lost battle for Kaidoh, and Inui knew that. “Do you feel pain anywhere?”
He paused, moving his limbs experimentally. “No,” he admitted, slowly sitting up, “My head hurts though.”
Inui nodded in acknowledgement and started writing in his notebook. Kaidoh had long since learned to stop being surprised at the thing’s almost always sudden appearance.
“That’s good then. That means I can use Inui Juice Deluxe Version Five for next week’s training menu.”
Kaidoh stared at him, wide-eyed. Inui chuckled, smiling at him. “You don’t have to worry, Kaidoh. You’ll get version two, as my apology for today.”
Inui’s smile was one of those nice ones that was rarely ever seen, but Kaidoh had a hard time appreciating it because was he supposed to be happy about Inui Juice Deluxe Version Two? It was hard trying to keep up with all of his sempai’s weird concoctions, but he had a nagging feeling that version two was the one that tasted awfully like salmon and miso blended with artichoke and ice.
“Oh, it’s this late already?” Inui murmured at a glance of the clock.
Kaidoh blinked. “How long have I been asleep, sempai?”
“Around an hour, I suppose.”
“An hour?” Kaidoh stared, incredulous. He refrained from asking his sempai just what was in that drink he had taken. “What about practice?”
“Everyone’s gone home already,” Inui said, and for the first time, Kaidoh realized that the other was wearing his school uniform, not his tennis jersey. “I locked up the clubroom.”
Kaidoh hissed, flustered. “Sorry, sempai.”
“What are you apologizing for? It was my fault anyway,” Inui waved it off, not apologetic at all. “Now, shall we go? The nurse is about to leave as well.”
“You didn’t have to wait for me, sempai,” Kaidoh muttered, but it obviously fell on deaf ears as Inui stood up and opened the curtains that separated them from the rest of the clinic. Kaidoh didn’t say anything as he was helped down the bed, strong arms holding him still as his vision wobbled for a bit before steadying.
After apologizing and thanking the nurse for the hassle, they made their way out of the school. Kaidoh wasn’t even surprised to find out that his bag had been beside his bed already. His sempai was just thorough like that.
Thoughtful even, Kaidoh let himself think.
Then Inui stopped and more or less shoved his face right into Kaidoh’s personal face with a skeptical expression, “Are you sure you’re alright, Kaidoh? You look a little pale.”
Okay, now his sempai was teasing him. Of course he’d look a little pale after drinking that unholy concoction.
Kaidoh flustered at the close proximity, but nodded in reply. He then berated himself for ever thinking that his sempai could be anywhere near thoughtful.
five
You feel warm, giddy, energetic, and romantic, thanks to elevated levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine.
The rest of the regulars watched as Kaidoh tripped over his shoelaces. And watched some more as Kaidoh tried to get up by placing his hands on the ground but accidentally placing his right hand on a tennis ball instead. Kaidoh sputtered as he got a face full of dirt for the umpteenth time that day.
Fourteenth, actually. Momoshiro was keeping count.
Instead of getting up humiliated and fuming, Kaidoh got up with a confused expression. He was humiliated alright, but it seemed that his brain still hasn’t grasped the fact that ever since tennis practice started, he had already given Momoshiro around fifty-two blackmail materials against him. The redness of his cheeks wasn’t due to that at all.
Mumbling incoherent stuff under his breath, he stood up successfully this time, looking more confused than disgruntled. Five minutes later, Oishi and Kikumaru’s match was disrupted as both of them cringed when the sound of metal impacting harshly with a skull reached their ears. They looked at Kaidoh walking out of the tennis court - or, at least, trying to.
Echizen sighed, tipped his cap down, and mumbled under his breath. “Mada mada dane.”
The next day, Kaidoh acted seemingly sane enough. He was back to scoring six games to love, and some more six games to love, which afterwards he didn’t hiss threateningly or glare murderously at his opponent. Tezuka approved.
Fuji laughed under his breath and nudged Kawamura’s side with his elbow gently. “Someone seems to be in a good mood.”
Kaidoh hit himself again on the head trying to go out of the court.
Kawamura laughed nervously. “I think it’s too much of a good mood for Kaidoh.”
Echizen sighed, tipped his cap down, and mumbled under his breath. “Mada mada dane.”
The next day, Kaidoh got his face full of dirt twenty-one times.
Echizen sighed, tipped his cap down, and mumbled under his breath. “Mada mada dane.”
Momoshiro couldn’t resist. He asked as soon as they had stepped out of the school grounds. “Alright, what do you know that I don’t know but should know?”
“You shouldn’t know, Momo-sempai,” Echizen smirked.
Momoshiro was already used to Echizen’s snarkiness, and this level of snarkiness meant that what he shouldn’t know was something that he really should know - because it was juicy.
“I’ll buy you a box of grape Ponta next week when I get my allowance.”
Echizen told him.
Momoshiro’s brain broke at the mere thought of Inui-sempai buying Kaidoh lollipops and ice cream every time they go home together. And at the mere thought of Kaidoh being all giddy because of it. Kaidoh didn’t even have a sweet tooth!
“The sweets shop they go to is just close to my house. I see them every time I go home,” Echizen continued, but kept quiet about Inui and Kaidoh feeding Karupin.
Karupin was a smart cat. Kaidoh had a thing for cats. Karupin liked being fed. Kaidoh liked feeding cats. Karupin was happy whenever she’d spot Inui and Kaidoh from her spot on the roof of the house. Kaidoh was happy whenever he’d spot Karupin walking closer to them.
Echizen didn’t know if Kaidoh was giddy about Inui-sempai, or Karupin, but he was getting a box of grape Ponta, so it wasn’t as if he cared.
Momoshiro was looking thoughtful when they neared the intersection where they were supposed to go their own ways. He didn’t have to think for long.
“Echizen, I’ll walk you home today.”
x
Because of this chemical cocktail in your head, your pupils get bigger and blood flows to your cheeks, which gives you the sensation of butterflies in your stomach.
By now, Kaidoh can’t bring himself to even look at his sempai, can’t bring himself to raise his head. His face is red with embarrassment even though he knows perfectly well that Inui isn’t thinking about what he’s thinking about. Inui continues on with his scientific approach about - of all ungodly things - love, obliviously merciless.
Kaidoh refuses to admit that he is hopelessly in love with his sempai, but admits that he’s in denial despite knowing that admitting that he’s in denial means that he is denying what is true - that he is in love with his sempai.
Kaidoh hisses.
Inui watches carefully from behind opaque glasses, even as his lips continue to speak. He is amused, very, very amused, so he continues some more. He’s just going in circles, saying the same thing again and again in paraphrases but Kaidoh’s too embarrassed to notice and Inui’s too amused to be merciful.
Kaidoh feels like he’s sick, but then again, it is nearly nine in the morning now and he hasn’t had breakfast yet. He passes it off as simply hunger, but it’s not as if he feels weak. Just… light, but saying that doesn’t make sense. He thinks that it’s because Inui-sempai is talking butterflies in your stomach now, and it feels like he has butterflies in his stomach, especially since he is sure that Inui is looking directly at him underneath those glasses. Not that that is the reason why he has butterflies in his stomach.
He is just… hungry… or something.
Kaidoh hisses more fervently this time.
Inui lets himself slip and chuckles.
Kaidoh snaps out of it. He hisses some more. “Inui-sempai…” he trails off, scowling. The redness of his cheeks renders his scowl useless, but Inui knows how to be kind.
He chuckles some more, and wraps up his little lecture.
“There is strong evidence that suggests love is nothing more than a series of chemical reactions,” he says, a bit thoughtfully.
Kaidoh hisses in reply, a bit thoughtful himself.
Inui laughs a bit, before looking at Kaidoh straight in the eyes and smiling.
“But I beg to differ.”
And Kaidoh’s breath stops and he thinks that the reason why he can’t breathe right now is because of science, but that’s stupid.
He then thinks that maybe it’s because of love, but that’s even stupider, though if that’s the case, then he won’t admit that he’s in love; he’s quite alright admitting simply his stupidity.
Science has never been his greatest subject anyway.
end
Comments and concrit are much loved. :) Be as harsh as you want. D: And please point out mistakes and typos and I'm sure there are wrong tenses there. ><;♥
It took me two months wtf. *fails* Longest one-shot EVER. I think. A-also, first time writing InuKai, so. *fails moar* H-hope you enjoy, Mana-chan? :D I was thinking of your inner geek the whole time. ♥ BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY. ♥
Please note the tenses so that you don't get confused. :) The first and last part are the present, while those in between are flashbacks. And you might get confused by #3 if you haven't watched the anime yet, or just the "It's a date" episode. XD;
Title: Biology(Chemistry)2 ≠ Love?
Author: ieatchu / shikanashi_kk
Rating: PG
Word Count: 5,705
Pairing: InuKai
Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis and all of its characters do not belong to me. Also, those italicized lines with the big words like dopamine and norepinephrine? Doesn't belong to me either. It belongs to K-zone Philippines February 2005 issue. Or was it 2006? *fails*
Summary: There is strong evidence that suggests love is nothing more than a series of chemical reactions. Inui elaborates. Kaidoh suffers.
Biology(Chemistry)2 ≠ Love?
"I'm sorry, sempai," mumbles Kaidoh as both of them plops down on the grass for a rest.
It is nearly eight am now, two hours since they started jogging. Well, since Kaidoh started jogging because he made the mistake of passing by Inui's house again earlier that morning. He hadn't even realized he had taken that route until he found himself pausing his jog at the sound of his sempai's voice calling his name from his bedroom window. In a way, Kaidoh is glad that his feet had dragged him there because the third years' exams have kept them apart for weeks now and it irked Kaidoh more than he'd be comfortable to admit. Nevertheless, Kaidoh was relieved at the sight of his sempai's calm and bespectacled face and all thoughts of just why he had taken that route was forgotten when Inui asked to join him.
"Hm? For what?" replies Inui. The speed of the pencil lead scribbling across his notebook does not lessen, because Kaidoh is too polite sometimes and apologizes even for the smallest things. Still, it is a trait that makes his kohai more endearing.
"Because you still have exams..."is the soft reply, followed by a hiss.
It is true. There are still two days of final exams left before the third years start collecting their requirements and rehearsing for graduation.
The edges of Inui's lips quirk up and this time, he stops writing to look at the other. "If I recall correctly, I was the one who asked to join you in the first place."
Kaidoh's face colors and he hisses yet again, only longer. His sempai is teasing him.
Inui chuckles and apologizes but Kaidoh doesn't buy it because the other is still looking amused even as he returns to his notebook. Kaidoh refuses to say anymore after that, and simply leans on the trunk of the tree behind him, willing the blood in his cheeks to go away.
The day is nice, Kaidoh observes as a way to distract himself. A light breeze rustles his clothes and birds chirp above him, singing with a melodic trill in their voices. The sky is a blend of gray and blue, meshing together in a splash of colors on a wide canvas. To the west, far into the horizon, a faint orange is spread across the blue, just barely reaching the point where the blue ends and the gray begins.
"There's a seventy-nine percent probability that it will rain later in the evening," Inui speaks up, smiling when Kaidoh turns to him, startled. "Still, it is pretty, isn't it?"
Nodding slightly, Kaidoh lets out a hiss. Inui takes that as affirmative.
The quiet is disturbed when a beeping sound fills the air. Kaidoh flips open his cell phone.
"Who is it?" Inui asks, because he can.
Kaidoh frowns just slightly. "That... girl..."
She greeted him good morning. It's rude, Kaidoh knows, but he just can't seem to remember her name.
"Murakawa-san?"
Kaidoh blinks. Oh, right, that's her name. Kaidoh blinks again. "Sempai?"
Inui chuckles. "From second year, class F. She asked you out yesterday after school, right?"
"How did you...?"
"I'm sorry, it's not my business, but I accidentally stumbled upon you two on my way to the library."
"No, it's... It's okay." Kaidoh replies, flustering again at the thought of his sempai witnessing that embarrassing scene. He had more or less spent the whole time either fidgeting or hissing as the girl poured her feelings out to him. He was flattered, but it wasn't everyday a girl came up to him and started rambling about I like you very much, a lot, and oh! I'm sorry, it must be sudden for you but I've liked you for months now and, uhm, Kaidoh-kun, uhm, please go out with me!.
He wasn't (still isn't) exactly experienced in that area, so it was like a brick had hit him when he realized that he had absolutely no idea what to do.
Inui smiles at him apologetically, before resuming his writing.
It makes Kaidoh uncomfortable somewhat. Like something is wrong.
"I, uhm..." He starts, but doesn't know how to finish. "I said no." He says instead, before realizing just how blunt he sounded so he tries again. "I mean..."
His sempai looks at him, surprised as he tries to explain himself. Kaidoh is surprised as well. Why is he explaining himself? But then Inui chuckles and it is freer than the smiles he's been giving out all day so Kaidoh relaxes, letting the tree trunk take the weight of his body.
"You've never been in love, Kaidoh?" Inui asks suddenly, amused as his kohai turns to him abruptly, cheeks a bit more pink than usual and eyes just a fraction too wide.
His sempai is teasing him again. Why ask such a weird question? Yet Kaidoh can't help but stare dumbly with his mouth slightly hanging, wondering how they got to this sort of conversation.
Then it hits him that Inui is actually serious with the expectant expression on his face. He actually expects Kaidoh to answer that? Maybe all the fumes from his Inui juice experiments finally got to his brain.
Still, Inui continues to wait for his answer.
Kaidoh vaguely remembers to close his mouth. "What about you, sempai?" he asks instead because he doesn't think he's ready to answer that question yet, especially to Inui-sempai, and besides, he is genuinely curious.
Unfortunately for him, Inui already knows what he's trying to do but he's in a good mood today so he lets his kohai off the hook for now. That doesn't mean he'll give Kaidoh what he wants though.
"Love is actually a pretty simple phenomenon," he replies, not answering the question.
Kaidoh notices and hisses quietly.
Inui hears, but ignores it and continues on merrily. "There's actually a scientific explanation for why people act the way they do when in love."
Kaidoh is not surprised because the world thinks that there has to be a scientific explanation for everything, but he doesn't say anything because that might disturb his sempai, and surprisingly enough (or not, but he ignores that thought), Kaidoh is interested to what his sempai thinks of the phenomenon that is love. No matter how corny it sounds.
Inui is amused at his kohai's curious expression.
Little does Kaidoh know that this moment, this exact moment, is the start of a very exhilarating (and rather scarring) emotional rollercoaster ride.
one
The hormone testosterone increases, making you want to be with your special someone all the time.
Kaidoh was annoyed, everyone could see that. It was plain to see and it seemed like there were dark clouds surrounding him. Dark clouds! Everyone made sure to stay at least five feet away during tennis practice, ever since Kaidoh accidentally hit a second year after a Boomerang Snake gone bad.
Boomerang Snakes going bad. Just the thought of it was enough to make everyone duck for cover in fear of getting hit by a stray ball whenever Kaidoh stepped into the court and gripped his racket just a little bit tighter than usual.
Momoshiro even made sure to avoid bickering as much as possible. If Kaidoh could give an innocent second year a black eye - and the guy was nice, too - then Momoshiro didn’t even want to think what would happen to him.
Echizen was smart. He kept his smirks to himself (or to Momo-sempai) but lowered the front of his cap whenever Kaidoh passed by, though it didn’t matter anyway because Kaidoh was always too busy lost in thought or muttering under his breath or grumbling or hissing or being frustrated or all of the above to notice him.
Where were the sempais when you needed them? Ever since they stopped coming to practice due to their final exams, the atmosphere during tennis practice was always tense. Not the a-tournament-is-near kind of tense, but the shit-I-don’t-wanna-die-a-virgin kind of tense.
Kaidoh looked like he was just itching to commit murder.
“Did something happen?” Arai wondered aloud to Ishida one day, after making sure that Kaidoh was safely twenty feet away from them in the other court. The poor freshman over there was getting his wits scared the hell out of him after a close call with a tennis ball but hey, better him, not them.
Kaidoh had no idea either if something happened. Of course, he was practically oblivious to the murderous aura he was emitting, or even to the fact that every time he took a step forward, everyone took one step backward.
He just knew that something was wrong. And it bothered him. Frustrated him, to be more precise. And bugged the hell out of him.
After five days of mulling over his thoughts and coming up with, well, nothing, Kaidoh found himself jogging at an unholy hour of five am. Seven blocks later, he turned left instead of right and stopped when he Inui-sempai’s house came into view.
Inui was already awake, already studying by the window and Kaidoh was hit with this urge to yell at his sempai because obviously Inui wasn’t sleeping when he should be sleeping yet again but alas, Kaidoh never got to act on this urge because Inui already spotted him and was waving over to him to come closer.
Slowly, Kaidoh walked near the gate of the Inui household.
“What brings you here, Kaidoh?”
Inui’s voice was tired, a bit strained, but still had that amused (and rather annoying) tone that always seemed to be present whenever he spoke.
Kaidoh tried to think of an answer, because he just realized he had none. “Milk,” he offered lamely.
It was a bit hard talking like that, because their voices had to be loud enough to be heard by the other yet not too loud as well so as to not wake up anyone.
Inui looked a bit surprised. “But didn’t you pass by four convenience stores from your house to here?”
Kaidoh fidgeted. “Out of milk.”
“All of them?”
By now, Kaidoh was starting to get annoyed. Well, he was already annoyed to begin with, at the sight of his sempai awake when he really should be sleeping, but he kept his composure, because Kaidoh Kaoru was a polite person. Even if he had no idea anymore what he was talking about. “Yes, all of them.”
Inui paused for a bit, looking thoughtful and Kaidoh thought about how ridiculous his reason was and about how smart his sempai was. He fidgeted some more.
“Kaidoh,” Inui finally spoke, slowly, as if hesitating. “Have you eaten yet?”
Kaidoh blinked, taken aback by the sudden question. “No, not yet.”
Inui smiled at him in reply. “Would you like to eat breakfast with me?”
Kaidoh stared. Inui waited patiently, knowing fully well how weird his question sounded. Still, as stated above, Kaidoh Kaoru was a polite person. “Is… is it alright?”
“I cook perfectly decent eggs, if that’s what you’re asking, and if I recall, we still have some milk if you don’t want my Inui Juice Super Deluxe Breakfast Edition, though I’d gladly serve th -“
“Milk is fine,” Kaidoh hastily intercepted, not wanting his sempai to get any weird ideas. “But Inui-san…”
“My parents won’t mind. You know my mother always loves having you around.”
Kaidoh hissed in reply, a bit embarrassed at the memory of Inui’s mother always gushing about him and feeding him pies. How her pies tasted as if they were heaven-sent.
“Then…” Kaidoh started, a bit awkward, but not really disagreeable. “I’d love to, sempai.”
Practice that day was peaceful. Momoshiro even pondered on the thought that maybe his longtime rival was actually cheerful.
The peaceful days did not last long.
The next day, Kaidoh was torn between turning left or right after jogging seven blocks. He turned right that day, after a long time of standing in the middle of the intersection looking lost, and the tennis club members suffered the consequences.
two
There’s a sudden drop in the amount of serotonin, the neurotransmitter or the brain’s messenger responsible for keeping you sane.
Kaidoh fidgeted in his seat, actually nervous for the first time under Inui’s gaze. The rain poured down mercilessly outside, and if Kaidoh strained his ears really hard, he could hear the yells and squeals of those outside as they ran for shelter, away from the harsh beating of the raindrops, but Inui wasn’t having any of that.
He sighed deeply, and Kaidoh tensed up. Inui frowned.
“There’s an eighty-eight percent chance that you won’t be able to attend school for the rest of the week,” Inui started, and frowned even more when Kaidoh’s shoulders drooped. He was going about this the wrong way. He straightened his back up into a more comfortable position against the headboard, and continued with a softer tone. “Kaidoh, look at me.”
Kaidoh hissed, trying to hide his surprise at the sudden realization that he hadn’t taken his eyes off his hands on his knees since he entered the school infirmary. Embarrassed but just a bit indignant, Kaidoh raised his head - and immediately turned red at the sight of his sempai’s nervous, relieved smile.
Come to think of it, he’d been feeling rather woozy lately.
“What possessed you to do such a reckless thing?” Inui asked, but not scolding. He was genuinely curious.
Running under the pouring rain, all the way to the other side of the school grounds right after tennis practice wasn’t something Kaidoh Kaoru did. Inui knew that Kaidoh was - or should have been, at least - well aware of the risks that took. His muscles would probably be killing him come tomorrow, if it hasn’t already.
Kaidoh thought just why he did that. Of course he knew that he wasn’t supposed to charge under the cold downpour while still sweating buckets, but then he didn’t remember thinking at that time. He hissed. He knew perfectly why, but he wasn’t about to admit that to his upperclassman. His head and shoulders dropped in embarrassment.
The rain had already started earlier that afternoon, forcing tennis practice to be held inside the gym. Non-members were welcome to watch, as long as they kept out of the way. Practice was about to be wrapped up, when Kaidoh overheard a pair of third year girls whispering about Inui-kun and accident and infirmary and oh, the poor thing.
The accident was merely Inui trying to help a classmate carry two boxes of art supplies down two flights of stairs. A roll of tape fell from the box and Inui tripped on the fourth step. The fall hurt, that’s for sure, but it wasn’t serious. The only reason why Inui was in the infirmary in the first place was simply because of a rather obvious bump at the back of his head. If Kaidoh hadn’t impulsively run off, he’d have heard the whole story and not have had to fight down his panic as he tried to run and breathe properly at the same time.
But as far as Kaidoh was concerned, Inui didn’t need to know that.
Kaidoh sneezed.
And immediately colored up.
“I’m sorry, sempai,” Kaidoh said instead, not answering the question. It was an apology for being reckless and for sneezing, Inui understood, but his kohai was obviously avoiding the topic of why and Inui had learned not to pressure the other, lest he want the level of trust that he worked so hard to achieve wobble.
“Honestly, I was very surprised when you burst in here,” Inui chuckled, letting the matter go for now and just settling for small talk. “You were dripping all over the floor, too.”
Kaidoh hissed lengthily, flustered at the memory of him harshly opening the door and yelling sempai! , much to the horrified chagrin of the school nurse. “Sorry.”
Inui made a mental note to work on getting rid of his kohai’s habit of apologizing unnecessarily, but this wasn’t the time for that. “Don’t mind that. Work on getting well then.” Inui waved it off, but leaned forward to lay his hand on top of Kaidoh’s forehead.
Kaidoh let him, but with much discomfort. Hopefully, it wasn’t obvious.
“You’re burning up.” Inui stated disapprovingly.
Kaidoh fidgeted some more in his seat. He was definitely feeling woozy now.
Granted, Inui had ushered him off nearly immediately at the sight of him wet and dripping like a mother, telling him to quickly dry off and change back into his uniform - his dry uniform. Once dry and warm, Kaidoh nervously re-entered the infirmary, apologized profusely to the nurse, before inching slowly towards the bed where Inui was waiting, still holding an ice pack against the back of his head.
The ice was melted by now, dripping wet and soaking the bed sheets.
“Do you have an umbrella?”
Kaidoh blinked, trying to focus. “No, I -“ Focus, Kaidoh, focus. “I think I forgot.”
Inui frowned at the far-off gaze on his kohai’s face. “Come on now. I’ll take you home. My umbrella’s a bit small, but it should suffice.”
“I don’t want to be a bother,” Kaidoh frowned, thinking about Miki-chan two seats behind him who always brings two umbrellas just in case her little brother in sixth grade forgets. “I can just borrow an umbrella from a classmate.”
Inui chuckled, smiling just a bit as he got off the bed and helped his kohai up. “It’ll bother me more if I don’t see you home safely. Now, slowly.”
Kaidoh blinked in confusion as Inui held on to his shoulder and his arm, helping him up, but he didn’t need to be confused for long as his vision swam before him once he finally got to his feet. Inui kept a firm hold on his shoulders, even as he knelt down to take Kaidoh’s tennis bag from the floor.
They walked like that until they got to Inui’s classroom, where Inui quickly packed up his things. Kaidoh got a little bit used to the wobbliness of his vision and took his tennis bag from his sempai when the other neared. Inui opened his mouth to protest.
“It’s alright, sempai,” Kaidoh muttered, hoisting the strap of his bag on his shoulder.
The umbrella really was small, but they could get by if they stuck really, really close. The air was cold and the rain didn’t look like it was going to cease anytime soon. Kaidoh found himself hissing his embarrassment away the whole trip back, but the sound was barely heard with the nearly deafening noise of the rain. It distracted him for a bit from his dizziness and aching muscles. A bit. He flinched away when Inui reached up to hold onto his shoulder again.
“I can walk on my own,” he let out, flustered.
Inui nodded, and didn’t speak when Kaidoh started to lean against him for support five minutes later.
three
You can’t sleep, can’t eat, and you’d rather daydream all day and night about your love, thanks to the brain chemical norepinephrine.
“It’s a date.”
That was what Inui had said. Kaidoh was flustered beyond belief. No, that didn’t even describe it. Kaidoh was flustered beyond beyond belief. Even when he arrived at the meeting place and found no one, he was still flustered beyond beyond belief. Even when he walked all the way back home. Even when he ate dinner with his family. Even when he did his homework. Even when he got ready for bed. Even when he tried to sleep. Even when he couldn’t sleep. Even when he finally slept.
Even when Inui had apologized to him the next day about all of it being a misunderstanding and Fudomine’s Kamio and Shinji and St. Rudolph’s Mizuki and Fuji-sempai’s younger brother and Tachibana Kippei’s younger sister and Momoshiro and Echizen.
Kaidoh didn’t understand just what had taken place yesterday, but it wasn’t like there was any more room in his brain for such comprehension when the words it’s a date were still ringing in his head in his sempai’s deep voice.
Right.
That was the voice that haunted his dreams last night. Or nightmares.
“Kaidoh, are you alright?”
Kaidoh blinked, and realized that Inui was still talking to him. He colored up, hissing. “S-Sorry, sempai.”
Inui frowned. “Are you mad?”
“What?” Kaidoh blurted out, staring, before the question registered in his brain and he blinked some more. “I mean, uh -“ His sempai thought he was mad? In truth, he nearly wanted to punch his sempai’s face when Inui went “Huh? Yesterday? Oh, that.” when he first brought it up, but thankfully for Inui, Kaidoh got a little bit distracted. By it’s a date.
“…No. I just didn’t get enough sleep last night.”
An eyebrow rose, but Inui nodded slowly in understanding. “Alright then, classes are about to start. Make sure you get enough sleep tonight.”
“Yes, sempai.” Kaidoh let out, relieved as he turned to walk away. Looking at his sempai’s face directly certainly didn’t help matters when the words it’s a date were still echoing in his ears. It’s a date it’s a date it’s a date. His shoulders drooped.
“And Kaidoh?”
Kaidoh jumped, looking over his shoulder almost cautiously.
Inui smiled at him apologetically. “I’m really sorry about the misunderstanding. It must have been bothersome.”
Kaidoh hissed lengthily to hide his embarrassment. “No, it’s alright, it… it didn’t bother me at all.”
He lied.
It did bother him. So much. That his mother became worried that morning because her son was staring into space instead of eating the breakfast that she knew was his favorite. But Inui didn’t need to know that.
It’s a date.
It will be the only thing that’ll occupy his mind for weeks to come.
At least until they actually start training for the upcoming match against Jyosei Shonan.
But even then his mind skitters off into that annoying corner with it’s a date and Inui-sempai’s voice from time to time.
Then one late practice session by the river with said sempai led to said sempai treating him for dinner which seemed awfully like a date and Kaidoh had a whole different thing nailing at his brain.
Inui wondered why Kaidoh has been so jumpy with him lately.
four
Norepinephrine, the same hormone that makes you jump to your feet in an emergency, also leaves you slightly sweaty, and makes your heart pound three times faster when you’re in love.
Kaidoh forced himself to calm down. People licking their lips was normal, because lips dried up so Kaidoh had absolutely no reason to be this perturbed by such a normal action. Everyone licked their lips! Okay, so when Momoshiro licked his lips, it was disgusting. When Echizen did it, it was insulting. When Fuji-sempai did it, it was horribly, horribly scary. Tezuka-buchou - err, well - did not lick his lips but it was Tezuka-buchou so that was normal too.
But when done by Inui-sempai, why did it seem so… not normal? Not that it was abnormal, it was just… not like when other people did it.
It made Kaidoh stare.
And it was rude to stare.
But Kaidoh stared.
And wasn’t it even more rude of Inui-sempai to lick his lips like that? Like… that.
He hissed.
Maybe it was the summer heat. Ever since he stepped out of his house, everything felt like it was sizzling.
“Game, set and match. Six games to love, to Kaidoh-sempai!”
Straightening up, Kaidoh wiped the sweat from the sides of his face with his sleeve. His opponent, another second year, practically dragged himself to the side and started gulping down his jug of water, so Kaidoh turned away as well and didn’t bother to think about shaking hands.
“Great game, Kaidoh,” Inui commented as Kaidoh neared the bench where he stood with his notebook and pencil. Kaidoh accepted the water jug offered to him gratefully, and made the mistake of looking at his sempai’s face. He immediately ducked to hide his burning face. Bad, bad image. He downed nearly half of the jug, desperate for a distraction.
Forget it, Kaidoh. Forget. It was normal. Licking lips was normal, because lips dried up. It was normal… even if it did look unbelievably sexy.
Inui blinked, confused. “Kaidoh, are you alright? Your face seems red.”
Kaidoh hissed. A long and very heavy hiss.
“I’m fine, sempai, it’s the heat. I -“ Kaidoh stopped. His eyes widened. “Sempai, what did you just give me?”
Inui raised an eyebrow at him, before looking at the jug pointedly. “Water.”
Kaidoh turned the jug around. And promptly crumpled to the floor.
Inui hummed in acknowledgement at the strip of paper stuck to the other side of the jug with his name on it written in marker. “Ah, so that’s the new recipe I was working on. I was wondering where it went.”
-
“Ah, Kaidoh, you’re awake.”
Kaidoh slowly blinked his eyes open, narrowing his eyes a bit at the sudden splash of white in his view. His brain helpfully supplied that he was in the infirmary. Again. It wasn’t the first time this has happened, where he had accidentally drunk Inui’s creations. Accidentally. Or not.
Kaidoh glared at his sempai.
Inui looked at him innocently. It was already a lost battle for Kaidoh, and Inui knew that. “Do you feel pain anywhere?”
He paused, moving his limbs experimentally. “No,” he admitted, slowly sitting up, “My head hurts though.”
Inui nodded in acknowledgement and started writing in his notebook. Kaidoh had long since learned to stop being surprised at the thing’s almost always sudden appearance.
“That’s good then. That means I can use Inui Juice Deluxe Version Five for next week’s training menu.”
Kaidoh stared at him, wide-eyed. Inui chuckled, smiling at him. “You don’t have to worry, Kaidoh. You’ll get version two, as my apology for today.”
Inui’s smile was one of those nice ones that was rarely ever seen, but Kaidoh had a hard time appreciating it because was he supposed to be happy about Inui Juice Deluxe Version Two? It was hard trying to keep up with all of his sempai’s weird concoctions, but he had a nagging feeling that version two was the one that tasted awfully like salmon and miso blended with artichoke and ice.
“Oh, it’s this late already?” Inui murmured at a glance of the clock.
Kaidoh blinked. “How long have I been asleep, sempai?”
“Around an hour, I suppose.”
“An hour?” Kaidoh stared, incredulous. He refrained from asking his sempai just what was in that drink he had taken. “What about practice?”
“Everyone’s gone home already,” Inui said, and for the first time, Kaidoh realized that the other was wearing his school uniform, not his tennis jersey. “I locked up the clubroom.”
Kaidoh hissed, flustered. “Sorry, sempai.”
“What are you apologizing for? It was my fault anyway,” Inui waved it off, not apologetic at all. “Now, shall we go? The nurse is about to leave as well.”
“You didn’t have to wait for me, sempai,” Kaidoh muttered, but it obviously fell on deaf ears as Inui stood up and opened the curtains that separated them from the rest of the clinic. Kaidoh didn’t say anything as he was helped down the bed, strong arms holding him still as his vision wobbled for a bit before steadying.
After apologizing and thanking the nurse for the hassle, they made their way out of the school. Kaidoh wasn’t even surprised to find out that his bag had been beside his bed already. His sempai was just thorough like that.
Thoughtful even, Kaidoh let himself think.
Then Inui stopped and more or less shoved his face right into Kaidoh’s personal face with a skeptical expression, “Are you sure you’re alright, Kaidoh? You look a little pale.”
Okay, now his sempai was teasing him. Of course he’d look a little pale after drinking that unholy concoction.
Kaidoh flustered at the close proximity, but nodded in reply. He then berated himself for ever thinking that his sempai could be anywhere near thoughtful.
five
You feel warm, giddy, energetic, and romantic, thanks to elevated levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine.
The rest of the regulars watched as Kaidoh tripped over his shoelaces. And watched some more as Kaidoh tried to get up by placing his hands on the ground but accidentally placing his right hand on a tennis ball instead. Kaidoh sputtered as he got a face full of dirt for the umpteenth time that day.
Fourteenth, actually. Momoshiro was keeping count.
Instead of getting up humiliated and fuming, Kaidoh got up with a confused expression. He was humiliated alright, but it seemed that his brain still hasn’t grasped the fact that ever since tennis practice started, he had already given Momoshiro around fifty-two blackmail materials against him. The redness of his cheeks wasn’t due to that at all.
Mumbling incoherent stuff under his breath, he stood up successfully this time, looking more confused than disgruntled. Five minutes later, Oishi and Kikumaru’s match was disrupted as both of them cringed when the sound of metal impacting harshly with a skull reached their ears. They looked at Kaidoh walking out of the tennis court - or, at least, trying to.
Echizen sighed, tipped his cap down, and mumbled under his breath. “Mada mada dane.”
The next day, Kaidoh acted seemingly sane enough. He was back to scoring six games to love, and some more six games to love, which afterwards he didn’t hiss threateningly or glare murderously at his opponent. Tezuka approved.
Fuji laughed under his breath and nudged Kawamura’s side with his elbow gently. “Someone seems to be in a good mood.”
Kaidoh hit himself again on the head trying to go out of the court.
Kawamura laughed nervously. “I think it’s too much of a good mood for Kaidoh.”
Echizen sighed, tipped his cap down, and mumbled under his breath. “Mada mada dane.”
The next day, Kaidoh got his face full of dirt twenty-one times.
Echizen sighed, tipped his cap down, and mumbled under his breath. “Mada mada dane.”
Momoshiro couldn’t resist. He asked as soon as they had stepped out of the school grounds. “Alright, what do you know that I don’t know but should know?”
“You shouldn’t know, Momo-sempai,” Echizen smirked.
Momoshiro was already used to Echizen’s snarkiness, and this level of snarkiness meant that what he shouldn’t know was something that he really should know - because it was juicy.
“I’ll buy you a box of grape Ponta next week when I get my allowance.”
Echizen told him.
Momoshiro’s brain broke at the mere thought of Inui-sempai buying Kaidoh lollipops and ice cream every time they go home together. And at the mere thought of Kaidoh being all giddy because of it. Kaidoh didn’t even have a sweet tooth!
“The sweets shop they go to is just close to my house. I see them every time I go home,” Echizen continued, but kept quiet about Inui and Kaidoh feeding Karupin.
Karupin was a smart cat. Kaidoh had a thing for cats. Karupin liked being fed. Kaidoh liked feeding cats. Karupin was happy whenever she’d spot Inui and Kaidoh from her spot on the roof of the house. Kaidoh was happy whenever he’d spot Karupin walking closer to them.
Echizen didn’t know if Kaidoh was giddy about Inui-sempai, or Karupin, but he was getting a box of grape Ponta, so it wasn’t as if he cared.
Momoshiro was looking thoughtful when they neared the intersection where they were supposed to go their own ways. He didn’t have to think for long.
“Echizen, I’ll walk you home today.”
x
Because of this chemical cocktail in your head, your pupils get bigger and blood flows to your cheeks, which gives you the sensation of butterflies in your stomach.
By now, Kaidoh can’t bring himself to even look at his sempai, can’t bring himself to raise his head. His face is red with embarrassment even though he knows perfectly well that Inui isn’t thinking about what he’s thinking about. Inui continues on with his scientific approach about - of all ungodly things - love, obliviously merciless.
Kaidoh refuses to admit that he is hopelessly in love with his sempai, but admits that he’s in denial despite knowing that admitting that he’s in denial means that he is denying what is true - that he is in love with his sempai.
Kaidoh hisses.
Inui watches carefully from behind opaque glasses, even as his lips continue to speak. He is amused, very, very amused, so he continues some more. He’s just going in circles, saying the same thing again and again in paraphrases but Kaidoh’s too embarrassed to notice and Inui’s too amused to be merciful.
Kaidoh feels like he’s sick, but then again, it is nearly nine in the morning now and he hasn’t had breakfast yet. He passes it off as simply hunger, but it’s not as if he feels weak. Just… light, but saying that doesn’t make sense. He thinks that it’s because Inui-sempai is talking butterflies in your stomach now, and it feels like he has butterflies in his stomach, especially since he is sure that Inui is looking directly at him underneath those glasses. Not that that is the reason why he has butterflies in his stomach.
He is just… hungry… or something.
Kaidoh hisses more fervently this time.
Inui lets himself slip and chuckles.
Kaidoh snaps out of it. He hisses some more. “Inui-sempai…” he trails off, scowling. The redness of his cheeks renders his scowl useless, but Inui knows how to be kind.
He chuckles some more, and wraps up his little lecture.
“There is strong evidence that suggests love is nothing more than a series of chemical reactions,” he says, a bit thoughtfully.
Kaidoh hisses in reply, a bit thoughtful himself.
Inui laughs a bit, before looking at Kaidoh straight in the eyes and smiling.
“But I beg to differ.”
And Kaidoh’s breath stops and he thinks that the reason why he can’t breathe right now is because of science, but that’s stupid.
He then thinks that maybe it’s because of love, but that’s even stupider, though if that’s the case, then he won’t admit that he’s in love; he’s quite alright admitting simply his stupidity.
Science has never been his greatest subject anyway.
end
Comments and concrit are much loved. :) Be as harsh as you want. D: And please point out mistakes and typos and I'm sure there are wrong tenses there. ><;♥