The Probability of Dating - Chapter 9
The Probability of Dating
Author: Sinnatious
Summary: InuiRyo. Inui calculates that there is only a 0.02% chance that Echizen Ryoma would be willing to date him. Fortunately, data can be changed.
Rating: PGish. Rating for shonen ai and innuendo.
Author’s Note: This chapter is quite short, but then, it also contains what is possibly the dirtiest double-entendre that I've ever written.
_________________________
The Probability of Dating
Chapter 9
By Sinnatious
_________________________
Inui anxiously awaited afternoon practice. The moment was here. His big chance at progress. He was finally ready.
He’d spent days researching and experimenting. There had been 35 complete failures, and he’d needed to purchase three new blenders. Batches 36 to 45 were the first that were ingestible, but still far too salty. Batches 46 to 50 were too watery. Batches 51 to 54 were pulpy and turned to jelly if left sitting for too long. Batches 55 and 56 fermented and exploded overnight. But Inui felt pretty good about number 57.
Though to be honest, he was still rather nervous. Inui couldn’t trust his own sense of taste. He’d compared it to a variety of grape-flavoured drinks as well as the whole range of Ponta, but no one ever seemed to agree with him in matters of taste and nobody was willing to perform the tests for him. Except for Fuji, but he didn’t particularly want Fuji to be privy to details of his plans.
Regardless, he was about 65 percent certain that batch 57 was perfect. Maintaining a pleasant, sweet taste and a smooth milky texture while still containing an excellent cocktail of vitamins and ingredients guaranteed to improve health and stamina. It was sweeter than he personally preferred, but he wasn’t the one the juice was for. There was also more fructose than he liked, but he wrote it off as an energy boost.
The bell trilled, and classes were over for the day. Inui kept his stride measured and his pace as normal as possible on his way to afternoon practice.
Now that he finally had what he hoped was the perfect juice for Echizen, he had to find some way of actually giving to the freshman. He couldn’t just offer - he’d be turned down flat. Luckily, he was still in charge of creating the regulars’ training menu each practice.
It was time for some power drills.
One nice thing about high school was the slightly better equipment. The club even had a ball feeder. Since Inui designed the drill, he was conveniently the one in charge of running it.
Momoshiro, Oishi, Kaidoh and Tezuka all passed easily. Inui knew they would. Kikumaru failed. Inui handed over the juice. The acrobat ran so fast for the water fountain that it looked like there was two of him. That took care of the last of the Super Deluxe Penal Tea. Inui brought out Batch 57.
Fuji also failed his drill, and took his drink with a smile. His smile became an expression of confusion when he handed back the empty cup. “Interesting.” Nobody blinked an eye. Fuji’s bizarre sense of taste was the stuff of legend.
Finally it was Echizen’s turn. Inui was a little worried about this part, because Echizen had a terrible habit of surprising them all with the amount of power his comparatively small body could produce.
His concern was unfounded. Kikumaru returned from the fountain, grey-faced and complaining loudly. The distraction combined with the speed of the launched ball - Inui took the liberty of tweaking the settings just a little at the last minute to improve the odds - was enough to mess up Echizen’s return. The tennis ball thudded into the net. Personally, Inui was impressed he’d returned it at all.
Smiling, he held up the glass of purple juice. “Batch 57. My very latest creation for you. Full of nutrients that will increase your power and promote the development of strong bones and a healthy body.”
The freshman stared at the drink for a long moment, horror evident on his face. Momoshiro laughed and goaded him in the background. “Go on Echizen! What are you, chicken?!”
The jibe was effective. Echizen screwed his eyes shut, and chugged the entire cup.
There was a long pause when he finished as the other regulars anxiously waited his reaction to the new beverage. This was it. The moment of truth. Would his hard work be worth it?
Echizen blinked, stared at the cup in confusion, and then glanced at the senior.
Inui held out his hand for the cup.
“What? What’s going on?!” Momoshiro’s jaw dropped. “Why-?”
“Everyone, practice is over for the day! Your four freshmen there, clear the courts!” Tezuka barked.
“Not as good as Ponta,” Echizen commented off-hand as he made his way to the court exit, “…but that juice wasn’t too bad, Inui-senpai. You should make it again.”
Kikumaru dashed over. “Ochibi! Did you hurt yourself?! Oishi! Come look at Ochibi! I think he hit his head!”
Echizen just smirked and headed back to the clubhouse to change.
“Inui, what was that new juice?! Give it to me!”
“Eiji, are you sure-” Oishi tried to intervene, but Kikumaru had already grabbed the bottle from his hands and taken a sip of it. He paused, and then took another sip.
“Ehhh?! It tastes like that stuff Ochibi’s always drinking! No fair, Inui! How come I got Penal Tea when I blew your drill?!”
“You don’t like my Penal Tea?” Inui asked. “But it’s so good for you.”
“It’s poison!”
“I’m only looking out for the well-being of the team.”
“Eiji, let it go. We’re holding up the freshmen,” Oishi said.
“But Oishi!”
Inui opened his notebook and made a small note at the bottom of the page: ‘Huge success’.
Although back inside the clubhouse, he very studiously avoided Fuji’s curious gaze as he changed into his street clothes.
Sometimes success brought problems of its own.