Inui made it back to his house five minutes before his meeting with Kaidoh. It was early evening, just after most people had dinner, and he noticed Kaidoh was approaching his house on foot as he arrived. He looked like he had jogged or ran there. "Ah. Kaidoh, you're early."

"I...I'm sorry, senpai. If...if you need me to wait...?" Kaidoh suggested politely.

"No, not at all." He unlocked the door. "Come in, please." He lead Kaidoh up to his room. He went to make them both tea.

At first he went to make his special tea for Kaidoh, the one he gave Momoshiro, but then he had a sudden urge not to. Perhaps he should take another approach with Kaidoh. It felt right although he did not have the time to re-calculate the data. He instead made Kaidoh his honest tea and for himself he made just plain tea. He returned to his room to find Kaidoh was looking at his photographs. He held one in his hands. "Ah. I was part of a championship junior tennis doubles team when I was younger."

Kaidoh put the picture back down. Inui waited for the inevitable questions everyone asked him. All the time as soon as they found out the questions came. What happened? Why did you and your childhood doubles partner split up? Inui hated the questions because he had no clear answers. Usually he told the person they both grew up. They went to different schools. They both moved on, but the truth was Inui never was able to clearly ascertain why Renji left him. He never told anyone that he had cried for weeks and was seriously depressed for months after loosing his doubles partner, best friend, and lover suddenly one day. He still never knew exactly why. He never knew what he did wrong. They had been young and they had been in love. Inui was certain of that, but for the rest, for the why, he had no idea.

They had been very young in fact, children, and while they kissed and fooled around, while they sincerely had told each other they loved the other, while they had been inseparable, while they had discussed being together forever, they had never consummated their relationship. One day it was just over and Renji was gone. He would not even speak to Inui afterwards. Inui did keep meticulous track of his former partner to this day and always kept scrupulous and exacting data on him but no matter how much data he gathered on Renji, like Tezuka, Inui never ever clearly had any answers.

Inui had braced for the inevitable questions without even realizing it. He turned to Kaidoh who stood patiently. He never asked the questions which surprised Inui. Kaidoh did not welcome questions but would have listened if Inui volunteered the information. He didn't. "Please, have a seat." Inui said after a moment and served them tea.

Inui waited until Kaidoh drank a few sips of the tea. He noted that Kaidoh carefully blew on it to cool it before drinking. His breaths and the clock were the only sounds in the room. "You write on the walls." Kaidoh said after a time.

"Ah, yes sometimes I have an idea or data and it cannot wait to get to paper. I later write it down and paint over it."

Inui thought of how to broach the subject. "Kaidoh, I asked you here because I want to help you."

"H...help me?" Kaidoh let out another breath.

"Yes. You remind me of you last year. I was in a similar situation that did not go well and I would like to spare you any pain."

Kaidoh seemed annoyed. "I don't know what you're talking about senpai. You said you asked me here because you had something important to discuss about the tennis club."

"Yes, that is true. Kaidoh, I want to help you."

Kaidoh let out another breath clearly sounding annoyed. "You already said that."

"With your love life."

Kaidoh put his head down and turned crimson. "What?!" He breathed softly. Inui had expected him to be angry. There was no way his "honest tea" could be working so soon. "Inui-senpai, I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you are talking...."

"Oishi." Inui said interrupting him. "I am sorry for interrupting you but I want to help you with Oishi, Kaidoh." Kaidoh's eyes snapped to Inui's face and then looked down. He turned a deeper shade of red.

"Inui-senpai, there is nothing to help me with." Kaidoh blew on his tea and took a big drink. Kaidoh was trying to run away but was too polite not to finish his tea. The cup was now over half empty and Inui checked his clock. As long as Kaidoh kept his stress levels down by breathing, his pyloric valve should stay open and his body would process the herbal tea. It would enter his bloodstream and start to work rapidly now.

"I believe there is. Kaidoh, you have feelings for Oishi and he does not know. It is affecting you at school and at tennis. I would like to help you."

"Thank you for your concern Inui-senpai but there is no help needed."

"Kaidoh, were you aware that Oishi is dating Kikumaru? That they are lovers?"

Kaidoh's head again snapped up to Inui's face. Inui wondered if a person could give themselves whiplash. He would have to check into it. It was an interesting question. "I..." Inui saw the tea was now working. "I know....at least, I thought so. Its true? They are?"

"Yes. I saw them last night. They were dancing, holding hands, and kissing in public, then they left to go...."

"Please! I don't want to know anymore!" At this Kaidoh truly looked upset.

"I'm sorry Kaidoh. That was very insensitive of me, but I was not sure of your feelings and...."

Kaidoh whispered something. The tea was working well, he surely just confessed something.

"I'm sorry, what did you say Kaidoh?"

"I said I love him, Inui-senpai. I'm in love with him. So please don't tell me anymore. It will only hurt me."

Inui looked at Kaidoh's face and said softly before his brain could censor it, "Forgive me?" Kaidoh paused a moment and then nodded once. Inui continued, "I would like to help you Kaidoh. I believe you are the right one to be with Oishi. You are the right person for Oishi, not Kikumaru."

Kaidoh let out another breath. "That is for him to decide."

"Him?" Inui was confused for a moment.

"Oishi-senpai. It is his choice who he belongs with." Inui saw the way Kaidoh said Oishi's name and for an instant felt irrationally....jealous. He said his name with gentle affection and love. It surprised Inui. Kaidoh's feelings for Oishi apparently went even deeper than Inui had known.

"Yes, but Kaidoh, surely you have noticed that Kikumaru, while a nice guy, is...irrational, erratic, and unstable. They are complete opposites. Perhaps if Oishi knew you were interested in him...."

"I intend to tell him my feelings Inui-senpai."

"Y...you do?"

"Yes. As soon as he and Kikumaru-senpai break up, then I will tell him." Inui noted that he was right. Kaidoh like Momoshiro was naively noble when it came to love. Even at the price of breaking his own heart.

"Ah. Though perhaps there is a better way?"

"Senpai?"

"Perhaps there could be a way for you to be close to him just before they break up, as a good friend maybe, so that your declaring your feelings is not going out on such a limb?"

"What do you mean?" Then Kaidoh's face twisted slightly. The tea was wearing off. It worked well but did not last long. "Why are you helping me?"

"Because I like you Kaidoh. I want to be your friend." Inui saw Kaidoh's defenses come slamming up and his eyes turned hard. Inui went in for the kill knowing Kaidoh would not be able to resist someone reaching out to him. Inui knew his own heart and his own happiness relied on convincing Kaidoh. "And because..." Inui paused and looked down. He also lowered his speaking volume for dramatic effect. "Last year, I was in love with someone and I never took the chance to tell them. It was never the right time." Inui well remembered Momoshiro's earlier words.

"What happened?" Kaidoh asked, leaning in to hear his soft answer.

"I lost him and it broke my heart." Inui thought of Fuji and Tezuka last night and he allowed his actual heartbreak to spill into his voice and crack it. "Kaidoh, I'm still not over him. I don't believe I ever will be. I just don't want to see the same thing happen to you. Please, I cannot help my own situation but I can help you. As your senpai, you can learn from my mistakes."

Kaidoh was quiet a long time. Finally he said two words that meant the world to Inui. "I'm listening."

Inui outlined his plan. It was surprisingly simple but required precision timing and effort. Kaidoh simply had to be perfect.

Kaidoh let out another breath as he did when he was stressed. "This will not hurt him? Or Kikumaru-senpai?"

Inui was impressed that Kaidoh could say his rival's name without any bitterness. "I believe that in the long run that both of them will be happier. Kikumaru will find a new partner and Oishi will be happier with you."

"Inui-senpai, perhaps I am not up to this. I like Kikumaru-senpai and I won't hurt him."

"Ah. Will it help, Kaidoh, if I tell you that there is someone who feels the same way you feel for Oishi about Kikumaru? That I am helping him too? That no one will get hurt? That everyone will end up happier? That you can stop at any time?"

Kaidoh let out another breath. "What would I need to do?"

"I'll manage that, you just have to follow my instructions. And I'll need a little more data from you."

"Data?" Kaidoh let out a breath as Inui looked down at his notes.

"Yes, your past sexual and romantic history. How many lovers. Were they girls or guys. How long you dated. What things you've done sexually. Those kind of things." Kaidoh looked stricken. His mouth moved several times but no sound came out. Inui had a suspicion that was disastrous, "Kaidoh, are you a virgin?"

Kaidoh let out another breath. In a very small voice he said, "Yes. I...I've never...."

Inui was surprised but not shocked. Kaidoh seemed so in love that Inui had wrongly assumed.... "This could be bad." Inui said without censoring himself.

"Bad? Why!?"

"Because Kaidoh as I am sure you have heard through rumors, Oishi is extremely sexually experienced. Much of my data corroborates the rumors to be close to the truth. He might hesitate at a critical moment if you are not as....tempting and knowledgeable as he is." Inui was crestfallen. There was no way this would work with Kaidoh being an unschooled virgin. Inui thought furiously, "How many people have you kissed?"

"F...four."

"Tell me about them."

"Two girls and two....guys."

"How many times did you kiss them? When was your first kiss?"

"This past summer."

This was bad. Or looked bad. Maybe Inui could salvage this. "Kaidoh, I'll need to do this. May I kiss you?"

"W...what!?"

"Kaidoh, I need to know exactly how experienced you are, so I need to kiss you."

"B...but I've kissed before!"

"Sure but that's only this last summer and I have no idea how skilled you are. Kaidoh, Oishi is very experienced, especially when it comes to kissing. Have you ever heard of his kissing test?" Kaidoh nodded and blushed. "Kaidoh, if you respond you fail and if you don't respond you fail."

Inui was still puzzled over that. It was like the riddle of the sphinx and Inui was tempted to solve it. He wondered if Kikumaru knew and suspected he had not been given the test yet. He surely would have failed like all the rest. Inui continued, "How do you think you can pass it if you aren't really experienced? I am trying to help you, but I truly cannot without all the data at hand. I need to know exactly where you are at in terms of what you have done and what you haven't. I can sit here and ask you questions or I can kiss you and know for certain. You have to trust me to help you. Its just a kiss." Inui shrugged.

"Senpai..." Kaidoh put his hands into fists and exhaled another breath out. Inui waited and expected Kaidoh to say no and leave, crushing Inui's hopes. "...all right."

Inui stood up and turned off his room light leaving only the glow from his computer on. He thought Kaidoh would be more relaxed in the lower light. Inui really did not want to do this but needed to. He sat next to Kaidoh and Kaidoh turned to face him. "Please relax and respond normally." Kaidoh nodded. Inui noticed in the now dim light how nervous Kaidoh looked. He held onto Kaidoh's shoulders. "Kaidoh, take a deep breath." Kaidoh did. "Exhale."

Inui waited until Kaidoh had let out his breath and then he pressed his lips to Kaidoh's. He kissed him softly and slowly a few times with just his lips and Kaidoh met his kiss. Eventually, Kaidoh's lips gently parted. Then Inui ran his hands lightly around Kaidoh's shoulders and softly touched his tongue between his lips. Kaidoh's lips were full and soft. Much softer and fuller than Inui expected because he now realized Kaidoh kept them tightened into a thin tight line too much of the time. Inui touched their tongues together and then his worst theory was proven correct. Kaidoh kissed him back sloppy and with no skill. He had no idea how to kiss. Inui pulled back and was surprised to find Kaidoh move in to continue kissing him. Inui indulged him for a moment and then almost disgusted by this disappointment, decided that he would need to change this.

"Kaidoh..." Inui said softly as he pulled back. He had no idea who had taught him to kiss but he was terrible at it. Inui's entire face was wet and he resisted the urge to wipe his face and chin. Inui instead wiped off Kaidoh's face and noticed how hungry for more Kaidoh seemed after just a little bad kissing. Interesting. "Kaidoh, would you like me to show you how to kiss?"

"I just kissed you...."

Inui sighed. "Yes, well, I suppose technically that could be called a kiss but you need to work on your technique. You need practice Kaidoh. Quite a bit of practice. Would you like me to show you?"

"I..." Kaidoh seemed astounded, he let out another breath of air and then said, "It was bad?"

"Would you like me to be honest?" Kaidoh nodded so Inui continued, "It was not good. Honestly, Kaidoh, if you kissed Oishi like that, things would not go...well."

Kaidoh looked completely distraught and then nodded, "Please show me, senpai!" His voice was tinged with desperation.

Inui sighed. "All right. I will instruct you." Inui adjusted how he was sitting. He slipped his hand up to his face to wipe away the wetness while Kaidoh looked down at his own hands mortified. Kaidoh hesitated a moment and then moved closer to where Inui indicated he should be. "Good. Kaidoh, I want you to let me lead. Do not kiss me back, just follow. A kiss should be light and soft, not hard and quite so....forceful and....wet. Do you understand?"

"Yes senpai." Inui again put his hands on Kaidoh's shoulders. He lightly kissed his lips. Kaidoh went to respond but then remembered and stopped himself. When Kaidoh relaxed enough to part his lips Inui again licked inside his mouth and touched their tongues together. Again Kaidoh went to respond. Inui pulled back.

"I...I'm sorry..."

"Its fine Kaidoh. You're learning." Then Inui had a sudden inspiration, "Kaidoh, close your eyes and kiss me like I'm Oishi. Pretend I'm him. Show me how you would kiss Oishi."

Kaidoh looked surprised a moment and then instantly complied. He leaned in to kiss Inui and even with his eyes closed Inui could see the lust in his face and also the emotions there. This kiss was completely different. It was soft and sweet and yet hot with yearning and lust. Kaidoh was trying to show his feelings and emotions, to express himself in a kiss. This kiss completely turned Inui on and in that instant, he stopped seeing Kaidoh as an unschooled virgin. In one kiss, Inui knew Kaidoh had done some things before, just somehow he had missed a few really important steps. And while Kaidoh implied he was a virgin now Inui wondered if he was maybe not one all the way around. Inui for the first time was intrigued. This was a really nice kiss.

Then Kaidoh pulled back from the kiss, "Senpai, please? Be my friend? Teach me what I need to know..." Inui smiled and went to agree and then Kaidoh reminded him to return back to reality, "...to win Oishi-senpai? Please?" Kaidoh looked again completely embarrassed. He looked away and down.

"Kaidoh," Inui knew he should have felt elated that everything was now coming together, he was surprised to discover that instead he felt a little deflated. He was not certain why. "do you really wish me to teach you?" Inui asked.

Kaidoh shook his head yes but did not move. Inui took his face gently in one hand and turned Kaidoh up to look in his eyes.

"You're positive you want me to teach you? You will allow me to help you?"

Kaidoh shook his head yes. He looked very earnest in his desire. Inui had to just keep in mind it was a desire to learn and win Oishi only. Kaidoh's heart belonged to someone else as did Inui's.

"Then I will help you. Would you like to try again?" Kaidoh nodded and Inui leaned in to kiss him again. Kaidoh's arms softly went around him. This was not in his original master plan B but as he continued kissing Kaidoh, Inui was already adding it into his calculations. It would be fine.

Inui considered how glad he really should be that Kaidoh brought him back to earth and reality after the very nice kiss. Really, it was for the best. It would not do for Inui to get distracted now that his plan was possible and everything he had ever wanted was now right there for the taking. With just a few steps Inui realized he would finally win his heart's desire.

His lips and tongue moved whisper soft against Kaidoh's eager mouth and he smiled as plan was all slipping into place--with some very nice developments on the side.