"HUT!"
Exhilaration.
The rough feeling of the bumpy leather texture was sturdy in my hands, my knuckles white from pressure. I was aware of every little thing from the familiar weight of my compressing helmet to the small uncomfortable bead of sweat rolling ever so slowly down my neck.
Everything depended on this play. I couldn't afford to lose.
I could feel every muscle that moved as I pull back my arm, building up pressure and force-and then the ball was gone in a sharp swish of air. In a rush of power and desperation that leaves me intoxicated with it's bitter thrill.
But a second later it's over, and I can feel myself forcefully hitting the ground from the solid weight that was layered onto me as thick as the horrid, empty feeling of loss. The bright, dizzy glare of the sun burned in my clouded eyes and like a death toll, the whistle was blown.
Loud, shrill and condemning.
My eyes closed, and for a second, the world stopped spinning.
We didn't win that game.
XxX
"Kasumi-kun! Hiruma-kun!"
Yoichi and I stopped in our tracks at the shout, lazily looking over our shoulders at the large linebacker running towards us. I smiled and waved while Yoichi casually popped the transparent pink bubble he was blowing.
"Hello Kurita-kun."
"Fucking fatty."
We started to walk again at a slower pace as he joined our group. Most of the conversation was one-sided, mainly just Kurita rambling about cakes and oh that new bakery opened up a few days ago! It's right by the bookstore and the food is amazing! Same old Kurita. There wasn't much to say on my side, my summer went as usual. Yoichi and I went out to find full-time jobs just for the summer(although it was more secret underground blackmailing in his case) to pay the rent(even though the landlord was more than a little weary to collect from us, it had to be done). Not to mention it was our last year here and our biggest concern right now was football. Or rather, making it to the Christmas Bowl. I knew Kurita and Yoichi desperately wanted to win it this year, and so did I. Hopefully, we'll find the right team this time around, or at the very least, not have as much of a crushing defeat like last year.
I knew time was running out for us...this year we had to give it our all. It would be our last chance.
Blinking, I found our trio standing before the open school gates. There were still a couple of freshmen(or freshmeat, as Yoichi liked to call them) still hovering around the announcement board. I also noticed how some of them shot fearful glances towards the blonde next to me. I resisted sighing. It's the first day of school and Yoichi had already installed fear into a hundred or so kids.
I'm honestly not surprised anymore.
The assembly was long and boring as usual, and of course Yoichi ditched again so you were stuck there with Kurita, listening to the principal drone on about responsibility and learning, etc etc. There were also a couple not-so-subtle references to the resident demon that made you grin. Sometimes, you didn't approve of his schemes, but you had to admit. They were pretty funny to watch.
After that was classes and I found that, unsurprisingly, we were all in the same homeroom this year as well. I don't think I need to explain what happened there.
The day went by fairly quickly, there was a lot of congratulating and speeches/lectures that we zoned out on, choosing to discuss football strategies and who would be good to recruit(it wasn't as if we did anything on the first day either. It's mainly just trying to settle us in the 'flow' of new things). I was hoping that there would be some talent in the new batch of freshmen this year as we had found one or two good ones last year. However, they transferred out before the year even ended.
That evening, when school was out, Yoichi and I said our goodbyes to Kurita and went to the nearby convenience store to buy some more sugarless gum. I have no idea how Yoichi managed to chew through his last five packs that quickly like some sort of gum-demon, but this happened nearly every other week. Once we went in, he got his usual mint while I treated myself to one of their special types. The new flavor of strawberry shortcake had come out recently and I had been wanting to try it out anyway.
It was all sugarless, of course, because Yoichi was some sort of sugar prude when it came to gum, even though he consumed chocolate at home like it was nobody's business. Freaking binge eater. He claims it's only once in a while, but he can tell that to the pile of dark chocolate wrappers that I found in the trash yesterday.
Buying what we needed-aka walking out because Yoichi black mailed the cashier so many times that he knew better than to protest, we had just stepped outside when Yoichi stopped.
Following his line of sight curiously, I found it resting on a short boy with spiky brown hair wearing our school uniform. He looked panicked and indecisive, wide eyes darting around desperately through the crowd.
"THERE HE IS!"
At the faint, rough shout, the boy looked to his left, fear evident in his expression. Huh. This should be interesting.
"CATCH HIM!"
He glanced at the new-looking dark blue phone in his hands and slowly, determination washed over the boy's face, setting his mouth into a resolute line. I saw three boys emerge from the sea of people as he shifted into position(to run, I realized), and just as one of the people chasing him-a rugged brown-haired boy I recognized as an freshmen delinquent-swung down their metal bat with a cocky smirk-
He was gone.
My mind blanked out as he rushed past us at an impossible speed, leaving a harsh torrent of air that whipped at my face.
That...surprised me. Blinking, I refocused on the figure that was slowly getting smaller in the distance, literally kicking up a trail of dust behind him, and my mouth split into a wide smile.
That speed...and those cuts! Yoichi met my eyes with a matching grin.
He was perfect!
Cold fingers curled around my palm and I wondered for a brief moment why they were always freezing before Yoichi started to run. He dragged us down a couple alleys, some of his shady shortcuts, until we arrived in front of a chain-link fence which the quarterback climbed up and sat on. I chose the safer way of leaning against it instead as he took out his portable binoculars. Following his lead, I took out my own pair and brought it to my eyes just in time to watch the kid do a pro spin past one of the delinquents before darting through the passageways and down the stairs to the subway station.
He was literally crying in fear , but jumped down the stairs and dove into the underground train just as the doors closed.
Precise. Yet willing to go a far length if pushed enough.
There was so much room for potential that I felt giddy.
"We need him." I managed to breathe out, feeling all sorts of desperate. If we had him...if we had him, we would have a chance. If we had him, we could get a shot at the world cup. If we had him, we might be able to win...
"Yeah."
He replied, and I could hear that sly scheming tone in his voice as he snapped open his little black book of doom.
And then, it was no longer if, but when.
XxX
*The Next Day*
"Oi! I caught one! He'd make a killer running back!"
Our quarterback shouted, slamming open the door. I looked up from the delicious cup of English tea Kurita made and sweat dropped a little as I saw the tied up, gagged and struggling boy.
"Yoichi..."
"S-Sena-kun?!" Kurita shouted, accidentally spilling most of the sugar cubes he was holding onto the table in his surprise. I sighed and began cleaning it up(aka, dragging over the trashcan and sweeping all of the broken cubes into it). The club was usually a mess anyway. Not too filthy as I did do the laundry a lot and Kurita takes out the trash(Yoichi really didn't do anything except polish his guns. But occasionally, he will organize the equipment), but more of an organized chaos. We knew what was where, but it was harder for the other players to find anything.
Yoichi threw the newly dubbed 'Sena-kun' into Kurita's arms and pulled out a bunch of shiny black guns. Even after knowing him for eleven years, I still have no idea where he magically pulls his weapons from, but I guess it's one of those mysteries that's better left unknown anyway.
The brunette started trying to talk desperately, eyes wide. He managed to shake off the cloth covering his mouth and yelled, "I'll do it! I'll do it! Please let me join!"
I hid my smile by taking a sip of tea. Sure Yoichi's ways were usually violent and manipulative, but it worked every time.
The two got Sena changed(read: forced) into his football uniform, and I had to admit. He looked pretty cool, especially with the eye shield. His body was small, good for dodging, and his legs were particularly lean-the whole structure screamed light speed. If anything else, he definitely looked as if he fit the part. I mentally nodded in approval.
Kurita was in admiration of his outfit and Yoichi explained the reason behind the eyeshield was so that the other member wouldn't know who he was and try to steal him from us(not that he would ever let them even if they managed to find out). Sena tried to protest but was almost instantly rejected by Yoichi cocking his absolutely ginormous bazooka that he pulled out of no where.
Ah, poor Sena...
he'll get used to it soon.
"Your code name will be...EYESHIELD 21!"
"Eeeh?!"
"Congratulations Sena-kun!"
"Welcome to the club~."
"B-but-"
"YA-HA!"
And so, the great Deimon Devil Bats started on it's way to become one of the best(and eccentric) football teams there ever was.
I was told that disclaimers weren't needed anymore as had put an overall disclaimer on their front page or something *shrug*
I don't know why, but I got Eyeshield 21 urges. It's been like, four years since I watched that thing, and...yeah. It kinda took me by surprise.
More information on Kasumi will be revealed later. I didnt have a chance to fit her appearance in this chapter. But she's Japanese, so...
*ahem*
Thanks for reading~