A/N: Just a little blurb inspired by the new manga chapters. Semi-sequel to 'A Working Relationship'. Set in the time between the Christmas Bowl and the World Cup.
Warnings: Genderswitch. And, yup, this is still gen, so no pairings.
Disclaimer: Eyeshield 21 does not belong to me.
Less Than Romantic
"So, Sena-chan," Kumabukuro Riko began. "I'm just going to ask you a few questions for the magazine. This way people can get to know you better as a person, considering that for all you're considered the best American football player in Japan, you're still a rather mysterious person."
Sena gave a nervous smile to the reporter, not quite sure how she'd wound up here. Apparently, being the first and only female player on the Japanese team headed for the World Cup made her a bit of an odd duck which made people want to learn more.
Actually, she'd been getting the feeling that she was being watched and she thought she saw a shock of blond hair at one point in the cafe, so previous experience told her that her feelings were more than just that.
"So, first off, people were wondering about how you became a member of the Devilbats in the first place. Care to elaborate?" Riko asked.
"Well," Sena chuckled sheepishly. "It started on the first week of school. I was running errands for some classmates one day- typically, I'd make trips to the school shop to get food or drinks. Anyway, you know of Hiruma-san's dog?"
Technically, Cerberus wasn't a pet, but the reporter nodded anyway.
"I wound up going past his dog house outside the school, and the scent from the food caught his attention, since he'll eat anything. Needless to say, I had to run for my life; only, I guess Hiruma-san saw me running and he approached me the next day about joining the team." More like he forced her onto it, but Sena had a habit of making things seem less worse than they were. "As I had already been thinking about joining the team as secretary, I accepted."
"Yes, the position of secretary was used as a cover, wasn't it? Why?" Riko scribbled quickly into a small notebook sitting in front of her, and Sena found the action a bit distracting.
"Um, well, Hiruma-san didn't want people to know I was Eyeshield 21 because the other sports teams might try to steal me away. Also, I had some friends who would have objected to my playing because football is a rough sport, and because I don't have much strength as the boys, they may have tried to stop me from playing to keep me from being hurt." Sena explained, fidgeting with a spoon, watching the way the room reflected off of the polished back.
"So what's it like being on a team with all boys?" There was something in the way Riko asked that question that made Sena do a mental double-take.
"It's a bit frustrating. Usually, they treat me as a boy myself, which isn't so bad, but there have been some times when it was embarrassing." Like the few times one of the other team members had walked out of the shower room naked as the day they were born when she was in the locker room. "There have even been a few times when I've had to act like a boy around them- aside from when I was hiding as Eyeshield 21."
Riko nodded, making a decisive sweep of her pen. "Okay, moving on. How do you feel about competing on the National team? As the MVP of Japan you were the first pick for the team, and Panther of the American team has been quoted as looking forward to facing off with you in a match."
There really was only one thing to say to that, or at least Sena thought so. "I'm very excited, both to play with such amazing players on team Japan and to face off against Panther-san again. It's something I'm looking forward to very much."
"Now, on to some more personal questions." There was a sudden gleam in the reporter's eyes that reminded Sena of when Hiruma was collecting blackmail and it made her hair stand on end.
This wasn't going to be pleasant.
"Suzuna-chan," Sena called, when she spotted the energetic cheerleader. The runningback practically tackled the other girl, asking in desperation. "Suzuna-chan, since when was I a teen idol? You'd tell me, right?"
"Whoa, where is this coming from?" Suzuna asked her friend, pushing Sena back so that she could look at the football player.
"I had an interview with Kumabukuro-san today." Sena eagerly explained. "At first it was alright, but then she asked me if I could go on a date with any football player, who would it be and why?" The brunette was starting to look panicked. "I didn't know what to say!"
"Okay, wait. You're telling me, that you had no idea which guy you'd like to go on a date with?" Suzuna asked, incredulous when the brunette nodded. The black haired girl leapt at her friend. "You idiot! At least half of those guys are prime dating material, and you couldn't pick a single one!? Are you blind!?"
"Ow!" Sena cried, when the cheerleader tugged on a strand of her hair. "B-but, Suzuna-chan! They're my teammates! That would be rude!"
"Hello! You've been bodily tackled by almost all of them at one point! When you're getting that much physical contact, I would have thought you were past all those manners!" Suzuna stumbled back as Sena finally knocked her away, just in time for the runningback to give a scandalized gasp.
"That doesn't count!" Sena denied, resembling a tomato as she blushed profusely. "We all were wearing padding when playing, there's very little contact at all!"
"I see, I see," Suzuna muttered, nodding her head in a way that said she didn't believe the other girl at all. "So tell me, how did it feel to have Shin-san or Yamato-kun laying on top of you just after they'd tackled you?" she asked with a devious grin.
Sena stared wide-eyed at her friend, before declaring, "I am not having this conversation with you!" She ran off as though Cerberus were right on her heels.
"Is that her?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Didn't you check the magazine?"
"Well, it's kind of hard to tell! In the picture they have of her, most of her face is covered by that eye shield thingy."
"Let me see it... Yeah, I think she's the right one..."
Sena felt a chill sweep down her spine as she shopped in the sports store with Monta, only just now hearing the whispers of a dozen or so girls who were stalking her around the store. She looked down toward the end of the aisle to see two girls duck out of view.
Only to nearly jump out of her skin when she turned back around to find another girl had snuck up right behind her.
"Um, yes, can I help you?" Sena asked as politely as she could, resisting the urge to cringe away from look in the other girl's eye.
"You're Kobayakawa Sena." It wasn't a question.
Sena winced. "Yes?"
"You're playing on the national team with Sakuraba-sama, correct?" The girl's 'look' matured into a full out glare.
"...yes," the brunette squeaked, eyes frantically mapping out escape routes.
"Well, my friends and I just want to get one thing straight." Sena backed up as the other girl slowly advanced on her, just noticing that the other girls had also closed in on her. "We're on to you. Sakuraba-sama is too good for a little floozy like you, so don't even think of trying to use your little charms on him, got it?"
Charms? What charms? Sena thought but didn't say. Instead, she replied, "Y-yes, of course! Wouldn't dream of it!" Seriously, she'd never thought of him in that way before, and it would probably be a long time if and when she did.
"Good," the girl affirmed, before turning and striding out of the store with her group of friends in tow. At least Sena wouldn't have to try to Devilbat Dive over the nearest clothing rack to get away.
"Holy crap, Sena," Monta's familiar voice said in awe. "Girls are scary."
Sena quickly drank a glass of juice, walking past the kitchen table where her father was sitting reading the newspaper.
"Mom, I'm going jogging!" she said as she passed her mother, who was cooking something for breakfast for Sena's father.
"Oh, wait Sena-chan!" Mihae said, whipping around to brandishing her ladle at her daughter. "I need to have a little discussion with you!"
"About what, mom?" Sena asked, confused.
"Just when are you going to bring your boyfriend home to meet us?" Her mother demanded, and Sena thought she heard a muted cough come from behind the newspaper at the table.
"B-boyfriend!? Mom, I don't-" the girl began, only to be caught off by her ranting mother.
"Mamori-chan says there is a polite young man you go jogging with every morning. I want to know why you haven't let us, your parents, meet this boyfriend of yours."
Now, Sena thought there were two things wrong with this logic. One, just because she went jogging with some boy, doesn't mean they were dating. Two, she went jogging with several boys in the morning- namely, her team- but she wasn't about to ask her mother to be more specific about which boy she was referring to, in order to save herself the embarrassment.
Sena saw her father was peering at her over his newspaper, his eyebrows raised in that, 'Your mother has gotten this idea, and she's not about to give it up. Get out while you still can.' sort of way- and wow, Sena had never really noticed how verbose her father was with his expressions.
"If that's the case, I'll bring my boyfriend over when I get one!" Sena said quickly, before hotfooting it out the door.
Sena had really had enough of it all. Now, girls were whispering in the halls while giving her sideways glances, some even leaving notes, both good and bad, in her shoe locker and her mailbox at home. So, it was no surprise that their sharp eyed captain noticed when she walked into the clubhouse after school that day.
"What the hell is wrong with you, fucking shrimp?" he asked, blowing a bubble as he leaned back in his chair.
She flopped to lay on a bench, throwing an arm to cover her eyes as she muttered, "Girls..."
She subsequently missed the raised eyebrow aimed in her direction.
"I would just like to have the rest of the time before we leave to be free of all this gossip and stalking..." she said more to herself. "And, I thought boys were hard to deal with..."
Sena suddenly heard the sound of feminine giggling, and before she could see who it was, she had already managed to hide herself in her locker, shaking as she huddled out of sight.
Sharp, green eyes narrowed at the sight even as Mamori and Suzuna walked in.
Sena glanced around wildly, weirded out by the lack of even the most casual glances in her direction. The day before, all the girls had been focused on her, but now, all their attention was focused singularly on a magazine article that was circulating through the school. She wasn't sure what it was about, but Sena was glad for it.
She felt free, all the expectations from the day before gone- she had dreaded coming to school today, they were so great.
That afternoon, she practically skipped into the clubhouse, changing into her practice clothes. She was just getting ready to leave when Hiruma walked in.
"Ready to practice, fucking shrimp?" He asked, hoisting his assault rifle onto his shoulder.
Sena's good mood deflated a little, but it was a sign that it didn't go away completely. "U-uh, yes."
The team captain gave his devilish grin, "Good. We've got less than a week before the World Cup. Get running!" Sena was chased out by a spray of bullets and Hiruma's mad cackle.
Sena had never been so glad to be on her team as she was at that moment. She'd take a bunch of crazy, football obsessed boys over crazy, boy obsessed girls any day.