Black Coffee, Cream Puffs, and Café Latte
By Amami-chan's Vanilla Beans
An Eyeshield 21 Fanfic
Disclaimer: All thanks to Riichiro Inagaki and Yusuke Murata.
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~It was bitter, just like a cup of a black coffee. ~
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01. First Gulp: Recognizing
Mamori thought he was the most troublesome, most terrible, and the most violent of all the bad students that she had ever meet. Had you ever imagined that there was a 17 years old boy brings guns everyday like wearing his own clothes? On the top of that, he blackmailed almost all the people around him, even the school's principal. And the worst was when he forced her childhood friend to become his American Football team's member.
This was one more reason for her how troublesome that boy was.
Hiruma saw her as the most annoying, too overprotecting, and her being a 'Miss Goody-Two-Shoes' at least for him couldn't make some things much better. She was always noisy; forbidding him to do this or that. Not that he was care, actually. But still. And the worst was when she tried to take 'The Boy with the Golden Legs' out from his club, she could stop him from using his infamous secret weapon, the 'Threat Book'.
This was one more reason for him how troublesome that girl was.
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02. Second Gulp: Warming Up
They wished to be separated from each other as far as they can, but Fate, or maybe the 'Devil's' wickedness said different.
Of course they allowed it to happen; after all they had their own purposes.
As for her, she thought she could protect her childhood friend from the bullies, especially the devilish quarterback through that way.
As for him, he could get another free, useful, and easy-to-control-kind of 'slave' for getting his goal through that way.
It was not that easy though, especially for her because they still at each other's throat, nearly every time they met each other's face. Even Sena and Kurita starting to get used to it that it was scary for them.
Nevertheless, they still knew their positions and did what they can. She trying to help him at making the strategies and looking through at opponent's play, while he trying to make her all skin and bone of childhood friend become one of the best player that people had ever seen.
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03. Third Gulp: Understanding
All could happen under that America's dark and cold night.
The Devil Bats, and Taki who had recently follow their training just collapse at their very own feet, and the pain of the swollen knees had gotten much worse than yesterday's training.
Well, it was NOT that easy, when you must ran for hundred kilometers, fast and quickly, while hundred bullets was chasing after you, fast and dangerously.
But they knew they couldn't say anything about it. Besides, it was good for pumping their spirit. Or maybe it was just the captain's favoritism.
Everyone was sweating hard, whining, whimpering, and so on. Mamori just understandingly smiled, gave the pack of ice cubes for treat for their knees. As usual, Hiruma acted like it was nothing and went out from everyone's place. While everyone was admiring his good stamina, she just stared at him silently, and in the next minute, she realized that she was following him.
He was sitting with his trousers were rolled at the right side, showing his swollen knee. He never expected of someone to come to him and treat his knee, until she was there, starting to bandage his knee. Of course he intended to make her get out from his way. But as a kind of caring girl as she was, she still fixed at her place and continued her work.
And for the second time, she thought that maybe she could understand the quarterback a bit more, as she saw him entered his hotel room and never came out again until tomorrow morning.
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04. Last Gulp: Acknowledgement
The time when she finally knew that the Devil Bats' star player or they usually called him 'Eyeshield 21 was actually her own small and fragile childhood friend, she couldn't say anything more.
She was just sitting there, memorizing all her childish treatments to the not-so-fragile boy for now. Despite her saying that he would be a grown-up man at the first place, she still forbade him for to do this and that. She nearly disgusted at her own word, saying out loud how selfish her was.
But the devil's ears could hear anything that they want.
He didn't know if this was guilt or something like that. Deep inside, maybe he felt a bit responsible; after all he was the one who made the whole lie.
Deeper inside, maybe there was something more than a responsibility; after all they had known each other's skin a bit more for a longer time.
While hiding his true, surprisingly kind intention, he told the announcer, then Suzuna about her; she was not that kind of a girl.
When she finally out from her misery and chased him for his ridiculous action, he couldn't help but grinning widely.
He wouldn't let anyone else ever know about this. One word out, and they would feel his wrath for surely. Even for the old man a.k.a. their kicker.
Especially her, since she was the source where the trouble came from at the first place.
But maybe, just maybe, he would let her know it someday, if he ever found the right time to say it.
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~It was bitter, just like a cup of a black coffee. ~
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A young woman, who looked like in her twenties, was walking alone while passing the line of shopping centers which next to her right side. She rose up the zipper of her jacket and stuffed her left hand to its pocket. Right, it was winter time, and lately the temperature had been dropped a little far from the usual. Despite of the circumstance, she felt happy with this season, because it always brings back to one of her best memories; the Christmas Bowl.
It would come around in two weeks, but she already couldn't wait for it. She even came to her old school from the first day of the American Football club's training, and sometimes helped them, like recommended a better strategies or explaining the plays themselves which was a quite grateful thing because of one of the things that run in from its first generation; the dumbness of most players.
She finally stopped at one of the shopping centers, a simple yet elegant building which turned out to be a café. She then opened the door and entered the café. She directly searched an empty table, pulled the chair and sat on there. Thank God, she thought as the warmth slowly seeped into her body. She then looked the menu sheets, and just at the right time a young waiter came into her place and asked her. "What would you like to order, dear Mademoiselle?
She then smiled at the waitress. "I'd like to—"
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~It was sweet, just like a vanilla custard-filled cream puff. ~
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01. The First One: Heart-to-Heart
Their amazing match with Shinryuuji Naga had turned out to their unexpectedly win. The fans of Devil Bats just rose up, larger than anyone thought would be. The people in the school started to admire them too and treating them like a star. And for a bonus, they could have a full-day of rest that very day. Which was the good side from the match, but aside from that….
The bad side was the very, bloody terrible muscles ache that could stop their breathing. Of course the captain wasn't the only exception about this, so he decided to give a bonus 'after-match' present.
And once again she could see him acted like it was nothing and decided to ask him a rhetorical question; was he okay?
Being Hiruma, he answered her question with his usual way; it wasn't like the scream could make his ache disappear. Always practical, she thought.
And she decided to say it. That he didn't need carry his burden alone. That he didn't need to push himself so much for the team. That everyone wouldn't be feeling down anymore.
With that, she finally smiled at herself.
Little did she know that he also did the same, and he continued it with his usual remark.
-"Your mumbling is too noisy, Fucking Manager."
Maybe that was one of rare times that they had a same thought in their mind.
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02. The Second One: Protecting
It was happen in a blink of eye that they even couldn't believe it.
Gaou was making his way out to the audiences' seats as he broke the iron fence to break the bones out of a foolish person who had mocked Banba.
Thanks to her protective nature, she quickly filled in Suzuna's defense. She knew for sure that it wouldn't make things much safer than before. She silently prayed that nothing would be happen to them and everyone.
Until she saw the devilish quarterback's figure was standing in her defense, holding four Tasers in his right hand and looking ready for the confrontation.
At that time, she just stared at him, a bit surprised with his rare action. Only because of the circumstance she decided not to think too far.
But after the riot had already long over, she started to rethink about his earlier action. Was it his way for protecting the people? If it was, then….
When he called her at the school's locker and gave her the envelope, one certain thing had come to her mind.
Now is her turn to protect him.
And with that, she ripped the envelope.
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03. The Third One: Worrying
Hiruma just lay helplessly on the field after Gaou's ferocious attack. All of the Devil Bats' members screamed at their top of lungs, especially Kurita.
When she saw his collapsed figure, she was saying his name in sorrowful manner.
No matter what, she must stay by his side right then.
She silently watched him lay on the bed. She didn't know when it exactly started, but she exactly knew that she already cared with him like she was with Sena. Or maybe more, but she didn't know it. Yet.
She was the first one who said it. That everything would be alright until the end. What a bluff. It was like the time with Sena when she said he wasn't a child anymore. And the top of that she even ripped the envelope of his strategies for an emergency condition like this. Why such a thing happened again to her for a time like this?
But the captain didn't blame her for her rash action. At least she already tapped the envelope back to its shape. However, she didn't say anything what was inside to the players. And once again he didn't blame her for her reckless action. At least all of the players already did it.
When he tried to go back into the field, she was stopping him. Hardly. Being the stubborn people, both of them surely didn't take a word from each other.
And Hiruma won again, much to his favor. But it was his usual way of life; winning. While he said his reason was to keep promise like the way she just did, she was staring upside to the ceiling, thinking if it was the best decision for them and for the team.
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04. The Fourth One: Closer to You
Maybe someone had already conscious about it. Maybe someone like Musashi had even known it. The thing that the distance between their manager and their captain had been shorter, more than anyone around them. Maybe it was the same case, or even more than Musashi and Kurita.
The way she understood his pain. The way she understood his way of life. The way she understood his way of treating people. The way she cared with him like he was a normal person. The way she accepted it all into her world.
The time when they revealed they would be going to the same university, not a little amount of the Devil Bats' member surprised about it. Even her two best friends kept reassuring her if that was really a best choice for her. Monta was the first one who conscious from his shock, since he knew that Saikyoudai was really not a match for him. And that was the point. The people from the Devil Bats who likely could go to Saikyoudai were only those two, Musashi, Yukimitsu, and Juumonji.
But unfortunately, Musashi couldn't continue his education because he must continue his father's company. For Yukimitsu, he already decided to go to the Shuuhei Medical College. And for Juumonji, there was still one year ahead for him to even graduate. For the rest of the team… you already knew that. Some of them, like Kurita would go to Enma, a lower standard of college compared to Saikyoudai. For the other underclassmen except Juumonji maybe would be joining Kurita or Musashi.
By that means Hiruma and Mamori would be together in one year, without the other members of the Devil Bats. More surprise, those two were likely already know that would happen, but seemed just okay with that. A lot of questions were forming in those brats' brains, but they decided not to speak out their opinion due to the certain devil.
Unknowingly to the people, it was Mamori's first step to become together with him. Instead of responding, he grinned widely and asked her a question.
-"Won't you regret that you will be with me for another four fucking years?"
He asked her just like he already knew her decision for following him. And it was like both of them knew what the answer.
-"Can I, Hiruma-kun?" Please let me stay by your side.
The devil just felt like he gained another first down. It wasn't because he got a slave again in four years ahead. It was something deeper than that, and they slowly starting to admit and cherish it.
-"Keh. Just don't get in my way—" He paused a bit, and then snickered.
"—Anezaki." Then he left her with a grin that still plastered on his face.
He didn't forbid her, he didn't just walking off by his own and didn't give a damn about it, nor did he stay off from her.
But with the way he called her name, she knew that it was one of the ways of his acceptance.
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05. The Last One: Becoming One
"Sweet."
"Isn't it Hiruma-kun? I order my most favorite on purpose so that you will certainly like—"
"It's fucking too sweet, manager! Do you want me to have fucking diabetes?" He roared to her, certainly looked that he didn't like the poor cream puff's flavor at all.
"Wha—you could be nicer to it! Because it's just fair, isn't it? I already drank your black coffee without anything just like you usually have, and so you should eat the cream puff with one swallow!"
"Tch, you just drank it in the first gulp and then added a lot of sugar and creamer into it! Besides, I'm not a fucking glutton and fatty like you! Kekekekeke!"
"What on earth do you mean by that?"
Other people who were listening to their argument just quiet and had one same thing in their thoughts; 'how the hell could their argument started just because of damn coffee and that bloody cream puff?
But no one could say that aloud due to their future fate of their life if they ever tried to mess with the devil, let alone with an additional of an angry angel.
Because, all the students of Saikyoudai, including the Wizard's members and even the men who were smitten with her must admit that it was too rude to interfere the couple's argument.
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~ It was sweet, just like a vanilla custard-filled cream puff. ~
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"—have un café noir. And for the pastry, I want choux à la crème," she said as the waiter scribbled down on a small paper.
"One piece of it?" asked the waiter back.
"Umm, five of it, please?" said the woman hesitantly.
"Sure…," but before he finished and went off from the woman's table, a male's voice was cutting them off.
"Five won't be enough for you, woman." She went a bit surprised at the appearance of the man, but smiled warmly at him then.
"Youichi."
"Hn." He grinned and sat in front of her. "And what's that? Un café noir? Do you want this café to run out of sugar?" He cackled and made Mamori flushed at that.
"Well…, I just want to understand you in this thing, anyway."
He was taken aback at her words, but still maintained his poker face. Then he grinned back at her again. "Keh. Don't force yourself. That thing has a too strong flavor for you."
Then he made a hand gesture for the waiter to look at him. "Cancel her order. Un café au lait, et deux choux à la crème—," Hiruma paused a bit, then continued, "—s' il vous plaÎt."
The waiter just smiled and answered him back, "Oui, monsieur." Then he went back.
"I don't know you have such a talent in French," Mamori said, looking amazed with his action earlier.
"Foreign languages are essential for my businesses," he stated plainly, making Mamori just sweat dropped at that. 'What kind of business is that?' She thought.
In the next minutes, the waiter already came back to their place. "These are your order, and this is your bill," he said while he placed the cups and the saucers, with a small paper.
"Please help yourself. Bonne journée, Monsieur et—," as he looked at Mamori momentarily, he started to smile politely and spoke again.
"—Madame," he finished and blinked at her, then went off from their table.
A tinge of red color danced on her cheeks, and then she spoke in a small voice, 'merci'.
Hiruma wasn't the one who failed to notice it, and he started to cackle. "What's with the smile, you damn woman? Are you wishing to be? Kekeke!"
She actually couldn't deny it and reprimanded him instead. "Language, Youichi."
But as usual, he just ignored her and continued his saying. "Don't worry, Fucking Fiancée. We'll certainly do it sooner or later."
"Whatever you say, Youichi. Anyway..." She then took a glance at his order, and confusion was showing on her face.
"Since when you want a cream puff for your own? Let alone it is vanilla. If I am not wrong, you always said that the vanilla one was the worst at here? And what's with the café latte? Isn't this way too sweet for you?"
"Such a loud mouth, don't you? Is that one of your way to ask me to give my portion?" Hiruma snickered at her, making her face blushed bit.
"Even until now, you're hard to talk to." She sighed, and when she looked back at the table, she realized that the cup was only the one left. She then looked at Hiruma who was drinking the café latte. But before she could say anything, he stopped his activity and looked back at his fiancée.
"What are you looking at? Just drink your fucking coffee." he stated while put back the cup.
Mamori just stared at him, but smiled warmly afterward. She drank her café latte, and put it back onto the table. She looked back at Hiruma who actually had eaten his cream puff and grinned at her.
Hiruma spoke out first.
"So… the fucking cream puff was actually not so messed up for this time."
Mamori continued it.
"And the bitterness of the coffee was not so bad."
Then Hiruma laughed out.
"Keh! This thing has too much fucking milk inside, and you were saying that was bitter. Well, just beware of the diabetes and obesity, woman. We don't want the zipper of the gown escape from its place at the D-day, do we?" He finished it with a loud laugh and walked out from the café.
Mamori's face becoming red because of anger, quickly called the waiter and gave the money before she caught up with her fiancé.
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~ It was warm, rich of flavor, where the mix of bitterness and sweetness was making it perfect, just like a warm café latte. ~
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A/N: Hello! I'm Amami and this is (as maybe you've already known) my first fanfic! Hope some of you would give me a little review for this poor story so that I'll know what type of stories you guys would like. You can give me some flame too if you want, especially with you who knows French so that I'll learn too. Thank you very much!
Bonus dictionary:
A/N: Once again, I'm sorry if there's any miss translation.
Mademoiselle: French equivalent of 'miss'
Choux à la crème: The same kind with profiterole and cream puff
Un café noir: One black coffee
Un café au lait, et deux choux à la crème: One coffee with milk and two choux à la crème
S' il vous plaÎt: Please
Oui: Yes
Monsieur: French equivalent of 'sir'
Bonne journée: Have a nice day
Merci: Thank you
Madame: polite form of address for women