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Chapter 1
Never had they imagined that they'd cross ways in American Football Club, of all places. Never had they imagined that two people on the opposite side of poles like them could be together. Heck, he could've never picture her flirting around him, or she being a lover instead of a mother, for a change; and she couldn't even imagine what he'd look like passionately loving. Anezaki Mamori was, or rather is, an upholding discipline committee officer; and Hiruma Youichi is the evil one in Deimon High School. But fate has its way, and thus this minuscule story unfolds in the background.
"TODAY I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH IT!"
The people present there, at the football field where Deimon Devilbats' and Koigahama Cupid's match just ended glanced with interest at our main characters. It was the first time she had ever let people from school see her mad like that. How could he? Sena was like her own younger brother, and yet Hiruma exercised his demonic brutality on him. It was unfair enough that even the school discipline committee has given up and letting his reign be, but NO; she will not let this man hurt Sena anymore. She will not let him get away with it.
"HO~~ won't let me get away, huh?" came his sneering answer. His sarcastic questioning tone was enough to infuriate her even more, and she was on the verge of shouting threats (on behalf of the discipline committee, of course), but then his next question silenced her; is she going to make an appeal for the removal of the American Football Club? Somehow, she did not have the heart to go that far. It was Hiruma and Kurita's last year to be active in a sport club. And a man pursuing his passion is kind of cool; she couldn't help but think that a bit. Who was she to get in between a man and his dream, anyway?
That thought alone resolved her, "I won't. As long as you stop picking on Sena." Slowly putting his threat notebook back into his bag, he could not help but think that she's different; he doesn't need the threat notebook to deal with her. Somehow, she's too… gullible? innocent? No, what was that word… pure. Yes, she's too pure, that he could easily manipulate her with some random scheme, even without the notebook.
The opportunity came when Sena providentially refused to leave the club; and he was quick to grab it. Devil knows why he was so eager to get free labor (as he so kindly put), more specifically mamori's free labor, but he did it, and so entered her into his world. Little that he knows this little lie of his would affect him so much.
It was the end of Spring Tournament of her second year of high school, a few months after they first made acquaintance. As the manager of the team, she'd recently figured out how he operates. He does a lot of work himself, be it managing the team's funds, planning promotions and recruiting new members, or even scheduling trainings and practices. But she knew a lot of his works are based on his black threat book. So here she comes, complementing him on the right-hand-side of the equation. She does things rightfully; or in Musashi-san's words: she mastered the art of cleaning up after him.
At first, her works as the manager only consist of some trivial chores; cleaning the place up, preparing some snacks and drinks during practices; well, like motherly chores. But then one late afternoon, she headed to the club room after a disciplinary committee meeting, intending to check if it's properly cleaned and locked, and there she met Hiruma, all alone, working on sheets and sheets of data on their opponents. When asked why is he the only one still there, he answered in his usual sarcastic tone, "like those fucking idiots could do this." True. Even Mamori admits that there's no way Kurita or Sena could help him.
"Let me try", it was in her nature to offer to help. Again, his reply came "this is not a fucking manager's job." Somehow, that sentence ticks something off in her, "you don't have to put that F-word before each word, you know." "No, I don't know", but at this time she was already sitting down, blatantly ignoring his last response. They were silent. She watched him closely and quietly, hoping that she could learn what she could do to help without asking him. But it was too quiet for him. He looked up from the papers in his hands and his laptop, meeting her eyes. "You're still here?" She could interpret that question in many ways; 'you're still here? It's too quiet I thought you've gone home', 'you're still here? The heaps of papers are still the same I thought you've gone home', or somewhere along those line.
She was sure that whatever she said, he'd have some smart-ass reply, so she kept quiet, and continue to watch him. After a few more heavy silent moments, he finally spoke again, this time less irritably, "here, do these ones". And that was how the sessions start. Many times were they left alone in the shed –the club room, just the two of them discussing for the next match, how they should train, strategies, etc, etc. This became like a daily routine for both of them; and many times did she turn down invitations from her friends to hang out, until her two best friends started to question her and his relationship. She only laughed and shrugged them off, thinking how ridiculous of them to think that. Little that she knew that at that point, it was too late; without her knowing, he was already a big part of her life.
It was then that she started to be conscious of him.
note: a short chapter; kinda just a briefing. Rated T mainly for Hiruma's language, but i do want their romance to be portrayed decently..so i guess T is good right =p