The three girls were in the clubhouse. Suzuna and Seiran were chatting about boys, with an amused Mamori listening to their babble.

After a little bit of shock, everyone liked Seiran. She was really different from her brother. Sweet, bubbly, compassionate, chatty, smart, the list goes on.

Unfortunately, she loved gossip.

Seiran looked at the shortest girl, "Do you like Sena?"

Suzuna blushed. "Well, he is a friend."

"Just a friend, hmmm?" Seiran leaned in on her. "You sure?"

Mamori laughed. "I don't think so. Sena is more like Suzuna's little brother."

"Hm, how disappointing," remarked Seiran. "You two would've been cute together."

While Suzuna tried to bite back her comment, Seiran rounded on Mamori. "What about you, Mamo-neechan?"

"Ahh, well," Mamori laughed nervously. "I don't like anyone on the team…"

"Ohhh? So you like someone else? Outside of school?"

"No no! I…"

"I never thought of that!" Suzuna bounced up, back to her cheerful self. "Well?"

Mamori looked at both of them. They had patient, eager faces. "Well…I did have a childhood crush…"

"WHO?!" they both yelled at once.

"Whoa, calm down!"

Meanwhile, outside, the whole team was listening. Hiruma was sitting on the roof, ready for any blackmail info.

"Whoa, who is it, Sena?" Monta whispered.

"I don't know either," Sena replied, pressing his ear against the door. "Just listen."

And then Mamori started the story.

Little Mamori, age 11 looked around. Sena, age 10 was hanging out with Riku. Mamori was walking home, admiring the pretty flowers that grew in the grass.

"Hey look, it's Anezaki."

"The babysitter?"

"Yeah!"

Mamori was suddenly surrounded by boys, most of them which she had beat up for picking on Sena. All of them had a stone or stick in hand. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," the ringleader said in a sing-song voice. "The first part will be proved now!"

Some of the boys threw their rocks at Anezaki. "We're sick of you stopping us from playing with your little brother!"

"You weren't playing with him, you were tormenting him!" said an angry Mamori, who cried out in pain as a rock struck her head. "Don't bully Sena!"

"Well, if we can't bully him, you're the next best thing!" sneered the ringleader, waving a large stick around. He hit her hand with it. Mamori started to cry.

"Aw, she's crying!"

"Without that little brat here, she doesn't have to act tough!"

"Haha!"

Their mocking laughter reached another pair of ears. A boy with dark blackish-brown, spiky hair stood there, an unleashed dog by his side. He glanced at them. Seeing Mamori, the boy leapt into action. "Sick 'em boy!"

The dog ran at them, barking. The boys took one look and yelled with fright. They ran away in the opposite direction. Mamori looked frightened. The dog was very vicious looking.

"Hey, are you alright?" came a voice. Mamori turned. It was the dog's owner. Mamori nodded, wiping away several tears.

"Thank you very much!" Mamori bowed.

"Whatever," shrugged the boy.

"Umm…" Mamori looked at him. "Have I seen you before?"

"Doubt it. I go to a different school."

"Oh!" He looks a little like Sena...Mamori clapped her hands together, then winced. "Ouch!"

"What?" the boy peered at her hands, which were a bright red. "That must really hurt."

"Yeah, this hurts too," Mamori said, lifting up her bangs to reveal a big bruise on her forehead.

"Hmm," The boy whistled. His dog bounded by him. Leashing it, the boy walked away. "Do you want me to walk you home or something?" he called over his shoulder.

"Ah!" Mamori got up. "Wait for me!"

"I'll take that as a yes."

Mamori limped. The boy had sharp eyes. "What's wrong with your leg?"

"A rock hit it," Mamori said, putting up a brave face. "It's not too bad."

The boy glanced down at her leg. Bending down, he gave it a little slap.

"Ouch!" said Mamori. "What are you doing?!"

"Stop acting all high and mighty," the boy said. He bent over. "Climb on."

"Wha?" Mamori found her face turning red. "But…!"

"You're not wearing a skirt, so it's fine," said the boy. "Or do you want to ride on my dog? He's really sturdy."

Mamori looked at the dog. "Umm, how long ago has he been bathed?"

The boy scratched his head. "I don't know. I found him two days ago."

"I'll…" Mamori's face turned red again. "I'll ride on your back I guess…" she climbed on. The boy stood up and carried her easily.

"You're really light."

"Thanks."

The boy walked slowly, careful not to jolt the dozing girl on his back. He heard her quiet breathing, and felt it on the back of his neck. Giving a little sigh, he turned. He stopped in front of Mamori's house. He knocked on the door. Mrs. Anezaki opened the door. "Oh my goodness! Mamori!"

The boy shushed her. "She's sleeping right now."

Mrs. Anezaki nodded and led the strange boy up to Mamori's room.

"Mmmm," Mamori murmured. Opening her eyes, she realized she was looking up at the ceiling.

The door opened. "Oh, Mamori! You're awake!" her mother rushed to her bedside.

Mamori looked at her mom in surprise. "When did I get here?"

Her mother smiled. "A boy carried you here. He told me of how those awful boys ganged up on you. He seems very nice."

"Oh!" Mamori looked worried. "I never asked his name!"

"It's okay," her mother said. "He left you a message. Read it after you take a bath."

Half-an-hour later, Mamori walked back in to her room. She spotted the letter that Mrs. Anezaki told her about. It was written in an elegant kanji, which Mamori luckily knew how to read.

Hey Mamori.

Your mom told me your name. It's nice. It means "protect" right? Don't bother wondering about mine, it won't matter anyway. Heal fast. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow.

P.S. You should eat something.

Your stomach was growling the whole time.

Try some of the cream puffs I left for you.

Cream puffs?

Mamori went downstairs. Her mother was making dinner. "Hi honey," she smiled.

"The boy said he left me cream something."

"Cream puffs. I heard they're really good," her mother pointed to a carton on the kitchen table. "Help yourself."

Mamori opened the box. Inside were a dozen, golden brown pastries. Taking one, Mamori bit in to it. A sweet, delicious taste entered her mouth. "Mmmmmm!" turning to her mother, Mamori asked, "When did he get these?"

Mamori's mother laughed. "When you were in bed, he went out and got them. He said that he wrote why on the letter."

Taking the whole box with her, Mamori went back up to her room. Rereading the letter, she noticed something was written on the other side. What it said made her blush with pleasure. When she went to sleep, she reverently hoped that she would see the boy again.

The next day, Mamori was walking home from school. Riku and Sena were walking in front of her. Mamori said nothing about the boy from yesterday, but she lingered around the area where she had met the boy before.

"What are you doing, Mamo-nee?" called Riku, looking back at her.

"Mamori-neechan?" asked Sena.

"Ummm, you two go on without me," Mamori said. "I have to do an errand for kaa-san."

Riku shrugged. "Okay," he turned and started to run. "Race you Sena!"

"Wahh! That's no fair Riku!" said Sena, chasing after him.

Mamori lingered by for another hour, doing some of her homework while she waited. Night fell, and a dispirited girl went home, biting her lip to keep from crying.

And there at her kitchen table, sat the boy, who was finishing up his homework. "What took you so long, Mamori-chan?"

Mamori stared, then with a happy smile, she rushed over and tackled him with a hug. "Thank goodness you're here!"

"What the heck are you doing?! Don't hug me!"

"Ow!"

The next few days would always turn out like this. Mamori would go home to find the boy waiting, and they would do something fun together. Once, they had snuck in to a movie theater, and while Mamori was feeling guilty, she also felt excited. Sena didn't mind (or know) because he had Riku to play with. Then one day…

"What?! You're moving? Tomorrow?"

The boy shrugged. "I can't help it. I'm just moving across town, but it's too far to come and visit."

"That's no fair!" Mamori sat down and started to cry.

The boy looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Don't cry. It's not that bad."

Mamori hugged him. "Promise to call me?"

"Promise."

The next day, the boy was waiting if front of Mamori's house as usual. Mamori ran over to him, hoping that he would say yesterday was a joke.

No such luck. The boy smiled. "Don't eat too many cream puffs Mamori-chan."

"I'm not!" Mamori said indignantly.

"I have to leave in half an hour, so I only have time to say good-bye."

Mamori started to cry again. "Can't you get out of it somehow?"

"Everything's packed already."

Mamori's lip quivered. The boy reached out and brushed away Mamori's bangs. "The bruise is still there," he remarked.

Mamori had almost forgotten about it. "Yeah, it won't heal for some reason."

The boy looked like he was considering something, then bent over and firmly kissed the bruise. "Now it will heal," he said, backing away a little. He looked at her until he turned a corner and ran.

Mamori touched the bruise on her head, feeling a queer feeling. She stood there until her mother called for her to come inside.

Two days later, Riku had to move away too. This time Mamori was a little more composed. She made a little charm for him, one that he currently carried around his neck.

The next two months, the calls were almost daily. The boy had no intention of forgetting about her.

But one day, she got a strange call. It was the boy, but he sounded depressed. "Moshi-moshi," he said glumly.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing in particular."

"Can I help?"

"No."

Mamori felt snubbed, but kept her voice steady. Everyone had a bad day. Mamori had one last week. When they said good-bye, the boy's voice dropped to a whisper. "You know I really, really love you, right Mamori-chan?"

"Yes. I love you too."

"Good. Bye bye, Mamori-chan."

That good-bye was for the last time. The next week, Mamori didn't get any calls. She got sulky and upset, being snappish with Sena, which really surprised him.

Then one day, she got one.

"Moshi-moshi?"

Mamori's shoulders sagged. It was a woman's voice. "Yes?"

"Are you the little girl my son keeps calling? Mamori-kun?"

"Yes," Mamori perked up.

The woman's voice broke down as she wept. "Do you know where he went?"

"Huh?"

The woman's voice turned hysterical. "He was always visiting an American Base. It's pretty far from your house I think, but no matter where we move, it's close to ours. They corrupted him! He ran away from home!"

"WHAT?!" Mamori gasped. He ran away? "Why?!"

"I don't know why," sobbed the woman. "But he had an argument with his father, and I heard a loud crash when they were upstairs. I think they were fighting."

"I see…" Mamori remembered how depressed the boy was on that day. Wiping away several tears, she added, "If I see him, I'll tell him to go home."

"Thank you," the woman whispered. "Good-bye."

Mamori hung up. Where on earth could he have gone?

Mamori's life soon got too busy. With helping Sena and schoolwork, and club activities, there was too much for her to remember.

One day though, she got a package. It had no return address, but the writing was really familiar. In her haste, Mamori tore the package open. It was a necklace. All the charms on it were little models of baked goods. The biggest one was a cream puff. There was a note with it.

Mamori-chan,

I hope you like this. When I saw it, I thought of you right away. You don't have to wear it.

Don't worry about me. I'm totally fine. I have plenty of things to do, and I'm learning how to play American Football. Make sure you don't forget me, but since I'll be out of touch, that'll be pretty hard, won't it?

P.S. Don't try to eat the necklace

Mamori cleared the tears out of her eyes. She was really sad now that she thought about it. She glanced over at Suzuna and Seiran. What would they think?

Seiran took a deep breath. Then…

"Oh my god, that it sooo romantic!"

"YA!! Did you ever find him?"

Mamori laughed sadly. "No, and I don't think I ever will. I hardly even remember what he looks like anymore."

"Awww," said Seiran disappointedly.

On the roof, Hiruma laid, stretched out. He had heard everything. Getting up, he looked sad, whispering something under his breath.

"Demo," asked Suzuna. "How did he know where you lived?"

"Yeah!" added Seiran. "And did you notice he said football? Maybe he was on one of the teams you guys played against!"

"Oooh, what if it turns out that he's the original Eyeshield 21, Yamato-kun?!"

"Oh, that will be something to see!"

"I seriously doubt it!"

"What was that?"

Monta bashed open the door. "He kissed her?! He kissed my, I mean, our Mamori-san?!"

"Monta…" Sena put on his 'oh dear' face.

"It was just on the forehead," Seiran said indifferently. " 'Taint to bad."

"How come you never mentioned this to me, Mamori-neechan?" asked Sena, looking a little hurt.

Mamori looked sheepish. "I thought that if I told you, you'd come and hang out with us way too much, and…"

"You wanted him all to yourself," Seiran said wisely.

"No, no, that's not it!" a flustered Mamori said.

"Hmmm, I still wonder how he knew where you lived," Suzuna muttered.

"Yeah, the only person I know who could do that sort of thing…" Seiran's voice trailed off. She suddenly narrowed her eyes, looking suspicious. "What did he look like?"

"Ummm, I don't remember much…" Mamori tilted her head. "But he has dark black-brown hair, and he actually looked a little like an older version of Sena… and his eyes were pretty narrow."

"Hmmm," Seiran said again, chewing her lip. "I wonder if…"

"Yes?" Mamori suddenly looked up.

"Nothing," Seiran said in a lighter tone. "Nothing at all."

The rest of the guys looked put off, except Sena. What was Seiran hiding…

"Other than that, Mamo-neechan," Seiran suddenly said. "You like guys that look like Sena?"

"I never said that!"

Sena sweat-dropped. Monta set up an appointment with a hair dresser.

"Hey, Youchi-nii?"

"What?" Hiruma asked, typing away on his laptop. He and Seiran were the only ones in the clubhouse, everyone else already had gone home.

"Did you recognize anything from what Mamo-neechan said earlier?" Seiran said casually.

"No, and I don't care about it. It was some stupid childhood crush anyway," Hiruma said indifferently.

"Hmmm," Seiran looked at him suspiciously. "The boy she was talking about sounded really familiar. Do you know him?"

"Not in the slightest."

Seiran suddenly smiled. "I'll just show her a picture of your eleven year old self then."

"What?!" Hiruma whirled around. "Why?"

Seiran looked at him innocently. "It doesn't really matter, now does it?"

Hiruma looked at her, then turned and went back to his computer. "Whatever!"

Seiran chuckled.

"Ne, ne, Mamo-neechan?" Seiran asked innocently.

"Hai?" asked Mamori, who was sweeping the clubhouse floor.

Again, outside, everyone was listening in, except Hiruma wasn't there this time…

"Lookie! This picture is of Youchi-nii when he was eleven!"

"WHAT?!" Mamori whirled around. "What?!"

"Don't repeat yourself," Seiran handed her the picture.

Mamori took the picture and stared at it. "Th-this is Hiruma-kun?"

"Yeeesss…" Seiran smiled.

"But this, this is…!"

Outside, the eavesdroppers pressed their ears closer to the door…

"He's so CUTE!"

WHAT?!

Sena and Suzuna gaped at each other, then pressed their ears on the door again. Mamori was still gushing.

"This is really Hiruma-kun? He's so adorable! Wow… he looks good with dark hair! 3"

"He does, doesn't he?" Seiran sighed. "I cannot believe he bleached his hair! Now he looks so stupid!"

"Terrifying, but yes I suppose you could put it that way," Mamori stared at the picture. "It's funny though, he looks familiar. I think he use to go to my elementary school. You'd think I'd remember him better."

"Hm," said Seiran. "Familiar in what way?"

Mamori cocked her head. "I don't know. He just seems so…nostalgic."

Seiran held up a picture of Sena which seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Where did you get that?"

"Don't say anything too loudly," Seiran whispered under her breath. "Just compare."

Mamori looked at Hiruma's picture, then Sena's. They looked vaguely alike…

"OH MY-mmph!" Mamori said as Seiran clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh! Don't scream it out to everybody!"

"But, but! There is absolutely no way in hell…"

"Wow, Mamo-neechan. You're using curse words."

"…He's really getting to me…"

Suzuna couldn't take it anymore! She burst in to the room, squealing.

"Lemme see! Lemme see!" she tried to grab the picture, but Mamori held it out of her reach.

"Uhhh…" Seiran looked out to see nearly the entire team outside. "How long were you out there?"

Sena sighed and shook his head. Why was he always convinced to do these things?

He probably would have refused if it hadn't been Suzuna who asked him to come.