The Way To a Touchdown
Disclaimer: Eyeshield 21 belongs to Inagaki Riichiro and Murata Yusuke, etc.
--
Sena got up early, dressing in his jogging clothes, and went outside early the next day though instead of heading to school, he jogged down the streets and further from the station towards the neighborhood park that was about a half hour's jog away.
The sky was still rather gray when Sena got there and the street lamps still glowed dimly though it was light enough that their illumination didn't help much. Coming from the opposite direction of the street, Sena saw Shin jogging towards him and went to meet him. He found himself unusually eager and happy to see Shin this morning – especially since last night had been so enjoyable together.
"Shin-san!" Sena said quietly when he got close enough. It was so early and still dark that he automatically spoke quietly.
"Kobayakawa," Shin greeted him.
Neither of them slowed their jog – only turned to start running in the same direction.
The morning air was fresh and it felt good to be just running. Thinking back, it really hadn't been all too long ago since Sena had been running from fear of being beat up as a gofer. Not even a full year had passed yet but so much had happened since entering high school – joining the football team, meeting Shin, becoming a real running back for his team, and now he was on his way to playing at the Christmas Bowl.
They reached the outskirts of the park but since Shin didn't stop, Sena just followed his lead as they continued down the street. Further down the street was Sena's elementary school that he had gone to with Riku and Mamori, though if Shin had gone there too, Sena didn't know. At least, he didn't recall ever knowing an upperclassman like Shin and he thought that Riku, at least, would probably have mentioned it if Shin went to the same school since Shin was so fast.
As they passed the school and continued further down the street, Sena could hear the freeway that was already busy though it was early in the morning still. When they reached the end of the street, Shin ran up the concrete steps leading up on the embankment and as Sena followed him up and they continued their run, Sena looked over at the cars zooming by on the freeway. He could remember the second time he and Shin spoke to each other when Shin realized immediately he was Eyeshield 21 even though Shin hadn't even seen his face before.
That, of course, made Sena a bit happy though mostly, he had just been startled that Shin had recognized him even never having seen his face before. In fact, Shin had only seen him for that brief one game and he already recognized Sena. It made Sena even happier when Shin openly acknowledged his ability and told him that they could chase down the muggers that had stolen Monta's money. Of course it was mostly Shin and his spear tackle that caught the muggers but Sena had helped and he could still remember how cool Shin had looked back then, as though racing a motorcycle and tackling two people off of one was a normal thing.
"S-Shin-san?" Sena spoke up quietly.
Shin grunted.
"Do you...come here often to train?" Sena asked. "S-Since we met here before…um, with the motorcycle and the robbers…." Sena found himself turning red and running a little faster. Who knew if Shin even remembered that – well, it was a rather hard to forget incident – but this was Shin and it probably hadn't even been a big deal for him or anything.
"Three times a week usually," Shin answered. "Varied terrain is good for training."
Sena snuck a look at Shin as they continued to run. Even now that Sena knew him a little better, Shin was just as cool as Sena thought back then. Even cooler than before. Though Sena had beaten Shin in the last game, Shin was still the athlete that Sena most admired. He didn't want to be like Shin anymore, Sena thought – Shin was the one who had told him not to wish for that because Sena had his own strengths and abilities. But Sena thought he would never stop looking up to Shin – for being an awesome athlete, of course, but also for his incredible inner strength and spirit. And how running wasn't the only thing Shin was good at. And how Shin was so driven and determined once he put his mind to it.
Shin was someone Sena really admired, and in the beginning, that had been enough for Sena to just think of him and wait for another chance to come when he could prove himself to Shin. Now, though, the game was done and while they would have other chances to play again and they still had their rivalry, it wasn't the same anymore.
If Shin had been somewhat put on a pedestal by Sena, now Sena didn't feel content doing only that now. Admiring Shin was something Sena would never stop doing, but he wanted to know more than just that. He wanted to know what Shin was like outside of just the occasional games the way he knew Monta and Mamori and Hiruma and Kurita and all the others.
Hiruma probably hadn't exactly intended helping Sena out in this case by making them train together, but it was an opportunity all the same and who knew, after this, how often they would be able to spend time together.
When they stopped, Sena was a little startled to recognize Shin's house.
"Come in. We'll shower and go to the stop from here," Shin told Sena.
"E-eh? At your house?" Sena stuttered.
Shin hadn't mentioned this before.
"It's closer to the station than yours," Shin answered. "You don't want to?"
"No, I mean, it's fine," Sena quickly answered. He didn't want Shin to get the wrong impression by accident and it wasn't like Sena didn't want to or anything. "I-I just didn't expect it…"
"You have your school uniform and books?" Shin asked Sena.
"I left them at school," Sena said. He had been spending so much time at school training anyways that he just left his school uniform in his locker to change into before going to class. As for books, Sena hadn't brought his of course, but Juumonji, Kuroki, and Togano were in his class at school so he could probably borrow from them or someone else in class.
Shin nodded as he led Sena inside.
Though it was still so early, Shin's house was silent and the only shoes left at the entrance were the jogging shoes Sena and Shin had just taken off. Shin's parents had already left, Sena thought, though it was this early in the morning.
Shin led him up the stairs to the second story and Sena couldn't help looking around curiously at everything. At one end of the short hallway, Shin opened one of the doors and when Sena followed him inside, he realized this was actually Shin's bedroom.
Plain and mostly undecorated, there was a neatly made bed with blue sheets in one corner and a desk and bookshelf beside it. On the desk was a pencil holder and a framed picture of Shin's family identical to the one that hung in their living room. There were several textbooks and even more books about football set on the bookshelf. There were a few more shelves that had been nailed into the walls that held various different trophies, plaques, and medals and on the wall hung a picture of the Ojo White Knight team. By the window, there was a short metal rack stacked with weights of varying sizes. All in all, basically the type of room Sena had expected from Shin.
Shin didn't seem to care that Sena had just followed him in as he went to the closet and got out some neatly folded clothes that he handed to Sena.
"A-Are you sure this is okay?" Sena asked, stuttering as he took them.
"It's fine," Shin said as he led Sena out of the room and to the hallway where he opened a closet and took out a towel, handing that to Sena too, before pointing him the way to the bathroom.
Sena nodded gratefully and scurried in, shutting the door behind him.
There really wasn't much time so Sena quickly stripped down and got in the shower, washing the sweat off of himself, before getting out and getting dressed again. All he could really think about was that he had seen Shin's room, he was using Shin's bathroom, he was in Shin's house again, and he was about to be going to school wearing Shin's clothes.
But when he finished putting on the pants, shirt, and sweater that Shin had given him, Sena stared in dismay at himself in the mirror. This was even worse than the way he looked when he started out the year in the school uniform Mamori had bought for him several sizes too big. Even if Shin wasn't considered extremely tall like Sakuraba or even particularly big like Ootawara, Shin was certainly bigger and taller than Sena by enough because even though Shin's clothes fit Shin just fine, Sena was absolutely swimming in them.
At least, Sena thought, Shin had given him sweat pants so the elastic kept the pants pooling at his ankles so Sena wouldn't have to roll them up or something.
"I guess there's no help for it," Sena sighed. He hadn't thought to bring a change of clothes with him and he didn't want to change back into his dirty clothes again. Plus, Sena thought, these were Shin's clothes and he could smell the clean detergent and felt comfortable and warm in them.
When Sena went downstairs, Shin was finishing up his breakfast. He looked up when Sena came in though he didn't say anything about Sena's ridiculous appearance. Of course, being Shin, Sena didn't think he really cared and maybe didn't even notice.
"I'm done," Sena said.
Shin nodded, getting up. "Breakfast," he told Sena, gesturing to a second plate left on the table and then went upstairs where Sena heard the bathroom door clicking shut a moment later.
As he sat down and began to eat, Sena found himself smiling as he looked around Shin's house and ate, waiting for him.
--
They got on different trains at the station since Deimon was in one direction and Ojou was in the opposite, but Sena had a packed lunch again and a promise to meet with Shin that afternoon.
As expected, everyone began to stare as soon as Sena walked through the school gates.
"Eh? Is that a student?" He heard a girl whisper.
"What's with that outfit? A gangster?" Another whispered.
Sena chuckled nervously and quickly headed towards the football locker room as fast as he could.
Unfortunately, he and Shin weren't the only people who had early morning training and the three Huh-huh brothers, Mamori, and Monta were also in the locker room when Sena darted inside.
Everyone fell silent when they saw him.
"S-Sena?" Mamori was the first to speak up as she stared wide-eyed at him. "What are you wearing?"
Monta dropped the banana he had been eating. "Eh? A new fashion statement?" he asked, staring at Sena's clothes. "They're kinda big, aren't they?"
The Huh-huh brothers burst out laughing.
"What are you trying to do, Sena? Dress tough?" Juumonji laughed.
"Hey, he's trying to be all macho!" Togano grinned.
"Yeah, you just need to add a couple of chains and some bling to that outfit and you'll be set!" Kuroki guffawed.
The three of them exchanged looks and then burst out laughing even harder.
Sena turned red.
"No! They're Shin-san's clothes!" Sena said quickly, especially flustered from Mamori's disapproving stare. "We had training this morning and I didn't have time to go home to change clothes so he lent me some…" he said.
Mamori looked relieved. "Oh, that's all right then. They are rather big," she said.
Monta let it go pretty easily too though Sena had expected maybe a little more teasing from him. "I'll see you at lunch, Sena!" he said as he also left. Even more to Sena's surprise, Monta didn't say anything to Mamori even though they were both heading towards the school.
Sena quickly went to change.
And the Huh-huh brothers just kept laughing.
--
When Shin showed up for afternoon practice, Sena decided he would ask if Shin wanted to eat dinner at his house today. After all, it was only fair that they switched off and they could just stop by the supermarket on the way back to get ingredients.
Shin probably wasn't even interested in Sena's house, but Sena still kind of wanted to see Shin's reactions to it anyways. When Shin got to Deimon, Sena would thank him for the lunch, and then suggest they have dinner at Sena's house if Shin hadn't already brought something for dinner.
"H-Hello, Shin-san," Sena said when Shin showed up.
Shin nodded.
"U-um, thank you for the lunch," Sena said. "W-W-W-Would you, um, you…"
"Sena! Shin! Today you're going to add a new routine!" Doburaku shouted at them from across the field and waved.
Sena sighed, losing his nerve as he followed Shin over. Well, they were here all afternoon. He could ask Shin later.
But later never seemed to come as training continued. The added exercise that Doburaku wanted them to do was actually a weird sort of obstacle course he had constructed on the field that basically required them to chase each other again except that having to run at light speed through obstacles and balancing on beams made it all even more difficult. That required such complete concentration that Sena couldn't even think about talking while training like that, and with Doburaku watching them, of course it was even more impossible.
And every time they stopped for a break, something always seemed to come up so Sena never had an opportunity to ask. The first time, Suzuna came by with water bottles and towels for them and while Sena liked her and enjoyed her company, he did wish she didn't stay so long so Sena could ask Shin. The second time they stopped for a break, Mamori and Hiruma came by while Hiruma and Doburaku began discussing ways Sena could improve more and use Shin more efficiently as a trainer while Mamori fussed and gave them cold packs to help relieve strain from the extreme training.
It was nearing five in the afternoon, and Sena was wondering if he could find some time to talk to Shin after practice maybe, when the commotion started on the other side of the field where Ikkyuu and Monta had been practicing.
"What the hell? You, since the beginning," Ikkyuu was shouting at Monta. "You're oni distracted!" He slapped Monta across the back. "I don't get it! The only one not motivated is you, Monta!"
"Hey wait, calm down, Ikkyuu…" One of the others who had also been distracted from training by the commotion was already trying to calm the pair down.
Ikkyuu looked absolutely livid, though. "But from the very beginning, that guy… he's just being weak!" Ikkyuu snapped, pointing at Monta. "And I lost to a guy like that – doesn't it just make me look stupid?"
Monta looked even more upset than Ikkyuu as he stood, taking the criticism all silently. His head was bowed as he held his football helmet.
"I'm sorry…" Monta gritted his teeth. "Even though you went through the trouble of coming for personal training… I'm sorry!" Monta shouted and then turned and sprinted off the field.
Sena stared after him for a moment. He knew something was wrong but he hadn't talked to Monta about it, distracted by his own training and Shin and because Monta didn't seem to want to talk. Sena should have known better. He was supposed to be Monta's best friend. He had to go after him.
Sena began to run after Monta, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. When he turned back, he saw Shin was looking at him.
"Shin-san! Monta, he's—I'm sorry, I can't train right now, I need to find him," Sena said even though he knew there was no good excuse for abandoning practice. Shin was the type of person who took training seriously and probably wouldn't stop for something like this. But even if he did lose Shin's respect, he couldn't just leave Monta alone like that.
"I'm sorry…" Sena said, looking down, unable to meet Shin's eyes, and then he took off running after Monta.
Monta had too much of a head start but Sena guessed right and when he arrived at the Tokyo Stadium, Monta was already standing there, holding Honjou's baseball glove.
"Oh good… I thought you'd come here…" Sena panted, relieved that he had found Monta.
Monta looked down at his glove as they fell into step together, walking around the Tokyo Stadium by the railed walkway.
Monta was silent for quite some time, just looking at the glove, before he finally spoke up. "You know, I've always…always wanted to become the second Honjou," he said, looking down at the glove again. "The most important thing in the world for me is this glove – the only connection I have to Honjou-san," he said.
Sena didn't know what to say as he listened.
"For ten years, every day, I swore on this glove to keep going with max effort, and I thought I was getting closer to Honjou-san… but… Honjou Taka – every day he grew up under the personal care of the real deal," Monta said, his voice trembling and his eyes wide. "At the Christmas Bowl I…I will…I will be crushed by the Honjou family…"
The tears that had been brimming at Monta's eyes finally overflowed.
Watching that kind of despair, Sena didn't know what to do. He himself had never had a dream like that before and after he found football, he had worked hard but not for the years and years that Monta had practiced. When it came to the person he admired, Shin, Shin had been the one who told him not to try to be like him, but to be himself. Seen in perspective, Sena really was lucky.
Monta let out a bitter laugh. "It's hopeless. I'm thinking to myself I'll be crushed even before the match. Ikkyuu-senpai saw right through me," he said. "I can't do it…really… I sent a mail to Hiruma-senpai just before this," he told Sena, looking down.
"I asked him to remove me from the members' list for the Christmas Bowl."
Sena's eyes widened. "What are you saying… after getting this far!" he said, unable to keep silent for any longer.
"Because I can't take play right now!!" Monta shouted, unleashing his full frustration and fury now that Sena had spoken up. "I know my own situation the best! I won't be able to catch a single thing at the match! I was always aiming for Honjo… but now, why Taka? Why am I Honjou-san's enemy?"
He grabbed the baseball mitt in both hands. "For ten years I was with this glove … there's just no way… I can't fight against Honjou-san…" he said.
Sena didn't know what to do. The only person that Sena wanted to be like, he also wanted to compete against. There was no one like Honjou for Sena and he couldn't imagine Monta's despair now.
But Sena knew Monta loved to catch and loved football. Monta was his best friend. And if Monta wasn't there…
"If Monta isn't there, there's no way we can fight Teikoku," Sena said, knowing it was both true and also wanting to motivate Monta. "What will you do about everyone?" he asked. "Isn't there something more important that this glove…"
Sena reached to touch the baseball glove but he didn't realize Monta's grip wasn't firm on it. As Sena's fingers brushed it, the baseball glove slipped from Monta's hand, over the railing and right in front of a truck on the street below.
It was flattened beneath heavy tires as Sena and Monta watched, horrified, and then Monta was racing down towards the street.
"My glove… Honjou-san…my glove!" he muttered as he went.
Sena could see the glove lying tattered in the road, completely unusable with busted seams and padding everywhere.
To Sena's horror, Monta ignored the oncoming traffic, apparently planning to leap right out onto the road to retrieve his ruined glove and Sena dashed forward, catching Monta around the waist right in time before Monta could run out to the road.
"Wait! It's dangerous, Monta! With that traffic…" Sena pulled him back to the sidewalk.
And he knew Monta was angry and frustrated, but Sena still didn't expect the sudden punch that Monta dealt him to the eye when Sena's arms loosened.
Sena's head snapped back as Monta raised his fists again. "What could someone like you understand, Sena?" Monta shouted. "Honjou-san is my everything! There's nothing more important to me than this glove in this world!" he shouted.
Sena knew he couldn't understand but he knew he couldn't let Monta cling to this glove so tightly that he gave himself up because of it.
He struggled as Monta tried to punch him again, managing to push away his arm and grab the other.
"The most important thing…" Sena gasped, struggling. "More than this glove…" he dodged another punch. "Is winning the Christmas Bowl with everyone, right?" Sena shouted as he let Monta's arm go and punched him back.
The loosened grip left Monta's arms free as his hard knuckles met Sena's face again, and Sena was punching him back too, his fists meeting any bit of Monta's face and body that he could reach even as Sena felt pain stinging his own body everywhere.
"More than Honjou-san! More than the glove! The most important thing is the championship!" Sena shouted. "Am I wrong? Monta!"
He was crying too, he knew.
But Monta wasn't saying anything back. Monta didn't agree and he was going to give up football.
--
When Sena returned home late that night, his face was swollen and aching and he felt hopeless. It was a kind of hopelessness he had never felt before because unlike the hopelessness of losing a game, this was the hopelessness of losing a friend and being completely unable to help him. He had been unable to convince Monta not to quit and now Sena really didn't know what to do.
He knew Monta loved football and loved his catching game, but it was because of his very motivation for catching that now he couldn't do it anymore.
"Tadaima…" Sena said quietly as he trudged inside.
He didn't want his parents to see him beat up like this or they'd ask questions.
Sena began walking up towards his room when his mother came out of the living room.
"Ah! Sena, you're home—what happened to you?" she asked, gasping when she saw his face.
"Ah, um, nothing really—just—" Sena stopped short when a second person stepped out of the living room right behind his mother. "Shin-san?" he stared openly.
"Oh, yes, your friend came over with dinner for you," his mother beamed. "Ah, I didn't know you had good friends like this, Sena," she said although looking back at Sena, she immediately looked concerned again. "But your face, you—"
"I'll help him take care of it, Kobayakawa-san," Shin spoke up.
"Y-Yeah! Shin-san can help me!" Sena said quickly and grabbed Shin by his arm, pulling him upstairs to his room before his mother could say any more.
"S-Shin-san!" Sena said when they were alone. He bit his lip. "Are you…are you mad?" he asked timidly. Shin was the type of person who took responsibility and duty seriously so it was likely he had come to give Sena dinner even if he was angry at Sena.
"Why would I be?" Shin asked seriously as Sena looked up, a little surprised.
"B-Because I left practice…" Sena said.
Shin was the one who looked surprised this time. "Teammates are important," he said. "A team cannot be strong if one of its members is not in sync," he answered.
Sena pressed his lips together and willed his eyes to stop watering because crying in front of Shin would be really really embarrassing. He quickly went to his bookshelf to grab the first aid kit he had kept there ever since elementary school when he had frequently been bullied and beaten up. Of course with football now, he used it just about as much as before, but it had been awhile since his face got beat up like this.
"How is your receiver?" Shin asked.
Sena was surprised when he suddenly found Shin looming over him and taking the first aid kit as he gestured for Sena to sit down on the ground.
"He's…he's…Monta only started to practice catching because of Honjou-san… the baseball player," Sena found himself telling Shin everything as Shin carefully and efficiently disinfected and patched up his face and arms where bruises and some torn skin had also been left behind from the scuffle.
"But Monta—now Monta said he told Hiruma he was going to quit the team for the Christmas Bowl!" Sena said, finishing the story as Shin put the extra bandages and disinfectant away again. "And I don't know what to do…" Sena couldn't help it when the tears began to course down his face this time.
He was just so frustrated and helpless. Why was there nothing he could do? And now he was even crying in front of Shin who was the person he least wanted to show his weakness to.
Sena felt a touch to his head and froze, looking up at Shin who he realized had just touched his hair with a strange expression on his face.
"S-S-Sorry!!" Sena blurted out. "I didn't mean to… I just…um…"
Shin nodded as he stood. "Eat and sleep tonight. You will think better in the morning," he told Sena as he went to the door. "No morning practice tomorrow. The most important thing is an unflinching spirit," he told Sena, looking at him with exactly that honest, unwavering gaze. "I will be waiting," he said and left.
Sena stared at his closed bedroom door as he heard the front door click shut, and knew Shin had left.
Shin was right. Even now, Sena's own mind was all messed up. Everything had to be sorted out before either he or Monta could move on. But just how was he supposed to do that, Sena thought as he touched the bandage on his cheek.
--
tbc? Please review!
