See The Big World

Chapter 11: Just More Turmoil

'—'is thinking

"—"is talking

With her previous conversation with the Kongo twins, she couldn't forget what they had said to her.

"You should sue Hiruma, unless he has the police under his power."

"You looked like a midget down there."

"It's not healthy to keep this image up, even though you've been doing it once."

"Seriously, you looked like you were dancing. You should take ballet."

"If you are keeping this up, in which I am against, you shouldn't tell Mamori. She'll go hysterical, and that won't do her blood pressure some good."

"Maybe you should superglue all the balls so that the fucking trash can't throw."

"And maybe you should tell Aunty Mio. She'll know what to do."

"Don't worry—if I ever come across the bastard, I'll beat him up into a pulp and won't tell him why, so that you won't get blackmailed. He can't blackmail me anyway."

"Does this uniform really make Agon look like a pansy? I should take a picture."

"Che. The tyke didn't know what she was talking about. Nothing can look bad on me."

And the most reassuring one of all was "You can get breast cancer" which was simultaneously said by the twins.

'Boob cancer. Boob cancer. Boob cancer. Boob cancer,' was repeated in her mind like a mantra. She sat up on her bed and cried, "I don't want boob cancer!"

But what she really didn't want was Riku to find out about the picture. That would be embarrassing.

In the morning, the students, on their way to school, were talking about what happened on the news.

"Can you believe that Eyeshield 21 would do such a thing?"

"What are you talking about? That wasn't him. It was obviously someone else."

"Yeah right, that was so him!"

"I think so too. I mean, you know, the gear and helmet and all…?"

"Nah, couldn't be. Eyeshield was short."

"How do you know? The T.V could have made him look taller on screen."

"I can't forgive the bastard for sending Sakuraba-sama to the hospital!" cried a group of girls.

'Aunty Mio is going to be the death of me.'

"Hey Sena!" There was a smack on her back.

"Hiii!" The girl jumped and nearly keeled over.

There was a gasp. "Sena, are you alright?" Mamori supported her and saw the bags under her eyes. "You didn't sleep last night?"

"Studying," Sena lied tiredly, and just her luck she sounded convincing. 'Ow. The leg cramps.' Other than her worry about breast cancer, the muscle knots in her legs kept her up all night.

"Oh, sorry. I must've scared you, huh?" The pretty girl (who is enviously prettier than many) smiled beautifully (which is enviously more beautiful than many). ""By the way, did you join a club?"

"A-ah, funny that you mentioned that." Sena ran her fingers through her bed-head hair (she woke up late and didn't have time to brush). "Actually, I did."

"Really? What?"

"The football team."

Her smile fell. "…Really?"

Seeing the disbelief in the older girl's eyes, Sena was obliged to explain. "I'm the manager so I record the games and stats and take care of the equipment." Hiruma figured that she was too stupid to do anything else so he assigned her to the simpler tasks, not that she had a problem with that. Except making her do those practices and play as the runningback for now on.

If she made a getaway, there's a big chance that Cerberus would drag her back to Hell.

Mamori nodded. "Well, if it was any other person, I would be concerned since Hiruma Yoichi runs the club. But I guess he pales in comparison of Aunty Mio, huh?"

"Y-y-yeah, um, s-sure."

"Sena, you stuttered."

"N-no I didn't!"

"And you're avoiding eye contact."

"What a-are you t-t-talking about? I-I'm merely observing that leaf over there."

"Sena, you are an awful liar."

'Oh, now I can't lie anymore.'

"Sena, tell me," Mamori said, her tone and eyes serious, "does he harass you?"

She wanted to say "YES! YES HE DOES!" but in return Hiruma would use his evil mind against her. And that would be bad. She had yet to tell Aunty Mio her situation, but it made her reluctant of doing so after thinking of what she would do. The woman's actions were to be censored at all costs.

So rather than saying the truth, she said, "Being a manager is too tiring! I need an assistant or something."

And that was when Sena was demoted to be the secretary as Mamori became the manager.

Here's the story:

Mamori was fuming because Hiruma was laboring Sena, and that's true but only for a different reason. The younger girl knew that her sister figure was concerned about ever straining herself and wanted her to take things easy—not only did this frustrated her but also gave her a feeling that she was restricted from doing anything under Mamori's careful eye. Don't misunderstand, Sena loves Mamori as the caring big sister she is, but sometimes she takes things a bit too far, like to the point where she behaves motherly and thinks that Sena standing for five minutes straight is bad for her. Someday Sena would have to find a way to prove to Mamori that she doesn't need to be babied.

Though being babied with sweets would be an exception.

Anyway, Mamori marched to the club where Hiruma was polishing his gun and demanded that Sena should be treated with respect or she quits. As expected, the boy was unaffected —as if it wouldn't make a difference if she left (Sena inwardly scoffed)—and made a shooing gesture for the youngest to go away. Before either girl would protest, he whipped out a small revolver and fired.

"I hate it when you do that!" she groaned and walked inside.

"Hi, Sena-kun!" Kurita chirped.

"Hey," she replied unenthusiastically, which went unnoticed. Typical.

"You know, I didn't see you at our last game, but Hiruma-kun said that you were very busy. It was a shame that you weren't there to see it because there was this amazing player! We don't know who he is except that he attends to our school. It's kind of mysterious because he wears this shield that hides his face, and he likes being called Eyeshield 21. It's weird that an amazing runningback as he comes from Notre Dame and to our school and becomes the…"

And Kurita rambled on as Sena dozed off.

She was also thinking about something crucial.

'Hiruma-san says that he knows Aunty Mio because they were associates previously. She started living with Mom and me after I met Unsui and Agon, and I have never seen her scheming with a devious little boy. Well, she could've have gone out when not dragging us along, or when she went back to Japan from Canada, and that might be the time when she's collaborating with him. But…why would she with a kid? The only time she's ever serious is with her mafia work, and occasionally Goro-jii.'

Sena decided that she'll ask Aunty Mio…when the time was is right, like whenever they go to the Zoro household because she's less hyper there.

'Hopefully Reiji would be at his stupid football practices.'

Yeah, she can't forgive him just yet.

When Hiruma and Mamori entered the club, the girl exclaimed, "Oh! What a messy place!"

'Messy?' Sena looked around, noticing that it was indeed messy. 'Meh. Whatever.'

"Yes, it is," Kurita said apologetically. "Do you have business with Hiruma-kun?"

"Not anymore," Hiruma snorted, propping his gun against his shoulder. "It's been decided: Anezaki's the new manager and fucking shrimp's the secretary."

"Woo!" Sena stood up and made double thumbs-up. "I've been demoted."

"I told you she would be happy," Mamori whispered to Hiruma, who smirked.

"We'll fucking see."

As Sena was walking home, to her surprise, 40 jogged pass her. She immediately recognized him by the flash of black hair, muscular demeanor, and the gloves. Seriously, he even wears them outside of football? Does he wear them when he's in class? When he goes to the bathroom? That would be funny.

Then the boy halted into a stop and turned around. 40's face was blank, like the kind of face you put on when you see a pervert slap a boy's rear without knowing that the boy's father was right next to him, witnessing the whole thing, and not knowing that the father was a notorious mafia leader, except the face that 40 was making was much cooler.

Oh yeah, when Sena was eleven, she, Reiji, Pappy, and Goru went to the park. There was a pervert lurking around and when he saw Reiji, thinking that he was a cute girly (seriously, Reiji had the most feminine eyelashes), that he ambled up to him and gave him a slap on the butt-cheek. Goru was so furious that his son had been violated that he couldn't do anything but glare at the guy, who quickly noticed the glare and ran away. If Goru happened to do something, other mafia hitmen would take notice. You'll never know when there's someone from the mafia prowling around.

"Are you Eyeshield 21?" 40 asked, even his voice sounding so inexpressive.

Sena shook her head. She sucked at lying whether it may be through words or body.

He narrowed his eyes. "Ah, so you are," he said, as if his question had been confirmed to, "Ah, yes, you are Eyeshield 21."

She sighed. "How'd you know?"

"I could tell by your figure," he said.

"Oh."

"Why did you injure the White Knights' receiver, Sakuraba Haruto?"

'He sure likes to get straight to the point—wait a darn minute.' "Didn't you say that you could tell who I was by looking at my figure?"

He gave her a look, and then caught on. "I didn't see the news. I heard it from everyone at my school."

"Oh. Um, no, that wasn't me, but rather someone who was imposing as me," Sena answered.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Watch the news and you would see the difference in appearance," she insisted.

He nodded.

And so they talked. 40 managed to get Sena to speak more as Sena managed to get 40's real name.

It was Shin Seijuro.

'Wasn't he the guy who had that Pokemon attack?'

"Was it speed that helped you?" Shin was puzzled. The girl's movements were that of high skill—very quick, in fact. However, how was it that she couldn't run? Why did she only jog than full-time sprint?

"Speed for my reflexes perhaps, but not on my feet," Sena said, crossing her arms. "I just trust my intuition telling me when to dodge."

"Then why was I able to tackle you the first time?" he asked.

"I think that it's because I actually had to adjust to my surroundings on a football field: the vibration, the proximity, the sounds, and whatnot. It took me a moment to figure it out, but after a comparison to my height to yours, I realized—after the help of Hiruma-san—that I had a bit more of an advantage because it's easier to evade when you need the time to lean." At this, she frowned.

'If those suicidal men back then failed to hit me, would I be able to run fast? If so, I might be able to run away from Cerberus and Hiruma…san.'

"I see." 40 scrutinized the younger girl, seeing how short and slight she was. She may not be quick on her feet, as she stated, but her twists and turns were as if quick-witted and well-calculated, knowing just instantly where and when he would strike, but all that was merely out of pure instinct. "Your natural computation and timing are superb and makes up for your height, weight, strength, and speed. You are very much so a formable rival, Eyeshield."

"Don't call me that and don't think me of that," she groaned.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I plan on not being a player for the Devil Bats anymore, I'm just the manager—um, well, now the secretary. And besides, I don't appreciate the bruises, or pain, or sweat." She frowned and sighed. "I'm not that as great as you picture me either."

"But earlier—"

"I know. I know. But, Shin-san, there would be a day where a player with incredible abilities comes out and brings a win up to the finals. And though I might be great in dodging, that player could bring me down, hence the bruises and pain and sweat. There's always going to be someone better than you."

"That someone could be you," he pointed out.

"I don't think that's possible," she muttered dryly, rubbing her forehead. "I've been involved in an incident years ago, as a result rendering me to be nearly immobile. The only extent I can do is light jogging, and what kind of player can just do that?" That would explain why she hadn't run in the last game. It was because she couldn't use her legs. "I'm a girl too, if you haven't noticed, and further tackles might bring me to breast cancer."

At this, Shin glanced at her chest.

"A-anyway," Sena coughed into her fist, her voice slightly higher, "my stamina and strength is weak—I can't even lift up thirty kilos." Of course, this was discovered when Hiruma and Kurita took Mamori and she to the weight room to test out their strength. Hiruma didn't stop teasing her for twenty minutes.

"I've noticed; your arms are flabby," he stated blatantly, and not a hint of regret or sheepishness in his eyes afterwards. None at all.

'Openly stare at my chest and comment my flabby arms, Shin, you are truly a gentleman.'

"You have potential, nevertheless," he continued. "With proper training to your evasion-aptitude, you'll be an astounding player on the field."

"Flattering," she grumbled wearily. "But I am not going to continue off as Deimon's Eyeshield 21. Anyway, wouldn't someone catch on that I'm a fake? There is a real Eyeshield out there, you know."

"Then you would have to dominate the game with the skills you embellished after training."

"I don't like training either. Oh well, guess I can't do it after all." She shrugged.

"You must prove that you capable of holding the title."

"But I don't want to be Eyeshield! I just want to be the secretary where I stay off to the side and do nothing but secretary stuff!"

"I will see you at the Christmas Bowl, Kobayakawa Sena."

"Oi, are you even listening to what I'm saying?"

"And the Ojo Knights will win, I will guarantee you that."

"You are ignoring me!"

"Till then, get stronger; you are my rival, after all." He gave her a curt nod, tugged on his gloves, and continued his jogging.

Sena twitched.

"He wants me to get stronger…so he can pulverize me…?"

Oh yes, quite the gentleman

"Finally!" Pappy's voice called from the other side of the line. "I've been trying to call you for the past…two minutes."

"You're so lazy," Sena grumbled, taking a seat in the kitchen. "So lazy that your energy gets drained after a two minute wait."

"Indeed. Anyway, I have great news."

"Oh no," she groaned.

"I tried calling you before but you had your phone turned off. The good news is that I read the schedule wrong and the match is actually this week, which means you get to see Reiji!"

"Oh no no no."

"If you go, I'll tell you who Marco is."

"You mean the Portuguese guy who sent me the flowers?"

"Yup. And he's not Portuguese."

Sena frowned. "Then a guy who tries to be a foreign aspirant? We sure have a lot of those nowadays."

Pappy snorted. "We sure do."

When their discussion ended, Sena sighed and propped her chin on her hand, wondering about how Pitt was doing.

A/N: As you can see, Pitt has not made her appearance yet.