FASH: I loved reading through the reviews for last chapter, you guys are amazing and you make my day. Anyways, so far over 90 percent of the votes are saying to go for the Christmas Bowl and there are no votes to end it after the Death March, so since I'm not in a rush to finish this I'm going to throw in some more Sena scouting other teams soon. Yay! He'll be going to Kyoshin for sure, any other schools you guys want him to check out?
""-speech
''-thoughts
Sena fiddled with the hem of his shirt nervously, wondering if he should just lie about the situation to save himself from the embarrassment.
'But then again, maybe with a couple other people knowing would make it easier for my identity to be kept a secret.' Because if Maruko and Marco really did show up at the game against the American team and started asking the Devil Bats where their other female manager was it wouldn't take too long for his cover to be blown.
"Okay, what I'm about to tell you, you can't tell anyone else."
"Really? Not even Hiruma-san? Cause if he starts asking me about whatever this is I don't think I could keep it a secret without losing all my ways of communication." Monta admitted honestly and Sena sighed.
"Don't worry, he already knows. In fact, he's the reason behind it."
Monta and Juumonji leaned in a bit closer, curious.
"Remember when I said I had gone to spy on that team?" He asked and Monta nodded vigorously.
"Well, I got caught and the manager and quarterback of that team were walking behind us on the bridge."
"So? Even if they found out it was you I highly doubt they would have done anything out of revenge when they were so clearly outnumbered. This doesn't explain the whole Sephiroth name thing." Juumonji commented almost boredly.
"Well, they know my real name and they are under the false impression that I..." He took a deep, calming breath. "Am a girl."
Monta's mouth dropped open and Juumonji cocked an eyebrow at him, a devious sort of grin slowly growing on his face.
"Really? And why exactly do they think that?"
"Because Hiruma-san made me dress like a girl." Sena answered seriously and Monta's eyes widened comically as his mouth moved to form words, no sound coming out.
Juumonji's grin had faded somewhat and he coughed into his fist as his cheeks turned a rather rosy red.
"Dude, that's just weird." Monta finally managed to say. "Do you make a really convincing girl?"
"More importantly, why did you give them your real name if you were trying to mask your identity, honestly." Juumonji rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat.
"It just came out, I only realized I should have given Maruko-neechan a different name after I already told her."
"Maruko-neechan? You sure get chummy with people." Juumonji smirked in obvious amusement. "So, anyone hit on you while you were disguised as the fairer sex?"
Sean went red and sputtered in embarrassment. "W-wh-what would make you ask that?" He asked, voice going a little higher than normal.
The pair across from him immediately caught on and Monta, forgetting that this conversation was supposed to stay secret, loudly blurted out: "Some guy hit on you?!"
It suddenly went very silent and Sena buried his head into his hands. "Monta, did you have to ask that so loud?"
"Uh, sorry dude." He apologized, but the damage was already done.
Kuroki was unsuccessfully trying to stifle his laughter behind his hand while the majority of the others were looking at Sena incredulously.
Except for Hiruma, who probably already had a hunch something like that would happen, and Mamori, who stormed over to his side, a hand resting against her mouth daintily as her wide eyes bore straight into Sena's.
"Sena, is that true?" She asked slowly, as if she were unsure about how to handle the situation.
"Yeah, but I had everything under control." 'Sort of.' "So if we could all just forget it ever happened I'd appreciate it." He said with a sigh as he attempted to look on the bright side.
'At least Shin-san didn't hit on me when he saw me during his jog. Not that he would have, since he could tell it was me within seconds, but if he did I don't think I'd ever recover from the shock.'
He leaned back in his seat, suddenly very tired. The entire day had been draining: physically, emotionally and mentally and he really didn't want to take part in it anymore.
So he let himself fall asleep.
Of course whenever he fell asleep somewhere that wasn't his bed, usually it was the bath, he'd wake up feeling oddly disoriented because he wouldn't remember how he ended up in his bed.
This morning was no different and Sena stared at his sheets in mild wonder as he sat up. His sheets had actually been tucked around his body and his father, who was always the one to put Sena to bed if he fell asleep before getting there, never actually tucked him in. And he was still in his uniform, minus the blazer, even though his dad usually changed him into his pajamas.
This was just weird.
'Okay... I fell asleep on the monorail...' He began as he slowly got out of bed.
'I guess Mamori-neechan didn't wake me up when we had to switch to the train or when we made it to our stop.'
But Mamori, although she was admittedly stronger then him, wouldn't have been able to carry him very easily unless he'd really only been half asleep and had stumbled along in whatever direction Mamori had been leading him in. And if Mamori had been the one to put him to bed it would explain his state of dress and the tucked sheets.
Of course that theory flew out the window when, after changing into a fresh set of clothes, he made his way downstairs and the second thing his mother said to him, right after her cheery morning greeting was: "Who was that boy who brought you home last night?"
"Boy?! You mean Mamori-neechan wasn't the one who did it?" 'Who the heck tucked me in bed last night?'
"No, it definitely wasn't Mamori-chan. He was blonde, a bit, hmm, scary I suppose and rough around the edges, but he seemed nice enough."
'Blonde and scary? That could be either Hiruma-san or Juumonji-kun, but then again, Mamori-neechan would probably die before she let Hiruma-san take me home...'
Of course it was still embarrassing to think that one of his teammates had actually carried him home and put him in bed.
'I wish they had just woken me up instead.' He slowly sat himself down at the kitchen table and his mother hovered over him curiously.
"Sena, aren't you running a bit late?" She question and Sena's eyes snapped over to the clock hanging up on the wall, he had seven minutes to get to the morning's warm up.
"Gotta go mom! See you later!" He cried as he dashed to the door, swooping down to pick his school bag up on the way.
"Sena, don't forget your-" The front door slammed shut. "Lunch." She finished lamely.
Sena arrived at school a horrifying ten minutes late only to discover that practice didn't seem to be happening, but the shooting of a film was.
"What's going on?"
"Fucking shrimp, you finally made it." Hiruma loomed over him. "Normally I'd shoot at you for being so late, but I need you to suit up ASAP, so get to the clubhouse, change and make it snappy. I've got a video to shoot."
"But why? Shouldn't we be warming up for the game later on today?" Sena asked and Hiruma frowned darkly.
"Apparently the Aliens' coach thinks he just cancel the game the day it's supposed to occur, so we're going to give him a bit of incentive to come over here for a new game, unless of course, he's too much of a chicken." The older boy cackled for several long moments before sobering up and turning to glare at Sena.
"Stop standing around and get changed!" "Right! On my way!"
After a rather quick change Hiruma took a single take of him running at top speed directly towards the camera.
"Cut! Alright, time for a lunch break."
"Lunch? But it's not even eleven o' clock yet." Not that Sena minded, he hadn't had time to eat breakfast and he was fairly certain that he hadn't brought his lunch.
"Yeah, but I need to shoot the last of this footage so I can get on with the editing and you all can fully recover from the Taiyo game so that no one whines to me during morning practice tomorrow that they're still not feeling one hundred percent." Hiruma tapped a couple fingers along the camera idly.
'Just what sort of video is this going to be if he needs to film us while we're eating?' Sena couldn't help but wonder as he sat down between Mamori and Monta.
"Hey, that chicken look delicious." Monta said as he took his seat and Sena nodded along, casting a curious glance in Juumonji's direction.
'I wonder if I should thank him for bringing me home last night?' But that would just be weird wouldn't it? It would be easier if he just pretended to be oblivious.
"So I take it my direction were easy enough to follow Juumonji-kun?" Mamori asked as she handed the boy a plate and he nodded.
"Yeah, I found his house pretty easy."
"Sena, you really should thank Juumonji-kun for going through the trouble of taking you home. I would have done it myself but I had a bunch of things to carry."
"Th-thanks Juumonji-kun." Sena said lowly, eyes glued to the food in front of him.
"It was no problem. But man your mom sure worries about you. Once I got you up to your room she just tucked you right into bed like you were five years old."
"Oh..." 'Well, at least that explains that.'
"Fucking secretary, stick around after this, I've got something I need to talk to you about." Hiruma said as he set up the camera and Sena stared at him.
"Secretary? Have I been demoted or something?" He asked incredulously and Hiruma glared at him. "Alright, I'll stay after..."
After a rather enjoyable meal, despite being filmed while eating it, everyone slowly began to make their way out of the clubhouse until only Sena and Hiruma were left.
"So, you don't have any plans for tomorrow after school right?" Hiruma asked, uncaring as he leafed through several papers he was holding, as if he already knew the answer.
"Actually I was think of going over to Oujou." Sena replied and Hiruma cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Did your little fit about the fucking dreads' course of action keep you from giving your condolences?
"Actually I don't like the idea of going up to a team right after they've lost, it seems too personal, like I'd be barging in on a really private moment."
Hiruma snorted. "Right, and how long have you known Takami again?"
"But it wouldn't just be Takami-niichan and since I'm not a part of the team it would be awkward if I approached them too soon."
"Whatever, since you're so set on that I guess I'll just have to reschedule the for another day." Hiruma rolled up the papers he'd been holding and frowned. "You are damn lucky this plan wasn't set in stone yet, otherwise there's no way I'd let you go into enemy territory for such a stupid reason."
"Hiruma-san, what plan?" Sena asked cautiously, as of late most of Hiruma's plan seemed to be revolving around something he was adverse to.
"You'll find out sooner or later."
And by the way Hiruma said it, Sena was going to find out later, like, five minutes before the plan was set in motion.
