A/N: This chapter is for callianope and all those who wished for Sena to be back in the story. More DevilBats will be back in the future chapters.

Chapter 26: Encounter

"Sena, can I taste yours?" Suzuna asked the Running back. She's quite the daredevil compared to her boyfriend who despite his popularity, still can't get over his old habits. They had been dating for some time now.

"Sure," Sena said with a blush and watched in embarrassment as Suzuna licked at his ice cream. He still can't get used to these things.

"Mmm, this flavour tastes better," the cheerleader exclaimed. "I should have chosen it," she retorted in regret.

Sena smiled, got her ice cream, and handed her his. "You can have mine instead. I don't really mind which flavour since I like both." How could he not want an ice cream she already tasted? It was an indirect kiss.

"Eh? Really?" Suzuna beamed but she felt guilty that he might be saying that just to make her happy. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," the Running back said and already started eating her supposed ice cream.

"Yay! Thank you," Suzuna said and held tighter at Sena's arm. The boy blushed at the feeling of her breast pressing against his arm. Suzuna smiled and pretended not to notice and just held onto him as they continued to wander in the park. She's quite proud of her breast now. It's not big like others but it had started to grow much more than it was during high school.

"Kekeke. New blackmail material recorded," Hiruma laughed as he took snapshots of their two former team mates.

Meanwhile, Mamori was blushing madly at what she just watched. 'Suzuna-chan's amazing. I could never do that,' she thought as she stole a glance at Hiruma. She wished they could have a date like that too and eat ice cream and sweets together, but she knew that would never happen. He doesn't like sweets. But maybe he would bring her to dates, right? She recalled how he touched and kissed her. Her face heated up and her cheeks turned to a darker shade of red as she wondered again what they are now.

"Reminiscing already? Should we get home and continue where we left off?" Hiruma whispered at her ear and Mamori jumped in surprise.

"Mou, Hiruma-kun don't do that so suddenly," Mamori exclaimed as her mind was dragged back to the present. She felt like her heart just went out of her mouth. Why is he even whispering to her like they are lovers?! Wait, are they?

"Mamori-neechan?" the two heard Sena's voice.

"Mamo-nee! You-nii!" Suzuna waived at them.

"Ah, now we're caught. It's because you're so loud," Hiruma retorted.

"It's your fault for surprising me," Mamori said and run to meet the two to avoid the blond.

"Mamori-neechan long time no see," Sena greeted his childhood friend and 'older-sister-cum-mother'.

"Long time no see. Time sure flies. You've grown taller again Sena."

"Really! I think it's because of daily practice thanks to football," Sena replied. "Hiruma-san is still taller though," he added in the end, seemingly losing confidence when Hiruma looked down at him. Their former team captain had grown taller as well and he is no longer as lanky as before. He got more muscle from hellish training (and proper diet).

"Mou, Sena-tara." Mamori laughed, feeling like the older sister she had always been to Sena.

"Ya! Mamo-nee, are you two here on a date as well?" Suzuna asked with her antenna like hair seemingly poking. She was not at all embarrassed to admit that Sena and her are on a date.

"Eto, it's not like that were just . . . " she didn't know what to say.

"Guess what I have here," Hiruma disturbed their melodramatic first-time-meeting-after-a-long-time scenario. He showed the two some printed images. Sena was blushing madly. "Kekeke, added to my notebook."

"When did you have time to print that?" Mamori sweat-dropped. She saw a photographer walking around the park and knew instantly where Hiruma had grabbed the camera he used.

"You-nii can I have those?" Suzuna calmly asked. They rather looked cute in the pictures. It was a warm scene of young couples enjoying their time. And it was not scripted so it looked even better.

"What do I stand to gain? Kekeke."

Suzuna thought for a second. "Ah! List of new recruits in Enma American football club," she beamed.

"Suzuna, you shouldn't sell out the club," Sena chided.

"But he would know anyway sooner or later," Suzuna replied. "Right You-nii? So instead of having to put effort to get the list you can just give us those and you'll have the list." It will be posted soon anyway, the little devil in her reasoned out.

"Kekeke. You're pretty smart," Hiruma said and made Suzuna send him the list first before giving her the photos.

The four of them decided to eat at a restaurant to catch up with each other. Mamori asked how Sena was doing and Hiruma noted all the training that the running back did based on his narration. It was a very fruitful meeting (slash, spying) in Hiruma's perspective while it was a warm storytelling to the three.

Then they talked once again about how the Devil Bats were after Hiruma and Mamori graduated (Juumonji is in Saikyoudai but they didn't really have the time for storytelling due to training). Suzuna filled in their seniors of the huge progress of their old team and the former Mom and Dad of the Devil Bats were obviously proud and pleased. (Of course Hiruma mentally noted that he should keep an eye on the 2nd year players for whom to recruit in the future.)

They talked about all kinds of things until the topic went to dating. It was Suzuna who confessed to Sena first before he went to Notre Dame. He felt bad for leaving Suzuna behind but they constantly contacted each other so everything went smoothly until they both decided to go to Enma University.

Everything was going well with the conversation until when Suzuna asked, "what about You-nii and Mamo-nee? Who did the first move?"

Mamori instantly said "Were not - " she was about to say they were not dating but she recalled what they just did this morning and she blushed madly. Suzuna smiled viciously.

"Do you even need to ask?" Hiruma replied in Mamori's stead and laughed eerily. Suzuna and Sena understood that he was indicating it was him, because after all, they knew that Mamori can sometimes be so oblivious and as other people term it, 'dense'.

"Ara, look at what time it is, we should go home or the goods we purchased will get spoiled," Mamori said to escape the topic.

"Mamo-nee that's not fair," Suzuna did not budge.

But it was a fact, Mamori recalled they also bought perishable goods and meat. Then she recalled due to their 'activity' before they left home, Hiruma's clothes that she had washed were still hanging outside. She washes their clothes separately since they use different detergents; else they would smell the same. She had washed her clothes the day before so it was already dry. Hiruma's was still in the rooftop. She peered out the window and it looked like it was going to rain. "We really need to go. I forgot to get your clothes in before we left home," she told Hiruma.

He just raised an eyebrow at her and Mamori gasped and instantly covered her mouth. She was thinking of how to cover that but Suzuna and Sena were already gawking.

"Mamo-nee, that was loud and clear," Suzuna nudge her. "WE? Meaning you and You-nii right?"

"Hiruma-san's clothes? Mamori-neechan are you and Hiruma-san . . .?" Sena trailed off at the thought.

"No, of course not! He sleeps over at my apartment when we have a lot of work to do so he has clothes there," Mamori obviously lied.

"We actually went to your apartment last month, supposedly to pay a visit but the landlady said you left more than a year ago. I was supposed to ask about that when we meet but I forgot," Suzuna clarified.

"I thought maybe you found a closer one," Sena added.

"Uh, yeah I found a better one. Ahaha," Mamori nervously laughed. Why is Hiruma not helping her at all? And why are all the questions directed at her anyway?

"Mamori-neechan, you always look like that when you're lying," Sena pointed out.

"You-nii?" Suzuna looked at the accomplice of the person in question. "That was super loud and clear," she added.

"Mamo-chan!" two voices boomed from the table behind them. Mamori was wide-eyed when she saw Sarah and Ako who were both glaring at her like she betrayed them both.

"What are the two of you doing here?" Mamori asked in surprise.

"We had been here the whole time. We were about to leave when we saw the four of you. We came to say hi but you were all so engrossed so we thought we should wait until you're all done," Sarah explained.

"By the way Mamo-kaasan," it was Ako this time. "We had been asking to drop by your place since you are busy we thought we'd just visit you at your place but you always postponed. Is it because you are actually living with Hiruma-san?"

"And by the way you always said that you were not dating yet," Sarah added.

"Were you lying to us the whole time? Will you lie to us again?" Ako and Sarah grilled her at the same time.

"It's not like that, it is just-"

"Just?!" The two held her in place. "We'd love to hear the whole story," and they weren't taking no for an answer.

"We'd like to know as well," Sena and Suzuna joined in.

Thunder rumbled and thick clouds darkened the sky. It looked like the rain could pour any minute. Hiruma sighed. "We don't have time for this. Get in the fucking car."

Mamori looked up to him in surprise. 'Is it okay with you?' was her unspoken question and he nodded. They settled the bill and headed to Hiruma's parked car.

"Fit yourselves in the back," Hiruma told them as he went to the driver's seat. Ako and Sarah high fived and Suzuna shamelessly joined in. Mamori sighed and waited for all four to finally enter the car before she seated herself at the front.

"Yay! Big news big news!" Suzuna beamed.

"You're not supposed tell anyone else Suzuna-chan," Mamori reigned her in before she started calling everyone.

"Even Kurita-san and Mushashi-san?" Sena inquired.

Mamori looked at Hiruma.

"They already know," Hiruma clarified.

"They do?" Mamori was surprised. That's the first time she heard that.

"Then we were left out," Ako and Sarah were depressed. "Mamo-chan lied to us. Mamo-chan betrayed us," the two pretended to cry just to make Mamori feel guilty.

Mamori sweat-dropped. "I'll tell you everything at home."

"AT HOME?!" the four in the back exclaimed at how she referred to wherever they were heading to.

"Are the two of you actually secretly married? And you didn't invite any of us during the wedding?" Ako beamed dramatically at their friend. She's read about things like that in a lot of manga.

"Because Mamo-chan is actually pregnant?" Sarah exclaimed playfully.

"No, maybe they actually already have a child and they are hiding it?" Suzuna joined in the fun.

"That can't be possible," Sena sweat-dropped.

Hiruma's laughter filled the car and they all grew silent.

"Don't tell me one of the things we enumerated is right?" the three ladies looked at each other, at Hiruma, and then at Mamori who face-palmed.

Mamori was rather more surprised that everyone is assuming that Hiruma is already her boyfriend and they are just accepting it. She thought they would be having disapproval or side comments first about her dating Hiruma but will accept it with proper explanation. They looked like they would not need it at all. They are rather already concluding things that should be far in the future.