After The Match

By Ms. Kinnikufan

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the song lyrics.

Note: See notes from previous chapter.

Timeline: after the Nomuraman/Mantaro match.

Ikeman stepped into his small, unglamorous apartment.

Today had really sucked thought Ikeman. That stupid Mantaro Kinniku had one instead of his beloved Nomuraman.

Damn it, a wind of freaking miracles seemed to surround the entire Kinniku clan. It wasn't fair that Mantaro had mocked Nomuraman for wanting some success. Mantaro hadn't grown up with stigma and poverty.

Ikeman pulled out a bottle of wine, which he saved "for special occasions."

After a short debate with himself, he poured a glass. Hoping to distract himself from today's depressing event, he turned on the radio.

("You are beautiful, no matter what they say. Words can't bring you down. Cause you are beautiful in every single way. Words can't bring you down. So don't you bring me down today.)

"Show what the hell you know." Ikeman remarked as he turned off the radio, even more depresses then before.

Ikeman knew he wasn't beautiful. He wasn't even plain. He was ugly. He could live with that. Really, he could.

He had too, after enduring a childhood of having classmates throw garbage at him and taunt him with "Icky-face Ikeman."

Ikeman slapped himself. "Damn it, Ikeman. You promised yourself you would get over your damn childhood." Ikeman shouted to himself.

Oh great, now I'm talking to myself. How far are you in abyss now, Ikeman? He thought to himself.

Ikeman poured himself "just one more" glass of wine.

In Ikeman's heart of hearts, he knew it was better for both of them that Nomuraman would now be busy with business deals.

Nomuraman wouldn't have Ikeman secretly lusting after him. There would be less chance of him finding out that Ikeman did secretly lust after him.

Ikeman would be away from Nomuraman, someone he wanted, but could never have. He would be away from the handsome, charming Nomuraman.

Ikeman was sure that if they spent enough time apart, he would stop having an illogical emotional attachment to someone who only regarded him as a friend/manager. Yeah right.

Ikeman found himself flashing back to when he first saw Nomuraman:

Flashback:

It was about two years before Hercules Factory had started training the New Generation.

Ikeman was picking some aloe plants when he heard some children shouting. He crept through the aloe plants and saw a man plowing without use of an animal.

"C'mon big brother, you can do it!" they cheered.

"Siblings (pant) I told you (pant) to watch after mama." The man was glistening with sweat.

Ikeman would have watched much longer, but then a bee stung him on the nose.

"OOOUUUUCCCCHHH! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT!" Ikeman shouted in pain.

"Big brother, someone is watching us! I heard him shout!" exclaimed Pepito, youngest brother of Nomuraman.

"You're (pant) imagining things (pant). Now you kids go look after mama in case she gets worse." Nomuraman ordered.

End Flashback

Then recruitment time came for the Muscle League Ikeman remembered the man he had spent so much time watching and sent out to recruit him.

Flashback

Ikeman stood on the Nomura household doorstep.

Pepito answered the door.

"Hey! You're the guy who's stalking my big brother!" he exclaimed upon seeing Ikeman.

Ikeman kept his cool. He knew that he should have introduced himself sooner, but was too shy to.

"Is your eldest brother home?"

"I'm not gonna let you see him. You're a stalker and all stalkers are perverts. I know perverts are bad even though will tell what pervert means!" Pepito crossed his arms and stood in the doorway.

"Pepito who's there?" came a woman's voice. "No one mama!"

"I know there's someone there, otherwise you wouldn't be standing in the doorway."

A sickly looking woman came to the doorway.

"Why good afternoon madam. Is your eldest son home?"

"Pepito go get Hiroshi." "But mama, he's a pervert."

"PEPITO! Don't be rude. Go get your big brother." The woman turned towards Ikeman "I honestly don't know where he got that word. Won't you please come in?'

Ikeman sat in the cramped little kitchen. An awkward silence filled the air.

Finally, a sweaty Nomuraman came into the kitchen.

"Pepito told me there was someone to see me…actually he used the word 'pervert'. I wonder where he learned that word?'

Ikeman stood up. "I'm Ikeman Harbote, son of the chairman of the Muscle League. You have heard of me-" Actually, I haven't."

"Well any way, I have heard of your incredible strength and hard working nature-"

"Where? The neighbors rarely have anything positive to say about my family."

"Oh you know…places. Anyway, the Muscle League is recruiting new trainees for the protection of Earth. I think you have great potential-"

"I'm sorry, I think you have wasted your offer on me. It's a very kind offer, and I'm flattered, but I couldn't go to Earth. I mean, I know being a Justice chojin is one of the best things a man can be, but what if something happened to the farm? What if something happened to my family? As selfish as this may or may not sound, my family is my top concern. Not Earth."

Ikeman was deeply disappointed (though he hid it well) "Well that's as good a reason as any not to join. If you ever change your mind, here's my card."

The next week, Ikeman realized that he had left his P.D.A. there. Normally this would have pissed Ikeman off. Instead he was delighted at the opportunity at seeing Nomuraman again.

When he went to retrieve his P.D.A. from the Nomura household, he left his cell phone there. He kept leaving things there until he didn't need a reason for a social call.

How he adore visiting the Nomura household. He enjoyed helping out with the harvest, despite the fact that he often got bruised or otherwise injured.

Nomuraman was always such a delight to spend time with.

He was so truthful, hard-working and just plain wonderful. Handsome too.

After Ikeman revived the Chojin Crown, Nomuraman was the first one to be told.

Ikeman managed to convince Nomuraman that this was the chance to get some name recognition without the concrete, unbreakable responsibilities of the Muscle League. Ikeman hoped Nomuraman would go straight to the top. He deserved it.

End Flashback.

And we all know how that turned out, Ikeman grimly reflected.

Well, the Nomura's would hopefully get some finical security. Some good had come out of it.

Nomuraman would grow more distant from me, thought Ikeman.

Nomuraman, the one he wanted more then anything or anyone in his life.

More then his father to be proud of him. More then for the Muscle League to be a financial success. More then for people to stop calling him "Mr. Yucky-Face" or "Icky-man" to his face or behind his back.

Ikeman considered the wine bottle.

Sobriety is overrated, he thought as he finished the bottle.