Author's Note: For a start, I am under the belief that people can be angels for others. By angel I mean that the person in question has done you a service that changes your life fundamentally for the better without asking anything in return.
Summary: Sena realizes that there really are some angels in this world….
Warning: Christmas Bowl spoilers….
A New Understanding
By: Bar-Ohki
Kobayakawa Sena had always had a guardian angel by the name of Anezaki Mamori. She was always protecting him, cleaning him up, and just being a good friend for him as he grew up. Going through middle school, Sena had no angels of any kind to watch over him, which led him to fall down to becoming everyone's gopher.
In high school all that changed.
Mamori loyally fell back into step behind Sena again as his angel she had been, but she was no longer his guardian angel. But her biggest action wasn't protecting him, but telling him he should do something for himself.
Sena gained another angel in the form of Kurita Ryokan, the kind-hearted lineman who was an angel in the sense that he was Sena's first real friend and comrade. It was a whole new world for Sena to have friends that were worth getting beat up by delinquents for and having dreams and goals. To Sena, it was a little scary at first, but with Kurita's kind, passionate ways, Sena was quickly over the fear and enjoying himself.
The most interesting by far of Sena's angels in high school was his new guardian angel: Hiruma Youichi. Hiruma was the sort of person who did everything subtly in the background, because of this Sena went unaware of the man's status as his guardian angel for a long time.
The first bit of evidence that Hiruma was Sena's guardian was the blackmail posters of the Huh Brothers that said 'leave him alone'. Though Sena had seen the posters, he couldn't tell who the people in the picture were and who the 'him' was mentioned in the threat.
Hiruma's second act as guardian was to give Sena a mask to hide behind so he could grow unhindered. At first, Sena was a spineless kid who was easily intimidated by others. Hiruma provided him with a mask of mystery and heroism that was his eyeshield until Sena had the strength to live up to the name and become the hero he was pretending to be. The other effect of the mask kept other schools and sports teams from knowing who Sena was, giving the boy a chance to have a semi-normal life outside of football while he adjusted to becoming a real player.
But by far the most important thing Hiruma ever gave Sena was his trust and faith. Hiruma believed in Sena and Sena's ability to run, going far enough to almost lose the Christmas Bowl because he put faith in that belief.
Never in his life had Sena found so much trust on him.
Never in the wimpy boy's life had he ever thought he'd dream to be at the top runningback in Japan.
Never had Sena dreamed he'd get to hold the golden cup in his hands and stand before his entire school, victorious.
And yet, Sena stood there in front of the clapping crowd, proud of himself and his comrades.
Hiruma Youichi, his guardian and his angel, had subtly spent months and months of blood sweat and tears for this moment in Sena's life. And in return he asked for nothing.
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Tell me what you think.