Chapter Six: I'll Be Waiting
"That's right! I need to get stronger."
Sena stared up, the night sky obscured by the eyeshield. He had found a new rival: Panther. That burning sensation flared in his chest; it was determination. The match between the Devil Bats and the NASA Aliens ended with the American's victory. Although it was Deimon's lost, the team benefited from the game. The best way for a weak team to gain experience was by fighting a strong team. By gaining experience, you improve. If you improve, you become stronger. That aside, since neither team won by more than ten points...
"No more going back to America!" Hiruma cackled, tossing the American's passports into a shredder.
It would take a week before they could apply for new ones. Since the team did not need their return tickets anymore, they were free to give away. Give away to Deimon that is. After all, the deal said that they would have to leave Japan. Sena looked back at Monta and Mamori, fidgeting at the thought of suddenly leaving the country.
"Go get changed. We're heading out!"
Everyone, but Sena headed to the team room. Removing his helmet, he approached Hiruma. His posture screamed uncertainty.
Hiruma already knew what this was about. "You want to see her?"
"Want? Uh, yeah I guess...well..."
"Fucking brat, if you want to see her then go. And be quick about it!" Hiruma pointed over to the canine gnawing on his leash, warning him of the consequences if he took too long.
Nodding, Sena rushed to find Shizuka. If Lady Luck was on his side, he would find her at the playground. If not, he did not have the time to wait for her. Watching him run off the field, Hiruma slipped a stick of gum between his teeth. He had asked Shizuka earlier, if situation had it, would she come to America with him. As expected, she declined the offer. He had jokingly threatened her into coming, but she stuck with the latter. Mamori came over to him, asking where Eyeshield and Sena had disappeared off to.
Skidding to a halt at the park entrance, Sena saw Shizuka on her cell phone. She was pacing back and forth in small steps, occasionally twirling around on the tip of her toes. He could not hear what she was saying, but judging by her liveliness, she was having fun. Who was she talking to? Clearing his throat, she faced his direction. He hadn't meant to interrupt, but the clock was ticking until his departure to America. Closing her phone, she strolled over to him.
"How was the game?" she asked.
"We lost, but it was good."
"Sorry for not going."
When she was with Musashi, she had only watched the opening of the game and then left. If she had kept watching, she may have gotten the urge to return to dream again. In the end, fear had gotten the best of her. Musashi hadn't said anything, but he knew her reason for not watching the rest.
"It's okay. Take your time," Sena swallowed hard, "but I'm positive I will see Shizuka in the audience. I will be waiting for that day."
A gentle breeze blew by, swaying the trees. Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, Shizuka's lip wavered. As absurd as it may seem, Sena reminded her of Hiruma. A lot. She lowered herself onto her knees and stretched her hands out. Bending his knees in order to be at eye level with her, he tentatively locked hands with her, entwining his fingers with hers.
"I'll try only because you believe in me. But, I'm not making any promises," she said.
"As long as you try, that's all that matters."
Just like Sena, Hiruma had believed in Shizuka and that's why she became manager. She failed since all her efforts were made not for herself, but for him. Whether she would fail again would be determined through her measure of willpower. Before, it was very low. However, at this very moment, the measuring gauge was itching to reach a higher echelon. Knowing someone trusted in her strength, it slightly alleviated the fear in her. Although Hiruma and the others also trusted her, something was different about Sena. Shizuka pressed her forehead against his, causing Sena's body to stiffen. Recovering from the brief shock, he relaxed. Eyes closed, they stayed like that.
I think Shizuka will overcome her problems. She's not weak. I know that because Hiruma chose her. Pulling his head away, Sena opened his eyes and smiled. She didn't return it, but that was better than pretending to smile. Coercing yourself into thinking your happy would be disregarding that you're sad. The first step in becoming stronger is to realize that you are not satisfied with your current self. Nishihara Shizuka was far from satisfied.
Before returning to the team, Sena and her exchanged cell phone numbers. Even after arriving at the airport, Sena could not grasp the fact that he was leaving Japan and on such short notice too. He hadn't brought a single belonging with him, not even a change of clothes. To his great fortune, Mamori had done some packing for him. Looking out the window as the airplane ascended from the runway, the flare path flashed orange, appearing as glowing flower buds. As the plane reached a higher altitude, Sena realized that someone had arranged the runway lights in order to form the shape of a flower.
"How stunning!" Mamori exclaimed.
"Whoa! Who did that?" Monta rose from his seat to get a better view.
Sena glanced over at Hiruma, who was fast asleep.
Wonder what will happen while I'm gone. He placed a hand over the pocket where his phone was. Shizuka, see you soon.
The flight would be a painstaking twelve hours: eight hours of rest and four hours of entertaining yourself to prevent boredom. Mamori handed him a blanket and had a flight attendant bring him an extra pillow to ensure comfort. He had politely refused the blindfold that was offered to him. Headphones on, he watched a movie playing across the screen installed in the seat in front of him. His eyes drooped now and then until he finally fell asleep.
The Wild Gunmen were seated far behind Deimon. Rubbing his studded chin, Kid was checking all his unanswered calls, counting up to twenty in a span of three months. Tetsuma popped his head up from the seat in front of Kid. Testuma didn't say anything, but Kid understood. After knowing each other for thirteen years, they didn't need to use words to communicate.
"I'm fine," Kid assured, putting his phone away.
Tetsuma did not react.
The ray of light piercing threw the crack between the wall and the window shades stirred Sena in his sleep. Wincing at the intensity, his eyes fluttered open. It was daylight. Jolting to the window, he pulled up the shade, forgetting about the others who were still fast asleep. Everyone groaned at the sudden brightness. Sena gaped when land became visible. Monta, Kurita, and Komusubi crowded around the window to get a view, marveling at the sight.
They were in America.
After the landing, the first place they hit was the beach. As much as he did not mind sunshine, Hiruma's top priority was to pay a visit to the shooting range. Sena tagged along in order to speak to Hiruma privately. In the end, Monta came too. While Hiruma purchased some firearms, the two practiced some shots. Not surprisingly, neither of them could hit the target. Another thing that was not so surprising was meeting Kid and the coach from Wild Gunmen. They weren't gunmen for no reason. Due to an order from the coach, Kid demonstrated what topnotch shooting was.
"This is what I call a man!" Coach shouted, firing his own guns. "–got herself a true man!" The gunshot drowned out the name.
Kid shook his head at his coach's behavior. As if guns have any relations to masculinity.
"Where did she go? And where is he?"
"He went to look for her," Kid said, firing one last bullet at the target.
Examining the five perfect holes punctured through the target, Hiruma cackled. What a coincidence to see him here. "Topnotch shooting. That's the strongest certificate of pedigree."
Disposing of the empty shells, Kid tipped his hat and headed for the exit. "I abandoned my register five years ago. Now I'm just a nameless shitty brat. Just a mere kid." And like a dust in the wind, he vanished through the swinging doors. The doors swung on its hinges, going back and forth much like the swings Shizuka was constantly on.
Hmn, Kid and Shizuka? Out of nowhere, Sena grouped those two together. He saw Kid again at the beach and they formed the Devil Gunmen to participate in the Beach Football Competition. With the aide of Tetsuma and Hiruma, they won the grand prize and through a series of events that followed, Deimon met Sakaki Doburoku and they all headed to the Ben Ranch. Snacking on a bag of chips, Sena felt his phone vibrate against his thigh. He immediately answered.
"Shizuka!"
"You sound cheerful. Did something happen?"
"You called. That's why," he mumbled timidly, covering his mouth as everyone else looked at him. "Um, we're with the Wild Gunmen right now. We're staying at their ranch."
"Seibu? How did you meet them?"
Sena took the next fifteen minutes telling her everything that happened, from the bizarre match with the Sexy Queens to meeting Doburoku. At one point, Monta grabbed the phone and began boasting about how he teamed up with Tetsuma to form the "golden team". She didn't buy it. Mamori even joined in to talk to her, telling her to take care of herself and not to eat any cream puffs behind her back. Winning his phone back, Sena resumed their conversation.
Kid watched the scene unfold with a keen eye. Loosening the handkerchief around his neck, he wiped droplets of sweat from his face. Hiruma cast him a knowing smirk, causing him to frown. Kid did not know the Devil Bat's quarterback very well or the team in general since the team had only formed this year. He learned a few things from the American game, but it did not suffice. It would appear though, that Hiruma knew him. As I thought. When things go too well, they never end well. Kid had a sense of foreboding that he'd be seeing Yoichi Hiruma around more.
"It sounds like you've had a lot of fun," Shizuka said.
"Yeah. It would've been nice if you came too. We could've played beach football together."
"I appreciate the thought. You might as well enjoy yourself while you're there."
The cargo truck started to pull up to the ranch.
"We made it to the ranch. I'll call you tonight, 'kay?"
International calls were expensive, but Sena didn't want to rush the conversation because of that. He would have to apologize to his parents about the phone fees later. The phone bill left his mind when his eyes rested on the ranch. A field of green stretched across hundreds of acres, where stables and farm houses were built. In order to reach the ranch, one had to cross over a crystal clear creek. Such a scenery couldn't be found in Tokyo. There was more to goggle at when people began to prepare a barbeque.
Monta wore a love sick expression as he watched Mamori slice some vegetables. Tasting her cooking was nothing new to Sena. Although Mamori's cooking was beyond amazing, he was more excited to try Shizuka's cooking. He had eaten the sweet potatoes she baked, but anyone could do that. No offense to Shizuka, of course. Assisting the others, the food was ready by the afternoon and everyone gathered to eat. It was a humble feast they had. Biting into a shish kebab, the juice of the meat spilled into Sena's mouth.
"Max flavor!"
Monta was shoving down three shish kebabs. That was nothing compared to the amounts Kurita was consuming.
"Exercise makes food taste better," Sena chimed in.
Food tastes better with an empty stomach. It also tastes better when you eat with people. Shizuka had been living in a tent for approximately three months; rarely, did she ever eat with someone. She had told him her basic diet when moving into a tent: boxed lunches at the convenient store and instant noodles. She never said it herself, but Sena knew she was lonely. It was one of the major reasons why she didn't mind him, a stranger at the time, to come and visit her.
The feeling of being alone, huh. Up until only a few months ago, Mamori was Sena's only friend. It was by accident that he stumbled upon the football team. Had Jumonji and his pals wanted to beat him up at another location that time, he would not have been formally acquainted with Kurita. Had he not met Kurita, he wouldn't have met Hiruma. If he hadn't met Hiruma, he wouldn't be where he was today. He wouldn't have met Shin, Panther, or Shizuka.
His heart tightened.
Being alone truly was a sad thing.
"Sena? What's up?" Monta asked, ripping a piece of meat from the skewer.
Touching his face, Sena realized he was crying. He sniffed the snot back into his nose.
"Did you eat something bad?" Only Monta was capable of asking such a dumb question.
Kid walked behind one of the stables, his boots shuffling the grass. Placing a bucket on the ground, he twisted the faucet and water poured into it. A lot of interesting events had taken place today and if it weren't for Deimon, he would have been stuck trying to find a way to bring the bull to the ranch. When things go too smoothly, they never end well. Luckily, this wasn't the case and the day ended on a good note.
From around the corner, Yosuke Iseri, a safety of the Wild Gunmen, came over.
"Coach gave you cleaning duty too?" Iseri queried, hanging a saddle over the fence. "Or are you just in the mood?"
"In the mood I suppose," Kid replied, turning off the faucet. Carrying the bucket, he entered one the compartments in the stable, where a mare rested. He ushered the mare to the back corner and he began to brush her. Grooming a horse before made the process of bathing it easier. Iseri came in with a box of cleaning equipment: towels, sponges, and shampoo.
"You know, I overheard some of the guests talking about Shizuka-san," Iseri said after a while. "Think it's the same person we know?" When Kid remained silent, he continued. "I hope so. No one's gotten in contact with her for months." Tetsuma appeared at the doorway. "I'll finish this up, Kid. Coach probably needs you."
Kid left with Tetsuma. Crossing the field, they saw Sena heading in their direction. He was on his phone again. Sena stopped to bow. Kid raised his hand, signaling that it was not necessary. Passing each other, Kid heard a part of the conversation.
"You're not eating instant noodles again, are you?" Sena teased.
"Not tonight. I had soba with a friend."
The voice on the other end sounded familiar. It was soft and elegant.
Ceasing in his footsteps, Kid furrowed his brows. So it is the same Shizuka. As I thought, things were going too well. He looked back at Sena. I guess it's no surprise since she goes to the same school. He wasn't too bewildered by the situation, just mildly curious. Kid and Shizuka were not very open towards one another despite what others thought. They had attended Seibu Middle School together, but then for some odd reason, she decided to go to Deimon High. He never asked her why since their relationship never went beyond classmates. It was only until last summer he had gotten to know her.
After reaching a dislocated area, Sena sat down on the grass.
"It should be around noon in Tokyo, right?" Sena said.
"That's right. Today's weather is good for gardening."
"Gardening?"
"I work part time at a flower shop," Shizuka clarified. "I need to get money somewhere, you know."
"That's true. Make sure you wear sun screen to prevent sunburn," he warned.
She laughed. "I will. Well, it must be late over there. I shouldn't keep you up for too long."
"I don't mind. I'll probably be back in a week..."
"Then I will wait for your return." The pitch of her voice dropped to a soothing whisper.
"Me too! I mean...I look forward to coming back." Sena bid her a goodnight before hanging up. Falling onto his back, he faced the endless abyss that was the sky. Hands behind his head, he heaved a heavy sigh. How long will we be staying here? I don't think Hiruma-san brought us here just for vacation. Connecting the stars to form some sort of demented figure, Sena spotted a star in the far right. It was by itself. Despite that, it was the twinkling the brightest out of the rest.
Les Fleurs was the flower shop Shizuka worked at every summer. Located in a peaceful yet active neighborhood, it was owned by half French and half Japanese man. He was a passionate and fair shop keeper, who appreciated the beauty of flowers above all. His love for flowers made him the number one florists in Tokyo. His main task was caring for the store and to nurture flowers while Shizuka had the honor of delivering them. When he was too busy, she would water the plants. However, her involvement with flowers never involved planting them or arranging them. The manager didn't want any of his employees to damage the flowers.
Carefully watering the sunflowers on display outside, she made sure the pressure of the hose accommodated the strength of the soil. Last time she had drowned the flowers. That was a cut in her paycheck. She never complained about meeting up to the consequences. The manager was nit picky about many things, but it was for his love of flowers. That aspect of him was admirable. Accidentally pushing too hard on the handle, the water pressure increased. Turning the hose away, she accidentally blasted water at two passerby. She released the hose, sending it wiggling relentlessly on the ground, spraying herself in the process. She managed to turn off the hose and went to see the damage she had caused.
The two strangers were soaked.
"I'm sorry! I'll go get towels!"
"Nah, it's fine. That was refreshing!" One of them grinned. "Spray me again if you want!"
"A towel would be great," the other said, squeezing the water from his shirt.
Shizuka went inside and got them towels. Running over to them, she had to stretch her hands above the level of shoulder since they were incredibly tall.
"Again, I'm sorry...uh..."
"Mizumachi. And that intimidating one over there is Kakei." The wild blond shook hands with her. He hadn't taken the towel she offered him. Instead, he took off his tank top and swung it around until it was rung dry. He was a very energetic guy.
Clearing his throat, Kakei cast the towel over his head, ruffling the drenched stands. "You don't mind if I keep the towel, do you? I will properly return it another time."
"Go ahead!" Shizuka insisted.
"Then we must be on our way. Mizumachi, put your clothes on," said Kakei once he was finished wiping his feet.
As they walked away, Shizuka caught a glimpse of what was inside Mizumachi's dufflebag. Protruding out of his bag was a football helmet. From their height, those two would make terrific linemen. This was not to say that a short athlete would not make a skillful lineman, but height could offer athletes a great advantage in tackling. Shizuka scolded herself when her mind wandered into football. Enough about football. That's all in the past. Coiling the garden hose, she messed up one of the loops. It's all in the past...isn't it?
Sena's voice rung in her ears.
"It's not too late to start over. If anything, you can always find a new dream."
Frantically shaking her head, she returned to her tasks. After making seven deliveries on bicycle, she finished in the late afternoon with a pair of sore legs. Returning to the playground, she saw someone on the swings. The boy resembled Sena in appearance, but the indubitable difference was the color of his hair. It was white. Upon seeing her, the boy drove the ends of his sneakers into the pavement and stood up. A flood of memories poured into her mind, rattling her heart. No matter how much she tried to detached herself from the past, it kept catching up to her and drowning her.
Kaitani Riku, the runningback of the Wild Gunmen.
It had been three months since she last saw him. Now he stood only three yards away.
"I finally found you, Shizuka-san."
Author's Note: As you have witnessed, Shizuka is connected to many of the canons. Next chapter will shed some light on her relationship with the Wild Gunmen.