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Sakuraba wasn't the most observant person in the world, he wasn't the most observant person in Ojo, and he probably wasn't the most observant in his team (that would probably go to Takami, or Shin when it's anything about football anyway), but he'd like to think he wasn't that oblivious. He may not be physically gifted, he may have not been blessed with god like skills, but he wanted to think he had enough common sense to make up for what he lacked. (Some of his teammates were--how would their coach put this--idiots) so he was confident that he's not exactly hopeless just yet.
Sakuraba wasn't as observant as he wanted to be but he wasn't an idiot, so when Takami came over with a serious look on his face, whispering "Is it just me, or Shin is getting a little friendly with Deimon's secretary?"
Sakuraba gave a sigh of relief. Takami's observations were probably near perfection, but it felt like the idea was so bizarre that he needed someone to reassure him what he was seeing was real.
"Yes. Thank god I thought it was just me." Sakuraba sent a few glances over the table next to them. Somehow they met with Deimon in a restaurant yet again after team practice, and Sakuraba suspected it was because their coaches had been in the same team for such a long time that their ideas were so similar which explained why they were running into Deimon so often. The two rival teams always got so rowdy whenever they met, always goading each other into contests.
Anyway this had been such a common occurrence that they've already claimed their own tables and made sub groups to chatter aimlessly, get into heated debates, and what not. Somehow Deimon's quarterback hasn't been pestering Takami in hopes of loosening his tongue into giving away Ojo's tactics (not that Takami would ever), opting to pester Deimon's manager instead. Hiruma Yoichi was oddly energetic for the night.
On the other hand, the table next to Sakuraba and Takami was occupied by none other than Shin and, for some unknown reason, Deimon's secretary: Kobaykawa Sena. And they seem to be in some kind of deep conversation--which was already so strange considering Shin barely talked unless it was related to football, and perhaps Sena was knowledgeable about football considering he was Deimon's secretary, but they also seemed to be going beyond those topics as well.
Sakuraba didn't mean to eavesdrop, but this was a rare opportunity to waste, and by the look in Takami's face, he was thinking the same.
"--do you balance studying and training? I always get low scores--not that I fail! It's just that I--um struggle with it sometimes. Are you having trouble with your grades to Shin-san?"
"No." Shin answered calmly, taking the time to chew his piece of meat. "My grades are above average."
"Oh." Sena sounded embarrassed. "I guess even your grades are better than mine. You're so good at everything. It's almost like you're perfect." Sena laughed, taking more bites of his own food.
"I am not perfect, and thinking so would only stop me from improving," Shin replied, voice ever as stern. Sakuraba could never tell what he's feeling. "I've only achieved this level of excellence because of diligence, and even then I'm still not skilled enough."
Sena hummed. "Well yeah, but you seem to excel on things naturally. Is there even something you're not good at from first try?"
Shin stopped his chopsticks midway, looking really thoughtful. He gave this question with such deep thought, mulling it over with such serious deliberation. "I'm very bad at technology.' He concluded.
He admitted it. Sakuraba gasped as silently as he could.
The look in Sena's face was that of bewilderment, then it broke into laughter, so much that he started to turn pink. And then he remembered himself. "Ah. Sorry. I'm being rude."
Shin made a deep sound, which was the closest thing to laughter you could probably coax out from Shin. What a development. Sakuraba had to look at Takami to confirm he's hearing and seeing the actual thing.
"You don't need to apologize. I don't think it's rude." Shin finished his meal by setting his chopsticks on the table. "I am going out for a run now."
"Oh." And Sena visibility deflated.
Shin raised a brow. "You can come if you want to."
And the kid immediately perked up. "Really? You don't mind?"
But more importantly, Shin actually offered. No, Sena did not ask, Shin personally offered. He didn't even offer Sakuraba to train with him. Sakuraba simply invited himself into it and Shin neither declined nor accepted.
"Running is better with a companion. It's motivating. Especially if it's with you."
Wow.
Takami had that face. Are you hearing this shit? Was written all over his face and Sakuraba wanted to ask the same thing.
"Okay. Let's go." Sena crammed the last of his meal quickly then got up to follow Shin outside.
"We'll have to stretch first. Running immediately after eating can burst your appendix." Was the last thing they heard as the duo passed their table. Shin was giving Sena instructions on how to do their work out properly without getting hurt before they finally exited the establishment.
"That actually happened right?" Takami stared at his own plate with wide eyes. "Like that was an actual thing that happened and not just a fever dream I conjured up, right?"
Sakuraba looked around the restaurant. Everyone else was not bothered at, not realizing what Sakuraba and Takami had just bite witness to.
"I'm honestly asking the same thing."
"It's probably not one of Hiruma's schemes." Takami panted as they took a break from passing and receiving drills.
"It could be." Sakuraba just caught up on what Takami said. They're coming to perfect the Everest pass quite nicely. It would be a joy to unveil this in the Kanto tournament soon. Sakuraba finally felt like he was becoming someone useful for the team, someone worthy of being called an ace.
"It's probably not." Takami was final in his conclusion. "He knows Shin wasn't the type to divulge secrets. He's not an idiot who will fall for cheap tricks, and knowing Hiruma, he wants to play with Ojo's best or not at all. It's what makes him a respectable sportsman after all."
"I think he's low enough to try distracting Shin by using Deimon's secretary to seduce him though." Sakuraba thought absentmindedly, and at this Takami fumbled with the football.
"Please don't say that," Takami mumbled. "The idea of Shin actually getting seduced is..."
Weird. Yeah, Sakuraba thought so too.
"But it seems to be working." He pointed out. Who knew, what if Kobaykawa Sena was actually just as devious and devilish as their captain, using poor Shin to benefit their team.
"No no." Takami insisted. "Kobaykawa is too kind to be a manipulative bastard. This probably happened naturally. No subterfuge planned. I know how Hiruma thinks--for the most part anyway." Nobody really knew how that demon thought. It's the unpredictability that kept all the team on their toes when going against them.
When Sakuraba thought about it, it didn't just happen one day anyway. Whenever they meet up by chance with Deimon, Sakuraba could see Shin talking to Sena in passing, telling him that he was waiting for them in the finals. And sure, Shin was probably addressing it to all of Deimon, but he's always staring at their secretary with such intensity for some reason.
Then there was that one time Sena entered their locker rooms after a game just because. Something about his friend wanting to meet Shin. Although Shin—before the friend interrupted (Kaitani Riku from Seibu it would seem)—was putting most of his attention to Sena, congratulating him on Deimon’s performance with a hint of pride.
And then there were the games.
Sometimes Shin would search the stands for an individual in a crowd of hundred, red, black, and white jerseys, brown hair, brown eyes. And he’d stare at him with such intensity. It didn’t matter if he was halfway across the field, somehow his eyes would find their way to them, and they’d have some kind of unspoken conversation. Shin never really did hide his interest in Deimon, but Sakuraba assumed it was because of Eyeshield 21. In fact, half of the time, Shin was only ever talking about Eyeshield 21. He stared at every one of Deimon’s games with close scrutiny and near obsession. He’s never been like that before in all the years Sakuraba knew Shin in middle school through high school.
Okay so maybe not.
Maybe he’s actually doing it for Deimon’s secretary?
That’s actually such a strange development. Sakuraba never thought Shin was the type for romance at all.
“Well, the thing is—“ Sakuraba swiped his bottle of water from the benches. “I never thought Shin’s type was anything like Kobayakawa.”
“Like?” Takami raised his brow.
“Err tiny.” Sakuraba gestured. “Innocent? Doe-eyed? Cute and adorable. Like he’s someone you need to protect.”
“Shin does seem like the protective type.” Takami nodded.
“I thought Shin was the type to want someone bigger though, someone more skilled, someone who can challenge him, and push him to his best, like a rival like—like—“
“Like?”
“Eyeshield 21.” Sakuraba finished.
Takami was thoughtful. “He has only been going on about him. I also did think he had a thing for him instead.” That kind of stumped them both.
“I guess we just have to accept that we don’t know Shin enough.” Sakuraba finally concluded.
“I suppose so.” Takami hummed in agreement just as they spotted Shin wearing his usual running attire.
“You’re early.” Takami commented. Shin’s training routine was precise to the last second and nothing was ever added or changed unless it was a deliberate decision which he pondered over seriously. Shin being early was no whim.
“Yes.” Shin slowed down his pace a little to reply. “Sena wanted to run together. It’s better this way.”
“Sena?”
“I need to beat Eyeshield 21 and running like this is the best method.” Shin said as if this was the most obvious thing. “I’m sure he thinks so as well. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.” He bowed. “If you do not mind, I’ll be going ahead. Sena is waiting for me.”
And just like that he ran off to the distance.
“I have a lot of questions.” Sakuraba finally said.
“Does he mean Sena wanted Shin to defeat Eyeshield too?” Takami ran a hand through his hair.
“Mostly I want to know how Sena manages to catch up to Shin.” Sakuraba wondered if this was where the subterfuge came in. Seduce Ojo’s ace with their cute secretary, make him lose focus and let him slack off training. Was that the master plan? Was Hiruma Yoichi truly that viciously cunning to plan this far ahead?
But no, Shin seemed more motivated than ever. So maybe this is a good thing? And Shin seemed happier too.
Yeah, Sakuraba concluded. They just really don’t understand Shin enough.
“And finally, the man behind the mysterious mask known as ‘Eyeshield 21”. “The Lightspeed Runningback” Sena Kobayakawa!”
“Wha-Eyeshield 21’s true identity is their secretary?! Sena?” Sakuraba was at shock. Who knew? Who could have known? “Look Shin, Eyeshield is—“
“Hm?” Shin didn’t even bat an eye. “Is something different? His arms and legs look exactly the same to me.”
“Oh yeah, you remember people by their muscles, not their faces…” Sakuraba was too deep in the game between Bando and Deimon, as well as the shock of Eyeshield 21’s true identity. Deimon won after such an intense game, and then they were sure to face each other in the Kanto tournament. He could see a hint of pride and anticipation radiating from Shin and the rest of the team at the news. They were going to face Deimon, and Sakuraba could not wait.
Later that night, Sakuraba shot up from his bed in realization.
Of course.
Eyeshield 21 was Sena, and Sena was Eyeshield 21. Shin liked Sena because he liked Eyeshield as well. Shin knew people by their muscles so he was able to tell Eyeshield's true identity from the start. The talking, the training, the respect, the lowkey crush he's been sporting but was probably too oblivious to realize at the moment so they'll all have to unpack it later--
Of course.
It all made perfect sense.
How did he not see it from the start?!
It was all perfectly obvious.