Writing Prompt: Stats

Pairings: Sena/Shin, Mentioned Sena/Hiruma

My dudes... It's been too long. I know it's typical to say but I've been super busy with classes and etc. I don't know how I feel about this since I wrote it at like 2 am but let me know, yay or nay. And, not gonna lie, I posted this on AO3 a couple days ago and forgot to post it on here until now, my bad.

Sena had a system.

A sort of ranking structure that determined who was frightening and who was safe to be around. It helped with her anxiety by giving her some control over her interactions. Not much control, but an idea of it at least.

On a scale of 0 to 5, she organized the people in her life. In the Fear category, the highest rank of 5 was someone that she should avoid at all costs, like Agon, and the lowest rank of 0 was someone who she was the least afraid of, like Kurita. One would think Mamori would hold that position, but even she had her own sense of sternness. In much the same way Sena knew to be wary of her own mother, she held a healthy respect for Mamori. The girl knew how to handle a broom.

This is what prompted her to create the second category: Safety. Sena learned that a person can be safe and frightening at the same time. This provided another way for her to sort the people in her life and she began writing her findings in a pocket-sized white notebook.

Sena snorted when she considered it, her very own version of Hiruma's Blackmail Book except it was only incriminating to her. That was a psychology paper dying to be written. Since she had no luck whatsoever, she knew that the risk of it falling into the wrong hands was high. So, she shortened fear and safety to F and S to hide the notebook's true purpose. She kept it secret and it never left her side.

During class, she reached into her bag to make an addition and her hand found nothing but crumbs and gum wrappers.

She sat back in her chair and stared at the ceiling.

Of course.

Mamori

F: 1
S: 5

Kurita
F: 0
S: 4

Hiruma
F: 5
S: 3

Monta
F: 0
S: 3

Shin examined the small white notebook in his hands, flipping through the pages. He had found it on his morning jog and recognized the names, but there was no sign about the owner. Someone he knew, judging from the mention of his name.

Shin
F: 3
S: 4

What did that mean? Feats, fights, fitness? Strength, speed, sports? He couldn't make heads or tails of it, but the list went on and on, every team in the district and then some. Panther, he noted, was in a special section dedicated to foreigners.

He glanced around at his surroundings, the path he usually jogged along was empty but it was frequented by a lot of athletes. The notebook could belong to any of them or even a very devoted fan of high school American football.

Pocketing it, he resolved to find its owner and discern what exactly it meant. The highest ranking seemed to be five, but he had not received that a score that high and he was curious about why not. He stronger than the Devil Bat's manager, Mamori, and he was more fit than their Quarterback, Hiruma. How could the person the notebook belonged to rank him so lowly?

Sena was the type of person to panic. It was who she was, always had been and most likely always will be. She had gotten better at handling her fear since joining the football team, but that didn't change her entire disposition. Hence, the current freak-out she was now subjecting her best friend to, their other teammates still changing in the locker room.

"Oh, no," Sena moaned, running her hands down her face. "I can't believe I dropped it."

Monta, well acquainted with her bursts of anxiety, replied drily, "And what did you drop?"

"My…" She struggled to find the right words. If Hiruma overheard the truth, she was doomed. "My notebook."

He thankfully didn't acknowledge her pause. "Oh, that sucks, did you have your homework in it or..?"

"No, no, it was personal," she emphasized in a harsh whisper; standing up from the field bench to pace at a speed most would consider a brisk jog. Hiruma hadn't arrived yet but that didn't mean he wouldn't know if they weren't on time for practice. He had eyes and ears everywhere, but Sena was sure that even he didn't know about her little notebook, yet. Yet.

"Ah, I see." Monta held his hand to his chin. "Well, when I lose something, I retrace my steps and I usually find it."

Sena ceased her speed walking, hope filling her voice. "Really?"

"Sure, like sixty percent of the time," he said with a careless wave.

Her face dropped. "…Monta, I don't think we have the same meaning for the word 'usually'."

Shin was flipping through the notebook he had found yet again. Every time he did, his confusion grew and grew.

Sakuraba
F: 1
S: 4

Takami
F: 3
S: 3

Otawara
F: 4
S: 2

Ikari
F: 4
S: 1

If his correlation between fitness and strength was true, then these stats made no sense. He was stronger than Sakuraba but Otawara could bench-press 5g more than him. What did F and S mean then?

In class, he copied notes with one hand and skimmed through the notebook with the other. In the locker room, he compared each team's offense and defense to see if there was a connection. (There wasn't.) On the field, he had to put it away to do his regular warm-ups but his mind still flickered to the almost familiar handwriting. Hadn't he seen it somewhere before?

"Hey, Shin, you alright?" Sakuraba asked between breathes, forcing himself to jog faster to maintain speaking distance. "You've been even quieter than usual."

He hadn't noticed. "I've been thinking."

It took a minute for his running partner to catch his breath enough to question, "What about?"

Shin hesitated. He knew that he had been invading the privacy of the owner of the notebook, even if he couldn't make sense of it. But, that didn't mean he was going to reveal his discovery to someone else. But then, what if it belonged to Sakuraba?

"Did you by any chance lose a notebook?" He replied instead, not winded in the slightest.

Sakuraba opted to shake his head, panting.

"I found one." Shin considered his options again before giving in. "Inside it are the names of football players and people related to high school football, with stats of some kind."

"Football players, like Ojo?" The other teen asked in amazement, "Am I in it?"

"Yes. Your stats are F 1 and S 4." Hopefully, he knew what the letters meant.

His blonde eyebrows furrowed, wet with sweat. "F? S? What does that mean?"

Shin almost sighed in disappointment. "I don't know. It's what I'm trying to figure out. If I can determine what they mean, maybe I can find the original owner and return it."

Sakuraba nodded again, starting to trail behind as his breathing grew labored. They were ahead of the rest of the team by a good four meters. Shin shook his head; he was slacking off because of his inquisitiveness. It wasn't like him. He needed to focus for the next game.

On his walk home, he kept the white notebook in his bag as to not give into temptation. It was a pointless gesture; he had memorized its contents. Belatedly, he remembered he hadn't asked anyone else besides Sakuraba if they had lost a notebook.

Sena trudged alongside Mamori after practice had ended for the day. She had explained what had happened after making sure the girl she considered a sister wouldn't tell a soul, especially their Captain. Mamori was more determined than normal to aggravate Hiruma; Sena supposed she was responsible for that.

During the week previous, Mamori had run into Hiruma and Sena as they were leaving the library. The older girl had stayed behind to help some struggling classmates with their homework and 'offered' to take over walking Sena home. Before Hiruma had a chance to protest, Mamori grabbed Sena by the arm and dragged her away.

Sena explained what they had been about to go to Hiruma's house to rest. But that's all, she insisted.

She had never seen Mamori's face drain and then fill with color so fast.

The next day at school, Mamori had engaged Hiruma in a scream fight so fierce they had to evacuate three adjacent classrooms to avoid stray bullets and accidental blunt force trauma injuries via broom.

Since then, to Hiruma's obvious distaste, Mamori refused to let Sena out of her sight unless absolutely necessary.

The secret of notebook was definitely safe with her.

"Don't worry, we'll find it," Mamori assured. They were walking slowly, looking behind trashcans and grass patches for any hints of paper. "And you coded it, so it's not like anyone can read it. That was very clever of you, by the way."

"Thanks, Mamo-nee, but it's not that. I used that notebook to track my feelings; it's like a way to balance myself. Now that I lost it…" Her shoulders slumped. "I can't even control a stack of paper."

"We'll find it," Mamori repeated, taking her by the hand. "Let's keep looking."

Riku:

F: 1
S: 5

Kid:
F: 2
S: 4

Tetsuma:
F: 2
S: 4

"Buffalo" Ushijima:
F: 4
S: 1

Shin had failed. He had been determined to not look at the notebook again. As he neared the spot where he had found it, his hand reached for it without thinking. The handwriting seemed to taunt him, like the answer was right there for him to see but he couldn't quite make it out.

Allowing himself a frustrated sigh, he forced the notebook back into his bag and walked faster. A run after he finished his assigned homework would clear his head.

Mamori stayed over at Sena's house for a few hours to help her with an upcoming project but had to leave as the sun started to set.

"Let me walk you home, Mamo-nee," Sena offered, standing up as well.

"It's fine," the older girl retorted. Stretching as she got up, she shook out her honey-blonde hair. "You need to finish your assignment. I'm sorry I can't stay to help you."

Sena stared at her art project, specifically Mamori's additions with a smile that was both pained and excessively fond. "Thanks, but you've done more than enough and I wanted to go for a quick jog before it got too late."

Mamori frowned as she laced her shoes. "I don't think it's very safe for you to jog alone."

"Don't worry, I meet up with Shin-san and we pair up for most of the run," Sena replied with assurance, slipping on her running shoes as well. They strolled down the sidewalk, at ease in each other's familiar company.

"Shin…" Mamori murmured. "Isn't he that football player from Ojo? The one that always gives Eyeshield 21 a hard time?"

Sena swallowed to ease her dry throat. "Yes."

"He meets up to jog with you?"

Sena began to sweat a little. "Yes, when we can."

"I see." Mamori seemed to consider this for a few minutes, during which Sena felt her heartrate reach unhealthy levels. Then she smiled. "What a nice boy, offering to keep you company. I'm sure no one has bothered you with him around, have they?"

"No!" Sena agreed, too loudly and lowered her voice. "I'm very safe with him."

She nodded. "That's good. Tell him I said thank you for watching over you while I'm not around, won't you?"

They had reach her house and after a quick goodbye hug, Sena raced off to her habitual jogging route, feeling drained as if she had already run her laps.

Shin was looking forward to training with Eyeshield 21, or Sena as she insisted to be called in public. One would have to be a fool not to see the resemblance of Sena's musculature to that of Eyeshield 21, and there was the confusion of her gender as a player. It wasn't his business so he didn't bother to correct anyone.

A small part of him enjoyed having her attention to himself during their runs and if her secret was revealed, that privacy would end. They spoke freely with one another, unburdened by expectations or perceptions. It was comforting to know his rival was such a genuine person, aside from her hidden identity. Their discussions helped him clear his mind and they were always enlightening.

Once, she had invited him over to her best friend Monta's house where she proceeded to teach him how to play a video game. (Without destroying it, an accomplishment that shocked his teammates in to a stupor. Sakuraba looked faint.). He had been surprised to find how enjoyable spending time not exercising had been, but that could also have been due to their close proximity. He had retained an odd urge to pull her close when she was near, an impulse he expected to be a hindrance or a help on the field. Only time would tell.

For now, he could use her help in the matter of decoding the notebook and finding its owner.

Sena jogged down the path by the river, examining the sides as she did. It was around here that she thought she might have stopped to retie her shoelaces. Her sweater had big pockets so her notebook might have slipped out. She was stupid for bringing it, but some part of her had envisioned Hiruma sneaking into her bedroom and scrounging through her stuff. How else did he get his extortion material?

Her eyes flew open wide as she realized she could ask Shin to help her search. He had incredible eyesight and he was super determined in whatever task he took on. There was no way it could be on this path and not found if the two of them looked together.

She grinned and sped up.

At a distance, Shin saw Eyeshield 21 approach. He kept his pace steady despite an irrational urge to speed up to meet her. After accidentally spear-tackling Sakuraba, he didn't want to take any risks involving his chasing instincts.

Good, now they could figure out this notebook business once and for all.

"Shin-san!" Sena greeted, sliding to a stop a couple feet in front of him.

"Sena-san," Shin replied, his tone sedate unless you knew him well enough to detect a hint of excitement in his expression.

"I need your help," they said simultaneously.

Sena blinked and Shin's eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" They both asked.

Sena's face began to flush and Shin tilted his head, gesturing for her to speak first.

"I- Sorry, I wanted to ask you if you'd mind looking with me for something," she explained, pressing a hand to her warm cheek. She would insist he talk first but once Shin decided, it was impossible to change his mind.

One of his eyebrows tugged upwards. "What did you lose?"

Ducking her head, she smiled wryly. "A notebook. It's small, about pocket-sized and-"

"White?" Shin asked, cutting her off.

Her hand dropped to her side. "Yeah, how did you know?"

Without a word, Shin removed the notebook from his pocket and held it out to her.

Sena regarded at it in disbelief before gazing up at him in awe. "You found it!"

He nodded, unsure of how to phrase his next question. This was not what he expected. What were the chances of it belonging to my rival? She continued to stare at him until he gestured for her to take it.

"Oh, right." Sena laughed, hurrying forward.

They both jerked when her fingers brushed against his as she grabbed it and a hush fell over them.

Flipping through the pages, she exhaled the tension that had been troubling her all day. It was all there. Her gaze was grateful when it returned to him. Softly but ardently, she said, "Thank you so much, Shin-san. You don't know what this means to me."

He stood firm despite the increasing warmth he felt in his chest. "The letters," he burst out. "What do they mean?"

Sena was grinning quietly to herself when she froze in realization. "Oh! The letters. S and F?" She took an uneasy step back. "They mean, uh, they mean Safety and Fear. You- You read it then?"

Shin's troubled expression cleared and she could hear his comprehension. "Yes, I apologize for the intrusion but I have many questions." He faltered, a sight she had seen only a handful of times. "The numbers under my name. I had wondered…"

There was a very real debate going on between Sena's fight or flight instincts. Her heart thumped an uncomfortable rhythm in her chest. What were the chances of him finding my notebook? Is this fate? Part of her was beyond embarrassed but another, larger part didn't seem to mind.

Swallowing, she cleared her throat before she spoke. "Even though you're my rival and you're a source of a lot of pain," she paused to touch her ribs with a faint wince, "I'm safer around you than afraid."

On one hand, Shin understood completely. It was logical to be wary of a stronger opponent. On the other, that she felt at ease in his presence despite that… He raised a hand to his face, feeling it burn.

Sena felt her mouth fall open. He's blushing! He- But- Shin can't do that?! No, of course, he can, I have never… Wow.

Her lips hurt as she struggled not to smile but she couldn't keep it in and laughed. "Shin-san, ready to run?"

"Yes," he replied gratefully, "Please."

She chuckled again and they sprinted down the path.

Once he had gotten himself back under control, Shin's mouth thinned as he recalled the many, many other names in the notebook with his new found knowledge. Perhaps he had been wrong to feel guilty about spear-tackling Sakuraba. As he considered this, he decided he had been too lenient on several of his opponents.

His eyes narrowed.

Much too lenient.

Sorta ooc, but it fits with the genderswap. My personal headcanon is that Fem!Sena was coddled a little more and has a tendency to call people she feels close to by sorta cutesy nice names, like Mamo-nee or Mizuma-nii. But only if she's super comfortable with them to be less than formal. Mamori practically raised her since she was young so that nickname stuck from way back then. For others, like Riku, she calls him by –nii as well but mostly because he insisted when they were little and she's a people pleaser so she did as he asked. She does see him as a brotherly figure, probably more than the original Sena, but also as someone she wants to make proud and be on even terms with. (He kinda bro-zoned himself lmao. He has Regret but he's working on changing his status.)

Also, I know I don't always write "-san" or "-chan" or the like unless I'm making a point, because I think it looks sort of clunky. Just assume it's there, okay? Okay.

ALSO, quick question: I've read the Huh-Huh Brothers/Ha-Ha Brothers being called by both names so what's the truth.