I think it's really interesting how a big part of Mamori's character development is going from worrying about Sena
(And more specifically, worrying about Sena getting bullied by Hiruma)
Which, he genuinely seems to appreciate here? He smiles softly when she reassures him about the team and their dedication, and how he doesn't have to be so tough anymore.
And interestingly, it seems like she starts worrying about Hiruma more than she did for Sena
When Sena is pushing himself to the brink and risking permanent injury, she tries to encourage him, even tho it terrifies her to the point that she's shaking, and Sena noticed.
She wants to stop him, but doesn't want to stifle his growth or hold him back like she did before, and so encourages him despite her fear
But Hiruma is a different case entirely.
She refuses to even consider the idea of him getting hurt, telling him that he absolutely can't get injured.
Hell, Hiruma hasn't even gotten hurt yet, but the very idea of it has her shedding tears. That's how much it upsets her
And when he is, she actively tries to stop him from rejoining the game, and has to be convinced to thanks to the third question that Hiruma held onto
Of course, Hiruma's arm is literally broken- it's not a potential injury like with Sena before, it's an active injury
But both of these moments bother her so much that she starts crying.
She starts crying when she's watching over him, too. And im reasonably certain that these tears are, at least, mostly for Hiruma since it's literally the chapter right after his arm got broken
When Sena becomes the new quarterback, she doesn't seem nearly as concerned, even tho he's now in the same position of danger as Hiruma
Not to say she isn't worried at all, but considering her behavior before, this is a pretty big change in attitude for her
And when Mr. Don is about to break Hiruma like Gaou did, the manga flashes to Mamori's reaction first, reinforcing how much seeing him get hurt upset her specifically
And another scene that's kinda related to all this-
When Hiruma is having a minor crash out at Musashi during the end of the Christmas Bowl, it quickly flashes over to Mamori for a panel
Which i find fascinating- she clearly knows that Hiruma is talking about himself here and not Kurita. It's not a hard conclusion to come to, especially for someone as emotionally intelligent and observant as Mamori, who specializes in reading between the lines when it comes to him
But the way she's looking at him feels a lot more personal than just intuition?
Idk, i could be reaching but to me it feels like Hiruma and Mamori talked off screen, and Hiruma's pain and frustration at Musashi leaving got discussed. Bc it doesn't even flash to Kurita, who was part of the original trio, it flashes to Mamori
I just really enjoy how Mamori goes from worrying about/mothering Sena and standing up to Hiruma, to supporting Sena and caring deeply about Hiruma.
It's such a fun flip in dynamics, especially when you consider how much Hiruma and Mamori opposed each other early on. And it feels perfectly natural for her character
Mamori's a natural caretaker, and had to push her way into Hiruma's personal space to treat his injuries properly. And because of that experience, she learned that he hides any and all forms of weakness, and started paying more attention to him than to the others, slowly picking up little changes in his behavior
Which. Idk man i just really like the character writing here
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