"He's a special boy."
Chrome could understand this. He vouched for her in the Ring Battle, and was very sweet.
"I would really love to know all about him."
This, too, was very understandable. She wanted to find out how his mind worked and how she could pay him back.
"I want you to do the figuring out."
That… not so much.
"But Mukuro-sama," she told everyone's favorite ex-prisoner, "why not just ask him directly? Isn't that easiest?"
No, that's too suspicious, he communicated to her. I was once his enemy; he won't trust me as much as he trusts you.
"What if this doesn't work?"
Just go with: I know it'll end up fine.
And so Chrome was sitting on the park bench, waiting for the target to appear: Tsunayoshi Sawada. What Mukuro wanted, Mukuro would get. Though if he really wanted it, he should probably just get it himself…
Her eye scanned the area, looking for any signs of Tsuna, but no luck. Just screaming little kids and overprotective parents.
"Mukuro-sama," Chrome spoke up, "what happens if he doesn't show up? Will we sit like this all day?"
No, because he'll come. If not, we'll just have to be forceful and go directly to his house. But I'd like to avoid it, because -
"Boss!" Chrome called out, spotting Vongola Tenth's fluffy, brown hair. She glanced next to him, spotting Gokudera Hayato. This put a crutch in plans, but she should still be able to get some questioning done if she was lucky.
Tsuna looked over to where Chrome was sitting. She could see him arguing with Gokudera for a moment before they both headed over to the bench.
"Um, hi, Chrome," Tsuna tensely greeted her, still not used to this mysterious girl. Gokudera gave a nod of acknowledgment.
Oh, there's so much to ask ~ ! Mukuro merrily cheered. His height, his favorite foods, the color of underwear he's wearing, what TV shows he watches, about his family…
"Excuse me, Boss?"
"Yes?"
"What color underwear are you wearing?" Chrome asked, completely ignorant to what she had just said.
"Ehhhhh?" Tsuna cried, very flustered, backing up into Gokudera, who shot Chrome a dirty look.
"Now what exactly are you trying to with Tenth, lady?" Gokudera asked back, a small blush also spreading over his pale face.
NO! Nonononono, don't ask him that! Mukuro screamed at her.
"Sorry, Boss, I didn't mean that," Chrome tried covering up, with Gokudera still glaring daggers at her. "What I meant to say was… um… do you want to go get something to eat?"
"Something to eat?" Tsuna said reluctantly.
"I'll pay," she replied, holding up her wallet. "So what do you say?"
My dear Chrome, we are off to a bad start on this, Mukuro vented. He and Chrome were waiting at the table as Tsuna and Gokudera went to go order for them. Nothing embarrassing, okay?
"But Mukuro-sama, you were the one who said it in the first place," she shot back.
Urk! Well, you see…
A cup was placed in front of her, Tsuna releasing it from his hand.
"We didn't know what you wanted to drink," Tsuna explained, giving her a shrug.
"Oh, yes."
She scooted her chair back, getting up to go to the soda fountain. Tsuna sat down in the seat next to her, and Gokudera next to him.
"You know, Tenth, I don't like her," Gokudera said, sipping through his straw. "She seems pretty fishy, with this whole Mukuro business."
"That may be, but she helped us in the ring battles," Tsuna argued, unwrapping his burger.
"And she's always talking to herself. Only crazy people do that."
Unlike you? Tsuna thought to himself, taking his first bite.
The chair next to him scraped, and Chrome sat down, back with her drink. She hesitated, unsure of how to start this conversation.
"Um, Boss," she said, stumbling over her thoughts. "Say, what are your hobbies?"
"Hm? Why?"
"Oh, no reason."
"Well I like playing video games…"
"What's your favorite video game?"
"Well I just got-"
"Favorite movie? Favorite television show? Favorite food? Favorite color?"
"Chrome, Chrome, calm down. One question at a time."
"Oh, sorry, it's my first time doing this."
"First time doing what?" Gokudera asked. "Talking to humans?"
"First time interrogating," she answered simply.
Tsuna stared at her, not really sure how the heck he was supposed to reply to that.
"Eh, Chrome…"
Gokudera reached over Tsuna and poked Chrome in the shoulder with a stick of dynamite. "So what family are you from? Acting friendly towards the Tenth to get answers! Not while I'm around!"
"Gokudera, stop!" Tsuna ordered, pushing him off of her. "She's not from any family but ours!"
"But -"
"Just let her explain, okay? Now, Chrome, what do you mean by this whole 'interrogating' thing?"
"Mukuro-sama wants to know all about you," she replied without hesitation.
A silence spread over the table and in her head.
"Oh, was I not supposed to say that?" Chrome asked Mukuro.
CHROME! If you tell him that, it's almost like me asking him myself! And what's the point of that?
"But Mukuro-sama, you never told me not to!"
"Hey Tenth, I think Mukuro might have programmed her incorrectly," Gokudera whispered, snickering.
"Ahhn, be quiet for a second," Tsuna said, feeling embarrassed and out of place as Chrome continued her internal argument.
Well, now he's definitely not going to say a thing if he knows I'm here! Mukuro yelled. Now what do we do?
"I thought you had a plan!"
I didn't think you'd do that, Chrome!
"You should have told me beforehand!"
Logic! It's called logic! You use it!
"But but but -"
He hung up on her. Or as much as he could, seeing as he was in her head.
She turned back to Tsuna and Gokudera.
"Sorry about that, Boss," she apologized with a frown, processing how she could possibly talk her way out of this.
"It's okay," Tsuna said, surprising Chrome. "Since I know it was Mukuro, I'm pretty fine with your actions. Mukuro's just… how do I say it… special?"
"The words you're looking for are perverted, controlling, and stupid," Gokudera told Tsuna.
"Okay, yes, he is a stupid, controlling pervert. And I definitely wouldn't want to go against him in your situation. So it's not your fault, okay?" Tsuna said, giving her the most sincere smile he could possibly have.
A sudden burst of wind rolled through the restaurant and a whirl of mist grabbed at Chrome.
"So cute!" came the voice Tsuna wanted to hear the least at that moment. Gokudera reached for his pockets, dynamite at the ready.
His blue pineapple bobbed up and down as Mukuro reached out to hug Tsuna. Gokudera reacted on instinct, throwing a stick of dynamite in Mukuro's direction.
"Ugh!" he cried out as the dynamite connected with his forehead, knocking him backwards and away from Tsuna.
"Kufufu. Vongola, your right-hand man never learns, does he?" Mukuro asked, trying to be as suave as possible with a giant red mark on his face.
"Uh, yeah," Tsuna said, trying to find a way to escape from the building.
"Now, now, you don't have to talk," Mukuro continued, closing in on Tsuna's face. "Just fill this out, 'kay?"
He handed Tsuna a packet, with the title "VONGOLA QUESTIONNAIRE" at the top. It looked to be about ten pages long, with questions like, "Do you consider pillow fights to be girlish and childish?" "What is your opinion on cherries?" and "Are you passive or aggressive?"
This is the stupidest questionnaire I've seen in my life! Tsuna thought as Mukuro gave a school girl-like "Kufufu."
"Um, Mukuro?" Tsuna said, preparing to do the bravest thing he had ever done.
"Yes, Vongola?"
Mukuro's packet slammed right into Mukuro's face.
"I refuse to answer your silly little questionnaire, okay?" Tsuna told him, hiding behind Gokudera in case Mukuro tried to come at him.
Mukuro mulled it over for a few seconds before saying. "Oya, oya, fine. But Vongola, can you answer one question for me?"
"I guess…"
"Do you like me?"
"Yeah."
Mukuro flinched, taken aback by the immediate reply.
"Really?" he cried, almost like a young girl in love (which is not a far-off comparison).
"Well, even though you tried to kill me and my friends, you helped in the Ring Battle, right? So sure, I like you," Tsuna replied, unaware of any and all connotations Mukuro held with the word "like."
"…Oh."
Do young people today have no meaning what the word "like" means?
"Well, my work here is done," Mukuro said, picking his questionnaire up off the floor and heading for the door, closing it behind him. The door opened up again.
"You know what, I'm going to finish this," Mukuro told them, picking up Chrome's drink and giving it a sip. "Hm, water. What a boring girl."
He turned to face Tsuna. "Well, Vongola, I'll be seeing you." With that he gave the V-for-victory sign and left the restaurant.
"That Mukuro guy sure is a total nut job," Gokudera said.
"He's definitely interesting…"