Ignoble Intentions

Those dark steel foreboding eyes peered down at her sharply. As if the term shooting daggers had become true she could feel her chest crumble with a stabbing sensation and in defence raised a clenched fist to rest above her breast in a dainty posture. Her other hand clenched the leather handle of her school briefcase book-bag until her knuckles had become white, she said nothing to him but kept her blue eyes glued to him. she was running late and stopped the impulse to check her red strapped watch around her wrist for exactly how late she had become, not that it mattered much to him. Being tardy without an excuse was considered being absent and that affected the schools attendance record, something he took very serious as it made Namimori look bad compared to other schools in the region. She was smart enough to know this was something that got under his skin easily and yet her perfect track record of getting to school not only on time but in advanced was going down the drain quickly this week, he was bound to notice sooner or later.

"Kurokawa Hana, you've managed to be late every single day this week" his words sliced the silence as if it were a physical thing, she flinched feeling the awkward atmosphere slip away and turn into confrontation. His eyes narrowing ever so slightly told her it was a chance for her to explain herself, it would of been easier to lay down and get it over with but Hana had this strong headedness to her that even she wished she didn't have some days.

"Hibari why don't you just let me pass, the longer I'm late the worse it will just become" she offered reason, she had homeroom and the teacher was more lenient then others when it had come to being five minutes late, on occasions being late himself. She risked opening herself for an attack by taking her hand from her chest and checking the time, she had in fact been twenty minutes late her eyes widened with acknowledgment and could feel the faint blush of embarrassment bubble to the surface. Had she been so lost in thought walking through the streets that she had really spent more than twice the time needed to travel to school?

"It would be more of an inconvenience for others if you interrupt their lessons" he moved his arm in a motion that most knew to be him readying his tonfas, her flinching alone was enough to bring a small smirk of amusement to his face and in a flash it was gone. His hand was outstretched as he took a step to the side, biting herbivores was one thing and dispensing annoying crowds another but he was still unsure how to feel about those of annoying little girls like Kurokawa, even if she was in all accounts guilty in his books. "Let's not see this become a habit Kurokawa" there was no warmth in his warning "I don't want to know what's going on with you, but get yourself together"

.:1887:.

His parting words had played in her mind as she sat in the office, the walls and floors where all white and the buzzing sound of the fluorescent lights above her gave her a slow paced thumping headache. "Get myself together?" she mused aloud her body doubled over defeated awaiting for the principle to come and tell her the news she already knew was to come. Anyone who came this late without a good reason usually got a call to their parents, Hana wasn't worried however...

"Miss. Kurokawa, thank-you for waiting" the aging man of mid fifties Mr. Tokana frowned opening the door to her right and entered the small hallway, his brown suit pressed but like him showed aged as if it were the only thing he wore. Her eyes wondered towards the worn knees of his suit pants as she avoided eye contact, straitening up her back to show some respect . He cleared his throat holding a piece of paper that no doubt had accounts of her arrival time for the past week "We couldn't contact your parent's at home, your father-"

"Let me guess put you on hold for a hour" she didn't apologies for the interruption but Mr. Tokana simply nodded noticing the odd sourness of her tone and how unusual it had been for her. He shifted uncomfortably if thinking what to say before she stood slowly "Mr. Tokana I'm really sorry I promise I won't be late again" she didn't sound very convincing at all.

"Miss. Kurokawa...if something is bothering you, we have a councillor here you're always welcome to..." she just smiled off his invitation, she didn't need to talk to anyone she wasn't sure why everyone was making such a big deal about her being a little airheaded lately. He could tell he was talking to a brick wall at this point and with a sigh he let her go back to class.

.:1887:.

She slid effortlessly into the crowd of students making their way to second period, perfectly fitting into place next to her youthful peach of a best friend Kyoko. The girl's amber eyes brightened with acknowledgement that Hana had finally arrived at school. It wasn't a surprise to her that Kyoko had become worried, they had both left for school at the same time although Kyoko took a left earlier than usual to meet up with Tsunayoshi and his gang of monkey friends.

It wasn't that Hana disliked Tsuna and his friends it was more the point that any morning should never be that loud and her quite simple life of Kyoko and herself soon expanded into this seemingly crazy adventure, an adventure Hana always missed out on. It had strained her relationship with Kyoko but not to the point of breaking it just needed a few bandaids, wether Kyoko knew this or not was another thing...she could be so oblivious.

"Hana I was worried about you, did you get lost or something?" Kyoko smiled taking Hana's book-bag before she could protest. "The craziest thing happened I fell down a rabbit hole and had to fight a jabberwocky" the odd thing about her sentence was the fact that it wasn't drenched in sarcasm. Kyoko's smile soon turned into a frown, furrowing her brows she looked questionably at her best friend "Hana?"

"It was nothing, I just ran into Hibari that's all...you know he could sour anyone's milk" although that wasn't the source of what was bothering her she still would of preferred it if she could of just snuck into school and sink into the surrounding students. After all it was his little scene that had caught the teachers attention and made her sit in vein in hallway for a phone call she knew wouldn't be answered. "I guess... I guess I've just been having a bad day is all..." she sighed pressing her temple wishing the thumping would go away already.

"Bad day? Try bad week Hana" Kyoko wouldn't let up now that she was sure something was stewing under Hana's surface, she had this way of picking it to the surface in a way that that Hana liked but also made her feel self-conscious and naked. Kyoko's little mind tricks a reason why you should be more guarded around the girl, she was oblivious but also an odd sort of genius...Well at least when it came to her best friend anyway Hana wasn't sure how far it could extend.

Kyoko quietly studied Hana for a few more steps before snapping her fingers, a light inside her eyes as if she had just solved a tricky math question worried Hana. What was milling through that strawberry blondes mind? She didn't have to wonder in agony for long as she studied Kyoko looking around as if making sure that they were in the clear before tugging on Hanna's sleeve and pulling her to isolation next to some lockers and out of the flow of students marching to class "It's big brother isn't it?"

Hana felt as if she was punched in the stomach as Kyoko bluntly blurted it out, she couldn't help fold her arms as if it would do any good in defending her hurt feelings of rejection. Well in truth it hadn't been real rejection, she just never thought a guy like that could get a girlfriend so easily. She didn't know much about the girl, Ryohei had went to a sport related school trip and had come back with his arms around a short haired female mini-him. She seemed nice enough but it really hurt Hana she had liked Ryohei for coming into a year now and suddenly this other girl was in the picture...

"I've always thought you had a crush on big brother but it wasn't my place to say anything, I really wish I did now" Kyoko frowned feeling like she let Hana down in some strange way "I guess it was kind of noticeable you've been so distant since he started seeing Hotaru" Kyoko was just happy that he was happy but it tore her in two seeing how deeply it effect Hana, surprisingly deep. Ryohei never seemed to be her type, honestly Kyoko kinda thought Hana would be more into the silent serious type. "Opposites attract" She thoughtlessly said aloud.

"Yeah well he was obviously not attracted to me" Hana couldn't help but state coldly despite herself not wanting to be rude to Kyoko, the only person she felt she had left. Sighing she rubbed away a tear as Kyoko loyally stood there until Hana miserably replied with a apology "Sorry Kyoko I shouldn't bite your head off it's not your burden" Kyoko shook her head her feelings would be hard to hurt when she knew Hana wasn't in the right of mind at the moment.

"Let's just...let's just get back to class, or I won't be the only one doing the biting around here" Hana frowned her eyes wondering the corridors for members of the disciplinary committee. They liked to harass people standing around and those who took their time getting to class, she could only imagine how bad it would be if their school had a hall pass system "We can talk about it after science class you know how Mr. Dohachiro gets" she waved off her concerned friend, Kyoko didn't seem satisfied with the answer but she wasn't getting anything out of Hana now and Mr. Dohachiro's late lectures were pretty annoying.

Hana lightly took back her book-bag and turned to re-enter the crowd, aware that Kyoko hadn't moved she turned her head back "Mr. Dohachiro remember?" she egged on Kyoko taking the girls hand before using her book-bag as a battering ram to gain access into the thickness of the crowd, it was just like traffic. "I was just think..." Kyoko started up again after a moment of silence, obviously she decided she wanted to talk about it now instead of after Science like Hana had promised. "Ryohei and Hotaru have been dating for a couple of weeks now, so obviously something else has to be bothering you too"

Hana didn't even look back at her and let the conversation stew in with the mass chatter surrounding them. Hana really just wished she would just drop it already "After Science I promise you" she finally stated knowing full well that Tsuna would take up all of Kyoko's attention allowing her to slip away... just like the background character she had become.