Goodbye for Now

Let no one weep for me, or celebrate my funeral with mourning; for I still live, as I pass to and fro through the mouths of men.
- Quintus Ennius

Tsuna's school life wasn't what you could call the perfect school life. In fact, it was one of the worse. All through out most of his life, he was picked on because he always had the lowest grades, couldn't do any physical activity, and always mange to screw something up.

Dame – Tsuna. That was what they all called him.

It hurt him. Why did nobody believe in him? Why couldn't he do anything right? Was he really... only No good?

But during one of his school years... he met someone. He met a teacher by the name of Mr.C.

Mr.C wasn't like any of his other teachers. He didn't sneer or make fun of Tsuna when he did something wrong. He didn't sigh or just plain give up on him. He didn't force Tsuna to do embarrassing things because he failed once.

No... he would give Tsuna a smirk and a smile. He would tell Tsuna not to give up. He believed in Tsuna. No matter how many times Tsuna had screwed up in some sort of way, no matter how many times Tsuna lost hope, Mr.C was there to give him a push and tell him to keep on going, don't give up, look to the future.

Whenever Tsuna would say that he could only do bad work, Mr.C would get angry and say No... it's not. Now do it over again. He would make sure Tsuna would get the help he needed. He would always stay behind if Tsuna needed help on a problem. He believed that Tsuna could accomplish a whole lot more than anyone else ever did.

For Tsuna, he was happy. This was the first time someone other than his mother had told him that he could do something right. This was the first time someone was nice to him besides his mother. Tsuna may complain about Mr.C sometimes... but in truth he was happy that someone would take the time to care about him and help him out.

Mr.C had an odd habit. He would drink small cups of sake and eat a cucumber with it. He would do that after school after all the children have left, making sure he wasn't a bad influence to any of them. It was something he enjoyed. He would give Tsuna a cucumber for no reason and say eat it. Tsuna never understood why, but ate it anyway. And the cucumber was always delicious. Mr.C said they were ones he raised and grew himself. Tsuna thought Mr.C's cucumber was the better than the store bought ones.

"Hey Mr.C." Tsuna one day asked his teacher. It was a week before Tsuna would go to another year... middle school. This means it would be the last time for Tsuna to talk with him.

"Hmm? Yes?" Mr.C asked.

"Thanks."

"...What for?"

"I want to say thanks for believing in me. I know I complain a lot when ever you pushed me to do something, but I wanted to say thanks for believing and not giving up on me."

"...I see."

"Even though I'm Dame – Tsuna... you still didn't give up on me. Thank you."

"...Now then, why do you still call yourself Dame – Tsuna?"

"...Because everyone else says so... everyone calls me it... so doesn't that mean that it's true?"

"Do you believe your Dame – Tsuna?"

"...Yeah."

"Why?"

"I'm No Good because after I left this school, I never changed like you told me too after our last meeting. I'm No Good because I would only write you letters and never bothered to visit you. I'm No Good because I forgot about you after I had left for college. I'm No Good because it didn't occur to me something was happening to you. I'm No Good because... when I heard you died from cancer, I couldn't shed a single tear for you."

"..."

"...I'm No Good *sniff* because I never got to say thank you. I never got to tell you the friends I made. I never got to you when I got marry. When I had my daughter. I never got to ell you all the things I wanted to day to you before. I'm No Good *sniff* because I never got to say good bye to you."

And so Tsuna cried out his heart. Tsuna cried out his regret.

"...Now come one... your saying good bye to me now aren't you."

"...?"

"This may be only a dream Tsuna, but don't forget what I tell you.

It's okay if you can't cry the first time hearing it. Sometimes we just can't believe at all. Heck... when my dad died, I couldn't believe it first and I didn't cry.

I didn't cry until at night, where I finally let my feelings out. I thought I be tough for my old dad. I thought it would be too sad to send him off with tears, and that it would be better to send him off thinking strong so he wouldn't have to worry after he died.

I was being stupid."

Tsuna looked up at the man shocked.

"It's okay to cry. It's okay to feel sad. It's okay for you to feel fear."

"...Were you scared when you died?"

"I was. The thought of leaving my wife and kid behind was a scary though. It's weird... that I won't be able to see my son grow up. That I had to leave this way. That I couldn't get the chance to say good bye.

Truth is, I don't want to say good bye. But we all do. Sometimes we get a chance to say goodbye... sometimes we don't.

But you have to understand... I may not have gotten a chance to live the life I want... but you do. Don't waste it. You only get one shot at living... so keep on living with determination.

Cry now... but live with my memory being happy.

Cause the kid I taught back then... was a cry baby. Now I look, and I see a young man that's not the same cry baby anymore.

So good bye Tsuna. Live happy. And eat a few cucumbers for me."

Tsuna looked at the man giving him a kind smile.

Tsuna blinked.

The man was gone and Tsuna was all alone in his classroom.

Tears fell down his face, and he knew he was crying. But even though he was crying... it didn't change the determine look on his face.

…

It was a sad day. It was raining. A lot of people gathered in a park by a small sakura tree.

There was a picture of a man there.

It was his memorial. The man had died after losing his battle to cancer. These people before him were his old students, his family, his friends, and the people he cared about and touched them with his heart.

They all cried this sorrowful day. They wept out loud and let their feelings out.

After the memorial was finished... the people all left. One by one. Until there stood only one man. He had brown spikey hair that was a mess. And chocolate brown eyes. His face looked like he had just stopped crying. He walked forward to the sakura tree. He bent down and left something there. He then stood up, turned around, and walked away. Never looking back.

And a ray of light broke through the clouds and fell down on the tree. And a lone cherry blossom fell down on a cup of sake. With a cucumber on the side.

Goodbye for now . You were one rocking teacher. I will never forget how much fun our class had with you and how funny you were. I cry now for you, for your family, and for myself. I cry for my regrets and yours. I cry to let out my sadness and yours.

But I'll live with your memories with a smile. So until that day comes when it's my time, I'll live with a fond smile, whenever I remember you. I live with determination... and live out the life you couldn't.

Though I don't want to say goodbye, I guess I have no choice.

Goodbye... and Thanks.

Your student, TheSylentnight.