Written by: Hajimeru Rinko
One more note: I do not own KHR and its characters. I own the story only. No one can use the contents of the story without my permission.
Tsuna is a busybody, is he? Don't you think so?
A Path Without Footsteps Chapter 2 – Haruka's decision
As Haruka lay in her bed inside the ICU, Tsuna waits outside, sitting on the chairs. By now, he would have been at home and eating dinner with his family, but he was worried about this girl who was in an accident, who is Haruka.
"Where are you, Tsu-kun?" Nana asked over the phone.
"I'm at the Namimori University Hospital." Tsuna replied as he looked around.
"What!? What happened!? Did you get hurt?" Nana worriedly asked.
"No I did not get hurt. I brought a girl who got knocked down by a truck to the hospital." Tsuna explained.
"That's great. You did a good deed, Tsu-kun." Nana told him.
"So…I might not be home soon." Tsuna said when he saw police officers around.
"You're such a busybody, aren't you?" Nana mentioned.
"I still have to give my statement over what had happened." Tsuna told his mother and hung up.
After phoning his mother, Tsuna was approached by Yamamoto.
"Yamamoto, why are you here?"
"I came here because I heard Haruka was in a accident."
"Haruka? Isn't that your daughter?"
"Yes. She had been hit by a truck to save a toddler."Yamamoto replied.
"If I remember, the toddler only suffered some scratches." Tsuna recounted.
"Wait…doesn't tell me you're the one who…" Yamamoto's voice trailed off.
"Are you Yamamoto Haruka's father?" A nurse came out and asked Yamamoto.
"Yup, I am. How's my daughter?" Yamamoto desperately asked.
"She is fine. The doctor said she might wake up soon. She might not be able to walk for while too." The nurse answered and walked off with her documents.
The two looked at the nurse who departed off. Then, they turned to Haruka, who was in the ICU. She was sleeping soundly, and the two heaved a sigh of relief.
"But…if it's not that serious, why would they put her in the ICU?" Tsuna pointed, making the two adults ever wonder what injuries Haruka got.
Haruka's POV
I slowly opened my eyes and found myself in a hospital ward. My father was sleeping on the bed I was on. 'What happened? All I remember is saving a toddler, then knocked down by a truck, and a man with brown hair and eyes shouting at me…'The first thing I wanted to do is move my legs. But suddenly, I feel nothing in them. I panicked upon not being able to move my legs easily.
"What happened? Why my legs are so stiff and won't move?! Why!" I screamed, and the nurse who came into my ward rushed over, puts the plate on the table and tried to calm me down.
The nurse tried to restrain me and in response, I was trying to break free. It's not possible. I only tried to save a toddler, and this happens to me? It's unfair!
Narrator's POV
Yamamoto soon woke up as the nurse was trying to restrain Haruka. He stood up and saw his daughter panicking very hard and still tries to break free.
"Haruka, what's wrong?" He asked.
"I…I can't feel anything in my legs!" She shouted.
"Calm down! We'll tell you later why and please calm down!" The nurse told her, and Haruka then stopped resisting and leaned on her bed.
After the nurse left with an empty plate, Haruka's head finally cooled down. She panted heavily as Yamamoto asked if she is alright.
"I'm…fine." Haruka said and suddenly remembered the person who shouted at her before she fainted.
She then held her father's arms tightly.
"Father! Do you know who brought me here?" She asked in impatient and drastic way.
"Uhh…why?"
"I remembered a brunette shouting at me before I fainted!" She said and gripped her father's arms even tighter.
'Brunette…she must be referring to Tsuna.' Yamamoto thought.
"I know him…why do you want to know?" Yamamoto tried to coax his daughter and make her calm down.
"I also wanted to know what happened to the toddler!" She desperately requested from her father, with tears flowing out uncontrollably.
"The toddler suffered some scratches, so he's fine." Yamamoto explained, hoping that it would make her calm down for once.
Haruka soon let go of her father's arms, and felt her legs. They aren't moving at all. She remained silent as Yamamoto asked his daughter what happened. 'Why did I bother saving that toddler? It wasn't worth it since I lost my legs just for saving a budding life. What about the basketball tournament? And helping out in the sushi restaurant?' Haruka thought, thinking what will happen to her.
Yamamoto could see his daughter's anxiety. He left the room for her to be alone, promising her that he'll bring her favourite sushi. 'How am I going to explain to Haru?' Yamamoto thought as he took the lift to the lobby. Back in her ward, Haruka gripped her blanket tightly.
'And…since mother is in New York at the moment with Ryu, I don't think father would tell her.' Haruka felt sad. She was Ryu's role model and was the one who got him to play basketball. Haruka felt that the world is crashing down right in front of her. Suddenly, the door opened. A girl with yellow hair entered.
Haruka looked up, seeing a girl with two long ponytails smiling at her from the door.
"Who are you?" Haruka demanded from this stranger who stepped in.
The blonde walked to beside Haruka's bed.
"My name is Reiko. Nice to meet you." She introduced herself.
"Umm…nice to meet you? My name is Haruka." Haruka looked away, not in the mood to socialize at the moment.
Reiko saw that Haruka is hardening up because of her injuries. She frowned and tried to talk to her again.
"What do you want with me?" Haruka fiercely got Reiko's hand off her shoulder.
"No…thing." Reiko slowly walked back.
She stepped out of the room, worried for Haruka's well-being. Haruka cried as Reiko left. 'Did I deserve this…just for saving a life?' She thought, feeling terrible inside.
The next day
Yamamoto was busy washing the dishes when the phone rang. He picked up the phone and asked who was it.
"Yamamoto, it's your wife here!" Haru happily greeted Yamamoto.
"Yo, how was New York?" Yamamoto smiled, trying to not tell Haru what happened to Haruka.
"It was great desu! Ryu is doing fine!"
"I see. Send him my greetings for me!"
"I'm going to have a month off soon so I'm coming back to Japan next week! Isn't this great!?" Haru excitedly informed Yamamoto, who almost dropped the plate he was holding.
There was some silence coming from Yamamoto's end.
"Dear?"
"Ahh! Sorry, I was washing the dishes and kind of almost dropped the phone." Yamamoto snapped out of his thinking.
"Oh. Well I gotta hang up now, bye dear!" Haru hung up.
Yamamoto puts the receiver back and continued washing the plates. After that, he closed up the shop and took the bento he made for Haruka to the hospital.
At the hospital
Haruka was restless. No one came in for the whole morning, not even someone. She felt like she was abandoned, but at least her father would be coming this afternoon with her favourite sushi. She really looked forward to it. Hospital life wasn't exciting; you don't go to school, you just lie on your bed 24/7. Nurses and doctors just come in, bla-bla-bla and they leave.
Everything seemed blank in front of her. She felt that there was nothing to live for now. Finally, Yamamoto came in with her favourite sushi, making her happy for a moment. And a doctor came in, ruining the moment.
"Are you her father?" The male doctor checked his clipboard.
"Yes, I am."
"Well sorry for the late report, someone in a cow print suit dragged me to Italy for no apparent reason and no one wanted to replace me." The doctor took a look at his clipboard before turning to face Yamamoto.
'Cow suit? What kind of idiot would wear something that lame?' Haruka thought, shocked that someone never bothered to read fashion magazines.
"We'll talk in my office." The doctor left with Yamamoto, and Haruka is alone again.
'Great. Adults like hiding a lot of things for 'protection'.' Haruka gritted her teeth angrily and continued eating her favourite sushi bento. Reiko knocked on the door, with her other hand holding her porridge. She turned the door handle, and stepped in. Haruka was surprised by her visit.
The blonde walked in and sat beside her.
"It's you…"
"Haven't cooled down yet?" Reiko asked, and Haruka went silent.
Reiko tasted her warm porridge made by her mother. Haruka was still looking at her sushi bento.
"Life is never fair. You're just like this porridge, very hot and cannot be tasted. But as time pass, the grudge you hold slowly fades away, until you become cool enough to be tasted." Reiko sounded like a poet.
Haruka was intrigued, holding one of her sushi and turned to face Reiko. She had never seen someone as annoying as her attempting to try and explain to her the lessons of life. 'That reminds me, she is just like my mother who tried to get me in a dress.' Haruka didn't like her mother's 'cosplay' side.
Flashback: Four years ago, at a vacation house in New York
Haruka was in her room, playing hand held games. Haru then knocked on the door. Haruka paused her gaming and puts the hand held machine aside. She hopped off the bed and ran to open the door. There, Haru was holding many costumes in her arms and was smiling.
"Mum, please tell me this isn't a dress up party." Haruka was annoyed, even though a girl her age should love dresses a lot.
"No it isn't! This time, it's not dresses. These are precious costumes, Haruka! You haven't seen the magical, beautiful fantasies and dreams you could see while you portray someone!" Haru exaggerated, and Haruka was not one bit convinced.
Haruka turned her back on Haru and continued playing games.
"Kora! Don't ignore your mother when she's talking!" Haru bursted out of her happy mode.
"Huh?" Haruka turned to face her mother.
"Don't 'huh' me! I'm your mother and don't you dare ignore me!" Haru was already furious at her daughter, who could not understand her dreams.
Meanwhile, Ryu was playing baseball with his father in the garage. When Ryu was about to return the ball, a scream erupted throughout the house. He stopped and the ball flew past him. Ryu then looked at the direction of the scream.
"What was that, father?" Ryu asked.
"Your mother is planning to bring Haruka to a convention for cosplayers so she intends to teach her how to cosplay." Yamamoto happily explained, ignoring his daughter's pleas.
"SOMEONE! HELP ME! DAD! RYU! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!" Haruka screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Oh no you don't! Haruka, get back here!" Haru attacked Haruka with a bunny maid costume.
Ryu and Yamamoto stood there, lost for words. Ryu then turned to father.
"How is mother teaching nee-san how to cosplay when she is learning how to scream for help?" He asked, completely blur on what is cosplay.
Yamamoto scratched his head, looking for an answer.
"Well, cosplay is like portraying your superheroes…"
"Like Batman!?" Ryu was excited.
"Yup!"
Haru was looking around for Haruka, who was hiding behind something. Haru heard Ryu's being excited, so she takes out a batgirl costume and hunts for Haruka mercilessly. Haruka heaved a sigh of relief when Haru was gone. Suddenly, Haru sneaks up on Haruka and…
"!" Haruka screamed as Haru forces a costume on her daughter.
After that, Ryu and Yamamoto heard nothing. Haruka crawled her way to the garage, looking like a clown. Ryu saw Haruka wearing dirty make-up, messed up clothes and a torn off clown hat. The sight of eight year old Haruka looked extremely silly that it even made Ryu laugh.
"Nee-san, what the heck are you wearing? You look like….YOU LOOK LIKE…GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ryu burst out in laughter.
"Yamamoto Ryu… What is funny?" Haru demanded creepily, as if she was a ghost.
Ryu stopped laughing and felt that his mother is going to kill him. Haru stepped closer, and closer. Yamamoto was still standing there, holding on to his baseball glove. Haru grabbed Ryu in a suspense way and…
"MY COSPLAYS ARE PERFECT AND NUMBER ONE! YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT AND THE REASON WHY YOUR SISTER IS LOOKING LIKE A CLOWN IS BECAUSE SHE RUINED MY COSPLAYS I TRIED TO PUT ON HER SO DO YOU WANT TO LOOK LIKE A PERFECT CLOWN? GREAT, LET ME GET THE COSTUME!" Haru was pulling Ryu's face and took him upstairs.
After Haru left, Haruka was still on the ground. She reached out her hand.
"Dad…save me." She begged and passed out.
Back at current time
"And you know, the queen of cosplays is currently…" Reiko was blabbering away, holding a magazine while Haruka died of boredom.
'Someone…save me from this hellish pit.' Haruka thought.
"But on the other hand…what do you think you're going to do now, if your legs will never be able to move again?" Reiko suddenly asked Haruka, who quickly faced Reiko.
Haruka thought for a moment. 'Definitely not cosplaying…but what?' She couldn't think of an answer when Yamamoto came in.
"Haruka, the doctor asked if you would like to consider rehabilitation to try and regain your ability to walk again." Yamamoto mentioned.
"I want to walk." Haruka held her legs tightly.
'And I don't want to be in a wheelchair anymore!' She thought and gritted her teeth.
"I'll take that as a yes, Haruka."
"And…I'll make sure that I won't lose." Haruka declared after Yamamoto left.
Reiko smiled. 'That is a good mindset you have, Yamamoto Haruka.'
End of Chapter 2
Yeah...got bored of A Visit to Namimori for a moment so decided to write this one since I haven't updated yet.
And for The Servants of the Vongola Mansion, it's going to take longer as I can't finish it on time. The Dying Will Bullet fanfic is the 2nd popular fanfic I've made, but too bad that I can't update the thing, it was a oneshot unfortunately.