"People will stare. Make it worth their while." – Harry Winston

It took 7 minutes for Tsuna to actually get inside his car. It took 2 minutes for his elevator to reach the lobby. He lived on the top floor in the 23-story building so that was expected. When he stepped out of the elevator, the faint scent of cherry blossoms wafted in his nose. The lobby was empty aside from the two workers at the front desk.

Shirasu, one of the secretaries, perked up when he saw Tsuna walk by. He was a young man, just a year younger than him, with tidy black hair and glasses. "Kato-san, you're alive!"

His co-worker, a young woman with straight black hair and dainty lips, looked at him in horror, making Tsuna stifle a chuckle. She was definitely new. He waved casually at Shirasu and leaned against the dark marble counter. "Alive and kicking," he said, smiling. "Did you miss me, Shira-kun?"

Shirasu flushed. "Well, um, I couldn't help but worry. I haven't seen you around for a couple of weeks."

"I'm a busy man," Tsuna said, nodding sagely as if that explained everything. He smiled at the new worker who only looked on with confusion. "And may I ask who this fair maiden is?"

Red immediately dusted her cheeks. "I—My name is Koizumi Tomoko! I just started last week."

"Kato Tsunayoshi," Tsuna said, tipping his white cap. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Koizumi-san. You have very pretty lips."

Tomoko pressed her fingers against them, turning even redder and looking anywhere but him. "Oh, um, thank you, Kato-san."

"I think you'll look lovely in pale gold with a nice touch of lip gloss. Your lips really are exquisite." Tsuna smiled innocently as Tomoko sputtered out another thanks under her breath. "I'd love to chat more but I have an errand to run."

"An errand?" Shirasu said, trying to maintain a professional tone. Though he somewhat knew Tsuna the longest among the employees, he had no information on the brunet and Tsuna would rather keep it that way. He stayed out of people's business so that they'd stay out of his. Laying low was a staple of his breezy life. "Will you be gone for long, Kato-san?"

Tsuna waved him off casually. "No need to keep count, Shira-kun. I won't disappear. Just a little bump in my schedule. I'll see you two soon. It was a pleasure meeting you, Koizumi-san! Take care of the fort, Shira-kun, alright?"

Tomoko's stuttering goodbye and Shirasu's bright farewell had Tsuna smiling to himself as he left the apartment building. He headed for the garage where his (barely used) car was with some others. It was nice to see that there were people contributing to society. Technically, he was, too. By returning Haru's work to her, she'd be able to dress her model, do her thing, and get a promotion in some way to help corporations promote whatever they wanted and stimulate the economy. Tsuna was more like the guy in the shadows that only came out when he wanted to (or needed to in this case), which was rare, too.

After inputting the address Haru sent him into his car's GPS, Tsuna made himself comfortable. He placed Haru's bag in the passenger seat and turned on the ignition. The car had been a gift from his grandfather after he graduated high school. Fastening his seatbelt, Tsuna turned on the engine and sped out of the garage.

It'd take twenty minutes to actually get there but he could cut that by ten or so. He turned on the radio, pressed the CD button, and hummed happily to Sugar Angels' theme song.

If there was something (else) Tsuna was good at, it was avoiding traffic. He'd take streets that didn't exist on the map—the GPS was really just to mark the place, not guide him, thank you—and avoid highways like the plague in favor of local roads. Nothing really changed in Tokyo since he last went out. Honestly, he left his apartment a few weeks ago to buy some snacks from the convenience store a few blocks down that would take a day or two if he ordered online and he wasn't exactly the most patient person in the world.

The last time he legitimately went out into the city was four months ago to pick up Haru after she was left behind by Higashi at a show venue. Needless to say, Tsuna bought plenty of ice cream that night.

Asagao Magazine had a fairly tall and sleek building with the logo at the top. A morning glory petal dotted the "i". Several pedestrians walked the streets with a few tourists taking pictures in front of the building. Known for its chic style and decent advertisements, Asagao Magazine was pretty popular in Japan, highlighting mostly new and fresh models. For it to somehow get a hold on M.M was actually impressive since the French model rarely worked for magazines that weren't well-known internationally.

Tsuna drove around to the back entrance where Haru was waiting for him, pacing back and forth anxiously. He honked the horn, catching her attention immediately, and swerved his car around quickly to park by the sidewalk.

Haru dashed over and tapped incessantly on the window before Tsuna rolled it down. "Tsuna!" she said, grabbing the bag. "Oh, my God! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I really owe you!"

Tsuna smiled slightly. Haru was wearing the outfit he had designed for her as a small gift when she got her first job: a breezy olive green jumper with a red camellia sewn on the bottom over a light tan-striped shirt. "No problem. Just in a day's work is all. Go back. You have 6 minutes."

Haru shifted through the bag and breathed out a sigh in relief. "Everything's here. I gotta go, Tsuna. I'll text you! Drive safe!"

"Got it, captain," Tsuna said. He waited until Haru returned inside the building before driving out to the front.

He hummed along to Yuni's theme as he drove through the streets when something very interesting caught his eye. Immediately, he stepped on the brakes, causing the tires to screech. In a small comics store, there was a hefty display of anime figurines and keychains, but Tsuna's eyes zeroed in on one figure in particular: Bluebell posing morosely with a hand on her flowing blue hair and wearing a long white robe. It was her during the Rogue Arc and Tsuna had only seen that once while he was internet shopping, sold out before he could blink.

He tipped his sunglasses down with a small smirk. "Guess today's my lucky day," he said, driving closer. The figurine looked to be in good condition, too. Now, the price—oh, ¥11,262.10. That wasn't bad. Materials looked legitimate and Tsuna had been itching to get more Bluebell figurines. Wait, did he even bring his card?

Before he could pat his shorts to check, his phone rang. He raised a brow when he saw that it was Haru. "Done already?" he said, picking up the call. "I'm not even—Haru?"

There was some sniffles from the other line combined with faint murmurs in the background. Tsuna parked his car, not even blinking when someone honked their horn behind him. He didn't even glance when the car drove past him in an angry rush. "I'm not dead if that's what you're wondering," he said lightly.

"Can—Can you come back?" Haru said, sobbing. "I—I—My—I don't think I can drive home."

"Haru, what's wrong?"

"I just—It wasn't my fault, okay? I got the bag, you brought it, but Higashi-san—Higashi-san said I was late and missing stuff. She…fired me."

"I'm heading back now." Tsuna turned the car around sharply. "Save your breath so you don't choke. Want anything, sweetheart?"

Haru made a sound that was between a gag and a cough. "I told you…to never call me that, you creep."

Tsuna smiled slightly, speeding past a yellow light. "I'm still offering."

Haru sniffled again. "…the chocolate cake Frappuccino with matcha…"

"Duly noted, captain."

Tsuna, thankfully, had his card with him. He adjusted his cap, leaving his sunglasses on, as he left his parked car and headed to the back entrance of Asagao Magazine's building. A few people looked at him strangely but he didn't pay them any mind. After he entered through the glass door, the cool air-conditioning hit him right in the face.

The paper Starbucks bag rustled in the quiet and narrow stairwell. He climbed a few more steps before reaching another door that led to a hallway of elevators.

"Excuse me, sir!" a worker said from the front desk, standing up. "You're not allowed to enter without a guest pass!"

Tsuna grinned innocently. "I'll only be up for a few minutes, ma'am." He raised the drink tray and the bag. "It's for a Higashi Yoshike. I'll be in and out before you know it."

Before the woman could answer, the elevator dinged open and Tsuna stepped inside with a cheery wave. He pressed the button for the 14th floor. However, as soon as the doors were about to close, a rush of footsteps suddenly drew closer. A hand immediately stopped the doors from closing shut. Tsuna stepped to the side when a tall, suited man entered the elevator, holding a pink bag of shoes. He gave him a friendly smile. "In a rush?" Tsuna said.

The man had spiked out, slick black hair and two dark tattoo lines on his right cheek. He looked pretty worn out, with dark circles underneath his sharp eyes. Despite that, he straightened himself, giving Tsuna some respectable distance. The brunet didn't miss the way the man eyed him oddly. "I'm not sure if I can really say," he said, clearing his throat.

Tsuna smiled slightly as the doors closed. He knew who the man was. He'd seen him on some old magazine covers and shows: Lancia Bellandi, a former model from Italy. Now he was a manager and mentor for fashion models, one of them being M.M.

"No problem," Tsuna said. "I didn't expect an answer. I like hearing myself talk."

Some tension eased away from Lancia's broad shoulders. "I see," he said, not meeting Tsuna's gaze. He blinked when he realized that they were heading for the same floor but didn't comment on it. "Do you work here?"

"I'm just a lackey." Tsuna gave Lancia a small grin. "No one you should be concerned about."

Before Lancia could respond, the elevator stopped with a small ding. The doors opened, making a small hiss. Some cool air rushed inside the elevator. Tsuna smiled at Lancia when he stepped out. "Good luck," he said, leaving the stunned man behind.

Whistling, Tsuna walked down the long white halls in an even pace. Strong rays of sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows overlooking the city. Honestly, there was a limit to how much light you let in a room.

Haru was nowhere to be seen but Tsuna had an internal radar out for her. Plus, they'd been friends long enough to know each other's habits and deepest, darkest secrets, so that helped. He entered the women's bathroom and followed the quiet sobs and sniffles to the last stall. It smelled like flowery soap and peaches. Tsuna vaguely wondered if anyone even used the restroom.

"Captain," he said, his voice echoing in the otherwise empty bathroom, "I come bearing gifts."

Haru let out some watery coughs. "You ass…"

"I'd like to think of myself as an angel actually."

There was some shuffling behind the door until the lock clicked. When the door creaked open, Tsuna got a good look at Haru's face. Her eyes were red from crying and her cheeks were flushed. She opened the door wider, leaning against the stall for some support. "What are you wearing?" she said.

Tsuna looked down at his clothes, which were essentially his pajamas: some black shorts and a white T-shirt that had a hole on the bottom coupled with black slippers and white ankle-high socks. "What's wrong with it?" he said. "I look great."

Haru shook her head, chuckling. "I didn't get a good look at you in the car but… My God, you look terrible. If someone comes in, they'll seriously think you're a pervert."

"If," Tsuna said. "Got you the last donut, too."

Haru rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. "What a keeper."

Tsuna winked, even if Haru couldn't see it through his sunglasses. "Of course I am."

Haru grabbed her green knapsack and slung it over her shoulder. She sighed when she checked her face in the mirror. "I look like shit," she said.

Tsuna turned on the water for her. "Yup."

Haru huffed but didn't say anything. She splashed water on her face, checking herself in the mirror, before doing it again a couple more times. Tsuna handed her some paper towels to dry her face, which she accepted gratefully, while he fixed her jumper. "What happened, cap?" he said.

Haru shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it. It's just—My head hurts. I need to get my stuff, too."

Tsuna opened the door for her. "Sure." He handed her the drink. "My queen."

Haru snorted but took it anyways. "Thanks, peasant."

Tsuna placed a hand over his heart. "That's all I wanted to hear."

"You're ridiculous."

"Whatever you say is just music to my ears."

Haru wrinkled her nose as she stirred her drink slowly with the plastic straw. "Oh God, kill me."

Tsuna just smiled. Haru seemed more relaxed than she was before. She slurped her drink with a stubborn crease in her brows, most likely trying to think of something other than being fired.

"How was the shoot?" he said.

Haru narrowed her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Did you at least have some fun?"

"Tsuna."

The brunet raised his hands. "Apologies, Your Royal Highness. Curiosity got the best of me is all."

"Should I cut your tongue off?"

"Then who will keep you company with beautiful songs at night?"

Haru groaned. "I swear, singing that stupid theme song isn't beautiful. It's annoying."

Tsuna gasped. "The Sugar Angels' opening is the most beautiful song in existence."

"I beg to differ."

Tsuna grinned. "The great blue sky stretches out in the horizon and I reach out to grasp the fading rainbow that—"

Haru smacked his arm. "Shut up!"

"—disappears into the sea!"

Haru scowled but it lacked any anger. "Seriously, Tsuna!"

He dodged another slap. "With a prayer to a god I don't believe in, I take one step forward to the future that shows promises of hope!"

Haru was torn between laughing and strangling Tsuna's throat. She floundered a bit before sighing loudly. "Okay, I'll tell you!"

Tsuna pouted. "We weren't even close to the best part."

"The best part is when you shut up and stay quiet."

Tsuna sighed dramatically. "If that's what the queen wants, then so be it."

Soon, they arrived at a spacious office with some clothed and naked mannequins and papers scattered across a few desks. There were some models' photos hanging on the walls. He hopped on top of the adjoining desk next to Haru's, moving the chair out of the way so his legs could have room.

"Fancy," he said, picking up a brown sketchbook from the desk he was sitting on. He flipped through the pages while Haru dumped some sample fabrics out of a box onto the floor. There were several sketches of evening gowns and casual wear with notes scribbled on the side. They were alright but lacked creativity.

"Don't touch that," Haru said, snatching it away. "It's Tokuda-san's."

"Don't know who that is." Tsuna sipped some of Haru's drink. "Any time you're going to tell me?"

Sighing, Haru placed some binders in the cardboard box. She took a moment to collect herself. "I came in," she said slowly, "on time. Higashi-san went through the choices in the morning but went out for some meeting with the other designers and stylists. We had to change our schedule a little bit because M.M's plane got delayed. So, we worked with the client scheduled before her and that's when shit happened."

Tsuna hummed under his breath. "Elaborate."

Haru pursed her lips. "I was getting there." She slumped on her chair, looking worn out and a little pale. Placing her hand on her head, she sighed. "Ruri and Namiko were checking to make sure I brought everything but realized I was missing an outfit. I swear, I thought I brought it with me. Higashi-san got really pissed. I thought she was going to seriously kill me." Haru chuckled bitterly. "That's when I called you. You came, I got the bag, and went back up but…she exploded. Said I was stupid and irresponsible and…"

Now, Tsuna may not care about a lot of stuff but the one of the few things he cared about was Haru, his best friend since middle school. When it came down to it, Tsuna was the definition of petty, but the smart kind of petty, the kind to shake hands with his victim before yanking them in and stabbing them in the guts. Okay, that's a little much—for most people but Tsuna wasn't most people.

"So, she fired you for technically no reason?" he said.

Haru looked up with tears welled up in her eyes. "What? Well, I mean, if you think about it, kind of. But I should've made sure…"

"There's nothing to think about here." Tsuna hopped off from the desk. "It's simple really."

Haru eyed him suspiciously. "Tsuna, what are you thinking?"

Tsuna smiled. "Why don't we take a break from this and go meet your boss?"

No matter how much Haru protested, Tsuna didn't budge.

She didn't lead him to the studio but he found it anyways. The signs were quite easy to follow. There were people talking inside, their chatter filling the cool air, and some shoes squeaking against the floor from running. Unperturbed by the noise and heavy scent of makeup and perfumes, Tsuna strode in like he owned the place, with Haru trailing nervously behind him.

"Really, Tsuna," she said quietly, "it's okay. You don't have to."

"I want to," he said, shooting her a smile. "Besides, this sort of injustice is unwarranted, don't you think?"

Haru's silence was very telling. One of the workers noticed them and ran over. "Sir, you can't come in here!" she said, clutching her clipboard. "Only authorized people can enter. I'm sorry."

Tsuna smiled charmingly at her, making her blink. "This won't take long," he said, walking past her.

The photo set was set up to look like the model was overlooking the sea. There were some makeshift wooden planks to serve as the docks and a backdrop of the clear blue sky and sea. M.M stood there in all her glory, looking like she swallowed a lemon. Her short red hair was straight, the bangs held back with a light blue pin, and she wore an ill-fitting smock dress that had too much red and orange; she looked more like she was going to some bizarre orgy party than to the beach.

M.M leaned onto the fake wooden railing for support to remove her red sandals and toss them aside. "Honestly," she muttered in French, "this is ridiculous." When she straightened herself, Lancia came forward from one of the soft boxes to hand her some flats from the pink bag he had brought with him.

"I thought I told you my size was 37," M.M said, switching to Japanese. Tsuna had to hand it to her. She still looked pretty even if she looked like a viper. "How do you expect me to stand in these tight shoes?"

Higashi Mieko, a short woman with a tight black ponytail, bowed deeply. "I apologize, M.M-san. My assistant must've misunderstood. We will bring you different shoes immediately."

After Higashi sent one of her workers to do her bidding, Tsuna stepped forward and smiled pleasantly at Higashi. "Higashi-san," he said, catching her attention.

The old woman frowned. "Who are you?" she said. "You're not allowed to be here. Security!"

Tsuna waved his hand. "We don't need to go that far," he said, smiling crookedly. "I just wanted to talk."

Higashi pursed her lips. "You have no right to be here."

"Oh, I have every right. You see, I'm here to represent my client on the grounds of unfair termination and many other things I don't have the time to list at the moment."

At this point, some people stopped what they were doing to watch the bizarre turn of events. Even Lancia and M.M looked on in surprise and irritation, respectively. Haru stepped forward, her shoulders straight and chin up. Tsuna shot her a small smile of encouragement before facing Higashi again. Time to finally put that college drama class to good use. "Normally, you're supposed to solicit voluntary termination if you want to let Haru go," he said. "But I guess 'normal' doesn't exist in this place."

Higashi narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry but you don't—"

"Yeah, I guess I forgot to put on a suit but that's what happens when people work too hard. You know, being a productive member of society? It does get tiring and I'm only human after all."

Two security guards appeared then. They were fit and looked like any generic security detail. Haru tensed behind Tsuna but he didn't bat an eye. Instead, he smiled pleasantly. "This really won't take long, gentlemen," he said.

"You will leave," Higashi said. "Now." She directed her gaze sharply at Haru. "I'm not surprised to see this coming from you, Miura, but I didn't expect anything else more fitting." Haru's breath hitched as she struggled to speak up. "Both of you will leave now and I will pretend this never happened."

Tsuna raised a hand when the guards stepped towards him, making them pause. "Since Haru never agreed to her termination, you are required to dismiss her employment unilaterally with either 30 days of advance notice or 30 days of payment instead of a notice," he continued. "Last I remembered, Haru informed me that you didn't give her any sufficient reason for firing her suddenly. Plus, you never gave her a legitimate reason or any prior warnings for misconduct. You do realize this is a violation, right, Higashi-san?"

Something must've clicked in the woman's head because she tried to save what composure she had from hearing Tsuna's words. Higashi raised a hand to stop the security guards from pursuing anything further. "May we speak somewhere else?" she said tightly.

Tsuna smiled slightly. "Oh, I'm very comfortable here. You see, I like having an audience, and what's a better way to have multiple witnesses for our trial?" He felt a tinge of satisfaction when Higashi paled. Some workers shifted uncomfortably in the background while a few stared at him, wide-eyed. "From what I recall, Haru has never missed a day of work for the two years she's been working here. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body to be a bother to anyone either. Do you see the issue here, Higashi-san?"

Higashi tensed slightly when he spoke her name. "We can discuss more in my office," she said.

"The issue is that Haru has been fired for no legitimate reason," Tsuna continued, brushing her off. "It would be an entirely different story if Haru was a closeted ax-murderer, but that's not the case, is it?" He slung an arm over Haru's shoulders. "Who could ever be terrified of her cute dimples and sweet smile?"

"Tsuna," Haru said, her brow twitching.

"Right, right." Tsuna gave Higashi another friendly smile that only sent shivers down her spine. "Now, I'll ask again, Higashi-san. Why did you fire her?"

"I—She—She did not uphold her responsibility," Higashi said, slowly losing face.

"That is one of the most vaguest and insipid reasons I've ever heard," Tsuna said, his smile still in place. "I know who you are, Higashi-san. You're a lazy stylist and it really is a pity since you're not all that talentless. I did enjoy your 2011 showcase in Osaka. You have a decent eye for color but really, having this lovely lady here wear red and orange like that is just criminal."

M.M raised a brow but didn't say a word.

Higashi's nostrils flared. "How dare you speak to—"

"Haru also worked over 40 hours a week, which goes against Article 36. I can't pull the exact number off the top of my head—it'll take some time to get through her overtime days, which were a lot by the way—but it seems to be above the limit. Should I give you my estimate?"

The silence was deafening. All eyes turned to Higashi, who looked like she had difficulty breathing. She opened her mouth, then closed it, unable to conjure the words to speak. Tsuna's smile turn just a tad sharper. "All my client asks for are to receive the payment she didn't for her overtime," he said a little too cheerfully, "and for you to take responsibility for your own duties. Really, you worked my poor Haru quite hard. I'm only keeping myself from listing other atrocities you committed to my client, but because our audience is very kind, I'm refraining myself."

Haru stifled a laugh by covering her mouth. Tsuna gave Higashi a lazy, two-finger salute. "And that's all I have to say, Higashi-san," he said. "You know how to contact Haru." Higashi flinched when Tsuna's showed some teeth in his smile. "Let's not waste any more time by going to court, shall we?" He nodded towards the stunned workers and assistants. "Have a wonderful day, everyone."

With that, he turned and led Haru out of the studio. No one tried to stop them. As soon as they exited into the hallways, Tsuna collapsed almost dramatically against the walls, dragging Haru with him. "That was horribly exhausting," he said.

Haru snorted but grinned nonetheless. "That was fucking great. I wish I could've recorded it."

Tsuna beamed as he straightened himself up. "I would've done the same."

Haru burst out laughing. "Oh my God, I can't believe you actually did that. Did you see everyone's faces?"

"Oh no, do tell."

Rolling her eyes, Haru shoved Tsuna playfully with her elbow. "You narcissist."

Tsuna shrugged. "I've heard better."

Haru laughed. "But seriously, posing as a lawyer? When the hell did you learn all that?"

Tsuna pulled down his sunglasses to wink at Haru. "I just took a little crash course on the way here. I'm great at multitasking. Also, I should add that I didn't know half of what I was talking about. Remind me to send Professor Nakamura a gift basket later."

Haru shook her head. "I can't believe you sometimes."

"You can. I'm the most reliable person around."

Laughing, Haru led him back to her office. "Seriously, Tsuna, that was amazing. I wish you could've slapped her, too. I wanted to so many times."

Tsuna grinned. "Oh, I think this is much worse than a slap."

Haru tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see. It's actually very easy." Tsuna ruffled Haru's hair, making her huff. "Don't hurt your pretty head with trivial things, dear Haru."

Haru's lips slightly curled upwards, her eyes softening. "Tsuna…"

"Come on. I'll help you pack."

Laughing, Haru stood up and continued to pack her box with Tsuna's help.

"Can I have the donut?" he said.

"You can have whatever you want."

"Awesome."

Packing Haru's stuff didn't take long. Thankfully, all she needed was one box for her stuff. Tsuna carried it to the elevator with Haru walking beside him. She dumped her empty drink in a trash can nearby and let out a weary sigh.

"Great," she said, pressing the elevator's down button. "I'm going to have to find another job."

"There's plenty of stylists around," Tsuna said. "You won't have much of a problem."

Haru sighed again. "Maybe, but Higashi-san is pretty…influential."

"You know, I could always—"

Haru raised a hand to make him shut up. "No. No handouts. You've done so much for me already, Tsuna. I can't keep taking from you all the time."

Tsuna shrugged. "As always, the offer's always open."

"Thanks but I'll leave you hanging on that."

"Oh, well."

Haru smiled as the elevator doors opened. They both stepped inside before Haru pressed the lobby button. Before the doors closed, a familiar rush of footsteps sounded from the right. Haru squeaked when a hand suddenly appeared, keeping the doors from closing. Tsuna smiled when they opened again. "I'm getting a sense of déjà vu here," he said.

Lancia smiled slightly, a small break from his usually stoic face. "Yes," he said.

Stepping to the side, he let M.M in first. She had changed out of the red and orange dress into a white off-the-shoulder crop top and high-waist denim shorts. A pair of expensive sunglasses covered her eyes. A light, citrusy scent wafted in Tsuna's nose when she walked past him. Haru gasped under her breath but didn't say a word. When Lancia entered, he pressed a button to close the doors.

A brief, awkward silence fell amongst them until, surprisingly, M.M spoke up. "You're not actually going to court, right?" she said. "I'm not testifying. I'm saying that right now. Don't drag me into your business."

Tsuna turned a bit to smile at her. "No worries," he said. "I'm not a lawyer so trial's a no-go."

Haru stifled a giggle. Lancia coughed lightly into his fist, glancing at Tsuna out of the corner of his eye curiously. "I…see," he said. "You were very convincing."

Tsuna's smile widened a little. "Using big words often throws everyone off."

M.M lowered her sunglasses, her brow raised. Standing near Haru, she was taller by a few centimeters, even if she was wearing tan-colored flats. "Really?" she said. "So all of that was fake?"

"Fake is a cheap word but sure."

To nearly everyone's surprise, M.M laughed. Even better—it sounded genuine. "I almost can't believe it," she said. "Well, you didn't really look the part so I had my doubts anyways."

"Never judge a book by its cover," Tsuna said as the elevator slowed down. "Well, that's what people say but what do I know?" The doors opened then with a small ding. "After you, ma'am."

M.M pursed her lips. "Don't you know who I am?"

Tsuna smiled slightly. "I do know who you are."

A few seconds of silence passed between them until M.M scoffed and exited the elevator. Lancia bowed slightly towards Tsuna in apology before following her out. Just as Tsuna walked out after Haru, M.M suddenly whirled around, taking off her sunglasses. "Okay," she said, pointing them at Haru, "where did you get that?"

Haru froze. "I, erm, um, what? I mean, excuse me?"

"The jumper," M.M said, stepping closer. "I've been to Tokyo several times and I've never seen this design before. You're not a designer from what that hag said but you have better taste. Which store did you buy it from?"

"M.M," Lancia said, though he didn't sound that threatening, just weary.

The model waved him off. "So, where'd you get it?"

"Oh, erm, my friend made it."

Tsuna smiled with a slight twitch. "Time's precious, Haru."

Haru straightened up. "R—Right!" She bowed towards M.M and Lancia. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I apologize for what you had to see before. Have a nice day."

"Wait!" M.M said. "Tell me!"

Haru quickly caught up with Tsuna without looking back. They heard M.M stomp her foot in frustration. Haru nearly sagged against him. "Shit, I thought I was going to vomit words."

Tsuna shuddered for effect. "No more words. My brain's fried."

Haru nudged him playfully. "You weren't bad. I'm amazed you even remembered them."

Opening the trunk, Tsuna placed Haru's box inside before closing it. He sighed loudly. "Well, that's enough human interaction for today."

Haru laughed. "You did good today, Tsuna."

Tsuna grinned. "Anything for you, cap."

Loud bubbly music played from the speakers and Tsuna immediately bobbed his head to the fast-paced beat. A woman sang as soon as the strings and drums finished, "The great blue sky stretches out in the horizon and I reach out to grasp the fading rainbow that disappears into the sea!"

Haru let out an aggravated groan from the bar. Her laptop and notebook were both open in front of her. "Tsuna, lower it! I can't concentrate!"

Tsuna just sang along with the woman louder, "With a prayer to a god I don't believe in, I take one step forward to the future that shows promises of hope!"

More strings and upbeat bass exploded in the song as Kyoko jumped into the air with a big grin on the TV screen. Tsuna grinned, hugging his cushion to his chest. "Ah, Kyoko-chan's really pretty," he said., sighing dreamily. "Isn't she, Natsu?"

Natsu swished his tail lazily, his head resting on Tsuna's lap. Tsuna immediately perked up when Bluebell and Yuni soon joined Kyoko on the screen, the ocean and sky a beautiful backdrop behind them. "This part, this part!" he said. "Natsu, get ready!"

He took in a deep breath, preparing himself to sing again, when his phone rang. Grumbling under her his breath, he snatched his phone from the side table and nearly chucked it against the wall—it wouldn't be hid first time doing it—when he caught a glimpse of the caller ID.

"Boo," he said, rolling over on his couch. Sighing, he paused the show with the remote and forced himself to get up.

Haru paused in her writing. "Tsuna? Is everything okay?"

"Just a small check-up," Tsuna said, heading for his bedroom. "Don't worry. Scream if you need me."

Haru rolled her eyes. "Just don't die on me."

Tsuna smiled sweetly. "It would be a terrible crime for Death to take me."

When he entered his bedroom, he closed the door behind him and plopped down on his bed. The drapes were drawn and he didn't bother to turn on the lights. He answered the call shortly after, facing the ceiling.

"Tsunayoshi," a warm voice said over the line.

Tsuna smiled. "Old man."

Little Notes and Fun Facts

1) "Asagao" means "morning glory" in Japanese.

2) ¥11,262.10 is $100 or €85.64 in today's currency.

3) Starbucks in Japan did sell "Chocolate Cake Topped Frappuccino with Matcha Shot" that was only available in the summer. They also had some matcha desserts to go with it (donut, scone, and cake).

4) I'm sorry. I don't know how to write lyrics. :^)

5) Well, Tsuna can speak French. ;^)

6) Shoe sizes are pretty important. M.M says she's size 37, which is the European measurement. In Canadian/U.S. measurements, it's size 7. In the UK, it's size 5. In Japan, it's 24 cm. So really, there was a sort of mix-up in communications there. Really unprofessional on Higashi's part but she's not doing her job properly anyways. (shrug)

7) Professor Nakamura was Tsuna's drama teacher. And no, he didn't major in law, haha.

8) What Tsuna said is true about the labor laws and regulations, but I'm not sure if I utilized them correctly.

9) What was worse than a slap? Losing M.M as a client. There's actually a reason for this that will be revealed. ;^)

A/N I didn't expect so much response, haha. I got pretty pumped for this because I feel like this Tsuna is kind of like my spirit animal.

Anyways, here's another chapter! Guess who Tsuna's talking to. ;^)

More will be unraveled about Tsuna's history but there's a few hints here (kind of).

Thank you so much for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter.

Have a lovely day~

Little Miss Bunny