I've come back because you called for me.
This chapter is written for you .Without you I couldn't have done it. You, Thank you for the continuous support.
The day before Tsunayoushi's first day of school was filled with an excited anxiety.
The child became jittery, he did not eat most of his meals nor did he seem to be talkative. If he did talk, his speech became lost into nothing more but a word salad. Talking a lot but talking about nothing. His Aunt Lal understood the child, it was reasonable for him to be like this; after all he hadn't seen or engaged in any play with children his age since the arrival at the mansion.
She hoped everything would go down smoothly and she hoped that his schooling wouldn't be affected by the war outside, yet she knew that to be in vain. His schooling would be filled with repercussions for him, for his family, whether Lal wanted it to or not. No matter how many bombs she set off and no matter how much blood remained on her hands, the world could not turn for Tsunayoushi alone.
This world would not turn for anyone.
It had been three days since Reborn had left for an urgent mission, but his farewell had been a bit too ominous.
"I'll be meeting with the ones in charge." He said this as he adjusted his fedora, his polished shoes making a 'click clack' noise as he stepped foot outside. "What they'll tell me will set our future. If I don't return in a week I will be dead. Please handle the burning of all my files on my desk as well as any evidence of my existence. Leave nothing behind."
Lal nodded, her arms reaching to close the door—
"Uncle Reborn," Tsunayoushi called softly from the stairs. "Will you be going to work again?"
Lal's eyes looked at the ground, the child's voice sounded too sad. As if he knew seeing his Uncle again is nothing more than a grand 'perhaps' a 'maybe' but certainly not a 'definitely'. A heavy weight dispersed between the trio, thick and ominous.
The young child knew something was amiss, for all his Aunties and Uncles were called on duty. It was nothing short of suspicious.
"I don't know if I will be back." The Italian man says with a firm voice not looking at the child behind him, he merely looked at the morning sky, the dew in the grass glistened and the air crisp.
Lal reprimanded Reborn with a look, why would you say such a thing, her eyes told him.
At this, Tsunayoushi begins to cry. It begins off slow, like the musical notes on a symphony waiting to be written, but as the music starts to fall into place and becoming born, so do the child's sobs. His suspenders on his periwinkle overalls moving up and down, the hinges on his buttons making small creaks as he sniffles at the top of the staircase.
"Please come back home soon," Tsunayoushi says as he clutches the nutcracker tightly onto his small frame. His tears pitter pattering softly across the doll's face.
The little boy continues to cry as Reborn just nods once firmly, walking straight out the open door without turning back. There existed neither kind words nor touches of comfort in that moment, only silence. Reborn continued to walk with a strong desire to live as he stepped toward his black automobile.
" Live, Tsunayoushi." Is all that he says as he maneuvers his automobile onto the road ahead of him.
Since Reborn was called urgently on said mission, Lal was the one in charge of taking Tsunayoushi to his first day of school. On the days after Reborn's departure she preoccupied herself with taking care of the small boy and doing her part of light housework. As a high ranking officer for survival training, she was always busy training new troops. There were always new recruits, and oftentimes she hardly had any sleep, much less time to do any household chores. At her time of rest or free time, Lal made sure she did her part of the housework diligently. She called herself a part of the family, didn't she? The stern dark haired woman disliked leaving her responsibilities in someone else's hands. That kind of thinking could get you killed someday, she thought to herself.
She'd often see Tsunayoushi smiling at something from the corner of his eyes when he thought she wasn't looking, but she wrote that all off as playing pretend. Regardless if she complained about the boy's strange habits to the others, she knew they were all lucky to have such an obedient child that was quickly pleased and hardly asked questions.
If he were any different, she thought as she drank a cup of coffee, this would be much more difficult.
Almost close to bedtime, Tsunayoushi was busy getting ready for his first day of class.
He took three sharpened pencils and put them inside his pencil case, the one he sewed by hand with his Aunt Luce. It was a creamy white and in the middle had a poorly stitched star next to a much more intricate moon. It was one of his prized possessions, especially since he did most of the stitching himself. He admired it for a while, putting it up to the ceiling.
"What is that Herbivore?" The ghost boy swooped down from a curtain, picking a candy from his teeth. "I want to see."
Tsunayoushi smiled good-naturedly, showing his spooky but kind friend his handiwork. "It's a place where I store my pencils and other things. I made it with my Aunt Luce."
Hibarin nodded. "I have a pencil case too, but mine has a bird on it. My mother bought it for me because she couldn't find a bat case."
The brown haired boy placed a sharpener and an eraser alongside a notebook in his elementary school backpack. It was leather stitched, red as a ripe apple.
"Hibarin" The brown haired boy began twiddling with his thumbs. He shyly moved his feet side by side. "Would it be ok if you came to school with me?"
The apparition stood quiet for a bit, he looked down at the younger boy on the floor. "I do not think it can be possible. I haunt this place."
There was a silence that seemed to edge on forever, the small wind chimes at the corner of the window rung lightly.
"I see." The boy continued to smile, but it was a dejected one. He packed the remains of his belongings and made his way toward the bed, only to be stopped by the ghost in his tracks.
"Maybe there is a way." The dark haired boy's fangs shown as he spoke. "Maybe all this time—I have not been haunting this house." Hibarin's eyes showed deep thought. "I have been thinking about this theory lately, since you carry the nutcracker everywhere, I follow you wherever you go…"
When he said this, Tsunayoushi's eyes grew wide.
"S-so…maybe what you have haunted all this time…is the nutcracker?"
Hibarin nodded carefully, his eyes squinting in thought. "I have never thought about these things precisely, after all, I never tried to venture outside."
Both of the boys made their way to the bed, excited and hopeful over their new discovery.
"Let's try it tomorrow when I go to school. I'll hide the nutcracker in my backpack."
And Hibarin pretended to care less, as if he really weren't excited, but he could have sworn he felt something akin to a heart beat excitedly inside of him.
But it was strange, he thought to himself, for his heart had already been reduced to mere dust.
Lal woke up to read the daily newspaper, to fix herself some coffee, English muffins and some eggs. In that order. Reading the daily newspaper was as essential as breathing to every single person in the Montague nation. It had articles on the roads that were too dangerous to travel, told information on the certain villages invaded, food that was no longer being sold and classifieds on items that people sought.
The Italian woman washed her face before she were to awaken the small boy for his first day of school, but much to her surprise the young child was already ready, he was in the kitchen spreading some jam on a loaf of honey bread.
"Tsunayoushi," The woman with the scar on her face said. "Why are you up so early?" She saw there were two chairs pulled out, two plates out with crumbs on only one of them, like the blood left on a crime scene. Evidence.
"I'm nervous." The brown haired boy admits as he takes a bite off his bread. He looks up at his Aunt in anticipation of what she might say.
"It happens to the best of us." She says as she begins the preparation for more coffee. She begins to boil the water. " Tsunayoushi," Lal calls to the boy after a minute. "Why are there two plates on the table?"
"That is for Hibarin." Tsunayoushi explains as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"I see ," Lal says but she doesn't see. Colonello is right, she muses, this kid really needs interaction with children his age. And it began to bother her, that because of the war, because of them, he couldn't behave as a normal child should.
The odd duo finished their breakfast of potatoes and eggs in good time, Lal had already begun the preparations for the young boy's lunch as Tsunayoushi combed his hair.
"I know my cooking isn't up to par with Luce's and Fong's cooking, but this is the best I can do." Tsunayoushi just smiled as he watched the elder woman stuff boiled eggs and sandwiches in a small lunch carrier. Nearing 7:40 am, Lal went to fetch her coat as she watched the child rummage through his belongings to make sure everything was in his backpack, the Italian woman unaware of the nutcracker within.
As Lal opened the front gate of their home, Tsunayoushi crossed his fingers for good luck and took a step out of the mansion onto the outside world. To the outside world that turned for no one.
Tsunayoushi's clear eyes took in the sight in front of him.
The school had big iron gates filled with many children scampering around the vicinity, some playing hopscotch, jump rope or tag. Many parents stood by their children like hawks, much to the reluctance and embarrassment of the young boys and girls. Some children cried pitifully not wanting to be separated for not even a second from their guardian; they were scared of the world's cruelty and of the unexpected. The scene before Tsunayoushi was only a mere glimpse to the world that could have been, a world in which someone's greatest concern aren't the guns or the soldiers stationed in the city, it was knowing the alphabet, getting a test back with at least a 'c', those small things.
With his thoughts preoccupying him, Tsunayoushi begins to feel small and shy. He hides behind Lal, his arms gripping one of her legs.
" Tsunayoushi," Lal began, her arms were crossed across her chest. "Go to your teacher, she's right there." She pointed with a nod of her head toward a petite woman with short hair. She had on a warm smile and waved at them when their eyes connected from the distance.
Tsunayoushi looked at Lal and remained silent for some time, looking at his shoes. He wanted to tell Lal many things, but Lal understood him silently, sighed, and patted the boy's hair. An affectionate gesture that made the boy smile brightly.
"See you in a while." She said and with that, the boy goes to join his other classmates for his first day of school.
"There are too many herbivores crowding around." Hibarin murmured at Tsunayoushi's side. All the children were placed in two separate lines following the amiable teacher. Everyone looked a bit nervous; they remained obedient and refrained from speaking for the time being. All of the children spoke in whispers, unsure and wary of the teacher's personality and homework ethic.
Tsunayoushi was placed last in the boy's line, turning his head back occasionally to see if Hibarin followed after him.
"Tsuna-kun, are you alright?" Kyoko smiled gently as she held the door open for everyone, the students began to place their backpacks and shoes carefully inside their lockers that were in front of the entrance.
"Please make sure to zip up your backpacks and lock them properly! You'll be able to have them once more for lunch time!" The young teacher quickly placed her attention toward the rest of the class. "I hope all of you packed a lunch, if not we will provide small snacks at the teacher's lounge."
Hibarin was right.
After closing his locker, the brown haired boy made his way to the nearest seat available, the one near a mini tank with fish swimming about. He remained unaware of the quiet girl who eyed him cautiously, she had on a dark sweater with the name tag 'Chrome'. She squeaked as Tsunayoushi obliviously placed his pencil box over their now shared desk.
Hibarin was right, he blinked as the teacher began to introduce herself.
"My name is Mrs. Sasagawa! It's a pleasure to meet all of you, I hope we all enjoy this new school year."
Hibarin didn't haunt the house, what he haunts, what he has always haunted, is and was the nutcracker doll.
"Lunch break!"
The children began to open their lockers, emptying the contents of their bags for their lunch. Some waited for the teacher's approval before they left the room and a few remained seated in their desks coloring.
"Tsuna-kun, what are you drawing?" Chrome asked quietly not looking up from her bright construction paper. The two children sat across from each other on their shared desk. Colored pencils were scattered across the desks, small paper stars in between erasers and construction paper scissors that left zig zag patterns when you cut with them.
After a few minutes of classroom lecture and activities the two began to form a curious yet bashful friendship. Kyoko's lips curled into a smile at the two children's conversation; initially she worried over her two student's demure personality, what if it caused them to be bullied? She was pleasantly surprised over this turn of events, they had made friends so quickly!
Tsunayoushi reaches for the red crayon to the side of him. "I'm drawing Hibarin, he's my friend that lives at home with me."
Chrome blinks. "Oh, I see. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
"No, but I have lots of uncles and aunties…" he paused and smiled, it was small and shy. "Also, I have a pet kitty cat…"
"Really?" The girl's saccharine voice became a little higher. "I always wanted a pet kitty…but the way things are…my brother doesn't let me have one. He says they are too much trouble."
"Your brother?"
"Yes, I have an elder brother, he's wonderful." The young girl began to put her crayons back in her pouch with cat paws. "In lunch time he told me to meet him by the gate…so I will go see him now."
The young girl looked at her new friend hopefully and added," Maybe...if you like you can meet him tomorrow and join us…"
Tsunayoushi 's eyes began to sparkle in excitement, he made a friend so quickly! To think, he thought, his new friend liked him that much to want to introduce him to their family! The brown haired boy placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Yes, I want to meet him please! Thank you, Chrome-chan!"
The young girl blushed and averted her gaze from the young boy's eyes." I-it's fine! I will see you when we get back from class Tsuna-kun, see you!"
As the young girl headed toward the door, Tsunayoushi begins to work on his locker combination. It was 6-12-30,right? Or was it a 1? As the girl closes the door, Tsunayoushi manages to get the locker to open after a few minutes with a heavy 'tic'.
He is greeted with Hibarin sleeping lazily inside his locker, his body curled in a little ball. He mumbled incoherently, fidgeting from time to time.
"Hibarin it's time to eat now, don't you want some of Aunt lal's cooking?" The brown haired boy patted his lunch box, advertising it to the ghost only to be greeted by one lazy eye.
"No ,the woman is bad at cooking, it tastes like paper. I will stay here." His answers were curt and short, he was angry, Tsunayoushi could tell. Was Hibarin angry with him? That can't be likely, they hardly spoke to each other since lessons started.
"What… but..I wanted you to—"
"I feel sleepy so you can go for now." As if Hibarin could tell what the other boy was thinking he turned around and looked at him lazily, as if reassuring him. "It's nothing you did; learning made me tired is all. Leave me be."
Tsunayoushi sighed in relief. He smiled at the little ghost how he huffed in faked annoyance." Stupid herbivore, you can't even tell this much…"
"Oh I see, hmm, then I will go out and eat some lunch. See you in a bit Hibarin!"
Hibarin grunted in response as Tsunayoushi closed the locker . The self proclaimed vampire couldn't understand his sudden mood change either, as soon as he arrived at the school he had become very tired . The ghost's head felt like it was being torn into different directions, he felt like he was dying all over again, yet he knew it was a warning. It was telling him something was going to happen, it was going to happen very soon.
The charcoal haired boy's eyes withered slowly before he drifted off into a deep sleep.
Once outside, Tsunayoushi eyed the school's gates to see that they remained open for lunch time visits. Some parents stood there with lunch and drinks, bringing a sweet snack from home while making sure their children were safe. The adults were a bit jittery, eyeing their surroundings and preparing themselves if they needed to run and hide with their children. The teachers Kyoko and Haru also stood among them, Haru kept an eye on the children while Kyoko talked with a soldier in hushed whispers.
Tsunayoushi's eyes traveled to a much smaller figure near Kyoko, it was Chrome talking to whom he supposed was her teenage brother. He had a similar shade of hair color as his sister, yet his mannerisms indicated he was much more extroverted than she was. The way he talked seemed pleasant, yet when he smiled it didn't reach his eyes. Tsunayoushi felt something strange stir inside him as the teenager's gaze locked onto his. He was caught staring ,'how embarrassing !'the boy cried to himself .Chrome turned to see what could have captured the interest of her elder brother so she turned, then smiled. She waved back at Tsunayoushi as she mumbled to her brother 'That's my new friend I made today.'
Something inside of him had hoped Lal was waiting for him too, but he realized she couldn't have, she was busy working at home. Tsunayoushi did not understand why he had hoped for such a thing, he reprimanded himself for being so childish.
He turned away and headed towards back to the classroom, Hibarin wouldn't mind if I woke him up would he? But just as soon as he chose to step back inside the classroom, something caught his eyes.
It was a sunlit garden.
It was placed behind the school lavatory, just behind the shade of the tree's greenery. You'd have to adjust your eyes a bit to see the form of little multicolored pebbles creating a path toward the garden's gates. It had wisterias, sunflowers, papillions , dandelions, flowers that Tsunayoushi had never even heard of before, only ones that he'd always imagined. There was a small vegetable patch too, carrot leaves peeking from beneath the earth's soil. Strawberry vines were lazily embracing the garden's entrance, inviting and pleasant.
Tsunayoushi had only heard of these things in books and newspaper articles, to think, something this magnificent remained hidden in their little school….inside of this children's heart, it told him to protect this place.
He walked toward a white bench near the fence and sat, as he stretched a bit he looked toward the light blue sky and how it expanded on towards the horizon with flags of different nations. Some of the flags were burning; some of them remained firm and standing, the victors. He chose to look away and instead thought to himself that it didn't really matter to him if the world was filled with rain or shine, because the only thing that would make his day 'good' was for Hibarin to stay by his side.
And when he remembered Hibarin was sleeping soundly and safe in his backpack, he smiled, because it was a good day.
" Tsunayoushi?"
The doe eyed boy froze at the voice that pierced the air with a calamity. The young boy caught his breath yet did not dare look behind him. He merely continued to stare in front of him, as if nothing were happening, as if he weren't in that moment trembling and squeezing his lunch box for dear life.
"Tsunayoushi?"
Once more, the child does not say a thing to the voice calling for him and instead chooses to close his eyes. 'If you can't see them they can't see you, if you can't see them they can't see you—'
"Tsunayoushi…." The voice sounded a bit sad. "Please turn around for me…" A voice filled with pleading and promising acceptance, a voice of trust.
"I'd like to see you…"
The emotion behind the voice reminded Tsunayoushi of his Uncle Fong on that fated day, the day the bombings were starting in Italy. After the first bomb resounded in the distance, he quickly moved toward a small cupboard beneath the stairs, just like they had taught him. He grabbed a hold of a small chip on the wooden wall, pulled it, only to have revealed a tiny space to hide in. Once inside he quickly made sure to cover all traces of a disturbance on the wall, as not to arouse suspicion from anyone that might come searching. He gulped down his fear, shaking as he clutched the gun tightly between his small hands. He was told to stay put and shoot anyone he didn't know on sight.
He suddenly heard the door shaking violently. He clenched his eyes firmly and began to tremble.
He was going to die, Tsunayoushi thought to himself, I'm going to die without ever have done a thing.
As the small door opened only to reveal his Uncle Fong , Tsunayoushi looked up at him with trusting eyes, his eyes wide and scared. Hot urine went through his pants, leaving behind a damp sensation in his shorts as well as tears of shame.
'Tsunayoushi?' his Uncle Fong had said to him that day, his expression was one of distress , his right hand pressing on toward his waist firmly as blood seeped through. He was gravely wounded.
" I'm sorry…" Tsunayoushi began to stutter out, he was a bad boy, he was a bad boy for wetting his pants. If Uncle Reborn knew, he'd hit him for sure!
Tsunayoushi received no punishment that day, instead he felt hands holding him tightly, the blood of his uncle on his hands and on his shirt as they both held one another, never letting go. They remained like that for quite some time before Lal finds them and escapes with them before the house is burnt down.
Out of respect for his Uncle Fong and for that memory, he turns around and doesn't utter a word. He will be brave he thinks, he will be brave for everyone. He just has to! He doesn't even scream when he sees the person in front of him…
It was Giotto.
It was the Capulet soldier that called himself Giotto, the one that tried to speak to him in the pet shop. The blond haired man looked at Tsunayoushi carefully not approaching him yet still facing him; he towered over the small fence blocking him from the child. The blonde haired man was tall and donned a beautifully tailored uniform, a small riding cape rested on his shoulders as he held a small box, the buttons on his jacket glimmered with the symbol of his nation. He looks like a prince ,Tsunayoushi thought to himself as his eyes looked at the man with fear and admiration.
"Tsunayoushi," The elder man began," Tsunayoushi…I swear to you that I mean you no harm. I'm very sorry if I scared you at the petshop the other day... Please forgive me for my rudeness. I have no intention of harming you."
Tsunayoushi had never had an adult tell him he was sorry, usually it was the other way around. He stared at the other man in confusion, unsure and uneasy on what to say.
"I-it's ok..I was just startled and…d-didn't want to get in trouble." Tsunayoushi knew he was being bad, his aunties and uncles always told him to never ever talk to strangers, yet here he was talking to a man across a fence.
Giotto sighed with a relieved smile. Surprising Tsunayoushi yet again with his actions, the man looked truly happy…as if the thought of Tsunayoushi fearing him troubled him.
"I see, Tsunayoushi I apologize. I don't want you to get in trouble for my account...I just..you…" Giotto gulped silently. "See, I just want to talk to you if it's possible."
Tsunayoushi nodded unsurely.
" Ah, Tsunayoushi are they treating you well?"
"My aunts and uncles?"
"Is that what you call them?" The blond haired man's eyes shone in recognition.
"Yes, they're very kind to me ," Tsunayoushi began to twiddle his thumbs in his lap. "They're my family."
"I see," Giotto sighed in relief, yet flinched a bit at the mention of the word 'family'. "I'm very happy they're treating you well Tsunayoushi. You listen to what your father Fong tells you, alright? Never question them. They are always doing what's best for you."
Tsunayoushi didn't even notice as the man became closer and closer to him, he wasn't even across the fence anymore he was standing right in front of him. The boy's heart beated quickly, like the drums in a marching band.
The man smelled like fresh clean soap, Giotto's face remained calming and pleasant; a familiar feeling filled the air as the light breeze made the flowers sway. The familiar feeling filled him with thoughts of Reborn and on how he might never see him again. His thoughts change to his Uncle Skull—
He looks up to Giotto in front of him, who was now looking at him in worry noticing the boy's recent change in mood. "I never ever want to leave or disobey my family! But.. they just keep leaving me."
Giotto sighed. " Tsunayoushi, it's their job…it can't be helped."
"But what about Uncle Reborn..what if he won't come back?" The boy began to tremble. "What if he goes to wherever Uncle Skull went? What if I never see him again?"
At this the man's face changes into a serious pale one.
"Your Uncle Skull never returned?"
" No…"
Giotto clenched his fist, " I see, now about your Uncle Reborn. Did he leave recently?"
Tsunayoushi wasn't even paying attention to what he was saying, his eyes stinged and his heart hurt.
" Yes, this morning, he left by car…"
Giotto's eyes held a flame in them. "I see, so his destination is a bit farther than I expected…then there is still time. Tell me Tsunayoushi, and respond to me truthfully…"
Tsunayoushi looked at the elder man lower himself to his eye level, he kneeled, laying his beautifully creased pants on the garden's grass.
"Do you love your aunties and uncles? I ask you once more, do they treat you well?" Something inside the man's voice sounded hopeful and kind, Tsunayoushi had no choice but to answer to him.
"I love them very much, I don't want anyone of them to leave me. I want Uncle Reborn to come back home so we can play cards together…i want Uncle Skull to come back so we can play Hide and go seek together.." The little boy's eyes began to water." They treat me so well, they read me bed time stories, Uncle Fong loves me enough for two people, Aunt Luce treats me like her son, Uncle Collonello tries to be very happy with me and plays my favorite games...Uncle Verde shows me interesting things, much more interesting than things that are taught at school, my Auntie viper shows me how to hide things and helps me play small pranks…"
A few tears fell.
"I don't ever want to part from them…why…why can't the war just stop?"
Giotto nodded sadly as the child spoke his mind out freely; he made Tsunayoushi feel like an adult, someone to be taken seriously.
After some time, Giotto spoke, his voice cutting through Tsunayoushi's thoughts like a blade."You don't wish Reborn to be harmed?" Giotto's eyes had flame in them, they had inside them truth and an innocent justice.
"No, I don't want that, I don't want anyone to be hurt!"
"Tsunayoushi…" Giotto took the small boy's hand into his own, placing a light kiss on the palm of Tsunayoushi's hand. "If you say you want Reborn back, then that shall be. He will come back to you, so please don't cry. I promise you."
The brown haired boy's face reddened like the apple in his lunch box, steam came from his ears causing the elder man to laugh.
"T-then I ..I believe y-y-you."
Giotto's face broke into a true smile, a smile that felt familiar yet forgotten. " Ah, thank you Tsunayoushi. Thank you so much!" At this, he offered the white box that he held for their entire conversation, the brown eyed boy looked at , perplexed. " I brought a gift for you, may you accept this from me?"
"No, I'm sorry..." As id releasing himself from the other's spell he quickly gets up from the bench to create some space between them. " Uncle Fong tells me I can never take gifts from strangers."
At this the princely man smiles a bit sadly. Dejectedly he adds. " That is good advice, I'm sorry I imposed this on you. Even so, May I see you tomorrow at school? Here, in the same space?"
The boy's heart pounded.
"No , I'm very sorry but I will get in trouble, if someone knows about this..."
The man tries yet again, his eyes dejected.
"Then can it be our secret?"
The boy begins to walk quickly toward the garden's gates on toward class. Giotto makes no motion to follow him or to stop him from escaping.
"No , I cannot talk to you anymore. I'm sorry!"
The boy dashes toward the gate outside the garden never looking back. If he did, he feared that the expression on the blond man's face was the same as Uncle Fong's that day he stopped calling him father. Because he just knew that he had hurt Giotto's feelings. He knew it by the tone in his voice or how the miasma of the garden changed.
But Tsunayoushi doesn't have much time to dwell on those things, not as the recess bell sounds off in the distance.
For the remainder of the lesson Tsunayoushi's thoughts remained preoccupied by the man who introduced himself as Giotto. He had a similar color to his uncle Collonello's hair, and as such held eyes like the sun's rays. He had a cool air around him and his face had a kind familiarity within his features. Tsunayoushi was unsure of how to act around Giotto. Giotto's exposed hands were outstretched toward the younger boy and with a kneel, a kiss, he was trying to show that his actions and words were filled with devotion.
But Tsunayoushi isn't easy.
"Xiăo-Shi, How was school?"
Tsunayoushi could not believe his eyes, the young boy rubbed his eyes again for good measure.
"U-uncle Fong?"
The first day of school had ended and it was time for the children to be picked up by their parents and guardians .Many children remained inside of the school gates as they waited for their turn to go home, some talked amongst themselves or some played by the sandbox. Tsunayoushi and Chrome chose to talk about many things, like their favorite story book or their favorite past times. They had both waited together for a bit, but as it goes, Chrome was picked up first by her brother in his motorbike. Tsunayoushi looked closer at Mukuro who gave him a wink as a greeting, his leather jacket and his ear piercings gave the boy an impression of danger and excitement. It wasn't long before they left that his Uncle Fong came walking calmly, his arm in a cast.
"Aiya, is that any way to greet your uncle?"
Tsunayoushi ran toward his uncle and held on tightly to his waist. "Uncle Fong!I missed you so much!"
The Chinese man smiled gently, waving his hand lightly at the young teacher. She smiled back excitedly and resumed talking with the parent who was concerned about the children's bathroom break rules.
"I missed you too my dear. I'm very glad to be back home with you." They began walking home, the sun set leaving behind an ethereal glow on the landscape ahead of them. " It's been a while hasn't it? Perhaps we can both color and decorate some eggshells as celebration?"
Tsunayoushi held the free hand of his Uncle as they walked together, swinging it lightly. "Really!? Will Aunt Luce be at home too?"
The Chinese man shook his head. "Unfortunately, Aunt Luce was with me at the hospital just a few hours ago. I'm afraid I left her with more work to do on my behalf..."
Tsunayoushi excited over his Uncle's return unintentionally disregarded the broken arm. Concern blended into his features, how could he have not noticed such a thing?
"Uncle Fong, what happened to you?"
And as usual, Fong replies the same way he always has.
"It's a work related injury. It's nothing to worry yourself about. Now about school, how was your first day? Did you make any friends?"
Tsunayoushi's thoughts come toward the princely man who had kissed his palm so tenderly in the sunlit garden. He knows he should tell, he knows he should let his Uncle know of his disobedience, but he doesn't do a thing.
" I met this friend at school…her name is Chrome." Shame clogged his throat, the secrets are continuing to pile up for him. First Hibarin, now .What will become of him?
"Chrome? That sounds like such a nice name, very cute! Do you like your teacher? She seems to be very kind, very young as well!"
" Chrome said she has an older brother his name is Mukuro—"
Tsunayoushi was stopped in mid-sentence, for without warning, Fong picked up the small child in a tight embrace. Like a thief hiding the goods, like a dragon hiding treasure. The Chinese man bundled the child within his coat, making sure his whole body remained covered. He hissed in pain at the usage of his broken arm as the cast ripped lightly.
"Uncle Fo –"
Tsunayoushi was hushed by his uncle, and a feeling of doom fell in the bottom of his stomach. It was absolute dread.
" Tsunayoushi" His Uncle Fong whispered as he held him close. "Hide your face…Now."
But his Uncle Fong was much too late.
A stern looking man in a suit was walking in front of them, his face held high, his posture commanding respect. His platinum blond hair accentuated the golden buttons on his dark suit. No doubt a Capulet. The child in the Chinese man's arms does not panic, just remains perfectly still, hoping, dreading that the man does not look at his face. Tsunayoushi as a child, thinks that if he doesn't see him, neither can the other man, so he closes his eyes tight, as in doing so the man would go away. He ignores the stirring of the nutcracker inside his bag, he doesn't even notice it, he is much too engaged at the predicament at hand.
A second of blankness and the child opens his eyes again, only to come face to face with the Capulet soldier. The man was staring at him with a look of total apathy, a flicker and nothing more. As if he didn't even see them the man breaks off all contact with the duo and walks ahead of them normally, not even acknowledging them in any shape or form. No matter if he saw both Tsunayoushi and Fong's faces.
When the Capulet soldier was out of sight, his Uncle Fong breathed a sigh of relief and then, became perplexed over the situation.
"That is someone I know…"
"Who was that man?" Tsunayoushi helped his Uncle reapply the bandages and the cast on his injured arm, wincing as he did so.
"His name is Aluade , a Capulet Soldier." Fong looked at Tsunayoushi carefully, looking at the small boy as he helped him recast his arm. "Listen Tsunayoushi, if that man ever tries to talk to you, please feign ignorance. Give a fake name, what was the name Colonello used often? Ah, Timithy, Is that Understood?"
"Yes."
The rest of the walk home was in a hurried pace, Fong holding the other boy's hand tightly. No one would take his boy away from him. No one.
"Hibarin he looked a lot like you."
Tsunayoushi is in his room putting his belongings beneath his bed. He gets up and sees the ghost near the windowsill looking at the scenery before him. He refuses to look at the other boy, his back facing him near the red muted curtains.
"Hiba—"
Hibarin turns around to look at Tsunayoushi, his eyes dim and the feeling behind his eyes an enigma.
"He is my elder brother."
Tsunayoushi does not say a thing and observes how Hibarin turned into small, little particles of glitter and dust, like the Milky Way leaving a trail toward the nutcracker's mouth
That night, the phantom child does not come out of his tombstone, the nutcracker; not even for supper.
I just wanted to add that Tsunayoushi's backpack is called a randoseru [ランドセル]. It is an elementary school backpack that lasts very long for children. These backpacks are very sturdy! I have one and it is from my memories from a long time ago. So I added it as a symbol of carefree childhood days. It is a very nostalgic item for me, and for many ,many others. Next update is Carousel, bye bye see you later!
