Chrome's second day of classes went better...Mostly.
On the way to Namimori Middle School, Chrome happened to run into Tsuna. As soon as he saw the pad taped over her left cheek, he gasped, running over to her. He spoke, nearly shouted, "Chrome-san, what happened? Are you...Alright?" Tsuna stopped short as he saw Chrome's face fully...Graced with just the slightest of smiles.
She walked the rest of the way over to Tsuna, saying softly, "Thank you, Boss...You're a really, really nice guy." Leaning in, Chrome gave Tsuna a kiss on the cheek - Little more than a gentle brush of her soft, warm lips. Then she was gone, rushing to school and leaving Tsuna behind.
Tsuna, who was blushing beet red, sweating profusely, panting and babbling. "Huh, huh, huh, huh - Wh, wh, wh, wh, what~? Why did she, what the - I thought she got over doing that a long time ago~! Huh, huh, huh...!" Suddenly, he jumped and rushed off.
"Aww, man! I'm gonna be late if I stay here like this~!"
Meanwhile, Reborn watched from nearby.
"Hmmmmm..."
...
Once Chrome got to homeroom and sat down, she noticed the many stares and whispers caused by the pad taped onto her left cheek. Suddenly, Chrome noticed a familiar someone sit down next to her, and turned to look...
Yamamoto smiled, saying calmly, "Hey, Chrome-san! How're you doing?" He only then seemed to notice her cheek...His face turned to a frown. "Say," he asked softly, "What happened to your face...? Did something happen?" The Rain Guardian's eyes softened...
Thinking quickly, Chrome said, "Oh, um - Nothing happened, really. Someone was just opening their locker at the end of the day yesterday, and I kind of...Walked into the locker door..." Chrome bowed her head, blushing slightly. She had no idea where that lie had come from. Surely Yamamoto-san could tell it was a falsehood...
"M'kay," Yamamoto said cheerily. "Just be more careful, alright? Most of the students here are nice, but you've still gotta watch out for yourself sometimes." He smiled. Chrome blushed, nodding to him in confirmation - She couldn't believe that he had fallen for it...Although, it worried her slightly that the lie had come so naturally to her.
Meanwhile, Yamamoto thought to himself as he turned back to face the front of the class: Well, she's gotten pretty good at lying...I think Reborn-san said that Mist Guardians were meant to be talented with stuff that. Or, something along those lines...Taking out a pencil, he attempted to balance it atop his finger.
I hope nothing's wrong with Chrome that she's not telling me...Yamamoto shrugged at the thought - Unfortunately, this meant that his pencil fell onto his desk.
He chuckled - "Aww man! Here I thought I was getting good at that."
Yamamoto tried again.
...
In the Disciplinary Committee's Office, Hibari was brooding.
He spent a lot of his time brooding, actually. Brooding over those who disrespected him. Brooding over those who disgusted him with their cowardice. Brooding over those who threatened his beloved school. Brooding over cooks who went the cheap route on meals. Brooding over incompetent teachers who made a mockery of the educational system.
Right now, though...Hibari was brooding over a certain student. A certain new student who did not cause him anger because of her misbehavior, despite having all she could want at Namimori Middle School...No, nothing of the sort. This was a new student who caused him discomfort because of her exemplary behavior, despite getting a very poor welcome to Namimori Middle School. A certain girl with blue hair, a pineapple haircut...Pale, soft skin...An eyepatch over her right eye, adorned with a skull...
"Dammit," Hibari breathed out. Still, the next day - Still, the next day - He couldn't forget how it felt when Chrome hugged him. Her soft, smaller body right next to him...The way her smooth hair felt beneath his fingers...Among the many things that disturbed Hibari about the encounter was that Hibari hadn't lashed out. Not because he was too stunned to feel angry...Because her touch simply didn't arouse his anger. However, when the thought of her chest against him flit through his mind, it began to arouse something, alright...
"No. Dammit, no. Just...No." Standing up, Hibari began to pace at the side of his desk...Atop the lamp on the desk, Hibird watched his master: Head tilted to the right in a quizzical fashion. Raising his left fist, Hibari gnawed absently on his ring finger...Hibari was also disturbed about how Chrome felt against him. Quite a while ago, girls had been allowed to hug him, for a time...However, this didn't last long. Even in the rare case where they didn't cause Hibari a reflexive anger, it just didn't feel...Right. Awkward, uncomfortable...
...Yet when Chrome hugged him - This new girl whom Hibari barely knew, and whom he had welcomed to the school with open hostility - It felt like she...Fit. Yes; when Chrome Dokuro hugged him, Hibari had felt like she fit. More accurately, it was a feeling like...Like she belonged there, slender arms wrapped around his frame. To Hibari's distaste, a rather genius metaphor hurtled through his thoughts: Chrome and he fit together like puzzle pieces.
Sitting back down, Hibari rested his head in his hands...What am I going to do? Do I really feel these emotions towards her of all people? Hibari had always thought he knew what he liked in women...Healthy busts, round asses, and actually able to stand up for themselves. Chrome wasn't just meek compared to the latter preference, she was a middle schooler - Although, she didn't have the worst body...For her age, those legs of hers looked pretty damn -
THWACK.
With a sigh, Hibari slid his hand down from his forehead, over his eyes, past his nose and lips, and finally off of his chin. It had been a long time since he'd actually needed to, but a good facepalm had always served Hibari faithfully as a head-clearer. He sighed...I will get to know this girl, he thought to himself. I will not let these feelings control me...This is likely some...Fluke. Yes, as fleeting and transient as the mist - ...The Head of the Disciplinary Committee cringed as the simile slipped into his thoughts without warning.
Hibari finally continued out loud, though still quietly, "I may or may not find these sensations as true...But I will not let them jeopardize my school in either case." He paused..."Whether or not this girl has changed something in me...My love for this school will never change. I will not jump to conclusions; I will observe these feelings closely...The Head of the Disciplinary Committee cannot an shall not let these feelings obstruct his duties." Sighing, Hibari sat back...
...Would it really be so bad to get a bit closer to Chrome? Perhaps if he got to know her, Hibari could get his rematch with him. That gave Hibari something to latch onto: "Yes," he breathed, smirking slightly. "This is all these feelings are...My chance to finally defeat that illusionist bastard. No more than that, yes..." However, he froze as he heard someone's voice.
Can't even fool yourself, can you? Hibari growled, looking towards where he had heard the voice from...Peering towards the apparent source, he saw a chair...With a certain object placed atop it.
The Bracelet of the Clouds, Version X. Scowling, Hibari breathed, "...Who speaks?" All was silent, at first...No reply was given for at least a minute.
...Soon enough, however: Hmph. You know very well who I am, Tenth Cloud Guardian Kyoya Hibari. Hibari sighed, closing his eyes..."Indeed, I do." He opened them again.
"What could you possibly want, First Cloud Guardian Alaude?"
This entire affair was getting out-of-hand.
Hibird merely preened himself.
...
In her second-period class - A science class - Chrome was in the company of Tsuna. This class had been uneventful yesterday, nice and calm...However, the two had a bit of tension between them. Well, only Tsuna felt this, to tell the truth.
Anytime he looked at Chrome, Tsuna blushed a bit and looked down...Oh God, why did she kiss me? He gulped, trying to keep his head down; she was in the row to his left, only two seats ahead, and didn't seem to notice Tsuna's discomfort. Unable to focus on class, he continued thinking to himself. Why did she kiss me? She said I was really nice...What did I do that was so nice? Does she have a crush on me? That thought made his eyes widen, scared. Oh no, he thought. What if Kyoko-san saw me? That would be...That would be...!
Tsuna's thoughts froze as he felt a light touch on his shoulder...Then, a soft voice. "Boss. Boss." Looking up, Tsuna found Chrome standing next to him. Nearby, Tsuna could hear a couple of students muttering about Chrome's choice of phrasing. As Tsuna blushed, Chrome said, "You looked really stressed while we were taking notes..." Crap, we were taking notes? "...So I took notes twice." To Tsuna's surprise, Chrome offered him a paper.
Gently taking it, Tsuna smiled up at the bluehaired girl - "W-wow! Thanks, Chrome! B-but, you really shouldn't have done that, it's all because I wasn't paying attention...Um..." He trailed away for the second time as he saw that Chrome was giving him that same small, polite smile as that morning. He simply sat there, as she spoke.
Chrome said quietly, "It's okay, Boss...You have a lot of stuff to worry about, because of the Vongola Famiglia...So I thought I'd help." - Wh, wh, wh, WHAT?, Tsuna thought to himself - "Besides...The first thing you did this morning was ask if I was okay...That made me...Happy. So I...Felt like doing this." Tsuna's jaw was slightly agape as he began to blush.
Since it looked like Chrome was finished and waiting for something, Tsuna said quietly, "...Thank you, Chrome. It really, really means a lot." Abruptly, the bell rang. Seeing Chrome turn to leave, Tsuna mustered up as much of his courage as possible and stood from his desk, laying a hand on the side her upper-arm.
As Chrome turned to look at him, Tsuna said in a calmer voice than usual, "You don't have to do it right away, but...Please. Just call me 'Tsuna' sometime." He gave an un-Tsuna-ish, confident smile. "Is that okay with you?"
Returning a slightly more confident smile of her own, Chrome nodded.
"I will...Boss Tsuna."
...
Back in the Disciplinary Committee's Office, Hibari had simply been engaged in a staring contest with his Bracelet of the Clouds for the past four minutes or so. He had spent a while trying to ignore the thing, but had known all the time that he wouldn't last too long. So, Hibari had taken to glaring at the thing so hatefully that a normal bracelet might fragment violently.
Eventually, Alaude's voice said dryly, The Bracelet will never blink, I hope you know. Hibari gave a low growl...The First Cloud Guardian was one of the handful of individuals that Hibari placed in his highest of regard. However, like most whom Hibari respected greatly, Alaude also quite frequently made Hibari want to bite him to death, were the man not already dead. Largely because the two reflected each other so greatly...
Hibari said darkly, "Have you become such a coward, during our time apart, that you can't even appear as a mirage to your successor? Very unlike you, Alaude." Honestly, Hibari didn't expect this to get any reaction from Alaude - That man was unflappable to insults. So, Hibari was mildly surprised as a purple-colored beam emanated upward from the Bracelet...
Gazing at Hibari indifferently, Alaude's image still held the same inexplicably weighted presence as when Hibari had first met him...Alaude said in that emotionless voice, "Come now, Kyoya Hibari. Are you really so displeased to see me?" He gave a hmph at the glare which Hibari responded with. "Oh my - That must be a yes."
Snorting derisively, Hibari said, "I don't remember you showing such wit," - The sarcasm was heady in that word - "When I last saw you, Alaude. You didn't seem to be much of a joker." He grinned condescendingly..."You should stick to your silence. I don't find you humorous." Hibari turned in his seat, taking out some kind of book to read.
Shrugging, Alaude said calmly, "I don't belive you find anything humorous, Tenth Cloud Guardian. You merely find things 'amusing' - You know. Like feeble attempts to challenge your authority, or delinquents who think they can stand against you with any number of men..." He nodded slightly, eyes closed, as Hibari closed the book - "Yes, I know all about your 'Disciplinary Committee' and defense of this school...My experience with intelligence gathering has served me well."
The First Cloud Guardian opened his eyes, to see Hibari glaring daggers at him...Alaude said calmly, "Wondering what brings me here?" Seeing the slightest inclination forward of Hibari's head, Alaude continued..."You see, we First Guardians periodically take our time to watch our successors...Except for Daemon Spade." He crinkled his nose in distaste, making Hibari slightly curl his fingers at the feeling of Alaude's displeasure...
Alaude continued to say, "That one is always up to some convoluted scheme...If you think Mukuro Rokudo is bad, be glad you don't have to deal with him day in, day out like we did with Spade. Maybe staying in a jar for a while can prevent that one from becoming too much like the First Mist Guardian..." A sigh. "...But I'm getting on a tangent. I'm here to talk about the Tenth Mist Guardian, not Rokudo or Spade." Hibari grit his teeth...
The Head of the Disciplinary Committee growled, "Stop right there, Alaude." He continued in a faintly seething voice, "You had best not be here to talk about her." Hibari felt his hand creeping towards one of his tonfa, though he ceased that motion upon realizing that this was merely an illusion of sorts that he would not be able to hit. Illusion...That thought made Hibari snort in rage. This incident was grating on his nerves far too much.
Eventually, Alaude sighed..."I just happened to be watching you, and found this little interaction between you two quite interesting." He ignored Hibari's obvious fury growing..."What's so bad about her, really?" This made Hibari freeze in thought of what Alaude could mean. The First Cloud Guardian went on to say, "She's a kind girl...You said it yourself - She's an exceptional student at your precious school." Damn. He'd heard that, too.
Alaude said simply, "Don't rationalize. Don't debate with yourself. When the time comes, simply decide what your feelings are about the girl." His eyes glinted mischeiviously, though his frown didn't break - "Say...Do you think the Cloud will be above the Mist, in this encounter?" Hibari's eyes widened; he was utterly speechless. Did Alaude, the solemn First Cloud Guardian, just imply...?
"Methinks thou doth protest too much." With that, Alaude was gone. Hibari simply stared at the Bracelet, silent...Then, leaning forward on his right elbow, Hibari placed his forehead into the palm of his hand and sighed heavily.
"...This entire affair is becoming utterly distasteful."
Hibird watched his master curiously.
...
At lunch, Chrome looked like she was about to head into the cafeteria with some kind of paper bag...However, she began to turn. Suddenly, she heard a voice - "Hey~! Chrome-chan~!" Turning, she saw Kyoko running up to her. The girl said, "You wanna sit with me again?" She frowned questioningly at Chrome..."What happened to your cheek?"
The eyepatch-wearing girl was blushing slightly, holding her binder and beaten lunchbox tight in one arm and her paper bag carefully in the other...Chrome said quietly, "Um...I kind of...Accidentally walked into someone's locker while they were...Opening it..." She gulped; lying again. "Sorry, but...Th, there's someone I wanted to go see, and I think I found something he'd really like, and... ... ..." If Chrome was that kind of person, she would have mentally swore - She hadn't meant to give away the fact that she was going to see a boy...
Kyoko giggled, smiling knowingly...Chrome's blush turned just a bit hotter. Kyoko said politely, "Sure, go ahead! You can come sit with me and my friends whenever you want!" She winked. Chrome smiled, giving a rushed thanks, and hurried off down the hall...Kyoko frowned. Why was Chrome going that way?
"Hmmm...The only room for a while that way is the Disciplinary Committee's Office...I wonder why she's head towards - " ... "Is she heading for...?" ... "Hahah, yeah right~! That's just silly."
Turning, Kyoko walked back towards her friends.
...
Hibari was listening to a song; for some reason, it happened to be in English...The Namimori Middle School Anthem was his favorite song by far, but he made sure not to listen to that alone. If you listened to a song day in, day out, it begins to lose its meaning...
He also listened to songs from a variety of genres and countries; Hibari felt it was important to have experience in a variety of things. Despite himself, he found that he especially liked rock n' roll and classic hits similar to it. So, Hibari simply sat back in his fortress of solitude, and listened to the male singer's slightly husky voice...
I was gambling in Havana,
You know I took a little risk.
They sent lawyers, guns, and money...
Dad, get me out of this!
I'm an innocent bystander,
But somehow, I got stuck
Between a rock and a hard place,
And I'm down on my luck!
Yeah I'm down on my luck!
Yeah I'm down on my luck!
Abruptly, Hibari heard a gasp from the door...Lifting a remote control, he turned off the radio over on the nearby shelf. Looking to the doorway, he saw none other than Chrome...He said coldly, "What? Have you never heard music before, Mist Guardian?" It briefly crossed his mind that he had started replacing 'Puppet' with 'Guardian' when referring to Chrome...
However, Chrome asked in an excited voice, "Disciplinary Head-san, you like Warren Zevon too?" For a moment, Hibari gave an internal snarl at the fluttering in his chest again, before the rest of her statement registered. He looked at Chrome with a calm gaze, although his mind was whirling in confusion as to how she came to recognize the song.
"You," he started. Waiting a moment, Hibari then asked, "Where have you heard songs by Warren Zevon before?" Secretly, he had a feeling that she would give some explanation related to him...Chrome's next shy statement blew that assumption to dust, however. As Gokudera might say, 'When you just assume, you make an ass outta u and me!'
Chrome started, "Well, one day...Ken mentioned that one of his Writing Class teachers at Kokuyo Junior High was always making them write essays on music from other countries...And...He told me that he really liked a song by...Warren Zevon..." Chrome gave a soft smile, seeming to become more confident. "So he took me and Chikusa to find a Warren Zevon CD...I remember they paid for it together, because...I think they didn't want me getting caught up in a fight if they tried to steal it..." She smiled softly...
Before he could stop himself, Hibari asked: "What do those two think of you enrolling here?" Dammit, what technique is she using on me? At first, Chrome didn't seem to get what he was asking - Soon enough, though, it clicked. She gave another slight smile...
"Well," she began. "...They seemed really against it, at first...But...It looked like they changed their minds after a while..." Chrome paused for a moment; "They were really mad when they saw my face...But they looked kind of happy...When I said that a really great guy took care of me - " She froze. "Oh no, Disciplinary Head-san, I didn't tell them it was you, okay...?" She looked at Hibari, afraid for a moment that he wouldn't believe her, or would be mad that she even gave a hint as to what had transpired yesterday...
...However, Hibari was too startled at how Chrome had referred to him in front of her friends. Really...Great...Guy...? What the hell kind of rose-colored glasses does she see me through? Changing the subject, he said, "Is there a reason why you came here at lunch? I don't appreciate students skipping lunch here; hunger damages their performance." He looked at the paper bag in Chrome's right hand...
Jumping, Chrome said, "Oh...Well I just, just...Wanted to eat lunch in here...Maybe...Or not..." She gulped shyly. "I just saw something I thought you'd like yesterday, and saved it, and...Oh no..." Her face suddenly fell. "It's probably cold by now...And...I guess you can't heat it up..." Suddenly, to Chrome's surprise, Hibari had stood up again. She wondered what he was going to do this time...
Circling his desk, Hibari took the paper bag from Chrome with a gentle touch. Silently, he opened up the bag and looked inside. Chrome blushed and fidgeted as Hibari inspected what she had brought him...The Head of the Disciplinary Committee simply stared into the paper bag for a good two or three minutes.
Finally, he began walking towards the door. As Chrome jumped and began to follow, Hibari explained quietly, "The Disciplinary Committee Lounge is just a bit down the hall...There's a microwave there. I won't permit eating in my office, but I can allow eating in the lounge."
Chrome smiled shyly..."Thank you, Disciplinary Head-san." There it was again - That fluttering in Hibari's chest. It hit him in mid-stride, almost causing him to trip, but he managed to recover so perfectly that Chrome never saw a thing.
Hibari swallowed, his throat growing dry...This girl may be my greatest opponent yet...And she's one of the finest new students that Namimori Middle has ever had.
Giving an inaudible sigh, Hibari just kept walking towards the Lounge...
...Chrome never too far behind.
Author's Note:
What's in the bag?
Find out in our next installment!
Stay tuned~