who lives, who dies, who tells your story
A Katekyou Hitman Reborn! Fan fiction
Disclaimer: KHR do not belong to me
I apologize for any grammar mistakes and typing errors in this story. English is not my first language.
If you dislike stories with original characters in it, please turn back now.
Enjoy!
Age Reference:
Xanxus - 16 y.o.
Hibari - 16 y.o.
Ryohei - 15 y.o.
Itsuki - 14 y.o.
Takeshi - 14 y.o.
Kyouko - 14 y.o.
CHAPTER 10
They booked him the penthouse at the most luxurious hotel in the area. It's surprisingly lavish, considering the size of this town. The head servant tried to convince him to at least take a couple of the staffs with him but Xanxus staunchly refused. He need some time away from trashes. Not even when the head servant asked him to at least consider have a Mist to attend him from afar. In case something goes wrong.
Xanxus gave the man a beating for implying that he can't control himself. He may be Sealed but Xanxus knows how to be stealthy. And it's not like he will go willy nilly and shoot people left and right.
Is he temperamental? Sure. Petty? Yes. But short sighted? No.
So Xanxus spent the entirety of the first day in the penthouse. Mostly eating, drinking, and napping. Quite the hedonistic lifestyle really. On the second day, Xanxus ordered some books, files and reports to be sent to the hotel. Just because he's not there doesn't mean he couldn't know what's going on in his neighborhood.
Yes, he refer it as his neighborhood. He lives there. Might as well make it his territory. Xanxus may hated the place but it's his, damnit. His.
Xanxus officially start his day by watching the sunrise. From the height of his penthouse, he can see just how tiny Namimori is. Still, being this high, it reminds him of the time he can fly.
After a quick shower and breakfast, it's time to work. The first thing on his checklist is the report. That includes updates from Italy, the running of his household and video footages of the neighborhood.
More videos of Squalo challenging swordsmen.
A video of Belphegor killing a trash, taken by Lussuria.
Another love letter from Levi.
Mammon was able to procure some more materials and will ship them to Japan as soon as possible.
Something is going down at the mansion at the moment. Whatever it is, the staffs better resolve it before Xanxus return. Or they will not just be cleaning up glass shards next time.
Now for the videos…
Civvie Girl still do her bowing routine in front of the mansion. Of course, she has no way of knowing that Xanxus isn't even at the mansion at all. The sight of her bowing still make him feel funny.
It's weakness. Whatever this feeling is. He has no use for it. Eliminating Civvie Girl will make this feeling go away. He can make it look like an accident. It's already well known in the neighborhood that Civvie Girl is not well. Her clumsiness don't exactly help her case. Accidents happen everyday. No one will look into her death. Her mother would grieve, as much as she could grieve for a daughter she don't care much for. Things will go back to normal and everyone move on with their lives.
Yet… Xanxus can't bring himself to give the order.
He hates it. He hate how Civvie Girl is able to affect him this way.
She made him feel warm.
It's not the same heat from Dying Will Flame. Not even close. But it's something all right. Xanxus don't want to lose that feeling, which make this whole situation even more frustrating.
Xanxus don't know know which one he hates more. For feeling like this or Civvie Girl herself.
If they thought they are safe from Hibari's scrutiny for now, the student body is sorely mistaken. The Disciplinary Committee are now questioning students. All of them. No one is exempt. Curiously, they are not in trouble. It turns out that Hibari want testimonies from students as part of his ongoing investigation with the teachers.
Once they realize they are not in trouble, the students are more than happy to spill.
Takeshi is the last of the baseball club to be questioned.
Hibari's right hand man, Kusakabe Tetsuya, is the one who brought him in.
Other students are questioned on the spot or in their clubrooms… Takeshi… Was brought to Hibari's office instead.
Hibari is seated behind the desk. His grey eyes watching his every move. Takeshi forced himself to smile.
"Herbivore."
"Yes?"
"You were trying to jump off the roof the other day."
Takeshi went rigid. Oh, God. He knows. He knows. I will be bitten to death-
"Sawada Itsuki stopped you."
Takeshi swallowed. "She-She did."
"How did she found out?"
How indeed? Takeshi has been asking the same question for years now. All he can come up with is that she is just that observant.
"I tried to jump off a bridge three years ago," Takeshi said instead. "It was a cold day. Itsuki found me. She gave me a can of coffee. And then she pulled me away. I don't know how she knows. The most important thing is that she was there."
His hand brush the bandages around his injured arm. They took off the cast yesterday. Takeshi had no idea that bandages could be warm. The worst injury he suffered before this were scraped knees and bruises from crashing to a wall.
And how many times have you seen Itsuki in bandages? A small voice whispers to him.
Takeshi internally cringed. Itsuki has suffered worse and Takeshi is ready to throw everything away over a broken arm… It made him look like a baby in comparison.
You could prevent half of her injuries if you were there for her. Instead you just stood there and pretend everything is fine.
Guilt. That accusing voice is his guilty conscience. Takeshi did a good job to ignore it for years but after his suicide attempt… It comes back in full force. No matter how hard Takeshi tried, he cannot shut it down.
He spent three years not doing anything. It's time to own up. Takeshi had been so careless with his life. If he could not look after himself, how could he look after another?
"Is Itsuki going to be in trouble?" Takeshi ask Hibari. If he got her in trouble because of his stupid decision-
"No."
Oh
Takeshi let out the breath he's been holding.
"If you still want to die, do it outside the school ground. You'll mess up the discipline at school."
Okay. Wow. Harsh.
"Uh… Duly noted."
"Now get out from my office."
"This is stupid."
"We do what must be done, Fabio."
"Ghosts aren't real."
"Fabio, we have a psychic as Boss' Mist Guardian. An Arcobaleno psychic."
"You have to draw the line somewhere. I draw the line on ghosts."
"Something's not right in this place and you know it. We gotta take care of it while Boss is away. If this doesn't work, we'll call in the exorcist. Then we can wipe their memory of their time here."
"Fine. But do we have to wear these? We look ridiculous."
"We are Varia. Now zip up. Your suit and mouth both."
"And the best thing we can come up with is the Ghostbusters."
"They got the ghost in the end!"
"If a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man kill me, I'm going to haunt your ass."
"I thought you don't believe in ghosts?"
"I hate all of you."
"Sawada Itsuki, please come with me."
Everyone stills at those words. Just when they thought things are starting to calm down, a member of the Disciplinary Committee would show up. Not just any member, but Hibari Kyouya's right hand man himself, Kusakabe Tetsuya.
All eyes are now on Itsuki. The girl is unreadable, as usual. She merely pack her belongings before following Kusakabe out.
Kusakabe didn't say anything when Itsuki tripped. He even helped her up. His action made the ghosts around her to slightly relax.
Kusakabe led her to Hibari's office. When they enter the room, they found Hibari sitting behind the desk, deep in paperwork. With the principal fired along with the position, the position is vacant until Hibari appoint someone. In the meantime, he is the interim principal of Namimori Middle. Students were frightened when they hear the news.
School is already hellish enough for some of them. But more power to Hibari?
Thankfully, their concern vapourised when Hibari state that he rather stick being the head of the disciplinary committee. This is only temporary. Still, he gave the school quite the scare. And that's saying something.
"Please sit," Kusakabe gesture to the couch. Itsuki take a seat. She wonder when was the last time anyone but Hibari use this couch. For her to be able to sit instead of standing… You can almost it a privilege.
Hibari is drowned in paperwork. Understandable, considering the ongoing changes in the school structure. While she wait for Hibari to address her, Itsuki watch the ghosts. Chiyohime and Sue eye Hibari critically. Ieshige stand behind Hibari to read over the documents. The children surround Kusakabe Tetsuya to admire his pompadour. A handful of Hibari ghosts are also in the room. No doubt to oversee their son trying to sort through this mess.
Not to mention this is the first contact between a living member of Hibari and Sawada after centuries.
Finally, Hibari put down his pen. "Small animal."
Well, that's not something you hear everyday.
Itsuki nod to show him that she's listening.
"How did you figure out Yamamoto Takeshi's intention to commit suicide?"
Kusakabe Tetsuya quietly put a small whiteboard and marker in front of her. Itsuki pick them up and write
When you are invisible, you notice all sort of things that the others missed.
Hibari considered her words. "This is not his first attempt." Itsuki give another nod. "And Nezu?"
I never touched him.
That's true. Kusakabe and his underlings have been thorough with their questionings. Sawada Itsuki never touch Nezu. She was just unlucky.
"What else did you notice?"
Too many
She wants to say that but didn't. Itsuki put down the board and marker as show of her refusal to answer.
Hibari feel irritation flare up inside him but press it down. This small animal had been abused for God knows how long. She distrust everyone, everything. He couldn't blame her for wanting to keep her head down. That's how she survive until now.
And yet… His instinct is telling him there is something else. This small animal is not as simple as she looked. Hibari don't necessarily feel threatened by her but he feel like he is being observed right now. How he treat this small animal right now will decide his fortune. At least, that is what his instinct is telling him. His instinct never led him wrong before.
In any case, this is enough for one day.
"Leave," Hibari pick up his pen again.
Kusakabe show the small animal the way out.
The moment she step out of the room, Hibari realised the temperature had dropped without him noticing.
The Hibari family enforce order both in life and dead. Not all Hibari stay behind after their hour of death but there are enough of them who chose to. They don't meddle with the matters of the living. They had their turn. Still, they watch over them. Of course, there are moments where they want to grab their descendants and shake them and scold them. They could, if they are having a solid day, but they didn't. So they turn their attention to the ghost population in Namimori.
In a weird, roundabout way, the Hibaris are much more lenient after death. What do they gain from lording over dead people? And there is not much one can do as a ghost. But another quality the Hibaris possess is their sense of duty. They work as best as they can in their new form to maintain order in Namimori. Most of the time they show new ghosts the ropes. In rare occasions they track down ghosts that seek to harm the living.
When Itsuki enter the picture, things get easier and harder at the same time.
See, the Hibari clan are used to be the big fish in the small pond named Namimori. So what happens when they meet a cluster as large as the Sawada family?
The Hibari clan are territorial by nature. Death is a drastic change but not enough to stamp out this particular trait. It make sense for them to try to show off their power to a rival group and assert authority over them.
The Sawada Family is having none of that.
There are things that you only learn after you are dead. The Sawada Family is one of them. So many secrets, so many regrets, so many lessons. Also, you don't fuck with a ghost who is solid and full colour 24/7.
So the Hibaris leave the Sawada Family alone, for the most part. When Itsuki reveal her ability, the Hibaris are naturally drawn to her. However, her cluster don't like sharing. A pack protect their youngs. The dead Hibaris recognise this and respect it. Again, you don't want to give these people any reason to hate you.
Ghosts don't breathe but all ghosts held their breaths as they watch Hibari Kyouya and Sawada Itsuki exchanged words. It was a short meeting but the stake is too much to dismiss.
The Hibari ghosts are present not just to evaluate their Kyouya's performance but also to protect him if he decide to treat Itsuki like every other herbivores.
The last time a Sawada attack a Hibari, it was horrifying.
The Hibari ghosts keep other ghosts in Namimori in check. In turn, the Sawada ghosts keep the Hibaris in check.
It is a power balance that keep the peace in Namimori ghost community for a long time.
So when a third party as big as the Sawadas showed up, no one is amused. Especially when it revealed that the living this cluster is attached to someone connected to the mafia.
Not just any mafia group. It was Vongola.
It is only a matter of time before young Kyouya clash with the Vongola boy. And Itsuki will undoubtedly get involved into that mess. It will upset the peace in Namimori, both living and death.
To make matters worse, the Sawada cluster and this new cluster have a connection.
It took them awhile to piece it together but the Hibaris realised that not only the Vongola Boy (and indirectly, Vongola itself as a whole) pose a threat to the living, even the ghost community are not safe from them.
The Vongola Boy's cluster doesn't seem to realise it yet but it is only a matter of time before they figure it out themselves.
Whatever happens after that, it is the living who will ultimately decide things once and for all.
There is nothing they can do. After all, they are already dead.
Hana is not surprised when they find no exchange diary in their bags or inside their desk. It's only been a few days but Kyouko is already getting antsy. She want the result. Now. While Hana understand where she is coming from, she think that her best friend is too hasty. If Itsuki truly don't want to open up to them, they will receive the exchange diary already. With no entry in it, only blank pages.
Itsuki probably think it's some sort of joke. Maybe she want to observe them a little longer before making any decision. Maybe she just don't know what to write. If there is one thing Hana is sure of, is that Itsuki won't let them hanging for long. She will give them a response, one way or another.
It's probably for the best. Their school is undergoing drastic changes and for someone like Itsuki, it will permanently affect the rest of her days in Namimori Middle. Hana take comfort in the fact that there will never be another Nezu in this school. At least until they graduate. School already become a brighter place with him gone.
Amidst all these major changes, some things escape their classmates. But not Hana. Not since Itsuki. Not since her heart to heart talk with Kyouko.
Yamamoto Takeshi acted differently ever since he got injured.
Before Hana chalked him up as another monkey. Sure, Yamamoto is athletic and popular, but still a monkey in the end.
If there is one thing her experience with Itsuki taught her, other than the fact that adults are not perfect, is that things are not always what they seem. Including people.
Yamamoto Takeshi act more… Reserved, these days. Hana can't find another word to describe his change of behaviour. Sure, he still joked around the other guys but he also distance himself from them as well. One day, Hana caught him staring at Itsuki and it clicked.
His recent change is somehow connected to Itsuki.
Their classmate have a knack in pushing people to reach epiphany it seems.
Of course, this is just speculation on her part. Still, Hana is not even surprised anymore.
Itsuki is like a mirror. She sees you for who you are, is not afraid to point it out and make you take a look at yourself. Everything you do or say to her is the reflection of your true self. Because Itsuki is the easy target. So easy to use. They say that to see one's true character, see how they treat those beneath them.
Kyouko is confronted with her inaction and the consequences that follows.
Hana is confronted with selfishness, for she hold everyone to impossible standards centered around her and immediately dismiss those who fail to live up to it.
What did Yamamoto see? Hana wonders. Those two went to the same elementary school together. It's possible that they have history. Not that it's any of her business. It's not like Hana are friends with Yamamoto. She couldn't just walk up to him and ask. Hana continue with her observation nonetheless, because the last thing they need is for a boy to complicate things.
Itsuki didn't act any differently around the baseball player. She treat him the same way she treat everyone else. With caution. This way, Itsuki can avoid getting hurt. But it's also lonely.
Hana don't think it's healthy, especially since Itsuki is dealing with mental issues. Maybe Itsuki like solitude that much. Maybe she has friends outside of school. They don't know anything about Itsuki.
Okay, that's not entirely true. Hana knows that Itsuki had been hurt in the past. So bad that her treatment at school don't even compare. It made her wonder… If another reason Itsuki avoid everyone is to prevent another get dragged into her mess. The thought saddens her. And frighten her.
Hana is determined to find out. She don't know how she will do that but she will. Itsuki go out her way to save Kyouko from the monkey Mochida and things got out of control. What if something even worse happen and Itsuki got hurt really bad and no one knows?
Maybe she already was hurt and hid it to spare herself from more pain and pity.
Maybe Itsuki already call out for help and no one listened.
Maybe she had already given up.
Hana don't know which one is worse. The helplessness, the loneliness or the acceptance that no one will help her.
The world is cruel. Hana already seen it but only realised until now. It was largely willful ignorance on her part and the rest are innocence and luck. Hana had the luxury of not knowing until now.
How many people like Itsuki out there? How many Nezu? How many Mochida? How many girls out there that is just like the old Hana?
Maybe the world is a scary place because there are too many people who would look at one girl's clumsiness and call her No Good and think that is the sum of her worth.
It was them who made the world this way. It was them. It was her.
So the world is cruel. She acknowledge it. Hana won't let it get to her though. She has no time to wallow in self pity when there are people like Kyouko, Itsuki and Yamamoto out there who want to be seen. To be understood.
Kyouko wrote 'did me a kindness' in the diary. Hana will start from there. The world could use a little kindness.
When, not if, there are enough kindness, the world will learn to be kinder.
Ghosts are spilling out from Xanxus' mansion. From where she stand, Itsuki notice half of Namimori ghosts population being present. When they saw her standing there, they stop whatever they're doing and wave.
Tajima emerge from the house, a big grin on his face. "Did you had a good day?" He asks her cheerfully.
Itsuki look at him and then at the mansion before turning to Tajima again. Do I want to know?
"Yes," There is pure euphoria on Tajima's face. "Oh yes. There is so much we have to tell you."
Densuke appear next to Tajima, "You should have seen the look on their faces when we push over the bookshelves in the library!" He looked completely unrepentant.
Another step forward, "I crept behind the shower curtains like they did in that American movie!"
"I put so much detergent in the washing machines the room is filled with bubbles!" Someone from the crowd shout out gleefully.
"We turn on all the stoves in the place so it would turn on the fire alarm!"
"I managed to touch the cute one's butt!"
"Which one?"
"The one with the buzzcut!"
"Nah, the footman is cuter."
"What?" Tajima said defensively when Itsuki crossed her arms. "These clowns are 'ghost hunting,'" He said mockingly while making quotation sign with his fingers. "And you expect us to stay away?"
"This is the most fun I had in decades," One Hibari elder smirked.
Itsuki pinched the bridge of her nose.
Happy holidays! I hope you are having a good time this month. This year has been a crazy one for me.
I don't know when my next update will be. So please don't be alarmed if I don't update/post my stories for the next few weeks.
Thank you for reading!
Please review!
NO FLAME