AN: Okay, turns out that I did write about Yamamoto taking over his dad's dojo! I was rereading the chapters and found it! YAY!
DISCLAIMER: Don't own KHR. DUR.
To: those who love Ryohei!
Tsuna didn't realize that she had been holding her breath when the boys came back from the future. Pink smoke exploded, smothering the three males, until seconds later and lo and behold the present Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Lambo in their rightful time period.
Lambo had this constipated look on his face, and the way he staggered on his feet made Tsuna wary. Yamamoto and Gokudera, however, appeared to be expressionless, the corners of their lips turned downward in what seemed to be exhaustion.
"Um," she began, "welcome back."
They flicked their dull gazes at her simultaneously, causing her to flinch.
"Etooo…"
"I have to goooo!" Lambo suddenly cried. His face was scrunched up, as if he had sniffed dung.
A vein throbbed on the Italian's forehead. "Stupid cow! You should've gone when you had the chance!" Gokudera snapped impatiently.
Yamamoto's shoulders went slump.
Tsuna's eyebrows furrowed with puzzlement. 'Just what happened when they were in the future?' Nothing bad, hopefully, but what could she expect regarding the unusualness from the boys, especially Yamamoto now that he was being quite lifeless, a stark contrast to his typical happy-go-lucky personality. She didn't like it.
She fisted the fabric in her hand and licked her lips in apprehension. What should she say? She was never good with words. They get jumbled up in her head and when she thinks of a good one to articulate, it gets lost after she opens her mouth. It's either she thought of what to say for too long that her mind trailed off or that a white blankness blanketing her thoughts was the reason. This made her realize that even though Reborn had tutored her well in the facets of humiliation, tolerance, and academics, defection would always be suspended between improvising and the starting line. Reborn couldn't help her with that, not that he would try anyway.
The adult Yamamoto was wrong—wrong about how she could do amazing things. How could she? She didn't even know how to comfort Yamamoto from whatever he was sad about—if he was sad, anyway. Tell him that everything would be alright? That he had nothing to worry about? That him being a sports prodigy and son of a famous sushi chef should remind him that he had a bright future ahead of him, especially since he was going to inherit his father's dojo?
Heck no.
Even if flattering would drive away the black cloud hovering over his head—in which Tsuna doubted that it would work—she would never bring herself to say it. It was too… materialistic. Acquisitive. Avaricious. Irrelevant. Yeah, definitely irrelevant to anything at all. And besides, Yamamoto wasn't like that, someone who could be easily pleased by such telling, but it kind of made the situation difficult. She didn't know how to comfort someone, let alone talk to someone.
And the worst of all was that there was a little voice in her head, sounding ironically like Yamamoto from the future, urging her to talk to Gokudera. As if that could be something simple to do. She preferred it that the man hadn't said anything at all—it just made Tsuna uncomfortable.
It was involuntarily decided that Tsuna was left to do nothing but absently watch Gokudera and Lambo bicker. Yamamoto did the same.
"Must. Tol-er-ate," Lambo sniffed, his big green eyes watering.
In the end, Gokudera dragged the five-year-old to the bathroom, reluctantly leaving Yamamoto and Tsuna alone in the hospital room. It made Tsuna wonder why Gokudera gave her such a long look before closing the door behind him.
'But never mind that,' she told herself. She glanced at Yamamoto, whose face turned solemn. 'There has to be something that I can do for Yamamoto.'
Like what?
"Tsuna."
Startled, Tsuna nearly felt her heart jump up at her throat. "A-ah, h-hai?"
She was surprised to hear him speak, looking at him with wide eyes. He looked back at her, only regarding her expressionlessly again.
"Let me join the band."
It was her second day in the hospital and she was transferred to another room. Unlike her previous room, this one was bigger and had two other occupants. The idea of sharing a room had made her nervous, but when they introduced themselves to her Tsuna decided that it wasn't going to be so bad after all.
Kyoko was a frail and pretty girl who offered Tsuna a reassuring, polite smile. She was kind and friendly and warm; she reminded Tsuna strongly of Yamamoto. Tsuna had missed the big boy's cheerfulness, but she was sure that he was going to come around soon enough.
Hana, on the other hand, immediately gave Tsuna an impression of a mean girl. Her half-lidded cold eyes and tight-lipped scowl wanted to make Tsuna runaway if she could, but after getting to know her for quite a bit it was later understood that Hana's personality was just like that. She wasn't mean, but tough and wise—Tsuna admired that quality of her more so than she did Kyoko's sweetness. How far in life could only sweetness take you in the world? No, people like Hana could finish the race in life, but people like Kyoko, nonetheless, were so nice to be around with.
They didn't become friends instantaneously, however. With an exiguous amount of time they shared, of course it wouldn't suit Tsuna to be having an amiable conversation with them, yet they were perfectly settled with one another's presence. In retrospect, this was the first time ever that Tsuna had been comfortable with other girls. Being plain and boring and, in a nutshell, Dame-Tsuna, Tsuna had always been jealous of the other girls in school who tittered and gossiped amongst themselves. They were so attractive, even though they would paint their faces with makeup, and Tsuna was so not. And yet here she was, sharing a room with two very lovely girls and not writhing in shame.
She could finally say that the future had been a good influence on her for once. Then again, being subjected to future Gokudera's staring and future Lambo's kisses and not be flustered by such was also a good thing, right? And there were surely many more that the future had inflicted on her…
Well, it's nothing serious to think about.
Later that day found Tsuna listening to Kyoko with rapt attention. Kyoko was telling the stories that had gone inside the hospital—some spooky, some heart-touching, and some funny. Tsuna knew that the spooky stories were all rumors and made-up, but the idea of ghosts of dead patients lingering in the hallways made her shiver to her bones. Hana spent an inordinate amount of time flipping through fashion magazines. When Kyoko was done with her stories, Hana made a retching sound at a particular picture.
Kyoko glanced at her right curiously. "What is it, Hana-chan?"
"This!" The dark-haired girl lifted the magazine to show what provoked her reaction.
Tsuna blinked. "A woman?"
"Take a look at what she's wearing," Hana pressed.
"What's wrong with what she's wearing?" Kyoko asked.
"It's a fashion disaster!" She set the magazine down on her lap and glared at the image. "I swear, the designers these days have horrendous tastes."
"Maybe it's the new style, like how girls nowadays would get dark tans and dye their hair blonde."
"Uh, Kyoko, that was a long time ago and it went downhill fast. The princess theme is in now."
Frilly pink dresses and glass slippers popped up in Tsuna's head. "It is?" she blurted.
Hana huffed. "Honestly, Tsuna, you're just as old-fashioned as Kyoko! And Kyoko's been stuck here for four years."
Kyoko had weak health since birth, and by the time she was ten-years-old she had a seizure and was rushed to the hospital. She lived here ever since. Her illness wasn't terminal, but it would be dangerous to push her luck. It was extraordinary how Kyoko remained kind-hearted and cheerful despite her misfortune of never stepping out into the world, only gazing out the window.
Tsuna shrugged helplessly. "I just…don't pay attention to those kinds of things."
"Well you should. By the time we get better, I'll take you shopping."
Tsuna doubted that they would know each other for that long, but went along with it. "Okay then."
Kyoko clapped her hands together. "I think it's a splendid idea! I think I might even ask one of my tutors if she could bring me some fashion magazines."
The rest of the day went on like that. Talks about fashion were tedious to Tsuna's ears, so she took the liberty of zoning out. And then she thought of the boys who returned to the past. She didn't really expect how they would be once they came back, but nothing like how they were yesterday. Perhaps hearing Lambo making a haughty proclamation about him fulfilling his dream to be a star, Gokudera snorting at nothing in particular, and Yamamoto laughing about how fun it was to travel to the future would be normal.
What's more, Yamamoto never told her why he reconsidered his decision about the band recruitment. When she asked, he waved off the question and walked out of the room, leaving her shocked. Gokudera and Lambo never came back either. Reborn did, however, and dumped all her homework on her lap. He then told her that he lied to her mother about how she was on a school field trip and all the necessities were packed for each student. Tsuna was amazed how gullible her mother was, or was it how convincing her tutor was?
Anyway, Tsuna was glad that her mother wasn't going to be fretful of her condition. She was concerned about it until Reborn came, but now she had something else on her mind, and that was Yamamoto. What was up with him? How bad was the future for him to accept? And how did it change his mind about joining the band? The last inquiry made Tsuna stiffen: Did her future self force Yamamoto to join? Did she threaten him?
Well, it'd be no wonder why Yamamoto was acting like that! Her future self must have done something to compel him to become a band member, and that was also the reason why he was being so indifferent towards her! She couldn't understand why, though. Couldn't her future self use a tactic that didn't have the boy feeling terribly down? So terribly down that Yamamoto didn't bother to conceal his emotion with a forced laugh?
It wasn't like Yamamoto to not force a laugh when he's upset. He usually never went on without laughing.
When night befell, everyone pulled their blankets over their shoulders and fell asleep.
Well, Hana did, anyway. She was a fast sleeper, a pretty deep one too.
Kyoko had insomnia so she often read until she could sleep.
Tsuna recently went to the bathroom, but she pretended that she was already asleep. She kept still, snuggled in the warmth of the comforter. When slumber nearly had its grip on Tsuna, the door creaked open and a nurse called out in a hushed whisper, "Kyoko-san?"
She heard pages of a book tussle, being set down. "Yes, ma'am?"
"Your brother is here. Should I send him away…?"
"Oh, no! Please bring him here, if it isn't any trouble that is."
"Of course not."
'Brother?' Tsuna wondered. Kyoko never mentioned of having a brother, but then they never really talked much today.
When the door opened again, footsteps shuffled across the floorboards. She could tell that it was either a male or a heavier nurse because the wood groaned under the weight.
"Onii-chan," Kyoko murmured.
'Onii-chan…?'
"Kyoko!"
Tsuna slapped her mouth to keep form gasping. 'I know that voice!'
"Onii-chan, not so loud! You'll wake up the others."
"Gomen, Kyoko. How was your day today?"
"Good. Hana-chan and I got a new roommate. Her name is Tsuna-chan."
"That's extremely good!" There was a pregnant pause with humming. "That name sounds familiar."
"Maybe a fellow classmate at your school?"
"Maybe."
'Oh yeah,' Tsuna thought, 'I did introduce myself to him the other day when I asked him to join the band.'
"How was your day?" Kyoko asked in turn.
"Oh, EXTREMELY well! The boxing club managed to get Airawara to join!"
Their conversation went on like that, going on about what they did and the like. Tsuna was drifting away, her eyes getting heavy, but what got her awake was when Kyoko admonished, "Onii-chan, you should stop. Use all that money for yourself for once! Like finding somewhere else to live—I heard from my tutors that the area was going to be demolished and used as a parking lot. You have to move out."
'Huh,' Tsuna thought, interested.
"I can't, not yet anyway. I have to pay for your operation."
"I'll be alright. I'm worried about you."
"I'll be fine, Kyoko, really! I mean, I'm sure one of my friends would let me crash at his place until I earn enough money."
"Onii-chan…"
"Don't worry, Kyoko, I'll be fine, I'll be fine. Once I get the money for your operation, then we'll be together again."
There was a brightening of her tone. "Just like family again?"
"Just like family again," he assured.
And then it clicked.
Why he falls asleep in class, why he had various jobs, why he lived in a cruddy apartment, why he asked if he would be paid if he joined the band…He was doing it all for the sake of his little sister.
Now it made sense. Tsuna didn't know how long Sasagawa was doing this—four years?—but it was obvious that he had been doing it for a while. And…and he was so committed to his sister…He sacrificed so much of his time just so he could get that operation to restore Kyoko's health. There wasn't a single fifteen or sixteen-year-old who could be so damn munificent, so bighearted.
It made Tsuna's heart wrench for the two siblings. Knowing what her sempai was doing…it made it so that she and everyone else were so freaking selfish whereas he hadn't made an impression that he cursed the life he had. It was more like…he accepted his fate and lived life to the fullest. He knew that as a big brother, he was obliged to fulfill a responsibility, and that was to look after his sister.
Tsuna changed her mind. Though she admired Hana's wit and strength, there was no one who came as close to as Sasagawa.
She had no idea why his parents weren't seen when Gokudera and Tsuna had been following Sasagawa, whether he was disowned like how Gokudera theorized or that he was really, really poor. But one thing's for sure, she felt like kicking Gokudera in the groin for suggesting blackmail to make Sasagawa join the band. What a dickhead.
When the siblings departed, saying their "I love you" and "Take care", Kyoko remained silent for a long time. Then the girl finally settled down and released a sob.
Tsuna listened to Kyoko's muffled sobbing.
And eventually, both girls fell asleep.
Reborn visited Tsuna regularly to keep her on track with her studies. Hard to say that the nurses and female patients weren't enamored by him already. Hana, who always had a thing for older guys, was swooning at the sight of him. Tsuna didn't think that she liked foreign men as well. Kyoko, nonetheless, remained posed, the same. Perhaps Kyoko wasn't interested in guys yet…But there were blushes on her cheeks whenever Reborn looked at her.
Tsuna sighed afterthought. Was she the only person who was impervious to Reborn's charisma? When she first met him, all she could think about was "Demon, demon, demon" because he radiated that impression. And the way he smirked, well, to many they might find it sexy, but to Tsuna it meant evil intentions. It might be some sort of hyper-intuition of hers, something that Reborn often commented that she had. Second to "do with your dying-will"—now, he said that frequently back then.
With other goals in mind now, it seemed that the Italian had no need to remind Tsuna of such. She knew now that there were some risks she had to make and to let her instincts guide her. As much as it sounded like a stupid athlete with no trace of common sense with a portentous attitude, it was, in a way, factual. No matter how dumb it was.
"—in some periods, cultural borrowing proceeded in a systematic matter, with definite ambition."
When she finished reading the passage, Reborn closed the textbook and stuffed it into her book-bag, telling her to read the rest for homework. She sighed and leaned back on the bedboard.
"Looks like you're healing well," Reborn said, patting her cast. "You might be released soon."
"Yeah."
"By the way, you managed to recruit Yamamoto. Good job, now you're given a free question."
That's right. For every recruit Tsuna was successful in, she could ask Reborn anything. So she sat there, pondering what she should ask, but nothing came to mind.
"Uh, can I ask you later?"
"Why not." Reborn stood up. "I'd be going. Take care."
"Bye Reborn."
He left and Tsuna was welcomed by silence again. Hana was meeting with her family that was visiting her, and Kyoko was with her tutor in another room. She wished she had something to read, like the comics she left at home.
She wondered why Gokudera hadn't come visited her even though he wanted to be her friend. Some friend he is.
Just then, the door slammed open. "Visiting to the EXTREME!"
"Hiii!"
"Ara?" Sasagawa's eyes landed on Tsuna. "You're not Kyoko…and Kyoko's not in this room."
"U-uh, sh-she's in the other r-room, getting lessons," Tsuna stammered, trying to calm her pounding heart.
"Right, thanks." Then he stopped and looked at her. "Hey, I know you."
She blinked. "Uh, I'm Sawada Tsuna, the one who asked you to join the band…?"
"Ah! I extremely remember!" He pounded his fist into his palm in realization. "Even though I have no knowledge of music or such whatsoever!"
"Y-yeah."
"Sorry that I turned down your offer. I had my hands full of stuff anyway."
"Ah, it's no problem. I understand your situation."
He arched an eyebrow. "You do?"
'Ah crud.' Tsuna couldn't say that she was eaves-dropping on his and his sister's conversation! For one, Sasagawa looked like he's the kind of person to get pissed off easily. Two, it would be rude of her to tell him that. But mostly because he's a pissy person. "Y-yes I do, with you being b-busy and all…R-right?"
He regarded her for a second and then grinned widely. "Right!"
She made her sigh subtle. 'That was a close one.'
"Hey, what happened to you?"
Tsuna looked at him in confusion, that until she figured out what he was talking about.
"Oh, um, I, uh, fell…"
"That was some extreme fall you took up then."
"Y-yeah. Real extreme. Right."
"Well, hope you get better. See you around, Sawada."
"You too, sempai."
She watched as the boy left, and gave a wistful sigh.
If anything, Tsuna wanted to help out the boy.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Guys, hate to break it to you but Tsuna won't be the lead singer. I already made that clear in chapter 8.
"No, I'm not part of the band, I think," she said.
Yamamoto's eyebrows rose. "Really? Then what are you?"
"I don't really know." Tsuna shrugged. "Maybe I might be part of it somehow."
"Maybe as the singer."
She made a face. "Yeah, and why not shatter a couple eardrums while at it."
He chuckled and turned back at the soccer game playing below the bleachers. "Piano?"
"I can't play an instrument for the life of me, and that's Gokudera's occupation anyway."
"What? Seriously? I can't picture him playing the piano!"
Tsuna, apart from of how much she disliked him, grinned in the Italian's favor. "He's surprisingly really good. Reborn wanted him to at least try to see if he still remembered to how to play, so he took out this huge keyboard and set it in front of him. I think Gokudera was nervous at first, I don't know, but once he started it was…" That was when she trailed, unable to quite describe the composition into words. "It was really something."
There was a knowing grin playing the boy's lips.
"W-what?"
"You like him."
"No I don't." She frowned. "I already told you that."
"Yes, you said that he was this and that and mainly infuriating, but regardless you like him deep in your heart."
"If so, then it must've been buried somewhere very, very deep," she deadpanned.
"Oh, I beg to differ; it can't be so deep that your heart doesn't leap out of your chest as you swoon at the sight of him, right?"
She gave him a dry look.
So therefore, Tsuna won't be the singer. Maybe she'll learn how to play an instrument? Keep guessing, but she won't be a singer. She has a terrible singing voice.
