I can't believe how fast this story has grown. Thanks to all of you readers out there, we're almost to 300 followers and 200 favorites!
So, congratulations to Knockoutroundabout for being the 250th follower and "Guest" for being the 70th reviewer!
Okay, so here's a quick chapter. I may have another up very soon since it's a four day weekend, but no promises. But here's another chapter, so enjoy!
"Buongiorno..." A tired mutter escaped my mouth as I scanned the little book with my eyes. It had been about three months since the whole rings debacle and Kosame had been running me through the ringers. I barely spent any time at home anymore as I trained with her, sometimes staying overnight because of how tired I was at the end of the day. Dad had left once the whole thing was over, neither of us speaking with each other up until the end. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed and put off about the whole thing; you'd think that the man would come to senses and think about why I was upset in the first place. If not that, then he should have at least tried to make up with me. I mean, that's what normal fathers do, right? They usually can't stand the thought of their daughters being upset with them, right? I guess it doesn't apply to all fathers, it certainly didn't apply to my past self's spineless father when I was angry that he wouldn't do anything to stop that bitch just because he was married to her. Keep the peace my ass, he was just a coward who didn't want to get dragged into the conflict between his wife and daughter.
But enough of that, the past is useless to me. I can't change it so what's the point in getting worked up about it? So back the the little orange book in my hand, Kosame had me pick up Italian as second language. She wanted me to learn English, too, saying that it is the language of business and that the mafia was no different. She was pleasantly surprised to know that I already knew it, thought I didn't explain how I knew it. Not many people would believe it was my mother tongue in a past life, would they? Anyway, other than that, she's just been training me on the basics: how to handle and clean a gun, strengthening every muscle in the body, and hand to hand combat. I appreciated the extra coursework that she had for me, I preferred things move at a fast pace; I was a fast learner anyway, so this arrangement suited me fine.
"Well, it's been a while since you've been to school. Where have you been?" I blinked at the voice and looked up, spotting the raspberry eyed female that I honestly forgot existed.
"Tanpopo." I sent her a blank look as I closed the book with a satisfying slap, letting Hamu run down my arm and onto the desk as I did so. A surprised look flashed through her eyes as she eyed the rodent.
"You brought a hamster to school?"
"Well, if my eyes are still seeing clearly, then I'd have to say yes. I see you haven't stopped asking your rhetorical questions, Tanpopo. Glad to see that part of you hasn't changed."
Her face colored, complementing her eye color and hair. She almost looked like a summer themed color palette. She quickly coughed into her fist and took on a more pensive look as her eyes flickered to the cover of the book.
"You're learning Italian, huh? Is there a reason behind it?" I shrugged as picked up the item, careful to balance it as Hamu was on top of it.
"You could say that." She was silent for a second, something seemed to be on her mind as her eyes darkened for a second before they landed back on the hamster.
"Uh, I don't think Hibari-san would be okay with you bringing an animal to school."
"I'm sure he'll be okay with Hamu."
"Hamu, huh? Well, he is pretty cute." She reached a finger out to pet Hamu, but he quickly turned around and shook his furry behind at her. Her face colored in embarrassment and didn't even react as Hamu retreated back to my shoulder.
"Hamu, you should do that. It's pretty rude, you know." I monotonously scolded the hamster, clearly not caring that he practically insulted Tanpopo. In fact, we both slyly look over at the blonde watching her eye twitch as she took a step back in alarm.
"Y-You two-!"
"What's the matter, Tane~ A little hamster isn't getting the best of you, is he?" She seemed to gulp, eyes switching between Hamu and I nervously as she let out a shaky smirk. A smirk that lacked the same intent as ours.
"O-Of course not! Aha~ who would be scared by the likes of you?"
"Well now..." I let a deep chuckle out as I smiled. "I never said anything about being scared, now did I?"
"Herbivore." My, admittedly, evil smile dropped as I looked to the door, spotting a familiar raven haired boy standing there menacingly. A small sigh escaped me as I gathered my belongings, knowing that he wanted me to follow him just by the way he stood.
"Well, it was fun, Tanpopo, but I need to go or the beast will get cranky." I caught the narrowing of the boy's eyes before I felt a hand clamp over my wrist. I admit, a brief feeling of surprise flitted through me as I turned to face the person.
"Hey, be careful." I blinked in curiosity, eyeing the hand before flicking my gaze up to Tanpopo's serious face.
"What for?" Her eyes narrowed in frustration, her body language telling me that she was now being cautious with what she said. Her body straightened up and she let my wrist drop, but her eyes stayed locked to me.
"Just don't bring attention to yourself." I stared at her, not moving from my spot before Hamu's nudge against my cheek got me back into motion.
"I'll try not to." A nod to the blonde seemed to satiate her a bit as she watched the two of us leave the room. I closed the door behind me and soon I was walking down the hall with the demon of Namimori. We both stayed silent and I watched as some students ducked into classrooms while other peeked at us, careful not to be caught. Neither of us took the moment to tell them we knew that they were there as we headed to the recreational room that the demon claimed as his layer.
"So, what's with the sudden summoning, Kyoya? Having trouble with keeping that ring of yours hidden so that you wouldn't be grouped with those 'herbivores'?" I saw his hand twitch, most likely from the instinct of bashing anyone who called him by his first name. Though, I'd bank on the theory that he wanted to bash my face in for that second comment. So I stayed silent and blankly watched as turned a sharp eye to me, eyeing me in a way that would most likely make others squirm.
"Did you bring it?" I raised an eyebrow, but dipped my hand into my bag nonetheless, pulling out a black hand gun as I did so.
"She did say to make it a habit to bring it with me everywhere I go, though I'm going to have to find a better way to conceal it." The very next second, I soon found myself bracing the gun against Kyoya's tonfa, glaring at him bemusedly as I frowned.
"Seriously? You're going to damage my gun!" I pushed harder against his weapon, feeling myself at a disadvantage since he was pushing downwards while I had to push upwards and the fact that he was insanely strong. It didn't help that Kosame trained him most of his life.
"I should punish you for bringing a weapon to school, herbivore."
"You already know that she told me to bring it. Besides, she wants us to get along, so why don't you cut it out!" I pushed against him, causing the two of us to disengage. He obviously didn't want to back down, but I suppose the mentioning of his beloved godmother kept him from lashing out again. I sighed and inspected the gun, glad that there wasn't any real damage as I inspected it.
"Geez, you really need to stop attacking me outside of training." I shoved the last book into my fallen bag before I looked up at him again. "And the name's Nakuka, not herbivore. Honestly, Kosame wasn't kidding when she said you are obsessed with the animal hierarchy."
"Don't tell me what to do, herbivore." I sent him a bland look as I huffed.
"Honestly, you're like a petulant child. But disregarding that, why did you bring me here? It can't be training, unless she's back from her trip already?" I raised an eyebrow inquisitively. At the shift of the light in his eyes, I knew that she was back.
'Strange, I thought she said that it would take at least two month before she got back.'
"Hmph, so I guess we'll be training after school, huh?" I stretched my arms out before I gently took a seat on the couch, Kyoya joining me as he sat at his desk. "That's good, I was getting bored of shooting at stationary targets. At this point, I don't even need to look at them in order to shoot them correctly, not even when I use my other hand." I danged my legs off the side of the couch, glancing at the room's other occupant out of the corner of my eye. "I suppose you're just happy to see Kosame again, right?"
He sent me glare before he brandished his tonfas threateningly, letting it gleam in the sunlight that streamed through the window. "Be quiet before I bite you to death."
A huff escaped me, but I didn't push any further as I fell back onto the cushions, thinking about how I got to know such an unlikable guy.
Flashback!\('-')/Flashback!
"You did well today, Nakuka. You must be tired after such extensive training." She folded her arms back into her kimono sleeves, somehow not a single bead of sweat had made its way onto her body. Meanwhile, I felt like my lungs and heart were going to give out on me. So, I didn't grace her with a response, choosing to focus on breathing so that I don't pass out on the spot. "Yes well, you seem to be doing well for yourself right now. Why don't you go take a shower and clean yourself up? My godson should be over soon, I'll introduce you then."
I wordlessly nodded as my heart started to calm itself. It was a good thing we did some cardiovascular training, or it would have taken much longer to get my breath back. It left me slightly amazed that she was even thinking about the heart when she said we'd be training every muscle in my body. And so I shuffled off to the bathroom, careful to not overexert myself as I made my way down the long corridor. I was soon under the calming water of the shower head, washing all of the dirt and sweat I had accumulated within the past few hours with Kosame (well, kind of, she never got a speck of dirt on her kimono).
A longing in my chest demanded that I stayed in that bathroom and enjoyed the full amenities, but I forced myself out. A special little meeting with Kosame's godson was scheduled to happen after my shower, after all. And so, I toweled myself off in the bathroom, glad that I had made it a habit to leave fresh clothes over at the compound. It certainly beats running all the way back home to shower and change. Kosame didn't mind me using her house anyway, claiming it was too big for her alone, so that's why she often invites family and friends over. I hadn't seen any of these "family" and "friends" that she spoke of, but I didn't let that bother me as I finished toweling off. I pulled on my panties and was in the process of putting on a bra when I heard the door opening, making me snap around to look at the intruder. My eyes met a striking pair of silver eyes that shined with a bit of hint of blue in them, now I didn't take too long admiring this newcomer as I snapped my arms around my exposed chest. Turning away, I heard the door slam, making me sigh before I went back to getting dressed.
I almost didn't want to leave that bathroom, but I knew that I had to leave eventually. So with a foreboding feeling, I pushed my way through the hallways and to the living room where a certain silver eyed person sat.
"Oh, Nakuka. I assume the shower was a pleasant one? This is my godson, Hibari Kyoya." She smiled gently, an unspeakable fondness in her hazel eyes told me how much this kid meant to her.
'Huh, so this is what he looks like.' I thought, remembering the deep, irritated voice that I heard back in Kokuyo Land. I realized I was staring at him, though, so I smoothly turned my head away from him as he did the same to me. Kosame was a sharp one, though, and quickly noticed the slightly awkward and stagnant air between us.
"Now, you two, let's get along here. I want my student and godson to get along nicely." We both grudgingly turned to each other, but we continued to glare at the floorboards at each other's feet. "Did something happen between you two?"
"... you could say something like that." Hibari grunted in agreement, neither of us speaking exactly it was that we were keeping from her. I was not that we were embarrassed, no I think I can say that for sure. It's just that-
"So, how was that shower, Nakuka?" My eyes narrowed a bit more at the tone of her voice. Don't you start, woman. "Oh, you didn't happen to go to the third hallway's bathroom, did you, Kyoya?" At the silence, Kosame seemed to gain a glint in her eye, pulling out a fan and covering the lower half of her face. "Oh, so I suppose you saw more than what you should have, Kyoya. Is today the day you become an official man?"
We both twitched. It's just that we knew this woman would use this against us and tease us about it.
"That's not how it works." I mutter under my breath. Even though the rumors that I've heard from Tanpopo painted Hibari Kyoya as an antisocial demon, he seemed anything but as he quietly sat next to me, glaring at the table in front of us.
"Oh, is that so? Well, in more modest times, seeing a woman undressed was only for the husband to see on their wedding night. I suppose that means that you two would have to get married since my dear Kyoya has taken the title of being the first person for you to bare yourself for."
"It wasn't for him. It wasn't for anyone, it was a mistake. And I'm not marrying anyone, something a constraining as marriage is not something I'm interested in."
"Well, you say this now, but a mature woman as myself knows that you will one day find someone that you wouldn't mind spending the rest of your life with." A thoughtful look danced in her eyes as she snapped the fan closed in her hand. "I suppose if Kyoya won't take you, then I'm sure you can get together with Takeshi. He seems to like you well enough."
"Enough of this. Are you going to keep playing match maker or are you going get on with this?" Spending almost a month with this woman on a constant basis has quickly got me accustomed with her mannerisms, so I didn't miss the amused glimpse in her eyes.
"Very well, but promise me one thing, you two. Treat each other nicely, no attacking each other outside of training."
"Mn." We had no choice but to grudgingly agree. Who knew what this woman would do if we didn't. In that instance, I spotted Hamu wiggling behind Kosame. A vein bulged on my forehead and the corner of my mouth twitched.
'I will fucking kill that hamster."
End Flashback Transition\('-')/ End Flashback Transition
I sighed silently, my arm covering my eyes as I laid on the couch. My jaw twitched as I felt a slight heat under my collar at the memory. Fucking hell, that woman really knows how to get on my nerves.
"Fuck!" I ripped my arm away from my face and glared at the raven haired boy as he lowered the offending arm, not bothering to hide the tonfa he just used to ram into my stomach.
"Don't use such course language in the premise of Namimori."
"Then don't fucking hit me!" I snapped at the nonplussed teen, able to hear the smugness behind his tone. Nevertheless, I climbed off of the couch and slung my book bag onto my shoulder, ready to try and beat the tar out of the fucker during training. Well, not quite, I'm more of a speed fighter while he was strength, not that his speed was anything to scoff at; it wasn't, really, it's almost terrifying to see how fast he is the first time. Every single spar session we had ended with both of us with bruises, most of them belonging to me, but I say that's expected since he has years of experience on me.
"Right. Let's get going, then."
Author's Notes:
Observer-chan: You could say that. Nakuka never really had a problem with him until he revealed why he wouldn't teach her. It's a bit of a troublesome situation, isn't it? Poor Nana doesn't even know her kids have a thing against their dad. :')
Hourai: Self insert stories are my thing, too. I basically only write self insert stories, anyway; I don't know, I just find them a lot more interesting when done right. I like seeing what people do differently in their stories. Thanks for liking my story, I'm quite fond of this one myself. I too like Belphegor, but I like a lot of character, so...
Guest: Funny you would say that. I have considered flames being used as bullets, but that's kind of a standard things with gun users since Reborn, Xanxus, and Colonello use their flames. I'm not too sure what I'm going to do in the future, though (well, that's kind of a lie, but alright), so we'll just have to wait and see.
Dustflame: Congratulations on guessing right! But you know, it probably would have been cooler if Byakuran was Kosame's godson. And yes, Birds is one icky character.
Caterina: Mammon/Viper is pretty cool. I especially like the symbolism of his/her name, seeing as Mammon is one of the seven princes of hell and is the personification of greed. It's pretty interesting stuff.
Singular Poisonous Ashes: That's a good response. I like characters when they're being cool and badass, it's very exciting. And I'm very glad Nakuka's one of your top 10 favorite OCs, I'm pretty fond of her myself. If only she was less of a butt, though, then she'd actually make some friends. T_T
10th Squad 3rd Seat: Oh, you're fine. I didn't interpret you not liking Iemitsu as you not liking the chapter. You know, for now she'll stick with one gun and then probably to two guns in the future. She's still a novice, so she'll have to work her way up before that happens. And yes, Natsu counts. ^_^
Nyasararu: I get you, at least you hate my interpretation of him because of his reasoning. I can respect that. I'm guessing that POV part of his sent you through a loop, huh? And you know what, I'll make up for it. I'll be giving someone the tessen, so don't fret your pretty head. :) And yeah, pretty stupid logic if I have to say so myself; If I was an underhanded enemy, the first people I'd go for would be Haru and Kyoko.
Viviene001: I updated! Well, at least you can sympathize him, that's all I can ask for. :)
C.N.D: Hehe, they do have some similarities, don't they? It's actually a bit scary. You do, don't you? Well, if it does go the way that I think it's going, then at some point, shit's really going to hit the fan. Exciting, ain't it? ;)
Also, I'm really happy to see some familiar reviewers. I really like seeing what you guys think and it really makes me want to make more chapter. ^_^
Question: What is your favorite Self Insert/ OC fanfic in the KHR fandom?
Answer: Mine would most likely be Heavenly Judgement by Colbub or Kyoko by Discoabc, though The Truth of the Sky by LeoInuyuka was pretty good, too. I don't know, there's so many to choose from!