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ಠﭛಠ

So, no Haru this chapter (but next chapter, definitely).

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From: Enma

Your cousins spotted me in town yesterday. They kept calling me En-nii…

Sender: Takara

They clung to you too, didn't they? Like peaches hanging from a tree.

From: Enma

…I felt like a jungle gym.

Your aunt pinched one of my cheeks too. It still hurts.

Sender: Takara

It's the hair. Always the hair.

You just have that cute, pinch-able look to you.

From: Emna

….I...no I don't. I don't.

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Early mornings had never been my thing – though I often found myself waking up earlier than my set alarm. Though I was always grumpy at first, being up early didn't really bother me too much aside from the lost sleep and lack of things to do. The other thing that bothered me was the fact that I ended up getting places so early those days. And more often than not that ended up in a rather enthusiastic run in on those days.

"YAMAMOTO-CHAN!" Ryohei was rather fiercely jogging in place by the school gates when I arrived at school, "You're here extremely early today!"

My vision blurred as I yawned, "Yeah. Woke up with an urge to learn this morning. You know, the usual."

"That's extremely boring of you!" He closed in suddenly, his fist clenched in front of his face, "You should join me on my extreme morning run!"

On one hand I actually wouldn't mind running – I ran in the afternoon on occasion, and sometimes on the mornings I didn't have school and woke up much too early. Though my definition of running and his definition of running were more than likely two different things. And I did not want to 'run to the extreme!', which was how that would probably turn out.

"You know, as much as I'd love to," I pulled my arm behind my head and held back another yawn, "I have kendo practice later today. Don't want to tire myself out, you know?"

Not that he knew it was individual practice and not at all required. Though I could never doubt that it was always a possibility that he'd somehow end up where the kendo club practiced – but even then the chances that he would remember me saying I was going to practice kendo today was slim (in the moment, at least; he'd be too busy butting heads with Mochida for interrupting their practice). And even if that did happen and he did notice my absence, I wasn't too worried; something like that was easy enough to explain.

"You could always get some extra practice in! TO THE EXTREME!"

His voice was loud and poignant, not losing a drop of its power even once I had turned the corner and gotten a ways away from him.

"EHHH? WHERE'D SHE GO?!"

A happy hum reverberated in my chest as Ryohei ran off, a bit of a dust cloud trailing behind him as he continued with his morning jog. Happy because I didn't have to suffer through it, and also because he was happy; being around someone so happy had one of two of effects: making you happy, or making you annoyed. For me it was usually the latter, sometimes the former depending on the situation and my mood at the time.

"Ah, Yamamoto-san," my fingers twitched and by body froze momentarily at the deep voice before relaxing again, "You're here early today."

I peered up at the pompadour'd second-in-command of the disciplinary committee with a cheerful smile on my face, "The urge to learn, Kusakabe-senpai. The urge to learn."

His responding smile was one part amused, one part wry, "I'm sure that's the case. Then again, you are a good student, aren't you?"

"I get good grades, if that's what you're asking." I rocked back on my heels, my hands latched together behind my back as my book bag thumped against my hip, "I may jump through the occasional window, but hey, doesn't everyone have a quirk or two?"

At this he actually chuckled, which I felt unlocked some sort of achievement for me (because when does this guy ever laugh?), "I suppose, but do try not to do that again any time soon, would you? I would ask you not to do it again at all, but I think I know better than that."

"Sure, sure," my smile had an added brightness to it as I rocked, "No time soon. Promise."

It really was too bad…

"Thank you." Kusakabe gave a polite nod before continuing on his morning patrol (or whatever it was he was doing).

…that I had my fingers crossed behind my back.

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Even if I had crossed my fingers on that promise this morning, I actually didn't have to make any sort of entrance or exit through any of the windows during the day. A success, I'd say – though I did miss the novelty of it, just a bit. Though while my day had been a success, that much couldn't be said for others since we'd had a math test today (I was sure Tsuna looked about three quarters dead by the end of it). Even Hana had been a bit miffed, as she'd realized she'd made a few mistakes after turning it in – though she would still have a good grade.

Kyoko had suggested stopping at a café for tea for a morale booster, and Hana did love tea.

"It's nice spending this time together, neh?" Kyoko was all smiles as the waitress set our cups of tea down, "Doing this has been a little hard lately, hasn't it?"

Hana breathed in the scent of her green tea, the bitter smell wafting over towards me as well, "Yeah. 'Specially since Taka-baka has been spending more time with Dame-Tsuna and that Gokudera."

"You shouldn't call him that," Kyoko admonished lightly, "But you're right; you've been spending a lot of time with them, Takara-chan."

"Ah, well, they're actually not all that bad, you know?" I sipped on my tea, scrunching my nose at its still too-hot temperature, "Things around them are pretty interesting."

"If by interesting you mean weird." Hana snorted as I made a face at my tea, "Then again, weird ones attract their fellow weird ones. You should be right at home."

"You still hang around me," I moved my eyebrows up and down a couple of times as I eyed Hana, a grin on my face, "So what does that say about you, Hana-chama?"

Her response was deadpan –

"That I'm doing charity work."

Kyoko descended into giggles and I was able to relax so much so that I almost felt spineless. Days like these were pure gold – and something I cherished like gold; once the plot really appeared days like these would probably be less frequent, or less relaxing for me one. And these two would remain oblivious until much later, and this I could say because this time, with me here, Hana would be finding out about everything. More than likely it would end up being my choice or Tsuna's, depending on how involved Hana actually got this time around.

"Oi, Taka-baka," Hana thumped my forehead and I squawked indignantly, "stop spacing. You might walk into traffic or something."

"You looked so serious, Takara-chan." Kyoko's tone was laced with curiosity, "What were you thinking about?"

I grinned –

"Oh, you know, what might be for dinner tonight. A growing girl's gotta eat, you know?"

Hana snorted, rolling her eyes as she did so, and Kyoko giggled before we exchanged our final parting words – the two of them lived in the opposite direction of Takesushi, as it happened. Though upon turning to walk home I noticed an extra weight on my leg. Weight in the form of one Bovino Lambo. Where he'd come from was a mystery, but then again I wasn't sure anyone really knew how he managed to pop up places where they hadn't brought him in the first place.

"Oi, what are you doing?" I held my leg out a bit, "Clinging to my leg like that? Did you get lost?"

"Lambo-san isn't lost!" He sniffed up at me before turning away, "Lambo-san just didn't want to let a girl walk home alone."

My cheeks puffed as I choked back some laughter –

"You are so lost."

The cow-child huffed and let go of my leg before turning away and crossing his arms, "The great Lambo-san doesn't get lost!"

"Yeah, sure, alright." He'd probably seen me and recognized me as someone who hung around Tsuna, if I had to guess. Lambo had also probably assumed from that that I would be going by the Sawada household, "Tell you what, why don't you come back with me? It's late and you can have sushi and sleepover. I'll call Nana-san and tell her where the great Lambo-san is."

Lambo shimmied in excitement before freezing and narrowing his eyes at me, "How did you know Lambo-san's name?"

"Because you're the great Lambo-san, of course."

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Sender: Takara

Asagdnom, cx

From: Enma

Takara?

Sender: Takara

yfsdGSDFBb ml lbutt.

From: Enma

Are you messing with me right now?

Takara?

?

Sender: Takara

Sorry. The cow-child had my phone.

From: Enma

Cow…child?

Sender: Takara

He wears a cow-print onesie. Rather tacky, really.

He also has a huge fro that basically acts as a pocket dimension.

From: Enma

…are you pulling my leg?

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Definitely going to have some Takara-Lambo bonding in coming chapters. She must corrupt him, after all. ಠﭛಠ

Also, definitely adding the Lambo-Takesushi sleepover to the list of 'need to do' drabbles.

Also, also, was Kusakabe okay this chapter? He kind of popped up out of nowhere and…?

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