Target 14: Japanese Superstitions

Eventually, Yamamoto and Ryohei got to meet when school ended and Tsuna was heading home. Since Ryohei wasn't busy with the boxing club and Yamamoto wasn't busy with the baseball club either, both had asked to go home with Tsuna. It was then that, beyond Tsuna's expectations, Yamamoto and Ryohei, both from different classes and years, started interacting as though Tsuna had united them in some way or form.

Although Tsuna did not feel bad over that, it was still awkward in his perspective, as he never considered that such a situation would arise from him, someone who scarcely knew other people well. The fact still slightly awed Tsuna, but the walk had been reverting the process little by little. "So you've been getting along with this guy while I wasn't around!" Ryohei concluded from Tsuna and Yamamoto's explanation, which was fairly straightforward. "I get it! Will you join the boxing club then, Yamamoto?!"

"Didn't I already refuse your invitation before?" Yamamoto asked as though truly confused, even if only slightly, by his own memory. Regardless, he kept a smile on his face, and continued to speak: "I can't join because I'm in the baseball club. Sorry."

"What?! I didn't know of this at all!" Ryohei exclaimed with genuine shock. Afterwards, his eyes narrowed while he pondered on the matter. "I see... So you can't join because the schedules overlap..." He nodded to himself, only to smile back at Yamamoto. "That's extremely unfortunate, but I understand! After all, if someone asked the same out of me, I'd also refuse!" Then don't invite everyone to your club! Tsuna retorted in his mind, staring at Ryohei blankly.

Most likely because Ryohei could relate to Yamamoto's response, he had let him go, while Tsuna would still be eternally asked to join his club. Tsuna was already completely sure he did not want to join the boxing club, but he knew Ryohei wasn't going to let him go from just that. How am I ever going to get him off my back about this, really...? It's not like boxing interests me anyway, so I don't really want to learn. In general, Tsuna had no expectations for himself when it came to anything, especially standing up for himself in something like fighting others in a boxing ring. To begin with, he found little joy in violence. As such, he did not see much use in joining the boxing club, as much as Ryohei attempted to convince him.

He liked being with Ryohei, seeing as he was his friend, but he wondered if entering the boxing club only for that sake would be worth it. Ryohei had wanted his presence so as to polish his potential. If Tsuna did not make an effort, he would be betraying his friend in that regard. My friend... "Hm? Is something wrong, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked.

Tsuna realized he had been spacing out while Yamamoto and Ryohei had been pleasantly talking about their clubs; they seemed to get along rather well. However, even beyond that, Tsuna noted with vacantly surprised eyes, Ryohei and Yamamoto had chosen to be with Tsuna, and they appeared to be pleased with that choice, surprisingly enough. "Now that I think about it, you've been really quiet for a while," Ryohei remarked, "Are you alright, Sawada?" Both were showing concern for his well-being, and both were people Tsuna could consider his friends, something he had never experienced before.

... Rather than thinking about Ryohei's invitations and the implications of joining the boxing club, as he had been previously, Tsuna couldn't help but smile. The changes that had occurred to his daily life were truly amazing: finally, there were more things he could be concerned about beyond Kyoko when in school... And finally, he had people he could rely on; it had all started with one event. Ever since Squalo came over, I've going through Hell on Earth with training and being screamed at for no reason, but... Without that, I probably wouldn't have met them, and be this happy with my life.

So, Tsuna considered, in a way, Squalo's actually been looking out for me all along...?

. . .

Meanwhile, as Squalo tapped his foot impatiently waiting for Tsuna's arrival, he sneezed.

"Oh my," Nana reacted, having just entered the living room, "Could it be that someone's talking about you?" She smiled joyfully while facing Squalo, seeing him raise an eyebrow skeptically in response to her words. It amused her that he was sitting on the couch, merely waiting for Tsuna: to her, it meant that he cared enough to do so, and it did seem like Tsuna had been in a better mood recently.

... To Squalo, it just meant he really wanted to slash Tsuna in three for his tardiness. "Hmph, as if! That's just your shitty superstitions!" Even more impatient from the conversation he just had with Nana, he stood from the couch and stomped to the front door. "I'm gonna go find your slow piece of trash and drag his ass over here, got it?! I'm out!" With the actual courtesy of saying any parting words to Nana, he practically slammed the front door open and left the house.

Nana giggled. "It looks like you're in good hands, Tsuna..."

... The irony remained bittersweet.

Author's Notes:

Since the last target, this story got 4 favorites and 7 followers! Tsuna's realizing how much better his life is becoming, just like in the original series when he'd realize Reborn had changed everything for the better despite his blatant sadism. Meanwhile, Nana's oblivious in true KHR anime fashion, which was one of my favorite parts in here. Fun fact I figured out ages before uploading this chapter: Nana addresses Tsuna as Tsu-kun in all contexts except in serious ones and when she's making reference to him talking to someone else; in such cases, she just calls him Tsuna. The more you (I) know, huh?