Chapter 8
Like a Boy
"Brother why did you climb the chimney in the bath-house?!" Kyoko cried upon entering the room.
Haru stayed behind her with a frown marring her face. When Kyoko had first told the brunette that her brother was in the hospital for a sprained ankle she had been worried sure but not nearly as worried as now. The boxer was wrapped from head to toe in a gauge. The poor boy has been practically mummified! Kind of overkill for a simple sprain if you asked Haru.
"Is it really just a sprain?" She asks from her spot behind the group. Tsuna, who had been in the room before her arrival, tensed before throwing her a rather strained smile. He seems tired and stressed. His school outfit rumpled from what Haru assumed was his hurry to come check up on the older Sasagawa. Haru was also a bit frazzled from her run with Kyoko and would probably be late for class because of this.
For good reason of course. When Kyoko had gotten the call during their walk to school the poor girl had almost fainted from the news. Haru had been quick to catch the fainting girl and talk to Kyoko's father for directions and such. She then had fast-walked with Kyoko the whole way there while continually consoling the stressed girl with reassurance. Looking at the injured boy she now fears she may have been wrong when she commented that a sprang was no big deal.
"Yup." The boxer groans with a fling of his hand. Haru assumes he wanted to give a thumbs up only for his bandaged hands to throw the said option out the window. Instead, he sort of just waved it up and did it as his form of communication. Must have been the type that speaks with his hands then.
"You're lying, why would you be hospitalized for a sprain?" Kyoko cries next to the boy. She is restlessly moving to and fro around the boy's body, inspecting every bit. She's not a doctor though and has no idea what any of the injuries imply. Hau can see bruising though and when Kyoko moves him the older Sasagawa would wince sometimes too, so maybe a broken rib?
"How mean, it really is just a sprain" her brother whines back with a smile. It's then that Haru notices the oddest of things. He's missing teeth. Four to be exact, right at the front of his mouth where anyone can see. A little gap showing off his tongue behind.
Kyoko is making no commentary over the missing teeth so it must be normal. Maybe just part of the boxing life? Kyoko did always worry about her brother being a part of such a violent sport. The very idea of him putting himself into harm's way leaving the girl a nervous wreck. Haru doesn't see the problem in letting the boy box. Unlike the delinquent fights over the past few days at least boxing has rules to keep people from being truly injured.
Or maybe they don't base on the Sasagawa's commentary of his injuries being nothing. Supposedly he's had worse in boxing. Haru is not sure why someone would be so open about being beaten up on a daily, especially to their anxious sister. She also kind of wishes the boy would stop lying about his injuries as it's just leading Kyoko into hysterics.
Still, when Haru sees Tsuna slip out of the room she is quick to follow along. She can't help this weird feeling from bubbling within her. A sort of certainty that Tsuna knows what is happening. That if she follows the nervous boy she will get her answer to her curious questions.
"Tsuna?" She starts quietly only to repeat the phrase when the wild buzz of the hospital drowns out her worried voice. A lot of people are at the hospital right now. Mostly students from Tsuna's school. Both as patients and as visitors, their bodies swarm the hallways in a chaotic form as people talk over one another for answers. Tsuna starts, spinning around to greet her with another nervous smile.
"A-ah! Hey Haru…" He replies sheepishly. He sort of shifts on his feet restlessly as Haru really takes a look at him. Tsuna seems stressed. Maybe it's because a friend is hurt and he's just worried but Haru can't help the itch within her that says otherwise. That Tsuna's worries, while tied to the older Sasagawa or more in tune with whatever is leading students to the hospital in large quantities.
"What actually happened to Sasagawa? Haru doesn't think a full-body cast is needed for a sprain!" Haru has more she wants to ask Tsuna. For example, Haru wants to know why Namimori students are being targeted recently. She wants to know if Tsuna is ok. If he in any way is a part of this. If the mafia has anything to do with this.
But starting with any of those questions could be reaching. For now, Haru wants to know if Tsuna trusts her with the truth. Whether the boy will admit that Sasagawa, just as other victims, is missing teeth that marks him as a victim of these so-called delinquent attacks. Tsuna had very obviously chosen not to tell Kyoko, instead leaving the sweet girl to stew in worry alone.
Would he do the same to Haru?
"He was at-"
"Don't worry Haru, Tsuna is going to fix everything tonight." Reborn cuts in with a clipped smile and a tug of his hat. Both Haru and Tsuna frown at the response, though for different reasons. Haru feels a tinge of annoyance at being cut off from her answer. From her friend confiding in her and telling her the truth. Tsuna just feels utter panic.
"What do you mean I'm going to solve all of this!?" Tsuna cries immediately only for Reborn to quickly kick him in the shin. Forcing the lanky boy to fall in pain and become eye level with the little 'hitman'.
"Tsuna, don't you know it's rude to worry a lady, let Haru know you have this all handled." The tiny boy states with a little hammer in his hand green as any of his other sudden tools. The two are quick to start a back and forth argument. One talking of the job of a gentleman and the other crying about how he doesn't want to fight. A dissonance between them as Reborn stubbornly ignores the real issue with Haru so close by.
Haru for the first time feels annoyance towards Reborn. Tsuna truly was going to tell her the truth! The boy seemed to trust her enough to let her know what had happened to the older Sasagawa, to enlighten her of the chaos swarming the poor boys day-to-day only for Reborn of all people to shut it down. Haru feels a bit betrayed that Reborn would choose to hide something so troubling from her.
Yet he's more than open to tell her the gory history of different mafioso.
"Haru can help!" She pushes when she notes the twos bickering was becoming an endless loop. Both swivels to look at her with their own forms of disapproval. Reborn a tight-lipped frown and Tsuna panicked shaking of the head.
"No, it'll be ok Haru! Hibari went out earlier today to end this dispute! Everything should be fine by tonight!" The lanky boy squeaks with a nervous fidget. If Haru remembers correctly, Hibari is the cocky boy who wanted to dispose of the supposed dead boy in Tsuna's house. Yeah, Haru didn't like that boy one bit.
"Then why did Reborn say you were going to fix it tonight?" Haru continues to push. She can feel an ever-growing restlessness. An irritation scratching at her scalp. A little whisper saying 'liars' over and over on repeat.
"You know what Reborn is like, he just wants to put me in a troublesome situati-ack" Tsuna yelps as the hammer smacks him in the head. Forcing him back to the ground with an ever throbbing sore on the top of his head.
Reborn looks up at Haru for a moment in contemplation before sighing rather loudly. Ignoring Tsuna's rather loud complaints to instead respond to Haru."Either way, this isn't something you can help with Haru. Just go home. Call Fon if you need to vent, he wouldn't mind."
Ah, now Haru really is mad. Reborn had just spoken to her as you would a naughty kid trying to break into an adult conversation. Only she was talking to her friend, her equal, over a situation his school was a part of. She had even been nice enough to not insinuate Tsuna being a part of these delinquent fights!
If anything it was Reborn who had decidedly added that Tsuna would be fighting. If he wanted Haru to stay out of their problems maybe he should have kept her all the way in the dark. Who opens the door just enough for a gleam to slip through before slamming it into their friend's face! Reborn was only asking for her to push.
"Fine." Haru huffs before quickly turning and leaving the two. "Talk to Fon he says. Fon never tells Haru anything…" She mumbles down the hallway, brushing angrily past worried students who swarm the hospital halls. She will later feel bad for treating the visitors so rudely on her walkout but for now, her anger fuels her angry stomps.
"Haru gets it, she really does, Reborn is just protecting Haru in his own way-But Haru has been training to be of help! Haru even set up a medic box just for if any of her friends needed help. Yet they never ask! Is Haru not a good enough friend?" Haru huffs haughtily at lunch break. Momo, who was before just casually tapping at one of her many cat games, looks up with a scowl.
"Who the hell called you a bad friend?" She snarls before taking a deep breath. "Boys are like that Haru. While we girls prefer to stop and talk they seem to only see the physical aspect." She starts with an eye roll as Haru nods glumly. Haru can't say she's wrong, the only boy Haru has ever talked heart to heart with was Tsuna, and even then the conversation was rather short and lacking. Gokudera also seemed to always prefer bringing his dynamite out when upset instead of just talking about the issue.
"Then how does Haru get the boys to trust her, she wants the boys to depend on her like they do each other!" Haru grumbles in frustration.
"You've been doing it all wrong Haru," Momo notes with a flick of her hair. "If you wanna be one of the boys you gotta act like one of the boys. If the boys want to only talk in brute strength then you show them you can keep up."
"But they told Haru to stay out of this mess, how does Haru prove herself when Reborn doesn't even want to risk having Haru nearby during the problem?" Haru notes glumly.
"Do the other guys care when told no?"
"Mmm, not really." Haru ponders. Usually, when told no to something Gokudera would just angrily pull out his dynamite and start screaming at whoever tried to gatekeep him. At the end of the day, he always got what he wanted. Yamamoto sort of just laughed any and every issue away. Tell him that he shouldn't be carrying a bat that turns into a sword with a swing of it, he'll just laugh and ask if you wanna hold it.
Tsuna would, once again, be the only one in the group who actually follow rules. Haru adds it all up to Tsuna being amazing while his friends are sort of questionable. But he also is friends with Haru so he can make normal friends sometimes! No, well, Haru is not exactly normal in most eyes.
"Then you don't need to either!" Momo snaps angrily from her perch at her desk.
"Hm?" Haru asks because she sort of got too lost in her thoughts and is now unsure what Momo is talking about.
Momo, who is very used to the ways of Haru, just huffs out a bitter laugh before restating her comment. "Why do you" she pokes Haru right in the chest at this "need to listen and follow orders when none of those mutts do. I say do as you wish. They don't respect you, you don't need to respect them. If you want to go out of your way to be a part of this stupid boy drama then force yourself right in!" Momo ends with an angry click of her tongue before she resumes her cat game.
Haru on the other hand perks right up. "Hahi! Momo is a genius! Haru needs to be a boy to be friends with a boy!" Haru chirps while bear-hugging Momo to which Momo just awkwardly hugs back with a grunt. The ditzy brunette gleams with a skip of her feet as she exits the classroom just as the bell rings for the end of lunch.
"Wait Haru where are you going?!" Momo calls from her seat in panic.
"Haru needs to go pack and find Tsuna! Haru is gonna brute force her friendship~!" The girl coos as she leaves the room with a happy smile and a plan on her mind.
"But class…"
Packing turned out rather difficult. Haru had learned her lesson from her last fighting outfit. The heavy armor had very quickly become her antithesis. When Haru had brought this mistake up to Fon many weeks ago the young boy had chided her. They had been in the middle of telling silly stories when Haru had brought up her first encounter with Tsuna. Gushing over Tsunas heroic act to save her and then the glum loss of an expensive outfit that she had slaved hours over. Fon was not really happy.
"For you, agility is your greatest strength. If you want to be of use you need to dress light so you can move with ease. Would you wear a kimono to a gymnastic competition?" Haru had quickly commented on how silly such an outfit would be when she's busy doing a cartwheel to which Fon nodded sagely. "The same is applied to a fight. You're not made to sustain a fight, quite the opposite actually. If you ever get into a fight you want to be as light as a feather. The faster you can move the less likely that another can hurt you…"
Haru at the time had just nodded along when Fon had made these comments but now she's really thankful to the boy. Tight-lipped as he may have become Fon has and will always be the best source of advice when it comes to protecting herself. With his words, Haru had changed from the heavyweight of a samurai's garb to the loose-fitting wear of her exercise clothes. A cute pink bunny backpack holding her medical supplies and a determined look in her eyes as she knocked on the Sawada's door later that day.
"Oh my, Tsuna-fish is so popular today! Gokudera and Yamamoto and now Haru!" Nana gushes happily from the other side of the door.
"Is Tsuna home?" Haru asks with worry as she notes the lack of yelling, a telltale of Gokudera, within the house. Chances are that if Gokudera and Yamamoto were by that they were heading out soon. Haru still had no idea what exactly was going on though thus needed to meet the boys to be able to join them.
"Ah, no, Tsuna left with his friends for a party just a few minutes ago. I hope they're not out for too long, with all those fights at Namimori a mother can't help but worry about her child~" Nana again goes off a tangent that leaves Haru restless.
"Did they say where the party is? Um, or which way they went? Haru wanted to surprise them!" Haru begs as Nana just nods offhandedly.
"Let's see. Hmmm, I believe they said Kokoyou-Eh! Haru?"
"Thank you Nana!" Haru called out as she ran to catch up to the boys. If she was lucky she'd run into them before anything sprouted out into trouble. Nana did say they had just left, and going by Tsuna's rather unathletic gate their pace would be quite slow. With Haru running she should be able to run into them real soon.
Haru was going to do it. She was going to finally push that last bit and truly force her way into the group. This would be her breaking point, they would either push her away for good or finally allow her a glimpse into that world of trust and reverence that they live within. She would no longer be in the dark on another's sadness. No more bitter tears late at night when he doesn't think she is up.
"Ts-Tsuna!" Haru calls outright when she turns a corner and sees the boy's messy brown hair.
"Eh, Haru?" Tsuna exclaims upon turning and seeing the girl gasping for breath. Haru kneels over for a second while holding a finger up in silent request for time.
"Ha-haru heard you are going to Kokuyou from Nana!" She huffs over big gulps of breath.
"Hah! Since when was that any of your business damn women!" Gokudera immediately barks, fangs out, and everything. Haru duly notes that maybe Momo was right to call the boy a mangy mutt. It would also explain his oddly revering loyalty to Tsuna that always creeped Haru out.
"Haru is friends with Tsuna so his troubles are hers as well!" Haru immediately fights back, to which Gokudera throws the strongest eye roll the girl has ever seen.
"If what you mean is creepy stalker then yeah, now scram we're busy." He barks back rudely. Haru is a bit hurt by that comment since she was almost always invited when she met up with the group. Last she checked stalkers are the ones uninvited that just 'happen' to be where you are. AKA, Gokudera.
"Ah, Gokudera, that's a bit mean…" Tsuna Chastises lightly before turning to Haru with a soft look of worry. "Are you ok Haru?" Reaching in hope that Haru might just be there for something else or maybe giving the girl a chance to back out. Either way, Haru has no interest in backing out now.
"Haru can do this! Haru even wore the correct clothes for fighting this time!" She chirps lightly to the boy's sad sigh. Reborn stands to the side frowning as he holds a blob that looks oddly like Leon. He makes no move to talk yet Haru can feel his displeasure leaking from his pores and scratching at her own. Begging her to turn tail and leave whatever is to come for the others.
"Haru brought a medical box as well! Haru doesn't need to fight if you don't want her to, but she can still help when you get injured!" She quips quickly at the uneasy shuffle of Tsuna's form. Haru loves the boy so she knows he is soft-hearted. Probably more worried about another friend getting hurt than Haru being in the way.
"Che, looking down on us, unlike you I don't plan to get hurt."
"Then what's that gauge on your cheek doing there?" Haru quickly counters to which Gokudera, as always, quickly whips his dynamite out in response. Haru doesn't even blink at the sticks of gun powder instead putting her hands on her hips and pouting Tsuna's way. "Why does an injured person get to join but Haru can't?" She argues, ignoring Gokudera's pointed shouts and Yamamoto's laughter as he mauls the Dynamite from the angry delinquent's hands. No, she keeps her eyes on the weak link.
Tsuna always says yes to Yamamoto and Gokudera when they push, it is only fair he does the same with her now. Still, the boy wavers with weak glances Reborns way. The small 'hitman' has a gun out as he stares Tsuna down just as Haru does. Haru wants to feel bad for the amount of stress Tsuna must be feeling right now only she has no interest in pulling back this time. If she does, Haru doesn't have the heart to try again.
Instead, Haru heats up her glare, posturing into her best angry glare, Momo calls it cute cats pout, and makes subtle hints for Reborn to back down. Reborn of course kindly ignores her. Tsuna gulps before opening his mouth to respond.
"Ah, young love." Bianchi coos from her spot in the far back. Haru is a bit surprised to see her since she and Gokudera do not get along well. "Little Vongola let your girlfriend come along, I can protect her if you are unable." The pink haired woman jovially notes as she smiles kindly Haru's way.
"Hahi! Thankyou Bianchi!" Haru bows energetically at finally being given permission just as Tsuna denies the relationship of the two. Bianchi seems to hear none of it as she quickly ushers the girl to her side.
While Haru wasn't expecting Bianchi she greatly appreciates the women's vivid help. Even if it is only due to a love story she has concocted in her head. Haru will just not bring up Kyoko and Tsuna when around her and hopefully Bianchi will continue to cheer her on!
They walked along an empty road for what Haru deduces to be an hour before coming up to a large run-down gate entrance. Behind the metal gate, Haru could gleam aged stands and rubble scattering the way. The place as a whole looked long abandoned. It also gave her the heavy jibbies sitting outside the place. Like a ghost would come chasing her at any second.
"The remnants of Kokyou center." Reborn noted with a slight nod of his tiny head. "There were plans for renovations once but a typhoon caused and landslide and it has since been forgotten." He adds at Tsuna's notes of the old place.
Haru kind of remembers going to the place once when she was really young. It was with her mama during one of her papa's busy days. Most of the day is fuzzy to her though. To be honest most of what she did with her mama has become fuzzy. Momo once noted that Haru was blocking memories of her mama out of sorrow.
"Doors all rusted, guess those guys had another way in," Gokudera notes lightly just as Bianchi walks past him with a bundle of food.
"We said we would go this way, why stop now," She says lightly before smearing the food onto the rusted door lock. Haru can't help the squeamish yelp she lets out when the door all but melt. How many times had Haru almost eaten that very same food? Would her stomach have melted in the same way had she eaten that rice cake Bianchi made yesterday?
"Well? Let's go." Bianchi comments cooly with a blank face.
Fon sits calmly at the tea table sipping his third cup of tea. He is trying to relax for the day only to find himself tapping the table mindlessly yet again. Eyes straying yet again to his untouched phone.
A few hours ago Reborn had called, telling Fon to expect a rather upset Haru. He had said nothing more before hanging up and leaving the martial artist to mull over his words. Fon has never been the type to stress over things. Preferring to keep his form relaxed and ready.
Yet as the hours passed and no Haru called nor knocked the man turned boy could not help but slowly grow in worry. Just could have possibly upset Haru so much that Reborn felt the need to call him. And wear is the quirky girl if she was supposed to come to him for help.
Over the past week, Fon has started to notice a sort of distance between him and Haru. Haru no longer asks him personal questions, instead smiling and joking about her own silly endeavors. She doesn't seem to bring up her issues to him anymore either. He's heard less and less of her tired rants of Gokudera and gushing of Tsuna.
At the time Fon had assumed she had fixed whatever troubles she may have had but now he fears Haru may no longer see him as a safe place to talk. Maybe he has done something to break her trust?
Skull has complained about Fons apparent bluntness more than once so perhaps he had been too straightforward when commenting on Tsuna's weak body. Fon had been maybe a bit to open of his dislike towards the weak boy. He had meant nothing bad of course, he simply didn't see anything heroic of a boy made of bone and skin. Not a muscle to be seen.
Still, Haru seems to really like the boy so Fon's blunt words must have hurt her. Next time he sees her he will be sure to apologize. Fon quite likes the odd girl and her sporadic thinking and would hate to lose her friendship over such a menial issue.
Yes that's it Fon nods with assurance and he finishes his cup and stands. Chances are Haru would not be showing tonight so he would make do and set up a good apology gift for the girl and go see her himself tonight.
Hopefully, their fallout will be patched with ease.
Hi! Quite a doozy this one was to write...Had to reread the manga to make sure I was somewhat following the plot! Not that I hate reading the manga, I love it! One of my favorite artists to be honest, the linework is just so pretty~ I also came across the issue of video games, which 100% helped me procrastinate.
Sorry to anyone wanting the fight and all that, I just didn't see it fitting in here just yet. More so wanted to showcase just how irritating the whole hiding a secret thing was to Haru.
Next week I wanna do a christmas special! It won't be the next chapter but more of answering of questions and cute excerpts. I plan to go through the reviews and grab any questions and compile them so anyone with similar questions can also see them. This idea came to me since I post on two sites and I feel bad that doesn't have a reply setting unless it's private. This is my best answer to that problem...Hope that's ok!