Lit:
Sorry, I haven't taken a good care of myself and haven't been well these past months but I'm still trying my best to type whenever I could.
Thank you for those who wait patiently, even encouraging me in private message. Lots of love.
This chapter might be the longest I had ever written, since it's nearly twenty pages long! OAO
Summary:
She ended up splitting the table in two. Reborn still didn't give her a glance.
The only noise accompanying them in the quiet hall was the sound of ice spreading followed by the door slamming shut.
By the age of sixteen, the future Vongola Decimo was officially betrothed to Hibari Kyoya, the sole successor of Hibari Clan.
Log:
/un-beta-ed/
"Italic conversation" with * at the end is spoken in Italian.
Italic words without any quotation mark is a thought spoken only inside your heart.
Just in case, prepare your heart for badass Tsuna combo-ed with Reborn and shy-and-smitten-but-gotta-act-cool-Hibari heheh
The Kat Hunts the Hare
Six
Erstwhile
The silence that heaven offered for the two of them was a blessing for Tsuna.
The man walked behind her leisurely, eyes watching the house and its decorations in which the brunette grew up within. His gaze glided slowly from inch to inch of the hanged frames on the wall and shifted to the top the cupboards full of arranged flowers and origamis from the sloppy kids, carefully staring down any unique taste he found. He spotted a measuring height drawn from a messy line of crayons near the stairs. The scribble was old as it was slowly being erased by time, leaving only a brief remnant of centimeter streaks. At the end of the line―near the edge to the wooden floor―another line was drawn with a newer color of green and red.
Tsuna stood on the fifth tread as she realized the man behind her had stopped moving. She turned around and saw wonder in his eyes. Sudden warmth engulfed her in a smile when she saw the spectacle which had bought his attention away.
"That was Lambo and I-Pin's doing. Every month they will fight about who has grown taller over the past month." Tsuna swiftly offered the information.
Hibari recalled the tiny girl whose eyes went ticking down every time she saw him. She was polite, bearable and was not loud, with little fists which were trained to be an omnivore like the one stood looking up at him at the step. Hibari brought his calloused finger to trace the deepened mark on the wall while Tsuna's eyes following his every move. His finger stopped at the faded orange stripe of a crayon, precisely on the height of ninety centimeters.
A slight squeak escaped her lips as her cheeks burned embarrassedly, "Um… That was mine when I was five years old..."
He glanced at her, a wry smile twisting his lips "…Short."
Tsuna's face reddened even more at the calm insult and she turned around, thumping down the rest of the stairs.
"There is not much to expect from a five years old, isn't there. The height was normal." She mumbled as Hibari followed her steps to the living room. Tsuna said a long line of protest (as quietly as possible) at the way Hibari seemed to criticize every single thing she had done in the past. She didn't realize how Hibari's eyes softly stared at her messy hair or how she forgot that Hibari was the most detailed person she could ever find beside Reborn―which obviously, he heard everything.
Hibari had another urge to tease the younger one as he said, "Average five year old's height is one hundred and five to one hundred and ten in Japan regardless of their genders."
Tsuna jolted and took a step back in defense, colors drained from her face at the sudden realization but a pink blush gathered on her cheeks. Hibari eyed the odd embarrassment and Tsuna let out another squeak of fear.
"I-It's not like I talk bad about you or―"
"―Should I bite you to death?"
"Hiiii―!" Tsuna covered her mouth with both hands and muttered a soft apology. Hibari's smirk widened as he nodded his head for Tsuna to continue her path. Hibari once again resumed his sightseeing. He noticed there were many photos scattered on every table corner of the house neatly. They were seen with no dust lingered, like they were newly bought or were taken care diligently every single day. Hibari's thoughts went back to Sawada Nana.
The polite housewife was a happy-go-lucky woman. She was cheery with a kind smile and curious eyes but there was no pestering attitude in her curiosity. She must be a really patient woman with a husband like Iemitsu. From one glance, people would had seen how she truly loved her daughter and Hibari saw that with a tiny jealousy seared inside―but he truly did not know what is it called or why there was that kind of foreign feelings.
Those pristine qualities of loving unconditionally were passed down to Tsuna.
Hibari halted again on his thought. Talking about growth environment, Hibari once weighed from between his clan and Tsuna's family.
The presence of his family taught him to be autonomous, rational but hollow. The concept of feelings was something he found odd. Love created a lame sense of dependency which turned him mad and itchy to beat someone to death.
Tsuna's family however, treasured feelings as one of a living mechanism. They nurtured it patiently and tenderly, underlining the fact that a feeling was something fragile and alive. Hibari always found himself cornered and waned when confronted by it in their circle of small family. But for once, Hibari found the meaning of hesitation, where the word was not even existed in Hibari Clan's vocabulary.
He learned to be a leader and lone wolf in his own family, where trust was developed by surpassing many obstacles. Trust was something which was not a patent. Business might be run without them and he was taught that too much trusting would bring you harm.
Differently, Tsuna taught him how to be a human, he understood. He learned that falling down would push you up again until you reach your goal, with everyone's safety might be at your hands whichever choices or paths you took. Tsuna taught him how simply smiling and asked about your day might bring a different prospect in building relations. Tsuna taught him how building a foundation based on trust in a relationship would last a lifetime. Both of the results would show impressive but imaginable prospects.
Hibari however hated―loathed―the act of self-sacrifice. Tsuna was always doing whatever she deemed right and it wasn't denied that her hyper-intuition had helped a lot in any difficult situations. She was a hero in all of her guardian's eyes and mind, everyone but Hibari.
To him, Tsuna was a fool.
The fact had been known in the entire Namimori but to Hibari and their surrounding people, they had long realized that it was no mere foolishness. Tsuna had been purely acted based on her instinct. The feeling was similar to a mother who would do anything for her kin, even if herself was being put at stake. At some point, Hibari was fed up with the omnivore's kindness. He wished to change her but he didn't want to lose her uniqueness either. Indescribable feelings which she emitted to her surrounding were what made her as she was now, as Sawada Nana's lovable but clumsy daughter.
Hibari drifted his steel gaze again to sweep over the warm and relaxing house.
In some of the photos―the newer one, seeing how the Tsuna in it was not much younger than now―were full only with Tsuna or Nana, even both in some of them. There were so many photos of them and with the additional of Reborn, Lambo, I-pin, a child he knew was involved in mafia and a woman who he recognized as Gokudera Hayato's half-sister. Even so, it could be counted with one hand of how many photos were there with Iemitsu in it, regardless the Tsuna in it was no older than five years old.
Tsuna saw how Hibari's eyes stopped at the old wooden cupboard near the stairs. A photo of her and Iemitsu laughed together―when she was in elementary school―was put beside the photos of her with Nana―the two of them and also together with her circle of friends and guardians in middle school and now, in high school.
She didn't say anything and Hibari somehow understood.
She didn't have anything to say and she didn't have to say anything either. Simply because she never had it―whatever is it called or understood only by heart―she never had something to say to or about her father.
The first meeting in Italy days ago after years had passed was not being counted by Tsuna. It was not a special occasion.
The man behaved like he did nothing wrong which was true.
Tsuna only had lingering feelings of hate. It was accumulated by betrayals after witnessing some nights when her mother was crying in hopelessness with no one she could rely on. She didn't want to disturb her husband's work but she didn't have the heart either to bother anyone, even her own child. She burdened all of her problems with cleaning the house twice to thrice a day, to bake or to go shopping every afternoon instead of once a week―anything to take her mind off from the bad thoughts swarmed both her mind and body.
Tsuna knew Iemitsu didn't do anything wrong. He was only doing his job and earned money like how a head of family should do. What Tsuna would never be able to forgive was his lack of consideration. Iemitsu was a heavy-handed and thoughtless man. Tsuna admitted that he was a figure of true leader. He was strict, prudent, canny and attentive.
But all of that was applied only to his work.
The care he put for his family was bordered to plentiful monthly expenses he sent to her mother's account along with a phone call once in three months―in which only applied if he wasn't busy or forgot at all.
The silence was once again marred the empty hallway. The two adolescents were both immersed in their own worlds of resentment, speculations and understanding.
They both knew how their own family's situation was never that simple. The act of combining the two was another designated ploy for the bigger associates but unwise for the two whom were pawns in minority. Their positions would not matter nor budge in a slightest bit. They would delve in a more delicate part of the deal and that were their own sanity.
Swimming in their own thoughts, they were awoken by a loud exclamation as familiar boisterous of a laugh reached their ears. Tsuna's eyes were pegged on the living room door in front of her. Her hand reached the door knob, slightly trembling was what Hibari noticed. Tsuna suddenly turned her head to the genkan**, Hibari followed suit. They noticed that there were two new pairs of shoes. The bigger one was wet and dirtied by mud while the smaller one was quite neat but there was a speck of visible dirt laced the black shoes. A bunch of tools used for digging oil and an axe were laid beside the shoes and Tsuna suddenly felt an overwhelming rage cursed through her veins.
Hibari eyed the girl carefully and wondered silently how Tsuna's brown orbs once again swirled hesitantly to an orange of a flame. The latter stormed open the door and the room turned silent as heads simultaneously turned to face the two newcomers.
The aged man in the room stopped his laugh at the slammed door and Nana watched her daughter with confusion latched on her usually cheery face.
"Good evening, Sawada-dono. Please pardon my intrusion." Basil stood up from his seat and bowed with a smile but stiffened the moment he realized the daughter of his superior was not even looking at him since they had entered the room grandly. Those burning eyes were impaling the leader of CEDEF―Tsuna didn't want to call him as the head of the house or the other one.
Iemitsu's broad smile dropped and Nana noticed how the temperature in the room seemed to turn cooler―she noted that the air conditioner was broken and had yet to be fixed. The foreign icy glare her daughter wore was not supposed to scar her kind face like that. Nana attentively stood up and moved backwards. She watched the battle of glare between her family members.
"Tsuna-chan?"
Her mother's endearing call merged with the tinny buzzing in her head―her eyes never left her father's.
Nana fidgeted nervously but her frightened stance was caught by Hibari. The man gave her a look in which Nana understood that she was better stayed quiet and let the matter solved by the two perpetrators. Nana hugged the wooden tea tray close to her chest.
"You still had the nerve to come here?" The snarl came out more fiercely than she thought it would. The widened eyes of Iemitsu, however, had satisfied Tsuna even if only for a slight moment. Hibari chose to stay silent on the doorway.
Iemitsu slowly put back his broad smile and laughed out loud.
"Tsu-chan, my tuna-fish! Look how much you have grown taller each year! Don't you miss Daddy, hum? Come here, come here! Let Daddy hugs you to your heart content!"
The words spluttered by the nonsense man had caught her off guard. She lowered her defensive stance but her clenched fists were not denying the grudge she held within. Tsuna realized she might be lonely, being deprived early of a man-figure in her life, of her stupid father who neglected them for money and rank in the name of their safety. Tsuna hated reasons―reason which hid behind another reason for a false truth. The laugh and carefree attitude the man displayed to cover another lies.
Her round eyes then narrowed as the pursed lips turned scornful.
"Drop the act already, CEDEF."* Her lowered voice startled everyone but Hibari.
Nana looked back to her daughter's extraneous mien and to the distracted stance of her husband. Her nails flicked with each other as the room went heavily silent. No one had yet to speak.
Nana wasn't stupid. She knew something had happened outside of her understanding. The bond of a daughter and father was already hanging on the thin thread since years ago, with the former had no intention to face the other holder at end of the string. Sometimes she wondered if she had been a good wife even when her husband was never there much in the first place. But these recent nights, she was burdened by the thought that she might be not a good mother either.
The fact that she didn't know her daughter could speak Italian so fluently was suffocating.
Nana gripped her shirt and bit her lower lips. She was no outsider to the mentioned language. She had heard her husband conversed with his co-workers over the phone and all of it was spoken in Italian. The word of CEDEF had been heard not only today, but in some days when Iemitsu would come home with slight injuries. He would only laugh them off as a careless slip when he was mining but Nana knew better that he just did not want to clarify further about his work.
"Stop. Just―" Tsuna halted and let out a frustrated sigh. She looked to the side at the half-opened back door as if in deep thought.
Iemitsu on the other hand pulled the both end of his lips into a wide grin. He threw along a loud laughter as he sauntered over to Tsuna, arms were opened to expect a hug. "What, Tsuna-chan! You miss your father that much that your shyness can't keep up? No worries! Daddy purposely comes home today to give you a surprise because Dad just loves you that much!"
The quite noticeable difference of their height when they stood had boosted his confidence and Tsuna couldn't keep the hiss of dissatisfaction from escaping her pursed lips. The foolish blond man was still keep talking unbearable nonsense of his fatherly love that Tsuna finally looked at him again in the eyes.
"Don't come close to me."* Tsuna bit back the words with a gritted teeth and a heated glare. As to emphasize the dislike, she took one step back every time he took one step forward. She took another one until her back hit a sturdy but warm wall. She noticed that she might inappropriately and accidentally bump with her deadly guardian. She tried to look at Hibari but halted when she noticed the way Iemitsu froze up and took a step back.
But the said man behind her only stayed silent and didn't do anything rude yet (which might be because of their exclaimed relationship from before and also her mother was there) that Tsuna uncomfortably tried to move away as not for their clothes to touch. She halted again when his hands gripped both of her arms from behind, not too strong but not loose either. She was still contemplating how she should react when the young man gripped her again before letting go.
Tsuna then realized the stoic man was giving her courage.
She bit the inside of her mouth to stop a shy smile from blooming, while Iemitsu who had been watching the spectacle hadn't uttered a single response. The only sign that the comeback had gone through him was by the tightened jaw he calmly tried to relax.
She then realized how adding Hibari as a backup could turn so powerful that the noisy man finally took an initiative to gulp down his words.
"Well, what are you doing in Japan?"
The accusing tone made Iemitsu to turn his attention again from the ravenette to his daughter.
"This is my home, too. What's wrong with Papa coming home after a long business work overseas―"
"―You still regard this as your home? Tell me, how long have you been neglecting us of your presence?"
Tsuna calmly folded her hands, her eyes glinting challengingly and her mouth couldn't stop itself to form a sneer. Iemitsu stayed silent once again and Tsuna was feeling fed up with the blockhead of a father. She tapped her fingers on her folded arm, eyes calculating the trickling sweat and widened eyes of Iemitsu.
"How old I am then, dear Father?" She asked quietly, making sure her mother couldn't catch it.
Iemitsu suddenly laughed and put his hands on his waist, the gesture which screamed superiority and authority, the gesture which had long been his trademark wherever he enthusiastically told her his journey when she was a kid. She might miss those old moments but the accumulated hurt she felt along the years had eased the pain into nothingness. The loneliness her mother felt was divided both to his fault and her as well, seeing how blindly he threw the job as the next leader of a mafia organization to her at the age when she still couldn't even decide what to eat for dinner. She spent days after days being beaten up mentally and physically, to wonder the upcoming day when she would face to face with the blood of her enemies on her hands, of their last scream and laugh before their empty eyes closed and their limp body fell ungraciously to the ground. Not a day passed without her body on the brim of collapsing and mentally drained until none. Not a scar could not mark her skin, either it was then healed or leaving a slim but visible mark.
She understood how she quietly loathed every moment of it, every accidents and fighting she won just to build herself as she was now. She hated how she grew up so well but slightly broken amidst all the war going on around her. Why she was still sane, she really wanted to hear the reason, if someone only would tell her earnestly and not laughing at her stupidness.
Iemitsu still laughed when he said, "Why are you asking such a silly question, Tsuna!"*
"It is not if you can answer it quickly but correctly."
Iemitsu stopped his laugh abruptly that his mouth was still left hanging open. Tsuna realized the harshness she emitted could hurt her mother―the sweet mother who stood worriedly behind the stupid man, she was currently hidden by the bulky figure of Iemitsu―but Tsuna had made up her mind.
She was undeniably had a broken feelings and mixed understanding at the term of family, but she would cut down the core of the problem. She was confused but she decided that she would cut out the toxic figure of a man who was called as her father. She looked up to stare at the man she once admired―she wondered when she stopped doing such, she couldn't remember―to urge his answer at her previous question.
"…You're eighteen this year!"* Iemitsu exclaimed confidently that Tsuna couldn't help but burst out laughing. Seeing the response, he believed that he had passed the test but the moment her laugh stopped and turned into a low chuckle, Iemitsu only felt dread.
"How fabulous, Father!"* She snorted, "Please do remember that you had just betrothed your daughter to her own guardian at the age of sixteen!"*
Iemitsu dropped his smile the moment Tsuna stopped talking. He retreated a foot but stepped on his own heel that he stumbled backwards and slammed the coffee table into disarray. The cup rolled and splattered on the floor, spilling the entire sweet fluid to the pristine wooden floor.
Ah, what a pity. That honey orange juice is mother's specialty and she had just mopped the floor earlier.
Tsuna then stared at the trembling man passively, with a hollow gaze and flattened lips. The spilling drink and shattered piece of glasses on the floor was a shame but the defeated figure of a strong leader on battle court at his own paternal mistake was more pathetic. The way he shouted his answer confidently without the slight hesitation and the way he comfortably used his work language, Tsuna admitted he was such a cunning man.
Trying to make sure to hide even your visible fault, huh? This time Tsuna wouldn't be that nice to present the grace to him.
"You know, I hate the fact that you act like you know me when you actually don't."* Tsuna inclined her head to the side, "…No, you are not wrong at all but you are not right, either. Being away is your job and your life, obviously. But then, do you even remember what you left behind here? What do you take Mom as, huh? Your domestic duty as the crowd had witnessed in the church? Your obligation as the painstaking victimization you had showed the world as a teenage love blossoming into the story of true love? What is it that you want to show the world? The perfect family? Ha!"* Tsuna suddenly laughed but stopped in the next second, "Are we even your family when you spent so much time with that organization of yours!"*
By then, Iemitsu was going paler with each sentence that Tsuna had uttered with a straight face but Tsuna hadn't done yet. She took another small step and peered lowly at her father without the sense of mocking or accusing, she was just stating her words like how she usually greeted the neighborhood's dog―that was cautiously but flatly, because she didn't hope for anything much other that the safety of herself. She squatted down in front of Iemitsu and opened her mouth once again.
"Father?" Tsuna gave him a fleeting cold smile, "You―"
"―Tsuna-chan!" Nana wavering voice suddenly sounded through the silent room, "What are you doing? Be polite to your father!" Iemitsu whipped his head to watch his worried wife but Nana was only looking at Tsuna with a strict face. Tsuna however perceived the disciplining glare as pleading. A plead to stop pointing each mistakes he had committed, to behave as other's would whenever there were guests.
Tsuna refused to comply.
She gave the look back to her mother with a blank stare as she pursed her lips.
"He doesn't deserve to be one."
The sudden sting she felt on her check and the way her view suddenly distorted with a ringing head was the cold water she needed to clear up her mind. She saw the widened eyes of the spectators and understood swiftly. The calloused hand that had just slapped her was still hanging in the air and Tsuna gave the owner of the hand her best lopsided smirk, but her eyes was back to a vacuous glint of hazelnut. She slowly brought her ached body to sit and laughed quietly as her hurting cheek could allow, she still tried to make herself heard though.
Iemitsu stared at his own hand that had just hit his daughter and trembled when he heard his wife's shocked gasp amidst the buzzing in his ears. He tried to fix his sitting posture and went to grasp Tsuna's arm.
Tsuna saw the intended movement as she pushed herself backwards and fluently stood up even if she was a bit wobbly after the sudden force. Hibari gripped one of her arms to steady her but Tsuna brushed him off.
"T-Tsuna!" Iemitsu worried shout made her stomach churned as she still refused to touch the red mark he left on her face. The firm smile was still plastered on her face. She looked at Iemitsu in the eyes.
"You lost your standing the moment you step out of this house eleven years ago but congratulations, you have just lost your right as a father today."*
She wiped the smile of her face and looked up, clashed with the worried but confused stance of Basil. She just gave him an acknowledgement nod and moved to her mother―the shocked mother that still had her hands covering her mouth, with a trembling body and wavering eyes which ready to burst. Tsuna couldn't stand the look as she turned around and nearly crashed with Hibari.
"Please eat dinner without me. Good night." She said with a barely audible voice but she knew they―especially her mother and Hibari―would definitely hear or had the common sense to leave her alone for a moment. She walked up past Hibari to the front door but halted, still on the doorstep of previous battlefield. She looked to the side and focused her gaze to Nana.
"Don't wait up for me."
Tsuna walked and slammed the front door. When she was out of sight, Hibari turned to face his soon to be father-in-law, or perhaps the law in Japan itself should be changed? The sight of the hurting omnivore in front of him was somehow irked him and he had trouble to calm his excited hands from reaching out for his weapon.
Iemitsu was still watching his trembling hand in the air and Hibari found him as a pathetic excuse of someone who had just abused the power of his position.
"This time you play things out of your boundary."* Hibari icily stated and Iemitsu couldn't help but flinched, "I'm not so generous as my fiancee but I understand that this place is not appropriate. I will find the time to deal with you seriously Sawada Iemitsu, regardless of your position as my soon to be father-in-law."* Hibari said calmly.
┌You are taking things out of hands and I will punish you accordingly even if you are that girl's blood father. ┘
"The next time we meet in a more canonical situation, I hope you could refrain yourself better. Don't disappoint the Hibari Clan with your title as Ninth's supervisor."*
┌Even if you are my father-in-law, by this, I will not acknowledge you as such.┘
Iemitsu gulped as he understood the underlying meanings of Hibari's words. The guilt was eating him once again. He brought his trembling hand to his laps and bit his own tongue until he tasted blood.
Hibari watched uninterestedly and nodded to Nana before following Tsuna's steps, leaving the broken family to settle their own score since Hibari was only a tiny shivering part of it for now. He had said what he wanted to say even if he had to hold himself back into doing what he wanted the most―beating the man up until the structure of his face was no longer recognizable. The repetitious call of Iemitsu's name by the desperate wife was the last thing he heard before he let the front door slammed shut.
"―su!"
"Iemitsu―!"
The man sat unmoving but his still trembling hand told the matter inside his noisy mind. Nana sat down beside him, shaking the slightly tanned man with desperate urgency. The broken cup and spilled beverage staining the wooden floor and the rug were forgotten.
Iemitsu stilled once again, his mind replaying the moment when rage washed over him and he let himself to lift his own hand against his daughter.
How could he to his own daughter?
"Yes, indeed."
The sudden deep of a voice startled him. He brought himself to stare through the door and his eyes landed on the suited man on the stairs. He couldn't see his eyes as they were covered by his fedora but by the chill prickling his sweated skin, he knew he screwed a big time. After all, Reborn was the prominent figure in Tsuna's growth. Needless to admit, he knew that the bond Reborn and Tsuna shared was deeper than he could ever be, even if he was there in the first place.
"Answer your own question. I'm really interested in your answer by now." Reborn stated with a harsh tone before lifting his head and looking down at Iemitsu. The blonde man flinched and resisted the urge to look down and bowed in fright, but Reborn's sharp eyes tied his trembling one and Iemitsu found himself not be able to look away.
"Renato-san!" Nana exclaimed in surprise, knowing that Reborn and Iemitsu perhaps knew each other before the current situation. Reborn looked at her and gave a nod. "Renato-san knows my husband?"
Reborn nearly spitted at the endearing name after the previous scene but he forced a smile instead. "We are currently working for the same boss."
The hitman eyed Iemitsu and Basil who both started trembling in fear when he smirked in promising pain. The latter started to come down the stairs and ended up standing graciously in front of Iemitsu. He slowly scanned the damage done―stained clothes, broken utensils, dumbfounded man and his red hand. He then wondered which was redder, the perpetrator's palm or that kid's cheek? Before that, he really should do some disciplining.
Hah. What a scene. He mused uninterestedly.
Reborn then cleared his throat and sat down on the nearby armchair, his glare was still potted on Iemitsu. "Maman, I need to talk to Iemitsu for a while. Could you please leave us―"
"―No!" Nana suddenly shouted and stood up, "I deserve to hear to what you are going to discuss!"
From behind her, Iemitsu shook his head and threw a pleading look to Reborn. The latter only raised his eyebrow to Nana's exclamation. He knew what Iemitsu feared. Vongola had yet to be revealed as it was not the profitable time. Told or not to, the two choices had their own risk in the upcoming future. His gaze was calculating when he brought his hand to cover his mouth.
"It's a boring talk about our work and some of them will be spoken in Italian." Reborn helpfully added, hoping the woman would refuse but he got an angry glare instead.
"You are still talking about work after my husband just hit my daughter?" Nana pointed at the man behind her. "I am angry, yes, but I am even angrier since I don't know what is happening!"
Reborn was shocked that Nana could even got angry but after witnessing what the blond man had done, Reborn would be raged if he found out that Nana wasn't. The hitman contemplated, switching his attention to Iemitsu and Nana before dropping his gaze to Basil. The latter jolted and gulped in fear.
Basil scratched the back of his head and laughed sheepishly, "Um, yeah… Maybe I should go for a walk or―"
"No, Kid. You stay there as a witness."
"Yes, sir!" Basil saluted mechanically and sat down, waiting with wet palms on his lap.
Nana also sat down next to Basil while Reborn made himself comfortable on the sofa. He crossed his legs and put his hands on his lap as Leon obediently came down from the hitman's shoulder to settle on his hold. The man gave all the occupant in the room a sweet smile―in turn it made Iemitsu trembled and averted his gaze.
A sweet smile would never bode well with Reborn.
"So Iemitsu, before we are venturing much deeper into our work line, answer your own question first. I'm so dying to hear your bul―reason." Reborn gave a side glance at Nana and found himself quite surprised when seeing the usually love-stricken housewife was glaring daggers at her husband, while not minding the slip Reborn had said.
Iemitsu stayed still and proceeded to correct his posture into a more proper sitting position. He watched the broken glass beside him and let out a silent sigh.
"I―"
He paused and ruffled his hair before letting out another deep sigh. He still hung his head low, unable to look either at any occupant of the room.
"I'm sorry, I―"
"If an apology could explain everything, what's the use of police and laws?" Reborn retorted and threw a light chuckle at him, still busy stroking Leon with crossed legs.
"I know I was wrong, Reb―" Reborn's smile widened maniacally and Iemitsu slightly fake-coughed, "―nato! I really didn't hit Tsuna on purpose! It was purely an accident!"
Iemitsu halted when he saw Reborn untangled his legs. Leon then moved away and swiftly changed to a laser pointer, making it seemed like Reborn took it from his inner suit's pocket. The temperature dropped again and Basil felt a sudden chill that he couldn't resist not to shiver. Reborn's smile was long gone as it was replaced with a heated stare of a deep onyx. The man gazed at Iemitsu as he played with the laser pointer in his grasp. He twirled it and hummed, silently telling Iemitsu to continue his reason. He then clicked the button on the tip of the pointer and he played the laser from the empty space on Iemitsu's right.
Iemitsu gulped but continued, "…My hand just moved on its own when I heard those words she said! I was just trying to―"
Iemitsu suddenly jumped and scrambled away. He stared at the spot he previously sat and directed his gaze to the burnt edge of his trousers. He traced back the red laser beside him and he noticed how it slowly boiled the orange liquid beside him.
He saw how Reborn's smile slightly turned to a taunting smirk.
"Oh, my. What words that might spark your interest to display your strength to that child? And what, did you forget how a simple hand could fling a teenager to the ground? What truly the reason, I'm dying to know."
By now, Nana realized how weird their work relationships were―with Iemitsu and Basil trembled hard while Reborn calmly sat there like he was their supreme ruler―but she stayed quiet and occasionally glared at her husband. She understood that it might partially her fault too for scolding her daughter at the moment but what she couldn't understand was his act. She shook her head in disapproval.
"Yes, how could you hit my precious daughter? She didn't do anything wrong!" She clenched her fists.
Iemitsu turned to face his wife with opened mouth, "But, Nana! She said those disrespectful words first that I―"
"―Did I stutter, Iemitsu?" The flat tone of Reborn brought Iemitsu's attention back to him. The deep eyes of him bore accusingly with such seriousness that the man could only eat down his own reason. Reborn was never a patient man. When he demanded an answer, one should have directly stated it. Moreover, he hated to repeat any words that came out from his mouth.
Iemitsu clamped his mouth shut and the room once again dyed in disturbing silence.
Basil watched the event unfold with mixed feelings. He believed that his master was indeed wrong. Well, it was obviously wrong to land your hand on your children moreover to a girl. On the other hand, he was deeply shocked that Reborn―the world renowned hitman and known as a sadistic teacher of Vongola Decimo―truly care deeply for his student to this extend.
Rather than acting as a teacher…
Basil tilted his head to the side and pondered. His eyes were still strayed diligently to Reborn's vicious pose on the sofa. Now that he was seeing it directly, didn't he act like how a father would to his dearest and only daughter? Something like, chasing other competitors who wanted to take his beloved daughter away? Or the high-ranked father who wanted to punish anyone who even just give one second glance to his claimed 'my most beautiful, cute and purest daughter'?
Reborn's eyes twitched slightly and he suddenly casted a deadpanned stares at Basil. The latter then hiccupped and stopped his train of thoughts.
"Don't think―"* Reborn's gaze stayed on Basil before he casually switched to Iemitsu, "―talk nonsense."*
At the moment, Basil was struck with fear and nervousness of Reborn's sudden imply that he just bowed his head and pretended to be asleep.
Reborn then rose up from his seat and walked to stand in front of Iemitsu―his hand was twirling the laser pointer that Iemitsu eyed carefully―he gave a calculating scan on Iemitsu's opened palm on the thigh.
"You know, I admirably agree to the term of 'your house, your rules'." Reborn then smirked, "But your fault lies in your victim. You simply have a bad luck. That girl is my people and no one left unscathed after they hurt what is mine."*
Reborn then squatted down and calmly said, "Oh. I am a man of action by the way. Talking with common sense is what we lacked, after all."
He threw his laser pointer with lighting speed that ordinary people would completely unaware of the act, but Iemitsu's distracted gaze followed the rocketing pen. Nana's confused gaze that switched between the two grown-up men was the last Iemitsu remembered before the laser pointer was back on the owner's grasp and he was slammed to ground.
"Well, well. If that was a gun, you would have been buried under the dirt, Iemitsu."*
Iemitsu only responded with a pained grunt as his head hit the floor. He tasted blood from the inside of his punched cheek and realized that he might have lost a tooth or two. His gaze was still blurred and his ears buzzed with that high-pitched ringing noise when he heard a deep chuckle and a gasp.
"Nah. Too bad that this is a family-friendly area, huh?"
The raised fist of the squatted but smirking hitman in front of him was the last of what he saw before his world tilted ungraciously and he succumbed to unconsciousness.
Tsuna harshly wiped the upcoming tears that fell on the side of her unscathed cheek. Her furious walk halted the stray cats longing on the top of trash cans that she passed. They meowed loudly to call her one after another but Tsuna paid no heed. She let her legs brought her to the nearby but quite deserted park. Seeing how there were some kids playing on the swing and slide, she quickly diverted her gaze to sit down on the farthest but desolated bench and brought down her face into her hands.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why are you even crying for!
As if to irk her more, a hiccup and sob left her pursed lips. A sudden pain flared when she slightly pulled cheek―well, she was pulling in her snot! She didn't bring anything out, moreover, a tissue!
Tsuna agitatedly stomped her feet and whined as quietly as her covered face could.
Seeing how there was a weird big sister who was covering her face and stomping her feet on the secluded bench of the park, the kids that were playing with each other silently leaving their own entertainment and began whispering at each other. They then sprinted out from the park to the nearby outdoor café where a bunch of young mother currently was laughing loudly.
But a single kid remained.
The boy stared intently at Tsuna from his spot―which is at the top of the slide. Tsuna didn't notice. He sat there motionlessly, holding an orange ball closed to his chest. He turned his head around and noticed how the park had deserted so quickly after the other children ran away. He watched Tsuna again before looking back to the outdoor café.
Some of the children cried while the others put on a brave attitude and told their own mother a story. He assumed that they were telling about the weird big sister not far from him.
The boy watched the scene for another minutes until the children and their mothers got up and left the café with boisterous chat and laughs. His gaze stayed to their figure and drifted to the hand of one child who was enveloped in his mother's. He watched them until they parted on the other side of the road and the small neighborhood turned calmer that evening.
He released a soft breath and directed back his stare to Tsuna. He slid down slowly, still holding the ball tight. With his tiny feet, he walked confidently but quietly, his teddy bear backpack jingled in every step he took. The boy then stopped three steps away from Tsuna. He watched the girl sniffled and groaned, he was reminded of his late grandmother who used to groan a lot. He wondered if the big sister then had some back pain like his late grandmother did.
He poked Tsuna's head and softly tugged some of her hair. Tsuna swatted her hand without looking up.
"…"
The boy tilted his head to the side with a slight frown and tugged her hair more forcefully.
"Ow!" She exclaimed as she held her head. Tsuna then looked up and her gaze clashed with the flat expression of a child. She looked around her and found no one but the two of them.
"Uh, hi. What are you doing here alone?" She braced herself and asked, in the while laughing awkwardly. She actually felt quite uncomfortable with the dead stare of the boy.
"Weird big sister, is your back in pain?" The boy voice sounded emotionless as he slowly blinked and stared again at her.
She scratched the side of her cheek and laughed quietly, "Uh, no? Why do you ask that?"
"You crouched down on the bench like how my grandmother did when her back ached."
Tsuna gave a small smile and shook her head, "My back is okay but thank you for asking."
The boy nodded and stared at her again. Tsuna averted her gaze and smiled awkwardly.
"Um, why are you here alone? Where is your mother?"
"I was playing with other children."
"Oh. Did they go home?"
The boy pondered for a while, still staring at her before he shook his head.
"No, they ran away."
"Huh?"
Tsuna frowned while her mind tried to understand the kid in front of her. She had mastered the art of taking care two demons at her home, even if this boy was a bit creepy with his dead stare and emotionless voice, he was still a kid. Tsuna braced herself. But before she could ask again, the boy spoke calmly.
"Weird big sister scared them."
Tsuna halted, trying to understand his statement. She then pointed at herself in shock and the boy nodded.
"You groaned like an old wasted widow would and the children went crying to their mother. They went home."
"…"
"Big sister got dumped?"
"Huh? No!"
"Why not?"
Tsuna watched the passive boy with dropping jaw.
"…What do you mean by why not…"
"Oh, no one likes you and ask you out, yea?"
Tsuna really wanted to slap his head. So disrespectful to the elder! She held her own twitching hand that wanted to reach him, it wouldn't do to treat him the same as other demons in her home. Tsuna took a deep breath and gave him a smile.
"I don't have a boyfriend." She said but then her thought suddenly went to Hibari and unconsciously she mumbled, "But I have a fiancée, though."
She thought she muttered it low enough but the boy heard it loud and clear. He tilted his head again to the side.
"So you don't have a boyfriend but you are going to marry soon?"
"…." Tsuna watched the boy with exasperated stare, feeling tired all of sudden.
"I have a good hearing and sight." The boy gave a comeback before the side of his mouth went upwards and gave her a small smile, "Congratulations to big sister, then."
Tsuna unconsciously gave him another warm smile and softly tapped his cheek with her forefinger.
"Thank you. By the way, what is your name?"
The boy stared at Tsuna for a full minute before turning his back and walked away. His previous smile only stayed for three second before it was wiped off from his face. Tsuna watched until the boy took the right turn and disappeared, leaving her with the unanswered question.
Holy moly. I really want to teach him manners.
She sighed and once again wallowed in her misery. She brought her head to her hands and groaned again. She winced when she unconsciously slapped her reddened cheek.
Her thought wondered to the previous days, starting from the dropped verdict in Vongola Mansion, incidents in Palermo until she had arrived back in Japan. She pondered to the previous talk with Simon Family.
They were right. Tsuna should have persisted more and broke the engagement at the time. If needed, she could destroy the entire headquarter as a threat. The engagement of them, it didn't make sense after all. Tsuna still couldn't think of the reason aside from, that it was obviously connected to the power struggle in the beholders of Golden Triangle of Mafia in Italy. Currently, those who held power and status above average were starting to participate in the cold war.
Talking about the Golden Triangle, Vongola was currently on the peak nearly for five decades, followed closely by Simon as their first Alliance and protector. The last position was hold by the aristocrats that were using Mafia as an excuse to protect themselves from their business risks.
Tsuna had presumed that the political excuse was indeed related to some business expansion in Italy by said aristocrats, legally or illegally. Both money and power would easily pave your way to the top, rich people that included themselves in mafia circle would use everything they have to bask in a pool of gold. Easily spilling blood of their own spouse, parents or even children was the form of awards to be recognized.
Those dirty hands and wretched mind were the reason why Tsuna wanted to change the rules, starting from the fuse―and that was Vongola itself.
Tsuna's frown deepened as she started to think deeper how to cancel the engagement without making their and the other party lost face.
Then she felt her head was tapped softly, she looked up and clashed again with the deadpanned stare of the previous boy.
"Huh? Didn't you go home?"
The boy shook his head and quickly brought his folded hands behind his back and pinned something on her ear. The ticklish sensation brought her to graze it softly.
"It's a gift for your engagement." He paused and continued, "Even though big sister is weird like an old grandma but you are quite pretty like a cherry blossom."
Tsuna's smile instantly dropped as she pinched his plum cheek. The boy stayed emotionless as his skin was stretched.
"Alright. Since you are cute and thoughtful, I will just not mind that last sentences."
The boy instantly slapped her hands away and took a seat beside her. Tsuna watched with another smile on her face. They sat in silence as the boy swung his legs back and forth while Tsuna played with her fingers, trying to distract her political thought and lighten up her own mood.
No one speak for a while as Tsuna was still drowning in her mind. The evening was darkened and Tsuna finally looked up when a shadow draped around her siting figure.
Hibari Kyoya stood there proudly, still with the same impassive face but a glistening sweat faintly rolled down on the side of his face. He gave Tsuna a menacing glare. She flinched.
"H-Hibari-san…" She greeted awkwardly.
The man only stared with unreadable glint and chose to sit down beside her elegantly. He massaged his temple and sighed lowly, making sure the other party didn't hear him. Tsuna stole a glance and fidgeted, contemplating to open a conversation or keep her mouth shut still. She then chose the latter.
Suddenly she straightened her back and looked around frantically. Hibari raised an eyebrow at her behavior and spotted a bunch of nicely crafted petals of cherry blossoms resembling a rose on her ear.
"Hibari-san, have you seen a boy around this height―" She measured around her shoulder, still in sitting position, "―with black hair and impassive face, he is wearing kindergarten uniform and a teddy bear backpack. He was sitting with me a while ago."
Hibari pondered but shook his head once.
"You are alone when I spotted you."
"Huh?" Tsuna scratched her neck and looked around again. Did the boy leave her alone again and go home without saying goodbye? Such nerve! Tsuna silently vowed to flick the boy's forehead if she ever saw him again.
Hibari watched the girl looked around confused, clenched her fist in determined pose and put a smile of satisfaction. He put down the urge to laugh at her expression. Instead, he folded his hands and leaned on the bench.
The sky was the mix of dark blue and sunset orange. He could even see the faint lines of the moon. He turned his head slightly to watch the girl beside him. Her cheek wasn't bruised that much, only the lingering red of the aftermath. Still, Hibari crunched his eyebrows together, not liking that her skin left a slight mark of an abuse. Moreover, he was there when it happened. He then watched her for another minute in silence before opening his mouth.
"Did it still hurt?" Hibari asked.
Tsuna was surprised to find that Hibari might find her because he cared, but she shooed the thought away. Hibari was a strong man and he didn't find running away favorable. What Tsuna had just done with sitting and groaning in this park was pretty much running away.
She shook her head, "Not really. It still stings sometimes if pressured. But I'm okay. It should be gone tomorrow."
"Compress with cold water before sleep."
"Ah? Yes, Hibari-san."
"Hn."
They stayed still again.
"That." Hibari piped up.
She looked at him, "Yes…?"
Hibari pointed to his ear and Tsuna mimicked the action in grasping her ear. Her hand touched the flowers that the boy previously tucked. A soft smile adorned her face.
"Ah, this? The boy earlier gave it to me as a gift."
"You like flower that much?"
Tsuna rubbed the back of her neck as the tip of her ears turned pinkish under Hibari's scrutinizing stare, "Um, not entirely? I believe that in everything you do, it is best to give someone with your best thought and interest along." Tsuna smiled, "Like this boy, he thinks that I am very much alike to cherry blossoms so he strings up the petals and gives it to me."
Hibari only stared at her and Tsuna laughed sheepishly, "I mean, yeah, happiness can't be bought with money. Maybe it is to some people since money is an essential existence, but for me, I don't think that the wealth that you have could really fulfil a person's satisfaction entirely."
Emotional needs.
Hibari understood what she meant, since himself was also lacking in that point. He wouldn't be so modest to admit that he grew up nicely in a harmonious family―Taiki was never nice in bringing him up and the inheritance of his parents was once up for grabs because at that time he was underage. At that time, Taiki who had long retired from the clan's business came back and took the throne, his uncles and aunts all obediently retreated into the shadow. Taiki then moved into the main house. He fed him foods but never praises and he gave him shelter along all seasons but not a shoulder to lean on. The man was great, he was caring but he was never an open person. Thus, in everything he did was all thought logically and guarded. Hibari Kyoya then grew up to be the younger version of the feared Hibari Taiki.
Hibari raised an eyebrow at Tsuna's thought and nodded. The usual passive face was adorned with a slight frown of displeasure when he saw the flower. Tsuna once again fidgeted on her seat, feeling the awkwardness finally seeped into her being. She was torn between making excuses and ran away or just stayed still until Hibari went mad and hissing out his famous catchphrase.
But wait a minute.
Tsuna stole another glance from the side, she then pondered if Hibari left the house to search for her. Then could that mean, this was the opportunity presented by God to ask about the reason of his agreement to their betrothal? Maybe if they could have a new arrangement, they could cancel the previous one without much fuss.
Tsuna rubbed her chin and slowly nodded, feeling proud of herself.
"Hibari-san… Can I ask you something?"
Hibari watched the girl before nodding.
"Um, why do you accept the engagement? I mean, there are really no reasons for us to…" Tsuna's voice trailed off in the end and she awkwardly laugh. Hibari, however, only stared at her with his infamous impassive face and folded hands.
At this moment, Hibari's mind was running around. Why didn't he refuse the agreement? He didn't even know. Hibari had the gist of a reason but he didn't want to admit just yet. The thought needed to be sorted carefully before he planned the next step. For once, Hibari felt like he had made a fool of himself and then remembering to increase his subordinates training to ease his rigid mind.
Then he stared into Tsuna's hazelnut eyes, the deep warmth of a person and he could see his own reflection on her. The girl was obviously foolish but not stupid and Hibari somehow found himself following in each of her footsteps even from afar. He always wanted to make sure of something and he couldn't refuse not to immerse himself in her protective strides.
Hibari then understood the whys that had plagued his mind since days ago.
Meanwhile, Tsuna waited patiently for minutes but Hibari had yet opened his mouth. Suddenly the side of his mouth was pulled up into a smirk and Tsuna found herself silently shivered.
"Figure it out and then once again, come face me, Sawada Tsunayoshi." Hibari then stood up and walked away. He stopped at the park's entrance and turned his body to stare at her again, "Come fast and I might reconsider your late punishment."
Tsuna shuddered in fright and leaned as far as the bench allowed even though Hibari was already standing far from her.
Why was she being punished for not being able to guess his reason as soon as possible? Did Hibari-san slip on a banana peel and suffer from a brain concussion?
"Don't be late to school or I will bite you to death." Hibari was amused and he let out a brief chuckle before walking away.
Tsuna was stunned as the flower in her ear fell to the bench.
Well, he should have gone to a hospital and let his entire body to be bandaged so he can't even breathe!
Tsuna let out a frustrated sigh before reluctantly stood up to go home. She hoped that she could go upstairs without a hitch and basked in the comfort of her bed. Remembering the man in her home, she plopped down again and sighed.
She decided to stay for a while and watched the moonrise along with the stars, hoping her feelings and the itch on her cheek would calm down.
About:
Erstwhile means "at one time, for at time" or simply it means "formerly". I had trouble deciding this chapter's title but then I thought this fits perfectly with Tsuna and Iemitsu's relationship. The mistakes had been done and that is why it is a "former" condition, because what had been broken couldn't be mended without any cracks left.
Trivia: The adverb erstwhile has been part of English since the 16th century, but it is formed from two words that are much older. It comes from the Old English words ær, meaning "early," and hwīl, which has much the same meaning as the modern word while. (The English word ere, meaning "before," is also descendant of ær.) The adjective erstwhile, as in erstwhile enemies, joined the language around 1900.
End Log:
Hibari might not know it yet but his love bar is currently at 50 out of 100, heheh. Such a tsundere cinnamon roll.
While Tsuna is still around 10 since she is dense (oh how I love the story of love interest falls in love first with the main character, please bear with me).
Thank you for reading!
Chapter seven will be the door to the main conflict. That means the villainess will make the full appearance and contribute to the story!
I'm writing it now (only done halfway) but I will deliver it to you guys as soon as possible. Stay safe!