In front of Socorro stood a very beautiful-looking student. She was a second year girl with light skin and average height, but with a slightly heavier build around her arms, upper legs, and torso. She had long brown hair that got wavy midway down and also curled upwards at the ends. Her long bangs were parted to each side, leaving some of her forehead exposed. Adorned on her head was a black headband with a black and gray bow attached to it. She also notably wore her gray tie more loosely from her neck than other students did. But her most notable feature however, were her special earrings that dangled from her earlobes. They were large spherical white orbs with black circles optically spreading out from the center all over, looking very much like a hypno ball.
She looked at Socorro with a concerned gaze in her bluish-grey eyes, but with a friendly and welcoming smile on her face. "Need a hand?", she asked, still smiling while holding out her right hand. Socorro looked at her hand and nodded a "yes" after a moment. The student grabbed her free hand and pulled her up off of the floor, rather easily too. "She's strong...", Socorro thought as she stood up, "...and good-looking, too.", she noted internally.
"Sorry about that. That's Yurikan, he's a total jerk.", the student said after she finished helping Socorro up. She then put her hands on her hips and said, "I'm glad you're OK. I saw what happened and I decided to not leave you hangin'.", with a sympathetic look on her face. "He gets off on pushing other people around, no matter who they are...", she finished.
"But anyway, we haven't met each other yet.", she said. She then paused for a second. "Can you speak Japanese?", the student asked. Socorro was confused and didn't reply. "I didn't think so, either.", the student continued, "But that's OK! Not everyone knows the same language. I know it's a lotta pressure on a foreign transfer student, but I'm patient!" Socorro stood there, fascinated and puzzled. She was slightly nervous around this student, but she could tell she was friendly despite not knowing what she was talking about.
"Let's start out slow: by introducing our names!", the student began. "I'll start first, let me also use hand signs to help you understand better." She pointed at herself and said, "I'm Tsuna Sakurai!", slowly enough so Socorro could hear her name. "Just Tsuna, too.", she said while giving a thumbs up. She then pointed at Socorro and said, "Your turn." Socorro nodded; "...Socorro Mota...", she said shyly, "...Nice to meet you.", she finished in Japanese. "Your Japanese is great!", Tsuna said with a surprised expression. "I also love your name! But it's hard to say the given name. I'll come up with a nickname based on your family name.", she said. Tsuna thought for a moment before replying with: "Motty?", she said while pointing at Socorro before proceeding with a thumbs up on her other hand. "I like the nickname!", Socorro thought as she processed what Tsuna was asking. She then nodded, smiling. "Great, thanks Motty!", Tsuna said happily. "Glad to be friends with you.", she said while shaking Socorro's hand. Socorro shook Tsuna's firm hand back awkwardly.
"Where are you from?", Tsuna said slowly as she finished shaking Socorro's hand. Socorro replied with, "Brazil.", knowing the common phrase. "That's cool!", Tsuna said excitedly. "Since you're new here, I'll help you out a little.", Tsuna said, "Let's clean this area together." She walked away and returned a minute later with her cleaning supplies. "Let's get fired up!", she said as she began to clean the hallway Socorro was in. Socorro realized she was helping her; she felt better now. "Thank you!", Socorro said in Japanese while she resumed cleaning where she left off. "No problem, Motty!", Tsuna said gleefully. Socorro felt safe, she was now relieved she had a friend. She was glad she didn't feel anxious around Tsuna anymore.
After an hour of working together, cleaning time was over. All of the other students were putting away their cleaning supplies and going home. Socorro and Tsuna started to do the same. They both walked out of school together, stopping by the front gate. "Bye bye, Motty!", Tsuna said while waving her arm. Socorro stayed silent and waved in return. Tsuna then smiled and walked away, Socorro did the same, but in the opposite direction toward her apartment.
...
When Socorro reached her apartment complex, she stopped for a second and thought about Fujita. "He still did not come to school with me to assist. I think I should go check on him.", she concluded.
She headed toward his room to speak with him. She took a deep breath to shake off some of her building anxiety, something she does often, and knocked firmly on the door a few times. But before she could even take her fist off of the door, it suddenly swung open swiftly and Fujita's face appeared out of the darkness within the room.
"What do YOU want!?", he said angrily. Socorro jumped back out of shock, now feeling confused and frightened. She didn't know what to say, so she looked at him with worry and fear in her eyes. "You are so aggravating, I was trying to sleep.", he said, annoyed. Socorro, now understanding what he was saying, replied: "W-Why didn't you come to my school to help me today?" Fujita then said in a frustrated tone, "Because it wasn't worth it..." "I do not understand.", Socorro said back. "You heard me. Translating for you is such a pain, I don't know why I even agreed to it.", he said in reply. Socorro was even more confused now: "Huh?... That doesn't make any sense...", she thought. "...Then why did you take this job?", she asked. Fujita hesitated for a moment before retorting with a reply: "I always wanted to study other languages ever since I was about your age. Other languages and cultures always fascinated me. It was my dream to become a translator, to help others. But when I finally became one after years of training, it was much more stressful and difficult than I imagined. You and others before made me realize this. Now I can't stand to do it anymore..." He said all of this with a sad look on his face with a disappointed tone in his voice as well.
Socorro thought for a moment, feeling sorry for him. "...I-Is there anything I can do to help you?", she asked empathetically. He gave an angry look and said, "No. A kid like you wouldn't understand. Maybe I'll find someone that will, and will give me a better job..." He then slinked back into his dark room with his head down and closed the door somewhat forcefully.
"I'm sorry I made you upset...", Socorro said politely to herself. She then walked away and went up to her room. All the while, blaming herself for the event and thinking: "I make everyone upset."
Night came fast and she decided to go to sleep early, mainly because she had nothing else to do. As she tried to sleep, Socorro wondered what she would do about Fujita. She felt sorry for him and wanted to help, but she realized he can't just stop doing his job. "Should I report him?... But where would I even go to do that? I know no one else here...", she asked herself. "I do not know what to do, I don't want to cause trouble.", she contemplated. Socorro was an indecisive person, she always had trouble making proper decisions. She also didn't like getting involved in other people's messes. "I think I will leave it alone for now.", she decided, "But will I really be fine without his translation skills? Today was hard enough..."
"I think I will be fine, I have been through much worse in my family life before. Tsuna seems nice, it is great to have a friend again." She smiled and then fell asleep shortly after, her mind at ease.
…
Socorro awoke to the alarm ringing next to her. She then got up and got ready in the same way as the day before, she left at the same time as well. She thought about trying to see Fujita again, but she decided against it. "Maybe he will come around eventually.", she thought as she exited the building. She left for school on time, now getting the hang of the daily routine.
…
When she got to school and was near the front entrance, she saw someone familiar nearby. It was Tsuna, she was waving at Socorro from a distance. When she spotted Socorro, she motioned her arm towards her with an excited look on her face. Socorro then walked to her, feeling nervous and interested at the same time.
Once she reached Tsuna, Socorro was immediately taken aback by what came out of Tsuna's mouth: "Hiya, Motty!", in decent Portuguese. Socorro was so surprised she thought she was hearing things. "No way was that real.", she thought to herself. "What?", she managed to get out, forgetting to switch to Japanese. That's when Tsuna pulled her other arm out from behind her back, revealing a large book in her hand.
Tsuna pointed at the book with her other hand and said, "I... know... little... of... you... language...", in broken Portuguese. Socorro got the message, she then looked at the book's cover. The title in Japanese text read: "Brazilian Portuguese to Japanese". Much to Socorro's surprise, it was translated into Portuguese underneath the title as well. "Wow!", Socorro said in her native tongue. Tsuna then smiled, and held the book with both hands, holding it out towards Socorro. "Here.", Tsuna said in Portuguese once again.
Socorro pointed at herself, "Me?", she asked nonverbally. Tsuna nodded, causing Socorro to gladly take the book. She flipped through it, seeing that it had both Japanese and Portuguese words, phrases, and pronunciations in it. "This book will be perfect in helping me live here!", she thought excitedly. "Thank you!", she exclaimed in Japanese. "You're very welcome, Motty!", Tsuna said, switching back to Japanese. "My pleasure, I want to help friends in need.", she continued, "I found it at the bookstore yesterday while tryin' to find help for you in some way." She suddenly stopped when she saw Socorro's blank expression. "Whoopsies!", she said while realizing that Socorro couldn't understand what she was saying.
Tsuna then raised her clenched fist and held up the pointer finger, nonverbally saying "hang on." She dug around in her book bag for a moment before pulling out a copy of the same book. "Now... me too!", she said in broken Portuguese. Socorro smiled brightly at this, "Now we can talk to each other better!", she happily noted.
They were both then snapped out of their daze when they noticed that all of the students were now inside the school, signaling that class was about to start. They both hastily went inside and changed their shoes. Then they started to split up. "Bye bye!", Tsuna said in shaky Portuguese. "Goodbye.", Socorro said in Japanese once again. They waved each other off and went to their respective classrooms, making it on time.
…
Lunch period came for Socorro much faster than the previous day; probably due to the book Tsuna got her. It helped Socorro understand some of the words on the board, but she still couldn't figure out what was being taught. Once the other students started leaving for lunch, Socorro started to dread going, in fear of running into Yurikan again. She reluctantly left after feeling hungry because of her not eating much over the past couple of days.
When she approached the cafeteria, she was pleasantly surprised to see Tsuna waiting for her there. Tsuna waved her over and said, "Hello!", in near-perfect Portuguese. Socorro was surprised about how good the pronunciation was. "I... practice... lots.", Tsuna said in slower, rougher Portuguese. "Let us go.", Socorro replied back in Japanese. "Good job, Motty!", Tsuna said while giving a thumbs up, impressed with Socorro's improved pronunciation. They both then walked into the cafeteria together.
They sat at a small table in the far corner together. Socorro then asked Tsuna in her native language, "What now? I do not know what to do...", to test Tsuna's book. Tsuna then pulled out the book after a second and flipped through the pages. After a few minutes of looking, she was able to process Socorro's question. Still holding the book, she was able to perform a coherent response: "I get us food. Me pay for it." Socorro was impressed by Tsuna's first attempts at pronouncing some of these words from a language that is nothing like her own, despite not conjugating properly. "It's so impressive. She is better than me at this.", Socorro thought. "Thank you... very much!", Socorro replied after pulling out her copy of the book and forming a sentence with it. "No problem!", Tsuna said in Japanese before closing the book and walking away to get them some food.
Socorro watched Tsuna leave, noticing how fast she was walking, despite her big legs. "She seems athletic.", Socorro said to herself. She watched Tsuna until she disappeared out of view behind some students sitting at another table. Socorro waited for a few minutes in silence, bored. She then jolted out of her daze when she remembered Yurikan, feeling as if he was nearby. She looked around the cafeteria nervously, searching for him. After a moment however, she saw exactly what she feared: Yurikan was standing dead center in the entryway, looking directly at her. She froze, unable to do anything, her heart started racing. They met eye contact for a second, that's when Yurikan started to walk slowly towards where Socorro was sitting. She was starting to panic now, unsure of what to do. She wanted to run, but she wasn't sure if she would get away from him. She didn't want to cause a scene either, her indecisiveness was getting the better of her again. Yurikan was still moving towards her, albeit faster now. Socorro tried to calm herself down and be rational. "Surely he would not do anything when I have a friend with me now in front of all these students...", she told herself, knowing it was just denial from the situation. She realized there wasn't much that could be done; she decided to sit there and take his wrath, hoping Tsuna would see and get her help.
"Well, well. If it isn't the dark, disgusting rat!", Yurikan started when he reached Socorro. He then leaned closer to her face, "I saw earlier today you made friends with one of the girls here. And with Sakurai-san of all people. Listen here...", he paused, "She doesn't care about you, she's a fucking whore who only cares about herself. She'll betray you, use you to get a higher place on her sports team by appearing nice to you. She doesn't give two shits about your hideous dark face!" Socorro looked around, no one seemed to pay any mind to what was going on. "Yeah, look all you fucking want! How dare you try to taint my school's reputation by polluting the students with your dumbass attempt at friendship! Sakurai-san is a freak who will use anyone to get her way, she's not your friend. No one here will ever be your friend, ha ha!", he bellowed in response to this. Socorro looked down, away from his eyes. She wasn't good at looking people in the eyes for long, especially Yurikan's, it triggers her anxiety.
This pissed off Yurikan even more, somehow. "Look at me, damn it!", he yelled as loud as he could. He grabbed Socorro and pulled her up by the shirt collar. "You must respect me. I'll teach your shy self a lesson, you goddamn darkie!", he said as Socorro tried to get him to let go. "Time to punish you for your sins!", he yelled as he reached his hand into her uniform's left pocket. He pulled out her small stash of reals from her pocket. "What the fuck is this shit!?", he said, "It must be your alien money.", clenching it in his fist. "It's worthless to me, I at least expected fucking yen since you live here.", he said. He then let go of her shirt, causing her to hit the ground. Socorro then watched in horror on the ground as Yurikan ripped up all of the cash into little pieces, one by one. "Here you go, rat!", he said while tossing the leftover pieces at her once he finished.
Socorro looked around, everyone was staring at the two of them with shocked faces. None of them were doing anything, just watching, even the school staff wasn't doing anything. She then spotted Tsuna sprinting incredibly fast towards them, carrying two bento boxes with her. "You OK, Motty!?", she asked in a very concerned voice, back in Japanese. "I... am okay...", Socorro answered, trying not to sound sad.
"Shut the fuck up! Nobody here wants to hear your ugly native language spoken.", Yurikan said loudly. "What is your freakin' problem!?", Tsuna exclaimed once she reached Socorro. "Can it, Scissors! No one gave you the right to talk.", he said back in response. Socorro was then confused; she didn't understand much of what they were saying, but she understood the Japanese word for scissors. "Why would he use that as an insult toward Tsuna?", she wondered. She was then snapped back to reality when she noticed the other two arguing.
"Aw, you came to help your little toy.", Yurikan said sarcastically. "Don't say that! She's my friend!", Tsuna retorted. "Yeah, right. Everyone in this school knows what you're really like, whore!", he said. "Quit treating people like trash, you loser.", Tsuna said angrily.
That statement caused Yurikan to get even more furious. He then snatched one of the bento boxes from Tsuna. "Got this for your fucking "friend", huh?", he said while holding it in his hands. He then opened it, and splashed its contents onto Socorro's face. "The dark alien really doesn't appreciate it in the end, look at her.", he said, referring to Socorro's shocked face. He started laughing, causing Tsuna to retaliate. "Why you! I'm gonna make you regret doing that to my friend!", she yelled while raising her fists in an offensive position. "I'd like to see you try, bitch!", he said. Tsuna was ready to punch him in the face.
Socorro then suddenly grabbed her arm while shaking her head from side to side. "Do not.", Socorro said firmly in Japanese. "Why?", Tsuna answered back questionably. "The rat is actually right for once.", Yurikan said triumphantly, "Fighting won't do you any good. I'm much stronger than you think." Tsuna then responded with: "Then I'll tell the principal and have you expelled." "You think that will do you any good? Principal Goto doesn't care. He, like all other principals, doesn't fucking care about the students, especially foreign ones. He and others only care about the school's reputation. He doesn't want his new school's precious reputation to be ruined by expelling me, exposing all the horrible shit that happens here. He'll do anything to make the school look good, even keeping troublemakers like me around. That's why I can never be expelled, or hell, even be in trouble severely. I always skip class and discipline shitty people with this idea, even with crappy grades on top of it all!", Yurikan ranted. Tsuna just stood there, horrified, like everyone else in the cafeteria. "That is why it is my duty to punish filth like her!", he said, pointing to Socorro, "To protect this culture and my school from ruin! I can do this because I am the fucking greatest!" Tsuna tightened her fists and shook in anger, Socorro still holding onto her arm.
"Looks like I've done enough disciplining for today.", Yurikan finished, "I'll leave you two sacks of shit for now, but I will come back soon. In the meantime, tell your bitch to stop speaking her awful Vietnamese!" As he walked away, Tsuna said: "She speaks Portuguese!" "Whatever, Scissors. Same thing. All foreign people sound the fucking same!", Yurikan said before he disappeared. "No they don't. You're an idiot and I hope ya learn that!", Tsuna retorted back, but he was already out of sight from the cafeteria.
Things were quiet for a few more seconds after that, but everyone else in the cafeteria resumed what they were doing as if nothing ever happened. "He's right, though. The principal doesn't care. People like Yurikan can get away with things because of the school's reputation.", Tsuna looked down, "...I know from experience. Yurikan loves bullying people for power, he's been doin' that to me for a year. He's the biggest bully I've ever seen, always shaming my..." She stopped when she realized her words were falling on deaf ears. "Sorry, Motty.", she said, laughing it off and using Portuguese again. Socorro let go of her arm and asked in Japanese: "...You okay?" Tsuna nodded, giggled, and said, "I be ask you that!", in imperfect Portuguese once again. Socorro smiled as they both cleaned up the mess Yurikan made.
When the mess was almost finished being cleaned up, Socorro decided to ask Tsuna something that confused her. They both got out their books and tried communicating in Japanese together. "Yurikan... you... Scissors?", Socorro managed to say. "Don't worry, it's just an ole derogatory insult. Nothing more.", Tsuna said. Socorro spent five minutes translating the sentence, but she was smart and was getting better at it. "...Why derogatory?", Socorro asked. Tsuna seemed to hesitate for a while before saying: "Nothin' in particular." She seemed to say it half-heartedly, like she was hiding something. Socorro stopped after that, not wanting to bother her.
They finished cleaning up the mess, with still enough time for lunch. Tsuna bought Socorro another meal after the previous one was ruined. Before they started eating, Tsuna told Socorro something: "After school... hang out. Me show you place.", in broken Portuguese. "Okay...", Socorro replied with, feeling excited internally that she gets to see Tsuna more.
They then spent the rest of the lunch period eating. Tsuna showed Socorro how to properly eat the food. She would have her use the chopsticks slowly, readjusting them in her hands if they failed. "She is so supportive.", Socorro thought to herself. She was happy to have a friend help her with adjusting to her new life, making her feel better about that event that happened just before. They did this until lunch period ended and went back to class.
…
After class and cleaning time, Socorro met up with Tsuna by the front gate as promised. Tsuna then proceeded to guide her to some place without telling her where. "Where?", Socorro asked in Japanese as she walked behind Tsuna away from the school. "You see.", Tsuna said in Portuguese.
Tsuna eventually reached her destination after 30 minutes of walking from the school: the woods on the outskirts around Sakin-ku. Socorro looked in awe at the massive forest that stood in front of her off the side of the road. "C'mon, let's go.", Tsuna said cheerfully and walked into the woods. Socorro nodded and followed after.
Then, they both took a stroll into the forest, with Tsuna leading the way. The forest was stunning that day: Tall trees with green leaves, blue skies, cool temperature, birds chirping, fresh soil, and warm sunlight shining from above. "It is so gorgeous and relaxing!", Socorro thought, "I didn't know all the forests around here were this nice." Tsuna then started talking a bit: "I've always loved nature ever since I was little. I would always explore outside growing up. I've explored these particular woods around here a lot over the past few years, ever since I moved here." She stopped for a second before saying, "Oh, I'm sorry!", in Portuguese after realizing she rambled in her native language again. "Alright.", Socorro replied in Japanese.
"But anyway, Motty.", Tsuna continued in rough Portuguese, "Brought... you... here..." She then paused for a second to look at the book to finish forming her sentence; "...to make promise.", she finished. "What about?", Socorro asked curiously. Tsuna read the book for a couple of minutes before giving her answer: "I promise to... help you live... and I learn... Portuguese too."
Socorro was taken aback, she never expected Tsuna to want to help her so much. Socorro blushed and said, "Thank you, Tsuna!", in perfect Japanese. Tsuna then smiled and said, "Good!" Socorro pulled out her book copy and took the time to say: "I... also promise. I... learn Japanese... in exchange." "Sounds like a plan!", Tsuna said in response. Socorro understood the plan by looking at the sunlight coming through the treetops beaming off Tsuna's wide smile.
After that exchange, they both explored around the forest for another hour, enjoying themselves. They both then left the woods and split up, with Tsuna walking to her nearby home and Socorro taking a twenty minute bus ride back to the street her apartment is on. The sun was setting around that time.
Socorro went straight to her room when she got home, socially worn out from the day. She decided to get started on her homework immediately, since she was a student serious about her studies. She took the work out of her book bag and started to work at the old table in her room.
As this was her first time having homework here, she didn't know exactly what to do, since everything was in Japanese. After brainstorming for a moment, she decided to pull out the book Tsuna gave her and use it to slowly decipher what the homework says and transcribe the work back into Japanese text. It was painstaking and frustrating, taking hours to figure out what to do. She eventually figured out the homework was for composition class, needing her to write sentences out correctly in Japanese. The book she was using helped greatly with the work, since it had composition elements in it. She finally finished writing all the Japanese text after another hour; even though she messed up the characters a few times due to the complex structure being completely different from what she was used to.
With her homework finished, Socorro relaxed a little. "I cannot believe they did not translate any of this stuff for me. School will be extra challenging this year.", she thought to herself. Remembering Tsuna's promise, she decided to practice some Japanese writing and pronunciation before going to bed. And she did it for much longer than expected, for two and a half hours. She got into it and found it enticing. She was so busy learning, that she didn't even take off her uniform until it was time for her to go to sleep.
By the time she was in bed trying to sleep, Socorro got much better at pronouncing most syllables and forming basic sentence structures. She even got better at writing some of the kanji characters. "I am starting to get the hang of this. If I keep this up, I can probably learn full Japanese in less than a year. It would be perfect!", she thought excitedly. "Mother and Father would be proud...", she said to herself sentimentally. She then shook it off and went to bed. The thought of keeping a promise to a friend helping her sleep.
…
Socorro woke up and got ready quicker the next day. She hurriedly went off to school, due to being excited about her new blossoming friendship. When she got near the front gate however, she saw something odd.
She noticed a few students talking to Tsuna by the gate. They appeared to be talking about something serious, judging from the serious-looking expression on Tsuna's normally cheery face. Socorro stopped walking after noticing this. She then listened in from afar, observing what was occurring.
"Why do you guys like to talk to me like this?", Tsuna asked sternly. "Us students are just trying to reason with you, Scissors.", one boy said in response. "About what? And don't call me that.", Tsuna said. "Whatever. We know what you're trying to do.", he continued. "Yeah!", a girl replied, "Everyone knows you're attempting to get a higher rank on your kendo team with the upcoming tournament by being all friendly with people. And now you are preying on the foreign transfer kid to do this. You're sick, you tramp!"
Tsuna's mouth gaped open. "What!? I'd never...!", she said in a shocked, sad voice. "Yes, you would. Why, though? She's not even cute...", another boy retorted. This made Tsuna even more upset: "That's mean! I think she looks fine.", she said back. "Oh, so that's it! I knew you liked girls, but it looks like you have no boundaries.", he said. "Why would it matter if I like girls?", Tsuna asked confidently. "Because that's not how it's supposed to work.", the other boy answered. "There's no right way at all! People can like whoever they choose.", Tsuna said.
"Besides...", she put her hand over her heart, "Mota-chan is my friend, nothin' more. I'm her friend so I can help her live here. I don't like seeing other people suffer due to small differences. I also help her 'cuz no one else will befriend her, especially people like you.", she said with pride and earnestness. "Huh, looks like Scissors won't listen to us. Come on, everyone; let's leave this creep!", the girl student said to her friends. They all then silently left, leaving Tsuna disappointed.
Socorro didn't understand what the conversation was about. The group of students were a fair distance from her and she didn't know enough Japanese speaking skills to discern anything, only small fragments. "I wonder what made Tsuna so upset...", she thought.
After a couple of seconds, Tsuna noticed Socorro standing on the other side of the street. She waved at her and said, "Good mornin', Motty!", in her native Japanese voice, her smile returning. Socorro waved back silently and stepped over to where Tsuna was. "...You okay? What occurred?", Socorro asked in a concerned voice as she reached Tsuna. "Wow! Better!", Tsuna said while giving a thumbs up, commenting on Socorro's better Japanese. "Ah, nothin'...", Tsuna said, finally answering the question. She hesitated after answering, as if she wanted to say more. The answer also seemed fake, she even forgot to manage her native tongue so Socorro could understand it. Not satisfied with the answer, Socorro asked a question she could get a more clear answer out of: "Who?", she said while pointing to the group of students Tsuna talked to in the distance. She hesitated for a second nervously before just shrugging her shoulders in response, with a dishonest look in her eyes. Socorro was still not satisfied; she wanted to ask more questions, but she decided to drop it then. She didn't want to get into something that bothered Tsuna this much, it was Socorro's nature to not bother others if they didn't want to talk. She then nodded in response and they both started heading inside of the school. All the while, Socorro thought: "What is going on here? Why won't she tell me?"
Tsuna pulled out her book after they both got inside and finished changing their shoes. "Lunch... we meet again.", she said after a minute. "Yes.", Socorro said in response. They both then said goodbye to each other and headed off to class.
…
Socorro finished class for lunch break and went to the cafeteria. Once again like before, Tsuna was waiting by the door for her. They met up and then went inside together, both getting food. Tsuna was once again teaching Socorro how to eat the food like before. Socorro and her were both on the lookout for Yurikan, fearing him after the horrible incident from yesterday.
All was well, until three boys approached the table they were sitting at. The three male students were second years all in Tsuna's classroom, 2-B. One of the students said, "Hi Sakurai, how are you doing?", when he and his friends reached the table. "Good! So what do ya need?", Tsuna replied in a very friendly tone. "Glad you asked.", he continued. "I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine.", he then gestured his hands at the person to his right, "He's handsome, isn't he? He wants to go out with you!"
"Hi!❤", a good-looking boy said in a slightly loud, seductive, and creepy manner. "Wanna be my girlfriend?", he asked in the same strange and unsettling voice from before. Tsuna was silent for a moment, looking down and fiddling with her chopsticks nervously, unsure of what to say. After a second, she said, "Thank you for thinking about me, but...", her voice trailed off. "...I'm into girls. No offense to you, though. You seem nice, but I'm just not attracted to boys. I apologize.", she stammered out, looking away from them. She was also really red, clearly embarrassed by what she just had to say.
"Don't be embarrassed! That's not true. You're just intimidated by my good looks.❤", the handsome boy said arrogantly. "I'm not lying.", Tsuna remarked. "Not true. It's just a phase, you'll find a guy you love soon enough!", the handsome guy said, somehow sounding even more creepy and arrogant than before. This caused Tsuna to get annoyed. "It's not a phase! It's just how I feel, I can't change it...", she declared. "But you don't look like you are into girls.", the third boy said. "What does that even mean?", Tsuna asked confusedly. "You know. You're actually beautiful and don't look like a man.", the third boy said. Tsuna made a face that showed offense, saying: "That's very rude and prejudiced! And also not true!" The third boy rolled his eyes, shrugged, and said: "Whatever. You don't know anything." Tsuna sighed and said: "Look, I may not be into males, but you guys seem like nice folks.", with some doubt in her eyes. "I'll be your friend. We can still talk, and I don't want this to get worse. I'll just stay a lesbian, okay?", she said, trying to sound nice and friendly.
"Okay, we get it. You are interested in women only.", the first boy said, speaking again. "Let us make a compromise, then.", he continued. "I assume that's your lover, then?", the handsome student said while pointing at Socorro, "Wow! You ensnared the foreign girl! You're ruthless, Sakurai-chan!" This caused Tsuna to get frustrated. "She's not my girlfriend! She is my friend and we're not going out together.", she said with seriousness. "You and your lover seem nice together.", he said, ignoring Tsuna's previous statement. "That's why I wanted to ask you if you two would please come to my place after school and have a threesome with me. That way, you two would keep your relationship intact and I would get satisfied myself, it's a win-win! Do we have a deal?❤", the handsome boy said in the most immature and creepy way possible.
The offer made Tsuna very angry. She dropped her friendly tone, stood up, and unleashed her fury: "No! That's not how it works! What is wrong with you, you creep!? I tried to be patient, understanding, and nice to all of you! I even tried to be friends with all of you, but you're just using me for your own disgusting sexual desires! I have no interest and I can like whoever! It's my own life, with my own choices. Why should it matter? It has nothing to do with you, and I never did anything to provoke you into bullyin' me. Also, leave Motty out of this, she's fine on her own. At least I didn't assume anything about any of you like you did to me..." Tsuna sat back down, "Now screw off, guys. Leave and stop sexually harassing me, good day.", she finished. "Shame. Such a waste, a hot girl like you falling in love with another person of the same sex...", the handsome second year said as he turned and walked away. "Looks like the rumors are true. You are a cruel lesbo who uses girls to her advantage. You'll never find a girl that loves you back, it's a sin. It's wrong to be in love with the same gender, it's never truly real...", the third second year said, annoyed. "See you in class, Scissors...", the first second year commented while leaving. They all then turned and left the cafeteria, finally leaving the table alone. Tsuna then tried to go back to eating, doing so slowly and looking very sad while at it.
Socorro sat in complete disbelief and confusion. She was so surprised to see Tsuna get angry like that, she never usually does. She still couldn't figure out what the argument was about, only managing to infer the part where the handsome boy asked Tsuna out. Questions swarmed Socorro's head: "Why did that student ask her out so suddenly? Why did he point at me? What did he say that caused Tsuna to go off on him? Why is Tsuna looking a little sad right now? What should I ask, or even say?" Socorro felt disappointed at herself for not knowing enough Japanese conversation skills, "If only I could understand more. I must help her, somehow...", she thought.
"Tsuna?", Socorro asked. "Yes?", Tsuna said with her best Portuguese as of yet. "What happened? Why sad?", Socorro answered with the best Japanese she could muster. Tsuna forced a smile back on her face, despite having a tough time doing it. "...Nothin'... I fine now.", she spoke in her Portuguese reply. "Are you sure?", Socorro pursued further, switching back to Portuguese to show her concern. "Yes!", Tsuna said while finally smiling legitimately again. Socorro smiled back and they both went back to trying to learn how to eat the food. "I hope so...", Socorro thought internally while this was happening. Lunch period ended shortly after and Tsuna said, "See ya later!", as they both went back to class. The incident out of Socorro's mind, she looked forward to after school time.
…
Once class and cleaning time was over, Tsuna asked Socorro a big favor: "You watch me at... sports practice?", Tsuna managed to eventually say. "O-Okay.", Socorro said despite feeling nervous about going to a crowded sports event, doing it for her friend's sake. "C'mon then!", Tsuna exclaimed while beckoning Socorro, seeming very excited. Socorro followed after her, curious on what sport she played and where the practice was being held.
Tsuna led Socorro to the gym building in the back of the school property. Once they entered inside, Socorro saw what sport Tsuna played. It was a kendo team of about twenty members, both males and females of various ranks. Tsuna stopped after Socorro took a good look around the gym. She held her hand out forward and said, "Kendo team.", in slightly mispronounced Portuguese. Socorro thought for a moment before pulling out her book and asking: "What's kendo?" Tsuna said in Japanese: "Kind of like sparring with katanas." Socorro deciphered what she said after a few minutes using the book, improving her listening translation skills. "Better!", Tsuna said in decent Portuguese, "...Now watch practice." Tsuna then went off to the locker rooms to change into her kendo gear with a few other girls, Socorro stood on the edge of the gym to wait for the practice to start.
Everyone on the team came out of the locker rooms in their full gear after about ten minutes. They all walked to the center of the gym and stood in two lines facing parallel to each other. The sparring matches then occurred between each pair facing each other, Socorro stood watching from the sides intently. She couldn't tell which member was Tsuna due to the heavy armor they were wearing, especially the helmets concealing everyone's faces. She was eventually able to spot Tsuna by recognizing her voice when she grunted and talked while sparring with her partner. Socorro kept her eyes on Tsuna so she wouldn't lose track of her; she felt a little awkward being the only visitor in the building, but she kept watching to see Tsuna's skills.
Tsuna was sparring against a boy fiercely, she was winning by a long shot. She thrusted and swung her bamboo stick in a swift manner, getting multiple points by hitting the weak spots on the opponent. She quickly won the round with seemingly not much trouble. She was then paired with someone else, an older girl, and did the same as before. She won without even getting hit by her. Socorro was surprised at how loud the sport was, with the loud clacks of the bamboo sticks bashing together and the shouts of the members as they were sparring. She found it entertaining to watch and was surprised at how she never heard of this sport before.
The practice went on for another hour before it ended. Tsuna fought against most of the other members, she won with little trouble from most of them. She even won against boys who were much bigger than her, and some girls too, with her great strength blocking some of the hard-hitting blows from the bigger guys and her speed at hitting the opponent's weak spots of the slower/less agile people. Socorro was amazed at Tsuna's skills at this sport, "Woah. She is really talented at this! She is so strong and athletic, much more than she appears to be. I guess Father was right; you can't judge people by their looks.", Socorro thought to herself, smiling nostalgically at her father's words. "Tsuna looks like she is not even fazed by the previous matches, that's so impressive! I wonder how long she has been practicing this: what will happen now?", she thought as Tsuna began her final sparring match of the practice.
The last opponent Tsuna faced was one of the best on the team, a younger girl who was bigger and almost as athletic as Tsuna. They both then started sparring intensely. The fight was long and extremely close, both hit each other a few times and were keeping up with each other's attacks often. Eventually, Tsuna barely won by grazing the helmet of the other girl swiftly. The spar then ended, along with everyone else's. Socorro clapped silently and had the biggest smile on her face since before her father's imprisonment in reaction to this. "Good for her!", she thought, thankful that on one noticed her. She never expected Tsuna to do it: defeat the last opponent, and win all the spar matches.
After the last few matches ended, practice came to a close. Tsuna and then everyone else on the team removed their helmets to breathe and cool down. Socorro now finally got a good look at Tsuna's face once again: she was slightly sweaty and exhausted from the last spar, as well as lacking her headband, but she looked very proud and confident with herself based on her expression. She looked at Socorro and smiled at her, Socorro nodded in response. Tsuna then went over to some of the other teammates to talk with them. She approached some of the male members and told them, "Nice sparrin'! You guys are good." They thanked her in response, clearly respecting her efforts to be a good sport about the practice.
She then spotted the last opponent she sparred with; she went over to her to talk with her. "You put up a good fight like usual. You're really good! I had fun challenging you. I know you'll do good in the upcoming tournament. So...", Tsuna said while holding out her hand to shake the other girl's', "Thank you for tryin' your hardest!"
The other girl looked away from Tsuna, not saying anything to her. "You OK?", Tsuna asked. The girl still ignored her. "Sorry, I'm not trying to sound like I'm braggin' for winning.", Tsuna said respectfully. "Here, lemme do it for you.", Tsuna said with a friendly smile as she respectfully shook the girl's hand. This caused the girl to suddenly jerk back her arm and say loudly: "Don't you dare touch me, you slut!" Tsuna gave a confused look and said, "What's wrong? Why are you upset?" The girl angrily said, "You know why! Stop hitting on me, you weirdo!" "Wha...?", Tsuna said in surprise, "Just because I'm into girls doesn't mean I'm some pervert who falls in love with every girl I see." The girl then deflected her statement by saying: "Yes, it does! All you lesbians are the same."
"Yeah, she's right.", one of the girl's friends on the team said. "Everyone knows the rumors about you sleeping with every girl you can seduce to get a better chance at winning the kendo tournament.", she said boldly. This made Tsuna get floored by shock, "...I... h-have never done such an act before...!", she managed to get out in between her shock statuses. "I have gotten this skilled at kendo due to years of practice, it has nothing to do with my sexuality! Don't bring it up where it doesn't matter.", she finished.
"Yes it does. You like to fuck with people to cheat, you sicko!", the strong sparring girl said. "Why? Why are you doing this to me now of all times?", Tsuna said, sounding reasonably upset. "Because you don't deserve to win the tournament, it's not fair!", the girl continued. "We are now all going to shun you for your sick taste in love life. Find a real man, Scissors!", the other girl lastly declared.
"...Why do you people only focus on my love tastes!? There's more to me than that! My personality, my hobbies, and my appearance. People aren't just composed of sexuality, ya know! I'm Tsuna Sakurai... I am a person just like you... what makes me so different? Sexuality doesn't matter, people are different. It's no excuse to hate anyone... I have multiple defining traits, not just my interest in women!... Why don't you understand that...?", Tsuna said, all with a face that looked like she wanted to cry... She felt very sad about this. All the girls just looked away, and that's how they responded, (or lack thereof). None of them even tried to think about what Tsuna's meaningful words meant, all just shunning her like they said they would, using their sex to unfairly gang up on her. The boys weren't much better, they seemed to not have noticed at all about what occurred, or they're sinfully ignoring the problem as well. The coach likely didn't care either. Everyone then went back into the locker rooms to change out of their equipment. Tsuna did so as well, but now dreadfully, knowing that new rumors would probably spread about her; such as her looking at girls perversely while they are changing in the locker room or about her enjoying looking up girls' skirts. She dreads these thoughts of new rumors due to this fresh argument and the nearing kendo tournament.
Socorro was now more confused than ever. She was frankly very worried about Tsuna at this point. "Why did she rant like that? What were those teammates saying? I wish I could have listened more... Was Tsuna... getting bullied? It looked like it.", she noted in a concerned way, "But why? She is so friendly and nice toward everybody..." Socorro was desperate to help Tsuna in some capacity; she wanted to ask Tsuna so she could tell her what was wrong.
Tsuna then came out of the locker room a little after everyone else, she was changed back into her school uniform. Socorro approached her after noticing her glossy-eyed look. "Hey... you okay?", Socorro said to her in Japanese while putting her hand on her shoulder. Tsuna seemed to be swiftly snapped back to reality by this, not expecting Socorro to touch her. "Yeah... It's fine now.", she said, clearly not truly meaning it. "Please... tell me.", Socorro asked in a kind voice. Tsuna slowly pulled out her book and said, "Me... no talk about it now. Not want you... involved.", she said after a minute, switching to Portuguese. Socorro sighed and then left it be. "Maybe she will tell me later. I will give her some time to calm herself. I should be a good friend and respect her needs for now.", she thought after Tsuna gave her reason. "Okay.", Socorro replied, taking her hand off of her shoulder. "Thank you, Motty...", Tsuna said gratefully, continuing in Portuguese. They then stood silently for a couple of moments, unsure of what to do next.
"Hey.", Tsuna said. Socorro looked up, curious. "We... go... shop at... vintage store. Nice stuff. Will... help me... feel better.", Tsuna finally said after a few minutes of looking at the book. "That sounds... uplifting.", Socorro said in reply, mainly doing it for Tsuna's sake. Tsuna then translated Socorro's response with her book and said: "Okay! Let's go.", with a small smile back on her face. She beckoned Socorro and they both exited the gym. They then proceeded to leave the school and walk toward the shopping district of town.
Neither of them really said anything to each other, not knowing how to disperse the tense and awkward atmosphere. All Socorro could think about was why Tsuna was so upset and why she was getting bullied lately. "Why would they do that? She is so modest and friendly. And more importantly, why won't she say anything? I do not want her to get bullied...", Socorro thought, but already knew why Tsuna wasn't speaking now. It was written on her face, Tsuna looked sad and slightly depressed as she headed to their destination. Socorro then decided to try to focus on where she and Tsuna were going, to a shop to make them both cheer up.
Eventually, Tsuna stopped in front of a somewhat large-looking store. "Here we are.", she said. The two story storefront had a sign bearing the name, "Antique Plaza", above the lower window near the entrance. The store was also not too far from where Socorro went shopping for her living supplies just a few days before. "Wow.", Socorro said in reply, though not sure what the sign said. Tsuna then walked inside the store, Socorro following behind.
The interior of Antique Plaza had a very old-fashioned feel to it, with creaky wooden floors and worn-out wallpaper. The smell was also musty. Socorro was very intrigued at this point, now just realizing it was an antique store. "This place looks nifty. I love old, vintage stuff.", she thought joyfully. "Cool, huh?", Tsuna said in passable Portuguese, "I like... shop!" Socorro nodded and then they both decided to split up so they could look around a bit.
The store had all kinds of old stuff, just about everything from furniture to outdated knick knacks to old tools. They even had a weapon section with items like real swords and axes. "I wonder if this is legal...", Socorro noted internally.
Socorro and Tsuna both met up again after twenty minutes of browsing the store. Tsuna told Socorro that she wanted to leave since she had been to the store before. Socorro understood the reasoning and they both left the shop after that, with Tsuna seeming like she was in a frantic hurry. Socorro wondered why that was; she deduced that it may have to do with the fact that Tsuna still seemed upset and not talkative like she normally was.
Once Tsuna and Socorro exited the Antique Plaza and got back outside, Tsuna asked: "...Motty...?" Her voice sounded sad and slightly pitiful. Socorro quickly replied with a, "Yes?" "Um... Can I accompany you to your home? I want to see where you live...", Tsuna asked nervously, forgetting to switch languages entirely. Socorro whipped out the book and had Tsuna repeat her question another time so she could understand what she was asking. Socorro responded with, "Okay... sure, Tsuna.", once a couple of moments passed with her reading and translating. "Thank you.", Tsuna said politely. She gestured her hand forward and said, "Lead the way." Socorro then did as she was told, they were now both heading towards her home. As she traversed across the town to her apartment building, Socorro worried about why Tsuna asked for such an unusual request with such a sad demeanor.
...
When they reached Socorro's apartment, Tsuna got wide-eyed and interested in what she saw. "I didn't know you lived in an apartment complex.", she said curiously. Socorro then led her inside the building, barely understanding what Tsuna just said.
Tsuna followed Socorro past the lobby and into the hallway. Tsuna looked all around her as she followed behind, "Wow. This place is big...", she said quietly to herself. They eventually reached the third floor and Socorro showed Tsuna what room she lived in. She then unlocked the door and stepped inside, Tsuna trailing behind. After shutting the door behind her, Tsuna walked around the room to see what was there; Socorro didn't say anything, unsure of what exactly she should do with Tsuna in her current mood. She looked around for a few minutes, checking out the table, the dresser, the bed, the window, and even the bathroom.
"It's nice to have a neat room like this. It must be kinda lonely, though.", Tsuna said after she finished her self-tour of the room. Socorro noticed once again that Tsuna forgot to switch to Portuguese, so she couldn't understand her. "What is going on here?", Socorro thought worriedly. Tsuna then picked up on her confused stare and said, "Sorry. Habits.", while smiling nervously.
She then pulled out her book and began to explain herself. "Motty, I... have something to tell you...", she began in slow, broken, and nervous-sounding Portuguese. "I come... here... to confess... secret... to you...", she continued, now starting to sound even more nervous. Socorro stood in front of her, nervous as well, anxious about what Tsuna was going to tell her. "You see...", she then paused for a long moment. "...I... I-I'm...", she stuttered, "I'm... I am...!" Tsuna was shaking nervously now, "I'm a...!", she couldn't bear to say the rest out loud. She flipped to a certain page in the book and held it in front of Socorro's face; holding it with one hand, she used her quivering other hand to point to the Brazilian Portuguese word for "lesbian".
Socorro then made a slightly-surprised face after she processed Tsuna's statement. Seeing this, Tsuna took back the book and kept speaking: "Y-Yes... I am... attracted to... girls." She looked more nervous than ever now, with her barely being able to speak. "...I'm sorry. I should've tell... you sooner.", she stammered out, "...It wrong of me... to keep secret... from you. I just... didn't want you... mad at me..." She then put the book down and stared at her feet, "...Forgive me, don't... hate me... for... life choices...!", she finished.
They both stood in silence together for a moment, with Socorro looking at Tsuna's body language; she was a nervous wreck. Socorro was unsure of what to say to her, but she wanted to make her feel better and more comfortable. This was the first time someone ever came out to her, so she decided to comfort Tsuna through action and not words. She then walked over toward Tsuna and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Oh...!", Tsuna gasped in surprise, she did not expect Socorro to wrap her arms around her torso like that. She then blushed a little, feeling relieved and relaxed by Socorro's affection. Tsuna wanted to repay Socorro's action, but before she could hug her back, Socorro made a sudden realization and quickly let go of Tsuna. "I-I apologize... That was rude of me. This is how I'm used to comforting someone, back where I come from...", Socorro said nervously in her native language. Hugging someone is considered weird in Japanese society, whereas it is very common in Brazil. This made her feel anxious and worried about upsetting Tsuna through her previous action. "No, it's fine. Thank you... It felt good...", Tsuna said while still blushing, understanding the general idea of Socorro's reaction.
Tsuna then took the book out again after their mutual understanding of each other's viewpoints and said: "So... don't hate me... being lesbian?" Socorro shook her head and said, "No. I do not mind.", she said with an understanding smile in smooth Japanese. Tsuna smiled joyfully and continued: "Also... I not... in love... with you... just because you girl, too." "I know.", Socorro said in firm Japanese once again. Tsuna put away the book and said, "...You mean it...?", in her native language. Socorro then took out her copy of the book, flipped through the pages, and prepared her long reply mentally. She put her right hand on Tsuna's shoulder while holding the book in the other. "Of course... I would never... dislike... or judge anybody... because of sexual orientation.", she said slowly over a couple of minutes.
This caused Tsuna's nervous face to light up in happiness. "...T-Thank you, Motty!", she squealed in delight. "You are... very welcome...", Socorro replied while blushing, still keeping up with the vocalizations in her book.
Socorro then took her hand off Tsuna's shoulder. "...You are the first person who ever took my sexuality seriously...", Tsuna said while tearing up with a bittersweet smile on her face. "Everyone else I told either laughed, didn't take it seriously, or stayed away from me afterwards...", she said in a sad tone. Tsuna's slow tone of voice allowed Socorro to translate with the book at a decent pace. "I always felt this way ever since I was a little girl.", she continued, "I was afraid to tell anyone about it for a long time. Until 'bout a year and a half ago, where I decided to tell my parents how I felt." She then took a deep breath before continuing. "...They were shocked at first, but they didn't believe me when I tried to explain better. They thought I was confused and in denial...", she sighed, "...Even to this day they still just think I'm in a phase or that I "haven't met the right man yet", whatever that means. I love 'em and all, but it's hard to talk to them about it when they don't believe these feelings even exist..." Socorro kept following along, feeling increasingly sorry for her.
Tsuna kept going: "I wanted for them to keep it a secret, but nearly everyone at school found out within a couple of months. I think one of my parents may have accidentally told one of their friends and it spread to their kid, and it spread to the kid's friends, and so on..." She then looked at Socorro and said, "Listen here, Motty.", in a dead serious tone. Socorro looked at her and said, "Yes?" "I have been bullied constantly for over a year once everyone at school found out. Many people have spread absolutely horrible rumors about me since then, including Yurikan...", she continued, "I just wanna tell you that none of 'em are true. They were made up by terrible people who hate me just because of my different tastes; they are people who bully others, people who are creepy perverts, and people who are ignorant/afraid of what they don't understand. The people who talked to me earlier today are examples of such." Tsuna then asked Socorro: "Do you understand?" Socorro replied back with, "I... got... basic meaning.", in broken Japanese. "Great! Now you know my message is that it's hard for me to talk about my tastes to other people, due to past experiences...", Tsuna paused, "That's why... I thank you for understanding and respecting me and my lifestyle...!", she finished.
Tsuna was silent for a moment after she finished speaking. She then took her book back out once again and said, "Sorry. Thanks for... listening...!", after a minute. Socorro smiled widely and nodded in response.
"Hey...", Tsuna said, "Now that I know I can rely on you now..." She then stuck out her hand and said, "You wanna become best friends with me?", with a bright and warm expression. Socorro translated her offer and blushed once again. "I would really... like to...", she said in excited, yet shaky Japanese. They both shook hands and smiled, now becoming best friends. Tsuna then used the book and said, "Now we... good friends. Promise you... stick with... me... now..." Socorro nodded and said, "I promise!", back in the same language.
Once they finished their promise exchange, Tsuna looked out the window and saw that the sun was setting. "Oh, shoot! I better get home. My parents are gonna worry about me!", she shouted with worry in her voice. She used her book one last time before leaving to say: "I go... now. See you... at school!" Socorro quickly replied with, "You too.", internally kind of disappointed that Tsuna was leaving so soon after such a heartfelt and meaningful conversation. They then waved each other goodbye and Tsuna opened and shut the door behind her, leaving Socorro alone in the room, like she usually is.
She stood motionless for a few seconds before snapping out of her daze. "Okay, I better get ready for tomorrow. I have to make Tsuna happy...", she said to herself. She then proceeded to get ready for bed and did her usual daily routine. She also practiced reading, writing, and vocalizing the Japanese language with her homework and dictionary like the night before.
She then got into bed to rest. As she drifted off, pleasant thoughts now filled her mind: "I have a best friend now, I never have before. I am also glad she's not afraid of or repulsed by her queer side; Father would be so proud of me right now if he knew that I made best friends with someone, regardless of their differences. He was the one that taught me about homosexuality and how not to fear it or hate anyone because of it. I'm glad he taught me those lessons..." For once, Socorro was actually looking forward to school the next day, despite the anxiety and bullying she has faced. "It feels great for Tsuna to rely on me, I'll make her proud!", she decided. The last thought Socorro had before she fell fully asleep was: "Maybe living here is not so bad, in the end..."