Chapter 17 : not a man nor honest
There are certain things that a person shouldn't keep to themselves, don't you think? It isn't right. Why should he know these secret things about other people without their permission? And if they don't know it themselves? Don't they have the right to know? Regardless of whether or not it's some other family's personal business, Tsunayoshi stands with his hands clenched around the bottom of his shirt and-
Somehow the words keep failing to come out of his mouth. Nana keeps smiling at him, and he wants her to be happy. He remembers her face after That thing he did, and he remembers Iemitsu's hand on his head and thinking: isn't it obvious this isn't something to be praised? He remembers the way Kyoko saw him for the first time, and then put her own body between him and Ryohei. And treating him like something unstable and unpredictable that shouldn't be unwarily provoked.
That she's begun to look kindly at him now.
Somehow, he's too scared, and he can't force the words to come out of his mouth. Ahh. What should he do? It's no good, after all. Bad enough that they should come to know him, bad enough that Nana already doesn't have a choice, if they become associated with scum like him-
But holding it back is too much like That Man, and so Tsunayoshi keeps trying, for years and years and years. Tsunayoshi opens his mouth and will be on the verge of ruining everything-
(Is he really the one doing that though? Someone else committed those sins, and more than anything, he begins to understand 'Sawada' said with a curling lip. No matter how often Naoko says 'dear boss,' and smiles warmly, Tsunayoshi can't accept it.
Well. Hasn't it been proven that there's just no accounting for tastes?)
-0-
But in the present time, regardless of the weight that has been placed on him by the expectations of others, Tsunayoshi still has the matter of Tomaso Nerina to deal with. The weight of his grudge regarding what happened the day of the Sports Festival is a surprisingly light thing - or no. Maybe it isn't a weight, but it twines tightly through his body, around his throat and lungs and heart; a vine with thorns, or a wire with barbs, or a string threaded through countless steel needles. It's quiet, and unobtrusive, and it digs into the soft, unguarded parts of Tsunayoshi and makes him bleed. Even if he'd never made a deal with Kyoko about it, Tsunayoshi thinks that he would easily take up the cause with his own hands and of his own accord at this rate.
Ah, no. With the additional weight that Naoko put there, the matter is all the more urgent, really. Those hot, smoldering embers in his chest remind him: we do not tolerate harm befalling the family. If that family has become so much larger than Tsunayoshi has ever imagined it could, then that only means that he burns all the brighter for it.
If he's already such scum that can so easily consider a human life forfeit, then dismantling the power structure that someone depends on is a comparatively harmless thing. Fooling himself by saying that 'at least they're still alive' isn't something Tsunayoshi can fall for, and leaving enemies behind him which will surely resent his actions seems foolish itself, but… in this case, even scum like him can't justify more permanent actions.
Still, he should pull his own weight, regardless of what other fronts he's enabled to fight in this power struggle. Although, he's not sure how 'pulling his own weight' has come to this.
"Of course I don't have a boyfriend to bring along to this, you know that, Longchamp," Nerina says as she approaches the group standing outside the Nami roller skating rink.
"Oh! Hahaha, I guess I forgot! I hope you won't feel left out!" Naito says loudly, his arm wrapped around the girl that he'd introduced as his girlfriend, Terumi. Despite that, she seems resentful of Naito somehow, and even now is stepping heavily on his foot, muttering about how he's an idiot. Naito's foot is probably going to break, Tsunayoshi thinks, watching them; how Naito can just withstand it without flinching is a terrifying question in itself. Anyway, can't he hear her being cranky the same way Tsunayoshi can?
If so, then - maybe this is what they call a 'tsundere'? But isn't it better to delay a relationship until everyone is mentally prepared for it?!
"Um," Shoichi says, clinging to Tsunayoshi's arm, "I feel a bit sick, so-"
He's lying! Although they haven't really spent a lot of one-on-one time together, somehow Tsunayoshi has gotten a feel for when Shoichi really is stressed enough that his stomach is bothering him. He's just a bit uneasy and understandably nervous. Tsunayoshi used to be the same way until it got to the point that he'd had to put his own comfort aside for the sake of the people he's expecting to take care of. That aside, he's also never really noticed that Shoichi is actually slightly shorter than him; now that he's wearing the heels that Haru lent him, it really skews the situation.
Since Shoichi is already clinging to Tsunayoshi's arm, it's a fairly easy thing to just clasp his hand over Shoichi's to trap him there. Even if Tsunayoshi is the one wearing the skirt in this situation, it's turned out to be a bit handy.
"Hey," Mochida says in aside, "What kind of fucked up situation have you dragged me into? You really are shameless, Sawada."
Before Tsunayoshi can even respond to that, Haru turns to her 'date' with an awful kind of smile, clutching his hand so tightly that even from where he stands, Tsunayoshi can hear something crack unpleasantly. Mochida goes a bit white and begins to sweat, even as he gives Haru an evil stare.
"It's a bit strange to hear that from someone who bullies a 'dame' kid, you know," Tsunayoshi sighs. Mochida has made his own bed in this case, so he can sleep in it - or otherwise outside the house in a mud hollow, not even worthy of the dog house Tsunayoshi and Kyoya live in.
Haru had been the one to get the message from Naito inviting them all out - or, no, 'Kaoru' had, and the invitation had extended toward Yoshiko, and their boyfriends as well. Despite Naito's awkward position in the Tomaso family, Tsunayoshi hadn't felt like it was an opportunity they could afford to pass up, so they'd accepted. And well - Tsunayoshi had been worried about the way that Naito had reacted to them last time, so he'd pressured Haru to figure out a solution to resolve this 'boyfriend' mess, and in the end, they were both reluctant to get Takeshi involved, for various reasons.
Despite the fact that Mochida had become a lot more tolerable in his position of Takeshi's gofer, Haru had leapt at the chance to take charge of him and 'take her revenge that way.' Whatever his other feelings about Mochida, Tsunayoshi has some concerns about how his health will fair this day. It wouldn't be good if they return him to Kyoko in bad condition, after all.
After that, the decision for Shoichi to accompany 'Yoshiko' had ended up being fairly simple: Tsunayoshi can't really do it for himself, but he knows how becoming friends with people works for others. An outing like this will be good practice for Shoichi, regardless of Tsunayoshi and Haru's more complicated intentions. Being straight forward about his expectations for Shoichi had done the rest, since Shoichi confided that going on a 'practice date' with a male friend was much less stressful than trying it with a real girl.
Tsunayoshi isn't sure what's so terrifying about 'real' girls when Shoichi has a mom and a sister and doesn't even seem to mind Haru, but Shoichi is a bit strange. At least Shoichi doesn't seem like the sort that will think anything alarming of Tsunayoshi because of this.
And as for Tomaso Nerina, she didn't bring a boyfriend - she brought Di Tella Arturo. Well, putting it that way is like denying that Tsunayoshi is aware of that man who had been with Naito before, lurking not far from them. There seems to be some kind of strange Lolita girl with him, too, which is a bit odd itself since Tsunayoshi can tell that she keeps eyeballing Naito's weakspots.
He should probably save Naito if a fatal threat presents itself, but hopefully that adult servant - or, probably Naito's bodyguard - will take care of the situation.
"Um, this is probably a bad time to admit this, but," Shoichi says as they head inside, "I… don't know how to skate."
The idea that Shoichi feels self-conscious admitting this to Dame-Tsuna is a bit funny. Tsunayoshi laughs a bit, admitting, "Well, it's a bad idea for someone who trips over absolutely nothing to add wheels to the situation." And yet, he's been doing a ridiculous amount of training with Shioya recently, hasn't he? A part of him hopes that maybe he can at least wear skates without killing himself on accident. "Let's figure it out together, Shoichi-kun."
Shoichi doesn't look relieved or reassured in the least. "I… I don't think it'll be that easy, but okay," he says doubtfully.
Tsunayoshi is a bit saved by the fact that a few of the others seem to understand how everything works. Naito does, as the one who invited them in the first place, but Haru and Mochida especially seem aware of how to go about buying admittance and other necessary steps. They're all in line at the counter, so Tsunayoshi pulls Shoichi over so they can all rent out skates.
Unfortunately, given the situation, Tsunayoshi has to rent a girl's model, and has to go up in sizes fairly far. He can feel the attendant thinking bad things about him; even though he doesn't actually care about whether or not 'Yoshiko' has huge feet for a girl, it still bugs him a bit.
That aside… actually putting the skates on takes a lot of wind out of Tsunayoshi's sails. Almost immediate, he realizes that despite whatever training he's been doing with Shioya, it's completely different from doing something like this spontaneously. Gulping nervously, Tsunayoshi tries to stand once he's tied the skates on, but almost immediately: his feet fly out from under him. Luckily, all that means is that he drops back down onto the bench without cracking his head against anything.
Shoichi, sitting next to him and not even done tying up his laces, stares at him uncertainly. "Um," he says. Despite the sympathy on his face, he looks like he's just been completely discouraged from trying to do it himself.
Ahh. Does that mean that somehow, Tsunayoshi has managed to become someone's senpai? It feels a little like he should try harder in order to set a better example. Is that what a senpai actually does, though? He's not sure. All his senpai are various types of scum or demons.
Before Tsunayoshi can address that, Naito's admiring call from the edge of the rink draws their attention. "Wow!" he crows. "Those guys really are a pair!"
He's talking about Haru and Mochida. It seems that more than just renting out the skates, they actually know what they're doing once on wheels and with a little free space. Even the others who are making use of the rink fall back to make space for the two of them as they race around the rink at a frankly stupid speed. It's almost like they're competing against one another - or no, obviously that's exactly what they're doing! And they're doing twists and jumps, too!
It's a good thing that the other people who are using the rink seem to be fine with sitting back to watch. Those two really have very little self-awareness, and someone could really easily get hurt.
"It looks like they're working hard," Tsunayoshi says a bit awkwardly, since he doesn't really want to acknowledge that Haru and Mochida are more or less fighting with one another. He's not really sure what the point of it is, competing about their skill with skating, but although he's pretty sure that neither of them particularly specialize in anything that they're doing, given the slight awkwardness of the spins and and poses they're trying to preform, it's undeniable that they're very capable people. "Watching that… I kind of feel like I should really try hard to skate myself."
"Ah - well, some things are impossible, but… if 'Yoshiko-chan' is going to try again, so will I!" Shoichi says. He doesn't sound like he really believes what he's saying, though. His ability to go along with whatever despite his feelings is kind of amazing.
Smiling sympathetically, Tsunayoshi says, "you can stay here if you want." It'll make him feel bad if Shoichi gets dragged along in his wake, even if Shoichi's inability to be firm about things is what led to them meeting in the first place.
Shoichi doesn't even get a chance to answer, since Tsunayoshi's next attempt at standing just plants him directly onto his face. Well, it can't be helped, can it? That's probably what would be called 'overconfidence' or hubris, huh. Luckily nothing else embarrassing happens other than skinning his chin a bit, and somehow Shoichi manages to help him back to the bench.
"Maybe we should stay here for now," he offers anxiously.
"I think you were right after all," Tsunayoshi agrees a bit wryly. It's just desserts for trying to overcome his own reality, probably.
It ends up probably being the smart idea given that Tsunayoshi hadn't been the only one who had felt a bit fired up watching Haru and Mochida skate - Naito and Terumi have entered the ring, and they're - they're - … they're not very good at skating, but maybe they should get points for enthusiasm? No, only Naito really deserves that, since Terumi clearly hates every second of it, and Naito most of all. Still, they're both out there on the rink, and it's all very unpredictable… no, it seems likely that the normal people here are going to end up getting hurt.
Before Tsunayoshi can do more than consider fretting about it, he becomes aware of Nerina approaching them with Di Tella lurking just a way past her shoulder; he keeps a distance that prevents his presence from being oppressive, but he must be a professional given that this entire time, he's maintained a top level of alertness. What an amazing person.
"Excuse me," Nerina says to them, never having even attempted to rent skates in the first place. "Can I sit, too?"
Shoichi startles and flusters and stutters a bit, so it falls to Tsunayoshi to say 'sure' and make some room for her. She's a bit of a different person away from school - even when she'd been fussing at Naito, there'd been an oddly quiet and subdued atmosphere about her. She's not a particularly striking or good looking girl, with large and wary eyes. No one would mistake her for a native, either, not any more than they would Tsunayoshi, which is even more odd given the position her family enjoys.
Even when Nerina turns to the two of them and smiles, there's a strained sort of weariness to it. "I'm a bit glad," she confides. "I had no idea that Longchamp knew how to make normal friends. Or well - I guess a pair of Midori girls and a boy from Yumei is about as 'normal' as he can get."
Tsunayoshi's heart thumps suddenly. Had someone looked into their backgrounds? There's no way that 'Yoshiko' or 'Kaoru' would have held up against that, unless Haru had gone a step further and stolen the identities of some of her classmates! Ah, but, somehow he doesn't think their identities have been compromised? That's not the feeling he gets.
Still, maybe Nakamoto was onto something when he said that Tsunayoshi was too relaxed. It's easy to forget when he's dealing with Nerina, but her family is truly on another level. The steps he can take against a peer… no. The steps he has to take against an enemy should definitely be more secure and thought out. Thoughtlessly risking himself and his cohorts is something only even worse scum would do. If he doesn't want to be that kind of scum, he'll have to work harder.
"Well, we met not that long ago on a class assignment," Tsunayoshi offers, "but an outing seemed fun so we agreed."
"I see. Longchamp gets carried away at times and forgets to invite people to accessible events," she says with a sympathetic smile, glancing toward the injury on his chin. "When he told me about it, I was just glad it was something like skating, but… well, he has a strange idea about what's fun sometimes. It seems like he's had to make his own amusement all these years."
"... are you two close?" Tsunayoshi wonders. Other than living in the same house, they don't seem to interact much, or even share a last name.
But if it's a sensitive matter, Nerina doesn't seem to think so. "We're family," she says easily. "Although we call each other 'cousins,' our blood relationship is more like uncle and niece."
"Eh? Uncle and niece?" Shoichi echoes incredulously.
Nerina seems to find it a little amusing. "It seems like my grandfather was a bit of a troublemaker before he died. Ah - but Uncle Longchamp, he'll be annoyed if he finds out I'm dragging up all this old history. He's sensitive to it, despite the fact that it's not like it's a lie or anything. I don't really understand why we have to keep secrets like this."
That's a strange thing for someone who embezzles funds to say. Although it's true that being that kind of thoughtless idiot might just be a front, it seems equally likely that Nerina just doesn't see how the two subjects are related. Then again, it's not as though Tsunayoshi can really cast stones given the state of his own household and the secrets of people related to him, huh.
"I think it's about having respect for your ancestors, or something like that," Tsunayoshi ventures. "Or speaking ill of the dead, maybe? I don't really understand it myself, though. Everyone is responsible for their own actions, regardless of the circumstances, and lying about it or pretending that it never happened… even if the action itself is shameful, trying to deny it is even more shameful, isn't it?"
… ah. What is someone like him saying? Can't he unexpectedly sympathize quite a lot with the situation that Nerina is talking about? Even though that person is going under a different surname… shouldn't it match more with Tsunayoshi's? Although really, the person who is being hidden is the one who's feelings should be respected in this case. It's not anything that Tsunayoshi can decide on his own when it affects other people's standings.
"I think…" he says slowly, "that erasing history is probably a bad thing. In this case, although it would be convenient for Mayor Tomaso to forget about it, that leaves Naito-kun in a difficult situation."
But maybe 'forgetting about it' would be better for other people who would only be dragged down by being attached to that surname. Tsunayoshi himself has encountered a lot of problems thanks to it.
"So you noticed about that," Nerina says, and she looks a bit exhausted. "The situation at home is pretty bad for him, so I worry a lot. That's why I came along. It's not usual for people to try to take advantage of Longchamp, because he's easy to please and eager to prove himself. Even his own chaperon seems to barely tolerate him at times, and treats him more like something to be managed rather than a person."
But rather than thinking about Naito, Tsunayoshi is paying attention to the person in front of him; he isn't sure that he's ever seen Nerina with friends of her own. Despite being the Student Council President, aside from doing fishy stuff with the paperwork and funds, shouldn't someone else be staying late with her after the meetings to keep her company?
Ah. Despite the grudge he holds, sick and festering, some part of him is able to sympathize with her a bit. Tsunayoshi himself is not without sins. If one day, someone comes to take Tsunayoshi to task over his actions against those men that hit Nana, he won't be able to argue with them about it. He'll soon add more sins, for similarly selfish reasons.
But regardless of those sympathies, she's still responsible for her actions in the end, and unknowingly she's made some awful enemies. It isn't because of her sins that Tsunayoshi wants to dismantle her power base after all - it's because someone asked, and he stands to gain from it, and now he has taken an insult when she decided to make profit from Takeshi's feud with Mochida. He'll get himself in trouble if he begins to think even for a second that he has some kind of moral high ground over his enemy.
Tsunayoshi is already scum enough as it is. He can't become the type of scum that doesn't even realize his own nature.
"But Grandfather must have had some hope for Cousin Longchamp," Nerina muses. "After all, despite already naming his first son as heir by giving him that name, he also named his last son the same way. I wonder what he must have been thinking?"
Well, regardless of whatever hopes the late Mayor had for Naito, he sure has put him in an unforgivable situation. People who carelessly place their own burdens on children… those people are a type of scum, too.
(then doesn't that mean that the people around him-?)
Tsunayoshi's attention to Nerina and Di Tella isn't so complete that on some level, he was unaware of the group at the desk, but it's not until their voices start to get louder that he begins to actually pay attention. He isn't the only one - even some of the people who have been admiring Haru and Mochida's display are beginning to look around and wonder about the noise as well.
"Ah," he says, looking at the thugs at the desk. There's a reason he overlooked them after all. These are the kids that Hoshino beat down long ago. While they'd been a bit of a challenge for Tsunayoshi back then, ever since Shioya took over his training, Tsunayoshi has been aware of his capabilities increasing by quite a bit. "Those guys, huh."
"Is that all you really have to say?" Shoichi demands, and he's clinging to Tsunayoshi's arm again. "Those are some of the same people who go to my school! Not even the teachers will say anything to them."
It's a bit surprising that elite schools like Yumei have kids like those, but - if Tsunayoshi sees the children as a reflection of the adults that raised them, then it's likely that their parents are just as problematic as them. Still-
"I don't know what there is to say," he admits. "They're really not all that strong… I know some guys who beat them up easily and stepped on the leader's face. I guess you wouldn't have heard of it since they wouldn't want anyone to know, and Yumei is a bit isolated…"
"Just because your friends are strong doesn't mean they aren't strong themselves," Nerina cautions with concern, shifting a bit closer. Di Tella himself moves to stand pointedly closer to her, making no effort to hide that he's keeping a close eye on the boys at the desk. They're making a mess, and even though they haven't broken anything or reached across it to manhandle the clerk yet, it'll probably only be a matter of time.
Despite what Tsunayoshi was just thinking about regarding not taking a stance based on his morals, somehow it's annoying that they're coming in and causing a ruckus. Besides, this is still the Committee's territory; are they really trying to butt in while Kyoya's attention is elsewhere? Although, this would be the time to do it, after all. Maybe they thought that Kyoya had moved on to a new territory, since it's hard to know whether Kyoya holding himself back a grade would be common knowledge. But the lack of seeing Kyoya on the streets? That might be enough.
From a certain perspective those thugs must seem strong, or otherwise the clerk wouldn't allow them to behave that way, but Tsunayoshi only has his own perspective to act with. "Even if they're strong themselves," he says with some resignation, "I'm a bit troubled, since the reason they're here might be my fault."
"How could it be- you didn't invite - no, I mean, are they looking for you?!" Shoichi demands anxiously, one hand preemptively clasped to his belly.
If he had invited them, he wouldn't appreciate Shoichi calling him out on it, but: "ah, no. But I might be the reason that the people who normally subjugate them are distracted, so I wonder if I should take responsibility?"
No, he should definitely take responsibility, but it won't be easy since he's here as 'Yoshiko' rather than 'Tsunayoshi' and that aside, Shioya never properly told him not to use his skills on other people, but he had cautioned him to restrain himself, citing Ryohei as an example to look up to. As if that were something Tsunayoshi were capable of doing!
"Please don't!" Nerina leans forward and grabs his hand, and she looks honestly worried. "You shouldn't put yourself in danger! Just - let them do what they want and leave, okay? Nothing good can come of putting yourself in danger."
Tsunayoshi stares. That's the same kind of look he remembers from Nana's face just a few weeks ago, when she was suddenly confronted with the memories of what they went through. Ah. There definitely must be a reason that the Tomaso children have bodyguards after all. She doesn't even seem to realize that Tsunayoshi's hand is large and calloused compared to hers.
Actually, come to think of it, doesn't she look rather tired, too? Unlike Nana, who had caught naps here and there as her schedule allowed, Nerina must not be able to do that between normal school work and her additional duties. Has anyone at home even tried helping her?
How annoying. Even though Nerina is first and most of all an enemy, Tsunayoshi somehow feels a bit of understanding toward her.
"If everyone keeps looking away and letting others do whatever they want, then that's just chaos and anarchy," Tsunayoshi says, but gently. "It's the responsibility of people who can do something to do that something, don't you think?"
That doesn't make her look happy, but he hadn't said it to make her happy. She has the ability to do things that she's neglected herself, after all. She bites her lip, looking uncertain, while behind her Di Tella looks on, a kind of readiness in his limbs as if he might step in and beat those kids if Nerina steps up-
A familiar, awful presence makes itself known at the door. Tsunayoshi already knows without having to look, although something pangs inside him as if to express how nostalgic it is. He'd almost forgotten what it feels like: the Demon of Nami Middle.
Ah. That means Tsunayoshi is going to get bitten to death, then.
He turns on the bench just in time to grab Shoichi and push him down; Di Tella doesn't do anything so crass as tackle Nerina to the ground as much as he scoops her up from the bench and twists to put his body between her and the commotion at the front door. The boy that had been sent flying over all their heads tumbles and lands painfully against the guardrail, making a deeply unpleasant noise.
"Stay down," Tsunayoshi says to Shoichi, even as he shifts up - but, ah, somehow the fight is already over. Well, of course it's over seeing that Kyoya hadn't come alone and also seems in fine form. Although when Hoshino had a moment to disclothe the biggest troublemaker and use his shirt to bind him on to his elbows with his hands bound around the back of his neck is a question that may be better unasked, especially given that he's taking pictures with his phone again and saying something weird like 'here, kitty, kitty.'
The people that Tsunayoshi has come to know have all kinds of worrisome sides to their personalities, don't they. But maybe this time these thugs will be properly subjugated.
Along with the usual menagerie of Committee members that accompany Hoshino most places, Nakamoto is present as well. That's a bit terrifying, because he's actually coming toward the benches quickly and purposefully. The whole aura that he has at the moment is a bit intense, coming to a rocking stop before Tsunayoshi with a stiff back, a flinch away from saluting.
"I said not to take such risky measures with your safety!" Nakamoto says, almost sharply. "It's a good thing I ended up having you followed."
"Followed," Tsunayoshi says weakly, feeling his face and fingers suddenly go numb and cold. Ah, no. Had he really not noticed? It's true that he has brushed off the idea that some Committee members were around the neighborhood a few times, but his house is within Kyoya's territory so-
"Of course," he says, and at last seems to sigh out the last of his tension, taking no notice of how badly this information is being received. "Your attitude is too laid-back considering the dangerous things that you've been getting involved with, so I wanted to keep an eye on the situation for taichou's sake. Even if it was just for such a small issue, I put out a call and got a response."
Had Tsunayoshi not noticed at all because he's come to overlook the Disciplinary Committee!? If he had thought for even a second that anyone might have been keeping an eye on him, he would have never-!
As if he's followed Tsunayoshi's thought process easily, Nakamoto finally gives him a look usually reserved for small, starving animals. "I wouldn't have imagined you having this kind of hobby, though."
Before Tsunayoshi can adequately deny that he has anything approaching a hobby, especially a hobby that Haru tricked him into in the first place, a foot flies in from nowhere, and Shoichi is knocked skidding away from him. Tsunayoshi's startled reflexes can only belatedly throw his body at the still-extended leg, gripping on tightly above the knee.
"Senpai!" he squawks, looking up at Kyoya in a mixture of alarm and dismay over having an ally attacked unprovoked.
It's not as though he hasn't seen Kyoya from time to time since that first fight at the beginning of the school year, but for the first time he realizes that Kyoya is clearly on his way to growing into an adult: long and lean and feral with his lips peeled back with pique just far enough to show on sharp white incisor and his eyes glittering a bright and violent color. Beyond the reach of his leg, where he was kicked to, Shoichi scrambles to get further away and up onto his knees, clearly frightened out of rational thought - but he seems surprisingly unharmed for someone who was attacked directly by the Demon of Nami Middle.
Naturally, Tsunayoshi realizes after a second. Shoichi had been bent over near Tsunayoshi's thigh, and the position meant that Kyoya had only kicked the back of his shoulder, which wouldn't have even damaged the joint from that angle. Despite the sudden attack and the ominous atmosphere hanging around at the moment, Kyoya has frequently used much more force against Haru than he used against Shoichi just now.
Kyoya doesn't even so much as glance down at Tsunayoshi as he says, so sharp that it feels like the edge of old man Yamamoto's blade set to their throats: "don't reach above your station, bottom feeder. This prey animal belongs to me."
It takes a moment for Tsunayoshi to parse; that first of all, there's something even lower than an herbivore in Kyoya's eyes, so apparently Shoichi is a boy that gets fleeced even by other people who are normally fleeced themselves, and two: as far as Kyoya is concerned, Tsunayoshi is something to fleece but only by him.
He's just been declared property - or no, to Kyoya, maybe 'territory' would be a more accurate way of putting it.
"No way! Senpai! Who are you calling a prey animal in the first place?" he protests in an embarrassingly shrill voice.
But Kyoya only clicks his tongue and without even glancing down at Tsunayoshi, goes to leave. In the interest of not being dragged around at the bottom of someone's leg like a bratty three year old, Tsunayoshi lets go and watches Kyoya stalk off, dragging the boy he'd knocked clear across the skating lobby behind him, dangling by his collar from one of Kyoya's fists.
Furthermore, maybe Shoichi had grabbed Tsunayoshi's knee while they had both ducked, but isn't kicking him going a little far?! It's not as if Shoichi was- they were on a fake date, that's true but-!
If it's between Haru and Takeshi and Kyoya, then Kyoya will win the fight without a doubt. Well, at least Tsunayoshi can trust that Haru won't give up easily in the meantime.
"Yoshiko-chan!"
Speaking of Haru, she and Mochida are exiting the rink in a flurry. Although he pauses to take his skates off, Haru doesn't bother, fumbling a little bit as she skids over to Tsunayoshi. "That shaggy beast!" she spits, even as she bends down and puts her hands on his shoulder, glaring in the direction of the doorway where the Committee members are leaving with their prey in tow. "Are you okay?"
Tsunayoshi is pretty impressed with her ability to maintain the fiction of 'Yoshiko' under the circumstances. "More or less," he says, and smiles to prove it. "Senpai didn't really do anything to me - ah." He twists around. "Shoichi-kun. Are you alright?"
There's definitely no lasting damage done, judging by how Shoichi is sat on the floor, looking horrifically shaken but otherwise fine. "Ahhh," he says shakily, and begins to pat down all of his limbs. "I - I think I am? I'm still in one piece… no, I'm even alive! I survived!"
"Get yourself together," Mochida says as he arrives, looking a bit like he's looking down on Shoichi for his reaction. Tsunayoshi kind of wants to see how he'd deal with being on the wrong end of Kyoya's temper. "Are you a man or aren't you?"
That of all things seems to snap Shoichi out of it, even if it's just to give Mochida such a deep look of resentment that Tsunayoshi is forcibly reminded of Tomoko trying to make Tsunayoshi out to be the 'man' of the household.
"... Yoshiko-chan is associated with those ruffians?" Nerina asks tremorously, looking pale and wild eyed as she stares at Tsunayoshi.
"Well, don't be mislead by her demure appearance, Tomaso-chan," Mochida says dryly into the pause of both Tsunayoshi and Haru trying to decide how to respond to that. "'Yoshiko' keeps some nasty company. But weak people often have to simper at the heels of their betters."
Whatever affect Mochida meant to have with his words, it's easy to tell by Nerina's face that she's not impressed. Tsunayoshi would honestly like to credit Mochida with the fact that she seems so unimpressed with him that she's forgotten a bit about the ruffians that 'Yoshiko' associates with, but that seems to be entirely a side effect of Mochida's bad opinion about Tsunayoshi combine with a total lack of self-awareness.
"Yoshiko-chan is stronger than all those people combined, blockhead!" Haru scoffs, her face twisting into the unpleasant, condescending expression she's been wearing on and off since this fake date has begun.
"What was that, you harlot-harpy!" Mochida demands, baring his teeth.
Tsunayoshi hadn't expected Haru to get along with someone who had hurt Takeshi badly enough to put his arm in a sling, but this is a bit ridiculous. Or rather: the tension seems to be about something else, and Mochida's bad attitude seems to be making it worse. Nevermind that, aren't those two supposed to be boyfriend and girlfriend? They've done nothing but fight this entire outing! Is that supposed to be normal in as relationship?! Not to put too fine of a point on it, but Tsunayoshi would rather get along well with the person he's dating!
That's perhaps the main reason why he can't really see himself dating anyone he knows so far, after all.
"Shoichi-kun," Tsunayoshi says instead, since it's that kid who wouldn't be used to such insanity, looking at him with concern. "Are you really alright though? Sorry for dragging you into something as crazy as this."
"Ah, no, I'm really fine after all," he promises, and even looks like he means it other than how anxious he now seems - but a level that seems natural for him. "Although - um, please don't involve me in any other things like this…"
Tsunayoshi smiles, relieved that Shoichi isn't cutting off all association with him. Maybe he himself realized that he'd gotten off lightly? Although that still doesn't excuse Kyoya's actions. "What a relief!"
He doesn't get any further than that, because at that point, Naito and Terumi make it off the skating floor and over to them. "Whoa!" Naito exclaims. "That was wild! Man, those kids from our school really go all out, don't they, Nerina?"
Di Tella looks on blandly as Naito leans over to repeatedly elbow his ward, who looks a bit annoyed but mostly resigned by the treatment. "They certainly do," she agrees, turning back to the others. "Please, Yoshiko-chan, Kaoru-chan, don't take this as representation of how the school is run."
Saying that after Tsunayoshi obviously is on familiar terms with the Disciplinary Committee is rather interesting, though. Exactly who does she think she's protecting that way?
As much as Tsunayoshi hates being taken aside and told secrets, watching Nerina go along with a fiction makes him prefer the knowing. Naito certainly is in an unfortunate position. Hasn't anyone tried taking him aside and explaining anything to him? Who exactly is supposed to be protecting and leading the Tomaso household? It isn't the Mayor considering how his own niece speaks of him, and Nerina's personality is too strange, and Naito being that way is just…
Is having a household like this one leading Namimori really okay?
-0-
"Although," Tsunayoshi says at one point as they're going home, "there is one question in particular I wanted to ask."
Shoichi, who has maintained a respectably distance from Tsunayoshi and has kept his hands to himself since Kyoya's words - although Tsunayoshi hadn't entirely minded having his arm clung to - blinks at him. "What's that?"
Tsunayoshi looks at him, and a little uneasily, asks: "Um. What is… having a sister like?"
The expression that Shoichi shows him doesn't make him feel better about the entire situation at all.
-0-
Because Tsunayoshi has to carry his own weight, he goes to the office on Nami Middle grounds where Kurokawa Hana and Nakamoto Kei have made their war room. Even if he thinks his life would be easier if he'd just told Kyoko to her face 'no way' when she'd asked him to do this thing - ahh. It can't be helped. Tsunayoshi has no honor to offend, but he has been provoked somehow.
And yet, when Tsunayoshi makes his appearance, the first thing Nakamoto says to him is, "it won't be good for Tomaso-chan when she loses this election." He watches Tsunayoshi closely, along with Hana who still sits at the desk with papers strewn across it.
"I know that," Tsunayoshi says a bit blankly, blinking at the two of them.
That only seems to annoy Hana. "I shouldn't have to tell you this, but getting close to the enemy is stupid, Dame-Tsuna," she says bluntly, crossing her arms over her chest as she leans back in the chair. "I won't allow you to do anything that will jeopardize Kyoko's chances, understood?"
"Ah, it's just-!" Nakamoto says suddenly, shifting subtly sideways as if to stand between her and Tsunayoshi. "It seems like you might be becoming friends with Tomaso-chan, so- I mean! Despite everything, Sawada seems is a gentle hearted person, so - things will go badly when she loses, that's all we're saying! You should be certain that you're confident in your path. Although… it's a little late to turn back now, so instead maybe you should avoid becoming closer with her."
Tsunayoshi looks at him askance. Nakamoto really shouldn't try telling such lies if he's going to jump into the situation for Hana's sake simply because she said something that made Tsunayoshi taste sulfur at the back of his tongue. What part of scum like him could ever be 'gentle' in the first place? Especially his heart is selfish and greedy. It's full of devouring flames and soot and char. Only terrible things happen inside it.
Still, neither Nakamoto nor Hana deserve those things, so he says, gently, "I know where my responsibilities lay, Nakamoto-kun. It's a lot more complex than you think it is. I'm not just doing this for the sake of a favor after all."
Hana clicks her tongue. "If you're looking to get one over-!"
"I don't want to hear that from someone whose companion used me first," Tsunayoshi says bluntly, meeting her eyes, and Hana shuts her mouth with a click. She doesn't look happy about it, but it isn't as if she can argue about it. "Both our households are working toward a common goal that benefits everyone, you know. I'm only asking that the Committee gets a few extra resources, since bad things have been happening while senpai is busy."
Like annoying, yappy dogs who try to rise above their proper place in the pecking order.
"Ah!" Nakamoto looks fairly shocked, oddly young with his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide. He presents such a serious aura these days that Tsunayoshi is almost startled to remember that Nakamoto is just a young kid Tsunayoshi's own age.
Hana isn't so easily moved, standing beside him with her arms still crossed and glaring at Tsunayoshi for a lingering moment. Reluctantly, she decides: "If it's for that monkey, I guess that's acceptable."
"Sawada," Nakamoto says, still staring. "Are… are you working hard for Hibari-taichou's sake?"
It sounds weird when it's put like that, with those kinds of words. Tsunayoshi uneasily averts his eyes, fidgeting a bit. "Ah - I guess? I mean, it's natural that if an opportunity to make senpai's burden lighter comes up, that I would try to do something about it, right?"
"Ah-! You-!"
'Ah, him'?!
Alarmingly, Nakamoto looks like he might faint all of a sudden, like some massive weight has been removed from him and the relief of it is so overwhelming he'll fall over. Whatever Hana's feelings about men in general and Tsunayoshi in particular, she looks equally alarmed as he feels as they both reach for Nakamoto.
"Let's get him in the chair," she says firmly. It's a good enough idea, so Tsunayoshi helps her stagger the boy over to the desk and into the only chair in the room. Actually, thinking of that - why isn't there two?! How is Hana going to pretend to be worried about his health at this point when all along, she's been making him stand?!
Then again, Nakamoto is an officer in the Committee after all. It's just as likely that he'd thought to impress her or look cool by staying on his feet.
As for the desk and the papers that cover it, it's clear that the two of them are still working hard on Kyoko's campaign. It's the final hours, he thinks - or rather, 'days,' but there's only so much work that students can put into this kind of thing. It isn't just the posters they've been making, or the 'incentives' they've been providing by selling home baked goods and wholesome school photographs of Kyoko's shining smile. This is the planning ground for the popularity events being held around the school to boost everyone's awareness of Kyoko - as if that's really a struggle.
Hana straightens with a scoff, leveling an unimpressed look at Tsunayoshi. "That kid has been stressing out over his divided loyalties for a while now," she says flatly. "This better put an end to it."
There's no way for him to appreciate her butting in, regardless of the fact that he hadn't realized Nakamoto was feeling conflicted in such a way.
"It's fine," Nakamoto tries to say, still a little shaken but quickly regaining his strength; no one who was incapable of rolling with the punches could have survived Kyoya for long, after all.
"It's not fine," Tsunayoshi disagrees, frowning. "Nakamoto-kun, Kyoya-senpai and I belong to the same household, you know. It goes without saying that we'd pool our resources and work together toward a common goal."
He still isn't entirely sure he believes that Kyoya is staying back a year for his sake. Various things might line up in support of that fact, and then there was Kyoya's own actions the other day at the rink, but - that's just a predator defending its territory, after all. Kyoya said it himself. The thought that Kyoya somehow considers him such a troublesome minion that he has to go out of his way just to make sure no one steals him is…
"No, I knew regarding the other day," Nakamoto says, waving him off even as he wriggles a bit in the chair, clearly uncomfortable to now be sitting while Hana and Tsunayoshi stand over him. "I just didn't know what Sawada's intentions were - ah."
"Well, you're a natural born subordinate, after all," Hana says dryly, causing Nakamoto to yelp and fluster. She seems strangely sympathetic as she says, "It's only natural you wouldn't be able to entirely resist it. Too bad you attached yourself to Sawada first; I would have liked to snatch you up for Kyoko, but-" She glances sideways at Tsunayoshi and adds, "he's surprisingly loyal to someone he won't even call 'taichou.' Be more aware of the fact that you have that kind of vibe that drags unwary people along behind you."
As if Tsunayoshi could be so great of a person.
Nakamoto seems a little like he might spontaneously combust from a combination of things that have made him feel put on the spot and either teased or make fun of, so Tsunayoshi glances toward the desk and asks, "how are matters with the field trip going? Is everything we're doing going to be enough?"
It must be a somewhat transparent move since Nakamoto immediately fixes him with a look better suited to Saitoh - that 'benevolent devil' look. It's almost certain that only people who have lived near Kyoya long enough to come to survive that kind of reign of terror could ever make a face like that at Tsunayoshi. As if, as nice as they think he is, he's also some mystical force above mortal realization.
"Well," Hana says shortly, scowling, "it'd be for the best if something happened on the trip itself. Depending on that, the election could go either way. Kyoko never planned to try something like this, so for something we hastily started, just the fact that we've gathered this much support is amazing. Still, it might not be enough."
"I see…"
Doing something… if it were for the sake of his household, he could do something, couldn't he? 'Doing something' was kind of like when he'd 'done' something before for the sake of his mother. Those men he'd had to stop because they would not. They'd keep 'doing' and 'doing' and 'doing' until it became something unforgivable, and because Tsunayoshi was weak-
But Tsunayoshi is stronger now, and even he weren't, he'd still be stronger than Tomaso Nerina. There's no need to resort to drastic measures in that case, but - ah. There's Di Tella to consider, isn't there? That man has apparently killed for her sake before, and Tsunayoshi got some idea of his measure that day at the skating rink. Without hesitation, that man will certainly shield her from any danger with his own body if necessary, and he also won't hesitate to kill Tsunayoshi, even if he were wearing a skirt at the time.
Ahh. That's a problem. What should he do? It's bad. Tsunayoshi definitely can't die, since he needs to be around to watch out for the people who have chosen to come to his side and join his household. It was all pointless if he easily gives up here, or allows himself to come to harm. Whether it's for their sake or not, they won't appreciate it if he ends up getting hurt. What should he do?
Some of his thoughts must show on his face, since Nakamoto says, "Don't worry about it, Sawada." He's coming on a little strong, compared to his behavior before, but - ah. If he'd felt conflicted this entire time but suddenly realized he could freely commit himself to Tsunayoshi entirely? "We'll think of something."
Tsunayoshi would like to breathe out a sigh of relief and depend on him. Nakamoto is a reliable kid, after all, but. That reliability combined with Hana's ruthlessness is a scary thing, but. Even though Tsunayoshi has figured out about not keeping secrets and asking his household for help, it's not as easy as that. It's not exactly that Tsunayoshi had depended on his mother for three days and ended up having to do something himself - but it's a bit because of that. It's because of that, and arriving to distract the men who'd meant to take Haru, and everyone taking him aside to whisper secrets in his ear and expect things of him.
Tsunayoshi says, "Thanks, Nakamoto-kun," and he even smiles about it.
But letting others do the dirty work for him? He's not that kind of scum.
-0-
NOTES: Without an adult around to guide them (in the shape of Reborn), Tsunayoshi has to be a bit more proactive than Canon!Tsuna. Canon!Tsuna definitely would have breathed a sigh of relief and depended on his subordinates. But Tsunayoshi's pivotal development moment was acting on his own in protection of an adult caretaker, so like. Tsunayoshi has a twisted view of himself and more advanced expectations toward himself because of it.
Never mind the fact that Tsunayoshi's situation and Tsuna's are completely different. Circumstances made Tsuna the Vongola Prince. As Shioya said, Tsunayoshi can't become a Vongola Prince even though his life depends on it. Too bad, Nayo-kun, too, too bad :'(
* the 'Yoshiko' disguise is plenty convincing, but Kyoya is incredibly sensitive to 'life energy'/will/flames and would recognize Tsunayoshi anywhere under any layer of disguise; that's his territory after all.
* Literally no one is harmonized with anyone yet, because Kyoko is more or less still dormant/latent and Tsunayoshi is sealed so they can't? But if you have the ability to manifest your will, regardless of if you have, you still have a 'sway' as Hana points out.
* Ryohei and Tsunayoshi are active; Haru, Mochida, and Kyoya are next in line to activate as they feel pressured; Hana is such a cloud that she refuses to manifest her will until her sky does; Yamamoto Takeshi is too, too cunning and his father has trained him to an extent that the pressures that would be required to activate him are actually quite ridiculous.
Like probably Tsunayoshi harmonizing with literally anyone. That would definitely make Takeshi spontaneously burst into flames out of desperation and insecurity for sure!
After all he is the type that hurts his arm and tries to kill himself over it, so who is really surprised at that high maintenance child.
thanks to SnowshoeBombay, general zargon, Santarella, Zynis, sacredpools, and Home03~ sacredpools especially... i wrote out a long response to your review and FFN ate it orz
If you're enjoying Chroma Diamonds, please consider cheering me on!
