Chapter 10: Put a Band-Aid on Anything and People Think You're Dying

I found Hibari waiting impatiently in front of my house on my way home from work, his arms crossed and leaning against my door. His eyes were shut as if he was taking a nap, but before I could even think of snapping a photo his eyes opened. At the sight of me his eyes narrowed. "What took you so long?"

I smiled awkwardly. "I do have work, you know... but what brings you here, Hibari? And how long have you been waiting here?" His steely gaze remained on me, as if he was saying I asked a stupid question. I blinked. "What? Am I forgetting something?"

A moment of silence erupted, with Hibari staring at me with narrowed eyes and me staring back in confusion. Eventually he sighed, shutting his eyes. "Where's my blazer?"

I blinked, and my eyes widened in realization. "Oh shit! Sorry Hibari, I took it to the dry cleaner's this morning and completely forgot to pick it up!" I smiled awkwardly. "So sorry about that, I'll go pick it up right now and return it to you tomorrow at school. I sure you don't want to wait anymore after all, I'm sure you're a busy person-"

"I'll go."

I tilted my head in confusion. "It's under my name though?"

His face twitched in annoyance. "With you."

"Huh?" I immediately protested, waving my hands in front of me. "No no no, I can't trouble you with that! If you really need it then I can try to drop it off at your house or something, there's no need for you to go out of your way to come with me-"

"You're a herbivore today. I'm going with you," he said with a resolute tone. He got up from his leaning position with a weird kind of elegance, and began to walk in front of me. It was weird, seeing him without his blazer on his shoulders. It made him appear like a normal 16 year old boy, like my classmate which was weird to think about. After all, I could barely imagine Hibari sitting in a classroom setting without jumping out the window the first chance he got because of the "overcrowding", as he put it. He stopped his stride to look at me with narrowed eyes. "Herbivore."

I blinked, and then nodded. "R-right! Sorry, sorry, let's go!"

…Was it wishful thinking to think that he offered to come with me as a bodyguard?

Probably.

Yeah, he probably just really wanted his blazer back, maybe he also knew the effect it did for him.

...Man, yesterday I really should've tried to wear it like he did.

For experimental purposes, of course.

"Thank you!" After receiving the blazer from the dry cleaner's, I left the shop and handed Hibari the bag containing his beloved blazer. "Here." He took it silently, removing the blazer from the bag to immediately put it on his shoulders. He was about to leave, when I called out to him hesitantly, "H-Hibari!"

He turned around, and I nervously rubbed my arms, staring at the floor. "Thanks... for everything. For saving me, for the blazer, for the escorting. I know you have your reasons for doing them, obviously, but that doesn't change my gratitude." I smiled at him. "You can beat the shit out of me all you like, now! I owe you, after all!"

He stared at me with what appeared to be amusement. "Hn." He turned to leave, but not before saying, "Then I'll find you when your hands are healed, carnivore."

I blinked.

When did he notice that?

"Yo, Nee-chan!"

It was during school when Takeshi called out to me. He personally came to my third year class, drawing surprise from my peers - in the eyes of my classmates, the baseball club's ace should have no reason to be calling out to the antisocial Goddess of Death Kamiya Izanami. (…Yeah, the "Goddess of Death" thing hasn't changed since I was younger.)

That's the way it was supposed to be until I graduated from NamiChu, as I told Takeshi very clearly on the first day of school that I did not want him approaching me during school because of the attention it would undoubtedly attract.

Just what in the world caused him to break that promise?

The girls near me were probably members of his fanclub, as they murmured to themselves, "Izanami-sama is Takeshi-kun's older sister?"

I shut my eyes with pursed lips, before standing to go meet him by the door. "…Takeshi."

He tilted his head with a blank look. "Yes?"

I smiled at him threateningly. "A word." I then grabbed his ear and pulled him out of the third year hallway and into the stairs.

"Ow, Nee-chan! What was that for?!" he whined when I let go.

I slapped him in the arm for good measure, and stared at him with hands on my hips. "What did I say about approaching me at school, you idiot?!"

He blinked, rubbing the spot I slapped him, and then his mouth formed into an 'o.' "I forgot!" He then sent an easygoing grin. "Sorry Nee-chan!"

I slapped him again.

"Ow! Okay, I'm sorry but it was really urgent! It was either going to be me or Hibari to get you, you know!"

I hid my face in my hands in despair. "I honestly would've preferred Hibari…"

If people know I'm in the Disciplinary Committee then they'd avoid me… Sayonara, peace and quiet… You'll be missed.

"Because you like him?"

I stayed still, and then looked up at him with my head tilted. "You wanna repeat that, Takeshi?"

He gulped. "Sorry I won't do it again." He cleared his throat. "A-anyway, the kid needed you, but I figured I'd volunteer to get you because I have something to talk about with you anyway!"

"Okay." I crossed my arms. "Just what is it that was so urgent?"

He looked askance, rubbing his arms nervously, something I noted was a mannerism I shared. I mentally smiled at the fact that Takeshi had been developing some of my mannerisms. "I heard you and Oyaji talk… yesterday."

I froze.

At that he immediately panicked, putting up his hands defensively. "I-I only thought I should bring it up because I was worried about you, Nee-chan!" He frowned. "Lately my relationship with Oyaji hasn't been the smoothest because of training and stuff, but after hearing that you went through something so traumatic I realized how lightly I was taking training." His fists tightened and his eyebrows creased. "I've been treating all this mafia stuff like it was a game, after all…"

I frowned. "Takeshi, that's not your fault! You didn't ask to join the mafia and you didn't know any better-"

"Nee-chan." My eyes widened at the serious look on his face. "Thanks to that conversation, I realized: if taking this seriously is what I have to do to protect my friends, then I'll do it. These past few months getting to know Tsuna and the rest…" He grinned. "It's been so much fun, you know!" He blinked, realizing he was going off on a tangent and then smiled awkwardly, scratching his cheek. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's okay that you're scared. I am too, to be quite honest." He tilted his head. "But if even I can find something to fight for, you definitely will too! And you know… you can always count on me to protect you!" He blinked. "Oh, and Hibari too, of course. And Tsuna and Gokudera and maybe the kid - Nee-chan!"

He frowned at the hand that was ruffling his hair and was about to whine again when he noticed the Band-Aids and my stupidly big smile and looked away, his eyebrows still creased together.

At this, my smile grew bigger. "Thanks, Takeshi." I sighed in defeat. "Maa, you fourteen year olds are growing up stupidly fast, huh? Guess your Nee-chan needs to pick up her slack!" I stared at the stairs, knowing full well what was awaiting me.

"Let's go to Reborn now, shall we? I have a feeling I'll be meeting someone I've been needing to meet."