Surprise! Consider this as an apology for taking too long to update. Enjoy the chapter~ ^_^
Chapter 3
Mafia.
Hiroshi was still in the middle of daydreaming of his possible future. He was going to be mafia boss, meaning he can have all the power and do whatever he wants. His brother had already left a few minutes ago with a pale face but that's a detail he doesn't mind forgetting. Just the thought he was related to him was making him sick.
Then, a thought struck his mind, "Neh, Reborn…are you the one who chooses who's worthy?" He asked since if it's his the one making the decisions then maybe he could convince him as he lifted his head to look at Reborn, who is already in his pyjamas. "You change your cloths too fast!"
Reborn shrugged, "It's because you're too slow." He answered as he jumped on the bed and went under the blankets. It didn't take long for Hiro to know what he's planning to do, "Don't sleep on my—"
"It's bedtime. See you tomorrow." He said with a tone that clearly shows how much he cares for his student. Reborn lie-down and made himself comfortable.
"Hey!" Hiroshi stood up and attempted to reach the baby and throw him away because that's his bed and tutor or not, he's not planning on indulging his selfishness. But stopped when he felt his leg hit something. He looked down and a grenade attached to wire with something like a stick holding them up. "What the hell?"
Reborn, still with his innocent smile, says "I forgot to tell you but if you disturb my sleep, the booby traps will blow up." Then a snot bubble blow from his nose as he drifts off to dream land, with his eyes opened, which is rather creepy, Hiroshi thought. But, he glanced in his feet, whether if this booby trap is authentic or not is something I'm not willing to risk my life to discover and seeing Reborn's strength gave him the feeling that these are real.
He gulped.
Hiroshi may be stubborn most of the time but even he still has a sprinkle of common sense and a dash of self-preservation. Nothing is more important than himself after all.
Morning has come. The just-risen sun shone softly on the city streets, bringing with it a flurry of early-morning activity.
A hammer went down, and a blood-curling scream echoed within the house of the Sawada family. Inside of one of its room is a baby with a smug look on his face as held the ten-ton hammer, resting it against his shoulders as he spoke, "Rise and shine, Baka-Hiro."
Hiroshi groaned as he caresses his head. He didn't sleep well yesterday due to sleeping on the floor rather than his bed. "Dammit, this is your fault, Reborn! Because of you, my back is aching—"
"That just mean your lower back is weak. You don't exercise it that's why it's like that. Don't worry, I got the perfect training regimen for you."
Hiroshi lifted his head to rebuke Reborn but caught the arms of his clock which was beside his tutor. He felt a rush of panic as he finally processed what the time was. He moved like it was the end of the world and in a mere 5 minutes, he was out of the house as he swallowed the last of his toast. Curse Reborn! If he hadn't slept on his bed, he would have gotten early on time and remembered to set his alarm clock. He ran to the direction of his school, ignoring his mother's calls, and prayed he wasn't late since from the start of the year; he had been a model student and made sure to act according to the rules of his school (well, part of the reason is he didn't want to be bitten to death but nobody needed to know that little detail).
As he ran, he saw someone running in front of him and as he got nearer, a familiar back greeted him. That's…Sasagawa Kyoko. He felt a slight blush on his cheeks and just as he was about to call out to the school idol, said person suddenly stopped her tracks and turned to her side with a bright smile.
"Ah! Tsuna-kun!" She called out, "Good Morning!"
Tsuna jog towards and smiled towards one of the people who don't make fun of him and actually tries to befriend him. He nodded to her in greeting. Good Morning. He stopped in front of her as he wiped of his sweat with the towel on his shoulders.
"I didn't know you work out in the mornings."
Tsuna shook his head and moved his hand, I only run a bit every other day.
"I see! Well, exercise is important after all." Kyoko giggled.
Hiroshi watched this interaction with jealousy and anger. How long do they know each other? Why didn't he know about it? Why is Kyoko talking to a lowlife, a failure in life like him? His brother is always getting everything that doesn't belong to him! The more he thought, the angrier her got but he knows that now's not the time to burst out and re-educate his brother. To make the school idol fall for him, having a good reputation is the first step and he's not going to ruin his years of hard work just because he was jealous of his no-good brother.
Little get past Reborn and this is not one of them. Sawada Hiroshi was more self-centred than he thought. Seeing the emotions swirling in his student's eyes was enough to guess his thoughts and he was not pleased. Hiroshi places his blame towards others to avoid suffering the feeling of defeat and his pride is too big that it gets in the way of acknowledging his mistakes. Reborn had wanted to train an ideal boss, who cares for his subordinates and his family. Not someone who only thinks about themselves and more often than not, self-centred boss leads the familgia they rule to a history of bloodshed. Reborn tipped his fedora over his eyes, it looks like an extra training regime to fix his attitude is necessary.
He watched with a frown as Hiro plasters a smile and called out, "Ah, Sasagawa-san. Good morning!" Hearing his voice, the two people in front of Hiro turned around. Hiro caught his brother's eyes, who flinched, made his smile wider. It looks like he at least knows his place.
A small smile appeared on Kyoko's face, "Good morning, Sawada-san!" She greeted him but caught the sight of Reborn. Her small smile widened in a full-blown smile, "Wow, he's so cute!"
Reborn quirked his lips into a smile, "Ciaossu!"
Kyoko kneeled to meet his eye level, "Good morning!" She greeted and asked, "Why are wearing a suit, little guy?"
Reborn's expression didn't change, answering, "'Cause I'm with the Mafia."
Tsuna looked at Reborn in horror and almost grabbed his shoulders, shaking him and asking what the hell is wrong with his head that he'll announce his occupation in front of a civilian. It gave him little comfort of the fact that his friend, Sasagawa Kyoko was as dense as his mother which is saying something. For an entirely different reason, Hiro paled as he stared at the baby in panic because Reborn's saying that he's in the mafia in front of his crush, who might have already labelled him as a weirdo who likes to play make believe with some children. Just the thought of it wants to make him puke. He hates kids.
Kyoko pressed her palms together and praised, "Wow, that's so cool!"
Tsuna, seeing an opening to escape the greatest hitman's craziness, tapped and gestured the direction of his house when he got her attention. Kyoko's face slowly filled with realization, "Oh. You need to go?" Then her face turned guilty, "I'm sorry I was keeping you—"
Tsuna shook his head and smile, Don't worry about it. I didn't mind.
Kyoko's expression turned to relief before returning to her usual cheerful smile, "Hm, then, see you at school, Tsuna-kun." Tsuna nodded his head towards her and jog away, making sure to avoid his brother's eyes.
He often jogs around the area every few days and his exercise this time had took longer than it should be since he kept on spacing out, resulting the decrease in speed of his jog and adding to the fact that, it would take a while for his broken rib to heal. He blames Reborn and his antics for distracting him, though. Technically, most normal people would have been in the same mindset as him if they experience the same thing he did. A sadistic infant appears in your life and announced you're a candidate for the mafia boss, training his student in spartan methods. He didn't need to experience Reborn's methods, hearing the Cavallone boss' experience was more than enough.
He inwardly sighed, the hitman arrived only yesterday and Tsuna already wanted to cry.
Going back to Hiroshi. He had smirked at his brother's figure as he created the distance between them and unable to resist with the temptation to embarrass his brother, he 'warned' him, "You should hurry, Tsuna! You'll be late for school. We only have 10 minutes left!"
A confused sound escape Kyoko's lips at the same time Tsuna paused as he gave his brother a confused look. While he may have finished later than expected from his workout, he didn't think there would only be 10 minutes left.
"What?" Hiro was confused.
A giggle escaped from Kyoko's lips as she stared at the Hiroshi, "Don't be silly, Sawada-san. There's still, at least, 45 minutes left before the school bell rings."
Hiro gaped, "There's still 45 min—eh? But I clearly saw in my alarm clock—" He paused what he was about to say as he slowly went back to the scene of his room since there's still a possibility that he read the time wrong. He frowned. No, the clock clearly said there wasn't much time left and…wait. The clock…clock…the clock that was beside—Hiro felt something clicked on his head. He furiously turned to the culprit, "You…you're the one that changed the time of my clock, Reborn!" No wonder his mother was calling for him a while ago!
Said culprit looked up and disappointedly said, "You're slow, baka-hiro."
"Don't give me that look! You woke me up early than necessary!" Hiro shouted.
A giggle once more resounded, "You two sounded close!" She said and before Hiro wholeheartedly deny her assumption, the girl suddenly remembered why she went to school this early in the first place, "Ah! I still have to attend a meeting, so see you later, little guy." She stood up and face the twin's direction. "Bye bye, Tsuna-kun, Sawada-kun!" She then rushed towards the direction of her school.
Reborn waved his hand to Kyoko, "Ciao, ciao."
Just as the school idol is out of earshot, Hiro turned angrily at Reborn. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Reborn? Stop mentioning the mafia in public. I might be labelled as a weirdo because of you."
"Like you need help."
"What was that?"
Reborn turned his head towards his student with the innocent smile still on his lips, "You've got the hots for that chick, right, Hiroshi?"
"That's none of your business, you damn baby!"
Reborn ignored him, "As your tutor, I have to know about your relationships."
"I don't remember giving you permission to meddle with my life! Just leave me alone already!"
Reborn jumped and aimed a foot on Hiroshi's knees, "Ow! What the—"
"I can't do that. ("Don't continue as if nothing happened!") Have you told her how you feel?"
Hiroshi gave the hitman a look that clearly said: Are you stupid? As if I'd do that. Reborn felt irritation in his heart and decided to hit his other knee, which resulted with the same results when he kicked the other knee of his student. "So, have you?"
"Of course not." Hiro frowned and looked down on Reborn, "Of course not. Why would I? I am waiting for her to confess her feelings to me. Why do you think I made sure I have a clean reputation and was known as a gentleman in school? For fun? Hell no."
Reborn stared at his student with his unnerving beady eyes and blank expression, "Hm." Hiroshi's pride is too big. It needs to be put down before his pride grows into a balloon and put his head to the clouds. "You're really a horrible man down to your heart, huh?"
"Shut up! I don't care what you think! Anyway, I won't change my mind on Sasagawa."
"So, you won't confess?"
"No! I won't confess even if I die!"
Reborn quirked into a smirk, "I guess this is where I come in." He said as his chameleon transformed into a gun, "Just die then." Hiro looked confusingly at Reborn, "What are you saying?" Reborn lifted his arm and aimed it at Hiroshi's forehead. "When you die, you'll understand." Then, he pulled the trigger.
Tsuna felt his breath hitch as he watches his brother get shot. Just what—No, no, no! Did he die, but he can't. Not again—it can't happen! Hiroshi's ground hit the floor and, in a few seconds, then something startling happened. In the middle of Hiroshi's eyebrow, an orange flame flickered and suddenly…he was back from the dead? Tsuna watched his brother slowly stood up as his uniform ripped off and he only has his underwear left, "Re-Born!"
What the hell? Tsuna feels very confused and wanted an explanation.
"I'll make Sasagawa Kyoko as my girlfriend to boost my reputation, even if it kills me! Where is Sasagawa Kyoko?!" He shouted out and as he uttered the last words, he ran in the school's direction, screaming like a mad man.
Reborn's lips fell flat as he watch his student slowly gain distance between them. A boss worrying the reputation of their family is admirable and is something that is needed since the reputation of the famiglia is directly connected to the safety of their families but, worrying too much of their reputation is not good and can lead to horrible consequence. Well, he'll deal with this later.
He turned to the other twin, who was still gaping at the direction of his brother. "What are you doing, Dame-Tsuna? You have school, get dressed. I'll explain everything later."
That seemed to snap out Tsuna from his shock and turned his gaze at Reborn, shock still in his eyes. Well, it didn't snap him out completely. Reborn let a smirk graced his lips as he pulled his fedora to shadow his eyes. "…or do you want to die too?" Now, that snapped him out completely. Tsuna repeatedly shook his head, fear clear in his eyes. Reborn pulled the hammer slowly, his smirk widening as he heard it click.
Tsuna immediately turned and sprinted to his house. He didn't want to get shot since seeing his brother, with only his underwear in public, if that was him, he wouldn't be able to walk the streets ever again and he didn't want to feel what it's like to get shot in the head. No, thank you.
When Tsuna arrived at school, there was still 10 minutes left before classes starts. He breathed a sigh of relief; he didn't want to be beaten to death by the so-called Demon of Namimori after all.
He slides the door opened and was mildly surprised that no one had called out names for him when he came in since it happens every morning. Instead, their eyes, filled with mockery, amusement and disgust, were on someone else. He followed their sight and seeing the person who got his classmates' attention, he doubled check. Why are they looking at his brother like that?
Tsuna slipped on his chair and curiously observes the situation. He looked at the people who have different reactions from the majority. His brother is glowing red, whether it's from anger or embarrassment, he didn't know. He turned his head to Kyoko and Hana. Kyoko has tint of blush on her cheek with an uncomfortable look on her face while Hana's frown looks darker than her original expression. Tsuna rested his face in his palm, Hm…What ever happen it seems like Hiroshi did something to Kyoko—He froze as his mind connected the dots, when he remembered what happened this morning.
Tsuna facepalmed, Of course it's Reborn.
Tsuna made a mental not of trying to avoid crossing his path to his brother's path since he didn't want to be a punching bag when he still injured. Wait… If Hiro confessed to Kyoko this morning, and everyone's talking about it, then does that mean he confessed in his boxers, in front of the whole school?!
Oh, poor Hiro. But despite the slight pity he felt, he cannot bring himself to fully sympathize with him. He actually finds it a little funny. Now that he thinks about, Reborn bringing chaos in Namimori might not be…be bad…after all? Tsuna processed this thougth and when he did, he mentally screamed as he repeatedly shook his head in an attempt to get rid of this particular line of thought. He ignored the people who looked at him weirdly because of his actions. He gripped the side of his air with his hands and cursed, I can't turn sadistic! I have to grab hold of my sanity! Damn Reborn and his influence!
Tsuna paused. What if he was a sadist all this time? No,no,no! I have to go back to normal—
The sliding door of the classroom opened, and their homeroom teacher came in, "Okay, class. Go back to our seats." There was a bit of clatters, complains and muttering before everything went quiet. Tsuna looked at his teacher as an emotion filled his heart. He never thought he would ever be grateful for a class to start.
He clasped his hand together as if he was praying. God, thank you for sending sensei to this earth. He thought.
"Sawada Tsunayoshi! What are you doing? Pay attention to class!"
The class burst out laughing and in a rare moment, he really can't bring himself to care.
The bell rang indicating the time for lunch.
As soon Tsuna heard the bell, he quickly went to the safest place he knew. The rooftop. The rooftop is where the Demon of Namimori takes a nap, so others automatically stay clear of the place. His relationship with the prefect is not good nor is it bad. Hibari just tolerates his presence because he doesn't talk much and he, in his own words, like a small animal. Don't ask him what the prefect meant since he can't understand either. How did he resemble a small animal anyway?
It better not be because my height. Tsuna thought with an annoyed frown because he knows he's short and he doesn't appreciate others pointing it out.
This issue aside, Tsuna entered the roof and looked around. It looks like Hibari isn't here yet. Not that it matters since they really don't talk much, and it wasn't like he likes his company or anything and…He sighed. Who was he kidding? He liked Hibari's quiet company, as long as he wasn't being bitten to death since acquaintance or not, he will be bitten to death if he broke the rules. He's fair like that…in a way.
He leaned against the fence, looked at the sky and enjoyed the peace he knew won't last. He closed his eyes and a thought flashed in his mind. He looked around him. Well, there's no one here so it should be fine…right? He took a deep breath and let the music flow from his mouth.
"All of these cuts and bruises that will fade away,
I act as if they've made me that much wiser,
Another night I sink into my lonely bed,
To shut out every sound as I scream inside my head.
And like a turning wheel the time keeps moving on,
The pain from yesterday is now just so long gone,
And as I fall into another aching sleep,
The crying voice I keep on hearing echoes deep."
When he first heard this song, he managed to resonate with it almost immediately. It was like how he felt after the incident that flipped his normal life into the mafia.
"It's every shameful fall, every mistake that I've made,
These are the scars that have brought me where I am today,
Another false conception that I fed myself to escape reality,
The only lie I see is now inside of my head.
The only truth slips through my fingertips in the end,
Let me keep on dreaming as I watch the days just pass me on by."
However, despite everything that he's experienced in his life, the events that made him impossible to have a normal life like before, funnily enough, he can't bring himself to fully regret his actions. If it wasn't for that incident, he wouldn't have been aware and would have been killed, sooner or later. Due to putting his attention to the song, he failed to notice the entrance of other people, who was staring at him in shock.
"I turn another page of my biography,
And all the mysteries begin to fall in place,
Wonder why I wasted so much precious time,
I'd never find my life inside this clustered room.
I'm letting go today,
They try to measure the depth of all the scars that we have,
And try to prove to use that life could be so much more,
But if you only stop and take a look around you'd know we're all the same.
And as I keep repeating all the days in my head,
It's like an endless movie that has no happy end,
But the scene goes on without an answer,
And I will cry."
One day. Maybe one day, he could be free from this situation and maybe regain the feeling of safety he had lost because of his past. Well, the day might come but he won't be too optimistic.
"It's every shameful fall, every mistake that I've made,
These are the scars that have brought me where I am today,
Another false conception that I fed myself to escape reality.
The only lie I see is now inside of my head.
The only truth slips through my fingertips in the end,
Let me keep on dreaming as I watch the days just pass me on by,
Pass me on by,
Pass me on by."
He hummed the remaining notes before it ended. He opened his eyes, his eyes flashed orange for a brief moment, and had been greeted by the ever-open sky. Well, that certainly helped take a load out of his chest.
"Uwah! That's was amazing!" A voice resounded out as the person clapped, obviously delighted by his performance.
Tsuna turned around quickly and caught the eyes of a certain school idol and her best friend who was known for her scowl.
He paled.
I don't know if I already told you this but life…
"I didn't know you could sing, Tsuna-kun!"
"Hm, now that was unexpected."
Tsuna inwardly whimpered.
I hate you so much.
How was it? Too rushed? Tell me if you have any request. I'll try and insert in the story line and if it doesn't work, I'll include it in OMAKE. ^_^ Until, next time~