'Thoughts'
"Talking"
Spells/Other's thoughts/Skills
[Captions]
{Korin's Voice}
Inner Voice
Chapter 3 The Protector and the Protected
Korin sighed as he walked down the streets of the town of Namimori. He has arrived in the small town via train and was on his way to his assigned new home. "If I'm right, it should be by this corner…" Korin muttered tiredly as he turned another corner, the boy wearing a black shirt over a crimson red shirt with grey jeans. He looked at the map he was given by Ray and took another street.
He then recalled the instructions by Ray:
Xx Flashback, few minutes ago xx
"Okay, Korin, I want you to listen really closely." Ray tells him, the black haired boy nodded, "I need you to keep the existence of magic hidden at all cost. Your father probably has told you about that already, right?"
"Another thing, you are not to remove the ring on your index finger at all cost, even in your sleep." The blonde continues, "It's a seal to prevent any of your magic from leaking out like it always is."
"And lastly, you mustn't release your Knight Flames. Even with that one year, you still can't control it at all. If you lose control of it, you will only get consumed by them and your very being will be destroyed."
Xx Flashback over xx
Korin paled as he remembered the last part of Ray's instructions and looking at the golden ring on his left index finger, 'I knew those flames are dangerous, but this is ridiculous…' He thought worriedly, 'But how does he even know that my magic is leaking out all the time…? I never did told him about it at all…'
Soon enough, he made it to the room that he is going to stay for his mission that would take god knows how long. After getting the key from the landlord, he unlocked the door and entered the small two-room apartment flat, a simple living room with strangely three rooms, even though he is living on his own.
"I wonder what's with the extra rooms…" Korin wonders, before feeling a killer intent and drawing his gun from his bag, "Who's there?-!"
"Oh~ your instincts are top-notch." A squeaky voice said, "As expected of those in the Knight's bloodline." A small figure leaped up onto coffee table, an infant in a suit with a fedora that has an orange stripe around it, along with really curly sideburns and a yellow pacifier around his neck, "Ciaossu, Motoyama Yan Korin."
"An infant with a coloured pacifier…" Korin realized, "An Arcobaleno?"
"Oh? You know about us?" The infant said.
"I have met one of your kind before." Korin stated, "Who, I wish not to name."
"I see." The infant smirked, "Well, that's right; I'm one of the Arcobaleno, Reborn."
"Reborn?" Korin blinked, "What kind of dumb name is that? And what's with the curly sideburns?"
*Twitch* "My, you wish to be shot on your first day?" Reborn asked angrily, his pistol out at him.
"W-Whoa, h-hold on for a moment!" Korin cried.
"Well, I can't shoot you since you are an important asset to the new Vongola…" Reborn clicked his tongue in annoyance, "And here I told that the protector would be a lot stronger than this…"
'He's one sadist asshole…' Korin thought.
"Well, I guess I'll let you in the job." Reborn sighed, "Listen here, Korin. From tomorrow onwards, you are to attend Namimori Middle in the same class as Dame-Tsuna. I want you to tell her your job once you meet her."
"That's… really simple." Korin said in surprise, "So, no crazy order like having to be around 20 feet around her at all times?"
"There's no need for that." Reborn said, "As her home tutor, it wouldn't be good if she is too spoiled. And besides, she might end up looking for you for protection, and that would hinder her growth. Also, it wouldn't be fun."
'Sadist alright…'
Reborn placed down a form on the table, "This is the enrolment sheet for you to write down, be sure not to be late." With that, he leap off the coffee table and exited via the door, "Ciao ciao."
"Weird one… even for an Arcobaleno…" Korin muttered, "Well, at least he is better than the other one, what was his name… Skull, was it?"
Xxx Next day xxx
In the class of 2-A, there is the usual ruckus where the students are chatting with each other, although it is slightly much more noisy than normally since they are told that they were getting a transfer student today.
"All this fuss over a transfer student…" A sliver haired delinquent-looking (acts like one too) student grumbled, his name is Gokudera Hayato, a quarter Japanese Italian transferee from last year and one of the top unofficial male idols of this school as well as self-proclaimed right-hand man of future Tenth Vongola Boss, "It's not really that great…"
"Hahaha, come on now, Gokudera." The black haired student next to him laughed, his name is Yamamoto Takeshi, a baseball fanatic and another of the top unofficial male idols of this school; he is patting Gokudera on the back, "We get a new friend to talk to, right? Greet him with a smile!"
"Shut up, baseball-idiot!" He shouted at the baseball ace.
"A-Ah, Gokudera-kun, please don't start a scene!" The only female in the small group of trio cried, her name is Sawada Tsunahime, the school local loser and unfortunate future Tenth Vongola Boss, and Korin's target to protect, 'Uwah… why can't they not do this every morning…?'
"Everyone, please return to your seats." The teacher commanded as he walked in, the students complied and returned to their tables, "As you all know, we're getting another transfer student, this time from Hong Kong. Please come in an introduce yourself."
A black haired guy walked in, he in the normal Namimori Middle summer uniform minus the red tie and he wore a black shirt under it, he has black spiky shaggy hair and dark blue eyes as well as a scar under his left eye, "My name is Motoyama Yan Korin, fourteen years old. That's all. May I take my seat?"
"Yeah, sure." The teacher said, "I believe there is an empty seat behind Sasagawa. Sasagawa! Please put up your hand!"
The girl, Sasagawa Kyoko, raised her hand, allowing Korin to enter his seat, completely ignoring the whispers among the female classmates including ones that decides to set up a third fan club for him as well as some that came to crushing on him with his bad-boy look. 'Another troublesome school…' He sighed, peeking at Tsuna from the side, 'So she's the next boss-to-be, huh? A lot normal than I thought…'
Unknown to him, the said girl was away in her little dreamland the very moment she met Korin's eyes, 'My heart… Is this… love at first sight…?' She thought dreamily, 'Wah!-! S-Snap out of it, Tsunahime! There is no way he would like a loser like me…'
The class resume as normal, Korin seems like an average normal male middle school student trying to pay attention to the teacher's teachings while Tsuna seems to can't get her eyes off him, something that Gokudera has noticed, 'Hime-sama has been staring at him since he came in…' Gokudera thought, clenching his pencil hard that it break, scaring the student next to him, 'Damn that guy… what kind of hypnosis did he used on her?-!'
Korin then felt a shiver down his spine, 'Why do feel such a killer intent in this room…?'
Outside on the tree, Reborn looked over through the windows; noticing the little tension in the air from Korin's arrival into the class, "Looks like we're going to need a little welcoming party…" He chuckled as he leaped off to find a certain prefect.
It is now lunch period, and everyone has gone off in their respective groups away from their classrooms, Korin included as he decides to explore school all the while with the bread he bought from the school cafeteria munching in his mouth, 'Okay, so the third floor are for the third years…' Korin mentally noted as he wrote down on the small notepad he brought along.
[Korin has rather bad sense of direction that getting to the apartment was somewhat of a miracle]
'Now then… I have been hearing about this Hibari Kyouya…' Korin thought, 'Not just that, it seems almost everyone knows about Sawada Tsunahime's little groupie… And there are many with ill intents towards her because of it… I should keep an eye out for them…'
Unknowing to him, Reborn leaped down from the stairs in front of him and out the window. Behind him, chased Hibari Kyoya, the chairman of the Discipline Committee and the most feared man in all of Namimori despite being only sixteen; and he chanced upon Korin was walking down the hallway.
Korin felt a killer intent from the said man and leaped back on instinct and unconditionally dodged the swinging tonfa, something that Hibari noticed.
"You dodged…" He said.
"Eh, I have a question." Korin asked, "Are those tonfas allowed?"
"Are you… strong?" Hibari asked him.
"Um… I'm not too sure…" Korin wonders, before he sensed the attack and dodged another swing of the tonfa by moving his body backwards slightly. The prefect smirked happily a devil grin, "It looks like I have another delicious prey."
"E-Eh…?"
"Damn that transfer student…" Gokudera growled as he walked down the hallways following Tsunahime, the baseball fanatic close behind.
"What's the matter, Gokudera?" Yamamoto asked.
"Why are you following us?" He asked.
"Come on, aren't we all friends?"
"We are not friends!" The bomber shouted angrily, before turning back to his boss who is looking left and right franticly, "Hime-sama, who are you looking for? Want me to help you?"
"A-Ah? N-No! I-It's fine!" Tsunahime assures him, 'I can't tell Gokudera-kun that I fell for the transfer student… He'll definitely go berserk…!' She then looked down in guilty, 'But… would he like someone like me…? I never had any luck in love before… I'm short, not pretty… I'm clumsy too…'
Unknowingly, her sad face seems so cute in the bomber's eyes that he nearly faint, 'So powerful… As expected of Hime-sama!'
"Move!"
"Eh?" They turned at the direction of the cry, seeing the transferee running for his life with the terror of Namimori Middle chasing him from behind with his tonfas out to kill all the while they are dashing past countless of other students, "Fight me." Hibari said pissed off.
"Like hell I will!-!" Korin cried.
"EH?-! Hibari-san and Motoyama-san?-!" Tsuna cried.
"Ah, Sawada-san and the Italian delinquent." Korin greeted, not bothered that Gokudera is taking out his dynamites in irritation.
"Oh, the herbivores with the baby." Hibari muttered before leaping towards Tsuna, 'If I attack her, he might come out.'
"H-He's coming over here?-!" Tsuna cried.
Outside, on the tree observed the hitman home tutor, 'Now, what would you do, Motoyama Yan Korin…?' Reborn wonders. Korin noticed his client in danger, and immediately flashed away from other's sight, that startled the infant as he reappeared in front of the brunette and grabbing the end of the tonfa.
"Wao…"
"Your target is me, isn't it?" Korin asked in a serious tone, "Then why do you attack them?"
"It is none of your concern." Hibari said, "They were merely bait to lure out the infant."
'Infant? Is he talking about Reborn?' Korin wonders, before he felt the tonfa being jerked out of his hands, once again he felt the killer intent from the prefect, "But since you wished to be bitten to death first…"
"Boy oh boy…" Korin muttered in annoyance, "And I wanted my first day to be peaceful…"
"W-What are you doing?-!" Tsuna cried, "Motoyama-san! You got to run! He is Hibari Kyoya, the leader of the Discipline Committee!"
At that moment, Hibari strikes Korin with his metal baton attacking him relentlessly. The black haired transfer student isn't in a panic at all and dodged all the strikes with ease, 'His form isn't that solid, more like an offensive fighter that never handled someone stronger than him before…' His eyes narrowed a little, 'Reminding of myself, actually…'
"He's actually on par with Hibari!" Yamamoto said in awe.
"Those movements aren't those of a regular person…!" Gokudera said in shock, "He must have undergo some training before…"
'Motoyama-san… amazing…!' Tsuna thought in shock, her crush on him getting stronger.
"Those moves are self-taught, aren't they?" Korin asked as he dodged another swing, "The hits aren't solid enough and you are relying too much on your forearm." He then flicks his wrist up a little and knocked the tonfa out of prefect's hands, grabbing it in mid-air, "You should swing it, LIKE THIS!" He swung the tonfa like a trained professional and strikes the prefect's side hard, enough for him to stumble on his feet before palm strike to his face, knocking Hibari out cold.
"He knocked him out like it was nothing…" Yamamoto said in shock.
"So he's the feared man of this school…?" Korin muttered, "Like I thought, all violence and no real strength. Although he did force me to go serious…"
"A-Amazing, Motoyama-san!" Tsuna suddenly blundered out, before realizing that she just spoke to him and turned away blushing a little.
"Oh, you're fine, Sawada-san?" Korin asked, getting a shy nod from her, "That's good…"
'Is he… worried about me?' She thought.
"Oi, Transfer Student!" Gokudera shouted angrily, "Remove your hypnosis on Hime-sama at once!"
"Eh? Hypnosis?" Korin asked, "Do you have Chuunibyou (Eight Grade Sickness)? We are still in Middle School so…"
"Shut up!" Gokudera shouted angrily taking out his dynamites, "I don't know who you are, but those moves are those of a trained assassin! Are you an assassin trying to kill Hime-sama?-!"
"G-Gokudera-kun! Put those away!" Tsuna cried.
"Hahaha, Gokudera, isn't it a little early to take out the fireworks? The festival isn't till a few days later!" Yamamoto laughed.
"These aren't fireworks, dammit!" Gokudera shouted, obviously pissed off.
"You did well, Korin." He heard the voice of the baby, the Sun Arcobaleno standing by the window silt, "Ciaossu."
"Reborn!" Tsuna cried.
"You can't even control your subordinates. You have a long way from being the boss, Dame-Tsuna." The infant sighed.
"I-I told you, I don't want to be the boss!" Tsuna cried, "Seriously, why would they need a girl to be their new boss?-!"
'So she is against the idea of her being the next godfather, or this case, godmother…' Korin thought, 'Should be expected, an average girl is suddenly forced into the dark underworld, who would be able to adapt?'
"So, what do you think?" Reborn asked the boy in thought.
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"Of Dame-Tsuna, of course." Reborn said, "She's a loser like the papers said, right?"
"R-Reborn!-!" Tsuna cried blushing, 'Wait, why is Motoyama-san talking so casually with Reborn?'
"You really are Dame-Tsuna…" Reborn sighed, "Korin is the up-coming Tenth Knight, and your official bodyguard."
"M-Motoyama-san… Mafia… Bodyguard?-!" Tsuna cried.
"Nice to meet you, Sawada Tsunahime." Korin greeted with the passive face he has during the introduction.
"Reborn-san, what is the meaning of this?-!" Gokudera shouted disappointedly.
"It is like this." Reborn explained, "In every generation, the Vongola boss has a personal bodyguard by his or her side and he is the Knight. Like the boss, they are passed down the bloodline since the first. The ninth Knight retired earlier so the tenth Knight was chosen beforehand. Among the choices, Motoyama Yan Korin is the most suitable as he is in the direct inheritance of the First bloodline."
"Eh?-! Motoyama-san is that amazing?-!" Tsuna cried, she not expecting another mafia transfer student beside Gokudera.
"Whoa, Korin, your family into this mafia game as well?" Yamamoto laughed.
'He thinks it's a game…?' Korin sweat-dropped.
"I do not approve of this!" Gokudera shouted, "I've heard of the Knight, but the ninth Knight was never around the Ninth and then this guy appeared claiming to the tenth Knight, I find it super suspicious!"
"I couldn't blame you." Korin sighed, "Well, there isn't any direct job for this, so I'll be taking my leave." He then walked away, "Oh, piece of advice. Don't try to get close to me. You'll only get hurt."
Tsuna was stunned by his words, but more shocked is the loneliness in his eyes, 'He seems… really lonely… but why would he ask us to keep away…?'
Elsewhere, Korin groaned, as he felt a slight sting on his right hand. During the fight with Hibari, he felt the golden flames about to let loose as he nearly lose control over his battle instincts that he sealed off in the back of his deepest subconscious, and the lack of control of the flames has burned his hand slightly, 'Damn, I got to get it under control.' Korin muttered in his mind, his other hand going to his shirt and taking out a silver pacifier, 'I promised her that I'll never fight again…'
He leaned on the wall and slide down on his butt, "Damn, god sure love playing with me, huh…?"
…
To be continued…
Done! Sorry if you think it is a bit rushed. I've got people wanting
to have the six Knight back in the story, but that is still under
consideration. I'll give it some thinking after the Mukuro Arc.
With that, I thank you for reading this!