One chapter up, mystery lies within. Hahaha...

Oh, sorry, it isn't Holloween yet, right?

Anyway, this dedication is for THE KEI whose birthday I forgot the timing when I posted some of the fanfics, and for KAI, who just became my reader from a gaming event.

For CASSEY, who also became my new reader, and for LESLIE, who have been stalking my homepage (just kidding lelelel) and have been loyally giving feedbacks of how she just love this pairing and has been crying crocodile tears waiting for any HibaHaru fanfics out there - oi, where are the other authors of this fandom?!

Lastly, and the most significant factor for the chapter's creation, BLAXIS, who has been subtly asking for update when they last reviewed on how confused they were on the previous fourth chapter-ish (promise, I was also confused as well, despite on me already mapping out the chapters on this story).

So, here we go, another confusing chapter for you. Please be ready for a roller-coaster ride of emotions, yo!

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn is a canon anime and manga made by Ms. Akira Amano with ArtLand. The plot is owned by the owner and it is not her responsibility if there is any coincidences with either the real life or other fanfictions inside the site.

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2 - in - 1 ID Game

Chapter 19

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It was like your typical February's night in Namimori neighborhood. Cold, gentle winds has swayed the old stocky trees from some of the houses they were placed, and their town park swings were swaying back and forth. the collective rust screeching causing those metal chains clanging with old squeaking sounds. The snow within the area had already been gone since the last week of the first month, but the scenery still felt the bristling cold air swooshing especially on night time. People still wore more than two layers of cloth around their bodies every time the clock ticked five thirty, when the sun has already been on its closing time, and streetlamps had already showing its white artificial light.

It was not either an unusual sight to the Hibari household. Fireplace still being lit, which was the only authentic old working antique existing in their concrete-built house. Smell of garlic wafting throughout the house coming from the big television sitting inside a modest living space across the cooking area was echoing throughout the turquoise walls of their quaint home, which was also being accompanied by a hum coming from a middle-aged man, who was also following the instructions which were being announced by the seven o'clock cooking show. And having a hard time following it because of its fast-pacedness.

"... An egg for each tablespoon of milk, so you need half a glass here."

"Beat the egg mixture well."

"Yes. Make sure that it is well-beaten."

"What do you add next?"

"Put the asparagus into the mixture while it is still warm. It cooks quicker this way - "

"I see... "

"Then melt the butter into the frying pan...1 "

"... What? I couldn't follow. Man, we should have upgraded our multiroom2 to a recordable one, so I can replay them over."

The man in his thirties scratched his head as he did the same to his beardless chin. His round glasses were already fogging coming from the steam from boiling asparagus he was currently looking at. He wasn't bothered wiping them off of the moisture, because of him being deep in his thoughts.

This has been the usual events in this every evening.

DING-DONG!

The surprising noise coming from the doorbell had startled the current man of the household, the butter he was he was delicately holding on accidentally slipped out of his hands and dropped messily to the floor. Out of annoyance, Mr. Hibari momentarily went out of the kitchen to check on the perpetrator at their doorstep.

This is strange. His son would never press the doorbell, despite of its function. Usually, he would call or send a short message at exact fifteen minutes before his pair of feet landed in the kitchen's island. And he never failed to even be a second late. Wonder would be the cause of the change...

Out of all the houses, this is the only house which was not properly secured. With a very low fence and a door with no peepholes anywhere, it has an ability to attract burglars and serial killers. However, for the longer span of his married life, Mr. Hibari hadn't experienced any kinds of incident like the ones mentioned.

It was true that his son was an ex-delinquent who used to love carnage (but believe him, he still is), but he had already calmed down once he stepped foot in front of a kindergarten school classroom and his eyes went sparkles and smiled ecstatically. And yes, that was the first time he had thought of sending psychiatrists to his son. However, the passion within the younger's physique told him that he was serious to teach.

"I want to be a teacher!"

For once in his life, he had never thought that his son would swing to another group, he even had thought the same way as Kyo's friends to think that he was raising a son yet to reveal his or her closet. But he was glad that he didn't take prison on his career path. Or on a hospital bed.

That reminiscent aside, the older man went ahead to the peephole-less door. But not before stopping three paces away to the destination. A vibration from his pocket sent his mind to another dimension. He picked the phone and checked the message inbox. A new one had popped up. Not from his son, but it was registered from an unrecogniseable phone number. It has the words, 'We have to talk.'

This form of writing... Could it be...

This had set his heart in a tsunami. This person... She could not be here!

If his secret goes out, their plan would be in jeopardy!

In a big stride, Mr. Hibari opened the door to reveal a woman with reddish-purple strands swaying with the wind, a dark rose sophisticated dress (which looked like she was attending a work Christmas party than visiting a long lost friend), and a big thick black scarf adorning her neck and shoulders. Yep, totally not visiting a house but a party.

But, this is not the problem at hand.

"Well, long time, no see... Miura-san."

Yes, those green eyes revealed his nightmares which would change their lives altogether.

"... Bianchi?"

oooOOOooo

A man with a strangely prince look was a very pleasant sight on this cheap type of subirban nightlife.

Who wouldn't agree?

Well, look at him. With his golden anti-gravity locks, a godlike pair of sea-blue eyes, masculine nose, perfectly crafted chin, a strangely black attire with golden chains and buttons, and a shining black cape...

Hm-mm-mm.

All ladies within any age call him the very exact dictionary definition of a dark prince, which was immediately changed to prince of the night because of his sweet smile which could make every woman pass out.

"Hey, Miss? Where can I find this place?"

A flashed smile.

And a woman who had her pupils rolled backwards.

Such a dreamy gentleman. He really wasn't fit to this place.

However, the one prince of the night Ieyasu Sawada fairly knew to himself he shouldn't be wearing this garb in the middle of the busy street. He was fairly sure he could sweep off any woman to his charming looks without pushing any effort at all.

Except for one.

And she was the main reason why he was here in the first place.

To think that she was the first woman, ever, to defy the natural law of a dynasty. She trully is amusing.

He had already lost his face to his father when this woman did not show her face and was replaced by her bubbly-eyed partner. Not only her, but his younger cousin did not show up, as well. Good thing his fiancee accompanied their very awkward dinner with boring people and bland conversation. It was also a good thing that the auburn-haired girl gave light to their 'business meeting' with her perky and sunny outlook. Ah, Tsuna was sure very lucky.

Though he had known the back story of his younger kin, he couldn't help but to silently remorse for the woman he allegedly cheated from the backlight.

Attorney Miura has been an independent woman with an attitude problem. But that can be fixed.

And that added feature gave her a cute character, he couldn't help but to be mesmerised by her own hidden beauty.

After seventeen queries to brave females (who eventually passed out the moment he turned his back three seconds later), he finally located the alcohol establishment.

La Mer.

"Hello?"

"Giotto-nii?" The brunette on the other line sounded as if he had a stuffy nose.

Stranged, he asked. "Tsuna-kun, are you okay? Your date's here, you know?"

"I know." A sniff. "I'm still busy here, can't leave my last paperwork."

Oh, the resignation work. "... Okay, I understand."

"Wait!" At this, the yell sounded like a croaking chicken. There was definitely going on. "Please pick Haru in La Mer. She has a very low alcohol tolerance, and it is not very safe for her to be staying in an all-male establishment at this time of night."

To put two and two together, there was an emotional turmoil still happening between those two. "Okay... I'll do it."

"Okay, thanks... "

If the younger one could not handle this emotional breakout anymore, how much more could she take?

And he was correct. The already drunk woman, no more clean bun on her head, disheveled collar from her suit, and reeking of Dionysus3 was definitely the same woman he had met on the very first day. In front of her were three vodka bottles, two sangria, five brandies, and six more which were already unrecogniseable from their shattered state, save for their heads which were spared for him to count.

This abnormal number of alcohol intake convinced the blue-eyed man that she had it worse. It was a wonder she wasn't overdosed yet.

He went towards the direction where the woman was drinking her seventeenth bottle. He sat beside her, and pulled the beverage away from her hands. He asked the bartender of the final bill, but halfway for the bottle's destination to his other side, she snatched the bottle back. And she started her slurry bad-mouthed version of every Eminem rap full of angry yells and all kinds of curses in every language which can make every ears bleed from their intensities.

"Oi, Tsuna! We're all good... right?... Right?! Right?!"

He pulled out several folds of napkin the bartender gave him as he tended to the female wiping alcohol suds, running mascara, smudged lipstick, and other dirt sticking to her face.

In response, the brown-haired female snappily shoved his hands away from her face, and slammed the bottle to the table, the glass creating cracks from that strange force coming from the weak vulnerable female.

She exclaimed while she was crying. "What?! Trying to look out at me now?! Thanks! But no thanks... You see, we're no longer this... and to turn your back so sudden?! Do you think I would be happy?!... I should - I shouldn't fall in love so... pathetically!"

He pulled her by her arms to press her to his chest. Even without the mercy from public eyes, he still willed himself to do this for her. Embarrassing as it may say, but he wanted to be the only one she can cry on, even if she would probably forget this ever happened - something from his chest burned - by the next day.

So, he hugged her. Second by second, he was feeling the warm wetness spreading and seeping though his clothes.

"Why? Why, why, oh God, why?... I still love you, I still love you, I still love you, I still... love... "

Crying to sleep, Haru was still clinging to his clothes. He still had to send her back home. So, he requested for the bill of her casualties for the last time, paid a generous amount of two million yen in cheque without waiting for change, then went out of the bar towards her car.

It wasn't really hard to find it, since it was the only bulletproofed-looking Hummer around. Just like its prideful owner.

It was also a good thing he sought her out despite of the weather. Her keys were in her left hand. At this point, her life would be five times in danger once a thief - or a rapist - found out who she was.

Minutes later, they were already in her house, and he was tucking her on her bed. Once settled, he picked a wet cloth and wiped her face clean of her matured make-up, revealing a sleeping goddess underneath a thick layer of foundation.

He already knew she was very beautiful without any make-up on. But looking at her face right then... his heart made a leap.

If he could describe her, she would be Galatea, a work of art. Beautiful, so beautiful that the creator himself had entirely fallen deeply in passionate love with the thing he crafted. Shameful enough, this perfection is just made out of ivory and stone, not human flesh, motionless for his eyes.

And right now, he could describe himself as 'the creator' of it. But not in the way he literally created her, but he still thought of her as that tragic statue.

Placing the stray strands out of her face, his right hand cupped her chin. He could not help himself, staring at her like this is already a dream come true. A prince in search of his princess had finally closed its ending -

"Tsuna... "

He sighed. Yes, he was hopeless romantic, he knew.

They just met weeks ago!

But in just a short span of time, he experienced being a third wheel of a one-sided love.

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The drive to the Hibari house was way too silent, that a single drop of a needle can echo around the car. Ever since that incident, neither him now the psychology dean uttered any word. They were afraid that whatever conversation they will create will turn into a more awkward situation than that in the accident site.

Being the more talkative of the two, Hibari the tooth fairy, could no longer endure this silent treatment.

He has been naturally silent since the day he was born. But this kind of silence has been torturous ringing his ears. He could endure himself being bullied by his peers, the shouting of the annoying juniors, or even dealing with the newly-acquainted brunette's yelling and rude remarks, just to get away from this deathly hollows of silence.

To be added on his sanity breakdown was the lack of any kind of entertainment. The radio was not turned on. The CD player was not turned on. The dashboard was not even entertaining enough to look at; no stuffed toys, no personalised materials, nothing.

Well, it was a good thing that he regularly brought his cellular mobile like a dutiful boy scout. He pulled the only thing that could bring him back to the land of the living. Unlocking the screen and hearing its small beep sound, sounded like freedom. He then proceeded to text his father.

His text message went by this: 'Hey, Dad. Just hitch hiked with my co-teacher. Arriving home as of this point.'

He knew that his text message came a little bit earlier than the perpetual fifteen minutes, but not handling any further stress with this cringing silence would make him crazy. So crazy, that he almost opened all of the selections from his phone's menu and he didn't notice they were approaching the final corner to his house.

He was deeply immersed to the current phone application, that the time they had already reached the low-bricked fences and short black gate, only the indigo-haired woman's hand had had paused him from doing so.

"... You know that there's a use for that Chomper, right?" She said, pointing to the black space he seemed he left out open. He flushed, embarrassed from that obvious fact. "Sorry, you're right... " Then, he looked up to see their house's yard. "We're here... "

He hastily locked his phone, but his face had lit up in realisation. Yes, he was with his former love interest. What will he do? Would he just leave her there, shake her hand like it was just a business meeting, or kiss her...

No, he was not in a position where he could do that. Being heartbroken by rejection just steeled his resolve.

But to rudely dismiss her hastily might leave a deeper dent to their relationship and might given her a bad impression. So...

Leaving the lame second option behind, he face her again and offered his hand. She just stared back.

"Hey, Chrome... I know that this is just uncalled for... but my dad's already cooking right now - probably finished as we speak... So maybe if you could join us?"

The woman shook her head, politely declining the offer. "No, no. I don't want to impose. Please, spend time with your family."

A memory flashed in his mind upon hearing her decline. The 'event' earlier, when he saw Kyoko's fiancee and their 'private talk' after, which will happen later.

He internally shuddered.

"Maybe some other time, then?" The ravenhead asked. She answered by humming her approval.

Satisfied with her answer, he went out of her car and waved his hand goodbye. She also did the same, then she turned the car engine on. It revved back to life, its wheels had turned. Chrome waved for the last time before gripping the steering wheel and turn back to the original path they had once passed. He had stood there staring at the moving vehicle, until its silhouette disappeared. He sighed, in sync with the slowing paces of his beating heart. He didn't know why, but it seemed his heart went irregular beats while he was in that car ride. was it because of anticipation?

He felt his face hot, as well.

What the heck?! Did he still harbour affections towards her?!

Now, his feelings were all messed up.

Yes, he needs that island vacation or whatever it is called.

With an unsettled thought and confused emotions at war, Hibari went to their house's gate.

But, upon closing the gate, the ravenhead heard conversing voices from the dining area - or was that the receiving area, or perhaps the living area? He couldn't make out of the place where the voices were from.

The voices kept on increasing their volume.

"I can, and I will. I never hold back my promises." That voice came from his father which sounded very angry.

Wao.

His father was very angry for the very first time. He had never seen - or heard - his father too mad to scream bloody enough for him to cower as a child.

"But all promises are made to be broken. Not by you, but by the people around you." That was a female, he didn't know that voice, unfortunately. She definitely sounded grave, too.

"Well, the only way to find out." The professor said to himself, as he walked to the main door, hearing their discussion so clearly.

"I'll take this to my grave. I know what kind of situation I'm in, and I'm aware of its consequences!"

"And you know how to run away?! Great job, then!"

"Don't get smart with me!"

"And you call yourself smart?!"

"He will never find out!"

"Or her?"

"... Or her - "

"... "

SCREEECH!

When he opned the door, as sure as it is, they were yelling at the doorway. That was the reason their voices were echoing. The discussing adults had went silent. When he turned fully to face the two after closing the door back, he saw his father's red face like he was swarmed with fire ants (although he wouldn't dare say it because he was not familiar of his father's other side's existence), and the other one with the lace dress hurriedly covered her head with the black scarf. That person then swiftly walked up to the door as he let her through.

But, a fingerful strands of hair of purple-reddish shade suddenly slipped and swayed to her left shoulder didn't miss his watchful eyes. She then opened the main door.

Halfway towards the other side, she made her last statement, "... One way. There's always one way a mask can be concealed."

The door had shut closed.

His father made a deep exhale.

Hibari turned his head back to where his father stood, the older's face returning to its original colour. Feeling safe to do so, he asked.

"Who's she?"

Instead of a smile he was used to, all he received was a stern face, a steely pair of black pools, and a curt reply which sure can end a conversation savagely. "She's a colleague."

That also killed a supposedly happy dinner.

The ravenhead professor just stared at the ceiling in his bedroom afterwards, losing his strength to do his usual tasks at school.

With the unsettled storms inside his gut, and with how the events had turned out today...

And he still couldn't find a way to sleep.

Oh, how he wanted to have that vacation very badly.

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(1) This, if you are familiar with older times, when all television are still functioning and the media are not meddling the The Real Housewives or The Kardashians or any reality show where only the children under adults' skin were only focused (save for the late Lady Diana), they televise all cook shows. In particular, this longest running cooking show, the Dosanko Cooking (1974) had received the Guiness Book of World Records on 2004 for the title of longest running cooking show, with Hoshizawa Sachiko-sama (1951) as the longest show running host. Check this out (Japan Program Catalogue), I couldn't guarantee there would be series showing here, as they were only shown in a cooking channel (The Asian Food Channel).

(2) Also known as multiroom, TV Box, Digibox, the decoder is the new mode of watching TV without spending too much time trying too hard to adjust your TV antenna when there's too much sunlight, too much rain, too much wind, too much snow, and any too much weather's extremes. Yes, all good's in this kind of generation, but in every man-made's creation has its flaws. This also experiences signal disruption when those extremes happens. If there would be the most perfect decoders around, I would buy it, even if it costs my life! (RAWR!)

(3) Okay, this is one of the product of my current hobby (just kidding!), just a part of the lectures from Greek Mythology, but still trying to be good at it (I AM A SCIENCE MAJOR STUDENT AND TEACHES SCIENCE). Dionysus, or Bacchus on Roman version, is originally a Greek god of vines, wine, then converted to insanity, and then theatre. He was the last Greek god to enter Mount Olympus, and the only God with a human parent (Zeus the father and Semele the mother). He had traveled the land of human and taught people how to cultivate grapes and to show the process of making wine, thus the lame description I made for Haru's state summarised what you could think with this god. Despite all of this, though, Dionysus is one of my favorite Greek god ever since high school. I have been in love with the Greek literature, funny I became a science lunatic...

Oooh, a brewing storm is finally hitting these confusing characters. But, you have to remember, that on this day, a new character has been added to this story. For those of you who have been following this one up, there were originally two characters, then three, then four.

So funny, hehehe~

However, this chapter is going to take your curiousity on a higher level (Even I was also shocked on how did this turned out!). This is no longer the puny little silly thingies bunched up just for the title of it. The main intention of this story is to not only revel the characters on a lighter shade. Of course, this is a longer one-shot AU, why only stick with just one thing, right?

On the next chapters, you will see several mysteries which will bring your mind to a question (Which probably I would wonder how my creation ended up after writing it). Hibari would be more than just a philosophical fairytale godmother character. Haru would be more than just the cold-hearted wolf. Love triangles would be more than just love triangles - and what's this?! MR. HIBARI IS MR. MIURA?! How did it happen?!

I even don't know how did it turned out.

Please let me know how you think of this chapter. You can butcher me whatever you like~~~ Thank you for your support :)