"Just when I think I have learned the way to live, life changes." - Hugh Prather


Last night had seemed like a dream, and Tsuna still thought he was dreaming. He hadn't slept a wink, not realizing it until dawn approached hours later. The strange kid was lying in his bed, wound cleaned and bandaged with some difficulty since Tsuna's hands had trembled too much. The boy didn't stir awake while Tsuna was up.

After removing the kid's suit jacket, which looked six times the cost of his own salary and custom-fit , Tsuna had stared at it for a good moment. He had honestly didn't want to touch it, afraid that it might as well go up in flames, until he finally decided to wash it; the blood stain didn't belong there. He had ended up changing the kid out of his clothes and fitting him with the smallest shirt and shorts he could find in his closet.

Until dawn, Tsuna had replayed the bizarre turn of events in his head repeatedly. He had dropped off his last customer at a hotel before a kid had suddenly climbed in the backseat and some crazy shit happened. Guns, glowing fire, some psycho lady who totaled the company car. Nothing had made sense and still didn't. Tsuna was pretty sure he was fired from the taxi company if they found out, but when he had returned to the place where it all happened, the car and woman were gone. He didn't deny having a small panic attack when he saw how clean the streets were as if nothing happened. Did that mean…this really had been all a weird dream?

"Sawada-kun," a smooth voice said, "are you alright?"

Tsuna jumped, snapping out of his reverie. He looked down at his electric pan and yelped when he saw the okonomiyaki burning. After he threw them out, he poured more batter in the skillet. Even though it was morning, some customers bustled around the supermarket; the sound of rattling carts and quiet chatter swirled around him in a haze as he wiped his brow with his arm. He forced on a smile. "Yes, I'm sorry, Kawahira-san."

The other man wore the same green kimono every time they met. He was Tsuna's most loyal customer, always appearing near the end of Tsuna's shift since he started working in the supermarket and buying any remaining samples he had. It was a very kind gesture, which got Tsuna a good rep with his manager, and the man was nice to talk to, even if he was a little strange at times.

"You seem like your mind is elsewhere," Kawahira said. "It's best to pour out your troubles or else they'll overflow and you'll be left with more wreckage than you started with."

Tsuna huffed a small laugh. "I know." He flipped the okonomiyaki over. "We're selling some new okonomiyaki batter today. It also comes with a sauce if you purchase it."

Kawahira nodded. "I'd like a sample, please."

Tsuna smiled. Even though Kawahira ate a sample first, he always ended up buying them anyways. "Of course."

A brief, comfortable silence passed between them before Tsuna placed an okonomiyaki on a small plastic plate. "Be careful," he said, handing it to Kawahira. "It's very hot."

"Thank you, Sawada-kun." Kawahira said. He cut a small piece with his fork and blew on it gently. "So, tell me. What quandaries ail you today?" He smiled. "I've never seen you this troubled before."

Tsuna flushed. "Oh, no. I'm alright really."

Kawahira smiled slightly. "I see. I apologize for pushing you. I tend to be quite nosy when I want to be."

Tsuna shook his head. "No, no. It's okay, Kawahira-san." It was a little sad honestly, that a stranger seemed to worry about him more than his own parents did. The last he heard from them was months ago when his mother told him that they'd be going to some island he forgot the name of. "It's not…very appropriate for me to just dump my troubles on you like that."

"It's not inappropriate if you're talking to a friend, no?"

Tsuna blinked. "Friend…?"

Kawahira chuckled. "I do like our small talks, Sawada-kun. At this point, we would be considered more than patron and supplier; at least, I hope so."

Tsuna returned to attending the okonomiyaki on his pan, hiding his face from the other man's gaze. It was nice to still have this small bit of normalcy in his life. He peered up to see Kawahira chew on his okonomiyaki carefully; it was fascinating how the man could eat something so elegantly. Kawahira didn't speak much about himself but despite his young appearance, he seemed older than he seemed. Granted, Tsuna didn't really tell him much about himself either, it was as if Kawahira knew him in some ways he didn't know.

"How is it?" Tsuna said.

Kawahira smiled. "Delicious as always."

Tsuna returned the gesture. "I'm glad."


As soon as his shift ended, Tsuna took the bus back home. Scrolling through his phone, he noticed that there wasn't any messages from Tanaka, his boss at the taxi company. On one hand, he was relieved to see that he hadn't exactly lost the job—yet, anyways—but on the other, he was a little confused. Maybe the company car wasn't destroyed…? Then did that mean the boy, the crazy woman, and colorful fires weren't real, too?

He scratched the back of his head while he searched for his keys in his bag. The hallways were fairly narrow but not suffocating and he lived on the third floor so it wasn't too bad climbing the stairs. The elevator malfunctioned often anyways. Tsuna unlocked his door and pushed it open. The living room was small with a TV and a worn couch. His credit card bills were still on the table along with a postcard his father had sent from wherever his parents' were. Tsuna picked it up and tossed it in the trash can. If he looked at it again, he was going to barf.

Nothing was out of place. The dishes in his kitchen sink were still untouched, not that it was a good thing. Dumping his bag on the couch, Tsuna headed for his bedroom, hesitating for a second when he reached the door. He let out a shaky breath before turning the handle. The room was dark and his bed was empty. The boy's suit he had washed and ironed was gone; in its place, the clothes he had dressed the boy in were tossed over the chair.

Tsuna's mind blanked. It…hadn't been a dream. A sudden knock came from his door, making him gasp. He glanced at the clock. It was around noon and the rent wasn't due today, but it could still be the landlady. He headed towards the door and pulled it open; his eyes widened when he saw two people in suits outside. There was an elaborate insignia on their breast pockets, almost too faint to be seen, but Tsuna could make out a clam and what seemed to be a bullet. "Erm, how may I help you?" he said, clearing his throat.

The woman, whose eyes were covered by black sunglasses, said, "May we come in? There's something urgent we need to discuss."

Tsuna blinked. "Um, I'm sorry but…who are you?"

"If you could let us in, we'll be able to explain everything. We aren't here to hurt you."

That…didn't really help much. The man whose hair was slicked back and had the same pair of sunglasses on spoke up then, "You're Sawada Tsunayoshi, correct?"

Tsuna tightened his grip on the handle. "Yes…"

"We're at the right place. Please, this won't take long."

After a few more seconds of deliberation, Tsuna opened the door wider to let them in. He licked his lips and wondered if he had made the wrong decision until the woman said, "We wanted to talk to you about the incident you were involved in last night."

Tsuna tensed. "I, um, last night?"

The strange people sat down on his couch. The man laid his briefcase on table, ignoring the bills, and unclipped it. Tsuna walked towards them slowly, trying to process what they meant. Oh God, were they going to kill him?

"W—Wait, I didn't do anything," Tsuna said, trying to save face. "I—This kid just entered my cab and told me to drive. He had a gun and there was this crazy lady that—"

"We know, Sawada-san," the man said. "That's why we're here. We were able to clean up the mess before people saw. We'd appreciate it if you didn't speak to anyone else about what happened the other night. In other words, you'd be better off with a clean slate." Tsuna gaped when the man opened the suitcase, revealing neatly stacked piles of yen bills. "This is 500 million yen. I believe it's enough, but we can always accommodate if you want more."

500 million yen? Tsuna stared at the money with wide eyes. He couldn't bring himself to speak, but his mind had other plans. He could probably take a break from work for years, maybe even go on vacation. He had always wanted to go to Europe. His rent wouldn't be an issue—he could probably find a better place to live—and his loans would be paid off in an instant. So many possibilities swam in his head that it made him nauseous.

"This—What—"

"It's a simple request," the woman said. "As long as you promise not to tell anyone what happened the other night, the money is yours to use as you like."

Tsuna's legs trembled underneath him. "I…can't take this money. It's…too much."

"You're welcome to take as much as you'd like."

"This—Why? Who are you?"

"It's best if you don't know who we are, Sawada-san."

Tsuna swallowed a small lump in his throat. The scent of fresh bills made his eyes water. He could still barely believe this. But there it was, a suitcase filled with money that could probably set him for life. "I won't tell anyone," he said slowly, "but…I can't just take this. I didn't really do anything."

"Not yet," the man said. "We won't take our chances. If you refuse to cooperate, we won't hesitate to handle this matter in other ways."

Tsuna glanced down at the man's waist. He didn't know if it was intentional or not but the man had slightly flicked his suit jacket to reveal a gun holster hidden behind. Okay, the decision wasn't really that hard. No one would believe him anyways if he told them what happened last night and Tsuna wasn't the type to gossip for a lack of better words. Honestly, he could really use some of the money, logically speaking of course; his heart just couldn't really accept it.

"I…I'll take some of it," Tsuna said. "I won't tell anyone."

There's no one to tell anyways, he thought vaguely.

The man placed a couple of piles of bills on the table. "Is this enough?"

Tsuna chewed on his lip. It was more than enough really. He took out two piles. "I'll just take this much then."

Wordlessly, the man packed the rest of the money back in the suitcase. Tsuna shifted awkwardly as the two stood up. He followed them to the door, opening it for them. The woman turned to him before she left. "It's best we don't see each other again, Sawada-san," she said. "Have a good day."

And just like that, they left. When their footsteps faded down the hallways, Tsuna finally closed the door and leaned his head against the cool wood. His heart pumped faster in his chest and his hands were clammy. He peered over his shoulder to see that the two piles of money were still on the table. He didn't feel much relief or comfort when he looked at them again, just some kind of emptiness that left him hollow.

Ah, he forgot to ask if the boy was okay…


It wasn't too hard to return to reality. Even if Tsuna had wads of cash hidden in his apartment, he had his priorities on straight. Counting that money nearly gave him a heart attack. It amounted to 6,000,000 yen, making Tsuna wonder if there was really 500 million yen in that suitcase.

"Tsuna-san," Kasumi said, "can you take over the register for a bit? I need to use the restroom real quick."

Lugging a bag of coffee beans onto some racks, Tsuna smiled at his coworker. "Yeah, sure."

Kasumi gave him a grin before leaving her register. Tsuna quickly took over and greeted the next customer. "Welcome to Ukiyo Café, sir. What would you like to order?"

He managed to get through three customers' orders before Kasumi returned. She smiled at him sheepishly. "Sorry about that," she said. "My brother just called all of a sudden."

Tsuna shook his head. "No, it's fine. I'll be in the back if you need me."

Kasumi smiled brightly, her black curls bouncing with her light steps. "Thank you, Tsuna-san!"

The café was quite busy and customers streamed in and out the doors constantly. It wasn't surprising since it was rush hour but all the more stressful when there were only four employees. Not even the cute décor of brown walls and colorful bears soothed their nerves. Something about the manager wanting to save money but they had enough to hire more people. Honestly, they needed the extra hands. Working at the café was worse than driving taxis at night or selling samples at the supermarket.

When he returned to the back to check the inventory again, a small shiver crawled up Tsuna's spine. He looked around the storage closet. There was no one but him and bags of coffee beans. Shaking his head, he pinched his cheek. "Get it together, Tsuna," he muttered, grabbing his clipboard. "You just need sleep."

"Do you always talk to yourself alone?"

Tsuna shrieked. He stumbled, crashing into a rack and knocking over some mugs. He flinched when they shattered on the ground. Shit. Kasumi and Hiro dashed to his side.

"Tsuna-san, are you okay?" Kasumi said, careful not to step on the glass.

Tsuna forced a smile. "Sorry, I—I thought I saw a bug."

Hiro raised a brow as he helped Tsuna up. "Ito-san won't be happy."

Tsuna grimaced. "Yeah, don't worry about me though. I'll clean it up."

Frowning, Kasumi checked to see if Tsuna had any injuries. "Are you sure? You seemed a little out of it when you came in. Do you need a break? I can fill in for your shift."

Tsuna shook his head. "Oh no, really, I'm okay. Besides, you have your exam tomorrow. You should go home and study." He forced on a smile. "Really, guys, I'm fine."

Hiro looked around the pantry. "I can ask Ito-san to call in some exterminators. We can't have bugs in the café."

"Oh, you don't have to go that far. I'm probably just seeing things."

Hiro deadpanned. "Then that's more than enough reason for you to take a break, Tsuna-san."

Tsuna just smiled sheepishly. "I'm fine. Go and tend to the customers. Ito-san won't be happy if you don't make money either."

Kasumi huffed. "Really, he needs to hand out some job applications or something. It'll do better for the economy. Better to have more workers than employees dead on their feet."

Tsuna chuckled as he patted her head, making her flush. "Exactly, so Kasumi should get her degree and make the best cafés in all of Japan later, okay? Go. The customers are waiting."

Hiro ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair in clear frustration but left first. Kasumi furrowed her brows in worry before she left too, but not before patting Tsuna's arm for comfort. Sighing, Tsuna crouched to carefully pick up the glass shards. He swore he heard a voice but there was no one else around.

"You heard right."

Tsuna flinched when a small shadow loomed over him. Slowly, he looked up to see the kid from before, dressed in his suit and looking relatively fine for the most part. "Y—You—"

"Chaos," the boy said, tipping his fedora slightly. "Get me some espresso."


A/N This was way overdue but here it is. :^D

500 million yen is equivalent to $4,463,409.00 or 3,836,188.45 euros. 6,000,000 yen is equivalent to $53,574.30 or 46,045.77 euros. Yeah, Vongola doesn't hold back, do they? :^|

Thank you for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter.

Have a lovely day~

Little Miss Bunny