AUTHOR'S NOTES: And so junior high for the Vongola 10th Generation ends and their futures begin.
I know this one wasn't quite as action packed as my other stories in the "Future Revised" Series have been, but I had to get through all the events that happened because they were kind of important, but would have dragged "Oncoming Storm" out far too long and slowed the pace too much.
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! is the property of Akira Amano and all the actual characters belong to her. The original characters and storyline created for "Future Revised" are created by my overactive imagination and my wish to see KHR carried out even further (and to develop Haru to the potential I saw with her when I first watched the series so long ago).
Thank you for staying with me all the way until the end.
Target XX-03: What the Storm Leaves Behind
"Haru?"
Haru started as Gokudera's voice echoed across the room and quickly dashed away the tears and taking a deep breath before turning to face him with a bright smile pasted into place. "Good evening, Gokudera," she said with forced cheerfulness. "Is everything squared away for the flight tomorrow?"
"Yes. We'll be leaving after lunch to go to the airport and catch a plane to Italy," Gokudera said.
"I hope you'll have a safe journey. You'll text me when you get there right, no matter what time it is here in Japan?" Haru asked, turning back and folding the picture of them in the maroon t-shirt before she put it in his bag.
"Haru…"
His voice was closer now and Haru forced herself to continue working on packing up the things that would be going with him to Italy. She was going to be keeping his apartment to use as a base of operations—it could be secured a little more easily than trying to explain to her father what the changes around the house were from. Tsuna's family house had already been sold and there wasn't really anywhere else that wouldn't raise eyebrows around town if they tried to figure out how a high school girl was affording a place.
A pair of warm hands closed around her shoulders and Haru felt herself pulled back into the familiar warmth of Gokudera's chest. "Stop pretending you're okay," he ordered softly. "I know you're not."
Haru stiffened, willing herself not to lean into him. "Would you rather I broke down, cried, and begged you not to leave?" she demanded.
"At least it would be more honest," Gokudera retorted.
Haru turned in his arms and glared up at him. "And it wouldn't make a bit of difference. You're still going to go to Italy with Judaime no matter what. I don't want your last memory of me to be that pathetic."
He cupped her cheek and tilted her head upwards, meeting her brown eyes with gray green eyes that reflected his own sadness. "You have no idea how difficult this is," he whispered and leaned down and kissed her softly.
Haru fought the tears for another moment and then they began to pour down her cheeks. "I don't want either of you to go," she whispered, her fingers tangling in Gokudera's shirt. "Can I even handle all of this Gokudera?"
"You can," Gokudera said, his other hand smoothing through her hair and down to her waist as he pulled her in closer. "I trained you, remember? I'm the best."
Haru giggled in spite of herself. She was keenly aware of the odd emptiness that was filling her more as every second passed ticking away the time that was left for them on Japanese shores.
He urged her face up again and pressed his forehead against hers. "You can do this and we'll be back before you know it, just watch."
Haru closed her eyes. "Does that come with a written guarantee?" she asked and then shifted and captured his lips with hers, drawing him in deeper to the kiss.
"You know it doesn't, Haru," Gokudera replied after they parted.
"It was worth a shot anyway," she said. "I've already told Father I was staying over at a friend's tonight."
Gokudera's arms tightened around her.
"When you get up to leave in the morning, don't wake me up. I don't want to cry again."
"Haru?"
Gokudera's breath caught as she tangled her hand with his. "Please?"
"I…" he trailed off and then simply gave in. "Okay."
The next morning, Haru woke up to an empty bed and turned over, her arm flopping to the cold side of the mattress. She made an exclamation of pain as her wrist connected with something hard and brown eyes landed on the maroon shirt her arm landed on. She sat up in the bed and pulled it to her, there was a scrap of paper sitting on the top and she read it:
It's my favorite shirt. I'll be coming back for it.
Haru couldn't help the giggle that escaped her and pulled out the picture that had been secured inside and stared at it for a long moment. Gokudera had switched the picture of him and her for another one. It was a shot of the entire group somehow or another even including Hibari and Mukuro along with Kyoko, Chrome, the kids, and all the others.
She held the photograph against her chest and closed her eyes, willing the tears that tried to come back. "No matter what," she promised, "I'll keep Namimori safe until we can all be back together again."
#
"So Tsuna-kun really went to Italy?"
Kyoko's question came two days later as the girls sat a table at their favorite cake shop indulging in one last 'self appreciation day' before the Kyoko left.
"Yes, his father had business there and decided it was time to have his family with him again," Haru said.
"Haru…" Kyoko scowled.
"Family in every sense of the word, Kyoko-chan," Haru said.
"Are you okay?" Kyoko asked.
Haru felt tears well up in her eyes and dashed them away. "Yes, I'm fine," she said, "or at least I will be. Gokudera did what he felt he had to do and I will do what I need to do."
"You'll just be enjoying your high school life, right?" Kyoko asked.
"You already know the answer to that one, Kyoko-chan," Haru said.
"I can always hope, right?" Kyoko smiled.
Haru chuckled. "For all intents and purposes, that's my plan at present. If things get derailed, it won't be because I didn't try."
Kyoko dug her fork into the creamy strawberry cake and brought the bite to her mouth. "I'm going to miss this place so much," she said wistfully.
"You'll have to experiment at the shops around where you're going to live," Haru said. "Then when I come to visit, you can take me to the best ones."
"I like that idea," Kyoko said. "So you'll come to visit me?"
"When I can, I promise," Haru replied.
#
Haru posed with her friends as pictures were snapped of them proudly displaying their diplomas. Everywhere Haru looked, she saw people gathering together and the hole left in her by her friends' departures yawned wider. She'd been able to attend the ceremony and congratulate Kyoko, Chrome, and Yamamoto as the Namimori Junior ceremony was the day before the Midori ceremony, but her friends hadn't be able to attend hers. Chrome had once again been swept up by Mukuro and Kyoko's parents had given her just enough time after the ceremony to change into something comfortable before they piled into the moving truck—Kyoko's father's first day would be on Monday and he wanted to have most of the house settled out before he went.
"It's going to be weird not to see you in the Midori uniform."
The words made Haru jump and she turned to see Yamamoto leaning casually against the tree that she'd met Tsuna under a few times and Gokudera many times. The baseball player shoved away from the trunk and smiled at her. "You look like you need some cheering up," he noted. "Want to go hit some baseballs?"
Haru chuckled. "Not particularly. The last time we did that I wound up with a black eye."
"The machine was messed up, they've fixed it now," he said.
"I'll still pass," Haru said.
He guffawed. "Then how about some sushi to celebrate?" he asked. "I know you're going out with your dad tonight to celebrate, but he doesn't get off work for a while, right?"
"I'm okay, Yamamoto," Haru said. "I promise."
"How about for me then?" he asked. "It's been boring without Gokudera and Tsuna around and sempai is in Okinawa with his family until school starts again."
"Well, since you asked so nicely, why not?" Haru said. "Akai is off dealing with Hanatachi business."
The two chuckled and headed for Yamamoto's family's shop and entered. Tsuyoshi Yamamoto smiled at the two and gestured towards one of the unoccupied booths. It was getting towards the end of lunch and the restaurant was starting to clear out.
"Oh, Takeshi, your uniform arrived," Tsuyoshi said. "It's up in your room. Try it on to make sure it fits."
"I will in a bit, Pops," he said.
"Now, Takeshi. I need to know if we need to get alterations made," Tsuyoshi frowned.
Yamamoto laughed and gave Haru an apologetic look. "I'll be right back."
"No problem," Haru said and gave Yamamoto's dad quiet thanks as he put some green tea in front of her.
"Any friend of Takeshi's is welcome here, you know that already Miura-san," he said, "though it'll be less lively around here without the others."
"Yeah, it will," Haru agreed.
She sipped the tea and picked at the sushi in front of her even though it was her favorite, Tsuyoshi had memorized all of the Vongola's favorites. Haru watched him work and chat with some of the last customers; she was no closer to getting answers about how much he knew about them than she had been at the beginning of the summer. All of her contacts so far had come up with nothing or if someone knew they weren't telling.
"Ah, it looks good. A bit tight across the shoulders though, we'll have to get that fixed."
Tsuyoshi's words jarred Haru out of her contemplations and she turned and her jaw dropped.
"That's a Takanamori uniform!"
Yamamoto gave her a sheepish smile. "Well, yeah," he said. "They have a better baseball team than Namimori and their coach scouted me out and talked me into trying there instead. Besides we're part of the same team, we've got to man the field together."
Something loosened in Haru's stomach and she smiled at Yamamoto. "I guess so," she said.
Even though Gokudera, Tsuna, and Kyoko weren't going to be there, the new school year suddenly seemed a lot less intimidating.
END NOTE: Thank you for taking the time to read this story and the others. I really appreciate it and the feedback that I've gotten over the course of writing these stories.
"The Future Revised" series will continue on May 3rd (because Haru's birthday seems oddly appropriate) with Flowers in Namimori:
Haru is facing the coming year at Takanamori High with dread. Kyoko has moved to Okinawa and Gokudera and Tsuna moved to Italy leaving a large void in the crime world of Namimori. Rumors abound of organizations formerly held in check by the strong Vongola presence stirring trouble and Haru must find a way to hold them (and the Vongola 10th Gen Cloud Guardian) in check. Further complicating matters is the arrival of Chiharu Ishida, the youngest daughter of the Ishida Clan in Kyoto, who will be residing in the Miura household for the duration of high school Is she friend or foe? Haru isn't sure, but one thing she does know is that she won't be "enjoying her high school" life as Kyoko so earnestly wished.
For those who have missed the action-packed stories that came before Season's End, I promise you aren't going to be disappointed in the newest installment.
If you've had enough of my world, thank you for coming along as far as you did.
May you find wonderful fictions in the future that spark your imagination and continue to feed your love for your favorite series ^_^
Regards,
Yuki Seki