PS if you're wondering about the song. it's "Sea" by Yui. The lyrics below is in English but I assure you the song is indeed Japanese! I suggest you listen to it while reading this :D
"Birds sing after a storm. Why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever sunlight remains to them?"
Rose Kennedy
"Do you remember?"
"Hmm…?"
Tsuna looks around at the old abandoned Kokuyo Land. The rides already plastered to the ground as the weeds and vines pull kept it in place. The building was already run down but still, the structure held up. Shizuko scans the place and touches the broken down game machines, it seems that the wall between the arcade room and the cafeteria room had already crumbled away too.
"Do you remember," Shizuko repeats as she lifts up her hand and points to the lone table near the corner of the room, the chairs already broken and useless. "When we were still in elementary, we used to eat at that spot." She chuckles lightly. "I'm surprised it hasn't crumbled away like the rest of the place."
"Yeah," Tsuna whispers as he remembers the memory. "You used to always eat cake."
"Remember why we were in here rather than outside?"
He chuckles lightly as he runs his fingers through his slightly spiky brown hair. "Because the rides made me queasy."
She chuckles as she moves forward and touches the table lightly. "Hey! Tsuna come over here!" Tsuna obeys as his expensive Italian black shoes move nimbly to avoid the rubble on the chipped tiled floor. He stands in front the table, hovering over Shizuko, and peers at it slowly; a smile grows on his lips as he saw what was carved on the table. The words were barely readable but with no mistake, it read:
Tsuna was sick so we decided to eat cake!
-Shizuko
Only Shizuko was eating cake…she doesn't like to share.
-Tsuna
Both of them laugh simultaneously. Tsuna holds his stomach and doubles over and Shizuko wipes the tear forming in her eyes.
"It's true," Tsuna comments, already calming down from his laughing fit. "You never liked sharing."
"Hey!" Shizuko slightly punches his arm and smiles. "It was chocolate frosted cake. Sue me."
"I might have to," Tsuna extends his arms and lightly ruffles up her hair. Shizuko looks up, desperately trying to hold down the blush forming on her cheeks. "But maybe not."
She snaps out of her trance and quickly turns away, she rubs her eyes profusely so as to distract herself from Tsuna. From his smile. From his kind gestures. From everything that could cause her to fall back into the same trap years before. She looks at the window and watches the birds fly in the blue sky bringing back a song she could barely recall until now. She closes her eyes, opens her mouth and says the words,
"There will naturally be times when we are down as long as life goes on. Crying in the weak rays of sunlight which embrace me. Smiling while standing in the wind which always shows me the way."
"Huh?" Tsuna turns to her. She turns around and smiles at him, something in her smiled tugged the heartstrings of his heart, urging him to remember.
"I just remembered the song suddenly. It's an old song." She tilts her head and smiles. "Want me to sing it?"
Tsuna's eyes widen as he turns his head and looks at the wall that was barely there. How long has it been since he heard her sing? He used to remember when Lambo, I-pin, and Fuuta were still kids. She would read them a story to urge them to fall asleep and if that didn't work, she'd sing them a song and they'd fall asleep immediately. There was also a time when she sang to Tsuna too…if he remembered correctly, it was on his fifteenth birthday. She even said that, that was the first time she ever sang in front of anyone…it was what gave her confidence to sing in a singing competition…and she won too.
"Sure," Tsuna nods. "I'd love to hear you sing."
She nods and looks down on the floor, blushing. "A-Alright but don't expect anything great or something…it's been a while since I last sang."
"I'll wait." Shizuko looks up and saw the serene smile on the mafia bosses face. The same smile that gave her the confidence and strength to do so many things. To give her the strength to almost confess. Almost but never quite there.
She sighs and closes her eyes, trying to assemble the lyrics in her head and once she had did so. She opened her mouth and let the song take over.
'There will naturally be times when we are down as long as life goes on'
Crying in the weak rays of sunlight which embrace me
Smiling while standing in the wind which always shows me the way
Her voice was weak at first, but gradually it got stronger. Filling the abandoned room with her beautiful voice. Tsuna closed his eyes, trying to remember from the cresses of his mind as to where he heard the song before.
When the season of blooming sunflowers arrive
I'll go to meet you, I'll go to meet you
I am able to become gentle
Ah, he mused silently. Now he remembered. It was an awful day for his younger self as he returned him sobbing and teary eyed. His mother urged him to tell her what was wrong but he didn't budge. Everything else about the memory faded in contrast as he only remembered one thing and one thing only.
Can that sea still be viewed from the window?
Everybody, everybody, are you all doing fine?
I cannot always be crying
Shizuko went directly towards him, sat down, opened her mouth and sang. First were weird songs that she came up on the spot and then this song came flowing from her mouth. It was light, it was beautiful. It made him stop crying and listen. It had embarrassed him that he was crying, practically weeping, in front of Shizuko. But Shizuko paid no heed to it and continued to sing—comforting him in her own little ways.
After peaceful times challenges will arise again
Thinking such thoughts is agonizing
The memories which lay still cry
I wish to leave them as they are
Hearing the sound of the waves
Yes, this was that made him happy that day. This song that filled his tiny little heart—seemingly fixing the broken pieces of his heart back into place.
Running around the sandy beach barefooted
So happy, so enjoyable
Humming along a song
Do you gaze at the sky of your hometown?
I had forgotten, I had forgotten
I cannot always be crying
But now, as Tsuna listened closer. Her voice became quivery—like the meaning of the song held more importance to her heart than the last time she sang it. Tsuna opened his eyes, just a crack, and frowned. He could see her desperately trying to hold back the tears as her lip quivered. Every word seemingly harder to pronounce than the last. He closed his eyes again and continued to listen—it was not his place to ask.
I can't move forward if I always want everything
I know that too
It's just that the future I envisioned back then had been brighter
When the season of blooming sunflowers arrive
I'll go to meet you, I'll go to meet you
I am able to become gentle
Can that sea still be viewed from the window?
Everybody, everybody, are you all doing fine?
I cannot always be crying
Thank you always
oh my Sea
She opens up her eyes, her heart feeling a little heavy but a little lighter too she quickly wipes away the small tears forming at the corner of her eyes as she looks at Tsuna and saw the blank face he was sporting, she quickly looks away.
"W-What?" Shizuko stutters out. "Did my voice croak o-or did my face do something o-odd?"
"No," Tsuna shakes his head and walks forward, looking down at her with a soft gaze. "Your voice was perfect."
It was not his place to ask, he reminded himself.
She sighs in relief as she looks up. Her heart beat speeds up as she noticed how close he was, how his eyes looked…strange.
RIIINNGG
Tsuna, surprised, takes a step back and fishes around for his phone in his pocket. He flips the phone open and hurriedly murmurs something before closing it back again. He looks at Shizuko and she looks back. "Sorry, but I have to go. Reborn has something for me to do. Do you need a ride or—"
"No," She shakes her head. "I think I'll stay here for awhile. Survey the place for a bit; see what memories come cropping back up again."
"Alright," He starts to walk towards the exit but stops midway and turns around, seriousness etched on his face. "Be careful."
Her eyes widen a bit but then she smiles. "Always."
And with that he stepped out of the door. She patiently waited for the sound of the car engine revving up to reach her ears before falling to her knees and gripping her hair tightly.
"AHHH! What the hell am I doing? I'm here to fix a heart! How did it come to that situation!" She sighs tiredly and hides her face behind her hands. "Somehow, I think I should be grateful for Reborn's timing."
She drops her hands, stands up, and dusts away the dirt on her pants and starts to walk out of the crumbled away door too. She knew that she shouldn't be feeling this way but at the same time, she knew she had no chance.
Can she really tell her brain what her heart has been feeling all this time?
Emotions were spilling over and she had no way to stop it.
She had to though.
She had to.
Dear God, I miss writing! I've never realized how I miss writing until I planted my butt on the chair and started, well, writing!
Well, expect more chapters for this guys! I really miss this story~
Until next time!
