Chapter 31: Rain

After the guardians were told that the brunette was indeed going to Japan, all of them can't wait to see him again. Fong, Colonnello and Lal Mirch excused themselves because they had other things to deal with like more investigating. The guardians went their separate ways with Gokudera going to who-knows-where, Yamamoto going back to the sushi shop, Chrome going to some store before going back to Kokuyo Land, Ryohei going to the boxing club's room and the head prefect tweety going to the reception room to take a nap or something.

Yamamoto Takeshi was making his way towards back home but decided against it. Instead, he went by a teammate's house for that meeting they arranged. He hummed a happy tune as he was walking. Some saw him and smiled.

"Youngsters have it easy these days…" some murmured while looking at the cheerful teen.

"KYA~ He's so cool!" squealed a girl with a braided hair wearing a school uniform.

"No way! He's totally in the 'cute' section!" argued another girl next to her.

Another girl shook her head, "He is most likely h-o-t~!"

Yamamoto just chuckled at what he heard. Hearing these kinds of things is not new. He had heard similar comments like that at school every single day. Girls from his school always smile at him and adore him. Those fake smiles... He could remember them as if it was only yesterday.

(Flashback...)

A young teen with short-cropped spiky black hair was grinning at his seat while being surrounded by numerous girls. He had just made the baseball team win a tournament and he instantly became a star. But he wasn't approached by the girls only. He was approached by both teachers and male students. They were all giving complements. Complements he knew that were too good to be true.

The teen knew that he was only popular now because he was the reason their school team won against another school. He was good at baseball. It first became just another sport to him that became a hobby and now, a part of him. He knew he needs to win the tournaments. But still, the teen felt some-what empty.

What was it?

What was wrong?

The teen had no idea. He just felt…

…alone…

But it all changed with a simple meeting with a person named Sawada Tsunayoshi…

…

"Nee, Yamamoto…"

"Nani Tsuna?"

"Doesn't it hurt you?"

Yamamoto raised a brow, "Huh?"

Tsuna looked at Yamamoto with a serious face, "Your smile…It isn't real…is it…"

Yamamoto was stunned at what the brunette had just said. His friend knew. He knew that he was not smiling from his heart. The brunette noticed it and was worried about him. Yamamoto was touched at the question. No one. As in no one could even notice it. He hid his real smile for a long time now but the brunette was able to notice it…

"Since when did you notice?" Yamamoto asked with his fake smile disappearing.

Tsuna shrugged and said, "Since when I first saw your smile…" And the brunette finally left to take his seat again since their class was once again starting.

Yamamoto recalled the teen's answer. 'Since the day we met?' The teen chuckled. The brunette was able to tell that it wasn't his real smile in the instant that he saw him smile. The baseball star smiled…a true smile... Little did he know that a certain brunette saw the real smile and smiled back. The said brunette closed his pencil case which has a mirror attached to its' inner cover.

(Back to the present..)

Yamamoto Takeshi has just entered his teammates house and surprised to see the whole team already there.

"Hey! You're late Takeshi!"

"This isn't like you."

"Something happened?"

The whole team started bombing him with questions and was soon quieted down since their teammate was just laughing it off. After they all settled down, everyone started to plan for their upcoming competition against their rival school. Yamamoto just sat there listening to the plan while his mind was elsewhere…

((Flashback…))

"So Yamamoto-kun, when's the big game?" the brunette asked the baseball star player. The teen laughed, "It's on Wednesday, Tsuna." When the brunette heard this, he saddened. The baseball teen seemed to notice this so he asked the brunette what was bothering him. Tsuna looked at the taller teen and bowed while saying his 'sorry'.

Yamamoto was taken aback. He had no idea why the brunette was apologizing and what for. Did he do something wrong? "T-Tsuna?"

"I'm so sorry Yamamoto-kun!"

"I don't understand. What for? Why are you apologizing?"

"W-Well…y-you see…"

And the brunette told the baseball star that he was going training with Reborn at that day. Yamamoto laughed, "You don't need to apologize because of that Tsuna! I know you're always cheering us on!"

Tsuna put on a confused look, " Us? What do you mean?"

Yamamoto patted Tsuna's head and grinned, "You are always there for me and the others aren't you. You fight to protect us. And for that, we owe you. Big time Tsuna. So…Thank you nee, Tsuna!"

((Back to the present time…))

Yamamoto was snapped back to reality when his teammates announced that the meeting was finally over. The swordsman stood up and so did the rest. They invited him to join them eat but the teen kindly refused, saying that he has to help his 'pops' at the shop. Yamamoto exited the house and walked away to the direction of his house. He walked at a slow pace and passed by a park. He saw a familiar hair of silver hair and rushed towards it.

When the baseball star got closer, he saw the storm guardian troubled. He walked towards his friend, "Yo, Gokudera!" Gokudera looked at his side and saw the grinning teen beside him. He ruffled his hair, showing that he is already troubled. "What is it now baseball-freak? Can't you see I'm thinking?" the silverette shouted at his fellow guardian.

"Maa~ Calm down Gokudera. I'm just passing by. I'm on my way home anyways~"

"Good! Now leave me alone!"

"Can't do that~"

"And why not idiot!"

"Because if Tsuna sees you right now, he would also keep on persisting to help you."

Surprisingly, Yamamoto said this in a serious tone. He was seriously worried. Gokudera grunted but allowed the other teen to sit beside him.

"What's wrong?"

"I…I was just hallucinating…" the silverette said, thinking of an excuse. But Yamamoto saw through his lie and shook his head, "Tell me." A simple word and it made Gokudera's head snapped up. Was the baseball-freak he kept on thinking as naïve and too carefree was ordering him? Gokudera 'hmp!'-ed and sighed.

"I just thought I saw Juudaime earlier helping that kid out," the silverette confessed.

Yamamoto followed the silverette's gaze and saw a young girl with a bright yellow dress sitting at a near-by bench eating her vanilla flavoured ice cream. Yamamoto saw a rabbit designed band-aid at the young girl's left knee. The teen didn't understand why the silverette was pointing at the girl but before he was going to ask, the silverette seemed to have known what he was thinking.

Gokudera grabbed the baseball star's arm and dragged him over to the young girl. Gokudera tried to put on one of his super rare soft glances in hopes not to scare the little girl. "Nee, kid. Could I ask you something?" he asked.

The girl nodded quietly, "What about mister?"

It was Yamamoto's time to answer, "Did you somehow meet an onii-san with brown spiky hair around here?" Yamamoto was great with socializing with the use of his smiles. The girl smiled, jumped up and acted as if she was proud of something.

"Aha~ Onii-chan helped me when Mayu-chan tripped earlier! He was so kind! He treated Mayu-chan's booboo! He has a kind voice and a really sweet smile!" the young girl, named Mayu, stopped for a moment to breath." Then she held up her ice cream, "He even bought Mayu-chan an ice cream!" She giggled before being called by her mother.

Gokudera and Yamamoto froze. Was Tsuna really back? If so, why didn't he tell them?

Yamamoto decided to go to the shop, seeing that it was almost the lunch time guests to arrive at their shop. He excused himself from the bomber, who also decided to go back to his apartment. While making his way to the shop, another teen walked pass him. Yamamoto had no time to react since when he turned around, the teen was gone.

'Brown spiky hair? TSUNA!'

A/N:

Sooooo SOOORRRYYY! I'm so terribly sorry for not updating sooner! I was so into my other story "The Truth Behind The Lies" that I forgot my ideas for this chapter! Don't worry! I'm already continuing this story. I might update again this week to make it up to you. Thank you for supporting me, nee~ Domou arigatou gozaimasen! *bows*