[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]

No regrets.

Also, I feel stupid because I just realized something while rewatching the anime. That being that the dojo Ryohei trains in is named Kurokawa's.

And that explains so freaking much.

[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]

While we were meandering around town it became very obvious that Enma had a similar – if not the same – sort of reputation as Tsuna did. Hearing other kids making comments about him was starting to really make my blood boil. Bullies; I couldn't stand them, or these stupid adults that just agreed with or ignored it. That, I think was worse.

"Oi, Loser-Enma," the boy had a mocking grin on his face, his two friends sharing similar expressions, "How'd you get such a cute girl to hang out with you?"

A boy with a tooth gap stepped forward as Enma just kind of hunched in on himself. "Yeah, Loser-Enma. Did you bribe her somehow?" He turned to me and made to reach out, "You don't have to stick around this loser anymore; don't know why you would in the first place."

If the comments had me simmering, this boy's audacity in trying to grab ahold of me had set me to explode. As soon as his hand was about to touch me I took ahold of it, twisted it and by extension him around, and shoved him forcefully into the lead boy to send them stumbling into the third –

"Who the Hell do you think you are?!" My hands clenched tightly at my sides and my lips I knew were twisted into a scowl, "You don't know me and you don't know him. Get off your high horses you stupid bullies and find a new pastime."

The lead boy was up and closer than needed to me in an instant, "And what are you gonna do about it? You're just a girl."

"Yeah, I'm a girl," I crossed my arms, "So, go ahead. Try to beat me up. One of two things'll happen: You'll be known for beating up a girl, or for being beat up by a girl."

He and his two friends flushed and they might have hesitated for a moment, but in the end they left. It was satisfying, to say the least, when I did things like this. I wasn't too sure if it was just the fact that I'd succeeded in stopping bullies, or if it was a mix of that and a little bit of me actually liking that I knocked some people around in one way or another.

"…you…you didn't have to do that," Enma wasn't looking me in the eyes, but I could tell he was confused, "I'm Loser-Enma. Stuff like that… its normal."

"Hey, don't call yourself that!" His head jerked up and his red eyes met my brown ones, "You're not a loser. And, yeah, I did have to do that."

I sighed at his somewhat flabbergasted look before smiling, "Hey, Enma, you gonna finish showing me around? Not gonna leave me lost in the middle of town, are you?"

And, to my relief and joy, he smiled – it was small, but it was there – before turning to continue in the direction we were heading before –

"…This part of town is… it's actually my favorite…"

[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]

Soon enough we ended up back on the street with the ice cream parlor my aunt had told me about – Misako's Frozen Treats. And I was actually pretty excited, because I'd found that Japan had so many unique and delicious – and not so delicious – flavors when it came to ice cream. I'd tried a lot of them too, from squid-ink to prickly pear cactus, but my go to flavors were either wasabi or green tea.

"Ne, you want to come get some ice cream with me, Enma-kun?" I rocked back on my heels before jerking a thumb at the parlor, "Or maybe you don't like ice cream, or have somewhere you need to be?"

"…No, I like ice cream. A-And I don't have anywhere to be, T – Yamamoto-san."

I stopped at his almost-slip-up and grinned sheepishly at him through my eyelashes, which seemed to startle him. I'd just realized I'd slipped into calling him Enma when I barely knew him and before he said I could, which was rude. But, in my defense, I was just so used to first names.

"Sorry, Kozato-kun," my laugh matched my grin, "I told you I was used to being informal."

"I… no… its fine." His small smile returned and his cheeks were dusted with a faint red, "I-I actually don't mind."

And he didn't; his voice was genuine and it made me smile brightly instead of sheepishly – and in relief. He was a nice kid, after all, and I didn't want to run him off – and not just because I was still minutely unsure of how to get back to Auntie Emi's from here.

"Alright, but if I'm gonna call you Enma, you have to call me Takara," my nose crinkled, "Fair trade, right? Now let's get some of that delicious ice cream, yeah?"

The ding of the bell was familiar, and something that I always liked about ice cream parlors. It just seemed to add to the atmosphere, what with the bright pastels and cheery décor. But what really made me happy was on the menu –

"They have gelato," my voice was practically a coo, "This place is the best."

The semi-muffled sound of a laugh came from Enma's direction, "You sound like a kid. You must really like gelato."

There were no delays in his speech, the hesitation gone – though I was sure this was probably a one off thing, but it meant he was feeling comfortable with me.

"The texture is just so much better, I think." I scratched my cheek, "Makes it taste better to me for some reason. Do you have a preference, Enma-kun?"

He shook his head, "I usually just get normal ice cream though…"

A voice rang out from behind the counter – feminine, kind, and light, "And usually either sweet potato or chocolate flavored."

I laughed, my voice taking a teasing turn, "Come in here often, do you?"

Enma flushed slightly but didn't say anything as the girl behind the counter laughed before asking what we'd like. My automatic response had been for green tea gelato and after I had paid Enma had asked for a sweet potato cone – like the girl had said, only to stiffen and take back his order.

"…I…I can't find my money…"

The girl at the counter smiled apologetically and I frowned as earlier today flashed across my mind. He must have lost it either when he was pushed or when I had pulled him forward. So I did what I would do for any of my friends in this situation –

"One sweet potato cone, please." I placed the money for it on the counter, earning a surprised look from the girl and from Enma.

"You…I can't let you do that," Enma tried to get to the money to put it back in my hand, "There's no reason –"

"Friends do stuff like this for friends, Enma-kun. So just take the damn ice cream."

[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]

We were walking back towards my aunt's house when Enma stopped suddenly, his hands clenched at his sides. I felt my own face twist in confusion, as I didn't see any reason for him to seem so tense. Before I could say anything, his voice seemed to break free –

"Did you mean it? Really mean it Takara-san?"

I blinked –

Mean it?

What did I –

Oh.

"You mean what I said at the ice cream parlor?"

He nodded and I swore I saw a flicker of something akin to hope cross his face, "Friends… do you think… am I…"

"I'd like to be friends." I hoped my tone portrayed how genuine I was, "I don't live here, but I'd still like to be friends. We could be penpals; I've always wanted a penpal."

He smiled, a real smile this time, not just some half-smile of ghost of one, "I… I'd really like that."

And then, a cat attached itself to his leg. Quite literally, really, seeing as it was hanging there, claws attached to his pants just above his knee and somewhere on his shin. Another rubbed up against my leg while yet another wound around his ankle. I laughed, looking over at Enma who seemed very happy –

"Are these your friends here, by any chance?"

"… I really like cats, okay?"

"…So, you're the middle school boy version of an old cat lady?"

At this he laughed and I laughed and the cats' purrs seemed to turn into laughter at some point too.

[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]

"Did you have a nice time, dear?" Auntie Emi asked once I stepped inside, the twins making noise somewhere deeper in the house, "Didn't get lost?"

"No, I made a friend and he showed me around," I barely paid attention to my family once I caught sight of a familiar symbol, "It was fun."

My dad's indignant squawk registered, "A boy?!"

Auntie Emi made some comment at that point and the two fell into the same bickering from this morning and I was momentarily forgotten. I didn't care that much about it at this moment, because the paper for the twins' primary school had caught my eye. And, quite frankly, it had stunned me to the core.

Because I had literally grabbed ahold of a piece of canon.

Shimon Primary School.

Which meant there was a Shimon Middle School.

As in the Shimon mafia family.

And, belatedly, I realized I had befriended their boss – Kozato Enma. I had done what Tsuna was supposed to do. I had become Enma's first friend outside of his famiglia.

Well, shit.

[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]

Once again, no regrets. In writing this chapter, and Takara has no regrets in befriending Enma, despite her eloquent response to her realization.

The next chapter will start middle school – canon won't start though.

Opinions and feedback are greatly appreciated.

[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]-[-]