Date: Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Title: The Journal of Memories
Author: Gin Nanashi
Creation Type: Fanfiction
Main Rating: K+
Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).
Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!
The Journal of Memories
Event 35: Bittersweet Brevity.
Heart pounding and body hesitating, Tsuna and Shouichi stood awkwardly outside of Li's room.
Glancing at each other for support, they breathed deeply before Tsuna grabbed the door handle.
Turning it, he pushed the wooden door open a crack and both boys peeked into the room, whispering, "Li…?"
Dark-brown eyes blinked at the soft sound as said brunette tilted her head.
She blinked again before grinning and waving to the boys, "Oi~ Shou~ Tsu-Fishy~!"
A blush flickered over Tsuna's cheeks but he quickly shook off the embarrassment and pushed the door open farther.
They quickly slipped into the room before Shouichi closed the door with a click.
"Ne, ne~" Li started, bouncing on the bed a bit, "Why are you guys over so early?"
"I would think it's a bit obvious." Shouichi answered with a small but worry-filled frown.
Tsuna, meanwhile, disregarded the question and worriedly eyed the white bandages on Li's right arm.
Gently grabbing a hold of her wrist, Tsuna locked eyes with the gender-bender and questioned, "Li, are you really okay?"
Li paused, taking in the watery eyes of her best friend, before smiling in response, "Un!"
The light brunette couldn't help but hesitate at accepting the older one's answer and dropped his gaze to the bandaged arm again.
The white cloth was wrapped tightly from her wrist to her elbow; barely noticeable red spots were visible in a relatively straight line.
His eyes trailed back to her face and noted how pale it was when compared to that of the usually overly hyper Li that he was accustomed to being around.
His gaze fell again as his fingers brushed against where the wound was; his eyes dulled in thought.
'Li really was hurt… I knew. Somehow, I knew that Fang-san lied… But why…?'
Later that day, Tsuna had waited anxiously in his room, feeling sicker than he ever had.
His stomach churned and writhed while a freezing coldness flooded his trembling body.
He didn't understand why the feeling was so intense.
Yes, he was worried but didn't Fang already tell him that Li "just fell asleep"?
If that's the case, then he didn't need to get worked up like this!
After all, it wasn't like Li was seriously hurt...
Right…?
He wanted to sleep, thinking that it would help, but his mind wouldn't give into dreamland.
The feeling wouldn't rest and soon he couldn't wait any longer.
The intensity forced him up and he stumbled out of his room, hoarsely calling for his mother.
He found her standing in front of the phone, face paler than the usual and lips trembling.
Her voice was soft in volume yet intense in emotions.
"When…?"
'Okaa-san… What did Fang-san say to you?'
"Don't worry, Tsu-kun!" She had smiled to the best of her ability, "You can definitely visit Kyuu-chan!"
He snapped back to reality upon feeling hands pat his face lightly and blinked.
Light-brown eyes met with dark-brown ones.
"Tsuna?" Li murmured quietly, "You alright?"
He bit his lower lip and closed his eyes before sliding his hands over hers, whispering, "Can you tell me…?"
He could feel her tense and opened his eyes to looked into hers again.
"… What happened?"
Shouichi looked from one brunette to the other, noting how the darker one suddenly seemed to lose all color in her face.
He hesitated.
Should he stop Tsuna from questioning her?
Or, should he question her as well?
His wiped the sweat from his palms onto his pants and gulped.
He didn't want to pressure her.
But, at the same time, he wanted answers.
What exactly happened yesterday?
Why did Fang lie?
How will things proceed from here?
The two sides waged battle against one another before he groaned inwardly and clutched his torso as his stomach cramped.
Why can't anything be simple?
"I…"
The boys snapped to attention; eyes locking onto her form.
Her arms were wrapped around her torso, as if she was trying to shield herself from some unknown danger, and she trembled lightly.
Her eyes glanced away from her best friends in reluctant thought as she licked her canines nervously.
Finally, she took a deep breath and met their gazes.
"I met someone."
They blinked, not understanding the significance of her words.
Li licked her dry lips and continued.
"I don't know who that person was but…"
Her eyes closed as her mind flashed back to that time…
To that desolate place...
To that fearful event...
To that terrifying feeling.
A shudder wracked her body as she suppressed that cold emptiness from surfacing within her.
"I think whoever that was…."
Her grip tightened on her shoulders as her voice barely reached their ears.
"… wanted to seriously hurt me."
Like being thrown into a torrential current, the boys chilled and paled upon realization.
She could've been seriously injured.
And all because they were playing around.
Li… could've been killed.
The gender-bender was jerked forward by the boys as they captured her into their embrace.
Their warm, tight embrace conveyed their deepest feelings.
A silent vow that they wouldn't let her run off alone anymore.
Her arms hung limply by her sides as tears began to fill her eyes.
Biting her lower lip, she wrapped her arms around them, holding them closer to her heart.
I'm afraid…
She thought.
We know.
They responded.
And we'll be here for you.
Feelings overflowed with billowing smoke as tears fell liberally.
Leaning on the wall just outside of Li's room, Fang closed her eyes and sighed silently.
A warm hand clasped onto her shoulder, making her look up at her husband.
"Dai-kun…" She murmured, leaning against his shoulder, "We have to…"
She trailed off but the man understood and pulled her into a tight hug.
Grey eyes watched the two adults lean on one another before turning to the dim lights of his mother's cell phone.
Kiyoshi frowned lightly and tightened his grip on the technology before turning away, dropping it on the coffee table.
The screen flashed one word:
Tonight.
The door creaked open just as the trio broke their hug.
Li rubbed away the remnants of his tears and blinked at the incomers.
"Mama…? Papa…?"
Fang entered with her usual swagger as Daisuke followed with a smile and a tray of tea and biscuits.
"About time you're up, Kyuu-chan." The woman stated as she plopped onto the bed and crossed her legs, "I was thinking that you're training needed to be upped again."
Immediately, his cheeks puffed out in a pout as Li whined, "Stop teasing me like that, Mama~!"
Her lips quirked up into a smirk, "Whoever said I was teasing you?"
Li's jaw dropped before he jumped to his feet and declared bravely , "SHE-DEVIL!"
BONK!
A large bump grew from the spiky mess of brown locks known as Li's head as a vein throbbed on Fang's temple.
Daisuke laughed at the familiar scene while placing the tray on the bedside table and placating, "Now, now, calm down, you two."
"We are calm." Fang responded with a huff before staring pointedly at Li, "Aren't we, Kyuu-chan?"
Said gender-bender cried waterfalls, "Hoi…"
The woman smirked, "See?"
"Haha~ I see now, love."
Tsuna and Shouichi sweatdropped at the nonchalance held by the adults before stiffening when Fang turned her gaze onto them.
Her unreadable eyes trailed over their faces before she got up and waved airily, "Enjoy your time."
The boys blinked at her dismissal as both adults left the room.
Li scratched the side of his face, "That's weird?"
The other two could only nod in agreement.
The gender-bender hummed softly before shrugging it off, "Oh well~ Let's eat now!"
Tsuna laughed softly at the other's enthusiasm as Shouichi sighed with a smile, "Li-san, you glutton."
"And proud of it!" He affirmed with a cheeky grin.
That said, they dug into the snacks and the door closed.
"Ugh…"
A small hand groggily rubbed at sleepy eyes.
"Wha' time is 't?"
"Ara? Finally up, Tsu-kun?"
Tsuna blinked blearily before his vision cleared.
Sitting up abruptly, he realized that he was in his own bedroom.
Rubbing his eyes, the brunette turned to see his mother with a small smile on her lips.
"Okaa-san…?"
Nana blinked and tilted her head, "Yes, Tsu-kun?"
His brow furrowed as he scratched his head and asked, "Wasn't I at Li's house?"
Her smile faltered briefly but she stuck with it and nodded in agreement, "Yes, but Fang-chan brought you over last night."
He blinked again before nodding slowly, "Oh…"
That made sense.
After all, Fang did take the boys home when it got too late; once, when they first met.
But…
His heart clenched with unease.
After that one time, they typically would've stayed the night.
Suddenly, he threw his blanket off of himself and stated determinedly, "I'm gonna go see Li!"
"E-Eh?" Nana startled as her son flittered around the room, getting dressed, before asking with hesitation, "What about breakfast?"
"I'll eat later!" He responded, already running down the stairs.
The woman quickly followed, calling out, "Wait, Tsu-kun! They-! Tsu-kun!"
His steps slowed down as he approached the familiar black gates of the Sasaki house.
But, as he got closer, the ambiance changed.
Tsuna shivered and rubbed his arms, a small frown gracing his lips.
"Ah…!"
The brunette jumped before turning around.
"Shouichi-kun!" Tsuna greeted happily with a smile.
"Tsunayoshi-kun…" The redhead smiled weakly back, causing the brunette to falter.
"Shouichi-kun…?" Tsuna asked slowly with furrowed brows, "What's wrong…?"
Green eyes widened at the question before the redhead asked in shock, "You don't know?"
Confusion was evident on his face, making Shouichi purse his lips in hesitation.
"Shouichi-kun…?"
The redhead looked away before lifting his gaze to meet with Tsuna's.
A chill ran up his spine as his heart pounded at the pained expression in his friend's eyes.
Shouichi glanced over to the house's nameplate.
Tsuna gulped but forced himself to turn around.
Sound muted to only the harsh beating of his heart.
Ice filled his inside as his face drained of color.
His arms fell limp to his sides as his breath came out in shudders.
That copper nameplate which once held the name Sasaki was now empty.
"Why…?"
The question came out as barely a whisper.
"Why?"
His fists slammed onto the stone wall as his vision blurred; he choked out a sob.
"Why is it empty?"
Tears cascaded down his cheeks as he barely heard Shouichi's own cries mingling with his.
"Because they left."
The boys snapped to attention and turned, tear-stained, to see a tall man, stern faced with sharp blue eyes, and a young boy of the same resemblance.
"Who…?" Shouichi started before flinching away from the cold glare that the boy threw at him, tonfa in hand.
Tsuna kept his gaze on the man and asked once more, "Why?"
"Hn. Typically I wouldn't bother with herbivores but you were close to them, weren't you?"
It was more of a statement than a question but the innocent boys nodded nonetheless.
The man continued to gaze at the silent building, "My name is Hibari Hisoka of the Criminal Investigation Bureau. … Brother-in-law of Sasaki Daisuke and Yu Xue Fang and uncle to Sasaki Li and Sasaki Kiyoshi."
This information definitely caught their attention.
"Sometime last night, the Sasaki family disappeared."
Shouichi gripped his torso as Tsuna paled even further.
"As of current, there is no information provided on them."
The redhead wanted to speak but his voice was silenced as the brunette leaned against the cold wall in shock.
Hisoka watched their reactions before turning away.
"… I suggest you forget about them."
Kyouya continued watching the two before turning his gaze to the desolate house.
His grip on his tonfa tightened before he too turned to walk away.
"How…?"
The two Hibari paused at the hoarse whisper.
Shouichi gripped his sides painfully tight before shouting.
"HOW CAN WE JUST FORGET THEM!"
The volume forced Tsuna to look over at the redhead.
Face flushed, eyes tearing and jaw tensed, Shouichi breathed, "You can't-! You can't just forget about the ones you love."
"Shouichi-kun…" Tsuna whispered before averting his eyes in thought.
'Li… I can't even remember when I didn't know you.'
So much time had passed.
Time spent laughing in joy.
Time spent crying in sorrow.
Time spent being together.
Like they had been for so long.
His fists clenched in thought before he raised his eyes.
"Hibari-san!"
Both turned to look at the "herbivores" in carefully concealed interest.
"You… You must be looking into them, right?"
Kyouya frowned and was about to step forward to shut the brunette up when Hisoka fully turned around to stare the other down.
To his credit, Tsuna took the glare in stride with just a flinch and stared straight back.
Mentally, Hisoka smirked, 'So the herbivore actually has some fight in him.'
Outwardly cool, he simply retorted, "Hn. Worry about your own."
That said, both Hibari members left.
And the tension lifted.
The boys collapsed onto the sidewalk, breathing heavily.
For a moment, that was all that could be heard.
Catching his breath, Shouichi looked over at the brunette to see him gazing up at the sky, "Tsunayoshi-kun...?"
Tsuna didn't reply for a moment.
'Worry about your own…'
His brown eyes closed in thought.
'Was he talking about us? Or himself?'
Exhaling slowly, Tsuna reopened his eyes to the sky.
The bright sun was partially shaded by the moving clouds.
His hands clenched before he murmured, "… We promised, didn't we?"
Green eyes blinked in confusion as brown ones closed again in thought.
"That we'll always be friends."
Shouichi went wide-eyed at the sudden calm that took over the normally spastic boy.
"I'm sure that they didn't really want to leave."
The redhead stayed silent, listening.
"Whatever happened that day…"
The brunette trailed off before shaking his head.
"All we can do now is wait."
A moment of silence passed over them before the redhead sighed with a bittersweet smile.
"I guess you're right."
They gripped onto each other's hands as a single magpie flew by.
Li…
Come back soon, okay?
Epilogue: Until We Meet Again.
At age five, Sasaki Li met Sawada Tsunayoshi and then Irie Shouichi.
Over the course of two years, the three children grew close and formed a formidable bond.
Then, one day out of the seeming blue, the entire Sasaki family disappeared.
The questions "why" and "how" they disappeared with nary a trace have yet to be answered but it would appear that the Hibari family, relatives of the Sasaki, are looking intensively into it.
While this private investigation goes on, Tsuna and Shouichi must go on with their lives.
But they're not the only ones who must move on.
Sawada Nana, Tsuna's sweet mother, lost her valuable friend and second family.
Hibari Nadeshiko, Kyouya's beloved mother, lost her dearest younger brother, nephew and niece.
Hibari Kyouya lost his close cousins, siblings of sort.
Miura Aki lost her kind savior and potential suitor for her daughter Haru.
Yamamoto Takeshi, Sasagawa Ryohei and Kyoko lost their strange but friendly peer.
Countless memories were made.
Countless more will come.
But how long will it be before their questions are answered…?
To be continued...
Author's Note:
Alas! We've reached the end of this arc! I hope I was able to capture a sort of bittersweet ending to it because, truth be told, I had a completely different ending in mind when I first started out... Oh well. *scratches head* Nonetheless, I hope everyone enjoyed this ending! I have yet to start on the sequel but I'm trying my best to boost up my inspiration for it! It'll take a while but I'm planning on doing it in the same format - a series of one-shots in chronological order. And while I'm at it, I wonder if I should edit this story...? Or maybe I should finish my other stories before doing the sequel...? But I'm getting a bit off-track here.
As always, I welcome all feedback, questions and the likes if you have any.
Thank you for reading The Journal of Memories!
Until then, ciao for now~! ;3