Chapter Sixty-Three

(Seven years later)

"Excuse me."

The lady, who was by the reception, looked up in response. "Yes?"

"What class is Shiota Nagisa in?"

"Shiota-san? He'll be at Class 3-E. It's at the last building by your left, and the very corner room on the third floor on your right." She answered.

He nodded. "Thank you."

He proceeded to log his name on the registry with a purpose of 'visit' before going off. He pulled out his phone when he heard a light 'ping' from his headphone. He checked who texted before smiling a little behind his mask when he read who it was. It was Karma, asking him if the class was in Kunugigaoka already.

Karma was now starting his bureaucratic duties after breezing his governmental official exams and interviews. He was the first person the redhead called and bragged to that he passed everything with perfection. He almost got offended when the brunet chuckled at his antics, and preened at his congratulations. Then he went off and called Nagisa next, saying he'd brag to him too. They celebrated that achievement with a drink in the convenient store.

After replying that they already were, he hid his phone and felt the breeze that blew to his way. It has been seven years since the eventful last year of his middle school. Everything changed more or less by then. The media has stopped pestering them after their evasion, rude point outs, and cold gestures. With the use of his skills and Ritsu's help, he was able to paint how rude the media to the Class E. It prompted the world to stop coming after them and divert the mass's attention to something else. If the government asked, Karasuma-sensei did the precautionary measures.

Right now, the class proceeded with their dreams. Of what he heard from Takebayashi and Okuda; the two were able to make a new discovery on recipe of revitalizing slime that Koro-sensei gave to them. Koro-sensei wrote it on both of their guidebooks, which gave the two a good foundation to develop artificial blood transfusion into any person of any blood type. Sugino was thriving as the ace of his college baseball team. His command of his breaking pitches were said to be other-worldly that professional scouts were already sizing him up. Ryouma was taken by a politician as some kind of apprentice after seeing potential in his grit and tenacity. He was said to become a private secretary after graduating.

Taisei and Takuya decided to take management to take over their family businesses. Itona did take up technology engineering in college while working on his family's factory after graduating high school. He told Tsuna that if ever the business went south again, he'd pull the two and the brunet to solve the problem with him. Sounds like a plan. Still, the whitehead relaxes in his apartment every once in awhile — whenever he felt like he's being overwhelmed with all the works he needed to do.

Ritsu was living her life in the internet, and helped Class E out whenever they needed help. She upgrades herself daily, and became more animated. Hazama was now a library assistant in her college community. Nakamura went to London and studied her chosen degree there. Sugaya was a painter now, while Kanzaki was on her last year as a nursing student. The others were as they were, on their last years in college.

He entered the building at the very corner of the campus. He exchanged his shoes with indoor ones from the free lockers. He didn't mind the rude graffities littering the walls as he walked along the halls, and climbed the stairs to get to where the woman directed him. For a Class E in which delinquent students were rumored to be from, their building was pretty quiet.

"If you transpose the remaining whole number from here to the other side of the equal sign, 'x' will remain. If we do the necessary signs, you'll get the value of 'x'." Nagisa explained and turned to his students who appeared as if they were given the right path to the 'light'. "Math equations can be tricky. Have you ever realized that equation examples are simple, quizzes are tricky and when you arrive at the exam, it became completely complicated."

Some answered, relating. It made the bluenet chuckle.

"I can relate. Anyway, let's go see some exercise-" Blue eyes glanced around and caught sight of him.

"Yo." He greeted with a small smile, removing his headphones.

"Tsuna!" Nagisa cried in surprise and happiness. "Wait up." He said hurriedly with a hand held up to his direction before turning to his students again. "Anyway, guys, please do the exercises on the book. Five numbers that you deem simple and easy to answer. Anyone who gets perfect answers will have a rematch with me."

The delinquents- Nah. The students went to their works quietly.

"And no cheating. Whoever cheat will get the punishment." They winced at Nagisa's warning.

"Good afternoon, Koro-sensei." He cheekily greeted when the bluenet approached him. Nagisa blushed. "Oh, don't be like that. You're good at this."

"You think so?" Nagisa queried, leaning on the doorjamb. He looked back to the class. "What do you think?"

Tsuna hummed, eyeing the kids. "Worse than us." They perked up, seemingly interested with what he needed to say. "But with great potentials." He eyed some. "I see a genius, probably wants to be a chemist. He's wearing headphones, so a musician? I can see someone who can be a teacher too."

"I know, right?!" Nagisa grinned proudly. "I already met one Karma. I also got one Terasaka. A male version of Nakamura. He and Karma's version are the same as ours."

"No Nagisa?" He laughed, causing his storm to laugh too. "Karma is coming here after his duties, so we can go there together. Itona is already there with the others."

"Are they sure they can stay until late? What about Kaede-san?"

Tsuna didn't bat at the causal mention of the girl's name. "I asked the director of her drama to give them a break."

Nagisa shook his head. "I don't even want to ask."

"It's not my fault that he's a friend of Gakusho. I told him I'm going to the class and Kaede had to escape. He asked me the name of the director, pulled some strings and voila, we got a free time. Besides, it's once a year and this is the first time we'll be together for the past seven years."

Blue eyes narrowed at him. "You're not planning something, are you?"

Tsuna only grinned, earning a small punch to his chest that packed a punch. He winced. "Oi oi. Don't hurt me. I'm a patient."

"Shut up. You're already out of your malnourishment."

"I should probably go back to it then."

He earned a bonk on the head that made him laugh.

Tsuna was out of his malnourishment. Most of his elements, especially Gakusho, monitored his food intake, and kept pestering him to eat more. Sometimes, they'd engage him in a topic he'd be so invested on and kept on filling up his plate as he talked and talked until he'd notice that he's too full to eat and finished two plates of everything. They even have this tally run, and Gakusho was winning.

When they entered high school, Gakusho pulled him and Karma in the same class, and started to compete with them. They established a deal: if he beats them in any exam, they'll tell him what happened. He failed six times, and was able to beat them at the seventh exam. One point on Karma and him. So, they told him everything. As in every single thing that must be kept from a civilian. They didn't censor anything, even Tsuna's involvement to mafia and Yakuza. (Except that the said 'creature' was alive. That's Tsuna's discretion.) Gakusho wasn't that surprised in a way. He was a genius in his own league, so he was able to connect dots and formed his own theories that came out half right.

He got to Tsuna's 'case' after noticing the brunet's wristbands. The brunet was almost able to evade the prying, but Gakusho was smart and asked Class E personally about it. Itona—his adorable little lightning that he almost throttled—told some things to the strawberry blond. And one day, Gakusho pulled on some plan to drench Tsuna with water for the latter to remove his bands; and he caught him, confronted him, and felt horrible of what he could've done back then. Tsuna had to console the guy for days because every time he saw the brunet, he'd tear up, look away guiltily, and avoid him as a way of punishing himself. He didn't even know what kind of punishment was that, but he was able to snap him out of it. In return, he let the other take care of him.

(Gakusho is a possessive cloud. Being deprived of pure connection caused him to be very clingy, so when he was able to connect with Tsuna, he swore to never let go.)

(So avoiding Tsuna and staying away from him were forms of punishments to Gakusho.)

(Karma laughed at their antics and went along, pampering his quiet oblivious sky.)

Currently, Tsuna was on his last year as a culinary student. Yup, he took culinary and polished his skills as suggested by his guardian. He took his writing job as a side job, and did invest on trustworthy companies. He was honestly rich with legal money. And the funniest thing was that he was able to invest in Vongola and got the biggest share which prompted him as an important figure, because if he ever pulled out, they'd get bankrupt. Still, he kept his jobs and still worked in them.

He visits Kurogane Yakuza too. Either with his own will or when those siblings request his presence for a celebration or to just hang out. He didn't even know how he was able to get that close to them seven years ago. All he remembers was that Kaen created a group chat with six of them in it, and they started to ask his guidance over their problems until they became casual with each other. Since then, he became part of them too.

Varia still visits twice a month and stays for a week before going off again. Tsuna became their resting place after a rigorous work in their fields. It didn't really bother the brunet since he deemed it normal. Even Reborn does. Don't even start with Kyouya, Takeshi, and Mukuro with Chrome. He just didn't understand why the four suddenly shows up at random days of the month and stay with him for three days.

Speaking of Vongola, Ietsuna did become the boss. Ieyoshi was appointed to be CEDEF leader after Iemitsu retired, while Yoshinobu chose to be 'normal'. Seven years ago, Reborn told him that Ieyoshi and Yoshinobu wanted to meet him, curious of his existence. It was a new kind of headache honestly, because the two went and asked the hitman in secrets to know who Tsuna really was. At some point, Ietsuna caught on and tried to 'discipline' the two. It offended them, and they fought back. It pulled most of their family members in, and Ieyoshi dropped the 'bomb'.

He was disgusted with how Ietsuna, Nana, and Iemitsu tried to hide their dirt by being a 'perfect' family.

Tsuna remembered how Reborn and the Varia laughed so much after retelling him that it was Yoshinobu who persuaded Ieyoshi to get out of the house, and the two did. Byakuran and Yuni 'offered' them a place (technically not. Yuni saw their decision, and Byakuran predicted that they 'needed' the help. But the two kids really wanted to help the siblings because they deserve to know). Iemitsu was furious that Millefiore and Giglio Nero 'kidnapped' his children, but couldn't do much since if he did declare war, all allied families to the two organizations would take that as a way to take down Vongola.

It honestly took them three months to make the two live in that residence again. Reborn didn't really tell him, and he didn't want to get involved with them, but Vongola itself came to Kunugigaoka to talk to him about the situation. 'They' wanted to comply to the two heirs' demands for the sake of their safety. At some point, Iemitsu and Nana came with Ietsuna. And the only one who was able to persuade him was his guardian with a little sprinkle of help of Daemon and Chairman Asano, who had heard the 'problem' by then.

It was a kind of headache. Again.

Because of what late Shoji-jii-san ordered before he died regarding Tsuna's case, the 'not-permitted' entry of Vongola to their territories caused Kurogane and Ogawara to react badly. Suoh sent 'shadows' for him, and formally asked Lady Shouyo's help for the brunet's safety. Lady Shouyo gave it—ordered it herself for the first time for the past thirty-six years she has stepped down from being the lady of their organization. She said that even if Suoh didn't ask for it, she could've issued it because Tsuna was her 'grandson' (that declaration honestly flattered him).

It was his first time to see the three swords so alert and openly show hostility too. The moment they heard that Vongola entourage was sighted to arrive to Kunugigaoka High, all available men of both Yakuza family assembled on the road path the mafia family would take and held them there. If Nono was to force their way, it would be another full-on war against the two families. So, he stopped there, and waited for the brunet to meet him.

Tsuna didn't go. Based on his counterpart's experience, Vongola Nono was bad news. A cunning man who would gauge on Tsuna's potential, and would hindsight twenty-twenty ask the brunet to be the heir instead. And since the Class E was around and 'involved' because they were his elements, they became his rescue. Goodness, Karasuma-sensei permitted it. The mission was: Nagisa would meet Nono with Karma, the Class E surrounding them as back-up, and the tech team would be with him as they listened to their conversation on the tap. It was done, and a child's play for the class whose skills were polished for the past three years. In a sense, Nagisa beat Nono with words, and Vongola went home empty-handed.

It was same with half of the Sawada family, but much intense. If people around him despised Vongola for the possibility that they would take Tsuna, their hatred was another level to those who abandoned him. This time, Giglio Nero and Millefiore joined force with Ogawara and Kurogane to drive the three away. They said the moment the three do something—even touch the brunet's hair with malicious intent—it was off with their heads. Karma asked the class to back-off because he wanted to meet them himself once they asked. In a way, they did ask. By stepping in his territory.

The redhead was seething and scorching with anger from the three's audacity to come to their school and try to manipulate the crowd by asking around for their 'lost son' to meet them. Tsuna couldn't calm him because his rain himself was the one angry. It's like trying to contain the Earth itself from bursting. So, he let him go. He didn't say anything, and even told the redhead to meet them because he knew Karma wanted the permission from him personally. Because he knew his best friend was the one who has been hurt the most back then. For Karma, if Tsuna didn't get abandoned, they could've been friends early and none of the bullying would have happened (although Tsuna argued that Karma would've liked Ietsuna instead of him. Karma glared at him so hard that his eyes hurt while denying so, and Tsuna needed to put cold towel on them).

And he was there when Karma met them in the middle of the hallway; audiences in place. He was there when Karma played with them, manipulated them to speak the whole truth. The fish went out of the couple's mouths. Iemitsu really just wanted an heir, and Nana played favorites because Ietsuna looked like a mixture of them. The redhead ordered them to kneel in front of him to see Tsuna. Iemitsu took offense and yelled at the redhead's audacity to 'keep' Tsuna away from them. And Karma laughed at them, told them that they could fuck themselves because Tsuna has no plans to meet them in any way, and has no plans to help them get the two heirs again. He also spat how disgusting they were for calling Tsuna 'family' after abandoning him to die.

It was the student body, led by Gakusho who has been listening as well, that escorted out the three from the school premises, utterly repulsed of what they heard. They even went viral. And Ritsu made it explode. Tsuna consoled the redhead at the end. They both laughed how backwards their position was. No one pitied him. They couldn't because the brunet was the one who did the work to grow up. It showed his tenacity and how different he was from anyone in Kunugigaoka.

When he got the 'talk' though, he asked Reborn to meet Ieyoshi and Yoshinobu. The two were different from them. Tsuna couldn't see the 'perfect' in them. They were flawed and at some thought, freed. All they did was talk though. The two kept asking questions about him and his life and friends. He didn't ask them about those. He didn't need to know. But he did make it clear to them that he didn't see them as his siblings. The two accepted that and asked for his friendship. That was where he went skeptic and asked for Reborn's advice. In the end, they became friends. And what he did first was to tell them that they needed to go back for Vongola and Sawadas to stop pestering them. The two laughed and agreed, although they had planned it out to go back because they already got what they wanted. Karma said the two would go miles.

(Varia and Reborn escorted the two, regaling them of Tsuna's stories on the way. They just wanted to do the 'aftermath party' after enjoying the show for two whole months.)

(People exaggerating minor things.)

"Oi Nagisa." The two looked back to see a student coming towards them with a scowl. "It's done."

Tsuna glanced at the paper that was handed. "You might want to re-do number five and ten. You got some of the signs wrong half way your solutions."

"Wha-"

"And you got the wrong exercise number." He added. "Technically, the page number. You solved a next level algebraic equation."

The student went to a nearest classmate and checked, before going red.

"Harada-san, calm down." Nagisa placated, inspecting the paper with eyes alone.

"Don't blow up." Tsuna said and shrugged. "It shows how much you can do, and a good way to determine that you can teach your classmates at some time when you see them having difficulty over the topic."

"Tsuna is right. You need to re-do five and ten. Tricky with the fractions and the signs, but you were able to solve almost half of them."

'Harada' took back the paper, frowning at the two of them. "How did he even..."

"He may not look like it, but he's another kind of smart." A familiar lilt of a voice said.

"You got here fast." Tsuna smiled to the redhead who grinned.

Karma shrugged. "Won't miss this for the world."

"They're my classmates back in middle school." Nagisa told his class after one student asked. "If you think your top one is a genius, you don't want to see those two back in our middle school." Nagisa turned to the board and started to erase the writings. "I already asked your adviser for early dismissal. He said yes. And don't keep the papers, I'll check them. Go and get them, Class Representative."

Harada grumbled and barked at the class to pass it at front before collecting them.

"I already gave you the notes, all you need to do is read them later. Okay?" Nagisa asked with a smile as he clapped his hands to remove the chalk dust. "Class dismissed."

After getting Nagisa's things from the faculty room, they proceeded to go out. The class was still outside tho, waiting for them. Harada handed the papers he collected to Nagisa.

"Give me that." Karma said and started to check them.

"Karma." Tsuna sighed and took the bundle away. He folded it and gave it back to Nagisa who took it back. "That's student confidentiality."

"What school did you come from?" One of the kids asked as they followed the three out of the campus.

"Kunugigaoka." The three answered simultaneously. "Class 3-E." Then the three of them laughed.

"Then how come you're on top?" Another questioned.

"E is the lowest class. The rule in the exams is as long as you get into the top fifty, you can go back to any of the above sections." Nagisa answered patiently. "I only got there in our final exam. Tsuna went in on the first semester midterms, while Karma has been in it since middle school started. He just couldn't go above sections because he's a troublemaker."

"But if we do have someone who you can say is the smartest, it's not me." Karma ruffled Tsuna's hair. "This guy memorized our textbooks, and can recite it like the back of his hand."

"Don't exaggerate." He admonished.

"Exaggerate? May I remind you, kind Sir, of how you almost perfected a thousand-and-four-hundred items back then. What was your score again? A thousand-and... Three-hundred-fifty-seven." Karma said.

Tsuna winced and was about to deny when he noticed Nagisa and his students staring dumbfound at him. His face went red. "O-kay. Change topic."

"This is why I love praising Tsuna." Karma snickered. The brunet tried to kick the other on the shin, but he evaded. "Ops. This suit is laundry."

"I'll pay for it, just let me kick you."

Nagisa sighed as the two ran around. "Don't mind them, everyone. That's just how they are."

"Are they like you?" Someone asked. "Can they do what you can do?"

"Much stronger than I am." He answered and smiled. "If you think I'm skilled, they're much greater."

When they got out of the campus, the students paid them respects. Karma and Tsuna stared at each other before the brunet bowed back and bid them 'good luck'. They parted ways.

It was around three in the late afternoon when they got to Kunugigaoka. The class was complete when they got there. Even Nakamura came home from England. They greeted them before Ryouma hauled the brunet to the HE room with most of the girls following them. He laughed at the groceries prepared there before he readied himself. With the girls ready to help, they commenced with the cooking.

It's Koro-sensei's birthday, and they have been celebrating it for the past seven years in their classroom. When they got their prize money, most of the class took enough money for their own necessities and to buy the mountain. The rest was donated here and there. But Tsuna was different. He took all of it and used most of them to make the building sturdier and furnished. He didn't change anything though. He stuck to the original structure and kept it there. And every time something happens to it, he'd go and do repairs again. It made their work every year less than necessary. Besides, it kinda became their resting place. They could even stay there and camp if they wanted to.

Honestly, it almost gave his guardian a heart attack and tried to talk to him out of it, but Daemon admonished the other. The mist said that they knew how Tsuna handle money. Tsuna did do something to it. He invested in different companies with different names, just in case something happens to his classmates and they'd need the money. Not that Tsuna wasn't rich enough already with what late Shoji-jii-san gave to him.

"Here." Sousuke smiled at him after handing him a glass of juice. "Thank you for cooking for us."

Tsuna smiled as the boys come and go to the building, taking out all the food he and the girls cooked. The boys put the tables outside with the chairs, arranging them like a long table and placing a white cloth over it. It did look like a party like any year they celebrate, but grander. "It's my job anyway. If I can use you as practice, I'll make the most of it."

Bonk. He winced and looked back to Ryouma. "We aren't guinea pigs, idiot."

"It's not like I'm poisoning you." He pouted before punching the other on the arm. "So, I heard the politician has started to teach you the ropes?"

The class chattered until it was late. When the food was gone, except for the cake, they cleaned them out and went outside again to sit by the field after. The cake was there, and they surround it. Except for someone.

"Where's Tsuna?" Hayami queried to them.

"I thought he went out too." Takuya answered, scratching his head in confusion.

"He went to the office." Nakamura smiled. "Let's wait for him in a little while."

"Are we going to wait for that time again?" Okuda queried.

"Don't we always wait for-"

They tensed up when they suddenly heard a branch breaking. Ryouma stood up from his spot to see who was coming. The sound didn't seem to be on accident. It was more of a deliberate warning for them that someone was approaching their spot.

A man emerged from the forest nearby, wearing long brown coat over a simple suit. He has a shaggy hair, a foreigner with how tall he was, and the way he walks was confident. What's so dangerous with him was they couldn't hear his footsteps, and he has almost no presence at all. Like Reborn.

"Hello." The man greeted and smiled at them. The class suddenly felt familiar with the smile. "I'm looking for Tsuna-kun, is he here?"

"How do you know Tsuna?" Karma queried, getting defensive. "What business do you have with him?"

"Uhm..." The man grimaced. "I don't think I can answer that now."

"Did he tell you about this place?" Isogai asked, an arm in front of Karma to keep the latter down. "The way to this top of mountain is usually hard to find."

"I help him maintain it." The man replied.

"Why are you looking for him?" Hara questioned.

"I've been in a trip for a week, and Tsuna-kun won't answer my calls." Then he pouted. "He'll reply to my messages in one word alone. I kept asking Daemon, but Daemon said Tsuna-kun is angry with me because I left even when he told me not to. But it was a very important thing."

The class looked at each other. Tsuna hasn't told them anyone else that he's been with for the past seven years.

"I even bought him chocolates since he likes them. He may not look like it, but he likes them white and dark. He sometimes eats them when he's stressed or when he couldn't sleep. It's no wonder Reborn said Tsuna can be sweet under his exterior. But I mean, I wanted to give him a peace offering cause I don't want him angry with me. Have you seen an angry Tsuna? It's terrifying, right?"

Those who had experienced an angry Tsuna winced and nodded.

"And then I remembered that he usually goes out on March eleven all night before coming back by one in the overnight to celebrate my birthday with me once he wakes up. I wanted to surprise him that I'm well tonight so he won't cry and think that I got myself in danger again. He used to do that every year. Got traumatized seven years ago."

"Huh?"

"Wait. What do you mean?" Maehara questioned. "What do you mean he got traumatized seven years ago? That he cried when you got yourself in danger?"

(Sawada fact no. Seventy-One: The only time he cried was once (when Koro-sensei died).)

"The only time he cried was when-"

"Ryushi?" They all turned to Tsuna who was walking towards them with a box of small candles and a lighter. The brunet appeared surprised. "What are you doing here?"

The man's face went extremely down. "Tsuna-kun won't answer my calls."

"I was busy. My thesis defense is around the corner, remember?"

"But Daemon said you were angry with me."

"Maybe it's the other way around?" Tsuna answered as he kneeled in front of the cake and opened the box. "I was angry with Daemon last weekend because he said he will come back that night, but he didn't. I told him to get back cause his flames might not hold on while possessing his new body, but he didn't. So, I grounded him."

"So, you aren't angry?"

"Worried, yes. Angry, no. As long as you're home. It's fine. How old are you tomorrow again? Thirty-nine, was it?"

"Thirty-eight. It's Reborn who's becoming thirty-nine this year."

"Okay." And the brunet arranged a three and a nine on top of the cake. "There."

"Wait, Tsuna." Kimura said and pointed at the man. "Who is he? He said you were traumatized seven years ago when he almost died on his birthday. You even cried that day too."

"And the only time you cried was when Koro-sensei died." Kayano added.

Tsuna blinked at all of them before smiling. "Well, I couldn't just drop the news to you back then because we were all grieving. Remember when I went to Namimori with Karma, Nagisa, and Itona, and I said I got the antidote the next morning. I explained to you that it will take twenty-one days for the medicine to fully take effects. On Sensei's birthday, the ideal plan was to wait for his body to get fully neutralize and strip off the anti-matter in its system for him to recover his old body back. But the two attacked, and I lost hope because exhaustion plus that decisive antidote may cause him to die instead."

Kurahashi gasped. "You mean to say..."

"When I got home, Xanxus pulled me to Sensei's apartment which was just next to mine. There, they told me that the antidote worked, and Koro-sensei was able to get his human body back."

"And he's..." They all turned to Ryushi who has been standing there and smiling at them.

"Yes. That's Koro-sensei, or we call him now as Korogane Ryushi."

"Hello, Everyone."

It was Nagisa who moved first before everyone followed and ran towards Ryushi. Tsuna smiled as they tackled the man to the ground and cried their hearts out