Mino Katsuri considered herself an average student with both flaws and strengths. Her family owned a few small inns in south Japan and she was Namimori Middle School's star tennis player. She did decently in her studies, maintaining a very slightly above average rank and was socially at ease. Therefore considered herself rather level-headed - so, why was she friends with the most recklessly fearless idiot this fine establishment had to offer?
From her window seat, she gazed down as this said friend. A boy with black hair and onyx eyes sprinted and jumped over the school gate which had shut at least 10 minutes ago. Then, he proceeded to idly stroll towards the school entrance. Her left eye twitched.
She elbowed their other friend, Saito Tadashi, hissing, "He's late. Again."
Tadashi sighed non-committedly, "It's classic of him Katsuri, you know how he is. It's not like either of us will get in trouble for his lateness," he paused, then as if it were a second thought, muttering, "Or any of his other risky behaviour."
"Don't you worry about him? Or wonder why he's not scared of Principal Hibari?" Katsuri grumbled at the major root of stress in her life.
"Well, he thinks there's nothing to be afraid of. Also, he always says that Principal Hibari is barely ever in town anyway. Although, how he knows that, I have no idea." Tadashi said in a rather bored tone.
Katsuri let out another long, frustrated sigh. "Well, one day Hibari is going to-"
She was interrupted by a door slamming open, which was quickly followed by Mori Sensei's yelling, "Bovino! What do you have to say for yourself? This is the third time this week! The Disciplinary Committee won't stand for this for long."
Lambo gave Mori Sensei a lazy nod, not even bothering to reply. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, how typical, she huffed. Lambo had often insisted that none of the teachers could actually do anything, a threat of taking the issue to Principal Hibari was empty because who would dare to approach the Kyouya Hibari about a misbehaving fourteen-year-old . He never seemed to get into any trouble, so she wondered if he was actually right.
Lambo slid into his seat and took out a notebook, starting to scribble notes as he payed attention to Mori's ramblings on Trigonometry. He ironically appeared to be a picture perfect student, following along with the class - like he hadn't arrived twenty minutes into the lesson.
She lightly tapped him on his shoulder and whispered, "Just because you don't respect authority figures, doesn't mean you should be late to class. Maybe one day Principal Hibari will do something about your terrible behaviour. I heard rumours of him being in town at the moment you know."
"You just worry about yourself Katsuri-chan, you know I'm not afraid of Principal Hibari." Lambo replied, using a soft tone but not anywhere near as quiet as her whisper.
"You're usually so smart about everything Lambo, but not being afraid of Principal Hibari? I still think that's crazy!" Tadashi butted in.
Lambo rolled his eyes and smirked.
"Maybe I am." He replied nonchalantly.
"How dare you have a conversation in the middle of my lesson! Bovino, Mino, Saito, detention! I'm definitely going to let the principal know about this. This is the last time I'll let such disrespect run rampant!"
Mori Sensei seemed quite mad this time, his bushy eyebrows had furrowed and his black eyes sharpened. She frowned as Lambo visibly tried his hardest to stifle giggles. It was common knowledge that Mori couldn't really do anything against these three, Lambo's grades were top of the class but he didn't care at all, Katsuri was a star athlete and her parents were some of the richest in town and Tadashi was a pianist with well above average grades, already being scouted by potential music high schools even though he was only in his second year of middle school.
As Mori had just turned away from them, back to the board, the door slammed open once again - oddly almost identical to how Lambo had a few minutes ago.
Kasturi's eyes widened, much like the majority of the room's as she glanced around although some had their mouths gaping open.
It was the Principal Hibari.
He was dressed in a crisp black suit, black tie and a violet dress shirt. The suit was made from the finest materials and looked like it cost a small fortune. He had a handsome pale face with distinguished features and narrow grey eyes. Which were currently trained intently on- Lambo?
She vaguely wondered if Lambo was actually going to be disciplined for his long list of misdeeds throughout the last two years.
Mori Sensei noticed Hibari's attention on Lambo, seizing the moment to exclaim, "Principal Hibari! You must have heard about all the trouble Lambo has been getting up to, he must have broken every rule in the book."
However, Katsuri noticed that Principal Hibari's eyes never once left Lambo, completely ignoring Mori Sensei. She looked back at Lambo. His concern and confusion were colourfully painted across his features, unlike the blank canvas that usually looked back at everyone he spoke to.
The most hesitantly Katsuri had ever heard him, Lambo asked, "Principal..?"
She thought that maybe Lambo was scared of getting into trouble, and perhaps had been donning a façade these past 2 years. But there was a tug at the back of her subconscious, that didn't feel right. She glanced back at Lambo, eyebrows shooting up at what she saw.
When there was no immediate answer, both of Lambo's eyes were open now, gripping the chair and table tightly, he was scared .
Finally, Principal Hibari said something, "Brat, pack up your things." It was said in such a soft tone, almost gentle but with an odd edge that she couldn't place.
Would he be in trouble now? Her classmates probably thought so, but as she exchanged glances with Tadashi, the nerves from her skull to the very tips of her fingers prickled - it felt wrong.
She glanced at Lambo again, she could start to see the wetness form along his temple. He stood abruptly, shoving his things carelessly into his bag.
He frantically demanded, "What is it? Tell me!"
She froze in shock, who would have the guts to actually demand something from the Demon of Namimori? Fear started seeping into her now, fear for Hibari's anger, fear for Lambo's punishment that she would be forced to witness.
Principal Hibari finally, and slowly opened his mouth, and further stunned her when all he said was, "Hurry up. Do not make me repeat myself. You don't want to keep him waiting."
His tone was harsh, but Katsuri could detect the slight shift in his voice when he said 'him'. She wondered who the Principal was referring to, was it a superior? A parent? The police?
A thud sounded as Lambo dropped the book in his hand, the last item that needed to be shovelled into his bag. His neck snapped up, as if he instantly recognised who Hibari was referring to.
"Him? What happened?" He cried. Ah she thought, it was someone he cared about. In her two years of being friends with Lambo, she was very interested in his home life. He lived alone in a luxury apartment, so clearly he had come from money but there was no one who had ever shown up for parent teacher interviews or the like. However, every holiday and on the occasional weekends, Lambo would fly out somewhere and return as late as he possibly could, even if that meant the day after school had started.
She looked back at Principle Hibari, he stayed silent, making a point to look past Lambo, through the window to where the sakura trees were standing tall and pink in the spring.
"You can't ignore me! Y-you know I need to know." Principal Hibari hadn't shown one sign of anger for being spoken to so rudely. Maybe the rumoured wrath was just that; rumours?
Hesitantly, Katsuri moved to put a hand on Lambo's trembling shoulder, but before she could say anything, Hibari spoke.
"He's in critical condition, Lambo. There's a chance he won't make it."
Hibari had voiced those words even softer than all the delicate sentences he had already spoken to Lambo, yet simultaneously there was a hard steel behind it. He didn't even mention Lambo's behavior, not even a short scolding? He barely acted like it was out of the ordinary! Katsuri thought, her hand shakily hovering above Lambo's shoulder.
She heard a sharp intake of breath from Lambo, "Ts-Tsuna-nii? He's in hospital? But how, he-he'd never-"
Lambo's eyes had become glassy, staggering towards Hibari. And suddenly he reached out and grasped the suit material by Principal Hibari's shoulders. She stilled again, as if she were hoping Principal Hibari wouldn't let out a fit of rage if she stilled, in place of Lambo.
But to her, and what was likely, the class's, complete and utter surprise, it wasn't Principal Hibari that erupted into anger, it was Lambo .
As Lambo banged his fists against Hibari's chest, he screamed. "This is all your fault! I should be there right now. With nii-san. But I'm here! Because you had to fucking stay so close to this goddamned place that I had to go to school here, instead of in Sicily close to nii-san! Is your precious Namimori more fucking important to you than our sky ?"
Lambo's voice quivered at the last question. Just when she thought he was finished, his voice rose to the same ferocity, "Maybe you can spend time away from him, but I can't . Why do you have to be so selfish! How could you not love him as much as everyone else does?" Lambo finally stopped his tirade, panting heavy breathes and still gripping tightly.
Katsuri looked on warily, Hibari's expression had barely changed, it almost became gentler. Would Lambo get away with anything ?
All Principal Hibari did was quietly ask, "Are you finished?"
Lambo looked up to Principal Hibari, staring right into his cold eyes. She could see Lambo breaking down, his group loosened and his head tilted forward, his fist clenched tighter around itself than it had on Hibari's shirt.
"It's my fault isn't it? This never would have happened if I was strong enough to stay by his side and protect him. But I'm so god damn weak that I'm here in tiny Namimori that's protected by you. So he can protect me . But it's my responsibility to protect him. Isn't it Onii-Sama?" Lambo was barely audible, but she was sure everyone sitting close enough had heard.
Onii-Sama? What did he just say? It all fell into place now, why Lambo was never scared of Principal Hibari, why Lambo always skived off on the rules. It made so much sense . It wasn't a blood relation either, surely - after all Lambo was fully Italian and Principal Hibari was fully Japanese. So it was an agreed upon relationship, something that they had wanted in place. She stopped herself from letting out a chuckle - a soft spot - that's what it was.