Disclaimer: I do not own KHR.

Chapter 16: This is My Friend

A lone girl walked along the sidewalk, worried, with a cogitative look on her face.

Her gate was slow; hesitant and anxious a she gave a few pausing looks back, behind her, towards the long row of houses. Or more specifically, the area that the Sawada household belonged to. It was impossible to see, but she still hoped that somehow, out of her periphery, she would see a slow slouching walk coming towards her.

Each time she turned her head and glanced back, she hoped for this. And every time she did so, her hope diminished. Glance by anxious glance, her hope slowly fell apart, disintegrate into nothing but ash.

Sasagawa Kyoko considered herself lucky.

Lucky to have a kind brother. Lucky to have a peaceful neighborhood and school, lucky to have so many friends around her all the time. But above all, she felt lucky to be more than just acquainted with Sawada Tsuna. She was glad to be Tsuna's friend.

She had first met Tsuna during the opening ceremony: the first day of middle school, two years ago in sixth grade. Back then, she was fresh out of elementary and excited for her first day in Namimori Middle School.

Of course, she had graduated from Namimori Elementary, so she was already familiar with the school grounds, and most of her friends had graduated with her. Still, that didn't stop her from feeling the giddiness that came with growing up and entering that higher level of responsibility. As well as the prospect of new friends, and that cherished high school experience.

Her mom had made sure she was dressed up perfectly, that her new uniform was clean and ordered, not a wrinkle in sight.

Everyone was rushed around finding their places in the courtyard, and in the process someone—she couldn't remember who—had pushed her down by accident. Her friends were kind enough to ask her if she was okay, but it was then:

...

"Really, I'm fine!" I giggled. They were all so nice, but I'm barely hurt, just a little hurt. No big deal. Still, I was thankful.

I looked up and smiled at them happily and was pleased to see them smile back. But then I saw someone else I didn't notice before, which was strange when I could faintly remember her standing there a few seconds ago...

She was short, not that it was bad, but in a cute way! Besides her brown hair and pretty chocolate eyes, the only thing I noticed about her was that she was wearing such an unhappy frown. I wasn't sure if it was a frown, or a scowl, or just a bored look, but I was pretty sure she wasn't born like that! It was just... uncomfortable watching a pretty girl look so lonely.

I wanted to stand up and ask to be her friend, and I was about to do so, until her eyes flew to mine, and we seemed to share a moment there: she knew me, and I knew her. I thought it would be a great start to our friendship.

But then she looked away and left.

I found myself a bit disappointed, but my friends pulled me up and chatted amiably. I smiled and returned the gesture.

"Ano... Do you know who that girl was?" I asked politely, curious if Amu-chan or Hinami-chan would know.

They looked confused for a moment before looking back at the girl, who was still walking away. Then to my confusion, they snorted.

"Her? I heard that she was called 'Dame-Tsuna' in her old school. Apparently, she always gets just barely passing grades on her tests. She doesn't have any friends, not like anyone would be attracted to that rotten personality anyways. I can't believe she saw you there and didn't do anything!" Amu-chan said.

"Yeah!" Hinami-chan agreed quickly. "I also heard that she skips school and plays around at home just caus' she didn't want to go! And she's horrible at sports, and basically everything! That's why they call her, 'Dame-Tsuna'. 'Useless-Tsuna'. No one likes her and her attitude."

A part of me felt like it was a sort of mean thing to say about Tsuna-chan. Maybe she just wasn't really great at everything than others and was bullied for it? Maybe that's why she liked to skip school. Amu-chan said that she gets passing grades, so doesn't that mean she's trying really hard?

Compassion filled me with those thoughts, and I really just wanted to follow her small form and help the girl.

But another part of me thought the opposite. Part of me thought that I should just follow Amu-chan and Hinami-chan. After all, my friends wouldn't bad-mouth other people for no reason at all. Maybe she wasn't really a great person in general.

Maybe that was it.

...

Of course, she really didn't believe that, but as young as Kyoko was, she thought it was the right answer and followed it for a year.

That is, until last year, in seventh grade, where she and Tsuna were put in the same class.

At the beginning, Kyoko didn't exactly like Tsuna. Seeing with her own eyes, she saw Tsuna looking really bored, Tsuna staring down at their sensei, Tsuna ignoring any of her friendly attempts at going out for lunch with her friends.

But that didn't mean she disliked Tsuna. Not after seeing some other things. Because with her eyes, she also saw Tsuna walking alone every day, back and forth from school. She saw Tsuna with some bruises on her arms some days. She saw Tsuna in the classrooms early—earlier than their sensei—reading big books by herself.

So she didn't dislike Tsuna. She just wanted the girl to try harder. To work more at making friends and studying and being more sociable and nice to others.

Kyoko began with simple, subtle things. She'd 'coincidentally' meet up with the girl along the way to school, and talk to her.

At first, Tsuna didn't really respond much. But sometimes, Tsuna would contribute a comment or two. Most were harsh, or critical, all about philosophy or her attitude towards others, but mostly a simple apathetical sigh would be her usual response.

Kyoko found no offense. In fact, soon, she grew used to the little comments here and there, and paid more attention to them and what they said about Tsuna as a person. She started to appreciate the smart little quips and found herself changing as her perception of Tsuna changed.

Tsuna didn't seem so small anymore. She seemed strong, and confident, and smart, according to the big books with so many unknown words that made her head spin at times.

She just thought that Tsuna-chan could be more nice to others was all.

But even that was beginning to change. Kyoko grew fond of being the only close friend Tsuna-chan had: It felt nice to be so close to someone, and learn so much about a person even if not a lot of words were said, and feel so happy about herself when Tsuna did make a nice comment. It made her especially happy to be so close to Tsuna, and for Tsuna to be so much nicer to her than anyone else other than her Tsuna's mother (they're relationship was so sweet). It made her feel special.

During their first real meeting, they introduced each other as 'Sawada-san' and 'Sasagawa-san'

Then just by asking a simple question, that turned into 'Sawada-chan' and 'Sasagawa'

Half a year later, before their school's culture festival when Kyoko tried and succeeded in persuading the lazy girl to stay for the dancing, Kyoko thought it fit to begin to call her, 'Tsuna-san'

A month later, when Tsuna helped her for the first time with her homework, it became, 'Kyoko-san.'

A week later, when they began working together on a school project and Kyoko came over to Tsuna's house, they agreed to call each other by, 'Tsuna-chan' and, 'Kyoko-chan.'

It was along, round-about way from the very beginning, and it seemed so far away for Kyoko, like she couldn't believe what had happened the past two years. But it was also a nice feeling: being close to Tsuna.

Ever since then, the two would occasionally meet up to school, work together when the class was called for pair work, Tsuna even started coming to school more often!

Kyoko liked to think it was because of her that so many good changes were happening, but she still worried about things like how Tsuna would never sit with her and her friends for lunch, or go out for a girl's afternoon to the cake shop (she claimed she didn't like sweets) or go to either of their birthdays (Tsuna claimed there wasn't anything special about them, which she passionately argued back about the value and tradition of celebrating birthdays. In the end, Tsuna still didn't listen).

Regardless of all the downsides, Tsuna did come to school every day now.

So why wasn't she here?

Kyoko took one last glance back, and once more, saw nothing. She sighed before heading to school. Along the way, she was greeted by a few other friends and they chatted—well, they chatted and she listened—about their day.

It wasn't as fulfilling as her seemingly meaningless conversations with Tsuna.

...

The group arrived at school with time to spare and they split apart, each to their separate lockers and classes. Kyoko was now alone. Again. Another sigh passed her lips before she looked up and noticed a familiar set of white hair. She didn't know many students with white hair.

Kyoko gave a bright smile at the sight of her brother.

"Onii-san!" she called out.

The boy perked up at her voice and smiled back enthusiastically. He waved his friends off before rushing towards her with a grin.

"Hey!" Then he frowned and looked around, bring his hands up to his head and pondering...

"Oh Yeah! I thought there was something not right, where's that friend of yours? The one without any passion?" he remembered, scowling at the memory to the extremely un-extreme girl.

Kyoko pouted. "Mou, Onii-san, her name is Tsuna-chan! You keep forgetting! And...well...I'm not sure where she is today. Usually I meet up with her along the way to school but today she wasn't here..."

Her brother's face grew thunderous. "WHAT? She left you unprotected, alone? You could've-you could've—I'm gunna talk to her TO THE EXTREME!"

Suddenly, he picked her up in his arms and started running out the school gates into the residential area. Kyoko sighed at her energetic brother before smiling and giving him directions to Tsuna's house. After all, she did want to know what happened to her friend.

...

Kyoko and her brother reached the Sawada's resident quickly, and just as they rounded the corner, they heard a racket near the door.

"Juudaime!"

"Tsuna!"

"Don't you dare call Juudaime so intimately you bastard!"

"Mah Mah. Gokudera calm down or else you'll disturb the neighbors."

"Tch. Like I care."

Two males were outside the house in the front of the door, yelling at each other while ringing the doorbell.

She remembered them as Yamamoto-san, and Gokudera-san—both in her class. They were Tsuna's other friends: Kyoko has seen them close to her the last few weeks, and decided to feel happy for the girl.

There was this little voice in her head that blew jealousy tinted remarks about the two, and told her about how they knew where her friend lived and walked her to and from school and had their own special names for Tsuna-chan.

However, they were guys: guys friends and girl friends were fundamentally different. Kyoko overheard them before, when they were talking about some sort of 'Vongola' and 'boss'. While she didn't really know what they were talking about, she could guess they had their own little group club, like any other guy-ish thing.

And then there was that small little voice in her head telling her to suck it up and ask Tsuna if she could join their group. Or at least slowly intertwine herself in it.

Then she could at least see Tsuna a bit more.

Tsuna.

Tsuna was...

Kyoko smiled at the numerous words that popped into her head.

Tsuna was nice. And sometimes she could be really sweet and kind. She was enigmatic, magnanimous, even friendly. Tsuna seemed to have everything all figured out.

This time, she wanted to be the one figuring out something. Or more specifically, the reason why Tsuna wasn't with her. Why the usually always there girl wasn't there.

"Yamamoto-san! Gokudera-san!" she called out, trying to catch their attention.

"ORA!" her brother called right after, yelling loudly.

The two boys clenched their ears instinctively and stopped bickering, looking around to find the cause of the noise. Their eyes met Ryohei's white and Kyoko's auburn fairly quickly. They held their customary grin and scowl.

"Ah! Hey sempai. What are you doing he-"

Before he could finish speaking, the door opened and Tsuna's mom—Nana—popped up with a fierce frown on her face.

Each person sole for Ryohei was stunned by her less than polite attitude. The feeling that they had done something incredibly wrong washed over them as they stopped moving. Yamamoto's face was trapped in its grin, Kyoko had a look of confusion on her face, and Gokudera was wide eyed, immediately giving a low bow.

"G-Gomenasai, Juudaime's mo-"

"SHH!" The mother held up a finger at her lips. "Tsu-chan's asleep! She's sick…" Nana whispered a worried look on her face.

At her words Kyoko gasped.

Sick?

Tsuna?

She wondered why it didn't seem to occur to her. For the past two years, Tsuna had skipped school to stay home or just fell asleep, but never did it look like she was uncomfortable or sick. Her friend had stayed healthy for two full years, probably much longer: it didn't seem Tsuna could get sick.

"I'm sorry..." Kyoko whispered, understanding how Tsuna's mother must be feeling. She still remembered how much her own mother worried over her health last year when she had a fever. Constantly, Kyoko was given affection and care: medicine, soup, forced to staying in bed, everything.

She turned to her brother, a stern look on her face.

Her brother didn't like Tsuna. She knew that well, especially after their first meeting with each other. It went horribly wrong, and nowadays she wondered if she could have ever stopped the first clash between the two polar opposites.

...

"Onii-san, this is Tsuna-chan, my friend!" I chirped; I couldn't seem to keep the excitement out of my voice.

This was the meeting I had been planning ever since Tsuna-chan and I became friends. Onii-san was always one to worry about me, but maybe, if he saw me with Tsuna-chan, it might make a difference. Even if Tsuna-chan isn't very strong, there were so many other good points about her.

Just maybe, the meeting would spark a little chemistry between the two, and if that continued, then maybe she would get a new sister! And it was very likely too. After all, Tsuna was really bored all the time, and Onii-san so energetic, and as they say, opposites attract.

Onii-san smiled and nodded passionately, looking down at Tsuna whose mouth was in a grim line as she scowled up at my brother.

Tsuna was always sensitive about her height. I should've realized the first hint that Tsuna and Onii-san just didn't go together. Still, I hoped.

"A new friend?" her brother wondered aloud, a contemplative look on his face.

"Yes. She's Sawada Tsuna, say hello Onii-san!" I asked him politely, and then turned to Tsuna, whose gaze now left my brother and straggled along the ground. Tsuna absentmindedly kicked a pebbled and sighed.

"Tsuna! This is my brother, Ryohei!" I tried to bring back her attention.

"Call me Onii-san!" my brother yelled enthusiastically. Tsuna's frown grew wider.

I sighed. This wasn't going as well as I had planned it. Onii-san was supposed to make her happy with his cheerful grin and intense attitude. And Onii-san was handsome; lots of girls liked his personality. But he wasn't really complying with her plans.

"Oi? Why aren't you answering me? Where's your passion? You're spirit?"

"I think you have too much of your 'spirit' outside your body." Tsuna answered flatly.

"What's wrong with you?" Onii-san muttered, rubbing his head in confusion. Then he grinned and I couldn't help but think something bad was going to happen.

"I know, why don't you join the boxing club! I'll bust out your dying will to the extreme!" he shouted.

And now Tsuna wasn't replying. It took about another awkward moment before she finally spoke.

"…I'll be going now, Kyoko-chan, Sasagawa-san." She began walking away.

Before I noticed it, my lips fell into a dismal pout. I wanted to call her back and maybe introduce them to each other once again, hoping they'd have something in common. But that was hard when Onni-san liked only boxing and training and fiery passion: everything Tsuna-chan didn't like as much.

I stood there, helpless and wondering what to do to save the helpless situation when my brother moved.

He suddenly leapt forward as Tsuna-chan was leaving and grabbed harshly onto my friend's shoulder flipping her around, an intense stare aimed at Tsuna-chan's eyes.

"Oi, You're Kyoko's friend right? You'd better not let her down" he rumbled deeply, almost in a threatening tone.

My reaction boiled down to three messy feelings:

I was startled. Onii-san never acted like this.

I was sad. His voice ended darkly only when he talked to the delinquents. Did that mean he treated Tsuna as if she were an enemy of some sort?

Above all, I was disappointed. And as surprising as it was, I was disappointed in him.

I couldn't bother myself enough to watch as Tsuna narrowed her eyes and tore herself from his grip. "I believe you're the one letting her down" she said as her eyes glanced at me. "Now move." She shoved him to the side. In seconds, Tsuna's light footsteps resounded throughout the sidewalk, fading away into nothing.

Only Onii-san and I remained. He was shocked, his eyes wide and his hand frozen in the air, hands still trying to grip the long abandoned shoulder. My head was down. It was hard for me to tell if I was crying or not since I felt like I was. The situation didn't seem real—I didn't think it would have turned out this..harshly.

"What do you mean!" Onii-san yelled out. His reaction was minutes late; Tsuna had already left and the loud shout was heard only by the quiet air. It seemed the solemn wind was my only comforter.

And then for some reason a strange, abnormal feeling welled up in me. I didn't think I've ever felt this burning in my chest nor this utter frustration before. I only realized after, that my sadness had transformed into a dangerous anger.

"Onii-san you baka!" I shrieked as my head lifted abruptly into his wide eyes. I'm not sure what I conveyed to him; what message my eyes were telling him, but at that time I couldn't find it in me to care.

I ran home—away from my brother—with thoughts of what will happen to our friendship? and will she hate me? jabbing spitefully in my head.

When I arrived home I found myself silent, my cheeks tired from so much frowning and downwards tilts. I sniffed, rubbing my face and hurt my cheeks even more when I found I had to concentrate hard to see my wet hands staring harshly back at me.

...

I tend to think of that time as embarrassing; something I don't like to bring up often. Shame welled in me, remembering me yelling at Onii-san just because of my faults. Only an hour later, he had ran back home and prostrated himself on the floor, asking for forgiveness, which during my lamenting moment, I had eagerly given.

Still, maybe this was my chance at redemption.

My stern look grew soft and I felt my uncomfortable cheeks relax into its customary smile albeit a bit tighter than usual. "Onii-san, please just behave okay? Tsuna-chan's sick and she needs her rest" I asked him gently, making sure he looked directly into my eyes.

Onii-san looked back at me with an atypical serious face; his mouth was tightly knit shut into a thin straight line, yet his eyes were as sharp and molten as ever.

"I will. To the extreme, I will."

I didn't notice the wide smile that grew on my face, but I didn't need to.

I was proud.

A/N: This update was later than I'd thought it'd be. The rest will most likely end like this, though I do have a break coming up. It's just that my life has gotten more and more hectic, though that is not a reasonable excuse.

But besides that, please review and comment, and give any advise to my style, or awkward phrasings, etc.

Did you like the chapter? While I know that Kyoko isn't the most popular character, I tried to make her more human; more close to us. She is, after all, liked (in the manga) for a reason besides 'she's really cute and innocent'. This chapter as a whole was cheesy and a rare first person, which I enjoyed. Please comment on whether it was a good idea, or that I should have just scraped it, and include reasons!

Now for reviewers:

Firstly, thanks for all those who reviewed! Whether it be because you wanted to, you had some sort of fierce urge to say something, anything, I thank you.

SasoLOVE111- Yes, I think I've mentioned that I approved of Skull before. And yeah, Reborn is obviously going to be way more popular. I wonder how the fans will act when they collide...(This is going to happen)

ezcap1st- I'm curious about what you think is creepy... Is Reborn creepy? If so, I ask if you would look down at my comment for Stalker of Reactions.

Sachiel Angelo- Yes well, I made it a little more endearing that it actually looks. In a future chapter, you'll see the boys' expressions.

ShizukaRen-Hime- Ah well, I'm not exactly sure if she's a girl we really want to consider a role model. I like to think of her as a regular human, just with the logic and passion parts really separated from each other. Also, she spent most of her life in isolation, and somewhat enjoyed, or handled it. It took an innocent, caring girl to make her first female friend besides her mother, and her first friend, besides the Varia.

Stalker of Reactions- Hmmm. I think you're on to something. I can't tell you what will happen, but pay attention to Reborn, he is not what he seems, even to the omniscient viewers. Pay attention to his thoughts; his words.