2795 & 5986 SHORT-STORY ~ TAILING ISSUES

"Lower! Squat lower, Stupid Woman!" "Ahiii, but we're going to lose sight of Tsuna-san! They're entering! Pinch-desu!" "Damn it, as expected the 10th… he's cautious and with the instinct of a professional…"

Meanwhile at some distance:

"A-chaa!" "Huh, Tsuna-kun, did you catch a cold?" "Ah, n-no way, don't worry, Kyoko-chan! I'm perfectly healthy, look look! Just some kind of bad feeling but it's not going to stop us from having fun, right, hahaha!" "Hum, if you're not feeling well, maybe we should postpone the amusement park…?" "Of course not! Let's go, let's go, I already have the tickets too!" "If you say so, Tsuna-kun…"

Back behind the corner of a building at some distance from the amusement park entrance:

"Ahiii… what can we do, what can we do… Off-limits-desu…" "Move on, Stupid Woman! Don't off-limits me, damn! As if I would let the 10th without protection!"

And Gokudera drags Haru after him towards the entrance gates, ninja-ing whenever possible behind the pole of a street lamp or behind the tall plushie mascot welcoming the visitors until reaching the counter.

"Two tickets, same as the couple before." He says with a low threatening voice to the hostess behind the glass.

"Ahiii! Gokudera-san, don't say couple! Don't say it! Forbidden-desu!" "Shut up and stop hitting me, Stupid Woman! Right now, the 10th is in a pinch with only me to ensure his protection, damn it! I don't have time for your useless broken heart!" "Don't say broken, aho!" "Raah, fine, fine! Just keep quiet!"

Gokudera then pulls Haru pass the entrance barriers before making her run after him in search of Tsuna and Kyoko, not even minding the hostess staring at them suspiciously before comforting herself that it must be a new trend for young couples to dress up in matching black-glasses-black-cap-binoculars-around-the-neck outfits for a date. Because a dangerous date it appears to be, indeed...

Everything began when Haru spotted Tsuna leaving his home very cheerfully on this Sunday morning. When he had avoided her saying that he had plans, apologizing that she couldn't tag along, she followed him discreetly down Namimori's streets, until reaching the Sasagawa House. There, she had learnt in dread that Tsuna and Kyoko had planned to go to the amusement park, only the two of them. She had thus kidnapped Gokudera – who was passing nearby – before he could call Tsuna over and gained an ally when informing him of the situation, thus leading this joint filature plan.

"Huf huf… Haru can't see them…" "Damn it, where did the 10th go?! His instincts are too good for his own good and he probably broke free from us without knowing we're doing it to protect him! Stand up, Stupid Woman! We need to find him before anything bad happens!" "Ahiii, bad…? Bad?! No no no, Haru doesn't want anything bad to happen!"

And they resume their run, with Haru's mind filled with dreadful 'bad' romantic situations involving Tsuna-san but not with her, Gokudera's mind being filled with 'bad' situations as well, but involving the 10th being cornered by enemy families without support from his Right Hand Man.

The search takes almost an hour before they spot Tsuna and Kyoko again, and they both jump behind another of the park mascots to avoid detection.

"Do you want a picture?" The hostess asks them with a business-like smile at seeing them stick to the mascot so passionately. Haru has to hide Gokudera's rant behind her hands to avoid causing a ruckus that would make Tsuna notice them, and she hands her phone to the hostess for a memory picture.

CLIC. Gokudera's tsundere picture later, they are back on track after Tsuna and Kyoko.

Attraction after attraction, Gokudera's vigilance doesn't relax, but the same can't be said for Haru's stubbornness. When lunch arrives and Tsuna and Kyoko both sit down to enjoy a bento at a wooden table, leaving a well-deserved break to their pursuers, Haru has turned silent and spiritless.

"Here, Stupid Woman."

TILT. Haru mechanically accepts the cup of bubble milk tea. A gulp of sweet and cold beverage later, she raises her eyes towards the one who has squat next to her behind the bushes.

Thinking about it, he even paid for her ticket too…

"… Th-thank-you-desu…" "Tsk, don't mention it. Without you I wouldn't have been able to tail the 10th to protect him from the shadows. You're actually pretty useful sometimes, so don't get all depressed for nothing."

TILT. Haru can't help but pout with a blush, quite touched by the attempt to cheer her up.

"… you know, Gokudera-san, you're also a nice guy sometimes…"

SHRRR. Gokudera chokes on his straw, causing his drink to overflow in bubbles from the cup.

"… wh-what are you talking about, S-stupid woman?!" "Haru forgot she's able to stay next to Tsuna-san because Gokudera-san is here too… You know, when we are alone, Tsuna-san always looks troubled and calls Reborn-chan or the kids to play with us… so it's never like he is with Kyoko-chan… frustrating-desu… In the end, when Haru thinks about it, we only have fun when the three of us are together so Haru realizes Gokudera-san is really important."

SHIN. Gokudera has definitely frozen with a lost expression, his straw all nervously chewed up between his lips. Long minutes pass in complete silence, one of them minding the previous declaration too much and the other not enough.

So this Stupid Woman actually realizes how important I am as the 10th Right hand… I feel a little… touched I guess… but she didn't have to put it that way, so embarrassing…

Haru needs to make things easier for Tsuna-san… Having Gokudera-san around is noisy but after all he's not a bad guy, so Haru should try harder to get along with the friend of her future husband! Fight-for-love-desu!

TILT. But they suddenly realise their targets left while they were lost in their thoughts.

"Aah! Tsuna-san left!" "Damn it, 10th, you're too good for your own men!"

And the chase resumes:

"Gokudera-san, left, left-desu!" "Gaah, don't pull me, Stupid Woman!" "Ahiii?!" "Back to wall and keep quiet, they turned around!" "T… Too-close-desu!" "Aouch, don't hit me when I'm helping you out!" "Ahiii, Gokudera-san, the shuttle is leaving!" "Jump on, Stupid Woman, I'll catch you!"

After an exhausting afternoon of hide-and-seek filature, Gokudera and Haru collapse on a bench while panting heavily.

"Huf… huf… Lost-desu…" "10th… as your Right Hand Man, I'm impressed by your skills…" "Ahiii… no time to be impressed! It's parade time soon!" "Parade…?" "They will be lost in the crowd for a big close romantic moment! Unfair-desu!"

TILT. The mention of crowd has make Gokudera snap out of his exhaustion and he grabs Haru's hand to drag her after him again, running towards the parade plaza at full speed.

"Tsk, nothing more dangerous than a crowd… What if something happens to the 10th…?!" "Ahiii, nothing more private than a crowd… What if something happens between Tsuna-san and Kyoko-chan…?!"

About five minutes later, they are swallowed themselves by the crowd.

About fifteen minutes later, they have managed to get back together and exit the crowd to climb until the roof of a nearby minaret-tower.

"Ah, Haru found Tsuna-san! Down here! Next to the rainbow cat mascot!" "Damn it, 10th, at the heart of the crowd! No escape road… what if someone pulls a knife or gun, tsk…" "Aah, Gokudera-san, look!"

But Gokudera has already seen and has jumped on the window sill before grabbing onto the garland to slide down until the ground in less than a second.

"Ahiii?! But it's at least 3-storey high! Buuh, Haru can't do it, Gokudera-san no baka!"

And she dashes towards the stairs to run after him, catching up as he tries to sneak into the denser and denser crowd, in vain.

"Let me through, damn it! The 10th is in danger!" "Gokudera-san, that way!"

GRAB. And Gokudera is pulled by his hand after Haru who manages to make them slip past the human wall of spectators.

"Stupid Woman…?" "Don't let go of Haru's hand!"

Gokudera tightens his grip and dives after her in the flow of people massing themselves on the parade sides. A pull, a grab, a push, a hold, and they progress little by little towards Tsuna and Haru position.

"Ahiii! G-Gokudera-san!" "Damn it, hang on, Stupid Woman! And you guys hands off and let her pass or I bomb you!" "Huf huf, thank-you-desu…" "Hold on me tight!" "A-Aye…!" "Damn it, 10th, stay safe until I reach you!"

And Gokudera pushes shoulder by shoulder to make his way in the crowd, one arm holding Haru tight onto him while sending obstacles flying from the other.

"Left, left! Tsuna-san is following the weird mascot on the left! Ahiii!"

BAM. And just as the rainbow-coloured cat mascot is pulling something out of the pocket of his costume after having guided Tsuna and Kyoko out of the crowd, two silhouettes jump on him to knock him to the ground.

"G-Gokudera-kun?! Haru?! What are you doing here?!"

TILT. Gokudera and Haru suddenly realise their disguise are off and they've been recognized.

TILT. Gokudera and Haru then notice that what the mascot was pulling out of his pocket is actually a band-aid for Kyoko's foot which is a little scratched.

We screwed up…! Tsuna-san/the 10th is going to look down on me!

"H-Hohoho! T-Tsuna-san, Kyoko-chan, what are you doing here? Haru is so surprised to find you!" "Eh?" "1-10th, what a surprise, hahaha!" "… don't tell me…" "A coincidence, a coincidence of course! But to meet the 10th here even on my day off, I am a very lucky subordinate, h-hahaha!" "… fishy…" "Haru-chan, you came with Gokudera-kun?" "Ah, y-yes-desu! H-here look, we even took picture with the mascot a while before!" "See, 10th? We really just wanted to take a picture with this weird cat, hahaha!" "… hum, oh, it's really you on the picture! Wait, so you really came here on a date with Haru, Gokudera-kun?"

SNAP. Gokudera's expression freezes in a mixture of guilt, deep shame, exasperation and embarrassment. His lips take a very wavy pout shape as he averts his eyes to stutter: "Y-yeah…"

"Eh, so it's like that? You should have told me earlier, Gokudera-kun!" "… ugh, 10th, don't be so eager to believe in me… I'm so unworthy of your trust, sob sob…" "Hm what are you muttering, Gokudera-kun…?" "So Haru-chan, if you also came, does it mean Oniichan gave you two tickets as well? I'm so glad! He was worried he won't have enough of them…" "Kyoko-chan's brother…?" "Ah true! We're supposed to meet with Oniisan after the parade since his baitou will be finished then. He said he wanted to introduce us so that we can candidate here next time we need a part-time job. Let's go, Gokudera-kun!"

SHUN. But their souls are already detached from their bodies as Gokudera and Haru are dragged after Tsuna and Kyoko to go and meet Ryohei to thank him for the free tickets of a dangerous date that wasn't at all one, in the end…