27 & 5986 SHORT-STORY ~ REPUTATION ISSUES
"Hey, look, this article here! They say Italian guys are in the Top3 for Romantic&Hot Boyfriends all around the world!" "Awww, true! Amazing! We are so lucky to have the dream guy just under our nose!" "Hihihi, can't disagree! Handsome, smart AND Italian! No wonder he can be picky…" "To think he rejected every girl for Valentine's Day, his standards must be really high, for sure!" "A guy like him can have all the girls he wants after all, sigh…" "… even probably already had…" "Aah, Gokudera-sama, won't you leave us a chance, sob…?"
Meanwhile, in the courtyard:
"A-chaaaa!" "Gokudera-kun, did you catch a cold?" "10th, your concern touches me but my health is a robust as a rock, shishi! It must be some thug I beat up the other day cursing my name behind my back, tsk…" "… scary…" "Hahaha, I'd say it must be your fanclub again, Gokudera. The kouhai in Baseball Club told me they multiplied recently, right?" "… that's scary too…"
The Vongola's intuition is prove right again as things start to get out of hands along the week, Gokudera's reputation as a 'Dream Guy' gradually turning into him being a 'Full-Fledged Casanova' with enough 'rumoured' masculine assets to make girls faint and enough 'rumoured' feminine conquests to make guys jealous. In short, the dreadful result of people with too much free time gossiping.
DING DONG. "Gokudera Hayato-kun, please report to the Staff Room."
Despite being the smartest of the school – meaning almost untouchable – there are still things teachers can't easily ignore, and being rumoured having plenty 'improper relationships between boys and girls despite being only a middle school student' is part of them.
Thus why Gokudera's face is beat-red with shame and anger when he slams the door of the Staff Room after an hour of lecturing.
"Ah, finally. Let's go back home, Gokudera-kun…!" "10th, you waited for me…? I am so touched…! How lucky a subordinate to have such a Boss!" "Ah, well, no, you know, it's normal between FRIENDS…"
After the abnormal atmosphere at school – not that Gokudera ever cared, but at such level, it would get on anyone's nerves – walking back home with the 10th is the best remedy Gokudera could dream of, and his mood lifts up instantly.
"Aah, 10th! I don't have any omiyage for your mother!" "Well, isn't it fine even without…" "No way, I can't intrude at the 10th's home without bringing something! Let me go to buy something!" "Ah, wait, Gokudera-kun, behin…" BAM.
"Damn!" "Watch where you're going, you jerk!" "Aah, t-this guy, isn't he…" "N-no way, so that's him…? He sure is handsome but…" "Aah, Haru?" "Ahiii, Tsuna-san? Lucky-desu! Haru is just out of school and planning to visit y…!" TILT.
But as soon as Haru spots Gokudera, she freezes. A short glance for the group of girls on the left wearing the same uniform as her and she definitely looks ill-at-ease.
STEP. Her next steps go directly on the right, then forward, then on the left, bypassing Gokudera with a security distance of about three steps until safely reaching Tsuna.
"Tsuna-san, so-lucky-desu!" "Oy, you ignored me just now, you Stupid Woman?!"
Silence only answers Gokudera, pissing him off to no end and making him vent on the other girls still gossiping behind his back until they leave with frightened airs.
As soon as alone:
"You know, Tsuna-san… Friendship is important, but you shouldn't hang out with people like that. Haru will support you, so break up from him!" "Aah?! What the heck are you saying, Stupid Woman?!" "Haru really trusts Tsuna-san, so Haru knows you would never behave the same way as him! But many people don't know Tsuna-san well, so Haru is afraid they will group you together if you don't keep your distance. Warning-desu!" "Oy, Stupid Woman… Is that all you wanted to spam the 10th's ears with…?! Don't give me that crap and get out of here if you're not happy with us!" "Buuh, Haru is talking to Tsuna-san! You Aho don't realize you're causing trouble to Tsuna-san's reputation!"
TILT. Gokudera's rant stops abruptly and even his cigarette almost falls his lips as he processed the words Haru just spoke.
Causing trouble to the 10th…
"Ahiii…?"
Before Haru knows it, she's being dragged away at full speed, only seeing Tsuna's silhouette getting smaller and smaller in the street.
BAM. She is forced sit on a bench of the park, and a pair of serious green eyes stares down at her with a hint of exasperated despair.
"… what can I do to stop this fake bad reputation dragging the 10th honour in the mud?" "… Ahiii…?" "What you said just now! If it's damn true, then I need to call it off before it tarnishes the 10th and the Family's honour! These annoying girls talking bad about the 10th are from your school, right? So you tell me exactly what is being said and how I should counter it!"
Haru's expression turns a little cold at hearing her school being mentioned, but she shrugs the impression off to answer Gokudera with as much bluntness as usual.
"… you mean these bad rumours are not true?" "Of course not, cut the crap! I didn't care much at first, but if it's going to bother the 10th then I'll set things right!" "… beautiful-lie-desu…! Haru already knows you don't treat girls well, so…" "Wh…?! Y… ev… you…?!"
TILT. Gokudera's unexpected expression shakes Haru to the heart. What kind of face is that, coming from a guy rumoured to be a handsome Italian delinquent stringing up woman after woman… Why would he feel – can it be called pained? – to be told by her that he doesn't treat girls well…
Long seconds of silence pass as Gokudera doesn't let Haru out of his field of vision, as if watching out for a change of heart. But as nothing comes, he swallows back in and twitches with exasperation, the frown on his forehead betraying his contained anger despite his heavy sigh.
"Fine…! Listen up closely, Stupid Woman, 'cause I'll only say it once. I never touched a woman and ditched her afterwards, and for whatever I care, the idea never ever crossed my mind either! Considering national or even international average, I even probably care less about women than any average idiot our age. So I couldn't care less about keeping records about how many women I flirted with, especially when aforementioned records would be empty to start with. Is it clear enough?" "Sensei, a question!" "Yes? … Agh, w-wait, what the… don't mess with me! I didn't explain you for the sake of you making fun of me, damn it!"
Haru can only giggle at having trapped Gokudera into his regular tutor role-play. It's the same Gokudera-san as usual… The same who pulls out his glasses and speaks with absolute rectitude of the physics theory behind swimming and behind his bad reputation alike… The same Gokudera she knows…
"Tsk, just forget it, Stupid Woman! If you're not going to help, then I'll just have to distance myself from the 10th for 60days. Rumours only live up that long, anyway…" "Haru will help!" "Hum…?" "Haru said I'll help! Gokudera-san was honest enough to tell Haru the truth about him so Haru will help, of course. Rewards-desu." "… what the heck is a reward?!" "Haru will just have to tell at school how Gokudera-san is a scary violent cursing chain-smoking delinquent without any sex appeal that never touched a girl in his life."
TILT. Gokudera's expression tenses at the summary given in such an objective normal tone by Haru, something tightening uneasily in his chest.
"… y… yeah…" "Ah, don't worry, Haru won't tell the rest, of course!" "… the… rest…?"
TILT. Somehow, something inside him is telling Gokudera that he doesn't feel like hearing another round of Haru's straight-forward analysis of his personality and attitude.
"Obvious-desu! Haru can't tell Gokudera-san is also a very loyal smart hard-working guy with a good heart deep inside, or the rumours will never stop. You know, girls are easily swayed, so you shouldn't think you can escape them. If we only look at Gokudera-san's good points, you're kind of a teenage girl's dream guy, after all, hihihi…"
DOKI. As expected, Gokudera's isn't bearing very well with the second round of Haru's piece of mind. Damn it, why does it feel so hot and uneasy suddenly…