278659 SHORT-STORY ~ NOVELS DAY

"Gokudera-kun, class is not the time to read magazines! Even if your grades are excellent, as a literature teacher, I will not forgive your attitude! Confiscated! If you want it back, do like the others and come for a lecture at lunch break!"

"Tsk…"

Gokudera rants and kicks the study desk with his feet, frowning with anger as the latest release of "The Wonders and Mysteries of the World" disappears in the teacher's drawer along the mangas and other magazines confiscated to other students. This teacher sure doesn't know with whom she's messing…

When classes resume after lunch break…

"Gokudera-kun… what are all of these…?"

"Ah, 10th! Nothing to trouble you, tsk… This teacher was so damn upset I knew Latin classics better than her that she gave me back ALL the confiscated books… Why would I care about this kind of trash?! Girly mangas and sports magazines, tsk… Only good for empty-brained muscle-fanatics!"

"Ooh, the new pro baseball magazine, lucky! Let me borrow this one, Gokudera!"

"… see…? Suit yourself, Baseball-Nut, as if I cared…"

"G-Gokudera-kun, you don't like mangas or light-novels…?"

"Light novels? Is it those books with reduced word loads for kids not smart enough to get an entire book?"

"W-well, I like light novels myself so don't… well…"

"Eeh?! 10th, you recommend this type of books?! How prejudiced could I've been to neglect a literary source that the 10th himself acknowledges… I promise I will not waste your advice, 10th! I'm up to a read now!"

"E-eh…?"

Tsuna doesn't have time to set the topic back on tracks that Gokudera has dashed to his desk with the pile of confiscated light novels, pulling out his glasses and tying back his hair to focus completely on his newly 'personnally-recommended-by-the-10th' passion.

"Ano… Gokudera-kun… Aren't these Historical Otome Light Novels (novels featuring a dramatic love story centred around a female lead surrounded by handsome knights/princes/etc. among whom several will develop a love interest on the lead)…? Maybe you should start with something else…?"

"Leave him be Tsuna. Maybe he'll find something interesting for him inside, heehee…"

"Gyaah, Reborn?! Why are you here?! And wait... this bookkeeper costume, don't tell me...?!"

After one complete afternoon – at school – and one all-nighter – at his apartment – of reading, Gokudera finally closes the last book of the series with teary eyes bordered by dark circles, sparkling with a brand new motivation. Even on his way to school, he can't help retelling the story in his head.

"This samourai knight was so cool, so devoted… The way he sacrificed himself for his Lord, so magnificent! Truly worthy of being the Right Arm of the Lord! He even protected the Lady of his Lord with his life, being ready to face a hundred enemies to protect the honour of the one loving his Lord… so touching… so inspiring…! I understand now why the 10th wished for me to understand this kind of reference! How could I be worthy of serving the 10th without having the same understanding as this brave and devoted samourai knight?! This brave warrior even held back the personal feelings he had for the Lady in order never to burden her or his Lord with the weight of his unrequited love…! Such devotion! Making his Lord the top of his priorities even before his own heart! I'm so moved…! I should really work harder on understanding the 10th priorities. If I can't protect the ones my Lord cherishes from the shadow, I can't call myself his Right Hand Man!"

Fatigue having made Gokudera's brain skips a step or two in his analysis, he soon ends up transposing his present situation and group of nakamas into the setting of the light novel to try and find out who the priorities should be for him.

"Reborn-san should be the martial art mentor of the Lord, it fits with a home tutor… Then Turf-Head would be the brainless General running head-first into a battle… Then the Lady loving the Lord…"

Gokudera suddenly stops at noticing two familiar silhouettes under the falling leaves fluttering in the wind, farther away in the street and coming his way.

"Say, Tsuna-san, is it alright to hang out with Haru for shopping today after class? Haru would like to go and buy cakes to thank Tsuna-san's Mom to always welcome me for tea. My-treat-desu!"

"W-well, if you want… Ah, Gokudera-kun, good morning!"

TILT. Gokudera freezes as realization strikes and illusions of a Lord's Ikan Ho (Heian Lord Kimono) come to superpose over Tsuna's regular image, soon accompanied by Haru ending up in Kazami (Heian Lady Kimono) in Gokudera's mind.

"Gokudera-kun…? Can you hear me…?"

"Ahiii, what is happening to Gokudera-san? Dark-rings-desu! Let Haru see…"

DOKI. Completely engrossed in his transposition, Gokudera can't help but freeze and blush at feeling Haru's hands grab his face to inspect the dark circles around his eyes with a frown.

"Ahiii, this aho is neglecting his health and not sleeping enough! Tsuna-san, you scold him too or he'll never listen! So-stubborn-desu!"

SNAP. But Gokudera has already pushed away Haru's hands and run away at full speed, before stopping abruptly in the middle of the street, remembering that the 10th is actually behind him, and turning around again to go and kneel in front of Tsuna, apologizing for his rudeness, asking for the honour to carry his school bag, and follow diligently and silently behind for the rest of the walk.

When Haru leaves them to go to her own school, Gokudera can't help chasing after her silhouette, before shaking his head and remembering she is his Lord's Lady.

"Ano, Gokudera-kun… you're acting a bit weird. Maybe you should take a rest at the infirmary…?"

But Gokudera acting weird keeps on for the rest of the week, sleep deprivation making things worse and worse as he doesn't rest at night to read and re-read the light novels some umpteenth time, starting to confuse seriously really and fiction during the day, even in the way he addresses himself to Tsuna.

"10th, your humble servant is at your disposal."

"10th, transportation to your mansion has been arranged and Mother-Lady already informed of your arrival."

"10th, if you knew the tumult of my heart, you would know how unworthy I am to stay at your service… please allow me to commit seppuku (samourai suicide by slashing open one's stomach)."

Never minding his sudden old-fashioned polite speech when speaking to Tsuna or Reborn, Gokudera shocks everyone by also speaking the same way to Haru, instead of bickering with her as usual.

"Reborn… should we ask Bianchi or Shamal…? I'm seriously worried for Gokudera-kun."

"Ooh, Tsuna, your care for your subordinates makes me proud! It's a Boss duty to handle this type of situation, so I let the decision up to you to call them or not, heehee…"

"… you only say that at times like now, you sneaky…"

But Tsuna doesn't have to appeal to Gokudera's two nightmares as the problem kind of resolves itself when Gokudera faints of exhaustion on the Saturday, when having tea at Tsuna's home with Haru and the kids.

"… Ahodera is weird! Tsuna, Ahodera is really weird!"

"I know, Lambo. So just leave him rest, alright…?"

"Hum…"

"T-Tsuna-san… is Gokudera-san going to be alright…?"

"Haru… Yes, I think he will be once he'll have a good sleep. Sorry he acted so weird lately… I don't really get why."

"Haru… is also feeling weird now…"

"Ah?"

"Ah hum, no… Haru meant… Forget it, Tsuna-san…!"

"Oh, ok…"

And Haru lowers her eyes to hide a pouting blush, trying not to remember how unsettling it was to have Gokudera-san acting that way around her this week: speaking with deference to her, looking at her so seriously, standing next to her in the crowd of the shopping district as if protecting her, offering his hand when jumping from the train at rush hour, letting her walk side by side with Tsuna without really looking away from her either, etc…

On the way back home, Haru can't stop thinking about it more than she would have thought, not even managing to settle with herself if she hated it or not.

"Ahiii…Really, such a weird week… Haru needs to write about in my diary to vent! Hum, but Haru's journal only has Tsuna-san's stories, usually… Can Haru really write about Gokudera-san too… Uneasy-desu…"

Before she realises, Haru's pen has covered three pages of her diary with cursive to related all the 'uneasiness' caused by a certain 'aho acting all weird'.

The next day:

Two, three, four bold lines of red ink come across the aforementioned diary pages before relating with numerous cursing words how her perfect Sunday shopping plans with Tsuna-san had been interrupted by an aho pestering them now that he was back on feet, having dared and completely forgot what had happened the entire week, except for how he felt his loyalty for Tsuna to have increased in his heart.

"Ahiii!" Haru will NEVER worry about this idiot again!" … but soon filling new pages with Gokudera-san name…