Chapter One: New View

Graduating high school was a huge accomplishment in his part. Being called Dame-Tsuna since his childhood was never a pleasant memory to carry around him but it soon proved its worth when he got so tired of hearing it. That being degraded needed to stop. It came to his awareness that doing nothing and remaining as the common object of humiliation wouldn't bring him anywhere but down, down, down until that one unexpected morning urged him to change, to do better, to become greater.

That was when it all started. That was when everyone else witnessed him evolve before their eyes.

Dame-Tsuna grew as an independent, intelligent and successful alumni of Namimori. One of the very few who made it to the top as a matter of fact. It later became hard for his bullies to badger him like they used to, shame dragging them away from the boy. Impressed female classmates, try as they may, began approaching him with the practice of flirtatious movements but to no avail. Mothers pushed their daughters to his arms, fathers compared their sons to his achievements. Later on, masks of camaraderie were displayed to be in his good list. But Tsuna was no fool.

Before everything, he watched and observed how they are and how he cannot keep them glued in his life. Being the good observer he was, he took it into account to be kind, humble and understanding but never too trusting, even when they seem too promising. His hyper intuition, a gift and a curse, warned him so. Although he was taught to be a generous man, he knew there were things people wanted from him something he cannot give. Even he knew his own limits.

College was around the corner, he had come to a decision that he had to leave. For now. The city was a strange thing to hear that it made him curious to see what it was like himself. With no specific course to take, he deduced to get to know things properly before choosing rashly. And the 'City' was the right place to start. Bidding his lovely mother and giddy father a temporary farewell, he left his home to find a place in this world.

Four years have now been. And he starts to question the familiar yet foreign neighborhood he once was born and grew up in if it was all intended that he came back to become as he is? A teacher?

The first person to know aside from his parents seemed to give out a thorough reaction that he probably made a huge mistake somewhere along the line.

Tsuna glared at the blatant insult the dark haired teenager expressed upon discovering his new identity. It would have spared him the agony if the kid kept it to himself. He never asked for his opinion either. And to think this irritatingly tall guy was also going to be one of his students. Here he thought he was a full grown man! Seems like nature can be so unfair with him.

"Yes." The brunette said as he strained the biting fury to give this one a thing or two in respecting his elders. Shocked by his own outburst, the young man started to apologize for his early behavior and bowed. This act was enough to erase all of Tsuna's anger though a bit was still hurt from the yell. Did he give an air of a high school student? Or was it because he looked too young to be one (hopefully that was the case). Or... Gasp! Maybe the accidental collision with the other made him look pathetic! He was running late, too! Oohh.. You did it now, Tsuna. So much for making a good impression in the first meeting.

"Are you okay?" Realizing he was not alone, Tsuna turned to meet worried brown eyes.

"I'm fine. Just haven't thought that I didn't look like one at all until now. You pointed it out for me."

Panicking, the teenager tried to find the right words to aid the man's pride but faltered when the other merely chuckled to himself.

"Don't fret. I can sort of understand why you were affected with my response. Let's leave it. All good, okay?"

"A-alright... But, really, it was hard to tell that you were an adult. Well, not entirely. You do have a bit-" A bit?! "- of character that shows that you know a lot what it means to be one. I want to make it up to you. You're my new teacher so I should at least try to be more welcoming."

"Well..." Tsuna bent his head slightly to the side as his eyes rolled up in wonder. Then a thought came in. Facing the expecting boy, he smiled happily. "I could use some help in locating the school. Four years in the city and exposed to a lot of different environments made me forget which way was which."

He almost giggled at the beaming face his student was making but held it in. That would be unmanly of you, Tsuna. Don't.

"Sure thing! I'm Yamamoto Takeshi. Class 1-B. Please take care of me." Takeshi extended his hand out for Tsuna to shake. Tsuna grinned while taking it to his own.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi. Tsuna for short. For now, please take care of me, Yamamoto-kun."

"Oh yeah!" The two exchanged a hearty laugh and soon walked down the road, Takeshi leading the way. He slowly got the hang of his sore legs and picked up the pace as his teacher followed. His brain reminding him of one little problem.

"If I recall... There was a broadcast that today was going to rain really-"

Clap!

The hissing of raindrops raced down from the sky, creating puddles on the ground as thunder clapped over their heads. Both men froze in their position. It was a few moments of the plain sound of falling water and rumbling of thunder before Tsuna finally spoke.

"Yamamoto-kun. Please tell me you have an umbrella."

"... No."

"Darn."

Clap!

. . . . . .

"Um, Yamamoto-san. Where's Takeshi-kun?"

Takeshi's father, Tsuyoshi, was mildly impressed with the group of girls that came in early just to see his son. He could already tell that by the looks of them, they had been crushing on him. Something he feels proud of. Cheerfully, he set their orders on the table before them while keeping the subject in line.

"Ahaha! Takeshi went out for a walk. The other day he went hiking with Sasagawa-kun and came home numb. So I had him go walk it off to relax them."

One girl with short, ginger hair puffed a grouchy frown. Crossing her arms, she mumbled childishly, "Hmph. Hiking? Takeshi-kun should have invited me."

Another girl wearing walnut pigtails complained at her. "Eeh? You're just saying that so he could help you climb up. You hate the mountains, too."

"S-shut up! As long as it's Takeshi-kun, I wouldn't mind. You're just jealous!"

"Says someone who even didn't get invited!"

Gosh. What kind of women are these two? Poor Tsuyoshi, to have to deal with such rackety customers like them when it barely reached noon. Almost forgetting that there was one more of them with long, wavy, maroon hair, he silently prayed that she was more tamed.

That girl slammed the table, and very soon all eyes were on her. At first, Tsuyoshi was about to express his gratitude to her for stopping the ridiculous argument, but the plan was later thrown out when she joined in, adding more fuel to it using her arrogant attitude.

"Nonsense! You're both being silly!"

Oh? This is new-

"Your versions are so old that Takeshi-sama would easily turn you two down. I can best you all simply because I'll be the one carrying him!"

What?

Instantly, the three started bickering at each other with the purpose of pulling their hair out, entirely failing to remember that their dream boy's dad was in front of them. Tsuyoshi then decided to get back to work, departing from the girls' discussion. It would have served a great deal to kick them out, but a storm was coming and it wasn't in the man's nature to let them leave now and get them sick. Clearly, they hadn't brought an umbrella along. Which reminds him...

Peering at the front door, his eyes spotted his son's umbrella, freezing innocently. This started to worry him. The rain has started falling as well. Hopefully, that kid of his was able to stop by at a friend's house in time or at least somewhere safe.

. . . . . .

Pitter patter. Pitter patter. That was the rhythm of the small droplets coming from the sky. The hard walls only muted a part of it, making it more quiet than not. Right now, they were walking down the hallway inside the familiar building, trying their hardest to step forward without having to suffer a fall from the little puddles their drenched clothes were making. It wasn't their fault. Neither if them had an umbrella or an object to protect them from the rain except for Tsuna's briefcase that held his papers to submit for work which the man took upon himself as first priority to defend from getting ruined. At least they made it in time to the school, so it was better than staying outside and getting more wet.

The air was kind of chilly but bearable. Takeshi shook his head to swish out the remaining rainwater from his hair. Tsuna was busy wringing his coat. They were both soaked.

"I should have stopped to hear the news." Tsuna muttered.

Takeshi looked over his shoulder at the other before laughing heartily. "Nah. You were in a rush, remember? Things just happen."

"Yeah, well... I'm pretty sure you were heading home. Sorry if I got you stuck here with meaning."

"No, no. I did say that I wanted you to feel welcomed, right?" The teenager went on walking, eyes scanning for the right office. Years changed the school and its structure so being careful as a newcomer was tricky. He wouldn't mind since he's already friends with people who'd tell him where to go but he needed to make certain that his new teacher got the gist of the area even for a bit. "I was going home because I had nothing else to do. It's true that I needed to get away from the rain, but you happened to be a really interesting guy so I couldn't possibly leave you alone."

The comment embarrassed him, not sure whether it was addressed as a compliment or a snorting remark. Tsuna chose to ignore it when he was brought to a door. A moment was taken until he recognized it as the office the email he got last time told him where to give his documents. Beside him, Takeshi was keeping intact his genuine grin with his hands on his sides, confirming that this was it. The brunette smiled.

"Thank you, Yamamoto-kun."

"No prob! And..." He inched closer to the other's right ear as if he was cautious for anyone eavesdropping on them, "If your for our Math class, please don't call me out to answer in front."

Tsuna was taken by surprise but soon broke into a soft laugh, the younger man seeming confused. "Math? Don't worry. I'm just an English teacher."

"That, too!"

"I'll do my best to make things easier. But I'm not into favorites, you know."

"Sure!" Takeshi watched him knock then enter the door when he was grabbed on the shoulder by a larger hand, turning that it was his upcoming student's.

"Yes..?" He asked gently.

"I... uh... See you tomorrow, Sensei!" The dark haired boy directly turned and ran away, not waiting for the man's response. Takeshi reached the entrance. Seeing that the rain was easing slightly, he dashed outside to his house, racing the challenged droplets. A warm bath should be helpful once he's home.

. . . . . .

Tsuna blinked at the empty space and stared at where his new student last stood. Maybe he really was in a hurry to leave him? He did get the kid wet, he's a magnet of bad luck and it was always there to rub people off of him. Somehow, this saddened him. He held onto the doorknob and was about to twist it open until the door opened itself, revealing a girl with long, black hair and calculating green eyes.

"Uuhh, hi... I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi?"

"..."

"The new English teach - gwaa!" Tsuna was immediately jumped into an enthusiastic hug, fragrance of roses filling his nose.

"Oh, yes! The new guy! Come right in! My, you're soaking wet. Got caught up in the bad weather?"

"Er, yeah... Something like that."

"Well, you're not the only one. I just changed into new clothing. Wind gave me a terrible hair, too. Here, to dry yourself." She handed out a grey towel, letting him take it. He politely thanked her because he was getting worried if he'll have to stay wet and get sick (which he certainly does not want to happen). The woman was pleased with his behavior. "Sorry about the cold glare earlier. I thought you were a burglar trying to steal our paperwork. It takes a whole freaking day to get everything done, you know?"

"That's okay. Yes, it is tiring to get them done." Although he highly doubts that anyone would want to just steal random schoolwork unless they really held an important value.

Taking a bow, the other introduced herself. "My name is Nomono Miyaki. I'm the assistant of the school director. Right now, I'm the only one facilitating so you can just give me your papers so I can have them dealt with accordingly. Feel free to stand by till the rain is gone."

"Oh, sure. Thank you, Nomono-san."

"Yep. Yep. By the way, no need to be too formal with me. Just 'Miyaki' is fine."

"How about Miyaki-chan for now? I think its better that way. You can call me Tsuna."

"Tsu-chan?"

"Tsuna."

"Tsu-chan."

"Tsuna."

"Tsu-chan."

"Tsu - oh, never mind." He took a mental note to have patience with this woman. She seems like someone who won't stop pestering if you if you get into her strings. Miyaki gave him a playful smile before looking back at his papers. Stamping over some areas then filing them to separated drawers. Tsuna took his time to face the window, its glass getting foggy with the rain's moisture. With his cheek on his palm, he let his mind explore back from his home to the train to Namimori to the road to this Yamamoto Takeshi then to sleep.

. . . . . .

He called out to his dad when he entered the house. Tsuyoshi soon came running to him with an exhausted expression mixed with relief.

"Dad? What's wrong-?"

His old man firmly grabbed on his shoulders. "Your fans are what's wrong! Can they not take a hint to leave you for a day? They're at the shop, after each other's throats!"

"Ohh... They can't be that bad."

A shrieking voice echoed from the shop. "You can't have him, you masked Joker!"

"What was that, Dreadlocks?"

"Everyone, stop it."

"Shut up, Hercules!"

The two men listened for a moment before Takeshi headed into where the source of this ruckus was.

. . . . . .

Tsuyoshi collapsed onto his chair, taking a cardboard to fan himself.

"Aahh... Finally. I wouldn't know what to do if you hadn't arrived on time, Takeshi. Old man can't handle those girls. Your mother wasn't anything like them, I swear."

They decided to close shop, the three girls as the last customers after they had chosen some things to take out. Since the weather did not look like a good sign for them, they later flipped on the signboard from the entrance as 'Closed'. After a steamy bath and getting into warmer clothes, Takeshi began wiping some tables and then carried a few trays to the sink.

"Sorry, Pops." He apologized, "I didn't think they would be that troublesome."

"I can see what you mean by that. Those little rugrats suddenly evolved into clueless flowers when you showed up. How long have you been popular again?"

Takeshi shrugged. "Didn't believe I was that much. I always thought they were just being friendly."

Heavily, Tsuyoshi sighed. "Son, it's time you realize what their true intentions are. Speaking of which," Crossing his arms on his chest, the man became stern. "What took you so long? I thought you would be back on time like always. I tried contacting your teammates but they said they haven't seen you at all. What happened?"

Great. Yamamoto Tsuyoshi has gone parent mode. Something Takeshi tries to ignore or, at the most, avoid. He fought to face him squarely and not flinch, this version of his father was very perceptive after all.

. . . . . .

"So you helped out this new teacher of yours get to school after you got yourself depressed over a silly video game and got punished by getting stuck in the rain?"

"You make it sound so painful, old man."

"Which really is! I'm glad you were being kind to your teacher and all, but that Ow-PD? Are-pee-geez?"

"RPG, Dad. R-P-G. Its an acronym for Role Playing Game."

"Like I need to know that stuff. Anyway, don't feel bad that you couldn't buy it. It's a computer, virtual, nonexistent reality people these days get into. Not saying you're not allowed to play them. Just want you to know that there's a life in the real world - not just baseball - that can give you more emotions and experience if you let it."

He slowly absorbed these words, taking them to the best of his comprehension. His dad has a point, life has a point, and he needs to let it in if he wants to feel its worth. Come to think of it, perhaps its already starting to seep in and take its effect, his mind falling back to that brown soft hair and calming creamy eyes.

"Yeah... Maybe I will..." He softly whispered to himself. And, to his amazement, he was looking forward to something else other than meeting the team's new members.

a/n: What's this? New chapter? Oh! I thought of thanking those who spent the time to read and comment on this simple creation but decided not to let you read such long... notes of gratitude~! But really, thank you so much! Mwah!

Nomono Miyaki is an OC. Don't fret, she's won't ruin anything, I tell you. And I'm thinking of keeping this on and see where it leads me. I hope I didn't offend any RPG gamers out there, this is just a random convo between Tsuyoshi's opinion and for Takeshi and other teenagers' sake.

It's gonna be a long ride, guys, so keep your seat belts on and enjoy the drive. Next chap? Preview's down here (._.)

What section was Tsuna going to handle? He never got to ask... Tsuna made the same soft smile from yesterday. It still made the dark haired teenager nervous and simultaneously excited...

"Hey, Scum."

"... I fully expect your perseverance not only in my lessons but to the other's as well. This is your first year as High School students so it will be tougher than middle school. But don't stress, I'll make sure to be there for you to help you take those great steps to your achievement."