Chapter Two: Adjustments

The early days of April brought fresh sensations rippling into his body. Tsuna knew he was exaggerating but he thought the words fit this moment perfectly. Snuggling closely into his pillow, he inhaled the scent he recognized as vanilla and smiled sheepishly. The single blanket was warm against the thick layers of the cold air that yesterday's storm had left behind, adding to the comforting bliss he was having.

At the back of his mind, something pawed, urging him to get up. Willing it to stop, it only heightened itself to move him. Eyelids begun to open, light filtered his sight. For a brief period, Tsuna let his body roll on his bed freely as he was still half-awake. However, because he forgot the limited space his bed could only provide, it didn't allow him to do as much as he wanted, the last seconds brought him over the edge then to the floor.

Tsuna groaned. Sitting up, his eyes drifted around his room - wait.

This wasn't his room. Memories preceding unraveled that this was his apartment; in Namimori-a few blocks from his original house. Why was he here? Blankly, he stared at the clock opposite him. It read eight o'clock. Why did the time bother him so much? He noticed his favorite suit hanging on a natural toned wall. Where was he going? Slowly, everything fell into place. His eyes widened.

One word. Teach.

"Crap!" He yelled. Tsuna sprung to his feet but got his body tangled on the blanket and fell. Without processing the pain, he went for it a bit more carefully and headed to the bathroom to shower as fast as possible. Once he got out, ran he did to get himself dried and dressed. Thirty minutes before the Opening Ceremony. He cannot afford to be late. Not now when it's his first day. He knew he should have left the office when he had the chance, but he fell asleep till evening and had to wait for Miyaki. The woman didn't feel safe going home at dark during a rainy day and from the sole basics of his gentleman etiquette, it dragged him to stay.

Combing his hair down was always a fail so he did his best to make it less knotted and messy (even though it was also in vain). With only half of the time left, he gathered his things and dashed out of his door, voicing an 'I'm off' in between from habit despite the silent response.

He didn't get sick, thankfully. And from his mastering of the arts of running during his youth, as he would call it, he's hoping it would benefit him to get to his destination on time.

. . . . . .

Takeshi was soundly snoring. Despite the sunlight that was already raging through his window, it didn't rouse him to consciousness. His arms clung onto his pillows as he evenly breathed, dreaming an imaginary dream. Nothing could wake him. But the booming voice of his old man was in a whole different level.

"Takeshi! Hurry up and get dressed! First day means the whole year!"

Slightly leaning over his shoulder, he rubbed his eyes to coax the sleepiness away. As Takeshi grinned silly at himself for a while, it was soon wiped off when he saw the time.

Tsuyoshi frowned at the ceiling which was his son's room upon hearing random sounds. He could only make out the scrambling feet and light mutters before going back to get his own work done. When he saw the dark haired teenager come down the stairs, he tossed a buttered toast at him. Instinctively, Takeshi caught it and started munching while arranging his belongings.

"Geez, you wouldn't budge earlier. I was planning to throw cold water at you but you looked really peaceful. Was today's dream that nice?" Tsuyoshi asked.

His son was speaking bread that his father couldn't get a word he was saying. He thought he should ask again, but then Takeshi broke him to it and had swiftly grabbed on his prepared bento, running towards the door and calling out that he was leaving now.

Tsuyoshi gave a delayed reply. Shaking his head, he went on with his task. Shop's about to open soon.

. . . . . .

Relief filled his heavy lungs, gasping the air as he wiped away his sweat. He made it. Tsuna made it. The large school clock sung ten minutes before eight. It was a world record for the young teacher and he discovered that this running distance was nowhere in par with when he was in college. Despite the want to celebrate his triumph after honing his tardiness for many, many years, he had to fall in line before the Opening Ceremony begins. He noticed that a lot has changed. From the looks of it, now that it was sunny, Namimori High School appeared to be bigger than he remembered. He guessed that it was because of the growing population in the town he once knew, many elite classes chose to move in and create business here, thus the expansion of the building.

Setting foot beyond the front gates was harder than he imagined. Everyone was watching him, and he hated being the center of attention. Was there something wrong with his attire? Did his hair look too weird - numerous occasions he was told that it was unique and he couldn't tell if that was good or bad? Was it because they knew he was Dame-Tsuna (most probably)?! It was getting easier to feign calmness in the frames of his exterior, but his stomach continued to knot inside him as his temple buzzed rapidly for possibilities. If only he regarded the flustered faces and very observant eyes on him, then he wouldn't think too hard on himself. Dense, Tsuna.

"There you are!" In a swift movement, Tsuna turned in time to catch Miyaki in the arms. Seriously, she just leapt and expected him to catch her? She has something going on with her trust exercises. They just met twenty four hours ago, too. "Thank you so much for walking me home, Tsu-chan! And I'm sorry for keeping you too long the other day!"

The brunette waved his hand in a mild length. "Don't need to thank me. It was dangerous, considering the time you ended."

"Hmm.. You're right." The two started walking forward, the stares slowly increasing at the pair. Miyaki didn't seem to be bothered by it so Tsuna assumed that she was ignoring them, something he decided to follow. The dark haired woman spoke, "I couldn't find you anywhere, so I reckoned you were running late."

"Well, I kinda was..." He whispered. The laugh coming from the other made him a bit flustered out of sheer embarrassment. Impulsively, he tuned up his defenses. "I-I forgot that I was back in Namimori! The rain was also too nice to sleep in. But at least I got here on time. So, there, I'm not late." He wanted to frown his displeasure at being teased at, but he was well trained to not let things get to him emotionally right away. The small pout on his lips paused Miyaki's goading. A grin etched across her dainty face.

"Keep that up, and the next thing you'll have is a fanclub."

Tsuna ceased in his steps. He looked at her, bewildered. "What?"

As if she failed to hear him, Miyaki circled an arm over his. She pointed at a direction, waiting for him to follow. "See that tree? With a building beside it? The others are lined over there. You'll know once you reach it. Just wait there till we begin, okay?" Tsuna nodded. A boisterous laugh caught both of their awareness and turning back, they saw a group of delinquents by the gate. Miyaki's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me." She said before leaving the brunette. Tsuna told himself to back away. This won't be pretty.

The bunch were freely smoking and throwing garbage at every corner. The feminine voice that interrupted them didn't move them at all.

"Excuse me. Please make way for the other students to get through. Also, pierces, smoking and littering are against the rules. You should be lining up with your respective classes."

One of them with multiple ratings and unnecessary ornaments scoffed, casually lighting up a cigar. "Lady, mind your own business. We own ourselves so better get lost if you want to be safe." His companions snorted in unison. "Whoever said that women are scary? My mom doesn't put up much of a fight either!"

Disturbed, Tsuna thought of intervening but what came next forced him to stop.

"Hey, Scum."

Annoyed by the name directed at him, the pierced boy finally looked at Miyaki. His pupils dilated as his knees shook uncontrollably, profound sweat firming on his forehead. Sharp, monstrous, green eyes loomed over him, making him shrink instantly. A dark miasma floated in the background, and if he was just hallucinating, demonic horns coiled at each side of her head with long claws growing from her fingers.

"Listen and listen well, you little punk. You better pull yourself together if you want to stay here. But if you insist..." She reached out to the quivering student and gently clutched onto his collar, pulling him towards her face, "... then get lost if you're not here for school or the next thing you know, you will find a very important organ missing within seconds. And I promise it won't be painful."

Tsuna wasn't amazed that the delinquents disappeared right away, but more on the hidden evil inside such a lady like Miyaki. He went back to getting in line with the other staff members after concluding that she would be fine. She did tell him to go ahead.

Special reminder: Never get on that woman's bad side. She might be as scary as him.

. . . . . .

He made it in time for the Ceremony. It passed by as simple as that. Just formal speeches and small announcements.

Although he was happy to see Tsuna climb the platform, introduced as one of the new teachers in campus, it somehow bothered him when girls began fawning over him whilst boys were getting jealous for a new rival, a few with admiration. Takeshi can't blame them, Tsuna was too attractive for his own good. Wonder began to influence his thoughts at a question:

What section was Tsuna going to handle? He never got to ask.

After the Closing Ceremony, Takeshi roamed the corridors and asked room to room if this was the right class he was put on. Looking at the placard above the door's frame would have been helpful, but they announced that the rooms were in need to be reorganized due to the unexpected increase of students being enrolled, and he found it easier to ask around than search for his name in the lists posted outside. People would just tell him out of good will because everyone here almost remembered everyone. Sometimes than not, girls would stop him to greet and have a chat, others - male - would bring up topics he was more comfortable with. As time went by, he knew he had to move and settle himself before choosing to sit back with idle talk. Glancing back at his slip, he chanted the section, thinking it would come to him if he wants it to.

"1-B... 1-B... 1-B..."

A mellow voice called out nearby. "All for 1-B. Right this way, please."

Takeshi froze. The smoothness of the tone sounded similar to a person, a person linking to someone he knew not too long ago to forget.

Then it clicked: from yesterday.

Lifting his head up to look ahead, he felt his heart jug in rapid and incoherent beats, the rest of the world pausing in his favor.

There, standing elegantly by the doorway to his assumed classroom was the same new English teacher he saw got called over during the principal's speech and met on that twisted event the day before today, Sawada Tsunayoshi.

As if the other sensed his gaze, the man turned and locked eyes with the younger one's. He looked as surprised as he was. That was a good thing, yes, because they weren't expecting it. Neither knew which class they belonged to until today and Tsuna just moved in and didn't get to analyze his records of his students. So there's enough time to try and get used to seeing each other more often.

Tsuna flashed a soft smile like before. It still made the dark haired teenager nervous but simultaneously excited. Bowing slightly, Takeshi entered the room and chose a seat a bit far from the front but not too far from the back. It would serve as a sign of understanding to his shorter classmates who needed the front seats more than he did. A row away from the window looked promising and he chose the vacant seat just close to it.

Patiently waiting, he overheard a couple of girls exchange in bashful whispers.

"Hey, hey... Is he our new homeroom teacher? He looks really hot~"

"Right? He seemed too young when I saw him from earlier. He must have recently graduated. Usually, they'd let the older ones be our advisers."

"He must have great potential to be given the task. I wouldn't mind, though. I mean, he's too -"

"Everyone in?" The conversation was cut off when the Tsuna stood in the middle of the room, gaining all the concentration. Browsing over each of the occupants, he shortly nodded to himself and shuffled papers on his hands above his desk. "Alright. Guess we should start. Since its still the Orientation, you can relax." A few let out a relieved sigh with some sounding a kittenish giggle. Smiling, Tsuna continued, "Let me introduce myself first." Placing the sheets aside he met everyone's gaze and humbly bowed. "My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi. I will be your homeroom teacher all throughout the school year and will be handling your English classes. As a teacher, I fully expect your perseverance not only during 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. Questions?"

He saw an arm from the left and called out to the student. A girl stood up, shyly playing with the ends of her skirt. "Sensei, are you single?" The others turned back at Tsuna, majority gazing with a certain expectation.

Tsuna gaped at the personal query but directly covered it. He did ask for it without adding any restrictions for personal background. He could always be subtle, though. Clearing his throat, he politely answered. "I am." As soon as he recognized the obvious glee in their faces, he hastily added, "But that doesn't mean that I'm interested to engage in one at the moment." He included flatly. The girls immediately deflated from their short-lived excitement. Phew!

Another student asked his age, he gently replied he's twenty-seven. Someone from the back queried his hometown since he didn't look like he was from around the area. Tsuna explained that Namimori is his home, followed by why he left. It was a strenuous interview, one he didn't want to embrace at all, but Tsuna resisted to throw his arms out and cry out alleluia when someone finally asked a sensible one. He blinked when it was Takeshi who voiced it out.

"What made you decide to become a teacher? And why Namimori?"

Everyone stopped and worked out the reasons why the brunette was one. They all faced him with a new sense of curiosity. Even Tsuna was surprised by the direct query given to him. Why? Why was he a teacher? What did he want to succeed in it? And why Namimori out of all the places anyone would find practical to work in other than a faraway, small but growing town? Thinking this, he frowned.

"I didn't dream to become one." He admitted. "In fact, I didn't have much of a dream at all. I was just an ordinary school boy who enjoyed the simplicity of life without expecting anything greater at all. I just wanted to have fun and do whatever I wanted to.

"I was dubbed as a 'failure'. No matter what I did, the bitter feeling of not doing anything right came closer. I started to accept myself as a pathetic, snotty, little kid with no ambitions. I was accepting everything." He trailed off. His students were beginning to wonder if he was going to cry, but their eyes portrayed their awestruck expression when Tsuna shared to them an exultant smile. "But then someone came to me. He taught me a lot of things about being a failure and being a winner. He was mean, I tell you, but I learned that he wanted to show me the reality of life. It's not about living your days with sugar and with nothing to worry about, it's about how you make everything worth the sacrifices to get to that sweet taste of surviving through everything. Once you realize it, then you want to go for it. And then I had an admission - that I wanted to go and share this knowledge. And the first people I wanted to share it with are you guys."

Despite the watering eyes coming from a number of his class, he wanted to encourage them more. "I want to show you what my teacher showed me. Maybe one day, you'll teach someone about it, too."

Everyone was silent. Sniffs of noses indicated that there were already tears and then the bell rung for next period.

. . . . . .

"I think I made a bad impression on them." Tsuna sulked on his desk inside the faculty room. Miyaki watched him with pity and patted him on the back.

"Don't feel bad about it. I think you inspired them!"

"They didn't say anything after I left. They just went on crying. They cried. I made them cry, Miyaki-chan. I'm so low. I'm the worst teacher. This is the end for me." The mood became sadder and sadder for him that some of his co-workers worried and walked out of the room.

Miyaki harrumphed and pushed him back into his seat to look her in the eyes, holding him on both shoulders. She came into the room to see if everyone - including the new teachers - were comfortable with the adjustments but what unfolded was a gloomy atmosphere, Tsuna as the source.

"Tsu-chan! This is your first day! You set their expectations about what life really is! They should be prepared about it since this is their last stage before they finally experience it and you gave them a chance to see what needs to be done. They need more words like that to keep them going. They need you, so don't back out right off the bat! Man up!"

"I am a man."

"Whatever. Anyways, you did splendidly. Come on. Get in the next class and see what their reactions are."

"But-"

Miyaki sharpened her gaze demonically, "You dare go against me, scum?"

"Hiie! No, ma'am! I'm on it!" Tsuna immediately ran outside to get back to his classroom. When he arrived, he slid the door open and was appalled. Everyone was already standing erect, eyes fixed on him as they bowed in a refined unison.

"Please take care of us, Sawada-sensei!"

He was speechless. Stuttering would just jumble things up, so he just stared, loss of words to fill in the quiet, floating air in between. Without skipping a beat, many of the teenagers surrounded him with praises and thanks. They expressed their joy in having him around and are hopeful to teach them many other things as they will study harder in exchange to his efforts. Tsuna flushed and some girls and boys squealed at his sudden shyness.

He was so happy. Tsuna knew he will be more than that in the near future to come. He will embark alongside them their struggles and success. He will be their pillar of support if they want. He will give them a new reason to become better, become the best and achieve their goals in life. At the corner of his eyes, he saw Takeshi behind the crowd. He was grinning in approval. But Tsuna couldn't smile back as his vision instantly blurred, a certain part of his body ached, voices muted with worried faces. And the next thing he knew, his world collapsed to black.

a/n: I literally cried here. (Q.Q) I just wanted to keep this simple, but I got overwhelmed by Tsuna's reason to take education and suddenly remembered the things my HS teachers did for me. - sniffs - Let's not get emotional, shall we?

M-Moving on! I hope you learned something! Sawada-sensei is not just going to be all about the romance but also about how our Tsuna reaches out to his students.

Questions are entertained and if there are any grammatical errors you spotted, please point them out for me, please. Thanks again for the support! Mwah!

(._.)