A/N - I HAVE NO EXCUSE! I'm deeply sorry for keeping you guys for so long but a lot of things had happened... I originally plan on updating some new chapters once I reach about a 100 reviews and after I ace my driving test but since the later have yet to accomplish, I settled for the first. So I hope you everyone will accept this crappy new chapter as an apology T.T By the way, since I was in a rush, this chapter is not Beta'd so I seriously hope you guys can forgive my stupid mistakes. I promise the next chapter will be better!

And also, I would like to apologize about replying everyone's awesome reviews... I wanted to do so but I could find that last one I replied and I got so many of them! I promise I will reply those reviews in the next chapter (As much as I can anyway)

Any other questions you have just PM me, OK. I don't know when I will be able to update again but I can promise everyone that it would be soon... It's kindda hard to get this done when Katekyo Hitman Reborn had just finish! Cereally? I damn burst into tears when I find out! What's the deal!?

Urgh, anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapters... Hell, you guys deserve it!

I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn or Black Rock Shooter... Nor do I make a profit out of my crappy story... =.='

CHAPTER 12

How To Pick Up Girls

School is going to start in another week and during those days, Tsuna didn't have the guts to meet with his guardians. After what his mother had told him about them, the poor boy didn't have the heart to meet any of them – even Chrome. To put the cheery on top of the ice-cream, none of them didn't even bother to inform him that they had arrived earlier and simply let him wait at the bus terminal for hours and hours. Tsuna just didn't know how to face them now. Hell, he still trying to swallow the fact that he had been stood up by his own friends! He knew that he's going to have to face them with the reopening of Nami Chuu very soon but how could he even look at their eyes again? It was back to square one – he would be the Dame-Tsuna before he met any of his guardians.

Before he met Mato and the rest, that sheer thought nearly sent him to whirl of despair but after spending time with the girls, a new found strength begin to lit in him. Like a faint glowing candle surrounded by shroud of shadows. Tsuna couldn't understand why but he somehow feels as if he will be okay even if he is alone. Maybe it was high time that he stand on his own two feet without the assistance from his guardians. Wow, won't Reborn be pleased with his new independence. But despite that, Tsuna was silently determined to become close with his friends like they used to!

They aren't just his guardians – they were his friends before Vongola was involved. What is the Sky without his family? With his new found determination and strength, the brunette's spirit was slightly lifted but it was more than enough for him. For now, he was planning to spend the remaining of the holiday with the girls before he confronts his guardians. Only one small problem – Reborn. Yes, Tsuna still didn't know how to break the ice with said Hitman about his new friends. Myriad of possibilities could happen but if he introduces the girls to Reborn, there will no doubt that they will be drag in the Mafia world too. Just as it had happened to Kyoko and Haru. What a dilemma…

But Lady Luck seems to be in the brunette's favour for once – Reborn had told him that he needed to pay the Ninth a visit in Italy for a couple of days to discuss about something behind prying eyes – yes, that includes him too, the soon-to-be-mafia-Don-of-the-most-powerful-mafia-famiglia-in-the-entire-underworld...

...Reborn truly work in mysterious way...

The Decimo inwardly sigh in relief at the thought that he could still prolong the inevitable. He didn't like to take the cowardly move but he just requires more time to think up a good excuse to defend the girls! The last thing the teen wants is the Hitman stalking them, thinking there were enemies from rival families...

So now let's back to Tsuna and the girls….

It was the last day before the new semester starts tomorrow. At first, the brunette ponders on how he should spend it with the girls – obviously hanging out in Namimori is a big NO. Tsuna as sure as hell isn't intent on being the new gossip when the people see him around with a group of girls that wasn't from Namimori. It was a good thing when Kagari call him early in the morning and invite the young mafia Don to their town. It seems that the girls understood his trivial problems and are willing help him. And so, after eating breakfast that his smiling mother had make, Tsuna gave the woman a kiss on her cheek before leaving the house.

It was a slightly chill day so the brunette had wore his trademark orange hoodie accompany by his usual attire before heading out. As he walks towards the bus terminal, Tsuna silently observe there weren't that many people on the streets – probably because it was still early in the morning. Once arriving at the terminal, he didn't want to waste any more time and mount in the bus, eagerly anticipating a full day with his friends. The bus was fairly spacious to the brunette's liking and the journey only took about thirty minutes. It was still before noon that Tsuna had arrived at the town. As soon as he step out of the bus, Tsuna felt a rush of wind passed through him and in the blink of an eye, two girls glomp at the poor, unsuspecting boy while the other girl simply stood a mere distance away with a demure smile.

"Morning Tsuna-kun!" Mato and Kagari exclaim happily whilst hugging the cute tuna.

"Hiee! G-Good morning, Kagari-chan, Mato-chan!" Tsuna squeak, gasping for air and blushing madly at the same time. He then turn to face the green eyed girl and gave her a sincere yet shy smile. "Good morning to you too, Yomi-chan" Said girl gave a small nod and her smile widens.

Both Mato and Kagari release Tsuna from their embrace and they walk into the town. "Ne, Tsuna-kun, what would you like to do today?" Yomi begin the conversation from Tsuna's left while Mato and Kagari at his right. The young Decimo ponder for a moment. "... I don't really mind as long as we're all together. Speaking of which, where's Yuu-chan and Saya-san?"

"Saya-san is busy since school is starting tomorrow and Yuu-chan is at home helping with the chores" Mato explain as she yawn and stretch her arms.

Tsuna nodded in understanding but hide his disappointment; he really wanted to hang out with all his friends today before school start.

"Soo... Since Tsuna-kun doesn't mind, let's go shopping!" Kagari announced with a bright smile.

"A-Again!?" The brunette yelped, shocked. He quickly turns to Mato and Yomi for help.

"I-I don't really mind... I needed to buy something at the mall anyway..." Yomi reply with a thoughtful expression.

"I'll go with the flow~" Mato chuckle, completely ignoring the boy's quiet pleading.

"Right! It's settle then! To the mall!" Kagari shouted, grab Tsuna's wrist and darted to the mall with the other two in tow.

Just like their last outing, Tsuna was force to sew his lips as the girls made him try countless variety style of clothing before they find the perfect one. As they go about the thirteen set of clothes, the young mafia boss silently accept his fate when Kagari threw a jacket at his face, ordering him to try it out. It was painful for most man but seeing the girl's smiling faces and their happy squeals made it worth it in his opinion. Finally, after many hours, scourging every clothing department, countless try outs and rejects, the girls found something that they could agree... much to the brunette's chagrin. After paying for the brand new set of clothes, they went to a smoothie bar for a short break and most importantly, to fully receive a full view of Tsuna's new look.

"Girls, we are officially in the fashion business! I mean, how can we not!? Tsuna-kun is our successful experiment!" Kagari boast with a smirk.

"Yup! Tsuna-kun is definitely adorable but now, he's one piece of eye candy!" Mato let out a sly smile and proceed to high-five Kagari.

"I think Tsuna-kun is very h-handsome too..." Even Yomi added her two cent; pink tint can be faintly seen on her smooth cheeks.

Said brunette couldn't stop his face from blushing to explosion. He rarely receive compliments about his sense of style and attire so it was hard to control his expression... and it really didn't help that they were so many pair of eyes have fixed themselves on him.

His previous clothes were safe in a bag beside him because the poor boy was reluctant to part with them but now he was currently wearing something totally not... Tsuna-ish.

Black form fitting jacket that draped down until his waist with fur line collar and a red rose on the right side. Underneath was a chequered design t-shirt with the colour white and orange – the bright colour seems to stand out on its own. As for his pants, he was wearing a form fitting pair of black ripped jeans and a pair of black lace-up boots that reaches up just below his knees. As for the finishing touches – accessories, hair and also like last time, nails. Around his neck are two set of necklaces – one is black onyx dog tag with the number 27 and the other was a short chain holding a black colour letter X. On his left wrist are a double black leather wristband that criss cross each other and a rather large black cuff wristband. As for his hair, well the girls enjoy running their fingers through his soft yet disheveled hair so they simply made his hair slightly spiky and softer locks on his sideburns to cover his frame. His nails were painted black unlike last time. Now clothes alone couldn't made the young man appear so attractive, Tsuna's slightly lean and muscle body was the deal. He was far from the scrawny and weak kid he was before, now his body is sturdy and fit due to Reborn's Spartan training.

"Wait 'till the other girls sees this!" Kagari squeal in anticipation.

Tsuna could only stay in silent embarrassment as he continues attempting to control his still blushing face. He desperately wishes that the passerby won't stop to stare at him, especially girls. It was Yomi who broke him out of his comfort zone.

"What's wrong Tsuna-kun? Umm... Tsuna-kun doesn't like his new look?" The girl asks, curiously. Instantly, Mato and Kagari snap to turn to him.

"I guess once in a while I don't mind wearing these kind of clothes – I mean, only around you girls" Tsuna explain honestly with a small smile, sensing the two girls silent worried and guilt. "It's just that, I-I'm not used to people staring at me about my l-looks" He stuttered, feeling shy and flustered.

Kagari hum in a mock thoughtfulness and rub her chin. "I guess the only thing to do is to help Tsuna-kun with his low-self esteem. Tsuna is cute after all, it would be a shame to waste it" Her grin slowly returning.

Mato immediately understood where her friend planning on going with this. "I agree... I guess Tsuna-kun needs our help more than ever now!" Her own grin begins to appear.

Yomi simply chuckle quietly at her friends antics.

Tsuna let out a low groan and lean back on his chair, his arm covering his eyes. "So you two want to continue with dressing me up, right?"

"Yup!" The duo said in harmony.

Despite that he had unknowingly sign the contract being the girls personal experimentation, Tsuna couldn't help but smile. If it is them, then he certainly won't mind trying out several style of clothing. He would loudly admit that it's fun and somewhat refreshing. Though no one in Namimori must know about it – especially Reborn! After relaxing at the smoothie bar for a couple of hours, they left the mall and went to the nearest park where the girls teach the brunette all there is to know about girls. Like how to flirt with them, act around them and so on. It was both strange and awkward on his part but he did understand to simply be himself when approaching them. And it helps if he has some confidence to serve as back up. But this is why they are here with him.

The entire day, the girls insist that they help Tsuna to boast his confidence and approach random girls. It was damn embarrassing at first but he slowly start to be at ease, something he finds it a miracle! Even throughout their gaze and squeals he could still be himself and simply gave them a smile – which in return, melting them into a puddle much to the brunette comical horror. Kagari had added an extra info that Tsuna didn't require to dress up to impress girls, simply by treating her kindly, care for their well-being and have the confidence to look them in their eyes then any girl would be swooning at his feet! Tsuna blush heavily at this but otherwise, accept her advice.

The day was spent by shopping, charming girls and chatting with them for a while (Tsuna realized that the girls in this town were much nicer than in Namimori) and building his confidence to help Tsuna in his daily life; it was not something he expected but he had a lot of fun. The brunette treated the girls he met like his friends and the notion of playing with their feeling was disgusting to him.

It was late in the evening only then Tsuna went back home but not before Kagari snapping a picture of his new look to show to the others. And so, they head back to the bus terminal to see him off. Before entering the bus, Mato gave Tsuna a firm hug and a gentle smile, Kagari gave him a peck on his right cheek whilst Yomi on the left. Tsuna inwardly wondered if his face will ever be the same again.

"Call us soon, okay? If you wanna hang out or plan a study group it doesn't matter!" Mato said, worried if the brunette would have a hard time in his school.

"Have a safe trip, Tsuna-kun" Yomi advised in concern.

"We'll visit Tsuna-kun if you're free. So no worries" Kagari added, smiling.

"Thank you, everyone..." Tsuna smiles too, but then he frown slightly. "But I don't want to be a bother to any of you girls..."

Kagari simple wave it away and reply, "That what friends do; they look out for each other and beside, it's the perfect excuse to go to Tsuna-kun's house again! Maybe my lip gloss it there..."

"Eh? Kagari-chan's lip gloss?" Yomi inquire curiously.

"Yeah... I think I might've left it in Tsuna-kun's house when we had the sleepover..." Said the golden hair girl sheepishly, scratching her cheek.

Tsuna's heart skips a beat at her confession. 'Kagari-chan's lip gloss!? T-This is bad! I need to find before Reborn finds it!' The chibi Tsuna in his mind cried out while tugging his hair.

The brunette quickly assures the girl that he would look for the lip gloss before bidding goodbye and left the town. His mind was in clear frantic as he dashed to his home to search for the said item while carefully dodging the town folks at the same time. "I'm home!" Tsuna yell before unlacing his boots hastily. "Welcome back Tsuna-kun! What do you want for – Ara?" Sawada Nana greets her only child warmly and when she steps out to meet him, she was shock to find him in whole different attire! Unfortunately, Tsuna was too busy in his own world to acknowledge his mother surprise and confusion. "Oh my... Is Tsuna-kun finally in his rebellious stage?" The woman asks, tilting her head.

In front of her stood her beloved child wearing something that greatly contrasts his usual look. It was sudden but she didn't find it unpleasant, in fact she thinks he look both charming and good looking! She supports his new look as long as he was comfortable with it. "Huh? No, oka-san. Kagari-chan wanted to do some shopping and the girls agree" Tsuna accidentally slipped out but was too preoccupied with the lace to actually bother. "Kagari-chan?" His mother asks, eyes widen with excitement. "Y-Yeah..." With a hard yank, his booths finally came off and he ran up to his room. "I'll help oka-san with dinner later, alright?" He added and slam the bedroom door closes. "Kagari-chan's lip gloss... Where is it?" He mutter and soon the search begin. Tsuna search the entire room, every nook and cranny but the lip gloss was nowhere to be found. "Oh man... Don't tell me Reborn found it!?" He murmurs in distress. "Argh! I can't think about it now! My head is a mess! Maybe Kagari-chan misplaced it at her home..." It was a slim hope but it is possible. Shedding his new clothes off, Tsuna slip on his usual attire before heading down to the kitchen to help his mother while dreading the day when Reborn returns.

A/N - That's it for this chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it even if it's somewhat horrible... I did made this in a rush... I'm sorry if it isn't that long but I did my best! So that's gotta count for something, right? And if you're wondering about why he didn't show up in this chapter is because I wanted Tsuna to have the confidence he need to get through the new semester... Trust, Tsuna will be a whole lot different (To the people who actually pay him any attention...) when his school starts again!

Like I said, it's kinda hard to continue with this story when KHR's over... So everyone's review is the only thing that can get me going! So I hope I await your reviews!

Good evening, and I hope everyone will have a nice day! XD

ShyTyrant waves goodbye!