I am a traitor to you and myself.

Chapter 11: The Seventh Day

What am I going to tell Kyoko-chan? Anxious and terrified, Tsuna twiddled his fingers. It felt so wrong of him to gain feelings for his love interest's love interest. He was so confused. Who did he like? Both? Wasn't that similar to two-timing? Now he felt doubly guilty. He had no idea how to face Kyoko when he sees her again in fear that he would be hated by the girl. And I just realised Hibari-san's a boy! Then that means I'm bisexual? Hie! Well, I don't really mind, and Mom doesn't mind either. Heck, she was rooting for us!

Allowing his head to fall on his hands, he continued attempting to clear his muddled mind. His experience towards love was near to nil, if not absolute. Four years had gone by with his heart revolving around Kyoko. If she knew about his recently bloomed feelings, he was sure she'd be outraged at him. When he started dating Hibari and even before that, his mind was already set on helping his best friend. Clearly, that was not what happened.

Tsuna was beyond repulsed at himself.

"Sawada! Show some respect!"

At the teacher's call, he lifted his head and sluggishly apologised, not in the mood to feel the least bit embarrassed. At the corner of his eyes, he spied a gaze fixated on him, a look brimming with concern and anxiousness. Don't look at me, Kyoko-chan! I've betrayed you. Tsuna forcefully smiled at Kyoko, wanting to satiate her worries, and was responded with a relieved smile in return. Guilt pierced him.

Then again, Hibari had never shown any interest in him, so him liking the prefect wasn't really a threat. Nonetheless, the feeling of it being wrong kept nagging him and Tsuna knew his friendship with Kyoko was more important than some silly infatuation. He decided then and there that he would keep mum. If no one knew, then nothing would change, and they would still be able to retain their level of relationship, although he couldn't say the same for his nominal lover. Today was, after all, the last day of their pretend sweetness to one another.

At the sound of the bell's shrill ringing, the hand of the teacher froze midway as he was about to write on the board. At this, the class's posture immediately became lax; some stretched, some yawned, and some buried their faces on their desk. The teacher faced the class and sighed. "All right. Be sure to review. We'll be having a short test tomorrow, especially you, Sawada," said the teacher, a stern look directed at the brunet, before leaving the room.

Tsuna lowered his eyes, feeling his mood dampen once more. It was lunch already and he couldn't bring himself to face the prefect now; not right now, not ever. But, he knew he would have to face him eventually.

"Argh!" Frustrated, he vigorously scratched his head, grabbed two boxes from his bag, and swiftly ran outside the room before his courage and determination deteriorated. Hibari told him to go to the Reception Room immediately as he needed to patrol.

He knocked on the door out of courtesy before proceeding inside. The room was void of people as expected, although he did notice the increase on the stacks of paper on the table. Hibari-san sure works hard. After placing the lunch boxes down on the mustard sofa, Tsuna walked towards one of the book shelves, bored and at the same time curious of what kind of books the prefect reads.

Reports, yearbooks, and issues of the school's newspaper were on the shelves. There were no books for entertainment. Disappointed, he continued to look around and advanced towards the painting of Namimori High that he admired so.

"Hey, Hibari-senpai, who painted this?"

"You do not need to know," said Hibari coldly.

He shuddered at the memory. In the corner of the painting, there were faint black spots that he failed to notice the first time he entered the room – the first day of their week. He could discern only few of the characters. Sk...ark...Does this read lark? Sk...lark...Skylark? Hibari-san painted this? Tsuna backed away immediately, shocked and impressed at his discovery. He now understood why Hibari suddenly became cold when he inquired who the artist was.

The sudden opening of the door made him jolt. He turned back and saw Hibari entering. "I-I wasn't doing anything, I swear!" Ignoring him, the prefect simply sat on the sofa. Gulping, Tsuna slowly walked towards the seat, minding his feelings for his fake lover. He felt nervous, but he had to pretend that nothing had changed, that their relationship didn't mean anything to him. Finally, he managed to sit on the elongated seat.

"I have already said not to wait for me. Break is almost over. Skipping of classes and tardiness are not tolerated." Hibari frowned.

"I-I wanted to wait for you," mumbled Tsuna.

"That does not change the fact that you will be late for class."

Tsuna bit his lip. "I-I'll eat fast then." Hibari-san doesn't really care about me. Tsuna smiled ruefully against his chewing. He had wanted to make their last day memorable, but it seemed like it wasn't feasible. Silently, he continued eating, grateful that at least he could spend time with Hibari.

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The number of times Tsuna hit his head on his desk had probably exceeded the number of his fingers and toes combined. He ignored the perplexed looks of Gokudera and Yamamoto and could faintly hear the teacher's instructions on their group work. He should be feeling happy that, for the first time, he had managed to gain classmates that were willing to work with him, but his emotions were garbled.

"Finally accepted that you like the bird freak?" Gokudera lazily twirled a pencil around his fingers. Tsuna glared daggers at his friend.

"Wait. Tsuna likes Hibari-senpai?" asked Yamamoto, evidently dumbfounded. "I thought you like Sasagawa?"

Tsuna groaned. "Yes! I mean... I like Kyoko-chan, but... I don't know!"

Gokudera smugly smiled. "Che. I knew it."

"Not helping, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna sulked.

"What do you want to do? Confess?"

"Of course you would want me to confess," said Tsuna teasingly, remembering their deal.

Gokudera scowled. "Not because of that, you moron."

"Am I missing something here?" Yamamoto alternated looking at the pair.

Tsuna tuned out the two's starting argument and focused on his thoughts. One thing he was certain was that he wasn't going to confess to neither Kyoko nor Hibari. Silence was his friend; it always had been his friend throughout his life. Shaking his head, he returned his attention to his friends who were still bickering.

He hadn't forgotten, though, that one perk of him confessing to the prefect was that Gokudera would be doing the same to Yamamoto. He knew that his silver-haired friend, while being intimidating and aggressive, was actually insecure. However, the exchange rate was too high. Perhaps he could convince Gokudera to confess in one way or another.

"Well, anyway," Tsuna interrupted his friends, "let's just finish this activity." He ignored the concerned looks his friends gave him.

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Tsuna sighed as the last bell of the day finally rang. He gulped, mustering up his courage that he feared would run away from him. Slowly, he made his way through the clattered desks and stopped a metre away from his destination. He waited patiently as Kyoko spoke with some of her friends. Eventually, he spotted an opening and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Can I talk to you?" Tsuna fidgeted. When Kyoko nodded, he led her towards the staircase where they talked before – the day he feared that she would hate him for making a blunder in her request. As they sat down, Kyoko smiled at the brunet to begin. It was the smile that had always comforted Tsuna for years. Guilt crept up to him once more. "W-well, I just wanted to remind you that today's our last day. I'll ask Hibari-san to t-talk to you tomorrow."

"Tsuna-kun, are you all right? You seem kind of jittery." Kyoko furrowed her eyebrows.

Please stop being so nice to me. "I'm fine! I'm fine! See?" Tsuna grinned widely. "Anyway, how does after school in the music room sound?"

Kyoko clenched her fists and smiled brightly. "That would be nice. I'm kind of scared to be honest, but I have to be brave!" She inhaled deeply then exhaled slowly. "I can do this."

Tsuna chuckled. He rose to his feet and offered a hand to the girl, who gratefully took it. Once they rounded at the corner, he instantly recognised Hibari and blanched at the thought of making him wait. Kyoko giggled lightly and wished him luck. Rather embarrassed, he sauntered ahead of her. "Sorry, Hibari-san. I'll just grab my bag." Swiftly, he snatched his bag and rushed back to the waiting Hibari.

"What do you want to do for today, Tsunayoshi?" asked Hibari.

Tsuna shook his head. "Can we just hang out in the Reception Room? If it's all right with you."

"We have to leave before the school closes at six."

"That's all right with me." The brunet softly smiled. Hibari only quirked an eyebrow at his odd request and started walking towards the Reception Room.

Once they arrived, Tsuna spotted Kusakabe browsing through the file cabinet. He beamed at him. It seemed like Kusakabe was as hardworking as Hibari was, though his hairstyle was quite pressuring. But that part was where Tsuna was most amused at – the fact that Kusakabe was one of the nicest person he knew despite his pompadour.

"Tetsu, you can leave for the day." Hibari nodded once.

"Okay, Kyou-san." He bowed deeply at Hibari. "See you, Sawada-san."

Tsuna made himself comfortable on the sofa once the vice-chairman left. He glanced at Hibari who appeared to be deliberating where to sit. "You can do your work while we're here, Hibari-san. It seems like you have a lot to do."

"It can wait." He sat down besides Tsuna. "I find it rather strange for you to choose this place."

Tsuna scratched his cheek, lightly chuckling. "I thought maybe we could just talk for today. Do you mind?"

The prefect crossed both his arms and legs before answering. "About what?"

"Uh, anything?" Truthfully, Tsuna had no idea what to talk about. He wanted to make their last day memorable; he wanted to learn more about Hibari while he still has the chance. "Do you have siblings?"

"I have an older brother."

"Do you live alone?"

"Yes."

"Where are your parents?"

"Somewhere."

You are the greatest conversationalist there is, Hibari-san. Tsuna gazed out the window for a while, silently admiring the sky, before going back to speaking to Hibari. "Would you tell me more about the Vongola, specifically what Reborn-senpai said?" He waved his hands frantically. "Only if it's all right with you."

Hibari scowled and Tsuna wondered if he was being too meddlesome. But fortunately for the scared brunet, Hibari didn't appear to be mad. "Do you know of the Foundation?" Tsuna nodded. Foundation was one of Japan's oldest and finest industrial company branching off with franchises of varied products. "We own it. Tetsu works under me." Tsuna's mouth formed a circle, astonished at the knowledge. He waited for Hibari to continue. "To keep the company going, I am required to have a partner. Vongola is a tool for hunting a tolerable herbivore. The tomfoolery he's been doing with it is in his own accord."

Tsuna blinked numerous times, trying to comprehend what he was saying. Hunting for a tolerable herbivore? A lover? "W-wait. How are you and Reborn-senpai connected?"

"He's a carnivore."

Figures. "So he was the one who thought of this? Because I don't think you'd..." Tsuna trailed off.

Hibari scowled. "I would never come up with such a herbivorous idea."

"But you agreed to it."

"I lost," growled Hibari.

"In—? Never mind." Tsuna quickly changed what he was going to say upon seeing Hibari's look. I guess they fought. Literally. It's kind of hard to imagine Hibari-san losing, though. But considering it's that guy... He scrunched his nose, pondering how people of his age group could be that strong. "But don't you think it's better to have someone you really love by your side?" A memory sparked.

"Love is a very wonderful thing, Hibari-san."

"I do not need anyone to preach over something so insignificant."

"You've never been in love, haven't you, Hibari-san?"

"As I have said before, it is insignificant."

"Trivial things constitute a herbivore," said Hibari.

Tsuna didn't answer, feeling that they'd just go back to their roundabout conversation when they watched a movie. His eyes idly roamed the room and landed on an intriguing thing. "Hibari-san, you were the one who painted that, didn't you?"

"You are quite nosy, Tsunayoshi." Hibari narrowed his eyes.

"Uh...sorry?"

Hibari sighed. "Yes, I did."

Grinning brightly, the brunet leant nearer to his lover. "You're amazing, Hibari-san! It really looks like Namimori High! All I can draw are stick people." He chuckled.

He grew quiet, though, when Hibari stared at him. "Most people would want to go out for their last day."

"I guess I'm not most people." Tsuna smiled.

"I've noticed."

Should I be flattered? Propping up his elbow on the arm rest, Tsuna, again, took in the sky, noticing how considerably dark it has become. He had no idea what to talk about anymore, much less what he wanted to achieve in speaking with the prefect. He stood up and, with his legs groaning, went towards the window. A full view of the baseball field could be easily seen. Tsuna narrowed his eyes, attempting to spot Yamamoto. He grinned upon being successful. Yamamoto looks like he's really enjoying himself.

Tsuna allowed his eyes to travel further west of the area just outside the field. On a closer inspection, he could recognise a person lying on the field. I'm sorry, Gokudera-kun. I can't keep my end of the deal, but I'm hoping you would still give confessing to Yamamoto a go. He hid a glum sigh from Hibari. "Are you going to watch the Baseball Club's match, Hibari-san?" he asked absentmindedly.

"Of course. They carry the name of Namimori High."

"Oh. That means you've been to their previous matches," said Tsuna, surprised. "Do you go with Reborn-senpai and the others?" I'm pretty sure Gokudera-kun goes, though.

"No," said Hibari, "that's repulsive."

Chuckling, Tsuna turned around, hands behind him resting on the window pane. "But everyone's so nice," an image of Reborn and Mukuro appeared, "...I think," he ended lamely. No, everyone is nice. Even if I only spent time with them for a short while, I really enjoyed it. His lips curled in a rueful smile. "It's not six yet, but let's go home now, Hibari-san."

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The street was quiet. Caramel eyes lay focused straight ahead, grateful for the silence that wafted between him and his companion. His mind was blank yet full of confusion. At every step he took, he felt three emotions pummel him – glad that he would be free from being stuck with the prefect, saddened that he wouldn't be spending time with Hibari anymore, and scared because they were growing nearer the end of the day.

Tsuna knew he was being paradoxical. However, he didn't want to be spend time with Hibari because of something as trivial as a one-week pact; he'd want it to be under mutual yearning with no deadline. Key word: want. He wanted to, but it wasn't possible.

One, he was certain Hibari never looked at him in that way; two, he'd be betraying and breaking Kyoko's heart. But the more Tsuna tried to realign his thoughts, the more he doubted how he felt for Kyoko. Was he that shallow to immediately have his feelings be overtaken by the prefect?

Kyoko was always there to give him a smile, to lend him her shoulder literally and figuratively. He had liked her for years because of her kindness and warmth, yet it was unknown to him why he was infatuated with the prefect.

He had already dreaded the thought of her and Hibari dating seriously from the very start, but now it was far more terrible for him. It would be hitting two birds in one stone, and Tsuna would be alone again.

As his house entered their vision, Tsuna hurriedly spoke, almost forgetting about Kyoko's request, "Hibari-san, tomorrow after school, Kyoko-chan would like to talk to you in the music room, if you don't mind." He repeated what he said mentally, making sure there would no longer be any blunders on his part. Hibari only grunted. Tsuna took it as an approval.

Finally, they stopped in front of the house. Tsuna faced Hibari and leant up, catching the eye of the prefect. "Hey, Hibari-san. If you're looking for a tolerable herbivore," the words felt foreign on his tongue, "as a partner, why did you continue dating me?" he asked in a wistful and curious tone.

Hibari didn't answer immediately, giving Tsuna a little spark of hope, only to be crushed shortly. "To pass time."

That's so harsh, Hibari-san. "Oh... Well, thanks for everything. It's only been a short time, but I really enjoyed spending it with you." Grinning, the brunet gave a small bow. "Bye-bye, Hibari-san!"

"Shouldn't you be bidding good night?" asked Hibari.

Tsuna only laughed.

No, bye-bye, Hibari-san.