AN: Hello, dear readers! As promised, I bring an update and a few notes.

First, special thanks to littleroxxi7, our conversations inspired quite a chunk of this chapter so thank you!

Second, the timeline. JJK-wise, this is set prior Star Plasma arc, so Geto isn't off his rocker. Tsuna and SSS-trio are about 15-16, her being the oldest due to being born in October.

Third, this is most likely the last update for the time being. I'm going on a trip to visit a friend from 25th of June to 4th of July and am a bit stressed at the moment.

Thank you for understanding!

Oh, and also before I forget! I found this cool site that depicts Japanese names, and Setsuna was among them. Her name has quite a few meanings, but the one that caught my eye is this one: 雪和. The meaning of kanji is "Snow, A metaphor for something as white as snow. To cleanse. " and "Harmony. Peaceful. Tranquility" and so on. Suits her role and a certain someone, eh? Not that he likes it right now lol.

Okay, trivia time over, I won't bore you any longer.

Chapter title: The Best Day of My Life - Jesse McCartney, The Cinderella Story OST.

Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 1: Where Our Blue Is Arc: the best day of my life (it goes to show you never really know when everything's about to change).

"Gah!" Tsuna grunts as a particularly harsh kick from Ryohei to the side sends her flying in the air. She skids to a stop on one knee, kicking up a cloud of dust as a result.

"Are you alright to the EXTREME, imouto?!" Ryohei yells in concern.

"Yeah!" she says with a wince, coughing from the raised dust. Once the coughing fit is over, she grits her teeth in frustration. "Damn it."

Who knew that recovering from a near-death experience and working up strength back was this hard? Tsuna had plenty of those ever since being chosen as Vongola Decimo, but none of them were as frustrating in the aftermath as this one.

Then again, none of them were as nearly successful, either.

It happened at the beginning of summer. Some enemy Famiglia — she was later told, it was the Gvido Famiglia, Bovino's business rival – wanted to get rid of Lambo because he was the youngest, and thus, the "weakest" Guardian of the Vongola's Tenth Generation and to get back at the Bovino.

In other words, they wanted to take out two birds with one stone. And almost succeeded, though not in the way they expected.

It was an ordinary day, for all intents and purposes. The kids wanted to make something nice for Nana, so Tsuna also went with them to shop for necessary things. I-Pin and Lambo were bickering over Lambo sneaking grape candy on the list again until Hyper Intuition blared out in her mind. She had a split second to spot the assassin aiming at Lambo. There was no time to naturalize the enemy, but enough to do one thing: her body moved on autopilot then, protecting the kids with her body like a shield. And as soon as the brunette did that, the assassin made his shot, shattering the peace and plunging everything into chaos.

From there on, she didn't remember much. Everything exploded in pain and blood as Tsuna fell to the ground with a cough that painted her lips red, her chest and clothes turning crimson as well. The last thing she remembered clearly was Lambo, I-Pin, and Fuuta calling her name in fear and panic, then it was as if she was under the water; the rest also became a blur before the warmth of the Sun Flames made her fall unconscious.

When Tsuna woke up, it was to the ceiling of the hospital room, and Nana tearfully holding her hand.

"Kaa-san?" she called. Her throat was parched, making her voice come out quiet and scratchy. Nonetheless, Nana heard her daughter.

"Tsu-chan!" she exclaimed in relief.

After Setsuna assured her mother she was alright, if a bit numb and with a heavy head from being unconscious for who knew how long, and satisfied her thirst, Shamal was called in and filled her in on everything she missed, while doing the check-up uncharacteristically serious, which was a rarity for the perverted doctor.

It was a very close call. Closer than most. The bullet pierced the place right above her heart. If it had gone a little lower and Ryohei hadn't arrived in time, she would have died on the spot. Even with the Sun Flames and all the precautions they took while removing the bullet, it was… touch-and-go a few times. They had to put her into a medical coma to let her body heal properly. It was only two days ago that they stopped this treatment, and her body and mind deemed it safe to wake up.

"And my Guardians and family?" she remembers asking.

A dark, heavy look told her everything she needed to know.

They were distraught, obviously. Full of rage, and guilt that they weren't there to protect her, and the kids and that someone dared to do such a thing. Fear that she would die or never wake up. She could imagine them going on a rampage of revenge under Reborn's guidance to wipe Gvido out for daring to hurt her and Lambo. She could imagine Maman, Bianchi, her siblings, and the girls visiting her, keeping vigil at her side every single day until she opened her eyes. She could imagine her soulmate, the one she never met, getting the scare of their life. And all this turmoil happened because she wasn't quick enough to notice and prevent the sniper until almost too late.

Mom, sensing what she was feeling, squeezed her hand in comfort.

"It doesn't matter, Tsu-chan," she says, kissing her forehead and stroking her hair that had grown longer from her previous shoulder-length during her comatose state with a free hand. "What matters is that you're awake and here."

Tsuna thinks otherwise, but doesn't have the heart to upset her mother further by spoiling her relief, and just soaking the comfort in.

Two months have passed since then, in total, now it's the middle of August. Things are calm. Or, as calm as they can be for the Tenth Generation of the Strongest Mafia Famiglia — her Guardians are still chaotic as ever, if a little more overprotective than usual and jumpy due to the recent events, fresh in everyone's memory. Tsuna recovered as well, the only thing reminding of her near-death is a scar on her chest, adding to the collection on her body.

Well, that and her lagging behind in training. How would she protect those dear to her if a simple kick like that makes her winded?

"I think it's time you took a break," Reborn's voice brings Tsuna back to reality.

"I can—" Tsuna protests, but her tutor cuts her off by raising a hand.

"Break, Setsuna," his tone and full name ultimatum broke no argument. Tsuna huffs in annoyance at his parental approach, but proceeds to sit down at the Namimori Shrine's steps. Ryohei follows suit, sitting down too.

"Tsu-chan, if you're still unwell, maybe you shouldn't train?" Kyoko suggests in worry as she passes her friend the water bottle. "You don't usually miss hits like that."

"I'm fine, Kyoko," Tsuna assures, accepting the bottle with thanks. "I'm fully recovered, and I need to train. It's just…"

"Is it your Intuition?" Takeshi asks, muscles coiled and hands clenching a katana as if ready to jump at any enemy at the moment's notice.

Tsuna furrows her brows in thought, as she takes a long drink of water and considers the question. It's indeed her Intuition, that made her lose concentration for a second, though its' signal is mixed, this time. She says as much."Kinda? It's not warning me of danger; it's more like…" she waves her hand in the air, searching for the correct word. "...It's warning me about change that is going to occur, that's how it feels."

"Tsuna-nee!" Before the others can comment on her words, her youngest Guardian jumps on her lap. "Can we go to Tokyo?"

Tsuna raises an eyebrow. "Why do you want to go to Tokyo, of all places?" she asks, as Lambo hugs her tighter. Following the assassination attempt on them both, he has been understandably clingier. "If it's for sweets, then no."

"Not for sweets!" the curly-haired boy insists. "I heard from the boy I-Pin, and I play with at school that Shinjuku has a new cool arcade game. Can we go, please?"

"I'm not sure…" the brunette mutters, uncertain. "I still have training, Lambo."

"No, you're not," Reborn interjects. "You can use it to rest more, and Shinjuku is a good place for it. Who else wants to go?"

As expected, Takeshi and Hayato volunteer to be her guards, the rest having excuses of another business. Tsuna rolls her eyes.

"You just want to enable chaos," she says. Reborn smirks.

"I can't confirm nor deny the statement."

Which meant, yes. That chaotic gremlin, sneakily granting her a longer break.

"I think you should go, Tsuna-san," Haru encourages, then sighs dreamily. "Maybe you'll meet a handsome boy you'll like."

"I have handsome boys around me 24/7, Haru," Tsuna jokes, brushing a strand behind her ear. She decided to keep her hair long and stopped at the middle of the back length. "I don't need another one, thank you."

As they laugh, carefree in months, Tsuna feels her Intuition chime and hopes nothing bad happens in Shinjuku.

In any case, with the trip agreed on, they — her, Takeshi, Hayato, and the kids — board the train that is headed towards Shinjuku, and for a while, they do have fun at the arcade, and nothing happens; however, as they exit it two hours later, Fuuta informs her in panic that Lambo is gone. Heart thundering against her ribcage, but doing her best to keep panic under control, she orders everyone to split and start searching. With determined nods, they separate and bolt in various directions.

As she moves through the sea of people, looking for any sign of the black hair and cow suit, Tsuna thinks that this morning's calmness was too good to be true.

"Now, where is that idiot?"

Suguru sighs as he says that himself. That's what he gets for taking his eyes off Satoru for even a second.

The summer is typically the busiest time of year for the Jujutsu Sorcerer as it is the time when Curses' number spikes up considerably. This summer, their numbers practically skyrocketed, due to the disasters all over Japan; all sorcerers, but especially him and Satoru, had been run rugged, having only managing to get a break by the middle of August. Satoru joked, upon finding this out, that "Even Curses need a rest, it seems,' ' and suggested they visit Shinjuku. Shoko went to buy something, and Satoru promptly slipped away.

Buy more sweets, no doubt.

Suguru's eyes shift to his mark as he rubs it absentmindedly, a habit by now as a way to calm his nerves.

Curses aren't the only thing on his mind, though; he thinks about his soulmate often, but recently the thoughts are tinged with fear and helplessness. His soulmate being in constant danger isn't anything new; it's their normal, of a sort, but at the start of the summer, he could have lost them without meeting them and doing everything in his power to protect them. Could have lost them forever.

He recalls the horrible day with perfect clarity.

He, Shoko, and Satoru have been playing video games at the dorm when he feels his mark burn as if struck by electricity. At first, he thinks nothing of it, but when it repeats, he looks down on his wrist and can only stare in terror as the fire lily flickers like an unsteady candle flame.

"Suguru?" Satoru is the first to notice his state: his best friend turned white as a sheet, brown eyes wide with panic and fixed on his wrist. Following his line of sight, Satoru sees the flickering flower mark, which leans towards the gray, indicating his soulmate is on their deathbed. "Shit."

Shoko is the next to react, doctor instincts kicking in. She turns off the game and takes Suguru's hands in hers. She feels his rabbit's quick pulse under her fingertips. "Suguru, look at me."

"I must-they—" he doesn't seem to have heard Shoko; breath coming out quick and frantic, Geto tries to pass Shoko and make a dash for his soulmate, doesn't matter that he doesn't know where they are, he needs to get to them somehow!

Realizing his intent, both Shoko and Satoru have to keep him in place.

"Suguru, breathe, you idiot," Shoko scolds lightly, as she snaps fingers in front of his face to make him focus; it works as his eyes lose their panicking sheen, and he relaxes in their hold. "Good, now breathe; in, out, in, out."

He follows her instructions. Gradually, his pulse and breathing slow down to something reasonable, but his eyes still hold frantic panic.

"Better?" she asks.

"A little," he says, mumbling thanks. He looks at his mark again, which continues to flicker, and presses his lips in a thin line. "I just wish I could do more than watch them fight for their life," he admits, something fragile and cracked in his tone.

Satoru and Shoko share a look; both come to the same decision at once.

"Do you want us to stay with you?" It's Satoru who asks. Regardless of what he and Shoko think about soulmates, Geto is more important."Until they stabilize?"

Suguru nods. Satoru and Shoko shift and wrap their arms around him, hugging from each side. They sit still like this, for hours, until the fire lily stops flickering, returning to its regular state. Both feel Suguru shudder in relief in their hold at the very same moment.

Geto's living nightmare is over. His soulmate is alive.

His soulmate pulled through, as they always do, and he gained the habit of rubbing his mark to assure himself they were safe, but the experience left a weight on his heart; for the first time in his life, he wished soulbonds were expressed differently. Names, instead of marks. So he could have a hint of where to start looking, so he could help, instead of staying in the dark.

If only…

His musings are interrupted when he feels someone bump into him and start falling. He reaches out with his marked hand to steady the stranger and catches them. Caramel eyes, and long brown hair, and the fragrance of peaches fill his senses.

It's a nice scent.

"Are you alright?" he asks the pretty girl. First, he needs to make sure she's okay before singing her praises.

"I am," the girl assures with a melodious voice. As she starts to move out of his arms, their bare hands make contact…

…And a jolt of electricity, sharp and sudden, runs through them both. Suguru freezes, wide-eyed as he realizes that the sensation is. This is…! This is the activating of the bond!

The girl in his arms is his soulmate!

The girl he dreamed so long about, freezes as well, shocked.

"You are…" she begins, equal parts in disbelief and wonder. She doesn't finish, however, as she startles as if remembering something. Suguru only has a second to process it before she gets out of his hold.

"I'm terribly sorry for this!" she apologizes, words spoken so quickly, that he barely understands the sentence. Or maybe he's too dazed by the fact his soulmate is here with him that this feels like a dream. "But I have to go! Thank you for your help!"

Wait, what?! Her words finally register in his brain, sending him into a frenzy. Granted, this isn't how he imagined their first meeting happening; like something romantic and not something so mundane, but she can't go now! They've just met after all these years! "No, wait!"

But she is already gone, hidden by a crowd of people, and him, hand outstretched in the air. Only the scent of peaches, his fire lily now being colorful — it has a beautiful amber shade — prove this was real; he met his soulmate.

And she slipped through his fingers like a mirage. A beautiful mirage.

Feeling like he was turned upside down, Suguru looks at the ground and sees a piece of a white cloth. It turns out to be a handkerchief with the initials SS done in a golden thread and with clams spread about. It smelled of peaches.

Suguru feels a dopey smile spread on his face. He probably looks weird to the other passersby, but he didn't care.

This is hers. They have a chance of meeting again.

This is the best day of his life.

Satoru, in contrast, is having the worst day of his life.

It started so well too! Curses finally gave them a breather and Suguru crawled outta his funk in regards to his soulmate nearly dying — he had never seen Suguru so panicked before, he always kept a cool head even in the hardest situations. But when it comes to his destined one, all bets are off. It only proved his point that soulmates are a bother, — he had gone to buy that particular sweet that he likes to buy here.

And it has to be ruined by some kid in tasteless clothes!

"Give me that!" the kid shouts, angry. By "that" he means karumeyaki*. Which is the last one and was sold to Satoru, moments before the kid could do it. "This is for my sister!"

"You snooze, you lose," Satoru taunts, a mocking smile on his lips. "Go home, cow brat."

The kid's lip trembles, signaling an onslaught of tears coming, making Satoru wrinkle his nose in distaste.

This is why he can't stand kids.

"Lambo!" a voice calls, making them turn towards it.

A girl around his age with long brown hair and chocolate eyes, dressed in a skirt and a shirt, is coming his way. Another smirk, this time, a flirty one, pulls at his lips.

This can be a nice way to improve his spoiled mood.

The brat, for his part, runs to his sister, presumably, and hugs her legs. Her previous panic and nervous energy melt into concern as she spots the tears. Eyes narrowed, she glares at Gojo, the obvious cause of said tears. Still, she asks, voice hard:

"Are you the one who made him cry?"

Satoru scoffs. "He's the one who made himself cry," he moves into her personal space, lips curling seductively. "But forget about the brat; want to tell me your name, cutie?"

"Anybody tell you that you're an ass that doesn't respect personal space?" Remaining indifferent where other girls fall over themselves, the girl scowls, putting distance between them. "And his name isn't brat; it's Lambo."

"I was told that once or twice, but most people compliment my looks; ass included," Satoru proclaims proudly, not put off by the reaction. "And who cares about the kid's name, anyway?"

Apparently, that's the last straw for the irate girl. Raising a hand, she slaps him across the face. Hard.

"I do care," she responds in a flat tone, then scoops the kid in her arms, who buries his face in her neck. "Let's go home," she tells the kid softly, who nods.

"Are you nuts?!" Satoru exclaims once he's over his shock. His cheek stings as if it's on fire. Damn, for a delicate girl that is half a head shorter than him, she slaps hard, probably left a handprint. "That hurt!"

"Good!" the girl retorts, not missing a beat as she turns her back on him. "Maybe you'll gain common sense and stop

being such an ass!"

"Go to hell!"

"Go there yourself!"

Scowling at the girl until she's gone from view, Satoru cradles his hurt cheek and goes to find Suguru. That worrywart is probably cursing him to the high heavens.

He would have liked to get the girl under his charm; while she's plain looking, his Six Eyes picked on the colorful bubbles that covered both her and the brat, which he had never seen before on another person before. That could have been interesting to discover while he flirted for fun. But no! She had to go and slap him! Him, Gojo Satoru! Blasphemy!

His mood sours further than before. Better forget it. Colorful bubble or not, it's not fun to discover something if you have to interact with such a prickly, stuck-up girl. His slapped cheek flares up, as if in agreement with such thought. His hurt pride also agrees.

God, he hopes to never meet her again.

Once was more than enough, thank you very much.

AN: *According to Google, karumeyaki or Honeycomb toffee, ect, is a Japanese sweet made from brown sugar (or corn syrup or molasses or golden syrup) and baking soda. It is typically hand-made, and often sold by street vendors. I needed Tsuna to have a favorite sweet so Satoru and Lambo fight over it, plus it looked tasty.

This chapter in nutshell, I couldn't resist:

*Suguru, lovey-dovey*: I met my soulmate, she's beautiful...

*Tsuna, rattled by meeting her soulmate and one tall, white-haired idiot*: So much for relaxing! Stupid soulmates, stupid Byakuran-wannabe!

*Satoru, pride and ego bruised*: Crazy girl. Nobody treats Gojo Satoru like that, hmpf!

That's all. See you when I get back!