50. Cold

"Rei! What are you doing here?"

Tsuna spotted me easily from a distance away, seated at the steps of the school doors, taking a short nap as Reborn went to fetch Tsuna.

I yawned. "Hm? Reborn-kun asked me to come, so I came."

"Reborn!" Tsuna whined.

"Hm?" Takeshi crouched down beside me, "What's that on your face, Rei? You got hurt?"

My hand reached up to the plaster Reborn had stuck on my face. I chuckled dryly to Takeshi, "Yeah. Kinda scratched my face when I fell down just now." I lied, "Reborn patched me up."

"He's lying," Reborn quickly cut in, "that guy up there picked a fight." He was flat and blunt, completely dismissing the mortified face I was dishing out at him.

"That true, Rei?" Takeshi raised an eyebrow. He looked me straight in the eyes, an interrogative, skeptical, face as he eyes me intently.

I turn away, deliberately and obviously avoiding his eyes.

"Rei," Takeshi's sharp tone made me jump. I turn to him, and he's glaring now. Glaring at me, with that serious face he had never directed at me before. "Tell me the truth."

I pout. "Reborn just said it." I begrudgingly tell him, "That guy suddenly started fighting, and I was just dodging knives. Nothing more, I swear!"

"Dodging knives?" Gokudera sounded surprised, "From a professional hitman?" he inched closer to me at each word, his tone getting more and more exaggerated, "and you only got off with a scratch?"

I chuckled. "I have good reflexes."

"This is beyond the level of that!"

"I mean, Tsuna can probably dodge bullets as easily." I said grimly, "When your life's on the line you just kinda scream and run around and hope you don't actually get hit, y'know."

"You don't make sense."

"You're welcome."

"ANYWAY," Tsuna raised his voice to intervene. He turned to me, concern on his face-- "Are you really alright, Rei? I don't care what Reborn told you, but please, could you go home right now?"

"Ehhhhh??" I whine exaggeratedly.

Takeshi chopped me on the head. "Go home." he simply said.

When I looked up, I flinched.

Takeshi was staring down at me, his brows scrunched up in irritation and his lips twisted into a frown.

"Go home." he repeated, "Now." and this time there was an emphasis on the tone.

I felt shivers down my spine.

By the side, Tsuna eyed the both of us worriedly.

My fist tightened, and my head drooped down. I bit my bottom lip and didn't look up toward Takeshi. I lifted my head slightly-- and dipped it right back down. A nod.

My eyes still turned away, I got to my feet and spun right out for the school gates.

My throat burned, a whimper threatening to escape my lips.

Having not watched my path, I crashed into something. A human figure-- and at the impact, I bounced backwards and lost my balance.

"Woah-- Careful there!" a familiar voice called out. A hand shot towards mine and grasped it before I fell.

I regained my balance, and looked up to see Ryohei-san smile at me. "Hey, Ninomiya!" he greeted me lightheartedly, "You here to watch the match too?"

I was frozen for a second, then I cracked into a forced smile. "I was, but..." I didn't really have a reason to lie, "Takeshi got angry at me, so I'm gonna go home ahead."

"A pity." Ryohei sighed, "Well, can't help it. Don't worry, I'll definitely, extremely win!" he assured me.

I chuckle. "Of course, I trust you! Do your awesomeness, Ryohei-san!"

I didn't stay to watch his next response, but I heard him yell "YAMAMOTO!" with an angered tone in the background.

I made a beeline toward home, not once looking back.

Not once daring to look back.

-

It was that night where my coughs started again, worse than it had ever been before the whole Kokuyo incident.

-

The house was empty. Painfully empty-- and I reminded myself once again that it won't be long. Sae and Sui would come home the day after tomorrow, and then I won't be alone anymore.

Just two more days. Two more days in this cold, cold house.

"Hey there, kid."

I flinched, startled by the sudden noise.

The silhouette of a tall, grown man was standing at the sliding glass doors by the kitchen. As I looked closer, I could make out little features-- like the overall he wore, the short, cropped hair he had--

"Mind opening the door for me?" The voice was a gentle one.

I flipped on the lights to the kitchen. Outside my house, in his construction work clothes and all, there Sawada Iemitsu stood.

I let him in.

"What're you doing here, Iemitsu-san?" I asked.

It's one thirty in the morning, I noted, glancing at the clock. The fight's probably long over.

He made himself at home, settling down on the mat instead of the couch as I fixed up some coffee. We sat face to face, in an awkward silence-- sipping on our coffees and me humbly waiting for an explanation regarding his presence.

I was patient, because I really didn't feel into the mood of questioning his motives.

"Who," Iemitsu eventually spoke up, "No, what exactly are you?"

I lifted my eyes, silently noting that one of his hands went under the table, hiding itself from my line of vision.

I fiddled with the edge of the cup, contemplating my responses.

"I'm human." I answered simply, "I'm as much a human as anyone in your household."

Except for the fact that the ones in your household aren't very normal humans at all.

"There's something more to you, then," he easily caught my trick with being subtle, "Do you mind telling me what exactly?"

I felt my heart thump a little anxiously. At that, I interlocked my fingers, and rested my chin at the intersection-- my eyes drifted to the right.

"Something more to me, eh?" I pretended to wonder.

"For example," Iemitsu was smiling at me in that smile I always flashed at people, "The fact that you've known of the Mafia long before my son did."

A chuckle escaped my lips before I could even try to stop it.

He didn't falter.

I composed myself. "You're assuming a lot more than I thought you would." I told him honestly. "But just as I've told Reborn, you're absolutely right." 

This made him interested. He took another sip of his coffee.

"I've known many things long before Reborn even came here. As for why and how--" this made me stop for a long moment. Explanation. Even if I tried to tell the real truth, would they believe me? Perhaps, but where do I even begin with this explanation?

"It's a long story," I summed it up, "but don't worry!" I quickly fixed my careless reply, "I have no desire to interfere with this story."

I didn't smile, but I looked him in the eyes.

"I'm sorry I can't really explain the details," I let out a giggle as I scratched my cheek bashfully, "But is that enough to at least make you put that gun down?"

-

-

Mornings were cold. The early morning breeze sent a chill down my spine-- and I ended up wearing a jacket on my way to school.

I went into the classroom, and greeted Daisuke who sat by the door. Kyoko and Hana gave me a greeting too, and I returned it with a smile.

Takeshi didn't greet me that morning.

And so, I didn't turn to his direction.

-

"What, they in a fight?" Hana noticed, leaning back on her chair as she sighed, "That's rare."

Kyoko, though, was more plagued with concern.

-

"Hey there, Ninomiya-kun." Kunomasu greeted me, chewing on a pocky, "Been a while. Thought you ere cheating on me with Honya-sensei." he threw up a casual joke.

"Honya-sensei barely even notices me in the library." I groan at him. "Also..."

That last word made him look up with a slight sternness in his eyes.

I let out a definitely unintentional cough.

"I uh," I chuckle slightly, "Make a bit too much noise to hide in the library anymore."

I joked, a smirk on my face. But I guess even Kuma could tell that I really didn't feel up to our usual banters now.

His eyes sharpened as he noted the little signs and read through me easily-- without hesitation, he stood up and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Go sleep," and it was a surprisingly mild and gentle order, "Till morning, if you can."

-

And when I woke up, Lambo and I-pin were cuddled in my arms.

It took me another moment to note that I was no longer in the infirmary. I was sleeping on a couch, with a blanket draped over my stomach.

I turned to the left-- and found Fuuta there, chatting with Iemitsu about something.

I was part of the scenery to them. They didn't seem to notice my movement, and I eyed them quietly, too hazy and sleep-blurred to register anything to say.

But at my next breath, I was hit with an abrupt cough.

I turned away from the kids, and towards the backrest of the couch. Another cough made my head spin-- and then I just couldn't stop.

Coughs racked my body-- my lung rejecting the slightest bit of air in it as I choked on oxygen. Rather than having choked on air-- I felt like my body was desperately trying to hack up my own, terribly useless lungs.

I curled up, coughing into my hand-- over and over and over and over and over again, I coughed and coughed and coughed--

When I finally stopped, and managed to take in a proper breath-- tears were prickling at my eyes.

I blacked out.

-

-

The next my eyes opened, it was morning.

Morning, and I had completely missed the Lightning Battle.