"Are you going to switch seats with me or not, woman?"
Hayato's blunt, aggressive voice was the first thing Tsuna heard as he got into the classroom.
Tsuna narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist just a bit tighter at the sight. He knew Hayato was rather obsessed with being near him, but he thought the guy would know better than to cross certain lines.
"Are you deaf? I already told you I'm not switching," Hana shot back, rolling her eyes, irritation clear on her face.
"Hayato!" Tsuna shouted coldly.
Hayato immediately turned away from Hana and stood ramrod straight again. His attention was fully focused on Tsuna.
"Yes, Boss!"
Hayato looked a bit worried and confused, but it was clear he was waiting for more orders.
"Leave Hana-chan alone."
Tsuna spoke slowly, his voice dripping with suppressed irritation.
Hayato blinked at his words, looking briefly at Hana and then back to Tsuna before a light of realization appeared in his eyes.
"Forgive me, Boss. I should have known she was your woman!"
Hayato yelled out while bowing before Tsuna.
Those words rang out through the room, and Tsuna choked on the reprimand he had been about to give. The class fell dead silent while Hana let out a startled squawk. Kyoko, on the other hand, watched with wide eyes and her mouth hanging slightly open.
Then the whispers started to form quickly.
"Excuse me!"
Hana shouted in outrage, her face burning hot, and a murderous look appeared on her face. Hayato looked back at her with the same admiring look he wore when looking at Tsuna, even if it was not as extreme.
Before the guy could make a bigger mess, Tsuna spoke again while rubbing his forehead in irritation.
"Hayato, quiet."
Tsuna commanded with a small glare on his face. Hayato stiffened and looked like his puppy had been kicked, but he just nodded stiffly and took a couple of steps away from Hana.
Hayato was facing the student who had been sitting behind Tsuna and glared at him without saying a single word. The gossipy and amused expression on the student's face faded quickly under Hayato's glare.
The guy did not even need to be told to leave. He gathered his things and scrambled away, leaving Hayato a seat near Tsuna.
Tsuna was tempted to send him to the other side of the classroom for his own sanity, but he feared what might happen if the guy was left to his own devices.
He quickly moved near Hana, who was still glaring at Hayato.
"Sorry about him," Tsuna apologized quickly before looking at the rest of the class, his warm smile fading into something far colder.
"I'm sure everyone knows better than to put any weight on Hayato's words."
He spoke calmly, but Tsuna's expression had the whispering die immediately.
The student body might like gossip, but this was a man who could handle the lunatic Hibari. God knew what would set someone like that off.
"Don't apologize for the idiot, Fluffy."
Hana spoke after a moment with a small huff, the murderous look on her face fading, though it was clear she was still slightly irritated.
Kyoko was still watching Tsuna and Hana with a small, contemplative look on her face.
"I kind of have to. Hayato is my minion, so his actions are my responsibility."
Tsuna spoke with a sigh as he slumped into his desk. Judging from the guy's personality, him being Tsuna's minion was never going to stay a secret. The guy called Tsuna boss constantly, and he was certainly not quiet about it.
Hayato perked up and looked like all his dreams were coming true from Tsuna's words, but Tsuna decided to ignore him for now.
Maybe that would teach him to keep his mouth shut.
Tsuna could also reject Hayato and push him away from his influence, but the guy had a spark of potential. He did not know much about the supernatural side of the world, but the sheer quantity of Flames in Hayato was impressive.
Looking around, most people only had small sparks in a single flavor of Flame, so Hayato stood out as something special. The quality of those flames was also a major step up from the chaff Tsuna was used to seeing.
Again, he knew very little about the world at large, but his instincts told him Hayato was worth having around, even if the guy could be irritating.
"If you must have him, I could whip him into proper shape, Master." Luci's voice rang out with amusement, and Tsuna briefly considered it.
Hayato had potential, but his nature rubbed him the wrong way. Tsuna was sure Luci could bend and twist anyone into whatever shape she wanted. She was the literal devil, after all.
He just felt off about twisting someone into something else just because he felt irritated by their antics.
"It does not need to be so extreme, Master. The child is loud and boisterous because he is used to the world rejecting him. He yearns for a place to belong and throws everything he has into earning it. He may act like a complete sycophant, but that is only because he desperately wants you to acknowledge him."
Tsuna frowned at that, and the harshness he was feeling toward Hayato faded slightly. Tsuna was more than familiar with the concept of wanting to belong.
"Some kind words and some discipline would make the boy a gem worth having, Master."
Tsuna twitched. It still felt off, but he could accept some minor manipulation. Those kind words did not have to be false, after all. If all it took for Hayato to calm down was a place to belong, Tsuna was willing to humor the guy.
"You have minions, Tsuna-kun?"
Kyoko asked with wide, innocent eyes, and Tsuna felt like he was shattering some image she had of him.
"You don't have to involve yourself in that nonsense, Fluffy. Sure, those monkeys are going to come out of the woodwork after you beat Hibari, but you don't have to play their game."
Hana advised, her features softening more, though there was still a hint of red on her face.
Hayato was growling and looking at Hana like she had stabbed him, but at least he was following orders and staying quiet.
Tsuna let out a light, helpless laugh.
"I have a feeling my life is just going to grow more and more complicated. I'm going to need people for certain things, and Hayato-san fits that need. He may be a bit foolish, but he is loyal, which is all I really need."
Tsuna left plenty unsaid, but dragging Kyoko and Hana into this was not fair to them, even if Hana already had one foot in his world with their Flames bonding. God, he needed Reborn to come back.
Kyoko looked a bit unsettled by his words, but she nodded slightly in understanding. Hana, on the other hand, bit her lip but did not say anything.
"Can I borrow those notes, Hana-chan?"
Tsuna asked, deciding to shift the topic.
Hana was briefly startled, but she quickly opened her bag and took out several stacks of old notebooks.
"Here. I didn't have all of my old notes, but I got a good chunk."
Hana said as she handed the stack over.
"Thanks, this really means a lot to me."
He spoke softly to her, and the red dusting her face grew just a bit brighter.
"Don't mention it, Fluffy."
She mumbled back.
"Tsuna-kun needs some notes?"
Kyoko asked curiously.
"Yeah, I need to catch up with the rest of you, after all."
Tsuna said with a sheepish smile. Kyoko's eyes sparkled, and Hana looked a bit conflicted for a moment.
"That's great, Tsuna-kun. If you need tutoring, I can help as well."
Kyoko offered cheerfully. A look flashed across Hana's face, but she joined in and smiled at Tsuna.
"Yeah, I know your mom hired a private tutor, but studying with friends should help."
Hana added, and Tsuna smiled brightly at the two of them. Luci more than covered the studying aspect, but their offer still had him buzzing with happiness.
Hayato looked like he was struggling to keep quiet, and he kept shooting Tsuna looks that clearly said he could help as well. He really was like a puppy.
"I appreciate it, but the tutor is already running me ragged."
Tsuna replied politely. Kyoko hummed and accepted his words, but Hana seemed a bit disappointed.
Tsuna continued chatting as class went on. He did get an odd look from his teacher. The man always had a bone to pick with Tsuna, but now he seemed to treat him like a time bomb.
The dull, constant studying was irritating after being involved in the supernatural, and his future was likely already set, so studying for some job might be pointless. Still, a part of him resisted the idea of abandoning it.
At lunch, a piece of information spread quickly. Yamamoto had sprained his wrist from pushing himself too far. Tsuna was honestly surprised that it became such a big deal, but he quickly learned why.
The upperclassmen on the baseball team were relying heavily on Yamamoto to reach nationals. No one said it outright, but the team was nothing without him, so they had placed all their hopes on him.
So when Yamamoto injured himself right before the tournament, the team exploded on him.
Tsuna felt disgusted by their double standards, but it was not his life, so he ignored it.
Then Yamamoto entered the classroom after lunch.
The sight made Tsuna's blood boil.
Classmates swarmed around him. A sheepish smile on his face, his wrist tightly bound. He chatted cheerfully and acted the same as always, except for his eyes.
They were empty.
"Idiot, idiot. Fucking idiot."
Tsuna muttered over and over again as he stared at Yamamoto across the room. Looking at those eyes hurt and just set off Tsuna even more.
Tsuna never thought he would see someone who lost the very will to live because of a fucking baseball tournament.
He did not feel pity or sadness for Yamamoto. No, he felt anger and disgust. His jaw felt like it was going to grind his teeth to dust from how hard he was clenching.
Tsuna stood up stiffly.
Hana shot him a worried look, but he gave her a stiff smile. Hayato moved to follow him, but a subtle gesture toward Hana made Hayato stay behind to 'protect' her.
Tsuna followed Yamamoto as he left the room. Each step boiling his blood even more as he understood where they were going.
Yamamoto did not even notice.
The fool reached the rooftop door, but before he could open it, Tsuna spun him around, grabbed his tie, and glared at him.
"What the hell are you doing!"
"Tsuna!? Wha?"
Yamamoto started, but Tsuna interrupted him as he headbutted him violently.
Tsuna's eyes burned with anger as he glared.
"Wipe that fucking smile off your face."
Tsuna snarled.
Yamamoto looked confused for a moment, but Tsuna headbutted him again. Blood began to seep from his forehead.
"I don't want to see that smile on your face."
Tsuna spoke coldly, biting out each word. That fake brittle smile was ugly, such a fucking ugly reminder of his darkest moments.
Finally, it seemed to click. The blinding smile fell, and the empty look returned.
Tsuna let go of his tie and stepped back, still glaring.
"What do you want, Tsuna-san?"
Yamamoto asked, wiping blood from his eyes. There was no emotion in his voice beyond exhaustion.
Tsuna bristled.
"I should be asking you that, asshole. What are you planning on the roof?"
Silence hung in the air between them as Yamamoto finally realized why Tsuna was here.
He was here because Yamamoto was going to kill himself.
That notion disgusted Tsuna. He knew what the bottom felt like; he knew the feeling of the world being better off without you. That feeling might as well be carved into his bones, but Tsuna had never once thought of taking his life, no matter how shit his life was.
If he did that, what would his mother feel!? How would Kyoko and Hana live when the no good Tsuna jumped off the fucking roof!?
Taking his life would have been the most selfish thing he possibly could have done, and here was this fucking asshole doing exactly that over one FUCKING TOURNAMENT.
"What does it matter to you?"
Yamamoto asked between gritted teeth, like a wounded animal. Yamamoto was prepared to die, but having his wound seen so vividly was bringing back some semblance of the boy.
If only that semblance was pointless anger.
Tsuna let out a scoff and sneered at Yamamoto.
"Nothing, your fucking life means nothing to me."
Tsuna spat out, and Yamamoto recoiled away from that. That was the last thing he thought the usual soft-spoken Tsuna would have said, but Yamamoto was not prepared to face the Tsuna of today.
"Then why are you?"
Yamamoto asked, confusion bleeding from every word. That just earned him another sneer.
"Because you disgust me, the current you is a vile sight, and I don't want this empty little pile of shame burned into my memory."
Yamamoto snarled as he glared at Tsuna like a wounded animal.
Before he could speak, Tsuna drove a knee into his stomach, knocking the air from his lungs.
Yamamoto collapsed forward, wheezing.
"Why?"
"I already told you. I hate the current you. Plain and simple, idiot."
Tsuna replied sharply. The words felt like blades but in this moment every single one was true. Tsuna hated those lifeless eyes, he hated the reflection, he hated what could have been. Beyond it all he hated that Yamamoto was going to die for nothing.
"You want to escape your shame, the pain that you have inflicted on your so-called friends. You want an end to make everything just stop right?"
Tsuna prodded aiming at the rawest wounds even as his own scars burned.
Yamamoto just gritted his teeth and stared at the ground. Tsuna was right after all.
"It would be easy, right? Just one little jump and nothing else will be your problem but what happens after that, idiot?"
Tsuna snarled out, and Yamamoto shuddered at that.
"Let me tell you. You traumatize countless students as they see your lifeless body fall. You scar the baseball team with a label that will never fade. Everyone will remember exactly who pushed you to your death, maybe they won't care, but I bet at least some will never forget today."
Tsuna spoke out coldly, each word hitting Yamamoto like a physical blow. Yamamoto gritted his teeth so hard that blood was pooling in his mouth.
"But those are the dumbasses who pushed you; maybe their lives mean nothing to you. Maybe that is the result you are hoping for, but what about your father?"
Tsuna asked, knowingly. Thoughts and feelings he once had reflected into Yamamoto.
Yamanoto froze, and tears started to pour out of his eyes silently.
"Your father already lost your mother; you are the last thing that remains of her. How would he feel when the school calls and tells them that his dear boy is now nothing but a corpse? Is that what you want, YAMAMOTO!?"
Tsuna screamed out at the boy frozen in front of him.
Those words rang so loudly that the silence that followed was near deafening.
"If that is what you want, then fine, leave your scars and leave this fucking world behind. At least I don't have to see your fucking face any longer."
Tsuna spat out as he began to walk away. He felt like his own buttons were being pressed, but he would have regretted not saying those words.
Besides.
"Thank you."
Yamamoto softly whispered, quiet enough that only he should have heard.
It was worth it.
[Feat Achieved. Talk Yamamoto out of suicide.]
[Gain one Silver ticket.]