Chapter 27: A Step Closer

A few years ago...

"Whoa..."

A small boy darted up a dirt path winding through a lush green hill. He skidded to a stop at the top with a wide grin spreading across his face.

"It's so beautiful. Tokyo sucks compared to this..."

As he took in the view, his brown eyes sparkled with wonder.

Before him stretched an endless sky painted in soft oranges and pinks scattered with fluffy white clouds. The horizon cradled a bustling small town in the late afternoon sunlight.

It was unlike anything he had seen before.

The boy was visiting his grandparents in the countryside, the towering concrete jungle of Tokyo he called home was nowhere near this sight.

The breeze tousled his short hair, carrying the scent of fresh grass and wildflowers.

"I'm gonna miss this... so badly..."

He breathed in deeply, thinking to himself how much he'd miss this once he returned to the crowded city.

"Huff... huff..."

A sound broke his thoughts. He saw the same frail kid from the neighborhood who had been following him around for quite some time.

The frail kid tripped on the uneven ground and toppled over with a small yelp.

"Ouch!"

He landed on the grass with an audible thud, groaning as he clutched his scraped knee. Tears began welling up in his eyes.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The boy scratched his head awkwardly, unsure how to handle the situation.

"..."

The frail kid looked up at him, his glistening eyes and trembling lips resembling a lost puppy. It made him a bit speechless as he saw the kid nodding with that sort of expression.

The boy's gaze dropped to the dirt smudged across the kid's legs and clothes. His thin arms were streaked with scratches from the climb, and the fabric of his shorts was torn at the hem.

It must've been a struggle to follow him all the way up here.

The boy couldn't help but muttered, "What are you doing..." 

The frail kid had been doing this since he wandered through the quiet streets of this little town.

Whether he was exploring the rice fields, skipping stones by the winding river, or just aimlessly walking around, this kid had always been there.

Quietly trailing behind, like a shadow.

Whenever he turned around to confront him, the frail kid would shyly hide behind something—a tree, a fence, or even his hands.

Then he'd peek out, staring like he was too nervous to say anything.

It had been confusing at first, but the boy had eventually decided not to let it bother him.

After all, this summer break was his time to finally feel free.

Back in Tokyo, "free time" was practically non-existent. With parents who left early in the morning and came back late at night, he spent most of his days with private tutors, shuttling from one lesson to another.

Piano classes, swimming classes, singing classes—he couldn't even remember all of them anymore.

His schedule was packed from dawn until dusk. He'd assumed every kid had the same kind of life until he came to this small town.

Here, the world felt slower. Quieter.

Now, as he looked down at this frail kid, his dirty hands gripping his scraped knee, he couldn't help but wonder, 'Does this kid have so much free time that he's following me everywhere?'

The boy shook his head, frowning slightly before another thought crossed his mind. 'Or maybe... he's on holiday too?'

It felt weird. He thought his homeschool had a different kind of calendar than a normal school. But maybe he was wrong.

"Still," he said aloud, narrowing his eyes at the kid, "to follow me around almost the whole day—why are you doing this? With your body, doesn't it hurt to keep falling over and over?"

The frail kid lowered his head. His voice was quiet, "It does hurt... but being lonely hurts more."

"..."

The boy paused at the faint response, feeling a twinge of something he couldn't explain.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair before stepping closer. The frail kid flinched slightly at the movement, but the boy only shook his head and extended a hand.

"Come on," he said, "Grab it. I'll help you the rest of the way up."

"Ah..." The frail kid looked up, his eyes wide, before nodding. "Un."

He reached out timidly, taking the boy's hand.

Together, they climbed the hill.

When they reached the top, the boy's face lit up again, the same wide grin spreading across his face as he took in the view.

The frail kid, still catching his breath, glanced at him curiously. Then he followed his gaze and froze.

His eyes widened, and he whispered in awe, "It's... beautiful."

"I know, right?"

The boy laughed, "Let me tell you, Tokyo can never beat this!"

They stood there in silence for a while, the boy's enthusiasm contagious. At first, the frail kid felt awkward, unsure of what to do.

But as he watched the boy's unfiltered joy, he found himself relaxing, trying to enjoy the moment too.

Eventually, the boy stretched his arms over his head and declared, "Well, it's time to get down."

"Un!"

The frail kid nodded shyly.

The boy turned to him, flashing a smile, "By the way, nice to meet you. My name's Tsu—"

"—na! Tsuna!"

"...!"

The boy's introduction was cut short by a beautiful, clear voice echoing up the hill. He froze, his body stiffening as he turned toward the sound.

Down at the base of the hill, a woman in a crisp white blouse stood waving. Her long hair swayed gently in the breeze, and her smile was radiant.

Tsuna's heart sank.

"Oh crap! She's gonna kill me!"

It was his mom.

"Shit, dude, I gotta go. See ya later!"

Tsuna shouted over his shoulder as he sprinted down toward his mom. She was standing at the base of the slope, hands on her hips and a stern look on her face.

"Tsuna..."

The frail kid mumbled, his voice soft as he repeated his name to himself.

Then, with a small pout, 'he' muttered, "Dude...? But... I'm a girl, though."

She tilted her head, watching as Tsuna reached the bottom of the hill. His mom grabbed his ear and she couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

Her gaze shifted to the orange sky, now deepening into shades of purple as dusk approached.

Suddenly, she yelped, "Ah!"

"...!"

She froze, staring at the wide stretch of the hill before her. The steep slope seemed much more intimidating now that she was alone.

Tears began to well up in her eyes as she cried out, "How... am I supposed to get down the hill by myself?"

That memory remained vivid in her mind, even now...

The time she had trailed after an intriguing city boy, someone who seemed so out of place in the countryside had become a cherished moment she often thought about.

Unfortunately, her family decided to move to a different neighborhood with a 'better' location, and had never seen him around anymore.

And now that he's back, she's wondering, 'Does he stay in that neighborhood still?'

However...

"...What is he doing?"

She mumbled to herself as she looked back.

The very boy she had once followed around like a puppy was now following her.

"...!"

He flinched when their eyes met, quickly pretending he hadn't seen her as he hurried toward a vending machine nearby.

The roles were somehow reversed, which she found funny. Seeing his eyes shaken despite his poker face when he realized she'd noticed him made her think, 'Cute.'

She shook her head and turned toward the vending machine.

'Has she walked away now? Damn it, I should've just greeted her casually—made it look like a coincidence. Fuck, what am I doing?'

With a resigned sigh, he pressed the button for another can of coffee. The metallic clank echoed in his ears as the can dropped into the slot. He begrudgingly stuffed it into his bag, which was already bulging with cans.

Just as he was about to sneak a glance to see if she was gone...

"What are you doing?"

"...!"

Tsuna nearly jumped out of his skin. He spun around to find Shimizu standing behind him, her face calm but her presence as sharp as ever.

He plastered on a nervous smile, sweat starting to bead on his forehead. "Ah, Kiyoko, what a coincidence! I didn't see you there."

"..."

She didn't reply, her gaze falling to the can of coffee in his hand. Slowly, she extended her palm toward him.

"Give it to me."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Didn't you just take some out? I want one."

Tsuna blinked, tilting his head in confusion. "Wait, I thought you didn't drink coffee?"

It was true—he'd spent the past year around her, mostly during club activities, and not once had he seen her touch coffee.

'He... noticed?'

Shimizu paused, her gaze lingering on Tsuna's puzzled expression.

A faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

She immediately reached out in embarrassment, taking the coffee can from his hand, "No, but I want to try it!" 

"Alright then."

He didn't question her more. Instead, he took the can back, his movements swift enough to catch Shimizu off guard.

"...?"

Popping it open with a satisfying click, he handed it to her with a small smile. "Here. Give it a go."

"...Thanks."

Shimizu brought the can to her lips and took a small sip. Her unreadable expression quickly twisted into a grimace.

Without a word, she handed the coffee back to Tsuna, "I don't like it."

Tsuna twitched his lips, suppressing the urge to laugh. Shaking his head, he took the can from her, "Yeah, I figured as much."

"..."

Shimizu stared at him, looking a bit annoyed. Tsuna almost rolled his eyes, feeling speechless as he wondered why women could be so complicated.

She didn't seem to notice—or care—about his inner turmoil. Instead, she turned to her school bag, unzipping it and rummaging through it before pulling something out and holding it up to him, "Here..."

"Hmm?"

Tsuna was a bit taken aback but his eyes lit up when he realized what she was holding, "Oh!"

He took the item from her carefully.

It was a volleyball club jacket, its dark fabric neatly folded. He noted the size—L—perfectly suited for him.

Tsuna looked at her dead in the eyes with a smile as he said, "Thank you, Kiyoko."

"Un..."

Shimizu's cheeks flushed lightly, but she quickly turned away.

Tsuna blinked in confusion. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "So... does that mean you're not mad at me anymore?"

"..."

Shimizu frowned at his words. Instead of answering, she turned on her heel and began walking toward her classroom, which was in another building.

"Kiyoko!"

Tsuna called out, hurrying after her. "Oh, come on. At least tell me if you're still mad or not..."

"Your classroom is in a different building."

"Class can wait."

Shimizu glanced at him briefly, her expression as unreadable as ever. But as they continued down the path, the more they both talked, Tsuna could see a small smile begin to tug at the corners of her lips.

"...!"

Tsuna froze for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise. 

That subtle smile felt like a breakthrough. He felt like he just made a step closer!

'Wait... Is my dad secretly a genius?'

Seems like being a crim—uh, a man—worked in his favor!