Seeing everyone suddenly start to warm up to Tsuna was nothing less than bittersweet. You really did want to be happy for him, but the way everyone went from making fun of him and calling him a loser to being all friendly was rubbing you the wrong way. Were all junior highs this finicky with their loyalty? You pondered those thoughts while eating lunch on the roof.
Your anti-socialness had caused you to have no friends, but it didn't bother you too much. Getting involved with the other mob characters would be a waste of time in the end so it didn't matter. All that mattered to you right now was your lunch.
Your bento opened with a click and you were blessed by the heavenly scent of homemade food. Today's meal was the usual white rice paired with chopped up fried chicken breast and some vegetables but it still made your mouth water. Truly, your mother could make the same exact meal for you everyday and you wouldn't complain a bit.
Before you were able to take more than two bites your peacefulness was interrupted. Yamamoto entered the roof space with his regular smile and settled down next to you when he noticed you were there.
"Hey, you're (L/n), right?" Yamamoto's smile was blinding. It reminded you of that one guy from Saiki K because it filled you with motivation and made you want to get up and exercise.
"Yes. Uhm..." It would be rude to ask why he was talking to you, so you didn't. It must've been obvious you wanted to though because he smiled nervously and explained himself.
"Ah, I just wanted to talk to you since I saw you sitting here. You don't talk to many people, do you?" Yamamoto was someone who made you feel at ease. You couldn't explain why, he just seemed to have that effect to him.
Conversation flowed naturally between you two after the slight awkwardness at the beginning of the conversation. During the 40 minutes you talked, anything and everything became topic for conversation. You "learned" that Yamamoto's dad used to do kendo and Yamamoto learned that you take self-defense classes.
"Really? You should come to my dad's shop some day and get him to teach you. I'm sure he'd be happy to know someone's interested." Yamamoto looked eager to have you around, most likely because you didn't just talk about the sports he plays every five seconds. You contemplated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"Maybe I will ask him... I'll have to see." You nearly ate the last bite of your bento before hesitating, deciding to offer it to Yamamoto. When he asked why you were offering, you just shrugged.
"Take this, as a thank you for hanging out with me." Yamamoto chuckled but accepted the food with a small blush on his face. It was a nice moment and you found yourself hoping he would come back up the next day.
✞
"Tsuna, Tsuna, Tsuna!!!" The crowd went wild when Tsuna walked in. The noise was nearly deafening, causing you to irritably squeeze your hands over your ears. Sports have never really interested you and the only time you watched them was when your mom wanted to tune in to some volleyball competition. In your old world, you only played volleyball for two years, freshman and sophomore, before you got whisked off. It was only to heighten your chances at getting a scholarship and you were glad it was over with.
Spectating a volleyball match between two groups of junior high boys could only be described as one word: loud. The cheers of the students and the yells of the players mixed together and made you groan. At this rate, you'd need hearing aids before you even graduated.
"What are you doing!?" The audience had already gotten over their Tsuna fever, going back to their normal behavior of hating him. It irked you that they could switch on him so fast, but you couldn't do anything about it. Besides, they would switch once again when Tsuna gets shot by the Dying Will bullet.
The progressed quickly once he was shot, Tsuna's team easily getting the win. You stood up and cheered along with the rest of the crowd. It came as a shock when you saw Yamamoto wave excitedly at you through the groups of people surrounding him. You tentatively waved back and sped out the gym when you saw some people looking at you.
The air outside was crisp for the time of year, nipping at your skin and making you shiver. You rubbed at your arms and quickened your pace in an effort to get rid of the chill. Lord knows your mother would have a fit if you got sick the next day.
✞
"40°... My poor baby!" Your mother hugged you tight and smothered you with her love. It was embarrassing that you had gotten sick just from one day outside when it was only a bit cold, but your mother's food would make up for it. Just the thought of eating her mouth watering chicken noodle soup with a side of Vernors was enough to keep you calm.
"I'll be right back with your soup-Oh, dear! You've never gotten sick before! I just-!" The wailing was grating at your ears and you only hoped your mother would hurry once she left the room, which she did. The soup was perfectly warm as it slid down your throat, causing you to let out a hum of satisfaction. Thankfully, your mother knew how to properly season things instead of just adding salt so the soup was near heavenly.
Your day continued at a relaxed pace. Your mother had to leave for work eventually so you had the house to yourself, which you really couldn't do anything with. Even you did have friends to invite over, it was a school day so they'd be busy. Before you knew it, it was 3:30 and someone was knocking on your door.
You got up, confused at who could be at your house. It obviously wasn't your mother and it definitely wasn't a delivery man. Unless... You remember your CDs that were coming and concluded that they arrived a few days early. Rushing down the stairs, you threw the door open and prepared to be faced with a depressed delivery man holding your precious CDs.
Instead, you were greeted with Yamamoto's smiling face and a delivery bag in his hands. "That wouldn't happen to be CDs for a cult classic, would it?" At his confused look, you drooped your shoulders and ushered him in.
"Our homeroom teacher told us you're sick, so I figured I'd bring some sushi to cheer you up." You didn't have the heart to tell him that raw fish on rice probably wouldn't make you feel better, so you didn't. You just accepted the food and started talking with him.
The sushi really was good and your earlier statement was proved wrong as you could tell you were feeling better already. It wasn't as good as your mom's cooking, you didn't think anything ever would be, but it was pretty close.
"Thanks for this... I'll bring you some lunch once I feel better." Yamamoto just bashfully scratched his neck and brushed it off, saying it was no problem.
