ALiVE (KHR Fanfic)

17. Reception

17. Reception

"We're gonna be late!" I rushed out the door, pulling on my shoes, "Oh-" I turned back towards the house, "Thanks for your hospitality, Tsuyoshi-san!" I call over, "C'mon, Takeshi, hurry up!"

"You're welcome, you're welcome!" Tsuyoshi laughed, "Man, you being here makes it easier to get my son to school!" he joked. "Come over any time, Rei!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Takeshi ran out after that, slipping on his shoes as well, a toast in his mouth, "Let's run!"

"No, don't run!" came Tsuyoshi's voice. "Takeshi, run your marathon yourself, Rei's not allowed to run!"

"Geh. Busted." I whined.

"Then-" Takeshi hoisted me up to his back quickly, "We just gotta do this!"

"Wait-!"

-----

"SSSAAAFEE!" Takeshi declared upon entering the classroom. Of course, all eyes turned to him as he laughed.

I slumped at his back, dizzy at the speed. But I shook the dizziness away and smack him in the head, "Warn me before you do that!" I yell. I dropped off his back, secretly glad that I had a firm hold on my bag before we zoomed off like a jet.

"Uh, Good morning, Rei!" Kyoko greeted me. "Are you alright?"

I sigh, "Do I look alright? Takeshi just blasted off at full speed with me on his back! I can't believe we literally got to school in three minutes..."

Kyoko giggled at that. "As usual, you two get along really well!" she said.

I couldn't resist smiling back, scratching my cheek. Kyoko was a nice girl. She was so nice- she's too nice. I've known her for as long as I've known Takeshi, and I still haven't gotten used to how nice she can be to everyone.

That's just how nice she is.

-----

"Kuma-sensei, I-" But nope. The face that greeted me in the infirmary wasn't the familiar one I've been seeing since young. "Uh, where's Kunomasu-sensei?"

"Kunomasu?" the gruff voice asked me, "Is that a guy or a girl?"

"Kuma-sensei's a guy." I reply.

"Then I don't give a shit." the guy grumbled. "You're not welcome here either. Out." he shooed me away, his legs on the table.

What is Shamal doing in the school infirmary?

"I have proper permission-" I tried, "It's Physical Education, after all-"

"Guys aren't welcome in the infirmary. This place belongs to me now and I make the rules," he glared at me, "Now, out."

And I was shut out without another argument.

-----

I was having a staredown with Hibari-san now. I'd wandered to the Reception room somehow, and I decided to knock. And when I opened the door, there the black-haired prefect was, on the desk, with papers over the table.

He raised an eyebrow. "Herbivore," he called me, "What's your business here?"

But I didn't feel intimidated. I guess I got used to him. Instead, I closed the door behind me and yawned. "Hibari-san, I got kicked out from the infirmary by a newbie teacher." I tell him, "Can I sleep here?" I asked.

-----

"What are you doing in here?"

I opened one eye. An older male, with his hair in a pompadour- Oh, isn't this guy Hibari's vice Prez or something- what was his name again uh-

"Kusakabe-san?" I ask.

He sighed, "Yes." he said, a resigned expression on his face. "And why are you here?" he asked me again.

With just those two lines, I could understand a lot about this guy. He was very patient, in contrast to Hibari himself. He was also quite lenient and... tolerant, I could say.

I push myself up from the couch. Just then, I noticed a blanket over me. Pulling it up to my shoulders, I turned back to the prefect. "I got shut out of the infirmary." I said, "And when I came in here Hibari-san didn't say anything, so I thought it'd be okay."

Kusakabe seemed to get bewildered at that. "Eh?" he said, mildly surprised, arranging papers on Hibari's table. I sat up properly, the blanket still around me. "If I'm correct, you're the student with special permission to enter the infirmary, are you not? Why were you shut out?"

I yawned again. I'm still sleepy. Well, I'm always sleepy so- "There was this teacher in the infirmary that I haven't seen before. I think he's new."

"I see." Kusakabe arranged the papers neatly and turned back to me, holding one finished stack. "I'll be sure to inform the new nurse about your predicament, then." he said. His face was locked in a calm, collected but not stern face. He looked like a kind person, and that made me feel more comfortable and relieved.

"Thanks." I mumble. "Pardon, but do you know the time?" I ask, my head drooping to the side.

"It is currently recess." he answered simply.

"Oh," I say, "thank you." and I dropped my head back to the couch's armrest and closed my head, going back to sleep.

-----

"Wait, Tsuna!" That sharp call was followed by a loud crash. The noise woke me up, and I was awake in time to see Gokudera get hit in the face with a tonfa.

"That's the second." Hibari said. The next to charge forward in irritation was Takeshi, who dodges the tonfa, but is blown away by a kick instead. "And that's the third."

I rolled over so I was lying on my stomach, getting a nicer view. "You seem busy, Hibari-san. Should I leave?" I speak up.

"Oh, did they wake you?" Hibari asked. "You can stay. They'll be out soon."

"Is that so." I mutter.

Just then, Tsuna woke up. "Wait- Yamamoto? Gokudera-kun?? Why??" he freaked out as he found out his friends were unconscious.

"They won't wake up," Hibari told him, "I hit them to make sure of that."

Oh, it's Takeshi. I wonder if he's okay. Gokudera looks pretty bad too. Well, it's Hibari, so- And just then, a gunshot was fired by the courtesy of our amazing Hitman Tutor Reborn.

"I'LL FIGHT YOU WITH MY DYING WILL!" Tsuna yelled.

Oh, I know where we are now. Why, oh why did I run to the Reception Room on a day like this? Tsuna was instantly knocked in the chin by Hibari's tonfa, and falls back.

I get off the couch, folding the blanket properly and excusing myself. "Thanks for the hospitality." I say softly, ducking away from the battle and heading to the door.

And I barely heard Tsuna yell "I'M NOT DONE YET!" behind the door.

Okay, the Reception Room's gonna blow up anytime. I'mma run.