Chapter Text
The second set of stairs did not break away, thankfully. Takeshi wasn’t sure what he would have done if it did. Nothing, probably he thought with a wince to his health bar. Bakudera was right to be cautious in the mansion.
Not that it wasn’t fun to rile the boy up anyway.
“Where to now?” Takeshi asked as they came to the second floor landing. To the left, there was a small sitting area by the railed balcony of the landing. The left was just a long hallway that stretched towards the ballroom. The area was pitch black and uninviting.
Ahead there was another long hallway, this one still lit, if dimly, and only had one chandelier. So at the very least, Takeshi would only need to dodge one, instead of multiple ones like he had to downstairs. Tsuna very deliberately put Takeshi and Bakudera in between himself and the dark corridor.
Tsuna was weird. He seemed like a cowardly kid that jumped at his own shadows. In fact, he was that. Takeshi saw the boy scare himself twice that way when they were traveling to the mansion. The sight conflicted with what Takeshi remembered from that night at the sushi bar.
Tsuna went out of his way to confront, and reassure, Takeshi. That was out of character of him based not only on the rumors said about him at school but also on what Takeshi’s seen for himself.
Yet, Takeshi could admit that he could see hints of that confidence in Tsuna at times. When they needed to take on a large pack of monsters, Tsuna was good at setting out ideas of how to get past them. Or, when Bakudera took charge of the strategy, he was really good at playing his part in the fight.
Tsuna was also very perceptive. Takeshi knew this from their conversation at the bar, but that insight was also carried into the game. Whenever they had a quest that had more of a mystery genre or a twist to it, Tsuna was always the first to catch on. He was also really good at finding hidden items and weaknesses in enemy monsters.
The boy didn’t realize this talent, evident by his surprised squawk when both Bakudera and Takeshi were staring at him.
“Why are you looking at me?” He asked nervously. Beads of sweat began to roll down Tsuna’s face as the boys continued to stare him down. Things like that always amazed Takeshi. The fact that the game did everything in its power to make things so realistic that it would include sweat .
“You’re the best at finding things!” Takeshi said with a laugh. Next to him, Bakudera gritted his teeth but didn’t refute the answer. Tsuna, for his part, looked more horrified.
“I - I don’t know where the necklace is!” He exclaimed. Bakudera sighed heavily and stomped forward to the hall in front of them.
“This is the path that’s lit.” He grumbled. Takeshi hummed and glanced back to the dark hallway again.
“What if there are hidden items in the other one?” He asked curiously. Bakudera’s shoulders hitched up and he whirled to face Takeshi with a snarl. He looked so much like a hissing cat that Takeshi kind of wanted to laugh. So he did.
“If you want to go down the creepy hallway, go ahead!” Bakudera growled harshly. “And stop laughing!” He added for good measure. Takeshi cleared his throat and tucked the chuckles away. He should give the other boy a break. He did fall down a hole today.
The boys slowly made their way down the hallway. The lights didn’t shatter and hit them. So already it was a plus from downstairs. The walls and floor were blackened and covered with soot and ash. They had to walk carefully because the floor looked like it was ready to give out at any second.
“The fire’s starting point is somewhere close.” Bakudera said in a quiet voice. He was studying the damage with a critical eye and a twisted mouth. At one point he paused and leaned in to smell the wall itself.
“Bakudera what are you doing?” Tsuna hissed in fear. Takeshi watched, fascinated, as Bakudera peeled off the soot wall and licked it.
Tsuna’s friends were strange.
“An accelerant was used.” Bakudera announced after dropping the wall piece and spitting on the ground. “It’s not gas, but something close. There were also traces of alcohol mixed in.” Takeshi let out a low whistle at the news.
“That’s cool you could figure all that out so easily.” He praised. Bakudera sent Takeshi a glare, but the blush marring his cheeks negated its effect.
“I’m a demolitions expert. It was easy.” Takeshi nodded as if that was perfectly normal. Which it might be, for Bakudera. He wasn’t fully Japanese, that much anyone could tell. From his facial features to the multiple times he cursed in Italian, native-born Bakudera was not. For all Takeshi knew, wherever Bakudera was from it was normal to know that kind of information.
“Is that common in accidental fires?” Tsuna asked with a frown. Takeshi recognized the frown. It was the ‘ something is weird and I’m figuring out why that is ’ frown. Honestly, it was a good sign to see, this far into the haunted mansion. Bakudera said that the sooner they solved the mystery of the place, the quicker they could get out.
“No,” Bakudera said firmly. “You’d find it in arson cases or,” Bakudera paused this time, looking to the two others hesitantly. He eyed Takeshi in particular, oddly enough. “In insurance scams and homicides.”
Now it was Takeshi’s turn to frown. That didn’t sound good. Objectively he knew that the ending to the mystery wasn’t a good one, but that was different than seeing it. Tsuna full on flinched at the implications of what had happened.
“Saa,” Takeshi sighed. “That’s why this place is haunted. The spirits are upset.” That’s what happened in the movies, right? Takeshi didn’t watch too many of them. He was too busy at the shop or practicing baseball. “So if we find out who started the fire, we can get the necklace and leave.”
Takeshi looked to Bakudera at this to confirm. Bakudera regarded him with narrowed eyes for a beat. He seemed to be judging Takeshi or was looking for something. Whatever it was, he must have found it because he gave Takeshi a sharp nod.
“If we’re following the classic horror tropes, yes.” He agreed.
“I think I know who did it.” Tsuna said hushedly. Takeshi looked back at the boy and was surprised to see how pale he was. Tsuna was looking ahead, but his eyes weren’t focused. Like he was remembering something.
“That man in the owl mask.” Oh. Oh. So he was the bad guy after all. Bakudera frowned in confusion.
“Owl mask?” He asked. Before Tsuna or Takeshi could answer, the lights in the hallway began to shatter behind them. One by one the lights broke, heading straight for the trio. They didn’t have time to try and solve the mystery just yet. The boys ran down the hall to the closest door.
“It won’t open!” Tsuna cried, scrambling at the blacked door that refused to budge. Takeshi looked back at the lights. They were still breaking, coming down the hall at a brisk pace. Also, flickering in the darkness that was created by the lights, was the form of the ghost woman from the first floor.
“We need to keep running!” Takeshi suggested, grabbing Tsuna’s tunic and dragging him away from the door. The hall turned to the right, where one more door was left. It was open, luckily. Bakudera summoned his bow and shot an arrow behind them, only he aimed for the chandelier. The light structure fell to the ground with a loud crash. Takeshi didn’t know if it would stop the ghost, but he sure hoped it did.
The boys dived into the open room and shut the door. It looked like a large child’s room. Charred toys were scattered around the floor and the walls looked to have been once a soft shade of purple before the fire. There were two beds, both broken down and burnt, sheets ripped and eaten away by moths. On the ceiling, a small apparatus hung that looked to be a mini version of Aincrad - it reminded Takeshi of those solar system models you would hang in a kid’s room.
“What now?” Tsuna asked in between gasps of air. Running long distances really wasn’t his forte. Bakudera glanced around the room with a scowl as he noticed the small beds and toys. Did he not like kids? Or was it just spooky horror film kids he didn’t like?
“There has to be something in the room we have to see.” Bakudera decided after a moment of silence. “Otherwise the game wouldn’t have pushed us to come here.” That made sense, though Takeshi had no idea what would be important here.
They all inspected the room carefully, trying to trigger the next event. Takeshi found a bunch of paper drawings. They were done with charcoal pencils and were obviously made by the kids that lived here. He looked through them curiously. Most of the drawings were normal, of animals and other childish imaginations.
But the last one caught his eye. It depicted a family. A woman with long yellow hair and a dress stood on a grass hill and beside her were two stick-figured children. Next to them was a stick-figured man, likely the father. Behind the group were two other figures. Another male and female, both looking similar to the ones in the foreground.
He tried to puzzle out who the remaining two were, but was coming up blank. Maybe they weren’t part of the family at all? The kid could have just drawn it as a practice for the mother and father stick figures. Though, now that Takeshi thought about it he had never heard of a kid practicing drawing.
“Wait, I think I found something.” Takeshi turned at Bakudera’s voice. He was staring at one of the beds with narrowed eyes. Following his gaze revealed a charred teddy bear that was innocently resting on the bed’s surface.
“What is it?” Tsuna asked. He and Takeshi walked over to the bed and stood beside Bakudera. The silver haired teen scowled at the bear aggressively.
“I saw that in the cellar. It was with the kid’s bones.” Takeshi and Tsuna both flinched at the words. Kid’s bones ? Takeshi wasn’t expecting anything like that. It was one thing to just say a family had perished in the fire. It was totally different to show it in such detail.
“I thought this game had a C rating!” Tsuna exclaimed. Takeshi didn’t know of the game’s rating, but this was by far more than what he expected from it. He remembered seeing small kids on the opening day. What if one of them had stumbled on this - if SAO had been a regular game?
Of course, that was on the assumption that SAO wasn’t always meant to be a death game.
“It doesn’t matter now.” Bakudera muttered. Takeshi silently agreed. Whatever the game was ‘supposed’ to be, they had to face it as it currently was. That meant going through a haunted house with literal skeletons.
Bakudera crouched down to pick up the toy. When his fingers touched the bear, the room rumbled. Bakudera dropped the bear and stood up as the air around them shimmered. This had happened in the ballroom too.
The room was now back in its prime. The wall’s soot and grime were replaced with taped-up drawings made by the children. The miniature Aincrad let off a soft glow on the ceiling as a serene night light. In the beds, two kids slept peacefully.
The door to the room creaked open and two figures stepped inside. They were both dressed in ballgowns and had matching fox masks. Not only did they look exactly the same, but they looked like the girl from before.
One lady took off her mask with a sigh. She had elegant features that made her beautiful. Sharp cheekbones, blue eyes, and bright blonde hair - a classic image of a western noblewoman. She walked over to the bed that the boys were standing by.
“She looks familiar,” Tsuna mumbled, brows furrowed in the woman’s direction. They shuffled out of her way as the lady kneeled by the bed and brushed the boy’s hair softly. The other masked person checked on the little girl but kept their mask on. Takeshi looked between the women and couldn’t decide which one was from the ballroom.
“I’m sorry Kora.” The unmasked woman said quietly, looking up at the other individual with teary eyes. “I can’t do it. I tried to tell James but he won’t believe me.” She stood up and walked to the masked woman, clutching at the other’s hands in desperation.
“You have to understand. I fell in love. I have children . Please understand.” She begged. The masked woman’s mouth pulled into a kind smile and pulled her hands out of the grip and lifted the mask up just as Tsuna made an affirming noise.
“I know, she looks like the farmer’s wife!” Takeshi blinked, and Tsuna was right. The woman did look a lot like the quest giver. So this must be her and her sister! This thought was both confirmed and utterly changed as the remaining mask was removed.
Because the girls looked identical. They weren’t just sisters but were twins. Takeshi shared an incredulous look with the others. While he wasn’t sure where this story was going, this wasn’t expected.
“I understand,” Kora promised. “As long as you’re happy, Lucy. We’ll figure this out together.” This relieved Lucy. She pulled Kora into a deep hug and let out sobs of happy tears. Lucy thanked her sister, over and over until the images of the past faded.
Soon enough, the boys were back in the present. Takeshi glanced at the other two. They looked just as confused as he did. While happy that he wasn’t the only one lost on the mystery, he was hoping someone would have an idea of what was happening.
“She ‘can’t do it’?” Bakudera repeated with a raised brow. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? What, were they conning the husband?” Takeshi shrugged, unsure himself.
“Yes.” Bakudera and Takeshi both turned to Tsuna, who was looking at the spot the girls were. His ‘ solving a mystery ’ frown was back. “James was the man in the owl mask, and they had a plan that involved Lucy. She wants to back out, so she was talking to Kora.”
“She ‘fell in love’, that can only mean the husband.” Bakudera finished in dawning understanding. It made sense. “Kora was fine with it because it’s her sister.” Tsuna nodded, but his frown remained. Takeshi knew why.
“But James wouldn’t be as understanding.” Takeshi guessed. Tsuna and Bakudera nodded mutely. Takeshi blew out a breath and wished to hold a bat in his hands. The feel of the metal under his fingers and leaning against his shoulders would be comforting to him right now.
“There’s only one room left.” Bakudera walked over to the door and leaned his ear against it. “I don’t hear any noises out there.” The quest was almost done. The last room would finish the story and hopefully give them the key to leaving the mansion.
Takeshi summoned his sword, gripping it tightly in his hand, and gave a sharp nod. There might not be anything to physically fight. So far the only things to hurt them were environmental incidents. The ghosts had yet to attack them directly. Despite all that, holding the sword made Takeshi relax.
It wasn’t a bat, but it was as close as it got. If Takeshi gave it time, the sword might become a good replacement. His dad always said that he had the build of a swordsman.
As they quietly left the room and walked through the hall, Tsuna’s stomach knotted. Something was wrong. He could feel it. They were missing something. There was a detail that was missing, some twist that was waiting to smack them in the face. He hated the feeling.
Tsuna couldn’t even say anything because he didn’t have any proof. It was just a feeling in his gut. While Tsuna hated the horror genre with a passion, mysteries were a different story. There was a reason why he fancied being a robot cop when he was a kid, after all.
Mysteries were the one thing that Tsuna was good at. Too good, sometimes. He could guess the killer of a book fairly quickly without meaning to. He was so accurate that he wasn’t allowed to join in with the literature class when they were going over a mystery novel. Which wasn’t often anyway so it wasn’t a problem.
That said, Tsuna was sure that they were missing a clue. Or they’ve been given a clue and just don’t know it. It was bothering him as they crept towards the last room. The hallway was now clear of any ghosts. The chandelier that Bakudera shot down had crashed to the floor, broken into a misshapen form of glass and metal.
The door that was locked before was now wide open. Tsuna hated it.
“We get the locket, then we get out.” Bakudera decided. Tsuna nodded his head rapidly in agreement. Anything to leave the mansion sooner was better. When they got out Tsuna was going to find a way to set up a warning sign for future players.
Bakudera had mentioned that book the beta testers were making. If this quest wasn’t there, Tsuna might try to find a way to have it added in. He’d hate it if anyone else got stuck in the mansion underprepared like them.
“Sounds like a plan!” Takeshi agreed with a grin, the back of his sword swung over his shoulders as if it were a normal bat. Bakudera must have been just as bothered by the quest as Tsuna, given that he didn’t even snap at Takeshi for his relaxed stance.
They slowly walked into the room. It was obviously the master bedroom of the mansion. There was a broken down four-poster bed at the center of the room. On the left side of the wall, a cracked dresser laid in shambles next to a burned vanity table. The right side had a desk that was mostly intact, if missing a leg, and was leaning to the ground.
Behind the bed on the wall was a large oil painting that was torn and burnt beyond recognition. Tsuna was still staring at it as Takeshi took the last step inside, and the door closed behind him. By itself. The mansion rumbled and the air shimmered until Tsuna blinked and they were in the past again.
It was nighttime, judging from the light on the windows and the candlelight in the room. Lucy was now in a nightgown, the same one that was worn by the ghost that was haunting the halls. The bad feeling in Tsuna’s gut twisted at the similarity.
The man who was wearing the crow mask from the ballroom was at the desk. He took off the mask, revealing a handsome man with dark hair and a kind smile. He was the same man that was in the now fixed oil painting.
The painting showed the family posing for the artist. Lucy and the man were beside each other, her sitting and him behind her with a hand on her shoulder. In her lap was a small boy and standing next to them was a young girl with features that looked shockingly similar to the boy’s. Twins, Tsuna’s mind whispered. Like Lucy and Kora.
“That is the last ball I’m doing for the rest of the season.” The man announced loudly. Lucy chuckled and threw a smile over her shoulder at him.
“Oh really?” She asked. “You say that now, but wait until all those ladies at the courts begin to gossip and your mother demands you do it all over again.” Lucy’s words were teasing, and the man let out a loud sigh.
“That’s not fair.” He pouted. The man’s personality was different than what Tsuna was expecting. He had imagined the man as some stuck up noble who was strict and respectable. But instead, he was this kind man who was bantering with his wife and acting childish.
Tsuna had a feeling he knew why Lucy fell in love.
“It’s not my fault she doesn’t like you being married to a farmer’s daughter.” Lucy shrugged without repent. The man rolled his eyes and walked over to his wife and gave her a hug from behind.
“Mother,” He said. “Is a fool. I love you, and no one else. You hold the key to my heart and treasures right here.” He tapped a large golden locket that rested on Lucy’s chest. Tsuna hadn’t noticed it before. It must be the one they were looking for.
Lucy opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by a knocking sound. She and her husband turned as the door opened without their permission. Standing there was the man with the owl mask. His smile was crooked and dark.
Lucy stumbled out of her chair in shock, while her husband stood in front of her protectively. His mouth opened and words were spoken, but the sound was gone. Everything was silent as the scene played out. Somehow, without the creepy environmental music in the background and the voices, this was scarier.
A silent nightmare, that the three teenagers were forced to watch.
Lucy was crying, calling out to the owl mask. The husband was holding up his hands but was also edging to the other side of the room where his sword was resting. The masked man pulled out a bag from behind the door and tossed it into the room.
The contents spilled out and Bakudera let out a curse upon seeing them.
“Fire crystals.” He spat. The masked man then revealed one more surprise. A lantern with a fresh lit flame. He grinned darkly at Lucy, eyes crazed.
“If I can’t have you, no one can.” His line was the only audio that was heard before he threw the lantern into the room. The husband turned, jumping onto Lucy in a failed attempt to protect her. The room went up in a flash of fire and burned so bright that it blinded Tsuna.
When he could see again, they were in the present. Floating in the room were three ghosts. The woman, and her children. Her hair was still dark and inky, though now Tsuna could see that it was from spectral soot and ash, and it wasn’t her natural color.
Around them, ethereal flames were still present. They were warm to the touch, but they weren’t harming them. The woman looked away from them and stared at where the vanity was, red eyes somber and pained.
Yamamoto was the one to break himself out of his frozen state and walked over to the vanity. He brushed through the debris for a moment before lifting out a gold necklace. It was the locket. He stood up and opened it, revealing a finely crafted compass, and on the inside of the lid of the locket was a small miniature picture of the oil painting from long ago.
When the locket opened, the ghosts all glowed and the woman now looked as she did when she was alive. Her hair was bright and luminescent in the dark room, and she was smiling. The kids no longer had red eyes, and their pale complexions were gone.
“ Thank you. ” The woman said before she and her kids vanished. The only thing that could be heard after that was the wind that was whistling against the mansion walls. Tsuna swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and brushed away the tears that had formed.
“There’s more.” Bakudera had moved away, face pinched in a way that made Tsuna ached. Bakudera was holding back his own tears at the emotional ending of the quest. He was now by the desk, rummaging through one of the drawers.
“I found some journals.” He announced in a choked voice. “They’re burnt up, but I think there are some pages that can be recovered.” Bakudera pocketed the books and looked to Tsuna and Yamamoto expectantly.
The boys left the room after that, not needing or wanting to look for anything else. As they stepped out of the room, the mansion shook once more. Only this time, it didn’t stop shaking. Tsuna yelped as a piece of the ceiling crashed down.
“LUCY!” A deep and guttural voice echoed throughout the mansion. It came from everywhere at once, shaking the walls and floors with its anger. “WHERE ARE YOU, LUCY?”
“James.” Tsuna breathed, staring at his friends in horror. “James died as well, so his ghost is still here.” And now that they freed the others, James was angry .
The boys didn’t need to say anything at the revelation. They all knew what the next step needed to be. They ran down the hall, dodging falling debris and heading straight for the doors. Bakudera jumped over the balcony itself, turning his fall into a roll before continuing on to the exit. Yamamoto slid down the banister, hopping it at a safe distance to the floor.
Tsuna took the stairs, untrusting of taking any shortcuts. It didn’t lose him too much time, given that his speed wasn’t terrible. He reached the doors just as Yamamoto did, helping him and Bakudera push at the rotted wood.
The door was opening, but it was slow and it was hard. More crashing could be heard in the house as James tried to bring the mansion down on them. The man’s ghostly screams could be heard roaring as black flames erupted out of the floor and began to eat away at the surroundings.
“Got it!” Yamamoto shouted suddenly, as the door cracked just enough to slip through. “Go!” Tsuna didn’t need to be told twice. The boys all scrambled out of the house and ran through the yard and out of the fence.
They didn’t stop running until almost hitting the edge of the Dark Forest. Tsuna collapsed onto the ground wheezing. In the distance, the mansion crumbled to the ground in a mess of black flames and rumbling quakes.
It was an intimidating sight. Tsuna made a note to never come to the area again, just to avoid the chance of James remembering him. It was unlikely but Tsuna wasn’t going to take any chances. His luck was terrible and there was no need to tempt it.
“We still have to return the locket to the Farmer’s Wife.” Yamamoto pointed out after a beat, his own chest rising up in down in exertion. They ran a long way to avoid getting caught up in the ghost’s wrath.
Bakudera was hunched over his knees, gasping for air. He threw a blind punch at Yamamoto, who dodged it. “Shut up.” He gasped lowly. Tsuna rolled his body over to stare at the blue sky. It was clear, and the sun was bright on his face.
It was a lovely feeling after being trapped in the mansion.
“Can we agree to not do that quest again?” Tsuna asked. Thankfully, the other two agreed to the plea. Tsuna let himself breathe easier after that. Tsuna would then blame the endorphin rush from that relief on his next actions.
“I know our current system is working, but I really don’t like doing quests over and over again.” Tsuna explained while sending out party requests to Yamamoto and Bakudera. “Can we just form a party to split the loot and be done with it?” This way, if they went through a similar quest in the future, everyone can still get loot and EXP without having to redo the quest.
“Sure.” Bakudera grumbled, accepting the request. He straightened and cracked his neck while pulling out the map to mark out their path back to town. Yamamoto accepted his own request with a grin.
“Sounds like a great idea!” Yamamoto agreed cheerily. How he was able to go back to his normal self after going through that ordeal, Tsuna would never know. Maybe it was just Yamamoto’s own personal talent.
They hurried back towards Medai. They were able to get back to the farmer’s house right before noon. The farmer’s wife was in her house, cooking lunch as her son played outside. When they entered, she turned to them in surprise.
Her hair was cut short now, in a hairstyle like Nana’s. Crow's feet lined her eyes and wrinkles aged her face, but she was exactly who Tsuna thought she was. He paused in the doorway, as Bakudera and Yamamoto walked further in.
“You’re Lucy.” Tsuna said before he could stop himself. Bakudera and Yamamoto halted at the words. Lucy visibly startled and jerked backward into her sink. Tsuna gave her a sad smile, eyeing the scar on her neck that had tipped him.
It was a small clue, but he had noticed it in the kids’ room. Lucy and Kora had looked exactly the same except for one small detail. Lucy had a small scar on her neck that curled just under her jawbone. It was faint from age, but he could still see it clearly. When he saw the final scene in the master bedroom, he wasn’t sure if he was right when the apparition didn’t have the scar.
But now that he’s seeing it on the living sister, he knew.
“The plan was that Kora would pose as me, and leave with the necklace that night.” Lucy began to explain. “Darron always said it was the key to his treasure, and it was worth more than enough in gold alone. It should have been enough for Kora and James to leave with a profit. I didn’t want anything but to stay with my family.” But James didn’t just want the money, he loved Lucy and couldn’t bear to let her be with another man.
Lucy explained how she had watched the fire in horror from the crowds. She spoke of her grief when she was told there were no survivors. Her children had left their beds in the night and snuck into the winery to play, only to get trapped when the fire had blazed down there.
“I couldn’t tell the truth. It would get me arrested or killed. So I took on Kora’s name and moved on.” Lucy finished, brushing away the tears that had been spilling down her cheeks during the conversation. “When I heard you were helping the people of the town, I thought that you might be able to get my locket back.” She turned to Yamamoto, who was the one who started the quest.
He pulled out the locket and held it out to Lucy. She took it gingerly, running a finger over the top with an inhaled sob. She opened the locket and stared at the picture that was inside of it. She carefully took the picture out and held it to her chest before handing the locket back to Yamamoto.
“Keep it.” She insisted. “I just wanted the picture, so that I could honor their memory.” Yamamoto took the locket back, looking uncomfortable. An icon appeared over his head, indicating that the quest was complete.
The boys quickly fled the house and went into the town square. They were quiet, each in their own thoughts. Tsuna didn’t blame them. This quest was more than what they had bargained for. Not only that, but Lucy, the NPC, had more life in her story than what Tsuna had thought was possible.
It seemed so real.
“It’s a game.” Yamamoto said suddenly. They were nearing a cafe in the market. A couple of players were there, eating cake and dressed in light armor. Tsuna looked to Yamamoto in question as he stepped ahead of the group and gave them a reassuring smile.
“It’s just a game.” He repeated, this time more firmly. His smile was fixed, but it wasn’t holding the same kind of sadness that Tsuna had remembered from the sushi bar. Next to Tsuna, Bakudera let out a snort and rolled his eyes.
“Of course it is. Idiot.” Yamamoto chuckled at the insult and suggested they go try out the cafe. Tsuna let himself get led with a relieved smile. Even if they were just trying to convince themselves of the lie, at least they could rely on each other if things got too serious.