Chapter 54 Junior High School Buttons
Hinata's departure was a foregone conclusion. Irie Shoichi was also upset after receiving the news, and Sawada Tsunayoshi noticed that he hadn't been in a good mental state for several days.
One day, when the two were alone together, Irie even asked Tsunayoshi,
"I hope Xiaogang won't suddenly move away like Xiaoxiang did?"
Sawada Tsunayoshi thought to himself that there wasn't much difference, and his family didn't seem like the type to move because of a job transfer.
"No, Xiao Zheng, don't you know our family's situation?"
Irie seemed to realize he was being too sentimental, but he still muttered a few words to himself.
"After all, Xiaogang's father has always lived in another country. If Xiaogang moves, wouldn't it be difficult for us to even see each other?"
Tsuna's pupils widened. "You might as well imagine a relative suddenly appearing out of nowhere and taking us away. That would be more reliable than my dad."
Shoichi Irie couldn't help but laugh. "If that's really the case, Tsuna, you must never forget me."
"Wow, Xiao Zheng, you're clearly the best, okay? I'm still waiting to get your first autograph after you become a great musician."
"This fantasy is incredibly far-fetched. Forget about the great musician; I can give you the autograph later."
During graduation season, cherry blossoms bloomed on both sides of the road. Sawada Tsunayoshi walked under the trees, and the pale pink petals danced like snowflakes. The feeling of parting, which he had never experienced before, enveloped them like drowning at this moment.
"Well then, I'm going home now!"
Tsuna jogged a few steps and reached the fork in the road first. He turned around and waved to Irie Shoichi.
Three years of companionship have made the little amber in front of him much more lively, with a bright smile on her face.
Irie gazed into the boy's overly bright eyes. The training had also significantly improved his height, and his gradually developing facial features were becoming more defined.
He couldn't help but think of the foreign man in the family photo of Tsunayoshi; the fact that his friend was of mixed race always reminded him of this unintentionally.
Not receiving a response from Irie, Sawada Tsunayoshi stopped what he was doing in confusion. A gust of wind blew by, ruffling his slightly long hair, and cherry blossoms fluttered down, mixing into Tsunayoshi's thick hair.
Irie Shoichi's face was expressionless; he wore a helpless smile and reached out to pluck the few petals.
Without answering Sawada Tsunayoshi's question, he brought up something else.
"Isn't Tsuna's hair a bit too long?" Irie asked, lifting a strand of Tsuna's hair.
"Let's get our hair cut in the next few days. Our bangs are too long and they're blocking our vision."
Sawada Tsunayoshi nodded and readily agreed, as he always listened to his friend in such matters.
Watching Tsuna carefully avoid the petals on the ground and skip away until his figure gradually disappeared, Irie Shoichi took out the few petals, held them in his palm, and silently looked at them for a long time.
He cherished the fallen petals, and the gentle and thoughtful boy was also cherished by others.
If only we could stay together forever. Irie Shoichi didn't clench his fist, but let the petals stay quietly in his palm.
Until the cherry blossoms also enveloped him.
At the end of the road, Sawada Tsunayoshi suddenly rushed back, causing a wave of petals to rise from the ground. Irie was startled and quickly put his hands behind his back, even though he himself didn't know why.
Sawada Tsunayoshi stopped in front of him, panting heavily, one hand on his knee as he bent over, the other hand raised.
There is a button in my palm.
"That's great, Xiao Zheng hasn't left yet."
Shoichi Irie suddenly had a mental breakdown. If it was Tsunayoshi who was panting, then he was genuinely becoming completely incoherent.
"What, what is this!?"
Tsuna lifted his head, his face flushed from running, but to Shoichi Irie, it was a completely different story.
"It's a button from our school uniform. Everyone says they'll give their school uniform buttons to their best friends when they graduate. Even though Xiaozheng and I don't go to the same school, but..."
"but?"
"But Xiaozheng is also a friend I really like."
Sawada Tsunayoshi stood up a little awkwardly. "Other classmates wanted my buttons, but I felt that Sho was more important, so I kept them and didn't give them to them."
Shoichi Irie solemnly unbuttoned his shirt, gripping it tightly, then suddenly remembered something.
"Then why didn't you give it to me on graduation day?"
Sawada Tsunayoshi became even more flustered, "Because I forgot."
Actually, he only thought of this when everyone gathered and discussed who had given their buttons. In other words, it's not too late to give them now, is it?
He raised his eyes to observe Irie Shoichi's expression.
Shoichi Irie suddenly took off his glasses and hugged his friend.
"Tsuna-kun, I like you so much too."
The cherry blossoms on his body drifted down onto Sawada Tsunayoshi once again with his movement, a pale pink, gentle color.
Afterwards, they went to get haircuts with Hinata. After discussing it, they felt that Hinata's eccentric personality required someone to support him. After careful screening, Irie Shoichi discovered that the defense of Chidoriyama School in Miyagi Prefecture was the best the previous year.
He pointed to the newspaper and said,
"In his first year participating in the competition, he was a renowned free agent. Even if Hinata went crazy, someone would protect him."
That's good. Sawada Tsunayoshi cast his vote in support. Hinata looked at the dozen or so messages from Oikawa Tetsu on his phone, thought about it carefully, and realized that if he listened to Oikawa-senpai and went to Kitagawa First Team, he could only be teammates with him for a year. Maybe he wouldn't even be teammates with him because he couldn't start.
His gaze fell on the information about Chidoriyama, he nodded, and then went to find his parents with the information in his arms.
Hmm, being an opponent is a great way to go!
Completely ignoring the fact that he was also a good boy who listened to his friends, he supported his childhood friend's decision in a second.
So when Yamamoto Takeshi saw that Sawada Tsunayoshi was all alone on the first day of school, he was taken aback for a moment. He walked over and sat down next to Tsunayoshi, turning his head to look at him.
"What a coincidence, Tsuna and I were in the same class in junior high school."
Sawada Tsunayoshi was debating whether or not to join the volleyball club, even though he had promised Hinata he wouldn't give up volleyball. Seriously, does he really look like someone who can't play volleyball without Sho?
Well, he was. The thought of going to the volleyball club alone made him feel uneasy. He had only played volleyball with Hinata at the beginning, not to mention that everyone in the volleyball club was a stranger.
Upon hearing Yamamoto Takeshi greet him, his previously conflicted expression relaxed.
"Yes! I saw A-Wu on the list below just now. It's so great to be in the same class as A-Wu!"
Yamamoto Takeshi looked at him and couldn't help but smile. His arm unconsciously draped over Tsunayoshi's shoulder.
"We're really destined to meet! By the way, where's Hinata? Wasn't he assigned to this class?"
Mentioning Hyuga, Tsuna's smile faded, and he looked somewhat dejected.
"Ah, Xiaoxiang transferred schools, so he's not at Namimori Junior High anymore."
"I see," Yamamoto Takeshi sighed, tightening his grip on his arm.
"Will Tsuna still play volleyball in middle school? It must be lonely if he's all alone."
"Huh?" Sawada Tsunayoshi hesitated. "I am considering whether to go or not. Although I promised Sho, I am not the kind of person who is good at integrating into a new group."
"Interpersonal communication sounds so difficult."
He sighed, and Yamamoto Takeshi laughed, "I don't think Tsuna is bad at interpersonal relationships at all. I just find it very comfortable to be around Tsuna."
“Because Takeru is a good person,” Sawada Tsunayoshi replied matter-of-factly.
"Let's not talk about this anymore," Yamamoto Takeshi said, changing the subject that would sadden Sawada Tsunayoshi, and extended an invitation.
"Tsuna, do you want to come to the baseball club with me? It'll be more comfortable to be with someone you know."
Outside the door, the volleyball club president's eyes were bloodshot with rage. Ahhh, that guy who was doing so well in the baseball club during the summer vacation actually came to steal their volleyball club's promising talent!
He had clearly found out before enrolling that the famous volleyball duo from Namimori Elementary School were going to attend Namimori Junior High School, but suddenly one of them transferred out, and now the other is being recruited to the baseball club!?
Sawada Tsunayoshi was also puzzled in the classroom.
"Does A-Wu also find it difficult to integrate into a new group?"
Yamamoto Takeshi's smile remained unchanged, and his tone was unwavering.
"Yes, everyone feels uneasy going to an unfamiliar place."
The volleyball club captain wanted nothing more than to rush out and shout, "Don't be fooled by this heartless baseball player!"
But Tsuna seemed to think it made sense. "It's fine to go with Takeru, but I can't play baseball. Will the baseball team accept me?"
"Of course we can. After all, not everyone is born knowing how to play volleyball, and I can play volleyball too. We can practice together in our free time."
Sawada Tsunayoshi nodded. "Okay."
The volleyball club captain outside the door was completely speechless, while the other freshmen whispered among themselves.
"That must be Sawada Tsunayoshi and Yamamoto Takeshi, who were very famous in elementary school. I didn't expect them to be so close."
"Wow, even though we're both in the sports field, we're completely different types and styles!"
In the classroom, the boy's features were revealed; his temperament was gentle yet firm, and when he smiled, his eyes seemed to hold stars, making him instantly likable.
After school, Sawada Tsunayoshi declined Yamamoto Takeshi's invitation to go home together because he still had to report to Hibari-senpai.
Although Hibari-senpai didn't make many demands, when he exchanged a glance with Kusakabe Tetsuo this morning, he saw the complex emotions in the other's eyes. Very well, if he didn't go to Hibari-senpai, he would definitely be falsely accused and brutally murdered later.
When asked why the biggest delinquent in Namimori needed his underlings to report his movements, Sawada Tsunayoshi shook his head and said goodbye to Yamamoto Takeshi.
Aside from being much quieter, there seemed to be nothing unusual about the junior high school.
However, a week later, Irie Shoichi found him with another piece of bad news.
"Tsuna-kun, I'm planning to go abroad to study in a few days."
"I received an offer from a very good school."
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Author's Note: I've seen many angels worried about the middle school storyline. I won't be writing the Katekyo Hitman Reborn! storyline, but I will write some things to supplement the settings. After all, I've written several guardians as childhood friends, so I need to give them a transition.
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