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Not a Fool

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He wasn't as dumb as they said he was.

He wasn't as slow either.

Or forgetful.

Clumsy, yes. But Sawada Tsunayoshi was not an idiot.

They would do well to remember that.

He was turning five this year. Mommy told him that, so he knew it was true.

After all, Mommy was always right.

After he turned five, then he would turn six and he'd have to use both hands to count his age out to Yano-sensei.

That would show all of the other kids how cool he was.

Four-year-old Sawada Tsunayoshi was in preschool and he was simple. He was potty trained - a prerequisite for the school (not like he knew was prerequisite meant) - just like all of the other students. He liked recess just like all of the other students.

When it was time for recess, one of the greatest times of the day, young Tsunayoshi would stand up from his seat, brush the pencil shavings from his overalls, wipe at his face (occasionally smearing peanut butter from snacktime or paint from art) and he would go outside. He would move away from all of the other students - they all flocked towards the swingset - and he would sit in the sandbox and draw pictures with a stick.

His sand-pictures were crude like any other preschoolers would be - Sawada Tsunayoshi was not above-average in any way. They were usually quite plain and simple - just like Tsunayoshi himself - often just rubbings in the dirt of smiles and stars. But they were charming in any way that a four-year-old child's artwork would be.

Yano-sensei was not a bad preschool teacher. She sang songs loudly to them, lead nursery rhymes and never forgot which children were allergic to peanuts and which children were lactose-intolerant. She knew that children tended to group up and stick together in their early years.

So the distant Sawada Tsunayoshi was quite concerning to her.

"Tsunayoshi-kun." she made her way over to his designated sandbox one afternoon, in an attempt to get the boy to make friends. "What are you doing?" she looked sideways at the sand and blinked. Was that... a rainbow?

"I'm making pictures, Yano-sensei." he replied in that quiet way of his. He didn't pause for a second, using the stick to draw a curve. "It's the slide."

Yano couldn't see how the rainbow was supposed to be a slide, but she nodded. "It's quite good, Tsunayoshi-kun. Do you want to go play with the other kids?"

"No thanks, Yano-sensei." he glanced up at the pretty woman, with a soft smile. "I'm okay."

And she believed him.

Yano stood up and brushed off her skirt, patting Sawada Tsunayoshi gently on the head. "I have to go see Eichiru-sensei, Tsunayoshi-kun. If you need anything, come find me, okay?"

He nodded. "Thank you."

"Oh, and I checked the birthday calendar today." she winked at him, reaching into her coat pocket and pulling out a piece of wrapped candy. "It's October 13th! Happy Birthday, Tsunayoshi-kun~!"

Tsunayoshi took the candy obediently, his small smile brightening. Candy does wonders with children. "Thanks, Yano-sensei!"

The woman nodded once, before turning to head back into the schoolhouse, her skirt swishing with her. Sawada Tsunayoshi would be going places in the future, with that bright smile alone.

He was going to be such a ladykiller when he got older.

Ryota Teshi scowled from across the playground.

That weird Sawada kid was talking to Yano-sensei.

Yeah, Sawada was weird alright. He never spoke during class and at recess, instead of playing on the swings like everyone normal, he would go to that empty sandbox on the edge of the lot and just play with a stick.

The boy was absolutely insane.

And Yano-sensei thought he was just the bees' knees. Teshi wasn't sure what Yano-sensei saw in Sawada - I mean, Teshi was the real star. He was brilliant in all classes and could run 100 meters faster than everyone!

(Well, maybe everyone except that Yamamoto kid. But Teshi was secretly convinced that Yamamoto was a milk-loving alien.)

Yano-sensei must have been confused or something. Sawada didn't deserve her attention - no, Sawada didn't deserve anyone's attention. Teshi was the only person that people had to pay attention to.

Sawada was nothing.

"Tsuna-kun!"

Tsuna blinked, zoning back in. He was drawing a picture of a octopus swimming through the ocean, into the sandbox. Yesterday hadn't been his birthday - his real birthday was October 14th. Mommy had accidentally written the wrong date on the school papers, but Tsuna didn't want to correct poor Yano-sensei after she came all the way outside with candy.

So he had taken the candy, even though he was still four-years-old.

Scandalous.

Tsuna looked around, focusing in on Ryota Teshi. Teshi was one of the really cool kids who played on the swings during recess. Tsuna had never talked to him - on the first day of preschool, Teshi had dumped chocolate milk all over Tsuna's new shirt - which had obviously left less than grand memories.

"Teshi-kun." Tsuna offered a wane smile. Maybe Teshi was coming back to dump more chocolate milk on his shirt.

"Want to come play with me and Kyoko-chan on the swingset?" Teshi's grin grew. "We're playing who-can-jump-off-the-furthest!"

Tsuna hesitated, eyes flickering back to the picture of the octopus. He didn't want to leave the work unfinished... but he might get the chance to play with Sasagawa Kyoko.

Kyoko was the best singer in the entire class and had an older brother in elementary school, which was like grounds for popularity.

Who-Can-Jump-Off-The-Furthest was a common playground game that 26-year-old Yano had seen hundreds of times. It was just like it sounds - children would swing as high as they could before leaping off. Whoever was the furthest distance from the swingset would be the winner.

Yano seldom watched the students play outside - she always brought a few papers to grade with her, to keep her occupied - but something (or someone) about this game caught her attention.

Sawada Tsunayoshi was playing with the other students.

A smile began to grow on her face - he was finally socializing with others! - when she stiffened.

Something was wrong with this scene. What is it?

Tsunayoshi clambered up onto the swingset, while Ryota Teshi, Sasagawa Kyoko, Kurokawa Hana and the other students stood by. Kyoko and Hana were cheering, politely. Teshi bore a large white grin on his face.

Tsuna began to swing on the swnig - just like any other student.

Kyoko and Hana took a few steps back, as not to get in his way.

Teshi did not move; the white grin on his face seemingly permanent.

Yano dropped the papers from her hands, making her way across the playground as quickly as she could without running.

"Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!" the children chanted.

Tsunayoshi looked nervous. He had never played this game before - he didn't know when to jump off of the swing. In search of a friend, on the upswing of his final round, he met eyes with Ryota Teshi.

Yano cursed silently under her breath, kicking off heels, ignoring protocol and sprinted across the lot. I'm not going to make it.

Teshi waited. And waited. "Now, Sawada!" he finally shouted, the ferocity of his voice practically knocking Tsunayoshi from his perch.

Yano wasn't fast enough. Young Sawada Tsunayoshi, who had jumped at all the wrong timing, landed on his leg at an angle that couldn't be possible.

And there was a crack.

And then came the tears.

And then came the laughter.

Yano-sensei's eyes were closed, the back of her head resting gently against the whitewashed wall of the hospital emergency room.

Sawada Nana had shown up a few minutes ago, completely distressed. She was still on the phone with her very concerned husband, who kept asking odd questions - "What was the name of the boy that suggested him to do this? Can you have the teacher describe him in full detail? Do you know his mother or father? What are their names? Where do they live?" - but Yano had dealt with odd parents before.

She dismissed it as a recess accident and "No, Sawada-san, I am forbidden from releasing that information to you."

Young Sawada Tsunayoshi had only suffered a broken leg, which was a major relief to Nana and Yano. It could have been his neck or something else, after all.

Nana went in to see the boy first, half-sobbing, but exited the room quite serious-faced. "He wants to see you." she said quietly.

Yano did not say anything to the woman, silently standing and passing her.

All was well.

Sawada handed her a piece of wrapped candy. Yano stared at it. "Tsunayoshi-kun, what's this-?"

"It's the candy you gave me yesterday." he said, seriously. "Today is my actual birthday, not yesterday."

Yano frowned - the records had been wrong? "But why are you giving it back?"

"God knows." the five-year-old said, grimly. "He knew that I lied about my actual birthday, so he made me fall from the swingset. He knows."

"Oh, Tsunayoshi-kun." Yano laughed, eyes closing. When she reopened them, she was unsurprised to see them wet. "God didn't make you fall from the swingset. He would never hurt you, dear. It was that rotten brat Ryota Teshi. He made you fall like the little snot he is."

Tsuna sniffed. "Mommy said you got kicked out of your job."

Yano paused, before continuing. "That's true."

"Why?"

"I slapped Ryota Teshi square across the face." the woman said firmly. "And I do not regret my decision. I will have to go to a court case about mistreatment of children later this week. I'm only here because your daddy pulled some strings."

Tsuna took the candy from her hands. "Then can I still have it?"

Yano laughed. "Of course, Tsunayoshi-kun. Don't be a fool."

Happy birthday, Sawada Tsunayoshi!