Troublesome Student

Reborn was NOT expecting this as one week into the residence alone, he knew this, will be his new student who will be difficult.

She was too gloomy.

Her bedroom color, decor, choice of fashion with color to match, are all dang gloomy. The only source of light, were the nightlights, all of which are a comfortable level of yellow-orange.

Her mother was worried about her behavior which was a drastic change.

She used to be a cheerful girl close to her parents for seven years, then when she wasn't good in school to the point of getting bullied, she changed her personality that she rejected people, and her bullies now victims when she finally retaliated from the bullying, sending them with worse injuries than hers. She was left alone since and retreated to her room, quitting public school, enrolled online and hardly talks anymore that Nana felt she's the only one in the house and 'having a ghost for a houseguest' she wondered where her little jewel had gone, replacing her with a STRANGER.

Nana BEGGED him for help which was why she was quick to send him a reply.

Indeed, Ruri no longer talked.

Looked at anyone and anything with apathy and indifference. Ideas to go out are met with disdain or disgust.

Her eyes do the talking for her.

The bullying probably broke her into rejecting anyone and anything he was wondering how will he bring Gokudera Hayato into the fold...

He came up with a farce eventually.

'...so that is the problem with the successor?' Gokudera Hayato mused as Reborn told him what to expect.

'Yes. This, is bad.' said Reborn. 'Maman doesn't know what happened in her first semester in Grade One beyond getting bullied.' he said. 'Something else should have caused such a drastic change. Since its impossible to put you in school with her as planned, I'll have to make you stay with the Sawadas as a Homestay Guest but you'll have to attend an actual public school. Your job is to find more potential famiglia members for the family. Some people with personalities to reach out to her and teach her that not everyone outside her home will hurt her. At home, try to reach out to her as well.'

'She already is told about circumstances but she just thinks I'm telling her nonsense.' Reborn grunted. 'I can't even shoot her with a Dying Will Bullet or she'll die for real since she doesn't care about anything beyond eating, sleeping and computers. She ignores me we're getting nowhere.'

'She can afford to ignore you?!' Gokudera squawked.

'I tried everything. Believe me. But when I unplugged her computer once...' Reborn twitched. 'She grabbed me and threw me out the window.'

The boy's jaws dropped.

'She forgot it was closed, so I bashed my body against glass. She throws hard.'

'No touching her computer, I get it.' Gokudera shivered. She just defenestrated Reborn just for unplugging her computer!

If that's her angry...

'But still...there's no way maman would pay for what she's got.' said Reborn. 'She has state-of-the-art Supercomputer with hardware and software to match. And what she does with it all is unknown, nevermind how she got it. Computers isn't my specialty beyond security hacking.'

'Did maman say anything?'

'No...other than computers, she somehow purchased an already-paid Treadmill and Elliptical Trainer. At least she exercises...'

So Gokudera got an in as a Homestay Guest.

'Ruri-chan! We have a homestay guest at least come down to meet him!' Nana called out.

'...will she?' Reborn wondered. 'She never leaves that room unless its to exercise and a bath.'

Nana was fretful and hopeful...

The door opened.

Gokudera was nervous as he'd see his future boss in person as Reborn didn't give a photo.

She has very long, milk-chocolate hair, as a result of years of not going out but has bangs covering the middle of her forehead just up to the tip of her eyebrows. Her hair was a lighter shade than her mother's who has natural brown hair.

Gokudera felt that had she worn a white dress, he'd mistake her for a ghost. Her hair that was up to her knees draped around her and in one of her hands, is a scrunchie.

She has pale skin from years of NOT going out. She wore a black leotard with orange tights with yellow leg warmers and white running shoes and due to her exercise preference, has really toned, shapely legs and arms.

Her expression was as expected, apathetic.

She simply came down to exercise and that was it!

'Uhm, I'm Gokudera Hayato, nice to meet you.' said Gokudera Hayato nervously. 'I'm a homestay guest from Italy.'

She looked at him...and merely nodded slowly before going for the treadmill.

'...quiet...' he croaked out.

'...sorry about her Gokudera-kun, she hasn't talked in years.' Nana sighed. 'Papa and I are worried...he was wondering if we'll be OK when he left last year for work...everything...we tried everything. Sometimes I wonder if on the way home from school, an alien replaced her.'

'What of her computers?' Reborn asked.

'That? It came out of the blue!' Nana exclaimed. 'Strangely, all paid for and papa swore the money all that cost would cost him a lifetime's worth of his salary yet its all paid and clear...we don't know how she did it...we tried asking but she hasn't said a word. She set everything up and next thing we know she used it all like she was used to it and her hands are fast in typing...papa once brought a colleague just to figure out what she's doing because she was so unresponsive...'

'What's she doing?' Gokudera asked her.

'She was trying to create a program but because at the time it was just started, he had no idea. We have no idea what program she was making either.' Nana shook her head.

That certainly explained why she defenestrated Reborn. He interrupted an important project.

'And her idea of birthday gifts? She dumps 100 million yen on both of us and holiday package for two people and they're honeymoon packages!'

'HUH?!'

'And for the life of me I have no idea how she gets that money...papa had his friend look into it again...and she was doing Stock Trading...and she causes tons of companies to put a lot of money that she somehow wins! She has tons of clients, one of whom is papa's own boss,' Reborn and Gokudera gaped at her. '-the grandpa who came here when she was seven but the thing was, she was using another identity. She gains billions of dollars in money for her clients and in turn she gets paid...and she uses much of what she earns for that mysterious project of hers.' said Nana helplessly. 'She wants nothing to do with the world outside our house we don't know what to do...I was hoping she'd be interested in a good-looking boy but...'

Gokudera's efforts began. He studied computers from Reborn just so she would let them in into her closed heart. He studied her equipment using the internet.

At school, because its his mission to find more people to be her subordinates as she can't have just one(him), he wondered who to bring home, some of them just don't feel mafia...sheesh...

When he showed his knowledge, she allowed him in her room.

But...he found two dangerous guys...he was no idiot, they were latent killers and has yet to awaken as one. One of them was sociable too, the other was a nutjob. Thus that guy sorta became his friend in school since its impossible to talk to Juudaime anyway...trauma caused her to become mute while struggling on something...whatever it was.

Come summer however...

'Ruri.' Reborn spoke during dinner. 'We're going to the beach this summer.' he said. 'Its a mandatory outing.'

Her response was CREEPY that made Nana and Gokudera flinch. Reborn hid his reaction but he was just as disturbed. The way she stared at him was something Onryo would do in J-Horror. She's clearly not happy with the idea.

'Its not for fun but training. Granted, you run on a treadmill indoors and using the Elliptical Trainer. You are to run laps on sand to train your body as nobody runs on straight roads forever. There will come a time you will be forced to run on soft ground.' he said. 'Try it as a challenge. You're already breaking records on your machines after all.'

Indeed.

Her Treadmill on max settings. Her trainer set to max resistance. Gokudera who has poor stamina has taken to using it as well with permission, working to max out his stats too.

Her stare changed.

She looked thoughtful...

Before nodding.

'Finally, out of the house for once...' Nana sighed in relief.

'Well, we got her to go out at least.' said Gokudera sheepishly. 'Even if its just for exercising...I'll invite that guy along.'

xxx

TakeSushi...

'A beach outing with your homestay family? Sure! I'm coming along!' Yamamoto Takeshi beamed as he was helping out waitering. 'What're they like?'

'Mama's nice but kinda troubled...but she's doing her best.' said Gokudera awkwardly. 'Her daughter Ruri-san became a recluse from bullying and hated going out...her education is through Online Correspondence.' he said. 'She was also traumatically-mute we did everything but all we got after months was to get her to agree to go to the beach with us to get her to like the outside world again. Not all people are bad after all.'

'Yeah, we gotta show her that, huh?' Yamamoto looked thoughtful. 'Not all kids are mean jerks. Look at us, we aren't!' he turned to his dad. 'Dad, its a whole summer stay at the beach, can I go?'

'Eh? Sure Take-chan! Haya-chan needs your help after all to get his lady host to go out again.' said Mr. Yamamoto. 'She just saw the bad side of kids, she should see the good side too. Its too early to give up on humanity through schoolyard bullying y'know.'

'Thanks!'

xxx

And so...

'Wow...so we get to have fun eh?' Yamamoto asked Gokudera.

'I wish its fun. Ruri-san looks like she's ready to hit the gym than swim.' Gokudera pointed at Ruri who wore a full-body suit and a cap complete with veils that covered the side of her face.

'And most girls wanted a tan, she clearly doesn't.' Yamamoto sweatdropped. Both boys stared with flyaway hairs. 'Er, what's she doing?'

'Our Home Tutor suggested she get used to running on soft ground as nobody runs on straight concrete forever.' said Gokudera. 'She's already in max settings on her Treadmill and other running machine back home you wouldn't believe how fast she can run...now, the whole summer is dedicated to running in the sand!'

'Heee...that's one stamina training...it looks too harsh.' said Yamamoto. 'Tripping and sinking aside, we might step on food too.'

'Food?'

'Hamaguri and Asari clams.'

'Geh?!'