Chapter 13 - Freedom from the Past

She knew without a doubt that he would find him there, same place and same time as last year.

He was standing in front of an abandoned house with tears threatening to fall from his eyes, just like the autumn leaves about to fallout from the yellow trees on the sidewalk.

Kyoko clutched her dress to her bosom as an indescribable pain welled up in her chest.

A year had already passed, many things had already changed, everyone had already moved on yet his feelings still remained the same.

Finally noticing her presence, Tsuna turned to look at her, but seeing the expression on his face only crushed her heart even more.

He gazed at her the same way as he did when she found him there a year ago, with a look of disappointment, but at least he was trying to conceal it this time.

He didn't even need to say a word.

His melancholic brown eyes were enough to tell her that he was hoping to see someone else - someone who had left and hurt him but he still desperately wanted back in his life.

"I was just going for a morning walk," Tsuna explained unconvincingly as he rubbed the back of his neck, "It's not like I intentionally came here."

"Seems like it." She smiled innocently, tilting her head, "I guess a sleepy young man like you who gets up late from bed everyday could coincidently wake up early at this certain day of the year, and unconsciously find your way here."

Streaks of pink washed over the brunette's cheeks.

"You miss her, don't you?" She swore she could almost hear him say 'very much' with the way he slowly averted his sad eyes from her but he would never admit it, "Well, I do too."

They didn't say anything for a while and just let the seconds pass by, as the sun rose up to the sky, shining warmth upon their faces.

"To tell you the truth, I actually knew she was going to leave me after that night," The young Vongola blurted out of the blue, as he stared longingly at his ex-lover's window from the second floor. "I told her 'let's go home' but she replied hesitantly if we could just spend the night here. It was then I realized that she didn't have any plans of coming back... That it was my last chance to make her stay."

Kyoko's cherry lips parted in surprise. She didn't expect Tsuna to open up so suddenly after keeping his feelings to himself all this time.

"Thinking about it now, I wonder if I did the right thing back then. Maybe I shouldn't have let her go, but I also couldn't stop her from leaving, not when I know I'm the cause of her pain," The young Vongola sighed, covering the upper half of his face with his palm. "I was never really a good partner to her to begin with. All those years we've been together, I made her feel she was never enough. I thought I've changed over the years but I guess I'm still no good Tsuna. She deserved so much better."

"That's not true," Kyoko shrieked, clenching her fist, "There's no way Haru-chan will ever regret being with you, Tsuna-kun, not when the happiest she has ever been was when she was with you."

Tsuna's widened eyes met with Kyoko's. He didn't expect her to get so worked up when he was merely stating the truth. He gave her a small apologetic smile before he replied, "Well, she did say I made her happy but even I know that I made her cry a lot more than I made her smile."

Clutching her chest, Kyoko felt as if her heart was being stabbed by daggers. Even if she tried to ignore it, she really couldn't help but think it would have been better if he could just condemn her rather than hate himself.

"Blaming yourself over what happened - that's the last thing Haru-chan would have wanted, you know. If anything, her only wish was for you to live on, guilt-free after all that mess, Tsuna-kun."

"But that's exactly why I can't..." Tsuna paused, realizing that Kyoko was already on the verge of tears,"Sorry, I think we should head back."

Kyoko nodded, but her feet didn't move an inch as she watched Tsuna's back slowly moving farther and farther away from her.

'So it's been a year, huh?' She turned her gaze at her best friend's house, as the memories of last November suddenly flashed back in her mind.

.

.

~ x ~

"Ne, Kyoko-chan? This is Haru. Sorry for calling you all of a sudden but can you come over to my house right now?"

"Did something happen?"

"Actually, I'm leaving..."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Kyoko-chan, will you please stay by Tsuna's side?"

"W-what are you saying?"

"Sorry, but I don't really have the time to explain it right now. Just promise me you'll be there when he wakes up, okay?"

"Wait, Haru-chan, where are you even going? ne - "

.

*Beep, Beep.*

.

With no room for second thoughts, Kyoko bolted out of the Vongola yacht, pacing through the Namimori port.

Hana will surely scold her again for being such a crazy idiot but her legs couldn't stop from moving.

Catching her breath, she hailed a taxi as soon as she reached the main street.

After arriving to her destination half an hour later, she slowly passed through the gates of the Miura residence and climbed up the stairs to Haru's bedroom.

As she stood in front of the wooden door, Kyoko suddenly felt her knees weakening, knowing that Tsuna was on the other side.

Then finally, it dawned on her.

What was she even doing there in the first place?

She waited for him all night but he didn't come.

She already knew his answer.

She already decided to give up

So why did she rush over to him?

What was she expecting?

.

.

.

Kyoko took a deep breath.

Still…

She had to say it.

She really wanted to say it.

There was nothing to hold her back this time.

It was now or never.

Kyoko turned the silver knob to open the door, grasping firmly as if she was holding on to her lifeline.

Her heart was thumping so fast, she didn't know if it was because of the creaking sound of the door or the thudding steps from the young Vongola when he jumped out of bed.

It was literally the slowest three seconds of her life.

And then finally, they came face to face.

"Haru?!"

The sound of her own heart shattering to million pieces momentarily deafened her hearing, and seeing the betrayed look in his dried out eyes only made her feel even worse.

"So it was you, Kyoko-chan?"

It was only for a split second but Kyoko bit her lips before she mustered up a smile for him.

Tsuna sank back to the bed weakly, and Kyoko moved her feet to approach him when she noticed a crumpled paper and a diamond ring scattered on the floor.

Feeling ashamed, she lost all the courage she previously had as she let herself fall down on bended knees.

How could she rush over to Tsuna, only thinking about her own feelings, when he was literally broken and dying in the inside after Haru had just left him?

Lost for words, tears suddenly trickled down her cheeks.

~ x ~

.

.

"Kyoko-chan, is something wrong?" Tsuna called out when he caught her staring blankly at the Miura House.

When she turned to face him, she found him standing next to her.

"Are you crying for me again just like that time?"

Without thinking, he cupped her reddened cheeks and softly brushed the tiny droplets of clear salty liquid, ruining her angelic face.

"You don't have to feel bad for me, Kyoko-chan. You know exactly why I'm acting a little bit out of the ordinary today but believe me, I'm okay now."

She grabbed his wrists and lowered his arms. What hurts the most was those tears weren't even for him and he hadn't got a clue.

"It's nothing, really…I just remembered something." She smiled as genuinely as she could, reassuring him that she was fine.

"You know, I used to sleepover here a lot when Haru-chan and I were younger… Do you know what teenage girls normally talk about during slumber parties?"

'Crushes, right?' was the first thing that came to Tsuna's mind but he wouldn't dare say it out loud so he blurted out something more subtle instead, "Secrets?"

"That's right." She moved slightly away, facing back the facade of the two-story house, so he could not see the expression in her face. "Haru-chan and I, we had a lot of things in common – we like doing the same things, we enjoy eating the same food – that's why we instantly clicked together. During our sleepovers, we shared a lot of secrets between us - in fact, she used to talk a great deal about you, her knight in shining armor, and how she's going to be your future wife."

Kyoko chuckled slightly and Tsuna couldn't have felt more embarrassed, as he recalled how uncool he actually was back in the day.

"Haru-chan has always been assertive and straightforward. I wish I could've been like her. She never hid anything from me but I missed to reciprocate her sincerity by not telling her what really matters to me the most."

Tsuna gulped, he may be a little dense but he's not dumb. Despite having a hunch on what she was referring to, he had to push the thought at the back of his mind.

"I'm sure you have your own reasons, Kyoko-chan. Whatever it was, you probably didn't say anything so she wouldn't get hurt..."

"Kindness, huh?" Her fragile fingers clenched on the hem of her pastel green skirt. "You think so nicely of me, Tsuna-kun..."

"Because that's just how you are."

Kyoko felt butterflies swarming in her stomach. It was calming to know that Tsuna saw her as a kind and caring girl, but if she could turn back time, she wished she were a little bit more selfish instead.

If only she had been honest from the beginning then maybe this would not have dragged on for so long. To her, it's not just a year that has passed. It's been a decade.

"To tell you the truth, I never intended to hide it... I was just waiting for the perfect chance but I always got the worst timing..."

Kyoko's face suddenly turned pale as memories of lost opportunities flashed before her sunset coloured eyes.

Time and time and again, she would tell herself that maybe things did not happen the way she wanted to because they were not yet ready or perhaps, it was not yet the right time. But after realizing how much time was lost and how many chances had slipped away, Kyoko finally understood there's no such thing as perfect timing. There is only the present moment, and taking action despite knowing the odds is what makes it perfect.

"Ne, Tsuna-kun, my deepest secret, would you mind if I share it with you?"

The young Vongola opened his mouth but no words came out.

Sensing the hesitance in his brown eyes, Kyoko inhaled sharply then she bit her lower lip. "No, actually, I want you to listen."

Tsuna straightened himself as she stood face to face with the woman who finally had the courage he never had. He had envisioned this in his head countless times since he was a middle schooler but he would've never guessed that when this moment finally came, the roles would be reversed.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi-kun, I... I have always been in love with you."

*CRACK!*

"Hahi!" Haru yelped. With her doe like eyes widened and beads of sweat on her forehead, her facial expression was literally screaming that this was bad news!

She was just wiping the kitchen countertop when an antique japanese tea cup suddenly fell from the overhead cupboard. But it was not just any other tea cup. It was Hibari's favorite, the one he had always been using after taking breakfast and before going to bed.

"Hibari-kun will surely bite me to death when he finds out! What should I do?"

*CLICK!*

The sound of the key turning the front door lock gave her goosebumps as if she was watching a horror flick.

"Is he an esper?!" She immediately got rid of the evidence, leaving no trace of shard, before the skylark reached the dining area of their two-bedroom flat.

"Welcome Home, Hiba-" She stopped when she was greeted by an unusual sight of Hibari - messy black hair, loosened up neck tie, rolled up sleeves and black coat hanging on his shoulders. "It's so rare to see you come home looking grungy. It's as if I'm looking at Hibari-kun from 10 years ago but taller. Did you get into a fight?"

"Hn." His raven eyes narrowed sharply, as he whispered under his breath, "Next time, I'll bite you to death."

'Hahi! Was he referring to me? Am I busted?' A cold shiver ran down through her spine. The brown haired woman contemplated if it would be better if she confessed now before it's too late when her attention was grabbed by a fancy white box, "Could that be for me? You've grown soft, Hibari-kun. How thoughtful of you..."

"It's from Dokuro Chrome."

"Chrome-chan? They're here in Brazil too?"

He nodded, handing over the present to the elated young woman.

"What a coincidence! Last year, didn't we also receive a birthday cake from Ryohei-san when he had gone to work with Varia in Italy. We always cross paths with someone we know wherever we go, it's a small world after all…"

She put the medium white box on the table and carefully opened it, unveiling a white chiffon cake with pink cherry blossom jelly on top. "Wow~! A sakura cake!"

"You looked overly excited for someone who had stopped eating cakes a year and a half ago."

Caught by surprise, Haru pressed her lips together for a brief moment.

"But the cake design is so kawaii desu!" She took out a smartphone from her pocket to take pictures of the exquisite dessert. "Besides, it's the first week of May and they don't have cherry blossoms here on the other side of the world. Don't you feel nostalgic?"

"I don't." He retorted.

"Sorry, I almost forgot." She giggled, amused with the angry expression evident on his face. "I guess Mukuro-san got you this time. Should I make some tea to calm you down?"

Haru went around the kitchen countertop to get a couple of teacups but as soon as she touched the overheard cupboard, her fingers suddenly froze.

"Since it's our birthday week, to celebrate, shall we drink beer instead?"

"No, I don't drink."

"How about a glass of tropical juice? Isn't the weather too warm?"

"I don't like sweets."

"I guess water would be more refreshing and healthier, eh?"

"What did you do?"

"Nothing desu."

"Confess now or I'll - "

" I'm sorry! I didn't mean to break it. I swear it just fell on its own. Please don't bite Haru to death."

With her eyes closed, Haru nervously waited for the skylark's metal tonfas to collide with her puffy head but much to her surprise, she only felt a light thin object tap against her forehead.

Hibari didn't say or do anything after that so she opened one of her eyes to take a peak if he was still wearing a glaring expression, but a rose gold lace envelope wrapped in a silver ribbon greeted her instead.

"Take it."

"This is…" She slowly untied the glimmering silver bow, unfolded the envelop and pulled out the card in gray script writing. "It's about time, huh?"

"You don't really have to go if you're not yet ready."

"No, it's a special occasion after all. Let's go home."

A/N: Hi, it's been a while. I'm so sorry this took forever. :( I thought I wouldn't ever upload again but this story means so much to me, I want to be able to give it a proper ending one day. Although everyone may may have already moved on from KHR, updates may be slow but I'll try my best.

Shout out to Hatake Kaisa, YukiHaruHinataHermioneMalfoy, Cassandra0114, Cassey, Guest, Fairwater, Madam3Mayh3m, Lovelyneechan, chikikuto, Fly, FaerieBlast, Ichiru no Are, killuva, Lalellele, summer-162, , otakugirl, KimilyaTaru, Angelacorus, KeiZiahKnight.1886, CandyCutie09, Gohanya, .FlAmEz11, zhaneee, DarkinocensDLT. Sorry if I missed anyone who left a comment last chapter. But thank you for all for making the effort to express your feedback. I appreciate them from the bottom of my heart, guys. T.T I read them again from time to time and it keeps me going. :P

Thank you also to the readers for coming this far :D Bless you all. Know that I'm as heartbroken as all of you. Hibari or Tsuna? I just love them both, okay? :(

Apologies for the Kyoko POV. I know that's not what you came for. Haha!:D Just sharing but it was sort of based on a personal experience of mine - being an unable to express your feelings to someone you liked for a long time. T.T We all need that closure and freedom, right?

Good luck everyone and hope you're all doing okay! :)