Chapter 47 – Getting to Know Each Other Again (Part 2)
Novel Title: 跨越千万星辰 (Across Thousands of Stars)
Author：御小凡 (Yu Xiaofan)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 泽田纲吉 (Sawada Tsunayoshi -MC), 六道骸 (Rokudo Mukuro -ML)
*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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After returning home, the two of them each went about their tasks – one cleaning the room while the other preparing the meal. Despite his appearance as a nobleman, Mukuro seemed quite familiar with household chores. He placed his coat on the sofa outside, wearing only a deep V-neck long-sleeved shirt, which made him appear even leaner. He carried a blanket to the balcony, spreading it out over the railing to air it.
Tsuna took the remaining cherry tomatoes from the refrigerator, placing them in a basin under the tap to wash. The red fruits tumbled around under the force of the water, looking quite charming. As he washed, Tsuna picked one up and popped it into his mouth. He knew Mukuro didn’t like eating them. But if he didn’t eat them soon, they’d lose their freshness.
Speaking of which, he wondered if Mukuro’s taste had changed during his time away.
“Hatred remains hatred,” when the two of them were eating together, Tsuna brought up this topic to Mukuro, who voluntarily picked up half a tomato, “But occasionally, it’s tolerable.”
He cast a disdainful glance at the tomato.
For some reason, seeing him eat the tomato made Tsuna want to laugh. It seemed like watching a cat that always needed its fur smoothed down. “Seems like going places for a while does have its benefits. Oh, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“When you mentioned Millefiore… Do you still have connections with Ken and the others?” After the impact, many things became clearer. Tsuna didn’t mean to pry, as this was Mukuro’s own circle of friends. However, he was genuinely curious, “You know about Dokuro, right?”
“Ah,” Mukuro answered, “Ken and the others are working at Estraneo. Dokuro has maintained contact with us. Since she wanted to pursue this path, helping her out a bit is not a bad idea.”
He paused for a moment before continuing, “Many of Estraneo’s core members are from Kokuyo Middle High.”
Tsuna asked with a smile, “Are you planning to turn Estraneo into a school reunion?”
“You know that quite a few children from the research institute ended up at Kokuyo Middle High. There are only a few like Dokuro. It would be troublesome if we don’t keep an eye on these raggedy bunch of guys.”
Due to exposure to various experimental drugs from a young age, their bodies exhibited different levels of mutation. Some mutations enhanced intellectual abilities, while others directly led to death. Even Mukuro’s overly intelligent mind and peculiar physical abilities might be attributed to these experiments.
However, what united them was their underlying mental anomalies. As adults, most of them struggled with social adaptation.
Despite Mukuro’s apparent disdain, actions often spoke louder than words. Tsuna considerately chose not to debunk his contradictory statement.
This child also has a hidden tender side, huh…
“So, this time you’re back in Japan to develop something here? Is it a subsidiary?”
Mukuro made a thoughtful sound before saying, “In my view, I think retirement would be the best way to call it.”
“Retirement?” Tsuna laughed at this amusing word. Looking at Mukuro’s nonchalant expression, he was unable to connect this word to him.
Tsuna himself hadn’t even mentioned retirement for himself yet.
“If you’re planning to stay stationed in Japan, the procedures…” Ignoring his joke-like words, Tsuna earnestly suggested. But he saw Mukuro gesturing to stop him.
While rubbing his right temple, he spoke, looking rather troubled, “You don’t need to worry about this. Isn’t Vongola already enough for you to concern yourself with?”
Tsuna wisely held back his words. Since Mukuro had his own plans, he didn’t intend to comment further on his choice. After finishing dinner together, they cleaned up the table just like they used to do many years ago. Tsuna went to take a shower first. By the time Mukuro used the bathroom, he had prepared the other bedroom for him.
Everything seemed unchanged. The atmosphere in the air was like a long, deep breath – quiet, stable, and filled with reassuring elements.
Tsuna blow-dried his hair and got ready for bed. Meanwhile, Mukuro maintained his usual habit of sitting on the living room sofa, one leg crossed, working on his laptop. The only addition was a pair of radiation-blocking glasses perched on his nose. When he raised his head to look at Tsuna approaching, the glasses slid slightly down his nose, giving him a homely appearance, “What’s up?”
“Aren’t you going to sleep?”
Didn’t this guy have to adjust to the time difference?
“Hmm, this website can only be accessed for these two hours.”
“Oh…” Tsuna yawned casually, his gaze briefly wandering over something at a USB slot on the laptop that resembled a flash drive, “Then I’ll go to bed first.”
“Tsuna.”
Mukuro called out his name and then propped himself up on the back of the sofa, sitting upright. He planted an unexpected kiss on Tsuna’s cheek, who had lowered his head.
It was just a brief touch. A fleeting moment. In that instant, Tsuna caught a whiff of the faint, clear scent of wood emanating from Mukuro’s body. He couldn’t quite describe the exact aroma. But it reminded him of the thick greenery beneath heavy mist.
Then he heard Mukuro bid him goodnight. His gaze was sincere and his smile was affectionate. The sensation of that light kiss felt vivid once again.
For a moment, he suddenly felt that there had indeed been subtle changes, after all.
The next morning, when Tsuna got up, breakfast was already prepared. As he stepped out of the bedroom wearing his slippers, he was greeted by a rich aroma of food in the air.
For a moment, he was lost in thought, only to remember that he wasn’t living alone in this house anymore.
Mukuro was spreading peanut butter on toast using the back of a knife. Next to him were jars of cherry jam and strawberry jam, with their lids already open. Instead of milk, there was a glass of orange juice that had been heated in the microwave. Tsuna sat down and took the strawberry jam to spread on his toast. “Why are you up so early?”
“Aren’t you going to work?”
Tsuna’s hand, which was spreading jam, paused. He then asked with a hint of suspicion, “What’s with me going to work?”
Casually licking the peanut butter off his thumb, Mukuro made a sound of confirmation. His beautifully arched eyebrows lifted slightly as he added, “Well, your driving skills are nothing to brag about anyway.”
Tsuna couldn’t argue against being called a bad driver. That was the truth. But for Mukuro to say he was free and had nothing to do was simply a joke. Considering Tsuna’s workload, how could Mukuro, who had responsibilities within a company as well, claim to be free?
Tsuna felt a twinge of jealousy.
When they reached the company, Mukuro didn’t hand over the car keys to Tsuna. With a teasing tone, he said, “You’d have trouble parking, wouldn’t you?”
After a moment of hesitation, Tsuna retorted, “If you need to use the car, you’re paying for the gas.”
“Sure thing,” Mukuro brushed aside the hair that was covering his eyes and then leaned against the car window, waving with a smile, “See you after work.”
Tsuna couldn’t fathom how this guy managed to be so carefree, even making time to act as his chauffeur. Was their company’s management style different? Perhaps he should take a leaf out of their book…
But today brought some good news. The board of directors had finally conceded and acknowledged Tsunayoshi Sawada’s promotion. He could now officially start transitioning his responsibilities. He also needed to prepare for his return to Italy, as it didn’t seem right for the CEO himself to be absent from the headquarters.
Thinking about it was giving him a headache. Despite having spent four years studying abroad in Italy, Tsuna still felt an irreplaceable sense of belonging in Japan. Moreover, Mukuro had only just arrived in Japan.
Would they have to part ways again?
Regardless of the nature of their relationship, Tsuna enjoyed being around Mukuro. It was a comfort born from long-term companionship, built upon unspoken understanding and trust. Many times, they could sense each other’s emotions even without words.
Suddenly, Tsuna seemed to understand Mukuro’s words.
Perhaps, apart from this ‘special someone’, there was no one else. What he could offer was something that no one else could give to him.
Lost in his thoughts, Tsuna’s gaze drifted forward, and his focus blurred. Sinking into memories was a curious thing – even though he knew they had been abstracted and reshaped, turned into something elusive, he still believed that the beauty in them was genuine, perhaps unnoticed back then.
When he snapped out of his reminiscence, he wasn’t entirely sure what he had been thinking. His pen twirled an unsteady circle between his fingers and he absentmindedly made random dots on the paper. He found himself chuckling at his behaviour and then, with a movement of the mouse, he brought his computer out of screensaver mode and began organising some files. He then printed out materials using office equipment.
Conveniently, there was still about half of the process left for this product rollout. The gradual handing over his work would be a smooth transition. Within the entire department, Tsuna had no doubt about Shoichi’s abilities. So, during a video conference, he confidently mentioned Shoichi’s name. However, this would have to wait until Shoichi had passed the probationary period.
It probably wouldn’t be long. If Tsuna hadn’t intervened, Shoichi might have taken up the position when Uni left.
At that moment, Mukuro called, “Is it almost time to leave work?”
Tsuna glanced at the time – it had reached this point already. “I’m not sure. I still have some things to take care of.”
“I see…” The voice on the other end of the line grew dimmer. While Tsuna knew there was an element of pretence in Mukuro’s words, he still felt a slight pang of guilt.
He was really losing to him.
Why is it that even after so long, playing the pity card never gets old? But then again, Tsuna thought to himself, he was also partly responsible for being defenceless against this move. “Alright, I got it. Where are you right now?”
“I’m in your underground parking lot.”
“I’ve shut down my computer,” Tsuna picked up his briefcase, “I’m on my way.”
Perhaps this was the difference – if it were someone else, Tsuna would likely choose to wait at the company’s entrance or at a street corner. But when it came to Mukuro, he would accommodate and adjust without hesitation. It wasn’t about being willing or unwilling. It just came naturally.
This probably went beyond habit and had become instinctual.
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*Author’s Note: It seems like this fanfiction will be completed within this week. You can start the countdown XD. -YXF
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☝🏻Fanart of MukuroXTsuna
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