Chapter 14 – High School
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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“There’s a phone call—” Mukuro was lying on the armrest of the sofa to surf the Internet as he yelled. He then stretched out his hand to take the mobile phone on the coffee table. The name displayed on it was – Fujiwara Yuuki.
It took a second for him to remember who this guy was. Tsuna had mentioned him before. But for those who call Tsuna during his personal time, especially when Tsuna is spending time with him, Mukuro doesn’t like it.
He suddenly had a disturbing thought. Wouldn’t it be great if Tsuna’s handphone could answer only his calls.
Tsuna, who was taking a shower in the bathroom, replied vaguely, “Who is it?”
Mukuro didn’t answer. He stuffed the phone under the sofa cushion and the noisy ringtone toned down a lot. It seemed like there were still a few rings. But Mukuro didn’t even pay any attention to it.
Because he was rushing to get the phone call, Tsuna didn’t even blow his hair. He put a towel around his neck and rubbed his hair with his hands through the towel as he walked out to the living room. He looked at the glass coffee table and then lowered his head to search around on the sofa. The water dripping from the ends of his hair left wet drops on the sofa fabric, “Hey, where is my phone?”
Mukuro stared at the screen of the TV and casually tore apart the sofa cushion diagonally in front of him. Just in time, the phone rang again. Tsuna picked it up to see that it was a colleague from Team 3.
“Good evening.” Tsuna sat down on the sofa while talking to Fujiwara. Mukuro was next to him. Usually, as colleagues, the two of them communicated a lot and they were very kind to others. As a senior, it is really possible for them to think highly of each other.
“Oh, I know that place.” The other party mentioned the name of an izakaya. Tsuna knew that it was on the Namimori Commercial Street. The last time he went to eat there with Mukuro, he had passed by the izakaya. From the way it is designed, he guessed that it is a relatively good shop.
He suddenly felt the towel around his neck was pulled away. The skin of the body that has just taken a shower is very sensitive and can detect the different temperatures from the people behind it.
His hair was wiped off of the excessive moisture little by little by the person behind him. He knew who it was without even looking. Tsuna was on the phone so he leaned back a little to accommodate Mukuro’s movements, “Huh, right now?”
Mukuro’s hand paused as he heard him.
“I can’t make it. Haha.” Tsuna glanced at the time. It was almost 10 o’clock. Usually, he never goes out at this time. He is a homebody as he was already used to staying at home at night for a long time. “Well, I have taken a shower. Maybe next time. Thank you~”
The corner of Mukuro’s mouth curled up. He continued to help wiping Tsuna’s hair carefully in a happy mood. Tsuna, who had just taken a bath, exuded the scent of strawberries. It turned out that they had always used the mint flavour. But when he went shopping that day, he felt that the rabbit logo on this brand reminded him of Tsuna so he bought it by accident.
He didn’t expect the scent to be so suitable for him.
Tsuna had already hung up the phone and was fully enjoying the comfort of being wiped by Mukuro. Mukuro, who was kneeling upright behind him, lowered his head unconsciously. He got so close to Tsuna that he almost clung to him. The faint strawberry fragrance seemed to surround him.
The feeling of anxiety that is familiar yet also unfamiliar began to crept up in him again.
“Ah, there’s something we should discuss!” Tsuna raised his head suddenly. Mukuro didn’t expect such a sudden move as he was looking at him from such a low position. Tsuna’s eyes were wide open so defenselessly that the boy couldn’t escape but to look straight in.
So cute.
The first impression that Mukuro had of this unexpected staring was these words. Those eyes, which had been reddened by the heat, hadn’t returned to their original shape yet. They caught him a little off guard.
His heart was pounding loudly in his chest.
Out of impulse, Mukuro pulled down the towel rudely and covered Tsuna’s face with it.
“Hey?! What are you doing?!” Tsuna was stunned for a moment. He then inexplicably pulled the towel off of his face and frowned at Mukuro.
“It slipped from my hand.” Mukuro answered calmly as he relaxed his leg muscles. He bent one leg and sat back, resting his elbows on his raised knees and then resting his chin on it as he looked to the side.
…Your hand slipped to this point? What the hell is going on? Tsuna wondered.
The corners of Tsuna’s mouth twitched. But he decided not to argue with him in such a weird place. He instead talked about important matters, “You’re going to go to high school soon. Have you decided which high school to go to?”
“Huh?” As if he had never thought about this question before, Mukuro just turned his gaze back at him. He raised an eyebrow in a little surprise, “What’s there to think about? Doesn’t Kokuyo also have a high school?”
“Are you really planning to continue studying at Kokuyo?” Tsuna disapproved in his tone. At the beginning, he had no choice but to let him study at Kokuyo. But he didn’t plan for him to go to Kokuyo High School because he thought that Mukuro could not keep up with studying at the junior high school and made the safest arrangement for him. But now, judging from the report cards given to him by Mukuro every time, he deserved to go to a better private high school.
“Kokuyo is pretty good. I’m used to it anyway.” Mukuro shrugged. Studying in Kokuyo Junior High is nothing special. If it wasn’t for Tsuna who likes to read those full-score report cards, he wouldn’t bother to take any exam at all.
Kokuyo isn’t great. But it’s more interesting than other schools.
His casual attitude made Tsuna a little annoyed so he raised his voice and said, “I hope you can think more of your own future. I’m not prejudiced against Kokuyo, but it is a bit…”
“Aren’t that already prejudiced?” Mukuro dropped his hand where he had rested his chin before and smiled slightly. He leaned to the side and then leaned on the back of the sofa. He relaxed his whole body and mind, “Kokuyo is not as bad as you think. I don’t want to re-adapt to a new environment.”
He also saw that Tsuna was really angry. But Mukuro was very happy to see him this way. He cares about him and that is why he would worry about his future.
“I have thought about it carefully.” In order to appease Tsuna, he pretended to be serious and said seriously, “Although I have never said it. In fact, every time I get to a new environment, I will spend a very long time trying to adapt. This is very detrimental to my study and life.”
“Is that so?” Tsuna stuttered in surprise. How come he didn’t know that Mukuro had such a problem? When he first came to his home, he was very calm. It was completely impossible to see that he was struggling to adapt…
Eh, that’s not right. Maybe it was just that the kid wasn’t good at expressing his worry at that time? Tsuna wondered.
“The vast majority of the students in our class will be going to Kokuyo High School, including Ken and Chikusa.” Mukuro said seriously.
Tsuna didn’t really want Mukuro to go to some top high school and then take the elite route. It never occurred to him to influence the child’s life.
He just hoped that Mukuro could face his future seriously.
Since it is his own life, no one else will be responsible for it but you yourself. Only after you have thought about it seriously will you be able to go on with dignity.
“Well, if this is really what you want.” Tsuna sighed. Although his hair was still drooping because it was semi-wet, it seemed to be half sluggish against his whole temperament.
This made Mukuro feel very uncomfortable. He thought about changing to another school just to make him happy. But Tsuna had already got up and walked back to the bathroom to dry his hair.
In this way, the issue of Mukuro’s admission to high school was determined. In the spring of the second year, he successfully entered Kokuyo High School. Tsuna went to attend his graduation ceremony from his junior high school. The school was as messy as he thought. But perhaps it was because the graduation was coming, the students were full of energy and warmth. They all still looked like decent school students.
Ken and Chikusa specially came over to say hello to him. Their attitudes were completely different from when they met for the first time. Ken bowed down 90 degrees to him. It surprised Tsuna. And knowing that these two people had the same experience as Mukuro, he no longer cared about their bad boy temperament.
In addition, he met the guardians of the two at the same time. The two couples are ordinary couples but they don’t like to talk very much. They also appeared not to care too much about Ken and Chikusa.
Tsuna turned around and told Mukuro that he should bring the two of them home to hang out when he had time. Mukuro felt rather awkward but he understood why Tsuna did this.
To be honest, along with a feeling of sympathy, he was also happy about it. He was even proud.
You see, the man I got was so different from the parents you got.
Mukuro, who entered high school, was still the same as he was in junior high school. He went home on time every day to cook. And his exam results were still pleasing to the eye. Tsuna gradually relaxed. And the most important point is that the current high school class teacher, Takahiro Hirano, will call regularly to briefly communicate with Tsuna about the child’s situation. He seems to be much more responsible and reliable than the junior high school class teacher.
He now feels that Mukuro’s previous reasons are absolutely true and not just some nonsense.
As for himself, there is another job change.
“You mean, I was promoted as the head of the team?” It wasn’t the first time he had this kind of experience. But the last time, the boss, Iemitsu, told him in person. So back then, his heart was not so nervous as it was today.
Tsuna asked Uni cautiously, “Why is that?”
When she didn’t see the expected happiness from Tsuna, Uni felt a little strange. She pondered for a while and looked straight at Tsuna, “This is what I judged based on your previous performance. Although there are other people who have worked longer than you, they are far less sensitive to the market than you.”
“But…” Tsuna considered how to use the wording. But Uni had already helped him to take the words, “Maybe it will be difficult to convince the others for a while. But what I believe in is your potential. Not the current you. You can only go up from here. I ask you to believe in yourself.”
The female voice is very soft. It was as if the petals were blooming when she spoke. The tone was sonorous and affirmative.
Tsuna didn’t speak. He was a little happy in his heart if this was from the affirmation of others. Then, it’ll also be the affirmation of himself, “But you…”
That’s right, their previous team leader was Uni. He is taking Uni’s position. So where will Uni be transferred to?
“Huh?” Uni smiled softly and swept away the firm temperament of the strong woman she portrayed just now, “I haven’t had time to announce yet. But I have been promoted to vice director and the transfer time should be the same as yours.”
After being startled, Tsuna finally regained his senses, “Congratulations!”
Immediately, there was a strong sense of admiration. It was really amazing to be promoted to the position of vice director of the marketing department at such a young age. And her immediate boss would be Kyoya Hibari, right? From this point of view, it’s really amazing…
“It’s all good then.” Uni clapped her hands and extended an invitation to Tsuna with a smile, “Since both of us have been promoted, why don’t we take this opportunity to get a meal together with our colleagues from Team 3?”
“Huh?!” Tsuna wanted to refuse subconsciously. But immediately realised that this was different from the usual gatherings. This time, he was invited by the former head of the team and will soon be the deputy director. It was with colleagues in the same team. It is impossible for him to be absent when he is about to be promoted as head of the team.
That would be rude.
He opened his mouth and returned a polite smile, “That’s a good idea.”
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*Author’s Note: [This is the question and answer time]
Author: May I ask why the attitudes of the two of you toward Mr. Sawada have changed so much?
Chikusa: That is because Mr. Sawada is very important to Mukuro-sama.
Ken: It’s because Tsunayoshi Sawada is… um… um…
Author: Why are you thinking so much? Please take it easy and don’t think of being modest with your answers. Just express your thoughts directly.
Ken: Um. It’s because Tsunayoshi Sawada belongs to Mukuro-sama… He is his Mrs.?
Author: …Sometimes I really can’t directly understand your way of thinking…
-YXF
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*GLOSSARY:
- Izakaya = a type of Japanese bar in which a variety of small, typically inexpensive, dishes and snacks are served to accompany the alcoholic drinks.
Next update: 2023.07.10
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