Chapter 46 – Getting to Know Each Other Again (Part 1)
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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“Although I am the largest shareholder as well, explaining this to the public is quite troublesome. So, for now, I’m letting Lancia cover it up externally.”
Upon meeting Mukuro again, that stiff and aged feeling resurfaced. It left Tsuna shivering, unable to speak. Mukuro kindly asked, “Would you like some water?”
Tsuna gestured for him to remain silent. He turned away and said, “Let me calm down first.”
This matter was truly hard to digest. Estraneo… a company like Estraneo… Mukuro was only 23 years old. How did he manage it?
The development history of Estraneo automatically played in Tsuna’s mind, causing him to involuntarily admire Mukuro, who was ten years younger. Moreover, unlike himself, who had a solid foundation, he had never received any help from Tsuna in his career. In just a few years, he had transformed a gang into such a large company, even bordering on a conglomerate.
“You…” Tsuna chuckled bitterly, “You’re truly amazing. At least more amazing than I am.”
Closely observing Tsuna’s expression, Mukuro perceptively picked up on that peculiar sense of loss. He then put away his relaxed smile and said, “Tsuna, at that time, I didn’t intend to leave.”
“At that time?” Tsuna quickly understood when Mukuro meant—the time when he chose to study abroad.
However, Mukuro asked a question that was completely unrelated, “Have you ever felt that doing something for someone is always worthwhile?”
Tsuna’s heart trembled. He couldn’t help but look into Mukuro’s eyes. The gaze returned by the latter conveyed a strong sense of earnestness.
“Back then, I couldn’t help much. Besides forcibly claiming you, I was ineffective. This idea made me very unwilling.”
“Muku…”
At the time, Tsuna was only concerned with his own feelings and hadn’t considered that Mukuro had carried such thoughts.
“Even though studying abroad might not have changed much, I always felt that by staying by your side, I might have done something even more excessive.”
This person, who could casually chat about the past, exuded a sense of presence even while sitting. This was not only due to his outstanding appearance but also his distinctive demeanour.
This charm was something only a person with enough confidence in themselves and their future could possess. Also, the precocious tendency that had appeared in Rokudo Mukuro when he was in his teens had now been refined into a deep maturity.
Tsuna couldn’t help but scrutinise Mukuro again. His slightly long bangs were parted to the side, casting a faint shadow over his attractive brows.
Despite his masculinity, he could still be described as beautiful.
He couldn’t help but murmur, “Muku, you’ve grown up.”
“Is that so?” Mukuro interlocked his fingers on the table and smiled casually. His well-defined features appeared especially gentle, “Is this how you wished I would turn out?”
In response to this almost tender jest, Tsuna shook his head and looked at him. He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if trying to gaze into something, “I’m very glad you haven’t become a gloomy person and have achieved even more success than an average person. I haven’t assisted you much in the path you’ve chosen. I’m afraid that’s a lifelong regret for me.”
“It’s not like that.”
Mukuro gently interrupted his words and repeated, “It’s not like that.”
They fell silent for a while. But this silence was comforting. It was like an interlude between musical movements or a transition, knowing it hadn’t ended but was meant for reminiscing and preparation.
“Whether it’s you or the things I need to care for, I must have the capability to protect them. I am managing everything I can utilise with this thought in mind.”
These words, similar to a confession, pierced through Tsuna’s chest. It caused a slight tremor.
He had previously pondered about the so-called feelings this child had for him. Perhaps time could erase it, which would be better for everyone. They could still be family or friends. But after five years of separation, Mukuro once again brought up this matter to Tsuna. Yet this time, he wasn’t on the verge of collapse as he had been before.
“I’ve tried. I’ve met many people, regardless of gender, with outstanding appearances or captivating personalities. Their sole commonality in everyone’s eyes is that they’re all exceptional. I tried to associate with them, treating them with the same sentiments as I did for you. But it didn’t work out. It’s just like that.” It sounded like an explanation and a narrative. It could be heard that Mukuro was trying to carefully control his phrasing, seeking the most appropriate expression. “Regarding this matter, I’ve contemplated it for a long time. I probably won’t encounter another person who holds such a life-defining significance to me as you do.”
He paused for the duration of a blink. In his eyes, vast as a night sea, there arose fine waves, “So, rather than saying I want to possess you, it’s more accurate to say I’m afraid of losing you.”
Still so young. Yet already grown to such an extent.
Tsuna didn’t know what to say. In fact, he was also lost in the current atmosphere. This person always seemed to elicit a tender feeling in him. He didn’t know how to guard against it or reject it.
“Muku, I don’t want to brush you off. It’s just that…”
“I understand.” He succinctly ended the atmosphere from before with these words. He shrugged and swayed his glass a bit as he said, “Well, then let’s talk about something definite for now. As long as Estraneo holds the shares and sides with your father, the other members of the board shouldn’t have much to say. You don’t need to worry about that.”
Speaking of such business matters, Tsuna couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, “Actually, you don’t need to do this either. The internal affairs of the Vongola are my responsibility…”
“I know. But you’re my responsibility.” Holding the glass with slender, long fingers, exuding a distinct sense of structure, Mukuro placed the glass back on the table. “Moreover, the strategic plans Estraneo has been working on are analyses of various industries that I’ve been refining for your sake since high school. They may seem naive now, but they turned out unexpectedly effective after being revised. Hm?”
Suddenly, as if feeling uncomfortable, Mukuro furrowed his eyebrow on the right side. He even closed his right eye and rubbed his temple.
“What’s wrong?” Tsuna propped himself up, wanting to check on Mukuro. Mukuro blinked his right eye a few times and clicked his tongue. He then licked his lips, “I think something got in my eye just now. It’s a bit uncomfortable. It’s fine now.”
“Oh… by the way, where will you be staying this time?” He knew the answer in his heart, but Tsuna still symbolically asked. As expected, he received a counter-question: “Where else would you want me to go apart from here?”
All the furniture in Mukuro’s room was already covered with white cloth, just like when he had first entered. “There’s no food left in the fridge. Otherwise, you could tidy up for now. And I could go to the supermarket?”
Pulling the cloth off the desk and tossing it onto the bed, Mukuro clapped his hands and firmly declined, “I’ll clean up when I get back. I’ll also take this opportunity to get familiar with the surrounding area. I noticed several unfamiliar shops on my way here.”
Tsuna felt that it was true. Some alleys had been closed off. A major road had been opened between two streets. The maps of this area had undergone some changes over the past few years.
After parking the car, Tsuna handed the car keys to Mukuro quite conscientiously and sat in the passenger seat. While having a car was convenient, parking always proved quite frustrating. On the first day, when he drove back home, Reborn forced him onto the road. Honest to goodness, he never used to think the streets were congested. But that day, it felt like there was an endless stream of vehicles crowding the streets and there was barely any space left for his burly BMW X3.
He felt like he was holding a basin of water while gripping the steering wheel. He wished he could just ride the bus.
Thus, under this mood and driving skill, the first day he brought the BMW X3 back from the dealership, it got scratched. On the way to the dealership for maintenance, he ended up tailing another car and acquiring more scratches.
The past was hard to revisit.
Because they needed to buy a considerable number of items and they had the car, the two of them decided to go to a larger supermarket a bit farther away to get everything at once. Tsuna gazed with envy at how the SUV under his command seemed so unruly whenever he drove, yet when Mukuro drove, it moved as nimbly as a fish. It could smoothly slide into even the tiniest gaps in traffic. As the traffic light at the intersection blinked, Mukuro executed a set of actions cleanly and swiftly, moving the car from the outermost lane to overtake and settling in the first row right before the red light.
“Foreign driving training is indeed good…” Tsuna couldn’t help but praise. This earned him a half-smile, half-smirk from Mukuro, who glanced at him. “If driving training schools teach you how to drive forward into parking spaces, that’s already impressive.”
“But you…”
A slightly smug expression appeared on Mukuro’s face, complemented by his fair complexion and narrow, sophisticated eyes. It bordered on arrogance, “I learned it from underground street racing.”
Just how eventful have your past five years been?
“And sometimes, driving skills are survival skills as well. There’s no harm in being good at it.”
So, in what situations does driving become a survival skill?
Tsuna was taken aback for a moment before letting out a small sigh, “Just don’t do anything dangerous.”
From the side came that unique laughter that had been absent for so long, “Yes, sir.”
Mukuro, as he had mentioned himself, didn’t conceal anything. But he also didn’t take the initiative to explain anything. Tsuna was increasingly convinced that he had an enigmatic quality. The interplay of light and shadow on his eyebrows and eyes, combined with the misty appearance, only added to the mystery.
Once they arrived at the supermarket and found themselves among the crowds, he once again realised how eye-catching this guy was. He has broad shoulders, slender hips, and a handsome model-like figure. He was dressed in a lightweight coat and leather pants, paired with short boots, it was a style that Tsuna, who had a roughly equal upper and lower body, had never dared to try. If Tsuna were to describe it, the long hair tied up with a metal hairband, the earrings on his earlobes, and the dazzling ear studs, this kind of ‘dress that would be problematic during airport security checks’ was much more than what ‘stylish’ could summarise.
When they reached the men’s underwear section, a group of girls was still following them. Tsuna expressed that he couldn’t quite handle this situation. However, Mukuro seemed to not care at all about the attention he was getting and acted like he was advertising while picking out items. When they paused in front of the fresh produce section, he was even interestedly comparing the value for money of various cuts of beef.
“Mmm, this snowflake beef doesn’t look very fresh.”
The corners of Tsuna’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch, finding Mukuro’s appearance as a virtuous person fitting quite poorly. He decided to take matters into his own hands. He casually grabbed a few boxes of beef and also snatched the box from Mukuro’s hand. He then tossed it into the shopping cart. At this point, the contents inside the cart had already formed a small mountain.
“Is there anything else we need to buy?” Tsuna asked casually.
“Mmm, we still need milk.”
Taking a step back, Tsuna looked at Mukuro, who was at least 185 centimetres tall. He decisively refused, “We’re not buying that.”
“Why?”
“I don’t like milk.”
Milk had always been a sore point in Tsuna’s life.
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*Author’s Note: Say hello to the stylish Rokudo Mukuro ←←. -YXF
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☝🏻Fanart of MukuroXTsuna
☝🏻BMW X3
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