Spark of an Online Friendship

Summary: Sawada Tsunayoshi, second year High School, has no friends in school and so he ran away into the virtual world. There, he met seven other people who had also seek refuge online. What happens when these eight online friends suddenly met offline?

ooOoo

Sawada Tsunayoshi is sick of his life offline. He has no friends, no exceptional abilities, he's not smart, or popular, or very rich. He is simply an ordinary dame student.

When he was in elementary and his middle school, he didn't care about his dame life so much. He was able to tolerate all the bullyings of his classmates and the occassional taunts and humiliations of his teachers. He was able to get by his life alone with a faint hope that he'll soon meet friends who he would treasure for all his life.

Then the brunette had enough.

He entered High School with a different outlook in his life. He was determined to have friends and he was prepared for everything for that. He was doing good during the first month, he was able to get the attention of some of his classmates and they started talking to him and inviting him to places after school. That was until his middle school bullies picked on him again.

As Tsuna was determined to gain friends, his bullies were also determined to not let him have any. On the second month of his High School life, rumors regarding a certain dame student suddenly spread like wildfire and Tsuna suddenly found himself all alone again. Nobody would talk to him anymore, the friends he started making stopped inviting him to hang out. Suddenly it was like elementary and middle school again, only that it was a more bittersweet experience for Tsuna. He was so close to having friends, so close to finally having people around him, yet in a flash it was gone and he was alone yet again.

So Tsuna ran away from reality and into the virtual world. He was desperate to make friends. It hurts being alone. He would find those people no matter what and he does not care even if they're friends he only got to interact online. Someone was out there to be his friend, right? No one is destined to live life alone.

He had gone through numerous online friends sites by the time he entered his second year High School. It was quite an experience for him, meeting people that were willing to listen and talk to him despite not knowing him personally. There was a different kind of joy and excitement whenever his online friends would send him a message or a game request. For Tsuna, it feels like being able to truly be alive. He was having the best time of his life.

And yet, Tsuna still felt something lacking in his life. There was an unmistakable longing feeling whenever he would look around himself in school and realize he is the only one without a clique or a group.

His android phone suddenly vibrated at lunch time. Tsuna looked over his cellphone's notification and noticed he has a message request for one of the online friendship sites he is a member of. It is for a group called 'Rainbow Clams'.

"What a weird group chat name."Tsuna thought loudly. It was a good thing he eats lunch alone at the rooftop and nobody heard him. He clicked a button to accept the request button.

Rainbow Clams

... tuna27 has joined the groupchat

tuna27: Hi! Thanks for the invite. I'm looking forwards to be friends with you all.

SwordMaster80: Hello tuna27! Welcome to this group chat!

tuna27: Hello! Could you be the one who added me here, SwordMaster80?

SwordMaster80: Yup! I noticed your profile and decided to include you in this group chat.

... extRemeSun is now online

extRemeSun: EXTREME! Welcome tuna27!

tuna27: Hello extRemeSun! Nice to meet you!

... candybulL is now online

candybulL: Nice to meet you too tuna27! I hope we get along!

extRemeSun: Hey, candybulL, you're supposed to send me those gifts for my pet shop!

tuna27: Are you talking about the game PetBoXania?

extRemeSun: Yeah! I'm currently on level 23. I need gifts to upgrade my shop.

candybulL: Wait a second, I almost forgot. I'm sending them now.

tuna27: I'm on level 25. What is your main pet? Mine's a lion cub.

extRemeSun: I have a kangaroo. Thanks candybulL!

candybulL: You can tell from my name that I have a bull.

SwordMaster80: I just ate lunch! Are you talking about PetBoXania? Ahaha! I have a swallow and a dog.

tuna27: Eh? You can have two?

SwordMaster80: I chose the setting for two!

tuna27: Must be nice SwordMaster80!

candybulL: No, actually. It's harder to maintain two.

SwordMaster80: Ahahaha!

The lunch bell rang, signalling the end of lunch break. Tsuna hastily collected his lunch box and switched his phone off. He set off for his classroom at 2-C.

ooOoo

Tsuna opened his phone again on his way home. Expectedly enough his new group chat has a lot of new message notifications. Seems like they also added a new person into the group.

... tuna27 is now online

candybulL: Welcome back tuna27!

tuna27: Sorry, I had class! How's everyone?

59storm: Nice to meet you tuna27! We're doing great here. This group chat is fun!

tuna27: Hello there 59storm! You're right! I'm glad to be part of this group chat.

SwordMaster80: I'm glad you're enjoying!

candybulL: I made this group chat after all. Of course it's fun.

tuna27: Really? How long has this group chat have been?

candybulL: Around 8 days.

59storm: Wow. It's still new.

SwordMaster80: That's why we only have five members now.

... extRemeSun is now online

extRemeSun: EXTREME!

tuna27: Does he always do his greeting that way?

candybulL: Yup.

extRemeSun: You have to do everything to the EXTREME!

candybulL: Yeah. Yeah.

59storm: Okay, back to the topic. Why do we have so few members despite being new?

SwordMaster80: You have to meet certain qualifications to be invited in this group.

tuna27: Eh? There are those?

extRemeSun: Of course!

candybulL: You have to be someone who escaped the real world because the offline world is better, something like that.

tuna27: So this is a group for friendless people on the real world?

SwordMaster80: You don't have to be friendless. You just need a deeper reason to go into online.

tuna27: Ah, I understand.

extRemeSun: And we are few because quality is EXTREMELY better than quantity!

tuna27: Wow, that's deep.

SwordMaster80: After all this is not just an ordinary group chat. This is a place where you'll find friends for life!

... 59storm is now offline

SwordMaster80: Did I say something wrong?

candybulL: No, but you said something too idealistic.

SwordMaster80: Ahaha! My bad. I'm sorry.

extRemeSun: That guy will come back around.

tuna27: I hope so.

ooOoo

Gokudera Hayato strectched his arms and promptly laid down on his bed. He set his phone on his bedside table and closed his eyes.

'Friends.'

He opened his eyes again and stared at the ceiling.

He does not believe in friends. Friends are people you entrust your life with and you put your faith into. He does not desire to have such.

The silverette was born in a rather well off family back in Italy. His father, a Don, owned a big company that runs the economy in their town. Hayato lived with his father and half sister in a mansion in the town's countryside.

It was not until the summer of his 13th year that Hayato learned of the truth of his parentage.

While he was passing by the maid's quarters in the mansion, he overheard the servants talking about him and his sister. Apparently, he was the son of his father's mistress whom Hayato had actually met in Japan when he was 12. The woman, Hayato learned later on, was the lady he befriended the last time he visited the country for vacation. The two of them had a correspondence until Hayato returned to Italy. One day the lady's letters abruptly stopped. Hayato was shocked to find out later from the conversing maids that the lady didn't actually stopped sending him mails, but his father, who found out about their correspondence ordered the maids to send all the lady's letters that were addressed to Hayato to the Don.

Shaking from the revelation, Hayato went to confront his father at his office. The Don gave a surprised and angry expression upon Hayato's discovery and demanded where he heard it. Hayato refused to tell him but instead shouted to be told of the truth. The Don heaved a deep breath.

"Your mother was a woman I met during my stay in Japan. We had an affair and, I got him pregnant. She told me she was in no position to raise a child so she handed me over to you and instructed me to keep your real parentage. She does not want to trouble you. When you met her a year ago, she was overcomed by her emotions and broke our promise. I had to do my part of the bargain and keep her away from you."

Hayato felt like he had lost the ability to speak. He stared at his father, daring him to take back his words.

"Then she found out months ago that she was sick and had only a few months left to live. I learned of it, and told her to finally reveal her true identity to you. She refused, insistent of our promise. Then, a few weeks later." The Don paused for a moment and looked miserably at Hayato, the teen gasped. "She was driving to work, her disease attacked, and she... Hayato she died."

Hayato mouthed the next question with shaking lips, "Wh-when?"

"About a month ago."

Hayato felt like all the weight of the world had suddenly been shoved on his shoulders. He shook from the truth, knees trembling. His father came over to support him, Hayato snapped.

"Don't touch me! All of you... All of you tricked me." he said accusingly.

"Hayato, it was for your sake. Please understand, we didn't meant to-"

"Didn't meant to deceive me?!" his voice broke. He walked slowly through the door, grasping the wall for support.

"Hayato.."

He suddenly broke into a run, dashed, away from his home, from his father and sister.

Hayato soon found himself in some part of Italy. He had runaway from home and soon learned to live by himself. Years later, it was as if by a humurous fate, he found himself in Japan. He arrived at Namimori two months ago.

In order to survive, Hayato worked various part-time jobs. The old lady at one of the shops he worked into offered him to study in Namimori High. Hayato grudgingly accepted the offer. He still does not trust people at all. After all he was lied to by his own parents.

He was about to start his first day at Namimori High tomorrow as a second year. Some weeks ago, he started fiddling with his new smartphone when he found online friends site that allow virtual interactions with online friends. Hayato found it ridiculous, still, his curiosity took over him. Soon he became acquainted with the online world.

He is still skeptical about it, he does not trust people in the real world, how much more could he trust people who he only meet online? There's just so much of deception that could occur when faced with a glowing screen as form of communication.

Then earlier, someone added him into a group chat of this one site he discovered days ago. The group chat name was 'Rainbow Clam'.

'What a ridiculous choice of name.' He first thought but accepted it anyway.

He found the group to be quite fun and boisterous. The group chat members being interactive and annoyingly entertaining. Until he noticed that they were only very few in it. Usually, he would be invited to group chats that had 20 or more members. People like it better the more friends they have online.

''... quality is EXTREMELY better than quantity!''

"This is a place where you'll find friends for life!"

'This is stupid.' He went offline.

He's not interested in making friends. Friends are people who you trust with and he does not trust anyone. Yet, strangely, Hayato felt something stirred inside of him.

He got up and opened his phone

... 59storm is now online

59storm: Hi! Sorry I got busy.

candybulL: Welcome back!

SwordMaster80: Hey!

tuna27: He's here. Gosh for a second I thought...

59storm: Thought what?

tuna27: Don't mind me.

extRemeSun: EXTREME 59storm!

lonecloud18: Hn. Hi.

'Oh there's a new guy.'

59storm: Hello there lonecloud18! Nice to meet you!

ooOoo

Yamamoto Takeshi is a popular baseball jock in Namimori High. He has a lot of people around him who adores his talent for the sports. His easy going and cheerful nature allows him to easily get along well with people. Everyone thought the sportsman has no worry in his mind and he lives such a carefree and easy life. Nobody knows the 'real him' that Takeshi hides underneath his smiles and cheery tone.

It all started during his middle school years.

Takeshi was being his usual cheerful self playing baseball when he suddenly got an injury that suspended him from the game for months. As such, the usual carefree and happy baseball player suddenly became gloomy and silent. His friends noticed this and confronted him.

"Cheer up, Takeshi. You'll heal soon enough and you'll able to play baseball."

"That's right Takeshi. Just focus on getting better."

His friends, fed up with Takeshi's depression started avoiding him.

One day, as Takeshi passed by the locker area, he heard his friends' conversation.

"Seriously, I'm sick of Takeshi being all sad and gloomy."

"That's right, he's not himself. I feel like he's a different person."

"I don't want to be friends with a gloomy person."

"Yeah being friends with him is becoming a pain now. I only started talking to him since he is popular with the girls."

"Yeah but even the girls now don't come to him because he's all depressed."

"Honestly, I don't want to be friends with him anymore if he keeps up being like that."

Takeshi watched as his so-called 'friends' left the locker. He went over to where they previously were and stayed frozen on the spot. That moment he realized something he only had after all these times.

His friends are not real.

They only befriended the Takeshi that they like – the popular, smiling him. They do not want to have anything to do with a depressed and disheartened Takeshi. It was like seeing the world in a new light. People only coming to you because it suits their taste and they would start abandoning you once you become a bother to them. He was their reliable, ever smiling friend before and they like him like that. When he suddenly felt down, they don't want to have anything to do with him. Takeshi felt like he was hit by a brick.

The people around him continued showing him their cold shoulder. Takeshi stopped bothering with them. Then weeks passed and Takeshi's injury has fully recovered. He can play baseball again.

He was grimly surprised when he found the friends who easily ditched him coming back for him as if nothing has happened. That's right. Takeshi thought bitterly. He's all well now, back to being the popular jock with a happy attitude. They like him again now.

Takeshi smiled a dark smile. Was that all his worth? Aren't friends supposed to support each other in good and bad times?

Someone tapped him by the shoulder.

"Hey, Takeshi. Now that you're all healed, how about we go to a karaoke after school?"

"You are only useful to us like this, Takeshi."

Another one added.

"Yeah! Let's celebrate!"

"We can only be friends when you're like this."

Another person laughed.

"You're finally back to your old self"

"If you don't we'll never talk to you ever again."

Takeshi widened his eyes at the voices inside his head.

Was he supposed to live like this? Faking his smiles in order to have people stay by his side? Aren't friends supposed to stay together, despite the hardest of times?

Takeshi gulped fearfully. It is such a cruel fate.

From then on, Yamamoto Takeshi had perfected the art of acting-up. In order for his friends to not leave him he has to maintain being his carefree and smiling self. He would have to smile, no matter how idiotically. He cannot be depressed, sad, or gloomy or he'll drive away the people around him. He does not want to be alone again.

In his first year of High School, one of his friends introduced him to online friends-making sites. Takeshi laughed idiotically at the idea of making one self appear good online to gain friends. It was bitterly similar to his situation when he had to wear a 'smiling mask' everyday to not lose his friends. He did try it anyway.

Tired of his facade in the real world, Takeshi decided to show his true self with his online persona. Surprisingly there were people who accepted him there and listened as he poured his heart out. Then some days ago, one of his online friends called candybulL suggested to him to form a group chat inviting only people who have used the online world as an 'escape'. He and this candybulL surprisingly had similar experiences that's why they got quite well along. They've been friends for a few months now.

candybulL: How about we make a group chat for chosen people?

SwordMaster80: Chosen people?

candybulL: You know, people who had found comfort online.

SwordMaster80: So it's like recruiting miserable people online and making a group chat for the miserable ones?

candybulL: There are a lot of people like us. Wouldn't it be better if we have them by our side?

SwordMaster80: Sometimes I don't know what goes on in that head of yours.

candybulL: Well, do you want to?

SwordMaster80: I guess so.

candybulL: Okay then! I'll create a group chat named 'Rainbow Clams'.

SwordMaster80: Eeep. What's with the weird name?

candybulL: Don't you think rainbows bring happiness?

SwordMaster80: What?

candybulL: Someday I'll surely meet people, who would shine as brightly as the rainbows in the sky. My life would be colorful just like the colors of the rainbow.

Takeshi sighed in resignation. This candybulL does sure say the weirdest things. Still, he understands where he/she is comimg from.

SwordMaster80: Sure. Let's do it.

ooOoo

It was a normal school day for Sawada Tsunayoshi. He was still friendless. Some bullies picked on him and throw him crumpled papers on the hallway. His teacher once again humiliated him in front of the class for his fail marks. He was alone all over again. Until...

"Oh you're here." Their homeroom adviser, Ms. Saito said when the door burst open.

"You weren't here during the first period, right? Where have you been?"

The teen on the classroom doorway glared, "I was busy."

"I see." Ms. Saito smiled and nodded for the teen to come inside.

The teen obeyed and step in front of the class.

"Good morning everyone. I want to introduce to you your new classmate. He just tramsferred to our school. Please introduce yourself."

The teen spoke up and glared at them.

"Tch. Gokudera Hayato. Nice to meet you." he said not all that pleased.

Then Ms. Saito pointed him his seat which was the empty seat on Tsuna's left side.

Hayato walked grudgingly to the spot and stopped abruptly in front of one of Tsuna's classmates.

"What are you smiling about, huh? You freak."

Yamamoto Takeshi only grinned, "Hello. I'm Yamamoto Takeshi!" he introduced.

Hayato ignored him harshly and continued on his way, he paused momentaily in front of Tsuna and narrowed his eyes. Tsuna shuddered under his gaze, not quite sure what to say or do. Hayato looked away and slammed his bag on his desk as he sat.

ooOoo

... tuna27 is now online

... 59storm is now online

... SwordMaster80 is now online

candybulL: Woah what's this. You all went online at the same time

tuna27: Ah. It's my lunch break now.

SwordMaster80: Me too!

59storm: I was free.

candybulL: Your timezones must be pretty close.

tuna27: Eh? candybulL is not from here?

candybulL: No. I don't even know where you are. And you don't know where I am.

59storm: candybulL has a point. These sites are conveniently made to hide our locations.

tuna27: Ah I forgot, sorry. Sometimes it escapes my mind.

SwordMaster80: But isn't this amazing? It means we could be anymore in the world!

extRemeSun: Or we could be close.

59storm: Why would you say that?

candybulL: I forgot this guy's online.

extRemeSun: Nothing. But we don't know right?

SwordMaster80: If we are close, maybe we could actually meet?

candybulL: That's stupid. I'm here because I don't want to meet people out in the real world.

59storm: Same.

tuna27: Same.

tuna27: Ah. Where's the new one?

candybulL: The guy's shy.

lonecloud18: Be careful what you call me.

tuna27: Eeek! lonecloud18 has been here all along!

lonecloud18: I am.

59storm: The guy just don't like speaking (or typing) much.

lonecloud18: Hn.

extRemeSun: EXTREMELY shy!

lonecloud18: Shut up.

ooOoo

Bovino Lambo reached out into a candy jar beside him and pulled a grape-flavored candy. He gingerly unwrapped the sweet package and pop the round purple treat into his mouth.

Retrieving data for tuna27, 59storm, lonecloud18...

He clicked his laptop screen and proceeded to encode something.

Processing information...

He smirked and leaned on the wall beside his bed. So far, his experiment is going smoothly.

The raiven-haired seven year old picked up his smartphone on the bed. This has been the most fun he had in years.

Lambo is a genius orphan child who does not know his parentage at all. He was picked up by a criminal organization who took immediate interest in the child's intellect. He was 2 years old then. This criminal organization, Millefiore, is an organization that takes in children with potential to rear them into individuals that Millefiore could use to their advantage. Their headquarters is located in Italy yet they have bases in countries like China, Russia, and America. Millefiore's resources are focused on developing the potential of these children which could range from enhanced physical abilities, mental capacity, and other aspects. Once these children are deemed ready, they are sent to work in various Millefiore branches which is generally divided into two – the black market and the legal Millefiore corporation.

Lambo is a gem in Millefiore's collections.

The child was born a rare genius with intellect that is much advanced compared to kids his age. In fact, at the young age of seven, Lambo is already taking up University lessons. That is why, the Millefiore hired private tutors for the child.

Lambo has helped Millefiore foster its business deals and weapons creation. In exchange, they treat the child like a prince, spoiling him.

With such gifted intelligence, Lambo has one defect. The child is poor with human interactions. He hates human beings as well. He is more interested in machines and weaponry than anything else. For him, human beings are nothing but lumps of mortal organs. He does not understand human emotions at all.

He never craved for company or affection. He doesn't even care in the slightest about the people around him, or the fact that the ones taking him in are only using him for their own good.

One day, as he was bored tinkling with some machineries, he opened his smartphone to an online friend-finding site he heard other kids in the mansion talk about. He got curious about the so-called 'virtual life'.

He smirked, his one eye which he uses glinted with the world he saw in his fingertips.

This virtual reality is surely a laugh, he thought. Human beings are stupid indeed. They crave for attention and affection that they are willing to venture into other worlds just to be 'saved' from their mundane demise. Yet, they still long for the real thing – personal interaction – despite establishing a virtual persona of themselves. Lambo thinks this is pathetic.

He may hate human beings, but their pathetic attempts to make their miserable lives worthwhile sure is something else. Why human beings run into the virtual reality to escape life is beyond him.

Anyway, this is the virtual world. He does not need to face these people personally, which is better for him since he does not want to have anything to do with humans. It would just be like talking with some virtual entity with a human essence. He created his online persona and presented himself the same way he saw others do online – a lonely person craving for friends.

As expected, it bore him. He was about to stop what he thinks is becoming nonsense when he came across SwordMaster80. After sharing some made up story of himself (which he copied from other online people ), SwordMaster80 gradually opened up to him and told him of himself.

That was incredibly pathetic. Lambo thought. He really does not understand why human beings bank so much on their emotions. He continued their online conversations and a thought came upon Lambo. He wanted to experiment on these so-called human emotions.

So he made a group chat. Made up something about wanting to have friends, and started adding people who he deems quite interesting enough for his taste. He has now five people as his test subjects.

There was a knock on his bedroom door and Lambo called "Come in".

Standing in the doorway is another of Millefiore's kids, the assassin-in-training Chinese girl, I-pin. She wore a scowl on her face as she glanced at Lambo.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

I-pin crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're on with 'that' again."

"It's none of your business."

I-pin huffed. "Oh well. That's right I don't care. But the guys told me to tell you of the blueprints they've been asking you to do."

Lambo throw a rolled up bunch of paper to I-pin's direction which she caught with ease.

"You're welcome" she said mockingly and left after closing the door.

Lambo clicked to add another window on his laptop screen. He went over the website and searched for something for a while. He smirked when he found what he was looking for.

You just sent an invitation to pineapple69 to join 'Rainbow Clams' group chat...

You just sent an invitation to MISTery to join 'Rainbow Clams' group chat...

He popped another candy into his mouth and another window appeared on his screen.

Data collected for tuna27, 59storm, lonecloud18...

Lambo clicked the window and his smirked reached his ears when he saw...

tuna27

Location: Namimori, Japan

59storm

Location: Nmaimori, Japan

lonecloud18

Location: Namimori, Japan

extRemeSun surely got this right.

Playing with human beings may not be boring afterall.

ooOoo

END.