"If there is no struggle, there is no progress." – Frederick Douglass

It was a well-known fact that Vongola Academy accepted the best and only the best.

It should be a privilege—elating, in fact—to find the pristine acceptance letter in the mailbox and the words "Congratulations!" typed elegantly in the first sentence. Then come what may as the family celebrated and gushed to anyone who'd listen about their child being set for life.

For Reborn, the letter was just another stepping stone and nothing worth celebrating about.

His father hadn't said anything at the dinner table. He only glanced at the letter before leaving an unfinished meal behind to take another call. His company stocks were being threatened again, but nothing he couldn't handle. Reborn just ate his meal in silence and left for his room, the letter forgotten on the dining table.

On orientation day—the academy was located in a beautiful expanse of land in Lombardy near Lake Iseo, a considerable distance from society—Reborn went alone. His father simply told him to stay out of trouble and Reborn promised him in the same bland tone they spoke in. However, they both knew it was an empty promise.

Reborn didn't think it was his fault that he attracted trouble. In fact, he reveled in it: the pleasant hum in his veins while fending off another assassin his father sent after him; the adrenaline rush when kicking an unguarded ribcage and shattering bones; and the satisfactory sensation of pulling the trigger and watching blood splatter on the walls.

His father would beat him later for staining the carpet again, but Reborn took the hits with gritted teeth. Leon, their butler, would later tend his wounds and whisper comforting words in his ringing ears. He'd then let him eat coffee-flavored ice cream in his room.

They were just enough to keep Reborn grounded.

Summer was ending, if the cooling air was any indication. Leon had given Reborn a pair of thin black gloves before he left the car. Reborn just accepted them and tipped his fedora slightly in thanks. His hands tended to get cold easily, a weakness nonetheless as his father put it.

Leon smiled warmly. "I'll be right here when you're finished."

"I know."

Dressed in an impeccable suit and a thin gray coat, Reborn walked up the steps to the main entrance and took his time to assess his surroundings. Vongola Academy was large with architecture reminiscent of ancient Rome, but modern enough to look fresh and new. Tall, white gates marked the entrance and there were numerous courtyards decorated with pristinely-cut grass, small gardens, and white marble statues. The dormitory halls for both students and staff stood behind the main building alongside an infirmary ward. The academy's middle school was just located to the right.

Reborn had taken his time to study the academy's blueprints before arriving. With his father's influence and his own computer system, which he had built on his own, he also snooped through the school's database, memorizing each and every one's information, staff or student. There were some interesting peers, but he largely dismissed them as non-threatening and uninteresting. They only had one thing in common: they came from powerful families.

A young woman greeted Reborn when he entered the main building. Brushing her off, he briefly perused the lobby. There was a long table stationed at the center with some students crowded around it, receiving their name tags. Reborn recognized everyone but didn't speak to them; he heard some whispers around him. The lobby bridged out into two different hallways to its left and right. Large windows with pale-yellow drapes stood behind it, displaying the main courtyard where several students were already seated in rows facing a wide podium.

When Reborn finally approached the table, a staff member said, "Name?"

Dohachiro Nezu—a science teacher and one of the few who was from Japan. He was a middle-aged man with black hair and glasses; his brown suit was slightly rumpled and there were tan lines where his wedding ring should be. Reborn slightly pursed his lips. His Italian was accented but doable.

"Renato."

Nezu shifted through the list before checking off his name and handing him his name tag pouch. Reborn's birth name was typed in big, bold letters.

"Hats aren't allowed," Nezu said, glancing at him disinterestedly.

Reborn just walked away and shoved his name tag in his pocket, not even bothering to hang it around his neck. It was basically a sign for others to swarm him, and he was in no mood to listen to their sweet-talk. Whether it was getting in his pants or gaining a good standing with his father's company, they all amounted to the same thing. It was predictable and annoying.

Walking out to the courtyard, Reborn observed the students mingle and chatter to anyone who would listen. He was tempted to shoot them so they'd shut up, but Leon had patted him down and confiscated his guns earlier, even the one strapped to his ankle. Reborn had pulled a small face akin to a pout—his father had beaten him when he pulled the same thing after begging for a small toy on the window displays—but Leon didn't budge.

Reborn smirked. Well, he could always use one of those chairs to bash someone's head in, even if it really wasn't his style. Plus, he had noticed a stray needle in one of the window drapes he passed by, which happened to find a new home in his left pocket. He supposed he could thank the new, inexperienced seamstress for that and wondered how soon it'd take for her to get fired.

Later, more students spilled into the courtyard, rapidly filling up the seats. No one approached Reborn. He merely watched and studied his soon-to-be classmates, filing away all their flaws he could expose later if they bothered him. Perhaps he should bug the school, too—not even should, he will.

"Hello."

Reborn nearly jumped. His brows furrowed. How could he not have noticed someone there? He schooled his features and gazed at the student from the corner of his eye. It was a girl a head shorter than him with short blue hair and blue eyes. A white beret sat on top of her head. She didn't wear her name tag.

Luce de Giglio Nero—the only daughter to the wealthy Giglio Nero famiglia. Her family amassed large profits for years in the financial market, never staggering the slightest against their competitors; Reborn's father even used their banks and they were on fairly neutral grounds. Luce was known to be very kind and considerate towards others, donating a large majority of her shares to charities and other causes. She wasn't a threat but Reborn was still wary. Not noticing her presence was already enough reason to be.

He nodded his head in greeting. Luce smiled, undeterred. "Would you like to sit with me? Most of the seats are already taken, but there's an empty one next to me."

"Why?"

The question slipped without him thinking, though he was curious. Luce was the only one to approach him directly so far.

Luce giggled. "The orientation will be long and I doubt you'd want to keep standing until it's over."

Reborn only found genuine kindness in her eyes—it was infuriating. It'd be so utterly simple to snap her thin neck in two. "Where is your seat?"

Luce pointed at the middle row. Reborn pursed his lips. There were too many students and he preferred sitting in the back, but he supposed it'd do. He silently followed Luce to her seat.

"My name is Luce."

"Reborn."

She didn't question the oddity in the name and Reborn was somewhat grateful. She was tolerable, he supposed. Some girls giggled when he sat down. He promptly ignored them to briefly observe the other students. Luce conversed in fluent German with a girl to her right.

"—other is dining with the French ambassador right now," the other girl said, twirling a strand of her curly blonde hair. Sophia Breuer, third daughter to the CEO of Breuer & Schmidt Petroleum.

"That sounds wonderful!" Luce said. "He's a very nice man."

"I suppose. But then again, it's not as impressive like meeting him every day. Is it true he's having an affair with a maid?"

"Well, I wouldn't know; but he loves his wife very much."

Sophia sniffed. "I guess even you wouldn't know everything."

Luce laughed. "It's unfortunate, I guess."

Reborn was tempted to wipe that infuriating smile from Luce's face, but kept his cool. It was her fault for being so open to everyone.

"Is someone sitting here?"

Reborn restrained a sigh. He peered from the brim of his fedora to see a tall blond boy gesturing at the empty seat next to him. His bright blue eyes and easy grin were irritating, but Reborn just shook his head.

"Nice." The boy sat down and stuck out his hand. "I'm Colonello."

Reborn ignored it. "Pleasure."

It got the reaction he expected. Colonello scoffed. "Yeah, pleasure. You must be the light of the parties."

"Of course."

Colonello rolled his eyes. "I can tell, kora."

Reborn took that brief second to properly look at the other teen. Colonello Emilio, the second son to the Emilio famiglia. His father was a decorated war veteran and his whole patrilineal line served in the army and both world wars. Their business empire dealt with manufacturing weapons and had a strong relationship with the Italian military. Reborn had bought one of his guns from their company a year ago. It was satisfactory.

Before Colonello could say a word, the headmaster had already walked on stage.

"Welcome," he said warmly. "I'm glad to see so many bright faces today. I'm Timoteo Vongola, the headmaster of this prestigious institution. Your acceptance to Vongola Academy proves that you all have the potential to not only change the world but also to influence the many more generations to come. I…"

Reborn tuned him out then. He perused the crowd, seeing that most students were actually listening to what the elderly man was saying. A few were texting secretly on their phones. The staff and teachers were seated near the podium, most of their faces blank while Timoteo spoke.

Rules were explained, more introductions were made, some applause and laughs here and there, and finally it was over. Reborn stood up to leave, not wanting to get roped in the social activities later, when he felt a prickle of pain through his foot. Someone grunted and fell on a heap to the floor.

Gritting his teeth, Colonello pointed at Reborn. "You tripped me!"

Reborn quirked a brow. "You stepped on my foot."

Colonello stood up, clenching his hand into fists. Some students glanced their way while a few backed away, already sensing danger. Reborn was close to throttling the other teen if he didn't have any restraint.

"You tripped me on purpose, kora! I'm not an idiot!"

Reborn suppressed a sigh. "Apparently, you are. You stepped on my foot, therefore tripped. I didn't do it intentionally." He couldn't help but smirk. "Although, the ground suits you nicely."

He moved his head to the side when Colonello threw the first punch. The wind force that brushed his cheek indicated that the other teen had a mean right hook. Grabbing his prone arm, Reborn swept Colonello's legs and easily pinned him to the ground. He dug his knee dangerously close to his spine, restraining the other's arm behind his back. His needle hovered next to Colonello's jugular vein.

Colonello's pained grunt was satisfying to hear. Although their scuffle was brief and painfully one-sided, Reborn could still feel a small thrill course through his veins.

"Reborn, you're hurting him!"

Luce's voice was distant in his ears along with the panicked cries from the other students.

"I suggest you don't pull anything stupid like that again, Emilio," Reborn hissed in Colonello's ear. "Nod once if you understand."

Colonello just growled, looking absolutely feral and ready to kill. Blood rushed in Reborn's ears and his heart pounded against his chest. He'd have fun tearing this foolish prey apart.

"I can break your spine." Reborn dug his knee harshly against Colonello' back. "Or I can just kill you right here. Make your choice."

The needle lightly brushed Colonello's neck, making him shudder. Before any of them spoke, a loud voice shouted, "What are you two boys doing? Stop it this instant."

Timoteo appeared with a group of teachers and school officials behind him. He glowered, but Reborn was unfazed. He merely stood up and lightly brushed his black slacks. Colonello winced as he rotated his left shoulder and rubbed his neck.

Timoteo faced the watching students with pursed lips. "This is unacceptable behavior and will not be tolerated." He glanced at Reborn and Colonello. "Follow me, boys."

Reborn calmly walked ahead before Colonello joined his long strides, muttering angry curses under his breath. He glared at him, but Reborn just flashed him a charming smile in response.

He couldn't help but chuckle when the blond gawked at him.

Timoteo's office was just as big and grand as the school's interior; the only difference was that it was barer than the other rooms. A lot of the opulence was subdued with drawn curtains and a lack of sunlight. The cream-colored walls were empty save for some bookshelves filled with books in several different languages.

"I'm very disappointed in you two," Timoteo said from his large burgundy desk. "It's only orientation day and you're already at each other's throats."

Colonello jabbed his thumb at Reborn. "He—"

Timoteo raised his hand, silencing him. "Mr. Emilio, save your words. Mr. Sinclair, I am more disappointed that someone like you would be getting involved in these kinds of scuffles."

"Will you tell my father?" Reborn said blankly.

If he found out what happened, his father wouldn't feed Reborn for the next few days. It wasn't the worst he did and Reborn was fine with slipping past the maids to get to the kitchen. If anything, Leon would sneak some meals to his room where he'd be forced to isolate himself.

"No." The answer caught Reborn slightly off-guard. "Dragging your father in your own mess is unnecessary. You two better fix whatever misgivings you have with each other before the school year begins. We won't be tolerating any more of this behavior. Consider yourself warned, boys."

"Yes, sir," the teens said.

Reborn left the room first with Colonello trailing behind him. He glanced at his watch: 12:57 PM. The orientation had started at 11:30. This was just a complete waste of his time.

"Hey!"

Reborn turned around to face a scowling Colonello. He quirked a brow. "What?"

"Apologize, kora!"

"I don't see why I have to do that."

"You tripped me, asshole!"

"I told you. I didn't trip you. You stepped on my foot."

Colonello gritted his teeth. "You also threatened to kill me!"

Reborn smirked. "You were the one who threw the first punch. I was only acting in self-defense."

"W—"

"Reborn!"

The two boys blinked when Luce ran towards them, her blue eyes filled with worry. She panted lightly to catch her breath from the short run. Weak.

"Thank goodness!" Luce said. "I thought I'd miss you. Are you two alright?"

"I'm fine," Reborn said curtly.

Colonello furrowed his brows. "Is she your girlfriend?"

Biting back a sigh, Reborn settled with a blank stare. "No."

Luce smiled sweetly. "My name is Luce! And no, we just met today. You must be…?"

"I'm Colonello!"

Reborn was already walking away when they exchanged their greetings, sending a brief text to Leon to let him know he was leaving.

"Reborn, where are you going?" Luce said.

"Home."

"You won't stay?"

"No."

"Eh, just leave him," Colonello said. "He's not worth it."

"Ah, well, travel safely then, Reborn! I hope to see you again!"

Reborn didn't respond. He exited through the main entrance and walked down the steps. The fresh air helped clear his thoughts momentarily before he found Leon's car. He could feel a headache incoming when he opened the door and slipped in the backseat. The black leather was warm and comfortable underneath him; the spicy fragrance that wafted in his nose was soothing while he got himself settled.

Leon nodded in greeting after tucking away his newspaper. "Welcome back, Reborn."

Reborn just grunted in response. Crossing his long legs, he gazed out the window and watched the soft green hills pass by. The sun shone terribly bright in the cloudless sky. Vongola Academy soon became a white speck behind them.

"How was the orientation?"

"It was a waste of time."

Leon chuckled. "Everything is a waste of time to you. Perhaps you should take up on those calligraphy lessons that Miss Penelope has offered a few weeks ago. I hear it's quite therapeutic."

Reborn huffed. "I write well enough, Leon. You've seen my handwriting."

An amused glint shone in the elderly man's eyes. "Yes, and it is lovely. However, writing without much purpose can help curve that temper of yours."

"I don't have a temper."

Leon just hummed. Reborn tipped his fedora lower to hide his scowl. However, Leon knew him like the back of his hand and didn't need to see his face to guess what he was thinking. Having served the Sinclairs for many years, Leon was considered family and the only one who could talk reason to his father. Words couldn't describe how much Reborn needed Leon—he'd shoot himself before he'd admit them out loud.

"Actually, I'm surprised you came out unscathed. You haven't caused any trouble, have you?"

Reborn smiled innocently. "When have I ever caused trouble?"

Leon rolled his eyes, though there was a tinge of fondness within them. "Always."

"It's fine. Father won't know."

Leon raised a brow. "He'll find out eventually. What happened? I could speak to him but I cannot guarantee tha—"

"Timoteo said he won't tell."

"Ah, I see. How kind of him." Leon frowned. "You shouldn't be calling the headmaster by his name so casually, Reborn. That is very rude."

Reborn just grunted, not meeting Leon's gaze. Timoteo was influential and powerful in his own right, someone even his father grudgingly respected; there were even rumors that he was a don to the mafia though they were unfounded and no one dared to ask him directly. He was a man of principle and honor, which was admirable Reborn supposed, but he was growing old and his three sons were already fighting tooth and nail to take over his vast oil empire.

What a contradictory position, Reborn mused. Exploiting the land but giving back to the supposed brighter, better generation, who'd just poison the earth with their insignificant existence.

"Well, what do you think of your peers?" Leon said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Luce and Colonello briefly flashed in Reborn's mind. He furrowed his brows. Why would they appear in his head? They meant nothing to him. One was a demure little lamb while the other was an uncontrollable mutt. His breath hitched when he remembered the thrill from pinning Colonello to the ground and exhibiting his dominance. Well, he supposed that'd make the other students avoid him for the rest of his school years. However, why was he doubting that?

Reborn finally spoke, "Nothing."

"You think nothing of them or consider them nothing to you?"

"Both."

Leon sighed. "I suppose it was too farfetched of me to think you would make friends here."

Reborn just smiled, showing some teeth. "I applaud you for thinking so optimistically in such dark times like these, Leon."

"Well, what do you think of the academy? You'll be living there for the next four years. Is it at least to your liking?"

"It's fine."

Leon smiled gently. "I'll miss you, Reborn. The house will be much quieter without you."

Reborn scoffed, but there was no heat in his words. "I thought you'd like the peace."

"I'd rather much prefer it if you were there."

"That's not what the maids would say. I'm sure they'd be absolutely ecstatic when I'm gone."

"Semantics, Reborn."

Huffing, Reborn covered his face with his fedora. "Wake me when we're there."

"Of course."

As he slowly drifted to sleep, Reborn couldn't help his lips from curving into a small smile.

Of course, much to Reborn's intuition's scornful pleasure, the first year at Vongola Academy was becoming an absolute headache—and it was only goddamn October.

He didn't know how he got stuck with Luce and Colonello. He had only been minding his own business when Luce found him, dragging Colonello behind her. They were an odd trio, but no one said anything about it. Reborn could tolerate Luce, but Colonello was a whole other matter.

For the umpteenth time that day, Reborn restrained every nerve he had from pulling out his gun and shooting Colonello in the head—emphasis on the "every". The idiot just wouldn't shut up. Lal Mirch this, Lal Mirch that. Why was he being picked on in PE? Why did she hate him so much? Wow, she was pretty strong for a girl. Oh, did you know she took a year off? Not sure why but she'd graduate with their year.

Reborn clenched his jaw while he scribbled on his English homework. His knuckles turned white from gripping his pen too tightly.

"Colonello, you should go wash your face," Luce said. "You still have some dirt on your cheek."

"Oh, right," Colonello said. "Thanks! I'll be right back! Don't steal my food, asshole!"

Drawing irritated stares, Colonello dashed to the bathroom. How the trio wasn't kicked out of the library yet—including the academy—was a miracle in itself. Colonello and Reborn's fights nearly destroyed half the school within the first weeks of the semester, and nothing could stop them. Timoteo would scold them, slap their wrists, and force them to reconcile, which just lead to more fistfights and guns blazing. Reborn felt a tad smug when Timoteo gave up on them. Other students proved to be much more troublesome, especially in the middle school branch.

Luce giggled. "You look tense."

"How do you figure?" Reborn said, snatching one of Colonello's ham and pickle crostini.

"He said not to touch his food."

"He won't notice."

Luce pursed her lips. "It's food, Reborn. Colonello will notice."

Shrugging, Reborn swallowed the toasted bread. "Food isn't allowed in the library anyways. I'm doing him a favor."

Luce shook her head. "I don't understand why you antagonize him so much."

"It's been two months already. I'm sure you know by now. If not, then this relationship between us has been for nothing."

Luce didn't react to his sarcasm, like always. She was insanely patient with both of them, which was a testament to her kind nature. Anyone else would've jumped off a cliff by now. Reborn supposed he could respect that—grudgingly.

"Well, we have a new counselor starting today."

Reborn quirked a brow. "Oh?"

Luce smiled, a bit pleased to know something Reborn didn't for once. He found it both oddly irritating and endearing. "Yes. Judith told me."

Reborn twirled his pen. "I see."

Luce frowned. "Aren't you interested?"

"I'm not asking."

"Not even a little?"

"No. You'll eventually tell me anyways."

"I won't."

"You will. I'm just waiting patiently like the good friend I'm supposed to be."

A beat of silence passed between them before Luce finally sighed in defeat. She was so very predictable. Despite her kind disposition, she was drawn to gossip like most girls and since she mostly hung out with him and Colonello, they had no choice but to listen to her chatter. It was helpful sometimes, but Reborn could only tolerate so much incessant prattling. The teachers and students still hadn't figured out that he bugged the whole school, including their dorm rooms. Well, ignorance was bliss.

Luce scowled but it looked more like a pout. "You're terrible."

Reborn's lips slightly twitched. "Thank you."

"Get out of my head."

"I'm not in your head." Reborn smiled, showing teeth. "I am your head."

"Oh my God, stop. That sounds terrible, even for you."

"The strawberry crepe was delicious this morning," Reborn said in an eerily accurate imitation of Luce's sweet voice. "I wonder where Anne got those bracelets. Maybe I should ask her later. Oh, the flowers in the South Courtyard are beautiful as always. Mr. Kerrigan looks so handsome today. I hope he looks at me once. Why did I have to sit in the back? Does he even know I exist? Oh, he called my name! Bless roll call and his wonderful face."

Luce gaped. "H—"

"Gertrude's being rude today. I never liked her but her brother's very sick at home so I can't blame her much. Oh, Mr. Talbot is giving back our quizzes. I hope I did well or else Reborn will kill me. Numbers are just terrible. Whose bright idea was it to mix numbers and letters together anyways? I wish they'd serve raspberry pie again for dessert later. W—"

"Okay!" Luce squeaked, covering her face. "I get it!"

Reborn just smiled. "There's more if you'd like to hear. I'd be more than happy to tell you."

"No!"

Reborn stifled a chuckle. Really, it was just too easy. Luce groaned into her hands.

"You're terrible. Absolutely despicable."

"We've established that already."

Luce sighed. "No wonder Ms. Rivers quit. Is this what you did to her?"

Apparently, Timoteo had thought it was a wonderful idea for some students to meet with a counselor every week. To sort out their repressed issues, he said. However, there were only five counselors. It wasn't a secret that the fights in Vongola Academy involved more than a simple punch and kick. Guns, knives, steel wires, emotional manipulation—it was a raging battlefield of both mind and body. Reborn supposed that that made school life a bit bearable. There was never a day the academy would be wracked without an explosion or two.

Reborn's old counselor, Ms. Rivers, had worked with juvenile delinquents in the States, but she supposedly had never met someone like him before. More like she was incompetent at her job, but he digressed. It was quite fun to mess with her; however, he quickly lost interest when she ate up every word he dished out to her. It wasn't until she quit a few weeks ago that he could enjoy the results of his victory.

No useless counseling, no talking "heart-to-heart", no nosy stranger—he was able to return to the perfect solitary life he had before.

Reborn smiled slightly. "There are many other ways to break a person. Would you like to hear? I'm very creative."

"No! Just, no! Please keep your thoughts to yourself."

Reborn shrugged. "Okay, but you're missing out."

Luce sighed. "Please don't tell me you're going to scare the new counselor off like that, too."

"I won't."

"Won't what?"

"Won't tell you."

Reborn smirked when Luce huffed and shook her head. "You're impossible. The counselors are here to help us."

"I'm perfectly fine the way I am."

"You're a sociopath, I swear."

"You flatter me."

Luce groaned before returning to her half-finished homework. "Well…I heard that he's Japanese." She scowled when Reborn smiled knowingly. "He's good friends with Ms. Kurokawa, too. People think he must've gotten in because of her recommendation."

Ah, Hana Kurokawa, their English teacher and the only few who could handle the students to an extent. She was a strict, no-bullshit woman with an interesting resume. Born in Japan then later raised in England. Graduated from the University of Oxford at the top of her class before being scouted by Vongola Academy. She at least assigned interesting readings other than the repetitive Shakespeare. All in all, she was the only teacher Reborn respected to a degree.

"Actually, Reborn," Luce said, tapping her chin with her pink pen, "isn't today Thursday?"

Reborn quirked a brow. "Yes."

"Your appointments were on Thursdays at 3, right?" Luce tilted her head. "Since this counselor is replacing Ms. Rivers, don't you have to go?"

"I didn't get any letter."

"So…you won't go?"

"What do you take me for?"

"Not even to say hello?"

Reborn took another crostini from Colonello's plate and chewed on it in mock-thought. "No. Not interested."

"Reb—"

"What the hell, kora? Stop touching my damn food, asshole!"

Reborn reached for his gun just as Colonello reached for his rifle.

"Reborn! Colonello! Don't!"

Bullets and screams tore through the air.

Timoteo personally escorted Reborn to the counselor ward the next day.

The headmaster had a rather impressive blank look while he led the teen to the Eastern Wing. It was where most of the administrative offices were, but Reborn digressed. He was already thinking of ways to make the new counselor leave. The position would be temporarily replaced but it was enough time for Reborn to recuperate.

"Reborn, I don't want a repeat of last time," Timoteo said gruffly.

"What do you mean, sir?"

"Don't make me call your father, young man."

That shut Reborn up.

He rarely communicated with his father, only reciprocating messages if he was contacted first, which was once in a blue moon. On the other hand, Leon messaged him every day, asking if he was doing alright and updating him on the state of affairs at home. Those were the only times Reborn actually looked forward to aside from getting a decent cup of coffee. For a rich school, their espresso was mediocre.

Timoteo opened the door to the counselors' office without knocking. Trailing behind him, Reborn tugged his fedora down. The office was large and clean, smelling like violets and paper, obnoxiously so. There was the secretary's desk and a new gray-blue coach in the waiting area. A student had torn the old one with his switchblade. A long hallway stretched to the right where all the counselors were located. Some doors were closed with the "Do Not Disturb" sign turned up, muffled murmurs sounding from inside.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Vongola," Ms. Bellani said, smiling. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Timoteo smiled. "Good afternoon, Alda. Yes, is Mr. Sawada here?"

"He's in his room, sir. I'll let him know you're here."

"No need. He knows that I'm coming. Thank you."

The secretary smiled before turning back to her computer. Reborn silently followed Timoteo down the long hallway. The counselor's office was at the end of the hall, the door open.

Reborn had briefly investigated the new counselor on whatever available systems he could infiltrate. He was marginally surprised that all the bugs he previously left in the office were gone, leaving him to guess about the young man's mannerisms and quirks. Nonetheless, the information he had was enough. He did find it intriguing though that Tsunayoshi had worked in Vendicare, a mental institution in Ostfildern, Germany, for the criminally insane. One of the warden's sons attended the academy: Bermuda Von Veckenschtein.

However, Reborn was more interested in getting rid of the counselor than getting to know him.

Smirking, he at least hoped that this Tsunayoshi was a nice challenge. He'd give him a week at best to be generous and three days before he cracked— maybe two.

Timoteo knocked on the open door and spoke in Japanese. "Tsunayoshi-kun?"

Reborn had learned the language years ago when his father dealt business in Tokyo. It was only another language tacked onto his impressive list.

"Ah, Timoteo-san!" There was a loud clatter, making Reborn slightly sneer. Wonderful—a klutz. Someone chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, I sometimes overestimate my own height."

Timoteo smiled with a fond look in his eyes. "That's alright. Would you like some help?"

Timoteo gestured Reborn inside, and the teen grudgingly complied. He perused the surprisingly neat office. It looked the same as last time but there was less Ms. Rivers and more… Tsunayoshi Sawada, he supposed. The scent was a bit more bearable—tea and chrysanthemum. The walls were a soft gray and the large window was wide open, letting in the cool autumn breeze. Ms. Rivers always had it closed. The bookshelf against the wall was already stacked with several books; unsurprisingly, they were mostly on psychology and philosophy, some written in different languages. A few titles caught Reborn's interest but her didn't linger too long on them. The small shelf behind the counselor's desk, however, was only half-filled, and several books had fallen to the floor.

Reborn's gaze then met warm brown eyes.

Sawada Tsunayoshi was a young man with soft brown hair and an even softer face, looking almost feminine if it weren't for his surprisingly lithe build. He was just an inch or so shorter than Reborn, wearing a white-collared shirt with black slacks. His suit jacket hung neatly over his chair and his desk was bare, except for the school computer and his phone, which had a small lion charm. How childish.

"I'm sure Reborn would like to help," Timoteo said.

Before Reborn could protest, the headmaster gave him a stern look. He could sense the threat of calling his father on the tip of Timoteo's tongue.

Tsunayoshi waved his hands. "Oh, no! I'm fine."

Clicking his tongue, Reborn walked over to pick up the fallen books. He stacked them quickly on Tsunayoshi's desk before stepping away. Tsunayoshi blinked before smiling at him. It was irritatingly too kind, like Luce's.

"Thank you," he said, speaking in startlingly fluent Italian. There was no trace of an accent.

He gathered the other books to stack them neatly on his desk. Reborn stared at the hand he stuck out. It was smaller than his, his fingers long and slender, and all too easy to break.

"My name is Saw—Oh, Tsunayoshi Sawada. You can just call me Tsuna."

"Reborn."

Tsuna immediately brightened. "You must be the infamous Reborn I've heard about."

"I'm flattered."

Disappointingly, Tsuna didn't even blink at Reborn's charming smile. He just continued smiling and retracted his hand.

"Well, I'll leave you two be, Tsunayoshi-kun," Timoteo said with a nod.

"Oh, you don't want any tea, Timoteo-san?"

"No, no, perhaps another time. I'll see you later." Timoteo gave Reborn a look. "Behave."

Reborn smiled innocently. "Always, sir."

Shaking his head, Timoteo left and closed the door quietly behind him. A relatively awkward silence fell in the office. Reborn glanced at the clock. Sessions ran half an hour and it was already ten minutes past three. This was fine. He accepted the challenge.

"Would you like something to drink, Reborn-kun?" Tsuna said, walking over to the brewing machine that wasn't there last time.

Reborn huffed lightly before sitting down on the blue chair across the counselor's desk. It was brand new. "Just call me Reborn."

Tsuna smiled sheepishly. "Oh, my bad. It's hard for me to get rid of the Japanese suffixes sometimes. Reborn then."

"I want espresso."

Without batting an eyelash, Tsuna nodded. "Alright."

Ms. Rivers always threw a fit about Reborn's coffee obsession, but he ignored her, and instead, imagined snapping all of her ribs in two within a ten-minute interval of each other. It was an entertaining thought—pity it never happened.

The coffee machine whirred quietly as Tsuna expertly handled the brew. Reborn didn't look away from the other man, not even when he turned to hand him his drink. He was relaxed, too relaxed. It was all too easy to just pull out his gun and shoot Tsuna's head. Reborn supposed that years at Vendicare had hardened the man in a way. Still, it was ridiculous at how soft and unassuming Tsuna looked.

Reborn tapped his finger contemplatively on his armrest. He wasn't mentally unhinged like the criminals Tsuna had worked with, but he could act like it if he wanted to. It was just a matter of question if Tsuna would buy into his act or not. And Reborn was confident that he will. All he had to do was act like a sniveling victim and tug at the brunet's heartstrings. He was certain that Tsuna had a heart of gold.

"Here."

The rich smell of espresso almost made Reborn melt, but he kept a straight face. It reminded him of Leon's brew at home. Blowing gently, Reborn sipped the cup. The hot liquid burned his tongue but the strong, bitter taste made up for it. Tsuna knew how to make an espresso.

Tsuna leaned against his desk and stretched out his slim legs. "How is it?"

"It's okay."

Reborn held back a scoff when Tsuna pouted. The man had his own cup of tea, which he sipped quietly. A few minutes passed between them, which slightly irked Reborn. Why wasn't Tsuna talking? Ms. Rivers had always talked his ear off, nagging him about this and that.

He peered at Tsuna over his cup. Finally, which was too long for his liking, he noticed that the counselor was studying him under the guise of a pleasant smile, and suddenly, Reborn figured out that he was under the microscope. His jaw involuntarily clenched.

"Aren't you going to talk?" he said, keeping his voice steady.

Tsuna's lips twitched into a small smile. Reborn was sorely tempted to shoot him. "I'm not here to talk. I'm waiting for you."

Reborn raised a brow. "Me?"

Tsuna shrugged. "Well, that's how counseling works. You talk, I listen. Isn't that why you're here?"

The question felt strangely rhetorical. Reborn clicked his tongue. "I'm only here because Timoteo made me come here."

Tsuna didn't miss a beat. "He must've had a reason to. He's not the type of man to do anything without one."

"His reason is unfounded. I'm perfectly fine the way I am."

Tsuna smiled, his amusement clear like day now. Reborn's fingers twitched but he opted to sip his espresso again. It temporarily calmed his nerves.

"You're fine the way you are or with who you are?"

Reborn's brows furrowed. This question was definitely rhetorical. His caffeinated mind whirled. He was perfectly fine with both. He had never bothered to change how he acted towards others. It was deeply ingrained in his head that the world worked in two ways: you climb or you fall. The only thing that mattered was how you did it. His father made it clear on how easy it was to slip, but Reborn knew that anyways without being told.

And he was fine with who he was.

"Aren't they the same thing?" he said, testing the waters.

Tsuna's lips slightly twitched. "No."

Another minute passed. Reborn waited for Tsuna to talk again, to elaborate what he meant, but he didn't. This…wasn't going the way Reborn expected. It would be much easier if Tsuna did the talking while he responded with answers that'd trip him up. Fine, he just had to take a different approach.

Reborn met Tsuna's gaze, noting how his eyes looked more like amber than brown. "I don't talk much."

Tsuna nodded. The thing was, he actually looked like he understood, which unnerved Reborn. "That's alright. I can wait."

"You're going to have to wait a long time then."

Tsuna smiled. "I'm a very patient man, Reborn-kun."

"Don't call me that."

"Ah, my bad. Old habits die hard."

Reborn pursed his lips. "I can tell."

Tsuna chuckled before glancing at his watch. "Oh, we went a little overtime. It was nice to meet you, Reborn. Will I be seeing you next Friday?"

Reborn stood up gracefully. Did that much time pass already? "I don't know."

Tsuna smiled. "Alright then. Take care, Reborn. Ha—Oh, wait." Reborn raised a brow when he walked around his desk to open one of his drawers. "Here."

Reborn just stared at the man. Huffing, Tsuna grabbed Reborn's free hand before he could react and placed some things in his palm. They were his bugs, all broken.

Tsuna smiled brilliantly. "Have a good weekend."

And just like that, it was over.

Reborn didn't even notice he still held the cup of coffee in his hand until he entered his dorm. He stared at the mug, his pocket feeling oddly heavy from his broken bugs' light weight. The coffee was cold.

What a waste, he thought blandly, dumping the coffee and mug in the kitchen sink.

His dorm was large and spacious with a kitchen and common room, which he rarely used. It had a nice view of the North Wing where most classes were held. The only downfall was that he had a roommate. Viper or Mammon—whatever the boy wanted to be called. Reborn could really care less. The other boy was a son to government intelligence officers from France and was quiet, always holed up in his room or snooping around the academy collecting information. They rarely saw each other.

Reborn paused. He fished out his broken bugs. There were six of them. This was all of them. A small shudder ran up his spine. Tsunayoshi Sawada—what an annoyingly interesting man.

Before he knew it, he was knocking on Viper's door. He could hear the faint clacking of the keyboard inside.

"I know you're in there," Reborn said.

The typing paused. There was the rustling of bed sheets and feet shuffling before the door opened just a crack. It was dark inside the bedroom; the only light was from Viper's monitor systems. Reborn had snooped in his room before—really, picking a lock or two and disabling the key access system wasn't all that hard—and was impressed with the three monitor screens Viper had set up.

"Mou, what do you want?" Viper said. His Italian had traces of his French accent, but it wasn't terrible.

"I need you to do something for me," Reborn said.

There was a short beat of silence.

"My services a—"

"I have money. You know I do."

The shorter boy pursed his lips. "You snuck in my room."

"I'll pay extra for the inconvenience."

Viper opened the door just a little wider. He wore a pair of sweatpants and an overlarge hoodie that covered his eyes. Typical. At least, he showered and was clean. "What is it?"

"I need you to get information for me."

"Elaborate."

"Tsunayoshi Sawada."

"Mou, the new counselor?"

Reborn suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes. How soon can you get the intel?"

"Depends on what you want to know."

"Everything."

Viper hummed. "Wait here." He closed his door then, making Reborn actually roll his eyes when the lock clicked. Maybe he'd leave small gifts in Viper's room just to mess with him. A few seconds passed before Viper opened the door again and handed him a piece of paper. "Wire the money there, then get rid of it. I'll text you the payment details later. And call me Mammon, not Viper."

With that, he promptly shut the door in Reborn's face.

Reborn didn't even question how Viper knew his number. He supposed he should be more worried about what Viper knew about him, but didn't find himself caring much. Viper didn't do anything unless money was involved. Then again, someone could pay him for Reborn's information. Well, he didn't mind a small hunt once in a while.

Brewing himself another coffee, Reborn checked his phone to see that Leon had sent him a message a while ago, asking how his day went. His shoulders relaxed a bit.

Still, while he texted a quick response, he couldn't ignore his heart's quickening pulse.

There was a bigger hunt afoot—and he'd take his time in tearing apart his prey.

A/N Uh, so, this was supposed to be a one-shot but then it got…long and my mind went wild with it. So, here's a new story! Haha… (sweats nervously)

Just a heads-up though, this fic will be handling very dark themes. If you're not comfortable with that, find a happy story to read instead, haha. I really do apologize.

Reborn wasn't actually supposed to have much spotlight but then again, he's Reborn, so what could I do? Also, his father is a bit cray-cray, haha. This fic is kind of like drabbles but there's also a story here—it's confusing. Well, I was never really the type of person to plan anything ahead of time, so here it is! I hope that the character portrayal was alright.

So, Reborn and the Arcobaleno are 15 in this, except Lal Mirch who's 16. The 10th generation is 14. They'll all be making their appearances in due time. I'll most likely focus on them one by one as they meet Tsuna before an overarching plot makes its appearance, haha. It'll make sense I hope.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter. Leave a thought or two and I'll try to answer any questions you have as soon as possible!

Have a lovely day~

Little Miss Bunny

Revised: 4/21/2018