"Boss,

Mukuro noticed me today, he really did!" She never sounded so lively.

"Boss,

He actually asked me out!" She never sounded so happy.

"Ne... Boss,

Why did he use me...?" She never sounded so much like an empty vessel.

Tsuna held a melancholic gaze at the ceiling as she lingered her lips to his neck.

'Am I any different?' That same broken piece after being used and tossed aside.

He couldn't voice the truth. But he knew. He knew... They were purely doing what it takes to make it to the next day. Faking a caring attitude to others. Only replenished with a more dishonest virtue.

"Kyoko made me a special good luck charm today,

Chrome." He never sounded so optimistic.

"I going to confess to her,

Chrome." He never sounded so confident.

"Why did she reject me? We kissed and everything... Ne, Chrome?" He never sounded so alone.

Chrome's empty eye mirrored his void stare. He kissed her pale shoulder, sliding the slippery sleeves down. She shivered. He kept her warm with his body. They began to roam around the bed... and he squeezed her hand, equally dependent.

The moonlight. It was bright, shinning through the hopeless rain clouds. Compelling them to drown in the moment, away from emotions plaguing them.

"Tsuna." Her breath, a frost of lust. Her rain-cold, pink lips pressed against his and pulled him back down.

He broke their lip locked affair for a moment. He pressed his forehead against hers.

Her pineapple spikes were confused, as she tilted her head. Her body laying on the bed, waiting for him, her thighs tenderly hugging his waist.

"I just... want to remember this." He whispered, before taking her lips again.

It was exactly the same.

Tsuna and Chrome walked Yuni to school. She left stealing Boss's Umbrella.

"Hey Yuni! I actually came prepared this time! Give it back!" He eventually sighed. Chrome giggled raising her umbrella over him as well. "Sorry, I didn't want to bother you with this again, Chrome." He scratched his cheek. 'Yeah, everything is exactly the same.' He took the umbrella, as they walked along hollow puddles.

They sat at the train stop. The overhead visor on the bench was the only shelter. The rain pounded like pebbles on concrete.

"It's supposed to stop by the weekend." He mumbled. She nodded. The rain washed the conversation away to nothing.

"Ha, funny meeting you guys here!" Yamamoto laughed after seeing them up the stairs. He had his schoolbag over his head, waving at them. Kyoko walked behind him, with that happy hum.

...

Tsuna stared off at the situation. 'This is the worst possible timing.' Out of the corner of his eyes, he could peek at Chrome's school bag grip tighten to white knuckles. Neither of them were emotionally invested today.

Kyoko observed Chrome-chan's uniform. It was obviously the same one as yesterday's. She rose an eyebrow. Tsuna-kun's eyes of hidden guilt and the hesitated grip of Chrome. It was rather funny running into them wasn't it. "You guys always walk to school together. You're both close, huh?" Her smile and words playing with two meanings.

Chrome's grip stiffened more as Kyoko folded the umbrella, taking a seat on her side. Her smile and musings always a delight. Yamamoto scooted Tsuna over, sitting next to him. It forced Tsuna and Chrome to make physical contact. They both inwardly flinched, paused, and ignored it.

"Um, yeah. We're kind of like bestfriends." Tsuna kept praying for the train to get here.

"We're actually going to read some of the script today. But I can't wait to do it on set. Chrome you excited to help with that!" Yamamoto asked.

Tsuna was grateful for Yamamoto's polite and friendly involvement.

Chrome was quiet as usual only able to nod.

"Chrome-chan, I'm so glad you're going to help. I was kind of sad when Hana disregarded the first time you offered." Kyoko, her friend, encouraged, forcing words out from Chrome.

Chrome turned her head to her, forcing a smile, back. "I-I guess so. Kyoko, I heard you got the lead as Juilet?" Chrome equaled her motivation, as best a quiet eye-patch teen could.

She smiled along with Yamamoto. Tsuna was straining his ears for any hope of rolling tracks.

"So did Yamamoto and Tsuna-kun! Isn't that amazing." Kyoko tilted her head to the joy in her vocals. "They get to act with me."

Chrome's violet orb tensed at her implications.

"Ne, I wonder what kind of scenery you would draw for us?"

Chrome's throat tightened as she tried to take a gulp. Not able to utter a gasp.

"C-Come on Chrome, the train is here." Tsuna roughly grasped her hand, jerking her back to reality. He stood up with the umbrella, dragging her under it with him.

Kyoko had a simple, amused, smile following behind them.

The train ride was quiet. Chrome and Boss sat side by side, Yamamoto and Kyoko were on the seats on the isle next to them.

Under her schoolbag, by his lap, she continued to hold his warm hand. Tsuna had his headphones on. His eyes gazed at the gloomy weather.

The letter he found yesterday remained in his thoughts. Do you want to try to have something real?

He didn't have a clear answer. He didn't want to ruin the fragile friendship he had. He did his best to ignore the weight his actions already held.

Take responsibility!

They arrived at school as Tsuna mulled over his agony. Chrome would never say it out right, but she was waiting for an answer. He owed her that much.

Tsuna absent mindedly walked to his desk as they entered the classroom. They all shrugged it off assuming it was his usual mood.

Kyoko held Chrome back with a whisper along the window. "Chrome, I've been wanting to ask you something."

Chrome didn't know how to excuse herself. She dropped her shoulders with a nod of dreaded defeat. Was she curious about Boss?

"I've always wondered why Hibari-san is never violent with you. Actually, he's rather protective, isn't he? Has he confessed yet, he must have a thing for you." She hummed, interested in Boss's, Nagi's, and Kyoya's quiet yet, rather intimate relationship.

She gasped, with a tint of pink. "H-Hibari does, really?" She squeaked.

"Oh, already on first names too! I'm really happy for you." Taking a seat behind her.

Chrome's pineapple hair dropped. "But you also are with Boss. He even calls you Kyoko-chan. Still after..." She twiddled her index fingers.

Kyoko kept that plastered smile. "It's cause we're all good friends, right? I would never do anything to change that." She giggled.

So Tsuna-kun and Chrome-chan were secretly involved along. ...Ever since that day... It's true, I was getting bored of him, but with my best friend suddenly walking in the picture, and Kyoya as well. You could say I have my eye on Tsuna-kun again. I know Yamamoto is there for now... But I think it would be more fun to see where the pieces fall after I scramble them.