Ryuuichi hummed as he looked over the whole of Namimori on the roof top as the sun slowly, but surely, raised. His headphone were on as a slow song played. He had came to school two hours before it started, accompanying his brother who had morning practices. He himself had club activities in the morning, but he wasn't in the mood to go, so he had skipped and since it was still very early, he decided to spend some time walking around the school. 

'Now that I think about it... There's abandon music room somewhere...' He walked out of the roof top and towards where he thought the music room was. Unknown to him, Hibari was on his usual spot on the roof, out of the teen's view. He was listening to his humming silently. He opened his eyes when he heard the footsteps and the sound of the closing door. "Hibari. Hibari" His yellow bird called out. He stretched out a hand for the bird to land as he yawned.

Ryuuichi slid open the door and looked into the room. It looked abandoned alright. The dark blue curtains looked like they haven't been washed or changed for quite a while. He walked up to the piano in front of the classroom and placed a hand on it. Dust were piling on top of the piano. He took a cloth that was on a random table and used it to whip the dust away from the piano, coughing a little as the small particles flew about. 

He gingerly opened the cover and the keys lightly, his pointer finger then pressed on a white key. The sound of the middle C sounded so off. He then remembered that a teacher that was blabbering nonsense, much to his chagrin, had mentioned about this music room. The teacher said that this room was abandoned because it was haunted. It was said that the guard that was patrolling around the school had heard the sound of piano in the middle of the night, and when they checked, there was no one. 

At first, of course, nobody believed the guard at first, but a few students and teachers started experiencing it themselves, they knew it was haunted. 

He scoffed. It's not like he don't believe in ghost, but he didn't exactly believe it either. He sat down on the piano stool, fingers on the key, as he slowly played a piece he vaguely remembered. He had learnt playing the piano before, but it has been years since he last played it. He winced a little when the last note sounded so terribly off. The piano must haven't been tuned for quite a while. 

Though, he wasn't going to complain. After all, he can't tell anyone he knew how to play the piano. His fingers begun moving again, playing a different piece. His right leg pressed on the pedal repeatly as he gradually got louder, before it softens again. Memories of his past life slowly appeared, hazy after all these years of burying them deep in his mind.

"Xxx!! Play a song!!"

"Well, if only you play one for me~!"

"Fine!!"

He smiled in nostalgia. He was so deep in his thoughts and concentration, he didn't realized someone was listening to him all the time. 

---------------------------------------------------------

Gokudera had been folding paper planes since last night and tried to shoot it down. It will be his turn and he hadn't completed his training, nor had he done any improvisation. No matter how he tried, he couldn't hit those paper planes. When he asked Shamal, that damned erted doctor said it was like flirting. He was still 14. How does he know how to flirt! And he wasn't interested in anyone right now, nor had the interest to be in a relationship. Right now, what matters is Tsuna and Vongola.

He was currently taking a break, as Shamal had forced him to, and was strolling around the school ground. He hadn't really explore the school every since he was transferred here. His steps faltered to a stop when he heard the sound of a familiar instrument. Bad memories suddenly rushed into his mind like a bullet train that made him scowled. 

He snorted. The one playing the piano was really bad. The flow was stiff and there were mistakes here and there. But, there was something in the music. Unconsciously, his feet brought him to the music room. Quietly, he peeked in, and saw a teen with dark brown hair. 'Drake?'

An emotion that he didn't really understand bubbled in him as he suppressed a shiver that ran up his spine. Ryuuichi was smiling, his eyes shone in happiness, nostalgia and sadness. He never knew that the teen knew how to play the piano. Then again, Ryuuichi never really mentioned much about himself anyway. 

'Yato, don't sulk or give up on finding a solution when you're in a pinch. Think, and concentrate. There's nothing in this world that exist or happens without an explanation'

Ryuuichi's messaged played in his mind. The teen once had played mind trick question on him, and he couldn't answer it. Of course, he got frustrated and had given up. He had given him the answer, and sent that message along. Then his mind wandered to the dynamites and Shamal and his trident mosquito. A idea suddenly popped out in his mind. His eyes lit up and he had ran back towards where Shamal was, silently thanking Ryuuichi.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Ryuuichi silently tapped a message on his phone to Yuuichi, as he leaned against the wall along side with Tsuna, Reborn, Yamamoto, Basil and Ryohei. They were panicking as Gokudera hadn't arrive even though it was already the time. He, on the other hand, wasn't a bit fazed. He knew that the bomber would show up, in a quite flashy way.

As on cue, the large clock on the wall exploded and a Gokudera in an open blue shirt with his torso bandaged up appeared. He smiled when he saw the bomber. The Cervello had accepted that he had came on the appointed time, and proceeded to explain the field of the Storm Ring Battle. 

Ryuuichi suddenly felt vibration against the wall when a classroom's door were blasted along with the tables and chair out of the window. He whistled at the sheer power of the hurricane turbine. It really lived up his name, though, it was still a time ticking bomb. The hurricane turbines placed in every room on that floor would explode when it's times. In another words, a death match. He frowned. He certainly wouldn't like it if anyone were to die right now. 

Shamal just have to make an appearance, don't he. And he really wasn't in the right mind to hit on the Cervello. 

Right before the match started, Ryohei had pulled them into a circle, successfully pulled the silent Ryuuichi along despite his protest. "Gokudera, Fight!" He sighed inwardly as he retreated to his previous spot on the wall. Really, like Shamal had said, it is embarrassing to be young. But it's really heartwarming. 

Gokudera and Belphegor walked up to the center, as infrared sensors were . It was to prevent the same incident that happened in the Lightning Ring match from happening. They looked at the monitors the Cervello had conveniently prepared. Ryuuichi watched with cautious eyes as Belphegor approached the bomber and patted on his shoulder. 

"Seriously, underhanded tricks are lame, Belphegor" He muttered in Italian. Tsuna, Yamamoto and Ryohei didn't understand what he was saying but the rest did. Shamal and Basil gave him a confused and bewildered look while Reborn silently peered at him through the shadow cast from his fedora. Ryuuichi smirked at their looks as he raised a hand, his pointer finger to his lips that indicated he won't be saying anything. 

A loud explosion brought their attention to the monitor again as the battle started. Dynamites and knives were thrown here and there as they begun fought. Soon, the hurricane turbines started joining in. Belphegor mentioned about reading the direction of the wind and such but honestly, Ryuuichi couldn't really trust him. Not when the prince was using a tricks. 'Well, it wasn't exactly a trick too...' 

He watched as Gokudera ran to hide as he planted a dynamite that exploded in seconds to create a smoke screen. 'Yato, it won't work. Think!'

Gokudera scowled and hissed when three knives cut his left arm. He cussed. How was it possible for that so called genius to hit him when he himself was still in the hallway. He started to think for the cause. How did the knives managed to find him? How was Belphegor managed to control the knives. Then, something hit him. Belphegor had touched his shoulder before the match started. 

Ryuuichi smiled. He knew that Gokudera had figured out. He took his eyes off the monitor to the rest that was all concentrating on the match going on. The genius smirked evilly as he slid dozens of knives out. "For the finale surging attack, I'll make you into a cactus, full with needles" He threw the knives as he greeted a bye bye. 

Everyone gasped in horror as the knives moved in the wind and hit a figure. "Ushishishi~ Cactus, complete~" Slowly, the figure fall out of the door. When they looked carefully, the figure wasn't the bomber. It was a human model. Ryuuichi cringed at the sight of the doll. He never liked seeing these kind of stuff, nor dolls. Nope. He definitely do not like those creepy plastics. 

The doll slowly moved, dragged towards Gokudera by the wire. "Before the match," Gokudera begun "You patted my shoulder and at the same time you placed a wire on it. You even numbed it so I won't feel the weight" 

"Then you threw your knives along the wire, so the knives would fly right at me as if they were on a rail" Ryuuichi stuffed his hands into his pocket, smiling. 'Good job, Yato' Well, the bomber himself was a genius. He scoffed when Belphegor underestimated Gokudera.

The bomber had pulled out a few dynamites that was slightly different than his usual, normal bomb. The bomb suddenly blasted through the wind towards Belphegor. Shamal looked smug. Well, of course. Who wouldn't when their student had succeed? "Rocket bombs, this is the technique Hayato learned during training" The doctor said. Reborn soon added along. "A bomb that changes direction in flight" 

"With the propulsion powder packed inside, it'll change it's direction twice. The one thing that Hayato lacked was speed. Because of the bombs' design, they can't fully capture the enemy. That's why we increased the mobility of the weapon itself. He saw my trident mosquito and figured it out." Unknown to them, even Ryuuichi, it was half of the full story how he managed to get the idea. With the rocket bombs, Gokudera's attack range had widen. 

A direct hit on Belphegor, indeed.

'But..'

All of them watched in horror at the Varia member's insane behavior. The true nature of the Prince of Ripper had begun. Ryuuichi took his eyes off the monitor once again. He did not want to watch the match any longer as he stared up the night sky. The sound of the dynamites exploding, the insane laughters of the prince's, the gasped from Tsuna and the others. He took in all, as the image of what happen played in his mind. 

Suddenly, a louder explosion than the ones created by the dynamites, and the vibrations on the wall had him looked back at the monitor. The hurricane turbines had started exploding one by one from the other wing and would reach where Gokudera and Belphegor in a minute. 

"What are you doing, octopus-head! Hurry!" Ryohei shouted. Anxious hinted in his voice. Gokudera and Belphegor rolled as the fought for the ring. Shamal couldn't watch on anymore. 

"Give the enemy your Ring and pull out, Hayato!" He said. Gokudera, of course, didn't want to. "Dying for something like this is idiotic. Come back!"

"What are you saying!? If I lose, with one win and three losses, we're finished! We'll lose from a lack of manpower! I can't come back empty-handed! The name of the Tenth's right-hand man would be shamed!" Ryuuichi clenched his teeth. 

"Gokudera-kun! You're worried about that?!" Tsuna yelled as another turbine exploded. Everyone was getting more anxious as the explosions got nearer to where the two were, pleading for the bomber to come back. "Hayato! Did you forget what I taught you before your training?!" Shamal said. Of course Gokudera couldn't forget about the lesson. He couldn't see his own life. That's why he was going to use it when it's the most important. "I can't back down now, even if I die!" 

"Knock it off! Why do you think we're fighting?! We're going to have a snow fight and watch fireworks together! That's why we're fighting! That's why we're growing stronger! I want to laugh with everyone, but if you die, it'll all be meaningless!" Tsuna shouted, finally knocking some sense into that stubborn head of Gokudera's. Ryuuichi couldn't control it any longer and pushed himself of the wall. 

"Come back here, Hayato! I've told you before! Don't throw away your life just like that! If you die, who would protect Tsuna and the others?! WHO WILL WE PROTECT?! COME BACK NOW!" He barked the order. His hands clenched into a tight fist that the knuckles had turned white. No matter what he knew would happen, no matter even if he already knew the bomber would be save, he couldn't control his anxiety and his concern. He gritted his teeth and furrowed his eyebrows as the turbine in the library exploded. 

Smoke surrounded, making them not being able to see the bomber. The infrared sensor was turned off as they all ran nearer towards where Gokudera was. From the smoke, Gokudera's figure stumbled as he walked out of it before he fell onto the ground. "Gokudera!"

"I'm sorry, Juudaime. While the ring was taken from me, I came back because I wanted to see those fireworks." Gokudera begun. He looked up and towards the dark brown haired teen behind the rest. "And Ryuuichi.. I will not only protect Juudaime.. And the others... I will also protect you.." Ryuuichi was surprised. Him too? He hadn't expect that. Does he worth protecting? Does he worth the trouble? A foreign emotion swelled in his heart. He bit his lips. No one had said something like that to him before. It was always him protecting others, not the other way around. He smiled as he watched the bomber and the baseball star interact. 

He rubbed the back of his head forcefully before stomping up towards the bomber and gave him a good and hard slap at the back. "Don't worry others anymore, !" He grinned, before it faltered. 'Tomorrow.. Is the rain...'

He went away first, passing by Hibari who appeared. "Let me join you up tomorrow" He whispered.

--------------------------The Next Day--------------------------------

"Senpai.. Let me stay at your house tonight.." 

"No."

"Please? There's no one at home tonight and I'm afraid" Lies.

"No" 

"..........."

".........."

".........."

"...Fine.." 

Ryuuichi grinned. He and Hibari was on the roof top, where they were able to see the match of the Rain Ring Battle from the large screen. He for some reason, didn't feel like joining the rest down there. That and he wanted to at least see Hibari's house for once (Since there were quite a lot of things that weren't mentioned or known about the prefect other than a selected few facts. Especially the biting people to death part).

It was true that there won't be anyone at home because his parents had went to Kyoto to visit a relative while Yuuichi had a sleepover at his friends slash teammate's house. Though, it was definitely a lie when he said that he was afraid. He was already used to being alone at home and he knew how to protect himself, so he wasn't even a little scared. Ok maybe when a cockroach suddenly appear but that story is for other time.

He lied down, his arms as a pillow for his head as he looked up the night sky. There weren't any stars as the cloud drifted in the wind. He closed his eyes, and turned, front facing Hibari as one arm supported his head. The other idly played the sleeves of the prefect's jacket.

The prefect yawned, his yellow bird that was singing the school anthem landed on his shoulder as he paid no heed to the teen beside him. "How boring... They should finish this all at once.. Mist?" Mist slowly appeared, making Ryuuichi smiled. He had known that the other three was watching from another place. "What's the fun when you finish it so quickly, Hibari" 

Hibari peered towards the teen that was smiling softly. There was a tiny hint of fear in the small animal's eyes. He didn't missed it. He wondered what was the teen fearing. He had seen all kind of emotions in those pair of dark brown orbs. He couldn't understand most, but he definitely could recognize those he had frequently saw. Fear, anger, anxiety, depression and emptiness. The teen definitely had all those, yet all covered up by his carefree feelings. He really couldn't understand him, much to his chagrin. (It's ok Hibari. Even Reborn couldn't understand him. [Que gun shots])

He said nothing and placed his hand onto Ryuuichi's head, surprisingly, gently. Ryuuichi's eyes widen at the sudden warmth on his head. He smiled and slowly closed his eyes, leaning into the warmth.

He didn't need to watch the match to know how it goes. Squalo would lose, and Yamamoto would win. Though, Squalo would be 'killed' by the shark the Cervello had conveniently placed, and had called it a ferocious sea monster. 'Ferocious sea monster my head. Just call it a damn shark..' Slowly, he drifted into something in between slumber and conscious. 

True to what he knew, Yamamoto indeed had won. The baseball star had wanted to help Squalo, who was injured, from getting eaten by the shark. But the long haired man had kicked him away before he got 'killed'. 

"Brat, your skill as a swordman isn't bad. Just get rid of that softness" 

"Squalo!!"

Ryuuichi snapped his eyes open when he heard Yamamoto's shout. He furrowed his eyebrows a little. He wasn't worried about the man because he knew he won't die. He pushed himself up and stretched, feeling satisfied when he heard cracks. He cracked his neck before looking at Hibari, smiling. "Should we go now?" (Hibari was a little taken away at the sight of Ryuuichi cracking his neck and mentally frowned at the sound emitted from it. Though, he definitely wouldn't say it.)

'Mist... Hurmm...'

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A/N = I didn't elaborate much on the Yamamoto's battle because I didn't have enough time. Next chapter is what probably known by most.

Ryuuichi and Yuuichi was one of those people whom Hibari don't mind what they do or if they were near him. Though, Hibari probably tolerated Yuuichi because Ryuuichi would be sad and angry if he does something to his brother. 

I can't write anything else more because I'm rushing. So, I wish everyone to have a Happy New Year and I'll see you all in 2016!! 

I hope all of you had a great year. It has been a remarkably wonderful year and experience for me, 2015. 

[I apologize for any grammars, spellings, etc.etc. mistakes!]