Deja Vu - Katekyo Hitman Reborn 《COMPLETED》

CH32:Jaded Visions

"Dr. Kashima, where are we going?"

The silence was stark, and Dr Kashima did not speak. Tsuna struggled to keep up with the large strides as they trudged along the empty corridors, wincing as the rough grip on his arm only tightened in response.

"What are you doing—?"

"Quiet!" Dr Kashima snapped. Tsuna flinched, completely taken aback by the harsh tone, so different from the kind and fatherly man he had gotten to know over the past few days. He bit his lip, willing his hands to stop trembling.

He wasn't afraid of Dr Kashima hurting him. His intuition had already assured him of his safety, but he hated getting yelled at. He hated feeling helpless.

They came to a halt outside a bolted iron door.

Gradually, Dr. Kashima loosened his grip. He seemed to squeeze it once more in a sort of comfort, before he turned to face Tsuna with pity in his eyes and pushed him into the bolted room.

The doors closed on the sorrowful gaze in his eyes as Tsuna trembled, the darkness setting in.

Where am I?

He allowed his eyes to adjust to the dim light of the room, catching sight of golden tufts of hair, and a body that was crumpled over, unconscious. It was familiar, it was a boy; Tsuna saw him in his every dream, every nightmare. He had wept for him, and had wiped away every tear from those gentle blue eyes, now closed and swollen shut.

Ie... kun?

"IE-KUN!" He yelled out, stumbling over to his brother and dropping to his knees beside him. Worried hands hovered, unknowing of what to do, before he slowly eased Ienari into a sitting position, begging him to open his eyes.

A single blue eye slowly began to peek open. There was a moment of confusion, before clarity set in, and Tsuna breathed, "Ie-kun, you're awake."

Ienari seemed to startle at the sound of his voice.

"Don't touch me!"

He pushed Tsuna away.

Tsuna flinched back.

"Ie-kun? What's wrong?"

The sheer disgust in Ienari's voice terrified him, and days of accumulated stress had finally left him at his breaking point. Tears gathered in his eyes as he tried to swallow down his hurt; the approaching meltdown was inevitable, and long overdue even, but he had to hold it together – for Ienari.

"What? Are you crying, Useless-Tsuna?" Ienari scoffed. "Just because you can't bully me anymore doesn't mean you have to act this pathetic. I'm different now, nii-san. I won't bow down to the likes of you ever again. You can stop pretending now."

"What on earth are you talking about, Ie-kun? What's gotten into you?"

"Don't call me that!" Ienari snapped.

"But– But I've always called you this, Ie-kun! Just like how you always called me Tsu—"

"Are you mocking me? Is this a joke to you? Ha! Even until now, you choose to keep looking down on me, huh?"

"What—?"

"I should've known better than to have ever loved you, Dame-Tsuna."

Snap.

The restraints on Ienari's ankles broke, its sound synonymous to the agonising hurt that seemed ro crack Tsuna's heart, right down to the middle.

And then Ienari burst into flames, his eyes the colour of muddy waters. What had once been pure and kind flames, warm and filled with life, were now murky and diluted – cold in its relentless cruelty.