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Just a caution! There is a mention of rape in this ficlet of mine and if you are not comfortable, please stop reading and return to wherever you came from.

Those times that I spent with you... I don't think I can forget them. I'll go on living my days out happily, for both you and I. I'll take care of our child for you too, so don't worry too much about us, okay? He claps his hands together and smiled softly, wiping the picture on the stone with his thumb. Getting off his knees, he kissed the picture in his wallet tenderly and held onto his daughter's hand, leading her back to the car. It's their daughter's eighth birthday this year and his wife's fifth death anniversary, the fifth year since his wife had passed on, leaving only their child behind.

---Eight years ago---

"Oi, Yamamoto! Don't throw things at me! You'll break my nose!" The boy laughed and rubbed the back of his nape, yelling a 'sorry' as he leaves the classroom before class starts. Feeling someone brush past him, he quickly looks around before noticing a familiar figure scurrying away with papers falling from the bag. Before he could stop her, she had already disappeared from sight and the papers were strewn over the floor. The baseball player picks them all up before they are stepped on and arranges them with a smile, wanting to bring it to her class when a soft voice stops him.

"Thank you for picking my papers up, Yamamoto-kun. Can I have them back?" He moves the stack aside to find a petite girl before him with her hand outstretched and smiled as he places them in her hands.

"You're welcome, Erin-chan." She lifts her head up, widening her eyes in shock when she notices that her name was written on the paper that was handed back to her. Bowing her head in thanks, she quickly disappears in the same manner as earlier and it was not before long that she is gone from sight. Come lunch, she is walking down the hallway when her name is yelled across it.

"Oi, Sakurai!" The people on either sides of the hallway suddenly make a route of some sorts, revealing the hot-blooded boxing club captain, who was grinning widely as he beckons her over. Erin quickly makes her way over, a small frown between her brows as she reaches him.

"How can I help you, Sasagawa-san?" The wide grin was still on his face as he gets her to follow him to the rooftop, where the Vongola family are hanging out.

"These are the people I want you to get to know! These first-years are really extreme!" Glancing at them, Erin felt uncomfortable with that many eyes on her but she bows her head with a small smile.

"I'm Sakurai Erin, a second-year. It's a pleasure to meet you." The boys that were there were from Tsuna's class, but Tsuna isn't there so Erin decides to return when Yamamoto springs up, stopping her.

"Erin-chan, I wanted to ask how did you know my name?" She consciously took a step back and glanced at the fence that prevented them from falling over before speaking.

"That's because I like watching the baseball games our school participates in and as a first year, Yamamoto-kun, you are rather good so that's why I knew of you." His mouth forms an 'o' as he slowly nods his head and he whips his phone out, handing it to her with a wide smile on his face, explaining when she looked at him, puzzled.

"I want to get your number so that we can talk about baseball together. I'm sure no one in your class is very interested in the sport, right?" She hesitates for a moment before taking the phone over and types in her number. Seeing as that there isn't much time left for lunch, Erin bows her head to take her leave and walks towards the entrance of the rooftop. Unbeknownst to them both, a soft smile had appeared on both their faces as they rested against the door with their backs.

Erin was walking into school the next day when some raven-hair had caught her attention. She looks to the side and finds the baseball player sitting under the tree next to the gate and he jumps to his feet the moment he sees her, jogging over to her. He had a somewhat sheepish look on his face as he rubs the back of his nape and looks aside.

"Good morning, Erin-chan. Sorry I didn't manage to message you last night since I was a little too tired." She shakes her head with a kind smile in reply to his words.

"It's fine. I was a little tired myself, so if you had messaged me, I'm not sure if I would remember to reply you." Their conversation came to an end and there was an awkward silence between the both. Come on, you can think of something to say! Yamamoto thought to himself and opened his mouth to begin a new topic when Tsuna comes crashing between the both of them. Erin immediately crouches down to help him up and brushed the dirt off his uniform.

"Jeez, Tsuna. Will you be more careful? It's painful to see you with so many wounds." The boy laughs as he rubs the back of his nape to her scolding, which held some form of tenderness in it. The more Yamamoto watched, the more he felt as though he was intruding onto something private, something that he wasn't supposed to be watching. So, without another word, he runs off to class and hides his face in the crook of his elbow, not lifting his head up even though class had started. He promptly left the classroom the moment the bell had rang, not wanting to explain to Tsuna about why he had ran off so suddenly. But he bumps into Erin on the rooftop instead, when he slams the door open.

"Yamamoto-kun?" Before he could get a chance to reply, the door comes flying back at full force, slamming itself into the boy's nose.

"Yamamoto-kun!" Erin rushes over and pulls her handkerchief out, making him tilt his head forward as she presses it to his nose. Her brows furrowed as she held the handkerchief in place and glanced at the boy, her cheeks flushing when she is suddenly aware of the close proximity they are in.

"Are you alright?" She asks gently, shaking him out of his daze and he snaps back to reality, nodding his head briefly. He takes the handkerchief over and smiled shortly, turning away from her as he settles down on the floor under the shade. The rest of the Vongola family files in one after the other and they all ask about Yamamoto's nose. His reply was the same: that he was fine and he just needed a bit of rest. He turns to Erin and gestures to the bloodied cloth.

"I'm sorry about this. I'll give it back to you, washed."

"Oh, it's fine. I have lots at home so you can take your time to get it cleaned."

"Yeah, it's fine since Erin has a lot of it at home." Tsuna cuts in and the girl knocks him on the head, embarrassed. So he calls her without any honorifics, huh? There's no mistaking it then... He couldn't help but feel dejected about the truth that he perceived but also happy that he had something of hers to keep. Something that was given to him by her. He excuses himself and leaves the group, walking down the rooftop with quick steps. The small frown from earlier returned as Erin stared at the now closed door and Tsuna waves his hand before her.

"You still don't want to tell him about your feelings?" She chewed on her bottom lip as she looked to the ground, unsure of what she wanted. Then she turns to the Tenth, placing her hands on his shoulders as she looked him in the eye.

"Tsuna, you'll help me, right?" The boy, although scared of what's to come, nods his head slowly. A smile appeared on her face as she releases the first-year, patting his shoulders as she did. Everything should be fine. The situation was not changed after a few days and Yamamoto was not eating with Tsuna anymore. Tsuna was then sent to the sushi shop where Yamamoto is and he bows to the older man behind the counter.

"Good evening. May I ask where Yamamoto-kun is?" The older man greets Tsuna happily and sends him into the dojo where his son is training. Bowing again, the first-year brunette makes his way in and calls out for his friend before sliding the door open. The angry expression on the friendly boy shocked Tsuna but he steeled himself and went ahead.

"Yamamoto-kun! Are you alright?" Lowering the bamboo sword, a smile came to Yamamoto's face as he nods and approached his friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What's wrong?" Gulping, Tsuna scratched the side of his neck and looked aside.

"Well, we were wondering if you were fine since you haven't been eating with us for the past few days. You seemed a little distant." Yamamoto raised the practice weapon in his hand and Tsuna flinched but he was only placing it back in its original position. As the taller boy turned back to face his friend, he was still smiling but the smile did not reach his eyes.

"I'm fine. I just came down with an illness and I didn't want to spread it to you guys, that's all." The shorter boy sighed in relief as he places a hand on his chest and smiled.

"Erin was worried about you too. She was wondering why you hadn't texted her but she didn't want to bother you by texting you first." Scratching the back of his head, Yamamoto seemed uncomfortable.

"About that. Tsuna, don't worry. I don't want to spoil our relationship as friends so I won't text her. She's your girlfriend and I didn't-"

"Wait!" Tsuna's shout cut the taller boy off and they both stare at each other in confusion.

"By girlfriend, you don't mean Erin, do you?" Yamamoto nods bitterly, the unhappiness that he had been hiding finally surfacing as he looks away. Why did his friend even look so shocked? Unless...

"She's not my girlfriend! The only girl that I like is Kyoko-chan, and Erin is a sister of some sort, so there's no way I would like her!" The baseball player slowly widens his eyes as he finally registers the information and he dashes out as he slips on his shoes, running at top speed to school. He spots her just as she is leaving school and he forces himself to run even faster.

"Erin-chan!" He shouts and stops her, allowing himself more time to reach her. She looks over at him, puzzled but stops for him, waiting for him to catch his breath when he arrived before her. Yamamoto is panting heavily, his hands on his knees and he is trying to catch his breath so that he can speak.

"Yamamoto-kun? Take your time. I have lots of time so you can catch your breath before you speak, okay?" There it was, the smile that had made him fall so hard. Straightening himself, he takes a deep breath and looks at her seriously. He hadn't thought of what he wanted to say to her but there was only one thing to be said and so he did.

"Will you meet me on the roofop before school starts tomorrow?" Tilting her head in slight confusion, she nods her head slowly and breaks into a smile.

"You could've told me this over a message or a phone call. You didn't need to run back to school just to tell me this, you know? You're still in your training clothing." She pointed out and he quickly looks down, embarrassed. He was so anxious that he had forgotten about everything else. With a promise to meet the next day, they both return to their own houses with anxious and nervous feelings. Erin ended up waking two hours earlier than usual and she began fretting about the possible conversations that might take place as well as her hairstyle. She catches herself when she sees her nervous face before the mirror and takes a deep breath. There's no point in trying to predict how everything might turn out, so she might as well just go to school and get it over with.

"I'm going to school before you, Tsuna!" She calls out and leaves the house, anxiety building up in her as she nears the building. With every step that she takes, she could hear the pounding of her heart getting louder and louder and when she finally stops before the door to the rooftop, she felt as though she could hardly breathe. She eases the door open quietly and finds the boy already there, her breath hitching when she sees the sight of his peaceful face. Just before she could run away, he calls out her name and she turns back to face him, the warm smile on his face melting away all her anxiety as she inches towards him.

"You got here pretty early, didn't you Yamamoto-kun?" He laughs nervously and nods his head, his hand finding its way to the back of his nape as usual. The silence that was between them was a awkward one as usual but Yamamoto decided to gather his courage and break the silence first.

"Um! I like you a lot! Ever since the start of school, I've noticed you. I saw how quiet you were and the small smiles that you tried to hide, they attracted me to you. Even though you were always alone, I didn't dare to approach you in fear that you would get scared of me. But I guess it was pretty stupid of me, right?" The boy laughs at himself as he rubs the back of his nape sheepishly, looking down at the floor. "Will you be my girlfriend?" He dared not look at her, afraid of what is to come.

"...it's the same for me." He tilts his head up when he hears her speak and finds her looking to the side with red cheeks. "I noticed you from the start of school as well, before you had started to attend baseball tournaments. You were always with someone and you were so cheerful all the time. Even at the tournaments, you always played with passion and I was attracted. That's why I'll say yes." Yamamoto stares as if he is unable to believe what he had just heard and it takes him one full minute before he reacts, wrapping his long arms around her as he jumps for joy.

"Congratulations!" The shouts separate the two almost immediately as they look at their schoolmates with wide eyes, blushes adorning both their cheeks.

"W-Why are you guys here?" Erin asked, glaring accusingly at Tsuna, who was grinning widely.

"Well, Yamamoto-kun decided that he would confess to you today. We couldn't miss it at all!" Stepping aside from Yamamoto, the second-year moves towards Tsuna to pull at his ear with her cheeks puffed up and her brows furrowed. The baseball player laughs at the scene and pulls his girlfriend aside, producing a box.

"I didn't know what to get you so I made you some sushi this morning. I hope they taste as good as I hope them to be." Picking one up, Erin chews on it thoughtfully and smiled afterwards, nodding her head.

"It tastes as good as I imagined it to be."

"Oh! Is that food?! Lambo-sama wants it too!" Laughing, she bends down to pick the boy up and feeds him one of it with a gentle smile. The afro-boy beams widely and demands for more after eating one, looking up at Erin as he chews on a ebi sushi.

"Erin-nee, would you be making this for our dinner tonight?"

"Hmm, if only Nana-san says okay. Then maybe Yamamoto-kun could come back with us to make you delicious sushi!" Said male tilts his head in slight confusion as he listens to the conversation between the kid and his girlfriend. Noticing the puzzled look on her boyfriend's face, Erin decides to explain.

"Ah, I live in Tsuna's house. As a relative of some sort."

"That's right! Erin-nee is really smart too, since she studies more than Tsuna but they are of the same age." The girl's cheeks flushed at the unexpected compliment and as a reward, she feeds the kid a sweet.

"Is that true? You're our age but you're a second year?" Yamamoto's increased volume attracted the eyes of their friends and they are soon surrounding the new couple, bombarding Erin with questions and compliments.Though she looked extremely embarrassed, she seemed to be enjoying herself, at least it seemed so to Yamamoto. The bell signalling the start of school rang and the group slowly dispersed, rest for the new couple, who lingered around. The baseball player tentatively took hold of her hand in his gently and looked at her with a shy expression.

"Are you sure you are fine with me? You could do so much better, though." Erin was the first to break the silence and a chuckle escaped his lips, a smile coming to his face as he shakes his head.

"You stole the words right from me. Are you fine with me as your boyfriend? I think I'm really inexperienced and all, and I might be in adequate..." Smiling in reply, the girl stood on the tip of her toes and planted a kiss on his cheeks, her thumbs caressing the back of his hands. She took a step back and smiled softly as she pulled the door open.

"Meet me here during lunch, okay? I have something for you too." Before he could reply, she was gone with the wind once again and he could only smile at the empty space before him. Lunch had never seemed so far away to Yamamoto and the moment the bell for lunch went off, he was out of the classroom and up the stairs towards the rooftop. He swings the door open quickly but much gentler and is pleasantly disappointed when he is greeted with the sight of no one. Dropping his shoulders in disappointment, he plops down before the fence and hugs his knees. Maybe it was all a daydream and Erin never became his girlfriend. But the door creaks open and there she was, with the smile that had made him fall so hard. She seemed really surprised to see the boy there and settles down next to him, her head tilted in puzzlement.

"Why are you here so quickly? I thought I was pretty fast myself and wanted to give you a surprise." She gasped at a sudden thought she had and looked at the boy with wide eyes.

"Don't tell me you skipped class-"

"Ah, I didn't! I ran here right after the bell rang." Both of them looked sheepish as they looked away from each other. Then, as if to dispel the awkward air around them, Erin produces a wrapped box and places it before Yamamoto with a smile. She prompts him to open it and when he does, he drops his jaw in shock. In it were egg rolls, cabbage, meat and fruits. All lined up in a very professional manner.

"You made this?" She tucks her hair behind her ear shyly and nods, glancing at her boyfriend.

"I thought that I should make something nutritious since Tsuna told me that you had been feeling unwell for the past few days. I hope you like it." Grinning widely, the male digs in almost immediately after thanking her for the food and closes his eyes in satisfaction. This bento was hands down one of the most delicious one he has ever tasted and he never felt so lucky to have Erin as his girlfriend before. Turning his head to look at her, he smiled widely and held out a egg roll for her to eat. She takes it in her mouth and chews thoughtfully.

"It tastes rather good."

"Right? I'm so lucky you decided to go out with me!"

"If you like it, I could make you lunch everyday." He widens his eyes at the statement before nodding excitedly. He just couldn't wait to taste this heavenly meal every single day.

Being Yamamoto Takeshi's girlfriend had its pros and cons and so far, Erin had been experiencing both. First, there was the missing shoes which were orchestrated by Yamamoto's fanclub. Then, there was the scribbling on her table, telling her to either break up with him or just die. Following that, her clothes often went missing and she had to attend classes in the wrong attire. Although she often brushes it off, it was rather hurtful to her and she had no way of stopping it from happening. Today, she was returning from the washroom when she finds a couple of girls going through her bag and she frowns, stepping forward to stop them when someone does it for her.

"What do you think you are doing?" The smile was gone from the baseball player's face as he stares down the girls who were frozen and they hurry out of the classroom, knocking into Erin. She could see him arranging her things neatly and his fingers went over the scrawls on her desk, a pained expression on his face as he frowns slightly. Not able to take it anymore, she goes to him and tugs on his sleeve, getting him to go to the rooftop with her.

"How long has this been going on for? Is it because of me?" The worry laced in his tone makes the smile on Erin's face soften as she reaches out to take hold of his hands and look up at him.

"Somehow, they found out but I'm okay. As long as I'm with you, I'm fine. They could go on like this for the whole year but I won't break up with you unless you tell me to do so." Hurt flashed in his eyes at the thought of what they were doing to her because of him and he envelopes her into his arms, burying his face in her hair as he holds on to her tightly. The door slams open and the boys from the Vongola Family in Namimori Middle pour in, worried expressions on their faces.

"Erin! We heard that you are being bullied. Are you okay?" Tsuna asks in his usual panicked face and frowns, looking at the girl with worry.

"How dare they bully the Tenth's relative? Tell me who they are, Erin-san, and I'll blow them all up!" Gokudera whips out his unlit dynamite, his cigarette already lit as he looked at her with determination.

"I'll make them stop to an extreme! Tell me who they are, Sakurai, and I'll stop them!" Ryohei brings up his fists and punches the air, nodding at Erin.

"I'll shoot them! Tell me who bullied you and I'll shoot them, Erin-nee! I'll blow them up too!" Lambo produces a grenade and a gun from his hair, aiming them at the boys, who immediately panic and scatter. Erin couldn't help but laugh at the scene, her spirits lifting at the sight of them having fun. Erin couldn't help but laugh at the scene, her spirits lifting at the sight of them having fun. She smiled lightly before turning to Yamamoto and plants a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you for worrying about me. I promise to take care of myself, if that helps to alleviate your worries." Still frowning, he rests his forehead against hers and looked at her, sighing softly.

"It doesn't, but I can only trust that Sasagawa-san will protect you while I am not around you during class." Giggling gently, she glanced to the boxing club captain then at Yamamoto before shaking her head.

"You know that's impossible, right? Given his passion for boxing and his gullible nature, I think I'm better off on my own." He laughed and nodded, agreeing to what she had just said.

"Thank you for worrying about me. I'll be fine, somehow." When she says those words, Yamamoto couldn't help but worry even more. Right after school, when Erin was about to head for the rooftop, she was dragged to the back of the school where the girls from earlier were waiting. The classmate who had lured Erin there quickly scampered away, afraid of those girls.

"Hey, you stupid mixed. Why don't you just get your ass back to your home country and quit trying to steal Takeshi and the other boys away from us?" She slams a hand onto the wall right next to Erin's ear but the latter doesn't even flinch as she stares back, unaffected at all. Glancing behind the leader, she sees three other people and take a deep breath.

"If you want Yamamoto-kun to fall for you guys, shouldn't you stop stunts like that? He hates these sort of things." SLAP. The brunette's face got twisted to the side from the impact and she could actually taste the blood that had oozed out. Her eyes remained calm as she kept her poker face and turned her head back to stare at her attacker.

"You'll never get Yamamoto-kun this way and I won't lose to you in terms of my feelings for him." A stifled laughter turns all their attention to the side where a few boys were at and all the females' eyes widened at the sight of the baseball player. Quickly stepping aside, Erin's attacker was at a loss as she attempts to explain herself and stutters over her words but he pays no heed to her as he keeps his eye on his girlfriend and walks over to her. Stretching out his arms, he envelopes her into a tight hug the moment he reaches her and buries his face in her hair, a wide smile on his face.

"I heard what you said and I'm really happy to hear it." Pulling back, he assessed the damage done to her and caressed her cheek with his thumb. He turns his head to the girls, his smile gone in an instant.

"You girls have five seconds to disappear. Or not, I'm going to be real angry. Five." They run away at the sound of him counting down and a smile appears on his lips when he looks to his girlfriend once more, the coldness in his eyes replaced with a warmth only reserved for her. Raising a hand, she pulls at his cheek with a soft smile as she looks at him.

"You didn't have to do that, you know? Now they are going to spread rumors about you." Wincing at the pull on his cheeks, Yamamoto gently tugs at his girlfriend's wrist to make her release the flesh and twists his lips to the side.

"I don't care. They were bullying you. You have to tell me when things like that happen." He frowns as he cups Erin's face with both his hands and she looks at him, a soft, melodic laugh escaping her pink lips. She returns the gesture and squishes his cheeks, grinning cheekily.

"I understand, mum. I'll tell you when I meet problems as such next time." Huffing, he releases her cheeks shortly after she does and he takes hold of her hand, bringing her to the rooftop, where the others were waiting. As they walked towards the front of the school building, they find Erin's wrapped box splattered on the floor, its content dirtying the concrete as the brown box contrasts the white ground. Yamamoto's hold on her hand tightens and his jaw hardens, with him immediately storming towards the stairs to head straight to her classroom. Slamming the door open the moment he arrives, he raises their intertwined hands and glares at every single one of them.

"If anyone tries anything with Erin-chan again, they'll face me. If anyone is unhappy, come to me, not take out your unhappiness on Erin-chan. You can't be angry at her because I fell in love with her." Said girl's cheeks flushed just as the rest of the girls in the class shriek at Yamamoto's use of words and they begin to shout out their protests.

"You're just confused, Takeshi!"

"That mixed girl must be lying to you!"

"You can't do this to us!"

"Why won't you look at us?!" To the last question, Yamamoto breaks into a smile as he looks at his girlfriend and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before glancing back at the horde of angry girls.

"That's because... Erin-chan is special. I'm not talking about her background but I'm talking about her personality. Her character. The way she carries herself. All of those, she has what you guys don't have and that is why she caught my attention instead. The way she is... Sempai-tachi cannot hope to catch up to her so I hope that you guys will leave her alone from now on." From that day on, the situation did improve but there were still some small revenge from time to time. Erin put up with those and did not tell Yamamoto a thing.

But there was a day when she was going home without Yamamoto and the others. Erin was walking along the streets absentmindedly and a van screeched to a stop before her, the people inside dragging her in before the vehicle drove off once more. The people who were restraining her movements were all male and one of them had a video camera. Her body stiffened when she felt a hand slide up her thigh and she thrashed about, screaming but a sharp strike to her cheeks makes her black out.

When she wakes up once more, they were just about to throw her out of the van and she falls to the gravel, staring at the faces of the men. As the van drives off, she takes note of the carplate number and stumbles to a bench nearby. A pain to her thigh tells her that this isn't a dream and that she was really raped earlier. Her phone rings loudly and a shaky hand brings it to her ears after she had answered the call.

"Erin-chan!? Where are you? I got so worried when Tsuna told me you weren't home!" The tears welled up in her eyes threatened to spill but she refused to let them fall and answered her boyfriend instead.

"Yamamoto-kun... I-" As she said his name, her resolve broke and her tears spilled over. Erin cried loudly and she rubbed at her eyes repeatedly, unsure of how to reply her worried boyfriend. She manages to describe the place to him and she buries her face in the crook of her elbow, not wanting to talk to her boyfriend but not wanting to hang up on him. With the assurance of his swift arrival, Yamamoto does arrive quickly and envelopes her into a tight hug the moment he sees her.

"Erin-chan... What happened?" Hearing the question alone seemed to have set of some trigger because her cries only become louder and she grips onto his vest tightly. Seeing that there was no way to get her to talk, Yamamoto could only guide her to his bicycle and give her a ride home. He notices her disheveled clothes and makes a few assumptions, which he can only confirm when she feels like talking.

"I don't want to go home now..." Glancing at her, he hums and smiled warmly.

"What about my house then? My dad makes some real good sushi and he would love to have you over!" Feeling as though any options except for home was better than nothing, she agreed with a nod and Yamamoto's smile widen as he squeezes Erin's hand tightly. He mounts the bicycle and waits for her to do the same before guiding her hands to wrap around his waist.

"Hold on tight!" He calls out and cycles at a leisure pace, bringing a small smile to the girl's face. As she rests her head on his back, she grips onto his vest tightly and smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Yamamoto-kun..." He says nothing in reply but only tightens his grip on the handles of his bicycle and they ride in silence until they reach the sushi shop. Yamamoto ushers her in after locking his bicycle in place and smiles when he sees no customers. Perfect.

"Dad! I brought someone over. Could you let them eat some food?" The older man smiles kindly and nods, gesturing for Erin to take a seat. He whips up a few tasty looking sushi in no time and serves it along with some green tea. She seemed to have calmed down after drinking the hot drink and she thanks the man for the food before eating it hesitantly.

"Yamamoto-san, your sushi tastes really good. Thank you for allowing me to have them."

"Takeshi! Your girlfriend is so polite! I approve." He nods a few times to show it and smiled warmly, touching the girl's heart. Feeling the tears prick at the corner of her eyes again, she excuses herself and leaves the restaurant. Yamamoto hastily chases after her and frowns slightly, holding her arms firmly.

"Erin-chan, if you want to, you can stay the night. My dad won't mind. Then, you can take your time and tell me everything, okay?" She nods her head while she keeps it down and Yamamoto barely suppresses a sigh. It was going to be hard to get her to talk about what had happened to her and he wanted to know so bad, so that he could help her. Even if it is by a little. He offers her a change of clothes after she takes a shower and she glances at the yukata displayed on the hanger outside the bathroom. After she had put it on, she shuffles to the living room of the house and finds Yamamoto sitting on the couch as he waits for her.

"Yamamoto-kun?" He looks up from the book he is reading and a slight blush appears on his cheeks when his eyes land on her, causing the baseball player to look away quickly. The first-year rubs the back of his nape awkwardly and walks over to his girlfriend, looking at her awkwardly.

"Um... you look really cute..." Her cheeks flush as well as she becomes flustered and she stutters.

"A-Ah, thank you..." The silence between them is a awkward but comfortable one. Gesturing to the couch, he invites her to take a seat and when they do, he steal glances at her. Both of them are unsure what to say and so they stay silent until Yamamoto remembers the reason he had invited her to stay over. Instead of asking her, he decides to let her do the talking.

"Did you tell Tsuna that you aren't going back tonight?"

"Ah, yes. I did. I called him earlier and he said that he would tell Nana-san for me, so I'll be fine to stay over tonight." He nods to her reply and glances at her again, opening his mouth to say something but she surprises him by wrapping her arms around his waist as she buries her face in his chest. Yamamoto's hand hovers over her back for a moment before it descends and pats her gently. He could feel her grip tighten on his shirt, the material getting balled up in her fist. Saying nothing else, he moves his other hand to stroke her hair with a feather-light touch. Although he hears sniffling, he asks nothing and simply gives her his company as he continues to comfort wordlessly.

"I'm sorry, Yamamoto-kun... I-I was-" Her words got cut off as she chokes on her own sobs and he takes hold of her face in his hands, wiping her tears away with his thumbs as he smiles warmly.

"It's okay. Take your time. I'll be here as long as you need me to be." His gentle and kind tone caused more tears to pour from her eyes as she shifts to throw her arms around the boy's neck instead, crying into his shoulder. Smiling softly, he strokes her hair with one hand and rubs soothing circles onto her back with the other. Erin calms down around half an hour later and her sobs turn into sniffles as she continues to hold onto Yamamoto, who never ceased his comfort. She pulls back and rubs at her eyes, keeping her head down. Not wanting to pressure her, Yamamoto says nothing but pats her head and tousles her hair gently.

"I-I was raped just now... It happened when I was walking home. I tried to stop them but I couldn't. They were bigger and older than me and I just-" The baseball player cuts her off with a tight hug and Erin cries again, unknowingly. Her hands that were slack by her side wrapped around him once more and they ball up into fists as she squeezes her eyes shut, allowing herself to be comforted by Yamamoto's presence.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I failed as your boyfriend. I'm sorry, Erin, I'm so sorry." Her eyelids fly open at his apology and she tries to pull back, wanting to tell him that it wasn't his fault but his hold on her is tight as he continues to hold her against his chest. She could feel his anger radiating off of him, projected at himself.

"Yamamoto-kun..." The couple cried together for hours as they held each other, desperately trying to fix the void created by the sudden disturbance in their relationship. Somehow, they had made it to the boy's room and they woke up, still in each other's arms. A lazy smile was on Yamamoto's face when he felt Erin stir in his arms and he opened his eyes, finding that she was doing the same as well. Suddenly, he had the urge to just bend down and give her a kiss, which he did and that greatly surprised her. She jerked backwards and knocked her head on the wall, causing Yamamoto to laugh heartily and repeat his actions on her forehead.

"I felt like doing that... Is it okay with you?" She nods shyly to his question and shifts a little so that she could plant her own lips on his cheek. They lay around in bed for a while more before Yamamoto's father knocks on the door and calls for his son. The raven-haired male pulls away and plants a soft peck on Erin's forehead before leaving the bed and go to his father. Erin, on the other hand, took her time to get out of bed and realized that Yamamoto had left his clothes on the chair, and she took a moment to think before changing into them, finding them more comfortable than the yukata she dons. She descends the stairs into the living room after washing up and finds the father and son there, bringing a few dishes of food out from the kitchen. The raven-haired boy freezes in his place, causing his father to chuckle loudly and pat him on the back rather hard.

"Takeshi! Go talk to your girlfriend instead of staring at her like some idiot!" Yamamoto flashes an embarrassed expression before setting the dish on the table and rubs the back of his nape as he approaches her. He looks around awkwardly before his eyes settle down on his clothes and a blush appears on his cheeks.

"Ah, do you want some food? My dad made breakfast for us." She nods and walks down the remaining steps, pausing next to him. Unable to resist it, the baseball player pulls her close and plants his lips on hers, pulling back very slowly before resting his forehead against hers with a soft smile.

"I like how you look like in my clothes." Erin could feel her cheeks burn as she looks back at him and opens her mouth to say something when Yamamoto's father clears his throat, making both of them jump away from each other and look away in embarrassment. The older man chuckles and shakes his head, gesturing for both of them to come to the table for food. The girl settles down next to her boyfriend and they wait until Yamamoto's father starts to eat before doing so themselves. After they are done with their meal and washing the dishes, Yamamoto brings Erin out for a ride on his bicycle to the river.

"I like coming here because it's so quiet here. You can barely hear any cars and it's really windy. Also, practically no one comes here so it's awesome for a nap at times." Erin nods her head to his words, enjoying the gentle breeze blowing her way as she watches the river flow. As he lays on his back, he tugs on her arm and pulls her down with him, smiling brightly at her. Many thoughts ran through her mind at that time but she turned to lie on her side and rested her head on his arm, watching him as he looked at the sky with a content smile.

"Yamamoto-kun... Are you sure you're fine with me now? I... I'm no longer..." She cuts herself off, tears streaming down her cheeks now as she covers her face, not wanting to see Yamamoto's reaction. He twists his body so that he is facing her and he gently holds the hand that is covering her face, prying it open with as little strength as he can use. The gentle expression on his makes more tears spill over as Erin feels even more guilty, faced with such kindness.

"Erin, it wasn't your fault. It was never your fault. Don't feel sorry for something that you didn't do. I love you as my girlfriend, and no matter what, I will always love you. To me, you will always be pure and kind. So please don't ever think of yourself as dirty or whatsoever." The ache in her heart was both sweet and bitter but she manages to nod to his words, burying her face in his chest as she clutches onto him desperately. He answers with a tight hug of his and he takes in her scent, a faint, flowery smell. They stay like that until they feel a drop of water falling onto their arms, more following and it turns into a storm. As they scramble onto Yamamoto's bicycle, he quickly takes them to the nearest shelter where they stay as they wait for the rain to stop. Erin glances at the tall boy while she wrings her hair dry and finds that his hair was a mess. A laugh escaped her lips and Yamamoto blinks in curiosity, catching his reflection from the vending machine and they laugh together.

"Erin-chan, from today onward, call me by my first name, okay? I don't want to be the only one doing it."

"...Takeshi." She calls out, a furious red on her cheeks as she avoids his gaze and stares at the pouring rain. He comes into her view and playfully plants his lips on hers, and they share a sweet kiss under the shelter. When the rain finally stops, they return to Yamamoto's house. The baseball player leaves the room to allow the girl to change into her clothes and without thinking, he pushes the door open. A shriek could be heard and he dumbly stares at the half-naked body of his girlfriend's.

"T-Takeshi!" She quickly covers up and Yamamoto snaps out of it, rubbing the back of his nape sheepishly. When she turns her back on him, he couldn't help but wrap his arms around her and hold her against himself.

"T-Takeshi?" Her voice seemed so alluring to him all of a sudden and he turned her around to plant his lips on hers. Though surprised, she slowly but hesitantly returns the kiss. His kiss grow more desperate as he slowly but surely moves her closer to the bed, making the both of them fall onto it. Pulling away, he searches her eyes but she initiates a fearful kiss of her own and he knew that he couldn't help it anymore. There were a few stops on the way but when they were done, Erin didn't feel so scared of a man's touch anymore. She felt safe in the arms of her boyfriend and she was sure that she wanted to stay with him as long as she could.

A few days later, Yamamoto stops a group of second-years in the hallway and leads them to the back of the school, taking a deep breath before he begins.

"There was an incident that happened to Erin. Was it your faults?" Their eyes go wide in fear and they vehemently deny it, but Yamamoto already knew the truth and he slams his fist onto the wall, his fury evident.

"Do not lie to me. I can be nice, but not when you've done this to my girlfriend!" He barely suppresses the growing volume of his voice and the girl collapses, afraid.

"I-I reported them to the police already... I just wanted them to scare her..." She broke down in tears and covered her face, her head hanging in shame. The other girls come to her side and begin to comfort her, looking up at Yamamoto for a sign that he is no longer angry. But there was no such sign. In fact, he looked angrier than before and he leaned in closer.

"Don't ever do it again." He left after saying what he wanted to and found his girlfriend waiting for him patiently on the rooftop. A smile made its way to his face almost immediately and he sneaks up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. The squeal that comes out of her mouth makes him laugh heartily and he buries his face in the crook of her neck.

"T-Takeshi! It's ticklish!" He pulls back, a cheeky grin on his face.

"Is that so? Then... what about this?" Slender fingers began to tickle at her sides and she falls back, laughing uncontrollably. Erin pushes at his chest but he is heavier than her and so her attempts were unsuccessful. He stops after a while and she looks up at him, her cheeks flushing when she realizes the short distance between them. She turns her head aside, feeling embarrassed.

"T-Takeshi, could you please move?" The boy hums but makes no move to shift from his position and just as the brunette turns her head back, she feels his soft lips against hers and her eyes widen. Although surprised, she also does not move and replies with a little pressure of her own.

"Erin-!" Yamamoto rolls off the girl almost immediately and they turned away from each other with red faces.

"Ah, sorry for the interruption-" Tsuna says with a sheepish look and they settle down around the couple, wide grins on their faces. The teasing doesn't stop for days, until Erin stops attending school altogether. At first, Tsuna gives the excuse that she is unwell and therefore the few days off. But gradually, he doesn't even offer an excuse and simply says that he does not know. She no longer replies to his messages and when he visits her at her house, Tsuna's mother would politely tell him that she is not well enough to accept visitors and that she would tell Erin that Yamamoto came by. But, there were still no messages from her telling him about her condition. A week passed by and Yamamoto was feeling really terrible, lazily unlocking the screen of his phone when it rings. His head shoots off the table when he sees who is the sender of the message and his eyes widen, quickly going over each and every word of the message. Picking up his bag, he runs out of the classroom and heads towards the river. There, he found his girlfriend waiting as she enjoyed the gentle breeze and his bag slipped out of his grip. The sound it made caught her attention and she turned around, a soft smile appearing on her face.

"Takeshi." The moment his name rolled off her tongue, he ran towards her and enveloped her in a tight hug, inhaling her scent as much as he could. She allowed him to continue showering his affections on her and lightly pats him on his back.

"Where have you been? I was so worried that something had happened." He asks as he pulls away and his eyes search her face, as if to see if there was any difference.

"I'm fine now. I had a bad cold, so Nana-san wanted me to recuperate at home."

"No wonder. You look so pale." She laughs lightly as she rests her hand on his hand that was cupping her cheek and she squeezed it lightly, a soft smile on her face. Closing her eyes, she nuzzles her cheek into his palm and her smile becomes content. Yamamoto rests his other hand on her other cheek and gives her a soft kiss on her lips, pulling away to rest his forehead against hers.

"You're not allowed to get sick or leave me alone anymore, okay?" Another laugh escapes her lips at his words and the brunette nods her head as she brushes her nose against his, a grin appearing on her face. She pulls away and gets to her feet, the wind blowing at her dress as she stood and held her hand out to him. He takes it but pushes himself up and he takes her hand in his, leading her to his bag.

"Since I'm out of school, let's go for a date!" Erin nods her head in agreement and she swings their intertwined hands as they walk into town. They visit the arcade, where Yamamoto gets a stuffed toy for Erin. Then they go to the cake shop, where they share a piece of cheesecake because neither of them have enough for two. Finally, they go to Yamamoto's house, where they chill for a bit before the baseball player initiates a kiss, which leads them into bed afterwards. He rests on the bed and stares at the ceiling as Erin rests her head on his arm. He was thinks to himself that this happiness would surely last and he fell asleep with a smile on his face. When he wakes up again, however, he is alone and the only trace of Erin left is a small note on his table. He picks it up and reads it.

To: Takeshi

I'm sorry to spring this on you all of a sudden but...I think it is best if we broke up.

I mean, I cannot handle your fan-girls.

Be it in class or outside, they pester me and I thought to myself that I could do it.

But the truth is that I cannot.

Today's date was in hopes that we part in good memory

and I hope you had as much fun as I did during the short time that we were together.

Thank you for the memories.

Erin

The note falls from his hands and he stumbles backwards, his brain struggling to process the words he had just read. His hand immediately reaches for the phone on his desk and he dials the number from memory.

"Erin?! Tell me this is just another joke of yours, please. This can't be true, right? You can't be-"

"Yamamoto-kun." The voice that cuts him off is cold and he instantly falls silent. There is a period of silence before Erin decides to continue, thinking that the boy is going to listen to what she has to say.

"What I wrote... all of it is true. But I was glad that you chose me as your girlfriend. Please move on from now on, okay?" Just before the call is cut off, he hears a violent fit of coughs and he couldn't even get a word in, the beeping sound greeting him. When the weekend is over, he attends school in the hopes of seeing the girl once more but is disappointed at the news of her withdrawal from school.

"Sensei, did she say why she is withdrawing?" The teacher hesitates at the question Yamamoto poses but replies with a 'don't know' and carries on with lessons. Baseball practice becomes painful, because he is reminded of how she would sit by the sidelines and wait for him, cheering when he hits a homerun. The shoe lockers turn into a place for anger, because he has to be reminded every single day that she is no longer around. His friends try to cheer him up and he began to learn how fake smiles work. The walk home gradually becomes better, but whenever he passes by a cat, he is reminded of her love for animals. He can no longer stay in his room other than to sleep, because he is reminded of how she would coach him on his homework and the times they spent playing around in there. But he can't go to the river anymore either, because he can't stay there without remembering her gentle smile. The rest of his days were hell.

Yamamoto Takeshi has now graduated from high school and he looks at Tsuna with a proud smile, the failure buddies managing to get through school without being retained. Of course, Reborn was there to help but they made it through with their own efforts. The smile falls from Tsuna's face and he quickly tugs on Yamamoto's sleeve, dragging him out of school. The baseball player's questions were not answered as he was pulled in the direction of the hospital. They arrive at the Intensive Care Unit and the raven-haired boy frowns. Just what in the world were they there for? But the sight of his first love answered everything.

"...Takeshi?" Her weak voice makes his legs move on their own as he drops to his knees next to her bed and his hands holds her petite ones in his.

"Hey. You look... different..." She attempts to laugh but the coughs take over instead and Yamamoto immediately uses his free hand to pat her back to soothe her. A ghost of her gentle smile appears as she looks at him.

"I know. I look horrible. I didn't want you to see me like this but... I wanted to see you for the last time."

"T-The last time? What are you talking about?" He knows exactly what it implies but he continues to deny it, his eyes desperately searching hers for a sign of a joke. For a sign that she would just jump out of bed and say that it was a prank. But there was none.

"Please say your last words. Her heart rate is slowing down already." The doctor cuts in and the boy widens his eyes, his hold on her hand growing desperate.

"N-No! Not when we just met each other again!" The tears that he had been holding back for the past five years begin to spill over and roll down his cheeks, his hand moving to hold her fragile body in his arms once more. Her body was lighter than he had remembered. She had really became very ill. Maybe that was why she broke up with him.

"Takeshi, please listen... I love you... A lot. And... I'm sorry." Her eyelids flutter shut and the beeping of the machine turns into a flat sound, signaling the end of her life. The tears don't stop falling but Yamamoto's brain stops functioning as he stares at her face. She seemed so peaceful, as if she was asleep. That's right. She fell asleep, that's all. She'll wake up in a few hours.

"Erin...? Why did you fall asleep? We have so much more to talk about. You have to explain to me about everything, okay?"

"Yamamoto-kun, we have to let the doctors do their jobs."

"What are you talking about? Erin fell asleep. I need to wait until she wakes up before I can talk to her." Tsuna exchange nervous glances with both Gokudera and Ryohei before swallowing.

"Erin is no longer around. She's dead. She's-"

"Shut up! That's not true! She simple fell asleep, Tsuna! Why are you saying that?!" Tsuna purses his lips and grabs hold of one of Yamamoto's arms, beginning to drag him out of the room. Gokudera helps to pull him away from Erin's body and he thrashes around but with Ryohei's help, they successfully bring him out.

"Erin left you a letter. I think you should read it." Tsuna says once he sees that Yamamoto had calmed down a little on the bench and he places a envelope in the boy's lap before walking away to allow him some time alone. He stares at the white rectangular envelope before he takes it in his hands and he reads the cover. It was Erin's handwriting and that made him smile a little. His fingers move along the edges of it and he pulls open the flap, revealing a few pieces of folded paper in it. His fingers dip in to pull them out and he unfolds them, his eyes going through them.

To: Takeshi

If you have gotten this letter, it must mean that I am no longer around.

Ah, that sounds rather depressing, doesn't it?

Haha. Well, Takeshi- Ah, Yamamoto-kun, it should be a few years after we have broken up, shouldn't it?

This year is the fifth years since we have broken up, right?

If you're reading this letter, it must mean that you know of my illness.

Or you may not, since I told Tsuna and the others not to say a word.

Don't worry, I'll explain it now.

What I have, is lung cancer.

I was in my second stage, transitioning to my third stage when I broke up with you.

That would explain why I was always coughing around you.

To be honest, I did not bother about it since it was curable but... I started coughing up blood and I thought that I was going to die soon.

To prevent you from getting hurt, I got selfish and pushed you away without thinking about how you may feel.

But if I had to go through it again, I will not change my decision.

Yes, you may feel hurt but you will get over this pain.

I believe in you.

I think you can find someone better than me as well, so please do.

I don't mean to burden you or anything but please, even if you were to find another woman, take care of our child in my stead.

Yamamoto tears his eyes away from the letter he had just read and furrowed his brows in confusion. Our child? It was then he noticed a girl around the age of five standing next to the ward Erin was in. Her eyes reminded him of Erin and his own widens. He sets aside the pieces of paper and beckons the child over, bending lower to meet her eyes.

"Hi there. What are you doing in the hospital?" She stares at him for a moment, then at the envelop that held Erin's letter to him before looking back at him and she points at it.

"Daddy... Mummy..." Yamamoto looks at the letters as well and he wraps the child in his arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck. There was something, someone left as a remembrance of Erin.

"Continue to read..." The raven-haired male nods and scoops the child up, placing her on his lap before picking up the letter addressed to him.

Our child is a lovely girl and she is four this year.

Her name is Akiko. I hope you don't mind me naming her as such.

I thought of several others, but because she is the light of my life as you are, I thought Akiko would be a suitable name.

Now, where was I? Ah, at my illness.

Remember that one week I did not attend school nor reply to your messages?

That was because I was in the hospital, where I got to know of my cancer.

It's ironic, really. When I found out that I was about to die, a few months later, I found out that I have a child.

I thought of aborting it but then I thought you might resent me for it, so I kept the child.

I fought so hard to keep her alive and she came out healthy.

However, she still has trouble speaking though she is four and so I brought her for a check-up.

It turns out that she is autistic.

I'm sorry that our child is like that.

It's my fault, so don't ever scold her.

Please treat her with the utmost care and tend to her whenever she needs you.

I remember the first time I saw you.

You probably don't remember. Ha ha.

You were new in school and you asked around for directions but all the people around you were first-years and you had thought I was a first-year as well.

You comforted me, telling me not to feel anxious.

Subsequently, I saw just how much passion you had for baseball and really... I fell for that, like your typical teenage girl.

I thank you for everything that you had given me and I have only one question.

Were you happy? If you were, I'm glad and if you weren't... I'm sorry.

Oops, looks like my time for medicine is here.

I'm writing this because I think that I'm going to pass away in a few days' time.

Hope I'm wrong.

I'm going to be selfish for the one last time and ask you to meet me.

If you really do come, I think I'll be satisfied.

Thank you for everything, Takeshi. I wish you all the best in life.

Good bye.

I loved you, and I always will.

Sakurai Erin

The tears that had stopped began to fall once more but there was a wry smile on his face this time. His daughter looked at him in confusion and wiped his tears away with her tiny hands, causing his smile to soften as he held her tightly.

"Thank you, Akiko... Thank you for being born. Thank you for being our child."

Description
Just a caution! There is a mention of rape in this ficlet of mine and if you are not comfortable, please stop reading and return to wherever you came from.

Those times that I spent with you... I don't think I can forget them. I'll go on living my days out happily, for both you and I. I'll take care of our child for you too, so don't worry too much about us, okay? He claps his hands together and smiled softly, wiping the picture on the stone with his thumb. Getting off his knees, he kissed the picture in his wallet tenderly and held onto his daughter's hand, leading her back to the car. It's their daughter's eighth birthday this year and his wife's fifth death anniversary, the fifth year since his wife had passed on, leaving only their child behind.

---Eight years ago---

"Oi, Yamamoto! Don't throw things at me! You'll break my nose!" The boy laughed and rubbed the back of his nape, yelling a 'sorry' as he leaves the classroom before class starts. Feeling someone brush past him, he quickly looks around before noticing a familiar figure scurrying away with papers falling from the bag. Before he could stop her, she had already disappeared from sight and the papers were strewn over the floor. The baseball player picks them all up before they are stepped on and arranges them with a smile, wanting to bring it to her class when a soft voice stops him.

"Thank you for picking my papers up, Yamamoto-kun. Can I have them back?" He moves the stack aside to find a petite girl before him with her hand outstretched and smiled as he places them in her hands.

"You're welcome, Erin-chan." She lifts her head up, widening her eyes in shock when she notices that her name was written on the paper that was handed back to her. Bowing her head in thanks, she quickly disappears in the same manner as earlier and it was not before long that she is gone from sight. Come lunch, she is walking down the hallway when her name is yelled across it.

"Oi, Sakurai!" The people on either sides of the hallway suddenly make a route of some sorts, revealing the hot-blooded boxing club captain, who was grinning widely as he beckons her over. Erin quickly makes her way over, a small frown between her brows as she reaches him.

"How can I help you, Sasagawa-san?" The wide grin was still on his face as he gets her to follow him to the rooftop, where the Vongola family are hanging out.

"These are the people I want you to get to know! These first-years are really extreme!" Glancing at them, Erin felt uncomfortable with that many eyes on her but she bows her head with a small smile.

"I'm Sakurai Erin, a second-year. It's a pleasure to meet you." The boys that were there were from Tsuna's class, but Tsuna isn't there so Erin decides to return when Yamamoto springs up, stopping her.

"Erin-chan, I wanted to ask how did you know my name?" She consciously took a step back and glanced at the fence that prevented them from falling over before speaking.

"That's because I like watching the baseball games our school participates in and as a first year, Yamamoto-kun, you are rather good so that's why I knew of you." His mouth forms an 'o' as he slowly nods his head and he whips his phone out, handing it to her with a wide smile on his face, explaining when she looked at him, puzzled.

"I want to get your number so that we can talk about baseball together. I'm sure no one in your class is very interested in the sport, right?" She hesitates for a moment before taking the phone over and types in her number. Seeing as that there isn't much time left for lunch, Erin bows her head to take her leave and walks towards the entrance of the rooftop. Unbeknownst to them both, a soft smile had appeared on both their faces as they rested against the door with their backs.

Erin was walking into school the next day when some raven-hair had caught her attention. She looks to the side and finds the baseball player sitting under the tree next to the gate and he jumps to his feet the moment he sees her, jogging over to her. He had a somewhat sheepish look on his face as he rubs the back of his nape and looks aside.

"Good morning, Erin-chan. Sorry I didn't manage to message you last night since I was a little too tired." She shakes her head with a kind smile in reply to his words.

"It's fine. I was a little tired myself, so if you had messaged me, I'm not sure if I would remember to reply you." Their conversation came to an end and there was an awkward silence between the both. Come on, you can think of something to say! Yamamoto thought to himself and opened his mouth to begin a new topic when Tsuna comes crashing between the both of them. Erin immediately crouches down to help him up and brushed the dirt off his uniform.

"Jeez, Tsuna. Will you be more careful? It's painful to see you with so many wounds." The boy laughs as he rubs the back of his nape to her scolding, which held some form of tenderness in it. The more Yamamoto watched, the more he felt as though he was intruding onto something private, something that he wasn't supposed to be watching. So, without another word, he runs off to class and hides his face in the crook of his elbow, not lifting his head up even though class had started. He promptly left the classroom the moment the bell had rang, not wanting to explain to Tsuna about why he had ran off so suddenly. But he bumps into Erin on the rooftop instead, when he slams the door open.

"Yamamoto-kun?" Before he could get a chance to reply, the door comes flying back at full force, slamming itself into the boy's nose.

"Yamamoto-kun!" Erin rushes over and pulls her handkerchief out, making him tilt his head forward as she presses it to his nose. Her brows furrowed as she held the handkerchief in place and glanced at the boy, her cheeks flushing when she is suddenly aware of the close proximity they are in.

"Are you alright?" She asks gently, shaking him out of his daze and he snaps back to reality, nodding his head briefly. He takes the handkerchief over and smiled shortly, turning away from her as he settles down on the floor under the shade. The rest of the Vongola family files in one after the other and they all ask about Yamamoto's nose. His reply was the same: that he was fine and he just needed a bit of rest. He turns to Erin and gestures to the bloodied cloth.

"I'm sorry about this. I'll give it back to you, washed."

"Oh, it's fine. I have lots at home so you can take your time to get it cleaned."

"Yeah, it's fine since Erin has a lot of it at home." Tsuna cuts in and the girl knocks him on the head, embarrassed. So he calls her without any honorifics, huh? There's no mistaking it then... He couldn't help but feel dejected about the truth that he perceived but also happy that he had something of hers to keep. Something that was given to him by her. He excuses himself and leaves the group, walking down the rooftop with quick steps. The small frown from earlier returned as Erin stared at the now closed door and Tsuna waves his hand before her.

"You still don't want to tell him about your feelings?" She chewed on her bottom lip as she looked to the ground, unsure of what she wanted. Then she turns to the Tenth, placing her hands on his shoulders as she looked him in the eye.

"Tsuna, you'll help me, right?" The boy, although scared of what's to come, nods his head slowly. A smile appeared on her face as she releases the first-year, patting his shoulders as she did. Everything should be fine. The situation was not changed after a few days and Yamamoto was not eating with Tsuna anymore. Tsuna was then sent to the sushi shop where Yamamoto is and he bows to the older man behind the counter.

"Good evening. May I ask where Yamamoto-kun is?" The older man greets Tsuna happily and sends him into the dojo where his son is training. Bowing again, the first-year brunette makes his way in and calls out for his friend before sliding the door open. The angry expression on the friendly boy shocked Tsuna but he steeled himself and went ahead.

"Yamamoto-kun! Are you alright?" Lowering the bamboo sword, a smile came to Yamamoto's face as he nods and approached his friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What's wrong?" Gulping, Tsuna scratched the side of his neck and looked aside.

"Well, we were wondering if you were fine since you haven't been eating with us for the past few days. You seemed a little distant." Yamamoto raised the practice weapon in his hand and Tsuna flinched but he was only placing it back in its original position. As the taller boy turned back to face his friend, he was still smiling but the smile did not reach his eyes.

"I'm fine. I just came down with an illness and I didn't want to spread it to you guys, that's all." The shorter boy sighed in relief as he places a hand on his chest and smiled.

"Erin was worried about you too. She was wondering why you hadn't texted her but she didn't want to bother you by texting you first." Scratching the back of his head, Yamamoto seemed uncomfortable.

"About that. Tsuna, don't worry. I don't want to spoil our relationship as friends so I won't text her. She's your girlfriend and I didn't-"

"Wait!" Tsuna's shout cut the taller boy off and they both stare at each other in confusion.

"By girlfriend, you don't mean Erin, do you?" Yamamoto nods bitterly, the unhappiness that he had been hiding finally surfacing as he looks away. Why did his friend even look so shocked? Unless...

"She's not my girlfriend! The only girl that I like is Kyoko-chan, and Erin is a sister of some sort, so there's no way I would like her!" The baseball player slowly widens his eyes as he finally registers the information and he dashes out as he slips on his shoes, running at top speed to school. He spots her just as she is leaving school and he forces himself to run even faster.

"Erin-chan!" He shouts and stops her, allowing himself more time to reach her. She looks over at him, puzzled but stops for him, waiting for him to catch his breath when he arrived before her. Yamamoto is panting heavily, his hands on his knees and he is trying to catch his breath so that he can speak.

"Yamamoto-kun? Take your time. I have lots of time so you can catch your breath before you speak, okay?" There it was, the smile that had made him fall so hard. Straightening himself, he takes a deep breath and looks at her seriously. He hadn't thought of what he wanted to say to her but there was only one thing to be said and so he did.

"Will you meet me on the roofop before school starts tomorrow?" Tilting her head in slight confusion, she nods her head slowly and breaks into a smile.

"You could've told me this over a message or a phone call. You didn't need to run back to school just to tell me this, you know? You're still in your training clothing." She pointed out and he quickly looks down, embarrassed. He was so anxious that he had forgotten about everything else. With a promise to meet the next day, they both return to their own houses with anxious and nervous feelings. Erin ended up waking two hours earlier than usual and she began fretting about the possible conversations that might take place as well as her hairstyle. She catches herself when she sees her nervous face before the mirror and takes a deep breath. There's no point in trying to predict how everything might turn out, so she might as well just go to school and get it over with.

"I'm going to school before you, Tsuna!" She calls out and leaves the house, anxiety building up in her as she nears the building. With every step that she takes, she could hear the pounding of her heart getting louder and louder and when she finally stops before the door to the rooftop, she felt as though she could hardly breathe. She eases the door open quietly and finds the boy already there, her breath hitching when she sees the sight of his peaceful face. Just before she could run away, he calls out her name and she turns back to face him, the warm smile on his face melting away all her anxiety as she inches towards him.

"You got here pretty early, didn't you Yamamoto-kun?" He laughs nervously and nods his head, his hand finding its way to the back of his nape as usual. The silence that was between them was a awkward one as usual but Yamamoto decided to gather his courage and break the silence first.

"Um! I like you a lot! Ever since the start of school, I've noticed you. I saw how quiet you were and the small smiles that you tried to hide, they attracted me to you. Even though you were always alone, I didn't dare to approach you in fear that you would get scared of me. But I guess it was pretty stupid of me, right?" The boy laughs at himself as he rubs the back of his nape sheepishly, looking down at the floor. "Will you be my girlfriend?" He dared not look at her, afraid of what is to come.

"...it's the same for me." He tilts his head up when he hears her speak and finds her looking to the side with red cheeks. "I noticed you from the start of school as well, before you had started to attend baseball tournaments. You were always with someone and you were so cheerful all the time. Even at the tournaments, you always played with passion and I was attracted. That's why I'll say yes." Yamamoto stares as if he is unable to believe what he had just heard and it takes him one full minute before he reacts, wrapping his long arms around her as he jumps for joy.

"Congratulations!" The shouts separate the two almost immediately as they look at their schoolmates with wide eyes, blushes adorning both their cheeks.

"W-Why are you guys here?" Erin asked, glaring accusingly at Tsuna, who was grinning widely.

"Well, Yamamoto-kun decided that he would confess to you today. We couldn't miss it at all!" Stepping aside from Yamamoto, the second-year moves towards Tsuna to pull at his ear with her cheeks puffed up and her brows furrowed. The baseball player laughs at the scene and pulls his girlfriend aside, producing a box.

"I didn't know what to get you so I made you some sushi this morning. I hope they taste as good as I hope them to be." Picking one up, Erin chews on it thoughtfully and smiled afterwards, nodding her head.

"It tastes as good as I imagined it to be."

"Oh! Is that food?! Lambo-sama wants it too!" Laughing, she bends down to pick the boy up and feeds him one of it with a gentle smile. The afro-boy beams widely and demands for more after eating one, looking up at Erin as he chews on a ebi sushi.

"Erin-nee, would you be making this for our dinner tonight?"

"Hmm, if only Nana-san says okay. Then maybe Yamamoto-kun could come back with us to make you delicious sushi!" Said male tilts his head in slight confusion as he listens to the conversation between the kid and his girlfriend. Noticing the puzzled look on her boyfriend's face, Erin decides to explain.

"Ah, I live in Tsuna's house. As a relative of some sort."

"That's right! Erin-nee is really smart too, since she studies more than Tsuna but they are of the same age." The girl's cheeks flushed at the unexpected compliment and as a reward, she feeds the kid a sweet.

"Is that true? You're our age but you're a second year?" Yamamoto's increased volume attracted the eyes of their friends and they are soon surrounding the new couple, bombarding Erin with questions and compliments.Though she looked extremely embarrassed, she seemed to be enjoying herself, at least it seemed so to Yamamoto. The bell signalling the start of school rang and the group slowly dispersed, rest for the new couple, who lingered around. The baseball player tentatively took hold of her hand in his gently and looked at her with a shy expression.

"Are you sure you are fine with me? You could do so much better, though." Erin was the first to break the silence and a chuckle escaped his lips, a smile coming to his face as he shakes his head.

"You stole the words right from me. Are you fine with me as your boyfriend? I think I'm really inexperienced and all, and I might be in adequate..." Smiling in reply, the girl stood on the tip of her toes and planted a kiss on his cheeks, her thumbs caressing the back of his hands. She took a step back and smiled softly as she pulled the door open.

"Meet me here during lunch, okay? I have something for you too." Before he could reply, she was gone with the wind once again and he could only smile at the empty space before him. Lunch had never seemed so far away to Yamamoto and the moment the bell for lunch went off, he was out of the classroom and up the stairs towards the rooftop. He swings the door open quickly but much gentler and is pleasantly disappointed when he is greeted with the sight of no one. Dropping his shoulders in disappointment, he plops down before the fence and hugs his knees. Maybe it was all a daydream and Erin never became his girlfriend. But the door creaks open and there she was, with the smile that had made him fall so hard. She seemed really surprised to see the boy there and settles down next to him, her head tilted in puzzlement.

"Why are you here so quickly? I thought I was pretty fast myself and wanted to give you a surprise." She gasped at a sudden thought she had and looked at the boy with wide eyes.

"Don't tell me you skipped class-"

"Ah, I didn't! I ran here right after the bell rang." Both of them looked sheepish as they looked away from each other. Then, as if to dispel the awkward air around them, Erin produces a wrapped box and places it before Yamamoto with a smile. She prompts him to open it and when he does, he drops his jaw in shock. In it were egg rolls, cabbage, meat and fruits. All lined up in a very professional manner.

"You made this?" She tucks her hair behind her ear shyly and nods, glancing at her boyfriend.

"I thought that I should make something nutritious since Tsuna told me that you had been feeling unwell for the past few days. I hope you like it." Grinning widely, the male digs in almost immediately after thanking her for the food and closes his eyes in satisfaction. This bento was hands down one of the most delicious one he has ever tasted and he never felt so lucky to have Erin as his girlfriend before. Turning his head to look at her, he smiled widely and held out a egg roll for her to eat. She takes it in her mouth and chews thoughtfully.

"It tastes rather good."

"Right? I'm so lucky you decided to go out with me!"

"If you like it, I could make you lunch everyday." He widens his eyes at the statement before nodding excitedly. He just couldn't wait to taste this heavenly meal every single day.

Being Yamamoto Takeshi's girlfriend had its pros and cons and so far, Erin had been experiencing both. First, there was the missing shoes which were orchestrated by Yamamoto's fanclub. Then, there was the scribbling on her table, telling her to either break up with him or just die. Following that, her clothes often went missing and she had to attend classes in the wrong attire. Although she often brushes it off, it was rather hurtful to her and she had no way of stopping it from happening. Today, she was returning from the washroom when she finds a couple of girls going through her bag and she frowns, stepping forward to stop them when someone does it for her.

"What do you think you are doing?" The smile was gone from the baseball player's face as he stares down the girls who were frozen and they hurry out of the classroom, knocking into Erin. She could see him arranging her things neatly and his fingers went over the scrawls on her desk, a pained expression on his face as he frowns slightly. Not able to take it anymore, she goes to him and tugs on his sleeve, getting him to go to the rooftop with her.

"How long has this been going on for? Is it because of me?" The worry laced in his tone makes the smile on Erin's face soften as she reaches out to take hold of his hands and look up at him.

"Somehow, they found out but I'm okay. As long as I'm with you, I'm fine. They could go on like this for the whole year but I won't break up with you unless you tell me to do so." Hurt flashed in his eyes at the thought of what they were doing to her because of him and he envelopes her into his arms, burying his face in her hair as he holds on to her tightly. The door slams open and the boys from the Vongola Family in Namimori Middle pour in, worried expressions on their faces.

"Erin! We heard that you are being bullied. Are you okay?" Tsuna asks in his usual panicked face and frowns, looking at the girl with worry.

"How dare they bully the Tenth's relative? Tell me who they are, Erin-san, and I'll blow them all up!" Gokudera whips out his unlit dynamite, his cigarette already lit as he looked at her with determination.

"I'll make them stop to an extreme! Tell me who they are, Sakurai, and I'll stop them!" Ryohei brings up his fists and punches the air, nodding at Erin.

"I'll shoot them! Tell me who bullied you and I'll shoot them, Erin-nee! I'll blow them up too!" Lambo produces a grenade and a gun from his hair, aiming them at the boys, who immediately panic and scatter. Erin couldn't help but laugh at the scene, her spirits lifting at the sight of them having fun. Erin couldn't help but laugh at the scene, her spirits lifting at the sight of them having fun. She smiled lightly before turning to Yamamoto and plants a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you for worrying about me. I promise to take care of myself, if that helps to alleviate your worries." Still frowning, he rests his forehead against hers and looked at her, sighing softly.

"It doesn't, but I can only trust that Sasagawa-san will protect you while I am not around you during class." Giggling gently, she glanced to the boxing club captain then at Yamamoto before shaking her head.

"You know that's impossible, right? Given his passion for boxing and his gullible nature, I think I'm better off on my own." He laughed and nodded, agreeing to what she had just said.

"Thank you for worrying about me. I'll be fine, somehow." When she says those words, Yamamoto couldn't help but worry even more. Right after school, when Erin was about to head for the rooftop, she was dragged to the back of the school where the girls from earlier were waiting. The classmate who had lured Erin there quickly scampered away, afraid of those girls.

"Hey, you stupid mixed. Why don't you just get your ass back to your home country and quit trying to steal Takeshi and the other boys away from us?" She slams a hand onto the wall right next to Erin's ear but the latter doesn't even flinch as she stares back, unaffected at all. Glancing behind the leader, she sees three other people and take a deep breath.

"If you want Yamamoto-kun to fall for you guys, shouldn't you stop stunts like that? He hates these sort of things." SLAP. The brunette's face got twisted to the side from the impact and she could actually taste the blood that had oozed out. Her eyes remained calm as she kept her poker face and turned her head back to stare at her attacker.

"You'll never get Yamamoto-kun this way and I won't lose to you in terms of my feelings for him." A stifled laughter turns all their attention to the side where a few boys were at and all the females' eyes widened at the sight of the baseball player. Quickly stepping aside, Erin's attacker was at a loss as she attempts to explain herself and stutters over her words but he pays no heed to her as he keeps his eye on his girlfriend and walks over to her. Stretching out his arms, he envelopes her into a tight hug the moment he reaches her and buries his face in her hair, a wide smile on his face.

"I heard what you said and I'm really happy to hear it." Pulling back, he assessed the damage done to her and caressed her cheek with his thumb. He turns his head to the girls, his smile gone in an instant.

"You girls have five seconds to disappear. Or not, I'm going to be real angry. Five." They run away at the sound of him counting down and a smile appears on his lips when he looks to his girlfriend once more, the coldness in his eyes replaced with a warmth only reserved for her. Raising a hand, she pulls at his cheek with a soft smile as she looks at him.

"You didn't have to do that, you know? Now they are going to spread rumors about you." Wincing at the pull on his cheeks, Yamamoto gently tugs at his girlfriend's wrist to make her release the flesh and twists his lips to the side.

"I don't care. They were bullying you. You have to tell me when things like that happen." He frowns as he cups Erin's face with both his hands and she looks at him, a soft, melodic laugh escaping her pink lips. She returns the gesture and squishes his cheeks, grinning cheekily.

"I understand, mum. I'll tell you when I meet problems as such next time." Huffing, he releases her cheeks shortly after she does and he takes hold of her hand, bringing her to the rooftop, where the others were waiting. As they walked towards the front of the school building, they find Erin's wrapped box splattered on the floor, its content dirtying the concrete as the brown box contrasts the white ground. Yamamoto's hold on her hand tightens and his jaw hardens, with him immediately storming towards the stairs to head straight to her classroom. Slamming the door open the moment he arrives, he raises their intertwined hands and glares at every single one of them.

"If anyone tries anything with Erin-chan again, they'll face me. If anyone is unhappy, come to me, not take out your unhappiness on Erin-chan. You can't be angry at her because I fell in love with her." Said girl's cheeks flushed just as the rest of the girls in the class shriek at Yamamoto's use of words and they begin to shout out their protests.

"You're just confused, Takeshi!"

"That mixed girl must be lying to you!"

"You can't do this to us!"

"Why won't you look at us?!" To the last question, Yamamoto breaks into a smile as he looks at his girlfriend and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before glancing back at the horde of angry girls.

"That's because... Erin-chan is special. I'm not talking about her background but I'm talking about her personality. Her character. The way she carries herself. All of those, she has what you guys don't have and that is why she caught my attention instead. The way she is... Sempai-tachi cannot hope to catch up to her so I hope that you guys will leave her alone from now on." From that day on, the situation did improve but there were still some small revenge from time to time. Erin put up with those and did not tell Yamamoto a thing.

But there was a day when she was going home without Yamamoto and the others. Erin was walking along the streets absentmindedly and a van screeched to a stop before her, the people inside dragging her in before the vehicle drove off once more. The people who were restraining her movements were all male and one of them had a video camera. Her body stiffened when she felt a hand slide up her thigh and she thrashed about, screaming but a sharp strike to her cheeks makes her black out.

When she wakes up once more, they were just about to throw her out of the van and she falls to the gravel, staring at the faces of the men. As the van drives off, she takes note of the carplate number and stumbles to a bench nearby. A pain to her thigh tells her that this isn't a dream and that she was really raped earlier. Her phone rings loudly and a shaky hand brings it to her ears after she had answered the call.

"Erin-chan!? Where are you? I got so worried when Tsuna told me you weren't home!" The tears welled up in her eyes threatened to spill but she refused to let them fall and answered her boyfriend instead.

"Yamamoto-kun... I-" As she said his name, her resolve broke and her tears spilled over. Erin cried loudly and she rubbed at her eyes repeatedly, unsure of how to reply her worried boyfriend. She manages to describe the place to him and she buries her face in the crook of her elbow, not wanting to talk to her boyfriend but not wanting to hang up on him. With the assurance of his swift arrival, Yamamoto does arrive quickly and envelopes her into a tight hug the moment he sees her.

"Erin-chan... What happened?" Hearing the question alone seemed to have set of some trigger because her cries only become louder and she grips onto his vest tightly. Seeing that there was no way to get her to talk, Yamamoto could only guide her to his bicycle and give her a ride home. He notices her disheveled clothes and makes a few assumptions, which he can only confirm when she feels like talking.

"I don't want to go home now..." Glancing at her, he hums and smiled warmly.

"What about my house then? My dad makes some real good sushi and he would love to have you over!" Feeling as though any options except for home was better than nothing, she agreed with a nod and Yamamoto's smile widen as he squeezes Erin's hand tightly. He mounts the bicycle and waits for her to do the same before guiding her hands to wrap around his waist.

"Hold on tight!" He calls out and cycles at a leisure pace, bringing a small smile to the girl's face. As she rests her head on his back, she grips onto his vest tightly and smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Yamamoto-kun..." He says nothing in reply but only tightens his grip on the handles of his bicycle and they ride in silence until they reach the sushi shop. Yamamoto ushers her in after locking his bicycle in place and smiles when he sees no customers. Perfect.

"Dad! I brought someone over. Could you let them eat some food?" The older man smiles kindly and nods, gesturing for Erin to take a seat. He whips up a few tasty looking sushi in no time and serves it along with some green tea. She seemed to have calmed down after drinking the hot drink and she thanks the man for the food before eating it hesitantly.

"Yamamoto-san, your sushi tastes really good. Thank you for allowing me to have them."

"Takeshi! Your girlfriend is so polite! I approve." He nods a few times to show it and smiled warmly, touching the girl's heart. Feeling the tears prick at the corner of her eyes again, she excuses herself and leaves the restaurant. Yamamoto hastily chases after her and frowns slightly, holding her arms firmly.

"Erin-chan, if you want to, you can stay the night. My dad won't mind. Then, you can take your time and tell me everything, okay?" She nods her head while she keeps it down and Yamamoto barely suppresses a sigh. It was going to be hard to get her to talk about what had happened to her and he wanted to know so bad, so that he could help her. Even if it is by a little. He offers her a change of clothes after she takes a shower and she glances at the yukata displayed on the hanger outside the bathroom. After she had put it on, she shuffles to the living room of the house and finds Yamamoto sitting on the couch as he waits for her.

"Yamamoto-kun?" He looks up from the book he is reading and a slight blush appears on his cheeks when his eyes land on her, causing the baseball player to look away quickly. The first-year rubs the back of his nape awkwardly and walks over to his girlfriend, looking at her awkwardly.

"Um... you look really cute..." Her cheeks flush as well as she becomes flustered and she stutters.

"A-Ah, thank you..." The silence between them is a awkward but comfortable one. Gesturing to the couch, he invites her to take a seat and when they do, he steal glances at her. Both of them are unsure what to say and so they stay silent until Yamamoto remembers the reason he had invited her to stay over. Instead of asking her, he decides to let her do the talking.

"Did you tell Tsuna that you aren't going back tonight?"

"Ah, yes. I did. I called him earlier and he said that he would tell Nana-san for me, so I'll be fine to stay over tonight." He nods to her reply and glances at her again, opening his mouth to say something but she surprises him by wrapping her arms around his waist as she buries her face in his chest. Yamamoto's hand hovers over her back for a moment before it descends and pats her gently. He could feel her grip tighten on his shirt, the material getting balled up in her fist. Saying nothing else, he moves his other hand to stroke her hair with a feather-light touch. Although he hears sniffling, he asks nothing and simply gives her his company as he continues to comfort wordlessly.

"I'm sorry, Yamamoto-kun... I-I was-" Her words got cut off as she chokes on her own sobs and he takes hold of her face in his hands, wiping her tears away with his thumbs as he smiles warmly.

"It's okay. Take your time. I'll be here as long as you need me to be." His gentle and kind tone caused more tears to pour from her eyes as she shifts to throw her arms around the boy's neck instead, crying into his shoulder. Smiling softly, he strokes her hair with one hand and rubs soothing circles onto her back with the other. Erin calms down around half an hour later and her sobs turn into sniffles as she continues to hold onto Yamamoto, who never ceased his comfort. She pulls back and rubs at her eyes, keeping her head down. Not wanting to pressure her, Yamamoto says nothing but pats her head and tousles her hair gently.

"I-I was raped just now... It happened when I was walking home. I tried to stop them but I couldn't. They were bigger and older than me and I just-" The baseball player cuts her off with a tight hug and Erin cries again, unknowingly. Her hands that were slack by her side wrapped around him once more and they ball up into fists as she squeezes her eyes shut, allowing herself to be comforted by Yamamoto's presence.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I failed as your boyfriend. I'm sorry, Erin, I'm so sorry." Her eyelids fly open at his apology and she tries to pull back, wanting to tell him that it wasn't his fault but his hold on her is tight as he continues to hold her against his chest. She could feel his anger radiating off of him, projected at himself.

"Yamamoto-kun..." The couple cried together for hours as they held each other, desperately trying to fix the void created by the sudden disturbance in their relationship. Somehow, they had made it to the boy's room and they woke up, still in each other's arms. A lazy smile was on Yamamoto's face when he felt Erin stir in his arms and he opened his eyes, finding that she was doing the same as well. Suddenly, he had the urge to just bend down and give her a kiss, which he did and that greatly surprised her. She jerked backwards and knocked her head on the wall, causing Yamamoto to laugh heartily and repeat his actions on her forehead.

"I felt like doing that... Is it okay with you?" She nods shyly to his question and shifts a little so that she could plant her own lips on his cheek. They lay around in bed for a while more before Yamamoto's father knocks on the door and calls for his son. The raven-haired male pulls away and plants a soft peck on Erin's forehead before leaving the bed and go to his father. Erin, on the other hand, took her time to get out of bed and realized that Yamamoto had left his clothes on the chair, and she took a moment to think before changing into them, finding them more comfortable than the yukata she dons. She descends the stairs into the living room after washing up and finds the father and son there, bringing a few dishes of food out from the kitchen. The raven-haired boy freezes in his place, causing his father to chuckle loudly and pat him on the back rather hard.

"Takeshi! Go talk to your girlfriend instead of staring at her like some idiot!" Yamamoto flashes an embarrassed expression before setting the dish on the table and rubs the back of his nape as he approaches her. He looks around awkwardly before his eyes settle down on his clothes and a blush appears on his cheeks.

"Ah, do you want some food? My dad made breakfast for us." She nods and walks down the remaining steps, pausing next to him. Unable to resist it, the baseball player pulls her close and plants his lips on hers, pulling back very slowly before resting his forehead against hers with a soft smile.

"I like how you look like in my clothes." Erin could feel her cheeks burn as she looks back at him and opens her mouth to say something when Yamamoto's father clears his throat, making both of them jump away from each other and look away in embarrassment. The older man chuckles and shakes his head, gesturing for both of them to come to the table for food. The girl settles down next to her boyfriend and they wait until Yamamoto's father starts to eat before doing so themselves. After they are done with their meal and washing the dishes, Yamamoto brings Erin out for a ride on his bicycle to the river.

"I like coming here because it's so quiet here. You can barely hear any cars and it's really windy. Also, practically no one comes here so it's awesome for a nap at times." Erin nods her head to his words, enjoying the gentle breeze blowing her way as she watches the river flow. As he lays on his back, he tugs on her arm and pulls her down with him, smiling brightly at her. Many thoughts ran through her mind at that time but she turned to lie on her side and rested her head on his arm, watching him as he looked at the sky with a content smile.

"Yamamoto-kun... Are you sure you're fine with me now? I... I'm no longer..." She cuts herself off, tears streaming down her cheeks now as she covers her face, not wanting to see Yamamoto's reaction. He twists his body so that he is facing her and he gently holds the hand that is covering her face, prying it open with as little strength as he can use. The gentle expression on his makes more tears spill over as Erin feels even more guilty, faced with such kindness.

"Erin, it wasn't your fault. It was never your fault. Don't feel sorry for something that you didn't do. I love you as my girlfriend, and no matter what, I will always love you. To me, you will always be pure and kind. So please don't ever think of yourself as dirty or whatsoever." The ache in her heart was both sweet and bitter but she manages to nod to his words, burying her face in his chest as she clutches onto him desperately. He answers with a tight hug of his and he takes in her scent, a faint, flowery smell. They stay like that until they feel a drop of water falling onto their arms, more following and it turns into a storm. As they scramble onto Yamamoto's bicycle, he quickly takes them to the nearest shelter where they stay as they wait for the rain to stop. Erin glances at the tall boy while she wrings her hair dry and finds that his hair was a mess. A laugh escaped her lips and Yamamoto blinks in curiosity, catching his reflection from the vending machine and they laugh together.

"Erin-chan, from today onward, call me by my first name, okay? I don't want to be the only one doing it."

"...Takeshi." She calls out, a furious red on her cheeks as she avoids his gaze and stares at the pouring rain. He comes into her view and playfully plants his lips on hers, and they share a sweet kiss under the shelter. When the rain finally stops, they return to Yamamoto's house. The baseball player leaves the room to allow the girl to change into her clothes and without thinking, he pushes the door open. A shriek could be heard and he dumbly stares at the half-naked body of his girlfriend's.

"T-Takeshi!" She quickly covers up and Yamamoto snaps out of it, rubbing the back of his nape sheepishly. When she turns her back on him, he couldn't help but wrap his arms around her and hold her against himself.

"T-Takeshi?" Her voice seemed so alluring to him all of a sudden and he turned her around to plant his lips on hers. Though surprised, she slowly but hesitantly returns the kiss. His kiss grow more desperate as he slowly but surely moves her closer to the bed, making the both of them fall onto it. Pulling away, he searches her eyes but she initiates a fearful kiss of her own and he knew that he couldn't help it anymore. There were a few stops on the way but when they were done, Erin didn't feel so scared of a man's touch anymore. She felt safe in the arms of her boyfriend and she was sure that she wanted to stay with him as long as she could.

A few days later, Yamamoto stops a group of second-years in the hallway and leads them to the back of the school, taking a deep breath before he begins.

"There was an incident that happened to Erin. Was it your faults?" Their eyes go wide in fear and they vehemently deny it, but Yamamoto already knew the truth and he slams his fist onto the wall, his fury evident.

"Do not lie to me. I can be nice, but not when you've done this to my girlfriend!" He barely suppresses the growing volume of his voice and the girl collapses, afraid.

"I-I reported them to the police already... I just wanted them to scare her..." She broke down in tears and covered her face, her head hanging in shame. The other girls come to her side and begin to comfort her, looking up at Yamamoto for a sign that he is no longer angry. But there was no such sign. In fact, he looked angrier than before and he leaned in closer.

"Don't ever do it again." He left after saying what he wanted to and found his girlfriend waiting for him patiently on the rooftop. A smile made its way to his face almost immediately and he sneaks up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. The squeal that comes out of her mouth makes him laugh heartily and he buries his face in the crook of her neck.

"T-Takeshi! It's ticklish!" He pulls back, a cheeky grin on his face.

"Is that so? Then... what about this?" Slender fingers began to tickle at her sides and she falls back, laughing uncontrollably. Erin pushes at his chest but he is heavier than her and so her attempts were unsuccessful. He stops after a while and she looks up at him, her cheeks flushing when she realizes the short distance between them. She turns her head aside, feeling embarrassed.

"T-Takeshi, could you please move?" The boy hums but makes no move to shift from his position and just as the brunette turns her head back, she feels his soft lips against hers and her eyes widen. Although surprised, she also does not move and replies with a little pressure of her own.

"Erin-!" Yamamoto rolls off the girl almost immediately and they turned away from each other with red faces.

"Ah, sorry for the interruption-" Tsuna says with a sheepish look and they settle down around the couple, wide grins on their faces. The teasing doesn't stop for days, until Erin stops attending school altogether. At first, Tsuna gives the excuse that she is unwell and therefore the few days off. But gradually, he doesn't even offer an excuse and simply says that he does not know. She no longer replies to his messages and when he visits her at her house, Tsuna's mother would politely tell him that she is not well enough to accept visitors and that she would tell Erin that Yamamoto came by. But, there were still no messages from her telling him about her condition. A week passed by and Yamamoto was feeling really terrible, lazily unlocking the screen of his phone when it rings. His head shoots off the table when he sees who is the sender of the message and his eyes widen, quickly going over each and every word of the message. Picking up his bag, he runs out of the classroom and heads towards the river. There, he found his girlfriend waiting as she enjoyed the gentle breeze and his bag slipped out of his grip. The sound it made caught her attention and she turned around, a soft smile appearing on her face.

"Takeshi." The moment his name rolled off her tongue, he ran towards her and enveloped her in a tight hug, inhaling her scent as much as he could. She allowed him to continue showering his affections on her and lightly pats him on his back.

"Where have you been? I was so worried that something had happened." He asks as he pulls away and his eyes search her face, as if to see if there was any difference.

"I'm fine now. I had a bad cold, so Nana-san wanted me to recuperate at home."

"No wonder. You look so pale." She laughs lightly as she rests her hand on his hand that was cupping her cheek and she squeezed it lightly, a soft smile on her face. Closing her eyes, she nuzzles her cheek into his palm and her smile becomes content. Yamamoto rests his other hand on her other cheek and gives her a soft kiss on her lips, pulling away to rest his forehead against hers.

"You're not allowed to get sick or leave me alone anymore, okay?" Another laugh escapes her lips at his words and the brunette nods her head as she brushes her nose against his, a grin appearing on her face. She pulls away and gets to her feet, the wind blowing at her dress as she stood and held her hand out to him. He takes it but pushes himself up and he takes her hand in his, leading her to his bag.

"Since I'm out of school, let's go for a date!" Erin nods her head in agreement and she swings their intertwined hands as they walk into town. They visit the arcade, where Yamamoto gets a stuffed toy for Erin. Then they go to the cake shop, where they share a piece of cheesecake because neither of them have enough for two. Finally, they go to Yamamoto's house, where they chill for a bit before the baseball player initiates a kiss, which leads them into bed afterwards. He rests on the bed and stares at the ceiling as Erin rests her head on his arm. He was thinks to himself that this happiness would surely last and he fell asleep with a smile on his face. When he wakes up again, however, he is alone and the only trace of Erin left is a small note on his table. He picks it up and reads it.

To: Takeshi

I'm sorry to spring this on you all of a sudden but...I think it is best if we broke up.

I mean, I cannot handle your fan-girls.

Be it in class or outside, they pester me and I thought to myself that I could do it.

But the truth is that I cannot.

Today's date was in hopes that we part in good memory

and I hope you had as much fun as I did during the short time that we were together.

Thank you for the memories.

Erin

The note falls from his hands and he stumbles backwards, his brain struggling to process the words he had just read. His hand immediately reaches for the phone on his desk and he dials the number from memory.

"Erin?! Tell me this is just another joke of yours, please. This can't be true, right? You can't be-"

"Yamamoto-kun." The voice that cuts him off is cold and he instantly falls silent. There is a period of silence before Erin decides to continue, thinking that the boy is going to listen to what she has to say.

"What I wrote... all of it is true. But I was glad that you chose me as your girlfriend. Please move on from now on, okay?" Just before the call is cut off, he hears a violent fit of coughs and he couldn't even get a word in, the beeping sound greeting him. When the weekend is over, he attends school in the hopes of seeing the girl once more but is disappointed at the news of her withdrawal from school.

"Sensei, did she say why she is withdrawing?" The teacher hesitates at the question Yamamoto poses but replies with a 'don't know' and carries on with lessons. Baseball practice becomes painful, because he is reminded of how she would sit by the sidelines and wait for him, cheering when he hits a homerun. The shoe lockers turn into a place for anger, because he has to be reminded every single day that she is no longer around. His friends try to cheer him up and he began to learn how fake smiles work. The walk home gradually becomes better, but whenever he passes by a cat, he is reminded of her love for animals. He can no longer stay in his room other than to sleep, because he is reminded of how she would coach him on his homework and the times they spent playing around in there. But he can't go to the river anymore either, because he can't stay there without remembering her gentle smile. The rest of his days were hell.

Yamamoto Takeshi has now graduated from high school and he looks at Tsuna with a proud smile, the failure buddies managing to get through school without being retained. Of course, Reborn was there to help but they made it through with their own efforts. The smile falls from Tsuna's face and he quickly tugs on Yamamoto's sleeve, dragging him out of school. The baseball player's questions were not answered as he was pulled in the direction of the hospital. They arrive at the Intensive Care Unit and the raven-haired boy frowns. Just what in the world were they there for? But the sight of his first love answered everything.

"...Takeshi?" Her weak voice makes his legs move on their own as he drops to his knees next to her bed and his hands holds her petite ones in his.

"Hey. You look... different..." She attempts to laugh but the coughs take over instead and Yamamoto immediately uses his free hand to pat her back to soothe her. A ghost of her gentle smile appears as she looks at him.

"I know. I look horrible. I didn't want you to see me like this but... I wanted to see you for the last time."

"T-The last time? What are you talking about?" He knows exactly what it implies but he continues to deny it, his eyes desperately searching hers for a sign of a joke. For a sign that she would just jump out of bed and say that it was a prank. But there was none.

"Please say your last words. Her heart rate is slowing down already." The doctor cuts in and the boy widens his eyes, his hold on her hand growing desperate.

"N-No! Not when we just met each other again!" The tears that he had been holding back for the past five years begin to spill over and roll down his cheeks, his hand moving to hold her fragile body in his arms once more. Her body was lighter than he had remembered. She had really became very ill. Maybe that was why she broke up with him.

"Takeshi, please listen... I love you... A lot. And... I'm sorry." Her eyelids flutter shut and the beeping of the machine turns into a flat sound, signaling the end of her life. The tears don't stop falling but Yamamoto's brain stops functioning as he stares at her face. She seemed so peaceful, as if she was asleep. That's right. She fell asleep, that's all. She'll wake up in a few hours.

"Erin...? Why did you fall asleep? We have so much more to talk about. You have to explain to me about everything, okay?"

"Yamamoto-kun, we have to let the doctors do their jobs."

"What are you talking about? Erin fell asleep. I need to wait until she wakes up before I can talk to her." Tsuna exchange nervous glances with both Gokudera and Ryohei before swallowing.

"Erin is no longer around. She's dead. She's-"

"Shut up! That's not true! She simple fell asleep, Tsuna! Why are you saying that?!" Tsuna purses his lips and grabs hold of one of Yamamoto's arms, beginning to drag him out of the room. Gokudera helps to pull him away from Erin's body and he thrashes around but with Ryohei's help, they successfully bring him out.

"Erin left you a letter. I think you should read it." Tsuna says once he sees that Yamamoto had calmed down a little on the bench and he places a envelope in the boy's lap before walking away to allow him some time alone. He stares at the white rectangular envelope before he takes it in his hands and he reads the cover. It was Erin's handwriting and that made him smile a little. His fingers move along the edges of it and he pulls open the flap, revealing a few pieces of folded paper in it. His fingers dip in to pull them out and he unfolds them, his eyes going through them.

To: Takeshi

If you have gotten this letter, it must mean that I am no longer around.

Ah, that sounds rather depressing, doesn't it?

Haha. Well, Takeshi- Ah, Yamamoto-kun, it should be a few years after we have broken up, shouldn't it?

This year is the fifth years since we have broken up, right?

If you're reading this letter, it must mean that you know of my illness.

Or you may not, since I told Tsuna and the others not to say a word.

Don't worry, I'll explain it now.

What I have, is lung cancer.

I was in my second stage, transitioning to my third stage when I broke up with you.

That would explain why I was always coughing around you.

To be honest, I did not bother about it since it was curable but... I started coughing up blood and I thought that I was going to die soon.

To prevent you from getting hurt, I got selfish and pushed you away without thinking about how you may feel.

But if I had to go through it again, I will not change my decision.

Yes, you may feel hurt but you will get over this pain.

I believe in you.

I think you can find someone better than me as well, so please do.

I don't mean to burden you or anything but please, even if you were to find another woman, take care of our child in my stead.

Yamamoto tears his eyes away from the letter he had just read and furrowed his brows in confusion. Our child? It was then he noticed a girl around the age of five standing next to the ward Erin was in. Her eyes reminded him of Erin and his own widens. He sets aside the pieces of paper and beckons the child over, bending lower to meet her eyes.

"Hi there. What are you doing in the hospital?" She stares at him for a moment, then at the envelop that held Erin's letter to him before looking back at him and she points at it.

"Daddy... Mummy..." Yamamoto looks at the letters as well and he wraps the child in his arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck. There was something, someone left as a remembrance of Erin.

"Continue to read..." The raven-haired male nods and scoops the child up, placing her on his lap before picking up the letter addressed to him.

Our child is a lovely girl and she is four this year.

Her name is Akiko. I hope you don't mind me naming her as such.

I thought of several others, but because she is the light of my life as you are, I thought Akiko would be a suitable name.

Now, where was I? Ah, at my illness.

Remember that one week I did not attend school nor reply to your messages?

That was because I was in the hospital, where I got to know of my cancer.

It's ironic, really. When I found out that I was about to die, a few months later, I found out that I have a child.

I thought of aborting it but then I thought you might resent me for it, so I kept the child.

I fought so hard to keep her alive and she came out healthy.

However, she still has trouble speaking though she is four and so I brought her for a check-up.

It turns out that she is autistic.

I'm sorry that our child is like that.

It's my fault, so don't ever scold her.

Please treat her with the utmost care and tend to her whenever she needs you.

I remember the first time I saw you.

You probably don't remember. Ha ha.

You were new in school and you asked around for directions but all the people around you were first-years and you had thought I was a first-year as well.

You comforted me, telling me not to feel anxious.

Subsequently, I saw just how much passion you had for baseball and really... I fell for that, like your typical teenage girl.

I thank you for everything that you had given me and I have only one question.

Were you happy? If you were, I'm glad and if you weren't... I'm sorry.

Oops, looks like my time for medicine is here.

I'm writing this because I think that I'm going to pass away in a few days' time.

Hope I'm wrong.

I'm going to be selfish for the one last time and ask you to meet me.

If you really do come, I think I'll be satisfied.

Thank you for everything, Takeshi. I wish you all the best in life.

Good bye.

I loved you, and I always will.

Sakurai Erin

The tears that had stopped began to fall once more but there was a wry smile on his face this time. His daughter looked at him in confusion and wiped his tears away with her tiny hands, causing his smile to soften as he held her tightly.

"Thank you, Akiko... Thank you for being born. Thank you for being our child."