KHR: The Inheritance Project - Prelude

The Graduation Project

Somehow, it feels as though the distance between us has become ever so slightly smaller.

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Finally! It's all over! I am officially free of this damn place! With all my things packed up I make my way to the front gate, where Padre is waiting for us. Lots of parents are already there with their kids. For once my shoe locker is totally clean, guess they were too busy with graduation to bother with me today.

I scan the crowd in search of Padre. I spot him over by the front gate and begin to make my way over to him. I want to hurry up and leave this damn place. It looks like he's talking o someone but I can't see who it is with all these people in my way. I keep getting shoved around and knocked over. These damn people have no manners…

Suddenly something slams into me and nearly knocks me over again. I regain my balance and look down to find Tsubaki gripping my blazer tightly. Suddenly, my mind flashed back to the crash and how she had held onto me crying. I flinched and pushed her off me, my hands still gripping her shoulders as I take in her expression.

She wasn't crying. In fact, she looked at me with relief and happiness in her eyes. I don't understand, but, I'm so overwhelmed with relief that I feel I might cry. Tsubaki starts to speak. "…Small animal—"

"CHII-KUN!"

She's cut off when I'm Yuuka Kaa-san runs up and tackles me in a hug. This is the second time today I've been crushed in a hug by a woman. She looks pretty fancy in a ceremonial kimono, with her hair done up and wearing makeup. Her eye makeup's a bit smudged though…

She starts rambling hysterically. "Chii-kun! I've been so worried! I heard- the crash! A-and Tsu-chi was- And then Kai-chi—and, and, and… you… in hospital… " She trails off hiccupping.

Oh Dio! She's starting to cry! Crap, what do I do?

"Don't panic! J-just try to calm her down!" Easier said than done!

The other parents start glancing at us and murmuring amongst themselves. Those insensitive maiali! As if they have the right to gossip and stare when they've made just as big a fuss as Yuuka Kaa-san during the ceremony!

Before I can say anything to her, Tsubaki hands her a handkerchief. "Kaa-san… here…"

She sniffles and takes it from her. "T-thank you… Tsu-chi." She says between hiccups and wipes away her tears. Nice save Tsubaki!

It's actually kinda strange to have someone worry over me… I don't know what I should be feeling; happy or guilty… It's a really weird emotion…

Kai appeared a little while after she calmed down. And after another bone crushing hug from Yuuka Kaa-san and a threat from Tsubaki to never disappear suddenly again, we part ways. I hope we won't have to stay at the hotel for the whole spring break; I'll have to visit them at least once or I'll be stabbed to death…

With I sigh I tried once again to make my way over to Padre. Finally I get close enough to see who he's talking to… Oh, fantastico… he just had to be chatting happily away with Kyoko-sensei, didn't he? Why do you hate me so much, Dio? What did I ever do to you?

Masamune is already there, standing a little ways off chatting with some friends. Guess they're just waiting for me… Sigh; let's just get this over with then. I start to slowly make my way over but freeze mid step when I see who else is there.

"…Okay… Seriously. Why is that crazy chick pretending to be an elementary school kid?"

More like, why doesn't anybody seem to care there's an adult pretending to be a student here! Haru-nee… what the diamine are you doing? And Padre, why are you even talking to her? Don't you find this even just a little bit strange?

"Ah!" Curses, I've been spotted… "Sora-kun!" Kyoko-sensei calls and waves me over.

Unable to escape or pretend I don't know them, I slowly trudge up next to Padre. "K-konnichiwa Kyoko-sensei, H-Haru-nee…" Well I can't exactly ignore them…

"Hahi! Konnichiwa Cielo! My! You look so handsome in your new uniform!" Haru-nee beams happily.

"T-thanks…" I want to ask about her clothes, but… I just can't bring myself to say anything…

"Oh? The two of you have met before?" Padre raises a brow at Haru-nee. How are you just talking to her so normally Padre! Oh screw it… I don't care anymore…

"We met by chance some time ago! I was quite surprised when to discover Cielo was Tsuna's son! The two of you look so much alike too!" She forgot to mention all the other 'chance' encounters we've had…

"Me too!" Kyoko-sensei pitches in. "I had no idea little Sora-kun was Tsu-kun's son!" Isn't my last name a dead giveaway…? "But, he really does look so much like you Tsu-kun."

I get the feeling these two seem to know my father from before. Well, Haru-nee did say she was friends with him during middle school, but Kyoko-sensei? Please don't tell me she was your friend too Padre… From the way they're speaking she probably was…

They chat for a while longer, Padre smiling pleasantly the whole time. When can we leave dammit! If I had known this would happen I would have talked with Kai, Tsubaki and Yuuka Kaa-san some more… But then again they said they were going to meet their father now, so I wouldn't have been able to talk much anyway...

It was another hour or so later before we finally said goodbye to Haru-nee and Kyoko-sensei.

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Life pretty much went back to normal by the end of spring break. We stayed with Padre at the hotel for a while before moving back in with Katerina. Shortly after that Padre went back to Italy and then, it was like nothing had ever happened. All the men in black disappeared and Katerina went back to her old self again.

What was all that about anyway? I suppose I'll never know…

The new school term was starting and with it my life would begin a new page.

Or so I thought…

Kai probably left at some ungodly hour and Masamune was driven to school, so I had to figure out the bus schedule myself. I got it wrong and got on the wrong bus. Got bitten to death for being late. Got lost trying to find my classroom. Got detention. Got beat up by Masamune and his thugs.

Was sent to the nurses' office. I was nervous as to how I would get on with the new nurse. Only to find that Sawa-chan had followed me from the elementary school… I don't know whether to cry or laugh…

I suppose it was exactly how I should have expected it to be… I am 'dame' Sora after all. A failure at sport, always clumsy, a D grade student and a social outcast… It's not like I can just change. There's no point in trying to be something you're not…

Yep, it's just another day in the life of 'dame' Sora.