Land Of The Rising Sun, My Ass

I stand quietly in front of my full length mirror, an almost cynical smile on my face. It was January 12, more commonly known as… The start of an apocalypse in a new school. "Another school to wreck." I mumbled as I readjusted the scrunchies which held my twin tails in place.

I sighed deeply, my bangs flew a little ways up because of it. I readjusted my blue skirt and straightened my tie, ( the red ribbon didn't suit my taste) still finding the Namimori-Middle uniform rather distasteful. I shrugged it off and walked into the kitchen, snatching an apple from the fruits basket on the table.

"Look at you, all dressed up for your first day of school." Ami turned to me with a smile. She was always the cheerful type. I can't help but to wonder how Dad befriended a woman like her. It's bad enough that Dad send me to Japan for my rude behavior back in America. But to ask Ami to take care of me while I'm here is just too much.

"Are you nervous?" She squealed with joy. I rolled my eyes as I grinned softly. "Not really. I just feel annoyed. Do I have to wear this outfit to school? Why couldn't Dad pick out a school without a uniform." I complained as I stared at my skirt, eyeing it suspiciously.

"Don't talk like that. You look very cute in it. You never wear anything suitable for a girl your age. With your blue jeans and boyish shirts… I'm glad to see you in a skirt for once." Ami pointed out as she remembered my wardrobe. "I guess you're right. It just takes a while to get used to." I muttered with a sigh.

"Honey, I'm always right. Here's your briefcase. Your lunch is freshly prepared this morning, so I hope you'll like it." She practically shoved the briefcase in my arms and gave me a goodbye hug. With my briefcase in my left hand and the gleaming green apple in the other, I kicked the front door open. "I'm off." I saluted Ami as I closed the door behind me.

Just when I was about to get a move on, I heard the sound of running footsteps closing in on me. Before I knew it, a young boy with brown hair was running past me in a hurry. Even worse… It seemed that the only thing he was wearing was a pair of boxers. My eyes practically bulged out of my eye sockets at the sight of seeing something like that.

"WITH MY DYING WILL, I'LL MAKE IT IN SCHOOL ON TIME!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs, disappearing around the corner of the street. "Just as I thought… Japan is a country filled with weirdos." I sighed as I was on my way to school. After a while of walking, I reached my destination. I continued my way into the school building as I looked around curiously. "It sure is a big building." I muttered out under my breath.

"Would you look at that. She's kind of cute." I heard a male voice whisper softly. "She doesn't look like she's from here. Maybe this is your chance, Yohei."

I stared at the three boys from the corner of my eye, finding them rather annoying at the moment. I felt a hand being placed on my shoulder. In a reflex, I took a hold of the person's arm and I threw him over, using his weight in my advantage. The male student crashed down on the ground with a painful thud. I still didn't let go of his arm as I placed my foot onto his chest in victory.

At once, the boys who were trying to hit on me a few seconds ago shrieked in fear as they jumped up. They ran into the school building, all the while screaming "Scary! Scary!" I released the boy I just threw over, letting him run off on his own. "Don't leave me here!"

"Looks like this school is filled with losers as well." I grinned. Just then, the school bell rang, making me sigh. I readjusted my briefcase and skipped in the school building.

Tsuna's POV:

"I can't believe Kyoko-chan saw me running to school in just my boxers…" I hung my head as I cried a waterfall of tears. "Cheer up Tsuna. It's not like it's the first time she saw you like that." Yamamoto encouraged me.

I stopped crying and snuck a quick peek at Kyoko-chan. She was talking to her female friends, with that sweet innocent smile gracing her lips. She seemed like her normal self. "I guess you're right. She doesn't seem fazed by it anymore." I began to say as I turned to Yamamoto who was grinning wildly. "See? I'm pretty sure everyone in school already saw you like that. No biggie."

"Was that supposed to cheer me up?" I commented with a sweat-drop to follow. A shadow was cast upon us, revealing Gokudera-kun in a pissed off mood. "What did I tell you about clinging onto the Tenth, you baseball moron!" Gokudera-kun held onto Yamamoto's collar while Yamamoto kept his smile, still.

"Stop smiling like that! You're really pissing me off!" Gokudera-kun replied with an irritated tone in his voice. "You should calm down. I bet your blood pressure is through the roof with the way you're shouting all the time." Yamamoto commented, still smiling like crazy. "Who do you think is the cause of that, blockhead!"

"H-hey! Come on! Calm down. We're all friends here. There's no need for violence." I made an effort of stopping them. Luckily, Gokudera-kun listened and released his grip on Yamamoto. "Consider yourself lucky." He hissed with one final glare in Yamamoto's direction.

Suddenly, a loud explosion could be heard throughout the classroom. I froze up instantly, thinking that Reborn might have something to do with it. But he didn't show up. "What was that?" Gokudera-kun wondered aloud. "Didn't you do it?" Yamamoto questioned him. "Of course not, you idiot! I was standing here all along! How could I have possibly done it!"

"Ohaiyo Tsuna-kun. How are you this morning?" Kyoko-chan greeted me. I almost jumped out of my skin, but managed to keep my cool. I instantly forgot about the explosion, thinking it was nothing to be worried about.

"Ahum! H-hi Kyoko-chan! Nice to see you so sap-I mean happy! Y-yeah… I'll stop talking now." I smacked myself on the forehead at my constant stuttering. Well played Tsuna. You're such a loser. Surprisingly, Kyoko-chan laughed cheerfully. I felt somewhat relieved that she didn't laugh at me. At least I hope she isn't laughing at me right now.

"Did you know there's going to be a transfer student in our class?" She asked me. "A new transfer student? No, I didn't. Do you guys know about it?" I asked Yamamoto and Gokudera-kun. "I heard. I just figured it wasn't something to pay any attention to." Yamamoto commented with a thumbs up.

"I didn't. But I agree with blockhead over here. It's not that big a deal." Gokudera-kun retorted as Yamamoto pat him on the back, in which he inched away from him. "I wonder what they're like. Do you think it's a boy, or a girl?" Kyoko-chan asked curiously. I guess she's really looking forward to meeting this new exchange student.

"At the time when Gokudera transferred in this school, I thought he would be a girl." Yamamoto laughed. I just laughed nervously as my eye twitched. Gokudera-kun glared daggers at Yamamoto, not finding it funny in the least.

"Every time you open your mouth, you prove to everyone around you that you're an imbecile!"

The teacher walked in, looking annoyed as ever. Everyone returned to their seats. "Sorry it took so long. It seemed that our new transfer student found it rather funny to blow up a random toilet and to cause damage on the first day. So I advise the boys to stay out of the restrooms for now." Sensei explained as he readjusted his tie.

"Looks like it'll be another weird guy. I just hope he's not from Italy." I commented, remembering my first meeting with Gokudera-kun. "S-so scary…" I shivered.

"I'll introduce the transfer student."

Everyone sat at the tip of their chair in anticipation of this newcomer. "She was studying abroad in America until now. Her name is Alice Pierce."

The entire class was shocked to see that the newcomer was a girl, including me! She looked cute and innocent. She certainly looked like a foreigner with her blond hair and crystal blue eyes.

"Cute…"

I heard some of the guys whisper to one another in their excitement. "Wait a minute…" I asked myself. I got on my feet and pointed directly at her. "You blew up a toilet in the boy's restroom! That can't be right!" I yelled out, about to pull on my hair. The girl merely placed her fingertips on her lips and chuckled softly.

"Sooooo cute!"

The boys yelled out in cheer happiness. "You may be seated, Pierce-san." The girl walked past me in a slow pace and sat down next to Yamamoto who didn't seem to mind. "At least she's not as scary as I thought she would be." I whispered under my breath.

Alice's POV:

Looks like this school really isn't all that different from my old one. Everyone keeps staring at me, and I can feel some of the girls glare a hole in the back of my skull. The teacher happened to make a run for it, although I can't blame him. This class is very loud.

"A-ano?"

I looked up to see a girl with light brown hair. She was smiling at me in a polite way, even though a few other girls were hiding behind her. "I'm Sasagawa Kyoko. I hope we can get along for the rest of the school year." She introduced herself. I smiled back at her, appreciating her courage.

"I hope so too. It's nice to know that not everyone is too embarrassed to talk to me." I replied. She laughed. She took a hold of a chair and settled at my desk. For the last half hour, we just conversed about whatever popped up in our heads at the time. Soon enough, the bell rang, signalizing for us to have a little break. Not like we deserved it.

Kyoko had to be somewhere, so it was up to me to wander in the hallways by myself. I spotted the guy I saw earlier, walking in the opposite direction from which I came. I still don't know why he insisted on running all the way to school in his underwear. The boy suddenly tripped in a clumsy manner, crashing with his face against the floor.

"That's gotta hurt…" I muttered out as I ran up to him. "Are you alright?" I asked him. He froze to the spot once he saw me staring him down. "A-ah! The toilet destroyer!" He squealed loudly as he backed away from me, still sitting on the floor. The sound of rapid footsteps could be heard, along with a few shouts now and then.

"Tenth! I'm coming to save you! Hold on!" A grey-haired guy with a collection of accessories decorating his fingers and a necklace around his neck ran at the speed of light. I simply stepped aside and placed my foot in his path. He tripped and crashed against one of the many lockers standing in the hallway.

"Correction… Looks like his fall hurts even more." I retorted.

"Gokudera. This isn't the time to play hide and seek." Another one replied with a grin. If I remember correctly, he's my neighbor in class.

"I'm not playing hide and seek, you baseball retard!" He yelled out in anger as he struggled to get back on his feet, not noticing that his right foot was stuck in an empty paint can. He walked up to me and stubbornly yanked the can off his foot, looking me straight in the eye afterward as his glare intensified.

"What do you think you're planning on doing to the Tenth! I won't hesitate to hurt you just cause you're a girl, you know!" How I missed this; people threatening me at random. It sure brings back good memories. "Now now Gokudera. She didn't mean any harm." His friend argued back.

"That's what you think! She could be a secret spy, send here to eliminate the 10th! I don't trust her at all." He finished off as he turned his back on me. "I assure you, I'm just a normal student, trying to enjoy herself in Japan." I commented.

"S-so… You didn't mean to destroy school property like you did before?" The brown-haired boy asked in a nervous matter. I merely smiled sweetly as if to say 'no harm meant'. "I was lost, so I needed help. It was the only way for me to gain attention at the time." I told the truth.

"You could have asked the people around you for directions! Don't use it as an excuse to blow up restrooms!"

Looks like he didn't understand the meaning behind my smile. "You like Sasagawa Kyoko, right?" I asked him even though I clearly knew the answer. He froze up again, turning into a statue. "Well, I don't care about that. But I do want to know your name. Care to fill me in?" I placed my hands on my hips as I stared him down.

"You'll never know! A girl like you doesn't have the right to-" "Sawada Tsunayoshi! His nickname around here is No-Good Tsuna. You can also call him Tsuna for short." Mister cheerful interrupted Mister grumpy.

"Why'd you have to go and tell her! She doesn't need to know! She's pure evil!" The grey-haired one shook his comrade wildly, causing for him to grin in reply.

"It's okay Gokudera-kun! I really don't mind. We're classmates after all." This Gokudera guy calmed down after hearing… Umm… No-Good Tsuna? I don't even want to know why they call him that, even though it's pretty obvious.

"I'm Yamamoto Takeshi! My hobby is playing baseball, which I practice every day!" He saluted me like a soldier in line, about to go into battle. I sweat-dropped at his enthusiasm. "I-I see…" I muttered softly with a nervous chuckle. He caught me off guard by gripping my shoulders, staring me straight in the eye as his usual smile faded, replaced with a serious expression.

"Tell me…"

"Y-yes?" I stuttered nervously.

Normally, I would have slammed my forehead against his, resulting for him to crash down on his back in a daze and pinned him down in a mounted position. But instead, I let him be. I'll give him five seconds at most…

"Do you think you can get me an autograph of Joseph Paul DiMaggio? I really admire his strength and effort that he puts in the game!" He lightened up as he laughed, smacking me a good one on my back. Does he treat his girlfriend with the same attitude he's showing now?

"I don't know him." I answered.

This Takeshi guy merely laughed as he placed his right arm around my small shoulders, pulling me in his direction. "You're very amusing! Of course you know him! He's known as the Joltin' Joe or the Yankee Clipper!" Again, I sweat-dropped. I really had no idea what he was talking about. Some guy who plays baseball? I don't know!

"Seriously… I really don't know what you're talking about." I retorted, a little annoyed now. He laughed even more, causing for me to resist the urge to punch him. No use in getting into trouble when I just got here.

"You're good at getting people to warm up to you, Yamamoto." Tsuna commented with a grin. This caused for the gray-haired one to jump up, glaring at Takeshi for taking the glory, I guess. He turned his gaze to me, still glaring like crazy.

"Gokudera Hayato! I have no hobbies! Well… I like to blow people up who mess with the Tenth, although I can't call that a real hobby. Also, I'm the perfect candidate to be the Tenth's right-hand man!" His personal information sure blew up in my face and hit like a bomb to me…

And what's the deal with calling Tsuna the Tenth all the time?

Hayato instantly turned around and faced Tsuna with a wide grin and a thumbs up. "Don't tell me you're being nice to her just because I complimented Yamamoto!" Tsuna commented with his hands on his head. "But we're getting along too. See?" Hayato pat my head like a little boy would pet his cute puppy.

"I can't compliment you if you force me like this! That negates the compliment!" Tsuna cried out. Hayato realized his mistake and backed away from me, making his way over to Tsuna's side while giving me the dirty eye. I sighed as I rolled my eyes.

It's clear to see that Gokudera Hayato, or so he claims to be, doesn't like me at all. Like I care. I've got bigger fish to fry. I turned my back on them and walked off.

"Where are you going?" Tsuna asked me from afar.

"Something to drink. I'm thirsty." Was my response, not even looking back as I disappeared around the corner.

"Good riddance. I was wondering when she would leave." Gokudera commented as he shifted his eyes, expecting for Alice to come running back to annoy Tsuna even more.

"That never!" Gokudera clenched his hand into a fist. Tsuna just sighed, not knowing what Gokudera was talking about. "I hate Americans." He hissed out, resembling a snake in so many ways. "I like her! Let's invite her over to your house, Tsuna! We'll have so much fun, especially with that little kid around!" Yamamoto grinned widely as he leaned back against the wall.

"That never!" Tsuna cried out in dismay. The little hit-man would make things even worse, as usual. "It fills me with joy to see you dislike her as much as I do, Tenth!" Gokudera cried along with him as Yamamoto laughed at the sight of seeing them huddled together.

"Group hug!"

"Get lost!"

Alice's POV:

I guzzled down the cold drink in my hand before twisting the cap back on. I shoved my wallet in my pocket afterwards. "Now I'm out of money." I groaned. Growling lightly, I threw the plastic bottle over the edge of the school's rooftop, ignoring the startled cries from the students below.

"I don't get why I have to pay so much money for something that falls out of the sky!" I complained loudly. "Japan has it's bad sides, I guess. Land of the rising sun my ass." I continued to complain.

"If you think so badly of our economy, you should go home."

I turned my head swiftly. To my surprise, a male student was standing mere inches away from me, making me stumble a few steps back. He didn't move. I took this opportunity to examine him from top to bottom.

He was wearing the boys uniform with the coat draped over his shoulders. His raven-black hair moved slightly because of the wind. His arms were crossed over his chest as his facial expression didn't change. This guy is way too serious…

I focused my attention on the bright red band which was wrapped around the right sleeve of his coat. In a swift motion, he threw a plastic bottle at my feet. I arched an eyebrow at this.

"Pick it up." He demanded.

"You're the one who threw it, so you should pick it up." I replied in a cocky tone. The boy stepped forward, as if to warn me. "You soiled this school with that same bottle. It's only natural for me to force you into picking it up." He shot back, still with that same creepy aura surrounding him.

"As the leader of the Disciplinary Committee, I cannot ignore the damage you bring upon this school. You're an eyesore, therefore, I have to teach you a lesson." He took another step in my direction. "Pick it up, Alice Pierce. Don't make me repeat it again."

I felt his eyes burn a hole in my skull just by gazing at me with mild interest. Although I feared this boy a little, I was determined not to let it show.

"Come on. Is this about the restroom I destroyed? I happened to be in a bad mood. No' one offered to help me in this wonderful school you represent." I grinned with a quick nod. He chuckled at my answer.

"I see your point." I grew curious as to what his next step would be. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would back away easily.

"Allow me to set things straight…" He took out a pair of tonfa and got into a fighting pose. "And give you a warm welcome to Namimori-Middle." My eyes widened significantly at his words. He's planning on beating me up? That's his move? And I didn't even notice those damn tonfa before!

"O-okay! I get it already! I'll pick it up!" I yelled out, feeling ashamed of myself.

Never before have I caved in to someone's order. Never before have I tasted defeat in a way I did now. I wrapped my fingers around the plastic bottle and crushed it under the pressure of my clenched fist. "You happy now?" I grumbled loudly.

"Should I direct you to the trashcan?" He asked mockingly.

"That won't be necessary." I hissed.

He walked up to me in a steady pace. I gulped loudly. "Don't cause any more trouble in this school. If you do, I can guarantee that you'll be bitten to death when you least expect it." He commented with a sly smirk. It only caused for me to grow even more confused!

He placed the tip of his tonfa on my head, tapping it slowly but painfully on the surface of my skull as he glared me down. Soon enough, he retreated and walked off, the sleeves of his coat moving in the wind.

"Hell no! That guy already pisses me off!"

I was about to drop the crushed up plastic bottle in anger, when the door opened again, revealing the Disciplinary Committee Leader in all his glory.

"If that bottle touches the ground, you die."

The bottle was about to fall when I clumsily juggled it from one hand to the other. I successfully managed to catch it. "Don't get in my way, Babyface." He replied as he closed the door again. I was pissed beyond pissed!

"God I hate this school."

End