His Childhood Friend, Mr. Good-for-Nothing

[I'll come back to write this after filling in my other plot holes.] [The pairing is the only thing that hasn't changed. Most of the previous settings have been revised.] Ibia had a childhood friend who grew up alongside him. They had lived together since they were little. They weren't twins, but they might as well have been, eating, studying, and sleeping together. It was like that from kindergarten to elementary school and then middle school. Tsuna was a somewhat clumsy kid. He often fell over by accident, spilled his rice by accident, or fell asleep during an exam and forgot to write his answers. But Ibia never thought any of that was a problem. He always thought of Tsuna as a little brother he had to protect. He chased off the older bullies, kept Tsuna from being picked on, and was the first to stand up for his "little brother" whenever anyone said anything bad about him. It never occurred to Ibia to wonder if Tsuna actually needed that kind of protection. After leaving Namimori for half a semester as an exchange student, Ibia returned to find lots of unfamiliar people around Tsuna. The "little brother" he had always wanted to protect was slowly growing up. Little by little, Tsuna was moving beyond his protection. Tsuna didn't need him anymore. He had lost his place in the Sawada household. Even living under the same roof, he no longer knew what they were doing. Tsuna's friends treated Ibia with respect, but they were gradually walking away with the only treasure he had. Ibia was left behind, knowing nothing. On the day Tsuna and the others left Japan for Italy, Ibia also left Namimori. He joined an underground organization in Yokohama. Never in a million years did he expect to see Tsuna again. The "little brother" Ibia had protected all his life gently embraced him and said softly, "Ibi, it's my turn to protect you now." Reader's Notes: * In the early part, Ibia protects 27. It may seem like 27 is always being protected by Ibia, but actually, 27 is Ibia's emotional anchor. * They part ways in the middle because 27 wants to protect Ibia and keep him out of the dangers of the Vongola. There will be melodrama and misunderstandings [I love melodrama]. * 27 is the gong, 27 is the gong. Even if he seems weak at first, 27 is still the gong. 2023.06.19 Updated blurb Theme: Hold tight to the happiness in your hands.