"Are you ready? Gokudera, Yamamoto, Tsuna," Reborn asked, looking at Yamamoto who was holding a snotty, sleeping baby cow in his arms.
"Ready, Reborn-san!" Gokudera replied, while the other two nodded in agreement.
"And how about Chrome's group?" Reborn turned to them. All three nodded, and Saya gave Reborn a bright smile, which he returned. Everyone then shifted their gaze to Saya's wrist, where the yellow flame was slowly flickering out.
"Will it be Lightning or Mist?" Tsuna wondered aloud, sharing the same anticipation as everyone else waiting for the Flame's result today.
Zzap! Crackle!
Electrical currents began to surge through the bracelet, accompanied by a low rumble as a miniature rain cloud formed right inside the hospital room. Everyone knew instantly what was about to happen.
"You baseball idiot!"
"Whoa!" Yamamoto shouted. Tsuna rushed over to help him hold Lambo, speaking in a trembling voice, "Sorry, Lambo!"
Gokudera reached into Lambo's afro and pulled out the Ten-Year Bazooka. The boy's snot bubble popped as his eyes fluttered open, only to see the barrel of the bazooka pointed straight at him. Gokudera pulled the trigger.
Click! Boom!
Pink smoke billowed through the room. As it cleared, a young man with short hair, wearing an open-collared black shirt and white pants, appeared. Saya blinked, still trying to process the sudden change.
"Allow me to introduce the Lambo from ten years in the future, Saya-chan," Reborn said. "He's the Vongola Family's Lightning Guardian."
"Ah! Saya-nee!" Upon seeing her, Lambo immediately burst into tears and lunged to hug her tightly. "I missed you so much! You from ten years ago!"
"Uh…" The young girl was still dazed by the sudden transformation, but she gently patted his head. "I don't quite understand, but please don't cry."
"Saya-nee…" Lambo looked up at her through his tears. "Will you marry me? If you're going to be this kind to me…"
Suddenly, Gokudera pressed the Ten-Year Bazooka against Lambo's head with a terrifying expression and pulled the trigger again.
Click! Boom!
"Still as jealous as ever, aren't you, Gokudera-san?" When the smoke cleared, a man in a long coat appeared. He smiled at Saya. "We meet again, Saya-nee. You're as cute as ever—though in twenty years, you become so beautiful that I stopped caring about our age gap."
"Is this… Lambo too?" Saya asked.
"From twenty years in the future," Lambo replied. He ignited his Lightning Flame and took Saya's hand; the surging energy immediately calmed down, and the clouds on the ceiling vanished. "When I grew up, you told me I was exactly your type. It was back when we first met in Giannini's lab."
Saya's memories slowly began to resurface. She vaguely recalled seeing this man's silhouette by her bedside once before. Back then, she hadn't been able to finish her sentence:
"So handsome… You must be an angel from heaven."
Saya started, blushing furiously as she scratched her cheek. She had genuinely thought he was a celestial being. "Oh, how embarrassing."
Adult Lambo gave a soft, airy laugh. "You called for me last time, and you've called for me again today. If that's the case, I'd like a reward."
"A reward?" Before she could react, Lambo leaned down and kissed her forehead gently. When he pulled back, Saya's heart was pounding as she looked up at the man who was much taller than her. The 20-year-future Lambo was undeniably handsome, though he still had those peculiar bull horns on his head.
"Fall in love with me, Saya-nee," he whispered, tilting his head with a wink. "Once I'm of legal age, I'll come and ask for your hand. Please wait for me; don't go marrying anyone else yet."
As he finished his sentence, Lambo suddenly tripped and slammed face-first into the bed. It wasn't an accident—it was the work of Gokudera and Yamamoto.
"Oops, my hand slipped," Gokudera muttered, still clutching the Ten-Year Bazooka.
"Sorry, Lambo!" Even with his eyes still a bit puffy, Yamamoto gave a strained smile. Though his hands were empty, Jiro was at his feet, barking once and wagging his tail before lunging to scratch at Lambo's legs.
"Ow! Ow! Stop it!" the young man cried out, but Jiro wouldn't stop. "No! Stop that!"
Yamamoto stood still, folding his hands behind his head. "My bad, my bad. Jiro's just being playful."
"Yamamoto-san, don't act innocent!" Lambo yelped as Jiro tugged at his pant leg, pulling him away from Saya's bed. Lambo was forced to hop along with the dog. "You guys…"
Poof! The pink smoke exploded again, and baby Lambo was left tumbling through the air until Tsuna caught him.
"Tsunaaa… he had a nightmare," the toddler mumbled before falling back asleep. Tsuna sighed, and so did Saya, before she shot a stern look at the two boys.
"Stop teasing Lambo!"
"I wasn't teasing," Gokudera insisted. Yamamoto added, "I didn't do anything to him, Saya-chan."
Jiro barked as if to confirm. Saya watched the dog panting happily until Yamamoto lifted him onto the bed. "His name is Jiro."
Saya reached out and gently patted Jiro's head. He barked softly and offered a paw, which Saya instinctively shook. At the same time, a cat with a mischievous glint in its eyes jumped onto the bed, rubbing affectionately against her other hand.
"That one's Uri," Gokudera said. "He's, my cat."
"If that's all, I'll head back to the research institute," Chrome said, preparing to leave with Ken and Chikusa.
"Dokuro-san!" Saya called out, making Chrome turn around. "Do you like sweets?"
"I can eat them," Chrome replied. "And you can just call me Chrome, Saya-chan."
"Then please come join us tomorrow. It's my birthday," Saya said.
"B… Birthday?" Chrome looked confused for a moment, then exchanged glances with Ken and Chikusa before smiling warmly. "Of course, Saya-chan. I didn't know, so I'm worried it might be rude to show up without a gift."
Saya shook her head. "It's fine! I just want everyone to have fun together. I was worried about whether hosting it in the hospital would disturb the other rooms, but as long as we aren't too loud, it should be okay. I want everyone to relax; you've all been so stressed about me for a long time. I want to change the atmosphere a bit."
"I'd love to," Chrome said with a gentle smile. As Saya smiled back, it felt as though a "lily filter" had descended upon the room. Yamamoto placed a hand lightly on Saya's shoulder, while Gokudera nudged Chrome toward the door.
"Lambo is out for the count," Reborn noted before dialing Dino. "Dino, go find Yama Rinji immediately!"