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It was a rare, quiet Friday at Furin High School.
An air of peace settled around the campus, with the only interruptions being the usual chaos: brawls echoing from the courtyard and Umemiya’s loudspeaker announcements about his beloved plants.
For once, students felt like they could finally relax, stretch out, and let the week’s tension drain from their shoulders.
After a tough and trying week, Umemiya had decided to celebrate. He invited all the kings, grade captains, and vice-captains up to the rooftop for a lunch picnic. Sugashita was there as an honorary member for tending to the plants, and even Togame Jo and Choji Tomiyama were invited since Furin had recently needed Shishitoren’s help.
It was… a lot of fun. Loud, disorderly, and overwhelmingly warm.
For Sakura, though, it was also exhausting. He still wasn’t used to so much affection and attention coming from every direction.
Umemiya couldn’t seem to stop dragging him into plant talk, resting a casual hand on his shoulder every few sentences and beaming whenever Sakura nodded along. Sugashita hovered nearby, scowling at anyone who got too close but never straying far himself. Choji kept bouncing up to surprise-hug him, laughing every time Sakura squeaked in protest, while Togame watched the two of them with a fond grin that made Sakura’s ears burn. Suo leaned in way too close whenever he spoke, claiming the crowd was too loud to hear otherwise, his breath tickling Sakura’s ear each time. As expected, Nirei mentioned Sakura’s flushed face every chance he got, teasing him whenever he could.
At one point, Umemiya handed him a cup of homemade lemonade with a proud grin, saying something about “the perfect balance of nutrients for a hardworking heart,” which somehow made Sakura blush harder than the sunburn creeping up his neck.
By the halfway point, he was bright red, flustered, and mentally fried. Every time someone laughed or bumped his shoulder, his pulse kicked up again.
So, as soon as no one was looking, he escaped.
He just needed a little corner of quiet to breathe and stop blushing like a fire hydrant.
Unfortunately, every corner of the rooftop was occupied except one.
Kaji sat alone with his headphones on, basking in the sunlight with his usual calm expression. His posture was relaxed, one knee drawn up, the breeze playing with the loose strands of his hair. The quiet around him looked inviting and peaceful in a way Sakura desperately needed.
Sakura hesitated. He could already feel the warmth crawling up his neck again. Then, before his nerves could betray him, he walked over and tapped Kaji’s sleeve. His voice came out softer than he meant it to.
“Um… can I sit here?”
Kaji blinked up at him, tugging one earphone slightly down. Although he loved hearing Sakura’s voice, the excuse to look at his lips while pretending to read them wasn’t exactly unpleasant either.
After a moment, he nodded and shifted just enough to make room.
Sakura exhaled in relief and dropped to the ground beside him. Because of the cramped rooftop, they ended up sitting close; so close their shoulders almost brushed whenever the wind moved. Kaji definitely wasn’t about to complain.
For a while, they sat in companionable silence. The hum of conversation from the others drifted across the roof, mixing with the faint sound of music leaking from Kaji’s headphones. Sakura leaned back against the wall, finally letting his body relax. His hands rested loosely in his lap, eyes half-lidded as the warmth of the sun seeped into his skin.
Kaji glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Sakura’s hair caught the light, and for once, the permanent tension in his jaw was gone. He looked… peaceful.
When Sakura eventually opened his eyes again, he felt lighter, calmer, and almost ready to rejoin the group. His shoulders had stopped aching, and the noise of the rooftop now felt distant and manageable. He noticed a few heads turning his way; apparently, people were already looking for him.
Before he could stand, though, Kaji unwrapped a blue lollipop and popped it into his mouth.
The sharp crackle of the wrapper pulled Sakura’s attention immediately. His gaze lingered on the candy, shiny and bright, catching the sunlight with every movement. He hadn’t had a lollipop in years, and the sugary scent carried faintly on the breeze. It smelled sweet and nostalgic. He swallowed without meaning to, suddenly aware of how dry his throat felt.
He tugged gently at Kaji’s sleeve again. The older boy turned, eyes curious.
Sakura hesitated, cheeks warming. “What flavor is it?”
Kaji raised an eyebrow.
“Your lollipop,” Sakura clarified quickly, gaze dropping to the ground. “I, uh… haven’t had one in a while.”
Kaji’s lips quirked, like he was fighting a smile.
He didn’t say anything. Instead, he pulled the lollipop from his mouth and, without hesitation, pressed it gently against Sakura’s lips.
For one second, Sakura froze. The next, the candy was in his mouth, cool and sticky against his tongue.
It took him another two seconds to realize what just happened.
His entire face went crimson.
Kaji leaned back on his hands, watching him with lazy amusement. “Blueberry,” he said.
Sakura sputtered, nearly choking on the candy, eyes wide. “You—! What—what the hell was that?!”
Kaji tilted his head with that smirk still on his face. “You asked, didn’t you?”
Meanwhile, Sakura’s fists were up, ready for a fight, though the effect was ruined by the fact that he still hadn’t taken the lollipop out of his mouth.
Kaji noticed, grin widening.
“Relax,” he said softly. “You like it.”
Sakura made an indignant noise somewhere between a growl and a squeak, face on fire, but he didn’t spit the candy out. The sweet blueberry taste lingered, clinging to his tongue and making his head spin just a little.
Kaji chuckled, sliding his headphones back over one ear, pretending to be absorbed in the music again.
Sakura stared at him for a long moment before sinking back down beside him, arms crossed, muttering something about “idiots and their candy.” But his blush refused to fade.
Across the roof, Suo started to stand, an ominous smile spreading across his face as his knuckles flexed. Nirei, wide-eyed, lunged to hold him back.
“Don’t!” he hissed, clinging to Suo’s arm like his life depended on it. “Don’t ruin Sakura’s peace!”
But even Nirei’s voice trembled a little, his grip tight, his jaw tense. His eyes darted between Sakura and Kaji, a storm of disbelief and envy flickering there.
Choji gasped dramatically from a few steps away, clutching his chest as if witnessing a tragedy. “He fed him the lollipop?!” His tone was playful, but the sharp edge of jealousy cracked through the words.
Togame chuckled, folding his arms, the sound low and almost too casual. “I told you he liked him,” he drawled, though there was a glint in his eyes that wasn’t amusement. Something darker flickered behind the smirk, a quiet frustration that wasn’t meant for anyone to notice.
Umemiya let out a long, heavy sigh, half exasperation and half wistful yearning. “Ah, youth,” he muttered, though the slight frown tugging at his mouth didn’t match his tone.
Sugashita looked ready to combust, fingers tightening around the nearest watering can. His voice came out sharper than he probably intended as he muttered about “public decency” and “distractions from plant care,” though everyone could see the flush of irritation climbing his neck.
Even from opposite corners of the roof, every set of eyes lingered on Sakura, blushing, confused, and still clutching that damn lollipop, and on Kaji, who looked far too satisfied with himself.
The air, for all its earlier warmth, felt charged.
Later that day, when the rooftop picnic was winding down, Sakura found himself glancing Kaji’s way again. The other boy caught his gaze, raised an eyebrow, and wordlessly held up a different lollipop, this one bright red.
Sakura hesitated, then, with a tiny huff, walked over.
“Strawberry,” Kaji said before he could ask. “Thought you might want to pick your own flavor this time.”
Sakura’s blush returned full force, but this time, he accepted it without argument.
And if, later on, he started showing up to meetings or training sessions with a new candy each time, and Kaji always had the same matching one in his mouth, no one at Furin dared to comment.
But everyone knew the truth: Sakura had them all wrapped around his finger.
Kaji just happened to be the first to prove it, with a lollipop.