Chapter Text
Sakura’s hands ground into the rough concrete as he bent backwards, narrowly avoiding the fist that sailed above him.
The gravel of the street bit into his palms as he shifted his weight, kicking his leg up-and-over. His foot connected to the chin of his opponent, snapping their head back.
A loud thud could be heard, as the body dropped harshly to the ground–unconscious.
He glared at the group who was currently being a pain in the ass, and sighed. It's such a shame, he was in such a good mood too.
A shift in the air from behind alerted him to movement. He only had a few seconds to catch his breath before another kick flung towards the back of his head.
To his left, Suo and Nirei were handling a few guys, and a little bit behind them, was Kiryu pushing back a few more.
As his fist struck his next attacker, Sakura couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated by the turn of events.
This really wasn’t what he had planned for today.
It was a bright and sunny day in the town of Makochi. The temperature was warm without being sweltering, but not cool enough to bite the skin.
The sun’s yellow glow seemed to brighten and enhance all the colors of the town. Making everything from the flowers, to the building's signage, brilliantly vibrant.
Sakura thought that Makochi’s Tonpu Market Street had looked like a scene straight out of a painting.
It was days like this when the air felt easier to breathe; when he felt like he could fully fill the lungs.
The good vibes made his mood stable, and the gentle warmth of the sun filled his chest.
Today he could admit that–maybe–he was in a good mood.
School had just gotten out, and he was flanked by his Vice Captains Nirei and Suo, while Kiryu skipped just a few feet ahead.
They weren’t even assigned to patrol today; which was the part that irritated Sakura the most.
They were just peacefully making their way to Café Pothos to hang out for a bit to unwind.
All of a sudden, they heard a loud crash at the end of the street.
Sakura being Sakura, took off running the second the noise pierced through the air. The yells from his classmates to ‘slow down!’ and ‘wait!’ faded behind him.
The first year Grade Captain had always been a man of instinct. He found that his body always acts before his mind even knows what he is doing.
Act now.
React later.
So far, that has never failed him.
With a strong emphasis on that ‘so far’.
He skidded to a stop when he spotted the source of the sound. A fairly large group of gang members were harassing a shop keeper; Miss Hanako–if Sakura remembered correctly.
They had over-turned her outside display that had once showcased her beautiful vases and flower arrangements.
Several guys stomped on the pots and flowers; while a couple guys held her back. The clay made a loud crunch underneath their feet that failed to drown out her pleas for them to stop.
When one of the stompers turned to smash another pot, Sakura could see the bright red armband pinned to their shirt's sleeve.
Sakura let out a sharp click of his tongue, grinding his teeth as he approached the group.
Fang.
A relentless group that has been a real thorn in Bofurin’s side the last couple weeks. They were relatively new according to Nirei, and they could be identified by the red fabric loosely pinned to their arm.
Sakura had actually already encountered this group–several times.
And each time, he put them on their ass.
Rumors around the school were that they traded all their brains for their brawn; that’s why they were slow to learn not to fuck around on Bofurin’s turf.
But by some miracle, the students couldn’t even begin to guess, Fang always ate the beating they received; always seeming to resurface to test their luck one more time.
Seventh time’s a charm, I guess.
Sakura charged in, fist connecting with the Fang member’s face with a satisfying crunch. He was just the first of many about to fall.
Now in the thick of it, Sakura could tell that the group had thinned out significantly since their debut a little while ago. Their numbers dwindled slowly with each encounter.
But that fact didn’t change the job Sakura had set out to do, so he continued to work.
A sharp kick landed hard on another guy's stomach, causing him to sputter and collapse. Sakura pivoted and blocked a punch, weaving out of the way of another.
Trying to keep the momentum going, he turned on his heel, and cocked his arm back.
The Fang member who was crouched right in front of him, curled defensively, when he locked onto his target.
Ready to throw the punch, his eyes were assaulted by a fist full of dirt from one of the plant’s broken pots.
He blinked rapidly, struggling to open his eyes past the grainy debris, only to find that his eyelids refused to listen.
Damn it!
He couldn’t see.
The shock sent a sharp inhale of breath as his eyes stung from gravely debris. He coughed harshly as the particles entered his mouth, the taste of dirt staining his tongue.
That was another thing about Fang.
They weren’t just jackasses; they were rotten, no-good, cheating, slimy, honorless cry-babies, who liked to play dirty.
And in Sakura’s book, that made them scum of the earth.
He could hear the rustling of clothes, as the dirt-thrower winded up for another attack. All Sakura could do at the moment was brace himself for the inevitable impact.
“Ack!”
The harsh thud of bodies sounded, as something collided–hard–with his opponent. He could imagine how the bastard skidded painfully several feet across the concrete.
“Sakura,” Suo’s voice called out right behind him, startling the dual-colored captain. “Stop running off on your own.”
“You guys are just too slow!” Sakura yelled out in the direction he hoped Suo was in. He scrubbed harshly at his eyes with his sleeve, clearing the last bit of debris from his vision.
“Are you alright Sakura?” Nirei’s worried voice joined them.
“Yeah…just peachy.” Sakura deadpanned. He could still feel the crap caking his face, but at least he could see again.
The cavalry had arrived. Suo and Nirei took their spots by his sides; while Kiryu finished off the dirt-thrower.
Did Kiryu just kick that guy while he was down?
Whatever.
“You guys just never learn, huh?” Kiryu drawled, sarcastically. The pink haired boy stepped over the unconscious body sprawled underneath him, coming to join his other classmates.
Sakura took this chance to take in his surroundings, Miss. Hanako had already retreated into her shop.
She was safe.
Sakura smiled wickedly despite himself. There was no need for him to hold back anymore.
The downed Fang goons dragged themselves up off the ground. The few who had bats and planks, gripped their weapons a bit tighter.
“Some people are just slow learners,” Suo sighed, his shoulders raised and dropped in a mocking shrug. “I’m sure we’ve already taught them this lesson before–”
His lone eye darkened as he scanned the group, a few shivered under his sharp gaze.
Nirei dropped to a readied stance.
Sakura cracked his knuckles.
“–Just make sure to pay close attention this time.”
And with that, the brawl was on.
Sakura leaped forward, his right arm blocking a swinging plank. He knocked out the attacker with a sharp left hook.
Suo, Kiryu, and Nirei dispersed into the crowd, each taking on their own mediocre opponents.
After dropping another opponent. Sakura turned briefly to look behind him.
Nirei dodged the incoming punch, and grabbed the out-stretched arm. The blonde haired boy pivoted his hips and closed the space between them. Dropping his weight he flung the man over his back, successfully performing a shoulder throw.
The Fang member bounced off the hard concrete as they let out a sharp cry. Nirei moved on to the next attacker as they were still gasping for breath.
Watching his anxious Vice Captain’s work, Sakura’s eyes softened as pride began to swell in his chest. He couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his lips.
The first-year captain also glanced at Kiryu and Suo, as expected, they were making easy work of their opponents.
Suo flipped a member over, and Kiryu easily dodged a nasty kick aimed at the kneecap. It was gonna be a wash–like always.
A metallic click, brought him back to reality.
Sakura dodged backwards, a glint of sharp metal briefly caught and glistened in the sunlight as it arched centimeters in front of his nose.
That was close, too close. A bead of sweat quickly formed on Sakura’s brow.
In the hand of the asshole he had dropped earlier, was a switch-blade. A couple of their guys joined him and began circling Sakura, reaching into their own pockets.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out what they’ve got packing. Sakura internally cringed, this shit just got taken up a notch.
They smirked menacingly at the grade captain, convinced that they had finally got the upper hand on the Furin brawlers. A couple of similar clicks pierced his ears and sent a fresh wave of adrenaline, his breath quickened and the tips of his fingers started to hum.
“Knives!” Was the only warning he was able to give the others before the three men all lunged in unison.
Now, Sakura was pretty confident in his ability to handle a simple three vs. one…although, he wasn't as confident when the guys with the numbers also had knives.
His frustration from earlier only soured further. Nobody worth their salt brought that kinda shit to a fight. Forget scum of the earth, these guys were human trash. Calling them vermin would have been an insult to rats.
It made his blood boil as he dodged another swing. Each took turns swiping and stabbing randomly. They were uncoordinated in their attacks, and Sakura had trouble deciding if that was a good thing.
On one hand, they were being sloppy, and mediocre at best. On another, it also made their attacks near impossible to predict.
He kicked one guy down, trading force for nimbleness, he managed to jump over an incoming swinging blade. Although, the weakened kick wasn’t enough to keep the first guy down.
His mind raced trying to find a solution, to read the field in time for the next strike.
Landing another hit to one of the knife wielders, Sakura chanced a glance at his team.
Nirei and Suo had regrouped together. Suo took the lead against a rather large foe and Kiryu was in a much similar situation.
They were fine–for now.
He was about to bring his attention back to the assholes in front of him, when his arms raised instinctually.
A flash of white-hot pain bloomed across his forearm, snapping him back to the fight in front of him instantly.
"Best not to look away, yeah? Or are we too boring for ya?" a voice mocked.
Sakura sucked in a breath trying to resist the urge to scream out. His ears rang, and his vision swirled for a brief second from the shock.
He bit down hard on his tongue, trying to distract from the sharp sting.
A sinister grin greeted him as he whipped his head toward the source of his pain.
“Gottcha.” the man taunted.
Blood–his blood–coated the once reflective silver blade.
“Sakura!” he could barely hear Nirei call out from behind Suo.
Nirei’s voice sent a cold wave through his already adrenaline heightened senses. He had to end it–now. This had gone on long enough.
He grabbed the wielder’s hand in a strong, bruising grip and sent his knee upward with a crack. The attacker cried out as the hand holding the knife lost its grip on impact.
The weapon clattered uselessly to the ground as he cradled a hand, now with a few crooked fingers.
One down, two to go. Sakura reminded himself. He couldn't let these guys harm the others, he had to focus.
Sakura dodged backwards as the second guy slashed at his face. Once the arm crossed his vision he reached out to tightly grip the outstretched wrist and shoulder in front of him.
With one nasty head butt, the wielder’s eyes rolled into the back of his head. He went limp and fell with a loud thud.
He turned to face his last opponent, arm cocked backward, ready to drop the last thug.
But that wouldn’t be necessary.
Suo appeared out of thin air, a chilling glare dropped the temperature several degrees as he planted his foot square in the last attacker's face.
It took Sakura’s brain several seconds to catch up, slowly lowering his raised fist.
Looking around, only those adorned in black and green jackets remained standing.
They had won.
Sakura didn’t even question if the last guy was gonna get back up again. If Suo was the one delivering the blow, then it was over.
All of the Fang members who had crowded the streets moments ago, were either unconscious lumps littering the street, or had already fled with their tail between their legs.
“Sakura!” Nirei practically jumped at the boy. “Are you alright!?”
Oh Yeah.
The relief of it being over was so strong he had almost forgot.
The heterochromatic boy lifted his arm, finally getting a chance to look at the wound. There was a shallow slice that ran along his right forearm. A steady stream of trickling blood warmed the skin before dripping down and off his elbow, to the ground. A small puddle of crimson had already begun forming on the street.
It wasn’t actually as bad as Sakura thought. When he’d first felt the sharp sting, he assumed the worst–but this?
This was manageable.
He had always had a higher pain tolerance than most, and it was something he actually took a lot of pride in. It sure made fighting a whole hell of a lot easier.
He stretched his arm out in habit, flexing each of his fingers and rotating his wrist. Testing to make sure nothing too serious happened.
Honestly, the pain bothered him less than the fact that he’d gotten hurt at all. Those bastards didn't deserve the satisfaction.
At least they didn't get him too good...
Nirei–however–didn’t seem to think so. He shrieked at the sight of the cut, fussing over him like he was actively dying.
The blonde haired Vice Captain fumbled for his pockets, pulling out a dark green handkerchief he always had on hand, and before Sakura could question how sanitary it was, Nirei pressed it firmly against the wound.
A slicing pain shot up his arm at the pressure, sending hot tingles throughout his fingers and into his shoulder.
“Hey! That hurts!” Sakura hissed as he reflexively tried to pull away.
“Hold this!” Nirei ignored his protests in favor of grabbing Sakura’s free hand, and guided it to clamp down on the makeshift gaze.
Then, once he made sure that Sakura’s hand was securely on the cut; the frantic Vice scurried away, disappearing into Miss Hanako’s shop in search of a proper first-aid kit.
He's gonna give himself a stroke. Sakura thought as he stared dumbly at the door Nirei had just disappeared through.
Kiryu stepped up beside Sakura, a soft hum leaving his lips.
“Sakura, do you want to sit down?” Kiryu asked, tone light and feigning nonchalance.
“Huh? Why would I wanna do that?” Sakura replied, sounding slightly offended.
“You look just a tad pale.” Suo commented, inserting himself into the conversation. His face did a much better job hiding his worry than Kiryu's.
“I do not!” Sakura snapped, not liking the concerned glances his friends exchanged.
It was really just a cut. They always bled a lot at first-just slap a band-aid on it and it’ll heal eventually. No need to fuss about it.
Swallowing hard, he tried to ignore the way the ground shifted and bent slightly underneath his feet, or how his arm stung furiously from the pressure now that the adrenaline was fading away.
That…was normal too.
Unconvinced, Suo placed a steadying hand on Sakura’s shoulder. Then with a small push, he guided Sakura over to the sidewalk, Kiryu following closely behind.
Once they were out of the street, the auburn haired teen lowered himself to sit on the sidewalk, pulling Sakura down with him.
“W-what are you doing?”
“Taking a break,” Suo said simply, as Sakura dropped next to him on the curb. “Fighting is exhausting, is it not?”
Gold and grey-blue eyes narrowed, his grip tightened on the handkerchief. Red started to stain his fingertips through the cloth.
“Yeah, right! You barely broke a sweat.”
“He’s right Sakura,” Kiryu chimed, taking a seat next to him. “I’m exhausted too.” He reached over his head, making a show of yawning and stretching out his arms.
Sakura sent the two a suspicious glance, as he muttered, “Liars…” under his breath.
“We’re just worried is all.” Suo said with his usual cheerful tone, his hand never leaving his Captain’s shoulder. “Blood is supposed to stay in the body, Sakura.”
“You think I don’t know that!” Sakura yelled, bristling at Suo’s words.
The sound of hurried footsteps quickly approached the boys during their ‘break’.
Sakura looked up to find Nirei had returned carrying a comically large first aid kit with Miss Hanako on his heels. Sakura had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.
Seriously, it was just a cut…
It felt like an eternity before the three boys were able to continue about their day.
Suo had made the comment that Sakura was probably gonna have to go see a doctor to get stitches; which was a comment that immediately drained the color from said boy's face.
He didn't like, nor trusted, doctors. In the sixteen years he's roamed this grand, green earth, he's never had a wound that he couldn't take care of himself.
This, however, was a more convincing argument in his head.
His extremely suffocating classmates remained unmoved by his words of protest.
Apparently, Sakura’s judgment on medical care couldn't be trusted according to them.
Regardless of how his classmates doubted his self-preservation skills, there was no way he was gonna be dragged to a doctor. If it scarred, it scarred–whomp whomp.
He'll live.
So after a lot of back-and-forth, they came up with a compromise.
Nirei had done a surprisingly good job patching him up. The group learned that Nirei's mother was a nurse. Who had fortunately taught him the basics of first-aid.
So in Sakura’s mind...Nirei was basically a medical professional.
He still blushed horribly as his Vice's gentle hands worked. The blonde, noticing his struggle, tried to work quickly but diligently to wash, treat, and dress the wound.
Miss Hanako was there too, refusing to leave the boys unattended now that the fight was over. She was even nice enough to give the boys some cool drinks and welcomed them inside her shop–thanking him profusely.
Sakura took the drink gratefully, and pressed the cooled can against his hot cheek. Although, it did little to suppress the burn from all this attention.
Once all the “thank yous,” “it was no big deals,” and “you’re welcomes” were exchanged, they headed off back towards the way they came.
By this point, Sakura’s energy was just about depleted. Between the fight and being the subject of his classmate’s hover-parent like coddling… he was ready to eat, then crash onto his futon.
Note to self…don’t ever get hurt again.
“Is everyone still down for Pothos?” Nirei asked the group, typing away something on his phone.
Sakura’s ear practically perked up at the promise of food. Just thinking about Kotoha’s omurice made his mouth water.
“Yeah, I guess I could eat…” Sakura said, trying to play it cool.
His stomach chose that moment to betray him, letting out a loud growl.
His friends snickered beside him, causing a blush to once again creep up on Sakura’s face.
“What?!” he yelled, trying–and failing–to ignore the heat rising in his face.
“Pothos it is.” Suo replied, with his usual shit-eating grin.
“Sounds good to me!” Kiryu agreed.
A warm feeling filled Sakura as he walked between his friends; although, it wasn't enough to quiet the unease creeping in. The dull ache in his arm was a reminder of how close things had come to going sideways.
It still pissed him off that Fang thought they could get away with using knives in Makochi.
They were getting desperate, and desperate meant unpredictable.
Sakura didn’t like unpredictable.
He was glad it was him who got hurt though. He honestly didn’t know what he would’ve done if Suo, Kiryu, or heaven forbid Nirei had taken the hit instead.
It was best to not even think about it, on the off chance you could think something into existence.
He’d gotten lucky this time. He knew that much.
He shook his head, like the motion might physically fling the worry out of his skull. They won today. He was back with his friends, and all was fine again–he had to focus on that.
The group eventually rounded the corner onto the Market Street. Sakura could already smell the aroma of coffee and baked goods, the scent pulling him in like a moth to a flame. His stomach growled again as his nose led him straight to the café door.
He reached for the door handle, about to pull open, when Nirei spoke up first.
“Oh! Would you look at that! Umemiya and Hiragi are already inside,” he said, trying to sound as casual as he could. “We can give our report while we eat…”
Sakura froze, resisting the incredibly strong urge to bang his head against the door. A low groan slipped out his throat as he slowly turned his head.
His eyes found a sheepish looking Nirei.
The boy in question rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling nervously.
Sakura knew this trick. His friends were getting too good at leading him by the nose lately.
They knew he really didn’t want to deal with the upperclassmen today. So those bastards waited until the last second–waited until the food was right there to tell him.
He just stared at Nirei, letting the silence speak for him, and Nirei continued to look everywhere, but him.
“Good thinking, Nirei!” Suo cut in, clapping a hand on Sakura’s shoulder. “That way we get it done and over with.”
The one eyed boy leaned forward, meeting the irritated looking Captain’s eyes.
“Right, Sakura?”
The look Suo gave him told him that he wasn’t getting out of this.
“Fine! But don't think I won't forget about this!” Sakura relented, yanking the door open with way more force than was necessary.
Warm light washed over him, the café ambiance was noticeably cozier than the street outside. Some of the tension bled out of his shoulders as the exhaustion finally caught up to him. Just the air inside the café seemed to unwind the knot building in his stomach, already starting to soothe his irritation.
He’d get them back later.
Kotoha was behind the counter, wiping down dishes as the first-years entered. She looked up at the bell’s chime and greeted them with a smile.
“Heeeyy!” Umemiya waved enthusiastically from a booth in the corner.
Hiragi sat beside him, looking about as thrilled to be there as Sakura felt.
“Umemiya. Hiragi.” Nirei bowed as they approached the upperclassmen. Sakura, meanwhile, unceremoniously dropped into his seat, leaving the formalities to Nirei. He was far too hungry to care.
“No need to be so formal! Come, take a seat!” Umemiya invited them with an absolutely blinding smile.
Once everyone had settled at the table, Hiragi heaved a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Even on your day off…it’s always you three,” he said, gesturing pointedly to Sakura and his Vice Captains.
Hey! Kiryu wasn't innocent either. Sakura thought bitterly.
“Oh come on Hiragi,” Umemiya chided with a laugh. “It’s a good thing that they’re so pumped to jump in and help.”
“Putting me in an early grave is what they're doing,” Hiragi muttered, reaching into his pocket. “Alright. Let's hear it.” He popped a few Gas-Kun 10 into his mouth.
“W-we weren’t looking for trouble,” Nirei began. “We heard a loud crash over Miss Hanako’s flower shop and–”
“Sakura ran in headfirst, as always.” Suo finished with a smile.
Sakura immediately bristled, heat rushing to his face. “Yeah! And what’s so wrong with that!” he yelled defensively.
“Be quiet! Haven't you ever heard of inside voices!?” Kotoha reprimanded, even louder.
She appeared beside the table, balancing three plates of omurice and a steaming cup of tea for Suo in her arms.
“If you're gonna have meetings here, then keep it down.”
One plate clinked onto the table and slid neatly in front of Sakura. He grabbed his spoon, ready to finally dig in–only for a cold, wet towel to slap him squarely against his face.
He startled, peeling the offending fabric away with a scowl.
Why did the world seem hell-bent on keeping him from his omurice?
“At least clean up a bit before eating,” Kotoha sighed. The group's quiet laughter echoed in the booth. “You’re covered in dirt.”
“Huh?!”
Sakura scrubbed at his face furiously, the once white towel darkening as he glared daggers at his classmates. They had let him walk all the way through town with dirt still caked on his face.
Nirei at least tried to cover his giggles with his hand; Kiryu and Suo, however, did nothing to hide their amusement.
Jerks.
When Sakura finally looked up, Umemiya and Hiragi were still waiting patiently–small, knowing smiles tugging at their lips.
“Aw, Sakura,” Suo broke the silence. “Don’t be so upset. It's just proof of your hard work.”
Suo also dodged the dirty towel that was immediately thrown at him.
“Proof my ass,” Sakura muttered. He was too hungry and tired to be dealing with their bullshit right now. He turned his attention back to his plate, finally taking that first bite.
“Anyway...” Umemiya said with a fond smile, circling his hand to gesture them to continue.
“Long story short,” Nirei said with a sigh, “we ran into Fang again. This time they were harassing Miss Hanako and vandalizing her store.”
The upperclassmen leaned in slightly. Hiragi laced his fingers together as he rested his elbows on the table. “Those assholes again, huh?” He sighed. “They really don’t know when to quit.”
“Yeah,” Umemiya added. “I’ve been hearing that name a lot lately from the other groups too.”
Sakura scooped another bite into his mouth, only half listening to the conversation at this point.
Food always came first, social interaction-second, third, hell maybe even sixth.
“Fang sure is the persistent bunch,” Suo chimed in, taking a slow sip of his tea.
The table filled with the clink of dishware and idle conversation. Sakura grew more tired by the moment. Rehashing the day bored him-how many times did they need to go over the same thing?
Between the warmth of the food and the dull ache pulsing in his arm, his eyelids grew heavy.
“They were reckless- like always.” Kiryu hummed after taking a large bite of food.
“Your group was pretty stacked today between Sakura, Suo, Nirei, and Kiryu.” Umemiya laughed. “I’m sure everything went off without a hitch.”
The silence that followed snapped Sakura out of his drowsiness. He froze mid-bite, spoon hovering inches away from his mouth. Suddenly, he was wide awake.
His eyes flicked between his classmates.
He knew where this was going.
“W-well…” Nirei started, glancing nervously at Sakura. “There is something else we need to talk about.” He hesitated, fingers twisting together, the pause only made the tension worse.
He could see the way Hiragi and Umemiya’s shoulders drew tight in anticipation. They both knew they wouldn’t like what they were gonna hear next.
Sakura knew that they couldn’t keep this from them, weapons in Makochi was bad news, it just sucked that they were the messengers.
Umemiya was gonna be pissed.
“They had knives this time,” Suo finally spoke out, his lone eye darkening. “They managed to get Sakura pretty good.”
His normally confident Vice bowed his head, his usual easy smile missing.
Seeing Suo like this did nothing to settle the guilt in his gut. It was his own fault for letting them get the drop on him, his fault he got hurt.
At the same time, a loud clatter rang out from the kitchen.
Sakura whipped his head around just in time to see Kotoha picking up the plate she had just dropped into the sink.
What’s gotten into her?
“Where.”
The single word cut through the booth.
Sakura turned back slowly. Umemiya’s blue eyes locked onto him, piercing straight through his heterochromatic ones. Sakura opened his mouth-then closed it again, his head tilting slightly in confusion.
“Huh?” Sakura said dumbly.
Where did they get the knives?
Where was the fight?
Where did Fang go?
A dozen thoughts crossed his mind, quickly trying to decipher which one Umemiya had meant.
He had to take a shot in the dark.
“How am I supposed to know where–”
“Where are you hurt?”
Umemiya cut him off.
Oh.
Sakura furrowed his brows.
There was–something–in his tone that Sakura couldn't quite place. Anger…maybe?
The mood around the table had shifted completely. The friendly chatter from earlier was gone, replaced by something heavy and somber.
Nirei looked like someone kicked his puppy. Kiryu stabbed at his food, his jaw set tight, and Suo kept his gaze fixed on his lap with an unreadable look on his face. Hiragi’s stare burned just as intensely as Umemiya’s.
They were all waiting.
Sakura’s mind seemed to have finally clicked on.
“I-it’s nothing!” Sakura stammered, his mouth suddenly had gone dry. “Really...it’s not a big deal. It’s just–”
“Wrong answer,” Hiragi said flatly, interrupting Sakura with a complex look. “Try again.”
Seriously, what is with everyone today?
With a heavy sigh, Sakura shifted in his seat and shrugged off his Furin Jacket. The bandages on his arm were still snug and secure from when Nirei had wrapped them earlier. The only difference now was the faint line of red seeping through the gauze.
Sakura lifted his arm towards the upperclassmen. Making a line with his finger, he traced where the cut began and ended between his elbow and wrist.
“It was just a graze!” he insisted, uncomfortable under the looks and silence. “No big deal.”
He looked between his classmates. Mentally begging someone to back him up, tell them that it was fine. He only got grave, concerned looks instead.
“Come on. We already knew Fang is a buncha assholes. I...We handled it.”
“How many of them had knives?” Hiragi asked.
Sakura blinked. “Uh…I don’t know. There were three on me for sure. Maybe more?” he shrugged, glancing at his classmates. “Did any of you…?”
Sakura trailed off as Nirei, Kiryu, and Suo all shook their heads in unison. His eyes widened slightly. Did they really only come at him with knives?
He wasn’t sure if he should feel relieved or not.
Hiragi let out a loud sigh as he leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, and his jaw clicking tight.
Then, Umemiya finally moved.
The white haired leader reached out, clearing away the now empty plate that sat in front of Sakura. He seemed to consider his next words carefully before finally speaking.
“Sakura. Do you know what happens? What it means…” he said evenly, “when people who are losing start bringing knives?”
Sakura frowned.
“...They’re getting desperate?"
“They stop caring who gets hurt,” Umemiya answered, voice low. “Or how bad.”
Sakura opened his mouth to argue, but he hesitated. There was something in the older boy's tone that gave him pause.
Umemiya’s gaze softened, but the tension had yet to ease from his shoulders.
“You did good today,” Umemiya smiled warmly. “You protected someone. And you won.”
But the warmth from his statement only lasted a split second.
“But if that blade had gone a little deeper,” he continued, his calm voice drawing Sakura in. “There’s a chance that we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”
The words settled heavily in Sakura’s chest. His classmates had gone completely still next to him.
“This isn’t about winning anymore,” Hiragi leaned forward, elbows once again resting on the table. “It’s about the fact that they were willing to cut you.”
The food Sakura had just eaten settled like a rock in his stomach. His mind wandered to the rest of his class, the people of Class 1-1, would they encounter Fang next? Would one of them get hurt?
He really hadn’t thought much of it–the fact he got cut. Not like this, and not that deep.
He really did have a lot to learn.
“We all just need to be more careful from here on out,” Umemiya reached forward and gently ruffled his hair, eyes soft. “And we’re happy you’re okay.”
Sakura’s signature blush bloomed with heat painting his face.
Umemiya smiled and leaned back in his chair. “We’re gonna have to let the other teams know. If they see Fang, let the upperclassmen handle it. It’s not worth the risk.”
Hiragi nodded beside him in agreement as he slid his phone out of his pocket, and began typing away.
Sakura looked over to Nirei and Suo who had finally looked up with warm smiles on their faces, but it did little to settle the guilt in his stomach.
“Ah Sakura, just what are we gonna do with you?” Suo broke the tension, making a show of sighing and shaking his head dramatically.
“Hey!” A familiar wave of irritation filled Sakura’s body, but familiar was welcomed. He’d take that over whatever it was that had settled deeper down.
Soon enough, laughter and the soft hums of conversations filled the table once more.
Between Kiryu’s comments, Nirei’s anxious remarks, and Suo’s teasing, Sakura smiled at his classmates fondly. He was reminded that this is what he needed to protect.
Them.
The sun had just begun to dip below the horizon of Makochi when Kotoha finally kicked the Furin boys out of the café.
Outside, Sakura drew in a deep breath of the cool evening night air. Though, it did little to ease the weight still pressing on his chest. The conversation from earlier had stubbornly stayed on the forefront of his mind.
He trailed a few steps behind his classmates, who all seemed to have already returned to normal.
Nirei walked ahead as he excitedly scribbled in his notebook. Suo had his hands clasped neatly behind his back, his signature smile firmly back in place. Kiryu was absorbed in his phone, thumbs moving faster than Sakura could ever hope to imitate.
The group stopped at the corner of the street.
It was the part of the walk where each of them had to part ways.
“Hey, it was fun guys.” Kiryu waved as he stepped away from the others, turning to head home.
“See you at school!” Nirei said as he took a few steps in the opposite direction.
Sakura hesitated to wave back. Something nagged in the back of his head, and a cold chill of unease shivered down his spine. An overwhelming feeling that something bad was about to happen flooded him.
“Have a good night. See you tomorrow.” Suo said calmly, about to take his own leave.
“Wait!” Sakura blurted out, a little louder than he meant to.
The three stopped and turned towards the unexpected exclamation. They faced Sakura with confused looks on their faces.
He just couldn’t shake this sinking feeling he had. It was heavy in his stomach, but not in the same way the conversation had been. He wasn’t normally this anxious, but ever since they left the café, the hair on the back of his neck stood up, and he doubted it was from the cold.
The overwhelming spike of anxiety urged Sakura forward. “Suo. Walk Nirei home. I’ll walk Kiryu home.” he said bluntly, looking over at the auburn haired boy.
Suo widened his eyes, shocked for only half a second before schooling his expression. “My, what a peculiar request. Want some alone time with Kiryu, hm?”
“W-what?! No!” heat burned at Sakura’s cheeks. Suo knew just the right buttons to get underneath his skin.
Kiryu and Nirei shared a glance at each other, slightly confused by the change in plans.
“Sakura, what’s this all about?” Kiryu asked.
“Do I need a reason to want to walk around?!” Sakura questioned, slightly losing the confidence to support his impromptu request.
It was just a feeling.
How would he even explain that to the others?
Nirei looked at him puzzled, “But why does Suo need to walk me home?”
Sakura sputtered, unsure how to respond.
Cause it was safer that way?
Cause I have this weird feeling?
Cause I trust Suo to keep you safe?
His face burned hotter, as he struggled to form a coherent sentence, his voice came out in strangled broken sentences.
His classmates all watched him struggle, until Suo, at last, decided to take pity on him.
“Well, I suppose if my Captain requested it, I must comply.” Suo said dutifully, placing a dramatic hand on his chest.
Sakura sucked in a deep breath. “W-why do ya gotta make it weird?!”
“I’m just flattered thee Sakura Haruka wants to walk me home.”
“SHUT UP!”
The rest of the boys smiled and laughed as he grabbed Kiryu’s arm, dragging him away. Kiryu laughed as he waved goodbye to the others, he could only see the boy’s red tipped ears from behind him.
“Just make sure to text when you make it home, Sakura!” Nirei yelled from behind them, hands cupping his lips to make sure that the flustered boy could hear him.
Sakura just grumbled angrily in reply, still dragging Kiryu behind him. He dropped his arm as soon as they turned the corner, still muttering under his breath. “You guys are always doing too much.”
A small smile tugged at Kiryu’s lips as he watched his blushing grade captain.
Now that it was the two of them, they both walked through the familiar streets in a comfortable silence. Letting the sound of the town, birds, and windchimes carry the conversation for them.
Sakura wasn’t sure what compelled him to ensure his classmates got home safely, but what he did know was that the feeling of being watched never ceased.
Sakura slammed the door to his apartment shut with a loud thud.
Once he had dropped Kiryu off, he had completely forgotten that he now had to trek all the way across town back to his own place–in the dark.
No, he didn’t speed walk the rest of the way home…
The sun had completely disappeared below the horizon, its soft yellow glow replaced by the icy white light of the moon and stars.
Street lights and the business’s closed signs are what illuminated his path back. Every time he passed through an alley street, the prickling feeling of eyes seemed to intensify. The shadows in the alleyways were darker than usual tonight, but Sakura was sure that it was just his imagination playing tricks on him.
He was strong, and he knew how to handle himself in a fight, but you couldn’t fight something that never showed itself.
Sakura pushed away the mental image of his protein-obsessed, orange haired classmate out of his mind.
Ghosts aren’t real…
That’s why Sakura was a little freaked out, because they aren’t real. But the feeling of being watched was.
He pressed his back hard against his front door and stood there for a moment, trying to slow his breathing enough to be able to hear any noises just outside.
Man, I’m being way too paranoid.
He laughed internally; all while fumbling for the door lock beside him. And for the first time since his classmates had forced themselves into his apartment, and insisted that he fixed the lock, he was grateful he did.
Only once he heard the door lock with a satisfying click, did he step away.
He sighed heavily with relief. He was now alone in the four walls of his ‘quaint’ shit-box apartment. A place where he could let the full weight of the day’s events fully melt off his shoulders.
With a flick of his feet, he flung his shoes off without care of where they landed. A bone deep exhaustion settled in his bones as he made his way into the main room.
He sighed heavily as he pushed the sliding partition open, the soft tatami floors gave way underneath his feet.
It felt nice after such a long day.
He wanted nothing more than to collapse on the spot. To fall into a deep sleep and maybe even ‘accidentally forgetting’ to set an alarm for the next morning.
He padded his way further into the room, pushing the notion out of his head.
He shrugged off his jacket, inspecting the gaping, long hole now splitting his sleeve. The fabric felt thick between his fingers as he pulled at the broken threads. A dull ache filled his chest at the sight of it.
He should've asked Kotoha if she had a sewing kit he could borrow.
As he inspected the torn Furin Jacket, Umemiya’s words resurfaced in his mind. He hated the thought of the people he cared about getting hurt. It could have been anyone, it was just luck that Sakura had ran into Fang first.
The jacket he held in his hands had hundreds of copies that were identical to it. This one just happened to belong to him.
It could have been anyone, anyone from Bofurin, on the other side of that blade, and the thought made the ache sit deep within his lungs.
This was the only one he had. He was gonna have to sew it up eventually–but just not tonight.
Sakura hung the jacket on the curtain rod, its black material contrasting against the white curtain adorned with stars.
It only took him a few moments to spread out his futon. Then, he took his phone out of his pocket, dropping it somewhere on the ground next to him, as flung himself on the bed. Not bothering to change his clothes.
He knew it was gross to wear your school clothes in bed. He also knew that he didn’t necessarily give a shit at the moment.
His eyelids grew heavy and he wished he could sink further into the futon–maybe even disappear completely within it.
His fingers twitched slightly as he tried to let go of all the pent up tension in his body, but it was hard to let go of something subconsciously wound so tight.
Sakura’s breath slowed and steadied as he finally let his eyelids slide close. The soft hum of his heater turned into white noise in his ears as he tried to push all thoughts out of his mind.
For a few moments he just laid there, mind wandering through the events of the day.
He was too paranoid. It was easy to chalk up his weird mood to the conversation he had earlier, but that didn’t sit right with him. It was a certain type of wrongness that didn’t seem to have rhyme or reason.
His classmates would have been fine walking home on their own.
Nothing had happened.
He was home.
Safe.
And he would keep them safe no matter what.
BUZZ.
BUZZ.
The foreign sound and vibrations brought him back to the room, his tired eyes lifted open as he looked around searching for the source of the noise.
His phone buzzed again, screen illuminating with new messages being received. He reached over and picked it up.
He glanced at the time.
22:05
An inkling of irritation washed over Sakura as tried his best to not to throw the offending device against the wall.
Phones were expensive after all.
He grit his teeth as he picked up the device. Just what could be so important to interrupt his quiet solitude.
The anger melted away quickly when he saw who had texted him.
Nirei Akihiko: Did you make it home okay?
Oh right, he forgot. Nirei had told him to text when he made it home. He squinted at the screen, carefully typing his reply.
Sakura Haruka: yes
With that as his eloquent last word, he tossed his phone into the corner of the room, resuming his much needed bed rot.
But now that he was stirred, sleep didn’t come for him as easily as before. His mind had already flipped back on.
I wonder if Suo made it home?
It wasn’t until several hours of counting the stains peppering his ceiling did his eyelids finally drift closed again.
He lost the concept of time as he sank deeper and deeper into this endless void of dreamless sleep.
CRASH!
Sakura jolted upright.
His breaths came in fast puffs as he tried to settle his racing heart.
That sounded close. Like…right outside close.
He was on his feet in an instant, anxiety clawing up his throat as made his way through the kitchenette, and pressed his ear against the door.
His breath caught.
Movement could be heard just outside.