Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Patrolling on the crisp autumn evening is pleasant, now that the scorching summer heat is finally behind them. Sakura walks slightly ahead of Suo, looking a bit agitated, scrutinizing their surroundings as if danger could be lurking around every corner. It's an act, of course; he's just wandering aimlessly around the streets of the shopping district at the end of a rather uneventful and quiet day.

Suo follows right on his heels, hands behind his back, strolling as placidly as ever. If he’s noticed Sakura’s jittery mood, he doesn’t comment on it. Actually, he seems lost in his own thoughts as well; his gaze is straight ahead, but a little unfocused. Whenever Sakura turns to briefly look at him, Suo never meets his eye. Yes, he is distracted, but his expression is relaxed, his usual smile softening his features.

Who knows what he's thinking...

Maybe Sakura could just ask. How does the saying go? 

A penny for your thoughts?

Fuck… 

Why do I have to be this awkward? He thinks, angrily shoving his hands in his pockets and speeding up his pace a little.

It's not quite time to put their gukaran back on, but the summer uniform is perhaps too light for the evening. Suo is wearing his long-sleeved white changshan , while Sakura has his unbuttoned shirt on top of his usual white T-shirt, his arms bare against the cool breeze. But that's not why a shiver runs along his spine. It's because he hears Suo let out yet another soft sigh. He tends to do that, at times. Sakura has yet to decipher what’s behind those sounds Suo makes when he thinks Sakura isn't paying attention to him. But, you see, Sakura is always paying attention to Suo. He can’t get him out of his head, and it’s so… annoying. This evening, he feels worse than usual; he's been on edge the entire time they patrolled together, while Suo seems completely unbothered to be alone with him. Rather… It's like Suo isn't even aware that Sakura is there with him; they've been silent for a while now. Nirei was supposed to be with them, but a sudden - and suspicious - stomachache sent him home early, leaving him in such a predicament. 

It’s not even that he is uncomfortable in Suo’s company. On the contrary, being with him used to be as easy as breathing. Now, instead, he almost feels suffocating.

Sakura really shouldn’t feel this way. He and Suo usually get along just fine; they trust each other and work perfectly together as Bofurin members. They're friends , okay? But Sakura can’t help but feel his heart pound faster than usual and his hands get all clammy whenever he finds himself alone with his burgundy-haired vice-captain.

Truth to be told, this strange fluttering in his chest has become a worrying recurring occurrence lately. Maybe it’s because he's reached his limit... Damn, he definitely thought he'd be better at handling his emotions, but it turns out he's completely inept when it comes to anything romantic . 

Romanticism, whether it's about other people or himself, seems to be a source of deep frustration and embarrassment for Sakura, but how is he supposed to know what to do? It's not like he has any experience in this area, and he wouldn't even know who to ask for advice or help. This is something he has to figure out on his own. And that’s why Sakura is kind of nervous. Because he knows what he needs to do. That doesn’t mean he knows how to do it.

He knows this is getting ridiculous. But, truly, dealing with this stupid crush he's developed on his second-in-command since the summer break is getting worse with each passing day. If only he had the same courage to face his feelings head-on, the same way he does whenever he throws himself into a fight, he could talk to Suo and tell him what he feels about him.

He's a coward, okay?

To make things worse, Suo is anything but easy to read... In fact, to be honest, Suo is still a complete mystery to Sakura in so many ways. And then those sighs... 

Sakura, once again, wonders what is on his mind that makes him sound like that. Okay, he can do this. He will spin around and ask him if something is bothering him. He can be a supportive friend after all.

Yes… Easy-peasy… But… what if Suo told him it was none of his business?

Well, he can’t truly picture Suo saying that. Probably, he would simply get back at him with another question. It would be so Suo . He is irritatingly good at dodging questions, isn’t he? In the end, though, everyone has the right to have secrets or private thoughts, but Sakura isn't sure he could handle something that feels like rejection from him. 

Rejection is still something Sakura isn’t good at dealing with.

Oh, well. Fuck Suo and his aura of mystery.

If only he hadn’t fallen head over heels for him, things would be way easier. But he did fall for him, and hard. Admittedly, over the summer, they spent a lot of time together. Sure, they would hang out with the others too, but more often than not, it ended up being just the two of them. Seemingly, Suo and Sakura were the only two kids in their class who didn’t have family commitments; so, they went to the beach together a few times, and to the swimming pool as well. They watched the fireworks at night when the heat was so unbearable that lying on his futon seemed like a crazy idea, and he would hang out with Suo until the first lights of dawn. They had a few picnics in the nice shade of the park's trees and ate tons of ice cream together. In any case, Sakura genuinely had a great time in Suo’s company, not thinking much of it. Until that day at the beginning of August, when he looked at Suo absentmindedly playing with his earring with his long, nimble fingers, his red eye looking in the distance, his mouth slightly parted, his soft hair fluttering around his face.

Pretty .

He thought, an unconscious smile creasing his lips.

And then, a split second later, wait… what??

Well, Sakura has always been an honest guy, so it would have been pointless to lie to himself. He was totally… fucked . He could only admit that he liked Suo, and from that moment on, he had to learn how to live with that.

But you know what? He wasn't really pulling it off, that’s the thing. Since school started again, he has been feeling strangely off-kilter being alone with Suo. During those hot summer days, Suo's soothing, ever-calm presence, his inner gentleness, his sometimes incomprehensible humor, and the way he would always playfully tease him, triggered something in him, something violent and inevitable. Sakura knows he probably doesn't have a chance with Suo, but the situation is becoming unmanageable, and maybe it would be better to just tell Suo the truth.

If he’s lucky, Suo will give him a chance and agree to go on a date with him. In the worst-case scenario, Suo will simply turn him down so that Sakura can stop daydreaming about him and get over his hopeless crush.

Because, come on, he cannot for sure go on like this. At least Tsubakino handles his incurable crush for Umemiya in a more dignified way. Sakura, on the other hand... If he keeps this up, someone will call him out on his behavior, his constant stuttering and blushing, and his loss of clarity. He can’t afford that. So, he ponders, maybe it's better to rip the band-aid off voluntarily and move on, instead of continuing to simmer on low heat.

The main problem is actually confessing to Suo. Sakura, in fact, has no idea whatsoever of how he should behave around him.

Should he flirt? But how? He isn’t any good at being casual or flirty.

Should he be blunt, pull Suo aside, and confess his feelings like girls usually do? Nope, he can’t do that either. He would probably implode or melt down into a blushing goo.

Okay… The real issue isn’t even this. He said he considers himself an honest guy, right? So, the truth is that he is terrified.

What if Suo rejected him? What if he doesn’t reciprocate his interest?

Suo is truly indecipherable... sometimes it seems like he's flirting with him, other times it seems like he just hides behind his aura of mystery. He won’t reveal anything about what he feels, what he thinks, what he does when he isn’t with the class, and Sakura is, honest to God, losing his mind. He has tried to give a few teeny-tiny signals about his… availability. His attempts have been quite unsuccessful so far. All he got was a perplexed look with a tilted head, a confused frown, or worst of all, a dismissive shrug.

Sakura is absolutely hopeless at being charming and suave. He's even tried observing his classmates when they talk to girls, but to be honest, he's just not like that. That whole sappy attitude feels artificial to him. He has a rather unconventional personality, devoid of any social mannerisms. Sakura has a few basic modes of operation: he is either a thoughtful leader, a reckless brawler, or a blushing mess. All other nuances are foreign to him. Lately, he's introduced the socially-inept-friend mode, but luckily, Class 1-1 has always been kind to him and gladly covers for his shortcomings in the friendship department.

But Sakura knows the time has come for him to make a move. He's never been such a coward before... but he's never been interested in having a boyfriend either. Boyfriend. Yeah, he really likes the sound of that. All the things they did together over the summer, they could do them again, but with a new purpose. A new flavor to it. They could eat ice cream together at some fancy place, they could hold hands when they walk; Sakura could rest his head on Suo's shoulder when they sit together at the park.

They could... kiss… ?

Just thinking about it, Sakura's cheeks burn. Fortunately, Suo is still behind him and can't see his flustered face. Fuck, Sakura should really stop thinking about those kinds of things. He's not sure he'd survive… kissing Suo. He is curious, though, and Suo’s lips always seem so soft… 

His indecent thoughts are interrupted by a desperate scream not far away. Sakura is abruptly shaken out of his reverie and exchanges a quick look with Suo. His vice is obviously ready to sprint into action, with a resolute glint in his red eye, so the two boys start running toward the source of the scream. As they turn the nearest corner, what they see is a sadly familiar scene. Three bullies have cornered a girl about their age, wearing a school uniform. The girl looks terrified, holding her backpack to her chest as if to protect herself. In these situations, Sakura usually acts on instinct, knowing he can count on Suo to protect the civilians . So, while he jumps forward, performing his typical flying kick move, Suo promptly positions himself between the girl and the attackers. Two of them are easily knocked out by Sakura’s unforgiving foot, while the third one, who dared fling himself at Suo, finds his face violently smashed against the wall.

Fast, effective, fierce, as always. Suo and Sakura look at each other with a smug grin before checking on the poor girl.

She has crouched down with her head in her hands and has not yet looked up at them, probably terrified by the commotion.

Sakura huffs... It annoys him that those shitty people always have to pick on the most defenseless, but he leaves it to Suo to comfort and reassure the girl, making sure she isn't hurt. Suo is better at talking to girls and has that protective aura that doesn’t scare the victims, while Sakura would probably just end up terrifying the poor, helpless girl even more.

So he takes a few steps back and turns around to make sure the assholes stay on the ground. Well, they are still unconscious and don’t seem to be waking up anytime soon, but Sakura deems it better to give Suo and the girl a few moments.

When eventually he looks at them again, though, the scene before him is, to say the least, bizarre.

And unsettling.

Suo is usually extremely polite and gentlemanly, but the way he's talking to this girl seems... too intimate. The girl, a pretty type with a thick mop of chocolate-colored hair and sparkling green eyes, is looking up at Suo in awe as he holds her hand and speaks to her with his soft manners. He is smiling at her, but it is not Suo’s usual polite smile; it is something more genuine, like the smiles he has lately been gracing Sakura with.

Sakura tilts his head to the side, perplexed.

Do they know each other, perhaps?

"Suo?" Sakura approaches just in time to see the girl smile shily at him and… blush?

Sakura's romance radar immediately goes off, and for some strange reason, he blushes too in response.

"Thank you, Hayato-kun, I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come to rescue..."

"Sakura-chan, don’t even mention it," Suo chimes, before sensing Sakura’s presence behind him.

"Oh, Sakura-kun? Everything okay?”

“Yeah… those assholes are still out of it.”

“Good… Oh, allow me to introduce you to Kiyomi-chan. She is a first-year student at the Tokuikukan High."

"Oh, um... Hi! Nice… nice to meet you?"

Sakura winces at his own awkwardness. And why did he say it like it was a question? The girl, on the other hand, is well-mannered and super formal.

“My pleasure, Sakura-san, I'm Kiyomi Sakura. It is an honor to meet a friend of Hayato-kun's. And, please… accept my gratitude for saving me."

She makes a grateful and cute little bow and then smiles at him, very, very sweetly.

For Heaven’s sake… Sakura is… speechless. Even if he isn't interested in girls that way, he still recognizes in her those features that would make any boy their age fall at her feet and worship her like a goddess. He can already imagine how Tsugeura or Kiryu or even Anzai would have reacted if they had been with Suo instead of Sakura. They definitely would have started circling the girl like little puppies, giving her heart eyes.  

For sure, though, they wouldn’t have been so… awkward. Sakura is still frozen and quiet, staring at her with a shocked expression, as if she had done something incredibly weird or out of place… which she didn’t, really. He's sort of used to people thanking him in the streets by now. The shop owners on Tompu Street are always smiling at him and generous with their gifts, okay? But no girl has ever addressed him so respectfully and kindly before. Probably, he should reply, say something, anything , or at least give her a simple nod, but he's petrified and can’t find his voice. In the end, Suo has to intervene to break the deadlock they have fallen into.

"Well… It’s pretty late, isn’t it? And it’s getting dark. Sakura-chan, I'll walk you home now."

Suo announces with an uneasy smile.

"Thank you, Hayato-kun, you are always so kind.”

“And you always make me worry, Sakura-chan.”

“Oh my!” She sighs dramatically. “I'm so sorry I worried you. But you see, I was running late and came this way to save time. I promise I will be more careful from now on."

Suo giggles briefly and pats her head, and Sakura’s mismatched eyes become even wider at the physical display of affection.

"Silly, how many times have I told you to stay away from this area?"

The girl ducks her head and playfully sticks out her tongue, her cheeks turning pinker.

"Uh, you're right! Can you forgive me, Hayato-kun?"

“Sure. You’re forgiven. Now it's better if we go, come on.”

Sakura feels as if he's landed in some alternative reality, like in those crazy sci-fi movies Kiryu sometimes makes him watch. A reality where nothing makes sense.

Suo finally looks at Sakura with an unreadable expression.

"Sakura-kun, you can go on ahead. I’ll see you tomorrow."

"Ah... yes, that's… that’s okay. I guess?"

Suo nods at him before the girl grabs his arm. She smiles happily at him before literally dragging Suo away, leaving Sakura in that alley with the three passed-out bullies lying messily on the ground. Sakura grunts and spins on his heels, kicking a little rock on the ground angrily.

The rock hits one of the thugs on the head. Well… It’s not like Sakura feels sorry for him. He shrugs and walks away, thinking that there was something in Suo’s behavior that doesn’t sit right with him, but it takes him some time to acknowledge what it is. When he is almost home, it finally hits him.

This was not the first time they've saved a girl in danger, but the other times either the girl went on her own or they walked her home together. This time, instead, Suo dismissed him, as if he didn't want him to go with them. As if he wanted to remain alone with her.

As strange as it is, it’s not a big deal. It’s not that Suo owes him any explanation or that Sakura needs Suo to make it home.

Tomorrow he will go to school and everything will be back to normal.

Everything will be fine.

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Uh. Everything is not fine. And hell no, nothing is back to fucking normal.

Suo arrived late this morning, which was pretty unusual for him, and spent most of his time on his phone texting someone instead of paying attention to the lesson, reading one of his books, or lively chatting with Nirei and Kiryu during the breaks. Sakura pretended not to notice, telling himself that yesterday's girl had nothing to do with Suo’s weird behavior...

Anyway, going back to his original plan, since Class 1-1 isn't on patrol in the afternoon, Sakura considers he might talk to Suo on their way back home, so when Nirei suggests they go say hi to Kotoha and hang out at Pothos for a while, Sakura is just about to ask Suo if they can go somewhere else instead, just the two of them. But Suo beats him and heads for the door at a brisk pace.

"Sorry, Nirei-kun, I can't today. See you tomorrow, yeah?"

And he is out of the class before any of them can even say a word.

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Apparently, Suo's elusive behavior was all it took to… break Sakura. There is no other way to express his current malfunctioning state. Sitting at a table at Pothos, ignoring a cold and practically untouched omurice resting in front of him, Sakura stares blankly into space. Next to him, Nirei and the others are chatting about who knows what and trying in vain to get him to join the conversation.

"Sakura-san? Hey…. Sakura-saan?"

Nirei is waving a hand before his eyes, and in the end, he manages to catch his attention.

"Hmm?"

"Is everything okay?”

“Yes?”

“Are you sure? I mean… if something is on your mind, you can tell us.”

“Ah, no… I’m… fine.”

“Did something happen yesterday?" Kiryu asks him, not at all convinced by Sakura's weak attempts at reassuring Nirei.

"Nothing in particular."

"Didn't you save a girl yesterday?" Sakura flinches as Kotoha has materialized out of nowhere next to the table and is looking down at him, with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Ah, yes... We beat up three assholes… but… who told you?" Sakura asks her, curious.

"It was Grandma Sato, who was told by Matsumoto-san, who heard it from Hinoshina-san, who..."

"Alright, I get it, what the Hell??! Why did I even ask??" 

He snaps, making his friends giggle around him. At least Sakura sounds more like his usual self.

"So?" Kotoha presses, with an arched eyebrow.

"So?" Sakura echoes, not understanding what she means.

"What happened? With that girl, I mean. Was she hurt? It's not like you to ignore my omurice like that." She points out, slightly offended.

"Oh... Sorry, I… I'll eat it. And don’t worry, that girl was perfectly fine; Suo made sure she arrived at home safe and sound."

"Suo?” Nirei echoes.

“Yes…”

“You didn’t go with them?”

“No, Suo went alone.”

“Ah… That’s strange… Who was that girl?"

Sakura takes a big bite of omurice, and okay, it's not as good cold as it is freshly made and still warm, but if he doesn't eat it, Kotoha will make him pay dearly, and right now, he doesn't want to annoy her. He has enough on his mind already.

"I think she may be a friend of Suo's. Or something like that…" His statement immediately makes Nirei's interest skyrocket. The blond boy grabs his notebook and a pen, his eyes shining with curiosity.

"A friend of Suo-san? Tell me more! Tell me more!" He urges him, earning a glare from Sakura, who has his cheeks still full of food. He carefully swallows everything before speaking again. He is not an animal.

"Ah… I don’t know for sure, but they called each other by their first name. And… oh… She is a student at Tokuikukan..."

"Oh, man..." Nirei pales, his jaw going slack.

"What?"

"Well, Tokuikukan is a school for very wealthy families; it's just outside the city, and only the young ladies of the local high society go there. It's a very strict school that makes virtue and moral education its main goal."

"Ah..."

"Suo also comes from a high-class family, right?" Kiryu interjects, thoughtfully. "Maybe they went to middle school together?"

“High-class, huh? Well, Kiryu, you also went to a middle school for rich kids, didn't you?” Sakura considers, naively.

“Oh, no… Girls who go to Tokuikukan are like… filthy rich. It's a very small and elite school. In fact, I must say I'm surprised you ran into her in the shopping district. What was she even doing there?”

Sakura recalls how Suo playfully scolded her about that.

"Yeah… That was strange." He agrees, but honestly, he is even more confused than before. He knew Suo's family was kinda wealthy, but he didn't think he'd associate with someone as high-class as that girl might be. But maybe Kiryu is right; maybe they're just childhood friends or something like that. Just because Sakura doesn't have friends outside of Furin doesn't mean others don't.

Sakura finishes his omurice and tries to shake off the thought of Suo and that girl and, most importantly, he tries to stop wondering where the hell Suo could have gone this afternoon. Unluckily, his friends are nothing but tenacious nosy parkers, and so the rest of the afternoon is spent on bizarre conjectures and unlikely hypotheses. Sakura, for his part, remains silent and pensive for most of the time.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It was the next day that things took a sudden and unpredictable turn, the reality of things hitting Sakura like a truck. At school, everything seemed, thank God, normal again; Suo arrived early and behaved like his usual self. After school, though, Sakura gets assigned to patrol with Kiryu, Takanashi, Kukuichi, and Kurita. Suo, on the other hand, is supposed to have a training session with Nirei, but as they all step outside the gate together, they see something you never see outside Furin High: a girl .

There is a girl standing just outside the entrance, evidently waiting for someone. An extremely cute girl in her pretty uniform, with her long hair tied in a high, poufy ponytail. Sakura recognizes her immediately. It is the girl he and Suo saved a couple of days earlier in that alley.

"Hey, Sakura-chan... This is a surprise… What are you doing here?"

Everyone freezes at the sound of Suo's voice, greeting her with a very surprising level of familiarity.

"Hayato-kun! What kind of question is that? I came to pick up my boyfriend, of course!"

"Ah, ah, Sakura-chan, you shouldn't have gone to all this trouble."

At least Suo looks slightly embarrassed as he runs a hand through his short hair on the back of his head.

"Trust me, Hayato , I had to.” She says, suddenly way less playful than before, looking intently at him. And then, smiling again, “Shall we go?" 

Suo blinks his eye a couple of times, clearly taken aback.

"I… Well, actually..."

She grabs his hand and flutters her big green eyes at him.

"Pretty please? You see, I was craving ice cream, and I came all this way to have some with you..."

The couple looks at each other for a few moments as if they were communicating telepathically, while everyone else just holds their breath as if afraid to disturb the conversation. In the end, Suo chuckles and smiles down at her.

"You're right, Sakura-chan, I should appreciate such a considerate girlfriend, shouldn’t I? Give me a moment, would you?”

She smiles in relief and nods, graciously making her ponytail wave on her shoulders.

“Nirei-kun?”

Suo turns to look at Sakura and their other classmates standing still behind the captain.

“Do you mind if we postpone our training session to a later date?"

Sakura is perfectly aware that he has been watching the scene with his jaw on the ground and his eyes impossibly wide, but when he doesn’t hear a reply from where Nirei and the others should be, he turns around as well, only to see everyone in the exact same state as he was. 

Staring at Suo and his alleged "girlfriend," completely in shock with their mouth agape.

“Nirei-kun?” Suo calls him again, a hint of concern in his voice.

“Oh? Ah… yes? I mean, sure, we can train another time, Suo-san… No problem.”

“Thank you, Nirei-kun. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then. Bye Bye.”

The girl once again is quick at grabbing his elbow and starts dragging him away, apparently in a hurry to eat their ice cream.

As soon as they are sufficiently far from them, Sakura’s classmates seem to jolt out of their stupor and waste no time in surrounding him, submerging him in questions that Sakura does his best to answer.

No, he didn't know Suo had a girlfriend.

Yes, the girl's name is Sakura, and it's a strange coincidence now that he thinks about it.

No, he doesn't think they should be following Suo right now.

Yes, he thinks the girl is pretty, and he has no idea whether she might be Suo's type or not.

But when he starts to feel cornered and can no longer breathe easily, he snaps. 

Enough is enough, right?

"Stop! Let's not waste any more time! It's time to patrol!"

At a direct and resolute order from their Captain, the others can't help but obey, and Sakura mercifully manages to escape the torment of the interrogation.

But not the torment of his inner thoughts and his disappointment. Apparently, Suo has a girlfriend, and Sakura needs to come to terms with his unrequited love; the sooner the better.

Chapter Text

The fact that Sakura knows all too well that it would be pointless to struggle with unrequited feelings, and that he has developed, in his childhood, the tendency to protect himself against being hurt too easily, makes his intention to overcome his crush as quickly as possible a very urgent and compelling goal. That doesn't mean, though, that Sakura has the emotional maturity to handle the situation in the best and most effective way. After all, he is a teenager who, until a few months ago, didn't even know how to accept a sincere show of affection from his friends and who spent at least two, if not three, weeks gathering the courage to confess to Suo Just to be left high and dry and full of a new kind of bitterness. Therefore, what he does to avoid suffering too much is to try to stay away from Suo as much as possible. Perhaps not being around him as much, like he has been for the past few months, could help him rationalize his feelings. After all, if Suo is happy, Sakura can come to terms with the fact that he's happy with someone else. Even if it hurts. He hopes that over time, it will hurt less and less.

It turns out, though, that avoiding interaction with his second-in-command isn't so simple. For a couple of days now, everyone has shifted their attention from Suo to Sakura and Suo. Well... this isn't exactly what he wanted to achieve. If anyone were to understand his feelings for Suo, it would be the end of his leadership.

And deep down, Sakura knows he shouldn't avoid talking to Suo. Not so blatantly. It's wrong, immature, borderline pathetic, and completely un-Furin-like. But a cold, tight knot of uneasiness has formed in his stomach and won't let him be.

To make things worse, he isn’t sleeping well, his nights spent turning and tossing on his futon, trying to come to terms with the fact that Suo is… taken. By a girl who is certainly much more suitable for Suo than Sakura could ever be.

Today, after a particularly excruciating, sleepless night, Sakura arrives at school all mopey and grumpy from the lack of proper rest. His classmates, on the other hand, seem to be bursting with their usual energy. By now, Suo and his girlfriend are the talk of the school; surely the word has spread quickly, and everyone is certainly dying of curiosity, but no one has yet dared to address Suo with a direct question about his girlfriend, not even Nirei. Sakura watches the class dynamic with feigned disinterest. Everyone seems to dance around Suo, awkwardly smiling at him, seeming always on the verge of telling him something, but then chickening out every time. As soon as Suo doesn't look their way, they exchange meaningful glances with each other. Ah, that's ridiculous. Sakura won’t be playing that game.

It's a small consolation that at least Sakura doesn't have to put up with conversations about Kiyomi and Suo at school. Because, you see, Sakura, differently from the others, isn't interested in knowing more about that girl, even if a part of him can’t help but feel hurt by knowing Suo has never truly opened up to him. 

Shit… he has never felt so conflicted. He truly isn’t interested in Suo’s being all lovey-dovey with her, but…

Why did Suo keep it a secret in the first place? Those in their class with girlfriends or a love interest don't do anything but brag or ramble about how lucky they are and how great their crush is. Normally, Sakura refrains from sticking around to listen to those conversations. He never understood anything about girls, and the fact that he gets embarrassed easily has never allowed him to comfortably deal with those pointless chats. 

But he would have listened to Suo. Suo could have counted on him if he had wanted to talk about Kiyomi. Probably, they got together after he and Suo saved her, but Suo had likely been harboring feelings for her for who knows how long. But no, Suo didn’t confide in him, and Sakura found out about it just by chance, like everyone else, because she was bold enough to show up at school. In the end, had he known Suo was in love with someone else, Sakura wouldn’t have allowed himself to develop his stupid crush on him. He would have been stronger.

Suo, for his part, has been acting as usual, seeming completely at ease, as if nothing had changed, as if everyone's attention weren't solely focused on him. But that doesn't really surprise Sakura; after all, Suo has always been a true enigma. The truth is that Sakura doesn't really know anything about him, right? In fact, he knows a lot less than he thought; he considers, feeling oddly irritated by the new awareness.

The tension in the classroom is palpable, and when Suo approaches him at lunch break, smiling as usual, and addressing him with a cheerful, "Sakura-kun, are you okay?" Sakura just grunts and turns his head to the side, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Suo, ever imperturbable, simply shrugs, probably used by now to his grouchiness, and goes back to sit in his seat. Right, Suo has become so accustomed to Sakura's oddities that he doesn't think much of his behavior.

During the day, things don't get any better, though, and pretty soon it becomes evident that his coldness is directed at Suo and Suo alone. Sakura maintains his detached attitude toward Suo, trying to ignore him as much as possible. Suo, despite glancing at him from time to time with a perplexed and curious eye, is often distracted by his phone. Today as well, he's been texting a lot, wearing a soft, amused smile as he looks at the screen. It's obvious who he's texting and it… hurts. If possible, the fact that Suo is so distracted annoys Sakura even more.

Ah… how stupid of him. Unconsciously, he's trying to pay Suo back in his own coin by not talking to him, but Suo doesn't seem all that interested in understanding what's wrong with him. And yet... he had thought. No, he's fooling himself; things aren't as Sakura thought they were. They never have been. Suo is nothing more than a diligent vice-captain. Nothing more.

When Nirei gingerly approaches him and asks if he wants to join the afternoon practice session he and Suo will have together, Sakura snorts.

“What would be the point? I don’t think you need me at all. I’m sure Suo is perfectly capable of teaching you.” Okay, Sakura immediately regrets being so brusque; he winces, taking in his blond friend’s surprised and slightly hurt expression.

“Oh, ok… okay? I mean, sure, Sakura-san. Sorry…I didn’t mean to bother you.”

Suo, who was a few steps behind Nirei, is also looking at him with a confused frown. Sakura scoffs again, annoyed. At himself, mostly. But, they should know that their Captain isn't exactly a soft and fuzzy guy, even though… his behavior has been bordering on rude in the last few days, and Sakura knows that sooner or later someone - Nirei probably, or Suo himself - will confront him about his surly attitude.

Damn, he'll have to try to keep his distance from Suo without being so obviously hostile. Why is it so complicated? He needs to do better; he needs to try harder. Not today, though. Today, Sakura is already at the end of his rope.

He sighs and slumps his head on his arms on the desk, trying to tune out the world around him, at least until the next class.

He only partially succeeds and, anyway, it's his inner world that's a mess right now.

After school, Nirei and Suo leave together as planned, and since Sakura has nowhere to go, he decides to head to Pothos by himself.

Once he gets in front of the café, however, he changes his mind. He appreciates Kotoha's company and, sometimes, even her advice. He's realized they're more alike than he'd first thought and truly considers her a friend. But right now, Sakura has to deal with his broken heart and needs to lick his wounds on his own. Sure, all the talk about "leaning on others," "accepting their help," and "blah, blah, blah" has taken on a new meaning since he arrived at Furin, and Sakura has learned to trust his friends. But now, the wounds are too fresh, and he needs to be by himself.

Suo has made a choice, hasn’t he? He's probably in love with that girl, and Sakura has to accept it. Maybe with time, he can even be happy for his friend. That girl seems to care about Suo deeply, and the two really seem to get along well. Suo shows her a side of himself that he normally keeps to himself. While Sakura might have previously had a few fleeting glimpses of that side, this girl has the privilege of knowing all sides of Suo's personality and Sakura… he envies her for it. Damn it... Sakura has never been jealous of others for having what he couldn't, what he would never have, but this time, it feels crueler. He had dared to hope that maybe Suo could return his feelings. If not right away, maybe with time. But no, once again, anything he wants, anything he cares about, is denied to him, taken away from him even before he can get a taste of it. He had deluded himself for weeks... but deep down, he knew it was just an impossible dream, so why does it hurt so much?

Sakura is aware that he needs to put his shit together, and fast. If he keeps up this attitude, there will be consequences, and he doesn't want to lose his position as class captain. When everything else is unattainable, at least he can cling to one thing: being the strongest, climbing to the top of Furin, even if it means getting there alone. 

Wasn’t that the original plan?

True, his mates support him and are his friends, and if that - their friendship and trust - is all that he is allowed to get, then so be it. It's already a lot more than he could have expected when he moved to Makochi. Sakura groans and turns away from Pothos, walking off. Even though it's not his duty today, he'll go for a walk, and if he's lucky, he'll run into some asshole to punch. Ah.. He would really need to let off some steam.

He stops by his crappy place for a moment to take off his uniform and put on his regular clothes. Once he's changed into a pair of jeans ripped at the legs and a dark gray hoodie, he goes back out and heads toward the commercial district. It's still early, after all, and the streets there will surely be teeming with life.

He walks with his hands in his pockets and a frown on his face for a while. But the situation in the streets is even too quiet. His gaze wanders around distractedly. People's lives are flowing peacefully - folks are shopping, some are hurrying home, some are stopping to chat with an acquaintance, and some others are getting coffee…

Uh?

Wait a moment…

Sakura gasps as he recognizes the person walking into an unassuming café a few blocks away. It was Kiyomi. He is sure of it. He could never forget her features, her high, wavy ponytail. Only, Kiyomi wasn't alone, and that's why Sakura approaches the café, his feet moving of their own accord. He stops just outside the place and stares speechlessly as the girl takes a seat at a table by the window facing the street. A tall, muscular guy with spiky bleached hair and a face full of piercings sits down across from her. His face, though, has some gentleness in it. He is softly smiling at Kiyomi, who is giggling, covering her mouth with her hands, and with her eyes reduced to two crescent-shaped slits.

What the hell is going on? Who is this guy, and why does Suo's girlfriend seem to be on a damned date with someone who is not Suo?

Sakura is like frozen on his spot, his heart pounding in his ears, before the fear of being seen takes over. He needs to move, so he cautiously gets closer to the café's entrance. He pulls his hoodie up to hide his bicolored hair and slips inside. He spots an empty table separated by a wooden screen from the one where the couple he is sort of spying on sat down. Great. He quickly slides into the booth, trying to look casual while peeking at the menu.

"I'm so sorry, Sora-kun," Kiyomi's voice is a hushed murmur coming from the adjacent booth, "he almost found out... Ah… It was a complete disaster."

The boy sighs, "it's alright, Sakura-chan. I knew this was a risk, but I promise, we won’t get caught. I… I can't give you up…" His voice is filled with affection and genuine concern.

"I am so sorry. I mean, Hayato-kun is so sweet… Good heavens! I really need to solve this mess. I need to tell him the truth… Even if I know he won’t be… happy." 

Kiyomi's voice is instead filled with a mix of frustration and sadness. 

The guy speaks again, but this time he sounds more resolute. "Well, he'll have to come to terms with it, okay? I... I love you, and I want to be with you. And if I have to fight him, I will…”

Sakura frowns. Does this guy intend to fight Suo? Ah… What a fool…

“No, you can’t! He is dangerous! But… he can't keep me in his clutches forever... I mean… I know he's doing this out of some kind of twisted love, but I feel... trapped, and I can’t do this anymore..." Kiyomi’s voice breaks and becomes wet.

Sakura's hands, gripping the menu, go still. He holds his breath, straining to hear.

Under his clutches? Dangerous? Is it Suo they are talking about? Seriously?

"Hey, don’t cry… everything is going to be fine… We need to be patient."

"I know… You’re right.”

The guy sighs very loudly, and what he says next makes Sakura almost get up and affront him. 

“Of course I am, even though I can't help but feel guilty towards Suo-san. He's a really great guy. I'm sorry to do this to him."

Kiyomi, at that, seems to stop whining as she exclaims, sounding almost angry. 

"Ah… Don't even get me started on that... I hate that I have to go on dates with him, but I can’t help it… at least until I have the courage to tell the truth."

"Sakura-chan…”

“Sora-kun…”

"I... I'll wait for you as long as it takes. Take all the time you need, but really… You shouldn't take advantage of Suo-san's kindness."

Kiyomi trails off and makes a sound that seems like a whimper. "And you think I don't know that? I feel horrible, but what else am I supposed to do? Sora-kun... I love you..."

"I love you too, Sakura-chan. We'll get through this, okay? Together."

Sakura feels like he is going to throw up. His instinct is to get up, approach the couple's table, slam his fists on the hardwood, and yell at them about what horrible, horrible people they are. Suo certainly doesn't deserve an unfaithful, selfish girlfriend. He doesn’t deserve to be lied to, to be deceived. Suo is the kindest person Sakura knows... But… Can he really do it? Probably not; it's not his place. Fuck, he feels so confused right now. He needs to think of the best strategy with a clear head before he fucks up.

First of all, he must get away from here before they see him, so he takes advantage of the moment the waitress goes to take the couple's order to slip out of the booth with the same grace he sat down with and very sneakily exits the place. Then, without looking back, Sakura runs away, his fists clenched and a furious expression on his face. If he had stayed, he wouldn't have just punched the table, but that blond guy, too. He would have turned him into a bloody mess. Yes, that’s what his guts are telling him to do.

But he wants to be better than that. He knows he can be better than that. Still, what he needs to do now is to process his rage and newfound knowledge. He needs to figure out a new course of action.

Isolating himself to heal his broken heart isn't the priority anymore. He has to protect Suo because he can accept living with a hole in his chest, but no one and nothing should ever be allowed to hurt Suo, to do him harm. 

So, perhaps, in this case, violence isn't the answer. Sakura has to think; he has to find a way to shield Suo from pain, and taking it out on that guy, albeit satisfying, wouldn’t be the best way to spare Suo from suffering.

Somehow, he arrives home, drenched in sweat and breathless from the run. Sakura tears off his hoodie and throws it angrily to the floor. He clenches his fists again, his nails biting into the skin of his palms. 

Frustration, confusion, worry... anger wash over him. These emotions aren't new, but lately they haven't overwhelmed him anymore, replaced by others: gratitude, wonder... hope. Exhausted, he falls to his knees, his head dropped forward, trying to catch his breath.

What the hell… What is he supposed to do? He has never been in a situation like this. On one hand, he knows he has to tell Suo; he deserves to know the truth. On the other hand, he can't bear the thought of causing him such pain. Because it doesn't matter that he isn't with him, Sakura always wants Suo to be happy, to be spared from any kind of sorrow and cruelty. Knowing how much it hurts when the person you like doesn't return your feelings, he would never want Suo to experience that kind of pain. 

Fuck… Maybe a cold shower is what he needs to clear his head. Sakura sighs, and just as he stands up, headed toward the bathroom, a knock on the door makes him stop in his tracks. 

Who the hell could it be now? Have they followed him?

"Sakura-kun? Are you there? Well, I know you are in there, I see the light on... can I come in?"

Suo???

What's he doing here? Before he can react or reply, the door cracks open. 

"Sakura-kun? I'm coming in." Sakura turns and finds himself in front of Suo, who looks at him with an equally surprised expression. 

"Hello, Sakura-kun... Are you okay? What happened to you?" Suo asks, probably taking in his dishevelled appearance.

"I am fine..." 

"Did you get into a fight?" 

"No..." Suo's gaze lingers on his arms and face, looking for any bruises or injuries. 

"I told you I didn’t get into a fight... I just… ran." 

"Oh... I see.” Suo closes the door behind him and looks at him again.

“I’ll ask again, though. Are you okay?" 

"What are you doing here?" Sakura retorts instead of answering.

"Well... I wanted to talk to you. You have been avoiding me. I'm... worried about you. Nirei is too; the training session today was a disaster." 

Suo chuckles softly, but he sobers up again immediately. 

"Look, I am sorry for showing up here so suddenly, but if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that we shouldn't let misunderstandings fester. So I came by to ask you what's wrong with you, Sakura-kun. I know I've been distracted for the last couple of days, but well... I wanted to tell you that if you need me, I'm here, okay? You can count on me..." Suo stops and blushes ever so slightly. 

"Ah, I mean, you can count on Nirei, too, of course. We're your vice-captains, right? Ha, ha.."

Suo laughs awkwardly, bringing his hand to his nape. And well, Sakura is at a loss for words. He has never seen Suo so embarrassed and can’t really understand the reason behind his odd behavior.

"I'm fine,” He says eventually, sounding colder than intended, “you don't have to worry about me, you know?" He adds, slightly more softly. 

"Well, yes, I do. I always worry about you, Sakura-kun." Sakura looks away, not being able to stand that look in Suo’s eye, as if he truly… cared.

What the hell... Suo coming here and acting all friendly isn't what he would have expected. What is he doing here when his girlfriend is out with another guy? 

"Sakura?" 

"Suo, please... I'm fine, really. You can... You can go, now."

"Oh... okay." Suo acquiesces, but he looks miserable. Sakura makes an instant decision then. Kiyomi seemed intent on telling Suo the truth eventually. So he'll give her a week. If she doesn't confess within 7 days, then Sakura will tell Suo the truth himself. 

"Suo, one last thing…”

“Tell me.”

“The… the same goes for you, okay? If there's ever anything worrying you, or if you need to talk to someone... I'm here, okay?" 

Suo's mouth falls open as he looks truly taken aback. But then, his face softens and he smiles at him.

"Okay, Sakura-kun, I'll keep that in mind. Thank you." 

"It's nothing... We're... friends, right?" 

"Yes, Sakura-kun, of course, we're friends. I thought you had forgotten that."

Well, but it's not Sakura who kept secrets from Suo. Fuck, it doesn't matter now. Seven days, and then he'll see what to do.

“I hadn’t forgotten.”

“Okay, then I'll get out of your way. I'm sorry again for showing up here so suddenly. In fact, I really have to go, I have to go pick up Sakura-chan and take her home." 

Sakura's eyes narrow suspiciously. "Have you... have you been together long?" Sakura doesn't know what masochistic impulse makes him ask such a stupid question. Suo also seems surprised, his mouth forming a perfect "o" and his eye wide. Then, his expression relaxes, and Suo snickers first, letting out a soft sigh right after.

"No… just a few days, actually. You see, Sakura-chan and I have known each other... well, forever, really. Our families have always been pretty close, even if in some ways they are worlds apart… literally." 

"Worlds… apart?"

Suo hums softly. "Let's just say we were raised… differently... I was put under the care of my sensei, while a British governess raised her. I grew up studying martial arts, and she was taught how to play the piano. I learned Mandarin, she speaks English and French fluently, I learned everything about honor and discipline; she was educated according to strict moral principles. But we've always gotten along. You see, Sakura-chan is honest, kind, and brilliant, and I... I care about her very much."

Sakura’s heart clenches painfully with every word. The affection Suo has for her is clear and makes everything even more painful.

"Why... why didn't you tell me?"

"What?"

"That you had a girlfriend."

"Ah... I suppose I should have told you, eh, eh..." Suo seems almost amused by Sakura’s question as he taps his chin with his fingertip.

"Please accept my apologies, Sakura-kun. If I didn't tell you, it's not for a lack of trust in you."

"No... It’s not… I mean, it’s not like you had to tell me. Fuck… forget I asked that question."

"Um... okay. I’ll go now, I'll see you tomorrow at school." 

"Okay, see you tomorrow." 

"Good night, Sakura-kun." Suo smiles at him one last time and leaves, light-footed and silent, just as he arrived. Sakura remains motionless, as if all his energy has run out, staring at the closed door for a few minutes. Then he throws his head back.

“Arghh… Damn it!” He yells at the cracked ceiling.

One week. 

He’ll wait one week, and then he will tell Suo the truth. Even if it will hurt him. He will be there to help him put the pieces of his heart together, even if it means shattering his own heart into smaller and smaller fragments.

In the end, Sakura angrily takes off his T-shirt and heads to take that cold shower he had planned. 

He already knows he won't be sleeping tonight.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Waiting seven fucking days, knowing that Kiyomi is being unfaithful to Suo, is easier said than done. By the third day, Sakura is already so done. On the other hand, Suo doesn’t seem to have changed his habits much; even his constant texting has decreased a bit. He participates in patrols, trains Nirei as often as he can, and every now and then still hangs out with them at Pothos or Muscle Power. The novelty of Suo having a girlfriend has finally worn off, also because the entire class knows how difficult it is to get information from Suo.

Sakura, on his part, continues to maintain his detached attitude, limiting his exchanges with Suo to those related to Bofurin activities, but trying to be less grouchy. He is still avoiding being alone with Suo in every way, both during patrol shifts and in their free time. 

The truth is that Sakura misses Suo to his core; that’s undeniable and so hard to endure. Those days and the evenings they had spent together during the summer feel like a distant memory by now. Everything changed so suddenly and unpredictably, but Sakura keeps thinking about those carefree summer weeks and how happy he had been. Happy and deluded. Life never goes the way he wants. That tiny bit of happiness he experienced will have to be enough for a long time.

Just four more days and he would talk to him, and to Hell with the consequences.

Chapter Text

In the following days, Suo and Nirei seem weirdly determined to take on all his grade captain tasks, going well beyond what their roles as Vices should be. Sakura doesn’t mind, really, having a lot on his plate already. In any case, he can't help but wonder if Suo has confided in Nirei, if he’s talked to him about his girlfriend, since they've been spending a lot of time alone lately. Right... it took so little for Suo to replace him, didn't it?

What the hell. He's so messed up that he's even jealous of stupid Nirei now. But he feels as if Suo has grown so distant so quickly that it's as if they were never close in the first place. And yet, he reminisces about those quiet, peaceful moments they spent together, simply enjoying each other's company. Well, probably Suo had already been pining over his childhood friend by then, completely oblivious to Sakura’s feelings. It seems neither of them will get what they want, having to face a broken heart. In a way, Sakura hates that Suo will have his broken, too.

Anyway, being relieved of a good portion of his workload—even though he never asked for it—left Friday and Saturday passing by peaceful and… boring as hell. So on Sunday morning, Sakura, tired of being cooped up at home, decides on a whim to get breakfast at Pothos. 

Anything to distract himself, even facing Kotoha and her perceptive gaze. He needs to get out of his suffocating apartment before he loses his mind. It's not easy to stop thinking about Suo and his so-called girlfriend. At the very least, he's tried to better consider what he'll say tomorrow, once the deadline he's given Kiyomi to come clean has expired. Well, it’s not that she knows about Sakura’s resolution. And it’s not that he has much hope that she’ll actually be a decent person and tell Suo the truth. A good part of Sakura has never had faith in humanity as a whole, and once again, he hasn't been proven wrong.

It’s not even a matter of where you grew up, what kind of family raised you, or the environment you had around you. 

A well-bred, well-mannered, and educated person? None of that matters. That girl, Kiyomi, who looks like a delicate, defenseless little thing, is doing something horrible to Suo, and with every second that passes, the rage in Sakura only grows wilder and harder to handle. 

He remembers all too painfully how the girls in middle school used to treat him. Their way of hissing cruel things about him - never to his face, but just loud enough so he'd hear - only to then run crying to the teachers, trembling like a leaf, if Sakura even dared to look in their direction.

So, yeah… people suck. What a surprise, huh?

And okay, Bofurin may be an exception, like some people in Makochi as well, but Sakura has known the worst of people. He has experienced malice, hate and meanness on his skin. He has seen how deep the darkness in people’s souls may go, how cruel they can be, and somehow, when he arrived in Makochi, he's let himself forget what the world is like. He let himself be taken in by Kotoha's sweet words and Umemiya's utopian ideals, but that's not how things work once you step outside the gates of Furin High. Of course, hopefully Umemya’s people, the adults of tomorrow, will end up doing something good and that is what drives Sakura to want to stay. His classmates still believe in him, and he still wants to reach the top. That will never change.

Maybe all he needs is to find a compromise between the cynical, bitter, and lonely persona he used to be and the illusion that the world isn't full of bad people just waiting to deceive and let you down. Sakura must find his own balance, his own vision, one that isn't Umemiya's "rainbows and unicorns" or Yamato Endo's utter chaos.

In this case, though, he can't turn a blind eye on what is happening, not when Suo is involved. And not even if, deep down, he can't foresee a way they’ll come out of it unscathed once Sakura talks to him and opens his eyes… metaphorically speaking, of course. Life has taught him it's always better to mind his own business. Otherwise, there will be consequences. But with the guys from Bofurin, he can't do that. Just as he couldn't with Anzai, and he can't with Suo. Even if it is something private.

Fuck… It'll probably be a huge mess, but what else can he do? 

Nothing, really. He feels as if he has no choice. That's why, tomorrow after school, he'll take Suo aside, bring him to the roof, and tell him what he saw and what he heard. Then it will be up to Suo to decide what to do—whether to break up with Kiyomi or to forgive her. Sakura will be there in the aftermath of the revelation, ready to comfort and support Suo no matter what. Of course, it's the only thing he can do, even if the idea of hunting down that blond guy and beating him up has never truly left him. But no, Suo wouldn't want him to do something so inconsiderate, and certainly Umemiya, Tsubakino, or Nirei would blame him, too. But Sakura is still the captain, and he has to take care of his classmates. All of them.

Only this time, he will do it without using his fists.

As soon as he steps into Pothos, lost in his thought and sporting a deep scowl on his face, he's presented with something that instantly sours his already bad mood and makes his good intentions waver. Because… come on! The Universe must really hate him.

He immediately sees, seated at the counter side by side, Suo and Kiyomi. And since he is an honest guy, Sakura can't help but admit that they truly make a stunning couple together. Suo is wearing a pair of soft black pants and a teal-blue changshan with an elaborate golden trim along the seams that contrasts amazingly with his burgundy hair, while she is clad in a bright green dress that matches the green of her eyes. Today she has her hair down, and it's so long and fluffy that it completely covers her back, some strands resting softly on her shoulders.

Sakura can only see her profile, but it's clear that she's not smiling. Even her posture, with her shoulders slumped and her hands clasped in her lap, speaks volumes about her mood. It seems like Suo is waiting for her to speak, as he reaches out, smiling softly at her sulky expression, and gently tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. Sakura feels sick at the tender gesture. She doesn't deserve so much kindness, does she?

Damn it, this isn't right. Suo needs to know the truth.

Sakura clenches his fist as he takes the first step toward them, ready to throw caution to the wind and spill everything. Screw giving her time. Screw trying not to get involved and respecting Suo’s boundaries.

But then Kiyomi suddenly breaks out in sobs, bringing her hands to her face and Sakura freezes, his expression one of confusion. Why on earth is she crying now? Wait… maybe she has been trying to tell Suo the truth? But no… Something tells Sakura that’s not what's unfolding before his eyes. This isn’t a breakup.  Suo seems so calm, not angry or worried at all. If anything, he seems his usual calm self, as he hugs her and lets her wet his changshan with her copious tears. You can't say that Sakura is an expert in breakups or couple fights, but this feels like something more… tender. He feels almost as if he was intruding.

"Sakura?"

Seemingly, Kotoha has noticed him standing frozen near the entrance and calls out for him before casting a worried glance at the couple. Suo as well lifts his head and meets Sakura's gaze, his eye wide with surprise and something else Sakura doesn't understand but doesn't like all the same.

"Oh, Sakura-kun? Great… You're here too."

Suo seems anything but thrilled to see him, his expression hardening while Sakura stares at him in silence.

Kiyomi pulls back from Suo’s shoulder, sniffling, and wiping away her tears. She looks up at Suo in confusion, but then, following his line of sight toward the entrance, she turns toward Sakura as well.

"Oh? Sakura-san? Ah… Good morning, how… how are you doing? I hope you're having a nice Sunday morning, I… Gosh… I am sorry, I am a disaster…" she says in her extremely polite way, with an embarrassed giggle while she tries to compose herself. But when Sakura focuses his attention on Suo's arm still protectively around her shoulders, he sees red. All his self-control and rationality go straight to hell.

Before he can stop himself, a furious retort bursts from his lips, as he angrily points his finger at the girl. 

"You! What the hell do you think you're doing, huh? What's with this drama? Just cut the crap, okay? " he yells, his face red with pure anger.

"SAKURA !" Kotoha shouts, her voice sharp with outrage and reproach. "Apologize immediately! Can't you see that Kiyomi-chan is crying? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Huh??" He looks at her, as if he was surprised she was still standing there behind the counter. He gapes at her, taking in her shocked face. She seems like… disappointed in him… and well, that would be a first, right?

Ah, that's unbelievable, isn’t it?! If anything, Kotoha's resentful gaze only seems to worsen Sakura’s anger. Why does no one seem to see through Kiyomi’s act? Kotoha knows nothing about her scheme and betrayal, so of course she would defend her. Of course, it is Sakura’s job to protect Suo even if he'll have to fight to be heard.

Sakura finds his eyes drawn to Suo, then, as he opens his mouth to continue his tirade and explain himself, but as soon as he meets Suo's gaze, his mouth clicks shut. Something in Suo's eye prevents him from going on. Sakura gulps, finally lowering his accusing hand. The pure irritation burning in Suo’s red iris feels like a physical slap to his face. Suo is clearly… mad at him. Furious, even. That expression of pure irritation is devoid of any gentleness that Suo usually shows him.

"Sakura-kun,” Suo's voice is icy cold and his tone sounds final, “whatever you think you have to say, I assure you that this is not the right time."

Sakura widens his eyes but he won’t give up, he can't let that girl keep lying to him. "No… Suo, you gotta listen…"

"Enough! You are being rude and disrespectful. So either you apologize to us, or you can get out of here."

Sakura is wordless, the air in the cafè charged with tension. They  stare daggers at each other, in silence. Neither seems willing to be the one to avert his gaze, but when Sakura squints his eyes, Suo's sharpen as well. 

And wow… He has seen that look before. There is an implicit threat there, right?

If it had been a few months earlier, when Sakura had just arrived in Makochi, he would have already raised his fists and thrown one of his typical "what? wanna fight?" at Suo. But this time it feels wrong. He won't fight Suo for being protective of his girlfriend, even if said girlfriend doesn't deserve any of it.

Fucking perfect, right?

Suddenly, Sakura feels cornered, and helpless, no longer understanding what the right thing to do is. How can he be a loyal friend and, at the same time, not cross a line that Suo seems to have clearly marked? 

An unpleasant idea takes shape in his mind, adding a sense of guilt to the jumble of emotions he is struggling with. Because as much as Sakura wants to be a better friend, and a good captain, maybe he's just being selfish; maybe he just wants to get rid of Kiyomi and have Suo all to himself, like it was before the night they saved her. In the end, maybe Sakura isn't any better than Kiyomi. Suo deserves better. Suo, who, despite everything, trusts his girlfriend. There's nothing he can do now, but since he doesn't intend to apologize to Kiyomi, there is only one thing left for him. Sakura clicks his tongue and finally lowers his eyes, clenching his fists along his body. He has no idea why Kiyomi had been crying, but really, if you think about it, it's none of his business. Suo wouldn't listen to him right now, so Sakura might as well trust him and let him handle whatever issues he has with her on his own. After all, most probably Suo is just rightfully enraged at him for being insensitive and an asshole to his girlfriend.

So okay, if he's going to be the asshole, he'll be the asshole to the fullest.

It's something Sakura has always excelled at: being exactly what people expect of him.

Sakura looks up one last time, defeated and bitter. 

“Okay… You know what? Fuck it all, I don't give a shit.”

It’s a blatant lie, but Sakura can only turn around and run away as if he had fire under his ass.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Suo-san, may I bring you some more tea?"

"Um, thank you Kotoha-chan, that would be lovely."

Kotoha nods but seems hesitant, and Suo feels obligated to reassure her. 

"Don't worry about Sakura-kun, I'll talk to him later."

"Okay, but I mean… What on earth got into him?"

"Ah… I have no idea…”

“It was so unlike him. I have never seen him like that."

“Neither have I,” Suo murmurs as he lowers his gaze to the empty cup of tea, thoughtfully. 

"Hayato? I think I know why Sakura-san doesn’t… like me."

"Ah... and what would it be?"

"Well, I think he doesn’t like me, because he likes you… very much.”

“Sakura-chan, please, don’t be ridiculous. Look, he’s just pissed off right now… And maybe he is right to be.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because I… I never talk to him about myself, and I know it’s something he has been struggling with. He thinks that I don’t trust him, or something like that, and I have tried, but…" 

Suo seems not to be able to finish his sentence. Kiyomi rests a hand on his arm then, so that he’d look at her, then after making sure Kotoha is far enough away she moves a little closer to the boy for good measure to whisper into his ear.

"Hayato-kun, tell me… Do you want to open up with him? Get closer to him?”

“Uhm, maybe… I mean, yes, of course I do.”

She hums, sounding very self-complacent, all her previous sadness suddenly evaporated.

“I see. It’s because you like him, don't you?"

"Ah, Sakura-chan... you're always very perceptive."

"Well, if you like him, then you should tell him, and above all, you should explain to him the mess I put you in." 

"Confessing my feelings, you say? Nah… I think that would be a terrible idea." 

"What are you talking about? That guy is clearly smitten with you."

"You don't know what you're talking about. Sakura-kun... he definitely doesn't see me that way."

"Well, excuse me for saying this, Hayato, but can be such a big blockhead sometimes. If I had known you had a crush on your captain, I wouldn't have asked you to help me."

"And yet here we are... By the way. Why did you summon me here so urgently? What happened?"

“Oh, right, sorry… But don’t think I will let this go so easily.”

“I would never.” Suo states, calmly but with a smidge of sarcasm in his voice.

“Anyway, Sora-kun and I made a decision.”

“A decision?”

“Yes. You see, I will talk to my father, and Sora-kun will come with me. He said he wants to officially ask my father for permission to date me. He is even willing to dye his hair black, and take out his piercings. He is so dear… But I know the way my father sees things. Sora-kun is a college student on a scholarship and his family runs a butcher shop... so he's not good enough for me, right? Nonetheless, he wants to try anyway. He doesn't want us to hide anymore, and he also feels guilty for getting you involved. About that,  I... I think I need to apologize, Hayato."

"You don't. I chose to help you, didn’t I? So don’t worry about that and tell me why you were so desperate when you got here.”

“Because I fear my father will do something stupid. I know Sora-kun can defend himself, but…”

“I see, you’re worried for his safety, aren't you? Listen, do you want me to come with you as well? Maybe I can make your father see reason, even if I guess he’ll be pretty upset with me too, once he learns the truth about us."

"Ah, you’re right. He’s going to be so disappointed. I mean, he was so happy when I told him I was dating you, Hayato."

Suo chuckles. "My father was too, but you know... At least, I told my mother the truth." 

"Oh? Really?"

"Yes, I couldn’t stand to lie to her. But don't worry, I knew she wouldn’t say anything to your mother, let alone to our fathers. In any case, Sakura-chan, if you really love that boy, you have to fight for him. And of course, I'll be there for you, okay?"

"Good heavens, Hayato, you are always so good to me. Even that night in that alley... It was a miracle that you found me." 

"A miracle, indeed. You could have come to me sooner, you know? I could have helped you."

"I didn't want to... ah... what the heck, I didn't want to get you involved in my mess, and in the end I only made it worse. Gosh, now Sakura-san is angry because he thinks you're with me. He must really hate me..." 

"No, I don't think he hates you… I am not even sure Sakura-kun knows how to hate."

The girl looks at his childhood friend with innocent affection and a smile forms on her rosy lips.

"Will you talk to him?" 

Suo lets out a long sigh.

"Yes...I will." 

"When?"

"Ah, you know how to be persistent when you want to, don't you?" 

"You know me so well, Hayato."

"Okay. Tonight, then. And when are you going to talk to your father?"

"Tomorrow night. Will you be there too?"

"I will.."

"Then I guess our relationship ends here."

"I think so too."

They giggle together in a silly way, before letting out a sigh in unison.

"Thank you, Hayato-kun, you're the most precious friend I could hope to have by my side. Whatever happens, I'll try to be a better person from now on. No more subterfuge, no more lies, I have to stop being a coward."

Suo smiles at her, proudly, before thanking Kotoha who, in the meantime, has brought them another cup of tea and is looking at them with a knowing smile.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Sakura runs and runs until he is breathless. His legs have brought him to the tunnel between Bofurin and Shishitoren territory, but nowadays he has no qualms about taking it and enter the other turf. In the end, right now, it feels as if there is no place for him, no one he would like to see, except maybe Togame. His head is still reeling from the events at the café, but he can’t think straight right now. He is hurt and… disappointed. He doesn’t want to talk; he wants to… punch something—or rather, someone—and if that someone is more than capable of returning his blows, well, that would be quite helpful. And Togame would be the perfect sparring partner for this. Sakura needs to feel the bite of pain on his knuckles so that his brain stops overthinking. So, he resumes his running, even if now at a slower pace, and arrives at Shishitoren's hideout in a couple of minutes.

However, as Sakura walks in, he stops dead in his tracks.

What he sees is, for lack of a better word, insane . Someone is fighting against Togame and apparently has the upper hand. In fact, the guy, tall and quite built, has Togame in a deadlock, his arm around his neck, and Togame seems to be struggling to free himself and to breathe, his face impossibly red already. 

Who the hell would dare attack Choji Tomiyama's right-hand man inside the Cage? 

Who would be so crazy? 

But then the guy turns around and, holy shit, it can't be. 

The attacker is the very guy Sakura wanted to beat up in the first place. Same bleach spiky hair, same piercing—yes, it's him. Sakura can’t believe his eyes. The guy is no one else than Sora, the same boy who was with Kiyomi at that cafè. Kiyomi’s lover.

In a bizarre, twisted echo of a memory, Sakura's finger points like a loaded gun. 

"You!” He scream loudly. “What the hell are you doing here?" 

He’s never been one to think things through, not when it comes to a fight. And why would he? The consequences always landed on him alone, after all. So now again, for different reasons maybe, at the mere sight of Togame caught in the blond bastard's chokehold, something inside Sakura snaps. 

Quick flashes of Suo’s enraged face, the disappointment in Kotoha's voice, and the gentle, albeit fake, expression of Kiyomi overlap in his mind, and his sanity shatters. He lunges, a fist flying to help his friend, aiming for the blond boy’s face.

But the guy is fast. 

He drops Togame, unceremoniously shoving him to the ground. Togame stumbles forward and falls on his knees, a ragged cough tearing from his throat, as he catches his breath. Then the guy deftly blocks Sakura’s well-aimed blow, crossing his arms before his face, a smug smirk lingering on his face as he slides backward on the rough cement ground. But there is no wild fury in his eyes, just a cold, predatory stillness. Sakura spins quite graciously and braces himself for the fight, a bit more in control of himself. 

Sora raises a brow at him, grinning, as if he finds Sakura’s presence amusing.

"How dare you come to the Cage and attack us like this? Do you want to get hurt maybe?" He asks, his voice chillingly calm.

"Ah… Looks like you're the one about to get hurt, you asshole!" Sakura roars, launching himself forward again, but a massive arm clamps around his chest, yanking him back. It's a grip of pure, unyielding strength. Sakura instinctively braces himself to counter the move, ready to break free with one of his signature cat-like twists, but then he recognizes the feel of his friend, Togame, holding him. He stops his motion then, his body going limp just as Sora, who had already pulled his arm back for a punch, finds his fist locked in a powerful grip. Tomiyama, the leader of Shishitoren, is now standing between the two opponents.

Where the hell did he come from? He wasn't there a second ago, and then he just materialized out of thin air.

"Hey, Sora-chan? Sorry, but I can't let you hit him," Tomiyama says, his voice deceptively gentle. "You see, this boy here is one of Ume-chan's kohai, so… He is our friend." He explains calmly, looking up at Sora, his grip on his fist unyielding.

"Togame, let me go! I’m gonna kill him!" Sakura screams, struggling in his friend's hold.

"Hey, hey, calm down! What the hell is going on with you?" Togame yells back, holding firm. "Sora and I were sparring... He’s not an enemy for God’s sake! He is one of ours!"

Sakura's world spins to a sudden, silent stop, while all the strength and will to fight bleed out of his body. 

"Wha…? What ?" he stammers, the fight draining out of him as the words sink in.

“Ah, so this little boy is a Bofurin member?” Sora asks, lowering his hand as Tomiyama releases him. Sakura’s body is now limp, only supported by Togame from behind.

“I don’t understand…” He can't even find the strength within himself to get mad about being called "little boy." Nothing makes sense anymore... How can a guy like that be a friend of Togame's?

Tomiyama pads over to him, rising on his toes to look him in the face. "Kame-chan, I think he may be running a fever... He doesn't look well."

"Maybe you're right. Um, do you feel sick? Can you stand?" Togame asks him, concern lacing his voice as he tries to make Sakura stand on his feet. At least this seems to bring a flicker of life back into him, as he straightens up and pulls away from Togame, looking down at Tomiyama.

"I am fine… But… Is that true? Is that guy one of yours?" Sakura stammers, his voice shaky.

"Well, he was," Togame says, a hint of pride in his voice. "He was the leader of Shishitoren before Choji... until, well, until the bookworm here left to go to college.”

“Leader? Co… College?” Sakura repeats as if those words held no meaning to him.

“That’s right, he is our former leader but you see, Sora is still our friend and today he came to ask for our help."

"He… Help?"

Sakura feels rather stupid parroting Togame’s words like that, but it is as if any hope of understanding a fucking thing has gone to hell.

"Yep.” Tomiyama confirms with a big, goofy smile. “Our Sora-chan is in love ,” he sings playfully, “but his girlfriend’s father thinks he's a delinquent and not good enough for her precious little girl. So tomorrow he will confront him…”

Togame nods vigorously and goes on, “...but that man is filthy rich and powerful enough to be dangerous, and that’s why Sora came to us for backup in case things get messy."

Sakura looks at the blond boy who has completely changed his attitude. It seems that even just hearing his girlfriend mentioned is enough to turn him into a blushing mess. Well, Sakura can relate to that.

"Well," Sora interjects, his voice now sort of sheepish. "I just want to do things properly, but I don't know how it might turn out, and I need to keep Sakura safe."

Togame tilts his head, utterly confused. "Sakura? What does Sakura have to do with this? I mean… Do you know each other?"

Sora’s expression mirrors Togame’s. "What do you mean? Sakura is the person I love. Of course I know her."

"Huh?" Togame and Tomiyama say in unison.

"I'm confused.” Choji declares, and then, turning to his second-in-command, “did you get any of that, Kame-chan?" 

Sakura groans, the absurdity of the situation overwhelming him. 

"What the Hell? Kiyomi Sakura is Suo's girlfriend's, okay?! And he, ” he points his finger at Sora again, “is having an affair with her!"

"Oh!? Suo as in the eyepatch guy? And this Kiyomi Sakura is his girlfriend? I thought he was talking about you, Sakura…" Togame admits, looking rather amused.

"Yes! No! It’s not me! What the fuck?" Sakura yells at him, making his friend laugh.

"I still don't get it," Tomiyama reiterates, with a confused pout on his face.

Sakura facepalms, a mix of exasperation and disbelief on his face. "Okay, I’ll explain it again. Kiyomi Sakura is the name of Suo's girlfriend, Suo is one of my Vices, and you know him, so stop being such an asshole. Anyway, I found out that this jerk here has been in a relationship with her! I mean, what kind of sick game is this? Ah, you know what? It doesn’t matter, tomorrow, I'm telling Suo everything! You hear me?"

Sakura pants as he looks  intently at Sora, who blinks at him a couple of times.

The silence hangs in the air for one, two, three seconds until Sora reacts to Sakura’s threat. However… Sora's reaction is anything but what was expected. 

He bursts out laughing, a full-throated, genuine laugh that has him clutching his stomach. Tomiyama and Togame stare at him, baffled.

"Oh my god," Sora gasps, wiping a tear from his eye. "Wow, this is so… funny."

Sakura's eyes narrow, his jaw tense, the tendons in his neck more evident.

"Why the fuck are you laughing now?" he hisses menacingly, raising his fists again.

“Oh, please…” Sora looks at him, still making a great show of wiping away his tears, “You are Sakura, aren’t you?”

“What if I am?”

“Well, then you should know that Suo-san is only helping us. He is fake dating Kiyomi, so her father would give her a respite. You, instead, are the person Suo-san is in love with.”

Sora might have unraveled the complex intricacy of the huge misunderstanding, but with this one last sentence, so easily spoken, he also provokes a major glitch in Sakura's brain. In fact, the Bofurin captain gasps while his golden eye starts twitching, his body completely petrified where he stands. His two Shishitoren friends aren't doing any better, watching Sora with their mouths agape. 

After another three seconds of stunned silence, though, Sakura seems to come back to life and chaos ensues.

Chapter Text

It's already dark when Sakura heads home. He's tired and in need of a good night's sleep. But more than anything, more than simple tiredness, he feels... 

He feels…

Fuck. He doesn't even know what he feels. The last few hours have left him in a state of profound confusion. He's not even angry anymore. 

No... that's not quite right either. He's still colossally pissed off, actually, and it isn't even that usual furious eruption of pure anger that always spurs him into action. It's more like a bubbling, scorching hot lava consuming him from within. He is mad at himself, mostly, because he let that tiny spark of hope ignite in his chest when he heard those words. 

You, instead, are the person Suo-san is in love with.

What a fool he was for believing that… Even if only for a few heartbeats, which felt like pounding directly in his brain as the world around him stilled. Yes, he briefly dared to hope that it could be the truth. Of course, it was bullshit instead. And then, when that little spark ebbed down as quickly as it flared, Sakura was certain that Sora was just toying with him. And he assailed him again, even more furiously, his features transfigured by his blind wrath. It took all of Togame and Tomiyama's combined strength to stop him. God, he was really going to end that asshole. He'd never felt such a strong homicidal instinct in his life. 

Perhaps it's because he'd never reached such a low point before that he feels so hollow now.

Empty. 

He can’t feel that warmth that always spread in his chest whenever he thought of Suo, or that excitement thrumming in his veins at the idea of seeing him again. 

He feels betrayed and dreads the moment he will see Suo again, actually.

In that moment, unable to take his anger and frustration out on Suo, beating Sora to a pulp seemed like the next best thing. Sora was no doubt incredibly strong; he wouldn't have been a former Shishitoren leader if he weren’t. They were the devotees of power, after all. But none of that mattered to Sakura. He just wanted to throw his closed fists right to his pierced face. To wipe away that cocky grin for good.

In the end, Sakura found himself pinned to the ground with Togame sitting on his stomach, a deadly grip on his wrists, repeatedly yelling at him, literally to calm the fuck down. Seeing how agitated Togame was at his berserk reaction, Sakura reluctantly calmed down and agreed to listen to Sora, even though he felt humiliated. 

When he stopped fighting against Togame and sat up, he saw that other Shishitoren members had arrived and were looking at him with an alarmed expression on their faces. 

And when he recognized Sako, Hiragi’s friend, he cursed between his teeth. 

Fucking perfect. 

He was going to get another lecture from his upperclassmen, wasn’t he? Anyway, he was going to listen to whatever Sora wanted to tell him, even if he wasn’t going to believe him, even if he still wanted nothing more than to hit him until his teeth flew out of his mouth. 

He was so sure that it was just another day of people being cruel and enjoying his pain, wasn't it? He'd been expecting the same old thing he had gotten all his life. But he agreed to listen, and listen he did. 

Sora told him about Kiyomi’s family, not missing the chance to wax poetic about his girlfriend. He said that he could not renounce her and that he was even willing to kidnap her and run away with her. Sakura thought it was a bit dramatic, but wasn’t that what he did, too? Didn’t he run away from a difficult situation a few months back? 

Whatever. 

If nothing else, Sora seemed genuinely in love with her, and part of Sakura’s anger vanished. Apparently, love can make you do very stupid things. 

When Sakura asked Sora why he said what he said about Suo, Sora admitted then that it was just a conjecture from Kiyomi herself. She mentioned to him that Suo seemed to care a lot about his class captain, enough to take on the vice-captain role. That was something very unusual for someone like Suo, she said and she wasn't entirely wrong, maybe. In any case, Sora had been wrong. Suo wasn’t in love with him. No fucking way.

It was just a misplaced idea of Kiyomi's. Ah, that girl must be one of those types who sees hearts everywhere.

At last, Sora told him he had never met Suo in the flesh, but he knew a lot about him through Kiyomi’s words. Sakura scoffed… Sora knew nothing about Suo. Kiyomi was sorely mistaken as well if she thought she had him all figured out. His vice captain remained a mystery, even to his closest friends. 

Afterwards, he stayed at the Cage for the rest of the day. Shishitoren had a sort of strategy meeting, and then they had dinner together. Of course, it’s not as if he fraternized with Sora. After all, that guy still used Suo for his own purposes, without thinking about the consequences. If Kiyomi’s father was really as dangerous as everyone seemed to think, then why did Sora let Suo expose himself so much by pretending to date his girlfriend? But, if that man was really as dangerous as Sora said he was, Sakura was going to be there as well.

When Togame asked him to tag along with them in a mission that, for a change, seemed to be about protection rather than just diving into a brawl for fun, Sakura easily agreed to go. The primary goal was to keep Kiyomi safe, and in second place, to help Sora in case Kiyomi’s father tried to get rid of his daughter's inconvenient suitor - a very stubborn and tenacious suitor with whom his daughter was already infatuated.

Tsk… How someone could be infatuated with that asshole went beyond him.

Togame had teased him all night for his "slightly excessive" reaction, which, for some reason, he found “hilarious”. But Togame had no idea what Sakura had been through in the last few days. Despite the relief that Suo didn't actually have a girlfriend, the news did nothing to soothe Sakura's disappointment. Suo could have told him the truth, for God's sake. But no, of course, not. Suo wouldn't share something so important, so fucking crucial with him. 

God forbid.  

Sakura clicks his tongue again, turning the final corner to his house and getting mentally ready for a quick shower before faceplanting on his futon. But then he sees him. 

The last person he wants to see right now.

Suo is waiting for him, standing straight as a rod in front of his building in the shadows of a streetlamp, his hands clasped behind his back as usual. His usual smile, instead, is nowhere to be seen.

Great. A perfect end to a shitty day.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asks, his voice flat.

Suo looks at him, his expression devoid of any emotion. He seems tired, though. Sakura knows that Suo has come all this way for a reason, and he won’t relent until he gets what he wants. He can be annoyingly stubborn at times.

"Ah, Sakura-kun. Still mad, I see." He responds in kind with the same flat tone.

"I am not mad," Sakura clenches his fists at his sides.

"Okay." Suo holds Sakura's gaze, waiting.

"Okay," Sakura retorts, the word a hard stone in his mouth as he goes upstairs to his door. Suo follows him. Of course. "Can I come in?"

"Why? Aren't you busy with your girlfriend ?" The sarcasm is a bitter taste on his tongue.

Suo winces. "Ah, well, about that, I would like to talk to you."

"Don't bother," Sakura says, turning to unlock his door. "I already know everything."

Suo freezes. "You know everything ?"

Sakura turns around to face him, his eyes burning with a fire Suo hasn't seen in a while. "Yeah, I know you aren't dating Kiyomi. I know you have been lying to me, to the entire class, and I know you are going to do something very stupid tomorrow night. Did I forget anything? Do you have something to add?"

Suo doesn’t lose his poise.

"No, I don’t. You were very… exhaustive. Still… may I ask how you know all of that?" Suo's voice holds a note of irritation in it. Sakura almost rejoices for having stirred such a reaction in him.

"Kiyomi’s real boyfriend told me."

"You spoke with Sora-kun?" Now Suo is clearly taken aback.

"Yeah, I met him at the Cage," Sakura spits out, his anger resurfacing.

Suo's face darkens, "I see. So… that's where you've been all this time. Um… Why did you go there?"

Sakura snorts. "I don't see how that's any of your business." 

“Probably you should tell me, nonetheless,” Suo suggests ever-so-infuriatingly calmly, and Sakura snaps, his voice rising.

“No! I don't owe you a goddamn explanation, okay? I don't owe you a thing, Suo! Just… go home, okay?”

Suo sighs, a long, weary breath. "Sakura-kun, I’ll ask again. Can I come inside for a minute? I want to talk to you, and I really don’t want to do it out here."

"What's so important you need to tell me now ?" Sakura's voice is a low growl. 

"Ah, wait, maybe that tomorrow night you're going to confront a shady half-criminal who usually surrounds himself with so many henchmen, that Sora had to go to Tomiyama for help? Fuck… Really, Suo? That’s what you wanted to talk to me about?  Have you come to ask for my help? You've just now recalled who the captain is?”

“Actually, no. That’s not why I came here, captain. ”

Again with this attitude. But Sakura can’t do this anymore. After a brief, bitter fit of laughter, Sakura looks him straight in his eye.

“You know what? Fuck you, Suo! I am so done, okay? You got yourself into a damn risky situation, and you didn’t think you should tell me? Fuck… You're unbelievable..."

"Haruka..." Suo's voice is a soft plea.

Sakura's body stiffens at the name. His hand trembles as he raises it before him. "No... Don't do that. Don’t call me that. Shit. I thought I knew you, but I know nothing about you. I don’t know who you are, Suo, and honestly? It hurts."

Suo's lips press into a thin line as he lowers his gaze, as if ashamed, as if unable to bear the sight of Sakura’s eyes boring into his, revealing so much hurt.

"You're right, okay? I know you are." Suo's voice is thick with emotion. "I came here tonight not to seek help but to... apologize. So, please, let me come in so I can do it properly."

"No! I'm tired, and tomorrow is going to be quite a day. Not to mention tomorrow evening, am I right?"

Suo looks up again, and he seems like… scared?

"What? No… You are not going…"

"Yes. I am. Togame asked me to join them. So I guess I'll see you there, since I'm still coming to help keep your girlfriend safe. Ah, wait, she is not your girlfriend, but well, I guess you should still be happy about me coming to help. Just know that I'm not doing it for you . Is that clear?"

Suo’s face has turned back to an emotionless mask. He is so good at hiding what he feels, but Sakura is so tired of his attitude.

“And why are you doing it, then?” Suo’s voice is sharp, but Sakura knows he has hit a nerve. Of course, he lied. He simply cannot let Suo go alone; he needs to watch his back and to make sure he doesn’t get hurt. But he won’t ever admit that… Not to his face. Not now.

But he has another reason, after all. 

"Because... because, as wrong as what those two idiots came up with may be, they're trying to set things right now. After all, love makes you do the stupidest things, it seems…"

He trails off… Why did he say that? 

Suo is staring at him with an indecipherable expression, but then he sighs, shaking his head.

“Sakura… I don’t want you there. It may be dangerous… Kiyomi-san… well, despite not being elated by my choice to enroll in Furin High, he still thought I was good for Sak… Kiyomi-chan, I mean. You see, I have known him my whole life, since he and my father are pretty close. What I am saying is that he is not going to hurt me. I can’t say the same about Sora, though. Or you .”

Sakura emits a sound halfway between a dismissive snort and an angry groan.

“It doesn’t matter. Togame asked for my help, and you should know I can take care of myself. Besides, I don’t care what you have to say now. It’s too late.”

"I see. Well, I suppose I deserve it."

If possible, Suo’s subdued, compliant acceptance seems to piss him off even more. He fights the urge to clasp him by his changshan and shake him. He clenches his fists and takes one step forward until his face is so close to Suo’s. The other boy doesn’t even flinch.

"What the hell, Suo? I… I don’t understand, okay? Why didn't you tell me about Kiyomi? Why did you let me think you were... Fuck, it doesn't matter. I need to sleep now, and you do as well. I’ll see you tomorrow at school."

"Sakura, wait! Look, I know you’re mad, okay? But… I can't stand the idea of you being so mad at me, especially if we are going to fight tomorrow night."

"I am not mad,” Sakura states for the second time, even if it is clearly untrue. “I just… I guess I thought things were different between us, but I've been proved wrong... well, twice in the span of a few days. First, I found out you were in a relationship with a girl you had known forever, and okay, you didn’t tell me anything about her. Fuck, you never mentioned her, and she is so important to you! And then it turned out that that same relationship was just a farce. A scam in which even Shishitoren got involved, and again, you didn’t come to me. So now I need time to understand how things really are, okay? Because clearly I was so wrong, and now I feel so stupid. I guess… I guess we will talk when I figure it out, okay?"

Suo doesn’t seem okay with that, but he sighs and nods.

"Okay… I’ll go then. Good night, Sakura. And for what it's worth... I'm truly sorry."

"Good night, Suo. Go home and get some sleep."

“I will try.”

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The next day at school, things are tense between Suo and Sakura, and Sakura is aware that their classmates have been casting more than a few worried glances their way. Nirei especially seems more than just a little tense. Sakura, however, suspects that Suo told him everything. In fact, the blond vice-captain keeps his distance from Sakura, and it's so unlike Nirei that there must be Suo's request behind it. After school, without much fanfare, they head toward the Cage, walking stiffly side by side, the silence between them as loud as a shouting match.

Once there, they are welcomed by Tomiyama and Togame, and together they go through their plan one last time. It is pretty simple, all things considered. Sora, Kiyomi, and Suo are to enter the girl's family residence alone to speak with Kiyomi's father. The others will be stationed outside, ready to intervene in case the man decides to use unorthodox methods to convince Sora to give up on his daughter. Apparently, it wouldn't be the first time. If shit hit the fan, Suo would be ready to exfiltrate Kiyomi and bring her back to the Cage. 

Kiyomi provided them with all the necessary details for the mission. She gave them the access code to open the gate to the house and a rough estimate of how many bodyguards might be with her father - supposedly between 5 and 10 men. Finally, it was settled that Suo would call Sakura, keeping his phone in his pocket so the team outside could listen to everything happening inside the residence at all times. It was not a perfect plan, but they will make it work.

A while later, Sakura, Togame, Choji, and another five Shishitoren members post up out of sight near the grand, traditional-style house. The air is cool, and a gentle breeze rustles the leaves of the trees. 

Sakura holds his phone in his hand, the call with Suo already going, and on the speakers. They hear a man, Kiyomi-san, greet his daughter and her two guests and usher them inside. 

Now, they can only wait and hope for the best.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Sakura," the man greets the girl, his voice smooth as silk. "Hayato, you are here too…”

“Good evening, Kiyomi-san,” Suo replies with a little bow.

“And you must be Sora-kun. Please, come in."

They are led into a serene room with minimalist decor. Sakura’s face is pale, but her expression is resolute. She stands by Sora, who, as promised, has dyed his hair black again, and his face is now free of the usual metal studs and small rings.

"Father," Sakura begins, her voice trembling slightly. "Sora and I... we wish to speak with you."

The man’s smile doesn't waver. "It must be important, if you brought your boyfriend to help, I see. Very well. What have you come to say?”

“Ah… Well, Hayato and I… we are not dating. He is my best friend, not my boyfriend. Because… I am in love with someone else. Sora-kun and I are together, and I hope you will be so gracious as to give us your blessing, father.”

"Ah, Sakura-chan," her father begins, his tone condescending. "Did you really think I wouldn't know? But you see, I can be a much more lenient father than I seem. I understand that girls must also grow and learn, and gain some experience before they become responsible, adult women. At your age, silly crushes are still acceptable. And I also understand why you might like this guy... he may have dyed his hair black, but he gives out all those bad boy vibes, right? Ah, you're just like your mother.”

The man laughs, clearly amused, but Suo tenses. He knows that laugh; it doesn’t bode well. 

“You see, I thought it was just a passing, innocent crush. But if you've come all this way, if you brought this young man here, I assume you're serious about him."

"I... I am," Sakura-chan says.

"In that case, let me be clear, Sakura-chan.” His expression sharpens, as does his voice. The man finally reveals his true face, and he is honestly terrifying.

“He is not good for you. And it's not because he's from humble origins. I know he is a college student and his folks are hard-working people... But he is a delinquent. Do you really think I would let you go out with a delinquent? Our Hayato here already chose to go to that low-class school... but the man you marry must be respectable and honest."

"Kiyomi-san," Suo calls him out, "Do you really think it's respectable to threaten and beat people just because you don't like them? Unlike you, both Bofurin and Shishitoren do not use violence for their own vile purposes."

The man looks at Suo, and he seems to find his accusation almost entertaining.

"Hayato, come on... I'm certainly not a criminal. I only make sure that my daughter has the best of the best. What could be wrong with that?"

Sora takes a step forward and bows in front of the man to everyone’s surprise.

"Kiyomi-san,” his voice firm, “I know I am not worthy of your daughter, but I swear I will do my best to make her happy."

The man scoffs. "Frankly? Your best is not good enough for my daughter."

"But, Father!" Kiyomi shouts, indignantly.

“Enough, Sakura-chan! I’ll take care of this, now/”

He signals with a subtle flick of his wrist. Two large men in black suits appear from a side door, their presence immediately changing the atmosphere from serene to menacing.

"I will not allow my daughter to be with a low-life like you," The powerful man says, his voice now a cold hiss.

As he speaks, one of his men hands him a sheathed katana. Kiyomi-san draws the blade with a chillingly deliberate motion. The steel gleams under the soft light. He holds the tip of the blade to Sora's throat without touching it. The boy holds his breath but doesn’t move a muscle.

"I will make this scumbag be escorted outside, and he will never see you again," he says to his daughter, his eyes holding a terrifying resolve, “and you, Sakura-chan, will do as I say, or I can assure you bad things will happen to this boy. You don’t want that, do you?”

As soon as Sora feels the kiss of the katana's blade on his skin, though, he reacts, nimbly lowering his body and striking the man's arm, his katana flying away and hitting the floor with a clanging sound. At the same moment, the Bofurin captain, Sakura, together with Togame, Tomiyama, and the other Shishitoren members burst into the room, making quite a turbolent entrance. They are already hyped up, since in the process of crossing the garden and getting into the house, they've already taken down about ten men.

Togame is the first to move, a primal roar escaping his lips as he charges at Kiyomi-san, while Choji takes care of the bunch of men who poured into the room from the same door through which the first two entered. His movements are surprisingly swift and powerful as he engages in the fight.

Suo grabs Sakura’s hand. "We have to get you out of here," he tells her, pulling her toward an exit. "Come with me." The girl hesitates. "No! I'm not leaving him!"

"I promised to keep you safe," Suo says, his voice firm as he drags her away, “and I will.”

Before stepping outside, Suo turns back to the fight, curious to see where Sakura, his captain, is. A man is on them, though, trying to stop them. Suo’s movements are a graceful dance of aggression. He dodges a punch and lands a precise, hard kick to the man’s stomach.

It is then that he spots Sakura. The bicolor boy is fighting with a fury born of pure frustration. He's a whirlwind of punches and kicks, but he's surrounded. One of the men, a burly figure, charges at him with a staff. Sakura dodges, easily, but another man with a katana swings at him.

The blade slices across Sakura's arm, making him jump back.

At the sight, Suo freezes, the grip around the girl’s trembling hand tightening. He seems suddenly unsure of what to do. He knows he should get Sakura-chan to safety, but his instinct is to go help Sakura-kun. Fortunately for him, Sora appears at his side, protectively snaking an arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders.

“I’ve got her.” He gestures toward Sakura with his chin. “Go and save his ass, Suo-san.”

Suo gives the older boy a nod and rushes to help his captain.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The fight is brutal. Punches fly, kicks land, and the clang of metal echoes through the house. The Shishitoren members, a well-oiled machine in a fight, coordinate their attacks. Togame's raw strength and Choji's calculated strikes are a devastating combination. Sakura fights with a ferocity that terrifies his opponents until a sharp, searing pain erupts in his upper arm. The wound is a significant gash that slices across his tricep, but Sakura ignores it.

If anything, the pain adds fuel to his fury. He's quick to react and turn the situation around, disarming the bastard with the katana and throwing him to the floor.

One moment, he is straddling the man who hurt him with the katana on the floor, smashing his already covered in blood face with his punches, and a moment later, someone has yanked him away from that man and is dragging him toward the main door.

Apparently, that someone is Suo.

“Hey! What the Hell do you think you’re doing? Let go of me!”

"Sakura-kun, you're hurt," Suo says, his voice a low growl of concern.

"What? No, it's nothing," Sakura mutters, yanking his arm away and making Suo abort whatever rescue mission he thought he had to perform. "I got that. This is just a scratch."

"A scratch?" Suo's face pales as he sees the deep cut when Sakura's sleeve shifts. "That's no scratch. A katana wound is a serious thing. Come on, let me have a look at it."

“What the Hell, Suo? Leave me alone, okay? I thought you had a task…where is Kiyomi-chan?”

"Ah, she's with Sora-kun... Don’t worry about them.”

“And her father?”

“Well, at this point, he has probably understood that he doesn’t get to mess with Shishistoren.”

Sakura turns around and sees that the fight is over. The remaining men are on the floor, groaning in defeat, while Kiyomi-san is on his hands and knees, still processing the catastrophe that had befallen him and his well-trained, armed men.

When, being given the green light, Sakura-chan and Sora re-enter the room, they get immediately surrounded by Tomiyama’s men. The girl’s face is a mix of determination and rage as she goes straight to her father.

"Father," she says, her voice steady and clear. "I will not let you take Sora away from me. He is the person I love, and I will be with him. And I hate that you think that you can use your power and your money to hurt innocent people! But you know what? You don’t mess around with these people! You will let me be with the man I love, or it will be war. Am I clear?"

Kiyomi-san looks up at her, a hint of something that might be pride flickering in his eyes before it is replaced by cold fury. "Sakura-chan... You will regret this."

"Maybe," she says, her chin held high. "But I will regret it with the man I love. And not because I was a coward."

Sora releases her hand to crouch down so his eyes are leveled with the man’s. His expression is cold as ice, and there is a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

“Kiyomi-san, I know that you think I am a criminal or something, but I am not. I am an honest man. Or at least I am no more of a scumbag than you are, am I? But I know that you love your daughter, and well, I love her too, so I promise, I’ll take care of her. I want to finish college and find a good job, and then I will marry her. Whether you will be part of our lives or not, well… it’s up to you. Do you understand?”

In the end, the man looks at the little group of fighters wearing the white and orange jackets behind Sora, and the truth dawns on him. 

He lost.

So, in the end, the man can only nod, defeated.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Without another word, Suo gently but firmly grabs Sakura's good arm and pulls him outside and then toward his house, ignoring the loud protests from his captain.

“Suo, what the fuck? Where are you taking me?”

“My place, it’s right next door.” 

“Wait, Togame…”

“Can you stop saying his name for a moment?” Suo snaps, as he keeps going, his hand firmly around Sakura’s wrist.

“What?”

“Look, I am sure Togame-san is okay and can easily find his way back to the Cage with the others. While me… I still need to check your wound.” 

In the end, Sakura sighs. Suo can be truly stubborn, right? He can only give up and let Suo pull him toward his house. 

After all, he is still bleeding and, yeah, tending to his wound is not a bad idea.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Back at Suo's house, in his large but quite minimalist room, the silence is thick and heavy. They are sitting side by side on Suo’s bed. 

Suo's movements are gentle, almost reverent, as he cleans and bandages the cut on Sakura's arm. Sakura, for once, is trying to cooperate, staying perfectly still, eyeing Suo's focused face, and the cute way his brows are furrowed in concentration.

Something has shifted between them, but Sakura can’t say what it may be.

"I'm sorry," Suo says out of the blue, not looking up from the bandage.

"For what?" Sakura asks, his voice barely a whisper.

"For everything," Suo admits, finally meeting Sakura's gaze. "For lying to you, for not trusting you, for letting this happen. I should have told you the truth from the start. I was just... so used to handling things on my own. I didn’t want…"

When Sakura sees a single tear slip from Suo's eye, his heart clenches. He never thought he would see Suo cry one day. 

But why is he crying? Because of him? 

He reaches out, his uninjured hand cupping Suo's face. Suo leans into the touch, closing his eye.

"You know? I just wanted to be a good friend to her," Suo continues, his voice cracking. "I thought I was helping Sakura-chan without dragging anyone else into the mess that her family is. But I pushed you away, and when I realized what I did, it was too late. I… I hated myself for it."

"It's okay," Sakura says, his own eyes welling up. "It’s… It’s not too late. I understand. I get it now. You didn't want to hurt me."

"I hurt you anyway," Suo whispers, his voice filled with regret. "More than I ever could have imagined. I'm sorry, Haruka."

This time, the name doesn't feel like a sharp blade. It feels like a balm, a declaration of trust and intimacy.

"Fuck… I was so angry ," Sakura admits, a couple of tears escaping his eye. "I thought you were in love with… with her, and I was... so fucking jealous. You have no idea how I felt… And when I found out that it was all a scam… I got even angrier… Hey… Don’t you dare keep things from me ever again, Suo. I mean it. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you."

Suo's eyes widen, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. He places his hand over Sakura's on his cheek. "I thought you hated me."

"How could I hate you?" Sakura scoffs, a sad smile on his own face. "I'm in love with you, you idiot."

A long silence follows, filled with the soft sounds of their breathing and the thumping of their hearts. Suo's gaze softens, his eye filled with a mixture of adoration and relief.

"I'm in love with you, too, Haruka."

"I thought you didn't care about me at all..."

“I hate that I made you think such absurdity… I know I failed you, Haruka, but you are the most important person in the world to me. If… If you give me a chance, I will prove it to you every day of my life.”

Well, it's a big commitment that Suo is making. But Sakura feels in his heart that this time he can believe him. He feels his cheeks blush while leaning in, his lips brushing against Suo’s. It's a tentative, gentle kiss, full of unspoken promises and apologies. 

It’s an answer. 

It’s a new beginning. 

After all, the grade captain was always better with his actions than with his words.

When they break apart, Suo smiles at him.

“Thank you,” Suo says before resuming taking care of his injury.

“Ha… Hayato…?”

“Mm…” 

"Will everything be alright with Kiyomi-chan and Sora?" 

"Ah, yes, don’t worry. Everything will be fine. If needed, I'll talk to my mother. She's a kind of 'last resort' weapon... Speaking of which, she can't wait to meet you, you know?"

" What ?" 

Sakura's face is the perfect image of bewilderment. How did they get from talking about Suo's childhood friend to Suo’s mother wanting to meet him?

"Well, when I told her about you, she told me to hurry up and get together with you, and that she couldn't wait to meet my boyfriend..." 

"B-B-Boyfriend??” Sakura sputters, all his blood rushing to his face.

“You’re not my boyfriend?”

“Ah… Well, I guess I am?”

“Good. Now hold still for a second, boyfriend , so I can finish bandaging your arm. Then, if you want, we can go visit our friends at the Cage. I know you want to rave about the fight with them..."

Sakura gives him heart eyes at the unexpected proposal.

"Hayato... you're the best, you know?"

"If you say so.”

“I say so.”

“Okay, you are not half bad yourself.”

"Hey! You, asshole.”

Suo giggles. Sakura, instead, sighs in contentment, and after that, a comfortable silence falls between them. 

For a moment, the world disappears, leaving only the two of them, finally, together.