Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You follow the girl into another pub, the sign above the entrance telling you it’s Show Pub Ougi. There’s a live performance going on as you enter, a pretty girl with large eyes and hair flowing down to her waist singing, filling the bar with a sweet, melodic voice.

“You can call me Tsubaki-chan, by the way,” the girl beside you bends down to tell you. You offer your own name in return, and Tsubaki practically beams at you.

Not even ten minutes later, you're starting your first trial shift as a waiter at Show Pub Ougi. As soon as the restaurant manager, a young man with a buzzcut named Shogo Hidaka, spotted Tsubaki, he didn't hesitate to hand you an apron and a notepad with a pen and send you out to take orders from his customers.

You run around for hours, taking orders, bringing sodas and beers and sake and platters laden with food, returning with empty glasses and bottles and plates.

At some point, just as you are in the middle of doing the dishes, someone pokes you on the back and you jump in surprise, spraying soapy water all over the place.

“Oh, sorry. Just wanted to remind you to take a break. We don’t wanna work you to the bone, you know.”

You turn around and are faced with a tall boy with an undercut and a friendly expression, smiling down at you.

“I’m Nakamura Kanji,” he introduces himself. “I hear that Tasuku-kun hired you?”

"Who?" You're a bit confused – the one who hired you was--

"Tsubakino, of course," Nakamura clarifies.

Wait. Tsubaki-chan is…a boy?

A boy who wears high heels and make-up? And despite that, he seems like he has friends here who doesn’t question his preferences, accepting him for who he is.

To you, that sounds almost too good to be true. It’s not in your nature to be jealous, but if it were, you definitely would be. Instead, you're just genuinely happy for Tsubakino.

“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Tsubaki-chan, dear Nakamura-kun?” Tsubakino chastises gently from across the kitchen, and Nakamura sheepishly scratches the back of his neck.

“Ah, my bad. Sorry, Tsubaki-chan.”

Tsubakino turns his attention towards you. “You’re taking a break now. You’ve been running around non-stop for five hours! You should take better care of yourself, sweetie,” Tsubakino tuts and shakes his head.

You start to argue. “B-but, the dishes--”

“Nakamura-kun can take over for you.”

“Oh, but that’s really not--”

“It’s no big deal, I’ll take over for you.” Nakamura gently pushes you away from the sink and rolls up the sleeves of his suit.

His suit, you think.

“Won’t your suit get ruined, Nakamura-san?” you ask anxiously.

Tsubakino tilts his head back and laughs. “Oh, don’t worry dear. Nakamura-kun’s suit has survived way more than just a couple of dirty dishes. He’ll be fine.”

“I will,” Nakamura agrees. “And besides, Tsubaki-chan wants you to see him perform, so you better take that break now.”

Oh.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you also perform, Tsubaki-chan?” you beam.

“Well, I thought it was quite obvious dear.” He gestures at his outfit, consisting of a pair of shorts and a crop top.

You can’t really see what he’s referring to, though. “I’m not really sure what you mean, but I’d love to see you perform,” you tell him.

To Nakamura, you bow and thank him for taking over for you, apologising for inconveniencing him. Nakamura, however, only gives you a friendly wave, spraying more soapy water on the floor.

“Oh, you’re so sweet,” Tsubakino coos before grabbing your wrist and leading you out of the kitchen and towards a table right in front of the stage.

The girl who was singing when you arrived at the bar is already sitting at the table, but she gets to her feet to greet you. “Hi, I’m Narita Shizuka. So nice to have another girl my age around here!”

You bow and present yourself before saying, “You have a beautiful voice, Narita-san.”

“Oh, please call me Shizuka,” she beams, and you immediately tell her to call you by your first name too.

People here are so nice, you think wistfully.

But you're not naïve enough to think that it will continue. As soon as they find out what a freak you are, they’ll stop being nice. And you haven’t grown up in this town like Tsubakino, so even though they accept him, there’s no way that they’ll just accept a random new girl without parents who likes fighting a bit too much.

Although maybe, as Ryo, you will have a chance. Because then, everyone will think you’re a boy, and then they won’t think twice about your strange behaviour.

It’s not because you don’t like being a girl. It’s not because you want to be a boy. But if pretending to be a boy is what you have to do to achieve your goals, then, that’s just what you’ll do.

Tsubakino blows you both a kiss before darting onto the stage.

The music starts, and, as he begins to dance, you can’t help but gape.

Despite his tall, muscular frame, he looks weightless as he elegantly swings himself around the pole. He swishes his hips and shakes his head, his long hair so shiny that you bet you could see your own reflection in it.

The crowd cheers and whoops and claps and it’s clear that they all love Tsubakino.

And you can understand why. He truly is amazing.

You tell him so after his performance ends, and Tsubakino pulls you into a tight embrace. He’s not sweaty in the slightest, which you find a bit strange – you would think it must be extremely strenuous to dance like that for as long as Tsubakino just did.

You’re also taken aback by Tsubakino’s open show of affection towards you. You only just met him, after all, but he already acts as if the two of you are the best of friends.

Although maybe, that’s just how Tsubakino is. Sweet and caring and affectionate towards the people around him. Yes, that must be it. Because there’s nothing about you that’s even remotely interesting – nothing that would warrant other people taking a liking to you that fast.

And then, there’s Shizuka. You only spoke with her briefly, but already, she smiles so brightly every time she sees you that one would think you had saved her from a building on fire or something.

You also meet the two other staff members, a young man in a pin-striped suit and a boy playing the piano, presenting themselves as Miyoshi Akihito and Otawa Ritsu, respectively. Both seem nice, although you only exchange brief pleasantries.

After three more hours, the pub closes, and you stay to help with the cleaning. The manager approaches you with a satisfied look on his face and tells you that you can take the day off tomorrow, but come back every Friday and Saturday night, as well as on Sundays, which are the days where the pub is the busiest. That’s perfect for you, since school ends early on Saturday, and Sundays are your days off.

It’s with heartfelt gratitude that you thank Tsubakino for helping you find this job as you bid him goodbye.

Again, he doesn’t hesitate to hug you farewell. “Don’t sweat it, you’ve been such a help, sweetie,” he reassures you. “We’ve been looking for a waiter for ages, and you seem experienced, so the pleasure is ours. Truly.” He places his hand over his heart and smiles down at you.

“Still, thank you so much, Tsubaki-chan. I’ll see you next Friday.” You bow before taking your leave.

Behind you, Tsubakino, Shizuka, and the four members of Roppo-Ichiza watch until you disappear behind a corner.

“You really think we should let her go home all by herself?” Shizuka asks nervously.

“Maybe we should have sent someone with her,” Tsubakino admits, but then adds, “But something tells me that she can take care of herself.”

“You were certainly fast to take a liking to that one, Tsubaki-chan,” Nakamura comments.

“She seems like such a happy and bubbly person. Like the sun,” Shizuka gushes, looking longingly in the direction you went. Miyoshi and Otawa both nod in agreement. They didn’t get to speak much with you, but you already left quite an impression on them.

Tsubakino surprises them all with his next words. “She might seem like that, but I know there’s more to her. Maybe you didn’t notice, but underneath that bubbly exterior, she seemed so…alone. And sad.”

They are all silent for a moment, contemplating Tsubakino’s observation. He’s good at reading people, so they believe what he says must be true.

Suddenly, Tsubakino breaks the silence, clapping his hands together enthusiastically. “Well, then we’ll just have to make sure she has the time of her life when at work!”

“You always did have a weak spot for all things broken,” Nakamura sighs, but mentally, he wholeheartedly agrees with Tsubakino’s plan.

You’re walking down Tonpu Shopping Street when you hear it.

“Hey, that hurts! Let go of me.”

Immediately, you zoom in on the source of the commotion. A girl about your age with one heavy-looking grocery bag on each arm is surrounded by a group of young men, one of them holding her wrist in a tight grip. It does look painful, you agree.

You don’t hesitate to march over to them, placing a hand on the shoulder of the perpetrator. “Hey,” you say cheerily, “she told you to let go.”

The young man eyes you for a moment before letting out a snort, and his friends all start laughing at you. “What are you shrimp gonna do, hm? Wanna join our fun?” A menacing look then takes over his features, and a split second later, a fist is flying your way.

You could almost laugh. These guys are pathetic, harassing a lone girl after dark, and they will come to sorely regret underestimating you. They are no match for you.

You dodge his fist effortlessly, twisting to the side and watching as the boy fall to the ground all by himself, unable to stop his momentum. You refuse to kick an opponent already lying down, so instead, you turn your attention to his friends. They all come charging at you at once, but it’s clear to you that they have no real fighting skills. Their movements are sloppy, their defences weak, their reflexes practically non-existent. In no time, all of them are on the ground too, knocked unconscious for the time being.

Well, you guess it’s also time for their leader to be back on his feet again.

And, sure enough, you can hear someone sprinting towards you from behind. Without looking, you jump into the air, using him as a springboard to do a backflip and end up standing right behind him. You send a kick to the back of his head, knocking him out for good this time.

When the five boys are all sprawled on the pavement around you, you turn again to the girl with the shopping bags, her eyes wide as saucers and her mouth agape.

And behind her, you see none other than Sakura Haruka, his expression a copy of the girl’s in front of him. It would have looked rather comical had you not been dreading this moment ever since you arrived to Makochi. You had really hoped that you could go just a little longer before people began shunning you.

You square your shoulders, preparing for the worst. You’re prepared to get ridiculed, to be told that you’re a freak. You think of all the nice people you’ve met so far and silently say goodbye to the bliss of being treated as just another normal teenage girl this week. Maybe, this is what’s meant by seeing your life flash before your eyes just before impending doom befalls you.

The girl snaps out of it first, and she marches over to you. You flinch, having to resist the urge to cower away from her. Will she slap you? Scream at you?

You already know that you won’t lay a hand on her regardless of what she decides to do. You’re not that type of person. No, you decided long ago that you would only use your strength to defend other people and to fight for justice.

And this girl, she’s innocent – even if she decides to slap you. You’d understand. It’s not her fault that you’re a freak.

But the girl doesn’t slap you. Instead, she stops right in front of you and bows deeply. “Thank you!” she breathes. Then, she straightens her back, a wide grin splitting across her face. “That was amazing! Where did you learn how to fight like that? That’s so cool! You make me wish I had put more effort into learning self-defence myself – don’t tell Ume though, he’ll just say ‘I told you so’. But I never bothered because Bofurin usually takes care of all the troublemakers here. Oh, and by the way, my name’s Tachibana Kotoha, a pleasure to meet you!”

You just stare at her, at a loss for words. Is she making fun of you? And who’s this Ume-person?

You don’t get the chance to answer though, because just then, Tachibana notices Sakura behind her. “Geez, you almost gave me a heart-attack,” she scolds. “Are you part of Bofurin? I’ve never seen you around here.”

First then do you notice that Sakura is wearing a Furin jacket. The single white band on his left sleeve tells you that he’s a first year – and apparently, he’s a newcomer, just like you.

Again, Tachibana doesn’t let him speak before she continues. “And what are you doing out so late at night? On patrol?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Sakura mutters before turning his attention to you. “You’re that girl. From the stairs.”

You smile hesitantly. You’re still not quite sure if they’re gaslighting you or if the people of this town genuinely don’t think you’re a weirdo. “Yes, nice to meet you again, Sakura-san.”

A tinge of pink sprouts across Sakura’s cheekbones.

“You two know each other?” Tachibana asks. “Did you come to Makochi together?”

“No, we didn’t,” you correct her. “We just happen to live in the same apartment complex.”

“Huh, what a coincidence. It’s not often we get someone new from out of town, and now, there’re two of you!” Tachibana hums thoughtfully. Then, her eyes suddenly narrow. “And what’s your excuse for being out alone this late?”

“Ah, just finished work,” you tell her truthfully.

She frowns. “They let you walk home alone, so late at night?”

You shrug. To you, there’s nothing wrong with that.

Pursing her mouth, Tachibana lets out a small sigh. “I guess you can take care of yourself alright.”

The three of you are silent for a moment before Tachibana again clears her throat. “Well, I was just out doing some late-night grocery shopping. The café where I work at was out of eggs.” She lifts the grocery bags showcasing multiple cartons of eggs. “Why don’t the two of you come to the café tomorrow? It’s called Pothos. I’ll make you omurice!”

You immediately feel yourself panic. You can’t come to her café tomorrow as yourself, because if you spent any more time with Sakura as you and you end up in the same class at Furin High, then he’ll definitely recognise you. Maybe, it was a bad idea to go out as yourself, but now, you’ve gotten a job and you have to go out as yourself at least three times a week. Hopefully, none of the Furin boys will frequent the Red-Light District. You don’t think that’s likely though, since they’re all minors.

Tachibana beams at you, and you glance over at Sakura who looks very uncomfortable.

Hoping that you’re not acting too presumptuous, you speak for the both of you. “Thank you, Tachibana-san, but I can’t go tomorrow. Sakura-san will be happy to join you though.” Sakura splutters behind you, but you don’t notice. You give Tachibana a wide smile. “Should we walk you to your café? In case you walk into problems again?”

“Just call me Kotoha. And it’s actually just around the corner, but thanks for the offer. Oh well, too bad, but promise you’ll come some other time. See you tomorrow, Sakura-san!” Kotoha waves and leaves the two of you alone on the dark street.

When Kotoha is out of sight, you bend down to haul the boy at your feet over your back. He’s heavy, but you’re strong, and you begin carrying him away from the middle of the street.

“What’re you doing?” Sakura asks.

“Well, we can’t just let them lie here!” you reason, huffing slightly as you gently place the boy on the ground in an upright position, leaning his back against a wall. Then, you walk over to the next boy, repeating the process.

“But…why?”

“Because they might get run over by a car or something,” you explain, a bit confused by Sakura’s questions.

“But…you beat them up! Knocked them out! Why do you suddenly care what happens to them?”

“I only knocked them out because they were hurting the girl – Kotoha-chan. But that doesn’t mean I want to just leave them like this in the middle of the street.”

Sakura just stares at you for a moment. But then, he walks over to another boy and hauls him over to his two friends already seated against the wall.

When all the boys are sitting in a neat row, you stand back to admire your handiwork. You purposefully chose a spot with an overhang so that they’ll at least have a little cover from the night.

You then turn towards Sakura. “Thank you for helping me again, Sakura-san!”

Immediately, Sakura turns scarlet before he practically starts yelling at you. “I-I didn’t do it to help you! I only did it because…because I’m walking this way tomorrow and they’d be in the way if they were still lying in the middle of the road!”

His yelling doesn't put you off in the slightest. You remember how he reacted when you thanked him for saving you the first time you met, and you realise that Sakura – just like he isn’t used to getting compliments – isn’t used to people thanking him.

It’s adorable, you think, but mostly, it’s kind of sad.

You give him a wide smile. “I want to thank you anyways! Regardless of why you did it, you still helped me. Should we walk home now?”

“You want to walk home…with me?” he asks incredulously, his face turning an even darker shade of red.

He really does have a generous blood supply to his face.

“Yes, we do live in the same place, so it makes sense, right?” you say, feeling yourself deflate slightly.

Maybe Sakura is not as accepting as Kotoha. Maybe, he doesn’t want to walk home with you – he did just witness you knock out five guys, after all. You’re just about to say that he doesn’t have to (although you’re not sure how to avoid walking home together since you’re going the same way), when he speaks up. “I guess so.”

You have to admit that you feel relieved.

Together, you walk back to your apartment complex. When you reach Sakura’s front door, he hesitates before entering his apartment, some inner conflict going on behind his heterochromatic eyes.

At long last, he turns towards you. “Spar with me, some time.”

“Eh?”

You’re confused. He wants to spar with you?

Sakura averts his eyes from your bewildered stare. “You’re strong. I want to fight you some time.”

“B-but…I’m a girl!” you blurt. Shouldn’t he say something like, girls are not supposed to fight? or never bother me again, you freak?

“Yeah, I can see that. So what?” Sakura shrugs, the tips of his ears turning pink.

What is it with these people?  

This isn't reaction you had expected at all. You had expected people to shun you once they realised what kind of person you are.

You can’t seem to find the words to answer him, and you feel a bit like a gutted fish with the way you repeatedly open and close your mouth repeatedly without a sound coming out.

“Never mind,” Sakura tells you, and before you can get another word out, he has entered his apartment and closed the door in your face.

The next morning is your day off and the day before school starts, so you decide that it’s time to head out as Ryo. It’s risky, with Sakura living so close by, but you’re pretty sure that he doesn’t know which apartment you live in. And besides, he should be at Kotoha’s café by now.

After a quick breakfast consisting of fridge-cold onigiri from the convenience store, you get to work.

First, the bandages. You wrap them tightly around your chest and secure the end with a metal clasp.

Then, you pick your outfit for the day. A pair of jeans that you have to roll up multiple times and secure with a belt because otherwise, the legs are way too long and the waist too wide. As a girl, you were only allowed to wear skirts and dresses at the orphanage, so you don’t own any jeans yourself. Hence, you’re borrowing your brother’s. You wear one of your own white t-shirts, though.

Then, the Furin jacket. The uniform is dark green, almost black, with an embroidered green and yellow pattern on the collar and wrists and one white band on the left sleeve, symbolising that you’re a first year. This was the last jacket you could find in your size, and it mostly fits you. The shoulders are a bit too wide, but you don’t mind, since it makes your own shoulders look broader.

Then, the hair. You pull it up into a tight bun, letting some strands of hair fall on either side of your face.

And lastly, your face. You fish out the small make-up kit your brother gifted you for your last birthday. Not because you like make-up – you don’t really care about stuff like that – but because he thought it would be useful for your disguise.

And he’s right.

You carefully contour your jaw, making it look squarer and then, your cheekbones and nose, sharpening your features.

When you’re finished, you study your handiwork in the full-length bathroom mirror. You still look feminine, but in your own opinion, you could easily go for a boy. Not for the first time in your life, you’re glad that your chest and butt are on the small size. You nod satisfactorily at your reflection before heading out of your apartment, wondering whether you’ll be seeing Sakura again. You won’t mind if you’re in the same class. You can’t believe that both him and Kotoha still want to be associated with you, even after witnessing what you’re capable of.

Hopefully, Sakura won’t recognise you when you meet him as Ryo.

As you head down the same street where you met Kotoha last night, the sight that meets you make you stop dead in your tracks.

In front of you, a whole gang of young men are approaching, led by the same ones you prevented from hurting Kotoha last night. And at the front of their procession their leader, the one you knocked down twice yesterday.

“You seen a girl around here?” he asks you, a sinister grin spread across his face. “Around this tall? Long hair – same colour as yours, actually. We have a score to settle with her.”

With dread, you realise that they must be talking about you.

And that they’re unaware that the girl they’re looking for is standing right in front of them.