Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sun was dipping low in the sky, casting a warm orange glow over the streets of Makochi as Sakura, Nirei and Suo, patrolled the area. The sidewalks were a blur of shadows and light as they moved with purposeful strides, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of trouble.

As they turned a corner, a gentle yet insistent voice called out to them. It was an old woman, standing in the doorway of a small convenience store they had visited the week before. She waved a gnarled hand, beckoning them closer. Recognition dawned on Sakura's face. It was the same woman they had assisted when she was being harassed by a group of local delinquents.

Her eyes crinkled into a smile as she spoke. "Ah, if it isn't the gallant trio from the other day!" she exclaimed. "Please, come in. I've prepared a little something to thank you for your kindness."

Sakura hesitated, but Nirei and Suo nodded politely, understanding the gesture of gratitude. They followed her into the cozy store, the bell above the door jingling cheerfully. The warm scent of simmering broth filled the air, a stark contrast to the cool evening outside. The old woman shuffled back to the counter and emerged with a tray that held three steaming bowls of soup. Her hands trembled slightly as she offered them the meal, with clear excitement etched on her face.

The moment of warmth was almost shattered when, with a clatter, she lost her grip on the tray. Time seemed to slow as the bowl tipped precariously, the rich broth spilling over the side. Nirei's eyes widened in surprise, his heart skipping a beat as the hot liquid approached. However, Sakura's instincts kicked in. He lunged forward, pushing Nirei aside with surprising gentleness, his movements as swift and graceful as a cat, almost as if he had anticipated the spill happening. The soup arced through the air, narrowly missing Nirei's chest, and instead splashed onto Sakura's forearm.

The old woman gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in horror. "Oh no, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, her smile fading into a look of concern.

Sakura's eyes never left Nirei's face, even as the hot soup stung his arm. "Nirei, are you okay?" he asked, his voice tight with worry.

Nirei stared at Sakura, his heart racing. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," he stuttered, blinking in astonishment. The soup had missed him by mere inches, and yet Sakura had moved as if he had anticipated the soups spill before it even happened.

Suo, ever the composed one, stepped in to help Sakura to his feet. He gently took hold of Sakura's arm, inspecting the burn. "It seems to be quite severe," he noted, his voice calm yet concerned.

Nirei's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the burn. It was a deep, angry red, the skin already starting to bubble and blister. "Oh my god, Sakura, that's a third-degree burn!" he exclaimed, his voice rising in panic.

Suo, his grip firm yet gentle on Sakura's arm, met Nirei's gaze with a nod. "Indeed," he said calmly, his expression a mask of concern. "We must get it treated immediately."

Sakura, unfazed by the pain that would have had anyone else writhing on the floor, waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing," he insisted, his voice gruff as he tried to shrug off their worry. "Just a little burn."

The old woman, her eyes wide with concern, insisted on treating the wound properly. She disappeared into the back room and emerged with a first-aid kit, her hands trembling more than before. Nirei watched in amazement as Sakura took the bandages and disinfectant without a word of protest, his expression unreadable.

Sakura took a deep breath and began to clean the burn with the disinfectant. His friends held their breath, waiting for a reaction, but none came. Not even a twitch of his eyebrow or a clench of his jaw. Nirei and Suo exchanged confused glances, their worry morphing into something else entirely. How could he stand the pain?

The old woman's hand hovered over Sakura's arm, a look of bewilderment on her face. "Are you okay?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackling of the bandages she had provided.

Sakura nodded, his eyes focused on the task at hand. "I've had worse," he murmured, his voice low and even, as if recounting a mundane anecdote rather than describing a painful experience. He carefully applied the ointment before wrapping his forearm in the bandages with a deftness that suggested he had done this before. His movements were methodical, each step precise and measured.

Nirei and Suo couldn't help but watch in stunned silence. The lack of reaction from Sakura was unnerving. They knew he was tough, but this was something else entirely. They had never witnessed his body's apparent indifference to pain.

Finally, Sakura looked up from his task, a question in his eyes. "Is that good enough?" he asked, holding up his bandaged forearm.

Nirei nodded, still in awe of Sakura's stoicism. "Yeah, it'll do," he said, his voice still shaking slightly. "But you really should get it checked out."

"Are you sure you're okay Sakura-kun?" Suo asked, his voice tentative. "That's gotta hurt, right?"

Sakura looked up at them, his expression unreadable. "Why would it?" he said, his tone flat. Before anyone could respond, he turned to the old woman. "Let me help you serve the soup," he offered, his voice a mix of insistence and a desire to change the subject.

The old woman's eyes widened in surprise, but she nodded gratefully. "Oh, yes, thank you, Sakura-kun," she said, handing him the remaining bowls. He took them with the same calmness that had carried him through the ordeal, and moved behind the counter to serve the customers who had gathered, curious about the commotion.

Nirei and Suo couldn't help but exchange glances as they watched Sakura handle the situation with such ease. Despite the pain he had just endured, there was no sign of discomfort in his face, nor any hint of his usual bravado. It was as if the incident had never occurred.

Chapter Text

As Sakura wandered through the busy streets of Makochi, the long shadows formed by the rising light swirled about him. The town was gradually waking up, with students chatting in groups and businesses raising their blinds as laughter reverberated throughout the mix.

Yet something didn't feel quite right when he got closer to the gates of Furin High School. He seemed to be the center of attention. As soon as the hefty school entrance was opened, the typical commotion of greetings filled the space. But even in the thick of the friendly greetings and good mornings, Sakura saw his peers' eyes linger. It was obvious, an intense curiosity that burned in his cheeks. He sat down and made an effort to block out the murmurs that appeared to be trailing him behind him like smoke.

Nirei leaned over at that moment, a worried expression on his face. He said, "Sakura, are you okay?" Sakura stared, confused by the question. "Why wouldn't I be?" he said, attempting to maintain a lighthearted tone in spite of the unexpected stiffness that had tightened around his heart.

Being the center of attention was not something he enjoyed, especially not in this way. Nirei was ready to reply when Suo walked over, his normally collected grin yielding glimpses of a little worried expression. "Good morning, Sakura-kun, it seems Nirei-kun is under the impression that you've been injured." He pointed to Sakura's ankle, where a bloody stain had appeared and due to the material of his uniform clinging to his flesh.

Sakura's startled eyes grew wide. He was not even aware of the wound. He reached down and lightly touched the area, confirming that there was a wound there. He calmly assured them, "It's nothing," in spite of his amazement. "Probably just a scratch." However, Suo's smile faded into a thin line, and Nirei's eyes widened with concern. Suo sternly said, "Let's get it checked out," and put his hand on Sakura's shoulder. "It doesn't look good." Sakura hesitated, feeling conflicted about his need for peace of mind and his mounting worry for his classmates nervousness. He did not want to be another source of worry for them. He sighed and nodded.

With the sound of his sneakers squeaking on the shiny floor, he got up from his chair. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself for the worst. He started doing a sequence of maneuvers one by one that would ordinarily make someone with a major ankle injury writhe in pain. He leaped onto one foot, then the other, sending waves of shock through the classroom. His friends' eyes widened as they observed the bloody stain spreading, their expressions a mixture of shock and horror.

Sakura kicked out in a roundhouse fashion without losing a beat, his leg flowing naturally into the air. His foot hitting the locker made a loud, thunderous noise that echoed across the hallway. The force of his movement silenced the chatter of his classmates surrounding him as they gasped. With his heart pounding, Nirei's eyes were fixed intently on Sakura's ankle, looking for any indication of tension or pain. Sakura's breath was even, but his expression remained idle. He turned to look at his classmates, his eyes looking for evidence that what he had said had any validity. "Is that sufficient? "Can you guys stop worrying now?" he asked, his tone belying not a trace of the inward agony he was experiencing.

However, the red spot on the floor became bigger and began to seep into his sock as the stillness drew on. Nirei's hand shot to his mouth as his face went pale. "Sakura, you're bleeding even more," he stumbled, terrified beyond recognition. Suo's eyes concentrated and his smile vanished completely as he examined the wound closely. Kiriyu declared, "You might not feel it, but you're bleeding out. We need to get you to the nurse, now."

Sakura nodded as the seriousness of the situation dawned on her. Maybe this was more than just a scratch, he had to recognize. He raised his leg on his desk with unexpected ease, moving his hands to assess the damage. His classmates leaned in to offer help, but Sakura's hands blocked their view. With a trace of apologies in his voice, he assured them, "I got it."

His calm demeanor belied the whirling thoughts in his mind as he examined the wound. His skin was a canvas of red and white, and the material of his sock was sticky with blood. His eyes narrowed as he felt his ankle's strange give as he gingerly explored the spot with his fingers.

His tone did not convey any discomfort as he muttered, "It's worse than I thought." Whispers and gasps filled the room. As the weight of his words sank in, concern began to rise in the air. Sakura's hand obscured Nirei's vision as he leaned in closer, his eyes wide with terror. His voice trembling, he shouted, "What do you mean, worse?"

Sakura's voice stayed calm in sharp contrast to the classroom's current state of terror. His gaze never left the incision as he remarked, "It's just a clean cut, but it looks like it went through my Achilles tendon." His face wore a mask of focus as his fingers carefully inspected the area. The notion sank in, and the room fell silent. It was a serious injury, and his lack of pain was now a source of fear rather than wonder.

Suo and Kiryu exchanged a worrisome look, their earlier worry turning into full-blown fear at this point. Beyond the wound, Kiryu spotted something else. Sakura's normally pink cheeks had turned almost as white as the crumpled bits of paper strewn all over the floor.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Kiryu spoke in a low, distressed voice. Sakura gave a skeptical, cautious nod, but it wasn't fast enough. His eyes glazed over as he leaned heavily against the wall. "A little lightheaded," he muttered, his voice hardly audible. However, as he was speaking, he collapsed. Suo and Kiryu were at his side in an instant, reaching out their arms to grab him before his head hit the ground. He had passed out

The image of Sakura's unconscious figure made them both shudder. The manner he'd braced himself for his fall had unnerved them more than the damage itself. He had bent his knees slightly, braced his arms to deflect the blow, and tucked his chin into his chest. He seemed to have prepared for this, as though he was ready to face the pain like an acrobat since he knew it was coming. The classroom was so quiet you could hear the ticking of the clock above the door as the class watched in disbelief.

Nirei's thoughts were racing. Sakura refused to be taken to the hospital by anyone. He was aware of Sakura's intense dislike for doctors, the cold, dismissive atmosphere, and the inevitable poking and prodding. They were on their own to deal with this. His eyes sought for direction as he turned to face Suo. Suo nodded, instantly understanding. Their seniors needed to be gotten.

Nirei reached for his phone, trembling, penning a furious message with his thumbs. After sending the message, they both held their breath to await a reply. It arrived almost instantly: three dots that briefly appeared before vanishing. With their eyes fixed on Nirei's phone screen, the class observed. At last, the notification appeared, saying, "We're on our way."

They waited for their seniors to come, and the minutes seemed to drag on forever. With a mixture of fear and determination on their faces, Suo and Kiryu pulled Sakura upright. Upon the classroom doors opening, Umemiya, Tsubaki, and Hiragi entered with expressions of concern that mirrored the first-year students' faces.

Glancing from the blood pool on the floor to Sakura's unconscious figure, they quickly took in the scene. "What happened?" With a sharp voice that broke the tension, Umemiya shouted. "It's his ankle," Nirei said, his voice quivering a little bit. "He mentioned that the Achilles tendon is involved. We're not sure how serious it is because he...he didn't let us look."

The remarks made Umemiyas's face become pale. As he searched the floor, he saw that Sakura's sneaker had a small puddle of blood surrounding it. He took command immediately, his composed exterior showing a little grimace. His voice was stern yet urgent as he asked, "Where's the first aid kit?"

Tsubaki was the first to answer, indicating that the emergency supplies were kept in the back of the classroom. "It's there," they stated, maintaining a steady tone despite the worried expression on their faces.

Umemiyas's gaze was focused, and he quickly appeared, efficiently searching through the box like a medical professional in an emergency department. His hands worked quickly and precisely, removing bandages and cleaning solutions.

Sakura was being gently dropped to the floor by Suo and Kiryu, who then placed him against the chilly tiles. Sakura opened his eyes and felt the thousand needles piercing his eyesight from the bright lights of the classroom. He blinked to get the blur to go away. The worried looks from his pals were the first thing he noticed. Taking a deep breath, he felt a sense of relief that none of them had mentioned going to the hospital. He didn't want to be examined and poked by doctors, his appearance called into doubt by their critical gaze.

Nirei said hesitantly, "Sakura," as he looked for any indications of discomfort in Sakura. "How are you feeling?"

Sakura's gaze locked with Nirei's, a glimmer of humor piercing through the blur of his suffering. "Don't worry," he whispered to no one in particular. "I've had worse." Nonetheless, the paleness of his complexion and the shine of perspiration on his forehead conveyed a different image.

With worried expressions on their faces, the seniors and classmates huddled around him.Suo knelt beside him and used a hand of gauze from the first aid box to gently push on the wound. "You're bleeding a lot," he remarked, his voice tense with worry. "We need to get this under control."

After taking a fresh towel out of his backpack, Kiryu gave it to Tsubaki, who wrapped it around Sakura's ankle with caution so as not to hurt him. They worked in silence, moving quickly and in unison. Nirei stayed close by, his gaze darting between Sakura's face and the wound, hoping that he would not lose consciousness. Tension permeated the room, as if every moment may last forever.

Sakura then gave a sigh of exasperation and reached into his bag to get a little, plain-looking case. Confused, the class watched as he turned it open to show a sewing kit. A few of them winced at the sight of the needles and thread, but Sakura didn't seem to be bothered. He pulled out a needle and thread, starting to thread the needle with careful, delicate movements. "What are you doing?" Nirei's tone was a mixture of terror and shock.

Sakura brushed off the question and leaned over his wound, the needle glistening in the slight illumination. Inhaling deeply, he stabbed the needle into his own skin without thinking twice. Sakura remained unfazed even though the class gasped simultaneously. Under a mask of concentration, he started sewing his tendon back together. It was an odd sight, a scene from a horror film. However, there was something almost captivating about the way he operated, with the needle seemingly fusing with his skin like cloth.

With his thoughts full of questions, Nirei was unable to take his eyes off them. How could someone do this to themselves? What type of past could have equipped Sakura with this level of pain tolerance?

Suo struggled to resist reaching out to stop him as his hand grew tighter around the improvised bandage. Kiryu had disappeared into a distressed grimace in place of his soft grin. Tsubaki appeared uneasy as well, exhibiting a lack of their normal assurance.

"Sakura, are you sure you should be doing that?" After a while, Umemiya managed to inquire, his voice faltering. With a questioning expression in his gaze, Sakura raised his head and raised the needle. "What?"

The entire class was motionless, staring at the gory scene in front of them. Anzai was the one who spoke up at last, his shocked eyes wide. "You're...sewing your own tendon!"

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed in total bewilderment. "What, you think I'm going to let it go unfixed?" He talked as though he had never heard of getting medical care from a professional before. The class watched in horror as their captain stitched his own flesh, their eyes fixed on the gory scene.

Most people would have fled the scene in horror, but here they were, taking in a scene that went against every accepted human behaviour norm.

Sakura tied off the final knot with a satisfied grimace after what seemed like an age. He took a seat back, breathing heavily, and looked at his creation. The blood that stained the fabric around the stitches was an unsettling contrast to how tidy and evenly spaced they were.

Nirei's stomach turned, but he had to concede Sakura's terrible mission was done expertly. Sakura responded, a little defensive in his voice, "Look," stretching out his leg. "It's done."

As the class leaned in to see the perfectly sewn flesh, their astonishment turned to murmurs of amazement. Although it was a horrifying sight, the stitches were flawless and appeared to have been made by a professional.

Sakura's stubbornness garnered a begrudging admiration from Suo. This was a scenario he had never seen anyone tackle before. "Sakura, are you sure you're okay?" Tsubaki spoke softly, and concern could be seen in their eyes.

Sakura sighed and lowered his hand to his side. He complained, "I said it's fine," but his voice had a little tremor that suggested he was tired.

Nirei moved forward, his hand just above the bloody bandage. “Sakura, though, you really should have this checked out. How about if...?”

Sakura waved his hand to interrupt. "Nirei, it's all right. This is nothing new for me." There was a touch of finality in his voice, making it strong and unforgiving. The students looked at each other worriedly, but they remained silent because of Sakura's tone.

Suo took a deep breath, his head buzzing with unanswered thoughts. How many times did Sakura have to do this? How on earth could he have learned to sew his own skin so well?

With a worried and horrified gaze, Hiragi took his medication and moved forward. "We can't overlook this, Sakura. You need medical assistance."

Sakura clenched his jaw at the suggestion, and his gaze furrowed. He yelled, "I said I've got it," his customary composure giving way to annoyance. The weight of his remarks hung in the air, creating tension in the room.

Nirei spoke tentatively, his eyes beseeching, "But, Sakura..." Sakura let out a sigh and clattered the blood-stained needle into the first aid kit. He assured them, "I'll be fine," but there was a hint of fatigue in his voice. "But if it gets worse, I'll let you know."

Although there was still concern in their eyes, the class as a whole exhaled with relief. Suo peered closely at Sakura, noting the tiny paleness that had seeped into his cheeks even though he insisted he was okay.

"Sakura, make a promise to us," he firmly said. "If you feel any pain, you'll come to us, right?" Sakura flinched at the motion of rolling his eyes. "I said I'd tell you, didn't I?" He sounded tired and irritated at the same time. "But I'm fine."

He attempted to stand but staggered on his good leg. Rushing to his side, Nirei gently caught him. He said, "You can't walk on that." with firmness. "Let us help you."

Sakura lowered his shoulders in defeat. They wouldn't give up, he knew. "All right," he said. "But I'm not going to the hospital."

"Just make a promise to us," Nirei urged, his voice trembling a little. "If it gets bad, you'll tell us." With a heavy heart, Sakura hovered his hand over the stitches.

His eyes finally locked with Nirei's. "I promise," he finally murmured. "If it gets worse, I'll... I'll let you know."

Chapter Text

Sakura woke with the dawn, the early light filtering through the blinds of his small apartment. He stretched out his arms, popping the tension of another restless night. He swung his legs out of his futon, the cold floorboards a shock to his bare feet, as he shuffled to the window. The town of Makochi was slowly coming to life outside, the distant sounds of motorbikes and the occasional shout piercing the morning calm. He took a deep breath and sighed, his chest rattling slightly.

He pulled on his worn-in sneakers and tied the laces with a jerk, the echo of his movements bouncing off the empty walls. Grabbing his school bag, he slung it over his shoulder and stepped out into the brisk morning air. The scent of frying tempura and brewing coffee wafted from the street stalls, mingling with the faint aroma of blooming cherry blossoms.

Makochi's streets were still relatively empty, the town not yet fully stirred from its slumber. As he strolled along the sidewalks, the rhythmic clack of his shoes against the concrete punctuated the quietude. The sun had barely crested the horizon, casting long shadows and painting the world in stark shades of light and dark.

As Sakura approached the corner of an alley, the serenity of the morning was shattered by the unmistakable sounds of a scuffle. He quickened his pace, peering into the shadowy recesses. There, a group of older teenagers surrounded a terrified middle schooler, their laughter echoing off the alley walls. The young boy's school bag layed discarded, its contents scattered on the ground. One of the bullies, a tall, burly figure, was taunting him, a smug grin plastered across his face.

Without a moment's hesitation, Sakura stepped in. "Hey, leave him alone!" he barked, his voice carrying an authority that made the bullies pause. They turned to face him, sizing him up. The tall one sneered, "Mind your own business, freak." But Sakura was unfazed.

The fight was quick and brutal. His fists flew with a precision and power that belied his usual apathetic demeanor. The bullies didn't stand a chance. Within moments, they were sprawled on the ground, nursing bruises and cuts. The middle schooler, wide-eyed, watched the spectacle in awe. As the last bully stumbled away, Sakura bent down to help the boy collect his scattered belongings. "Thanks," the kid stuttered, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

Sakura grunted a response, stuffing the last textbook into the bag. "Don't mention it," he said gruffly, his voice strained. The middle schooler took off like a shot, disappearing down the alley. Sakura straightened up and wiped the blood from his split knuckles onto his school uniform. He coughed once, twice, and a few drops of blood marred the pavement. He had felt a twinge of pain, something rare for him. But he brushed it off as a fluke, a consequence of the fight.

Suo and Nirei emerged from the alley's mouth, their footsteps alert and brisk. They approached Sakura, their eyes taking in the scene with a mix of concern and relief. Nirei looked at Sakura's bruised knuckles and opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by a look from Suo. Suo, ever the calm one, broke the silence. "Sakura-san," he began, his voice a gentle reprimand, "you know better than to get into fights so early in the morning."

Sakura shrugged, nonchalance his usual armor. "It's not like I started it," he mumbled, turning away from their gaze.

Suo's smile remained, but his eyes grew serious. "Nevertheless, we must be mindful of our responsibilities."

"You're right," Nirei chimed in, his voice a little shakier than usual. "We have a captain's meeting to get to."

Sakura nodded curtly, pushing down the unease that bubbled in his stomach. Meetings were never simple affairs, but he had little choice but to follow. His curiosity about the new day's agenda piqued his interest. They made their way through the streets, the sounds of the town growing louder as they approached the school gates.

Once they arrived the hallways were a blur of faces. The door to the meeting room was open, and the low murmur of voices grew louder as they approached.

But as they entered, Sakura felt a sudden, unease at his side. He clutched at his ribs, the unfamiliar sensation momentarily overwhelming. Nirei and Suo noticed his discomfort and exchanged concerned glances, but Sakura waved them off.

"Just...just clearing my throat," he managed to say, his voice gruff. He excused himself and strode into the bathroom, the door swinging shut behind him with a bang that seemed to echo through the empty corridor.

Leaning heavily against the sink, Sakura coughed again, this time more violently. His hand came away wet with blood. He stared at it, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. This wasn't right. Pain was something he rarely felt, and blood? That was even more unusual. He spit into the sink, watching the red tinge the water, his heart racing in his chest.

The bathroom door slammed open, and Kaji stormed in, his headphones around his neck, a lollipop stick poking out of his mouth. "What's taking you so long?" he demanded, his words trailing off as he caught sight of Sakura's hand. Kaji's eyes widened, and the lollipop clattered to the floor, forgotten. "What happened?" he breathed, his voice a mix of shock and concern.

Sakura's eyes darted from his hand to Kaji, his heart racing. He had hoped to keep this from his comrades, to handle it alone, but now there was no hiding it. "It's nothing," he said, trying to keep his voice steady, but the tremor gave him away. Kaji's grip on his wrist tightened.

"Don't lie to me," Kaji said firmly, his usually calm demeanor replaced by urgency. He grabbed a few paper towels and wrapped them around Sakura's hand, effectively hiding the evidence. "You're coming with me," he declared, pulling Sakura out of the bathroom and down the hall.

The rush of panic was palpable in Sakura's chest as they approached the meeting room. He stumbled, his legs feeling like they might give out beneath him. "Kaji, wait," he pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper. But Kaji was relentless, his grip unyielding.

As they burst into the room, the conversation ground to a halt. All eyes turned to them, the air thick with tension. Suo and Nirei jumped to their feet, alarm etched on their faces as they saw Sakura's bloodstained hand. The room fell silent, all other matters forgotten in the wake of this new, unspoken crisis.

"What happened?" Nirei squeaked, his calm demeanor crumbling like a sandcastle in a storm.

Sakura felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment, a rare emotion for the stoic fighter. "It's just... a little cough," he managed, his voice strained. But the lie was a poor one, and it was clear to everyone in the room that something was gravely amiss.

"Let's not have our first meeting of the week start with a trip to the infirmary," Umemiya said, his smile forced. His hand was warm on Sakura's forehead, and Sakura felt the weight of his concern. "You're not running a fever, but you should get that checked out."

Sakura's face grew hot with embarrassment as he stepped back, swatting at Umemiya's hand. "It's fine," he protested, his voice strained. "It's just a cough."

But the room was ablaze with the fire of their concern. Hands reached out to him, voices asking if he was okay, if he needed anything. The pressure grew too much, the room spinning around him. He stumbled, and suddenly the world was a blur of faces and voices.

"Take it easy, Sakura," Tsubaki's voice cut through the cacophony, firm but gentle. They had seen his kindness, his fierce protection of the weak, and now they were repaying him with their care. It was suffocating.

"Fine," he grunted, resigning to the barrage of questions. "But I'm fine, really."

But his words were met with a chorus of protests. "You can't be fine," Nirei said, his eyes wide with concern. "You're coughing up blood!"

"I said I'm fine," Sakura snapped, the room falling into an awkward silence.

Kaji's eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer. "You're not fine," he said firmly. "You're coughing up blood. That's not just a cough."

Sakura sighed, his usual bravado slipping away like shadows in the noonday sun. He knew they were right; he couldn't ignore this anymore. "Fine," he conceded, "I'll get checked out."

The room collectively breathed a sigh of relief, their expressions shifting from concern to determination. Tsubaki took charge, delegating tasks swiftly. "Nirei, go inform the school nurse and have her prepare for a blood test. Suo, accompany Sakura to the infirmary. Kaji, let's get the meeting started."

Umemiya stepped forward, his gaze gentle but insistent. "Let me do it," he said, holding up a small medical kit. "I have experience from the orphanage."

Sakura's eyes narrowed, and he took a step back. "I've got it," he said, his voice low and tight. The room fell silent, the tension palpable.

Umemiya held out the medical kit, his gaze unwavering. "You're not in any condition to do this yourself," he insisted.

But Sakura was already shaking his head, his jaw set. "I said I've got it," he repeated, his voice like steel. He reached into the kit, as he pulled out a needle and a small vial. The others watched, a mix of amazement and horror playing across their faces.

Sakura uncapped the needle and swiped the crook of his elbow with an alcohol pad. His breath hitched as he inserted the needle, hissing through clenched teeth as he filled the vial.

Umemiya watched, his concern deepening. "You've done this before," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sakura nodded, his grip tight on the needle. "Too many times," he admitted, his eyes never leaving the vial filling with his blood.

Umemiya took the filled vial from him with a gentle nod, his expression a careful mix of admiration and worry. "I'll handle this," he said, before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

The wait was agonizing. Sakura felt the weight of his classmates' stares, their concern pressing down on him like a heavy blanket. He tried to focus on the task at hand, but his mind kept drifting back to confusion.

Finally, Umemiya returned, his eyes serious as he approached Sakura. "It's pneumonia," he announced, holding up the vial of blood. The room gasped collectively. "But it's not as bad as it sounds. With some antibiotics, you'll be back to normal in no time."

Sakura felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. Pneumonia? He had never been this sick before. "So, I just take some medicine and it'll go away?" he asked, his voice strained.

Umemiya nodded, his expression a mix of relief and concern. "Yes, but you need to take it easy. No fighting, no strenuous activity for at least a week."

Suo stepped forward, his eyes never leaving Sakura's face. "I'll make sure of it," he said firmly. Nirei, still visibly shaken, nodded in agreement. "We'll all watch out for you," he added, his voice a little shakier than he'd liked.

Sakura gave a weak smile, the kind that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm not a kid," he said, but the words lacked conviction. "I can take care of myself."

Nirei looked at him, his own eyes still wide with shock. "But you're not okay," he said, his voice a little shaky. "You're coughing up blood!"

Suo stepped in, placing a reassuring hand on Nirei's shoulder. "Sakura's tough," he said, his tone soothing. "He'll be fine. We just need to make sure he takes it easy for a bit." His smile was warm, his usual calmness a balm to Nirei's nerves.

Nirei nodded, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He watched as Sakura took the antibiotics from Umemiya with a murmured thanks. His face a mask of stoicism once again. "We're all here for you," Nirei said, his voice still a little wobbly.

Suo gave Nirei a comforting squeeze, his own expression one of relief. "It's just a setback," he murmured, his voice low. "He'll be back to his usual self in no time."

Nirei took a deep breath, his eyes still glued to Sakura. The fear from before had not entirely disappeared, but Suo's reassurance helped to ease the knot in his stomach. He nodded slowly, trying to force a smile onto his face. "Yeah," he said, his voice still a little shaky. "We're all here to help."

Tsubaki burst into the room, their eyes wide with worry. "Are you okay?" they asked, rushing over to Sakura.

Sakura looked up, his expression tight. "I'll live," he said, swallowing the antibiotics with a grimace, the taste was horrible. "It's just pneumonia."

Tsubaki let out a heavy sigh before grabbing Sakura by the shoulders and shaking him while yelling. “That’s still not ok, do you know how worried I was.”

Finally letting go of Sakura, Tsubaki said, “If you start feeling anything, and I mean anything worse tell me! Please”

After coming back to his senses from being shaken Sakura nodded. But for some reason not everyone believed he would do as he promised.

Chapter Text

The warm, misty air filled the small room, and Sakura sat cross-legged on the floor, his eyes closed, trying to piece together the events that led him here. The sound of water trickling from the faucet into the wooden tub was soothing, almost meditative.

Thinking back to this morning he remembered the barrage of loud, insistent knocks that echoed throughout the corridor of his apartment. He had just finished his morning routine and was about to leave to walk around the streets of Makochi. The unexpected visit was a surprise, he didn’t think he was going out with his friends today.

The door swung open and there stood Kaji, who had made it a habit of making unannounced visits. Kaji didn’t bother waiting for an invitation; he stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room lazily as if he owned the place. Sakura couldn’t help but feel a mix of annoyance and relief seeing him, it was always tough to read the other boy’s intentions.

Before Sakura could even get a word in, he was grabbed firmly by the wrist and started to be pulled out of the room. He stumbled, his eyes widened with shock. “What’s going on, Kaji?” he managed to ask, his voice strained as he tried to dig his feet into the tatami mats.

Kaji didn’t say a word, his headphones blasting music so loud that Sakura could faintly hear the bass thumping through the walls of the apartment. His grip was like iron, unyielding as he dragged Sakura through the door and into the hallway. The sound of their footsteps echoed down the corridor, Sakura’s sneakers squeaking against the cold tiles as he was half-walked, half-dragged along.

They emerged into the bright sunlight, Sakura squinted, trying to adjust his eyes to the sudden change, and that’s when he saw it—a quaint, traditional onsen nestled between the modern buildings of Makochi. His confusion grew as he noticed familiar faces already waiting outside: Kiriyu, Tsugeura, Suo, Nirei, Hiiragi, Umemiya and even Togame.

Nirei, noticing Sakura’s bewilderment, rushed over to him, a slightly flustered smile on his face. “Sakura! You’re here! This is the place. An elderly couple runs it, and they’re big fans of what Bofurin has done for the town. They’ve invited us for free!”

Sakura's eyes darted around the group, trying to read their expressions. Suo nodded in confirmation, his usual calm demeanor unshaken by the sudden turn of events. “It’s true. They were quite insistent that we come and enjoy their onsen as a token of appreciation. Plus, it’s a good opportunity for all of us to unwind and get to know each other better, right?” His smile was gentle, almost soothing, as he patted Sakura on the shoulder.

The mention of Togame’s presence, however, made Sakura’s eyebrows furrow in suspicion. “And why is he here?” Sakura’s voice was sharper than he intended, but the question hung in the air like a challenge.

Togame looked up from his relaxed slouch against the wall, his eyes meeting Sakura’s with a mild curiosity. “I come here often, Sakura. It’s quite peaceful, you know? Nothing like a good soak to clear the mind. And it just so happens I bumped into your little gathering on my way in.” His tone was casual, but there was a hint of amusement playing at the corner of his mouth.

Umemiya’s laughter filled the air as he clapped his hands together. “Alright, enough chit-chat, let’s get changed and hit the onsen! I’ll show you the way.” He turned and began to lead the way to the changing room, his footsteps echoing in the serene quietness of the traditional wooden hallway. The rest of the group followed closely behind, their voices muffled by the thick fabric of the yukatas they had been handed.

Once inside, Umemiya called out, “I’ve got to help the owners with something in the kitchen, so you guys go ahead. Hiiragi, keep an eye on everyone, okay?” He tossed a look over his shoulder, a twinkle in his eye, before disappearing through a sliding door.

Hiiragi nodded solemnly, his usual stressed expression replaced by one of responsibility. He took a deep breath and popped a pill from the small bottle in his pocket, washing it down with a gulp of water. The group watched him for a moment before awkwardly dispersing to find their own locker spaces.

Sakura began to strip down, his muscles tensing as the fabric of his shirt slid over his shoulders. The moment it fell to the floor, a sharp intake of breath from Kiryu caught his attention. He turned to see his classmate's eyes widen in shock, his gaze fixated on scared back. The room felt suddenly hot, the air thick with tension.

The silence was long until Sakura finally found the courage to speak, his voice barely above a whisper, "What's wrong?" His thoughts raced faster than a bullet train, his mind conjuring images of his friends' reactions to his altered state. He had hoped that they had already gone over the scars on his back; and he had thought that they were all comfortable with him changing around them. Has he been mistaken? Was he wrong to assume? Should he have asked first?

Suo's eyes darted from Sakura to Kiryu, a knowing smile playing on his lips. He stepped closer, placing a reassuring hand on Sakura's shoulder. "It's not what you think," he said, his tone calm and soothing, "Kiyru's just surprised by the bruise on your back."

Sakura's breath hitched, his eyes widening as he looked over his shoulder in the mirror, trying to catch a glimpse of what they were talking about. "Bruise?" he echoed, genuinely confused. "Where?"

Suo's smile faltered, his hand dropping from Sakura's shoulder. He stepped closer, peering over Sakura's shoulder into the mirror. "Here," he pointed gently, his finger hovering just above the fresh, purple bruise that spanned the width of Sakura's back. "Doesn't it hurt?"

Sakura's eyes searched the reflection, finding the discoloration that stood out starkly against his pale skin. He reached back, his fingertips brushing the tender flesh. There was no pain, only a faint tingling sensation. He shook his head slowly. "I don't feel it."

Nirei face grew with concern as he stared at the bruise. "Sakura, are you okay?" he asked, his voice tinged with panic. "That looks terrible!" He took a step closer, his hand reaching out as if to inspect it, but stopping just short of touching.

Kaji, having removed his headphones, turned to face the trio. His expression was a mix of curiosity and annoyance at being dragged away from his music. "What's going on?" he demanded. His gaze followed Nirei's hand to Sakura's back, and his eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of the bruise. After seeing the bruise kaji demanded an answer from Sakura.

Sakura shrugged, trying to play it off. "It's probably from when I got hit by a bat the other day," he said, his tone casual, as if it was an everyday occurrence. The words barely left his lips before the entire changing room erupted into a collective gasp of "A BAT!?!?" Even Togame looked surprised, raising an eyebrow as he leaned against the wall, a towel slung over his shoulder.

The echo of their exclamations bounced off the wooden walls, and for a moment, the room was filled with nothing but the sound of their disbelief. Hiiragi, who had been popping another pill to ease his stomach, paused, his eyes wide with concern as he looked at Sakura in the mirror. The pill hovered in his hand, forgotten. "You got hit by a bat and you're not even flinching?" he exclaimed, his voice rising over the clamor.

Sakura turned to face the group, a hint of defiance in his eyes. "am I supposed to flinch?" he retorted nonchalantly. But the genuine shock on their faces was unmistakable, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of doubt. Was this really something to be concerned about?

"Higari," Sakura said, turning his gaze to the second-year captain, "you're one to talk. You also got hit with a metal baseball bat on the first day we met, and here you are, and you didn’t even acknowledge it." The room fell silent once again, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. The echo of their earlier exclamation about the bat was still resonating in their minds, and now, they had to process this new piece of information.

the entire changing room erupted into a collective yell “YOU WERE HIT WITH A METAL BASEBALL BAT!?!?”

“Sakura are you sure your ok? An injury like that can be really serious?” Togame questioned trying not to panic about what Sakura had just said. Tsugeura jumped in asking if he was sure he felt no pain, because he can run and get some painkillers for him if he’d like.

Sakura's chest tightened as he faced the sudden onslaught of questions and concern. He raised his hands in a placating gesture, his voice steady, "It's not a big deal, guys," he assured them, trying to downplay the severity of the incident. "It's just a bruise. It'll heal."

But the room remained tense. But Kaji was having none of it. "Look, I’ll let you off this one time but you better tell us from now on if you get injured. Alright." Sakura nodded Eager for the conversation to finally come to an end.

After everyone had finished changing and the initial shock had worn off, the group made their way to the onsen. And that is how Sakura found himself in the present.

Nirei, with a gentle expression, asked if he could treat Sakura's bruises once they were out of the onsen. The question brought Sakura back to the present, and he nodded, not knowing what else to say. He felt a mix of embarrassment and relief at the offer. "Sure," he murmured, "thanks, Nirei."

As the group stepped out into the cool air, the steam from the onsen wrapping around them like a warm embrace, the sound of water splashing and laughter grew distant. Sakura found a quiet spot to sit, the cool stone beneath him feeling surprisingly refreshing against his overheated skin. Nirei approached him with a small tub of ointment and a towel, his eyes filled with determination to help.

Gently, Nirei began to clean the bruise on Sakura's back, his touch surprisingly soft for someone who was often so clumsy. Sakura flinched slightly at the cold sensation, but Nirei was careful not to press too hard. "You really don't have to do this," Sakura protested weakly, his voice a little hoarse from the heat of the onsen.

"Don't worry, Sakura-kun," Nirei said with a small smile, his eyes focused on his task. "We're all here to support each other, remember?"

Just as Nirei finished applying the last bit of ointment and began to wrap the bandage around Sakura's back, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the steam. The sliding door to the onsen area opened, and in walked Umemiya, a look of mild concern etched on his face as he spotted the intimate scene. "Sakura, are you alright?" he called out, his voice a gentle rumble that cut through the mist.

Sakura turned to face him, his cheeks flushed from the heat and the sudden attention. He gave a firm nod. "I'm fine, really," he assured, his voice steady despite the worry he saw reflected in their eyes. "Just got banged up a bit, no big deal." Had he really been that badly injured, so much so that everyone was worrying for him?

Umemiya's footsteps grew closer, and Sakura could feel the warmth of his presence. He sat down next to Sakura, his gaze searching the younger boy's eyes. "Look, Sakura," he began, his tone earnest, "Hiiragi filled me in. You can't keep this kind of stuff from us."

Sakura felt the weight of his captain's words and nodded, his eyes dropping to the floor. "I know," he murmured, "it's just... I don't want to bother anyone."

Umemiya reached out and placed a firm hand on Sakura's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You're not a bother, Sakura. We're a team, and we're here for each other. If you get hurt, it's our job to make sure you're okay." His words were sincere, and Sakura could feel the warmth in them. He nodded again, this time with more conviction. "I'll try," he said, looking up to meet Umemiya's gaze.

The rest of the evening passed without incident, the group enjoying a simple dinner together before heading back to their dorms. As Sakura walked back to his room, the soft glow of the moonlit night guiding his path, he couldn't help but think about the events of the day. Despite the initial shock and concern over his bruise, he realized that he had indeed enjoyed his time with his friends. The onsen had been relaxing, and the quiet conversation had allowed him to feel a sense of belonging he hadn't experienced in a long time.

Chapter Text

Sakura should’ve known today wasn’t going to be peaceful because when has his life ever been? Especially considering what happened last week. His classmates have taken it upon themselves to care for him in groups, ensuring he was never left alone; in fear that if they left him alone for even a second he might come back to them even more harmed than before.

As he opened the door to his apartment, the warmth of the outside world hit his face with a gentle slap. He saw the familiar smiles of Kiryu and Tsugeura standing outside, both dressed in their usual school attire. Kiryu with his ever present calm smile and Tsugeura with his fiery hair and intense gaze. They had been waiting for him, probably for a good while as he had a habit of taking his sweet time.

"Ready to go?" Tsugeura called out, his voice echoing through the narrow hallway.

Sakura nodded, still feeling the weight of the sleepiness on his shoulders. "Yeah, let's go."

As they strolled down the sidewalk, the early afternoon sun peeked through the leaves of the trees that lined the street, casting a warm, dappled light on the trio. The scent of freshly baked bread wafted from a nearby bakery, mingling with the distant chatter of students heading home from school. Kiryu spoke up, his voice a soothing balm against the tension of the day. "You're looking a bit tired, Sakura. Did you sleep well?"

Sakura rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his gaze drifting to the sidewalk ahead. "Not really. I had some weird dreams again." He didn't elaborate, not wanting to delve into the recurring nightmares that plagued him. Tsugeura's eyes narrowed slightly, sensing his friend's discomfort, but he didn't push the subject. Instead, he changed the topic to something lighter. "Well, how about we get some omurice? That should cheer you up."

The trio made their way to a quaint little cafe that Sakura frequented often. As they entered, the bell above the door chimed, alerting the owner of their presence. The warm, welcoming scent of home-cooking filled the air, and the comforting hum of the kitchen washed over them. Sakura's stomach rumbled at the prospect of his favorite dish, omurice. It was his go-to comfort food, something that never failed to lift his spirits.

Granny Sato looked up from her spot behind the counter, her eyes lighting up when she saw the three young men. "Ah, Sakura-kun! And you've brought your friends again!" she exclaimed with a toothless smile. Her warmth was palpable, and she always had a kind word for everyone who stepped through her doors.

Sakura blushed slightly, feeling the weight of his classmates' gazes on him. "Yeah, we're just getting some food before practice." He gestured to the small table they had claimed, where Kiryu and Tsugeura were already seated. The bell attached to the door jingled merrily as it closed, marking their entrance.

Granny Sato nodded, her smile never wavering. She had noticed the bruises and scrapes that sometimes adorned Sakura's body, but she never asked about them. Instead, she treated him with a motherly concern that was a stark contrast to the coldness of his own family, not that he would admit it. "I hope you all have a good day," she called out, her voice carrying the warmth of the sun that streamed in through the windows.

As they stepped out of the cafe, the peacefulness of their meal was shattered by the sudden sound of running footsteps and a woman's cry of surprise. A young thief, no older than they were, sprinted past them, clutching a purse tightly in his fist. Granny sato stumbled and fell to the ground, her eyes wide with shock and fear. Without a second thought, Sakura took off after the thief, his friends checking up on granny sato ensuring she was okay.

The thief's eyes were wide with panic, darting around the unfamiliar streets of Makochi. He had clearly not anticipated the swiftness of his pursuit, nor the fiery determination in Sakura's eyes. As he turned the corner, the thief's expression morphed from one of fear to one of desperation. He had led himself into a dead-end street, surrounded by tall, unyielding walls and no escape in sight. His breath came in ragged gasps as he backed against the wall, the purse slipping from his grasp.

Sakura approached slowly, his eyes never leaving the thief's face. He bent down and picked up the purse, feeling the weight of the situation in his hands. He didn't want to fight, didn't want to cause harm—he just wanted to return what was rightfully hers. His classmates' footsteps grew closer, their concerned voices echoing down the narrow alleyway.

Kiryu and Tsugeura rounded the corner, panting slightly from their run. They took in the scene before them: Sakura standing tall, the purse in hand, and the thief trapped with nowhere to go. Kiryu's gaze softened with understanding, while Tsugeura's eyes narrowed, his body tensed and ready for combat. The thief, seeing his escape blocked by the steadfast figures of Sakura's friends, desperately grabbed a metal pole from the nearby trash heap.

In a swift motion that seemed to defy the very fabric of the moment, Sakura ducked and weaved to the side, the pole whistling through the air where he had been a heartbeat before. It slammed into the ground with a deafening crack, sending a shower of dust and debris flying. However, the thief's panic had cost him his precision, and the pole glanced off Sakura's shoulder instead of striking true. A sharp gasp of pain escaped Sakura's lips, and his right arm hung limply at his side, his shoulder visibly dislocated from the impact.

Yet, seemingly oblivious to the searing agony that should have incapacitated any ordinary person, Sakura's eyes remained fixed on the thief. The world around him narrowed to a single, unwavering point of focus. He crouched slightly, his muscles coiled like a spring, and with a swift, practiced movement, he executed a leg sweep that would have made any martial artist proud. The thief's legs flew out from under him, and he crashed to the ground, the air knocked out of his lungs.

The metal pole clattered to the pavement as the thief's grip loosened in surprise. In an instant, Sakura was upon him, his good arm snaking around the thief's wrists, pinning them behind his back. He moved with a fluidity that belied his rough exterior, each motion calculated and precise. The thief's eyes went wide with shock and fear as he found himself at the mercy of the very person he had attempted to harm.

Kiryu and Tsugeura rushed forward, their expressions a mix of relief and horror. "Sakura, are you okay?" Kiryu gasped, reaching for his friend's injured shoulder. But Sakura shrugged off the concern with a wince that was from irritation not pain.

With a sudden, jolting movement, Sakura twisted his shoulder, and the bone slid back into place with a sickening pop that echoed through the alley. The thief's eyes bulged in terror, and even Kiryu and Tsugeura couldn't hide their expression.

"Sakura, that was..." Kiryu began, but trailed off, unable to find the words to describe the scene.

Sakura just nodded, his expression unreadable. "It's fine, really." He picked up the dropped purse, the leather still warm from the thief's desperate grasp. "Let's get this back to Granny Sato."

The thief, realizing his attacker was not only unfazed but also seemingly unaffected by the injury he had just inflicted, began to beg for mercy. "Please, let me go," he whimpered, his voice cracking. "I didn't mean it, I swear!" His eyes darted between Sakura's stoic face and the horrified looks on Kiryu and Tsugeura's.

Kiryu and Tsugeura exchanged a tense glance, their hearts pounding in their chests. Despite the situation, their primary concern was for Sakura. Kiryu stepped closer, placing a gentle but firm hand on Sakura's uninjured arm. "Sakura, let him go," he said urgently. "You're hurt, and we need to get you to a doctor."

Tsugeura nodded in agreement, his voice filled with genuine worry. "You're not okay," he insisted, reaching for the thief's wrists to take over the hold. "You can't just ignore this. We've got to get you help."

The thief's eyes darted back and forth between the three of them, his desperation growing with every second. "Please," he pleaded, his voice trembling. "I'll leave town, I'll never come back! Just don't tell anyone!"

Kiryu looked at Tsugeura, then at Sakura's unflinching expression. The thief's fear was palpable, but the concern for their friend was stronger. With a sigh, Kiryu nodded to Tsugeura, who reluctantly took over the hold. "Alright, we won't turn you in," Kiryu said firmly, his voice carrying the authority of someone who had seen his fair share of trouble. "But you have to promise never to do something like this again."

The thief's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really? You'll let me go?" His voice was a mix of fear and hope, his body visibly trembling.

Kiryu nodded solemnly. "But you must promise," he said, his calm voice carrying a hint of steel, "you will never commit such a cowardly act again. Understand?"

The thief nodded frantically, his eyes never leaving Sakura's unyielding gaze. "I swear, I'll leave Makochi and never come back. Just don't tell anyone, please!"

Kiryu and Tsugeura exchanged another look, their expressions a blend of confusion and concern. They had never seen Sakura act this way before, but his pain was clear, even if he didn't voice it. Kiryu took a deep breath and addressed the thief, "Alright, we'll let you go. But you better keep that promise. And if I ever see you causing trouble again, I won't be so lenient."

With that, they released him, and the thief took off down the alley like a cheetah, his sneakers squealing against the concrete as he rounded the corner. The three of them watched him disappear into the crowded street before turning back to each other. Kiryu's hand hovered over his phone, thumbs poised to text Nirei and Suo about the incident. He wasn't quite sure what to say—how could he explain what just happened.

In the end, he settled on a simple message: "Sakura's hurt. Meet us at pathos." It wasn't a lie, and it conveyed the urgency of the situation without giving away too much. Tsugeura nodded in agreement as he sent the message.

Granny Sato looked up with teary eyes when Sakura gently placed her purse on the counter. "Oh, my dear," she murmured, patting the purse as if it were a living creature that had returned from a perilous journey. "Thank you so much!"

The bell above the café door jingled as Nirei and Suo rushed in, their expressions a mix of concern and curiosity. They saw Sakura sitting calmly at the counter, devouring his omurice. "What happened?" Nirei demanded, looking from Sakura to the worried faces of Kiryu and Tsugeura.

Sakura took a bite, chewed, and swallowed before replying nonchalantly, "Just a little run-in with a thief. He's gone now."

Nirei's eyes widened in shock. "A thief?!" His mind raced, thinking of all the ways Sakura could have been hurt. Suo remained stoic, but the tension in his shoulders spoke volumes.

Tsugeura took a deep breath and began recounting the events. "We saw the guy steal Granny Sato's purse. Sakura went after him, and we tried to follow, but he was too fast. When we caught up, the thief had Sakura in a lock, but he was fine, just..." His voice trailed off, and he gestured to Sakura's shoulder, which was now slightly swollen and tinged with red.

Nirei's gaze darted from the injury to Sakura's serene face, then back to Tsugeura. "But he's okay?" he asked tentatively, trying to keep the worry from his voice. He knew Sakura wasn't one to admit weakness easily, especially when it came to physical pain.

Tsugeura nodded solemnly. "Yeah, but we should get that shoulder checked out. It doesn't look good."

Nirei cautiously approached Sakura, his eyes locked on the injury. "Is it painful?" he asked, his voice gentle. Sakura shrugged, his mouth full of food. Nirei sighed inwardly. It was no use asking; Sakura never admitted when he was in pain.

Suo, ever the composed one, stepped in. "You need to be more careful, Sakura," he said, his tone firm but not unkind. "We're here to support you, but we can't do that if you won't let us know when you're hurt."

Sakura nodded, his cheeks flushing slightly. He knew they were right, but the idea of being a burden was one he couldn't shake. He took another bite of his omurice, the flavors mixing with the bitter taste of guilt. "I'll keep that in mind," he mumbled, not meeting their eyes.

His friends let out a heavy sigh. Knowing in their gut that this wouldn’t be the last time something like this would happen. And somewhat preparing themselves for what is to come.

Chapter Text

No one could’ve guessed just how soon Sakura would get injured. And surely none of them expected how severe his wound would be this time.

Don't worry, Nirei," Suo spoke calmly, placing a firm hand on Nirei's shoulder, "Sakura-san is probably just running a bit late." Nirei couldn't help but fidget in his seat, his eyes glued to the empty space at the front of the classroom. The room buzzed with the typical pre-class chatter, students whispering about their weekends and homework, but Nirei's mind was elsewhere.

Kiryu, sitting next to him, offered a gentle smile. "He probably just overslept. There's no need to worry." His voice was as soothing as a gentle breeze, but Nirei couldn't shake the feeling of dread that clung to him like a thick fog. Nirei knew that Sakura wasn't one to shy away from a challenge, but that was precisely what made him worry.

The sound of the sliding classroom door finally interrupted the symphony of whispers. The chatter ceased as all eyes turned to the entrance. There he was, the object of Nirei's concern: Sakura. The classroom took a collective sigh of relief, and Nirei felt the tension in his shoulders dissipated.

But the reprieve was short-lived.

Yet something was odd, the way Sakura walked to his seat was just wrong. As Sakura made his way to his seat, his steps were unsteady, and staggered.

Suo's eyes narrowed, and he leaned in to whisper to Nirei, "Is that a limp?" Nirei's gaze followed Sakura, his heart racing as he nodded. "Yeah, it looks like it." The two vice-captains exchanged a concerned look.

Sakura finally reached his desk and slumped into his chair. He looked up, meeting their gazes, and offered a wry smile. "What's up, guys? Did I miss anything important?" His voice was steady, but the question hung in the air, laced with an underlying seriousness that didn't match his nonchalant tone.

"Sakura-san, are you okay?" Kiryu asked, his calm demeanor cracking slightly. "You're walking like you've been stabbed again."

Sakura chuckled weakly, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "You could say that," he replied, his voice carrying a hint of weariness. The classroom stilled, and the air grew thick with tension. Kiriyu's attempt at humor had inadvertently struck a nerve, and Nirei could see the genuine concern etched on everyone's faces.

"Show us," Suo urged, his own smile fading. His tone was firm, but there was a softness in his eyes that spoke of his deep concern for his friend. Sakura sighed heavily, his shoulders drooping in defeat. He knew they wouldn't let it go until they saw it for themselves. With a swift, fluid movement, he lifted his shirt, revealing a grisly sight.

The classroom collectively gasped as a cold silence washed over the room. There, nestled in his abdomen, was a knife, the blade shimmering maliciously in the harsh fluorescent lights. The blood had already coagulated around the wound, but the stark contrast of the metal against his pale skin was jarring. Nirei's hand shot to his mouth, his eyes wide with horror.

"Sakura-san, what happened?" Kiryu's voice quivered, his gentle nature overshadowed by the gravity of the situation. Suo's calm façade remained, but his eyes were sharp, assessing the injury with a medical precision that seemed almost eerie in the moment.

Sakura's smile remained forced, but his eyes searched the room, finding Nirei's horrified gaze. "It's a long story, but the short version is, I got in a bit of a fight last night." He paused, taking in the stunned expressions of his classmates. "But I'm fine. Really." His words were met with a cacophony of disbelief and panic.

Kiryu's calm was the first to shatter. "You've got to be kidding me!" He bolted from his seat, his gentle nature replaced with urgency as he approached Sakura. "You can't just walk around with a knife in your stomach!" His voice rose with each word, echoing the collective shock.

Suo, ever the strategic thinker, swiftly stepped in front of Sakura, shielding him from the pandemonium. "Everyone, calm down! We need to handle this situation appropriately." Despite his words, his eyes remained fixed on the grim sight, his mind racing with possible scenarios and outcomes.

Nirei, however, was already in action. He rushed to Sakura's side, his fear palpable as he reached out tentatively to touch the knife. "How...how can you be so calm?" he stuttered, his hand hovering just above the weapon.

Sakura's eyes met Nirei's, a flicker of sadness visible in Nirei’s eyes was shown when crossing them. "It's not the first time," Sakura said, his voice barely audible over the din. "But I didn't want to worry anyone. That's why I came to school."

The room was a blur of panic as classmates rushed to Sakura's side, shouting for someone to call an ambulance. Suo's voice cut through the chaos, his tone commanding and calm. "Everyone, step back! Give him some space!" His eyes never left Sakura's injury, his mind racing with potential solutions.

"It's not that bad, really," Sakura insisted, his smile strained. "I can take care of it." He tried to stand, but his legs wobbled, and he paled visibly. Nirei and Kiryu caught him, their grips firm yet gentle, holding him steady as he tensed, bracing himself for the impact of the floor. That in itself worried his classmates more than they can say. They wanted to know just what Sakura had gone through to feel no pain whatsoever, but right now is not the time. They need to stay focused.

The class looked at each other, a mix of doubt and fear in their eyes. Some of them still remember Sakura inserting a needle into himself, to get his blood drawn, not to mention the time he stitched himself up in front of them with no anesthesia and the sight wasn’t pretty nor something they could ever forget. "We can't just let him do this again," someone whispered, and a murmur of agreement swept through the room.

But Sakura was adamant, his voice firm despite his pallor. "I know what I'm doing," he insisted, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a first aid kit. "I've had worse." His eyes searched for support, and found it in the unwavering gazes of Nirei and Suo, who had seen him at his worst and still believed in his strength.

The classmates exchanged nervous glances, some whispering their concerns while others nodded in agreement. Finally, after a tense moment, Kaji, standing by the door, spoke up. "Fine," he said, his usual nonchalance tinged with a hint of worry. "But if you pass out or something goes wrong, we're taking you to the hospital, got it? And no, makeshift stitches!”

Sakura nodded solemnly, his face a mask of determination. He pulled out a lighter, and suddenly, the room grew eerily quiet. The clank of the knife being pulled out was the only sound that echoed through the classroom, and the sight of the blood had even Tsugeura wincing. Suo's shit eating grin was nowhere to be seen, sugashita was awake paying close attention, Anzai hiding behind him, Kiriyu and Nirei worrying close together, and even Kaji had to take a second and look away.

Sakura used a cloth to blot the blood, until it stopped. From then he poured a water bottle all over the injury, ensuring no debri fell in. Sakura then pulls out a lighter. And suddenly the class doesn’t have a good feeling about this and started to regret allowing Sakura to treat himself, instead of forcing him to go to the hospital

The flicker of the lighter's flame illuminated the tension in Sakura's eyes as he held it close to the wound. The class watched in horror as the skin around the knife's entry point began to sizzle and burn. Suo's grip tightened on the desk, his knuckles white with the effort of not stopping his friend. Nirei's hand trembled slightly as he held onto Sakura's shoulder, his heart pounding in his chest.

The smell of burning flesh filled the air, a smell so acrid that it stung the nostrils of those nearby. The room was so silent that the crackle of the flame was almost deafening. It seemed as though time had slowed down, each second stretching into eternity as they waited for the ordeal to end.

In reality, it was only 10 minutes that passed as Sakura carefully cauterized his stomach wound. Yet, the intensity of those moments was etched into the memories of those who bore witness, a stark reminder of the harsh realities that often accompanied the life of a fighter. The flame danced around the wound, sealing it shut with a sickening hiss.

As Sakura finally extinguished the lighter, everyone in the room took a collective breath, their eyes drawn to his face. His expression remained calm, almost serene, as if he were merely performing a mundane task. It was this very calmness that brought a profound sense of sadness to his friends. Nirei couldn't help but wonder how many times Sakura had been forced to endure such pain alone. The thought that he might have suffered through worse brought a lump to his throat.

Suo found himself unable to crack a smile. His gaze was a mix of admiration and concern as he studied Sakura's stoic features. Sugashita’s gentle eyes grew dark with anger, his fists clenched in frustration at the unfairness of it all. Kaji and Kiryu exchanged a solemn look, sharing a silent understanding of the pain Sakura had to bear to become so inured to it.

The sudden burst of the door swung everyone's attention away from the grisly scene. Panting heavily, Umemiya and Tsubaki rushed in, their expressions a blend of relief and urgency. "Sakura!" Umemiya called out, his eyes immediately scanning the room before finding the injured captain. "Are you alright?"

Sakura looked up, his gaze meeting Tsubaki's. The concern in the latter's eyes was palpable, and Sakura felt a strange mix of emotions—gratitude, embarrassment, and a hint of anger. "I'm fine," he grunted, trying to stand up. The room spun for a moment, and he had to grip the desk to steady himself. "It's just a flesh wound."

Tsubaki didn't buy it. Stepping closer, their hands on their hips. "Don't lie to me, Sakura. Tell me everything," they demanded, their voice firm yet filled with care. It was a command, but it didn't feel like one. It felt like a plea from a friend who genuinely cared about his well-being.

Sakura's eyes searched the room, finding Togame at the doorway, panting slightly from the rush. His green eyes were filled with a concern that seemed to mirror Tsubaki's.

"How did you know?" Sakura managed to ask, his voice a hoarse whisper.

Tsubaki sighed, rubbing the back of their neck. "It's a long story. Basically, Togame here heard some rumors from a suspicious character, and we couldn't ignore it. What happened, Sakura?"

Togame stepped forward, his calm demeanor replaced by one of urgency. "Yeah, some guy was rambling on about a fight with a kid with hair like yours. I figured it couldn't be a coincidence, so I went to look for you." He paused, glancing at Umemiya for confirmation before continuing. "I met up with Tsubaki and Umemiya, and we came to the school."

Sakura's eyes narrowed, his mind racing as he processed the information. "What did he look like?"

Togame described the man as average height, with a disheveled appearance and a crazed look in his eyes. It was clear he hadn't slept in days, and there was something eerily familiar about him that made Sakura's stomach churn. "It was definitely him," Togame said with certainty. "He was babbling about a fight with someone from our school with your hair."

Sakura's heart skipped a beat as he realized the gravity of the situation. This wasn't just some random altercation; it was connected to Bofurin and possibly the town's safety. He tried to stand again, but his legs wobbled, and he was met with the gentle but firm grip of Tsubaki and Umemiya, who both looked ready to catch him if he fell. Tsubaki began to fuss over him, checking his wound and insisting that he sit back down. "Let us handle this," Tsubaki said, their voice filled with a protective edge that was unusual for their typically playful demeanor.

Umemiya, the picture of calm in the face of chaos, knelt beside Sakura, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You need to rest," he said firmly, his eyes never leaving Sakura's. "We'll take care of everything." His grip tightened slightly, and Sakura felt a warmth spread through his body, a stark contrast to the cold fear that had settled in his stomach.

Tsubaki nodded in agreement, their gentle touch surprisingly soothing as they began to inspect his wound. "You're not going anywhere in this condition," they murmured, their eyes scanning over his injury with a professionalism that was oddly reassuring. "You're lucky it's not deeper. You really should get it checked out."

Umemiyas's smile was gentle as he handed Sakura a clean towel to press against his wound. "We've got your back," he assured, patting his shoulder. "But maybe next time, don't go throwing yourself into danger without backup?"

Sakura nodded; The room had fallen into a tense silence, only the occasional crackle of the radio and the soft rustling of fabric as Tsubaki and Umemiya moved around him filled the air. The door suddenly flew open, and in strode Higari. His eyes widened in surprise, taking in the scene.

"What on earth happened here?" he bellowed, his voice echoing off the walls. He took a moment to survey the room, his gaze lingering on Sakura's injury before landing on the worried expressions of his friends. letting out a deep sigh he says “ if I didn’t know any better I would’ve mistaken umemiya for the one injured instead of Sakura” he exclaimed with a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world. He took in Sakura's pale face and the bloodstained towel in his hand before his gaze landed on Tsubaki and Umemiya, who were hovering over him like overprotective parents.

Meanwhile in the corner of the classroom, sat all of Sakura’s classmates, planning out a thorough schedule of who would be with Sakura at each point of the day guaranteeing he was never by himself just in case you were getting injured again. But they really hoped that this would be the last time even though something deep down told him it definitely wasn’t going to be.

Chapter Text

"You okay, Nirei?" Suo's voice was smooth and reassuring, his hand resting gently on Nirei's shoulder. The latter nodded, his eyes never leaving the floor. They were in a quiet corner of the schoolyard, the last vestiges of the school bell echoing in the distance. The air was filled with the sound of students dispersing, eager to start their weekend.

"Yeah," Nirei murmured, fidgeting with his fingers. "It's just... after what happened to Sakura last week, I can't help but feel on edge."

Suo nodded solemnly, his calm eyes reflecting his own concern. "I know what you mean. It's been tough on him, but it seems like he's finally starting to recover from that stab wound. It was quite the ordeal." He paused for a moment, allowing the gravity of their conversation to sink in before lightly patting Nirei's shoulder. "But let's not dwell on it now. We don't want to keep Sakura waiting outside."

With a deep breath, Nirei looked up at Suo and managed a weak smile. "You're right. Let's go." They both began to walk briskly towards the school gates, the cobblestone path leading them to their meeting spot with Sakura. As they approached, Nirei couldn't help but feel a knot in his stomach loosen. It had indeed been a week since Sakura's last injury, a record in the string of unfortunate events that had plagued them since the start of the school year.

Sakura was leaning against a lamppost, his arms folded over his chest, and his trademark scowl etched on his face. Despite what some may call his intimidating stance, there was something comforting about his presence, a silent reassurance that everything would be okay. Well at least that's what it seemed like for Nirei.

"Sorry we're late, Sakura-kun," Suo called out as they approached, his usual smile in place. "We had to deal with some minor... issues."

"Don't worry about it," Sakura said, though his voice was a little tense. "What's the deal with these fights Umemiya’s been bringing up?"

Nirei cleared his throat, trying to shake off the awkwardness of their earlier conversation. "Well, it's just that there's been some small-scale trouble with a group of delinquents near the shopping district in Makochi. Nothing too serious, but Umemiya-senpai asked us to keep an eye on it."

Nirei gave a small, candid chuckle, brushing off his clumsiness as he added, “Umemiya asked one more thing.” Sakura raised an eyebrow, his curiosity evident. “What is it?” he asked, his tone sharp but intrigued.

Nirei’s cheerful tone softened slightly as he said, “Umemiya asked us to make sure you don’t get injured again.” Sakura scoffed, turning away quickly, but the faint blush creeping up his face betrayed his embarrassment at their concern.

They entered the bustling shopping district, the vibrant colors of the storefronts and the cacophony of chatter filling the air. The scent of the different street food wafted by, making Nirei’s stomach growl. “Maybe we should grab something to eat first?” he suggested, hoping to lighten the mood.

Suo nodded in agreement. “Sounds good to me. We need to keep our strength up for whatever trouble we might find.” His smile didn’t falter, but Nirei noticed the way his eyes scanned the area, always alert despite the casual atmosphere.

They turned down a narrow alley, the cobblestone path giving way to concrete as the smell of sizzling meat and sweet sauces grew stronger. It was a stark contrast to the quiet dignity of the schoolyard, but it was a place that felt more like home to Sakura. The alley was only ten feet away from Makochi’s boundary, yet it was a world apart from the orderly school environment. The three of them spotted a ramen shop not so far in the distance, the neon sign flickering in the twilight.

But before even being able to enter the shop a man, clutching a phone, collided with Sakura in a blur of motion, muttering a quick, “Sorry,” before disappearing around the corner. The phone tumbled to the ground, and Sakura instinctively bent to pick it up, calling out, “Hey! You dropped this!” as he jogged after the figure.

Before he could get far, a policewoman came sprinting from the same direction, her voice cutting through the air. “Stop right there!” she shouted, her eyes locking onto Sakura with the purse in hand.

Unaware that she meant him, Sakura kept moving for a moment, trying to return the purse before fully stopping thinking he could just turn the bag over to the police. But seeing that her command had been ignored—or so she thought— she reached for her taser.

The sharp crack of electricity filled the air, but Sakura remained unfazed, standing still and turning to face the officer with an incredulous expression. His friends, who had been watching the chaos unfold, stood frozen in disbelief, their shock now mixed with awkward amusement as they realized the taser had no effect on him.

The officer, startled by her taser’s failure, instinctively lunged to tackle Sakura. However, before she could make contact, Suo and Nirei stepped in, placing themselves between the two and forcing her to halt. Her gaze flickered with hesitation as she backed off, realizing the potential harm to nearby civilians and reassessing the situation.

"Ma'am, please, it's a misunderstanding!" Suo said calmly, his hands raised in a placating gesture. Suo and Nirei hastily explained the situation, emphasizing Sakura’s innocence and recounting how he had only tried to return the phone. As they spoke, a heavy thought lingered in their minds: Is this what Sakura must have faced before coming to Makochi? The realization made them sad. To think the world could be so cruel to him even when he was trying to do the right thing.

The policewoman's expression shifted from one of suspicion to surprise as she heard them out. She realized her mistake and immediately offered a sincere apology, her face flushing with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, I thought... I didn't know you weren't one of them."

The officer quickly grasped the situation and deeply apologized for tasing Sakura, her voice full of regret. Off to the side, Sakura stood awkwardly, unsure of how to respond—he had never been apologized to, even when he wasn’t at fault. After a moment, he mumbled, “It’s fine… I get where you’re coming from. It’s not your fault. I should’ve stopped running sooner.”

His words left everyone stunned. His friends and the officer exchanged surprised glances, knowing full well that Sakura had no reason to apologize, especially as the one who had been hurt. Suo and Nirei, understanding the deeper implications, felt a quiet sadness settle over them, their realization of Sakura’s experiences weighing heavily on their hearts.

The policewoman took the phone with trembling hands, her cheeks red with embarrassment. “Thank you so much for your help, and I’m sorry for the misunderstanding,” she said, her voice a mix of relief and mortification. She looked at Sakura with a mix of admiration and wariness, unable to fully grasp the extent of his kindness.

Suo and Nirei exchanged glances, the gravity of Sakura’s past becoming more apparent with each encounter. They knew he was tough, but seeing him remain calm even when mistakenly attacked was a stark reminder of the hardships he had endured. As they turned to leave, Sakura spoke up, “What do you want me to do with this?” He held up the barbed wire in his hand.

The policewoman’s expression shifted from apology to horror as she took in the sight. She had missed it in the chaos. “Oh my god, let me help you with that!” she exclaimed, rushing over with a first aid kit.

Suo and Nirei, still trying to process everything, exchanged confused looks when they noticed Sakura holding the taser wires. Unable to stay quiet, Nirei finally asked, “Why do you have that?”

Sakura blinked, as if realizing only now that he was still holding them. “Oh, when I got tased, the wires hit the back of my thighs. The barbs… they stuck in,” he explained casually. “I just pulled them out, but I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to do something with them after. Do I throw them away, or…?”

The matter-of-fact tone in his voice left suo and Nirei shocked and unsettled, their concern only continued growing as they tried to understand how he could be so nonchalant about it.

It was only then that Sakura’s friends noticed the blood slowly dripping from the back of his thigh, a small, chilling realization dawning on them. Panicked, they quickly urged him to sit down, their hands trembling as they carefully checked for any remaining pieces of the barbed wire. Sakura, however, shook his head, holding up the wire he had pulled out, still perfectly intact. “There’s nothing left,” he said Indifferently, as if the injury wasn’t a big deal.

Despite his calm demeanor, they sprang into action, quickly taking the first aid kit from the officer, stopping the bleeding, disinfecting the area, and carefully bandaging his leg. The officer, watching the scene unfold, gave one last reminder, telling Sakura, “If it gets worse, go to the hospital.”

Once the officer left, Suo and Nirei stood there, their faces grim as they processed what had just happened. They couldn’t ignore the fact that Sakura seemed to get injured far too often, even with them around. As they exchanged worried glances, they planned to tell Umemiya and the others about it in the group chat and when they got back. It was clear now—Sakura’s injuries weren’t just a random occurrence, and they couldn’t keep letting him face them alone.

But for now, they had to move on. The scent of food grew stronger as they approached the ramen shop, and Sakura’s stomach rumbled loudly, cutting through the tension like a knife through butter. He looked around sheepishly, his cheeks flushing. “Can we get food now?” he asked, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

Suo couldn’t help but chuckle, the sound elevating the mood slightly. “Well, I suppose we can’t have our fearless leader fighting on an empty stomach now can we?” He looked over at Nirei, who nodded in agreement, though his expression remained slightly troubled.

The three of them entered the ramen shop, the warm, savory scent of broth and noodles wafting through the air. The chatter of other customers and the sizzling of meat on the stove created a comforting ambience, a stark contrast to the tension outside.

Chapter Text

Sakura was perched on the edge of the school's roof, cigarette dangling from his lips. The acrid scent of smoke mingling with the crisp spring air of Makochi. The town stretched out before him, a puzzle of rooftops and distant chimneys, each a silent story waiting to unfold. The setting sun painted the sky a soft orange, the gentle hum of the city a distant backdrop to his solace.

As he exhaled a breath of smoke, the warmth of the embers danced briefly in his eyes. He couldn't shake the feeling that the world he'd stumbled into was a mirage, too perfect to be real. Friends, a place where he belonged—it all seemed like a dream.

The wind picked up, ruffling his hair and whispering secrets that only the rooftop was privy to. Sakura took a deep breath, letting the air fill his lungs before releasing it in a slow stream of smoke. The fear of losing it all gnawed at him, a persistent doubt that he'd come to live with. He knew all too well the fickleness of fate and the cruel ways it could twist reality into a nightmare.

Yet, here he was, surrounded by a ragtag group that had come to mean more to him than he'd ever dared to hope. Nirei, with his cheerful clumsiness and that somehow always cheers him up. Suo, ever calm, with his stupid eye patch, and who’s always teasing him. And the others, each with their own quirks and virtues, weaving together the fabric of into something resembling a family—family… he liked that word.

But the fear remained, a stubborn shadow lurking at the edge of his thoughts. What if it was all just a lie? What if one day he'd open his eyes to find himself back in the hell of his past, alone and unwanted? His heart skipped a beat at the mere thought, the cigarette momentarily forgotten between his fingers.

Nirei's face swam into his vision, his laughter echoing through the corridors of Sakura's mind. He'd been one of the first people he met. And then there was Suo, as much of a cunning bastard as he is he’s always calm and nice to talk to when he’s not joking. Tsubaki's fiery spirit, Sugishita's grumpy vibe, and Kiryu's kindness and understanding—each had found a place in his heart, worming their way in despite his initial effort to keep them away.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Sakura's mouth, and for a moment, he allowed himself to indulge in the warmth that came with the realization that he liked having them around. It was a foreign feeling, not something he was quite used to. He giggled softly, he liked, no loved spending time with his friends and wished it would stay like that forever.

But what if they all just left?If they all turned on him, rejected him, called him a monster...his heart clenched painfully and sent a cold shiver down his spine. He'd understand, of course, because it was inevitable. It would be sad, so incredibly sad, if they no longer talked, if he lost his friends, family.

He’d be sad that they wouldn’t be friends anymore, but he would hate himself more for believing, even for a second, that someone could actually like him—someone like them. He was just a kid with a messed up past and a penchant for fighting, not a person to be liked, not a person to be loved.

But what if it wasn’t a dream? What if it was real? That thought was almost too much to bear. He took another drag of his cigarette, the nicotine rushing to his brain, trying to chase away the doubt that clung to his soul like a stubborn fog.

He had to enjoy the time he had with them, no matter how long it lasted. He'd cherish every laugh, every fight, every awkward moment of friendship. Because even if it all crumbled around him, those moments would still be his.

The wind grew stronger, tugging at his clothes and tussling with his hair. He leaned back, letting the breeze pass and the sun warm his skin. It was peaceful, and quieted his thoughts. He closed his eyes, letting the world around him fade into a blur of sound and sensation.

He sat there, his feet dangling off the edge of the roof, swinging them back and forth in a rhythm that matched the beating of his heart. It was a precarious position, but Sakura felt safe, so what did it matter.

Until he felt a sudden hand, pull him off the edge and onto the floor. His eyes snapped open in surprise, and he was met with the stern gaze of none other than Kaji and to the surprise of no one, he was yelling. Apparently to him.

Kaji had a lollipop stick sticking out of his mouth like a cigarette, his dark eyes narrowed in annoyance. "What the hell are you doing up here, Sakura?"

Sakura blinked, his thoughts snapping back to the present. "Just... thinking."

Kaji let out a deep sigh "Everyone's looking for you, you know. You can't just vanish like that. To add to that, you’re smoking. Put it out already, you know that shit isn’t good for you!”

Sakura did as he was told but just differently than Kaji might have expected. With a nonchalant shrug, he brought the cigarette to his neck and extinguished it with a hiss, not even flinching. The smell of burned flesh briefly overpowered the scent of the cigarette, and Kaji's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't anticipated Sakura's unorthodox method.

Without thinking, he exploded, grabbing Sakura’s arm and pulling it away from his skin with force. His eyes burned with frustration as he demanded, “What the hell were you thinking?” His voice was sharp, not only out of concern but also out of sheer disbelief. The self-inflicted burn on Sakura’s neck sent a clear message—one Kaji couldn’t fathom.

Sakura quickly got himself out of Kaji’s grip and just sat on the floor confused and still processing what had just happened. He stared at Kaji, utterly baffled by the sudden outburst. His mismatched eyes blinked in confusion as he hesitated before asking, “What did I do wrong?” The genuine perplexity in his voice only seemed to infuriate Kaji further, leaving Sakura uncertain on what he should say next or should say nothing at all.

Kaji let out a heavy sigh, his frustration giving way to quiet resignation. He murmured, almost to himself, “Now it makes sense why your class has been so worried about you… why they’ve got an entire group chat dedicated to things I should do for you… and why they’re organizing schedules to make sure someone’s always around.” His tone was a mix of exasperation and concern, as if finally piecing together a puzzle he wished didn’t exist.

Kaji let out another deep sigh, his voice softer but firm as he said, “Come on, get up, Sakura.” He reached down, helping Sakura to his feet before gesturing to the cigarette bud still in his hand. “Get rid of that,” he ordered. Without a word, Sakura flicked it down into the void below, watching it disappear from the third floor. Before he could process what was happening, Kaji grabbed his arm and dragged him down the stairs. The journey ended at the classroom door, where Sakura’s classmates were waiting, their faces filled with a mix of worry and relief. If Kaji wasn’t involved before he sure was now.

Chapter Text

Sakura found himself reflecting on the day’s events, unable to shake the thought of how he’d managed to get out of the intervention his friends had staged for him. It had been about the cigarette burn, though he still couldn’t fully understand why they were so worried. In his opinion, it was no big deal—just something he did without much thought. To him, their reactions seemed exaggerated, like they were making a fuss over something completely normal. Despite the resolution, his friends had stayed behind at school, muttering something about creating a schedule for him—though what that entailed, he wasn’t quite sure. He brushed the thought aside, focusing instead on the fact that, even though he’d been allowed to go home, Sugashita and Anzai had insisted on accompanying him. Their presence was both a comfort and a weight he wasn’t ready to acknowledge.

As they approached Sakura’s house, the awkward silence grew thicker, pressing down on the three of them like a dense fog. He could feel their gazes on him, filled with a mix of concern and curiosity. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. The only sound was the steady rhythm of their footsteps, the occasional car passing by, and the distant chirping of crickets. He glanced over at Sugashita and Anzai, who were deep in conversation about something that didn’t involve him, their voices a gentle murmur in the night.

Suddenly, Sakura’s ears perked up at a sound that didn’t quite fit with the serene evening. It was faint but definitely out of place—a muffled shout, a crash, and the sound of glass shattering. He paused; his instincts seemed to already know what was going on before he even did. “You guys hear that?” he asked, his voice low and tense.

Sugashita and Anzai looked at each other, then nodded in unison. They had heard it too. Without saying another word, the three of them broke into a run, following the sounds to their source. The convenience store at the corner of their street was in chaos. Two figures in black masks and hoodies were attempting to break into the cash register, while the cashier cowered behind the counter, his face pale with fear. The third was keeping watch at the door, something clutched in their hand.

“Anzai, check on the cashier!” Sakura comanded, his eyes never leaving the armed robber. His voice was firm, filled with the kind of authority that brooked no argument. Anzai nodded and dashed inside, his eyes on the trembling employee. Sugashita took off after the two thieves who had bolted out the back door, his long legs eating up the distance between them in seconds.

Sakura's heart raced as he sprinted towards the remaining robber. His thoughts were a blur—his mind zeroed in on the situation at hand. He saw the glint of metal in the watcher’s hand and knew immediately it was a gun. Without a second thought, he threw himself at the man, his body moving on instinct alone. They crashed to the floor, the impact causing the weapon to clatter away, revealing the black metal of the gun under the fluorescent lights. The thief’s eyes went wide with shock and fear as Sakura’s body collided with his, and the wind knocked out of him.

The fight was a flurry of motion and adrenaline. The robber thrashed and kicked, desperate to regain the advantage, to retrieve the gun that had been so easily dislodged. Sakura, however, was fueled by his instincts and the desire to protect. He wrapped his arms around the thief's chest, squeezing tightly, trying to pin him down. The smell of sweat and fear filled the air as their bodies struggled against each other. The thief’s hands scrabbled at the floor, searching for the gun that had rolled away, his eyes darting frantically.

The robber barely managed to wrestle the gun back into his grasp and scrambled to pin Sakura down for a brief moment. Sakura reacted swiftly, shaking him off with ease and springing to his feet while the robber remained sprawled on the floor. Tension crackled in the air as Sakura’s sharp eyes tracked every movement, his body taut with alertness. He knew the robber now had the gun, and every second counted.

Sakura’s mind raced. He knew he had to keep the robber from reaching the weapon. He had seen and been in enough fights to know that once a gun was in play, things could go very wrong very quickly.

Sakura tracked the robber’s every move, his focus razor-sharp as he prepared for the inevitable. His instincts proved right when the robber raised the gun and shot like he was trying to empty the barrel, firing at his head, heart, and legs in quick succession. But Sakura’s reflexes and flexibility saved him—he dodged each shot with precisely, closing the distance between them in the process. Just as Sakura was about to pin the robber down, the weapon fired one last time. The shot, meant for his heart, barely missed and struck him square in the chest.

Sakura flinched, his body jerking slightly from the impact, and let out a strained “Ow,” closing one eye as he bore the sharp pain. Refusing to back down, he powered through, slamming the robber to the ground. With one swift motion, he knocked the gun out of the robber’s hands, sending it skidding far out of reach. Holding the man firmly in place, he restrained him with unyielding strength as Sugashita and Anzai, frozen in shock, watched the scene unfold.

In the distance, the wail of sirens grew louder, cutting through the tense silence that had enveloped the area. Anzai had called the police as soon as they’d arrived at the convenience store, his voice shaky but urgent. The cashier, now safe, peered over the counter, his eyes wide with disbelief at the display of heroism that had just unfolded before him.

As the flashing blue and red lights painted the side of the store, two officers burst through the door. They quickly apprehended the two hooded figures Sugashita had brought down and began to read them their rights. The third robber, still panting beneath Sakura, was met with the cold steel of handcuffs snapping around his wrists as the officers took control of the situation. The masked thieves were unveiled, revealing their sweat-drenched and terrified faces, and the tension in the air grew thick with their defeat.

The officer approached Sakura, a mix of gratitude and curiosity in her expression. “Do you remember me?” she asked, pausing for a moment. When Sakura shook his head, she explained, “I was the one who tased you in the shopping district a few days ago.” The memory clicked, and Sakura’s eyes briefly widened before he shrugged it off. “Oh, yeah, I remember now,” he said nonchalantly as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

Anzai’s jaw dropped, his voice breaking the silence. “You what? You got tased? And you’re just now remembering this?” Meanwhile, Sugashita stood there, processing the revelation in stunned silence. The fact that Sakura seemed completely unfazed, even as the pieces fell into place, only added to the surreal moment. Of course, Sugashita thought, this could only happen to Sakura.

The officer gave Sakura a small, almost sheepish smile. “Thank you for helping us catch these guys,” she said sincerely. “And… I’m sorry for tasing you a few days ago. I thought—well, never mind what I thought. It was a mistake, and I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.” Before Sakura could respond, her partner approached, offering a quick nod of acknowledgment.

“I’ll apologize on her behalf too,” he said, glancing between Sakura and the group. “She misread the situation back then. Turns out these delinquents were the ones causing all the trouble that led to the misunderstanding in the first place.” He sighed, then added, “And thank you for stepping in today. Because of you, we finally got them off the streets.” The weight of their gratitude lingered in the air, though it was almost comically offset by the ongoing chaos around Sakura’s bullet wound.

The police wasted no time placing the robbers in the back of the car, expressing their gratitude again to Sakura for helping apprehend the notorious delinquent group seen causing trouble in the shopping area.

One of officers noticed the blood spreading from Sakura’s chest wound, sparking immediate concern. Anzai was the first to react, his voice rising in panic as he demanded, “Wait, You were shot? When? How? Are you ok? How are you still standing? Why are you acting like you haven’t been shot? Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you start by saying you were shot? Are you crazy? You could’ve been killed! We need to get you to a hospital now!”

Meanwhile, Sugashita stood frozen, staring at Sakura in disbelief, his mind struggling to catch up with reality. “Sakura was shot. In the chest. And he’s still standing there, calm, explaining the situation to the police… after taking down an armed criminal.” He could only think, Yeah, that’s definitely something only Sakura would do.

One of the officers offered to take Sakura to the hospital, but Sakura immediately declined. His nonchalance only made Anzai’s pleading more desperate. “Sakura, are you insane?! You need to get that wound looked at!” But no amount of begging swayed Sakura, who seemed entirely unbothered, even as his chest wound bled through his shirt.

Sakura waved off the repeated offers to take him to the hospital, his tone calm but firm. “I’m fine. Really,” he insisted, though the bloodstain on his chest begged to differ. Turning to Sugashita, he handed over a wad of cash. “Can you grab some hydrogen peroxide, bandages, cotton, tweezers, and… a stapler?” he asked casually, as though he were listing groceries.

Sugashita hesitated for a moment, his brows furrowing in confusion, but he didn’t argue. “Uh, okay,” he muttered, taking the money and walking off without another word while everyone else stood frozen, stunned by what they’d just heard.

“A stapler?” Anzai finally blurted, his voice almost cracking. “What the hell is he planning to do with a stapler?”

Meanwhile, Sugashita hurried to get the supplies as soon as possible, the adrenaline still coursing through him. When he got to the counter, the cashier looked up, already gathering the items Sugashita needed.

Sugashita placed the money on the counter, but the cashier waved it off with a firm shake of his head.

“It’s on the house,” the cashier said with a smile. “Anything to help him out. What he, and you guys did was incredible. Just tell him… thank you.”

Sugashita, still slightly bewildered, nodded and grabbed the supplies. As he hurried, he couldn’t help but think, Only Sakura could turn something like this into a routine errand.

Sakura leaned back against the wall, his expression calm and focused as he prepared the makeshift tools. Holding one pair of tweezers in his left hand, he doused some cotton balls with hydrogen peroxide, while his other hand hovered over the bullet lodged in his chest. Everyone fell into an eerie silence as they stared, wide-eyed, processing the absurdity of what he was about to do.

Without hesitation, Sakura pressed the tweezers against the wound and began extracting the bullet, ignoring the pain he thought would come—it never did. His movements were steady, deliberate, as if he’d done this a hundred times before. When the bullet finally clattered to the floor, the sound seemed deafening to everyone.

Switching tools, Sakura grabbed the soaked cotton with another pair of tweezers and cleaned the wound, wincing slightly as the disinfectant burned against the raw injury. He didn’t say a word, and no one dared interrupt, though their silent stares screamed questions: Is he insane? Why isn’t he going to the hospital?

Sakura waited patiently for the bleeding to subside before picking up the stapler. The moment the stapler came into view, gasps rippled through the group.

“Sakura~, no, Don’t even think aboot it.” Anzai blurted out, his voice laced with a mix of disbelief and desperation. “What are you doing? Just go to the hospital!”

Ignoring him, Sakura aligned the edges of the wound, positioning the stapler over his chest. In one swift motion, he stapled the wound shut, one staple at a time, each click of the device echoing like a hammer in the silence.

Everyone’s silence erupted as soon as he finished. “Are you crazy?!” Anzai shouted. “What the hell were you thinking?! That’s not how you treat a gunshot wound!”

Sugashita, still holding the supplies he’d brought, looked utterly pale. “Sakura… you can’t just staple yourself together!”

Sakura, unbothered by the commotion, calmly cleaned the area again, placed a layer of cotton over the staples, and wrapped the wound tightly with the bandages. When he was done, he looked up at them, his tone casual as if he’d just fixed a minor cut. “See? I’m fine now. No need to go to the hospital.”

Everyone stared at him, equal parts horrified and dumbfounded. “Fine?” Anzai repeated incredulously. “You just stapled yourself shut, and you think that’s fine?!”

Though they scolded him relentlessly, Sakura remained indifferent, brushing off their concerns. He saw no issue with what he’d done—it was practical and got the job done, in his eyes. However, even as they watched him move without issue, the group couldn’t shake their disbelief.

“Listen,” one of the officers said sternly, “don’t ever do something like that again. If something happens, call us or get to a hospital. This could’ve gone so much worse.”

Sakura nodded, though it was hard to tell if he actually meant it. After another round of warnings, they reluctantly let him leave with his friends, who walked alongside him, vowing silently to keep a closer eye on him from now on.

After the chaotic scene, Sakura’s friends walked him home, their unease still lingering in the air as they observed his casual demeanor despite the gunshot wound he’d just treated in the most absurd way possible. They helped him into his apartment, and after some more reluctant assurances that he was “fine,” they finally left him to rest.

Once they were outside, Sugashita, and Anzai, exchanged glances, still processing the madness they’d just witnessed. On their way back home, Anzai pulled out his phone and began typing furiously in their group chat.

“Suo, Nirei, you should probably check up on Sakura,” Anzai wrote, his concern evident in the message. “We just dropped him off, and he stapled his wound shut. No joke. He wouldn’t go to the hospital and acted like it was no big deal. Please, just make sure he’s okay.”

Sugashita, walking beside him, added his message. “We honestly don’t know what’s going on with him; this is next-level crazy. Check-in, just in case.”

Anzai hit send, and both he and Sugashita stared at the screen, hoping Suo and Nirei would take the situation seriously. Neither of them could shake the image of Sakura calmly stapling himself back together, and both were too worried to let it slide.

A few moments later, the chat lit up with responses. Suo’s message was almost immediate. “He did what?! Did I read that right? He’s fine? I’m going over right now!”

Nirei’s reply followed soon after, laced with disbelief. “I’ll be there in a few. That’s insane. Make sure he doesn’t try any more self-surgery.”

Anzai and Sugashita exchanged a tired look, both knowing this wouldn’t be the last time they’d have to keep an eye on Sakura’s unorthodox methods of dealing with injuries. For now, though, all they could do was wait and hope their friends would step in before Sakura did something even crazier.

Chapter Text

Suo's footsteps were swift and silent as he approached the unassuming apartment complex. The evening air had the scent of rain-kissed asphalt and the distant hum of the city, but inside the quiet corridor, his mind was solely focused on his destination. As he reached the apartment door, the sight of it slightly ajar sent a shiver down his spine; it was unlocked. Worrying but not unusual or unexpected.

He gently pushed the door open and called out, "Sakura?" His voice echoed through the small space, the only response the muffled sound of the city's white noise. His eyes scanned the room, the lights dim, casting a warm glow across the untidy space that was characteristic of his friend's abode. There were no signs of struggle, no indication of trouble—just the stillness of an empty room.

Suo's heart raced as he moved through the apartment, his mind conjuring up worst-case scenarios. The silence grew heavier with each step until , finally, he reached Sakura's bedroom. The door was open, a sliver of light spilling out into the hallway. He took a deep breath and stepped in, his eyes immediately drawn to the bed. There lay Sakura, his body sprawled awkwardly, half on and half off the mattress. His face was buried in the pillow, one arm hanging limp beside him, and his legs bent at an odd angle. Suo's initial fear gave way to a sigh of relief—his captain was alive, just in a rather uncomfortable sleep.

Just as he was about to retreat, a muffled groan reached his ears. Sakura's body twitched, and a moment later, he pushed himself up to a sitting position, rubbing his face sleepily. "What's going on?" he mumbled, his voice thick with the haze of slumber. Suo couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, the tension dissipating. "It's just me," he replied calmly, watching as Sakura's eyes focused and the realization of the situation dawned on him.

"Oh, it's you," Sakura said, his tone a mix of relief and annoyance. "What time is it?"

"It's almost 6 PM," Suo replied, glancing at his watch. "You had a long nap."

Nirei's voice echoed from the living room, "Hey, I'm here!" He rushed in, slightly out of breath, and spotted Suo in the doorway of Sakura's room. "Is everything okay?"

Suo turned to face Nirei, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile. "I just found our dearest Sakura-kun here, having a beauty sleep." As Nirei looked behind Suo, he saw a very sleepy Sakura, who seemed to be half asleep still. But not before long, and actually, only a second later, sakura curled up in his bed and went back to sleep.

Nirei sighed, his eyes scanning the room as if looking for something urgent. "We need to wake him up, Suo. We have something important to tell him."

Suo nodded in understanding and walked over to the bedside, placing a gentle hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Hey, Sakura. Now's not the time to sleep." He gently shook him, and with a groan, Sakura sat up again, his hair sticking out in every direction as if he had just woken up from a 3-hour nap instead of a 30-second one.

"What's going on?" he asked blearily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Nirei and Suo exchanged a quick look, the latter nodding slightly. "It's important," Nirei said, his voice carrying a hint of urgency. "We need to talk to you."

Sakura groaned and swung his legs over the side of the bed, his feet hitting the floor with a thud. He stumbled to the couch, his body still weighed down with the heaviness of sleep. As he sat down, his head lolled back against the cushion, and his eyes began to drift shut again. Suo and Nirei watched with growing concern as their captain's eyelids fluttered, a clear indication that he wasn't fully awake, and in just a second, just like before, he was out, fully asleep.

"We really need to ask him," Nirei whispered, his gaze flickering between Sakura and the clock on the wall. Suo nodded, his smile fading. "But he seems to be in a pretty deep sleep. Let's let him rest for now. We'll talk to him when he wakes up properly. It wouldn’t make sense to explain it to him now, given his condition, and even if we did, we’d likely have to tell him again when he’s fully awake."

With a nod, Suo retreated to the kitchen, his footsteps light as he searched for something to make for dinner. He swung open the fridge door, expecting to find leftovers or at least a few staples to whip up a quick meal. Instead, he was met with a cold, empty space, the light flickering off the gleaming shelves. He blinked, then checked again—nothing, literally nothing, not a single food product in sight.

Suo turned to Nirei, his smile slightly forced. "Looks like we're going to have to improvise," he said, trying to keep the concern out of his voice. "I'll be right back. I'm going to grab some groceries."

Nirei nodded quickly, his eyes wide with a mix of relief and anxiety. "I'll go get some things from my house, too," he said. "My place isn't far, so I’ll be back quickly."

With that, both of them left the apartment, the door clicking shut behind them. Nirei hurried through the evening streets of Makochi, the wind playing with the ends of his hair as he went. His mind was racing with thoughts of what could be so important that they needed to wake Sakura up from his much-needed rest. When he reached his own house, he grabbed a few snacks and a couple of juice boxes that he knew Sakura liked, then dashed back to his friend's place.

On his way back, Nirei's path coincided with that of an elderly neighbor, Mrs. Tanaka. She was a sweet lady with a penchant for feeding the local stray cats. She squinted up at Nirei, recognizing him despite the dim light. "Ah, Nirei-kun," she said with a warm smile, "are you taking care of Sakura-san again?"

Nirei nodded, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Yes, Sakura ran into some trouble and has some injuries, so me and Suo are taking care of him in the meantime."

Mrs. Tanaka's smile faltered for a moment before she nodded with understanding. "Ah, I see. Well, if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask. I heard a strange noise from his apartment earlier today. It sounded like something fell over. I hope he's okay."

Nirei quickly pieced together the source of the noise, “That was Sakura collapsing onto his bed. He’s probably completely exhausted.” His tone was calm but edged with concern as he tried to rationalize what had just happened. The realization settled, knowing the toll Sakura’s reckless actions must have taken on him, even if he refused to show it.

Mrs. Tanaka glanced at Nirei with a knowing smile. “Something similar happened a few weeks ago. I hope it isn’t serious, and if it is, I hope he gets better soon,” she said, her tone warm but final as she turned to walk away.

Nirei’s brows furrowed, and he took a quick step forward. “Wait! What do you mean? Something similar happened before?” he asked, urgency lacing his voice.

Mrs. Tanaka stopped and turned back to face him, her expression softening. “Ah, yes. A while back (the same day that he was stabbed and cauterized his wound), I knew something was off immediately. I was heading to my apartment and found him collapsed on the stairs, sleeping, or passed out, I presume, curled in a ball, I suppose, covering his lower abdomen protectively, though I’m not sure as to why,” she explained, a hint of concern in her voice. “But what struck me as odd was… how do I put it… it wasn’t like a normal collapse. He didn’t look all sprawled out, you know? It was like… he knew it was coming, having the chance to sit down before it even happened, maybe. But I don’t know. It could be all my imagination for all I know. But he was sitting down, almost as if he’d prepared himself for it. And that I know isn’t normal for a young boy his age.”

She shook her head, a shadow of worry crossing her face. “That boy… He doesn’t let on how much he’s struggling. I wonder why that is.” She said, letting out a huge sigh.

Nirei stood frozen, her words sinking in like weights in his chest.

Mrs. Tanaka hesitated, then continued, her voice low. “I woke him up that time, you know. I brought him to his apartment and made sure he didn’t collapse again. I even told him, ‘If you need anything, just ask me.’ But, of course, he said he was fine.” She sighed again, her expression a mix of exasperation and worry. “So, I left him and went to my room.”

She paused, her hand tightening slightly around her cane. “Not even an hour later, I heard a crashing noise from his apartment. It startled me, so I rushed over to check. And that’s when I saw him—collapsed on the floor again, sleeping. Thankfully, he wasn’t hurt, but my word, both times, gave me quite a scare.”

Mrs. Tanaka looked at Nirei with a faint, weary smile. “You and Suo take care of him, will you? That boy… he’s far too stubborn for his own good. I really hope he gets better.” With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Nirei standing there, her words weighing heavily in his mind.

Nirei turned and made his way toward Sakura’s apartment, the conversation with Mrs. Tanaka lingering in his mind. As he walked, he couldn’t shake the concern for Sakura, but he hoped that maybe the situation wasn’t as dire as it seemed.

Before long, Suo arrived, already tying an apron around his waist with a grin. “I’m cooking tonight,” he announced his usual enthusiasm in full force.

Nirei, still lost in thought, nodded and relayed Mrs. Tanaka’s story. As he spoke about the two times Sakura had collapsed, Suo’s face grew serious, and he nodded in understanding.

But as Nirei finished the tale, the sound of clattering and sizzling began to distract him. He turned just in time to see Suo’s cooking skills go from bad to worse—ingredients were burning, pans were sticking, and a pungent smell filled the room.

“Uh… Suo, I think we might have a problem,” Nirei said, grimacing as he watched the culinary disaster unfold.

Suo’s smile faltered, his face flushed with embarrassment. “Maybe cooking isn’t my thing after all…”

Nirei sighed, pulling out his phone. “Alright, we need backup.” He dialed Kotaha’s number, feeling slightly embarrassed as he asked, “Hey, Kotaha, can you help us out? We… kind of need food.”

Kotaha’s voice came through with a hint of amusement. “I figured this would happen sooner or later. I’ll bring something over.”

It wasn’t long before Kotaha arrived, carrying a bag of food that smelled like a much-needed rescue mission. “Here you go,” she said, handing over the meal. “Next time, leave the cooking to someone who knows what they’re doing.”

Grateful, Nirei took the food and turned to Suo. “Guess we’re eating this instead,” he said with a smirk.

Suo laughed sheepishly. “Lesson learned.”

Finally, they sat down to eat, the tension from the earlier chaos easing as they enjoyed a proper meal.

They woke Sakura carefully, urging him to eat. He took a few bites, but his eyes quickly started to droop. Before long, he was starting to doze off, his head swaying dangerously toward the plate.

Luckily, Kotaha’s sharp eyes didn’t miss it. With lightning-fast reflexes, she reached forward and moved Sakura’s plate just in time, preventing him from face-planting into his food.

Both Nirei and Suo watched in surprise, their jaws dropping. “How did you know that was going to happen?” Nirei asked, incredulous.

Kotaha gave them a sly smile, a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. “Lately, Sakura’s been face-planting into his food a lot, especially at breakfast. It’s kind of become a habit now.”

Suo raised an eyebrow. “Face-planting into his food? Is that really true?”

Kotaha nodded. “Yeah. I can always tell when he’s about to doze off, and I’ve gotten good at moving his plate just before he falls asleep. It’s like a sixth sense at this point.”

Sakura mumbled something unintelligible, still half-asleep, and Kotaha gently nudged him back into a more comfortable position.

As Nirei watched Kotaha leave, his worry grew even heavier. It wasn’t just Mrs. Tanaka anymore; now Kotaha was noticing Sakura’s collapsing, too. Nirei connected the dots, feeling his stomach tighten with unease. Sakura had been passing out and collapsing from exhaustion so much lately, and he couldn’t ignore how serious it had become.

Once Kotaha was out of sight, Nirei turned to Suo, his face etched with concern. “Suo, something’s wrong with Sakura… He’s been collapsing and passing out constantly lately.”

Suo raised an eyebrow, sensing the weight of Nirei’s words. “What do you mean? I know he’s been getting injure a lot, lately, but…”

Nirei interrupted, his tone urgent. “It’s not just that. Mrs. Tanaka and now Kotaha—both of them have said he’s been passing out and collapsing. And whe you take into account of this all happening after all the injuries he’s been getting, it’s worrying. Plus even Kotaha said she’s seen it happening, like a pattern.”

Suo’s expression turned serious. “That’s… not good.” Suo rubbed his temples, clearly stressed, as he glanced over at Sakura, still groggy but sitting up, still looking exhausted. “Well, that’s just another thing we need to add to the list of things to talk to him about,” Suo muttered, his frustration mounting. “He got a little messy when he was eating, so he should shower. But thinking about it now, I can’t help but worry about what might happen. If he falls asleep again… while showering.”

Nirei nodded, his thoughts already spiraling. “Yeah. What if he slips and hits his head? Or worse, falls face-first and drowns? He’s so out of it lately that he might just pass out in the middle of it all and end up getting seriously hurt.”

Suo shuddered at the thought. “Exactly. And that’s not even the worst of it. What if he starts bleeding somehow—like, he cuts himself on the showerhead or the edge of something and doesn’t even realize it? He could bleed out without even knowing.” His voice trailed off, his worry escalating with each possibility. “He’s too careless when it comes to his safety. If he falls, I swear, one of these days, he’ll end up seriously injured to the point he won’t be able to fix himself up.”

Nirei’s eyes widened, the scenarios running through his mind like a freight train. “Not to mention, he could end up just falling unconscious in there, and no one would even know until it’s too late. What if he passes out, and we’re not around to hear it?” He shook his head, his stomach churning at the thought. “We can’t take that kind of risk.”

Suo took a deep breath, trying to shake off the anxiety. “Yeah, all of that is what freaks me out. We’ve seen how bad it can get. Sakura’s already pushing himself too hard, and we’ve got no idea what’s happening behind the scenes. One wrong move, and…” He trailed off, looking over at Nirei for confirmation.

“I know,” Nirei said, his voice grim. “So much could go wrong. I can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen if we don’t step in soon.”

After a long silence, Suo finally spoke, “We’ll need to find a way to keep him from doing such reckless things. If we don’t, all those scenarios we keep imagining might actually happen.” He looked at Nirei, trying to reassure himself as much as he was trying to reassure his friend. “Maybe if we all go to a bathhouse, we can keep an eye on him. It’s better than letting him go in alone.”

Nirei thought for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, you’re right. If we go to a bathhouse, at least we’ll all be there to watch each other’s backs. Nothing can go wrong if we’re all together, right?”

With that, they decided to head to the bathhouse, hoping that the controlled environment would prevent any further risks. But before doing anything, they first had to worry about getting Sakura there. Luckily, it wasn’t too difficult as even though Sakura was half asleep, he could still walk his way there, and with both Nirei and Suo there, things went smoothly, with Sakura being somewhat aware of what was going on.

As soon as they got there Sakura seemed to be aware enough of his surrroundngs, or atleast understood where he was, seeing as he quickly got himself ready before he solely entered the water before Nirei and Suo did. While doing so Nirei and Suo were getting ready to enter themselves, and seeing sakura albeit somewhat awake, made them think nothing would happen it they let him go a few seconds before them.

That was their mistake.

The moment Sakura slipped into the warm water, all their fears were realized. Sakura, exhausted from everything, fell asleep almost instantly, his body going limp in the water.

“No!” Nirei shouted, his eyes wide with panic quickly rushing to finish and get Sakura. “Sakura, wake up! You can’t fall asleep here!”

Before either of them could react, Sakura’s body began to slide beneath the surface of the water, and in a split second, both Nirei and Suo shot into action.

“Sakura!” Nirei yelled, his voice cracking with urgency. They both rushed forward, grabbing his arms and pulling him out of the water as quickly as they could.

Suo and Nirei paused for a moment, their eyes locked on Sakura as he lay motionless on the edge of the bath, panic still clouding their thoughts. The worst seemed to have passed, and finally, they saw the faintest rise and fall of his chest. He was still breathing.

Both of them exhaled at the same time, the tension slowly easing from their shoulders. “I feel like I just had a heart attack,” Suo muttered, wiping a hand over his face, trying to calm his rapid heartbeat. Nirei nodded in agreement, his pulse still pounding in his ears. “Same. That was way too close,” he said, voice unsteady.

They both sat down beside him, their eyes never leaving Sakura as he slowly began to regain his senses. It was a relief to see him breathing, but it didn’t take away the knot of worry tightening in their chests. “We need to keep a better eye on him,” Suo added, his tone more serious now.

There attention shifted when they noticed a red tint in the water, and as they were looking for the source, it all drew back to Sakura. And almost immediately they panicked and looked from where the blood could be coming from.

As they studied him, a new concern began to creep in. Sakura had always been lean, and maybe underweight even, but now—he looked even thinner than before. His face was pale, his features more defined, not to mention there were notable bags under his eyes. It wasn’t just the exhaustion; something about the way he looked worried them deeply. Neither Suo nor Nirei could say for sure, but the sight made them uneasy.

“I-I don’t know how to say it, this could be me completely overthinking this, but…he sorta seems like he’s lost weight, hasn’t he?” Nirei said running his hand through his hair to push it out of his face before he rested it on his neck.

“Yeah,” Suo replied quietly, watching Sakura’s chest rise and fall, finally noting the staples on his rib, and the dried blood that seemed to be the source of the red tint in the water from earlier. “He’s definitely gotten thinner since we first met him. I don’t know if it’s just exhaustion or if he’s… not eating properly. Either way, it’s starting to show.” He said while eyeing Sakura’s injury, his ribs looked like they were poking out of his skin.

The two of them exchanged a glance, silently agreeing that they needed to get Sakura to slow down before things got worse. They stayed by his side, ensuring he was stable before they finally left the bathhouse. The trip back to his apartment was just as quiet as when they were going there, with sakura still being half asleep, with both Suo and Nirei keeping close to him, making sure he didn’t collapse again.

Once they arrived at Sakura’s apartment, they helped him into his room, gently laying him down on his bed. Sakura looked up at them, still groggy but seemingly more awake then he had been before at the bathhouse, a faint blush coloring his cheeks as he realized where he was. “You guys… really don’t have to do all this for me,” he mumbled, his voice tinged with embarrassment.

Suo gave him a small, reassuring smile, though there was still concern in his eyes. “We’re just making sure you’re okay. Don’t push yourself too hard, alright?”

Sakura nodded, though his eyes were still a little dazed. He felt a wave of embarrassment flood over him as he remembered them taking care of him while he was asleep. He wasn’t used to this level of kindness, and it made him feel strangely exposed, not that he didn’t like it though, he actually kinda enjoyed it.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” he muttered, averting his gaze as his cheeks flushed. “Just… go home, okay? I’m fine now.”

Nirei smiled softly at him, his tone calm. “Take it easy, Sakura-kun. We’ll check on you later.”

With that, they left him in his room, both feeling the weight of their worries about Sakura’s health and well-being. As they walked out of the apartment, neither could shake the uneasy feeling in their stomachs, like something bad was going to happen.

The next morning, after a restless night filled with worry, Suo and Nirei decided it was time to step in and make sure Sakura wasn’t pushing himself any further. They agreed they’d pick him up early to walk to school together, ensuring he wouldn’t have to make the journey alone, exhausted. Both of them texted Sakura, letting him know they’d be on their way to his apartment.

Sakura replied with a simple “OK,” and they both breathed a little easier, thinking he would be ready by the time they got their. However, by the time they arrived, the two stood silently at the entrance of Sakura’s apartment complex, just 20-30 feet from the building. They had been waiting for him to leave his apartment for a few minutes already—not that it mattered they still had time before school started, their conversation died when they saw the door of the complex creak open. There he was.

Sakura emerged from the building, his movements sluggish. His face was pale, and his eyes were half-lidded as he rubbed them in an attempt to shake off the sleep that clung to him. He didn’t seem to notice Suo and Nirei standing at a distance, too focused on putting one foot in front of the other to keep himself upright.

Sakura staggered slightly as he walked, his feet dragging as if the effort was too much. His head tipped to the side as he blinked, his body swaying with fatigue. He was still a few steps from the railing of the building’s balcony, but it was clear he wasn’t fully aware of his surroundings, his body slowly succumbing to the weight of exhaustion. Sakura’s head dropped slightly, his eyes fluttering closed as though he was drifting into sleep on his feet. His body pitched forward without warning, completely unaware of the danger. He was heading straight for the railing, and neither Suo nor Nirei had enough time to get to him before he tipped over the edge.

The world seemed to slow in that moment as they watched him fall. The panic surged through them, but neither hesitated. In a split second, they ran toward the apartment beneath Sakura’s, their legs moving faster than they ever had before, desperation flooding their senses.

“Shit!” Suo shouted, his voice tight with fear as he sprinted ahead, his heart pounding. “We have to catch him!”

They reached the bottom of the building just in time, the seconds ticking away like an eternity. Sakura was still falling, but they were beneath him now, their arms outstretched, hoping beyond hope that they would be able to break his fall.

The impact came with a loud thud, and for a moment, Suo and Nirei felt their hearts drop into their stomachs. They had caught him—barely. The two of them had managed to grab hold of his body in midair, and with a strained grunt, they pulled him to the ground with them.

Sakura’s body hit the pavement with a soft thud, but there was no time to check for injuries just yet. They scrambled to their feet, quickly making sure he was still breathing.

Sure enough, Sakura was fine, and the craziest part of it all had to be that Sakura was still asleep, seeming to not pay any mind to the situation that just occurred.

But the same could not be said for Suo.

Suo’s breathing was heavy as he held Sakura in his arms, feeling the full weight of the situation. “I swear, he’s going to be the death of us,” Suo muttered, though there was no real anger in his voice, only deep concern.

Nirei, his heart still racing, looked at Suo with wide eyes. “That was… that was too close. He could’ve been seriously hurt.”

Suo nodded, his grip tightening around Sakura to ensure he didn’t slip again. “Yeah, it’s like something always happens to him.” He glanced down at Sakura, who remained blissfully unaware of the scare he’d caused.

Lifting him, Suo was a little surprised. “He’s lighter than I thought he’d be,” Suo remarked as he adjusted his hold, the realization dawning on him. “I thought he’d be heavier, but… this isn’t right. Nirei, I think even you could’ve carried.”

Nirei raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Suo didn’t respond immediately; his mind was already working through the implications. “I mean, this doesn’t feel like a healthy weight for him. We need to talk to him about his nutrition… when he’s more awake, of course.”

Sakura’s weak breathing and the way his body felt so light in Suo’s arms confirmed their worries. Suo couldn’t shake the feeling that something more was going on. The exhaustion, the collapse, and now this close call—it was too much to ignore.

As Suo carefully carried Sakura into the school building, Nirei, feeling the weight of the situation, decided to take charge of what needed to be done. He carefully made his way ahead, walking into the classroom and finding their classmates—Kiriyu, Tsugeura, Anzai, and Sugashita—already present. The tension in Nirei’s voice was apparent as he entered the room.

“ It’s Sakura,” Nirei began, his voice low but firm, catching everyone’s attention. “He’s been pushing himself way too hard, and it’s getting dangerous.”“This morning… he fell from the second story of his apartment building. He was so exhausted that he lost control and went over the railing. We barely caught him in time before he hit the pavement.”

Everyone in the room reacted with shock. Kiriyu’s eyes widened, and Sugashita’s usual stern demeanor shifted as he looked at Nirei with a mix of disbelief and concern. Anzai and Kakiuchi exchanged worried glances, all of them trying to process what Nirei was saying.

Nirei continued, his expression grim. “He’s been collapsing and passing out from exhaustion a lot lately, but hearing it from Mrs. Tanaka and Kotoha… it’s clear that this isn’t just about being tired anymore. Something’s wrong. He’s literally putting himself at risk. It’s not just mental exhaustion—his body’s giving up on him.”

By now, the rest of the group was fully alert, their concern growing by the second. They quickly sprang into action, deciding the best way to make sure Sakura could rest safely. Tsugeura and Anzai moved some desks around, creating a small space in the middle of the classroom. Kiriyu and some of their other classmates went to grab a few spare pillows and blankets from one of the school’s supply closets, while aslo alerting any of their seniors on the way. In a matter of minutes, they had a makeshift bed ready, and as soon as Suo arrived, they carefully helped Sakura onto the desk, placing him gently on top of the stacked desks, where he could sleep undisturbed.

Suo, still breathing heavily from the incident and the run all the way here while also having to carry Sakura, looked around at the others. “You don’t have to worry about him anymore. He’s safe now. But we can’t let him keep pushing himself like this. Not after what happened this morning.”

Nirei, standing beside the desk where Sakura lay, looked back at everyone, his face serious. “He didn’t just stumble, guys. He nearly fell to his death. If Suo hadn’t been quick, we might be dealing with something much worse right now.”

The classroom fell silent. The gravity of what Nirei had just said sank in, and each of them processed the danger Sakura had been in. They were all terrified—not just for his health, but for what this meant about his state of mind. His body had been trying to tell him something for a long time, but it seemed Sakura hadn’t been listening. And now they knew—something had to change.

Anzai was the first to break the silence. “So, what do we do now? How do we get through to him? This… this can’t keep happening.”

Sugashita crossed his arms, visibly frustrated but concerned. “We need to talk to him. Like, really talk to him. If we don’t do something now, who knows what could happen next.”

Kiriyu, who had been quiet up until now, spoke up with a frown. “We need to stop him from hiding everything. He’s too stubborn for his own good. If we don’t help him get better, we might not get a second chance.”

Suo nodded gravely. “We’ll talk to him once he wakes up. We need him to see that this isn’t normal. And if he won’t listen, we’ll make him listen. No more pretending he’s fine when he’s clearly not.”

Nirei looked at Sakura, still peacefully sleeping on the desk, his face relaxed for the first time in days. The group exchanged glances, their resolve solidifying. They would get through to him, no matter what it took. They just couldn’t bear the thought of losing him.

The shock of the morning’s events hung heavy in the air, but it was clear that everyone in the room had one shared goal now—to help Sakura before it was too late.

The entire class, minus Sakura, sat in a tense circle, a heavy air of concern hanging over them. The tension was palpable, and for the first time, the usually chaotic and energetic group of students was unusually quiet. Even the seniors—Kaji, Hiagiri, Tsubaki, and Umemiya—had gathered to address the situation. They had been observing Sakura for a while now, and after the events of the morning, it had become clear that something was wrong.

Tsubaki, always the observant one, broke the silence first. “Sakura has been doing a lot for everyone lately. But have you noticed how he’s been lately? He has a new major injury every week… I’m worried. Plus when looking at all the other big things going on it just feels like something’s off.”

Hiragi leaned in, his brows furrowed in thought. “I get what you mean, especially when you note that he’s been either hurt or involved in almost everything lately. It is strange.”

Kaji nodded, looking toward the group. “The worrying part is how he’s been collapsing so often. And lately, I’ve noticed something about his appearance. He has notable bags under his eyes, like he hasn’t slept in days. He looks visibly pale to the point it’s sickly. And on top of it all it looks like he’s lost weight. The worst part of it all is the timing of it; these affects should appear over time but it happened in a span of a week. At first, I thought it was just stress from everything going on, but now… it’s starting to look concerning.”

Umemiya shifted in his seat, his voice quieter but still filled with concern. “He hasn’t been eating properly either. I’ve seen him skip lunch, and I don’t know if he’s even eating enough when he does eat. Have you seen how thin he looks now compared to when we first met him? It’s… unsettling. But I do know that he hasn’t been sleeping in class, so I would assume that he is sleeping when he is at his apartment.”

The room fell into a heavy silence as everyone processed what had been said. Their suspicions grew. It wasn’t just the exhaustion, the fainting, and the way Sakura seemed to be slipping away from them. It was his appearance—his weight, his serious injuries—and the fact that he was still going despit no going to a freaking doctor—like seriously, who does that.

“Do you think it’s possible… that he has an eating disordr?” Tsubaki asked, his voice hesitant but laced with worry.

Kaji ran a hand through his hair, his expression troubled. “It’s a possibility. Or maybe he’s hurting himself in other ways. I’ve seen how he pushes through pain, like it doesn’t bother him. But that’s not like him at all. And even if that where the case, what could be the reason?”

Hiragi’s face darkened. “I see what you mean… The more I think about it the more I feel like we don’t know much of anything when it comes to Sakura. So it’s difficult to say if anything is for certain, when we have nothing to go off of.”

The group fell silent once more, each lost in their thoughts as they tried to make sense of the situation. It was clear that something far deeper than physical exhaustion was going on with Sakura.

“That’s true,” Umemiya said quietly, his eyes narrowing as he considered the mystery. “Why? To answer that, we need to know more about his past. We need to understand why he’s doing this to himself.”

Kaji leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the desk. “But we don’t know anything about his past. We know the surface stuff—he’s tough, he’s a good fighter, he’s been judge by his appearance in every town he’s been in before coming here. But beyond that… It’s like he’s built a wall around himself. And we’ve never asked him… Maybe we’ve never been allowed to ask.”

Hiragi nodded solemnly. “We can guess all we want, but we don’t really know. The only way we can get answers is if we ask him. But can we even get him to open up? He’s always been distant. Plus there’s a chance he’ll keep quiet, and not tell us anything.”

The tension in the room thickened as they all reflected on what they were discussing. The answer to everything lay with Sakura—but how could they get him to talk? How could they get through to him when he had so carefully kept his past locked away?

“We have to ask him when he wakes up,” Tsubaki said finally, her voice firm. “We’ll wait for him to rest and hopefully feel better. But we need to get him to tell us what’s going on. This can’t keep happening. I don’t think my heart can take it.”

The rest of the group agreed, each of them silently determined to find a way to help Sakura, even if it meant confronting him with uncomfortable truths. They knew that the road ahead would be difficult, but they couldn’t ignore the fact that their friend was in serious trouble.

Chapter Text

Sakura's eyes snapped open to the blinding sunlight that had managed to sneak through the dusty classroom windows. He blinked a few times, trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep (and that terrible dream again), and found himself in an oddly familiar yet disorienting position: lying on top of a stack of desks that had been pushed together to form a makeshift bed. He sat up with a groan, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and took in his surroundings. The room was empty, save for a few discarded boxes and some discarded chairs lying on the floor, but it was definitely the school. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he recalled Suo and Nirei had promised to get him to school on time today.

Looking around, Sakura noticed that his school bag was neatly placed beside him, and his uniform jacket looked as if it had been carefully arranged. His cheeks warmed slightly, knowing that his vice-captains had likely been the ones to carry him here and tuck him into this makeshift bed. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of gratitude for their care, despite the embarrassing situation he now found himself in. He swung his legs over the side of the impromptu bed and climbed down, taking a moment to straighten his clothes and ensure that he looked somewhat presentable.

Just as he was about to go looking for his classmates, the door to the classroom swung open and a group of them walked in, lunch trays in hand, chattering away. The conversation abruptly halted when Tsugeura spotted Sakura, his eyes widening in surprise. "Sakura's awake!" he called out, his voice echoing in the room. In an instant, the chatter transformed into a cacophony of questions and scoldings as his classmates rushed over.

But their approach was quickly cut off by the sudden appearance of Nirei and Suo, who barreled into the room with a sense of urgency that was palpable. Behind them, the towering figures of Umemiya, Tsubaki, and Hiragi filled the doorway, their faces full of concern. Kaji trailed in last, his eyes scanning the room before settling on Sakura with a look that was all but pleasant. The atmosphere grew tense (so tense that you could cut it with a knife) as the group surrounded him.

"Sakura, we need to talk," Umemiya began, his voice firm but laced with worry. The room as if it wasn't quiet before was now definitely quiet, all eyes on Umemiya and Sakura. "You've been getting injured a lot lately and we’re all worried for you," he continued, "and we can't ignore it anymore, and I know you don’t want to go but you need to see a doctor."

The room was so silent, you could hear a pin drop. The air was thick with tension, and even the distant clanging of the cafeteria dishes couldn't penetrate the wall of concern that had been built around Sakura. For a moment when he heard the word doctor, his mind drifted back to his uncle's face, the painful memories of being dragged to that place and how cold it felt.

Sakura’s silence was so absolute that it felt like the entire room had been swallowed by it. The air grew heavier with every second he didn’t speak, and unease settled over his classmates like a slow, creeping fog. everyone—began to shift uncomfortably, exchanging uncertain glances. Had they overstepped? Had they pushed too hard? A nervous sort of dread coiled in their stomachs, the fear that they had driven Sakura further into himself, that he might close off completely. The last thing they wanted was to force him into anything, but now, as they watched him retreat into that unnerving silence, they worried they might’ve done just that.

"Okay-, I'll go," Sakura finally said, his voice low and gruff. He could feel his stomach churn at the thought, but he knew his friends meant well. They had no idea about his past, about the horrors that had been done to him in the name of "treatment." Yet here they were, worried about him, trying to help. It was a strange and foreign feeling. They wouldn’t be like his uncle…right? No, he was sure of it. They aren’t like that…right?

Suo and Nirei visibly relaxed, sharing a quick, relieved glance. "Good," Umemiya said, nodding. "We'll go with you.” All sakura did was nod and just like that the conservation was over.

The group of them made their way to the doctor's office, a small, nondescript building located on the outskirts of Makochi. The path grew narrower, the buildings more dilapidated, and the air more tense with every step they took. The sun had begun to dip below the horizon, casting the area in an eerie twilight that did little to alleviate the anxiety that had settled over the group.

As they approached the doctor's office, Sakura took the lead, not looking back. The others exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what awaited them within the walls of this foreboding place. Upon their arrival, the doctor greeted them with a cold look. His eyes narrowed when they saw the group of concerned friends accompanying sakura, and his voice grew sharp as he demanded an exorbitant sum of money as a deposit. The words hung in the air, heavy with a malicious intent that only Sakura seemed to understand all too well.

Sakura dug into his pocket and handed over the cash without a word of protest. His friends watched in disbelief, noting the doctor's greed, which made their chests tighten. The doctor snatched the bills, his eyes glinting with something darker than mere annoyance.

"Follow me," the doctor grunted, his voice thick with displeasure. He led them into a cramped, dimly lit examination room that smelled faintly of antiseptic and dust. As he gestured for Sakura to take a seat on the creaky table, the doctor's gaze flicked over to the others, his disdain unmistakable. "What, are you expecting a group rate?"

The room grew tense as the doctor mumbled under his breath, something that only Sakura's heightened hearing could pick up. The words were sharp, hinting at something unpleasant about the company he had brought with him. Sakura's jaw clenched, but he remained silent, not wanting to add fuel to the fire. The doctor began his cursory examination, his hands moving almost too quickly across Sakura's bruised form. The others watched, their eyes narrowed and their arms folded in skepticism. They had seen Sakura's injuries before and the doctor's dismissive attitude and lack of thoroughness was unsettling. He was practically glancing at the injuries before looking at the next, nothing near the worthy amount of worry that the down payment would imply.

As the “doctor's” examination concluded, he looked up with a smug expression, declaring Sakura to be in tip-top shape. "It's all just a bit of roughhousing, surely from a fight no doubt" he said with a chuckle that none of them found amusing. The tension in the room grew thicker as they all knew that something wasn't quite right with the doctor's demeanor. Suo and Nirei exchanged a worried look, while Tsubaki's fists clenched at their sides.

"You know," the doctor said, his tone taking on a sharper edge, "you'll have to do double for the extra company you brought along."

Sakura nodded almost mechanically, his eyes glazed over with a look of resignation as he stared at the floor. It was as if something was pressing down on him, preventing him from moving or saying anything. His friends exchanged worried glances, noticing the change in his demeanor. Suo and Nirei no doubt noticed the ‘fear’? In his eyes, was that right? They had never seen him like this, and it scared them. It scared all of them.

Suo was the first to break the silence. "Come on, Sakura, let's go," he said, his voice firm yet gentle. Nirei and the others nodded in agreement, but Sakura remained still, not looking up.

"Sakura," the doctor protested, his smug smile slipping slightly, "you know the rules."

Sakura looked up. "I'll handle it," he said firmly, his voice a low rumble that seemed to echo through the small room. "They're not getting involved."

The doctor's smile grew even more predatory at the challenge, but Sakura's friends weren't about to let him face whatever was coming alone, especially when they themselves didn’t know what was going to happen. "Don’t be silly Sakura-kun, we're not leaving you," Suo said, stepping forward. Nirei nodded in agreement with a scowl on his face.

But Sakura was insistent. "I'll be fine," he said, his voice empty despite the fear that was starting to show more evident in his eyes. "You guys go on home. This won't take long…I hope" those last words were but a whisper that went unheard.

Nirei's eyebrows furrowed in concern, but Sakura gave him a small nod. With a heavy sigh, the group filed out of the room, the tension trailing behind them like a dark cloud. As the door clicked shut, Sakura turned to face the doctor.

Outside, the group huddled together, casting wary glances at the dilapidated building. "What's taking so long?" Tsubaki murmured, tapping their foot impatiently. "I don't trust that guy," Kaji said, Sugashita was quick to agree, his eyes dark with suspicion.

Suo leaned against the wall, feigning nonchalance. "I think I dropped an earring," he announced, flashing a reassuring smile but the sharp glint in his eye as he glanced toward Nirei said otherwise. Nirei, catching on immediately, met Suo’s gaze, noting the subtle insistence in it. Without hesitation, he straightened and exhaled “I’ll go get it,” he said, already turning to leave. No one questioned it.

Nirei slipped back into the room. And it didn’t take long for him to find something suspicious as he took in the scene before him. The doctor was on top of Sakura, who was out cold on the examination table. The sight of the syringes and the blood made something inside him snap. His eyes narrowed and without even realizing it he asked. "What the hell are you doing to him?"

Before the doctor could even speak Nirei grabbed the doctor's wrist, yanking the syringe away with all his might. Then the room was suddenly filled with the sound of his panicked scuffle. The doctor looked up, his own smugness replaced with shock and a hint of fear as he realized he had been caught. Suo was quick to take over as he tightened his grip, and with a swift move, he pinned the doctor to the ground. The syringe clattered to the floor, and the blood-filled one rolled away, leaving a bloody trail behind it.

The others heard the commotion and rushed back in. Tsubaki and Kaji were one of the first to rush in ready to attack, but Tsugeura with the help of Umemiya and Hiragi held them back with a firm hand. Kiriyu’s eyes widened as he saw Sakura lying there, his arm exposed and the doctor struggling beneath suo. "What's happening?" Tsubaki demanded, their voice shaking.

Nirei’s eyes never left the doctor's face as he spoke, his voice low and filled with annoyance. "He tried to do something to Sakura after he was unconscious ," he said.

Tsubaki’s face paled at the explanation, and the others exchanged horrified glances. The doctor squirmed beneath Suo, his smugness replaced with desperation that was clearly fake. "You don't understand," he stuttered.

Suo's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I understand enough," he said, his voice ice-cold. "You're not touching him again." With a quick twist of his wrist, the doctor's arm snapped into place with a satisfying crack. The doctor yelped in pain, but Suo didn't relent.

Nirei rushed over to Sakura, his heart pounding. He gently nudged his friend, but there was no response. Panic started to set in. "Sakura, wake up," he whispered, his voice shaking. But Sakura remained unconscious.

Suo kept his grip on the doctor, his jaw clenched. "What did you do to him?" he growled. The doctor squirmed, sweat beading on his forehead. "It's nothing," he stuttered, "just a little... experiment."

The word experiment sent a chill down Nirei's spine. He didn't know what kind of twisted games the doctor was playing, but he knew it wasn't good. "What kind of experiment?" Nirei's voice was barely above a whisper, his eyes never leaving Sakura's still form.
Suo's grip on the doctor tightened, his knuckles turning white. "What did you do to him?"

The doctor, now visibly scared, started to babble incoherently. Suo raised an eyebrow. "I'm waiting," he said, his voice cold and unyielding.

Umemiya stepped forward, a flicker of pain in his eyes. "Suo," he said gently, "we need to let him go. The authorities are on their way."

Suo's grip tightened for a moment, then loosened. He stood up, allowing the doctor to collapse in a heap. Not saying another word after.

The doctor's eyes rolled back in his head, and he passed out from the pain. Suo's chest was heaving with anger, and Nirei couldn't help but feel a little scared of suo. Before he could say anything, however, Tsubaki and Hiragi stepped forward, placing firm hands on his shoulders. "That's enough, Suo," hiragi said, his voice firm but understanding. "The authorities will handle this now."

With the doctor safely restrained and the police on their way, the group left the grimy clinic and stepped out into the cool evening air. The tension didn't dissipate immediately; it hung around them like a fog, thick and oppressive. They all knew they had to talk to Sakura about what had just transpired, but the timing had to be right. He looked so peaceful lying there, oblivious to the horror he'd just endured. But they knew they couldn’t be oblivious as to the fact of the fear in his eyes the moment they got there.

Once they got to Sakura’s apartment, they settled Sakura into his futon. The room was dimly lit, with only a soft glow from the light bulb. Each of them took turns sitting vigil beside him, their expressions a mix of worry and anger. They whispered among themselves, sharing their suspicions about the doctor's true intentions and the "experiment" he had mentioned.

The next morning, as the sun began to peek through the blinds, Sakura stirred. His eyes fluttered open, and he looked around in confusion. Nirei and Suo exchanged a concerned glance. It was time. Suo spoke first, his voice gentle. "Sakura-kun, can you tell us what happened back there?"

Sakura sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. He looked down at his bandaged arm, then back at his friends. "It was just... a bad experience," he mumbled, his voice tinged with something. "I don't want to talk about it."

Nirei felt his heart ache for Sakura. He knew that look—it was the same one he'd had countless times when he'd been bullied. "Sakura," Nirei began, his voice tentative, "you don't have to go back to that doctor again. We'll find someone else."

Sakura's eyes searched each of their faces, as if looking for any sign of doubt or judgment. When he found none, he nodded slowly. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice hoarse from the ordeal.

Chapter Text

In the small, cluttered space of his room, Sakura sat on his bed, surrounded by his classmates. Kiryu, with his calm smile, leaned against the window, while Suo stood idle by the door, still being somewhat calm after the recent events. Nirei, fidgeting with his phone, his eyes darting from face to face as he listened to the conversation.

Sakura, still looked a little frightened after the recent events, but asked, "What doctor are we going to see?" It was unusual to see him so frightened, but after the recent events, no one could blame him.

Kiriyu spoke calmly from his position by the window, "Don't worry, Sakura. I've got it handled. I'll take you to my personal physician. I trust his judgment, and I hope you won’t make you uncomfortable" His voice had an assurance in it that was soothing. It was just what Sakura needed to hear.

Sakura looked up at Kiriyu. "You have your own doctor?" It was clear that the concept was foreign to him, as he had never had anyone take care of him in such a personal manner before.

"Yes, I do," Kiriyu replied, his smile never wavering. "It's nothing special, really. Just someone who's been looking out for my health for a long time. And now, they can do the same for you."

Sakura nodded, being grateful that he was so appreciated and well cared for. He was still overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, but the support from his friends was reassuring. "Thank you," he said, his voice a little shaky. "I really appreciate it."

Kiriyu gave him a look, firm but gentle, and said, “You don’t have to thank me. Any of us would’ve done the same, especially after… everything that just happened.”

Nirei, sitting nearby, looked hesitant before finally speaking up. “I-I don’t mean to pry or anything,” he said carefully, “but… Sakura, wouldn’t it maybe be easier to just explain what happened? Or maybe just explain the past and how it got you here? I mean… from the way it looked, this didn’t seem like the first time that doctor—”

There was a beat of silence.

Nirei immediately raised his hands, backing out fast. “I-It’s okay! You don’t have to tell me—I wasn’t trying to dig or anything—I just thought—”

“It’s not that-,” Sakura interrupted, voice calm but low. “It’s just… I wasn’t expecting that question.”

" Nirei-san has a point," Tsubaki said gently. "If you feel comfortable, maybe sharing what happened would help us understand you better. Who knows, it might even help us support you more effectively in the future."

Sakura took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright, I'll tell you what I can. It's a... long story. But we'll talk about it on our way to the doctor tomorrow." The tension in the room eased slightly, and the others nodded in understanding. They knew that pushing him now wouldn't be helpful, and they were grateful that he was willing to open up at all.

————————————————————————————

The following morning, as they made their way through the quiet streets of Makochi to the physician's office, Sakura began to recount his past. He spoke slowly, as if the words themselves were painful to form. "The doctor who treated me yesterday, he's actually my uncle. Back in my old town, the people weren’t the fondest of me because of my looks; people judged me before they even knew me. They thought I was a troublemaker, someone to stay away from. And no matter what I did, no one would give me a break . If I found someone’s wallet it was because I stole it. If there was a fight I had to be involved, if I was injured it was because I was bullying a person. You get the gist. And for school, I needed my annual checkup papers… medical history too. But no one in town would do it for me. They either ignored me or flat-out refused.”

He kept his eyes forward, tone flat.

“So I had to start looking farther. Out of town. That’s how I ended up at that clinic. At the time, my physician wasn’t my uncle—it was one of his coworkers. Honestly, the guy was just as bad, maybe even more annoying. He didn’t care what happened to me, just gave me the bare minimum and expected me to move on. So when I found out my uncle started working there too, I figured… maybe it’d be better. Family, right?” He gave a small shrug. “Didn’t take much to switch over.”

His silence lingered for a second before he added, “Should’ve known better.”

They didn’t interrupt. Just listened.

“He’s worse than the other guy,” Sakura said, voice low. “He charges more—just because I’m me. Tells me I was late or wasting time, even if I’m on time. And if I can’t pay… I owe him favors.”

Nirei tensed, but didn’t say anything.

“Those favors are usually tests. Experimental drugs. New meds they want reactions on. Yesterday, before I passed out, he gave me a shot. I didn’t think much of it—I’ve had worse—but maybe it was the blood loss, or maybe that one just hit harder. I usually don’t pass out from blood draws. Not anymore.”

The group stayed quiet, but the air around them had changed. He could feel it, it was more tense, more worried. If that was even possible.

He glanced off to the side, like he wasn’t sure if he should keep talking, but did anyway.

“A while ago, he split off from the original clinic. Started practicing farther out. So I had to go farther too. Ended up at the place you saw yesterday.”

Then—out of nowhere—Sakura let out a short, unexpected chuckle.

Everyone turned to him, confused.

“What’s funny?” Kiriyu asked, brows raised. “That sounded… like the opposite of funny.”

Sakura gave a small, almost sheepish smile. “It’s just—despite all that… I owe him everything.”

They all stared at him like he’d grown a second head.

“What? Why would you owe him anything?” Nirei asked, clearly upset. “You shouldn’t owe someone who treats you like that.”

Sakura looked at all of them—really looked—and said simply, “Because if it weren’t for him, I never would’ve heard about Makochi. Or Bofurin. I wouldn’t have transferred. I wouldn’t have met any of you.”

There was a beat of silence.

“That’s why,” he added softly. “Because of him, I’m here.”

And just like that, the mood shifted again—this time leaving a bitter, sour taste in everyone’s mouth.

No one really wanted to thank the man responsible for hurting him, even if he was the reason they had Sakura now.

But Sakura eventually digressed, eyes drifting downwards as his voice flattened again.

“I don’t really know what it’s called,” he mumbled. “But… he’d take a lot of blood. Like… a lot. Pretty often. Said it was to test out different things.”

He paused. “Most of the medicine he used on me—I’d never even heard of it.”

The room went still.

His face didn’t change. His voice didn’t shake. But something in the way he said it made the air heavier.

“Sometimes it hurt,” he added, quiet. Almost like an afterthought.

But the blank look in his eyes, the way he wasn’t even blinking—that terrified everyone.

After everything they had seen this past week and a half, after everything Sakura had powered through without flinching… the idea that something could still hurt him—it was unnerving.

Still, he kept going.

“He’d put me on all kinds of stuff. Not that much ever worked. But sometimes it made me really tired. Drowsy. I’d get dizzy during fights or scuffles, get hit harder than usual. Never bad enough to go to the hospital, but… enough that I’d end up back at the clinic.”

He shifted a bit, then went quiet.

Too quiet.

And then, without looking up, Sakura dropped it—flat, emotionless.

“I don’t think much of it,” he said, “but I just want to tell you, since it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. And I’d hate for it to come up later, like I was hiding something.”

They all stared.

“On more than one occasion… my uncle would invite me to stay overnight. When I got hurt badly. He’d offer, like it was normal.”

Sakura still didn’t lift his head.

“I never stayed. His place was farther from my school than the clinic, and I didn’t wanna deal with my teachers calling me late. So I always said no.”

Then, after another beat of silence, he muttered, almost to himself, “It’s just always… uncomfortable when that happens.”

No one said anything.

He glanced up briefly, noticed the looks on their faces, and added quickly, “He never did anything bad. I mean it. Nothing happened. The whole situation just made me feel a little off, that’s all. I just… thought you should know. Just in case.”

But to everyone else—those words meant more than Sakura probably realized.

To them,it was clear that his uncle was trying to take advantage of him in more ways than one, and the idea that someone—family, no less—could treat him like that? It was awful. They were just glad that Sakura never fell victim to what his uncle might’ve subjected him to if he had stayed over at his house, not that they even wanted to imagine what would’ve happened but still. To them the entire conversation felt like confirmation. That maybe his uncle had tried something. That maybe it was worse than what he was saying out loud. The thought of it alone made all of them sick.

They didn’t want to picture what could’ve happened if he had said yes and stayed over. And they weren’t going to.

They were just grateful he never did.

Tsubaki looked away, holding back whatever was written on their face. Kiriyu’s jaw was tight. Nirei was staring at the floor, fists clenched in his pockets .

But when Sakura looked at them, he asked “are you guys alright?”

“It’s nothing,” Nirei said first, voice gentle. “We’re just… glad you told us. Seriously.”

“Yeah,” Kiriyu added. “It’s not something you needed to say, but we’re glad you did.”

Umemiya was quiet, but he nodded too.

They knew the doctor probably wouldn’t be asking questions that personal again—not if they could help it.

But now that Sakura had told them… they’d make sure he never had to deal with it alone again.

As the story began winding down, they finally arrived at Kiriyu’s residence. He unlocked the front door and stepped aside to let everyone in, quietly welcoming them before leading the group down a hallway toward a back room.

“This is where my physician usually does checkups,” Kiriyu said, glancing back once to make sure everyone was still with him.

Compared to the clinic from yesterday, this already felt like a thousand times better.

The space was clean, open, and smelled like disinfectant instead of cold metal and stress. The physician greeted them with a warm smile and introduced himself as Mr. Suzuki before gesturing for Sakura to take a seat.

Mr. Suzuki asked if Sakura had brought his medical history with him. Sakura shook his head. “No,” he said, almost too casually for what that meant. It was surprising—considering the entire reason he had originally sought out his uncle in the first place was to retrieve those records.

Mr. Suzuki didn’t push. He only nodded and asked gently, “Would it be all right if I took a small blood sample then?”

The question hung in the air for a second too long. Everyone’s mind flashed to yesterday—how he passed out, how he looked pale and shaken, how nothing about it had felt normal.

Still, after a pause, Sakura nodded.

“Yeah. That’s fine.”

The doctor moved to roll up Sakura’s sleeve—but paused when he saw the skin underneath.

Faint black marks, fading but visible, lined the inner part of Sakura’s arm. Not full bruises. Not exactly. But enough.

He didn’t say anything right away.

Instead, he reached for the needle—but Sakura spoke up, almost too quietly.

“Can I make a request?”

Mr. Suzuki blinked. “A request?”

Sakura looked at him steadily. “Could I… inject the needle myself?”

The room froze.

The doctor looked surprised. “I don’t usually allow that. You could miss the vein, or cause damage.”

Sakura didn’t react, just waited.

The doctor glanced at Kiriyu, who gave a slow, reluctant nod.

“…All right. Just this once,” Mr. Suzuki said carefully, handing the needle over.

Sakura took it without flinching.

And—shockingly—he slid it in perfectly. Clean. Precise. As if he’d done it a hundred times before.

Mr. Suzuki didn’t say anything. Just raised his brows slightly and moved to start drawing the blood.

“Give me a few minutes,” he said afterward. “I’ll run a few quick tests before sending it to the lab.”

Then he stepped out of the room.

Everything seemed fine—for a moment.

Then Sakura shifted.

He stood up from the table, slow at first, then started pacing. His eyes unfocused slightly, fingers twitching.

Suo noticed first. “Sakura…? You feeling okay?”

“I feel lightheaded,” he muttered. “Like I’m gonna fall.”

That alone made everyone tense—but not nearly as much as what happened next.

Sakura staggered. His knees gave out for a second and he barely caught himself on the table, gripping the edge on his way down.

“Sakura—!” Suo was already by his side, steadying him, while Nirei and Kiriyu helped ease him back up onto the table.

Kiriyu was already calling for the doctor. “Suzuki—come back, now!”

The physician reappeared in seconds, snapping into motion immediately. “Someone get water,” he ordered, checking Sakura’s pulse, then his blood pressure. “Lay your head down. Deep breaths.”

Everyone was on edge until the doctor finally looked up and said, “He’s okay now. It’s stable.”

The room slowly began to settle, but the tension hadn’t completely left.

“What happened?” Kotoha asked quietly.

Mr. Suzuki hesitated, then said, “I expected something like this might happen—but not to this degree.”

He looked at Sakura’s arm again. “Those marks. They’re from repeated injections. Possibly IVs. Or blood withdrawals. It’s likely he’s anemic—severely anemic, judging by that reaction.”

A beat passed before Suo asked, “Why? How?”

The doctor shook his head. “I can’t say for sure until the blood tests come back. It could be psychological, yes—but realistically? This seems more physical. He’s either lost too much blood recently, or his body’s severely strained. Or both.”

No one said anything. But the realization sat in the room like lead.

They all looked at Sakura again—who was still lying back, arm draped over his forehead, not saying a word.

And it was clear.

No matter how much he tried to downplay it—this wasn’t normal.

And none of them were going to pretend it was anymore. And its not like they could anways. If only theyd had noticed and been more persistent sooner.

Once Sakura sat up, Mr. Suzuki gave him a long, concerned look.

“You’re sure you’re all right?” he asked gently. “You gave us quite a fright back there. You looked extremely pale.”

Sakura just nodded. “I’m fine now.”

The physician didn’t seem fully convinced. “Was there a particular reason you came in today?”

Sakura opened his mouth to say there wasn’t really one—but before he could speak, Kiriyu stepped in.

“He’s been getting injured a lot lately,” he said, voice steady but pointed. “The past few weeks have been… different. Some of his reactions really caught us off guard. We wanted to be sure nothing serious was going on.”

Mr. Suzuki’s attention sharpened. “What kind of reactions? And what injuries are we talking about?”

There was a pause—then, one by one, they began to speak up.

Suo was the first. He glanced toward Nirei, who gave a small nod.

“There was an incident last week,” Suo said. “He burned himself—really badly with some soup. It had hit his skin directly, and the wound looked… bad. Deep. Like third-degree bad.”

“What caught us off guard,” Nirei added, “is that he didn’t react at all. No flinch, no pain. Just kept going like nothing happened.”

The doctor raised his brows and noted it down.

“If it was truly third-degree,” he said after a moment, “then yes, he might not have felt it. That kind of burn can destroy the nerves responsible for pain. Still… for that to happen—”

“We’re not even done,” Kiriyu said grimly.

He nodded toward Sakura’s leg. “None of us were with him when it happened, but we saw him walking down the street—just casually walking—with a trail of blood behind him.”

“He had been slashed,” Suo explained. “Right at the Achilles tendon.”

Mr. Suzuki stopped writing. “He was walking… after that?”

Suo nodded once. “Didn’t even limp.”

The physician blinked. “That’s… medically almost impossible.”

“Yeah, that’s what we thought,” Nirei said.

“Not too long after that, we found out he had the earliest stages of pneumonia when he started coughing up blood, but we were able to treat that”

“That, I can work with,” Mr. Suzuki muttered, jotting notes quickly. “But coughing up blood is not something that should be brushed off.”

Next came the metal bat.

“ Again, none of us were there when it happened, but when we were at the onsens we noticed there was a huge, and I mean huge bruise on his back and it apparently come from a metal bat”

“ Of course, just of course. Well at least it’s somewhat normal.” Mr suzuki mumbled under his breath.

Then Kiriyu and Tsugeura stepped up.

“We were the only ones with him when he dislocated his shoulder,” Tsugeura said flatly. “Mid-fight. We saw it pop out.”

“And then we saw him shove it back into place,” Kiriyu added. “Didn’t even pause.”

Mr. Suzuki’s pen froze in midair again.

But he didn’t even have time to comment before the next story hit.

“We all knew about the stabbing,” Nirei said. “Most of us saw the wound after it was already treated.”

“Except… it wasn’t treated by a hospital,” Suo said. “He cauterized it himself.”

Mr. Suzuki visibly paled.

There was silence for a moment.

Then Suo added, “He didn’t flinch.”

Again.

Then came the tasing.

“Only Nirei and I were there for that,” Suo said quietly. “Back of the thigh. Police.”

The doctor’s jaw clenched. “Why didn’t you report that?”

“We didn’t know what to say,” Nirei murmured. “We asked him why he didn’t tell anyone. He just said it was normal.”

“Normal?” Suzuki echoed.

Sakura finally spoke up again. “It happened all the time. Back in my old town.”

That silence returned again—heavier than before.

Then Sui told them what Kaji had told him and Nirei.

“Our upperclassmen said that he caught him smoking the other day,” he said slowly. “Told him to put it out.”

The doctor tilted his head. “And?”

“He did. But he used his neck to stub it out.”

Suzuki blinked. “…Excuse me?”

“Pressed it straight into his skin,” Suo confirmed. “Didn’t even react.”

“I’ll… need to examine that,” Suzuki muttered.

While everyone was still recovering from that, Tsugeura leaned in with a grim expression. “He’s also been shot.”

That made Suzuki freeze again.

“He what?”

“He pulled out the bullet and stapled himself back together,” Suo confirmed.

The physician didn’t even bother writing for a moment. He just stared at Sakura, absolutely dumbfounded.

And finally, Suo and Nirei brought up the last part.

“He’s been acting more tired than usual,” Suo said, voice quieter now. “Not just tired. He’s been falling asleep in the middle of things.”

“While eating,” Nirei added. “Once while walking. Slept for almost an entire day.”

Everyone else nodded. They’d all seen it.

The room went quiet.

And then Suzuki whispered the only thing anyone could say:

“How is he still alive?”

No one had an answer.

But every one of them was thinking the same thing.

He shouldn’t be. Not with everything he’s gone through. Not with what he’s endured alone.

But somehow… Sakura was still here.

Still standing.

And that—more than anything—shook them to their core.