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Growing up, Sakura didn't have too much care for what happened to himself.
Okay, that sounded sad. Rewind.
What he meant was, with a goal of being alive, Sakura didn't care too much for the intricacies of what it meant to be healthy.
Instance one: Affection.
As Haruka aged, vulnerability wasn't an option. He always had to be on guard, assume the worst of everyone like they had of him. His parents, for the meager time they spent in his life, didn't offer any assurance either.
Haruka didn't have trust in anyone until he arrived in Makochi. Maybe it was from how different the town was to everyone else in his life that made him give them a chance, that little voice inside him craving some sort of connection.
Turns out, that voice was his emotional health, waking up after being dormant for so long and reveling in the affection they gifted him. Bofurin made it seem so easy to love, and started to break down his defenses little by little.
He still was extremely embarrassed when anyone would act nice to him, a blush filling his face as he stammered out mean words with no true bite to them.
It was nice having to learn how to be loved and how others expressed their love.
With Kotoha, the café owner seemed to express her affection through her cooking. Whenever Sakura came in, she would have a coffee set for him in the morning and converse with him as she made them both breakfast. Her little jabs at him secretly caring made him blabber on about how he really doesn't, his blush almost as red as the ketchup on his omurice.
With Nirei, the vice captain expressed his affection through gifts that showcased his knowledge of Sakura. Whenever it was a hot day, Nirei would deviate from their patrol path for a second and show back up with the certain mineral water Sakura enjoyed (he swore that one tasted the most fresh). Sakura would spit out how he didn't need it, but would enjoy the taste nonetheless.
With Suo, the other vice captain expressed his affection verbally to Sakura whenever he had the chance. Haruka swore the other boy was messing with him the first few times, but eventually it grew into a habit of complimenting how much he had grown as a leader and laughing as the other hid the growing blush on his face.
With Umemiya, the leader of Bofurin enjoyed spending time with Sakura to show how much he cared for the younger boy. He would often usher him up to the roof to show off his newest sprouts, trying to convince Sakura to try new things. As much as he hated vegetables, they weren't too bad of a conversational topic.
For Sakura, his way of showing affection wasn't his most preferable. Instead, an urge grew in his chest and rocked his stomach when he thought about it, upsetting him until he eventually repressed it.
He had first discovered it when he realized how warm a human body could be, and chased the feeling ever since.
Sakura Haruka really enjoyed physical touch.
Yet, with all the affection he had been receiving, he felt no need to be greedy and require more. It's fine, he could just repress it more.
Another instance of his poor regards towards his health: right this moment.
A face connected to his foot as Haruka jump-kicked some thug in the middle of the street. This certain gang was causing some trouble for a bit in town, and it was Bofurin’s job to put a stop to it. He spun around, observing his surroundings before jumping at the nearest thug.
As a part of his growth, Sakura has learned how to pay attention to others as well, trying to keep an eye out for Nirei and Kiryu as they were both on patrol with him. Another skill he needed to train was his focus, because as he heard a voice yell out from behind him, the boy spun his head around as if a thug was not literally right in front of him.
“Sakura-san!!” Nirei shouted, currently grappling at the abdomen of a dude that tried to attack him.
A rush of adrenaline came over Sakura as he rushed to get over there, feeling a punch meet him and ache against his cheek. Getting caught off guard, Sakura wanted to admit that it hurt more than it should have. He quickly knocked down his current opponent before dealing with Nirei’s.
“Are you ‘kay?” Sakura questioned, scanning him up and down for injuries and stepping closer to shield him from any incoming thugs. Fortunately, it seemed as though Kiryu took care of the rest, waving over to him once he was done.
“Sakura-san, you're bleeding!” Nirei alerted, holding a hand to Sakura’s face and using a finger to lift up his lip to observe his mouth.
An overwhelming sensation of too close filled Sakura as he thought of backing up, only to stop himself when he observed Nirei’s focused look.
“Is he okay?” Kiryu asked, speaking in a relaxed tone as he tried to make sense of the situation.
“Um, I think Sakura-san’s tooth split in half,” the blond replied.
To confirm his theory, Sakura used his tongue to wiggle the hurt tooth, feeling how raw his gum felt and the blood that caked it. He could feel the divide and wanted to see how far the crack ran until Nirei tapped his cheek gently, recentering Haruka’s focus.
“Don't mess with it! We need to get you to a dentist right away,” Nirei scolled, grabbing Sakura’s coat sleeve dragging him back for their patrol report.
“I don't need to see the dentist!” He hollered, still letting Nirei drag him along as Kiryu looked back with an amused look before continuing their walk back to Furin.
Turns out, Sakura did in fact need a dentist.
Kotoha had taken him for his visit that weekend, free of charge due to Bofurin’s help around town, and the medical professional looked at him with an astounded glance as he continued to observe his x-ray.
“Haruka, I don't know how to deliver the news lightly,” the dentist spoke, the crease in his eyebrow furrowing as he gazed back at the boy.
“It's Sakura,” he spat. He always hated when people he didn't know used his first name. “And just tell me already,” he grunted, wiggling his tooth a bit with his tongue before Kotoha lightly poked his hand to get his attention.
He had expressed to her before his distaste for anywhere medical. The white walls and sterile smell just didn't feel right to him.
In the past, he had gotten help when he was five for a few cavities that had to be filled. Although he begged for some sort of medication to numb the area, the dentist didn't bother, telling Sakura how much of a brave boy he was. That didn't work on the young kid, so instead assistants held him down, much stronger than the five year old, and watched as his teeth were drilled into and stopped when he started screaming in pain. Sakura grew tired during this and gave in, crying until the dentist had finished and let him go. If it was his choice, he wouldn't even be here right now.
Yet he couldn't ignore how she looked worried as she glanced at whatever the hell was on the computer screen behind him, ushering for him to act somewhat cordial.
“This has to be one of the worst scans I've seen out of someone your age. If you don't mind me asking, when was the last time you went to the dentist?” He asked, concerned.
Gears turned in Sakura’s head as he tried to do the math. If his parents needed medical records to put him in elementary school, and he was six back then…
“Uhh, about ten years I would think.”
“Ten years?!?” The dentist repeated, sounding shocked by the answer.
Kotoha sighed and squeezed his hand, knowing how Sakura must be feeling at the moment.
“Usually, you're supposed to go once or twice a year,” she informed him in a teaching tone before talking to the dentist. “So what needs to be done?”
“Well, he needs to fill in his cracked tooth. It's not a split so it can be fixed. We really need to clean his teeth, however, and there's work that needs to be done to remove several cavities. There's about five in every quadrant. Fillings can be done, but for times sake, we might wanna do this all in one day. Anesthesia can be used so he won't feel a thing.”
Looking at Sakura, Kotoha watched for his understanding of what needed to be done, still holding onto his hand.
“Did you get all that?” She asked, probing at his mind as he turned his face away from her watchful eyes.
“Yeah, it's whatever,” he forced out, trying to act indifferent.
However, it wasn't whatever when the day actually came and anxiety ate at Sakura’s mind as he laid back in the chair.
Several people in medical coats stood around him, talking in their fancy medical language that was too complex for him to understand. He was upset, scared even as he sat in place, rigidly waiting for the oxygen mask to cup his face.
“Okay, I'm putting it on now,” one of the assistants spoke, lowering the mask that wafted a sweet scent. Sakura tried his best, but after counting to three seconds in his head, the teen began to thrash, pulling at the mask to remove it.
The scent made him sick, making his stomach teeter with his emotions.
“No, stop it!” He yelled, sucking in regular air as he held the mask as far away from his face as possible. Vivid memories flashed in his mind, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. The assistant fought against his grip, trying to pry the mask from the boy’s hands.
“You need to wear this for us to start, Sakura-san,” they spoke, trying to push it down back to his face.
Fear struck his heart and caused it to accelerate, clouding any rational thought in his mind. He didn't trust these people. He didn't want to be left unguarded around them. They could try experimenting on him, because of how different he was, maybe see if he felt the same pain as others. That was never a fun game.
“What's the matter, Sakura?” A familiar voice said from the entrance of the room, obviously escorted by a doctor to calm down their patient.
Umemiya had heard from Kotoha of Sakura’s poor dental results and brought it upon himself to help schedule and bring Sakura to his appointment. “It's what a big brother would do!” was what he told Sakura when the younger boy had asked why he was doing all of this.
“I don't wanna do it anymore,” Sakura said with resolve, hands still out to prevent the mask from reaching his face.
The white haired boy drew closer, pausing as he saw the tears that welled up in Sakura’s eyes and placed a hand on his chin as he seemed to think for a moment.
“It's very important to us that you're healthy,” Umemiya began in a cautious tone. Sakura knew he was shutting down his request to leave the dentist now, but he hadn't guessed what Umemiya would offer next. “If you're scared, how about I sit here with you and stand guard while they fix your teeth?”
Sakura choked on his spit, wanting to turn and hide his growing blush away from Umemiya. Yes, that's exactly what he wanted. He didn't want to be vulnerable and alone.
“It's whatever,” Sakura coughed out, earning a laugh from Umemiya that melted any worry that froze over his chest.
“Alright, I'll stay here. Promise,” Umemiya confirmed, pulling over a chair to the edge of the bed to give the professionals ample space to work in.
“You better keep your promise,” the younger boy grumbled, seeming to relax.
Although the operation had a rocky start, Sakura eventually allowed for the mask to cover his face, anesthesia taking effect and mellowing out the grade captain.
During surgery, the assistant glanced over at Umemiya, seeming to think he may be uncomfortable in his position as he just sat there.
“Oh, you're free to leave the room if you wish. We only have about another hour to work through,” they offered, only to be shut down by Umemiya’s head shake.
“No, it's okay. I can wait.”
Time didn't seem to take too long as sooner or later, the professionals left the room, leaving Umemiya to a Sakura he barely recognized.
It definitely was the anesthesia, but Sakura seemed a lot more docile than usual, shoulders slouched down and eyes slowly scanning the room before hitting Umemiya.
“Nii-san, you're still here,” Sakura whispered, a small smile forming on his face from the realization.
Umemiya was surprised how his heart didn't suddenly explode on auditory impact, swelling from the sudden affection the younger boy was giving him. His face glowed as he scooted his seat closer to Sakura.
“Of course, a promise is a promise!” Umemiya proclaimed, ruffling the other’s hair. Sakura didn't seem to mind, staring mindlessly at him.
After a short while, they dismissed Sakura, saying he would need to visit in two weeks to make sure everything was okay. Hajime took it upon himself to schedule the appointment, trying to keep in a laugh while Sakura just stood there dazed out of his mind.
“Sakura, time to go,” he directed, the other grabbing onto his wrist for balance as he walked. This had worked for about three minutes, before Sakura almost stumbled over a rock on the road and broke the rest of his teeth.
They hadn't been too far away from Pothos Café, and Sakura likely needed to eat after his procedure, so taking out his phone Umemiya reached out to Sakura’s closest friends.
Umemiya Hajime
hey you guys, come meet me at Pothos in ten minutes
i need a little bit of help with our class 1-1 captain
In an instant, he received a reply.
Nirei Akihiko
We’re on it! Me and Suo are leaving Furin at the moment
Suppressing a smile at how much Sakura’s classmates cared for him, Umemiya got back on task to his focus on Pothos. It actually wasn't too difficult to convince Sakura to let him give the boy a piggyback ride, his bi-colored hair shaking as he nodded yes and climbed onto Umemiya’s back. Sakura's arms loosely wrapped around his neck and a head rested on Umemiya’s.
“Comfortable?” Hajime mused, earning a hum in return.
If Sakura was a cat, Umemiya would assume he would be purring right now from the reaction of the passerby. Townsfolk gawked at the sight, knowing high of a wall Sakura had built from others. He must be really happy, which also made Umemiya light up. Sakura deserved to be happy.
Eventually, the two made it to Pothos, a familiar silhouette in the window.
“Coming in!” Umemiya announced, nudging the door open. He crouched down a little, just to ensure that Sakura’s head wasn't hit on the door frame, and entered.
Kotoha had guests, but they all seemed entertained at the appearance of Umemiya and their favorite feral cat.
“His procedure is over? How'd it go?” Kotoha questioned as Umemiya sat Sakura down at the cafe bar table, looping an arm around him and pulling their chairs closer together to steady him.
“Yes and all good! Our little Sakura sure is a fighter!” The older boy kidded, pinching at Sakura’s cheeks.
Yet, Kotoha found it strange how Sakura’s face didn't fill with a blush, letting Umemiya mess with him as he scanned the menu that sat in his hands.
“Nee-san, can I get an omurice?” He asked, pointing at the picture in the menu. Maybe it was his lack of self-awareness due to his medications, but she swore she could see drool coming from the corner of his mouth.
Laughing at how open he was, Kotoha wiped tears from the corner of her eyes, watching as Umemiya grabbed the menu to correct him.
“You can't have omurice right now. How about some hand-made pudding?” The older boy directed, pointing at the picture to show its appearance.
Sakura scowled at it, eyebrow creasing as his silver and gold eyes read the description. “Okay,” was all he said, pushing the menu forward to signify being done.
Kotoha nodded and grabbed one of the puddings from the fridge she had made earlier that morning, plating it and serving it with a spoon. Sakura looked at it curiously, almost like a cat would do when analyzing something new it was eating. Then, he picked up his spoon like a toddler would and took a big scoop of it, seeming to enjoy the flavor as he ate more.
Kotoha and Umemiya watched as Sakura ate his meal, on choking risk–which he hopefully couldn't on pudding–just in case. Shortly after, the front door’s overhead bell rang, both vice captains walking through.
“Ah, here you guys are!” Umemiya welcomed, sitting up to wave at the younger students. Both returned a smile, obviously wanting to seem polite but their attention was on Sakura, making sure he was safe.
“Is Sakura-san alright?” Nirei questioned, approaching by the bar counter with Suo.
“They didn't steal our Sakura-kun and replace him with a decoy, right?” Suo kidded.
Umemiya let out a lofty laugh, getting Sakura’s attention off his pudding and Kotoha and turning around.
“Nirei. Suo. When did you get here?” He said with a full mouth, his calm speaking throwing the two off.
Instead of his natural grimace that lined his lips or natural blush that blotched his face, Sakura looked at them with softened eyes.
“He's fine, just needs a little help until his medication wears off,” Umemiya informed, releasing his arm from around Sakura and getting up to leave. A hand snagged at his Furin Uniform, pulling at him lightly.
“Nii-san, why are you leaving?” Sakura asked, pouting as he put his spoon down on the plate. Nirei and Suo both stood there bewildered at how their friend was acting, Nirei’s mouth agape while a grin formed on Suo. Was this really still Sakura?
“I gotta go head back to everyone else! These two are here to watch over you and take you home,” the older boy said, his response seeming valid enough as Haruka nodded and released him.
Saying bye to Kotoha and some of the individuals in the café, Umemiya departed, putting his watch duty in the hands of the most trustworthy first years he knew. Nirei and Suo took this job with pride, sitting on both sides of Sakura making sure he wouldn't topple over.
“You guys should probably take him home. I can imagine he's tired,” Kotoha suggested, taking the empty plate off the counter to go clean it.
Nirei looked as Sakura turned to him, confirming Kotoha’s suspicions. “I am tired.”
“Sounds like our prince is requesting his knights to escort him home,” Suo commented, a relaxed look on his face at Sakura verbalizing his feelings. Nirei nodded, agreeing and helping their recovering friend stand up.
Sakura seemed to take this invitation to stand to slouch on Nirei, head resting on his shoulder as he didn't have much energy.
“Ah, make sure to text Umemiya when you guys get him home,” Kotoha told them, giving them a wave goodbye as Suo helped Nirei drag Sakura out the door.
It took a while for the two to convince Sakura to walk on his own, their captain grumbling as he dragged him feet. Luckily for him, they were stopped every few minutes by a new townsperson that gave Sakura a gift, seeming to know he was recovering. Umemiya probably blabbered on about it during his walk back to Furin, Sakura thought, a warm feeling filling his chest from it.
But what was this feeling? It was almost like a sickness, minus all the negative aspects of being sick.
Maybe he was learning how to feel loved.
A light brush dusted his cheeks as his consciousness was somewhat there. Regardless of what Sakura had instilled into him in the past, Furin defied everything he had come to terms with.
Reaching out, Sakura held onto Nirei’s hand, trying to get his attention while Suo chatted idly with the latest person that stopped them.
“Sakura-san?” Nirei asked, a little shocked by the sudden touch.
“I wanna go home,” he said, looking down at his feet. From his operation to sitting in the café with eyes on him, to being stopped on the street, Sakura’s social battery was being drained by the second and he needed to get home before he collapsed.
Suo looked over, hearing the comments from the others, and cutting his interaction short with the older Makochi citizen.
“Sorry to delay, Sakura-kun. Let us go.”
Eventually, the trio reached Sakura’s run down apartment complex as the bicolored haired boy led them to his front door. As Sakura shimmied it open, it seemed the lock was no longer functional, which Nirei made a note of for later. They can’t have their captain getting hurt by others in his home, can they?
Taking their shoes off, Nirei and Suo deposited the goods they had collected on the counter, redistributing them to their respective spaces in the cabinets. Most of the goods they had collected was food that didn't need to be refrigerated, which Suo was grateful for as Sakura didn't have a fridge. Seems like he would have to bring this fact up with Bofurin to get their captain some help.
Knocking him out of his thoughts was a thud that came from the next room, Suo side-stepping Nirei to enter the other room first. If there was anyone in the room, Sakura likely wouldn't be able to fight back in the docile state he was in, making it the perfect time for an attack. What gang would have this information though?
Stepping through the door frame, Suo took a defensive position. However, his posture dropped as the only person that sat in the room was Sakura with his futon covering him.
“Sakura-kun, did your futon beat you in a fight?” The oldest joked, helping lift the mat off of him to lay out of the ground. Nirei grabbed the comforter from the closet as Sakura watched them make his bed. His chest swelled as saw what his friends were doing for him. They cared for him.
Nirei patted down the comforter before looking at Sakura with a sincere smile. “Your bed is ready for you to sleep, Sakura-san.” He always had this caring aura around him, lulling Sakura into a sense of security.
Sakura nodded and got down to rest, securing his spot on his futon and Nirei covered him.
“Rest well, Sakura-kun,” Suo hummed, a fond look on his face as his eye softened its gaze.
The two had stood up to leave, but something boiled in Sakura. It was okay to be selfish. It was okay to be vulnerable, he rehearsed mentally over the past few months. It was hard to believe, but Furin’s actions had matched their words and it seemed they really cared for him, so what did he have to lose?
Sakura struggled to let the words leave him, but the sounds he made seemed to get Suo and Nirei’s attention.
“Can you guys sleep here too?”
“Guys, we're coming in!” Hiragi announced, shoving the door open wide enough for him and Tsubakino to enter.
It was rather jarring seeing the living conditions of the younger classmate, knowing he returned here everyday. The rusted gate, broken flight of stairs, and door that didn't lock didn't give them an amazing feeling of knowing Sakura was safe.
“Are you guys here? You never texted Umemiya,” Tsubakino called, echoing through the tiny apartment. He gave Hiragi a look before stalking forward, careful not to make too much noise. Peaking through the door frame, three lumps were covered by the futon comforter.
Approaching them, Tsubaki felt his heart warm at the scene.
Between the two other warm bodies rested Sakura, head bent on top of Suo’s. His arms wrapped around the others, holding them close as they slept. Small snores came from Sakura as his chest rose up and down. Suo had his body contorted with arm placed on Sakura’s waist, head tucked into the crook of his neck. Although no noise came from him, the vice captain wore one of his signature smiles, seeming content even in his sleep. Nirei laid on the other side of the bi-colored boy, head resting on his chest and legs sprawled over them. Drool dripped out of the corner of his mouth, pooling on Sakura’s shirt.
A sigh came from behind Tsubaki as Hiragi witnessed the scene, still smiling despite the stress those three had cost him five minutes ago. Tsubakino snickered in response, taking out his phone and snapping a picture to show Umemiya their first years were safe and sound with one another.