Work Text:
Sakura won’t even deny that it’s frustrating to do third year over again.
It’s not that she’s a bad student, or anything - she’s not stupid enough to consider a medical career if she was barely surviving school, but it is that she had to stop going so late into a year, and now she’s actively chosen harder classes.
She’s not entirely sure what her plan was, before all this.
Certainly becoming a hero was not in the plan. She just kind of assumed they’d always show up, like they always have shown up.
She lives in Tokyo, after all.
They just. They always do. Super Sentai and Kamen Rider, mostly.
At least since she was old enough to pay attention.
Just a few months ago, after all, she fought with a whole crew of past women. The longest running there had been involved in Kamen Rider since childhood.
…oh god. Childhood.
Hana and Kanon and Sawa.
Since childhood, they were tied up in this. Isn’t that insane? She thinks it’s insane. Daiji better make sure Bluebird does its job.
…all of this to say, she’s having trouble with some homework, and she hates everything.
(Worth it, she tells herself. Because it’s needed. Because people are suffering, and heroes are all well and good, but they don’t solve the real issues. Societal issues, like how Izu explained she’s not legally a person due to outdated artificial intelligence rights laws brought about by the Royders? Something like that.
But also just… life issues.
Hence the going into medicine.)
“There there,” Hana says, while Sakura face plants on her textbook in despair.
“I am so tired,” she says. “Sorry about this, on your day off.”
Hana shrugs.
“I don’t really mind,” she says. “You’re working hard, and you’re my girlfriend, and we’re still hanging out. Frankly this is much more than I planned, at the end of this.”
“You wanted to go to prison,” Sakura says. “Imagine how depressing that would be. You’re raised in a cult, you escape, you become a damn superhero… and then you go to prison.”
Hana shrugs.
“Made sense to me,” she says. “Helping Blue Bird makes more sense, though.”
Sakura hmms.
“I think you’re insane,” she says. “In so many ways. And I love you anyways.”
“Thank you,” Hana replies, taking a tiny sip of her drink. “For the compliment. I also think there is something fascinatingly wrong with your entire family. Or at least the women, and Ikki.”
“Thank you,” Sakura replies. “For the compliment.”
She shuts her book with a snap.
“Enough of this,” she says. “How are you? How’s Tamaki? How’s—”
She cuts herself off, not wanting to deal with th mess that brings up.
“Hikaru?” Hana asks. “He’s doing fine. Nice apartment. I know you aren’t sure how to feel about him, but he’s growing on me, now that we’re able to talk outside of Weekend. I think he understands, a bit.”
Sakura sighs. She… really isn’t.
He was her friend, and his family were regulars, but then none of them were who they said they were, and there was just… so much going on.
And now he’s alone, and he’s doing well. He said so, and apparently Hana and Tamaki visit him, which is nice, but Sakura is just left in confusion. Especially after he got all overprotective for a bit.
In retrospect it was probably because he saw Weekend as genuine family. She wonders what happened to his real— no, to his first family.
He made that mistake once, with Hana, and that became a whole Thing and everyone was there and Reika thought her and Hana were sisterly.
“I just don’t know what to do,” she says. “Hikaru. The homework. Even… even Ikki.”
They did eventually tell him about Vice. He just seemed so sad, like he was longing for something unclear. But they still haven’t figured out how to bring Vice home, and now with the whole Situation of baby and all, and…
“I don’t think there are answers,” Hana says. “Especially not easy ones. There was no clean ending. So we just keep trying.”
“Keep trying,” Sakura says. “I guess that’s true.”
But it’s not enough. Everything just feels so unclear.
Sakura is strong, but she is tired. Maybe she wants an easy answer, for once.
Well, she supposes, she has no choice.
“…but maybe a break from that homework is a good idea. Ice cream?”
“Oh, yes please .”