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It all started with an ordinary, borderline boring staring game that Anzai proposed.
"That's lame!"
"Can't imagine me staring at Kurita for a long time. I feel goosebumps already," Takanashi shuddered.
"You got problems with looking at me?" The said man wrapped Takanashi in a playful headlock.
"Do you have any other suggestion then?" Anzai threw his hands up dramatically. "No, right? Come on, let's bet on something to spice it up."
“What's with the fuss?" The classroom door slid open, revealing their resident grade captain who was munching on an anpan that he received from the Cactus Bakery. His heterochromatic eyes glanced at them with an obvious curious look on his face. Anzai was ready to melt on the spot knowing that Sakura was slowly coming out of his shell after his sudden outburst a few weeks ago.
But killing his boredom was the top priority on his list right now.
"Sakura," he slung his arm on the younger's neck. The said person jolted under his touch but made no move to swat them away. "Wanna join us? We're gonna have a staring contest right now."
Sakura raised his eyebrows. "A what now?"
"Staring contest! You know, the one who blinks first loses," Kakiuchi piped up. "Kurita here suggests that the losers will take turns to pay for the winner's lunch."
Anzai gaped at his friends, feeling betrayed. "Wait, what? You said it's lame minutes ago- mmph?!"
"Haha, what are you blabbering about? We're totally not saying that, right guys?" Takanashi pulled Anzai away from Sakura and slapped his palm on the said man's mouth. Behind them, Kurita and Kakiuchi nodded simultaneously.
Takanashi elbowed him from behind. "Just go along. It's a rare opportunity to ask him to do weird things like this," he said next to Anzai's ear in a hushed tone. Sakura still stood in front of them with his almost-finished bread, totally oblivious to their blatant scheming.
"O...kay?" The grade captain stuffed the rest of his food inside his mouth, making his cheeks puff out like a squirrel before swallowing it down. "Do your thing."
"Wait!" The four of them pulled Sakura to sit on the nearest chair before he had the chance to walk away. He plopped down unceremoniously and blinked with much confusion. If not for the sudden hidden intention, they might've combusted from witnessing their captain's adorable, socially awkward side.
"You're in the game," Takanashi patted Sakura on the shoulder.
"Ha? Why should I?" The younger scowled.
"Because there's nothing better to do right now," Anzai slung his arm back at Sakura's neck. "The prize is also sick. What else?"
"That really sounds interesting, right Sakura-kun?"
Sakura didn't even have his chance to protest at the nonsense reasoning before Suo popped out of nowhere from behind, scaring him out.
"Shut up," Sakura huffed and crossed his arms. "I'm not playing."
"Aw, you're not fun," with his eyes closed, Suo shot the grumpy grade captain a smile. He then tilted his head innocently, letting his tassel earrings sway lightly with the movement.
"Or are you actually scared to lose over a game, Sakura-kun?"
That off-handed comment successfully made the younger teen flustered. He gave a sharp, dirty look at his vice-captain. "You little- argh, fine. I'm in."
'Suo, that's nasty but thank you,' Anzai and the three others mentally teared up at the provocation and raised their thumbs up towards the said teen.
"Oh! Can we join too?" Nirei chimed in enthusiastically with an amused-looking Kiryuu in tow.
"Tsuge-chan is joining too, for your information," the pink-haired male slipped his phone into his pants pocket and flapped his sleeve in the direction of the mentioned person.
Anzai scratched his head. "I mean, sure. I don't really mind. But why's everyone suddenly interested?"
No one answered. Nirei just twiddled with his pen nervously. Kiryuu hid a small smile behind his sleeve. Tsugeura, who was just joining the circle after his pull-ups, could only turn his head around cluelessly. They tried their best not to steal a glance at their main reason for joining the silly game.
A certain bicolored teen. The resident grumpy cat.
Their grade captain.
'When else will I get the chance to get that close with him?' That thought flew in everyone's head.
Sakura being Sakura, only yawned and leaned back on the chair, totally oblivious to the weird growing tension between his classmates.
"There, there. I think it's because the prize is worth the time. Also, the more the merrier, right Anzai-kun?" Suo piped up with his usual sweet voice, breaking the silence. "That means the winner will get free lunch for a whole week."
"Eh? Suo-san, you're not playing?" Nirei counted the players with his fingers. Himself, Sakura-san, Kiryuu-san, Tsugeura-san, Suo-san, Anzai-san, Kakiuchi-san, Takanashi-san, and Kurita-san.
There were nine people here.
If the prize was 7 days' worth of lunch, it supposed only eight people were playing, right?
"Oh, no. I think it'll be unfair for me to compete like this," the brown-haired man pointed his finger at his eyepatch. He then furrowed his eyebrows, suddenly turning serious.
"Besides, I don't want to unleash the sealed demon in my eye and defeat everyone," he spoke in a hushed tone.
Sometimes, the way Suo casually lied on their face like this made them think that his words were actually true all along.
Sakura tsked. "I'm not falling for that anymore."
"Aw, Sakura-kun. I'm not lying, you know," he playfully patted Sakura's shoulder. The sweet smile crept back on his face as if it never faltered for a second. "I'll just be the referee, then."
"Nice, just get this thing started now!" Kurita fired up and raised his fist, totally pumped up. "Let's decide the order with rock paper scissors."
"The last two out will be the first competitor," Kakiuchi added.
"Rock, paper, scissors!"
***
Kakiuchi didn't even realize he already lost the game two seconds after it started.
He sat on a chair in front of Sakura who was still weirded out with the idea of just staring at one person and doing nothing. A table rested between them as a barrier. The bicolored teen might not show it on his face, but he knew Sakura was pretty nervous from the repeating vibration on the surfaces he touched. Their grade captain couldn't stop tapping the heel of his foot rapidly and the way his fingers twitched on the table.
Dear god, he resisted the urge to jump and put Sakura into a headlock. How did their grade captain be this adorable?
"Are you ready? Three...two..."
"W...wait!" Sakura exclaimed, cutting Suo off. The referee turned his head towards him.
"What's wrong, Sakura-kun?"
"I..." Sakura took a slight glance at him before returning his eyes back to the empty table between them. The tapping of his foot got faster as red started to seep back into his ears. The rest of them patiently waited for their captain to collect his thoughts.
"I...'ve never played this before. Do I just need to keep my eyes open or-" Sakura finally blurted his question out. The odd-colored irises stole another glance at Kakiuchi nervously.
The dark-haired teen blinked before suddenly something clicked in his head.
"Yes, that's basically the ground rule of the game. The one who blinks first loses," He crossed his arms and propped them on the table, relaxing his posture. "But you also need to look at your opponent in the eyes while doing so. Is that clear?"
That's basically the game, nothing more, nothing less. But Kakiuchi didn't mind if he needed to explain it bit by bit to their naive captain.
Burst of red dusted Sakura's cheeks at the thought of looking eye to eye with another person. The older gave him a small encouraging smile.
"...go on," Sakura closed his eyes and let out a loud exhale. Kakiuchi mirrored the gesture, but not before he noticed a fond look on their referee's face directed towards Sakura.
Another thing clicked in his head.
"Okay then, on one. Three...two...one!"
Kakiuchi opened his and was met with Sakura's glass-like eyes staring back at him. They were intense, yet vulnerable at the same time. He took a sharp breath and blinked, totally mesmerized.
They're pretty.
"Ah, Kakiuchi-kun blinked. That's a win for Sakura-kun," Suo's announcement broke him out of his stupor.
Wait, what?
"What?!" He stood up, embarrassed. Sakura huffed in amusement. A chain of laughter erupted from the others. Anzai elbowed him right on the ribs, still laughing.
"Dude, not even three seconds in and you're already out?"
"Can't believe you just lost like that to a newbie."
"Shut up!" He pulled his hood up to hide his reddened face and pouted. "I was just getting caught off-guard, that’s all.”
New rules for future matches: no pretty eyes were allowed in the game.
***
Takanashi didn't know if he should consider himself unlucky or not today.
It's a total bad luck that he went third for the game, which means he needed to beat six other people first before getting that seven-day treat.
But on the good side, he got the chance to start his round with Sakura.
"My turn!" he moved Kakiuchi away and took his spot. "Don't expect me to go easy on you, rookie."
"Expect me to punch you if you do that," Sakura replied. Takanashi barked at his straightforwardness. Typical Sakura and his brash attitude.
"Oi, Suo! Get this thing started already."
"Okay, okay."
'May Lady Fortuna be on my side today,' He thought while waiting for Suo to start from three. When the countdown hit one, he snapped his eyes open and was met with Sakura's heterochromatic irises.
He swore he could see sparks of curiosity in Sakura's eyes. The way the gold glimmered under the harsh fluorescent lighting of the classroom was pretty distracting, but not in a bad way. Sakura's mismatched eyes are gorgeous in their own way. Takanashi unconsciously gulped at their grade captain's intense gaze.
He could stare at them all day long.
'Lady Fortuna is really on my side today,' he mentally teared up. Having a chance to look at Sakura with this much intensity is rare.
"You're pretty good at this, rookie," Takanashi tried to provoke his opponent. The smaller teen furrowed his eyebrows and pressed his lips, annoyed.
"You're not going to distract me with your comments..." Sakura's words faltered as he noticed something passed by their line of vision, breaking their eye contact. Takanashi felt his own pupils follow Sakura's line of vision like a moth chasing the light. Something small passed right in front of his nose-
"Oh, it's just a mosquito."
The next thing he knew, he already jumped out of his seat and ducked behind Kurita. Takanashi turned his head frantically. "Get that thing away from me!"
Silence.
Stifled giggles started to fill the room.
"Wha..." Sakura blinked in confusion.
"My, Sakura-chan. That was such a good counterattack," Kiryuu chuckled at the younger's lost face and gave him a wave of approval. "A complete knockout for Taka-chan."
"That was so fucking hilarious," Anzai broke down in tears on the floor.
"You're more a loser than I was, Takanashi," Kakiuchi giggled and patted his blonde locks in sympathy. Takanashi groaned.
Curse him and his fear of tiny insects.
"I guess luck is not on your side today, Takanashi-kun," Suo chuckled, couldn't help himself but comment too.
Was it though?
Remembering the sparkling gold, he guessed Lady Fortuna was really on his side with her own way today.
***
"Whose turn is it now?" Nirei asked.
The chair let out a screech when it got pulled back. Sugishita plopped himself on it without much fuss. Sakura clicked his tongue.
"Why are you even here?"
"..." Sugishita jutted his lower lip in irritation. A slight blush adorned his cheekbones as he averted his eyes away from Sakura.
*Flashback*
"The last two out will be the first competitor," Kakiuchi added. They huddled in a small circle.
"One...two...Rock, paper, scissors!"
Nine hands shot out at the speed of light, giving out various outcomes. Some cheered with the result of the first round, and some groaned in frustration.
Wait.
Did I just say nine?
Eight pairs of eyes turned towards one particular person simultaneously like a group of meerkats. The targeted person only raised his head to face the rest of the group.
"...what?" Sugishita asked. A deadpan look rested on his face.
*End of flashback*
"Sakura-kun, don't be like that. I think Sugishita-kun is just excited to have the chance to compete against you," Suo brushed Sakura's shoulder lightly.
"Like hell!" Both exclaimed at the same time towards Suo before glaring at each other. The eyepatched teen didn't even flinch at the tone.
"Why don't we settle this in another way?" Sakura smirked and rose from his seat with his fists up. Sugishita didn't hesitate to follow the other's posture, ready to pounce.
"Ah, Umemiya-san just passed by," Suo's off-handed statement managed to make both of them freeze and sit back down. He blinked innocently.
"Oops, I must be mistaken. I think the demon in my eye is playing tricks on me."
"Suo, I swear I'll kill you-"
"A~nd start!" Suo raised his arm and swung it down between them, continuing the game abruptly. Brown eyes suddenly clashed with a striking pair of yellow and blackish-blue.
Sugishita never bothered to learn more about people aside from Umemiya-san. To him, no one is more important than the top of Bofurin himself, so why bother to get to know others better?
But today, he managed to learn something new about one person he disliked the most.
Unlike his own flat, slanted eye shape, Sakura's eyes were round with a slight sharpness on the edges. The faint pink on the skin around the bicolored tone of his irises softened Sakura's usual harsh facade.
Sugishita wondered how someone so confident and brash like Sakura could be delicate at the same time.
He suddenly remembered how Sakura's small hand when he wrapped his around it on their first day. He could also clearly recall how those same hands beat so many people up until they bled.
Sugishita saw how those same eyes lit up with much confidence with every move he made. The softness around his doe-eyes was gone, replaced with much intensity that could outburn the fire itself.
Sakura Haruka might be delicate at times, but he's not fragile.
Argh. He closed his eyes and banged his fist on the table in frustration, startling everyone around him. Even Sakura was caught off-guard. Sugishita grunted and proceeded to slam the classroom door open to go to the rooftop, leaving them speechless.
He hated to admit this, but he wanted to know about his most disliked person more.
Sugishita wanted to look at Sakura in the eye properly again, but he was well aware of how his pride would stand in his way.
After all, they were rivals. Both he and Sakura were not the type who would peg down their ego first before the other.
Sugishita huffed, clenching his fists harder.
Maybe he should start by settling their argument with eyes more often than fists first.
***
Anzai won't lose to anyone, even just for a simple game.
There was a brief silence after Sugishita left just like that, taking his loss in the game. Anzai didn't want the hype to calm down, so he immediately took the spot and cracked his knuckles. Sakura straightened his posture in his seat, clearly starting to get invested in the competitiveness.
"I'm getting that free lunch," he grinned. "Just because you're our grade captain doesn't mean I'll give that up easily."
Sakura leaned closer, propping his arms on the table. A smirk decorated his face. "You sure about that? Because I'm on a winning streak right now."
Anzai barked a laugh. "That's the spirit!"
Oh, the game's on.
"Three, two..."
There's a free lunch ticket he needed to pick up, after all.
"And...One!" Suo shouted, setting the competition back on.
Three minutes and twelve seconds.
That was his personal record and no one has ever beaten it.
But when he opened his eyes, he almost blinked at the sight that was served in front of him. He felt his breath got knocked away.
No wonder Kakiuchi lost in the first second. If not because of the prize, he wouldn't stop himself from being amazed by the way Sakura's irises twinkled too. Anzai couldn't hide his delighted grin.
Let's see how long he could admire those odd yet alluring eyes.
Suddenly, two minutes and fifty-three seconds had passed.
Low whistles and whispered excitements came from the spectators around them. Anzai propped his chin on his palm, still not feeling the burning sensation from the dry eyes.
Sakura, on the other hand, started to waver.
"You good, captain?" He provoked. Sakura scowled and pursed his lips. His brows were already furrowed and his nose scrunched from the way his vision stung. Despite his already glassy eyes, the grade captain still held an intense stare at him.
"Fuck," Sakura cursed under his breath.
Goddamnit, that's cute. He chuckled, feeling his heart staggered. Anzai took a deep breath and closed his eyes, giving up.
How could he say no to those eyes?
"And that's another win for Sakura-kun," Suo declared, earning a loud satisfied groan from Sakura. Some unshed tears clung to his eyelashes after he furiously blinked.
Three minutes and thirteen seconds.
Ah, his record was finally beaten by Sakura.
Anzai won't lose to anyone, even just for a simple game.
He guessed he would make an exception for Sakura from now on.
***
"Ooh, it's finally my turn after this," Nirei bounced on his spot excitedly before scratching his neck nervously. "Ah, no offense Tsugeura-san! but I hope I'll have the chance to challenge Sakura-san today."
"None taken!" Tsugeura slapped his palm on Nirei's back before claiming the chair in front of Sakura. The said teen leaned back and turned his face away. A poor attempt to hide the red that was dusting his pale skin.
It's not a secret that everyone in class 1-1 practically had a soft spot for their dear captain ever since his sudden outburst after fighting Keel, so he knew how Nirei was feeling.
They would do anything for Sakura. Just like how Sakura would do anything for them.
And that was such a good virtue. Tsugeura would be tearing up if he's not in the middle of a game right now.
He flexed his arm muscles as he crossed them on his chest. He straightened his back, meeting with Sakura's cat-like irises. "You hear him? But that doesn't mean I will be backing down that easily."
Sakura hummed, sounding satisfied. "I'm kicking your ass if you're not treating me seriously."
Tsugeura averted his vision away to see their referee, who was giving him a perfectly posed smile with his eyes closed. The tassels of his earrings swayed lightly as he tilted his head. Tsugeura suddenly felt chills coursing through his body.
Nah, Suo would definitely kill him first before Sakura got the chance to kick his butt. He could see it from his expression.
"Then I'll start counting now," Suo said. His voice dripped with too much sugar. Tsugeura chose to welcome the darkness instead of meeting with Suo's eye.
"One!"
Tsugeura may not have the chance to know Sakura better yet if you compare him with Suo or Nirei, who were always by his side. But he knows the younger boy has a good virtue since day one.
That included even the grand entrance where he declared that he'd take the top spot of furin. Tsugeura was well aware that some of his new classmates were a bit irked by Sakura's statement back then.
But for him, it sounded like how a great leader was born.
How?
A classic quote says that the eyes are the window to the soul. To Tsugeura, that was one simpler way to know someone's virtue at first glance.
It was all in Sakura's eyes. He could see the burning passion inside those two clashing irises.
Just like right now.
Upon meeting his gaze, Tsugeura found himself drowning in those heterochromatic eyes. He whistled.
"Yep, you really have a nice virtue."
A slight twitch from Sakura's eyebrows. "What does that even mean?"
"Means," Tsugeura leaned closer. "I want to get closer with you, as a friend."
"Wh-" red exploded across his cheeks. With pupils dilated, those dark and bright irises widened and shone with genuine confusion. "Whatever! Do what you want."
A soft smile graced Tsugeura's lips.
Such a sweet virtue.
"I can't take this. I think I'm gonna cry if I keep this up any longer," Tsugeura admitted into defeat after some more seconds and wiped his unshed tears with his fingers. Faint giggles came from around them.
"Dude, how can you have such a big body yet a softie at the same time?" Takanashi ruffled Tsugeura's broccoli hair.
"I see Tsuge-chan's not the only one who's ready to cry," Kiryuu glanced at the blonde vice-captain, who wasn't even trying to hide his glistening eyes. Nirei blushed at the sudden attention.
"N-no! I was just too focused on the game and forgot to blink too," Nirei cupped his warm cheeks. Suo let out a fake gasp.
"Nirei-kun, I think Sakura-kun's personality has been rubbing on you lately. Such a tsundere," Suo playfully flicked his pointy finger on Nirei's forehead. The blond whined, hiding his face further.
Tsugeura stood up and approached Sakura, raising his knuckles in front of the younger's face. The grade captain slightly flinched at the gesture, but Tsugeura made no comment about it. Instead, he just grinned.
"Thanks for the game, captain. Maybe we can play with our fist someday, hm?"
Sakura's eyes sparkled at the offer, piercing straight into his heart. He slowly raised his own fist and bumped it with Tsugeura's.
"Sure. Prepare for another defeat."
***
Nirei adored their captain so much. He knew Sakura-san was strong, but he saw how Sakura-san really put others before him first.
Such a reckless captain.
Nirei sometimes wondered, how could he repay the things that the bicolored teen had done for him, for the class, for the entire town?
He wasn't good at fighting at all. Comparing himself to Sakura-san, he would end up being the one who got protected by the said teen.
But still, he wanted to take care of his captain in some way.
It was easier to say than done, knowing how reluctant Sakura-san was to get a helping hand from someone else. Sometimes it hurt Nirei's heart when the other rejected his assistance, yet at the same time, he completely understood where Sakura-san came from.
That's why when he heard that Anzai-san and the others invited Sakura-san to a game, he perked up at the punishment for the losers.
A chance to treat his captain a lunch!
That's such a big bet, knowing that Sakura-san was easily startled over small things, he was afraid that an accidental knock on the table or a loud cheer from the others would make the bicolored teen lose his streak.
Thankfully, Sakura-san is determined enough to come out as a winner.
Oh, he also needed to say his gratitude to Suo-san and his sweet talk for firing up their small, feisty captain.
Nirei almost toppled off the chair when he threw himself on the chair, earning panicked noises and laughter around him. Even Sakura-san, the always grumpy cat Sakura Haruka, snickered at him.
"Oi, you're gonna get a concussion first before losing to me if you're not careful."
The blonde teen sheepishly grinned and hid his embarrassed face behind his notebook. Next to him, Suo-san stifled a chuckle.
"Sakura-kun, you do care for us."
"Can you just fucking shut up or I'll punch you in the face," the shorter teen scrunched up his nose and glared back. Suo-san lightly chuckled at the snappy comment. On his seat, Nirei waved his hands furiously at the ever-growing banter.
"Sakura-san, that's not a nice thing to say," the blonde softly reprimanded the younger. Nirei craned his neck to meet Suo-san's eye. "And Suo-san, don't tease Sakura-san too much, okay?"
"Eeh? How can I when Sakura-kun gives such a cute reaction? I just can't stop it."
"Suo you-"
"Aah don't start fighting please!" Nirei tugged Sakura's sleeve with all his might to prevent him from grabbing Suo's collar, while the said vice-captain only stood there with his usual smile on his face.
Time for the secret weapon then.
"Sakura-san, please sit back down or I'll seriously call Umemiya-san."
"Ugh," Sakura visibly flinched when Nirei mentioned the Bofurin's top and gingerly sat back down. Nirei sighed in relief.
Yeah, nobody wanted to deal with Umemiya's most random shits right now.
"Ahem. Players, get ready," Suo cleared his throat and back to his referee mode. Nirei closed his eyes tightly, feeling a bit nervous about his next move.
"Three,"
"Oi," Sakura called him. He couldn't see his face but judging by the tone, Nirei could imagine how his usual unamused expression plastered on his pale features. Nirei stuttered a response.
"Two,"
"You're gonna get dizzy if you shut your eyes that hard. Stop being so nervous."
He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants.
Yeah, why was he so nervous?
"One!"
Splotches of colors bombarded his eyesight when he snapped his eyes open. He took his time to readjust his vision before meeting with Sakura's mismatched eyes. Under his fluttering lashes, Nirei noticed a faint concern in his gaze.
Ah, he made Sakura-san worried again for nothing.
But at the same time, he felt his breath hitched at his captain's captivating look.
He never noticed that his lashes were pretty long. They really matched his eyes.
There's no better word to describe them other than breath-taking.
"Oi, you okay-"
"Sakura-san," Nirei cut him off. Sakura tilted his head slightly, waiting for him to continue.
"Please don't kick my ass after this," The blonde took a deep breath and purposedly shut his eyes closed. He heard a strangled noise of protest coming out from the grade captain before receiving a smack on his head. Nirei whined at the sudden impact.
"You fool!" Sakura huffed and crossed his arms on his chest. "I regret spending my seconds thinking that something's wrong with you there."
Nirei blinked two times before giggling. Sakura spluttered embarrassedly.
'Sakura-san, I can see it all through your eyes and I know you regret nothing. He wiped a stray tear that managed to escape from too much laughing.
I'll definitely work harder to always have your back.
***
"It's supposed to be Kurita's turn now, right?" Tsugeura asked.
"Yeah, but that guy hasn't gone back since he left for the restroom..." Anzai glanced at the cracked clock at the back of the classroom. "Sixteen minutes ago."
Kiryuu popped his wireless earphones and turned his phone off before walking into the center of the crowd.
"Then I'll count to ten and if Kurita-chan doesn't come then it's my turn. Is that good, Suo-chan?" he waved his Furin's jacket sleeve mischievously. Suo put his fist on his lips and downcasted his line of vision, deeply in thought.
"Hmm..." The eyepatched teen snapped his fingers, not forgetting to put on his usual poised smile. "Sure! Kurita-kun will automatically considered lost if he doesn't come back."
"Then," Kiryuu cleared his throat. "One...ten! My turn~"
"KIRYUU YOU ASSHOLE!" The door slammed open, revealing Kurita who was gasping for breath after running down the hallway. "I'm here...so...it's my turn..."
"I already counted to ten though," Kiryuu slotted himself on the player seat and sweetly looked up at Kurita. "Better luck next time~"
"It’s not- ugh," the bald teen wrapped his arms around his stomach area before turning around and sprinting back towards the restroom. "Just wait and I'll definitely get a chance to challenge you someday, Sakura!"
And that was his last words of the day.
"What's up with him?" Sakura grumbled. Only manic snickers came from the others as an answer.
"Don't mind that guy," Anzai said in between his wheezed giggles. "Begin the last round!"
***
Not gonna lie, but Kiryuu didn't really like the outsider when he saw him on the first day of school.
Sakura Haruka gave the strong impression of someone who's hot-headed and only knows how to swing his fist around.
Also, reaching for Furin's top? Such a total nonsense.
He didn't want to cross paths with the outsider at all.
But then the spontaneous fight in front of the muscle cafe, which forced them to team up, made Kiryuu see Sakura Haruka in a new light.
"One!" Suo exclaimed, signaling the pink-haired teen to open his eyes. His calm, green irises clashed with Sakura's blazing mismatched ones. Kiryuu couldn't hide his amusement.
"Sakura-chan, I didn't expect you to enjoy this type of game."
"I'm not!" Sakura stuttered. "I just got dragged into this mess that's all."
"Sure~"
Kiryuu didn't make any more comments on the blatant lie since he already got the answer he wanted just by looking right at Sakura's eyes.
They were too honest. Kiryuu was very pleased with how easy for him to read Sakura's real emotions despite being grumpy almost every day.
Sakura-chan was bad at expressing himself with words. He was more familiar with using his fists to speak for his feelings.
But his eyes- oh Kiryuu felt like he just found a box full of gems.
Sakura-chan's eyes screamed the loudest.
He could sometimes see the hint of anger, sadness, and even distrust in those mismatched pairs.
But at the same time, Kiryuu also witnessed the burning passion, the childish excitement, and the unyielding endearment towards everyone in this class that grew stronger as days passed by.
Ah, Kiryuu was mistaken.
Sakura Haruka was not the hot-headed person who only knew how to swing his fist around.
He was just a boy who was still learning about the world around him.
"I'm sorry Sakura-chan," The pink-haired teen hid his eyes behind his uniform sleeve, feeling embarrassed by his irrational judgment. A choked laugh escaped his throat.
"Ah, I guess it's game over for me."
***
There was a second of silence before everyone roared at the result. Sakura didn't get the chance to process the situation as his body was suddenly seized up and thrown up in the air by Anzai and the others.
"Huh?" The small grade captain blinked cluelessly. "What?!"
"A straight win for Sakura!"
"I will not regret spending my savings for this day!"
"Way to go, captain!"
"Sakura-san, congratulations!" Even if Nirei only stood sideways, he couldn't contain his bubbling euphoria for the celebration. Sakura blushed at the compliments that were bombarded at him.
"I get it, I get it! Put me down!" his complaints fell on deaf ears as his body flew up again. "Oi!"
Suo felt bad for their helpless captain and decided to give him a hand. He cocked his head. "So, who's gonna do the first treat tomorrow?"
The tossing stopped. Sakura got gently dropped back before the atmosphere turned more serious. the bicolored teen felt goosebumps at the chilling tension between his classmates. The sudden mood change really gave Sakura a whiplash.
"Wha-" Sakura turned his head when Suo tugged his sleeve, pulling him away from the crowds. The older's maroon iris glimmered with pleasure.
"Sakura-kun, you might want to step back a bit before-"
"Me!" Surprisingly, Tsugeura was the one who shouted first. "I volunteer myself!"
"No, I was the one losing first so I get to treat Sakura-kun on day 1!" Kakiuchi shot up.
"Since when that's the rule?!"
"Eeh? Shouldn't it be me? Technically speaking I'm on second place," Kiryuu reasoned.
"You're just lucky to get out first on rock paper scissors," Anzai retorted back.
Nirei hesitantly raised his hand. "C...can vice captain get an advantage?" He squeaked.
"Definitely not," everyone glared at Nirei, who shrunk back behind Kiryuu.
"Then, how about we decide the order with another round? Minus the winner of course," Suo nonchalantly threw the idea at the arguing teens. Sakura felt the ticks on his eyebrows.
It was very Suo-like to throw more oil into the fire.
The suggestion erupted another wave of roar from the group of competitive teenagers.
"Get ready for our lunch together tomorrow, Sakura!"
"Let's get that protein okonomiyaki with me!"
"Captain, I'll treat anything you want!"
Sakura stepped back in horror.
"They're nuts."
Suo smiled and scooted closer to Sakura, planning to push another of the younger's buttons. "It's exciting, isn't it?"
He waited for the outburst, the exploding shades of red that covered almost every inch of Sakura's pale skin, or the ever-brash physical confrontation. But it never came.
Instead, he didn't expect a small smile to grace the younger's features. The same smile that he saw at Pothos months ago.
Sakura leaned his body on the back wall, eyes never leaving from the chaotic circle in front of them. A warm look decorated his bicolored irises. The amber glittering under the afternoon sunlight like a fire sparks and the coal reflected them like a calm seawater.
"Yeah."
A tinge of pain went through Suo's chest as he took his breath. He couldn't help but be mesmerized by the clashing beauty in Sakura's heterochromatic irises. The way his long eyelashes fluttered like delicate flower petals and how his usual sharp edges softened with much fondness.
It's beautiful.
His fingers twitched on his side, tempted to caress Sakura's cheek, and made him look at Suo Hayato right in the eye.
You're beautiful, Sakura Haruka.
Suo closed his eyes and tucked his hands on his back to keep them from reaching out and making a wrong step with Sakura's undoubtedly still fragile trust with people.
One small step at a time.
Truth be told, he's not exactly the most patient person. But if it was for Sakura, Suo was willing to wait until the other was ready to open the door to his heart. Even if it took him years to reach that.
A fond smile, perfectly mirroring the other teen, graced his lips before he refocused back on the scene in front of him.
Ah, He hoped someday Sakura would look a him with those eyes.
For now, this is enough.