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Sako stares at the mirror, at his own reflection. He held scissors at one hand and his own cut hair on the other. Turning his head to the side, he tried to observe the difference of his hair now and from how it was just a minute ago.
There isn't really much that changed. Just that the back is a little shorter from the front. It's a small detail but it's still a big deal. For Sako, at least.
Sako really likes his natural hair. Black locks, soft, easy to brush, and it flows nicely when the wind blows. Though that's not even half of the reason why he likes it.
"That's good for now", the taller boy with sharp teeth smiled at him. Giving Sako's head a gentle pet.
"No! Not enough! I need to get stronger", Sako argued. Which turned the gentle pet on his head into to a (not so) rough scratch. "Ow! Hiragi-san!"
"Enough is enough. We need to get going, it's getting late", Stepping away from the shorter, Hiragi went to pick up his school bag that lays beside Sako's on the grass. Turning back around to look at the younger, Sako's brows are furrowed and his lips turned down to a frown, as his hands brush his messy hair back into place.
"Hiragi-san sure does like my hair, huh?", it was a sarcastic comment and Sako didn't expect an answer but..
"I do.", Hiragi responded without hesitation causing the younger to freeze, eyes going slightly wide and his mouth hanging. "It's really soft. Mind telling me your hair care? 'cuz mine sure feels rough with the amount of gel I put on", Hiragi joked.
"T-there is no hair care done! I-it's just— I use shampoo and conditioner, that's all!", Sako stuttered out.
"Wha— Why are you stuttering?", Hiragi stated, amused at how his underclassman/student/friend is acting.
"Nothing!"
Sako lowered his head and speed walked beside Hiragi, crouching down to quickly snatch his own bag, swiftly sliding the straps on his shoulder, before full on running away. Like a plane taking off with how fast the shorter was.
"Oi! Wait up!"
Sako panted, gripping the bathroom sink tightly while spitting out blood down the drain. He glanced up to, yet again, look at his reflection. Now though, he looks totally like a different person, even HE is unable to recognize himself.
His hair is now dyed blond, with only the tips remaining as his natural hair color, he got himself piercings on both earlobes, and his eyes are more squinted than doe. It's so unlike him. Then again, he reminds himself that the old Sako Kota is gone.
"I'll make him regret what he said!", He gritted his teeth. "I'll make sure of it!", it's been a while since they last talked to each other, since Hiragi said the words that broke him. But Sako holds grudges, sue him.
He pushed himself to become stronger, fighting everyone in and out of Shishitoren. He doesn't do friends, he's only purpose there is to get stronger. Not like it matters anyways, because it seems like the only people who aren't afraid of him are Togame and Choji.
He asked to fight anyone from Shishitoren every single day. Of course, they cannot deny it for they wound seem like they're a coward and a weakling and risk getting kicked out, aka "skinned". But the ending for those guys he's fought stays the same, they lose.
This was his pattern for a year or so. Punch, kick, fight, repeat. Sure, he might've overworked himself because he's only human, he gets hurt during those fights, too. He never goes home unharmed, he isn't invincible. But it's all worth it because he has climbed his way into becoming one of Shishitoren's top 5.
"Can I join, too?", the voice sent shivers down Hiragi's spine, it's the voice that accompanied him from elementary to middle school, it's so familiar. Yet it also sounds different. It sounds cold and distant. "I want to fight Hiragi-san.", when Hiragi found the source of the voice, he saw the person pointing at him.
Taking a closer look at the person he knows by heart but doesn't recognize, Hiragi took in the dyed hair, pierced ears, expressionless face, and the yellow jacket he wore.
"Sako", Hiragi clenched his fist tightly. "Sorry, Umemiya. But I'll join this fight, too", said top-dog must've sighed but he didn't payed attention to it. He only continues to have a staring contest with his childhood friend that he hadn't seen in more than two years.
Sako layed on the wooden stage, out like a light after Hiragi's final hit to the younger's stomach. Whispers filled the old theater, most of them among the lines of: "No way!" and "I can't believe it" and "Sako lost" and "Furin really is trouble". The murmurs remains until Shishitoren's vice-commander, Togame, stood up and pointed at the unconscious body.
"I don't care who it is...", he begin, voice slow and quiet yet it holds venom and power. "...Just get that off the stage", members turned their heads away from the vice, avoiding eye contact at all cost. It made Hiragi's blood boil.
How dare he refer to Sako as if he were an object that's easy to throw around?
"No need", Hiragi felt all eyes dart towards him as he crouched down to pick up Sako. "I'll get him down.", he carried the younger on his shoulder before walking off the stage.
Carefully slipping the younger in front of him, his hands found itself behind Sako's knee and on the back of his head. His fingers twitch when he felt the strands of fake-blond as he gently placed Sako on the ground. Hiragi can't help but think of how it still felt soft despite the dyeing and bleaching that it probably went through.
"Heyyy~ Thanks, man", Hiragi glanced back to the voice that's approaching his way. "But you didn't really have to be so gentle with him.", Hiragi clicked his tounge while his gaze became sharper when Togame crouched beside him. "Well, thanks for trying, kid", the vice-commander clasp the jacket Sako was wearing and was about to pull it off when a hand tightly clutched his wrist. "Hah..?"
"Why don't you..", Hiragi tightened his hold on the other's wrist. "..Wait until your fight is over?"
Sako groans as his eyes start to flutter open. The first thing he sees is the ceiling above him but just a few seconds later, he can't help but close his eyes again. Everything was spinning, there's also a loud, obnoxious voice coming from in front of him but he didn't give a damn about that at the moment. He pushed himself into a sitting position and tried to regain his senses and when he did, he's able to immediately piece everything together.
It seems like Togame-san and Tomiyama-san lost, too.
So Furin won by a landslide and Sako didn't want to stay and get humiliated for any longer. Especially when he heard something like: "take out" and "eat together" coming from Bofurin's top-dog.
He slowly stood up, one hand clutching his own stomach as he tries to limp his way out of the theater without getting noticed by anyone. Especially by a certain someone.
Sako wanders his eyes absent mindedly at the black screen of the TV in front of him. He hasn't shown his face in Shishitoren in more than a week. Well, he didn't really know if he's still wanted there after his lost. Sure, Choji and Togame lost, too, but that's a different story.
He startled when a loud knock echoes throughout the almost-empty house. "Knock! Knock!", a very familiar loud and cheerful voice follows the knocking.
Sako's mouth drop to the ground as he hurriedly try to get up from where he was comfortably sitting and rush towards the front door.
How does he know where I live?
He pulled the door opened to reveal two people outside. He shouldn't really be surprised that Choji isn't alone and that he came with his right-hand. But here Sako is, staring dumbfounded at them who also looked surprised to see him.
"Ah! Sakocchan! Finally!", Choji eyes turned crescent with how widely he smiled at Sako. There was something wrong (right?) with the leader's voice. His voice is cheerful like always but this one is different, it sounds like genuine joy. And his eyes, instead of an empty, hollow void, he can almost see light from it.
"Ohh~ sorry to disturb you, Sako", he glanced next to the vice-commander. He, too, looks different. His eyes looks soft instead of sharp and he wore a genuine smile.
"Yay! We finally found you!", Choji repeated with a delighted laugh.
"True. But next time let's try a different tactic, yeah, Choji?"
"But this one's more efficient!"
"Are you sure it's more efficient than just messaging Sako over here?"
"Hmp! I doubt he'll answer, anyways!
"Uhh..", Sako blinked confusedly at the two. He swallowed when two pair of eyes turned towards him. "Would you like to come in?", Sako offers because it would be rude not to invite your (unexpected) guest over.
"Oh! Yes please, we've been walking around since earlier", Choji removed his shoes on the genkan and made himself feel at home. Jumping while looking around. Togame behind him did the same.
"Choji, calm down. This isn't your house", Togame softly scolded, earning a distant 'okay' which seems to come somewhere around the kitchen. "Sorry about that, he's been looking for you since yesterday"
"Uhm?"
Togame must've read the confused face from the younger to which he softly laughed at. "You see, he was worried about you so he decided to knock at every single door in this town", Sako could swear his chin hit the floor and his eyes popped out of it's sockets. "We've been knocking our way at every house since yesterday"
"WHAT!?"
Sako later on found out the real reason why they came to look for him. They were worried, he was still a part of Shishitoren, and...
"Black hair suits you, Sakocchan!"
...A 'makeover'. Tomiyama-san's words, not mine.
There were short trim of dirty-blond hair on the bathroom floor, which were from Choji. Long black strands were scattered there too, because apparently Togame decided to have an undercut. And Sako.
He stared at his own reflection, the blond hair he got used to for a year is gone, replaced with his natural hair color. Like this, he can almost see his past self. Weak, vulnerable, and broken but he isn't complaining. In fact, despite all those negative things he's reminded of, he still feels a soothing warmth of familiarity and recognition.
"You guys, go with them!", Hiragi ordered firmly which was then followed by noises of confusion and shock coming from the other members of Furin. "Look at them! They're CLEARLY lost!", he added, referring to the Shishitoren members.
"No we're not", Shishitoren's leader denied while the taller vice-commander just laughed awkwardly. "Oh, right! Wouldn't it be dangerous to go alone, 'Ragi-chan?"
"That's right", Togame agreed.
Hiragi turned to face the two.
"Well, then..", Togame reached behind himself and Choji, he suddenly yanked one of his members who stumbled on his feet. "..Take one of ours! We were planning on sending him there anyways!", both the vice and commander grinned widely at him as he stares at the boy in the middle of the two.
"Sako", Hiragi blurted quietly.
Said guy turned around to look at the leaders. "Eh— no— I can't—"
"Uh-huh! That's a great idea!", said Choji while nodding excitedly.
"B-but..!", he then turned to face the taller.
"Sorry~ I gotta help Sakura", Togame said with a sheepish smile.
While Hiragi can see the way the duo smiled encouragingly at Sako, he had no absolutely no idea what the younger's expression is. All he can see is the way his body trembles and the way his hands curl into a fist an then loosens immediately. That's not a good sign, no? But Hiragi could care less because right now, this Sako Kota is more familiar, with his hair no longer dyed and how his movements shows exaggeration, just like before.
Sako slowly looked back and the moment their eyes met, he flinched back. Darting his eyes everywhere but Hiragi, seemingly trying to avoid another eye contact.
After processing the information that, yes, this is Sako, and yes he knows this person better. Hiragi smiled.
"You worried about him?", a voice whispered behind Sako's ears that causes him to jump and turn around to face the invader of his personal space.
"S-seriously!", Sako pointed a finger accusingly at the guy. "Why are you always like this!? Pay attention to your fights, dammit!".
This guy had been nagging him and pushing himself into Sako's space for a while now. With his tall figure, curly black hair, focused eyes, and sharp fangs peeking out of his lip, Inugami Teruomi is one intimidating person at first glance but...
"Oh, come on!", Inugami pouted, whining his words out like a child who wasn't permitted to play outside. "It's not like you're concentrated either—"
A man snuck behind the curly-head, fist in the air ready to hit him.
"AGH!"
The attacker went flying back when Sako interfered by kicking him square in the face. "See? I told you.", Sako straightened his jacket, squinting his eye at the man he just knocked out.
"Sorry..", the taller rubbed the back of his head with a frown. Sako couldn't help but sigh.
"But, you're right", he glanced sideways where Hiragi was facing a fight against the crazy guy with loose screws in his head, Banjo. "I am distracted.", for a short while, he just watched the two until he remembers that he has his own fight to win. "Let's get this over with"
"Got it!!", the other agreed enthusiastically before following Sako to the army of opponents.
It's a never ending fight. Enemies keep coming from out of nowhere. Sako feels like when he knocks one out, two more are added. But this is okay too, at least his mind can think of something else instead of worrying.
"HIRAGI-SAN!!!", Sako's heart dropped when he heard the desperate shouts of Bofurin. His head instinctively snapped towards the direction of where Hiragi and Banjo are fighting. Or were fighting.
Because right now, they are nowhere to be seen. What made his heart sink even further was the fact that the guys of Furin were all looking down the bridge, down the running, freezing cold, water below. Shit.
"Hiragi-san..!", Sako took a step forward towards the railing, he wants to look down the bridge, too. He wants to make sure that his former upperclassman is okay.
"Heyyy~ where do you think you're going, hah!?", the guy attempted to kick him from behind to which he swiftly avoided by ducking down. He sent a withering glare to the man.
I don't have time for this.
Just how many of them are there!?
If earlier Sako was content with blowing off some steam by punching the life of of these people, now he's just getting annoyed and more anxious with every second he waste. He knows the Hiragi is strong, but can anyone really blame him for the way his gut wrenches with worry.
"AUGHH!", two men were sent tumbling down at the same time and Sako's eye caught the reason why. With his normally gelled up hair now damp and his clothes drench, clinging to his skin, Hiragi was back on defending the bridge.
Unconsciously, Sako's surprised eyes soften, the corner of his lips twitching upwards into a smile, his body relaxing and releasing tension (he didn't even know he had), and a relieved exhale escape his mouth.
Then, their eyes met.
Sako felt it once again. The electric feeling that sent shivers down his entire body and caused him to flinch. He immediately avoided his gaze, heart thumping loudly in his chest and his skin suddenly heating up.
"Sako... I'm sorry I left you here with such a crowd", said Hiragi, his voice sounds so tender despite the chaos they're currently facing. With the older's voice sounding so soft, how was he supposed to respond!?
They didn't won against Noroshi. But they didn't really lost either. Sako didn't know the details as he wasn't in the school, where the real boss' are fighting and he didn't really wanna press anyone for information. After all, this is the town of Furin's problem, they just came as back up.
Although that doesn't explain their current situation...
Everyone— well not everyone, since some members of Furin and Shishitoren are heavily injured and/or passed out— those who are fine are now gathered at Furin's rooftop, with tons of food delivered directly at their location, the school.
The sun is barely up, Sako doesn't know who opens this early and delivers food. Though there are some places that are open 24/7, he would also like to assume that it's one of Bofurin's perks.
Away from the crowd's eyes, Sako hides himself behind the many plants around the area. Holding a single dango in hand that he hasn't even taken a bite out of, he observes the place (and plans his escape route without getting noticed).
"Hey, everyone! Grab yourselves some sushi from this charcuterie!", a distant voice, Umemiya probably, invited which caused the people from both team to surround him.
This is my chance!
But before he can take a step for his escape, a voice interrupted him. He glanced at the figure approaching him and immediately froze in his spot.
"I was looking for you, thoughts you decided not to come like last time", there's a smile plastered on his lips that didn't quite reach his eyes. The taller continues to walk until he's right beside Sako and leaned his back on the wired barrier behind him. There, awkward silence rises between them.
"S-so... Why were you looking for me?", Sako decided to question.
Hiragi looked hesitant. Scratching the back of his nape and smiling sheepishly.
"Sako, I wanted to say so—"
"Hiragi-san!", Sako raised both of his hands to a grab onto Hiragi's collar, holding it tight. His eyes are narrowed, sending a heated glare towards the taller. He pulled the other down, the tips of their nose almost touching.
"What are you—?"
"I don't want to hear another apology from you! I should be the one apologizing, not you!"
"Not you!", Hiragi stayed frozen in Sako's hold, unable to do anything but to listen to the younger's desperate tone. "I realized— fuck— I realized I was being petty and I'd understand if you hate me."
Snap.
"Are you insane?", Hiragi tried to control the venom in his tone. He really did, but suddenly he's gripping tightly on Sako's shoulders and pushing him against the wired fence behind them. "How could you ever say that so easily? Me hate you?", he felt his own hands tighten, nails digging the fabric of Sako's jacket.
"Hira—", Sako hissed. His hands moving from the Hiragi's collar to his hands, trying to pry them off of him. The younger's brows furrowed tighter when instead of letting go, the hands sank deeper into his skin.
Hiragi doesn't know what his doing. Sako's hurting because of him, yet he can't find himself stopping."The only thing I hate right now is you assuming things for my sake!", he pushed Sako further, those wires surely leaving a mark on his back.
A silent sob, trembling shoulders, and tears.
That's what it takes for Hiragi to snap back into reality. "Shit", he let's go of Sako's shoulders put he didn't step away. "Did I scare you? I'm so—"
"I don't want to hear another apology from you!" , Sako's voice rings in his ears so he stopped himself from saying it.
"Hey, look at me?", he tried but Sako only shook his head, covering his face with his hands as he tries to calm his sobbing down.
"I'm sorry..", a soft quiet voice emitted from the younger. "Hiragi-san, I'm sorry so please. Let me finish?", Hiragi responded with a nod.
Sako took a deep breath.
"Like I said, I was petty and I'd understand if you hate me because of that. From the day you graduated, I dedicated myself into one day beating you. All because you told me not to follow you."
"Then, I found out you said it to the others, too, and they still followed you. You were so angry back there, when you saw Kaji-san beat up. I couldn't help but ask myself: 'would he care for me the same way if I had followed him?'.."
Hiragi wanted to butt in. He wanted to say yes. Yes of course he'd care. And even if he didn't follow him, he still cares. He cares so much no matter what option Sako chooses.
"But when we fought side-by-side..", a bitter laugh. "I couldn't help but think 'I'm glad I left'.." Sako finally looked up to Hiragi, their eyes meeting. He's no longer crying, but there's tear stain on his cheek and his hair sticking to his face because of it, his eyes are stolen but behind it, Hiragi can see determination.
"I'm glad I left because if I hadn't, then I'd probably still be hiding behind you. I'm glad I left because now, I can get to fight with you, beside you. I'm glad I left because I can help you, protect you. I'm glad because when I left, I got the chance to become stronger. Which I would've never realize I could if I stayed behind you."
"I mean— I'm not saying you're not a good instructor but you know!", Sako sighed before smiling. "Independency is great sometimes."
It was silent for a second before Hiragi wrapped his arms on Sako's lower back, pulling him into an embrace, and burrowing his face on the crook of his neck. Hiragi sighed, content. "Has anyone ever told you that you sound cool?"
With that comment, Sako turned into a blushing mess. Stuttering gibberish words as Hiragi laughed. It was comfortable.
"Uhm.. Hiragi-san are you trying to kiss my shoulders?", Hiragi nodded, earning a laugh from the younger.
"I'm trying to kiss it better. Is it working?"
"Pft— you know I can't feel it through the fabric, right?"
"Then...", Hiragi nosed on Sako's jaw, slowly making his way up until his mouth beside Sako's ear. "Would you mind removing a couple layers of clothing?", Hiragi whispers, tugging on the younger's yellow jacket.
Hiragi watched as Sako flinches, all the blood moving all the way up to his face, painting his cheeks bright red. The older chuckled.
"Hey...", the two flinched. "I was gonna offer sushi but I guess you were busy haha!"
"Awe! It looks like we interrupted! And they were having such a cute moment, too!", Tsubakino cooed.
"Ohh my~ Well, I'm not really surprised soo..", Togame commented, completely unbothered.
"Sakocchan, nice!", Choji did two thumbs up with his hands.
"At least get a room, fangy and squinty"
"S-Sakura-san! Don't say that!"
There were a lot of eyes on them. Not all (thank goodness) but there's still many!
Sako flushed even further, pushing Hiragi off of him and dashing towards the exit of the rooftop. All his earlier plans of escaping discreetly flies out of his mind.
Sorry, Hiragi-san!