Chapter Text
It was a unanimous sentiment throughout class 1-1 that they all loved their grade captain.
How could they not love this boy, who clearly loved too much, but had no care for himself? Who blushed so easily at the drop of a hat whenever he was shown any sign of affection? Who would willingly jump into the metaphorical fire, if that meant he could help just one more person?
These were all things that endeared them to him after all.
They could tell how much he cared about them and could only strive to return his care in kind. His genuine concern for them, and the other people of Makochi, along with his unwavering support had a way of making everyone feel seen, valued, cherished . His selflessness, his courage, and the vulnerabilities he tried to hide just made them more protective of him instead.
They would never try to change him; he wouldn't be Sakura anymore if anything about him were different. Besides, his little quirks and unique personality were what endeared him to everyone in the first place. These traits made Sakura who he was, and they wouldn't have him any other way.
Many of them had even joked about his catlike tendencies and found them cute, adorable even — how he liked to nap in the sun or how his tongue was sensitive to hot foods. How he would bristle and hiss at sudden loud noises, or if someone startled him. How his flexibility allowed him to twist and contort his body in ways that other people can't. How that same cat-like grace allowed him to land on his feet, no matter where he jumped from.
And though they'd never want him to change, some of them did have slight… grievances. About one of his… more well-known quirks. His love for heights.
Frankly, they really wanted him to tone it down a little. For the sake of their heart health and stress levels, if nothing else.
The first time they found him squatting above one of the large poles supporting the windchimes placed throughout the town, there had been a mix of reactions from everyone — surprise, apprehension, fear. Surprise, on how he'd gotten up there; there were no ladders in sight. Apprehension, on why he was up there; was he being chased? And fear — they feared that one strong breeze would tip him over, and make him plummet to the ground. Feared that he would lose his balance and fall. Feared that were he to somehow injure himself irreparably, none of them would be able to help.
They had lost track of him very quickly into the patrol that day and had been keeping an eye out for where he was. Never in their wildest dreams did they think they would find him where they did. Nothing could have prepared them for the sight of Sakura squatting on top of one of the beams, heels lifted off the ground and balanced simply on the balls of his feet. His posture was stable, not a single shake to be seen.
It was mesmerising, incredible. Breathtaking.
"Sakura-san!" Nirei had called up at him, a panicked look on his face. "What are you doing up there?! Please, come down before something happens!" Nirei added, biting his fingernails nervously, his eyes darting between Sakura and the pavement below.
Sakura looked down at him, head tilted slightly in confusion.
"Patrolling. I can get a better view from up here."
This statement was met with incredulous silence. A couple of the Furin boys' jaws dropped, flabbergasted, their eyes wide with disbelief as they exchanged bewildered glances with each other.
Was it really necessary to go that far?
"Sakura-chan. Do you need help getting down?" Kiryu calls up, both curiosity and concern present in his voice.
"Nah, I'm good. I can get down myself," Sakura replied casually, his voice nonchalant and calm.
And without warning, Sakura flipped backward off of the beam.
Numerous horrified screams escaped from the throats of his classmates and other passersby who were watching him, their faces contorting in fear as they watched him soar through the air. Others covered their eyes, unable to watch, fearing the inevitable crash landing.
Nirei fell to his knees, eyes wide with horror, as the horrible image of Sakura's bloodied, battered and mangled-beyond-recognition body cycled through his mind.
But evidently, their concern was unwarranted — Sakura somersaulted twice in the air before landing safely on his feet behind them. Just like a cat.
"So, what did you need me for?"
Silence.
Meanwhile, off to the side, Kiryu was tapping gently at Nirei's shoulder, hoping to bring the other boy out of his catatonic state.
"Nirei-chan, it's okay. Calm down. Sakura-chan is fine. Look."
As if he had just heard the magic words, Nirei looked up. His eyes doubtful yet hopeful as he searched the area for Sakura's body.
Sakura was standing a short distance away from where he was kneeling on the pavement, completely unharmed, just as Kiryu had told him moments ago.
Nirei blinked once, twice, and then rocketed off like a bullet, immediately closing the distance between himself and Sakura.
"SAKURA-SAN!!!!!!" Nirei sobbed into Sakura's shirt, tears and snot running down his face, smearing across the white fabric as he clung to him.
"Nirei?! What are you doing? Don't cling to me!! Get off of me! You're getting snot all over my clothes!" Sakura pushed Nirei's tear-streaked face away from his shirt, horrified as he saw the snot trail still connected to Nirei's nose.
Despite his abrasive tone and words, the fact that Sakura wasn't actively pushing Nirei off of him made it clear to everyone there that he was more concerned than irritated. What a tsundere.
"Sakura-san! Why did you do that! I was so worried you'd get hurt!" Nirei's voice trembled with distress, tear tracks slowly drying on his cheeks, his eyes were still red and puffy from crying earlier.
"Ha?! Are you looking down on me? A little height like that isn't going to get the best of me," Sakura said, his tone indignant and offended as he tried to gently pry Nirei's arms from around his waist. But Nirei just held on tighter, unwilling to let go, as he smooshed his face into Sakura's shirt again.
After a couple more futile attempts to push the crying boy off of him, Sakura looked up at them, his eyes subtly pleading for help.
But all he received were awkward smiles in return. Most of them could sympathize with Nirei after all.
"Sorry, Sakura-chan. You're on your own for this one. You should comfort Nirei-chan since this is your fault." Kiryu's tone was apologetic but the smile on his face showed he was also clearly very amused.
"That's right, Sakura. Take responsibility for your actions." A voice chimed up.
The other boys nodded in agreement, their expressions a mix of amused and sympathetic to his current predicament.
"Wait, what did I do?!" Sakura exclaims, his tone confused and surprised.
"Figure it out yourself, Sakura-chan~ the rest of us need to finish patrolling," Kiryu said, his tone light as he waved his sweater paw at Sakura.
With that, the rest of the Furin boys on the scene turned around and walked away from the pair.
"Wait, come back! Don't leave me here!" Sakura called out, his voice mildly tinged with panic, his arm stretching out towards the retreating figures of his friends.
They didn't turn back, which was a shame.
If any of them had turned around, they would have seen an embarrassed and flustered Sakura desperately trying to wipe away Nirei's tears with his sleeves.