Chapter Text
Sakura Haruka understood the word ‘jealousy’ better than anyone else, a bit better to the point it gave him discomfort. Living his life for years without the love and support from his closest family, he lived every day like his life depended on it. He could only watch his friends play happily with their family and other kids, plus he had to sit alone during lunch time because no one wanted to be with him. It was painful, so painful that it made Haruka’s heart became numb. He detached himself from society, not wanting to get hurt anymore.
—or so he thought.
It all changed when he moved to Makochi and enrolled into Furin. Meeting everyone with different background who didn’t see him as someone lesser and disgusting, it definitely felt overwhelming for him to accept. People always told him that it was normal for someone deprived of love to feel uncomfortable when they received some, so he just took his time while keeping his guard up. He was afraid that they would betray him, seeing him as just another disgusting being.
“Sakura-san! I want to ask you something, can I?”
Hearing Akihiko asked permission to him, he just nodded his head as he swallowed his omurice. “Sure, I guess? I mean what do you want to ask?” he questioned back, sipping his coffee.
“After graduating from Furin, is there anything in particular that you want to do?” Akihiko was ready to wrote down Haruka’s answer. “If possible, I’d like to hear it in detail!”
What he was going to do after graduating never came across his mind. At first, he thought he’d just get a mediocre job and live day to day. When it came to place to sleep, he could rent an internet café room. Simple, right? But no, he didn’t want such life anymore. In fact, there was something else on his mind.
“I…,”
Akihiko gave him expecting look.
“I’m going to join the Defense Force,” he said with blush covering his face. He didn’t dare to make eye contact with Akihiko nor Hayato who had been watching from the side. He was ready to hear them doubting his dream.
“That’s awesome!”
Haruka immediately looked up, finding his best friends were staring at him. They were looking at him with the such kind eyes, the same eyes they showed to him when he knew no one. It was warm, so warm that it felt suffocating. However, Haruka didn’t want to let go of that. It felt strangely… comfortable.
Akihiko was the first one to open his mouth, of course praising Haruka. “Considering your agility, that’s actually a great choice!”
“Nirei-kun is right, being a Defense Force officer is great. I heard the tests are really hard, especially the written test.” Suo hummed in agreement. “Shall we host a study session?”
“WHY?! I CAN STUDY JUST FI—”
Haruka’s words were being interrupted by the sudden blaring sound of the alarm. He instantly knew that there was an attack near them, so he rushed everyone to follow Akihiko to the bunker. Haruka and Hayato stayed behind, making sure than no one being left behind. Soon, he was being approached by a mother panicking over her daughter.
“Please help me! She was last seen at the park, please help me find her!” She begged to him while trying to soothe her baby’s cries.
Haruka nodded. “Suo, you stay here.”
“Sakura-kun!”
Ignoring Hayato’s words, Haruka rushed to the park near Shishitoren’s place. He should be able to get to the child and brought her to safety. While he managed to avoid being discovered by most of the yoju, what he saw when he arrived was something he didn’t expect. His throat went dry when he saw what happened, legs felt like melting to the ground.
Blood…
So much blood…
“TOGAME!!”
Jo, who had been laying in a pool of his own blood, lifted his head to glance at Haruka. Desperately, he tried to make a sound but nothing came out. He fell once again on Haruka’s lap, coughing blood out of his mouth as he finally managed to voice out something.
“The kid… take her and run—”
Just then Haruka noticed a kid hiding underneath some rubbles, crying silently. On the other side, he saw a yoju already marching toward his location. He knew exposing the child would be dangerous, but he also needed to bring Jo to safety. Confusion washed over him like boiling hot water, making him unable to make decision. He knew he had to choose, but he just couldn’t do it.
He couldn’t let any of them die.
‘—THEN FIGHT UNTIL HELP COMES!’
“There’s no helping, isn’t it?” Haruka chuckled. “Very well, I—”
Loud sound of explosion could be heard as dust were starting to spread. The crab-like yoju stood where Haruka and Jo stayed, but there was no sign of their remains. However, somewhere hidden in between the rubbles both Jo and the girl were safely hidden. There, Haruka acted like a shield to hid both of them.
“Sakura? You can’t fight that thing! Run with the kid, damn it!” Jo protested, holding his bleeding shoulder. He was soon silenced by Haruka’s gentle smile as he bandaged Jo’s shoulder wound with his Furin’s uniform.
“Gather yourself together and run, Togame. I can handle this.”
“Haruka, do you remember what I taught you?”
Haruka nodded at his father’s words as they both sat on the bench at the rooftop of the base. Both of them were just spending some quality time right after his father was done with his neutralization mission. He looked at his father’s gentle face with admiration, silently wondering how someone so strong could be this gentle.
“If one day you were caught in the middle of disadvantage, you must fight until your very last breath,” said him as he gently pat Haruka’s hair. “That’s the very core of Defense Force, to fight…”
“—to fight until my very last breath.”
Beneath his uniform, there was a suit attached to his body. It began to fit itself to Haruka’s body measurement. Enhancing every single muscle in his body, making him ready to face the yoju. He wasn’t sure how much combat power he had, but for the sake of Jo and the girl’s safety, he was going to put everything on the line.
“Dad, do you hear me?” Haruka spoke to the communication device attached on his ears.
“Haruka?! Where are you? I didn’t see you among the evacuating people!”
“I’m trapped, two civilians here need to be rescued. I’m going to buy you some time until help arrives.”
“Haruka! Get away from there! I’m going to come to you as soon as possible!”
“Running away, you said?” Haruka grinned. “Like hell—”
BAM!
“LIKE HELL I’M RUNNING AWAY YOU BASTARD!”
Haruka kicked the yoju hard, so hard that it went fly away and hit the surrounding building. Even incomplete, if he got his power drawn out this much then he could protect Jo and the girl with ease. Besides, he was surprised to see how easy the yoju’s shell to crack. Versatile attack yet flimsy defense, those reminded him of soft-shell crab somehow.
“I’m going to save them until you get here, not as Sakura Haruka but your son.”
—and Haruka smiled.
“Hoshina Haruka!”
The situation was a total chaos. There were many people who got injured, but at least no casualties yet. A lot of Defense Force soldiers being dispatched to evacuate and kill the swarming yojus. In between those soldiers, Soushirou was one of them. It should be a breeze, but the fact his own son was still out there somewhere in danger couldn’t make him feel at ease.
“HARUKA!” He screamed through the communication device, but noticed that it already being turned off. “Damn it! He cut off our communication!”
“What’s wrong Soushirou?” Another voice came out through the device, startling the Vice Commander. “You sound troubled, what happened?”
“Our son is not in the shelter!” said Soushirou as he cut down another yoju. “I can’t go to him; we’re practically being swarmed!”
“I’ll handle it, so guard the way to the shelter while I came to drag that brat.”
Again, the communication was being cut short. Though annoyed, he knew he could trust his own husband to go get Haruka to safety.
“Those two really…!”
“SAKURA!”
Jo’s voice distracted Haruka, causing the yoju’s claw to hit him. It sent him flying, hitting a metal pole until it bent away. He could feel his own body started to give in, overheating almost caught up to him. Holding the ripped claw from the yoju, Haruka slowly stood up to challenge it again. Despite his injuries, he was more than ready to give his all for Jo and the girl
“SAKURA PLEASE JUST RUN!!” Jo begged to him, screaming from the top of his lungs as the little girl held him close.
“NII-CHAN!!!”
Haruka wouldn’t listen, he would never listen to such order. Running away when he got people he needed to protect? What a joke. If he wanted to become a Defense Force soldier, running away was never an option. He would protect Jo, the girl, and everyone else in town. He’d gladly die for the sake of people who were willing to accept him for who he was. For a place he called home…
“What—”
CRASH!
“—THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY SON?!”
Seconds after a man fell on top of the yoju, yoju guts were spread all over with a loud bang, dirtying the surrounding area. On top of the yoju’s carcass, there stood a man holding a giant bayonet. That man immediately rushed to catch Haruka before his body touched the ground.
“Pa… you’re here?” Haruka’s words were being muffled from the hug. Despite his injuries, he still tried to avoid the back pat given to him. “I’m not ten anymore, stop it.”
“Well, no way in hell I’m not praising you. Shouldn’t you feel glad instead? Me, Hoshina Gen, praising you?”
Ugh, Haruka wanted to punch his papa’s face so bad. However, he couldn’t do that as he soon lost consciousness, letting himself being handled by Gen. Finally he was safe, all of them were safe.