Work Text:
"You were so good today, Tsubaki-chan!"
"Oh, thank you so much, Kimura-san." Tsubaki bows her head towards the patron who just approached her after she came out of the dressing room. He's a regular at Show Pub Ougi, so she knows it's an honest compliment. "I'm so happy you enjoyed it. Did you catch Shizuka-chan's performance, as well?"
"Of course I did," the man replies. "Beautiful as always."
"Th-thank you," Tsubaki hears behind her as Shizuka, who also just left the dressing room, approaches the two of them. "I'm going to perform a new song next week, so make sure to come here next Friday, okay?" Shizuka gives the man a shy smile.
Kimura nods enthusiastically, striking up a conversation with the singer. Tsubaki excuses herself to look for ways she can make herself useful. She helps Kanji clean up tables until it's time for her to leave — Maru is never happy with her when she stays out too long. Also, it's the Jikoku team's turn tomorrow for the morning patrol, and she needs her beauty sleep.
"Bye, everyone, good work today," she says and waves at the few staff who are still left inside Ougi now.
When she walks out, she can feel her phone vibrate in the pocket of her skirt, making her pause. Who would text her at 10:30 on a Thursday evening?
"Nirei …?", she utters under her breath when she sees the name on the screen. She clicks on the notification as she makes her way to the bus station.
Nirei Akihiko • 22:34
Hello Tsubaki-san, are you busy right now?
It's a little surprising to get a message from the first-year vice-captain, but of course she replies immediately.
Me • 22:36
I'm never too busy for my favourite underclassmen ~~ What's up, Nirei?
She is running a little late so she has to put her phone away and power walk to the station, the sounds of her heels swallowed by the noises of the red-light district around her. Thankfully, she makes it there just before the bus leaves, and sits down in the first available seat she sees.
Nirei Akihiko
. . .
Tsubaki furrows her brows — Nirei is still typing. It's been five minutes. She hasn't exchanged many text messages with the boy so far, but she knows he's a fast typer and usually replies very quickly.
Nirei Akihiko • 22:43
How did you know you liked Umemiya-san?
Of course, I should've known this would be about romance. Tsubaki stifles a giggle as she imagines the first-year trying to properly word his message, probably deleting it a bunch of times before finally settling on this one question.
Me • 22:44
Is this for your page about me in your top secret notebook?
She knows she shouldn't be teasing poor, innocent Nirei, since she strongly assumes this is definitely not about his notebook, but the opportunity is just too good. The reply comes after seconds:
Nirei Akihiko • 22:44
Ah, no!!
Nirei Akihiko • 22:44
I mean, not that I wouldn't be interested in that information …
Me • 22:45
Maybe another time ~~ What is this really about, then?
Nirei replies with a sticker of a scared, sweating cartoon dog. Tsubaki can't stop herself from laughing, and she quickly hides her mouth behind her hand before anyone can give her a dirty look for being too loud on public transport. Her underclassmen are so cute. Nirei is typing again.
Nirei Akihiko • 22:47
I was just wondering how someone would figure out if they like someone as a friend or … something more.
She smiles at the message as she wonders who could have caused these feelings of confusion in Nirei. Is there a girl from one of the other high schools that he likes? Or, now that she thinks about it, maybe it'd be more likely it's someone from Furin? Ooh, who could it be?
Before she can think about what to reply, she realises the bus is almost at her station, so she quickly presses the stop button and gets up.
As the bus opens its doors and she steps out, she looks down at her chat with the first-year. What should she tell him? How does she know she likes Ume as more than a friend? Her thumbs hover over her keyboard while she starts walking in the direction of her apartment, seriously considering her answer.
Me • 22:50
Honestly, that's a very good question! Sometimes it can be hard to know exactly how you feel about someone.
Me • 22:50
Obviously, my other friends are also very precious to me, but Ume is special! I mean, I don't want to hold my other friends' hand or kiss them!
Is this too boring? She doesn't want to tell Nirei about everything that Ume did for her when they were younger; not right now, at least. But maybe this basic answer isn't what Nirei needs.
Me • 22:52
When I think of him, my heart feels light, like I could do anything when he's with me! And I know he doesn't feel the same way about me, but I know I can trust him with my life. Even if he'll never like me back, I don't think I'll ever stop loving him ~!! ♡
She sends a sticker of a bunny with heart eyes for emphasis. By now, she's reached her apartment building, so she pockets her phone for a moment to unlock the front door and walk up the stairs.
"Meow!"
"Ah, sorry, Maru-chan," she says when she opens her apartment door and gets greeted — yelled at, more like — by her cat. "Did you feel lonely without me?"
She kneels down to take off her shoes and scratches Maru under his chubby chin in an attempt to mollify him. He still doesn't look entirely happy with her, but she knows he'll get over it with the help of some treats.
He protests with another "meow" when she picks him up and carries him to the kitchen, continuing to yell at her while she opens the tube wrapper and pours the creamy treat into his food bowl.
With her cat finally quiet, Tsubaki sits down on the sofa in the living room and takes out her phone again. She's got a couple of messages.
Nirei Akihiko • 22:53
Oh …
Nirei Akihiko • 22:53
I see, thank you, Tsubaki-san!!
And then, nothing after that. She's a little confused. Was that it?
Me • 23:00
Do you need anything else, Nirei?
It's getting a little late, but she's just too curious. The boy's reply comes, once again, almost immediately after she sent her text.
Nirei Akihiko • 23:00
No, thank you!! I'll see you at school tomorrow!!
Tsubaki doesn't even know if she'll have time to see the first-years tomorrow, but now she kind of hopes she will. She wants to ask Nirei in person about what is going on with him. Before she closes the messenger app, she sends him a sticker of a snoring cat in lieu of a goodnight text.
She keeps thinking about Nirei while she takes off her makeup and gets ready for bed. The curiosity is killing her a little.
Who could it be? Maybe someone from his class …? There's a lot of cute boys in that group.
Maru jumps onto the bed as she gets comfortable under her blanket. "Hello, Maru-chan, do you want to cuddle?", she coos. The calico blinks slowly at her, curling up on top of her chest. It's a bit harder to breathe like this, but she wouldn't have it any other way.
"Goodnight, honey," she yawns before she dozes off.
Just like every other morning, she gets woken up by Maru meowing loudly at her, begging for breakfast.
"Yes, yes, you're starving, I know," she sighs as she opens the can of cat food and empties it into Maru's bowl. She sets it down in front of him and watches him eat for a moment before she prepares her own breakfast.
While she sips her coffee, she takes out her phone, commenting on Shizuka's newest Instagram post and checking the Class 3-2 group chat. When she clicks back to the overview of chats in her messenger app, she sees Nirei's name in the list of most recent messages. She hums in thought, but decides not to text him again.
After she's finished her breakfast, she goes through her morning routine of taking a shower and applying her makeup. Umemiya texted earlier that he's planned a meeting for today, so she puts extra effort into picking a nice outfit to wear under her Furin coat.
As usual, the Sakakis are waiting for her outside of her apartment building when she comes out.
"Good morning," she says, waving at the two boys.
"Morning, Tsubaki," Seiryu greets her as Uryu acknowledges her with a nod. "Did you have a good shift at Ougi last night?"
"I did!" She smiles at him. "You should come watch next time! As long as you don't make me pay for you again …", she adds, sternly glaring at the two of them.
"But the food is so good there," the older twin whines.
"Pay for it yourself, then," she says, flicking his forehead.
Uryu chuckles while his brother winces in pain — that is until Tsubaki threatens him with an outstretched hand raised towards his own forehead.
"Please, no, spare us," Seiryu begs dramatically.
"Fine." Tsubaki adjusts her bag's shoulder strap and turns around. "Let's go, I don't wanna be late."
"I'm sure this has nothing to do with the fact that we're gonna see Umemiya before school."
"Shut it, Seiryu!"
When they enter the roof, most of the grade captains are already there. Her eyes search for Umemiya, but he is fashionably late as always. She does, however, see the captain and vice-captains of Class 1-1 — maybe this will be her chance to talk to Nirei in person! But as soon as the boy spots her, he blushes furiously and avoids her gaze.
"Good morning, everyone," she hears a lovely familiar voice behind her, and she quickly whips her head around.
"Good morning, Ume ~", Tsubaki beams at the Bofurin leader. Of course, he is the last one to arrive — with a stressed-looking Hiragi in tow, as usual. She's met by a dazzling smile that leaves her a little breathless.
When I think of him, my heart feels light.
She is reminded of what she texted Nirei last night, and looks for the first-year again. He is still a little red, hiding behind Suo and Sakura, but now it's probably because of Umemiya's arrival. Tsubaki thinks it's adorable how nervous Nirei still gets around his upperclassmen.
"Alright, you guys," Umemiya starts when everyone's seated either on the benches or sitting on the ground surrounding them, "first of all: Did you see how much my tomatoes have grown? They're getting so big!" He points towards the planter and seedling boxes where Sugishita — when did he get up here? — is currently busy watering the vegetables.
"They look lovely," she praises him enthusiastically while she hears Hiragi groan somewhere to her left. "I can't wait until we can harvest them!" Some of the students around her voice their agreement.
"Thank you! I'll keep you updated on when we can pick the veggies," Umemiya says and smiles at her again. "Okay, and secondly: We've prepared a new patrol plan for next week. Apparently, there's a group of pickpockets going around, so we need to be more vigilant. Also, unfortunately," he frowns, "someone broke into Muscle Power last night. The manager asked us to help them clean up, and keep an eye on the place for the time being."
He reveals a piece of paper with a timetable consisting of dates, times, and team names scribbled in it and passes it around for everyone to study. Seiryu takes out his phone and takes a photo of the plan, presumably to send it to the Bofurin vice-captain group chat so everyone can share it with their respective classes.
"Alright, that was it, meeting closed!", Umemiya announces, giving them all a thumbs-up and a wide grin before he gets up. "Have a great day, everyone!"
"This couldn't've been a text?", Tsubaki hears Sakura mutter.
"S-Sakura-san!!", Nirei scolds him in a hushed voice, sounding a little panicked.
Tsubaki suppresses a laugh. The first-years are just so cute. She looks at Nirei again, curious. He is now trying (and failing) to stop Sugishita and Sakura from fighting, as Sugishita probably found the captain's remark disrespectful to Umemiya.
Nirei's blushing again, unhelpfully holding onto Sakura's shoulders from behind, stuttering something about how everyone should get just get along, while Suo's laughing at the three of them.
"Suo-san, please help!!", Nirei whines, and Suo sobers up right away.
"Oh, Umemiya-san, you've returned?", Suo asks no one in particular, and Sugishita immediately whips around, looking for the Bofurin leader — who left the roof right after the "meeting" ended and has, in fact, not returned. When Sugishita realises he's been tricked, he fixes Suo with a nasty look before he seemingly decides it's not worth it and returns to the vegetable patch.
Sakura shakes off Nirei, their blushing cheeks now matching in colour. "Thanks, but I could've totally handled it," he mumbles, readjusting his jacket. The blond boy reaches out to fix Sakura's hair, but the captain swats his hand away, looking embarrassed. Nirei stutters out an apology, his face turning impossibly redder.
"Tsubaki?" Seiryu's voice makes her look away from the trio for a moment.
"Hm?"
"We should go, the rest of the team is probably already waiting for us in front of the school."
Oh, right, they're on patrol duty this morning. So, no talking to the 1-1 vice captain for now; that's unfortunate.
The staff at Muscle Power look relieved when Tsubaki arrives with her small group of classmates and other Jikoku second- and first-years — obviously, the people working at the restaurant aren't lacking in strength, but in manpower to fix up the place quickly and efficiently. They all work together to repair the broken door and window and tidy up the interior. Thankfully, so the manager tells them, the robbers only went for the alcohol and TV and left the precious wrestler memorabilia untouched.
"Good job, everyone!" the manager announces when they're done. "I'd like to offer each of you a protein shake as a thank you."
Tsubaki eyes the menu. She hasn't been here before, so she's not sure which shake is the best, opting for the chocolate banana flavour in the end. While she and the rest of her group wait, she sits down at one of the tables and takes her phone out. Suzuri has texted her, telling her his shift is about to start and asking her how her day's going. She smiles when he reads his messages.
She takes a photo of the Muscle Power menu and sends it to him.
Me • 10:02
Does your restaurant offer flourless okonomiyaki?
Suzuri Shuhei • 10:03
No, and I don't even want to know what these people use instead.
Me • 10:03
LOL
Me • 10:03
Maybe it's good, don't knock it 'til you try it!
She sends a sticker of a contemplative dog. To her delight, Suzuri replies with a sticker of his own, a laughing cat. Cute!
"Tsubaki, your shake is ready!"
"Oh, thank you." She gets up from her seat to take the protein shake from the manager.
"Sorry about the missing toppings — we didn't have time to prep most of the ingredients this morning, with the break-in and all …"
"No worries, it still looks delicious!" She takes a sip, and it honestly tastes quite good. Maybe she should come here more frequently.
When everyone's received their protein shakes, the students head out to the main street again to go on their usual patrol routes.
While she walks a bit behind the group, sipping on her chocolate banana shake, she finds her thoughts going back to Nirei again. She doesn't even really know why she's invested in her underclassman's love life like that. Maybe it's just because he's so cute and hard-working, and she wants to see him happy. He always seems so stressed and hard on himself.
Who could it be that he likes? He kind of implied that it's a friend of his …
She realises she doesn't actually know that much about Nirei — does he have many friends outside of Furin? The only person that comes to mind is Kotoha, but Tsubaki doesn't think Nirei would even dare to think of Umemiya's little sister that way. Also, though perhaps she shouldn't assume these things, she kind of doubts Nirei is even interested in girls.
I mean, there must be a reason why he asked me and not his friends, even though we're not that close. He's probably still terrified of me.
It must be someone from Class 1-1, she decides. But there's a lot of boys in that group, and Hiragi is the one responsible for them, not Tsubaki, so she doesn't know all of their names — though obviously, she knows their captain and the vice-captains, as well as Sugishita.
Nirei seems to hang out with Sakura and Suo the most, and Tsubaki also sees him with the cute pink-haired guy with the piercings and the musclehead with the orange hair a lot. Those five make a cute little friend group.
So, which one of them is the lucky guy?
Maybe it's wrong of her to be so curious. But to be fair, Nirei was the one to come to her with his problems in the first place, so who can fault her for wanting to know more?
I'll just have to keep watching them to find out. Nirei is not that subtle.
She doesn't get another chance to bring it up with Nirei over the weekend, but it turns out there are other interesting developments going on with the first-years.
It's Monday, and she's sitting on the couch on the rooftop with Umemiya during their lunch break, telling him about her latest shopping trip with Kotoha.
"Look, this is the new blouse I got, I think it'll go well with that patterned skirt I bought last month —"
"Sakura?"
Tsubaki looks up from the photo on her phone and, indeed, there is the grade captain of Class 1-1, standing in front of them. He must've been really quiet when entering the roof.
The boy is sporting his usual embarrassed blush, not looking at either of them.
"Ah, sorry, I didn't know ya had company, Umemiya, I'll just come back later …"
"Is something wrong?", Umemiya asks him.
"No! No, don't worry," the boy rubs his neck. "I just think I, uh … need some … advice, or whatever. But it's cool, yer busy, so …"
"Sakura, honey, you can always come to us for advice! Or is it something you need specifically from Ume? Should I leave?", Tsubaki asks. She knows Sakura well enough to know that asking for help is a big task for him — having two people see him like this is probably mortifying. You have to treat him gently, like a scared stray cat.
"N-no, I guess it's fine …" Sakura scratches his cheek. He gets so fidgety when he's nervous; it's cute, just like everything else about the first-year.
"What is it? Do you want to sit down?", Umemiya asks.
"Uh, sure …", Sakura says, gingerly taking a seat in one of the foldable chairs across from them. He's picking at his fingernails.
"Alright, what's up? Did something happen with your class?", Tsubaki asks.
"No, everything's great …" Sakura's cheeks are so red, he looks like he's about to turn into one of Ume's tomatoes. "It's, uh —"
Umemiya and Tsubaki are waiting patiently for the boy to continue.
"Jeez, why's it so hard to say it out loud!!", Sakura suddenly bursts, "It's so embarrassing!!"
Tsubaki can't help but giggle at how cute he is. What in the world has him tearing his hair out like this?
"Sakura", Umemiya chooses his words carefully, "you don't have to be scared to tell us anything. We won't judge you."
Tsubaki nods emphatically, "Absolutely! We'll try to help you any way we can."
If this were a cartoon, she imagines there would be steam coming out of Sakura's ears. "W-well, I — I was gonna ask how ya ask people out on … a date …" His voice trails off, and he looks close to just getting up and leaving. He hasn't looked either of them in the eye a single time since arriving.
Oh, how cute!!
"Oh! Well, that's — not really my area of expertise, I gotta admit," Umemiya says sheepishly. "Tsubaki?"
"I've never asked someone out on a date!", Tsubaki says. "There have been people who asked me out, but I, uh," now she is blushing, too, "I already have someone I like, so." She bites her lip.
"Wait! Who do you like, Sakura?", Umemiya asks.
"What makes ya think I like anyone!!", the boy yells defensively, "I never said that!!"
Unfazed by the boy's temper, Umemiya says, "Well, if you wanna go on a date, you'd probably wanna do that with someone you like, wouldn't you?"
"I … Maybe," Sakura grumbles. It seems like not even he can argue with that. "Maybe there's, uh … someone."
"It better not be Kotoha." Umemiya narrows his eyes.
"No!!", Sakura yells immediately. "What would I want from her!?"
"She does make the best omurice in all of Japan," Tsubaki chimes in. "And she's very pretty."
"Shut up, I don't even like girls!!"
Dead silence.
"Ohh," Umemiya says, grinning from ear to ear, "sorry, Sakura, I didn't know!"
Tsubaki is absolutely delighted by this news. "Oh, Sakura, thank you for telling us! That's so brave of you!"
Sakura looks like he wants the ground to open up and swallow him whole. "Shut up, just — don't go around tellin' everyone, alright?!"
"We would never!" Tsubaki looks at Umemiya next to her, who nods. "Your secret is safe with us."
"Th-thanks," Sakura mutters, studying his hands. "Anyway, if ya don't have any advice, I guess I'll be on my way …" He gets up.
"Wait!!" Tsubaki will not let this opportunity go to waste. Her adorable kouhai comes out to her and needs boy advice? She has to do something.
Sakura finally raises his head. "Huh?"
"I, uh …" She wasn't prepared to have those sparkling bi-coloured eyes fixed on her, and now she's the one feeling shy. "Well — that one time I got asked on a date, the boy sent his friend to give me a letter from him. I thought that was really cute. If you're too nervous to ask the boy you like yourself, maybe you could do that? That way, you don't have to do it in person."
"Or maybe text him!", Umemiya adds. "If he says no, you can just say 'wrong number' or something."
"Who would ever say no to our sweet Sakura?" Tsubaki elbows him.
Sakura groans. "No, Umemiya's right, it's not like anyone would like me back anyway …"
"Sakura," Tsubaki stands up and grabs the first-year's adorable face, "don't even say that. Anyone in this entire school would be lucky to have you."
Sakura's cheeks feel very warm under her palms. "But —"
"No buts!"
"F-fine …"
"Now," she pushes Sakura back onto the chair. "Let's make a plan. We will get you this date, Sakura."
On Wednesday evening, after not having received any updates, she decides to text Sakura.
Me • 20:31
Sakuraaaa ~
Me • 20:31
How did it go?? Have you asked out your crush yet??
Sakura Haruka
. . .
Tsubaki knows Sakura is a slow typer, so she patiently waits for his response. Additionally, this topic is probably still extremely embarrassing for the first-year to talk about. She assumes he'll take a while.
Sakura Haruka • 20:36
I wrote the letter, but I didn't ask anyone to give it to him yet.
Me • 20:36
Oh, but that's great!! Who will you ask to deliver it?
Sakura Haruka • 20:38
I was thinking about Nirei.
Me • 20:38
Good idea, he's trustworthy! Are you going to tell him what it's about?
Sakura Haruka • 20:39
Maybe.
Tsubaki thinks of her text exchange with Nirei from last week. The Class 1-1 vice-captain also has someone he likes; maybe he and Sakura should exchange stories.
Unless …
Well, Sakura apparently doesn't have a crush on Nirei. But what about the other way around?
For Nirei's sake, she hopes it's not Sakura he likes.
Me • 20:42
I mean, you don't have to, it's your decision! But I'm sure that Nirei will love you just the same if you tell him ~ ♡ Will you do it tomorrow?
Sakura Haruka • 20:46
I hope so.
Sakura Haruka • 20:46
Maybe I will.
Me • 20:47
Good luck!!!
She sends him a sticker of a cat giving a thumbs-up, for good measure. Sakura reads her messages, but he doesn't reply with anything else, which isn't really unusual for the boy. If he considers the conversation over, it's over.
He'll be fine.
All throughout the next day, her thoughts are preoccupied with Sakura's mission. She keeps staring at her chat window with the first-year captain and can't help but wonder how it's going, if he asked Nirei to deliver the letter yet, if the boy has read it yet, if Sakura's gotten an answer yet —
She looks up from her phone when she notices Uryu standing in front of her desk. Once he sees that he's got her attention, he silently points towards the open classroom door, looking at her with an unspoken question on his face. Her eyes follow the direction of his finger, and she can see Nirei standing at the entrance.
What is he doing here?
She gets up and walks towards him, and she can already tell he's not happy.
"Ts-Tsubaki-san, hello," the blond boy stutters once she's in front of him, ever polite despite looking like he's close to crying. "D-do you have a moment?"
"Of course," she says, alarmed. "Are you alright?"
"Uh," he says, "I — I don't know?"
"Let's talk somewhere more private, yeah?" She pulls the first-year away from the door because she knows the twins will already be curious enough; she doesn't need to give them a front-row seat.
"What happened?", she asks once they're inside an empty classroom.
"Um … so," Nirei starts, wringing his hands. "You … do you remember when I texted you last week?"
"Of course I do," she says, and she thinks she knows where this is going. There is a looming feeling of dread in her stomach.
"Well, uh …" The boy's ears are burning. "I asked you how you knew you liked Umemiya-san, right?"
Tsubaki nods.
"I, um … There's … someone I like, too, I think."
She can tell that he's not finished, so she waits for him to go on.
"Uh … I thought about it, and yeah, I think I like that person. But, um … I need your advice again, Tsubaki-san." There are definitely tears forming in his eyes, now.
"What do you need, honey?", she asks, gently touching his shoulder.
"I … what do I do if I find out he likes someone else?" He looks up at her, and the tears are falling, and oh, no.
"Oh, Nirei," she breathes, embracing him in a tight hug.
The first-year buries his face in her chest, crying openly for what feels like at least a full minute before he comes up for air. "I-I'm sorry," he stammers, his cheeks red.
"It's okay, it's okay," Tsubaki soothes as she tries to wipe away his tears, "no need to apologise. You seem very upset. Do you want to tell me what happened?"
"It's so embarrassing, though …" Nirei takes a step back and hides his face in his hands, his voice muffled. "I can't believe I ever got my hopes up."
"How do you know that he doesn't like you back?" She doesn't dwell on the fact that Nirei just told her his crush is a he, since she already had a hunch anyway, and Nirei doesn't seem to want to make a big deal about it.
"He … he told me he wants to ask someone else out. Someone from our class," he adds, smiling bitterly.
Oh, God. So it must be Sakura, for real.
Tsubaki doesn't quite know the protocol for this kind of situation. She knows who Nirei is talking about, but he doesn't know that she knows, and it'd be extremely awkward to tell him that she (and Ume; she guesses he was there, too) came up with Sakura's plan on how to ask his crush out.
And I even approved of him getting Nirei involved.
She feels terrible.
"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry," she says, "that's awful. Especially after you just figured out your own feelings."
"Yeah …"
Nirei looks so young and small, standing in front of her like this.
"H-how do you do it?", he asks.
"Do what?"
"How can you still … be this close to Umemiya-san, even if you know he doesn't love you back?"
She thinks about her answer for a moment.
"Well, having him in my life as my friend is one of the most important things to me. Whether my romantic feelings are requited or not doesn't matter as much as the fact that we love and care for each other as friends."
"D-does it not hurt?", Nirei asks.
"I mean — sure, it did, at the beginning. But now, I'm just happy to be by his side and be his friend. I know he loves me as part of his family, and that's enough for me."
She doesn't tell him how hard it was to accept that fact, though. It took her a while to get over it. But she doesn't think that being completely honest is the best move right now.
"Be by his side …", Nirei mumbles, probably unaware he even said it out loud.
"Nirei … Do you want to tell me who it is, the boy you like?"
Nirei looks out of the window. "I … I would; I'm not ashamed of liking him, but I just told you he's into a classmate, and I don't want to out him without permission, you know?"
Ah. He's such a good boy, isn't he?
"I understand. That's very sweet of you."
"So … all I can do is stay by his side, be his friend?", Nirei asks, still avoiding her eyes.
"I mean, no one can force you to still be friends with him, but it looks like you don't want to lose him."
"I can't lose him!!", Nirei blurts, raising his voice. "I promised him —" He stops himself. "I want to stay his friend."
"Then be his friend," she smiles at him. "He's very lucky to have you."
"Thank you, Tsubaki-san. I'm sorry I bothered you with this."
"You're never a bother, Nirei! I just wish I could help you more. Are you feeling a little better?"
Nirei takes a tissue out of his pocket and blows his nose. "A bit, yeah."
She softly pats his cheek. "You'll be okay, honey; I believe in you."
Tsubaki escorts Nirei back to his own classroom where he spontaneously gives her a hug. When he pulls back, his face is beet red again.
"Thank you."
"Don't hesitate to talk to me again, okay? I'm always here for my favourite kouhai ~" She winks at him, trying to lighten the mood. He rewards her with a little smile.
"I will."
Sakura Haruka • 18:32
I did it.
Tsubaki receives the message while she's setting the table for her and Suzuri who's just arrived with leftovers from the restaurant. She feels so proud of Sakura, but she can't help but think of Nirei, crying in her arms. Still, she wants to be happy for the Class 1-1 captain.
Me • 18:34
Good job, Sakura!! How did it go??
"Who are you texting?", Suzuri asks, looking at her phone curiously as he opens up the food containers.
"Ah, sorry, I'll put my phone away in a second, but I gotta talk to Sakura real quick."
"What's up with him?"
She checks the messenger app, but Sakura hasn't read her text yet. Who knows when he might reply; they might as well eat. She locks her phone and picks up her chopsticks.
"Thank you for the food," she smiles at Suzuri before she takes a piece of chicken and puts it in her mouth. While chewing, she thinks about how much she can tell her friend without embarrassing Sakura too much.
"Sakura asked me for help with something recently, and he's telling me about his progress."
"I see. How's it going?"
"I don't know, actually!" She picks up her phone and checks for new messages.
Sakura Haruka • 18:39
I haven't gotten a reply yet.
Sakura Haruka
. . .
Is that a bad sign?, she thinks. Back when I got asked out this way, I read the letter immediately, and also replied immediately.
Maybe his crush is shy, as well? Or is he thinking of a way to let Sakura down gently? Oh, no.
Sakura Haruka • 18:41
But also, Nirei is being really weird about it.
"Is he okay?", Suzuri asks, and Tsubaki realises her facial expression must be saying more than a thousand words right now.
"Ah, well," she laughs awkwardly and takes a sip of her soda to buy herself a couple more seconds to think. "Okay, honestly? I have no idea."
Suzuri sets his chopsticks down. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Uh … I don't think so. Not that I think you couldn't be helpful, it's just that Sakura is really bad at letting people help him, and he'd probably be super embarrassed that I'm even talking to you about it."
Her friend hums thoughtfully. "Yeah, he seems like the type. But what about you? You don't look happy with the situation."
She grimaces. "I'm not, at all. I think I accidentally got myself involved in a love triangle. You got any advice for that?" Who knows, maybe he has some dating experience; the two of them have never about that kind of thing.
To her surprise, Suzuri blushes. "Oh … you and Sakura …?"
"God, no!", she sputters. "I'm not part of the love triangle!"
"Oh, sorry," Suzuri says, his blush deepening. "Um, who is, then?"
"I don't know all the details, it's kind of complicated …", she replies vaguely. It's only a half-truth, but she doesn't know how to explain it without outing everyone involved.
"I see," Suzuri says. He still looks a bit embarrassed as he takes a bite of his food. "Well, I don't think I have any advice for that, no."
Tsubaki suddenly realises that she hasn't replied to Sakura yet. To be fair, she doesn't really want to, since she has no idea how the conversation will go. But the first-year is relying on her, so she opens up the messenger app again.
Me • 18:46
Weird, how?
Sakura Haruka
. . .
She takes another piece of chicken while she waits for the reply. Suzuri is busy with his own food across from her, looking very cute with his full chipmunk cheeks.
Sakura Haruka • 18:50
When I asked him to deliver the letter, he wanted to know what it's about. So I told him, because I trust him, right? He promised to do it, but I think he's avoiding me now.
Sakura Haruka • 18:51
Do you think he hates me?
The brutal honesty of the question, especially coming from someone like Sakura, hits Tsubaki like a truck. Her thumbs fly across the keyboard as she types out her swift reply.
Me • 18:51
Sakura!! Nirei would never, ever hate you!!
For emphasis, she sends a sticker of a bunny vehemently shaking its head.
Sakura Haruka • 18:53
Then why is he acting this way?
She groans loudly, making Suzuri look up at her with raised eyebrows. "It's fine, it's fine," she says dismissively, but she feels like she's developing a headache.
Me • 18:54
Maybe you should talk to him about it.
Is this good advice? Ume always says communication is key, so she guesses it can't hurt, at least.
Sakura Haruka
. . .
Sakura Haruka • 18:57
Okay. I will try.
I'm sure I'll hear about how it went from both you and Nirei, she thinks, and she's already dreading it. She doesn't know when she turned into a therapist.
By now, both her and Suzuri have finished their food, so she locks her phone and gets up to carry the dishes and empty containers to the kitchen.
"Alright, Suzuri," she says when she returns to the living room and turns on the TV, "now it's time for you to beat me at Tricycle Race!"
It's the last Friday of the month, and as usual, Umemiya is holding a mixer for the Furin captains and vice-captains on the roof.
Tsubaki and the twins are among the first to arrive, carrying bags with snacks and drinks from Café Pothos and setting them up on the ping-pong tables. Sugishita, essentially part of the furniture at this point, helps them unpack.
"Your hair looks so shiny today, Sugishita!", she compliments him. "Did you use that new conditioner I told you about?"
The boy mumbles something unintelligible as he rummages through the bags, though Tsubaki thinks she can see a faint blush on his face. She wants nothing more than to reach out and squish his little cheeks, but she knows she shouldn't push her luck.
Once they've finished unpacking, she crumples up the bags to throw them out. When she turns around, she's just in time to watch the first-years of team Tamon enter the roof.
To say they're acting awkward would be an understatement.
Nirei seems to be way more fidgety and nervous than usual, and Sakura looks like he's about to punch anyone who as much as breathes in his direction. Suo is acting as distant and collected as always, but Tsubaki is good enough at reading people to be able to tell that something is bubbling under the surface.
Oh, shit.
What is she supposed to do — should she talk to Sakura first, or Nirei? Would they even want to talk to her at all? But she wants to help them. Ugh, it's hard trying to be a good person.
She comes to a decision and reluctantly walks over to the trio, who have taken their seats on the large sofa. Nirei is in the middle, typing away on his phone, while Sakura stares into space. Suo is sipping on a cup of water and half-heartedly making conversation with Azusawa.
"Nirei, honey, can you come with me for a moment?"
The vice-captain jumps and nearly drops his phone. "Ts-tsubaki-san, hello! Uh, yes, of course!"
Both Sakura and Suo are looking at the two of them questioningly.
"Sorry, I just need someone to help me carry more snacks!" She smiles at them sweetly.
"Do you need more people?", Azusawa asks.
Her smile falters slightly. "No, thank you, darling! Nirei, come with me ~"
She feels the other boys' eyes on the two of them as they walk towards the door that leads downstairs. Hopefully, her excuse wasn't too bad to cause actual suspicion.
They arrive at an empty classroom — she should set up her therapist's office in here, honestly —, and she ushers him inside, making him sit on the teacher's desk. He looks a little scared of her.
"Okay, Nirei, what the hell is going on with you guys?", she asks him.
"Wh-what do you mean?" The first-year is avoiding her eyes.
Right, he doesn't know that I know. She sighs. "Alright, I wasn't gonna tell you, but this is such a mess — I know that you like Sakura."
Nirei's head shoots up so fast she's worried he's going to break his neck. "What?"
"I know that Sakura was gonna ask someone out," she leaves out the part where she's the one who told him how to ask said person out, "and that you were going to help him. And then yesterday, you came to me and told me your crush likes someone else. It wasn't hard to put two and two together."
"I-I …", Nirei stammers, his face bright red.
Gently, she places a hand on his shoulder. "And now, you three are so awkward with each other. Did Suo get involved, somehow, too?"
"I was the one who was asked out by Sakura-kun," she hears a voice coming from the classroom door.
She quickly turns, and sees the other Class 1-1 vice-captain standing in the doorframe, looking calm and collected with his hands folded behind his back.
"Oh," she says intelligently.
Suo strides towards them, stopping just short of Nirei. "And it got awkward because I told him I have feelings for Nire-kun."
Tsubaki's head is spinning. "I … see," she says, at a loss for words.
There's the usual polite smile on Suo's face, but she can see a fire behind his visible eye.
Nirei is very still, sitting on the edge of the desk. He didn't even look up when Suo entered.
"So … so now, what?", she asks, because the silence is getting too much for her to bear. She doesn't know how she expected this whole thing to play out, but this definitely wasn't it.
"Well," Suo says. "Nire-kun has been avoiding me, so I haven't had the chance to talk to him in private. Tsubakino-san, would you mind giving us a moment?"
Nirei raises his head and opens his mouth in protest, but closes it quickly after looking at Suo.
"Of course," she breathes, honestly feeling a little relieved at being allowed to leave the tense air of the classroom.
She closes the door behind her, immediately taking out her phone.
Me • 10:52
Suzuri, these first-years are going to kill me.
She stands outside the classroom for a moment, wondering what her next move should be. Obviously, she doesn't want to wait in front of the door and eavesdrop like a stalker, but if she returns to the roof now, empty-handed and without Nirei, it would certainly look strange.
Her phone rings just as she's resigned to walking upstairs and pretending nothing's happened.
"Suzuri?", she answers, stepping further into the corridor to prevent the first-year vice-captains from overhearing anything.
"Hi, Tsubaki, are you okay?"
"Aren't you at work?", she asks, avoiding the question for a second so she can actually think of a good answer.
"Uh, yes … But I stepped out for a moment when I saw your text. What happened? Did someone bother you?" He sounds so serious.
"Oh!", she can't help but laugh a little, "No, no one bothered me, don't worry!" The idea of someone in Furin, let alone a first-year, trying to harass her, is basically unthinkable.
"Then what's going on? Do you need help with anything?"
"No, it's fine, thank you … Honestly, I just wanted to complain a little. Remember that weird love triangle thing I told you about? It's just that. I feel like I'm a couple's therapist, at this point."
"Oh," Suzuri says, "I see. I'm sorry for just calling you out of the blue … I guess I misunderstood."
"It's okay! It's so sweet of you to worry about me!"
There's a beat of silence on the other end of the line. "Of course," Suzuri says, "you're important to me."
She suddenly feels warm all over. "Thank you for calling, Suzuri, but I'll be fine. It's just a bit awkward to deal with teenage drama, you know?"
"Yeah, I get it."
"How's work?", she asks to distract herself from the fuzzy feelings in her chest.
"It's going well! Hidaka-san complimented my chopping skills today." She can hear a smile in his voice. "How's the party?"
"It hasn't really started yet. Ume still needs to make his big speech about the power of community and sharing food and everything; you know how it is."
"Umemiya does seem to love a good speech."
"He sure does. Well, I should get back upstairs before I miss it — you get back to work and be good, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am," Suzuri replies jokingly. "Have fun."
She hangs up just in time to see Sakura at the end of the hallway, coming down the stairs. He looks furious.
I hope he doesn't notice me. Please, don't make me deal with all three of them at once.
Of course, her prayers are heard by no one, and Sakura turns his head, looking straight at her. He doesn't just seem angry; she can see there's pain behind his bi-coloured eyes.
"Have ya seen Nirei or Suo?", he asks, stomping towards her.
"Uh." Her eyes shift nervously towards the Class 3-2 classroom. "I guess? But I don't know where they went," she lies.
Suddenly, she hears a noise behind the classroom door.
"Wait!" But there's no use; Sakura's already forcefully yanked the door open, only to reveal —
Nirei yelps and pushes Suo off him, but it's already too late. From the blond boy's red face to Suo's dishevelled hair, it's easy to tell what they were up to just before the grade captain interrupted them.
Sakura's standing in the doorframe, dead silent except for his heavy breathing.
"Sakura-san —"
Sakura runs.
Tsubaki wants to go after him, but Suo is somehow already next to her. "Don't," he says, gritting his teeth in what feels like a poor attempt at his usual calm demeanour, and chases after his captain with impressive speed. She watches him run off, frozen in place.
"Fuck!!", Nirei yells, and she jumps. He looks like he's about to throw up.
Tsubaki feels like she's in the wrong film. "Nirei … what the fuck is going on?"
"I … we … I didn't think this was going to happen. Not like this …" There's tears in his eyes, threatening to fall down his cheeks.
"I thought you liked Sakura?!"
"I do!!", he nearly shouts at her, all politeness forgotten. "I just … didn't realise I wanted to be with Suo-san, as well." His voice goes quiet near the end of his sentence. "Can you love two people at once?"
Two pairs of eyes, one blue, one grey, flash before her eyes.
"I don't see why not," she says softly.
"B-but now …", Nirei's tears are spilling over, "he'll hate me, and I'll lose the both of them … I didn't mean for it to happen this way."
She walks towards the desk and sits down next to him, putting an arm around his shoulder. "I've told you before, Sakura could never hate you."
Nirei laughs humourlessly. "Yeah, right. Did you see the way he was looking at us?"
"He was probably just shocked, like I was. I mean, can you imagine how you would feel in his situation? But I'm sure Suo is explaining everything to him right now. Do you know how Suo feels about him?"
The vice-captain blushes. "We talked about it, and we both want to be with him …"
"That's lovely." She gives him a little smile that she hopes is reassuring. "From the way he usually looks at the both of you, I'd assume he'd be on board with that idea."
"B-but he asked me to give that letter to Suo —!"
"Nirei, Sakura is the loveliest boy in the world, but he's also a complete idiot. He probably didn't realise he's into you before just now."
"I wish I could believe that," Nirei says, looking down at his hands in his lap.
"Should we wait for them to return? I'm sure they'll be back soon."
"Okay," he mumbles.
While she silently waits for the other boys with Nirei, her mind wanders.
Can you love two people at once?
She'd never really considered it before today, but now she can't stop thinking about it.
Would she be able to let someone into her heart besides Umemiya? It almost feels like a betrayal to consider it, but maybe there's enough space in there for another person. Someone who might actually love her back.
The sound of two sets of footsteps nearing the classroom pulls her out of her thoughts.
She and Nirei both turn to face the door, where a red-faced Sakura and a now much calmer-looking Suo are looking at them.
Nirei is trembling. "Sakura-san, I —"
"Nire-kun, it's okay. We talked about it."
"Should I leave?", Tsubaki asks hesitantly. She really doesn't want to intrude.
"Can you stay, please, Tsubaki-san?", Nirei asks quietly.
She tightens her grip on his shoulder. "Of course," she says. Honestly, I've been watching this mess from the very beginning; might as well see it through.
Sakura approaches the desk that Tsubaki and Nirei are sitting on, staring at the blond vice-captain. His eyes are red-rimmed.
"If I could, I'd punch ya right now," Sakura tells Nirei. "But yer Nirei, so I can't."
"I mean, I'd deserve it," Nirei mutters, not looking up.
"Shut the fuck up," Sakura says angrily.
"Sakura-kun, what did we talk about?", Suo chimes in from next to them.
"I … I'm sorry," Sakura says, lowering his voice. "Nirei, I —"
He's obviously struggling, but Suo stays silent, watching him. Tsubaki thinks it's good that he's trying to get Sakura to talk about his feelings — this is going to take a while, though.
"I didn't realise how … I felt about you," Sakura manages to get out. It looks like he's putting a lot of effort into talking more clearly than usual, carefully thinking about every word. "I'm sorry I put you into that situation. I feel … terrible that I made you do that."
"It's okay," Nirei says. "You didn't know."
"But I shoulda known!!", Sakura bursts out. "I … Suo said you guys talked about me. How you both … want to …"
Suo steps behind him, placing a gentle hand on his right shoulder. "You can do it, Sakura-kun."
"I know I can!!" Sakura looks annoyed, turning into his usual self now that he feels backed into a corner. "I'm — okay, fine, whatever!! I'd like it if we were boyfriends, or whatever!!"
Tsubaki can't help the squeal she lets out, and she covers her mouth with her hands, embarrassed.
"S-sakura-san …", Nirei stutters, "are you serious?"
"He is," Suo says, finally having mercy on his captain. "We are."
Tsubaki nudges Nirei's leg with hers. "Off you go, honey."
Nirei gets up from the desk, his knees shaking. He looks a little lost until Suo steps forward and takes his hand in his own.
"Nire-kun," he says, and Tsubaki cannot believe she's getting to witness all of this, "would you like us three to be boyfriends, or whatever?" There's a twinkle in his eye.
"Oh, fuck you," Sakura mutters under his breath.
"I … yes, obviously!!", Nirei says. Tsubaki can't see his face, but she can tell he's grinning from ear to ear.
She averts her eyes when the three of them embrace each other in a group hug, and quietly slips out of the room to give the trio some privacy.
That was intense, she thinks as she walks down the hallway in the direction of the stairs. She's not sure how she thought this whole situation would turn out when Nirei first texted her last week, but she didn't realise those three all had feelings for each other.
(Though, most of Class 1-1 is probably at least a little bit in love with Sakura, so maybe it's not that surprising.)
She's delighted it seems to have all worked out for the boys.
Now, where the hell is she going to find those snacks that she lied about getting?
Sakura Haruka • 12:16
Thank you.
Tsubaki looks around in search of the boy, but the three first-years haven't returned to the roof since she left them in the classroom.
Me • 12:17
No need to thank me! You guys did that all on your own ~♡
She sends a sticker of a cat blowing a kiss.
Sakura doesn't reply, which Tsubaki kind of expected.
A couple of minutes later, while she's talking to Momose and Mizuki, she watches the door to the rooftop open and Sakura, Suo and Nirei enter.
She was half-expecting them to be holding hands, but maybe that'd be a bit much considering their relationship started less than an hour ago. The difference in their demeanour is palpable, though: Nirei looks more relaxed than Tsubaki's ever seen him, happily chatting with the two and writing in his notebook, while Suo's expression is serene as usual as he talks with his new boyfriends. And Sakura?
Sakura is smiling.
She places a hand over her heart, feeling overwhelmed by the sight. Oh, how happy she is for this beautiful, sweet boy who deserves the whole world.
"Tsubakino-shi?"
"Hm?", she says, looking back at Mizuki.
"Are you even listening to me?"
"Of course," she replies, though she definitely hasn't heard what the Komoku leader has been saying for the past minute or so.
"Sure," Momose says, grinning under his hood and scribbling on his drawing pad.
"Sorry, I am a little distracted," she admits.
"Yes, yes, Ume-chan's looking so cute today, we know," Momose says.
"Th-that's not —!"
"It's fine," Mizuki sighs. "Anyway, Momose-shi …"
Tsubaki looks at the three first-years again. It's adorable, watching them interact, now that she knows how they all feel about each other.
Good for them.