Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Category:
Fandom:
Relationship:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Series:
Part 1 of the stray kitten of tonpu shopping street
Stats:
Published:
2025-09-30
Words:
2,758
Chapters:
1/1
Comments:
52
Kudos:
307
Bookmarks:
40
Hits:
1,285

the stray kitten of tonpu shopping street

Summary:

Makochi has a problem.

Specifically, it has a runaway problem- in the form of a scrappy child who refuses to let anyone get close to him. Bofurin's efforts to wrangle said runaway have proven fruitless thus far, so on a whim, Kotoha takes a different approach. It works, somehow.

(or: 11 year old runaway Sakura Haruka finds his way to Makochi, and slowly learns to trust people again.)

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

"Wait, kid!"

Kotoha deftly moved out of the way just in time to avoid the kid that ran past from slamming into her legs. She caught a glimpse of... oh, it was Enomoto this time- of Enomoto rushing past before they're both around the corner and out of her sight. Seeing at least one Furin student get led around by the nose by this kid had become a not infrequent sight over these past few days.

She had a feeling they wouldn't catch him today either.

"Oh, Kotoha-chan, good morning."

"Morning, Granny Sato," Kotoha smiled, "-who got hit this time?"

"Ah," Granny Sato laughed- though there was a clear note of concern laced in with the sound, "-the folks over at the Cactus Bakery. He seems rather fond of their curry bread. I don't think he's noticed they've started leaving it on a lower shelf for him."

A faint laugh escaped Kotoha. That's right- it wasn't actually the fact that the kid was stealing from them that had the residents of Tonpu Shopping Street summoning someone from Bofurin every time they spied the kid hanging around. It was the fact that he was stealing at all- combined with his dirty clothes and clear lack of any parental supervision. No one had really gotten a good look at the kid yet- he always had his hood up, but they'd asked around. No one new had moved in lately- nor had Furin Gardens gotten any new residents either.

There was only one conclusion left- the kid was a runaway.

Which was, understandably, deeply concerning. He didn't look as if he were any older than nine years old- what was a kid his age doing by himself? A few stolen items- mostly food and other essentials- were insignificant compared to a child being on their own. Of course, they'd tried talking to the kid themselves, but...

...well, so far he'd bolted every time someone tried to talk to him.

"Oh, he's back."

Kotoha looked in the direction Granny Sato was pointing. Sure enough, Enomoto was rounding the corner again- with no kid in sight. He caught her eye and gave her an almost sheepish wave.

"No luck?" Kotoha asked.

"No luck," Enomoto said, "-the kid jumped onto a dumpsterrrr and hopped a fence. He moves like a damn monkey!"

Yeah. That was the main problem- the kid was really, really good at running away. He wasn't half bad at defending himself from (perceived) threats either- as Matsumoto could attest to after the kid had gone straight for the eyes when he'd briefly managed to actually nab him the other day.

"Chin up," Granny Sato said, "-he'll be back this afternoon!"

"Plus," Kotoha said, "-you'll be getting reinforcements tomorrow."

The school year started tomorrow, after all- and that meant a new crop of first year students to bolster their numbers. Maybe there'd be someone among them agile enough to keep up with a nine year old slip of a child.

...okay yeah. Not really a good look for Bofurin- but he really was that slippery.

Enomoto barked out a laugh. "Trrrue! Well, contact me orrr someone else if you see the little brrrat again. We'll send someone out."

"Yeah," Kotoha said, "-thanks."

Enomoto waved to them, resuming his interrupted patrol. Kotoha said a farewell to Granny Sato, before returning to the cafe. It was a fairly peaceful day- frankly, she hoped the only trouble they'd have this year was the runaway kid. She was pretty sure Ume had already talked to Yuki-sensei about the matter. It hadn't been hard to get him to agree to loan a bed to the kid... if they ever caught him.

If the kid was on his own, it was safe to say there was probably a reason for that.

"Oh shoot," Kotoha muttered, "-out of eggs."

Reaching into her pocket, she checked her phone with a frown. It was a little before noon, but Pothos' lunch rush usually happened a bit later in the day. She still had time, but...

"Don't worry about me, Kotoha-chan," Grandpa Yama said, "-you go and do your shopping. I'll be here for awhile."

"Thanks," Kotoha said, "-I'll be back soon."

Hanging up her apron, she grabbed her jacket and wallet. It was a quick walk to the supermarket a little bit away from the shopping street. She might as well pick up a few other things while she was here. She was running low on paper towels, and it wouldn't hurt to buy another carton of milk. She couldn't exactly ignore that sale on rice...

Ah. Perhaps she'd bought too much.

Ah well. She wasn't exactly a Bofurin powerhouse, but she could manage to walk a few blocks with a heavy load. She'd done it before. This was not the first- nor the last- time she'd popped into the supermarket for one thing and ended up leaving with more than she'd anticipated. It just sort of happened.

...is what she thought, right up until she saw a familiar kid poking his head around the corner. He was suspiciously glancing around- presumably for any sign of anyone in a dark green Furin jacket. It was almost a little cute, in a strange way.

Hm. She doubted it would work, but...

"Ah," she loudly said, "-these bags are so heavy! If only someone would come and help me carry them back to the cafe, I'd treat them to an omurice!"

Ah. That was too obvious. There was no way he'd...

...whoa!

Kotoha definitely didn't nearly jump out of her skin upon seeing the kid next to her. She'd just peeked in his direction, only to see he'd moved. He was staring at her expectantly, holding out his hands.

...huh? That had worked? It was that easy?

No, calm down, Kotoha. Don't blow this.

"Wow," Kotoha smiled at him, "-you'll help me?"

The kid nodded, taking the bag of rice from her before she could say anything. He staggered a little underneath its weight- it was clearly heavier than he'd expected. She almost opened her mouth to suggest he take something lighter, but he just started walking.

Well, whatever. That worked.

She could practically feel everyone's eyes on her as she lead the kid to Pothos. No surprise there- she'd done what no one else had managed to do thus far. She opened the door, and the kid actually walked inside- in his corner booth, she was pretty sure she saw Grandpa Yama do a doubletake.

She definitely needed to contact Ume, but... well, first things first. The kid needed a proper meal for a change. She'd cook and then send him a message.

"Thanks," Kotoha said, "-you can just put that down over there."

The kid gave her a curt nod, setting down the bag of rice where she pointed. Kotoha hung up her jacket and tied on her apron, keenly aware that the kid was watching her every movement. She smiled at him and gestured to one of the stools at the counter.

"Wanna sit?" She asked.

"You don't do takeoff?"

Holy crap. He talked.

"Takeoff?" Kotoha blinked. "Oh, you mean takeout. No, we don't do that here."

The kid shifted on his feet, glancing over his shoulder anxiously towards Grandpa Yama. The old man became suddenly very invested in his book, pretending not to pay them any mind. The kid stared at him for a few moments, before he climbed up on the stool.

"It's free, right?" He asked. "I don't gotta pay?"

"You don't have to pay," Kotoha said, "-it's a reward."

The kid huffed in apparent satisfaction. Kotoha smiled to herself as she got started on the omelette rice. She could faintly hear the thump-thump of the kid swinging his legs as he waited, all the while glancing around the shop in the most fidgety of manners.

"I'm Kotoha," she said, "-what's your name?"

The kid peered up at her. This close, she couldn't help but notice that his eyes were two different colors- his right a stony gray, and his left a bright gold. It was hard to tell underneath his hood, but even his hair seemed to be two different colors- black and white, split right down the center. Normally, she would assume it was dyed, but...

...that didn't seem to be the case.

Definitely not from around here, she thought- if he was, someone would have doubtlessly recognized him by now. Those looks stood out.

"...Sakura," he muttered.

Sakura? Was that a last name or a first name? She didn't want to seem too much like she was fishing for information...

"Sakura, huh?" Kotoha asked. "How old are you?"

Sakura frowned, his brow furrowing together. "...eleven."

Kotoha blinked. "Eleven?"

Sakura bristled. "W-what's wrong with that!?"

Huh. Guess he was short for his age, then. They'd all totally assumed he couldn't be any older than nine. Sakura tapped a finger against the table, casting a wary glance towards the door. He was really cautious, wasn't he?

"Here," she set the finished omelette rice in front of him, "-eat up!"

Sakura stared at her hard for a long moment, before he hesitantly picked up the spoon. He scooped some omelette rice up, giving it a cursory sniff before he shoved it into his mouth- and his whole face lit up.

"Yummy!"

"Really?" Kotoha asked.

Sakura eagerly nodded, shoving another spoonful into his mouth. Kotoha smiled to herself as she watched him eat, taking the chance to stealthily send Ume a text while he was preoccupied. She kept it short and sweet- the runaway's at Pothos right now.

She had no doubt he'd come running.

Sakura finished the omelette rice in record time. She set a glass of orange juice down in front of him, which he just as quickly gulped down. As she suspected, it had been awhile since he'd had a proper meal. He mainly stole things that were easy to run away with- bread from Cactus Bakery or fruit from the green grocers. The heartiest thing he'd snatched was a croquette or two from the meat shop.

...well, she assumed. He only seemed to show up here during the morning and afternoon- so he either went hungry at night, or he went somewhere else. The pub district?

That was Shishitoren territory, though.

Hm? Wait a second.

"Hey," she tapped the plate, "-you didn't eat your vegetables."

Sakura made a face. "I dun wanna."

Oh? He was literally stealing to survive, but he was being picky about his vegetables? Well, he was a kid after all. She'd still really hated bell peppers at his age.

"You sure?" Kotoha asked. "I was thinking I'd give you some pudding as dessert, but clearly you're full, so..."

Wow. Look at those eyes sparkle.

"A-all I have to do is eat them right?" Sakura asked. "I can do it!"

With a determined expression on his face, Sakura shoved both pieces of broccoli and the two tomatoes into his mouth at the same time. Kotoha had to bite back the urge to laugh- both at that, and at the disgusted expression he made as he ate. He swallowed, looking a bit like a cat about to hurl.

"You ate it all!" Kotoha smiled. "Good boy, Sakura."

She ruffled his hair through his hood- and the kid went stiff at her touch. Kotoha frowned, drawing her hand away- only for his eyes to follow it, a deep yearning in his gaze.

Oh. She wasn't sure she liked what that implied.

"Right," Kotoha smiled, "-then how about that pudding now?"

Ah. The sparkle was back.

It got even brighter when she actually set the pudding in question in front of him. He grabbed his spoon, this time not hesitating to dig in. The way his face lit up after that first bite... that smile felt like it could take down the most stalwart of souls.

How in the world had a kid like this ended up alone?

Sakura had just finished the pudding when the door to Pothos was flung open. "Wow! You did it, Kotoha! He's really here!"

Sakura's head snapped towards Umemiya, quickly registering his dark green Furin jacket and instantly switching into threat mode. He jumped down off the stool, his eyes darting around Pothos like he was searching for another exit- but Umemiya stood in front of the only one, and he seemed to realize it.

"Hey now," he said, "-no need to be nervous, kid."

Sakura grit his teeth- and then darted for the door. Umemiya laughed, going to grab the kid by the hoodie- only for Sakura to kick him in the shins with all the force his little eleven year old body could muster.

Ouch.

Umemiya let out a noise not quite befitting Bofurin's representative, giving Sakura enough time to slip past him and out the door. Kotoha hurried after him, but the kid was already halfway down the street by the time she got to the door. She'd never catch him.

...and Ume had come alone, apparently.

"Ugh," Umemiya groaned, "-okay. Now I see why everyone's had such a hard time with him. He packed a punch! Where did that power come from?"

Kotoha just heaved a sigh. Well, there went that attempt. At least she'd gotten some proper food into that kid- and his name. It was a start.

"So," Kotoha glanced down at Umemiya, "-does this mean you lost?"

Umemiya blinked- and then let out a bark of laughter.

"Yeah," he said, "-I guess I did. I didn't expect that."

"Don't worry," Kotoha said, "-I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks," Umemiya stood up, "-well, that was a bust."

"Not entirely," Kotoha said, "-his name's Sakura, apparently. He's eleven."

"Eleven?" Umemiya blinked. "I thought..."

"Small for his age, I guess." Kotoha shrugged. "Can I make you anything?"

"One omelette rice, please!" Umemiya said. "How'd you get him in here anyways? Do you have a special power I don't know about?"

"No," Kotoha said, "-I just lured him in with the promise of free omurice in exchange for helping me carry my groceries. He came right over. Took the heaviest thing, even."

"Really?" Umemiya asked. "I guess he's a good kid after all."

"Yeah," Kotoha agreed, "-I think so."

Leaning against the counter, she stared at her hand. It had only been just a little praise, but the way he'd responded to it- to getting even the slightest bit of physical affection... how long had it been since he'd experienced either? Balling her hand into a fist, she narrowed her eyes. She knew firsthand that the world could be cruel to kids- she'd experienced it herself.

Despite that, she'd never once considered running away.

She'd been scared, really- if she did, where would she go? What would she do for food? Where would she sleep? Even in the shittiest of group homes, she'd never had to worry about that stuff. But running away meant she'd be all on her own, with no one else to depend on. Exactly what kind of cruelty had Sakura gone through, that being on his own was the better option?

He must be one brave kid, she thought.

"Worried about him?"

Kotoha blinked, looking over at Umemiya. "Yeah."

"Me too," Umemiya said, "-Makochi's not the town it was before, but..."

Kotoha hummed. She knew what he was getting at.

"Well, don't worry," Umemiya smiled, "-Bofurin will take care of the little guy."

"You have to catch him first," Kotoha pointed out.

"...yeah, that is the hurdle, isn't it?" Umemiya said. "I guess he doesn't believe we just want to help him."

"Could be," Kotoha said, "-or he's afraid he'll end up back where he was before."

"Never," Umemiya said firmly, "-I don't know his story, but I'll never let a kid go back to a situation they're actively running from."

Kotoha smiled. Yeah. That's what she thought he'd say.

Ume was right- they didn't know his story, but it didn't matter. Anyone could tell the kid was scared- not of being on his own, but of something else. He'd only been in Makochi a little over a week, but that was long enough- he was already part of the town in so far as anyone was concerned.

Makochi took care of its own.

They'd take care of Sakura too. She just hoped they could get him to understand that. She didn't know what it was that he was so afraid of- why he'd chosen to run, but there were other options than being alone.

She wanted to show him that.

Notes:

*obligatory fic tumblr plug! I love talking about my AUs, so feel free to come on over!
*11 year old Sakura: now somehow more adoptable than ever. a compact variety!
*he's more of a scrappy ball of survival instinct than he is a fighter at this point. when dealing with strange teenagers twice your size chasing you down, go for the trifecta- the eyes, the shins, and of course, if they have it- their junk.
*umemiya's the one who blabs about sakura kicking him in the shin in the end, lmao. sugishita has never wanted to throw hands with an 11 year old child more.
*11 year old Sakura is only like, 4'4''. he's so small. below average height for an 11 year old boy.
*all of makochi, seeing this scrappy runaway kid: well if his family doesn't want him *we'll* take him.
*sakura feels bad about stealing but there's only so much money he can find by looking for lost change and checking vending machines. meanwhile everyone on tonpu shopping street would just give him free food if he'd just let them.

Series this work belongs to: