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"Hey—Suo! Snap out of it!"
A waving hand suddenly filled his vision, shattering the lingering shadows of his thoughts and pulling his mind back down to earth. Suo’s eyes flickered to his captain, whose eyebrows were drawn together in a sharp, worried crease. Only then did the classroom come into focus—the smell of chalk, the hum of the distant city, and the realization of where he actually was.
"My apologies, Sakura-kun. The ancient Chinese spirits were having quite a rowdy meeting in my head." His signature smile returned instinctively, smooth and practiced. "Rest assured, I’m fine now. They’ve settled their differences."
The flat, unimpressed look Sakura gave him was enough to tell him his cover was blown. Ah, it seems Sakura-kun has developed an immunity to my nonsense.
Sakura sighed in heavy resignation, his shoulders dropping as if he were physically exhausted by Suo’s antics. He looked like a man who had decided that arguing with Suo was a battle he wasn’t equipped to win—or perhaps he simply didn't have the sanity to spare.
"Whatever. Classes are over; everyone already left. Hiiragi will be mad if—" Sakura glanced at the wall clock and winced at the position of the hands. "No, scratch that— he is definitely already past that point. He’s probably overdosing heartburn pills now that we're late. So get your ass up! We’ve got patrolling to do!"
With a sharp huff, Sakura spun on his heel and marched toward the door, his footsteps echoing in the empty hall.
Suo took a moment to truly look around. The classroom was bathed in the warm light of an afternoon sun, casting long, peaceful shadows across the floor. It was serene—the kind of quiet that usually brought him peace. Some would call it a perfect day. A fond, tired smile touched his lips as he finally pushed back his chair and stood.
Lately, he’s been plagued by delusions—grim, intrusive flashes of his captain in grave danger. Suo didn't know where the rot in his mind had started, but it made every shadow look like a threat and every silence feel like a countdown. It was becoming a struggle to focus; his usual calm had sharpened into a jagged, restless vigilance.
For now, he’d kept the mask intact. No one seemed to notice how off he was, except for the very boy at the center of his turmoil. Sakura was getting dangerously good at reading his mood. The knowledge that he was being seen— truly seen— made Suo feel uncharacteristically exposed, yet strangely relieved.
If his Sensei could hear his thoughts, she would surely be disappointed that Suo had allowed himself to become so vulnerable. But in Suo's opinion, if he had to be at anyone's mercy, he was in great hands with his captain.
"Ya comin' or what?!" Sakura’s head suddenly popped back through the doorway, his mismatched eyes narrowed in a scowl that didn't quite hide his lingering concern.
"Of course," Suo chuckled, his pace light as he moved to join him. "I wouldn't want to be the reason we waste such a near-perfect day."
As they began their descent toward the school courtyard, Suo could feel Sakura’s gaze burning into the side of his head. It was heavy and expectant, a silent weight that accompanied their rhythmic footsteps.
"Y'know," Sakura started, his voice uncharacteristically low as he looked straight ahead. "If you're sick or whatever... ya could've just said so. Ya can sit this one out. The town isn't gonna crumble just 'cause one guy takes a nap."
Suo felt a genuine warmth bloom in his chest. He was impressed, as always, by how Sakura’s sharp intuition could cut through even his best masks. It was typical of Sakura to worry so loudly while pretending not to care at all.
"Thank you for worrying, but like I said, I'm fine. Still, I'm truly grateful you see me as such an irreplaceable part of the team." Suo offered a reassuring tilt of his head.
They shared a brief, silent look—one where the unspoken words hung heavy between them—before the monochrome-haired boy let out a defeated sigh and turned his eyes back to the path. Sakura still looked deeply apprehensive, his jaw set in a tight line, but he finally dropped the subject and increased his pace.
They arrived at the courtyard exactly twenty-eight minutes and fifty-six point eight seconds late according to Hiiragi, which earned them a long lecture. The other students, including their class, had already dispersed, leaving only the Heavenly King behind to personally deliver their scolding.
"I'm truly sorry, Hiiragi-san. It was my fault we were late. I got trapped at the end of class... by my own brain. Sakura-kun had to rescue me," Suo said with such solemn conviction that it left both Hiiragi and Sakura speechless. Their faces screamed 'What the fuck?' as they processed the absurdity of his bullshit. Hiiragi started to retort, but a sudden, sharp flare of pain in his stomach cut him off.
"Y'know what? Just go. You two are on your own," Hiiragi grumbled, reaching for some tablets. He turned and marched away, leaving them alone in the quiet courtyard.
That was how they ended up on a secluded street in Makochi, far from the town’s typical hustle. It was a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts, a stark contrast to the lively shopping districts they usually patrolled.
They walked in a comfortable silence that felt more like a leisurely stroll than a patrol by two delinquents. Suo breathed a quiet sigh of relief, secretly hoping they wouldn't run into any immature thugs.
"Hey," Sakura said, looking at him pointedly while gesturing with his thumb toward a nearby playground. "Let’s take five."
It was a rare sight; Sakura almost never suggested breaks while out on patrol. Although they had been walking for hours, the pace had been easy, and they hadn't encountered anything strenuous enough to make them break a sweat. Suo let out a soft snort of amusement, sensing that Sakura wasn't actually tired, but rather growing restless from the lack of action.
Suo sat down gracefully on the wooden bench, fully expecting Sakura to do the same. Instead, Sakura remained standing, his face twisted in a look of deep, conflicted thought. Suo let a playfully amused smile tug at the corners of his lips; seeing Sakura so transparently lost in his own head was, in its own way, quite cute.
A faint blush crept up Sakura's cheeks as a metaphorical light bulb clicked into place. Whatever internal debate he’d been having was over. Suo raised an eyebrow, startled when Sakura abruptly spun on his heel.
"Stay here for a sec," Sakura muttered, pace swift as he disappeared around the corner.
As much as he would like to go with him, Suo was curious to what his captain was up to. An understanding look took its place on his face, he'll wait for Sakura a bit.
He didn't mind waiting. In fact, his mind began to drift toward what Sakura’s surprise might be. A packet of his favorite tea would be thoughtful, or perhaps a tea cake. It had been a while since he had one. He could almost see it. Sakura awkwardly hands him a box, scowling to hide his embarrassment. Suo imagined taking the gift, leaning in to tease him until Sakura became a stuttering, blushing mess. He reached out in his mind to open the lid, wondering what the flavor would be—
But the box didn't hold a cake.
A lone human eye, its golden iris fixed in a sightless stare, peered back up at him from the cardboard.
Suo’s body went rigid, his own eye widening in sheer terror. He jerked his head up, his mouth opening to question Sakura—but the boy standing before him was a nightmare.
Sakura’s face was a mask of jagged crimson, his left eye socket a hollow, weeping ruin—a gruesome mirror of Suo’s own face. His limbs were twisted at impossible, sickening angles, as if he had been broken like a doll. Suo let out a choked gasp, his heart hammering against his ribs, and suddenly the vision shattered.
He was back on the park bench. Alone.
The silence of the empty street, once peaceful, now felt predatory. A dark cloud of thoughts descended, thicker than before, dragging him into a suffocating spiral. He couldn't stop the mental reel: every discarded pipe or sharp fence post became a weapon used to tear Sakura apart. The attackers in his mind were faceless voids—nameless, unstoppable shadows. He didn't want this; he didn't wish it. It was a parasitic paranoia, feeding on his fear until his hands began to shake.
Sakura’s taking too long, he thought frantically, his breath coming in shallow hitches. Maybe I should—
Suddenly, something deathly cold pressed against the side of his neck.
An image of himself getting decapitated flashed before his eyes.
The icy shock against his skin triggered a violent instinct. Before his mind could register a face, Suo’s body moved. He lunged toward the source of the object, his hand clamping like a vice onto a wrist to divert the weapon. The person beside him reacted instantly, their muscles tensing as they braced against Suo’s sudden aggression, refusing to be moved.
For a breathless second, they were locked in a stalemate of pure reflex.
Suo’s gaze snapped down to the hand he held, expecting a blade or a pipe. Instead, his eye landed on a condensation-slicked can of iced tea. The horrific image of beheading from a knife vanished, replaced by the mundane sight of a beverage.
He followed the arm up and finally found Sakura standing right beside him. The "attacker" was no monster, just his friend looking back at him with a mix of shock and total bewilderment. Surprise flooded Suo’s face, his heart still hammering a frantic rhythm as he realized he had almost attacked Sakura over a drink.
"What the hell was that!?" Sakura demanded, his voice sharp with concern and his eyebrows deeply furrowed in worry.
Suo didn't answer immediately. Instead, he scanned Sakura from head to toe with a frantic, searching intensity. He was silently verifying that this was truly his captain—the real, breathing Sakura—while simultaneously checking for injuries.
When he found no blood and no broken limbs, the tension finally broke, but only slightly. He loosened his vice-like grip on Sakura's wrist, yet he didn't let go. His fingers remained curled around the other boy’s hand, anchored by a sudden, irrational fear that if he broke the physical connection, Sakura might vanish back into that nightmare.
"Sorry, Sakura-kun. I don't know what came over me..." Suo murmured, finally letting go of his hold on Sakura. He offered no further explanation, the words feeling heavy on his tongue. He was too drained to weave a lie or put on his usual mask. He suddenly felt a bone-deep exhaustion, his energy spent from the panic, leaving him without even the strength to force a smile. He just resorted to looking at the orange sky.
"I'm sorry too... for startlin' ya," Sakura muttered, finally taking a seat beside him. "I didn't know ya would react like that. I thought it would be fine messin' with ya, like I did with the others."
"It's alright, Sakura-kun." Suo forced a smile, though it felt thin. "It was funny when you did it to the others; I just didn't realize how it felt to be the 'victim.'"
That caused a wave of guilt to wash over Sakura’s face. With his shoulders slumped and eyes downcast, he looked like a kicked puppy.
"I'm sorry, I didn't— I'll stop—"
"No, no, it’s okay. It’s a harmless prank, Sakura-kun; you aren’t hurting anyone. To be honest, I was laughing right along with you when you did it to Nirei-kun," Suo reassured him, his voice softening. "I just... I don’t know why I’m so jumpy today."
Sakura watched him closely, his silence heavy with expectation, as if he were waiting for Suo to finally open up. When Suo offered nothing more, Sakura sighed. He reached out and pressed the cold can into Suo’s hand—slowly this time, giving him plenty of space to react.
"I bought it for you to freshen up. It’s your favorite from the vending machine," Sakura said. He hesitated for a beat before revealing a small pink box held in his other hand. "And here. It's teacake. I bought it from a cafe not far from here, but it was still a bit of a walk. You don't have to eat it now, since I know you're on that 'diet' of yours. Just... eat it on a cheat day or somethin'."
Suo hid a sharp flinch as the gruesome image of the severed eye briefly flashed behind his eyelids again. He felt a desperate urge to decline, terrified of what might actually be inside that pink cardboard, but he couldn't bring himself to be cruel. Sakura had gone out of his way, thinking only of how to cheer him up.
Suo stared at the pink box, his pulse quickening. To anyone else, it was a kind gesture, but to him, the cardboard felt like a seal holding back a nightmare. His fingers brushed the lid, but they trembled just enough that he had to pull away. He couldn't do it— he couldn't risk seeing that golden eye again.
"Sakura-kun," Suo said, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked at the box, then back at the boy beside him. "Would you... mind opening it? I’d like to share it with you."
Sakura blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Hah? I bought it for you, ya weirdo. I ain't really into sweets like that."
"Please," Suo insisted, his tone more fragile than he intended. "It’ll taste better if we eat it together. Besides, I'm a bit... clumsy today. I don't want to drop it."
Sakura grumbled something under his breath about Suo being "high maintenance," but he didn't refuse. He shifted the box into his lap and tucked his fingers under the lid.
Suo held his breath, his muscles tensing as the cardboard creaked open. He braced for the sight of blood and gore, for the smell of copper to replace the scent of sugar. He waited for the horror to leap out and confirm his worst fears.
Instead, the lid flipped back to reveal perfectly round, golden-brown tea cakes, dusted lightly with powdered sugar and smelling of honey and jasmine. They were beautiful, simple, and most importantly, normal.
The tension snapped in Suo's chest, replaced by a sudden, overwhelming wave of relief that left him feeling lightheaded. It was just cake.
"See? Still in one piece," Sakura said, oblivious to the war that had just ended in Suo's mind. He broke one of the cakes in half, the steam rising from the soft center. "Here. Take the bigger half before I change my mind."
Suo reached out, his hand finally steady. As he took the piece of cake, the warmth of the pastry seeped into his skin, finally chasing away the lingering chill of his dark thoughts. For the first time that afternoon, when he looked at Sakura, the images of blood didn't follow.
"Thank you, Sakura-kun," Suo said, and this time, the smile that touched his lips was real.
By the time they finished the tea cakes, the sun had dipped below the horizon, painting the street in shades of deep indigo. Suo found he had eaten far more than he intended, which earned him a surprisingly satisfied look from Sakura. As the last of his tremors faded, Suo realized with a start that the sweets were his first actual meal of the day.
"Let me take care of the trash," Suo offered, gathering the empty pink box and the hollow cans.
"Nirei and the others just reported in," Sakura said, his brow furrowed as he poked at his phone screen with agonizing slowness. Suo watched with quiet amusement; for someone so fast in a fight, Sakura’s texting speed could rival that of an old man. "I told 'em to head home. Nothin' left for tonight."
"Did anything interesting happen on their end?"
"Nah. Just some sketchy types hangin' around. We’ll have to keep an eye out for that." Sakura pocketed his phone and turned to Suo. He lingered for a moment, his gaze searching Suo's face as if waiting for... something. He awkwardly ask; "So... did ya like it?"
"Your wonderful gifts? Absolutely!" Suo beamed, his signature charm returning in full force. "I feel so spoiled, having Sakura-kun’s undivided affection all to myself today. If I knew sulking would get me this much attention, I would have started much sooner!"
"Ack! Shut up already!" Sakura barked, swinging a half-hearted punch at Suo’s smug face. Suo dodged the fist effortlessly, his movements fluid and light.
Despite the scowl, Sakura felt a wave of relief wash over him; the hollow look in Suo’s eye had finally been replaced by his usual mischief. "Ya don't need to be sad just to get my attention..." Sakura mumbled under his breath, his face flushing a deeper shade of crimson.
"What was that, Sakura-kun? I’m afraid I didn't quite catch you."
"I said if you liked it and want more, I could show you—"
Sakura was cut off by a piercing scream for help echoing from a nearby alley. The playful atmosphere vanished instantly. Suo and Sakura exchanged a single, sharp look and bolted toward the source of the cry.
They arrived at the mouth of the alley, the shadows swallowing the narrow path ahead. From the darkness, the sounds of a confrontation reached them—the predatory tone of men trying to corner a girl. Sakura and Suo slowed their pace, their steps becoming silent and measured as they navigated the tight space.
"Get away from her, annoying brat," a gruff voice spat.
"You should be the ones to get away! She clearly doesn't want you near her!" a young boy’s voice echoed defiantly against the brick walls.
"And what makes you think she wants you?" a man sneered, followed by a chorus of mocking laughter. "Maybe grow a few inches and she’ll consider it. But for now, get lost and let us have our fun with her."
The laughter was abruptly cut short by a sharp cry of pain.
"The fuck? Did you just bite me?!" the man growled. An angry, heavy stomp vibrated through the alley. "I’ll make you regret that, you little piece of shit!"
As they rounded the corner, the scene finally came into view. A large man was forcefully yanking the boy toward the opposite wall, his arm wound up to strike. Two of his friends were grinning nearby. But Suo's sharp eye caught movement deeper in the alley's throat— a lot more shadows detaching from a recessed doorway, these guys wielding different kinds of weapons.
"Suo," Sakura called out, his voice dropping into a deadly, low register. His gaze also flicking up to the armed men on the back.
"Got it," Suo replied instantly. No further words were needed.
Sakura lunged forward, his body a blur as he delivered a flying kick to the man holding the boy. The impact sent the attacker crashing into the trash bins, forced to drop his captive. While Sakura tore into the rest of the group like a whirlwind, Suo focused on the girl cowering in the corner.
"Are you hurt?" Suo asked, his voice calm and steady as he helped her to her feet.
"I-I'm fine," she stammered, her eyes wide with terror. "But p-please, help my brother!"
Before he could reassure her, Suo sensed movement behind him. Without even looking back, he caught the girl’s waist and swiftly maneuvered both of them a safe distance away, the attacker’s fist hitting nothing but empty air.
Sakura didn’t wait for the thugs to find their footing. The moment his first kick connected, sending the leader sprawling into a pile of rusted crates, he was already pivoting toward the next target. His blood, which had been stagnant and heavy during the quiet walk, was finally humming with the familiar electricity of a fight.
"Who the hell are you bastards?!" one of the goons shrieked, swinging a wild, panicked haymaker.
Sakura didn't bother answering with words. He ducked under the swing, the air of the punch whistling harmlessly over his head, and drove a sharp elbow into the man’s ribs. He felt the air leave the thug's lungs in a pathetic wheeze. Without letting up, Sakura grabbed the man’s jacket and used his own momentum to hurl him into a second attacker charging from the side.
"Coming at a girl and a kid..." Sakura spat, his mismatched eyes flashing with a cold, jagged light in the dark alley. "You're the lowest of the low."
Two more men closed in, one brandishing a blunt pocketknife. Sakura’s lip curled in a snarl. He feinted to the left, drawing the knife-wielder’s focus, then snapped a roundhouse kick that caught the man square in the jaw. The knife clattered to the pavement as the thug’s head snapped back, his eyes rolling behind his lids before he hit the ground with a dull thud.
The last of the group hesitated, his eyes darting between his fallen comrades and the boy with the monochrome hair who looked ready to tear the alley apart.
"W-wait! We didn't—"
"Shut up," Sakura growled, closing the distance in a single, explosive burst. He didn't give the man a chance to plead. He leaped, catching the wall with one foot to gain height, and came down with a devastating heel drop that flattened the man into the concrete.
As the echoes of the struggle faded into groans of pain, Sakura straightened his jacket and exhaled a long, sharp breath. He glanced over his shoulder, checking on Suo and the kids, his expression softening just a fraction once he saw they were out of harm's way.
"You okay, kid?" he called out to the boy, his voice still gruff but no longer deadly. The young boy is too stunned to respond only looking at the downed men and something past Sakura.
A scraping sound made him turn. The two armed lookouts from the back were now advancing, their weapons held tight, faces grim. They'd seen their friends fall and had decided to commit.
Suo moved with a fluid, lethal efficiency, but beneath his calm facade mind was beginning to spiral. Every second he spent parrying a blow or redirecting a punch was a second his back was turned to Sakura. He knew he should finish these scumbags quickly—efficiency was his hallmark, after all—but the persistence of these men was starting to grate on his nerves.
How can they exert such effort for something so vile? he wondered, his brow twitching as he sidestepped a clumsy lunge. It baffled him. They fought with a desperate, frantic energy, harassing an innocent girl as if their lives depended on her terror. It was a waste of breath, a waste of strength, and most importantly, a waste of his fucking time.
"Don't you know when to take a hint?" Suo murmured, his voice dropping an octave as his patience wore thin.
He could hear the sounds of Sakura’s fight behind him—the sharp cracks of bone and the heavy thuds of the captain's shoes. It was a familiar rhythm, one that usually brought him comfort, but today it felt like a ticking clock. The intrusive thoughts from earlier whispered that every sound was a potential injury, every silence a potential disaster.
His eyes flickered toward Sakura’s silhouette for a fraction of a second. That was his mistake. In that moment of overthinking, the gap between his protective instinct and the reality of the brawl widened. He needed to clear his side of the alley, and he needed to do it now, before the shadows in his mind became the reality of the pavement.
Sakura crouched down to check the boy, his hands surprisingly gentle as he searched for injuries. He found a few scrapes and bruises, but thankfully nothing broken. However, the boy’s eyes suddenly flickered to something behind Sakura’s shoulder, his face pale with terror.
"Onii-chan, look out!" the boy shrieked.
Sakura didn't even need to look. He was well-acquainted with the cheap tactics of street thugs; striking a man while his back was turned was a move predictable enough for a toddler to see coming. He instinctively shoved the boy toward a stack of pallets to get him out of the line of fire just as a heavy metal pipe came whistling through the air, crashing into the brick where his head had been a second before.
"Get back!" Sakura barked at the kid, spinning to face the three men who had scrambled back to their feet.
The fight turned into a frantic, claustrophobic blur. Sakura was forced into a defensive rhythm he hated—he couldn't fully commit to an attack because he had to keep his body positioned as a shield for the crying boy. Every time he tried to push forward, another thug would swing a two-by-two or a bat at the child, forcing Sakura to dive back and maneuver the weapon out of harm's way. Slowly, the weight of the numbers began to push him into a dark, narrow dead-end of the alley.
Across the way, Suo was a whirlwind of motion, fending off three attackers of his own while keeping the girl behind him.
Through the gaps in the shifting bodies and the dim light, Suo could barely see Sakura. He could only hear the sickening clang of metal hitting pavement and the heavy, ragged breathing of a cornered fighter.
Then, the scene shifted into something horrifyingly familiar.
As Sakura lunged to parry a crowbar, a hidden blade caught him across the calf. He felt the hot, sharp bite of steel, followed immediately by the wet warmth of blood soaking into his pant leg and pooling in his sock. His leg buckled for a split second, and in that moment of weakness, the thugs sensed an opening.
"Die, brat!" one yelled, swinging a metal bat with everything he had.
There was no room left to dodge. With his back against the cold brick and the boy sobbing behind his legs, Sakura made his choice. He didn't try to move. He screwed his eyes shut, tucked his chin, and threw his arms over the boy to anchor him to the ground.
CRACK.
The sound of the metal pipe connecting with Sakura’s head was a sickening, wet thud that echoed off the brick. The sheer force of the swing didn't just stop there; it sent his head slamming back against the stone wall with a second, hollow crack.
Lights exploded behind his eyes, then dimmed to a thick, grey fog. Consciousness didn't leave, but it became a distant, muffled thing. He was aware of hitting the ground, of the rough pavement against his cheek, of a ringing silence that was slowly filling with a terrible, rhythmic sound—wet thuds, like meat being tenderized. He couldn't see clearly, couldn't form a thought, but a primal, screaming instinct told him that sound was wrong. A dark trail of crimson began to smear against the wall where he had hit, trickling down toward the pavement.
Suo had been occupied with his own unfair share of perpetrators, his movements usually a graceful dance of calculated redirection. But then, the world fractured. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a mop of black and white hair go down. Sakura's body, limp and unguided, falling toward the unforgiving concrete.
"Sakura—?"
Time decelerated into a sickening crawl. Suo’s pupils shrunk to pinpricks, his lungs seizing as he instinctively reached out across the distance. In that fractured second, his mind calculated the physics with cruel precision—he was too far. He wouldn't make it. He was forced to witness the sickening impact as Sakura’s head slammed against the wall before his body crumpled into a heap.
A voice that sounded like his own, yet twisted and unfamiliar, laughed in the depths of Suo’s mind. “I fucking told you so,” a demon whispered, its voice dripping with venomous satisfaction. The dam he had maintained all day against his decrepit, intrusive thoughts finally burst, and a tide of cold, black rage boiled over, drowning everything else.
He let himself go.
Suo forced his way through the attackers surrounding him, no longer playing the pacifist. He struck with lethal accuracy, pinching pressure points in sharp, agonizing shots that paralyzed his opponents instantly. He tore through the remaining men on Sakura’s side, but to him, they were nothing more than bugs waiting to be stepped on. His gaze locked onto the creature who dared to call himself human—the one who had struck the blow. In Suo's mind, the man deserved every insult, every shred of agony he was about to receive.
The rampage was silent and absolute. Suo descended upon Sakura’s assailant with a ruthlessness that bordered on inhumane. There was no grace left in his movements, only the sound of breaking bone and the dull thud of relentless impact. The man with the metal pipe was no longer a threat; he was a target.
You took the light out of his eyes, so I will take the breath from your lungs.
He didn't care about justice, his reputation, or the protective rules of Bofurin. At this moment, all of it meant nothing. He only wanted the man to stop existing. He wanted to erase the source of the blood staining the concrete.
Muffled voices drifted through a thick, suffocating fog, pulling Sakura back from the edge of unconsciousness. Everything felt heavy, as if he were underwater, and the sounds were distant—ghostly echoes of terror that didn't quite make sense.
"Onii-chan! Wake up! Please!"
A sharp tug on his shoulder sent a lightning bolt of pain through his skull. Sakura’s eyes drifted open, but the world was a nauseating whirl of jagged grey and smeared red. His head throbbed with pounding agony that felt like a hammer striking an anvil behind his eyes, and the metallic, copper taste of blood coated his tongue.
"Stop... him..." the boy’s voice whimpered beside him. Small, trembling fingers pointed into the depths of the alley. "He’s going to kill him!"
Sakura blinked, trying to force his vision to anchor onto something. Through the haze, he saw a dark silhouette. It was Suo, but the silhouette moved with a terrifying, mechanical coldness. The sound of flesh hitting bone was wet and relentless. There was no grace in the movement, only a brutal, rhythmic violence that turned Sakura’s stomach.
The boy and his sister were huddled together, paralyzed by the sight of the monster Suo had become. They were too terrified to move, their cries unheard by the boy who was usually so attentive.
Not like this, Sakura thought, his mind sluggish. That isn't him.
Ignoring the violent protest of his own body and the overwhelming dizziness that threatened to pull him back into the dark, Sakura forced himself to move. He dragged his leaden limbs across the gritty pavement, his vision blurring in and out. Every inch forward felt like a mile, his breath coming in shallow, painful gasps.
"That idiot..." Sakura curses, painfully. He didn't care about the pain in his head or the blood slicking his forehead. He only saw the dark void Suo was falling into, and he knew he was the only one who could pull him back.
Suo was blind and deaf to the world around him, entombed in a void of his own making. The sounds of the alley... The whimpering children, the groans of the fallen, were nothing but static. His entire universe had narrowed down to the man beneath him and the heavy, blood-slicked fist he had raised for a final, lethal blow. It was a strike intended to cross a line he could never return from.
Suddenly, the freezing isolation of his rage was shattered. A pair of trembling arms wrapped firmly around his waist, and a warm, shaky embrace anchored him to the spot.
Inside Suo’s head, the demon shrieked a final, desperate command—Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill—but his body flatly refused to obey. The muscles that had been wound as tight as piano wire suddenly went slack, the murderous tension draining out of him as if a plug had been pulled.
He didn't need to see a face to know who it was. The faint, unmistakable scent of sakura blossoms on the man's clothes filled his senses, cutting through the heavy, metallic stench of blood and the dampness of sweat. It was a scent that he knew very well.
"That's... enough... Suo," Sakura’s voice rasped against his back. It was weak, strained, more of a reflex that he always say to scold Suo.
The eyepatch boy's fist remained cocked, his knuckles white and slick with the blood of the man beneath him.
"Let go, Sakura-kun," Suo spat, his voice devoid of its usual melodic politeness. It was a jagged, ugly sound. "These insects... they don’t know how to take a hint. They don't deserve the air they’re breathing."
His body was a coiled spring, vibrating with a lethal energy that ignored the shaky embrace. He was venting now, the dam of his patience not just broken, but obliterated.
"I tried to be patient, tried to hold back," Suo hissed, his eyes fixed with predatory intensity on the unconscious thug. "But they made the mistake and touched you. They exerted so much effort just to be vile. It’s offensive. It’s exhausting. I think I've reached the limit of what I'm willing to tolerate. I’m going to make sure he doesn't wake up to be this persistent ever again."
A low, wet sound vibrated against Suo’s back—a laugh. It was weak, broken by a cough, and entirely out of place in the middle of a massacre.
"Look at... you..." Sakura’s voice rasped, the words beginning to slur heavily as the concussion took its toll. "Mr. Polite... finally lost his... his marbles. You look like a... mangy cat, pirate Suo. All hiss and... and no tea."
Suo froze, his rage momentarily stunned by the sheer audacity. He tried to pull away to finish the job, but Sakura’s weight was a heavy, limp anchor.
"Stop being... such a drama queen," Sakura mumbled, his head lolling against Suo’s shoulder. "The stray kitties... they told me... you’re being a real prick. They want... I want their teacake back. Tell the ancient spirits... to stop... stop being so loud..."
The absurdity hit Suo like a bucket of ice water. His demeanor faltered, silenced by the ridiculous image of Sakura arguing with invisible spirits and whispering to a litter of kittens. The murderous tension in Suo’s shoulders finally snapped, replaced by a hollow exhaustion. He pulled out his phone with his clean hand, his fingers flying across the screen to alert Hiiragi.
[To: Hiiragi-san]
There was a scuffle near the neighborhood beyond the bridge. It's taken care of but Sakura-kun has a severe concussion.
He skims past his unread messages for anyone who could take care of the scumbags.
"Nirei and the others are at Pothos," Suo murmured, his voice cracking as he looked down at the delirious boy in his arms. "Do you want to go there? See the others?"
Sakura’s eyes drifted, unfocused and glazed. "D-don't... don't wanna... faces," he slurred, his tongue feeling too thick for his mouth. "Don't want 'em... lookin' at me. Too... too many... eyes. Tell Nirei... to stop... being... so yellow."
Suo felt a pang of bitter irony. "I suppose we're the same, then. I don't want them to see me this way either. Not like this." He looked at his own blood-stained hands, the mask shattered into a thousand jagged pieces. "I guess hospital it is," Suo whispered, pulling the rambling boy closer.
"Hospital... has... bad jello," Sakura muttered, his head sinking into Suo's chest. "Make sure... the jello... doesn't have veggies..."
The young boy remained frozen, his eyes darting between the concussed boy and the boy with the eyepatch who's holding him dearly. Suo looked up at them, giving them a reassuring smile.
"It's alright now," Suo said, his voice soft but still carrying a trace of that jagged edge from moments ago. "The bad men won't be bothering you or your sister anymore."
The girl stepped forward, clutching her brother's hand tightly. "Is... is he going to be okay?" she whispered, looking at the blood on Sakura's face.
"He’s very stubborn," Suo replied, a small, genuine smile finally ghosting his lips. "It would take more than a few hits and a brick wall to keep him down for long. But he needs to get to a doctor." He looked the boy in the eye, his expression turning serious but kind. "You were very brave, standing up for your sister like that. But from now on, if you see men like that, don't try to bite them. Just run and find someone wearing this uniform, alright? We’re easy to spot."
The boy nodded vigorously, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "I... I will. Thank you, mister."
"Do you want someone to accompany you home?"
"We live around here, we should be fine."
"Good. Now, I want you both to head straight home. Don't look back at these men; they aren't worth your time," Suo instructed.
The children bowed quickly, and began to hurry out of the alley. Suo watched them until they turned the corner, ensuring they were safe before the cold mask of the "perfect student" finally cracked, and he turned his full attention back to the boy slumped against him.
"Hold on, Sakura-kun. We’re leaving," Suo murmured.
With a practiced ease that belied his own exhaustion, Suo maneuvered Sakura’s limp arms over his shoulders. He stood up, hoisting the captain onto his back in a piggyback carry. Sakura was surprisingly light, but his head was a dead weight, lolling against Suo’s neck as they began the long trek toward the nearest hospital.
The trek to the hospital was slow, the weight of Sakura on his back a constant, grounding pressure. The morning's dark premonitions had finally caught up to them, but as the cool night air brushed against Suo’s face, the suffocating rage began to melt into something softer—and far more honest.
"Suo..." Sakura mumbled, his breath warm but ragged against Suo’s ear. "The sidewalk... it’s moving. Tell it to... stop shifting... like a snake."
"I'll be sure to give the pavement a stern talking-to later," Suo replied, his voice returning to its usual gentle lilt, though it lacked its typical playfulness. "For now, just keep your eyes open. Talk to me."
"Don't wanna... talk to a... cat with a... tea habit," Sakura slurred, his fingers weakly clutching at the fabric of Suo’s school jacket. "Why's the moon... so loud? It's... screaming... in purple."
Suo tightened his grip on Sakura’s legs, picking up the pace. Every nonsensical word was a terrifying reminder of the impact Sakura’s head had taken. He ignored the blood from Sakura’s wound that was now beginning to soak into his own uniform, blending with the stains from the thugs he had dismantled.
"The moon is just jealous of your monochrome hair, Sakura-kun," Suo whispered. "Just stay with me. We’re almost there."
"Nuh-uh. Not until ya tell me why you're not Suo. Ya look like Suo... but you aren't my vice captain," Sakura slurred, his head lolling until his cheek pressed against Suo’s ear. "I can feel it. Your brain is... it’s makin' that loud noise again. The one from the park. Like a... like a broken radio."
Suo’s heart skipped a beat. Even concussed and drifting through a haze, Sakura’s intuition was a sharp, inescapable blade. "I’m just tired, Captain. It’s been a long day."
"Liar," Sakura giggled, a sound so alien and fragile that it made Suo’s eyes sting. "You were lookin' at me all day... like I was already a ghost. Stupid. I’m right here. I’m... I’m too loud to be a ghost."
Suo tightened his grip on Sakura’s legs, his footsteps faltering for just a second. "I know. I just... I didn't want my delusions to be right. I didn't want to see you hurt."
"I don't get hurt," Sakura muttered, his grip on Suo's jacket tightening with a sudden, momentary surge of strength. "I just... took a nap on a wall. Big deal. Stop thinkin' I’m gonna vanish. I’m stayin' right here... to eat teacakes with you."
A genuine laugh, small and breathless, finally broke through Suo’s composure. The thoughts that had haunted him since throughout the day finally flickered out, chased away by the sheer, ridiculous warmth of Sakura’s presence. The gruesome images that had plagued his mind all day were replaced by the reality of the boy’s feverish heat and his nonsensical, protective— somewhat flirting?— rambling.
"Alright," Suo whispered, the tension finally leaving his shoulders. "I'll stop thinking you're a ghost. As long as you promise to stop picking fights with brick walls and metal pipes."
"Deal... as long as you... keep bein' Suo..." Sakura’s voice trailed off into a peaceful, rhythmic mumble as he succumbed to the exhaustion.
The hospital lights appeared in the distance, a beacon in the dark, but Suo didn't feel the frantic panic anymore. He looked up at the moon—which wasn't screaming in purple, but glowing in a calm, steady silver. The "near-perfect" day hadn't gone as planned, but as Sakura’s steady breathing warmed his neck, Suo realized that the mask was gone, the shadows were quiet, and for the first time today, everything felt peaceful.