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Shit.
Scowling at the vending machine, Sakura gave it a kick- but his desired snack stayed firmly lodged in place. He gave it another kick from a different angle, but it only yielded the same result. His chips didn't even budge.
Just great.
"Oh, what's up Sakura? You hungry?"
Sakura's brow twitched, doing his best not to look behind him. Of all people, why was it Umemiya? He was the last person he wanted to-
-no, calm down. It could be worse. It could be Endo.
Seriously, why couldn't those two leave him alone? He didn't give a crap about either of their groups. Him? Work with someone? Don't even joke. He wasn't so weak that he needed a group backing him up- he'd make it to the top on his own. That was how he'd done things all his life- that was just how things were.
"Ah, don't tell me," Umemiya said, "-your chips got stuck? That happens all the time with that vending machine! It ate Hiragi's coffee the other day!"
Sakura's brow twitched some more- but he finally turned to look at Umemiya. He gave him a lazy smile and a wave, leaning against the railing of the stairs. Sakura glared at him, but it didn't seem to deter him in the slightest.
"Actually this is perfect," Umemiya said, "-you got any plans?"
"Hah?" Sakura asked. "No. Why?"
Umemiya just beamed, grabbing the railing and hauling himself around to the other side in one swift motion. "Come with me, then! I'll treat you to something good!"
"Hah? Why would I-?!"
His stomach loudly growled.
Sakura's cheeks heated up. Damn it. He hadn't eaten anything since last night- he'd been trying to cut costs as much as he could. His phone weighed like a heavy stone in his pocket, keenly reminding him of how he'd gotten into this situation in the first place. He should have seen it coming, really- that one day his shitty old man would get tired of wasting his money on him. He should just consider himself lucky he'd already paid this month's rent. At least he wasn't homeless.
...yet.
Umemiya just laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "Sounds like a yes to me! Come on!"
Taking his wrist, Umemiya pulled him along. If he had anything in his stomach, he probably would have put up more of a fight, but he was starting to feel a little lightheaded.
"Wha- I didn't agree to anything!" Sakura protested.
"Don't worry, don't worry!" Umemiya grinned. "You won't regret it, I promise!"
Sakura just let out an aggravated sigh. Whatever. Free food was free food, he guessed- even if it meant putting up with Umemiya for awhile. He snatched his wrist away from him, but all the guy did was laugh again. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he trailed behind him, wondering where the hell he was taking him.
...this wasn't another tactic to convince him to join him, was it? It wouldn't work. Between him and Endo, honestly-
"We're here!"
Sakura frowned, looking up at the building Umemiya had lead him to. It was a nondescript restaurant in the shopping district- so nondescript, it didn't even have a name or a signboard out front. In fact, the place looked closed. He arched a brow, glancing over at Umemiya- but he just swung open the front door without a care in the world.
...could he really get food here?
"Kotoha! I brought someone!"
Sakura followed Umemiya inside, his eyes darting about the restaurant in suspicion. It seriously didn't look open- most of the chairs were stacked upside-down on top of the counters, and only the lights by the counter area had been switched on. Only the stools at the counter were properly arranged. It looked clean enough, but...
Hm? There was a girl standing behind the counter.
She looked... around their age, he thought. Maybe a little older. A second year? Her brown hair was long and tied back, and she was wearing a green apron. She cast a glance at him, a slight frown tugging at her lips as she met his eyes. He tensed, but at the same time refused to back down from her gaze.
She could say whatever she wanted. He was used to it.
Instead, she just faintly hummed and glanced over at Umemiya. "When you said you were bringing someone over, I thought it would be Hiragi or Tsubaki-chan. Who's this?"
"This is Sakura!" Umemiya beamed. "He's a friend!"
"Hah!?" Sakura bristled. "Who the hell's a friend!?"
"Eh, we're not?" Umemiya blinked. "That's strange... I thought we were getting along!"
"We're not!" Sakura yelled. "You just keep butting into my business, that's all!"
The girl behind the counter snorted- and didn't stop laughing even when Sakura glared at her. He twitched, not sure which of the two he should be more annoyed at right now. What was with these people? It wasn't just them, either- this whole town was slowly starting to act kind of weird. Just the other day, the lady from that bakery who had looked at him warily when he'd first arrived had offered him free food- all just because he'd chased off some shitty punk who had tried trashing their storefront.
He hadn't done it for her! That behavior was just lame!
"Sorry, sorry," the girl said, "-I see. Ume dragged you along, huh?"
"That's right!" Sakura said, his brow twitching. "W-we're not... f-friends, or anything. He just said there'd be free food!"
"Well, that part's true at least," the girl said, "-I'm Tachibana Kotoha. It's nice to meet you, Sakura. Why don't you have a seat?"
Sakura frowned. Nice to meet him? Hah?
...his stomach growled again.
Ugh. Fine. He didn't know what was going on, but he didn't think Umemiya was the type to lie. Grabbing one of the stools, he sat down on it. Umemiya sat next to him, the smile that had been plastered on his face almost the entire time not showing any signs of fading. For a guy who could be downright vicious in a fight, he sure could be bubbly outside of them. It was hard to believe they were the same person. He just couldn't get a read on him.
"So," Sakura said, "-what's this about?"
"You're here to taste test Kotoha's food, of course!" Umemiya chirped.
"Hah? Taste test?" Sakura asked.
"What, you didn't tell him anything?" Kotoha asked- before heaving a sigh and glancing over towards him with an almost sympathetic look. "Sorry about that. It's nothing serious. I just want someone else's opinion on my food, that's all. I'm hoping to open a cafe, you see."
Sakura hummed. A cafe, huh?
...wait.
"Aren't you our age?" Sakura asked.
"Your age?" Kotoha blinked. "No, I'm only fourteen."
"Fourteen?" Sakura repeated in disbelief. "No matter how you look at it, you're-"
He cut himself off, a chill running down his spine. A quick glance at Umemiya told him that it was coming from him- despite the smile still plastered on his face.
"That's right," he said, "-Kotoha's mature, right?"
R-right. Maybe he should shut up.
"Do you like omurice, Sakura?" Kotoha asked.
"I do!" Umemiya said- and huh? Where the hell had that mood from just before gone? Seriously, he didn't get this guy.
"I didn't ask you," Kotoha shot Umemiya a look, before turning her attention back towards him, "-well? Do you?"
"...dunno," Sakura said, "-I've never had any."
"Eh!?" Umemiya gasped, like he'd said something scandalous. "You've never had omurice, Sakura?!"
"S-so what if I haven't!" Sakura retorted. "It's not a big deal or anythin!"
He could count on his hands the number of home cooked meals he'd had in his life. He'd always been a burden- even before his relatives had gotten sick of taking care of him, and his father had decided to send him to an orphanage instead. The food there had always been shitty, and was usually always already cold by the time he got to eat.
"In that case, you've come to the right place!" Umemiya gave his back a hearty slap. "Kotoha's omurice is the best in Japan! You're in for a treat!"
"Stop doing that, damn it!" Sakura bristled. "What's with you?!"
"Eh, I'm just trying to be friendly!" Umemiya said. "Don't be so cold, Sakura!"
Sakura clicked his tongue, jerking his gaze away from Umemiya. Seriously, what was this guy's problem? When he'd first heard about him and his crazy Furin unification plan, he'd just thought of him as someone he'd have to fight eventually- but on the contrary, Umemiya had spent the entire first half of the year trying to befriend him instead.
At least Endo he could sort of understand.
(Not that he wanted anything to do with that guy either.)
Ugh. If it weren't for the free food, he'd leave. It had better actually taste good.
Kotoha set a plate in front of him, as if on cue. He'd never had omelette rice before, but at least he knew what it looked like- and he had to admit, it did look good. She set a napkin and spoon down next to the plate, before handing Umemiya a plate of his own. He wasted no time digging in, loudly declaring that it was the best in Japan again.
He tentatively took a bite, and...
...yum!
He quickly took another bite. It was a little hot on his tongue, but he didn't mind. When was the last time he'd had something this good? It wasn't even his hunger that was making it taste this delicious- the egg was warm and fluffy, and the rice was perfectly cooked.
"Well?" Umemiya beamed. "It's good, right?"
Sakura's cheeks flushed, suddenly keenly aware that he was still here. He jerked his head away, badly trying to cover up the redness of his cheeks.
"...it's alright, I guess," he muttered, "-can I get take-off or something?"
"Takeoff?" Kotoha repeated. "Takeout, right? I can't do that."
"O-oh," Sakura frowned, "-you can't..."
He could practically feel Umemiya's eyes on him. He didn't dare glance over in his direction- he'd rather not find out what kind of annoying expression he had on his face. Instead he shoved another bite of omelette rice into his mouth, savoring the flavor.
He'd take this over a bag of chips any day.
...ugh. Losing the yen he'd spent on them still hurt though. He needed that.
Ah well. A meal this big would at least get him through until tomorrow. Maybe he could work on finding a part time job or something- though he didn't know who in their right mind would actually hire him. The shopkeepers in this area might be weirdly starting to warm up to him lately, but he didn't exactly hold out any hopes for his prospects.
...maybe if he took a late night shift at a convenience store or something- the kind of crappy job and crappy shift no one wanted, he'd have some luck. It'd cut into his sleep, but he could just nap during class- it wasn't as if the teachers gave a shit.
"Oh, you can really pack it away!" Umemiya said, his loud voice dragging him out of his thoughts. "But there's more where that came from! Right, Kotoha?"
"That's right," Kotoha said, "-there's fried onigiri and chocolate cake too."
Sakura perked up in spite of himself. Cake?
"Oh, what's this?" Umemiya said. "Do you like cake, Sakura? That's unexpected!"
"Shut up," Sakura snarled, "-what's the problem with that?"
He almost never got to have sweets! It had never seemed sensible to spend his limited allowance on something so indulgent, so he only got them when they were handed out by the school. The last time had been... not since elementary school, right? The head of the orphanage would sometimes buy sweets for the children, but mysteriously enough there were never any left when he tried to claim one.
(Mysterious, his ass. He knew why.)
"Oh, but wait," Umemiya peered at his plate, "-you haven't eaten your veggies yet!"
Sakura flushed. "Hah? What's wrong with that?!"
...sure, it was free food- but vegetables? He didn't know if he was desperate enough for that just yet. He grimaced at the thought of it. He didn't mind fruit, but...
"Are you perhaps the type who doesn't like them?" Umemiya asked. "That won't do! A balanced diet is important!"
"What do you even care?" Sakura said. "Let's take this outside, bastard!"
"No, no," Umemiya waved a hand, "-I'm not going to fight you."
Sakura's brow twitched. Seriously what was this guy's deal? Dragging him over here and then lecturing him about eating vegetables? Did he really think they were friends? That was stupid. He didn't need something like that.
He'd just get sick of him anyways. Everyone did.
"No one's going to fight anyone," Kotoha huffed, "-geez. He's like an alley cat."
"Hah!?" Sakura glared at her. "Who's like a cat?!"
"Oh, you're right!" Umemiya beamed. "Just the other day, Hiragi found him asleep in one of the trees in the courtyard! He nearly had a heart attack!"
"...a tree?" Kotoha stared at him, incredulous. "Why?"
Sakura's cheeks heated up, and he jerked his head away in an attempt to hide his blush. "What's wrong with that? It's comfy."
"Is it really?" Kotoha asked, skepticism clear in her voice.
Sakura's brow twitched, as he abruptly stood up. "Huh? You wanna take this outside?"
"I wasn't asking for a fight," Kotoha said blandly, "-and sit back down. Do you want the rest or not?"
Sakura stared at her for a long moment, before he slumped back down in his seat with a grumble. What the hell? Wasn't she the least bit scared of him? Well, it figured that someone Umemiya was friends with would be a real weirdo- the other four that hung around him were like that too. Hiragi seemed to be the only one who really cared if he actually showed up to class or not, and Tsubaki had called his looks striking the first time they'd met.
(There hadn't been a hint of sarcasm either.)
"Fine," Sakura said, "-I'll eat."
It was only because he didn't know when he'd get another chance, that was all. If he stretched what money he had left, he could probably make it to the end of the week, but...
"Good," Kotoha smiled, "-here. Eat up."
She set down a plate of fried onigiri in front of him, and Sakura had to fight back the urge to drool. They had a kind of soy sauce smell to them that was irresistible. He grabbed one and took a big bite of it- and it didn't disappoint.
"Eh? What about me?" Umemiya asked.
"I already made you omurice," Kotoha said, "-isn't that enough?"
Sakura arched a brow, glancing between the two of them. Come to think of it, what was their relationship exactly? They seemed close, but...
...whatever. He didn't care.
He polished off the second onigiri, ignoring the weird look that Umemiya exchanged with Kotoha. She hummed to herself, before reaching underneath the counter and producing a plate with a piece of chocolate cake.
It tasted incredible.
"Good, right?" Umemiya asked.
"...I guess," Sakura muttered, his cheeks slightly flushed. Had it shown on his face? And why did Umemiya sound so smug? He wasn't the one who had made it!
"He's not praising you," Kotoha said, as if verbalizing his thoughts, "-but thanks. I appreciate it, especially since it sounds like Ume dragged you here against your will."
"I didn't drag him!" Umemiya protested. "Sakura's a friend!"
"Hah? Like hell you didn't," Sakura said, "-you didn't even tell me what we were doing until we got here. And I keep telling you, we aren't friends!"
Umemiya pouted. Like, actually pouted.
Sakura squinted at him. He knew he'd said it before, but when he acted like this, it was hard to believe this was really the same guy who could fight the likes of Takiishi. Even he had to begrudgingly admit he wasn't strong enough yet to face that guy.
(Not that he ever spared him a lick of attention. Endo, on the other hand...)
"Is that all?" Sakura stood up abruptly. "Cause if it is, I'm goin home."
"Eh? Stay longer!" Umemiya said. "Kotoha, make some coffee!"
"He doesn't have to stay if he doesn't want to," Kotoha said, before looking over in his direction, "-sorry again. But thanks, Sakura. Come by sometime after I open the place. I'll feed you a meal for free."
Sakura bit back the urge to snap- who the hell would come back?!
...he might need that free meal, he thought.
"F-fine," he mumbled instead, "-I'll keep it in mind."
Kotoha just smiled at him.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, Sakura drowned out whatever Umemiya was saying and got out of there in a hurry. He quickly made his way down the shopping street before anyone else could stop him, making a beeline for his apartment. It was a shithole, but the rent was dirt cheap. He couldn't ask for much more.
...and he'd probably be homeless if he didn't find a job soon.
Ugh. Scratching his head, he let out a frustrated sigh. He had a month to find a part time job. A month before his landlord would definitely turn him out on his ass. Even before that he had food costs to worry about- he still had some money, but he was going to have to find a way to stretch every last yen.
(At least he had more experience in that department.)
Opening the door to his apartment, he flipped on the light switch. It took a few seconds, but light slowly filtered into the darkened room. The place was equal parts dingy and dirty- it had been dirty when he'd bought it, and he didn't have the money to waste on cleaning supplies even before his shitty old man had cut him off.
If he died in a ditch somewhere, he was pretty sure his old man wouldn't be the least bit sad. If anything, he'd probably welcome it.
Well jokes on him- he wasn't about to roll over and die that easily.
Pulling out his phone, he glanced at the weather report for tomorrow. Clear skies. Maybe he'd skip school and search for a job instead. It wasn't like any of his teachers would give a shit- though Hiragi might get on his case. He wasn't going to Furin to learn.
It wasn't like he'd be going to college anyways.
His mind made up, he hung his Furin jacket up on the hanger that dangled from the empty curtain rod. At least he wouldn't have to worry about dinner tonight- his stomach was pleasantly full for once. It was kind of nice.
...like hell he'd be thanking Umemiya for it, though.