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"If I say I like Furin, does that make me a betrayal?"
"Hah--"
Bacchus glared at Suo for blurting that out so suddenly, whilst they were washing up after dinner. Rakta simply shook his head in amazement, saying nothing because he was better at holding back his reaction than Bacchus.
Sun Fei is like that sometimes, isn’t he? Rakta thought, half-contemplatively. No one knew what the boy was thinking, but at certain moments he would be honest.
“Do you really like Furin?” Rakta asked, seeking confirmation.
Suo nodded once. His tassel earrings swayed with the movement of his head.
“Well, I suppose there’s nothing wrong with that.” Bacchus shrugged, voicing his opinion simply. “It’s your school, they’re your friends. In fact, you’d find it really difficult if you didn’t like them, yet forced yourself to keep interacting with them every day.”
“Is that so…?” Suo looked at Bacchus with an innocent gaze that needed to be reassured time and again, and Bacchus scratched his head at how starkly this side of Suo contrasted with his usual self, who made all his own decisions.
“Yeab, I think so. It doesn’t matter whether you love them, or consider them precious. Right, Rakta? Say something, hey! Your silence is terrifying, you know?!"
Bacchus tried to persuade Suo, but ended up panicking himself because Rakta still hadn’t voiced an opinion. Suo now turned to Rakta as well, who remained silent in front of the sink, lost in thought.
"Rakta, the tap—"
"Oh, right."
Rakta turned off the tap, stopping the flow of water that was no longer needed. Suo himself placed the last wet plate onto the hanging rack, and Bacchus wiped his hands, which smelled of lime soap.
“Sun Fei, it’s just like a language.” Rakta finally spoke up. “Just as you find it easy to learn sentence structure and vocabulary, you also adapt easily wherever you are. And in my opinion… you don’t need to feel guilty about that. In fact, that is your strength.”
After all, Red Chanpuru exists to protect Bankoku-gai, not to hate or antagonise other territories. So, how could they possibly consider that boy a traitor, simply because he has an emotional bond with the people of Makochi?
Suo was stunned, then his lips curved slightly into a faint smile. This time, his smile was more sincere, more honest. Like a younger brother who was genuinely happy to be praised by his older brother.
"Unlike Bacchus who—"
"Hey, your words were fine as they were, so you don’t need to slip in an insult about me?!"
"I haven’t finished my sentence."
"It’s already obvious what you’re going to say, you know!"
Suo chuckled softly. Their little squabbles were always entertaining to watch, and in Bofurin, scenes like this were a daily occurrence.
“Thank you, Bacchus, Rakta. I’ve made my decision now.”
Suo spoke calmly, and the other two members of Red Chanpuru immediately stopped arguing.
“Decision…?”
Suo nodded slowly. “I’m leaving Furin.”
“Hah?!” Bacchus let out another startled shout, whilst Rakta silently thanked his luck that he had already finished washing the dishes. If he hadn’t, he would surely have dropped them in shock.
“… Things have been getting difficult lately, haven’t they? I can’t involve them.” Suo cast his gaze out of the window, into the darkness of the night seeping through the cracks in the glass.
“You don’t trust them enough?” Rakta replied. “Back then, your reason for starting school abroad was to see another side of the world, wasn’t it? To compare how other cities manage without security officers.
Suo shook his head, his eyes closed. “On the contrary, I trust them completely. They’ve developed so quickly in just two seasons, and I feel I’ll be left behind if I don’t do my part too.”
Sakura arrived as an awkward outsider who didn’t know how to make friends, and now he’s become a captain grade who’s incredibly reliable. Nirei started the school year as a boy who couldn’t fight, and now he’s more than capable of simply protecting himself.
They’ll be just fine without Suo, and they’re not alone. Bofurin has plenty of allies, plenty of coalitions. Suo could hardly imagine any problem that might upset their balance, given how solid the organisational structure is now.
Bacchus sighed, then put his arm around the younger boy’s shoulders. “Come on, don’t try to act all competitive, Sun Fei. You just don’t want to risk them getting dragged into trouble, do you?”
Rakta nodded. “You still treat your Bofurin mates like dojo kids, huh? People you have to look after so they don’t get hurt.”
“Hehe… I want the same for you lot, you know?”
“Don’t get any ideas.”
“Don’t shoulder it all on your own.”
Suo felt two different hands on his shoulders and was taken aback. Ah, how his heart would never run out of room to love everyone—whether it was his brothers in Bankoku-gai or his friends over in Makochi.