Chapter Text
Sakura struggled to breathe as his opponent continued to constrict his breathing. The boy gritted his blood-stained teeth, heaving as he grabbed his opponent’s, Endo Yamato’s, bloodied and battered head. He slammed his head against Endo’s, finishing the grimy, bloody battle with one last blow.
The blow immediately knocked them both out. They fell to the ground, their injured, dirty bodies lying there, as if they were lifeless. Sakura’s neck was bruised from Endo’s attempt to choke him and the place where Sakura had headbutted Endo was beginning to turn an ugly purple-green color.
Sakura was unsure how long they were out or what was stirring beyond his unconscious form, but… it was far from what he had initially expected.
When Sakura opened his eyes again, he expected to be in immense pain. And he was. His injuries from the fight still felt fresh, as though white-hot knives were pressing into his joints. The pain encumbering his entire form distracted him for a moment as he became aware of his surroundings.
Sakura looked up and found himself in an unfamiliar room. The walls were cold, stone and white. The bed felt plush yet stiff. Other than the white door in front of him with a minuscule window, all he could see was white. Glaring, bright white. Usually whiteness felt pure, or even sweet; however, it felt unwelcoming and icy in this current room.
His defensive instincts immediately kicked in as his eyes widened and his breathing began to quicken. He jumped to his feet and off of the mattress almost involuntarily as his hands balled into fists out of pure muscle memory.
“Wh-Who are ya people?! Come on out, cowards! The hell do you want?! Do ya work for Endo, hah?!” Sakura accused, his eyes darting around the room. No, no… this couldn’t be happening. He was just at Bofurin. What is this place?! Where was he… WHERE THE HELL WAS HE?!
He glanced down and found himself in unfamiliar clothing. Black ribbons that resembled constraints seemed to be wrapped around his clothing, which was a white… jumpsuit. This is what prisoners wore, the hell?! Sakura felt the urge to rip off the unfamiliar clothing. He felt oddly naked although he was fully clothed, whether the feeling was metaphorical or literal he was unsure.
Sakura’s eyes darted upwards as he heard the footsteps. He flinched immediately, his fists tightening. His natural glare deepened as he scrunched up his face out of a mix of fear and frustration; however, when he saw the person who was responsible for the sound of footsteps, Sakura’s glare softened slightly out of confusion.
It was a child. A child who looked younger than him.
The child was dressed in a dark gray suit with a matching hat, both of which had gold ornamentations, and a sash, which read Guard. The child looked… oddly mature for their age. Sakura, in addition, could not pinpoint the gender of the child. That must mean they must be one of those… nonbinaries that Tsubakino mentioned. But then again—guard?!
Was he… was he really in a prison?! The hell for?!
“The hell do ya want, hah?!” Sakura said, his glare regaining its intensity as he observed the child. If this truly was a prison, Sakura figured he’d have to somewhat defy the guard to prove his innocence.
“Not another one… I swear if you’re just like Futa,” the guard muttered, seeming annoyed.
“Hah?!”
“You seem to be acting quite rebellious, prisoner number 11.”
“I just woke up in this fucking prison, hell do ya think I’d act?!”
“Of course. Now, try to attack me so we can get this annoying segment over and begin the interview,” the child replied, watching Sakura as if he were just an annoying kitten they could easily step on.
Sakura grunted, not moving towards Es. Something in his gut told him that if he attacked this prison guard, things would ultimately go worse for him. He looked around, for anything that hinted at a chance of escape. Nothing. Except for the white door straight in front of him; although Sakura was doubtful it’d unlock for him.
“Hmph. I don’t attack those who haven’t shown me hostility. Startin’ fights isn’t how Bofurin works,” Sakura replied, regaining a bit of his confidence and pride at the mention of Bofurin. The guard immediately noticed, crossing their arms in the stiff little chair they had sat in. It seemed to surprise them, perhaps only slightly, but Sakura figured that was a somewhat positive reaction.
“Interesting. So, you will be easier to deal with.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not some goddamn pushover,” Sakura retorted, bristling once again, although the intensity of his glare had lessened slightly. This child seemed important to this prison somehow. In what way, he was unsure, but hopefully this interview would at least provide him with some context.
“Never mind, let’s begin this interview. Take a seat, Sakura.”
The boy hesitated for a moment before taking a seat on the other stiff little chair across from the guard.
“Do you have any idea where you are?” the guard questioned, looking Sakura up and down, as if they were observing items in a grocery store and deciding if they were worth buying or not.
“The hell do ya think? I just woke up here in this strange clothing and room and… you appeared,” Sakura replied, tugging at the straps of his uniform. The more he thought about his situation, the more he felt as though he might be a prisoner in a high security correctional facility, considering the guard was “interviewing” him and such.
“Well, Sakura, you are in Milgram. This place exists to reveal the sins of you, prisoners, and give you the appropriate judgement. For that reason, you will talk to me for a bit,” the guard replied, their answer confirming Sakura’s imaginings. He was truly in a prison. What the hell did he do to get into prison?! Was the way they captured him even legal?! What… what crimes did they find?!
Sakura immediately shot up from his chair, finding his hands instinctively formed fists; although, he knew, if he attacked this guard, it would most likely only doom him further. His breath began to quicken as his skin whitened. If he was truly in prison, they’d for sure find him guilty. He was so guilty. It was all his fault. Oh, God. Fucking God… he’d never see his friends ever again. Sakura felt stubborn tears prick at his eyes; however, he kept himself from crying. He wasn’t sure whether showing vulnerability would help him case or doom him to life in prison.
“Sakura! Sit back down. If you want any chance of exiting this prison, I must interview you to decide if it must be so.”
“Wh-What crime did I even commit, hah?!”
“So you are going to be difficult... Well, if you must know, everyone in this prison is a murderer,” The guard replied coldly, causing Sakura to become as pale as a sheet of paper. Cold sweat began to drip from his brow as his fists shook. How… how did they find out?! Did Sakura’s father tell a prison?! W-Would they arrest him for that… Oh, God. He would never see his friends ever again. Murder in Japan lead to either life in prison—or a death sentence.
Sakura felt the room begin to wobble around him as the reality of his situation sank in.
“N-No… no. I-I swear! I didn’t mean to! I-I didn’t mean to kill her!” Sakura protested, finding his legs to be tilting as he continued to stand.
“It doesn’t matter whether you meant to kill her or not. I will be deciding your fate as guilty or innocent as I please. Now, take a seat and let’s begin this interview.”
Sakura gulped; however, he complied and sat down once again. If this guard was judging his sins, he’d have to show that he’d changed since the murder. He figured that, if he denied it, he’d only be presented with a worse fate than if he were to admit it.
“You can call me Es. Sakura, please introduce yourself,” Es requested, crossing their legs as they waited for Sakura to speak once again. Sakura hesitated for a moment, attempting to slow his breathing before he spoke again. It was so fucking embarrassing that he’d stuttered before. He couldn’t show weakness. Right…
“I’m Haruka Sakura and I’m 16 years old and I go to Bofurin… do ya need anything else?” Sakura replied, trying to hide the fact that he was still trembling. His hands were still slightly curled as if it was a sort of comforting motion.
“I… uh—I’m sorry, I must’ve misheard you. Sakura Haruka? That is your full name?” Es questioned, seeming to be a mix of confused and… almost amused. Sakura stared at them, trying to understand what could be so amusing about his name.
“H-Hah?”
“Nothing, nothing… it’s just your name is very similar to another prisoner’s. Perhaps Jackalope made a mistake admitting you. Maybe, you aren’t a murderer, depending on what you meant earlier.”
Sakura flinched, reminded once again why he was admitted here. He… wanted to get out of this prison, for sure; however, he’d feel infinitely guilty if he got out because of a lie. He was a murderer. His father had confirmed it. Sakura gritted his teeth, feeling his breathing begin to quicken once again.
“Y-Ya’re wrong! I am a murderer! I… I killed my mother! My father, when I first met him, h-he told me—it’s all my fault…!” Sakura protested as he bolted up from his chair, unsure why he was even defending the fact that he was a murderer. The tears he had previously been holding back began to rush back with twice as much force, making it impossible for the boy to hold them back. He began to cry ugly tears. No matter how vigorously he wiped his face, they wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t cease inhaling disgustingly salty liquid no matter how hard he tried to cease this supposedly useless crying.
Es slapped Sakura sharply before he could react.
Sakura flinched, his hands balling up into fists on instinct.
“The hell—”
“If you are implying what I assume, Sakura, that is not murder,” Es said sharply, glaring at Sakura with a mix of disdain and frustration.
“The fuck do you think I’m implying?! Ya don’t know me, asshole!” Sakura retorted, attempting to throw a punch at the prison guard; however, his action was stopped midway by some… invisible wall. A strange, almost ethereal sound could be heard when he felt his fist crash into the barrier. Es smirked slightly, seeming somewhat pleased that Sakura’s attempt to attack them failed, but the guard’s smirk faded just as quickly as they remembered what was currently happening in the prison cell. Sakura grunted in slight pain, his former injuries that he acquired in his brawl with Endo beginning to sting once again.
“Prisoners cannot attack the guard as you have just witnessed. What did you expect, stupid? Anyway, if you are talking about dying during childbirth, that is not your fault.”
Not your fault. Not your fault… Not your fault. Not his fault. It wasn’t his fault. He wasn’t at fault. What absurdity was this?!
“Wh-What the hell are ya saying?”
“Judging by your reaction, my assumption was correct. Sakura, you did not commit murder in that specific case,” Es stated in a matter-of-fact manner. Sakura stepped back, his hands now balled up into tight, quivering fists; however, before he could reply, Es turned towards the corner and began to speak to… nothing.
“Jackalope, are you completely sure you did not make a mistake admitting him? This isn’t the murder? Oh, he is still a murderer. Well, alright, if you’re sure you haven’t made a mistake. Don’t act so offended, I’m only clarifying.”
Sakura watched the guard speak to nothing with a puzzled expression on his face. Was this prison guard insane? No wonder Es believed that he wasn’t a murderer. Something clearly wasn’t right in their head.
“So, ya’re a crazy, huh?”
“You’re one to talk, murderer,” Es replied, finally turning to look back at the boy, ceasing their conversation with the air.
“Hah?! I thought… that you thought that it wasn’t murder. So, you’re not completely crazy…”
“No. That still isn’t murder, Sakura. Your murder was something else.”
Sakura began to hyperventilate for the third time during this interview. The prison guard had to be joking. His mother’s death was his only murder. Sakura attempted to calm down, but the white walls only increased his stress. Their brightness seemed to be a canvas painted with the judging eyes of Es and, what felt like, many others. Their blankness seemed almost mocking in this current moment.
“Sakura, calm down! Getting stressed about this is not going to benefit you in anyway,” Es replied coldy; however, he could sense a small hint of worry within their harsh tone.
Sakura took a sharp breath in, attempting to control his breathing; however, his breathing was still very quick even after a few moments of attempting to calm himself down. He just… couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that he had murdered another person.
“Y-Yeah. Right… Ya’re sure about everything?”
“Yes. Milgram does not make mistakes.”
“Then, I’m a murderer?”
“Yes.”
“I-I… how? I never remember ever killing. I fight a lot, but I never killed anyone. Ya believe me, right?”
“I trust Milgram far greater than you, Sakura. In addition, a case such as yours is something I have just dealt with. Do you by chance have multiple personalities?”
“Hah?! The hell is that? No…!” Sakura replied, managing to have calmed himself down an adequate amount to have a normal conversation.
“Well, you haven’t switched even through what I assume was extreme stress. For now, I’ll assume you don’t have multiple personalities.”
“Well, yeah. ‘Cause that’s the truth.”
“Hm. Sakura, you mentioned you fight a lot, don’t you think that you could have possibly injured someone in some way that led to their death?”
“N-No! I… I’ve seen everyone I’ve fought after a fight! I only knock them out! Es, I’m telling the truth! I swear!” Sakura said defiantly, refusing to believe what Es was implying. Never. NEVER. In his years of fighting, Sakura would stop as soon as his opponent was out cold. Nothing more. He’d never injured them gravely, right?
“Sakura, Milgram never lies.”
“But I’m not lying either! I swear, I’ve never killed anyone in a fight! My opponents have never been gravely injured!”
“Sakura.”
“No, Milgram has to lie sometimes! How can you trust it so blindly?!”
“Sakura!”
“WHAT?!”
“Milgram never lies. I can confirm this. Everyone here has been confirmed to be a murderer, so it is the same for you. See, the thing is, I can tell if you are saying the truth as your thoughts and memories regarding the murder will be shown to me through a song and a video after this interview.”
“Tch. If that’s true, ya’ll find that I am not a murderer. I’ve never killed anyone in a fight.”
“We’ll see, Sakura.”
Sakura grunted, finally taking a seat on the stiff chair. If this “Milgram” worked as Es had said, then he would easily be proved to not be a murderer; however, what if he did kill someone? He’d met with his adversaries every time after their brawls. Every adversary. He’d seen them alive and… somewhat well. Except for—No, it couldn’t be. He was too strong.
“I… Everyone I fought has to have lived afterwards.”
“I’m sensing some doubt, Sakura. Got anything to confess?” Es replied, noticing Sakura’s self-doubt. They looked up, expecting the signal for his song to begin to go off at any moment; however, as if Jackalope, or Milgram, was intentionally annoying them, nothing happened.
“I’m not a murderer! I swear!”
“Alright, fine. Keep denying it. I’ll see the truth anyway later on. I’m not dealing with a third prisoner in denial.”
“Wh-What do you mean?!”
“You didn’t think you were the only prisoner here, did you?”
“N-No but… I assumed ya’ere only interviewing me because I randomly arrived.”
“Well, you assumed incorrectly. As I believe I’ve said before, Milgram is a facility made to reveal your, the prisoners’, crimes and decide the correct punishment.”
“Right, right… What are the other prisoners like?”
“They’re… interesting. You wouldn’t expect them to be murderers. At times, they seem like normal people. I guess that just shows how people can be deranged without you even realizing.”
Sakura flinched at the idea, finding it disturbing to imagine normal people, such as the citizens of Makochi, as murderers. Honestly, he expected as much. He was a murderer, yet he acted normal. In his opinion, of course.
“Really?! Are ya bein’ serious?”
“Yes. This is exactly why law and order is so difficult. You can never truly be sure without undeniable evidence that someone is guilty or innocent. This is why we created Milgram.”
“So… I could maybe get along with the other prisoners?”
“Yes. You’ll meet them soon enough. Don’t worry though, they aren’t near as hostile as you’d expect,” Es paused, seeming to consider whether they should explain the prisoners’ dynamics to Sakura. It would prove to be helpful to the boy. Es sighed and looked at the time. Around six minutes left till the interview ended. Against their better judgement, Es gave a brief explanation on the current relationships between the prisoners.
“Kazui, Mikoto, and Shidou are the older three who have formed a smoking group. Haruka, no, not you, seems to get along with almost everyone, but he smiles at odd times in an unsettling manner. Futa has a personality and demeanor similar to yours. Mu, Yuno, and Mahiru might all seem whimsical, but I am more than positive it is an elaborate act. They are much more formidable than you would assume. Kotoko values justice a bit too much. And Amane seems to have been brainwashed into justifying her murder,” Es finished, earning an interested expression from Sakura. He paused for a moment, feeling slightly more comfortable. Es wasn’t… as hostile as they had initially seemed.
“Uh, thanks for explaining stuff,” Sakura said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.
“You’ll most likely get along with them. Well, some of them at least. Anyway, this conversation is going off topic. Sakura, you seem to have acquired multiple injuries before arriving here. Why is that?”
“Just… just a fight. I was protecting Bofurin against Noroshi.”
“Bofurin? You’ve mentioned this once before.”
“It’s the school I attend. It used to be a school for the lowest of the low, the trashiest of the trash… but Umemiya changed that. Now we protect the town. And it’s a hell of a lot better that way.”
“Oh. So, you’re into justice as well. Interesting.”
“Hah?!”
“Why must you take offense to every fucking thing I say… It’s just two of the other prisoners have similar values.”
“Huh. I guess I will probably get along with at least two of the others…” Sakura muttered, not finding the idea of fraternizing with killers so despicable anymore. If they were close to what Es had described, maybe his time in this prison wouldn’t be so hellish. Unless Es was toying with him. If so, fuck that kid.
“Well, our interview’s over,” Es said, standing up from their chair. Sakura, involuntarily, stood up from his as well, expecting that he’d have to follow Es or something similar. Instead, Es, pushed him back down by grabbing hold of both of his shoulders and shoving downwards. Sakura flinched immediately, pushing Es’s hands off his shoulders in a swift motion.
“The hell?!”
“Your true thoughts are going to be turned into a song now, Sakura.”
“Hah?! What the he—”
“Haruka Sakura, prisoner number 11, sing your sins.”
It was then that Sakura felt himself black out. His body went limp as his eyes rolled all the way back, revealing their overly red scleras. Sakura sat in that stiff chair, unmoving and silent; however, on the inside, he felt helpless to avoid his fate just as a speck of dust floating in the wind. It felt as though he was falling. Falling forever.
Es watched his reaction with slight pity before turning their eyes towards the screen. They had more important things to worry about than some seemingly innocent prisoner. Haruka Sakura was an odd case. An extremely peculiar case.