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There was something akin to regret stirring in Suo’s stomach as he gazed down at the boy sprawled at his feet. He was certainly impressed by Nirei’s effort, even if the boy hadn't even managed to graze his opponent.
With a fond sigh, Suo unraveled his scarf from around his neck, a quiet shiver running up his spine as the bitter autumn wind brushed his now exposed skin. He kneeled beside his former classmate, carefully placing a hand beneath blond hair and lifting so that the folded scarf could act as a makeshift cushion.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket once more, opening the contact and locating his grade captain. The message was short and simple, a link to his current location on the map with no further context. He knew Sakura would be straight there, even under normal circumstances, but the lack of contact would probably further spur him.
It took less than ten seconds for the phone in his hand to begin buzzing, Sakura’s default profile picture flashing above his name. Suo just watched it ring.
After a few minutes, he stood from his crouch and rounded the nearby wall, staying just close enough to keep an eye on Nirei’s prone form, but out of what he predicted Sakura’s route to be.
As soon as the pounding of running feet against tarmac reached his ears, he turned away from the scene.
—
It was nearing 11pm when Sakura’s phone pinged quietly from the other side of the room. He put down the console Kiryu had lent him, reaching to unplug it. Upon reading the name of the contact, his thumbs began acting on autopilot, pressing the call button before he’d even registered the message.
It rang all the way through, the monotone female voice that had haunted him for the past three days greeting him at the end.
Despite the itch to hit the call button over and over again, he instead took a breath, eyes squinting at the message.
It had a link to the default map that came with his phone, a pin in one of the nearby parks. Sakura felt his breath hitch as he stumbled to his feet, phone gripped tightly in his fist as he hurried to slip on his shoes.
The park was ten minutes away, seven if he ran. But if this was some sort of cry for help, if Suo was in danger, then Sakura was pretty sure he could make it five.
Wind lashed against his bare arms as he sprinted down familiar walkways, feet landing heavy as he put the full weight of his body behind each stride. He checked his phone once more, seeing his little blue dot get closer and closer to the pin.
As the playground came into view, Sakura found his friend's name getting caught on his tongue. The urge to call out was strong, but the taller teen was nowhere.
Sakura doubled over, leaning against a nearby wall for a few seconds as heaving breaths were ripped from his lungs. He forced himself forward, rounding the wall and making his way into the park proper.
There was no Suo in sight. Instead, familiar blond hair greeted him, being gently tickled by the wind from its place on the floor.
Sakura froze, a strange tightness present in his chest as he felt his breaths trying to grow shorter. He forced down the panic, stumbling closer until his knees buckled beside his friend.
Nirei was pale, but his cheeks were flushed. Rosy after being exposed to the nightly chill for too long. There was a fresh bruise on his chin, dirt and flaking skin mixed together on his knuckles, and a scarf folded carefully under his head.
Sakura wasn’t sure how long he stared, body locked up in fear. Why was his friend alone, unconscious, and beaten up? Did someone do this? Did Suo do this?
A quiet whine ripped him from his spiraling, Nirei's puffy eyes squinting open as fresh tears pooled. The boy's chest stuttered for a moment as he stared blankly up at the stars. Then, his amber gaze drifted to his friend and a sob hitched in his throat.
“S-Sakura-san-” he warbled, face crumbling in misery as he brought his hands up to hide behind.
Sakura could only watch, bemused and afraid. His hands found their way to Nirei's back, raising him up off the dirt and letting him lean close.
“Nirei… shit, what the- shit!” He stumbled over his words as Nirei’s cries grew louder, his whole frame trembling beneath the weight of his sorrow. Weak comfort was offered in the form of a hand rubbing up and down his spine, but it did little to help.
“Nirei, what happened?” Sakura tried again, fighting to keep his voice steady as he caught sight of the small tears and scuffs in Nirei's uniform. Even more evidence of a fight.
“I-I-I'm sorry!” Nirei choked out, barely able to form the words, “I t-tried to stop him! I-I tried but h-he,” another loud sob, “he left! He s-said we aren't a-anything and, and that I p-piss him off and-” he fell apart again, unknowingly curling into his flustered grade captain.
Sakura didn’t want to ask. He really didn't want to ask who this “he” was, but he already knew. All clues pointed to the same bastard, the one who never showed his cards, who smiled like he never meant it, who dropped off the face of the Earth for three days and who, apparently, beat the shit out of Nirei.
His fingers curled into Nirei's gakuran as his fury grew, holding his friend close to his chest in an attempt to stop him from falling apart as one thought made its way into his head.
He was going to fucking kill Suo Hayato.