Work Text:
He exhaled slowly.
“…It worked.” His heart was still racing, phantom wind rushing in his ears. Slowly, almost afraid to look, he lifted his hand. The silver bracelet was still there. The four-leaf clover charm rested against his wrist, glinting faintly even in the endless white. Relief hit him so hard his knees nearly gave out. He brought his wrist to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to the charm.
“Thank you… Hajime.” The white void shifted. A voice echoed through the emptiness, smooth, layered, reverberating from everywhere and nowhere at once.
“I didn’t think you would actually do it.” It sounded amused. “You’ve got more balls than I gave you credit for.” A low chuckle rippled through the space. Sakura stiffened instantly.
“S-shut it!” he snapped, face flushing red despite the fact that there was no one visible to glare at. “I’m not here to chat. I need to hurry.” He clenched his fist over the bracelet. “I made a promise.”
Another laugh, softer this time it almost sounds fond. “Oh, I know.” The white space trembled faintly, like something vast shifting just beyond sight. “You humans are fascinating. You throw yourselves off buildings for love… and call it bravery.”
Sakura scowled. “It wasn’t for love.”
“Oh?” The teasing tone deepened.
Sakura’s face burned hotter. “I just… I had to go,” he muttered. “I need to go to the future.”
“Of course,” Death hummed. “Nothing to do with blue flowers. Or silver charms.”
“…Shut up,” Sakura growled again, mortified.
The amusement didn’t fade. “But you are right about one thing,” the voice continued, tone shifting slightly. “You don’t have much time.” The white void began to ripple, thin fractures of darkness threading through it like cracks in glass. “This jump will cost you more than the last.”
Sakura’s breath steadied. “I don’t care.”
“I figured you’d say that.” death said quietly. The light around him began to pull, stretching, warping, unraveling like fabric caught in a storm. “Go on then, promise-bound boy,” Death murmured. “Let’s see if luck is still on your side.” The world split open. And Sakura fell forward into it.
He opened his eyes. Furin’s gates stood before him. Something was wrong. The air felt heavy, thick as tar in his lungs. His body felt different too…. taller, broader. His hands looked rougher, the fingers longer than he remembered. Slowly, Sakura turned toward the metal gates and caught his reflection in the dull surface. The face staring back wasn’t his. Or rather, it was. Just older. His jaw was sharper, his features more mature. The wide-eyed boy who had stood here years ago was gone.
A cold knot formed in his stomach. Did the time travel fail? Did I change the future? He didn’t know. His gaze dropped to his wrist. The silver bracelet glinted beneath the gray daylight. The clover charm shimmered faintly… not glowing, just warm.
A pang twisted through his chest. “I already miss you…” he muttered.
A familiar hum of amusement drifted through the air. “Getting emotional?” Death drawled lazily.
Sakura’s head snapped up. “Shut it! Where did you take me?” He clenched and unclenched his fists. Even that felt wrong. Everything felt wrong. His own body seemed unfamiliar beneath his skin.
“I warned you about the dangers of changing the past,” Death sang. “Perhaps this is time’s way of making you face the consequences.” His voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere at once. Calm and unbothered. As if Sakura hadn’t potentially destroyed his entire future. The thought sent another wave of dread crashing through him.
He ws lost in tought when arms suddenly wrapped around him. Strong arms. Warm arms. Sakura jerked in surprise, instincts flaring. His body tensed, ready to throw whoever had grabbed him over his shoulder.
A voice reached his ears. A voice that froze him where he stood. “Haru-nii!”
Sakura slowly turned. The world stopped. That was impossible. Because standing in front of him was… Umemiya.
Sakura’s gaze caught on the white bands stitched around Umemiya’s shoulder. Three of them. His breath hitched. A third-year.
He became Top Dog. The realization struck him harder than he expected. For a moment, all he could do was stare.
“You came back!” Umemiya beamed. The smile was bright enough to rival the sun itself. “You kept your promise!” His arms tightened around Sakura for a brief second before he pulled back just enough to look at him properly. “I missed you so much.”
Something twisted painfully in Sakura’s chest. Umemiya looked younger than he remembered. Softer. His face still carried traces of adolescence that time would eventually smooth away. Without thinking, Sakura lifted a hand. His fingers brushed against Umemiya’s cheek. It was warm, and it felt… Real.
His thumb swept gently beneath his eye as if reassuring himself that Umemiya was truly standing there. The effect was immediate. Umemiya froze. The words died on his lips. A faint blush spread across his cheeks, climbing steadily toward the tips of his ears. Only then did Sakura realize what he was doing. His hand jerked back as though he’d touched a flame. The warmth vanished between them.
“Haru-nii?” The confusion in Umemiya’s voice was immediate. His smile faltered. Then disappeared altogether. Sakura watched the hurt settle across his face and felt his stomach drop.
“Wait… Something is wrong… I-”
“You don’t remember me.” Umemiya interrupted. The way he said it didn’t sound like a question. It sounded like a statement.
“What?! No!” Sakura shouted a little too loudly. Umemiya flinched. The reaction hit Sakura like a punch to the gut. His chest tightened painfully. “Of course I remember you… Hajime.”
For a moment, Umemiya’s eyes widened. Then he smiled. Not the broad grin Sakura remembered, but something softer. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “Right.”
The awkwardness that had settled between them seemed to ease. At least for a second. Then it returned. Sakura noticed it when Umemiya started talking. At first, it was simple. Questions about how he had been. Comments about things from years ago. Little details that should have felt familiar. And Sakura answered them. He knew Umemiya’s favorite foods. His habits. His birthday. The names of people important to him. Facts came easily. But every response carried the same strange hesitation. Like he was recalling information instead of remembering a person. Like he knew about Umemiya rather than knowing him.
Umemiya noticed. Of course he did. The smile slowly faded from his face. And a flicker of concern passed through his eyes.
“Hajime?” Sakura asked nervously. Umemiya was quiet for a long moment. His gaze lingered on Sakura’s face, searching. Not liike he was suspicious but it seemed like he was worried.
Then he stood. “Come on, Haru-nii.”
Sakura blinked. “Huh?”
“Let’s go somewhere quieter.” His voice remained gentle and patient. He sounded even a bit concerned. Umemiya offered him a hand. “The rooftop?”
The suggestion made Sakura’s stomach twist. The rooftop. Somehow that felt important. Like there was something waiting for them there.
After a brief hesitation, Sakura reached for Umemiya’s hand. “…Okay.”
Umemiya’s fingers tightened around his for only a second before he turned toward the stairwell. Neither of them spoke as they walked and the silence felt heavier with every step.
The rooftop was quiet. The familiar silence settled between them almost immediately. For a few moments, neither spoke.
Then Umemiya cleared his throat. “So…” He smiled sheepishly. “I wasn’t really sure where to start.”
Sakura managed a small smile. “Start anywhere.”
“Right.” Umemiya laughed nervously. Then he looked out over the city. “After you left, I finally did it.”
Sakura tilted his head. “Did what?”
A grin spread across Umemiya’s face. The kind of grin that carried years of hard work behind it. “Convinced everybody to stop beating each other up all the time.”
Sakura blinked. “…You did?”
“Eventually.” Umemiya rubbed the back of his neck. “It took forever.” He laughed. “There were a lot of idiots involved.”
“Sounds difficult.”
“It was.” Despite the words, he looked proud. Proud in a way Sakura had seen before, in a different timeline. “But we managed it.” His eyes drifted toward the Furin building below. “We challenged Furin.”
Sakura stared. “What?”
“We won.” The answer came with startling simplicity. “We changed everything after that.” A quiet breeze passed between them. “Now it’s called Bofurin.” The pride in his voice was impossible to miss. Pride in everyone. Pride in what they had built together. Or what they had built without Sakura.
The realization left a bitter ache in his chest. Umemiya continued talking.with rush, just recalling memories. Fond ones. He talked about the first time different groups worked together. The fights that nearly ruined everything. The friendships that formed afterward. The mistakes. The victories. The people Sakura had never met. The people who apparently knew Sakura’s name anyway.
In the middle of a sentence, Umemiya reached down and tapped something hanging from his belt. The movement caught Sakura’s attention. A small plastic wind charm swayed gently in the breeze. Old. Faded from years of sunlight. One side was cracked. The crack had been carefully repaired. Twice, from the look of it. Sakura stared. Something twisted painfully inside him.
Umemiya noticed where he was looking. “Oh.” His fingers brushed over the charm. A fond smile appeared on his face. “I kept it.” he said with such gentleness it almost hurt. “Every day.”
The charm chimed softly as the wind passed through it. Sakura couldn’t look away. Years. It had been years. And Umemiya had carried it the entire time. His throat suddenly felt tight. Umemiya seemed completely unaware of the effect his words had. Or maybe he was pretending not to notice.
Instead, he moved on. “The orphanage’s a lot bigger now.” That bright smile returned. “We renovated the east wing.”
“You did?”
“Mm.” His expression immediately softened. “The younger kids kept running out of room.” For the next several minutes, Umemiya talked about the orphanage. About summer festivals. About birthday parties. About children Sakura had never met. About traditions they had started. Movie nights and holiday celebrations. Ordinary things. Small things. The kind of moments people never think to treasure until they’re gone.
Sakura listened quietly. Each story felt like another piece of a life he should have shared. Another memory that belonged to everyone except him. Then, suddenly, Umemiya’s eyes lit up. “Oh!”
Sakura blinked. “What?”
“I got a sister.”
“A sister?” The excitement on Umemiya’s face somehow increased. “Yeah!” Sakura had never seen him look so animated. “Her name’s Kotoha.” The smile that followed was completely different from the others. This one was softer and warmer. The kind of smile people wore when talking about someone they loved.
And then Umemiya started talking about how stubborn she was.How she’d yell at him for skipping meals. How she’d somehow manage to take care of everyone despite being exhausted herself. How she’d learned exactly which expression meant he was about to do something stupid. How she’d always know when something was bothering him.
At some point, Sakura realized Umemiya had completely lost track of the conversation. He was just rambling now. Jumping from one story to another. Barely stopping to breathe. The realization should have been funny. Instead, it hurt. Because every time Umemiya laughed, every time his eyes brightened, every time he spoke about people he cared about… Sakura saw years of memories. Years of growth. Years of happiness. An entire life. And none of it belonged to him anymore.
“I’m glad,” Sakura said suddenly.
“Hm?” Umemiya tilted his head.
Sakura swallowed hard. “That you’re alive.” He tried to smile when he said it, but his voice cracked halfway through. The tears he’d been holding back finally began to gather in his eyes.
This isn’t my future. The thought hurt more than he expected. This isn’t my future. But maybe… Maybe it’s the future he deserved.
Umemiya’s eyes widened in alarm. “H-Haru-nii?” He immediately started fumbling for the right response, waving his hands uselessly as panic flashed across his face. “Wait- why are you crying?”
Sakura laughed weakly despite himself. That only seemed to make Umemiya more worried. A second later, strong arms wrapped around him. The embrace was warm.
Sakura grabbed onto Umemiya’s jacket like it was the only thing keeping him standing. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. Umemiya stiffened. “I’m sorry I wasn’t part of it.” Neither of them moved.
Then Umemiya pulled back just enough for their foreheads to touch. The city disappeared. The wind disappeared. There was only the warmth between them. “Don’t apologize,” Umemiya said softly. His voice trembled. “Please don’t apologize for that.”
Sakura closed his eyes. “But-”
“You’re here now.” The words came out firm despite the emotion behind them. “You’re here.” Umemiya smiled sadly. “And you won’t leave anymore.” It wasn’t a question. It was a hope. A wish. Something he’d probably been carrying for years. Sakura’s chest tightened.
He wanted to answer. Wanted to promise. But the words wouldn’t come. So instead, he rested his forehead more firmly against Umemiya’s. He leaned forward with his eyes closed and felt the softness of Umemiya’s lips. The kiss ws tender and sweet. But it was gone too soon for for Umemiya’s taste, as Sakura pulled back.
Umemiya pouted. “That’s not fair”
“why is that unfair?” Sakua said with a breathy laugh
“It makes me want you even more.” Umemiya gave to time for Sakura to process what he had just said and leaned forward to deepen the kiss. Sakura felt his mouth drop open in shock as their tongues intertwined. Umemiya was warm. A warmth he didn’t know he was searching for. But… now that he had taste, he dosn’t think he will every let go. Never again.
When they finally broke apart for air, both gasping with heavy breaths. Sakura felt the gentle press of Umemiya’s lips against his. It was warm and careful. As though Umemiya was trying to tell him something that words alone could never fully express.
And somehow, Sakura understood. The message settled deep within his chest. A feeling he couldn’t mistake.
I love you.
It was not something spoken. Or was it whispered. But it was there. In every lingering touch. In every year Umemiya had waited. In the wind charm he had carried every day. In every story he had shared on this rooftop.
Sakura’s eyes burned. His heart ached with a bittersweet tenderness he could barely contain. Slowly, he rested his forehead against Umemiya’s.
A shaky laugh escaped him. “I love you too… Hajime.”
For a moment, Umemiya simply stared. Then his eyes widened. The expression on his face was so openly happy that it almost hurt to look at. “Haru-nii…”
His voice cracked. And suddenly he was smiling. That bright, impossible smile Sakura remembered. The one that made it feel like the entire world was a little warmer. As though hearing those words had given him something precious back. Something he had been missing for a very long time, even if to him felt like no time has passed at all.