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“Patrol the town while I attend the meeting and report to me when you guys come back.”
Suo walked towards the building. Their Master summoned some of the officers to discuss the current situation and improvement of their city. Bacchus and Rakta look at each other, nodding, as they watch Sunfei enter the meeting room.
The city is always bustling. People are chatting and sometimes arguing in front of their own shops due to some misunderstanding. People are stopping and greeting them whenever they patrol the area. Nothing seems out of the normal.
Ever since Sunfei came back and started to patrol with them daily, the cases of gangs trying to mess in their city have lessened. Well, there are still some with guts who ended up with broken ribs and arms whenever the trio caught them.
“It was one of those days when Sunfei looked so distant.” Bacchus rubbed his chin. Sunfei was very hard to read due to his composed persona. Even before he became an officer, he showed immense self-control, so why does it feel like he became more tense ever since he came back?
“I’m surprised you even noticed that.” That seemed to touch a nerve as Bacchus glared at Rakta and started to throw insults.
When they turned to the noisy part of the city, they were hit by the smoke of the vehicles and the colorful signage from the buildings. They walked around trying to look out for shady civilians or pickpockets, which is pretty common in this area since tourists tend to visit this area more.
“Hey, careful!” Bacchus caught the running boy before he collided with the both of them. The boy was panting as if he’s been running for a good minute. They realized that he was one of the kids who always stops by to eat in the dojo.
“H-Help Bacchus-nii, Rakta-nii! Someone–There!”
They didn’t waste time, nor did they ask any more questions, looking from the kid’s reaction, it was pretty bad. He was quite lucky that they went to patrol the area at the right moment. They both followed the kid until they stopped in an alleyway, it was quite far from the public, so others won’t really notice what’s happening.
“The lady! She needs help–” Before the boy and the two of them can interfere, they witnessed how the man is grabbing her neck before her right foot swiftly hits the side of his head, knocking him out in one go. She quickly holds her scarf before stumbling on the wall. Only then did they notice the other guys lying slumped on the pavement.
“Are you all right Nee-san!” The boy didn’t hesitate to approach the unknown lady, but Rakta and Bacchus held the boy’s shoulder as if signaling him to not go near her. Instead Rakta walks towards her, trying to support her as she grabs her head. She didn’t speak a word, she only looked at the two men and at the kid who came to her rescue.
Bacchus and Rakta met a lot of people throughout their lives. Different races and ethnicities and different languages spoken in their city. This has been their norm ever since they've known how long. But they would be lying if they weren’t surprised when they saw the mismatched hair and eyes of the teen in front of them.
The teen’s hair is split in black and white, styled in a ponytail, and her mismatched eyes are searching and scanning her surroundings, her hand is warm and trembling as she tries to hide her face in her scarf. They also noticed that she’s wearing her winter uniform, and by the looks of it and the pristine quality, they conclude that she attends a private school from out of town, but what does a high schooler do in this part of the alleyway, and most of all, why is she alone in Bankoku-gai?
“What is your name?” Rakta is still holding her left arm as they walk out to the noisy part of the street.
“Sa–” She coughs, her voice is hoarse. Maybe it’s because of how the man is undeniably choking her from before. She then put her phone out before typing something, she held her phone out for Rakta to read.
“Ying?” He raised his brows, repeating the name in his brain, though Bacchus noticed how she shook her head clearly frustrated.
“Well, I saw Ying nee-chan follow those men because they snatched one of the sweets she bought from that stall.”
The kid pointed out the direction of the said stall that is selling tanghulu. Bacchus and Rakta looked at her with disbelief. This only made her hide deeper in her scarf, as if the redness of her face could save her from embarrassment.
“You seriously followed them because of sweets?!?” Bacchus can’t believe what he’s hearing right now, not even the kids in their supervision would follow those men if they offered them some sweets. He can’t even fathom that a high schooler would probably fall for it. What are her parents even teaching her?
“For someone who fights like that, you’re quite…naive and reckless.” She glared at Rakta but didn’t let go of his arm.
“You wanna go?!” Though her voice was hoarse and her face red, Bacchus can’t help but laugh at Rakta’s current situation.
“You’ve got guts, I like you already, Ying!” Her blush only worsened, but at least her attention is now on Bacchus. Rakta surveys every street they pass by, checking if someone is searching for their new companion, they can’t just leave her there alone after hearing the reason why she was cornered in the alleyway.
The two men can clearly see how hard Sakura is trying to open his phone, but to his luck, it looks like his battery just died. Just great, now he’s completely lost in a different city, with nowhere to go. He scratched the back of his head, clearly agitated. Why did he even suggest splitting up with Endo and Takiishi in the first place?
As if sensing his dilemma, Bacchus offered to follow them back somewhere to charge. At first Rakta was opposed to it, but looking at Sakura’s defeated state, he just felt like he too had no other choice but to help him.
“The name’s Bacchus, and this is Rakta. We patrol the city for the exact reason we found you earlier. You’re lucky we found you at the right time, who knows if those guys brought backups?"
“Tch. I can protect myself.”
“But you can’t protect your sweets?” Sakura glared at Rakta before earning a snicker from Bacchus and the kid.
When they reached the dojo, Sakura were met with two large gates with huge signage right on top of it. Inside, he was welcomed by a bunch of kids and teens wearing white, some were chatting and the others were sparring, and when they noticed who arrived, the rest rushed towards them.
Everyone was greeting Bacchus and Rakta, and then Sakura felt like all eyes were on him. He just gives a curt nod before following the two. He gave his phone to Rakta before stopping in front of a pillar to lean right into it.
“Ying nee-chan, come meet everyone!” The kid from earlier held his hand gently, and he almost yanked it back from the sudden contact. Sensing that everyone is waiting and looking at him, he just sighs and lets the kid drag him.
They tried to introduce themselves one by one, but Sakura is not really good with names, especially if he only met them once or if he’s processing a lot of them. The kids started to ask him about random things, like if his hair is dyed and if he’s wearing contacts, and even how he beat the group up from earlier. These kids just can’t stop questioning him.
“How did you fight like that, Ying nee-chan? You knocked the guy out in one kick, that is so awesome! I wanna do that too!”
The kids from the dojo started to gather around him, and this amount of attention from strangers is overwhelming Sakura, but he can’t do anything since he’s not in Makochi right now, and any sign of hostility will ring alarm bells to everyone in the vicinity.
“I…I just learned how to fight for myself so no one will mess with me. Also, it’s not Ying nee-chan, it’s Sakura!” He crossed his arms, watching the kids look at him with awe. Everyone here was trained at the young age of five, and they have other kids to spar with them whenever they need or want and tend to them whenever they get hurt. Unlike him, who had no other choice but to fight to survive.
“Train with me, Sakura-nee!”
“No! Train with me!”
“Don’t hog Sakura-nee like that! I’m the one who deserves to train with her!”
He’s starting to get impatient from all the shouting, so he decided to walk in the middle of the training grounds. The kids followed his movement, curious about what he was going to do.
“If you guys are so lively, then come at me all at once.” He assumed a fighting stance like he always does and saw how the kids perked up with excitement to the point that they started to surround him. They were about to charge towards him when a whistle suddenly made them freeze on the spot.
“What are you guys doing?” Rakta looked so done, this is the second or third time he needs to handle the rowdy bunch, and now another teen decided to join in the troublemakers.
“We want to spar with Sakura-nee!” The youngest kid from the group quickly hid behind Sakura, clutching his blazer. Seeing this, the others decided to do the same, Rakta sighed. Looks like he misread the teen’s name earlier.
As if the world were against Rakta today, Bacchus decided to join them at the exact moment. If only Sunfei is with them right now, then the kids will probably behave or will have his full attention.
“You kids can clearly see that she’s not in the proper attire for a spar, right? How about I spar with all of you?”
“No thank you. We want Sakura-nee!”
“This kid!”
Bacchus started to catch the kids who were fleeing from him, they were laughing and screaming, clearly enjoying every single bit of it. Sakura watched the whole scene unfold. Some of these kids are orphans, yet none of them seem out of place.
He didn’t notice it, but he just let a small smile frame his face, watching everyone have fun. He's only here in Bankoku-gai for two days, and he already misses Makochi, he misses his classmate and the people in town, he misses home.
“Follow me.” Rakta looked at him before walking towards the dining area. There are long tables and benches in the room, good enough for all the kids living in the dojo. He sat where Rakta pointed, watching the man walk inside the kitchen before returning with a hot cup of something Sakura had never seen or drunk before.
“It’s ginger tea, to help you soothe your throat.”
Sakura didn’t waste time and took a sip, only to flinch when his tongue burned from the drink. He put the cup down, deciding to let it cool down on its own. His fever went down earlier when he woke up, but his body is still recovering from the shock and exhaustion from everything. The advice Endo kept on telling him the day before and after they reached Bankoku-gai was embedded in his brain, this is his only chance to find and talk to Suo, so he doesn’t want to fuck it up.
"You're not feeling well, are you?”
He nodded. It's so obvious, so why even lie? He can also feel how Rakta studies everything he does, and he can’t even blame him for being suspicious. A sickly teenage ‘girl’, alone in an alleyway with a bunch of guys lying on the pavement, Rakta has every right to suspect her of being someone dangerous.
“What’re you guys talking about?” Bacchus sat beside him. Sakura was still looking at his tea with a blank face. He’s just waiting for his phone to charge before he can send Endo and Takiishi his location so they can fetch him.
“Sakura is not feeling well, and your loudness is not helping.”
“What?!” Sakura flinched from the sudden shout, which only proved Rakta’s point.
“So it’s Sakura, not Ying? No wonder the kids keep on saying Sakura nee-chan this and Sakura nee-chan that.” Bacchus looked at him then back to Rakta and started to discuss something in a different language, which caught Sakura off guard.
They're talking in English. Sakura is not fluent, but he can understand some words and phrases. He remembers when he first met Suo and thought he was a foreigner. No wonder Suo did that so naturally, people in this city speak different languages to the point that even the kids can do it too.
“Can you understand what we’re saying, Sakura?” Rakta still looks impassive, but Bacchus comes to a complete stop.
“Just some words…I’m not really used to it.” He can feel his cheeks turn warm, maybe he’s still sick after all, or did his fever come back? “My friend may understand it though…he’ll also enjoy the tea right now.” He took a sip and was glad that the warmth felt just right on his tongue this time, but the two men could clearly see that he didn't enjoy it.
“Sounds like your friend will hit it off with Sunfei.” Rakta seemed to agree with Bacchus, but they’re still careful about what they say to an outsider.
“He likes to say a bunch of crap, and I always fall for it…but I guess that makes him delighted.” Sakura didn’t notice it, but he smiled. Remembering the time he spent with Suo and their classmates fills him with warmth. He just hopes that someday they’ll go back to how it is.
“Sunfei also likes to talk about how he can hear the wind’s voice or some other load of nonsense.”
"A simpleton like you wouldn't get it anyways.”
“You really want to fight?!”
This time Sakura let out a laugh, making Rakta and Bacchus stop bickering. It’s been so long ever since Sakura let out a genuine smile, let alone a laugh. Everyone was so stressed these past few weeks, and he was glad he was still able to laugh at this situation. He quickly composed himself when he noticed the two men looking at him.
“Wh–What are you looking at?!”
“You should smile more, Sakura.” With that, he just glared at Bacchus before chugging the rest of the ginger tea. He still doesn’t like it, but it’ll be such a waste to not drink it. The three of them look at the entrance when some of the kids run towards their direction. Vuvu, one of the kids, hands Sakura his phone that keeps on ringing.
He excused himself for a while before answering the call, and he was thankful that he did just that, for what comes next was a distressed shout from the other side of the phone. He was sure that Endo was seriously going to turn everything upside down if he went silent for another hour.
“I’ll send you my location…yes sorry, my phone died…I am alright, so calm down…hmm…fine.”
After ending the call, he noticed how the kids were backed up at the entrance of the dining room, he looked back at Bacchus and Rakta, who had one of his brows raised. It seems that Endo’s shouting at the phone made everyone wary.
“Sorry…that’s just my brother and his friend. They’re going to fetch me as soon as possible.” That seemed to snap the kids out of their trance, and they started to complain more before latching on to him. This is the first time he met everyone, yet they already trust him this much to the point that they don't want to let go. If it were other kids from his previous town, they would probably scream bloody murder when they saw a single strand of his hair.
“You’re going back already? When are you coming here again?”
“Carry me, please, Sakura nee-chan!”
“Kids, stop bothering Sakura, she’s not feeling well! And she’ll probably need to go home to her own town, she can’t stay here forever.” That doesn’t make the mood anything better, and the kids just tighten their hold on his blazer. How strong are these kids?
Sakura just let out a sigh before deciding to carry the youngest of the bunch, a little girl around the age of five or six, staring straight into his eyes as if she couldn't believe that his mismatched eyes were real.
“Your eyes are so pretty, nee-chan.”
At this time Sakura’s blush was so prominent that the others started to throw more compliments at him. If only they knew that he’s actually a guy in a female uniform and extensions. He was also thankful for the scarf for hiding his neck, or else their plan probably wouldn't work.
Little did everyone know, Bacchus secretly took a picture of their current situation. Sakura is holding a kid while the others are circling him with smiles painted on their faces. Rakta looks at him knowingly and just lets him be, he’ll probably show it off to Sunfei when he gets back. They decided that no dangerous person would handle and look at these kids with such a gentle demeanor.
“Someone’s at the door! They’re looking for Sakura-san!” One of the teens came in a rush, Sakura, still carrying the child, decided to walk towards the gate. Behind him was a line of other kids. It looks like a bunch of ducklings following their mother, and the two men can’t help but let out a chuckle.
“Sakura, don’t you know how worried I–we were?” Endo was about to berate him more when he noticed him surrounded with a bunch of kids. Sakura gently puts the little girl down before walking out the gate, followed by a series of kids protesting that Sakura should stay for a couple more hours.
Sakura looks back and sees Bacchus and Rakta looking at Endo and Takiishi before looking back at him. Endo is wearing something that will completely cover every tattoo visible on his skin. Takiishi, on the other hand, is wearing whatever he feels like while holding a couple sticks of tanghulu.
“Sakura Haruka, let’s go.” Without another word, Takiishi turns around and walks away, making Endo scurry behind him, afraid that they’re going to lose Takiishi this time.
“Take care, Sakura-san!”
“Bye-bye, nee-chan!”
“Please come back again soon!”
Sakura looks back at everyone in the dojo for the last time before thanking them and jogging to his companions. Today may be the day he failed to look for Suo, but the kids’ presence makes his day a little better.
After their little farewell, the rest of them decided to go back to training. Too bad they didn’t get to spar with Sakura. Some of the younger kids are still bummed from the fact that they have to part with him, but Bacchus and Rakta can’t shake the weird feeling when they meet Sakura’s companions. They can’t act on their own accord even if the person in front of them feels threatening if they didn’t even do something to harm the people in their town.
Not long after, they heard the gates open, revealing their friend. Sunfei looks the same as always, composed with a small smile on his face, the kids greet him with excitement and ask him how his day goes. He looks at Bacchus and Rakta, signaling them to follow him into one of the common rooms.
“Anything unusual?” Bacchus and Rakta settled down on the sofa, watching Sunfei prepare tea for the three of them. They recount what transpired from their patrol earlier and how they saw a civilian beating a group of shady men in an alleyway. This made Sunfei hum. It looks like that group messed with the wrong person today.
“Quite the fighter for someone so naive and feeling unwell.”
“She’s also skilled, if you think about it, the way she easily knocked the man out with one kick while being choked is impressive. The kids even want to spar with her earlier.”
That made Sunfei falter. Helping the others and the town is their job, bringing kids into the dojo to feed and train is also a normal occurrence to them, but bringing an outsider into the dojo is probably unheard of. He looks at the two of his friends, expecting more answers.
“She’s lost and her phone just died, so she stopped by until she can message her acquaintances to come get her.” Bacchus looks at Rakta to back his statement up since he can feel Sunfei’s doubtful look.
“She’s not a threat. The kids actually enjoyed her presence." Rakta accepts the cup that Sunfei handed him, Bacchus on the other hand, was starting to shake his leg.
As if on cue, Vuvu, followed by the other kids, tried to snoop inside the room, which the three guys quickly caught a gist of. Rakta looks at them, signaling them that they can go inside to take a break.
"Mei-Mei, stop sulking already, you can’t focus on your studies and training if you continue acting like this.” The youngest girl in the group pouts before running towards the three. They notice how tears are starting to form in her eyes.
“What made her so upset?” Sunfei carefully put the tea set on the table before settling in his seat. The little girl clinging to his coat sniffles.
“I told you that Sakura-san can’t stay here forever.”
For some reason, Sunfei accidentally knocked over one of the cups, which startled everyone in the room. His lone eye widened when he realized what just happened. Bacchus quickly got a rag to wipe the mess before it could drip down and stain the carpet. Rakta just observes how Sunfei tries to compose himself, looking at the kids before returning to them.
“So tell me more about this Sakura-san and why it is distracting you guys?” He said it so casually and was glad when he saw how their moods lightened, starting with the others who quickly babbled about what they did and how they wanted to spar with Sakura, but due to some reasons, they’re saying that Sakura is unwell.
“Not gonna lie, she’s quite a looker.” Bacchus sips his tea and completely avoids the glare Rakta throws at him, but the kids collectively agree with him.
“She?”
“Sakura nee-chan.”
Sunfei closed his eye, but the other two could clearly tell that something was bothering him. They never really get a concrete answer from Sunfei whenever they try to fish information out of him, so the two just look at each other silently, agreeing that there is something more to it, and they’ll be lying if they said that they weren’t curious about it.
“Too bad you weren’t here earlier, Sunfei-nii. You would probably double-take when you see her!”
“She looks unreal…in a good way!”
“Vuvu was right! Her hair is black and white, and her eyes are a different color, it’s so pretty.”
The kids continue to sing praises but fail to notice how Sunfei is starting to look like he’s seen a ghost. His hands started to feel clammy and his back was starting to hunch. His breathing is rigid before pouring tea in his cup, maybe that’ll calm him down for the meantime.
“Here, I took it earlier in case you want to see.”
The photo seemed to seal the deal. It only took Sunfei a few seconds before slamming the phone on the table, surprising everyone from the sudden impact. Rakta and Bacchus instruct the kids to leave the room immediately, for they will be discussing something important.
“Where is Sakura?”
“So you do know her.” Rakta continues to sip his tea, watching the scene unfold. This is the first time they saw Sunfei lose his cool for a moment after becoming an officer. He watched as the teen in front of him covered his face and then let out a long sigh.
“Her brother fetched her earlier, so no need to worry.”
“What?”
“Did that meeting make you deaf, Sunfei? Rakta said that Sakura’s brother picked her up earlier.” Sunfei is clearly getting agitated because of this whole Sakura fiasco.
“I heard you clearly, it’s just that…Sakura doesn’t even have a sibling, let alone a brother.”
The whole atmosphere shifts inside the room, the shouts of the kids training outside the dojo suddenly feel so loud. The three of them look back at Bacchus’ phone that still displays the picture of Sakura holding the child while smiling. The two of them suddenly recalled how the look of one of Sakura’s companions gave them some uneasy feelings.
“I’ll handle this. Thank you for making sure Sakura’s alright.”