Water To A Flower

Stepping out onto the rooftop, Sato filled his lungs with the crisp air, his shoulders dropping slightly as the tension of indoor confines melted away. "Here we are," he announced, turning to Yuuto with a trace of pride edging his voice. "The rooftop. It's more than just part of the school—it's a window to the world outside our usual four walls."

Yuuto's gaze drifted across the horizon, the urban landscape stretching beneath them caught in the soft embrace of dusk.

"Looks like a regular rooftop to me," he commented, his voice betraying nothing as a breeze tousled his wig, carrying with it the promise of the evening chill.

Beneath his calm exterior, Yuuto's thoughts churned with wariness. 'Ah yes, the classic move of "I will be unveiling the mundane as the mystical to the ignorant you, aren't you thrilled?' technique. A-Grade. Sato's aiming for the role of the enlightened guide, but I can see right through you, manipulator.' The rooftop's well-kept surface and the sun's final golden glow failed to stir in him the awe it was clearly meant to inspire.

'Tidy, though. Must give credit to the cleaning staff for their diligence,' he mused privately, his acknowledgment tinged with a begrudging respect for the unseen hands that maintained the space.

Sato's laughter, light and genuine, cut through the cool air, pulling Yuuto from his reverie.

"Haha, yeah, I suppose. But there's a certain magic to standing here, overlooking the horizon." Moving closer to the guardrail, Sato leaned against it, his gaze sweeping across the vast expanse below.

"This place, it's been a sanctuary for many of us, filled with memories stretching back to our elementary days," he shared, his voice tinged with nostalgia as he took in the view of the city sprawling beneath them.

"A sanctuary?" Yuuto's voice held a hint of doubt, his eyebrow raised slightly in skepticism.

He thought to himself, amused, 'Heh, I would've imagined this place spilled with blood on a daily basis with how the school used to be,'

Sato, leaning against the guardrail, glanced back at Yuuto with a mix of nostalgia and a hint of sadness.

"Yeah, I've told you before, Sakurai-senpai. This school wasn't always so peaceful. There were hardly any places you could hang out without getting into some sort of trouble."

He took a moment, his eyes scanning the rooftop as if seeing it through the lens of the past. "But this spot, even when Shiyon-san was the big boss before he cleaned up the school, he made it clear: no fighting up here. He said it was because someone could fall over the edge... And that would be an annoyance for him," Sato said, managing a smile that seemed a bit forced.

Compelled by a sudden urge, Yuuto found himself walking towards the guardrail, coming to stand beside Sato. He leaned forward, resting his arms on the cold metal, and peered down.

"Just a problem, eh? Sounds like something the Organ Harvester would say if he dropped his ridiculous cutesy act already," Yuuto remarked, his gaze dropping to the ground below.

For a fleeting moment, his imagination painted a grim picture — Kyoya's twisted body lying motionless at the base. He shook the thought away, a chill running down his spine despite the setting sun's warmth.

"...Get to the point, Sato," Yuuto said, turning his head to look at Sato.

"You said I am a poor judge of character," Sato began, his voice carrying a mix of resignation and challenge as he turned to face Yuuto, the cityscape behind him painting a poignant backdrop.

"I did. And I'm not about to retract that statement," Yuuto responded, his tone firm.

"I'm not asking you to take it back, Sakurai-senpai," Sato replied, his expression softening,

"Maybe I am a poor judge of character. But I don't regret showing kindness to people like Yato and Tatsu. Not for a second."

"Then you're an idiot," Yuuto retorted almost reflexively, his words echoing in the open space between them.

Sato sighed, a gentle yet pained smile touching his lips.

"You don't have to embrace my perspective on life... But as club members, I wish for you to at least understand it."

"Well, I can't. And don't expect me to open up to you if that's your aim," Yuuto shot back.

'I fell for it once. ONCE too many times.' Yuuto thought, recalling the play Kyoya and his gang pulled so that Kyoya could reel Himiko in.

A silence enveloped them, thick and unyielding, as they turned their gaze to the horizon, the sprawling view a temporary distraction from the tension.

Sato broke the silence, his voice carrying a warmth that contrasted the cool air.

"You know, most students here... they don't really understand what it means to be treated with genuine respect or kindness. Yato, Tatsuya... I believe they've been starved of kindness, planted in inhospitable soil."

He paused, gathering his thoughts, turning to look at the evening scenery.

"I think... if I can just offer enough kindness, like water to a parched flower, even the most withdrawn people can open up, show compassion. People are like flowers in that sense; given the right care, they can bloom beautifully. That's what I believe. It's the same principle Shiyon-san applied as part of the Disciplinary Committee. He never gave up on anyone, showering them with kindness and acceptance... Although he was tough, when needed. And, over time, even the toughest cases softened."

Yuuto listened, the words stirring something within him as he thought of Kyoya, how Himiko's mere presence seemed to alter his demeanor. He clicked his tongue, a subtle flinch betraying his inner conflict.

"That's just how I see things," Sato concluded, a resolve in his eyes. "Anyway, I should get going. I've got plans."

With that, he turned to leave, leaving Yuuto alone with his thoughts, the silence of the rooftop bearing witness to a conversation that might just plant the seeds of change.

"Like water... To a flower..?"

"..."

__________

Shun: "I know. But it doesn't matter anymore… No, more like it shouldn't… I still care about her, and it bothers me a lot that she isn't with me and that makes me very sad. But what she does and who she's going to be with from now on is up to her. I need to accept that what I did that night wasn't to get her back to me. It was to make it right with her… Of course, I'm going to try and be her friend... But if it doesn't work out, I need to accept it and grow up instead of embarrassing myself again."

Haruto: "I was about to do it... But then I looked at my arms and thought... 'Ah... No more swimming. I won't see these hands swell from training again.' Next thing I knew, I just pulled the knife away."

_________

Yuuto's mind conjured the vivid image of a flower slowly coming to life, its petals unfurling one by one, as he reflected on the profound changes in Shun and Haruto. Their growth, their evolution from pain to something resembling hope, painted a stark contrast in the canvas of his thoughts.

"Dumbass manipulator," Yuuto mumbled under his breath, his forehead resting heavily against the cool metal of the guardrail, a scoff escaping him at the irony of it all.

"I know that all too well... But that doesn't just apply to anyone. Especially not to these scum," he continued, his voice a low growl.

_________

Kyoya: "I don't feel like fighting again. Call the police, tell them where I am. Shit, even follow me. From the way you talk, I get the feeling that you're fighting for the good guys. As twisted as you do it."

Kyoya: "But let me see her and just explain to her. She has the evidence anyway, right? So she'll be able to confirm everything I say either way."

__________

Yuuto sensed Kyoya's looming presence before he even turned around, the distinct absence of a breeze and the heavy, oppressive feeling of someone standing just too close for comfort.

'...No more, you prick,' Yuuto resolved internally, a mix of defiance and finality in his silent vow.

"... I fell for that scum's games once. That cost me dearly. Haruto was almost another price to pay for it. But not anymore. No."

With a determined shove away from the guardrail, Yuuto straightened up, steeling himself as he faced the unsettling visage of Kyoya.

'Maybe you're right, Sato. Maybe anyone in this world can change, given enough time and care. Even you, Kyoya. If I had let you carry on and walk away that day, maybe you would've ended up in jail and come out a reformed man.'

Yuuto stepped closer to the conjured image of Kyoya, meeting it with an unflinching gaze.

'But the cost... It's not worth it. Yeah, everyone might have a chance to get better, but not at any cost. Kyoya, I'd have a word with you about this... But you're gone, so here it is. Haruto almost died because of what you did. He almost ended it all with a knife if I hadn't intervened when I did. You might think changing yourself would have made up for it... Maybe some would agree. Heck, maybe even Himiko would find it worth it, picturing a future with your kid, after dealing with the truth and losing Haruto. Maybe even *I* would think keeping you around, with you popping up now and then, might have been okay...'

Yuuto was face to face with the fading image of Kyoya, his look fierce and bold.

"But none of that matches the 10,000 yen I got from Haruto. Understand? Now, go to hell. I've got my own stuff to deal with." His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. As Kyoya's image disappeared, Yuuto faced the door to the building, his steps taking him back inside, moving towards his future.

'In the end, I can't agree with you, Sato. Manipulator or not. Your views are flawed. Not everyone deserve the precious water necessary to bloom. Some, heck, most deserve to wane and die. If you really believe in this true equality bullshit for everyone and this wasn't just ad-lib to keep me in check, then you will end up paying too heavy a price. Either way, I won't be there to grab your corpse when it dries up.'

Yuuto made his way down the quiet hallways of the building, the echo of his footsteps a solitary sound amidst the silence. As he passed by the door to the culture club, a brief glance inside confirmed Sato wasn't there.

A flicker of curiosity crossed his mind, wondering about Sato's earlier claim of being busy. 'What was he so busy with?' he thought, but the question quickly lost its hold on him as he continued on his path.

Stepping out into the fading light of day, Yuuto allowed himself a brief pause, his gaze inadvertently catching the solitary figure of Sakura Takagi. She stood off to the side, her posture suggesting she was waiting for someone. Her unexpected presence stirred a ripple of curiosity in him.

'That girl again. Waiting for someone, maybe?' Yuuto speculated silently as he made his way past her, noting without much interest her focus shifting toward him, her dark hair casting a silky shadow in the sun's last gleams.

"...Uhm... Sakurai-senpai...?" Her voice, soft and uncertain, floated to him from behind, stopping him in his tracks.

"Yeah? What do you want? Waiting for someone?" Yuuto asked, halting but not turning around, his hands casually buried in his pockets as he continued to move forward, albeit slowly.

"I... Actually! I was waiting for you," she admitted, her words tentative, her fingers nervously entwining with each other.

"...Well, I'm here. What is it?" Yuuto stopped, this time fully turning to face her, his expression unreadable, his mind buzzing with questions.

'What could she possibly want? It's not like anyone's been bothering her recently...'

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Sakura found her voice again, this time with a surprising firmness. "I know who you are, really. And what you're doing when nobody sees."

"Huh. Good for you. Whatever it is you think you're talking about, I guess." His voice was steady, but his mind was anything but.

Yuuto:'Fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fu ck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck,'