12 Roses

7 | A Fragile Daisy

Unlike with Maki, Panda and Toge, you had only ever had one dream with Yuta, and it didn't say anything about him. He just had a shadow looming over him.

•••

You played around with the food you had chosen from the cafeteria as the others talked and Toge's hand placed itself on your shoulder, resulting in your head tilting up to look at the others.

"What's with you and the new kid?" Maki asked bluntly.

You shrugged. "Nothing really. I just thought I recognized him from somewhere."

"He has weak vibes. Like if I blew on him hard enough, he would fly away."

Toge and Panda gave each other plotting glances while you smiled.

After a while, you noticed all of them turn in a different direction and you followed their gaze. "What is it?"

"I hear fighting," Maki told you, beginning to rise to her feet. The four of you went around the building to find a group of boys surrounding someone, kicking them on the ground.

"Oi!" Maki's voice sounded through the air, so commanding that you swore you heard it. She stood tall, her hands clenched into tight fists.

The group turned, revealing who was on the ground: Yuta.

"Back away from the kid," Maki ordered.

"Or what?"

She scoffed, cracking her knuckles. A drop of the sun fell into her eyes and they burned with her glare.

You had never seen Maki fight, but you were sure that she could. She had scares on her knuckles and toned biceps, although they weren't large like your dad's.

She stepped forward. "Toge. Panda. Protect Y/N, would you?"

"If she needs it," Panda responded, stepping in front of you while Toge took your shoulder. You tilted your head, watching Maki rotate her shoulder backwards before sending the first punch right across one of the guy's faces.

The other one lunged forward and she grabbed his shoulders, bashing her knee into his chest.

The other one stood and tried to hit her from behind but she spun around with her foot out and he kicked into the wall.

"Wasn't there a third?" Panda questioned.

Suddenly, someone wrapped their arm around your neck and pulled you back.

"Y/N!" Maki called. "You let her-"

Even more suddenly, you grabbed the boy's arm and flung him over your head, his back slamming into the concrete. You didn't hear a crack but you were at the very least sure that it hurt.

You waited, wondering if he'd try and do something, but watched as the three boys struggled to their feet and ran off.

"Since when could you do that?" Maki questioned with a proud grin.

You shrugged and knelt down next to Yuta, tapping his back to signal him to get out of the turtle-like position he had taken. "Are you okay?" you asked once he could see you.

His left cheek was bruised and there was a scratch on the corner of his lips, but other than that, he didn't seem too injured. He nodded and sat up straight.

You held out your hand and he took it so you could pull him to his feet.

"Be careful of those guys," Maki said to him. "They seem way stronger than your scrawny ass."

"Yeah... The two of you seem a lot stronger than me too."

You, not acknowledging his compliment, took his wrist and began pulling him towards the bleachers.

Toge sat next to you, handing you things from inside your bag as you held out your hand. Creams he had never heard the name of but smelled remarkably like different kinds of flowers were held in small containers about the size of lip balm.

"Put this on your lip and this on your bruise," you instructed. "Are you allergic to anything?"

He shook his head.

"Good."

You held up a mirror that Nanako insisted on you bringing everywhere and he began gently dabbing on the strange concoction you carried in your backpack.

"My friend gets hurt often from doing crafts," you explained. "My dad knows a whole lot about first aid so he made those remedies."

"Cool," Maki muttered, holding up a container that treated burns.

Toge's eyes travelled to your hands, which had bandages and scars from working with thorns and scissors and paper.

"Thanks," Yuta signed hesitantly, handing you back the containers you had lent him.

You nodded, putting them back in your bag. "Lunch is almost over."

"Let's start heading to class then."

•••

"You're doing great, Yuta," you teased as you helped him up from being slammed onto the ground again.

"I don't think I can do this," he groaned.

"You'll figure it out!"

"Figure out how to keep you from throwing me over your head?"

Maki laughed in the distance, her sword resting beside her on the bleachers. She had been enjoying the show much more than you had enjoyed constantly slamming Yuta into the grass.

"Maki, your turn," you called as you pulled your hearing aids out and shoved them into your pocket.

You sat next to Toge and swung your legs onto the space beside you so you could lie down, your head on the bag of one of Maki's weapons.

"Tired?" Toge signed, to which you nodded and turned over, trying to block out the sun. The shadow of Toge's arm loomed over you and you smiled. "Thanks."