#wbk

He doesn't notice it right away. You're not a member of Bofurin, but just someone who hangs around. A friend of the second years, really. He knows enough about you to know that you've been friends with Kaji since middle school, and that's about it.

Oh, another thing Sakura knows about you.

Kaji lets you get away with things that would get a lesser man beaten up.

first offense: stealing his candy

Sakura isn't sure why he’s trailing behind Tamon team's second years on patrol, but he’s doing his job diligently. Kaji is leading the group, with Enomoto and Kusumi close by. It's been a relatively slow afternoon, and he's thankful that he doesn't have to worry about chasing down any losers that wander into town.

That's when you appear.

You're in your school uniform, he notices, but what grabs his attention most is how you easily slide up to the second year's grade captain.

"Hey, Ren," You smile the moment Kaji tugs his headphones off of one ear. There's not much emotion on his face, but the fact that he's even acknowledging you shows how much he cares.

"You just get out of club?" Kaji asks, and Kusumi pulls Enomoto and Sakura away to give you a moment of privacy to chat. You offer the boys smiles as they pass, but you're much too entranced by Kaji before you to pay them much mind.

"Yeah," You nod, assuring him. Your smile melts into a pout, and you watch as Kaji's eyes track the change despite his expression staying fixed neutral. "I'm supposed to go to extra tutoring classes now, but I'd rather skip."

"idiot," He huffs before he, most likely, even thinks. You don't blanch at the abrasive comment like most would, though. Instead, the edges of your smile start to come back. "You're too worried about your grades to skip tutoring."

He's right, but you don't feel like admitting it.

"It'll be almost dark by the time I'm out, though." You're pouting again, fingers twisting in the fabric of your uniform skirt. It's not that you're nervous; more so in need of something to occupy your hands while you chat.

"Text me what time and I'll walk you home." Kaji offers casually, though you see the red flush starting to creep up from under the neckline of his sweatshirt. "Don't be stupid and walk home at night alone."

"Okay," You roll your eyes, dragging out the two syllable word, but you're smiling nonetheless. "You have a funny way of showing you care, Ren."

"Shut up." He huffs, the exasperated sound drawing a laugh out of you. It's light and airy, and you don't miss the way Kaji seems to flush brighter at the sound.

You wish you could stay and talk all evening with him, but you really do have places you need to be. With a sigh, you pout once more and check the time on your phone.

"Shit. I've got to run or else I'll be late." You groan, shoving your phone back into your pocket. You take a step forward, towards Kaji, and that's when it happens.

Sakura can only watch—in utter horror—as you shove your hand into the front pocket of Kaji's hoodie. Right where he keeps his candy stash hidden away.

You do it so casually, so naturally, Sakura almost doesn't believe his eyes. It's over in nearly the blink of an eye, too, before you emerge with a stolen lollipop clenched tight between your fingers.

From where he's watching with the others a few paces away, Sakura braces, waiting for Kaji's shouts to back off of him.

But it doesn't come.

Instead, Kaji sticks his hand in his pocket and pulls out a second lollipop—extending it to you silently. You're grinning as you collect it alongside your stolen candy, and Sakura is trying to figure out how you're getting away with extra lollipops and no shouting.

He can only watch, in both confusion and amazement, as you accomplish a task no other would be able to.

You leave with a cheery goodbye, and Sakura is left with ears burning red after witnessing the situation.

verdict: not guilty

second offense: touching his headphones

Sakura thinks it might be a one-off thing. That Kaji might've just been in a rare good mood, or figured it might look bad if he shouted at you in the street on patrol.

They're not very likely, but it's all he has to work with.

Until a few days later, there's an impromptu Bofurin dinner at a local restaurant.

It's Tamon team leadership, mostly. Plus Umemiya, who makes up in energy to fill the space. The dinner is fine, nothing remarkable, until just before orders are placed and you arrive.

He hasn't seen you since he ran into you on patrol, and Sakura can only watch as you take the last open seat next to Kaji.

Kusumi, Sakura realizes later, had vacated his spot to make room for you.

You're smiling at everyone as you join the rowdy group of Bofurin boys. Kaji barely glances up from the menu as you sit down, but you do feel him knock his leg against yours under the table in acknowledgment.

He's wearing his headphones inside the restaurant, so you know something is bothering him. Probably from patrol, or class, and you make a note to ask him later before diving into the conversations happening around the table.

"I didn't know you'd be coming!" Umemiya cheers loudly, just as soon as you're settled. Hiragi hisses for him to quiet down, but the warning falls on deaf ears.

"I wasn't," You admit, toying with the edge of the menu to busy your hands. "But Ren texted and said to meet you guys out."

There's a chorus of 'oh, that makes sense' that rings out from around the table, and the topic swiftly moves on. You're quick to decide what you want from the menu and set it aside, pulling out a pen from your purse instead of joining Umemiya's conversation regarding vegetable plants.

There's a paper napkin on the table sitting between you and Kaji, and you draw a nine-square grid on it without saying a word. In the center, you mark the letter x, playing your first move.

You press your knee sideways into Kaji's thigh, leaving it there even after you get his attention.

With you offering him the pen, he knows what you want and he's quick to acquiesce. He doesn't remove his headphones, though, and you pout at the action.

He marks an o in the top right corner of the grid.

You get through three silent games of tic-tac-toe—moving closer into his space each turn—before the waitress comes back around to take the orders. There's nothing of note happening, until she gets to Kaji, who can't hear her ask what he wants with his headphones still on and blaring music.

You react before anyone can even wave to get his attention, much to Sakura's horror.

One moment there's silence, waiting for Kaji to realize he's being spoken to, and the next—you're pulling his headphones off and holding them close to your body, out of his reach.

"Ren," You call his name gently, headphones still clutched in your hands. You nod your head in the direction of the waitress, catching him up to what's happening around him. "What're you ordering?"

Sakura expects there to be a blowout, right there in the middle of the restaurant. He's never seen anyone touch Kaji's headphones besides Kaji, and you just tugged him right off his head without any preamble.

Instead, Kaji just looks at the waitress and gives his order in a bored tone. He makes a note that he's paying for your meal, too, and no one else at the table seems to bat an eye.

"Put my headphones in your bag," Kaji tells you flatly. He's not ordering you around, but he's earned the stern attention of Hiragi down the table for his response. You don't need the older boy to help rein Kaji in, though, because you don't even flinch before leveling him with a pointed look. Kaji huffs, the tips of his ears suddenly tinged red. "Please."

"That's more like it." You grin, happily stuffing Kaji's precious headphones into your purse for the remainder of dinner. "I'll keep 'em safe, Ren."

"Yeah," Kaji huffs, fiddling with the pen and not looking directly at you. He's entirely too apathetic about headphones he's never seen without, and it doesn't make sense to Sakura. "Whatever. Your turn."

Sakura can only watch as you and Kaji go back to your own little world, heads ducked close together and mumbling about the game you're playing on a napkin.

Sakura flushes. He thinks he's starting to put the pieces together.

verdict: not guilty

third offense: taking his clothes

Sakura doesn't really mean to catch the third time Ren Kaji should blown up on you.

It's just, Pothos Café is his place. It's part of his daily routine, a place of comfort, whether he wants to admit it or not. He doesn't go into the café one weekend morning for breakfast with the intent of observing you and Kaji, but it's just something that happens.

The two of you are already seated in a corner booth by the time he arrives. Papers strewn out across the space, two mugs of coffee and a single plate already emptied of its contents. You wave to Sakura, and he waves back, but then he sits at the counter to order and you go back to work.

It took a lot of work to convince Kaji to go out and study with you on a Saturday morning. Really, you're impressed with yourself that you managed to pull it off.

Though, he has spent the better part of your study time looking at his phone, headphones sat around his shoulders but blasting music so loud you could hear it from across the table.

The spirit is there, at least.

"Are you getting any more coffee?" You ask Kaji, breaking the silence that had fallen over your chosen booth while you worked through a mountain of homework. You've been eyeing your empty mug for the past five minutes, debating about asking Kotoha behind the counter for a refill.

"Why? You want some?" Kaji counters with a question, looking up from his phone for the first time in a while. You guess he more so agreed to go to Pothos with you than to go to Pothos and study.

"Yeah, I think." You decide, setting down your pencil with the intention to get up and ask for a refill. But you don't get to move more than a few inches before Kaji is up, your mug in hand as he walks towards the counter.

You smile as you watch him go, asking Kotoha for a second mug so your studying isn't interrupted. It's silly, really, how such small things make you so happy.

While he's up, you spot his bag sitting on the opposite side of the booth just as the chill of the café suddenly gets to you.

"Ren, I'm taking your sweatshirt!" You call out, more as an announcement than asking for permission. By the time Sakura turns his head to look, you're already digging in his bag to look for the aforementioned article of clothing.

Kaji is leaning against the counter, near enough to Sakura that he's cautious as he waits for his response. If not shouting, Sakura thinks, then at least a stern warning to stay out of his stuff.

Instead, Kaji shrugs, barely looking up from his phone to see what you're doing.

"'Kay," Kaji mumbles, waiting for Kotoha to refill your coffee. "Don't spill shit on it this time."

"I won't," You reply cheerily, tugging the sweatshirt on and getting back to work.

Like it's all normal.

Sakura feels his mind stall, then his face flush. Kaji had said this time. Which means you've taken his clothes more than once. Sakura feels like he might combust if he thinks about it too long, so instead he turns and blushes into his plate of omelette rice.

He tries to pretend he doesn't hear Kotoha snickering.

verdict: not guilty. possibility of repeat offenses.

final offense: letting some no name shishitoren boy get too close to you

Sakura has no idea what occasion Umemiya managed to come up with for Bofurin's latest mixer at the school.

It's not just Furin High in attendance, but Shishitoren and other friends, too. Like you. He doesn't think much of it when he sees you arrive early on in the party, his focus more so on surviving an evening of Suo's public teasing.

It's not until later when Nirei grabs his arm and whisper-shouts your name that Sakura realizes something might be wrong.

"Oh no." Nirei panics, setting Sakura on edge and merely gaining Suo's attention. "Kaji isn't going to be happy about this..."

"What's happening now?" Sakura is on alert, head swiveling around to find the source of Nirei's panic. All he finds are party goers enjoying the drinks and snacks painstakingly set out on tables, mixing and chatting like any normal event.

"Ah, I see." Suo hums, though his smirk doesn't fade, so Sakura thinks it shouldn't be too bad. "Poor boy won't know what'll hit him."

"The hell are you two on about?" Sakura snaps, tired of looking around like an idiot and being the only one not in the know. It's then that Nirei repeats your name and points, picking you out of the crowd.

You're on the outskirts of the mixer, near one of the refreshment tables. You're talking from somebody he doesn't recognize from Shishitoren, and Sakura's face immediately flushes when he takes in the boy's body language.

Clearly, you're being hit on.

From what he can see, you're being a good sport about it. You've always been kind every time he spoke to you, and he doesn't think this time is different.

But even from so far away, Sakura can tell that you're not interested.

"What's the big deal? If he's making her uncomfortable, we can step in." Sakura shrugs, watching your interaction with the Shishitoren boy closely for any signs that you want out of the conversation.

"That is the big deal." Suo croons, point unsubtly to a new figure on the scene. Kaji.

Sakura can only watch as Kaji storms up to you and the Shishitoren boy, frown etched so deeply onto his face it can only scream trouble. Still, you only smile at Kaji, far brighter than what you had given the other boy.

Kaji pulls his lollipop from his mouth like he's going to start yelling. You shove the candy back in to muffle whatever he had to say.

"Uh," Sakura can't look away from the scene. He's ready to interrupt if Kaji starts to blow a fuse, but he knows Enomoto, Kusumi, or Hiragi would be better suited to help. "Should we—"

He interrupts himself, then, when you wrap your hand around Kaji's and drag him in the direction of the school. He watches until the two of you disappear into the building, and it's then that he looks at his two friends.

"What was that?" Sakura asks, but his face is starting to burn a deep crimson and he thinks he knows before anyone can answer his question.

"You didn't know?" Nirei asks, like anyone is as informed as him about members of Bofurin. Sakura just looks at him blankly, trying to avoid Suo's smug look at his blush. "They're dating. Have been, for a while."

And that... makes too much sense.

The one time Sakura sees Kaji get upset with you—and Kaji's not even upset with you. He's not mad. He's jealous.

Sakura's face is burning, now.

verdict: guilty

sentence: dealing with a pouty Ren Kaji

"Were you jealous, Ren?"

"No. Shut up." Your boyfriend fires off two quick to be believable.

Not to mention, he nearly just went off on the poor unsuspecting Shishitoren boy that was hitting on you.

You've snuck away from the mixer and into his empty classroom to take a break from the crowd. You're not sad to be away from the party, especially not when you're with Kaji.

"I can't believe it," You giggle, shaking your head. Perched atop a desk, you're sitting taller than Kaji. It doesn't help that he's slouched in a chair beside the desk you're on, arms crossed and headphones around his neck. "You were totally jealous."

"'M gonna leave if you don't stop." Kaji threatens, but you know it's empty. He's not convincing in the slightest—not when he leans forward to rest his elbow on your desk, chin propped up in the palm of his hand. "So what if I don't like seeing some idiot hit on my girlfriend?"

He's frowning, pouting, up at you. You're weak to the sight, and you know you need to reward him for expressing his feelings on the situation so openly.

"Sorry," You offer to soothe the burn of what had happened. Leaning forward, you press a short kiss to his pout. It's more of a peck than anything, and you know it's not enough to satisfy him. "I won't let it happen again. Cross my heart."

You sign over your chest, but before you could get through half the motion, Kaji grips your hand in his, threading your fingers together.

"Don't apologize for what that moron was doing." He's still frowning, and you know you have a while until you can get him back to normal.

You kiss him again.