#wip3

Keeping her breathing steady, Kotoha leans into Sakura like a clingy girlfriend to hide her phone squished between her head and shoulder. 

“Onii-chan,” Kotoha hears Umemiya inhale sharply at that, and her heart skips a beat when she hears the crinkling of a can rolling behind them. “We’re going to reach the 7/11 near Orion Stars in five minutes please,” she pauses to steady herself when her voice cracks slightly, “come pick us up.”

All she hears on the other end is the sound of wind blowing before Umemiya speaks up again, “us?” It sounds like he’s sprinting.

Looking up into Sakura’s glassy eyes, guilt weighs heavily on her tongue and she manages, “Sakura came to pick me up but I think he got roofied.”

Umemiya swears and Kotoha almost falls over when Sakura suddenly lists to one side gagging. Slinging his hand over her shoulders, she slips her other hand around his back to rub soothing circles.

Her focus on Sakura is the only thing that stops her from flinching when she hears muffled chuckles from down the alley. 

“Do not hang up. I’ll be right there, do you hear me Kotoha?” Kotoha’s heart clenches tightly at the way Umemiya’s voice shakes at her name. She hums in response as Sakura dry heaves into the pavement.

Jamming her phone into her back pocket, Kotoha holds back Sakura’s fringe as he retches again. “I’m so sorry Sakura,” Kotoha whispers at the pained wince on the boy’s face.

Turning to frown, no, squint at her— he can’t see properly her mind shrieks at her —Sakura mumbles some complaint or objection at her apology and presses a hand to his eyes.

“'oto…ha,” she hears him struggle. Not daring to look behind her, Kotoha steels herself and hauls Sakura up to have a better grip on the taller boy. Arms tensing and heart racing, she half-drags half-guides Sakura down the road, momentarily surprised by how light he is.