In Classroom of the Elite, but the Underworld

"...Wuwu..." She quickly covered her face with her hands, "...Takeda-kun... are we... doing this..."

"Is it not allowed?" Eito said indifferently.

"It's not that it's not allowed... it's just... wu... it's too embarrassing."

"So it is allowed, then." Eito pulled the hands covering her face away and lifted Sakura's rounded chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

But those eyes darted away instantly, her nostrils flared, and her small hands gripped his clothes tightly.

"Sakura, you are so beautiful."

"Mm..."

"Can I kiss you?"

"Mm... eh, eh?"

Sakura was startled, pursing her lips as she looked at his slightly glistening mouth, the distinct contours of which held a unique handsomeness.

"...Wait... I haven't... no, I can't."

Her eyelids fluttered, and she felt as though all the strength had left her body, especially where Eito was holding her, which felt faintly feverish.

Her mind was in a state of intense deliberation, yet she still couldn't figure out what she should do.

In the end, she simply closed her eyes.

Watching that cute little face, which looked as if it were about to face its doom, Eito smiled and flicked her nose:

"Alright, I was just joking. Get up."

"Eh--"

After letting go of Sakura, Eito straightened his clothes.

He mainly focused on clearing the leaves and burrs that had stuck to his outfit.

By the time he finished, a few minutes had passed.

He looked over at Sakura.

Sakura-san was currently squatting in the corner, drawing circles in the dirt with a twig.

"Um, Sakura-san?"

"..."

She ignored him; it seemed she was angry.

Fortunately, Sakura was easy to coax, and he didn't have to spend much effort to get her back to her previous state.

When the two returned, they saw that the students had already set up the tents, and Ike had even built a fire, roasting fish skewered on branches.

Various seasonings were laid out nearby, which they had presumably exchanged points for.

It was understandable; after all, without seasoning, the food was truly unpalatable.

According to the others, Yamauchi had apparently found some wild fruit, and after Chabashira confirmed it wasn't poisonous, a group of them rushed off to pick it.

Since it was the first day, this little bit of food wouldn't be enough to replenish their energy, so they had spent a dozen more points to buy a few crates of emergency rations.

As for the tents, two more had been added.

The tents were heavy; it was fine for the boys, but the girls' tents were essentially set up by Hirata alone.

The fact that no other boys were helping showed just how serious the division in Class D really was.

Eito almost wanted to tell them all to just go back to sleep.

He brought Sakura over to Ike's side:

"Ike, this fish you're roasting looks good. Want me to help you taste it?"

"Go roast your own. There are plenty more over there. Seriously, I'm over here working hard catching fish, and you're off on a date with a girl."

"...A... a date?"

Sakura opened her mouth, but didn't dare to refute it.

Eito sat down next to Ike:

"Tell me, Ike, are you trying to prove something by working so hard this time?"

"None of your business. Hmph, I've seen right through you, you jealous winner at life."

Ike ate his roasted fish while glaring at him indignantly, "When will I ever get to be all lovey-dovey with a girl?"

"Ike, what do you think is holding you back?"

"Hirata." Ike said without a second thought, "If he weren't in this class, my presence wouldn't be so weak. Yeah, it's all his fault, and yours too, you traitor!"

"No, the real reason is yourself."

"What?"

Eito sighed:

"Your character archetype is too cliché. In manga, you're the kind of guy who wants to bully the heroine but doesn't dare to, and ends up getting slapped in the face by the protagonist."

"What kind of trash character is this? It's too pathetic, this isn't me at all."

"That's why you need to learn to change yourself," Eito said. "There's only one outcome for continuing to go against the protagonist: being hated by everyone."

"I'm telling you," Ike looked at him, speechless, "that protagonist you're talking about, it wouldn't happen to be yourself, would it?"

"Of course not. Everyone is the protagonist of their own story, however," Eito looked at him, "in my story, you're the kind of character who's only slightly better than a passerby. If it weren't for my mercy, you would've already died on the beach. So, what role am I in your story?"

"What role?" Ike thought for a few seconds, then realized, "The villainous boss. The kind who not only destroys the village but also kidnaps all the women, leaving me to be a bachelor."

"Uh..." Eito said, "Ike, I haven't stolen your women, have I?"

"You dare say that? Kushida always talks to you and ignores me."

"No, it's because what you say is too lewd. Any girl wouldn't know how to respond to that."

"Then does that mean if you're handsome, you can say whatever you want?"

"No," Eito said. "Appearance only attracts initial attention. Once people find out about your filthy inner self, they'll only be more disgusted."

"So, Ike," Eito patted his shoulder, "the best method is to shut that mouth of yours. As long as you don't speak, others won't know what kind of person you are. The more you say, the more you expose yourself."

"I have a feeling you're insulting me," Ike stared at him, a small piece of the grilled fish in his hand falling to the ground.

"No, I'm having a sincere conversation with you. If you don't understand, just pretend I didn't say anything."

"Oh."

Eito pulled Sakura away.

Chapter 39: Truth

"...Um... why didn't Takeda go with them?"

Sakura tugged at his clothes, speaking hesitantly.

The two had intentionally circled away from the rest of the class, arriving at an inconspicuous spot. Leaning against the cover of a large tree, it was difficult to tell they were staying there.

"The... 'them' you're talking about, you mean?"

"Kushida, Hirata, and Sato, Horikita."

In Sakura's view, Eito usually had a very good relationship with them, and the playful banter sometimes even made her blush.

Yet, he was intentionally avoiding talking to them now. Was it because of her?

Was he taking care of her, or did he not want them to see the two of them together?

"There's nothing really to say, anyway."

Eito reached out and pulled, causing Sakura to fall into his arms and sit on his lap. He wrapped one arm around her waist and lifted her chin with the other, forcing her to look directly at him.

"Look into my eyes. What do you see?"

Sakura was startled at first, then, hearing his words, she looked up into those eyes she had seen many times before.

"They're beautiful... but."

But there was nothing there.

The moon is beautiful, but it is just the moon.

If no one assigns meaning to it, it is just a moon.

Everyone adds their own subjective colors to the world they see. The same painting, the same passage of text, even the same person, look different in the eyes of different people.

In Sakura's eyes, his eyes were perfect because, in her view, the world should be this way, and his eyes should be this beautiful.

This shouldn't be called Sakura seeing his inner self; rather, it was him seeing Sakura.

This girl was just that beautiful.

But, was there really nothing there?

Perhaps so.

An indescribable irritability suddenly welled up in his heart.

He stared at Sakura with his black pupils:

"Can I kiss you? This time, it's for real."

Sakura didn't speak. She stared blankly at Eito, a familiar feeling suddenly rising in her heart.

It felt like she had seen this before.

Yes, she had felt that atmosphere before.

When she was alone in her room, when she was staring at her computer saying nothing at all.

When she was staring at someone from afar.

She had originally thought that such feelings only happened to her, but she saw a similar shadow in the boy before her.

Why did he have such lonely thoughts? He clearly looked like he was having fun; he was so gentle, so good at caring for others.

Could it be that he was just like her?

The moment this thought emerged, her heart couldn't stop pounding wildly.

Ah, so he was the same kind of person as me.

Why did it have to be this way?

And yet, I feel so happy, so joyful.

She wanted to understand this person more deeply, wanted to touch his inner heart, wanted to feel him.

A kiss, perhaps.

A kiss would be enough.

A kiss would allow her to feel his warmth with her own body; a kiss would allow her to know him better.

His lips looked so soft—what would they taste like?

Without realizing it, Sakura nodded.

"...Mmph... Mmm..."

It was so intense; was this what an adult kiss felt like?

A gentle breeze swept through the woods, and a vibrant green leaf drifted down, swaying like a lonely boat on a lake before landing softly on Eito's shoulder.

He looked down at the girl in his arms, her face flushed red, his gaze lingering briefly on her cherry-colored lips.

Sakura's body had gone completely limp in his embrace, one hand clutching at his lapel as she breathed heavily.

Eito covered her cheek with his hand, his fingertips tracing lightly along her skin, sliding down her jawline, and finally coming to rest against her delicate collarbone.

His touch caused the girl's breathing to hitch, her body rising and falling slightly before she collapsed back into his arms.