A Story Starting from Classroom of the Elite

Sakura Airi suddenly raised her voice, her eye sockets turning red as if they were bleeding.

She wrenched her hand away and reached for his collar again, her school uniform sliding off her shoulder to reveal half of her collarbone.

Tanaka Yukishin immediately gripped her shoulders and pulled her clothes back into place.

The girl's delicate body trembled under his palms like a fallen leaf.

He sighed: "There's really no need. This is unnecessary, and it has no meaning. Look..."

Sakura Airi froze, her hands hanging stiffly in mid-air.

Why refuse?

Her gaze flickered for a moment, and then she arrived at the answer.

Because of Karuizawa Kei.

Tanaka Yukishin had a girlfriend; he couldn't let her be burdened with such a reputation, even if it were just for show.

Once this matter spread, the relationship between him and Karuizawa Kei would inevitably be affected.

So that was it.

Her fingertips slowly loosened and fell to her sides.

"So... that's how it is."

The corners of her mouth twitched, looking like self-mockery, or perhaps like she had finally accepted something.

That's right, Tanaka-kun has a girlfriend.

He doesn't want my affairs to affect his relationship with Karuizawa Kei.

How enviable.

Karuizawa Kei.

Then what do I mean to Tanaka-kun?

Perhaps... a temporary substitute for a childhood friend.

Iri-chan, I envy you too.

She thought of the boy calling out to her the day before yesterday, saying he couldn't just turn a blind eye or remain indifferent to her.

She thought of how, just moments ago, when she was panicked and terrified, the boy had descended from the heavens.

She thought of how she had thrown herself into his arms seeking comfort, and the boy had held her, stroking her hair and back while saying, "It's okay, it's okay, I'm here."

She thought of...

She thought of...

She thought of...

She thought of everything they had been through.

Her tears kept swirling in her eyes.

But, why!!!

Bitterness, resentment, and sadness surged into her heart.

Overwhelmed by her surging emotions, Sakura Airi suddenly lost control of herself.

At this moment, she didn't want to think about anything.

She didn't want to know what kind of punishment the stalker would receive.

She didn't want to think about the boy beside her.

She only wanted to find a quiet, deserted place to have a good cry, to cry out all of her grievances and pain.

Unfortunately, she couldn't.

Struggling to keep her tears from falling, they overflowed and blurred her vision.

She twisted her waist and legs, preparing to turn away.

Since she couldn't cry in a quiet, deserted place, she didn't want the boy to see her tears either.

Just at that moment, the familiar embrace returned.

Following it came a single sentence.

"Thank you, Airi-chan."

Feeling the warmth of the embrace and the helplessness and gratitude contained in his words, Sakura Airi saw an image of Karuizawa Kei in class, smiling as she linked her arm with Tanaka Yukishin's, and remembered how she had been willing to sacrifice her own innocence as a girl to provide a false alibi for him, only to be rejected twice.

She finally couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

"Why...!"

Her tears soaked his chest.

A dozen seconds ago.

"Look at the security camera over there."

Tanaka Yukishin tried to explain.

But Sakura Airi turned a deaf ear, her gaze already drifting into the distance.

At this moment, she was lost in memories, completely unable to hear the sounds of the outside world.

This left Tanaka Yukishin with a look of utter helplessness on his face.

If it were Kei, he could have pulled her into his arms for a long kiss.

Then, he would have swept her up in a bridal carry and taken her home to the big bed to comfort her thoroughly.

Thinking of the help he had given Sakura Airi, and then thinking of how she had just been willing to commit perjury for him.

In that case, a hug shouldn't be considered crossing the line.

So, he reached out his hands and embraced her.

"Thank you, Airi-chan."

"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear, which caused you to misunderstand. I am very sorry for that."

"But if you look where I'm pointing, you'll understand why I rejected you."

After saying this, he released her and pointed at the utility pole across the way.

Leaving the warm and comforting embrace, Sakura Airi felt a sense of reluctance.

She sobbed with red eyes, tilting up her tear-streaked face.

Her gaze followed the direction of Tanaka Yukishin's finger.

That was...

A camera!

Her entire body froze.

A sense of shame surged up belatedly, burning from the roots of her ears all the way down to her neck.

The way she had just torn her clothes and cried out... was it all recorded?

Her fingers unconsciously clutched the fabric on Tanaka's chest, then suddenly let go.

"S-sorry..."

She lowered her head to stare at her twisted toes, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum.

In her desire to crawl into a crack in the ground, there was a hidden trace of secret joy—so he didn't reject me because he was avoiding suspicion...

Tanaka Yukishin looked at her bright red earlobes and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

This laughter immediately earned him a punch that lacked any deterrent force.

"Still laughing!"

Sakura Airi looked up to glare at him, her moist eyes like glass beads soaked in water.

Her expression right now was quite interesting; it was a mix of shame and anger, yet it hid a sense of relief.

"Explain yourself clearly next time, you idiot..."

She muttered in a low voice, but her hand quietly gripped his sleeve.

Seeing Sakura Airi stop crying.

Tanaka Yukishin breathed a sigh of relief.

She finally stopped crying.

Girls are really troublesome.

Besides being overly sentimental, they also like to cry and are unreasonable.

At this moment, the mottled tear tracks on Sakura Airi's face gave her a touch of fragility that made one feel pity.

And the blush of shyness spreading across her face added a hint of charm to her pure and cute features.

Tanaka Yukishin was momentarily stunned.

"What's... wrong with my face?"

Noticing Tanaka Yukishin's gaze, she lowered her head in a panic.

She hurried toward the handbag she had dropped on the ground.

"You look beautiful."

Tanaka Yukishin answered straightforwardly.

"Tanaka-kun, you're bullying me again."

She murmured the soft words.

But Sakura Airi stopped her movements, turned around, and let Tanaka Yukishin admire her.

Because his gaze was completely different from that of the stalker.

There was only an appreciation for beauty within it, without any other emotions mixed in.

Suddenly, Tanaka Yukishin seemed to have discovered something.

"Your face."

"What's wrong?"

"It's not smudged at all? Is this tear-proof makeup?!"

"I don't really like interacting with others, and I try to keep a low profile. So, I never wear makeup."

After finishing the call.

Tanaka Yukishin lowered his eyes to look at Sakura Airi, who was clutching her collar—which couldn't stay closed due to a missing button—with one hand, the edge of her cherry-blossom-colored lingerie peeking out between her fingers.

He took off his own tracksuit jacket and handed it over to her.

"Wear mine for now. After we finish giving our statements, you can go back to your dorm, change into a new outfit, and then return it to me."

"Okay."

Sakura Airi obediently took it and put it on, not even trying to hide the fact that her exposed skin might be seen by Tanaka Yukishin.

As she took the garment, her fingertips accidentally brushed against the back of his hand.

Both of them recoiled as if electrocuted, the girl's earlobes instantly stained with the color of the sunset, while the boy cleared his throat behind his palm.

A dozen minutes later, accompanied by the roar of engines.

Two motorcycles appeared in their line of sight.

The two police officers stopped their bikes, propped them up, and walked over.

The one in the lead was a middle-aged man.