Sakura turned back to face her class from the chalkboard. "Alright now, does anyone know the solution for this equation? Raise your hands please."
Her eyes scanned the class, and she inwardly sighed at the distinct level of disinterest that she saw in their first-year faces, not a single one of them moving to raise their hands. I hate teenagers...why couldn't I have gotten assigned to the grade school or junior high divisions for my internship?
It definitely didn't help her authority that she was the youngest teacher ever on staff at Monzaemon Academy, the prestigious school for the well-to-do and the gifted that was her own alma mater; at 21, she was only 5 years older than the youngest kids she was teaching. Being an overachieving, grade-skipping math prodigy definitely had its downsides sometimes.
Giving up, Sakura chose a student at random. "No volunteers, huh? Okay...Hoshigaki-kun, how about you solve this equation for the rest of the class?"
The blue-haired teen rubbed his head sheepishly and gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry sensei, I haven't got a clue."
"Yamanaka-san, please?"
"I don't know either, sorry sensei," the blond girl replied half-heartedly, going back to surreptitiously reading a fashion magazine.
Sakura felt a headache coming on as she looked over her class again, her eyes being drawn to the thorn in her side that sat by the window in the back row. The boy sitting in that seat regarded her coolly from behind his glasses, his messy red hair partially obscuring his brown eyes. Akasuna Sasori, the leader of the little gang of misfits that seemed to command class 1-A. He was the smartest student in the room, and he looked it with those red-rimmed glasses of his and his perfectly neat uniform; however, he was also rumored to be a delinquent, although he had never been caught. That baby face of his had probably gotten him out of more than a few scrapes unscathed as well.
He also seemed to go out of his way to make her life miserable by ordering his lackeys not to cooperate with her, but she had no idea why.
"Akasuna-kun, come up to the blackboard and solve this equation for the class," Sakura said, and it was not a request. Little punk...I'm the one in charge in this room, and he'd better learn that fast.
Sasori's eyes narrowed dangerously at being ordered around by her, but he did as he was told; he never acted up openly in front of a teacher, even her. "Yes, Haruno-sensei."
Their eyes were locked as he got up and strode forward to the blackboard with the casual arrogance of royalty. He paused when he was next to her, unexpectedly and rudely snatching the chalk out of her hand without a word before stepping up to the blackboard and quickly solving the equation.
Sasori turned to face her, adjusting his glasses slightly. "Is this correct, sensei?"
Sakura almost sputtered but was able to keep her indignation in check at his shockingly blatant disrespect; this was certainly new. There was no way in hell he'd get a rise out of her in front of the other students, however. If he wasn't the chairman's grandson, I'd kick his scrawny ass.
"Yes, that's correct, Akasuna-kun," she said, keeping her voice completely neutral. "You may take your seat."
"Yes, sensei," Sasori said, placing the chalk on the ledge of the board rather than giving it back to her and making her eye twitch.
He was almost back to his seat when she called out to his retreating back.
"By the way, Akasuna-kun," she said with steel in her voice. "See me after class."
His shoulders stiffened, and the glare that he shot her way when he took his seat was absolutely murderous.
* * * * *
"I don't understand, Haruno-sensei," Sasori said mildly, adjusting his glasses once again; he was the very picture of a collected honor student, his posture ruler-straight as he sat at the desk directly in front of hers. "My grades are the highest among the first years, and I am 1-A's class representative. I've been a model student."
"I'm afraid not, Akasuna-kun," Sakura said. "Your grades may be excellent, but you have an attitude problem."
"I think the one with an attitude problem here is you, Haruno-sensei," he said coldly, startling her by dropping all pretense as he stood up and stalked towards her. "You're only 5 years older than me, don't think that's enough to make me respect you."
When Sasori reached Sakura's desk, he stepped around behind it. She turned to face him immediately, jumping in her seat when he unexpectedly slammed his hands down on either side of her on the desk, keeping her pinned in her chair; he leaned down over her.
Suddenly confronted with his face mere inches from her own, his invasion of her personal space made her somewhat uncomfortable.
"Akasuna-kun, I suggest that you step back," Sakura said with an icy, authoritative edge to her voice. Again, it was not a request.
"Do you know why I don't show you the proper respect, Haruno-sensei?" Sasori said, completely ignoring her command, his voice shifting lower, silkier, a small flame flickering to life in his cold eyes.
Sakura's discomfort grew as Sasori leaned closer to her. She was suddenly reminded that he was not only incredibly attractive, but also a sixteen-year-old with the typical libido in overdrive to match.
"I don't take orders from pretty girls, Haruno-sensei," he murmured, and her mouth went dry when his gaze shifted to her lips. "Although, to be fair, you're a woman, not a girl."
"W-what are you saying, Akasuna-kun?"
"Call me Sasori," he said, his attention still locked on her lips, his voice like velvet caressing her ears. He reached up and slipped his glasses off, his eyes glancing up to meet hers from behind his messy red bangs. "Akasuna-kun is so formal, Sakura-sensei."
Sakura felt a shiver run down her spine at the way her name rolled off of his or no, it had been a long time since any attractive male had given her that kind of smoldering look, and she felt her resolve wavering under his heated gaze.
Her own lips suddenly felt parched and cracked, and she automatically darted her tongue out to moisten them before she was able to stop herself.
"F-fine, Sasori-kun. Now back off," she said, the unsteadiness in her voice completely undermining her attempt to assert her authority.
The flame in Sasori's eyes blazed into an inferno as he drew even closer. "No, Sakura-sensei. Not Sasori-kun."
"Just Sasori," he whispered, and his eyes drifted down to her lips again. He then closed the little distance remaining between them until their noses were almost touching.
Sakura felt as if her heart was going to burst from her chest any second as she felt his warm breath on her lips. Her voice seemed to be caught in her throat, and she felt her cheeks getting hot.
His eyes narrowed slightly at her lack of a response.
"Don't be shy, Sakura-sensei. Say my name," Sasori said, and she sharply drew in a breath at the sultry tone he used. This time too, it was not a request.
Unable to look away from him, she heard the word he wanted her to say slip breathlessly from her lips.
"Sasori," Sakura whispered.
"There, you see?" he purred. "That wasn't so difficult now, was it, Sakura-sensei?"
He began to edge closer to her, and her eyelids fluttered shut, her breath held in trembling anticipation as she waited for his lips to brush against hers.
And waited...
And waited...
And...what the hell was taking him so long?!
Sakura cracked her eyelids open in irritation to see Sasori smirking smugly at her before he stepped back.
"Hmm, you're a better teacher than I thought, Haruno-sensei," he said, slipping his glasses back on as he moved to his desk to pick up his schoolbag. "You're already inspiring a change in my attitude."
Sakura sat there bewildered, cheeks flushed, mouth slightly agape, staring at him speechlessly as he slid the classroom door open.
"Maybe you can help me some more with my attitude problem after class tomorrow, too," he said, glancing over his shoulder to meet her eyes. "I think it's going to take a lot of work to get under control. Have a good evening, Haruno-sensei."
The slap of the door against the door frame as Sasori slid it shut snapped her out of her daze.
...I'm going to kill that little bastard.
Author's Notes: There isn't actually a grade skipping system to my knowledge in Japan, so just take that as a little dramatic license. :)
Thank you for reading, and please take the time to review. :)