Here is my second Classroom of the Elite - written and published so soon after the first! XD Hope it's okay!

Disclaimer: I don't own Classroom of the Elite.

"Sakura?"

Airi Sakura jumped with fright over hearing her name being addressed from nearby. The red-haired girl had already been full of nervousness over the last few minutes, but now her worry had been increased by a thousand.

The shy student lifted her gaze to peer with shining blue eyes through the glasses she wore yet didn't really need. She gulped upon seeing the person who had called her had arrived to meet her in the school ground - as requested by the redhead earlier that day.

"H-Hey, Ichinose..." Airi stammered nervously.

Standing before her with a friendly smile on her face was Honami Ichinose. She was very pleased to see her timid, shy friend. The blonde was one of the few students in Class B who treated her fellow pupils in lower classes with nothing but kindness and respect. She peered towards the reserved redhead from Class D, not looking down on her in the slightest.

"Good to see you," Honami said in a voice filled with warmth and gentleness. "School go okay for you today?"

Airi nodded meekly but said nothing. She lowered her head as her cheeks went as red as her hair. The introverted student had gone into full shy mode.

Honami sighed. She saw no reason for her friend to be nervous around her. She stepped closer to her schoolmate, deciding to cut straight to the chase.

"I got your text," she said, holding up her cell phone on which she had received an instant message from Airi earlier that day. "You said you wanted to meet up? I couldn't get out of my last class quick enough to find you..."

Airi lifted her gaze, nodding again at the blonde. "Y-Yeah..."

"What's up, Sakura?" Reaching out with a hand, Honami placed it tenderly onto the quiet girl's shoulder as she looked at her with eyes filled with care. "Is something on your mind?"

Airi felt her cheeks burning as they continued to glow bright red. She took a deep breath, preparing to tell her selfless friend what she had been keeping secret for a while.

"It's ... Ayanokōji."

"Ayanokōji?" Honami repeated, surprised at the referral to Kiyotaka Ayanokōji, who also happened to be in Class D. "What about him, Sakura? He hasn't done anything wrong has he?"

"No, nothing at all. In fact, that's just it, Ichinose; everything Ayanokōji's done for me has been nothing but right..."

A small smile found it's way onto Airi's face. She placed a hand onto her chest, feeling the beating of her heart. It had been sent racing at an intense speed over the boy on her mind.

"The truth is..." she said softly, preparing to admit her deepest secret to her friend. "I like Ayanokōji."

"You do?" Honami's blue eyes went wide. She was astonished to hear just how Airi felt about the stand-offish, aloof boy who often used his classmates for his own gain. "You like Ayanokōji, Sakura."

"I do." Airi admitted truthfully. "I know he's not the most social or popular guy in the school - but there's something about him which gets my heart in a flutter."

Airi's eyes closed behind her glasses. The small smile remained on her face. She was thinking back to all the times Kiyotaka had been there for her - showing a completely different side to him that not many others in the school saw.

"He's always been very kind to me," she continued. "He willingly listens to me when I have problems, he's always prepared to give me comfort and support - and, as you know, he saved me from such a traumatising situation in my life..."

Honami nodded, understanding. She knew Airi was referring to the time she had been stalked by an electronics store clerk who had developed an obsession with her. The blonde had even played her part in coming to the redhead's aid and getting the culprit arrested, although it had truly been Kiyotaka who had come to the shy girl's rescue.

"Since that day... I can't stop thinking about Ayanokōji..." Airi kept her hand placed over her heart as she felt it pick up speed. "But I'm sure he wouldn't think twice about getting with me... What chance does a timid, quiet girl have of gaining the interest of someone like him?"

A frown swept across Honami's face. She was not pleased in the slightest to hear her friend putting herself down. There was no way she was going to stand by to Airi degrade herself and believe she wasn't worthy of Kiyotaka's love.

The blonde took the redhead's hand gently in her own, rubbing it softly. "You want my advice, Sakura?"

Airi blinked, staring at her friend with confused eyes from behind her glasses.

"Just be yourself." Honami smiled sincerely. "You can clearly see Kiyotaka in a way which no one else at school can - which just goes to show how special you are!"

"Special?" Airi shook her head. "I'm not special at all, Ichinose!"

"Oh yes you are! You have an enormous kind heart and incredibly sweet. This school would be a much better place with more people like you around. You even manage to put aside your shyness to do the right thing - like the time you stepped up to prove Ken Sodou's innocence when Class C tried to frame him of wrong doing. That just goes to show what a moral person you are."

Honami's smile softened as she directed it along with her words towards Airi, meaning every single one of them. "Koyataka is sure to see all that in you, Sakura. Keep being your sweet, kind self - and he shall see with his own eyes just how worthy you are to be with."

"You-" Airi's eyes behind to sparkle, filling with tears from how touched she was by what the blonde said about her. "You really think so?"

"Uh-uh! I don't think so, Sakura!" Honami shook her head - as the smile on her face grew twice as wide. "I know so!"

That was enough to get the tears in Airi's eyes flowing in her happiness. Deeply grateful for Honami's heartfelt encouragement towards her, she wrapped her arms around the blonde, hugging her closely in all her gratitude.

"Thank you, Ichinose," she whispered. "You've really given me the strength and support I needed..."

Honami embraced her schoolmate back. She was pleased to hear her words had made a positive difference to the quiet redhead. The blonde truly believed a sweet, kind person like Airi deserved to be with the one she loved.

"Enough hugging me," she said softly after a moment. "Get yourself moving - and go get your man!"

Beaming, Airi pulled away, giving one last smile towards Honami before letting her go. She walked off with the biggest smile she had ever worn on her blushing face for a long time. She began her search through the school grounds for boy she loved...

...taking along her newly-built confidence given to the shy girl by her friend with a heart as golden as her hair.

Thanks for reading! Sure hope this story was okay!