Hi everyone I'm back! I know it's been more than a year but I only got back into Classroom of the Elite recently orz. I read the light novels and they're really good, and best girl Sakura has been getting a little more attention (!) Sorry for the wait and please review / request!

The upper deck of the ship was deserted, cool and windy. Sakura rested her arms on the railing and allowed herself some time to daydream.

Unconsciously, as it did so many times in the past, her thoughts drifted to Ayanokouji just like how someone fell asleep; slowly, at first, then all at once. She couldn't help but let her thoughts run wild; to fantasize about what it would be like if she and him were a thing. And all it took were the words:

"W-would you... um.. d-d-dat-"

"Sakura?"

A baritone voice that was unmistakably Ayanokouji's gave her the shock of her life; and she jolted back with a surprised exclamation.

"What's wrong?"

A shameful blush spread through her cheeks, and as Sakura tried not to faint from embarrassment, all she could do was hope to god that he didn't hear her practiced confession.

"How.. how long have you been there?"

"I just arrived."

"Did you hear? Did you hear what I was s-saying?"

"No.."

"Thank goodness…"

She gave a sigh of relief, and as she gave herself some time to relax, she became mesmerized by Ayanokouji's features, as she did many times in the past.

While doing so, however, she did not notice the slight tightening on the corner of his lips.

.

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He was fascinated by her. That much was certain. Ayanokouji was long aware that Sakura was attractive. But being impartial was necessary for his persona, and thus he cut himself off from any emotions in his life.

Which was why he found himself confused when facing the enigma that was Sakura. He wasn't sure how exactly she managed to get him so interested in her. Maybe it was her kind and happy-go-lucky demeanor, or her elegany locks of scarlet hair, or her soft and supple skin that was just so-

He cut himself off before he decided to entertain anymore wild fantasies about the aforementioned object of interest.

At least, he was trying to do that, but he met the exact person he was thinking about on the deck of the ship.

And she was.. confessing to someone?

His breath hitched in his throat as his heart slowly sank. Was she really..?

He turned the corner and saw her facing nothing. He heaved an inaudible sigh of relief, amused at her antics.

Time to earn some brownie points, he thought to himself as he called her name aloud, pretending not to hear what she had said.

Well, at least for now.

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.

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"Sorry, that was a lie. I heard everything from the start."

"E-ehhhhhhh?! "

A mixture of shock, despair and embarrassment filled Sakura as the realisation that her crush had heard her shameful confession as she voiced it out loud.

She wanted to die. She wanted to dig a hole and die right now. Any impressions he would have had of her would be gone and vanished right about now. What kind of madman goes around professing her love to midair at the middle of the night?

"A confession, huh.. How dramatic. Who's the lucky guy?"

Sakura took a double take at the question seemingly laced with sarcasm. Did she detect a bit of moodiness on his face?

Nevertheless, she tried her best to keep her emotions under control and waved it off desperately, replying, "It-it's nothing, I don't really think of anyone that way and it was just kind of like a spur of the moment kind of thing so-"

That was about as half assed as an excuse could get, and both parties knew it. Fortunately, Ayanokouji decided to let her off the hook with minimal teasing.

"Well, I guess if you say so then.."

He was about to turn to leave the place, but he was suddenly struck with a wave of courage and impulse and emotions and wow she really looked amazing at night and his body moved by itself-

She never saw it coming. The kind, charming hand of the person that she came to admire so much started to pet her head gently. With a start, she looked up with a jerk of her head, and saw the handsome face that she wanted to engrave in her memory forever.

Then, that hand started to wander and her heart skipped a beat.

"Hey, try not to confess to no one next time."

His fingers slowly combed through her hair, before gently stroking her cheek, coming to a rest right above her chin, thumb clumsily brushing against the side of her lips.

"I'm starting to feel jealous."

Sakura's heart stopped right there and then.

With a bashful grin, he turned to leave, leaving her standing on the deck of the ship.

Ayanokouji didn't know what he just did. He stared down at his hand that still felt so smooth and perfect against her skin, as if they were made just for each other, and wondered to himself if there were any excuses for the inexcusable thing he had just done.

But for some reason, he didn't find himself minding much about the consequences of his actions, the only though occupying his mind being that he had just stroked her cheek, hadn't he?

For the first time in his life, something that he had done was not dictated by his logic, but rather his instincts and pure emotion.

And with her adorable whimper etched into his memory forever, he was glad he had did it.

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Sakura had returned to her bedroom as quickly as possible with her dream like stupor, and was about two steps in when reality kicked in and she dived face first into her bed, flushed face in pillow and squealing to the skies like a crazy fangirl.

It took all her strength not to collapse on the floor right there and then, on the deck of the ship, and she was glad she didn't because that would only make Ayanokouji worry more about her, and she didn't think she could stand him being in her presence for another second.

She really wanted to dig a hole and bury herself inside forever, because her heart couldn't stop pounding like a jackhammer and her face was redder than her hair and she never wanted to wash her face again in her life and

She couldn't stop thinking about him.

After a few minutes of embarrassing frenzying around Sakura got up with a last shameful whimper into her pillow. With weak legs, she wobbled over to the toilet.

She would assert her feelings and get her emotions in order by having a nice steamy shower in the bathtub.

Or at least, when she was done, she could continue restless night number 17 with new material this time, in clean pajamas and a clean mind.