After taking Sakura out of Class D's classroom, Yukio didn't go far. He stayed outside, waiting—both for Class D's Unanimous Vote result, and for their homeroom teacher, Chabashira.
Because transferring Sakura wasn't as simple as pay the points and done.
Paperwork still had to be processed, and that required Chabashira's side to handle it.
Sakura, meanwhile, looked like she was dreaming. Even now, she was still dazed—her eyes shining as she stared at Yukio, never once looking away.
It was like she wanted to burn every detail of him into her sight… into the deepest part of her heart, to remember until the day she died.
When she heard Horikita was about to get her expelled, she'd been terrified.
Not because she was afraid of expulsion itself. In a school like this, the pressure was huge; she didn't feel the same attachment other students did.
What truly scared her… was the thought that if she got expelled, she'd never see Yukio again.
And then—right when she was about to fall into endless darkness—a turn.
A sudden, impossible light.
Yukio had walked into Class D, paid the points, and transferred her out—saving her from even having to face the Unanimous Vote's "pick someone to expel" hell.
To Sakura, it felt like he'd reached down again and pulled her back into the sun.
Her chest was a knot of emotions—devotion, gratitude, relief, the aching fear that still hadn't fully drained away.
She wanted to say something.
At the very least… thank you.
He'd spent an absurd amount of points for her.
And yet what she really wanted—what she'd wanted for so long—was to tell him she liked him.
She couldn't wait anymore.
Because she'd just realized something in that moment of near-regret:
If she didn't say it now… she might never get another chance for the rest of her life.
So—be brave. Confess.
That's what she told herself.
But Sakura being Sakura… the words reached her lips and still wouldn't come out.
It was too embarrassing. She just couldn't.
Yukio didn't notice what was happening inside her head.
Not because he was clueless—Sakura's state was simply a mess.
Her face was still full of lingering fear and stunned relief. Tear tracks were still visible on her cheeks, and her delicate eyes were still wet, holding back more.
If someone could read her mind through that expression, they'd be practically cheating.
So Yukio only pulled out his handkerchief, stepped in gently, and wiped the corner of her eyes.
"Relax. I'm here. You're fine."
"—!"
Just that simple sentence made Sakura's heart jolt.
And suddenly, everything she'd been holding back surged up again.
Especially the bitterness of it—the way Horikita had asked her for help with the cultural festival one moment, and then turned around and tried to throw her out the next.
That sour, choking feeling in her chest couldn't be suppressed.
Tears flooded her eyes again.
It was like a child who can endure every injustice outside… but the instant they get home and someone pats their head, they break down sobbing.
Sakura was the same.
She'd been terrified. She'd been swallowing it down.
But the moment she was beside Yukio, it was like she no longer had to fear anything—like no one could hurt her.
So she could finally cry.
Yukio couldn't help a small smile.
"So you're a crybaby, huh? I didn't realize."
His handkerchief couldn't keep up.
"Hey, hey—if you cry your eyes swollen, what are you gonna do?"
He sounded like he was soothing a little kid.
And for Sakura, it worked way too well.
She wasn't a kid—she just got reminded of something important.
She'd been trying to confess.
But if her eyes got puffy, she'd look ugly, right? Then how could she confess like that?!
If she was going to do it… she needed to do it in her best state, her cutest state.
Confessing with swollen eyes would be… tragic.
And then—ridiculously—her tears stopped on the spot, like a dam gate slamming shut.
Yukio clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Girls really are natural actors. Even you—cry on command, stop on command."
Even as he thought it, his hand didn't stop. He wiped her eyes carefully, gently, erasing the tear tracks.
And only then did Sakura finally notice how close they were.
Her face flushed like peach blossoms in February—soft, bright, and painfully cute.
So close… isn't this too close?
Can he hear my heartbeat?
Heart, please—please slow down… this is humiliating…
And I just cried… is my face ugly right now? He can see everything from this distance…
I want to look down and hide… but he's still wiping my face… if I move, I'll make it harder for him…
Her mind was spinning.
She was a mess.
Noticing her cheeks heating up, Yukio pulled the handkerchief away at the right moment and spoke softly.
"Let's wait here for Chabashira-sensei."
"…We still need her to process your transfer paperwork."
"O-okay…" Sakura's dazed little brain finally restarted. She nodded timidly. "I… I'll do whatever you say, Yukio-kun."
Yukio glanced into the classroom like he was checking how much time they had, then asked casually:
"Still… do you hate Horikita?"
"If you've got an issue with her, I can teach her a lesson."
"She's the one who nominated you for expulsion, right?"
"Eh? N-no! N-no, Yukio-kun!" Sakura froze, then shook her head quickly.
She felt wronged—but she wasn't the type to hold a grudge.
And when she heard him say teach her a lesson, she imagined something harsh and scary, and she actually started worrying for Horikita.
"H-Horikita-san…"
"I-I think… she couldn't help it."
"Like she said… if they really had to expel someone, it would've been me."
"I don't contribute much… and I don't have friends who'd vote 'no' for me…"
"So… you can't really blame Horikita-san."
Yukio's eyes lifted slightly.
Honestly, Sakura's pure-heartedness—almost on Ichinose's level—made him helpless.
He muttered under his breath, half a complaint, half affection:
"You idiot."
Then he added, more gently:
"Relax. I'm not talking about revenge."
"I'll just… give Horikita a little punishment."
...
For every 50 Power Stones → +1 extra chapter.