Akira watched as Sakura stopped just outside his personal space; her posture was perfect as always, but something about her seemed different… less certain.
Her gaze drifted momentarily to his chest, tracing the way his damp shirt clung to his newly defined muscles, before snapping back to his eyes, a faint flush colouring her cheeks.
This was the first time she had addressed him since Halloween… since the night she had crushed his spirit in front of the entire school, cementing his status as the "Creep King" with a single, icy rejection.
"That was... impressive, Kanzaki-kun," she said. Her voice was as smooth as silk, but there was a tremor of uncertainty there that hadn't existed weeks ago.
Akira didn't smile.
He didn't even adjust his posture to be more inviting. He looked at her with the same detached neutrality he might use for a stranger on the street. "Sakura," he said simply.
