Eyes of Azure | Assassination Classroom

:: Attempt 10 | Butterfly ::

I unnecessarily pause by the gates of the school, heat flooding my cheeks even as a rude student shoulders past; aiming one last glare at my frozen form before disappearing into the campus.

"Not in the least." I fight to keep the embarrassment at bay, closing my eyes as I step through the entrance and into the campus of Kunugigaoka Junior High School. "Assuming such ridiculous fallacies may get you into trouble with 'Novem' (and by that I mean in the context of teasing), as I think you are well acquainted with that kind of scenario."

A peal of nervous laughter meets my ears in return. "Ya' know me too well.."

A genuine smile tugs at my lips, only to be stifled and replaced with an instinctive frown as I catch sight of an unfortunately familiar tuft of strawberry-blond hair. I tense immediately, much to the worried look Tsubaki gives me. She had kept silent throughout the weekend after the failed shopping trip, thankfully keeping her distance as I secluded myself in my room.

Roughly twelve more days, I remind myself.

"Aoi? Ya' still there?" 'Miles' questions, a vague hint of worry in his voice. I sigh deeply, uttering a brief goodbye to my parabatai as I lock my phone, stepping forward as I meet the gaze of my own beloved - note the sarcasm - "boyfriend".

"Good morning, Shu." I greet icily, smiling a little too forced to be natural - or genuine, in this case. "I apologize for the fact that I wasn't home when you visited."

Gakushu returns the smile as he takes a step forward, a hand tipping up my chin as his lips press against mine for a brief second before he pulls away. An ambiguous emotion lurks in his eyes, one which I hardly catch a glimpse of before it's gone. "It's alright," he says calmly, despite the fact that his own eyes tell otherwise. "I suppose we can reschedule our date some other time then?"

I grit my teeth, fighting the urge to push him away. I can't - not yet, not in front of all these people. Instead, I reach up, brushing the hair away from his eyes as a disgustingly smug smirk makes its way to my lips.

"If that's what you want." I say as I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him into an unprecedented embrace. It is like hugging a near-stranger; a distant personage I have glimpsed before but never really met. Gakushu stiffens for a second, before his arms snake around my waist and pull me close. I resist the disgusted shiver attempting to take hold of me as I rest my head against his collarbone.

I feel tainted beyond words. Yet I have to pretend; I have to be the better actress.

My own life depends upon it.

x + x

It is strange.

She is so close, close enough that he can take in the scent of her perfume, that he can feel each movement, each shift of the vibrant red locks of her hair as she buries her face upon the crook of his neck. Yet why does she still appear to be so distant - an elusive illusion, a butterfly alighting upon his hand before it takes off into flight again once disturbed?

"Shu.." Aoi whispers, looking away as an evident flush dusts across her cheeks. In their close proximity, he can see several freckles along her high cheekbones, almost invisible from afar. Gakushu looks down upon his fianceé, his rumored "girlfriend"; an odd mixture of confusion and disappointment flitting across his normally placid visage. "Shouldn't we go now? We might become late for class."