A Tiny Smirk is Devastating

Chapter 34: Like That

"That was close," Sakura could feel his voice through his chest, his breath on her ear as he murmured right into it, "Nearly let you down again. Good thing I wasn't late this time."

THIS TIME?!

It... really... is him. Meister really is Uchiha-senpai!

Hesitantly, because Sakura had her priorities in exactly the right order, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she was nestled against her idol's chest, she had to confirm the thundering suspicion in her heart, "... SmirkMeister?"

"Yes, that's me."

No hesitation! He just - out with it! How- What- Huh?! But that means... He can't be! But... I-

Sakura must have been having an out-of-body experience as she watched Uchiha-senpai, the object of more than one girlish fantasy over the past two years, put his hands on her - actually touch her! - to help her regain her balance. She managed not to drool all over him. Note to self, never wash this blouse again.

She was still trying to process the other major shock, that Meister was Uchiha-senpai. She'd been prepared for anything and everything - that Meister's appearance was unremarkable (likely and irrelevant), "he" was actually not a "he" (unlikely, it was the internet), or that they wouldn't get along as well in person as they did online (likely, and what she dreaded the most).

Uchiha-senpai though? There's no way! Maybe there's a hidden camera around here. Sakura tried to look around surreptitiously, but Sasuke saw her little movements.

The corner of his mouth quirked up. "Thought you might finish algo early. Didn't want to make you wait again."

"Huh? Wait?" I don't see any wires so they must be using fairly small battery-powered units. That limits the transmission range and video quality.

"The couple's tournament."

"Oh, that! No, that's okay." I don't even see a lens. Must be a pinhole device of some kind.

"Lunch?"

"Uh-huh." If I'm lucky, they won't even have voice recording capability. That way no one will think I'm a total lunatic, asking the most eligible bachelor if he's my dom, or whatever people will come up with.

"OK, let's go then," Go? We can't go! What if the real Meister shows up while I'm still dealing with this hidden camera nonsense?

"...," What if Meister picks up on this embarrassing crush I've had on Uchiha-senpai all along?

"..."

"..." What if-

"Sakura?"

"Sakura?!" Sakura repeated stupidly, turning bright red at the intimacy of him - the Uchiha-senpai - using her first name, just like that. No honorifics or anything. Startled, she realized he'd already started walking away and was looking back at her now, waiting for her to catch up.

"Hold over from Way. You don't mind, do you?" he asked nonchalantly. Sakura was too flustered to notice how the tips of his ears turned a bit red.

"N-No, it's okay," Sakura stuttered.

"Okay," Uchiha-senpai looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to walk beside him.

Somehow, in her wildest dreams, Sakura had never imagined walking next to Uchiha-senpai. She'd probably had a hundred different fantasies over the year and a half since she'd come to Konoha U, but this wasn't one of them. But she'd imagined walking next to Meister a thousand times, especially over the last week. She'd dreamed of laughing and talking to him, to finally hear if his voice was as deadpanned as she imagined he'd be when he delivered one of his stinging barbs. She'd wondered if she'd be able to hide her blushing face if he was as smooth offline as he was online.