Disclaimer: I do not own Gokusen.

Author's Note: This is a companion one-shot piece (sequel) to A Year. I hope you guys enjoy reading it. It takes place in Gokusen 3 episode 8.


Game of Love

By: Higasa

"Hey," Sawada Shin said, as he tapped Kuma on the shoulder with a soda can.

They were in Shirokin hospital, waiting in front of the emergency room where Ami (Kuma's wife) was in labor. Kuma had his head buried in his head. The baby wasn't expected until for a couple of weeks. Was this normal?

"Shin-chan," Kuma said surprised, looking up to see his red-haired friend sitting at the empty seat next to him. "What are you doing here? What about Africa?"

Shin raised an eyebrow. "I'm not surprised that you forgot," he said. "You were supposed to have picked me up earlier today at the airport…"

Kuma frowned and then said, "Oh yeah. That's right! I forgot…I'm sorry Shin-chan…"

"Don't worry about it," Shin said reassuringly, waving his hand to dismiss Kuma's apology. "I just hope Ami-san is okay."

…

He could hear footsteps running in the corridor. Towards them. Kuma had gotten up from sitting and stood in front of the emergency room. It had been more than an hour and he was getting nervous.

"Ami," Shin could hear Kuma muttered.

"Kuma," Shin froze. His lips stopping near the rim of his soda can. He knew that voice. It had been two years, but he could recognize that voice from anywhere.

The two years he was trying to escape from her, Yamaguchi Kumiko. His feelings for her. He could hear his heart pounding fast.

Shin could've sworn that Kuma had written to him that their former homeroom teacher was currently teaching in a Southern Island and not at Shirokin high school or any other school nearby the area. And this was discussed during Kuma's wedding.

So what was she doing here of all places? Surely she didn't jet home ASAP just because she heard the news that Kuma's wife was expecting a kid.

Heck she didn't even come home to the wedding. So what was the sudden visitation?

Besides plane tickets were expensive these days. He should know.

"Yankumi," Kuma greeted, as she approached him with several other kids. Shin didn't recognize any of them.

"How is Ami-chan doing?" Yankumi asked. She didn't notice that Shin was behind several of her students.

"I don't know," Kuma admitted. "The delivery wasn't supposed to be until sometime next week, but…"

"It'll be alright Kuma," Yankumi said encouragingly.

"Kumai-san," one of the six boys that had came with Yankumi said. "I didn't really understand what you meant the other day. I said all those horrible things and I'm sorry…"

Kuma blinked and then broke into a smile. "It's no problem," he said.

Just before Shin could slip through the corridor unnoticed, Kuma called to him. "Hey, Shin-chan, where are you going?"

He could feel the group turning to look at him. Shin had everyone's attention including Yankumi's. Before he could answer Yankumi said, "Do I know you? You look familiar…"

Shin smirked. "Kuma you didn't tell Yankumi that I was arriving today?" Her mouth dropped. She knew that smirk. She recognized that smirk, but for some reason she couldn't place a finger on where she had seen that smirk before. "Don't tell me you forgot about me?"

"S-Sawada?" Yankumi said disbelief. "What are you doing here? What happened to Africa?"

Shin raised an eyebrow. "I should be asking you the same thing," he said smoothly. "Though of course the same could be said about the Southern Island instead."

Yankumi could feel her face turning red and mumbled about something along the lines of "Getting fired."

"So how do you know Yankumi?" Kazama Ren spoke up.

"Are you her boyfriend?" Kuraki Satoru suggested.

"That's impossible," Honjo Kengo said. "It's Yankumi of course she doesn't have a boyfriend."

The group laughed, as they remember what happened earlier that day, about mistaking Yankumi for getting pregnant.

"I was a former student," Shin informed them. "One of the first students she taught. Kuma's classmate." He pointed to Kuma. "Sawada Shin."

"Hey, how come you guys are talking about me as if I'm not here?" Yankumi said annoyingly.

Shin nodded to the group. "Are her new students?" he asked in return. There was a nod. "I thought so. They owe me," he muttered the last line under his breath with a small smile.

"Who?" Yankumi asked curiously, having heard it. She raised an eyebrow at him.

Shin just looked at Kuma with a secretive smirk. "You remember the bet right?"

Kuma nodded. "At my wedding."

"What bet was this?"

"That Yankumi would get fired for slipping into her…" Shin didn't continue because after all it was a secret. Her background that was. "Never mind."

"We made a bet earlier as well," Satoru said.

"Yeah, whether or not Yankumi would ever find a boyfriend before summer break," Ogata Yamato finished for him. "Do you want to place a bet too Sawada-san?"

He would if he wasn't already in love with her. But it didn't hurt to place one just for amusement "20."

"Sweet," Ren said.

Yankumi was livid. "You guys," she said warningly. She was going to pulverize them, as soon as they got out of the hospital. Who did they think they were? Placing bets on their beloved adorable homeroom teacher.

Shin ignored her and turned to Kuma. "Hey do you happen to have Yabuki's number."

"I think so," Kuma said. At that moment the doctor came out of the ER and before Kuma could rush over towards him.

"Give me his number afterwards, okay?"

"Sure thing Shin-chan."

Fin.