I love Terada-sensei. Who couldn't? So here is my tribute to his plight to find love. It's the abbreviated version of a song fic I plan on writing. (My beta advised me that song fics suck, so I started with this. )
Background Reference Stuff: This takes place in high school. Somehow the whole teacher/eleven year-old thing bothered. Hey, call me weird... So Terada-sensei has been transferred to the high school for reasons explained in the full fic. I feel much better about teacher/sixteen year-old. So there you have it.
Note on the Talking Parts: What they are saying can not be heard over the music unless otherwise indicated.
Disclaimer: Standard. Own nothing. If I did, I would not slather it across the web in the form of bad vid fics. The Police own the song and CLAMP owns CCS. No profit in making this...blahblahblah...By a fan for the fans ...blahblahblah...Enjoy!
As the music starts Rika is walking down the hallway in school. She is much older than the last time we saw her. Now sixteen, she is looking forward to moving on in her school life. It has been a while since she's thought about elementary school; she's been too busy.
As she walks into her class, ready to start a new year, she stops mid-stride when she sees Terada leaning on the desk, scrutinizing something in a folder. Memories of an unresolved love flood back to her as he looks up, noticing her, and smiles.
Young teacher, the subject
Of schoolgirl fantasy
After class, several days later, Rika is waiting to give Terada some papers she's help put together for the school magazine. Watching him in the back of the room, talking to several students with that kind smile on his face, she's visibly overwhelmed.
He finishes the conversation, walking towards her.
She blushes when he smiles and looks down to avoid eye-contact, the papers clutched in her hands, forgotten.
She wants him so badly
Knows what she wants to be
As he walks up the aisle to the front of the room where Saski is waiting with the fillers for the back pages of the magazine, Terada can't help but notice how beautiful she's become. Pushing it aside with all the professionalism of a seasoned teacher, he smiles at her in greeting, noting the tinge of pink in her cheeks and the papers crumpled in her fists.
Inside her there's longing
This girl's an open page
Holding out the rumpled papers, Rika's face reddens even more when her hand brushes her teacher's.
Startled by the soft contact, and the reaction it drew from Rika, Terada bulks inwardly. Regaining himself, he nods and tells her to be careful on her way home. Watching her leave the room hurriedly, he shakes whatever thoughts that had been forming out of his head. She is, after all, only a student.
Book marking - she's so close now
This girl is half his age
Flowing scenes of Terada and Rika working together in the lit. room, organizing the layouts for the magazine. There are students in the background, but they are unimportant and seemingly unnoticed, especially by Rika.
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
Sitting in her seat before class starts, Rika is suddenly surrounded by girls. They are laughing and joking, until Terada walks in, setting his bag on his desk. The crowd of girls stifles giggles, glancing at Rika out of the corners of their eyes to see what she'll do, if anything.
Blushing, she straightens the papers on her desk, asking Chiharu pointedly about the homework. As the subject is changed, Rika steals a look at Terada. When she finds him to be looking back at her, she looks away quickly only to find that her friends are looking at her as well.
Her friends are so jealous
You know how bad girls get
At lunch, Rika is sitting outside with Chiharu, Naoko, and Sakura. They are all chatting and laughing until one of them mentions Terada-sensei and all eyes turn on Rika. Shaking her head she says, "Nothing. He's the head of the student magazine staff. That's all."
Smiling at her agreeably, Naoko and Chiharu share a silent, knowing look as Sakura begins telling them about Shaoran's latest letter.
Looking uneasy, Rika goes back to picking at her lunch.
Sometimes it's not so easy
To be the teacher's pet
Sitting in the staff room, Terada watches the other teaches chat and eat their lunches. After staring down at his bento for a moment, he stands and walks to the window. In the distance, he sees Sasaki sitting with her friends on the lawn, smiling and laughing. Tension that has been culminating since he first saw her blush at his touch is visible on his face. There is a pained longing in his eyes.
One of the other teachers calls his name and he fixes his smile in place before turning to face them.
Temptation, frustration
So bad it makes him cry
The scene opens on a street corner where Terada is waiting for a light to turn green so he can go. It's pouring out and he's very glad to be in a car. Shivering a little, he turns up the heater. When he looks back up, he sees Rika standing at the corner waiting to cross. She has no umbrella, only her book bag which she's holding over her head for a little protection from the weather.
Wet bus stop, she's waiting
Biting his lip, he reasons that it is only polite to offer her a ride. Anyone would do it...Rolling down the window and calling to her, he smiles as she jogs to the car and slides into the seat.
"Thank," she says softly, looking at the soaked bag in her lap.
His car is warm and dry
Flowing scenes fo the ride to school including Terada smiling, Rika blushing, a view fo the rain through the window, etc.
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
When they get to school, Terada and Rika walk in together, talking together. Outside the car, in more of their comfort zone, the two are more relaxed.
Neither notices the odd looks they are getting: some from students who know about Rika's long-time crush, and some from staff who saw them arrive together and who view the entire "situation" as suspicious and inappropriate.
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
A couple days have passed since she was seen getting out of Terada's car for school that rainy morning. The talk, while hushed, is still there. Sitting in her seat, Rika is alone and she can't help but feel several eyes on her.
Trying to ignore the overly-loud whispers in the back of the room, Rika sinks down in her seat and opens her textbook, pretending to go over her homework while she waits for class to start.
Loose talk in the classroom
To hurt they try and try
At the end of the day, Terada is in the staff room, gathering his things to head home. Standing by the table, he shakes his head at one of the other teachers, who is making loud comments to the others about his "arrival" the previous week.
"Very imprudent."
Turning to them with a glare, he states, "It was raining." It's the only excuse he can get out that doesn't feel too much like a lie when he thinks back on Rika's wet dress clinging to her thighs...
Strong words in the staffroom
The accusations fly
Frustrated at the other teachers, Terada walks quickly from the room. The sooner he gets home and can be angry in peace, the better. Turning the corner, he bumps into someone. When he notices who it is, he glances to the side before giving an awkward offer to help Rika pick up her things.
The few seconds it takes to scoop up her books and hand them back to her seem like a life time.
"Thank you, Terada-sensei," she says, also looking away.
With a brief nod, he continues on his trek for his car, trying to contain his pounding heart. What was wrong with him? He's never been like this before.
It's no use, he sees her
He starts to shake and cough
Just like the old man in
That book by Nabokov
Looking dejected and tired, Terada leans on the copy machine and pushes the button again. It seems to be the day everything doesn't want to work for him and two hours after he should have been finished and on his way home was not the time for his streak of luck to worsen.
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
"Excuse me, are you--" Walking into the copy room, Rika stops when she sees her teacher. He looks tired and agitated, no doubt from all the hassle he'd been getting on her account. Looking at the floor, she says, "Sorry." If it weren't for the fact that she needed her papers copied for her first class the next day she probably would have left.
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
He looks up at her and, despite the stress of the week, he smiles at her kindly. His eyes lightening, he suddenly seems open and a little happier. He shakes his head. "Not at all." Stepping aside, he lets her make her copies first.
"Sorry."
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
He shake his head again to show that he doesn't mind. As he watches Rika use the machine effortlessly, with no glitches whatsoever, he can't help but smile at the irony.
Looking over her shoulder, Rika sees him smiling and smiles back.
For a moment their eyes lock. Terada leans towards her slightly, resting a hand on the copy machine beside hers.
Blushing, Rika leans towards him as well, her eyes closing slowly with the blissful thought of a long-a-waited kiss.
Catching himself before he loses complete control, Terada pulls back.
When the kiss doesn't come, Rika opens her eyes. Seeing the that the man has not only not kissed her, but has moved to the other side of the small room and is leaning against the wall, her face turns even more red. "S-sorry."
As the music fades, Terada's voice can be heard softly, sadly, "No, Sasaki-san. I'm sorry." Abandoning his copying needs in the interest of morals, he forces himself to walk by Sasaki without looking at her. It isn't until he's out to his car with the door closed that he feels a little more at ease. Sighing, he starts the car and drives away.
(Please don't stand so close to me)
(Repeat to fade)
There is a closing shot of Rika standing by the second-floor copy room window, watching Terada drive away, her eyes sad, yet understanding.
End Notes:
I don't know if I like the way this turned out. It's too short to have the developement I wanted... It'll happen in the actual story, I guess.
Also, the story will end in a much different manner. For time and pacing, I had to crunch my idea a bit. This takes us about halfway through the fic. Maybe a little farther. (At least as I have it planned at the moment.)