3-D Reunion

"All right!" Kumiko exclaimed as she looked in the mirror. "Time to put on my happy face!" Her ponytails were set straight and she made sure her glasses were extra clean. Not only that, there was something about her that just seemed to...glow. What could it be that drove her into such a happy mood?

Could it have been Kazama's successful recovery? After all, everyone from Akadou's 3-D was worried sick about his condition ever since the fight between the students and Goda's crew. Kumiko really wanted to give that guy the ol' one-two, but that wouldn't have solved anything. Good thing he learned his lesson...even if he had to learn it the hard way.

Or maybe it was her retracted "resignment" that lifted the mood. Why was it that at every school she taught at, there was a threat of either expulsion or resignment? Nonetheless, Kumiko would do anything for her students. Just thinking about the terrible threat sent shivers down her spine.

And now, her precious students were free to graduate, preparing themselves for the outside world of horror.

'I wonder what'll be the first things they'll do...' As Kumiko pondered, Ren Kazama and Yamato Ogata's faces appeared in her head...along with violence...and fighting...

'Oh great,' she sighed. 'The only thing they think can solve things are fights.' Well, at least it was better than using violence.

It was funny how she continually taught the same lessons throughout all her teaching years. Especially the value of friends. She almost fell hopeless at Akadou when they proclaimed that they were friends, yet they barely helped each other. Oh, how the years fly by. Just seven years ago, she became a teacher, her dream job since she was little. At first, she didn't expect to teach such stubborn and rough students, but her strong determination kept her going.

What really helped her was the support from her students, although she didn't earn it from the very beginning of the school years. Little by little, she had to grow in their hearts and become accepted by them. Sadly, they all had to part come graduation day. The only one she still had actual contact with was Teruo Kumai, A.k.a. Kuma from Shirokin Academy.

'My cute student...he got married and now has an adorable daughter!' Kumiko couldn't help but giggle. Kuma still chatted with Kumiko and offered ramen from time to time. There was nothing he wouldn't do for his favorite teacher.

And then she suddenly remembered. 'Oh, crap!' Ogata, Kazama, and the others were having a party at Kuma's ramen shop...and she was invited. 'I'm gonna be late!!'

In the blink of an eye, she rushed out of the bathroom and sped to the front of the house. Wakamatsu and Sugawara almost lost their chance of greeting her.

"Ojou, good morning!" they exclaimed in their rough voices. It was hard to seem gentle when they act as yakuza for most of the day.

"Hi, everyone. Sorry, but I'm gonna be late!"

Tetsu and Minoru came in from the garden. "Have fun!" Tetsu shouted after her.

Her grandfather, Ryuichiro Kuroda, was already waiting to do the farewell prayer with her. After two claps and a light bow, they made their way to the front, along with all the "family" members, Ryuichiro struck the two stones behind Kumiko and smiled.

"Have fun, Kumiko!"

"Take care!" everyone said and crouched.

And with that, she was gone. As she hurried out of the district, Kumiko began wondering why her students would want to throw a party at the most random time. And why did Kuma oblige to have it at his ramen shop? It all looked like it was set up for some apparent occasion...but what was it?


Luckily, Kuma closed down the shop to prepare for the special day. Not a single customer was in sight...except for the special group from Akadou's 3-D class. There they were, at the big table, chowing down on the best dish. Ren Kazama, one of the two "leaders" of the class. He and Yamato Ogata used to be on very bad terms before Kumiko came to the school. Ogata is the more calm leader who doesn't usually follow the others' flamboyance. Those that follow him include Kengo Honjo and Shunsuke Kamiya while Kazama has Satoru Kuraki and Rikiya Ichimura.

'Those guys...they always have trouble for me to deal with.' She sighed inwardly as she entered the shop and greeted her students. Ren and Yamato gave a smile with noodles still in their mouths.

"Yankumi!" As soon as they said her name, the others looked up as well, and they smiled just as big. "About time you showed up. Kumai-san was wondering how long you were gonna take."

Kumiko glanced over to the kitchen and saw Kuma and Ami working as hard as ever. But why would they need to do so much labor when there was only seven customers. What was everyone up to??

"Hey, Kumai-san!" Kuraki called from behind the counter. "Yankumi's here."

Her former student whipped around and flashed a huge smile. "Yankumi!" He set down the bowl he just finished cleaning and rushed over to the counter. "It's a good time for you to come over!"

She hesitantly nodded. "Yeah, okay but...what's the occasion today?"

"Ah-that's right. It's a surprise for you."

"Surprise!?" Her eyebrows lifted incredulously. It amazed Kumiko how considerate Kuma was for her.

He nodded. "Yeah. It should start sometime around now, but I don't exactly know when they'll be here..."

" 'They'?"

But all he did was smile. "You'll see, Yankumi. Just wait with Ogata and the others." And with that, he returned to the kitchen.

Kumiko stared after him for a while, but then she just decided to give up. With a sigh, she sat down next to Kazama and watched the rest of them eat ramen. Everything semmed all too wierd, for Kuma had always held a special occasion at the school she taught at. There was no way for his small shop to hold a party, but he still insisted.

"Leave it all to me," he said back then. The 4th generation leader wasn't so sure about that.

Just then, a large clatter and benging was heard outside in the alleyway. Everyone suddenly came on the alert, snapping their heads to the doorway. Kuraki jumped out of his seat. "What's going on??"

Their teacher thought for a moment while Kuma made his way around the counter. "A fight...?" Worry instantly clouded her judgment, for she realized the possibility of her students being involved. Without saying a word, she ran through the entrance, leaving the six behind along with her former student.

"Hey, Yankumi!!"

Ogata and Kazama were the first ones out, closely followed by everyone else. They made sure not to lose sight of Kumiko, just in case she ran off ahead to deal with the matter herself. No matter what happened, they had to help in some kind of way; it was a bit unfair for her to always shoulder the burden.

Muscles flexed and fists clenched, the two leaders went around the next corner and found Kumiko standing frozen in the middle of the alley. They were about to charge up behind her, but something about her mood just seemed different. Wasn't she gonna fight someone? Or stop a brawl?

Once the others came and gathered around, they all saw a bunch of rough-looking men scurrying in fear in the other direction. Looks of confusion and surprise ranged across their faces; surely, it didn't take that fast for Yankumi to beat up thugs. Kazama looked around for their victims...but only found five boys facing the same direction as their teacher, unaware of any of their presences. There were three average sized boys, one incredibly tall one, and one that seemed a bit too short.

"Hey," Kazama slightly turned to the others. "Who are they?"

The other Akadou students shook their heads, but Kuma stepped forward and dropped his jaw.

"Yabuki! Odagiri!"

The two boys in the middle of the five turned around, finally taking notice of their audience. Once they caught sight of Kumiko, small smirks appeared on their faces. "Long time no see...Yankumi."

The one on the left was Ryu Odagiri, a calm and collected former student of Kumiko's, a possible candidate for Kurogin 3-D's leader. Not much had changed about him, and the same went for Hayato Yabuki, the true leader of their year's class. He was very outgoing, not to mention strong like all the others. Silliness aside, he had a soft spot for friends, especially for his best friend Ryu.

Next to Ryu was the shortest yet kindest, Keita Takeda. He was the fist in the class to accept Kumiko as their teacher and he had complete belief in her throughout the three months they had her. From the looks of it, he got a lot more tougher, yet he still couldn't catch up to the others.

On Hayato's right, Kosuke Hyuuga nudged the other boy next to him. He looked the same as always, not that much changed. Kumiko still wished he was making the right choices, instead of making his mother depressed by his actions.

After the nudge, Hikaru Tsuchiya turned around and looked down at his favorite teacher. He was just as outgoing as Hayato, although less controlling of his fists. A few people were afraid of his tall height, for he actually had a big heart which helped him learn right from wrong.

"Yankumi!" Takeda, Hyuuga, and Tsuchiya exclaimed in unison. Immediately, all five of them turned around and rushed toward Kumiko with bright faces.

"Long time no see, you guys!" She couldn't hide the smile that illuminated her face. It was a wonderful moment to be reunited with former students; Kumiko was always glad to visit Kuma. 'Kuma...' Turning back, she saw the ramen shop owner grin slyly. Everything fell into place, and he gave a small smile as well.

"Kuma...you invited them here, didn't you? This is the surprise??"

He nodded guiltlessly. "It felt like a good time. These guys are gonna graduate soon," he said notioning to the Akadou 3-D. "So I thought 'why not'. Consider this as a thank-you for everything you've done these past seven years!"

The tears began to well in her eyes as Kumiko felt her cheeks aching from the big smile. "Thank you...Kuma."

Ryu, Hayato, and the others strutted past Kumiko and greeted Kazama and Ogata's group. Many smiles and laughs were heard, a sure sign of possible friendship, and that made her happy. To think that all of her students would be friends...

But what about the Shirokin boys?? It's been so long since she's seen them, aside from Kuma. It wouldn't feel much like a reuinon without them, but Kumiko knew it would make the others feel somewhat uncomfortable if she was down at a time like this. Immediately, she plastered the biggest smile she could possible make and joined the group in front of her. "Hey, everyone! Let's go in the shop and party!"

All the boys shouted in agreement and almost crowded up the doorway while entering the shop. Kazama and Ogata sat next to Odagiri and Yabuki, and immediately they found similarities. "What was it like to have Yankumi as a homeroom teacher?" Ogata asked.

Odagiri gave a small chuckle. "A really interesting experience. I mean, she's the only teacher you find that can accept you despite your appearance and grades."

Yabuki agreed. "She was the first teacher I actually respected. And...if it wasn't for her...I would probably still hate my father."

"Same here," Odagiri said.

All this made Akadou's 3-D respect their teacher even more. But it wasn't like they didn't give a lot of trust in her already, especially when they saved her from getting fired. Kumiko was there, no matter what.

Just then, Kamiya and Kuraki thought of something Kuma said earlier. Together, they turned to Takeda and Tsuchiya with a curious feeling lingering in their eyes. "Back outside...Kumai-san said this reunion thing was a thank-you for the past seven years." Kuraki lifted an eyebrow.

"You guys graduated four years ago. Where did Yankumi teach before that?" Kamiya pressed.

Tsuchiya slurped his ramen before answering. "Well...before us, she was a homeroom teacher to Kumai-san and his class at Shirokin before it shut down."

"Shirokin!?" they asked in unison. Honjo and Ichimura joined the conversation out of pure curiosity. "Amazing...did she teach 3-D over there, also?"

Kuma was nearby and nodded. "Yeah. Our class really got a huge impact from her. Especially our own leader. He was the first one to learn about her family, and he kept it secret for three whole months." He thought for a moment. "In fact...I think he's coming to this reunion!"

Just then, Kumiko's ears caught his words and turned to the mingling group. For some reason, her heart gave a little jump at the mention of Shirokin's valedictorian.

"Sawada's...coming?"

When Kuma turned to nod, the front door slid open and everyone's heads snapped up. Three men casually walked in, looking rebuffed and in their very early twenties. One of them had black hair fixed with pins. "Hey, it's Kuma!"

Kumiko's eyes widened with disbelief. "Uchiyama!? Is it really you??"

He and the other two turned to the teacher with flashing smiles. "Yankumi!! You're looking good. You haven't aged a day," Takeshi Noda remarked. She blushed. Apparently, Noda hadn't changed much, except he grew somewhat more fashionable.

The other boy, who had long brown hair, waved with a big hand. "Still teaching, eh, Yankumi?" Youichi Minami was a ladies man, makig Kumiko bet he's been out with a LOT of women. But she still smiled to see all her old students again.

"You guys look great! I hope you haven't been causing trouble." Then, she turned to everyone who was already in the shop and saw the curious expressions upon them. "Everyone, these are graduates from Shirokin and friends of Kuma. My first students ever."

Uchi, Minami, and Noda smirked with slight embarrassment when she went over and ruffled their hair, bringing back REALLY old memories of their Shirokin days. They felt eternally grateful to Yankumi, for she turned their lives around when they expected it the least.

Once Kumiko was done, she took one last step to Minami's side...and saw another person walk through the shop's front. He had messy black hair with blond highlights on the side. There was no way she could forget that face, the one that called out for her the most when she mindlessly resigned.

"Don't just stand there...idiot." The young man in front of her sighed with disbelief. "Is this how you greet your former students?"

It took a moment for her jaw to work. "...Sawada...you're back."

He shrugged indifferently. "I didn't have anything better to do."

As the both of them look away in different directions, everyone else in the cramped space could see the wierd feelings floating around them. Many of them smirked and could tell that Kumiko wasn't the only one having awkward feelings.

"All right!" Uchi shouted to break the silence before stepping up on a chair. Kuma gave a small disapproving look, but shook it off. "Now that we're all here, let's have a reunion of a lifetime!!"

While they all cheered, Kumiko felt like her grin couldn't get any bigger. Today was one of the rarest moments of her life: to see all her precious students come together and become close buddies, just like her lifelong dream.

"Everyone," she said softly. "You're all making lifelong nakama." Now it was her turn to make a moving speech, like she imagined. "All right!!" she screamed, standing on a chair as well.

"My precious students, let's make precious memories today and hope to make lifelong friends!"

All the boys from Kurogin and Akadou jumped out of their chairs and cheered in unison. Seeing bright smiles on all their faces, Kumiko felt like the luckiest teacher on earth. Shin walked to her side and smiled, happy to see that not much had changed about her.

"We'll remember each other 'til the end of time. Fight-oh..."

"OH!!"

Unbeknownest to them, a warm smile cracked on Shin's face. 'This is what I love about this idiot.'