Truth is a Whisper
He didn't know when, exactly, it had happened. And he couldn't have possibly explained it if he had tried. But it was there. It had been there for awhile now, and somewhere, deep inside of him, he knew- it would always be there.
Somewhere along the lines they had fallen.
It was common knowledge that their precious teacher, Yankumi, was in love with the police officer. It was also known that she saw them as her "Cute little students." They were nothing but kids. Delinquents. Yet she believed in them.
Yankumi. The flat-chested, unattractive, annoying teacher believed in them. ...And they believed in her.
They had fallen. They were falling.
She would give anything for them. She had fought countless battles for them. Trusted them when no one else was willing too. Gave them all another chance. She even almost gave up her dream for them. Almost gave up teaching...
Maybe that was why? Why they had all fallen so deep?
It had started, he knew, with Kumai.
The way she had so passionately fought to clear his name for him. The way she had spent a whole night digging in that disgusting Sakura River for a yellow bag that was never there in the first place. She had taken, stolen, Kuma's heart first. Though there would be other girls, such as Ami, whom he would fall for over the course of the year- Kuma would later openly admit that he, like the rest of them, had fallen in love with the pigtailed Ojou during that year she taught them.
And he would later, once he took over his father's ramen shop, admit to the others that whenever she walked into his shop- that he would give her a free bowl. That his heart would still sing over just seeing her. And that she would always promise to come running if he ever needed help and that she would be back next week to check up on him. Later- he would admit that every week he waited for her visit.
It was Minami whom she had taken next. He sat down on that grassy hill near Sakura River with him one day and recalled the event, the exact moment he had fallen. "It was like magic..." He would say every time he started the familiar tale. "The way she just stood there. She had come man. She came, knocked two of them right out! And then? Then the others ran scared and she helped me up and out of there. But that moment? The moment she stood right there, she looked like a hero. No- a legend! I fell man! I fell."
He should have been glad for Minami. He would talk about how Yankumi would get him thinking about the future. How he wanted to be something, someone, special for her. Idiot.
Uchi was next. His high school friend would never admit it, he knew, but the look Uchi got when their teacher walked in the room was enough evidence. He assumed it had taken place after Uchi had been suspected of being the thief. Or was it when she convinced him to stay in school for his mom? The way she stood up for him because he stood up for the puppy? The exact moment would never be pinpointed. Would never be known to anyone but Uchi. But he was a victim, just like the rest of them.
Who was next? Ah yes. Noda.
It would be years later, over a long distance line that he would get a call from his friend. A call that would start with "I saw her today...she looks miserable." And he would know exactly who Noda was talking about. He would ask him what was wrong with her. And he would be told that no one had any idea. Then, just as the others had, Noda would confess his feelings for the Princess of the Mafia. Confess that when he made their English teacher- what was her name again?- promise to take him out on a date, when he got an 80 on his final exam, that his heart didn't sing exactly as loud as it had before. He would never forget the chuckle in Noda's voice as he said "I know, its gross man, but...I think I love her."
It was a bitter smile, a bitter laugh, which passed his lips. You and everybody else, buddy. Join the train.
Everyone. It was hard to explain, but she got to them all. Affected- no. Infected them all. The twin twits in green and black. Yuki- All of them.
Himself especially. She had got to him so much he had no choice left but to run. He was so frustrated with himself some times. That he hadn't had the nerve to tell her. That he hadn't stayed. Hadn't kissed her once, hadn't held her once. Hadn't even called her since he had left for Africa.
It was those thoughts that propelled him to pick up his cell phone. His heart pounded in his ears, as his fingers danced across the number pad of his phone. His breath caught and hitched in his throat as the phone rang. Once. Twice. Three times.
"Moshi Moshi?" He let out a breath. Her voice, it was melodic. Wonderful. Angelic. It was like bells chiming in the silence. It lightened his heart of the darkness that had been building up in it.
"Yankumi..." He breathed her name out in a sigh. His heart throbbed with an unidentifiable pain. God, the regret was eating him. He should have never left Japan. Never should have left for Africa. He should have...should hav-
"Sawada kun?"
His eyes stung, but he was determined to prevent any tears that were forming. His heart throbbed in his chest. He needed this. Needed it like a drug. Why had he waited so long? How had he waited so long? He should tell her. He should hang up. He couldn't bring himself to do either.
"H-hai." What was that? Did his voice crack?
If it did, she didn't show a sign of noticing. What was that sound over the line? Was it a sniff? "...It's...been too long..."
"Aa..."
Missing you could turn from pain to pleasure, if I knew you were missing me too. Author Unknown
Orignally this was going to be a one shot. o.x But Iono. I have a few ideas running through my head that I could use to keep the story going. Yay or Nay? Its up to you guys x3