By the sound of Haruhi, my younger sister, screaming in my ear to get out of bed, I sprinted to the bathroom to do my hair and brush my teeth, then ran to the bus station. I had just made it.
Today was my first day as a high school teacher, so I couldn't be late to the school. As the bus stopped at the school, I ran across the yard, though I didn't pay that much attention because a student fell on top of me. The student looked handsome, but as a teacher, I should not fall in love with students, even if they are the same age as me. I hurried to my classroom, but was stopped by an administrator for running in the hallway. Even though I had told her that I was a teacher here, she took me to the principal's office for "Lying".
After a few minutes of looking me over, the principal then said, "Why, she's a teacher here, Ms. Kuroi. I'll take her to her class room." He then got up from his desk and took my hand and walked me to my class room, just like he said, though we were about fifteen minutes late. The principal then opened the door and let himself in, leaving me out in the hallway. "Now, children, I know we're a bit late, but I'd like for you to meet your new teacher for this year, Ms. Koneko Nekonome." He then motioned for me to come into the classroom. I then slowly walked into the class room a bit uneasy. As I looked at my students wearing t-shirts and jeans, I felt out of place in my red and white kimono.
After the principal left the room, a female student raised her hand to ask a question, so I asked her what it was. She said, "I have three questions: why are you wearing a kimono, why do you look like you should be in this class, and why do you have two different colored eyes?" I felt a bit nervous before saying, "I thought it'd be nice to wear my best kimono for the first day of school, since I'm also a shrine maiden for the Saitama Prefecture. I look like I should be in this class because I graduated early and I am currently eighteen years old. I was also born with two different colored eyes." Another female student stood up and walked towards me. "My teacher is a moe lolita character!" Some other students laughed and called her weird. A male student then asked, "What's your birthday, Ms. Nekonome?"
"It's hard to believe, but I was an American New Year's baby. I was born on December thirty-first on the stroke of twelve a.m." I heard a few Whoa's from the group before I scanned the room to get used to everyone's faces when I saw something I didn't expect to see; the boy who ran me over this morning was in my class. "Um, class, I'll try to remember everyone's name by tomorrow. If not, please say your name before asking a question." "Ahem, Keiichi Yakumaru, are you single, Ms. Koneko?" And that was the boy who ran me over and the first time someone from my class called me by my first name. The boys from the class all looked at me as if my answer would help them seek salvation. "Um, well, yes I am single, but for the time being I don't think it's appropriate for a student to ask out a teacher."
And by my answer, the boys looked as if they just got shot through their hearts. I feel so bad, but as a teacher, I should give them discipline. "Now class, if you don't have any more questions, I'd like to start off with introductions. As you all know, I am Koneko Nekonome. I am eighteen years old and I'm a high school teacher. My hometown and birthplace is the Saitama Prefecture and I was born on December thirty-first. My family consists of my younger sister, Haruhi Nekonome, whom is in the ninth grade and is thirteen years old. When I turned eighteen, my parents died, leaving Haruhi and I to fend for ourselves. I work as a Shrine Maiden at the Saitama Prefecture on weekends and your high school teacher on weekdays."
I pointed to the first student in the first row. "Mako Arikawa, age seventeen; I work as a cashier at the nearest food mart. I live at home with my mom, my dad and my cat Minami." As the students went off one by one in the rows, I stopped to listen to Keiichi. "Keiichi Yakumaru, age eighteen; I work at a video store that my dad owns, though in the back of the store. My mom's dead and I don't have any other siblings. I like to visit the Saitama Prefecture on occasion, but since Ms. Koneko's working there on weekends, I'm going to need to stop by more often." I smiled and looked down at the class list and saw that Keiichi was the last on my list. "Alright, class, since the school day's almost over, does anyone have any more questions they'd like to ask me?" The girl who called me a moe Lolita character raised her hand.
"Yes, Hanyuu, what is your question?" "Do you like anime, and if so, which one is your favorite?" "Actually, I'm writing an anime currently. Well, to be precise, a manga. It's about my life as your high school teacher, so it's kind of like Poni-Poni Dash, only I'm not a ten year old." She giggled. The bell rang shortly after and the class flooded out of the classroom, though Keiichi didn't leave. "Is something wrong, Keiichi?" "Well, I was wondering if you would like to come with me to my dad's video store, you know, to rent something for you and Haruhi."
"I'd be honored to go to your dad's video store with you, but first I need to let Haruhi know that I'll be a bit late. I'll be back in a few minutes." With that, I left the room and found Haruhi; I told her that I'd be a tad late, so she could order food, and I went back to the room. "Okay, Keiichi, I'm ready."
And with that, we left the school and Keiichi led me to the video store a few blocks from the shrine. "You know, Ms. Nekonome, we kind of look like a couple," said Keiichi. I giggled, "Keiichi, you can call me by my first name when we aren't at school or doing school related activities. Think of me as your friend outside of school, okay?" He smiled and opened the door for me.
His father, Mr. Yakumaru, was at the register. When Mr. Yakumaru saw us together, he asked who I was and what we were doing. "She's my teacher, dad, and we're just checking out the store." As we walked to the back of the store where Keiichi claimed he worked, a few boys stopped us in our tracks. "Yo, Keiichi, who's the cutie? I've never seen her around the shop or around town. You single, hottie?" Keiichi then put his arm around my shoulders and the back of my neck before saying, "She's mine, guys. Besides that, she's way too cute for you three." He led me to the back room with the boys following us.
"I'm sorry about that, it's just that if I didn't do something like that, they'd steal you away and you shouldn't be hanging around those guys." I nodded and said, "It's perfectly alright, Keiichi; as long as you don't do anything too out there like kiss me or touch me inappropriately, it's perfectly fine." He nodded and we heard a knock at the door. "Yo, Keiichi, are you two making out? We want some of that action!" I whimpered as Keiichi said, "Nah, bro. This one's mine." I blushed. "Sorry about that, again," Keiichi whispered.
I nodded, showing Keiichi that I had understood. "So, other than a high school teacher and a shrine maiden, what do you also work as?" "Well, on weekend nights, Haruhi and I work as waitresses at a cosplay café in downtown Shinjuku, which is why I will probably be so tired when I get home from work that I might sleep in the costume and come to school in it!" "So where exactly do you live?" "I live at the shrine that I work for as a Shrine Maiden." "Surely you must have at least an apartment," said Keiichi. I shook my head.
"I can't afford it right now, so when I get my first pay check from the school and from the café, I might have enough to rent a one-room apartment." He shook his head. "You can't just live in a one-room apartment your whole life. I'll talk with my dad about letting you and your sister live with us and maybe for us after school each day." I smiled and said, "No, it'd be rude of me to just interfere like that." He shook his head. "I want you to come and live with us, it won't be interfering." I smiled.
After the boys left, Keiichi and I left the back room, carrying a few unmarked boxes. "What are these for, Keiichi?" "Just a few videos my dad and I like to watch alone." I nodded my head. When we put the boxes in the trunk of his car, Mr. Yakumaru said that he'd be honored to let Haruhi and I stay with them and work for them. I smiled and closed the trunk. "Can we stop by the shrine? I need to tell my sister the good news."
Mr. Yakumaru nodded as Keiichi got in the passenger side and I got in the back seat. Mr. Yakumaru then drove us to the shrine. Haruhi was sweeping the steps of the shrine's porch and looked at the car. I then got out of the car and hugged my younger sister. "We're actually going to be living at a house, Haruhi!" She smiled and led us all inside the shrine and we left Mr. Yakumaru and Keiichi at the porch as we scurried to our room and quickly packed our things. After we locked up the shrine's doors, we then left for the Yakumaru's estate. I have never seen such a huge mansion-sized house up close before, let alone live in it.
Mr. Yakumaru instructed Keiichi to show us to our rooms so we wouldn't get lost in the estate. As Keiichi opened the door to my room, he let himself in. I dropped my bags on my new bed and hugged Keiichi. "I can't thank you enough for all that you've done! How can I ever repay you?" He looked into the green and blue eyes and said, whilst stroking a lock of my jet black hair, "You can let me give you a kiss on the cheek, Koneko." I blushed. I slowly closed my eyes and turned my left cheek toward him as he slowly leaned in and kissed it.
After Keiichi left the room after he kissed my cheek, I then took my hair down from my ponytail, getting ready to unpack my bags. Just then, a cold gust of wind hit the back of my neck. As I slowly turned around, I saw a dark figure within the shadows. "…" The dark figure moved closer into the light. "My name is Gaku Yakumaru. I'm Keiichi's older brother. It appears that father has forgotten me yet again, so I guess we are now roommates. May I ask your name?" "K-Koneko Nekonome and I am so sorry to intrude on you."
"Don't be, I get this all the time; I'm used to this. Trust me, it's completely fine. Once Keiichi was born, my mother and father had already forgotten about me." "Would you please come closer so I can see who I am talking to?" Gaku moved closer to me into the light. He was tall and very slender, with long hair and icy blue eyes. It appeared he had a lip piercing and a few tattoos with the hair an emo-cut. "I was always forgotten and when I moved to Japan to be adopted, even mother and father didn't accept me, even when I changed my name. I'm really from America and my birth name is Andy." "Andy, I must say that I can't quite understand why people would forget about you."
"My birth parents thought I was a demon when I was born because of my black hair and blue eyes, for no one in my real family had those traits. Also, when I got into grade school I was far beyond my grade, so my parents basically disowned me for being too literate and different." I ran up to Andy and gave him a hug. "I'm so sorry, Andy; for now on, I will be your friend and I won't ever make you feel like you don't belong. You see my different colored eyes? Well, I was called out because of that dozens of times and no one liked me and called me a witch. But look at me now, a high school teacher, a shrine maiden, a waitress, and now I work for the Yakumaru's at their video store." "Want to know a secret about the unmarked boxes?"
"Um, it's not quite important, but alright." "Father and Keiichi both, well, take them home and hide in their bedrooms, both with one of the boxes. The boxes contain videos and magazines that, well, men take an interest in." "So, what you're trying to say is that Keiichi and Mr. Yakumaru take unmarked boxes containing images of women in their underwear, bikinis, or nothing at all?" "That is correct, Ms. Nekonome." "Please, if you would, call me Koneko; my students call me Ms. Nekonome." "Oh, alright, Koneko; it does seem to have a nice ring to it." There was a knock at the door and then the knob turned.
Andy scurried to the shadows and the door opened. "Koneko-nee, can I help you unpack? I'm finished with my unpacking." "No need to Haruhi, I'm almost done unpacking; would you mind letting me know when dinner is ready?" "Sure I will, Koneko-nee!" The door closed and my little sister left the door way, closing the door behind her. "Who was at the door, Koneko?" "You can come out now, Andy; and even so, you shouldn't be hiding like that. It was just my little sister, Haruhi, wanting to know if she can help with my unpacking."
"I'm sorry to have hid, it's just that, well, it's harder for me to be around people sometimes." I smiled. "Andy, you're family to me and, well, even though she doesn't know you, Haruhi, also Mr. Yakumaru and Keiichi." He smiled. "You know, Koneko, you're the first person to ever accept me in life." "Wait, if you were hiding in the shadows, did you see Keiichi and me before he left?" "Yes, but I only saw glimpses. I think you should know that Keiichi is, well, what's the word, ah, hentai." "I don't mind, besides it doesn't make him less of a person. Would you like to sit down? Ah, no wait this is your room, you should be asking if I would like to sit down! I'm so sorry, Andy."
"Don't be. If anything it's more your room than it is mine, especially to father, Haruhi, and Keiichi." He smiled and sat down next to me. "I could tell why Keiichi likes you; you're easy to talk to, you're beautiful, you've got the body of a goddess, you're intelligent, you're nice, and at times you can be funny. I know, I'm probably just cherry-picking things, but it's all true." I smiled and started unpacking my things. "Do you need any help with unpacking, Koneko?" "They do say it's faster if two people unpack together, but I don't want to be a burden on you, Andy." He grabbed one of my sweaters and said, "It's not a burden. If anything, I want to help you."
I blushed then smiled. "Well, since you're helping me out, I'll have you sleep on the bed and I'll sleep on the recliner. I'll also give you the majority of my dinner." He smiled. "No one has ever been this nice to me, Koneko. Because you're being so nice to me, I'll sleep on the recliner. I will share your dinner, but I do thank you. You're my first friend, Koneko."
After Andy helped me unpack my clothes, I was told that dinner was ready and that I could eat in my room, which helped me give Andy some of my food. "I'm so happy father allowed you and your sister to stay here. If he didn't, I'd probably never have a friend. They were thinking about turning my room into a computer room, so I didn't mind going on the internet and meeting friends, but it wouldn't be like having a real friend." I smiled. "Well, I do have a laptop so we can get you a few friends on the internet if you would like." He smiled.
"Do you like music?" "Yes, I love music." I opened my laptop and searched up Marilyn Manson and had Andy listen to his music. "This is amazing, Koneko! Who is this again?" "Well, he's from your home country. His name is Marilyn Manson and he's a metal singer." "He's awesome! I love his music!" I giggled.
"I'm so glad I can see you happy, Andy!" He smiled then the door opened suddenly. "Koneko, I came in to check on you- is this your brother?" "He's your brother, Keiichi; you've just never paid attention to him." "Oh… okay… what's your name again?" Andy's smile faded. "Gaku…"
"Oh, well, Gaku, welcome to the family, I guess… So anyways, Koneko, want to watch a movie with me, just the two of us?" "Um, sure, just give me a second, alright?" "Okay." Keiichi left the room. "Andy, I'm so sorry. I feel so guilty about saying yes to leaving you alone. Can you listen to music until I get back?" "Yeah, it's no harm done. You have fun, okay?" I hugged him before I left the room to join Keiichi.
As I walked into Keiichi's room, it was so dark that I could barely see anything but the outline of a person and a bed, not to mention a television set. I cautiously sat down on the bed next to the figure and he turned on a movie. "I thought you might like it since girls usually like this kind of stuff." It was 'Twilight'. I HATED 'Twilight'. No offense to anyone, but seriously it's just a movie about a poker-faced girl who falls in love with an emo fairy who drinks blood and a dog who falls in love with her as well and the two fight for her; that's the entire series right there. I sighed and rested my head in my hands.
"Is something wrong, Koneko?" "No, it's just that I'd rather watch 'Saw' or 'Psycho'. Got any scare movies like that?" "Um, no not on me, sorry about that. Isn't 'Twilight' better suiting for you?" "I hate to break it to you, but I really hate 'Twilight'." Just then, Keiichi caressed my cheek with his hand and gently moved my head to face him as he leaned closer. "I put on a dumb movie so we can focus on more important things, Koneko." He then leaned closer, gently pressing his gentle lips to mine.
After he kissed me a few more times, he gently laid me down on his bed and kissed my neck. "I can't help but love you, Koneko. I really want to be with you. Why did you need to be so mean and tell the class that a student shouldn't be with his teacher? I swear you are such a tease with your womanly body and perfect face and cascading hair." He kissed my ear and then my lips again. "K-Keiichi, I need to go back to my room. This is usually the time I go to bed and I might just pass out if I stay in here." He kissed my lips and slowly traced the tip of his tongue with my bottom lip.
"Let me kiss you more, Koneko, and then I'll let you go back to your room." I blushed and let him kiss my lips and slowly slide his tongue into my mouth. With just a few more kisses, he got off of me and told me I can go to bed. I got up and cautiously walked out of the room and to Andy's and my room.
I opened the door and sighed. "I heard you and Keiichi, Koneko. I'm happy for you." I blushed and looked down a tad sadly.
"H-He was my first kiss… he almost went too far before I told him that I usually go to bed at this time." Andy got up from the queen-sized bed and hugged me. "You'll be okay, Koneko. I'll be your protector. If he goes too far, I'll knock him out." He smiled and I looked into his eyes. I hugged him tightly. "You know, Koneko, you're not alone. My first kiss tried to take advantage of me as well, only I stopped her with an excuse that my parents had texted me saying that they were at the door waiting for me, which of course as you know was a lie." "It's going to feel awkward when we get to school and such because he's one of my students."
"If he was one of your students, then why did you let Keiichi kiss you and almost go too far?" "He's given me and my little sister a home. When I turned eighteen, my parents died and Haruhi and I were left with no home of our own, so when Keiichi said he'd make sure we got to live here, I was overjoyed." "Now I understand, you let him do the things that he does because you're so grateful that you actually have a home again. You shouldn't be ashamed when you get to school. Keiichi has a weird way of showing affection to people, but I bet I wouldn't make a difference." "I bet you'd make a bigger difference than Keiichi has, not saying that his wasn't bad at all." "You really think I'd make a bigger difference in showing my affection to someone?" I nodded. Andy smiled and moved his hair with his fingertips away from his eyes.
"I know I'm probably not who you'd expect to hear this from, but you've shown me that I actually matter in this world. If anything, you're the one who's keeping me alive. Without you, I'd have nothing but music to keep me going. Your smile can brighten up the darkest room in the pit of despair I call 'My Soul'. You have shown me Heaven every time that I look into your beautiful eyes. I want you to realize how much you truly meant to me. Go ahead and look outside on the clearest night of all and count all the stars. If you cannot count them all, then the answer is simple: my love for you is infinite like the oceans or the sky. I love you."
"Wow, I was right, Andy. You do convey your affection better than Keiichi could ever." I hugged him tightly. "If you say that to any girl, you'll capture her heart in an instant, Andy!" He smiled. "Now all we need to do is get you a beautiful girl, inside and out!" "I think I've found one," he whispered under his breath. "What was that?"
"Oh, n-nothing at all! Ha-ha, why don't you just go to sleep because I'm sure you're tired, since it's been a very long day for you and so much has happened." I smiled and slowly got into the left side of the queen-sized bed. "I'm so happy that I met you, Andy." "I am too, Koneko." I slowly drifted off to sleep within minutes after my head hit the pillow. When morning came, I woke up to find Andy strumming an old guitar. "Oh, you're awake. Good morning, Koneko. Did you sleep well?"
"Yes I did, Andy. Did you stay up all night writing a song?" "Um, yes, is that bad?" "No, not at all, if anything, that's wonderful. Though, if I were you, I'd really get some sleep during the night." He smiled. "Since no one really cared about me, I usually slept throughout the day and wrote songs. I'm hoping to be a musician, though, since no one really pays any attention to me, I guess I will forever be a one-man garage-band." I smiled. "Well, I pay attention to you and I really care about you, so maybe you will achieve your dreams one of these days."
He smiled and handed me a black notebook and told me that if I wanted to, I could look through it. After reading all of the songs that were in the notebook, I said, "Andy, if you keep writing songs like this, you'll get far in life. You have a real power with your poetry." He hugged me tightly and longer than he did last night. "I'm so happy I met you when I did, Koneko." I blushed and smiled. "You make me so happy, Koneko, and I've never been happy in my entire life." I smiled and hugged him tighter, and then I looked into his piercing blue eyes.
"I'll um, go get our breakfast." He smiled and said, "Okay, I'll be waiting up here." I smiled and left the room. I adjusted my kimono and went downstairs to pick up a tray with four strips of bacon, a glass of orange juice, two pieces of toast, two waffles, and of course silverware. I walked back upstairs and carefully opened the door and walked in. I smiled when I saw Andy looking at his guitar. He was so different than Keiichi, and both made me feel like I was in love.
I know it's stupid, but do I actually love both of them? "Hey, Koneko, Keiichi was looking for you and he said for you to go to his room." I nodded and left my room for Keiichi's.
I knocked and opened the door. "You wanted to see me, Keiichi?" He winked at me when he saw me and told me to sit next to him. As I sat down, Keiichi caressed my cheek and kissed my lips gently. "Remember when I said that you were my girl?" I nodded. "Well, from now on, I want that statement to be true."
My eyes widened as he slowly laid me down on his bed before he shut the blinds and closed the door. "I really want you, Koneko, more than you could ever know." I felt a bit uneasy as he slowly moved toward me, taking off his shirt. "You don't need to hide from me, Koneko. I'll take you as you are." I blushed. Keiichi slowly got on top of me and kissed my lips before attempting to take off my kimono.
"N-no, Keiichi, I'm not ready." He stopped and got off the bed, letting me get up. "I-I'm sorry, Koneko. I just, I lost control of myself; could you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?" "I forgive you, just don't do that again. I should get back to my room right now." He nodded and I left the room.
As I entered mine and Andy's room, I sighed and adjusted my kimono. "Don't tell me; he did it again, only this time he got a bit too close to stealing your virginity." I blushed. "T-That's exactly what I was going to tell you, only how did you know that I was a virgin?" "I trust you wouldn't let just any guy take a ride with you." I blushed. "Um, I know this is a weird question, but are you still a virgin?"
Andy smiled and looked at me. "Being so that no girl would ever fall for me and the fact that I am not a homosexual, yes I am still a virgin." I smiled. "C'mon, you're lying; I'd totally fall for you!" I blushed and then tried to conceal my red cheeks. "Wait, seriously?" "Yes, of course, who wouldn't?"
"A lot of girls wouldn't fall for me, Koneko." "Well, I'm not like many girls, so I guess I'm different." "You're different in a perfect way, Koneko." We both blushed. "I'm not all that great." "No, really, if it weren't for you, well, I'd basically be a lonely guy the rest of my life with no family or friends whatsoever. In a way, you complete me, Koneko." I blushed and smiled. "Andy, I can't be the only one who's done that for you, can I?"
He shook his head. "You're the only one and because of that, I do thank you." I blushed and hugged his slender body tightly. "I'm so lucky to have you in my life." He looked into my eyes, smiled, and then he leaned in closer to my face. "I truly am lucky that I have met you, Koneko." I blushed as he got closer to my lips.
"I really want you to be happy," he said as his lips gently touched mine. As I blushed, I thought, 'Oh my God, I think I'm in love with him!' I realize that I fall in love a bit too easily, but right now I can't quite figure out whom I truly love, Andy or Keiichi. I mean, I want them both to be happy, but I think the both of them have feelings for me, not to mention I have feelings for them both. Right now, I really don't know what's going to happen. It all just seems a bit too much right now, but with what Andy just did took that entire load off of me. God, I think I'm in love, but with whom?