01: Mastushima Umeki
Another day gave light to Kurogin as students and teachers alike arrived at the school including Yamaguchi Kumiko, nicknamed Yankumi. It had been a week since young Umeki arrived at the Oeda house with Minoru and Testu. She claimed to be Testu's younger sister and had been dropping by the house every afternoon since she first appeared. It had been a memorable moment and an especially emotional one for Testu.
"Younger sister?" repeated Yankumi from her seat across the young girl; she looked to be the age of a high school student. She nodded her head slightly. "But I thought Testu's mother…" Yankumi trailed off. It was no secret that Testu's mother abandoned Testu when he was in high school to run off with some man that was how Testu ended up here in the first place but Testu was an only child back then.
"When my father died and it was only while packing his stuff that I found a picture of big brother" Umeki explained glancing over at Testu beside her for a second and then looking forward again. "Mom never spoke about him so I did some digging… and when I found out who he was I figured the rest out for myself"
"She's been here this whole time?" Testu strained to say having trouble taking all the news fully. Umeki shook her head.
"No…. when dad died it became harder for us to stay where we are" she explained "we just recently had to sell our house and move" in other words she had only jest arrived here "I went looking for Testu when I realized he was here… I wanted to know my brother…" Umeki stared at Testu while she said this but her brother remained silent lowering his head a bit. "Anno…" She turned her attention to Yankumi and her grandfather "Thank you for taking care of my brother" She bowed low taking everyone by surprise.
"Testu is taking it well" voiced an optimistic Yankumi entering the office "Ohayo"
"I'm sorry to trouble you like this…. I wouldn't be here if it weren't in such need but no other school will take her at this point and I've heard of this schools good reputation…" Yankumi tilted her head at the woman standing in the office before the head teacher and superintendent. "I'm willing to pay the full years tuition-"
"Do not worry" said the superintendent "we will take good care of her…. Ah and here's her new teacher right now"
"Eh?" the four adults approached Yankumi. The woman was dressed in a fancy black dress and her hair was pinned up in a messy, fancy bun. She looked like she was going on a date rather than enrolling her child.
"This is Yamaguchi Kumiko" Head teacher Sawatari introduced "Yamaguchi-sensei"
"Hai"
"This is Mrs. Mastushima, her daughter will be student in your class from now on" explained the man.
"d-daughter?" repeated Yankumi slightly wide eyed "but this is a-"
"We'll take good care of her" interrupted Sawatari; Mrs. Mastushima smiled gloriously at this.
"Arigatou gozaimasu" The woman bowed "I'll send her over right away" she beamed and after a few minutes of exchanged words the woman picked up a blazer for her daughter and left as did the superintendent.
"Yamaguchi-sensei this is a fantastic opportunity" said Sawatari hopefully "if this girl graduates our school our reputation will go sky high!" he cast his gazed upward for a moment before whirling round and fixing Yankumi with a stern stare that made her jump. "Do not screw this up by doing anything… unnecessary"
"I won't" she contoured staring the man down for a moment until he returned to his desk and Yankumi was left to head to her class of rowdy boys.
"She can't be that much trouble could she?" Yankumi spoke to herself as she walked a slow pace down the hall to the class door "Mastushima…."The image of that dressed up woman came to Yankumi's mind "…could she possibly be?" she thought of Umeki but then shook her head "Nah! Ume-Chan is such a polite girl she wouldn't be!"
The collective voices of class 3D could be heard easily through the door. They would prove to be an interesting day. "Alright, we can do this… Fight-o… Oh!" she opened the door "Ohayo"
"I heard he's slugged all his other teachers"
"Oi Yankumi! Is it true we've got a new student?"
Yankumi took her spot in front of the classroom. "You know already?" she asked before muttering "how did they find out so fast?"
"Is it true?" Takeda asked while Tsuchiya fanned himself smiling with excitement "We heard he's really trouble"
"Really?" Yankumi questioned with an arched eyebrow.
"Yea!" Tsuchiya chimed standing up "he's beaten up all his other teachers
"Gotten kicked out of every school he's been in!" Hyuuga added
"How do they know all of this before me?" Yankumi muttered as her energetic class chattered on about the new student "it is true we have a new student but the thing is-"
The classroom door opened.
All talking stopped and heads turned to the door to see this rumored student. Imagine their surprise when this teacher slugging legend was really a girl. Decked out in the schools blazer over a stripped grey and white shirt and checkered skirt; the female glanced into the room and at her soon to be classmates.
Apparently not at all pleased with their gawking the girl scrunched up her nose obviously disgusted "Quit staring" she remarked before looking at the teacher only to stare into Yankumi's owl eyes expression "is this class 3…" the girl trailed off and seemed to draw the same thoughts Yankumi was because she slowly mirrored the teachers expression.
"U-Ume-Chan?" Yankumi mouthed recognizing Testu's newly found younger sister quickly. Umeki let her mouth hang open for a moment before she spoke.
"O….Ojou-"
"Oooh! You must be our new student!" Yankumi spoke loudly drowning out Umeki's words "Come in! Come in!" she motioned for Umeki who quickly shuffled her way into the room and dead center in the classroom where she remained the subject of everyone's attention. No one said a word for over a minute leaving Umeki to stand in her place running a hand through her messy bed head hair.
"Everyone" Yankumi spoke after recovering from shock "this is our new student…"
"Mastushima Umeki" Umeki introduced herself
"Please be kind to her. Eto…. Umeki-chan, do you want to tell us a little about yourself?" Yankumi asked, Umeki shook her head "anyone have something to ask Umeki?" Umeki crossed her arms scanning the room once more. Of course the first question asked was if the young girl had a boyfriend, she scuffed and shook her head. The next thing Yankumi knew the boys had their hands up in the air waving and shouting out the same thing: "will you go out with me?" "Everyone settle down!" Yankumi tried to quiet them down. Umeki uncrossed her legs and shoved her hand into the pockets on her blazer.
"I have no time for dating" Umeki answered bluntly crushing hopes effortlessly "may I sit?" this was directed to Yankumi who quickly nodded and gave her the only vacant seat there was beside Ryu in front of the classroom and another day of class went by though really Yankumi might as well have not been there!
The only person who showed little to no interest in Umeki was Ryu and he didn't appear to be paying attention to the lesson either. As for the rest of her class…. They were preoccupied with other studies…. Their classmate. The boy's eyes followed her every movement of her pen to the few times she had to push hair out of her face. They would inch closer to her and lean over their desk a bit more with each action especially when the young girl uncrossed and recrossed her legs to keep them from falling asleep. It was like they'd never seen a girl before! But they were boys… Yankumi had to expect them to loom like a pack of wolves over an unexpecting deer.
She mentally sighed; at least Umeki seemed to be paying attention.
When the final bell rang ending class for the day, the boys wasted no time circling Umeki's desk with question and comments alike.
"How'd you end up in a place like this, huh?"Tsuchiya questioned from Umeki's right fanning himself while he did. The question halted Yankumi's packing. She too was curious as to how such a sweet girl could end up in 3D, in an all boy's school no less. However, as Yankumi glanced up at her students she didn't see the sweet Umeki she had known for over a week. This was a different Umeki, a cold and detached Umeki.
"The same way you did I'm sure" Umeki replied in a monotone resting an elbow on her desk. They had her surrounded and it appeared to agitate her a bit because she began tapping the desk with her free hand fixing her gaze on the front classroom door. Her disinterested response made the boys draw closer.
"Did you slug your teacher then?" Takeda asked but as Umeki opened her mouth to reply Yabuki laughed loudly
"Not likely" he remarked "girls can't fight"
"Show's how much you know" the female replied pushing her chair back with a loud screeching "I could probably kick your ass"
"Eh?" Yankumi stood up straighter as Yabuki, not pleased by the comment, did as well.
"What was that?" he growled
"You heard me" countered Umeki giving Yabuki a quick look over before nodding "Yeah I'm sure I could"
Now Yankumi knew for a fact Yabuki was against hitting girls but she also knew of his short temper. He grabbed a fist full of the girl's shirt and pulled until their faces were inches from one another and Umeki was practically on her toes. "Don't get cocky when you can't back it up"
"Did I not make myself clear?" an unflinching Umeki replied "I'm pretty sure I just said I could unless you want to try and prove me wrong"
"Wait a minute!" Yankumi jumped in standing between the two after freeing Umeki from Yabuki's grip "no one is going to fight anymore! You'll get yourselves into trouble" despite this the two stared each other down.
"Tomorrow" Yabuki stated "after school"
"Are you listening?"
"fine by me" Umeki replied with a smirk curving the side of her lip "Ja ne" she cooed and without a word more she shoved her way through the crowd of tense boys and was out the door.
"What is she doing at Kurogin?" Testu couldn't help but ask, he'd get to the idea of his little sister fighting as soon as he figured that out. Yankumi shrugged slightly snacking on her Tatoyaki.
"I don't know but I'll ask her tonight" she replied "what I'm worried about is if she really plans to fight Yabuki" Testu slammed his hand down on the stand loudly.
"Do you want me to go teach them not to mess with my sister?" he growled darkly with a deadly glint in his eye. Yankumi shook her head.
"No, don't do that" she replied
"…. Hai" Testu went back to work and Yankumi continued to enjoy her Tatoyaki mulling over the situation on her head. She couldn't help but recall the words of the woman from earlier today as well as 3D's.
"No other school will take her at this point"
"I heard he slugged all his other teachers"
Umeki? Hit a teacher? Yankumi couldn't even imagine it! But then she recalled the unfamiliar girl in class today. Who was that cold detached person she saw?