AN: Thanks for the reviews everyone! A little note on my research of Japanese schools (sadly, i.e. Wikipedia); the school year starts in April, so the setting is early spring.
Keep guessing what Himura-sensei teaches…
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"Ready, Set, Go!"
Chapter 2
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Rikuo was jarred awake by his alarm clock. It wasn't something that happened often because he usually awoke before the damn thing rang. He rolled out of bed acting as if he had gotten his eight hours--which he didn't because he had tossed and turned all night anxiously waiting for this morning.
The sun had barely peeked over the horizon at five.
For the first time in almost a year, Rikuo did not wake Kazahaya. The poor boy didn't have class until eight and he needed all the sleep he could get for the possible hell that awaited him. Rikuo showered and dressed for his own student-infested hell.
How the hell was he supposed to teach a class? He wasn't a teacher! What would he do if someone found out he wasn't properly qualified? What if a student asked a question he couldn't answer? And the lesson plan...for a whole year? What if he ran out of things to teach? More questions than answers had plagued Rikuo the few weeks before school began. Saiga, being the doting "mother" he was, had helped considerably with Rikuo's lessons and they managed to line out two weeks worth of material. They obviously had more work to do in the months ahead, yet both agreed to stick it out to make sure the students would have a teacher who could actually teach.
Rikuo nearly asked Saiga (on six different occasions) to teach the class instead since he seemed to be overly qualified. He could sew the students new shirts while cooking them lunch.
Of all the things that could go wrong, Rikuo knew that speaking in front of a class would be the least of his problems. Kazahaya sitting in his class would undoubtedly get him through the day.
He had plans—embarrassing plans—for his little Kaza-chan...
Speaking of Kazahaya, who was probably snoring while dreaming of money, the prospect of earning so much yen outweighed the sheer stupidity of the mission and all the responsibilities and consequences that came with such deception.
Really, how self-involved could you be to want a trophy...some deserving (and legitimate) student would lose their dream this year. All their training gone to waste. And who would win the prize? Kazahaya of course. Kakei wouldn't let them invest so much time into a mission that would fail. He was already losing Kazahaya part-time and Rikuo even less. Kakei mentioned that he would have to hire two new employees to fill the gap they would leave during the day.
Rikuo quickly let go of his concern for Kakei and the business. The man wasn't stupid; let him fix whatever problems came up while his two wonderfully gifted employees were playing school.
Rikuo was jarred from these thoughts when a small sleepy voice called his name. Light footsteps, so like a cat, came into the kitchen. Rikuo looked up from his breakfast to see Kazahaya stumble to the table.
"Did I wake you?" Rikuo asked.
Kazahaya answered, "No." Rikuo stuffed some eggs in his mouth and mumbled, "Go back to bed." He could already hear the huffy response before Kazahaya even opened his mouth.
"Fine, maybe I just wanted to say good morning." Rikuo swallowed what was left of his food and put his dish away.
"Good morning," Rikuo mocked lightly, then added, "And don't roll your eyes like that when you get to school…it's very rude."
Kazahaya fumed. "Well, I'm going to sleep in your stupid class! How's that for rude?"
"Then I guess I'll have to put you in the front." A small smirked twitched at the corner of Rikuo's mouth. He couldn't help it; it was a natural response to the pout on Kazahaya's face Oh, he had made Kazahaya plenty mad this morning. Rikuo knew that this kind of angry morning banter was much more satisfying that waking Kazahaya, but he had always given in and thrown a shoe or stepped on him.
It was stupid and he didn't know why he decided that moment would be a good time to do it—maybe it was the lack of air to his brain from lack of sleep or just the fact that Kazahaya was sleepy and flushed pink, deliciously warm from sleep—but Rikuo gave Kazahaya the tiniest peck on the cheek, a kiss so chaste and light that it could have been the flick of a feather.
"Go back to sleep," Rikuo said again. Kazahaya wiped his cheek with the back of his hand.
He looked like a little child that was ready for a nap.
"Don't make fun of me," he said drowsily.
"I'm not making fun of you," Rikuo said as he turned away. Neither of them said goodbye or good luck for whatever trails they would face that day. When the door shut behind Rikuo, Kazahaya drug himself back to bed. He laid his head on the palm of his hand, cupping the warm cheek that Rikuo had kissed; the feathery kiss had tickled terribly. Indignant but intrigued, he rubbed the spot again. His first kiss. Only his family had ever kissed him. He thought of Kei and her touch. This touch was new. It put a feeling into him that was much different than familial affection—surprise and giddiness, not because Rikuo had done it, not because he had taken the moment for granted, but because it had been his first kiss.
Oh how he lied to himself. Kazahaya was so very aware that Rikuo had done it.
Determined not to let the gesture make him squirm, Kazahaya tried to sleep, but when the minutes rolled by and were wasted in deep thought, he knew that he had lost.
Rikuo had embarrassed him once this day and he would definitely do so again.
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tbc.