Season 2 ep 3
The man in the ugly jacket
Not long after I got my friends back, I manage to change my place from in front of the classroom till the back with my friends again (I will miss the view). We soon started acting as if nothing had happened in the past. Since we were all men it was silently decided to never talk or discuss about the hurt and anger my small action had caused me and my friends. I was glad they never talked about it, but still it hurt a little knowing how fast they had turned their back on me.
Still, I knew Hayato was short tempered and the others usually followed his lead, so I kept on working to forget everything and instead focused on the time I had with them until graduation.
oOoOo
My friends and I had decided to skip homeroom one day. I would miss being that close to Yamaguchi, but still it was nice chilling together with my friends again.
We were once again tied together in a cluster, playing games and everything else fun you were not suppose to do during class, and after school. I felt free in a way I did not experience during my expulsion from the school environment.
It was liberating to just lie around with Hayato and the rest of the guys on the grass when we were suppose to be at school.
Sadly as it was, with my friends brilliant plan of deception and dolls in uniforms our teacher might not even notice we were missing from class. Our classmates had even agreed to hide our absence.
The idyll I felt at that particular moment was ruined just a few hours later.
oOoOo
This was not how I wanted to show her that I had grown up. Not how I wanted to show my appreciation for her to give me a second chance.
Even if everyone of my friends knew I had a small history with her, and that she was the reason I was back with them all, they all accepted that I did not want to be the one calling our homeroom teacher. I did not want to be the bearer for even more bad news.
We all agreed Take would be the best choice to make the phone call. Standing in the back with Hayato I tried to listen in on Takes conversation with our teacher as he informed her that two of her students, my friends, Hyuga and Tsucchi was arrested. She did not even give him the opportunity to inform her of the reason for the arrest before she hanged up the phone after informing Take she was on the way. Not how I pictured this day to end at all when I was lying on the grass soaking in on the sun.
She arrived in a surprisingly short time. As she was walking up to me, Take and Hayato it was almost like the grim reaper coming toward us. Still I could not take my eyes away from the creature, in her relentless pursuit of information she looked terrifying. Her eyes was burning.
As Take and Hayato was explaining the situation to her I could not help to look everywhere else but into her angry eyes. I had not stopped Hyuga and Tsucchi from having fun with someone else's bike and did not at that time think it would result in my friend's arrest. In a way they had even asked if they could borrow the bike before they used it.
As we were standing there outside the police station Yamaguchi looked up seeing the owner of the bike walking away not far from where we were standing. She walked up to him, hiding her angry face.
When the class A student, Honda, told her my friends had informed him they would beat him up if they could not use his bike I felt like a child and turned my head down, waiting for the lecture, feeling inequality towards the slightly older woman in front of me. I knew her anger was not just directed at the police any longer, we were all at fault as well.
In the end I did not get my scowling, but she was fired up and began walking towards the police station as if she was going into battle.
I could only watch with worrying eyes, imagining how badly this could end.
Since I could no longer hold it inside I told her to walk like a normal person because it might help our situation a little if she acted as a normal human being. At least for now. She turned back towards where the three of us was standing and in a small cute voice agreed with my statement before once again walking toward the station, this time more like a normal teacher.
oOoOo
Inside the police station everything was going fine until Take and Hayato was frustrated by the lack of response and began talking to the police officer who was rudely ignoring our presence. Even our female teacher lost her patience and began using a few unfamiliar words to describe the police. When we all question her words and she noticed our reaction she began giggled a little nervously in a silly way.
A brass detective in a tacky leather jacket began asking her questions with negative charged words concerning her students. He even acted as if she was a stupid ignorant woman. I was getting pissed at that detective both on behalf of myself, my friends and how he was acting around her. He brushed of her trust in her students, in me, as if it was misplaced.
Even if my friends and I had to stop her from attacking the detective it was nice seeing someone stand up to the police for someone like us. I even had to remind her of her own words concerning not to stand up to the "okami", not to make any more trouble. It was funny how contrasting her mood could be. Changing from angry to innocent in a heartbeat when she wanted something. She began arguing more legally for the release of both Hyuga and Tsucchi since the police did not have the right to hold them any longer.
Not long after both Tsucchi and Hyuga was released.
oOoOo
Yamaguchi took us all to a ramen shop in order to celebrate the release from the police on the way home.
The second I entered the restaurant I noticed something familiar with the young man running the shop. It was the same man who had delivered food at Frentzen. The man who had informed me where all the money she gave me came from. The dirty money from my lie.
I actually still kept a small part of that money on me at all time. I knew I still owed her some of the money, but I did not want to part with a few of the bills in order to keep them as a reminder that even if my friends and family had given up on me, a small older woman tried to trust and help me when she did not even know me. The small bills was kept as a reminder not to do anything stupid. So far I could not say I had kept the promise I had given myself completely, but at least I was not the one who had stolen the bike.
Seeing Yamaguchi and the owner act so familiar made me question what their relationship was based on. She was a unique woman so maybe her preference was also directed at special men.
Even if I felt gratefulness towards this man, I also felt embarrassed. He had seen me do despicable this against a woman he obviously cared about. This man had seen a side of myself I had not even told my friends about. Sitting there in his restaurant I crossed my fingers hoping our last meeting would not come up. I was not ready for everyone to know all my dirty little secrets.
As I was trying to cool down the noodles I heard something which made me think for a moment. The delivering guy said "Yankumi still hasn't changed". What did he mean, how did he know her? I tried to let the thoughts fly away since there was not legit reason as to why I needed that information. Even so...
Luckily I was surrounded by my friends who had no trouble asking about the nickname Yankumi. Hearing about our teachers problems with her first class, and that this man had been her student, made my heart burn warmly knowing all the love she had for all former students. The man, Kuma as he introduced himself as, had a lot of interesting stories about his time as her student. He told us about how she had helped him when headteacher accused him of stealing some money and how his close friends Sawada Shin evidently had loudly argued with her in the beginning trying to protect his friend. Kuma even told us that Yamaguchi and Shin had formed a close relationship not long after that situation.
I really wanted to ask what Kuma meant with those words but managed to keep my curiosity inside.
The whole story gave me a small strange feeling in my stomach hearing about all the stories about my teacher and one of her former students. Why did I feel jealous about the time she spend with former students?
After talking about the past for a while, she began discussing what had happened just a short while ago.
Our teacher was still pissed because of the behavior of the detective. We all tried to inform her we were used to the classification of being rotten eggs, but this made her even more upset.
Hayato gave her a piece of his meat from his ramen bowl, asking for forgiveness for the trouble we had caused her today. One by one my friends gave her a piece of meat as well. I could feel their eyes on me because I was the only one who had not given her some meat, yet. I was planning on giving her a piece but I was blowing on it to cool it down a little so she would not get burned when she ate it. Beside, if I was the last one to give her a piece she would eat mine first, I thought to myself as I stretched out my arm delivering a piece of meat from my bowl to hers using my chopsticks.
oOoOo
A fellow classmate, Yuki, called me the next morning when I was just a few blocks away from school informing me there was a big group of scary looking students yelling for me and Hayato at the school gate. As he had me on the phone he described the teachers unsuccessfully and pathetic effort to remove them from the school's property. I considered the teacher's attempt to be nothing but laughable.
Suddenly Yuki said with a little worry in his voice that our small female teacher, in her white jumping suit went towards the gang, and how they surrounded her. She was facing them alone.
My smile disappeared at those words and I began running towards the school while clenching the phone to my ear. I almost begged him to tell me what was happening in detail as it went by. Yuki admitted he could not see what was happening inside the circle since the tall guys hid the view from where he was standing. I felt my heart drop, and tried to run even faster than I have ever done before. Out of breath, with my knees almost giving out, I had only one mission, to help my female teacher.
Over the phone Yuki, who was still keeping an eye on things, finally told me the strange guys had turned away. That they all began running away as if the devil was behind them, leaving just our teacher. I thanked him for the information and disconnected the call.
After hanging up I was really close to the school gate, and could see a few guys running the opposite direction of me, hastily I concluded that must be them. Even if I wanted answers I just let them go. Yamaguchi's safety was first. I had to see for myself if she was unscratched.
oOoOo
I crossed the gate and almost at once saw her. She was standing alone in the school yard making strange faces and suggestions with her hands towards the other teacher. Finally my heart slowly calmed down and began beating at a normal rhythm. She was unharmed.
I decided not to confront her about dangerous situation she was putting herself into since the danger was over for now. Even so, I was planning on finding out what had caused this situation as fast as I could, both my heart and mind demanded answers. Concluding my fastest way of getting answers would be from my classmates, and in time her when class began. As I walked in I could hear discussions about what had just happened but no one had answers. They even asked me since the guys outside was yelling for retribution from both myself and Hayato. Telling them I had no idea what it was about, they all left me alone as I sat down contemplating everything myself.
As I was sitting in the back I order my heart to calm completely down. As a mantra I told myself inside my mind again and again "No harm had come to her". A small voice from a different place in my head ruined the relaxing mantra proclaiming "...this time".
Just a few minutes after I myself had entered the full classroom she came in as well. She went straight to the back where my friends and I was sitting, not waiting a second before asking if we knew anything about what just happened. My classmates assembles around us, listening in on our conversation. The first thing I did when she asked us if we were going around assaulting completely strangers I felt compelled to reassure her we had nothing to do with those episodes. We might not be straight A students but we knew the basic on dividing right from wrong. Our teacher informed us about the accusations of us beating the other guys up, and even saying we left our name when we did the beating.
How stupid did they think we were?
Hayato loudly told her the truth in a straight voice. Telling her about us going straight home after leaving her at the ramen shop the night before. Even if we had the situation where Hyuga and Tsucchi had been arrested, when we left the restaurant I had felt happy considering I had shared a meal together with her and my friends. Because of the lingering feelings from that night there was no way I would ruin my good mood by pointless fighting strangers.
I felt strangely proud when she believed us without asking for any evidence. Not many teachers would believe delinquent students such as us.
Suddenly I felt more than a little upset, how dare someone slander my happy memories from the restaurant last night with my friends and her with accusations such as those? I was no angel, but I did not attack anyone without a good reason.
After some heavy concentrated thinking she concluded someone was framing us. Sitting down by my desk I was left with a lingering feeling of being the only one inside the classroom with a functional brain. I knew in beforehand that a lot of my classmates had some trouble learning, but I did not know they had problems with simple logic as well.
How come everyone else reacted as if they had not even considered this aspect until she voiced it out loudly?
From the beginning of the phone call with Yuki, the reason for the name yelling had been on the top of my mind. Well, that was not exactly the truth. The first few minutes when my main focus was to get to her and to make certain she was unscratched.
The name dropping would just be plain stupid, something I was not. Hayato on the other had I could not guarantee, but I still trusted him not to act in ways which could damage our reputation. not that it was worth much.
After she left the classroom I sat in the back listening to the ideas my classmates came up with, and how they wanted to capture the culprits themselves in order to prove our innocence. I could only get more and more stressed and worried as they got more and more agitated with the situation. Even if everyone was trying to prove me and my closest friend innocent I could only feel the dread taking a hold of my already shaking heart.
oOoOo
Just in case something bad happened I followed my friends outside and into a park close by the school after last class was over for the day. Anticipating problems would arise yet again.
With Hayato sitting down on a child's toy in the middle, and the rest of our classmates assembly around him he began informing everyone on how we collectively should capture the real culprits. After being divided into groups of four or in my case five sketches was delivered around so that every group would get something representing the culprits. I could only wonder on how and when someone had even manage the time to draw a sketch of the perpetrators?
When I managed to get a copy of sketch I did not know if I was suppose to be relieved or scared. At least I could easily see how the drawing had been made without me noticing it. The artist had not even been creative when they made the sketch. I could not even be disappointed in how little effort the sketch was made in I thought to myself. It was after all made by one of the guys in 3D. There was no way we would find the culprits with this little information and some imaginative sketches that looked like they were based on us.
Soon after the sketches was divided among those present the groups ran away in different directions in hope of finding the ones behind the beatings.
Worriedly I followed my closest friends around, already thinking of everything that could and would cause even more trouble. At least I could follow them while trying to do damage control of possible dangerous and troublesome situations.
oOoOo
Getting busted by our female teacher not long after the split in the park gave me both a joy and disappointment. Involuntarily I was kind of hoping she would stop the whole searching process. Even if she was unique, no teacher would allow students going around doing dangerous things. Yet again I thought wrongly about this small female.
In a small playground nearby she interrogated us about what we were planning and why the five of us was searching for someone. Since I did not want to be compared to my foolish friends idea of capturing the perpetrators I decided to stand a little separated from them in the back.
Instead of arguing against the idea as a normal teacher she was question my friends if they had found any clues.
Since I did not want her to only focus on them I decided to cut in on the conversation and showed her the sketch, hoping she would see how impossible my friends quest would be. When I had given her the sketch I went past her, sitting down next to Tsucchi, strategy placing myself closest to our female teacher.
As she was ordering us to go home for the evening, the jackass of a detective from the police station last night showed up. Did he not know when he was unwelcomed? As an ignorant fool he accused us of purse snatching. He had no form for evidence, just acting as a first class jackass. My simple minded friends could not handle the unjust behavior from the detective and argued loudly against his accusations.
Luckily our teacher stopped the situation before any lasting damages had developed. Yet again.
Her description of us as young promising men with a great future warmed my gentle soul. To hear the laughing voice of an almost completely strange man in ugly jacked pissed me off. How dare he laugh at her trust?
Even so I held it inside, as the son of someone connected to the police force I was taught from an early age when it was the best to keep my mouth shut. Now was one of those situations. Luckily the detective walked away almost at fast as he came before Hayato's anger would lash out.
Shortly after the detective left us, our teacher walked away as well in the direction of her home. At least I thought it was in the direction she had to go in order for her to walk home.
oOoOo
A bit later my friends and I were out walking having felt the need to walk off some of the residual anger the detective had left us with. We were of course still dressed in our school uniforms as always. It is like we never got the time to go home in order to change our clothes.
Suddenly, more and more young men began mucking around in front of us. I had a bad feeling about this situation. They were way too many for us to take on.
A voice called out a an almost welcoming greeting. Coming towards us was a young man around our age, with short spiked hair and a big cross around his neck. I was shocked, it was Kudo. Even if Kudo had been a close friend I knew this would not result in something our female teacher would be proud of. Kudo had not felt her magic touch and words, and after he had been expelled he had gotten more and more angry with the school system. After he left we had only had a few phone calls where his bitter related to teachers as the main subject. Shortly after he stopped picking up when we rang him, which resulted in me and Hayato decision to leave him alone for the time being. We had even planned to try reach out to him again when we had graduated.
Kudo and those punks he had with him admitted they were responsible for the episodes we were accused of. Why did they beat those persons without reasons, leaving our names?
It hurt to know someone I considered a friend would do this to me, almost like he stabbed me in the back. We might not have seen him since Kudo was expelled but still, I did not know things had changed to this extend.
In a way he had to consider us somewhat friends since he invited me and Hayato join him and his group of dropouts. Kudo even tried to identify with my former contempt with the school. He who had not even cared to talk to us on the phone in the past now wanted us to drop out from school to join his gang of misfits. It did not lie well with me, beside where would I be if not close to the woman who saved me?
I could feel everyone's eyes on me when I admitted loudly that school no longer was so uninteresting. Hayato standing next to me laughed a little and agreed with what I was saying. Take, Tsucchi and Hyuga still looked a little strange on us, they had still not yet felt the extend of the magic she brought with her into our classroom.
Kudo was not pleased with our declining answer. I wonder if he had asked me just a month ago if I wanted to join if I would had. It almost scared me, but I imagined I would had stood on the other side, behind Kudo while trying to ask Hayato to join us. Fortunate that was no longer an option for me. She would not had allow it.
When we walked away Kudo was yelling after us and ordered rest of his group to surround us. Quickly Hayato asked us to do formation B. What formation? I thought to myself. I was a little ignorant as to what he meant, but it looked like Take, Tsucchi and Hyuga knew what he was talking about. Maybe it was a formation they invented when I was expired from school. When Hayato yelled out loudly my three friends began running in different directions leading away from the strangers.
Since I had no idea in the beginning what "Formation B" was suppose to do my response came a few second later than my friends. Luckily, being so smart that I was I soon calculated which direction I was suppose to run in and took off.
In the beginning I thought no one was following me, unfortunate my idea was not up to date and I found myself surrounded by Kudos guys. I knew I was deep shit.
They took my phone from me, and pushed/dragged me to an underground warehouse. I knew it was not possible for me to get away so I quietly followed them. Even if Kudo tried to get me into trouble I still believed in him enough to trust him not to seriously hurt me or kill me.
Even if they did not kill me they were a little pissed my friends got away and left me with a few well placed farewell presents in form of fists and kicks. At least out of theirs angry response I knew my friends were out of harm's way.
Not long after Kudo and his gang left me I could hear Hayato worriedly calling put my name. Shortly after he found half lying up against a few cardboard boxes. Feeling helpless I could do nothing except nod firstly when he asked if I was okay. Shortly after I managed to smile a little informing him "I think so". Man I felt like shit, my whole body was aching.
Before we could have a normal conversation we could hear the gate closing. Hayato hastily asked me "Can you stand?" as he already began dragging me up on my feet before even giving me an opportunity to answer him.
With me having problems even to stand, less of all walk properly we had trouble getting to the gate in time. Hayato would had reached the gate if he had left me, but it looked like he had decided it would be the both of us or none of us. As it closed right in front of us and the small light we had left us I knew this would be a long cold night. Luckily Hayato found me so I did not need to stay down here alone. It was a little scary in this dirty warehouse. Not that I would admit that to Hayato.
As we were sitting there in the cold, without phone reception, I had no idea all the trouble awaiting us on the other side of that metal gate.
oOoOo
The next morning someone finally opened the gate. Feeling the strong sunlight burn my eyes me and Hayato left the warehouse before anyone noticed us. On our way back Hayato was pissed. Talking graphically about what he would do to Kudo the next time he met him. Even if I agreed with Hayatos words I did not voice them as I was in too much pain to from any coherent thoughts myself.
We had not been free for more than a few minutes, and was walking down a road leading to school before we were surrounded again. This time by police officers. This week was definitely not my favorite so far.
What now? Was my first thoughts as the officer in a purple inspired jacked closed in on us. Had we not been thru enough in this last twenty four hours? When can I finally crawl into my own bed, feeling sorry for myself and lick my wounds?
I had even considerate skipping school today, but after lying on the cold concrete floor for hours I needed some of the warm feelings I got when I was around my female teacher. To see her work her magic, I knew that would had made my day a lot brighter.
But no, my classroom and even my bed and painkillers had to wait. For a long time it seemed.
Stealing? Me and Hayato?! What the fuck!
Being arrested, sitting on those hard metal chairs with Hayato did so no make my day any better. At least we were placed in the same room. We were not talking to much since we knew that the police officer sitting just a few meters away in the corner was listening in on our every words.
Instead we were just sitting there silently with our own thoughts.
Our future did not look so bright anymore, not that it ever did, but now it was not even grey anymore. Just black.
oOoOo
After what felt like forever the door opened and in walked head teacher monkey. To this day I have never been so relieved to see the face of that man with the strange hair. When he told us we were cleared for all charges I was so happy I could kiss him. Not that I showed any feelings on my face.
Now if it would had been her who had uttered the word "cleared" I do not know if I would had managed to hold back.
Maybe it was for the best the words came from head teacher and not her.
Walking out of the police station I almost had a small heart attack.
Everyone was there, all of our classmates in matching uniforms, never worn the same way, different hair colours and in the middle with pigtails, and for once not a jumping suit, standing straight but small surrounded by young men, she was there.
We will never admit to it but I think both Hayato and me had trouble holding back our tears.
Hearing my classmates was the real reason we were released I was really touched. Even felt my heart flutter a little. The damned police officer with bad clouting style was even lecturing them about staying out of police business.
Well if the cop had done his job correctly in the first place my friends would not have had to do his work for him.
The detective even dared lecturing me and Hayato not to do anything that would make us suspects in the future. As if we were planning to do illegal things. His judgmental behavior made me lose some of the joy I had felt just a few seconds before.
I manage to grab Hayato before he would get us into more trouble again, even if jacket man deserved every punch Hayato wanted to deliver into his face.
Then our female teacher did something I never would had thought anyone would ever do for me. She asked the detective to do the right thing, to apologize to us. No one had ever apologized to me before just because someone told them to, at least not like this. Head teacher even protested against her request, but she acted as if he was not present and pressed the detective yet again.
In the beginning ugly jacket man refused, and she argued against it. I turned towards her, while using her family name, Yamaguchi, I informed her we were used to this kind of treatment. Fair treatment was not something someone like us was used to get from police officers.
To hear her yell back that it was "not right" back at me surprised me a little.
When will I learn that she always surprise me and never do as expected of her?
She even lectured to detective about doing what was right on our behalf. To admit when you are wrong. She even bowed down to the feminine color jacket man asking him to do the right thing. Just for me and Hayato she lowered her head to the jackass.
Another one of her miracle happened right in front of my eyes.
The officer did not look happy, but still he walked past her and stopped in front of Hayato and me. He lowered his head and uttered the words "I am sorry". Now if he meant it was another thing, but still, what we got was way more than I expected. With one last angry look he turned back fast and walked away with just one angry look. I hope this will be the last time I will ever see that fake leather jacket, and the empty shell of a man it was suppose to cover.
When my classmates began cheering I could no longer hold on my stone face and let out a small smile. I tried to look her into her eyes while silently expressing my gratefulness toward her, but this was not easy as my classmates surrounded me and Hayato letting out joyful cheers.
Later she dragged everyone for ramen at Kuma's place, well not everyone. We lost head teacher on the way, luckily.
Our class filled the whole restaurant, it had to look a little strange for those outside but we were a happy bunch.
Sitting there, enjoying the food and company I noticed more and more of my fellow classmates began using her nickname "Yankumi" which Kuma had told us about a few days earlier.
To be honest I did not want to use a nickname, even if I saw how happy she reacted when her students began using it.
In my own complicated mind it felt wrong using the nickname. From what I had gathered it was made from
a combination of her family name "Yamaguchi" and her first name "Kumiko".
Since I had not earned the right to use her first name, and a way her nickname hinted to her first name, this was a reason enough for me not to use it.
Even if I called her the same as headteacher, "Yamaguchi" it felt like I gave her some respect and until I, hopefully in the future, was at a place in our life where I had earned the right to call her by her first name I would be happy just calling her by her family name.
For now, Yamaguchi was enough, but maybe I would crack and use Yankumi as well like the rest of my classmates. Not because I had changed my mind about wanting to use her first name, but because it would in a way bring us closer together. Maybe she in the future would noticed how I never use her nickname, and that she would smile brightly at me when finally crack and I decide to use it. The word "maybe" had a nice ring to it today.
When everyone else in the ramen shop used her nickname collectively, I turned around so I could see the response on her face. Her reaction made me feel a little warmer inside, and my cheeks burned.
Neh, had to be because of the steam from the noodle soup which were warming me up.
As the volume raised around me, I quietly sat in my corner, happily eating the last parts of my meal.
It felt good to be free.
oOoOo
If I manage to keep up with this tempo I will release one chapter per week. So far I think the story will now be 14 chapters long. It will be even longer than my master paper. I remember while I wrote my paper thinking I will never do anything like that ever again, yet and here I am, writing for fun (aka not my masters) in a language which I do not use everyday.