"Stop smiling. It's creepy."
Umi's smile fades promptly. "Why can't you just be happy for me, Maki?"
Maki shrugs, unaffected by the playful accusation. "Because your happiness depends on how miserable someone is."
"Lately that seems to be the only thing I'm good at." Umi's tone is indifferent, but the sudden tension in her friend's shoulders suggests to Maki that she's hit a nerve she's not even sure Umi knows she has. Her friend may be a neurotic troublemaker, but she's also got a moral code that she stands by... though it seems an exception is made for Minami-sensei.
Umi makes a lot of exceptions for Minami-sensei.
"Yep. The best in the business, I'd say."
"Not helping, Maki."
At the tinkle of the diner's bell, Maki goes from faintly interested to completely engrossed when she witnesses Minami-sensei walk in and stride over to the front counter. She can't hear the conversation she has with Honoka from where she sits, but she carefully watches their exchange with the focused precision only a future medical practitioner would have. Umi might have liked to know that her favourite teacher (which she furiously denies) was here, but for some reason, Maki stays silent.
"Maki. Is that Minami-sensei?"
Rats, too late. Umi's caught her staring.
"Could be," she says flippantly, observing the woman as she ties up her friendly conversation with Honoka before collecting her coffee and taking to the street.
Umi spins back in her side of the booth so that Maki can see her face, contemplative. "They seem to know each other really well."
"Honkytonk is the closest eating establishment from school," Maki replies drily, but Umi is doubtful. "Why do you care, anyway?"
Frowning, Umi says hesitantly, "Minami-sensei has never mentioned Honoka."
Maki exhales audibly, blowing strands of hair from her face. "Didn't realize you were both good friends now... or is this about Minami-sensei being happy?" she prods further. "You're only happy if she's miserable, right?"
"Why does my happiness depend so much on how miserable she is?" Umi asks. She can't help the irritation that evolves, but it doesn't escalate because she understands that Maki can always back up anything she says, even if happens to be a vicious criticism about a close friend.
She understands, because Maki is always there when she needs her most. And Eli, to some degree, but with Nozomi's influence she's become the type of friend who jumps into the fray before she asks questions. It's an amusing development, Umi thinks.
"I don't know. Why does it?" Maki twirls her hair around her finger; coupled with the wolfish grin it's her personal gesture of victory, and despite her earlier praises Umi wishes she had left enough of her milkshake to pour over Maki's head.
She's never thought about it before - her happiness stems from the good things that happen around her, which definitely have nothing to do with Minami-sensei. Umi's certain of it.
When Minami-sensei tells her not to smoke, she likes to light up a durry and blow the waste into her teacher's face when she tries to remove the cigarette from her mouth; when she passes Minami-sensei in the hallway, she likes to maintain prolonged eye contact so that her teacher hurries past uncomfortably; when she and Minami-sensei are alone, she likes to make inappropriate comments about her teacher's personal life followed by unsuccessful attempts to wrangle a date; and when Minami-sensei gives her detention, she goes out of her way to make sure her teacher is just as miserable -
She stops to ponder this thought, but instantly shakes it off when Maki tells her to stop smiling already, damn it.
Monday comes around quicker than Kotori would have liked. She's got the first two periods spare, but it's little comfort when Umi is in her class for fifth period.
It's almost the end of fifth period now, and Umi still hasn't shown up to sit at the desk that she has obnoxiously positioned right in front of Kotori's own. Umi's desk belongs in the back far right corner, but being closer to the front, she claims, is more conducive to learning. Kotori knows it's so Umi can count how many times she flinches when her student runs a foot up her stocking clad legs.
Kotori has to move the desk back at the end of each period she has the misfortune of taking Umi for, but when Friday arrives without incident, Umi's desk has not moved.
"Ah! Umi-chan!" Rin salutes the younger girl playfully. "No school today?"
Umi sets herself down on a barstool at the counter, waving a hand dismissively. "Not for me."
"Hey," Rin whispers, leaning in closer to Umi so she can hear, "if you don't go to school, you'll end up like Honoka-chan."
"Eeeehhh!?" Honoka whines, popping her head from out of the kitchen. "You're getting a pay cut, Rin-chan!" she quips good-naturedly.
Playing along with the cheap skit, Rin gets on her knees to beg. "No, please! I need the money to look after my wife and daughter!"
"Rin-chan, since when have we had a daughter?"
The timer for the oven sounds in sync with the bell of the diner, so Honoka excuses herself politely.
She whips her head up at the voice of the new visitor and laughs nervously, though not at all surprised to see who it is. Hanayo likes to come visit her on her lunch break, anyway. "Ehe he... well, Umi-chan is like a child, don't you think? She's doesn't follow rules, doesn't take responsibility for her actions and throws tantrums when things don't go her way," Rin says thoughtlessly, counting down on her fingers with each trait she lists.
Umi hates being likened to a child, but she could never be angry with Rin because the woman has always been so good to her. She smiles carelessly. "Good morning, Koizumi-sensei. Am I in trouble?" She knows she is... she also knows that her teacher won't do anything about it.
Her teacher takes one of the barstools next to her. "Of course you are," she says pleasantly, and Umi appreciates the absence of derision in her tone, "but there's nothing I can do about it, is there?" And this is why Koizumi-sensei is Umi's favourite teacher: she cares, but she's not intrusive and doesn't ask too many questions. The fact that she doesn't assign Umi detentions is an added bonus.
She shrugs, grabbing a crisp from the bowl Rin's placed on the counter.
"There is someone that can, though," Hanayo comments cheerfully. She giggles when Umi snaps the chip in half, the errant crumbs tumbling down the front of the girl's shirt. "It's nice to see you making the effort to go to detention now, but all of them seem to be Minami-sensei's." The colour drains out of Umi's face as she dramatically wails, "I thought you liked me best, Umi-chan!"
"No way, no way!" Rin cuts in, waving her arms wildly while simultaneously ignoring Hanayo's pleas to put the meat cleaver down. She vaults over the counter and wraps a protective arm around Hanayo, pointing the knife at Umi threateningly. "Kayo-chin is mine!"
Reappearing from the kitchen, Honoka asks curiously, "Who does Umi-chan like best?"
"Minami-sensei," Rin and Hanayo respond without hesitation.
"Oh ho, you filthy scoundrel!" Honoka doubles over in laughter at the scandalized look on Umi's face; Rin joins her, as does Hanayo's soft giggles.
When she recomposes herself somewhat, Honoka reaches out across the counter and gives Umi a solid pat on the shoulder. "Come on, don't make that face, Umi-chan! I already know what happened."
Umi's face darkens. "Was it Maki? Or was it Eli?"
Shrugging, Honoka says, "Could have been either of them, but I hear it from all the girls that come in here crying about how you've got your heart set on someone else now."
"That someone needed to learn a lesson."
Honoka snorts, not bothering to disguise her incredulity. "And you don't?" It's hard to convince Umi to go to school, but these days the younger girl goes almost willingly. It makes Honoka wonder if something really is going on, despite Umi's vehement denials. "Go on, get going. Milkshakes on the house if you turn up to school today!"
Umi goes without a fight, and it's not because of the free milkshakes.
Monday rolls around again, and Kotori's already hanging out for the weekend. She doesn't think the day can get any worse, but then the classroom door creaks and Umi sweeps through, all confidence and cocksureness.
The papers that are placed on Kotori's desk are answers to the maths assignment she handed out two weeks ago. "This was due today, right?"
Kotori doesn't confirm nor deny her student's query and puts Umi's papers on the tall stack of papers she is yet to grade. Sighing softly, she asks, "Do you have any plans tomorrow, Sonoda-san?"
Her teacher is oddly calm despite their hostile confrontation not long ago. Minami-sensei appearing to be not so miserable makes Umi equal parts glad and wanting to do something to make it so she is; her teacher's composure is disconcerting.
"None," Umi says smoothly. "I intended on spending it with you."
"Good, because I'm running you in for unacceptable behaviour and insubordination. I expect to see you here at four o'clock tomorrow afternoon."
Everything was going so well, too... but when their routine of verbal abuse starts, she can't help herself. "I could have you removed, you know."
Kotori doesn't back down, narrowing her eyes at the deliberate threat. "I could always find another job," – at this, Umi feels a little anxious – "but while I'm here, I won't make exceptions for you just because the other teachers do."
"I do."
"Oh my, I feel so privileged." Kotori isn't usually one for cynicism, but this girl has a knack for making her do things she doesn't want to do, it seems. "Children need to learn to be accountable for their actions."
"Did one kiss not satisfy you, sensei?" Minami-sensei is not Rin, and she makes her resentment clear. "I can give you another, if you like."
Kotori stands up, jostling her papers to hide the rapid pulse of her heartbeat. Although it was her natural reflex to shove Umi away the first time it happened, she couldn't deny the tingling in her chest and the fire in her gut afterwards.
It was... exciting, to say the least, but she's not ever going to tell anyone that.
With her back to Umi, she advises carefully, "Don't try me, Sonoda-san. See you tomorrow."