Hey everyone. Sorry for the wait with this chappie. School takes up my time. Here it is!

Chapter 6

"Rena"

Atsushi sighed. The big day was just around the corner. One week, to be exact, until the baby would be born. He knew it was wrong, but he hadn't talked to her at all for the past month. He was always at classes, and since Risa wasn't working anymore, he also had to balance a part time job. One of his professors had heard about his situation, and offered him a job being a student teacher at a local middle school. He mainly helped out the coach with the basketball team, but it was still experience that he was happy to receive.

"Hey, Otani!"

Atsushi looked up; the coach was staring at him. "Y-yeah?" he asked. "I'm stepping out. Can you handle them for a while?" The coach asked, pointing to the nine students playing on the court. "Of course!" he replied happily. Atsushi made his way over to the students. It was just a co-ed gym class for now. A basketball team was going to be formed soon. He laughed a bit.

It seemed way too familiar to him. There was one girl, taller than all of the boys. He wondered if that was what Risa was like in middle school. "Ok, ok. Please stop and listen." he shouted, receiving brief glares from the kids. They turned and went back to playing, completely ignoring his order. Atsushi was getting angry. They never listened. He'd been with that same class for almost 2 months, and he still had no respect from them.

The tall girl slapped one of the rudest boys over the head. "Hey! Otani-Sensei said stop playing, you idiots!" She shouted, turning and smiling at him. "I'll whip them into shape, sensei." she giggled. One boy mumbled, "You're such a totem pole." The girl glared back and grabbed his hair. "Excuse me?! Mind saying that again, shorty?!" Atsushi laughed. It was too funny. As long as there were short boys and tall girls, there would always be a similar argument. "Settle down, people." he said, smiling. "Now, go ahead and pick a buddy, I want you all to practice passing."

The kids paired off and began practicing, but the tall girl sat on the bench. She normally seemed really lonely. Being in a class with all boys and no girls at all, must be annoying. Her name is Serizawa Rena. She's tall for her age, just a little bit taller than him. She was a nice girl, and he wondered why she never seemed to have friends.

"Hey. Rena-Chan, you don't have a partner?" he asked, sitting next to her. She looked over at him; it looked like she had just been crying. "Sensei...am I...a freak?" she asked quietly. "Huh? Why do you ask such a thing?"

"Well...those boys are...always calling me names...like "freak" or "totem pole" just because I'm taller than them." she answered, wiping some tears away with her sleeve. "You're not a freak. Being tall is a great thing." he said, smiling warmly at her. Rena still looked upset. "It's not good if you're a girl." she mumbled. "Sure it is." He laughed, placing his hand on the top of her head. "Cheer up, okay?"

Rena blushed. 'Otani-Sensei...is the only person who's nice to me...' she thought, smiling timidly. "I'll try." she replied. "Good. Now come on, I'll be your partner today." he said, holding out his hand for her to take it. She looked at his face then his hand. Blushing again, she took it.

After playing for a while, the coach returned. He said that class was dismissed. Rena stayed behind to help Atsushi put the equipment away. "Otani-Sensei..." she asked. "Yeah? What's up?" Damn, he liked hearing "sensei" after his name. It made him feel like a real teacher.

"How old are you?" She asked, blushing slightly. "Uh...I don't think I'm supposed to tell that to my students..." he mumbled. "Please? Just tell me. I won't tell anyone else!" She asked. He looked at her. She was giving him puppy-dog eyes. "Uh...nineteen." He whispered, placing the basketballs back on the shelf. Rena gasped. "You're so young!" She shouted. Atsushi looked back at her. "Why are you so surprised? Don't I look young?" he asked. "Oh...you do look young, it's just...I was thinking more like twenty-one." she giggled.

"That's great though!" she shouted. Atsushi looked at her. He was so confused. "How come?" he asked.

"I'm fourteen." she said, smiling brightly. He was still confused, but she looked happier than she did earlier. So he just smiled. He continued to pack the equipment in the storeroom, he was told to clean it as well. He had planned to go home and be with Risa for a while, right after practice. But...

He heard the storeroom door squeak shut. He turned and seen Rena standing in front of it. Her head down, hair in her face. "Rena-Chan?" he asked. "What are you doing...?"

She glanced up at him and slowly walked over, fumbling with the ribbon on her uniform. "I like you, Otani-Sensei. You're always so kind to me. You always make me happy when I feel down." she replied, removing the ribbon. She placed it around his neck, using it to pull his face forward, and kissed him timidly. Atsushi's eyes went wide. He swiftly, pushed her away. "Rena-Chan, what do you think you're doing?" He demanded, opening the door. "I told you. I like you." she replied, walking back over and caressing the side of his face. Atsushi grabbed her wrist. "No! You can't just do things like this! I'm your teacher, and I'm a lot older than you. Think about it. It just isn't right." He shouted, grabbing his bag and exiting the gym.

Rena leaned against the wall. 'Otani-Sensei...I'll make you love me.' she thought, beginning to cry.

Atsushi rushed down the street. His hand on his lips. 'What the hell was that?' he thought, angrily. He entered the apartment, throwing his bag on the couch. "Koizumi?" He yelled. He heard a muffled "I'm in here!" From the bedroom. He walked in and seen her clutching at her swelled stomach. "H-hey! What's wrong?!" Risa glared at him. "I'm in labour!" she yelled. Atsushi's face turned white, as if he'd just seen a ghost. "L-labour...? NOW?!"

There you go! Some excitement! I wonder what the next chapter will bring...