DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gokusen or any of its characters; least of all, Shin and Kumiko. If I did, not only would Shinkumi be a happily married couple by now but I would have also been in talks with Jun and Yukie to get married!!! Sadly, I do not have any such power. So, I'm left with no choice but to write fan fiction. I assure you, I'm poor. I make no money doing this or anything else (I'm working but it's an unpaid internship…so, I'm short on cash). That's why, please don't sue me!

Author's Notes: First of all, thanks for all the reviews that my beloved Chapter 5 got! A special thanks and lots of hugs to Tomorrows Dust, A, okinawa haruhi, yurika'chii, TheSoulmater, shooting star 0160, Sazzi, blueprincess16, MakeLOVE29NotWAR, FreakChick42, Shi-Koi and Duke-of-Spades. I'd also like to thank everyone who added my story to their Favorite list, Story Alert list and those who added me to their Author Alert, not forgetting the kind people who took some time out to read my fic! I don't wish to take anymore of your time, so, here's chapter six for you. Enjoy!

CHAPTER SIX - TRUTH

"4 – 3 – 2 – 1, let's start!!" announced the dance instructor, clapping her hands.

All the couples around the room swayed to the beats of Latino music. Shin moved gracefully and Kumiko tried her best to match him. She stared at him, transfixed, as he turned her and pulled her close.

She breathed in his scent and felt overpowered. She wanted to smell more of him but decided against it. She was sure she'd forget the steps if she got any closer to Shin. But she couldn't exactly distance herself from him as they were dancing; they needed to be very close. After four minutes of dancing, the instructor asked them to stop.

'Finally!!!' thought Kumiko.

"Very nice! Very, very good!" she said, "All of you are doing brilliantly! So that's good progress for today! See you on Thursday! Bye class!!" she finished, dismissing everyone.

The room emptied slowly. Kumiko was still staring at Shin, astonished. Shin picked Kumiko's bag up along with his own and turned to look at her. She was gaping at him-

"Um, Yankumi?" he said softly tapping her arm. She jumped violently.

"Huh?" she shot him a questioning look.

"You seem weird today…" Shin commented, "Do you want to come over to my place and grab a quick bite?"

"Sure. Why not?" Kumiko said, without much thought.

Shin smiled, "So, what would you like to have for dinner?"

"I loved the curry you made the other day," said Kumiko nonchalantly.

"Sure. If you liked it so much…"

They drove back to Shin's apartment. Kumiko seemed lost about something-

"Meguri meguru kisetsu no tochuu de, nani iro no ashita o egakimasu ka? Tsuyoku tsuyoku shinjiaeta nara nani iro no mirai ga matteimasu ka?" Arashi sang softly.

"Shin?" said Kumiko suddenly at which Shin turned the radio's volume down a little, "How about I cook tonight's dinner?"

"Are you serious?"

"Damn serious. Remember I told you sometime ago that I would cook for you? I'll do it tonight."

"Ok, but do you know to make curry?"

"Well, I have been practicing it a little…"

"Promise me; whatever you cook won't be charred?"

"It won't! I swear!" she said with a tinkling laugh.

She remained silent for the rest of the journey. Shin watched her out of the corner of his eye. She was staring at the dashboard.

"You seem unusually silent today, Yankumi," Shin said, "Is something the matter?"

"Nothing much," lied Kumiko.

"Tell me what's wrong, will you?" said Shin irritably.

"Well, at first I was silent because you dance too well and I have to struggle really hard to keep up with you!"

Shin stared at her in disbelief, "And that's a reason to be this silent?"

"It is," said Kumiko gravely, "Anyway, and then I remembered that I'm hardly spending any time with Shinohara-san. I'm so busy with school and salsa classes that I'm too tired to do anything after that!"

"Have you told Shinohara-san about the salsa classes?"

"No and I don't want to either. He can be really traditional at times. I've told him I joined cooking classes."

"And can you cook anything at all?" asked Shin, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I can!" retorted Kumiko indignantly, "I'm learning to cook in my free evenings! Tetsu and Minoru are teaching me!"

"I see. How many times have you met Shinohara-san since the classes started?"

"About 3-4 times, I guess. And the classes have been on for a month and a half! So that is one long time period."

"When was the last time you met him?"

"Two weeks ago. I do speak to him over the phone but that's not enough, is it?"

"So you're guilty, huh?" said Shin eyeing her carefully.

"Yes, I think I'm guilty. I'm his girlfriend and I ought to spend more time with him," she said tiredly.

"Are you his girlfriend just because you have to be?" asked Shin.

Kumiko opened her mouth to say something but couldn't. She didn't know what to say to that. Sawada had hit the right spot. She could feel the love between Shinohara-san and her decrease. While that may well be because she was unable to spend time with him, she was getting increasingly attached to Shin. Could it be feelings for him?

"Never mind what I just said," smiled Shin, "My place is here."

Shin observed her as they went up to his apartment. She had a strange look in her eyes. She appeared to be worried yet elated about something.

'Women sure are tough to fathom,' said a tiny voice in the back of his head.

Shin unlocked the door to the apartment and they went in. Kumiko bounded into the kitchen. Shin shook his head and smiled to himself. He settled down on the couch to watch some TV.

Kumiko trudged around the kitchen and tried not to think about what Shin had said before. It was something she needed a lot of time to think over and this certainly wasn't the right moment to be doing so. Instead, she tried to focus on the songs which were playing on TV. She got out the vessels and ingredients from the kitchen cabinet and set them down on the counter. Rolling up her sleeves, she said, "Yoshi! Faito-oh!"

Kumiko began to cook. At first, she was being very careful but she was lost in her cooking in no time. She hummed a happy tune and stirred the curry. Shin looked over his shoulder and smiled. She seemed happy. That was all he wanted.

"Sawada, I can't wait for you to try this out!" she said in a cheerful voice.

"I can't wait to try it out myself!" he said lovingly.

"Come here and tell me if it's good," ordered Kumiko.

Shin smiled and went over to her. She scooped up some curry with her finger and tasted a bit of it.

"Hmmm…I don't understand if the salt's in the right measure. Taste some?" Kumiko said, beckoning him to lick it off her finger. Shin blushed. Kumiko clicked her tongue impatiently, "What is wrong with you? Hurry up!"

Shin glanced at her quickly once before licking her finger. The curry tasted good.

"It's great. Don't make it any more salty."

"That's a relief! I really never get if I'm going right with food or not. I guess I'll never be a good cook."

"Shut up. You're already a good cook."

"Thanks, Sawada," smiled Kumiko and patted his cheek. Shin tried hard not to blush. He shook his head and went back to the couch.

"It's almost done!" announced Kumiko, "Yoshi! I can't believe I cooked a full meal today!!"

Shin exclaimed. The music channel was playing 'Namida no Hurricane' (A/N: Translates to "Hurricane of Tears"). He increased the volume and went to Kumiko-

"Come on, let's practice dancing. This is the perfect song to practice salsa!" he said, taking her hand.

"Shin!" Kumiko said, "I don't want to dance and feel inferior again."

"That is exactly why we must dance!! Now come before the song ends!!"

"Okay," she said, turning off the flame and holding his hand tight.

"Sennen ni ikkai no koi nante mon ja nai, futari no tame in sora to daichi ga ugoiteta. Shakariki na hi yo Come Back!" (A/N: I don't think we need a translation here…it's not like it means anything in this context. But you absolutely must hear it, if you haven't already. It'll help you to imagine them dancing better!)

Kumiko swayed happily. Shin rocked her back and forth. They frolicked around happily, mixing their own dance steps in between. He turned her and pulled her into his arms, striking a mock-sexy pose until they both burst out laughing.

"Oh my God," giggled Kumiko clutching her sides, "If we dance like that in class, we'll be kicked out in no time."

"Yeah, I will be. You danced really well," said Shin gazing into the depths of her eyes.

"You think so?" she asked, looking genuinely surprised.

"Absolutely," he said in the same way. They both looked at each other for sometime. The song ended. The next song began to play. Shin bent a little and offered his hand to Kumiko in a gentlemanly manner. Entranced, she accepted.

"'Ai ga areba heiwa da' to - I heard someone say
Dareka ga kuchi ni shiteita – 'If there is love, there's peace'
Unazuku hito mo ireba, utagau hito mo iru - and one may agree with that, or not

Kurushimi ga aru kara koso - Whenever I was in pain
Anata wo dakishimeru toki - you'd hold me closely
Sono ude no yasashi sa wo - And it was in the warmth of those
Heiwa to kanjiru no deshou" - arms that I felt peace

Kumiko felt like her eyes were glued to Shin's face. She now noticed that the lights were dimmed. They slow danced to the song. His hand, the one at her waist, tightened. She slowly wrapped her arms around Shin's neck. As they moved slower and slower, she felt her pulse quicken. And suddenly, as if someone had rolled up the blinds from over a window and the sunlight came pouring in, she was struck by realization. She had known the answer all along. She just never admitted to it. But it was impossible to deny it any longer. She was in love with Shin…

"Kasaneta kono te wo - This time I don't

Kondo wa hanasanai - let go off my heart

Shinjiru chikara ga - Because the power of belief

Ai wo jiyuu ni suru…" - will set love free

Everything was clear now. She loved him. The reason she had been upset ever since her class graduated was because she loved him! She had always dismissed it as being attached to her first class. But when she was disturbed in her relationship with Shinohara, she had no answer. This was it. Shin was the reason she couldn't love Shinohara truly. She loved him, that's why. And he deserved every cent of her love. It was his shoulder she had cried on when she was upset with Shinohara. He had heard her out on every occasion and advised her like a true friend would. He had always been there for her, through thick and thin. He had stood by her and suggested ways to make her relationship work. And, he had been far kinder and understanding than Shinohara…

"Yakusoku to iu watashi-tachi no KONPASU - Though our we said our promises would be our compass

Dakede wa kono koi ga hougaku wo mioshinai no…" - we lost sight of the direction this love was going in

Kumiko looked away, unable to meet his gaze. No, it wasn't right. He was her ex-student. Most people still thought of them as teacher-student. Their relationship wouldn't work; not in a million years. And she wasn't even sure if he loved her. Yet, when she looked at him again, somehow, that contradiction died a quick death. He was looking at her intensely. She blushed. He was holding her very close to him and his grip on her waist was very tight. It was as if time froze right there. Shin's hands cupped her face. Kumiko blinked. Her arms around his neck tightened even more. His face seemed to get closer. She pulled him towards herself. She could now feel his breath on her face. Shin closed his eyes. Kumiko followed suit. She wasn't afraid of anything anymore. She knew she loved Shin and that was that. She edged even closer. Just when Shin was about to bridge the tiny gap between them, Shinohara's voice rang in Kumiko's head, "I love you," and faded away with a sad note to it. That's when Kumiko remembered that she was still his girlfriend and did have some feelings for him, no matter if their degree couldn't even match up to Shin's. She still needed time to think over something this huge. She was about to snog her student, for crying out loud! And while, just a while ago, she was very clear she liked Shin, it could have easily sprung up because of the gratitude she had towards him for being nice to her. Reluctantly, she broke the embrace. Shin's eyes snapped open. Kumiko's eyes were glistening with tears. He looked at her in concern. Her lip trembled as she turned away from to wipe the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"It's nothing," she said, wiping her tears quickly, "I, er, something went into my eyes. I…" she stammered, "Um, let's eat dinner before it gets cold," she said hurriedly and turned away, her back facing Shin. He watched her knowingly as she laid the dishes and sighed.

'Why did I start crying?' Kumiko thought as she lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling. After she laid dinner, Shin had conveniently changed the topic and they were both laughing and chatting as if nothing had happened at all, while deep down, they were both waiting to be alone to ponder over the situation. They waited patiently until then and talked to each other about frivolous things neither of them cared about. Shin dropped her home but didn't come in to talk to Ojiichan and the others like he normally did. She knew he wanted to be alone and didn't even press on him to stay. Shin may have been a good actor but he was too disturbed today to hide his emotions. And here she was, lying awake and unable to figure out why she had reacted so strangely to Shin's embrace.

'I know I was probably guilty, I understand but I cried? I cried because I was cheating on Shinohara-san? It sure is sad but not something to cry about, come on!' Suddenly she had another worry in her mind. Did she truly love Shin or was that hormonal impulse she gave in to a while ago?

Sitting up in her bed, she turned on the bedside lamp and looked at the time. It was well past midnight. She switched the light off again and stared into the darkness. It was still bothering her. Why was she always so unsure? Back in his house, she just knew she loved him, so why the doubts now? She knew she was more comfortable with Shin than with Shinohara. Still, was this love? With all her unanswered questions and a frown on her face, Kumiko drifted off to sleep.

"I think I scared her, dude," said Shin cursing himself under his breath, "What took over me? I should've gone easy. All is fine until I am suddenly overcome by impulse and I pull her close and…damn! I just spoiled everything that took me so long to fix."

"Take it easy, Shin," reassured Uchi, "Stop doing this to yourself. Take a deep breath. You said she was going to kiss you too, right?"

"Yeah but she pushed me away and started crying. Doesn't that mean I scared her?"

"Hmmm…she didn't leave immediately after that, did she?"

"No, she stayed back for dinner. We were discussing casual stuff like TV shows and movies…"

"Well, that means she cried not because you scared her but because she got guilty about cheating on Shinohara. So don't worry, buddy, she loves you. She was ready to kiss you, mate!" said Uchi patting Shin's arm as Shin gulped down his fourth glass of whiskey.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Easy tiger!" said Uchi, "Don't empty the bar. Leave something for others to drink too. And now because you're drunk, I'll have to drive."

"Yeah, so?" Shin watched him with a questioning look.

"Nothing, go ahead and drink more if you want a hangover tomorrow," said Uchi and sipped his own mocktail.

"Uchi," murmured Shin as Uchi laid him on his bed, "Everything will work out, right?" he asked his words slurring and his eyes struggling to keep open.

"Yes, Shin. Trust me it will," Uchi said softly and turned off the lights, "Sleep well," he said and took a pillow and a sheet with him to sleep in the living room.

Author's Notes: Yes, I give you permission to kill me. The only reason I took this long to update this chapter is because I wasn't sure of what I wanted to do with the ending parts and because after long hours of working and studying, I'm left with no stamina to type out another thing into Microsoft Word (if you get what I mean). Anyway, I did manage to end it off suitably. Hope the salsa portions aren't very stupid, by the way. I'm finished with chapter 7 and most of 8. But I have only just penned them down. The most tedious part – typing is still remaining! I don't know when I'll get done with that. But I'll try injecting some energy into myself and do it fast! Anyway, let me start my usual rant, please review!! If you like it, review. If you don't like it, still review and tell me where I can improve. All praise and criticism is welcome with open arms. So, I'll take off now. Do drop a line! Until next time…! Ja neeeee!!