Man so sorry you guys, for such a long update. I don't know what's gotten into me. Well anyhow, I want to apologise for you guys and let's just enjoy this next chapter. You know guys; I've been thinking… there haven't been new characters at all huh. It's always the same guys yeah? Well anyhow I'll try to keep having new people then so let's just get this over with k? I don't even know what I'm talking about now lol. I'm just going to continue. Oh and thanks so much guys for reviewing this fic up to over 100!!! I haven't gotten that many review for one fic ever!!!! This is all because of you guys, god bless you all!! And thank you for reading my fanfic!!! I hope I won't let you guys down!!!
One Piece: High School Edition
Arc 2: Black Cat Bone
Chapter 9: The haunting memories of the past
"You knew Kuro since primary school?"
Paula shifted her glasses before looking up to her fellow working colleagues. "Kuro and I are sort of like childhood friends." She added another sugar cube in her coffee while pausing her story. "I've known him since elementary school; we even went to the same high school and graduate together." Robin sipped her coffee while Brook munched on a biscuit.
"On top of that, we even went to the same college together," Paula sipped her coffee. "He took accounting while I studied home economics."
What kind of studies is your college specialised in? Brook and Robin asked in their mind.
"If you ask me Paula," said Robin. "I think that fate brought you two together."
"You think so?" Paula asked.
"Think about it," Robin started. "You guys were together since elementary school until high school. You two went to the same college and happened to enrol in the same school for job application."
"Coincidence?" Brook asked. "I don't think so." He sipped his tea. "It sounds more like someone is setting you two up."
"Who, God?" Paula asked sarcastically. Paula sipped her coffee while watching her fellow colleague minding their own business. Robin is trying to fix her coffee taste while Brook scared an innocent bystander.
"But that's not the point I'm talking about," Paula started. Both colleagues are fixing at her. "I'm worried of Kuro's attitude."
Brook stopped drinking his tea midway, he flashbacked to early this morning when he saw Kuro by the staff building. He doesn't feel normal and appeared to be in the dark, this is somewhat un-normal according to Brook.
"What do you mean?" Robin asked.
"Kuro has always been an outsider," Paula explained. "He never really fit in with the other kids, sometimes I even wonder if he has any friends."
"Wait!" Robin interrupted Paula's story. "Weren't you his friend back then?"
Paula giggled quietly from hearing Robin's question. Robin is confused in the situation, she looked towards Brook who smirked and laugh quietly. He seems to understand.
"Robin, Kuro was a geek ok," Paula explained. "I was a popular hotshot chick back in the old days, if I befriend with a geek like him…"
"It would wipe you a bad reputation from the popular kids correct?" Brook finished the sentence with a question. Paula nodded a response. Robin groaned in annoyance.
"Here we go," Robin grunted. "Again with the popular and the loser group, I see that high school hasn't changed much since I left it."
"Which side were you in my dear Miss Robin?" Brook asked politely. Robin looked up to the skeleton man and rolled her eyes. Obviously she's finding this whole conversation to be annoying and a waste of time.
"That would be neither," Robin answered. "I was no loser nor popular, I was myself and wish not to be in any circle while I'm in high school. I spend most of my time reading in the school library."
"In other words you were a nerd!" said Brook and Paula at the same time. Robin flinched when hearing those harsh words stabbed her heart. She picked up her teaspoon and stirred her coffee in a foul mood.
"Well excuse me for being a nerd!" Robin pouted while her two new colleagues laughed. Paula pulled herself together and returned to the subject in regards of Kuro.
"But anyway guys, back to the topic about Kuro," said Paula.
"What about him?" Robin asked rudely. Obviously she's mad for being ridiculed and would not want to listen on the current topic situation.
"He never changed," Paula said simply. That message may be short but it delivered the important message in such small sentence.
"Isn't that good?" Robin asked. "Changes are usually bad."
"No you misunderstood me," Paula sipped her coffee. "What I mean is that, he's still that outsider kid Kuro from elementary school."
Brook paid full attention to Paula, he's never been serious to these kind of stuff or anything in regards of other people's social life. But whatever it is that relates to Kuro, he needs to know. That sudden chill he felt on his spine from watching Kuro this morning worries him. And the key to this whole mystery that relates to Kuro's dark presence is rest on Paula's memory of the man in the past.
"From elementary school until today," Paula continued. "He's still the same. He doesn't want to go out, or to go socialise with other people, he just wanted to be left alone." Paula paused for a while, she looked at her black coffee. It's as dark as Kuro's heart and attitude towards other people. "I thought that he would change as he grew older, be more sociable and outgoing. But he's still the same."
"Maybe he's just different from anybody else," Robin suggested. "Some people rather concentrate on their job seriously."
"Even though," Paula talked back. "The most hardworking worker in the work industry still take a day or couple of hours off to chill and hang out with the other people."
"What was his family like?" Brook asked Paula. Paula and Robin looked towards the skeleton man who has been quiet all this time. Paula raised her eyebrow questioningly.
"Just wondering," Brook re-assured. "Yo ho ho ho!" He need to shook of the suspicion off, he doesn't want people to find out on what he sensed this morning.
Robin think through what Brook was asking to Paula, some mislead from parents can determine the child's personality. Paula took of her glasses and put the edge in her mouth.
"Well I don't know much about Kuro's mother," said Paula. "But I do know that his father is a top elite teacher in some university, and I think his brother was a famous engineer."
"Wow!" Robin exclaimed. "Sounds like he comes from a genius root of family."
"Indeed," Paula agreed. She put her glasses back on, she faced Brook who is quietly sipping his tea. "Why do you ask Brook?"
Brook set his cup down and picked up his last biscuit. "Do you think that his genius root of the family can lead to his misfit personality?" Brook asked to Paula.
Robin sipped her coffee, she looked towards Paula who is fixing her eyes straight onto the skeleton teacher. Robin tried not to get any attention of both colleagues; they seem like going on a head-to-head battle.
"Maybe," replied Paula. "But no father can be that strict to their child."
"Yo ho ho ho!" Brook laughed. "You never know Miss Paula. You never know what can happen." Brook finished biting the last biscuit. He took out his wallet and left some money on the table. He took his cane and walked away from the two girls out the door.
"You're leaving already Brook-san?" Robin asked the skeleton man.
"I have something to attend to," he replied not turning his back to the girls. "Oh and to answer your question Miss Robin… Yes you're not being strict enough as a teacher." Brook bowed the waitress kindly before he walked through the café door, he took the path to Grand Line High as he hummed a catchy tune.
Paula watched Brook walked away leaving the two girls alone. Paula knew that it's not like Brook for asking questions about Kuro, and he's not jolly as she used to know. It's like there's something going on to his mind that he's not telling to anyone else. It's not like Brook to keep secrets, what kind of secrets is it that he's hiding from his friends.
"Do you think Brook is hiding something from us?" Paula asked Robin.
"Do you think I'm not strict enough as a teacher?"
Back in Grand Line High
Recess has passed and the 3rd period has come upon the school. Kuro sat at his table in accounting class working on his tasks as a teacher. The assigned exercises for the students are written on the blackboard giving the quiet atmosphere in the class. He looked around the students making sure that they are doing their proper assigned work. He will not tolerate any student who disobeyed his order as a teacher and slack off for the whole accounting period.
Kuro has always been the strict teacher, the one who wouldn't loosen up and take education as the most important thing. He strived for perfection, not only on the students but for every other people like the teachers. His father is an excellent and respectable professor in a university, and he would be very proud to watch his 2 sons to grow up following his father's footstep. He remembered what his father exactly told him back then when he was a child, his words buried Kuro's mind.
Flashback
A young Kuro sat on the dining table, his father dressed in a lab-coat sat next to him. He definitely looked exactly like Kuro, the only difference is the colour of their eyes.
"Kuro," his father said. "You are a gifted child, possessed with potential knowledge more than any other children of your age."
Kuro looked away from his father, he did not look to be very pleased with his father's words. He took his glasses off showing a bruised mark under his left eye, his father gasped when he saw his son's scar.
"The kids at school hit me again today," said Kuro sadly. "They called me a loser and a nerd."
"They're just jealous of you my son," his father soothed his feeling. "They're jealous because you possessed something that they don't have." Kuro's father takes his son's glasses and placed it back on his son's face.
"How come the other kids didn't protect me?" he asked. Kuro's father looked questioningly. "There are other kids out there but they didn't protect me."
"That's because they're jealous of your knowledge that they wanted to see you suffer," his father explained.
"My teacher said that because I didn't want to make friends, no one will protect me," Kuro's tears can be seen. His father took a tissue by the table and wiped it off his son's eyes.
"Don't listen to that teacher of yours," he said. "She's just a second-rate teacher who just didn't know what she's talking about." He lifted his son's chin up looking at him in the eyes, his smile tears off his sadness away. "From now on me and your brother will be your friend, you have nothing to worry about."
Kuro shook off his father's hand, he looked at him again with a sad-looking face. "Why am I different from you and aniki?" he asked. "Why am I not as smart as aniki and you?"
Kuro's father stood up and looked out at the window nearby the dining table. "Kuro, you're tainted with your mother's eyes," he explained. "Your dumb mother who left us, she has stained you with her eyes!"
Kuro knew about this, unlike his brother, Kuro possessed his mother's eyes. His father told him that it's a curse left from his mother, but Kuro always thought that it's a reminder of his beloved mother. His father has always told him how he's different compared to his brother, and he is willing to change Kuro into just like his brother.
"Fear not my dear son," said Kuro's father. He approached his son and held him by the shoulders. "For I will erase those stains your mother left you, and I will make you to be just like me and your brother."
Kuro doesn't want to forget the memories of his mother, and he wants to live a normal life. But a life with no friends is not necessarily the answer he wanted, he has no one to count or to rely on. The only one he can count and rely on is only his father, juts like he said earlier. His father and his brother are the only people he can count on, no one else wanted to befriend with him. Kuro has no choice but to give in to his father and follow the road he prepared for the young boy, the road of perfection.
End of flashback
Ever since that day, Kuro started to walk on his family's footstep onto the reach of perfection. He followed his father's orders and studied hard shielding himself from everything else that happens around the world. He neglects himself from making new friends or meeting anybody else. He buried himself in studying for making up the stains that was left to him from his mother, so he can reach up to his father and brother.
"Kuro's acting strange," Usopp whispered to his desk mate. Chopper did not look up to his friend, he's burying himself to his studies. Usopp waited for response, but none came at him. Annoyed for bring ignored from his chibi friend, he grabbed one of Chopper's horn and shook it violently. Chopper swatted Usopp's hand with his hoof, Usopp snickered.
"What?!" Chopper whispered quite harshly.
"Kuro's acting strange," Usopp repeated. He pointed to the dazed teacher with his pen. "Take a look."
Chopper decided to follow Usopp's order and looked at the accounting teacher. He's looking at his desk but he's not writing or doing any work. He looks like he's spacing out, but Chopper still doesn't understand what's so strange of a teacher doing so. Chopper knows that everybody wants to space out once in a while, that's what made people normal.
"What's so strange about that?" Chopper asked Usopp.
"I know Kuro-sensei," said Usopp still looking at the dazed teacher. "And I can tell you that one of the things he never do is spacing out." Chopper looked at the accounting teacher again, he is indeed not attached to reality at this very moment. Although Chopper has only been in Grand Line High for 2 weeks, he knew that Kuro is one of the sensei he needs to watch out for. He's usually hard-working or keeping a close eye on the students, for the first time seeing him spacing out is something strange to Chopper.
"And drink," Usopp added. "I don't think he also drink." Chopper sweatdropped, he doesn't need to know what Usopp is thinking about his least favourite sensei. "Or play video games! Or play sports! Or watch movie!"
"Uhh Usopp," Chopper called. "I don't think I need to know that."
"And date!" Usopp is getting excited over this. "Definitely! He doesn't look like the type that dates."
"Ok that's enough," said Chopper. "He might hear you."
"Maybe's he's gay," Usopp exclaimed.
"Shut up, you idiot!" Chopper whispered louder.
"Do you think he's gay?" Usopp asked Chopper.
"Shut up! I'm not involved anymore!" Chopper looked away from Usopp and go through his accounting text book. He doesn't want to get trouble, especially from Kuro-sensei.
Usopp looked around; he spotted Kaya and Vivi sitting behind him. Usopp knows Kaya, Nami introduced her to Luffy's friends last week while Luffy introduced Chopper to Nami and friends.
"Hey girls," Usopp called to Vivi and Kaya.
"Busy," Vivi replied similar to Chopper's first.
"What is it Usopp-kun?" Kaya asked sweetly. "Can it wait?"
Kaya is a cute girl, through what Usopp was thinking. He had been seeing lots of cute girls lately from school, but through all he started to think that none may match to Kaya's. Usopp didn't know Kaya that much, the only thing he knew was that she came from a wealthy family. Come to think of it, he never quite really ever got into a long conversation with her. This may be his chance.
"Quick question," he said to Kaya. Kaya perked to Usopp wondering what he's going to say.
"Do you think Kuro-sensei is gay?" Usopp asked bluntly.
Kaya gasped lightly, Vivi messed up her writing composure. Usopp snickered at Kaya's reaction and at Vivi's misfortune.
"Hey don't ask her this kind of stuff!" Vivi harshly quoted.
"Just wondering," Usopp joked. "Nobody asked you Vivi."
"You do know that if he heard you, you're going to get your ass kicked," warned Vivi.
"Relax, he's off day-dreaming in candy land," Usopp replied between his laughs. "What do you think Kaya-san?"
"Usopp-kun," said Kaya quietly. Usopp tried to look at her positive response, she withdrew her face away from Usopp's. "I don't find that to be funny at all."
Usopp tried to see Kaya's face-reaction, she won't allow him to do so. Vivi can see though, she appeared to be sad and angry at the same time.
"Excuse me but I really need to finish this," said Kaya. She lifted up her text book covering her face from his.
Usopp is loss for words, what has he done wrong here? All he did was just trying to make her laugh. He looked at Vivi, she has a scowl on smacked at her face.
"Nice work dumbass," she said.
"What did I do?" he asked innocently.
"Next time you try to make a joke," Vivi lift up her textbook similar to Kaya. "Think of others' feelings first." She shield her face away from Usopp similar to Kaya with the textbook.
"Huh?" Usopp asked to himself. "What?!"
After class
Kaya unlocked her locker and return her accounting book inside it. 4th period is going to start in 5 minutes, she hastily searched for her math books. She found the text book hidden between the English and the geography folders, and also the notebook next to it. She picked both books up and quickly closes her locker.
"Hi," greeted Usopp from behind the locker door. Kaya did not look at him or reply back, she ignored him completely. Since she's not going to say anything, perhaps he would like to start.
"Listen about earlier…"
"I don't want to talk about it!" her reply was harsh. She picked up her bag and walked towards the math class. Usopp followed her behind, lucky for him he has math with her too.
"I just want to say I'm sorry," he apologised still following her behind. Kaya pretend not to notice the poor young fellow chasing her behind. They both passed Kuro's accounting class, Kuro is still there erasing the white board. They both entered the classroom right next to Kuro's just in time the bell rang.
"Are you going to ignore me for the rest of the period?" Usopp asked not taking his eyes off her.
Not wanting to sit next to Usopp and listen to his rambling comment, she quickly picked up the first seat that is already occupied with another student. Without asking that person, she threw the book on the desk and sat down quickly. The student who was sitting next to Kaya jumped a little when he saw Kaya sitting right next to him.
"Uhh hi," he greeted blankly.
"Hello," she smiled. "You don't mind right?"
"No actually, but I think my friend does," he pointed to another guy stood next to Usopp. He doesn't look to be very pleased.
"Sit down somewhere else Yosaku," Usopp shooed away the friend. "Johnny, let's switch places."
"Please don't," said Kaya to Johnny. That's all he need to hear from denying to switch places with Usopp.
"No way Usopp-aniki," Johnny objected. "It's not like I get a girl sit next to me everyday." He moved towards Usopp closer and whispered in his ear. "Please don't take this happiness away from me aniki."
Usopp pushed Johnny away and sighed. There's nothing more Usopp can do now, the math teacher walked in and announce the students to take their seat. Usopp left Kaya for now; he walked all the way to the back of the class sitting on the only non-occupied seat left.
"Tough luck huh aniki," said his desk mate. Usopp groaned, it happened to be none other than Johnny's friend Yosaku.
"Who's the girl?" he asked.
"Kaya," Usopp replied. "I pissed her off for some reason so I tried to apologise to her."
Yosaku looked at the two people sitting at the middle row. Johnny is trying to talk to her which resulted the teacher throwing the chalk at his head. He quickly quiet down while Kaya giggled silently. Yosaku looked at the bad mood Usopp, he looked at Kaya again. He repeated doing so vice-versa angering Usopp more.
"What?!" he growled.
"Usopp-aniki, you must have been a real asshole to anger an angel like her," Yosaku answered.
"Nobody ask you idiot!" Usopp snarled at Yosaku.
"What did you do?" Yosaku is curious to know.
"I was just trying to make her laugh and jokingly ask her if she think Kuro-sensei is gay," Usopp explained.
Yosaku quickly covered Usopp's mouth as soon as he hear the strict sensei's name. Usopp slapped Yosaku's hand away annoyed at his action.
"What the hell was that for?" he asked. Yosaku pulled Usopp's ear and audibly whisper in his ear.
"Kuro-sensei is on the other side of this room," he whispered very quietly. "Some say that his hearing is so good, he can listen to noises coming in from the next classroom."
Usopp rolled his eyes and pushed Yosaku away from his face. "That's stupid! How the hell can he hear through these walls?" Usopp knocked the wall twice showing the full proof of the existence of the class boundaries to Yosaku. "No loser like him can hear what we're saying here! Even if we are on the back of the class!"
"Usopp-aniki," whispered Yosaku. "I'll watch my mouth if I were you."
"Relax Yosaku," said Usopp taking out his math books. "What's the worst thing that could happen?"
Immediately, a sound of a slammed door heard from the outside of the class. The students including the sensei flinched after hearing the sudden loud noise. After the door noise, a sound of footsteps is heard, sound like someone is running in the hallway.
"What was that all about?" Kaya asked Johnny.
"Beats me."
Hallway
Kuro-sensei walked as fast as he can towards the nearest water closet for men. He is in no rush for a certain business; he is furious and angry at all of the things that are around him. He pushed the men toilet door and rush in towards the nearest water taps. He threw his glasses down and turn on the tap giving him the necessary water needed. The cold and cooling water won't light out the fiery rage Kuro is feeling in him. He threw couple of splashes on his face hoping to release his inner anger steam out. He turned the water off and is breathing intensely. He looked up to the face mirror staring at his own mother's eyes.
"So I'm not perfect am I father?" Kuro asked to himself. He bends down and pick up his glasses on the floor returning it back on his face. He looked at the mirror again only to see his own father's reflection instead of his. His breathing is getting faster and faster, a hint of anger can be found somewhere in it.
"This is all your fault father!" he said to the reflection. The reflection stood still looking at him with those big old fixed pestered eyes.
"It's your own fault that I'm not perfect!!" he yelled at the mirror. "If you hadn't fucked that vile woman in the first place I wouldn't be cursed with these eyes!"
Kuro is losing mental control, the image of his father on the mirror stood there watching his son behind the looking glass. Kuro come closer to the mirror hoping to slam his head to it, ending his miserable life as a teacher. He stopped seconds before his head collide with the mirror, a change of heart. He looked up to the mirror to see his reflection once more, he laughed quietly to himself. His laughter gets louder and louder, and soon before he knows it he's laughing out loud to himself inside the male washroom.
"You want to see perfection father?" he asked his father's reflection who returned once more. "I'll show you perfection!!"
He laughed by himself again, Kuro hold onto his forehead keeping himself from falling off on his knees. His laughter subsides seconds later. He pulled his hair back and adjust his glasses properly with his hand palm. He turned back to the mirror, his own reflection has return. He adjusted his suit while laughing to himself quietly this time.
"While I at it," he said to the reflection. "I might as well teach those kids a little lesson for calling me a loser!"
Kuro walked away from the mirror leaving the male washroom to return to his classroom. Unknown to him, there was someone in the male washroom hiding in one of the toilet cubicle.
"Yo ho ho ho?"
I'M AFRAID I HAVE TO STOP THERE!! BUT JUST LIKE REQUESTED, THIS IS ONE LONG CHAPTER!!
OK GUYS I'LL BE FRANK WITH YOU, I'M SORRY FOR BEING ALMOST A MONTH LATE. SECOND, I NEED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I AM GOING TO BE WORKING REALLY HARD FOR MY UNI FROM NOW ON SO YOU WON'T BE SEEING THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR A LITTLE WHILE. I'M REALLY SORRY ABOUT THAT BUT I'M IN A REALLY TIGHT PINCH AT THE MOMENT AND IF I SCREW UP I CAN GET HEAVILY PENALISED!!
APART FROM THAT I THANK YOU ALL FOR GIVING A WHOOPING OVER 100 REVIEWS FOR ME!! NO FIC OF MINE EVER GONE THAT FAR AND THIS POPULAR, I THANK YOU FOR BRINGING ME THIS!!
OH AND IF YOU GUYS STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT KURO'S "MENTAL ILLNESS" MORE WILL BE REVEALED SOON IN LATER CHAPTERS SO PLEASE HANG ON!! THANKS GUYS AND WISH ME LUCK!!