It was with a bit of surprise, when she found Shinohara Tomoya, waiting for her by the door that morning, on her way to school. Kumiko froze where she stood, mouth agape, before recovering, as the familiar wave of saccharine happiness washed over her.

"Shi-Shinohara-sensei...w-what brings you here, this morning?"

Shinohara Tomoya watched her amusedly, as she stuttered out her greeting, his chest loosening, as she did. As much as he tried to deny it, even though he had already decided to give her up, it didn't change the fact that he was in love with her. When she came to see him, when his father got sent to the hospital, and he had to come home, part of him still wondered what she would have said, had he mustered up the guts to say what he really wanted to.

"If I asked you to leave everything behind, and be with me...could you do it?" He asked, that day.

He knew she realized that it wasn't just an idle question, and would have asked him to elaborate, had she not gotten a call from the police about her students. But he had left it at that. And (he realized) the fact that she opted to prioritize her students' situation, meant that she might not be ready to answer it. And he had let it go at that.

At the end of the day, the difference between him and Sawada Shin was that, when it came right down to it, the younger man never hesitated.

Even then, when Shin had realized his feelings for her, he had held back only because he knew it would only cause her trouble, and might make things strange between them. That, and the fact that Shin was aware of Kumiko's feelings for him (Tomoya), and wanted to give her the freedom to make her choice (despite his apparent jealousy over it). But the moment young Sawada had graduated, he had confessed, cards on the table (well, maybe not all, but definitely a lot of it), and though he had been rejected, he had never once strayed from the road that would always lead him back to her.

No matter the outcome, he always chose to stick it out.

It didn't matter what he had to give up to do so, or the possibility that he might fail. For Shin, the one loss he refused to accept was always Kumiko. For Shin, even if he lost, and she ended up choosing someone else, as long as he could stay with her, he would accept it (though, truth be told, Shin probably didn't even consider losing to anyone. Young ones sure were arrogant, these days).

Which was why he (Tomoya)decided to give up. Because even feeling as he did for her, he truly believed that if there was a man who truly deserved her, it was none other than Sawada Shin. its just that...although it was true and he definitely believed it, it didn't change the way he felt about her.

It didn't change the fact that he wished things could be different. That he could turn his back on his familial obligations/relationships, to stay with her.

It didn't change the fact that everytime she smiled at him like that, he both hated his inability to do anything about it, and resented Sawada Shin maybe just a little bit, because the younger man could.

"Ohayo, Kumiko-chan." He responded, giving her a bright smile that more or less concealed his less-than-positive feelings. "Shin's got an early meeting today, so I thought I might drop you off at Shirokin, since I'm headed that way."

He saw her usual happy expression go on full blast mode as she suppressed the urge to punch her fist in the air, in elation. This made him smile genuinely, hearing her positive reply, as he proceeded to open the door to the passenger seat, to let her in.

And as he drove towards the Shirokin area, he would look at her, every now and then, noting the happy expression on her face, knowing it was because he was here with her. At this, he would once again go through the same conflicting emotions he felt, everytime he was with her, though making certain it did not reflect on his face, so as not to worry her. Now that Shin was going to take over for him, the time he would no longer be able to see her was almost upon them, and though part of him knew it would only hurt him more...this, in the very least, he could give her and himself.

These short moments...before it really was goodbye, for good.

He stopped, just outside the gate to the school, and as she was about to exit the car, he caught her hand. He heard her gasp in surprise, as a charming flush swamped her face.

He smiled.

"Ne...Kumiko. I was thinking...if things work out, I'll be turning things over to Shin and...do you mind if we have lunch later on? It just occured to me that I've never really taken you out to eat, before." He asked.

Her eyes went wide, and seemed to sparkle from sheer pleasure. "Of course!! I'd love to!!" she answered, excitedly. "Pick me up at 12, 'kay? See you then!"

He let out a sigh as he watched her dash into the school building. What did it matter? Either way, the separation would hurt him. He figured he'd at least try to be happy, in these last days he would get to spend with her. Shin was going to be with her the rest of his life, anyway. Surely a few days...a month or two would make very little difference.

With this decided, Shinohara Tomoya took one more look at the place he last caught sight of her, and drove off.

0o0o0

"What can I do for you, Commissioner?" He asked in a dry voice, as his guest sat down from accross him. Shin had to mentally remind himself not to roll his eyes. Not that it particularly mattered, but either way, there was nothing to be gained by provoking the older man, who was already taking offense at the very stiff greeting he had provided.

"The same thing I had always expected you to do, which is to succeed me, yet despite your age, you still insist in this foolishness, because of a meaningless infatuation." Was the irritated reply.

They ordered their drinks.

Shin observed his quarry, hiding his thoughts behind a bored veneer. Well, he had expected this confrontation. It was a bit early, but he could handle it. He wondered if the man had gotten the goods on him, yet. They wouldn't really meet if the other wasn't confident in whatever leverage he might have...or believed to have.

In a way, as much as he hated to admit it, they were a lot alike.

"You might as well tell me what you've got. We both know you wouldn't call me out like this, otherwise." He sighed in resignation. While everything was going as expected, it still worried him to a degree. While he knew the game's 'players' well enough to second-guess them, there was never a 100 percent assurance that the plan would fall into place the way he expected it to, since people were capable of change.

His guest gave him a forbidding look.

"As my son, I expected no less. I you are aware of my terms, correct?" The older man asked. Much as he wanted to put his son to task at the lack of formality when speaking to him, he knew that at this point, it would not be heeded, either way. He could only grit his teeth in dismay as he heard the other's rude reply.

"You said it yourself. There is only one result you're interested in."

While he could understand how this might not be welcome news, he was more than a little suspicious at this seemingly docile reaction. There was no hint of fear, or surprise. Almost as if he had predicted this outcome. And not for the first time did he wonder just how much Shin knew, and if this was, perhaps...a trap.

But he had proof, and fabricated or not, it would hamper the Ooedo's activities greatly, if the police had to double-check every transaction, at this time. Especially with that woman's ascencion to the leadership. And if he knew his son, this was something Shin would never accept. In this, Shin had always been strangely consistent. His need to pretect his ex-homeroom teacher. So...could this lack of resistance meant that he simply couldn't find a way out? he thought. Since he wasn't one to beat around the bush, he produced a small, inconspicuous device.

"I assume you recognize this?" He asked.

"If you're asking me if that's the flashdrive that was misplaced a few days back, then that's a yes."

Hmmm... The elder Sawada wondered, definitely suspicious. Didn't even try some ploy to convince him the thing might be a dud. Just admitted it right out. Definitely up to something.

"I know who it is, too." Shin added. "Your source. He thinks he's doing it for all the right reasons, I'll give him that. But I'll tell you this. For my own reasons, I'm not selling him out to the others. This is just between you and me, today."

There it was. He knew it. Shin was acting too calm, and though it could also be chalked up to gaining maturity over the years, you only got that kind of assuredness, when you know you can get something back of equal value or more than what you're trading for, though at this moment, he wondered what could mean as much to his son as being with that woman.

And then suddenly...it was as if the pieces fell in to place, and he knew what it was.

"Of course, you realize that if I succeed you, I can make sure that the police never get involved with them again, so in a way, it all works out." Shin answered dully. "Not like I didn't know that from the start. I had no intention of joining them in the first place. My one and only concern from the beginning was her, and her family's safety. I'm just tying up a few loose ends. This way, she gets her guy, and I keep you from doing any harm to them, ever again."

At this, although his face remained impassive, in truth...he was dumbstruck. And for the first time, he had looked closely at this, his youngest son, and realized just how brilliant Shin really was.

"I'm referring, of course, to their current family lawyer, Shinohara Tomoya. In case your other spies forgot to tell you."

It was exactly as he had surmised. He would get what he wanted (his son to take over his position), but while Shin would undoubtedly excel at it, he would, in turn (possibly) sacrifice their good name, by protecting The Ooedo. Of course, this would only be a problem if it wasn't done discreetly (after all, appearances were everything, in this society), but then Shin was and had always been competent in everything he did, and this would never be a problem for him. Shin might not be able to have what he truly wanted, but he would be able to keep her safe, and that would always be his foremost concern.

It was, essentially, equivalent exchange.

And since he was looking closely, he finally noticed a hint of dejection in the younger Sawada's manner, which told him that, to some degree, his son was telling him the truth (and was not happy at the inevitable outcome).

"Was there anything else you needed from me?" Shin asked, as he stood up to leave.

"I'm giving you one month. No more, no less." He answered.

"Agreed."

After giving his reply, Shin made his exit. He breathed deeply. One month, huh. It would be cutting it close, but they would make it. Things were still going as expected and his father had taken the bait. All that was left now is to set up the next part of the game, and to watch how The Kagami, Shinohara, his father and Kyou-san played their parts.

While the Young Chief was already in on it, he wasn't completely certain that Shinohara Tomoya would do as expected. As always, it all depended on how much of a hold Kumiko really had on the other man, and how she would use it.

The same could be said about The Kagami, because he had a feeling that no matter who was actually in command, it was Youhei who was pulling the strings. The weakness caused by his separation from the kumi would give The Kagami the chance to strike. It would give Kumiko the opportunity to make a choice between the two (or three) of them.

Depending on how things played out, he might just end up doing exactly what he told his father he'd do (If she chose either Youhei or Tomoya). Or, maybe -just maybe- he would luck out, for once, and get the only thing he had always wanted.

It was getting dangerous, and the little comfort he took at the fact that he had so far not miscalculated, didn't make him worry any less.

He just hoped that, should things work out...she wouldn't kill him, herself.

0o0o0

Youhei watched as she more or less gave them free study time, as she stared blankly out into space. Sometimes her brow would furrow in concern, then look slightly alarmed (if not guilty), then she'd smile like an idiot, then the process repeated itself all over again, but what got on his nerves was the fact that whatever emotional roller coaster she was going through, it had absolutely nothing to do with him. His fist clenched in irritation.

At first, he had taken to watching for Sawada's familiar metallic gray Honda Civic to arrive, each morning, so he almost ignored the blue sedan that arrived at the usual time. So it was with a measure of shock that he greeted the sight of Shinohara Tomoya dropping his soon-to-be-boss off. And even from that distance, he noted the change in her behavior, right away. Unlike her usual demeanor (resignation/irritation) with Shin, with Shinohara Tomoya, he was disgusted to admit that she almost...sparkled.

Her smile was wide, and sincere, thoroughly pleased and ecstatic to be with him. This is the first time he had ever seen them together, yet looking at Shinohara, it was easy to see that, to a degree, the feeling was reciprocated.

But where he found her comfortable relationship with Sawada a little disconcerting, seeing her openly show interest in another man was downright alarming, which left him no other option than to seethe quietly. Of course, he could always walk over and try to push her buttons. But then that didn't really solve the problem, either.

What he really needed was to think of a way to get rid of Shinohara that didn't make him too culpable. Ah well. In the chaos that would ensue with Sawada's exit, something inconspicuous could probably be done.

Kumiko, on the other hand, was more or less same as always. Giddy with joy that Shinohara-sensei had remembered to come by, and even dropped her off to school. But somehow, that perfect memory was marred by feelings of guilt that kept stabbing at her.

Shin had skipped out on her just that morning, and already she was like this? Well, they weren't officially going out, and it was more him, doing what he wanted, and her, going along with it, but a part of her didn't really want Shin to find out about this morning, and maybe having lunch with Shinohara Tomoya this afternoon. She wondered what Shin would think if she ditched him this afternoon, and felt a little bit uncomfortable wondering if he would be able to use his mind-reading bit, and find out why.

AAAARGH!! SHE DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!!

So far, she had been looking into the thing with Ogata, and what she found out was that Ogata's father had a debt with the Shuuei-kai, and were still paying their dues. This would explain Ogata's physical condition, and it was something she could somehow fix behind-the-scenes, but where did that leave the class' lack of concern? Was it possible that there was a son of one of the Shuuei-kai's members enrolled in this school? Was there bullying involved, because of it? HOW DID IT ALL ADD UP?! He instinct told her she was on the right path, and while she suspected Youhei had something to do with it, he had never given her cause to suspect him (which in turn, made her feel a bit guilty for doubting his innocence, after all he was a precious student of hers, and if there really was something sinister and twisted about him, it was her job to find proof, and straighten him out).

And this just had to coincide with these, these, THESE EMOTIONAL ISSUES!! WHY?!

It was then that her eyes unwittingly ended up in Youhei's general direction, and it was with a severe amount of dismay that she found him glaring at her, for some unknown reason. Youhei, for his part, seeing as he already had her attention, decided to walk over and find out the cause of her current state.

"Well?" He demanded. "What's going on with you, now?"

That arrogant tone of his really didn't help matters. No wonder he kept reminding her of Shin.

"Right back at you, kid. You can complain to me, when you explain how my emotional health is an insult to you for you to glare at me like that."

He couldn't be worried about me, could he? She wondered crossly. She felt a finger lift her chin so her gaze met his. She stiffened in indignation at his daring, a hand slowly winding back to let him have it, if he tried anything funny.

But he seemed to only stare into her eyes...looking for something, as if doing so would allow him some insight into this queer behavior or hers. She is suddenly reminded of the many times Shin had done almost the same thing, each time Shin stepped close to her, and fixed her with an intense gaze to figure her out, and the memory made her heart skip, as her breath caught. Youhei and Shin were so similar, in a lot of ways.

Especially in their awkward way of worrying about her.

Youhei, being accustomed to this reaction from most females he had tried this move on knew she was affected. However, instead of feeling satisfaction, it was unfortunate that he was looking at her eyes at that moment, and saw it go out of focus.

That moment she reacted, it wasn't him she saw...but someone else. IT WAS SO UNFAIR!! WHO WAS IT? WHO WAS GOING TO PAY FOR THIS INSULT?!

The class, for the moment, had gone quiet. Everyone was now looking at them, thoroughly disturbed.

"Guys. Are we all looking at the same thing?" A random student asks.

"Unreal."

"Is that guy hitting on Yankumi?"

"It's K-Kagami Youhei."

"Dude, that's just WRONG. She's like...OLD. Isn't she 30?"

"And that's YANKUMI. He's not gonna get away with that."

"Dude, her arm's already extended. Betcha she'll kill him soon."

"Still...EW."

He barely managed to evade the punch she had just released.

"Didn't you tell me to blow dust out of your eye?" He asked in an injured tone, giving her an (extremely unlikely) out. "Aren't you overreacting?"

Nobody wanted to buy it, but no one wanted to consider the alternatives, either.

"Y-yeah. That's probably it. I mean, Yankumi's ANCIENT. Why would any of us like her that way?" One student offered, in a disbelieving tone.

"She ain't even hot." Another added.

"An airport runway couldn't do her chest better justice."

At that, her temper finally snapped. The only things she heard were...

"Old."

"ANCIENT."

"AIRPORT RUNWAY."

It was "Airport Runway" that did it.

Apparently some people were worse than Ucchi when it came to tactlessness.

The whole class began to notice that thick, dark aura which by now had become familiar to them, as they shivered in the face of their homeroom teacher's wrath.

"YOU HAVE THREE OPTIONS." She began, in a threatening voice, electricity seeming to crackle around her.

"1) YOU WILL FORGET THE LAST TEN MINUTES THAT HAD PASSED. 2) YOU WILL TAKE YOUR MIDTERM EXAMS TOMORROW, 2 MONTHS EARLY, 3) YOU WILL SPEND THIS AND NEXT MONTH'S HOMEROOM PERIOD RUNNING LAPS ON THE TRACK FIELD. I SUGGEST YOU CHOOSE WISELY."

"Dude, why'd you have to comment on her boobs, anyway?" She heard some brave (if stupid) guy ask.

THIS COMMENT ONLY MADE MATTERS WORSE.

"IF I HEAR ANYTHING THAT I EVEN SUSPECT TO DESCRIBE THE STATE OF MY CHEST, I WILL HAVE TO THINK UP CREATIVE WAYS TO PUNISH ALL OF YOU, GOT IT?" She growled, dark aura growing, face distorted to the limit.

This effectively shut them up, as they made a unanimous choice of Option1. This managed to distract her long enough, until at some point Lunch Break finally arrived. She glanced out the window to find the familiar blue sedan.

Her heart began to race. Shinohara-sensei was here!

She was out of the classroom in a flash, faster than her students had a chance to file out. Some even saw her meet the older man at the gate.

"Wooow. The story just keeps getting better. First, there's her boyfriend Sawada-sempai, then Youhei -no, let's forget that- then this guy comes to pick her up from lunch? Sawada-sempai was here just yesterday, right?"

"Think she's cheating on him?"

"Dude, I think that's the same car she got out of, this morning!"

"Does male eyesight really get that bad, the older you get?"

"And man, they're all pretty good-looking, too. This guy could give Sawada-sempai a run for the money."

And so, the students continued to speculate, as the day wore on. By the time they saw the same blue car pick her up, bets were already being taken as to the issue concerning "Yankumi's Love Triangle" (or Square, as some seemed to think).

All in all, a regular day at school.

If only things were that simple.

0o0o0

A/N: Yo, Minna!! Sorry for the late update, you know my reasons, but thanks for sticking it out. i need to keep it short, since i've got practice in a bit, but please stay tuned, and let me know what you think!!comments are always taken seriously and are much appreciated!

Oh, yeah. it's my birthday on the 21st. as an excercise...anyone care to guess how many lies and half-truths Shin told his father?

Will the readers agree to review my stories, as a birthday gift? only time will tell.

Anyway, on to the review replies!

to blueprincess16:mwehehehe...you'll have to stay tuned to find out, ne? I can promise the happy ending, though! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

to konARTISTE: Of course, I still love you, silly!!

and really. if you were Shin, lets admit it, in what universe could you believe that Yankumi's lavu-lavu moments are about you? hehehehe. thought it might be fun.

as for sidestory suggestions...i'll take them all in consideration, but the hectic way my life is right now, i might have to postpone it till AFTER 'the succession' ends. ugh. oh well. it'll give me something to do, then.

and considering that chapter 2 of sidestories is extremely suggestive, i can't really complain about your perversity. mwehehehe (guilty). hope to hear from you next chapter. sorry if this reply is so short. thanks for the review!

to lemur130: could i prevail upon you to read and review my other gokusen fics? please ? . Thanks for the review, by the way, and i hope to hear from you, about this chapter also!

to shootingstar0160: heheheh. i really appreciate the understanding. do you still like how the story's going, so far? i'm glad you think i'm doing a good job. makes me all squiggly with glee!! :) hit me back, for this chapter, 'kay? and, thanks!

to KAT-TUN Lover: I'm currently trying to find a balance between just enough fluff and plot for each chapter. To be honest, I feel as if i'm failing miserably in letting things unravel by itself, and end up giving the plot away, instead of having people guess at it, because I don't have enough time to think it through. Meh. I'll keep tweaking though. Wish me luck, and hope i always get lovely feedback from you. Thanks for sticking it out with me!

to missymace: i'm glad you're so into the shinkumi ship. you know i'm on it too, right? no worries. the voyage may be dangerous, but we'll get there somehow! Maybe we'll reform Youhei. (and if you are a Slayers fan, you can almost imagine Amelia saying "He was completely reformed by the power of Love, Goodness and Justice!!" :see Xelloss slamming his head against cold, hard granite. With Much Force:) Thanks for reviewing. always cheers me up! :)

to Teldra: Thanks for the review and I hope this update is too your liking. please inform me how it goes! :)

to ivy avalon: that was the kind of feel i was trying to make, and you noticed it, too!! Shin's standard reaction when faced with Yankumi's rabu-rabu mode!!

i somehow suspect you are filipino. well...how goes it? magkalahi ba tayo? :) Mwehehehehe!

Hence, new info on evilchibiurd is now put to light. evilchibiurd is Filipino. And an extremely obnoxious one, at that, whose birthday is on the 21st of october.

Anyway, again, thanks to all the reviewers, and even the viewers-only (as i suspect some are). I hope that you enjoy this chapter, too, and I hope you guys stick it out with me till the very end, and hopefully the stories that come after.

I promise to do the best as I can...always. The support is loved and appreciated. Please feel free to suggest stories/plots/ideas you might want to see in the future, or as a side story. it will always be taken seriously.

Till next chapter!