Title: Stumble and Fall
Author: Avelynn Tame
Disclaimer: I do not own Gokusen.
Summary: A new teacher has arrived at Shirokin, and he's not bothering to hide his attraction to the homeroom teacher of a certain delinquent class. 3-D greet him with their usual kindness and warmth, but Yankumi is far more interested in the reaction of one Sawada Shin…
Author's Notes: Yikes – ok, this was pretty late, which wasn't intended. I have a lot of work on my plate right now, which is actually an incentive to get this story finished so that I can have time to focus on exams and other similarly delightful things. The time frame that I'm working with now is aiming to have this finished by May at the latest, so with any luck my posting frequency will increase between now and then!
Happy reading…
Chapter Ten
"I'm in love with you."
If someone had asked her to explain Sawada Shin's behaviour towards her – his constant presence, the staring, not to mention the… well, the kissing – she would, with very little hesitation, have said hormones. Her second option would have been some kind of bizarre psychological issues stemming from a parent-complex, and if pushed for a third, she would have suggested some kind of bet with his classmates.
In the end, all of those had turned out to be wrong.
'In love…'
Ordinarily she'd be highly sceptical, but she had looked straight into his face and seen his honesty, and been left with absolutely no doubt in her mind that he was telling the truth.
If she'd had a shred of uncertainty… even one moment's hesitation holding her back, forbidding her to believe that he was being completely sincere… she would have opened her mouth and responded with a lie. She would have said that she didn't love him, that there was no chance on earth that she would ever feel the same way about him, that she only saw him as a student, a little boy and nothing more.
But she couldn't say any of those things.
He'd been truthful with her and she was obligated to do the same for him. Even more than that, she wanted to open up to him. Bottling everything up was driving her crazy; he was the only one who could understand and would listen to her. Even if all she said was, "I don't know."
Because somehow, that was enough for him.
And that mattered more to her than a thousand declarations of love.
Shin had wondered whether to tell the rest of 3-D that Yankumi was going on a date with their most hated teacher. On the one hand, he thought there wouldn't be much point since it was only going to be a one-time thing.
On the other, it would almost certainly piss them off. And they would take it out on Maruyama, who had had just about enough of them already.
Monday's class had not been pleasant.
When Maruyama had walked in alone, what had been a vague sense of restlessness amongst the students had abruptly turned into a much nastier atmosphere.
"Oi, where the hell is Yankumi?" Uchi had snarled when it became clear that she wasn't just trailing slightly behind.
"Uh… I'll be teaching you today," Maruyama's hands had been shaking ever so slightly as he opened up the textbook. "Yamaguchi-sensei is… busy."
Shin had scowled at that. 'Busy.' Right. Busy avoiding him.
There had been a brief lull as they collectively weighed up whether to actively harass Maruyama, or ignore him.
They opted to ignore him. Which meant that the football came out, a number of them produced dirty magazines, and they all made themselves comfortable by putting their feet on the desks. Maruyama just looked on, powerless.
Shin had watched, his eyes half-closed, to see if Maruyama would take a stand, or try to assert any kind of authority over them at all.
He did not.
Instead, he wrote some problems on the board and half-heartedly asked them – asked! – to work out the answers by themselves.
Naturally, they had paid no attention, and Maruyama had slumped into Yankumi's seat. Shin had left not long after, unable to watch as the classroom spiralled into total chaos. Things had only ever been this bad in the time before Yankumi had arrived; back then, teachers often didn't bother to show up for classes – too scared, most likely, especially after hearing about their violent behaviour – and their previous homeroom teacher had found it so difficult to deal with them that he had resigned.
They had all assumed it would be the same story with Yankumi, but they couldn't have been more wrong. No matter how insulting or unflattering their descriptions of her might be, 'afraid' was one word they could never apply to Yamaguchi Kumiko.
So he was relatively certain that if he told 3-D about Yankumi's date with Maruyama, their attitude towards him would become at least ten times worse.
But that could make Yankumi's life more difficult. And therein lay his dilemma.
In the end, he didn't have to decide at all. Someone else did it for him.
Maruyama, in fact.
It was a well-known fact within the school that other classes seemed to like the combination of Yamaguchi and Maruyama. It was something that the teachers often remarked upon, as well as the students.
Shin had once been walking with Uchi, Noda and the others, when they'd heard two squeaky-voiced first years raving about their maths lesson that morning. "… so much better when Maruyama-sensei's there, right?" the first one was saying.
"It's more fun," agreed the other one. "Takano says the reason they're always kidding around with each other is because they're sleeping together."
"No way! How did he find out?"
The second one rolled his eyes. "He didn't find out, dumbass. Takano says you can tell from their body language. He says Maruyama-sensei's definitely screwing her."
"Oi!" Uchi had yelled hotly. "What the hell are you kids saying?"
"Yeah, haven't you ever heard of libel?" Noda sneered. Shin wanted to correct him and tell him that he meant 'slander', but it wasn't really the right time.
The two first years, already nervous at the sight of five tall, intimidating third years crowding around them, just shook their heads.
"It's where you say something about someone that isn't true," Minami explained smugly. "It's illegal. You can go to jail for it."
"Shut up about Yankumi and that guy," Kuma had said, glaring down at them. "You don't know what you're talking about."
The younger boys hadn't had the courage to argue; they just made a high-pitched wibbling sound of agreement and ran away. But the rumours had persisted.
It was because of these rumours that they didn't believe the story about the date when they first heard it.
"Man," Noda complained, coming into the classroom in a bad mood one morning. "Why do I keep hearing this same old thing about Yankumi and Maruyama dating? Those kids won't let it go!"
"Tell me about it," Uchi scowled. "I had to rough up a couple of idiots in the hall yesterday because they wouldn't shut up about it."
An unlucky first year had the grave misfortune to trot obliviously past the open classroom door at that moment. "Oi, Matsudaira," said Minami lazily, "go grab that first year, will you?"
Matsudaira obeyed, disappearing through the door and returning only a few seconds later, dragging the young boy by his collar to the front of the class.
Shin watched, ready to intervene if they got violent.
"You guys are spreading lies about our teacher," Uchi accused. "Stop it, or we'll beat the crap out of you."
Subtle, Shin thought.
"They're not lies," said the boy bravely, although the effect of his bold words was undone by his quivering bottom lip. "They really are going on a date."
Uchi beckoned to Matsudaira, who picked the kid up and started carrying him towards Uchi.
"No!" the boy wailed, wriggling furiously. "It's true, I swear. Maruyama-sensei told us himself!"
Matsudaira put him down abruptly.
The class was still.
"What?" Noda hissed.
"Really," the kid insisted, edging nervously towards the door. "In physics yesterday, he told us he's taking her out to dinner tonight."
Shin's heart met his ribcage with a sickening thud. Tonight? She hadn't said anything to him. Then again, they hadn't had much of a chance to talk since their meeting on the roof a few days ago.
"No way," Minami muttered.
The boy had reached the door, and escaped unnoticed.
"Why would she go out with him?" said Uchi, sounding disgusted.
"Maybe he's blackmailing her," suggested Horibe.
"Or," Chikamatsu countered, "she's worried about dying an old maid, so she's just settling for him."
"She's not that old," said Noda generously. "I mean, she's got at least another couple of years before she's over the hill."
"She's being an idiot," Uchi grumbled. "Going out with a pain in the ass like him… what's she thinking?"
Shin gazed curiously at Uchiyama. He was being unusually vocal about this. In fact, of their whole class, he was the one who seemed to dislike Maruyama the most. It made Shin suspicious… but now wasn't the time to talk about it.
"Let's ask her later," he said, trying to ease the tension in the room. "Maybe it's not what we're thinking."
While the boys of 3-D were pondering Yamaguchi Kumiko and her romantic exploits, the woman herself was sat at her desk in the faculty room doing some deep thinking of her own.
Maruyama had cornered her yesterday afternoon in the faculty room and said, not bothering to keep his voice down, "I know it's short notice, but I managed to get a reservation at L'Auberge for tomorrow for our date. Is that okay?"
Better to get it over and done with, she'd thought, so she'd said, "Sure, that's fine."
She'd done her best to stand firm and not blush under the stares of the other teachers – who had been eavesdropping quite openly – but naturally, Fujiyama had cornered her a few minutes later and demanded details.
Kumiko had subsequently discovered that Fujiyama suffered from selective deafness. She appeared not to hear any of the words, "It's just one date, and I don't plan on going out with him again."
"What are you wearing?" she wanted to know. "Is it sexy? It has to be sexy. I wonder how he got reservations at that place – it's supposed to have a six month waiting list."
And at the end of the school day, ignoring Kumiko's protests, Fujiyama had dragged her to do something that she loathed with a fiery passion.
Shopping for clothes.
Three excruciatingly painful hours later, she had escaped with a minor dent in her bank balance, and several heavy bags weighing her arms down.
"You have to make an effort," Fujiyama had thundered, smacking her fist against her palm. "You are a woman. Even if you don't like the guy, it is imperative that you show yourself at your very best."
It figured, Kumiko thought as she was yanked forcefully into the changing room, that this would be the one thing to get Fujiyama-sensei fired up.
She had been poked, prodded and practically molested in that cubicle; it had made her hot and bothered, but in the end she had won her battle against Fujiyama – she hadn't had to buy any of the slutty, low-cut mini-dresses that she had recommended.
The dress she had eventually bought was not exactly her first choice – in fact, she had headed straight for the kimonos, and was tackled to the ground by Fujiyama – but it was the only one she'd seen that she'd been happy with.
"Oh," Fujiyama had said, surprised, when Kumiko had put it on. "So you're not totally flat." And she made the universally-recognised gesture for 'boobs'.
Kumiko had scowled, smoothing the soft black material over her stomach.
"It's… long," Fujiyama had continued, a faint note of disapproval tingeing her voice.
"It's supposed to be." She folded her arms across her chest. "I like this one."
Fujiyama narrowed her eyes. "It's not the sexiest dress in the world –"
Kumiko set her jaw stubbornly.
"– but I guess it'll do. You could always cut a couple of slits up the sides, you know," she suggested hopefully. "Show a bit of leg…"
Kumiko ignored her, disappearing back into the cubicle to take the dress off. It was formal enough for L'Auberge, she supposed – Fujiyama had told her that the restaurant was supposed to be incredibly classy and expensive.
She slid the thin straps off her shoulders, tugging the zip down and letting the dress pool at her feet. Best of all, the material was light and fluid – if she had to make a quick escape, she could.
That had been the previous evening.
Now she was sitting at her desk in the faculty room between classes, wondering how on earth she was supposed to get through a date with a man she hadn't wanted to go out with in the first place.
Still. Maruyama was at least her friend – until now, conversation with him had been fairly easy and relaxed. As long as things didn't get awkward, it would be fine. They would talk, they would eat, and then she would go home. And that would be the end of it.
She smiled, already feeling relieved. It'll be fine.
The thought buoyed her spirits for the rest of the day, until it was time for 3-D's class. She grinned as she approached the classroom; for no particular reason, she really wanted to see her boys.
But as she discovered when she pushed the door open, 'her boys' apparently did not return the sentiment.
She could sense immediately that they were in one of their worse moods; there was a tense, fractured atmosphere that she usually associated with Maruyama-sensei. A number of them watched her with annoyed frowns as she came into the room.
"Good afternoon," she said carefully. "What's up with you guys?"
For a few moments, there was only silence. Then Noda sat up a bit straighter.
"Oi, Yankumi," said Noda, looking annoyed. "Are you really going out with Maruyama?"
She gaped at them. "Wh – What? How did you - ?" She shot a quick glance at Shin, who shook his head imperceptibly. Hmph. Allegedly he hadn't been the one to tell on her. "It's just one date," she explained hastily. "It's not like you're making it sound."
Uchi was scowling horribly. "What the hell, Yankumi? You're seriously gonna date a guy like that?"
She threw her hands up in the air. "I – I don't even know where to start. First of all, what do you mean, 'a guy like that'? Actually – " she shook her head " – that's not important." She went to shut the door, checking the corridor first, and then coming further into the classroom to say in a low voice, "Look, I agreed to a date. But Maruyama-sensei and I will not be dating. That's all."
They did not appear to be mollified by this clarification.
She gritted her teeth and glared at them. "For crying out loud! I can't believe that twenty-six young men like you can't find anything better to talk about than your teacher's love life! This isn't important at all."
If anything, this raised their ire even more. They began to get restless, and Uchi looked as though he might leap out of his seat and start shouting.
"Look," she said evenly, attempting to calm them, "it's one date. I hardly get asked out all the time – you guys would be the first to say that, right?" They shifted uncomfortably. "So don't make a fuss, okay?" She tried to grin brightly. "It'll probably be about ten years before I get asked out again, anyway."
There was only a grim silence.
Sighing inwardly, she hefted her large textbook onto the desk in front of her. "All right, you guys, open your books to page – " She broke off abruptly, frowning as she stared at the class. "There's someone missing. Where's Maeda?"
A number of them turned to look at Maeda's empty seat.
"He was in this morning," said Horibe, sounding puzzled. "His bag's still here, too."
Kumiko was just wondering whether to try calling him on his cell phone when the door opened and Maeda stumbled in, half bent at the waist and wincing in pain.
She was by his side almost instantly, supporting his weight and guiding him to his seat. "Maeda," she whispered, fear and concern lacing her voice, "what happened?"
He grimaced, and she saw that his left eye was swollen. He was half-cradling his abdomen, and she knew he must have been punched or kicked there. His lip was bleeding and his knuckles were red and swollen as well. "Meibi High guys," he rasped. "They called me out. I tried… but there were too many…"
"Bastards," she hissed, hardly thinking. "Why would they do this?"
A few of the others glanced at each other, and one of them – Yagyuu – was nudged forward. "Uh… I got caught by some Meibi High students, too. A couple of nights ago, on my way home. But we got spotted by some old guy – he started yelling, and I ran. They would have done me up good, though, I know it."
There was a heavy pause.
Then a low moan came from the desk in front of Maeda's. Chikamatsu had buried his head in his hands. "I'm sorry…" he said faintly.
"Chikamatsu…" said Kumiko softly. "What is it?"
He half turned, unable to look anyone in the eye. "I – I got beat up by them last week. I think that maybe this is my fault."
"Why would it be your fault?" she asked, puzzled.
He swallowed. "Because… my girlfriend… she's from Meibi. And I think those guys are from her class. One of them might be her ex-boyfriend. And now…" he groaned, "they're targeting all of you guys. I'm really sorry."
"Don't be an idiot," said Yagyuu lightly. "It's not your fault."
"Yeah," Maeda agreed. "We don't mind getting beaten up if at least one of us gets a girlfriend."
Kumiko's hands were clenched into fists. "What the hell are they playing at?" she muttered angrily. She stood and began to pace the room. "Believe me, I really want to go straight to that school right now and confront those assholes. But I think we all know how that could turn out."
"They'd never believe us," Noda spat. "We're from Shirokin."
"We need hard evidence," Kumiko smacked one hand against the other. "Irrefutable proof." She gave them a sharp look. "But listen to me – don't go looking for them, okay? You could get yourselves hurt, and it won't help the situation."
Minami half-stood, "But we can't just sit back and do nothing!"
"I'll think of something," she promised. "I'm asking you guys not to go running off in the meantime. I will come up with a plan, okay?"
Uchi glared at her. "Don't bother, Yankumi," he sneered. "You've got your date to think about, right? So don't trouble yourself thinking about us."
She stared at him in shock. "Uchi –"
Noda wasn't looking at her; he slouched down in his seat and scowled at the floor. "Uchi's right. You've got other things on your mind – we don't need your help."
Kumiko felt herself actually trembling with rage, every muscle in her body tightening like an over-stretched guitar string. She was going to snap any moment now…
Noda was still talking. "So go get ready for your stupid date –"
That was it.
"Will you shut up about my fucking date!" she exploded. "Why do you even care? Half the time you barely listen to me – hell, half the time you don't even like me, so why the hell do you give a shit who I date?" Anger was making her blood roar in her ears. "Ugh, I need to think. And clearly I can't do that here, so…" she gestured vaguely at their books, "just study by yourselves, will you?" She stalked furiously to the door and wrenched it open, too livid to even look back at them as she walked out, hearing the door slam shut behind her.
In the classroom, there was only stunned silence.
Yankumi had never, ever turned her back on them in anger before.
Shin didn't think he'd ever seen that kind of rage on her face. He was battling with every ounce of strength he had not to go running after her; right now, he thought, she probably needed to be alone.
"Do you…" Uchi began weakly, pausing and beginning again, "do you think she really believes that? That we don't like her?"
There was no reply.
Author's Note: Okay, so I stole the name 'L'Auberge' from an episode of House. Apparently it means 'The Inn' (although I never studied French so I can't be sure; in fact, for a while I thought it might mean 'The Aubergine').
