THEN AND NOW
By: Miguel Artadi
Disclaimer: I don't own GTO and any of the characters in it. I'd be rich if I did.
[ ] = thoughts
CHAPTER II – Impressionable impressions
Kikuchi arrived at the restaurant early on purpose. He wanted to avoid the bulk of the lunch-hour crowd and to get a cozy corner booth for him and Kanzaki.
[There we go, right by the window.]
Getting in touch with Urumi was Onizuka's idea. During one of their recent chats, he broached the idea of Kanzaki, who had recently gotten back from abroad, and himself touching base and catching up. Admittedly, he was curious on to how she was and how the years had been treating her, but Onizuka summed it up pretty well in his frank, often brutal way of wisdom:
"Look her up, Kikuchi. You could use some socializing. All you do is work, and you two always got along pretty well, so who knows? Besides, what's the worst that can happen?" his old teacher said between gulps of ramen.
"Let's see. A snake in my pants?"
"Bastard. Don't tell me you're not the least bit curious. AND don't tell me you never found Urumi the least bit attractive." He replied with a leer.
He hated it when Onizuka was right.
"Fine, so I found her attractive. But so what? You know me. I was never one to let my hormones do my thinking for me." Yoshito replied confidently.
"Suuure." Eikichi responded while putting him in a mock headlock.
"Hey watch it! My ramen is spilling!" He protested in vain.
"That's why you were just as curious as everyone else to see how… what's her name? Kanzaki's elementary school teacher? Ah yes, how Fujimori's lingerie looked like," he immediately added.
[Great. He still remembers that. Kikuchi 0, Pervert teacher 2.]
"All right, all right. Lemme go, I'll do it already!" Kikuchi said grudgingly. Only then did his old teacher release the headlock.
"That's a good boy. Anyway... I'm just curious... why didn't the two of you ever hook up anyway? Look, you're both smart, your personalities complement each other, you and her were the respective alpha male and female of 3-4. So… I mean it just makes sense." Onizuka asked while waving his chopsticks around.
"What the hell kind of question is that?!? And since when did you become an authority on relationships??"
Eikichi guffawed.
"Well definitely more of an authority than you." He gleefully answered while pointing out his wedding band.
"Come on, if you didn't really give a rat's ass you wouldn't have any problems answering the question right?"
"Bastard. Fine, I give up. Yes I found her attractive, yes she was always mentally stimulating, yes we were the top dogs in class, and yes our personalities complemented each other. Happy now?"
"Yup. So what was the problem?"
"Idiot. What do you mean what was the problem? She was nuts! She tried blowing up the school!"
"That was before our little field trip. She was pretty ok after that; besides, I'm sure she's toned down some, the same way that you've loosened up since then."
[That's the result of knowing you this long. And please, do try to talk without half-chewed noodles hanging out of your mouth.]
"No, no, no. Listen here, even AFTER you got through to her, Kanzaki still had more issues than Newsweek! Remember that stunt she pulled when things were looking pretty bad? And it seemed like you were going to end up working on a fishing boat for an entire year just to pay off the money you lost?"
"Mmm… how can I forget. It's not everyday you get to hitch a ride on a blimp how many stories up in the air."
[He doesn't get it. Ugh.]
"Whatever. Kanzaki was crazy. Unstable. She had a few loose screws in her head. Miyabi and the others could've really gotten hurt then."
"You have a point there."
"Of course I do." Kikuchi readjusted his glasses with poise.
"Then again, I wouldn't say crazy. Fanatical maybe, even passionate. Devoted, even. 'Sides, aside from the fact that Aizawa pissed her off, she did it to raise money for me remember? Her heart was in the right place."
"Bah. Semantics." Yoshito replied as he slurped his noodles.
Onizuka changed his tone.
[Oh, no. Not another lecture.]
"Listen to me, Kikuchi Yoshito. Kanzaki… she was a handful all right, but I'm sure you've seen first-hand how loyal she was to those she saw as her real friends. That girl would move heaven and earth if it meant protecting them. Come to think of it, her adopted family."
[Huh? Now what the hell is he talking about?]
"Whaat? What adopted family?"
"Us, idiot. She didn't exactly come home to a warm, love-filled household everyday, so where was she the happiest and the most comfortable? In the classroom, with all of us."
"Yeah, yeah. So what's your point?"
"My point is that for all of Urumi's faults and shortcomings, she is EXACTLY the kind of woman you want watching your back. Passionate loyalty and ironclad devotion are scarce commodities these days my friend, even among both genders."
[I can't win.]
"Fine, okay already. I already said I'd look her up. Can I eat in peace now?" Kikuchi finally said, exasperated.
"As long as you're paying. Don't worry, you won't regret it. Oh yeah, and can you give me more passwords for those adult sites? The ones you gave me last month expired." Onizuka added with a mouthful of noodles.
[Bah. That pervert. Enough daydreaming. Back to the matter at hand.]
Kikuchi scanned the street outside for any sign of Kanzaki.
[There she is.]
He spotted her getting off a cab a quarter block away from the restaurant. After paying the driver, she started walking towards his direction in a most confident, though non-ostentatious manner. The other males on the street immediately took notice of her arrival, but the only mark of her acknowledging the attention she was getting was a slight, almost undetectable smirk on her face. While most were content to merely admire the attractive young woman, one in particular, a young man about his age, actually walked up to her and (try to) introduced himself.
[This should be interesting.] He thought.
Kikuchi saw Urumi instantly adopt that endearing expression and smile that she had successfully used throughout her student years and replied to the daring young man. He couldn't hear her of course, but the angle that he was observing her from was just right for him to read her lips.
He could almost hear her actually speak the words.
"Nice to meet you. Sure I'd love to get a drink with you later, but I'm on my way to see my parole officer. Care to accompany me?"
Kikuchi couldn't help but laugh.
[That's her all right. Good 'ol Kanzaki.]
He could see that it took her only a second or two to spot his place upon entering the crowded restaurant. She started walking towards him… and they locked eyes.
[Whoa... mama.]
This was not exactly the Urumi he remembered. This… woman coming towards him was… stunning. Sure, she had already been eye-catching back in junior high, but now…
Yoshito allowed his eyes to wander some more.
Her goldilocks-colored tresses were a tad shorter than he remembered, and she had worn them down today, nicely framing the delicate lines of her shoulders. The girlish figure she had in junior high had matured into a slender, well (ahem) proportioned one, nicely filling out the corporate ensemble she had on; a sharp, charcoal gray business suit worn over a simple, white translucent blouse. She had the top few buttons undone on her shirt, giving his imagination a stir he was _quite_ unprepared for.
[This is Urumi!?!?? Hey…]
He focused his eyes some more.
[Lordy, she's wearing a black brassiere. The shade's visible from under the shirt.]
Kikuchi bit his tongue.
[Get your mind out of the gutter! You've been hanging around Onizuka too much. Okay, okay… relax. Focus on her face. That's it.]
He found himself staring at her lips.
[The eyes you fool! Look her in the eyes! And relax damn it! Be the Kikuchi she remembers! Level-headed, smooth! Poker face, poker face…]
His body did as it was told this time.
[Huh? Wait a minute. Something's not right here. Both her eyes are blue.]
Before he could deliberate it any further she was already there standing beside their table.
"Hey there, stud, would you mind if we shared a table? There aren't any more seats available." She said to him engagingly.
[Only a fool would.]
"It'd be my pleasure miss, though I would have to decline if I had to escort you to your parole officer later on." He replied with a grin.
He waved her to sit down right across him.
"Please, have a seat, Kanzaki Urumi."
She laughed and took her seat.
"You saw that huh? Well it's an effective deterrent for 95% of unwanted advances."
[I bet.]
"What about the remaining 5%?"
"Those are the nutcases. That's when I break out the snakes."
It was Kikuchi's turn to laugh.
"Anyhow, you look good, Kanzaki."
[Idiot. You don't get brownie points for stating the obvious.]
"Likewise, Kikuchi."
[Heh. That's always a good thing.]
She grabbed a menu.
"I'm famished. Sorry if I kept you waiting." She added.
"No worries. Shall we order now?" He signaled to a waitress that they were ready to order.
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Thanks for the reviews everyone!
I tend to write from a single person's perspective (Kikuchi in 'Impressionable impressions, Urumi in 'Conversations') so that partly explains why these are pretty convo-heavy. I'm still debating on how to write the next few chapters, where I'll be attempting to tell the story from both persons' POV's.
ja ne =)
By: Miguel Artadi
Disclaimer: I don't own GTO and any of the characters in it. I'd be rich if I did.
[ ] = thoughts
CHAPTER II – Impressionable impressions
Kikuchi arrived at the restaurant early on purpose. He wanted to avoid the bulk of the lunch-hour crowd and to get a cozy corner booth for him and Kanzaki.
[There we go, right by the window.]
Getting in touch with Urumi was Onizuka's idea. During one of their recent chats, he broached the idea of Kanzaki, who had recently gotten back from abroad, and himself touching base and catching up. Admittedly, he was curious on to how she was and how the years had been treating her, but Onizuka summed it up pretty well in his frank, often brutal way of wisdom:
"Look her up, Kikuchi. You could use some socializing. All you do is work, and you two always got along pretty well, so who knows? Besides, what's the worst that can happen?" his old teacher said between gulps of ramen.
"Let's see. A snake in my pants?"
"Bastard. Don't tell me you're not the least bit curious. AND don't tell me you never found Urumi the least bit attractive." He replied with a leer.
He hated it when Onizuka was right.
"Fine, so I found her attractive. But so what? You know me. I was never one to let my hormones do my thinking for me." Yoshito replied confidently.
"Suuure." Eikichi responded while putting him in a mock headlock.
"Hey watch it! My ramen is spilling!" He protested in vain.
"That's why you were just as curious as everyone else to see how… what's her name? Kanzaki's elementary school teacher? Ah yes, how Fujimori's lingerie looked like," he immediately added.
[Great. He still remembers that. Kikuchi 0, Pervert teacher 2.]
"All right, all right. Lemme go, I'll do it already!" Kikuchi said grudgingly. Only then did his old teacher release the headlock.
"That's a good boy. Anyway... I'm just curious... why didn't the two of you ever hook up anyway? Look, you're both smart, your personalities complement each other, you and her were the respective alpha male and female of 3-4. So… I mean it just makes sense." Onizuka asked while waving his chopsticks around.
"What the hell kind of question is that?!? And since when did you become an authority on relationships??"
Eikichi guffawed.
"Well definitely more of an authority than you." He gleefully answered while pointing out his wedding band.
"Come on, if you didn't really give a rat's ass you wouldn't have any problems answering the question right?"
"Bastard. Fine, I give up. Yes I found her attractive, yes she was always mentally stimulating, yes we were the top dogs in class, and yes our personalities complemented each other. Happy now?"
"Yup. So what was the problem?"
"Idiot. What do you mean what was the problem? She was nuts! She tried blowing up the school!"
"That was before our little field trip. She was pretty ok after that; besides, I'm sure she's toned down some, the same way that you've loosened up since then."
[That's the result of knowing you this long. And please, do try to talk without half-chewed noodles hanging out of your mouth.]
"No, no, no. Listen here, even AFTER you got through to her, Kanzaki still had more issues than Newsweek! Remember that stunt she pulled when things were looking pretty bad? And it seemed like you were going to end up working on a fishing boat for an entire year just to pay off the money you lost?"
"Mmm… how can I forget. It's not everyday you get to hitch a ride on a blimp how many stories up in the air."
[He doesn't get it. Ugh.]
"Whatever. Kanzaki was crazy. Unstable. She had a few loose screws in her head. Miyabi and the others could've really gotten hurt then."
"You have a point there."
"Of course I do." Kikuchi readjusted his glasses with poise.
"Then again, I wouldn't say crazy. Fanatical maybe, even passionate. Devoted, even. 'Sides, aside from the fact that Aizawa pissed her off, she did it to raise money for me remember? Her heart was in the right place."
"Bah. Semantics." Yoshito replied as he slurped his noodles.
Onizuka changed his tone.
[Oh, no. Not another lecture.]
"Listen to me, Kikuchi Yoshito. Kanzaki… she was a handful all right, but I'm sure you've seen first-hand how loyal she was to those she saw as her real friends. That girl would move heaven and earth if it meant protecting them. Come to think of it, her adopted family."
[Huh? Now what the hell is he talking about?]
"Whaat? What adopted family?"
"Us, idiot. She didn't exactly come home to a warm, love-filled household everyday, so where was she the happiest and the most comfortable? In the classroom, with all of us."
"Yeah, yeah. So what's your point?"
"My point is that for all of Urumi's faults and shortcomings, she is EXACTLY the kind of woman you want watching your back. Passionate loyalty and ironclad devotion are scarce commodities these days my friend, even among both genders."
[I can't win.]
"Fine, okay already. I already said I'd look her up. Can I eat in peace now?" Kikuchi finally said, exasperated.
"As long as you're paying. Don't worry, you won't regret it. Oh yeah, and can you give me more passwords for those adult sites? The ones you gave me last month expired." Onizuka added with a mouthful of noodles.
[Bah. That pervert. Enough daydreaming. Back to the matter at hand.]
Kikuchi scanned the street outside for any sign of Kanzaki.
[There she is.]
He spotted her getting off a cab a quarter block away from the restaurant. After paying the driver, she started walking towards his direction in a most confident, though non-ostentatious manner. The other males on the street immediately took notice of her arrival, but the only mark of her acknowledging the attention she was getting was a slight, almost undetectable smirk on her face. While most were content to merely admire the attractive young woman, one in particular, a young man about his age, actually walked up to her and (try to) introduced himself.
[This should be interesting.] He thought.
Kikuchi saw Urumi instantly adopt that endearing expression and smile that she had successfully used throughout her student years and replied to the daring young man. He couldn't hear her of course, but the angle that he was observing her from was just right for him to read her lips.
He could almost hear her actually speak the words.
"Nice to meet you. Sure I'd love to get a drink with you later, but I'm on my way to see my parole officer. Care to accompany me?"
Kikuchi couldn't help but laugh.
[That's her all right. Good 'ol Kanzaki.]
He could see that it took her only a second or two to spot his place upon entering the crowded restaurant. She started walking towards him… and they locked eyes.
[Whoa... mama.]
This was not exactly the Urumi he remembered. This… woman coming towards him was… stunning. Sure, she had already been eye-catching back in junior high, but now…
Yoshito allowed his eyes to wander some more.
Her goldilocks-colored tresses were a tad shorter than he remembered, and she had worn them down today, nicely framing the delicate lines of her shoulders. The girlish figure she had in junior high had matured into a slender, well (ahem) proportioned one, nicely filling out the corporate ensemble she had on; a sharp, charcoal gray business suit worn over a simple, white translucent blouse. She had the top few buttons undone on her shirt, giving his imagination a stir he was _quite_ unprepared for.
[This is Urumi!?!?? Hey…]
He focused his eyes some more.
[Lordy, she's wearing a black brassiere. The shade's visible from under the shirt.]
Kikuchi bit his tongue.
[Get your mind out of the gutter! You've been hanging around Onizuka too much. Okay, okay… relax. Focus on her face. That's it.]
He found himself staring at her lips.
[The eyes you fool! Look her in the eyes! And relax damn it! Be the Kikuchi she remembers! Level-headed, smooth! Poker face, poker face…]
His body did as it was told this time.
[Huh? Wait a minute. Something's not right here. Both her eyes are blue.]
Before he could deliberate it any further she was already there standing beside their table.
"Hey there, stud, would you mind if we shared a table? There aren't any more seats available." She said to him engagingly.
[Only a fool would.]
"It'd be my pleasure miss, though I would have to decline if I had to escort you to your parole officer later on." He replied with a grin.
He waved her to sit down right across him.
"Please, have a seat, Kanzaki Urumi."
She laughed and took her seat.
"You saw that huh? Well it's an effective deterrent for 95% of unwanted advances."
[I bet.]
"What about the remaining 5%?"
"Those are the nutcases. That's when I break out the snakes."
It was Kikuchi's turn to laugh.
"Anyhow, you look good, Kanzaki."
[Idiot. You don't get brownie points for stating the obvious.]
"Likewise, Kikuchi."
[Heh. That's always a good thing.]
She grabbed a menu.
"I'm famished. Sorry if I kept you waiting." She added.
"No worries. Shall we order now?" He signaled to a waitress that they were ready to order.
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Thanks for the reviews everyone!
I tend to write from a single person's perspective (Kikuchi in 'Impressionable impressions, Urumi in 'Conversations') so that partly explains why these are pretty convo-heavy. I'm still debating on how to write the next few chapters, where I'll be attempting to tell the story from both persons' POV's.
ja ne =)