The phone echoed through the bare apartment. A young woman answered.

"Hello?" Silence, then, "Tomoeda Elementary? No, sorry, yes. Yes, I am. When would you like me to start? Yes, that should be fine. Thank you. I'll see you on Friday, then to go over plans. Yes. Thank you. Bye."

Tomoeda Elementary. She hadn't been there in years. She had tried to avoid it actually, but some things were inevitable. And so she would go back, she had no choice, not if she wanted to keep her new apartment, which she had fallen in love with but couldn't really afford. She wondered if he was still there. The only man Rika had ever loved.

"Terada-sensei…"

All right everyone, please go to your work stations!" Called Watase-sensei.

The students of class 5B moved towards their kitchen units, each one fitted with everything you might need when cooking. The teacher waited until they had finished talking before continuing. "As you know, I'm leaving at the end of the week," she was interrupted by the children, moaning at their loss. She smiled and said, "Well, it's nice to know I'll be missed. I will be back next year, you'll be glad to know. In the meantime you'll have a substitute, Sasaki Rika sensei."

Upon her name, Rika entered the class room with the same nervousness she always felt when meeting a new class. She smiled at the young pupils gently, as they gossiped amongst themselves.

The teacher continued, "Sasaki sensei will be helping me out for this week as she settles in before I go, so you will be able to get to know her. Do your best to make her feel welcome, okay?" Watase-sensei asked with a wink.

"Hai!" They said, examining her carefully as if to tell what kind of teacher she was.

"Right then! Today we will be continuing on with cakes, but we will attempt a more complicated one…"

After they got settled in to preparing the ingredients Rika started to move around the class, trying to get to know some of her new students. A couple of girls were carefully measuring out sugar, the way they talked and giggled reminded Rika of when she had been younger. Sometimes she missed those days, when she would get to be with her all friends, and see Terada-sensei during class…

She blushed as she heard one of the girls say, "Sasaki-sensei?" in a tone that suggested she'd been saying it for a while.

"Gomen asai, I was just thinking," Rika said to the girl. The little girl giggled, causing her short brown hair to tremble slightly. Was I ever that small, Rika thought to herself. "Was there something you needed?" Rika asked, smiling kindly.

"Oh, no, it's okay," the girl said, and moved back towards her friend, before Rika stopped her.

"Ano, I was wondering whether you happened to know whether a there was a Terada-sensei still here?" Rika asked, trying to fight the blush on her cheeks and failing miserably.

The girl frowned at the odd question. "Hai, Terada-sensei is our homeroom teacher," she said, and left to weigh out some butter.

So, he was still here… Rika sighed heavily, thinking back on when he was her homeroom teacher. Suddenly, she started shaking her head and said, "This is no good!" She was quickly aware of all eyes upon her, and nearly curled up with embarrassment. "Ano, you need to sieve that more thoroughly…" she said to a couple of boys standing near her.

"H- Hai…"

That wasn't like her at all. Usually she was so much more calm and collected. She shook her head again slightly, and tried to put that teacher out of her mind as she went to help the children.

"Hey, Yoshiyuki-san, did you hear about the new cooking teacher? She's quite cute apparently," said one of the other teachers during break.

"Really," he said, not very interested. He was reading an interesting article in the newspaper. Myaki pulled down the top of the paper so that he could look the older teacher in the eye.

"Were you even listening to me?" He asked.

"You said there was a new cooking teacher," Yoshiyuki said irritably.

"No, I said the new cooking teacher was cute, there's a difference." Myaki looked hopeful. "I wonder if she's single?"

Yoshiyuki couldn't help but smile. "She probably isn't if she's cute, so you might as well forget it now."

Myaki sobbed. "How could you be so mean? You've shattered my dreams!"

Yoshiyuki laughed and said, "You haven't even met her yet."

The door slid open and Watase entered. "I'll be so glad when I'm gone, nothing but rest and relaxation for me!"

Myaki stood up to help her into a chair, even though she batted him away half-heartedly. "I don't know why you waited so long," he said, shaking his head. "A woman in your condition shouldn't be running around after children."

Yoshiyuki smiled. "She's a teacher in her heart, and always will be. Besides, Yayoi-san detests doing nothing really, don't you?"

"Ah, Yoshiyuki-san, you know me too well," she said. Then to Myaki she said, "Besides, in my 'condition' as you put it, it's probably better if I'm around children so I can get used to the idea of having one."

"I hope yours will be better behaved then some of them in there," Myaki muttered. Then as he remembered something, brightened. "Oh yeah, where's your replacement? I hear she a cutie, young, hopefully single…" He trailed, getting a starry eyed look.

Watase hit him in the stomach. "You leave the poor woman alone. The last thing she needs in a new school is to be harassed by you."

"Maybe she wants to be harassed," said Myaki, adjusting his glasses menacingly.

"I don't think so," Watase said bluntly.

"Where is she anyway?" he asked. "You didn't just leave her to find her own way here, did you?"

"No, she was caught up by some of the children wanting to know more about her. She said she knew where the staff room was anyway, so I left her to it."

"She knew?" Myaki pondered. "Has she been here before?"

The door slid open, and a young woman was backing in, with a few children around her. "Yes, yes, but you should go to break now, it's a nice day, go outside…" The children groaned sadly and left, as she shut the door, and sighed.

Yoshiyuki, who had returned to his newspaper, looked up at the woman now leaning her forehead against the door, seemingly unaware that there were people there. She had short, dark brown hair that curled up slightly around her chin, from what he could tell from the back.

"Ah, there you are," said Watase.

The woman spun around startled and blushed when she saw them there. Yoshiyuki had returned to his newspaper once again.

"Oh, sorry, I was just-" she started, but Myaki, slipping an arm around her interrupted.

"We understand, we understand, dealing with the children can be very tiring," he said. She looked at him with wide eyes. "Allow me to introduce myself," he said, suddenly letting go of her and holding out a hand to shake. "Seno Myaki, maths teacher," he said, all charm.

"H-how do you do," she said, startled shaking his hand.

"Ah, you are a pretty one, just like I heard," he said, causing her to blush.

"Myaki, put her down, it's her first day here, she doesn't need to be pestered by you," said Watase pushing them apart.

"Ah, Yayoi-san you're so cruel!" Myaki exclaimed. The substitute teacher giggled at the scene unfolding.

Such a pretty laugh, thought Yoshiyuki, and he folded up his paper to get a better look at her. Her laugh wasn't the only thing pretty about her, he found himself thinking. She had dark brown eyes that were soft in their look, and her face was framed nicely by her dark hair. She was slim, but not without shape, and she seemed to have an aura of friendliness.

She looked over at him, and the little smile that had been on her face as she watched Myaki sobbing as Watase berated him vanished, being replaced by a blush. She looked surprised to see him, yet at the same time there was a recognition in her look.

Yoshiyuki stood to greet her. "Hello, I'm Terada Yoshiyuki, I'm a sports teacher here," he said, offering a hand and a smile.

She blushed even more, and said, "I know," in a small voice, her eyes not quite meeting his. There was something nagging at him in the back of his mind, he definitely recognised her, but where from?

"Oh, you've met before?" asked Watase, her attention drawn away from Myaki.

"I'm sorry, I can't seem to place you. What was your name?" Yoshiyuki asked with the same kind smile.

"The young woman looked into his eyes, and said, "I am Sasaki Rika, Terada-sensei…"