Teaching Gray

By

Hibiki

It all began with me helping Sensei learn Japanese so he could help the class better. Well, actually he said he wanted to learn the undead language to know what kind of curse the 3vil 0n3 had put upon him, but I am sure that is what he meant.

"We went out in the park today, Yumei loved it. Okay Largo-sensei, you try?" I said. It had been two weeks since I started and I wasn't sure how much longer I could stand this.

"I see… school the appeasing?" The man struggled with a sentence. How can he be that stupid? I mean, a three year old could speak better than he could. I had to take six aspirin a day to keep the headache's down from these annoying.

"No, it's I see, how was school? Okay now try the next line." I growled.

"It's the Chix0r's line!" I sighed; he was a chauvinistic pig as well.

"Just do it!" He frowned but began to read again.

"It-was… really… good." Well I'll be. He managed to do it.

"That was correct, well done sensei." He smiled a little awkward, something I had never seen him do, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why it felt like my heart skipped a beat.

It was late; the class had gone to a local arcade free of charge for a job well done on our test… Sadly we never made it. A new man had shown up, an American with cold eyes. It started off as that silver haired girl who came late in the school year, Ping, but grew into something more as the man began talking to that woman friend of his had stepped in the way, and so she stood a gun in her face.

The Ninja friend of Sensei's was laid out behind us; knocked out by a tranquilizer. Several of the students were behind Sensei's friends, the nerdy looking gaijin and the cute girl.

"Work for me. SEGA will reward you handsomely for your services." His voice was clam and collected. My mind remembered that TPCD agent's words about idols.

"Never!" The fear in the room rose as the ex-idol woman slapped the man named Dom. Gasps and utterances of shock were heard as the Dom pistol whipped her to the ground with a savage smirk. Something was lost in his eyes. In its place, madness was there now, wild and naked with fury.

"Bitch, I gave you a chance and THIS is how you repay me?" There was a click of a gun safety, and Dom's eyes widened as Largo-sensei moved between the Hayasaka woman and him. In Largo's hand was a gun. Upon his face was the most serious and grim look I had ever seen him. It seemed that even Dom was shocked. His eyes cleared for a moment before the madding anger once again took hold.

"So you chose her over your friends Largo?" Largo smiled slightly, though that cold look never faded, it was commanding but so different, another person behind the fool than I had seen.

"She is my friend, Dom. Like you were once." Dom's eyes widened in shock at Largo's words while Hayasaka's changed, no longer so scared. While I knew nothing of the two men's history, I knew this was something important. "You let yourself be taken in by the 3vil on3! You betrayed everyone! You attacked my friends and… You hurt Erika. You… You are no longer my comrade Dom. Leave."

"You have no say here, Largo. You are nothing, you always were, and you always will be. She can't change it; she can't redeem someone like you! You are a worm, a nothing here! Will you throw away your life for this woman! Like a fanboy loser like Piro?" Dom's wild eyes moved to the nerdy man. "Will you die for your Erika Hayasaka, fanboy?" The gun turned away from Largo towards Piro in a blink of an eye. But before it could fire it was taken into a very large hand and crushed.

"Agent man's fight over. Agent man goes now." The Ninja had awoken from the attack.

"Awake already? A pity. That should have downed an elephant." Dom's madness faded into a cold, icy stare at the ninja.

"J00, Junpei man, you damaged?" Largo's gun and eyes never moved from his once friend.

"Junpei unhurt, l33t master."

"Good. Piro, you okay?"

"Y-Yeah." Piro answered shakily, Largo nodded.

"Dom. Go."

"Leave us alone." Hayasaka said as she stood beside Largo-sensei.

"Go." Commanded the Ninja. Piro and the girl nodded as the class nodded as well. Dom laughed, so strange it left a chill in my bones.

"A smart man knows to leave, no need to tell me." Dom turned and began to walk out. Sirens could be heard in the distance.

"Dom?" Largo called out, Dom stopped and turned back. "Don't come back." Dom frowned, but said nothing, and walked away into the shadows. Dom escaped capture though. His company denied any involvement in his actions and fired him. But from what I remember hearing, he never was seen again.

That was a long time ago, but the memory of that man will never be forgotten.

My father had started the day by yelling at me about sleeping in. I was the class representative; I had to keep the honor, heh, of our household. My mother hit me for not listening to my father. The two got into a fight about something afterwards and things began to get thrown at another once again. Divorce would have happened long ago, perhaps even before I was born, but supposedly very honorable and traditional people, my family would have none of it.

So day in and out they would go on hating one another. Some days, I wish they really would kill each other like they scream they will do. After a time goes by, my father comes in before work and apologizes, once he's gone my mother does the same, bringing a pack of ice and a bento for me. She heads out for the daily groceries. Sometimes I wonder if they really love me or think of me as nothing more than an accident, a drunken night of false emotions… I left early, fearing the early return of my mother. It was just another usual morning for me.

"Class. Today special… person… help with teaching." Largo-sensei's Japanese, while slurred and also very stop start at times, but well enough for me not to have to translate anymore. A part of me was saddened by the fact I was no longer needed to help him, it was something I had enjoyed, that feeling of being wanted. I had grown comfortable in our almost daily lessons together; he was so different than my family, than anyone I had ever met.

From the moment I started helping him, the classes' grades had steadily improved since this fiery haired lunatic had first appeared. Was it from the help he was getting from me, or was it the fact only on few occasions he goes off on his l33tness thing… Whatever that was.

Upon her entrance I, along with many of the class, was astounded. Erika Hayasaka., who I had met only a few short months ago, looking positively like a deer in head lights, stood at the threshold of the room. Largo pulled her with little resistance inside.

I watched at hidden glances were traded from Sensei and the ex idol while the other wasn't looking. The small, contented smiles both held were unnoticed by most of the class as Erika gave out handouts and helped write the words Sensei couldn't get, she did was the very job I had helped sensei with before. The end of the day could not come quick enough as I took flight to my spot in the small park nearby the school, angry and jealous of one certain beautiful woman.

I sat down at my bench, as my mind thought of that woman, who my father had idolized for years, lusted after, in front of my mother even. For a few minutes I was alone, thinking silently with my thoughts about things until a voice broke over my thoughts.

"You okay Junko-san?" Aiko, the other pigtailed girl asked her as she and a few of the classmates walked up to me. I sat behind her in the class, so we were close friends, for the most part. Though I had always been aloof from the others, I guess it was my nature. My private life was not something others looked highly of, and so I had taken steps to hide that part from my classmates. During the riot, when I said the things I said, something changed. They now looked to me with pity, or with accusing eyes. Aiko and the few classmates with her were the only ones knew the truth. The only ones I could really trust. I almost snorted because that weird girl Tohya was probably the only one who really understood me, maybe she was right.

In my moment of thought Aiko had sat down beside me and had laid a hand on my shoulder. I felt something on my cheek and when I checked my hand pulled away with tears. It was so confusing. I felt my lips tremble as I tried to hide my sadness from them, trying to smile away the pain.

"…No…"

But it came. A flood of emotions I never knew I felt. They were about everything and nothing, so confusing. Sensei's Largo growing place in my life, that feeling of being needed, the other classmates, and the situation with my family, just everything in general. I just couldn't hack it anymore. I must have cried for hours on my friends shoulders before I left, drained of the strength to cry.

I went home oblivious to the nightly silence as my parents ignored the other's existence. The next day it was like nothing had happened. My friends were smart enough to know to drop it. Life continued on as normal. Largo sensei was for some reason put in my next year class as teacher as well, of course I complained about as I always did, but inside…. Everything seemed to be okay again.

Today was the last day of school before the winter break of my senior year. Throughout the year and a half here, I had watched this man, a fool and a lunatic run around, causing things I never thought possible happen. I watched him face down a madman, with no fear in his eye and a grim smile on his face.

"Goodbye class, I hope everyone has a long and happy break." He says with a gentle smile, so characteristically unlike him.

The class is leaving, soon it is just me and him, and I watch him remove the great GTL from the board, where it had stayed since his arrival. It scares me, as if; he's erasing himself from our lives. Wouldn't he be here the start of next semester?

"Sensei?" Largo turned back to me, surprised that I was still here, a small smile breaks upon his face once again... My heart seemed to ache, it's beating so fast. Somewhere deep down I knew this would be my last chance.

"I love you!" With that I rushed forward, and kissed him. Was this wrong of me? But in this moment I don't care. His lips, they were softer than I thought they would be, a tremble I could feel run along his back. His arms became firm he held me close for a second before he pulled away. He was breathing hard, and in his eyes was not what I would hope to see but…

Fear. My heart froze. He was scared of me. Why… Why?

"J-Junko-san…"

Why are you scared of me?

"I... I'm sorry… Gomen ne!" He bows to me. "I… I love… someone else."

And something deep inside of me broke. I felt tears falling down my face; I think I was uttering something, no … Then something clicked into place. That woman, the one we helped in our first test, the very same woman he had protected with the madman. The one he had brought here once to help him.

"Haya-Hayasaka" I murmur, it wasn't really a question, but he responded with a nod anyway. Jealousy and pain fill me. Something I knew all to well, the way I felt when she came to the class. "Goodbye Sensei, I am sorry to bother you."

Two months later I heard him and Hayasaka were found out. A month later Hayasakagave a final warning to her fans.

He never showed up from the break, we had study classes in Largo-sensei's place. Soon winter break passed and the first day of the spring session began. I waited, hoping to see that outrageous mess of red hair.

But he never came, the principle came, telling us that a new teacher would be taking over, and I knew then. He had returned to America.

I never saw Largo again, the last thing I remember is the taste of his lips on mine, and the fear I saw in his eyes.

Gomen ne Largo-sensei.