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A Kiss To Die For
By Louann1
Chapter 1: Never Been Kissed (Recently)
" Settle down, class!" Syaoran screamed to the class as he entered precisely as the bell rang.
He didn't usually teach that particular class but since their teacher was ill her was forced to. It wasn't even a proper lesson, it was only homeroom. He sighed, there was no way he was going to control this class. The girls sat as their desks eyeing his every move and the boys were doing macho stunts to get their attention.
" I'm s-sorry... I'm late..." A girl with the most enchanting emerald eyes stood at the door panting. She seemed to be out of breath.
" That's alright... You must be the new student... Sakura Kinomoto?" He looked at the register. Although he didn't teach the class in particular he was certain he hadn't seen her before.
" Yes sir," The girl seemed to be very confident especially for a new student.
" Miss Daijouji?" He looked at the register and only prayed that he got her name right. " Would you be kind enough to show Miss Kinomoto around? She seems to be in all of your lessons so-" Syaoran was surprised that Miss Daijouji was very voluntary.
" I would love to, sir!" The dark haired interrupted. " Sorry..."
" That's OK..."
The new student walked to the spare desk next to Miss Daijouji and sat. She seemed to be in control of herself. Not once did she sigh or look like a lovestruck female, which was quite unusual.
Doesn't she find me attractive? I mean... That's good! One less student to worry about, he thought.
" As you know... I am Li-sensei, one of the teachers at this school... From today I will be your homeroom teacher until Kytori-sensei recovers from what ever she has," Syaoran rose an eyebrow as he heard the chorus of 'yes's and 'no's from the class. " Before I do the register, I have a few notices... From today all after-school clubs will be cancelled, due to-"
" What!" The class was in outrage. Then again, they were always in outrage.
" If you'll let me continue... Due to the upcoming exams."
" What!"
" Which is my second notice. Exam week will be held in exactly three weeks time, they will determine the courses you'll be taking next year."
" Aww, man! That actually means studying!"
" Excellent! More time with Li-sensei!"
" And try to remember that the elections for class president are next week. So... Can we make nominations now please?"
" I think that everyone should be up for nomination... That way it's fair because everybody gets a chance," Miss Daijouji stood up.
" Well... Does everybody agree?" Syaoran looked around, it was the first time that the whole class was in agreement.
Syaoran was quite shocked, he'd heard that this class was the most diverse in personalities and the like and hardly agreed on anything yet he wondered if it was their diverseness that kept them together. Opposites attract and all that. He sighed happily and made a note in the register,
"I'll have it arranged so that whoever wants to run for it can have the opportunity to. I want to see a fair contest... That means no badges, no banners, no posters and no bribery. You can't do anything extra to promote yourself, understood? You get the speech and that's all, you'll get deducted ten votes if you do anything. Also, you cannot vote for yourself. I don't want to have to choose between thirty-odd students."
There was a slight groan from the class but Syaoran dismissed it.
" We still have some time left. Are there any other notices that need addressing?"
The class was silent.
" Okay, then. How about any proposals for fund raising events for this term?" A few hands cautiously went up. " Yes?"
" We could have a bake sale."
" Or some games!"
" How about a talent show?"
" Although all those ideas are good and all... Can't you guys come up with something more creative? It's just that those ideas have already been done."
Silence loomed in the air once again.
" Never mind. Pack up, you can all go to class early." While there were a few yelps of excitement the majority of the females groaned in disappointment. It mean less time with Li-sensei.
One by one the students filed out of the room passing Syaoran and chatting between themselves.
" Oh, Miss Kinomoto? Would you stay for a minute?"
" Oh... Okay," She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked up to his desk at the front of the room as the last student exited. " Is there something, sir?"
" It's nothing really. I just wanted you to know that if you're having any problems, you can always talk to me. That must sound really cheesy 'cause practically every teacher says that but I hope that you can confide in me. Homework, social things, whatever... If you want," Syaoran could see that he was making Miss Kinomoto was uneasy.
" Thank you, sir. I might take you up on that one day," She smiled and walked out of the class.
Syaoran looked at his timetable. He was going to supervise the students who had free periods in the library, all day. Today won't be so bad, he thought. He would be able to get some paperwork done. Syaoran really hated free periods. There were so many things to be suspicious of, students roaming around and getting into the janitors closet and using the brooms as hockey sticks while hitting around the class hamster in its ball or getting in the science department and finding them apple bobbing in acid. That never really happened but he saw it on TV once. The first two classes were alright. They were well behaved but he knew that it wouldn't continue in the next class and unfortunately for him he was right. The students were absolutely everywhere in the library. There were some using the computers to email the people right next to themselves, some were muddling up the order of the books and some were trying to escape out of the window. This was only the first day back of the second term. Syaoran managed to recruit some more teachers to help him but only ended up getting himself backlogged in work and favours.
At lunch Syaoran decided that it would be better to eat and work at the same time but he only got scolded by the librarian for getting crumbs into the computer keyboard. About fifteen minutes into lunch he got distracted by Miss Kinomoto who entered the library quite flustered. She spotted him and soon her face lit up. She went up to him and greeted politely and sat at the computer next to him. She logged in and waited for the computer to load.
" Did Miss Daijouji leave you already?" Syaoran asked.
" Oh no. Not at all. She wanted to come with me but I insisted that she should go choir practice. I understand that they are practising for the Christmas-slash-Winter Festival. She shouldn't miss out just because I'm new here. To be honest I just wanted some time on my own." She immediately opened a browser window.
" I see. I'll leave you then," Syaoran began to shut down the computer but before he could Miss Kinomoto said,
" No its okay. Actually I wanted to ask your advice."
" What about?" Syaoran was kinda glad that a student was asking his advice on something. It wasn't really something that happened regularly especially since he wasn't a homeroom teacher.
"I was just wondering how I could get involved for the Christmas-slash-Winter Festival. Is it too late?"
" You want to get involved? Are you sure?" Syaoran gave her a sceptical look.
" Why? What's wrong with that?" Miss Kinomoto asked.
" Oh, it's nothing. It's just this school has this thing with doing weird things at the Carnival. If you're still interested there's still plenty of things to do. You can join the decoration people or the theater people-"
" Theater?" Miss Kinomoto's eyes widened in excitement.
" Oh yeah, I'm organising the play this year. It's a romantic tale of two lovestruck people destined to be together but are torn apart because of the harsh winter weather which denies them the right of seeing each other. It's better than it sounds. Rehearsals are on Saturday if you're interested. You don't have to have an acting part if you don't want one," Syaoran explained. He really would've like to see her there since there was quite a lack of volunteers.
" Okay. So what are you here for, sir?" Miss Kinomoto asked while typing into a search engine.
" I thought it'd be better to stay here since I'm taking the free periods anyway," Syaoran tried to hide the email he was about to send. It's not good having your private life mixed with your business life. And by business I mean anything that includes school.
" Oh," Miss Kinomoto typed some more on the keyboard.
" What are you doing? Is it something I can help you with?" Syaoran asked while trying to peer over at her computer.
" I thought teachers weren't allowed to do students' homework?" Miss Kinomoto rose an eyebrow.
" Well, it's not really allowed but it's your first day. You shouldn't have homework yet and even if you do I'd like to help," Syaoran said.
" If it's all the same with you sir, I'd rather do this on my own," She began to type faster.
" I understand," Syaoran quickly finished off his email and sent it.
After half an hour silence between them, the school bell rang, warning that it was time for period five. Syaoran and Miss Kinomoto still sat at their computers typing away as if nothing had happened. Syaoran decided that he should quickly take back the paper work that was finished to his office while Miss Daijouji entered and sat beside Miss Kinomoto,
" Hey Sakura. I'm sorry for ditching you like that. I honestly forgot about practice."
" Don't worry about it. Li-sensei kept me company," Sakura smiled.
" What! You mean to say that the cutest teacher in the whole school kept you company!" Tomoyo exclaimed only so loud that only she and Sakura could hear.
" What are you talking about? He's not that cute. I mean he's nice, perhaps too nice. I don't know. He's a teacher!" Sakura replied obviously confused.
" Haven't you noticed that girls practically fling themselves at him just to get his attention?" Tomoyo asked in a hushed voice. " To get him to spend time with you is a great achievement. He never ever spends time with any females. Not even the female teachers. He's been gradually avoiding people. Since he's been here at least ten girls have kissed him. I'm surprised that he hasn't been fired yet."
" Why hasn't he? If all these girls have kissed him like you've said then surely he's broken the whole 'no teacher-student relationships' thing," Sakura replied.
" All I know is that he hasn't and if he did probably most of the female population of our school would drop out. Besides the girls would suddenly transfer which is better than him leaving, it hasn't happened recently though. You really don't find him attractive?" Tomoyo asked in disbelief.
" I'm sorry. I just don't see it. He's just a teacher. Teachers are like parents, they teach new things, take care of you so that you don't get hurt by anything and prepare you for the real world," Sakura replied.
" Well... When you put it that way it does make sense. But if Li-sensei was some actor in a film would you fancy him then?"
" Depends if he could act and if the film was good," Sakura swung around on the swivel chair.
" It's nice to know that you don't take things at face value," Syaoran said from behind her computer with a smile.
" Li-sensei!" Sakura stopped swivelling. Had he heard what they were talking about?
" Did you manage to finish your work?" He asked cheerfully.
" Yeah..." Sakura found herself stumbling over her would
" That's good to hear. Don't waste your free periods, okay?" Syaoran advised the two girls.
" We won't," Tomoyo replied cheerfully. " Right, Sakura?"
" Huh? Oh, right!" Sakura replied. Syaoran simply smiled and went to the librarian with a stack of books.
" I thought you said that you didn't find him attractive?" Tomoyo asked.
" It's not that!" Sakura replied. " I was just embarrassed because he heard what I said!"
" Forget about it. He doesn't mind," Tomoyo patted her shoulder. " He's probably used to it by now, if you think about it. I mean, there's always someone whose bound to be talking about him. Why do you have that look on?"
" It's just that... Well, it doesn't seem fair. Why does he put up with it all if he knows that he might get fired or something?" Sakura was beginning to be more concerned about him.
" That's just the mystery that surrounds him," Tomoyo smiled. " Anyway, are you going to do anything for the Christmas-slash-Winter Festival?"
" I'm going to do the play," Sakura replied.
" Really? Are you sure?" Tomoyo asked cautiously. " Do you really want to?"
" Why is everyone so apprehensive about it? It's just a play," Sakura asked. Why did everyone have to ask twice?
" It's nothing really, it's just... There's a lot of kissing involved in the acting parts. Practically every part gets matched with another," Tomoyo replied.
" When he said that this school was into weird things I didn't know that it would be so... Weird," Sakura quoted Syaoran. Indeed this school was weird.
" Anyway, I think that you should do whatever you want. I'm sure that Li-sensei wouldn't make you do something that you're not comfortable with," Tomoyo assured her.
" I guess you're right," Sakura turned to Syaoran who was in a deep conversation with the librarian across the library, over the crumb business but she didn't know that.
" Hey Jasmine, I'm really sorry about the whole eating int the library thing. You know that if I knew that that would happen that I wouldn't have," Syaoran flashed her a smile.
" Okay, I forgive you," Miss Satoshi flustered. " Thank you for helping me with these books. I wouldn't've been able to carry them."
" That's okay. It's the least I can do," Syaoran went to the table which had a tidy arrangement of papers.
Syaoran sat at the desk and decided that he would let the students do whatever they wanted. Afterall it would be them who would get in trouble in the end. Stopping them from doing outrageous things would only get him into trouble anyway. As he marked the papers in front of him he couldn't help but thing of Miss Kinomoto. It was something that she said earlier, the 'teachers are like parents' really hit him. He had to agree with what she was saying students look up to teachers like they do with their parents - with absolutely no respect at all. That was a joke. Besides that, the feeling of wanting to achieve in order to please was still there.
" I don't get why you're making a big deal about it!" A voice echoed in the surprisingly quiet library.
Syaoran turned to look at where the source of the ruckus came from. There were two students face to face with each other trading words while a few others were watching. Not wanting the small discussion to turn into an argument, Syaoran decided that it was time to intervene.
" What's going on here?"
" We're just having a 'discussion' on marriage," The student on the right replied.
" I see... Well why are you so loud? I'm sure that some people would like a little peace," Syaoran tidied some books on the shelf.
" It's just we have a little disagreement," The student on the left replied.
" Well, if you're having a 'disagreement' like you say then perhaps you could have it more quietly?" Syaoran asked. He never really like commanding people especially people who were practically his age.
" What, like, a debate?"
" If you want. You do know how to present a side and then listen and then contradict the other side right?" Syaoran shrugged, he didn't really care as long as they were quieter. " Then have a debate."
" Sir? I don't think this topic is suitable for debates."
" Well if it's not suitable then make it. I'm sure it'll be a challenge for you," Syaoran decided to leave it at that. There was nothing more to say and no one else had any questions that needed to be addressed.
" Uh... Well. Should we start?" The right student proposed.
" Okay. I firmly believe that people shouldn't be in relationships if they aren't one hundred per cent sure that they will marry that person. What the point?"
" It's all about experience. It helps you treat people better!"
" What's the point of having experience if it's not going to get you anywhere?"
" When a person is younger they aren't sure what they feel but by being in relationships it helps for future understanding."
" If you aren't sure when you're young then you shouldn't be in a relationship. You have to make sure that you love this person, whoever they are."
As you can see this is a very debatable topic. For a good solid ten minutes the two students batted points between them before Syaoran decided that things would wrap up for the day.
" I think that you two have have throughly exhausted the topic unless anyone else has any other points?" Syaoran asked the other students who were watching attentively.
" I do," Sakura raised her hand ever so slightly. " I think that every part of a relationship is like steps on a staircase. You'll get diverted, slowed down possibly even get to the same place you started with but the destination will always be the same. Love's exactly like that. It has its twists and turns but that doesn't really matter because those don't really matter in the end. Right?"
Syaoran smiled. The new student would certainly mix things up at school. There was just something about her that really made him think about things. It was the things that she said which made him ponder over things. The debate had certainly come to an end after Sakura's statement. Just in time for the last bell, he thought. Syaoran walked behind his students with his piles of white paper in hand and entered the class with silence befalling the students.
" Excellent. Okay, what have you lot done?" Syaoran asked suspiciously.
" Sir, as your students we believe that we have the right to determine the extra curricular things that we do. Although we can't do that we really want to have a say especially with the Christmas-slash-Winter Festival so we've re-written the school play!" Tomoyo handed him a thick pile of paper which he added to the already heavy pile.
" Thank you," Syaoran stared at the script in amazement.
This class really could do anything. They wrote a lengthly play within six hours, didn't they?