The Substitute Teacher
Chapter 2
xXx
As Renji gathered his stuff in his bag and left the teachers' lounge, he noticed the teen waiting for him in the corridor.
"Kurosaki-kun, I'm glad you waited for me."
"Yeah, well, I only did it so I don't get in trouble. You sounded serious." Ichigo shrugged.
"I was serious. Look, I wouldn't even dare to think I know how you feel, but I have no intentions tiptoeing around you like others do. I think you need people acting normally, not fussing over you all the time."
The teen blinked at him, surprised. "I... I guess..." But his frown came back in a second. "But that doesn't mean I'll talk to you. I know Unohana-san wants me to open up or whatever and that's out of the question."
"Maybe it would be easier for you if you talked to someone."
"I don't want it to be easier!" Ichigo snapped and took a step back, raising his hands in an apologetic manner. "I... Just forget it... Why do you care anyway?"
"It's a teacher's job, to help his students to grow up in healthy adults."
Ichigo snorted humorlessly. "Good luck with that."
Renji sighed. "Don't be like that. I just wanna help you."
"I don't need your help. Nobody cares about that. They all are really sorry and always cautious around me but they don't really care. I don't see the reason why you would, either. That thing you did in the classroom... When you asked me to read, I... It was cool. I appreciate that. But that's all there is to it."
"Okay. But if you ever wanna talk, tell me."
A tiniest smile appeared on Ichigo's face as he turned to leave. "We're not friends, Abarai-sensei. You're only my teacher."
Renji continued to stand there for a couple of moments, smiling to himself. Well, this went better than he thought it would.
xXx
Aside from destroying himself in the gym, jogging was the next best thing for relieving stress. Since he'd moved to Karakura, Renji had been fascinated with the river bank and the sunsets in the background, so when he went jogging he sometimes ended up there, if not running the whole route beside the river.
Jogging was also his time to think. He thought about everything and anything. He thought about what had been going on recently, about his own hopes and dreams... Being a substitute teacher or a teacher at all wasn't exactly the whole thing he wanted. It was just temporarily. He'd always wanted to open a youth sports center. That would've been awesome. He knew it would take a long, hard work but it wasn't impossible.
There, he could be a trainer, a friendly older brother figure. That was something he would be most comfortable with because basically, he was a big kid himself and being an authority as a teacher was a too serious roll for him.
xXx
Running one early evening by the river, Renji noticed one of his new students sitting on the grass, doing nothing in particular, just looking at the setting sun. Looking at him from the back, Renji didn't even have to guess who it was, seeing the orange hair glowing even more bright from the sunlight.
The redhead jogged over to the teen, smiling friendly when Ichigo noticed him.
"Abarai-sensei," Ichigo blinked at him. "What are you doing here?"
"Can't you tell?" Renji asked, grinning. The grey hoodie he was wearing was damp around the collar, beads of sweat were running down his temples and neck and his red hair, tied into the usual high pony tail, was all soggy at the ends.
Ichigo rolled his eyes, a tiny hint of a smirk appearing on his lips. He then cast a look at the redhead whose skin was glistening in the fading light. His eyes shot up to the tattoos on the man's forehead, then on those on his neck. "Why do you have so many tattoos?"
Renji chuckled, "I thought they would look cool."
The teen's jaw dropped. "That's it? No deeper meaning?"
"I was an eighteen-year-old punk. Looking cool was enough at the time."
"You ever regret having them," Ichigo asked, eyeing the redhead's collar. There seemed to be more tattoos down his chest.
"Never," Renji smirked. "They're a part of who I am. Besides, I only got my arms tattooed when I turned eighteen. All of the rest came later."
"Your arms?" The teen asked incredulously, scanning him up and down. "Where else?"
"My upper arms," Renji corrected, "My chest, stomach, back, neck and forehead."
"Wow..." Ichigo breathed. "You know, you're an attraction for the girls in my class."
"Sheesh, their mothers would be thrilled," the redhead laughed, sitting down next to Ichigo. The teen was smiling, shaking his head. "What," Renji asked.
"I just can't believe you're my teacher."
"What, I'm too laid back? Not all teachers are stuck-up old hags, yanno?"
Ichigo sighed, his serious expression returning. "Why are you doing this," he asked with an accusing look in his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"Are you acting all friendly and stuff because Unohana-san asked you to?"
The redhead sighed. "No. And she didn't ask me, you know? She just told me your, um, story... And I asked if I might help somehow... Hey don't give me that look. I thought if we became friends, you'd be more open cause I'm a guy and not so much older than you."
"So you are doing it because it's your job."
Renji groaned. "Listen, it's hard to explain... I'm a big kid myself. And I think every kid should be happy and healthy. I know that's wishful thinking but if I see that I might help somehow, I try. Ever since you decided to read that poem out loud, I knew I could help you, if only a little bit."
Ichigo kept silent, but didn't look upset anymore. It's been a long time since anyone talked to him so leisurely, without the familiar pity in their eyes and a face saying 'Aww, poor boy'.
"You mean it." It wasn't a question.
"I'm glad you realized that," the redhead smirked and decided to change the subject. Too much of talk could only make Ichigo shy away and close himself back to the kid Renji met the first day of his substituting. "Hey, wanna join me sometimes?"
"Jogging?" Ichigo asked.
"Or gym, whatever. Both, if you want."
"Um... Okay," the teen nodded. He needed an activity and now that his teacher asked, he was given an opportunity. He'd never wanted to do anything on his own so he felt relieved, knowing that he'll be having company and guidance.
xXx
A month passed since Renji had asked the teen to join him in his activities. They would meet up at the gym three times a week and went running two times a week. Ichigo finally relaxed a bit around him and began initiating conversations, even though he never talked about himself – he always asked questions and skillfully changed the subject whenever he sensed that Renji might ask him something back.
It was somewhat amusing to listen to Ichigo going around a question and ending up not answering it. The kid was really bright and it was a shame he didn't communicate more, and not only with him, but with anyone.
During that month, Renji tried to include Ichigo to the class' activities, to at least talk about literature. He noticed the kid liked it and he'd read anything he was told.
xXx
It was a rainy Friday afternoon and everyone seemed to be doing their best not to fall asleep at class. Renji watched the class, smirking at their lowered heads. He gave them a few minutes to read "It is the hour" by Lord Byron and when the whispering and noise between the teens grew, it was time to ask them questions.
He glanced at Ichigo and decided not to call him out, feeling rather ridiculous at that point. After a month, he started to feel a bit stupid always asking "Kurosaki-kun, what do you think?"
"So," he altered his question this time, "can anyone tell me what natural elements we can find in here?" As per usual, he heard sighs from all the corners of the classroom, the students glancing at each other in embarrassment. When it came to poetry, it was especially hard to get anyone's opinion.
But then, he saw a single hand in the air and smiled, feeling the happy tug of achievement in his heart.
"Yes, Kurosaki-kun?"
"Um, well, there's the nightingale... And the stars and leaves... The water..."
"Good. And what can we see from that? What does Lord Byron want to show us?"
"He sets a love scene in the nature, so I guess he wants to show that love is also a natural thing... Beautiful too, if we compare it to the things he put into the poem."
The other students were staring and Renji felt he was grinning like an idiot. What surprised him more was that Ichigo offered him a little smile of his own.
"That's very good," he praised after straightening his smile and turned to the others with more questions.
Maybe it would soon be time to try and talk to Ichigo again. But before that, Renji decided it would be best if he went to Unohana-san and ask for her opinion on the matter.
xXx
To be continued...
