HOHOHO! A very late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!
Neh…I'm so sorry for updating so late! Regardless of a dozen reasons that I won't write down, I am guilty of being an irresponsible updater; it is a sin to keep you all waiting. No reason will probably be good enough to explain myself. I am truly guilty and if possible, my guilt would kill me right then and there. I hope you sufficiently forgive me!
Thanks for all the reviews! I really enjoyed reading them all. I'm also glad y'all found his first kiss nice. Leaviel's "gollum comment" was extremely amusing. And miss koneko's bit about Shinohara bein' a "cheeky bugga" was definitely appreciated. , Oh, and some one, I'm not sure who it was, sent me a private message last month (I think). Sorry, I accidentally deleted all the messages in my inbox and it is gone. But thank you for that review and the reminder to update. It convinced me all the more that I shouldn't delay updating.
Again, I thank everyone! I love y'all! You've given me the courage when I am at my weakest! (sobs)
Morimoto: What the fuck is with that melodrama?
My10315: (puzzled) Where did you come from?
Morimoto: You forget: Gokusen is mine—only this fic is yours! Fwahaha!
My10315: Now you're being a cheeky bugga! Takin' a leaf outta my version of Shinohara, huh?
Morimoto: (rolls his eyes) I'm just your fictionalized version of Morimoto. The original you copied me from is obviously waaaay better.
My10315: I relent! Morimoto is a genius! He owns Gokusen and I never will! (sobs)
Without further ado, here is the next installation! Enjoy!
A Simple Case of Mathematics
She pressed a plush pillow over her head and groaned as sunlight peered through her windows. Yankumi had hoped that it would never come but the more she willed the dreaded morning to be gone, the more it seemed to egg. And sure as promise, the sun's rays swallowed night hurriedly, like a crowd anticipating the grandest sequel. She rolled to hide her eyes from the oddly cheerful sunlight and violently cursed into her mattress. She was obviously in a black mood, and she wasn't sure if it was because she had not had a whit of sleep, or because of the past night's occurrences—which naturally led to her restlessness.
The pillow was pulled deeper over her head, as though it would protect her from her thoughts, or any inevitability. She breathed once, twice to finally clear her head before gently prodding her mind to process.
You just got kissed by Sawada Shin.
Of course,she thought to herself sarcastically. As if last night's torment wouldn't be enough of a reminder!But what she felt was somewhat opposite to contempt. Yankumi shook herself, as though this would easily remove the butterflies moving in her stomach. But she knew even beforehand that it wouldn't as she had wearied herself to the bone busying herself around the house, just to calm the electricity rushing painfully in her veins. Though pacified, the—whatever it was she was feeling—was still alive and pulsating. And of course, there was still one more bothering question lingering in her head.
Why did he kiss you?
I—I don't know—
And why did you kiss back?
I—
Do you love him?
Am I in love with him?
The question more than sent a jolt of fear in her. It was a radical idea—it was not right of a teacher of her ideals! After all, she was in love with Shinohara, she argued furiously. "It was a fluke then. Nothing but a fluke, yes. A fluke," she murmured to herself, repeating it like a mantra. But why did she feel like—like she wanted it to be real?
In a mad fit, Yankumi showered her poor bed with a myriad of punches whilst screaming repeatedly "RAGH! Damn you! Damn you! Damn you! DIE!" that her adopted brothers, who were just coming up the stairs cautiously to wake her up, cowered in front of her door as though it would explode.
"Oi," stomped Wakamatsu, his voice becoming louder as he followed them up some minutes later. "I told ya to—"
"DIEEEE!"
A thin sheen of sweat suddenly appeared on his forehead but he gulped his fear hurriedly and squarely looked his two subordinates in the eye. "N-neh. It's alright. You know ojou—remember the last time she dreamed she was a boxer? Just wake her up and she'll snap outta that."
No one needed reminding that "last time" rewarded several black eyes, a broken nose for Tetsu, and a lost tooth for Minoru. Wordlessly, before any one could think to object, Wakamatsu slinked away and prayed for the live-ins' souls.
"Go on. You first—" pushed Tetsu.
"No, you—" retaliated Minoru, throwing Tetsu's wide back near the door.
In panicked frenzy, Tetsu punched the skinnier man and said a bit too loudly. "Hey, that hurt!"
Soon enough, they were grappling each other, quite forgetting the amount of noise they were doing over the much disputed door. That is, until it was opened by the ominous owner, wild-haired and flaring with unspent energy. Before the two could explain themselves, Kumiko roared, pulled the two into her room and, after a few minutes of agonized screaming which made the old Kuroda sigh at his morning tea and a heavily drunk Kyou wide awake, threw them outside in a heap.
Needless to say, they had better mornings, and this one was just not one of them.
oo0oO0Oo0oo
Shin sneezed loudly into his handkerchief for the fifth time that morning. He quickly wiped away the gathering snot with a tissue and blew his nose roughly. He stared at the greenish glue; oddly, he was reminded of those times he'd seen Kumiko crying, a thin line of wetness rolling idly off one nostril. He wrinkled his nose before crumpling the tissue and throwing it on the trash can. Funny how snot and Yankumi could connect. But it was really much like her.
He squirmed at the remembrance of her—of last night in particular. Though he knew he should feel a tinge of remorse over the rashness of his actions, he honestly could not. Most importantly, he couldn't remove the fact that she responded to him; inexperienced as he was, he knew she wanted it too. The way she touched him and pulled him back to her, the audible pounding of her heart against his chest, the tremors of her body, the mingling movement of her mouth against his—these all too loudly told him how she felt. And yet it was too good to be true!
Fool! He admonished. It could easily be impulse—women are impulsive creatures.
What if it is not impulse? Then…
Shin shook his head and shielded his hand from the sunlight. His thoughts followed him even as he walked towards Shirokin High. She will still marry him. She won't like me because I'm young, because I'm her student, because I—
"Oi, Shin-chan!" came a large familiar voice huffing to catch up. Shin sighed; both relieved and annoyed to be cut from his train of thought.
"Ah," he muttered nonchalantly and noted the arrival of his other peers as well. "You guys're pretty early today."
"I tagged 'em all with me to see that circus caravan they're unloading," said Noda cheerfully. "I thought I'd take a job for while for some extra bit of cash."
Shin cocked a brow, wondering where his friend's industry sprouted from. Kuma blurted teasingly before he could ask. "Noda's got a girl!"
"Yeah, Shin! Man, I've been dying to tell yah!" said Uchi, throwing an arm around Shin's shoulder.
"Get off me."
"Oh, got that." The arm was pulled away apologetically.
"How did it happen?"
"Well," answered Noda blushingly as Minami chuckled. "She's actually Kumai's cousin, and—remember the other day we told yah we'd go hang?—we went to Kuma's and she happened to be visitin' and then…"
"Haha, man! Yah missed the moment, Shin!" said Minami heartily slapping the capped teenager's back. "Noda was stuttering like shit!"
"Whatever, ass."
"But it was true!" crowed Uchi, going slightly starry-eyed; he was always the hopeless romantic of the group. "Struck by thunder!"
"Isn't it lightning?" interrupted Minami.
"Fuck off, dude. They're the same. Aren't they, Shin-chan?" asked Uchi doggedly; Shin resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"No."
"HAHA! Dumbass!"
"Yah piece o' shit!"
Shin shook his head and pushed on as the two wrestled, Noda and Kuma tailing behind him like faithful minions. After a seemingly careless glance at his friend, he remarked wryly. "Oi, Noda, you really like this girl, huh?"
The blonde shuffled his feet and stuttered. "Y-yah. I don't care how dumb I sound, but she got me thinking 'bout my future. I'm planning to work a bit and go to college afterwards...so—so we can—you know—"
The redhead swung a surprised stare sideways which turned into an impressed smile. He reached out his hand in high-fives. "Not dumb. Good for you, man."
He took it gratefully and grinned. "Heh, thanks, Shin."
His smile transformed into a slight frown as he walked up the stairs and into their classroom. He couldn't help but envy Noda for his recent prospect.
What was he going to do after high school?
He slumped on his chair against the window, staring at the vast sky. He doubted if Kumiko would ever approve of his wanting to join the clan after graduation. Kuroda might want him—Kyou and the others would surely want him, but he knew they would all require her approval before he could step as an official member of the household. Of course, his being the son of a Chief Inspector would complicate the already-confusing web. It would also mean that he'd have to be ready to associate with people he didn't like—Shinohara for instance. He'd certainly have a more direct contact with the man, especially when Yankumi marries him…
A sneeze blurred his thoughts and he hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief to rub his nose. At that exact moment, Kumiko entered the rowdy classroom armed with nothing but a bundle of papers. Something about her purposeful manner quieted the whole section. His felt his insides do double flips and for the first time he realized how nervous he felt. The feeling lessened when he saw the dark circles around her eyes; she obviously lost sleep.
Her mood was obviously lost likewise. Turning her back to them, she picked a piece of chalk and began writing. "I wouldn't want to see those disarray of chairs before I finish writing down this problem, would I."
It was not a question but an order. Normally, they would proceed with their activities but her tone left no room for naughtiness. Within seconds, the chairs were straightened, and when she turned to face them, they were the picture of virtuous innocence, something more akin to a pack of rabid wolves than this group of students.
Yankumi raised a brow as though to think, I should really do this everyday.
"What was our last time's lecture all about—yes, Inuzuka," she called, even though the boy didn't raise a hand. He sweated fearfully making his hair rise; his alter ego seemed eager to burst. "O-operations of polynomials, age problems and stuff."
"Good." Inuzuka sighed gratefully and sat down. "I've a problem commonly seen on algebra books. I'm giving you all just five minutes to answer this. It is easy enough. If one of you—just one manages to give the correct solution to the problem, I will give you all an additional ten points on your big exams. By the looks of it, you'll all be needing that, so do this properly. Time starts—" she looked at her own watch. "—now."
No one was particularly interested with ten points, but everyone shuffled for papers to obey lest they incur her wrath. Meanwhile, Shin stared at the problem at hand, wryly shaking his head.
A man owning a ranch has cows and ducks. If, one day, peering under a fence, the owner counted sixty-six legs, how many cows and ducks did the man own?
The gang of students ogled at the problem. Then, before he could stop himself, Uchi blurted, "But that's stupid. Why don't he just count the animals and get it over—mmph!"
Minami's hand covered the blabbering mouth before he could say more. "Just shut up, yah idiot!"
But, Yankumi's icy stare was already rested on them.
"Got somethin' to say?" Her voice drifting to a dangerous accent.
"N-nuthing. We was just blubberin' about. Haha. Ha. Ha…"
She chose to glare at him for a bit before looking away thoughtfully. The class sighed inwardly in unison though obviously thinking the same thing as Uchi: it was a stupid problem.
There was a united motion of grudgingly pulled papers and pencils from bags. Shin was the only one who didn't move; the solution was already done in his head. From her vile mood, he expected a more difficult one from her. But then again, he knew how Yankumi loved her students too much to be truly cruel to them when it comes to academics. The teenager inclined his head at her direction. Their eyes met; in that moment of connection, they were alone again, in a dark, foggy street—their emotions running amok, bodies eagerly pressed together, she against the wall, their arms tight and lingering, his mouth needy, hers wanting...
Pulling her eyes away with firm shake of her head, Kumiko checked the time again and said, "Time's up. Who's got the answer?"
No one raised a hand—all looked up at her with stupid wonder. "Really, guys," she said exasperated. "I made it really easy—"
"Let me." In an instant, he was walking to the board, towards her.
Kumiko's mouth went dry. Then again, she somewhat expected him to rescue the class; it was just like him! Gods! What is wrong with me! "No, Sawada," she said almost angrily. "I want your other classmates to answer this."
He shrugged. "You didn't mention exempting me from the recitation."
"Someone else might have an answer—"
"Does anyone, besides me, have an answer?" Every one shook their heads mutely, eyeing the two, feeling as though something important was taking place. "Seems like you'll have to settle for me."
"I—alright then." She handed the chalk to him reluctantly and their hands brushed, sending ticklish sensations. The intense, unwavering look on his face confused her and, much as she hated to admit it, frightened her.
Remember, last night was a fluke. Nothing more. She repeated again, but her resolve was weakening. If it was a fluke, why did she feel this way?
Sawada wrote the solution in fine writing. For the first time, she struggled through her denseness and noticed the shaking of his hands, the nervous tinge on his face, and the weariness hiding beneath the intensity of his features. He must've been up all night, too, she thought with some surprise. He must've been thinking about that.
Where does this leave us?
With a flourish, Shin ended the solution with a conclusion which he enclosed in a box: Therefore, there are eleven ducks and eleven cows.
"That's da man!" whooped Uchi admiringly.
"That's great, Shin-chan!"
Everyone applauded him noisily. No one seemed to notice the tension between the two individuals standing up front. The intensity of his look, the confusion in her eyes was confined to their private world alone. Another mental spanking brought her back to reality; indeed, she seemed to need it a lot. It also made her recklessly angry at him, most of all to herself.
Wordlessly, she swiped the chalk from his hand, quieting the class and surprising Shin, and promptly scratched a new problem on the blackboard.
"Since you seem so intent on it, I'll be giving you the—recitation you've been longing for," she said with a challenging smile. "I'll be giving you an additional three problems. If—if you manage to answer them all correctly, thirty-five percent of the class' final exam in my subject will be a bonus." The boys immediately whooped in amazement—after all, the passing mark in Shirokin could go as low as thirty-five percent. Her eyes searched theirs for a moment before refocusing on Shin. Adrenaline pumped on her veins as she awaited his answer.
"And if I don't agree?" the students groaned audibly at Shin which he quickly silenced with a look.
Yankumi shrugged, eyeing him wryly. "Got nothing to lose, I guarantee it." Just your pride. Came her silent message.
Shin understood and a challenged glimmer affected his eyes. "Deal, then."
"YAH! Go, Shiiiin!"
"Shut up, Uchi."
"Yeah! Shut up, Uchi!"
"You can do it, Shin-chan!"
Yankumi resisted the urge to smile at their sheer belief in their leader's intelligence. Their faith in him was amazing—he had the makings of a great boss. Again, she smacked herself, almost blushing for the absurdity of her thoughts. Wrong, wrong! Shin will go to college—leave for somewhere better, somewhere anywhere, just not here! Something is really wrong with me!
Shin frowned for a moment at the problem; verification of trigonometric equations. With a pointed smirk, he wrote the answer easily on board. Pride and annoyance struggled within her despite her anger. They both knew that it was a topic way beyond their current lesson, but she really wanted to test the extent of Shin's knowledge in math. It was something she wanted to do a long time ago but really had no opportunity of doing. She somewhat had to thank her own confounded emotions.
Sawada Shin tossed the chalk to her the moment he finished and muttered in a way somewhat similar to last night's chess victory. "Done."
Of course it was right. It was Shin who answered it after all, she thought. She relented and gave him a genuine smile. "Good work—Shin."
An explosion of whoops had greeted Shin's victory. But he heard none of those; the only thing that seemed to register was the feeling of distinct pride in her voice, the way she said added "Shin" instead of plainly "Sawada". He felt strangely light, it was just like the time she disguised as a student and held his hand. Just like their daily rooftop conversations. Just like their one-on-one riots. Just like last night…
Kumiko cleared her throat and nodded curtly at him to clear the emotions stirring within her. The problem was easy enough. She would have to give him something harder. Their eyes met; he understood and smiled.
He'll just have to try harder then.
oo0oO0Oo0oo
Kumiko Yamaguchi gulped as she opened the door to the rooftop. She half-expected not to find him there but good as day, there he was, with his back to her as he leaned over the balcony, observing the horizon. He made no indication of noticing her arrival but she somewhat knew he was expecting her. She closed the metal door behind her with a loud creak and, in a falsely calm voice, she began. "You're pals will have to thank you for that thirty-five percent."
He shrugged, still not turning to her. "I guess."
Though nervous, she felt slightly annoyed by his naturally smug tone. "Heh. That's all you could think of to say?"
He sneezed in reply. Kumiko's eyes widened. "Eh, Sawada—are you sick?"
"It's Shin," he sighed after a full thought and a small sniff.
"Huh?" she asked automatically, not quite understanding.
Finally, he did turn and she suddenly wished he hadn't: the burning look on his pale face was almost overpowering. "Last night, you called me by my first name…Shin. And today, at class. So call me by it."
"Ah, yes," she blushed, quite forgetting her worry for his health in embarrassment and pushed on awkwardly. She bit her lip. "About—about last night—"
The wind seemed to become as turbulent as their rocky emotions, eagerly whipping their clothes and hair. He shook his head, tumbling rich red locks away from his forehead. He couldn't lie now, he felt too tired to do any facades today. "I won't give any excuses. I did what I wanted to."
"You just did what you wanted to!" she exclaimed, feeling angry again. "You make it sound so simple, Sawada."
He flinched at the vehemence in her voice. "Because it is simple. You're the one complicating things."
"How am I complicating things? You're the one who—who started kissing!"
Something flashed in his dark eyes and suddenly, Kumiko found him only a few inches from her. She backed like a cornered wolf, ready to strike. For a second she thought he would grab her by the shoulders but he seemed to reconsider; instead, he cocked his head sideways and eyed her in brown study. "You kissed me back."
A lump of nervousness formed in her throat. "I—I well—it was—it wasn't exactly—"
"Not exactly?"
"Sawada, I don't like this game you're playing—"
"I'm no kid to play silly games with you, Yamaguchi," he said, suddenly cold.
"What are you, then?" she spat. A look of pain passed momentarily in his features and she somehow regretted her choice of words for no reason.
"Age is not necessarily the standard of maturity," he answered in gritted teeth. "I may be just kid in your eyes but I understand much more than I see; I know I'm not just a kid. But it doesn't matter—tell me, how do you think of me?"
She was unprepared of the question. With a false laugh, Kumiko replied. "B-but of course! You're my—student…and—and a good friend of mine—"
His eyes seemed to pierce her insides. "Then why did you kiss back?"
"I—er," she gulped. "I—"
A cold smile flitted across his face. Indeed, he was feeling quite as reckless, not to mention quite hot and dizzy. He leaned forward. "What if I kiss you now? Will you kiss me back again?"
"What? Shin—"
He smiled; she called him with the familiarity he wanted again. For a moment, impulse and rationality raged inside Shin. "Would you?" he hissed as his eyes drooped slightly, feeling drawn to her face. In that moment of weakness, impulse won.
His mouth pressed down on hers.
Kumiko stiffened. Her hands felt cold and tingly, electrified, but they only lay limp at her sides. Her mind was racing, thoughts raging and bumping, eventually slowing in an odd traffic.
Hadn't she planned to coldly reprimand him for last night's fling and finally tell him off? I didn't come here for this! No, screamed her mind as his warm mouth gingerly explored hers, his breath mingling gently into her nostrils. Not for this!
Are you sure? Came that annoyingly sneaky voice from the deepest recesses of her conscience.
Is this not…
—his arms wound around her back.
…what she wanted?
—he pulled her deeper to him.
Is this not...
All the while, her mouth was moving in accordance with his. All thought went into a sudden jam and, much as her unreasonable rationality struggled, she gave in.
The wind seemed to scream a song of utter victory as her arms found their away to his nape and flaming hair. In an instant, the rooftop was no more; they were back on the dark street, bodies moving in a wild symphony, mouths meeting and clashing as though their very life's breath depended on it. No one wanted to think anymore, as though more thinking would complicate things, when all they needed was all ready there.
Shin's chest was hammering as though his heart yearned to be torn out. He could feel the same intensity from her chest, fully and eagerly pressed against him. He momentarily pulled his mouth only inches away from hers, dizzy for breath. The words wanted to spill, it was now or never. "Yankumi, I—"
Ring. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.
Kumiko suddenly jumped back, as though jolted awake by the beeping and vibration on her pocket. She licked her lips uncertainly. Pure heat radiated from her body; the howling wind could do nothing to quench that energy. Her heart hammered into her ears like a rabbit. What did I do?
The ringing persisted. Kumiko pulled out the phone warily from her pocket; her flushed face went pale as the name of the caller flashed on screen.
"Go on. Answer it," came Shin's soft voice. The feeling of contentment and release felt clogged once again in his throat, hurting. The expression on her face told him the nature of the caller; he backed a few steps.
Without another word, she pressed the button and brought the phone to her ear. "H-hello?"
"Kumiko-chan."
"Ah…yes, Shinohara-sensei." Shin abruptly turned away from him; the strange expression on his face brought a dull pain to her chest. "Why did you call?"
"Is this a bad time?"
Yes, cried her whole head. For some reason, she wanted to really cry—as anyone was accustomed to feel when something really good was interrupted. She wasn't sure why she felt this way; she should be angry at herself for kissing her student, for goodness' sake! "No, not really."
Shin, seeming to understand what had been asked of her, directed an irritated scowl at her.
"I just called to say I've got a venue for our date."
"EH?" she sputtered a bit too loudly. The redhead looked back at her again in comprehension. "I mean…where?"
"I heard a traveling circus is visiting on the Kamiyama amusement park. They'll be staying there for quite a while. I've seen the brochures and they're doing some pretty new acrobatics and shows. You will like it there—and we can watch the fireworks display, too."
"Ah, that would be—that would be nice," she answered, shivering slightly at the piercing look Shin was giving her.
"It's settled then. Friday night?"
"Ah, yes. Friday night."
"Good bye."
- Click.
The woman eyed the phone in her hands for a few minutes. The conversation made her uncharacteristically uncomfortable. She knew Shin had everything to do with the whole matter. Had circumstances been different, she knew she would have felt giddy. But…
"Where will you be having your date?" She almost jumped as his voice brought her back from reverie.
"Ah," she shuffled her feet awkwardly. How could Kumiko discuss her date with Shinohara with a person she had been sharing a kiss with a few minutes ago? "At the amusement park—there'll be a circus visiting in Kamiyama-chou—"
"Ah. So I've heard." He answered nonchalantly, his memory scanning his earlier conversation with the gang.
A large drift seemed to lie unsurpassable between them. As the horizon turned reddish orange, Shin whispered. "You are—going with him?"
Kumiko looked up at his lean body, eclipsing the reddish glare. A pang made her defensive. "What do you care if I do?"
He felt a raging dam break inside him as he shouted. "Damn it, Yamaguchi! Do you have to ask unnecessary questions? Just answer me!"
The pang seemed to dig deeper. Yamaguchi…but you just called me Yankumi earlier. She shook her head. Why was she even bothered by such trivial things anyways?
Resolve turned her veins to ice. "I don't have to answer you, Sawada Shin. What I do is my business. Stay out of it."
The coldness of her tone fisted his heart. He was left drained and exhausted. He let out a hollow laugh; nothing seemed to matter much now. Not even his pride.
He walked unsteadily forward and, before Kumiko could evade him, grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into his embrace. Weakly, he rested his head onto her shoulder and sighed. "Damn you, Yankumi. Don't do this."
Kumiko's eyes widened as his body sagged at hers. She quickly placed a hand over his forehead and cursed silently. "You're hot!"
When he didn't answer, she cursed audibly again. She called herself ten kinds of assholes for not noting the heightened temperature of his skin earlier. He had fallen asleep.
Of course...you were busy with other things, came that unbearably sneaky voice.
She fell on her rump as his dead weight tripped her back. Worriedly, she struggled up and slung his arm over her neck. She'll have to worry about other things later; her young redhead's health was more important now. Of course, she'll have to be discreet in carrying him about—she didn't want rumors of a teacher/student relationship spreading all over the body.
But wasn't that what they were having now?
She sighed, confused and exasperated as she bore his dull weight. How did things become so complicated?
How was it? Please impart me with your reviews. I would really, truly appreciate them as I appreciated all the previous comments. If there are any typo errors, etc, kindly tell me; I am open for some editing.
Petri dishes?
Beakers?
Pipettes?
Agar???
Please review!