My exams are finally over! To celebrate, here's the next chapter!
An hour later, the end of the lesson and the start of break time, the school bell rang and everyone thundered out of Sasori's classroom leaving their work in the clay room, that is, everyone apart from Deidara. Said boy walked up to Sasori's desk and politely asked "W-why did you want to talk to me, Sir, un?" "Because, Deidara, I wanted to ask why someone with your skill is in a class like this, full of amateurs?" Deidara blanched, no one had asked him that question before, so he had no answer prepared beforehand. "W-well… I didn't think I had enough skill to be in the advanced class, s-so I decided to be in the regular class, un…" "That's a load of bull, and you know it. What's the real reason?" Sasori challenged, uncaring for the fact that bad language is prohibited in the school, especially from teachers.
Deidara blushed, knowing he couldn't bluff his way around this teacher like he could the others, he knew he could tell he was lying, so there was only one option if he wanted to leave. Tell the truth. "… M-my family didn't have enough money to put me in the advanced programme, un…" Sasori's eyes widened and his mouth went slightly slack. The advanced programme only cost an additional fifty pounds to the school; his family couldn't even afford that? "Deidara, if you don't mind me asking, who is your family, and what are their jobs?" Sasori inquired.
Deidara paled considerably more and stiffly answered "I'd rather not say, Sir, un…" Sasori nodded and said "Alright then, you can go now." Deidara nodded and walked to the door. When he pulled the handle, his shirt sleeve rode up a little. Sasori noticed the bruise marks on his arm as Deidara left the room, none the wiser to Sasori's discovery.
Sasori could tell, even from a distance, that those bruise marks were shaped like fingers and hands. Deidara was getting hurt by someone, but refused to tell anyone who. He also refused to tell Sasori about his family, and had looked scared, so he had a suspicion that it was someone from home doing this. "So, it's someone in his family… I think I'd better do some research on Deidara's past then." Sasori contemplated. At least he had found something, or someone, to occupy his interest while he was among these amateur artists.
~Time Skip~
It was the end of the day and Sasori decided to go to the teacher's lounge to try and get some information on Deidara. He walked in and saw the teacher he was substituting for, Miss Kurosei, talking to another female teacher. Miss Kurosei was a relatively nice person, he had been told, if you behaved.
All the male students considered her to be pretty as she wasn't that much older than them, had long, waist length snow white hair, was quite tall and skinny, but the thing most people liked about her were her eyes, the irises were black and she had five white pupils, like the number five domino, in the middle of the iris. Sasori wasn't too awestruck, though he had to admit she was cute, he was just interested in… other areas of human life. Too bad for the students, so was Miss Kurosei.
Sasori figured that she would know something about Deidara, as she had been the boy's teacher before, instead of any of the other teachers around the room. He walked up to her and said "Miss Kurosei, I presume. I'm Sasori Akasuna, the teacher substituting for you." The albino woman smiled and said goodbye to the teacher she was talking to. "Please, call me Onyx, and it's nice to meet you Sasori. How did you find your first class? I'm just here to collect some of my stuff before I leave for maternity."
Sasori found the woman to be a bit forward, but it was apparent her personality was just like that. "It was good, but I'm afraid to say most of the students lack any talent." He started off. Onyx frowned, but said "Unfortunately, yes. None of them seem to be interested in art at all… Oh! Apart from Deidara, that is. That boy loves it." She added, smiling.
Sasori nodded and grinned himself. "Yes, he is the only one with good work as far as I've seen; actually, do you think we can discuss him? I've noticed something that is quite worrying about him." He casually placed in the conversation. Onyx pouted slightly, but nodded. "Yes, I've been thinking something is wrong, but he won't say anything to his teachers. Would you like to discuss this over coffee?" Sasori nodded, grateful for the chance to question the teacher as they walked out of the school and down the street to the closest café after leaving the woman's belongings in her black and white, star decorated car down the street.
"Yes, that would be lovely, but won't your fiancé be annoyed you're with other men? You are pregnant after all." Sasori questioned, noting the gold ring with diamonds and, ironically, onyx gems on the woman's ring finger. Miss Kurosei stared for a second and burst out laughing. Sasori raised an eyebrow. The woman chuckled for a second before saying "Due to the fact my fiancé isn't a man, and never will be, I don't think she will have a problem with me talking to you. Also, I'm pregnant by implants, so you have no reason to worry about me going after men."
Sasori blushed and nodded. At least he wouldn't have a problem with this woman. They reached the café and entered through the doors of 'Starbucks'. The door bell rang and they went to the counter and ordered a black coffee and a shortbread square for Sasori and a chocolate frappachino and a chocolate chip square for Miss Kurosei. They paid for their food and sat down at a booth near the exit.
"Well, what do you think is weird about Deidara?" Miss Kurosei questioned the red-head. Sasori sighed and said "Do you think things are alright for him at home?" The female teacher raised her eyebrow and said "Why? And I'm not too sure, is there a problem?" Sasori nodded and replied "I saw some bruise marks that look like hands and fingers on his arms this morning. Also, I questioned him why he wasn't in advanced art like he should be, and he said his family couldn't afford it. And he looked quite scared and worried when I asked him who his family was, and what they do for a living and he wouldn't tell me the answer."
Onyx nodded and sat silently for a minute or two, only moving when taking a sip of her drink through her straw. "I've met his father before, on parents' night. He seemed to be a bit out of it, but polite at the same time; like he was out of his element and he was trying too hard to act normal. And I've never seen or heard from his mother, I don't think she's around anymore." Sasori frowned and squinted his eyes into his coffee.
Onyx raised an eyebrow and said "You seem to know a fair bit about the boy, despite this being your first day teaching him, and from what I can tell from your disposition, you don't seem to like talking to people. Do you mind if I ask you something?" Sasori raised his head and gave a single, albeit sceptical, nod.
Onyx appeared to smirk slightly as she said "You don't happen to 'like' the boy, do you?" Sasori blanched and started to stutter a reply when the female teacher cut him off. "I thought as much. If I were you, I'd keep quiet about it for a month or two, until the end of the school year. He may be your age, but it is frowned upon for a teacher to have a relationship with one of their students." She smiled. "But judging from the answers that Deidara gave you and considering you got him into an actual conversation when most people can't get him to say two words, he may like you as well. I know the boy doesn't like girls already from teaching him for most of the year."
Sasori's face turned scarlet and he appeared to shrink in his seat. The female teacher gave him a warm smile and said "Oh calm down! I'm hardly one to judge about that type of a relationship; I'm in one myself for goodness sake!" Sasori appeared to calm down slightly, as the woman was telling the truth and she didn't seem the type to judge anyway.
They finished their drinks and snacks in silence. After they had left the café, Miss Kurosei said "So what do you think we should do about Deidara's situation?" Sasori stopped in the middle of the pavement and stood in silent thought for a few seconds. "I think that I should keep a close eye on his behaviour. Also, if I see any new bruises or marks I'm going to confront him about it. There is no way anyone could get those from just being clumsy." He finally replied with.
The elder of the two nodded. "Alright. Here's my number, call me if anything develops. If it does, I'm not just going to let what's happening to that boy continue." Sasori nodded and he punched the numbers into his mobile phone.
"Well goodbye and good luck with Deidara, Sasori." The teacher said as she began to walk off. "Oh! And make sure he knows you like him!" She added over her shoulder as an afterthought. Sasori turned red again as he searched the street to see if anyone had heard, it was empty, so his pride and dignity were still intact. Sasori sighed and walked back to the school for his car and drove home to where his grandmother awaited news on his first day of work.
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