Title: Stumble and Fall
Author: Avelynn Tame
Disclaimer: I do not own Gokusen.
Summary: A new teacher has arrived at Shirokin, and he's not bothering to hide his attraction to the homeroom teacher of a certain delinquent class. 3-D greet him with their usual kindness and warmth, but Yankumi is far more interested in the reaction of one Sawada Shin…
Author's Notes: Sorry, you guys, this was supposed to be posted on Friday but I got distracted. Let's call this an end-of-the-weekend present. (Two days is just not enough.) Also, I was to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has been reviewing – your comments have been so wonderful to read. I know some of you have asked questions/made comments that I really want to reply to – might start doing that in the next chapter so look out!
Anyway, on with the latest instalment…
Chapter Six
Shin did start attending Maruyama's classes again, but not because he had any great desire to learn mathematics, or participate in the ongoing scheme to keep Maruyama as busy as possible.
His chief motivation was to try and push Yankumi's buttons.
Until that day on the roof, he hadn't considered that he would ever be able to have such an effect on her. She had always been the one who was three steps ahead, who was ready with a smart retort or a solution to the problem, and for as much as Shin had ever been able to do to help her, it seemed that she would always be capable of doing more for him.
But he'd cornered her. She had looked up at him and not pushed him away. He had been so close…
In a rare outward display of irritation, he'd tripped Kuma up as they left school that afternoon, then claimed it was an accident.
Would she let him get that close again? And if she did, would she let him kiss her? He had to know. If he had even the slightest chance to win against the man who had suddenly reappeared in her life, then he had to take it.
It was Friday.
Maruyama had now been teaching at Shirokin for a month and a half, which was considered to be quite an achievement considering previous teachers' tendencies to flee on the very first day. Fujiyama had suggested that all of the teachers should go out for drinks and a meal to celebrate, and before Kumiko had a chance to refuse, it had all been arranged.
She sighed quietly as she finished up with her last class of the day, making sure everyone knew what homework they were supposed to be doing and answering all the last-minute questions. It wasn't that she didn't want to go out that night – she thought it would be fun – but she'd had other things on her mind lately and she didn't think she'd be very good company.
It had been more than two weeks since she'd confronted Sawada, and from that day on, something seemed to have changed.
Whatever that 'something' was, it was subtle. If anyone had asked her, she wouldn't have been able to put her finger on it, and if she tried, she would probably sound like a crazy person.
He was just… around more.
Oh, yes. She was definitely losing it.
He was always there. It wasn't just that he attended every class – and she was thrilled about that, she really was – or that he turned up for every homeroom session at the beginning and end of the day. It was his presence at other times that she had begun to notice.
Between classes, for example. And near the school gates at the beginning and the end of the day. And at her own house. (To be fair, it was usually she who invited him, but several times she'd arrived home to find him watching TV while Tetsu and Minoru claimed to have 'found' him and brought him back.)
She didn't mind, or anything. It was just unexpected.
"Yankumi," he said one day, thrusting a piece of paper under her nose as she walked back to the staff room at lunchtime, "give me some help, will you?"
It was a Sudoku grid. She stopped walking and stood to one side of the corridor, out of the way of the hordes of hungry students heading for the cafeteria. Sawada leaned over her as she peered at the paper. "You would pick an 'extra difficult' rating, wouldn't you?" she muttered as her eyes scanned the rows. "Ah! Here, you can put a five here. And then you can complete that row."
He took it back off her, scribbling the numbers in. "Thanks, Yankumi."
She stood and watched him go, half baffled by his swift appearance and even quicker departure, and half disturbed by the fact that his closeness had felt… nice.
She got into Sudoku after that. When he came to her house, they often sat together in silence doing two separate puzzles, occasionally swapping if they got stuck.
It was funny how quickly he'd become accepted into their family (not as an official member of the Kuroda group, of course; that would only happen over her cold dead body). The others more or less expected to see him at the dinner table; if he didn't come one evening, she would put some of the leftover food into boxes and go over to his place to deliver it.
Once or twice, Maruyama had invited her to do something – go for drinks, or see a movie – as friends, of course. (At least, she thought so. It was difficult to tell.) Afterwards she had arrived home to find Sawada waiting for her with an accusing look on his face. He never said anything about it, but his attitude gave her the impression that he was pissed off with her.
It gave her a strange, indefinable feeling. Almost as though she were cheating on him.
Which was a stupid idea, and just served as further proof of her apparent mental instability.
Nonetheless, the feeling persisted, and so it was that on Friday afternoon after she'd done the register, she waited until Sawada was slouching past her desk – he was the last one out of the room as usual – and said in a low voice, "I'll be out with the other teachers tonight, so I'll be late." Then, casually, "If you were planning to drop by, that is."
He gave her a calculating look. "Is Maruyama going to be there?"
She blinked. "Well, yeah, I mean – " This was bad. He was making her feel flustered again. "He has to be there, because it's kind of for him – like a celebration, since he's been here a month, you know?"
It was there again. The accusation in his eyes, as though she was doing something wrong. "Hmmm," he said at last, "well, it's none of my business. You didn't have to tell me, you know."
"I know that," she said indignantly. "I just… thought I should. Because it's polite."
She turned her back on him, her bag tucked under one arm. He was so frustrating at times; she never knew what he was thinking.
A firm hand grasped her elbow, pulling her to a sudden stop before she reached the door. She could feel him standing behind her, her arm and shoulder almost pressed against his chest. She felt him move closer, and then his voice was whispering hotly in her ear, "I'll wait until you get home. So don't stay out too late."
And then he was gone, leaving her dry-mouthed and shaking and inexplicably aroused.
She was useless at the restaurant that night. She hardly heard a word anyone said – inside her dazed head, she was still in her classroom with Sawada.
"Kumiko-san?" Maruyama was looking at her with concern. "Are you feeling all right?"
"Hmm? Me?" Unconsciously she sat up straighter and reached for her drink. "Yes, I'm fine. Just… tired."
Fujiyama, sitting to her left, nudged her in the ribs and said quietly, "So it's Kumiko-san now, eh?"
Kumiko gave her an exasperated look. "We've known each other a long time, it would be odd if he just carried on calling me 'Yamaguchi-sensei'."
"Oh, why don't you just give it up and make a public announcement already?" Fujiyama took a long swig of her drink. "So you're seeing each other! Why hide it?"
Kumiko returned the nudge, although it was considerably sharper than Fujiyama's had been and it made her yelp loudly in pain. "We are not seeing each other," she hissed. "We're friends."
Fujiyama glared at her. "Well, you may say that, but I've seen the way he looks at you. Even if you're just friends now, it won't be for long. Trust me," she said coolly, "if I thought he wasn't interested, I'd have made a move by now."
Kumiko scowled and picked at her food. As nonchalantly as possible, she glanced down at her watch. It was still early. Could she get away with leaving now?
"I'll wait until you get home," he'd said.
He'd probably just said it to bother her. Then again, if he had shown up at her house, and was planning to wait – well, that would be time spent being exposed to the corruptive influences of her family. And that would be bad!
Suddenly struck with certainty, she pushed back her chair and stood up. "I'm sorry, but I have to go," she announced. "I'll see you all on Monday." She left some money under her glass for the bill and made a hurried exit, weaving through the tables with her coat over her arm.
Outside the restaurant she stared at the dark, empty street. Damn. She hadn't brought her car – she and Fujiyama had caught the train from school together, but her home was in the opposite direction. It would have to be the bus.
"Kumiko-san!"
She turned to find Maruyama behind her, and felt a pang of dismay. She really didn't want to get into a discussion about why she was leaving.
"I've got my car," he said, surprising her. "Let me give you a ride home."
"Is it all right for you to leave?" she asked. "I mean, it's your party. Kind of."
He grinned. "It's not as much fun if you're not there."
She smiled awkwardly in response, feeling colour rise to her cheeks. That kind of comment made her feel more uncomfortable than pleased, but Maruyama didn't seem to get that.
It wasn't until they were in the car and driving along in silence that she realised: there was no way she could let him drop her off outside her house. Not unless she wanted him to freak out and possibly give her secret away.
As she was worrying about this, Maruyama glanced over at her. "You've not been yourself tonight. What's up?"
"Oh… nothing really. I mean, I've just got a lot on my mind right now, that's all. Sorry if I've been distracted."
He sighed. "I see. I'm sorry."
She frowned, puzzled. "Sorry for what?"
"For saying what I said that time. About liking you. It's been bothering you – I apologise. I shouldn't have said it and then left it like that."
She couldn't say what she was really thinking right then, which was, 'Oh, that? I'd forgotten about that.' She hadn't given it a thought in quite a while.
But it would be best to play along. "Well, it did surprise me."
His fingers tapped the steering wheel idly. "I meant what I said. I really did like you when we were back at university. And the truth is –" He glanced at her again, and reached over, taking one of her hands in his. "My feelings haven't changed. Kumiko-san, would you -?"
"Um, it's just here," she gabbled hurriedly, pulling her hand from his to point to a random house at the side of the road. "Thank you."
"Kumiko-san –"
"Maruyama-sensei," she interrupted him, "I – I don't know what to say. I thought you only saw me as a friend."
He pulled over a little further up than where she'd pointed. She was still several blocks away from home but it would have to do. Maruyama took her hand again. "I value our friendship," he told her sincerely. "That's why I think that this could work – we already have a good foundation for our relationship. We have a lot in common, we're both alike –"
I don't think that we are, she wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come. She knew what he was going to ask next.
"Will you go out with me?"
She bit her lip. "Maruyama-sensei, I don't think that would be a good idea. I mean, we work together, and it could make things difficult. I like you as a friend, but –"
His fingers squeezed hers tightly. "Kumiko-san," he sounded strained, "I know it's been sudden. Won't you at least think about it for a while?"
Guilt and claustrophobia pressed her to take the quick escape route being offered to her. "All right, I will," she said reluctantly. "I'll think about it."
"Great," he seemed relieved. "That's great."
"I'll see you on Monday!" Then, lightning-fast, she was out of the car and slamming the door, waving at him.
She waited until he'd pulled away and was some distance down the road before she began walking. Men – normal men, that was, rather than Yakuza men – tended not to ask her out, so she wasn't used to handing out rejections. She would have to be tactful with Maruyama because, as she'd said to him, they worked together.
She knew that she didn't want to go out with him. Any brief attraction which had resurfaced when he'd arrived had now gone. Her feelings for him were purely platonic.
The best thing to do would be to take some time, allow him to believe that she was considering going out with him, and then let him down gently.
She smiled. Making the decision was an instant mood-booster. She walked the rest of the way home with a spring in her step.
As she reached her house and walked through the tall gates, she remembered the feel of Maruyama's hand on hers. It was nothing like Sawada's.
How strange that this thought did not surprise her.
"I'm home!" she called out as she opened the front door, kicking off her shoes.
The house was silent. Even Tetsu and Minoru – who were usually coming to greet her as soon as they heard her footsteps on the path outside – were nowhere to be seen. She wasn't too worried – occasionally, unexpected business took her grandfather out of the house. If he hadn't called her, then it probably wasn't urgent.
"Welcome home, ojou," said a familiar voice.
Startled, she jumped, and peered through into the living room. Sawada was sitting on the floor by the table, leaning back casually on his hands.
"Sawada!" she exclaimed, dumping her bag on the floor and joining him at the table. "Did they just leave you here? That was rude of them, I apolo –"
"They didn't leave me," he said before she could start making a fuss. He gestured through to the next room. "Wakamatsu's in there. He went to watch TV, but I think he fell asleep."
"Hmm," was all she said. It was still rude, in her opinion.
He shifted closer to her – whether this was deliberate or inadvertent, she didn't know. Her heart thumped harder. "So," he said, "how was your night?"
Like a lead weight in her stomach, the memory of Maruyama's request came flooding back. She closed her eyes briefly and hung her head. "Let's just say I'm glad to be home," she replied.
When she opened her eyes, Sawada was giving her a piercing stare. "What happened?"
She sighed and leaned forward to rest her head on the table, using her arms as a pillow. "Maruyama-sensei asked me out."
The young man sitting next to her became very, very still. "I see," he said flatly. There was a tense silence.
"I want to say no," she continued, feeling the burden of worry becoming lighter with each word, "but I don't want to make things awkward at school. Or lose his friendship."
Sawada's arms came into view as he adopted a mirror-image of her position at the table. They were less than half a metre apart. "It's better to be honest," he told her seriously. "You can't go out with him just because you don't want him to be pissed off."
Oddly, that advice did not feel patronising. It was just the truth, after all.
"You're right," she mumbled. "Just have to figure out the right way to say it." She yawned sleepily. "Anyway, forget about that – what have you been doing this evening?"
"Sudoku," he tapped a book lying unnoticed on the table, "and waiting for you."
She could feel her cheeks burning. "You could have just gone home," she pointed out.
"But I said I'd wait."
It was as though she was experiencing it all over again – his firm hand gripping her elbow, his voice in her ear. She became acutely aware of the colour in her cheeks, the pounding of her heart, the warmth curling in the pit of her abdomen. "Yes," she said softly. "You did."
He reached out. His fingers pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
She didn't move. She wasn't sure she could.
He traced a path down her cheek to her lips. His eyes were dark, and when he moved towards her, she knew for certain that he was going to kiss her. In the back of her mind, she also had a vague idea that she might not bother to stop him.
"So then the rat bastard pulls a gun on me!" Kyou's voice roared loudly as the front door slammed open.
In the other room, there was a dull thump as Wakamatsu woke up from his nap.
"Course, I hit him before he could even move, the piece of – oh, ojou!" Kyou broke off as he and the others came into the living room.
"Welcome back." She could only hope that her smile wasn't too obviously strained, and that they wouldn't notice the fact that her face seemed to be on fire.
Kyou appeared to be oblivious as he sat down near Shin. "Shin-chan!" He grinned up at Kumiko. "This guy wanted to wait til you got back. Ain't he great?"
"Ahh, of course," she laughed nervously. "He's my student, after all."
Saying the word sent a sharp pain lancing through her chest. Student. She hadn't been thinking about that a few moments ago.
Involuntarily, she glanced at him. His shoulders were hunched and she thought she could see frustration etched into his face. He wasn't looking at her.
"Hey, Shin-chan, you want to stay over?" Kyou asked enthusiastically. "There's plenty of room."
Panic gripped Kumiko's heart, although she couldn't fully explain why. It was just a bad idea, in her opinion. Her protest caught in her throat, however, when she saw the brief hopeful lift of Shin's eyebrows.
"Of course he should stay over," she said sternly, ignoring his sharp look of surprise. "It's far too late for him to be going back home. Tetsu, Minoru, go and make up the guest room."
Her grandfather caught her eye and gave her a knowing look. She turned hastily and busied herself by staring at the floor with interest. She wondered if he knew – or could tell – what had almost happened between her and Shin.
She really hoped not.
"I'm going to have a bath," she announced to no-one in particular. If nothing else, it would allow her some peace and quiet for a little while.
She soaked for a long time – long enough to make her fingertips wrinkle and to loosen the tight knots of muscular tension in her back and shoulders.
When she finally emerged, the house was quiet. She felt at peace as she shuffled along the corridor to her room. She passed the guest room, but the door was closed and she couldn't hear a sound from inside, so she guessed that Shin had gone to bed.
She had been silly, she'd decided in the bath. A silly girl, thinking of kissing her student. It wasn't something she planned to do again.
She imagined that Shin was probably thinking the same thing. After all, what boy would want to kiss their teacher? Well, unless it was Fujiyama-sensei, of course.
Her bed had been nicely warmed by the hot water bottle that was nestled between the sheets, and she made a mental note to thank Tetsu the next morning. She was just curling up under the covers, feeling extremely comfortable and ready for sleep, when she heard the soft knock at her door.
She sat up abruptly, irritation pricking her mind. This better be important, she thought crossly. "Come in!"
The door opened the barest amount, and a lean, tall figure slipped inside. "Hey," said a familiar voice, "uh… it's me."
She blinked wildly. "Sawada?! I thought you'd gone to bed."
"I'm going now," he replied, a little defensively. "I just… wanted to say… thanks, I guess."
She squinted, trying to see his face in the dark and failing. "For what?"
There was a faint rustle. Probably a shrug. "For letting me stay."
"You're welcome anytime," she told him gently. "I mean that."
There was a long pause. She wondered if he had heard her.
Then he said, "Did he ever kiss you?"
Her heart began to thump harder at the mere mention of a kiss. "Er… who?" she asked.
"Maruyama." He sounded tense and angry. "Did he?"
"No," she said, wondering why he wanted to know. "Never."
His footsteps were soft on the floor; she could see his figure moving closer. He stopped by her bed, and she felt the edge sink under his weight. "Good," he murmured quietly. She realised that his face was directly in front of hers. "That's good," he repeated.
And then his lips were pressing against her cheek, just at the corner of her mouth.
Did he miss? was her first thought. Then her mind became foggy and she couldn't think as easily.
His lips were warm. She could feel his hair tickling her cheek. Her eyes fluttered shut.
He pulled away and whispered, "Good night."
And then he was gone. Dimly, she registered her own reply, and the sound of the door opening and shutting. Slowly, she sank back into her pillows.
Damn you, Sawada, she thought, annoyed. She was wide awake, and sleep would not come easy tonight.
Author's Notes: I really, really hope you liked this. As you can tell, things are starting to move a bit faster – this is necessary for the story, but I'm wary of things going too fast. (On a separate note: can you tell I'm a bit obsessed with Sudoku at the moment?)