
Title: Stand by You
Author's Note: Gack! Do forgive me for taking so long to update... For the most part, I've been uninspired. I don't feel any sparks, even right now. On top of that, I got myself an article-writing job which uses up most of my time, aside from school. But still! I don't want this story to die!!!
Chapter Six: Okinawan Jealousy
For the 3-D class, the best part about their graduation trip was that the head teacher didn't come along. Now, as they looked at the vast beach nearest their hotel, they couldn't help thinking just how lucky they were that the head teacher was asked to stay home by his wife. None of the other teachers wanted to come along, too, so Yankumi was the only chaperone they had for the trip.
"This is the life," Minami spoke up, summing it up for all of them. "Ne, Yankumi, will you be wearing a two-piece swimsuit?"
Yankumi clasped her hands and pretended to be shy. "Maa... you guys really want to see me in ultra-sekushi swimwear, don't you?"
The 3-D boys gagged while Jyuu laughed hysterically. "Yamaguchi!" she gasped. "You're hilarious."
"Eh? What about you, Jyuu?" Yankumi asked. "Two-piece?"
All eyes turned to catch Jyuu's mortified expression. She looked as though she couldn't even imagine herself in a two-piece swimsuit. Everyone, except Shin, thought that Jyuu in a skimpy suit was a very, very wrong picture. That was because they hadn't seen her in the dresses Kaguro made her wear. "Jyuu... in a swimsuit..." Kuma's weirded out expression was priceless.
"OK, everyone!" Yankumi clapped her hands. "Let's go and get changed for some beach fun!"
Everyone was only too happy to oblige. Those who weren't already in their swimwear went back to their rooms and returned to the beach in a flash. As Jyuu walked with Yankumi towards the room they shared with each other, Yankumi said, "I'm glad your bruises have faded. Any unusual feeling since after the attack?"
Jyuu shook her head. "None at all. My hard years have made my body as tough as a bull's. I'm not too easy to put down."
"Jyuu... I've been meaning to ask."
"Hm?"
"That issue in your previous school... what really happened? I know the evidence pointed against you, but now that I've gotten to know you more, I'm sure you're not capable of doing terrible things to another person." The teacher watched her student's blank expression. She couldn't tell what Jyuu was thinking.
"Ne, Yankumi. I don't want to go into the details, because I'd rather forget everything. I'm just going to say, that I only did what I did out of self-defense."
The topic was closed between them after that, and Yankumi was assured once more of her decision to trust the younger girl. "Oh yeah, I just remembered something. Do the boys know how old you are?"
Jyuu grinned. "They don't. And don't you ever tell them about anything in my files. They already know I'm older, they just don't know how much."
As soon as they reached their room, Jyuu changed into an old shirt and a pair of beach shorts David-sama had gotten for her. When she saw Yankumi in her swimming attire, Jyuu's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? You're really going to wear a two-piece swimsuit?"
"Does it look ugly on me?"
"No. You look great, actually. But do you think it's a good idea? They're boys, you know."
"I trust my boys. I just want to show them that I'm not to be trifled with. I'll sway them with my womanly charms, then they'll pay closer attention in class!"
"Fine, fine. Just stop doing those weird poses. You look like a man in a swimsuit when you're like that." Jyuu shook her head at the oddity of it all. "But you look really good, Yamaguchi."
"Thanks, Jyuu!"
They headed back for the beach, where all they guys were hanging out. Some were already in the water, while others lazed around on the sand, allowing the sun to massage their skin. Noda was the first one who noticed the girls, and when he saw Yankumi, he whooped and bade the others to watch. The boys, even those in the water, all gathered around Yankumi. Shin was the only one who remained asleep under the sun. But when the noise woke him up, he saw Yankumi in her red two-piece swimsuit, and the sight made him stare at her longer than he would have any other day.
"She just made you fall harder, huh?"
Shin didn't even realize Jyuu was already beside him until she spoke. He didn't say anything and went back to his sleeping position. He sat up in shock when sand rained down on his face. Good thing he had covered his eyes with his arm, but the same can't be said for his mouth. Spitting out the grains, he frowned at Jyuu. "What is wrong with you?"
"What is wrong with you? I was talking to you. You can't just ignore people who talk to you, Shin."
"Sawada-kun, what's the matter, ne?" Yankumi had walked over to them, a concerned look on her face.
Jyuu looked up at Yankumi from where she was squatting, then she looked at Shin. She stood up and stalked off back to the hotel.
"Eh?" Yankumi uttered before she was dragged off by Kuma to the ice cream shop.
"Where are you going, Jyuu-chan?" Noda called after Jyuu's retreating back.
"Bathroom," she answered without turning.
Noda started to follow after her, but Ucchi held him back. "I'll go," he said quietly. It was obvious to Jyuu's closest friends that she wasn't in a good mood. Ucchi ran towards the hotel, while Minami shook his head slightly at Shin.
"Good going, man."
When the red-haired boy didn't answer, Minami went on, "It's fine if you ignore us guys. But Jyuu's a girl. No matter how manly she may seem sometimes, she's still of the durned female species. I hope you'll understand that before she gets tired of you completely." Figuring he'd said enough, Minami shouted for a game in the water. As he ran off, he gave his seemingly unfeeling friend one last glance before crashing back into the sea.
The other guys followed suit, determined to take advantage of the three days they were going to be in Okinawa.
--
Ucchi knocked on Jyuu's and Yankumi's door. He had lost time waiting for the elevator, and he was out of breath from running in the corridors. "Jyuu, it's me... Ucchi."
"Come in. The door's unlocked."
The tall, yellow-haired boy turned the knob and entered the room. He found Jyuu lying on her back atop one of the beds. Her eyes were closed, but she opened them when Ucchi walked in. Sitting up, Jyuu asked, "What's up?"
"Idiot." Ucchi grinned. He sat on edge of the bed, his back facing Jyuu. "Let me catch my breath first."
"What'd you come here for? Shouldn't you be out fighting the waves by now?"
"Shut up, you know what I'm here for."
"Do I?"
"I'm here for you."
Jyuu stared in wonder at Ucchi's bare back. Where the heck did that come from? She yelped as Ucchi suddenly turned and dragged her off the bed. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
"I said I'm here for you, didn't I? I meant, 'I'm here to get you', let's go back to the beach while the sun's out."
"I thought you were going mellow on me," Jyuu said, laughing. "It frightened me a bit, you jerk."
"I can't believe you scratched me," Ucchi complained, touching the red marks on his abdomen. "What are you, a cat?"
"Hey, you were the one who surprised me. Who told you to harass me like that?"
"I'm the one harrassed. Come on, let's go."
"All right."
"Another thing, Jyuu. There's something I want to know."
"What?" The second time today, Jyuu thought, recalling her conversation with Yankumi only moments ago.
"Are you in love with Shin?"
Jyuu was caught off guard. Usually, she could just brush off a question like that with a laugh, but Ucchi was asking it so calmly, as if he already knew the answer, that she found herself incapable of masking the dismayed look on her face. As a last effort to save herself, Jyuu went, "He he he... What's gotten into you, ne? You must be out of your mind." She waved her hand at his face.
"You didn't answer my question."
The uncomfortable girl felt her heart beat faster. She thought of escaping, but Ucchi was blocking the closed door. So she simply said, "No. I'm not in love with Shin."
"OK." He opened the door and walked out ahead of Jyuu. As they slowly walked in the hallway towards the elevators, Jyuu stopped.
"Ucchi."
He stopped to turn his head. "Yeah?" He blinked in surprise when Jyuu suddenly hugged him from behind. "Jyuu? What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She didn't care to say anything, even though her tears were beginning to make Ucchi's back wet.
On the other hand, Ucchi didn't need any explanation. It was as if he understood right away. Somehow, he knew what the matter was, even before Jyuu did. He unlaced Jyuu's thin arms from his equally thin waist and turned around to wrap her in a big hug. He let her head rest on his shoulder as he murmured, "Fool."
"I didn't see it coming," Jyuu sobbed quietly.
"You two were the only ones who didn't."
"What do you mean?"
"Shin's in love with you, too. He just doesn't want to admit it." Yet, Ucchi thought.
Jyuu thought about telling Ucchi he was wrong. That she was crying about some other reason, that the whole thing was a big misunderstanding. But she couldn't. I probably could, if I could just stop shaking. There's no way I could lie when I'm like this. "I'm so pathetic," she groaned out loud.
"You really are," Ucchi agreed without hesitation.
--
Yankumi stopped dead in her tracks when she saw two of her students in an embrace. Jyuu... and Ucchi!? Nothing could be more surprising than this. She rubbed her eyes to see if it was for real, and it was. She had hurried to see Jyuu after Kuma finally left the ice cream shop, seeing as how upset the girl seemed, but it looked like somebody already beat her to it. She started to retreat, bumping into somebody. "Shin," she hissed, when she realized who it was.
Looking at Shin's face, Yankumi could plainly see all the color drained from it. No matter how unreadable his expression was, there was no denying the intensity in his eyes. Yankumi took the liberty of making the connection between Ucchi's hugging Jyuu, and Shin's disgruntled face. "Let's go," she whispered to him, pulling him by his arm back into the elevator.
Shin didn't even resist. Once the elevator door slid shut, he started to regain his composure, that by the time they reached the lobby, he was his usual indifferent self.
"Are you all right?" Yankumi asked.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
The swimsuit clad teacher shrugged. If he wasn't going to talk, so be it. She wasn't going to pry into Shin's thoughts now, since she was still in a mild state of shock over what she saw. They walked over to where the other 3-D guys were resting.
"Where have you been?" Noda asked Shin and Yankumi.
"I just checked something at the hotel," Yankumi replied cheerfully. "Hey, Noda, what do you think about grilling for tonight's dinner?"
"Sounds good, Yankumi!" Kuma shouted. "I like eating outdoors."
"And indoors, and everywhere..." Noda said, rolling his eyes. His face lit up, "Oh, hey! There's Ucchi and Jyuu. Hey, what's up!"
"Maa... you're so red already, Kuma," Jyuu teased their fat classmate. "Stay under an umbrella, you might get cooked."
Kuma paid her insult by carrying her over his shoulder and throwing her into the sea. "There. Drink up!"
"B-ba-ka!" Jyuu sputtered. She waved her first at the smug Kuma, but she wasn't really mad. The roughing up did her some good. She swam over to Minami and they immediately got into the messy business of trying to drown the other.
Ucchi smiled and sat beside Shin on the sand, apart from the others. "Stupid woman, isn't she?"
"The worst."
The amusement in Shin's voice made Ucchi come to the conclusion that he really was fond of their only female classmate. "Shin."
"Hn?"
"When are you going to tell her?"
Shin glanced at his friend. They had never talked about Jyuu like this before, but it was as if they had. Ucchi always had the ability to read him so well that he didn't have to humble down enough to share his feelings, if there were any. "What about you?"
"Don't worry about me. Just go ahead and show her you love her. Lose some of that pride, man."
"Who said I loved her?"
"You didn't have to."
Shin chuckled.
"By the way, what about Yankumi?"
All Ucchi got as an answer was the usual grunt, as Shin stood up and went for a swim.
--
Author's Note: It took me around five hours to write up this short chapter. GOMEN NEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! I'd make it longer, but it's almost 3AM now... I still have to sleep. I hope I'll be able to continue the story as soon as possible. I hope you enjoyed this at least a bit. Sorry if it isn't as good as it should be, considering the update gap. I tried, I really did. Feel free to complain, though. I'll get over it hahah.