This is a ShinKumi fic, but my goal is for it not to be idealistic. This is really about Kumiko growing in ways she hasn't grown in the series, dealing with adverse situations that don't turn out ideally, and crossing the boundaries she has set for herself.
"Shinohara-san!" She laced her hands together with sparkling eyes and a hopeful smile. The flowers were blooming. Spring! The time of love! She skipped towards him and reached her hand out toward his. The edges of her vision were warm, white, and blurred. His voice echoed in her mind, a beautiful tune.
It was faint and distant. His mouth moved, but in a strange way. The sounds he made did not sound like Yamaguchi. Could he be calling her Kumiko? Had he finally crossed the line of formality? "…u… O…. Ojo… Ojou!" It became louder and louder in her ears. She squeezed his hand in an attempt to hold onto the fringes.
But it wasn't working. Her dream was ending, and instead of her handsome knight on a white horse, Tetsu's mustache met her eyes. Her hand was wrapped around his neck as always. With a grand movement she released him and tried to wrap up in her blankets again. Tetsu and Minoru tried to coax her further out of bed. Minoru pulled on the hem of her blanket, but received a firm smack on the forehead. Kumiko rolled forward and looked at the two men.
"Really? Did you really have to wake me up! It was so nice!" She pictured Shinohara. It had been a year since Kujou-sensei had gone to his new school. It was by a chance meeting that Shinohara had reappeared in her life. Riding the bus through a part of town she wasn't familiar with, he had appeared from the mist. They had met eyes, and Kumiko's heart had almost exploded. This had to mean it was destiny! He was no longer just a detective, but a chief detective, on his way up the ladder of success.
But similarly to any man Kumiko found herself interested in, he did not understand her affection. He had to assume in the years he hadn't seen her, the fondness she once had for him must have gone elsewhere. Kumiko, in her years, had never overcome her fear of expressing her affections for another human being. Love remained the idealistic flower covered by thick glass.
Her hair was rough and tangled. Her shirt was pulled around to the side. She could smell her breath and it wasn't pleasant at that moment. If Shinohara really was right there, he would run screaming away. Kumiko flopped backwards back into bed and stared up at the ceiling. Her lackeys were saying something about school and it being late.
They always said that. Kumiko stayed right where she was. Her lesson plan began running through the background, and she remembered her need to be there early today. Something about a meeting and planning and testing… or something. It wasn't 100% clear in Kumiko's mind at the moment, but she was up and out of bed, something which came as a great relief to Tetsu and Minoru.
Her hair was up in the traditional pig tails, side part, a clip, and her glasses. Fresh face, no make up, always so very clean and simple. Pants, a t-shirt, jacket, and of course, her track suit in her bag. The red one today, even though she had a million to choose from. Already almost a year had past with her 1-D students. Kurogin academy had kept her for this set of students. As always, they couldn't avoid the bad seeds making it into the school. They brought money, and above everything that was what the school needed.
She liked these students. Getting them earlier had made it easier to mold them from children toward adulthood. There was so much excitement inside her for the next two years. Maybe they would all get into universities, or all have jobs lined up before the end of their last year. Maybe they would even be able to dream about a future again. There was nothing but hope inside her for almost everything.
Her bus ride into school was uneventful. Everywhere she went, she kept an eye open for Shinohara, since he was bound to turn up somewhere unexpectedly. It was an expectation, what with destiny and all. But today she didn't see him anywhere. But just like in everything else, she had nothing but hope. She strolled through the park towards school. A bell sounded somewhere in the distance. That was strange, it was still early. She continued her stroll, humming her favorite tune. The world seemed like a dream again. The music was suddenly all around her, a cherry tree stood behind her, and everything seemed perfect. Shinohara would appear at any moment. The music skipped a little bit. Something vibrated against her leg.
"Oh!" She almost ripped her pants pulling her phone out. Baba-sensei… Ignore call! Oh! The time! The bell earlier had meant it was time for school. She was late! Her legs burst forward. A tiny voice inside reminded her that Tetsu and Minoru had mentioned she was going to be late. She did her best to sneak quietly into the faculty room. The head teacher was in the middle of a lecture, facing a large grid with a list of the students graduating and their potential universities. This wasn't quite as important for her right now. None of them were in the homeroom, although she did teach some of them.
He wasn't even facing her as she stood up, and yet the head teacher just had to say something. "Isn't that right Yamaguchi-sensei?" Kumiko smiled awkwardly and nodded, acting as though she had heard the question. "We can't expect much out of this years 3-D." Listed down at the bottom of the grid, were the names of the students under the tutelage of Baba-sensei. Everyone thought that because he was the PE teacher, and therefore supposed to be rough, he would be able to handle the still somewhat challenged class.
However Baba-sensei was still as weak as always. The class was not flourishing, and unlike the previous year with Yamaguchi, there had already been multiple expulsions. The idea that a student she could have helped was getting thrown out of school upset Kumiko greatly. Despite the student's dislike of her, and the administrations limited patience, she always attempted to fight for them. It worked in a few cases, but the fact was Kumiko could not be everywhere at once. If she could have, every D class in the entire city of Tokyo would be with her.
"You don't know that Head Teacher!" She called out, contradictory to her nod. "After all, if they receive the correct nurturing from a teacher, any precious student can go on to be anything!" Her idealistic tone filled the room with inspiration, or at least that's what she thought. Baba-sensei projected himself as a hero fighting against adversity, or at least that was the meaning of his puffed out chest. One of the other teachers patted him and he deflated. The truth was 3-D ran him.
Despite his almost constant retorts to Kumiko's idealism, Sawatori said nothing today. His plan was to ignore anything she said for as long as possible. It was a new scheme to get her to be somewhat less of a thorn in his side. Everyone else knew it wouldn't last past the staff meeting. He adjourned the meeting and sat down at his future principal desk.
Kumiko appeared at his side, and began going over an aggressive plan to get her students into position for better grades and prospects. The plan was well organized, and she felt it would be easy to motivate them. Sawatori nodded his head every few minutes, and intently studied the pen in his hand. But a few words kept catching his ears. Something about school field trips and his participation. And something about a team effort with other schools. Suddenly the head teacher snapped to attention. A group of more than 100 1-D students all together? "That is a terrible idea Yamaguchi-sensei!" He glared sternly at the younger teacher. "How could you think it would be a good idea to have 100 students who cause fights and have no future all together in one room!"
Yamaguchi curled back a little bit, holding her plan tightly in her arms. "But head teacher, it would be good for these students to meet new students! Make friends with people of similar personalities. Maybe even spread their hopes and dreams to others!" She put her fist in the air, radiating her own positive energy. "It will be Operation Make Every School Dream! And everyone will find joy together!"
"Absolutely not!" Sawatori roared over her. "In fact I FORBID you to take your students ANYWHERE!" Kumiko shrank back down again. It was time to reorganize her plan. There must be a way to convince the head teacher, if only she could use more confusing language. Talk a circle around him, and then he would have to say yes, if for no other reason than her positive intentions.
She sat down at her desk, and began looking over all her colorful pictures and ideas. A city wide game of kick the can! She had never had a dream she more wanted to happen. Her feet were planted firmly on her desktop, both hands in the air. The image of all the students she had ever seen running through a field, can flying around them. Baba-sensei joined her on his desk, hoping she would see him being zealous.
"Yamaguchi-sensei!" The head teacher roared again. "Please remove yourself from the schools desk top! And must you do everything she does Baba-sensei?" As always, he was finding himself needing a bit of stomach medicine. "That woman will drive me to my deathbed, and if not her, her students!" He whispered to himself after swallowing another bit of medication.
Kumiko timidly hopped down from her desk. Her lips curled downward, she had stepped on her wonderful pictures. The teachers began to dissipate, heading toward their classrooms. The hallway art of the 1-D classroom was designed to keep evil spirits away. As well as the head teacher and his minions. Kumiko prepared herself for the day outside the door, holding her hand out, a strong stance, and determined eyes. "Fight oh... OH!" She whispered, and then slid the door open. Unlike at the beginning of the year, everyone was seated at least in their desks, and in rows instead of bunches. Kumiko was becoming more and more proud of this class. There was not talk of futures yet, but they still had 2 more years of high school. Better for them to enjoy their time now with friends, and not worry about what was still 2 years away.
She called attention toward the front of class. "Good morning everyone!" She set her books on the podium, and walked out into her doting audience. "Today we shall embark on a new operation." The eyes of the students focused on her in curiosity. "It shall be a grand adventure for all of us!" She attempted to rally them all together with her outstanding oratory skills. "Staring very soon, we shall begin visiting other schools. Schools like ours, with other students like you!" Everyone was now looking prickly. Other schools. Those had only been problematic.
"Whoa Yankumi." Her star pupil called out from the left side of the room. "Why would we want to go visit any other schools. How many of those schools have we fought with. You want us to sit down with them… and what… make Kumihimo braids?" Kumiko turned towards her student, and considered his contribution. They might be able to do those very well together. Make school emblems together. Make cell phone charms and exchange them as symbols of friendship.
"Kiyoru!" She rushed over to his desk and set her hands on his shoulders. "That is a WONDERFUL idea!" He shook her off and rolled his eyes. Yes, excellent teacher, you never understand sarcasm. "Everyone, I want you to think of something you can do with a student from another school, and invite them to join you in doing that activity! Kiyoru, you get to make Kumihimo braids!"
The class went completely silent. Kumiko looked around in surprise. They were never completely silent. "You really don't understand how bad of an idea that is, do you Yankumi?" Kiyoru got up from his seat and headed straight for the door. Just as was customary, everyone else disappeared with him. It had been almost a month since that had happened so early in the day. Sure they disappeared once in awhile, but that was jovial antics. Kumiko didn't like that they left because of her new plan.
She rested against the podium and reconsidered her approach. Maybe putting it into the hands of the students wasn't the best approach, maybe she just needed to bring other students to the school. That was it! There was a rushing joy again. There was no way to permanently deter Kumiko. She would find her loop hole. It was now a dream she had to make reality.
The students would return for their favorite class in an hour, until then, Kumiko went over her new ideas. They would gladly accept her challenge if only they knew the depth it would bring for them. The best thing for anyone was more contact. She cradled her head in her arms, eyes full of ambition.