The bus was only a few minutes from arrival when he got to the stop. It was far more crowded than his first bus of the day, and the only room left was at the very front. They were packed like sardines. He kept his eyes focused on the streets outside. It was not uncomfortable for him to be so close to others, but the courtesies of public travel dictated no eye contact. Indeed almost all interaction liked avoiding it.
A cycle of people moved on and off the bus until finally he saw the stop closest to Kumiko's house. It was a relief to be off the bus. Though he didn't mind it, riding as a sardine was not enjoyable. He jogged across the street, and followed the vague directions Kumiko had given him. Once he found the street around the block, he kept his eyes open for the large wooden sign. How he had not noticed that this was a yakuza neighborhood the moment he stepped inside the first time, he did not know.
The wood sign sat on the corner, and her grandfather's seal was painted under the symbol for tea. Strange place to bring a student. He pulled the curtain aside and found the wood to all be rich and dark. The lights were dim, but bright enough that he could see, and the smell of tea circled all around. In the corner he could make out Kumiko, her glasses catching the fire light from a candle.
She held her hand up, and Sawada walked toward her, listening as the voices around him silenced as he passed by. He recognized none of the faces, but correctly assumed that a few of them were henchmen. Her table was on a platform, and her shoes sat next to the steps. Sawada left his sitting beside hers, and took a seat across from her.
A warm smile greeted him when he looked up at her. "Thank you Sawada. I wanted a former student here for this." She closed a notebook that looked vaguely like more school materials. "Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee? They have some pastries." Though he was thirsty, Sawada shook his head. "Are you sure? I'm going to get you something. Green tea?" Sawada raised an eyebrow, and Kumiko waved the server over. "Machida, a green tea for this gentleman. No full ceremony." The girl nodded and disappeared.
"Thank you Yankumi." It was strange saying any of her names he realized. Yamaguchi was too formal, he couldn't call her Kumiko though he wanted to, which left it at Yankumi, which felt too childish. "So who is this kid, and did you mention his sister?" He maneuvered into a more comfortable position, leaning against the wall beside him, arm resting straight on a raised knee.
Kumiko wanted a sip of her tea to calm nerves, but out of politeness waited until Machida returned with Sawada's. "Well. First off, he reminds me a bit of you. Strong, natural leader, and the fire." Her eyes were unfocused. "And he's very smart. Actually, the man you met at my house a few weeks ago… Odagiri. He reminded me a bit of you as well. Although he definitely didn't have your temper." Sawada narrowed his eyes a bit. He had yet to determine who exactly Odagiri was to Kumiko, and their described similarity was of concern. "So really, Kiyoru reminds me of both of you. And like all of my students, he's important to me." Kumiko looked down at her cup. Though she wouldn't say it out loud, certain students were more important to her than others. Sawada read that through her words. "And… his sister is the reason we are here I guess."
Much to Kumiko's relief, Machida appeared with the tea. She kneeled down and extended the cup to Sawada who took it with both hands and bowed. The moment the cup touched Shin's lips, Kumiko took a long drink. It warmed her insides, and she felt a bit more relaxed. "Very good tea." Shin hid the slight face that all good green tea caused. Kumiko laughed, noticing the small twitch in his cheek. She agreed, and Sawada smiled at her laugh.
When she had satisfied her mirth, the slightly more somber mood returned. "Well. The day you stayed with us and met Odagiri, I went to visit Kiyoru. I wanted to talk about the school field trips." Occasionally Sawada nodded, sipping his tea. "His interest in talking was next to nothing, so I coaxed what was wrong out of him. His sister had run away the night before…"
"And you had to help?" That had to be Kumiko's next sentence.
She nodded. "You know me very well Sawada. I told him I would find her, and I did. But it wasn't as simple as just finding her. She was being held by members from an opposing yakuza clan. In fact, she was going to be shipped into slave trade." Kumiko remember the warehouse and standing on Toriyama's shoulders, watching Aiko. "So it was more like a rescue than finding her. But they weren't just selling her because she was pretty and young. Kiyoru's father is from the Toua-kai. They were holding her because of a feud between their two clans."
"So even though he reminds me of you and Odagiri… there is this huge difference. Kiyoru is from a yakuza family, not a very high ranking family, but a yakuza family none-the-less." Kumiko took a brief pause to drink some more of her tea. "Over the years I've gotten better at hiding my family from my students. Of course Sawatori knows, and a lot of the teaching staff, but Odagiri's class was the last to learn about who my grandfather is."
"When I saved his sister, I had help from a few of my grandfather's henchman, people who worked with the Toua-kai. I know his sister noticed what kind of men they were, and I promised I would explain to the two of them." She took another long drink from her cup. "I never thought I would be willing to tell a student about myself."
Sawada sipped the last of his tea, and set down the cup. "You weren't that bad at hiding it. The occasional slip in speech, but if you hadn't lost your phone I never would have known. Or at least until that article." He crossed his legs and rested with his elbows on the table, thinking about all the times she had saved him or the 3-D students. "Why did you want me here for this?"
Kumiko thought about it for a few minutes. She could do this alone really, but it felt easier having Sawada there. "I don't know. I guess probably because you were the first to find out. You know what it's like to hide it from other students. And I wanted you to meet him anyway. He could use a little guidance from you I think." Sawada nodded.
Two smaller figures came through the curtain. Kumiko glanced over at them, Hisao's face slightly unclear in the light. She waved to them, and they made their way over, Aiko clinging to her brother's arm. "Sawada, would you sit next to me?" Kumiko moved closer to the wall. He nodded, and moved beside her, freeing the table for Hisao and Aiko. They approached, both looking slightly confused. "Kiyoru Aiko, Kiyoru Hisao, this is Sawada Shin… he was a student from my first year of teaching." Shin bowed, and the two Kiyorus returned it, sitting down a bit rigidly.
"Strange place to have us meet you… Yankumi." Hisao looked around, noting all the things Sawada had when he came in. "Since we obviously know what this kind of place is… why did you tell us to come here?"
"Before I answer your questions, we need tea for the two of you." She held her hand up, and Machida came trotting over. "Four more green teas please." The girl trotted away, and her guests noted how the room went quiet when she spoke. "A good conversation in a tea house only happens over tea."
A few minutes later, Machida returned, small tray in hand, with the four cups of tea. All bowed, and together, they took the first sip. Both Hisao and Aiko were used to drinking this kind of tea, so though it was bitter, they made no face. Kumiko set down her cup, and looked at the two of them. "First off, the two of you have to appreciate your family, even if it is difficult. I lost my parents when I was young, and in a situation like yours, it's even more important for them to know you care, because they care very much about the two…"
"We didn't come here for a lecture about family Yankumi." Hisao interrupted his teacher, already becoming frustrated. "I want to know how you saved my sister, and almost more importantly, why we're in a yakuza tea house." Sawada's eyes darted to Hisao, prepared to nail the boy to the wall for his disrespect. Hisao met Sawada's eyes with the same expression.
"That's true… It's alright Sawada." She took another sip of the tea. "Well, Kiyoru, you remember what the men that helped me looked like right?" The girl nodded. "Like your father, they were members of a yakuza clan. They helped me find you because they have worked with the Toua-kai before." Kumiko fell silent for a moment, deciding how best to answer his second question. "I would guess you know your first and second questions are tied together, Kiyoru? The men that helped me belong to the clan whose seal is on the wooden sign outside."
She pulled out her notebook again and quickly drew the seal, and handed it to Hisao. "I don't know how well you know the yakuza seals, but that one is for the Oedo family." Hisao and Aiko both nodded. They knew the name, but they didn't know its seal. "The head of the Oedo family is Kuroda Ryuichiro. That man is m y grandfather, and the man who raised me. I know the position the two of you are in. The fear you have for your family, and the anger you have at your father sometimes." She folded her hands together on the table top. "It may be hard to understand now, but you have the best kind of family. Your parents love you and want to protect you from the life your father has chosen."
Aiko and Hisao sat quietly, both fidgeting slightly, trying to understand everything Yankumi was saying. His teacher, the freakishly strong willed and caring woman sitting across the table, was heir to a yakuza family that held sway in a large part of Tokyo. More importantly, she was raised around all of the same things he and his sister had been. How had he not noticed? The occasional slip in speech pattern should have been enough to make him wonder. "I guess that explains why my dad didn't alarm you…" It was the first coherent thought he could put words to.
"I tell you and your sister because you two know why this fact has to be kept secret. A few years ago, Sawada's class found out because it was reported on by a newspaper. I was asked to resign, but they put together a protest, and even though I told them I WANTED to leave, they refused to believe me. The school declined to accept my resignation. Something I strangely owe to Sawatori."
"That ape did something for you?" Hisao was almost more dumbstruck by that then the fact of his teacher being yakuza.
"I think he chooses to forget it now. When I started at this school, it got out that I was from a yakuza family and the same sort of thing happened. Most of the current teaching staff knows, but students and their families don't. We keep it secret because it's hard to explain to parents why they should trust me with their kids." Hisao and Aiko nodded. "I wanted you two to know that the child of a yakuza is not a yakuza too. You both can do whatever you want. And you can both use me as a point of reference. And as for school matters Kiyoru, you told me the reason you don't want to visit schools is because things will happen that I can't stop? Are you sure I can't stop them?"
Silence fell between the four of them. Hisao was unwilling to answer that question, even though he was fairly certain she could protect the class. Even so, there was still a gnawing in his heart. So instead of answering the question he turned to Sawada. "What do you think of her idea for visiting other schools like us?"
Kumiko wanted to cover Sawada's mouth so he wouldn't say anything. "Hum… It seemed to me that she was asking for trouble, particularly because any D student isn't likely to get along with any other D student, but she has a point. Anytime we were in trouble she saved us." He leaned back on his arms. "So I would go once at least. Ku… Yankumi's ideas tend to work out well." She couldn't have asked for better from him. At least it wasn't the flat out no that he had originally delivered.
Hisao turned back to Yankumi, and bowed, head almost touching his cup. "Alright Yankumi, I will agree to your new idea." He sat back up.
Beside Hisao, the ever quiet Aiko finished her cup of tea. Normally she was fairly bubbly, but Kumiko had to guess the strain of the situation in question was still weighing on her. "If I need help again… Yankumi… will you come again?"
"Yes, but you have to not put yourself in danger." The girl nodded, she knew her safety was her own responsibility first. "However, if something happens again, I will come to find you, and I would guess your brother would do the same." She winked at Hisao, who put his arm around his sister.
"Can we go Hisao? Dad is going to get worried." Aiko could see her father pacing around the dinner table waiting for them. It had been an hour, and it was getting darker outside. He nodded and they stood up together.
"Thank you Yankumi… for explaining things." He bowed deeply to her. "And thank you for the input Sawada." Shin gave a small salute.
Kumiko stood up to bow as well, giving her student a bit of respect she felt he deserved. "Just remember to keep the secret Kiyoru. See you tomorrow." Hisao kept his arm around Aiko as they walked out of the tea house. Kumiko sat back down, resting back on her arms as Sawada was still doing. "That went well." Inside she was dancing, by telling Hisao she had convinced him to try her field trip idea, now the only hurdle was getting it passed Sawatori without him figuring it out. That would be a challenge. "You want to be a chaperon Sawada?"
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "No Yankumi. And no there is no way to convince me. They are your problem." It returned to quiet between the two of them; Kumiko was lost in thought about the coming days. Sawada looked over at her, studying her features a little in the silence. Her glasses were still catching the light from the candle.