I would just like to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story so far. Even if I don't reply, I really appreciate the positive feedback! I finally buckled down and wrote this chapter after rereading all the reviews. I'll try to update more often.
Brushing her hair with her fingers, Kumiko attempted to polish herself up. It was standing room only on the bus today, and Kumiko just knew the red thread of destiny had to be somewhere nearby. Or she very much hoped so. For a week she had ridden this bus, which was just a little out of her way, in the hopes that he might show. It rounded the last corner before her stop, and unless he was waiting at the stop, her hopes would be once again dashed. She closed her eyes, and waited for it to stop. Everything rolled forward, and backward, and with much anticipation, she popped her eyes open. The sea of people parted and Kumiko stepped off the bus. There was no sign of Shinohara, and Kumiko gave a heavy sigh.
The puff of air disappeared into the sky, and taking a few small steps, Kumiko moved on toward the school. Pulling her arms closer around her body, she set herself against the cold. Over the winter break, Kumiko had finally realized it would take at least a few months of kneading to convince Sawatari of her plan. It was a battle of wills, and there was no question as to whom had the stronger one of those. Everyday she would ask, everyday it would chip away his resolve to say no, and eventually he would crack under her constant request. After all, she still only had her students best interests at heart.
The wind gusted a bit, and Kumiko's hair flew up, and landed in a wisp on the crown of her head. Smoothing it back down, she did not notice the man walking toward her. At a brisk pace, Shinohara was lucky to keep his balance at all as she plowed through.
However, Kumiko was no quite as lucky. His hand reached out to grab hers as she almost toppled over. Face bright red, and hair still in a tussle, Kumiko stood up sheepishly, and put on her sparkling eyes and smile.
"Are you alright Yamaguchi?" He held her shoulders to keep her steady, her legs wobbling a bit. It was a great assistance for Kumiko, who was mid swoon.
"O..Of Course… Shinohara! I'm sorry I ran into you!" Who was she kidding, of course she wasn't. "This wind has just been terrible today." Shinohara let go of her when she appeared stable.
"I'm glad you're alright. Don't worry, I've been plowed over before." He smiled, and Kumiko swooned again, though not quite as badly. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Kumiko straightened up, and gave an eager nod. "How have you been Shinohara?" She could see the clock tower behind him, and though it was nearly time for work, it seemed like she could spare a few minutes.
"Well. The new position is becoming quite rigorous, but I am happy. May I walk with you for a few minutes?" Without a moment's hesitation, Kumiko nodded.
"Taking down a whole bunch of bad guys?" She did a few fake punches in the air. "Cleaning up the mean streets of Tokyo." Shinohara laughed, cheeks turning only very slightly pink.
"I only do what I can, and there are many other men who do much more." Kumiko blushed at his modesty. She kicked a rock like a young girl might, and watched it skip along the sidewalk. They walked in silence for a few minutes, Kumiko holding her bag tightly in front of her, eyes at the ground, trying not to swoon again. Taking a deep breath, Shinohara looked over at her. "Um… Yama…Kumiko…" He took a minute before continuing, feeling a bit strange using her first name. "I was kind of wanting to run into you… Maybe not literally, but…" Kumiko was nearly breathless. He had used her first name. And he was acting awkwardly cute. "Would you like to…" One more deep breath. "Go to… dinner sometime?"
Kumiko nearly stopped dead in her tracks. It was all she could do to not run around screaming, or faint, or somehow do both. Play it cool Kumiko, she thought to herself. "Uh… Yes… Shi… um…" Kumiko could barely say a full sentence, let alone his name. "Tomo..ya. That would be… wonderful." Shinohara sighed a deep breath of relief, and they both looked like tomatoes.
"I'm so glad you said yes… Kumiko." He smiled brightly at her. They continued to walk down the path, side by side, Kumiko's knees desperately trying not to buckle after every step. Shinohara… had asked her… to dinner. Today could only be the most wonderful day ever. As they reached the school gate, Kumiko turned to look at Shinohara. She couldn't quite make eye contact, but she tried. "Well… Kumiko. Would tonight be all right? Maybe around 6 or 7?" Kumiko nodded enthusiastically. Behind her the first bell was tolling. "I should let you go…"
She continued to nod, though with much less enthusiasm. "I'll see you… tonight?" She nodded and awkwardly they bowed to each other. Unsure of what to do next, they both parted, their movements distinctly uncoordinated.
A few of the other teachers were making their way toward the gate and couldn't help but notice their strange behavior. Baba and Wanibuchi both looked very jealous in their direction, both for decidedly different reasons. "Oh… Yamaguchi!" They called out in unison, jogging up to her.
Kumiko looked over, still bright red. Wanibuchi was appalled. "Did… did he just say he was going to see you tonight?" Both teachers looked very intently at Kumiko, who rotated slightly on her heels.
"..Yes." Not wanting to talk anymore of it, Kumiko glanced up at the clock. "Oh my goodness, we are going to be late if we don't hurry!" She broke into a full-fledged sprint, leaving the two behind to chase after her, both yelling protests and questions.
Once inside the building, Kumiko dodged into the faculty room. A few of the teachers glanced up as she arrived, hearing voices yelling in the hallway. She hurried to her desk, sat down, and buried herself in her book, checking over papers she'd graded 3 weeks ago.
"Yamaguchi!" They both burst through the door. All the teachers looked up, and sheepishly they lowered their voices, Sawatari looking quite displeased with all the behavior in general.
"Has your behavior become infectious now Yamaguchi?" He glared through her glasses at her. Another sheepish grin, and Kumiko tried a bit harder to hide in her work. "I expect better out of you at least Wanibuchi."
The few remaining teachers arrived, and all delved into their work, though Kumiko could distinctly feel three sets of eyes on her. A half an hour passed before Sawatari brought everyone to attention to go over the coming weeks. The huge board detailing all the graduating students was being filled in. Nearly all the students were going onto universities or good jobs, but the 3-D category was still largely empty. Baba kept his eyes from Sawatari, the board, and everybody else in the room.
"Another successful year with soon be coming to a close everyone. The graduation announcements go out at the end of this month, and we must be diligent in our guiding of those children who will be successful." In another futile attempt to ignore Kumiko, he avoided adding any negative comments about 3-D, although they were clearly implied.
Still infatuated with this new event with Shinohara, Kumiko hardly heard Sawatari, and stood gazing off into space. The Ape looked right at her, and puzzled. Whatever the reason, Sawatari decided to do nothing again. Yamaaguchi was keeping quiet and that was the best thing possible. He finished his speech, and dismissed the teachers to their classes, proud of another inspiring morning.
He returned to his desk, preparing his own lesson plan. A shadow moved over his papers, and he looked up to see an eager Kumiko. "When can I plan a field trip?" Her eyes sparkled just a bit.
Sawatari felt his stomach turn, and he searched his desk for his medication. "You can't Yamaguchi, now please go to your class room." His face was clearly worn, but also sure.
Another puff and Yamaguchi picked up her books and moved along. At least he was wearing down a bit. Kumiko did a little skip on the way to 1-D's hallway. Her level of joy was impossible to crush. The familiar sound of her students floated down the hallway, and she moved in time with their lulls and spikes. She slid the door open to a slightly jumbled classroom, but was pleased to see most of the seats filled.
All but three students were present, and that was a fine start to any morning. With 5 more minutes until the start of homeroom, Kumiko felt a day of perfect attendance coming on. She entered quietly and sat down on her desk, looking out at her wonderful students and taking note of who was gone. Kiyoru… Osugi… and Kimoto. The best of friends. Those who leave together arrive together. The minutes passed, and as the bell rang Kumiko sank just slightly. Sometimes the boys who are together do not arrive at all.
"Good morning everyone!" She called at the top of her voice, drawing her students attention in. "We are approaching the end to the semester, and though I still want to take you to other schools in Tokyo, in seems like it won't happen this semester. Next year we will go on our first trip, and I want all of you to think of the place that would make you the most happy to visit and report back to me next year. I will keep the papers you gave me last year." No one was paying full attention. "Does anyone know where our three missing students are?"
Everyone looked around and one of the other boys Kiyoru was often with piped up. "Oh… yeah… Kiyoru said to tell you they were at the police station. Osugi got picked up for shop lifting this morning. Or maybe he said not to tell you. I don't remember anymore."
Another student looked over at him. "You remember things about as well as a dog, Inoue!" They looked at each other and growled.
"ENOUGH!" Kumiko looked at the two of them. "Don't insult your classmate Hayase, and don't growl at people Inoue." She looked at the clock and realized she had no choice but to go get the boys. "I expect you all to be here when your first teacher arrives." Kumiko grabbed her phone, vaulted over her desk, and out the door.
Running down the hall, she dialed Kiyoru's number, hoping he would answer. The best guess she had as to their current location was the nearest police station, but there was no way to know. They each came from a different neighborhood. Disappointingly, it went straight to voice mail. Flustered, but in no way surprised, Kumiko got an extra burst of speed. The station was nearly a mile away, but she could cover that quickly enough. It was the prospect of the students being farther away than that.
A few people glared as she went running by, and she nearly tripped on a curb less than a block from the police station, but all in all the sprint went smoothly. She straightened her hair a bit, brushed her jacket off, and waltzed into the lobby. It seemed quiet this morning. She strolled up to the desk, waiting behind a small Japanese man asking about a stolen music box. The clerk looked slightly worn, and told him for what looked like a hundredth time that their was nothing the department could do. They had filed his complaint; they had searched for the described culprit, and had found no music box anywhere. They would keep watch, but there were more pressing cases. The man sighed heavily and turned away, dragging his legs out the door.
"Can I help you? Oh… Hello Yamaguchi. What can I do for you?" After a year and a half of Kumiko appearing in their station, it had become a name basis with everyone.
"Yes, I hope. Was a boy named Osugi Tetsumi picked up and brought here this morning? And are two other boys named Kiyoru Hisao, and Kimoto Tomohisa with him?" The clerk set to looking through her files.
After a few minutes, the woman looked up at Kumiko. "I don't see anything, but I just got in. I'll go look in the holding cell for you, but I don't think they're here."
"Thank you Aikawa." The girl nodded, and walked back through the station. A few of the officers waved to Kumiko, who cordially waved back. After a minute, she realized it might be wise to call the other stations before she went on a wild goose chase. Turning toward the bulletin, she noted a long list of stations. Her phone came out, but before she could start dialing, Aikawa returned, a familiar face walking beside her.
"I found him sitting on a bench. Kimoto is on the phone with Osugi's parents." Kumiko walked up to the counter, relieved to see Kiyoru. She pushed open the gate, letting Kiyoru out into the lobby. "They should be in school, but they're refusing to leave. If they refuse any more they're just going to end up breaking the law."
Kiyoru looked at Yankumi and remained expressionless. "What's going on Kiyoru? Why are you three at a police station?" She had a vague idea of course, but it was always best to hear it from the source.
"It's bull Yankumi. We were just walking around this morning and the police start harassing us. Someone who looks like Osugi has been stealing stuff from the stores around here, never mind that we are always with him, and he doesn't have any of the stuff that was supposed to have been stolen. They want to search his house and everything." Kiyoru tapped the ground with his foot. Kumiko could tell he was in desperate need of some time outside the station.
"Well, I know you want to take care of Osugi, but it's more important for you to be in school right now." Kiyoru shot a particularly fervent look at Yankumi. Not quite paying attention, the look went unanswered, and Kumiko approached the counter again. "Aikawa, Kiyoru and Kimoto aren't being charged with anything correct?" The woman nodded. "So I could take them with me back to school?" The women nodded again.
"If we are willing to go with you Yankumi." Kiyoru's arms were crossed across his chest, and his feet seemed planted to the linoleum.
She glanced back at him. "Okay, Kiyoru. Let's talk about this for a minute." Kumiko took a few strides and stood beside him. "Right now, you are sitting with your friends, about to make the police men charge you with trespassing. They haven't because you are already in the police station, and you're kids. Despite what you might think, the police don't WANT to get you in trouble. Osugi can't do anything until his name is clear, you can't clear it for him, neither can Kimoto, and all three of you are missing another day of school and the end of the year is coming." She took a long and deep breath, making sure to make eye contact with him. "You need to go back to school, at least there you can do something with your day that's good for you. Here, you're just going to wind up in jail." Kumiko laughed inside about the irony.
Kiyoru remained silent for a few minutes. There were a lot of good points in her argument, but it was completely unjustifiable to leave Osugi to the police. "What about all that 'friends are so important' crap Yankumi? We're supposed to leave a great friend here?"
"You aren't leaving him here. I will make sure his name is clear, but the exchange for saving you two from criminal charges is going to school. You need to be there more than here." He certainly was determined, but his resolve seemed to be swaying a bit. Kimoto emerged from the back hallway, looking out toward the two.
"Hey! Kiyoru! Osugi's parents are on their way." Kiyoru nodded, and pointed toward Yankumi. "Hi Yankumi." He trotted over to the gate, and waited for Aikawa to open it. "Are you going to help Osugi?"
"I'll do what I can Kimoto. But will you two please go to school? There's nothing you can do." Kimoto shrugged. "And his parents are on their way. How about this… you can wait until they get here, and after that, you have to go to the school."
Kimoto and Kiyoru looked at each other. Kimoto wasn't really against the idea of going, and he knew they couldn't do anything but give Osugi some company. Kiyoru was realizing that Yankumi might be right. That was starting to make him crazy. She had to be wrong sometimes. He just knew it. But this wasn't the time. "Fine Yankumi. We'll go back to school when his parents get here."
A great sense of relief sunk into Kumiko. The minutes dragged by as the three waited, Kiyoru still kicking the ground with awkward anger. Kimoto leaned on the wall closest the door, and Kumiko spoke with Aikawa. She needed to know how to clear Osugi's name, so maybe she could help his parents understand it a bit better when they arrived.
After half an hour, his father came barreling through the door, mother shortly behind. "Where is our son?" The man roared. Aikawa was taken slightly surprised, hand hovering over her club. Kumiko noticed her hand, and dodged in front of Osugi Toshi.
"Please Osugi, calm down. Your son is in the back, and I'm sure they would be happy to let you see him." His face was bright red. Slowly, his wife reached out and touched his back. Toshi took a deep breath, let a bit of the color fade, and turned toward a cautious Aikawa.
"I would like to see my son." The woman nodded once to him, and took them inside the office. As they disappeared into the back hallway, Kumiko turned to the boys.
"It's time for you two to go." Kiyoru looked about ready to vault the counter and go running after Toshi. Kumiko drew the doors open for them, hoping she wouldn't have to pull them along.
After a minute, Kiyoru turned and followed Yankumi out. "You had better make sure Osugi is fine Yankumi."
She nodded. "It'll be okay Kiyoru. Get to school and tell Inuzaka what's going on. I'll be back at the school soon." They looked back through the doors, but at long last Kiyoru and Kimoto departed for the school. Kumiko returned inside and waited for the family to re-emerge.
An hour later, his father and mother were sitting beside Kumiko in their home. The police had issued a search warrant, and were now combing through Osugi's room for any trace of the stolen items. Kumiko couldn't lie, the picture that showed the thief looked very much like Osugi, but her student couldn't do such a thing.
His mother had tears streaming down her face, and his father still looked ready to pop. They had been kind enough to offer Kumiko something to drink and eat, but she had declined, so they sat in silence while two men searched the very small room. Within a half hour they had realized there was no merchandise, though Kumiko could tell they still thought Osugi was responsible.
It didn't take long to return to the police station. Osugi sat in the holding cell, biding his time quietly. When they arrived, the police still seemed very hesitant to release the innocent boy. Aikawa watched from the office as the officers and a detective talked with Osugi's parents.
"How long can they hold them on suspicion when they already searched the house Aikawa?" Yamaguchi leaned on the counter. Aikawa furrowed her eyebrows.
"That's tough to answer. Thievery is such a stigma, and we can keep anyone as long as deemed necessary, but he has no prior offence. I really don't know Yamaguchi." Osugi's parents walked up beside Kumiko, the two officers heading into the back.
"They are going to let him go, but they'll be keeping an eye on him…" Osugi Fujiko held her hands together, looking slightly relieved. "Thank you so much Yamaguchi. We want to repay your kindness to Osugi. Please join us for dinner?"
The officers appeared from the back Osugi strung between the two. Kumiko smiled at Osugi and then at his parents. The potentially terrible events had turned out far better than expected. The awkwardness of trying to say no was a hurdle she didn't want to jump. "I would love too… if it would be alright tomorrow?" They nodded.
"We are going to take Osugi home for today, but he'll be back tomorrow." She put her hands on his shoulders, his father looking on from the door. "Again, thank you Yamaguchi."
Together they stepped outside, Tetsumi grinning goofily at her through the window. He waved and the family disappeared down the street. Kumiko puffed a sigh of deep relief. What could have been a horrifically bad morning was returning to something like how it started. "I swear Aikawa, I see too much of this place."
Aikawa laughed, waving to Yamaguchi. "Maybe you'll get a break soon." Kumiko shrugged her shoulders and strode through the door. It had been almost three hours since school started. Her phone had rung at least 7 times during the ordeal. Realizing she desperately needed to return to school Kumiko took off running again, flipping through the missed calls and listening to her messages.
Most of them were from Kiyoru, but two were Sawatari calling to yell at her for missing class again without telling them to get a substitute. He even threatened to start having one everyday, a fee that would be taken out of her salary. It was during a moment that she was looking down at her phone that Kumiko found herself flying through the air, and landing heavily on the ground. The world went fuzzy around her, and then dimmed to black.