This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Rascal Does Not Dream light novel series, which was written by Hajime Kamoshida. I do not claim ownership of these characters or the plot of the original series.

I thank Kamoshida for the story and the characters he has created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

Shoko failed to talk to Azusagawa-sensei during their next lesson. Or the lesson after that. And soon enough Shoko was away from school for an acting job. And she was frustrated. Why was she being so timid? She had come all this way to Minegahara, confronted her grandmother and moved into her own apartment, all so she could meet him. Why was she holding back now when she was so close to her goal?

"You alright, Sakurajima?" The person asking was one of her costars, a beautiful woman with long brown hair, who was playing the part of Shoko's stepmother. In the show they were filming the two had a strained relationship, but in real life Mizuki Hagihara was kind and generous, and had taken Shoko under her wing.

"Of course," said Shoko.

Hagihara just tilted her head.

"Are you sure?" She asked, her tone very clearly indicating that she didn't believe it. "You've been all spaced out since we finished filming the dinner scene. If I didn't know better I'd say it was part of your process."

What was left unsaid was that she did know better. Hagihara had acted alongside Shoko before, just over a year ago, so she knew how Shoko worked. And knew that something was distracting her.

"It's nothing," Shoko assured her. "It was just something at school I was thinking about."

"You just started high school?" Hagihara wondered. "Trouble fitting in?"

"No," said Shoko. Although she expected those sorts of problems would probably be coming now that she'd started missing school. But she wasn't worried about that. "It's something else."

"Hm?" Hagihara just looked at her, taking a sip of water while never breaking eye contact. She clearly wasn't going to let it go.

As much as she wanted to, Shoko couldn't tell Hagihara the truth. Not with her grandmother somewhere on set, watching over her. If she found out that there was anything going on involving Shoko's father then there were no doubts in Shoko's mind that she would step in and put a stop to it.

But maybe she could tell a little bit. Just enough that Hagihara might be able to help her.

Shoko let out a breath.

"I want to say something to someone," she said eventually, deliberately vague. "I want to talk to them but for some reason every time I have the opportunity I just avoid it."

"Is it a boy?" Hagihara asked, a sly smile crossing her face.

Well, not exactly. But Shoko supposed that was easier to understand.

"I want to talk to them," she said. "I need to talk to them. But I don't know how."

Hagihara looked thoughtful.

"Well, if it is a boy, then just go up to him and ask him out," she said, as though it were that simple. "He'd say yes, I'm sure."

Shoko regretted asking.

"But if it's something else," Hagihara considered. Shoko paused. "Then I think it's important to remember why you want to talk to them. If you're feeling embarrassed, it is easy to just put something off and leave the problem to be solved later. What you need to do is get into a mindset where there is no later. If you don't do it now you never will get another chance. Think like that, and it will force you into action."

Shoko bit her lip.

"I'm not sure I can do that," she admitted. "I know I'll have other chances. I can't pretend like I don't."

"Then ask someone for help," said Hagihara. Shoko looked up. "If you are struggling to do something alone then getting someone to help you is for the best. It can be a friend, or a teacher, or even a stunningly beautiful celebrity." Hagihara gave her a wink. "Get someone to have your back, and anything is possible."

Hagihara's words stayed with Shoko for a long time. Even as they got back to work, and Shoko had to throw a temper tantrum about her stepmother not letting her go out on a date, Shoko kept thinking back to Hagihara's advice.

The problem was, who could she trust to help her. Auntie Nodoka, obviously, but she was away on tour. And even if she wasn't, she had her own past with Shoko's father that Shoko knew nothing about. Who knew what their relationship was like? Would Shoko's father even want to see Nodoka? It just added too much uncertainty to an already difficult situation.

Her next thought was to ask a friend for help, like Sugita. But Shoko dismissed that idea immediately. She barely knew her, and while she seemed nice, who knew how she'd react. Maybe she'd take her grandmother's side and find a way of letting slip that Shoko was going to the school her father taught at. That would be a disaster.

In the end there was only one person Shoko felt she could turn to. And even then it took her a full week back at school before she finally gathered the courage to approach them.

It was a Wednesday when Shoko finally decided to act. Minami-sensei took charge of the final homeroom class of the day and sent the students on their way, while Shoko hung back.

"You not heading home?" Sugita asked, noticing that Shoko was still sitting at her desk.

"I need to speak with Minami-sensei," Shoko said. "Acting stuff," she explained away.

Sugita accepted the explanation without question.

"Alright, see you tomorrow," she said cheerily, walking off down the aisle and out the door.

She was one of the last students to leave, and as she disappeared from view and the last few stragglers followed suit, Shoko rose to her feet.

"Sakurajima," said Minami-sensei, smiling at her. She didn't look surprised. Perhaps she'd overheard Shoko's conversation with Sugita. "What can I help you with?"

"Eh," Shoko hesitated. Even talking to Minami-sensei was stressing her out. The urge to just say nothing and head home was strong. But Shoko grit her teeth. This wasn't the first time she'd thought about approaching Minami-sensei, and now she was actually speaking to her there was no option but to keep going forward.

"Is this about your school work?" Minami-sensei wondered. "So far you've been keeping up to date on all your assignments. Are you having trouble?"

Damn. Minami-sensei had just given her an out. It was so easy to just take it.

But she couldn't. She had to do something, otherwise she'd spend the next three years of high school without ever speaking to her father.

She pulled herself together, drawing on all her acting experience to give Minami-sensei a cheerful smile.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could speak to Azusagawa-sensei," she said, feeling her heart pound in her chest even as she kept up a deceptively innocent appearance. "There was something important I needed to talk to him about."

Minami-sensei looked surprised.

"Okay," she said, blinking. "Why don't I talk to him before school tomorrow. You will be here, won't you?"

Shoko felt her heart leap.

"Yes," she said, bowing. "Thank you, Minami-sensei." And she turned around, retreating to her desk to retrieve her bag, all the while hiding the look of exhaustion on her face.

If this was how difficult it was to talk to Minami-sensei, how tough would it be to talk to her father.

Shoko tried not to get her hopes up. After all, Minami-sensei had no idea how important this was, and there was a good chance Azusagawa-sensei didn't either. It was entirely possible the result of her conversation would be for Minami-sensei to come back and say she'd be happy to pass on any questions to Azusagawa-sensei. That wouldn't be good enough. She needed to talk to him, face to face.

When she finally got home Shoko decided to treat herself. She felt exhausted just from talking to Minami-sensei, so she didn't have the energy to tackle any of her assignments. She kicked off her shoes and quickly ran a bath, soaking in it for far longer than was necessary. Getting out she wrapped herself in a fresh set of fluffy pyjamas and cooked something quick and simple before sitting in front of the TV to watch her favourite show. It was a light, happy show about an aspiring artist sharing her gift with the world. Shoko's mother played the leading role.

With her heart feeling light and contented, Shoko went to bed, determined not to worry about tomorrow.

The next morning Shoko woke surprisingly rested. It seemed the self-care she'd treated herself with the night before had helped. But by the time she reached school her anxiety was beginning to mount.

It reached a peak as Minami-sensei gestured her over at the end of homeroom.

"I spoke to Azusagawa-sensei and he's happy to meet with you after school today," she told her. "He'll be coming round to this classroom after the final bell."

And that set the deadline, the only thing Shoko would be able to think about for the rest of the day. She took notes during class, but didn't remember anything she was taught, and at lunch she found a quiet corner of the class to eat alone, staring out the window aimlessly.

The strange feeling of numbness lasted all the way to the end of school, when the final bell rang, waking her up for the first time. It felt as though school had passed in a flash, the events since arriving that morning nothing but a strange blur in Shoko's head. But now she was here. Her father was on his way.

And she suddenly felt very queasy.

"I'm going to the bathroom," she muttered to Minami-sensei.

"Okay," she said. "I'll wait here until you get back."

Shoko barely heard her, stepping out of the classroom and entering the closest bathroom she could find. Standing over the sinks, Shoko took several deep breaths, before slowly straightening up.

As she did she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror.

She was a pretty girl. She knew that. Even if she was someone who hated vanity she wouldn't have been able to judge the looks passed on from her mother as anything but gorgeous. She pushed her hair out of her face, tucking strands behind her ears in an effort to arrange everything just right. It was embarrassing, acting like a lovesick teenager trying to impress a boy, but she couldn't help it. Her nerves and anxiety had reached their maximum level and the instinct to try and look her best was kicking in without her consent.

An older girl appeared from one of the stalls behind her. She noticed Shoko, but didn't comment, simply going over to use one of the nearby sinks. She washed her hands and left, and as she did Shoko finally let out a breath.

This was stupid. She was merely stalling at this point. Her father would already be in her classroom by now, waiting for her. She simply had to talk to him. There was no other option.

Shoko took one last look at her reflection, at the features of her mother that continued to live on in her, and set herself. She stepped away from the sinks, striding with purpose out the door and down the corridor beyond.

The bathroom wasn't far from her classroom. She was beginning to regret having not gone to one further away, as the walk back was too short. But, again, that was just stalling.

She reached the door and pulled it open, before she could stop and think.

Inside they were waiting. Sitting on either side of a desk by the window, Minami-sensei and Azusagawa-sensei had been talking, but they fell quiet upon Shoko's arrival.

"Sakurajima," said Minami-sensei, standing up with a warm smile. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Of course," said Shoko. It had been her who had asked for the meeting. She was the one that was taking up their valuable time.

"Take my seat," Minami-sensei offered, moving across the room as Shoko closed the door behind her.

Shoko's heart thudded in her chest as she took the few steps across the room to where her father was waiting, watching with curious eyes. Standing by the desk, Shoko looked around, seeing that Minami-sensei was still in the room, standing a few desks away.

"If you would like me to leave, don't hesitate to say so," she said, recognising Shoko's glance.

Shoko shook her head. It felt strange, but having Minami-sensei there was comforting. If she were just alone in the room with her father she doubted she'd have the strength to say what she needed to.

She turned back to the desk, and took the seat Minami-sensei had vacated. Across the desk she felt Azusagawa-sensei watching her.

"You have something you want to talk about?"

His words were casual. He almost sounded bored. But Shoko had been in enough of his classes to be able to tell otherwise. It was far more subtle with him than with other teachers, but there was a specific lilt to his voice that wasn't present when he dully read out mandatory announcements or made comments like 'this will be on the exam'. He truly wanted to know what Shoko needed from him.

Shoko almost wished she hadn't learned to tell the difference. If she believed he really wasn't interested, maybe some of this tension would ebb away. Instead it only mounted as Shoko stared at him across the desk.

After a while of her saying nothing, Azusagawa-sensei turned his gaze to the window.

"I love this view," he said. "This used to be my desk during my first year at Minegahara. Azusagawa meant I was usually first in the alphabet."

Nodoka had said something similar. 'Apparently your father spent most of his time at school staring out the window'. It looked like she was right.

Thinking about Nodoka, and about everything she had done to get Shoko to this point, gave her courage. She steeled her nerves.

"I've got something to tell you," she said, her voice feeling very sudden and out of place. Azusagawa-sensei glanced back, as if barely paying attention.

"Hm," he said simply, inviting her to continue.

Shoko swallowed.

"I don't know for sure," she said, the sound of blood rushing through her ears. "I can only believe what I've been told." A voice in the back of her head was screaming at her to stop. It's not too late. You can still back out.

But she refused.

"I think I am your daughter."

There was silence at her pronouncement. She immediately felt sick, bile rising in her throat. Her face must have been deathly pale. What a waste all that time checking her appearance in the mirror had been after all. She sat, rigid in her seat, and stared at the man she believed to be her father, waiting for the blow of his reaction.

Azusagawa-sensei held a steady look. He hadn't even flinched at her announcement. He simply watched, as though nothing she'd said was even remotely surprising.

Then… he smiled.

"You are," he said simply. "I'm glad to finally be able to say it, Shoko."

Shoko shivered. She wasn't sure what emotion was going through her. Elation, fear, longing, they all made sense, yet with each emotion came a new one that drowned out the last, again and again leaving Shoko with no clue what to think.

"How long have you known?" She wondered.

"I've always known that you were my daughter," he replied. Utter certainty. Not an inch of doubt. "But I suppose you mean how long have I known that this girl in my class is the same one as the child I lost years ago."

Shoko nodded, unable to speak.

"The principal is my old homeroom teacher," Azusagawa-sensei explained. "When your name appeared on the attendance list he knew exactly who you were, and told me. But I knew you were coming even before that."

Shoko frowned. How could he?

"Toyohama," Azusagawa-sensei said simply.

Oh.

"Auntie Nodoka told you?" Shoko hadn't even known they were still in contact.

"She gave me a heads up that you were planning on attending Minegahara," said Azusagawa-sensei. "She didn't want me to be caught by surprise. That could have added needless complication to a delicate situation."

Of course, that made sense. Nodoka was always smart like that.

"It didn't matter, in the end," Azusagawa-sensei continued. "Even if Nodoka hadn't told me, or Watanabe-sensei hadn't recognised your name, I would have known it was you when I first saw you at the start of term assembly." He smiled. "You look just like your mother."

That was the last straw for Shoko. Tears she hadn't known she'd been fighting back rose to the surface and, despite her best efforts, started to run down her cheeks. She hastily started to wipe at her eyes, but with every dried tear a new one simply took its place.

What was she doing? She couldn't break down like this. Not in front of her father. Not now that she was finally talking to him, finally had the chance to get some answers as to why he'd been absent, what her family had been like, what Shoko had missed out on. She couldn't cry.

A hand pressed gently on the top of her head. She looked up, startled, blinking through tears to see the face of Azusagawa-sensei, smiling softly towards her.

"It's alright," he assured her. "It's okay. You've done so well."

And Shoko cried. She cried more than she had ever done in her life. She cried until there were no tears left.

A/N: And so they have finally met. I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter. Please join me again for Chapter 5: Sakuta Azusagawa.