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.

A/N: Hello everyone. Welcome back to the Shoko Sakurajima series. This is the second instalment, so if you haven't seen the first part - 'Finding Home' - then please go read it and join me again when you are done.

If you are still with me I assume you are all up to date. So, without further ado, let's get started. Enjoy.

The students of class 2 - 1 at Minegahara High School sat patiently at their desks. It was the first day of the new school year, their second at Minegahara, and their first introduction to their new homeroom teacher.

Said teacher, Sakuta Azusagawa surveyed the room with a lazy, almost disinterested gaze, one that was familiar and even comforting to those he had taught during the previous year. He kept his remarks brief and to the point, aside from adding a small joke that only two in the class understood.

Then he handed over to the students.

"Introduce yourselves," he instructed, turning his attention to the first desk in the front row, right by the window, where a dark-haired girl was smiling up at him. She stood promptly, her posture exuding confidence, and she spoke with a strong voice that carried clearly throughout the classroom.

"Shoko Azusagawa," she said proudly. "Nice to meet you."

As an actress Shoko was used to causing a stir. And the announcement of her new name at the start of homeroom class was undoubtedly one of her biggest. She returned to her seat as the rest of the class followed her lead, introducing themselves one at a time, with an irrepressible joy at finally announcing what she had spent so much of the last year keeping hidden.

She was Shoko Azusagawa, daughter of Sakuta Azusagawa, and she would say it with pride.

Shoko's sense of satisfaction lasted all the way through to break period, when Miki and Kuroda were finally able to descend upon her.

"What was that?" Kuroda demanded. Several other students were loitering behind him, all trying to appear as if they were minding their own business. None of them were brave enough to approach the class celebrity. But the same awe that kept them away was also what drove them to listen in with rapt attention.

Shoko put on a surprised look, raising a finger to her lip in a facsimile of thought.

"Didn't I tell you?" She said in mock consternation. "Oh dear, how forgetful of me. I was sure I must've mentioned it." She gave Kuroda a cheery smile. "Azusagawa-sensei is my father."

Her announcement caused quite the shock, with more than a few audible gasps throughout the classroom, but none of those came from Kuroda.

"No, you didn't tell me," he seethed. "I'm pretty sure I'd remember it."

"Well, I thought it would be so obvious I wouldn't have to say anything," Shoko continued airily, enjoying Kuroda's rapidly rising annoyance. "You didn't figure it out?"

"It definitely wasn't obvious."

"Miki knew."

Kuroda head swivelled round.

"You knew?" He glared at Miki accusingly. "For how long?"

"Eh," Miki held up her hands, pleading her innocence. "I didn't…" she fell quiet at Kuroda's disbelieving stare. Her head dropped. "I found out sometime before the summer holidays," she finished, defeated.

"That long?"

"But it's all my fault," Miki assured him. "I got the wrong idea, so Shoko had no choice but to tell me."

Miki clearly didn't want to make Kuroda feel bad about it. Unfortunately, Shoko was having too much fun.

"Don't worry," she said, smiling up at him innocently. "I didn't keep it a secret from you on purpose. Nobody else knew, just Miki."

"And here I was thinking this was just another way for you to tease me," muttered Kuroda, shaking his head. "What am I supposed to call you now, anyway? Sakurajima or Azusagawa?"

"You can call me anything you like," Shoko said sweetly.

"I'll call you a tease," said Kuroda without missing a beat. He made up his mind. "Your family names are too confusing; I'll just call you Shoko."

"Ooh, lucky me."

"So, Shoko."

"Yes, Daiki."

The boy glared at her.

"You don't have any more surprises for me, do you?" He wondered. "Your grandfather isn't secretly the prime minister or something?"

"No such luck," she answered.

"So, no other weirdly famous relatives?"

Shoko paused.

"Well," she said. "My aunt is the singer Nodoka Toyohama."

"Oh, she's great," Miki said enthusiastically. "She signed her new album for me over the holidays. I can't wait to watch her perform live."

"I'll make sure we get backstage all-access passes," Shoko assured her. "It really is amazing seeing all the stuff they do behind the scenes. You will love it."

As Shoko and Miki continued to chatter about the second family member Shoko had kept a secret from him, Daiki let out a long sigh.

Sharing her big news with Miki and Daiki had been the first thing on Shoko's agenda upon starting the new school year. However, given the rather public way in which Shoko had chosen to announce it, her friends weren't the only ones to learn of her surprise parentage and subsequent name change. And, as was always the case when it came to high school gossip, the news spread like wildfire.

"You'd think I had climbed Mount Everest or something," she said to Sakuta the next day. They were sitting together in an abandoned third-year classroom, Shichirigahama beach visible through the window as they sat either side of a desk, eating lunch. "I didn't get half as much attention when my new movie premiered."

"I think the students are fascinated by how someone as interesting as you can be related to someone as boring as me," Sakuta mused. "It must be confusing."

"It shouldn't be," said Shoko. "Lots of famous people have unremarkable parents."

"Ouch," said Sakuta. Shoko stuck out her tongue and grinned. "Anyway, I'm sure everyone will calm down once they get used to it."

"Sure," agreed Shoko, popping another bite of food into her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully. "Have you been getting questions?"

"Not many," said Sakuta. "My students are already hesitant to approach due to my sunny disposition. Now I think they don't know what to make of me."

"Just wait until they find out you're a big old softy," teased Shoko. She picked up another bite of food. "And what about the teachers? What do they say? Or did they all already know about me?"

"Most of them," Sakuta acknowledged. "I've been working here for a long time so my relationship with Mai is common knowledge, as is the fact that I have a daughter. Although I'm sure many of them thought it was an urban myth or some sort of strange inside joke they weren't clued in on."

"Jokes on them," Shoko grinned.

Sakuta gave her a smile.

"How are you coping?"

There was something about the way Sakuta asked the question that gave Shoko pause. As calm as his voice was, there was an underlying seriousness that went beyond the playful tone of their conversation so far. And because of this sincerity Shoko stopped to think carefully before giving her answer.

"I'm coping fine," she said. It felt like she was speaking the truth, and that gave her confidence. "I'll admit, I didn't think telling people that you're my father would get quite such a big reaction. I mean, people I've never spoken to have stopped me in the corridor to ask if it's true. That sort of thing has never happened to me before, not at Minegahara." She shook her head in disbelief. "I figured if no one cared that I was a famous actress then why would they care about this."

"It's hard to know what people will choose to care about," Sakuta reasoned. "And how about your friends? Sugita already knew." Shoko nodded. "How about Kuroda?"

"Oh, he was pretty mad," said Shoko cheerfully.

Sakuta raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry," Shoko assured him. "He's fine. He just gets grumpy when I surprise him."

"Which you seem to take great pleasure in doing," said Sakuta.

"Exactly," Shoko agreed without remorse. "Honestly, even if I wasn't originally keeping my relationship with you a secret, I might have kept it quiet from Daiki, just so I could see his reaction when he found out." She leaned forward with a dreamy smile. "He was so frustrated."

Sakuta watched with a strange look on his face.

"What?" Shoko wondered.

"Nothing," said Sakuta. He finished his lunch, closing his bento. "I'm just glad you are having fun with your friends."

"Yeah," said Shoko, drawing the word out slowly. She agreed with what he was saying, but there was so obviously a hidden meaning behind his words, and she had no clue what it was.

"Anyway, I'm sure everyone will move on when the next big thing happens," said Sakuta breezily. "Nothing makes a scandal old news more than a brand new one. Come exam time, nobody will care."

"Did you have to mention exams?" Shoko complained. "It's only the second day. Too soon."

Sakuta smiled.

A/N: There we go. We are now back up and running. Please let me know if you enjoyed and are excited to read more. Just like last time I plan to upload a new chapter every week, so look forward to Chapter 2: On Location.

Bye for now.