He closed his notebook as he completed his homework. He placed it in his backpack and put it beside his desk. His homework was done for the evening and now, the tiresome Izuku could finally rest.
...his thoughts from his assignments and focused on a different matter at hand, Kayama-sensei.
Kayama-sensei asked for a leave of absence. Her time off was indefinite. For the time being, a substitute teacher was in her place. The class speculated on her absence. He remembered Katsuki snickering to Eijirou and Tenya that Kayama-sensei made have eloped with some foreigner. Another rumor he produced that Kayama-sensei probably abandoned her career as a teacher and could garner more in pornography. The class brewed into a laughter as the blonde pestered and mocked mercilessly of their teacher. Izuku couldn't handle it, let alone hear any more of it. He asked to be excused from the class and spent the rest of the day at the nurses' office. Part of which contemplating on calling Kayama-sensei and the other part of wrapping himself in the fact he could be a father.
He turned on the stereo. He kept it low to not disturb his sleeping mother. It was near the midnight hour. The weekend was upon them. He remembered hearing his mother that they would spend the day shopping.
He reached for a sheet of paper. He tapped the pencil on the possible things a father must do when looking for baby items. He wouldn't know to begin. How could he explain to his mother that possibly she was becoming a grandmother? He cracked his pencil. The fear, the trouble for Kayama-sensei. She was a thirty-one-year-old woman having relations with a teenager.
A hot wetness dripped from his nose. A nosebleed. He got it whenever he was stressed. He grabbed a tissue to insert in his nose while he was tilting. He now had to figure out how to reach Kayama-sensei.
He had yet to call her.
He was afraid that she might be angry at him. He should have used a condom. Or, he should have called if he was worried about her. Be as it may, stress, shame, and guilt consumed his mind.
He asked God for the strength of courage to pick up the phone and call Kayama-sensei. Who knew what kind of frustration she was facing right now, he thought.
Just then, he heard his cell phone rang. As it vibrated on his nightstand, he wondered who could it be? He hardly received any calls, and especially that late into the evening. On the third ring, he picked up the phone and out from the receiver was the sound of a woman with her voiced cracked.
"Hello," said the girl, "Are you there, Izuku It is me, Nemuri."
He sat up to readjust himself. He did not want to give her the impression that something was wrong. He cleared his voice and wiped the blood from his nose. He did his best to remain calm as it was Kayama-sensei who decided to call him.
"Hey, Kayama...I mean Nemuri," said Izuku, "It has been...well, how are you?"
"I'm okay," said Nemuri, "I didn't call this late, did I? I am sorry."
"No, you're fine, Nemuri," said Izuku, reassuring her that she was fine but he was very surprised.
And grateful.
"It is just that I am surprised that you are calling me this late." Izuku looked at the clock and it was a quarter past twelve in the morning. Around this time, he would prepare to head to bed. He yawned as he continued to talk with Kayama-sensei.
"I am sorry once again," she said. Izuku could imagine her bowing over the telephone. "It is just that. It is just, oh well it is nothing." He could tell by the sound of her voice that she was lying. He, too, knew what was the reason for her calling.
"Look, Kayama, I mean, Nemuri," said Izuku, "If you feel that you can't talk over the phone, do you want to meet elsewhere?"
"Yes," she said quickly that he felt her vibration from the receiver. "Want to meet at the coffeehouse?"
"The one nearby my house?"
"Yeah. Sure."
"That's cool," said Izuku. He looked at his watch and thought he could spare some time. "I will be out in 10. Is that cool?"
"Okay," she said before hanging up the phone.
He was grateful to God that that part was done. However, what was going on in her mind at this time. Knowing for Kayama-sensei, her mind was running rampant. He made another silent prayer to God as he got dressed for the coffeehouse. As he was leaving at the door, he was stopped by his mother.
"Going somewhere, Icchan?" His mother was sitting at the kitchen table. She was in the middle of couponing. She looked at the clock. "Where are you going so late, sweetie."
He nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I have a bit of an emergency to deal with...with a friend."
She put down the scissors. "A friend? Kind of late to be doing that. Is it a real emergency?"
"A bit of a crisis," said Izuku. "And I need to help that said friend out."
Mother Inko crossed her legs. She pursed her lips. He knew whenever she did that, she wasn't buying any of his stories. "Izuku, is there a girl you are trying meet?" She tilted her head. "I promise I won't be mad."
He swallowed the lump in his throat. "A girl?" He shook his head. "No, ma'am. Just a friend. Nothing more, nothing less."
Inko stood up from the table. She calmly reached the box above the pantry. His eyes widened when she pulled out a box of condoms. "Just in case for your said 'friend.'" She winked and returned to clipping coupons. "You get a free pass tonight, Izuku Midoriya." She furrowed her eyebrows. "We will talk in the morning."
Please believe, mother. There will more than just talk. He bowed in front of his mother and left the house.
It was a few minutes before one in the morning when Izuku approached the cafe. The coffeehouse was closed and he texted her that there was a twenty-four-hour cafe nearby. He was the first to arrive. A few moments later, a car appeared in the parking lot of the cafe. The door opened and the brunette stepped out of the vehicle.
Nemuri Kayama was sporting an athletic sweatshirt and mini-skirt with black leggings. It appeared to she was going to more of a casual date that was in contrast to what Izuku was wearing. He was sporting a white t-shirt with blue jeans. Although the weather was cool, he liked the feeling of the coolness exposed to his skin. Without saying a word, she approached him.
He held the door for her as they entered the cafe.
The tiny cafe huddled despondent among the huge apartment buildings. Washed out under the overcast sky, it hunched in itself, fighting against the drizzle. On the busiest of evenings, hundreds of people rushed by it, outside on the crowded street. The few customers glanced up as the door swung open, heralded by a blast of the cool wind. Unlike the outside, the interior of the cafe was warm and cheery, with bright lights and colorful walls. The customers returned to their conversations as the door swung closed behind the new, but familiar entrants and the cold breeze was forgotten.
The waitress greeted the pair as they were placed in a booth. She held her pad to take their order looked like the kind who knew the trick of the trade of the restaurant business. She was older. She had gray hair with a hint of brown. Her eyes were her highlight. It was a deep shade of a green like a deep, enchanted pool. She politely asked them of their order.
Izuku asked for two coffees. He wanted his black and Kayama-sensei, with cream and two sugars. He quietly thanked her as she walked to get his order.
The pair met eyes, but neither had yet to speak. Izuku saw the bags under her eyes. Her hair was unkempt. She was wearing her glasses. She didn't look like the upbeat, promiscuous teacher at his high school.
It was like he was seeing Nemuri Kayama at her realness.
He wished he could take her pain away. The anguish that was within her. Knowing that there was a new life forming in her womb.
"Here are your coffees, dears," responded the waitress as she put the coffees on the table. They both bowed as the waitress excused herself. Izuku took the coffee and drank as the warmth soothe him. Kayama-sensei took a sip of her coffee before putting it back on the table. She used the spoon to stir her coffee.
"Thank you for seeing me on short notice," said Kayama-sensei. She didn't say anything more. This was the first they have interacted with each other since that day at her apartment. Izuku took another sip of his coffee. Both could tell they were beating around the topic. Yet again, he wasn't sure if she knew that he knew.
She pressed her nails into her skin. She had a smug look on her face. He could tell that she was afraid to talk. "Take your time. There is no rush for me to know. If not, then later. Until then, we can relax and drink our coffee." His mother taught him on the understanding of women. Don't rush her words or her thoughts, she told him. Rationality over emotions because emotional decisions could be damning without thinking clearly.
"Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome," he replied. "Take as much time as you need."
Izuku saw the tears dripping into her coffee. The sniffling grew as she tried to hold it. She pulled out a piece of paper and slid it to him. By that time, she put her head on the table and started crying.
Izuku went to her side of the booth. Instinctively, he took her hand, intertwining it and embraced her. He buried his face into her hair. "Shh! Shh! It's okay. Go and let it out," he told her. She turned and hugged him. He felt her hot tears staining his face. "It's okay, Nemuri-san. Let it out." His eyes let her know that it didn't need to be up for debate. He was aware. So much so that he didn't need to look at that piece of paper.
"We are going to work this out," he told her as she sniffled. "I don't know how, but we have a trusting God that can help us figure this out." Her wailing went into a crescendo. He held on as her face was buried in his chest. "We will work it out. Shh! Shh! Calm your tears. We are going to work it out."
Izuku took the piece of paper that confirmed Nemuri Kayama's pregnancy and put it into his pocket.
"How," she sniffled. "How are we?"
Izuku bit into his lip, trying to fight his own tears. "Let's not worry how. Let's just thank God I am here. I won't leave you. I won't leave you."
"Izuku," she said as she held on to him tightly. "Izuku."
He shut his eyes, thinking of the things he had to do. But for the time being, holding onto the anguish Nemuri was enough for now.
To be continued….