Author's Note:

✘ An Ogata & Mae moment. Woot! Woot!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gokusen or any of its characters, names, or settings. This is purely a work of fan appreciation and creativity.

Chapter 10: Last tearful cry

White, fluffy clouds drifted lazily across the pale blue sky, their soft forms moving steadily as the fading sun began to awaken, slowly emerging through the hazy window. Two figures remained curled together beneath a light blanket, their bodies intertwined in the quiet of the early morning. Outside, birds chirped in unison, their melodic song creating a serene atmosphere that seemed to make time slow down, reminding both of them that dawn had arrived.

They lay in the middle of the bed, their eyes fluttering open simultaneously, meeting each other's gaze. Another day had begun, but there were no words to describe the peaceful stillness between them. They could have stayed like this, lost in each other's eyes forever, but as is often the case, such moments of brightness and warmth don't last long. The sun's rays, for a moment, disappeared behind a fluffy cloud, and the room was bathed in a cool shade. Blinking, they were brought back to the reality of the morning.

Yamato reluctantly withdrew his long arm from around Mae, sitting up slowly. His back leaned against the wall as he looked down at Mae, who was still refusing to get up. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked softly, his voice low with concern.

Mae, with her large, dark eyes, gazed up at him, cracking a sleepy smile as she yawned. "I'm fine. Just want to sleep a little more," she mumbled, her face disappearing beneath the blanket as she curled up even tighter, her actions playful and cute.

For a moment, Yamato was taken aback by Mae's sudden display of cuteness. He shook his head, chuckling under his breath, and then pushed her lightly as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Get up. We need to talk!" he said with a sigh, looking around the room. "Also, I may need to borrow one of your shirts. Mine's too dirty to wear to school, and I really don't want to go home…" he muttered, his voice trailing off.

Mae, still hiding beneath the blanket, nodded. "The first drawer on the left. You'll find some shirts there," she directed him, her voice muffled by the fabric.

Yamato got up, walking over to the drawer. He rummaged through it until he found a shirt that wasn't pink. "What's with you and pink shirts, anyway?" he muttered as he pulled out a plain black one. He closed the drawer, then took off his shirt, letting it fall to the floor. Mae, still stretching and yawning, watched him, her eyes inadvertently drawn to his back. The sight of his bruises and cuts from the previous night made her pause, her mouth falling slightly open in concern.

Mae immediately stood up and walked over to him, but by the time she reached him, Ogata had already pulled the shirt on and turned around to face her. "You got up fast," he commented, noticing her movement.

Mae's eyes widened as she took in the sight of his injuries. "Have you seen your back? Baka!" she exclaimed, reaching out to tug at his shirt, trying to lift it.

Ogata glared at her, pulling the fabric back down. "Leave the shirt down. It's fine. I'll be alright," he muttered, trying to brush off her concern.

"Baka!" Mae repeated, her voice louder this time. "How can you be 'alright' like this? If you leave those wounds untreated, you'll end up with ugly scars. And don't think cute and pretty girls like ugly scars!" she snapped, her tone sharp but caring. Without waiting for him to respond, she yanked him back onto the bed and hurried off to grab some cream for his bruises.

"I'm not interested in cute and pretty girls," Ogata shrugged nonchalantly, though the words didn't seem to soothe Mae. She returned with the cream, immediately pulling his shirt up to treat the wounds on his back.

Mae pressed the cream into his skin with a little more force than necessary. "Yeah, I saw you with Fuji the other day," she remarked with a teasing grin, her fingers working the cream into his skin.

Ogata winced, his voice rising in pain. "Ittai! (Ouch!)" he protested, glaring at her. He quickly pulled his shirt down, feeling self-conscious. "You've put enough cream on already…" he muttered, avoiding her gaze as his mind went back to the other day.

Mae raised an eyebrow, her playful smile never fading. "Cute girls get all the attention, huh?" she teased, "But you should at least trust me, you know."

Ogata sighed, leaning back against the bedframe. "About that…" he started, clearing his throat. "I wanted to apologize for not trusting you. For letting my anger get the best of me. I'm really sorry, Hitori."

Mae walked over, flicking his head lightly with a smile. "Baka, don't get all formal. It's scary," she said teasingly, before giving a small shrug. "We should get ready for school."

Ogata agreed with a nod, and the two of them quickly began preparing to leave for school. The quiet, thoughtful moment between them felt like a new start, but the real world awaited them outside the bedroom, as it always did.

Back in 3D class, everything appeared normal, but there was a strange shift. The usual group of five had gathered around Mae's desk, their chairs pulled close as if to surround her. They were impeccably dressed, smelling fresh, and clearly trying to impress. After all, Mae was the only girl in their midst, and they seemed excited, almost nervous, waiting for her attention. But as Mae stormed into the classroom, flanked by Ogata, all eyes turned to her. Mae, clearly unfazed, looked at them in confusion. "What's up, guys?" she asked casually as she sat down.

Kuraki, seated beside her, quickly turned her face toward him, a wide grin on his face. "Good morning, Mae-chan!" he greeted, eagerly awaiting her reaction. The rest of the class murmured, "Mae-chan?" in confused unison.

Mae, unbothered, leaned lazily against her desk. "Yo!" she responded with an indifferent wave.

Kuraki turned to the others, his confusion growing. "Why isn't she blushing at all?" he complained, clearly baffled by Mae's lack of a typical reaction. Ren, ever cautious, waved his hand at Kuraki, signaling for him to be careful with his words.

"I know," Ichi chimed in. "Mae's cold. Not a blush in sight."

The group of guys—Kuraki, Ichi, Kamiya, and Honjo—tried everything they could think of to make Mae blush, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, Mae got up, gave them a playful wink, and blew them a kiss. Instantly, the four of them turned crimson and slunk back to their desks, lost in daydreams. Ren and Ogata simply watched her, curious.

"What? They wouldn't leave me alone," Mae muttered under her breath, sinking back into her desk.

As the minutes passed, a loud fight broke out between two classmates over a bag of chips. Yankumi rushed in to break it up, tossing the boys across the room with ease. Ren, followed by the others, exchanged puzzled glances. "Why is Yankumi so strong?" Ren wondered aloud, the rest of the group agreeing in quiet astonishment.

Yamato, noticing Ren's surprise, commented, "You're just realizing that now?"

When class ended, the seven of them followed Yankumi to uncover the source of her strength. Their investigation led them to the shocking truth: she was part of the Oedo family. The revelation left them stunned, especially Yamato, who felt an unexpected warmth in her home.

As they walked back from school, the boys exchanged quiet remarks. "Yankumi's been through a lot." "Yeah, she has," they agreed, before Yamato added, "But it must be nice, living in a place like that."

"It really felt like a family, huh?" Yamato said, his voice softer than usual.

Ren and Mae both turned to him in surprise. "What's that supposed to mean?" Ren asked.

"Nothing, just... it's not like you," Mae echoed, still trying to understand.

Yamato shook his head. "No, it's not like that," he muttered, but before anyone could respond, Ogata suddenly blurted, "Sorry, I'm heading home!" and dashed off, leaving everyone puzzled.

Lately, things had been bad at Ogata's house. Yamato, ever the considerate one, never mentioned his friend's troubled home life, and Mae hadn't a clue. The stark contrast between the cheerful atmosphere of Yamato's house and the cold, demanding nature of Ogata's father was palpable. Ogata's father, a strict teacher at the elite Kaitoku School, was deeply disappointed in his son's delinquent status and constantly berated him.

"Until he took the wrong path, our family was doing well. A teacher's son from Kaitoku, and now this... An Akado delinquent. What a disgrace," his father raged one evening, oblivious to Ogata's presence. "I don't understand—why did things turn out like this, with everything my older brother did right?"

Ogata's mother tried, weakly, to defend her son. "You can't just blame him, you know."

But Ogata's father was relentless. "It's because you've spoiled him! He does whatever he wants, and look where it's gotten us!"

Listening to this for far too long, Ogata couldn't take it anymore. He stormed into the room. "It's not Mom's fault!" he snapped.

His mother tried to calm him down, pulling him back from confronting his father. The tension in the room was unbearable.

The next day, Ogata's mother confided in Yankumi about their impending divorce. Though she wanted to ask Ogata about it, he brushed it off, insisting that his fractured relationship with his father was nothing new. The moment he stepped into class, however, his classmates began pressing him about his father, and the weight of the conversation became too much. His frustration reached its peak, and he stormed out, leaving for the pool hall, trying to escape his thoughts.

Kazama, sensing that something was wrong, followed him, but it only made matters worse when Ogata's father appeared. In a blur of anger, Ogata punched his father, the emotional toll becoming too heavy to bear.

The group of five, along with Yankumi, rallied around him, trying to console their friend. But Ogata, broken, admitted, "It's my fault. My family's falling apart. Someone like me—someone who's dropped out—will just fail in life. I'm bad news."

Mae, having just entered the room, froze at the door, hearing his words. She had no idea about Ogata's family issues. Yankumi tried to console him, telling him that everyone has their struggles, but Ogata was beyond hearing it. He walked out, leaving Mae to chase after him.

"Yamato, wait... wait!" she shouted, running after him, concern written all over her face. When he didn't stop, she grabbed his shirt, forcing him to turn around. "What are you doing? You know Yankumi is right. You've made everyone worried about you."

Ogata shoved her away, anger flashing in his eyes, before storming off. Moments later, Mae saw a group of men bullying two kids. Ogata, ever the protector, stepped in, but the situation escalated quickly. The men turned on him, and though Ogata dodged a blow, he was blamed for the fight when the others fled.

Fortunately, Yankumi and the class uncovered the truth about the incident, and Ogata was released from custody. His mother also handled the official paperwork from his father, which threatened Ogata's place at Akado High. Yankumi spoke with him, urging him to calm down and focus on what mattered—his mother.

Outside the police station, the entire class stood together, cheering for Ogata. "Make sure to rely on your friends more!" they shouted in unison, lifting his spirits.

As they began walking back to school, Mae was asked to stay behind by a detective who had been investigating her family's murder case. Ogata, noticing she was being detained, followed her. The detective, familiar with everyone in class 3D, explained that Mae's family's case had reopened. He revealed that the murder investigation had progressed, and a suspect was finally emerging. Mae, terrified, pressed him for more information, but he refused to name the person, as he wasn't entirely sure. However, he asked Ogata to keep an eye on Mae, something he was more than willing to do.

The detective offered a cryptic warning: "Years ago, three of Japan's most powerful families swore an oath to protect the nation. But it seems the fourth generation has different dreams."

Mae and Ogata exchanged stunned glances. "Yankumi's family?" they both asked, feeling the weight of the detective's words.

"Yes, but let me finish," the detective said before continuing. "The Oedo family's daughter didn't want to follow the path and married a commoner, creating her own family. Both she and her husband were killed. The same story played out with the Yanai family. They refused to follow the family legacy and paid the price. The Kage family, Mae... your family... they're on the list too."

Mae's chest tightened as she processed this information. Yamato, too, was caught off guard, unable to fully comprehend the danger surrounding his friend.

The detective's final words cut deep. "Yuki, Mae... He wasn't just her brother. He was a threat to the future. He was sick, and an ill child couldn't carry the weight of the legacy. That's why they killed him."

Mae collapsed, overwhelmed with grief and fear. Ogata, unable to offer any comfort, simply stayed by her side, silently supporting her. The detective's words hung in the air, leaving more questions than answers.

Finally, after hours of silence, Mae wiped her tears and stood up. "We need to tell Yankumi!" she declared, her voice filled with determination.

When they arrived at the school, they found their classmates waiting for them. Mae and Ogata led them to the roof, where they revealed the devastating truth. The air was thick with tension as everyone realized just how deep the conspiracy ran. The next chapter would reveal just how dangerous things had truly become.

((Coming up chapter 11))