Cold Play

AN: YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING 'WHAT THE HECK? I ALREADY READ THIS!
NEWSFLASH: GO BACK TO CHAPTER TWO BECAUSE I FORGOT TO ADD THAT CHAPTER THIS MORNING! ^^Thank you. Oh and thanks for the reviews so far!


Chapter Three: Some Disappointments Are Worth the Victory

Eiri wasn’t paying attention to the fact that his car door hadn’t opened yet as he jabbed a random key at the lock

School was over, and what had started out as a brilliant day for class four had all gone down the drain. Hanako and the class wailed their eyes out to him, after sharing their account of what had happened as soon as he had turned his back from his irresponsible classmates on the rooftop.

Had this been any other sensei, Eiri would have scoffed, blown his classmates off and hurried home with a gleeful smile at yet another successful accomplishment of throwing a teacher out. But that wasn’t the case anymore, not since two months ago when his Shindou-sensei had come into his life… and definitely not when Eiri had just started making headway into healing the void inside of him that was still mending from certain earlier events.

Ten minutes had gone, and when Eiri realized that the door was still not opening, he cursed loudly and openly. He ripped his focus off the dilemma long enough to discover he had been trying to use his house key on the lock; stringing together another round of curses, he switched to the right key. He settled himself into the comforting leather sanctuary of the only material possession he truly valued, his Mercedes Benz. His mind wandering back to his problem, he cursed again before gunning the throttle and rapidly speeding off.

Could this day get any worse?


O-o-o-o-o-o-o-O


Eiri had refused to show any concern.

He was not about to let his classmates know how much he cared. But he was still part of Class Four and so once Hanako had calmed, he allowed her to drag him up the stairs to the roof top where the guilt-ridden class four students nervously fidgeted. Most of the girls were taking their sweet time clearing up their tears of anguish. Eiri smirked inwardly remembering how students and school staff alike had all gossiped about how these ruthless little monsters couldn’t shed a single tear.

“So what happened?” Eiri inquired; his voice solid and demanding. It took some time, listening to stilted and emotionally-clouded renditions and piecing everything together, but he figured he had gotten it straight. He methodically enumerated the facts in his head:

1) After he had left, some of the students had gathered and discussed the appearance of the junior geek, which caused some fires of anger to rekindle,

2) The lunch bell rang and a girl who suddenly recalled both the name of the junior boy in question, Gregory, and where he usually had lunch, revealed the information to her classmates,

3) A group within class four decided that it was Gregory’s fault they had hurt their sensei and came to the conclusion that Gregory therefore NEEDED to be punished for the crime,

4) Another set of students yanked the poor boy from the halls and dragged him off, not hiding what they intended to do as the boy shouted for his life,

5) There were witnesses,

6) Seguchi Tohma was informed,

7) Using his well known techniques of just appearing out of nowhere, the principal arrived just in time to stop the fight.

Seguchi Tohma berated the whole class without raising the volume of his voice but he hadn’t needed to. His words were much more painful…

“I had thought that Shindou-sensei was having a good effect on you.” He had started as soon as one of his hall monitors, Noriko-san, had all the guilty students lined up. “For the past two months, he has been the only one untouched by your animalistic behaviors. And also, Shindou-sensei had informed me that you were all well behaved in his presence and that there were no problems. But I see now that the fault not only lies on with that young man for having allowed you all to walk out of his class this morning, but also with me.”

“Get over there!” Noriko hissed, annoyed at missing her own lunch period, glaring at some of the resisting students trying to sneak away from the line up.

The lecture continued, “I had begun to think that Shindou-sensei was good for you but I can see now that I was wrong if this is the kind of behavior that he has brought out of you.”


The class had not believed what they were hearing. Was their principal actually blaming the teacher for the class’ actions?

“Yes,” Seguchi continued, as if reading their minds, “The blame is Shindou-san’s and mine.” He started pacing back and forth, gloved hands firmly resting on the back of his hips, “I had thought him capable enough to handle a group of troublemakers such as yourselves, but it appears I have overestimated him. Like all the others, he has failed in teaching you etiquette. Therefore…” he stopped, and a frown four years overdue formed on his smooth face. “I am taking Shindou-san from his current post. Starting tomorrow, he will not be teaching class four any longer.”

“That’s not fair!” the students shouted almost in unison. They knew that Seguchi had finally found an advantage against them and they knew damn well he was going to use it to maximum advantage. Any punishment the principal saw fit to issue would be irreversible. The students protested vehemently, letting their own sharp tongues lie temporarily dormant as they tried to get a compromise out of the teacher. It was mainly the girls who voiced their opinion, but the guys cared just as much.

Seguchi-san had exploded. Whirling around, he snatched Gregory from Noriko’s side and gestured to the ripped shirt and bloodied lip, “After this harassment, do you really think I am willing to do any more favors for your sorry hides? What will this boy’s parents say when they see their child? What course of action would his father, the vice president of the whole school district, take when he finds out that Mrs. Onsen’s daughter assaulted a boy for something silly as talking to the young girl’s teacher?” The weary man threw Gregory an apologetic look then instructed Noriko-san to take him to the nurses’ office immediately.

He returned his attention to the rest of the students, “I know of your rebellious streaks, but nothing has ever escalated to a point like this in the past. You’ve all taken this too far and I’m tired of it! Therefore I will punish you by taking away what you’ve all come to treasure. And I intend to give Shindou-san what he deserved from the beginning of the school year, a real class with students who are willing to allow him to make mistakes without creating trouble behind him.” Seguchi-san frowned at a group of crying girls, “You’ve all brought this upon yourselves.”

The man turned towards the stairs with the finality of his instructions, “At the end of the lunch hour, you will all return to your class and Shindou-san will keep you for the rest of the day.” And then he was gone, angry aura still hanging about the air. That had only been half of the punishment, by now he had probably spoken to Shindou-san and outlined that side of the decision. How would they face their teacher now?

In the face of this dire situation, Class Four discarded their motto. All of a sudden, they began blaming whoever they could point their finger to the fastest.

“This is entirely your fault!” the girls started, and an insult was thrown in. The nastiness circulated, everyone venting until everyone had blame laid at their feet and the irrationality of it all finally began to sink in. In the end, sweet little Hanako-chan, stood and loudly said,

“I don’t care anymore!” the bickering halted. “E-everyone,” she announced, “I don’t think we really should fight about this. It…it can be my fault. It’s…” her tears welled up as she turned and fled from the comforting hands of her group, “It’s all our-- my fault!” she yelled, and disappeared down the stair well and straight into Eiri…


O-o-o-o-o-o-o-O

“Good evening class.”

Shindou Shuichi came to stand before his students, and it was just like the first time he entered the classroom. The teacher had a look most of the children read with little effort: exhaustion… and disappointment,

Eiri and the others watched as their teacher scanned their faces, watched him stand in front of them occasionally pacing around the room. Shindou-sensei generally fidgeted, always returning to the front of the room then leaning himself on his desk and scanning the class once more. The teacher would sigh anytime a student’s stare would falter under his scrutiny. After twenty minutes of this silent treatment, Eiri wondered, what was he looking for?

Even from the very back of the classroom, Eiri could clearly discern how down the teacher was, an expression he had never seen before. He couldn’t believe he and his classmates were the ones that caused that expression, that it was he and his class who had caused things to go so wrong.

Finally Shindou-sensei broke the silence by instructing, “Please take out your English essays. I was instructed to collect them, since they are due today.” Almost too compliant, the class pulled out their papers, placing them neatly on the top left corner of the desk as always, however, before the said teacher could pick up the papers, one of the students in the front row, interjected,

“Sensei, you’re being transferred tomorrow and that’s all you’ve-”

Without warning, Shuichi’s soft voice sharpened, interrupting the student warningly, “Ino-kun.” The teacher turned away, silently shaking his head and made his way down the rows gathering the papers.

Watching the young man make his way slowly around the room, Eiri couldn’t help but feel a little angry with his classmates. He had never really cared about what trouble they got up to before but this was on a whole new level…a whole new personal level.

Papers in hand, Shindou-sensei faced the class, his features serious and his eyes piercing. They did not recognize his expression, this suddenly mature man who stood before them. His voice took on a deeper, more mature tone, “Seguchi Tohma had probably already said this, but your actions were disappointing, if not downright appalling.”

No. Principal Seguchi had said this, but not in the way his sensei just did. The principal’s angry lecture was much more preferable to this new side of their sensei.

“He probably also shouted at all of you, and I believe he had every right to do so. Can one of you,” he paused and looked around, “tell me that the students from class 3-5 were lying when they barged in here asking me to stop you from hurting their friend?”

No answer.

“No?” Disappointment again. “Then perhaps anyone would care to enlighten me as to why or what brought upon these violent actions?”

Eiri lowered his gaze. Don’t talk like that sensei… it makes you sound smart and serious, it makes you seem so far away from us that no one can reach you…

“Then maybe it is true as Noriko had claimed that I had caused this all.”

You can shout at us sensei…

“Let me make one thing clear.”

Eiri heard the sudden strength behind the voice. It was cold and demanding. Their complete heavenly man on edge of his nerves, but voice still ever so soft.

“Although it is true that I am your teacher, that you were all,” Eiri winced at the use of past tense, “my first and utmost priority, it did not mean that I belonged solely and only to this particular class. I have other responsibilities, could none of you see that?” Shindou-sensei spread his arms out as if to emphasize his meaning. Disregarding the students’ feelings on the matter, he continued, “A student needed help. You wanted me to turn him down? Gregory’s teacher has been bedridden because of an illness. If I was not around to help you with your work and you approached another teacher, how would you feel if he or she said ‘I can’t help you because you are not one of my students?"

More downward glances.

Even Eiri could not bear to watch his sensei this way. He listened to the muted, anguished cries of the girls. Had everyone gone this soft in two month’s span of time? Since when did the emotionally hardened class four girls crumble like cookies at a mere sermon? But who was he to talk, being of no exception. Though he did not cry his heart out like the others, he did feel that sensation of loss from the pit of his stomach at the news of losing his new teacher… at the sound of that disappointed voice and the sight of those hurt eyes.

The teacher seemed to understand how his words had affected his class and finally calmed. He sighed, and Eiri, like a few others, sneaked a glance up at the man. In a familiar move, as though eternally breaking out of the mold as a teacher, he gave a small smile.

“Now, now,” he said, “I am more than thankful for being well received in this class, and even if you had all gone the wrong way about it, I am still touched that I am the first person to be loved by class four in a long time.”

Eiri’s heart thumped loudly when his teacher looked at him directly.

“I love you all very much. And it’s been my greatest pleasure to be with you all.”

Eiri’s gaze held on a moment longer to those violet eyes, unblinking as his mind twisted the words to trick him so he would hear, ‘I love you. It’s been my greatest pleasure to be with you.’

Then the teacher’s smile widened, his old self fully back, “It’s okay everyone! Let’s all just have fun now, okay? I know! Let’s play the sound game….”


O-o-o-o-o-o-o-O


Ding.

Eiri barely noticed the fine red carpet he walked wearily upon.

Four years ago, when Eiri moved from Osaka to Tokyo, he was entranced by the calm atmosphere of this building. He’d found himself interested by the golden wall, adorned with illusions of white swirling flowers along the line where the wall and the ceiling met. The golden walls were not the only thing he took a liking in. A long, blood-red carpet adorned the landings of each floor making the halls glow, giving a kingly vibe to the student. And when you feel like royalty, all worries just seemed to slip away…

Except for today.

The student entered his apartment in almost a zombie-like state. What am I going to do with all this? He asked himself, recounting the day’s catastrophe. Landing ungracefully on his bed, Eiri brought an arm over his eyes…and remembered the incident in the room where his self control had melted completely away at the sight of his child-like teacher sleeping. He stared at his palms with a touch of disbelief, unable to believe he had touched his sensei. He remembered each sensation, how the soft hair had whispered over his hand, the feel of that creamy soft skin…and he had almost, almost kissed the man.

Eiri bit his bottom lip, still daydreaming. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for what was he about to tell himself, almost as un-ready as class four was of letting go of Shindou-sensei.

Could I afford another problem like this? He asked himself, for as unique as the situation was, this was not the first time Eiri would be experiencing something out of the ordinary in a student/teacher relationship. The memory of a sensei in his past still lingered like a putrid stench in his mind.

Kitazawa sensei.

Usually, by the time Eiri ever got to consider the name, he would have been far gone—immensely depressed at the thought of the man who had betrayed him. But the young student found he was able to consider the memories freely, now of his own free will –something his therapist had never been able to get him to do.

Instead of Kitazawa-sensei, it became Shindou-sensei who mattered.

Eiri could clearly recall the soft breaths he had watched his sensei make, could remember the shadow of eyelashes upon those pale cheeks… the movement of those soft lips, and Eiri was certain they would be even softer to touch, before his sensei uttered his name in that perfect whispered moan.

Yu-Yuki…

Realizing the forbidden turn his thoughts had taken him, his morality jolted him up from his bed and he shook his head as if to discard the images free of his mental clutches even as his mind started to chase after them.

Eiri was wrong about one thing. Whether he was ready or not, there was no waiting. It wouldn’t do his angelic sensei justice to be compared to a dead man.

Eiri turned over and fell on his pillow face first. Clutching the pillow against his head, he tried to stop the oncoming thoughts in his mind, but still it came:

I like Shindou sensei…A lot.

“Argh!” Eiri yelled in frustration into his pillow. This is crazy! He’s a teacher, you’re a student. Eiri, get your head out of the gutter. He’ll never want you. You’re too young!

‘He’s just four years your senior.’

The student shook his head. No. He wouldn’t think about the age difference for now. That doesn’t matter. Right now, all that matters is to be close to the man. But how was he going to do that if Seguchi Tohma kept them apart?

…Ah, Seguchi Tohma…

Annoyed, Eiri stood up and turned off the lights. He sighed heavily as he dumped himself back on the bed. Although the answer was quite clear and easy to reach, actually doing something about the idea would likely prove to be quite a hard task.

Talk to Seguchi.

No, better yet, demand that the principal allow the teacher to stay in room four.

If there was one powerful person Eiri was related to, it would be none other than the principal himself. But how would he mask this one? Dealing with that Principal, with his all-seeing teal eyes, was like dealing with a badger [1]. That man would surely recognize something was wrong with Eiri if he just barged in and asked-- No, told the man that he wanted the teacher to stay.

I’ll figure this out tomorrow, Eiri thought to himself, burying his head in the pillows again. For now, he would enjoy the still fresh memory picture of his sensei, mumbling his name in sleep.

It would be some time before he wondered why exactly it was that the sensei was calling his name in the first place.


O-o-o-o-o-o-o-O


Principal Seguchi maintained his warm smile for the young man sitting in front of him.

In the past ten minutes, not a word had been said and no one moved a muscle. The school founder had merely sat and laced his fingers together in a pleased way. He’d been most happy to have summoned this young man. This youth who was a part of both his career and personal life; a student at his school and his wife’s brother…

“My, my. This would be the first I have seen you in my office in…four years, is it?” He received a grunt of acknowledgment, and asked, “You don’t really know why you’re here. Do you Eiri-san?”

On the contrary, Eiri DID know why he was there. In fact, he had driven to school an hour early to see the workaholic man, but as it turned out, something had beaten him to the punch. When he had driven into his parking space, Noriko-san, Seguchi’s personal student and slave driver, had caught sight of him and immediately told him to go to ‘Seguchi-san’s office.’

Since he was already heading there anyway, the student shrugged and walked off.

“Mika’s missed you! You should visit some time.”

Eiri’s frown deepened. He wanted to get down to business. “What do you want?” It was more of a statement rather than a question.

Without missing a beat, Seguchi pulled out a sheet of paper from his drawer. Showing the small print to Eiri, unreadable from distance, he peered down at it and cleared his throat, reading:

“The trouble was brewed by Yuki Eiri.”

Eiri waited, still frowning. “And?” he sarcastically prodded.

Seguchi shrugged, “I don’t know. You tell me.” The older man handed the note over. There was just one sentence on the whole sheet.

“I think,” Eiri began, “That whoever wrote this just wasted paper.”

Seguchi knew Eiri valued writing and its associated paraphernalia but that wasn’t exactly the answer he was looking for.

Eiri sighed, and gave in, “Is this still about yesterday when I walked out of class?” he smirked inwardly at Seguchi’s shocked expression, “I walked out of first period. The whole class followed. I guess they’re still holding a grudge.” He shrugged, “You know the motto and all that already. So why did you need me here?” his heart began pounding joyously at the principal’s visible irritation.

“Eiri-san.” Tohma said, keeping his voice short of a growl; he pointed at the paper, “This, at three in the morning, was thrown through the window at my house. It scared Mika and she had to be hospitalized for a panic attack. You also know very well that she is pregnant? This is not a laughing matter.”

The offending student couldn’t keep his excitement down. He’d have to apologize to Mika some day when he lived happily ever after with his sensei…but for now…

“She’ll live,” was the mean response. After a moment’s silence, Eiri watched the man sit himself down on his large and looming leather chair, “You mess with class four they’ll mess with you back. They really liked him, and you’re taking him away.”

Seguchi leaned back in his chair, eyes never leaving the boy’s. Eiri knew the man was contemplating what he had just said. But the question was if Seguchi would dig deeper.

“I will not reinstate him,” was the sharp reply.

Eiri’s excitement vanished, his heart sinking into his shoes.

“So it’s true that you did start whole thing yesterday.” The man smiled, which Eiri found strangely unnerving. “Because of that, I will not give the class what they want. Goodness, I have a gun crazy American who can handle them…but you… you will get a special punishment.” Almost too happily, the man chirped, “Yuki Eiri, report to room 3-7 immediately. Sensei Shindou would be more than happy to have his own personal aide, ne?” He glared expectantly at the boy before him, thinking he had issued the worst punishment possible, under the idea that Eiri hated the Sensei with a passion.

Eiri blinked. He was going to be an aide. A teacher’s aide… Shindou sensei’s aide…

Seguchi smiled at the blank expression, not knowing Eiri was somewhere between paradise and heaven. “Maybe if I gave you time to be with your ‘loved’ teacher, maybe you’d love him too, Eiri-san.” If the principal had known that the Yuki Eiri he was looking at, calm and emotionless, was actually being given the thing he wanted most in the world, he wouldn’t be smiling a smile that said ‘Payback.’

Eiri carefully tilted his chin downward, allowing his long bangs to shadow his eyes. He was in such a light mood he decided he’d grace the man with a little kindness,

“Bastard,” he mumbled, jerking out of his seat and shuffling out the door, leaving the man with his counterfeit victory.


O-o-o-o-o-o-o -O


“Yuki-kun!”

Eiri had hoped he might have a few minutes to watch his sensei before approaching. But it was not to be when the bubble gum haired man raised his head the instant Eiri stepped through the doorway.

“Good morning, sensei.” Eiri said softly, walking toward the man as the violet gaze pulled him in. He stopped inches away from the sitting teacher.

“Morning!” was the bubbly reply, “Why are you here so early?”

Eiri took a seat in one of the student desks and shrugged. He wasn’t about to tell his sensei he’d been so excited about his ‘punishment’ that he couldn’t help but run up the stairs to this room.

“Seguchi-san told me to come here.”

At the sight of the cute pout Shindou-sensei gave at his answer, Eiri felt an unfamiliar fluttering in his stomach. He found it a relief that rather than dwelling on the ‘how’ or ‘why’ the student got to be on the position as a teacher’s slave, Shuichi smiled ecstatically.

“I have so much work I’m not really in the position to deny help!” the sensei said, standing up to make his way around his desk. He perched himself on the desk of the seat next to Eiri, blushing a little as he stared at the teen. “Actually, I have quite a big favor to ask. Will you hear me out?”

The student’s breath hitched as he watched that beautiful blush spread wider across the teacher’s face. He didn’t trust his voice not to betray him so he nodded instead.

Shuichi leaned forward and almost whispered, “You see, Yuki-kun, I have so many grades to work out. The first quarter is finishing, but I still have mountains of papers that need to be checked! You see, recently, Mr. Furoda and Ms. Ein quit psychology and chemistry in class four—truthfully, your punishment is almost a blessing to me!”

Mine too sensei, the teen thought, then refocusing on his teacher.

“So do you think it would be alright if I keep you out of your classes for at least three periods until everything is straightened out?” the teacher was so flustered that Eiri almost found it enjoyable. “I promise I’ll help you catch up with all your class work after school or before school or whenever you need help!”

The teacher quickly amended his blabbering by slapping his palms together and lowering his head,

“Please?”

If Eiri could laugh, he would’ve, but instead, he settled for holding back a smile that would just have to wait until he could get out of sight.

He carefully replied, “Sure, sensei.” He needed a distraction, needed the conversation to keep going. “So is this your new class?” he looked around the room. The room was nice and clean, had a calming atmosphere ever, but the student was more interested in the man before him than anything else.

“Really?” Asked Shindou-sensei excitedly, “You really will help me Yuki-kun?”

Eiri turned his gaze back on the teacher and nodded. This was the chance of a lifetime, who was he kidding? Three periods with his sensei, then a chance for more time with him after or before school… not to mention Eiri could occasionally feign stupid and call the teacher over to his house…and y’know. He was willing to pull out all the stops and milk this opportunity for all it was worth.

The delight was killing him.

“Ah, excuse me, sensei.” Eiri solemnly got up and headed for the door, “I’ll be right back!” he called to the bewildered man before flinging the door open and dashing down the hall. His excitement needed to be spent and, God, it couldn’t wait!

Still running, energy fueled by the great boon he’d just been granted, he finally let out his smile.

Back in the classroom, Shuichi sat still on the table. Head tilted adorably to one side and brows furrowed, he wondered aloud, “Eh?”


O-o-o-o-o-o-o -O

AN: Is it just me or is this site review unresponsive? lol. Why haven't I gotten more reviews? lol. Please review because chapter four is currently going under some writer's block. ^_^

[1] In the Japanese folktales. Badgers are always mischievous and like to trick people into situations that are not good for them!