"A new teacher?" Kumiko Yamaguchi, also known as Yankumi, asked as she looked up from her desk in the staff room, her black hair tied back in a pony tail. The red and white sweatsuit she wore didn't exactly compliment her figure, but the glasses wearing woman was still clearly female. "Yes," the vice principal said sourly, "another woman, miss Haruka Nishigushi." Goro Sawatari peered at her from under his safety helmet, "You might want to watch out for her, since she doesn't know the ropes." "I suppose so," Kumiko conceded, frowning slightly. The name seemed oddly familiar to her, but somehow she couldn't place it. "Another woman?" Shizuka Fujiyama blinked, the busty woman frowning a bit once Goro had left, "I don't want another rival." "Trust me," Kumiko smiled wryly, "I'm no competition." "Heh," Shizuka smiled wryly. She looked up at the clock and innocently asked, "When did he say she'd arrive?" "Pretty soon," Kumiko agreed as she got up, the slim young woman heading out of the staff room and up to the front doors. As Kumiko walked up the hall the doors opened and a woman strode in, a stylish yet sedate dress hugging her body. Unlike Kumiko she had generous curves, though thankfully not quite in Shizuka's league. She looked up, sandy brown hair falling into her eyes as she met Kumiko's gaze and both of them froze. 'Now I know where I knew that name,' Kumiko thought to herself warily, 'she's the heiress to the rival Nishigushi yakuza group!' Haruka looked almost as stunned to see Kumiko, but both women recovered fairly. "Hello, you must be a teacher here," Haruka smiled warmly, "I'm Haruka Nishigushi." "Kumiko Yamaguchi," she managed to keep her tone of voice relatively normal, "it's a pleasure to meet you." The two women fell into step as they went down the hall, "It seems I'll be showing you around...." Within a few minutes Kumiko summarized the three informal rules of school survival: Dress in clothes that gave unrestricted movement; Always travel in groups; and Never turn your back on a delinquent. As well she showed the new writing teacher around the school, including her new classroom and the students she'd be doing home room with. "Thank you very much," Haruka said warmly as a group of students passed by, ogling the pretty older woman. She hesitated then asked quietly, "Miss Yamaguchi, is there somewhere we can talk in private?" Kumiko gave her a thoughtful look then she nodded, "Yes, I think so." With that she strode off down the hall to the stairways up, finally heading out on the school's roof. Shin Sawada jerked in surprise as Kumiko and the other teacher emerged into the sunlight, the young man casually sitting in the shade. "Hey, Yankumi, what's up?" he asked, his red hair falling around his face. "I need the roof for awhile," Kumiko said firmly as she swept the other students sitting around up there, "you and the others, get back to class." "But Miss Yankumi," Kuma started to protest. Kumiko gave them all a dangerous look, the kind of look she usually reserved for Yakuza business. "I need the roof," she repeated coldly adding, "and right now." "Right," Shin quickly realized that she was deadly serious and collected his friends, rushing them all off the roof. Haruka turned to Kumiko, her expression pained, "I truly didn't realize the heir to the Oedo clan would be here." Kumiko studied Haruka with a cold expression on her face, the sort she'd only wear in dealing with a fellow yakuza. "So why are you here?" she asked pointedly. "It's a long story," Haruka sighed then began to tell it. As the woman talked Kumiko's look softened somewhat and soon she was leaning on the fence surrounding the roof and listening eagerly. "Let me get this straight," she finally said, "the leader of your group wants to marry you off and you've run away?" "I left with my parents permission," Haruka carefully stressed that point, "they're also against the marriage." "I can't say I blame them," Kumiko admitted thoughtfully, "I've met your future husband Fuji Hajima and he's a pig." She looked at Haruka, "But will hiding out here be enough?" "I just need to stay under cover until the wedding day," Haruka smiled bravely as she asked, "how hard can it be?" Kumiko sighed as she lead the way over to the door to the stairs and back to their duties as teachers, "You have no idea." Despite Kumiko's instinctive misgivings things were quiet at Shirokin Gakuin Senior High School, or at least as quiet as they ever got. There were several aborted gang turf wars that were averted by Kumiko, and several of the students picked up the same sort of vibe around Haruka as they had around Kumiko. Personally, Kumiko was rather surprised at how well the two of them got along. It was so nice to have someone else around who got the unusual point of view of someone raised in the yakuza. She didn't have to explain her amusement at the kids' antics or her worries about the boys falling into a yakuza lifestyle, Haruka got it without a word being spoken. "Yankumi," Shin asked quietly as they watched the now casually track suited woman leaving the school grounds, "is she yakuza too?" "That's not my secret to tell," Kumiko answered honestly, her eyes drawn to the way the pretty blonde moved. She forced herself to look away from her, instead seeing Shin's amused gaze. "What?" she asked crossly. "You like her?" Shin asked quietly. "We're friends," Kumiko said, but felt a slight blush color her cheeks. "Yeah, right," Shin smiled. He looked up with a frown as a black limo pulled up to the curve nearby Haruka, rough men climbing out to encircle her. "Teach...," he started warningly. "Shit," Kumiko reflexedly ran forward even as a yakuza tried to grab at Haruka and he got punched in the face instead. "You bitch," he cursed, "you'll pay for...." "I'll pay you in full," Kumiko yelled as she punched him in the throat, silencing him instantly, "with interest!" "What the hell?" a yakuza with big shoulders and lots of muscle managed to yelp as Shin tackled him, sending him reeling off balance. Haruka followed up with a rabbit punch to the face, dropping the second as the remaining two charged forward. "Boys, this is a very bad idea," Kumiko warned them both. Haruka nodded as she said harshly, "Your simple snatch and grab just got public, and I can bet you someone in the school called the cops." The two men seemed smarter than most as they grabbed their partners and hustled them into the cars. "Mr. Hajima knows where you are," the tallest fellow scowled as he leavered a unconscious man into the limo, "you can't hide any more." As the car roared off Shin brushed himself off as he asked wryly, "Do I want to know what that was all about?" "It's probably safer if you don't know," Kumiko said to him simply before adding, "but thanks for the help." "You're welcome," Shin nodded before walking back to the school building. Kumiko hurried over to Haruka's side even as she mentally noted the limo's licence plates. 'Probably stolen, but you never know,' she thought as she asked her intently, "Are you all right?" "I think so," Haruka answered, "just pissed." She kicked out at the wall angrily, her eyes narrowed, "How dare they...?!" "They're getting desperate," Kumiko answered, helping support Haruka as she slumped against her.
Back to Complications Index - Back to Gokusen Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction