Chapter 10: Sakaki vs the Guidance Counsellor from Hell, part 1
(Where Sakaki is deemed in need of disciplinary guidance ... )
Gotô-sensei, vice-principal in charge of the high school, was walking down the hall towards the teacher's room in his usual dignified gait. The students he passed bowed respectfully before him. It brought a feeling of satisfaction to the stern, gray-haired, bespectacled man.
Truly, his main goal in life had always been to provide the best learning environment possible for the youth of this beautiful Nation. Yes, he was proud of his achievements, having contributed to shaping this establishment into the very model of a proper Japanese school.
... Although recently his dream had been somewhat tarnished by the inclusion among the student body of disrespectful, violent, and above all irredeemable elements. Unfortunately, it had been unavoidable, because of the orders issued by the new Minister of Education himself. The scandal about the bad state of public school facilities, revealed by the last earthquake, had urged the Department of Education to quickly find a place for the students whose school had collapsed.
However, now that the public uproar had died down, Gotô-sensei had been able to ... take appropriate measures, without too much trouble. That big brawl in front of the school gates had given him an excellent opportunity for organising a mass expulsion.
Hopefully, the news of that incident hadn't spread too much, for it might put a stain on the reputation of the school. All the more a reason of getting rid of those rotten elements ... this establishment was an elite school, not a haven for idiotic and violent delinquents. Yes, let that Cromartie punk school deal with the riff-raff. They were beyond reforming anyway.
Gotô-sensei absently touched his chin, remembering the knock-out punch he had received by that crazy blond student he had scolded for his appalling and ridiculous appearance.
The dignified teacher noticed a tall, slim figure walking down the hall in the opposite direction. He frowned. Gotô-sensei was a man of tall stature, and it irritated him somewhat to see a female student taller that him. However, right now, the main cause of his uneasiness was the series of rumours and stories about that girl ... unfortunately there was no tangible proof of her misbehaving; there were no witnesses who were willing to testify.
Although most of the bad elements had been weeded out, the proclivity for unruliness had obviously taken root inside that girl, and, under her influence, threatened to spread among the student body once again. Yes, disciplinary measures would have to be undertaken soon ...
As she passed him, the tall girl bowed deeply. He frowned.
All of a sudden, she leaped forward, and faster than the eye could see, thrust her hand towards his face. Although she didn't touch him, he felt a sharp air wave brush his cheek. Pale and eyes wide, he leaned his back against the wall, and glanced at the closed fist a few centimeters next to his face.
"This is dangerous ... it could have hurt you, Sensei." said the tall girl quietly.
"How ... how dare she thr ... threaten me like that?" thought the shaken Vice-principal. He opened his mouth to shout at her, but closed it immediately and broke in a cold sweat as he looked at her face. He saw her tense up suddenly, eyes widening, pupils shrinking menacingly. Her mouth parted slightly, and he noticed her gritting her teeth.
Then she lowered her head, frowning and pinching her lips. She took a step back.
"Please excuse me ... Sensei. Have ... a nice day," she spoke in a somewhat hoarse tone of voice. She then bowed briskly, and walked away in long strides.
Gotô-sensei found his breath again; he headed quickly in the direction of the teacher's room, glancing back once or twice, trying not to seem too much in a hurry.
Kaorin was coming out her classroom when she noticed Sakaki running towards a window and thrusting it open; she had a pained expression on her face.
"Ah! S ... Sakaki-san! What's the matter, what happened to you?"
" ... Aaah ... Itai ... " the tall girl stretched her arm outside the window and opened her hand. A very large wasp flew out.
"Oh my God! Sakaki-san, your ... your hand! You were stung by that hornet right on the palm! Uwaaa! It must be incredibly painful ... quick! We have to get you to the infirmary!"
"A ... aa ... "
"But why did you catch it in your hand, Sakaki-san?"
"It ... it was about to sting someone on the face."
"On ... on the face? How dangerous! People shouldn't forget to close the windows during the Summer! Dangerous insects may fly in! Wait, it ... it wasn't one of those Japanese Giant Hornets, was it? Their venom is extremely dangerous ... I ... I've heard it can dissolve human tissue!"
"Itai!"
"Aaaah! Sakaki-san! It's swelling! You ... might be allergic to the venom! Oh my God, you ... you might ... you might DIE! Nooooo! Sakaki-san! P ... please, hurryyyy! Aaaaah!" Kaorin broke into a panicked run, dragging her tall friend with her.
"I ... I'm alright, don't worry! It was not a big hornet."
Having rushed down all three flights of stairs, the two girls finally arrived at the infirmary. However, they noticed that the room was empty; the nurse was nowhere in sight. Kaorin started to break down in hysterics.
"AAAAAHHHH! The nurse is not here! No! No! No! No! No! What should we do?"
The now sobbing girl clutched Sakaki's arm and rested her forehead against her shoulder. "Oh God ... Sakaki-san ... don't die, I beg you! (sniff, sniff) I still haven't ... (sniff) You're my only ... (sniff) It can't be so!"
"Oh, p ... please don't cry! It's not that bad, it's just a ... "
"Sakaki-san! Give me your hand! I ... I'll suck the poison out!"
"Umm, I don't think it will ... "
"Don't worry about me ... I ... I don't care if I die from the poison myself!"
The smaller girl grasped her former classmate's hand and pressed her lips to her palm ...
"What on Earth are you two doing here? Take it somewhere else!" said the nurse who had just entered the room. She was holding a can of iced tea she had just bought at the cafeteria.
"Aaah! Miss Nurse! Please help! I ... I mean I wasn't ... Aaah! It's dangerous and ... the poison! Aaaaaaah!"
"I was stung by a hornet."
"Oh."
"This cannot go on!" proclaimed the Vice-principal, slamming his palms on the table. "That wave of bad behavior and delinquency spreading among the student body has to be stopped!"
The teachers sitting around the meeting table stared at him blankly.
"Um, Gotô-sensei," said Yukari, "haven't we got rid of all the 'bad elements' already? I mean we just made a group expulsion and shipped the 'punk students' to that weirdo school ... what was the name again? Cromartie, I think ... Anyway, everything is back in order now; I don't really see the need for this meeting, Gotô-sensei ... can we go home now?"
The stern man sighed. "Tanizaki-sensei, you don't seem to realize how deep the roots of evil behavior have dug into this school. These roots have to be extirpated! Not every agitator has been dealt with yet. There is still ... a certain student who has managed to elude our scrutiny ... she has been encouraging violent behavior with impunity!"
"She? Gotô-sensei! You don't mean ... Sakaki-chan?" exclaimed Kurosawa Minamo, who was sitting next to her best friend Yukari.
"Exactly! That ... girl has been terrorizing students since the beginning of the school year! She was obviously the ringleader, and has been acting from behind the scenes, spreading chaos. I happen to know she was involved in countless violent incidents; she sent several students to the hospital with grievous injuries! But every time no one dared to testify against her!"
"Bah, don't listen to those stupid rumours, Gotô-sensei. I know Sakaki quite well, she's a sweet girl; basically harmless."
"How would you know, Tanizaki-sensei? It is quite obvious she has been the instigator of all the indiscipline and disrespectful behavior ... "
"Heh, 'behaviour' must be his favourite word," whispered Yukari to her best friend. "He has always been droning about 'behavior this' and 'behavior that', ever since we were students in this school."
" ... How would I know, you say, Gotô-sensei?" said Yukari out loud. "Well ... maybe because I've been her homeroom teacher for more than two years? I assure you, she's a model student, and her ... behavior is nothing but exemplary."
"Hmpf, Tanizaki-sensei, you are still young; you still don't have much experience in judging characters. The most unruly and wicked students sometimes hide behind a facade of seemingly good behavior ... Besides, I find that your own behavior as a teacher is lacking, in terms of enforcing proper discipline and developing a healthy learning atmosphere in class. Yesterday, I caught you again discussing with some of your female students which boys you don't like. This is quite an unseemly behavior for a teacher. You haven't changed since you were a student."
"Feh."
"Um ... I ... I must second Tanizaki-sensei," said Minamo shyly. "Sakaki-chan has one of the best student records in her class, along with Mihama Chiyo and Mizuhara Koyomi."
"As for you, Kurosawa-sensei, no offense, but as a Physical Education teacher, you're not really qualified to evaluate or judge a student's character ... you can't really grasp the big picture of a student's way of thinking."
"Are you going to let him say something like that to you, Nyamo?" whispered Yukari angrily.
"Well, um, I ... "
"Anyway," said Gotô-sensei in a pontificating tone, "when you've worked in a school as long as I have, you become used to discerning the true essence of a student with one glance. To me, it is obvious that this girl is dangerous. I mean, what kind of girl would become head of a juvenile delinquent gang? She beat up several dangerous delinquents with her own hands and established herself as their leader! This is completely unnatural! ... What kind of girl would be able to, let alone want to do such things, going against the natural order of things? I mean ... a young girl for God's sake! What is today's youth coming to? What kind of reputation is that going to bring to our school? And ... have you seen her eyes? They look ... crazy and murderous! I can't let her continue to terrorize the student population like that!"
"Hmpf, looks like he's the one who's terrified," whispered Yukari to her friend. "I heard she stared him down in the hall this morning ... and before that he was totally afraid of those Yanki punks, ever since that Yamamoto freak punched him in the face. Keh! He's always acting so high and mighty, but he's just a coward."
"What was that, Tanizaki-sensei?"
"Oh, nothing, I was just telling Kurosawa-sensei that you might be blowing things a little out of proportion. What do you think, Kimura-sensei?"
On the other side of the table, the lanky man adjusted his glasses, making them glint eerily.
"Aaaah ... Sakaki-chan ... a very nice and healthy girl indeed."
"See, even Kimura-sensei agrees! And as a literature teacher, he must be a good judge of character, right?"
"When it comes to ... female students, Kimura-sensei might be a little too ... indulgent."
"Right ... so basically, you are telling us that you're going to try to have her expelled?" asked Yukari. "Is that why you brought that person here?" she added, pointing rudely to the man sitting next to the principal.
"Ahem ... 'that person' is Muraki-sensei, a special Guidance Counsellor, who visits various schools for short periods of time. He was dispatched from the Board of Education at my request. He's an expert in the ... rehabilitation of rambunctious students."
"My name is Muraki Makoto; I am pleased to meet you all," said Muraki-sensei with a smile, standing up and bowing. He was a tall, wiry man in his late twenties. He had short, neatly-combed jet-black hair and a hatchet face, with high cheekbones and small, slit eyes. His eyebrows were droopy, but instead of making him look sad or innocuous, it gave his face a hint of cruelty.
"I see, you are one of these so-called re-educators. So, basically, your job is to pummel thugs that are deemed beyond saving , until they submit to authority, right?"
"Hehehe ... I wouldn't put it exactly that way ... Tanizaki-sensei, was it? But it is true that sometimes ... firmer methods have to be employed with some misguided students, in order to ... nudge them back on the right track."
"You have evil eyes, Mister Counsellor ... you used to be a violent punk yourself when you were young, right?"
"You've found me out," chuckled the malicious-looking man; "you're quite perceptive, Tanizaki-sensei. It is true I was a rather ... turbulent student myself. When I was younger, I got into more fights than you can count. Thanks to that, I've become quite adept at understanding the psychology of juvenile delinquents. Also, it helps me not to let myself be ... intimidated by violence."
"Yes, yes, that's all very impressive. Obviously, you've made the right choice of career with the talents you have ... too bad they sent you too late. We don't have anymore delinquents to reform here. Looks like you're not needed after all. Maybe you could make yourself useful by helping the students clean up their homerooms after class, instead? It would give you the opportunity to learn also a few things about normal students ... "
"Tanizaki-sensei! I must ask you to be more polite! Please treat Muraki-sensei with the respect he deserves!"
"That's exactly what I'm doing, Gotô-sensei. Listen, Muraki ... sensei, I'm asking you respectfully to stay away from my students; I'll keep them in line myself, thank you very much."
"Tanizaki-sensei! That Sakaki girl must ... "
"Gotô-sensei! Please stop worrying, I'll take responsibility myself for whatever Sakaki says or does. That ... person is not needed here."
"That will be enough, Tanizaki-sensei! Now, Muraki-sensei, I'm leaving the methods up to you, whether you feel necessary to use force or ... "
"Don't worry, sir, allow me to handle this matter. I will have this ... young lady corrected and straightened out soon."
Through Sakaki's eyes ...
Computers are so difficult to use ... I feel paralyzed when I'm sitting in front of a screen. I always hesitate for five minutes before clicking on a button, hoping that it won't do something unexpected. I don't want to mess up the computers of our school's library.
It must be true that girls are bad with computers and machines ... or maybe it's just me. I just don't understand how it works. I mean what's the difference between the Internet and the Operating System? I can't differentiate between what's on the Internet, and what's on the computer. Also, why do those websites all look different? The buttons, and menus are always in different places; and I never can find my way inside them. I always end up opening windows with things inside it that have absolutely no relevance with what I'm searching for.
No matter how many times Chiyo-chan explains it to me, I forget everything. She's really patient ... somebody else would have already yelled at me or slapped me for my incompetence.
Anyway, I think I remember what she showed me. Right. I have already opened the browser ... although I seem to have opened two windows instead of one. Should I close one? But what if it does something wrong? I think closing things without the proper procedure can be dangerous for a computer ... what if I damage the contents of the computer and lose important data? I might get punished ... or even expelled!
All right, let's stay calm; I think I'll use the first window and ignore the other one in the background. I'll type the address of the Boogle search engine ... although Chiyo-chan told me I can use the favorites menu ... but ... I don't get it, how does the computer understand what my favorite sites are, as opposed to someone else's? ... I think I'd better stick to the first procedure ... Ah! Wait! There's also a Boogle toolbar at the top of that window! Wh ... which one should I use?
(Sigh ... ) all I wanted to do is find some information on the Iriomotejima island. Our trip to Okinawa is next week, and it would be great if we could visit that particular island ... Each group can choose among several interesting tourist spots, but we won't have time to see them all. I hope I'll be able to convince my friends to select that particular destination. I really want to see an Iriomote wildcat ... even though I know sightings are very rare. Maybe we'll get lucky?
Speaking of cats, and luck, I'm very happy I was able to see that incredibly cute cat when I went dining at the Chinese restaurant with Wang-sensei, the other day. Mrs Ko, the sweet old lady who owns the restaurant, and who seem to know my sensei quite well, told me it's a rare breed of Birman cat. Still, it looked quite unique; I've never seen fur of that colour ... I mean, a lavender cat? Too bad it scratched me so hard when I tried to pet it. It hurt even more than with Kamineko.
Anyway, everything was really delicious ... now I understand why Sensei said that food served in most Chinese restaurants is not the real thing. Still, Mrs Ko shouldn't be straining herself working so much at her age; her grandchildren should help her more, and be more caring towards their elders. She seemed very tired and even accidentally dropped her pan with the food right in front of me. Fortunately I was able to catch the bowls and plates without spilling anything. I even managed to stop a plate on my foot. Looks like Wang-sensei was right by teaching me how to be more dexterous with my legs!
(Sigh ... ) being dexterous isn't going to help me with that computer! I've got to make a decision!
I think the best course of action would be to type manually the address of the search engine. All right ... w ... w ... w ... Hmm, where is the dot? Ah, here! B ... o ... o ... g ... l ... e ... dot ... ow!
My hand still hurts from this morning ... Thank God it was only a big wasp, and not one of these giant Japanese hornets Kaori-san was talking about.
I admit I was rather scared, although I tried not to show it; poor Kaori-san was already enough shaken as it is. What a sensitive girl! It was nice of her to show so much concern for me ... I was under the impression that ever since she was put in another class, she was avoiding me for some reason; but I must have been imagining it.
Still, her reaction was rather extreme. Maybe she was stung by a big hornet when she was little? I can't even imagine how painful it must be ... with that small one it already felt as if a red-hot needle was run through my palm! If I had known, maybe I wouldn't have caught it in my hand. But still, I couldn't let it sting the Vice-principal on the face.
And even though it's a rather scary insect, I couldn't crush it in my hand either. It's not an evil creature, it's just doing what it has to do to survive ...
"Sakaki-chan, here you are!" says a soft voice.
Ah! It's Ayumu-chan! Maybe she can help me with my computer problems?
"I knew I would find you inside the library, Sakaki-chan. Don't forget, tonight we're all invited at Chiyo-chan's house so that we can discuss what locations to visit during the trip to Okinawa. Hehehe, Chiyo-chan seems so happy about it , it seems like she could fly away to the clouds at any moment ... Haaah, I wish I could fly ... "
"Um ... so do I. It would be nice."
"Wouldn't it, wouldn't it? I'm happy you think so too. Hmm ... "
Ayumu-chan puts both hands in my hair, on both sides of my head, and gently lifts two handfuls of my long tresses. Eh? Why is she doing this?
"Hmm, yes, it would be rather awe-inspiring ... like a great albatross ... hehehe, so nice ... " She seems to be gazing at something in the distance and smiles dreamily.
Ayumu-chan is so sweet. Sometimes it seems she is able to enjoy everything around her and find happiness no matter what happens. Nothing seems to phase her; she's not full of worries like me. She wouldn't need to train in Tai Chi Chuan all day to be at peace with the universe.
Some people find her slow and dim-witted, but they couldn't be further from the truth. If you really listen to what she says, you'll find there's often a hidden wisdom behind her words. Also, she is gifted with such a wonderful imagination. Sometimes I wish I could visit her dreamlands in her company ... instead of being lost in those nightmares I've been having lately.
And she looks so frail and weak, you really have the urge to protect her ... If I looked more like Ayumu-chan, maybe I'd be the one who people feel like to protect. My friends, especially Chiyo-chan, seem to rely on me because I'm big and I look strong; but it makes me feel ill at ease.
Of course I'd do anything to keep them from harm, but I don't feel up to the task ... I'm just a girl anyway ... although I do have these strange wild and violent reactions sometimes when I feel danger; but I can't really control them, and it does more harm than good.
Shielding the weak ... it would be better left to a strong person with a good heart, somebody like ... a prince ... like in fairytales. It would be nice to be protected by someone like that; although it sounds a little silly, coming from me. And I can't really picture who I'd like to really rely on ... boys scare me somewhat; I don't understand them.
"What are you thinking about, Sakaki-chan? Tell me ... " Ayumu-chan is still holding up my hair and is looking at me, smiling sweetly. I blush.
"Ah, um ... I mean, that is ... Iriomote wildcats!"
"Ah! Sô Ya! You're searching information on the Internet, right? I know about the Internet. Recently, I have mastered the °I.T.°!"
"°I.T.°?"
"That's right! The °Internet Techniques°!"
"R ... really? Is that what °I.T.° meant?"
"Absolutely. You know the Internet is made of millions of computers connected together, right?" Ayumu-chan sounds serious now, and she frowns a little; she usually has that look when she's explaining something important. It doesn't look like it, but she knows a lot of things. I'd better listen carefully.
"Ah, is that so?"
"Yes, and it's sort of like ... a brain, right? We also have a lot of cells connected in our brain, don't we?" she says, pointing at her head.
"Hmm, yes, now that you mention it, it's quite similar ... "
"And wouldn't it mean that the Internet is somehow ... alive? Maybe It has a soul!"
"A soul? You mean like those ... special objects, who have a soul of their own?" I blush a little, thinking of my beloved stuffed animals.
"Yes, one could even say that every object or machine has a soul ... and if it is true, then the soul of the Internet must be incredibly vast and complex!"
"Aa. Indeed, now that you put it that way ... all those computers connected together ... "
"And ... as a living being, wouldn't It have feelings, too?"
"Feelings?"
"One shouldn't treat It too casually, right? Millions of people are always asking things from the Internet, but how many of them give It at least a small word of thanks?"
"Well ... "
"Some people even get frustrated and yell at It, and insult It ... Isn't that a little mean?"
"E ... eh?"
"Yes, no wonder It becomes reluctant sometimes, and takes so much time loading the data ... And when It really gets offended, It might even summon a swarm of Popuppu!"
"Popuppu? Is it a ... bad thing?" I think it sounds cute, like a name one could give to a stuffed animal.
Ayumu-chan nods gravely. "Believe me, Sakaki-chan ... it is."
"Ah?"
"But you've got to understand Its feelings ... probably the Internet feels sad of being mistreated, even though It is doing Its best to serve!"
"Serve? Is that what they mean by server?"
"Ah, so Sakaki-chan knows about the Internet too!"
"N ... no, just a few words Chiyo-chan told me about."
"Yes, the Internet is very nice to Chiyo-chan; that's because she is so friendly and cute ... ehehe!"
"Do ... do you think I have I been treating It too lightly? Is there a way to tell what Its mood is?"
"Hmm, that's something you've got to feel. For example you can observe the flickering of the diodes, but there are many other signs ... You acquire this skill with experience."
"Eh? Is that so?"
"But the most important thing when you invite It on your computer is to be polite, and make It feel at home."
"Hmm, yes, it all makes sense ... Ano ... Could you, maybe, that is, um ... help me ... to search?"
"Ah! Of course! Hehe, cute mountain cats, right? Here, I'll type Iriomote, and now ... "
She closes her eyes and brings her hands together, clapping them twice. Is she praying? Hmm, that's right! It's like asking a favour from the Kami of computers. Ayumu-chan would make a good shrine maiden; she probably has a very developed spiritual sense ... and she would look cute in miko robes.
"Right, and now, Sakaki-chan, since It seems in good spirits today, I'll use the I'm Feeling Lucky button."
"Really?"
"Yes, that's the button you can use when you feel the Internet is favorable ... Ah! Look what we've got! The Iriomote Yamaneko Love website! A site about the wildcats of Iriomotejima island! Oh, how nice!"
Oh my God, they are sooo cute! Aaaah, I want one! Ayumu-chan sure is good with computers. It never works with me. The Internet can probably sense that I'm not a friendly person. It's probably the same reason why cats hate me ...
"Ehehehe ... you like kittens, don't you Sakaki-chan?" Ayumu-chan says, tilting her head on the side and looking at me kindly.
"Ah, um ... yes, a little."
"Let me show you something nice. Do you see this image search button? All you have to do is type what you'd like to see, and it will show you many pictures! Here, let's type kitten, and ... "
Oh my God, so ... so many beautiful pictures! I hide my face in my hands, feeling that hot wave of shivers overpowering me again.
"Hehe, I'll let you enjoy your kitten pictures, Sakaki-chan, I'll be waiting for you in the classroom with the others. Don't forget, we'll go to Chiyo-chan's house in about half-an-hour!"
She walks towards the exit of the library, turning to wave at me once. Did she notice I was embarrassed and wanted to be alone for a little while? That's quite nice of her ...
Hmm, what cute pictures! Let's see ... aaah! A kitten sleeping on a cushion! Oh, and here, a whole bunch of kittens in a basket! ... Eh? Here is a kitten holding a miniature scoped rifle? It looks ... strangely cute.
Oh my God! That one picture is absolutely adorable! It's a small kitten, photographed in mid-leap while it's running in the grass. It looks like as if it's chased by two Domo-kun creatures. Hee hee, it's so funny! Hmm, there's something written in English. Let's see ... "
Yukari was stomping angrily towards the school gates; as she passed near the car parking, she heard the voice of her long-time friend calling her.
"Yukari! Wait!"
"What is it, Nyamo?"
"Umm ... would you like me to drive you home?"
"Hm? Well, my bike's broken again, so why not ... it's better that riding the bus."
" ... Say, Yukari ... " Minamo smiled softly at her friend.
"What?"
"Yukari ... you do care for your students after all, don't you?"
"Wh ... what the Hell? What are you babbling about? D ... don't go all emotional on me like that! I just don't want to lose the next athletic festival, that's all. I need Sakaki here."
" ... "
"Anyway, what was the matter with your indecisive and pathetic attitude during that stupid meeting, you wishy-washy woman? No wonder you can never find a husband! I bet that guy during your Omiai found you boring!"
"What! What's with you? How can you say ... "
"Hah! Looks like that Gotô-sensei wimp is right after all; you are a stupid and ignorant P.E. teacher! If you like people treading on your toes like that, then fine, it's your choice!"
"Grrrr ... Yukari I'm going to -- "
"What? You've got something to say? You wanna lecture me, Miss 'I write a love letter to my best friend, but the next day I decide I like guys after all, because some punk from another school asks me out' ... Well?"
Minamo looked around in panic, and dragged Yukari behind her car.
"Yukari!" she hissed, "wh ... why are you mentioning that all of a sudden? What's gotten into you? I thought we had put that behind us ... grrrr ... aaargh! Besides, in the end, you ... you were the one who took Sakurai-sempai away from me! I did forgive you that time, because, well ... but -- "
"Forgive? Hahaha! That's a good one. You should have thanked me! That stupid punk ... he came running to me as soon as I said I'd sleep with him!"
"Wha ... you did ... you ... the ... H ... how dare you!"
"Heh, you should have seen his face when I dumped him right in the middle of the first date ... Of course, as for you, you didn't learn your lesson and got into your other ... ero-ero relationships. And we both know how they ended. Hah! When are you gonna learn that men just want one thing from you?"
"Y ... you! Are you saying that I'm some ... some -- "
"Well, anyway, who am I to question your life choices, hahaha! What you do with boys OR girls, it's your choice ... But, don't worry, I forgave you too. It's not like I cared about it or nothing. I'm gonna marry into money anyway, you'll see! Since I'm a sophisticated and cultured English teacher."
"Y ... Yukari ... Why now? I -- "
"Ah, Tanizaki-sensei, Kurosawa-sensei ... have a nice afternoon!" Muraki, the guidance counselor, appeared from behind a car and nodded to the two women with a seemingly friendly smile.
"Oh, it's you ... Wait a minute! Were you eavesdropping on us?" asked Yukari angrily.
"Oh, not at all. I was just getting to my car," replied the wiry man, pointing to a black car behind Minamo's own blue one.
"How much did you hear? You'd better keep your mouth shut or I ... "
Behind Yukari, Minamo waved her arms about with a panicked expression on her face.
"Oh I didn't hear anything, you needn't worry. Besides, it's not like you would be talking about anything ... compromising , right here in the open, would you? Also, if any ... false and indecent rumors were spread about you two, you wouldn't care about it at all, would you, Tanizaki-sensei?"
"Pah! Of course not! I don't care about what people say."
"And as for you, Kurosawa-sensei, you seem like a very sincere and honest person. If those ... false and indecent rumors about your private life were spread, no one among your colleagues and superiors would believe them, because you would refute them frankly, wouldn't you?"
"Well, I ... that is ... " Minamo, already shaken by Yukari's outburst earlier, was now looking on the verge of tears.
"You ... you bastard! If you dare to do that to h ... If you dare to blab anything to the Vice-principal, I'll kill you, you hear me?"
"No, no, no, no! You're completely mistaken! I would do nothing of the sort! I was just speaking hypothetically ... By the way, Tanizaki-sensei, I'm sure you won't mind if I have a little conversation with your student tomorrow ... Sakaki-chan, was it?"
"Why you ... " Yukari seethed, as the counselor, still smiling, got into his car.
"See you tomorrow, Tanizaki-sensei, Kurosawa-sensei."
As the black car was driving away, Yukari glanced back to her crestfallen friend.
"What? You've got something to say? ... Hmpf, I'll go home on foot. I need the exercise anyway."
Minamo watched sadly as Yukari marched away.
"Yukari ... "
"Hey Sakaki, what are you doing? It's time for us to go to Chiyo-chan's house!" called Kagura, walking up to her tall classmate, who was sitting in front of one the computers of the school library.
"Sakaki? Hey, Sakaki! Come back to Earth! ... What the? Looks like she has turned into a stone statue ... " The young athlete waved her hand a few times in front of the petrified girl's face.
"A picture? Oh, it's just a kitten. What's with you and those cats anyway? Hmm, what's written here? Oh, English ... ah, um, err ... Ev ... evu ... evurii ... um, t ... taimu ... yuu -- "
(RIIIIP!)
"Uwaaa! ... Errr, Sakaki, I don't think pulling out the power cable is the proper way to turn off a computer ... "
Author's notes:
-- Kami: a spirit or deity. According to Shintoism (the ancient animist faith of Japan), any important place, object, animal, natural phenomenon, or person can become a Kami. There are a near-infinite number of Kami, of varying importance, power, and benevolence. It is considered that an object used for more than a hundred years acquires a Kami. There are many shrines throughout Japan dedicated to the worship of Kami
-- Miko: a shrine maiden. In ancient times -- and to this day in some rural areas -- a miko was considered a shaman, able to enter a trance through ritual dances and be possessed by the Kami, who would deliver their messages through her.
Nowadays, in modern state-sponsored Shinto, which is mostly dedicated to the cult of the Emperor, a miko usually assists with shrine functions, attends shrine shops, and sometimes performs ceremonial dances. Miko aren't Shinto priests, although women can become priests.
A miko's traditional costume usually consists in a red hakama (wide pleated skirt, divided or undivided) and a chihaya, a white kimono shirt with long, swinging sleeves.
-- By the way, there is a Ranma ½ reference somewhere in this chapter ...