Chapter Text
Kawakami sighed.
This was not how she'd wanted to start her morning. Having to escort a new student from his house to the school already felt like some kind of elaborate punishment without him having a rap sheet. But the fact he'd very nearly ended up in prison only made the matter scary on top of tedious.
Not that she really knew if something could be both at once, of course.
She sighed again.
Her feet already hurt from standing all the time, but all the walking she'd done recently was starting to do a number on her as well. What she needed was a massage, a hot cup of tea, and a good night's rest, but she knew she wasn't getting any of those any time soon, if ever. For some reason it even seemed like her tea was turning against her; every time she actually got a cup it seemed to turn cold in an instant.
She took a second to stop and stretch her legs a bit, checking the address one more time. She couldn't imagine why the principal was having her escort a student to school, beyond the fact he'd just moved here and had a rap sheet. Sure, on paper that sounded like reason enough, but what was she expected to do? If he really was some delinquent, escorting him to school once wasn't gonna fix that. He might not even answer the door for her, and if he did get dragged there once, there was no saying he wouldn't just skip every day after!
This is pointless. Kawakami massaged her shoulder as she rolled her stiff neck out.
So soooore!
Working three jobs did that to someone, though.
She needed a break. At least the address was nearby, it was just down some seedy backalley that looked like it would only ever be frequented by either punks or the elderly. The house at least seemed nice enough, but the location left something to be desired. Then again, it was his guardian’s house, not his. And the man looking after him - Sojiro Sakura - didn't seem to have any kind of criminal record as far as he was aware, so that was something.
Kawakami stopped in front of the gate outside the property, double checking the address before throwing a paranoid glance to her left and right. Not that she was sure what she was expecting; it wasn't like punks were exactly known for being awake at 6 a.m.. Hell, she wouldn't have been awake if she hadn't had to leave early to drag her new student to school.
What was his name?
Kuroki Ibaraki.
She double checked the papers she had on him. It was a weird name. She couldn't tell if it was beautiful or sinister; thuggish or elegant. Definitely uncommon, that was for sure. She'd never met anyone with a name quite like that, and for some reason it made her extra nervous to meet him.
Kuroki Ibaraki.
He sounded like some kind of Yakuza boss or something.
She took a breath.
He was a high schooler. And her student. She couldn't let a name worry her. She wished they'd attached a picture of him, but apparently they'd forgotten to print it out. Shujin was many things, but ‘disappointing’ was a consistent theme, so forgetting something like that wasn't surprising to her.
Kawakami rang the doorbell.
If nothing else, she was certain that Mr. Sakura would be the one to answer. No way a delinquent would answer the door himself on his first day of school. Especially not this early.
Kawakami waited.
Tapped her foot.
Rang again.
Nothing.
Oh, come ON! she fumed mentally. She was already running later than she would've liked because of this stunt! She didn't have all day to wait around!
The exasperated teacher flicked out her phone and quickly dialed Sakura’s number, which was (thankfully) listed among Ibaraki’s contact info. The phone only rang a few times before he picked up, Kawakami just managing to suck up her irritation and replace it with weariness.
“Sojiro Sakura?”
“Yes. Who is this?” his voice was deep and melodic, though there was a definite edge of confrontation to it that put her off.
“Sadayo Kawakami. Ibaraki’s homeroom teacher.” she tapped her foot, “I'm assuming someone from the school contacted you about our arrangement?”
They had better. The last thing she wanted was to find out Ibaraki had already made plans of his own to head to school alone. Even worse if he'd actually already left. She'd probably scream if she'd come all this way for nothing.
“Ah. Right. His escort.”
Kawakami flinched a bit at the term, but managed to sigh out her anxiety. Calling it an ‘escort’ was absurd. It made him sound like a hardened criminal with a battalion of cops dragging him to jail, not… this. One exhausted woman making sure he attended high school. Kawakami rocked her hips to the side, leaning wearily into the phone call.
“Yeah, that's me.” she grumbled, letting her professionalism slip for a moment, “Now do you mind opening the door? We're running late as is.”
“Jeez, you're not outside the house, are you?” Sakura sighed, “You’ll need to meet us at my cafe. That’s where he-” he stopped himself, “Nevermind. The cafe’s just down the street. I can send you the address.”
Kawakami scowled.
Because this wasn't already complicated enough! Why were they at a cafe?! Did Ibaraki really have a job?! Already?! Or did he just like starting his mornings with a cup of coffee and a danish? Somehow she doubted that. Either way, the instant the new address rolled in, she leapt at it. Plugging it into her map app led her about a block away, to a cozy little cafe hidden away from the rest of the world. Honestly it looked pretty nice - if small - which gave her some hope that this Sakura character at least might be trustworthy. Kawakami lingered outside for a moment anyway.
Leblanc.
Was the ‘c’ silent? Was it a hard ‘a’? La-blank? La-blonk? Not that it mattered. She lingered at the door, hoping that her new student would take the initiative and meet her outside. After only a few seconds of waiting, however, she just groaned and opened the door. She was met with a cafe that was rather… homely, though still tinged with sophistication. It was hard to go wrong with a coffee shop, though. Stick to real wood, rustic colors, and plenty of polished metal and it would pretty much always look classy. There were a few booths to her left and a bar to her right, being attended to by an older man she had to assume was Sojiro Sakura. His eyes were sleepy, but there was a latent cunning to his otherwise unremarkable features that caught her eye. His hair was receding, which contrasted with a goatish bearding running from sideburns all the way across his jaw. It was an interesting look; soulful, but with a slight twist of Kawakami couldn't-tell-what.
“You the teacher?” he straightened up, having apparently been polishing and stacking a display of crisp, white mugs.
“I am.” Kawakami couldn't bring herself to seem more professional, letting her weariness show on her face unabashedly, “Don't tell me Ibaraki’s left already.”
“No.” Sakura scratched his hairline a bit, “He’s still upstairs. I'll get him.”
With that, the older man slid out from behind the counter and made his way towards a twisted staircase located in a book in the back of the store. Kawakami waited, tense for any number of reasons. Being late would reflect extra poorly on her today, considering she had a special request from the principal. Not that she really expected to get any kind of kudos if everything went smoothly. And if she was late - assuming it was only by a few minutes - she could probably blame it on the transfer student. Not that she wanted to stoop that low, but what else was she supposed to do?
“Hey!” Sakura shouted from the base of the stairs, “Your teacher’s here! You better not make her wait!”
At least he seemed to have her back.
Sakura slid away from the stairs and circled back around the counter, looking positively exhausted.
“I don't envy you, having to deal with that miscreant.” Sakura grumbled, “Just let me know if he causes you any trouble, and I'll deal with him.”
“Do you think he will?” Kawakami furrowed her brow, feeling yet another prickle of apprehension. Was the kid really that bad, or was Sakura just being as paranoid as her? Not that she could blame him (or herself) in either case. Assault and battery was a serious crime, and the way the report was worded it didn't sound out of the question to think substances might have been involved.
“Who knows? I don't even really know the kid, but his crimes speak for themselves.” Sakura’s brow furrowed, “And where is he?” he marched back over to the stairs, glaring up them, “Would you hurry up?!” the door jingled as it opened, but it was mostly drowned out by Sakura’s shouting. Kawakami didn't even bother to check who it was, instead glancing down impatiently at her watch, “Do you hear me? You better not be asleep up there!”
“Who’re you yelling at?”
The voice was new: clear, articulate, erudite, young. And it came from behind Kawakami. The teacher whirled around, finding a student in uniform standing at the front door. Light spilled in around him, casting him in shadows, but she could definitely tell he was dressed as a student.
Was this Ibaraki? It had to be, right?
“There you are.” Sakura confirmed, “Wait a second, how did you-?!” he shot a look back towards the stairs, “There’s not another exit out of that room! Don't tell me you climbed out the window or something!”
“What? No!” the student casually dismissed, “Why would I do that? I guess I just slipped past and you didn't notice. You told me not to make any noise yesterday, right?”
Kawakami set her jaw.
She could tell by the tone of his voice that he was trouble, but likely not the kind she'd expected. Every word of his was tinged with a teasing sweetness, like it was all one, big joke. He was probably pretty smart, just based on how he talked, but smart people could still make stupid mistakes. Obviously. None of this would be necessary if he could've just kept his nose out of trouble.
He stepped more fully into the cafe, letting the door swing shut behind him, giving Kawakami her first proper look at him.
He looked… different. He wasn't what she'd been expecting at all based on the name, rumors, and… well, everything. Instead, he looked like a popular kid. That was the only way she could think to describe him. His messy black hair was stylishly tousled, hanging down just enough to cast his eyes in a bit of mysterious shadow. His features - from what she could see past the hair and glasses - were that soft and sharp kind of pretty that made younger girls swoon. Coupled with his height and trim build, and she had no doubt he'd be beating girls off with a stick by the end of the year. Some would probably stop caring about the rumors as soon as they saw his pretty face.
She slumped her shoulders a little.
High school girls could be soooo simple.
She knew.
Back when she was in school she probably would've ended up with a devastating crush on a guy like Ibaraki, too. Thankfully she was older, wiser, and more restrained. And exhausted.
No time for romance in her life.
“Don't try to get clever with me.” Sakura snapped, “You've already made your teacher late. And after she was nice enough to escort you to school on your first day, too! Just try not to make her life as difficult as you make mine, got it?”
“I didn't realize I made your life so difficult, Mr. Sakura.” Ibaraki mused, leaning against the scratched-but-polished counter, “I-”
“We don't have time for this.” Kawakami cut in, holding up a hand, “My name is Ms. Kawakami. I'll be your homeroom teacher. Now, if you've got everything,” she glanced at his side, relieved to see he had a schoolbag with him, “let's get going already. I don't need the principal-” she stopped herself from going on an unnecessary rant, “Anyway. Let's go.”
“After you.” Ibaraki slipped out of his playful tone and into a more professional one, which she appreciated. If he only gave Sakura a hard time, she'd be relieved, but somehow she got the feeling it wouldn't be that simple. Ibaraki reached the door first, making a show of opening and holding it for an elderly customer as they hobbled in. Kawakami forced a smile at the old woman, sidestepping to let her through.
“After you, sensei.” Ibaraki kept the door open, graciously.
“Thank you, Ibaraki.” Kawakami didn’t offer anything more in terms of warmth, stepping out into the dreary day beyond. It had gotten overcast over the last few minutes, with the darkdr clouds on the horizon threatening rain. That was all she needed; caught in a rainstorm while escorting a delinquent to school. With no umbrella.
As if her day couldn't get stupider.
Ibaraki joined her outside, Kawakami setting off down the street while paying him little mind. If nothing else, he seemed able to follow basic orders, at least for a little while. Hopefully his obedience was a solid trait and not just a random fluke, but she doubted she'd be so lucky. Her student caught up to her fairly easily, despite walking leisurely while she was decidedly hurrying. It only served to emphasize the height difference, which only served to annoy her. High schoolers were basically adults, physically, but it still annoyed her to have a student that was several inches taller than her. It probably should've been illegal.
Either way, he managed to easily keep up with her, Kawakami able to feel his probing interest even without him looking at her. She couldn't tell if she would rather he be silent or friendly, though.
“Do you and Sakura get along at all?” she asked, the varying inflections in her voice somewhat muddying the true nature of the question.
“Not sure. I don't know him very well.” Ibaraki admitted, his voice strangely light-hearted, “Well…” he paused, “I know he hates me, but I dunno how I feel about him yet.”
Kawakami’s brow furrowed, “Why would he hate you? Well…” she trailed off, realizing the answer was pretty apparent, “I mean, besides the obvious?”
“Probably because I'm disturbing his bachelor lifestyle.” Ibaraki explained casually, “He'd probably resent me even if I wasn't a worthless piece of trash.”
Kawakami winced.
Did he really think that about himself, or did he just realize that that's what everyone else thought of him?
“I'm not here to judge you for what you did, Ibaraki.” Kawakami couldn't meet his gaze, “I'm just your teacher. As long as you show up to class and get good grades, you and I’ll get along just fine.”
“So why are you here?” to her displeasure, Ibaraki stopped walking. It felt like an anchor suddenly getting dropped out of a speed boat, yanking Kawakami to an abrupt halt.
“We don't have time to-!”
“Guess you better talk quick then.” Ibaraki smiled at her wistfully, the sight of it instantly infuriating her. Was he really playing that card with her?! He was threatening to make both of them late over something so petty?!
“I imagine they were worried you wouldn't show up at all.” Kawakami crossed her arms, “You've already got the worst reputation in the academy. I'm sure the principal just wanted to make sure-”
“Why not ask Sakura to do it, then?” Ibaraki reasoned, “Why send a teacher all the way to my house? Kind of strange, isn't it?”
“What are you implying, Ibaraki?” Kawakami gave him a challenging stare down, which unfortunately only seemed to amuse him more.
“I just think it's interesting.” Ibaraki shrugged, “Not that I'm complaining or anything.”
“Then can we keep moving?” Kawakami took a slow step away to see if her new pupil would move. Thankfully, he did.
“If you keep answering my questions, sure.” Ibaraki brushed past her, still smiling.
“Well, I am your teacher.” Kawakami said, a bit snidely, “It's my job. Though I can't imagine what you'd have questions about, considering we haven't even gotten to school yet.”
“I'm assuming you already know about my record?”
Oh. That. Kawakami hid a grimace, “As far as I'm aware, all of the faculty in the school know.”
“Do the other students?”
Finally, his voice dropped that endlessly bemused tone, approaching something serious. When he wasn't smiling, Kawakami could actually see someone respectable underneath the casually-perfect appearance. Were it not for his record, she probably would've assumed he was a star student just on appearance alone.
“No. They shouldn't.” she turned away from him, checking her watch again. If they weren't on the train in five minutes they were basically guaranteed to be late. The thought frustrated her to no end, but she got the feeling expressing any more urgency would just get Ibaraki smirking again.
“So? What do you think?” he prodded her with another question, slowing down in a way that was almost subtle enough for her to miss.
“Can you hurry up?” she growled, “Do you really wanna be late on your first day?”
“Apparently I already have the worst reputation in the school.” Ibaraki noted, “So how much worse can it get?”
“Trust me,” she shot an unimpressed look back at him, “it can always get worse, Ibaraki.”
She would know. Her life had basically become an exploration in how bad things could get, and yet she had the funny feeling it was still on a downward spiral.
“Maybe.” he sped up a bit, “So? Scared to be teaching a dangerous delinquent like me?”
Kawakami rolled her eyes.
She could - maybe - see Ibaraki being dangerous. He seemed too jovial and clever to just be a violent thug, but that only made her worry that he was a special kind of crazy. No, it was more likely that whatever he ‘did’ got blown out of proportion, at least a little. Not that she could afford to give him the benefit of the doubt just yet. It definitely wasn't like he was earning it.
“Honestly?” Kawakami glared at him, “I'm just worried you'll make my job even more difficult than it already is. That's all.”
Ibaraki smiled back at her in a way that probably could've twisted up the heart of a much younger girl in an instant, but Kawakami was thirty-three (dear lord), worked three jobs, hadn't had a day off in months, and wasn't about to swoon over some high school brat. Her tastes these days were older, more dignified, and less problematic.
“Did you bring an umbrella with you?” Ibaraki asked out of the blue.
Kawakami groaned.
“No. It was all blue skies when I left this morning.”
“Then in that case-” suddenly she was yanked back, but not by a hand. Instead, the hooked end of a parasol had caught her wrist and pulled her back towards her student, who transitioned the handle into her hand so easily she didn't even realize she was holding it until her fingers closed around polished wood. She found herself staring up at Ibaraki, who smiled down at her, “-this should make your life a little easier.”
She stared back for a second.
Tall, handsome, and irritating; she felt her inner-schoolgirl light up at the sight of him. The only thing that surprised her was that she still had an ‘inner schoolgirl' at all. The teacher scowled and pulled away, just about to reprimand him when she felt the first water droplet hit her. This - of course - only seemed to amuse Ibaraki all the more. Silently, glaring at him as she did, Kawakami flicked the parasol open and held it over her. It seemed to open just in time to catch the rain, which instantly started pattering against the hydrophobic material, rolling off the edges in tiny waterfalls.
Ibaraki’s was out in a flash as well, Kawakami amused by the fact he'd had the forethought to bring two umbrellas with him when it had barely been overcast when they left. Either he had good instincts or was just paranoid. Either way, Kawakami wasn't complaining about not getting soaked, especially considering the rain was only getting stronger by the second.
“Come on.” she nodded back towards the train station, which had finally pulled into view in the distance. The trip there was quieter, possibly on account of the rain dampening all other sounds, or maybe just because the two different umbrellas formed a sort of artificial bubble of silence around each of them. Either way, Kawakami didn't mind. So long as Ibaraki kept moving and didn't try to wander off, she didn't care if they talked at all. Honestly, she probably preferred they didn’t.
Kawakami nearly slipped on the first rain-slicked step as she made her way into the underground, but Ibaraki caught her arm in a surprisingly strong hand and steadied her. She didn’t bother looking up at him - already able to imagine the look on his arrogant face - instead opting to just yank her arm away and keep moving. Honestly, feeling Ibaraki’s hand on her shoulder just served to remind her how long it’d been since she’d actually gotten to be with a man. Between trying to pay off her debt and working herself to the bone every day, she didn’t have time for dating at all. No dates, no stupid, random kisses, and no one-off flings. Her last relationship had ended - what was it? - three years ago?! She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d gotten laid or who it’d been with or if it had even been good.
If she’d known it would be the last time for months and months and months, she might’ve just dived off a building then and there.
Kawakami flicked the rain from her parasol as she descended the steps, before folding it and letting it hang from her leather school bag. There was a decent enough crowd around them that she had to throw a glare back to make sure Ibaraki was still following her, slightly amused by the mild look of befuddlement he had on as he tried to weave through the throngs of people. At least she was starting to get the sense that he was intent on following her.
She checked her card at the scanner and pushed through the gates into the train station proper, not even needing to look at the signs to know which line they needed to hop on. Yongen-Jaya to Aoyama-Itchome. They were… about on time. They’d definitely lost pointless minutes, which she’d accounted for, but even then they were pushing it. And she really hated pushing it.
Kawakami noticed Ibaraki falling behind a bit as she headed towards the train, grabbing him with the hook of her parasol to return the favor for earlier.
“Come on.” she droned, dragging him through the crowd.
God, her feet hurt.
And her back.
As if slaving away at a cleaning service for hours wasn’t bad enough, she just had to be born with scoliosis. What a pain in the ass. As if getting older wasn’t bad enough for your back already.
Kawakami felt her heart skip a beat as they arrived at the terminal, only to find the train already waiting. In a sudden burst of desperation, she rushed forward and managed to jump onto the train into an empty space left near the doors. She realized it was nearly impossible to look ‘cool’ while also being terrified of being late, but she couldn’t exactly afford to worry about that right now. Even if it meant Ibaraki might laugh at her.
Her heart nearly fell out of her chest as she turned back to the terminal, finding her delinquent student lingering by a vending machine of all things. She couldn’t tell if he was just checking it out to irritate her or if he was really that oblivious, but either way she felt her blood pressure spike.
“I’ll buy you something when we reach our station!” she snapped, not even sure if she was telling the truth or not, “Just get on the train, Ibaraki!”
He whirled around, feigning surprise at the sight of her, before stepping forward. He overextended just a bit, though, coming within range of her parasol. While normally he might’ve taken an extra second just to make the process all the more agonizing, she managed to snare his pants with the hook and yank him forward. Her student half-crashed into her, the doors sliding shut cleanly behind him an instant later. Kawakami shoved him back into them the second they were closed, breathing a sigh of relief at the fact they’d actually made it onto the train. That meant they were making good time. And - assuming they didn’t fly off the freaking rails or something - that meant they probably wouldn’t be late.
“You alright, sensei?” Ibaraki asked in a way that made it completely unclear whether he was being genuine or not. There was just enough of a tease to it to make her mad, but she tried not to let it get to her. They were on the train, which meant they could actually stop and catch their breath without her needing to worry if Ibaraki would fall behind again or not. Now he was allowed to just stand around and do nothing. At least for a few minutes.
“Honestly?” she glared up at him, “My feet are killing me.”
“Oh?” he raised an eyebrow, “Need a massage?”
Yes. she thought immediately, Desperately.
For a moment, she entertained the idea of trading foot massages from students for more lenience when it came to grading, but that idea went out the window pretty quick. The last thing she needed was to become known as the ‘pervy foot teacher’ or something. She groaned as her feet creaked against the metal floor of the train, throwing a quick glance around just on the off-chance there was a free seat available.
No such luck.
Which was just her kind of luck.
The train ride was thankfully rather uneventful, giving Kawakami a chance to decompress for a minute before she was thrust back into the tumultuous waters of her life. Ibaraki just browsed his phone in silence, managing to keep to himself for the most part. Kawakami checked her reflection in the shiny glass of the train window, relieved that her minimalist makeup was still intact and her hair wasn't a complete mess.
The train finally slid to a stop at the Akiyama-Itchome station, Kawakami not bothering to even check on her student before grabbing him by the satchel strap and half-throwing, half-shoving him off the train. Ibaraki caught himself and slid his phone away, looking momentarily surprised before slipping into cool calm.
“We still late?” he asked.
“Only if you keep standing around.” Kawakami shoved past him, having to fight. But against the crowd around them. She made she sure to keep an eye on him even as she led him through the bustling train station, very nearly forgetting about her new parasol as she was once again faced with the rain. Ibaraki strode past her, flicking his umbrella open and heading into the drizzling rain without a moments hesitation. The day had turned decidedly grey, with the neon and glitz of the city being the only thing drenching it in any degree of clutter. A sea of dark umbrellas painted the street beyond, most of them clutched by four office workers with downcast faces and hunched shoulders. Kawakami found them… frustratingly relatable. The main difference was their jobs were soul-sucking, while hers were seeming designed to grind her down to the bone and force her to live in a constant state of anxiety.
Full-time teacher.
Part-time cleaner.
And - just for special nights when she actually had a few hours of free time - data entry. It was a job she only had because she knew her boss, and had agreed to take it just for an extra few thousand Yen every so often. She was underpaid and unappreciated, but it was… something. The hours were flexible and she did what she had to do.
She flipped out her parasol and caught up with Ibaraki before he could get far, grabbing his arm and dragging him more on course as he threatened to wander. She could see the reflection of his smartphone screen in his glasses, but couldn't quite tell what he was looking at. It looked like a map app at a glance, which would've actually given Kawakami some hope that he cared about navigating his way to school, but somehow she didn't think she was that lucky. More likely he was just looking for places to eat or loiter nearby or something.
Kawakami pulled him back on track, thankful that they were actually making decent time. Maybe it was thanks to Ibaraki’s long legs forcing her to hurry constantly, but they were moving pretty quick. Builds slipped by one by one as she led her student down the rain-darkened sidewalk, cars gliding by next to them.
“Ms. Kawakami!” a familiar voice made her stop, the teacher turning to find the school’s volleyball coach behind the wheel of a nearby black sports car. He'd clearly slowed down just to speak to her, which was a surprisingly bold move in the city.
“Mr. Kamoshida.” the homeroom teacher stated back at him, “You're not running late, are you?”
“Hopefully not!” he grinned cheerfully, “What about you?” he twisted around in the seat to get a view of Ibaraki, his eyes narrowing at him and his grin vanishing, “So you really are on escort duty, huh?”
“What, you heard about that?” she slumped her shoulders slightly, torn between dragging Ibaraki behind her and chatting with her fellow teacher, “Yes, this is Kuroki Ibaraki. Thankfully, he's behaved himself for the most part so far.”
“Speaking of,” Ibaraki cut in, “didn't you promise to buy me a drink earlier? Shouldn't you-?”
“There are vending machines-” she cut Kamoshida with a side-eye in case he nearly got the wrong idea, “-outside of school, Ibaraki. Assuming we're not late, I'll get you something.”
“Perfect.” to her irritation, Ibaraki stepped past her and placed a hand on the roof of Kamoshida’s car, forcing him to a stop. “‘Kamoshida’? What subject do you teach?”
She could see irritation etch itself on the teacher’s face, but he didn't show too much. Instead, the smile just vanished from his lips. He glared up at Ibaraki, obviously wanting him to step away from the vehicle.
“Physical education, but I'm best known for coaching volleyball. And,” Kamoshida added, testily, “I'd prefer you refer to me as ‘Mr. Kamoshida.’, Ibaraki. I-”
“Suguru.” Kawakami interjected, “if you don't mind, we’re all gonna be late if we don't hurry.”
“And who's this?” Ibaraki - to both of their frustration - didn't pull away, “Is it normal for teachers to give students rides to school?”
“I caught Takamaki here running through the rain without an umbrella.” Kamoshida half-snapped, “She's one of the girls on my team. Couldn't exactly risk her getting sick,” he grinned a bit crookedly, “could I?”
Kawakami took the liberty of grabbing Ibaraki by the strap again and pulling him away from the car, Kamoshida not wasting any time in rolling the window back up.
“See you at school, Sadayo.” Kamoshida offered, humorlessly. He pulled back into the swell of traffic, once again leaving her alone with Ibaraki and the throngs of salarymen. Kawakami glared at her student as he watched the car disappear, her irritation switching to curiosity at the look on his face. There was something about it that was far more… serious than she'd seen before. No smile, not a hint of amusement, and a far off look in his dark eyes; it was enough to give her pause.
Then she relented.
“Suguru Kamoshida. Olympic gold medallist and…” she shrugged, “well, he's basically the ‘king’ of our school. The only reason we're on the map is because of him and his stupid-” she caught herself, “Anyway. Congratulations,” she turned back to Ibaraki, “looks like you've managed to get off on the wrong foot with him, too. Are you trying to make life difficult for yourself?”
Ibaraki turned to her, a smile flicking across his lips, “If that's what it takes. Sure.”
Kawakami stared back at him.
She wasn't sure she wanted to know what that meant.