Chapter 5 #2
“Technically, I’m probably the same age,” Elyna quipped.
Fujimoto gave her a sceptical glance, eyes slightly unfocused. On the way to drunkenness already? “Nah,” he shook his head. “You’re a colleague, kid. It’s different.”
The warmth of that statement stayed with her, curled in her chest right beside the amusement of being called a kid.
Elyna raised the glass of plum wine to eye level in a silent toast.
"Either way, thank you for the rescue, Sano-sensei."
Puzzlement settled on his features. "Well…", he finally shrugged, broad shoulders straining the cotton. "I'm your supervisor."
As if it explained everything. This man took his duty seriously… She almost felt bad for him; he was the only one saddled with a social Bambi that stumbled on every obvious cue. But he bore it with grace.
Can duty be sexy? Because his protectiveness at the bar… that was totally sexy.
Elyna chased those inappropriate thoughts away by diving into her glass. The plum wine was sweet and soft on her tongue, much more delectable than the beer she’d left behind.
“Why didn’t you send him flying?” a sharp rumble interrupted the degustation.
Elyna blinked; Katayū’s directness threw her off-guard. “I… what?”
“The boy at the bar. He was bothering you. Why didn’t you tell him to… sod off, as you Brits say?”
“I didn’t want to…” Heat crept up her neck. “Aren’t westerners considered rude by default?” She’d been trying so hard not to fit the stereotype and be accommodating.
“Amongst other things,” Fujimoto snorted, reaching for a fresh beer.
Sano’s elbow connected with his ribs hard enough to make him wince. The physics teacher huffed and subsided, but the damage was done. Elyna’s frown deepened.
“What do you mean?” Her eyes searched Sano’s; they had gone carefully neutral, not even a fleck of gold shimmering in their depths. As for Dr Sōhma, she was studying her sake cup as if it held the secrets of the universe.
Katayū sliced through the awkward silence with his usual lack of tact, dismissing the subject. “Don’t try too hard,” he said gruffly. “Sometimes being rude is necessary to get things done. You can’t smooth every edge.”
Duly noted. I'll bare my teeth next time.
Elyna thought of her mother—Norwegian bluntness wrapped in corporate polish. Katrine could be brutally honest, but she never left you hanging.
Dr Sōhma let out an unladylike snort. “You would know about it, Katayū-kun” Her eyes danced with suppressed laughter.
“Oh shut up!” Katayū’s hand hit the table again; Elyna bit back a surprised laugh. Despite the anger flung her way, the school nurse seemed absolutely delighted. As if getting a rise of the Vice Principal was her favourite pastime.
As laughter spread around the table, Dr Sōhma flung a sheet of paper in Katayū’s direction. “There. I found this in the staff room. The kids are getting better with computers these days.”
The Vice Principal picked up the picture, then choked on his breath. Red crept up his face, the kind of colour that foretold a mighty explosion.
“Lemme see,” Fujimoto stole the offending paper gleefully. Elyna leant over and huffed a laugh. The picture was a photomontage of Notre Dame de Paris. Except that someone had replaced the priest’s head with Katayū’s, and the dancing gypsy with Sarah. At the bottom, a haiku was neatly penned.
“Foreign beauty comes
Even samurai stumbles
Love conquers kendō”
“How did they even get a picture of her?” Elyna mused, impressed.
The Vice Principal, whose head was now cradled in his hand, shifted just enough to take a peek at her. “Of all the things, that’s what amazes you?”
Sano perked when he saw the paper, his expression turning thoughtful. “I’m surprised they didn’t play with your name, considering…”
Interest piqued, Elyna turned to her mentor. “What do you mean?”
Katayū groaned, calling a discreet smile to Sano’s lips. “Katayū means ‘to the sunset’”, he explained. If I were skilled in haikus, I would have taken advantage of it…” He hesitated a second, then, eyes flashing with mischief. “Especially since Mako-san’s eyes have now turned westward…”
“Not you too, Sano!” Katayū thundered. Heads snapped up from the nearby tables, reacting to the aura of danger that radiated out of the Vice Principal.
A smirk bloomed upon Sano’s features; Elyna stared. After days of shared classes, she’d seen many of his expressions, ranking from open to downright unamused.
But that mischievous streak was new. Especially when he added: “From a purely academic perspective, of course…”
The Vice Principal banged his head on the table dramatically, inviting another round of laughter.
For all his storms, it seems Katayū is their primary teasing target.
“Let me try my hand at a quote,” Dr Sōhma eventually declared. “There is no reason why students are the only ones having a field day with this memorable incident.”
“Keiko-san!” the Vice Principal growled in warning. To no avail. Rubbing her chin theatrically, the school nurse remained safely composed, eyes shielded by her glasses. “Mmm. Classics. Ah! I have it.”
The Vice Principal declared forfeit and set his forehead upon his forearms to await the next round of teasing. “Please kill me!” he groaned.
“Not before the Nationals,” Fujimoto chirped with his customary lack of tact.
Sano chuckled, the sound rolling over Elyna like silent waves. A rumble so distracting that she almost missed Dr Sōhma’s brilliant quote: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a sensei in possession of good kendō skills must be in want of distraction.”
Pride and Prejudice. Elyna grinned. “Very well done, Dr Sōhma.”
The woman bowed with all the nobility that characterised her. “I live to serve, my dear lady.”
Elyna: I went out drinking with my colleague and had a blast!
Aksel: so samurai can have fun too?
Elyna: Hai!
Aksel: well I went out drinking too, and guess who I met? Your former sweetheart Oliiiiiver asked about you.
Elyna: ??Not interested anymore.