Praises
The morning air still held the crispness of spring, although noon would probably be warm. Kazuki rolled his shoulders; he couldn’t wait to shed his jacket so he could fold up his sleeves. Suits and shirts were too constricting for his taste.
But one look at his friend confirmed that not everyone struggled with formal wear; Katayū Makoto seemed completely at ease in his sharp suit.
And given the way his lips curled around the cigarette, he’d probably slept at his girlfriend’s place.
Ever since Sarah’s appearance, the Vice Principal’s perpetual sour mood had quelled.
Enough for him to hand out praise rather than the usual criticism.
“Trewith is good at engaging the kids,” he said, flicking ash into the ashtray with a practised flick.
“But she needs more structure.” Kazuki nodded his assent: Elyna was a master at drawing attention, but less so at keeping a consistent line.
Courtesy of an overactive brain that kept making connections—sometimes in the strangest ways.
Makoto paused, dragging on his cigarette. “Most humans are not built to jump from Old English to kanji back to whatever caught her fancy the day before.”
Kazuki hummed, watching a few early students stumble out of the train station. “I trust you to teach her how to find a red thread in her classes.” Makoto’s tone had shifted from casual to commanding.
“Of course.” No pressure. Now, how to channel a mind that sprawled like a maze? Qi Gong, perhaps, to ground her into the present? And regular reminders that everyone was not as brilliant and adaptable as she was.
A wistful sigh interrupted his musings as Makoto released a cloud of smoke. “If you manage, I can just keep one ear out and deal with paperwork while she teaches my English class. Which means less work at night.”
A smirk tugged at Kazuki’s lips. “Want to spend more time with a certain someone?”
Something flickered in those dark eyes. “Hai.” He crushed the cigarette butt with more force than necessary. “Sarah won’t be here forever.” His gaze lifted to the brightening sky. “Her contract with the government is temporary.”
The words landed like a pebble in a pond. Stunned, Kazuki felt his amusement scatter. The revelation was unsettling; would he watch his friend’s heart break in slow motion? "...This is not like you, Mako-san.”
The Vice Principal straightened, and gestured for them to resume their trek. “There is beauty in impermanence.” His voice carried an unexpected softness. “Actually, let me quote what Trewith told me the other day: ‘The only constant in life is change.’”
Kazuki fell into step beside him, following the scent of tobacco. This revelation… To think the staff was already celebrating the end of Makoto’s celibacy… Should he tell his friends that Sarah might not stay?
As they walked up the narrow street, the kōkō’s silhouette grew larger against the bright sky. A modern building, hosting old souls. Beauty in impermanence.
Would Elyna leave next year, or have her contract renewed? What about her visa? Would life call her back to international schools and foreign cities? She, and those wide blue eyes that caught him so often, would not be forgotten.
As they approached, Makoto seemed to return to his usual grumpy self, raining criticism on Elyna’s last attempt at correcting a student.
“I understand her point. Those kids use English words and mispronounce them when there is a perfectly suitable notion in Japanese. She repeated it three times, and they just pretended not to understand the difference between a ‘thank you’ and their ‘sankyou’. I had to intervene.”
The ranting struck a chord inside Kazuki; he frowned. “Ne, Mako-san,” the words escaped before wisdom could stop them. “Give her time. It’s only been two months.”
The Vice Principal’s eyes narrowed. “That’s why I’m asking you to guide her. You’re her supervisor, Sano. Not her advocate.”
The statement felt like a slap to the face. A reminder of his place. Shame flooded him; his role was to teach Elyna and shape her into a better educator. Not defend her shortcomings because…
“Hai,” he mumbled. “You’re right. I already told her, but I guess it’s difficult when you’re a natural at languages.”
They both retreated to their own thoughts; Kazuki allowed his gaze to drop to the textured braille blocks on the pavement meant to guide blind people.
Was he, too, becoming blind? Blind to propriety as Elyna’s smiles caused his heart to twitch?
When her interest in his teaching methods made her nibble on her lip?
Don’t be stupid, Kazu. Guard your heart.
And yet those blonde locks called to his traitorous mind, whispering for him to card his fingers through just once. A mere curiosity, to know if her hair felt as silky as it looked when sunlight turned it to molten gold.
Kazuki bit his tongue in despair. He felt… invaded. As if those thoughts forced themselves upon him. He was supposed to be the adult here, the mentor. His nails bit into his palms as he shoved all inappropriate musings into a mental bunker.
Just a silly attraction to a colleague. Perhaps seeing Makoto so willing to embrace impermanence with Sarah was highlighting his own loneliness. Sano Kazuki was one of those men too loyal to consider temporary. When he fell, he gave his all to the point of destruction.
Mother would find her beautiful and ask for grandchildren right away!
He almost stumbled at a crossing, noticing one of his pupils bowing to him from the other side. He responded with an absent nod.
Students slowly trickled from the streets from every direction. Navy uniforms filled the pavement, most of them steering clear from the Vice Principal, even those on bicycles. Kazuki couldn’t help but smile.
Makoto, unwitting creator of privacy. If only they knew how their Vice Principal cared about them. They were his little flock of lambs to be steered in the right direction, nurtured in discipline and passion so that they could thrive. Students or teachers were all his people.
“Speaking of the devil…” Makoto grumbled.
Of course. In the midst of sleep-deprived youngsters stood out a beacon of golden hair catching the morning sun. By her side walked Satsuki, her steps fast and worried as she stole glances behind them. An alarm blared in Kazuki’s mind at once.
What has stressed Satsuki so much?
The answer came soon enough as Shūji jumped in front of both girls, arms outstretched. Elyna sidestepped him with a blank face, unwittingly showing her ability to handle the prankster.
“That kid is a nightmare, really,” Makoto mumbled, eyes firmly set upon the trio. “Don’t tell Keiko-san I said that.”
“Oh, I bet she knows it more than anyone else in this world,” Kazuki retorted, attention still strained on their volatile kendōka.
From their position, they couldn’t hear the heated conversation. But when Shūji peeled his jacket off and started to unbutton his shirt, Makoto’s eyes bulged out of his head.
“Shūji-senpai! You can’t do that!” Satsuki shrilled, the cry calling the attention of many other students. Heads swivelled as conversations died mid-sentence.
“Watch me,” Shūji only responded, his jaw set in determination.
He could barely hear Elyna issue a warning before Makoto parted the crowd.
“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?” he bellowed, grabbing the troublemaker by the collar. Students scattered like sakura petals in a storm, too panicked to think straight.
Kazuki watched Satsuki pale two notches; perhaps he ought to intervene before she fainted altogether.
He approached briskly, stealing a glance at Elyna; the young woman looked unimpressed, one corner of her mouth twitching.
Her eyes zeroed in on him for a second, twinkling with barely suppressed amusement.
“Ah?” Shūji drawled, half hanging from Makoto’s grip as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “Showing Elyna-chan that we’re men, too! Not boys.”
The claim was so preposterous, so ridiculous that he had to stifle his amusement. Do not laugh. Do not laugh.
Makoto released Shūji to cuff his head, sharp enough to make a point. “Get your uniform in order, right now!” The command cracked through the air like a whip.
A giggle caught them both off-guard, bright and unexpected.
Elyna wiped a tear from her eye and bowed to Makoto.
“Ohayō gozaimasu[5], sensei and…” she hesitated, her smile faltering for just a moment as she found herself cornered for not using Katayū's name, “… sensei. I’m afraid Shūji-kun was vexed by an earlier assessment, my bad.” The last two words came out in English, a casual apology.
“That’s not a reason to undress in public!” the Vice Principal thundered. Elyna flinched slightly, the smile slipping from her face. Makoto redirected his anger to the culprit. “YOU! Really!”
Kazuki caught Elyna’s gaze, offering a reassuring nod. Relief flickered across her face, as her lips pulled into a shy smile. The ocean of her gaze caught him without warning; a silent conversation passed between them, born from many hours spent in tête-à-tête in class 3-C.
Then she blinked, severing the connection to reach for Satsuki’s sleeve. Kazuki frowned, feeling suddenly bereft even though Elyna’s soothing voice echoed by his side. “Let’s go, Satsuki-chan.”
What the heck just happened?
A procession ensued, with the Vice Principal pulling at Shūji. The troublemaker walked ahead with his usual swagger, apparently unfazed. How he’d become so immune to Makoto’s incandescence was a mystery.
Shaking his head, Kazuki trailed behind the group, allowing his gaze to linger on the massive pillars of the kōkō.
Amongst flowers, the cherry blossom; amongst men, the warrior
Dignity in impermanence and honour in both life and death.
His Zen moment was interrupted by another expletive. “Shūji!,” the Vice Principal thundered. “To the nurse’s office with me, NOW!”
“Oh, dear. He’s done it again,” Satsuki lamented, watching her comrade get dragged away. Kazuki paused, wondering how his friend had not busted blood vessels yet.
Kazuki huffed, then turned to the girls. “Not a word of this to anyone,” he commanded, “especially about the shirt.”
Satsuki responded with her usual squeak of fright and disappeared into the locker room faster than a mouse chased by a pantry cat. Leaving him there. With her.
“You know…”Elyna started, her gaze turned to the corridor where Makoto and his charge had disappeared. “This kōkō is probably the only place where troublemakers are dragged to the nurse’s office for disciplining.
Kazuki’s lips pursed; it was peculiar, alright. But he wouldn't be the one selling that particular quirk to the new teaching assistant. Even if she turned those impossible blue eyes his way.
It was only when her eyebrows arched that he realised she expected a response from him. Perhaps something intelligent. That his mind had frozen the moment her eyes sparkled with mischief was irrelevant. He ought to—
“Well,” Elyna mock-whispered. “I hope there won’t be rumours after this incident.”
He blinked, replaying the scene in his mind to find fault in her behaviour; she'd handled it like a professional. “Rumours?”
A slow smile spread upon his assistant's lips as she murmured. “That I’m the type to get boys naked.”
Kazuki almost choked on his breath as she laughed, leaving him standing in the corridor like a potted plant.
She’s so blunt! For all that she understood the codes, Elyna sometimes trampled over them purposefully.
Kazuki retreated to the teacher’s room, mulling over foreigners and the inevitable change they brought along.
Temporary.
His thoughts turned to Makoto; it was damn time the Vice Principal found someone to share his life. Perhaps he would eat healthier food too. And if it took a fiery redhead to handle his legendary temper, so be it.
Let’s hope Sarah-san stays.
Elyna: I may have a crush on the worst person ever
Aksel: sushi-brat?
Elyna: lol. No way
Aksel: Discipline-man?
Elyna: Damnit Aksel, they’re students!
Aksel:… Satsuki?
Elyna: Rofl. You! Really! I don’t swing that way. And she’s so cute she looks like a doll. I could never…
Elyna: Much, much worse ??
Aksel:…
Aksel: ??
Aksel: Oh I know. Samurai-man!
Elyna: Baka! You are an idiot.