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Rating:
Archive Warning:
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Language:
English
Series:
Part 21 of Dragon Verse , Part 1 of Dragon Verse Japan
Stats:
Published:
2015-06-28
Completed:
2015-08-13
Words:
6,272
Chapters:
3/3
Kudos:
3
Hits:
717

Walk Beside You

Summary:

A recap of the first Drama...and Shin's confession...for the fourth time. This fic paves the way for Dragon Verse Japan. (A Gokusen fic)

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Notes:

Disclaimer: Gokusen in any form does not belong to me.

Note 1: I didn't want to rewrite all of Gokusen so...just a recap of Shin and Yankumi's thoughts and feelings throughout the drama. I'm hitting on key points of course...And then I'm focusing on after the drama. Shin is NOT going to Africa. It’s still ridiculous that ShinKumi didn't happen in the dramas and the movie since its canon in the manga. Grr. One of the hardest things I've ever had to do...was break my mom's heart when I told her Shin and Yankumi didn't get together in the dramas. I still got her to watch Gokusen 2 and 3 and she liked them, but loved the first best. We both agree that Gokusen 3 is worth watching simply because of Ren.

Note 2: Yes. My mom is a drama junkie.

Note 3: It will be a while before the Dragons of Japan meet with the DroA (Dragons of America), but this is all in the same universe, it’s not an AU. No actual changes happen in this story...I'm just setting things up. o^^o

Chapter Text

Walk Beside You
calikocat

Word count: 2108
Disclaimer: Gokusen in any form does not belong to me.

XXX

Things had certainly changed for Kumiko during the last year. She'd seen a side of things that she hadn't really considered before she started teaching. It had never occurred to her before working at Shirokin that there were teachers that existed who didn't love what they did. Or that some considered a certain kind of student to be trash and not worth their time. Kumiko simply could not imagine throwing a person away like refuse, just because they didn't meet a certain standard.

But...that could be because of the world she grew up in. Her grandfather took in all sorts, the people that society pushed aside as not good enough. Not all Yakuza bosses were as kind as him...but most gladly took in those that had nowhere else to go. Everyone needed a place to belong, and all of the clan's understood the simple fact; that they were stronger together, than when they stood alone.

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She remembered how high her hopes had been on her first day; eagerly waiting to introduce herself to the students she'd be teaching. They had welcomed Fujiyama-sensei so warmly and passionately...but then she'd stepped onto the stage, lowered the microphone to her level. Why the hell was Fujiyama-sensei so damn tall anyway? She'd lowered the microphone to speak...and they'd yelled at her to go home...they didn't want such a plain looking woman as a teacher.

These were the students she wanted to teach? The kids that she wanted to shed blood, sweat and tears with to help them achieve her dream and all of theirs? What had happened to these kids to make them like this?

And then...then HE walked in the gym with a yawn and a lazy stretch, like a lion waking up from a mid-day nap. Silence fell over the gym as he sauntered in, ignoring the fear that emanated from the teachers on stage, and straight to the group that had been booing her. He looked up, straight at her, meeting her eyes. They stared at one another for a moment, and then he looked away, dismissing her, bored and unimpressed.

Kumiko hadn't known his name then...but she knew by the presence around him and the way the others looked to him...he was their leader. And that made things interesting.

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That first day had been a long one; and she still found it funny that her students had tried to intimidate her. Like she'd be scared of high school boys, HA! Throwing those paper wads at her back while she wrote her name on the board had been a bit much though...and then Kuma had thrown that baseball.

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In that moment she'd almost given herself away...but he'd thrown it at the back of her head and she certainly wasn't gonna let it hit her. So she caught it...and let some of her fighting spirit slip through. There was a surprised silence and for half a second her eyes met his...and then she shoved that anger right back down and looked at them with wide eyes. “Eh? This is a baseball isn't it? That's dangerous!” And just like that her cover was still intact. Thank god.

Still...it just got more interesting from there...and really, her kids knew how to find trouble. Kuma with the money he took from the head teacher...Minami and the girl who was two-timing him...Uchi and the guy he beat up for beating a puppy. And really it wasn't always their fault. Kuma wanted to get back at head teacher for always bullying them...Minami didn't know the girl he liked was dating a gang leader too...and Uchi well...she'd beat up a punk who hurt a puppy too. But they were good kids really.

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She nearly had a heart attack though when Sawada found out...she'd tried so hard to keep her family background a secret. Make no mistake she was glad he'd returned her phone when he'd found it...and she was glad that after meeting her he'd started coming to school...on time even! Hell...never mind. She was glad he knew, glad there was someone to help her keep her secret. Glad he had a reason to smile, even if it was to laugh at her. Making her students smile and eager to enjoy life was part of why she had wanted to become a teacher in the first place.

 

She got to know each of them through the first three months so well, learning their hopes and dreams...the reasons they had for losing them...the adults who had hurt them, smashing their hopes like ships on a rocky shore. And she did what she could to help them, heal them...even when it meant hurtling her love at them with a well aimed fist. Luckily no one had needed a second punch to understand her...she hated hitting them.

But then...her secret was exposed...and everyone knew...and her students didn't care. She was still Yankumi to them, that hadn't changed. She was still their teacher, the only one they truly respected...and that made her happy. So much that she nearly cried there in the classroom.

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It was why she didn't regret resigning; it was to protect them after all, her precious students. After the incident with the reporters, the way they bullied her kids...and they'd fought back. No. She hadn't regretted handing over her resignation...even as she walked away from the school with tears on her face and her boys crying out for her to come back. It was all she could do to protect them...and it was the right thing. But it hurt so badly, hearing their screams, yelling for her to come back...Sawada Shin's voice the loudest of all. The pain in his voice reached deep inside her chest and crushed her heart. Up to that point...walking away from him...from them was the hardest thing she had ever done.

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So she was mad beyond reason with the stunt they pulled at the symposium where the Director of the Board had intended to announce that she had left and the honor of the school remained intact. They had barged in and given their reasons why she should be allowed to come back, that she was the only teacher who had ever fought for them. She was the only one who had ever believed in them. The only teacher to listen to them, to talk to them as equals, the only one who cared about them as human beings. And if she wasn't reinstated...they would drop out...every single one of them. And for an entire class to drop out like that… there was no way Shirokin's honor would ever recover.

Kawashima-sensei and Fujiyama-sensei had called her during the chaos begging her to come, to help her students. And she had, she'd come running, gladly accepting the ride Shinohara-san had offered her, anything to get her to Shirokin faster.

They hadn't started fighting yet; their arms were at their sides, hands tightly clenched so they wouldn't strike out at the teachers pushing them back. All the while they were yelling at the Director to listen to them, to not fire the one teacher who had ever treated them as people and not trash.

She was mad at them for doing something so stupid, throwing away their education like it was nothing...but at the same time moved that they would sacrifice so much for her. But she couldn't let them do it. Not that. So she yelled at them one last time...and she walked in, everyone parting so she could. “Such a stupid thing.” She whispered, just loud enough so Sawada would hear as she knelt to pick up his resignation on the floor.

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With that important slip of paper in her fist she asked for a moment to speak. To address the symposium. The Director wasn't going to let her...but then head teacher stepped up and told her to come forward so she could say her words.

And she did.

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She asked her fellow teachers to support her precious students, all the way to graduation. She asked the crowd to not give up on them; they were still immature and had a lot of growing up to do. But they had so much potential; their futures truly were blindingly bright. The boys interrupted a little, still upset that she had resigned, saying things like school was no fun without her...that there was no point in coming if she wasn't there. It meant she had to yell at them a little more, something she was used to, and it felt good, to talk to them like this. Heart to heart.

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“You guys, listen carefully. You may not be good academically, but you guys have the most important thing as human beings. Right here.” She patted her chest over her heart and let her tears fall. “So go live your life with pride, confidence and dignity.” She bowed and left the stage...aware that there wasn't a dry set of eyes in the room. She got as far as the door when there was the sound of paper tearing and the Director questioning the head teacher. Who'd just ripped up her resignation. Going against the Director for the first time and declaring that Shirokin needed her.

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Applause filled the air. And Uchi, as stunned as her other students, asked in a timid voice. “So, she doesn't have to quit?”

Sawada let out a choked laugh. “Of course not.”

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Their victory cries filled the air and the next thing she knew she was being carried and paraded around the gym. Sawada running beside her while cheering and yelling banzai! Though how they ended up outside playing a game of kick the can that involved her students, the other teachers, a couple of police officers and her yakuza henchmen was a mystery. But it was the most fun she'd had in a long time. Running around with her students a step behind.

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Those three months had been even eventful and exciting...but she wasn't naive enough to think her troubles with them would be over.

 

She'd been right, of course, but that was expected. She just wished it hadn't happened so close to graduation. But it worked out...and her precious students graduated. Her dream for them was fulfilled...and they would have to part. Graduation was bittersweet. She'd had such fun with her students over the year. But it was time for them to move on...time for them all to go their separate ways.

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Sawada Shin's graduation speech had her in tears...and when they all bowed to her and thanked her...Her heart swelled in love and pride. The last hurdle...was the more personal farewell in the classroom. They, of course, being delinquents played a trick on her, and as soon as she opened the door a damp rag fell on her head.

She glared at them...then smiled fondly at the graduation sign on the black board...misspelled of course. And while they were still laughing because their little trick had gotten her....she started to cry. And their laughter stopped, some of them looked ready to panic, Sawada included.

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Her next words assured them that they had no reason to panic...she was just saying goodbye and this farewell was much more personal. She revealed that she hadn't always been confident in her teaching as she was fresh out of University after all...that each move was a trial and error situation. That she had learned as much from them as they had from her. Again there wasn't a dry eye.

And it was over...

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She walked them to the gates. Heard their final goodbyes and said her own in return. They turned and walked away and she watched them as they laughed and cheered and waved.

 

So she was completely floored when Sawada Shin showed up at her house the next day and asked if she had a moment to talk.

“Oi Yankumi!”

She blinked at the familiar voice that she hadn't expected to hear again, not so soon anyway, and moved to peek around the wall. And there he was standing in the entryway. “Eh? Sawada?”

His face was serious, but at the same time he looked terrified. “Do you have a few moments? I want to talk to you about something.”

What a silly question, didn't he know she'd always have time for any of her previous students...especially him. “Of course.”

He smiled and some of his nervousness vanished. “Walk with me?”

She nodded, slipped on her shoes and followed him out. They walked for a ways, getting further and further from her home, stopping by the nearby shrine. There he faced her and spoke with such seriousness.

“Kumiko.”

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XXX