Whew~ I thought I'd never get this done. Sorry for the wait again T_T *glares at Black Flag and unfinished papers*
While I figure out how to mess with Takaboy's life a bit more (and introduce more charas), let's check on our favorite pungeon master!
Order 6: I don't wanna be the teacher's pet!
A young woman with raven hair and pale skin, her thin frame protected from the autumn chill by a fitting cardigan and a knitted scarf, walked alone on one of the tree-shaded pathwalks of Sansei Gakuen, stopping only for a moment to check on her cellphone. The cool, calm breeze caressed her face, making her shiver a bit and adjust the scarf around her neck. She glanced at her right shoulder and saw a stray red maple leaf and gently brushed it off.
Unbeknownst to her, someone on the third floor art rooms was watching the whole thing.
That someone sighed and leaned on the window sill, resting her chin on her left hand.
Matsui Jurina was not a stalker.
It just so happened that she found the teacher, Matsui Rena, very cute, with those innocent brown eyes and gentle air around her, that sometimes she wondered if her skin was as smooth and soft as it was pale, if her fragile-looking physique really was a delicate piece of work, or if she really was as nice and sweet as her smile and the melonpan she eats almost everyday.
Matsui Jurina was not a stalker.
She was just thankful that Rena-sensei was offered a permanent teaching position a few weeks ago (though it was shame Hata-sensei was leaving, she was a nice lady), because that would mean more opportunities for gazing at her slender back while she writes verb tenses on the chalkboard during English class, when she tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear while checking answers in the faculty office, catching a glimpse of her walking down the hallway while she fooled around with her classmates during homeroom. Ah, it would be nice if Rena-sensei was also their homeroom teacher. You see, Kaotan-sensei (secretly called Gao-tan by her class courtesy of yours truly) wasn't exactly eye candy.
Matsui Jurina, I repeat, was not a stalker.
She would have continued watching the teacher, but her silent viewing was interrupted by a sudden arm around her shoulder.
"Well I definitely know who you're giving chocolates to on Valentine's next year."
Jurina turned sharply at the arm's owner, her ears a light red.
"S-shut up, Kumi! I-I'm not giving Rena-sensei anything!"
Yagami Kumi gave a shrewd smile.
"I didn't say it was Matsui-sensei." The puppy's ears turned redder. Kumi's bright brown eyes shimmered in the afternoon light. "And since when did you start calling her Rena-sensei?"
Jurina turned her eyes back to the pathwalk, only to find out the English teacher was no longer there. She scowled.
"Calling her Matsui-sensei is just plain weird." Jurina mumbled.
Another arm wrapped around her shoulder.
"I get what you mean. You being a teacher would be just plain weird. That, or maybe calling Matsui-sensei by her name makes you feel cloooooser."
The scowl on Jurina's face deepened.
"Not you too, Yuria!"
Yagami Kumi and Kizaki Yuria took their arms off Jurina, impish grins on their faces as they patted their grumpy friend's head.
"Oh come on Jurina-chan. All the first years know you have a little thing for Matsui-sensei." said Yuria with a mischievous look. Jurina stared blankly at her.
"Very funny, Yuria."
There was a wide smile on Yuria's cheeky round face.
"Why do you think you've been getting less invitations to lunch lately?"
Jurina was flabbergasted.
"That's why?!"
"You should confess!" Kumi exclaimed, puckering her lips and aiming for Yuria's cheeks. "Like I did with Yuria-chan chuuu~"
"Geroff me Kuuchan." Yuria grumbled and shoved Kumi's face away with a slight blush on her cheeks.
"But it's different!" Jurina whined. She couldn't just tell Rena-sensei she liked her, right? She was a freaking teacher!
"Ahh." Kumi's face brightened up. "Jun-sama is a little shy with the lady, it seems."
Jurina glowered at the use of her danso name. Before she could make another retort, however, Furukawa Airi entered the art room.
"Okay kiddies, settle your beautiful butts down." The art teacher hollered, clapping her hands. Jurina's classmates began setting up easels and getting chairs. "We're gonna practice shading today!"
"Hai, Furukawa-sensei~"
"Hai, Erokawa-sensei~"
The entire class laughed. Airi glared at Jurina.
"I heard that Matsui!"
Jurina smiled her Cheshire grin, her earlier grumpiness quickly disappearing.
"Sorry bout that, Erokawa-sensei."
The art teacher's glare intensified. "Stippling for you, kid."
"Hey, no fair!" Jurina pouted. "You know I hate stippling."
"Next time we paint, I'll make you do pointillism." Airi gave her the evil eye. "Now get your ass to work."
"Hai, hai." Jurina sighed, a small smirk forming on her lips. "Erokawa-sensei."
"I HEARD THAT!"
Laughter filled the room again.
~~~
The art room soon became silent as the students went to work. Airi roamed around, observing her pupils.
"..Keep that up, Suga-san...No, Furuhata-san, don't turn it into a black watermelon, show the direction of your light source..."
Jurina stopped dotting her watermelon (The damn art teacher really went through with the threat) and stared for a moment at her cousin's...Girlfriend? Special friend? She never really understood their relationship, despite the two being together for Kami-sama knows how long. They weren't a touchy-feely pair even back home (most of the times when Churi touched Airi it involved bodily harm), but the puppy could sense the affection behind their banter.
Old married couple. Jurina nodded to herself. That sounded just about right.
She went back to her watermelon, a small frown on her face. Why did Airi make them do a watermelon of all things? And how the hell did she get the money to buy one? Watermelons weren't exactly cheap. And wasn't it a little out of season to be having a watermelon?
The rest of the period passed by quickly, and before she knew it, they only had a few minutes left.
"Alright, it's almost time." Airi said out loud. "Let's clean up. Since most of you aren't done yet, we can continue this next meeting."
After helping clean up, Jurina was about to leave the room with Kumi and Yuria when Airi's voice called out.
"Hey, Jurina. Can you come here for a sec?"
She glanced at her teacher for a moment then turned back to her friends.
"We'll see you back in the classroom then?" asked Kumi.
Jurina nodded.
"Okay."
She approached Airin, who was reviewing the unfinished works with a frown.
"What is it Airin?"
"Don't you "Airin" me in school, kid." Airi's brow raised as she picked up a drawing of a completely dark watermelon. "We may live in the same house, but I'm still your teacher you know."
Jurina grinned.
"Airin or Erokawa-sensei?"
The art teacher put down the paper and made a thinker pose, as though deeply contemplating."Ugh, fine." She sighed in exasperation. "Erokawa-sensei."
The puppy gaped in disbelief.
"Eh? Seriously?!"
"At least I'm still sensei." Airi shrugged and grinned at Jurina. "Hey, wanna come with me after school?"
Jurina tilted her head."What for?"
"Gonna check out the new shipments I heard about at the Mandarake in Akiba, then stop by that cafe of yours." Airi put the incomplete drawings in a cabinet and made her way to the door. "You know Churi's been harping on me for ages. I figured you might wanna tag along. And I need help carrying the watermelon home." She waved at Jurina and exited. "I'll see you later then."
It took Jurina a whole minute to realize Airi had left the watermelon sitting innocently on its pedestal.
"But I didn't agree yet! Airin! Erokawa-sensei! HENTAIRIN!"
~~~
She ended up hauling the damn fruit on her back all the way to Mandarake.
"So, Airin." Jurina grunted a little as she dropped the watermelon on the floor. "Why haven't you been going to the cafe with me after school anymore? I never really got to ask."
"Eh?" Airi looked up from a new chapter of Shingeki no Kyojin that she was holding. "When was the last time I went there?"
"July."
"Ah, right, right." She nodded nonchalantly and went back to her reading. "Well, you know, been real busy advising the art club, and Natsucomi was on August, and I had only like a month to finish everything."
"Oh yeah." Jurina suddenly remembered. "Chibi Airin."
"Everyone wants to read the printed volumes I make for Comiket." Airi had a happy grin on her face. "You should see the lines I get every year! Oh crap, Fuyucomi's almost here too..."
"Airin, why not become a mangaka?" Jurina asked with a small frown, scanning the different paperbacks on the shelves. "You know, like the ones who get published in Shonen Jump and stuff?" She pulled out an old tankoubon of Vagabond, flipping through the pages, idly admiring the landscape art. "Isn't it better than sticking with webcomics? And being a teacher?"
"I don't want to be one."
Jurina blinked and looked at Airi.
"Eh?"
"I don't want to go pro or anything. Do you know how oversaturated the market is?" Airi put down the Shingeki no Kyojin and picked up a peculiar looking manga with a picture of a man licking a woman's eyeball on the corner of the cover. Weird Love - Bizarre Lovers was the title. She began skimming over it. "Too much junk manga being published along with a few good ones--ooh, I'm buying this--It'd be hard to sift through all the garbage. And online scanning hurts sales too. Might as well post it directly on the internet."
There were murmurs of agreement from some otaku at the shelves behind them, making Jurina jump a little.
"'Sides, being a under a manga publisher means you can't always do your own thing. Chibi Airin's is something I do for fun you know. I still like being a teacher...
"I get it, I get it." Jurina waved her hand. "No ecchi mangaka Hentairin-sama in the future."
"Oi, quit pushin' it." Airi pouted at her for a second and turned back to browse the shelves for more manga, the two falling in a comfortable silence.
It went on like this for fifteen minutes, Airi taking a manga and leafing through it before putting it back or taking it with her. Jurina was bored already.
"I'm gonna go around for a while."
Airi made a noncommittal sound, engrossed with Erza Scarlet's cleavage. "Mm. Tell me if you want something. I'll buy it for ya."
The young girl grinned.
"Thanks Airin."
She sauntered off, going up and down the floors of the building, looking at the assortment of anime-related merchandise the store had. Though she admired the artwork and the cuteness of some goods, nothing had struck her fancy enough to make her want to get one. Jurina was not exactly an avid fan of the 2D world. The pleasures in the young girl's life were simple; just being at the cafe with her older friends made her happy. That, and watching Rena-sensei of course.
She fingered a stack of Haruhi Suzumiya phone straps, a frown slowly forming on her face.
It vexed her so, her fascination with Rena-sensei. It was not the first time she had a crush in her young life (God knows she changed crushes like she changed clothes), and it was not the first time she liked someone older than her (The last one was Mari-chan, but it quickly turned to a more sisterly affection). So why was it Rena-sensei even now? Yes, she really did find the teacher very, very cute, but there were other really cute girls out there! Besides, the only real interaction they had was when she asked questions in class or when she would greet the teacher in the hallways. And that was that. So why Rena-sensei?
The girl had stopped and examined a tall encased display of Steins;Gate figurines when she noticed a familiar figure beyond the glass.
Jurina leaned to the side of the glass cabinet, her eyes narrowing as if to get a better look.
They immediately went wide as saucers.
Just several meters away was Matsui Rena, staring at the Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica display. In that moment, Jurina forgot how to breathe. The teacher was unknowingly giving the young girl a little teaser of the back her swanlike neck as doe eyes gazed up at the figmas, lips slightly opened and dainty fingers pressed on the glass. Cuuuute.
A hand grasped Jurina's left shoulder.
"There you are! Why'd you leave the watermelon behind? Did you see that Master Grade Wing Gundam Proto Zero?"
The young girl yelped and swiveled violently, hitting the person behind her. Hard.
"Oof!"
There was a thud and a watermelon rolled out of its plastic bag and onto the floor.
"S-sorry!" Jurina was about to bow in apology but blinked when she saw who she had bumped. "Airi?"
"Watch it kid!" grumbled Airi, rubbing her right shoulder and grunting as she bent down to put the watermelon back in the plastic. "The hell's got your knickers all twisted?"
"It's nothing! Nothing!" stammered Jurina, her face the same color as her school uniform, eyes shifting nervously. Airi looked curiously at where Jurina's covert glances were directed at.
Airi chuckled in amusement.
"Well, well." She began to walk towards the oblivious Rena-sensei, triumphantly smiling. "My otakudar was right after all! Hey Rena-sa--Urk!"
Jurina yanked Airi hard by the collar, pulling her back behind a shelf. She took a brief peek at Rena-sensei, who was looking around wondering who had called her. The young girl turned back to Airi and sent a withering glare at her.
"What are you doing?!" Jurina hissed at the art teacher.
Airi frowned, her brows furrowing. "Eh? Why? What's wrong...?" She took on good long look at the heavily blushing Jurina and her frantic expression. Realization dawned on her like the announcement of a Mikasa Ackerman figma. "Oh. Ohhhh. Ohohoho." A Cheshire grin that was usually on the younger girl found itself on Airi's face. "Want me to go talk--Mmff!"
Jurina stuffed a Black Mokona plushie into Airi's mouth and growled.
"Don't even think about it."
~~~
Jurina had to drag Airi and her bought merchandise (and the watermelon as well) back out into the sidewalks of Akiba just to stop her from going to Rena-sensei and blowing Jurina's cover in the process.
"You know," began the gleeful art teacher when the disgruntled student finally let go of her shirt as soon as they saw they were nearing Don Quijote, "When you stopped gushing about how cute Rena-san was months ago, Churi and I thought you just changed crushes already." She gave a hearty laugh. "I had no idea it had gotten to the point you were stalking her!"
"I'M NOT STALKING HER!" barked the red-faced Jurina, shrinking slightly when several passersby stared curiously at them. "I'm just...looking..." Her voice began to fade.
"So what's stopping you from telling Rena-san?" the teacher asked, mirthful eyes twinkling in the rapidly fading light of dusk.
Jurina gaped at Airi incredulously and resisted the urge to facepalm.
"Aside from the obvious fact that she's a teacher and I'm still a student?" She huffed, her boyish face contorted in frustration. "Honestly, Airi, I just don't know."
Airi laughed even louder. "I feel like I'm watching some manga play out in real life." She guffawed, wiping stray tears from her eyes.
"Shut up Airi. " Jurina muttered, blowing into her cold hands and rubbing them together. "We're here." They stopped walking and looked up Cafe Ricori's sign, the placard on the door already flipped to "Closed". Mariko and the others were already cleaning up inside.
"Cafe Ricori, eh?" Airi said out loud, putting her hands on her hips, which was rather awkward with a plastic bag full of manga held in one hand and a plastic bag full of watermelon on the other. Jurina was about to push the door open when the otaku chuckled. "I'll finally get to meet Blondie then."
The younger girl paused and tilted her head at the art teacher. "...Blondie?"
Airi shook her head, smiling as she caught a glimpse of a little blond person wiping tables.
"Let's just get inside. Churi must be waiting."
~~~
"Itano Tomomi?" Minami glanced up at Haruna for a moment before going back to wipe a table.
"Uh huh, that's how Mari-chan and I met Acchan." Haruna answered airily, hands toying with Mariko's hair. The barista was seated at the counter, her head buried in her arms. " Mari-chan and Tomochin were already familiar with each other because of the AKB auditions, but it was because our modeling that we got to know her. She invited us out for dinner, and she surprised us by bringing Acchan along."
Mariko grunted in affirmation.
Minami frowned at the weary looking barista. "What's wrong with Mariko-sama? She wasn't like this earlier."
"She went out with some of our friends last night." Haruna smiled, tugging on a soft brown lock then twirling it around her index finger. "The hangover gave her a real good beating today. "
"Nyaro, remind me never to have a drinking contest with Kayo and Yukarin." Mariko groaned.
Haruna giggled. "You say that everytime, Mari-chan." She gently retorted.
"Why didn't you join them, Nyannyan?" Minami asked Haruna. She did say "our friends" after all.
"Photoshoot." Mariko grunted again. Her best friend gave an apologetic smile.
"You know," said Minami as she stacked some dirty plates, "I didn't even notice Mariko-sama was off her game today."
"Never look like crap in front of the camera." came Mariko's muffled reply.
The short girl chuckled, trying to imagine her boss getting wasted in some dinky bar, with a tie around her head.
The door chime rang as it always did at around this time; a signal of Jurina's arrival. This time, however, there was a stranger accompanying her.
"Itadaimaaaa~" Jurina announced with a smile, though it was not the Cheshire grin she was accustomed to seeing. The young girl, Minami noticed, did not have the usual energy that surrounded her. A problem in school perhaps? Jurina immediately trotted over to Haruna and Mariko, who patted the girl's head with an exhausted but affectionate smile. Minami shifted her attention to the woman who had entered the cafe with the puppy girl. Takamina had never seen her in the cafe before, and by the looks of her clothes she was definitely not a classmate of Jurina's. She eyed the bag of manga she was holding, then the on with a watermelon. The short girl's eyebrows furrowed. Wasn't it a little out of season to be having a watermelon?
"Airi-san! Long time no see!" Yuko waved at the woman with a toothy grin, forgetting she was carrying a chair and dropped it on Sayaka's foot for the second time. The tall woman promptly did a 12-6 elbow strike on the squirrel's head. The smaller woman began to bawl.
"WHY MEEEE?!"
"BECAUSE YOU KEEP DROPPING STUFF ON ME!"
"BUT THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME!"
Sayaka elbowed her head again. Yuko fell on her knees and whimpered.
Physical harm, it seemed, followed the squirrel everywhere.
Takamina perked up at the familiar name. Hadn't Churi mentioned Airi before?
Sae, gentleman she ever was, ambled along to the one called Airi and offered to take the watermelon. Airi took up the offer with a grateful smile.
"Thanks Sae-san."
Sae beamed and heaved the giant fruit onto a nearby table. "No problem, Airi-chan!"
"Isn't it a little out of season to be having a watermelon," Mariko called out in a tired yet friendly tone, her hair being still being played with by Haruna and her hand still patting Jurina's head, " Airi-san?"
Airi shrugged and sat herself down at the counter. "Art class."
"She made me do stippling, Mari-chan!" Jurina whined.
"That's because you called me a pervert! In class!" Airi shot back. As if suddenly noticing Takamina from the corner of her eye, she swiveled on the bar stool until she faced the midget, who had been watching everything in amused silence.
"Hiya. Furukawa Airi at your service." Airi grinned, extending a hand to Minami. "You're definitely new."
"A month later than everyone else." Takamina returned the gesture amiably. "Name's Takahashi Minami."
Airi looked absolutely delighted. "Nice to finally meet you too, Blondie."
A small chuckle escaped Mariko's lips. Minami glanced at her, blinking in confusion. "Blondie?" Airi pointed to her head. The short girl's hand went up to her hair."Oh."
"Stop forgetting to take off your wig, Takai-nii." Mariko said in a teasing manner, her sleepy eyes sparkling. "Unless you plan on taking someone on another date."
The midget's face turned a dark shade of red.
"S-shut up!"
Airi snickered at the exchange, pleased that she had met the one who had unknowingly taken Maeda Atsuko out on a date. And shared an umbrella with. In the back of her mind she wondered if Blondie had any idea she was quite a hot topic in VIP.
Her train of thought was broken by something hard and painful to the head.
"ITAI!"
Airi spun around, glaring at the perpetrator. She paled immediately.
"H-hey Churi."
Akane snorted, a stainless steel ladle in her right hand.
"About time you came here."
~~~
"You should really hang out at the cafe more often. Well, at least we found a use for the watermelon." Churi told Airi while they washed the dishes after dinner later that evening."Though it was a little out of season for one, don't you think?"
"That's the second time I heard that one." Airi muttered.
"The suicurry was great though!" Jurina exclaimed happily. standing up from her chair and patting her sated stomach. The two lovebirds they had in a cage in their apartment tweeted merrily as Jurina passed by them in the living room on her way to her room.
Airi remained silent until she heard Jurina's door close with a 'click'. She leaned closer to Akane, murmuring conspiratorially. "Do you remember Jurina's crush from a few months back?"
"Hm?" Akane put a plate on the drying rack, the slight tilting of her head towards Airi the only indication that she was listening. "Mariko-sama?"
Airi shook her head gently. "No, no." She took a bowl and picked the leftover rice grains. "The one after."
"Ah, Rena-sensei wasn't it? Isn't she your co-worker now?" Churi took another plate and began to scrub it. "What about Rena-sensei? Hasn't Jurina's crush on her died down yet?"
"On the contrary, it's very much alive...and evolving. Oi, your nose." Airi chuckled and wiped some soap suds from Churi's nose with her thumb. "I don't think Jurina has any idea."
"Mm." Akane giggled softly. "She's actually quite clueless about love, isn't she?"
"Hmm..."
The bird lover raised an eyebrow at Airi's scheming expression and playfully wiped her foam-filled hands on the lower part of the otaku's face.
"You better not be thinking of something stupid."
Bubble bearded Airi Claus just grinned.
~~~
"I never pegged you for a Love Plus fan, Rena-san."
Matsui Rena jumped a little on her swivel chair and turned to face a grinning Furukawa Airi, gently placing her Nintendo DS on her desk.
"A-Airi-san!" She bowed politely. "Good morning."
"Airin is fine." Airi replied with an offhanded wave, still grinning. "So, Rinko huh?"
"H-hai." Rena-san gave a slight nod. "How about you, A-Airin-san?"
"Nene-chan." The art teacher eyed Rena-san's loosening shoulders and did a little 'Yossha!' in her mind. She sat herself on Kuwabara-sensei's chair--hopefully Mizuki wouldn't mind, she had a class anyway--and spun around lazily. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but were you at Mandarake yesterday?"
The gentle looking teacher nodded again, the beginnings of a smile forming on her face. "There was a new shipment of figures. I wanted to take a look."
"Did you see Alter's new Suzuha?"
"I did!" Rena smiled brightly, like a child who just made a new friend. Ah, kawaii. " It was quite nice, wasn't it? And that Master Grade Wing Proto was so cool..."
Airi mentally patted herself in the back, pleased with the outcome of events. Rena-san was lowering her guard--and she liked Gundam to boot! Did Jurina even know she liked anime? The puppy did look shocked when they saw Rena-sensei yesterday. The art teacher grinned madly and spun the chair once more. A woman with a pretty face, a hime-sama aura and otaku tendencies. Nice gap. Jurina, you lucky dog.
Time to take a leap of faith.
"Say, Rena-san. How do you feel about danso?"
~owari~
Because Furukawa Airi is a bro. (Brokawa...Burokawa?)
In the next episode: Chaos ensues.
Stay tuned minna!
Topic: Tales from the Danso Cafe - chapter 7 (30/01/2014) (Read 38267 times)