Title: Avoidance Reaction Author: MK Pairing: Sawada Shin x Yamaguchi Kumiko Fandom: Gokusen Theme: #10, the number ten Disclaimer: I don't own Gokusen, but I really did it-I named my hard drive "SAWADA SHIN" and my laptop "YANKUMI". Three weeks until Graduation, and Yankumi had the head teacher breathing down her neck. "Yamaguchi-sensei, I assume 3-D will successfully pass their exams?" Why did he always put so much emphasis on her name? She forced a wide, drawn smile. "Of course, Kyoto-sensei! There's nothing to worry about!" They grinned fiercely at each other for a long moment before she turned her back on him and left. If she stayed any longer he would come up with some annoying challenge or bet to try and stop her cute little students from graduating. It wasn't the time for mind games. "Yamaguchi!" The high-heeled patter of footsteps behind her came from two pairs of shoes, so she stopped and turned. "You're in for the long haul!" Nakashima smiled, but Yankumi noticed she was pushing forward a reluctant Fujiyama-sensei, who eventually thrust out a sheaf of papers and refused to meet her eyes. "I made extra English practice tests for them. Take them." "They're different from the other classes, so sh!" Nakashima gestured for her to take them quickly and Yankumi felt herself break out into a real grin this time. "Fujiyama--! I've mis-judged you!" She gave the other woman a hug (stiffly received) and sniffled a little. "Thank you so much!" "Don't get all sniffly on me, this is a new suit!" Thankfully, 3-D were pretty willing to finish up and pass their exams, so they took the English handout and math lesson better than they usually did. Or maybe Shin had something to do with it-he had slowly raised his eyes from the handout when she had passed and given her a look that was smoldering in a way completely different than the looks she got in fights. She had to kick one leg with her other foot to stay focused. She scrawled some equations on the board and worked through them with everyone, going through short cuts and tricks and-Was he watching her? From around Kuma? No, no, she was being self-centered. "Kuma, can you do this one?" And while he walked up to the board there was no reason not to glance past him and back at-his eyes were open! Didn't he usually sleep through this class? What had gotten into him? Of course, anyone would have been distracted if they were on the receiving end of a look like that, but it got worse. Somewhere in the back of her head it kept popping up that the other day he had actually challenged a suitor for her (admittedly, her only suitor to date) and that he had been terribly embarrassed afterwards. What did he...? Why did he...? She had to focus. There were other things to worry about. Like how warm his side had been where it had come into contact with hers, and how natural it felt to just lay around on the floor with him while she did her marking, or-Focus. At lunch, she studiously avoided the roof. She didn't ask him if he had gotten the others to work hard for their final exam, or tell him that she'd be out a little earlier than usual since all the paper work would come just before and just after exams. She certainly didn't think about his face close to hers or how he looked away and to the side when he was uncomfortable. No, Yankumi ran with the gym class that period. She ran as hard and as fast as she could, taunted the second year students, made faces at them and generally gave Iwamoto-sensei a hard time about being out of shape. By the end of the day, she had exhausted herself mentally and physically, and had to face Shin anyway to go home. She rambled about unimportant things-Fujiyama giving her those handouts to pass on, beating Iwamoto-sensei in a sprint, how Kyoto-sensei kept a safety-helmet under his desk "just in case". And he was silent for most of it, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye while she pretended not to notice. "Taiyaki." He finally spoke up, part way home. (She was running out of things to say.) "Huh?" "We should pick up some taiyaki." And that sounded reasonable, so they headed off, slightly away from home to get some. "I know a good place," he had said, grabbing her hand, and it was too much while she was still trying to keep her thoughts from things that really just didn't happen to her. They passed through a small alley as a short cut, and then along a long path lined with shady trees. "This way? Are you sure?" "..." Right. Of course he was sure - he rarely said things he didn't mean unless he was being sarcastic. But then, there was also, she realized, that his actions had changed lately. He had done things she was sure he wouldn't have normally, things that ate away little by little at that pride that held him detached from everyone else. She felt a sudden swelling of happiness. His own family, except for his sister, had treated him so coldly. It must be that now he was experiencing what a real family was like, a supportive family. Her face broke into a grin and she felt very light for having introduced him to people like her Grandfather and Kyo and Tetsu and Minoru, people who he genuinely liked and could be himself around. "It's just taiyaki. Why are you so excited?" He was giving her a look like she was going to do something dangerous or embarrassing; that wary look he often got just before she would mess up his hair. "It's nothing!" She replied, but he had stopped walking. "You're thinking something strange again." "Relax, relax! I'm just glad you get along with everyone so well! You've been so happy lately." "It's you." "What?" He shook his head and started walking again. "Nevermind." "Hey, tell me! Tell me!"