P1 Literature | APRIL 1st, Teacher: Kiyoshi Otsuka

[Cupcake]

As a class representative, it was vitally important that Nanami arrived at class earlier than on time. As per usual, she was up on the Library's third floor before anyone else had arrived for first period. After skipping up the old-fashioned timber stairwell, Nanami Sato of Sixth Grade planted herself in the middle of the first row, eager to start the new school year. She sighed as she glanced down at herself. Her gray dress was slightly creased, despite the fact she'd been up so early and took her time ironing it and hanging it up days ago. However, she was glad to be in short sleeves now that summer was approaching. Nanami wasn't fond of long sleeved blouses, so the beginning of the school year was always one of her favourite times. Self consciously, she ran her pale fingers through her wavy crimson hair and tried to give it some volume, then threw her hands down to her legs when she realized her white socks weren't even. Nanami was pedantic when it came to things not matching up, so she was constantly checking her socks and ribbons. As she looked over herself one more time, solid footsteps could be heard from the stairwell she had climbed only minutes ago, so she threw her gaze up to meet the newcomers eyes.

Kiyoshi loved the start of term, and even more, the start of the new year. It meant he got to meet new faces, assign seating places and find somebody new to pick on. The few years Kiyoshi Otsuka had been teaching at Hanemaboroshi High School had been by far the most interesting of his life. Today was the first day of the new school year, so Kiyoshi was looking forward to starting fresh with a new pallet of students. Some, of course, he had taught previously, however there was a fair amount of new faces he hadn't yet met in a few of his classes. Climbing up the stairwell to the third floor of the library, he was assured by the drifting scent of female perfume that he would not be the first to class, although he knew that not far behind him his son Naoki was following. As the literature teacher reached the top of the stairs, he saw Nanami Sato, senior and class representative of Sixth Grade. It wasn't peculiar for Nanami to be in class before a teacher, in fact it was quite normal for her, and Kiyoshi knew this because he had taught her before. "Welcome back to Hana-ko, Sato-san." He cheered, grinning at one of his favourite students and taking a seat at his desk.

"Good morning Otsuka-sensei, I'm pleased to be back." Nanami smiled politely in response. She rather liked Otsuka-sensei, and was thrilled that he'd be teaching her again this year. He was one of her favourite teachers. "How was your winter break, sensei?" Nanami asked, standing up and perching herself on the edge of her teacher's desk. Normally she wouldn't do such a thing, but being with Otsuka-sensei was like being with friends. He treated the students much differently and was very informal with them, so gestures like these weren't frowned upon the slightest bit.

"Well winter is certainly getting colder by the year, that's all I can say." Kiyoshi replied, with a feeble laugh. His words were true though, even though he barely felt the cold due to his Vampirism, he could tell when the temperature dropped dramatically. "And how was your winter, Sato-san?" He asked politely, smiling innocently. He could here muffled voices and laughter from the floors below so he guessed more students would be joining them soon, although he wondered what was taking Naoki so long.

"Unpleasant, I must say." Nanami replied rather bluntly, but quickly smiled and laughed it off. "Well lets just say I've had a rather interesting couple of weeks at home." She added, covering up her bluntness. What she really meant to say was 'My mother miscarried for a second time which has turned her into a giant mess of bipolar and prenatal angst', however she knew this news was not meant to become public. Nanami's mother Neneko had been trying to get pregnant for a little over two years now, but the first time had ended in a miscarriage so she put off trying again. And now that she tried again, she's miscarried again... Nanami wondered how long it would take before she plucked up the courage to try a third time. However, her thoughts were snapped away as footsteps grew louder and she could hear someone coming up the stairwell, so she flicked her head to see who was coming.

[Tomi-lovely]

Koji dawdled his way upto the 3rd floor in the library, most un-happy about having to sit through another year of schooling that he knew wouldn't help him in the long run. Regardless, he was still one of the most popular students in school, and though the classes were tedious and sleep-inducing, he looked forward to another year of mischief, manipulating teachers, fun and best of all, girls.

He walked up the stairwell, passing Naoki Otsuka, who was loitering on the stairwell, to move onto the 3rd floor, and saw Nanami and Otsuka-sensei being rather friendly. Nanami was sitting on the edge of his desk and the two seemed to be having a rather intimate chat, though that wasn't out of character for Otsuka-sensei.

Koji eyed the two suspiciously for a moment as he moved further into the classroom. He smiled boyishly at Nanami, whom he always thought was a notch above other girls on the beauty scale, and bowed his head slightly at Otsuka-sensei.

"Yo, Sensei! Nanami!" He said with a cheeky grin across his face. "How was your break?" He asked as he walked over to them.

Koji wondered if anything was going on between the two, as it seemed more than odd that they were the only two in the classroom, and the position they were in just screamed inappropriate relationship.

[Cupcake]

<sub>Kiyoshi smiled politely at Koji Yoshifuku, a student he knew rather well, as the rest of the school did, as he passed into the classroom. "Good morning, Yoshifuku-san." He said, calmly, wondering what the students opinion would be on the position of Nanami Sato on the edge of his desk. To anyone else, it would look rather inappropriate, but he was as informal as a bunch of monkeys socialising with each other, so he didn't have a problem with it. After all, he was rather young... Physically. And he couldn't help but find Nanami incredibly attractive for an eighteen year old. However, she was legal... No, he had to stop thinking about high school girls this way. That was inappropriate. "I hope you had a nice winter break." He added to Koji, trying to cover up his obvious distraction.

"Oh, good morning Yoshifuku-san, it's nice to see you again this year." Nanami greeted him with friendliness, although remembering how much of a payer he was. He only ever seemed to be nice to girls that were pretty, in order to fool around with them. But, being the optimist she was, she knew there was a decent guy inside of him, even if it was difficult to spot sometimes. Perhaps he just liked having fun. Nanami took notice of his slight confused expression, and realized that she should probably stop sitting on the teacher's desk, especially when only sensei and herself had been in the classroom. That ought to raise suspicions. "I-I wonder what's taking everyone so long." She stuttered, attempting to slide off Otsuka-sensei's desk inconspicuously.</sub>

[Tomi-lovely]

Koji smiled slyly as Nanami slid off the desk.

"Oh, I did, Sensei." He said nonchalantly as he looked around the room.
"Where is everyone?.." He asked confused, looking in Nanami's direction.
"I mean, I saw Naoki on the stairwell just standing there, but everyone else seems late.." He added as he gazed at Nanami.

She was gorgeous, and he'd never seen her as attainable. However he'd vowed to achieve new goals this year, and perhaps she should be on that list of goals, he thought as he looked down at the ground.

"So, Nanami, what did you do this break?" He asked, striking up a lame conversation in an attempt to fool her into thinking he was an 'okay guy'.

[Cupcake]

<sub>Nanami wasn't particularly surprised that Koji was speaking to her as if they were close. One; by calling her by her first name, and two; by asking what she had been up to during the holidays. She hoped that he wasn't going to bother trying to 'attain' her, like he did with countless other girls, because she simply couldn't care less about relationships or high school flings. She wasn't going to end up like her high school knocked-up mother and have to drop out of school. "Umm... It is kind of surprising that everyone seems to be late. Normally students are eager at the beginning of the year." She ignored the comment about Naoki who was apparently in the stairwell. As the son of a vampire, she imagined people around large crowds of people wasn't his thing. "I didn't get up to all that much, just family stuff, I guess. How about you?" Nanami asked, with little interest in what he had actually gotten up to. She wouldn't be surprised if he was the father of half of Aomori's youngest generation, with the way he spent his time. Nanami lingered around Otsuka-sensei's desk, trailing her fingers over the top of the wooden surface. Suddenly, she heard footsteps in the hallway, and wondered who was going to join them. She felt all the gazes in the room turn to the door at once.

Naoki didn't care about going to school, but he didn't have much of a choice. He was sick of being stared at, sick of having to make conversation, sick of having to pretend to care about the things they learned in class. He simply didn't care. He wanted to leave school so badly, that he actually tried to during the holidays. He had attempted to sign out, although his father, who was conveniently the teacher of the class he was just walking into, refused to sign the form of absence. He couldn't wait to be eighteen. Upon entering the classroom, he felt like the room went silent as he walked in in his winter blazer and scruffy black long-toed slip on shoes. The shine from them had been completely extinguished since the say he'd bought them almost a year ago. He looked up, somewhat flicking his reddish hair out of his eyes as he glanced around the classroom. Without needing to look any further, he knew that Nanami Sato, the class representative of sixth grade, his father, Kiyoshi Otsuka, and Koji Yoshifuku, the annoying, arrogant player who seemed to view himself as his 'rival', were in the room. He didn't bother greeting anyone in the classroom, and instantly walked to the back of the third floor and sat in an obviously vacant seat.</sub>

[Tomi-lovely]

"Family stuff can be fun, sometimes" He said as he smiled cutely. "Ah, as for me, I was doing the usual, you know. Friends and the like." Koji replied as he turned to see Naoki walk in, ever silent, as per usual. Koji glared slightly, but payed no attention to him and turned back around to see Nanami rubbing her hands on Otsuka-Sensei's desk. He heard footsteps coming from the stairwell, more students would soon be joining them. "I wonder what's keeping them.." He pondered as he looked intently at the entrance.

[Cupcake]

<sub>Nanami thought for a moment, perhaps family stuff was fun sometimes - just not for her. Not that she had much of a family anyway. She lived with her mother, who produced her after being raped, so she grew up knowing she was a 'rape child'. Then, her godsister Sayuri Naoko moved in with them, after leaving a Geisha district she was sold to as small child and finding out her parents had died in the meantime. "I guess, sometimes. Although family time for me... isn't exactly all that pleasant." She laughed, dryly. She wasn't warming up to her mother's new boyfriend very well, and her mother herself had been nothing more than an emotional bitch lately who used whatever excuse she could to annoy and criticize Nanami.

Normally, her mother wasn't like this. She missed the days when her mother was carefree and fun loving. She always spent time with the girls, and they didn't need anyone else in the world but each other. Although now their family was falling apart. Sayuri hated Neneko's new boyfriend with a passion, which caused a lot of bitterness when he came over (which was a lot), and so in turn she had turned into an antisocial computer nerd. Nanami herself had tried to keep neutral with the families disagreements, but now they were getting worse and she was just feeling utterly miserable. She was beginning to wish she had someone to lean on. Someone who she knew would be there for her, and make her forget about everything else in the world... Someone like...

Nanami stopped herself from thinking the name she assumed she was about to think, and turned away from Otsuka-sensei's desk and looked at Koji as their teacher began to flip through a notebook silently. "Well I'm glad you had an enjoyable holiday, then." She replied to his second statement, with a smile that just didn't seem right.</sub>

[Tomi-lovely]

Koji smiled at Nanami sweetly. "I'm awfully sorry yours wasn't as pleasant.." Koji said solemnly as he looked from the stairwell to her face. Koji wondered if Nanami was coping, as he could tell that she wasn't very happy at the current time. Koji looked towards the stairs one last time as he saw a herd of students come up in sync. He wondered where they were and why they were so late, but he shook it off and took a seat before the selection was limited.

[Cupcake]

<sub>Kiyoshi stood up as he heard a large group of students ascending the stairwell. It was time for the class to begin, and the rest of the students had finally realized that. "Good morning class!" He exclaimed, enthusiastically as one by one, the class began to fill up and students stood behind vacant seats. "Now before you relax, I, admittedly, have devised a seating chart for all of you munchkins." Kiyoshi paused. "So, please stand beside the wall to my right, and I'll announce the chart." He smiled, winking at Nanami who was still in front of him.

Nanami felt her cheeks redden when Otsuka-sensei winked at her as she turned back around to face him. He had announced that there would be a seating plan, which was not to her surprise. So, following the rest of the crowd, she walked over silently to the wall beside the stairwell, and waited for the arrangements to be made.

Naoki got up with the rest of the students when his father announced the seating plan. He was annoyed, but he had expected there would be one. Kiyoshi was the Faculty Head, so he was in order of appointing or not appointing seating plans. All classes were supposed to have one, but it came down to whether or not the actual teacher of the class could be bothered putting the students in order, even though seating charts had been designed by Kiyoshi for them.</sub>

[Tomi-lovely]

Koji moved to the wall to the right, like Otsuka-sensei had asked. It didn't matter to him who he sat next to, he was on good terms with everybody, except one. He hoped with all his might that he wasn't seated next to Naoki, though he thought that Naoki must have complained to his father about him on more than one occasion, and as such didn't expect to be. He hoped he would be seated next to Nanami, in an effort to 'woo' her, or at least get to know her a bit better.

[Cupcake]

<sub>Kiyoshi cleared his throat, and took out of piece of paper that was clipped at the top of his folder. "So, here it is. If you don't like where you're seating, come to me next semester when the seating plan changes. Because it will be too late then." Kiyoshi tended to say weird, contradicting statement to his students. Most of them caught on to the fact he was trying to be funny, and he usually was, but there was still an odd couple of students who had no idea what he was talking about. Conveniently, he didn't get along well with those students.

He began reading out the list of names, and paused when he got to his favourite student. "Sato, Nanami. 1F." He had placed her carefully. He wanted her to be near enough to him that he could speak with her casually, after all, she was a class representative, but he didn't want it to look too suspicious, so he placed her at a window seat. That way she'd at least be happy about not sitting in the middle of the room. He continued down the list, pausing again at his son's name. "Otsuka, Naoki. 2E." This he did in order to get Naoki to pay attention in class. However, he assumed it wouldn't work. Once he reached one of the last names, most of the class had walked over to their allocated seats and stood behind them. "Yoshifuku, Koji. 2F." This was simply to keep an eye on the rascal. He wondered if he had put him somewhere potentially harmful, though, as he was seated directly behind the school goddess.</sub>

[Tomi-lovely]

Koji rolled his eyes and sighed. The unthinkable had happened. He dragged himself over to seat 2F, where he sat himself next to Naoki Otsuka. His rival, of sorts. "Hello, Naoki.." He said out of courtesy as he looked at the vampire. He was always envious of Naoki's looks, because Koji had always thought of himself as the most attractive male in school, equal to, or perhaps only bested by Naoki Otsuka. 'At least its not all bad..' Koji thought to himself. He was seated right behind Nanami. He sighed again as he rested his head in his hand and looked at Otsuka-sensei somewhat furiously. He knew immediately that it was no accident he was placed where he was.

[Cupcake]

<sub>Nanami, being one of the latter names called out for the seating plan, already had an estimation of where she would be seated after seeing the other filled seats. And, as she guessed, she was in 1F. It was a decent seat because it was by the window, but most people hated the front row. However, being class representative had it's disadvantages. You were almost always put in the front row. Right in front of the teacher, at that. Sighing in both relief and annoyance, she paced to her seat gracefully and stood behind it with her arms folded over her chest. And to add to her annoyance, Koji was going to be seated directly behind her. Naoki she didn't mind, he didn't talk much and was the son of Otsuka-sensei, but Koji's popularity with the more immature girls got on her nerves. She had wondered maybe if it was because of similarities between the two that irritated her, or just that fact that he was a player that annoyed her. She didn't think it was the similarities - however many underclassmen adored, looked up to, or sometimes obsessed over her (either male or female), she didn't really care. People looked up to her because of her intellect and class. People fawned over Koji because of his good looks and easiness. She wasn't like that, even if she was considerably decent looking.

Of course he was placed next to the most annoying male on earth, his father was the one who created the seating plan, so of course he got the pleasure of being seated next to the person who irritated him the most. Koji Yoshifuku was a lowly, annoying, stuck-up manther who followed around girls like a dog chases a cat. Naoki wondered whether Koji had a single decent thought in his mind at all, since the only thing he had ever seen Koji do was flirt and obtain desperate girls. And what was more annoying, was that Koji always seemed to want to challenge Naoki. He'd never say it directly, but the way he sort of glared at him make him think what on earth he was smoking. He looked at him like he was an obstacle he had to overcome in order to reach first prize, and it irritated the crap out of him. Naoki didn't speak to people at the best of times, so instead of replying to Koji, he simply glared at him with his ghostly crimson eyes and then lowered his gaze to his desk. If Koji irritated him enough this semester, he'd be tempted to drain him of his blood and devour all the detached limbs from his body. Only he might get arrested for that.

The looks the students were giving each other as result of the seating plan made Kiyoshi want to burst out in laughter, but he thought that was somewhat inappropriate and cruel. Instead, he smiled feebly and sat down at his desk once again, indicating for the class to sit, which they did. "Well now children large and small, say hello to your deskmates for this semester! I'm terribly sorry if you're not pleased, but remember, there are reasons for why each and every one of you is where you are. Think about them, and work on them." He informed the class, more seriously now. And what he said was true. For people that disliked each other who were seated together, they were together because Kiyoshi knew they could get along, if they wanted to. He didn't bother putting together the no-hopers, they'd only cause trouble and be an annoyance to not just him, but the students. "So, being the first lesson of the year, I will indeed be informing you of the subject you'll be studying this semester." Kiyoshi paused, feeling suspense rising. "As you would know if you took Literature last year, we studied Shakespeare's work 'Romeo and Juliet', so it's safe to say we will not be studying that this year." He continued, wondering what the student's suspicions were.

"This semester, we will be studying slightly differently." Suddenly, the room grew quieter. "We won't be reading a novel this semester, but instead, we will be working on a topic that doesn't actually have a name as such. Our main focus right now is to get you kids ready for everything that's outside of Hanemaboroshi's walls, and mature you enough for dealing with whatever that is. In order to do that, a series of 'activities' as such, have been created in order for your perseverance and enjoyment of our current topic." As soon as he said the word 'activities', heads were raised and subtle whispers could be heard around to room. "Today, and for the next week or so, our focus will be on debating. So, each day or two, there will be a new topic up for debate, and the whole class will be permitted to participate. And, at the end of our debating period, the two best speakers who have participated the most throughout the next week or so, will be given a reward." Heads shot up and excited murmurs were all over the room now. Kioyoshi smiled. "And don't ask what the reward is, because I don't know myself. The reward has, or has yet to be, decided by the headmistress of Hanemaboroshi. So good luck, and get in there!"</sub>

[Tomi-lovely]

' 'Terribly sorry', my ass..' Koji thought to himself as he glared subtly at his teacher. He tried to look at the positives, at least he's sitting close to Nanami, and at least he'll get the pleasure of tormenting Naoki for the rest of the semester.

'Debating..' Koji thought to himself as he rested his head in his palm. 'This could be fun.. Maybe I'll be able to go up against Naoki.. Or.. Maybe Nanami!' he added in his head. He wished that Nanami would notice him. Everytime he saw her, his stomach would turn just a little bit. It was a strange feeling he didn't understand, and he tried to shake it off every time he felt it. Perhaps being in Nanami's class this year would be an interesting turn for everyone.

[Cupcake]

<sub>Kiyoshi smiled carelessly as he felt a pang of hatred come towards him from his left. His powers were becoming stronger, and every day he discovered something new that he could do or see. it pleased him. "So." He sighed, looking down at his titanium wristwatch. "It appears we only have moments left of today's class." He cleared his throat, opening one of his many folders. "Which means I shall announce the topic for next lesson's debate." Kiyoshi smiled, accidentally looking directly at Nanami. He hoped no one had noticed that. "Abortion." He paused. "Read up on it, and tell us your views on whether or not it should be legal, if parental consent should be required for underage abortions, and the like. Good luck." The bell sounded. "You are dismissed." Kiyoshi ended the class with another huge smile. He cleared his things from the desk and placed worksheets back into his folder, watching as the students, especially Nanami, left the room.

Naoki was the first to leave the room. He didn't even wait until is father had finished saying 'class dismissed'. Now he had to endure another pointless period of education he'd never need.

Nanami unknowingly shied away when Otsuka-sensei looked directly at her and smiled, putting her gaze on the desk rather than her teacher for the rest of the lesson. Tomorrow they'd be debating on abortion - that would be interesting. Nanami didn't even have to study it, she already knew pretty much everything there was to know about it through her mother. However, she wondered if anyone would even bother to look it up or to participate in the debate. Well, she knew she would. Whether she wanted to or not, she always ended up doing these kinds of things. Sighing, she picked up her bag and exited the classroom after the bell sounded, saying goodbye to her teacher but leaving the room before he could reply. That lesson had been weirdly awkward.</sub>