True Confessions 6:
“Wow, I don’t believe it!
He actually got accepted!”
“Of course he would! This
is Sawada Shin we’re talking about here…”
“To think that someone
from Shirokin would be going to such a prestigious school…”
“Unbelievable…”
The praises were endless
as the teachers continued to chatter amongst themselves none more loudly than
Kyoto-sensei who had suddenly become Shin’s greatest fan. The bespectacled man
had no problems rattling off Shin’s accomplishments being careful not to
mention the run-ins he had had with the ‘delinquent’ student during his stay in
school.
“Congratulations,
Yamaguchi sensei,” Kawashima enthused as she patted the younger woman’s
shoulders. “You must be so proud.”
“I know I would be,”
Yankumi’s jaw was
beginning to ache from grinning so much. She couldn’t stop staring at the board
filled with names of third year students and the colleges they would be
attending. Like a beacon of excellence, Shin’s name seemed to glow and it
showed on her features. She really was proud of him even though he hadn’t
bothered to let her know that he had been accepted. Of course he was rather
vague when that was mentioned at dinner last time, so there was really no way
she could have known anyway.
He could have at least
called me, she
thought with a grumble. But even that couldn’t dampen her good spirits. One of
her students from pathetic class 3-D was going to the most elite university in
the world! What was even better was that ALL of her students were going to
graduate! Everyone had managed to get accepted into his college of choice and
Yankumi couldn’t be any happier. Indeed, this called for a special celebration
with her cute students!
She became lost in
thought as she wondered what she could do for them. Maybe taking them out to
dinner wasn’t such a bad idea. She would try to get her grandfather to see if
he could set up something with one of the more exclusive hotels in the city and
then…
No! They’ll all begin
to wonder where I got the money from! I’m supposed to be a single woman living
all alone, right?
“Argh! Where can I take
them?”
A pamphlet was placed on
the table and she blinked at it in confusion.
“On…onsen?” she asked,
lifting the brochure to stare at the beautiful pictures of the
“A thank you gift for
your students, ne?”
Taking them to a
“Ah, ah, ah, not so fast,
Yamaguchi sensei,” The Kyoto said as he walked up to the teacher’s desk. “We
cannot have your boys running around the city like that. Anything could happen
in that place.”
“But I’ll be there with
them, Kyoto-sensei,” she began.
“And that’s supposed to
reassure me?” the man asked with a raised brow. “Your boys have been known to
get into brawls and fights and what difference would it make if…”
“It’s their final days as
high school students,” The principal, Gonzou, suddenly said while cleaning out
several silk flowers gently. “I think it will be fine if they enjoyed a day
out.”
Kyoto-sensei looked like
he was about to protest, but Yankumi was already on her feet, grinning with
pleasure. “Yes, sensei! I’ll make sure they stay out of trouble because I’ll
have
“Eh!” came the
simultaneous cries of surprise from the women. But Yankumi flashed them a
brilliant smile and a thumbs up sign. She already had a plan in mind.
Shin
stared dispassionately at the message on his cell phone. Ayumi was stopping by
to visit later on this evening and he was really in no mood to entertain anyone
let alone her. Maybe he could invite Uchi to stop by and keep her company. He
knew his best friend had the hots for the young model.
“SHIN!”
He had only a moment to
gather his wits about him before he was nearly barreled to the ground as Noda
and Uchi pounced on him in excitement. Kuma and Minami were running to catch up
as the confused teen stared at his friends while dealing with their nudges and
exuberant hugs.
“Why didn’t you tell us, man?”
Minami yelled.
“Toudai! Toufuckingdai!”
Noda bellowed in awe. They stood back then and seemed to stare at the flustered
dark-haired boy in a whole new light. Shin ran fingers through his hair, trying
to regain some semblance of control. Oh yeah. The news would have gotten out by
now.
Damn.
“So?” he finally muttered
with a light shrug trying to hide his embarrassment. He shoved his hands into
the pockets of his pants and began to lead the way back to class. “It’s not
like I said I’m going there…yet.”
/You’ll think about
it? Won’t you?/
Yankumi’s eager features flashed in his mind and he bit back a low groan. He
just had to remember that, didn’t he?
“Same difference!” Uchi
remarked, placing an arm on his friend’s shoulders. “That school is so full of
important people; it makes my head ache just thinking about it.”
“Ah…well…”
“It would be so cool to
tell everyone that one of us is going there,” Kuma said with a dazed look on
his countenance. “When I open up my restaurant, I’m going to dedicate a meal in
your honor, Shin. I’ll call it Shin no soba.”
Even Shin had to smile at
that as he listened to his friends’ guffaws of mirth.
You guys…
They entered the
boisterous classroom and the praises began again. Everyone seemed genuinely
happy for him and try as hard as he might to remain passive and irritated about
the whole affair, he just couldn’t stop the burning sting he felt in his eyes.
He couldn’t cry in front of them – that would be considered being weak. But as
he stared into each face, as if hoping to memorize them for one last time, he
knew he would never be able to find another set of friends as good to him.
“I guess you all must
have heard!” Yankumi’s voice suddenly rang out, causing them to turn their
attention to the grinning female standing in front of the classroom. “But
before we only gush all over Sawada, I’d just like to say that I’m really,
really, really proud of you all!”
She swiped a hand beneath
her eyes, ignoring the laughter and good-natured jeers that followed. She bit
her lower lip and stared at her boys, as she had come to know them, seeing each
different personality and just how special and unique they really were. They
might have been seen as delinquents and trouble makers to everyone else, but
she knew that they all had a heart of gold and were good, kind and brave in
their own special way. She was definitely going to miss them.
Her gaze finally fell
upon Shin’s and her smile widened. She watched him scowl for a moment before he
turned his face away, a dark stain on his cheeks. She could still remember how
gentle his hands had been on her injured foot – which was feeling much better
by the way – and how good it had felt as well. She wondered if an opportunity
like that would ever present itself again. Not that she wished to think about such
things now.
“All right, everyone! I
have some good news for you!” She held up the pamphlet. “For your class trip,
I’ll be taking you all to the
A collective cry of ‘Eh?!’
filled the room before Minami recovered quickly to pump his fist in the air.
“YEAH!”
Onsen? Shin thought, not joining in the
celebration. Interesting. With his hands upon his desk, he smirked and
then said loudly. “Oy, so does this mean you are going to be with us, Yankumi?”
“But of course,” the teacher
replied with a firm nod. “I’ll be there to make sure you boys don’t get into
any trouble…eh? What is it?”
The boys had begun to
whine and complain. “It’s not going to be fun with you around!” Noda said,
echoing everyone else’s sentiments.
“Ah, but…Kawashima and
“
“Even Kawashima sensei…”
Uchi added. The boys sighed like lovesick fools completely ignoring the woman
who was looking quite put off in the background.
“Hey! Hey, what about
me!” she asked but was completely ignored. Shin watched her pout, feeling a
nervous jump in his stomach at just how cute she looked. To kiss those lips
again…properly this time, was all he wanted – at least for now. But sitting
back on his chair, he shrugged lightly.
“No one wants to see you
in a towel,” he drawled lazily, earning loud laughter in return. At least no
one else should get to see you in one…except me.
So it was
settled. The boys would meet at the onsen tomorrow morning and spend the night
there. It would be a welcome reprieve from the tension of the past few weeks,
at least Shin hoped so. He walked up the flight of stairs to the rooftop with
plans to catch a few winks before joining Noda and the others for lunch. His
thoughts were so full of the upcoming trip, his acceptance to
“Just what I would expect
from you, Sawada,” Yankumi said with an approving grin as she lowered her leg.
“Just what was that all
about?” he asked with a light frown although still slightly shaken at being
caught off guard. “If you’re still mad about me saying no one wants to see you
in a towel…”
“That’s not it, idiot,”
she said, nudging him gently. “I actually wanted to ask you to become my
sparring partner.”
He stopped in his tracks
and spun around slowly to stare at her in confusion. Looking into her eager
black eyes, he wondered if she was toying with him. It didn’t seem like it
though.
“Your sparring partner.”
“That’s right!” She gave
a dramatic sigh and began to walk towards the railings, leaving Shin to stare
after her back in a slight daze. “You see, I need someone who can keep up with
me. All the other men at the house are too afraid to fight with me…”
“I wonder why,” he
mumbled beneath his breath.
Thankfully, she didn’t
hear that. “…and I’m going to need someone to help me out. This could be
beneficial for you too!”
“In case I get into
fights at Toudai?” he stated flatly.
“Eh!” She ran towards
him, placing hands on his arms, her features positively alight with excitement.
“So you are going! I’m so happy, Shin…Sawada!”
“I didn’t say I was…”
“But you just said…”
“Doesn’t matter what I
said,” he interrupted, taking a step back so as not to give in to the urge of
seizing her in an embrace. He didn’t want to risk having another student
wandering up here…but then again, she looked so…
He growled softly. “Your
sparring partner, eh? Sounds like fun. When do I start?”
“Eh?” She hadn’t expected
him to give a response that quickly, neither had she expected him to step away
from her like this.
What is it? Was I
hoping he’d repeat what happened the last time?
“I asked when do I
start?” he asked, sinking to the ground and propping himself against the wall.
He raised a brow in surprise as she soon made herself comfortable beside him
and for a second, the world seemed to reel at her proximity. He found himself
beginning to notice the little things about her, not that he hadn’t before. The
familiar smell of her perfume – a light blend of roses and jasmine – filled his
nostrils. The light sheen of sweat on her forehead, barely visible pink chalk
on the bridge of her nose, and the soft tendrils of her dark hair stuck to her
cheeks. Before he could stop himself, his fingers reached up to brush them away
gently.
He held his breath,
waiting for her to push him away or to call him some name, but to his delight,
she said nothing. He tucked the loose strands gently behind her ear making sure
he didn’t knock off her glasses. But he needn’t have worried as she took them
off herself and wiped them gently with her t-shirt.
“Can you begin the day
after tomorrow?” she asked quietly, trying hard not to show just how much she
enjoyed his tender touches. She gasped softly as she felt his hand beneath her
jaw, forcing her gaze to meet his. She could feel her mouth getting dry while
forcing herself not to look at those tempting lips which hovered mere inches
from hers.
“Maybe if you ask me
nicely,” he teased softly, raising a thumb to caress her lower lip gently. He
could feel the heat pooling in the pit of his stomach and he shifted his legs
restlessly. This was the perfect opportunity he had been looking for!
She tried to scowl at his
audacity, but had a hard time doing that. God, he smelled like rich cinnamon
and male sweat – a scent she had come to appreciate throughout the years. There
was something so intoxicating about that. It made her mind reel and her toes curl
with delight.
“You idiot,” she muttered
thickly. “I’m not going to ask you nicely because you’re going to be there or
else.”
“Or else what?” Mere
inches separated their lips now and they could both hear their shallow but
synchronized breathing. Dear gods, it felt as if their very hearts were bound
to leap out of their chests at any second.
Don’t faint…don’t
faint…don’t faint!
“Or else, I’ll…I’ll…”
She closed her eyes and
moved, catching his surprised gasp against her lips.
Oh God, I am going to
faint!
Shin tasted of coffee,
probably the last thing he had this morning and the faint but recognizable mint
taste of toothpaste. Kissing was something she wasn’t sure of – she had
practiced by herself a lot of times in her room – had memorized the great romance
scenes in dramas and movies alike, trying hard to remember how it had been
done. She didn’t want to look like a fool before Shin (the fainting incident
didn’t count) but she had started this and she had to see it through.
She felt his hand on her
upper arm, holding on tightly as if afraid to let go and she felt a weight lift
off her shoulders at the knowledge that Shin was getting into this as well. She
grew a bit bolder, daring to tease his tongue with hers…just a little. It
turned out to be worth it. Shin’s gasp was like music to her ears and she felt
her body tremble as he responded eagerly.
God, but he was good at
this kissing business!
Just when she thought she
was going to run out of air, he pulled back slowly, a slightly dazed look in
his eyes as he waited for her to open hers.
“Kum…Kumiko?” he called
out gently. He was holding onto her for she had begun to sway a little still
unable to believe she had actually initiated the kiss this time. His cheeks
were a dark red and her features were no better. Her lips looked swollen and
even more tempting and Shin had the feeling that if they didn’t stop now…he was
going to do something that would probably have him sent to the hospital.
She finally opened her
eyes to stare at his flustered visage, a small smile of victory coming to her
lips as she saw her handiwork. “So?” she asked huskily. “Will you be my
sparring partner?”
“You…” He blushed even
harder and tried to look upset. “That’s a cheap way of getting me to agree.”
“But it was good, wasn’t
it?” she asked with a wide and lopsided grin, feeling almost giddy with
pleasure at her boldness. She was sure she’d regret doing this some other time,
but right now…she felt great!
“See? I got you to say
yes, didn’t I?”
“I didn’t say yes…”
“You said if I asked
nicely…”
“Kissing wasn’t a part of
the deal! Aren’t you my…my….” Even he couldn’t say the word now. She winked and
reached up to ruffle his hair. He really was cute when he looked flustered!
“But we have only two
weeks, ne, Sawada?”
“Shin…”
“Eh?”
“You can call me Shin
when we’re alone,” he mumbled reaching up to catch her wrist within his hand.
He eyed the hand carefully, reluctantly admiring the faint bruises on her
knuckles evident of fights she had been in. She definitely was a unique
individual.
She licked her lips and
coughed softly, lowering her gaze. “And you can continue with…yes…”
“I don’t need your
permission to call you what I want,” he remarked smugly and suffered a cuff to
the head. “Itai!”
“Serves you right!” She
rose to her feet and placed her hands on her hips, eyeing him with a grin of
accomplishment on her features. “Let’s have fun at the onsen tomorrow, ne?”
He smirked still rubbing
his head gently. “Be careful what you wish for.”
“Eh?”
He rolled his eyes at her
confused expression before shifting positions to lie on the ground. “Nothing,
stupid.”
“Eh! What do you mean by
be careful what I wish for, Shin? Answer me!”
He ignored her tirade and
closed his eyes, allowing the mid-morning sun’s rays to beat on his face. His
lips still tingled from their kiss and his smile became one of content.
One step down – a
million more to go,
he thought. At least things were looking up for him now.
He couldn’t wait to get
to the hot springs.