Harumi shook her head lightly as she sat up.  A yawn racked through her body, but immediately stopped when a hand was placed on her left shoulder.  She looked up, her blue eyes wandering over to the male sitting beside her.  "What do you want?"  The half-white, half-Asian female spoke to her classmate.  Harumi had actually moved from the United States when she was still a small child, only having her mother in her life.  She did not, however, remember her father who was American.  Her eyes met Yabuki Hayato's, her body easily pulling away from him.  "You know I don't like being touched."

"I know.  I was just wondering if you were planning on helping us get red of the new teacher they're bringing in today," the male spoke giving her a look.

"You said 'get red'.  It's 'get rid,' you idiot!" She smacked him on his head with her textbook that she had previously been sleeping on.  Harumi's eyes then wandered to the empty desk on the other side of hers.  It was the only desk left open, her classmate not having been coming to school.

"Oi, why are you looking like that?  You can't seriously be missing that traitor!  Ichimura Harumi!"

"Just because the two of you had a falling out doesn't mean that I have to ignore my feelings for him!"

"What, do you like him or something?"

"As a friend, yes.  He was the first person to befriend me when I came to this all-boys school."  Harumi's eyes narrowed at Hayato.  "Is there anything else ty that you want to say about my choice in friends?" she questioned the male, the entire class quietening down to listen to the two's conversation.

"Nah, I'm good," Hayato spoke honestly.  He leaned forward and poked her cheek.

As the classroom door opened and closed, all the students looked up to stare at the person who came in the room.  There stood an adult female in a red and white jersey.  The woman went to stand behind the teacher's desk.  "Good morning," she greeted, "starting from today, I'll be in charge of this class.  My name is Yamaguchi Kumiko."  This Yamaguchi turned away to the chalkboard and picked up a piece of chalk.  She began writing all her information down, "Yama- guchi... Ku- mi- ko."

Hayato leaned back, aggravated.  "What?  It's a woman and I was looking forward to the new teacher coming," he groaned.

"And she's not hot at all," another male spoke, who Harumi recognized as Tsuchiya Hikaru, known as Tsuchi by his friends.  "She's a disgrace to womanhood."  He began laughing with their classmates, except for Harumi.

"My nickname is Yankumi," the teacher continued introducing herself.

"Yankumi?" Takeda Keita questioned.  In Harumi's eyes, Takeda was a pretty boy whom everyone thought was gay.  "I don't care if you're Yankumi or Tomoyan-kun, can't you do something about your get-up?"

Hyuuga Kousuke, who was sat beside Tsuchi, spoke next.  "We thought we could play around with the new teacher, we already prepared everything."

"Prepared what?" Yamaguchi asked them.

All the students brought out differents sports gear, pipes, and wooden sticks, holding it up high for her to see.  Tsuchi pointed at Yamaguchi with his fan that he held, "Oh? She's scared."

"Looks like she's gonna cry," Takeda, known as Take to his friends, jumped up, dancing in his chair.  "Somebody help me, I'm scared," he teased the teacher.

Harumi shot up, slamming her hands against her desk.  "Won't you guys stop?!  Damn it, this is why you boys are unable to date!"

Tsuchi called off all the laughter, waving his fan around.  His tall, well built figure turned towards Yamaguchi, ignoring Harumi.  "Well, don't worry.  We won't do something as cowardly as hitting a woman."

Yamaguchi spoke as Tsuchi began to head back to his desk, "Preparing something like this is pretty cowardly, you know."

Hayato watched as Tsuchi's eyes transformed dangerously.  Tsuchi turned back to Yamaguchi, "What did you say?!" he yelled.  "Don't fool around!"

Yamaguchi came from behind her desk, "I'm serious."

"Fine then." Tsuchi walked back to Yamaguchi, and turned back to his classmates with a smirk on his face.

"Tsuchi, I said to ing stop it!"  Harumi yelled.

Tsuchi continued until he stood in front of the new teacher, listening to his classmates as they cheered him on.

"Tsuchi!" Hayato screamed at him. "Stop it."

"But..."

"It's lame fighting against a female teacher."

"I understand."  He gave one last look at Yamaguchi and walked back to his friends.  Tsuchi stopped dead in his tracks as Harumi grasped the collar of his shirt in her hands.

"You listen to him, but you don't listen to me?  What the is wrong with you?!" Harumi screamed in his face and threw a punch.  Her fist landed square on his jaw, knocking the tall male down to the ground.

Tsuchi leaned up into a sitting position, caressing his jaw.  "It makes me look like I'm your if I do everything you want me to."

"What about doing stuff because Hayato tells you to?  There's no difference!"  Her blue eyes glared at Tsuchi.  If only looks could kill, Tsuchi... If only.  Harumi bowed apologetically to the new teacher, going back to her desk.

Yamaguchi seemed to be thinking to herself, mildly surprised that there was a female student at Kurogin Academy.  She walked back to the desk, "Okay, I'm going to take attendance now."

The students ignored her as she called roll, playing around with each other.

"Yabuki Hayato?" Yamaguchi called.  She sighed.  She called his name again.  Calling it a third time, she slammed the attendance book down on her desk, "Yabuki-kun!"

"Don't call my name so many times!" Hayato yelled back.

Yamaguchi gave him a small smile, turning her head to the side in what seemed like anger.  "Ichimura Harumi!"

Harumi sighed and raised her hand, seeing as she was the only one listening, though it was difficult.  She watched as the teaher finished up roll and grabbed a stack of papers to hand out.

"I would like everyone to write an essay today.  Pass the papers out," Yamaguchi spoke to a student.

Hyuuga complained, "What boring stuff are you talking about?"

"I want to learn lots of things about you guys.  The topic will be 'Memories of my High School Life'."

"We don't have any," Hayato spoke for all.

"You must have at least one," Yamaguchi insisted.  "About an after-school club or a school trip."

"We're telling you we don't have any," Tsuchi agreed with Hayato.

"It can be about a fun event or even a sad one."

Take spoke up next, "We don't have those either."

"You must have something!  There's no way you don't feel anything?"

"We don't feel anything." Hayato spoke again in response to Yamaguchi.

"What?" Yamaguchi asked.

"It's my policy to forget about everything bad that happens," another male spoke that Harumi was unable to put a name to.

"Me too," chorused from the students' mouths.

"Okay then, how about 'Your Dreams for the Future'?" Yamaguchi asked.

"Your Dreams for the Future?" Tsuchi asked.

Yamaguchi nodded.

"I want to be rich," Take spoke, standing up.

Hyuuga stood as well, "I wanna be a pimp."

A boy with a small afro stood then, "Then I want to become a bride."  The boy joked around with a smile on his face.

Tsuchi stood quickly, racing to the boy, "Then become my bride!"  He wrapped his arms around his classmate in a hug.  "Although that leaves my Harumi by herself," he spoke, his jaw beginning to swell up more.

"Your Harumi?  She's mine, you're just our ," Hayato grinned.

"Everyone, be quiet.  Be quiet!" Yamaguchi spoke loudly to try and quieten her students.

"You're the one who's loud," Tsuchi yelled at the older woman.

"Me?"

"Be quiet.  If you want us to pay attention to you, you should at least wear a mini skirt." Tsuchi spoke, all his classmates cheering at the idea.

"I don't have one," Yamaguchi muttered at their teasing, being caught by Harumi's ears.

Hyuuga spoke, "I don't want to see that lame woman's legs.  How about Harumi's?  Harumi, become our teacher!"

"I don't either!" Take agreed.  "Please Harumi?"

Harumi's head hit her desk with a loud bang.  "Will you guys just shut the up and stop teasing that lady?"

"Are you going to dress pretty tomorrow?" Hayato grinned.  "And every day until school finishes?"

"Will you do your work so we can graduate together?"

"Nope."

"Then no."

-----

During self-study, Yamaguchi left the classroom.  Harumi raised her head as he desk was being pushed out of the way of the dartboard they had set up.  She watched as her four friends competed.

"Hayato wins again," was announced only minutes later.  The other three groaned, handing over 100 yen each to Hayato.

Tsuchi stood up with the darts that Take handed to him.  "Let's go again."

"Why don't you give up, Tsuchi?" Harumi asked the boy she punched earlier.  Her hand had been throbbing since, probably having gained a broken knuckle or two.

"Like we're gonna let Hayato win 'em all," Hyuuga responded, moving to sit on Harumi's desk.

"Right, right, that's not fair." Take complained.

"Yeah, but it's a bit subtle, a female voice suddenly sounded.

All the boys nodded in agreement, "What?"

"Why...?"

Yamaguchi walked forward, "I have something to ask you all."  She stood in front of the dart board.

"Even so, don't stand there."

"It's about Odagiri."

Hayato stood up and set himself apart from the group.

"What do you wanna know about Ryu?" Harumi asked as her heart squeezed tightly in her chest.

"I heard that he stopped coming to school because of the fight between him and Yabuki.  Why was he the only one punished?" Yamaguchi asked them.

"It's none of your business," Hayato spoke harshly.

"If your fight with him is the reason, aren't you concerned?" Yamaguchi asked, walking to where Hayato sat down.

"Not really."

"Not really?"

"Things were settled between Ryu's parents and the Superintendent, isn't that good enough?"

"Aren't you worried?" Yamaguchi asked.  "Isn't he your friend?"

"Friend?" Hayato asked.

"Right.  Isn't that right?"

"We were just in the same class, that doesn't make us friends, you know?" another boy spoke in response to Yamaguchi.

"Bull!  We've all been friends since we started here as the troublemaker class!" Harumi fussed at the boy.

"But that's fate.  Don't you feel like treasuring that fate?" Yamaguchi spoke.

"He's not our friend," Hayato spoke.

"He's my friend!" Harumi told Hayato.

"What?" Yamaguchi asked the boy.

"There's no way he's our friend," Hayato turned to Harumi.  "You really think he's our friend?"  He stood quickly, the chair falling to the floor.  He headed out the classroom door.

"Hey, where are you going?" Tsuchi asked.

"Yabuki!" Yamaguchi called.

"Hayato!"

"Wait for me."  The others followed suit, leaving Harumi with their other classmated and their new teacher.

"Hey, you guys!" Yamaguchi called, following them until she reached the door.

"They were such good friends before though," a student with a halfway eaten apple in his hands spoke.

Harumi tensed up, knowing where this conversation was leading.

"Is that true?" Yamaguchi asked.

"But I can understand why Hayato is angry, too.  Ryu betrayed him."

"Betrayed him?" Harumi scoffed, interrupting Yamaguchi.

"What do you mean by Ryu betrayed him?" Yamaguchi asked the student.

"Who knows..."

"Oh yeah, I hear Ryu's been hanging out with dangerous people," another boy added.

"Dangerous people?"

"I heard he's working parttime with them."

"I don't really get him."

-----

Harumi began walking on her own towards Odagiri Ryu's home, having missed her first and only true friend.  She had not been able to speak with him all year.  Harumi had not even known that Ryu had a job and was working with dangerous people.  She stopped in front of the gate, buzzing the intercom.  "Ryu!  It's me, Harumi.  Please, come talk to me."

"Harumi?" a voice called that sounded oddly familiar.

"Ah! Yamaguchi-sensei, what are you doing here?"

"Excuse me, do you have some business here?" an older lady asked the two, approaching with grocery bags filled with food.

Yamaguchi turned and faced the woman, "I'm Kurogin Gakuen's class 3-D's homeroom teacher, Yamaguchi Kumiko."

"Young Master Ryu's teacher?" the woman asked.

"You're the housekeeper, right?  Do you remember me?" Harumi asked the woman.

"Young Miss!  Young Master does not receive visitors.  Nobody is home at the moment and the young master only returns in the mornings," the woman spoke to the two.

"Thank you very much for the information," Harumi responded, grabbing tightly to Yamaguchi's arm.

"You're welcome."

"A high school student coming home in the mornings?" Yamaguchi spoke to herself as Harumi pulled the teacher away from the house.

"Why did you come?" Harumi asked her new teacher as they walked down the road.  "I'm probably the only person that would ever be allowed in."

"I wanted to bring Ryu back to class."

"Why?"

"Because he should attend class to graduate with his friends," Yamaguchi spoke easily.

-----

Yamaguchi and Harumi went to the arcade first to ask about Ryu and received negative responses.  They then went to a poolhall, Harumi trying to hide behind Yamaguchi.

"We're not threatening you to give us money or anything," a voice spoke and Yamaguchi looked over to see Hyuuga speaking to a younger student, Tsuchi and Take sitting on two pool tables and Hayato on the other side.

"What are they doing?" Yamaguchi asked.

"Hustling money.  I'll be right back," Harumi responded.

"We're just going to borrow it from you," Hyuuga continued speaking loudly.

"But I don't even know your names," the terrified student responded.

"You don't need to know our names to lend us some money," Tsuchi poked the boy with his infamous fan.  Harumi really hated that fan.

"But... I don't have that much."

Hayato picked up his pool stick, listening to the conversation.

"You're going to say no, even though we asked you nicely?" Tsuchi spoke, becoming louder as he ended his sentence.  "Huh?"

"I understand, I understand," the student reached into his pocket, but a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the group.

"If you want money for your free time, get a ing job, Tsuchi," Harumi's voice resounded in the pool hall as she spoke sternly.  She had the other student standing behind her, making sure the boys wouldn't do anything to him.

"Harumi!" Tsuchi raised his fist, Yamaguchi grabbing Tsuchi's arm.

"I thought you said you wouldn't hit a girl," Yamaguchi spoke nicely.

"She hit me first."

"Of course, result to arguing like a kindergartener," Harumi huffed under her breath.  She turned to the male student behind her.  "Go."  The student took off, exiting the building quickly.

Hayato walked over to them, placing his arm around her shoulders.  "Thought you would never show up.  Why did you bring the teacher?"

"Watching us even after school?" Take asked.

"No way," Yamaguchi responded.

Hayato turned around to break the rack that he had previously set up at the beginning of the conversation.

"We're looking for Odagiri," Yamaguchi spoke as she let go of Tsuchi's wrist.

Hayato straightened up.

"Do you know where he is?" Harumi asked Hayato.

"I don't know," Hayato responded, his mood beginning to turn sour.

"How about you guys?" Yamaguchi asked the others.

They all sat back down, looking uninterested as they did not respond.

"I heard that he was hanging out with dangerous people and working for them," Yamaguchi spoke to all the boys.

Hayato's hand slipped and he missed the shot he aimed for.

"You guys really don't know?" Harumi asked.

Hayato readied himself for another shot, "If you want to know so badly, I'll tell you."

"What?  Really?" Yamaguchi asked, surprised.

"He's working part time at a club called Frentzen," Hayato answered.

Harumi's eyes narrowed, "For someone who isn't interested in Ryu, you sure do know a lot."

"And for someone who is interested, you seem to know so little," Hayato responded to his only female classmate.

"Where is it?" Yamaguchi asked.

"Take the bus headed for Umedago and get off at the last stop," he smiled and laughed.

"You're acting suspicious...  Are you lying to us?" Harumi asked.

"Go find out for yourself, if you don't trust me."

"I better not be wasting money on this trip.  Come on, Yamaguchi." Harumi spoke.

"I didn't know that you're such a good guy.  You've saved us a lot of time."

-----

The bus pulled off, leaving the two in what seemed to be a dead town at the last stop.  It was early morning, and Harumi was exhausted, needless to say.  Yawns continued to rack through her body as she leaned against her teacher for support.

"I told you to go home," Yamaguchi sighed.  "It's not here no matter how you look at it."  She continued to speak, pulling Harumi with her.  "That Yabuki!"

"There was just a jizo there," Harumi responded as they walked in the middle of town.

"How could it have been anywhere near there?" Yamaguchi responded, stopping where she walked.  She looked to the right.  "Harumi, it's here!"

Harumi lifted her head off her teacher's left shoulder.  "But you were so com- Wait, what?"  All tiredness leaked out of her body, adrenaline replacing it.  "Frentzen!"

Harumi glanced down at her outfit and pulled off her school jacket, then pulled off the school shirt to reveal a glittery tank top.  She pulled off her dark colored pants to reveal booty shorts.  "I'll be right back."

"H- Harumi!"  she followed her student that was let into the club with the odd outfit, holding the school uniform in her arms.  Yamaguchi was stopped by the guard.

"I'm sorry, but you can't go in... In these clothes," the man responded.  "Those aren't acceptable here."

"Huh?  I can't?"

"Welcome," the man turned to greet more partiers.

Harumi bowed out of respect when she turned back to her teacher and continued inside.  She made her way to the kitchen, peeking inside to find her friend.  "Ahh....  Where are-"

"May I help you?" a male asked, placing a hand on the small of her back.

"Ah- Do you know an Odagiri Ryu?" she asked, turning to face the man.  The man wore a suit jacket, pants, and dress shoes.  His hair was slicked back, and was wearing more of what a gambler would wear for a dress shirt.

"He should be headed out back now.  What does a beautiful woman like you want with a child?"

He thinks I'm older than what I actually am.  Good.  "I really need to talk to him."

"I'll take you to him, then."  Harumi gave the man a smile.  She followed him to the back of the building.  Harumi watched as the man arrived at what seemed to be the back door to the club and turned around.  "Is something the matter?"

"What is it you need to talk to him about?"

Harumi bowed apologetically, "I'm really sorry but that is perso-"  She was stopped short, getting shoved against the wall.  "Itai..."

"What do you want to talk to him about?" the man's face was inches away from Harumi's, his arm on top of her neck to keep her from struggling.

"O- Our relationship." It's not exactly a lie.  "I want to see e-"  Harumi felt rough lips land on hers, closing her eyes tightly.  She felt violated and was relieved when the man was pulled away by a familiar face.  "Watanabe-senpai!"  Harumi ran into his arms, giving him a quick hug.  "Thank you so much, I don't know how to repay you-"

"Go out on a date with me tomorrow night.  I'll message you a time and place.  You're here because?"

"You move quick," Harumi grinned.  "I'm here because of Ryu, actually.  Our new teacher wants him to attend class.  Speaking of which, I need to get going."  She gave him a peck on the cheek before heading out the back door.

"-not to go to school," a male's voice was heard speaking, along with the clinking of glass.

Harumi sighed in relief.  She came outside the door, taking in the sight of her male friend with his long, brown hair.  Harumi spotted Yamaguchi as well.  She watched the two as they came face to face.

"So you're not going to school because you were told not to?" Yamaguchi asked.  "You're very obedient then."

Harumi scoffed, coming into plain view as Ryu grasped the collar of Yamaguchi's jacket.  "That's some way to treat people.  What?  Did you become rusty because I haven't been around?"

Ryu let go of the teacher's jacket, a look of surprise on his face.  "You guys are trying to start a fight with me?"

"Unfortunately, I don't try to start a fight with someone who's weaker than me," Yamaguchi responded immediately.

"And I don't fight my friends.  You know that, Ryu."

Ryu stepped away from Yamaguchi, "Go home, Harumi.  Since when do you and a teacher get along?"

"Since the teacher actually cares about whether a student attends or not and even comes to said student's workplace!  Damn you, Ryu," Harumi spat.  "Of course I would side with anyone who believes that."

"But you're probably the only one of my friends that want me back in that place."  Ryu walked past Harumi, squatting down next to two tubs full of empty beer bottles.

"I don't know what happened exactly, but are you okay with things as they are?" Yamaguchi asked the male student.  "School isn't a place for the Superintendent and Head Teacher to do as they please."

"To the monkey, it is.  Superintendent doesn't care about anyone but himself."  Harumi looked up at Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi turned to Harumi then, "It belongs to the students, Ichimura-san."

"Stop with the nice words." Ryu spoke, not looking up at the two.  "All the teachers are always like that.  They say nice things and act cool, but when push comes to shove, they only think about protecting themselves."

"So you can't trust teachers?"

"Right.  I can't trust them."

"What about you, Harumi?  You came all this way with me to speak with Ryu."  Yamaguchi thought for a moment before going to squat down next to Ryu, "Then, will you give me a chance?"

"Chance?"

"I won't betray you or Harumi.  I'll protect you no matter what happens.  Is it not good?"

"Ryu?" a male voice familiar to Harumi spoke.

"Yes?" Ryu responded immediately.

Harumi looked over to see the man from before, a bruise forming slightly on his cheek.  Chills ran through her body as she furiously wiped her lips off.

"What are you doing?  No slacking off," the male spoke before turning away.  His eyes spotted Harumi that was trying to blend in with the backdrop.

Ryu apologized, "I'm sorry."

"Ah, it's the cutie from just a few moments ago.  You found your Ryu, huh?" he smirked.  "Can't I have more time to play with you later?"

Harumi ignored the man, running to her teacher and best friend.

"Is he your friend?" she heard Yamaguchi ask.

"Something wrong with that?" Ryu shot back calmly.

"Not at all," Yamaguchi spoke, "if he's a friend who seriously thinks about you."

"He's a fleabag!  He may even have a few ticks," Harumi told Ryu, squatting down beside him.

"But if he isn't, then cut ties with him right now."  Yamaguchi turned her body toward Ryu and Harumi as Ryu looked up to face Yamaguchi.  "Cut ties with him and come to school."

Harumi's eyes wandered to the ground in front of her, her blue orbs shooting back up when Ryu spoke, "I want to go to school, too."

"Then come!" Harumi shot out, almost interrupting him.

"But it's impossible."

"Why the hell is it impossible?"  Harumi stood from her position, following Ryu.  She grasped his arm with her hand.

"I can deal with the Superintendent and Head Teacher, if-" Yamaguchi was interrupted.

"It's not that."  He turned to sit down on top of a box, bringing Harumi to sit in his lap.

"What is it then, Ryu?" Harumi asked.

"I'm working until I pay them back."

"Pay them back?" Yamaguchi spoke softly, her back against the opposite wall almost.

"Money.  Until I pay back their money, I won't be free."

"How much is it?" Harumi asked, her hand automatically reaching up to brush his cheek.

Ryu's own hand grasped Harumi's, pulling it away from his cheek.  "It's not any of your business, Harumi."

"How much is it?" Yamaguchi spoke this time.

"300,000 yen."

"If you have that much, you can cut all ties with them?"

Ryu nodded in response to Yamaguchi's question.  "Yes."

"Then you can come to school, right?"

"Yes."

"I understand."

-----

Harumi pulled out her transaction book, going to look through to see how much she had.  She planned on helping Ryu, speaking to Yamaguchi on the way back into town on what was going to happen in the next few weeks.  With her knees pulled up to her chest, Harumi opened the book with much regret.  Her eyes lit up in surprise.  She had been working the same job for a few years, her mother also working to keep the house paid for.  "I have 149,685 yen?  That's almost half of what he owes!"

"Who owes money?" Harumi's mother asked, peeking her head inside the bedroom.

"Just a friend.  Mom, can I borrow-"

"No.  Get another job," her mother cut her short.

"Okay, fine..."

"It's your friend, not mine!"

-----

Harumi stretched at the ramen restaurant's table.  She began eating slowly, giving a small smile to the owner.  "Thank you."

"It's not a problem.  High school student, right?" he asked.  He was fairly young, probably only a year or two older than Harumi.

"Yes, I am."

"I remember those days," he responded.  "What school do you attend?"

"Ah- I go to Kurogin Gakuen.  My name is Ichimura Harumi," Harumi introduced herself.

"A boys' school?  It's probably similar to my friend Jun's situation.  She also attended our school the year we graduated...  I'm Kumai Teruo.  Call me Kuma."

That's unusual.  Harumi pulled her hair back.  "It's nice to meet you, Kuma."  She dug into the rest of her ramen, scarfing it down as the male went outside with a broom and dustpan to sweep up in front of the store.

"Kuma, good morning!" came a female voice from outside the shop.

Kuma looked up, his bleached hair a bit longer than what Harumi thought.  "Yankumi!" he greeted with a large smile.  "Long time no see."

Harumi let her hair fall after finishing.  She stood up, wiped down her school uniform, and stepped out into the sidewalk.  It was morning time, and the ramen shop was just part of her school routine.  She glanced up to see her teacher, Yamaguchi, standing in front of Kuma.

"Looks like you're doing well, Kuma," Yamaguchi spoke with a smile on her face and patted his arm.

"Kinda."

"Yamaguchi-sensei?"  Harumi asked herself.

"What's wrong?  Why're you here at this time..."

"I was wondering...  Can you hire me as a part timer?" Yamaguchi asked, readjusting her shoulder strap of her messenger bag.

"Yamaguchi-sensei!" Harumi confirmed for herself.  "I have almost half of what we need for Ryu."

"Harumi-chan!  What are you doing here?" Yamaguchi asked her student.

"She comes here in the mornings...  But why do you...  Yankumi you became a teacher at Kurogin Gakuen, right?"

Yamaguchi nodded, "Yes.  I did.  I just have an extra expense right now."

"Sorry, we can't afford to hire a part timer yet," Kuma responded.

"I see..."

"I'm sorry for not being able to help you."

"What are you saying?  I'm sorry for asking such a weird favor of you," Yamaguchi responded.  "Oh, that's right.  Kuma, this is my student-"

"She's your student, Yankumi?  That's a surprise, considering last year..." Kuma trailed off.

"I know.  First Sawatari Jun, now Ichimura Harumi.  Strange, right?  I'll see you later, Kuma," Yamaguchi spoke quickly, bringing Harumi with her.

"Bye, Kuma-san!  It was nice officially meeting you.  Also, I left a present on the table," Harumi called to the owner.

"Take care, you two!  See ya!" Kuma called back, waving at them.

-----

Harumi walked with her teacher as Yamaguchi looked through ads in the phonebook.  She continued walking, only turning around when she heard a scream.  Harumi's body snatched around quickly, searching for the female that was her clueless teacher.  She spotted Yamaguchi in the arms of a male that Harumi recognized to be Momo High's teacher Kujo Takuma.  Momo High was the all girls' school next door to Kurogin.  "I'll see you later, Yamaguchi-sensei!"

Harumi ran off ahead of her teacher, squeezing through the school crowd.  She arrived in front of her school gates, frustrated with the goings-on in her life.  Harumi spotted Take's head of hair that was brushed back with a headband in place.  "Take!  I need to talk to you!"

"He's not interested," Hayato responded, bringing Take around and pushing him ahead of the others in the group.

"Hayato!  Aren't you worried about Ryu at all?"

"Why would I be?  He betrayed us!" Hayato answered angrily, continuing forward.  He never turned back around to face Harumi.

Harumi jogged to catch up to them.  "Please, just listen, you guys."

"We're not going to fall into this trap, Harumi.  Just because you're a girl-"  Hayato stopped short.

"Just because I'm a girl?  What does that have to do with anything?" Harumi fumed and stalked toward where Hayato and the group stood.  "I'm not trying to tell you this because I'm a girl.  It's because we were all friends once, weren't we?  The only thing that's changed is that you guys aren't wanting to speak with Ryu, yet I try to every day."  Harumi raised her fist, ready to hit Hayato, but stopped herself.  "God damn you, Yabuki Hayato.  I hate you."  She shoved past her so-called friends and went to the 3-D classroom.  "Hey, Sakaguchi, switch seats with me for today, please," she asked a tough looking male as she walked past him.

"Whatever you want to do is cool with me," he spoke to his female classmate.

"Thanks."  Harumi stopped in front of the students' classroom entrance, catching the curious eyes of her classmates.  Normally she would meet Hayato and the others at the school gates and arrive late during the day, but she was on her own from now on.  Fighting and arguing with Hayato during a time like this was a death wish, but Harumi did not care.  She laid her head down on Sakaguchi's desk as the male sat in her chair.

Hayato and the rest of their group came in shortly after Harumi did and went to sit down in their normal seats.  They had gotten started on a card game by the time Yamaguchi entered the classroom and came to stand behind her desk.

"Good morning," she spoke only after taking a look at the state of the smoky classroom.  Yamaguchi raised her voice some, "Good morning, everyone!"  She became angry as she was still ignored.  "I said good morning, can't you hear me?!" Yamaguchi screamed at her homeroom students.  "Greetings show mutual acknowledgement.  It's so basic.  You guys are in high school, and you don't even have that!  Don't spend your life uselessly!"

Harumi threw her head back in laughter, earning a glare from her old group as the entire classroom with the exception of herself, stood up as if to threaten Yamaguchi.

"Sit down," Yamaguchi told her students.  They did not budge.  "Sit down!"

Hayato punched his desk out of the way and stood up.  He walked over to Yamaguchi, all eyes on the typical bad- student.  Hayato grabbed the collar of the jersey Yamaguchi wore, "Don't get so arrogant."

"Return to your seat." Yamaguchi commanded.  This made Harumi stand up.  "I'm telling you to go back to your seat, can't you hear me?"

"Oi, Hayato, just do as she says, alrght?" Harumi tried coaxing the testosterone-filled male.

Hayato's body turned toward where Harumi's voice came from, letting go of the teacher.  "Don't tell me what to do, ."

Harumi did not bother with becoming angry and just sat down in her chair.

Yamaguchi ignored Hayato's comment to Harumi, "All of you, too.  Take your seats."

The male students did as they were told, glaring at Yamaguchi as they sat.

"Listen well:  I'm fine with defiance and delinquents.  But what you guys are doing is not defiance, it's only selfishness.  Acting like a delinquent, it's no different than what a kindergartener does."  Yamaguchi looked around the room at her students, finally crossing her arms over her chest and letting out a breath.  "Hearing all this, aren't you guys mortified?" she asked her students, unable to get a response.  "I'm asking you how you feel!"

Hayato, Hyuuga, Tsuchi, and Take were the first to leave the classroom.  Soon, all of the classmates that Harumi had previously called friends left the classroom and left Harumi with Yamaguchi.

"I'm leaving to go find a job.  I actually like you, Yamaguchi," Harumi spoke in order to comfort her new teacher.

-----

It was nighttime, Harumi currently walking past a construction zone.  Her eyes lit up, seeing a "help wanted" poster.  Soon, she spoke to one of the construction workers and was directed toward a middle-aged man.  "I may be a high school student, but I desperately need a job.  I can easily lift up to seventy pounds on my own," Harumi tried persuading, then spotted an oddly familiar face underneath a construction helmet.  "Yamaguchi!"

Yamaguchi looked up.  "What are you-"

"This is the only place hiring," Harumi quickly responded.  Her eyes shifted to the man she was previoiusly speaking to.

"Don't screw it up.  Help her," the man directed.

Harumi bowed, "Thank you very much.  Where are the- Never mind.  I see them."  She jogged over to the workers' area, pulling on a safety helmet and jumpsuit all employees were required to wear.  Harumi then turned to face her teacher, taking most of the stuff out of Yamaguchi's hands.  "Is this for Ryu?"

"Yes."

Harumi nodded, shifting the equipment and immediately beginning her work.  It was four in the morning by the time she got off of work.  Harumi notified her mother that she was able to get a job and would not be home most evenings or mornings.  She immediately pulled off the jumpsuit and changed into her school uniform in the open.  It never bothered Harumi to change in front of any people of the opposite gender.  "Work hard, everyone!" she spoke to the other workers.  Yamaguchi got off of work three hours earlier, seeing as the differnce between the pair's hirings was three hours.

-----

Harumi laid down at her desk, barely taking notes.  She knew how to do the work, and only took notes out of habit because of Hayato and the others.

Yamaguchi stood in front of the board, "So, A plus B times C equals negative four."  The older female called to the unattentive students, "This is going to be on the test!"

-----

As Harumi carried large amounts of pipes from one side to the other, Yamaguchi directed traffic.  She was not as tired as her teacher, and spotted Kuma on his bike.  He must have been delivering ramen.  I'm missing my ramen breakfast because of you, Ryu.  You're lucky we are best friends! she thought to herself, continuing her work.

-----

The next night, Hayato, Take, Tsuchi, and Hyuuga walked happily by the jobsite, singing and carrying on.  They spotted Yamaguchi first, watching the woman as she worked.

"Even teachers have parttime jobs," Tsuchi was the first to spoke.

Hyuuga leaned closer, "Does she have a guy to support?"

"Teachers nowadays probably have things like that," Hayato stated, walking ahead of the other three, Hyuuga and Tsuchi following suit as they began walking.

Take stayed a moment longer and caught a glimpse of a familiar face.   "Harumi!" he spoke in surprise, Tsuchi, Hyuuga and Hayato stopping to take a look.

"Why is she..." Tsuchi trailed off, hiding his face quickly from Harumi as the girl looked up at the group.

Harumi merely shrugged her shoulder, gripping tightly to the stack of poles her hands were beginning to stick to in the snowy climate.  She set down the pipe where it was needed, watching as the foreman called over all the closer workers to help push a large object to get it started.

-----

"Do you want me to come with you?" Harumi asked, handing all of her money she earned from their pay to Yamaguchi, including part of what she already had in her bank account.  Both persons earned half of what Ryu nodded, and Harumi added a little bit extra as a bribe to make sure Ryu was let go.

"No, you go home."

"Hai, Yamaguchi-sensei."  I'm totally taking the next bus.

-----

Harumi entered the club, keeping her school uniform off as she entered.  She saw the male from last time and a group of other guys.  Harumi listened to the conversation before fully entering the dance floor to be seen.

"Ryu, you can really pull it off!" one guy spoke happily.

"That teacher is just an idiot," Ryu spoke, laughing with the group.

"A teacher that brings money for a student is really an idiot."

"You should have told her it was one million," another added.

"Ah, I'll treat you guys today," Ryu offered.

Harumi snuck around with her shoes off her feet.  She then realized she had soft, large blisters that formed.  Harumi peeked her head around the corner, watching Ryu and a thicker male interact.

"You can keep the change," Ryu spoke, placing down a bill.

"Sorry, but I can't accept this money," the man spoke.  Harumi recognized it as Kuma from the ramen shop, and then recognized the smell of ramen.  Her stomach growled, her face heating up in embarrassment, though no one heard or seen her.  She watched as Kuma picked up the bill and went to hand it back to Ryu.  "This is the money your teacher and friend earned for you, right?  It's the money they earned by working hard every night as construction workers."

"Friend?  Construction worker's'?"  Ryu asked, now curious.

"For you, you know?" Kuma spoke, in the light his facial expression seemed rather angry.  "Pay me when you earn money yourself."  He handed Ryu the money back.  "I'll put it on your tab."  Kuma turned away from Ryu, upset with the young student.  He emptied the bowls from the cases to deliver properly.

-----

The next morning, Harumi met up with Yamaguchi in front of the water fountain and walked to the school with her.  They walked together, looking forward.  They both saw Odagiri Ryu.  "Ryu!"

"Odagiri," Yamaguchi spoke.

"I used some of it, but..."  Ryu stopped in front of Yamaguchi.  "I'll definitely return the rest to you."  he pulled the rest of the 300,000 yen out of his pocket and handed it to Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi looked in amazement at the stack of money the teacher and student both earned for Ryu.

"Don't ever come near me again.  Either of you," Ryu spoke to Harumi as well.  "I know what you did, Harumi.  Why would you do such a dangerous job?"

"Why would you be an and trick us?"

Ryu scoffed, turning on his heel and walking off, away from the pair.

"Hey, I'm freaking talking to you!" Harumi called.

"Are they really your friends?" Yamaguchi called to the male, as well.  "Is that really where you belong?"

"Huh?  It's Ryu," Tsuchi spotted the three people, the group of friends stopping in their tracks.

"Sorry, but I'm not the kind of teacher who does as she's told by her students!" Yamaguchi called.

"And I'm not the type of friend who, even when tricked by a friend, will betray my best friend since Year One!  You helped me, Ryu!  YOU PROMISED!" Harumi screamed at the male's receding back.

"I didn't become a teacher with such half-hearted feelings!" Yamaguchi continued yelling.  "I won't give up until you come to school!"

Take spoke first out of the group that was watching the scene unfold, "Yamaguch is, how should I say..."

Hayato stepped away from the group, heading to school first, not wanting to listen to Take.

"I definitely won't give up," Yamaguchi spoke softly, but loud enough for Harumi to catch her words.

Yamaguchi and Harumi walked into the school together, Harumi walking Yamaguchi to the teacher's office.  The female student spotted Take leaning against one of the blue columns that held the structure of the building up.  "Take?"

Take looked up to see Yamaguchi and Harumi, then looked back down at the floor.

"What's wrong, Takeda?"  Yamaguchi asked.

"You think Ryu will come?" he asked the teacher.

"What?" Yamaguchi responded.  "You're concerned about Odagiri?"

"Hayato, Ryu, and I were friends since elementary school.  We were always together.  That's why I don't want us to graduate while those two are still on bad terms," Take spoke to the teacher and Harumi.

Yamaguchi stepped closer to Take.  "Is that so?  Don't worry.  I will make sure Odagiri comes to school."

Take looked at the teacher, "Well...  I won't expect anything from a teacher."  He turned and left toward the classroom.

Harumi sighed, "I hate this...  I'm going for a jog.  I'll be late."

-----

Harumi decided to jog on the main pathway almost every student took to get to and from classes, spotting a boy sitting down on the hill.  She almost called Ryu's name before realizing that he was deep in thought.  Harumi watched as Ryu laid down on the grassy hillside, jogging over to him.  "Ryu, please come to class!  At least tomorrow, huh?  I'll be waiting," she spoke to him before leaving to act like she was going to class.  Instead she followed Ryu.  All the way to Frentzen.

-----

Her eyes watered, tears pouring down her face as she watched Ryu apologize and bow to his coworkers and boss.  "I would like to quit.  Please."

"You want to slip away from us?"

"I'm sorry."

"Ryu, do you know what that means?" the boss spoke harshly.  "You don't think we'll just let you go, right?"  The boss brought his arm back and punched Ryu in the gut.

"Ryu!" Harumi called out, giving her position.

"Who is this?  Ah, that girl that Watanabe pulled me off of!  Fancy seeing you here, girly," the male from the week before spoke with a sick grin on his face.  "Let's have some fun, shall we?"

-----

"How dare you ask us to let you off!"

"Who do you think took care of you after you were abandoned by your parents and your school?"

Harumi screamed out, "Ryu!"  She watched as Ryu was pulled from the ground and thrown around, every person getting a hit on him except for the man that was holding her.  Harumi felt lips on hers, bringing her knee to land on a certain spot where the sun did not shine, right between the man's legs.  The man did not seem fazed by this but he did bring a brick up from its resting spot on the warehouse floor and smashed it against her cheek.

Harumi's eyes crossed and cossed the young woman to close her eyes.  She could not do anything but listen to what was happening around her.

"Harumi!" Ryu called to the female.

"What?  It's the teacher from last time?" the boss asked, he and his groupies laughing about the situation.

Yamaguchi? Harumi asked herself.  She tried to open her eyes as the weight lifted off of her.

"You guys have done enough.  Will you let them go?" came what seemed to be Yamaguchi's voice.  "Please?"

"the teacher is begging us.  She's interesting!"

"They are my precious students.  They are only eighteen.  You're making sports of them like you would with any other person, but they don't understand that.  They're just kids.  I still have a lot of things that I have to teach them, especially Ryu.  So, please...  Return them to me," Yamaguchi spoke.  "Please."

"It won't go that-"

That was where it all ended for Harumi, her hearing cutting off as she passed out from the pain in her cheek.

-----

Harumi woke up, feeling cool grass beneath her and turned to see Yamaguchi cleaning Ryu up.  Ryu sat up, now alert as well.

"Don't touch me."

"Here," Yamaguchi offered the handkerchief.  "Are you awake, too, Harumi?" she asked, turning to face her other student.

"Why did you two come?  I deceived both of you."

"Because I had promised you," Yamaguchi spoke.

"Promise?" Ryu asked.

"I told you that I would protect you no matter what happens," Yamaguchi told her student.

Harumi sat up slowly, feeling the pain in her cheek intensify.  "She's actually a really good person, Ryu.

"Are you stupid?" Ryu asked.  "You, too, Harumi..."

"L- Leave me o-out of it.  M- my c-c-c- cheek hurts," Harumi spoke quietly.

"A promise is something you have to keep," Yamaguchi spoke to reply to Ryu's rhetorical question.  She helped Harumi to stand, "You told me that if you had 300,000 yen, you could get away from them, right?  And then you can go to school."

"Normal people don't take that kind of story seriously."

"Sorry, but I'm not a normal teacher.  And obviously, Harumi isn't a normal friend.  Besides...  What's wrong with teachers trusting their students?"

"Don't make me laugh," Ryu told the woman.

"Laugh if you want," Yamaguchi smiled.  "Even if I get laughed at or deceived...  I will always believe you."

Harumi gave a giggle, "I a-am an i- idiot."

"Because you cut ties with those guys yourself," Yamaguchi finished her speech.  Hopefully.  Oh, she did.

"I'll get Harumi home," Ryu responded quietly.  "I won't trust teachers," he spoke stronger.  "The only person I'll trust is Harumi."  He took a hold of Harumi's arm, helping her walk as they turned away from Yamaguchi.

-----

Harumi sat down at her usual desk that was next to the regular empty one and Hayato's.  She laid her head down on the right side of her face, seeing as her left cheek was badly bruised.

"You had promised not to come to school!" she heard from outside.  She jumped up, running with her classmates to stand outside.  "WAIT RIGHT THERE!"  Harumi pushed through to stand between all her classmates, and where Yamaguchi stood.

"Ryu." Take spoke.

Harumi looked back and gave them all a half-smile on the right sight of her face.  "RYU!"  She ran forward, giving one of her best friends a hug.

"What's with you guys?!" Sawatari Goro, the Head Teacher of Kurogin Gakuen, yelled at the class.

"Return to your classroom!" the shorter, balding teacher screamed next.

"I'm here," Ryu whispered, then turned to Yamaguchi who was smiling brightly.

"Good morning, Odagiri," Yamaguchi spoke.  "You came."

Harumi the bandage that rested on Ryu's right cheekbone.

"It's not like I came for you," Ryu spoke, keeping an arm wrapped around Harumi in a half-hug.  "How's your cheek?" he asked, pulling back some to look at the damage.

Harumi walked past Yamaguchi with Ryu wrapped in her arms toward their classmates and when they stopped in front of Hayato, she pulled away.

Ryu and Hayato faced each other head on.

"Long time no see," Hayato spoke angrily.  "What do you want now?  I haven't forgiven you."  He reared backed and punched Ryu in the face, the two now going at each other.

----------

Maybe Harumi is being played by Zooey Deschanel.  I don't know.  I wanted someone with blue eyes and she really stood out :D  Happy Chapter One is the full EPISODE!

I'm still doing SEASON ONE if anyone is wondering :D  I just know how I'm going to end it, so I added Jun's name in here.  Did anyone catch that?