A Worthy Rival

Everyone lined up and began placing their notebooks on Mr Morikawa’s table – some trembling, others nonchalant, and some, like Shin and his cronies, grumbling under their breaths. One never knew when Mr Morikawa might examine their homework, so the days when it happened were like a death sentence to loafers.

Megumi stood up to give her homework to the teacher, but she noticed that her seatmate, Gorō, wasn’t stirring, even though he was awake.

“Haven’t you got your homework?” she whispered, feeling shivers on his behalf. Is he serious? This is his first day, and he’s already going to get on Sensei’s bad side?! He can’t get away easily as he did with Takeda Sensei!

Then she began wondering why she cared so much. She glanced at her Math book – the one Gorō saved from Shin’s violent grip a few minutes ago. Was it gratitude, perhaps? Hopefully nothing more… She frowned and shook her head.

Of course, it’s nothing more! She scolded herself again.

“How the hell would I have homework? I’ve just arrived.” Gorō smiled, but not derisively. It was a rather friendly gesture. 

Megumi felt her cheeks burn. His droopy eyelids and warm smile gave her a strange, cosy feeling. But she tried to drown it, embarrassed.

“Miss Ichinose!” Mr Morikawa’s strict voice reached her ears. “I’m only lacking your notebook.”

Megumi jolted. The classmates, who had already retaken their seats, chortled, unable to laugh loudly lest the teacher reprimand them next. But they found the scene amusing – the top student getting scolded, at last! Megumi turned red like a tomato and hurried up to Mr Morikawa’s table. She placed the notebook before him with both of her hands.

“S-Sorry, Sensei!” she exclaimed. “I was just_”

“Try to focus,” Mr Morikawa told her in a low, gentle tone – the one he used with his favourite students, who followed his rules and respected his material. “Go back to your seat,” he said. Then, he turned to Gorō and added in a tone that none of his students had ever heard from him before – familiar and amused, albeit still stern, like that of an uncle to his troublesome nephew: “Yours I’ll have tomorrow, Shimura, alongside the homework I give you today!”

“A’ight, Sensei!” Gorō chuckled, lengthening the last word like it was a joke of a title to be used between him and the man when their bond went years back. But he also insinuated, with this gesture, that he respected Mr Morikawa’s rules and agreed to use his title nonetheless.

“Brat…” Mr Morikawa murmured, a corner of his lip rising, much to Megumi’s stupor.

Yeah, Sensei and this Shimura guy are definitely close. She thought, returning to her seat. She glanced at Gorō with newfound curiosity. The question is, why?

“Hmph, show-off…” Shin muttered to his cronies at the back of the room, glowering at Gorō. He couldn’t let go of his earlier humiliation, and now his anger over getting his non-existent homework checked by Mr Morikawa added up. What was worse, this annoying newcomer had already gained Mr Morikawa’s approval, for gods knew what reasons! He snorted. I’ll teach him a lesson yet!

Mr Morikawa stood up and began writing a problem on the blackboard. It was geometry, and Megumi could swear she heard Chiyo sigh in the opposite corner – it was her weakest point. She couldn’t help smiling with sympathy. For her, geometry was much easier than algebra, but many other students found it the hardest. She glanced at Gorō, and, to her surprise, found him looking at the blackboard instead of sleeping, although his droopy eyelids betrayed his boredom.

I guess he loves Math more than History? She thought. But I can’t understand how a guy like him can be good at Math. She eyed his dishevelled uniform. Maybe he’s just being respectful to Morikawa Sensei, since they appear to know each other so well?

She wondered when she got so nosy in other people’s business. She frowned and began noting the problem down. 

It’s no time for fantasies! She thought. I should focus on the lesson.

Mr Morikawa put the chalk down and turned to the class.

“Now, who will solve this?” he asked. “It’s based on what I taught you yesterday.”

Megumi smiled, amused that the problem was so easy, and raised her hand, leaning her elbow on the desk. Others weren’t so bold – everyone kept silent. Mr Morikawa sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“I know Miss Ichinose can do it,” he said. “Fine, since this class contains only imbeciles save for two, I’ll choose.” He turned to Gorō and ordered, “You got no homework, Shimura, so it’s only fair that you move your hands.”

“Hmph, slave-driver…” Gorō muttered, smiling, and stood up. He walked to the blackboard, his hands in his pockets.

Megumi stared at Gorō and Mr Morikawa. Sensei often used derogatory remarks towards his students, like “idiots”, “imbeciles”, and the like, but before, he only said “save for one”, referring to her – Megumi. Now, he said, “save for two”. So, who was the second student?

Don’t tell me… She thought, widening her eyes. She watched Gorō take the chalk and begin writing strange cyphers on the blackboard, which even she couldn’t understand. What the hell is he doing? What are those formulae? Wait, d-did Sensei really mean him, then?

Mr Morikawa got flustered when he saw the formulae Gorō was using.

“Wo, wo, stop!” he cried, grabbing his hand. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Huh? I’m solving the problem.” Gorō shrugged. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Yeah, but…” Mr Morikawa sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Who told you to use the integrals? Where do you think you are, Math Olympics?”

“Huh?” Gorō gasped, almost offended. “This is the fastest way, Ol’ Man! Have you forgotten Math, or what?!”

“This is high school, goddamn it!” Mr Morikawa cried, although without animosity. Both of them seemed to be bickering like old colleagues. He took the brush and erased Gorō’s formulae. “Solve it like a normal student!”

“You mean, using that baby stuff?” Gorō grimaced with disgust. “I thought I was to be educated in high school, not dumbed down!”

“Just do what you’re told, brat!” Mr Morikawa said sternly. “You’re not the only one in this class.”

“Tch, fine…” Gorō rolled his eyes. “What a pain!”

He began using the normal formulae, which Megumi recognised, and solved the problem correctly in about seven minutes. Megumi and the rest of the class stared at him in a daze.

The integrals?! Megumi thought, flabbergasted. Isn’t that Advanced Math? How does he know that?

A strange feeling began burning in her heart, urging her to clench her fist. This rough-looking delinquent with a dishevelled uniform, who slept through most of the History lesson and would likely continue sleeping the whole day, knew more than her in Math. Megumi had never been fond of Math, although she found it easy to learn like every other subject. Now, hearing that someone in her class possessed the same raw talent but was better than her in Math didn’t sit right with her.

Why would I care? She bit her lip, trying to drown this feeling. I should strive to be the best I can, not compete with others!

And yet, having been the best in her class for so long, she never knew what it meant to see her classmates admire and her teachers praise someone other than her. To her shame, she didn’t like it… even though she wasn’t ill-disposed towards Gorō. She had always dreamed of getting a decent rival in class, but now, after Gorō revealed his skills, Megumi realised that having a peer on an equal level to her, and sometimes higher, was less fun than she had imagined.