School Teacher

Summer: 2014
"Can I go home, Goto-sensei?", I asked. She was in the shower. Fuyuko-sensei's place was a rundown small apartment near the school but it was immaculate. It was one big room with room dividers and a bathroom. As expected of someone who had just started working.            

           "In a while", she replied, from the other side. When she was done she was already dressed for work. She prepared breakfast in a jiffy. Toasted bread with egg and tea. We ate without exchanging any words. It was her rule to be silent while eating. I looked around and saw a bookshelf in the corner filled with novels. I wish I had more novels too. My bookshelf was filled with Manga.

         After we were done, it wasn't time to leave yet. She tidied everything up and sat on the chair.                 

     "Now, Ishikawa-san", started the adult, "Why did you want to kill yourself?"

                   "Ehh!? No. No. You're mistaken", I said. I wanted to leave. I didn't want to give an account to anyone. She touched my wounds, "Looks like you got these recently".      

              "Mhmm. I fell down the stairs yesterday", I tried to laugh it off. Sensei looked at me sternly. 

     "You think I'd buy that?", Her voice sounded agitated. "You either tell me the truth or I tell your parents about what you were going to do today".       

               "Goto-sensei, actually…I. I fell in love with someone I shouldn't have and…" I could speak no more. She looked at me intently waiting for me to say more but I didn't. I wanted to leave. I didn't want to tell anybody what had happened last night. 

               "Sensei, I want to leave. Please let me go", I requested. Her alarm rang at the perfect moment. I checked the time on my smartphone, 8:00. Time for school, I said and stood up to leave. She grasped my hand firmly. "Please don't die, Ishikawa-san", she said looking down. She was holding in her tears. I brushed her hand and left.       

              At the school's main gate, I saw Akira and was about to run away but he got a hold of me. "I don't want to talk to you. Leave me", I resisted. He pulled me to a less crowded place. When the other students saw us they ran away. Almost every student in school knew about us. And…about me being the bullies' slave. No one befriended me for this reason. I was lonely.

           Akira let go of my hand. He knelt and pleaded with me to forgive him, "What I did last night was a mistake. Haru-chan, I won't do it again. I won't rape–" I punched him, but he didn't punch back. I left.          

                  When I entered the class, everyone looked at me with disgust. I wasn't sure what was up. I sat down in my seat and took out my book and notebook. I looked straight ahead and read what was written on the green board: A Free Night With Ishikawa Haru-chan @ Mainichi Hotel. For more information call ×××××090. 

    

            I fell into a panic attack again. I ran outside. I didn't know why the students were so unkind. My high school life wasn't supposed to go like this. I was supposed to enjoy it. I couldn't stop crying. A teacher saw me in the hallway and he tried to calm me down. He took me to the nurse's office. I felt like I would die. "Get out of this, Haru" I repeated to myself. The nurse tried to calm me down and it worked. Twenty minutes later I was breathing normally. My heart had stopped racing. The nurse asked me a lot of questions which I had refused to answer. She asked me about my face. I refused to answer. She asked me to take off my shirt for the examination. I refused again. 

               I'm leaving, I said sitting up. "You shouldn't be up yet, First-year", she said, trying to get me to relax. I went to class to take my bag. I went to the bullies' den. No one was there. I wanted to ask them to kill me. I walked around the school. I couldn't leave yet. I stumbled upon one of Asahi's cronies who was coming out of the principal's office.        

            "Yo, Haru-chan. I just got expelled. Would you like to leave school and go out with me?" He was a third-year student. I declined. 

                "Come on, we'll have fun", he said playfully. I remembered I was searching for them to kill me so I thought why not? Let's go.             

Being a third year he knew all the places we could leave without getting caught. I left with him and I saw my parents entering the school. I didn't care anymore. 

       

               We reached an alley where Asahi, Akira, and the rest of the gang were.  "You have come my pretty little boy, Haruki-kun?", Asahi said in a queer manner. I nodded. I could feel Akira staring at me.

        "Yes. I came here for a request ", I said.  

   "Aww, little Haru, What might that be?", Asahi asked.

       "Kill me. I can't take it anymore". Everyone laughed except Akira. It was humiliating. "We don't commit crimes, boy", said Asahi, "Except… Akira".     

   "Huh?", Akira was annoyed. Had he told Asahi about what he did? Wasn't he repenting? 

     "I heard you had fun last night with our Akira", Asahi said. I looked at Akira fiercely.     

  "Aww, the gay boy is mad", laughed the third-year student I had arrived with. I landed a punch on his wide-open mouth. 

         Akira stopped me from landing another punch. "Just don't. If you don't want to get into trouble". When he held me down I felt disgusted. I resisted. Don't, please don't, I shouted. The bullies laughed.         

           "Do it, Akira", ordered Asahi, "Show us what you did last night". 

         "Aki-kun is such a pussy", said one of the second-year students.        

             "Shouldn't we be dealing with the real problem first? We can do this later at some other place", Akira said convincingly. 

            "Ah-ha! Yeah, we should be dealing with that bitch first. She got Taiyou expelled today", Asahi informed. I didn't quite get who they were talking about but whoever that "bitch" was. She sounded awesome.        

        "Fuyuko Goto, right?", said one of the girls. Yes, nodded Taiyou. 

        "Anyone who knows where she stays?", asked Asahi. No one knew, except me. I did not say a word.       

           "She just joined this spring and she's acting like she owns the whole school. I hate her guts and her sense of justice. Never had anyone gotten any of us expelled. She will have to pay", said Asahi menacingly. At that moment, I thought I'd do anything to protect Goto-sensei. 

       "Get off me, you bitch", I shouted at Akira. He got off. I stood up and a punch landed on my face. It was Taiyou.      

         "And… yeah who was it? Who set that bitch free?". Nobody knew it. It was me after all. 

       "Now, now! For the main event. The women must be waiting for our little Haru" I was taken aback when Asahi said that. Akira held my hand and whispered, "Don't be scared I'll protect you".