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"Have you heard about Mr.Yashiki?" said a girl replacing her shoes.
The girl next to her furrowed her eyebrow, "You mean that creepy temporary teacher? Yeah, he ran around the school with the weirdest people. Asking about the Departed and shit, it was weird. Didn't he perv on the Student Council?"
"Okay, but that was all old news," Her friend replied, "Apparently it was the other way around. Mr.Yashiki rejected them hard."
"Hah? But why was he always asking after them? There's no way he's not interested in them."
"That's what I thought to, but I heard from Asuka that he's-"
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"-gay. One of those weirdos who likes other guys," said a boy from the kendo club.
Two guys are talking side by side as they walk to class.
"Like, he's into guys?" His friend shivered, "Dude, I feel kinda weird about it now. Imagine he was into us."
"Same, but he already has a boyfriend, I guess. At least from what I heard."
The other boy tried to imagine what that would be like, but his head couldn't come up with anything solid, "Still, just because he's dating somebody doesn't stop the feeling, y'know?"
"Yeah, but the real people you should worry about are Douryou and Kinukawa. They got turned down really bad. I heard that-"
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"-he had to confess in order to get them to stop."
The Theatre Club members gasped, a brave girl even muttered a small 'no way.'
"So all those times the President and Vice President were going after him were all on them?"
"Oh yeah, apparently he called the Dorm Master so that he could make sure they were in their rooms so he could safely go home without being bothered," A guy said, half-assing a backdrop they were supposed to use, "I heard it was a particularly rough refusal when they cornered him after hours. So bad that he decided to take them to his house in order to keep it hush-hush."
"Now that I think about it, he looked rather sick when he was around them," The girl who muttered no way earlier painted alongside him.
"Yeah, a guy who spent a night with two young girls should look…better than that. It looked like he went through hell the next day while both of them were so happy."
Another guy clicked his mouth, "That could still mean anything. Creepy guys can feel guilty and those two could've been putting on a front. It's not mutually exclusive."
"But then it gets worse, apparently his family caught wind of it. Therefore, his boyfriend-"
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"-was getting pressured to clear these misunderstandings up, but since it's so forbidden…"
"Neither of them would be able to without landing Mr.Yashiki in hot water," A cooking club member frowned, "Yeah, that would definitely put a strain on the relationship. If my boyfriend had to keep me a secret, I would threaten to break up with him. But since they're gay…" She trailed off.
"Mhm, it was probably hard to face Douryou and Kinukawa everyday while getting shit on. But if he said the truth, the administration would've kicked him out. Either way, he's guilty of sexual deviance in their eyes. Except one seems rather sweet while the other is just straight up creepy," said a girl who just finished up her cookies.
Another girl blinked, "Sweet? What part of Mr.Yashiki being gay is sweet?"
"Well, he found an equal who could balance him out. From what you guys are saying, the way he and his boyfriend interact reminds me of my mom and dad," The girl smiled at her freshly iced sugar cookies, "That kind of thing is rare. If it's another guy, let it be. I'd rather have that than hear about more student-teacher stuff."
"Huh, that's true. Weird in a way, but true. So when Douryou and Kinukawa found out, they got him kicked out of the school for revenge?"
"No, I think they-"
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"-tried to respect his boundaries. A little too late, considering they were practically throwing themselves at him when he clearly said no."
A boy in the field looked at his crush, "O-oh, is that so?"
The girl chuckled, "Yeah, I mean. The guy clearly said no and he was their damn teacher. I just can't believe that it took him confessing his sexuality to leave the poor man alone. If I said no, I want whoever felt that way to respect that."
"A-ah, I see. At least they got the memo," The boy sighed to himself, "I can't imagine how they must've felt knowing they could never really have him."
"Screw that shit, I'm just glad he was the fucking adult in the situation. I kind of hated him for stringing along Douryou and Kinukawa, but now that we know he let them down multiple times. It makes me feel bad for him. Would've been perfect if he didn't indulge them so badly, but considering his secret was on the line…Ugh, nobody's perfect."
The boy felt his stomach churn as his crush kept going.
"At least they stopped once they found out he was both gay and taken. Still, the rumors got so bad that Ms.Sakamoto almost-"
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"-wrote a report about how Mr.Yashiki was sexually harassing them." A girl said as she was putting back cleaning supplies. The sunset lit up the halls as both her and her friend enjoyed the newly lifted curfew.
"Yikes, how did you find out?"
"Well, a friend of mine overheard Ms.Sakamoto talking about it with somebody. She said that if Mr.Yashiki continued to lie about the allegation, she would take it to the authorities. But by that point, both Douryou and Kinukawa knew the truth."
"Oh no, so in order to save their crush, they-"
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"-had to tell her. Kinukawa does her thing and disappears because Ms.Sakamoto wouldn't believe them. At first I thought it was because of the Departed, but she came back once Ms.Sakamoto didn't write the report." Said a guy, walking his girlfriend to her dorm building.
"Damn, how are these adults dancing in the palm of their hands? I kind of want to join the student council if I can get away with that shit," She huffed, "They try to right their wrongs and get over their crush, that's pretty damn strong of them. Usually, some girls I know would sulk in bed for days but they just decided to support him."
"Mhm, and when Ms.Sakamoto had to confirm that Mr.Yashiki was gay, he had no choice but to tell the truth."
The girl crossed her arms, "Now that one morning assembly about how gay people are 'to be loved yet not accepted by this school' finally makes sense. That whole speech about 'tolerance but not acceptance' came out of left field. Still, it feels a bit too smooth. Like it's too good to be true."
"Think about it, Ms.Sakamoto is pretty strict but she's not completely evil. She had to do something about Mr.Yashiki. So rather than press charges against him then and there-"
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"-she decided to wait it out and let him leave quietly. She made no move to correct the rumors because it would spread to the school administrators that they allowed a gay man to teach here," A guy said to his friends. They snuck off to the roof of their dorm building to drink at night.
"So they'd rather have him be a creep than gay?" Said one boy.
One other chugged his beer before slamming it down, "Gay and creep are the same to me. Honestly, I'd rather he be after the student council than to know he stuck his dick in another guy. How does that even work?"
"As long as it isn't me, I don't care."
"Y'know what's sad though? At least Mr.Yashiki can stick his dick into someone," a very drunk student said, "None of us have any girlfriends."
"Yeah," the guy who brought it up went from sitting to flopping down dramatically, "He's even going to-"
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"-get married to his boyfriend. Confirmed proposal and everything."
Two girls smile to themselves, having their own little secret meeting. The dorm master never checked their rooms too closely, as long as they got home on time.
A girl in blue pajamas cuddled closer to the girl in red, letting her nose brush against the other's neck. It was sweet and intimate as they kept a warm embrace, "I want that for us, Rika. If Mr.Yashiki can get married, I want us to be married too. No matter what they say."
"It'll be hard to find work if we do get married. Not to mention your family would cut you off."
"Hmm, I don't think I care."
"Yumi, I'm serious," Rika holds the other girl closer, "I don't want you to suffer because of me."
Yumi just listened to Rika's heartbeat, fast like a rabbit despite how serious she looked on the outside, "They would've given everything to my brother eventually. If anything, getting cut off is better than being a trophy wife. I've saved up enough to run to the West, we can go together."
"Yumi…"
"You're the best chef I know and I can actually put my English skills to use. Translators are super in demand right now," The girl in blue pajamas gave a dopey smile as sleep slowly took her, "And we'll have an apartment full of beautiful plants like you want. Collect cute pots and have so many flowers…"
As her girlfriend fell asleep, so too did her heart full of hope. Rika kissed the top of her head before whispering in her ear, "I'll wake you up when it's inspection time. Good-"
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"-morning," said a sleepy man. He was holding a cup that had more sugar than actual caffeine, his lithe frame leaning against a kitchen counter. Breakfast was ready, a simple bacon and eggs. It was something that Yashiki felt was natural despite the hazy memories of America that barely came back.
His partner, Mashita, mumbled a 'morning' as he filled his cup. Something inside him winced as his lover drank the coffee without anything, but who was he to criticize how somebody drank his coffee when he drowns his own in sugar. He felt rough, chapped lips kiss his own. From that small peck alone, he could taste the bitterness on him.
"You taste like death," Yashiki murmured against his lips.
"It's to balance you out," Mashita kissed him again, playful affection seeping through his body, "Not everybody likes the taste of diabetes."
It's amazing how easy it is to lose time. They never ventured beyond soft kisses and warm hugs, but that was all they needed. Unbridled passion was better left for quiet evenings, at least to both Yashiki and Mashita.
As they both stayed in the kitchen, there was a soothing calm that filled him. It was only when the clock struck that they parted in order to eat. A part of him regretted keeping it with how loud it can be.
Neither of them spoke, not with it being eight in the morning. But as his lover ate, something in him felt relieved. That he's able to enjoy these mornings once in a while, where neither of them were expected to be the leaders to the ever-growing number of teens and new acquaintances while they panic about curses. Or listen to them speculate about how Mashita would get scratches behind his neck, that particular conversation was embarrassing for him. It was just them, no cases or lovable yet nosy friends.
"What are you staring at?" Asked Mashita, finished scarfing down his meal, "You're doing your sappy old man expression, it's bordering creepy."
His voice was teasing, like he was inviting Yashiki to do the same old song and dance. One that took place whether he was on the verge of breaking down or feeling too much guilt and emotion. A waltz of barbs and snarkiness that hid fondness and so much care. Usually, it would be one-sided teasing that would make him feel reassured and calm. Yet this time, he felt like dancing alongside him. Damn, he felt really poetic this morning.
"Nothing, I'm just glad you're-"
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"-here, Ms.Vice President."
Kinukawa blinked owlishly at a junior, Aizawa Sumire, before grinning, "Oh, so you weren't expecting me to show up to my own council room?"
"It's not that, it's just that, um…We weren't ready?" Said another junior, Kitagawa Yui, "Please tell me you didn't hear that last bit."
"What? The bit about how both me and Himeko are 'brave angels of love' after trying to defend Mr.Yashiki and his boyfriend?" Watching their faces turn white, then bright red was amusing to her. They tried to stammer apologies, but everybody in the room knew it was too late.
Still, Douryou did tell her to behave…
"Nah, I heard it way before you guys started talking. Don't worry about it, you two aren't the only gossip-mongers around here."
Not going to lie, it kind of killed them a bit inside whenever somebody brought up Mr.Yashiki. or more specifically, how 'poor Douryou and Kinukawa were so misled by a sickening man.' Like geez, she can hear you? Please stop?
Any attempt for damage control was met with more stares of pity because the rest of the student body felt like her feelings were being played.
And they were, but not by Mr.Yashiki.
If only she didn't go to the bell tower that day.
It's fun to give out and prove ghost stories, but living one out for six months. Knowing you were given feelings that aren't entirely yours. Well, it felt violating. She felt sorry for the Departed, but as months pass, she can't help but curse them for falling in love with Mr.Yashiki. They used all three of them to play out a fantasy that scarred them for the rest of their lives. As much as she is sympathetic and over it, just thinking about the joint spirit triggered something in her. About how her love for frogs were replaced by their love for bugs.
And that's not mentioning the whispers
Both her and Douryou were taking the brunt of their damage. About how weird they were during the possession.
They were unreliable, hormonal students who couldn't be trusted with actual student affairs in the eyes of many. Not only did they get the perpetrator wrong, but she can smell how the student body blamed them for it despite being its 'victim'
At least until the rumor slowly grew from 'They were victims of him' to 'They trapped him' to 'They tried to save his reputation out of love.'
How that happened, she wasn't super sure. Kinukawa managed to single out the class where it started, but her speculation over the origin can only go so far. It was refreshing, if a bit patronizing and disturbing.
"Still, we were just wondering if it's true?" Aizawa was playing with the sleeves of her school blazer.
Hmm, she could come out and say she was possessed the whole time. Which was pretty unbelievable in itself and can be taken the wrong way…Or she can play along and see where this goes. Call her petty, but she wanted to get something out of that heartbreak.
She was about to open her mouth when Douryou interrupted them, "Michiho, as the student council we aren't allowed to discuss former staff members and speculate on their love lives."
She said that so convincingly, but her eyes were giving her the 'go ahead.'
There's a reason why they worked so well together.
"Yeah guys, we can't officially confirm anything," The confusion on their faces made her laugh inside, "But I will say that there's always a bit of truth in some rumors."
Both Aizawa's and Kitagawa's eyes lit up. That's as close to a confirmation as they can get.
Wind them up and watch it go, Kinukawa mused.
As they got ready for the student council meeting, she wondered how fast this rumor would spread.
"So, to start this meeting, have you heard-"