Work Text:
"You disappoint me again. Are you really idiots? Why can't you write tests acceptably?" A lanky man in a black shirt and matching dark trousers said as he paced in front of the blackboard. Ego Jinpachi, the Blue Lock High school teacher, scolded his class again, gesturing profusely.
"We understand your feelings, Teacher Ego, but we have good grades. And we pass tests much better than many of our peers from other schools," The best student in the class, Mikage Reo, tried to calm the mathematician.
"Then why did Noa's class get better grades?" Ego asked, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. Noel Noah was a math teacher at the same high school. He was also a candidate for the title of” teacher of the year " among the staff of the school, which means that he was a rival of Jinpachi.
"Because they're a year older than us?" The young Mikage was right. The students in the Noel's class are older than the fifteen-year-old students in Jinpachi's class. However, this did not prevent the Ego from comparing the two classes.
"That's because you don't have enough ambitions! I'm comparing grades, not knowledge, Mikage. Moreover, only fools and losers can use their age as an excuse, " The teacher sighed dramatically and continued his tirade, but in a calmer voice: "Let's talk to the truth. You hate me. It's mutual. So if you don't want to see me for a day or two, help me become the teacher of the year at this school, so that Principal Anri will give me a vacation. Agreed? Now open your notebooks and we will analyze your mistakes."
The students rolled their eyes and started opening their notebooks and writing down numbers from dictation. Ego never really chose his words, and today, when the results of the tests came back, which angered his far from positive personality, Jinpachi did not hide a single thought from the students. Fortunately, the torture for the students ended with the school bell, and the class hurried to the next classroom.
*******
"Did he call me a fool and a failure?" I have the best grades among my peers, " Reo swore at his teacher.
"Reo's angry, someone's probably going to get fired soon," Nagi Seishiro muttered, sitting down at the same desk as Mikage.
"Can we really write a complaint against him? If he gets fired, there won't be any more problems, " Bachira Meguru mused as he put his things on the desk.
"I don't know what he's doing here at all. I mean, he knows math well, but his communication style isn't pretty good.… It's strange that he became a teacher," Isagi Yoichi interjected, taking a seat next to Bachira.
"Do you think Noa teaches better?" Bachira asked his friend.
"Of course!" Isagi answered without any doubt. "You know, he taught me math last year. Noa explains better than Ego and doesn't yell at students."
"Is it still too late to change the teacher?" Chigiri Hyoma asked, either jokingly or seriously. He placed his backpack on the back row of desks. Chigiri was the link between Nagi with Reo and Isagi with Bachira. It could be called the third or even the fifth wheel, but no one dared, because in that case, it would start its tirade about hating Kunigami.
"Not a bad idea, Princess," Mikage said.
"Reo, take me too." Nagi asked.
"Every time I think it's impossible to be more pathetic..." said Hema irritably.
"I don't know, Nagi. Considering how you behave in other classes… I wouldn't be surprised if you fall asleep without being yelled at." Mikage pretended to think. "But about the Ego complaints…"
"I hope you won't really fire him. If we write a complaint, Noa, who already has a lot of classes, will replace him. But a foolish person. I don't need this before the final exams. Besides, he doesn't beat you lukewarms" Itoshi Rin approached the group of students. The best student after Reo. But considering that he was a year younger than his classmates, the guy could safely be called the most diligent student.
"You always keep people from being happy, Rin," Bachira said with a sneer, but without reproach.
"Anyway, should we help Ego? Not seeing his grumpy face for a few days is a good motivation to learn, " Chigiri reasoned.
"Do you think we have a chance? They really are a strong class. You know, Itoshi Sae is—"
"Sae is more of a ballast than a helper, Isagi. He doesn't know anything but math. " Rin interjected. He hated it when everyone praised his brother for his science skills, ignoring his disgusting knowledge of the humanities.
"How Rin loves his brother, though," Bachira chuckled.
"I hate him."
"Maybe we should just ask sophomores to give up. Studying is such a hassle, " Seishiro suggested, resting his head on the desk and closing his eyes.
"I don't think this is going to work, Nagi."
"They're not the type who likes to lose, " Isagi replied.
"It is unlikely that anything will change in their lives if they lose a couple of points. But if we lose, the Ego will kill us. " Seishiro said with a tired sigh.
"Nagi might be right," Chigiri said.
"They're unlikely to give up, but we can ask them to help us with our studies. If Isagi isn't lying, then Noa won't be as hard on them as Ego is on us."
"It's decided! Isagi is going to negotiate, " Bachira decided for everyone.
"Why should I?"
"You communicate with them most often. Rin will definitely not go there, and if we ask Shidou, he will either ask for Aiku, and we won't learn anything from him, or Sae, who will definitely refuse.
"Then enlighten me. Who do I talk to there?"
"With Kaiser and Ness?"
"Do you think our fights are kind of friendship?!" Isagi was confused.
"If Isagi doesn't go, I'll go.Let only this hero dare to refuse" Chigiri said with a grin.
When he said “Hero”, he meant Kunigami Rensuke. He was a friend of the entire group, but most of all, he communicated with Chigiri. However, a year ago, he passed exams as an external student and joined Noa's class. After that abandoned his old friends.
The bell rang, and the teacher, Mark Snuffy, came into the office. Biology class started. After two more lessons at school, the lunch was served in the cafeteria. Chigiri said goodbye to his friends and headed towards Rensuke's classroom.
Fortunately, Chigiri found out and saved Kunigami's schedule in his phone since the beginning of the year. Running down the hall and up the stairs, Chigiri reached the English classroom. The guy was there. After greeting his friend in his own style, namely without greeting him at all, Chigiri began to interrogate Kunigami.
"Kunigami! You're smart, right? Can you help our class with something?"
"Hello to you, too…What exactly can I help you with?"
"We need to raise our grades, otherwise Ego will kill us. For some reason, he needs to win "Teacher of the Year" and get a vacation."
"I don't think I can help with that."
"Eh? Any help will be fine for us. Just help us figure out the math."
"Noah seems to want to win, too. I don't think I have the right to help my opponents."
"Pardon? Don't tell me, he yells to you too. Isagi said Noah was kind." Chigiri said, a little annoyed at the rejection, but also sympathetic
"He doesn't. We have... a bet? I do not know how to call it. But it's important to Noa, so I can't help you.
"What kind of bet?"
"I can't say. I'm sorry. I could help you with other subjects, " Kunigami replied as apologetically as possible. Chigiri let out a tired sigh: No, thank you. You can go out with us instead, or I'll go crazy with them. " Chigiri suggested.
"Okay, thanks," Kunigami agreed with a chuckle.
******
Jinpachi was sitting in the cafeteria. He was eating tasteless kimchi. Well, or just not spicy enough for the Ego's tongue to feel it. The food here is tasteless, but it's free for teachers, so he can be patient.
The Ego sighs. He hates this school. Of course, the high school was certainly better than schools he'd taught at before, but how infuriated he was by the kids. They had no desire to be the best. They did not seek to gain knowledge. Except for a couple of exceptions. Principal Anri claimed that he just didn't understand people because he was a prodigy. But wasn't he a prodigy because he wanted to learn? He once thought that he could become a teacher and change the entire education system. Become the principal of his own school and raise only hardworking children. But he is working as a math teacher here. Only because they pay more here than in other schools.
At least his colleagues don't try to talk to him like the teachers from the previous place. Or not. Noel Noa and Chris Prince approach. Sometimes Jinpachi and Noa sit together at lunch, talking about students and some math researches. Noel is silent and almost emotionless. Ego can tolerate it. But Chris Prince is a disaster who behaves like a child or worse. And now he sit at the same table as the Ego.
Jinpachi is going to quickly eat his gyudon and hide in the classroom.
"How are your kids, Ego?" Prince starts a simple conversation.
"Don't call them my kids, it's disgusting. My class is fine, although the tests could have done better."
"You say that every time. They seem like good guys, maybe you need to change the approach?" Chris says, and Jinpachi roll his eyes.Students can be good at the English, that Prince teaches, but they're just terrible at math.
"If they would like to learn , they would come to me after the lesson, but no. They don't want to make an effort."
"My class didn't want to come near me after lessons, either. You need to tell them that it's not a shame to not know something. They are kids, " Noah interjected.
"Now, Ego, you just have to be a little kinder. —
"Okat, okay." Jinpachi replies, taking the last bite of meat in his mouth.
"You can come to my classroom if you want." Let's talk about students. I know you're a good teacher, but kids need a special attention." Noah suggested.
"Mgh," Jinpachi mumbled, and after finishing his portion, he went to his classroom.
The Ego still has a couple of minutes to prepare for the lesson. A man opens a presentation on his computer and checks the class grades. Somehow, he can't get Noa's words out of his head. There are smart kids in his class, but maybe it's the teaching, not the students themselves. Jinpachi rolls his eyes. The thought of stopping by Noel's classroom after the lessons comes up in the back of my mind. Tips won't hurt. And if Noah is as mediocre as his past colleagues, he might just not listen to him.
After three lessons in the afternoon, Ego was heading to Noel Noah's class. When Jinpachi entered the office, he found no one there. Looking around, Ego only notices the decorations that make Noa's classroom stand out, as opposed to Jinpachi's gray room. On the walls of Noa's classroom were origami, that looked like birds. There were also posters with definitions and formulas typical of the math class in the room. At the back of the room were the certificates and awards of the students. The elder Itoshi seems to be a smart one. However, his younger brother was also talanted in some ways.
"Ego?" Noa's voice came from the doorway. There was a child with him. Noel looked surprised. Clearly not expecting to see his colleague. Makes sense. The ego doesn't communicate with anyone. This is his first contact with colleagues, which he initiates.
"If you're not busy, I'd like to talk about the students."
"Not too busy," Noah said, scratching his head. Later, he said to the boy next to him,
" Can you come to me tomorrow, Kaiser?" The boy named Kaiser seems to have mumbled an affirmative answer before disappearing.
"Was there anything specific you wanted to talk about?"
"I kind of expect some teaching advice."It can be difficult, talk with children, " says Ego, although he prefers to think that it is difficult for children talk with him.
"I understand. My peers often say that it is difficult to communicate with me. So it is more difficult for children. I don't think I can help you much. I can only show you how I do it. If you don't mind, you can come and watch my lesson. I can send you my schedule."
Ego looks at Noah with his empty, almost black eyes and thinks. Finally, having decided that just listening to Noel for forty minutes won't hurt him, he agrees. The man offers to exchange numbers. A new phone number appears next to the contacts of his own family and student's parents.
*******
Two days later, Jinpachi is sitting in Noa's class, scaring the students with his presence. The children don't shake with fear, of course, but they stiffen slightly when the Ego's gaze lingers on them. Noel's class is frankly boring. There is no desire to hear about topics that have long been known to Jinpachi. But that's not why he's here, either.
Therefore, the mathematician tries to pay attention not to what his colleague says, but to how he says it. Noel talks monotonously about derivatives and asks: "Any questions?"after each example.
Every time the students ask their stupid questions, Noa answers them. One of the students, Noel called him Lorenzo, asks a question that makes even the students laugh. But Noa still answers, and then scolds the laughing ones.
Despite the complete lack of emotional coloring in the voice, Noel is a pleasure to listen to. Ego even catches himself thinking, "I'd like that kind of teacher”" but quickly dismisses it when Noah makes a mistake in his calculations. Checking the answer, Noel encounters a discrepancy, but is in no hurry to erase the example. He asks Lorenzo to correct his mistake. The boy's eyes light up as he erases one value from the board and substitutes another. He smiles when the teacher says that he did everything right.
Noa must have made a mistake on purpose, Ego thinks when he sees the hint of a smile on his colleague's face. In the last five minutes, Noel begins to sort out the problems for senior class. Many people do not understand the solution, and some prefer not to listen at all. But Noa patiently answers all the students' questions, focusing on those who are trying to understand, not those who are not listening. Several students stay after the lesson, asking to sort out a particular problem in the next lesson. Noel says “If there's time, we'll sort it out” and when the answer comes, the students run to the next lesson.
Only Jinpachi and Noel remain in the classroom. The ego thanks the other for the offer and rushes to his office. Jinpachi is late for his first class in a long time. But he doesn't regret being in someone else's class at all. Listening to a topic he knows from Noa is much better than locking himself in the staff room and putting grades in a magazine while drinking chamomile tea.
*******
Over the next month, Ego visits Noel's classes several more times, trying to change his approach to teaching. Of course, he can't change right away. But gradually, students stop avoiding him, which means that the Ego becomes better. Sometimes he and Noe even share their students' progress and talking about their personal lives as well.
Although, in the case of Jinpachi, about its absence. By the end of the month, “X " day arrives. The appointment of the teacher of the year. According to the results of semester tests, as well as a survey of students, Noel Noah wins. After the results are announced, the Ego goes from the assembly hall to the teachers' room. He's not upset in anyway. On the contrary, he even agree with the principal in choosing the winner.
Noel deserves his bonus and a vacation for his hard work. But Jinpachi is not going to deal with congratulations and his nasty colleagues. The teacher makes himself tea and drinks it, enjoying the silence.
Until Noah walks in on him. He's standing in the doorway with a bunch of purple flowers.
"The principal really appreciates you if she gave you flowers. I don't remember anything like this last year.
"Actually, it's for you.
"I didn't think that I won in any category."
"This is from me," Noel hands Ego the flowers, and he has no choice but to accept them. "Ego Jinpachi, I admire you. I love you, " Noah says, almost without emotion. As if reading from a piece of paper or joking. But at the same time, he blushes slightly and doesn't know what to do with his hands because of the awkwardness. Someone like him wants to reciprocate.
"It's too early for clear answer, but if you buy me a coffee, I'll think about it," Ego says with a sly smile.
"Whatever you want."
»»——⍟——««»»——⍟——««»»——⍟——««
Traitor
Hello, Kunigami!
So what was your bet with Noa about?
Hello, Chigiri!
He said that he would grant one of our wishes if we passed the tests well. As a result, the class asked him to declare his love for his passion.
He might not agree, but when the whole class knows your crush by sight, it's hard.
Who are you talking about?
About Ego…
DGJDNDJDJD???
»»——⍟——««»»——⍟——««»»——⍟——««