Our Teacher is a Yakuza Princess

Chapter 19

He woke up annoyingly early the next morning, despite the late night, and met up with the guys. Friendly greetings at the gate turned into shouts and stares as the Volleyball National Competition banner had been ripped, torn, and spray painted to change 'Competition' to 'Costume Contest'. As the rest of the students gaped at the damage, Uchi gave Shin a significant look.

It was Kurosaki. Something had happened. What were they supposed to do?

Shin took a breath, then nodded for Uchi to follow him. They walked out of the school gates, and Shin opened his phone. He hoped Kuro had kept the same number, and would answer it when he saw Shin calling.

It rang once, twice, then stopped.

"Shin?"

"We need to talk to you." Shin said quickly. When silence reigned, he added, "Kuro."

"Warehouse 23, by the river. Don't waste my time." Then the line went dead.

Shin glanced at Uchi. "Let's go."

They arrived at the warehouse and were escorted to a couch in the middle of the concrete floor by a dozen of the Ara High dropouts. Sitting across from them was Kurosaki, looking leaner, hardened, more bitter than before.

"What business do you have with me? Unlike you guys, we're busy," Kurosaki drawled carelessly.

Shin spoke as nonchalantly as Kurosaki did. "About the banner for the volleyball team… Did you do it?"

Kurosaki's silence answered his question better than words could.

"So, it was you?" Uchi confirmed.

"And what if it was me?" Kurosaki asked, leaning forward. "Going to the national competition?" He snorted derisively. "Don't make me laugh. The way they cut out a student to boost the reputation of the school… I can never forget what they did."

Shin gave him a long look. "What are you thinking?"

Kurosaki raised an eyebrow. "Can't you tell?" He grinned. "I'm gonna ruin their chance to participate in the Nationals. Seeing Iwamoto's pathetic face might cheer me up a little." Standing, he turned to the boys behind him. "Let's go, guys."

Uchi grabbed at his arm, but Kurosaki twisted out of reach and shouted, "Thatteacher – I'll never forgive him!"

Shin held Uchi back as Kurosaki spat, "You lame students wouldn't understand how I feel. I'm different from you guys now."

As Kurosaki and the rest of the thugs walked away, Shin couldn't help but silently respond,We're different too.

They stood in the empty warehouse for a few minutes before Uchi turned to him and asked, "What now?"

Shin sighed. They needed to tell somebody – someone who would listen, would understand, would help. Back when he knew Kurosaki, he had no one that fit that description. But he did now.

"Come on. Let's go tell Yankumi." Uchi started to protest, then thought better of it. If anyone was going to help, it would be her.

They got to school a few minutes before the day ended, but 3-D's classroom was empty. Shin left Uchi to brood in the room as he went looking for Yankumi. He saw her saying goodbye to Mr. Detective-san (who was dressed normally) and his partner (who was not – in fact, it looked almost like the shorter cop had joined their ridiculous male cheerleading team). She kept waving at the car long after it had driven away, much to Shin's annoyance.

He interrupted her muttering about the good luck to think of recording them, but the bad luck that Kashiwagi-san wanted to help. Shin couldn't make any sense of it, and since she didn't notice him walk up behind her, he tapped her shoulder and ducked under her instinctual swing.