Labcoats and Loners

Fools Bring Flowers

Chapter 1 Fools bring flowers

Hiratsuka Shizuka had a lit cigarette between her lips. She had been smoking for the past fifteen minutes and this was her second cigarette of the day. On her day off, she loved to drink and smoke, having nothing better to do in her house all by her own. She would read a shonen manga to stave off her boredom from time to time but nothing elevated her frustration away like a good drag from her cigarette did. Lost in smoke and cloudy thoughts she almost missed the ringing sound of her doorbell and only after repeated knocking did she realise someone was standing outside her door and waiting for her to open up.

She took her cigarette out from her mouth and trapped it between her index and middle finger. Without looking she opened her door and sighed upon seeing the person standing on the other side. He looked as cheerful as she was.

"..."

"Don't stand there like an idiot. Come in!"

Hikigaya Hachiman was her student. He was good at literature but he was hopeless in the sciences. Out of the goodness in her heart, Hiratsuka Shizuka decided to tutor him to help his chances of passing in any of his future examinations. Being a responsible teacher was tough and it didn't help that her student walked into her apartment with all the candour of a man approaching the gallows. He had to open his mouth at some point but for now his dead fish eyes was taking in the appearance of her living room.

"Not much to look at Hikigaya. Take a seat."

"Where?"

"Anywhere. Here try the sofa."

Her student followed her instructions and sat himself down comfortably. He placed his school bag on the coffee table before him and then he looked up at his teacher. He said nothing but waited.

"What are you waiting for? Take out your books."

"Aren't you going to finish your cigarette sensei?"

She looked at her cigarette and sighed. Being a responsible teacher meant no smoking before students. Even disillusioned students like him. She found an ashtray from under the coffee table and stubbed out her cigarette.

"Happy?"

"..."

"Who am I kidding? You are never happy."

"Not true sensei. I will be extremely happy if you didn't make me redo your essays. Those take a lot of effort."

"Then stop writing like an idiot. Be a little more optimistic."

"You have a better chance of getting married than I have of becoming optimistic."

Hiratsuka Shizuka was a good teacher. She was kind to her students and had high hopes for their future. She believed her other students would easily forgive her if she killed only one of her students. If Hikigaya was to be believed than he was so invisible that his fellow classmates would forget all about him and his death after a couple of days.

With these sane thoughts Hiratsuka Shizuka drove her fist straight through Hikigaya Hachiman. Hearing him groan and collapse on her living room floor almost made up for having to teach him mathematics for the next couple of hours.

When he left after his study session Hiratsuka Shizuka lit another cigarette and wallowed all by her lonesome in her empty apartment. She blamed Hikigaya for being insensitive to a woman who was fully aware of her chance of getting married.

-x-x-x-

After a few days Hiratsuka Shizuka had to call Hikigaya Hachiman for another tutoring session. His marks were becoming a problem. He had no problems in acing modern Japanese but that was because he had such a wonderful teacher like her. She wondered how Hikigaya could be so good in one thing and be a complete idiot in the other. Just like she wondered how he could hurt himself and hurt others without understanding the consequences in the long run. He was satisfied with getting results and felt no shame in employing disgraceful means. His future was troubled and Hiratsuka wanted to help him change his outlook. But with the way things are going even a small change was a lot of hard work.