closed - HAPPINESS AU TIME

[tentaculled]

[ imagine a world where Aguri didn't die, and Korosensei didn't have his body taken over by tentacles, and, somehow, everything worked out just fine, and the two of them are now both teachers of Class 3-E. Somehow. The details aren't important, but the results are!

Of course, he's nothing more than an assistant teacher, seeing as he's a rookie teaching for the first time. But he has the best of mentors to learn from, and a pretty impressive treasure trove of knowledge, to boot. Just as she predicted, he took to teaching like a fish to water - and the change in his personality has been remarkable. Both the students and Aguri herself have really made him open up and become more human than he's probably ever been in his life. Even without the tentacles to help him this time.

It's a pleasant way of life he's never been able to enjoy until now; living simply, connecting with others, seeing and being seen. He'd spent his entire life believing that death was his only skill - now, he's discovering that he has many more that he'd merely been misusing. All of it is thanks to her. The students, too, in part, but her, especially. She was the one that reached out, pulled him from the darkness, and took him into her own life. He's grateful to her from the bottom of his heart, and he doubts that anything he does can ever properly display the depths of his gratitude to her.

But he tries. Every day, it's on his mind - or, perhaps, she's on his mind, according to the jeers of their students. Jeers he can easily laugh off, but which fluster him a little bit more than he expected them to, most likely because there's a sizeable grain of truth in them. If they knew he was going to take her out to lunch on their day off, he can only imagine what they'd be saying... Not that it's a date, of course. She's engaged. Not a date at all.

Nonetheless, he finds himself waiting at the train station for her with a bit of trepidation. That might just be because he's afraid of what she might be wearing today, though. (He has to be seen with her...) ]

Comments

[commonsensei]

[ ... He's working on it, she knows-- and so Aguri sighs, but manages her usual rueful smile, anyway.

If she's a little pink, he's imagining it. ]

... Thank you. But we should get going, shouldn't we?

[tentaculled]

[ all right, things status: not ruined. Yet. (In the back of his mind, he realizes he's worrying a bit more about this whole outing than he should be, but he pretends he doesn't.) At the very least, the anxiety he'd been feeling earlier fades away. It's just Aguri, after all. Spending time with her is nothing to be nervous about.

Thus, he starts getting Ideas. He lifts a finger informatively. ]

We should. By the way, do you have anywhere you need to be after this?

[ it sounds pretty ominous, but it's actually not... ]

[commonsensei]

I was just going to go home and work on a lesson plan...

[ And fend off all of her sister's questions regarding this not-date, so... well, if she can put that off for as long as she can, boy, will she. ]

[tentaculled]

In that case, why don't we go on a little adventure?

[ he gestures to the train tracks nearby. It had seemed he'd picked this location because it was convenient and easy to reach, but maybe he'd actually had other plans. ]

I'll still buy you lunch, of course.

[commonsensei]

I'd like that! You can learn the most incredible things from even the smallest adventures.

[ Hook, line, sinker. ]

[tentaculled]

[ she has such a great view on life... one that he'd like to emulate, honestly. He hadn't even been thinking of it that way, but he nods along anyway. ]

You're always thinking about learning, hm? [ it's almost more of a statement than a question, and faintly teasing. ] It's decided, then. A little fresh air will be nice. Besides, I'd rather we don't run into any members of the student body.

[ because they'll tease... ]

[commonsensei]

I'd rather avoid that, myself... they're good children, but they can get carried away.

[ ALL THE TEASING CAN FLUSTER EVEN THE HARDIEST OF SOULS, and she is hardly stoic in the first place. ]

[tentaculled]

Ha ha... They do. [ twitch. ] Perhaps too much. If their teasing ever really bothers you, just let me know, and I'll take care of it.

[ ??????? ]

[commonsensei]

[ ??????? ]

It's all right. It's nice to see them smiling, and they don't mean any harm by it.

[tentaculled]

[ don't worry about it... instantaneously, his smile is back, and not the creepy one - the real one. ]

Of course. I was kidding around. Well, mostly. [ he'd never hurt the kids, but if anyone ever truly did anything to hurt her or bother her, he will not be happy, to say the least... but he's trying to turn over a new leaf. Use his strength to protect, not to destroy. ] But they do like to tease. It's the first time anyone's talked that way to me in a long time.

[ he leans forward a bit, watching the distance as the lights of a train begin to appear; the wind ruffles his black hair a bit. People had laughed at him before, but it wasn't kind, and only for a little while. After a certain point in his life, no one dared to try. ]

[commonsensei]

You've only recently started displaying your sincere emotions on your face, Sensei. When I first met you, it was hard to tell what you were thinking at all, so I always used to pretend that you were just very interested in listening.

[ Aguri runs a quick hand through her hair, smile a reminiscent one. ] And teasing is a sign that they care. As children, though, it's difficult to admit it.

[tentaculled]

Oh, I understand. This Sensei likes to tease, too, after all. [ sometimes them, sometimes her... perhaps her in particular. She does make it very easy - both teasing and caring about her. It's no wonder the whole class likes her. ] Making people laugh is very rewarding, don't you think? I'd never noticed it before.

[ a small laugh. It's no wonder he didn't notice, considering he found very little worth smiling about at all back then. His gaze flicks back to her. ]

But I guess I have changed quite a bit. It's easy for you to tell what I'm thinking now?

[ maybe he's transparent. His emotions feel out of control, and he's not used to it - he really has no idea. If he's that obvious... that's sort of embarrassing. ]

[commonsensei]

N-not entirely!

[ Don't ask her why this seems to fluster her-- ]

But you smile even when you're not trying to get yourself answers. And sometimes, your face turns red, or I can tell when you're trying to act defensively. It's really all very refreshing to see...

[tentaculled]

[ don't look flustered, or he'll look flustered! Actually, he does seem vaguely bashful about it, confirming her words pretty well. ]

Ah... In other words, I'm losing my cool charm. [ a short, wry laugh, perhaps to cover up the aforementioned bashfulness. ] But I'm more cut out to teach like this. If you think it's refreshing, it's fine.

[ it would be worse if he wasn't changing, or was changing in a way she didn't approve of. Another amused smile; but the train's pulling in, and he beckons her along. ]

Ladies first.

[commonsensei]

Thank you.

[ Ah, yes. Manners. Being polite and not being embarrassed at this not-date, because this isn't really a date, it's an outing between two coworkers and-- she's just going to get on the train now. ]

For the record, though... I think the way you are now also has its cool moments.

MY ICONS RAN OUT AND MY PURSE IS IN THE OTHER ROOM... brief tentacle face

[tentaculled]

[ yup... just hanging out in a totally platonic and friendly manner, nothing to worry about... they're just going to discuss class plans and stuff...

Her comment seems to surprise him, and he does proceed to look somewhat flustered, blinking in surprise. ]

R-really? [ this is not one of those cool moments, obviously. Idly, he scratches his cheek with one finger - a self-conscious gesture. ] That is, uh... Naturally, I haven't lost all of it yet. But I wouldn't have guessed you'd think of me like that, Yukimura-sensei.

[ that's a lie - he tries extra hard to look cool in front of her, even if putting it that way sounds extremely embarrassing (he tries to banish the thought from his head.) Of course, he thinks, he mostly wants her to see him growing as a teacher... but being admired as a person makes him feel pretty happy, too. Something he's trying to hide, but which is showing on his face anyway. Damn tentacles. ]

much blushy, such tentacle, wow

[commonsensei]

Ah, really? Maybe I've become harder to read, in contrast!

[ Which is so far from true, because Aguri still remains an open book, according to her sister and their students. She'd been clued in more than once that she'd been caught watching her fellow teacher with a fondness and pride beyond what other teachers tended to show their colleagues. But other teachers hadn't seen how he'd started and how much he'd flourished since then. Other teachers didn't see his smile and know there was a time when it hadn't been as sincere as it had looked.

She thinks of him more than she should, and her cheeks flush warmer at the thought. They probably both look pretty ridiculous right now, honestly. ]

UGH I'M ALIVE!!!!!

[tentaculled]

[ she might be an open book, but it feels too presumptuous for him to assume... anything. After all, he is who he is. He knows he really doesn't deserve it. He flipflops between soaking up her attentions like a dry sponge and trying to divert them somewhere else. Nonetheless, it's been proving harder and harder to go the second route as of late. He's trying to change. She's just so genuine. ]

No, not at all, [ he responds without hesitation, recovering quickly. ] You just surprise me sometimes. That's hardly a bad thing.

[ he beckons her after him as they board. As it turns out, taking a trip out somewhere for lunch on a weekend is a pretty popular idea in Japan... the seats are packed almost full, and it's immediately obvious that finding two consecutive spots isn't going to happen. He sighs, settling for holding onto one of the hanging straps instead. ] Looks like we'll be packed in today...

[commonsensei]

That's all right. We're young, we can stand.

[ If he thought Aguri was going to sit down, she's grossly mistaken. Other people might need that seat more! And this is solidarity, so she's also reaching up to grab a strap-- and swaying against him when the train starts to move.

... Yes, this was a good idea (at the time). ]

[tentaculled]

That's the spirit.

[ honestly, he's not exactly sure how old he is, but that's beside the point?! He smiles down at her in his usual way as she takes the spot next to him. It might be more "gentlemanly" (or whatever) to tell her to take a seat while he stands, but, frankly, he thinks she can make her own decisions.

He's not about to complain about their proximity, either. Half of him feels like he should put an arm around her waist right now, but the tentacles haven't made him lose all his self-restraint. That'd be inappropriate. Definitely. ]

You know, I haven't even told you where we're going, Yukimura-sensei.

[commonsensei]

[ Inappropriate, maybe, but would Aguri actually mind, hell no. At his comment, though, she tips her chin up-- plants her legs a little further apart too, for stability. ]

You haven't. But I kind of like looking forward to a surprise, so I don't mind at all. It's better to go into things without expectations so everything that happens is an adventure, isn't it?

[tentaculled]

[ miss yukimura you are engaged!! ]

Hahaha. As usual, you're not worried about me at all. [ and he doesn't mean 'worried about his wellbeing' - he means 'worried about the fact that he used to be the world's best professional murderer.' ] Well, I'm glad that you're like that, in the end. You're the travel-loving type, too, then?

[commonsensei]

[ She'd outwardly protest, probably!! ]

I am, but I don't usually get the chance to travel... [ Her fiancee keeps her on a short leash, and she has her teaching work to think of. ] Which means it's even more exciting when I can.

[tentaculled]

[ THAT COUNTS ]

Ah... [ right, yes. She wouldn't. She's dedicated to her job. And stuck here, more or less. She doesn't have to voice the reasons for him to guess them. Of course, he's been all over the world by now. Funny - he never considered it a good thing until after he started talking to her. He never considered it at all, actually. ] In that case, this works out perfectly. Not that we can go anywhere very exotic on a train in Japan... It's a shame. Spain is nice this time of year.

[commonsensei]

Is that your favorite place to visit?

[ She may never get a chance to go, but she certainly wouldn't mind hearing about it. ]