Gokusen Fan Fiction ❯ Gokusen 30kisses Sawada x Yankumi theme part II ❯ 3 of 30 Kisses: Of Emotion ( Chapter 3 )

Title: Of Emotion
Author/Artist: Seoinage
Pairing: Sawada Shin x Yamaguchi Kumiko
Fandom: Gokusen

Genre: Romance/Humor/Drama
Theme: #28 - Wada Calcium CD3 : ワダカル& #227;‚·ã‚¦ãƒ CD3
Disclaime r: Gokusen © Morimoto Kozueko and various companies with rights to it.

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After receiving their diplomas almost four months ago from Shirokin, the 3-D graduates found themselves walking paths that slowly diverged from each other. However, every so often, those still in the area and with the time available would stop, make plans to meet, and enjoy the camaraderie that saw them through the struggles of their last year to graduate together. And for those too far away, a nostalgic sadness would hover momentarily over the assembled group, until inevitably someone would crack a joke to break the uncomfortable and embarrassing wistfulness. Some of the guys would laugh while others groaned in mock agony, pelting the joker with anything within reach, once again Class 3-D and causing their own brand of ruckus.


Fortunately, or unfortunately for Yankumi, those seated on the other side of the booth's table from her and Shin knew about their dating status. And they were looking at her expectantly after Kuma had asked, “So when's the wedding?”


“Yeah, when's the wedding?” smirked Uchi, one arm draped over the back of the booth as he slouched insolently. Here, with his friends, he relaxed and played, temporarily shedding the responsible working man he had become upon graduation.


“Don't tell me you're pregnant, Yankumi!” Noda dramatically gasped, shooting forward to lean on the table only to recoil even faster, an odd squeamish look twisting his face. “Actually, I don't want to think about that. That's just too gross! Yankumi and Shin, doing that together!”


She could feel her face heating up faster than comically possible. “W-what are you guys t-talking a-about? T-that's…that's…” Her mind overheated and she could see little white spots dancing before her, partially obscuring the avidly interested gazes of Noda, Uchi, and Kuma. Yankumi shifted, fidgeting, clearly wanting to get away. She would have too, except on one side stood the wall and on the other, Shin sat, blocking her escape path.


Her eyes took in the cute parfait melting in front of her, the fake plants decorating the walls, the amber light shade hanging up above. Mouth opening and closing, opening and closing; she looked like a fish out of water. A really red fish with panicky eyes that stammered again, “T-that's…w-we've only ever ki…”


“That's between her and me.” Shin cut in blandly, trying to head off the imminent eruption from the petite woman. “So stop asking stupid questions, idiots.”


“But Shin-chaaan,” Kuma whined even as he continued spooning ice cream as fast as he could eat it, “You're living with Yankumi now!”


Perverted thoughts obviously raced through Uchi's mind since he added, eyebrows waggling devilishly, “Yeah, you're a man in his prime who's been living with his girlfriend for over three months now! You guys must have done something already!”


“Though I don't know about Yankumi, I mean, she's not really a woman and all. She doesn't even have breasts and hips!” Noda nodded sagely as his hands illustrated his next words. “A woman should have beautiful curves up top and definitely on the bottom. Now Yankumi, she doesn't have either. In fact, she's so flat that I could iron my clothes on h…” He trailed off abruptly, finally noticing that Death loomed across from him and wanted to collect.


Oh yes, Noda would die a slow death full of torture, or maybe a death where he would come back to life only to have her kill him again and again and again. Both options sounded very good to her blood-thirsty mood right now.


“No-da…” she growled low, like a fire-breathing dragon come to earth. The now twisted parfait spoon dropped with a clang even as she lunged with outstretched hands across the expanse separating her from the soon-to-be victim.


“O-oi! Stop it with the devil face, Yankumi!” Eyes wide and seeing her coming towards him, Noda cursed the fact that he sat in the middle. Twisting about frantically in the hopes that she wouldn't get a firm grip on him, he tried pushing Uchi out of his escape path, but then chose to climb up and over his stationary and cowering friend instead.


Regrettably, for all his maneuvering, Yankumi grabbed a firm hold of the dangling ends of his neck scarf and began strangling him, a manic grin planted on her face. Noda started making horrid sounding choking noises. “H-he-help…! I-I'm…g-go-nna…d-die!”


Shin, after a small pause, went to hold her back. It would be easier restraining a wild boar bare handed. Noticing the looks they were attracting from the other patrons as well as a waitress hurrying away, he then said urgently, “Oi, Yankumi! We're in a restaurant, so you can't kill Noda here.”


At the mention of the word `kill', Kuma whimpered in fright, scrunching up even further against the wall, trying to make himself both smaller and as physically away from Noda and Yankumi as possible. Knowing she grew up in a yakuza household only made him fear her that much more when she got into these moods.


After furiously shrugging off his jacket (Noda had a death grip on it in desperation) and leaving it in sacrifice, Uchi scrambled clear of the entire thing. Too bad for his friend that he chose not do it sooner, but the bleach-blond definitely wanted nothing to do with the rampaging devil. Definitely.


“A-hem!”


They all froze, heads swiveling towards the loud sound.


The restaurant manager glared daggers at them as he thrust their bill onto the table. “Please pay and stop making a disturbance for my other customers.”


A few minutes later…


“We got kicked out.”


Shin rolled his eyes.


“I can't believe they kicked us out!”


Shin continued walking along behind the guys.


“It's all Yankumi's fault. I had to leave the rest of my float!”


“What?” She exclaimed, mouth dropping open. “How's that all my fault!”


Shin grabbed the arm that would have chopped Noda into two, and then grabbed its twin before it could do anything. Good thing he'd thought to position himself next to her. “Oi, Yankumi. Do you want to involve the cops? Remember, we're still in public.”


At the mention of cops, a (small) measure of reason returned only for her to fearfully exclaim, “Wolves? Where?” Her eyes scanned the area, ready to escape.


He let go of her arms. “You idiot. Are you even awake?”


Up head, Uchi laughed at her, pointing rudely. “Man, you're so out of it, Yankumi!”


Noda joined in on the laughter, not noticing how close to danger he had come, again. “Yankumi, you'd better do something! You're acting like an old woman!”


“Why you guys…” She breathed, ready to get worked up again. “I'm not old!”


Ignoring the exchange, Kuma rustled in his jacket pocket and pulled out a small white bottle. “Hey, Yankumi, this is from my mom.” He awkwardly thrust it towards her as if embarrassed by it.


Attention diverted by the mention of a gift, she looked at Kuma and took the offered item in both hands. “Eh? What is it?”


“Uhm…They're calcium pills. Mom's been on a health thing lately and said that because you took care of us, she should do something in return.” Kuma rubbed the back of his head, red tinged around the tips of his ears and high on his cheeks. “Something about the fact that lots of people doesn't get enough of it. It's good for your or something.”


The bottle of Wada Calcium CD3 pills stared back at her. How come it looked so familiar? Yankumi frowned, trying to remember. Where had she seen it before?


Back at the Ooedo household, feather duster in one hand, head covered by a kerchief, and an apron tied over his clothes, Tetsu sneezed. Blinking fiercely and rubbing his sleeve across his nose, the hard-working man grimaced. “Maybe we need to dust this place more often.” Sighing and then taking a deep breath as if to brace himself for an ordeal ahead, he got back to cleaning with a vengeance.


At the same time downtown, Yankumi shrugged and gave up trying to remember, and then smiled warmly at Kuma instead. “Tell your mom `Thanks' for me. By the way, how is she? And your mother too, Uchi! How's studying for the college exams coming along, Noda? You're not distracted by all the girls on summer break now, are you?”


And they were off, talking loudly, animatedly, and argumentatively. They were friends, after all.


Shin easily took the calcium bottle from her - she didn't even notice - and pocketed it, observing the laughing group ahead of him. A small smile made its way to light up his face from its normal cool stare. Yankumi happy made him happy. That was all there was to it.


The next morning, when she sat down to eat breakfast, a small dish with two calcium pills sat next to her chopsticks. “Eh? What's this?”


Grandfather took a sip of his hot tea. “Calcium pills, Kumiko. I heard they were a gift?”


Blinking, she nodded affirmatively in response. “Yes, Kuma's mother gave them to me yesterday. But how'd they get here?” A dawning understanding came and she turned to face her suspect. “Shin?”


He raised an eyebrow at her, answering with another question. “Aren't they a gift?”


“Well…yes, they were a gift. But how'd they get here?”


“Are you going to refuse Kuma's mom's gift? That wouldn't be respectful.”


Yankumi gave him a shocked look, her honor at stake, “I wouldn't do that! They were a gift!”


“Then take them and thank her next time you see her. Simple, right?”


She stared down at the supplements, and then picked them up. “Well, I guess so.” Hand went to mouth and then she chased down the calcium with a sip of water. Shin watched her silently, a banked warmth in his eyes.


“Well, with that settled, let's start. Thank you for the breakfast we have today.” Grandfather intoned.


Everyone at the table clapped their hands, saying, “Thanks for this meal we're having!”


Shin smiled inwardly. It never hurt to build toward the future of the Ooedo clan, after all. And she really did need to take care of herself better considering all the scraps she got herself in. Building stronger bones now will leave her a living legacy that will serve her well throughout her lifetime. He never wanted to her to be taken down by the brittle bone disease, osteoporosis, when it could be prevented. So from then on, the calcium pills waited for Yankumi every morning and evening, and she got used to expecting them there.


Only this morning, instead of going through his routine of waking up to the alarm clock, stumbling to the washroom, getting changed, and stumbling downstairs to help set up breakfast, Shin was woken by his very loud cell phone.


“Ugh…” he mumbled, eyelids still glued together, red hair wildly rumpled. Not truly willing to wake up, Shin hid under his bedspread even more as he tried to ignore the noise. “…Go `way…”


He started falling back asleep, until the incessant tune finally pierced through enough of his muddled brain after a few seconds. A searching hand stuck out from its warm cocoon, waving towards the general direction of the nightstand. Shin groped for the phone even as he snatched a few more blissful moments of sleep. That is, until he knocked his ringing target down onto the floor with a dull thud.


Groaning, he manfully flipped himself to lie on his stomach and angled his upper body towards the side of the bed and finally snatched up the thing. Flipping open the cover one-handed, his hand snaked back under the covers and pressed the phone to his ear.


“…'eah?” No one said he had to be coherent.


Slow and pained breathing came through the line. “Sh-Shin…chan…Sorry for…Calling so…Early…”


The redhead suddenly shot into a sitting position, covers forgotten, and sleep abandoned. “What happened? Are you ok?”


Silence answered instead as the call went dead. Shin's breath caught. “Kuma! Oi, Kuma!”








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