The Substitute

Chapter 7

While Saiga Reita was sure the entire class of 3-D would have paid good money to hear the discussion Yankumi and Shin had after his surprise "announcement", they were supremely disappointed. And, eventually, they accepted Yankumi's pregnancy as a normal part of their daily routine. She was still their crazy, speech-spouting teacher who would defend them no matter what anyone else said.

Reita was amazed to see how well Shin had gotten through to them. For instance, when some punk from a different class would say something stupid, and while, before, it would have instantly started a brawl, Reita could almost see the image of a furious Shin flash before his classmates' eyes. So the punks would escape with just a shove and someone shouting about how lucky they were.

Yankumi also kept her temper in check fairly well, though her way of dealing with young upstarts was to beam at them and tell them how important chasing the sun or something was. Reita and his friends laughed about it, and the reactions the other kids had to her weird methods. Itsuo guessed that insulting math was the only way to get under her skin. Koji thought maybe she did tai chi. Tawara wondered if she even had a breaking point.

Reita found out soon enough.

School had been out for half an hour, but Yankumi was nowhere to be seen. Knowing that if he headed to the Oedo house without Yankumi, he'd be interrogated like a captured spy, he reluctantly poked around the likely places she could be hiding.

After checking to see that the classroom and roof were empty, he walked towards the teachers' offices. As he moved down the hall, he heard voices; one very Yankumi-like protestation and one Principal-like pretentious voice making muffled statements.

"… do you mean 'flunk out'?" Yankumi's squeak got clearer as Reita got closer.

"Exactly what I said. Mochizuki Junpei is failing Yashuhiko-sensei's world history class, and seeing as how he's barely scraping by in his other classes, a failing grade will result in immediate academic dismissal."

"But why didn't you tell me earlier? If I had known, we could have worked with Mochizuki-kun to help him improve his grades!"

"I merely assumed that you had been keeping tracking of your students' progress, Sawada-sensei. Or maybe your… delicate condition is preventing you from your duties?" The principal asked in a sneering tone.

Showing remarkable restraint, Yankumi ignored that last jibe. "Yashuhiko-sensei, have you offered him extra resources at all? Maybe some quality time with him and talking about how important history is would encourage him to-"

"I did no such thing." An indignant voice interrupted. Reita peered through the gap in the sliding door in time to see Yashuhiko-sensei, a small man who always looked like he was smelling something foul, lean forward to lecture Yankumi. "If he wanted to improve himself, he would come to me and ask for help, and then I might be convinced to give it to him. Besides, if he was serious about doing well my class, he could always contract a tutor."

"Not all families can afford-"

"Nonsense! Where there's a will, there's a way."

"Exactly," Principal Sawatari agreed, nodding along. "We just wanted to inform you so that you were not surprised when one of your students flunks out after this next world history test."

"But surely, Yashuhiko-sensei, you want to see your students succeed! If you'd just take some time-"

"It's not my job to spoon-feed every lazy teenager I come across, Sawada-sensei. I only hope you can learn that before it's too late."

Shocked into speechlessness, Yankumi only stared as the two men walked away, murmuring to each other in judgmental tones.

Minutes passed as she still didn't move. "Yankumi?" Reita ventured as he made his way into the room. "Are you alright?"