Please Teacher! Fan Fiction ❯ Ichigo's Dance ❯ On the Dock ( Chapter 1 )

Onégai Teacher - Ichigo's Dance

A Fanfic by BlueDragon

 

Standard Fanfic Disclaimer: OnéTea characters ©2002 Please! All are being used without permission. I do not have any money so it won't do any good to sue me. Also I want to thank all these people that created such wonderful characters for me to be able to write about.

 

“Talking Lines”

«Thinking Lines»

~Sound Effects~

^Phone Lines^

\\Time, or Location\\

 

Authors' notes: This story takes place Senior Year after the 13th episode of the series. Also don't be surprised if characters from other Manga/Anime may show up from time to time. These cameos do not imply Crossover I personally feel that only applies if characters from different series have a large interaction and impact on each other i.e. Ranma cast moves into the Hinata-sou.

Chapter 1 On the Dock

 

Ichigo was walking out to the lake; she had just gotten home from visiting her family in Tokyo over the school break. It was almost the start of her senior year of high school. “It's about time, my 23rd birthday is this May and I'm just starting Senior Year.” After getting back she unpacked, then went to Herikawa Groceries to restock her kitchen. She even spent about twenty minutes talking to her best friend Koishi about her trip and getting filled in on the local events that happened while she was away. “I am surprised that Koishi will let me tell her secret if I have to, but information should be repaid in kind. Kami-sama knows that I don't have an interest in any of the guys at school.” A stray thought of her dinner out with Ringo and her husband went thru her head. “Agggh, my imootó can be such a pain at times.” A scowl crosses her face. “If my classmates only knew that I really do have emotions.” This last thought put a small smile on her face. But she was now on a mission, and continued towards the lake's pier. As she got to the edge of the lake she saw the object of her current search, lying back on the pier end with his head resting on his hands. She approached quietly, but the wood surface shifted under even her slight weight.

 

Kei sat up quickly and turned to meet the newcomer. “Oh… Ichigo hi, how was your visit with your family?” He had that normal carefree smile on his face.

 

The scowl returned again to darken her face, and she started to sit down next to Kei. “Well for the most part pretty nice. If only my imootó, and my OkÄsan would stop trying too interfere with my life. Rrrrrr… I swear OkÄsan must worry all the time that I'll end up an Old Maid. My imootó is almost as bad trying too fix me up with any Goofball she knew during her year of college.”

 

Kei chuckled at her, he had heard her get frustrated and/or disgusted before, but never at this level let alone directed at her family.

 

“And just what is it you're finding so funny about this Kusanagi-kun.” Frustration was evident in her voice.

 

“Gomen… I just never heard you so ticked at your family before. So then just what happened? If you don't mind me asking.”

 

Ichigo laid back on the pier with her hands behind her head and her feet over the end of the pier. “Well a couple nights ago Ringo asked me to join her and her husband for dinner at one of the five star restaurants they like over in Shibuya. I hadn't been there since before my big standstill and thought it would be fun. On the way there, she remembers that one of the Associates that works with her husband was meeting us. Some American named Jonathan Evers. Just Great… He spent the evening either talking shop with my brother-in-law, or trying too impress me with trivia about his car, his condo, HIS Blaaah…Blaaah…Blaaah. I was almost sick by the end of the night. And to top it all off OkÄsan was waiting up when we got home and wanted me to give her all the marvelous details of my night out.”

 

“Ouch… I sure could think of better things to do over my school break. So then what are you planning for this year, Ichigo?”

 

“Not much, just finish school. Get accepted into Todai's Business College then graduate; or at least some other really good school. Then and only then will I make my OkÄsan happy and start thinking about boyfriends, marriage, raising a family.”

 

“Hey that sounds like a pretty good plan to me. Maybe I should try it.”

 

“Well you have been doing a pretty good job bringing your grades up the past several terms. You could probably pull it off.” She sat back up and looked over the lake. “Kei, can I ask you a question? It is kind of personal.”

 

Kei turned around to look her in the eyes. “Uhh… Sure I suppose.”

 

“I was curious… if well, maybe Mizuho-sensei was the girl that you had feelings for.” She turned to look Kei back in the eyes. Kei started to stammer out a denial but before he could form a coherent sentence Ichigo's smile grew. “It's okay, you really don't have to tell me, I am pretty sure I have my answer now.”

 

He tried to get an impression of where Ichigo was trying to take this, but was not coming up with any ideas. He stretched back out on the pier with his hands behind his head. “So what does this have to do with those stupid rumors that Mizuho-sensei and I are having an affair?” He was trying hard to act nonchalant but felt he was failing miserably.

 

“Well Kei-kun, you know the student government is sponsoring a dance in May and I was hoping you might want to be my escort?” Kei noticed she actually looked like she might be blushing as she stared across the lake. “I mean that because I am president of the student government, and co-chaired the dance committee, I don't think I should go by myself.”

 

Kei chuckled softly to himself; “Yeah, I suppose that's true… But still why would you want to ask me, and what does this have to do with Mizuho-sensei?”

 

Ichigo looked at Kei again and smiled, “You know that I'm not interested in any of the guys at school. `Not Romantically Anyway,' and most of them would think I was, if I asked them to the dance. You at least understand why I'm not interested in anyone and wouldn't take it the wrong way. Besides if Mizuho-sensei is your koibito it's not like you can take her and by going with me you can have some fun and not jeopardize your relationship with her.”

 

Kei didn't want to look like he was nervous and he was well aware that keeping Ichigo from finding out anything that sparked her interest was a near impossible task. «Man how can I throw her off of this without making her more suspicious; and why is she so sure about Mizuho and me?» He sighed… “Yeah, I understand why you would not want to ask someone else. But that doesn't explain why you think she is my significant other?”

 

“Aah… That's pretty simple. The most telling thing is the way you look at her sometimes in class when you don't think anyone is watching. Also her reaction when you're talking to some girls in our class, especially Koishi. I know Koishi is a big flirt with guys she likes, but a couple of times it looked like Miss Kazami was about ready to snap her pointer in half the last couple of times you were being teased.” Kei gulped audibly and Ichigos' smile got bigger. “Then there's the fact that her apartment is next door to your Aunt & Uncles house. Oh yeah… that and Matagu mentioned to me last fall about when he met your COUSIN… you know about 12 years old, shoulder length black hair, hanging all over you. The only problem was I saw her later that day with Mizuho-sensei and they were trying to find YOU.” Ichigo started to giggle and poked Kei in the ribs.

 

She noted that Kei looked like he was about to have a heart attack. “Relax Kei; I promise I won't tell anyone… Well maybe Koishi, she has been curious as to who your mysterious koibito is. You know that I understand why you need to keep it a secret.”

 

Kei was still looking at Ichigo and panic was still pretty obvious on his face. He looked all around the lake to make sure that nobody was around, or at least within hearing distance. «Man, we can be in big trouble if other people find out about this. But would Ichigo really tell about us; or even worse could she figure out Mizuho is really an Alien? I have to do something to keep her suspicions away from the real truth.» Kei gulped… and took one last look around the lake, “Ichigo… You really can't tell anyone about this it's Really Important. Principal Tendo will have an absolute fit if this got out and we made him look bad. OK you can understand that can't you?” He was looking at Ichigo and his eyes were almost pleading.

 

Ichigo was having a little trouble understanding why Kei would be this frantic about this. She knew that Kei was twenty years old and Mizuho-sensei wasn't much older then that. But why would Principal Tendo be so concerned other then the little scandal that would go on about a student involved with his teacher? “Alright Kei, it's OK, but why would Principal Tendo have such a big problem with this? I don't understand.”

 

Kei looked resigned; pulled his knees up to his chest and looked straight ahead but didn't focus on anything. “That's because he told us that we had to keep our relationship a secret, or Mizuho could loose her job and that would destroy her career.” Kei let out a big sigh and continued. “You see, Mizuho isn't my koibito anymore… She's my kánai.” He turned to look at his companion and for the first time he noticed she looked shocked. “Can you understand now why he would get so upset?”

 

Ichigo started to digest this information… It took a couple of seconds, and now she could see why Kei had to keep this a secret. But some things just did not add up right. “Alright Kei, I think I can see why you want to keep this quiet. What I'm having problems with is why you would just up and marry our teacher?”

 

“We'll it's kind of a long story and I don't want to spend all day discussing the details, but Mizuho was an upperclassmen at my old school before she went to college to become a teacher. My school used the future teachers club for their student tutors and she was assigned to help me with some of my subjects. A couple months later I had my Big Standstill and was in the hospital for a while before my folks put me in a private care facility. I don't remember much from that time but she would visit sometimes just too talk to me about whatever. When I woke up I remembered her and I wasn't sure but I thought she would talk to me sometimes. It kinda seemed like a dream. I couldn't cope with the life I had left behind, so my Aunt & Uncle told me I could move up here, and I did. Mizuho, when she had stopped by to visit me, found out that I had woken up and contacted me. We spent some time together and got to know each other on another level.” He looked over at Ichigo to see how see was reacting to this. And waited a few seconds for a response from her.

 

After a little while Ichigo turned to Kei. “Yeahh, but why would you just up and decide to marry her?”

 

Kei just nodded his head. “I didn't just up and decide to marry her, it took about a year.” Kei sighed again. “Do you remember when you ran into me in Okinawa during our first summer break?”

 

Ichigo started giggling again “Yeahh… you were acting really strange that trip.”

 

“Sorry, I know I told you guys I was there to vacation with my folks but… I was really there to spend time with Mizuho during her break from college. You see at the time I did not know about your standstills' and I was afraid to tell any of you guys about my problem. We were just hoping to spend some time together; just the two of us to see how we felt about each other.”

 

“Well, that explains why I found you hiding behind the hill to the beach that day, and why you were acting like a scared rabbit when I spotted you.” Ichigo had a smile creep over her face as she remembered that trip.

 

Kei chuckled nervously for a couple of seconds. “Yeah, I didn't know how you guys would react to me staying in the hotel with a twenty-something college student when I was still in my first year of High School… But after that I started to fall for her pretty hard. After she graduated; she tried to get a job that would let us be closer together. I was pretty sure by last spring that I wanted her to be my wife. When she was able to get the job teaching here I was ecstatic, she didn't want to tell me were she got a job… She thought it would be cute to surprise me. That afternoon after school she shows up next-door at the apartment with a moving truck and started to move in, I decided to help. When we got finished I gave her an even bigger surprise.” Kei laid back down on the pier and looked back at Ichigo. “That's when I asked her to marry me. Really I wasn't too sure how she would answer, but she said yes. I told Minoru and Konoha, and we got married that weekend. Nothing fancy just a little service. That Monday morning we told the Principal about our marriage. To say he was upset would be an understatement. When he found out that I was almost 20 years old he calmed down a bit. I guess when he got remarried six years ago some of the people in town had a problem about it. His wife had graduated from our school two years before and some thought he was seeing her when she was still a student. That wasn't the case, so he asked us to keep our marriage a secret until I graduate anyway. He understood we have known each other for a while and did not want to interfere in our lives, but he still was afraid of what members of the community would say if it became public knowledge.”

 

“Well Kei, that sure does explain a lot of the odd things about you.” She paused for a minute. “I want to help you keep this a secret, but I think I will have to tell Koishi something.” The last was said somewhat hesitantly.

 

Kei sat back up quickly and put his hand on Ichigo's shoulder. “No you can't tell her. I am sure that you can keep it secret but I don't know how she will react.”

 

Ichigo gave the nervous young man a calm look. “Kei I don't think you need to worry. Koishi has known about our problem and how old we really are since the day you broke up with her. And now I understand why you had. She has never told any of the others about that yet.” She sighed and looked over at a very nervous Kei. “Look she already knows that you have someone else, and she knows that's why the two of you broke up. I think she would not have a problem with it. Although I'm not sure I should tell her that the two of you are already married. That might be a little too much.” She looked at Kei to gauge his reaction.

 

He looked thoughtful for a second. “Do you really think she won't have a problem with this?”

 

“Yeah… probably, and it would also explain some of Mizuho-sensei's behavior about you. She was with me last fall when Miss Kazami and that younger girl were trying to find you. By the way, who is that younger girl anyway?” The smile crept back onto Ichigo's face.

 

“Truth?” Kei looked back at his friend and she nodded. “That was Maho, my sister-in-law, Mizuho's little sister.” It looked like he was trying not to laugh at some private joke.

 

“Then the older woman we saw you running into `The Castle' with; who was she?” She looked back at Kei waiting for an explanation.

 

“Aah… Mmmm… well that was my Mother-in-Law and she was practically dragging me there. I didn't know it at the time but she kidnapped me to give Mizuho and me a… special wedding present; I guess you'd call it. The woman definitely takes some getting used to.”

 

“OH… I see. And she didn't tell Mizuho-sensei about this before hand huh…”

 

“No way, I guess compared to her mother, Mizuho is… aah…more shy… I guess you'd say.” He looked very sheepish telling her this and Ichigo couldn't help but laugh at her friends' strange predicament.

 

“Well this explains a lot, and I promise I won't tell Koishi your married. But that brings me back to my question about the dance; would you mind being my escort? I wouldn't think Mizuho-sensei would mind you going with me, I'm safe after all, since I'm not interested in finding a boyfriend anyway.” She looked at Kei expectantly.

 

“Gomen; I really can't…” He saw her expression sour a little. “It's not because of you or anything, really. But Mizuho and I are going back to Tokyo that weekend so my folks can meet her. Since she was an upperclassmen when we were in school together they never met her. And when I was… well you know she wouldn't stop if someone was in my room. The fact that to them suddenly I just up and marry some strange girl surprised them a little. And… well during our last couple of breaks from school we wanted to just spend some time alone together. So we have been postponing this visit for a while.” «Yeah; that and I'm scared senseless about how my OkÄsan is going to react; She hasn't been friendly to her yet when they call the apartment.»

 

Ichigos' expression almost was shocked. “You mean you went and married some girl and didn't even tell your folks before you did it?” She started to shake her head. “I don't know if I should call you a báka, or the gutsiest guy I've met.”

 

“Yeah, that probably wasn't my best move. When I asked her it was kinda a spur-of-the-moment thing. When we told my Obasan & Ojisan I guess I thought Minoru would have called my folks to tell them. OkÄsan didn't find out till she called about three weeks later to talk to me and see how things had been going.”

 

“Why Kei… do I detect a small note of apprehension in your voice?” Ichigo almost looked like she was going to laugh again.

 

“Yeah… Kinda; my OkÄsan has not been overly friendly when she's called to check up on us after that.” «Maybe I could talk Mizuho into staying here that weekend to help chaperone the dance… nah… better not, she's nervous enough about meeting my folks. I don't want my OkÄsan any madder at her then she already seems to be.»

 

Ichigo let out a small sigh. “Well I guess I'll just have to go alone to the dance after all.”

 

“Ichigo; why do you think you can't go with someone else?” Kei wanted to help her, but he knew he couldn't take her to the dance himself.

 

She turned to look at Kei again. “Because I am not looking for a KOIBITO and I'm not interested in teenage perverts.” She almost couldn't believe Kei had suggested it.

 

“Oh… come on why not ask Matagu to escort you? He doesn't have a girlfriend. And you get along fine with him”

 

“Kei!!!” she exclaimed. “He seems to be almost as big a PERV as Hyosuke, Koishi told me about him sitting in the front row at that beauty pageant she was in a couple of years ago during the summer festival.”

 

Kei gulped at that reminder; he ran into Matagu that night at the festival grounds, with his camera in tow. He tried to keep him from running into Mizuho that night while she was onstage singing in the Karaoke competition. Later he ended up practically tripping over Koishi. Then he talked her into entering that competition to get away from her, so he could find Mizuho and get the both of them out of there. Of course this was before Mizuho was recalled and everyone had their memories of her erased by the Galaxy Federation.

 

“All right maybe he is a little perverted and he has a small crush on you. But Ichigo has he ever tried anything on you when we have gone camping out near the old shrine?” He was already pretty sure what her answer would be.

 

“Heck NO… and I want to keep it that way, Thank You. Most of the times we've gone hiking overnight you guys have been along. The ONE time you all skipped out on us I made it perfectly clear that he better not try anything funny, or he'd regret it.”

 

“Well then you shouldn't have any problems with him. Just let him know that you aren't looking for a boyfriend, I think that he would be happy to take you to the dance.” «Buddy you're gonna owe me big time for this…»

 

“And besides, just because Hyosuke and Kaede are together; then Koishi had a thing for you. Why do people think I would want to make it a perfect triple date with Matagu? Both Koishi and Kaede have tried to talk me in too this before. If Hyosuke tries to mention it again I might be inclined to hit him. Now you're doing it…”

 

“OK, I was just offering a suggestion here, I don't want World War III… But with any other guy in school he'll think that you're interested. With Matagu you at least know he will believe you when you explain why you want to go to the dance with him. But I think you should open up more with some of the other guys at school… other then me that is. I would be glad to take you to the dance if I was here that weekend, and I don't think Mizuho would have minded it, but I won't be. I'm not sure, but I don't think you'd want to ask that other guy you just told me about.” Kei grinned at his friend.

 

“Ugg… that would be worse then asking Matagu even.” She replied in a soft voice.

 

“Ichigo, I know you don't like interacting with the guys at school because your older then them and a part of you is trying to be a 23 year old girl. But your date with your sister and her husband shows that you have problems with people our own age. Yeah, I know you're 23 but in some ways we're still only about 17 like everybody else in our class. I guess… I mean maybe for something like this, just try acting like a girl who is in her last year of High School. Then with all other considerations aside, Matagu might be your best alternate choice for an escort, well that is after me of course.” He added with a big grin for good measure.

 

Ichigo lowered her head for a bit and thought about it. “I'm not sure, I mean I don't think your wrong but… well asking Matagu, he's OK and all but still, Oh… I don't know. I'll have to think about it.”

 

“Sure I understand, and don't worry about it too much, life is for living. It may not always be happy or fun, but you can't spend too much time worrying about everything and being scared to go out and live it. But hey, I'm still trying to master that particular skill myself.”

 

Ichigo smiled at her friend and looked back across the lake watching as the sun started to set.

Authors' final rantings; Hey, I can't believe that I have finally gotten this chapter finished. Can you believe this was the first story that I started writing myself, but this has been one of the hardest for me to write. Why you may ask? Well I'll tell ya… For starters I want to do a good job. Second, Ichigo is one of this stories primary characters. And if you followed the OnéTea series she is probably one of the most enigmatic girls since Rei Ayanami, and Rei is the whole reason I refuse to try to write EVA stories even as much as I love to read them. I hope I can do Miss Morino service in this series.

As a short note in the changes in this chapter; you will find I have gone through and changed a few words. I.E. Koibito for boyfriend or girlfriend, but I also still periodically use boyfriend or girlfriend. The reason I'm changed this is because koibito also could mean lover; as a result any time they try to argue or discuss this and are thinking in the stronger context I will use koibito instead. If you, the readers have too much of a problem with this let me know in your reviews or an E-mail.

I have sent the second chapter of Dance out to my prereaders and will hopefully have there recommendations back in about a week than will get that out to you for your reading enjoyment. Thanks to those that have written reviews already Hopefully the next installment will be as enjoyable as this.

Well if you like it or not please remember to review. Good or Bad I do like to hear how I'm doing.

Thanks, BlueDragon

 

A small listing of some of the Japanese words and phrases I used:

okÄsan - mother

otÅsan - father

onéesan - big sister

oniisan - older brother

obasan - aunt/grandmother

ojisan - uncle

ojiisan - grandfather

imootó - little sister

otootó - little brother

tsúma (kánai) - wife (my wife)

iinazuke - fiancé/fiancée

anata - darling (used by girl to boyfriend/husband)

taisetsu - Dear (as in term of endearment)

koibito - boyfriend/girlfriend, lover

báka - fool, idiot

arigátoo (gozaimasu) - thanks / Thank You (polite)

gomen (nasai) - sorry

kawaii - cute

Itadakimasu - thanks for this food, simple blessing

Tadáima - I'm home / now

Kon'nichi wa - Good morning/afternoon

Konban wa - Good evening

takoyaki - snack food (fried dough ball with octopus)

bentÅ - boxed lunch

náni - what? / why?

jÄ - well or then