[Mini series] A game you cannot win (5/6)
Title: A game you cannot win
Author: tsuchi8562
Beta: syunikiss1990
Pairing: Katayama Yoshitaro/Yoshimoto Kouya (Sakuraiba)
Rating: PG-15
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the school. The school is mine
Summary: A young girl dies in Chihara High School. Was it suicide or was she pushed off the roof? A policeman starts his investigation and gets involved in a game by some strange teacher...
*MASTERPOST*
Eight months before
"You have very good references, Yoshimoto-san. Are you teaching only History?"
"I could teach also English, but I won't hide that History is my favorite. This was one of the reasons why I chose Chihara High School, I know this is a place of tradition." Kouya smiled and looked at the principal having only one word in his mind. Lie. This elite place was rotten from the inside so much that he could smell the stink. That's why he came here, to remove all the flowers and incenses... Like he did in two schools before and will do in two next... Or even more...
"Yoshimoto-san, are you okay? You paled..." Kurogawa Keiko frowned and looked at the man in front of her from behind her glasses.
"I am fine, just a bit stressed. I have never taught in private school. This is a kind of promotion, right?" Yoshimoto showed the most beaming of his smiles. For him it was more like a challenge than anything else but of course he couldn't show that. Kouya heard from an old friend that this school was worse than any public, because they were protecting the students that bullied the weaker just to stay clean like a crystal.
"Well, then nothing more left than welcome you in Chihara High School, Yoshimoto-sensei. I hope you will help us create this place and make it even better than it is." The principal smiled and reached out her hand. The teacher bowed and left the office, leaving astonished woman alone in her office.
"Oh, I will make this place better... But to do so I need to first destroy it..." Kouya whispered to himself and went back to his apartment on the other side of the city. He was a loner but that wasn't anything surprising. Seeing the path he chose for himself, there was no room for anybody in his life. Considering the fact that Yoshimoto balanced on the thin line and often crossed it he couldn't afford to have a friend. It was hard for him but after those few years he got used to it. Kouya was closed in his shell not letting anyone approach him because this was necessary for his mission. He must reveal the true face of Japanese schools and maybe that way society will see what is going on. The first step was to show the scale of the problem and until he has strength to do so, Yoshimoto will visit school after school and punish every bully he can. But that can't end there. He also has to make the bullied students and their families understand they have to speak up about the problem. Persuasion didn't help so he had his own drastic methods... Treat both sides the same... Destroy them but to achieve something completely different. To make them strong...
"Fuck..." Kouya rubbed his temples and looked at his reflection in the mirror. The teacher was already tired with all of this but he has to push his feelings away and keep his promise he made long time ago... At the time when Tago Yudai was killed and Yoshimoto Kouya was born...
Tago was a good teacher, even though he just graduated from Tokyo University. He miraculously got a job in high school and was full of hope and energy to teach. Yudai crashed for the first time with reality when he saw a third grade student kicking another one, younger. Of course he reacted and reported everything to the principal and he got assurance the case will be solved. And it was, but not in the way every sane person would think of. Three days after the incident young teacher was visited by his more experienced colleague from work, Yoshimoto Kouya and they talked about bullying in their workplace. Tago wanted to think of a way to prevent such things from happening again but the latter had different plan.
"Come on, let me show you something." Yoshimoto smirked and took the younger one to school. It was middle of the night but in the storage room near the gym light was still on. With every step the sounds became louder and Yudai could clearly hear a girl's voice.
"Where are you taking me?"
"Relax, you will know soon." The smile on Kouya's face was creepy and the younger man shivered but he followed his colleague inside. The scene he saw them punched all the air from his lungs and squeezed his stomach so much he almost vomited. A young girl, from second grade was lying on the ping pong table, tied up with only her underwear on. She was begging for help and when she saw Tago a spark of hope lit up in her eyes.
"Sensei, help me..." The girl whispered with tears squeezing her throat. At first Yudai didn't know what was going on, was just a nightmare but when he looked around the room and saw few students, smoking and talking some filthy things about the girl on the table he knew it was real.
"What is going on here?!" Tago took few steps closer and was about to free the student but he was pulled away by Yoshimoto.
"Not so fast, you have to wait for your turn. Hey boys!" The older man turned to the students on the other side of the room. "I told you to warm her up for me and she is dressed... What's wrong with you!?"
"S-sensei, she was screaming so loud we were scared somebody will come..."
"Idiots... Don't you know how to use a gag???!!!" Kouya sighed, took off the girl's panties and pushed them in her mouth. Then he tied a scarf around her head to muffle any screams. "See? Was it that hard? Now, do as I say. I need her hot."
"Yes, sensei." One of the students came to the girl and started to touch her. She was crying, choking, not able to breathe normally and desperately pulling the ties. The girl looked at Yudai with begging eyes and after a second that for both seemed to be a year, the younger teacher pulled the boy away and successfully blocked a way to the table.
"What the fuck are you doing to that innocent girl?! Yoshimoto-sensei, you are in all of this?!"
"I thought you will be smarter, Tago-kun... You're so pure... Ii neee..." Yoshimoto whispered and moved closer. Yudai didn't move an inch, moving his gaze from the teacher to the students. "Do you want me to kill you?"
"Step back, Yoshimoto." The younger one moves one step back to protect the girl. Meanwhile the boys probably were scared by Kouya's words and escaped. Very slowly Tago untied the poor girl and removed the gag from her mouth. She quickly covered herself with her coat, took her clothes and ran out of the room, whispering she will wait for Yudai outside.
"You spoiled all the fun... Now where I will find a girl like that, huh?"
"I will report this first thing in the morning." Tago stated calmly and passed the latter, but his wrist was grabbed tightly.
"And you think it will change anything? That they will fire me? I am the one who keeps this school alive!"
"Let me go!"
"Not until you will understand that in this life you have to strike before they will hit you. I wanted to show you that. That girl was weak, I wanted to make her stronger. Don't you understand?"
"I said let me go." Yudai tried to pull his arm away from the tight grip but he didn't manage. Soon everything turned into a struggle and Tago pushed the latter a bit too strongly. Yoshimoto fell, hitting his head against metal basket with volley balls. Blood covered the floor and shocked and scared Tago kneeled next to the unconscious man. He touched his head and then looked at his hand, covered with claret. This was the first time when something broke inside him. Without thinking about anything else than the girl who was waiting for him outside, he left the room and looked for her. She was shivering under the tree, fully clothed and crying quietly. The student jumped, startled at first but then she hugged the teacher and sobbed heavily on his chest. Yudai patted her back and wanted to take her to the police but she begged him to take her home and so he did. Three weeks later she killed herself, taking some pills.
When it comes to Yoshimoto, he was in coma in some hospital Tago didn't even know. Nobody believed Yudai when he told about what was going on in the school and principal covered everything well. The younger teacher left the school, changed his name and decided to fight the bullies in his own way. Tago Yudai died to give a place for new Yoshimoto Kouya.
Since then the teacher was wandering around the country and tried to punish those who needed it and motivated the victims in his insane way. He took the name of the man he hated the most as a souvenir that will remind him the purpose of his actions.
***
Chihara High School was a decent and elite school for rich kids. Almost all of students were from Tokyo, except one student. The girl was intelligent and smart, good at kendo and she was smiling. At first nothing happened and it did look like the school is clear and free from bullying but then one small thing happened that showed Yoshimoto he was right. Arita found a dead rat in her shoe locker. Kouya happened to be nearby and he heard her scream. This was the first and practically the only proof he needed. The incident could be just a simple prank if it was done to some other student. Reiko was outsider who was shy and didn't have friends; the girl was an easy target. The machine has begun its movement.
"Arita-san, please stay, I need to talk to you about the last test." Yoshimoto stated normally and even started to talk about the girl's score but as soon as other students left the room, he interrupted her. "What's going on?"
"S-sensei?" Reiko was surprised and Kouya decided to use that for his advantage.
"I know about the rat in your locker and about your sword. Now I see bruises on your wrist. Are you bullied?" The teacher lied; he didn't see any smudges and just wanted to force the girl to talk.
"I... I am fine, nobody is mean to me..." Arita looked down and tried to hide her wrists.
"I can stand a lot but not when somebody lies to me." The teacher stood up and grabbed the girl's arm hard. "Want them to destroy you? Or maybe you are so weak that you are afraid they will hurt you more if you start talking? Who do you think you protect?"
"Sensei, it hurts..."
"It should! Because of people like you they can get away from responsibility... For me you are not better than them..." Yoshimoto let her go and sit behinds his desk, checking some papers. The girl ran out the classroom, crying and probably then she started to think that her teacher can be right. Around that time he sent the infamous letter to her parents. Reiko started to trust Kouya and told him everything about the bullying but she begged him to keep everything to himself. Even if it was a small step, she made it and the teacher started to have thought that this time he will made a victim tell openly what happened to her. Yoshimoto also found a person who was mainly responsible for the bullying and decided to play a game with him. Mizuno Katsuo was smart enough and personally didn't hurt anybody. He was way too intelligent for that and he managed to create some weird kind of clan who would do everything for him. Mizuno in most cases didn't even have to say a word, his gang did what he wanted anyway. Without wasting his time for anything, Kouya decided to pay a visit in the student's house and he even managed to win his parent's trust. Soon enough he became also his home tutor, imagining some problems with studying at school. It was so easy that Yoshimoto thought he is close to his goal, acting maybe a bit braver he should. This hope made him less caution and soon the bullies hit stronger than before. Arita came to him, shaken up and close to crying, not able to explain anything reasonably.
"Calm down and tell me exactly what happened?"
"He jumped out of nowhere... I tried to protect myself and..."
"Reiko, calm down. Who are you talking about? And what he did to you?" Kouya looked at crying student and felt helpless. After a while Arita said everything, whispering on the school hall and letting the tears just fall down her cheeks. It appeared that Mizuno himself decided to play and tried to rape the poor girl. Fortunately somebody was passing by and the girl escaped before anything could happen but it was just a matter of time when Katsuo will strike again.
"I'm scared sensei..." Reiko looked up at the latter and tried very hard not to shiver. Yoshimoto took a deep breath and noticed Matsumoto, passing them by and looking carefully at the girl.
"I am sure you can write that test one more time. If you pass eighty per cent points, I will reconsider your final grade again. There is no reason to cry." The teacher said a bit too loudly on purpose. He wanted the whole scene to look like an overreacting student who was begging her tutor for last chance. When Kouya was sure nobody can hear them, he looked straight in the girl's eyes. "You know you can't hide it. Sooner or later you have to say something. He can hurt somebody else, you know?"
"Sensei, I can't they... He said he will kill me if I say a word..."
"You already said it. What is the difference between me and the principal?" Yoshimoto already knew the answer. Kurogawa will do everything to cover this up and Arita will be expelled. Reiko became paler then before and moved two steps back. At first the man didn't know what was going on but then he figured everything out. He just said one sentence too much and now the girl realized Mizuno can make his threats come true.
"He will kill me... For sure, he will..." The terrified girl wanted to run, but the tutor stopped her.
"Wait... I didn't mean it in that way. Please, give me a chance to tell you about people like Mizuno. I will tell you everything I saw and then you will decide. Meet me on the roof top at 10 pm. The school will be empty and we will be able to talk peacefully. Please..." The girl nodded and, as it occurred later, it was the biggest mistake of her life. When Yoshimoto showed up at the settled place they already were there. Three other students who were calling Arita names and slowly approaching to her, making the girl move back. It was the more dangerous because Reiko was coming closer to the edge. Kouya didn't say a word, he was just standing there, unnoticed by anyone.
"What bitch? You think you will get away with pushing Kami away?" One of the boys said. At first Kouya didn't have a clue what they are talking about but soon he figured out that it was Mizuno's nickname. Kami meaning god.
"I... I didn't do anything wrong..."
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! We didn't allow you to talk!" The other stepped closer, and at the same time Arita moved back. She was now standing meter from the edge. Just then Yoshimoto decided to react.
"Leave her alone!" The teacher shouted and came closer. In the same second the third bully freaked out and tried to escape but he accidentally (or more in shock) pushed Reiko. The girl lost her balance and faltered back, stopping an inch before the brink of the roof. Kouya exhaled all the air he had in his lungs and turned his gaze again on two boys. The students were staring at the older man, not even trying to run. Then, everything happened in a split of a second. Yoshimoto rushed towards the boys, one of them moved closer to Arita and pushed her off the roof. The teacher didn't have any chance and in the blink of an eye was near Reiko and grabbed her wrist. Unfortunately the girl was already hanging in the air, held only by Kouya's hand.
"S-sensei, I'm slipping..." Reiko said with trembling voice.
"Just keep holding my hand!" Yoshimoto could feel her nails driving in his skin, but he couldn't care less. All that mattered was to pull the scared student back on the roof. To make it even more difficult, the rain started to pour heavily making the skin slippery. With all strength Kouya had, he pulled Arita up and then... Then he just lost the grip and he saw the girl falling straight on the sidewalk. He didn't know how long he was there; breathless, with his heart beating once a minute he was looking at motionless Reiko. The teacher knew she was dead and nothing he could do right now would bring her back. All that left was to punish the person who was behind all this, slowly and painfully. Yoshimoto will make sure his puppies will hurt as well.
***
Police. Investigation. Murder. Yamamoto died again, even if Kouya knew well she was trying to frame him. Somebody freaked out and thought she was saying the truth. That Misaki was on the roof, hidden, observing everything. To be honest the teacher was the one who planted a seed in Mizuno's mind, saying that he can't trust anybody, even himself. Did Yoshitaro felt guilty? Yes and no. He certainly took the blame on himself for Arita's death. But everything else... It was just a matter of unfortunate coincidence. Just like detective Katayama Yoshitaro. Why did he attack him in the sauna? Did he want to gain anything? Was it for simple pleasure? Did he miss the touch, kisses and closeness? Of course all of it was just a game, which surely will end tragically for someone. A play that will punish the ones that deserve it and will show him that the way he chose was the only one which was right.
All in all, it is just a game...