All You Need Is Love (MewGulf AU)

🌻Chapter 14

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"Sorry to keep you here so late." Gulf's homeroom teacher Suzushima motioned for him to take a seat. They were in the office.

"It's okay. I was just going to kill time before my cram courses started."

"What? You're taking cram courses? But your grades are so good!"

"I'm not sure colleges will accept me if I only study what they give us in school." Gulf shrugged at Suzushima's question. He wondered why his teacher was taking an interest so late in the game.

Gulf's school was one of the top-ranked private schools in the prefecture, a combined middle school and high school for boys. Each year it turned out miltiple students who were accepted to Tokyo University, the top school in the nation, and as result the school was nationally famous. But the school's approach was relaxed, so its atmosphere was completely unlike the high-pressure, so called 'elevator' schools that led straight to top universities.

That may also have been due to the fact that the school was somewhat removed from the city, it took two hours by train to reach Tokyo. It was peaceful there, nature blanketing the neighborhood where the school was built, making it possible to appreciate the riches of each season.

His father worked in the mayor's office, and his mother devoted all her time to her work in the local women's league.

Gulf's brother was three years older than him. After graduating from high school, he'd spent a year studying to get into a school in Kansai. He said he intended to follow in their father's footsteps as a civil servant. Gulf was thinking about following the same path as his brother.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Mister Suzushima?" Gulf brought the wandering conversation back on topic.

"A transfer student will be joining our class next week. There are some special circumstances involved."

Gulf sighed without thinking. There must have been some really incredible circumstances if the boy was changing schools this soon before the college exams. "What kind of circumstances?"

"Do you know what the Koryu Alliance is?" Suzushima asked in a lowered voice.

"You mean that big gang---" Gulf started to reply, then gulped. He looked up, incredulous, but Suzushima merely watched him without a word. "I don't care what kind of trouble it would cause. Why are we letting such a problematic student in our school in the first place?"

They were, in some ways, the most prestigious elevator school in the prefecture.

"I'm sure there are a lot of grown-up issues contributing in the situation. I don't know the specifics, but there are rumors that the big cheese of the Koryu Alliance and the chair of the schools board of directors have a relationship of some kind. So the boss man's son is coming here. And I want you to help him out until he settles in here."

"But why me?"

"Because you're the class representative. Isn't that reason enough?" Suzishima's words invited no argument.

"But I don't know how to deal with the son of a gang family."

"Really? I thought you had friends like that."

"What?"

"You know, the story everyone tells about how you were talking to some bike gang kids in town."

Gulf met Suzushima's prying gaze. He figured out who he was talking about immediately. "They were friends of mine from elementary school. It's not even close to the same thing. These guys belong to the yakuza."

It was true that some of Gulf's friends had joined bike gangs, but only because they had simply loved to ride their motorcycles. Sure, they were happy to pick fights, and Gulf knew they'd gotten into some minor trouble with the police. He didn't approve of it, but when they were with Gulf, they were nothing more than guys he'd played with in elementary school.

"In any case, I expect that you'll be friendly and not judge him. You're a nice guy who says what nees to be said."

"How can you just order me to---"

"I realize how trynnical this seems. I can assure you at least that he's not the kind of guy to fly off the handle for nothing. Anyway, grown-up circumstances or no, he passed the placement exam."

"Mister Suzushima!"

"I'm trusting you with this. You're a reliable boy."

Suzushima's words weighed Gulf's heart down heavily.

"There's someone here to see you, Mister Suzushima." someone called from the entrance to the office.

"That means he's here. We'll discuss the rest later."

"But you can't just force me to---"

"Oh sorry. I forgot the most important thing." Suzushima jumped to his feet, then turned back around and scribbled something on a scrap of paper.

"The boy's name is Mew Suppasit. Thanks a lot," Suzushima said as he hurried out of the office.

A man in a navy blue two-piece suit was standing in front of the open door. He had the look of an intellectual, his hair in a crisp off-center part and wearing glasses, but there was something about him that was not at all like Suzushima.

Gulf only caught a glimpse of him from a distance, so he couldn't tell for sure, but he picked up on the tense ambiance surrounding the man.

"You have been a great help," he faintly heard someone say in a flat, lifeless voice. The door closed and Gulf, left alone in the office, gazed down at the note.

"Mew Suppasit."

The transfer student with bad timing and special circumstances who was going to give him so much trouble. Gulf repeated the name several times.

TBC