Our Teacher is a Yakuza Princess

Chapter 15

They led him to the car, and he saw Shinohara pause and bow regretfully in Yankumi's direction before sliding into the passenger seat. As the sound of voices grew louder once more, Shin kept his eyes straight ahead. He could take a lot of things, but he was certain that seeing disappointment on Yankumi's face would kill him. He had ruined her dream, after all. He would doubtless be expelled for this, and her vow of all of them graduating together would be broken. He had let one more person down.

When they reached the station, he saw Shinohara-san speak quietly with the officers there, and Shin was taken to a small holding cell. He could hear lots of shouts and screams from the rooms around him, and it sounded like he was the only one with his own cell.

The next morning, Shinohara brought him into an integration room, and asked questions while Shin studied the floor.

"Sawada-kun, what were you doing in a place like that?"

Shin noticed something that looked like a coffee stain on the floor.

"We know you aren't a regular. Most of the people we arrested have a record of previous offenses, and they aren't afraid to rat on each other, but they all say that they've never seen you before."

Huh. The coffee stain almost looked like a weird mouse if he stared at it long enough.

"So, I'd like to just give you a warning and let you go."

Shin met Shinohara's gaze for the first time with a wild burst of hope.

"Since you're still a minor, we need to contact a parent or guardian to come before we can release you."

He went back to staring at the stain, which now looked like a strange lobster, and tried to suppress a hysterical laugh. He wasn't under arrest, he hadn't done anything wrong, but he was going to stay in jail because his parents hated him. So really, this was his father's dream come true. Shin was in jail for being a disappointing son.

"Sawada, is there someone we can call?"

You're not even worthy of the Sawada name!

Shin shook his head, and kept examining the coffee stain. Shinohara sighed, then nodded to the officers who escorted him back to his cell. When Kashiwagi-san came back a few hours later and walked him back to the same room, Shin was confused. And then, he saw Yankumi.

He immediately dropped his eyes back to the ground, but he had to know. He had to see if she hated him for destroying her dream. For not being the student she wanted him to be. If she was angry, or disappointed. Shin slowly looked up and met her eyes. He saw worry and concern, but no anger. No hate. He released a breath he didn't realize he was holding, and sat down in the chair opposite her.

Now that he knew she didn't hate him, and that Natsumi was alright, he could take anything. Staring grimly at the wall, he waited for Yankumi to speak.

"I heard that Natsumi-chan made it back safely." Yankumi ventured softly. "That's good, isn't it?"

She paused a moment, then asked, "You rescued her, right?"

He knew that if he was going to protect Natsumi, he had to protect her from everything he could. He saved her from the guys there, but if word got out where she was, her reputation would be ruined. She would be expelled. His parents would hate her too. He would be damned if he let that happen.

"She never went to such a place." Shin murmured to the wall.

"Then why were you there?" Yankumi sounded confused, and a bit upset. When Shin refused to answer, she pushed back her chair and planted herself in front of him.