Our Teacher is a Yakuza Princess

Chapter 39

Dinner was served, and it was a real feast. When he asked Minoru where all the food had come from, the larger man had told him that the people in the market were happy to hear that Young Master Shin had returned.

Narrowing his eyes, Shin then asked Minoru, "I've been wondering this for a while, but how do they know who I am?"

Suddenly, Minoru, Makoto, and Wakamatsu all looked very guilty, and Kuroda-san rushed to change the subject.

"So… what are your plans now that you're back in Japan?"

Shin looked suspiciously at the yakuza members, who had all taken an intense interest in the artwork on the ceiling, then answered, "Well, I'm thinking of going to university."

Yankumi, oblivious to her minions' reactions, leapt on the idea of Shin's future. "Oh! For what? Did you find what you wanted to do?"

He met her eyes, then looked down, fighting off a distinct feeling of shyness as he voiced the passion he had found. "I think I might go to law school. There are a lot of people who abuse the law, or lack of it, and it's usually the people who can't fight back that get the worst of it. The charity I worked for had to deal with a lot of international legal issues, and I think that's what got me interested." He glanced up and saw everyone staring at him. "Anyway, it's not decided or anything, but that's what I'm thinking."

There was a moment of silence, then Yankumi, who looked on the verge of happy tears, ruffled his hair forcefully. "You… you… rugrat you! It's like you're growing up!"

Shin unsuccessfully tried to move out of the line of fire. "I have grown up." He muttered.

"Kumiko, give the boy his dignity." Kuroda-san finally intervened, to Shin's relief.

"That sounds like a great goal, Young Master Shin." Minoru beamed at him, while Tetsu nodded slowly.

"I'm sure you'll do very well," Kuroda-san smiled.

Soon, all the food was gone, and the yakuza members bid Shin, Yankumi, and her grandfather goodnight, one by one.

Yankumi had just finished telling Shin about the troublemakers in her new class when the clock struck ten. Shin stretched, then stood up, heart suddenly pounding.

"Well, it's getting late. I should probably go."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Kuroda-san offered again.

"Grandpa!"

Shin smiled. "It's alright. It's not far." Taking a deep breath, he added as calmly as he could, "Hey, Yankumi, want to walk me out?"

"Oh, of course Sawa- I mean, Shin. Be back in a moment, Grandpa."

"Oh, you young people take as long as you want. I'll be heading to bed soon. Good night." And Kuroda-san winked at Shin over Yankumi's shoulder, which did not help his nerves at all. He and Yankumi bowed, then walked out to the gate.

Shin sighed and tried to think of how to start a conversation.

"It was so great to see you Sawa… Shin. And I never got to thank you for the postcards." Yankumi smiled at him, which only made his heart pound louder. "They arrived exactly on my birthday! It's amazing how fast things are now."

He nodded, and opted not to mention the fact that he had found out how long it took to send letters from Nigeria to Japan and had carefully coordinated with the postman to send each of them out on the exact date needed. She didn't need to know things like that.

"Yankumi, I… I wanted to tell you something." And then she looked at him with those bright, happily naïve eyes, and he suddenly found it much more difficult to speak.

"No need, I already know." She told him after a few moments of silence had passed. "You came back for a girl, didn't you?" Shin's eyes nearly bugged out of his head at that point.

Noticing his reaction, she clapped her hands together and jumped up and down. "You did! A-ha! A teacher always knows. So, who is she?"

Trying to forgive her for almost giving him a heart attack, he closed his eyes and took several breaths. "Yankumi…"

"Because you know you can tell me anything. I mean, I am your number one teacher, after all, and my passion is helping my students find their paths, and guiding them on their way to love and happiness. Because life should be full of love, and passion, and sweat and tears and-"

"It's you."

"And once you've found that energy for life, that zeal to reach your goals, that desire to live your dreams, you should pursue it with all your…" She suddenly paused, then tilted her head and asked, "What?"

Shin sighed. "I'm in love with you."