Our Teacher is a Yakuza Princess

Chapter 42

"A-ha!" She hit the 'call' button as soon as she found it, then anxiously waited as it rang.

On the fifth ring, a very sleepy voice picked up. "Whaa?"

"Fujiyama-sensei?" She asked eagerly.

"Yamaguchi? Why are you calling this early?" The voice whined.

"Hmm?" Yankumi looked at her clock and realized that it was 7:45 on a Saturday morning. "Oh, sorry. I… I'll call back later."

"No, no, it's fine." A yawn echoed through the line. "I've got a date today, so I need to start getting ready anyway. What's up?"

"Umm…" And suddenly she realized that she had no idea how to ask. "I, uh…"

"Let me guess. You need love advice and came to me." She could hear Fujiyama smiling smugly.

"Well, you've had experience with… love, right?"

"Oh, of course. Just the other day I met the cutest university student, but I had already agreed to go out with his professor and I thought how awkward would it be if he… wait – did someone confess to you?"

"Umm…"

"Did Sawada finally confess to you?"

There was a resounding thud as Yankumi fell off her bed.

"Yamaguchi? Are you okay?"

"How the hell did you know that?" She demanded as she sat up.

"Language, Yamaguchi. Well, we all knew it was coming, and honestly I thought he was going to tell you after graduation, but I guess he was waiting or something-"

"What do you mean 'we all knew'?"

"… I mean that we all knew. Kawashima and I could have sworn he was going to tell you before he left for Afric-"

"Everyone knew?" Yankumi choked out.

"Well, yeah… wait, did you not know? You really didn't see this coming? Wow. I mean, I knew you were a bit dense, but this is taking it to a whole new level."

"How would I have seen this coming?" She grit out through her teeth. Was everyone living in a different reality than she was?

"Really? Did you pay any attention at Shirokin?" Before Yankumi could find an appropriate response to that, Fujiyama carried on. "I mean, who did you call when there was trouble?"

"Well, I… guess I called Sawada, but-"

"And who convinced the class to go along with your ideas?"

"They were good ideas!" Fujiyama waited. "And… I guess Sawada helped…"

"Who went after you when you were upset?"

"Okay, I see what you're getting at…"

"Who organized the entire rebellion of 3-D in order to save your job?"

She couldn't say anything to that.

Fujiyama sighed. "Alright. So, he confessed to you. What did you tell him?"

"Well… nothing really. He said that I could answer him tomorrow."

"He gave you space?" The other woman sounded shocked. "Damn."

Yankumi was about to point out that she was the one using bad language now when Fujiyama continued, "Who'd have thought he'd be that mature? Hmm, now that I think about it, he was always so good looking. I wonder…"

"Fujiyama-sensei!"

"Oh, right, sorry. You have first dibs. He's your boyfriend."

"I do not have dibs and he's certainly not my…" She couldn't quite bring herself to say the word.

"Alright, what did you want to ask me?"

Yankumi voiced the question that had been plaguing her all night. "What do I do?"

"Ah, you want to know whether he's decent boyfriend material. Boyfriend or Friend zoned!"

"Um…"

Don't worry, I've got the perfect thing." There was some movement on the other end, and then the distinct sound of glossy pages turning. "Here we are! Okay, question one – how long have you known each other? Oh, I know that one, 3 + years, which is a score of-"

"Is this a quiz from a magazine?"

Silence. "Next question! Do you notice him flirting with other girls when you're around?"

"I don't think that this is going to help me that-"

"Answer the question! A. Yes all the time, B. He does it make me jealous, C. Only sometimes, or D. Never?"

"Um… never?"

"Good choice! Next – has he met your family? A. I don't think he knows my last name, B. Once, I think, C. He's met them a few times, D. They know and love him."

"Well, I guess that one's D."

"Have you discussed serious things together? Don't worry about the choices, just tell me and I'll pick."

"Well, we've talked about his future, and he knows about my family…"

"Okay! Does he help you out when you need it? Pssh, I know this one. Ooo, this is the important one. Do you find him attractive?"

Yankumi was about to make it very clear that she certainly did not – but then she remembered the look, the kiss…

"Yamaguchi?"

"Um, he is – was – my student! It would be entirely inappropriate for me to think of him like that and what does that word mean exactly anyway because it's not very clear whether we're just talking about compared to normal people or to movie stars or to Takakura Ken, because that wouldn't really be fair to most people-"

Fujiyama, who had been absorbing this breathless speech, suddenly interrupted with an amazed epiphany.

"It that a yes?"

Yankumi froze. "No?"

"Aha! I knew it! Alright, let me just add up the score…"

There were sounds of scribbling and pages turning, then everything stopped with one low, respectful, "Damn."

"What? What?" Yankumi demanded, wanting to know her score, even if it was from a girly magazine.

"I've never gotten this answer before." She cleared her throat and started to read. "Congratulations. You've discovered one of the few good men out there. A guy who gets along with your family, treats you well, helps you out, and is attractive to boot, is incredibly hard to find. If he's as kind, caring, thoughtful, sincere, and respectful as you think he is, why are you not dating him already Yamaguchi?"

"What? How does the magazine know my name?"

"The last bit was me. Why not?"

"Well, he's… he's… five years younger than me! It would be weird, right?"

"Hang on, let me use the Standard Creepiness Rule."

"Okay, I'm a math teacher, I know that can't real."

"Is so. Look it up. Ok, if you're 25, then divide by two and add seven, which equals… 19 and a half! You're golden!"

"What?"

"Oh, and let's do the inverse for Sawada. Let's see, he's 20, minus seven, times two… 26! It's fine either way. Go get him! Oh, goodness, I have half an hour until my facial. I've got to go."

"Oh, um, okay. Thanks…" I guess.

"No problem. And Yamaguchi – good luck."

As the call ended, Yankumi sat back on her bed and considered what she had learned.

Now what was she going to do?

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