A Flower Named You (My Forged Wedding Fanfic)

1 - Gradient of Autumn

(soundtrack above to accompany your reading)

Butterscotch yellow and brick red trees lined the streets adorned both sides of the street. A fresh breeze of autumn rustled the leaves about, giving them the last nudge they needed to fall of of their branches. Every other step on the concrete path up the hill, let out the crisp sound of them being crushed under my shoe. Admiring the scenery distracted me from the treacherous journey, although, seeing the buildings of the school I was going to work at closer every time I looked up to it motivated me.

From afar the steepness of it seemed much lesser and the distance to the school much closer. Saying I had simply misjudged it would be an understatement. I wondered if perhaps my legs would ache the day after, and that in a weeks time, or a month, I would get used to it.

I had always imagined spending the rest of my life learning, but never in a million years did I see myself becoming a teacher. Finishing my undergrad education, and going back to study more or becoming the law student that I was...that, had always been my vision. 

I took up the first job that was willing to give me an interview in the same city that my sister previously resided in. This way, I could be near her family. Before I even showed up to the interview I had already selected a condo to live in. The beautiful building with rich wooden accents on the outside and a modern architecture style, placed in a lovely middle class neighborhood was too good to pass up. Not to mention it was close to all the schools in the area, it was practically begging me to take it.

Following my arrival to the familiar, yet unfamiliar country that was my birthplace, I began to settle myself in my new beloved condo with ease. As the weeks passed by, and as my belongings began to get delivered from California, the place began to fill with more and more of my things. Soon enough, it began feeling like home.

But something was still missing.

I get to the top of the hill, and pass though the open, inviting iron gates of the school, sore and out of breath. I turn back to glance one last time at the mini journey I had just went through. The struggle that was the climb up to the top was the worst to come today, descending felt intimidating but much easier on my legs.

In between my bated breath and anxious thoughts. I came to appreciate view from the top of the hill towards lower ground. The trees stood perfectly in line with the curve of the street, like a gold and crimson chain; brilliantly coloring the otherwise dull street.

I got myself to my new classroom, which had been a mess a day before. It had been nearly uninhabitable. Boxes were piled up in the back of the room, and everything was covered with a thin screen of spider webs. Dust plagued the floor, making it look a pale grey instead of the wooden brown it was supposed to be, and the desks littered the back of the classroom.

The chalkboard contained remnants of writing on them, the most legible word being future in English.

After nearly three hours of the intense cleaning and blood sweat and tears (yeah right), I had finally been satisfied with the fruit of my labor.

It was now Sunday, a day before school started. I only intended to come in and add some finishing touches to the spacious classroom and spend a couple hours making lesson plans.

And that was exactly what I had done. Convinced that I was the only one in the whole building, I packed up my things and thought to make my way home before it got too dark.

On my way out of the 2nd floor, I spotted the light on in the classroom beside mine. It was room number 26, the golden nameplate on it read 'Physics' and in smaller letters, the name 'Kougami'.

In all of the meetings I had attended, I couldn't seem to recall a 'Kougami' from a single one. I had met the majority of the staff, and mingled in with the liberal arts teachers considerably more than the mathematics or sciences but; I had made absolute sure that I remembered every single teacher and staff name of everyone that I met.

In that moment, standing outside room 26 I thought that perhaps not everyone went to those meetings.

The light that displayed itself through the small window on the door seemed to beckon me over. I cautiously tiptoed my way to stand in front of it, and peeked through, looking for signs of life.

In front of the blackboard that hung beside the entrance of the classroom, was a wooden teacher's desk being occupied by a man, whom I assumed was a teacher. His charcoal suit, and wrinkle free white dress shirt, paired together with a classy red tie made it obvious.

I watched him for a split second before proceeding to knock on his door, waiting for his permission to come in, and push it open casually. His classroom was the same layout as mine, with the exception of posters containing Newton's laws, instead of mine, which explained conjunctions and other various English grammar rules.

I whipped out my friendly, yet professional greeting that my mom and I had planned a month before my flight. She swore that the secret recipe to appear favorably in Japanese society was to have 3 things:

Politeness.

Determination.

Humility.

So I tried to incorporate these three things into my demeanor, and it had been working like a charm.

"Mr. Kougami. I believe we haven't met yet. I'm the new English teacher next door-" I began cheerfully, with a smile as bright as the nightlife in Tokyo.

Kougami smiled right on back, and completed my introduction for me. "-Haruna Natsume. It's an honor to finally meet you. There has been much talk around the school about the revival of our English honors program."

"Oh- well..." His commentary had caught me off guard, rendering my rehearsed greeting completely useless. I found my eyes; once firmly staring into his, darting away in bashfulness. "That would be me! I hope to live to everyone's expectations!"

"I know that you're the only liberal arts teacher on the floor, but don't let that intimidate you. If you ever have any questions about the school or students, feel free to ask me or any of the other teachers."

"Thank you! I'll be counting on you then Mr. Kougami."

Our introduction was brief and somewhat informal, but it didn't seem to bother him one bit. In fact, I felt like perhaps he felt happy to go along with it. I couldn't make out exactly what it was that made me deviate from my 3 step formula on the spot, but it seemed to have gone well.

After meeting Mr. Kougami, I bade him farewell and left room 26, ready to go home and finish unpacking the rest of my things. 

As the classroom came together, and began to actually look like a place for learning, my anxiety began to well up. Would I do well here? Not just 'here' as in, the school, rather... Japan as a whole. I hadn't been here since my early teens, and even though I had spent half of my life here, my memories of this place were hard to recall, if at all. 

Following my mother's divorce, she moved us to California for a fresh start, and that was my home for the last 12 years. 

I wrap up my cleaning for the day, feeling satisfied, but somewhat stressed at the same time. I gathered the cleaning supplies to put them back, and as I did, I glanced outside my classroom window, the scene that displayed itself before me, made me do a double take.

I was the audience to a sky painted in the warm gradient of autumn. The sun was now setting, signaling to me that the day was coming to an end.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, among the worries that seemed to fill my head bubbled up a thought.

'I suppose I could get used to this sky at the end of my work days.'