The Life You Live

Chapter 7

Kaya had walked into the hospital for a third visit, dreading everyday that still needed to pass before she could anticipate Sensei Iehiro returning to teaching. By the time she walked out, she was glad another week had passed before he returned to teaching.  She needed the week to process everything.

She couldn't deny that their were abnormalities in this world. She had known that since she was young and could hear things others couldn't. To find another who had something abnormal about himself was a double edged sword. One side being it wasn't like hers,which made her curious and desirous for knowledge. The other side being what possible outcomes can occur to either of them if they explored each other deeper than what had been established on a surface level.

On the day of Sensei Iehiro's return to teaching she decided she wouldn't worry  anymore on the past. She would be exactly as she always had been: a determined student. Whatever else will be, will be, as her grandmother used to say.

When she finished her post P. E. class shower and redressed she had lunch and instrumental elective to look forward to. Try as she might, there was something about her collared shirt and tie that day bothering her, making her feel a bit too warm for comfort. She took a risk at being given detention and bent the dress code just a but, unbuttoning the first button and eased the tie down just a smidge. That felt better.

Maybe she was coming down with an illness. That was the last thing she needed in her life considering she had quality tutoring lessons to resume and everything pertaining to the winter festival ensemble performance. Along with all her other classes, she really had no time to be sick.

She and Miss Yashita were the only two that didn't grumble when Sensei Iehiro's tone of voice alone revealed that homework was on their way. They had suffered the most with his absence in the hours of practice lost and could use the homework.

After the roll call roster was filled they jumped right into a music lecture that was for the sake of having them take a quiz after. So, the class requirements every sensei had to adhere to regardless of the subject they taught, were followed. Since it hadn't been done while he was away.

Next came practice of individual instruments. Kaya was ever so excited about this. Even as unexpected has her last visit to the hospital had gone, she still had obtained words of guidance from him concerning her hiccup and had been able to completely master the first two stanzas without music, at a level of quality ahe hoped he would deem art rather than playing.

While she didn't specifically call Sensei Iehiro over just to listen to hear play, she knew he was paying attention even if his body language didn't give off obvious signs of it. She was getting better are reading his body language. Especially now that his hair was short, she could see more of his subtle cues that his hair once obstructed. He still retained two locks of long hair that framed his face when they weren't tucked behind his ears or tied back.

. . . .

Bunji spent the most time assisting the students that had suffered most in his absence, making it a point and limp over to said students and to tend to their questions and needs as he went along. Especially Yashita, since she gave off the impression of both stress and relief and a dire need to overcome a piece she’d been struggling with for the last two weeks. So just like with Kaya, he broke it down into simple one-two steps and eventually left her to it.

And as he was going to drift over to Kaya, the bell rang, releasing the students from class, causing him to quickly turn and assign them their homework before they ran off. Which, though met with a groan, seemed happily received if only secret; mostly because though the stand-in teacher was sufficient; he wasn’t Bunji.

So when the hustle and bustle quieted down, Bunji turned and said, “Take ten and then we will begin;” framed by his normal smile.

It was then that he grabbed a bag and limped out of the room to the bathroom so he could change his bandages for the second time that day. Which he did so with gloves while he disposed of everything into a ‘toxic waste’ bag, zipped up, and put back into the medical bag. This took him a little over ten but as soon as he washed his hand, he wandered back into the class room; bandages noticeably fresher than before.