Last time on Lack of Common Sensei... "Oh no! I better clean this before Sakura gets back." Kira began carefully gathering together the strewn papers, when a brightly colored letter caught her eye. "Pink? What could this be?" Kira reached over and grinned when she saw the inscription. "Why Sakura, I didn't think you had it in you?" Kira quickly and strained to understand its contents. She shook her head but kept trying. When she read the last line her eyes widened in shock. "Tonomi? That's not good! I gotta get rid of this." "Get rid of what?" Kira cringed as she recognized her cousin's voice. "Uh, nothing, just cleaning up Sakura's stuff. Let me finish it myself." While she was talking, Kira surreptitiously stuffed the nearest piece of paper in her pocket. She quickly finished cleaning up. "Ok, now I'm done. I gotta go talk to Sakura, talk to you later!" Kira raced out of the room. Shiro shook his head for the umpteenth time that day. "This day just can't be normal, can it?" As he started to leave, his eye caught a pink piece of paper next to the trash. "Hey, what's this?" He picked up the piece of paper and shrugged. It appeared to be yet another scrap of paper discarded by a student except that someone had written his name on it in graceful cursive script. He began to unfold the letter The bell rang. Shiro sighed, slipped the letter into a bulging notebook, and walked out of the room. A teacher's job never ended. Lack of Common Sensei Chapter 28: A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing... Written by Nathan "Achariyth" Housley Created by Winston Smith Ranma 1/2 was created by Rumiko Takahashi As always, quotation marks denote Japanese speech, while less than/greater than signs denote English. It was a normal day at Furinkan High School. That by itself should have been sufficient warning for Kira Langoleer as she walked down the hall to her recently created cell/tutoring office. Compared to the students of the hallowed institution of learning, her sense of danger was atrophied because she was not a Nerima native. This meant her first realization of impending peril came when a redhead in a red Chinese shirt sprinted panic-stricken through the school. "Get out of the way!" she shouted, weaving around her peers as she ran. The red-head scrambled around a cluster of sophomore girls and straight into Kira's path. The force of the impact sent Kira sprawling. "What did you done that for?" Kira snarled, as she picked herself off the floor. She tried to find the redhead, but the redhead ran away before Kira could let her have a piece of her mind. Kira groused, brushing dust off of her pants. "OHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!" Recently developed survival instincts kicked in as soon as the maniacal laughter ceased. Kira threw herself flat against the wall, seconds before a crazed woman in a leotard launched herself through the halls. "Come back and get what's coming to you, you hussy!" the black-leotard clad comet shouted as she sprinted away. Kira hugged the wall for dear life until she felt a light tapping on her shoulder. "Relax, it's over," a nearby student told her. Kira asked the nearest student. The student, a young girl just completing her freshman year, ignored Kira, turning instead to a nearby boy, also a freshman. "Did you see who Kodachi was chasing this time?" she asked. Kira listened intently. So the leotard girl was Kodachi. Sakura had told Kira about the kidnapping incident, when Kodachi had confused Sakura for Tonomi. Her encounter with the crazed gymnast brought her closer to Kodachi than she wished. "Had to be Ranma. She wouldn't be chasing any other redheads." "Yeah, and Tonomi'd be screaming a lot more if Kodachi chased her." "Hey, don't speak about Tonomi-sama like that!" her male friend protested. The girl groaned and face-palmed. "Not you too. I'm going to be glad when she graduates just so I don't have to hear all the guys talk about her." Kira echoed her sentiment. Tonomi probably would not see Shiro after graduation, making one more obstacle between Sakura and Shiro would disappear. She eyed the halls, looking to see if Kodachi doubled back, or worse, if that near-sighted Chinese boy was around, before continuing on her way. It was, after all, a normal day at Furinkan. Kira had not walked more than a couple classrooms from where Ranma had knocked her down, when the next surprise greeted her. "Langoleer-san!" Tonomi called out as she left her classroom. Kira groaned under her breath, then checked herself. From what she had learned of Tonomi from the various rumormongers and gossips, the dancer was a decent person, even likable. If Tonomi was not after Shiro, Kira surmised that she might have befriended her. Sure, Tonomi was a stalker and possibly obsessed with Shiro, but compared to most in Nerima, she was harmless. She proved that during the love potion incident. That still did not mean Kira would let Tonomi anywhere near Shiro if she could help it. Especially after that letter, wherever it was. "Call me Kira, please. Langoleer-san is much more formal than I used to," Kira said as Tonomi walked up to her. She examined Tonomi out of the corner of her eye. She was surprised to see the dancer not wearing the school uniform but an attractive blue dress that was a little too snug and too short for Kira's taste, especially from a woman after her cousin. Kira conceded that the dress was still tasteful and not immodest, though. "Okay, Kira, it is," Tonomi said. She smiled. "So, may I ask you a question?" "I guess," Kira answered. She tensed, knowing that Tonomi would most likely ask about Shiro. She cursed silently at the awkward position she had been thrust into. She would be helping her best friend's rival if she answered any questions, but there was no quick polite way for Kira to break off the conversation. "What's it like in America?" Tonomi asked. Kira relaxed with a near audible sigh. Countless students had stopped her in the halls to hear tales of America and the West. Curiosity abounded. It made sense that Tonomi would ask the same questions that her peers did. "I'm not sure where I should begin. Is there anything specific you would like to know?" Tonomi sighed. "How does a Western woman attract a man she likes?" Her face grew crimson. Kira blinked rapidly, trying to keep the shock out of her voice. "But this is Japan. I'm sure anyone you like would rather you act more like a Japanese woman than an American." "You haven't seen the looks you get from the guys, I take it. Most of them are too shy to do more than stare, though," Tonomi answered. It was Kira's turn to grow crimson. "Why do you want to learn- Silly question. Shiro, right?" "How did you-" Tonomi sputtered before recovering her composure. "I'm just curious, that's all." Kira bit her lip to keep quiet, lest she fill the school with maniacal laughter. she thought. One little black lie could keep Tonomi away from her cousin forever. This would be fun. A smile crossed her face. "That is, if it's not too much trouble," Tonomi said. Kira's smile grew even wider, defying all of Tonomi's predictions. "I am just thinking where I should start." However, as Kira wracked her brain for a suitable lie, the bell rang. Tonomi eyed the door, then the hallway. She bit her lip nervously. "I need to go. Maybe you could tell me later?" she said. "Sure, stop by after school," Kira said. "At Sh-shiro's?" Tonomi stammered. She looked away, and a faint blush crept across her face. This did not seem like the same Tonomi who wrote that letter wanting Shiro to move in with her. Kira took note of Tonomi's unease. "I do some tutoring here during and after school. Maybe you could stop by my makeshift office in the counseling center." Tonomi's eyes flashed with delight. "Sure! See you later," she said. Her voice was filled with a satisfied appreciation. "I'm looking forward to it," Kira smirked. This would be fun. She looked at her watch, groaned, and ran to her office. ************************ Shiro sat at his cluttered desk. A quick survey of the desk revealed a pile of ungraded math tests sat next to a larger stack of assorted math assignments. A box of English papers, written in both English and Japanese, sat next to his chair. The end of the school year was two weeks away, and the sheer volume of work grew exponentially with each new day. He slid a math test from the top of the pile, and pulled the appropriate answer key from the right folder in his desk. A quick comparison and a few scribbles with a red pen later, and Shiro set down his red pen. He stood up, and looked out the window toward the school courtyard. He sighed, shook his head, and sat down. His red pen danced across the page for a couple moments then Shiro stood up again. Another examination of the courtyard reassured him that neither the Hawaiian Deathtrap Carousel nor any of its parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, or red- haired stepchildren lurked in the bushes. "'It has to do with candy,'" Hinako-chan had squealed earlier. "'And chocolate and coconuts _and_ the principal! He promised lots of candy and lots of disobedient students to discipline!'" Shiro shook his head to clear the last high-pitched remnants of Hinako-chan's words from his mind. He needed to be prepared for whatever the principal had in mind, especially since the latest hare brained scheme had been conceived by the unholy union of insanity and fermented coconut juice. He also needed to grade papers, but visions of candy-spewing Hawaiian Deathtrap Carousels chasing him proved to be too much of a distraction. Discretion may be the better part of valor, but its essential for survival. Fortunately, with the right incentive to the right person, he could set his fears at rest, or at least, find out exactly what he would face. He dashed over to his desk, and pulled out a small shoebox from a drawer. Shiro scooped out a handful of assorted mints, gum balls, and candies from inside the box and smiled. "Oh, Hinako-chan, I've got some candy for you," he called out as soon as he stepped into the hallway. The rapidly approaching cloud of dust let Shiro know that Hinako had indeed heard his cry. "Candy! Wai!" Hinako-chan said, skidding to a stop less that two feet away. The young disciplinarian bounced in anticipation of the yummy goodness Shiro held in his hand. "I'll give all this candy to you," he said. His wide smile suggested a cat who had eaten his master's canary. Shiro turned his fist over so that his palm faced upward, and opened his hand. Hinako-chan grabbed at the offered candy, only to catch air when Shiro pulled his hand away. "But first, I want you to answer a question for me." Hinako-chan pouted at Shiro's request. Her eyes never left the candy peeking out from Shiro's hand. "Okay, but you'll give me the candy, right?" "What does Principal Kuno have planned? You said that it had something to do with candy." "Candy!" "Answers first, Hinako-chan. He's not hiding some bizarre candy-spewing death trap of an obstacle course, is he?" "No. Why would you think that? The candy's for the school festival tomorrow night. It'll be so much fun! I know there'll be same delinquents there." Shiro laughed nervously. She seemed way too happy at the prospect of draining a few students's energy. "School festival," Shiro repeated. This was the first time he had heard anything about it. Granted, he had let the English club run itself the last couple of weeks so he could catch up on his paperwork. Then again, the president of the club had asked Shiro if he would help the club out on some project. "Gimme the candy, please?" Himako's request pulled Shiro out of his musing. "Sure." He held out his hand so that Hinako-chan could get what she wantd. Hinako-chan snatched the candy from Shiro's hand with such force that he flexed his fingers to make sure none went missing. She unwrapped one, and popped it into her mouth. "Now, time for your punishment!" "My WHAT?!" he shouted. "You're kidding, right?" "You naughty boy, you know you aren't supposed to bribe school officials." Hinako-chan pulled a fifty-yen piece from her pocket, holding it between her fingers. "But Sakura does it all the time! Why me?" Shiro looked around anxiously, searching for any opportunity to escape. "Sorry, rules are rules." She stepped closer to Shiro, although she did not need to. She was too close to miss. "Wait! There's more candy where that came from!" It was his last chance to talk her out of draining his energy. A flash of yellow light answered his cry. Shiro slumped to the floor, feeling as if he had run a pair of marathons after a week of chronic insomnia. Hinako, on the other hand, had transformed from her child form into her stunning adult body. "Thanks for the candy, kid," Hinako-san purred as she walked away. Shiro blinked once, then twice, prying his eyes open between blinks. He watched as Hinako-san walked away, a sight called the Eighth Wonder of Nerima by some young men, but unconsciousness claimed him before the nosebleed could begin. ************************ "Really, Mr. Smith, if you wanted information, you should have come to me," Nabiki said. Her voice oozed with equal parts amusement and disbelief. Shiro sat up, cradling his head in his hands to keep it from spinning. Black faded into an indiscernible blur when he blinked his eyes open, wincing with each motion. As his mind focused, he could hear rustling paper every time he moved. "Where am I?" As he spoke, two fuzzy blurs resolved into Nabiki and Nurse Karou. Nabiki wore a pressed school uniform, a common sight around campus. In contrast, Nurse Karou's uniform looked rumpled, a perfect match to the sleepy look about her eyes. Kodachi's mad dash through the halls had filled the infirmary with patients, further draining what little energy the nurse had. "You're in the infirmary," Nurse Karou said. That explained the rustling. He must be resting on a cot. "How are you feeling?" Shiro paused, mentally checking out his body. "Tired." He stopped speaking, cocked his head, and frowned. "And strangely attracted to flightless waterfowl." "Oops, better fix that." Nurse Karou tapped twice on Shiro's back and once on his temple. "I want you to tell me how you feel in a couple minutes." "Flightless waterfowl?" Nabiki asked, raising an eyebrow. Just when she thought she had heard everything... "I could use a nap," Karou yawned. "Busy day and all, no thanks to Kodachi." She pretended to ignore Nabiki as the younger woman casually inched away. "Not another botched technique," Shiro groaned. "What's wrong with me now?" He hoped he did not have to walk around blindfolded again, or something just as inconvenient. "Show a little faith, will ya?" Nurse Karou sighed. "I fixed it already." He sat up, stretching and checking his body for aches, pains, and strange effects "Hey, I feel better," Shiro said, surprised. "Thanks." "Not tired anymore? And how do you feel about penguin lust?" Nurse Karou asked. There was an air of routine about her questions. Shiro made a face. "Nauseous." "See, I do get my techniques right more than the rumors say." Nurse Karou yawned and stretched. "Excuse me. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to take a nap." The nurse left the infirmary for the comfort of her office. "What are you doing here?" Shiro asked Nabiki as soon as Karou's office door closed. "Someone had to drag you here. Nice try with Hinako, by the way. Cute. Doomed to catastrophic failure, but an interesting idea nonetheless." "Gee, thanks," Shiro groaned. "I suppose you have another reason for sticking around. So, how much was your help?" he sighed, resigning himself to his fate. "Why nothing," Nabiki said. She stared at Shiro in an expectant manner. He felt that her pleasant words hid some other motive. "A freebie? Are *you* okay?" Nabiki hushed Shiro, waiting until she could hear Nurse Karou's light snoring. "We have unresolved business." She sat in the chair nearest to Shiro, leveling an unnerving stare at the teacher. "Not that 'date,'" he groaned. "I don't see why everyone blew that study session out of proportion." "I don't see why you couldn't make a simple decision," Nabiki retorted. "I haven't forgotten our little agreement-" "What agreement?" Shiro said sarcastically. "Oh, right. That threat." Nabiki frowned, drumming her fingers against the armrest. "I prefer agreement. By all rights, I should have fulfilled my part of our bargain by now. I have been occupied with other matters until now, and it is time for this debt to be settled. But I'll be merciful. If you choose right now, I'll forget about that little promise." Shiro shook his head. "It is my decision to make when I choose to." "Suit yourself, though you may find that time will appear sooner than you think." Nabiki stood up. "By the way, just in case you were thinking about Mariko, she told me to tell you that she's not interested in you." "Why are you doing this?" Shiro asked. He tried to quell the sudden surge of emotion that accompanied Nabiki's news. "For my reputation. I have to keep my word to keep my credibility, no mater how rash a promise made. It's nothing personal, now." She left the infirmary. "That's reassuring," Shiro groaned, rolling his eyes. ************************ "Okay, class, I'd like for you all to get into small groups of three to four people and compare and contrast the short story 'Snow, Glass, Apples' by Neil Gaiman with the version of 'Snow White' found in your textbook," Mariko said from the front of the classroom. The scraping of desks and chairs soon followed. Mariko sat down at the desk, skimming over the short story she had assigned. Occasionally, she would stop to listen in on one group or another. Her English class stayed on topic, for a change. Last time she tried small group discussions, the class spent the time betting whether Ranma would beat the master of Martial Arts Garbage Collecting foolish enough to challenge him. As she read, however, her mind began to drift... "Shiro...thinks of me-us like that?" Mariko wrinkled her nose again. It itched, growing warmer in the telltale sign of a blush about to blossom. Mariko's train of thought derailed. He thought of her like that? But Shiro's so kind, and gentle, and smart, and cute, surely he would choose someone else. She was too clumsy, too inept, a bad teacher, and prettier women walked by all the time. Shiro deserved someone better. But he thought of her as a girlfriend! What should she do? "Excuse me?" Mariko asked. She had just realized that Nabiki had finished speaking. "Nothing." Nabiki waved her hand as to dismiss the comment. "Anyway, what do you plan to do about it?" "I...I don't know," Mariko stammered, still recovering from the shock. "I..." "Do you want me to talk to him about it?" Nabiki asked. Mariko's eyes brightened. "Oh, would you? Really?" "Um, excuse me. Kawai-sensei? Kawai-sensei? Is something wrong?" "How much was that again?" Mariko said. "Kawai-sensei! Snap out of it!" a harsh voice commanded. The world spun as Mariko felt someone grab her by the shoulders and shake her. "What's going on? Oh, did I space out again?" Mariko said as her memories of her last conversation with Nabiki disappeared, leaving her in the middle of a classroom with a throng of students huddled around her. "You've been doing that the entire hour," a female voice said. It took a few seconds for her to identify the voice as Nabiki's. Why was Nabiki shaking her? "You're starting to worry the class. Is anything wrong?" Mariko blushed, once again thinking about her conversation with Nabiki the day before. "Kawaii-sensei!" "I'm sorry, I was just thinking of Shir...oh!" She said, covering her mouth. Her face felt as if it was on fire. When she saw the entire class circled around her, she thought she would combust. The class murmured at Mariko's slip of the tongue. "Didn't Nabiki say Kawai-sensei didn't like Smith-sensei?" one the girls stage- whispered. "Say it ain't so, Kawai-sensei. Please say it ain't so," the leader of the Mariko Kawai fan club cried. Nabiki frowned. "But you told me you didn't like Smith-sensei." "I do, I mean, when did I say that?" "At the coffeehouse," Nabiki answered impatiently. "I don't remember. Are you sure?" Mariko asked. "You even paid me to tell Smith-sensei that you don't like him!" Nabiki shouted. The students crowding around Mariko murmured again. This was new grist for the rumor mills. "I thought I paid you to tell that I did like him," Mariko insisted. Dread filled her. She had just found out that Shiro liked her, and this had to happen. Unseen and ignored by the rest of the class, the founder of the Mariko Kawai fan club passed out in shock. Nabiki groaned. This had to be a dream. Yes, she had to be asleep in some opulent mansion, spoiled by the finer things in life, and not playing relationship counselor to a confused teacher. "I just told him that you didn't." "You did what?" Mariko said. Her face blanched. "But that's not, I mean, how could you think that?" "Didn't you think call all the rumors about you two 'jokes?'" Nabiki groaned. Shiro Smith and his would-be suitors were proving to be more troublesome than Ranma in certain respects. "Well, they are, aren't they. Some of them are outright silly, like Kanzaki-san carrying Smith-sensei's love child. Anyone can see she's not pregnant and besides, no one ever sees them together outside of school." Mariko felt that the ones pairing Shiro with her were just as silly. Why would he ever think of her in that way? But he did. Nabiki said so herself. Nabiki rolled her eyes. "I think you need to talk to Smith-sensei." "What, what would I say? What if he says he doesn't like me? What will I do?" Mariko stammered, stringing her words together fast enough that they merged into one giant sentence. Her eyes grew larger and a smile crossed her face. "I know, could you talk to him for me?" she asked Nabiki. Nabiki shook her head. "I think you need to talk to Smith-sensei," she repeated, failing to mention that she wished to distance herself from the entire Shiro Smith fiasco. "What should I say to him?" Mariko wondered. For all intents and purposes, Mariko's English class ended for the day. The women huddled around Mariko, making suggestions as to what the teacher should say, what clothes she should wear, and how she should act. The men, on the other hand, had glazed looks in their eyes as they tried to survive an entire class of suggestions gleaned from popular fashion magazines. ************************ Kira sat in her spartan makeshift office, tapping a pencil eraser against her teeth. Occasionally, she would write down another entry in a growing list on a yellow legal pad, only to scratch it out seconds later. So far, the list consisted of "Play hard to get" and fifteen scratched out entries. she muttered, taking time out to look to the wall for inspiration. she mused out loud. Kira shook her head. Tonomi was too smart to fall for something that ridiculous. Problem was, Kira could only come up with the insane and unbelievable. Then again, anyone who was crazed enough to scrape 9,800 watches deserved to be single. She mulled it over, and the idea joined the list. The number of valid ideas had doubled. "Miss Langoleer?" a man's voice said as he knocked on the door. "Come in," she said, hiding the legal pad in her backpack. "Aloha. As you are a new member of the Furinkan staff, there are things you need to know so you can teach more effectively. Time to tell you about the rules," Principal Kuno said. He held an industrial sized set of electric hair clippers in his hand. He thumbed the switch, and the clippers came to life, sounding remarkably like the spawn of a hyperactive chainsaw and a rabid wolf in heat. The principal cheerfully advanced towards Kira's desk, exuberantly waving the clippers around. "You need a haircut, young lady!" Kira screamed, and sprinted out the door. The resulting shockwave scattered papers, almost bowling Principal Kuno over in the process. ************************ "Kira?" Tonomi called out as she rapped on the door. "Are you there?" She frowned when only silence greeted her. She knocked on the door again, before testing the doorknob. It turned, and the door opened. No one sat in the chair behind the hastily constructed desk. The desk overflowed with loose paper. Occasionally, a small stack of papers would cascade off the desk and onto the floor. The room looked liked it had been ransacked by a gale. Tonomi shook her head. She would have never suspected that Kira would be so disorganized. Tonomi closed the door behind her. She checked her watch, then sat down in the counseling department's lobby in hopes that Kira would return. After a few minutes, she checked her watch again. After the sixth time she checked her watch, Tonomi stood up to leave. The hallway door opened before she could take a step. She turned to see who would walk through. "Good afternoon, Kanzaki," Nabiki said, as she sat down. She motioned for Tonomi to sit. "Hello, Nabiki, how are you doing?" Tonomi greeted, sitting across from Nabiki. "What are you doing at the festival?" As usual, Nabiki went straight to the point, like a proper businesswoman should. "Not much. A couple of routines with the Dance club. Arimi's running the booth, though. The girls elected her captain for next year." Nabiki nodded politely. "Do you remember our agreement?" she asked. Tonomi had agreed to help Nabiki during the school festival if Nabiki could 'persuade' Sakura not to chase Shiro. "Yes, but Sakura's still after Shiro, I mean, Smith-sensei." Tonomi grinned ruefully. "Oh, I don't think you'll need to worry about that much longer. You have my word on that," Nabiki said. A sly smile crossed her face, both reassuring and frightening Tonomi. **"How do I know this is true?" Tonomi asked. She hoped the price would not become too steep. Nabiki's deals were the verbal equivalent of a tar baby. As soon as you agreed to them, you were trapped. "I'm a businesswoman, Kanzaki. I lose credibility if I lie. Of course, I cannot tell you about my methods. Remember, you promised to help me during the festival." "What do I need to do?" "You'll need to be there tomorrow night to help to find out." Tonomi thought it over. She did promise, and if Nabiki made good on her promise, it would be well worth the effort. "I'll be there." "Good. Stop by the booth at about seven. See you then, Kanzaki." ************************ "Good morning, Sakura," Kira said as she entered Sakura's laboratory and office. As she spoke, she adjusted a wide brimmed straw hat that had fallen over her eyes. "Hi, Kira," Sakura said. Like most of her colleagues scattered throughout the pineapple shaped building, she was perched over a tower of ungraded tests and assignments. She looked up from her task. "How bad is it?" "What?" "Your haircut. You usually don't wear hats, so I'm assuming you finally met Principal Kuno," she said. "Don't worry, we keep a good hairdresser on speed dial. She should be able to fit you in after school." Kira shuddered. "You told me about him, but I guess never believed that anyone that weird would in charge of education. How do you cope?" "You get used to it or you get drunk," Sakura said. "Three guesses how most of the teachers deal with the stress." She cupped her hand and tipped it. "So, should I call the hairdresser?" Kira took off her hat and shook her hair free. Much to Sakura's surprise, Kira's hairstyle had not changed. "Nah, I was able to lose him. It was close though." Sakura nodded and smiled. "What else's happening?" "Did you read Tonomi's letter?" Kira asked. Upon seeing Sakura nod, she continued. "I don't have it." "I should have it in one of my noteb-" Sakura began. Then it hit her. "How do you know about the letter? And why would you have it?" Sakura's eyes narrowed in disapproval. She set down her pen, ready to bore through Kira with a Glare of Doom. "I had knock over one of your folders in the home ec room and it out fell. I had just pick it up and read it when Shiro entered the room." Glare faded into surprise and horror. "What?! He doesn't have it, does he?" Kira shook her head. "I do not know. I did not have a chance to look through his papers without him staring over my shoulder." "Wouldn't he tell you if he found it?" Sakura's heart beat faster. He could not see the letter, he just could not. Again, Kira shook her head. "I do not think he'd confide in me. Not on this." "You're his cousin!" "I also set him up with the love of his life at the time during high school, only to have her rip out his heart, spit on it, grind it into hamburger, and feed it to the dogs," Kira sighed. During high school, Shiro had visited America for a year. Due to Kira's intervention, that year quickly became disastrous. "She WHAT? But he's still alive," Sakura said, confused by Kira's expression. Kira rolled her eyes when Sakura took her words literally. "Sorry, it's an American expression that doesn't translate well. She hurt him badly." "Oh." Kira's explanation alleved some of Sakura's confusion, but not by much. "Something's bothering me about the letter. How Tonomi knew Shiro was considering Sabishii University?" Kira wondered. "Yeah, that doesn't make any-" Sakura said as she marked a paper. Her eyes snapped open and she dropped her pen. "Wait a minute, he's leaving? When did he decide this?" she asked urgently. "I don't know. He was talking about night classes or something the morning of the love potion incident. He still has not decided," Kira said, snickering. "I think he will wait until the last moment, again." Sakura breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She had not realized she had held her breath. "So he's not leaving, then." "I think he wants to stay close to this area," Kira smiled, winking and nudging her friend in the ribs. The bell rang. "I need to go. I've got another messy tutoring session to deal with," Kira groaned, rolling her eyes. She shook her head. "I'll see you at the festival tonight." "Okay." Sakura answered. She started grading her paper again, then remembered. "Do you have more surprises for me?" Kira sighed, then laughed. "That should do it for today." "Please, let me know what happens as soon as he decides." Sakura tried to keep from pleading. "I will. Well, 'Once more unto the breach,'" Kira said, before stepping out into the hall. "I wish she'd stop using those American idioms and quotes. Makes it difficult to understand her," Sakura groaned. Sakura stood up and checked the inbox out in the hall for any late papers her students might have slipped inside. The box was empty, except for a sealed white envelope with her last name inscribed upon it. She eyed it with equal parts suspicion and curiosity, before using the flattened edge of a chemical spatula to slice the envelope. Three photographs slipped into Saukra's hands. She looked at the topmost one, frowned, and looked at the other two. Her hands clenched, turning her knuckles white and bending the bottom of the photographs in her hands. Her face drained of blood, then grew crimson. She stood frozen, staring at the photographs. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. When the shock had passed, the photographs disappeared into a coat pocket. She turned, slamming first the office door then the stockroom door before sitting down at the desk and burying her face in her hands. ************************ Shiro stepped into his office and groaned. His most recent schedule indicated that this hour was supposed to be his free period. However, any free time he might have desired evaporated in the presence of the towering stacks of paper on his desk. Each stack seemed to grow at a measurable rate. He shook his head. Grading papers ranked low on his preferred teaching duty list, but it was a necessary evil if he wanted to help students learn. At least an end was in sight; the school year ended in a couple of weeks. No new papers and homework would be turned in, but he would miss the students, especially the graduating seniors, like Tonomi. Once again, the young dancer occupied his mind. She was a good student, especially in English, and a pleasant addition to whatever class she was in, except for Home Economics (or so Sakura complained). Shiro felt that he would miss Tonomi after she graduated. Her particular blend of enthusiasm was infectious, even if it did lead to headaches for students and staff alike. "And she's cute, too," his mind whispered. Shiro suppressed the thought. Tonomi was a student, and it was improper to think of a student in such a way. Besides, she was too young. "And Sakura isn't? They're the same age," the devilish part of his mind said. Shiro sat down and ripped the first paper off the nearest stack, and tried to bury all thoughts of Tonomi in his work. He read the first problem, and checked it against the key. Shiro blinked, reread, and compared the answer to the key. Last time he checked, the answer to x^3+3x^2y+3xy^2+y^3=1 was not Shiro rolled his eyes. He had used a math answer key on an English test by accident. Guess he was a little preoccupied when he began. He sorted through the myriad piles on his desk before finding the correct test. The answer now read "It's better than drugs, it's better than sex. What could it be? It's dy/dx." Still incorrect, but Shiro recognized it as the standard guess from one of his math students. He set the math test down. Reading a test answer about penguin lusting infidels promised more amusement that two pages of X's and Y's. The student had obviously run out of ideas, or fell victim to a prank from another student. Either way, it would be good for a much-needed laugh. Shiro dug inside a drawer for the right answer key. This time he pulled out a stuffed folder instead of candy. As he opened it, a pink envelope fell out. "What's this?" he muttered out loud. He picked it up and flipped it over. "That's right. I found this yesterday." Shiro examined the envelope. The cursive writing seemed familiar, if more ornate than he was used to seeing from Japanese trying their hand at English. He stared at his name written on the envelope for several seconds before recognizing the handwriting as Tonomi's. He groaned and set the envelope down on his desk. Shiro was too busy to read the letter right now, yet the letter tugged at him. Curiosity welled within him at what the young woman might say inside. After all, it would only take a couple minutes to read it, and that would not put him too far behind in his grading. He picked up the letter again. As he opened it, Hirai-sensei knocked on the door. "Smith-san, you have a telephone call from a Professor Harumi. He says he needs to talk to you about some last minute tasks before graduation," Hirai-sensei said through the door. "I'm coming," Shiro groaned. He was not looking forward to a conference with his university advisor. Before he left, he tossed the letter into a desk drawer and closed it. Knowing Tonomi, he did not want anyone to stumble across it. He forgot about the letter in the rushed last minute preparations for the school festival. ************************ "Wow! This is so cool!" Kira shrieked as she spun around. The school had spared no expense for the festival, including funding an authentic luau in addition to the usual festival games. Kira had hoped for a traditional festival, but she could handle the luau. The thirty thousand yellow lights strung around the husk of the pineapple shaped school, on the other hand, proved to be a distraction from the supposedly Japanese feel to the festival. Clusters of booths lined the paths and athletic fields surrounding the school, selling a wide variety of foods, toys, and games. She dashed from booth to booth, trying all the games and foods offered by the various clubs, only drawing a line at the Scuba Club's frozen squid on a stick. As her money diminished, her loot increased, including over a dozen UFO catcher dolls and countless pieces of candy. Kira enjoyed herself. Delicacies were everywhere, and the booths and games reminded her of the ones she had seen in numerous anime. Unlike the anime, traditional dress was not required. She was disappointed, for she looked forward to trying on a kimono for the first time since Aunt Miyuki visited her as a child. She passed a goldfish pond and stopped. She had seen similar booths in any number of anime shows. Usually the main character had some difficulty in catching the fish. Now that a fully stocked aquarium stood in front of Kira, she rolled up her sleeves and swore would master the game. After all, it could not be as difficult as the shows made it out to be. Kira sat on her heels next to the tank, holding a bowl and paper scoop. Her eyes fell on a red and black spotted goldfish, and she made her attack. "Another scoop, miss?" the attendant, who appeared to be a freshman, asked. He held another paper scoop in his hand. Kira handed him the appropriate change, then resumed her determined attempts to empty the tank of goldfish. "I'm sorry. Better luck next time." The attendant smiled, waving a third scoop at Kira. She sighed, and paid for the scoop. She sat on her heels, watching as the fish darted away from the other players. Kira singled out a white fish, with black and orange spots. "You're trying too hard," a friendly voice said from behind her. Kira swore as the fish swam away from her scoop. "How would you know?" she said, spinning around to face a familiar girl wearing a school uniform. "Oh, hi, Tonomi." Tonomi smiled. "I have an aquarium back home with two dozen of these fish. Let me show you something that might help." She walked towards the attendant. "Could I please have a bowl and scoop?" "Certainly," he stammered, reddening under the lights. "No charge." Kira rolled her eyes. Why couldn't she get breaks like that? Tonomi sat down by the fish tank and dipped her scoop into the water. "It's like this," she said, demonstrating in slow motion. Another demonstration, and a jet-black fish now swam in Tonomi's bowl. Kira copied the actions, catching the fish that eluded her earlier. "Thanks!" Kira said. The attendant chewed his lip when she caught six more fish before the net broke. "So, Kira," Tonomi began. Her voice trailed off, and a touch of red graced her cheeks. "I had a run-in with Principal Kuno," Kira answered while the attendant poured her fish into a plastic bag. "And you actually kept all your hair?" Tonomi's voice filled with awe. Kira laughed nervously. She had spent the better part of an hour barricaded inside Nurse Karou's office in order to escape the principal's shearers. "Yeah, well, sorry I missed our appointment." Tonomi dismissed the apology with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry about it. So, did you give any thought to what we talked about." Kira smiled a toothy smile, trying not to look like the cat that swallowed the canary, three robins, and a cardinal caught unawares while her master was away. "You see, the secret to winning a man's heart is-" "Kanzaki! There you are," Nabiki said as she approached. "Come on, its time for you to help with the booth." Kira rolled her eyes. It figured something like this would happen, especially since she had recently figured out the perfect answer to Tonomi's question. "Um, okay. Guess I'll talk with you later, Kira," Tonomi said. "Well, wait a minute, I'm come with. I don't think I've been by the Young Entrepreneurs stand yet," Kira said. Maybe another opportunity to misinform Tonomi would appear. Besides, the Young Entrepreneurs club surely would have enough money to buy the best prizes for the festival. Nabiki scowled. "We're not finished setting up yet. Why don't you stop by in an hour? Kira frowned. This girl had to be hiding something. "No, I think I shall come with you." Tonomi looked nervously at Nabiki. "Uh, Kira, I think you might want to wait. I'm supposed to help Nabiki set up the stand. It's not going to be that interesting," she said. Kira relented, not wishing to force the issue. "An hour, right?" "Something like that," Nabiki said dismissively. "C'mon, Kanzaki, let's work on the stand." She walked away. "See you around, Kira," Tonomi said, before joining Nabiki. "Sure," Kira said. She scowled. Something was going on. Kira resolved to be at Nabiki's booth a little earlier than expected. "Um, miss?" the attendant said. "Is your turn over?" "Oh, sorry. I finish now," she answered, sitting down at the tank again. ************************ "Where did she run off to?" Shiro growled. Kira had run off again. She had promised to help cook the hamburgers for the English club's booth, but no one had seen her since the festival started. The girl had a talent for avoiding work. If he knew his cousin, she was probably off causing trouble at the one of the boardwalk style games lining the paths around the Furinkan pineapple. Thus he weaved through the crowds, making slow progress towards the Mecha Club booth. He guessed that Sakura would have been the last to see Kira, due to the girls's growing friendship. Besides, the festival had kept Shiro and Sakura too busy to say more than a passing greeting to each other on any of the rare occasions they passed each other. "Hey, Shiro!" Mariko shouted from a nearby booth. She ran towards him. When she was two paces away, Mariko tripped on a rock and fell forward into Shiro's arms. "Are you okay?" Shiro asked, helping Mariko regain her balance. "Y, yes," Mariko said. She blushed faintly. "I'm sorry, I hate being so clumsy." She stood up, and smiled. "Thank you." "Don't worry about it, it's nothing," Shiro said, letting go of Mariko. "So, what club are you with tonight?" "I'm helping the Model United Nations club. They needed an advisor when Yamada- sensei left, and I thought I'd help." Mariko pointed towards her booth. "Wow. So, what's it like?" Shiro asked. He knew little about the club other than it was a mock-international affairs group. "There's a lot of rules and procedures I don't quite understand, but I'm learning, and some of the discussions are interesting. The students have been more than helpful helping me to understand what's happening," Mariko said. "So, are you enjoying the festival?" Shiro could tell Mariko enjoyed the club from her enthusiastic demeanor. "I haven't had the chance. Since I'm the only one in the English club that's been to America, I got elected as the cook." Shiro grinned. "And Kira's run off. Oh well, I guess I better enjoy my break while I still have it." "That bad?" Mariko asked. Her voice filled with sympathy. Shiro laughed. "Not really. One of the students came up with the idea of 'cook your own' hamburgers fifteen minutes ago, so I've been able to do more than sweat over a grill." "Sounds like fun," Mariko said. "I'll stop by if I can get a chance." "They're keeping you busy," Shiro laughed. "Yes. I didn't think advising would be so much work," she giggled. Mariko sighed suddenly and looked away. "Is something the matter, Mariko?" Shiro asked, concerned about his co-worker and friend. "Shiro, could I, um, can I ask you a question?" Mariko asked hesitantly. She turned back to face him, although she did not quite look Shiro in the eye. "Sure," Shiro said, confused. "Um, Shiro, would you like to go out for..." Mariko began. She looked down at the ground, and twiddled her fingers. "Coffee again? Sure. When?" Shiro said. "Tomorrow night. Coffee's good," Mariko said. She paused for a moment. "But I was thinking more along the lines of dinner." She dragged the last sentence out, as if each word had to be coaxed from her mouth. Shiro though a moment. "Should I tell Sakura? She could be of assistance with the lesson plans," he offered. "No, I was thinking..." Mariko began hesitantly. Shiro snapped his fingers as a thought clicked into place. "Oh, will we be working on English plans? Maybe Kira could come along and help out. She is tutoring some of the students, after all." "...just the two of us." A faint blush spread across her cheeks. "Okay. So, do you want me to bring some sample lesson plans like last time?" Shiro said helpfully. "We always talk about school. I," Mariko paused and took a deep breath. The nervousness began to leave her voice. "Was hoping we could talk about something else for a change." "That sounds great! I could use a break myself," Shiro said enthusiatically. "Really? It does?" Mariko said. A giant smile lit up her face and eyes. "Yeah! It'd be nice to have a relaxing dinner and just chat, and not have to worry about schoolwork," Shiro said, thinking about the stacks of papers in his office. "Well, yes...but..." The nervousness returned to Mariko's voice, causing it to waver. She looked away from him again. Shiro's brow furled with concern. "What, is there a problem you're having that you want to discuss alone?" "No!" She said strongly. "I mean yes, I want to talk alone. I mean, no, there's no problem. I just..." She stopped and took a deep breath. Shiro noted that Mariko looked like she was about to burst. Clearly something was on her mind. "I wanted to know if you wanted to go..." "To Tokyo Tower to set up a field trip?" he suggested randomly. "A date." Mariko's voice came out a little louder than a whisper. "A what?" "A date! A date, you ninny!" Mariko said in exasperation. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers and she covered her mouth. "Sorry. I’m sorry. Oh, I didn’t mean to-, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you like that." Shiro sweatdropped. "Er...don't worry about it," came the automatic reply. While his mouth worked on autopilot, Shiro's mind whirled. He never guessed that Mariko felt that way. Nabiki had outright told him that Mariko did not like him. What was going on? This did not sound like the Mariko he was used to. She always seemed so friendly, but only as a friend. "You did say 'yes,' right?" Mariko pleaded. She leaned closer, waiting for Shiro's response. "I did?" Shiro asked with equal parts confusion and alarm. "Great!" Mariko said, sighing with relief. Her eyes shone in the pineapple augmented moonlight. "So, Tia Maria's again? Say, seven tomorrow night?" "But didn't Nab..." Shiro's lips flapped as his mind struggled to grasp what had happened. "I'm really looking forward to thiiiissss," Mariko said as a wide ribbon snaked around her waist. She soon found herself airborne, pulled behind a rapid running Kodachi. "Mariko!" Shiro shouted, reaching for her. Mariko stretched her arm out, but quickly flew out of Shiro's reach as Kodachi ran. How could she be so cursed fast? Akane ran up to him. "I saw the entire thing. Don't worry, Smith-sensei, Kawai-sensei'll be fine." "What, but Kodachi," he stammered. "Not again, and those traps, and, and...I'm not making any sense, am I?" Akane smiled. "Don't worry about it. She probably mistook her for Tonomi. Kodachi'll probably let her go after she realizes her mistake." "She didn't release Takahashi-sensei last time." "I don't think you have to worry about it this time." Akane's smile faded as she traced Kodachi's path with her eyes. "Why do you say that?" Shiro asked, trying to catch a glimpse of Kodachi as she bounced from roof to roof. "HERE I COME, RANMA-SAMA!!!" "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Akane frowned. "Call it a hunch. I better go now." She strode towards the source of the shouts. Shiro made to stop her. "Wait, Akane, um, how long were you watching?" "Oh don't worry, I didn't see Kawai-sensei ask you out on a date." Akane answered. Many of the surrounding students turned towards Shiro and Akane as she spoke. Akane ran towards the panicked shouts where Ranma would most likely be. "Wow, did you hear that? Kawai-sensei asked Smith-sensei on a date!" students stage-whispered to each other. Shiro wanted to find someplace dark to curl up and hide. ************************ "Here's your change, and your ticket, Tonomi said, with a false cheerfulness. She sat behind a card table to the side of a tent. A sign advertising the booth's wares stood next to her. She handed the money and ticket to the male student standing on the other side of the table from her. "Please wait in that line to my right until your turn. Thank you!" She groaned. Would the line ever end? Nabiki's idea for the Young Entrepreneurs club booth proved to be popular, especially with freshmen males who would rather spend time with the cute cashier than the other attractions inside the booth. "Hi! Five hundred yen, please," she greeted the next person in line. Tonomi sighed again. The line seemed to last forever, if not grow over time. The work Nabiki assigned Tonomi quickly became stale and repetitious, turning what was supposed to be a couple hours into something that felt four times longer. Because of this, Tonomi last track of time. She thought she had been at the booth for over an hour, because she had spied Kira watching the booth from behind another. She could not be sure, but Tonomi suspected she had seen Kira shake her head and laugh before she vanished around a corner. "Kanzaki, could you please come with me?" Nabiki said, as she appeared out of nowhere. "I'll have someone else take over for you." "Thanks, I could use a break," Tonomi sighed. She stood up. "I didn't mess anything up again, did I?" "No, not this time. I just want to talk with you," Nabiki said as she led Tonomi behind the booth and away from the crowds. "Okay, so, what do you want to talk about?" Tonomi asked nervously. Nabiki had always been distant and polite. She wondered what Nabiki had in mind. "I'd like to discuss our agreement," Nabiki said simply. Tonomi winced. Nabiki would be asking for more favors in return for keeping Sakura away from Shiro. She sighed. "What do you have in mind?" "A choice. You can work the rest of your shift here, like we originally agreed, or you can do a task for me, and I'll let you leave now," Nabiki offered. Tonomi stared at Nabiki. While she would love to get away from the endless lines, Tonomi worried about the task Nabiki had in mind. "What type of task?" Nabiki simply nodded toward the booth. Tonomi blushed bright red. "You're serious?" "Well, just one time, and not necessarily here," Nabiki said, before informing Tonomi of her plan. "I don't know. It seems so... Do you think I should?" Tonomi asked, stammering. The blush brightened further, and her face flared with heat. Nabiki shrugged. "It's up to you, but do you think you'll get a better chance anytime soon?" Tonomi sighed. Nabiki did have a point. "But, I'm not sure I could." "Tonomi, I'm just giving you an opportunity to do something you've dreamed of, that's all. And, as I said, you can choose not to," Nabiki said. Her voice was friendlier and kinder than Tonomi remembered it ever being during a business venture. Tonomi struggled, trying to make the right decision. If she played it safe, she could spend the rest of the festival working. She would lose this chance, though. "Okay, I'll do it," she said. "Thank you for your help," Nabiki said. “Now, if you’d excuse me...” She walked towards the front of the booth, leaving Tonomi to her assigned task. ************************ Shiro doused the flame inside the English club grill. The hamburger stand had proved to be popular enough that the English club ran out of meat. Rather than send someone out to the grocery store, the English Club officers chose to close the booth so that the members could enjoy the last moments of the festival. Unfortunately for Shiro, everyone else vanished as soon as the club decided to close the booth. The officers did offer to count the money, but cleaning up and tearing down the booth was left in Shiro’s care. “Sorry I’m late!” Tonomi shouted as she ran towards the grill. “The Dance Club presentation just finished and, hey, where is everyone?” “Hi, Tonomi,” Shiro said as he slid the contents of an entire card table into a garbage bag. “We ran out of food, so we closed early. Everyone split rather than help.” “Need help?” Tonomi asked. “Thanks. So how did your performance go?” Shiro asked. He looked around. Most of the garbage had disappeared into bags. He picked up two damp rags, handing one to Tonomi. “Pretty good, actually,” Tonomi said as she wiped down a table. “A little sad, but the performance itself was good.” “Was this your last dance with them?” Shiro said, working on a table of his own. “Yes. I can’t believe I’m graduating soon.” “What are you going to do after school?” he asked politely as he moved to another table. “Well, I’m going to university, but I don’t know what I want to do yet,” Tonomi said. She looked around. All the tables had been wiped down. “Should we stack the tables?” Shiro shook his head. “Nah. Leave them for the rest of the club.” He threw his rag into the garbage. “Don’t worry about choosing a major right away. You’ll find what you want to do, even if it takes some time.” “So, Smith-sensei, what are you doing to do after school?” Tonomi asked. She toyed with a couple stacks of cups before putting them in a paper bag. "I might visit the States for a while," Shiro answered. "For the rest of the year?" Tonomi’s voice faltered. "No. My Aunt Katherine wants to throw a graduation party for me so all my American relatives could celebrate my good fortune. I don't know if I can, though. It's expensive, and I need to save my money," Shiro said, looking outside the booth for any member of the English Club unfortunate enough to remain close to the booth. "For what?" Tonomi said. She listened intently, savoring each moment. She had not talked with Shiro outside of classroom and club situations since she confessed her feelings. "I'm thinking about going to graduate school, although I don't know if I'll take a semester off teaching, go to night classes, or do both." "Can I ask where you would be going to university?" Tonomi asked. Her words caught in her throat. "Sabishii, most likely." Shiro frowned, then sighed. The English club would get a piece of his mind next time he saw them. Tonomi's heart pounded. "Sabishii?" she said, dragging each syllable out. "Yes. It's close to here, and the education department's pretty good, or so my old roommate tells me every time he emails me," Shiro said, turning back around. Tonomi smoothed her skirt. "Smith-sensei? I, I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed...being in your class. I'd like to, I appreciate, would you?" She blushed as she drifted into incoherency. Tonomi took a deep breath to steady her nerves and bolster her confidence. "Thank you." She drifted closer, smiling nervously. “You’re welcome,“ Shiro said, increasingly aware of just how close Tonomi was to him. When she was one step away from him, Tonomi hesitated. She bit her lip nervously, then joyfully threw her arms around Shiro, knocking him off balance in her enthusiasm. Shiro staggered, clinging to Tonomi to keep from falling over. As soon as he steadied himself, Shiro flushed red. Tonomi, a beautiful young woman, was pressed up against him, squeezing him for all he was worth. “Tonomi, what are you-MMMPH!!“ Tonomi silenced him with a long kiss. She finally broke the kiss, sighing contentedly. A dreamy smile lit up her face as she rested her head on Shiro's shoulder. She hugged Shiro as tightly as possible to be as close as she could get. Shiro looked down at the attractive young woman in his arms, a whirlwind of emotions warring inside him. Tonomi lifted her head from his shoulders and gazed into his eyes. ************************ "I need a break," Sakura groaned as yet another argument between crazed mecha fans erupted near her booth. She massaged her forehead to relieve the stress. When she originally took over advising the Robotics Club, she had hoped to inherit a club full of tinkers and builders. The three-hour Gundam marathon on her first day quickly disabused her of that notion. She slipped away from the booth while the heated debate raged. After the first club meeting, she let the club run itself, only going to meetings and function when the school rules required her to. Life was too short to listen to countless futile fan arguments. As she walked, the sounds of arguing faded, leaving only the standard background noise of Furinkan...gossip. As she passed the Fashion Clubs booth, Sakura overheard one of the club members ask her friend, "Did you hear? Kawai-sensei just asked Smith-sensei on a date." Sakura bit her lip. Crimson clouded her vision as her emotions took control. The three pictures she had received earlier that day showed Mariko and Shiro in compromising positions. In two, he held Mariko, from behind and as a groom would carry a bride. The third clearly showed the two about to kiss. Of course Mariko would ask Shiro on a date; the two of them were probably close to begin with. Sakura's logical side intervened before the young teacher broke down. Kira would let her know if anything happened between Shiro and another woman. Sakura did not know the stories behind the pictures, and, if confronted, Shiro would be able to dismiss them easily. In addition to that, the rumor mill had been wrong so often that Mariko could have been asking Shiro for a pencil before the story got distorted through constant retelling. Then again, Mariko and Shiro had frequented the coffeehouse together lately... Her emotions and reason agreed uneasily on one thing; she was overreacting. While her mind came to this conclusion through cold, dispassionate logic, her emotions took another course. If she denied that there was anything between Shiro and Mariko, then nothing was happening. She turned the corner. The English club booth stood no more than fifteen meters away. Sakura walked towards it, hoping to find Shiro. All remembrance of her frustration over the photos had left her. She stopped as soon as she could see inside the booth. Her heart leapt. Shiro was inside, kissing Tonomi. Kissing Tonomi?! Sakura rubbed her eyes, hoping that the horror she had seen was just an illusion. She looked again. Tonomi had just broken off the kiss, and the two held each other. Sakura watched anxiously, hoping, praying, pleading for Shiro to yell at Tonomi, to push her away, or to do anything but stand there with his arms around her as if she was his girlfriend... Sakura slipped away, not wanting to disturb the couple before her. She made no effort to fight the silent tears streaking her face in the moonlight. The young teacher ran away, not caring where. She had to escape, to flee. It hurt too much to stay. ************************ Author's notes: For the part, I need to thank Jesse and Jeremy Fogelman for their assistance and for wading through the drafts. Series thanks: Winston Smith for creating LoCS, Twoflower and Ardweden for putting up with me and granting so many extensions, Falcon and Jesse for prereading, plotting, and helping me with ideas, Spork Prophet and Jeremy Fogelman for plotting and helping with ideas, and the readers, for putting up with me. If I missed anyone, my sincerest apologies. The title, "A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing..." is from the Tower of Power song of the same name. Guess I'm locked into musical titles for good. Feel free to email all comments to Achariyth@aol.com -Nathan