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Watanabe Toshiyuki is 14 when his class gets a new math teacher.
Blonde hair was unusual, even in a metropolitan city like Yokohoma, and the short rat's tail their teacher wore seemed to declare “delinquent” rather than educator, in Toshiyuki's opinion. But his voice and gaze are firm when he greets their class, introducing himself as “Kunikida-sensei”.
Kunikida-sensei wasn't dressed in any way that was memorable - he wore a neutral brown blazer and slacks over a white shirt, and a green tie. His eyes were protected by a pair of very proper, rectangular-framed glasses, and he didn't wear any accessories besides the tie. Simple, reserved, not flashy in the slightest.
Even at 14 years old, Toshiyuki knows that this teacher will be eaten alive by his classmates.
Kunikida-sensei did not get eaten alive. In fact, his classmates loved him. Despite his prim and proper exterior, their teacher turned out to be a little rough around the edges, quick to anger but challenged instead of berated those who tried to fool around in class, yet patient towards the ones who were a little slower (Toshiyuki himself being one of them).
Toshiyuki’s school was a fairly typical one, but situated in one of the poorer districts, a town with a small population and a slightly-higher-than-usual crime rate because of several gangs running amok in their town. That meant that his class also had its fair share of delinquents, several of whom liked to cause trouble in class, and were entirely unafraid of authority.
As it turns out, so was Kunikida-sensei.
A few weeks into Kunikida-sensei taking over their class, Vice-Principal Fukuoka came to observe one of his lessons. She was a timid woman who was unfortunately more afraid of her students than they were of her, especially the delinquents who were infamous for having “gang connections” outside of school, one of whom was currently trying to get out of class by causing a ruckus.
“I said sit. Down.” Kunikida-sensei says, steel entering his voice as he stares down the student, Fukuyama Shin. The students remain quiet as they watch the confrontation, and so does Vice-Principal Fukuoka, who looks like she’s about to cry.
Fukuyama scoffs, posture slouched as he remains standing beside his seat, caught by Kunikida-sensei when he had tried to slip out of class. He clearly wasn’t going to back down without a fight. “You may think you're very intimidating, sensei, but I have scarier friends out there. Are you sure you want to mess with me?”
Wham!
Without warning, the blackboard eraser slams into Fukuyama's desk, leaving a dent in the table as it clatters onto the floor. Everyone in the class jumps, including Fukuyama himself.
“You - you nearly hit me!” He accuses fearfully, eyes wide as he glances at the dent left behind by the eraser.
Kunikida-sensei snorts. “I missed you by a mile. If I really wanted to hit you, I would have, punk. Sit down if you know what’s best for you.”
“Are teachers allowed to assault students like this?” Fukuyama demands angrily, looking towards the vice principal, who avoids eye contact.
“If I recall correctly, the one threatening assault was you, Fukuyama-kun.” Kunikida-sensei answers evenly, eyebrow raised.
“You’ll regret this!” Fukuyama snarls, voice raised, sounding less and less composed in the face of Kunikida-sensei's calm indifference. “Don't think you can mess with me like this, just because you're a teacher doesn't mean I'm afraid to -”
“You're a 14 year old kid, I have a black belt in three different martial arts. Between picking a fight and listening to my class, which do you think is your better option?”
“Kunikida-sensei, that is not the way you speak to students!” The vice principal yelps, finally deciding to intervene before things escalate further.
“My apologies.” Kunikida-sensei answers as he adjusts his glasses one-handed. The rigid set of his mouth gives Toshiyuki the sense that he wasn’t apologetic in the slightest. “Fukuyama-kun, there’s no actual rule that you cannot leave my classroom as you wish. But you will not be welcome back if you choose to leave now.”
“Whatever.” Fukuyama spits as he storms towards the door. “Wait till my friends get ahold of you, then you’ll be sorry.”
“I’d like to see them try.”
The only answer Kunikida-sensei gets is a rude gesture from Fukuyama as he leaves the classroom. He turns back to the rest of the class with a shake of his head - Vice Principal Fukuoka avoids his gaze again.
“Well then,” he says calmly, appearing completely unbothered by Fukuyama’s threat, “let’s continue from where we left off.”
Kunikida-sensei ends up earning the respect of most of the students - which, in a class full of 14 year olds, was seriously no easy feat.
Toshiyuki also notices that Kunikida-sensei doesn’t really speak in polite Japanese - he’s used to stuffy, boring teachers insisting on using formal Japanese while speaking to each other, but Kunikida-sensei doesn’t, and neither does he expect them to use it in return. As long as they did their homework on time and asked relevant questions in class, he doesn’t really mind how they speak to him.
Kunikida-sensei’s pretty cool. He can be a little gruff and cold at times, but Toshiyuki still likes him way more than he did their previous math teacher, a balding old man who seemed more interested in flirting with the young female teacher in the neighbouring classroom than doing any actual teaching. That, and the fact that Kunikida-sensei was actually good at teaching math. Toshiyuki doesn’t think himself smart in the slightest, but Kunikida-sensei explains algebra in a way that even he can understand. How awesome was that?
Over time, Toshiyuki learns that his teacher was, in fact, a mathematical genius. His sister Ayane knew him from a college class, and told him that Kunikida-sensei was pursuing a double degree in mathematics and physics, despite being years younger than the rest of her cohort. In fact, he wasn't much older than Toshiyuki himself - Kunikida-sensei is only 18 years old, according to his sister.
“If he's in college now, then why's he teaching?”
“Financial troubles, I assume.” Ayane shrugs. “Kunikida’s a genius, he can handle it.”
Toshiyuki isn't so sure. There's something about Kunikida-sensei that seems… displaced. Besides the surprisingly short temper, he's always fidgety, like he's not comfortable in his own skin. Toshiyuki can relate. He sometimes gets that way when he plays with anthills and their inhabitants end up getting into his clothes and all over his body.
Maybe it's because he knows that Kunikida-sensei is closer to his age than he originally thought, or because his sister knows him, Toshiyuki finds himself approaching the blonde one day after school. “Kunikida-sensei, are you okay?”
His presence clearly startled him; Kunikida-sensei jumps in surprise as his pen scratches a long red arc across the paper he's marking. He turns to Toshiyuki with wide eyes.
“Erm, hi. Watanabe-kun, how can I help you?”
Toshiyuki shakes his head, a little embarrassed. “Nothing. I was just asking if - if you're okay.”
Kunikida-sensei's brows furrow in confusion. “I'm healthy, if that's what you're asking?”
He hasn't really thought about what he should say beyond this. “That’s - er, that’s good. Stay healthy, Kunikida-sensei. I hope you get rid of your ants soon.”
“Ants?” Kunikida-sensei doesn’t look annoyed, just bemused as he regards Toshiyuki with a slight tilt of his head.
Toshiyuki flushes, embarrassed. “It’s nothing. I was just thinking about something my sister said. She’s in your college class.”
“Ah - Watanabe Ayane-san is your sister? I see the family resemblance now.” Recognition alights on Kunikida-sensei's face as he smiles - he has a rather nice smile, Toshiyuki notes, that softens his eyes and turns his face immediately kind, which makes Toshiyuki realise that he hasn’t seen Kunikida-sensei smile all that much.
Feeling awkward - Kunikida-sensei was still his teacher, after all -, Toshiyuki nods, bows, and makes a lame excuse so that he could leave immediately.
Kunikida-sensei calls after him just as he was turning to leave. “Hey, Watanabe-kun?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.” That kind, reassuring smile was back on Kunikida-sensei’s face, and Toshiyuki finds himself instinctively smiling back. “Your concern is very kind.”
A funny quirk that Kunikida-sensei has - he’s terrifyingly punctual, never a second early or late to class, which they learned was because he had his entire schedule planned and written down in his notebook every day without fail. That notebook stayed open beside him throughout class too, where he would write down anything he needed to take note of during the lesson.
Then one day, a strange thing happens.
“We're almost out of chalk.” Kunikida-sensei notes with a huff. “Guess I'll go get some later…” He starts muttering to himself as he scribbles in his notebook; the class watches on in amusement, used to his peculiarities by now.
Seconds later, panicked screams emerge when Kunikida-sensei's notebook starts glowing green, and suddenly, a fresh set of chalk is sitting on the open pages.
Both the notebook and chalk clatter to the ground when Kunikida-sensei drops it, stumbling backwards with wide eyes.
Ability user.
Toshiyuki hasn't met any before, but they're not entirely uncommon in Yokohoma either. Supernatural powers, and their wielders, have been present in their society for decades. But having none in his family, Toshiyuki's contact with them was nonexistent at best and his parents had raised him to believe that they were dangerous and should be avoided.
There was nothing dangerous about Kunikida-sensei now, holding onto the teacher's desk with a white-knuckled grip, staring at his fallen notebook with something like fear in his eyes.
Things all change very quickly after that.
Kunikida-sensei doesn't come into the class the next day - a replacement teacher is found for them, with the story that Kunikida-kun is on “urgent indefinite leave”. A week later, they're told that Kunikida-sensei has resigned and left the school. And a month after that, Toshiyuki learns from his sister that Kunikida-sensei dropped out of college to pursue a career as a policeman.
It fits, somehow. Toshiyuki hasn't really thought about ability users in law enforcement, but it makes sense now that he considers it. He hopes Kunikida-sensei is happier in his new career, at least.
Months pass without incident, and slowly he stops wondering about the blonde math teacher who smiled rarely but always kindly, and who just happened to awaken his Ability in the middle of their classroom. Middle school was going to be difficult enough to get through as it is.
Watanabe Toshiyuki is 18 when he gets trapped in the metro basement when a bomb goes off.
There's a ton of smoke and dust, and people screaming for help. Part of the basement tunnel has caved in, and morbid curiosity makes him wonder just how many people were caught in the debris. He tries to inhale, but ends up choking on all the dust filling the air.
He needs to get to safety. But which direction should he head towards? It was impossible to see through the cloud of dust, and he was surrounded by people on all sides.
The decision is made for him when he tries to move his leg - and cries out in pain when the movement aggravates a long gash down the length of his calf, bleeding sluggishly. He'll just have to stay put until help arrives. The evacuation team should be here soon; it's not the first bombing that's happened in the last several months, and Toshiyuki trusts in Yokohama's civilian safety system. He vaguely recalls seeing in the news that the police suspect the recent bombing cases to be related to a group of ability users known as the… Ponzo Mafia? Poro Mafia? Something like that. Toshiyuki never claimed to be smart anyway.
He slips into a semi-doze after that, maybe from blood loss, or from the adrenaline of the explosion wearing off. But he's jolted back into awareness when he feels someone tapping his cheek urgently. “Kid? Hey, can you hear me? You need to wake up.” From the shouts echoing through the tunnel, Toshiyuki guesses that the evacuation services are here. He peels heavy eyelids open to look at his rescuer.
The blonde hair is unmistakable, even if the rat tail was much longer than before, and the same pair of steely green eyes behind proper, rectangular framed glasses. To meet him again in this kind of situation - it seems almost surreal, even though Toshiyuki knows there's no doubt it's the same person.
“Kunikida-sensei?”
“Hey, kid. Glad you're back with me.” Despite the severity of their situation, the blonde's smile is still as reassuring as he remembers. “Watanabe-kun, right?”
Toshiyuki nods wordlessly, watching as Kunikida-sensei inspects his leg. The blonde scribbles in his notebook, and a green glow appears, leaving behind a roll of bandages. He starts wrapping it around the gash on his leg. “The bleeding doesn't seem too bad, but you might need stitches. Once I'm done, I'll help you up and we'll get out of here, alright?”
“I forgot you could do that.” Toshiyuki says instead of a proper answer, brain-to-mouth filter clearly offline.
Kunikida-sensei's mouth quirks upwards. “My apologies if I caused you and your classmates unnecessary distress in the past.”
When he's done with the bandages, Kunikida-sensei hauls Toshiyuki to his feet, letting him balance his weight against him when he stumbles. They painstakingly start making their way towards the entrance of the metro, which is where Toshiyuki assumes the medical team is stationed. Toshiyuki can't help letting out small whimpers as he forces his injured leg to limp along.
“How is your sister?” Kunikida-sensei suddenly asks.
Surprised, Toshiyuki glances up. “Ayane-oneesan? She's doing well. She started working as an accountant after she graduated.” Then a thought occurs to him, and he blanches. “Her- her office is nearby. Do you think she - is she -?”
“Breathe, Watanabe-kun.” Kunikida-sensei instructs sharply, and the authoritative tone in his voice has Toshiyuki automatically gulping in a breath. His voice is considerably softer when he speaks again. “Your sister will be fine. This is the only incident that's happened today. But if she's nearby, the police should be evacuating her building as well.”
“Oh - okay. Okay. Sorry.” Toshiyuki mutters, feeling a little silly for panicking.
“Don't be.” Kunikida-sensei's voice is as brusque as he remembers, but his gaze is kind. “You're holding up remarkably well given the circumstances. Good job.”
Oh, right. The pain was troublesome, and a little bit of a shock, but not much else. “I'm studying to be a nurse now, actually,” Toshiyuki offers, “so the blood doesn't really bother me.”
“It suits you. You're a very empathetic person.” The smile that accompanies the statement is nothing but genuine. Toshiyuki's chest floods with warmth. “Maybe someday, our roles will be reversed. My line of work can get dangerous sometimes.”
“Are you a police officer now, Kunikida-sensei?”
Kunkida-sensei hums. “Not exactly. I'm a detective with the Armed Detective Agency. We work together with the police, but our cases tend to be a little more complex than the ones the police are used to.”
Toshiyuki's never heard of this agency, wanting to ask more but realising they've already reached the medical station.
“I'll see you around, kid. Keep working hard, you have the potential to be a great nurse someday.” Kunikida-sensei's smile turns wry. “And thank you for telling me about the ants back then. It really helped.”
It doesn't strike him what Kunikida-sensei was referring to until much later.
As he's handed off to the medical staff on site, Toshiyuki's eyes stay fixed on Kunikida-sensei as he strides off, notebook open in his hand, using his Ability to save as many people as he can.
He carries himself differently now; Kunikida-sensei looks assured, calm, confident - all the things he was before, really, but without the additional layer of jitteriness that Toshiyuki used to see in him. Duty fits Kunikida-sensei like a well worn glove. He moves like he knows exactly where he wants to go, giving instructions to some young-looking people who Toshiyuki assumes are other members of his team.
The armed detective agency. He hadn't thought much of ability users ever since Kunikida-sensei left the school, but he's long since grown out of the prejudice he feels against them from his parents’ teaching. He feels all the more secure knowing that there's someone like him out there protecting the city.
And, like Kunikida-sensei said - maybe one day, he'll be able to return the favour.