Mocking (Kamitani Hayato 1/2) 139 Dreams

"Ne, ne. Did you hear about Y/N-sensei?"

"Hm?"

"I heard that they are a former gang member. Not only that but they were arrested and kicked out of high school!"

"What? No way! The chairwoman would never hire someone like that."

"Maybe she was threatened..."

"Oh my."

You narrowed your eyes at Yukai as she openly gossiped about you to the other teachers. She knew very well that you could hear her which only spurred her on more. You didn't even know why she hated you so damn much but since the moment you had taken a job at Morinomiya two weeks earlier, she had done nothing but try and make your life a living hell. Then she had the gall to smile at you and act all friendly in front of the other staff and students. That sweet smile of hers was so damn fake that it made your teeth ache. The only person who seemed to notice this was Umi-sensei, the PE teacher. According to her, you're not the first person Yukai has singled out. The last teacher she targeted ended up having a breakdown and left the school without notice, never to be heard from again.

But you were no pushover. You've dealt with shitty people like her most of your life and you sure as hell weren't going to let her win. The problem is that you had to be careful about how you dealt with her because you simply couldn't afford to lose this job, not when you had little Kazuki depending on you for survival. For him, you'd endure anything.

You didn't spare Yukai a glance as you stood up, throwing your messenger bag over your head before leaving the staff room. Your shoulders were tense for several different reasons and you rolled your neck to try and release some of that tension, not that it did much. You could hear childish laughter from down the hall and you winced, the high-pitched sound going straight through your head.

Taking a deep breath, you slid the door open and entered the Babysitters Club, eyes scanning the room. As always, Kazuki was sitting off to the side by himself, observing the other toddlers. This made you frown. He had always preferred to observe rather than interact, but you're not sure if that's just his personality or if you were somehow responsible for making him into an introvert at such a young age. He's being forced to grow up so fast and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

"Ah, Y/N-sensei." Ryuuichi smiled when he finally noticed you, setting Taka down.

Kazuki perked up when he heard your name, a soft, barely audible "Mama" passing his lips as he stood up. Kamitani had been sitting beside him and his brows furrowed in confusion, eyes following the small child. Why would he call you mama if you're just his sister?

Your expression softened as the ravenette stopped in front of you, looking up at you with beautiful eyes that matched your own. You rested your hand atop his head and smiled. "Ready to go?"

Kazu nodded, holding his arms out to you so you could pick him up.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Y/N-sensei." Ryuuichi offered a small wave to the boy. "Bye-bye, Kazu-kun."

"Bye," Kazu replied politely, his tiny hand returning the wave before curling around your shirt. He waited until you had walked a safe distance away from the room before speaking softly. "Mama, are we going to see Atsu-san?"

"Yeah," you offered an apologetic smile. "Just for a few hours, okay?"

"Okay," he nodded, gripping your shirt tighter.

☾ ⋆･ﾟ:⋆･ﾟ: ⋆.:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ:. ☁

You held back a sigh as you wiped down the table where a family of five had been sitting. They hadn't controlled their kid at all, letting her throw food and spill milk everywhere. Worst yet, they didn't even leave a tip and had complained that their food was terrible despite not even leaving behind any crumbs. 'How annoying,' you thought as you stacked the dirty dishes and headed into the back of the shop.

Hayato stepped inside the small, family-owned ramen shop, his green eyes scanning for a place to sit, choosing the table in the center that you had just cleaned. It was getting late and the ramen shop would be closing in thirty minutes, so the inside of the shop was nearly empty. The only other occupants were three middle-aged women sitting in the corner and gossiping over cups of tea.

The shop's owner, Atsu, approached the teen with a smile, brushing his red hair behind his ear. "Good evening, what can I get for you?"

Hayato's eyes shifted to the man, lips parting to place his order when he took notice of something behind the man. He leaned back in his chair to get a better look. Little Kazu had just stepped around the corner, looking tired as he rubbed at his eyes. What the hell was he doing here?

Atsu followed the teen's gaze and smiled, watching the toddler pull himself up onto the chair. "Cute, ain't he&gt; He's definitely good for business and he even tries to help out. He's a good kid but it's a shame what he's been through."

"Is he your son?"

"No, 'fraid not." Atsu chuckled, motioning toward the rectangular window that showed the kitchen. You were in direct line of sight as you washed the dishes. "He's Y/N's kid. That's also a shame, being a single mother at such a young age." He shook his head before smiling. "But anyway, what did you want to order?"

"Miso ramen, please."

"Coming right up!"

Hayato frowned at Kazu, his mind reeling. He had so many questions and no answers but honestly, it wasn't any of his business. He knew that and, normally, he couldn't involve himself but... for some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about it. If Kazuki was your son, why did you tell everyone that he was your brother?

"Y/N, order up!" Atsu called out before answering the phone.

You rinsed off the last dish, drying your hands before carefully picking up the steaming bowl. You didn't look at the customer as you set the food down in front of them, far too tired and annoyed to care. They knew the store would be closing soon, why even bother coming in?

"Thank you, sensei."

You recognized that voice, eyes widening as they snapped to meet his. You sucked in a nervous breath, heart hammering against your ribs. "W-Why are you here?"

He tugged the chopsticks apart before glancing at you, his usual stoic expression in place. "I was hungry."

Your eye twitched at the answer. "But why this place? I specifically got a job here because it's on the outskirts of the city! I thought for sure no one would..." you swallowed the ball that had formed in your throat, glancing at Atsu. His back was to you as he chatted away on the phone so you slid into the wooden chair across from the male. "Please, Kamitani, you can't tell anyone I work here."

He quietly slurped some of his noodles before asking, "Why?"

"Because!" you bit your lip. "The staff aren't allowed to have other jobs. If that old bat - er, I mean - if the chairwoman finds out, she'll fire me for sure and I..." your eyes slid to Kazuki, curled up on the chair as he slept peacefully. Hayato followed your gaze. "I really need this job. Both of them. So please, Kamitani... don't tell anyone."

He had no intention of doing so. Why would he? But he met your pleading eyes and nodded. "I won't."

Relief flooded you like a heavy weight had been lifted from your shoulders. "Thank you so much."

"Y/N."

You looked over at Atsu who was covering the bottom half of the phone with his hand. You figured he was going to scold you for sitting down with a customer while on the clock. "Yes, sir?"

"Can you flip the sign for me, please?" He motioned toward the door before his attention was recalled to the phone. "Ah, yes. I'm still listening, I promise! What were you saying? Oh, uh, well..."

You stood up, flipping the sign on the door to 'closed'. The three women told you goodnight and thanked you as you held the door open for them. Once they were gone, you locked it to prevent drunken customers from ignoring the sign. "Wait here, Kamitani. I'll walk you home."

He was about to protest but you wouldn't hear it.

"What kind of teacher would I be if I let you walk home alone at night? This world is full of psychos."

He could only nod, watching as you took his empty bowl into the kitchen. A few minutes passed before you returned, your bag slung around your neck and shoulder. You rubbed at your tired eyes, stifling a yawn as you approached Kazuki. For whatever reason, Hayato didn't like seeing how exhausted you looked, so he decided he would carry the toddler for you, earning him a confused look that quickly morphed into gratitude.

"I'm leaving, Atsu-san."

"Get home safe!"

Despite being well into Autumn, the night was surprisingly nice with a cool breeze that ruffled the trees around you. The sky was clear, allowing the stars to shine dull against the lights of the city. It was so peaceful, but you found yourself struggling to enjoy it. You kept glancing anxiously at Hayato who held Kazu protectively to his chest. You knew him well enough to know that he was no gossip, but it only took one slip of the tongue to expose your secrets. Working at the school was good pay, but you were so behind on your bills that it just wasn't enough. You were so grateful to the old woman for giving you a job despite your background and lack of experience, but if you wanted to get out of debt, you needed more.

Hayato seemed to sense your worries, he could feel it in how tense your shoulder was whenever it would brush against his own. "I won't tell," he stated firmly, making you smile.

"I know... I trust you."

He wasn't sure why, but those words made his heart feel warm. It was strange, but he quite enjoyed the feeling.

It didn't take too long to reach his house and you tried to take Kazu from him, but the toddler was tightly clutching the boy's shirt and refused to let go. "Kazu, wake up."

His eyes fluttered tiredly as he slowly lifted his head. "Mama?"

Your eyes widened, snapping to Hayato as you scrambled to make some excuse. "F-Funny thing, he always calls me that when he first wakes up..."

Hayato carefully handed over the toddler. "Atsu-san said he's your son."

"I - " your tongue felt heavy. 'Damn that Atsu! He's such a gossip!'

He gently rested his hand on top of Kazu's head, ruffling his hair. "Your secrets are safe with me, sensei."

"I really owe you for this," you replied softly, clutching your son to your chest.

"You don't owe me anything. Good night."

"Night." You watched until he disappeared inside his house, a gentle smile coming to your lips.

"Mama?"

"Yes?"

"Did I mess up?"

You felt his small hands clutching at your shirt and you chuckled, resting your hand on his head. "No, darling. You didn't mess up."

"I'm glad."

☾ ⋆･ﾟ:⋆･ﾟ: ⋆.:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ:. ☁

You stifled a yawn as you headed for the Babysitter's Club, Kazu waddling a few feet in front of you. You hadn't gotten much sleep last night and you were only just keeping yourself going with an unhealthy amount of caffeine. You couldn't afford to call in sick so you decided to just endure it as you had many times in the past. Kazu paused at the door, waiting patiently for you to open it but as you reached out, the door slid open and your eyes met green ones.

"Good morning, sensei. Kazu." Hayato greeted, giving you a nod which you returned with a tired smile.

"Good morning."

Kazu greeted him by hugging his leg, earning him a pat on the head.

"Get inside," Hayato ordered softly. "I expect you to keep my idiot brother in line today."

Kazu nodded, his eyes shining at the prospect of being given an important assignment, and then he ran into the room, leaving behind an awkward silence that you weren't sure how to clear up. You cleared your throat. "I, uh, should get to the office."

"I'm going that way. I'll walk with you."

"Sure..." You hadn't been expecting that, you couldn't exactly change your mind now. You honestly felt as if you were trying to walk on broken glass now that he knew not one, but two of your biggest secrets. If you upset him, would he go back on his word and tell everyone about you? The thought had haunted you all night, making it hard for you to sleep. You brought your hand up to your temple as pain settled there. As if you needed more reasons to stress out.

"You look exhausted," he commented with a frown. "Did you even sleep last night?"

"Uhm... I got a couple hours, yeah."

"That's not -"

"Y/N-sensei."

You stopped walking, looking at Saikawa in confusion as he stood in the middle of the hallway. "Good morning. Did you need something?"

"The chairwoman has requested to see you in her office. It's... an urgent matter."

A chill went down your spine, anxiety settling in your gut. 'Calm down, idiot. She probably just has some complaint to lob at you before sending you on your way.' You didn't trust your voice so you just nodded, following him down the hall toward the chairwoman's office.

Hayato's frown deepened as he watched you walk away.

☾ ⋆･ﾟ:⋆･ﾟ: ⋆.:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ:. ☁

The first thing you saw when you entered the office was Yukai, standing with her hands on her hips as she faced the older woman's desk. She turned when you entered, a mocking smirk on her lips but it was gone as quickly as it had come, replaced by an expression of anger. You tried to swallow down your nerves as the door shut behind you, leaving you alone with the two women. Despite how nervous you felt, you held your head high and approached the desk.

"You wanted to speak with me?"

Yukai hmphed, folding her arms over her chest. "You're in big trouble, Y/N-sensei."

You didn't take the bait, waiting for the chairwoman to speak.

"It has come to my attention that you've been keeping a few things from me." She had her cane between herself and the desk, both hands resting on top of it. "You have a second job."

It wasn't a question.

You lowered your head, hands balling into fists at your side. "Yes, ma'am..."

"Where?" she demanded. "Doing what?"

"It's... a small ramen shop on the edge of town. I wait tables and help the owner with whatever he needs."

"In more ways than one, I hear," Yukai commented innocently.

Your eyes narrowed at her. "Just what are you trying to imply?"

She flashed you that damned mocking smile again before she switched to a frown which she directed at the chairwoman. "I didn't even get to tell you the worst of it, ma'am! Kazuki isn't her brother, he's her son! And that man that owns the shop is the father!"

"What?" you blurted out, torn between worry and disbelief. How the hell did she even know about your second job? If Hayato had found you by pure chance, it made sense that she might have, as well, but you never saw her. Plus, she's not the type to be caught dead on that side of town. Even if she had, how did she know about Kazuki being your son? Had Atsu told her just as he had Hayato? But that made no sense because he would never claim to be Kazu's father.

"Tell me, Yukai-sensei. How did you come by this information?" The chairwoman's eyes narrowed at the woman.

She stiffened, eyes wide. She clearly hadn't been expecting that, but she cleared her throat. "I was visiting my uncle last night and happened upon her."

"Did you see Yukai-sensei Y/N?"

"No." Your eyes narrowed at your coworker. "I certainly did not."

"Let me see if I have this correct, then. Yukai-sensei, you stumbled upon a fellow staff member and you felt that it was a good decision to follow her and listen to her private conversations. Is this correct?"

"W-What? No, I..." her face turned red as she stumbled over her words, trying to figure out how she might wiggle her way out of the situation she had created. "P-Perhaps I had a lapse of judgment, but she has lied and broken the school's rules. She should be fired!"

"That is not for you to decide," the chairwoman snapped, slamming her cane onto the ground. "You're excused."

"But -"

The woman's glare sent a chill down Yukai's spine and she couldn't bring herself to protest further. She bowed, mutter an 'excuse me' before turning and leaving the room. A thick silence hung in the air as the chairwoman stood up, slowly walking over to the window with her back facing you. Should you say something? Apologize before she actually does decide to fire you? No, it was best to remain silent until the woman was ready to speak. You were already on thin ice, one wrong move and you'd be falling straight into freezing water with no escape.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice was surprisingly calm which only worried you more.

"Because... you had already taken a chance on me when no one else would..." you replied softly, your hands trembling. "I had no right to then turn around and demand a raise."

She huffed, turning to face you. "You would not have been demanding anything, child! How am I supposed to know you're struggling if you don't tell me? What a foolish child you are!" She shook her head. "You are to quit that job immediately."

"But -"

"And I will be giving you a raise, but don't you dare go thinking that you're not going to work for it! From this point on, you'll be helping the Babysitter's Club between homeroom and during lunch. Is that understood?"

Your eyes lit up and you had to wonder if you were dreaming. "Y-Yes! Thank you so much."

She nodded in approval, returning to her desk. "One more thing, Y/N."

"Yes?"

"Is that man truly the father of your child?"

"Absolutely not!" You cried the second the words left her lips. She quirked a brow which you returned with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you, ma'am."

She huffed, eyes narrowing in warning that clearly said: 'you better not do it again.' "You're excused."

You started to turn but then paused when Yukai's face entered your mind. Should you bring up your concerns to her? You were technically an adult and you should be able to deal with a few rumors... that's what you figured she would say anyway. Besides, you had bothered her enough already. Shaking your head, you pulled the door open.

"Oh, and one more thing, Y/N."

"Yes?" You looked at her curiously, swallowing hard as her narrowed eyes met yours.

"Anyone you catch spreading rumors is to be brought straight to me. I will deal with them personally. You are a teacher and it is your job to enforce the rules. Gossip is a waste of time and spreading rumors about other students or staff members is strictly forbidden!"

"R-Right." You couldn't bring yourself to tell her what an impossible task that would be. Knowing Yukai, she had accidentally spoken too loud and you had no doubt that the whole school, or at least all of the staff, had heard her version of events. And since she was the first one to speak, people would be more inclined to believe her rather than you. If you did as she asked, her office would quickly be filled to the brim by lunchtime. "Excuse me."

The amount of relief that settled over you when you finally left her office simply couldn't be expressed with words. You hadn't realized just how tightly wound you had become until your back was against the door. You felt completely drained, but you knew the day was only just beginning and it was bound to get worse before it got better.