The day after the emergency surgery.

 

"Doctor, how is her condition now?" Gojima asked.

"We managed to avoid the worst," the doctor said, "her throat will not be permanently damaged. Unfortunately..."

"Unfortunately?" Sayuri asked anxiously. Gojima looked at her and noticed dark spots under her eyes. She probably didn't get a good sleep last night. Gojima probably wouldn't have been able to sleep either, but he had spent almost all of his APs and he had been too tired.

The doctor sighed and wiped his glasses.

"Unfortunately, she would still have trouble speaking properly. She would have to go through therapies for years."

Sayuri and everyone present there could only bite their lips. Why does that girl have to go through all of this? Hadn't she already gone through enough?

But they could not keep lamenting over what had already happened. The past could not be changed. But they could move forward and thrive for a better future.

"...Can we meet her now?" Takeshi asked.

"Sorry young man, you would have to wait for a few days. She just had a surgery after all. She would need a few days to become completely stabilized."

"...Okay. We'll wait then," the boy said while hugging his crying sister.

The doctor looked at them with warmth in his eyes—and guilt, but that was only for a moment. It did not escape Gojima's eyes, however.

'He is still hiding something from us.'

He is a doctor. If there is a complication, he would inform us when the time is right.

'...I guess so.'

At that moment, his phone rang.

'Hm? Principal? Oh, today was the day of the press conference! I totally forgot!'

"Ah, hello, Principal—"

"Gojima sensei. Are you at the school right now?"

"Ah, no. I'm sorry but there was an emergency—"

"I understand. But please come to my office as soon as you can manage. There are some things we need to discuss."

"...Yes, Principal."

Gojima frowned. Even if they only talked over phone, he could tell that the old man was very serious. In fact, this was probably the most serious he had ever heard him. He wondered what it was about.

 

---

 

"Gojima Kenzaburou san, I'm afraid but you will have to quit working here."

"...What?"

 

Gojima just blankly stared at the old Principal, who was bowing in front of him with a face full of regret.

"As it was our decision, you will receive two months worth of extra salary as per the contract. I will personally make sure that the process is not hampered."

"...Can I ask why I am being fired?"

The old man closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he tried his best to reply calmly.

"Miyabi High is the most prestigious high school in this city. It had always tried to hold that reputation—"

"That is exactly what you told me a few days ago. Just what did I do to make the board think that I am tarnishing the reputation of the school?"

"There was a death in the building you live in."

"...What of it?"

"A man died from falling to the ground. A man who was found to be attempting the murder of his own niece, a young girl who was one of your acquaintances."

"Is that a big enough reason to fire me?"

"People are asking questions, Gojima sensei. About what kind of neighborhood you are from, or... are you somehow also involved in all of this. Some say that the man was badly injured even without the fall. People are pointing fingers at you given your past records."

Well, that would explain the stares he was getting inside the school. But what of it?

"So, you all have just a speculation? Why not investigate things then? I am pretty sure that I would be proven innocent."

"But that—"

"That would take a lot of time, and would also make a lot of noise."

"..."

"The most efficient option is to get rid of the menace altogether, isn't that right?"

"...I'm sorry."

Gojima just laughed loudly. Truly, what did he expect? He had already experienced just how lazy and feeble justice was in his previous life.

"Principal."

"W-what?" The poor man was clearly spooked thanks to his sudden laugh.

"Hypothetically, just hypothetically... what would happen if say, I were to record everything you said and release it in public?"

The old man visibly paled, but soon glared at him. Such recovery speed, that was impressive.

"I will loose my job, because I am the ideal scapegoat here. But you? The board will use the fact that you recorded private conversation without prior permission to drag you around."

"..."

"..." Gojima could see the hands of the old man shaking. He sighed decided to stop.

"Well, that would be annoying. Don't worry, I do not hate you enough to ruin your life. Well then, I will take my leave. It was nice working with you, Principal."

As Gojima walked out, he noticed the man bowing in the corner of his eyes. He pretended to not hear the apologies as he walked away.

If it was some other time, he would have released the conversation in the internet—consequences be damned. He has had enough people walk all over him in his both lives.

But now?

He was too worried about Ruri to think of anything else. He had to be there for the girl. He could not let himself get involved in some petty squabble right now.

 

---

 

"Are you alright, Gojima sensei?"

Okada and Isshiki sensei both asked him with worry, anger and pity on their faces. Gojima did not mind and just kept gathering his things in a bag.

"I am fine, Okada sensei, Isshiki sensei. Thanks for worrying about me."

There were other teachers that said their condolences as well, but they just left and went to their own duties. He was definitely more closer to the two, maybe because they are desk neighbors. But it was over now.

"Gojima sensei," Okada said with frustration clearly visible in her face, "you should at least try to clear your name of these stupid suspicions, even if those scroundels not return your job. You might not lose your teaching license, but it might be harder for you to get similar jobs in the future."

"Well, I will try, but right now I have more important things to deal with. I will need to sort out those things a few days later."

Both of them bit their lips. They did hear about everything that had happened.

"...That girl," Isshiki said, "Ruri chan, right? How is she now?"

"She is still under observation. The doctor says that we will be able to meet her two days later."

"How could someone do something like this to such a sweet girl?" Okada still remembered the usually cheerful girl who was scared out of her wits in the public washroom. She felt tears coming out of her eyes, but endured. Isshiki put one hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"Well, it seems like we won't be colleagues anymore." Gojima laughed a little. It would be a lie if he said that he won't miss the few months he spent here.

"If you ever need our help, please do not feel embarrassed to reach out to us," said Isshiki.

"I have a relative who is a really well known journalist. I will definitely have him clear your reputation, for both you and Ruri chan," said Okada.

"Thank you," Gojima smiled—and then grinned, "I was worried you two would forget about inviting me to your wedding in the future."

"Wha?! We-we-we-we—" Isshiki got totally flustered.

"W-We are not like that! You're mistaken, Gojima sensei!" Okada was also blushing hard.

"Yes, yes, I believe you~"

"You clearly don't! I tell you, it's not like—"

"Sensei!"
"Gojima sensei!"
"GS?!"
"Godspeed!"
"You're leaving? Why?!"

 

Gojima heard the cries and turned to see all of his students from his homeroom as well as the track and field clubs gather around him.

Oh boy, this was going to take a while.

 

---

 

"I will definitely bring you back one day! Please remember it!"

Hanasato, the class representative girl, shouted and ran away crying. Gojima scratched his head with a troubled expression.

I am positive she will get over her crush someday.

'That would be the second person to look for a fatherly figure in me.'

And definitely not the last one. Well, even after everything, you do have the aura of a dad that can do almost anything.

'Almost, huh...'

He wryly smiled as he walked out of the school perimeter. Ubs was not wrong. He could almost do everything for his daughter, except being there for her when she needed him the most, when she desperately wished for someone to rescue her out of her pain and despair. She died without getting her wishes granted.

Now it seemed like a distant memory.

He would at least try to be there for the poor 12 year old girl that had her world shattered and destroyed.

"Godspeed!"

He stopped as he heard a girly voice shout at him from behind. He turned and saw a pretty girl with glasses who had her hair tied in a lazy bun.

"...Ishida?"

Ishida Saki huffed as she tried to recover her breath. Gojima stood there waiting for her to recover.

"You're really leaving?"

"Yes. I guess you wouldn't have to deal with me for being late anymore. Good for you, huh?"

"The next PE teacher might be worse than you, you know?"

"That's a funny way to spell 'disciplined'," Gojima chuckled as she stuck out her tongue.

"So? You want to tell me something?"

"I made a few friends."

"Hm. Good."

"I have a boyfriend now as well."

"Ah, yes. Satou Suzuki, the hottest guy in class and one of the four heavenly kings, right?"

"Wha-how did you know?!"

"I keep an eye out for everything. But still, how did this happen? This is a development straight out of some shoujo manga."

"W-Well, Suzuki kun's father is a shogi fan and—huh? What shoujo manga development?"

"You know? Plain girl starts dating the hottest guy—"

"Hey! I'm not even that plain!"

Gojima again chuckled as the girl pouted in annoyance.

"Yes, you are not. That is a good attitude to have."

"It is?"

"Well, if you think you are the prettiest that that would be simply narcissism. You did not get labaled as one of the SFs, right? But you are not low self-esteemed to get in dramatic situations resulting from you insecurities."

"I—used to have a lot of insecurities. That day, if you had not stopped me, I probably would have gone with that... that shady guy and..."

Saki shivered for a moment when she thought about the terrible fate that might have been hers. Just how stupid was she back then?

"Kuhum. Anyways. You were saying something about Shogi?"

"Huh? Oh yeah! Apparently my Dad is a Shogi genious! He became a pro player and now he earns millions! Can you imagine? He earns more than what he used to at his previous job! My mother is also happy that they could now pay off all the mortgages and loans and also could prepare a stable future for my yet to be born younger—wait! please forget the last sentence!" The girl flailed her hands around in embarrassment.

"Don't worry, I won't. If you are worried about your friends making fun of you, remember that they would be the first to go all ~kawai~ when they would see the child."

"T-That... might be true."

"Well then, I should be going now. Romance is cool and all, but do not forget to study, okay?"

"It was you who brought my Dad to the world of pro Shogi."

"Hm? Not exactly—"

"You helped me to have self esteem in myself."

"Well, you are the one who took the first step already—"

"You stopped me from trading down a dark path."

"..."

"I am really happy with my life now..."

The girl bowed at him.

"THANK YOU, GOJIMA SENSEI! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID FOR ME AND MY FAMILY!"

"...You're welcome."

That was all Gojima could say. He then waved goodbye and walked away.

It was not a bad thing to receive grattitude for small acts of kindness. Most of them were not even intentional—he was just doing his job as a homeroom teacher, a second parent. But still, it was not a bad feeling to realize that even the smallest of kind actions could lead to a greater good.

The moments he spent with everyone at the school were not totally worthless. Some people might fail to recognize it, but at least one person did, and thanked him for it. He could save at least one another girl. For once, he was not too late.

But he was late nonetheless, late for the little girl who was still suffering. The girl who lost her parents first, then another parental figure—who was never truly her parent.

The girl, Ruri, needed a proper one.

He would then become one for her.

 

A parent. A father.

 

He would adopt Miyahara Ruri.