Jump 165: Katawa Shoujo

Jump 165: Katawa Shoujo

Location: Yamaku Academy
Age: 30
Identity: Teacher
Drawbacks: [+200] Phantom Pains

[100/1200]  First Impressions: Collected
[Free]      Qualified
[Free]      A Gentle Demeanor
[200/1200]  Doctor's Orders
[400/1200]  A Nudge Along
[800/1200]  Practical Advice
[1100/1200] Better Choices Through Living
[1200/1200] Old Friends: Azula, Poka

Yamaku Academy is not an average school.

"And no, life's not easy. God knows you kids know that better than most. But whatever keeps your hearts light, whatever keeps you is all right by me as long as you've got what you've need," the teacher told his students. The clock on the wall ticked in its irritating fashion, refusing to speed up. It was going to be one of those afternoons where he tried to connect to them.

And damn him if he didn't mean every word he said; it might be more tolerable otherwise.

"Some people grow up earlier than others and I don't think there's anyone in this room that doesn't know that. A good friend of mine once told me that you can't just wait for happiness to come to you. Sometimes you need to chase it, other times all you can do is remember that there are things in life that make it worth living even if they aren't around right now." He paused for a moment, and continued, "Whatever greater forces that might exist in this world, if they're around they take a light hand, so it's up to us to make this a world worth living in. To spread happiness instead of misery."

He was silent for a few long moments, before speaking again. "Right, you're all out of here in ten minutes. I think this weekend we can skip any take-home work. You're dismissed. Might as well spread a bit of happiness myself." That, at least, got a few chuckles out of his captive audience before they began filtering out in ones and twos.

One stayed behind, a black-haired girl, who looked as though the weight of the world was bearing down on her, her hair covering half her face; he sat on the edge of his desk and regarded her. Neither smiled. And for a long time, both were silent.

She spoke first.

"I can't... this isn't working." Her words slow, halting. Shaking her head, scar tissue from a burn beneath. Her words began coming faster, tumbling out before she could change her mind. "It's, this isn't what I expected. I loved you, that's why I went with you, and you made it sound like this grand adventure, and yes we've seen other worlds but you're spending your time in school, pretending you're just a nobody when you KNOW people literally worship you, they call you god-president! And you waste your time doing THIS! Learning in a high school and feigning poor marks! Teaching a bunch of cripples! You could fix them all with a snap of your fingers, you could have fixed the blind girl and given her sight, you could have erased those damned fools instead of sending them down the stairs with bruises-"

"Azula."

Her mouth snapped shut, her cheeks flushing.

"Despite what you see, many of them don't see anything that needs to be fixed." She opened her mouth, but he continued, "Please, Lulu. I'm not kidding. Yes, some of them are suffering, and I am quietly doing what I can to ease that before I take this world and step in more directly. But I'm not going to change how they live their lives to suit me. If I step in and do that, then eventually there's only one proper way that a person can live, and I refuse to go that route. If they want to wear their scars with pride, I will not stop them. If they choose otherwise, then I'll help. Though organ failure is not happening to anyone in this academy, I guarantee."

They looked at each other after his statement, silent, and then he exhaled. "This isn't about that though, is it? And it's not just about you adopting your brother's scar to blend in."

She shook her head. "No."

He nodded, silent, expression frozen. Eyes cast toward the floor rather than her.

"I can't hold smoke," she added, trying to find the words to express the problems, failing. All the words she'd wanted to speak had fled.

He looked up at her, nodding slowly. He rubbed his eyes, wiping moisture away. She on the other hand didn't bother, tears beginning to trace down one immaculate cheek, and over the twisted memory of a burn. He stepped away from his desk and she took a half step back, before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him. He did the same, before lifting a hand to the burned cheek, wiping the scarring away with a thumb as easily as he wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry, Lulu. I know it's overwhelming."

She looked up at him, then. "I'm sorry," she spoke, her voice suddenly hoarse. "I want to go home."

In the next moment she was gone, and he was alone.