31_days | [April 10] [Gokusen] Hidden Talent

Title: Hidden Talent
Day/Theme: Someday the mountain might get them
Series: Gokusen
Character/Pairing: Kazama Ren, Ogata Yamato , Hayato Yabuki, Odagiri Ryu, Yamaguchi Kumiko
Rating: PG-13

:::

“We are going to be in so much trouble.”

“Don't be. You have your big brother Hayato to watch your back.”

Kazama scrunched up his nose, looking doubtful. “That's not actually reassuring, senpai.”

Hayato frowned at him and then smiled lopsided. “Yeah, you're right. But look at it this way. At least we have Ryu-chan here.” He wrapped an arm around Odagiri's shoulders and gave him shake. He smiled at Odagiri. “You'll keep an eye on all of, ne, Ryu-chan?”

Odagiri shrugged his arm off. “As if. I'm drinking tonight, too.”

Kazama and Hayato gave a mock gasp. Ogata smirked, shooting Odagiri a sides-way look. “Isn't tonight a school night.”

Odagiri shoved his hands deep into his pants pockets. “No. I asked for tomorrow off. Claimed I had a doctor's appointment.”

“Do you?”

“Maybe. We'll see.”

Ogata didn't understand. Kazama didn't either, and turned to Hayato for clarification. Hayato wrapped an arm around both Ogata and Kazama, and brought them in close. His smiled fiendishly.

“Ah, kids, you have so much to learn from shy, little, Ryu-chan.”

Odagiri made an irritated sound. “Stop calling me that.”

“You see, men,” Hayato began. He started to lead them away, not letting them go; “there are some people that get sad when they drink. Some get the giggles. Other start to flirt really, really, bad--”

“Like Hayato,” Odagiri piped up.

“--and a few get mean and angry,” Hayato continued, ignoring Odagiri and the snorts of laughter from the other two. “Ryu, though, get's super competitive and starts challenging people to fights. It's freaking great, because he's so good. Better than when he's sober. I've made money off of him.”

Kazama pulled away, face alight with excitement. “Oh, oh! Don't tell me! He's like a drunken master! Like in one of those manga!”

Hayato laughed. “Ding! Ding! Spot on, little frog!”

“Bullshit,” Ogata said. He pulled away, too, and looked at Odagiri. “Is that true?”

Odagiri didn't answer right away, making Ogata look more and more incredulous. Finally, Odagiri said: “I don't know. I don't usually remember. I just wake up with these bruises and well, I suppose.”

Ogata gaped and Kazama punched the air. “Oh, hell, yeah. I want to see this.”

Hayato clapped his hands. “Alright. I know the perfect place to start.”

:::

“YOU IDIOTS!”

Three young men started awake at the shout. They sat up in alarm, only for two of them to flop back down when the world seemingly swam in front of them. They fell with mutual groans of pain and misery.

Hayato braced his aching head in his hands. “Dammit, how did we end up in Yankumi's house?”

“WHEN YOU IDIOTS DECIDED TO FIGHT IN MY BAR!”

Kazama curled up into a fetal position. He grabbed the pillow and put it over his head. “Yankumi, stop shouting.”

“I'LL STOP SHOUTING WHEN YOU QUIT PISSING ME OFF!”

“Kill me,” Ogata whimpered. He rolled onto his belly and tried to smoother himself on the futon. “Put me out of my misery. Please.”

Kumiko eyed her students, irritation writ on her face. She wrinkled her nose at the stench of cheap beer. They needed a drenching, and fast. It was too bad the hose didn't reach all the way inside. She turned her attention to the only one that hadn't woken at her sudden arrival.

Odagiri slept on, oblivious to the commotion, arms and legs akimbo. She huffed at the impressive bruises on his face. She knew there were more beneath his clothes. They should be, as she hadn't been holding back last night. Kumiko rubbed her chin. It was still tender, though there was hardly a bruise.

“Get up, all four of you,” Kumiko snapped. She watched, unsympathetic, as they flinched, although she had stopped shouting. “You have training. So move it.”

Hayato blinked blearily up at her. “Wait, but Ryu is still asleep.”

Kumiko glared. “Then wake his ass up.”

“I have a question,” Kazama said, voice muffled by the pillow. He lifted the edge just enough to stare up at her with a blood-shot eye. “Why do we have training?”

Kumiko smiled for the first time since stepping into the room. It wasn't a very nice smile, nor one that reassured them. They waited, dread pulling in their bellies.

“You guys wanted to become full fledged master of martial arts, remember? You guys went on and on about it as you destroyed half the bar. Well, in order to become masters, you guys gotta train and I'm gonna train you until you...drop...dead,” Kumiko finished ominously, stressing each word.

“We'll start with a few basic forms, and then I'll take you guys up to the mountains to work on your endurance. Okay? Good!”

She beamed at them and then left, slamming the door behind her.

They winced, both the sound and what awaited them.

“Damn,” Hayato cursed.

“We're dead,” Kazama agreed with a whimper.

Ogata lifted his head and glared at Odagiri, who was still snoring away. “I say we kill him and ditch his body in the woods.”

“Roger.”