The sound of a clock ticking and the faint shouting that comes from the front yard of the school fill the silent room on the second floor. In the room, the clock shows the time at almost 2 PM. From that room, I can see there's a lot of students that are still taking their P.E classes in the front yard. 'oh, nice catch' I commented on my mind after I saw someone barely able to catch a baseball. I wonder why they didn't use the gymnasium? I guess the weather today isn't all that bad. While I enjoy watching people in the front yard, suddenly someone closed the window and shut the curtain. I look at the person who did it. She looks at me with a somewhat disappointed face. I just give her a big wide smile, hoping that she would give mercy to me and my bro who's beside me. She goes to her desk and sits there while staring at us menacingly.
Sensei: "Tell me, Mike, what punishment do you think is appropriate for the both of you this time?" The lovely lady asked us.
Here I am again with Jack in the student disciplinary room. How many times have I and Jack been here anyway? Sitting in this room feels way more relaxing compared to the first time when we came here. We also start to feel more familiar with the face that always greets us here. Well, I hope she feels the same way.
Mike: "Sensei, can I first talk about how beautiful you're today? You look like an angel that came down from-."
Sensei: "Cut the crap Mike, I won't let you talk your way out of this."
Mike: "Ohh, c'mon sensei, you know you'll stay single if-."
fwoosh* a pen flies past me like a knife, almost scraping my cheeks.
Mike: "-you can't take a compliment ..."
The velocity was so high that it stuck on the wall behind me like a pointy dart. I look at sensei, who is looking at me menacingly. I decided to shut my mouth out of fear of being punctured by pieces of utensils. The room goes silent again. I don't really know what to say to her about this. It was just an accident. I didn't mean to pour a bowl of hot soup into someone's face and make him look like a tomato. I was just being clumsy and sleepy because I haven't got enough sleep after slaughtering those bikers last night. Besides, I already did apologize on the spot, but I guess that senior only knows how to accept an apology by throwing a punch into my face. Well, the next thing I know, a fight broke out in the cafeteria between Jack and the third years.
Mike: "C'mon sensei, those seniors really asked for it. I already apologized on the spot and all I got was a punch into my face."
Sensei: "All of them end up in the hospital Mike."
Mike: "Well yeah, I admit Jack's gone too far-"
Sensei: "Why didn't you tell him to hold back?"
Mike: "I was about to tell him, but before I can utter a word I ended up getting knocked out in the crossfire."
Sensei: "Sigh* you should've stopped him, Mike. Now the school has to pay the hospital bills for the 6 students that were beaten by him. We weren't able to negotiate with their parents too, some of them even began to file a court case and try to sue the school. Because of all of this mess, Mr. Rooney and the school committee have already decided. They want to expel-"
Mike: "PLEASE SENSEI, I BEG YOU! I'LL DO ANYTHING AS LONG AS YOU CAN KEEP JACK HERE!" I quickly bow down in front of sensei. I know it's a strange thing to do since this shit only happens where sensei came from. But that's why I hope she understood how desperate I am for not letting Jack get expelled.
Sensei: " ... you really will do anything?"
Mike: "YES I WILL!"
Sensei: "sigh* you're truly a hopeless idiot aren't you? Get up, I'll show you something."
Sensei gets up from her chair and walks towards the file cabinet. There, she picks one of the files and puts it on the desk in front of us. I wonder what she'll ask us to do this time. Every time we screw up at school, sensei always gives us tasks as a punishment. Often, the tasks she gives us are related to the problem that we have made. But sometimes, it doesn't have anything to do with anything. I mean, one time, she asked us to spy on someone. She also used to ask us to survey a place. I once asked her about it but she won't tell us why she gave us those random errands. I can't really complain since we always manage to do it, and sensei always takes care of our school problems.
Sensei opens the file, revealing a picture of a famous student. His name is Liam. He is supposed to be a senior this year.
Sensei: "Can you tell me what you know about him?"
Mike: "You wanna talk about him huh? Well ... I know that he lived by himself in an apartment near downtown. I also heard that he lost both of his parents when he was still in middle school."
Sensei: "is that it?"
Mike: "Well, yeah."
Sensei: "How about his murder? Do you know anything about it?
Mike: "Not really."
Sensei: "Who do you think killed him?"
Mike: "I have no idea."
Sensei: "You have any guesses?"
Mike: "I guess not."
Sensei: " .... You aren't that interested in this matter, aren't you?"
Mike: "You're absolutely right."
Sensei: "Why is that?"
Mike: "Cuzz it ain't my problem."
Sensei: "it is now."
Mike: "Ok ... What do you want me to do here, sensei?"
Sensei: "I want you to help me bring down the people who are responsible for killing him."
Mike: "You know who killed this guy?"
Sensei: "It's the seniors who Jack just fought."
Mike: " ... That's wild."
Sensei: "The authorities already know about this, but someone paid them to keep quiet."
Mike: "That's even wilder. Where the hell do you get these infos from?".
Sensei: "You don't need to know where or how I got those infos. What you need to know is the location of his sister."
Mike: "This guy has a sister?"
Sensei: "Her name is Alessa. She's currently hiding at a place called Tochka. Have you ever heard of that place?"
Yeah, I know that place. It's a love hotel run by the Russian mob at the south of the city.
Mike: "Nope."
Sensei: "It's a love hotel at the south beach. I want you to go there, meet her and ask her about her brother."
Mike: "Are you seriously sending us to a love hotel?"
SenseI: "What's the problem?"
Mike: We're just high school students, sensei. Are you sure they are going to let us in and meet her?"
Sensei: "I'm sure the both of you will find a way, like always."
She isn't wrong actually. I'm just trying to hide my true identity here.
Mike: "Easy for you to say that. Why don't you go there by yourself and talk to her instead of sending us?"
Sensei: "I already did that. She won't talk to me."
Mike: "Why?"
Sensei: "Well, till this day I still don't know why."
Mike: "What makes you think she will talk to us?"
Sensei: "I don't know, I just have this hunch that sending you two to talk to her is the right decision."
Mike: "You're sending us based on a hunch?"
Sensei: "Yup."
I don't know if sensei is overly trusting us or if she just actually doesn't really care. But what I can say is, her hunch is pretty goddamn good.
Mike: "Sensei, have you ever thought about what we are going to do after we are able to get some info from his sister?"
Sensei: "I intend to take this matter to court."
Mike: "Whoa, really?"
Sensei: "I need to gather much info and evidence before I do that. That is why I need the two of you to help me."
Mike: "You really think you can win this in court?"
Sensei: "Why do you think I couldn't?"
Mike: "I don't know sensei, the fact that those people who killed Liam can pay the cops to fuck off should probably tell you that they could also pay the judge and jury to do the same."
Sensei: "Well, If that doesn't work, we'll just spread the truth and let people judge for themselves. We'll make sure to make those who are responsible unable to run and hide their faces."
Mike: "Dang sensei, I didn't know you're this naive."
Sensei: "Oh, am I?"
Mike: "Yeah, you are. Do you really think that would make any difference? Just look around you sensei, people nowadays can get away with literally anything. I mean, have you heard about cops getting away after killing some people last year? Or have you not heard about the corruption and scandals from our newly elected president? People just don't care about that sensei. They are all busy arguing about their own opinions on the internet. They won't act, even after we shove the truth to their asses. Relying on them is just the same as asking help from a mentally deranged quiet kid who doesn't do anything when you hit her in the face but will tear you apart and call you a pedo if you insult her opinion."
Sensei: "I'm sure not all of them are the same as the people that you just describe, Mike. I believe there's still a lot of them out there who will act and stand up against wrongdoing."
Mike: "If those people still exist, this country wouldn't be as fucked as right now. Seriously sensei, this is not going to work. We're just going to shoot ourselves in the foot if we really want to do this."
Sensei: "Well, If you still think this will not work, you could always take the other option and let Jack get expelled. All of this is just a choice for you two after all."
Sensei just looks at me waiting for my answer. She really got me good.
Mike: "sigh* ... fine, I'll try to meet his sister."
Sensei smiled after I accepted her offer/way out/request.
Sensei: "Alright then, you two should go back before the next period starts. I don't want the both of you to miss your class." She told us.
Mike: "C'mon dude let's go." I tap Jack's shoulder waking him up from his reverie.
Sensei: "Mike, be sure not to tell anyone all of this alright? Especially the information about the sister's whereabouts. Those seniors will definitely trouble her if they know where she is."
Mike: "Sure, I'll keep my lips shut ... Hey Sensei."
Sensei: "Yes Michael?"
Mike: "Arigatou Gozaimasu."
Sensei: "You're welcome." Sensei smiles.
Both of us got out of the room.
Jack: "Mike, are you sure about all of this?" Jacked asks me while we walk through the hallway.
Mike: "I don't know man, I know it looks stupid as fuck and dicey as heck. But I can't really think of anything that's better than this option."
Jack: "Why don't we just bribe the principal?"
Mike: "Dude, do you even remember what we did last year? We already tried that. Heck, I even offered our life savings to that ugly bastard. He won't budge if we use money. Only sensei knows how to deal with him."
I can see Jack's face looking concerned.
Mike: "Chill dude, don't think about it too much. Everythings going to be fine. As long as we stay together, I'm sure we can deal with this problem."
Jack is still looking concerned. sigh* I guess there's nothing I can do to tell him not to worry.
Mike: "C'mon man, let's just go to the class."