imagine-knb:

Obviously trigger warning for depictions of bullying. – Admin Jade

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Kiyoshi

“Why do you always follow us around? Nobody wants to hang out with you!’

“Yeah, just go away!”

Kiyoshi’s tender heart ached, unclear on how and why kids could be so cruel to each other. But then he remembered Hanamiya and figured things could definitely be worse. His first impulse was, of course, to do what he could to help the meaner kids see the error of their ways, but he also knew he couldn’t force people to be friends.

Instead, he waited until they were all out of sight, then called to the boy who’d received such nasty remarks, asking him to help with prepping for the lab if he wasn’t busy.

They worked in silence until Kiyoshi said gently, “You know what they said isn’t true, right? They don’t know everything or everybody.”

The boy shrugged, eyes still on the floor.

Sighing, Kiyoshi considered how he could help, if at all.

“Have you thought about joining a club?”

He shook his head. “I’m not good at anything.”

“Now, I know that’s not true. Did you play any sports in junior high?”

“No, but I played shogi a lot, mostly at home with my dad though.”

“That’s perfect! I think you should join the club, see how well you fair.”

A week later, he spied the same boy smiling as he chatted with his group of fellow shogi players. When he saw his sensei he waved wildly, face beaming and Kiyoshi waved back.

Hanamiya

Hanamiya, as unlikely a candidate to become a teacher as anyone had ever seen, watched the proceedings from a dark corner of the hall. It was the same old story, the strong preying upon the weak and despite all the years gone by, he still tended to side with the strong. But as the sniffling boy made way by him to clean up in the bathroom, he couldn’t stop from saying, “Anyone who can’t stand up for themselves is trash.” When he looked up, his sensei went on, “Do you want to always be known as trash?” He shook his head. “Then learn how to fight back. Better yet, beat them to the punch.”

Mibuchi

“You’re so ugly a dog wouldn’t kiss you!”

“Did your mom do your hair with a hand mixer?”

Cruel laughter rang out in the hall mixed with the whimpers of the poor girl being berated by the “popular” girls. She tried to move away but they continually blocked her path, hurling insults like poisoned flowers.

Their beratement halted abruptly as a deep voice behind them said, “Do you know what’s ugly? Bullying. Bullying is one of the most despicable things in existence.”

They turned, eyes wide at the sight of Mibuchi-sensei leaning against the wall, filing his fingernails. When he looked up, his eyes were hard. “Ugly words come back tenfold on those who expel them, so I suggest if you want to keep your pretty faces pretty, you stop using your lips for such an ugly purpose.”

Hayama

“You can’t do anything right! Why do you even play this sport?”

“Do us all a favor and quit!”

Hayama clenched his jaw, working to keep his temper in check. If there was one thing that frustrated him more than anything else with being a teacher, it was trying to mold the kids into better people than the ones he and his generation had been. He knew it was impossible to reach all of them but things like that made him feel like the failure. 

And that made him angry.

“Nobody’s perfect their first week, not even you two!” he snapped, flinging the basketball in his hands towards one of the offenders. The boy flubbed it, sending the ball bouncing away.

“See? Now stop nitpicking each other to death and do some actual practicing!”

They scampered off, muttering to themselves about sensei being too uptight. Hayama smiled; he could take the gossip and the taunts, the attitudes and the death glares. After all, he had the power to give them many, many more laps in they kept acting out.  

Nebuya

“That’s mine! My mom made it for me, give it back!”

Nebuya halted in his steps, turning in the direction of the ruckus emanating from the classroom. Popping his large head in, he spied two boys playing keep away from a girl, tossing her bento box back and forth above her head and laughing.

Considering his options, he settled upon a plan.

Walking through the door with a seemingly jovial laugh he said loudly, “Awwww, if you boys were hungry for attention all you had to do was ask! I have plenty of things you can do to expel some of that energy!”

He grabbed the bento, handing it to the sniffling girl and patting her head gently with his massive hand before throwing his arms around the two perpetrators and tugging them into the hall.

“I think we’ll start with you cleaning all the chalkboards on this floor!”

Nijimura

“Give me your homework or else.”

“But…you copied me last week and if we keep doing this we’re gonna get caught!”

A rough grab of the girl’s sweater made her gasp. “Only if you keep wasting time, now shut up and give me the damn papers!”

Nijimura stepped forward, releasing the boy’s hold on her and stared down at him. “Those who can’t do for themselves or face the consequences of their own inaction are destined for failure.” He leaned down, eyes hard. “I suggest you alter your behavior…or else.”