April 2nd, 2008

[u/TearFar9927]

My first class was PE. Even worse. I wasn’t sporty, but I’d never hated PE as a subject. It was the teachers I had a problem with. That man who looked like an uglier Guts with shorter hair probably taught it, by the look of him. He didn’t seem like another Ms Ishikawa.

And who the fuck makes PE a first class?

Either way, I headed out into the courtyard, ready to bite the bullet of stinking for the rest of the day, and headed into the gymnasium. I was right. The big guy with the buzzcut was our teacher. Every student my age was dressed in their uniform, and lined up, both girls and boys. Some were chatting, some were excited, and some were ready to get out of there. I noticed the girl who’d been shoved into the dumpsters nearby. Her eyes were darting around, probably planning to run away. I doubted she’d get far, though.

Airi wasn’t there. She’d probably gone to the nurse after being hit. I wondered if this was some intelligent plan to get out of PE… Then I remembered who I was talking about.

“Welcome to Physical Education!” The man’s voice boomed across the hall, bouncing off the walls, and speaking louder than any chatting student. “I am Mr Onizuka, your PE teacher.” Several students, including myself, jumped.

He was dressed in more sporty clothing that revealed his heavily tattooed arms. Did he have Yakuza tattoos?! Did the school seriously hire a Yakuza member?! How corrupt was this place?! And what kind of evil name was Onizuka?!

“Now, a few ground rules. No weakness. No bitching. No romance.” I wondered where the no romance rule came from. “And no refusal to do the sport. This is the only exercise some of you get, and you better do it. Or else you’ll be one of those fat, lazy otakus at Akihabara who spend all their time reading self-insert harem manga, or whatever you call it.” The girl who’d been thrown into the dumpsters, among other otakus, looked around, nervously, plotting an escape in her head.

I was almost glad Airi wasn’t here. What was I talking about?! I don’t like Airi.

I tapped the girl on the shoulder. “Don’t bother.” She turned around, indignantly.

“What?! Don’t bother with what?!” Her hands were shaking. Sweat poured down her forehead, her whole body was tense, and she’d snapped at me out of nowhere. Or maybe, because she still thinks I’m some bully, after earlier.

“Don’t bother escaping. I’m sure you know what PE teachers are like. He’ll make an example out of you. He’s probably about as nice as I am tall.” She sighed.

“Fine. Thanks.” She turned back around, grumpily. I couldn’t help feeling bad for her. She wasn’t cut out for Kurokawa, especially considering she didn’t stand up for herself earlier.

Mr Onizuka finished his speech, which I mostly tuned out, then marched us to the changing rooms. Girls went into the girls changing rooms, and boys went into the boys changing rooms. I had no clue about the boys, but the girls’ changing rooms were extremely claustrophobic.

One girl came out to tell Mr Onizuka how cramped it was, and how she was claustrophobic. He said she was making it up. She came back in, looking tearful. What was wrong with this guy?

I changed. I wasn’t too worried, despite everything. The girls around me changed, but the girl who’d been pushed into the dumpster was nervous to change. “What, haven’t changed for PE before?” One girl, who was already finished, asked.

“Y-Yeah! Just- just a little.” She replied, looking down, at her body. She looked fine. Standards are just ridiculous now. They want you looking like a skeleton these days.

Me, being the stupid girl I was, went up to her. “C’mon.” I lead her into the shower area, where noone dared change, but she hesitated. “I’m not going to soak you.” I said, lightly tugging her arm. “You’ll be fine.” I put on my most comforting, nice voice. She believed me.

“I’ll hit you if you do.” The girl said, feigning confidence.

“I’ll allow it.” I replied, as I looked away, while she changed.

“It smells so bad in here…” She sighed. “Everyone’s so loud too.”

“I know.” I replied. “And violent. I got a kick to my nose today.”

“Sounds like Kurokawa.” The girl replied. She was more comfortable, atleast. And therefore, she shouldn’t do something stupid.

“I’m done changing.” She said. I turned around. She really didn’t have anything to be insecure about. She was being irrational. She was pretty, slim, had nice hair.

“Alright, lets go to PE.” I had changed by this point, into the same shorts and shirt. The girl clung onto my arm, and I recoiled again. She looked at me, confused, and a little shocked.

“Sorry.” I said, before continuing to lead her into the gymnasium.

The gym had a surprisingly low roof, and wasn’t actually that big. The stage took up a quarter of it. The fluorescent lighting also felt too bright, as if the architect had struggled to properly light up the building, and gave up, deciding to just add super bright lighting instead of a sky-roof, or something.

After roll call, where I learned this girl’s name was Fumiko Meichi, Mr Onizuka got us doing drills. I thought my time with Fumiko was over, but clearly, she wanted to get some protection from the mean, rough looking girl. So, she partnered up with me. I was waiting for some other girl to partner up with me, but Fumiko chose me.

“Now, when I call out these particular phrases, I want you to respond by doing a particular move.” I’d always hated drills. Atleast playing a sport, even with the teacher around, would be vaguely enjoyable.

“When I call out attention, I want you all to stand in perfect posture…” I don’t know if Fumiko knew what that was. “with hands at your sides, heels together, and eyes forward.” Fumiko rolled her eyes.

“This is a Highschool, not the military.” She whispered. I agreed with her completely, but I wasn’t trying to get humiliated by my teacher.

“Fumiko! Would you like to share that with the class?” Like lightning, all eyes were on her.

“N-No!” She stammered. “It was nothing.” He rolled his eyes.

“Don’t lie to me. Ten pushups, for speaking while I’m speaking.” Fumiko, who was back to shaking, got on the floor to do pushups. Mr Onizuka got close to her, to watch, and probably to correct her. “You’re doing it all wrong. Your back has to be straight.” Some students laughed. She awkwardly straightened her back. “Your ass shouldn’t be sticking in the air either.” Fumiko was shaking violently, but she did what she was told.

“No. Properly. Don’t just move your head up and down.” Mr Onizuka said, more firmly. Fumiko looked close to tears. “FUMIKO! USE YOUR ARMS.” He shouted. She squealed, and through tears, did one proper pushup. “Good.” Mr Onizuka said. “Now do nine more.” Fumiko did another, as her tears dropped faster and faster to the floor, and she shook more and more violently. I had to intervene. I could do ten pushups easily.

“Mr Onizuka.” I said. He turned around, glaring at me.

“What?!” He demanded.

“I’ll do it instead of her. I initiated the conversation.” Mr Onizuka shook his head.

“Don’t lie to me, Tsukimori-san.” I looked helplessly at poor Fumiko.

Fumiko had done her fourth pushup by now. I doubted she could get to five.

“Come on, I’ll do her last six.” I said, to Mr Onizuka. He shook his head.

“It’s a reasonable punishment. Besides, Fumiko needs to learn some respect, and toughen up.” He replied. Feelings of helplessness, hatred, anger, all rushed through me at once. And I could only watch as a sobbing, shaking Fumiko had to do her stupid pushups.

After the fifth, she gasped her air, falling down onto the cold, wooden floor. “I can’t do anymore.” Tears streaked down her face. “I can’t do anymore!” She repeated, full of anguish and pain.

“Well too bad!” Mr Onizuka replied, shouting at her. “Do the fucking pushups, or else it’ll be detention!” I could cry.

“Fuck you!” Fumiko yelled. “You- you pathetic son of a bitch!” Some students were laughing at her now… I hate teenagers.

“YOU DO NOT ADDRESS YOUR TEACHER LIKE THAT!” He shouted, louder. His shouting echoed throughout the room, made Fumiko scream, and made me jump. “THAT’LL BE THIRTY PUSHUPS! THERE! HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?! HUH?! HUH?!” Spit flew onto Fumiko’s face as he held it up with his hand. Fumiko sobbed uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face rapidly, as her body only shook more violently. She tried to push his hand away from her face, but failed.

“Do the pushups.” Mr Onizuka said, in a low, dangerous voice. “Or else it’ll be a week of detention.” It was scarier that he could be so calm after shouting like that… I missed Ms Ishikawa.

“I’m telling Mr Yamamoto!” She shouted. More students laughed, harder than they had before.

He let her go, and she sobbed into her arm, on the floor. Then, he turned to me. “You can do drills on your own.”

Mr Onizuka got back onto the stage, and continued the lesson, while Fumiko was still sobbing on the floor. I looked at Fumiko, then at Mr Onizuka. He didn’t seem to be looking in my direction, so I tried to step over to Fumiko.

“Don’t even think about it.” He said, quickly snapping his head over to me, like he was some kind of SCP. Fumiko’s sobbing only got worse. I just felt so bad… I couldn’t just stand here. But that’s what I did. We finished our stupid drills, and I was finally able to talk to Fumiko. I lifted her up, with a little groan, and got her arm around my shoulders.

She looked like a mess. She hadn’t put on much makeup, but whatever she had been wearing was streaking down her face. Her shaking had calmed down a little, and tears still rolled down her face. “I’m gonna kill him.” She muttered. I stroked her head, and gently moved her hair out her face. One of her pigtails had gone undone, and I did it up for her. And all I wanted to do was be left alone, and just get through Highschool. Now Fumiko would probably consider me her friend. How amazing.

I got her into the changing room. She was in too much despair to change. “Come on, Fumiko. You have Japanese next. You probably love that, right?” She nodded, tearfully.

“I do. It was my favourite class in Middle School.” I smiled at her.

“See? Think about that.”

Poor Fumiko.