Writer's POV

"We're here, Yuiga-kun." Under the warm sunset in the afternoon, Mafuyu told Nariyuki as she parked her car. However, as soon as she opens the car's door, Nariyuki quickly runs out and vomits to a nearby trash can.

"Yuiga-kun, you should have told me that you have car sick..." Mafuyu said while shaking her head, which made Nariyuki a little mad. 'This woman's sure didn't know what she was talking about...' He thought in his head.

After a few staircases, they finally reach Mafuyu's apartment. It doesn't change much after 4 years, or in the other word, from the last time Nariyuki saw it. That time he still studied at Ichinose Academy, but it was also his last day, because the next one was graduation ceremony. For studying in college, he was so busy that there were multiple times he had to stay there at night, couldn't go home and didn't have any time to visit anyone.

Looking at the usual door of the apartment, the balcony that someone can see a full sight of the neighborhood, even the city far away, with the view despite being blocked by high buildings... he has to admit that he misses these things a lot.

But that's not the only thing he thinks in his head. He has something more to be worried about.

'What the hell is awaiting me behind that door? Punishment? Something sweet, perhaps? Definitely the first one, isn't it?' Nariyuki thought while Mafuyu was opening the door. "The door is opened. Come in, Yuiga-kun." Mafuyu told Nariyuki.

With all of his courage, Nariyuki walks inside, awaiting something bad will happen to him. And as soon as Mafuyu switches on the light, he knows that he has been thinking is right, or maybe they're not the same, but he can consider this as a punishment. Since the day of Nariyuki going to college, Mafuyu's apartment has become a sight to feast, with floor made of books, ramen cups in every corners, paper balls rolling like tumbleweeds in desert. There are also sounds of animals that he can't even recognize.

'... What is this? World War II's aftermath?' The boy in glasses thought and put a smile of disbelief. When he is still in awe, Mafuyu hands him a mop with some empty garbage bag. "Let's start cleaning, Yuiga-kun." Mafuyu said with a serious face.

"... Considering your invitation of 'teaching me', is that just an excuse so I can be your personal janitor?" Nariyuki asked.

"Come on, Yuiga-kun. We don't have all day."

"So now you're good at kidnapping people in your car and forcing them to clean your place?"

"Start cleaning, Yuiga-kun!"

And so, Nariyuki Yuiga finally starts his chore, relives all the memories he's had before.

O0O

It's been an hour and the apartment's atmosphere is still silent, with only sounds of broom sweeping, mop drying and the rustle of garbage bags wrapping can be heard. This might be the longest cleaning Nariyuki has ever done, because of so many things to be done, so many ramen cups to be collected, and he also saw some bugs that he thought they had been extinct for a long time.

"You know, sensei. I'm really impressed that you can live like this in 4 years." Nariyuki said and made Mafuyu blush.

"R-Rude! I just don't have time to clean this up, okay?" Mafuyu told Nariyuki. "And yet you still had time to build that Bowser castle over there." The trainee said and pointed at the pile of history books in the corner, which looked like a tower with a princess inside, waiting for a prince to save her. Mafuyu looks away from him, stares at the 'tower' for a while then coughs a bit, trying to get her cool.

"Truth. When you become a teacher, you won't have time to clean up your place, Yuiga-kun. Mark my word." Mafuyu said and made the boy in glasses angrier.

"Are you equating all teachers to be untidy like you?" Nariyuki asked but Mafuyu didn't answer. Looking as how disorganized and messy his teacher is makes Nariyuki worried about her, about her future from now. For a better explaination, he's worried about her life if she gets married in the future, or more like her husband, how he will deal with his wife.

"If you think like that, when you have a family and kids, how can you even have times for them?" Nariyuki asked and Mafuyu immediatle turns around to see him. "What did you say, Yuiga-kun? About family and-" Mafuyu asked but the trainee soon cut her off.

"NOTHING! Don't bother, Kirisu-sensei..." Nariyuki said and covered his mouth. As he's concerned about Mafuyu, he knows it's sensitive to tell a single woman about 'marrying and having kids' stuffs. However, he doesn't know that Mafuyu has heard clearly what he said, or at least she understands what he was talking about.

"But I know, Yuiga-kun. I'm not planning to do it, anyway." Mafuyu said sadly.

She knows that sooner or later, her parents will ask her to get married, but to her, she doesn't need to be hurried to do that, and also because she's living far away from her parents. She knows that this is best for her, to be single, living to her own life.

She knows that with her stubborn personality and her inability of house chores, this will be hard for her, but she knows that she doesn't mind at all. Or at least that's what she thinks.

With that, the atmosphere is becoming more awkward, with the sounds of sweeping and mopping are getting more and more silent. Knowing what best for him to do, Nariyuki continues with his cleaning, next stop is the kitchen.

He is dusting all the cupboards like he usually does, when suddenly something rustles behind the trash can. With how curious he is, he slowly walks to the trash can and pushes it to the other side. The things he sees behind it is quite a sight, so unbelievable that he lets out a gasp, loud enough for Mafuyu to hear it.

"Yuiga-kun, I know my apartment is messy, but it's not that much for you to be gasping for air." Mafuyu said, thinking that her apartment might be too air-tight for her trainee. However, when she walks in the kitchen to see how he's going, Nariyuki dashes to her and covers her eyes, making her blush red for being mad and shocked at the same time.

"RUDE! FILTHY! LET GO OF ME, YUIGA!" Mafuyu said while using her hands, trying to put the trainee's hands off her face. However, despite struggling and scolding, Nariyuki isn't letting go.

"Sensei, you may kill me for this, but trust me! I'm doing it for your own good!" Nariyuki said but Mafuyu didn't care.

"LOOK, I KNOW YOU'RE GRADUATED, BUT THIS IS JUST STRAIGHT OFF RUDE FOR A BOY TO DO THAT! AT LEAST WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE MUCH OLDER AND LET GO OF ME!"

"Sensei, I know back then you said that I need to be 27 to be considered as a man, but at least I only have 5 more years to reach that! Beside, you are in danger, so WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THAT?!" Nariyuki said, still trying his best to cover Mafuyu's face. However, with all the strength she got back when she was a figure skater, she is finally able to put off Nariyuki's hands with forces. After she does that and looks at the trash can, she soon knows what Nariyuki was protecting her sight from.

There are cockroaches, two of them. Both of them look like they're on a honeymoon in the world's messiest apartment and they're having a great time behind the trash can.

"Sensei, please stay calm and let me catch them for you... Sensei?" Nariyuki told his teacher while preparing something to get the cockroaches, but there is no response. He turns to his teacher to see her completely stunned, standing in one spot, not moving. It seems that her soul is wandering somewhere in the apartment.

"oh... she's fainted..."

O0O

"Sensei, I've told you. I care for your own life." Nariyuki said while giving his teacher some water, trying to calm her down.

"S-Shut up! Don't try to lecture me! What you just did is a sexual assault, you know?!" Mafuyu shouted, turned her back against him and took a big sip on water. 'What do you mean by sexual assault...?' Nariyuki thought and sweated.

It's the evening and they're having sushi, prepared by Mafuyu before from a delivery service. The one thing that Nariyuki is confused is how his teacher knew that he would come to her apartment in the first place, and she went through all the trouble, all the efforts of pushing him in her car, just to give him a dish of sushi?

"Sensei, did you drag me all the way here just to help you with your cleaning? Just admit it." Nariyuki said but Mafuyu didn't hear him at all. She's just staring at the sushi dish, thinking about something. She does have a reason to kidnap Nariyuki, but it's not about cleaning. Correction, it's not just about cleaning her apartment. She has a reason, but she doesn't want to speak it out.

"Sensei, you know this is different from last time. I can't just always put on fox ears, wear a kimono, say 'welcome home, nano ja' and clean your place... Don't you pull a Komi-san and say nothing!" Nariyuki said but once again, he got no response. Only sounds of air conditioner and chewing can be heard, in such a quiet apartment in the evening. Disappointed and furious with his speechless teacher, Nariyuki decides to use the final tactic to get her attention.

"Hey look, a cockroach!" Nariyuki shouted and pointed at nowhere, but enough to make Mafuyu shocked and crawl backward, opposite oh the way he was pointing. She soon blushes in embarrassment when she finds out there is nothing.

"W-W-W-What was that about, Yuiga-kun?" Mafuyu asked her trainee, from scared to furious. "Welcome back to Earth, Kirisu-sensei." Nariyuki answered.

Still curious about her reason, Nariyuki continues to ask Mafuyu, who is pouting for being tricked. "Kirisu-sensei, is cleaning your only reason to get me here?"

After hearing what he asked, Mafuyu just turns around, with nothing to say. She's afraid to reveal it, or most importantly, how he will see her if she reveals it. Trying to find a way to dodge the main reason, she reaches her purse and takes out the document, containing information about her trainee. There is a single piece of paper inside that she wants to show him. She takes it out and reveals it to him.

"Yuiga-kun, do you know what this is?" Mafuyu asked. Nariyuki leans forward and takes a closer look at the paper. 'Oh look, a trainee report.' He looked at it and gave a slight smile, thinking that this was the important reason he was kidnapped, about how funny his teacher was. However, the smile on his face soon vanishes, as he thinks deeper on why his teacher kidnapped him. 'Oh sh*t, a trainee report.' His thought has completely changed.

"Yuiga-kun, with your best description, what do you think this is?" Mafuyu asked again. With some times to think, Nariyuki finally gives his answer. "My fate..." He said while shivering. Then Mafuyu holds it up and gives it a slight brush with her hand. "Yes, that means I can decide if your life will be flourished or ended up in flame." She said while smirking and glaring at her trainee.

'What the hell happened to her in those 4 years?' Nariyuki thought while sweating. But then Mafuyu puts the paper down and gives a more serious talk.

"But seriously, with what you did this morning, teaching the students like that, you do know that which state you would be in if this was the end of the trainee program and I had to evaluate you, right?" The pink haired teacher asked.

Nariyuki has his reason for doing that. For his teaching method, he believes that sometimes strict and serious are not the best way. Learning in education college in 4 years, he is developing his own teaching method, without being serious and forcing students to do things they don't want to.

However, being Mafuyu's 'assistant' and watching how she taught, Nariyuki understands that in conclusion, the most important thing for all students is knowledge. Being easy-going and soft don't lead him to anywhere, and only being strict is the best way of teaching, or so he thought.

Despite that, he still believes that there is still some way that can help him fully make his own teaching method, something that he can still be easy-going with his students, but he can teach them new things and new knowledge, as well.

"Say, sensei. Do you think that being nice and understanding is a good way for teaching?" Nariyuki asked, had Mafuyu's attention.

In her records, she tried to be like that in the past, or in the other words, she tried to follow Hiroshi Yuiga, Nariyuki's father, and his teaching method. However, it didn't work, and she almost ruined one of her students' future. She found out that her student had been doing fine in her own path, but that doesn't mean that she will change how she teaches any day.

"For my experience, I believe it's a no." Mafuyu answered, made Nariyuki a little disappointed, so she continued. "If you rely too much on your humor and fun way to teach, the amount of knowledge you can give them is almost minimum. Teaching is all about being strict but understanding. You might be seen as a rough teacher, but in exchange, you will do a great job and help them successful. If there is something you can be proud as a teacher, I believe that is, although I don't really care much about 'achievements' like that."

After quite some times to think, Nariyuki has something more to ask. "But being too strict can give them a bad image about you. Don't you worry about that?" He believes that an experienced teacher like Mafuyu can give him a proper answer.

"... No. As a matter of fact, sacrifice is an obvious thing in teaching. If that is something you have to pay, you pay that." Mafuyu said. As a teacher, she is seen as a cold-hearted teacher, an ice queen. But also to many students, she is a role model, someone to be inspired on. For all the sacrifice, that's not too bad to her, though she doesn't care much about the 'role model' achievement thing.

But to Nariyuki, it doesn't feel right. Sure a teacher has to be strict to his or her students, but understanding inside. However, he also thinks that there has to be another way to teach them, being easy-going and understanding from the outside, but still able to give them knowledge, lessons and become a good teacher.

"Look, Yuiga-kun, I don't know what you're thinking, but after all, I'm a teacher and you're a trainee. What you have to do is follow my lead. I can show you what a teacher can and should do with my best. So I think you should cut off that 'funny teacher' thought and-" Mafuyu said, but got cut off by her trainee.

"How about a little for both?" Nariyuki asked, made his supervisor let out a sigh.

"Inattention. Aren't you listening? I told you that-"

"Yes, I know I'm inexperienced, but I think I should make the most of this trainee program. With your strict and serious, combine with my humorous and easy-going way of teaching, we can make quite an opposite but interested pair, don't you think?"

"What are you saying? I don't-"

"I mean come on! We can be Rick and Morty, or Shrek and Donkey, or-"

"Please stop cutting me off and making those weird comparisons." Mafuyu said, silenced Nariyuki.

"Sorry, sensei." He apologized, but after a while, he continued. "However, what I'm trying to say is with us cooperating, I can find out what will be my teaching method. For you, you will get more love and support from your students. To me, it's a win-win situation!"

"What do you mean by 'getting more love and support', Yuiga-kun?" Mafuyu asked and made Nariyuki realize, start apologizing on and on for making a slip of the tongue. But she thinks about it and knows that this is a good idea, from her trainee. At least it will help him in his trainee program, in finding his own way of teaching.

"I guess I don't have any choice. Fine, I'll help you, as your supervisor." Mafuyu said, giving a small smile. Her smiling makes Nariyuki's eyes sparkle, for so long he hasn't seen her smile. He soon has a red blush on his face, looking at his teacher, now his supervisor. "What's wrong, Yuiga-kun?" Mafuyu asked, snapped Nariyuki back to present. "N-Nothing, Kirisu-sensei..." He answered, shaking his head.

"Thanks for the talk, Kirisu-sensei, it really means a lot." Nariyuki told her. But before Mafuyu can say anything, he continues. "But it's not the only reason why you took me here, is it? Or at least there is something more you want to talk about, right?" The boy in glasses asked and made Mafuyu turn to the other way, twist her hair a little. That's the sign of someone who has a secret, but doesn't want to say it. However, knowing Mafuyu, he can guess the reason why, especially after 4 years.

"It's sure is lonely in this apartment, considering this place was so messy, isn't it?" Nariyuki asked concernedly, and after hearing that, she just gave a slight nod. Sure she just wants to talk about Nariyuki's trainee program, about his first day, as a responsible one. But after all, she just simply wants someone to talk to. This apartment has been through 4 years of no one coming in and out, and it surely missed the usual boy, who usually came here for cleaning. And it's sure that it's not the only thing, or the only one missed him

"That's okay. In college I didn't have any chance to talk, as well. People were studying so hard that they rarely had time to communicate. For me, I just... be me, studying all days, 4 years. Now thinking about it make me a little scared of myself..." Nariyuki said while scratching his head, once again bringing back that smile to Mafuyu. "You seriously need some times to relax, don't you?" The teacher asked.

And with that, the silent apartment has become noisier, with the cheer and happy, the laugh from the trainee and his supervisor, breaking the loneliness after 4 years long.

O0O

After collecting the dishes, Mafuyu is about to go inside the kitchen, when Nariyuki stands up and heads to the door. "Excuse me, where do you think you are going?" Mafuyu asked behind, surprised him.

"Uh, home?" Nariyuki answered with a confused tone. Suddenly, Mafuyu drags him back to the table, holds his shoulders so he won't leave.

"Didn't I tell you that we are going to have some works to do? Stay put!" Mafuyu ordered and went to the other room, leaving the trainee behind, sitting next to the coffee table.

'What exactly does she want to do with me? This is so confusing...' Nariyuki thought, then he started looking back on what she told him, trying to get a clue.

'You seriously need some times to relax, don't you?'

'What did she mean by 'relax'? Come to think of it, she's been treating me really nice, and it's already really late, nearly bedtime. So the 'relax' thing here is... Oh boy!' With that thought, his face starts blushing deep red, thinking of all the 'stuffs' that are relevant to 'relax' and 'bed'.

The door that is from the room that Mafuyu went in is opened, as Mafuyu is about to come out, when suddenly Nariyuki jumps up. "SENSEI, WEAR SOME CLOTHES! I'M NOT READY-"

"What are you afraid of, Yuiga-kun? It's just me." Mafuyu asked. She is wearing a normal, normal pyjamas, holding a pile of books with her laptop. Staring at her appearance a while, Nariyuki is still scared. "I guess you want to keep it normal, but are those books for my 'punishment'? I don't want to say goodbye to my childhood, sensei!" Nariyuki said, almost looked like he was about to cry.

"What are you talking about? You're acting weird today." Mafuyu said and put down the pile of books on the floor, seems like they're about world history. She then places the laptop on the coffee table and turns to Nariyuki. "I'm going to help you prepare your lessons for tomorrow. I'm thinking about letting you teach your classes for the first time, and by that I mean with my supervision." Mafuyu explained, made the trainee uncross his arms from his chest and let out sigh of relief.

"Why don't you say so? Okay, let's start." Nariyuki said, but before he knew it, Mafuyu pulled out a ruler, a wooden and long one.

"Also, I will teach you the manner of a teacher, how serious you have to look, so..." Mafuyu said and used her thumb to brush the edge of the ruler, glared at the inexperienced soon-to-be teacher, with dark aura all over her body. "... I hope you're prepared...!" She said and made Nariyuki sweat like a waterfall.

'Mom... it's great to know you...' He thought about the punishment he was about to get. And what comes next is the sound of smacking, beating ruler and crying from a young man.

"BACK STRAIGHT! LOW CHIN! DON'T GIVE YOUR STUDENTS THAT LOOK OR THEY WILL THINK YOU'RE DISREGARDING THEM!"

"SENSEI! DO YOU HAVE TO SCOLD ME LIKE THAT?!"

"LOOK STRAIGHT, YUIGA-KUN!"

"OUCH! IS LEARNING TO BE A TEACHER CAN ACTUALLY THIS TORTURING?!"

Chapter 5:

The [X] of a predecessor and an apprentice (Part 2)