English with their home room teacher was a pleasant change of pace from mathematics the previous class .
While Kondo-sensei hammered down grammatical rules and vocabulary, just like their middle school teacher had done, she still made attempts to make the language come to life . She even tried to have the occasional conversation with the students in 3:1, including Kuri-chan .
That was, as far as Kyoko was concerned, the sign of a great heart . Kondo-sensei might not care all that much for Kuri-chan . After all the teacher's fiancée had shown too open a fascination with the foreign beauty, but when it came to the subject she taught she was adamant . The best students were used mercilessly as examples to the rest of them, and Kuri-chan was arguably the best student when it came to English .
If it hadn't been for her grammar, or spelling .
In short Kuri-chan was outright awful until she actually spoke the language . Then she shone, sing song pronunciation and all . And she made the rest of them shine with her . Oblivious to the fact that the teacher should be the one who made corrections Kuri-chan switched to her poor Japanese and tried to explain where and how a mistake had occurred during the course of the conversation .
Kondo-sensei just followed along and only interrupted when Kuri-chan's Japanese was insufficient to the task .
So in short, Kyoko really liked their English lessons .
The English teacher in the left wing was, if what she heard from some of the hang-arounds was true, a different matter .
"Heard the geek from 6:1 got into a fight with his teacher?" That was Ryu-kun's voice from a few desks behind her .
Now, that registered . Geek, 6:1 and fight were all words that made her flustered . Especially geek and 6:1 . 'Kuri-chan, why did you interfere?' Kyoko made an effort not to turn and look for Noriko-chan's reaction .
'But fight?' Kyoko looked at the teacher and leaned her head . That way she would have an easier time hearing whatever was said in the middle of the classroom .
Kondo-sensei pretended nothing had been said and continued scribbling synonyms on the blackboard .
"Heard he grew up an English snob . Got real angry Queens English wasn't good enough . "
Kondo-sensei turned . She was strange that way . The illicit conversation behind her back had accidentally turned on topic, and she wasn't about to miss that chance .
"RP, or BBC English . That's what we call neutral British pronunciation . It differs from what we teach in Japan, which is General American . "
"You do nothing of the sort," Kyoko heard from the desk in front of her, in English . 'Kuri-chan, please keep that mouth of yours shut!'
"Please Ageruman-san, enlighten us," Kondo-sensei said, also in English . The thrown gauntlet hadn't been allowed to stay on the ground for more than a moment .
Kuri-chan blushed .
'Now you've done it!'
Then she stood up and drew a breath . "With your permission, if I may, Miss Kondo . " Her voice was rounded, full of self-confidence and rich with experience . "While I would prefer not to sully the dear memory of my esteemed, albeit conservative, teacher . . . " It was an English Kyoko had never heard before . It carried a global empire on its shoulders as if that was the most natural thing in the world . "… in order to give an example I might lend myself to make an exception . " And it changed into a perfect rendering of what Kyoko had learned as the English of the well-educated . "The way fortunes of power may have shifted I also change my English from what was to what is . "
It was well educated, but it wasn't… Kyoko sought for a word . It wasn't elegant . It lacked… pedigree .
Kondo-sensei stood open mouthed . Then she smiled, and then she grinned and looked more like an unruly high school student than the teacher she was . "That was well played, Ageruman-san . Very well played . "
A few seconds later the rest of the class joined the applause their teacher had started .
"Kuri-chan, why don't you speak like that, like always?"
"Bother!" And Kuri-chan sat down with a thump as ungraceful as she had been ladylike just a few moments earlier .
'You're crazy . ' Kyoko knew the episode would give birth to more rumours . 3:1, where things happened . A monopoly on rumours . But that was no longer true . A piece of hearsay had trickled all the way here from the other wing .
Still, Kuri-chan had just countered that one beautifully . And on that thought class ended . Students and teacher streamed through the door . One of their classmates, Sakurai-san quickly returned with a knowing smile and looked for Kuri-chan .
Chapter end
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