[Fanfic] Kumiko "Yankumi" Yamaguchi (Gokusen)

[anenko.livejournal.com]

Gokusen

The Basics:

Gokusen is a manga, anime, and live drama series. There are significant differences between the animanga and drama versions, but the basic story remains the same: Kumiko Yamaguchi, the heiress of a yakuza family, has long dreamt of becoming a teacher. Her very first class is full of unruly thugs who want little to do with school, and even less to do with a painfully dorky math teacher.

Fortunately for her students, Kumiko (named "Yankumi" by her class) doesn't give up. She's been raised as a member of a yakuza family, and no high school toughs are about to scare her off! The story follows Yankumi as she gains the respect of her students, deals with her family business, and kicks the ass of anyone who dares to threaten student or family.

In short, Yankumi is awesome.

The vast majority of these stories are het (there is only one gen story on the following list), so I debated as to whether or not I should post these recs to halfamoon. I'd like to find some good gen fic in this fandom, but if a pairing has to dominate, Yankumi/Shin isn't a bad way to go. I like that the balance of power is in her favour: Kumiko is older, in a position of authority, and is tougher than Shin (he's smart, and tough, but is still the one who needs to be saved from various bad guys). Even when the stories are about Shin, the focus is usually still on Yankumi. I think that's kind of awesome.









The Fic:

Disclaimer: Not strictly a *rec* list, since one of my own stories is listed here.

Slight Misunderstandings, by Akane-Rei

Strangely enough, he understood their need to please Yankumi. Hadn’t he, in some way or the other, attempted to please her in his own fashion? When he thought of all the little things he had done either on purpose or inadvertently in order to gain her attention or regard, he thanked the gods that his classmates seemed to be oblivious of his efforts. He could only imagine what his friends would say if they knew the extent of his…fixation on their homeroom teacher.

In Sake Veritas, by Akane-Rei

“Son of a –" a string of expletives sprang from his lips as he jerked away from her almost violently in an effort to get out of her reach. She could hear the deep breaths he was attempting as he crouched away from her and curled up in a tight ball.

“Oh, oh!” she cried, torn between what had to be remorse (she did cause him pain, after all!) and amusement at the sight of Sawada groaning in agony. Now how many teachers wished they could see this? Who knew she had a sadistic streak in her? “Are you alright?” she finally asked once she was sure she could keep her laughter at bay.

He glared at her from his position and replied, “I repeat, do you always wake up this violent?”

“Look,” she protested, “this isn’t exactly the norm for me.” What an understatement! “I don’t normally over-indulge in the sake.”

He snorted.

Everyone Knows, by Adali

Shin knew everything (or so he wanted to believe). He knew he had a very large, very irrational crush on his homeroom teacher. He knew she was smart (in some ways) and caring and strong and fierce and... and the list went on. He also knew she was childish, and naive, and completely idiotic (in a lot of ways) and... that list went on for a while too. Mostly, though, he knew he couldn't do a thing about it until he graduated, even though it was (very slowly) driving him crazy.

Shades of Red, by mklutz

But strangest of all - stranger than sharing the bathroom with not just the usual residents, but Sawada as well, and stranger than having him play trump with them or watch movies or practice their fighting - stranger than all that, and most embarrassing was oddly him seeing her doing stupid things at home. Generally, she was clumsier at school because she got so excited about things, and at home she was more cool and collected with her hair down and the kumi treating her with respect. But that respect had everything to do with how she could and would beat any of them in a fight, and almost nothing to do with her favourite television dramas (some of which made her cry), or the way her hair was stupid in the morning, or how once or twice (or more) she had gotten too excited over things like male cheerleading and Kuma's love interests. The people she had grown up with were just as tough and scary, and just as soft-hearted and sentimental as she was. They had raised her.

Five Dorky Ways Shin Proposed to Yankumi, by mklutz

After a family dinner at the Oedo compound, Shin had casually, so casually, mentioned that he was going for a walk and Yankumi (being Yankumi and therefore more than a little weird about everything) had said something about not letting one of her cute students walk around town at night because it was dangerous.

Gifts, by mklutz

"Sa-wa-da!" Yankumi was scowling at him with her demon-aura from the front of the room again and he shifted his chair back an inch involuntarily. "After class," she ground out as Ucchi jabbed at one package. Shin kicked him under the desk, nodding sharply.

"....forbidden teacher-student love after class?!" Ucchi snickered, then yelped at another sharp kick to his shins.

He was definitely in trouble.

Moving In, by innervoice_chan

After a week, the entire apartment building was giving Shin and Kumiko suspicious looks and edging away from them in the hallways. Shady-looking characters—namely Kyou-san, Tetsu and Minoru—had a habit of appearing on their doorstep at all hours of the day and night to visit their Ojou, and in a Japanese apartment building news like that traveled at the speed of light.

The last straw came when one of Kumiko’s latest batch of high-school delinquents showed up one night, the stiff pride in the set of his shoulders at odds with the desperate look in his face. He started in on some story about his parents and getting kicked out after graduation, and, predictably, Kumiko melted. She ran out the door with him—after pausing for a little speech about not abandoning her precious students even after graduation—and Shin made a decision.

untitled(?), by flamebyrd

She hadn't even realised they were dating until he asked her to marry her.

Kumiko stared at Shin in abject horror. "You... but... we.. I..."

He felt his smile falter.

Write For You, by anenko

Yankumi isn't the first person he writes.

She is the one he most looks forward to hearing from.

Homecoming, by 13papernotes

shin hates that he went away for three years to become a man only to find that with her, he still feels like a little school boy with a crush on his teacher. maybe she was right after all, when she told him to wait a hundred years before even attempting manliness in front of her.

The Way To California, by saxon-dogs

When Kumiko, years after Shin’s graduation, and long after she’d given up trying to distance him from her family, finally realized that she just might, perhaps, maybe, possibly have the teeniest, tiniest, itsy-bitsyest crush on the red-haired man, she panicked. Naturally.

“It’s wrong,” she burst out, after confiding with her grandfather. “I’m desecrating the sacred relationship between a teacher and her students! How can I even think of such a thing?!”

Her grandfather patted her shoulder awkwardly, and was a little disappointed that what he’d originally thought was remarkable self-control turned out to be nothing more than his granddaughter’s famous density of mind.

5 Important Dates Shin and Kumiko (Sort Of) Had, by aoimidori

Before they went on their separate ways to go home, Yankumi suddenly slapped his arm (a little harder than was probably meant), pointed at the night sky, and like a child exclaimed, "Shooting star! Make a wish!"

Instead of looking up at the sky, he watched as she closed her eyes and said a silent wish. She wasn't the usual beauty, but she was unique, different, special – she was something else. Then she opened her eyes, and ruffled his hair, like she always did when she was happy.

"Did you make a wish?" she grinned.

"Yes. I wish you'd stop treating me like your student," he suddenly said, "Because I'm not anymore, and I won't be ever again."

The Life, by cinderfalling

One day, Shin just lost the energy to stay angry. He still hears the comments—people don’t seem to have anything better to do than gossip about random strangers—but he’s gotten a strange stillness. He hears the murmurs, but all he has to do is look to Kumiko beside him: he’s wasted on her? If only these idiots knew how lucky Shin is—how hard he had to try, and wait, and still wait, to be beside her like this.

All people can see is his fire-engine red hair, still kept long because Kumiko likes to run her fingers through it when he lies on her lap and she’s thinking too deeply to realize what she’s doing. All they see is his face, his height, his assets—too struck by glitter to notice the real gem that is Yamaguchi Kumiko: brash and funny—and that quicksilver-fast way her expressions reflect her mood: confused. concerned. crafty. mad! gleeful pride affection. All in the space of seconds. Always surprising, never boring. Beautiful.

(untitled), by darkeyedwolf

The first time, Shin pulls back and says "want to?" while lazily, carelessly running a hand through his hair, and Kumiko says "eh?" in flustered half-clothed confusion before Shin makes the kind of hand gesture that proves he really did belong at Shirokin, and even, perhaps, excelled there.

Comprehension dawns.

Kumiko doesn't even have to put her shirt back on to flatten him.

The Naming of the Horror, by lacewood

Kumiko took a moment to consider this. "So you think there's... there's a monster in the basement?" she said, serious.

"Ah... well... I know it sounds silly, but truly... that sound... and Izumi-sensei was never the same afterwards, and... I'm sure spring will be here soon, Yamaguchi-sensei! I'm very sorry to hear about Inuzaka's injury, but a few days and he should be fine, and... it's only two more months... maybe only one, if it's early this year! And..."

Kumiko stood then, her face firm and set. "I understand. It's clearly very serious, and something should be done!"

"Er, Yamaguchi-sensei, that's not quite what I meant..."

"We can't let whatever it is that's down there to continue. What if it gets worse, or it hurts the students? This has to be stopped!"

"Yamaguchi-sensei, please don't do anythi-"

The door swung gently shut behind her. He stared at it and looked down at his desk, clasping his hands. "And she was such a nice girl too," he mourned.

Comments

[rosehiptea.livejournal.com]

I've heard of this series but I didn't know much about it. It looks good, and I kind of like teacher/student so it might be a fun fandom for me. Thanks for the recs!

[anenko.livejournal.com]

The drama is only 10 episodes, and is an easy way to get into the fandom. I like the animanga a bit better, but the story is cool in any media (if you like teacher/student, your best bet is the manga, though).

[counteragent.livejournal.com]

These are really interesting! The MC seems like a great character, and I also like the student. Haven't read yours yet, but I hope to come back to it shortly.

[anenko.livejournal.com]

Yankumi and Shin really are great characters (and I love that Yankumi is a *dork*). I hope you enjoy the stories!

[calindy.livejournal.com]

Hey thanks! I adore shinkumi and it's nice to find a list of fics.

[anenko.livejournal.com]

Most of these are older fics, I think, but I hope the list was of some help anyway!

[parallactic.livejournal.com]

While teacher/student isn't quite a squick of mine, I need a lot to be convinced by it and I tend to avoid it if I can. So I looked for Kumiko-centric genfic, came up with Yankumi/Shin UST that has enough platonic stuff to keep me going, and this:

Growing Up Yakuza (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3638841/1/Growing_Up_Yakuza) by BlackJack7
Our past experiences shape our identity, or so some say. It's this statement which I try to explore as I show bits and pieces of Kumiko's childhood as she deals with the regular trials of growing up with a yakuza twist.

The fic could use a good beta, and the humor can be forced, but it melted me into a puddle of goo. Kid!Kumiko is the cutest thing ever: rough edges with a marshmallow heart, yakuza influenced, and easily carried away. It's a 13 chapter WIP, but each chapter works as an episode.

[anenko.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the rec! I scanned over the fics at ff.net, but didn't dig into the stories themselves too deeply (I missed this one altogether).

[playingfolly.livejournal.com]

ooh thanks for the list! :D
i honestly think there're too few shinkumi fics out there for my liking :(

[anenko.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

i honestly think there're too few shinkumi fics out there for my liking :(

Agreed. After finishing the drama, I raced through all the Gokusen fic I could find in a matter of days. I need more!

[lacewood]

Actually, the title for almost gothic is really The Naming of the Horror. Almost Gothic was the theme that I wrote it for and also because... I hadn't titled it yet when I posted it ahaha.

Anyway, thanks for the rec! I - I'm amazed anyone even read it in all its crazy, omg XD;;;

[anenko.livejournal.com]

Sorry for taking so long to reply! I'm fixing the title right now.

Anyway, thanks for the rec! I - I'm amazed anyone even read it in all its crazy, omg XD;;;

The story is *brilliant.*