Chapter 1

I'm in the process of transferring pieces I've written featuring my OC, Jun. This is the first chapter.





Hey everyone, name’s Jun, Jun Kakuji. I’m 21, and I’m currently a teacher in Amakusa High School, and here is the story of how I got this job, if you please.

After scanning websites and newspapers, I managed to find a school with a job opening. From the fact that I wasn't familiar with the name, Amakusa, it's probably a new one. I decided that I should probably take a shot at it, and I’ve already prepared the requirements the day before.

The next day, I woke up early, showered, and after getting myself dry, I took out the clothes that I will wear. I wore this old green polo shirt I have that I’m just wearing now for the first time in years, then some pants to go with it. Then I combed my hair down and didn’t wear any earrings for it, first impressions matter, after all. I got my choker, wore it around my neck, and once all that is done, I held my head, lifted it off the nightstand, and placed it back on my neck.

That was no joke, I reattached my head back on my body. Yes, I’m detachable. Okay, that may sound strange, but I really am detachable, like a mannequin, so I could detach my head, limbs, without any bloodiness, thankfully. I’ve had this since high school, but I’ll tell it later, if ever.

Now that that’s over with, all I needed now was my resume, a nice perfume, a smile in front of the mirror, and I’m good to go. 

To the school, here I go.

It’s a surprisingly short line for the applications, something I realized while taking the preliminary tests. After seeing an old friend already teaching in this place, who hasn't seen me yet, it’s my turn to be interviewed now. It’s a usual interview, until we went to assets. Other than my usual social skills, I also told them of the… condition I’m in, you can’t hide anything, after all. Here are some highlights:

"Do you have any weaknesses?”

“Well, I usuall prefer being alone, and rather not expend much energy most of the time.” read: lazy. “I could also remove some of my body parts apart without any side effects. Is that a weakness?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…” I took off my head. “I could do this.”

She does look shocked. 

"Miss?"

“Uh, well, does this hinder you?”

“No, to be quite honest.”

“Okay… Let me ask, are you sure you’re alive?”

“Huh?” I raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I am alive.

“I see. Sorry, when I see something like what you’re doing right now, I think of them as dead, a majority of people do, hope you’ll understand. So, what do you expect in this job?”

I placed it back on as she continued the interview. After the rest of the questions, she told me “I want you to return tomorrow for the practical demonstration.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

I exited the place, pretty nervous, this was the first time I’ll be handling a high school class, I was hoping they don’t take my constant neck rubbing as something bad. Or my detachability.

“Good morning.” The interviewer yesterday greeted me. I was holding a bag full of teaching stuff. “You seem to be ready for this.” I just nodded with a smile. “So, the room is 2-C, please follow me.”

So I did follow, and she gestured to stay by the door., I peeked through the window and she’s introducing me, so I readied myself once she’s done. She went out and then put my head back on, entered the room and greeted, “Good morning, class.” Everyone stood still before greeting back kinda nervously. Then there’s the judges behind them, my chest is pounding, but the show must go on.

The class was a bit bumpy, but I’m pretty confident with what I did, since the class didn’t get bored on me for some stupid reason. Heck, this is without any stupid gimmick I would’ve used. The bell rang, I said goodbye, and followed the interviewer back to the office. “Alright, we’re now going to grade your performance. We’ll notify you when you’re hired.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

I hope this isn’t my last visit to this place, it’ll take another while for me to find a teaching job, or a job for that matter, and my money’s getting low..

I went back to my apartment and took my head off and lied on my couch with my head resting on my waist and sighed. It’s been a year since I’ve graduated, I got my money through some freelance work, but it’s not the job I wanted, nor was it stable. I wish my condition won’t be a burden for this, this is what I wanted to be since I was a kid, after all. The news program talked about job shortages, at least teaching is in the safe, then they proceeded to explain that it’s because it’s not in vogue. Oh, did I pray to get the job.

A few nerve-wracking days later,  I woke up to my cellphone ringing. I picked it up along with my head and answer it after trying to sound awake and laying it next to my ear, at least the other person’s patient, I’ll give them that. All that was running through my mind is that it’s those guys from school, and it’s a yes. “Hello?”

“Is this Jun Kakuji?”

“Yes, why?”

“This is from Shinsei Bank and we’d like to know…” Come on, just make this end. “Would you be interested?”

“No, I’m not interested in opening anything, thank you.” I answered, still in a stupor

Click. So much for that. I was about to go to bed when the phone rang again. I managed to look at the screen, it was a different number. I answered it again. “Yes, hello?”

“Is this Jun Kakuji?”

“Yeah, why?”

“This is from Amakusa, and we’re here to tell you something about your applications.”

“Yes, what is it?” My heart’s the only thing awake in me right now, I can feel it.

“According to your records,” The room felt colder. “You’re fit for the job, you’e hired!”

“Really?!” I no longer felt sleepy by then. “Well, thank you very much!" 

"You’ll start tomorrow, please arrive at 7 AM. Have a good day.”

I put my phone down, put my head back on and screamed “YES!” on top of my lungs so loud I’m sure you heard it, you just thought it was thunder. All these sudden actions I was doing was due to so much joy I’m experiencing, close to euphoria, I may have punched a hole in a jigsaw puzzle they hung here, no? Good. Flung a piece of me and broke something, no? Great, cause I didn’t want anything to stop my celebration.

I didn’t even need my coffee for breakfast, I just changed my clothes, went out and bought a new bunch of supplies for that day. I was excited as hell, this is what I wanted to be, a teacher, and I will become one tomorrow!

————–

So here I was, at the office, the next day 7 AM. I got called, and received my first stuff, record books, schedules and other modules. I can’t stop smiling, better experience the best of it before it wears off. I was toured of the place that I’d call a second home, as a way to not make this a drudgery to me, or a confusion.

As the tour concludes, I found myself inside the faculty. The dress code stated semi-casuals to formal outfits, luckily my favorite long sleeves, jeans, and loafers fit the standard, and so are my earrings, or maybe they didn’t care. I greeted them “Good morning!” And two of them are nice enough to approach me and guide me to my spot. The rest looked up and greeted me.

“Just like home.” I said to myself, shrugging. I’m not kidding.

I set up my little slice of faculty. Once I finished the pretty easy task, I sat on my place and checked my schedule. I’ve been given the task to advise, the class at 2-C, to be accurate. Class starts at 8, as usual, and I’m starting off with Math. I was just reading the papers when I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder.

“Hey, Jun!”

I turned my head to look. “Hey, Yu! Long time no see!”

He’s Yusei, he’s a high school friend, from last time. “So, you got the dream job, and you still look like the great-looking pal I knew.”

“Yeah, first day on the job.”

“Good for you. It’s just those times at school where you act like you’re doing the lessons hen the teacher’s out?”

“Oh, cut it out, those we’re embarrassing times.” I rubbed the back of my neck.

“Heh, I should get going, school’s about to start soon.” And with that I resumed with preparing for later, too bad I didn’t have a shield for today. I closed my eyes and casually took my head off, when I opened them again, there’s the faculty staring at me in horror. Whoops. I’ll be explaining a lot of thing later.

————–

Here I stood, 2-C, first class I’ll ever handle, head around my arm, I got ready. Hope it isn’t the last.

So I got in, placed my stuff on the table, placed my head back on, and greeted the class “Good morning, class.” They’re frozen stiff for a few seconds before they stood up and greeted me. “Okay, my name’s Jun, I’m your adviser, and also the new teacher of Math and English and probably the weird, new teacher some of you are gossiping about this morning. That’s true, except for the monster, ghost and zombie parts.” I then elaborated on the rules they probably heard before.

“Before I begin, let me check today’s attendance.” I pulled out the attendance sheet and stood up. “Alright, say ‘present’ when your name is called.” and I started my recital of an abridged phone book until I get to the last name.

“So this is how this subject will work…” I scribbled some numbers on the board, and ther things pertaining to grades, lesson content, etc. I then walked to my table, sat down, and told my class. “Okay, before we begin, does any of you have any questions?”

Someone raised their hand. “Uhh… Sensei, how did you become… that?”

Oh yes, the usual question. “To be honest, I think it’ll be pretty gruesome for me to tell the likes of you, so maybe on some other, better time later on I’ll answer that. I’m so sorry.” Simply put, I’m not comfortable with it, and probably won’t just tell them. Heck, I just want to forget that time if I could.

Someone else raised a hand. “Sensei, how is it possible that you could detach yourself?”

“Oh, this, actually, I don’t really know, I could just do it, but that’s all I know about it. Maybe if I have the time, I’ll find it out.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Not that I can assure anything.”

Another one raised their hand. “That was cool, Sensei, could you do that again?”

I smiled and did so, before putting it back on my neck, at least someone’s amazed.

Then there’s another one, “Umm… Actually, there wasn’t a ghost part on the stories about you…”

“Oh…, then don’t make one, then. Anyone else?”

No more questions after that, I stood up and began the lesson. After all that the bell rang and I greeted the class goodbye.

——–

Later during lunch break, as I walked back to the faculty, a running student bumped my arm, causing it to fall off my shoulder, thank goodness I wasn’t holding anything there. 

I bent down to pick it up, then looked up and saw this student looking at me in wide-eyed fear. “A-Ah… Are you okay, Sensei?”

“Don’t worry, I’m okay.” I picked up my arm and made it fold itself. The students passing by stopped to see me holding a detached arm. After all that, they slowly walked, but a bit slower.

I managed to open the door and get to my place, where someone called me, “…Hey, can you give me…” And he caught a glimpse of me. “…A hand…” 

“Wait, I can explain.” I said as I slowly reattach my arm through my sleeve.

——–

“So you’ve been like that since high school? Must be tough for you back then.” A teacher asked me this once I sat down to my place and took off my head.

“Yeah, it was really hard, then. I mean, have you ever seen a guy who could take his head off and live? Most off the time I have to deal with being called a freak or a living mannequin, or worse, I’ll have to deal with missing parts, like a couple limbs or my head.”

“That sucks, huh? Good thing you got a decent job here and not in some sideshow exhibit. Had a hard time being accepted?”

“Yeah, but I did need to get by.” The bell rings.

“Oh. Well, I gotta get to my class, see ya!” He stood and left, what followed was an awful lot of silence and staring at the other teachers, mostly suspicious ones, I can’t blame them, I’m detachable after all, and no one has seen one, except for the new guy working along with them.

“Umm… Guys?” I said as I placed my head back on, “I’m still alive.” Now they started whispering to each other. Maybe they’ll loosen up soon.

And surely enough, some did. “Umm… Jun… Kakuji? That’s your name, right?”

“Yes, it is, why?”

“Are you sure… you’re human?” 

What? “Of course, I am! Why are you asking this?”

“Are you sure you’re not out to get our heads?”

“Why would I do that, I already got mine here.”

“So you’re not some killer creature from some other world?” Someone else butted in, and all I can hear afterwards are useless guesses.

“Look,” I placed my head back on my neck. “I want to make this clear, I’m human, and I’m sure of it.”

“No doubt about it?”

“Yes, no doubt, I’m human, not a monster, freakshow, or that mythical Celtic creature, the sober Irishman, sorry, the dullahan, clear?”

“Clear, oh, and one more thing.”

“What will it be?”

“Was science your thing back then.”

“Yes, then I somehow defied it.”

Then they returned to their small talk, I returned to work, realizing my current attempts at interacting will be futile as of this moment.

—-

I entered a different room for a different class, Englsih at 3-A , then placed my head on my neck as usual. “Good afternoon, class.”

The class stands up, greets, then sits down, but someone shouts out. “Oh, so you’re the one they’re talking about! Awesome!” 

“So they’re talking about me around here? That’s nice to hear.” I gave my best smile, and the student nodded. “Okay, so I’ll be your English teacher for this class. So…”

I had the most fun with this class, maybe because it’s not Math, or maybe it’s because of the class, nevertheless, I went back to the faculty a bit okay.

—-

And I managed to get some small talk with some of my co-workers. Which was fun to do, and worth taking a shot at trying to at least befriend them, small things do count. And once my stuff is done, I packed up and went home along with some other guys.

“How’s first day?” One of the guys, Ryu’s his name, I believe, asked me.

“Pretty tiring, but kinda worth all the dreaming since childhood.”

“Who wouldn’t be tired? You got the craziest classes, and you’re the new guy! You still haven’t lost your head over that, I’m amazed." 

"You just have to do your best and give your best smile.” That’s what got me through then, surely it will now.”

“That’s the spirit. Sorry about last time, it’s that, let’s be honest, who wouldn’t be freaked out when you see someone like you?”

“I know, I experienced it, so I know I’ll face it, but that was a bit overblown”

“Don’t worry, we won’t ask about your identity anymore, Yusei’s always talking about you given the chance, anyway.”

“Why am I not surprised about that?”

“We’re you close with each other back in high school?”

“He’s one of the few friends that stuck with me after I became detachable, so you could say we really were.”

“Nice to know. My place is just by the street, see you tomorrow!” He veered off and waved us bye.

Eventually, I got home, laid my stuff on the table, and threw myself onto the couch, filled with that strange feeling of success, here I was, dream job, and sticking to it. 

Now to ready my second shirt.