Saturday 29 December 2018

Chapter five, 2017, leverage, segment two


Yukio saw Kyoko together with Urufu and Noriko across the street and waved. To his chagrin she didn’t even notice his arrival, but when his body guard left for the car and got inside she must have seen something moving, because her hand went up and Yukio saw her looking straight at him.

Something happened? he thought when he saw how dark her face was.

Traffic was heavy, so Yukio impatiently trod his own feet waiting for a chance to cross. It came just as Urufu turned and looked for whom Kyoko was waving at, and halfway across the street Yukio was met by both Urufu’s and Noriko’s hands as well.

What’s up?” Yukio said as soon he was safely on the pavement on the other side.

Above them daylight had long since given way to night; had done so earlier now when November crept towards December. A sudden bite in the air announced the approach of winter, even though neither Urufu nor Kuri ever accepted that Tokyo had anything resembling winter in the first place.

Nothing’s up,” Urufu said, and those words had Yukio realise the answer had been late in coming.

You look a lot morose for nothing to have happened. Spill!”

Urufu’s eyes avoided his, but Yukio saw him glance at Kyoko and Noriko both.

The grown-ups are playing dirty little games of power inside,” Noriko said instead.

Who’s winning?” Yukio didn’t feel like waiting for the trio to slowly spit out the story in bits and pieces. Urufu once taught him how to cut to the chase, and by now Yukio felt confident he was better at it than Urufu.

Winning?” Urufu said.

The dirty games,” Yukio clarified.

Eh, I guess we are.”

But it’s taking too long?” Yukio guessed.

Angry nods from Kyoko and Noriko confirmed his suspicion. Kareyoshi’s actions finally made someone willing to bring the axe down on him, or rather several someones, but right now they were probably jockeying for power rather than swinging that blade.

Urufu, can you promise the end result will be disgustingly awful for Kareyoshi?”

I can’t promise anything.”

Then,” Yukio began and looked at Kyoko, “we can’t wait.” He stepped past the trio and opened the door to the café.

Yukio, wait! What do you think you’re doing?”

Yukio grinned, but he didn’t turn. He did however wait for the bell to jingle to add some extra effect to his next statement. “If you can’t, then I’ll find someone inside who can give us that promise.”

Yukio, you really shouldn’t...”

My man! He’s all my man,” Kyoko’s voice interrupted Urufu’s attempt at stopping him.

Still grinning Yukio went inside. They’d been a couple for close to a year and a half now, but Kyoko still knew how to say exactly the things that made his heart go bump in his chest. Behind him he heard the door close to the sound of the bell, and he imagined how Urufu stood staring at it mouth agape.

Now the question was where those playing a dirty game were. The café proper was its usual jumble of odd furniture and students in their gakuran and sailor uniforms from Irishima High mingling with the few Himekaizen uniforms who still dared to go here.

By now anyone here still sporting a Himekaizen sports jacket had attained an almost mythical status, and Yukio received a much warmer welcome than had been the case a year earlier.

Yukio nodded at James, who stood at his usual place behind the counter, and then he turned to face eyes meeting his. “Where are the really old people?” Yukio said. Some of Urufu’s rudeness had rubbed off in a good way.

Inner room,” a female voice answered.

Yukio searched for the owner and found Ai. She had dyed her hair again, and once again to a darker brown tone. It was as if she slowly wanted to look as unobtrusive as possible after her crashed relationship with Ryu, and Yukio felt sorry for her. Just sorry though. He wasn’t about to help her, because with Ryu and Kuri dating, and Urufu getting accustomed to being with Noriko, their respective worlds finally stopped being full of thorns.

Thank you,” Yukio said and made his way behind the counter.

An opened door later he was inside, facing old men who should have scared him a lot more than they did.

This room is booked for the evening,” a man who had to be Ai’s father said.

They did scare him. He was just a sixteen year old boy after all. Still, he had all but promised Kyoko an end to Kareyoshi’s atrocities. On shaking legs Yukio pretended he hadn’t heard and walked to the grand table and pulled out a chair.

It’s booked,” another man said.

A very, very scary man Yukio admitted to himself when he met cold, calculating eyes. He forced himself to sit down and plastered a false smile to his face.

Christmas,” Yukio said. “We’re just kids, and we can’t do much,” he added.

Christmas?” Nakagawa-sensei asked, and for the first time since entering the room Yukio felt at least a little warmth from one of the men inside.

We know adults who will help us if we ask,” Yukio explained.

He only got a questioning gaze from his former principal in return.

After Christmas, if Kareyoshi’s not gone, well ask,” Yukio added.

There was a moment of silence, just a moment, but it was enough for Yukio to realise he had successfully thrown the dice in this dirty gamble of adults.

Do you really believe you can threaten us,” the really scary man said. “Do you have any idea of what kind of power we represent?”

Yukio did. If he hadn’t he wouldn’t have dared doing this. “Kareyoshi had Kuri assaulted last year. He put Kyoko, Urufu and me in hospital. Now two girls were raped because of him,” he said, still ashamed he couldn’t recall the name of the Korean girl. “With all that power of yours, what have you planned on doing to us to make us more afraid than we really are?”

This time the silence settled into the room. He had gained what Urufu called leverage. What an ugly word!

Sunday 16 December 2018

Chapter five, 2017, leverage, segment one


Accusations of Urufu cheating died down, even though they left a dirty memory behind. Jeniferu’s expulsion, however, went through.

Silently Kyoko wondered how Kareyoshi dared, because foreign journalists still clung to both Himekaizen and Irishima High making the scandal fester, and Kyoko agreed with them. It was a disgusting scandal.

She stood, phone in hand and looked at it. Among other news it seemed Jeniferu had made new friends at Irishima High.

And a press conference.

Right now Jeniferu was one of the most hated girls in Tokyo ever since she disclosed details, not only of the gang rape but also about the atrocities the police had made her go through while at the same time dissuading her from filing a report.

The reason Kyoko stared at her phone was the latest news that an opportunistic China had used the incident to warn their citizens off travels to Japan since security for females couldn’t be guaranteed. South Korea was bound to follow suit within a day or two, which, just as Ambassador Cooper had threatened, would make it all blow up into a huge international scandal.

Rightfully so.

The police report, at least the parts someone managed to dig up, indicated the rape was Jeniferu’s fault for being in the wrong place at the wrong moment. Which meant being exactly where Kareyoshi’s goons had ordered her to be at the time they wanted her to be there.

Isn’t the police supposed to be protecting us?

So in the end Jeniferu got kicked out of school for indecent behaviour. And the online communities went up in flame where ‘foreign whore’ was among the politest epithets attached to her.

Does it mean it was my fault I was attacked? Twice?

In a bad way Kyoko suspected not everyone believed so, because the Stockholm Haven café had two new customers at the moment. Two scary men who had once moved from Japan to Sweden, or at least one scary man. The other was Ai’s father, and he just made Kyoko feel awkward since he somehow was involved in Ryu and Ai breaking up last spring.

One of the men, however, was definitely scary. The father to one of the five Swedish guests they had entertained last summer. Rika, if Kyoko recalled correctly. The former student council president of their sister high school, or at least something very close to a student council president.

She could ask, Kyoko noted. Both Rika and Ai’s older brother Jun were present as well together with Jun’s girlfriend. Three of those five students attended universities in Tokyo, and as far a Kyoko understood, none of them planned to spend all four years here.

The scary man sat talking with the not so scary one, former Principal Nakagawa and Kuri-chan’s grandfather, who by all rights was a scary man himself if Urufu could be believed. From time to time Urufu’s guardian and James joined their conversation, but most of the time they shared their own table with Kuri-chan’s photographer and a very old woman Kyoko had never seen before.

As for Kyoko she stood behind the counter taking orders and serving them. She did so together with Noriko and that university student part timer James had hired for late evenings.

Urufu was in the inner room together with the three Swedish students, of whom two were really Japanese. It wasn’t club activities, because the café proper was filled with club members ever since Urufu booted everyone out from their club room.

Kyoko forced down a very unfeminine growl when she saw Jeniferu in her sailor uniform talking with another Irishima High freshman and Tomasu. Jeniferu should never have had to wear that uniform, or even better, should have worn it from the beginning.

Then Kyoko’s eyes sought out the adults again.

What are you thinking? Half a dozen arrivals in the café. You stand out like a sore thumb. And they did. It was still early enough for the students to be here, and the only adult expected except for James was the vice principal of Irishima High.

Sure enough students glanced at the older people from time to time, and Kyoko sighed with relief when Urufu finally left the inner room together with their former guests and let the grown-ups inside.

Kyoko, Noriko, could you tell me when you have your next break?”

Kyoko shot their older colleague a glance, and when she nodded approval Kyoko met Urufu’s eyes again. “Now is fine.”

Outside.”

She followed him through the door, and the short delay until the bell rang again behind her was proof that Noriko had joined them as well.

What is it?” Noriko asked when the door closed.

Urufu turned and faced them both. Behind his back Kyoko saw cars passing by in a steady stream and on the other side of the street her body guard sat in a car waiting as he always did whenever she visited the Haven café. Just one body guard, because Yukio and Ryu were away running errands for the club.

The old people are planning something dirty. I think it has do do with Kareyoshi.”

Why can’t they just have him put in jail?”

Urufu grimaced. “They could. To be honest I believe even we could by now.”

So why not?” Kyoko just wanted the madman gone.

Because they’re adults. Because they need to know he isn’t replaced by someone equally bad.”

I don’t understand.”

Because adults don’t do the right thing or the wrong thing,” Noriko said.

Kyoko turned and looked at her, and in doing so she saw how Urufu drew a deep breath.

I’m pretty certain they need to negotiate with whoever put him there in the first place,” he said.

Negotiate?” The word felt strange in Kyoko’s mouth. “He’s involved in the assault of four girls!” The word made her sick. “Negotiate? What’s there to negotiate?”

It’s not that...” Urufu began. The he stopped mid sentence and bowed. “I apologise. Adults to disgusting things and call it being pragmatic. I apologise for even thinking like that. You’re right. There’s nothing to be negotiated.”

Saturday 8 December 2018

June 24, 2040, breakfast thoughts


Kyoko looked down the slope to where her two best friends sat chatting by the water line.

Took you long enough.

It wasn’t as if they hadn’t spoken before, but they hadn’t spoken about those things. Still, as far as Kyoko could recall they had stayed friends despite all. Friends with things unspoken between them, but friends still.

She left her friends by the water, climbed the hillside and crossed the veranda to the kitchen.

With the kids still sleeping and all the local guests gone both house and garden seemed larger than before. It was, Kyoko decided, that a place needed people milling around to seem small.

She quickly made tea and gathered some of yesterday’s leftovers for an impromptu breakfast. Or rather an impromptu first breakfast. Yukio might be first in her heart, but sometimes she wanted to be alone. She’d wake him up in time for a second morning meal, and he’d know it was her second, and he’d pretend he didn’t know; and she’d love him all the more for that.

I became an adult believing you were all so strong, but maybe the strong ones were the two of us. Kyoko grimaced a little. That wasn’t entirely honest. Maybe because we were allowed to be the teenagers we were. Urufu and Kuri-chan hadn’t been, and as for Ryu and Noriko, well they got dragged into the world of adults in a way Kyoko and Yukio avoided. It hurt us and it gave us gifts, but I guess we could step aside and watch it from the outside.

Suddenly grateful for everything Kyoko sat down in a chair and enjoyed some time by herself. This time as an adult by choice.

Wednesday 5 December 2018

Chapter four, 2017, petty revenge, segment ten


Just minutes earlier Noriko stood staring in disbelief at the billboard with the juniors’ mid term results. Urufu putting real effort into it should bring him clearly into the top fifty.

Now only friends cared about what happened outside the top ten, and she had searched for him to make an unprecedented jump from nowhere into the top twenty.

She couldn’t find him, so Noriko threw a quick glance at the very top to look for her own spot before searching for his name again.

Third. As in Urufu had claimed the third place with her as second.

There was a difference between astonishing and absurd. She’d pushed herself this time, and that made her beat him by a mere three points. As for the top student he still nailed his first place position with close to perfect scores.

But third. That was tantamount to a joke. Urufu didn’t attend a cram school. Sure, neither did she, but she was a first rate student born and raised here.

And this was the reason she barged into his classroom accompanied by students from both wings.

Urufu?” she asked. “What happened?”

There was no answer. Urufu just stared at the floor and refused to meet her gaze.

How did you get that result of yours?”

Japanese,” he said and kept looking at his feet.

Japanese?”

Yeah, 85 happened.”

85?” Noriko stared at Urufu. “How did you manage to score 85?”

Urufu’s gaze never left the floor.

He scored 85?” That was Ryu, as he came in through the door. Kyoko, Kuri and Yukio followed in his wake with equally stunned expressions on their faces.

The sound of voices from the corridor filtered into the classroom as the rumour spread like wildfire.

Did you see the list?” a voice from outside shouted.

You got 85 in Japanese?” Yukio said.

Yes, I did,” Urufu admitted. He blushed shamefacedly, and continued staring at his feet. “That's what you get for an overblown self-confidence.”

Huh?”

Japanese wasn't just a matter of brainless memorisation. In the end it was impossible for me to get it right.”

Wait, wait...”

You're ashamed you scored 85?” Noriko interrupted Yukio.

Finally Urufu raised his head and looked at her. “Yes, I'm sorry. I left you alone for almost an entire month, and I still failed to get an aggregate above 490.”

Failed?”

Yes. I think I got 480. Once again I apologize.” His eyes were downcast. “I tried, for you,” he added.

He's truly ashamed. I don't believe him! Noriko walked over to where he stood, his head still hanging, and hugged him close. “You make me proud. I love you,” she said.

There were sudden gasps. While there were a lot of people who knew about them their relationship was nominally still a secret.

Noriko looked around and dared anyone to comment her public confession.

Then Kuri broke the spell. “Ask him about his grades, his original grades,” she said softly.

Noriko looked into Urufu's eyes. “U-kun?”

Five,” he answered.

Five? Five what?”

Once again Kuri's voice reached her from behind. “Across the board, fourteen subjects, he averaged five point zero.”

Noriko turned, even though she never let go of her embrace. “What does that mean?” she asked, but she already knew the answer.

He is, easily, the brightest man I've encountered in my entire life.” Kuri chuckled. “Seems you made a good catch there.”

Noriko felt her cheeks heating up. Then she glanced at the wide open door. The corridor was packed with students staring at them. Furiously blushing she hid her face in Urufu's embrace. “I knew that,” she said.

Then she remembered the promise she had given herself earlier. She grabbed Urufu’s face in her hands and bent closer. It took more courage than she had thought, and she had to block out thoughts about impropriety she shared with a younger version of Kyoko. With more than a little glee she felt his astonishment as he met her kiss, and then everything else was lost in a roaring dizziness of pleasure as she grabbed his head and tasted his closeness.

It lasted for longer than she had imagined, but probably for a lot shorter than she had believed. Slowly voices from around her filtered into her private world of joy.

They’re going out?”

No it’s just a hobby. Don’t you also french people just for fun?” That was Kuri’s voice dripping with sarcasm.

Sis!”

Noriko disregarded the outburst. Urufu was hers, and her idiot bro could ditch his crappy attitude about it somewhere.

Then she felt Urufu’s hands grabbing her under her arms and her mouth left his. Suddenly her feet lost contact with the floor and moments later she sat on Urufu’s desk. After that his arms wrapped around her again.

Thank you!” he whispered in her ear. “I love you."

I thought Wakayama-san wouldn’t settle for anyone with poor grades,” some genius said from behind her back.

Noriko smiled.

Moron! She didn’t.” That voice also came from behind.

She smiled some more. “U-kun, I love you.” Noriko dug her fingers into his hair and pulled him closer into the embrace. “And I don’t care about your grades,” she added.

He hugged her back.

Then more rational thoughts finally entered her mind. “Urufu,” she began, “other people might care though,” she said and allowed herself to leave his embrace.

Urufu grinned and laughed. He nodded at the classroom entrance and when Noriko looked there she saw how it was packed with students staring at them.

I love how you’re quick on the uptake,” he said.

She glared at him.

Why don’t we handle that problem when it arrives?” Suddenly she was pulled into his arms again. She felt his lips touching her ear. “Right now I’m more interested in an after school date,” he whispered.

Noriko just nodded. The last weeks had been lonely. Problems could wait. “Anywhere but Haven.”

Sunday 2 December 2018

Chapter four, 2017, petty revenge, segment nine


Ulf stared at the list.

Fuck!

He knew his goal had been nothing but petty revenge, but failing it still hurt.

Third. Noriko second and the same guy who’d made some kind of unholy reservation with the gods of the list first. Just as he’d been on every exam session since their first mid terms as freshmen.

That first spot had been his goal ever since he started to senselessly cram like the rest of the students. Sure, third would still create an uproar, but, well, it wasn’t the same thing.

Ulf growled silently. It wasn’t just that he failed to get the first place. Given his opinion about himself and his capacity at studying when he really made an effort, the result in Japanese came as an ugly surprise.

And the day had begun so well. Waking up to the sound of his phone calling and Noriko’s voice from it a few moments later. A Noriko who not once admonished him for giving in to Ryu’s request he’d spend his afternoon biking around with Christina last Sunday.

Which he did, and while doing so realised he’d become friends with the woman he still loved. And he’d listened and he’d talked, and he’d laughed with joy at realising how her feelings for Ryu had grown into something that carried weight for the future. The joy, though, vaporised when he heard how Jennifer’s brutal bantering in the corridors was nothing but a shell that hid her broken core.

Still, the day had begun so well. A broken Jennifer wasn’t anything he could mend, and Ulf made it a point not to put too much energy into something he couldn’t affect. Comments about him being a cold hearted bastard be damned – he couldn’t affect those neither.

Now his promise to Noriko to share an after school date tasted sour in his mouth. He’d planned to celebrate with her, and if he was honest with himself, to tease her a little, but with her grabbing second place hers were the rights of teasing. Not that that mattered much. Her mind went places he could barely grasp, and if he got stuck in her shadow he’d just feel that much more pride in her.

But 85. It wasn’t as if 85 was a poor result by any means, given that Japanese very much was a foreign language for him, but he’d poured in long hours. The difference between 85 and the 95 he aimed for was momentous. As in at least another year’s worth of serious studying.

Ulf growled again. Now he was stuck with handling the inevitable uproar for making such a visible spot on the list after never having made the top fifty at all before. And all for a performance that lay far behind what he had hoped for.

Bloody hell, it’s high school level! The result sullied his two academic degrees, especially as one of them was language studies, and English sharing a Germanic heritage with his Swedish be damned. Learning Japanese was merely more difficult and he was still supposed to be a linguist of sorts.

But we didn’t really learn English at university, did we? That part was over and done with after high school. And it was. University English was learning about the English language, and Himekaizen was very much a high school, albeit a Japanese one.

He fled up the stairs to his classroom. Soon he’d be mobbed by classmates who wondered how he popped up from nowhere to a top position among the second years in the science track.

Ulf tapped his fingers against his desk. He’d prepared himself for that part. Soon both Noriko and Ryu would bug him as well, and they had different reasons to wonder what he had done. Solid reasons, but Ulf didn’t care any longer, and for that reason he hadn’t prepared for the onslaught from his friends.

After a while his classroom slowly filled up, but there was still a lot of time left of their lunch break. Given the decent weather and all Ulf normally only expected to see those who ate their lunch in the classroom here by now, but there were almost a dozen more present.

He looked up and met questioning eyes. He couldn’t do much more than shrug in response, and that created even more questions since it wasn’t a gesture universally used here.

With a sigh he dug up a book from his bag and pretended to study, which was exceptionally stupid since they had just received their mid term results. Ulf shook his head at his own ineptitude at subterfuge, and admitting it brought an involuntary smile to his lips.

Well, 3:1 was last year’s rumours, and the club. This year I guess anything goes. And that was a bloody awful thought, because the part with anything goes included the atrocity the two girls had to live through.

Ulf wiped he smile off his lips and pretended to study again. Concentrating took an effort, because that result in Japanese still plagued his mind.

Then there was some commotion by the doors, and Ulf looked up.
Well known as the faces were the still didn’t belong in his classroom. Most of them not even to this wing. He met Noriko’s eyes and felt embarrassment crawling all around inside himself. There was little left to do but studying his own shoes.

Tuesday 27 November 2018

Chapter four, 2017, petty revenge, segment eight


Thank you.”

Ryu looked at Kuri when she ended the call. Despite the thin tin-can quality to the sound he recognised his sister’s voice from the other end, but he hadn’t been able to listen in to her side of the conversation.

Sis?” he asked for confirmation.

Kuri nodded and smiled. For once she looked small and vulnerable. “Noriko helped me, and I owe her an apology.”

Leaning into the sofa Ryu returned her smile. It was his first time here, which was kind of odd since officially they’d been a couple for half a year. It could have been a perfect love nest, apart from being big enough to run various sports tournaments in, or apart from being furnished in a way that had him wonder if all money ran out after they put up the building.

There’s a lot of floor,” he said.

That bought him a smile from Kuri that showed a little teeth for the first time in days. At last a genuine smile. She flashed her prefect teeth whenever the camera demanded it, but it wasn’t the same thing.

Never got round to make it my home.” Kuri grabbed a towel and went for her bedroom. “Shower’s long overdue. Just wait for me, will you?”

Of course her bedroom has an attached bathroom. “Sure.”

This was the kind of flat that serviced the really rich, but it contained almost nothing inside to prove it. For a moment Ryu wondered why Kuri didn’t care, but then he recalled the reason why Kuri had once moved here.

Urufu. They broke the two of you apart. But that wasn’t all of it, was it? They broke you as well, or did you do that to yourself? Whatever he did Ryu knew he could never force a wedge between Kuri and her memories, or he’d lose her. She needed a place for Urufu in her heart.

The smartphone on the table chimed and Ryu threw it a glance. Sunday, noon. Noriko should be home by now. She spent the night with friends, or at least he hoped she did. Just thinking of her spending the night with Urufu made him angry.

Thank you? I owe her an apology? No, Noriko hadn’t slept at Urufu’s place after all. Besides, even if she did Sato-sensei probably would put a stop to anything indecent.

He listened to the muffled sounds of Kuri showering. A little over a year earlier he’d be blushing to his ears or try peeking; or at least imagine what he’d see if he tried peeking.

Am I growing up?

But that was too easy an answer. He listened to some more watery sounds. Last time he had shared the shower with her. There really was no reason to go peeking. Ryu doubted she’d even as much as scold him if he walked in on her.

He sighed and sank down in the sofa. Maybe they could make use of some dating time to buy at least a little furniture for her flat. Enough to make it resemble a home. Maybe they could spend nights here rather than in the down town establishments for couples who didn’t want to bring the other home for one reason or another.

Another few minutes went by while Ryu dozed off, and in the end he felt Kuri’s hand on his shoulder shaking him awake.

Afternoon date?”

Ryu nodded groggily and rose. He followed her to the hallway and like always when they found some time for a proper date she slipped into something with heels. Not too much of it, but enough to make it obvious she was the taller of the two.

You know that’s bullying,” he said on their way down in the lift.

She grinned. “Yup.” Then the mirth fell off her face.

Make it a short date? I believe you need to have a chat.” There were lots of areas where he couldn’t compete with Urufu, but reading the mood was not one of them. “We’ll grab a late lunch, and...” Wait, I’ve got a better idea. He told her.

Ryu waited outside the building waiting for Kuri to prepare better for his plans. Two phone calls later he felt like a much better person. When she returned she wore casuals and sneakers.

You sure about this?”

Yeah,” Ryu said. “I’ll hold on to this until the restaurant.”

He led Kuri’s bike with one hand and held hers in his other.

Almost feels like my boyfriend wants me to cheat on him.”

Ryu smirked. That thought had crossed his mind. “This is one of those adult things. I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself involved in, and I probably wouldn’t understand it fully.”

Continue.”

I’m jealous enough to have preferred if you talked things over with Tomasu, but I’m also honest enough to admit that the one you need talking to is Urufu.”

He was rewarded with a shine of gratitude in Kuri’s eyes when he looked at her.

Ryu, just so you know. You’re growing into a good man. I’m happy to have fallen in love with you.”

She didn’t use those words all that often, and whenever she did Ryu felt shivers of pleasure in his chest. Unfortunately they were always accompanied by him blushing like a child.

It’s not really me trying to be a gentleman,” he said to relieve himself from some of the awkwardness. “I have ulterior motives you know. This is just my way of trying to get you into bed later.”

Kuri giggled. “Your mind’s in the gutter for sure. Well, I believe that could be arranged,” she added and laughed.

With a sigh of relief Ryu squeezed her hand. Bedding her was pleasant enough, but for now he thoroughly enjoyed finally having managed to dispel the dark thoughts that clung to her the last week. If it took a dirty joke to give her joy and peace of mind then he could spend the rest of the day chaining vulgarities one after another.

I love you too,” he said. Those words came easy, because they were true.

Saturday 24 November 2018

Chapter four, 2017, petty revenge, segment seven


I’ve been here before.”

Kyoko looked at Noriko. Ueno park. They all had been.

At this café I mean,” Noriko said. “Had a talk with Principal Nakagawa,” she added.

When?”

Just after the nightmare began,” Noriko muttered.

Kareyoshi, of course. “The pig!”

Principal Nakagawa is a pig?” Jeniferu asked over her coffee.

Kyoko giggled. “No, Nakagawa-sensei is decent. I just guessed he spoke with Noriko about the pig.”

The pig?”

How dense can you be girl?” Hitomi glared at Jeniferu. “Kareyoshi!”

Across the table Tomasu looked as if he was about to grab Jeniferu and protect her from the verbal onslaught, but just as he reached for her something in his eyes clouded over and he dropped his hands and stared down at the table. Something was off.

Kyoko let her her eyes wander to Jeniferu. She looked both hurt and relieved. Yes, something was definitely off.

We’re here,” Noriko said, and Kyoko saw her stare at Jeniferu with murder in her eyes, “to talk about just that.”

Why would she be angry with Jeniferu?

Thomas, I want to, but I can’t. Not right now.”

Kyoko looked at Jeniferu, and as she did so she saw Hitomi’s dark glance. That the beauty had cast off her image as an airhead was no longer news to Kyoko, but her face expressed an understanding that made Kyoko feel left out of the loop. What’s going on?

Kyoko sipped some of her tea and waited for someone to let her in. She wouldn’t have been asked to postpone her date with Yukio for no reason.

The sound of a mug clacking on the table told her the time had come. It was Noriko’s mug.

Kyoko, please don’t hate me, but could you tell Jeniferu what happened to you?”

Kyoko frowned. “What happened...” Ah, the nightmare! “You mean the attacks?”
Noriko nodded.

The attacks?” both Hitomi and Jeniferu asked in unison. Tomasu just stared at her.

She had an inkling where this was going. “Jeniferu. First I need you to tell me what’s going on. I don’t want to hurt you with my ignorance.”

For the first time Jeniferu looked like a broken girl and only Noriko’s hands on her shoulders kept her in her chair.

I’ve been so scared. Ever since...”

So her brash attitude towards anyone who asked had been a show after all.

But Tomasu...” Kyoko began.

Jeniferu looked like she was about to start wailing, but she grabbed the edge of the table with her hands and stopped the tears. “I’m scared of him.”

What?

I’m so sorry Thomas. I love you, but you scare me, and you’ve done nothing wrong.”

Gods! Understanding finally hit Kyoko. “Noriko, I can’t.”

Why?”

Kyoko heard her own words blurt out. “I was attacked, but I wasn’t violated that way. I tried to protect Yukio both times, and it was all so quick, and I never lived through the kind of nightmare that would make me afraid of his touch.”

Both times?” Something in Jeniferu’s voice told Kyoko curiosity won over misery.

I heard you were assaulted, but both times? Hitomi added.

Maybe I can, after all.

Kyoko told them. About the attack aborted by her father and the one that wasn’t. She told them about how she could never have children and about the hate she felt for the man who stabbed her. She didn’t, however, tell them she suspected Urufu knew something bad had happened to him, and she didn’t tell them about her and Yukio’s hope for the future.

In the end, amidst a lot of blushing and half sentences, she did tell them a little about what she experienced together with Yukio, and how that made her feel safe and whole. How he made her feel safe and whole. Maybe that, if nothing else, would turn Jeniferu’s feelings for Tomasu in a more hopeful direction.

But you’re kids! How the hell...” Tomasu began after Kyoko was finished.

Together with Noriko she shot him down with angry glares. A freshman speaking about kids with Hitomi present was bad. But for Urufu behaving like an idiot at the start of the new year Jeniferu shouldn’t have known either.

Hitomi shook her head. “Keep your secrets. I don’t mind.”

Secrets?” Kyoko tried.

Look,” Hitomi said. “Four westerners pop up in school. Sometimes they behave like really old people and it’s like they’re a magnet to awful things happening.” She smirked. “I’m not blind you know.”

She got it wrong about Jeniferu, even though the girl did behave above her years from time to time, but Hitomi was close enough for Kyoko to feel something akin to fear rising in her. If Hitomi suspected something, then how many more in the club?

Then Kyoko surprised herself. “Another day, but not today. Today is for Jeniferu.” Kyoko glanced at Tomasu. It really was for him as well, but she hoped he would understand and forgive her.

He nodded approval, and when Kyoko looked, so did Hitomi.

You never felt dirty?” Jeniferu asked.

Kyoko bit her lower lip. This was the hardest part. “I did. I’ve never told Yukio, but when I found out I was barren I wondered if he wanted a soiled woman.”

Noriko shot her a shocked stare. “You never told me.”

I know.” Kyoko admitted the truth. “It’s my parents. I know they love me in their own way, but sometimes they hurt me being the way they are.” Then she turned her attention to Jeniferu. “But I’ve never ever been afraid of having Yukio close to me. I can’t even begin to understand that feeling.”

But you jut did!” A glimmer of hope glowed in Jeniferu’s eyes. “My dad, and your parents. I think I get it.”

Kyoko shook her head. “I don’t.”

Dad would get angry. Dad got angry.” This time Jeniferu shook her head. “That’s not right. He got angry with me as well, or at least I’m afraid he did.”

That didn’t make any sense at all, but the hard stare Tomasu shot Jeniferu told Kyoko it had made sense at least to him.

I should have been by your side when it happened. I’ll be there whenever you want me to,” he said.

It was a little bit of bravado and a lot of love. Kyoko hoped Jeniferu could come to trust the man she loved enough to give their relationship what it was worth. From what Kyoko had seen he was a thoroughly decent person.

Don’t you have a date?” Noriko asked, and Kyoko understood her friend was about to tell the others about what had happened to herself. She must still believe Kyoko didn’t know.

There was no betrayal. Noriko would tell her when she was ready, or at least when she felt both of them were. Kyoko was certain they already were, but it didn’t matter.

Wednesday 21 November 2018

Chapter four, 2017, petty revenge, segment six


I need professional help?”

Yukio looked at Kuri. They were on their way back from lunch to yet another midterm exam.

If Noriko says so, then you probably do,” Kyoko said from his other side.

Ko-chan!”

Yes, Kuri-chan, dear?”

Kyoko’s sugary sweet voice made Yukio cringe. He sped up and deliberately abandoned his girlfriend. When Kuri and Kyoko decided to swap blows with each other he never knew if they were serious or not.

See you after school,” Yukio announced and made for his classroom. It wasn’t like he’d be able to share it with Kyoko for the exam anyway.

And you probably do, and Urufu as well, he thought a little later when he made the last preparations for the exam. Epic levels of idiocy were probably better handled by professionals than by friends. Still, by now both Kuri and Urufu seemed to have settled down in their respective new relationships, one famous throughout the school and the other kept a secret. Well, nominally a secret anyway.

Exams ate the rest of the day, and the day after that. They were, Yukio thought after the week had passed, strangely easier than he had expected. When he mentioned it to Kyoko she chalked it down to a combination of club activities and the brutal cramming that prepared them for the spring term finals at Irishima High a few months earlier.

He tried to get a second opinion from Noriko, but when Yukio called Saturday he learned she was away paying Jeniferu a visit.

With Kuri away for work, Ryu almost certainly waiting for her, and Urufu most likely training that martial arts of his, or cycling to training, Yukio decided to spend the day alone with Kyoko. Dates had been few and far between the last weeks anyway.

With most of the old gang out of reach he suggested a change of place as well. Thus it was Yukio found himself an early Saturday afternoon waiting at the entrance to Ueno Zoo at one side of the park.

The first person to approach him however wasn’t Kyoko but rather Tomasu and Hitomi.

Funny seeing the two of your here,” Yukio greeted them.

No coincidence,” Hitomi said. “Kyoko called me earlier.”

Strange. I thought we were going to have a date. Yukio forced a smile and nodded to Kyoko’s classmate and only second year club member who had returned to Himekaizen apart from the old group.

Don’t worry, you’ll have your date eventually,” she continued. Hitomi had proven to be much less of an airhead than the girl who once joined the club. The short stunt at Irishima High had been good for her. At least in Yukio’s eyes.

Is Jeniferu OK with this?” Yukio said. This time addressing Tomasu.

It’s her request,” Hitomi answered rather than the boyfriend Yukio had just indirectly accused of cheating.

Tomasu fidgeted but chose to stare back across the park in the direction of the railway station.

Jeniferu’s?” Yukio said and followed Tomasu’s eyes. No matter if they came by subway or train they’d enter the part from the same entrance.

Hitomi turned and looked behind her as well. “Yes. She’s with Noriko and Kyoko picked them up on her way here.”

An obscure application of Chinese whispers flashed through Yukio’s mind. “Jeniferu told Noriko to call Kyoko to ask you to bring Tomasu here and notify me of the change of plans?”

Hitomi smiled when she turned back to face him. “Yes, that would be an apt description.”

Yukio shook his head. If what Urufu taught him about single points of failure and sequential dependencies was correct those inbound were likely to end up in Stockholm if they even got moving at all.

They waited. From time to time Yukio picked up his smartphone to see if there was a message.

Waited long?”

Yukio looked up. Urufu? Man, please make some sense of this!

I dropped my bike by the pond,” Urufu said as if that explained anything. “The rest will be here soon. Noriko got the zoo mixed up with the park, or rather Noriko and Kyoko did.”

Yukio shot Hitomi a glance, but she only smiled in return.

You’re telling me they’re waiting just across the...?” Yukio began, but then he saw Kyoko with Noriko and Jeniferu in tow walking from where he had once come himself.

I called them on my way here,” Urufu said. “Haven’t been here for ages, and when Noriko sent me a message I wondered...”

“… if things hadn’t been garbled in the end?” Yukio filled in.

He stared at his best friend and they both guffawed.

Something like that,” Urufu offered, and by that time Yukio’s stomach hurt a little, and the trio had made their way to them. Hitomi glared at him and Tomasu gave him a nonplussed stare.

Sorry, Yukio, but Noriko said it was important.”

He hugged her. Some of Urufu’s influence had rubbed off, and Yukio didn’t care that they were in public. “Don’t worry. We planned being together all of us anyway.”

Kyoko loosened herself from his hug. “No, we’re having that date, but it’ll have to wait a little. Yukio, this is important,” Kyoko said and looked at Jeniferu. “Could you wait here with Urufu for a while? Please!”

Yukio smiled back. If Kyoko said it was important for her he’d wait for however long it took. “Mind if we grab a drink?”

Kyoko shook her head. “Message when we’re done?”

Yukio smiled again and nodded.

He looked after Kyoko as she headed in the direction of a large fountain together with the rest of the girls and a bewildered Tomasu who was unceremoniously dragged away as well.

What’s up,” Yukio wondered aloud.

Girls’ talk,” Urufu said and frowned. “I hope they can make it work.”

I don’t understand.”

I wanted to say I hope you never will, but I’m afraid you already do.”

Yukio stared at Urufu. Sometimes he could be infuriatingly cryptic.

Together the both of them went in search for a vending machine.

Monday 19 November 2018

Chapter four, 2017, petty revenge, segment five


Noriko shook her head while she waited for Kuri to open the door. It was her first time here, and she regretfully accepted that she was a little curious. While she would have preferred to stay with Urufu in the Haven something in Christina’s voice told her that wasn’t really an option.

But why me and not Kyoko?

Suddenly the door clicked open and Christina’s voice called ‘please enter’ over a hidden intercom.

Noriko did as bidden and got inside.

Two pair of shoes waited for her in the hallway, and when Noriko looked into an enormous living room she saw Kuri waving.

I’ll be outside for a while,” Christina said to whomever her guest was. Then she ran to Noriko and hugged her. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help her. Please forgive me!”

Her? “What’s going on?”

It’s Jennifer. She’s in a bad shape, and I don’t think I’m the one she needs listening.”

No, no you didn’t! Now it was too late to back out. “You owe me for this!”

I know,” Christina said, “but I could never understand her the way you could,” she whispered.

You insensitive bitch! Why would I want to relive that? “You owe me,” Noriko repeated.

Christina didn’t answer. She just opened the door and vanished into the lift.

Noriko clenched her fists and with worms crawling down her spine she forced her feet into the living room. When she entered it she saw Jennifer’s small body hunched in a chair by a large table in the next room.

Of course this flat comes with a separate dining room. Gods it’s huge!

Jeniferu, it’s me,” she said into the silence.

No answer.

Noriko,” Noriko added at a lack of anything meaningful to say. Of course Jeniferu would know. I didn’t know walking trough a room could take this long. But it didn’t have anything to do with the room. Two years. It takes two years to walk to that table.

Memories of what had almost happened filled her mingled with the knowledge that there was nothing almost for Jeniferu. Urufu saved me, but Tomasu never made it in time for you. Did that make Urufu better than Tomasu? Noriko didn’t think so, not if she was honest, but she also admitted she might have fallen in love with Urufu the first time just because he did save her.

She left me. She didn’t want to talk with me.” The words petered out and Noriko heard how they were replaced by, first silent, but quickly wailing sobs.

I’ll never forgive you Kuri! But Noriko knew she would, even if it took a long time. Who told her about what happened to me? Ryu? But then Noriko remembered she herself had told both Principal Nakagawa and the entire student council last year.

She rushed to the table and sat down on a chair beside Jeniferu. “She’s scared,” Noriko heard herself say. She put her hands on the table. Right now she wasn’t certain if a hug would make the girl panic or not.

She?”

Noriko threw Jeniferu a glance. Maybe they would talk after all, or Noriko talk, or Jeniferu; she didn’t know. “Kuri,” she said after a moment’s hesitation.

Kuri’s scared? Of what?”

Urufu was as well,” Noriko answered. In ways it was a lie, but she believed he was. She hadn’t asked yet. “They don’t know what it’s like.” Suddenly afraid of stealing Jeniferu’s fear Noriko added: “And neither do I, not really.”

Then why did she leave you with me?” Jeniferu said and broke down again.

Good question, Noriko thought. Then she discarded it. Thinking like that was too close to the cynical freshman version of herself from over a year ago.

Because,” Noriko began. She dared touching Jeniferu’s shoulder to get her attention. “In middle school some boys tried to rape me.”

That did get her attention. Jeniferu’s eyes were suddenly wide open and she stopped sobbing at once.

Did they...”

No,” Jeniferu’s experience was far worse than Noriko’s, “Urufu saved me, Urufu and my brother.” Which wasn’t entirely true. Ryu had been too far away to know she needed saving.

I’ve been so afraid.” And Jeniferu’s eyebrows once again screwed up in a display of misery.

Noriko waited while Jeniferu cried and cried. Holding her seemed fine, and when Jeniferu turned her head and buried her face into Noriko’s shoulder she did the same. Fears she had forgotten surfaced and she joined Jeniferu in her wailing.

How much time passed before they stopped crying Noriko didn’t know, but certainly more than for any errand Kuri used as an excuse for leaving her flat.

Dad wants me to talk with someone,” Jeniferu said when they had both run out of tears.

Noriko stood heating water for some tea and turned at the sound of Jeniferu’s voice.

And you?”

Jeniferu shook her head. “Not with a stranger.”

A small cup with sugar made company on the tray where tea bags competed for space with two mugs and an equally small can of milk.

A professional,” Noriko said carrying the set through the room. “Living room?”

Jeniferu nodded and rose from her chair. Brown hair, some of it still wet from tears bobbed around her face and failed in it’s attempt to hide her red eyes.

Wonder if I look the same.

Noriko put the tray on a low table by a sofa, the two pieces of furniture that tried to hide in the huge space. Now when she wasn’t occupied with her and Jeniferu’s shared fear she had time to see how the entire flat screamed of desolation.

A professional,” Noriko repeated when Jeniferu joined her. “I believe you need one.” She looked around the empty room. “I believe Kuri needs one as well.”

Do you mean Kuri...”

No,” Noriko said and smiled for the first time since coming here. “For a different reason.”