tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70162819725190286582023-07-18T07:05:36.240+02:00Transition and RestartIf you were transported from this world to another almost identical. If you were transported from your life to your teenage self. If you had to restart your life again. Would you, or would you cling to your memories?Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.comBlogger516125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-75617117487157006432020-07-03T20:13:00.001+02:002020-07-03T20:13:22.540+02:00Chapter four, 2018, white Valentine, segment ten<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">White Day came and passed without
any surprises.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu carried a
backpack Urufu style. On his way to school it was filled with an
absurd amount of return gifts for Valentine, and on his way home he
cleaned out his junior year as a high schooler into it. Urufu did the
same, as did Kuri. A surprisingly large number of girls had gifted
her giri chocolate a month earlier.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As for Yukio and
Kyoko they only needed bags to clean out their second year. Hitomi
used her for her return gifts as well. Noriko, well Noriko stared at
hers in desperation. For the first time in her life she was loaded
with return gifts like a school celebrity. That photo shoot during
their Kansai trip was to blame for the celebrity part.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This year there
was no drama at all. Jeniferu already having given Tomasu honmei
chocolate during Valentines received a huge bouquet of flowers in
return, but you needed to be well versed in the language of flowers
to know that it didn’t represent a lovers gift to his other. And
yet, it did. Noriko knew that.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko had filled
her in on the strange arrangement between Tomasu and Jeniferu, and as
far as Noriko was concerned his gift to her wasn’t as much a White
Day gift as a Valentine one.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>White
Valentine? Well, something like that,</i> Noriko thought and smirked.
<i>You’d better forgive Yukio as well. He’d want to know why the
two of you should move your date a week.</i> Noriko tilted her head.
Kyoko might be angry, but this wasn’t a really serious crisis
between the two of them. Besides they got that day off and spent it
in twosome luxury.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko grinned
and closed the door behind her. In half an hour she had her own date
with Urufu. For her part she’d already blown up in his face and
forgiven him. Rather sulked and forgiven him. He gifted her with
exactly two red roses for a White Day gift, and she’d been stupid
enough to compare it with the ring Kuri received last year.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Gah! I’m an
idiot!</i> She should have known Urufu would research the meaning
behind his gift first. The bad part was that he didn’t know he was
long since forgiven. Worst case she’d receive another fifteen roses
when they met. She’d done her own research before this date. <i>For
once moron-sama is me.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shaking her head
she made it to the gates, left them behind her and walked to the
station.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hachiko. For some
reason he decided upon the most stereotypical of places to meet.
There was even a perfectly usable square much closer, but Noriko knew
to what degree Urufu associated it with Kuri. Well, he’d come up
with the strangest of surprises before. Starting at Shibuya didn’t
mean they’d end up with a stereotypical date.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When she left the
circle line she looked out the windows before descending the stairs.
There was no missing it. Urufu sat by the statue. He was surrounded
by teens and in his lap Noriko noticed a large bouquet of roses.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Crap! </i>She
hurried down, left through the entrance and started walking across
the square. <i>How do I explain this?</i> For a moment she longed for
more than a few seconds to reach him, but then she slapped herself
mentally and marched on.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When the lone boy
with the roses finally met his date the crowd around him quickly
dispersed, Noriko noted.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko, thanks
for coming here!” Urufu rose. “As a token of apology.” He bowed
and reached out with both hands.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Yeah, fifteen
of them.</i> Noriko didn’t even need to count. Glumly she accepted
her flowers. Y<i>ou didn’t even excuse yourself, and it wasn’t
even your fault to begin with.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Desperate to make
amends she looked around her. While the crowd had taken their
distance the two of them still were the centre of attention.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I owe you an
apology,” she said. “I misunderstood,” she added.
<i>Misunderstood, my arse! You behaved like a jerk,</i> Noriko.
Suddenly ashamed she fingered the roses in her hand. Slowly and idea
formed in her head, one that might at least salvage a little from her
mistake. She picked out one rose and returned it to Urufu’s hands.
When he met her eyes she picked out two more. “This is how I really
feel.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The stunned smile
on his face had her heart racing in seconds.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love you,”
she said and offered him another three.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A frown slowly
replaced his smile.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you mind if
I keep the nine?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He had, Noriko
understood, done his research. A sudden blush swept over his face,
but then he straightened and took her hands.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, yes of
course you can. I’d be honoured.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko felt
colour rise in her face. <i>Did I just force him to propose to me?</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Give me a few
more years,” Urufu said. “Where I come from you’re not supposed
to wait more than a year afterwards, according to tradition that is.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Wait more than
a year? Oh!</i> She heated up even more and something roared in her
ears. In the end this year’s belated White Day came with the
greatest of all surprises.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course,”
Noriko answered. She hardly heard her own voice. “I’ll wait for
as long as you need.”</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-54878341594610805802020-07-02T23:35:00.001+02:002020-07-02T23:35:58.425+02:00Chapter four, 2018, white Valentine, segment nine<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko snuggled closer to Yukio.
Urufu’s present had taken her by surprise even though she knew he’d
be too extravagant the way he always was.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While there were
still a lot of them in the living room it felt strangely empty after
most of the Irishima High guests left for the evening. The core
group, by now including Hitomi, and Tomasu and Jeniferu of course
stayed. They’d stay the night.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She frowned.
There was one more. Noriko had shut herself in her room with a friend
Kyoko didn’t know. She might have seen her occasionally, but most
likely it was a contact from middle school.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At another table
Tomasu, Jeniferu, Urufu and Kuri-chan ran a silent conversation.
Kyoko couldn’t hear what they spoke about, but she guessed the
contents. Across the table by which she herself sat Ryu kept Hitomi
too busy with stupid jokes for her to have any chance to grow anxious
about what happened closer to the kitchen.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was all very
normal and yet so absurd.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soon enough she’d
change places with Kuri-chan, and Urufu should probably be the one
who rose first to give his chair to Yukio. Between them Urufu, Ryu
and Kuri-chan should have no problem keeping Hitomi’s attention to
themselves for the time needed to sneak out through the kitchen and
into the backyard. Some topics, Kyoko suspected, were best kept out
of earshot even from those who really already were in the know.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Seconds grew to a
minute, and suddenly Urufu rose from his chair just as Kyoko had
guessed. An almost wave had Yukio copy his motion, and only the
discreet scraping of chairs on the floor gave away how the two best
friends changed places. Kyoko didn’t know Ryu well enough for such
an elegant solution, but in this case the one they wanted to keep in
the dark was Hitomi, or at least the one they wanted Tomasu and
Jeniferu to feel was kept in the dark.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu looked up
when a finger tapped on his shoulder and offered his chair to Kyoko
as he stood. With a half smile on his lips he walked across the table
just as Kuri-chan rose from Jeniferu’s side and stole the chair he
left moments earlier. It must have looked like Kyoko had nowhere else
to sit but at the other table.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Too much
drama,</i> she thought. There was no way Hitomi didn’t see through
it all, but as long as she played her role maybe Jeniferu believed
the dark beauty to be fooled. Tomasu you didn’t have to fool. The
easiest way to keep him in the dark sometimes was to grab his arm and
drag him away to where you wanted him. He’d protest, but he never
asked questions.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko just
hovered above the chair Kuri-chan left. There really was no need for
sitting down.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tea?” she
asked?</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A nod was enough
for her to leave for the kitchen. Behind her Jeniferu picked up her
cup from the table and followed.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Yukio!</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tomasu got
physically dragged from the table.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>You really
weren’t supposed to do that for real.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From the corner
of her eye Kyoko saw Jeniferu cover her mouth to hide her giggling.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko shook her
head, refilled the water boiler and replaced the used tea bag in her
cup before opening the glass doors to the Wakayama backyard.
Something trying a lot to look like western style outdoor furniture
greeted her, and she put her cup on a table.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I wonder if
Urufu has seen this crap?</i> One of her father’s very few real
friends had a minor obsession with northern Europe. Kyoko was a lot
more familiar with what people there used during summer than Urufu
ever knew. She probably was the first to understand the background
behind the atrocity of a home in Mie that day late last summer when
he and Noriko finally became a couple.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tomasu and Yukio
left the house and made Kyoko company. Both had cups in the hands,
Yukio’s with instant coffee powder and Tomasu a tea bag just like
Kyoko. Shortly after, even before the silence grew uncomfortable,
Jeniferu joined them with water boiler in one hand and a cup in the
other.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each of them got
something hot to drink and then Yukio drew for breath.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sorry,” he
said. “I know we were supposed to wait until White Day, but Noriko
told me it was better this way.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jeniferu nodded.
A thin smile that almost reached her eyes slowly spread on her face.
“If you’re trying to save our relationship, yeah, she’s
probably right.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko looked down
into her cup. What other reason was there for this kind of
subterfuge?</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Are you
interested in trying, or at least one of you?” Yukio said. His
deadpan tone surprised Kyoko.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Both shook their
heads.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s it
then I guess,” Yukio said and sighed.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Yukio!</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tomasu smirked.
“I think you lost Kyoko,” he said. “Better explain before she </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">panics.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko stared at
Yukio. Somehow she’d just been had.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don’t be a
jerk,” Jeniferu said and slurped down some watery excuse for what
some Americans still defined as coffee. “We’re not interested in
<i>trying</i>,” she continued after her cup joined Kyoko’s on the
table.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Look, you
nabbed one of our birthdays.” Kyoko let her irritation get the
better of her. “Explain in a way I can understand.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tomasu grinned.
This time it was an honest grin. “I love her. We’ll stick
together after a fashion.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jeniferu looked
at him and Kyoko heard the girl draw for breath. “You’re an
idiot, you know that?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s what
you like about me, isn’t it?” Tomasu responded.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko stared at
the strange verbal ping pong match. <i>And that was easy to
understand exactly how?</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you don’t
kick me out I’ll cling to your life for as long as you live.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The grin faded a
little. “If you love me then just say so,” he muttered.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love you.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love you as
well. Let’s break up.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yeah, let’s.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>What?</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Across the table
Yukio grinned so widely Kyoko feared his face might split.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>What?</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m not all
that interested, but I promise I’ll give it a try,” Tomasu said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>What’s going
on?</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jeniferu turned
and faced Kyoko directly. “We found a way that might work. I want
to have sex with Tomasu, but I’m still too scared to be alone with
him.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes?” Kyoko
said. She still had no idea where this was going.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I’ll try
sleeping around a little. To get rid of that fear. If you know any
sex friend material you trust please tell me.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whoa!” Kyoko
never guessed it was going in this direction.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m not
happy about it, but I’m willing to give it a shot. Besides I
already had my wild years myself. We broke up now so no one can
accuse us of cheating.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t
understand,” Kyoko said. “What did you just promise?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tomasu smirked.
“I won’t look for it, but I promised Jennifer I’d go along with
one nights if the opportunity comes. Guess she wants us to be on a
level field or something like that.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko turned and
stared at Jeniferu.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He’s right.
I don’t want to be the only one to feel like a slut.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tomasu shook his
head. “Nothing I can do. I already told her that Jennifer, the
other Jennifer that is, slept with just about everyone I knew before
the two of us settled down together. I honestly don’t think in
terms of sluts. Hate that word.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko grimaced.
She didn’t care about how the two of them solved the problem as
long as no one got hurt, but she really disliked Tomasu for telling
her about the other Jeniferu. It didn’t matter that she’d never
meet the woman.</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-25561477842284428402020-04-07T22:08:00.001+02:002020-04-07T22:08:15.077+02:00Chapter four, 2018, white Valentine, segment eight<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf sulked a little when Noriko
dragged a friend of hers away from the party and upstairs. Sure, they
all infringed on what should have been some alone quality time for
Yukio and Kyoko, but at least staying for the celebration was the
decent thing to do.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As it was neither
boyfriend nor girlfriend seemed to care, and dinner turned out to be
a lot of laughs and embarrassing memories. While the real reason for
the party hung over him like a shadow Ulf still noticed how most of
them truly enjoyed the birthday party.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Evening grew
deeper, turned into early night, and what had begun as a dinner was
now an unordered gathering of a dozen teens around a couple of sofas
in the living room. Food gave way to soda and tea, and right now the
mood changed from silly to a little apprehensive.<br /><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“From the
two of us,” Ai explained and pushed a small box across the table.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You or me?”
Yukio asked.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko didn’t
answer. She just leaned forward and grabbed the gift. A few moments
filled with paper ripping ended with a guffaw.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s even
worse that what we gave the twins!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf could only
agree. Whatever the atrocity was it held no doubts about whether it
was just poor taste or nuclear toxic. As it went back into its box
Ulf sighed with relief for the untold lives spared in the
neighbourhood.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That was…
intense,” Yukio offered.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another round of
guffaws spread around the table, and Ai returned a benign and
triumphant smile. “Beat that!” she said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf could see
what once made Ryu fall for the girl, even though he recalled a much
more childish version of her from last year. <i>But at least that
wasn’t our fault,</i> he thought and glanced at Kuri. The two of
them hurt a lot of people, but from what Ryu told he and Ai managed
that particular disaster without the help of anyone. The line of
thought brought him back to the real reason they abducted Yukio and
Kyoko. <i>This one, though, is our fault, to a degree.</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He
met Kuri’s eyes, but she shook her head.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just thinking
of how we messed up the lives for everyone,” he said in Swedish.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don’t you
dare blaming yourself!” she responded in the same language.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From the corner
of his eyes Ulf noted how Thomas reacted to words spoken in their
shared language, but Ulf doubted he had understood the contents
though the bedlam that resulted from opening one gift more atrocious
that the other.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He shook his
misgivings away and leaned backwards. In his backpack four presents
lay waiting, or rather two presents. He rifled through the contents
and picked up two card board envelopes. One each made their way to
Yukio and Kyoko respectively.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stamped and
signed,” Ulf said. “Have a look at them with your parents and do
the same if you agree.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What’s
that?” Jennifer wanted to know.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stamped and
signed, he said. Contracts most probably,” Thomas suggested from
her side.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf looked at the
couple. An invisible band of mutual attraction tied them together,
and he hoped whatever came of their nightly talks would see it uncut.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Contracts?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Part time
jobs,” Ulf explained.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He was met by a
stare of disbelief, and after a few moments of confusion Ulf realised
seventeen year old kids didn’t normally hand out employment
contracts. Well, Jennifer knew the truth. It couldn’t be helped.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What kind of
job?” Ai’s friend wondered.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Neither Yukio nor
Kyoko had opened their envelopes. They gave each other a look and
smiled.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m making
presentations and Yukio’s responsible for what goes into them,”
Kyoko said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf gave her a
grateful look. It was, he guessed, as close to the truth as possible.
He couldn’t tell everyone how Yukio ruthlessly cut away anything
that didn’t need to go into the finished material, and Ulf
definitely knew he couldn’t tell anyone Yukio did so with a superb
gut feeling that matched just about anyone Ulf had worked with the
last thirty years. Last thirty years was another thing that didn’t
go well together with seventeen years old kids.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio writes
and you do the layout?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko nodded.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sounds kind of
boring.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, it’s a
job,” Kyoko said, “and I get to work with my boyfriend, so that’s
a plus.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At that time Ryu
returned from the kitchen loaded with a tray full of cups. He put it
on the table and smiled. “Coffee and tea coming up,” he said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf sighed
silently with relief. Ryu might not like him and Noriko being a
couple, but when it came to easing up work Ryu never allowed personal
feelings to interfere. He looked at Ryu returning to the kitchen and
quickly dug up the real presents.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One for you
and one for you,” Ulf said and handed over two paper bags. He
guessed he could have done a better job with wrapping, but he’d
been in a hurry when he went shopping for birthday gifts.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko opened her
bag and looked inside. “What’s… Oh, you shouldn’t…”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf smiled. “I
got them cheap to be honest.” That was a lie, but the price was cut
by almost forty percent from what he was used to, so in that sense
they were cheap.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Her hand came
back from inside the bag with a box. “Thank you!” she said. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They
both knew he wouldn’t accept her refusal.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wow!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Are they
wireless,” Yukio asked.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf nodded.
“Bluetooth. “I’ve seen her struggling with that cord for too
long.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cheap, man,
your sense of cheap is way off,” Yukio said and looked at the
earbuds Kyoko had received. Then he dug into his own bag. “What the
hell man!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf shrugged.
“You never put that phone of yours away. I guessed a decent power
bank could be useful.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Decent power
bank. Man, I could keep two tablets alive for a day with this
monster.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope you
like it.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio nodded. It
was the kind of gift only he would love, and for once Ulf’s long
experience with technology hadn’t been the deciding factor. His
knowledge of picking the best one had been, but it was Kyoko who
suggested that Yukio could do with some extra juice. Ulf guessed her
request came after she began suspecting he’d go well beyond what
was normally acceptable for a present between friends.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu returned with
beverages and Ulf leaned back in the sofa. Another half an </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">hour would
see half of them leave, and after that all that was left was the real
reason for the party.</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-48448760600958789302020-03-24T15:18:00.002+01:002020-03-24T15:19:32.054+01:00Not dropped, not even on real hiatusJust to clarify.<br />
<br />
The story is not dropped, and I haven't even really put it on hiatus.<br />
<br />
Working as a teacher I'm currently switching from on-site lectures to running them all remote. That comes with some rather heavy re-planning of both content and methods used. All in all I'm currently swamped with handling moving from classroom education to an on-line one.<br />
<br />
Another week or so should see both me and my students accustomed to the new normality, in as much as anything could be called normal at the moment.Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-26143983086952182672020-03-12T17:02:00.002+01:002020-03-12T17:02:47.946+01:00Chapter four, 2018, white Valentine, segment seven<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the disaster at the café any
serious talking had to wait until evening. Well, evening came, with a
conversation and all, and in the end Ryu managed to convince both
girls to attend a birthday celebration. One out of two since both
Yukio and Kyoko were adamant they’d have the other for themselves.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu found no
flaws in their reasoning. He’d be damned if he had to give up on
celebrating Kuri, and Noriko’s pairing up with Urufu at least
carried the advantage of brother and sister no longer needing to
express how much twins they were during their shared celebration.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He also found it
rather cute and amusing how Yukio and Kyoko handled their birthdays.
With their respective days of celebration just one week apart they
apparently saw it as one event in two parts. That was, Ryu mused,
probably the only sane thing to do. For Yukio and Kyoko this was a
month long insanity with Valentines, two birthdays, white day and end
of school more or less evenly spread out. A week to catch your
breath, if even that.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now that first
birthday was here, the one that Yukio and Kyoko decided was a
combined celebration together with friends. For an occasion like this
Ryu didn’t have to go far, and neither did his sister. The entire
gang, strengthened by Hitomi, Tomasu and Jeniferu all sat in the
Wakayama living room. Another six people were on their way here.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You have
everything you need?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu looked up.
The question was superfluous at best, but during the last hellish
year there had been few occasions for him to bring friends back home,
and Ryu guessed his parents were worried. In the end he just nodded.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then I’ll
have dinner with Tadao. Please don’t be too late.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It wasn’t like
they planned to run around late at night, but since that dinner meant
an overnight stay at an onsen Ryu accepted that his mother didn’t
want over a dozen teenagers to run rampant in the house all night
long.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of them
are staying over,” he said. She already knew, but he wanted her to
reaffirm that she did.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We only have
six extra futons, remember?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That had to do as
confirmation. “I know mom. Have a good time.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She just smiled.
“We always do.” There was something naughty in her voice,
something he’d rather hear from a classmate than from his mother.
“It’s been a while since we had an outing just the two of us.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He definitely
preferred something like that from a classmate. “Take care.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I will,” she
said. She was halfway through the door when she turned and looked at
him. “I won’t do anything you haven’t already done,” she
added with a wide grin on her face. For a moment his mother’s face
lit up like a mischievous devil, twenty years old rather than forty.
Then she was outside, and Ryu wondered what kind of life she once led
as a teenager.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What was that
about?” Noriko asked from her seat in the sofa.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu frowned.
“Dunno.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By Noriko’s
side Kuri and Urufu looked at each other and laughed.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bad girl!”
Kuri said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Very bad,”
Urufu agreed. “There’s a bad boy waiting for her,” he said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Look, that’s
my mother you’re talking about,” Ryu protested.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Both Kuri and
Urufu shook their heads.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No,” Kuri
said. “That’s a girl ten years younger than me. Damn she’s
cool!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Grew into it?”
Urufu said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This time only
Kuri shook her head. “Don’t think so. She probably dared
everything I didn’t myself when I was fifteen. She’s a natural
you know.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mum's
awesome,” Noriko broke in.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yeah, she is,”
Kuri said. “She must have made a lot of enemies as a kid.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A lot of
friends as well,” Urufu countered. “I don’t think being on her
bad side would be good for your health.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko bent
forward and poured some tea for herself. “Mum’s awesome,” she
repeated with a happy smile on her face.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu looked at his
sister. They were twins. While outsiders always compared him with
their parents, in truth Noriko inherited the invisible parts. Brains
to begin with, but also the inner strength their mother really had
and their father pretended he had.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The doorbell rang
and Ryu hastened to it. Outside Ai waited with her best friend. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Behind them four former Himekaizen students, all members of the club,
lined up by the gate. They carried paper bags in their hands, and Ryu
suspected Yukio and Kyoko would return home laden with presents.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then Ryu noticed
a surprise guest. <i>Oh, been a while!</i> A classmate from middle
school, and one of Noriko’s few close friends from that time. What
connection, if any, she had to Kyoko Ryu didn’t know, and Yukio,
well Ryu didn’t even remember him from middle school despite
sharing the same grade for three years.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Guess food
will be enough for one more. Wonder what she’s doing here though.</i> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He invited all seven and waited for Noriko’s surprised outburst
when she saw who had come to visit.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It didn’t
happen. When the unannounced guest entered the living room Noriko
just nodded, excused herself and followed the girl up the stairs to
her room.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With a tinge of
irritation Ryu shrugged it off. A boyfriend and girlfriend each meant
brother and sister were no longer as close as he’d grown used to.
Maybe it was as simple as a matter of age. He didn’t know.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We’re having
hotpot,” he announced after giving his sister another thought. “A
lot of hotpot. Who’s helping me prepare it?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri smiled and
raised her hand into the air like an elementary school kid.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s one.
One more,” Ryu said. Spending time alone with Kuri in the kitchen
wasn’t time wasted, but she was an awful cook.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Two more,”
Jirou said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu looked for
Sango by his side and she nodded. The couple followed him to the
kitchen and with three and a half chefs they made short time of the
ingredients. Preparations went even faster when Ai and friend unasked
set the tables.</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-68943898513829248462020-03-07T18:50:00.003+01:002020-03-07T18:50:51.777+01:00Chapter four, 2018, white Valentine, segment six<br />
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, lunch date with your ex. What
would Kuri say?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She’d say
I’m a decent man for not breaking off all contact because our
relationship went south,” Ryu said. Once lovers but no longer they
somehow still managed to grow an awkward friendship which allowed
room for some friendly insults and bantering.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Around them
tables quickly filled up, and Ryu noted how more than a few high
school students were among the guests. By this time of the year
seniors didn’t make anyone raise an eyebrow since the only thing
they did was wait for the outcome of their entrance exams. However,
if even half of the school uniforms here were seniors Ryu was willing
to eat his own cardigan.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I’m bad
company even for those I’ve never seen before.</i> He accepted the
smugness in that thought. It was all a part of being Wakayama Ryu.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Girls coming
here as well,” Ai said and rudely ripped the carpet from under his
feet.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu glanced
around him. The tables had filled with a lot less girls than he had
expected. Sure enough, three of them only had female customers
throwing him looks that were anything but shy, but the glances from
boys weren’t directed at him.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Ai’s cute
and all, but she’s hardly…</i> Just as Ryu changed his mind and
reconsidered how beautiful his former girlfriend had grown the last
year Jeniferu boxed Ai on her shoulder and gave her a naughty grin.
Seconds later a blast of charisma had just about everyone in the café
rise from their chairs. Girls or boys mattered little.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Ah, I forgot.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s been
too long,” Jeniferu said and giggled.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>You’re a
pain in the arse, but I’d like to see more of that side.</i> That
he had forgotten what she did to a room filled with people if she
wanted reminded him of why he was here in the first place. <i>Was if
because Tomasu didn’t come running like a puppy whenever you pulled
that stunt?</i> Maybe. Ryu didn’t know, but he could see how
someone like Jeniferu would be interested in men who didn’t react
to her games.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One boy, a
freshman most likely, proved braver than the others and tried to join
the three of them at their table.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you mind?”
he asked.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu stared at
eyes filled with experience from playing around. <i>I could have been
like you,</i> he thought, <i>but sis pulled in the reins.</i>
Suddenly Ryu felt a surge of gratitude for the midget sized bulldozer
he grew up with. “We’re having a conversation,” he began in
what he hoped was a polite enough voice.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We finally got
to have the Prince of Himekaizen for ourselves,” Ai broke in. She
put her cup to the table. “What makes you believe we’d be
interested in anyone else?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The boy fidgeted
a little, but Ryu guessed he didn’t get those eyes from backing
away at every setback.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He’s just
one guy.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He’s just
the guy Ageruman Kuritina chose. Just your average supermodel
boyfriend,” Ai responded and upped the ante. There was still a
glimmer of resentment in her voice, but only students at Irishima
High would know the reason.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was a sound
of another cup hitting the table. Ryu noticed from the corner of his
eye how Jeniferu played around with a prank probably best left alone.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The door opened
and another group of guests arrived. This time just girls who came to
drink a little and stare at him quite a lot.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu needs two
girls to keep him occupied,” Jeniferu said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Oh no, you
don’t!</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She blasted away
once more and waited for everyone in the cafe to fixate on her.
“Well, maybe just one of me. I was referring to mere mortals after
all.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>That was
nasty.</i> Ryu felt sorry for Ai. <i>Besides, you just got another
two dozen enemies in here.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I need her
to keep me in check, which makes up both quite busy,” Jeniferu
continued. Then she nuked the café a third time. “Don’t you
agree?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Poor sod!</i>
Ryu stared at how the boy deflated. He might be used to the boys and
girls game, but no one got used to being around Kuri and Jeniferu.
<i>Kiddo, you’re out of your league.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Suddenly Ryu
understood why Urufu used that expression. Over thirty years of added
experience was another way to cheat in that game. Urufu might not
have the natural ability, but he had years and years of added
memories to compensate with. <i>And he has his own way of shining
like a star.</i> Whenever chaos engulfed a group of people Urufu
turned into an inhuman monster. <i>Sometimes I just hate you. You eat
chaos for breakfast and shit out order.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The sound of
clattering metal brought Ryu out of his thoughts. He blinked and a
teaspoon dancing on the table caught his eyes.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What did you
just say?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>What? Damn, I
just said that aloud, didn’t I?</i> “I… nothing.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Across the table
Jeniferu guffawed. Ai threw her questioning eyes and Ryu wished he
could vanish through the floor.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now there’s
a boy where one of me isn’t enough,” Jeniferu said. “He shits
out order you said,” she added and laughed again.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By now Ryu
thoroughly regretted coming here. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No
cafe after that ramen joint would have been a good start. No h</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">e should have bought something to
eat and spent the lunch at their school. At least he was a known
entity there, and a few girls aside this circus would never have
happened.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What’s going
on?” the boy asked. He still hadn’t left the table. Just like the
everyone else in the cafe he stood rooted to the floor after
Jeniferu’s brutal show earlier.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just chatting
about a friend,” Jeniferu offered. “He shits out order,” she
clarified, “and he’s the only man I know who could give Ryu a run
for his money.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu grinned. He
threw the boy and evil smile just for the hell of it. “Welcome to
reality,” he said. “Enjoy your high school days.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The last month of
his junior year turned out a lot more absurd than Ryu had expected.
Like a prolonged Valentine’s day. More like a month long white
Valentine to put him in his place.</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-47176116715956294622020-03-04T18:18:00.001+01:002020-03-04T18:18:14.586+01:00Chapter four, 2018, white Valentine, segment five<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu swore a little. Then he tried to
come up with an excuse to get out of it. After that he swore a little
more.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With February
turning into Mars the end of the year wasn’t just something close.
Now it was breathing down his neck.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One good thing
about being together with Kuri was her looks, and almost two years
earlier that would have sealed the deal. Ryu was two years older now
though, and while he certainly enjoyed staring at her beauty that was
no longer the reason he loved her, or at least not a major part of
it. For him she looked like Kuri. If anything he loved the Kuri-ness
of her, if such a word even existed.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One good thing
about being together with Kuri was how he himself became even more
popular without having to reject girls confessing to him every so
often. That was joy and the practical combined into one.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One not so good
thing was how it took him the better part of two weeks to eat all the
chocolate he had been given. He did eat it all. That was only being
respectful. Besides he had nothing better to do while keeping tabs.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One bad thing was
the keeping of tabs. White days closed in on him, and he’d make
good use of the leftovers from Urufu’s inflated salary during
winter break. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Carrying his return gifts to school meant slinging one
of Urufu’s atrocities across his shoulders, because the bag Ryu
normally used simply couldn’t fit it all inside.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Still, a matter
of showing proper respect.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thus it was that
Ryu grumbled and made his way to Irishima High. Sure, he could have
caught up with Ai in the café, but that would be doing her a great
disservice, and she deserved none of that. While his face was known
at the other high school he was nowhere as famous there as at
Himekaizen.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In his pocket he
carried a letter signed and sealed by the vice principal of Irishima
High. Ryu had acquired it last evening, and it gave him blanket
permission to enter the school grounds.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He barely made it
into the school before a teacher apprehended him.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Your business
here?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu dug into his
bag and showed his letter. “I’m here on behalf of the exchange
club. There is a… are members in this school I’m meeting.”
Jeniferu might be his real reason for being here, but not talking
with Ai would be rude to put it mildly.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br />“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Names?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hasegawa Ai
and Cooperu Jeniferu, sensei,” Ryu said. He didn’t know where
their home rooms were, so any help from the staff here was
appreciated.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Would you mind
waiting in the office until lunch?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu bowed and
followed the teacher. While polite that question held undertones of:
how come you’re skipping school? Apparently a letter signed by the
vice principal here had less value than the fact that a student
visited another school during what was obviously a school day.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Walking through a
corridor and up some stairs was short business. Irishima High was
substantially smaller than Himekaizen. In ways it looked more like a
rural middle school than the prestigious private high school it was.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While Himekaizen
by no means belonged to the group of schools with a poor reputation,
being neighbours with Irishima High stained it. Not being as good as
somehow came to mean pretty bad. In that sense Red Rose Hell served
as a nearby example of what a school with poor academic performance
really was, but now that hell hole had closed down. Sure, their
middle school still had students, but nothing could save it from the
downwards spiral, and besides you just didn’t compare middle
schools with high schools.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu left the
train of thoughts when he was let inside the teachers’ office,
found a chair by a window and sat down to study how these school
grounds differed from the ones he was used to.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No large,
gravelled expanse to begin with. To reach the buildings you had to
walk a paved walkway separating sports ground from a line of bike
stands which gave way to a narrow area where they grew vegetables.
This school must have some kind of gardening club.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Would you like
some tea?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu turned at the
sound. “Yes, yes thank you,” he said. After that he returned to
watching the outside. Somewhere in his mind a nagging voice told him
he’d done something wrong, but he couldn’t find out what.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here you are.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you.”
He took the offered mug and sipped a little. <i>Ah, of course!</i>
Three years at Red Rose Hell taught him a few bad habits. “Would
you want me to buy something for you in the cafeteria?” Ryu asked.
Just because the female teacher was young it didn’t mean he should
take it for granted that she offered domestic chores.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you!”
Her face lit up. “But there’s no need, and besides there’s no
cafeteria in this school.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu smiled. Now
when she mentioned it Irishima High’s reputation was based on
academic merits. It wasn’t a fashionable school in any way. If
anything they took pride in being a little old fashioned – sailor
uniforms and gakuran only reinforced that impression.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With nothing else
to do he whiled away the time sipping tea and studying the school
exterior until bell rang for lunch and he was showed the way to the
first year classrooms. He’d grab Jeniferu there and pick up Ai on
the way out. His letter allowed him to bring friends for a meal
outside the school provided he escorted them back well within time
for the next period.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The same shabby
concrete floors he was used to from Himekaizen led him to a corridor
feeding classrooms, and someone must have told Jeniferu of his
arrival, because she stood waiting for him outside what he guessed
was her classroom.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She led him to
the second year area and minutes later they headed through gates and
in the direction of a cheap ramen shop where you could have your fill
even as a ravenous teenager. For once Ryu felt happy both girls
discarded their girlishness in favour of a solid meal.</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-15381240151923022272020-02-29T12:47:00.001+01:002020-02-29T12:47:51.552+01:00Chapter four, 2018, white Valentine, segment four<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Having that chat with Ulf took more
than the day Christina promised Ko-chan. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Almost a week passed before
her schedule and Ulf’s coincided, which meant freshmen and juniors
both dropped everything in favour of cramming before the last exams
of the year. Stealing some of his time meant grabbing him by the neck
in the Haven between cramming sessions in the inner room.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko threw her
a sour glance, and Christina regretted chipping away even a little in
the already limited time Ulf and Noriko could share, but a promise
was a promise.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Outside?”
Ulf asked after he resigned himself to being dragged away from his
girlfriend.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christina nodded
and opened the door. A tired chiming of the doorbell later they stood
on the street. She waited for her body guards to arrive as well. Now
was not the time to play mouse and cat with them.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Could you give
us some privacy, please?” she asked.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When she passed
the convenience store a little later both guards followed them
discreetly just out of earshot.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Talked with
Yukio?” Christina asked. Walking by Ulf’s side was no longer
awkward, and she could enjoy his company and long for Ryu at the same
time.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yeah.” Ulf
fell silent again. “Why don’t we take this in Swedish? It’s
been a while.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Oh!</i>
Cramming Japanese the last year had made her used to using the
language. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maybe too used to. “Sure.” </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like the first year.</i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
Christina pushed that thought away. First year included memories she
treasured, but they were best treasured alone.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf switched
language. “Just in case your goons get too close. Want to keep it
alive as well.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With a nod
Christina nudged him to continue. Forgetting the language she once
grew up with wasn’t the reason they were out here.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mind strolling
through some side streets?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She shook her
head. There was less traffic and despite dusk turning into evening
darkness she’d be absolutely safe with Ulf and body guards close.
If anything a stalker, and she had too many of those since becoming
famous a year and a half earlier, would be the one in danger.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few blocks
later they were enveloped in darkness. Japan being Japan dusk was but
a fleeting moment between day and night. Of course it wasn’t really
dark; it never was in Tokyo. Still, here away from the main street,
her feet echoed in a subdued light she remembered from her first
teenage years back in a Stockholm that no longer existed. In more
ways than one that was a world lost and gone.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You should
tell Noriko your feelings more often,” Christina said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She knows I
love her,” came the expected response.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Moron. You
really are an idiot.</i> She took a deep breath and forced down her
irritation with the man she once loved to insanity. “You’re a fan
of making new and exciting mistakes,” Christina began. “Reusing
old ones is a waste of time, didn’t you say that?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After a few
seconds of silence Christina heard Ulf drawing for breath. “Yeah,
so what? It’s not like…”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She cut him
short. Some kinds of idiocies you never ever did again. “Just tell
her you love her! No special occasion, no special romantic feelings,
no special nothing. Just tell her over and over again!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I might
not feel like…”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then fake it!
As long as you want her by your side then tell her! Tell her several </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">times a day!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But that would
be dishonest…”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Look you
idiot!” If this lesson called for her hurting him then so be it.
“The day Noriko walks out of you because you didn’t love her
enough, that’s the day you’ll understand just how dishonest you
are all the time.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf still
fidgeted. “It just doesn’t feel right…”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you love
her?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course I
love her. That’s not what it…”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then tell her!
Trust me on this one. You already lost one girlfriend because you
didn’t.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This time he
flinched, just as Christina had known he would. <i>Note to self.
After this talk I’m getting some alone time with Ryu no matter
what.</i> An entire evening snuggling up together with her showering
him with affection, now <i>that</i> was the kind of special event you
couldn't afford every day.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christina didn’t
wait for him to protest. To be honest she didn’t expect him to. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Her
last salvo hit below the water line and he was sinking fast.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>If I’m the
teacher in matters of love then something’s seriously wrong.</i> But
maybe this was matters of communication. She didn’t really tell him
how to love Noriko. <i>How the hell did you manage to stay married
for over twenty years? </i>But he had, and Christina knew he had
experience from before that. The way he explored her body when they
were still a couple gave away that his wife had been anything but his
first.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Look,” she
said to change topic. “Ko-chan is complaining, and that means Yukio
is as well. We have to get off their backs but I still need their
help.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf’s face lit
up again. He probably felt happy about any topic that didn’t remind
him of last year’s disastrous Valentine. A pity this topic would.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Playing Cupid
with the freshmen?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christina shook
her head. “It’s gone beyond that. That’s why it can’t be you
and me. We’re living proof of how wrong it can go.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By her side Ulf
froze in his steps. <i>It took you this long to understand why our
break up disqualifies us from helping them? How dense can you be?</i>
She screamed a little inside. <i>Does that make me the queen of fools
falling for him the way I did?</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So Yukio and
Kyoko?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio and
Kyoko. They’re the sane couple.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I could go
with Noriko,” he protested.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I just scolded
you for your lack of affection, so that’s a big no.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You and Ryu?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You mean the
guy who spent more time last autumn trying to break the two of you up
than hugging me?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf fell silent
again. “So Yukio and Kyoko?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Above them
something frightened took flight and left an echo of shaking twigs
behind it. Christina looked up but she only saw naked branches
stretching into the sky.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ll pull
some strings as well. Ryu owns me a few.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Irishima?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For being so
dense, sometimes Ulf’s ability to put things together bordered on
clairvoyance. Christina shuddered. “Irishima,” she confirmed.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t
think Ai deserves this.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christina nodded.
“I know, but she’s the closest we have as a friend of Jeniferu’s.
I need someone in that school as well.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let Ryu handle
it. You’re going to hurt people anyway:”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>You
insensitive arse!</i> But Ulf was right. Besides Ryu needed to talk
things over with Ai anyway.</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-6459539377860841772020-02-27T19:55:00.001+01:002020-02-27T19:55:20.347+01:00Chapter four, 2018, white Valentine, segment three<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just like last year the school was
eerily empty. Unlike last year Kyoko had no problem finding a place
for herself and Yukio in the cafeteria. They were second years after
all.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Exams, White day
and end of school, graduation for their seniors and after that the
short spring break. A month; even less depending on how you looked at
it. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The seniors had three weeks until life as they knew it ended. For
Kyoko the two weeks between her junior year and her senior one
signalled both a transition and restart. Third year was in
preparation for a new world, but it wasn’t yet that new world.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio, over
here!” She waved at him from her table.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio paid and
walked over to her with a tray in his hands.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About our
birthdays,” he said as he sat down and put his tray down with a
thump that had everything on it dance around.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We might have
to share them with the others.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dancing food in
combination with the tone of his voice made Kyoko look at him a bit
closer. “You make it sound like a bad thing,” she tried.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He mumbled in
response and shovelled food into his mouth.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>OK, bad thing.
But why?</i> “Yukio, my mind reading failed badly. Can’t we just
give them some time early evening and celebrate alone after that?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wish!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It wasn’t like
him not to think about a solution even before finding out how bad a
problem was. “Look, if I talk with Kuri-chan and ask her…”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can’t.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That was new.
Yukio never told her what she could or couldn’t do. Kyoko copied
him and filled her mouth with something to chew on lest he became the
target of her chewing. If he behaved like an insensitive moron there
had to be a reason for it.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Explain,”
she said when her irritation cooled down a little.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio met her
eyes. He looked gentler now. Somehow he’d pushed down whatever ate
him. “Tomasu and Jeniferu,” he said. “It’s pretty bad. They
need some talking or they’ll break up the bad way, as in worse than
Urufu and Kuri bad way.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You didn’t do
worse that that. Kyoko’s best friend spent half a year failing
miserably at breaking up with the man she loved and who loved her
back. In the end they hurt each other and everyone around them.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko smiled. “I
like the selfish you,” she said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Huh?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She turned and
looked around to make sure no one listened. “You want our birthdays
to be for us alone. That makes me happy.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio gave her a
sullen stare and took another bite of his lunch. “Of course. You’re
my girlfriend.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She really did
like him for that. “We’re also the wingmen of the school heroes.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That makes us
heroes as well. I’ll ask Kuri-chan. You go to Urufu and find out
what he needs, OK?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio nodded and
finished his lunch. Kyoko wondered if the reason he was so sour to
begin with was exactly because he knew from the start that this would
be what they both decided upon.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko finished
her food as well, and together they carried their trays and disposed
of them. They left the cafeteria and between shoe lockers Yukio gave
her a short peck of a kiss before they parted ways.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She spent the
rest of the day paying proper attention to lessons and shortly after
Kyoko found herself by Kuri-chan’s lockers waiting for her friend.
A few classmates waved when they grabbed their shoes and left school.
Bored with nothing to Kyoko stared through the entrance to what had
become her world for almost two years. Across the school yard a line
of sakura shrugged naked branches in the wind as if it was still
winter, but every time the doors opened a whiff carried promises of
spring to come.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ko-chan?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko looked over
her shoulder. They hadn’t made an agreement to see each other after
school, and she was certain Kuri-chan was in a hurry for one
modelling job or another.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She had, just as
she said she would an eternity ago when they were still middle school
students busy with becoming friends, grown into a stunningly
beautiful woman. Blond hair and blue eyes aside, everything about her
woke the desire in anything male. Kyoko guessed the same went for
jealousy when it came to women.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I don’t
think I’d like knowing I’d grow into that. It must be scary.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My birthday,
or Yukio’s, I want one of them alone with him,” Kyoko said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why are you
telling me?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You’re
getting dragged into Tomasu’s and Jeniferu’s problems, and that
means the two of us get dragged into it as well.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri-chan nodded.
“A selfish Kyoko. How improper,” she said and grinned.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko recalled a
life lived according to rules. She returned the grin. “You taught
me.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Seems I was a
good teacher.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Very.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You want me to
make sure we’re off your back?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko’s grin
thinned into a smile. “Yes, I’d like that. We’ll give you white
day.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was a
glimmer of surprise in Kuri-chan’s eyes.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s when,
as Urufu so elegantly would say, the shit hits the fan.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Both observant
and improper,” Kuri-chan quipped.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know. It’s
called acquiring new skills.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s my
girl!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio’s.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was a
moment’s silence. “You win.” A wide smile spread over
Kuri-chan’s face.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Things got
strained between the two of them when Kuri-chan hurt Urufu and in
doing so hurt Yukio. With a sigh of relief Kyoko realised that while
their friendship would never again be as innocent as it had once
been, it was still there. For better or worse Kuri-chan remained her
best friend.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love you too,”
Kyoko said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Never got any
chocolate from you last week,” Kuri-chan retorted and pretended to
sulk.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko rolled her
eyes. “I only make one set of honmei chocolate, you know.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Giving you
giri chocolate would still be wrong.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I get none
at all?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko felt her
own grin spread all the way to her eyes. “I see that you’re both
beautiful and bright.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ouch!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You deserved
it.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The last of bad
feeling from the afternoon left her and Kyoko tackled her friend.
They were both giggling when they left Himekaizen.</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-39246510965086988032020-02-24T08:34:00.003+01:002020-02-24T08:34:52.618+01:00Chapter four, 2018, white Valentine, segment two<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yesterday they left the cinema in
high spirits. Now Ryu leaned against the steel frames carrying swings
and studied the grim faces of his friends. On one swing Tomasu sat
and studied his shoes. The other held Urufu who kept a subdued
conversation with Tomasu going. They spoke in Swedish, so Ryu didn’t
understand what they said. He didn’t need to understand though, and
he wished it had been the other way around.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio left a few
minutes earlier. He just growled something about idiots and a
depressing lack of imagination. Apparently he’d spent the last of
Valentine’s day a year ago here, and something about a repeat
didn’t sit well with him.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>But it’s
still different with Noriko.</i> It was, but not for the reasons he
kept alive in his mind. To begin with there was no giving up between
his sister and Urufu. <i>At least you accepted her chocolate.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu looked at
Tomasu. He might be a dry geek, but the way something had gone out
from his eyes had nothing to do with geekdom. <i>I’ve seen those
eyes before.</i> A year earlier. They were Urufu’s eyes from back
then, and Kuri’s. <i>At least you didn’t break up.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dammit Ryu,
I’m not getting through here. Some help please?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The words only
gave birth to silence. <i>Help you? How? I gave up on Ai myself.</i> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu shook his head. “Yukio maybe,” he said. He didn’t want to
remind Urufu that the way the two of them steam rolled all over
himself worked as a great example of how not to give up. “They have
to decide for themselves,” Ryu said and made certain not to meet
Tomasu’s eyes.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Darkness had long
since fallen or else their appropriation of the swings would have met
with disapproving stares from parents to children better suited for
them. This was not the territory of high schoolers. Yukio could say
whatever he wanted about romance manga and proper settings.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Urufu placed a
hand on Tomasu’s shoulder and grimaced. “Kareyoshi, the bastard,
robbed them of that option.” A long sigh followed. “Bloody hell,
he’s still around pissing on our lives!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu said nothing.
His mother once told him how actions created an existence lasting far
longer than the deed itself. That was the reason his interfering with
Urufu and Noriko was nothing he ever wanted his mother to know about.
<i>But I have a right to my disapproval as long as I don’t try to
break them up.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kiddo, you’re
the one with experience here.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>You’re
wrong.</i> Ryu shook his head. “Ai was my first. Having a fan club
isn’t the same as playing around.” He gave his statement another
thought. “Look, I like the attention and all that. I just wasn’t
all that interested in getting involved for real.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was no way
he could avoid looking at Tomasu any more. Urufu was being a douche
even if Ryu suspected he didn’t know it. You spoke <i>with</i>
people, not about them.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What?” The
question carried a sour tone to it, but at least Tomasu’s voice
came alive again.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t
understand,” Ryu said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She’s afraid
of me. I’m part of that. She needs to move on and I’m a weight
around her shoulders.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was no need
for explaining ‘that’. “I still don’t understand.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What’s not
to understand? Whenever I get too close she flinches away!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It wasn’t
whenever. Sometimes Jeniferu gathered up the bravery to snuggle up to
her boyfriend, but Ryu admitted that Tomasu essentially was right.
“That’s why I can ‘t understand. Noriko…” he began. Flashes
of Noriko clinging to Urufu in all kinds of inappropriate situations
raced through Ryu’s mind. “Noriko had a similar experience,
but...”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But she’s
not afraid of Ulf?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yeah,
something like that.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tomasu lowered
his face again. “I don’t know all about it, but he saved her. Am
I right?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu nodded
mutely. From the corner of his eyes he saw how Urufu’s faced
twisted with anger.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I failed. She
saw me failing.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That was unfair.
Tomasu raced to her rescue faster than anyone else. It wasn’t his
fault he was too late. Then understanding finally dawned on Ryu.
“Unfair,” he said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unfair, you
bet.” Tomasu looked up and hid his face in his hands. “I can’t
undo what happened. Unfair has nothing to do with that.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Urufu had stayed
silent throughout the entire conversation, but now Ryu heard him draw
for breath.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The two of you
decide then,” Urufu said. “I hate it, but in the end you decide.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You’re good
friends, both of you.” Tomasu grinned weakly. “You know, as long
as I know she can smile with all of her face without a worry in her
mind I’m happy.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What about
you?” Ryu asked. Weren’t you supposed to be a little selfish in a
relationship?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What about me?
Do I want her to leave me? Of course not.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So why don’t
you…”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She can’t
smile with me. Without that smile, how could I be happy by her side?”
The grin turned more honest. “Look, I’m being selfish. If I can’t
have both her and her smile I’ll step down.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That didn’t
make any sense to Ryu, but Urufu nodded from his swing.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fine,” Urufu
said. “When?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tomasu smirked,
but his eyes had regained a little of their life. “White day.
That’s when a good boyfriend returns his Valentine’s chocolate,
isn’t it?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Your sense of
irony sucks, you know that?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>White day?</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With a nod Tomasu
rose from his swing. “Maybe. We done here?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sure.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Both men grabbed
their bags. Halfway to the entrance of the playground Urufu turned.
“Ryu?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ll stay a
little.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu watched them
until they vanished into the darkness. With a little regret he opened
his own bag and grabbed Kuri’s chocolate. He’d planned to eat it
where she could see how much he appreciated her symbolic gift. It was
sweet in his mouth, but somehow the flavour of bitter chocolate
managed to reach through all that sugar.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Strange,</i>
he thought. But it wasn’t, not really. The bitter taste had nothing
to do with Kuri’s gift. It was all in his mind.</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-52379119810685654802020-02-22T13:44:00.000+01:002020-02-22T13:44:08.875+01:00Chapter four, 2018, white Valentine, segment one<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With their school trip a glorious
memory, or at least a glorious memory for Noriko, even though she
vehemently disagreed, January turned into February. Almost halfway
into the month most of the first years showed signs of stress – the
second years just </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">experienced</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
it.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio felt
certain in his belief that went for the seniors as well, but theirs
were more a matter of university entrance exams. Within a week they’d
stop coming to school until graduation.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As for himself he
belonged to the happy minority who enjoyed the month without a second
thought. Some days offered a promise of the coming spring, and he
enjoyed su</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">nshine</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
without a cloud to darken </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">it</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the stressed ones t</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">h</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">e</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">
clouds were a deep brown, and usually very sweet. Valentines day
loomed over those who had yet to settle into a relationship but were
still interested in doing so, or at least interested in the attention
clinging to the event.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">For
his own part he’d get a little something from Kyoko and probably a
few samples from friends as well. A month later he’d return the
favour and that was it.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">While
he honestly enjoyed chocolate what Yukio anticipated the most was the
evening shared with her. With no school the fifteenth staying out a
little later should pose no problem.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Best of all,
there was no risk of repeating last year’s Valentine’s disaster
when Urufu and Kuri broke up pretty much in the worst way possible.
Ryu and Kuri spent their free time cuddling and in general making
half of the school population jealous of them each. As for Urufu and
Noriko there was less visible cuddling, and if Yukio knew his best
friend right, less cuddling overall. That was entirely Urufu’s
fault.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Public cosiness
or not, Noriko’s Kyoto stunt dragged her relationship with Urufu
into the open, or at least indirectly so. The week after they
returned she received her share of confessions. They might not have
been all that heartfelt, but with Valentine’s days so close more
than a few guys saw her as a cute trophy if nothing else.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Which means
you can just all go and die.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Urufu might be
his best friend, but Noriko was still a close one. She fought hard
for her reward, and there was absolutely nothing trophy about her.
Yukio’s being blind as a bat when it came to matters romantic lay
in his past. A year and a half with Kyoko cured him, and now he
understood the glint in Noriko’s eyes as they searched for Urufu.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cute, isn’t
she?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio glanced at
the head leaning on his shoulder. “You’re cuter.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You’re
biased,” Kyoko said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You bet I am!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko snuggled
closer to his head. “I guess you’re supposed to be,” she
agreed. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Still, she’s cute.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Across the table,
facing the Haven entrance, Noriko glared at them both. “You know I
can hear you.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yeah,
definitely cute,” Yukio said and pretended Noriko didn’t stare at
him from just a cup of coffee away.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She had, he
lazily noted, filled out a little where girls should. Well, at least
should according to his tastes.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What you
looking at?” Kyoko asked.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio drunk the
last of his coffee. “Just observing how there’s more for Urufu to
hug.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko blushed
and Yukio felt Kyoko’s head shaking with laughter on his shoulder.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko suddenly
stood up from her chair. “Yukio! That’s, that’s sexual…”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Could do with
some more hips though,” Kyoko suggested.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio burrowed
his face in Kyoko’s hair and joined her in her mirth. She smelled
faintly of shampoo.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes?” she
said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You’re
supposed to be on my side!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Naeh,” Yukio
said, “I’m supposed to be on Urufu’s side. Not that he deserves
it.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Glaring at him
from across the table Noriko shifted her eyes to Kyoko and then back
again. Then she rolled her eyes in pretend disbelief, but a thin
smile betrayed her, and Yukio felt a smile of his own spread on his
face. <i>It’s good this way. You’re good for each other.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You girls
spending the thirteenth together?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko nodded on
his shoulder. A few strands of hair tickled his nose and with a
little regret Yukio lifted his head to hide a sneeze.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s
supposed to be a secret,” Noriko said. She waved for James who
arrived with coffee and tea. A little later, as soon as the others
showed up, they’d order something to eat as well.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not that
keeping it a secret helped,” Kyoko suggested.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An awkward
silence settled over the table. “I never learned exactly what
happened,” Yukio said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko and Kyoko
exchanged glances before they silently agreed that Noriko was the one
to word whatever they had decided upon. Yukio stared at that little
show of friendship with fascination.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last year will
stay a secret. A small one and it grew way out of proportions.” </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She
exchanged another look with Kyoko. “We could do the same mistake
this year, and it wouldn’t mean anything.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio borrowed a
habit of Urufu’s and shrugged. If the girls wanted to keep the lid
on what had happened they could do so. Still. “Tell Hitomi and
Jeniferu, will you?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How did you
know?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio grinned.
“Pretty obvious when Urufu asked me to buy four tickets for an
action flick Thursday evening.” The looks Yukio got in return told
him his answer wasn’t enough. “Look, that means no girlfriends,
so you must’ve booked Jeniferu as well, and Hitomi tags along
wherever you go as a group these days.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You drew that
conclusion from buying four movie tickets?” Noriko said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yukio stared at
her. Urufu said she was the smartest person he knew, so how could she
possibly not understand? “It’s just associated data, or whatever
Urufu calls it. You heard him explain it as well.” He received
another glare. “Four tickets, and I get to pick the movie. You and
Kyoko only agree on films when Urufu or Kuri suggests them, so it
couldn’t be a double date.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Continue!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s for the
thirteenth, so Urufu wanted us guys off the map or we’d disturb
you. The only thing you’d want to do together in secret one day
before Valentines is pretty obvious. OK?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So that’s
how your mind works,” Noriko said. “Now I see what he’s paying
for.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Huh?” How
did the girls making chocolate gifts turn into work?</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-30105761152975823992020-02-20T13:02:00.004+01:002020-02-20T13:02:52.519+01:00June 24, 2040, the last smoke<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">The
three of them had long since left the wooden deck, leaving Yukio
alone with a cup of strong coffee he made for himself after declining
to join them for a walk around the island.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Above
him he saw a blue sky dotted with small clouds yielding to a sun
burning surprisingly strongly despite modest temperatures.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">He
wanted this moment alone. In difference from Urufu Yukio planned to
put a stop to a dirty habit rather than have a healthier life sprung
on him. One of his pocket</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">s</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">
held a packet of cigarettes. There were only two left – he had
counted them this morning. Buying more offered no problem</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">s</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">,
but Yukio decided to give his body a heads up before he was subjected
to Japanese strict laws about minors and smoking.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">'There
was another thing as well, or rather several small ones. Stories,
some fun and some just insane, brought back memories from their last
trimester as second years. Two months filled with shenanigans came as
a welcome respite after the hell Kareyoshi put them through. That
still didn’t mean he only had fond memories of that winter and
early spring.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Yukio
pulled out the package and put flame to a cigarette he expertly
fished out with his lips. He’d smoke them both back to back just to
remind himself just how superbly bad a habit he’d picked up during
his university years.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i>Urufu,
you used to burn through a full packet of this shit daily, didn’t
you?</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">
Yukio didn’t even want to think about what that did to your body
after a few decades. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">He felt guilty about </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">his
own </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">two
lasting a week. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">They
dug a hole in both lungs and wallet despite being far less dangerous
to the former since some ten years. Pricing became prohibitive
though. Eight packets a month was </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">over
five percent</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">
of his income.</span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i>So,
there was one more thing,</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">
he pondered. His and Kyoko’s birthdays, but something else as well.
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i>Ah,
yes. It all dragged out. That’s why I didn’t remember.</i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">He
quickly finished, first one and then the last cigarette. Coffee
accompanied them while he tried to recall in what order everything
had happened, or if that even mattered.</span></span></span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-77348618309190782052020-02-16T20:00:00.001+01:002020-02-16T20:00:14.541+01:00Chapter three, 2018, what happens in Kyoto, segment ten<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko pouted. She felt in her bones
how she was left out. Kuri-chan knew something, something she shared
only with Noriko. Kyoko could live with that. Or rather she could
almost live with that. Despite being parted from the science classes
by two cars Hitomi acted on her curiosity and left theirs in search
of Noriko. <i>She’s got more guts than I do.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Something had
happened. Well that was an understatement. With their Line circles
swollen with new members and most every message covering only one
topic since Noriko’s unexpected stunt, to say that something had
happened would be the understatement of the year.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That something,
however wasn’t what had Kyoko worried. Kuri-chan might be a former
global celebrity, and she might become one again. That just meant she
knew how to look more beautiful than just anyone else – she still
sucked at keeping it a secret that she kept a secret.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>How the hell
did you build a business empire if you’re a danger to yourself at
the poker table?</i> Kyoko sulked some more when the answer came to
her. <i>You just steam-rolled everyone into submission.</i> Maybe the
world of fashion wasn’t one of subtlety. All gods knew Kuri-chan’s
earlier campaigns of infamy lacked just about everything in that
department.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Outside the
landscape rolled by. With Nagoya a station behind them there wasn’t
all that much time until sprawling Tokyo made itself reminded again.
While large in its own right Kyoto still couldn’t compare with the
insanity that was the capital. Rather Kyoto never felt the need to.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hitomi having the
guts to act on her curiosity wasn’t the only reason Kyoko sulked. A
gutsy Hitomi meant a Hitomi two cars away, which pretty much left
Kyoko alone with her class. Until a month earlier that wasn’t bad
in itself. Sure, taking a stand against Kareyoshi meant most
classmates didn’t dare being associated with her, but a substantial
minority never accepted their insane principal.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A month ago she
made a very public announcement together with Yukio however. Now
anyone complaining about it could go to hell, but it still left her
with very few who sought her company, or at least very few she wanted
to keep company with. To add insult to injury more than one boy had
appeared out of nowhere with one suggestion dirtier than the other.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Should I push
Kuri-chan a little?</i> Kyoko smirked. That would do no good.
Kuri-chan never budged once she took a stance. <i>Just leave it be?</i>
Probably the best alternative, one that respected Noriko’s privacy
as well, but good friends kind of didn’t bother with privacy all
that in the first place.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just as Kyoko
made ready for another silent round of complaints the door to their
car opened and Hitomi returned from her mission. She promptly sat
down in her seat two rows behind Kyoko’s.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko rose and
walked to her friend. Smug as her face had been at her return it
meant very little. In difference from Kuri Hitomi wasn’t anyone
Kyoko ever wanted to play poker with. The benefits from a thoroughly
polished bad upbringing Hitomi once called it. That bordered on
cynicism of the first degree, but Kyoko never questioned the results.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Switch with
me?” she asked the girl beside Hitomi.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko got a
polite nod in return and watched the backside until she sat down in
what had been Kyoko’s seat just moments earlier. Infamy went a long
way towards making people do as you wanted.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spill!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hitomi’s smug
expression turned into a more neutral one, just as if the beauty had
anticipated Kyoko’s actions. <i>As if. My arse. She knew.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nothing to
tell,” Hitomi said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nothing?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nothing.”
Hitomi tore open a small bag with snacks and offered Kyoko some.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Staring over the
bag while her hands accepted the gift Kyoko watched how rice paddies
suddenly got replaced by hillsides, and moments later they were in a
tunnel. Shinkansen was nothing like the sedate local trains in Tokyo.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She put half her
booty in her mouth and chewed. Salt and sugar mixed, and somehow the
experience of mixed tastes only got stronger from feeling the
roughness of what was left in her hand.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nothing at
all?” Kyoko probed.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the first
time since returning Hitomi smiled. “Explicitly so, as Urufu would
have said. Noriko told me whatever happened would remain a secret.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That meant part
of what had happened. The main part was anything but with photos of
Noriko racing the net to whoever was interested in the midget who
received Kuri’s blessing.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But something
did?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hitomi swallowed
her discomfort when they left the tunnel and air pressure suddenly
changed again. “Yes, something did. She sat with one of her
classmates and I didn’t see Urufu anywhere.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko nodded. The
two classes had gone to extremes, just as hers and Yukio’s had,
when it came to accommodate a famous couple. Well at least she and
Yukio were famous before the trip started. “I don’t think they
angered anyone,” Kyoko mused.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hitomi shook her
head. “Noriko certainly did. A lot of people want their fifteen
minutes you know.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But that’s
not it,” Kyoko filled in.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A small portion
of nuts and rice crackers travelled from bad to Hitomi’s hand and
then into her mouth. “No,” she agreed after she had swallowed.
“Even if it had been an issue you just don’t piss off the number
one among the second years.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Especially not
when she’s an item with the hero number three.</i> “Urufu
wouldn’t keep his distance,” Kyoko said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hitomi guffawed
loudly enough for a few faces to turn in their direction. “He just
pretends to be aloof. But for all of Noriko’s clinging to him like
a stamp he’s really the needy one.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He is, isn’t
he?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The two girls
exchanged grins of agreement.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No, this once
Noriko needed some lonesome,” Hitomi said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko mulled over
the last sentence while the train rushed into yet another tunnel and
left it mere seconds later.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wonder if
it’s something bad,” Kyoko said when the windows once again
displayed small towns and an occasional glimpse of the sea.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Can’t say.
Look, Kyoko, I need to catch up on some sleeping.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kyoko had to
respect that.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s not
Vegas, but…” Hitomi’s voice started sleepily.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Vegas?</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I guess we
have to accept that what happens in Kyoto…” Hitomi never finished
the sentence, and the two of them spent the rest of the ride to Tokyo
in silence.</span></div>
Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-13400416175808547712020-02-13T20:54:00.000+01:002020-02-13T20:54:02.470+01:00Chapter three, 2018, what happens in Kyoto, segment nine<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maybe it wasn’t fair, but she
really would do almost anything for him. Building a life just to
leave it behind and starting all over again, however, wasn’t
included in almost. When she got older she might change her mind.
People did change after all, but right now she couldn’t see herself
marry, have children, watch them grow up and just one day desert them
the way Urufu had been forced to do.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Marry, when
did I start thinking about marry?</i> When Urufu started talking
studying together for more than the life she had lived, that’s
when. <i>We haven’t even slept together, so what gives me the right
to think about marrying him?</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The random
thoughts were all excuses. She might have forced the topic upon Kuri,
but it wasn’t one she liked to linger on. Noriko admitted it to
herself. She wanted him, she wanted a life with him, she wanted kids
with him, but most of all she wanted him to want her. Maybe it wasn't
healthy, but it was what it was.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Short legs and
long streets were, as always, a reason for her to be tardy, but now
jumbled thoughts made her steps even slower than usual. Half an hour
earlier she declined Kuri’s offer to share a taxi to their hotel,
and by now she already had to apologise quite a few times to people
she walked into.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Attention on
your surroundings.</i> Urufu would have said that. He did, more than
once, when they walked in magic greenery to meet Kuri earlier.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She stopped to
pretend looking at the view offered by a wide boulevard. In truth it
was a rather boring view with an endless line of temples darkening
one side and the Kyoto Tower far behind her. She was reminded of an
old paper back fantasy her parents had in their shelves, or rather a
lot of them, all in hideous colours and written in English. Pratchett
or something like that was the author, but a memory lingered of her
mother telling her the real author of that scene was far older still.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Kuri’s
world. Those books belong to her world, and my parents’.</i> That
meant they belonged to Urufu’s as well, and Noriko sulked when she
allowed that admission to climb foremost to her mind. That world
wasn’t hers.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>How do I make
mine his to share? </i>She dug in her pocket for her<i> </i>phone. Why
not call him and ask?</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Gods! </i>The
inbox looked like as if she had stayed bedridden for days. <i>What’s
going on? Jeniferu!</i> There were several messages from the
charismatic little monster, and while she was more subdued since her
disgusting experience she still retained that natural ability to make
friends. Lots and lots of friends. Most of the circles where Noriko
kept acquaintances swollen by dozens of new members told their story
of Noriko’s new won fame.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>It just never
ends, does it?</i> Among the comments were several which still echoed
of the chaos last year. While Noriko suspected her life became lost
most of its familiar obscurity with only her test results being part
of the rumour mill, the sheer magnitude of her blindness shocked her.
From the moment she got involved with the arrivals her life was
turned upside down.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>No, that’s
not right.</i> From the moment she made true friends she wanted
around her for years and years ahead she became part of their lives.
<i>I might as well admit it.</i> She added her own share to the
insanity they called high school days. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being one half of the twins
including Ryu was more than enough to elevate her fame.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>But I never
knew about you.</i> Or rather she never accepted how much Urufu
influenced those around him. Kuri’s stardom created an illusion of
obscurity. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko shook her head and smiled. So she was famous among
the Irishima first and second years as well now. She had no right
being surprised. They made up the majority of the club after all.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Third years?
That can’t be right. </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Those
names definitely belonged to their seniors. </span><i>Ah, of course!</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
The first cultural festival. There were messages from members of the
student council from that time. There was also one from Nao. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko
stared at her phone. <i>I almost forgot.</i> Reading his name hurt more than
she thought it would. </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Idiot! You should just have told me.</i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
But they would still have broken up. If not now then when he left
school to pursue whatever dreams he had.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">H</span><span style="font-style: normal;">er
steps brought her out of the perfect grid making up most of central
Kyoto. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Her hotel lay close by. Whatever thoughts she needed to digest
in solitude had to be handled right now. <i>Time’s running out.</i> </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Should
I tell Kyoko?</i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That wasn’t the
question. </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Urufu?</i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Could
couples keep secrets from each other?</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Waiting
for a taxi to pass her Noriko played with that question in her head.
What would the adult answer be? It had to be the adult one, or else
she wouldn’t be able to stay by Urufu’s side.</span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Gah! My head
hurts! I’m still a child after all.</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
Suddenly all her wants felt like grand delusions. Life, marriage,
children. Such grand dreams when she didn’t even know the answer to
such a simple question. Two answers. Yes or no. What right did she
have to aspire to a lifetime together if she couldn’t pick one out
of two?</span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Urufu’s
voice rang in her head. His admonishing voice, his loving voice, his
scared voice, his arrogant voice, but foremost of them all, his
caring voice. “Does it have to be easy?” it said. “Must there
be just one answer?” it added. “I’ll listen to you even you
have no answer.” The last promise came with a timbre of she knew
all too well. Almost, she almost had her answer.</span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Noriko!
I was worried.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Huh?</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
That didn’t sound like a ghost in her head. Noriko looked up from
her phone. </span><i>Urufu!</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> “</span><span style="font-style: normal;">I
felt like walking,” she said.</span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He rushed to meet
her. “Noriko, where have… Noriko, I hope you had fun.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There it was
again. This time for real and not just in her head. Urufu’s voice
held both uncertainty and worries. <i>Ah, I understand! He’s just
older. He doesn’t know everything. He worries.</i> Noriko opened
her arms and allowed herself to be swallowed in his embrace. No,
small as she was, she swallowed him up as well.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>So that’s
it! You’re not an adult because you know everything. You’re an
adult because you keep living despite not knowing anything at all.</i>
She made her decision.</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-52937240171598907342020-02-11T09:32:00.002+01:002020-02-11T09:32:47.280+01:00Chapter three, 2018, what happens in Kyoto, segment eight<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christina looked at the midget girl across the table. The clothes she wore looked stunning, or rather Noriko made them look stunning. Nimata, the customer who paid for today’s stunt had built themselves a respectable name in a high end line for young males. Today’s live shoot launched their line for females, but truth be told they simply didn’t have the same eye for what girls wanted.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko, no matter how girly she really was, sometimes looked very much like a tomboy rather than a young lady, and for her the clothes were a perfect match. At the moment, however, she definitely behaved like a lady.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Looks good on you,” Christina said. She had to speak softly, which took a toll on her since her hear still hadn’t fully adapted from the night club bedlam earlier. This restaurant wasn’t a place for shouted conversations though.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko nodded and swallowed a small bite of exquisitely prepared fish. It all came out of Christina’s pockets, but since over a year ago they were well lined. That was a good thing as she never asked their customer for permission before she gave away three sets of clothes, one for Noriko and one each for the boys.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unless they took leave of their brains they’d smile and let it pass. Live marketing was, after all the best. However, if Nimata obstructed Christina would have to pay them a whole lot more than she made from the gig, and if so that was the last time she did any work for that company.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When Noriko dove into a glass of expensive mineral water and couldn’t see what Christina was doing she decided to take the opportunity to glance at her phone. Noriko was far too observant so some underhandedness couldn’t hurt.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Damn! Well, I’ll decline and keep her safe.</i> A few messages already included questions about the tiny model. Christina made a mental promise to keep Noriko out of that world. It ate young girls alive, and Ulf’s girl had a bright future ahead of her that didn’t require her to use her looks. <i>But you’re much more beautiful than you give yourself credit for.</i> Christina guessed Noriko never noticed how she had matured the last year. She was already much more than merely cute.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like it?” Christina asked. The short question was a deliberate ruse.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko looked up from food and drink. A small smile played over her lips. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Dinner or clothes?” She placed fork and knife soundlessly on her plate, a supremely well behaved action in stark contrast to the clothes and mischievous smile she wore.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Yeah, should have guessed you’d see right through it.</i> “Both.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tilting her head so that shoulder length hair bobbed around a little Noriko met Christina’s eyes. “Food is superb, thank you, but you already knew that. I like my new clothes very much.” A faint blush gave colour to her cheeks. “Can’t wait to show Urufu,” she added, and finally her ladylike expression wavered a little.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christina filled with warmth at the last sentence. <i>You’d want him to say something nice. I can see why.</i> She made a mental note to give Ulf a reminder later. He was more dense in that department than was decent. Noriko deserved all the kind words he could scrounge up, and if Christina had to give him a pointer or two then so be it.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then her thoughts soured a little. Ulf could do with some cooperation from Ryu as well. He really should support the happiness of his sister’s better. <i>Damn Ryu, that’s one of the few times where you could learn from Ulf when it comes to play nice with people.</i> Cause Ulf had chosen to stay away when he was still burning with jealousy. Staying away Christina could respect. Ryu’s incessant interfering was something else.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What’s on your mind?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Boyfriend,” Christina said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Idiot bro did something stupid again?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christina eyed Noriko over when the small girl continued her meal rather than openly wait for an answer. No he hadn’t, not for some time at least. “Just me being resentful.” She copied Noriko and picked up her meal again before it cooled.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They both finished in silence, and Christina had ample time to glance at her surroundings. Suits and dresses, silent conversations and much less ogling than she had become used to the last year. Much less still meant there was some, and she received a few angry glares from women whose partners didn’t keep their attention where wanted.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So,” Noriko began after she had received some tea to go with her dessert, “what’s the real reason you pissed me off today?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Silent as the question was Christina still flinched a little. “You looked like you enjoyed it in the end.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the end, yes. I admit that, but that doesn’t change you stole a day alone with Urufu from me.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That could mean two things. Christina decided she needed to shoot one of them down immediately. “I’m very much in love with your brother. Enough to be angry at your calling him idiot bro.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And Urufu?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A friend.” Noriko would know the partial lie in that statement, so Christina hurried to complete it. “I believe I’ll always keep a little of my love for him, but I promise I’ll never try to come between the two of you.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko looked like she tasted the meaning of those words. “Never is a long time.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not for as long as I...”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ll settle for this lifetime,” Noriko interrupted.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>What?</i> Christina shook her head. With Noriko you had to be careful with what she said. “Please explain!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve heard Yukio and Kyoko talk. It sounds disturbing to me, but it’s their life.” </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dark eyes stared at the table separating the two of them. “Just so you know. I love Urufu more than anything else, but I’ll live this life and die an old woman.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t understand,” Christina said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A shadow of sadness passed over Noriko’s face. “One life is enough for me. I don’t think I could stand doing it all over again.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Understanding finally dawned on Christina. “Look I want to grow old with Ryu myself. Death doesn’t scare me they way it did when I was young.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko nodded and Christina saw a glimmer of respect in her eyes. “Thank you. It’s Urufu though. I can’t see him dying until he’s done with whatever he needs doing with his life. If that means him transiting again in the future I’d hate to die knowing he’s alone.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Suddenly Christina’s world went icy cold. “I can’t love the way you do. That’s unfair! Please, I’ve found a life I can call home with Ryu, so don’t take it away from me!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko’s eyes were grim. “I’ll do almost anything for Urufu. We’ll continue this conversation another time.”</span></div>
Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-70173383480197723792020-02-10T10:27:00.001+01:002020-02-10T10:27:14.904+01:00Chapter three, 2018, what happens in Kyoto, segment seven<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Night club? </i>It was. It even came with a small stage. <i>No way!</i> But, as usual whenever you got too close to Kuri, it was too late for any regrets.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Usually Noriko disliked getting caught in a crowd gawking at something. It just didn’t ring well with her idea of collective stupidity. Right now she was neither in a crowd nor gawking. Instead she was part of that something. If possibly it was even worse.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Gods, this is scary!</i> Cameras were one thing. Cameras meant some sulking and a shot that had to be retaken. You could redo and pretend the mishap never occurred. An audience was different. No remakes.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While this wasn’t the first time for Noriko, the madness from a year and a half ago was for pretend. A school festival meant students pretended being something they weren’t. This was different. Sure, she most definitely wasn’t a model, but the shoot was real, which means the fashion show right now was real as well.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can’t do this,” Noriko complained. She stared at the glittering darkness where young people moved to booming music in an almost night.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri’s fingers dug into her shoulders. “Can’t do what?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Go out there. They’ll know I’m not the real thing.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri shook her head. “You’ve already done this once.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shaking her head Noriko gave Kuri a pleading stare. “That was pretence. This is real.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She only received a glare in return. “Pretence? In what way?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That was just out cultural festival. It wasn’t for real.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The hand on her shoulders hardened. “Are you daft?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
‘<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Daft’ wasn’t a word Noriko used to hear applied to herself. She shook her head. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Brilliant’ possibly, but not daft.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri stared at her. “Look, if you believe I played house with Uniclo, my own career and an audience in the four digits, then you’re sadly mistaken.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Huh?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Moron! That fashion show was very, very much the real deal. We even had two pros, including one superstar.”’</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes Kuri was just too much. “Superstar, you!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Superstar me, yes. They just don’t know it. I’ve done all the big European events more times than I care for, and trust me, our festival show had a huge audience for this kind of work.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri’s words didn’t convince Noriko. Something that happened in their own gym hall didn’t feel real. School was school, and reality lay elsewhere.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The rhythmic carpet of noise changed into a soundscape with different sources, and Noriko realised someone must have lowered the volume. Now there were voices mixed into the music, jeering and cheering, and she turned to find out what had changed.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I look better than I speak, but you knew that.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another round of jeering.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But then I look damn good!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And one of cheering.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tonight I’ve brought some friends, so let’s have fun and watch some real nice clothes from Nimata’s latest collection!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The cheering rose and drowned the music, very much like it had done during the festival, but Noriko had to admit this was nothing like the brutal wall of sound from back then.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You’re up. Just out, wave and get back!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>When did you…</i> Noriko stared at Kuri who magically appeared by her side almost finished changing into a new set of clothes. A slap on her back forced Noriko onto the stage, and only closer to two years of experience being around the mayhem that was Kuri and Urufu prevented her from freezing like a statue.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hi, I’m one of the friends,” she said. The sound carried clearly around her, so someone must have done a decent job with the microphones. “I speak better than Ageruman-san, back there,” she turned as her self confidence came back, “but then don’t all of us?” With those words Noriko waved at a floor filled with faces and walked off the stage. To her immense relief the entire room filled with a roar of laughter.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You’re on after me.” Kuri’s face flashed a huge grin. “Well done Noriko. Love your guts.” And with that Kuri was back of the stage she so mysteriously had entered during their short talk without Noriko even noticing.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After Kuri one of the boys entered the stage. Just looking at his backside Noriko hoped she didn’t make that kind of impression. After him, Kuri again, and after her the other boy who made a much better job of playing a model.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How Kuri managed to throw herself into new clothes in no time at all was beyond Noriko, but before she had a chance to ask it was her turn once again. She staggered onto the stage, turned with a closed fist and pretended being angry at someone invisible back there who had forced her out into the lime light.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stupid kids. They promised I only had to do this once,” Noriko said and was rewarded with more laughter. She waved and decided against trying another joke. That would be pushing her luck.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back behind the stage she changed into a new set of clothes and made ready for her turn. Three sets, they had said. This would be her last. After that she’d have Kuri’s face for dinner, or at least her wallet. There was no way Kuri should get out of this without paying. That Noriko enjoyed herself immensely had nothing to do with it.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Her third and last time onstage went by without mishaps. If anything Noriko received a loud departing cheer when she said she’d been the fool for the third time and needed some serious learning. This time the braver of the boys also managed a joke and returned with a grin on his face accompanied by the sound of approval from behind him.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, it was time to change back into her uniform, to once again become the usual Noriko and join her classmates back at the hotel.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pick three,” Kuri suddenly said in the dressing room.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pick three?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Three pieces of clothing from today’s shoot. You’ll get paid properly as well, but I want you to have something extra.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like three socks?” Noriko said and smiled.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri shook her head. “You could, but please don’t.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko felt her smile slowly fade away. “The second set,” she said. “All of it.” </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That meant five pieces of clothes, but Noriko had really liked it. Wearing it almost had her try a second joke after all.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri nodded approval. “Skip the socks,” she asked.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko smiled again. The socks would be piece six and seven, and she had already kind of promised Kuri not to go for the socks.</span></div>
Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-87377112407439542152020-02-08T10:34:00.001+01:002020-02-08T10:34:12.074+01:00Chapter three, 2018, what happens in Kyoto, segment six<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope you’re having a good time,” was maybe not exactly what he felt, but Noriko’s messages spelled discomfort and Ulf wanted her to know that she had his support when Christina pulled her into whatever craziness Noriko had to endure. Most likely she was dragged from shop to shop in search for clothes she didn’t need in order to look beautiful in his eyes. Possibly in search of clothes for him, and, well, most everyone were adamant about him desperately needing new clothes to look appealing, or even like a human being.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Still, for once he had prepared something of a dating planning and most everything in it went down the drain the moment Noriko vanished.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Guess she needs some girl time.</i> Knowing that didn’t make him sulk any less. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Studying with her was all fine and well, but sometimes Ulf just wanted to share a day of sheer stupidity with the girl closest to his heart.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was a time for work and a time for leisure. The latter were few and far between. <i>Still, I’m whining like a teenager,</i> which, he reminded himself, the doctor a year and a half ago very much had said he actually was.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He managed to get permission to stay out a little longer than the curfew. Not that he really needed to apply for permission, but from what he saw the new principal wasn’t an arse which meant Ulf could do well to keep up a modicum of good behaviour as well.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Permission granted Ulf felt fairly certain their new principal was in the know about the arrivals. Fifty year old men usually didn’t ask if they were allowed to roam the streets during evening, and Ulf had absolutely no interest in neither seedier activities nor any consumption of alcohol. Visiting night clubs, sober or not, came in his twenties the last time he grew up, and it wasn’t like he would have been able to talk himself past the bouncers now anyway.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>New life and all,</i> he thought. Night life in Japan belonged to the white parts on his map. Or at least night life for younger adults did. He’d spent a few nights out with his wife, but that came at an age when he’d lost interest in booming music and large amounts of the cheapest alcohol available. <i>Guess Haven’s the closest to nights out I’ve seen,</i> and the Stockholm Haven café closed at eleven.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Right now he slowly walked past burger joints and cafés. Crammed in between were places he still had to wait a few years before he was welcome inside. The streets were eerily empty, maybe because a lot of what attracted those looking for somewhere to spend a late evening was grouped together in two large entertainment districts. High school students like himself weren’t welcome there.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Wonder what she’s doing.</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Ulf imagined Noriko sighing and trying on yet another piece of clothing she didn’t need, all the time surrounded by tall blonde and the body guards that came with that girl. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Poor sod!</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Still, he could see himself walking </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">between rows of hangers, pulled along by Noriko in search for something she believed wasn’t hurtful to the eyes of their surroundings.</span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Would you sigh if I was there? </i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Somehow he hoped not. </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Making her happy had become increasingly important ever since he allowed himself to let his guard down. With Kareyoshi gone they could afford thinking about </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">living </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">instead of merely surviving.</span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>W</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>hat a year!</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> A black one, and it hadn’t even been a full year. Ulf knew very well why the darkness in his mind stretched to a full one. Kareyoshi wasn’t to blame for the first two months. He wasn’t certain he’d made it though all of him by himself. </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>You saved me, you know that?</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> She was never merely a cute girl lovestruck with him for reasons he couldn’t even fathom. </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Without Noriko Ulf suspected he would have reverted back to the violence he found himself capable of shorty after he arrived here.</span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A door beckoned to him and he went inside. Something hot to accompany his thoughts seemed perfect. Damn, wrong place! He’d entered exactly the kind of place that catered to people like him. Large with sections like a diner, well lit and most probably not too expensive. Clusters of high school uniforms everywhere, sometimes mixed up by a bunch of middle schoolers and the occasional group of young people in their own clothes.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Should I leave?</i> If he picked a more high end café he’d be able to have that something hot for double the price, which he could afford, but it also meant finding one in the first place. <i>Screw that! I’m cold.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf found himself a table for four and sat down. For once he was grateful of the drab diner design since the sections limited how many could see him. His nondescript uniform made him stand out like a sore thumb. The kids inside wore an assortment of just about everything that would have looked better than the beige and black of Himekaizen.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Good looking uniforms definitely didn’t make the list as to why anyone would pick the school. Possibly if you hated the gakuran and sailor uniforms enough. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He smirked. </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even so, if I didn’t know better, I’d probably go for Red Rose Hell.</i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Their red and green was distinct enough to signal a student who belonged somewhere special. That it was special for all the wrong reasons didn’t matter.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was no Red Rose Hell these days. At least not for high school students. <i>We got that right.</i> But then the plague spread to Himekaizen instead. Funny that it never took hold over Irishima High. Ulf guessed both staff and parents found the strength for integrity in the identity that came with that school. <i>Means we need to make Himekaizen something special as well.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He grinned. It wasn’t his responsibility, not really, but still. One more year. <i>I’ll show you what can be done in a year!</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From the next table a smile was sent his way. The girl probably failed to pin point his uniform. Ulf returned her smile and dug for his phone. He could as well try to find out when Noriko’s shopping session ended.</span></div>
Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-81955413019431688722020-02-07T00:11:00.000+01:002020-02-07T00:12:49.440+01:00Chapter three, 2018, what happens in Kyoto, segment five<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Her phone filled with pictures, or rather her message queue did.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Who gave away my line-id?</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Long before dusk draped Kyoto in a dirty yellow, only to give way to night mere moments later, Noriko received her first message from someone unknown. By now most of the pictures came from people she maybe wouldn’t know even if she saw their faces. <i>Kuri, you’re going to pay for this!</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">They were outdoors again. That meant they were freezing their butts off just as they had done when the insanity started. That also meant Noriko could wave goodbye to any hopes of at least spending the evening alone with Urufu.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>There’s nothing left of this trip. I hate this!</i> But in reality she didn’t, not really. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The way they were studying she could always call upon Urufu to help her, so time alone with him was just a matter of acting on her longing rather than stay home and pout.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The shoot was more interesting than Noriko wanted to admit. That was where her shame came along. She wasn’t supposed to enjoy working this hard for something as shallow as mere looks. It didn’t matter that she had asked Kuri about it earlier the same day. Looking good for Urufu was one thing. Looking good in general was an entirely different beast.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She posed for the camera and received a disapproving frown from the photographer as a reward. In return Noriko stuck her tongue out at him. <i>This is hilarious!</i> She guffawed until she had to lean on Kuri for support. In the background a smattering of shutter sounds reached her like a distant whirlwind. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That made her laugh some more, and this time one of the boys had to stop her from falling over. Noriko grinned at him and regained her balance once again.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Why didn’t he stop me?</i> she thought and stared after the photographer. The staccato from his camera never ceased and she met a grin as wide as her own.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Something moved behind her. “Next set, Kinoshita-sensei?” Kuri’s voice asked.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The photographer nodded. “Yeah, can’t cram out anything better from this one.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Fun, definitely fun,</i> Noriko admitted. If she couldn’t be beautiful she could at least pretend to be, and if the got a huge laugh out of it, where was the fault in that?</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br />
“<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Exchange line?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />The question brought Noriko out of her thoughts. She turned, looked behind and sought after the voice who had asked the question. To her surprise Kuri’s face showed no reaction at all.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tell him you’re together with Ryu,” Noriko suggested and continued looking for whoever believed the shoot was a good opportunity to hook up with Kuri.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You tell him you’re together with Urufu instead,” Kuri said. This time her face definitely showed a reaction, and a huge grin at that.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Huh?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Kuri threw one arm across Noriko’s shoulder and turned. “She’s not available.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Huh?</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Aww. Of course a cutie like her already has a boyfriend.” This time the voice got a face. One of the crew who’d spent the day scurrying around with all kinds of equipment.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Me?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yeah, you,” the man said. He smiled at her and shook his head. “You thought I was aiming for Ageruman-san? Not happening. That’s the fast track to unemployment.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When Noriko looked at Kuri’s face for an explanation she got a nod in return. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“I’m working. There’s no time for fending off admirers. Besides, some of them could turn into stalkers, and that’s scary just thinking about it.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It made sense. Modelling wasn’t just about having fun after all. Then Noriko’s mind travelled back a little. <i>Me?</i> She blushed but brought her scrambled thoughts back in control. “Sorry, but I already have a boyfriend.” Years of being brought up to behave at least decently kicked in. “Thanks for considering me, though. I’m flattered.” She was, or else she wouldn’t have blushed like that.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yep, a real cutie,” the man said, but the teasing tone in his voice promised that he’d back off.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Noriko smirked but played along. If he didn’t push it any further she could live with him having the last word.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was time for yet another freezing change of clothes, and while Noriko failed miserably at keeping up with Kuri’s speed she noticed how her phone came alive again, and again and again. After an approving nod from Kuri Noriko dared looking at it.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The usual teasing message with photos attached to them lined up her queue like dancers on a festival. Noriko grinned as she read them until she happened upon one from Jeniferu. A photo with Noriko clinging into one of the boys in the shoot came accompanied by a message with a sobering effect.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You sure Ulf approves of this?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Gods! I haven’t contacted him even once. I suck!</i> Noriko frantically brought up his line-id and started typing. “Got caught up with Kuri. Sorry!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Being dragged into Kuri’s shenanigans was bad enough. Being caught hanging around a boy for everyone to see with a smile like it was the happiest day in her life was a lot worse. <i>I need to explain this. I hope he isn’t angry.</i> She quickly sent another apology after the first, but before she had a chance to send a third explaining why the second one was so incoherent Kuri dragged her away for the next session.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>This is bad! This is really, really bad!</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Several long minutes when Noriko made her best to pretend her stomach wasn’t a jumble of unpleasant feelings passed, and in the end Kuri sent her back to the chairs with a worried look. All of a sudden playing model wasn’t fun at all.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I hope you’re having a good time,” wasn’t the message she had hoped for. Was he serious, or was he just seriously pissed off? With Urufu you couldn’t know. By now she knew his loving her didn’t prevent him from being angry with her at all.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>I’m sorry Urufu. Please forgive me!</i> Noriko wondered if she shouldn’t express that thought in a text to him, but before she had a chance to act on it they were all shoved into cars headed for the finishing part of the evening.</span></div>
Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-51585749580155826782020-02-05T20:37:00.002+01:002020-02-05T20:37:21.562+01:00Chapter three, 2018, what happens in Kyoto, segment four<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>What the?</i> Noriko stared at
her phone. There were pictures of her face glaring back at her from
the screen. <i>How did they?</i> “Kuri, what’s going on?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri turned and
leaned over Noriko’s phone. “Ah, they’re live now.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Live?</i>
“Isn’t this for a magazine?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri shook her
head. “They’d never agree I bring you for a shoot like that. Way
too expensive. This is for some kind of on-line gig.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That made more
sense than Noriko wanted to admit. Just looking around her confirmed
what Kuri had just said. While indoors this was nothing like a proper
make-up studio. A few hastily thrown together foldable chairs, a rig
with industrial lightning, an almost clean tarpaulin to walk on and a
closed off part of a shopping mall as background. That was their
studio.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fine, you
don’t need professionals, but what’s with me getting photos from
my classmates?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This time she got
a smirk before Kuri said anything. “Had to call our teachers or
else they’d go ballistic when we returned late.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That also made
sense. Those photos hadn’t been sent by any school staff though.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Guess someone
couldn’t keep quiet,” Kuri added.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Things slowly
started to make sense in a very bad way. “Everyone in school knows
the link to your little fashion show?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri rose and
dragged Noriko to her feet. “Time to work.” She pulled Noriko
along her to wherever she wanted them to display some more poorly
suited clothes for the season together with a couple of good looking
boys who were just as much amateurs as Noriko. “Only the second
years,” she added just as the smattering of shutter noise started.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko let out a
sigh of relief until what Kuri had said registered. <i>All the second
years? That’s the same as the entire school you moron! </i>Cause
juniors had senior friends as well as freshmen ones. Like Tomasu and
Jeniferu. <i>Jeniferu, gods!</i> She never pulled her stops.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thinking of that
girl gleefully spreading the plague made Noriko do some kind of error
she wasn’t aware of. So did one of the boys, and they had to retake
the entire shot.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While they were
made ready again she threw the display windows around them a glance.
There were clothes. While maybe not a perfect fit for Kuri what
Noriko saw still suited pretty girls better than herself. There was a
world made for those who already looked good. She snorted silently
and pushed the thought out of her mind.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next shot was
better, but the approving words that followed it made her remember
her own uncertainty. Cute, she knew she got called cute, but pretty
and beautiful were words for the likes of Kuri and Hitomi. Sometimes,
especially when she was happy, those words could be applied to Kyoko
as well. Only Noriko was exempt.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>When did being
pretty become so important?</i> From when she finally hauled Urufu in
was the answer.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri,”
Noriko said half naked between two sets of clothes, “why would
being beautiful become more important after?” she asked.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri threw
herself into her clothes with the speed of a world class sprinter and
began helping Noriko. “After what?” she said zipping up Noriko’s
backside.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko fidgeted
and pulled another zipper, one for her skirt. “You know, after
Urufu… after we...”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You had sex?”
Kuri said deadpan.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So you
haven’t?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pity.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I didn’t
mean...”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri giggled and
Noriko felt a reassuring hand on her shoulders. “I know.” The
hand vanished and Noriko felt herself being pulled outside the
miniscule privacy offered by a few flimsy blankets on hangers. “It
doesn’t work that way. You tried even before you became a couple,
but you didn’t know?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Didn’t
know?” Knowing could mean so many different things.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let’s get
this one over with and I’ll explain,” Kuri offered.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There were more
shots, and Kuri promised Noriko looked absolutely stunning, and after
that they got a decent break, which meant more than a few minutes,
for something to eat.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With a tray half
full with whatever substituted for food during work like this </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko
glared at Kuri to make her </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">honour
her</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> promise.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What?” Kuri
asked. She must have forgotten.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About Urufu,”
Noriko tried and stuffed her mouth full with bread.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Urufu? Ah,
yes.” Kuri swallowed something of her own and stared at her plate. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“When Urufu and I still… sorry, before you and Urufu, you know,”
Kuri began, and Noriko sent her a grateful thought for changing her
words. “You still wanted to look good. Almost everyone does. Thing
is,” there was a pause while Kuri looked like she was searching for
the right thing to say, “you tried to look good, for your own
fantasy,” she finished.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fantasy?”
Noriko had an idea where this was going, but she still wanted it
said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Uhum,” Kuri
nodded with her moth full of food. She looked like anything but a
super model. “You didn’t know what Urufu liked, and when it comes
to him it’s, well, it’s more difficult than usual.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>You could say
that.</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Urufu’s taste in
clothes was a disaster in its own right. “</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You
mean I imagined an Urufu and tried to dress up for my imagination?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yeah,
something like that. Now when you’re together you’re supposed to
know him better and you’re guessing what the real him wants.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>T</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>he
real him. I’ve been in love with several real hims.</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
Which one? “But he’s got horrible taste,” Noriko said. She knew
she was changing the subject, but the thought of handling different
versions of Urufu made her head spin.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You know,”
Kuri said and smiled. “His taste in girls clothing isn’t all that
bad. It’s old fashioned, sure, but he’s got a pretty good eye
there. It’s just himself,” </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri added and shuddered. “I wish he
had it as easy as me dressing well.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Because you
really have it easy, and you just had to say it to my face.</i>
Noriko sulked, but then resolve built in her. Resolve was good.
Resolve was what she had in spades. Resolve, she believed, was part
of what Urufu found attractive in her. <i>I’m so going to pump you
for everything I need.</i></span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-61786260418883216912020-02-04T17:45:00.002+01:002020-02-04T17:45:25.165+01:00Chapter three, 2018, what happens in Kyoto, segment three<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko frowned. That earned her yet
another smirk from Kuri who was having way, way too much fun.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>What am I even
doing here?</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being
photographed was what she was doing. Being photographed and making
whoever worked with this kind of silly thing throw her stares of
despair.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I didn’t ask
for this.</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And it was all
Kuri’s fault. Earlier, just after Noriko barely had time to send
Urufu a message saying she was going to be away for a short while,
she wondered if this was some kind of retaliation for taking Urufu
for herself. In the end it turned out Kuri was just lonely and
sulking because yet another of her promised free days turned into a
working session.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was still
Kuri’s fault. She decided being clad in spring clothes outdoors in
January was a proper line of work. Noriko hadn’t, so why was she
here transforming into an icicle when she could have snuggled closer
to Urufu in a shared twosome free from prying eyes? Because Kuri
didn’t want to be alone was why. Which, if any gods still didn’t
get the unfairness of it all, made it Kuri’s fault.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>And I thought
models had to be tall. Must mean I’m here as some kind of comic
sidekick to Kuri’s beauty.</i> That thought popped into Noriko’s
mind just as a new series of photos were being taken, and the
unsurprising result was yet another delivery of groans and looks of
despair. <i>And I probably won’t even get paid for this. Sucks to
be me!</i> Other girls might jump at the chance to play model for a
few hours, but Noriko wasn’t other girls.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An icy tendril of
wind found itself inside whatever flimsiness made a poor attempt at
pretending being a school uniform. <i>Whoever came up with this
idiocy?</i> School uniforms were designed to last three years if the
owner didn’t grow. The joke Noriko wore right now wouldn’t have
survived a single trimester, not even the short winter one.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That was her
other gripe as well. It might look like a winter uniform, but in
reality it played the role of a shoddy summer one. Maybe it looked
better for taking idiot photos, but it was cold, cold, cold to wear.
By now Noriko was certain its only purpose was to make her skin take
on a colour better matching the sad excuse for a uniform; which meant
a bluish tint that signalled freezing to death rather than whatever
cuteness the people here were after.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When the next icy
gust of wind hit her Noriko decided to get a grip on her personal
universe. She lifted her head and met Kuri’s crew face to face. The
reward was an approving nod from the photographer and then Noriko’s
world filled with an endless smattering as he threw his camera to his
face and started moving in circles around her.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Good! One step
forward! Like that! Lean right! Good!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko did as
told. The instructions were easy enough to follow.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally! We
could use this,” someone in the background said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko didn’t
listen. She just did whatever the photographer told her. It was
almost like being lulled to sleep.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yeah! That’s
it! Guess Ageruman-san knew from the beginning after all.” That
voice belonged to the only female in the crew.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko wasn’t
sure what it was that Kuri knew, and it really didn’t matter. The
less mistakes Noriko did the quicker she’d get away from here and
the more time she could spend with Urufu. Preferably alone with
Urufu. She still hadn’t forgiven Kuri for sabotaging their date.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After what seemed
to be successful shots Noriko finally got to take a seat where she
could enjoy the divine luxury of a heavy coat and a paper mug with
steaming tea. Freezing to death apparently made you re-evaluate the
concept of luxury.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri, are we
done yet,” she complained to the chair to her left.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tall blonde just
smiled and shook her head. Just like Noriko Kuri was draped in a
coat, and she also nursed a mug with something warm.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No joking. You
crashed a perfectly good date for me.” Noriko felt she deserved the
right to sulk. She was probably pouting as well, but right now she
didn’t care. Urufu was somewhere else. Hopefully he did his share
of sulking, but she wasn’t certain. When faced with a problem he
couldn’t solve he tended to dig up another one instead.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They promised
me the rest of the trip off, but they broke that promise.” Kuri
managed to look a little ashamed. “I wanted someone to share the
misery with.” </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A short pause followed during which both of them
sipped some tea. “I’m sorry.” And then another spell of
silence. “I want to be with Ryu as well.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko felt a
thin smile stretch over her face. Anyone wanting to spend extra time
with her idiot bro needed their brain examined. She also knew there
were hordes of girls in dire need of such an examination. “You’ve
got horrible taste in men,” Noriko tried. It wasn’t entirely
true, but Ryu had been such a pest the entire autumn.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We both do,”
Kuri retorted, but there was no malice in her voice.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It hurt a little.
Those words sounded like Kuri regretted ever being with Urufu. Still,
Noriko understood that wasn’t what she meant. “Urufu is a great
man,” Noriko said. Not that he needed any defending from her side,
but it was a matter of loyalty if nothing else.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri emptied her
mug and made ready to continue the shoot. Coat left on her chair and
ludicrous flimsiness never meant for January she stood up and took a
few steps in the direction the crew beckoned. Then she halted and
turned. “He’s a great boy.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko let her
own coat drop and followed Kuri into the freezing winter. For once
she both understood and agreed. In ways Urufu was very much a boy and
not a grown man. Fifty years didn’t matter. Fifty years from now
that would probably still hold true.</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-31581154243328664912020-01-31T15:38:00.001+01:002020-01-31T15:38:36.875+01:00Chapter three, 2018, what happens in Kyoto, segment two<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf stared up the mountain in
consternation. After half an hour and five failed tries to reach her
phone he was on the verge of giving up on finding Noriko by himself.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One moment they
spent their time in blissful solitude, the kind that made a truth of
the joke that love is egoism for two, the next she was gone. Well,
there had been the part of him scrounging up a vending machine with a
little something for the two of them to drink. Noriko was panting
heavily and Ulf decided that him spending maybe quarter of an hour in
search of the drinks was the perfect excuse for her to get some well
needed rest.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An hour earlier
he returned with two bottles and two cans, but Noriko was nowhere to
be seen. A line message told him something had come up and that she
would be away for a short while. After that short while grew into
half an hour Ulf tried to text her, then call her on line and in the
end on her real number, but all to no avail.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now he stood at
the base of the hill and wondered what to do next. If worst came to
worst he could just return to their hotel, pout a little about their
date together going into the bin and wait for her to eventually show
up. The thing was he really didn’t care for their date going to
waste. It was a little selfish, perhaps even childish, but between
work, training and school they found preciously little time to spend
alone with each other.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Seems she
hooked me up good in the end.</i> He surprised himself with how much
he had fallen in love with his own little bundle of cheerful
happiness. Now, almost two years after he got to know her she was a
very different person from back then. <i>On the outside you were a
lot more grown up.</i> Ulf grinned at the memories, crossed the
street and went for the closest place where he could sit down and
gobble up Noriko’s share of the drinks he bought earlier. Well, and
find a toilet as well. His own share made itself reminded by now.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An empty bladder
later his thoughts were very different, and Ulf silently swore at
himself for not having them earlier. Noriko was missing and he never
even once wondered if something bad had happened to her. Instead he’d
abandoned her somewhere up that hill, because only a moron-sama like
himself believed one hour of silence counted as a short time.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Retracing his
steps took another quarter of an hour. And just as Ulf was about to
start a random search for Noriko his phone vibrated in his pocket and
let out a short squeak.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Noriko?</i> He
frantically dug form it and flipped open the case. <i>Noriko!</i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yell at Kuri!
It’s her fault,” the short message said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It didn’t
matter that the words hardly counted as an explanation. The message
in itself and a pointer at Kuri meant that she was safe. Safe and
angry was still safe, and Ulf let out a long sigh of relief.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where are
you?” he texted.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was a long
pause. Enough for him to feel wind in his hair and look up shortly
from the screen and take in the city scape of Kyoto.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not telling,”
came the reply.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Not telling?
What’s going on?</i> He smirked and stabbed in a few choice words
before sending them her way.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This time there
was no reply at all. Irritation grew in him as he gave up and made
his way down the hill again. For whatever reason the date had gone
south and he walked alone to the city centre. With Noriko by his side
he’d picked a local train, but a few kilometres didn’t even count
as a distance when he was on his own.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the beginning
he threw down his feet with a little more strength than was needed,
but as the brisk walk got his body moving angry thoughts quickly gave
way for the exhilaration he always felt during physical activity.
This was his drug now, and he needed it since he never picked up the
habit of smoking in this life.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wherever Noriko
was she was safe together with Kuri. Come evening they’d meet again
and any interrogation could wait until then. Sure, there had better
be a good reason for sabotaging their time alone.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He grinned and
started taking note of his surroundings. Sightseeing wasn’t his
goal, but rather his teenage body came with an appetite that subsided
as he grew older and got used to handling a computer all day long.
Right now he was ravenously hungry, and if he was to eat alone he
could as well go for some food he suspected Noriko was less than keen
to share with him. Something with big slabs of meat came to his mind
which meant a western style steak house unless those were
hysterically overpriced.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the end they
were, and he didn’t. At the central station he found a compromise
that had to make do. There was meat, albeit not any big slabs, and
there was more rice to go with it than he really wanted. Still,
hunger was the best seasoning of them all, and Ulf wolfed down his
meal together with a soft drink that was anything but traditionally
Japanese.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the meal he
gave his message queue a cursory look. It was as lacking in updates
as when he gave up on finding Noriko. </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">W</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ith
nothing </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">better to do
Ulf sauntered down-town for some lonesome sight seeing. </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">H</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">e
could at least relive some memories from days long gone when his
parents brought him here in a world that was lost to him </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">in
more ways than one.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He walked
straight street after straight street, and every time he stopped to
give something a closer look he felt a pang of regret for not having
Noriko beside him. He missed her voice and witty remarks. He missed
the touch of her hand in his, and that very lack filled him with
another realisation. He longed for Noriko and he hadn’t even given
Christina as much as a thought. That in itself made missing his girl
worth it, and Ulf felt a little less of an arse knowing how his
feelings finally rooted themselves where they belonged.</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-85840505077866848002019-10-26T22:21:00.002+02:002019-10-26T22:21:46.419+02:00Chapter three, 2018, what happens in Kyoto, segment one<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the end Kuri left them to their
own devices with another promise to make up with her boyfriend.
Noriko felt happy for her brother. Idiot as he might be he still
truly cared for Kuri, and as far as Noriko was concerned the two of
them made a good couple. That Urufu didn’t get dragged into
something dangerous was an added bonus.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Yeah,
dangerous, right! You’re just jealous of Kuri.</i> But to be honest
Noriko didn’t fear Kuri all that much any longer. Sure sometimes,
just like at that café earlier, the tall model made her feel
supremely uncomfortable, but those moments never lasted for long.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="firstHeading"></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That
was hours earlier. Right now she was panting by Urufu’s side as
they climbed <span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Fushimi
Inari-taisha, </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">or
rather one of the endless gated paths up the mountain. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Earlier
this day her world had been a green fantasy land of bamboo. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">Now it
was red or orange and made of toris. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">It
was as if the gates stood upon each other.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was all very
beautiful and all that, but unlike Urufu Noriko didn’t have the
stamina to climb mountains at a pace like this. Sure, the clubs
walking talking sessions did wonders, but Urufu and endless walking
was an entirely different beast. He was also clumsy with the small
things that Ryu never was.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Too fast,”
she panted. “Wait for me!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He turned.
“Sorry.” Then after just a few more steps he was ahead of her
again.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I said wait.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ah, sorry,
you’re slow.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Really!</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
“You’re an arse.” She loved him, but right now he was a </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">t</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">wat</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sorry.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He did slow down
his steps, and with her hand in his, pulling just a little to show
him it was hard work climbing the hill, they made it up the next
crest. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was kind of a
view, but for all the work getting up here Noriko felt a little
disappointed.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’d like to
continue a little more,” Urufu said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko looked
around her. The gates thinned out considerably from here on, and the
prospect of climbing even further didn’t appeal all that much to
her.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not going
back?” she wondered.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Urufu still gazed
at what view was offered. “If that’s what you want,” he said
just to prove that he wasn’t oblivious to her presence. There was
something forlorn in his voice that had Noriko swallow the
affirmative words that already lay in her mouth.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What I want?
Shouldn’t I be what </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>we</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
want?” He had suggested they trudge on. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She gave him another look.
Always straightforward he still wasn’t always honest with what he
wanted for himself. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Could
I hope?</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> “Something you
know about the mountain?” she asked and gave the hill a little more
credit than it deserved.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He smiled, just a
thin line, but it reached all the way to his eyes. “There are less
people there,” he said, and her heart jumped at his words.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>This is where
I’m very careful with what I say.</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
She walked to his side and grabbed his hand again. Pretending to
share the view with him she thought about the right </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">words</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.
“</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’d very much like
somewhere less crowded with you,” she decided upon.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s an
extra hour,” Urufu said as if he waited for her to change her mind.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She felt wind
running through he hair and turned her face to meet him. How he could
possibly believe an extra hour spent in relative solitude with him
wasn’t worth the effort was beyond her. “My pleasure,” she said
and pretended she hadn’t noticed that while her mind was full of
him her legs still believed further walking was a supremely stupid
idea. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Note to self: don’t
get angry at him just because you’re tired.</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
She made that note into a promise.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Thank you?</i>
Noriko grabbed both his hands. “You don’t have to thank your
girlfriend for wanting to spend time with you,” she said and
surprised herself with her boldness. It was of a different kind than
when she made her attempts at getting him into bed with her. This was
a more important kind of boldness, one of hearts rather than of body.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He just grinned.
Finally one of the wolfish grins that had both her and a few too many
other girls turn in his direction. This time, however, it was for her
alone. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Then this boyfriend would very much want to spend the rest
of the day just with his girlfriend,” he said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the first
time in a very long time she gave him a look where she studied him as
if they hadn’t known each other for a while. At the end of his
teens he grew a roughness to his face that maybe not everyone found
attractive, but those who did couldn’t forget. Sturdier than the
sexless definition of male beauty that went these days, but the
combination of brilliance and strength was fatal for her. His was not
just the beauty of someone who knew how to weather out a storm, but
of one who knew how to do it with less effort despite being able to
brute force it.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You’re
unfair,” she said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unfair, how
so?” he said, let gor of one hand and led her further up the hill
with the other firmly in his hand.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko waited a
few minutes, just enough to appreciate how he finally matched his
steps with her. “You know that I really love you, don’t you?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He faltered a
little. “I do,” he said. “I don’t really understand what I’ve
done to deserve it, but I do.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She snuggled up
closer to him. This part of him she definitely liked. “Because
you’re you. Because you care and because I feel that you love me
back,” she said. It wasn’t even close to describing everything he
had done to make her fall for him, but right now it was enough.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He stopped in his
tracks, and finally he bent down and kissed her. She grabbed his head
with both her hands and kissed him back. Japanese sensibilities be
damned. She had longed for this the entire trip.</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-3562370105038534322019-10-22T16:47:00.002+02:002019-10-22T16:47:45.199+02:00June 24, 2040, absent friends<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Kyoko
grinned at the memories. The mirth had died down a little, but the
four of them remained on the wooden deck.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Just
Noriko and Urufu missing,” she said to no one in particular.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Kuri-chan
spat out her tea.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i>What?</i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Don’t
do that!” Ryu said and carefully let go of his own beverage after
he had secured it onto a table.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i>Do
what?</i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Kyoko,
that was hysterically funny right now,” Yukio added.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i>OK
what button did I just push?</i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Again?”
Kuri-chan suggested.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i>This
just has to be something about that field trip. What did I forget?</i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Yukio
grinned open mouthed. “Nah, nothing as bad this time.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Hard
to top that one,” Ryu suggested.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Kuri-chan
and Ryu laughed in agreement. “Ko-chan, don’t tell me you’ve
forgotten?” the former said.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Forgotten
what? If you’re thinking Kyoto I spent most of it with Yukio you
know.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Ko-chan!”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">She
ransacked her memory, but nothing came up. They spent most of that
trip on endless trips from one site to another. With teachers present
there wasn’t much time to get lost, well unless you weren’t the
rapidly rising star of fashion fame and just so happened to get
dragged into an unplanned photo shoot.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Blinking
away the sun Kyoko dug a little further in her memories. So one of
the free days, but those they spent scattered all over the city, so
someone getting lost wouldn’t be noticed until curfew at the hotel.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Kyoko,
really!” This time it was Yukio who frowned and admonished her.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i>If
Yukio remembers then I ought as well.</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">
Something crawled around in her head and called for attention. Let’s
see. There was that day Kuri-chan stormed out, and she came back
alone. The something gave Kyoko an ironic wave. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i>Alone?
If I recall that I must have expected her to come back with someone
in tow.</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">
Then the memory finally flared alive. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><i>Oh
dear! Noriko’s glorious time in the limelight. How could I possibly
have forgotten?</i></span></span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-88799302294058467082019-10-21T16:37:00.001+02:002019-10-21T16:37:37.787+02:00Chapter two, 2018, field trip, segment ten<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Urufu dropping a bomb like that
turned out to be the starting point for some Kyoto shenanigans which
eventually made the field trip quite memorable.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Right now,
however, Noriko had yet to experience any of those, and she reeled
from handling what Urufu suggested an hour earlier.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Right now the
three of them sat freezing over cups of coffee and tea, watching what
had to be a gorgeous view come spring. Now the river felt naked
somehow, lacking the greenery that was to come later.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, no I don’t
have any plans to break up with Ryu. You taught me the hard way what
an awful thing it is to give up just because it’s hard,” </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">K</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">uri</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
said between sips of coffee. She had said that several times, but
this was the first time she added something akin to regret for
breaking up with Urufu a year earlier.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko clenched
her fists in her lap and pretended she hadn’t understood. Kuri was
a good friend, but she was also an eternal rival. She was one Noriko
needed and yet was scared of. Without Kuri she herself would never
had been given a chance with Urufu, because without Kuri and Urufu
being an item he’d have stayed forever in that black world of his
where he lost wife and children.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Urufu allowed an
almost smile to curve his lips and stared down at his coffee. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Almost
regretfully he lifted it and drank a little. The cup hid his eyes and
Noriko wondered what passed his mind. A gust of wind that played in
his hair later he let the cup down again and it met the table with a
brittle sound.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fine, you’re
not breaking up,” he said and looked up.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko noticed
how his eyes met Kuri’s, but that little something that had her
worried wasn’t there. Love for certain, but neither the kind of
needy greed of someone staring at his crush nor one half of the
shared happiness of one in a relationship.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Say
something!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Urufu shot Kuri
another glance after her outburst. With a cup of lukewarm coffee once
again in his hand he smirked and studied the sky. “What about you
make up? What about you apologise even though it wasn’t your
fault?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I didn’t
do anything...”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Isn’t he
worth it?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko stared in
fascination at the exchange of words. Silently she felt grateful the
both of them had chosen Japanese rather than the sing song Swedish
they used when the rest of the world was best kept in the dark.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What do you
mean with worth it?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Urufu sighed and
put his cup on the table. This time for the last time. There was
nothing left in it. “Do you love him enough to make use of a white
lie occasionally, even one that hurts you a little?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One that hurts
me?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We’re the
same, you and me. Too damn proud when it doesn’t matter.” Urufu
shot her a bashful smile. “There’s a difference between integrity
and stupidity you know.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>What, Urufu
admitting a fault of his own?</i> That was a novel thought. <i>It’s
almost as if he’s ready to learn something new.</i> Which was
grossly unfair, but he was rigid enough to merit being that unfair
from time to time.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ll get
something warm,” Noriko said and rose from her seat. “Please talk
things over!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kuri gave her a
worried look when she left for the entrance. “A tea for me,” Kuri
said rather than ask her not to leave.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>You need to
talk anyway. I need you to talk, or else I’ll always be afraid of
you taking him from me.</i> “Don’t worry. I won’t be long.”
Noriko gave Kuri a smile that maybe wasn’t entirely honest and went
inside.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A waitress behind
the counter gave her a curious look when Noriko beelined directly for
her, and with a </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">self-conscious</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">smile </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko
realised she had grown too used to the Haven where you either ordered
at your table or by the counter depending on your mood. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or
on the mood of whoever worked the tables that day for that matter.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">O</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">rdering
something warm was quick business and she spent the short respite
looking out the windows. Just outside Urufu and Kuri were busy
talking about Ryu. Noriko didn’t need to hear their conversation to
know. Behind them a street with more pedestrians than cars separated
café from river. Walking the river upstream with her eyes she saw
the famous Togetsukyo Bridge, the main reason for anyone being here
in the first place.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Should have
been the four of us.</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> That
was wishful thinking. More wishful thinking had her and Urufu alone
here. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Still, this was better
than the circus back home </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">in
Tokyo</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. If she asked him
discreetly maybe they’d share the rest of the afternoon together.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">S</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">he
barely registered a group of four girls from their school who passed
outside the window until one of them returned and stopped by the
table Urufu and Kuri shared. Even from inside the café Noriko saw
how the glare Kuri received was anything but friendly.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="western">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What the…</span></i></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With the door
closed Noriko couldn’t hear anything, but she saw a mouth moving in
agitation and Kuri reeling from the verbal onslaught.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>That’s
strange. Kuri hasn’t been up to any of her usual stunts where she
turns strangers into enemies.</i> Noriko quickly went to the counter
and picked up her order. Once again the waitress gave her perplexed
stare, but Noriko decided that right now wasn’t the time to
remember that orders were served at the tables.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With a small tray
in her hands she pushed the door open and went for their table.
Whoever the angry girl had been she had rejoined her friends, and
Noriko stared at her receding backside. So did Urufu and Kuri.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What’s up?”
Noriko wondered and put the tray on he table.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Urufu guffawed
and Kuri frowned, but she didn’t look angry.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fine, I’ll
make up with him,” she said.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">OK, fill me
in,” Noriko said and sat down on the chair she had occupied until
she went for refreshments.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I just got
told off for not treating Ryu well enough. She told me she’d take
him from me if I didn’t shape up.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko stared at
Kuri. “That, eh… that sounds unlikely,” she finished.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Urufu just kept
on laughing.</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016281972519028658.post-7325574448289253672019-10-16T18:19:00.001+02:002019-10-16T18:19:13.580+02:00Chapter two, 2018, field trip, segment nine<br />
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryu got his arse handed to him by
the teachers, and only Christina’s blatant lie about him being
dragged into an impromptu shoot saved him from further repercussions.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She regretted
that a little. There <i>had</i> been an impromptu shoot, one that she
hadn’t wished for at all. He <i>had</i> been asked to leave, and he
had refused. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christina accepted that she loved the boy turning into a
man, and his refusal only increased his stocks in her eyes.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the end he
stayed and watched. In the end Christina noticed how even in Kyoto he
attracted more than his fair share of attention despite the surplus
of male models at the set. It made her feel proud. In that sense she
was anything but Japanese. Ryu at the other hand stared with open
disapproval at how just about every male present ogled her.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It took some
cooing on their way home, and a very thorough biting his face off by
some teachers to make him forget his discomfort just to have it
replaced by another.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Right now they
weren’t on speaking terms. He really hated it when she saved him
rather than the other way around, and that was a part of Ryu that
Christina disliked.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Idiot!</i> But
the Sweden she once grew up in had shown more similarities than it
wanted to admit. <i>I’m an adult. Of course I’m going to help you
when you need it.</i> But she was also his girlfriend. At least she
should treat him as her peer. <i>Damn, I’d like someone to chat
with.</i> The solution came to her just as she voiced the need in her
head.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sure, but I’ll
be there as well,” Noriko said when Christina called her.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You really
don’t need...” Christina tried, but Noriko cut her short.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s my
boyfriend and it’s my brother. I’ll leave the two of you alone
when I’m certain you’re not going on one of your crusades.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An hour later
Christina found herself in a crowded tourist trap. She’d been there
before, in her previous life. Just after dawn, long before the horde
of tourists invaded, freezing her butt off for a shoot while
pretending it was another and much warmer season.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Crowded or not,
the Arashiyama bamboo grove still enveloped her with an
otherworldliness she normally never found anywhere. Apart from people
around her world was green, and the never ending chattering still
didn’t manage to dispel the sound of wing gusts trying to find
their way down from the canopy.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then one face
turned the crowd into background, and by his side Noriko walked, hand
in his, staring at the greenery and totally oblivious of how Ulf
saved her from walking into strangers time and time again.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I don’t get
you, but I’m happy for you.</i> The smartest person he’d ever
met, Ulf said, but she sure wasn’t street smart at all. Even a
parent would have admonished a five year old for walking without
paying attention to the world around.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko!”
Christina called to save Ulf from his daycare duty.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">His girlfriend
finally looked ahead and made her way to Christina without
endangering their surroundings. Behind her Ulf let out a sigh of
poorly hidden relief. Christina understood him. Even as a friend you
just felt the need to protect Noriko whenever she ended up along a
lot of people. That need had to be multiplied if you were in love
with the petite girl.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why here?”
Christina asked when Noriko was close enough to e patted on her head,
had Christina had those inclinations. “It’s not really a good
place for me.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cause it’s
fun to tease you,” came the response. “Besides you won’t be
able to use your work as an argument with all the people here.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I never knew
you were that scheming.</i> “So you want the rational me?”
Christina said and looked past Noriko, briefly met Ulf’s eyes and
let her eyes walk across the gorgeous greenery surrounding them.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Noriko nodded
back and then Ulf came up by her side. Side by side like this they
looked more like big brother and little sister than a couple. The
school uniform told a different story though.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s Ryu. He
wants to treat me like, well, his girlfriend.” That came out wrong. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“In a bad Japanese way, I mean.” </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And why don’t I just insert
an entire boot in my mouth while I’m at it?</i></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf just grinned
with mirth at Christina making her best to win the award as the most
moronic tourist in Kyoto this week. To her huge surprise Noriko
didn’t look offended at all.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know what
you mean,” she said with her head tilted slightly to one side. “One
of my idiot brother’s worst sides.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Ah, forgot you
had to fight that part of him the entire autumn.</i> “I don’t
know what to do. I really do like him, a lot, but, well.”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So you’re in
love with the idiot kid and want him to grow up?”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That pretty much
summed it up. This time it was Christina’s turn to nod.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ulf remained
silent the entire time, and what had once been planned as a chat with
him more and more looked like a conversation with Noriko with Ulf as
audience.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He doesn’t
deserve it, but you need to give him something in return. Ryu’s
kinda stubborn that way.” Noriko’s smirk told Christina
everything she didn’t want to know about what the short girl
thought of yielding to Ryu when he was in the wrong.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Give him a
bone, you mean?” Christina said. It wasn’t as much a question as
her thinking aloud.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yup,” Noriko
said and shone up like a sun. “Pat him on his head and say: Good
dog!”</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>But it doesn’t
really solve anything.</i> Maybe she couldn’t resolve the problem
by talking with Noriko alone. Something was missing, something
important, but Christina just couldn’t find out what it was.</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From Noriko’s
side a voice reached Christina’s ears. “You could always break up
with him,” Ulf suggested deadpan.</span></div>
<br />Sten Düringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06676541059143438525noreply@blogger.com0