Fifteen minutes

Don't even know if 'fame' is a proper term, but whatever it is it's hardly to be lasting.

On one of the publishing sites I use book one, Arrivals, just hit the top spot in terms of reads. I readily admit I find this enjoyable and a bit fun as well.

See more at GetInkspired.

Chapter five (segment eleven), 2016, August, Christina

This time she made sure to fire up her smart phone immediately after the shots were done. Once was more than enough, and Christina didn't plan to exemplify some concept of stupid Swedes if one existed in Japan.

Nothing major. She had missed out on today's festival planning, but it might run late, so she decided to chance it and head for school.

It was, she admitted, a mistake to email Midori-chan rather than Ulf, but she had known he would run late. She was the club president after all, so someone already inside the school should know. But maybe she should have emailed Ulf as well. Or text as he said when he started rambling about how Japan needed to join the twenty first century when it came to digital infrastructure. He was a geek, and she didn't understand half of it, but apparently something irked him. He did have almost all of his electronic gear imported, so apparently something was wrong with what could be bought in Japan.

Her studio wasn't too far away from the school. At least not with her new bike, and after she had changed into the all too hot but properly baggy set of clothes she used for avoiding being recognised, she made good speed on partially empty streets.

It had been a good day. Good shots and crowned by the message that Kinoshita-sensei was transferring studios on the condition he could work exclusively with her, or at least prioritise her whenever she was available. The two younger photographers in the studio were ecstatic at the news, and the oldest not so much. Probably because he just had his position as the most senior usurped.

Less than half an hour, about the same time as she would have used riding trains, it took her to get to Himekaizen. She locked her bike to the stands and made her way into the school. By the shoe lockers she realised she had forgotten her slippers, but she decided to risk it and climbed the stairs to their new club room. Midori-chan had told her where to find it.

It wasn't empty, but there was no sign of Ulf, so she made a polite round and signed a few papers concerning the upcoming cultural festival after she confirmed that the club would only apply for running a few food stalls.

In the end she was coerced into following Ryu and some of the less sane members of their fan club to the roof where they fired off a few very illicit fireworks. It was very stupid, a little fun and it probably strengthened her reputation as the daredevil beauty of Himekaizen.

After that she left the school feeling a bit disappointed. Should she call him? Maybe not. He was probably angry by now, and she was tired and didn't want to risk a quarrel over the phone when the only thing she wanted was to hug him close to her and just cling to him forever.

An email though. She had the next day off. She wrote a short message before unlocking her bike. Ten am by the statue they had used for their first date. That small square had become important to her. Stupid and childish, but that was how it was.

As she was riding home she felt her phone vibrate, and when she made a quick stop in a park there was a new email for her from Ulf. Ten am was perfect and did she want to go to the cinemas?

Christina sat down on a swing. She was far too tall for it, and her heels dug into the sand even though she didn't attempt to swing. Yes, the cinemas would be fun, and did he have time to make it a full day's date with their bikes?

And he did. And he longed for it. And Christina felt her heart jolt when she read that email. He wanted to be together with her. Alone with her, and he longed for the time they shared.

She sat there a bit longer than she had planned. Crying silently, but these were tears of joy. Slowly she started to accept just how important his words were to her. This last email would take her though another lonely night smiling. She couldn't understand how easily she had allowed herself to become spellbound by him.

Chapter five (segment ten), 2016, August, Noriko

She stared after Urufu when his shoulders sunk and he walked around the bookshelf to the office area. If they had been alone she wasn't sure she could have kept herself from hugging him.

That modelling job had better be worth it. You're hurting him, even if he's trying his best to hide it. A couple of months earlier that thought would have come with equal parts shame and glee, because Kuri hurting Urufu brought them that much closer to breaking up. Now Noriko only felt sad. Urufu hurting hurt her as well. That hadn't changed, but her own plans had.

I'm moving on, Kuri. If you break him I can't promise I'll be here to pick up the parts. It wasn't that she had stopped loving Urufu, but there was no coming between Kuri and him as long as their relationship worked. It was exactly because Noriko still loved him that she had to move on. To be the friend he needed she had to find someone else to love, or at least to get along with well enough to substitute for love.

Cold and cynical her brother called her. Well, no one tried to rape him. No one tried to take his body for money. That was probably the worst of it. They failed, and she had been rescued by not one but two knights in shining armour, so the feeling of helplessness left her long ago. But they had been paid. The bastards hadn't even tried to rape her because they wanted to rape her. Her body wasn't even worth taking unless you were paid in advance, and that still hurt.

Deep inside her she knew her self loathing was a lie. Yukio had confessed to her – three times. And that model, Takado-sempai, singled her out that evening on the beach. And when she wasn't around Kuri boys stole glances at her, but then nobody could compete around Kuri. Not true. You could, Kyoko. Yukio never looked at Kuri that way.

Sometimes she wondered if she shouldn't have rewarded Yukio's persistence, but at a closer look it wouldn't have worked. He lacked the hardness of character she required.

“Noriko, what's up?”

Someone was speaking to her. “What?”

“Noriko, you should leave him alone. Everyone here can see that you like him if you stare after him like that,” Midori-chan said and placed a hand on her shoulder in sympathy.

Noriko blushed a little. Midori-chan had misunderstood some of it after all, but she was probably right when she said Noriko wore her feelings like an overcoat right now. “It's all-right, I've already confessed,” Noriko said. “He knows and he rejected me,” she continued and looked at Midori-chan's stunned face. “Don't give me that look. It's not like you didn't know anyway.”

“You're awesome. You're so cool!”

That put a smile on her face. Cool was good. Awesome was better. She could live with that. “Sure, but it's nothing you need to announce. Will only make me look like stupid, you know.”

“I wouldn't dream of it!” Midori-chan promised.

And it'll be all over the grapevine within days. Oh well, she's an airhead, can't be helped. “Thank you, that really makes me feel better,” Noriko lied. She took a few steps into the lounge part. That sofa by a low table looked really inviting, or maybe one of the arm chairs.

In the end she settled for an arm chair. More members were on their way and even though she was a midget, sleeping on the sofa would still have occupied three seats.

There would be some harsh words come autumn. Their club already attracted a lot of attention, and with their new room from out of the blue it would become clear they had a better contact with the principal than was normal. The student council had a lot of clout, but nothing near ordering the remaking of a run down classroom. It even had an AC better than the one in their classroom.

Time to plan for the culture festival as well. I'll have to do most of the planning I'm afraid. Urufu never got to experience one, because he was incarcerated for saving me. Se really did owe him. He'd even saved her brother from the fallout.

The door opened and Ryu arrived with parts of his and Kuri's fan club in tow. They carried bags with food and drinks and snacks. That left Yukio and Kyoko who had their own scavenging patrol. They had promised something great, but Noriko had no idea what it was.

When the door opened the next time two of the girls entered with a microwave. They were met with jubilation but just kept smiling as if they'd been let in on some great secret.

“Peeps, need some guys out here for the carrying slings!” Yukio's voice shouted from the corridor. Noriko watched some of the boys leave the room.

“Whoa! Man!” she heard a while later.

It took a minute. It probably took several, and when Kyoko opened the door again Noriko heard the sound of people carrying something heavy. Then she saw one end of something shiny. Are you nuts? Are you for real?

The room filled with a roar of approval when the full height fridge was carried through the opening.

You're absolutely wonderfully insane you lot! With guys like you I'll never be able to keep my cool. For once she didn't try to avoid her brother when he came sailing through the room with a high five prepared.

“Man, we've got cool, cause we are cool.” Yukio shouted from somewhere, and during the commotion Urufu came out from his hiding space and smiled at what he saw. With a calmer face he met Ryu's high five. Calmer, but he still met it with one of his own. It had to be some kind of male thing.

Chapter five (segment nine), 2016, August, Ulf

“Your plans for today?” Amaya wondered after breakfast.

“Club activities,” Ulf answered and slung his backpack onto his back. “Culture festival late September, and it seems the clubs are supposed to take part in it.”

Amaya frowned. “You couldn't participate last year.”

“No big deal. We're over twenty people in the club, and I guess we'll have to show off something supposedly Swedish and that's about it. See you!” And with that he was out of the door. He ran down the stairs five steps at a time and walked the last bit to the bike stand. Today would be a long ride, but he hadn't wanted to leave it by the station for the duration of the field trip. Lucky he didn't. Four days had turned into two weeks.

He played with the thought of biking to their old mall and leave it there, but with some luck Christina would show at the school, and if she did he had hopes for cycling around the city with her. So he ended up locking his bike to the confession stands outside their wing and walked the gravel to the entrance.

After a few moments of confusion he found his shoe lockers, dumped his sneakers in it and pulled his indoor slippers out of his back pack. Starting today he'd leave them in the locker when he went home. There were only a couple of days until school started anyway.

The corridor was empty, but he heard muted voices from the stairwell he was heading for. He looked through the windows to the closed cafeteria, passed the boys PE locker room and climbed the stairs. Whomever the voices belonged to had long since vanished when he left the stairs for the main corridor.

What the hell? The club room was empty. As in wiped clean. This is way too much for a burglary, so what happened?

“Urufu, you idiot! Moron-sama!”

OK, that's Noriko for sure. Now what? Ulf left their club room and stared in the direction her voice had come from. Sure enough she stood in the stairwell waving at him. Ah, not waving, beckoning for me. Damn palm down. I'll never get used to that.

With a sigh he shut the door and sauntered in her direction. What's she doing in our wing?

“What's with you today? Getting senile already?”

No, I'm not, That doctor of Nakagawa's promised as much. Wonder what I forgot this time though? Probably just didn't pay attention to something. “Yeah, must be. Advanced age and all that.”

When he closed in on her she turned on her feet, climbed the stairs and headed into the corridor to his classroom. That had him even more confused until she walked past it.

Ah, that's right. We were given a new room. Ulf started running after her and caught up just as they passed 5:1. He wondered if they would be able to see all of the pool from their new room.

They were.

Half a dozen club members were busy adding the finishing touches to the former classroom converted into club room. They must have spent a lot of time since the field trip here, because the room had been carefully redesigned for lounging, office work and even small conferences. There was even a very small kitchenette in a corner. Bookshelves lined two walls, and four shelves cut the room into two sections separating the lounge area from the workspace.

“Whoa! You guys rule!” Where did the money come from? I seeded quarter of a million yen, but that's nothing compared to the furniture they brought here?

“Like it, Urufu-kun?” Midori asked proudly. Not waiting for an answer she continued. “Found out a week ago both my parents and Hiroyuki-kun's own furniture stores. Between us we had a lot of damaged goods we could take.”

“I see,” Ulf said just as he thought it. That made sense. Two dozen of us now. We'll need this space. And I just love how they've planned the place for workshops in small teams! Super kids! “It's perfect. You've made us a new home here. Christina's going to step dance all over the place when she sees it.” Thinking of her he wondered where she was.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. “She called in,” Midori said after a while. Her hair grew if possible even more unruly as if it wanted to share in her shame. “I'm sorry, but she won't come.”

Ulf forced a smile to his face. “Girl, it's not your fault. Besides, she should have called me instead. Thanks for letting me know,” he added to underscore that he really thought that Midori had only shown consideration.

But it was still a bummer. It wasn't like she had promised him anything, but he had hoped. During all of summer break they had spent less than a day alone together. Ulf shrugged. At the other hand they had spent far more days in each other's company than he had dared hope for to begin with, even if they had shared that time with others. And he would be a poor friend if he didn't give his friends the time they deserved.

And you're rambling. Making excuses when you know that your need for her is endless. He threw Midori and the others an ironic salute and walked to the workspace. Some time on his own while he pretended to work seemed like a good idea.

Noriko had seen through his ruse. She always did, but with a bit of luck she'd play along. He knew she had a crush on him, and he knew he was abusing it a little right now, but he really needed to sit on his own and think things over.

Chapter five (segment eight), 2016, August, Christina

Her apartment was dark when she came home. Like it always was. Earlier the small one room flat had meant independence and safety for Christina, but now it only felt lonely.

I've grown used to spending my nights with you. Even if in a room shared with others. She hadn't expected to feel so sad about coming home to her empty home, and it did feel empty. I miss you already. I never believed I'd fall in love like this again, but you're so easy to love.

And that was a lie. Ulf was anything but easy. She knew his life was a jumble of broken shards, had found out in a way that scared her. He's in love with two women, and how am I to compete with his wife if he'll never be able to see her again?

Because he was married. At least somewhere in his mind he was still a fifty year old father settled into what she guessed had been a good marriage despite the tragedy a decade earlier. You made it through it. Must have meant something, something strong enough to rebuild a life around.

This new life was somehow easier for her to accept. She had only invested in power and money. What she had lost in transition was superfluous, and more importantly it was something she could regain on her own. Alone, don't forget alone.

She dropped her bags inside the door. Laundry would have to wait for tomorrow. Right now she wanted a bath, and just a few months earlier she would have revelled in the luxury of being undisturbed. Just like she had for thirty years before that. But no longer.

The need for his presence grew almost painful. But I chose my career. I could have chosen to stay by your side instead, but I didn't. Every day spent modelling and building her reputation was a day spent without him. Every day together was a day when she didn't solidify her shaky foundation. In a few years it would be solid enough, but not now.

It was maddening. She shouldn't have to chose between her career and her love, but she had to. Am I doing the right thing? What's most important to me? For a fleeting moment she played with the idea to just abandon anything that had to do with fashion. But she knew Ulf wouldn't accept that she threw away the chance she had been given. No, not given. I created it myself, and I think that's something he respects.

So now her love conflicted her love. It was definitely enough to drive her crazy.

Christina started tapping water into her bathtub and went back into the room where she unpacked her bags.

No matter what I do I'm caught in a trap. But I don't want to lose you! She yelled a few choice obscenities into the night and continued to empty the bags. She gave them a glare as if they were somehow involved with her frustration and fear. Recognition of what her feelings was jolted her upright. I'm afraid of losing you. I don't want to spend my life without you. It scares me.

How had she become so dependent on him? Why? And yet the answer was so easy. Because I love you.

She pulled the lamp string twice so only the night light was on before going into the tiny bathroom. The door stood ajar when she slipped into the bathtub. It was one of those strange habits she could never have explained, because she didn't know herself why she wanted the door half open to an almost dark room.

This time she cheated as well. Normally she would have showered before the bath. It hadn't taken her long to adapt to the traditional Japanese habit, and she liked going clean into a bath, but now she just needed the feeling of hot water caressing her. Lithe body or not, she wasn't built for strength or stamina, and carrying heavy bags over long distances wasn't exactly where she shone.

As always she sat facing the wrong direction. She was too tall for the deep bathtubs, and sometimes it just felt good dangling her legs outside even if it meant sinking to the bottom like a drunk frog.

With the worst of her stiffness gone thoughts of Ulf returned once more. She wanted him here, wanted him so badly tears welled up. That was new as well. She couldn't remember crying so much over nothing. Maybe it was as that doctor had said, that they were truly teenagers in part. But she couldn't remember crying like this from her first time as a teenager either.

Maybe being sixteen again is only part of it, she thought and started lathing herself. Soapy water was soon followed by shampoo and after that she pulled the plug, showered quickly and towelled herself dry. The thoughts lingered though. If it's only part of it, then what would the rest be?

And once again the answer came as obvious as frightening. It's you Ulf. You're special to me. She had been in love before. She had cried her heart out when she found out she was cheated on, but she had never before allowed herself to depend on anyone but herself. I've lost control over my life. No, I gave it away to you. Why would I ever do anything that stupid?

When she had pulled out her futon and gone to bed she had an answer to that question as well. Because I wanted to. Because it's the only way to love you. I don't want to live alone any more. I want you here!

Chapter five (segment seven), 2016, August, Kyoko

The shared dinner, their first shared dinner alone had been fantastic. Not because the food was exceptional, because compared to what they'd grown used to the last weeks it wasn't anything special. And it wasn't the place either. The resort outclassed it in every romantic way possible, but this time it was something only the two of them did together.

Despite feeling sweaty and dirty after a long day on trains Kyoko saw herself as a princess for the first time in her life. Maybe because that was the image mirrored in Yukio's eyes whenever she looked at him.

“We'd better go home now,” Yukio said. He tightened his grip on her hand. “Funny, I've longed for being just normal for a while now, but now. I don't know.”

She looked at him again. Dishevelled clothes and hair that needed washing despite the last day's hot spring bath. He had dirt under his nails, and his shirt sported a stain from their dinner. He was the most beautiful person she had ever seen. And you're all mine! The thought scared her a bit. Does that make me yours?

“I know what you mean. So let's catch a train.” No, it doesn't scare me. Not if it is you.

On their way to the subway she saw students from different schools returning home from cram school. It was still summer, but the faces they met were already preparing for autumn. So much that has happened. And it's only been a month. But from now on we're back to our usual lives. “Yukio?”

“Yes?”

“I haven't told my parents about you. Do you hate me for that?” Where did that thought come from?

He stopped and took both her hands in his. “Why would I?”

“I don't know. I'm sorry. It was just a stupid thought.”

He leaned closer to her face. “Don't call yourself stupid. I can't talk with my parents about my parents, if you know what I mean.”

She thought she understood what he was thinking. “Uhum.”

“There are things we don't want to talk about. Not the same things for everyone, but I believe all of us has something we feel uncomfortable talking about.”

Yes, she had understood. We think alike. This isn't just me falling in love. I can love you and be friends with you at the same time. “I want to introduce you, but I think you'll get a cold welcome. That scares me.”

“As long as you prepare me for what they don't like it's fine.”

Kyoko felt frustration rise in her. “It's so stupid. They're like really old fashioned, and for them a divorce is because those involved were bad people.”

“Maybe they were,” he grinned. “It ended up in a divorce after all.”

“Yukio! Don't joke about that! You've never said anything bad about your parents. Just that they can't live together.”

“Yeah, sorry my bad. I didn't mean to make you angry.”

She sighed and let go of one hand. The other she kept in a firm grip as they started walking again. “I'm not angry. It's just that… It's just that I want them to like the one I like. Ah, that didn't make any sense, did it?”

Yukio laughed and pulled her close. “It makes a lot of sense. I often feel that way myself.” He turned silent. “You know, when I find someone who makes me laugh I want the entire world to laugh. When I found you I wanted everyone to love you as well.” He blushed at his own words. “But I wanted you to love me more than any of the others.”

Kyoko smiled. Those words filled her with warmth and a tingling sensation of being special. “I do.”

“Yeah,” he whispered. “I dare to believe that now. I really love you.”

They got on a train, slept a little shoulder to shoulder and got off at a station where they changed to a local train that took them to their station. From there it was half an hours walk home. It was a little heavy with their bags, but she didn't mind.

When they passed the mall where she had seen him the first time she absent-mindedly noticed that Urufu's bike wasn't locked to the stand. And it shouldn't have been. She knew that, but seeing that bike under the café had once meant that she could find Yukio upstairs. Now he was by her side.

“I wonder how they're doing,” she said. “Urufu and Kuri-chan I mean.”

Yukio dropped his bags to the ground, looked up and stretched. “I know what you mean,” he said. “Let them out of sight and you never know what stupid things they'll do.”

They shared a laugh at that.

“Sometimes Kuri-chan feels like an unruly little sister that I have to take care of,” Kyoko said. She looked at Yukio and saw a knowing smile play over his lips.

“Urufu, my little brother. Yep, that's about it.”

And they laughed again, loud enough for some people around them to frown. That only made them laugh some more.

Chapter five (segment six), 2016, August, Ryu

“See you later.”

Just a few days until autumn term, so 'later' wasn't exactly some distant occasion. Then why did it feel like a farewell? Ryu waved after Kuri and Urufu as they headed for the local trains. Yukio and Kyoko trailed behind because they would take the same train anyway, and both wanted something to eat after the awful train-ride all the way from south of Ise to Tokyo.

He looked out the entrance to Tokyo central station. Their mother would pick them up by car, and after that Kyoko and Yukio most likely took the sub to whatever restaurant district they preferred.

Ryu wondered about that. How quickly they all had gained the trust of his parents and Urufu's guardian. Too quickly. They had been left to their own devices the last week. Sure, Principal Nakagawa stayed to handle Kuri's make up exams, but he didn't patrol the corridors at night to make sure they didn't sneak into each others' rooms.

It wasn't that he disliked it. Freedom meant responsibility, and he guessed he had grown enough to want to shoulder some. Him and his sister.

“Ryu!”

What?

“Ryu, wake up!”

Sis? Oh, mom's here already. “See you, guys,” he shouted to Kyoko and Yukio. Ryu waved at them when they turned and walked to the subway area.

“Coming sis.” He shouldered his backpack and with the help of his sister they carried the large bag to the waiting car. Mom, you're not supposed to park there, but you never did care much for rules, did you?

He lifted all bags into the trunk and took his seat beside his mother. Noriko opened one of the rear doors and he saw her buckle up in the rear mirror.

“Fun field trip?” he asked as if she hadn't spent the last couple of weeks with him.

“Yes, but I'm tired and hungry now. Mom what's for dinner?”

“Hot pot. Dad's preparing it right now. It'll be ready when we come home.”

Ryu grinned where he sat. By now he longed for a bath and something more normal to eat than the food they had been served at the resort. It had been good food, but in the long run he missed his parents cooking, and especially the bantering around a simmering pot.

“How was work?” his mother asked when they stopped for a red light.

“Wonderful!” Noriko exclaimed from the back seat before Ryu had a chance to respond. She leaned forward as far as he seat belt allowed. “I've learned so much. I never guessed he knew so much.”

“Who?” their mother asked, but it was a redundant question. Neither mother nor son needed to see Noriko's furious blush to know the answer.

“You like him, don't you?” their mother asked when Noriko refused to answer. “Why don't you steal him from her?”

“Fat chance,” came the sullen reply. Then Noriko's voice lit up again. “But I'll move on. I think being friends with him is the most important, and I like Kuri as well. She's a much better friend than I had thought.” There was a moment of hesitation, and Ryu could hear her leaning back in her seat again. “I think she's really awesome when she works, but she seems more like dad than you.”

“I think you're right,” their mother said. “I got a good impression of her, but she can be cold sometimes.”

After some silence Noriko coughed. “Mom, what do you think about Urufu?”

They drove through a tricky intersection in silence, but Ryu could see how his mother mulled over the answer to that question. “He's a good man I believe, but sometimes I wonder if he isn't broken. Something bad happened.”

Yeah, you could say that. Principal Nakagawa and his manhunt happened, but I don't know if we can tell. Then Ryu remembered the promise he had given his mother in Sapporo. “Mom, he got caught up in a suicide. Principal Nakagawa used him to find one of the guys from last year.” How much can I say? How will sis react?

“Don't worry about me. I'm mostly over it,” Noriko said from the rear as if she had read his mind. “But yes, it ended with a suicide and Urufu had to watch it all.”

“I hope she's strong enough then. Noriko, you should stay away from him apart from your friendship. At least until he's whole again.”

If he ever will be. There are things about him you don't know mom. Things you wouldn't believe or understand. Ryu shuddered, and the feeling of being unable to handle a secret of this magnitude weighed him down. He didn't like telling half truths to his parents. It was almost as bad as lying outright.

They drove the rest of the way in silence, and sometime after he heard his sister snoring softly he must have fallen asleep himself, because when he was about to ask his mother about something he had seen as they passed by he found out they were already home.