Chapter one, 2017, a new year, segment four

Two days late Ulf returned to school. He got his arse handed to him by Amaya the evening before, and after that a desperate hug from her where she showed how worried she had been.

Then, to his enormous surprise, James appeared at the door, only to leave together with Amaya. Things had progressed in an interesting direction during Ulf’s absence it seemed.

Right now he got his arse handed to him by the moron someone mistakenly had led into the principal’s office. Said moron even tried pretending he held the competence needed for the job.

Ulf thoroughly despised the specific kind of incompetence inherent in the type of person personified by Kareyoshi. A small-minded, self-important narcissist who wrongly believed he had anything to provide to human society. In short the kind of person Ulf made short time of whenever TAP made a horrendous enough mistake when it came to employment. As those years went by, such mistakes became exceedingly rare.

Now, however, Ulf faced the prospect of spending his remaining years in high school with the arse as his principal.

It began in accordance with what Ulf had expected. As punishment for arriving two days late he got suspended for a week. A true genius! Someone plays hooky and you reward the absentee with another week of no school, rubber-stamped by the principal.

Ulf didn’t mind. He’d learn more efficiently away from the classroom than in it. You didn’t get two academic degrees by depending on the presence of a teacher.

Facing Principal Kareyoshi Ulf made an attempt at looking repentant. He failed gloriously.

Then Kareyoshi dropped the bomb.

“I’m going to disband that filthy club of yours.”

“I thought that was for the student council to decide,” Ulf said, still reeling from the shock.

“The former principal was your advisor. I don’t plan to take on that role.”

“We could find another,” Ulf responded.

“No, as a matter of fact, you can’t. Besides, the student council will do what I tell them, if they know what’s good for their futures.”

He openly threatens the student council? How fucking stupid can he be? Ulf fingered the recorder in his pocket to make sure it was still on. Can’t use it any-time soon. Just adding shit to pile on him for later.

Because that was the problem. Kareyoshi was on the inside. The other side of the inside, but inside still. Flushing him out would only be possible if they could add enough shit to him to endanger the very organisation that lay behind the secrecy around the arrivals.

“I hope you’re aware the exam results average for club members have risen substantially compared to the rest of the first years.”

“I hope you’re aware you should shut up when you talk to your elders.”

Hard case that one, Ulf thought. How did he come up with me talking and shutting up at the same time. Then another thought struck him, and Ulf decided to test it. We arrivals are basically exempt from the rules concerning expulsion from Himekaizen.

“Then I expect you to shut the hell up in my presence from now on,” Ulf said.

Kareyoshi paled. “What did you...”

“Shut the fuck up kiddo!” Ulf still remembered the command voice from his time as a conscript. Thirty years of budo had just polished it further into a weapon.

Kareyoshi reeled from the force. It took him a while to recover. “You little...”

“Silent! I haven’t given you permission to raise your voice in my presence.” This is more fun than I expected. Will be hell to pay, but I just don’t care. “I’m at least a few years your senior, so shove it, kohai! If you at least had deserved to be my kohai, but you can’t get everything in today’s degenerate world, wouldn’t you agree?” Now, how could I possibly be more insulting than that?

An idea came up. Ulf turned and left the room. When he was almost to the door Principal Kareyoshi rose from his chair. Ulf turned and stared at the raging, red face.

“Sit! Stay in that chair until I send someone here with permission for you to rise!”

Kareyoshi sat. Obviously he wouldn’t remain seated, but for now it was enough. Ulf opened the door and entered the corridor. For the first time in weeks a grin as wide as honestly felt spread on his face.

I wonder how he’ll take revenge. Well, I guess I’m part of the game now. Could as well make it official. Ulf picked up his phone and called Ryu’s father. He and his wife were involved with the aftermath to Kyoko’s stabbing, Ulf was certain of it.

Two minutes talk over the phone later he had confirmed those suspicions. For added security he transferred the entire audio from his interview with Kareyoshi. Both the Wakayama seniors as well as Amaya were better equipped than he was for this kind of fight. He could just as well hand ammunition over to them.

Ulf was on his way down the stairs when he heard Kareyoshi roaring through the corridor. With the knowledge that he couldn’t be expelled Ulf grinned and let the moron scream his lungs out.

OK, this system has to go. What if more arseholes like me arrived here in Japan. They really need a way to keep us in place. I’ll have a talk with the old goat about it.

Thinking of himself as an arrival gave birth to yet another thought. Maybe, maybe there are more of us now. I should check the freshmen out. Maybe not alone.

So Ulf went in search of Ryu and Yukio to help him look for arrivals among the first years. Noriko would do as well, but Ulf didn’t feel confident she wouldn’t involve Kyoko and Christina as well, and he still didn’t have the strength to meet her yet.

He’d come and go as he wanted. Kareyoshi’s suspension wasn’t worth the paper he wrote it on. All in all this was a promising start to a new school year.

Chapter one, 2017, a new year, segment three

Kyoko pretended she didn’t see the gang of third years following her. She might not be the fastest on the uptake in the boy meets girl game, but she knew trouble heading for Kuri-chan when she saw it.

Idiots! I have to pretend to protect Kuri-chan while she hurts you all over again. But then some people really never learned. This time it was Ryu walking around with Kuri-chan as his new-won prize that fed their anger. And Kuri-chan, you’re an idiot as well.

Kuri-chan saw her, and Kyoko waved to her friend, all too aware the gang behind her would catch up when the two of them met. Kyoko barely had time to get away from Kuri-chan’s mandatory hug before the voices reached them from behind.

“And she goes for the kill again. What's with you and hooking up with lookers?”

Kyoko noted how Ryu had made himself scarce, but she had no doubt he stood hiding somewhere close.

“With her grades, how did she even end up here in the first place?”

The mood was turning just as ugly as Kyoko suspected. She could understand why the girls felt the way they did when Kuri-chan showed up on Ryu's arm the very first day of the new school year, but still.

“I got a scholarship,” Kuri-chan answered.

Kyoko knew that voice. Don't make it worse, Kuri-chan!

“Scholarship? What need would this school possibly have for you?”

You just had to, Kuri-chan!

Kuri-chan turned, ever so slowly, and faced her adversary. “The school was in desperate need of a makeover. I make it look better. One me can easily make up for an entire class of ordinaries like you, wouldn't you agree?”

Kuri-chan! That was brutal. That was totally uncalled for. You'll never keep friends that way.

Then Kyoko recalled that the only real friends Kuri-chan had made were all members of the club.

The girls flinched.

Here we go again. Kyoko made ready to face the group together with her friend. This time she only felt sorry for them. She had seen Ryu pretend to walk away, and Kyoko knew he was somewhere near waiting for the perfect moment to arrive.

Stage monkey! The right wing classrooms towered close by, and Kyoko saw students looking out the windows. They didn’t want to miss the latest show featuring their famous fellow student. And you, you deserve getting your faces chewed off! What kind of morons stage an attack like this in full view of half the school?

“You bitch! Just because you got a little famous you think you can say whatever you want?”

Kuri-chan grinned. “That’s wrong,” she calmly stated.

Don’t fall for it. Don’t be as stupid as you look!

“What do you mean with wrong?”

OK, you really deserve everything you get.

“I mean that because I’m famous all over Japan I know I can say whatever I want. You got a problem with that?”

Kyoko shook her head. Above her she could hear gleeful laughter from the second year floor. The row of first year windows only let out the occasional loud gasp. The third year row, well the third year row showed a more mixed reaction. Angry shouts together with jeers. Kuri-chan had made fans as well as enemies among the former juniors.

In front of Kyoko the four third year girls paled, and at her side Kuri-chan dressed up in a smile belonging to the haughtiest version of the Billion Dollar Empress Kyoko had ever seen.

“Girls, was there anything more you wanted? I’m pressed for time. Vogue needs me for another shoot.”

They’ll never forgive you, you know that? Kuri-chan probably did. Kyoko couldn’t understand why her friend deliberately made more enemies. Was building a reputation really that important?

At least the group knew when they were beaten, or in their case, publicly humiliated and beaten. Barring physical assaults Kyoko couldn’t see how anyone would dare bully Kuri-chan again.

At that very time Ryu popped up from nowhere, or from wherever he hid during the exchange.

“Hi Kuri. I was just looking for you.” Then he turned to the third years. “Oh, made some new friends?”

That was mean of you, Ryu. They’re your fans after all.

“Ah, just chatting. If they’re your friends then they’re mine as well,” Kuri-chan lied, and Kyoko saw the girls blanch even further.

“We were just having a talk, Wakayama-san,” one of them said. After that they vanished in a hurry.

Kyoko stared out over the empty soccer field and waited for Ryu and Kuri-chan to finish their act. False, even if they were her friends they still played false. I hate that! I know I’m naive and too trusting, but I hate that.

With that thought Kyoko knew she didn’t want to wait any longer. With brisk steps she left her two friends to their own deliberations and headed for the entrance. Kuri-chan called once after her, but Kyoko pretended she didn’t hear and continued.

For once she didn’t long for Yukio, but for Urufu. There wasn’t even an ounce of romantic feelings in that feeling of longing. Right now she needed a sane adult to speak with. With a bit of luck Urufu was still sane, even though his grabbing his bike and leaving Tokyo didn’t exactly raise her hopes.

That he hadn’t returned in time for their second school year scared her, but her fear was second hand. She knew that. Even though she knew his fears after being assaulted and losing Kuri-chan, she hadn’t experienced them. She hadn’t even witnessed it the way Yukio and Ryu did.

An angry outburst left her lips as she switched to her indoor shoes and climbed the stairs to the short home room class that would end their first school day.

With no club activities the only thing that remained after that was climbing into a car and get driven home. Walking home with armed guards was out of the question.

Club activities. Are they going to stand guard like in some manga comedy outside the Haven? Kyoko pictured the insanity in her head, and the last steps to her classroom she giggled a little.

Chapter one, 2017, a new year, segment two

Ryu hadn't heard anything as disgusting since the entrance ceremonies at Red Rose Hell. At the other hand, in that school he heard it all three years.

Principal Kareyoshi was every bit the bigoted moron Urufu said he was. Less than half the speech concerned welcoming the new students and warning them to spend too much time not studying. That part was a given. The rest, well the rest was all about Japanese purity and the dangers of foreign influences diluting it. All in all a piece of first class nationalistic drivel with racist undertones.

Ryu looked at the faces around him during the speech. What he saw both scared him and gave him hope. Most of the students stared at the principal with disbelief in their eyes. Ryu sighed and afforded himself a thin smile. Well, this isn't Red Rose. I don't think the parents here are as easily bought.

After the speech he walked to his classroom. Right wing, just like last year, but on the second floor. To his displeasure he wouldn't have any of his friends with him, but he chalked that down to poor luck from his side.

During lunch break he planned to complain to the rest of them, and then laugh it all away as he usually did.

Come lunch he didn't. Thoroughly pissed off he marched off with Kuri glued to his arm. While he wasn't entirely comfortable with her show-off, mostly because of the murderous looks his sister sent him, he needed to vent his anger with someone who could give him a more mature angle to the situation.

“What, you're alone in your class as well?” he asked when they got away to the soccer field and had some privacy.

Kuri nodded. “Not too surprised. It's blatant enough to be the work of an idiot. I wonder if the other students will stand for it.”

He chewed her words mentally while enjoying the first promises of late spring in the air. With sakura bathing the school in a shower of peach-coloured dreams it was hard to stay angry for long. Then he felt Kuri tug at his arm, and he realised he had stayed silent for too long.

Ryu grimaced. “You mean breaking apart the couples in school?” he said, referring to what his sister had told them. “I wouldn't be too sure. Relationships during high school are frowned upon more than you think.”

“Your loss. Well, mine as well, now that I live in Japan.”

He looked at her face. This close he noticed for the first time how Kuri’s eyes were just a little off from the typical European. Just a reminder that her grandfather was from Japan, and one like her and Urufu, something his parents tried to keep a secret and both Ryu and Noriko pretended they didn’t know.

“Sweden's different?” he said to break the silence and give himself an opportunity to look at the beauty who called herself his girlfriend.

“Yeah, at least when I was a school kid. Has to be now as well I guess. It's just part of growing up after all.” Kuri’s face showed no signs of mischief, which probably meant she truly thought of it as part of everyday life.

“What about our situation? I mean, it's not like the two of us would attend the same class after all.” Just as the words left him Ryu regretted the way he said that.

“You mean with me being a liberal arts idiot and you a sciences star?”

He looked at her to see if she had really become angry or not, but her face was blank, and he couldn't read any emotions in it.

“I apologise. I didn't mean it that way.”

Then she smiled. “I know. Just be careful with what you say. People will misunderstand, some even deliberately.” This time mischief did glimmer in her eyes.

A sudden wind blew life in her hair, and staring at the golden halo surrounding her smiling face Ryu was once again reminded of her almost otherworldly beauty. He looked down at his shoes. “Yeah, I didn't think.”

“We're second years now. A lot of people know us, and the freshmen will look at us.”

What do you mean? Oh. “As a couple?”

The grin he got in return was a little condescending, but also filled with support. “Dummy, yes, that as well. You're always so visible that you don't really need me to be seen, and you know that.”

Ryu didn't get what Kuri was after. If it wasn't the surprising new couple, then what? “Enlighten me,” he said. He had wanted to talk things over with an adult he could trust after all.

“This isn't middle school. From what you've told me the second years are the most visible, with the most famous seniors only some kind of distant heroes.”

Ryu nodded. Not that he really, knew, but that was the rumour.

“Well, it wasn't true last year. We stole that place in the spotlight. Even Nao chose to hang with us.”

OK, that makes sense I guess.

“This year there'll be third years who resent us. You're famous all over the school. They'll be waiting for you to do a mistake, and me as well.”

“I don't care. Let them!”

Kuri sighed. “Look Ryu, you're cute and all, but sometimes you're just a kid. Listen to me! Even if you get away with it, dirt's gonna stick to the rest of us.” Then she lit up in a self-conscious smile. “Fine, not on me. I'm just as famous, but to people I care for.”

Sure, I'll be careful. “And about the part of us being a couple?”

“That part?” She grimaced. “I guess we'll have to make a public show about it one way or another. Don't worry, I'll play the evil bitch.” Then she smirked. “Comes natural to me after all.”

Why are you doing this to yourself? “I disagree,” Ryu said. Kuri sacrificed one part of her life to keep another, and she had done so knowing the results. Hardly a bitch. Then he realised he’d been unclear about what which of her two statements he just replied to. “I’m fine with the public show. I’ve been one for the last four years anyway.”

She gave him an approving look. “Sometimes you’re colder than you look, you know. Doesn’t suit you.” She dug her fingers into her hair and let it billow out in the wind. “I’m the cynical one of us. Hell, when I was your age I still stared at the world with childish eyes and believed life would be wonderful.”

Kuri’s eyes looked right through him, into a far distance where Ryu couldn’t follow. I wonder if Urufu can go with you there, Ryu thought. Probably not, but maybe the older friend could understand what Kuri saw in her mind. I don’t think that’s a world I can ever touch, no matter how old I get. Ryu made up a resolve never to stop Urufu and Kuri from sharing that world. Their memories, their past lives.

Careful Ryu, if you ever fall in love with her, you’ll still never be everything in her life. A sobering thought, and another one that was beyond his years. Growing up like this sucks, he thought and bowed to his girlfriend.

“Thank you for your advice. I’ll leave you to your part of the show,” he said when he saw Kyoko coming for them with a small train of seniors tailing her.

Chapter one, 2017, a new year, segment one

Entrance ceremonies were supposed to be framed by a reasonably cute pink colour, and this year it was. Every stupid attribute promising a glorious new start beckoned to the new students with promises of a wonderful future.

A pity Wakayama Noriko wasn't a new student.

She entered the Himekaizen school grounds a junior. A second year, starting the best of her three high school years; the freshmen admiring them and the seniors envying them. The spring of her youth, and all that.

Then, given such an auspicious event, why was her stomach a hard knot of uncontrollable fear?

Urufu gone missing, Kuri a shallow shadow of her former self, and worst of all, she pretended to go out with Ryu.

What happened to Ai-chan? Ryu, you bastard. Did you hurt a girl deliberately?

Yukio and Kyoko were late, also deliberately. Sato-sensei, Urufu's guardian, created a huge ruckus when she forced the school to accept an armed escort to follow the pair to and from school.

The reason, the reason made Noriko want to throw up in fear.

How the bloody hell did we end up this way? How, how, how did Kareyoshi become principal?

Around her fellow schoolmates milled around, a third of them all shiny and new, and the rest in their worn beige blazer and black trousers or skirt. None showed any sign of Noriko's kind of fear, because for the rest of them Kareyoshi was only a dull English teacher best known for having a private war with the Japanese guy in 6:1 who wasn't Japanese after all.

She tried to pretend she was just nervous for the same reason as the rest of the second years. That she only wondered which class she had been assigned to, or rather which classmates.

Noriko walked over to the billboards where the second year classes were divided in two sections. One for sciences and one for liberal arts. That selection each student did themselves.

Which of the four classes in each section, or from this year, which of the five classes, since Himekaizen and Irishima had cannibalised Red Rose. Ten classes in each year. Two more than when she started a year ago, and two less than what her parents had experienced when they were students here.

She looked up at the science section. 1:2 – 5:2. After reading the class list for 1:2 she reread it again.

What the hell?

Wakayama Ryu was there, but no Wakayama Noriko. Searching again she noticed that Hamarugen Urufu was missing as well.

Did they split me out?

She found herself in 2:2, and Urufu in 3:2.

No way, you bastards! You didn't! They did. Ageruman Kuritina was in 6:2, Takeida Kyoko in 7:2 and Matsumoto Yukio in 8:2. When she looked closer she saw that the club members in The Himekaizen Cultural Exchange club had been spread evenly among the classes, and every single couple in the club split between two classes. Why? That's just hurtful!

The coming two years with none of her best friends in her class. Bastards!

Fuming with rage she punched a contact she never thought she'd call in her life.

“Nakagawa speaking.”

“This is Wakayama Noriko, you might be familiar with me.”

A moment of silence. “Ah, certainly Wakayama-san. How may I be of assistance?”

Noriko went a bit away from the students looking at the billboards. A lot of them were talking in loud, disappointed voices. So they broke up other groups of friends as well?

“Did you know about the class assignments for us juniors?”

“Yes, most certainly. I wrote them together with your home room teachers.”

“Why, you fuck!” Noriko was so angry she didn't care she had just called her old principal something that could have her expelled.

“Young lady that's no...”

“Why the hell...”

“Shut up!”

That voice was enough to make Noriko obey.

“Before you continue your cursing, please tell me what's wrong, Wakayama-san.”

The sudden politeness, with just a pitch of anger had Noriko calm herself down. She did as Nakagawa-sensei had asked.

“But for all demon spawned fucking piss rats in hell! The arsehole can just go die in a cesspool!”

OK, that was more than I expected, Noriko thought as she held her phone away from her ear. She had no doubts at all the cussing was directed at someone else.

“Nakagawa-sensei?”

By now some of the shouts from under the billboards were outright angry. Some of the sterner parts of the teaching staff came walking from the school entrance, and Noriko chose to back away to the gates. Whatever had happened was deliberate, and she didn't plan to be caught up any more than needed in the repercussions.

“Wakayama-san, do you have time after school?”

OK, he's not involved. “Inner room?”

“Ah, yes, that will be fine. At six?”

Noriko confirmed the time and closed the call. Has to be Kareyoshi's dirty work.

She walked directly to the entrance to avoid the confusion when the teachers broke up the angry mob under the billboards. On her way there she saw scared freshmen looking at the spectacle.

Your first day as high schoolers. I hope you enjoy it. Because Noriko wasn't going to.

With her fear somewhat calmed, doused in anger as it was, she quickly dropped her indoor shoes in her new locker and returned outdoors.

On her way to the gym she passed four lines ending in a member of the student council welcoming the freshmen and giving each one a pamphlet with the basic Himekaizen information. Nothing that couldn't be found on the school website. Noriko had received hers a year ago.

She rounded the left wing, followed the wall and came up to the pool area. From there she walked to the gym and lined up to get inside. This year she planned to listen to the canned clichés. Maybe there was a threat or two hidden in the principal's speech.

Given what Urufu said about their new principal, he couldn't find his own arse in the dark, and if he really was a king among morons, then he was all too likely to spew out one idiocy after another.

Midsummer's day, 2040, grilling

“When did your parents transit?”

Noriko turned to Yukio. She had studied him and Kyoko. Had studied them since high school as an example of how some couples get it right from the start. Just like her parents.

“Ten years ago,” Noriko said and turned a slab of meat on the grill. “To help Nakagawa out.”

“You're staking a lot on him arriving and building himself a position of power.”

Noriko shrugged. “And you? You're transiting yourself. We don't even know if it works.”

“It works, Urufu said it does. We have the signals. Sure, their future and cryptic like hell, but signals anyway.”

That was trusting the Swedish branch of the transitioning foundation a lot. Noriko knew why Urufu did, but she had never been able to trust anything that blindly.

After turning the slab once more she decided it was good to eat. She took it on a plate and went to find a place where she could be alone. Transitions and arrivals as an everyday topic for their dinner talk. It had been years since.

And you say they'll be even more open about it in the downstream world. I hope you're right.

Because before trust came betrayal. Always betrayal.

Prologue, 1991

“Sano Mitsuo, at your service.”

Masuda Natsumi stared at the boy who had been assigned as her desk neighbour. He talks like an old man!

There was something strange about his way of speaking as well. As if he had relearned Japanese after living abroad.

At her other side she had the silent Wakayama Tadao. A shy boy who just didn't understand how gorgeous he looked. Thankfully he was shy enough not to take much notice of the looks the other girls gave him.

I'll reel him in good. Bright, honest to a fault and with a little devil grinning in his eyes whenever he smiled. What else was there to want? Nothing, not since she had laid her eyes on him when her parents moved from Sapporo to Tokyo last year and she transferred into his ninth grade class.

He never rejected her advances, but neither did he agree to date her. Well, at least he knew she had a crush on him, and he still wanted to be friends with her. You can't leave an opening like that, you know. I'll have you mine!

What Natsumi wanted she got. Luckily for her parents she wasn't a greedy girl, but whenever she set her mind to something she got the results she wanted in the end. It didn't always come easy, and it didn't always take only a short time, but in the end.

“Excuse me, but could you please help out an old man here?”

The strange kid again. And he called himself an old man! “Sure, if you tell me how old you are.”

“Let's see. That would be seventy one this year,” he answered without batting an eye.

If you plan to play it like that. “Sure grandpa.”

“And here I was so worried about youth today. Seems my worries were unfounded.” He grinned. A predatory grin, and suddenly Natsumi didn't like the joke any longer. Her instincts screamed: Danger!

“Was there anything you needed help with?” That was Tadao-kun's voice. Secretly just 'Tadao' in her mind.

Natsumi gratefully threw him a glance when he came to her help. Whenever things threatened to get ugly he simply forgot to be shy and acted on his own sense of honour.

“Another polite kid. I'm so fortunate today.”

“Kid? I'm oldest in the class.”

“I'm afraid you might just be mistaken. By fifty five years or so, if I may add.”

“You may not,” Tadao-kun said, and his voice grew something steely into it.

How could I not fall for you? Tadao, you dummy. Just give up and be my boyfriend, will you?

“You're perfectly right. Age isn't a right. It just is,” Sano-san said and met Tadao-kun's eyes.

Why does he keep up that creepy joke? It isn't funny any longer.

Sano-san and Tadao-kun locked themselves in a staring match. In the end Tadao-kun lost and gave Natsumi an embarrassed look.

He tried. He tried for me. Now or never. “Tadao, I love you.” She had told him she was interested before, implied she wanted a relationship with him, but she had never confessed outright like this.

Surprised shouts from the desks around them told her her confession hadn't gone undetected.

“Then please be my girlfriend,” he said.

“My my,” Sano-san commented.

Natsumi didn't care. Her chest swelled with joy. Finally! I'll even forgive you for being creepy, Sano-san.

One meeting. One that defined their lives. On such circumstances are friends for life made.

Midsummer's day, 2040, second dinner

Urufu fired up the grills with Kyoko watching and Yukio helping. Talking about having children made her remember the reason she and Yukio would transit in a few days.

Unfortunately she also recalled the events that followed. Urufu and Kuri-chan breaking up, the chaos between Ai-chan, Ryu and Kuri-chan during and after spring break. Her own fears when they had a gorilla in a costume tagging along whenever they left school.

Noriko, how Noriko alone had tried to keep it all together, and how she eventually failed in the end. Urufu's absence and return, and over everything else, the shadow of a man whom she only knew of as Yukio's English teacher until everything changed.

Second year in high school was supposed to be the spring of youth. Sure, a stereotype, but still.

Second year in high school had started like anything but.

Kyoko squirmed uncomfortably when the memories took her back. Only by anchoring her sight on Yukio's back did she regain the feeling of trust and safety he always gave her.

Her Yukio.

Her lovely Yukio.