January went by in a rush, and when the juniors vanished for their week long trip to Kansai, Noriko decided she'd had enough. Kuri spent all her free time modelling, which meant she had no free time at all, and if she had no free time, neither did Nao. If Noriko couldn't get time with her boyfriend then she'd be damned if she couldn't get some with her friends. And that meant outside club hours.

A day earlier she tried to have her father pull some strings, and to her surprise he did so with a malicious grin on his lips. While he placed a few phone-calls, Noriko's mother rang a few friends of her own, with a gleeful expression just as creepy as her father's.

Sometimes Noriko wondered about her parents. She had a feeling they would have made better friends with her brother than her, if they met when they were all high schoolers. There was a lot of Ryu in her mother, and sometimes she saw an echo of Urufu in her father. I should ask, one day. Or maybe not.

The most important right now was that Kyoko would be discharged within the week, but before that Noriko planned to spend an evening with Kuri. Two in fact. The first to plan a later sleepover with all four of them. The boys could spend that night at one of Yukio's two homes for all Noriko cared.

To that end Kuri had been called to a business meeting with her father. It was to set up her new company, CAMODE, or something like that. Apparently some kind of pun in Swedish. And to avoid any complaints Noriko made certain that her father and Kuri would actually have a meeting.

Amounting to well over quarter of an hour.

A little cockroach inside her head poked at her soul and reminded her that a bad consciousness isn't so easily stomped out, but she slammed a pair of mental feet down on it, just as she had all since she started planning. The thing was, if she could wrestle some time out of Kuri's schedule for herself, then she could have done so for Urufu; probably for Kuri as well if Noriko was to be perfectly honest with herself.

She didn't intend to be. Honest that was. Honest was for those who didn't get things done, like her idiot bro.

The sound of an engine on the street brought her back to reality, and when she went to a dark room and moved aside the curtains, she recognised the car that brought Kuri to school every morning.

Kuri had already left it and stood by the gate.

Noriko heard the bell as she saw Kuri press her hand to the gate post. With a thin smile Noriko left the room, slipped into her shoes by the front door and walked outside to greet her friend.

“Kuri, been a while!” Which wasn't entirely true as they went to the same class, and today had been a school day.

“Yo!” Kuri answered and grinned.

What was that? “Yo?”

“Sorry about that, it's a thing Kyoko and I used to do,” Kuri said, and by now she had come close enough for the inevitable hug. It was one of those strange western habits of hers, of Urufu's as well, which was worse.

“Get in, it's freezing!”

Kuri did as told, and well inside she took off her shoes just as any civilised person would, but she placed them to the side, which looked a little strange. It didn't look untidy, just strange.

Just in case, Noriko grabbed Kuri's shoes and moved them just under the step, toes out, and grinned at her friend. Kuri was quick on the uptake whenever she cared.

“Oh, sorry. Didn't know. We never put our shoes where they're in the way.”

That 'we' didn't need an explanation. It belonged to a past that Kuri would never regain, a world lost and possibly one she didn't long for any more.

“Dad's upstairs with the contracts.” As was her mom, but Noriko didn't think Kuri would care. “How's Kyoko,” Noriko asked just before Kuri vanished up the stairs.

“She's fine, on the outside. Should be back Monday,” Kuri said and continued up to the second floor.

On the outside. Noriko shivered at the cold assessment. It's your best friend. How much do you have to hate to sound that calm?

There wasn't much she could do about that. She got into the kitchen area and checked the cook books once more. With some luck she'd be able to lure Kuri away for some shopping. Anything to make her think of something that wasn't work, school or revenge.

Besides, Valentine was close enough to merit at least some pre-planning. This year Noriko planned to be one of the starstruck girls who made something sweet and dark by hand, because this year she had a reason to.

Nao, dammit, make some time for me will you?

But for him to make some time, Kuri had to make some time. Noriko intended to find out how far she could push her friend. Some free time had to be possible. At least if Kuri was as much in love with Urufu as she said she was.

Noriko brought the cookbooks to the living-room and took her place in a sofa. Behind her the sound of the kettle told her tea should be about ready when Kuri returned, and with that knowledge Noriko opened up the English book. 'C'. She had found some recipes that were a little different from the ones she knew from before. Or rather knew about from before. She had never tried her hands at chocolate before. Her mother had, every year, but Noriko found the practise ludicrous.

Nao, you idiot, you broke a good habit of mine!

But it hadn't really been Nao doing that. This year Noriko would have made chocolate anyway. Honmei as well as giri, just as she planned right now. But for Nao there would have been a difference in recipients, and but for Nao she wouldn't have felt forced to have Kuri present for that difference.

***

The day after Kyoko's discharge from hospital, Noriko saw Kyoko arrive at school in a car her father drove. It was only temporary, but still, watching one of her friends driven to school gave her a bad taste in her mouth. It reminded her too much of the prison that was Kuri's life these days.

Kyoko, will your family do the same to you?

Kyoko left the car, and to Noriko's surprise, so did Yukio.

Oh, maybe not. Did you gain their approval in the end?

“Kyoko, lean on me if you get tired.” Yukio waved to the car. “Thank you Mister Takeida.”

Now that's a western greeting if any. You really spent too much time with Urufu.

Then the next car pulled up by the gates, and this time Noriko only felt bile in her mouth.

Kuri left her guards and waved at Kyoko, then Noriko received her own set of waves as Kuri noticed her.

“Hi gang,” Noriko said in a weak attempt at raising the mood.

“Kyoko!” Kuri shouted and ran to her friend.

Noriko smiled and continued waving. She wasn't about to interfere when the two best friends met at school for the first time in weeks.

Around then Urufu came biking, threw Noriko a quick wave and continued to the bike stands.

Ryu was already in their classroom, and the juniors were somewhere around Kyoto. The only way to get a full week was to include the weekend in the trip.

You're happy for the cultural festival now, but I didn't see any of you visit Urufu at the hospital. It was a bit unfair, because Urufu had no friends among the second years, and Nao had joined her during one of her visits. However, being fair wasn't in Noriko's mind right now. She was too scared for that.

She turned and started walking across the gravel to the school entrance. Halfway there Kyoko and Kuri made her company, and she saw Yukio waving to them from where he had joined Urufu.

While it was still winter, she felt the first promises of something else in the air. If it was a difference in smell or something else, she couldn't tell, but there was a difference. Noriko tried tasting it, but intangible as it was she gave up and went inside. A few steps later she changed into her indoor shoes and headed for the right wing stairwell, amidst the usual chatter from her fellow students on their way to their respective classes.

Himekaizen was eerily silent during their breaks, with the second years away on their trip to Nara, Osaka and Kyoto, and more and more of the seniors voiding classes in favour of studying for their university entrance exams.

Lunch break was just as strange, with little or no problems for the freshmen getting a table in the cafeteria. Noriko joined her brother, and no one complained about them holding chairs, so that even Kyoko and Yukio could be seated when they arrived after everyone else.

While she understood it was only part of a yearly rhythm, this was still a first for Noriko.

A first for Kuri and Urufu as well; their memories of the Swedish high school system, from decades ago, told a very different story. No entrance exams, and most definitely no acceptance of large amounts of absence during the end of their third high school year. For once Urufu was adamant on not knowing what it was like now; he had experienced differences large enough, second handedly from conversations with his children, to understand that his school years were different from theirs.

Noriko ate her food while talking about everything and nothing, but all six of them avoided the topic that was foremost on her mind. It was as if not talking about the attack on Kyoko and Yukio would make it go away. There was something about this kind of lying by omission that didn't play well with Noriko. Especially as Urufu and Kuri both had opened her eyes to it, but now when they faced things that go bump in the dark, none of them wanted to talk about it.

Noriko watched Urufu while she ate.

He wore his bruises as a badge of honour, and when she threw a glance at Yukio it was clear both of them had gotten over Yukio punching him. Ryu was still morose though. Maybe because he didn't share classes with the two of them, Noriko guessed. He never had the chance to talk things over like Urufu and Yukio did.

Well, you are best friends after all.

Noriko turned her attention to Kyoko and Kuri. They had planned to head into the city after club hours, and now they needed to find a way to avoid Kuri being picked up by that car.

“What if we run for it?” Noriko suggested.

Kuri shook her head. “Kyoko, up for some running?”

With a grimace on her face Kyoko shook her head. “Let's not.”

Sorry, Kyoko, I forgot. “Sneaking?”

“This is not a B movie thriller, you know,” Kuri said. “I have a little leeway, so we should just walk to the station.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Urufu said from his side of the table. “I'll call Amaya if they try something funny.”

Kuri laughed, a sound Noriko had longed for these last weeks, and it was infectious enough that Kyoko and Yukio soon joined in. But it wasn't that funny, really!

“It's enough if they see you,” Kuri said. “No need to call.” And she continued laughing.

Ryu shrugged and looked at Yukio. “Spit it out. You know we hate being left out,” he said and met Noriko's eyes.

“Sorry, man. Urufu told me about Christmas. The guys in that car tried to stop Kuri from going home with him.”

Oh dear! Noriko remembered how she had first met Urufu. Yes I can see why they wouldn't want to get involved with him after that.

“You didn't!” Ryu said.

“I did,” came Urufu's response. “Convinced a gorilla in a suit that he should take a nap on the street.” Then he lit up in that wolfish grin of his. “Amaya called the police on them. You should have seen it.”

Sato-sensei is kind of scary when she gets angry. You're lucky to have her as your guardian. “So, Kuri and Kyoko, what about we just don't return from the walking talking session?” It was a compromise between stealing away and Urufu's confrontational way of handling things.

Kyoko nodded, and with that it was decided.