There were rumours about their club. A few months earlier those rumours would have been about 3:1, but Noriko didn't care.

Urufu ran the planning for both of their events until Kuri returned to school a few days later. Kyoko and Yukio were still absent though. An accident they were told by their teacher, but in Urufu's eyes Noriko could read that something disgusting had happened. Especially as he refused to return her glances.

It didn't take a genius to understand it was all connected to his war with Red Rose. That scared her, but worse it hurt. It hurt that he didn't trust her, and it hurt that the boy she still loved didn't want to look at her even as a friend.

Planning and working with the cultural festival was supposed to be fun, but with Urufu at the helm it turned into work. He was efficient, and the club members got a lot more individual responsibility than the members of any other club, but it wasn't fun. Not once did his face flash into that wolfish grin that made her heart lurch.

Whenever she wondered if she wasn't imagining things, she only had to watch Urufu's face reflected in Ryu's to know it wasn't just a bad dream. Her brother knew something, but he refused to share with her, and in Yukio's absence he turned into Urufu's wingman without a single thought of his own status.

Idiot bro, I don't want to see you grow into a man this way, she once thought, and she even started to miss his inane antics. The brother she had learned to love to hate rapidly vanished and was replaced by someone harder, and with nowhere to turn Noriko silently assumed Kyoko's duty as Kuri's wingman.

It wasn't lost on anyone in the club.

Where Noriko had assumed summer's break to be the end of something, the start of their autumn term signalled a more important end. One she refused to accept. When they started school in April she behaved like the most mature of the six of them, but now she wondered if she wasn't the only child remaining.

A few days later she overheard a whispered conversation between Kuri and Urufu and learned how Kuri had been attacked at her own home. Knowing that four of the six of them were being dragged back into her old nightmare made her sick with fear.

Then a final insanity occurred that made her force the issue. There were transfers. A small class of transfers. Three weeks into the term class 9:1 suddenly came into existence. Twenty five new students; all from Red Rose Academy. Another ten were rumoured to still be in the process of transferring.

Still, there were rumours about their club. Of the transferees half a dozen immediately applied for membership and were accepted within minutes after Kuri entered their club room. Not a single one was of Japanese origin and all of them wore silent faces telling tales of a school they despised.

With close to thirty members in the club Noriko finally had a reason to go to the student council. Formally to apply for an increased budget, but in reality she was hell-bent on finding out what was going on.

She stormed into the office and was surprised to find the entire student council there in a conversation with Principal Nakagawa and a third year student she only vaguely recognised.

“We'll increase security, but you'll have to report any outsiders on school grounds,” Nakagawa-sensei said to the student council president.

“Yes sensei.”

Principal Nakagawa looked in Noriko's direction as the door slid shut behind her. “I'm aware that… Girl, we knock before we enter. Oh, it's you.”

There were several more pairs of eyes turned in her direction now.

“Did you need anything?” the council president asked.

Noriko met her gaze. She could just as well have said: 'Please leave'.

“I'll need increased funding with six more embers joining the club,” Noriko said, stating her official errand.

“We'll handle that later.”

This time Noriko turned directly to Principal Nakagawa. “I'll also need directives concerning how the club is to handle the current confrontation with Red Rose Academy,” she said.

Principal Nakagawa frowned back at her, but he didn't say anything.

“I have one member hospitalised and another who won't come to school. Our president was assaulted at her own home. That counts as a problem for me.”

“Girl, this is none of your business,” Principal Nakagawa said.

Noriko hadn't expected to see him here, but it made things a lot easier for her. She would force his hand by dropping a bomb. “My club members being targeted by the same people who paid for raping me isn't my problem?”

“What!”

Well, that got the attention of the student council. Try to keep the lid down on this one old goat!

“My office, now!”

Noriko followed her principal through the corridor. She tried to look properly abashed, but this was a fight she had already won. She'd be scolded and there would be some kind of punishment, but the real battle was won.

She knew that not all battles would be this easy. There were grown-ups involved in some kind of power game, and she had neither the experience nor the clout to fight them toe to toe. But she could help Urufu and Kuri with the fight. They did have the experience if not the ability to pull rank.

I just can't figure out how to help them, but I'm good at figuring things out sooner or later. Bro got all the charms, but brains is my department.

***

This was a fight she had lost from the beginning. The moment she betrayed her best friend she lost, and for Christina there was no way of undoing it.

Ko-chan wasn't badly hurt, but their friendship was strained to the point where Ko-chan refused to attend school until Yukio left hospital and they could go to school together.

It's my fault Yukio got hurt. Knowing more of what had occurred didn't help at all. Ulf called Yukio to warn him at the same time I refused Ko-chan's call. Damn, there was someone stalking her in the dark and I told her to hang up. I'm rotten!

Christina went through her usual routine of checking that nothing dangerous had been hidden in her clothes, got into her baggy set of clothes and left the studio. Outside a bodyguard her handle had forced onto her stood waiting. It echoed eerily of her previous life, but at least it was something she had been used to.

“Where to?” he asked.

“Home,” she answered and watched him pull out his bike. He looked like an idiot with his earpiece, dark suit and grandmother bike. His entire being shouted: 'I don't belong here and I look really funny and out of place.'

She didn't care in the least. If she had a bodyguard shoved down her throat he made a lot more sense if he stood out like a clown on a funeral. At least he was professional to understand that any normal thugs would stay away from anyone with an overdressed bully tailing her on pedals.

It helped that he avoided conversations as well, but she still preferred the thought of Ulf on his bike beside her. According to some overblown rumours he knew how to fight as well.

Christina plugged her headset to her ears and dialled him before she brought her bike to speed. Behind her the bodyguard frantically tried to keep up on his inadequate cycle.

“Ina!”

Her heart jumped at his voice. It always did, and more so now when they had so little time to see each other. Especially after her betrayal of Ko-chan.

I'm losing him. Can he forgive me? She coughed away the lump in her throat. “U-kun?”

“Finished for today?”

“Yes. I'm on my way home.” She'd rather be on her way to Haven Café where she knew most of their club had retreated when school closed down for the evening. “What are you up to?”

“Just back from a walking talking session,” he said. “Right now we're running workshops on presentations. The kids don't even know how to work with standard software.”

So typical of her Ulf. Two hours of intensive mind gymnastics followed by even more schooling. “How are they doing?” Talking about the club was safer than the other, darker topic.

She rounded a corner and stopped for a red-light. Behind her the bodyguard finally caught up with her as she waited for the light to turn green.

She heard Ulf calling out instructions to the club members over the phone. “Learning slowly,” he said. “Christina, we need to talk.”

No! Please call me Ina! “Yes?” She felt panic rising in her.

The light turned green and she numbly pushed down a pedal and crossed the street. Is he going to break up?

“It's about Noriko. I don't want Kyoko to know.”

Huh, Noriko? “OK, when and where?”

“It's going to be long. Look… eh...”

Ulf, I can hear you blushing on the phone. What's up? “I'm still here,” she said when he remained silent.

“Look, I've spoken with Amaya. She says it's OK if you're fine with it.”

What on earth are you talking about? Amaya allowed you to exactly what? Oh. Oh! “I don't understand,” Christina said, but she was bubbling with joy. There was only one reason for Ulf to sound that uncomfortable.

“Eh, I won't be able to see you and get home. It's too late.”

She wanted to tell him to spit it out, but it was a little bit cute the way he avoided the topic. And I'm not going to suggest a taxi. “Want to meet somewhere?” she teased.

She could picture him fidgeting with his phone as she made her way uphill. If he didn't say anything she'd lead him on when she rolled downhill after the crest.

“Is it OK… I mean… would you agree to me...”

You're really dense sometimes. Ulf, don't you understand I want to? “I can't hear you. Could you say again?”

“Can I come over to your place?”

Finally! Her heart took a giant jump and she had to clear her throat. “This late?” she asked, more to force a confirmation than anything else.

“Yeah,” he said. It sounded as if he was choking, “about that. I won't be able to go home, and… no, maybe it's better if I...”

Oh no, you don't! “Come home to me now!” Christina shouted. When she looked behind her the bodyguard stared at her from atop his bike. Thank all gods I spoke Swedish!

She could hear Ulf running, and there were muted shouts of surprise in the background. “I have to go,” she heard him saying to someone where he was. “I'm on my way,” he said to her in Swedish.

Real smooth Ulf. Just start shouting in Swedish to make sure no one understands you're going to meet the only other Swede in school. Idiot! My precious idiot. Christina kicked up speed. Now she only wanted to get back to her apartment as fast as possible.

He's staying over! I can make this work again. I can make you stay by my side. Ulf, I love you!

With her heart filled with joy she pushed her bike to its limit. She'd been given another chance at the love she valued so much it hurt her every evening she spent restarting the only career she knew she could master.

It was a strange feeling loving this strongly. It was stranger still that she managed to spend so much time apart from him, but tonight she would have him all to herself. A chance to give their relationship a transition and restart.