Ulf woke halfway into an ongoing conversation between Noriko and another girl. If not exactly halfway then at least a good part into it from what he heard. While he recalled the voice he wasn’t entirely certain who sat on the other side of Noriko.

A couple of times he could see slender legs sticking out in the train corridor, but he was facing the wrong way to see her face.

He heard the girl revealing some rather unexpected details about herself while he pretended to sleep, and then she said something absolutely astounding and he couldn’t pretend any more.

He yawned, something that wasn’t an act at all, and stretched his arms. “Sorry Noriko, I fell asleep.” Ulf turned in the seat and hugged her even closer to him. Oh, it’s Hitomi, he thought when he recognised the face behind Noriko’s head. “Hi, didn’t notice you getting on.”

Noriko didn’t seem to dislike being manhandled like this. Ulf felt her burrowing her face into his chest, and her arms wrapped around him in a way that was definitely frowned upon by most here in Japan. He didn’t care.

“Hi, how much did you hear?”

What the…

Noriko squirmed in his arms, but Ulf just stared at Hitomi. “How?”

“When the train moved. You started compensating for it.”

I’ll be damned. “Do you study people for a hobby or something?”

“You were awake the whole time?” Noriko had finally made herself partially free from him.

A short laugh from Hitomi made her turn. “About half of the time. Anyway, I want in.”

“And we’re supposed to because you gave us, what did you call it, leverage?”

Hitomi nodded.

Ulf stared at Noriko who stared back at him. “You never really had any friends, did you?” he said after a while.

When she only gave him a blank star he realised he had to continue.

“Look, Hitomi, friendship doesn’t work that way. It’s not a fear based transactional system.”

She tilted her head sideways and let her eyes wander between Noriko and him. It made Ulf feel uncomfortable, as if she was assessing them both.

“Hitomi,” Ulf started again, “you don’t make friends because they fear you’ll hang them out to dry otherwise. There’s this thing with enjoying each other’s company and all that stuff.” He shook his head in amazement. “What kind of people do you hang out with?”

“Apart from the club? The blackmailing kind,” she responded without any hesitation.

Ulf shrugged and exchanged glances with Noriko. When she nodded approval he hoped he had guessed right. “You know,” he said and turned his attention back to Hitomi, “it’s your life, but I suggest you ditch those people.”

“It’s not that easy, and besides, why should I?”

There’s a certain kind of naivete that only comes with cynicism. Ulf tried wiping a growing smirk from his lips. “Look, Hitomi, the day you get yourself a girl or boyfriend that kind of people could hurt the one you care for really badly.”

He only got a raised eyebrow in return at first. “So you heard that part?” she said.

What could he do but nod? “What if I did?”

“Heard the part about me being interested in Noriko?”

Ulf shrugged again. This time Noriko moved uncomfortably in his arms as his shoulders shot up. He gave her what he hoped was an apologetic smile while he decided on how to answer Hitomi.

He came to a conclusion. “This is where you expect me to say: I can’t stand dykes? Or: Stay off Noriko, she’s mine?”

Hitomi didn’t answer, but the gaze she shot him was definitely an invitation for him to continue.

“Well I won’t. I’m straight as straight can be, but other people’s inclination is none of my business. So that takes care of part one.”

Hitomi just nodded once for him to continue, and Ulf accepted her response.

“I’d get pissed off like hell if someone made moves on Noriko, but in the end she decides who she wants to spend her time with or not. I hope she’ll keep picking me, and I’ll work my arse off to make it so.”

Two small hands hardened their grip around his arms. “I’m Japanese, not Swedish,” Noriko said and turned to fully face Hitomi. “You stay the hell away from Urufu! He’s mine!”

“And about yourself?” Hitomi asked. Ulf saw a naughty grin spread on her face.

In his arms Noriko was busy giggling. So they’re in on some kind of joke I can’t understand. Oh well, as long as it’s just a joke.

Noriko got her giggling under control. Then she inlined her head as if to gaze at her shoes. “I’m sorry Hitomi, but I like someone else.” And with that she turned and grinned at him. “Urufu, text Yukio and see if I got that line right!”

Beside them Hitomi bent her head backwards and laughed. “That was a perfect delivery Noriko. I’ve read my fair share of manga myself.”

Ulf shook his head but sighed in relief. That turned out to be short lived though.

“So, what’s the secret with Urufu, Kuri, Tomasu and Jeniferu anyway?”

You really really want in! He looked at Noriko who shook her head.

“Not here,” she said. “You decide if she ever learns, but not here on the train.”

That made sense, but Hitomi still shot Noriko a cold glare.

For the third time since he woke Ulf shrugged. This time he made sure he didn’t force Noriko’s arms upwards like the last time. “You’re the only one apart from the old gang who decided to rough it out.”

“You mean my returning to Himekaizen? Got nothing to do with you. I just hate being told what to do.”

Ulf grinned. “You’re a hard one being friends with. I think you’ll be just fine in our little group of dysfunctional maniacs.”

The train stopped at a station, let people off and on. Tired travellers passed them in the corridor, and Ulf used the time to allow Hitomi to chew on what they had said. Guess we’re telling her. He blinked. Haven’t I said that once before? Oh, yes, when we let Ryu and Noriko in on our secret.

“I could call my guardian. It’s cramped but there’s space for the two of you to spend the night.”

Noriko might have wanted to spend it alone with him, and he himself definitely felt those urges more and more often, but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Ulf looked at her to see if there were any signs of anger or disappointment in her face.

To his surprise there were none, but there was a mischievous smile. “Sounds great! Hitomi, join us!” she said.

***

Cramped was the kind version. The bedroom in Urufu’s flat had been used as a storage for a long time, and it showed.

Noriko stared at the futon barely fitting into the small space of floor she just cleaned up in hopes that it hid how her lips turned into a thin line of disapproval. Guess I did hope we’d sleep all three in one room. But that had been a rose coloured fantasy of hers.

Sato-sensei gave them all a questioning look filled with misgivings when they turned up together earlier, but she didn’t protest. She just made certain both girls had the approval of their parents.

By now Noriko had all but given up on bedding Urufu in the near future. She’d get her opportunity one day, but not now with their lives in turmoil.

“You look very young for being Urufu’s mother,” she heard Hitomi say from the living room that also served as Urufu’s bedroom.

“That’s because I’m not. I’m his guardian,” Sato-sensei answered in her no nonsense voice.

I really like that woman. When I grow up I want to be more like her. Noriko smiled and eavesdropped some more.

Urufu stood behind her. He didn’t touch, but she could feel his eyes on her back.

“You fine like this?”

“We’ll make do,” she answered.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” she heard Hitomi say from the other room.

“Don’t apologise to me. Urufu’s the one with dead parents,” came Sato-sensei’s cold reply.

Noriko slapped her hands to her face. With some luck it would serve to mute her giggling.

“Amaya, dammit, she hasn’t done anything wrong. Don’t be like that, please!” Urufu’s voice, and she heard how he turned his head while delivering the admonition.

A pity Urufu couldn’t see how funny it was. Well, they were planning to spend the night here. Bullying Hitomi might not be the best course.

“Secret, Urufu,” Hitomi said, and Noriko felt how his attention left her and turned to the other room.

With a sigh she gave the futon a last glare and joined him.

“Urufu?” Sato-sensei’s voice was filled with worry.

“We’re telling her,” Urufu said. “She came back. That kind of backbone should be rewarded.”

Noriko Found herself a place where she could feel Urufu close to her. Across the table she saw a small bookshelf, the kind you’d expect to find in any home. Then there were two big ones, from floor to ceiling. She threw them a glance, and then another one.

Oh my!

One was stacked with children’s books. A wild mix of picture books, adventure stories for grade schoolers, light novels and the occasional easy to read classic. It lacked the right to exist in this home, but then Urufu’s personality solved the riddle.

So that’s how you learned Japanese. She stared at him. You never do things half heartedly, do you? Noriko was about to throw her arms around him when the contents of the other bookshelf caught her interest. Ah, the other you.

She knew she shouldn’t be surprised, but she was. Volume after volume hinted at secrets unveiling unto anyone who would dare to read. All in English, and all about a corporate world that lay years ahead of her understanding.

“You’re what?”

Hitomi’s sudden outcry banished Noriko’s inner bookworm and drew her back to the reason they were here. So he dropped the bomb?

“You were the one who suspected something wasn’t right,” Urufu said. “Yes. Another dozen years in the Sweden I know and I’d retire with a healthy pension.”

“You’re saying that you’re… No! Drop the act! I’m not an idiot.”

“He is,” Sato-sensei said. “And it’s not as easy as you believe. He didn’t time travel back into his youth.”

“I don’t understand.”

Noriko didn’t expect her to. She once spent an entire evening listening to Urufu and Kuri explain what had happened to them. It had taken Yukio’s and Kyoko’s combined persistence to convince her and her brother that the two foreigners weren’t merely foreigners but that they came from another world.

“Hitomi, listen. You don’t need to believe me yet, but let’s pretend what I said is true. Let’s pretend there are forty or fifty of us here.”

Hitomi shook her head, but she smiled. “Fine, let’s pretend.”

Good girl. Noriko allowed a giggle to slip out and rose to help Sato-sensei who had gone to the small kitchen.

The two of them prepared a late snack and tea while Noriko listened to Urufu as he tried to convince Hitomi of the impossible.

“What if that kind of people were very successful, or at least very good at what they were doing before arriving here as teenagers?”

There was a short pause, and Noriko was tempted to look over her shoulder to see Hitomi’s expression.

“Imagine that kind of people being given a chance to do it all over again. Then imagine the kind of people who would want to be in control of that happening.”

This time Noriko shivered. It didn’t matter that she lived in that reality. Hearing Urufu state it with that voice, cold and void of emotions, almost forced a scream from her. He was broken when he arrived here. Wasn’t that what they said?

She had to turn. With Sato-sensei’s hand on her shoulder, sending warmth, worry and sympathy along her fingers, Noriko ate Urufu with her eyes. I’m so happy I won you to my side, but what did you have to give up? And the answer made her cry. An entire life. You lost your life. Sato-sensei’s finger dug deeper into her, and Noriko leaned back into them for support.

“I’m going to pretend I believe you. I’m going to, because then my father’s actions make a lot more sense.”

“What did he do?” Sato-sensei said from behind Noriko’s back.

Hitomi looked at them. “He paid a lot of scary people a lot of money. There’s a diet member protecting Kareyoshi.”

Noriko felt Sato-sensei nod. They already knew that much.

“He has a son. One of those who attacked Kuri. They got caught on security camera.”

That was bad, or good, depending on point of view.

“My father managed to dig up something else as well. He can trace that son to the rapes.”

Noriko gulped and Urufu swore.

“If you’re smart you’ll let the swine run,” Hitomi said.

“Why?” Three voices. Urufu’s, Sato-sensei’s and Noriko’s.

“As long as he gets away then Kareyoshi’s support goes away as well.”