382 Chapter four, 2017, petty revenge: 3

While studying alone together with Noriko would have been a pleasure Ulf still declined her suggestion. Christina's earlier stunt drew the attention of both media and police, and police arresting people from the media drew even more attention from the media.

Journalists from the US and western Europe were very different from their potty-trained Japanese counterparts. Freedom of press was a calling and not something best forgotten lest you discomfort people in power. It also meant western journalists never let go of their grip unless you clubbed them from behind.

So Ulf made himself scarce and dragged Noriko to the Haven rather than going home. Yukio and Kyoko would arrive there as well, and their armed body guards should be able to keep prying eyes from getting, well, too prying.

As it turned out he was correct. Ulf barely managed to pull his girlfriend inside before both body guards intercepted a couple of men with cameras growing like twigs from a poorly pruned bonsai. With a sigh of relief he opened the door to the inner room, nodded to James' silent question and stepped inside.

"I wanted you for myself," Noriko sulked behind him.

Ulf smirked. "At your place? With Ryu climbing all over my back because he dislikes us being a couple?"

When Noriko declined to answer Ulf turned and faced her. She was sulking.

"We can't go home to me. There's just no space for you staying the night there, and I'm not sending you home alone in a taxi. Not after what happened."

There was enough space, but Ulf wasn't about to go there, and he very much doubted Amaya would approve.

The inner room was all but empty. It was, after all, in the middle of the day, and but for the suspensions all students were supposed to attend class now. All but empty however wasn't empty. A few Irishima High students as well as their vice principal sat there.

'Guess it doesn't count as skipping if your teacher is with you.' It didn't really matter that Satoru Noguchi probably wasn't a teacher at all.

"Cramming?" Ulf asked.

He only received a few grunts and nods as answers.

"Why are you here?" Satoru said.

Ulf smiled at the older man. "At this time of the day?"

Satoru nodded and gave him a broken smile in return.

Ulf explained.

"Is he daft?" was the concluding response, and Ulf could only agree.

Behind them the door opened and James arrived with Ulf's order. The tray he carried contained a little for Noriko as well, and Ulf shot him what he hoped was a grateful smile.

"Noriko, up for some serious cramming?"

She smiled at him. "Define serious!"

Ulf grinned. "James, when do you close shop?" 'Let's see if that's serious enough for you, Noriko.'

"Eleven pm," came the answer.

"Ramen for dinner?" Noriko asked, and Ulf had his answer. Then she emptied her bag on the table.

'Taxi home after all I guess.' He'd escort her home and continue to his own flat after he made sure she was safely inside. 'I hate this. Why?' Ulf searched his thoughts. 'Because I'm afraid.' He'd been threatened before, but it was different when people around him were in danger. He wished that made him some kind of knight in shining armour, but what he really hated was not being in control.

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"Urufu?" Noriko had taken a chair, and now she sat staring at him.

"Sorry, sure, ramen is fine," Ulf belatedly said and grabbed a chair for himself. "Math first?" Not that he really needed to study math at high school level, but it allowed himself to solve problems while going through what was really important at the same time.

With a shake of her head Noriko declined, and Ulf caught himself staring at her hair fanning out like a skirt around her face.

"Japanese?" he suggested instead.

This time he received a nod in return.

They crammed Japanese style. No thinking, just memorising whatever they believed would pop up on the exam, and within a couple of hours Ulf was dead tired from sheer boredom. He rolled his head to loosen up sore muscles and slid his hand across the table.

"Hungry?" he asked and took Noriko's hand in his. Her fingers were smaller than Christina's, just like everything with her was smaller than Christina. Ulf knew he shouldn't compare, but he was a lot less physical with Noriko than he had been with Christina, so those thoughts still came unbidden to his mind.

Noriko looked up from her notebook and met his eyes. "Uhum," she said. "Appetiser first?"

"Huh?"

She pulled his hand to herself and leaned over the table. Ulf stared at her in surprise when her eyes were suddenly very close, and then he felt her softness on his lips.

"Tastes great," she said when she let him go. "Ramen?"

Satoru's cough reminded Ulf they weren't alone in the room, and when he let his eyes wander behind Noriko he saw the trio of Irishima High students smirk.

"Ramen it is." 'Am I running a fever? Ah, no, I'm blushing.' "Should we go?"

Rather than answering him Noriko simply rose and went for the door.

Ulf shrugged and followed her, but it was impossible for him to stop a wide grin from spreading on his face. 'Thank you for being here.' He swallowed his grin and joined her outside the café.

The ramen shop was close by but still far enough off for him to take her hand and enjoy a short moment of feeling her close to him. 'It feels good with your hand in mine,' Ulf thought and intertwined his fingers with hers.

Noriko squeezed back.