429 Chapter two, 2018, field trip: 3

A few hours earlier Ulf felt his heart warm up when, first an unknown second year, and then Hitomi decided to stand up for Yukio and Kyoko. He'd felt Noriko squirm when something took place among the liberal arts classes. He barely managed to pull her down to her seat, courtesy of their respective classmates arranging the seating so that Noriko and him just happened to be placed at the far end of each class and beside each other.

There were still students who would have preferred if Kareyoshi had been allowed to stay, but the vast majority abhorred their former principal with a vengeance. In the end Himekaizen was a far cry from Red Rose Hell.

As it turned out Kareyoshi would have been ousted no matter what those in the know had done. Ulf hadn't been aware of it, but now he was. A group of over two dozen parents took independent action, and by now both the kid who was allowed to escape as well as his diet member father faced trials.

'I should have trusted you from the beginning,' Ulf thought where he sat in the hotel lobby. Almost thirty parents backed by another dozen of the most powerful parents to students in Irishima High made that diet power base crumble into nothing.

Leaning back in his chair Ulf stared at the ceiling. This being a lower to medium class hotel lights were out, or almost out. If he wanted anything he only had the option of vending machines, but to be honest that wasn't too bad an option. They were amply supplied with a surprisingly large array of beverages, both alcoholic, which was out of the question for him in this life, and the non alcoholic variants. Something of the latter currently being brought to him by Noriko if he knew her correctly.

This being Japan he still failed to come to terms with girls all too often running domestic errands for him before he had a chance to stop them. It didn't suit him, and he made a mental note of never allowing himself to getting used to it. He had however, Ulf grimaced at the thought, less of a problem with being expected to pay whenever they were out. That made him just as much of a chauvinist.

With a smirk he leaned all the way over the backrest when the sound of steps reached him. The upside down world offered him a view of a dark shadow transforming into a petite girl in a yukata. It was Noriko, and she was late and she did indeed hold a bottle in each hand.

To avoid being misunderstood for wanting to look up her underwear Ulf twisted in his seat and beckoned to her. Palm up, just because she stuck to the Japanese palm down version whenever she wanted his attention.

"Sorry I'm late," she said when she came up to his seat. She reached over his shoulder to give him his bottled tea and quite shamelessly flashed a small breast leaning over his face.

"You're not supposed to do that," Ulf said. He felt his body react, both down below and a rush of heat firing up his face in a furious blush.

"Do what?" With those words she rose above him and quickly walked the few steps to a chair next to his. "Do what?" she repeated after she sat down.

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Ulf avoided meeting her eyes. "You know," he tried. She knew all too well.

"You're my boyfriend. What's wrong with making you look at me?"

And that was it. There was nothing wrong with what Noriko was doing. A life earlier for him and they'd shared bed and bodies by now, but that was a life earlier, or an earlier life. For now the discomfort of being in love with a girl not even half his age competed with his desire to share everything with her.

"Urufu?" A small hand found its way into his. "I fell in love with you on my own," Noriko said. Her other hand followed the first and clasped his fingers. "You weren't even asked. Honestly, even if I had asked you you probably wouldn't have understood anyway."

Despite his discomfort Ulf let out a laugh. No, he wouldn't have understood, and not just because he didn't know any Japanese to speak of at that time. "Because I'm blind as a bat when it comes to love?" he asked to confirm the main reason.

To his surprise Noriko shook her head. He felt her fingers grab his hand harder. "No, because you were too hurt back then."

Ulf searched her face for signs of her teasing but found none. Her eyes were very dark in the subdued night light, almost invisible under her bangs. Her guess was also absolutely correct. That early autumn during his middle school days was too close to his transition and arrival here in Japan. At that time his thoughts were still filled with a desperate longing for Maria.

He used his free hand to grab the bottle of tea Noriko had brought him, but twisting it open with one hand turned out impossible. Just as he was about to withdraw his other from Noriko's hands she let go with one and helped him.

"I need to feel close to you," she said when he glanced at her. She leaned over her armrest and into his shoulder, moving his hand onto her lap as she snuggled up to him. "There's too little of this."

Ulf didn't answer. He took a few mouthfuls trying to think of something to say. "I do love you." Some more lukewarm tea found its way to his stomach while he bought time for something sensible to follow up that moronic statement. "Very much," he added after he swallowed. "I'm just scared of hurting you."

"Urufu, isn't being scared part of loving someone?" Noriko said. She met his eyes and brought his head to hers with her free arm. "I'm scared as well, but I wouldn't have it any other way," she continued after the kiss.

'She's far braver than I am.' He gave in to his needs and met her for a second kiss.