281 Chapter one, 2017, a new year: 4

Two days late Ulf returned to school. He got his arse handed to him by Amaya the evening before, and after that a desperate hug from her where she showed how worried she had been.

Then, to his enormous surprise, James appeared at the door, only to leave together with Amaya. Things had progressed in an interesting direction during Ulf's absence it seemed.

Right now he got his arse handed to him by the moron someone mistakenly had led into the principal's office. Said moron even tried pretending he held the competence needed for the job.

Ulf thoroughly despised the specific kind of incompetence inherent in the type of person personified by Kareyoshi. A small-minded, self-important narcissist who wrongly believed he had anything to provide to human society. In short the kind of person Ulf made short time of whenever TAP made a horrendous enough mistake when it came to employment. As those years went by, such mistakes became exceedingly rare.

Now, however, Ulf faced the prospect of spending his remaining years in high school with the arse as his principal.

It began in accordance with what Ulf had expected. As punishment for arriving two days late he got suspended for a week. A true genius! Someone plays hooky and you reward the absentee with another week of no school, rubber-stamped by the principal.

Ulf didn't mind. He'd learn more efficiently away from the classroom than in it. You didn't get two academic degrees by depending on the presence of a teacher.

Facing Principal Kareyoshi Ulf made an attempt at looking repentant. He failed gloriously.

Then Kareyoshi dropped the bomb.

"I'm going to disband that filthy club of yours."

"I thought that was for the student council to decide," Ulf said, still reeling from the shock.

"The former principal was your advisor. I don't plan to take on that role."

"We could find another," Ulf responded.

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"No, as a matter of fact, you can't. Besides, the student council will do what I tell them, if they know what's good for their futures."

'He openly threatens the student council? How fucking stupid can he be?' Ulf fingered the recorder in his pocket to make sure it was still on. 'Can't use it any-time soon. Just adding shit to pile on him for later.'

Because that was the problem. Kareyoshi was on the inside. The other side of the inside, but inside still. Flushing him out would only be possible if they could add enough shit to him to endanger the very organisation that lay behind the secrecy around the arrivals.

"I hope you're aware the exam results average for club members have risen substantially compared to the rest of the first years."

"I hope you're aware you should shut up when you talk to your elders."

'Hard case that one,' Ulf thought. 'How did he come up with me talking and shutting up at the same time.' Then another thought struck him, and Ulf decided to test it. 'We arrivals are basically exempt from the rules concerning expulsion from Himekaizen.'

"Then I expect you to shut the hell up in my presence from now on," Ulf said.

Kareyoshi paled. "What did you..."

"Shut the fuck up kiddo!" Ulf still remembered the command voice from his time as a conscript. Thirty years of budo had just polished it further into a weapon.

Kareyoshi reeled from the force. It took him a while to recover. "You little..."

"Silent! I haven't given you permission to raise your voice in my presence." 'This is more fun than I expected. Will be hell to pay, but I just don't care.' "I'm at least a few years your senior, so shove it, kohai! If you at least had deserved to be my kohai, but you can't get everything in today's degenerate world, wouldn't you agree?" 'Now, how could I possibly be more insulting than that?'

An idea came up. Ulf turned and left the room. When he was almost to the door Principal Kareyoshi rose from his chair. Ulf turned and stared at the raging, red face.

"Sit! Stay in that chair until I send someone here with permission for you to rise!"

Kareyoshi sat. Obviously he wouldn't remain seated, but for now it was enough. Ulf opened the door and entered the corridor. For the first time in weeks a grin as wide as honestly felt spread on his face.

'I wonder how he'll take revenge. Well, I guess I'm part of the game now. Could as well make it official.' Ulf picked up his phone and called Ryu's father. He and his wife were involved with the aftermath to Kyoko's stabbing, Ulf was certain of it.

Two minutes talk over the phone later he had confirmed those suspicions. For added security he transferred the entire audio from his interview with Kareyoshi. Both the Wakayama seniors as well as Amaya were better equipped than he was for this kind of fight. He could just as well hand ammunition over to them.

Ulf was on his way down the stairs when he heard Kareyoshi roaring through the corridor. With the knowledge that he couldn't be expelled Ulf grinned and let the moron scream his lungs out.

'OK, this system has to go. What if more arseholes like me arrived here in Japan. They really need a way to keep us in place. I'll have a talk with the old goat about it.'

Thinking of himself as an arrival gave birth to yet another thought. 'Maybe, maybe there are more of us now. I should check the freshmen out. Maybe not alone.'

So Ulf went in search of Ryu and Yukio to help him look for arrivals among the first years. Noriko would do as well, but Ulf didn't feel confident she wouldn't involve Kyoko and Christina as well, and he still didn't have the strength to meet her yet.

He'd come and go as he wanted. Kareyoshi's suspension wasn't worth the paper he wrote it on. All in all this was a promising start to a new school year.