Gods! There’s spillover everywhere. Yukio groaned silently, but at least he stayed out of the rumour mongering by the shoe lockers.

“Is it true Sugimoto-san transferred last week?”

“It’s true. Her parents are divorced and when her mom died she had to move to her relatives.”

“Was it suicide?”

“Dunno. Maybe.”

It was. Yukio knew that. He also knew Sugimoto-san’s mother had absolutely nothing to do with the rapes apart from believing the girls were at fault for getting assaulted. While disgusting it was hardly a reason for dying. Damn Urufu. I should have listened to you.

He dropped his shoes into his locker, and halfway to his classroom he’d listened to three other versions of the rumours. Rumours, because the Sugimotos weren’t the only family to have lost a member. Sasaki-san, a freshman, lost his older brother to an armed robbery that looked a lot like revenge meted out by friends of the Korean victim.

While Urufu was adamant Sasaki-san’s father was indeed directly involved the dead kid was only guilty of voicing his hatred of anything foreign to whomever was within earshot.

And in the background Kuri continued her own campaign of defamation with the open backing of Jeniferu’s father, and he in turn had the silent backing of two nations.

The stairs took Yukio to his corridor and classroom, and just as it had been since the assaults there was a silence clinging to it that had absolutely nothing to do with obedient students. Stench of fear, did you call it that?

He walked to his desk between classmates refusing to meet his eyes and sat down. Yukio barely had time to dig out his books when his name was called out over the PA system.

Visit the headship’s office? What is the pig up to this time?

Raking down his books into his still open bag Yukio stood and left the classroom the same way he had entered. After climbing the stairs to the third floor he had a moment of fleeting memories from his freshman year when he stared down the familiar corridor. Then he walked into the one connecting both wings.

He was almost at the door to the headship’s office when he heard voices from the inside. Or rather Kareyoshi’s voice.

“Your stunt with bringing in journalists again made those in charge change their mind. I’ll have you expelled for tarnishing the name of the school.”

“That’s rich coming from someone who disgraces an entire nation just by being born,” came Urufu’s voice.

There was a moment of silence before Kareyoshi spoke again. “Laugh all you want. Within a month you’re gone from here. Atrocious exam results will suffice as a reason.”

You know, you’re not really supposed to tell people exactly how you’re going to hurt them if they can react to it, Yukio thought. But then Kareyoshi hadn’t exactly displayed any evidence of a higher mental capacity. Still, for what it was worth maybe waiting in the corridor was the smarter choice, so Yukio remained where he stood and eavesdropped.

“So you’ll use my exam results as an excuse? You know I’m answering questions written in Japanese?”

“That’s hardly my problem. If you’re not able to learn a civilised language then you aren’t fit for receiving an education here.”

“You still insist on calling the canned simplifications we’re fed here an education?”

“I don’t see how you’re qualified to comment on the best education system in the world.”

“You really...” for once Urufu’s voice silenced mid sentence. “No, it doesn’t matter. You wouldn’t understand anyway.”

“I believe that’s all. By the way, you’re suspended for a week?”

“I’m what? For what reason?”

“For interfering with the investigation concerning your later expulsion,” Kareyoshi said.

“Eh, you just told me about that.”

“Which is exactly why I’m preventing you from sabotaging it. Well, that’s all. You may leave.”

Yukio quickly hid behind the door as it opened, but it turned out unneeded as Urufu simply turned in the direction of the sciences wing without looking. After waiting for the backside of his friend disappear behind the corner Yukio finally knocked on the now closed door.

“Enter!”

Yukio did as told. Inside the room he came to attention as it was the expected behaviour. “I was called here.”

“Matsumoto Yukio.”

“Yes,” Yukio answered.

“Good. You’re suspended for a week for associating with bad people.”

“I’m what?”

“That will be all. Dismissed!”

Yukio didn’t even bother with shaking his head. He just bowed, turned and left the office. Kareyoshi hadn’t said when the suspension went active, but Yukio assumed immediately, so he’d just go to his classroom, fetch his clothes and leave school.

On his way there he heard Kyoko, Noriko and Ryu being called over the PA as well, so he decided to wait for them just outside school grounds. Just outside the building he heard the PA calling for Jeniferu, Tomasu and Kuri as well.

Are the girls getting suspended for wearing panties with the wrong colour, or what will the idiot come up with this time?

While Yukio waited by the gates he saw them leaving the building and walk in his direction one by one. The first to arrive was Urufu who must have finished some errand before leaving school, and after him Kyoko and Ryu arrived in rapid succession.

Now that’s funny. I thought Noriko would be with her brother. Maybe she had been somewhere further away from Kareyoshi’s office when they called her over the PA, because Kuri came walking across the gravel before Yukio saw any signs of Noriko.

“If she doesn’t show soon I’m going back in after her,” Urufu growled by his side.

Yukio smirked. He’d join his friend if need be, but right now he was more interested in the journalists flocking around them. No way Kuri would miss out on another opportunity to throw dirt at Kareyoshi and the PTA.

Then Yukio saw Jeniferu walking across the school yard supported by Tomasu, and but for Yukio having seen Kuri playing her stunts too many times he’d be really concerned. As it was he understood they were putting on a show, and just as he started wondering what for they arrived at the gates and Jeniferu dropped the bomb.

“I can’t stand it Thomas.”

“He wouldn’t dare.”

“But he’s our principal and he told me he’d find other men to finish the job on me properly.”

And with those words Kuri had both freshmen seated in her car without giving the journalists a single word of her own. She didn’t need to. Outright accusing the principal for personally ordering the rapes was damaging on an entirely different level, but Yukio was certain Kuri lay behind the ugly show one way or another.

He watched the car drive away and turned his attention to the still absent Noriko.

***

“I want you to end your relationship with Hamarugen. He's a bad influence on you.”

Noriko stared at Kareyoshi. “Bad influence?”

“Yes. Your scores have fallen the last trimester.”

My scores have fallen? You bastard! How much are you getting paid by the PTA? “My scores average above 90. I fail to see how that would be a problem.” She gave him a defiant look. But in the end I'll have to fold. The moment they bring my parents into this I'll have to fold.

He had tiny eyes. Lying eyes. She hadn't seen that until now.

“While your scores aren't a problem per se, you still have dropped from the top three to around top ten. That reflects badly on this school, especially as those with higher grades haven't improved compared to earlier.”

The bastard knows how hard Urufu's studying, but he'll still sacrifice him for those rapists. It's all because he's a foreigner without connections. Noriko felt tears welling up, but forced them down. I won't let him get to me!

“We're having a meeting next week where we'll decide if he'll be suspended or expelled.”

He didn't have to tell me. That's just hurtful! One week. That would be just after the exams. After the exams? Oh, U-kun, U-kun! You sly… You planned it all along. Blushing, yet smiling, Noriko faced the principal. “So, you'll put him through the midterms first and kick him out of school after that?” You idiot, you're in for it this time! Noriko recalled Urufu's sardonic smile earlier that month.

'I don't need to focus on learning more kanji any longer. By now I can read the tests,' he had said. 'And as I told you, they're designed for parrots.' He had shown her that wolfish grin, and then he started skipping classes.

“I wouldn't put it that way, but someone with his reputation and his grades isn't exactly what this school needs.” Principal Kareyoshi's words brought Noriko back to the current reality.

U-kun, I'll slap you silly around the entire school next time I see you. Then I'll hug you, and then I'll kiss you silly. For everyone to see! “May I assume that if his grades were to increase drastically, then that would influence your decision?” And then she recalled the booklets in Urufu's room. Ah, the info on Tokyo University wasn't just for me at after all.

“That would require near perfect scores, and,” Kareyoshi eyed her body over before he continued: “even if you were actually to help him study instead of… Well, it's too late now anyway.”

Noriko suppressed a shiver as he continued to undress her with his eyes. Instead she focused on the implications of what she had just realized. Near perfect scores. Urufu wasn't skipping classes because he lacked the ability to follow them. He was skipping classes because they were an impediment. 'It's all a matter of information density,' he had said. 'Your education system is all about memory and no understanding. Given a month or so I could probably memorize everything for the second trimester, but I wouldn't understand a lot of it, because I would lack context.' Given a month or so… Skipping classes so you can study… U-kun, you little… I love you!

“Yes, I guess you're right, Principal. There's nothing I could do to help him now,” Noriko agreed and gave him a smile full of lies. “Is that all? Class is starting soon.”

But if he brings my parents into this I still have to fold.

“Oh you don’t have to worry about class,” Kareyoshi suddenly said.

Noriko looked up from the floor she had been studying the last seconds. “How come?”

“You’re suspended for one week.”

“I’m what? Why?”

“You’re suspended for being involved in an indecent relationship.”

“I’m involved in an….” I wish! She felt herself blushing from the neck up, and with thoughts of making Kareyoshi’s accusation come true she stumbled out of the office.

Urufu, why didn’t you tell me? Because when she got angry with him he wasn’t U-kun any longer. Well if we’re both suspended until midterms then I’ll be damned if we can’t study together.

Noriko knew how he processed data when he wanted to. She also knew no one else understood to exactly what extent he did. So studying together with Urufu for a week would basically be the same as going to school for well over a month, which was a bonus. Studying with Urufu for a week, well, just thinking of it made Noriko’s stomach go all warm and fuzzy.

Warm and fuzzy enough that he had almost been reinstated as U-kun in her mind when she left through the main entrance and saw the circus by the gates. And the idiot stood in the middle of it and waved to her. He immediately reverted from potential U-kun to moron-sama, but the warm feelings didn’t disappear despite angry thoughts running through her head.

Noriko made up her mind, decided that she’d have him as close to her as possible the coming week, and with newfound determination she listened to the crunching sound of gravel under her feet as she made her way to the gates and the sakura trees behind them.

She saw Yukio and Kyoko there, Ryu was there as well, but Kuri wasn’t. Ryu stood surrounded by journalists answering questions on behalf of his famous girlfriend.

While idols usually kept their relationships a secret Kuri refused, but Noriko guessed Kuri played up her foreignness as much as possible to get away with just as much as possible.

Idiot, you could have held on to Urufu, but I’m happy you didn’t. Because she was. Noriko admitted that. One way or another both Kuri and Urufu had to hurt for her to experience this. I’ll apologise one day, but not now. It was a staggering thought. That she, Wakayama Noriko, stood ready to watch someone else get hurt if that was the price for her own happiness.