Chapter six, 2017, spring break: 3

She finally got to make use of the make-up kit Kuri-chan had given her in the locker room during the cultural festival. More because it was the way it was supposed to be than any real need; she was barren after all.

The first night of the two they spent in the resort, Yukio made no approaches more than suggesting they use the family bath. The second night Kyoko had enough with his polite refusal to suggest they share more than their bed.

It was warm and sweaty, and it hurt a little; and she'd never wish it undone. Now the connection between them was stronger than ever before.

Come morning he was less shy with her, and she experienced something close to pleasure. 'It gets better with time, you said.' Thinking of Kuri-chan soured her mood a little, but she couldn't live Kuri-chan's life.

As it was Kyoko really didn't want to live that life. As soon as spring break started Kuri-chan was whisked away by her employer, and since a few days she didn't even respond to messages.

Spending a few days at the resort only left Noriko and Ryu back home in Tokyo, because Urufu had vanished just as thoroughly as Kuri-chan.

'Idiot! Do you know how worried Yukio is? You should at least have told him.'

Kyoko growled and swallowed another bite of delicious breakfast.

They needed to leave early for Nagoya where the first of their sessions was being prepared. Both Ryu and Noriko would arrive in the evening and the coming three days were packed with work for Urufu's customers.

She wasn't worried about the customers. Urufu had made certain the four of them only had to work with people who were long used to having teenagers running the show. Besides, this was the kind of facilitation Ryu could run in his sleep with the backup of his sister.

Why Urufu wanted her and Yukio was a little more unclear, but Kyoko was happy to work together with Yukio. Especially as he cut away content with a brutal ruthlessness, making the presentations she had to produce that much shorter. Urufu never complained, rather he just gave Yukio a stare filled with equal parts wonder and curiousness.

She gobbled down some more food and turned to Yukio. "Half an hour?"

His face rose from a huge mouthful he tried to hide behind a bowl of miso soup. After a frantic and successful attempt at swallowing it all he nodded.

'That had to hurt,' Kyoko thought. As a reward she gave him what she hoped was a sweet smile. 'You're so honest. You're the best that ever happened to me. I love you.' Just to be on the safe side she gave him another smile.

"Then I'll have a taxi ordered," Kyoko said. Working for Urufu changed her perception of what was usual in more ways than one. A year ago the very concept of 'taxi' was something she associated with adult. Now, merely efficient when he needed them somewhere with little time to spare. It helped that his company paid for the fares.

'Three days. 75 000 yen. I never even thought it was possible to make money like this.' And because of that she saved most of her money. Somewhere in her mind she was vaguely aware she earned more per day than she was likely to do after she finished university and entered the workforce.

To make it even better she thoroughly enjoyed her part time job. She learned more there than in school, and by now she honestly felt she deserved her salary. She wrote the invoices. Three days amounted to well over half a million yen, almost two hundred thousand a day. Urufu's documents even stated that was a hefty discount because he liked the customers so much.

Then Kyoko decided she had enough breakfast and left for their room. 'Our room. Thank you mom and dad!' She sent a thankful thought to the lady at the inn who hadn't as much as batted an eye when she and Yukio arrived two days earlier.

Packing took almost no time, and when Yukio arrived she had finished with their bag. He carried it down the stairs, limping and all. She could have done it herself, but she didn't want to deny him that little token of manliness if he desired it.

When they reached the entrance floor she saw the taxi waiting for them.

"Yukio, it's here," Kyoko said as if he lacked the power of sight.

He just nodded and smiled.

The ride to the station was shorter than she remembered from the club field trip last August. The train ride to Nagoya, however, wasn't.

To make up for the agonisingly slow train the circle line subway took them to the conference centre in a breeze, and when they checked in at the hotel Ryu and Noriko stood waiting for them.

"Any news?" Kyoko asked while Yukio handled the formalities. They had two rooms. Urufu had been sensible enough not to push Japanese norms when that might cause them problems. She'd share hers with Noriko.

"News, you tell me," Noriko said, and a grin that threatened to split her face in two spread over her face. "Ryu, help Yukio!"

Ryu looked at them, smirked, but promptly did as he had been told.

"Kyoko, I want to know everything."

'Oh dear! This is so embarrassing!' "What do you mean?" Kyoko said, but she knew exactly what Noriko meant.

Noriko looked at Ryu and Yukio by the counter, and Kyoko saw in her eyes that she just wanted to make sure they couldn't hear. In the end Noriko seemed satisfied with the distance to the boys.

"Did you do it?"

'No way!' Then an evil demon popped up its head in Kyoko's mind. "Yeah, we went to the family bath."

The nonplussed face staring at her was worth it.

"No, I mean it."

There was no point in dragging it out any further. Noriko and Ryu bought the vouchers after all. "Uhum. Yes."

"No!"

That had more than a few faces turn in their direction, and Kyoko felt her face flare red. "Not so loud!" But it was already too late. That a few of the strangers looking at them smiled knowingly didn't matter, but Yukio's beet red face gave no wriggle room for misunderstandings. He had heard.

"Noriko, in our room, OK? First I want to know everything about Kuri-chan and Urufu."