Chapter two, 2016, southbound: 4

After he fetched his unwilling sister from his room Ryu led her to the room shared by their parents. Any other time and the four of them would have shared a room, but this was their club field trip. Even though they paid for the stay his parents were not part of it, but for now he and his sister were to attend dinner with their parents.

Noriko still hadn't switched into her yukata, but dad was adamant they signed the contracts before Urufu woke up, so Ryu brought his sister with Urufu still sleeping in the room they left.

He slid the door closed behind him giving Urufu some stray thoughts. 'Threats, dad did something bad to her.' Else he couldn't understand how they made Kuri's guardian sign those documents. She was about to lose a lot of blackmailing money, so it had to be fear. Then again, he really didn't care.

He dragged Noriko through a corridor with wooden floors, up a carpeted stair and halfway through another corridor until they arrived, and he slid the door open. Inside they quickly removed their slippers, slid the next door open and sat down on the tatami mats.

Their parents already sat there waiting together with Kuri and Sato-sensei, and to his surprise, so did Principal Nakagawa and Ashiga James.

'What are they doing here?' "Dad?"

"Son, I guess you wonder about Nakagawa-sensei and Ashiga-san."

Ryu nodded.

"I'll explain while we wait for dinner. Noriko, Ryu, sit down!"

Ryu followed his sister who had already anticipated the invitation and was on her way to one of the four remaining seats. He gave Ashiga-sensei a thankful thought when he saw the young man sitting cross-legged on the floor. No need for a traditional knee-breaking dinner tonight. To make him even more at ease both his father and Nakagawa-sensei switched into a more relaxed pose.

Behind him Ryu heard the doors slide open and when he turned he saw Kyoko and Yukio enter the room. Both were properly clad in their yukatas, something that made his sister stand out even more. 'So you helped your girlfriend with the belt? I don't think you stripped before Noriko so that means you two went to the girls' room alone. And sis said nothing about it.' Before he had a chance to give her a nasty remark Kuri intervened.

"Noriko, thank you for watching over Ulf. I apologize for the inconvenience it caused you."

'Damn, you had her back. Oh well, there will be more opportunities.' He growled in response to Noriko's out-stuck tongue. 'And sis, you know you were just saved by Kuri. Girlie conspiracy! Guess she saved you two as well,' Ryu thought and looked at Yukio.

From her seat his mother gave Kuri an approving nod.

'Yes, definitely girlie conspiracy.'

"If you're done with your antics, could we please proceed?" his dad said. "I called Nakagawa-sensei here to get a written confirmation that Himekaizen approves of the unusual part time jobs related to these contracts. He'll also confirm that the school approves of the contracts."

Everyone round the tables nodded understanding. His mother helped Ashiga-sensei pour a round of tea and porcelain cups made their way around the party.

"Ashiga-san will handle some of Ageruman-san's financial transactions, and must sign one of the contracts for that reason. He represents Stockholm Haven Café."

Ryu waved understanding and accepted a cup into his hands. The tea was hot to his lips and of surprisingly high quality, but maybe that was only to be expected in the Mie prefecture.

Kuri broke the silence that followed. "I'll continue the modelling work I just took up. My guardian has to believe that she controls my income."

"That's unfair!" Ryu said and looked down at the tatami mats. No business of his really. He wasn't even her boyfriend.

"No Ryu. I appreciate that you care for me, but this is just me being smart," Kuri objected with a smile. "I'll enter into a formal partnership with your father's company concerning any side-incomes I may have though."

"Side-incomes," Ryu murmured. Saving only a small share of what she earned still seemed unfair.

"Yes, side-incomes." Suddenly Kuri looked like a much older woman, a dangerous woman. "I plan to become famous enough to brand collections after my name. If I'm successful the old hag can have all my modelling money, and I'll never even notice."

Ryu stared at her. 'The billion dollar empress. That's what Urufu called you. I've never seen that face of yours before.'

The signing was a quick affair after that, and then the dinner arrived. It was a traditional multi-course thing, partially more eye-candy than truly tasty. But Ryu knew a lot of his friends loved the traditional sashimi accompanied by rice and the endless side dishes.

During the dinner his father poured Kuri a very small cup of sake with the apparent approval of all other adults, and she very pointedly only sipped it when they toasted her new partnership. It was tradition, and it was treating her like an adult. 'And you would have choked on your sake had you only known how old Kuri really is,' Ryu thought and smiled.

"Something funny?" his mother asked.

He smiled even wider and shook his head. "Not really, only a memory," he lied.

From across the table Noriko grinned just as mischievously.

"You know I didn't really drink any," Kuri protested, which changed the grins into laughter.

When dinner reached its end it was finally time for Noriko's mad plan. Ryu didn't know all the particulars, and so he disliked it, but he had been overruled first by his father and then by his mother. That Sato-sensei was present just proved how alone he was.

Nakagawa-sensei started to sign a staggering number of contracts, as did Sato-sensei. In the meantime Ryu's father unfolded what Ryu recognized as a partnership contract. He put his seal to it, signed for the benefit of a potential future western solicitor who might refuse to recognize the seal internationally, and turned it over to Nakagawa-sensei who did the same. Sato-sensei used a markedly cheaper seal than the others.

'What are they up to? That huge chunk over there includes employee contracts.'

"Noriko, sign here," his father said.

'What the bloody hell is going on?'

"Ryu, Yukio, Kyoko, you sign each of these."

Ryu grabbed the contract his father gave him. "What's the meaning with this, and what kind of company is Twin Arc Production?"

Kuri roared with laughter. "TAP, you had it named TAP? He'll kill you!"

Ryu's father made an utterly failed attempt at pretending he didn't share Kuri's mirth. "Twin Arc Production is your new employer. Hamarugen Urufu is its CEO as well as only owner. Congrats, you just got a job with your friend."

"Noriko! Sis!"

"It's the only way, idiot bro. We have to tag along with him anyway, and this way we get paid."

"No, sis, I refuse. It's his money. I'm not going to steal his money behind his back! Sorry father, but I won't do this."

Ryu only received a frown and a stern glare in return.

"Idiot bro, I didn't say we won't have to work for our salary. You won't get a single yen you didn't earn."

Ryu stared at Yukio and Kyoko who looked just as stunned as he. "What could we possibly do?" he asked. "Yukio, Urufu does corporate management consulting and there's just no way we can help."

Noriko growled. "Shut up and think, or at least shut up and pretend to think while you listen to someone with a functioning brain!"

That earned her chuckles of approval from around the table, Kuri included. The last fact made Ryu reassess his position, and he closed his mouth. 'I'll listen, and then I'll decide,' he thought sullenly.

"Ryu, Urufu has the last word. He's the CEO after all. He'll assign work to us, and I believe there is work he can assign provided we're formally employed. Can't you wait until he's had his say?"

Ryu shook his head. "Sis, we just forced him into a partnership and weighed him down with four employees without even asking him. Having his say? Are you insane?"

Noriko looked at their parents for support, but none came.

"I'll handle it," Kuri suddenly said. "Noriko's idea is sound, and if Ulf complains I'll just bash his head in until he understands what's good for him."

"But it's still something he didn't agree to," Ryu protested.

"Now you arrogant little kid. Just listen and shut the hell up! Ulf is in no damn condition to have a say in this. When I tell you he'll do as I say you had damned better believe me! Get it kiddo?" The outburst came out in an awful mix of Japanese and English.

Ryu stared at Kuri. She just turned into the cold hearted business woman Urufu once said she had been forced to become. For the first time Ryu began to grasp what the word 'empire' meant. And for the first time in his life a girl scared him more than his sister. He looked across the table to see how Noriko had reacted and only found a meek little girl waiting for the verbal abuse to end.

'So that's it. When it really comes down to calling the shots you'll back down. I never thought I'd see this day.' "Fine, I'll ask Urufu," Ryu said. Around the table he saw the adults watch in stunned approval. He didn't have to like it. Just obey for the time being. With a sigh he signed his contract.