86 Chapter two, 2016, southbound: 3 (1/2)

Christina came down the stairs to the lobby after she had disposed of her luggage in the room she shared with Noriko and Kyoko. After she made certain Ulf didn't suffer from a nightmare as well. At the entrance floor she met Noriko's worried gaze.

”How is he?” Noriko asked.

'I can't forget she still loves him,' Christina thought. ”He's asleep.”

”He's been doing that a lot lately,” Noriko noted.

Christina shrugged. It was true, but not to the extent Noriko believed, or wanted to believe. 'He's working too much.' Christina gave Noriko a grateful look. 'This plan of yours isn't half as mad as you think. I owe you for this.'

In the lobby the three adults sat waiting, and Principal Nakagawa would arrive later together with James. She had to get Noriko out of the way before that. Not because she couldn't know the secrets, because she already did, but because she couldn't know that her parents would be told.

”Noriko, I've put Ulf together with Yukio. Ko-chan wants some time with him, and it won't look as bad if you're there as well.” Christina watched Noriko's expression flicker between hesitation and anticipation. ”Please, I know it's a lot to ask of you, but could you watch over Ulf for a while? Until dinner?”

Noriko nodded and vanished up the stairs.

'You really shouldn't look that gleefully happy when asked to look after someone else's boyfriend.' Christina shook her head and descended the last of the stairs before greeting the Wakayama parents and Ulf's guardian.

The lobby was an odd mix of centennial old and mid twentieth century tackiness, but right now Christina was happy for the extra space allowing for a few groups of sofas and low tables.

She took a seat and barely remembered to look overly eager and surprised when she was served a cup of tea by a kneeling woman. 'Hotels, I have to be more careful. I've spent far too many years like this. High school girl, I'm a high school girl and should behave like one.'

In front of her Sato-sensei gave her a long and inquisitive stare, and even the Wakayama parents shot her smiles filled with irony. 'How much do they know already?'

”Ms Ageruman, should we start?” Sato-sensei asked, telling Christina that she knew it all with those words.

”Please,” Christina said. She could feel her face wavering between the one she had relearned to use as a school girl and the one belonging to the billion dollar empress. 'I won't be able to keep it together,' she realized. 'We're going to talk contracts now, and there's no way my experience won't show.'

”First of all I'd want to pose a question we originally didn't plan for, if that is OK?” Sato-sensei asked.

Christina twisted uncomfortably. The three adults were all younger than her, but they were still adults. ”I'll answer if I can,” she said.

”Would you be interested in a transfer of guardianship?”

'Whoa! Now that was unexpected!' ”Why would you want that?” she asked in an attempt to buy some time.

Mr Wakayama sipped some tea and smiled. Then he entered the conversation. ”If we're to enter a partnership I'd prefer to place your current guardian in as questionable a light as possible. Transferring guardianship will take a lot of time. You could very well become a legal adult before the proceedings are done, but it will make it harder for her to siphon your accounts.”

'Damn, that's cold!' Christina stared at Noriko's father. 'But it also makes a lot of sense. I'd rather gamble with these people than the old harridan.'

”Urufu doesn't know, but in my profession there are ways to find things out,” Sato-sensei said. ”I know she's stealing from you, or at least blackmailing you.”

Christina bit her lower lip while she wondered how much Sato-sensei really knew. ”I wouldn't know the laws here,” she tried. 'At least not domestic laws. I could probably teach you a thing or two about business laws in Japan.' ”What do you mean?”

”I know about your jobs, both of them,” Sato-sensei continued relentlessly.

'Shit!'

”I know a few of the clients,” Mr Wakayama interjected. ”I can assure you that the club will back off. They wouldn't want a stain on their reputation.”

”What do you suggest, mister?” Christina said and lingered on the question mark to let him understand she didn't know his first name.

As if on cue four small trays with some intensely sweet Japanese treats arrived. Christina had never learned to appreciate the taste of sticky bean paste, but she knew it well from her previous life. She took a small bite and quickly rinsed her mouth with some tea.

”Wakayama Tadao,” Noriko's father said. ”I'll start with the legal aspects of a transfer,” he continued and leaned forward.

”And I'll pay your guardian a visit, in uniform,” Sato-sensei added. She chose to stay glued to her backrest as if this part didn't concern her all that much.

However, it would be a relief to get rid of the parasitic woman. Just thinking of it made some tension go away. ”Who?” Christina asked. A transfer would mean a new guardian.

”The owner of this resort. An old friend of mine.” That was the first time Noriko's mother had spoken. ”She's childless and would love a daughter to dote on. We'll apply for a formal adoption.”

'The owner?' ”Where...”

”She lives here with her husband,” Mrs Wakayama interrupted. ”You'll be expected to visit from time to time.”