95 Chapter three, 2016, field trip revised: 2 (2/2)

James choked down a laugh and looked at where old Nakagawa sat. The old geezer almost spluttered his coffee over the table and looked like he was about to have a heart attack. 'Suits you! The kids take care of their own, and they're doing a damn good job at it. Hot damn, she's superb!'

”If anyone of you forgot to bring bathing clothes mister Nakagawa,” she shot a look at the principal, ”will be more than willing to rectify the mistake.”

James turned to make a cup of espresso no-one had ordered. He shook with laughter and glee. 'Sucker! She's got you now!' He shook his head in amazement. 'Well, when she's angry enough her Japanese is almost perfect. Good to know.'

When he turned to face the dining hall again Nakagawa had regained his composure and had risen to bow affirmatively.

”Session starts after breakfast at nine hundred hours. Any questions?”

'I thought that Ulf guy was bad, but damn she's the bakemono! Billion dollar empress, hell yeah!' James loaded his cups onto a tray and made his rounds. He made certain to give Nakagawa the first cup, which had cooled down enough to merit being thrown into the sink.

James watched Nakagawa grimace as he took a sip. It was petty, but James felt like being petty. What the old geezer had put the kids through was awful, and that he had the audacity to pull more surprises on them right now was just that more aggravating. It didn't matter that two of the kids were in their fifties subjectively. They still felt and reacted like the teens they looked like.

”Sir, anything else?” he asked as he watched Christina leave the hall. She was up to something, but exactly what James couldn't guess.

When he received an affirmative followed by the tired wave only someone in middle management used, he nodded and headed for the counter. 'I hope you pull it off, whatever it is you're trying to do.'

While James prepared the next cup he threw a thought to the other kids. They were up somewhere on the mountain playing the Japanese version of outdoors life.