157 Chapter two, 2016, school festival, madness beginning: 7 (1/2)

Ryu elbowed his way through the corridor. The school was crammed with people, and tomorrow should be worse; Sunday and open house and all.

He guessed none of the students would need to pay very much for the anticipated second year field trip late February. The festival would generate a huge surplus.

There was an errand for him. One Yukio had assigned to him. Ryu navigated his way between the shoe lockers until he finally made it to the student council bulletin-board.

'I'm sorry Yukio. Not a joke.' It didn't matter all that much. Kuri would win the beauty contest hands down, so Kyoko didn't have to worry all that much. He smiled and laughed. 'Wonder what she'll look like on the catwalk though.'

The boys' contest was a more open affair though. Himself or Nao-sempai. A couple of weeks earlier Ryu wouldn't have given Nao-sempai much of a chance, but with Urufu all over the place enough first year votes were bound to move in his direction to make the competition interesting.

Now it all hinged on the third years, which was only fair. Sure, they had two contenders of their own, and before the cultural exchange club came into existence and changed all the rules, one of them ought to have won.

Now they didn't stand a chance. It didn't help them that the club had saved the day when the entire festival fell into disarray, and all because Urufu suddenly displayed almost godlike powers.

'Damn, I'll never catch up to that guy! Not bloody fair!' Ryu swallowed his resentment. 'Calm down. He's over fifty. He's done this shit for a living the last twenty years now.'

Which was true. And that truth wasn't enough. Ryu knew only one person on the planet he'd have trusted to run the show by wire like this, and that was his father. Grimly he admitted his father would likely have come running to Urufu for advice. There was a difference between superb and godlike after all.

'He can't play ball, he's just hiding what a crappy athlete he really is behind that absurd stamina of his. He's stupidly insensitive with the girls, his Japanese sucks and he doesn't know how things are run here.' And yet. And yet.

Normally Urufu made people around him shine with glory, which usually turned him relatively invisible, but given the current bedlam Urufu wasn't given that opportunity and had to take command in person. Ryu could understand that, and he could forgive Urufu that. What he couldn't forgive was how Urufu had hidden his true ability for half a year.

'Dammit, I don't mind you being superior, but don't bloody lie about it to my face you shit head!'

”Besides, what's so damn good about Urufu anyway,” he murmured. That was unfair, but he didn't care.

With a grimace the picked up his cell and mailed Yukio. Preparing Kyoko to take the stage was her boyfriend's job after all. Ryu didn't envy him in the least.

After that he elbowed his way through the cafeteria turned restaurant, the shaded area outside under the great sails and sauntered towards the gym. On his way there he made an effort to flirt a little with the middle school girls he met. That earned him flustered giggles from the girls and scowls from their parents.

All in all the short walk from the cafeteria did wonders to his mood, and when he entered the gym he truly felt like the prince of Himekaizen again.

Inside the hall filled up with parents and siblings. He guessed the relatives of those in 6:1 were present in force. The play should start shortly, and after that the fashion show.

He unclipped his radio and pushed the button. ”Urufu?”

”Urufu here,” the answer squelched. Reception was less than optimal inside the gym.

”Ryu here. How's staffing at the plaza? 6:1 have a play on stage soon and then it's time for us. Over.”

”Thanks for the heads up. I'll send some extras from 9:1. Jirou can take it from there. Over.”

You really never bother with the honorifics. ”OK, guess you have it covered then. Over and out.”