174 Chapter four, 2016, the long, long night: 2 (1/2)

Over the radio Ryu heard how his sister got things more and more under control, and by now both student council and festival committee were firmly dedicated to finish the festival in good style.

He decided to spend the last hour and half together with the girl from Irishima High who hooked up with him a little earlier. According to her they had met before summer break, and he owed her a goukon.

Ryu did have a vague recollection of bantering with a group of girls on his way to the old mall, and when she insisted they had already exchanged email-addresses he put her to the test.

That event took place just before he decided to spend the afternoon with her, led to him spending it with her if he was honest with himself. Ten seconds it took before his phone flagged an incoming mail. Ryu's weakness for girls who dared him and won got the better of him.

She had an older brother here, or had had if he understood her correctly. The brother of hers transferred abroad, to their sister school in Sweden of all places.

There was an interesting tale involving a girl to be told, and Ryu made a mental note to himself to check it out later, but right now he wanted to get to know the tomboy by his side better.

He turned in the direction she wanted as yet another slap smarted in his lower back; her very special way of getting his attention in the noisy bedlam around them.

”You know I'll have bruises there if you keep at it?” he said to her.

”Sorry about that Wakayama-san,” she said with a toothy grin that revealed exactly how sorry she was.

Ryu pretended to growl and pulled her to the stall she pointed at. ”Something to eat together with the Ramune, Ai-chan?”

She shook her head. ”Someone's behaves pretty familiar with me,” she said.

”Prefer Hasegawa-san?” Ryu countered and exchanged some coins for two glass bottles. The girl in the stall gave him a long look, and Ai-chan an even longer one.

Ai-chan shook her head. ”First name is fine.”

”Then call me Ryu, like everyone else please.”

The girl in the stall gave him another stare. 'Everyone else' didn't include those outside 3:1, their club or the remains of his fan-club, but he wasn't about to say that.

He had to shield her back from the crowd when they fled indoors, but as they climbed the stairs to the topmost floor the mass of people thinned out. When they reached the last flight to the rooftop he found them ample space beneath the windows to sit down and share a meal.

”Meat-bun?” Ryu asked and picked up some of his bounty from his bag.

Ai-chan gave him a pair of big eyes before accepting. ”When?”

Ryu unpeeled the paper wrapping and grinned back at her. ”Your third or fourth slap. When we rounded the corner to the main street.” He put his teeth into the food and waited for her to say something.

”Our cultural festival was nothing like this,” she said.

”Missed it. We were busy planning our own.”

Ai-chan nodded. ”Juniors told us we never get many guests from Himekaizen. Sucks.”

She joined him in attacking the food, and they ate in silence only broken by two pops when Ryu pushed down the glass beads sealing their Ramune bottles.

Before they ran out of drink he produced two paper wraps with bean paste cake.

”Second last slap,” Ryu said before Ai-chan had the chance to ask.