204 Chapter six, 2016, three schools: 10 (1/2)
”This might sound like a strange request, but apart from club hours I want you two to work part time at Stockholm Haven café.”
It was definitely a strange request, but one Yukio could understand.
”Anything more?” he asked.
”Yes, after work you're to walk Takeida-san home, call me and go home yourself.”
Yukio wondered how many students had their principal's number in their contact list. ”Understood Nakagawa-sensei,” he said. He would do as told. Kyoko had already been attacked once, and the way their school had upped the ante he didn't want to risk a repeat.
”Nakagawa-sensei?”
”Yes Takeida-san?”
”What about Yukio, eh, Matsumoto-san?”
Yukio felt his shoulders rise at Kyoko's unfamiliar use of his surname. She hadn't for months now.
Principal Nakagawa rested his elbows on his desk. He looked at Kyoko and scratched his chin. Then he caught Yukio's eyes with his own before Yukio had a chance to protest. ”That's a relevant question. I'm afraid we'll have to chance Matsumoto-san walking home alone.”
”Not good enough,” Kyoko protested.
Nakagawa-sensei grimaced, but in the end he nodded at her. ”Do you have bikes?”
Yukio didn't, but his mother had one he could borrow. ”Yes,” he said.
”Takeida-san?”
Kyoko grimaced before she answered. ”I'm not allowed to use one. It's not… it's not proper for a young woman.”
From the corner of his eye Yukio saw Nakagawa-sensei shoot Kyoko an equally stunned look of incomprehension.
”Not proper?” Principal Nakagawa finally asked.
Kyoko blushed slightly. ”My father says it's unbecoming of a woman.”
'What the hell? Did he time-slip from the Meiji era?'
”Ah, I take it you don't have a bike then,” Nakagawa-sensei said and avoided the question that should have been asked.
With a frown Yukio watched Kyoko shake her head. 'Well, that bastard father of hers almost left me lying on the street after I got beat up. Some people shouldn't be allowed to have children.' Then Yukio regretted that thought. If some people weren't, then his lovely Kyoko wouldn't be by his side now.
”Matsumoto-san, could you walk Takeida-san home and ride back to your home afterwards?”
The question made sense. He was much less likely to get into trouble if he biked home. ”Yes. Yes, I'll do so.”
”Well, that settles it. You're dismissed.” With those words Nakagawa-sensei rose from his chair.