220 Chapter two, 2016, just another Christmas: 1 (1/2)

Finals came and went as did any reasonable chance for the golden couple to spend any amount of time with each other.

Together with his sister Ryu created small windows of opportunities. They owed those friends at least that much.

With the help of Yukio and Kyoko Ryu managed to turn the club into a dating central for Urufu and Kuri, and despite failing to make most of those dates come true, a few fell through the tightening net around the two of them.

This was one of them, or rather this wasn't one of them but it was. A freezing morning saw the student body line up for five respectively ten kilometres of wet depression. While the girls ran a different course than the boys, everyone still gathered at the same place before the start. That place being the soccer field.

”Boring!” someone shouted from somewhere in the middle of the crowd.

'Got to agree with you on that one,' Ryu thought, but he knew he'd place among the best of the first years. Maybe among the top fifty in the school, which was more than decent considering juniors and seniors participated as well.

”I'm worried,” Noriko said.

”Worried about what?” Ryu replied and threw a sidelong glance at his sister.

She looked back at him, eyes hidden under bangs plastered to her forehead by the stubborn rain that seemed to have gone on for over two weeks straight by now. That wasn't true, but there hadn't been many days in December without a downpour, which made for the wettest winter month he could recall.

With a scowl on her face Noriko elbowed him and nodded in the direction of a golden halo that stood out among the students like sunshine at night.

At first Ryu didn't get it, but then he saw Urufu behind Kuri. She was tall enough to hide even his face, but a sudden gust of wind threw her hair sideways, and Urufu's face became visible as he moved to shelter her from the wind.

'Always playing the knight. Why are you trying so hard to act like some stupid hero?' Because it was outlandish or old-fashioned, and in the case of Urufu perhaps both. Ryu sighed and smiled. It also made him a little jealous of his friend. Daring to be so lame that it was somehow cool came natural to Urufu. He had half a century's worth of experience, and caring about what he looked like to others apparently didn't have all that much of a priority for him any longer.

”Worried?” Ryu asked again. Urufu looked like he was having a blast.

Noriko nodded. ”Yeah, look at them. That's all desperation.”

Ryu stared at the pair. Just as she had said something was off. 'Damn, you're right sis! Wait a moment.' ”Sis, when did you learn...”

”I didn't. Mom did.”

'Huh? Mom?'