381 Chapter four, 2017, petty revenge: 2 (2/2)

”Yes, I guess you're right, Principal. There's nothing I could do to help him now,” Noriko agreed and gave him a smile full of lies. ”Is that all? Class is starting soon.”

'But if he brings my parents into this I still have to fold.'

”Oh you don't have to worry about class,” Kareyoshi suddenly said.

Noriko looked up from the floor she had been studying the last seconds. ”How come?”

”You're suspended for one week.”

”I'm what? Why?”

”You're suspended for being involved in an indecent relationship.”

”I'm involved in an….” 'I wish!' She felt herself blushing from the neck up, and with thoughts of making Kareyoshi's accusation come true she stumbled out of the office.

'Urufu, why didn't you tell me? Well if we're both suspended until midterms then I'll be damned if we can't study together.'

Noriko knew how he processed data when he wanted to. She also knew no one else understood to exactly what extent he did. So studying together with Urufu for a week would basically be the same as going to school for well over a month, which was a bonus. Studying with Urufu for a week, well, just thinking of it made Noriko's stomach go all warm and fuzzy.

Anything warm and fuzzy mostly evaporated when she left through the main entrance and saw the circus by the gates. Her idiot boyfriend stood in the middle of it and waved to her. He immediately reverted from Urufu to moron-sama, but the warm feelings didn't entirely disappear despite angry thoughts running through her head.

Noriko made up her mind, decided that she'd have him as close to her as possible the coming week, and with newfound determination she listened to the crunching sound of gravel under her feet as she made her way to the gates and the sakura trees behind them.

She saw Yukio and Kyoko there, Ryu was there as well, but Kuri wasn't. Ryu stood surrounded by journalists answering questions on behalf of his famous girlfriend.

While idols usually kept their relationships a secret Kuri refused, but Noriko guessed Kuri played up her foreignness as much as possible to get away with just as much as possible.

'Idiot, you could have held on to Urufu, but I'm happy you didn't.' Because she was. Noriko admitted that. One way or another both Kuri and Urufu had to hurt for her to experience this. 'I'll apologise one day, but not now.' It was a staggering thought. That she, Wakayama Noriko, stood ready to watch someone else get hurt if that was the price for her own happiness.