Transition and Restart, book two: The Billion Dollar Empress

Chapter six, 2016, summer's end, part three

"And they're quite angry with us now," Kyoko said.

Yukio looked at her. "Why?"

"Well, the cafés all went to the second and third years, and 4:2 got the haunted house."

He shrugged. "Same here," he said. "Class was a bit miffed about the café."

"But you at least got the play."

"Only because the club had the fashion show approved." Yukio heard how hollow that argument sounded. A day earlier a roar of jubilation rushed out of their club room when both their applications won approval from the student council.

"Yukio!"

"I know, I know. At least 8:1 had their Himekaizen history approved." And that was the only freshman class to get full access to a classroom for the entire festival. A full six freshman classes were assigned to food stalls and other booths, apart from the students involved with club activities.

And then there was the Himekaizen Cultural Exchange Club, with Principal Nakagawa as advisor, who got a main event approved plus what only initially looked like a food stall. The large area set aside for the barbecue wasn't lost on anyone.

"They're jealous much?" Yukio asked.

"You ask me. It's 3:1. We're used to being the centre of attention, and I don't think my classmates ever saw this let-down coming."

They should have. Ryu had even said as much. But Yukio didn't say that aloud. 6:1 had one out of two major events allocated to freshman classes. The reaction hadn't exactly been ecstatic, but after lunch when the freshmen were able to compare notes his classmates started to understand how lucky they had been. In a way it was a good thing that 3:1 drew blank, but he wasn't about to say that to Kyoko.

Yukio tightened his grip on her hand. They were heading to cram school. For once he had managed to get his parents to agree on something, and they paid half each for his cram school. For his extended time together with Kyoko if he wanted to be honest with himself.

It meant a few missed club hours, but time together with Kyoko was more important than the club. Sure, he'd have to show some results or his parents would pull the plug.

It was the old route he walked. The one he had walked with Urufu during spring term, but they almost never spent their Friday evenings at their old mall these days.

"I miss it in a strange way," Kyoko said when they rounded the last corner and saw the mall ahead of them. It was as if she had read his mind.

Yukio stared ahead of him, but when he looked over his shoulder he saw Kyoko's eyes searching the same empty spot. Urufu's gaudy bike wasn't locked to the stand. It wouldn't be; Yukio had known that from the start, but it was Friday and old habits were hard to forget.

"So do I," he admitted. "He's going to Haven Café after club hours."

"You met here before?"

"Uhum."

"Before high school I mean."

"Yeah, I know. That you meant middle school. We did, even after he was expelled." In fact we started meeting here long after he was expelled, but that's too complicated to explain. "He had this stupid stunt where he pretended he didn't know they waited tables there." Yukio started walking in a wide circle.

"Yes, exactly like that," Kyoko said and giggled. "And he'd come almost to the counter before he returned. Did you always take the same table?"

Yukio nodded. "If it was free, but it almost always was." Second term and we're already talking memories. So much happened.