Transition and restart, book seven: High School Days

Chapter one, 2018, Hatsumode, part two

Tomasu looked at Jeniferu, and she looked back at him. Then both of them broke down in laughter. This time her grin reached all the way to her eyes.

What?

"Yep, she's not in the toilet."

"She's not what?"

Jeniferu struck the back of her hand to her forehead and stared skywards. "How thoughtless of us! How could we possibly forget..." and she bent double laughing again.

Around them people stared at the two wheezing teenagers.

"Seems Christina called her, and, and, and..." Tomasu said between laughing fits.

"So Noriko got real pissed off when her bro didn't leave ahead to meet Christina." Jeniferu stood straight again and wiped hair from her face.

"And I don't know exactly what happened, because I spoke with Ulf about it, and he just went: bloody idiot, suits you you dickhead, why don't you spend all of hatsumode there, and so on."

Kyoko stared at both of them. They stood hugging each other, more for support than to show any affection, because both still shook with silent mirth. It's good to see that smile on you again. I've missed it. Whatever happened it was worth it.

Yukio must have used the comedy stunt to buy drinks, because Kyoko felt his arm on hers, and then a bottle showed up in her hand. He promptly gave Jeniferu and Tomasu one each, twisted the plastic cap off his own, pushed the glass marble back into the bottle and emptied his Ramune in one go.

"I never learned how to open one of these," Tomasu said when he was alone with an unopened bottle in his hand and both Kyoko and Jeniferu greedily followed Yukio's example.

When Yukio tried to help him Jeniferu growled. "My boyfriend," she said and pushed Yukio's hands aside. She gave Tomasu a good stare and took the bottle from his hand. Very slowly she removed the plastic so he could see, popped the centre of the cap out and demonstratively placed it on top of the marble. "Thomas, you do the pushing."

His face lit up. "Ah, that's why the damn cap is there!" With a huge grin he pressed, and when the marble dropped into the bottle he grinned as if he had just invented the wheel. "Super, Jennifer!"

"OK, that's the bribe. Now spill it, man. What about that toilet?"

"Oh," Tomasu said, "Noriko's not in it," he added helpfully.

"The three of them arrived at some station earlier, and Ryu had pressing needs..." Jeniferu began.

"and we expect Noriko and Ulf to show up here any minute now," Tomasu filled in.

"Eh, man, what about Ryu?" Yukio asked, but by then Kyoko had already doubled over in laughter of her own.

"They left him inside?" she guessed.

***

Not funny you two!

Ryu grimaced. At least he knew what shrine they were supposed to visit.

He spent the better part of a half hour searching for his sister and Urufu after he was done in the men's restroom. Twenty minutes it took before he was struck by understanding and made for the next train.

Not funny at all!

He kept swearing silently and downed the last of his coke before discarding the bottle in a recycling can.