They were taking their usual Friday walk from school to their mall when Urufu's trousers came to life.
Urufu dug up his phone from a pocket and took the call. "Hamarugen speaking."
Yukio looked at his friend. Who called him at this time? He took another step and tried listening in on Urufu's call through the sound of ever more insistent cicadas.
"Yes, that's correct. He was one of the four who assaulted Wakayama Noriko."
Now that's an interesting call. Urufu had stopped dead in his tracks.
"You what? Sorry sensei, I mean would you please explain?"
Yukio couldn't help staring. A teacher calling this late? This could take some time. He picked up his umbrella from the bag. The clouds hadn't looked promising when they were about to leave school. And by now it was darkening faster than dusk could amount for.
"Eh... what do you mean expelled?" Urufu's face had turned white in the lamplight.
What on earth is going on. He's done absolutely nothing!
"I see. Thank you sensei. I'm truly grateful."
Ah so it wasn't him who was expelled. Urufu, you're so going to tell me later.
"I see. No I'm not familiar with Uyoku dantai."
Crap!
"Right wing loonies? Yeah, we have those idiots back home as well. A bunch of them have seats in our parliament hidden in plain sight among a racist populist party."
OK where do those nut-cases fit into all this? Heavy drops of water hit Yukio's forehead. And here comes the rain. Yukio handed Urufu his umbrella and dug through the contents of Urufu's bag in search for another one.
"They what? Oh shit! Sorry sensei; that is unfortunate I mean."
Something really bad just surfaced.
"Of course sensei. I'll immediately call it 'oh shit' if you say so."
That bad? And there was the umbrella. Finally! Yukio pushed the umbrella open and raised it above his head.
"May I tell Yukio? He's already heard half the conversation. Thank you. Yes I'll do that. Bye."
OK what was that all about?
Urufu gave him a long look. "Yukio, you should sit down."
Eh? "Urufu?"
"Please sit!"
This has to be really, really bad. Yukio searched for a relatively dry spot on the low wall they passed and did as Urufu had asked.
"Yukio you remember my reaction when you told me about the racist bullying at Red Rose Hell?"
Yukio nodded. He felt stupid. "Yeah."
"That's the reason I started cramming Japanese like an idiot."
"Eh?"
"Hearing that crap but not being able to listen because I didn't understand the language. That's never, ever going to happen again."
In hindsight it made sense. Yukio remembered the silent rage of his friend. "What about the phone call?" He ruffled his hair dry with one hand. Some of that rain hadn't been avoidable.
"Seems some Nazi wannabes have a lot of clout in that school. Like controlling members of the board."
"What?" Something contracted in Yukio's stomach. Red Rose. I hate that place!
"Yes that was Nakagawa on the phone. He's done some digging, and then some." Urufu still seethed with rage. "Seems the attack on Christina was some kind of idiot revenge on me."
"Eh?" Yukio's hands fell to his sides. The rain now had free access to his head and shoulders. He didn't care.
"Some moron over there apparently believed I was collaborating with the Wakayamas and that my coming to Noriko's rescue was part of a set-up."
What? "Urufu what's going on?"
"They paid one of their own students to make sure Christina was hurt and I scared. The guy who slugged her wasn't one of our students. You know him. You helped me carry him."
No, no, no, no!
"I helped Nakagawa fix that problem and then he owed me one."
You have to be kidding me Urufu!
As if from a distance Yukio noted that his shirt and trousers were getting soaked. It was as if he wasn't wearing them.
"Apparently Red Rose Hell is under the control of some nut-case Nazi wannabe club. Mostly because that ultra conservative board of theirs really don't mind all that much to begin with."
"Urufu what happened?"
"Well Nakagawa pulled some strings, very powerful strings. He called me to say he managed to get the other two remaining rapists expelled as well."
"Eh?"
"That's basically the same as declaring war on Red Rose Hell. Anyway, the last one graduated this spring. Nakagawa asked me to go after him."
And now for the real reason for me to sit down. Yukio didn't like what he knew would come one bit. "Crap! Why? That makes you just as bad as them. It's almost a year now."
"I don't care if it's ten years. There's a right thing to do. He's going down."
Yukio stared at his friend. That wasn't the face of a teenager any longer. Hard bones lined up beneath facial muscles strung tight, and in the poor lamplight Yukio had his first understanding of what Urufu would look like enraged in his full manhood. "Urufu please listen to me! This isn't justice. This is just revenge."
"Yukio it's not revenge. It's vengeance. It's not personal."
"I don't like this at all." At least he had to voice his feelings.
"Yukio now for the reason you had to sit down. I don't act out of loyalty and duty, but you do and for that very reason you're going to help me."
You're way too slow. I already saw this coming. "How?"
"The goons running Red Rose Hell are nut-cases. They're not sane. They're going to come after us. Anyone associated with me or the Wakayamas is a target. Anyone."
"Urufu I can fend for myself and you'll protect Kuri-chan so I don't see how you're going to make me... fuck!"
The realisation hurt him as much as it shocked him. Yes sitting down had been a good idea. With the worst shock over and done with he slowly started to feel how wet he was. In a rather futile attempt to shield himself he raised his umbrella again.
"Language Yukio. You usually never use those words. But yes, Kyoko will be dragged into this as well. You're taking sides. Sorry my friend but you are."
"What are we going to do?"
"I don't know. My trying to find a way home to my old life is on hiatus to begin with. This has nothing to do with my, eh, special background."
"Sure about that?" So we're going to war with our old school. The thought scared Yukio. Then he saw the irony as well. Seems easier than finding him a way back to his old life.
"Nakagawa promised me. Some of the really, really bad guys are deeply associated with Red Rose Hell but they want to see us arrivals in their control, not in hospital. Nakagawa all but said we have an enemies enemy situation bubbling right now."
Yukio resigned himself to the thought. If you're going after Kyoko then I'm helping Urufu take you down. No problem with that scenario. "OK Urufu, any ideas for what we do next?"
Urufu's face lit up in a mischievous grin. "Yes that's obvious. First we get that midsummer's party running."
Magic change of topic! Urufu, there's something seriously wrong with your brain.