Transition and Restart, book two: The Billion Dollar Empress

Chapter one, 2016, southbound, part two

Christina came down the stairs to the lobby and met Noriko's worried gaze.

"How is he?" Noriko asked.

I can't forget she still loves him, Christina thought. "He's asleep."

"He's been doing that a lot lately," Noriko noted.

Christina shrugged. It was true, but not to the extent Noriko believed, or wanted to believe. He's working too much. Christina gave Noriko a grateful look. This plan of yours isn't half as mad as you think. I owe you for this.

In the lobby the three adults sat waiting, and Principal Nakagawa would arrive later together with James. She had to get Noriko out of the way before that. Not because she couldn't know the secrets, because she already did, but because she couldn't know that her parents would be told.

"Noriko, I've put Ulf together with Yukio. Ko-chan wants some time with him, and it won't look as bad if you're there as well." Christina watched Noriko's expression flicker between hesitation and anticipation. "Please, I know it's a lot to ask of you, but could you watch over Ulf for a while? Until dinner?"

Noriko nodded and vanished up the stairs.

You really shouldn't look that gleefully happy when asked to look after someone else's boyfriend. Christina shook her head and descended the last of the stairs before greeting the Wakayama parents and Ulf's guardian.

The lobby was an odd mix of centennial old and mid twentieth century tackiness, but right now Christina was happy for the extra space allowing for a few groups of sofas and low tables.

She took a seat and barely remembered to look overly eager and surprised when she was served a cup of tea by a kneeling woman. Hotels, I have to be more careful. I've spent far too many years like this. High school girl, I'm a high school girl and should behave like one.

In front of her Sato-sensei gave her a long and inquisitive stare, and even the Wakayama parents shot her smiles filled with irony. How much do they know already?

"Ms Ageruman, should we start?" Sato-sensei asked, telling Christina that she knew it all with those words.

"Please," Christina said. She could feel her face wavering between the one she had relearned to use as a school girl and the one belonging to the billion dollar empress. I won't be able to keep it together, she realized. We're going to talk contracts now, and there's no way my experience won't show.

"First of all I'd want to pose a question we originally didn't plan for, if that is OK?"

Christina twisted uncomfortably. The three adults were all younger than her, but they were still adults. "I'll answer if I can," she said.

"Would you be interested in a transfer of guardianship?"

Whoa! Now that was unexpected! "Why would you want that?" she asked in an attempt to buy some time.

Mr Wakayama sipped some tea and smiled. Then he entered the conversation. "If we're to enter a partnership I'd prefer to place your current guardian in as questionable a light as possible. Transferring guardianship will take a lot of time. You could very well become a legal adult before the proceedings are done, but it will make it harder for her to siphon your accounts."

Damn, that's cold! Christina stared at Noriko's father. But it also makes a lot of sense. I'd rather gamble with these people than the old harridan.

"Urufu doesn't know, but in my profession there are ways to find things out," Sato-sensei said. "I know she's stealing from you, or at least blackmailing you."