Transition and Restart, book two: The Billion Dollar Empress

Chapter four, 2016, beach party, part four

Sis, I wouldn't have done that. Only proves you're a better person than I am. Even so Ryu didn't understand why Noriko let Kuri in on the gift. And he didn't understand why his father had chosen anything that grossly expensive. Hundred, hundred and fifty thousand yen? More? He shook his head.

It was time to drop the bomb to Urufu as well. The club would return back home tomorrow, but the six of them would remain until school started. Principal Nakagawa even brought the last make-up exams Urufu and Kuri needed to pass.

Kuri already knew, and her shoots would continue for another two days. After that she needed to study.

Ryu waited for Urufu to serve another batch and prepare the grills again. Two grills weren't enough for this many people; the charcoal burned down and had to be replaced.

"Urufu," he said when the grills were lit anew. "We need to talk."

"Yeah?"

He looked over the beach. Club members mingling with models. Some played with fireworks and others changed clothes handed out to them by some Uniclo representative. Even if they're not that expensive, that's still well over a million yen in clothes thrown all over the beach. Guess it's not that much money for them, but still.

"When the rest of the gang return to Tokyo we'll stay," he said to Urufu who had wiped his hands clean on the ridiculous towel he wore instead of a shirt.

"Huh? Why?"

"The Nakagawa gig. It's only the first of five."

"What!"

Ryu looked at his friend. Is he still a friend? Yes he is, but I'm going to be a lot more careful around him from now on. "Yes, you'll have another eighty people arriving the coming two weeks."

"What the hell? I need to study and I have work to do." Urufu didn't look at all pleased with the change of plans.

"Calm down," Ryu said. "You'll get paid. A crapton of money if I got it right."

Urufu sighed. "Ryu, I respect you, but you're a kid. Crapton of money means different things for you and me. I don't think you understand exactly what kind of income I have." He looked like he was about to continue, but Ryu had to interrupt that.

"I'm aware of what a lot of money is. I'm what you'd call a rich kid. This gig will make you more money that you've seen the last year."

There was another sigh. "Ryu, I charge premium consultancy fees for a single person company."

"Shoot!" Urufu was way too arrogant. Time for him to be brought down a peg or two.

"Returning customers pay me fifty per hour. I can't afford doing this for free."

That is a crapton of money. Who the hell had the audacity to charge that kind of fees? Shit! "OK, how much have you made this far?"

A glimmer of uncertainty showed in Urufu's eyes. As if he was uncomfortable with the truth. "Almost seven million."

Bloody hell! But the gig was still worth more. Ryu forced himself to calm down. "Not too shabby," he said and tried to sound like he was used to seeing that kind of money lying around in his drawers.

"Not too shabby? It's more money than I'm supposed make working full time after university!" Urufu stared back. "What's this stunt worth? A million, two? It's still crap pay for running a hundred people."

Ryu gathered up his last reserves of pretending to be unperturbed. "Yeah I know. Especially as you're paying salaries and the cost for the hotel as well."