Transition and Restart, book six: Secrets unveiling

Chapter five, 2017, leverage, part five

Ulf woke halfway into an ongoing conversation between Noriko and another girl. If not exactly halfway then at least a good part into it from what he heard. While he recalled the voice he wasn't entirely certain who sat on the other side of Noriko.

A couple of times he could see slender legs sticking out in the train corridor, but he was facing the wrong way to see her face.

He heard the girl revealing some rather unexpected details about herself while he pretended to sleep, and then she said something absolutely astounding and he couldn't pretend any more.

He yawned, something that wasn't an act at all, and stretched his arms. "Sorry Noriko, I fell asleep." Ulf turned in the seat and hugged her even closer to him. Oh, it's Hitomi, he thought when he recognised the face behind Noriko's head. "Hi, didn't notice you getting on."

Noriko didn't seem to dislike being manhandled like this. Ulf felt her burrowing her face into his chest, and her arms wrapped around him in a way that was definitely frowned upon by most here in Japan. He didn't care.

"Hi, how much did you hear?"

What the...

Noriko squirmed in his arms, but Ulf just stared at Hitomi. "How?"

"When the train moved. You started compensating for it."

I'll be damned. "Do you study people for a hobby or something?"

"You were awake the whole time?" Noriko had finally made herself partially free from him.

A short laugh from Hitomi made her turn. "About half of the time. Anyway, I want in."

"And we're supposed to because you gave us, what did you call it, leverage?"

Hitomi nodded.

Ulf stared at Noriko who stared back at him. "You never really had any friends, did you?" he said after a while.

When she only gave him a blank star he realised he had to continue.

"Look, Hitomi, friendship doesn't work that way. It's not a fear based transactional system."

She tilted her head sideways and let her eyes wander between Noriko and him. It made Ulf feel uncomfortable, as if she was assessing them both.

"Hitomi," Ulf started again, "you don't make friends because they fear you'll hang them out to dry otherwise. There's this thing with enjoying each other's company and all that stuff." He shook his head in amazement. "What kind of people do you hang out with?"

"Apart from the club? The blackmailing kind," she responded without any hesitation.

Ulf shrugged and exchanged glances with Noriko. When she nodded approval he hoped he had guessed right. "You know," he said and turned his attention back to Hitomi, "it's your life, but I suggest you ditch those people."

"It's not that easy, and besides, why should I?"

There's a certain kind of naivete that only comes with cynicism. Ulf tried wiping a growing smirk from his lips. "Look, Hitomi, the day you get yourself a girl or boyfriend that kind of people could hurt the one you care for really badly."

He only got a raised eyebrow in return at first. "So you heard that part?" she said.

What could he do but nod? "What if I did?"

"Heard the part about me being interested in Noriko?"

Ulf shrugged again. This time Noriko moved uncomfortably in his arms as his shoulders shot up. He gave her what he hoped was an apologetic smile while he decided on how to answer Hitomi.