Transition and Restart, book one: Arrivals

Chapter five, 2016, falling in love, part four

Ulf barely had time to enter the café before James pointed at the door to the inner room.

"Inside," he said.

Ulf trusted him enough to open and go inside without asking any questions.

And that just proves how naive I am. Crap!

Principal Nakagawa sat waiting by the table. He wore his usual, strict suit, and Ulf felt strangely naked in his high school summer uniform.

"We seem to have a problem," Nakagawa said. He didn't even bother with a greeting.

Damn, that old goat scares me. But Ulf's previous conversation with Christina made him better armed than that awful time when he was called up to the principal's office.

"Yes mister Nakagawa?" he said in English. He had no reason to give the old man the advantage of language, and besides Nakagawa had spoken English that time as well.

"You kids are making too much noise. I want you to calm down."

"I'm sorry..." No way in hell! I'm a fifty year old CEO with full responsibility for the well being of hundreds of employees. "No mister Nakagawa. We're not kids."

This time he was going to make a stand.

"As far as I'm concerned you're a brat, and I..."

"Want our help with the upcoming police investigation concerning the assault in the locker room?" I'm not giving away the momentum this time. "We can do that. My legal guardian is a police after all. I'll tell her everything."

"You'll do nothing of the sorts!" Nakagawa coloured with rage and he had risen from his chair.

"Do you really want to test that theory?" Ulf forced his voice into a younger version of what he had used on the few occasions when people needed being talked to rather than talked with. "I wouldn't recommend that. The repercussions would be unfortunate," he continued. And finally, after over a full year in Oz, Ulf felt in control again.

"Are you threatening me?"

"Yes," came Ulf's blunt reply. The cards were on the table. Now when he had nowhere to run Ulf felt that sense of calmness that always overtook him in his previous life when he was backed into a corner. He was a fifty year old man with a lifetime's experience of shouldering responsibility, not a frightened adolescent.

Ulf could see Nakagawa fight to regain control of himself. You're good, but this once I'm better.

"I see," Nakagawa said. "Do you have any idea how much trouble I could cause you if you persist?"

"I do," Ulf answered. And now for the killer. "But you're the principal of Himekaizen at a time when Japan runs a population deficiency of epic proportions."

"Huh?"

He actually said 'huh'? I've got you now. "Right and left wing designs. I'll bet the school had twelve classes in every grade not that long ago."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Nakagawa looked... interested. As if he was evaluating Ulf.

He's not even angry any longer. He never was. All an act. Damn geezer! "That means you're down to two thirds of the student population you once had. Overhead costs must be brutal. Your budget should be shot to kingdom come by now."

Nakagawa nodded thoughtfully.

"Add a thorough investigation by police all over the place, with media candy on top, and I'll have you down to six freshman classes next year. When would you prefer to file for bankruptcy?"