Urufu knew of the strangest places, and he bought the strangest things . All of it food after a fas.h.i.+on . Most of what he shopped for their dinner she knew of, or at least had heard of . Some of it, however, Noriko saw for the first time in her life that afternoon .

'What's he planning to cook?' she wondered when she sat waiting in the small living room while Urufu made himself busy in the kitchenette .

Noriko decided that wasn't a question worth pursuing . Sooner or later she'd know anyway .

Bookcases lined one wall, and her eyes were drawn to it . She saw a strange mix of children's books and literature aimed at young teenagers . Why Urufu wanted to read that kind of books was beyond her, especially when she realised an entire bookcase held English literature only .

With a book picked at random in her hand she stared at it . It was heavy, and most definitely not fiction . A Change to Learn, by some author she had never heard of before . With renewed interest she picked another t.i.tle . Iterative Processes: A Second Chance, and once again an unknown author .

'How could I forget he's grown up after all . ' She slipped the books back and looked at a few more t.i.tles . Organisational processes, accelerated quality management, responsive human resources decision making, and on and on . Most of it was beyond her grasp of understanding, but Noriko's respect for Urufu grew another notch .

Advertis.e.m.e.nt'There's a lot of effort behind your ad-hoc solutions . ' She stared at his backside . 'Funny how I was immediately drawn to you . You were nothing but a trouble maker . ' Hero wors.h.i.+p maybe . He had saved her after all, but Noriko knew it was something more profound than that . Had it been only wors.h.i.+p of her knight in s.h.i.+ning armour she wouldn't have fallen in love with him again last year when he pretended to be a geek . 'But you really are one, aren't you?'

Noriko's eyes left Urufu's back and wandered across the bookcases again . 'No, not a geek, but a professional? Or is that the same thing?' Heading towards the adult world wasn't the same as being part of it, and there were aspects of it she still didn't understand .

"You're silent," Urufu suddenly said and turned . He gazed at her with an open question in his eyes .

Noriko smirked . "A little uncomfortable being alone with you here," she admitted . It was at least a part of the truth . The thoughts foremost in her mind she kept to herself .

"Why? I know it's smaller than you're used to, but I thought you'd feel better without anyone listening in on our conversation . "

'Urufu, you!' "Thank you for the consideration," she said and decided it wasn't worth explaining anything . Another adult thing? 'Have you forgotten what it was like to be a teenager?'

Noriko looked at the man trapped in a boy's body . 'Do you feel trapped? I think you do, and I believe you are . '

When Urufu gave her an uncertain smile Noriko felt her heart jump . 'Those eyes, and that smile! But I prefer your grin . ' In truth she longed for it; that wolfish grin filled with so much mischief and raw happiness .

'I need to understand your anger . ' Because Noriko didn't believe Urufu really was a violent man, or even an angry one . She recalled listening to him explain how he really was a teenager to a degree, and how he reacted like a kid even though he thought like a man .

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'But these days you just react . It's like you've stopped thinking . '

"How are things with Kuri?" Noriko asked . She deliberately picked the most sensitive of topics .

By the stove Urufu flinched, but apart from that there was no reaction . "Strange you should ask now . She broke up with me in February, remember?"

Noriko walked along the bookcases and sat down in what had to be Urufu's chair . An ultra ergonomic monster that must have cost a fortune . "You broke up with each other to be honest . " It wasn't comfortable at all .

For a moment, just for a moment, colour rose to Urufu's face, but Noriko saw how he fought his emotions down .

"I lost her anyway . "

Noriko waited for him to finish stirring a sauce .

"So why are you so angry now? Why didn't you flare up in rage back then?" Because that was what Noriko genuinely couldn't understand .

"You don't… no my bad . I was the one who didn't understand . " Urufu's hand stroked a chin that had yet to grow any beard . It was the kind of gesture you'd expect from a middle aged man . "Back then, when I still didn't know any j.a.panese . I was angry then as well . "

Suddenly a picture of a tall boy with raging eyes and flaming, spiky hair popped into Noriko's mind . Her rescuer . The boy she gave her first love, even if it was only a one-sided crush . 'Yeah, you were angry back then as well . ' "Explain!" she said, even though she guessed .

"I was desperate to make it back home . I lost my wife and my kids . Then . . . " Urufu's face mirrored two years' worth of memories . "Then I believe I gave up, and that made me angry . So I dyed my hair and behaved like some kind of hooligan . " His face broke into an embarra.s.sed grin, almost but not fully the grin Noriko wanted to see more than anything else .

'So it was like that after all . He's angry with himself and blows up at any nearby target . ' "You did the same when you were young? I mean the first time?"

Carrying a pot in his hands Urufu walked to the table and set it down . "No," he said when he stood upright again . "I didn't dare back then . I was shy with girls, clumsy and had just found out I had an easy time making friends despite my shyness . "

'Shy? You?' Noriko stared after Urufu's receding back as he went back to the kitchenette . "I don't understand . "

"I made a lot of friends during university . Even became kind of popular . So I got a lot of self confidence, and that has stayed with me ever since . " He collected a couple of plates and a pair of gla.s.ses . "Back then being impotent didn't scare me the way it does now . I've grown used to being in control, I guess . "

Urufu placed plates and gla.s.ses on the table . "Thank you for asking those questions," he said . "They've helped me understand more than anything else . You're a wonderful friend . "

Something caught in Noriko's throat and she barely stopped herself before she rushed up to hug him .