Jennifer Bates was the woman in charge of rebuilding the schools in Japan after World War Two.

 

 

 

 

 

She was brought in by the US government in the rebuilding effort, and she was a terrible person. The legacy of her five years manning the helm in Japan echoes until this day. A great deal of the money she was given for 'correcting' the Japanese School System went into slush funds. What money did get spent wound up in useless projects, like the annex behind Toshi's school. However, there was one project that stood out above all others.

 

Jennifer wanted to have the best office.

 

However, she was unable to make her headquarters at the best school in Tokyo. Simply put, she was instructed to set up operations at the school destined to be attended by Toshi, and if she found it disagreeable, tough. Since she wasn't allowed to move her office to another location, she decided that she would have a new office built. After navigating through bureaucratic hurdles and employing strategic connections, she successfully obtained approval for an expansion of the school. a six-story addition intended to serve as the central office building for the entire Japanese school system. Her office, designated for the entire sixth floor of this tower, began construction in 1949.

 

One year before she got hit with corruption charges by the US army and was thrown in prison.

 

For the next eight years, the project was in a form of limbo, repeatedly started and stopped. Money flowed into the project from the US government and flowed right out into the coffers of the Kodo family, which would one day become one of the stronger crime families in Japan. Well, they aren't doing so well right now, but that's a story for another time.

 

What's important is that, eventually, they finished the construction of a six-story tower appended to the school. However, a noteworthy omission from the blueprints was the absence of plans for an elevator, leading to a situation where everything beyond the third floor was essentially neglected. The primary structure stood at three stories, facilitating easy access to the bottom three floors of the addition. Yet, reaching the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors proved to be a cumbersome task.

 

Periodically, the school board deliberated on how to utilize these additional levels, eventually designating them as 'storage,' despite the inconvenience of ascending multiple flights of stairs to reach them. Eventually, they arranged to have a lift built on the roof, not unlike the setup for a high-rise window cleaner.

 

What transpired was the transformation of the space into an informal 'teachers-only' zone. Over the decades, its purpose fluctuated. In the 1980s, it evolved into a budget-friendly housing option for new teachers. Although it provided individual offices, the bathrooms were communal on each level, except for the sixth floor, initially intended as Jennifer Bates' exclusive 'court.' Describing the plumbing on the sixth floor as an 'Aquarian Fantasy' properly captures its unique character. Despite this, the tower remained a livable space.

 

Unsurprisingly, in the 1990s, a scandal unfolded revealing that several students were engaging in inappropriate relationships with teachers in the building, later infamously dubbed The Bates' Hotel. Following this revelation, the school underwent investigation, leading to the zoning of the rooms as uninhabitable for use as apartments. Consequently, floors four, five, and six reverted to their original designation as 'storage' and gradually faded into obscurity and forgotten.

 

Mostly.

 

The truth of the matter was that The Bates Hotel had turned into an open secret. While no teacher could officially 'reside' there, they were permitted to go up, locate a couch, and spend the night. Certain teachers adopted this practice, particularly those who couldn't afford city living. If faced with a three-hour commute and no immediate need to return home, especially with an early morning schedule, spending a night or two crashing at The Bates Hotel became a practical choice.

 

Corruption is as corruption does and once you get people breaking the rules a little in an acceptable fashion, sooner or later, it's only a matter of time before new and inventive violations emerge. Duplicate keys to specific rooms were crafted and circulated, finding their way into various hands. Certain rooms offered more privacy than others, and an unspoken code developed regarding movement to and from these upper floors. There were two stairwells. One people went up. One people came down. And so care was taken to avoid accidental encounters. The surveillance cameras in the area conveniently proved to be less than reliable. Although foot traffic in that zone was relatively light, the prevailing attitude seemed to be... well. You know what they say; see no evil, hear no evil, and you won't have to testify in court about evil.

 

 

The reason for telling you all this is because Naora was on the fifth floor getting shagged out of her mind by Toshi.

 

 

The room in question was a repository of leftover remnants from various epochs, creating an unintentional soundproof environment. In one corner, several gym mats, showing signs of previous use for the same clandestine activities the pair was currently engaged in, adorned the floor. Toshi was the one who insisted on meeting. The more he talked with Naora about trying to find time to get together, the more they discovered their schedules didn't match up. So Naora took matters into her own hands. She spent the cash, bought a key to this room, informed Toshi, and, as weird as it might be, they found time during third period to come up here and do the nasty.

 

The expression "As weird as it might be" pertained to the necessity for Kagi and Midori to keep watch without drawing attention to themselves, so they couldn't stand out in the hallway. They found themselves positioned right inside the door while the 'amorous activities' took place in the corner behind several couches. Couches stacked upon each other to form a makeshift barrier that provided a semblance of privacy. Describing this as perhaps the most uncomfortable task the pair of bodyguards had ever undertaken wouldn't be inaccurate. Alas, as much as Naora and Toshi were trying to keep quiet, it was evident to anyone with ears that hear that Naora was thoroughly enjoying herself.

 

Enthusiastically.

 

Kagi and Midori positioned themselves by the door, steadfastly gazing at it with their backs turned to the far side of the room. Despite the surreal nature of the situation, it wasn't quite unwanted. Naora had been downright miserable, and this marked the first break she had enjoyed since the family meeting. While it was a good thing that Naora was enjoying herself, both Kagi and Midori harbored the unspoken thought that perhaps she was enjoying herself a bit too fervently. Nevertheless, that particular thought was not currently safe to discuss.

 

Kagi shifted forward on her toes, shooting a glance over her shoulder at the sound of a particularly loud exclamation. She settled back down on the flats of her feet and cast a sidelong glance at Midori, who maintained an impassive expression. Bumping shoulders with her partner, Kagi spoke in a hushed tone, "Hey." Midori responded with a sideways glance that conveyed a silent 'what.' Kagi nodded her head toward the far corner, "Did you have any idea he was this..." She stole another quick look over her shoulder, "...energetic?"

 

Midori simply shrugged and sighed, prompting a mirrored sigh from Kagi. After a brief silence, Kagi leaned over to whisper, "Think she'd share?" Midori's eyes widened as she looked at Kagi. Kagi smirked, making it clear she was joking, "Oh, come on!" Glancing back at the scene, she added, "But don't tell me you weren't thinking about it. I mean-"

 

Midori turned away, stating, "I have not thought about it."

 

Kagi frowned slightly, questioning, "Seriously?"

 

Midori nodded, affirming, "She'd kill you." She paused for the length of a single heartbeat, "And if she asked, I'd help her."

 

Kagi pulled her head back and scrutinized Midori, glancing her up and down, "Seriously? Come on. She can't be that into this guy. He-"

 

Midori interrupted with an intense glare as she spoke with pointed emphasis, "She knows exactly what this is, and she only has so long to enjoy it before everything falls apart." Turning her attention back to the door, she added, "Don't ruin this for her."

 

Kagi's expression shifted to one of concern. She glanced at the corner, then back at the door, and finally returned her gaze to Midori, questioning, "What-"

 

Midori spoke out of the corner of her mouth, "There's talk that they'll be arranging for a proper husband with a good family. A family who has muscle to spare but a horrible reputation. We raise their status, they bring the manpower."

 

Kagi's eyes darted back and forth as she processed this information, then shifted to the corner, "Do you think...?"

 

Midori shook her head, "No. So do your job and let her be happy."

 

 

 

 

Kagi turned back to the door, refocusing on her duty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Fuck."