Chapter 15
“Now, refresh me on what happened when you went to see Haru yesterday?” Hikaru asks as he and Asha head to Haru’s hideout.
“When I got there, Haru-san was hurt,” Asha explains. “He says he’s okay, but...”
“Hurt how?” Hikaru asks. “Like beaten up, or what, exactly?”
Asha looks down at her hand. “His arm was bleeding,” she murmurs. “Bad.”
Hikaru nods slowly. That dummy, he thinks. Haru should know better than to isolate himself when he’s hurt like that.
When they arrive at the hideout, Haru is walking out the door. “Coming out for a walk?” Hikaru asks.
Hikaru startles Haru, and he jumps back. “Sheesh, don’t scare me like that!” Haru cries.
“Where are you going, Haru-san?” Asha asks. “You’re not leaving again, are you?”
“No, no, nothing like that,” Haru says.
“Then what’s up?” Hikaru inquires.
Haru pulls the photo of him and the dark-haired woman from his pocket. “I’ve got something I want to check out,” he says.
Hikaru looks surprised. “Something to do with that old photo?” he asks.
Haru nods. “Did...Did Asha tell you about our little adventure yesterday..?”
“Adventure?” Hikaru repeats. “What, you mean when Asha found you hurt when she came to see you?” The sharpness in Hikaru’s voice makes Haru flinch. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Hikaru asks. “What are you still doing here by yourself? You’re a sitting duck!”
Haru puts his hand over his bandaged arm. “It wasn’t all that serious,” he says.
“Haru, passing out from blood loss is serious! You of all people should know that!”
“It wasn’t like that!” Haru insists. He lowers his voice. “Listen, I’ve got somewhere to go. If you’re not going back to Ari’s, then you might as well come with me.”
“Haru-san...”
“Wow, that’s a first,” Hikaru comments.
“Where are we going?” Asha asks.
Haru shows them the address on the back of the photograph. “I’ve got to find this lady,” he says.
“Why so suddenly?” Hikaru asks.
“I’ll explain on the way,” Haru says. “Come on.” As they are walking, Haru tells Hikaru about their trip into the abandoned BIOTECH building and how he found the files.
“What made you go in there in the first place?” Hikaru asks.
“I at least deserve to know why I’m being hunted down,” Haru says. He glances at the picture. “I’m beginning to remember things,” he murmurs.
“Remember what, Haru-san?” Asha asks.
“The more I dig around, the more I start remembering what happened before they caught me,” he replies. “I’m hoping...that this lady might have more answers for me.”
“I thought you didn’t even know who she was,” Hikaru says.
“I may not remember much about her,” Haru says, “but now I can’t help wondering if she really was my mother...”
Hikaru’s eyes widen. He’s looking for family, he realizes. I guess...this is his last shred of hope for finding them.
“You really...don’t remember your mom?” Asha asks. Haru shakes his head. “Not anything about her?”
“Nothing.”
Asha remembers what Hikaru had told her the day they first saw the photo.
“...he doesn’t have parents who care about him or a place he can call home. He doesn’t even have his memories to remind him of what he had...”
Asha looks downcast. That’s what...Hikaru-san was trying to tell me. It must be so hard...He can’t remember what he used to have…and now it’s all gone. It’s so sad...
The industrial area soon disappears behind them as they tread on. Beyond that, they come into open rural towns. No one there knows anything about the woman in Haru’s photo, so they move on again and again.
Finally, they come to an urban town. “This place looks like it’s fallen on hard times,” Hikaru comments as he looks around at the old dilapidated buildings, windows boarded up, shutters and shingles hanging from windows and roofs.
“Haru-san,” Asha says, “the house addresses are closer to yours.”
Haru nods. “Good.” They walk down the street counting off the addresses as they search for the right one. People outside on the opposite sidewalk stare at them as they pass by; others steal furtive glances at Haru.
An older woman on her porch calls out to them.
“Just ignore her,” Hikaru advises Haru.
“That’s rude, Hikaru-san!” Asha retorts. “Let’s see what she wants.”
“What do you think, Haru?” Hikaru asks.
Haru isn’t listening. He is already approaching the woman on the porch. “For someone as shy as he is, you’d think he’d be a little more cautious...” Hikaru mutters.
“Come on!” Asha pulls Hikaru across the street to meet the woman.
“Just as I thought...” the woman says, “My, child, I thought you had disappeared for good!”
“Do you know him?” Hikaru asks.
The woman nods. “My memory may be going, but I’d recognize this child anywhere. You’re the Asahi boy!”
Haru’s eyes widen. She knows...my last name?
“Where have you been gone to, child?” the woman asks. “My, look how you’ve grown!”
Haru pulls out the photo and shows it to the woman. “Do you know who this is?” he asks. “Does she still live here?”
“Mitsuye? Yes, I believe she still lives around here,” the woman replies.
“Which way, obaa-san?” Asha asks. “Where’s her house?”
“That’s but a few blocks from here.”
The woman hands the photo back to Haru. He bows to her. “Thank you.”
Haru and his friends start off once again. I kind of thought this place felt familiar, Haru thinks. It must be...the town where I grew up. Haru recognizes some areas of town. He remembers playing outside with other kids a long time ago, perhaps when he was living with the dark-haired woman. Mitsuye... Haru thinks, glancing down at the photo. That’s her name.
“Haru, do you really know that old lady?” Hikaru asks.
Haru looks confused. “I don’t remember her, either,” he answers. “But she sure knows me...”
“Where are we?” Asha asks.
“I think this is where I grew up,” Haru replies.
“Really?” Asha asks. “Do you remember this town?”
“A little...”
The trio stops outside a small, rickety house, once-beautiful flowers wilting along the window panes. “This should be it,” Hikaru says. He glances at Haru as if to say, “Your move.”
Haru stands frozen on the walkway, staring at the house. Asha takes Haru’s hand. “There’s no need to be scared,” she says. “We’re both with you.”
Haru looks deeply worried. What if...she’s not there? He wonders. The thought disturbs him. He finds himself without the strength to continue up the walkway. “Maybe...this was a mistake...” Haru stutters.
“We’ve come this far. Why turn back now?” Hikaru asks.
“Haru-san, if this is what you want,” Asha says, “then it’s not a mistake. Go talk to her.”
“What if no one’s here...?”
Hikaru glances at the dead flowers. He’s right. It’s like no one is here to take care of the place.
“We won’t know until we try,” Asha says encouragingly. “Go on.”
Haru finally brings himself to start walking again. With his friends behind him, he goes up to the door and timidly touches the doorbell. The door remains closed.
Hikaru sighs. “I’m sorry, Haru,” he says. “It looks like you were right. No one’s here.”
A crestfallen Haru hangs his head and looks down at his photograph. They begin to turn to leave when the door creaks open behind them. Haru turns back toward the door to face the dark-haired woman standing on the threshold. “H–Haru?” the woman stammers. “Is that you...?!”
