Chapter 7
“Mom! Dad!” Asha greets them at the door, jumping up to hug each of them.
“Hello!” they greet her in unison.
“I hope you behaved well for Kurosawa-san,” Asha’s mother says.
“Of course I–!”
“She’s always trying to sneak off behind my back,” Mrs. Kurosawa gripes, “To go skating with that Haru boy!”
“Is that true, Asha?” her mother chides her. Asha casts her eyes down and nods slightly.
“I thought we made it clear to you that you weren’t to be roller-skating at all,” her father scolds her.
“I know you’re just trying to keep me safe,” Asha explains, “but I’m always careful– !”
“The neighbor brought her home with scraped knees a few days ago,” Mrs. Kurosawa reports. “That boy is nothing but a bad influence. I suggest you make sure she stays away from him.” With that, Mrs. Kurosawa pushes through the crowded doorway, says “Good day,” and leaves.
“Asha, you know better,” her mother says gently. “You can’t keep sneaking off to skate.”
“And I want to know who this Haru is that Kurosawa-san keeps talking about,” her father adds.
“Haru-san and Hikaru-san are new in town,” Asha explains. “They’re my new friends.”
Her parents exchange a meaningful glance. “Well, we’re glad to hear that you’ve made some new friends,” her mother says. “But that isn’t an excuse to break the rules. Do you understand?”
Asha nods. “But still,” she persists, “even if I go skating, Haru-san always makes sure I’m careful, and if something happens, he can fix it right up!”
“Asha, that’s enough,” her father interrupts. “No more skating.”
“Okay,” Asha mumbles. She trudges off to her room.
A few minutes later, her mother comes in. “Hello, honey,” she greets her daughter. “Is everything all right?”
Asha sits up on the bed. “I’m worried about Haru-san,” she explains. “The last time I saw him, he was sick.”
“Oh?” Asha’s mother sits down next to her on the bed. “It sounds like you two are very close friends,” she says.
Asha nods. “We are.”
Her mother strokes her hair. “I’m so happy for you,” she says. “I couldn’t stand to see you so lonely after we moved here. I’m glad that you’ve finally found someone else your age to play with.”
Asha nods with a huge grin. “Like I said, Haru-san always watches out for me,” she tells her mother. “He’s such a worry wart sometimes. And Hikaru-san is lots of fun. He pulled a quarter from my ear when I first met him. I still haven’t figured out how he did it!”
Her mother laughs. “What an interesting bunch you’ve got!”
Asha laughs, then leans over to hug her mother. “Maybe I’ll introduce you some time soon.”
Mrs. Hirahara smiles. “I’ll tell you what,” she says. “You have a while before lunch. You can go see your friends as long as you come back before lunchtime.”
“Really?! Thank you!” Asha exclaims.
“But no skating,” her mother reminds her, trying to put on a stern look.
“I promise!”
Her mother laughs. “Go on.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
“Take it easy,” Hikaru says.
Haru props himself up against the wall. “How long was I out?” he asks weakly.
“Over twenty-four hours straight,” Hikaru answers.
“Not good,” Haru murmurs. “I was supposed to have left already.”
“You’re not going anywhere anytime soon. Not in the shape you’re in.”
Haru stares at him for a second, as if deciding what to say next. “Thanks for keeping an eye on things.”
Hikaru shrugs. “No problem.”
Hikaru notices Haru eyeing the bruise on his wrist and hastily tries to cover it up. “That’s a nasty one,” Haru comments. When he sees the way Hikaru looks at him, he asks, “Did I do that?” A long, tense silence ensues. Haru watches his kitten sit up and prick its ears as Asha’s silhouette appears in the doorway.
“Hey,” Hikaru greets her.
“Hello!” Asha shuffles across the wood floor.
“Hi,” Haru greets her, almost in a whisper.
“Haru-san! You’re awake!” Asha exclaims.
Haru nods to her. “Long time no see,” he says jokingly.
Asha kneels down to pet his kitten. “When I dropped by yesterday, I didn’t even get the chance to talk to you,” she says. “Hikaru-san told me what happened. Do you feel better now?”
Haru gestures with his hand. “A little,” he murmurs.
Hikaru stands up. “Where are you going?” Asha asks.
“I’m gonna get a little fresh air,” he replies. “I’ll be back in a few.”
From the look on his face, Asha can tell that he just wants out. She gives him a questioning look, but nods anyway. Hikaru heads for the back door, fidgeting uncomfortably. Once Hikaru is out of earshot, Haru asks, “So what happened yesterday?”
Asha is unsure of how much she should tell him. “You lied to me,” she finally says.
Haru looks puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Suzuki-san says you don’t have a family,” she replies. “It’s not because of them that you keep moving around.”
“How does Suzuki–?”
“She guessed it herself, then Hikaru-san confirmed it,” Asha interrupts him.
Haru frowns and looks down at his feet. “So how much did he tell you?” he asks, his voice trembling.
Asha looks ashamed for exposing what Hikaru told her. “He told me everything,” she says softly. “You’re not who I thought you were, Haru-san. You lied to me.”
“Then why are you still here?” Haru asks weakly.
Asha stares him straight in the eyes. “I wanna know the truth,” she says. “I want to trust you, Haru-san, I really do! You and Hikaru-san, you’re still my best friends, and I’ll do anything for you!”
Haru frowns. This is not what he wanted to hear.
Tears start flowing down Asha’s face. “Haru-san, how can we be friends if you won’t be honest! I trusted you!” Haru tries to hide his face from her. “Haru-san!” she cries.
“If he told you everything, then you know we can’t stay friends,” Haru says. “You can’t hang around me anymore, do you understand?!”
“But Haru-san–!”
“You might as well just leave now!”
Asha’s tears start coming faster. Why are you doing this to me?! Am I not good enough for you? She felt the words wanting to claw their way out. It’s not fair! It’s not fair! Finally, she sees the look on his face and understands. He’s not trying to hurt my feelings. He’s hurting just as much as I am.
“Please,” he pleads. “It’s for your own good.”
The following silence shatters as Hikaru dashes, screaming, into the room. “WE’VE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE, NOW!!!”
“What’s going on?” Asha asks urgently.
“GET OUT OF HERE!” Haru cries. “HURRY!”
Hikaru grabs Haru by the arm and pulls him up. “You heard him! RUN!” Hikaru cries.
Asha stares ahead at the men pouring into the building.
“GO, NOW!!!” Haru screams.
“I’m not leaving!” Asha yells. She grabs Haru’s other arm and helps Hikaru get him out. As they flee toward the open streets, the men follow close behind. The sound of a car engine flares nearby.
“We’re not gonna make it!” Hikaru cries. “They’ve got us cornered!”
Haru’s cat zips around the corner. Hikaru and the others chase it; it leads them to an alternate escape route. “Smart cat,” Hikaru jokes, running desperately with Haru on his shoulder and Asha at his side.
“My house is that way!” Asha exclaims. “If we hurry, we can make it! It’s not too far!”
Bystanders on the sidewalk gawk as the kids bolt by with the men still on their heels. Suddenly, Asha trips and falls, skidding on the cement. “ASHA!!!” Haru screams, looking over his shoulder.
One of the men grabs her roughly and she lets out a terrified shriek. Haru drops off of Hikaru’s shoulders and clambers forward toward Asha and the men. He hurls himself at the man who grabbed Asha and yanks Asha’s arm from his grip. A second man snatches at Haru’s shirt collar and pulls him down as Asha scrambles away and reaches for Hikaru’s outstretched hand.
“HARU-SAN!” Asha screams as one of the men drags Haru toward their car.
“Wait here!” Hikaru tells her. He bolts toward the men and pushes his way through the group, then wrestles with Haru’s captor until the man finally drops Haru to the ground.
Through the commotion, sirens wail down the street and the men pile into their car and drive off. “Let’s get out of here before we make a scene,” Hikaru suggests, pulling Haru to his feet once more.
Haru nods and slings his arm over Hikaru’s shoulder. They rejoin Asha and slip away into the shadowed safety of the alleyways, making their way slowly back to the rink. The moment they step through the door, Asha collapses in a heap on the ground. “Asha!” Hikaru cries. She cradles her leg, wailing pitifully.
Hikaru lets Haru down; Haru kneels next to Asha as Hikaru brings his medical kit. “Let me see,” Haru coaxes Asha. Asha pulls her hands away to reveal an ugly gash below her knee. As Haru is about to treat the wound, Asha topples over and passes out. Haru begins to panic. “Asha?!” He gently shakes her a few times before Hikaru kneels next to him.
“You’d better just take care of that injury,” he says. “There’s no telling what’ll happen if we leave it like that for much longer.” Haru bites his lip in apprehension. After a moment’s hesitation, he places his hands to Asha’s leg.
The woman’s shriek startles Hikaru and Haru. “What happened to her?” Asha’s shocked mother cries, her voice trembling. Asha’s parents, led by Suzuki, emerge from the back door and approach the boys. Hikaru and Haru exchange a frightened glance; Haru shoots the visitors a terrified look.
Asha’s father sees the gash on Asha’s leg. “What have you done?” he roars furiously. “What on earth were you doing for her to be hurt like this?!”
“You don’t understand! It wasn’t our fault!” Hikaru objects.
As Hikaru and Mr. Hirahara argue, Haru replaces his hands on Asha’s leg, then removes them. The wound has miraculously disappeared. Asha’s mother gasps. Her husband glances at his daughter; he also notices that the wound is gone.
“I’m sorry,” Haru murmurs. He can’t even bring himself to look Asha’s parents in the eyes. “This was my fault.”
Hikaru’s eyes widen in disbelief as he realizes what has happened. “Haru, you–?” Haru shakes his head.
“How–W–What are you?” Asha’s mother stammers.
Haru frowns. “What does it matter?” he mumbles. He forces himself up despite his fatigue and his quivering legs, and faces Mrs. Hirahara. “That gash looked pretty bad. Will she be okay?”
Asha’s mother hesitates before answering, “I hope so.”
Mr. Hirahara scoops his daughter up in his arms and stalks to the door. “Let’s go,” he says.
As his wife turns to leave, Haru asks, “Will you tell her goodbye for me?”
Mrs. Hirahara only nods, then follows her husband away. Only Suzuki stays behind. “So what else have you been keeping from us?” she asks. Haru only gives her a clouded glance. “You’re all alone, you’ve got no home, you’ve got this…creepy power... So what else haven’t you told us?” Haru still doesn’t say anything to her. “Answer me, freak!” she demands. Haru flinches at her words.
“Hey, knock it off!” Hikaru interjects. “If it wasn’t for Haru, Asha would probably be getting rushed to a hospital right now! So just cool it!”
“If it wasn’t for you guys, Asha would never have been hurt!” Suzuki retorts.
“That’s enough,” Haru says, finally turning to face her. A deep hurt clouds his expression. “I’m truly sorry about what happened. Please forgive me.” Haru bows to her. Suzuki glares at him and then turns for the door and leaves.
Haru kneels down and slings his backpack and medicine bag over his shoulder. “What are you doing?” Hikaru asks.
Haru flashes him a somber look. “It’s time I moved on,” he replies. “Thanks. For everything.”
“Wait a minute! What are you saying?”
Without even answering, Haru turns and starts off for the door with all of his belongings slung over his shoulders and his kitten following at his feet.
Hikaru chases him outside. “Wait!” he calls. “You can’t leave now! You’re still not even fully recovered! And besides–!”
“This isn’t up to me anymore,” Haru says. “I can’t stay here any longer.”
“Haru, will you just listen to me?!” Hikaru cries.
Haru turns to face him. “I’m sorry,” he says, giving his friend a sorrowful smile. “Goodbye.” Haru simply turns his back to Hikaru and trudges away.
