Chapter 4
“It’s not fair!” Asha cries. “I know studying is important, but I need friends, too! Why can’t you ever let me have any friends?!”
“Those two are a bad influence on you!” Mrs. Kurosawa explodes. “The last thing you need is ‘friends’ who will make you disobedient and reckless!”
“They’re not disobedient, Kurosawa-san! And Haru-san would never get me in trouble!”
“That’s enough! I don’t want to hear any more about this Haru boy, and I don’t want you around them anymore! They’re nothing but trouble!”
“But Kurosawa-san–!”
“Get to your studies! Now!”
“It’s not fair!” Asha cries again. With tears overflowing from her eyes, Asha turns and runs to her room, slamming the door behind her. She jumps on the bed and buries her face in her pillow.
Later that evening, Suzuki knocks on Asha’s door and opens it a crack. “Asha?” she calls gently. “Can we talk?” Asha sits up and wipes her eyes, nodding slowly. Suzuki sits down next to her on the bed and puts her arm around her. “Aren’t you hungry?” she asks. “Kurosawa-san made dinner for you.” Asha shakes her head. “Asha,” Suzuki says gently, “You know she means well. She just doesn’t want you to get hurt.”
“But why won’t she let me see Haru-san and Hikaru-san?” Asha cries, her eyes watering all over again.
“Whenever you’re with those two, it seems like you can’t stay out of trouble,” Suzuki answers. “You’re always sneaking off to skate, then you fall–”
“Suzuki-san, that was just once,” Asha reasons. “And Haru-san is an expert. He doesn’t want me to get hurt, either.”
“Oh, Asha, what are you talking about?”
Asha jumps off the bed and pulls up her pant leg. “See this?” she asks, pointing to the spot where she’d scraped one of her knees. “I had a really bad scrape there,” Asha explains. “Haru-san fixed it up for me and now it looks like nothing ever happened.” Suzuki nods, though she doesn’t seem to get the point. “Haru-san is always such a worry-wart; there’s no way he’d ever let me get hurt like that again. I’m safe with them.” Asha rolls her pant leg back down and rejoins Suzuki on the bed. “You understand, don’t you, Suzuki-san?”
Suzuki sighs. “Asha, please, for your sake, just listen to Kurosawa-san. She means well. Maybe if you’re good for a few days, she’ll forget all about it and let you play with them again.”
“You really think so?” Asha asks, looking up at Suzuki hopefully.
“Probably,” Suzuki answers, tapping Asha on the nose. “Now come eat before the food gets cold.”
Asha hops down from the bed and follows Suzuki to the dining room.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Haru bolts upright, sweating and breathing heavily. He can see his kitten poke its head up through the darkness; It’s gold eyes reflect the light from the cracks in the boards that cover the windows. Haru wipes the sweat from his forehead. Was that...just a dream? he wonders. He tries to calm himself down, but the voices– the deathly screaming, the angry shouting– won’t disappear from his mind. The images of the shadowy men chasing the boy down and snatching him away keep replaying through his memory. The dream was so vivid that it almost seemed real. Why do I keep having these nightmares?! What’s wrong with me?
Haru feels fur brushing up against his arm; his kitten lays down and curls up next to him. “I get it,” he says to the kitten. “‘Go back to bed.’ I will, already.” Haru lays on his side, trying to fall back to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Asha hears something hit her window and gets up to check it out. Down below in the yard stands Hikaru. “Huh? Hikaru-san?” Asha makes her way down the hall, slips out of the back door and hurries down the stairs. “Hikaru-san!” she greets him. “How did you get here?”
“Asked around,” he replies. “Listen, I don’t want to get you in trouble,” Hikaru says, “but I think you should know that Haru plans on moving out soon.”
“What do you mean?!” Asha bursts out.
“Shhh!” Hikaru hisses. “Your caretaker will hear us if you keep that up!”
More quietly, Asha goes on, “Are his parents moving again?”
Hikaru blinks at her in confusion.
“Well?”
Hikaru mumbles something that Asha cannot hear. “I suppose you could say that,” he replies at last.
“When?” Asha asks. “Can I go say goodbye before he leaves?”
“I’m not sure exactly,” Hikaru answers. “If your caretaker doesn’t mind, then I guess–”
“It doesn’t matter what she says!” Asha hisses. “If he’s leaving soon, I’m not gonna wait around for her to give me permission!”
Hikaru looks dumbfounded. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
Asha nods vigorously. “I want to say goodbye before he leaves,” she says.
Hikaru sighs. “You sure you wanna do this?” he asks. Asha nods. “All right, then...Come on.”
Asha follows Hikaru out of the yard. As they turn on to the sidewalk, someone cries out, “What are you doing?!”
“Suzuki-san!” Asha exclaims, whirling around in surprise.
“Maybe we should just forget it,” Hikaru says. “I’ll see you later.”
“No, wait!” Asha cries. “Wait there, okay, Hikaru-san?” Hikaru nods and stays where he is as Asha goes to meet Suzuki.
“I thought you were going to stay put for a while!” Suzuki says pleadingly.
“Haru-san is leaving soon,” Asha explains. “I want to say goodbye before he leaves.
“Why are you always so quick to get into trouble?” Suzuki asks, exasperated.
“Please, Suzuki-san, let me do this! I won’t get into any trouble, I promise! I’m just going to say goodbye, that’s all!”
Hikaru steps up next to Asha. “I understand if you don’t want her to go,” he says, “but it’s true, if she doesn’t go now, she might not get the chance to say goodbye to Haru.”
Suzuki lets her glance rest on Asha as she thinks. “Kurosawa-san will kill me when she finds out that I let you go,” she says. “But I suppose if it means that much to you, then go ahead.”
“Thank you so much, Suzuki-san!”
“However,” Suzuki continues, “You can only go if I come with you.”
Asha nods gratefully. “Let’s go, Hikaru-san!”
The three of them reach the skating rink in no time flat. As they are about to step inside, Hikaru says, “I’m gonna warn you: he’s a little jumpy today, just so you know. Don’t know what happened, but he’s acting kinda strange, so just try not to mind him too much.”
Asha nods. She, Hikaru, and Suzuki step through the door. Haru’s kitten is already waiting for them. It brushes up against Asha’s legs in greeting. “Hey there!” Asha says, bending down to pet him.
“Haru, where are you?” Hikaru calls. “It’s just us.”
“Does that kid always hang around this dump?” Suzuki asks. “This place is a wreck!”
“Haru-san comes here when he wants time alone,” Asha explains.
“Seems to me like he’s always alone, then,” Suzuki comments. “Don’t you find it a bit odd that he’s hanging around here at this time of day? I mean, it’s only noon. In fact, he should be in school, right now, unless he’s home-schooled like you.”
“He eats lunch off-campus,” Hikaru explains.
“Shouldn’t he go home for that?” Suzuki asks.
Haru comes out from behind the rink; his hair is a mess, and he looks tired. “There you are!” Hikaru exclaims. “How come you never answer when I call you? You scare me sometimes, you know.”
“Sorry,” Haru apologizes. “Had to do a little tidying up.”
“Hello, Haru-san!” Asha greets him.
Haru looks surprised to see her, and even more surprised to see Suzuki with her. “Hey,” he says. “What’re you doing here?”
“Suzuki-san said I could come,” Asha answers. “Hikaru-san told me that your family is moving again. I came to say goodbye. I hope you like your new home.”
“Oh...Thanks, I guess.”
Hikaru jabs Haru with his elbow. “What do you mean, “I guess”?”
“It’s not like I want to leave, you know,” Haru says.
“Then why don’t you convince your parents to stay–?”
“I can’t.” Asha gives him a questioning glance, her sad eyes beckoning. “I can’t do that. I’m sorry.”
“Haru-san...”
Haru turns away from her and walks off. “Look, I’ve got to get back to school,” he says.
“When are you leaving, Haru-san?” Asha asks.
“I don’t know yet,” Haru answers. “I just know it’ll be soon.”
Haru slings his backpack over his shoulder and turns back to face his visitors. “Well, thanks for coming by. I appreciate it.” Asha and Suzuki nod.
“Come on, Asha. It’s time to get you back home before Kurosawa-san throws a fit,” Suzuki says.
“Haru-san,” Asha calls. “Can I come back again before you leave?”
Haru’s face fills with sadness. “I don’t think you’ll get the chance,” he answers simply.
“Goodbye,” Asha says, waving farewell.
Haru waves back sadly, holding back tears. After Asha and Suzuki have gone, Hikaru turns to Haru and asks, “You sure you want to leave?”
“I don’t have a choice,” Haru tells him. “It won’t be long before they find me.”
“Haru, you can’t run forever.”
“I know.”
