Chapter 3
"Hey Haru!"
"Hiromi! It's about time you got here!" Haru answered, throwing her arms around her best friend. There was a slightly scared look on the young woman's face.
"Haru, what's wrong? I haven't seen you scared of anything for ages," Hiromi said, following the taller girl into the kitchen and putting down her handbag. An unusually heavy thunk reminded her that she had a surprise.
"Oh, wait, before you tell me, I found something I think is yours," said the blonde, opening the bag and pulling out the cat doll.
Haru stared for a moment.
"Where did you find him?" she asked, transfixed, any and all reasons to be afraid of anything suddenly gone.
"Lost and found at the museum, I was looking for my wallet and I recognised him from your painting. Thought you might like to have him back," she said, pushing the wooden figurine across the table. "Now, why did you look so scared? Was it just that you'd lost this guy, or something else?"
"It's Machida," Haru said, that frightened look of a moment ago returning, though to a lesser degree. The brunette pulled Baron close and held him tight, feeling calmer with him close again, after all those years. "He asked me to marry him."
"No way! What did you say? You said no right? He's so not good enough for you, I've been telling you for years that you should end it with him," Hiromi said, forgetting that it had been her, years ago in high school, that had suggested Haru try flirting with Machida.
"I did say no, I even told him it was over. I've been meaning to tell him for months, I just could never find the right way or time, and I then said it all at once. The look on his face though, it was dangerous Hiromi," Haru said, squeezing Baron tighter to her chest.
He had been her hero; he'd taught her to dance without breaking feet, he'd saved her from becoming a cat, he'd helped her to believe in herself and who that was. She was so unbelievably glad to have him with her now.
"Take out a restraining order, get a new boyfriend – a nice guy," Hiromi said, eagerly explaining to her friend what should be done, leaning across the table, on the verge of wrapping her arms around her normally bold friend who had become as timid as when she was in school.
"Machida was a nice guy, remember? High school, you set me up with him, even when I told you that I couldn't care less about him any more," Haru pointed out, brown eyes large and eyebrows raised.
"It was high school, people were in and out of relationships like anything, I didn't expect him to hang around this long, or you to let him," Hiromi countered, making her defence.
"I suppose it doesn't matter any more," Haru said, holding up Baron so that she could look at him again. He was carrying the cane she had given him! Haru fought a delighted giggle, Hiromi would have been suspicious, but there was nothing wrong with smiling.
"You're really happy to have him back, huh?" Hiromi asked, letting the previous subject drop as she pointed to the dapper cat.
"He makes me feel safe," Haru said dreamily. Her own words woke her up a little. "That sounded weird, didn't it?" she asked.
"More than a little," Hiromi informed her dryly. "If you were still seven, it would be fine, but not at twenty-one. But hey," she added, shrugging. "With Machida on one side, and this guy on the other…" the blonde let any suggestions hang in the air unsaid. "Marry the doll, he's guaranteed to not beat you up, ever," she said at last. "I gotta go, see you Haru!" Hiromi showed herself out, quickly, before Haru hit her with a pillow.