Chapter 21: Its Never Just Tea and Cake
"So, tell me who this guy is. It's been days now Haru and still you've given me barely anything?" Hiromi sat across from her spinning her straw in her drink, her head resting on her hand, staring intently at Haru.
"Hey I thought this was a cheesecake session…not a-" Haru smiled as she tried to direct the conversation elsewhere.
"Oh I'm sorry, let me reiterate for you…AHEM…" Hiromi pulled a piece of paper out of her purse.
"You brought that with you? I didn't even see you take it! Hey!" Haru tried to snatch her mid-night writing from her friend, but couldn't successfully, unless she felt like knocking over their table and their food.
"Let's see what it said…a lot of if it is mumble stuff …but ohhh how about this line? If only I could see you again? Who is this guy Haru?"
"He-He-uh- He's not really a guy so much as someone I really need to see again because some business was left kind of unfinished and it was pretty rough…"
"It didn't end well clearly…That much is clear." Hiromi raised a brow. "Soooo where is he? In Timbuktu Haru? I mean you just spent the other evening with him? So go get him!"
"I've tried… kind of…"
"Hmm. Well you're coming with me to the prom tonight because I'm going to make sure you get over this slump okay? We'll dance our heart out on the dance floor and forget all this."
"No, no wait. I agreed to cheesecake not to prom. Plus, you'll be just as happy with Tsuge there. I don't want to be a third wheel." Haru seemed almost normal for a moment in tone, trying to laugh off Hiromi's silly proposal.
"Oh please what else do you have to do?"
"Well…there is this old woman who gave me the advice to write my feelings down…I don't know Hiromi, but that place…I just get a feeling something's up there you know? Like she knows something? Or maybe I'm just imagining it but-"
"An old woman? A mysterious guy? Haru did you go down the rabbit hole recently? Hit your head?"
"Not quite a rabbit hole I'd call it but-"
"Okay that settles it. We'll go visit her right now so you have no reason not to come to Prom tonight! Deal?"
"What- no I-" Haru felt Hiromi grab her wrist just as she was about to put a bite of cheesecake in her mouth. Suddenly she dragged her away from the table into the middle of downtown.
"So where to now? Where is her house? I'm not taking no for an answer Haru. You're getting your help so you can get over this illusive guy or find him and make up. Hopefully all in time for Prom."
Haru swallowed. She didn't imagine it would be that easy nor happen that quickly but, since Hiromi seemed strung on her decision to have her go to the old woman's house now instead of tonight…maybe she could find her way back?
"Alright…Deal."
"Are you serious that's the easiest you've folded all week?!"
Haru nodded and started walking. A part of her also hoped she might run into Muta on the way. .. but Hiromi didn't need to know that.
"Woah, this place is like in the middle of nowhere? All these houses are so cute and old? How did you even find this place?"
"Remember when I said I had something to do. Well that something didn't work out so I roamed until I bumped into the woman here. You know…I never even asked her name? Was that rude?"
"Depending…did she invite you in?"
"Yea."
"And you didn't introduce yourself?"
"Well she asked who I was after a while."
"And you never thought to ask?"
"Well no…my mind was other places."
"How you managed to get those grades when you can't even think straight now is beyond me…" Hiromi shook her head. "So what's so great about this place? It doesn't even seem like she's in?"
"Well she might be, let me knock on the door."
"I'm coming with you then."
"No, no. Let's not bombard her. I'll introduce you after I promise."
"Okay fair. But after this you're going to prom."
"Alright." Haru moaned. She approached the door and knocked.
… Nothing.
Maybe Hiromi was right? Maybe she wasn't here? She peered in the window and noticed more of the covered antiques were in boxes. She did say she was moving.
Haru went to turn away from the house when she saw something in the corner of her eye glint in the shop window.
Another box was sitting just inside the bay windows. The house had clearly been intended first as a shop, secondly as a home. But, the glint was golden…kind of orange… painted golden? But something else really caught the light about it? The glare on the window made it hard to tell. Something in the box had its white cloth falling off of it enough to refract the light from the sun in the sky. She followed with her palms on the glass around the curvature of the window to get a better view.
An animal figurine? It was barely half uncovered…
She cocked her neck farther, her nose nearly flat against the glass when she saw it.
"Hey Haru? What are you doing there? Is she in there? Can you see her?" Hiromi called over.
Suddenly Hiromi watched as Haru ran swiftly by her, and almost in slow motion, in the few seconds she caught a glimpse of her friend, she saw a very strange look on her face.
She watched her run down the hill of the road back into the alleyway they came through.
"Wait! Haru!" Hiromi took a few steps ahead and then turned back at the shop. What was going on? Either way, Haru had a lot of explaining to do…and she was still coming to prom. That much was for sure.