Haruka stared at Valy.
"You can't be serious," she whispered, "How?"
"It was stupid, really," Valy said, "Tina's father left her land. Someone wanted it and then…" she started crying in mid-sentence. Haruka took her hand and made her sit down on the sofa.
"They had a fight," she said, "Tina won't sell the land to them, and they shot her."
"What?" Haruka gasped.
"…Right in…front of…my eyes…" Valy shook with sobs.
"Oh my god!" Haruka whispered. She hugged her friend.
"It's okay," Haruka said, "You can cry all you want. I'll stay with you, right here."
"I don't want to cry," she pushed Haruka away gently, "I want to let go, but sometimes you just can't let go."
It was the second time Haruka had heard that sentence. It hurt. She just understood the meaning of that sentence too well.
"It's hard to let go, isn't it?" Haruka asked. Valy looked at her.
"What is it, Haruka?" she asked, "Why did you come back?"
"You don't need to know," Haruka replied.
"Okay," she said wiping her tears, "This place is such a mess. I am starving. You want to eat something?" Haruka smiled. She never insisted. She always knew that Haruka would tell eventually.
"I am hungry, too." They went to the kitchen. Valy opened the light. It looked different than it used to. Cleaner, like the kitchen of a girl and not a boy. Haruka looked at Valy. She looked so different. Haruka realized that she had never seen her legs unless Valy wore shorts. She had a slim waist and she had all the curves in the right places. Back when they were young, they looked more like guys. And she also walked different, like a girl.
"What are you looking at?"
"You changed a lot Valy," Haruka said.
"So did you, Haruka."
"Time changes people," Haruka said.
"No," Valy said, "Time doesn't change anything. People change themselves."
"You got a lot smarter," Haruka said, "You are more in control now. Back then you used to just babble and get all emotional."
"And you used to make fun of me by calling me a girl," Valy said, chuckling.
"You are a girl," Haruka said.
"And what are you?" Valy smiled.
"I am Haruka,"
"Did you make a lot of friends in Tokyo?" Valy asked putting a sandwich in front of Haruka. Haruka looked inside it.
"It used to be your favorite,"
"It still is." Haruka replied.
"Tell me about your friends."
"Oh there are too many of them," Haruka replied thinking about the girls, "tell me about yourself."
"Life has been tough," Valy took a bite of her sandwich, "I have faced a couple of dead ends but still I found my way."
"You have changed," Haruka said.
"You said that about 20 times now, Haruka," Valy said, "Stop it!"
"Sure." Valy got up and went somewhere. Haruka did not follow her. Soon she came back and gave her a key.
"Here," she said putting it in Haruka's hand.
"Thanks for keeping it for me," Haruka said.
"You couldn't give it anyone else after the guardian left."
"So what happened to Junua-sensei?" Haruka asked.
"She was left with me, you know." Valy said, "And then on my 18 birthday she left. Said there were other orphans that needed her more than me." Haruka finished the sandwich and got up.
"I should go now," she said, "Thanks."
"You are welcome," Valy leaned forward and kissed her cheek, "Take care." Haruka put a hand on her cheek because it was not like the Valy she knew. But then this was not the Valy she knew.
"When you said that you faced a lot of dead ends," Haruka said, "Why didn't you tell me about them?"
"You know what I realized after you left?" Valy said and then answered it herself, "I realized that I depended on you. When I was bullied, you stood up for me. When I cried, you hugged me. When I didn't want to do something, you did it for me. I didn't write to you because I knew I needed to be independent. You had a life in Tokyo. That girl you told me about. I didn't want to tag along after you and ruin your life. I never knew I'd see you again."
"That's good." Haruka said, "You act more independent now. But don't blame it all on yourself. I was too protective. I always do that to people."
"I made you protective." Valy said. Haruka just shook her head.
"I have to leave," she said, "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah," Valy said, "Haruka?"
"Yes?"
"How long do you plan to stay?"
"As long as it takes." And with that she left.
Haruka opened her apartment and walked inside. It was clean. Too clean. It shouldn't be clean Haruka thought. Then she realized that Valy probably had come in here. There was a letter on the table. Haruka picked it up. It was from one of her old friends, Suras.
It went:
Dear Haruka-chan,
Valy-chan opened the door for me so I could put this letter here. I am leaving too. Valy-chan will be leaving in a week or so too. Only Janie-chan has decided to stay. When you come back, and I know you will because you left some of your most important things here so don't tell me otherwise, you probably won't see me. And I know for sure I am not coming back because I packed up all my things, sold the junk and gave the key of my apartment back. But I want you to know you will always be my friend because we all belong in the same herd. You, me, Valy-chan, and Janie-chan. We were all orphans. And no matter what, I will never forget you or anyone else. I left this letter cause I didn't get to see you when you left. But I know you will read this, for sure.
Your good friend,
Suras-chan.
Haruka smiled at the letter. In her whole life she never got along with any guy, except maybe Suras-chan because like Suras-chan said, "we all belong in the same herd." Haruka looked around in the other rooms. There were pictures here and there. She had no pictures of her parents put up. She didn't like to think about them too much. She went down to her car and brought her duffle bag up. In there she looked for something. After shuffling around for a minute, she took a picture of Michiru out and put it right next to a picture of Valy.