There’s a knot of guilt in my chest. It’s been several months since we’ve seen each other. When he and Jasmine were together, the three of us used to hang out all the time. Watching movies on the weekend. Taking the train to the lake and walking around the beach. I still have some rocks we started collecting. After the breakup, it felt like I lost him, too. I shouldn’t blow him off this time. Especially when he’s only trying to help. “Okay. Yeah, I’ll come.”
“Great. I’ll send you the location.”
“Thanks, Kevin.”
“See you soon.”
As I hang up the phone, Haru pulls the jinbei from the back of the closet. The one I bought with him last summer. “You still have this,” he says, smiling. Maybe in another context, I would reminisce on this. Instead, I walk over and take it from his hands. “I’m really sorry, but I have to get going,” I say, hanging it back in the closet.
“Where?”
“Meeting a friend.”
“You’re not showing me around?” he asks.
“What do you mean?”
“You promised me a tour.”
I think back to last night. “Maybe I did. But I didn’t expect you to show up unannounced.” He still hasn’t told me how he got here. I mean, he practically broke into my house. I should probably be more upset. But I don’t have time for this right now. “And someone is waiting for me.”
Haru stares at me with disappointment. He slides his hands into his pockets, glancing out the window. “Alright then. I can show myself around.” Then he turns toward the door.
The memory of last summer flashes through my head. The piece of paper flying through the air as the train door closed between us. I thought I lost him again last night. I can’t let him go like this.
“Wait.” I grab his hand. “Maybe we could—”
“You don’t have to—”
“Iwantto,” I tell him. “Why don’t you just come with me? It shouldn’t take too long. I can show you around afterward.”
Haru rubs his chin, considering this. “I suppose I could do that.”
“Okay,” I breathe. “Just let me get ready.”
I grab a clean shirt from my closet and get dressed. Haru didn’t bring any clothes with him. I give him a few options to change into while I brush my teeth. A few minutes later, we’re out the door. The Yellow Line comes every fifteen minutes. We wait on the platform as the train arrives. I take an empty seat while Haru stands beside me, holding the hand grip. As we’re moving, Haru keeps turning his head, gazing intently out the windows. I watch him do this for a few stops, wondering if he’s looking for something.
“What are you looking for?” I finally ask.
“The Bean,” he says. “I haven’t seen it yet.”
“We’re heading the other direction.”
Haru frowns. “Ah. I see.”
“But we can go there afterward,” I say.
“Can we also get deep pizza?”
“It’s called deep-dishpizza, and sure. Any touristy thing you want.”
The train drops us off near the University of Illinois, Chicago. Kevin is currently a sophomore there, studying architecture. The directions to the department building are pulled up on my phone. I’m trying to get there fast, but Haru keeps stopping here and there to look at all the sights.
“So this is an American university,” he says, taking in the buildings around us. “It’s just like from the movies.”
A new-student fair is taking place on the quad. White tents line the path as we walk past the various tables. Some of them are giving away free food and pens, inviting people to sign up for their club. There are some games set up, offering different prizes to win. Maybe it’s because I’m with Haru, but I’m reminded of the Star Festival last summer. If I close my eyes, I can see paper stars fluttering above us. Haru must be thinking the same thing, because he gestures to a table with a spinning wheel and says, “They’re giving away free spins. Should we test your luck again?”
I smile at him. “Maybe on the way out.”
