“And let that outfit go to waste?” He glances around us and says, “It’s Saturday night. Don’t you want to do something?”
“Like what?”
He rubs his chin. “Something spontaneous.”
Any other night, I would steal another boat with him. But I’m not exactly feeling myself at the moment. “Okay. I’m spontaneously going home,” I say. Then I walk off, hoping he’ll follow me.
“Eric,” he says.
“Sorry, I can’t stop, my phone is dying.”
Haru sighs from behind me. Then he steps out into the street, forcing me to turn around.
“Wait, where are you going?” I ask.
But Haru ignores me as he lies down in the middle of the road.
“Are you trying to get run over?” I glance up and down the road for cars. Then I hurry over to help him up. But he remains unmoving, keeping his arms at his side. The streetlight blinks above our heads. It takes a second to realize what he’s doing. A scene from another movie.
I sigh. “You’re not Ryan Gosling, you know.”
Haru doesn’t say anything. He taps the ground as if it is an empty seat. I look up and down the road one more time. “Okay, fine.” Then I take my jacket off and lie down next to him. Haru smiles at me as we stay there a moment.
“You know a car could come at any second,” I say.
“Nothing bad will happen,” Haru says, laying his hands over his stomach. “I promise.”
I stare at him. “How can you promise that?”
“You just have to trust me.”
I consider this. “Okay… I’m trusting you.”
We stare at the sky together. For a second, I enjoy the silence of the night. Then headlights flash down the road, followed by the sound of a car coming toward us. Haru and I jump to our feet, moving out of the way as it comes zooming past us, honking furiously. My heart is pounding like a drum, but for some reason, I can’t stop laughing. Maybe it’s the rush of adrenaline that’s moving through me.
“That was a close one,” I breathe.
“I told you you could trust me.”
He offers his familiar smirk. Then he holds out a hand. “The scene isn’t over yet.”
“You’re not serious…”
But Haru keeps his hand extended. I hesitate before taking it, letting him lead me back to the middle of the road. He puts one hand on my side, pulling me close to him. It’s a little awkward at first. As we continue our dance, music begins to play. A jazz song, maybe from an old radio. But I can’t see where it’s coming from. I wonder if Haru can hear it, too.
I rest my head on his chest. “This is nice,” I say.
“And you wanted to go home,” Haru whispers.
I smile again. Then I look at him. “Can I tell you something?”
“What is it?”
“I’ve never danced with anyone before.”
“Not even at a school dance?”
I shake my head. “No. But I almost went once.”
