Chapter 83

Yuma.

Len stared at me, even though I was doing my best to act perfectly normal.

"So?" I asked, sprawled out on my bed, "What kind of a song is it?"

"Did...did something happen between you two?" Len asked, looking at me and then at Gumi, who was sitting on the bed, by my feet. She blushed a little.

"Nope," I mumbled, "Just...forgot to lock the door, I mean, we weren't really...whatever, you get my point."

"Oh...," Len's eyes widened, "That'd be...awkward."

"You bet," I sighed, "Can we change the subject now?"

Len nodded and looked down at his shoes. "There's two, actually," he mumbled, "Two songs. I've got lyrics that I came up with, if that helps."

He pulled two crumpled up sheets of paper out of his pocket and waved them in the air, "The first one's about a guy who sees this girl on the dance floor. Instantly starts falling for her, but he's afraid of approaching her. She leaves him mesmerized."

"Hmm," I frowned. Clearly, he was totally in love with Rin. She was what had inspired him to write a song.

"And the second one, I call it Fire Flower. You know, like...fireworks?"

"That's a nice name!" Gumi nodded vigorously, glancing my way. I sat up straight and nodded.

"Are you going to read them to us?" I asked, eyeing Gumi. She was still smiling, and she looked so perfect that way. Her green hair draped over her ears and flirted with her jade eyes, and her pearly pink lips, without a bit of lipstick spread across them, derailed my train of thought.

"Yeah, I'll read them." Len's voice was a muffled sound in the background.

"Yuma, you're staring," Gumi looked at me with her head tilted to one side. I blinked myself out of the trance and shook my head.

"Sorry...," I mumbled, watching as Len looked over his sheets. Gumi pressed a hand against my chest and leaned forward to kiss me, teasing her tongue along my mouth before pulling back. My face turned a dark crimson.

"Lock the door next time," she whispered playfully. I frowned, never expecting her to be like that.

I don't know what to do anymore...

"A-Anyway, Len," I stammered, "Let's hear those lyrics."

Oliver.

I watched as Haku sauntered around her yard, her drenched, soppy figure amusing and concerning at the same time. As she stumbled up the porch steps and toward the door, I followed her.

"So, did it work?" I asked, pulling the door open for her, "Turning the hose on and aiming at yourself, did it..."

She grinned wordlessly. "Let me show you something, Oliver."

"Uh...okay?" I followed her into the kitchen, careful not to slip on the wet path that she was tracking around the house.

"Check it out," there was a huge, blanketed mountain of something right in the middle of her kitchen table. She pulled the concealing cloth off with a single swift movement, revealing oranges.

They began toppling down the table and me and Haku both scrambled to save as many as we could. But still, oranges? She wanted to show me oranges?

"I don't get it, miss!" I announced, piling up the stray fruit against a wall, "Why'd you want to show me these?"

"It's crazy but true," she sighed and crossed her arms, "These are my new addiction. Have you ever had an orange, Oliver?"

I frowned and raised an eyebrow. What? What kind of a question was that?

"Uh, yes, I have had an orange," I cleared my throat and answered, "More than once, Ms. Yowane."

"Then you should know how amazing they taste," she smiled, "Come on, lets have a couple."

"What, right now?"

She nodded. I chuckled. What the heck was this supposed to mean? Haku was, what, an 'orangaholic' or something now?

"Miss, you're acting like Rin," I frowned as we sat down on the sofa in her living room with a plate full of oranges. Haku shot me a questioning look.

"Well, see, Rin...you know Rin? T-That blond girl? Real cute thing with the big white bow?"

"Yeah, I know who Rin is," Haku shrugged, "I used to be friends with her mom, you know. Real close, too."

I smiled and nodded. "Ah, I see...what?"

"What do you mean, 'what?'" Haku took a slice of orange and popped it into her mouth.

"You...knew Rin's mom?"

"Wait, are you trying to tell me that Rin has an orange obsession?" Haku burst out, laughing, "That's crazy; Shiki had the exact same problem!"

"Wait, what are we talking about?" I yelled, "I'm confused!"

"Shiki is Rin's mother," Haku smiled, grey eyes sparkling with nostalgia, "She loved oranges, too."

Wait a minute. Haku Yowane...knows, or rather, knew, Rin's mother. Does that mean...

"How long were you and, er, Rin's mother...friends?" I asked suddenly, "I'm sorry, this sounds intruding, but..."

"No, no, it's okay," Haku shook her head, "Well, I knew her since our college years, and then she got married..."

"Okay, stop stop stop!" I held my palms up. My mind whirred and clicked as it put the pieces together.

Maybe Haku is the key to finding out the truth about Rin and Len...

I pulled out my phone and dialled Len's number.

Thank you for reading.