132 Chapter Twenty: Running Once More

The night of Haruna running away.

"Haa… haa…"

The breath exhaled from Haruna's mouth formed clouds of steam as she ran. The air, still plenty cold for nighttime, was beginning to numb her ears. Down below, her ankle throbbed as it was again put through abuse it was not suppose to endure anymore. Running down dark streets, making random turns, and putting as much distance between herself and her parents as possible was Haruna's number one priority.

In hindsight, perhaps this was expected. After all, considering some of the strict guidelines her own parents had set for her at times, in what world had she ever thought they'd allow her to date another girl? All telling them about her new relationship had done was cause a potentially irreparable rift between her, her mother and her father.

"I should've known better," she thought as she dashed ahead. "I should've known telling them was a horrible idea!" Regret coursed through her, but not much later, another feeling took over. Unable to take the beating any longer, Haruna's ankle gave. Her foot landed awkwardly on the pavement beneath her, and she tumbled down.

"Ow…" she groaned. Having gone out with the minimum, only a shirt and pants could protect her from her fall, leaving her to get small scrapes on her hands and one on her elbow. "God, my ankle is killing me…" she complained, but as she started to regain her bearings, she looked around. "Where… am I?"

Haruna's surroundings were mostly unfamiliar to her. Because she had run southwest of her home, she had gone into the farmland properties of the area. This was a portion of Iwanai she didn't know very well because she was never here. Now though, with only a yellowed streetlight to illuminate the space, she could see nothing she knew.

"Well whatever, I'll just go back and- ouch!" Trying to stand up, Haruna's ankle immediately faltered, causing her to drop again. "Great…" she sighed. "I guess I'll have to call someone- ah…" Reaching for her phone, she realized she had left it behind. "This just keeps getting worse…" Haruna muttered. "Achoo!" Finally, the cold air was starting to get to her as well. "At this rate, I'll catch a cold out here," she thought. "But what am I supposed to do? I can't even walk, and there's no way I can call someone. There aren't even any houses close enough to call out to..."

Just as Haruna was left wondering what she was going to do, she saw a car driving her way. As it approached, it slowed, and for a moment, Haruna feared the worst. "Did my parents come after me? Don't tell me they somehow knew where I'd go?" But as the car got closer, she saw it wasn't one she recognized. Haruna considered it being someone else she might know, but that made even less sense, so all she could do was wait. When the car came to a complete stop, the door opened.

Stepping out was an elderly woman. She had a slightly hunch in her back, but her movements seemed to indicate that she was in fine physical shape for the most part. Her hair was grey, tied into a bun close to the top of her head, and she wore a thick, grey coat that came down to her knees.

Slowly, she approached Haruna, who looked up at her in confusion. "Are you alright, dear?" the lady asked. "...I… hurt my ankle…" Haruna said, not sure of what else to say at the moment. "Oh my," the lady said. "Well that's certainly not good. If you'd like, perhaps I can give you a ride to the clinic? I think they're still open." "N-No!" Haruna suddenly exclaimed. If she got taken to a clinic, they most likely would call her parents. "I absolutely don't want to see them right now…" she thought.

"Hmm… no clinic, hm? Then should I take you home?" the lady asked, but Haruna quickly shook her head to that idea too. "My, my," the lady sighed. "Aren't you a troublesome one?" Haruna had no response, so she just looked down at the ground. "Achoo!" she sneezed again. "Not the clinic and not home," the lady said. "I certainly can't just leave you here, so I suppose you'll have to come with me." "...eh?" Haruna let out, looking up again. The lady gently smiled down at her. "I'll help you to the car."

"O-Oh, no, I can't let you do that," Haruna tried to insist. The lady was clearly well in age. It would be completely backwards for her to help Haruna. But, contrary to expectations, the lady lifted Haruna up to her feet easily. "I may not look it, but I'm still quite spry for my age," the lady said with a confident smirk. Then, the two of them got into the car.

*****

A short while later, they arrived at a building Haruna wasn't familiar with. It was larger than a house, but it was still only one story. The outside was covered in traditional wooden paneling, and there were large glass windows along much of the exterior. Near the door was a sign that read: "Hayashi Inn."

"Well, here we are," the lady said. "Let's head inside." So, with a small bit of difficulty, the two made their way from the car to the building. Upon entering, Haruna was hit with the smell of trees and some kind of flower. Looking around, she saw wooden flooring and plain, beige walls. Ahead of her was a counter, but no one was stationed there.

"What… is this place?" Haruna finally asked. The lady smiled at her. "This is Hayashi Inn, my business and my home," she said proudly. "As you may have guessed, I'm Hayashi." "I'm Haruna Endo," Haruna said. "It's nice to meet you, Haruna dear," Hayashi said. "Now, why don't we head to the kitchen? I'll whip you up something that'll get you warm."

Heading through the lobby, they went down one hallway (which was the same look as the entrance), then turned down another, where they entered a larger room. This one was slightly different, but really only in its décor. For one, there were tables lined up with plenty of chairs for seating. On the walls were all sorts of pictures, each one appearing to have been taken in the same room or somewhere else in the inn. For a moment, Haruna stared at them.

"Oh, those are all happy customers," Hayashi explained as she stood next to Haruna. "Each of them stayed here at one point or another, and they made a lot of good memories. Sometimes, when we'd see our guests having fun, we'd ask if we could take their picture and hang it up on this wall. We thought it was a good way for everyone who comes here to see just how special this place is."

When Haruna looked at Hayashi, she saw a very nostalgic look on the woman's face. It was one that carried years upon years of experience, memories and joy. Hayashi looked back at Haruna, then smiled again. "I hope you're hungry," she said, then turned to go into the kitchen. Haruna followed her, not knowing what else to do, but as she walked, she found she was wondering what the story was with this inn.

Hayashi clicked on the stove after setting a pan on one of the burners, then took out a large pot as well. The stove itself looked like it hadn't been updated in quite some time, looking both grey and black from years of use. The rest of the kitchen was in a similar state, with dirty white tiles and silver that had long lost its luster. Still, while there was nothing "new" about the kitchen, it wasn't as if it was a filthy area. In fact, it looked like it had been cleaned as best as could be managed.

Inside the kitchen was also a small, faded white table with two chairs. "Why don't you take a seat dear?" Hayashi offered, so Haruna did. As she began to settle in, the strong interest she had in her new surroundings began to fade, becoming replaced by the throbbing pain in her ankle. Reaching down, she tried to massage it a bit, but even just touching the spot hurt.

"I'll get you something for that in a moment," Hayashi said without even turning around. "How did you…" Haruna began to ask, but she just got a laugh in response. "When you've been doing this for as long as I have, you pick up a trick or two," Hayashi said as she continued to cook.

After a bit, the food was done, and Haruna was served a plate of some sort of pasta with a glistening red sauce, along with a side of rice. "Enjoy," Hayashi said with a smile as she took the seat across from Haruna. "Thank you…" she said, then tried a bite. The flavor turned out to be very good, though there was something about it that was unfamiliar. "What's the weird tang in this? I think it's making me feel warm," Haruna asked. "Oh, that's probably the whiskey," Hayashi said simply.

"Pffft!" Haruna spat. "W-W-Whiskey?!" Hayashi laughed loudly. "Relax dear, there's nothing to worry about! Almost all the alcohol in it's been cooked out. There's just enough left to warm ya up." "Almost all, she says…" Haruna muttered, then wondered. "Am I really going to be okay here?"

As it turned out, Hayashi was right. While Haruna felt a little warm, she couldn't say she felt intoxicated (not that she would've really known how that was supposed to feel anyways). "That was good," she said when she finished. "Glad you liked it," Hayashi said, then got a little more serious. "Now, why don't you tell me why a young girl like you was sitting in the middle of the road at night?" "R-Right…" Haruna said sheepishly.

Where was she supposed to begin? How much should she say? Should she even tell the truth at all? It was questions like these that ran through Haruna's mind, but as her eyes kept going back to the elder in front of her, she couldn't help but get the feeling that she could trust this woman. It was as though Haruna knew Hayashi would understand somehow.

"I… kinda… ran away from home," Haruna admitted. "I see," Hayashi said simply. "And why would you run from your own home?" "My parents, they…" Haruna hesitated. Was this really okay? Would she actually understand? "Maybe I should leave a couple of things out…" she decided, then continued. "I told them about my new relationship, and they didn't approve." "Are they old-fashioned?" Hayashi asked. "S-Something like that," Haruna said.

"And there disapproval was so bad you had to run away?" Hayashi asked as she stood up. Watching her grab Haruna's plate, the girl could only nod. "I just… didn't know what else to do…" "I see," Hayashi said again, moving to the sink to begin washing dishes. "Do you want help with that?" Haruna offered, but Hayashi shook her head. "In all the time I've been doing this, I've never once made a guest wash dishes, and I certainly won't start now."

"A… guest?" Haruna repeated. "Um, sorry, but I don't think I can afford to stay. I don't even have money on me." "Well if not here, then where?" Hayashi pointed out. "You already said you don't want to go home. Should I take you to a friend's house?" "I really don't want to trouble you like that," Haruna said. "Then I guess you'll be staying here," Hayashi concluded. "But like I said, I don't-" Haruna began, but Hayashi turned around to cut her off. "Oh, you won't be staying for free. I can always use an extra set of hands!" "Ah…" Haruna let out, understanding her meaning.

"Now, it's getting late. I'll prepare a room for you, and then you can get some rest. You'll have a busy day tomorrow." "Sure…" Haruna said. She didn't like that she was suddenly being forced to work, but feeling like she had no other choice, she went with it. After Hayashi finished washing the dishes, she went and got a wrap for Haruna's ankle. It wasn't the best, but it certainly felt better than nothing.

Being shown to her room, Haruna found a typical, old inn room. The floors were tatami mats, and the walls a similar beige to the ones in the hallways and lobby. Inside, there was little except for a small table and a closet tucked away behind a sliding door. On the floor, Hayashi had laid out a futon for Haruna. "Guess this is my room tonight…" she thought. Grabbing the pajamas that had also been put out for her (a pair of basic, white ones), she began to change.

As she did, she started thinking about the most immediate thing that had happened. Why hadn't she just said she wanted to be taken to a friend's house? It wasn't as if Chiyo wouldn't let her in. "But, if I had gone…" Haruna thought. She knew she would've faced a ton of questions, and she didn't feel like answering them. Worse yet, Kanako would most likely come looking for her, and with how Haruna had just acted, she couldn't bring herself to face her.

Finishing changing, Haruna laid down in her futon. Her mind was racing, but she didn't want to think about anything. She did her best to push it all aside, and eventually, the exhaustion from the last several hours took over, and she fell asleep.

*****

The next day turned out to be quite busy. When Haruna woke up, she was given a small breakfast before being put to work. Due to the late hour she had arrived last night, she had just assumed the other employees had gone home, but as it turned out, she and Hayashi were the only ones around. When she asked about that, Hayashi told her that most of her employees are part-time and set their own schedules. "We're not all that busy most of the time, so it's fine," she had said.

Unfortunately for Haruna, that meant doing several people's worth of work. Whether it was scrubbing the floors, airing out the futons or cleaning wherever was needed, Haruna did it all. A part of her wanted to complain, but she decided to hold it in. She was being given free (and albeit temporary) housing in exchange for work, so it was a fair trade. "If only the clothes weren't so breezy…" Haruna thought.

Being in the kind of inn she was, her employee outfit was a simple, navy blue yukata. It held tightly enough to her body as she moved, but with the temperatures still being on the lower side, the occasional draft would chill Haruna. "Seriously, how does anybody work in these things?" she thought.

While her clothes served as a small distraction, it wasn't enough to keep Haruna's mind fully occupied. The thoughts that she had pushed away the previous night kept coming back to her, and this time, no amount of pushing got rid of them. Her worries about what she'd have to deal with once she returned home. Her fear of what Kanako would think of her for running away again. Being scared that Kanako would give up on her…

Over and over, Haruna felt like she kept disappointing the girl she loved. In hindsight, perhaps it would've been best to just go next door instead of down a bunch of streets. Surely Kanako could've protected her. After all, even her parents had given the okay to their relationship (more or less). Maybe she could've just stayed at Kanako's house. "...Actually, that might be asking for too much," Haruna thought.

Regardless, instead of turning to her girlfriend, she had gone off on her own. In the heat of the moment, all Haruna had wanted to do was get as far away from her parents as she could, but if she gave it more thought, perhaps there was another reason. Haruna had been bold enough to want to imitate Kanako. Just as she had, Haruna had also wanted to face her parents on her own. Was it because she felt like she had something to prove? Did she want to show Kanako she could do it too? Or, had it been something else? Fear that if things went wrong, Haruna's parents would put an end to their relationship right then and there. With both of them present, it sounded feasible. At least with the way it went, Haruna was able to protect Kanako from that barrage Haruna herself had faced.

But even so, none of that changed the fact that she had left Kanako behind. In a book or movie, someone would've suggested they run away together. In reality, Haruna's fear had taken over, and she had ran alone. "When I see Kanako again… how mad will she be at me?" she wondered. Would she be upset? Angry? Furious? If Kanako got truly again, Haruna would be at her mercy. She shuddered at the thought. "I'd rather not see really angry Kanako again…"

Thinking about all of this as she went about her day, the hours passed, and before Haruna knew it, it was mid-afternoon. "Haruna dear," Hayashi called. "How about you take a break?" "Alright," the girl agreed. She hadn't had anything to eat yet either, though she also didn't have much of an appetite. Unbeknownst to that fact though, Hayashi prepared some snacks along with tea, and the two of them sat out on the deck out in the back of the inn. The weather outside was calm, and with the sun shining down on the surrounding trees and clearing ahead of them, it was very picturesque.

"You look distracted," Hayashi said as she sipped her tea. "D-Do I?" Haruna asked. Hayashi nodded. "Yes. You've had this look on your face all day," she said, imitating the face she had seen. It looked rather dazed and, well, distracted. "I'm amazed you got as much cleaning done as you did," Hayashi said with a small laugh. "I'm amazed you'd need to clean so much at all considering there are no guests," Haruna shot back. "They'll come," Hayashi said with a smile. "They always do."

"But enough about my lacking business," Hayashi said, setting down her cup. "I'd like to hear about what's on your mind." "Why?" Haruna asked. "I guess you can call it the nosy wonderings of an old lady," Hayashi joked. "Besides, you never know. I might be able to help. If nothing else, I've got an ear to lend, even if it doesn't work like it used to."

Haruna hesitated. She wasn't sure if she just wanted to pour her heart out to this woman she had only met less than a day ago. Seeing her waver, Hayashi took the initiative. "You said something about a relationship last night, right? Why don't you tell me about that?"

That, of course, was the biggest thing Haruna was nervous to talk about. "Is the lucky young man you're dating doing things your parents don't like? My husband was like that. Such a bad boy, haha! But, as long as they're cute and nice to you, I think that's all that matters. So, what about your guy? Is he cute? Handsome?"

"He…" Haruna began, deciding to go with the flow, but then she stopped. "Tell the truth," the words echoed in her mind. If she was ever going to be able to stop being afraid or running away, being honest was the first step. Pausing, Haruna could feel her lips curl up a bit as she thought about the one she loved.

"She's really pretty. Probably the most beautiful girl I know."

Hayashi's eyes widened a bit, but then she relaxed and let out a chuckle. "Oh?" she said. "A girl hm? Quite a bold choice." "Yeah…" Haruna agreed. "If someone would've told me a year ago I'd be dating a girl, especially the girl I grew up with, I would told them they were crazy." "If that's the case, then how did it happen?" Hayashi asked. Haruna could've sworn there was an excited glint in the old woman's eyes, but she decided to move past that.

"Well, this… might sound kinda crazy, but…"

And so, Haruna began to tell Hayashi all about how she had come to date Kanako. Of course, it was a story full of ups, downs and some sideways moments, and through it all, Hayashi listened, never giving more than a simple nod or a little expression of "oh" or "I see." By the time Haruna finished, it was nearly time for dinner.

"And that's how it happened," she said, putting an end to her story. "You've been through a lot, haven't you dear?" Hayashi said kindly. "Yeah… although, it feels like a lot of it was probably my fault…" Haruna said quietly. "Even if it was, it all worked out, didn't it?" Hayashi said. Haruna smiled. "Yeah, you're right."

"So, you've told me all about this Kanako girl, but you left out some pretty important details," Hayashi said. "Huh? I-I did?" Haruna asked. Hayashi nodded. "You haven't said what it is that you like about her." "Ah…" Haruna let out. It was true. She had told the story, but it was mostly just hitting all of the major points. She hadn't really stopped to talk about feelings too much (other than when she fell in love with Kanako).

Hayashi waited with anticipation, and Haruna could feel her cheeks starting to burn as she spoke. "What I like…" she began. "Is that she never gives up on me. When we were fighting, she never hated me. When I've run from her, she's chased after me. Even when I confessed to her, she didn't leave me. She's kind, gentle, and warm. Her blue eyes glitter like water under the sun, and her hair looks perfect in the ponytail she wears every day. I love that she's shorter than me, because seeing her stand on her tiptoes to get closer to me is so cute. I also love how she can always say the sweetest things like it's so easy, and then she'll get embarrassed after saying them. I love how she cuddles up next to me when we sit or lay down together, and I love how she looks at me with a faint blush in her cheeks…"

"My, my," Hayashi cooed. "You're gonna make me blush over here if you keep talking that way." "S-Sorry," Haruna said, now feeling embarrassed herself. "Don't apologize dear," Hayashi said gently. "I can tell just how much you love that girl." "Yeah…" Haruna said. "I love her a lot."

After their talk on the deck, the two of them went to have dinner. Hayashi did all of the cooking, making Haruna feel a little guilty even though she knew she would be of no help in the kitchen. They also sat at the same table they had the previous night. The food served was chicken with potato au gratin, and it was very delicious.

"Hayashi-san," Haruna said as they ate. "I've been wondering, why do you run this inn all by yourself?" "There are other employees," Hayashi said. "I didn't see any," Haruna pointed out. "I believe one is coming in tomorrow," Hayashi said. "But as for me, this place wasn't my idea to begin with." "It wasn't?" Haruna asked. Hayashi nodded. "Starting up an inn was originally my husband's idea." "And… where is he now?" Haruna asked tentatively. Hayashi got a far-away look in her eyes "He passed away."

"I'm sorry… I don't want to bring up sad memories…" Haruna said apologetically, but Hayashi just shook her head. "It's not sad at all. He passed over ten years ago now, and in the time he was living, he gave me more than enough happiness. We were blessed with three children, and even more grandchildren. I was also lucky enough to be married to him for over 50 years. Plus, I can take solace in the fact that one day, I'll see him again."

Haruna was speechless for a moment. She couldn't say she had had many conversations like this one, so it was hard for her to know how to react. Luckily, Hayashi picked up the slack. "You see, Hayashi was his last name, so he really just named this place after himself. At the time, we were just about the only game in town, so we got loads of business, especially around tourist season. This place used to be packed with guests, but now we just get the occasional passerby."

"Are you in danger of shutting down?" Haruna asked somewhat bluntly. "Nope," Hayashi said with a smirk. "My husband was a pretty frugal man, and he squirreled away so much money that I never even knew about. When he died, an attorney came here and gave me a bunch of documents to sign, and every one of them was about some account or investment he had. By the time it was all said and done, I wound up with enough money to keep this place open until the day I die. Honestly, it could probably keep going even after I'm gone."

It made Haruna a little happy to know that the inn wasn't in any trouble financially, but what had stood out to her more in Hayashi's background was her marriage. "50 years…" Haruna thought. "I wonder if Kanako and I can make it that long?" It was a hard number to wrap her head around, and what made it even harder were the doubts swirling in her head. "Will we even get the chance to make it that far?" Haruna wondered. "If things keep going the way they have been, then Kanako might…"

"Leave me behind," was the rest of that thought, but Haruna didn't want to think it. It was too scary a thought, and one that she felt could actually happen. There was no telling how Kanako would react once Haruna went back. "I know I can't stay here forever," she thought. "But if I could just have a little more time…"

*****

Over the course of the next couple of days, Haruna continued to do various tasks for the inn. As long as it wasn't cooking, she was able to do all sorts of things, picking up the work surprisingly quickly. In that time, she also met a couple of the other employees, and there were several guests.

"This… really hasn't been too bad," Haruna thought as she hung up some sheets outside. "I could get used to this." Of course, she wasn't really going to abandon her everyday life in favor of becoming an inn worker, but the job did have a certain amount of appeal. On top of that, Haruna was beginning to feel like she was calming down some since the night she had run away. As it turned out, doing menial tasks really was helping to straighten out her thoughts.

Unfortunately, that peace didn't last for long, as one night, a visitor came by. A middle-aged woman was working the front desk that night, while Hayashi and Haruna were in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner. They heard the front door open, along with the standard greeting given, but what came next made Haruna freeze.

A couple minutes later, the other employee came into the kitchen. "Um, Hayashi-san?" she said. "There's a man out here saying that he's looking for his daughter…" Naturally, her eyes drifted to Haruna. "No way…" she thought. Managing to move herself, she went to take a peek at the man who had shown up. Sure enough, it was her father.

"Don't look so worried dear," Hayashi suddenly said from behind Haruna. "Hayashi-san?" she said, but the elderly woman just moved past her, heading out into the lobby area. "Excuse me sir," she said kindly. The man turned his attention to Hayashi. "I hear your looking for your daughter?" "Yes, that's right," the man, Haruna's father answered. "I see. And is your daughter on the younger side?" Hayashi asked. "She's 17," Haruna's father answered. "Hmm," Hayashi said. "Well, I wish I could help you in your search, but we don't have anybody that young here." "Are you sure?" the man asked. "We don't get many guests here, so I know I'd remember a young girl checking in," Hayashi said.

The man sighed. "I understand. Sorry to trouble you." "It's no trouble at all. Please get home safely," Hayashi said with a bow, and with that, Haruna's father left. Turning around, Hayashi saw Haruna slumped to the ground. Gently smiling at her, she spoke. "You seem quite relieved." "Ah…" Haruna let out. "W-Well, I-" "Were you afraid I'd give you up?" Hayashi said in a knowing tone. All Haruna could do was nod. "It wouldn't solve anything if you were dragged back by force," Hayashi said. "Now, I think we still have some cleaning left to finish."

Going from the lobby back to the kitchen, Hayashi continued to wash dishes. Haruna, still having little strength in her legs, sat down at the small table she had grown accustomed to. "I can't believe I was so relieved when my dad left…" she thought. "Am I really that scared of going back?"

"...I'm a coward."

Before Haruna realized it, those words slipped out of her mouth. Hayashi turned around, seeing a downcast girl. "All I do… is run away," Haruna continued. "I ran from Kanako when I realized I was in love with her. I ran from her again because I thought she was going to reject me. I ran from my parents, just because I was scared. I'm pathetic…"

Having stopped what she was doing, Hayashi took the seat across from Haruna. "We all run from things, child," she said gently. "Every one of us has something we don't want to face. Whether it's something as simple as a chore or something as grand as life itself, there will always be times that running away sounds like the best choice. And, well, sometimes it is. Sometimes, running is all you can do, and that's okay, because there's something that matters more in the end."

"What's important isn't that you ran away. It's that you come back."

Haruna looked up, her eyes wide. "Come… back?" she repeated. Hayashi nodded. "Mm. Run away as many times as you need to. Just make sure that you go back to where you left. Or, be as stubborn as a mule and never run away again, haha," Hayashi laughed. "That's how my husband turned out anyways."

It was as if a weight of guilt had been lifted off Haruna's shoulders. She still felt bad about how she had reacted, but she no longer felt like everything would end because of it. Even if Kanako was mad, or even if her parents didn't accept her relationship, she could still go back and face all of that. There were still plenty of feelings Haruna needed to sort out, but it all felt a lot easier now.

*****

While continuing to work at the inn, Haruna kept thinking about how she would face Kanako again. Even if she had everything sorted out, it didn't change the fact that she'd have to explain herself. Would Kanako be satisfied with Haruna's explanation, or would she be mad regardless? It was a nerve-wracking question, and one that soon, Haruna would have to face.

It was a Friday night, and Haruna had just finished all of her work. She was about to go take a bath when Hayashi called for her. "Haruna dear," she said. "There's someone here to see you." Fearing it was her father again, Haruna grimaced. "Do I have to?" she asked weakly. Hayashi smiled. "I think you'll want to see this one."

Haruna hesitated, but she decided to follow after Hayashi. Arriving in the lobby, Haruna's eyes widened. Before her stood a girl in the Iwanai High uniform. Her hair was tied up in her usual ponytail, and as she stood there, Haruna felt her heart race at the sight. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, but the only thing that actually came out was the girl's name.

"Kanako…"

End of Chapter Twenty.