even as sherealized that she had never cared so much about what anyone else felt abouther, except for her parents.
Amused at her own nervousness,she rapped on his door. She waited eight or ten seconds before knocking again,bouncing impatiently. Kara glanced up and down the hallway, wondering if hemight be visiting Ren or one of his other friends. That wouldn't bode well,either, priority-wise, though he had texted her, so that counted for something.
As she debated whether to knockagain, the door opened.
In his Boston Red Sox cap and arumpled sweatshirt, he looked very cute. She had often told Hachiro he was herown giant Teddy bear, which always got a shy smile from him. But for a moment,as he pulled the door open, she caught sight of a look on his face that wasanything but a smile. He seemed sad and tired.
And then he saw her, and hisface lit up in a grin, and she knew that all of her angsting had beenpointless.
Without a word he pulled herinto his arms, crushing him in his massive embrace, and she squeezed back forall she was worth. Hachiro kissed the top of her head — receivingwhistles and hoots from other boys in the corridor for the effort — andthen took a step back, holding her hands in his as he looked down at her.
"Hello," he said.
Kara exhaled contentedly. "Hey."
Hachiro lifted her chin and gaveher a gentle kiss. She pulled off his Red Sox cap, revealing his unruly mess ofhair, and donned the hat herself, setting it backward on her head.
"You gonna let me in?" she asked.
"Of course," he said,standing a bit straighter.
Hachiro had been raised to be aproper Japanese boy, with all the courtesies and formalities that implied. Karahad broken him of some of those manners, but he still treated her as a guestwhenever she visited his room. Now he stepped back to let her in, and she wentto his desk and slid herself up to sit on top of it.
He left the door open. Theschool had rules governing all areas of conduct, and were very strict about theinteraction between male and female students, but Kara thought he would haveleft the door open anyway so that no one would get the wrong idea about whatwas or wasn't going on behind closed doors.
Not that she would have minded alittle time behind closed doors. But that was what late night walks were for.
"Happy New Year," shesaid.
Hachiro gave her a very formalbow, but she knew that now he was overdoing it for effect. "Happy NewYear," he said in English.
"I'm sorry I didn't waitfor you to call, but I have news and I really wanted to share."
Hachiro sat on his bed, lookingmore than ever like a giant bear. The bed was too small for him. "Whatnews?"
"Well, there's a littlebad, but also some good. Which do you want first?"
His smile faded and she saw atrace of that uneasiness and exhaustion again. "Bad first, please."
"Don't worry, it's not thatbad," she said, swinging her legs where they hung over the edge of thedesk. "At the end of this term, my father and I are going home — "
Hachiro glanced downward,disappointment etched into his face.
" — for two weeks. Andthen we'll be back for senior year."
He laughed out loud. "You'restaying?"
Kara nodded. "Staying."
Hachiro got up and went to her,picked her up off the desk and swung her around. When he set her down, she feltlike she was still flying. He brushed a lock of her blond hair away from herface and traced his fingers along the cheek and the curve of her jaw. Karaswallowed hard, staring into his eyes, and for several long seconds she wasspeechless, despite a thousand unsaid things that blossomed in her heart.
He kissed her again, not nearlyas gentle as before, and they only stopped to breathe.
With a quick knock on the opendoor, Ren stepped into the room. "Hachiro, can I borrow — " hebegan, halting abruptly when he saw them and covering his eyes. "Ahhh, I'mblind."
Kara and Hachiro both laughed.
"What do you need?" Hachiro asked.
Ren shook his head, longbronze-dyed hair falling across his eyes. "Nothing. Go
Amused at her own nervousness,she rapped on his door. She waited eight or ten seconds before knocking again,bouncing impatiently. Kara glanced up and down the hallway, wondering if hemight be visiting Ren or one of his other friends. That wouldn't bode well,either, priority-wise, though he had texted her, so that counted for something.
As she debated whether to knockagain, the door opened.
In his Boston Red Sox cap and arumpled sweatshirt, he looked very cute. She had often told Hachiro he was herown giant Teddy bear, which always got a shy smile from him. But for a moment,as he pulled the door open, she caught sight of a look on his face that wasanything but a smile. He seemed sad and tired.
And then he saw her, and hisface lit up in a grin, and she knew that all of her angsting had beenpointless.
Without a word he pulled herinto his arms, crushing him in his massive embrace, and she squeezed back forall she was worth. Hachiro kissed the top of her head — receivingwhistles and hoots from other boys in the corridor for the effort — andthen took a step back, holding her hands in his as he looked down at her.
"Hello," he said.
Kara exhaled contentedly. "Hey."
Hachiro lifted her chin and gaveher a gentle kiss. She pulled off his Red Sox cap, revealing his unruly mess ofhair, and donned the hat herself, setting it backward on her head.
"You gonna let me in?" she asked.
"Of course," he said,standing a bit straighter.
Hachiro had been raised to be aproper Japanese boy, with all the courtesies and formalities that implied. Karahad broken him of some of those manners, but he still treated her as a guestwhenever she visited his room. Now he stepped back to let her in, and she wentto his desk and slid herself up to sit on top of it.
He left the door open. Theschool had rules governing all areas of conduct, and were very strict about theinteraction between male and female students, but Kara thought he would haveleft the door open anyway so that no one would get the wrong idea about whatwas or wasn't going on behind closed doors.
Not that she would have minded alittle time behind closed doors. But that was what late night walks were for.
"Happy New Year," shesaid.
Hachiro gave her a very formalbow, but she knew that now he was overdoing it for effect. "Happy NewYear," he said in English.
"I'm sorry I didn't waitfor you to call, but I have news and I really wanted to share."
Hachiro sat on his bed, lookingmore than ever like a giant bear. The bed was too small for him. "Whatnews?"
"Well, there's a littlebad, but also some good. Which do you want first?"
His smile faded and she saw atrace of that uneasiness and exhaustion again. "Bad first, please."
"Don't worry, it's not thatbad," she said, swinging her legs where they hung over the edge of thedesk. "At the end of this term, my father and I are going home — "
Hachiro glanced downward,disappointment etched into his face.
" — for two weeks. Andthen we'll be back for senior year."
He laughed out loud. "You'restaying?"
Kara nodded. "Staying."
Hachiro got up and went to her,picked her up off the desk and swung her around. When he set her down, she feltlike she was still flying. He brushed a lock of her blond hair away from herface and traced his fingers along the cheek and the curve of her jaw. Karaswallowed hard, staring into his eyes, and for several long seconds she wasspeechless, despite a thousand unsaid things that blossomed in her heart.
He kissed her again, not nearlyas gentle as before, and they only stopped to breathe.
With a quick knock on the opendoor, Ren stepped into the room. "Hachiro, can I borrow — " hebegan, halting abruptly when he saw them and covering his eyes. "Ahhh, I'mblind."
Kara and Hachiro both laughed.
"What do you need?" Hachiro asked.
Ren shook his head, longbronze-dyed hair falling across his eyes. "Nothing. Go
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