“Shhh,” I say back.
“What?” Kevin asks, blinking at me.
I play it off with a laugh. “Sorry,my friend just—” I point to Haru—but he’s not there. I turn my neck, looking for him. “He was here a second ago.”
A few looks are exchanged. One of them must have seen where he went.
“I can always talk to Frank,” Professor Lin continues the conversation. “They’re usually hiring this time of year.”
“That would be great,” Kevin says. He nudges me with his elbow. “Eric is very creative. He makes films.”
I’m not really listening, though. I’m looking around for Haru. Where did he run off to so fast?
Professor Lin turns to me. “Any experience with the stage?”
“Uh, not really,” I say.
“You seem very distracted,” says the bald guy, making mesnap back to the group. “I’m beginning to think Kevin wants this job more than you.”
The others chuckle.
“Enough from you, Albert,” Professor Lin says, shaking her head at him.
I lower my gaze, suddenly embarrassed by myself. Then a hand reaches for my plate, grabbing a bread roll. Haru appears again, whispering in my ear. “I’m throwing this at him in three… two…”
I snatch the roll. “Don’t!”
“Don’t what?” Kevin asks.
More looks are exchanged.
I hide the roll behind my back, laughing nervously. “Sorry, my friend keeps—” But Haru is gone again. I turn a full circle. Then glance at Kevin. “Did you see where he went?”
“Who?”
“My friend. He was right here.”
Kevin turns his head. “It is a bit crowded.”
How could Kevin not have seen him? Maybe he walked off in the other direction. The fluorescent lights suddenly feel brighter, blinding me a little. The next thing I know, the room is starting to spin.
Kevin squeezes my shoulder. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I breathe. “Just need some water.”
“I’ll go with you—”
I pull away. “No, it’s okay.”
I walk off immediately. My vision is blurry as I move through the gallery, wondering what’s going on.Why doesHaru keep disappearing like this?It feels like no one else can see him but me.
There are benches outsidethe atrium. I toss the plate in the bin and take the seat farthest away from the crowd. I can’t seem to think straight. My mind flashes back to last night, when Haru showed up at the café. And again in my bed this morning. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.
It doesn’t take long before someone sits down beside me. I don’t have to look up this time. I already know who it is.
“Figured you’d be out here.”
I turn my head slowly. Haru smiles back at me, the same way he did when we first met. The way the light frames him is like something from a movie. It reminds me of the sunset, when Daniel and I used to watch it from the roof together. As I’m taking him in, a question comes to me. One that’s been sitting in the back of my mind.
