Hanabi

Chapter 32: Laughter

 

Rina was disturbed. Very disturbed. Haruna, however livid she looked, didn’t yell even once and that was deeply disturbing.

 

The shorter brunette had been simply staring at her and Tomoko for long moments, standing beside her truck and still holding her door open, the engine still working. Her face showed surprise when she first saw the nekomata, but that expression died quickly. That was the weirdest situation in the world for Rina, who half expected Tomoko and Haruna to start cussing at each other any moment. But they never did.

 

Tomoko still seemed to be a little affected by how Rina tried to strangle her in the woods before, and Haruna was in a complete mute state as she looked at them both like they had done something so terribly wrong that it was unspeakable. The look in her eyes was that of someone silently enraged.

 

However, Haruna decided to break the silence after a few moments. But that only disturbed Rina even more.

 

- You… - the shorter girl started in a low and even soft tone, raising her hand and gesturing towards the kitsune. But none of the women let that fool them, none of them ever felt such danger, true danger, in Haruna’s voice before. Rina had the distinct impression that Haruna’s eye twitched for a second - You could have gotten yourself killed, you idiot.

 

For some reason Rina couldn’t reply to that. For some very odd reason she felt like a child being scolded by her mother, and that was a feeling she didn’t have in a very long time.

 

- After tonight, - Haruna continued in the same tone - you have no right to tell me how to behave anymore. You have no right to call me reckless or inconsiderate anymore. Now get in the truck and let’s go back before something decides to show up and kill us.

 

- Haruna, I went to…

 

- Shut up and get in the goddamn truck. - when even that interruption was spoken in the same low tone, Rina felt as if something very unpleasant was moving inside of her stomach - Both of you.

 

Tomoko looked scandalized, but before she could say anything to make that situation worse, Rina elbowed her in the stomach and shot her a glare. Haruna waited in silence as Rina dragged the nekomata with her around the vehicle, practically forcing her to the back seat. After Rina sat quietly on the passenger seat was when Haruna entered the truck again and slammed the door shut.

 

- What did you find out? - Haruna asked, staring at the wheel in front of her - Because if you did this and came back with nothing…

 

- Sojobou will take a look around the house tomorrow. - Rina answered quickly, her eyes moving from Haruna to Tomoko as if she half expected to see a world war breaking out inside of that car - The possibility of the house being protected is very big, so if it’s true he’ll finish teaching Tomomi-san in there instead of the mountain.

 

That made Haruna look at her with some interest. It seemed like the prospect of having something positive happening melted down a little bit of her fury.

 

- Really?

 

- Yes, he said he will. Now I hope our guessing is true so Tomomi-san can be safe and Mami can rest. And Tomomi-san was the one who brought up the subject, so to be fair, this possibility is a result of her being very observant.