Rain by Amanda Sun

nice to meet you.” She bobbed her head in a nod and turned on her way.
    “Wait!” I said, and she paused. “Um...can I go in? To Katakou?” The gate seemed ominous somehow, and I wondered if I could get in trouble for going on another school’s property.
    “Are you looking for someone in particular?” she asked. A cluster of interested students were hanging around us now, trying not to look obvious as they eavesdropped on our English.
    “Takahashi Jun,” I said.
    She smiled. “Of course. Our most famous student. Sixth in the national kendo championship last year. You’re a fan?”
    “Oh, no, I’m a friend,” I answered, and then I realized what I’d said. Well, it wasn’t like Tomohiro was here, and anyway, I doubted the girl would let me through if I said I was anything less.
    “He’s in the music room,” she said. “I can lead you if you want.”
    “Music room?” But then I remembered him asking me my favorite composer, saying music was his other passion. “Could you show me? I’d appreciate it. I mean, if you’re not busy.”
    “Sure, it’s right this way,” she said, grinning. She looked really pleased at the attention she was getting from the other students for her English skills, but maybe she was just happy to be speaking her second language again. I knew how great it felt when people understood my Japanese. “My name’s Hana,” she said as we walked into the genkan of the school. “Do you mind taking your shoes off?”
    “Sure,” I said, pulling my shoes off. I didn’t have slippers here, but the floors were spotless anyway.
    “You’re from America?” she asked as we curved down the corridor.
    I nodded as I followed her. “Albany,” I said. “New York.”
    “Ee...?” she mused to herself. It was a typical answer here—she was just processing what I said and expressing polite interest.
    I grasped for something to say. “Your school is really big.” Really, Katie?
    “The teachers have an elevator,” Hana said. “But we don’t get to use it. My homeroom is on the sixth floor, you know? It sucks on days when you’re late.”
    It was the longest conversation I’d had in English with someone for over eight months, except for Diane and some broken dialogue with Yuki. It felt so strange to be able to express myself completely. I guess I’d always taken it for granted.
    “Okay, music room’s in here,” she said, stopping in front of a wide sliding door. “Sometimes he practices in the concert hall, which is at the end of the hall right there.” She pointed to the next set of doors. “But it sounds like he’s practicing in here today.” We could hear the muffled sound of a piano inside the music room.
    “Thanks so much, Hana.”
    She smiled. “No problem. It’s nice to have a chance to speak English. I miss California. I have to go to juku now, but see you later, okay?”
    “Thanks,” I said. “Have fun at cram school.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Yeah right,” she smiled, and then she was gone, winding back down the hallway to the entrance of the school.
    I listened to the piano start and stop, followed by muffled conversation. I pressed my hand to the cool handle of the door, ready to slide it open. I felt nervous, like I was intruding. But he’d said to come by anytime, right? And if he was busy with a Music Club practice, I could wait in the hallway until he was finished. I just needed to let him know I was here.
    The piano started up again, followed by the rich sound of a cello. And then it stopped, a few bars in, followed by more conversation.
    Seeing my chance to enter with the least amount of interruption, I slid the door open with barely a sound. But as I stepped into the room, the piano started again.
    I stopped, startled by the sight in front of me.
    There was Jun, sitting on a dark chair with a cello resting against him, his fingers poised on the strings and on the bow, ready to draw it across. He wore that black bracelet with silver spikes on his