Chapter Sixteen: December 15th

Makoto feels like a stalker.

Okay. Screw that. Makoto is definitely a stalker. He has absolutely no good reason to be where he is right now, but at this point he is running out of time, and he needs answers, fast. The 19 on his hand felt like a thousand-pound weight dragging him down, or maybe it is the electromagnetic force that had drawn him to the front doors of Entre les Lignes, standing next to a god-awful pink car parallel parked in the street. Either way, he is down to nineteen days, and although that could be all the time in the world to others, it was one less day he has to save Haruka.

He knows more, now, thankfully, due to that argument two days ago. He knows Haruka's older sister was hit by a car to save his life, that his parents, the depressed, alcoholic cheaters, neglect him on the regular. He knows that his only friend in life abandoned him without so much as a goodbye. He also knows that Haruka has a desire to live like a hermit, lies about how he's feeling all the time, and takes care of his younger cousins more than he cares for himself.

Makoto cringes at himself for his position just a few hours earlier- at the town library, sitting in the non-fiction section with paperback copies of Understanding your Troubled Teen and Your Child and Depression sprawled out on his lap. His eyes had scanned over the pages for hours, trying to figure out the proper methods for guiding Haruka back to a path where he could be happy.

And yet, he wasn't a parent. He can't do much at all, from what he realized, just continue to be around Haruka, and as Dr. Hira Morishima describes in her book, "offer emotional support".

But Makoto wasn't satisfied with that. There has to be something, anything he could to ensure he could save Haruka. He knows he won't be able to sleep until he figures out more information.

And so, he stands in front of the two story downtown building, convincing himself that the thing he is about to do is the best choice in the long run.

Actually, Makoto hadn't even intended to end up in front of Entre Les Lignes. He was actually pursuing the downtown shopping center for birthday gifts for the twins. He'd already bought a model airplane for Ren - he's always wanted to be a pilot when he grows up - and planned to give him a remote-control helicopter for Christmas. Ran, however, was a different story. He didn't know much about girls and what they liked, and his sister tended to be more quiet and reserved. She liked being creative, but she was so fickle with her newest art medium he was never sure to buy her pastels or watercolors or markers. So, he figured, why not get her a book? Those were safe. Ran, already at a high school reading level, loved fantasy novels, and what better place to buy a book than Iwatobi's very own family-owned book store?

I'm just here for a book, Makoto convinces himself, failing miserably because he doesn't believe himself for a second. I'm just going to walk in, make a quick purchase for Ran, and head home. No funny business.

He pulls open the door and the doorbell tinkles. Makoto has barely made two steps into the store when a familiar face reveals herself from around a bookshelf.

"Tachibana-san!" Miss Amakata smiles warmly. "What a pleasant surprise. Are you here to see Haruka?"

As much as he would like to, Makoto doesn't know if he can face Haruka after all these confusing feelings are muddling his mind. Maybe this was a mistake, he thinks worriedly. What would Haruka think if he saw me show up here unattended?

"Actually," Makoto says quietly, fiddling with his fingers behind his back, deciding to admit the truth. Might as well make the most of it. "I came here to see you."

"Oh!" Miss Amakata looks worried for a split second, seeing Makoto's nervous expression, but the smile stays on her face. "Well, come. Let's sit down. Asuka is brewing another batch of coffee right now, would you like a cup? It's awfully cold outside."

"That would be lovely," Makoto smiles back, appreciating his homeroom teacher's immense kindness and hospitality. She promises him she'll be right back and Makoto goes to take a seat in one of the reading chairs by the fireplace, the same one he was sitting in with Haruka just a week ago.

Has it really been a week since that moment already? He thinks worriedly. Time is flying way too quickly for him, and it twists and gnaws ravenously at his insides.

Makoto stares at the fireplace, just a couple logs and a pile of ash in this moment, his mind wandering. He is so lost in thought, he hardly notices Miss Amakata's return with two steaming lattes in rounded ceramic mugs.

"Here you go, honey," Miss Amakata places the mug on the small side table between them, pushing the mug closer to him. "I put cream and sugar in it."

"Thank you," Makoto takes the cup and raises it to his lips, blowing it on it before taking a tentative sip. It is piping hot and burns his tongue but it tastes delicious, bittersweet and strong, and he swallows. "This is delicious."

"You like it? It's a family recipe, and the thing that keeps people coming back to our establishment. We grind our own beans and make it from scratch," Miss Amakata says proudly. "Dates back quite a few generations from my husband's family."

"Yes, he's French, right?"

"He is!" She beams. "His great grandmother migrated here during the second World War because she fell in love with a Japanese soldier. They settled in Japan and opened this very bookstore. It's been passed down for generations in Robert's family ever since, alongside the French-Japanese heritage."

"That's amazing!" Makoto gushes. "You don't think of those two cultures blending very often. And this bookstore is so wonderful too. I love the flags out front."

His face burns when Amakata smiles knowingly. "Well, yes, we're very accepting of all cultures and types of people. No matter who you are, you should be able to enjoy reading. Literature connects us all, reminds us that we're all just human beings, and we all love to laugh, learn, explore, and have genuine human connection."

"That is a beautiful outlook on the world, ma'am," Makoto tells her honestly. He feels warm and fuzzy inside at the idea that everyone really is all the same despite all sorts of differences, and he smiles at the young woman, who is beaming.

"Thank you, honey," She says. "Now, what did you want to talk about?" Miss Amakata questions, her fingers curling around her own mug as she takes a sip of the hot drink.

"Well, I actually wanted to ask you about Haruka," Makoto responds. Miss Amakata nods in understanding, but there is something in her eyes that tells Makoto she was expecting that answer.

"What about him? She asks curiously.

"As you know, we're sort of friends, well, at least, I hope we are. But, I can't seem to figure out what I'm doing wrong. It is like he can't trust me, but I don't know how to show him he can," Makoto explains all in one breath, gasping for hair by the time he's finished his sentence.

"There are a lot of events in Haruka's life that have made him the way he is," Miss Amakata says quietly. She sounds just as pained as Haruka did when he spilled his life story to him two days ago. "I'm not sure how much he's told you, but it's bad. They're things no child should ever have to bear."

Snippets of Haruka's story flash in Makoto's head, sounding like voices of ghosts. Makoto keeps his head down, staring at the pattern of the armchair. "He told me about his parents," He tells her. "And his sister."

Miss Amakata looks completely shocked. "Wait. Really? You didn't know about that?" She gasps. "I thought you-"

"No," Makoto is confused. "How could I have known?"

She stares at him, completely perplexed, before shaking her head and frowning. "I-I don't know. Erika's death was talked about a lot a few years ago... around the time you'd be in your first year of middle school."

Makoto doesn't remember much of that time. If he tried to think of those years, he only gets flashes of unclear memories. Being in the swim club with Rei and Nagisa. His middle school uniform fitting him incorrectly because it was too big. Squeaky, uneven voices that came from puberty.

He shakes his head solemnly. "No, I never heard about it, not until Haruka told me."

"How strange..." She whispers. "That was a rough time for us all, but especially Haruka. He was so shaken up, he's never been the same since."

"I'm sorry," Makoto grips his mug tightly; he is suddenly glad it is a mug, otherwise it would've collapsed in his hands. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No worries, Tachibana-san," Miss Amakata shoos him off. "I know Haruka most likely wouldn't have told you how he felt about it. He likes to act strong, because he doesn't like people worrying about him."

Well, that's a no-brainer.

"Oh, and Tachibana-san?"

"Yes?" He asks. "And Makoto is just fine." There is something weird about his teacher addressing him so formally right now. Outside of school, she is Haruka's aunt, and he doesn't mind when people call him by his given name.

"Well, Makoto," Miss Amakata enunciates his first name, studying him curiously. "Do you have a crush on my nephew?"

Makoto nearly chokes on his coffee. "Wha-?" He stutters, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "I-"

There was a dark, knowing glint in her eyes, and she raises her mug to hide the growing smirk on her face. "I figured that was the case," She grins. "Haruka really isn't the type to make friends."

Makoto doesn't outright deny or confirm this supposed crush on Haruka, mainly because he isn't quite sure how he felt yet. Obviously, he felt something, but he has no idea what that is. As of this moment, Makoto just needs more time: time to figure out his feelings, time to make a plan of action, time to save Haruka's life. But time is slipping from his fingers, spilling and melting into an unfixable, amorphous glob.

"Though, I'm not sure why you're bothering to try in the first place," Amakata continues, her smirk diminishing into a disgruntled frown. "Surely he's not the most, um, pleasant person to get along with.

"I don't know, Amakata-sensei," Makoto sighs. He sets down the half-drunk coffee cup down on the side table and rubs his temples to relieve the forming stress under his skin. "I guess, I just see him, and I kind of see myself. I know what it's like to feel alone, to feel helpless. And I don't think anyone, no matter what they've been through, deserves that."

She smiles upon hearing his answer, but the mischievous glint still sparkling in her chocolate brown eyes. "I suppose you could look it at it that way. I think you're the only student in that school who cares for him, so, for his sake, I hope you don't give up on him."

"I won't," He promises her sheepishly, a warm blush creeping on his neck.

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret," Miss Amakata says in an airy voice, staring into her cup of coffee. "Haruka's actually been in much better spirits ever since you've been around."

"What?" Makoto asks incredulously. Haruka, in good spirits? Most of the time Haruka is hostile around him, and on a good day he is tolerable at best. "What do you mean?"

"Before, he'd never talk to anyone, and now he is bantering with Asuka again, even smiling sometimes, but it's only when he brings you up in conversation, which seems to be pretty often. You've made such a big impact on him, and I can't thank you enough for it."

"N-no, I can't take all the credit!" Makoto cries, shaking his head violently. There's no way he's been able to make that big of an impact on Haruka, no, Haruka hates him, right? He despises the idea of friendship, of human connection. He says he hates to be around other people. Is that... Is that all a front to hide the fact that's all he really wants?

The knowing smile and determined expression on Miss Amakata's face reveals that she is telling him nothing but the truth, and Makoto blushes shyly. "T-thank you," He eventually whispers.

"No, Makoto," She shakes her head slowly. "Thank you."

Their conversation is interrupted by Asuka, who bursts into the store from the back room. Pieces of hair are falling out of her curly ponytail, which bounces on her shoulder as she runs to their table. "Mom!" She shouts. "The new shipment of fiction books is here! Can we unbox them? Pleasepleaseplease- oh, hi, Tachibana-kun." She waves at him in a passing gesture.

"After dinner we can, Asuka," Miss Amakata tells her. "I have to go pick up Suzuka from daycare, so I need you to keep an eye on the shop. Ah! That reminds me, I better get going." She rises to her feet slowly, checking the clock on her phone.

"Mooom!" Asuka whines as she makes a move to walk away. She grasps on her wrist pleadingly.. "Please? The new J.K. Rowling book is in there! I need to read it right now! Tachibana-kun, can you help me? You're tall, you can get all the books onto the top shelves!"

"Asuka! Don't be rude!" She scolds her insistent daughter. She turns to Makoto, an exasperated expression on her face. "Makoto, honey, you don't have to-"

"It's no problem, actually," Makoto offers her a warm smile. "I'd love to help out. I actually want to purchase a book for my little sister anyway, and she loves fiction."

"Alright. I'll be back around seven..." She smiles wearily, apologetic for her daughter. "It was nice talking to you, Makoto. Take care of the store, Asuka. Don't let the place catch on fire."

With a teasing wink, she turns around and heads out the door, the doorbell tinkling upon her exit. With only a couple people in the store, Asuka seems to have no problem shouting excitedly as she drags Makoto to the back room.

"Come on, this way!" She pulls at his arm. "The boxes are way too heavy for me to carry, but you probably can. Wait, do you work out? Your arm feels very firm," She babbles animatedly, blushing when she realizes what she said. "Ohmygod, forget I said that."

Makoto laughs nervously and allows himself to be pulled towards the storage room, where four extremely large and heavy-looking boxes sit unopened. "Why don't we use that?" Makoto points to a cart that reminds him of a hotel luggage carrier.

"Oh, I didn't think of that," She says abashedly, moving towards the wheeled cart.

They work quietly and effectively, with Makoto heaving two of the boxes onto the cart – it is all the cart will hold, they'll have to make a second trip later – while Asuka cuts into the packaging tape with a box knife. Asuka directs him to where they need to go; a large section of the store towards the front sitting area. Makoto pushes the cart in between the narrow space of the bookshelves while Asuka stands on the cart, along for the ride.

"Stop here," She says. "The books aren't arranged alphabetically, so we will have to walk up and down the aisles to put the books according to author's last name."

She sits on the cart and pulls out a couple books, looking at the spines and knowing immediately where to put them. Makoto follows suit, going book by book. At first they work determinedly, silent to focus on putting the books in just the right place.

After a while, however, the letters of the titles begin to blur together upon staring at so many book covers, but he forces himself to stay focused to help out Asuka, who hums a familiar tune - perhaps a song he's heard on the radio - as she puts the books away. Occasionally she disappears to the other aisles to put away books.

After a few minutes of silence after Asuka had rounded the corner, Makoto takes a closer look at the books remaining in his box. Only twenty left, he realizes with relief. Thank goodness. He looks down at the book at the top of the pile; the new book from a series he recognizes his sister talking about a couple weeks ago. Grinning, he realizes it is the perfect book and makes a mental note to go back for it, suddenly realizing Asuka hasn't returned.

Makoto peers around another aisle to find Asuka sitting by the shelf, her nose literally shoved in a book. He approaches her just as she is taking a large whiff of the freshly printed pages, her eyes practically fluttering shut as she inhales the scent.

He clears his throat, unsure if he should feel amused or annoyed she's not working, and Asuka's eyes snap open, a blush warming her face. "Ah! Tachibana-kun!" She laughs nervously, slamming the book shut. "Hey, don't judge me! New book smell is the best!"

"You're a strange one, kiddo," Makoto shakes his head as he laughs, heading back towards the boxes to continue working. He hears Asuka scramble behind him, out of breath as she sprints to his side.

"I'm not strange," She defends herself, crossing her arms across the book protectively. "You're the strange one. I can't figure out how you've made Haruka so happy recently."

Now it is Makoto's turn to blush. He looks away from her intimidating gaze and focuses intently on the next book he's picked up, hardly focusing on the words, just seeing the last name begins with Z and rushes towards the last aisle.

It must be dumb luck, because he is completely alone when the number on his hand morphs into an 18, one less day, and he bites his lip and clutches his wrist desperately to keep from shouting out in pain.

When he returns to where Asuka is sitting, blinking back pained tears, he doesn't mention Haruka and instead takes the opportunity to get to know the teen better, so he asks her about school (a good starting point for conversation, he figures). Through her nonsensical babbling, he learns that Asuka plays the euphonium in their band, is the president of the French club (which does not surprise Makoto). This piece of information launches them into a conversation about the French language.

"So, you're fluent in French?" Makoto asks when she finishes talking about the bake sale their club had at the library the previous weekend.

"Yup," She smiles, popping the 'p'. "Been speaking it for as long as I can remember."

"Teach me how to say something," Makoto begs her.

"Okay. Ummm, repeat after me. Salut, je m'appelle Makoto," She recites in a perfectly-accented voice. "J'ai dix-sept ans."

Makoto repeats what she says, knowing full-well he's completely butchering the accent and probably offending the entire French-speaking world. Nevertheless, she nods happily, encouraging him to try again, in which he doesn't fail as massively.

They learn a few more terms, such as livre, au revoir, and café.

"Woah! You're so cool, Asuka-chan!" Makoto gushes when she recites a whole sentence in perfect French. "Ne, how do you say thank you?"

A smile blooms on Asuka's face and she looks up at him. "Merci," She tells him.

In this moment, he hears the doorbell tinkle and someone enters the bookstore, their feet pounding against the old wooden floors loudly. Asuka peers around the corner. "Haruka!" She greets him with a cheerful sense of sarcasm. "How nice of you to show up, thirty minutes late to your shift!"

Makoto hears Haruka huff in annoyance and the footsteps approach towards the spot where Makoto is crouched by Asuka near the stack of books.

"What are you doing here?" Haruka demands Makoto accusatorily, ignoring Asuka's sarcastic comment.

Makoto opens his mouth to reply, when Asuka saves him, clutching onto his arm protectively. Haruka notices this and he frowns immediately. "Makoto's helping me with the book shelving," She explains.

"Is that so?" He says in a flat voice, eyes never leaving Makoto's.

"Yeah, unlike you, who's been MIA for the whole afternoon."

"I was busy," Haruka mutters under his breath, turning away. He leaves the bookshelves and moves towards the cafe area of the book store, tossing on a dark blue apron and preparing the espresso makers. Makoto continues to help Asuka shelve the books and they go back for the other two large boxes, taking at least another half hour to finish them. Each time Makoto has to leave the aisles to put a book away, he sneaks a look at Haruka, who either looks bored or is busy helping a customer with a coffee order. The one time Haruka does catch him staring, however, his steely gaze softens the slightest bit - not much, but enough for Makoto to notice. He is incapable of hiding his smile when he returns to the book stack, earning an intrigued look and an eyebrow raise from Asuka.

"What?" Makoto asks, a little too harshly, feeling his cheeks grow warm.

"Nothing, nothing," She says quietly, avoiding his gaze and waves him off, suddenly extremely interested in the book in her hands.

The embarrassed feeling fails to cease and Makoto finishes the rest of the work without saying anything else. Asuka seems to notice his uneasiness and glances at him occasionally. She looks like she wants to say something, but keeps her mouth shut and eyes trained downward, looking shy.

Luckily, Miss Amakata returns within a few minutes after their awkward encounter, with a bouncy Suzuka in tow. Makoto checks his watch; it's eight in the evening, their standard closing time. He's been here for two hours now, and yet it feels like minutes.

Suzuka's cheerful voice rings throughout the bookstore (most likely disturbing the shoppers) as she runs through the aisles.

"Mako!" She screeches excitedly when she sees Makoto kneeling by a bookshelf, wedging a particularly large book into a tight spot. She practically jumps into his lap and throws her arms around his neck, pulling him into a sudden bear hug. Makoto laughs in surprise when she nuzzles her head into his shoulder, her giant red hair ribbon tickling his cheek.

"Good to see you too, Suzuka," Makoto hugs her back, falling backwards so he is sitting on the hardwood floor. "How was your day?"

"Oh, it was stupendous!" Suzuka trips over the large word; she must've learned it in school recently. "Today during outside playtime, Mari and I played mermaids, but then Takeo ruined the fun. He said he was a sea monster who ate mermaids!"

"That's not very nice," Makoto fake-pouts, playing along.

"I know," Suzuka shakes her head solemnly, and Makoto has to all but bite on the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at her dramatic stupor. "Boys are so stinky. I don't like them."

"They are," Makoto agrees. "That mean sea monster needs to go pick on someone his own size."

"Well, Takeo is actually the littlest kid in our class," Suzuka leans in close and whispers, as if she is letting him in on some huge secret. "I think he may just want a friend to play with."

"Perhaps tomorrow you invite him to play with you," Makoto suggests.

"I guess," Suzuka shrugs. "Anyway, guess what? Mommy packed me peanut butter cookies for lunch! It was so awesome, because Asuka is allergic, so we never buy peanut butter cookies, except on special days-"

"Suzuka! There you are!" Miss Amakata rounds the corner, hands on her hips when she sees the little girl in Makoto's lap, chattering away. "Oh, Makoto, you're still here! Why, you guys got all the books put away already? Normally it takes Asuka and me hours to shelve a new shipment."

"It's no big deal, really," Makoto tells her abashedly, scratching the back of his neck. He stands up, allowing Suzuka to continue to clutch onto his pant leg. "I was happy to help."

"Well, it's getting late. Are you staying for dinner?" Miss Amakata asks.

Haruka, who had randomly showed up in that exact moment, buts in with an answer before Makoto can open his mouth to reply. "Actually, he has to get going. Don't you, Makoto?" Haruka says in a sickeningly-sweet voice that makes Makoto feel uneasy.

"Nonsense. Makoto, please join us," Miss Amakata insists. "It's the least I could do to repay you for all your help this afternoon."

Haruka does not look pleased, and his distaste was not unknown to anyone. It was safe to say he is absolutely horrified at his aunt's invitation, but saying I don't want you here anymore in the presence of his aunt would not go over well.

Trying to ignore his steely glare, Makoto cracks a polite smile. "Uh, sure... I would love to, thank you."

"Great! Let's go upstairs, then!" Miss Amakata announces, leading the family into the back room.

Haruka stares at the floor while he walks, jaw set, hands shoved into his apron pockets. Makoto suddenly feels very awkward about showing up here unannounced in the first place, but can't help but feel like what was going through his mind was something more than an unplanned visit.

And yet, Makoto has no intention to leave in this moment. The last thing he wants to do is go home and face his mother, who is still clearly mad at him for whatever reason. Not to mention, all that working had worked up an appetite, and he needs to know what's going on with Haruka.

Death had warned him a couple days ago he needed to take this matter into his own hands. Saving Haruka isn't going to come easy, and if he wants to succeed, he's going to need to put in a lot more effort. Perhaps knowing more about his family will be the first step into figuring out what Haruka needs.

He just hopes that he will find those answers before it is too late.