koi no yokan - robby keene.

so, this is goodbye?

Mari, 

I'm sorry. That's really all I have to say to you. I don't know what other words would suffice. I am really sorry. To you and Miguel and Mr. LaRusso. You tried to stop me and I didn't listen. 

I think I'm going to be gone for a while. I'm not sure where I'm going yet; some of my old friends said they could hook me up with a van to stay in for a little, then I'm heading out east. I heard they're looking for me, trying to send me to jail. I'm sorry, Mari, I just can't come back. 

If we don't see each other again, and I'm gone long before you go off to college and have success in some other corner of the world, I'm glad that I got to know you when I did. Even if it was just for the summer. I think you are the most talented, smart, kind person I have ever met. And hey, maybe it's good that I'm leaving. I might have just dragged you down with me. 

I smashed my phone somewhere between Santa Monica and Inglewood, so I won't be able to answer any of your messages. I wish we could see each other one more time before I go. I hope we can meet, some day far in the future where I'm not the kid who pushed Miguel Diaz off the school balcony and you're not the granddaughter of a karate legend, and we're just two normal people who are hanging out somewhere, normally. 

I'll miss you. Stay safe for me, okay?

-Robby 

She had read the damn note about a million times since then. Slept with it clutched in her hand. He had propped it on top of a grey zip-up hoodie of his, and she had been practically living in the thing since she had received it. Even the slightest notion of a lead on his return made her shiver. 

Mariko hopped into the car and sped over to the LaRussos, almost breaking down the door as she hurried inside. Daniel and Amanda had congregated around the dining room table, a laptop, map, and bottle of wine laid out in front of them. 

"What's going on? Have you found Robby?" 

Amanda sighed and shook her head. "No, sweetie. But our records say that we have a van missing from the dealership, and it's been missing for about the same time that Robby has been gone. We think he might have stolen it and taken it out of the city." 

Mariko tried to feign a shocked look, but she had always been told that she had expressive eyes. She looked down in an attempt to hide what she knew. 

"We sent the license plate number to the police, and they're out looking for him now. We're also trying to get the tracking technology up and working," Daniel explained.

"So," Mariko began. "It seems like you have it all under control. Why did you call me here?"

"We know that you and Robby were... close," Amanda started. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mariko asked, her tone laced with skepticism. 

"We aren't trying to scare him off. We just need him to be turned into the police himself, instead of continuing to run like this, so that his sentence will be lighter. And we know he trusts you, a lot," Daniel followed. "We figured that you were the best person to get him to be responsive." 

"So you want me to turn Robby into the police?" Mariko demanded. "I can't do that."

"Please, Mariko," Daniel reiterated. "It's been weeks. We're out of options. We just want to lessen his sentence and return him home safely." 

She sighed and rested her forehead in the palm of her hand. "I'll see what I can do." 

Thoroughly exasperated and reeling with the events of the day, Mariko trudged up stairs and sprawled herself out on her bed, rereading Robby's letter to her and trying to quell the growing ache in her chest.