Kokoro’s eyes widened, and Tojo-san held up the plastic bag in her hand. ‘I bought some ice cream, and it’d be a waste if it melts. Let’s go home and eat it.’

IT WAS NEARLY A YEAR since she’d last been at Tojo-san’s.

She was reminded how the layout was almost the same as her own house, though furnished entirely differently; the ornaments, paintings and rugs could not be more contrasting.

The floor was now covered with cardboard boxes. White boxes with Moving Centre printed on them. Kokoro realized, with a twinge, that it was true. She really was moving away.

The walls were still lined with the European prints collected by her father. Kokoro’s eye was drawn to the illustration from Little Red Riding Hood, the scene where the wolf, having swallowed Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother, is lying in bed as the hunter arrives.

Naturally this reminded her of her own Wolf Queen.

‘Oh, about that drawing …’ Tojo-san said, noting Kokoro’s interest. ‘It’s from Little Red Riding Hood, but she’s not actually in it. I told my dad I thought it was strange to hang a picture from a fairy tale when the main character isn’t shown there, but he said it was the only one he could buy. He said drawings with Little Red Riding Hood in them were way more expensive and he couldn’t afford them.’

‘Now that you mention it, you wouldn’t be able to work out from this single illustration that this is about Little Red Riding Hood. But I remember you telling me before, Moé-chan, so I already knew.’

The single clue was the wolf showing a swollen belly and the basket of wine lying on the floor.

Kokoro suddenly realized she’d called Tojo-san by the more familiar Moé-chan. Tojo-san didn’t seem to notice. ‘Right?’ was all she said, smiling in agreement. It made Kokoro feel happy.

‘Come over here,’ Tojo-san said, showing her into the sitting room. She took out two small tubs of ice cream from the bag. ‘Take whichever you like.’

Kokoro chose strawberry, Tojo-san took macadamia nut, and they sat opposite each other in companionable silence.

After a few minutes, Tojo-san suddenly said, ‘I’m sorry.’

She said it casually, and Kokoro knew she was trying to make it sound as light as she could. Tojo-san had been chipping away at the same spot in her ice cream, apparently carefully choosing the right moment. That’s how it struck Kokoro.

Kokoro bit her lip. She was painfully moved by Tojo-san’s apology, but she responded in the same tone. ‘It’s OK,’ she said.

Kokoro thought she knew why she was apologizing. Jabbing at the ice cream with her spoon, Tojo-san carried on speaking, though she avoided Kokoro’s eyes.