Chihiro
Chihiro, though not living very far from the school she goes too, rides the community bus. But those days where everything is getting to her she decides to walk home. This was one of those days. It brutally cold today and her hat was smashed down on her head and she pulled her gloves on tight. She left the school grounds and started towards her house.
She wasn’t walking very long before she heard the patter of running shoes hitting the ground. Each hit to the ground, the sound came closer. She didn’t want to look behind her because that just draws them in. She heard heavy breathing and then the steps sounded closer, but as they got closer, they slowed. “Hey!” A deep voice said right by her ear. She snapped around and there was Kao. Hisdark brown, almost black eyes peered into hers.
“Can I help you?” She asked. He held up his finger and turned around. He got into his bag and pulled out a thick binder full of paper. Chihiro gasped. “Where did you get this?!” She said sternly to him.
“You left it in the language room. I thought I’d be nice and grab it for you.” She felted relief. At least he didn’t look through it and just wanted to be nice and give it back to her. She kindly grabbed it from him and stuffed it into her bag. “Look, Chihiro. I’m sorry about what I said in class. I really didn’t know.” He took a step towards her. “I just think that you don’t get told often how beautiful you look. I know, you told me that there’s someone else. But, I just want you to know, there’s a certain way girls like you should be treated. And that’s with respect and kindness. And if he’s treating you any other way, it’s not even worth it.”
“Well, I appreciate you concern, but I’m fine. I don’t need your help. Especially when I haven’t even known you for more than a week. Just keep your nose in your own business and I’ll keep mine out of yours.” He looked down at the side walk and scuffed his shoe.
“Yeah, your right. Sorry to bug you. I just wanted to return your binder. That’s all.” He nodded at her and the turned at walked away.
Haku
“I can’t believe they were all freaking out about someone wanting to use the Big Tub…” Haku thought as he shut the last of the many doors to his office. “It’s been 83 years sense No Face used it… plus I re-opened it around 50 years ago.” He recalled how after the big ordeal with No Face and Sen, in her last days at the bathhouse, Yubaba had closed the Big Tub to have it purified. Haku, seeing it pointless, opened the tub up years ago but all of the spirits where still too worried and scared to use it. They thought that if they used it No Face’s dark aura would stick to them.
Haku sat at his desk and looked around the large room. With a snap of his fingers a fire started in the fire place and he walked over to it. He sat down cross legged and thought back to how he had got to this point.
It all started when Chihiro helped him remember his real name.
The Kohaku River.
They had been falling from the sky on their way back to the bathhouse from Zeniba’s. Chihiro had helped him remember who he really was. He told her that he was going to go back and tell Yubaba he was done doing her dirty work because he finally knew his name.
That all changed once Chihiro answered Yubaba’s question right and Haku ran her to the edge of town and told her that he couldn’t go any farther and to not look back.
--- FLASHBACK---
“Why am I letting you go?” Was all Haku could think as he watched Chihiro run past the dried river and toward the building where her parents stood calling her name. He wanted her to look back so bad but he knew it would only harm her if she did, her soul would get lost and stuck between worlds.
