Yellow hiking boots made small indentations in the soft grass as Chihiro made her way up a steep banking. The sweet scent of tsubaki flowers hung in the air, and a few of their crimson petals had drifted onto the narrow pathway in front of her. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead, and the young woman wiped it away with her thin forearm. Determination drove her exhausted body up the embankment and the warm, spring breeze whipped up her long, brown ponytail like a sea storm. Chihiro's brow furrowed as she fought to dismiss her body's urges to stop and rest. She couldn't take a break now, she was almost there. She pushed onwards, her pink cargo shorts flapping in the unforgiving wind.
As the girl made her way to the top of the banking, she saw a cluster of maple trees, their leaves an orange and red ocean of ever flowing, harmonic movement. Her eyed glinted in the radiant sunlight, 'i'm finally here.' Her short legs carried her at speed toward the trees, the wind blowing on the back of her white, flowing blouse, pushing her toward her destination. 'This is it,' she thought, 'i've made it to the most secluded spot on the Kohaku river.' The golden rays created dancing shadows on the river bank below the swaying branches of the maples. Chihiro stepped carefully and quietly through the surrounding genus, her wide eyes fixated on the glistening water in front of her. Tiny hairs on her skin stood up on end as she approached the calm water. A gentle gasp escaped from between her thin lips as a gleaming, teal dragonfly flew gracefully across her line of vision. 'The victory bug,' Chihiro thought, cherishing the perfection of the moment.
For so many years, only in her dreams had she heard this familiar trickle of water, felt its soothing touch on her skin, and now she was here once again. Slipping her khaki rucksack off her shoulders and placing it down on a nearby moss covered rock, Chihiro made her way toward the flowing water. She slipped her shoes off, leaving them standing on smooth pebbles. Another two steps, and the cool water was caressing her ankles. The young woman gasped at the sensation, waiting for her body to grow accustomed to the temperature before walking deeper into the clear river. The water seemed to calm as she walked in, as if to avoid sweeping her away. The small minnow darted away from under smooth rocks as she approached the centre of the river, the ripples now reaching her waist. Chihiro lay back, letting the water carry her. The delicate waves enveloped her small body, and the flow of the river stopped entirely, as if all of its natural energy gravitated toward Chihiro. Her white blouse floated on the surface of the water, becoming slightly translucent as it clung to the contours of her frame. "I knew it," her soft voice echoed around the clearing, "I knew that you'd remember me, Haku."
The wind picked up as she spoke, plucking crimson leaves from the trees and scattering them across the river bed, and into the water. Chihiro's round cheeks flushed a gentle pink as the water around her waist seemed to warm up. "I've missed you." A loving smile painted Chihiro's face, pure emotion beaming from every inch of her. The water that carried her began to flow once again, bobbing the young woman's body up and down playfully. She let out a child-like giggle, and outstretched her arms, closing her eyes, taking in the reality of the situation. "I need to tell you something," Chihiro's tone became a little more serious, the wind died down, the water calmed. "I came here for a number of reasons," she told Haku, "so please listen to my story before you react, ok?" She gulped in anticipation, as she lay emerged in the comforting embrace of the Kohaku river.
"I'm seventeen now Haku. I'm growing up, and my parents keep asking me when i'm going to go to university or get a job. I've thought about the idea of doing something with my life here, but I really don't have any passion left in my life at all. Every night I dream about the spirit world, about you. Every morning I wake up feeling empty. I told my parents that I was visiting a town close to here so I could look around universities, but really... I just wanted to come here, to see you again. I want to feel that excitement just one more time before I have to continue with my dull existence. I don't know why, but every thought I have about my future somehow ends up coming back to you. I think that maybe ... we're meant to be together. At least just once more time! So please... please Haku. I want to be with you again... I want to be spirited away. Just one more time."
The water began to cool, and Chihiro shot up with a shriek. A strong gust of wind blew in the opposite direction, urging her out of the water, out of the cluster of trees. "Huh?" the young woman's voice echoed through the clearing once more. "You want me to leave?" The water became more violent against her legs, the waves pushing her outwards. Chihiro's heart dropped to her stomach. She clenched her fists in determination. With her brow furrowed, she yelled, "well i'm not leaving!" Suddenly the water around her dropped to an icy temperature. She wailed, wading to the shallow bed of the river and propelling herself onto the pebbles. She dragged herself up, her face the picture of rage. "So first you're happy to see me!" she cried, salty tears stinging the corners of her eyes. "And now this!" Chihiro took a large pebble from beside her foot and launched it into the middle of the river. An earsplitting splash rung through the clearing, and the girl sniffled as she was sprayed with droplets of falling water. "I know what you're saying to me right now, you're just like everybody else!"
Chihiro felt a familiar rebellious fire burning in her heart. "Everyone thinks that they know what's best for me!" She picked up another stone and threw it, being drenched by another cascade of water. "My parents, my teachers my friends! All of them!" The young woman dropped to her knees and let out a pained sob. "This is what i've chosen to do, for me! Everyone tells me to go and study, see the world, get a job. None of it brings me any joy whatsoever!" She wiped tears from her face with her dripping arm, mixing the salty tears with the fresh water from the river. "For some reason, this, this brings me happiness, you bring me happiness. I'm not asking for much, just the option to make my own choice for once!" Chihiro raised her head and looked directly in front of her, her eyes brimming with passion and determination. "So don't turn me away, unless it's because you don't want to see me. Don't act like you know what's best for me because I've thought about this every single day since I was a child." Chihiro grabbed her rucksack and pulled it toward her. She set it down on the pebbles and lay her head onto the soft fabric. "I'll be waiting right here." She sulked, crossing her arms over her drenched chest and shivering a little as the breeze swept over her body. The air around her began to warm up. Chihiro stuck out her bottom lip and turned her head away from the river. The calm clearing was silent and the sky changed into a brilliant watercolour of swirling pink, gold and orange tones as the sun began to set.
'I'm not giving up.' Chihiro thought, 'I know what i want.'
The sun slowly disappeared over the horizon, sending spectacular rays shining through the maple branches. The glowing light danced on Chihiro's plump cheek as she lay on her side, her heart pounding. She began to feel warmer and warmer, even though the sun was going down and the sky was ever darkening. Her tense body began to relax, muscle by muscle, as the comfortable heat surrounded her. She let the feeling wash over her. Her heart beat began to slower, and her breathing became more shallow. The warm sensation was soon followed by an acute pressure. Chihiro gasped, but in time began to realise that it felt like a pair of strong arms wrapped around her body from behind. The sensation became increasingly real, until the girl's delicate fingertips were tracing over soft skin, gentle hairs and larger hands. A steady heartbeat could be felt on her back, as a chest was pressed up against her. Two legs were tangled with her own. Chihiro melted into the embrace, letting her every worry wash away with the flowing river beside her.
"You're right," a deep voice whispered into her ear. The sensation of his hot breath on her neck caused her to shudder. "I didn't realise that our connection would be this strong within you so soon, I had expected you to be older, and to have experienced much more before wanting to see me again." The vibrations from his voice sent shivers throughout her entire body. "But if this is what you truly want, Chihiro, then we can be together, one last time."
Chihiro turned her head around and locked eyes with Haku. An intense feeling rushed through her chest, pummelling her insides. A huge smile spread across both of their faces as they set eyes on each other. The wind picked up every coloured leaf, every flower petal, and swirled them around the two like a tornado. Chihiro flung herself across Haku, laying on top of him. Her delicate arms propped her up at either side of his head, and he stared at the girl in awe.
"I've wanted to do this since I was a little girl," she smiled. Slowly she lowered her head towards him, their faces were only inches apart. Their lips collided in a passionate embrace. Water from the river continued to flow peacefully, colourful leaves settled down on the ground, and the two were lit up by a beautiful, white moonlight. Their lips were intertwined, their legs tangled. Haku's hands explored Chihiro's back and stroked her wet hair. In this moment, there was nothing else in the world but the two of them. Chihiro broke the kiss and the two grinned sweetly at each other. Their eyes glinted in the moonlight as they embraced once more, before turning over and letting their eyes wander across the brights stars that could be seen through the gaps in-between the trees. Their hands were locked together. "Tomorrow," Haku said, his voice flowed out, smooth and soft. "Tomorrow, we will have the best day of our lives."