CHAPTER 1: UNSEEN
Disclaimer: Rights belong to Hayao Miyazaki.
If this would be a perfect world..
.. we'll be together now...
The legend is not true that somebody will forget his/her memories in the Spirit World once he/she exited the boundary. Not for Chihiro, because she still remembers every tiny bit of details about her experience. From the food her parents savoured, from the taste of the wildberry, from the smell of Haku when he covered her, and from his lingering touch that continued to hunt her before she sleeps.
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~~~oOo~~~
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"Pssst, Chihiro, wake up!"
"What?!" Chihiro said as she opened her one eye, only to be greeted by a blue-eyed girl and a blinding sunlight behind her. Feeling a little groggy, she decided to close her eyes again and shifted her body to the left, facing away the girl who awakened her. She covered her face with a pillow, trying to protect her eyes.
Her action was no use as the woman kept shaking her body, her face wiggling that made her turn to that bloody woman again and open both of her eyes.
"WHAT?!"
Her mouth formed a little 'o' when it finally came to her that the ceiling was different. The girl kept silent, as she noticed that Chihiro was finally awakened.
Chihiro sat on the bed, noticing the blue mattress was different to her pink one. She looked around, and this was not really the environment she used to wake up to in the morning. She remained quiet for seconds, then turned to the girl who was staring at her all the time.
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"Where am I? And... who are you?!" She unconsciously dropped the pillow on the floor.
The girl was obviously startled at first. But then, she put a gentle smile on her face and lifted her right hand for Chihiro to shake.
"I'm Hanami. I'm Ryo's younger sis. You're in his room. Nice to meet you!" She put on the best smile she could muster.
"Who's Ryo?"
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Noticing that Chihiro has no plan of shaking her hand, she slowly put it away. Because Hanami is an optimistic and cheerful girl, she didn't feel insulted but felt surprised.
"You.. you didn't know my brother? Then... why are-"
"She was drunk last night."
A husky masculine voice came from nowhere, interrupting Hanami. The two girls both looked at the direction of the voice, where a black haired man was leaning lazily on the open door, one feet on the ground and one feet on the door, arms crossed on his chest, and eyes fixed on Chihiro.
This was indeed true. When Hanami came to wake her, she smelled a nasty smell of beer and alcohol.
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"H-huh?" Chihiro hastily leaped out of bed and walked towards him, leaving the bed mattress on a complete mess.
"What are you saying?" She walked shakily, her head aching and her eyes squinting. "I'm not drunk... I- AAAH!"
She fell on her butt as she tripped on a scattered magazine on the floor. She tried to hold on to a small table, but it fell too and the contents on it scattered. She heard the boy smirked and Hanami tried not to laugh.
"Damn!" She picked the magazine which was on her side and glanced at it. She pointed at it hastily using her other hand. "Damn y- AH!" She threw the magazine away from her because she didn't like what she saw. A magazine for a hormonal boy, what the hell.
"What the heck is that?!" Her eyes ardently glaring at him, her finger pointing again hastily on the poor magazine.
Hanami widened her eyes, realizing what Chihiro saw.. "Ryo! Is that a.. a.."
"Yes." He abruptly kicked the magazine away. "Now, can you get that woman out of here?"
"But you brought her here." Hanami crossed her arms on her chest.
"She was so drunk that an old man tried to take her. If only I knew she would mess in here, I should've not brought her. I needed to sleep in the sofa because of that." Ryo started to head towards the door.
"I never told you to save me! And besides.." She stopped, thinking of a possible retort. "...that man might be my father!" Chihiro stood up and stomped her foot.
"A father trying to rape his daughter, wow. Tell her wow. And also, tell her it's always free to say thank you." At that point, Ryo completely left.
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...
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Chihiro turned around and faced Hanami, her head a bit shaky because of the quick swing of head.
"He.. maybe he's just tired. Forgive him. Come with me to the kitchen Chihiro, we'll get something to eat." Hanami's soothing voice calmed Chihiro a bit, but her headache didn't stop her from being groggy.
"How did you know my name is Chihiro?" Hanami stopped in her walking and looked at Chihiro.
"Your ID." Hanami walked to a table and picked something. "This!" She turned to look at Chihiro's ID and gasped. "You're just seventeen?!"
Chihiro scratched her head as she grabbed her ID. "Yeah.."
"But how were you allowed to go at a bar?"
Then like a swift thunder, Chihiro remembered everything. She remembered she went to a bar and drunk all her might and her allowance can afford. And, she was with her friends, yes. Kana, Aimee, Liz. Thank God she has still her memories.
"My.. my friends were 20, so yeah."
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"Wow! Nutella!" Chihiro grabbed her spoon and quickly dipped it inside the jar. "My grandma used to buy this for me."
Surprisingly, Ryo was there to join their breakfast. How Hana convinced him to let Chihiro eat with them? Well, let's say Hanami just used her sister power.
"It seems like you had tasted it for the first time. Calm down, pig."
"Killjoy."
...
They ate in silence. Ryo, wanting to ask Chihiro something that was in his mind since he carried her, spoke to break the silence.
"Hey, who's Haku?"
She coughed. She almost dropped her spoon if not for her quick action.
"Huh?" She looked at Ryo, his eyes expecting an answer from her.
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"..."
Realizing that she looks like a derp, Chihiro looked away and said "What are you saying?"
"You were mumbling in your sleep Chihiro. You were mumbling a name Haku." Hanami replied even though she was not the one Chihiro was talking to.
"O-oh.." Not even realizing she was blushing, she pretended to be busy by eating. "Just a friend."
Just a friend...
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SPIRIT WORLD
"Who is she?"
"I believe that she is Chihiro's spirit counterpart."
"Chihiro?"
"Oh, nobody. Just take care of the girl, will you, Haku?"
"Yes."
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Sitting in the chair beside Yubaba's window, a girl with gray hair flowing til her waist gently taps her finger on the chair. Her hair is not the boring shade of gray, but a beautiful color that it looks shiny and smooth. Her shoulders were bare, exposing her skin that was pale and flawless and matches her blue sleeveless kimono, and her sleepy-looking icy blue eyes watching on a distant. She bites her lips from time to time, making it seem that she's nervous or something.
"I'll lead you to your room."
As if startled from the masculine voice, she looked up, only to see a pair of emerald eyes staring back at her in awe. She looked so beautiful, so adorable, so demure while her mouth formed a little 'o'.
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She closely followed behind him.
"I thought my room is on the 2nd?" She spoke for the first time. Her voice was soothing, soft and innocent. She put her gentle white fingers on Haku's shoulder and they stopped walking.
"Change of plans. Yubaba ordered you'll be on the third." He looked behind his shoulder, to find the girl's icy eyes innocently looking at him. She immediately put away her arm, and looked away. She reminds him of someone he doesn't know who.
Haku never thought that a woman could be this beautiful.
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"YOUUUUUUUU! I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!"
Hanami tried to calm the raging Chihiro who is now in front of a calm looking Ryo sitting in his chair, ready to attack him if only Hanami was not holding her. She kicked and punched the space between them, aiming for Ryo but he is still inches away.
"Calm down Chihiro." Hanami said worriedly, grunting while trying to stop Chihiro from nearing her brother.
Why did Chihiro exploded to this level of anger when just a while ago they were eating peacefully? Ryo just narrated everything he saw from carrying Chihiro in the bar until she slept in his room.
"Okay, I'm sorry for my brother's behalf.. Chihiro, is that enough for you to calm down?"
For Hanami's sake, Chihiro thought. After a few seconds, Hana let go of her.
Chihiro sighed. "Sorry Hanami."She dusted her skirt and straightened her blouse. "I'm going now, thank you for the food Han.." She headed for the door. She can't stay here any longer, she's just causing trouble to Hanami and besides, Ryo doesn't welcome her.
"Aren't you going to say thanks to me before you leave?"
Chihiro stopped while holding the door. She smirked. "In your face, perv." And by that, she closed the door rather abruptly.
~~~oOo~~~
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Ryo plopped down on his bed. This was a tiring day, he thought. But before he switched off the light in his lampshade, he noticed something on is study table.
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...She forgot to bring her bag.
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Author:
Well at least I made Haku appear in the first chappie...
Hello people! My first attempt to a SA fanfic.. Tell me what you think!
REVIEW!