Chapter 1: First Day of Chihiro's High School Life

Disclaimer: Spirited Away is not mine.

It's already been six years since she left the Spirit World. And it's already been six years of waiting for something she's not sure if is still going to happen. For someone that she didn't know if would still come.

As years passed, the memories about the Spirit World and the people she met there were slowly becoming vague. Sometimes, she'd think that all those that had happened to her were just the work of her playful imagination, were just the product of her young mind. Sometimes, she'd think that, perhaps, it would be better that way. For those memories to be just the work of her mind, then she'd never have to feel this pained. She'd never have to wait this long.

For something that will never happen. For someone that will never show up.

The cherry blossoms were at full bloom like they usually would during the first day of school. Today was the start of Chihiro's high school life. She should be happy. After all, high school is always the peak of everyone's life. But instead, she feels like the next three years of her high school life is yet again going to be a three years of painful waiting.

Chihiro stood under the pink cherry blossoms and sighed. Her violet hair band was gleaming under the sunlight, keeping her hair from falling with a tight ponytail.

How long, really, was she going to wait?

It's already been six years and she feels as if she wouldn't be able to take it any longer if she'd have to wait any longer. She wanted to stop because she was already tired. But something inside of her was keeping her from doing so.

Keeping her from giving up.

But it hurts. That she was sure of.

Perhaps, perhaps it's better to just forget about all of it.

'This is all Haku's fault.' she could feel the fat tears attempting to come out from her eyes.

Chihiro whacked her cheeks and she felt by the way they stung that she did it rather too forcefully.

'What's wrong with me? When did I become such a cry baby!?'

She took a deep breath to calm herself before she squared her shoulders and walked on the way to school… awkwardly – like someone who'd join a sumo wrestling contest.

Class 1-C

Chihiro inhaled and exhaled before she opened the door to her new classroom. Like she expected, she ended up in an average class. Well, it was hard getting in this school. She had to study really hard so that she could pass the entrance test. She tried to show a positive vibe to the strangers inside the room. And she desperately hoped she wasn't doing a bad job doing so.

All freshmen please proceed to the gymnasium. All freshmen please proceed to the gymnasium.

The people inside the class immediately stood and went out of the room. Chihiro stood frozen looking at them. Perhaps, looking for anyone she knew. But all her new classmates were mere strangers.

'What are you doing? Just leave your bag here.' a girl with a short bob cut hair said while pointing to the empty chair next to her seat.

'C'mon we're going to be late!'

'O-okay!'

When they arrived, the whole gymnasium was already packed with freshmen students. Small signboards show where each section from Class A to E are going to line up. Chihiro, together with her new found… err, stranger, stood at the end of the line. She could barely see the person speaking in front because all the others affront her were just so tall. What took her so long to come in here, anyway?

An old man with a kind face who's probably on his late 50s was standing at the stage. He's the principal of the school. She would know by the way the teachers and the other students looked at him.

'Now, let's hear some inspiring words from the student who topped this year's entrance exam. The stage is yours.'

Right. There has to be someone who topped that difficult exam. But Chihiro really has no way of knowing who it was since her other classmates and the people from the other classes were blocking her view.

'Miss, I think you dropped your handkerchief,' a boy standing next to her said while pointing at her belonging.

'Ha! This is mine, thanks!'

'No problem. I'm Katsuki. I think we're from the same class and you are?'

Chihiro beamed. She didn't think she'd get to talk to people in her class this instant.

'I'm Chihiro. Nice to meet you!'

'As expected from someone who'd top the entrance exam, not much of a talker, isn't he?' the girl with the bob cut hair said.

She totally forgot about it! When Chihiro tip-toed, the person was no longer in front.

'What does he look like?' Chihiro managed to ask.

'Oh just your typical high school lover boy.'

'Ehhh?'

'I'm Lin by the way,' the girl with the bob cut hair said.

'Lin?'

The image of a woman in her late teen years popped inside Chihiro's mind.

'Yep, that's me!'

'Geez Lin, stop acting cool,' the boy, Katsuki, said.

'Katsuki and I went to the same middle school.'

'Wow, that's so nice. I don't really know anyone here. He..he.'

'Well, we can stick with each other if you like,'

Chihiro nodded with a big smile plastered on her face. When the orientation was finished, all the students went back to their respective classrooms.

Chihiro was sitting near the window with Katsuki sitting behind her back and Lin sitting at the chair on her right. Their classroom adviser was a fresh graduate English teacher who's rather way too emotional as she cries and easily gets teary-eyed even due to trivial matters.

For Chihiro, it really felt like a normal first day class.

During lunch, Chihiro ate with Lin as Katsuki chose to buy his food on the cafeteria. Apparently, he was not very fond of bentos. Or rather, he just didn't have anyone to make it for him.

'Well, we usually make more than enough food at home. I can probably give him some tomorrow,' Chihiro thought to herself.

'What clubs are you planning to affiliate with?' Lin asked.

'Clubs?'

'Yup, first years need to register to at least one club for extra-curricular.'

'Hmm, I really can't think of anything at the moment.'

'Well, you better think fast because we only have one week to get ourselves registered. By the way, are you planning to eat these omelets?'

'Uh no, take it if you like,' Chihiro said smiling.

BLAG!

Chihiro jumped on her seat and looked at the newly arrived person.

'W-what happened?' Katsuki had some small bruise on his neck.

'Nah, nothing serious. I just came across some arrogant leech.'

'It's the first day of school and you already picked a fight? What's wrong with you?' Lin said while taking a bite at her omelet.

'Well, guess what, nothing's wrong with me, but there really is something wrong with that Class-A dude!'

'I don't think students from Class-A just easily pick fights unless you do anything stupid to them first,' Lin said as a matter of fact.

'Well, tell you what, that guy's an exemption!'

'Okay, now, now…' Chihiro said while trying to keep the two from fighting. Even though it's the first day of school, she feels as if she's already known them for years. It's comforting.

Maybe, maybe high school isn't so bad after all. This is probably the first step to moving on from all her wishful thinking. From all her hallucinations.

The sun was about to set when their class ended and Chihiro was fixing her things. Lin invited her to walk home with her and Katsuki. Apparently, the two were also neighbors. No wonder why they get along so well.

Knowing that she was the only one left in the classroom, Chihiro started packing her things quick. But a strong wind came so swift and flew some of Chihiro's notes outside the window, going at the back of the first year building.

She clutched her hair, frustrated.

'Why do I always get caught in awkward situations!?'

Chihiro was left with nothing but to get her notebook downstairs, hoping no one would have seen her crappy handwriting.

A lot of trees were unexpectedly located in there. The sun's rays passed through the tree branches and the walls of the building were covered with glimmering golden lights, it felt nostalgic.

Chihiro found her notebook on the ground.

'Ah, there you are,' she said while picking up her notebook and dusting it off some dirt. She flipped through the pages, making sure that the schedule she has written was free from the soil's grime. But her heart stopped when she saw that the page where she wrote it was torn out.

'Are you really not going to take a notice of me, Chihiro?'

Dug. Dug. Dug. Dug.

A familiar voice said. There was no way she would mistake that voice for anyone else's.

She heard footsteps going near.

Chihiro stood frozen on her spot. And the footsteps were coming nearer and nearer from where she was standing. Until she could practically feel that its owner was standing right behind her back.

And ever slowly, she managed to turn her back to face him.

Dug. Dug. Dug. Dug.

She didn't know if it was possible to have a heart attack and still be standing.

There he was.

The sun's rays were tracing his pale white skin, looking almost enchanting like he looked like when they were younger.

'Ha… Haku?'

-To be continued

A/N: This chapter was longer than I expected. Well, to inform you all, this is a multi-chap story that I'm planning to write. But I'm not really thinking of including any fantastic plot twist AT THE MOMENT lol so if you're expecting… Also, I can't promise that there will be immediate updates because I'm a sleepy girl with a really busy schedule. So if I'm not busy, I'm probably sleeping. Or watching Boku no Hero XD

Anyway, yeyyy I'm not feeling that sluggish to do recreational activities this semester! Maybe it's because of the holiday feels. Anyway, please tell me what you think about this chapter through leaving a review. It's so fun to read about your thoughts.

xx Annie