Chapter One
I quietly walk down the lonely sidewalk, lightly humming the tune of KAT-TUN's most recent single. The rain is dripping, and my shoes make a little sucking sound every time I step. Life after the trip to the spirit world feels so boring and bland, so I spend every day of my life trying to fill it in and distract myself from him. School, extracurriculars, hobbies, chores, jobs, everything just merges into a bleak block of activities to do to try your best to move farther in life. But how does one move forward if one is stuck on a random episode of your childhood? Granted, it was something quite extraordinary and out of this world, but it still holds you back from living on.
I feel a shiver run slowly down my spine as I notice someone walking behind me, which is quite unusual. It is ugly outside, with the rain and the wind, and it's really late. Oh no, what if it's a pervert? As soon as that thought strikes me, I take off running, clasping my schoolbag to my chest. Thank goodness I am in the track team, otherwise I wouldn't stand a chance.
"Chihiro?" I hear someone call my name, and I freeze in shock. The voice is so familiar, but yet, that happening is impossible! Slowly I turn back, and I see him standing there. Haku!
"Haku?" I smile and sprint towards him, trapping him in a huge bone-crushing hug. "I missed you so much!"
"Sorry..." he mumbles and returns feebly the hug. He is so cold, so unusually cold!
"Hey, are you...oh!" I gasp as he slumps down on my shoulder and it feels like he is slowly, but surely, disappearing. Shit. When I was in the spirit world, I also started fading, so it must be the same way with spirits too then. Hmm...I know I have a sandwich lying around here somewhere! Oh! I slowly feed him little chunks of the sandwich, and, soon enough, he looks alive. Maybe not healthy, but at least he's alive.
"Sorry..." he murmurs, his head still on my shoulder. I laugh, happy to see my best friend after six long years.
"So...what are you going to do now?"
"I don't know?"
"Where are you going to live?"
"I don't know, somewhere?" he responds, shrugging. Did he not plan this at all? Like I thought maybe he thought this through somewhat, as he got a haircut that matches what any basic guy has (it looks really nice on him though, and it's still the nice dark seaweed green), but he doesn't know where he's even going to live! How dumb is he anyways? Gee...
"Ugh," I sigh, resigned. "Guess you can just crash at my apartment then." Thank goodness my parents let me have my own apartment in the city, as there's no decent high schools where we live, and my parents would have been way too lazy to move back. So convenient.
"Oh, thanks!" he lights up, with a huge dazzling smile that goes up to his ears.
"Get ready for a crash course on how to live in the human world!" I laugh, running to my apartment as if I'm deranged, pulling him behind me like a rag doll.
We're finally home, and I throw my shoes off my sore feet.
"Hey, Haku?"
"Yeah?"
"What do dragons eat?"
"Food, obviously, what else?"
"Are you a dragon?"
"Yes. I thought you knew that. Are you all right? Did you fall?"
"Yes, I fell in love with you!"
"Huh?"
"Oh, hahaha, just kidding...oops...sorry..." This just made things super awkward...I really should keep my big mouth shut tight. What would happen if he thinks I actually have a crush on him or something? It would be so difficult to live with each othe-
"Ahahahah, it's okay. I knew it was a joke, like, duh, who would ever fall for me, hm? An idiot that couldn't remember his own name!"
"Hey!"
"What?"
"Did you just call me an idiot too!?"
"Yes, I did!"
"How dare you!" I scream, and assault him with my fatal tickle attack. He laughs (that's the usual reaction when one is tickled) and we fall down on the floor, howling. We sit together, play-fighting each other, and I start thinking. It's great that we're kids again, and it's great that Haku is more relaxed, more laid-back than when he was in his own world.
"So, what do people do?" he looks at me, puzzled.
"What do you mean, do?"
"Like, people eat, right? What other things do people do? Are people any different from spirits?"
"Of course people are different from spirits! First off, we need food. Without food, we cannot live for long."
"Ohhhh...but spirits have their own equivalent of food."
"What is it?" I ask, genuinely curious.
"Your soul," he looks into my eyes, serious, and I gasp.
"Oh no!"
""Oh no!"" he parrots me, and I pout, pissed. How dare he? I'm actually scared! I would love to keep my soul to myself, thank you very much.
"B-b-b-but-"
"Shhhh..." he lays gently a finger on my lips, "I was kidding." I let out a sigh of relief and giggle awkwardly. I'm so gullible, aren't I. Pff... "Although some do, but not many."
"Huh-"
"It all depends on what kind of spirit you are."
"Ohhh..."
"Speaking of food, can you give me some food? I'm sorry for impeding on you and cleaning out your pantry, but I kind of don't want to fade away and disappear."
"Oh my goodness! I'll make you dinner!" I scream, excited. I finally get to host a dinner party, although it's just for the two of us. Haku of course couldn't have sampled all of the delicious food that we have in the spirit world, so now he has a chance! And, of course, I can finally cross off "dinner party" from my bucket list.
"What is dinner?"
"Dinner is the third meal that people eat in a day, not counting snacks. Usually people eat it with someone, but sadly, it's not always the case. Eating food without anyone being with you to enjoy the meal and the flavours gets quite lonely sometimes."
"So now I'll eat meals with you!"
"Yeah, that's the idea behind a dinner party." Hmm, because this is a "dinner party", maybe I can break out the alcohol? No, that's a horrible idea, who knows how dragons are when they're tipsy.
I start cooking up the meal, and while I'm chopping up the spring onions for my dish, I hear light snores coming from his direction. I look at him, and see that he fell asleep. Poor him, this day must have been exhausting. Imagine just being in a world where everything is unfamiliar and you have no way of navigating through the endless stream of information and new things bombarded at you every second. I take a blanket off my bed and put it over him to keep him warm.
I quietly sit down next to him, trying not to wake him from his light doze, and sigh. I was on my feet the whole day, and it feels so good to not stand. I close my eyes, relaxed, and leaning my head on his shoulder, nod off myself.
Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or its characters.