"Haku?"
"What, Chihiro?" He sounded impatient.
"Are you a boy or a girl?"
"What? Is that a joke?"
I have a lot of memories of adults misinterpreting me from then. I felt guilty.
"No."
"We don't have time for this, you know." He sighed.
I didn't really understand what was happening but Haku's urgency and severity scared me into doing what he said. I was more afraid of him than whatever danger there was.
"I mean it." I must have whined that but my voice never sounded like that to me.
"Why are you being ridiculous?"
He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me along. I remember a bridge and paper lanterns. Red poles. Everything felt alien and no one comforted me.
I clung to Rin's leg. She seemed irritated but she didn't stop me.
"Kids."
We were in an elevator but it wasn't sleek and metal like the ones I understood. She was so apathetic towards me but I clung to her. The elevator stopped.
"We're getting off here."
She tried to walk forward but I didn't let go.
"Come on, we have to see Yubaba."
She tried again but I still didn't let go. She looked and saw me crying, quietly but intensely. I got to her. She crouched down and tried to comfort me.
"Shh. It's okay. Calm down, alright? Take a deep breath."
I did so because she told me to. Whenever I cried back then it seemed like hours, but it couldn't have been more than a few minutes.
"Okay. Now follow me, alright? Good."
Later I would date girls who reminded me of Rin. I don't know if it was because of her or if she was just the first time I felt that way.