Beside each other 2(The barrier that unbinds them)
She didn't think she was dreaming this time. As she gazed into Haku's dark green eyes, she felt like he can see what's in her mind. Chihiro was in panic because she didn't know how to react in this kind of situation. It made her heartbeat fast, her hand moisted with sweat and her blood rushing through her veins. She tried to think fast at this moment even though she'll just temporarily escape Haku's presence for a while.
What if Haku will mention my name in front of everyone? What if he'll suddenly tell that I was the girl he saved from the Spirit world? Certainly, a lot will ask us if how are we related to each other and humors would easily spread. This is too unexpected. Why in this place and time? I need to do something quickly! I couldn't just sit here and stare at him forever. Chihiro…Do something!
That was all that entered Chihiro's mind as she suddenly stood up while everyone in her classroom was silent. She gathered all her confidence to say something while Haku was standing in front.
"Chihiro, what's the problem? Why did you suddenly stand up?" Their teacher asked her.
"Sensei… I can't…" Chihiro said in a soft voice and placed her fingers near her temple and forehead. With a sudden fall in the floor, she made everyone panic and shocked at the same time, even Haku. She fell flat on the floor and she could hear the ruckus that she caused and felt that some of her classmates helped her. Though Chihiro just planned it, half of her fainting act was true. She couldn't think clearly and it made her mind dizzy and her heart beating fast. She just closed her eyes and hoped that the situation wouldn't get worse or else she would end up regretting it.
Chihiro thought that it was all an act but she didn't expect that the darkness will swallow her mind. And that was after she heard a voice behind her ears.
"Chihiro…" It called her name in a gentle voice that it wanted her to open her eyes. She could feel that she's being brought somewhere but she couldn't move a single muscle. So she just let the situation flow and Chihiro fell into a deep slumber as a strange dream entered her mind.
"Chihiro…Chihiro!" She didn't hear the words but she could read it in Haku's mouth. Haku was in front of her and there was only darkness that surrounds them. Pitch darkness that wanted to invade everything.
"Haku? Why can't I hear you?" She replied, but she only saw Haku repeat her name and clenched his fist and tried to break something like a transparent barrier that is between them.
"Haku, I missed you…" Chihiro went closer to him but she could there came a 'thud' sound when she was about to reach her hand towards him. She felt the transparent barrier that separates them and wondered why is it there. Haku said something when Chihiro met his gaze but it wasn't really clear if he said ''no'' or ''go''. Chihiro opened her palm and placed it on the barrier. She didn't know why her hand moved by her own but she was longing to feel Haku's warmth and hear his voice in that moment. Haku did the same and their hands can only feel the warmth of their body temperature that the barrier conducted. Haku's eyes was filled with tears though he was forcing a smile.
But everything suddenly faded before Chihiro's eyes. And she was left with nothing but darkness.
The next time that Chihiro opened her eyes, her vision was a bit blurry. She rubbed her eyes with her hands and she could see a bright light. It was from the window on her right side and she found herself lying down on a bed. She was facing the white ceiling of a room then and she didn't know why she felt so weak. Chihiro looked around the room and she knew that she was in the infirmary on their college school department building. She can read the sign in the cabinet in the other side of the bed that says 'College department emergency kit'. Their school has a college department for those students who wanted to pursue going in their university but it was in separate building just on the right corner of the high school department building.
Chihiro wondered how she got in there and hoped that she did not catch so much attention when she was being brought there. As she glanced on her left, the silhouette of a person sitting down caught her attention and she began to wonder who it was. When she was about to discover who it was, the silhouette suddenly stood up and opened the white curtain that makes a boundary in the room.
There she saw the face of the boy who she dreamed about earlier, expecting him to say a word as he walks closer.
"I do hope you still remember me?" He said with a smile. And in his expression, anyone could really tell that he really missed Chihiro and was glad to see her again.
"Haku! You really fulfilled your promise! I can't believe it. I hope I'm not dreaming again." Words may not express how Chihiro was so glad but looking in her eyes, Haku could feel how she missed him.
"Does that mean that you always see me in your dreams?" Haku said in reply and they both let out a soft laugh. They both longed for that moment and until now, they couldn't entirely believe that it was happening. As Chihiro was on a sitting position in the bed, Haku leaned towards her face that made Chihiro draw herself backward.
"You faked that a while ago to escape me, didn't you?" He then flicked Chihiro's forehead and smiled in front of her, that it made her blush.
"N-not really to escape you, I was just worried about the things that might happen. You wouldn't know."
"Whatever happens, I can be here with you now. I did all I can for how many years just to be able to stay here in the human world."
"And you know that I patiently waited for you to come."
"I really missed you, you know." Haku said in a soft voice beside Chihiro's ears that made her blush more. Chihiro then placed her hand to his shoulder to draw him back.
"Wait!" Haku cried as he immediately put Chihiro's hands down from his shoulder with the back of his palm.
"What's wrong?" Chihiro wondered.
"Well, you see we are not allowed to have body contact with each other yet for a long duration."
"What do you mean?"
"Remember the first time you went to the spirit world? I let you ate something so that your body and spirit will not vanish. But in my case, I can absorb the energy of any human that I touch unless I eat the fruit of the Gods. That was what Kamaji told me when I was about to depart from the Spirit world." Haku explained and Chihiro felt a bit disappointed that she will not be able touch Haku who was just in front of her.
"Fruit of the Gods…" Chihiro was familiar with that term and she knew that it was in the tip of her tongue already. "The Persimmon fruit! Good thing I remembered about that."
"Where can we find that? Is it abundant in here?"
"I think I saw a tree that bears Persimmons nearby the forest. But I'm not so sure if individuals are allowed to enter that area. We should try at least."
"We should find an opportunity and try to enter that area. How about by tomorrow?" Haku asked as he sat beside Chihiro but avoiding touching her.
"After class would do, but make sure that none of our classmates will find out that we know each other well. I just don't know what to expect or such rumors would spread around the campus."
"Don't worry about that. We could tell them that were cousins or relatives perhaps."
"That might work but-" Chihiro's words were interrupted when they heard someone knocked the door. Haku immediately went to rest room to hide himself as Chihiro remained sitting in the bed. The nurse entered the room and asked if how was Chihiro feeling and checked her up.
"I think you are allowed to go home by now but make sure that someone would go with you" the nurse said.
"Thank you. I feel back to normal now. I will just call my parents to come by and fetch me."
As the nurse went out and closed the door, Chihiro knocked on the rest room where Haku was hiding. "You can go out now."
Haku went out and looked at each corner of the room to make sure that no one's really there aside from the both of them. "That was close."
"I think we need to go now. It's four and I think I really slept so long." Chihiro grabbed her bag that was on the table and Haku followed as she went outside. Fortunately, there are no students in the corridor and Chihiro found a way to lead them to the exit. There are six gates in their school and they went on the way that was only used by students at times. Chihiro knew that it could lead her to the way on the river where she usually passes when she goes to school and they could go directly to her house.
"Since you came here to the human world, where are you staying by now?" Chihiro asked as they walk all the way.
"I am staying in a hotel just near the school. Kamaji sent me lots of money used by the humans he also instructed me something about having a job here."
"I really have a lot of questions to ask you. Do you mind?" Chihiro glanced at Haku while they were walking.
"I don't. You can ask as many as you want." Haku replied.
"How did you find me and how did you come here?" Chihiro asked him and when they reached the riverside, they stopped on the bridge and stayed there viewing the scene of the flowing river with maple leaves flowing with the current.
"After you left the spirit world, Yubaba told me that I couldn't leave unless I would do her three favors. The Adder stone which is "the serpent's stone" could be found in the Serpent Mountains was the hardest favor that she asked. It almost cost my life fighting with the great serpents and monsters. It took me about four years to accomplish all the quests that Yubaba asked for. After that, I also asked Yubaba to give me two favors: To set me free and make me a human. She did as she promised to me and I am completely a human now but if ever it is necessary for me to transform, Kamaji gave me a ring that could make me into a river dragon again but it would only last for a short time. Kamaji also helped me on locating where you are so that it would be easy for me and I am glad that everything went on just as I wished to be. And here I am now, beside you. I'm sorry for letting you wait long, but we can be beside each other now. There's nothing to worry about." Haku smiled as he glanced on Chihiro. It was really the moment that they were both wishing for and there it is now.
"Thank you." That was all that Chihiro said though she wanted to express her feelings for him. Although she wanted to ask more questions, she just kept quiet because she wanted to savor the moment that they are beside each other without anything to disturb them. She felt so touched that her eyes are already watery because she realized how Haku did everything for her. She wanted to give him a hug but it was impossible for now. Haku reached his hands and Chihiro watched it as it touched her hair. He also placed his hand down after one stroke of her hair.
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing. I just like your hair."
Chihiro laughed and she gazed at the water down them that reflected them being together. It was like seeing a dream. Seeing both of them together made her happy and she knew that Haku felt the same way too. She wanted that scene to last forever. And she knew that it was not a dream anymore.
~End of Chapter 2~
Oh yeah! Done at last On the next chapters, more interesting things will still happen and Haku will reveal something to Chihiro. There will be an adventure part of the story but I guess Im not gonna include it for now ;) Exams on school next week! Im gonna be super busy but these sufferings will only last for a few days :"( Stay updated guys. Oh, and don't forget to review!
-UnBlueTears :D
