For a few moments, Chihiro just sat, blankly staring at the pretty boy that had just appeared before her.
His eyelashes were so long, and his hair so smooth and silky looking. Even the uniform he was wearing looked sparkling and gorgeous, although It was supposed to be identical to Chihiro's. The soft breeze carried so faintly his fragrance which-
"No no no no." Chihiro slapped her cheeks suddenly, making the boy flinch in surprise. She breathed an air of relief, before brushing off her still wet skirt, and headed to the roof door.
"How dangerous. I'm starting to see things." Chihiro muttered to herself. "It must be the water. How dangerous." She repeated.
"Wait!" A voice came from behind her. Dammit, it sounded so real!
She ignored it however and continued to stride as fast as she could to the infirmary.
"Where are you going, Chihiro?" The voice caught up to her in no time, followed by the boy. Chihiro walked faster.
"Hey! Wai-"
"Stop following me!" Chihiro demanded as she came to a sudden stop and span around. "I've got enough problems as it is already without you adding more to it, though I don't know if you're a prank or what." The boy who named himself Kohaku, looked slightly puzzled as he nearly ran into her.
"But I've got to be by your side at all times! Since we formed the contract!" This time Chihiro was puzzled.
"What contract!? You just appeared out of-" Chihiro bit her lip as she realised that she was starting to talk to the illusion again. She continued her stride again to the infirmary as fast as she could.
She had to warm herself up no matter what, she was starting to go crazy.
"Out of thin air?" Kohaku-illusion suggested, which Chihiro ignored, until she finally reached the nurse's room.
"Hi miss, I'm just going to lie down for awhile, I think I've caught a cold." Chihiro poked her head into the room, to find the nurse at her usual table, tending to another boy who looked like he had gotten his elbow scratched.
"No worries, Ogino-san. And what about you, boy? Are you accompanying her?" The nurse called from her table.
"Yes!" Haku chirped.
"No, of cour- wait, miss, you can see him!?" Chihiro span around. Sure enough, the only boy that the nurse could have been referring to, was Kohaku. The nurse laughed kindly, with a hint of embarrassment.
"Of course I can dear, I know I've forgotten my glasses but my eye sights not that bad yet! Anyways take the far bed, I should be finished here soon!"
Chihiro studied Kohaku carefully as she slowly sat down onto the bed.
"So…the others can see you?" Chihiro questioned incredulously in a hushed voice. Kohaku cocked his head to the side.
"Of course, why can't they?" He smiled.
"B-but, you're not human!" Chihiro stammered. "Or are you another one of Chisato's pranks?"
"So, her name is Chisato, is it? The one that did this to you." Frowning, Kohaku gestured to Chihiro's soaking uniform. Her face reddening in embarrassment, she hurriedly slid under the sheets to hide herself from view.
"T-that's not your business! Anyways, what are you?"
"But it is. And what I am I? Simply your friend." Kohaku smiled another one of his innocent smiles that Chihiro started getting used to seeing, as she sighed in exasperation. Her questions were getting no where at this point. Suddenly, she remembered what Kohaku had said in the hall way.
"What do you mean by contract by the way? I don't remember signing any with you." Kohaku was barely able to open his mouth, when an excited conversation entered the room, and Chihiro immediately recognised it to be on of Chisato's underlings.
As if taking the hint, Kohaku too fell silent and regarded Chihiro with a worried expression.
"I finally was able to get away from the old hag! She's way too strict!" one of the girl's voice sounded from the entrance. Chihiro buried herself deeper into the blankets.
"Really? Is she really that strict? I haven't met her yet but apparently she's really sweet!"
"What!? No way!"
"I bet you just got a death wish by her." The two laughed loudly as their voice seemed to fade into the corridor. Thank god they didn't come in, Chihiro thought to herself as she was just about to slide back out, when suddenly, a warm hand overlapped hers that had been clutching the bed sheets. Chihiro froze immediately at the touch as silence prevailed, only to be broken by another high pitched voice.
"Hey nurse, did you see Megumi and Akane here?" Chi-chisato!?
"Yes I did actually, they just headed out and towards class I believe."
Chihiro kept holding her breath until Chisato's voice faded as well, the warmth of the hand disappearing simultaneously. She peeked out of her blankets towards Kohaku. Had he helped her from meeting Chisato?
It couldn't be. He didn't even know what Chisato looked like.
"A-anyways," Chihiro coughed embarrassedly. "I should better get back to class."
"Already? But you just got here! You should rest more!" Kohaku protested. Chihiro sighed.
"Yeah, I'd like to too, but if wind gets out to mum that I've skipped class in the infirmary, this time she'll definitely manage to find a way to embarrass me." Chihiro sighed as she stood up and half heartedly attempted to make her uniform look presentable.
"Look, I don't know what or who you are, but it's best you go back to where you came from. Be it your class or dream, I just can't have any more misunderstandings." The boy fell silent for awhile.
"I will, if you'll trade something with me." Kohaku stated bluntly.
"T-trade!? Fine, whatever. What do you want?" Kohaku smiled in relief and walked up to Chihiro, gazing straight into her eyes.
"Your blazer."
"What, this!? But it's wet, and you have your own, why would y-"
kohaku grinned as realisation hit Chihiro.
"Or otherwise, I'll follow you aaall day?" He teased kindly. Chihiro scowled, the boy was getting more and more mysterious. However, somewhere deep inside, she knew she had hoped so much for something like this to happen. Just to be worried by one…to be able to open her heart to someone like she used to be able to…Could he be trusted?
"F-fine. Don't blame me if you catch a cold." Chihiro stammered hurriedly as she peeled off her jacket and replaced it with Kohaku's. It was so….warm. She hadn't realised how cold she was in that jacket. She took a step towards the door, but thinking better, stopped momentarily and peered back at the boy who was struggling to wear the damp jacket.
"Thank you..."
"So….what part of going back to your own classroom did you not get?" Chihiro demanded, her arms akimbo as she glared at the boy who had followed her to her classroom. A faint expression of surprise was painted on his face.
"But, this is my classroom." Kohaku objected innocently.
"What!?" Chihiro exclaimed a little too loudly as she ducked behind the corridor. "But I've never seen you in this class. Are you sure you're not mistaken?" She hissed as he shook his head. "Where ever you go, is my class."
Chihiro sighed in exasperation again. He was definitely hiding something behind that innocent smile.
"Then there was no need for this trade." Chihiro muttered to herself as she decided to give up and head to the class room. She checked her phone's clock. 3 to 1. She still had a few minutes left till class started.
She slid open the classroom door slowly, as she felt de ja vu creep in from this morning.
However, this time, as she had expected in the morning, she felt all 30 pairs of eyes immediately look up to her. So they had probably heard what had happened that morning with Chisato.
Her heavy heart sinking in gloominess, she dragged herself to her seat. But before she could even sit, the boy sitting next to her stretched his foot and kicked the seat away as it landed with a loud clatter, followed by a few bickers.
Chihiro clenched her fists in irritation, summoning all her courage to stay in the classroom and not run out, when suddenly, someone walked past her and picked up the seat, placing it down gently behind her.
She span around to find Kohaku, who she had momentarily forgotten about , now addressing her neighbour who had kicked the chair.
"This seat, would you give it to me?" Kohaku asked the boy melodiously as Chihiro and nearly the entire class stared in astonishment.
"H-huh!?" Faltered the boy as he regarded the most unlikely turn of events.
"W-what do you want to sit next to a thief like her for? And who are you!?"
"That would be my question. It seems like you don't like this seat, so I'm offering to take it for you." Kohaku ignored the latter question and instead grinned one of his usual innocent smiles again. "Unless…was it that you had taken to Ogino-san here!? And you don't want to be parted!?"
"N-no way!" The boy stumbled out of his seat and hastily grabbing his belongings, ran to the empty table at the front of the room.
Despite the fact that Kohaku now had all the room's stares on him, he made himself comfortable and happily gestured the standing frozen Chihiro to do so too.
"Now we're neighbours, Chihiro." Kohaku smiled, sending a sort of warmth down her back. Chihiro slid silently into her seat to avoid any more attention, still partly speechless. What was he trying to do? Why did he go so far to save her? Even though they had just met, why did he treat her so specially?
Chihiro couldn't help but avoid his smile and eye contact. There was something that drew her to him, but she had no more time to regard what had just happened, as suddenly, the classroom door rattled open again and the homeroom teacher stepped in.
Or was he the homeroom teacher?
Last time Chihiro had remembered, he had been an old man that looked like he was in about his 80s, and had a unique voice which had the power to put anyone to sleep in just about 2 or 3 words.
This substitute however, was indeed still old, but much skinnier than the plump one before, and instead of the former's brown choice of entire clothing, wore completely black from head to toe, completed with black sunglasses above his moustache which added more to his disguise-looking fashion.
And his arms! They were oh so long. No, he himself was just so tall in general. His longs arms and legs reminded Chihiro of a daddy long legs, the thought making Chihiro smile.
The dangly teacher dumped his book on his table before clearing his throat and reached for a chalk. His arms seemed to get even longer momentarily, forcing Chihiro and a few other people too to rub their eyes.
"Eh- My name is Kamaji-Sensei, and I'll be substituting Hirota-Sensei for awhile. I won't be going easy on anyone here!"
Hi, and thanks for those that read this far! I hope this story isn't getting too weird, as Kamaji joins the fray! And yes, this weird story IS a continuation of the original, so there will be some links later on in this story. Thanks for the views/ review/ follows! They're the only thing that keeps me writing:) Till next time!