**It's been a while! I've actually had this chapter written for some time, but wasn't sure how I felt about it. I let it sit and decided it was perfect! Enjoy!**

"Meet me at the bridge."

I shot up from under the covers to see no one there but the other employees sleeping. A girl turned over and sighed in her sleep, and as my eyes adjusted to the dark I noticed that Lin wasn't sleeping in the room. I then got up and snuck over snoozing bodies to the door.

The bathhouse was absolutely mute to the point where it made me quite nervous. I made sure that before I made a turn down a hallway I would peek to see if anybody was around. I only passed by two intoxicated females who had no idea I was even around.

Outside, the full moon was radiating beauty and basked whatever was fortunate to be out in the beautiful warm weather in silver light. The stars glistened like diamonds against the windows of the buildings surrounded me, and the little gusts of wind sung sweet melodies once it graced the trees.

However I wasn't peacefully alone.

"Master Kohaku," I stepped closer onto the bridge. The wood creaked tiresomely.

He didn't even look at me, but stood in the middle of the bridge, leaning up against the red banister. His eyes were shimmering in the light as he looked up at the night sky.

"You know, Sen, if you want to go home, I'll take you back."

I was surprised at his blunt response.

"I don't know just yet. "

When he looked at me, there was fear in his eyes. The olive tone of his irises darkened to blend in with his pupils.

"You can call me Haku, if it's easier. I don't mind it. It reminds me of when you were first here."

He stiffened up, taking a step closer.

"I don't know what's going on with me Sen. I think I'm going crazy. I feel like I don't have control over myself again. If I think of something to say I can't say it; different words come out of my mouth. I thought I got my freedom, but something's holding me back."

He put his head in his hands, and crouched down with his back leaning on the bridge bars.

"Haku… don't worry. Maybe it's just a little adjustment period, or something?"

"I didn't even notice it until you came back here," he struggled to speak again, and only got angry and pushed me away. "I can't do this Sen. I don't wanna talk anymore."

Haku brought me out there to talk, and everything he had said didn't make sense. It was as if he was blurting things in his mind out without verbally yelling them in my face. It was as if he was hiding something, but he didn't know he was.

He stood up and sighed, smiling.

"Go back to bed, Sen. I'll see you in the morning. Remember, if you ever need to talk or someone's causing you trouble just wave me down."

"Okay," I mumbled, turning back around. "Aren't you coming in too?"

"No," he turned to look at the sky again. "I'm going to stay out here and look at the sky some more."

I walked back inside and shut the doors behind me quietly. I didn't notice until I went back under the covers how upset talking to Haku had made me, and I started to cry, noticing that I too could've been hiding something and not have known.

Waking up to the harsh early sun wasn't so bad since I had went to bed so early, and for the next few days I had the same chores scheduled out for me; a big tub to clean, bathrooms, more tubs and rooms to scrub. I kept myself working and minded my own business when overhearing rumors about the other employees. I didn't want to get involved. During meals Lin would try to get more out of me but it was difficult for me to be open when the one person I wanted to talk to most was out of his mind confused.

Finally, when two off days came only a few days later, I got the chance to relax my sore working muscles and sleep in late. I went down earlier than most to eat, and Lin was sitting at a table by herself, writing a few notes on a notepad.

"Hey Lin," I approached her with bowls of breakfast food.

"Hey you," she said without looking up. "Why are you up so early?"

"Technically it's not so early. It is 10 in the morning. It's nice to have an off day though. Ever since I'd gotten here I hadn't been keeping track of the days."

She slurped from a teacup and flipped the page of her notepad over. She was smiling, and then started writing diligently.

"So what are you up to today? Wanna head into town and look around?"

"Sorry, kiddo. I can't. I have to file some reports, and I have to send out wedding invitations with the upper employees. You know how Yubaba works."

"Yeah okay," I sighed. "Has Haku come down?"

"Master Kohaku," she corrected. "Has not come down yet. He usually sleeps in on off days."

"…Where does Ayako sleep?"

She nearly spit out her tea all over her carefully handwritten notes.

"Oh. Shit. Well…"

"You were saying, Lin?"

Haku appeared next to her, arms crossed. They were right; nobody was allowed to rumor about them without getting caught.

"Oh! I was just about to say how it's none of our business."

"You're always cutting it so close."

She smiled guiltily.

"What would you guys do without me, though?"

He turned to me.

"Good morning, Sen."

"Good morning Ha-"

"Helloooo!"

Ayako strolled into the room in a beautiful amber kimono robe with her hair in a tight bun and attached herself to Haku's arm.

"Good morning, Ayako."

She glared at me, and then smiled sweetly under her faded lip-gloss.

"Come on, baby. Let's get some food and bring it to bed," she cooed.

"Gimme a sec," he shoved her off with his shoulder. She pouted angrily, and walked over to the kitchen to grab breakfast.

I guess that answered my question about the sleeping arrangements.

"Well," he blushed. "Maybe I'll see you around today? I know Lin and Ayako and others are doing wedding invitations today. They don't really want me to be involved in them so I figured I'd ask."

"Sounds great," I smiled. It was nice to see him making a little bit more sense than he did the night before. "Just find me when you're ready I'll be around. I'm not doing much today."

He smirked and then looked over at Ayako who was beckoning him to follow her back upstairs.

"Until later," and then he walked off with her. She held his hand and turned back around to look at me. Her smile was devilish and unnaturally malicious as she turned around the corner.

"Did you see that? She just gave me the nastiest look!"

"Nah don't worry about her," said Lin. "But hey. At least you'll get to spend some time with Master Kohaku."

She winked at me, and then looked around to see if Kohaku overheard her. I had butterflies and blushed a slight pink. Since I couldn't talk to others about Haku and Ayako, I thought that maybe, if I tried real hard, that Haku could give away what was going on between them that made them so "inseparable".

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