The bullet train sped south-west, leaving the countryside behind in a grey-green blur. As it slowed for each stop, Chihiro looked for flowering cherry blossoms between the houses and apartments. The chilly, overcast spring weather did not provide ideal conditions for a day trip, but Chihiro had promised Haku that she would go to his river as soon as possible. She had planned this trip weeks ago.
Two hours after leaving Tokyo, she boarded a local train to Kawaguchi. A light drizzle started, the condensation running down the windows in rivulets. The urban sprawl gave way to farmland and forests. Old farmers at work in the fields paused to watch the train roll past.
After passing through several small towns, Chihiro finally reached Kawaguchi. More than three hours had passed since she left Tokyo, and she needed caffeine. She bought a coffee and a couple of rice balls at the 7-Eleven outside the station. Chihiro stowed the rice balls in her purple backpack and retrieved a raincoat.
Once outside the station she looked around the town centre. The ocean was a steely grey, and almost invisible beneath a heavy sea fog. Being a Monday, the streets were almost devoid of tourists. Those who were visiting Kawaguchi had holed up in warm, smoky coffee shops. Chihiro was tempted to join them, even for a little while, but she sipped at her takeaway coffee and trekked uphill. Once outside of the town centre the buildings thinned quickly, and she soon found the Kohaku River where it disappeared into a storm drain beneath the town.
"Haku, I'm here. I'll see you at the picnic area."
The walk uphill took about 45 minutes at a good pace, but Chihiro stopped frequently to pick up trash in or beside the water. She had brought rubber gloves and a bag especially for this purpose. She hated the idea of rubbish clogging up the river, choking Haku and the wildlife that depended on him.
The icy water nipped at her fingers. She could feel the dragon's eyes on her as she worked. Chihiro once saw a flash of white in the corner of her eye, but Haku remained elusive.
At midday she paused to eat her lunch. Mercifully, the drizzle had ceased, but a cold sea breeze picked up instead. Chihiro left her raincoat on.
She reached the picnic area in the early afternoon, and tossed the bag of rubbish in a bin. There were no other people except for Saburo, sitting by himself on his favourite bench. He stared ahead at the river, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.
"Hi! Saburo!" Chihiro called.
The old man blinked out of his daydream and looked around in surprise. He grinned in recognition as she approached. The smile was genuine, but it did look strange on his usually serious face.
"You're all by yourself today," said Chihiro.
The grin quickly vanished. Saburo pointed behind the seat to a tiny cedar sapling, no more than a foot tall. Dew clung to its soft green needles.
The old man began to cry, silent tears running down his weathered cheeks. Chihiro finally understood.
"Oh, Saburo, I'm so sorry."
She stood beside him awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Without Nana, Saburo was lost and afraid in a world that had left him behind.
"May I?" she asked, gesturing to the empty seat that Nana used to occupy.
The old man nodded, his body racked with sobs. Chihiro bowed to the sapling before sitting down. She waited for a few minutes before speaking.
"Nana was an amazing woman," she said quietly. "She was so kind, and had such a strong belief in the spirits. And she believed in me, too. I'm going to miss her."
She allowed herself to shed a few tears before wiping them away. Nana would not want them to be unhappy. She fished out a book from the bottom of her backpack. They sat in silence, Chihiro absorbed in her novel and Saburo in his thoughts. She knew that he appreciated the company. As time crept by, the clouds were pushed inland and dispersed by the wind.
After an hour of reading, Chihiro closed the book to stretch out the stiffness in her neck and shoulders. She looked up to see patches of blue sky emerging from the grey. Her gaze then settled on the Kohaku River.
A white dragon stared back at her.
Standing in the water, the wind teased his mane and showered him with cherry blossom petals. Haku's green eyes locked with Chihiro's. His expression was calm, but he radiated power and confidence. How magnificent he looked back at home in his river!
Chihiro blinked and the dragon was gone. She wondered if the old man had seen him. Their eyes met, and the corner of Saburo's lip curled slightly. He said nothing.
"Is it alright with you if I go over to the river for a bit?" Chihiro asked.
Saburo nodded.
Chihiro left her backpack next to the seat and walked to the edge of the stream. She walked far enough away from Saburo so that he would not be able to hear anything. Kneeling on a patch of grass, she extended an arm into the water. Her fingers trailed in the icy stream.
Something warm suddenly pressed into her palm, moving against the current. It felt whiskery against her skin, like an animal muzzle. Chihiro's heart skipped a beat. The dragon remained invisible, but she did not need to see him. He would be right there beside her. Chihiro withdrew her hand from the freezing stream.
"I came as soon as I could," she said, "but I work full-time now. It's depressing."
Words formed from the sounds of the running water.
"I have missed you," said the river spirit.
"I've missed you too," Chihiro replied. "Any news since the new year?"
Haku told her of the changes brought by the spring. Water from the snow melt had increased his strength. He spoke to Chihiro of new life, blossoms, and festivals. But he also spoke of greed, pollution, and even death. Haku observed the ebb and flow of life around him, but he rarely intervened. It was not his place, he told her.
"But you saved me from drowning," said Chihiro. "Wasn't that 'intervening'?"
"Humans do not belong underwater," Haku replied. Chihiro did not know what to make of that comment.
She jumped when someone coughed politely behind her.
"Saburo, you gave me a fright!" she said, laughing in relief. "Are you going home?"
The old man nodded.
Chihiro stood up and hugged him goodbye. Saburo smiled warmly and patted her arm, before bowing deeply to the Kohaku River. He turned on his heel, and she watched him hobble to his car. Saburo paused at Nana's cedar and bent over, his fingertips brushing the needles.
She waved to the tiny blue Suzuki as it rolled out of the car park. It disappeared downhill, heading back to Kawaguchi.
"That man does not have much time left in the human world."
Haku was beside her in his human form. The boy sat cross-legged on the surface of his river, his face uncharacteristically grim.
"How do you know?" Chihiro asked him.
"Saburo's spirit is ready to move on. His departed wife is waiting for him, and he wants nothing more than to join her."
"Does her spirit live in that cedar?"
"Yes. The tree spirit is still very young and weak, but I am looking after her. There are spirits all around us, but I'm guessing you can't see them either. I forget that you're human sometimes." Haku smiled at Chihiro, but he could not mask the sadness in his green eyes.
"Anyway, I've been talking about myself for too long. Now it's your turn!"
Chihiro's heart quickened.
"I, um, Satoshi proposed to me a few weeks ago. Just after my book launch. We're getting married next year, in June."
She had waited to tell Haku this important news in person. Chihiro had not even revealed the information to her other friends in the spirit world. The knot in her belly disappeared with Haku's generous smile.
"Chihiro, that's fantastic news!" he said. "I had always hoped that you would find a mate. From what you have told me, Satoshi sounds like a good man. Congratulations to you both."
She exhaled in relief.
"Thanks Haku. I would love it if you could attend the ceremony and the reception, if it's not too much trouble."
Haku's enthusiasm waned. "I would love to attend, but I don't know if I have the strength," he admitted. "I was… severely ill after using that apparition spell at your book launch. My ambition got the better of me."
"I don't want you to pass out at my wedding!" Chihiro chuckled. "But seriously, don't put yourself through that pain again for me."
Haku shrugged. "Maybe Zeniba will have some ideas about how we can get there. Do you have plans for the ceremony yet?"
"We are going to have a Shinto wedding in Tokyo and a western-style reception. I'm nervous but also really excited. Satoshi and I have already started dancing lessons."
"What style of dancing do they have at a western-style reception?"
"Most partner dance types are fine, as long as they aren't too... indecent. I knew that if I ever got married I would want to dance the waltz. I like the music, and the basic steps are really easy. I may be clumsy but I think I can pull it off on the day with enough practice. I just hope my nerves don't ruin everything."
When she did not get a response, Chihiro looked over at Haku. The boy was deep in thought, his face carefully blank. She worried that she might have said something to upset him.
"Would you teach me?" he asked. The question briefly took her aback.
"Yeah, sure. If you step out of your river we can dance on the grass."
Haku smiled mysteriously. "I have a better idea."
The two got to their feet simultaneously. Chihiro had forgotten just how much taller than him she was.
"Give me your hands."
She extended both and Haku gripped them gently but firmly.
"Alright. Step forward."
Chihiro hesitated, but she trusted Haku. She stared down at her shoes in amazement as she walked onto the Kohaku River. The water held her weight, and was even slightly springy underfoot.
"Told you I was stronger with the snow melt," Haku said, mirth in his verdant eyes. "I can support you, so don't worry about getting cold feet!"
Chihiro giggled at his stupid joke.
"Have you danced before?" she asked him.
Haku nodded. "I'm familiar with local dances but none of the western styles."
Still holding hands with Haku, at arm's length, she taught him the basic box step. He mastered it immediately, much to Chihiro's chagrin. It had taken her hours of treading on poor Satoshi's toes to get to this stage! She then introduced a turn, and a few other simple moves.
"What music pairs with the waltz?" Haku asked.
"I have some songs on my phone, just give me a minute."
With her left hand still latched onto Haku, Chihiro used her free hand to find the playlist.
"One of my favourites is Spring Waltz. And I'm sure you'll like Waves of the Danube. The Danube is a river in Germany…"
Chihiro stopped talking. She looked up from her phone, and a man her age smiled back. He stood slightly taller than her, with shoulder-length hair. Some of it had been gathered into a ponytail. His face had thinned, showing off high cheekbones. The eyes looking back at her were bright green, with a hint of mystery and humour. The man before her was unmistakably-
"Haku?"
She stared at him in wonder, and felt a blush rise in her cheeks. The man chuckled gently in response.
"I was tired of dancing with short legs." The voice definitely belonged to Haku, but it had a deeper tone. The smile faded from his face.
"I didn't mean to upset you. I can change back…"
"No! No, it's alright. You just look-" Handsome. Perfect. Impossibly gorgeous. "Really different."
Haku studied his reflection in the water.
"My human form won't look like this for a few hundred thousand years," he mused. "I'm still a young river. My dragon form has some growing to do as well."
As he was thinking aloud, a frown creased his brow. But he looked up at Chihiro again with a smile. The music on her phone began playing by itself.
"May I have this dance?" Haku asked.
She stared at him blankly for a moment and nodded, still in shock. Haku took the lead, guiding her across the water's surface. Their eyes met and she glanced away. Chihiro chewed the inside of her lip. She actually felt… embarrassed? Here she was, dancing with a handsome man - no, a god! - and she was wearing jeans and a plastic raincoat!
Haku modified their pace following the beat and timbre of each song. When the tempo sped up they danced in wide circles across the river, their shoes scuffing the water's surface. When softer, slower music played, they returned to a simple but intimate box step.
Chihiro did not tread on Haku's feet once, but it was testament to his skill rather than hers. She realised that she was actually enjoying herself. No, she was enjoying herself too much. Guilt nibbled at her conscience.
"I like the waltz," said Haku after a few songs.
Chihiro cleared her throat. She was breathing quickly, while her dance partner remained graceful and poised. It was difficult not to feel inadequate beside him.
"Haku, why are you doing this? I just told you that I'm getting married."
"What do you mean?"
Chihiro grimaced and glanced away. "If you think your new look is going to change my mind…"
The first stars of the evening winked overhead, the sky a dusky pink. The music changed to the theme from Howl's Moving Castle.
"Years ago, you told me that humans and spirits are too different to be together. Do you still feel that way?"
"Yes, I am an elemental spirit and you are a human," Haku said. "We could not be more different. I've seen it happen before and it never works out. Neither of us can change what we are."
"Then there is no other way?" she asked.
Haku did not reply.
"If we can't be together, I want you to let me go," said Chihiro gently. "You are the kindest, bravest, most selfless person I have ever met. I know you will find a truly exceptional spirit to share your life with."
Now it was Haku's turn to blush. He looked so shy and vulnerable.
"I've dated a few spirits since I left the Bathhouse, but I… I can't stop thinking about you."
"Is that why you changed your human form again? To impress me?" Chihiro asked.
"I just... I can't help myself. I want you to like me."
"I do like you, Haku. You don't have to change anything for me. But you're sending me mixed messages."
"I want to grow old with you, Chihiro. I don't want to lose you. I'm so confused."
They stopped dancing and Chihiro looked up into Haku's eyes, searching for the right thing to say. Failing that, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. Come Away With Me began to play, but they remained still, the world moving around them.
#
This chapter was inspired by Spring Waltz from The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. The other songs mentioned are Waves of the Danube by Ivanovici, the Howl's Moving Castle Theme and Come Away With Me by Norah Jones. They're all pretty great. Thank you for reading!