Disclaimer: I do not own Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakumeshi (aka Spirited Away). And I do not have any money. This fan fiction is for the sole purpose of putting my idea(s) out into the public and sharing them with those who are interested. I am not making money off of this fan fiction.

But this fan fiction still belongs to me.

Out the Window and Through the Tunnel

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Perhaps Stolen Forever


Chihiro was right. She did end up with Haku-with-mp3-player in a restaurant - actually, more like a cafe. They had each ordered a light dessert, and were slowly nibbling away at them in silence. Haku looked as if the cake was one of the most inspiring things he had ever tasted, and Chihiro simply cast her eyes downwards, not really sure what kind of conversation would be comfortable for the both of them. Besides, she knew that if she said anything that even hinted of interest, her friends outside spying would make sure that she never heard the end of it unless she and Haku actually started a relationship.

Chihiro looked at Haku. She didn't want to seem unfriendly. "Are you new to this town? I haven't seen you before."

Silence. Chihiro noticed how this Haku's hair had a more stylish trim to it.

Haku looked up from his food. After a pause, he complied to answer, "Actually, my grandma lives here, I just come to visit her occasionally."

"Oh."

Pause. "So, who was this old friend of yours that I looked like?"

Chihiro swirled her half melted ice cream in her plate. "Well, he looks like you..."

Haku nodded.

"... and he's not entirely like you."

Chihiro went back to swirling her ice cream while Haku contemplated on the two pieces of information. Silence had returned to the atmosphere.

Finally, Haku said, "That doesn't really tell me much."

Chihiro sighed, and then smiled. "I haven't seen him in many years. So, really all I have left from him is memories and a promise."

"So, you liked him."

Chihiro shifted her weight so that she could change the position she was sitting. Then, she took a big breath in, as if her voice and her mind would act smoother with this extra dose of oxygen.

"No. I love him." Saying it was special. It made the words real. Chihiro had no idea why she had just confessed her love to this... this random person that she just met a couple of hours ago. But saying it had lifted a weight off of her own shoulders, as if the puzzle would remain forever unsolved if she chose to hold onto her silence.

"I see. But you still complied to come here with me."

"Well, my friends were supposed to come too..." Chihiro dragged off, unsure of how to respond.

"... but you knew they weren't going to. You came anyway." Haku supplied the rest of the story for her. He continued talking, before she could respond, "but I might actually be staying here for a while... because of some family situations."

They fell silent again after that, mainly because Chihiro was unsure of how to respond. She wondered, for a moment, how much he knew of the various situations here. However, she decided that she would have liked to know what he was thinking more. At the bare minimum, she wished she knew what his mood was right now.

She knew he was chuckling inside. At her confusion.

The look of reproach slid onto her face for a split second before it slipped away again. She was supposed to be in a good mood. After all, why spend a Saturday brooding. There was also the fact that she had just pulled a stranger away from whatever he was doing and made him waste his Saturday, never mind that it was actually her friends.

"Want to go see a movie?" Haku-acrossed-the-table asked.

Chihiro sat there, startled. Then, she nodded slowly and gave him a smile. "Sure."

Haku stood up and left quite sum on the table. Then, he walked over to Chihiro and smiled at her as he offered to help her get up.

Chihiro sat there, shocked. Finally, she stood up slowly by taking his hand.

Just like Haku, always willing to help her, and doing things for her without waiting for her to ask...

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a/n: Thnx, Miriel Sakamoto, for providing the info on Japanese culture. I didn't know that. (obviously. lol.) And I'm kinda too lazy to change it right now. I'll probably find a way to fit it in after I complete the story, though.

And thnx, Aurani for pointing out that I messed up with the verb tenses... I think I fixed it, but... ah, well. Also, she was ten in the American movie, but I also have reliable sources that say Chihiro was seven in the Japanese movie.