Chapter 11
Nakohdo - The Go-Between
Haku looked helplessly as Chihiro was pulling Sen away. As a fairly skilled apprentice magician in the spirit world, he could have done any number of things to bring her back--if he were only dealing with the spirit world. He had no sway over the physical world, and Sen was as firmly anchored to Chihiro as he was to Hideki. Hoping to do the impossible, Haku concentrated on beckoning Chihiro. As hard as he could pull on Chihiro, though, it was no use; he had no power whatsoever over her. Not even Yubaba could pull her any distance in the human world.
However...
Chihiro's purple hairband, a product of the spirit world, seemed to heed his call and came off. As Haku kept trying to pull Chihiro back, the now loose hairband started flipping end over end toward him. Hideki was still oblivious to the torment. When the hairband got within a few meters, Hideki felt this strange sensation that he was being called and glanced up from his book. Not seeing anybody nearby, his eyes started to return to the book he was reading. Just as he was starting to refocus, he eyed a bright purple object on the walkway at his feet. He bent down to pick it up...
...he touched it...
Chihiro's spirit was born with Chihiro fifteen years before the event today took place. Whenever she touched the hairband, a tiny portal would open between her thought and her spirit. She, at that time, would be influenced by her spirit a little--and she would influence her spirit. The link was weak because Sen and Chihiro were too inexperienced to know or appreciate what was happening to them.
Haku's spirit was born with the forming of the Kohaku river in a geological event that occurred thirty thousand years before. Not only was he very old and very experienced in spiritual matters, he was a talented apprentice sorcerer at the spiritual level. When Hideki touched the hairband, a tiny portal opened between Haku and Hideki. It didn't remain tiny for much longer than a few seconds--Haku made sure of that.
"Ahhh!!" Chihiro suddenly panicked.
"What's wrong, Chihiro?" her father asked.
"My hairband! It fell off!"
"That purple band you love so much?" Mom asked.
"I shouldn't have brought it," she said, not knowing how wrong she was.
Father tried to calm her down. "It has to be here somewhere, Chihiro. Let's look for it."
While Chihiro was examining the walkway around the bridge railing, Sen was aware of an approaching human. At about twenty meters, Sen recognized Haku. [HAKU!] [HAKU!]
"Excuse me," came a soft male voice from behind, startling Chihiro. She stood up, turned around, and saw a boy, a little older than she was, holding her band in his outstretched hand. "Are you looking for this?" Chihiro's eyes couldn't conceal her ecstatic joy even if she wanted to.
"Yes, YES!" she replied. [HAKU!] [HAKU!] Chihiro reached out for her band and during that brief second they both held it, Sen caught another presence. [HIDEKI!] Chihiro then continued, "Thank you, Hideki... ...Hideki?"
"Yes, Chihiro. My name is Hideki Suzuki. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I am Chihiro Ogino. Uhhh, how did you know my name?" Chihiro asked.
"I overheard your father calling you," he lied, actually wanting to say, "I've known you since you were little." He added, "How did you know mine?"
"I don't know how. You look familiar though, aren't you..."
"The boy from the forest? Yes. Maybe that's how you knew," he lied again.
Just then, Chihiro's parents approached. "Ahh, Chihiro. You found it, I see," her father noted.
"Yes, daddy. This kind boy found it."
"I am Hideki Suzuki. It's a pleasure meeting you."
"You're that boy they found down in Shimoda, right?"
"Yes. I am now studying to be an architect or a landscaping designer." It's what he really wanted to do in the end, but his studies at the moment were more basic and general. What he didn't add was, "I also intend to marry your daughter one day with your blessing."
Chihiro's father suggested what Hideki had hoped. "If you'd like to try your hand on the real thing during a summer break, we might be able to use your skills as an intern at one of our golf courses. Here's my card."
Hideki took the card with both hands and bowed. "Thank you very much for your kind offer."
"I hope we can meet again, Chihiro."
Chihiro, putting the hairband back into place, said "I hope so too," meaning it. The family disappeared into the west end of Ochanomizu Station, leaving a very happy, very patient, and a very determined Hideki Suzuki. He had at least three years to prepare for his future. Thanks, however, to one of the very few literate spirits in the world, he had about five hundred fewer Chinese characters to worry about learning.
Nakohdo - The Go-Between
Haku looked helplessly as Chihiro was pulling Sen away. As a fairly skilled apprentice magician in the spirit world, he could have done any number of things to bring her back--if he were only dealing with the spirit world. He had no sway over the physical world, and Sen was as firmly anchored to Chihiro as he was to Hideki. Hoping to do the impossible, Haku concentrated on beckoning Chihiro. As hard as he could pull on Chihiro, though, it was no use; he had no power whatsoever over her. Not even Yubaba could pull her any distance in the human world.
However...
Chihiro's purple hairband, a product of the spirit world, seemed to heed his call and came off. As Haku kept trying to pull Chihiro back, the now loose hairband started flipping end over end toward him. Hideki was still oblivious to the torment. When the hairband got within a few meters, Hideki felt this strange sensation that he was being called and glanced up from his book. Not seeing anybody nearby, his eyes started to return to the book he was reading. Just as he was starting to refocus, he eyed a bright purple object on the walkway at his feet. He bent down to pick it up...
...he touched it...
Chihiro's spirit was born with Chihiro fifteen years before the event today took place. Whenever she touched the hairband, a tiny portal would open between her thought and her spirit. She, at that time, would be influenced by her spirit a little--and she would influence her spirit. The link was weak because Sen and Chihiro were too inexperienced to know or appreciate what was happening to them.
Haku's spirit was born with the forming of the Kohaku river in a geological event that occurred thirty thousand years before. Not only was he very old and very experienced in spiritual matters, he was a talented apprentice sorcerer at the spiritual level. When Hideki touched the hairband, a tiny portal opened between Haku and Hideki. It didn't remain tiny for much longer than a few seconds--Haku made sure of that.
"Ahhh!!" Chihiro suddenly panicked.
"What's wrong, Chihiro?" her father asked.
"My hairband! It fell off!"
"That purple band you love so much?" Mom asked.
"I shouldn't have brought it," she said, not knowing how wrong she was.
Father tried to calm her down. "It has to be here somewhere, Chihiro. Let's look for it."
While Chihiro was examining the walkway around the bridge railing, Sen was aware of an approaching human. At about twenty meters, Sen recognized Haku. [HAKU!] [HAKU!]
"Excuse me," came a soft male voice from behind, startling Chihiro. She stood up, turned around, and saw a boy, a little older than she was, holding her band in his outstretched hand. "Are you looking for this?" Chihiro's eyes couldn't conceal her ecstatic joy even if she wanted to.
"Yes, YES!" she replied. [HAKU!] [HAKU!] Chihiro reached out for her band and during that brief second they both held it, Sen caught another presence. [HIDEKI!] Chihiro then continued, "Thank you, Hideki... ...Hideki?"
"Yes, Chihiro. My name is Hideki Suzuki. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I am Chihiro Ogino. Uhhh, how did you know my name?" Chihiro asked.
"I overheard your father calling you," he lied, actually wanting to say, "I've known you since you were little." He added, "How did you know mine?"
"I don't know how. You look familiar though, aren't you..."
"The boy from the forest? Yes. Maybe that's how you knew," he lied again.
Just then, Chihiro's parents approached. "Ahh, Chihiro. You found it, I see," her father noted.
"Yes, daddy. This kind boy found it."
"I am Hideki Suzuki. It's a pleasure meeting you."
"You're that boy they found down in Shimoda, right?"
"Yes. I am now studying to be an architect or a landscaping designer." It's what he really wanted to do in the end, but his studies at the moment were more basic and general. What he didn't add was, "I also intend to marry your daughter one day with your blessing."
Chihiro's father suggested what Hideki had hoped. "If you'd like to try your hand on the real thing during a summer break, we might be able to use your skills as an intern at one of our golf courses. Here's my card."
Hideki took the card with both hands and bowed. "Thank you very much for your kind offer."
"I hope we can meet again, Chihiro."
Chihiro, putting the hairband back into place, said "I hope so too," meaning it. The family disappeared into the west end of Ochanomizu Station, leaving a very happy, very patient, and a very determined Hideki Suzuki. He had at least three years to prepare for his future. Thanks, however, to one of the very few literate spirits in the world, he had about five hundred fewer Chinese characters to worry about learning.