Chapter Three: Night Music

Haku woke to the sound of a bird singing on the rail of the balcony outside his room. The gray light of dawn filtered through the drawn curtains. He sat up, his mind still fuzzy with sleep.

Haku shook his head as the memories of the previous night came back to him. "Kii?" he called, looking around. The room was empty. Of course, he wouldn't stay all night in here while I was sleeping, he thought with a frown. Still, some part of him was disappointed that Kii had left without so much as saying goodbye. Yawning, he stood up. He felt refreshed; Haku hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks—he would be plagued by nightmares, then wake up with a start in the dead of night, dripping cold sweat and panting. This morning, however was one after a night with no dreams at all, and he'd slept soundly.

"I guess I got my money's worth," he said aloud. Startled, the bird on his balcony flew away.

Haku was about to go looking for Kii—he wasn't sure why, to thank him, he supposed—when there was a knock on his door. Haku's stomach clenched. "Erm—" he coughed, trying to clear his throat. "Yes?"

"Master Haku!" It was the Foreman. "Yubaba wants to see you. Right away!"

Haku grimaced. "What's that old hag doing awake at this hour?" He muttered under his breath, then called back, "Yes, yes, I'm coming." He dressed hurriedly, then exited from his room and followed the Foreman up to Yubaba's rooms on the next floor.

***

When Haku returned late that night from Yubaba's mission, he'd all but forgotten about thanking Kii. He was trudging up to his rooms, rubbing a bruised spot on his shoulder, when he glimpsed the musician emerging from a room with a heavy, richly carved and decorated door. He was rubbing the bridge of his nose, eyes closed, looking tired and annoyed. He looked up as Haku approached.

"Kii?" Haku ventured. He cast a glance at the now-shut door. "What's going on?"

Kii met Haku's eyes for a moment, then looked away, and his features settled into their usual haughty, bored expression. "It isn't any of your business."

Stung, Haku replied, "No, I suppose it isn't; I'm asking anyway."

Kii's eyes narrowed, and Haku could practically feel him closing up. Squaring his shoulders and lifting his chin, Kii said, "I was seeing a client. He's a regular, and he brings the bathhouse a lot of money. He requests my services in particular."

Haku felt sick inside. 'services,' he'd said. He knew too well what that meant. His eyes traveled down the length of Kii's kimono for a moment; Kii held himself stiff and too straight, obviously in pain and trying hard not to show it. And I add insult to injury by forcing him to humiliate himself for me, he thought miserably. Trying to keep his sympathy from creeping into his features, Haku nodded. "Ah—very well. Be on your way, then." He moved aside to let Kii pass, then watched him descending the stairs, gingerly testing the weight on each foot before stepping down. Belatedly, Haku noticed that he wasn't carrying his lute.

Haku lay awake for a long time that night, staring out his window at the stars. The new moon cast no light, and the room was very dark. Close to dawn, Haku heard drops of rain start to rattle on the balcony, and shortly after that, he fell asleep.

"No!!"

Haku sat straight up, his heart pounding, his breathing ragged. Scraps of his nightmare faded with the last of the light from the stars as the sun began to throw out wisps of pinkish light in the East. Wiping sweat off of his brow, Haku slumped back into bed and pulled his blanket over his head with a groan. Morning already… with Yubaba's mission and the most recent nightmare, he doubted he could have gotten more than two hours' sleep. He felt heavy and drained, and his shoulder was sore from where he'd bruised it earlier. When he pulled off his shirt to inspect the wound, he found it throbbing with pain and gloriously black. He shrugged his shoulder, testing the movement, then cried out in pain and curled up, drawing his knees to his chest. p>He lay on his futon and stared out the window at the rising sun, his view partially obscured by his pillow and a stray lock of hair. Why had the nightmares left him alone after Kii's lullaby? There was nothing magic about Kii's lute; Haku had gotten a close look at it once or twice, and it was as ordinary as any instrument, no talismans, no song-sprites, nothing. As for Kii himself… Well, there were very few real humans in the spirit world, and it's inhabitants were anything but 'ordinary', but as it was obvious that Kii was neither a frog nor a slug, and Haku was unsure what else to label him, the best word he could come up with was 'unexceptionable'.

An unexceptionable musician with an ordinary instrument had managed to chase off his nightmares. Well, then, that explains everything, Haku thought sarcastically as he pushed his blanket off of him with his feet and sat up, wincing at the pain in his shoulder. Whatever Kii was, or whatever he could do, it was apparent that Haku wasn't going to be able to get a decent night's sleep—at least not for now—unless Kii was there. And while I'm making another appointment, I may as well ask him what his secret is. Haku sighed and pulled on a new shirt. Like he'd tell me.