AN: Hey guys, sorry it took so long to update!! I did now, though! Enjoy!! Here are the replies, first!!

Replies!

Foxer: thanks! Please keep reading!

summrpnkprncess9: Thanks! I'll AIM you as soon as I can!! I've been busy, sorry! Please keep reading!!

Black Betty: Yeah, depressing... lol, wells, I hope you like this chapter! Please keep reading!! DON'T CRY!!!

M.S.K: I updated!! I'm glad you liked it!!! I hope you like this one, too!! Please keep reading!!

Strawberrylover: you need to rent the movie, twiny. I don't think you got the idea :P But, I'm glad you are trying to get it!! Even though you don't understand it, thanks for reading!!!

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I hope I didn't forget anyone... Please keep reading people!!

Part V

For a few weeks, I tried to remember. And, again, I didn't remember enough to please Haku. He and Tyson were becoming good friends. In fact, they lived together in an apartment outside of town. I visited as often as my mother would let me, which wasn't that much. The team played a few more games, and Haku came to watch each one and cheer me on. We had won every game thrown our way. Some of the guys on the team thought Haku was good luck, and I just smiled at them and winked at Haku.

I walked down the hallway, seeing the other students speaking to their friends and neighbors, and a few students walking alone to their next class. I sighed and let my lips form a smile. This week was just wonderful. I had never felt so alive, so... happy in such a long time. And I never would have felt this way if Haku hadn't come back.

"Chihiro!"

I turned around and saw Kal running down to hall to catch up with me. I smiled politely, my heart racing as he stepped closer. "Hey Kal."

"Hey," he said, his thin lips forming a smile. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, just going to my next class. What about you?"

"I was just looking for you. Hey, do you know the dance coming up?"

Oh no... "Uh... yeah."

"Would you... that is if you want to... go with me?"

The girls in the hallway stopped talking and looked at Kal and I. I stood in front of him, my jaw open, and my mind racing. Should I? What about Haku?

"Uh... Kal, this is really flattering."

"You will?"

I hesitated. "Uh..." I saw Karee walking down the hall towards us, and I saw the look in her eyes. If I said no, then she would take Kal, but if I said yes, what about Haku? I sighed, "yeah, sure Kal, I'll go with you."

Kal smiled, "great! I'll pick you up at seven! See you then!"

I frowned, and turned around to avoid the stars of my fellow classmates. Just down the hall was, who else? Haku. His eyes looked at me disgusted, like I was nothing but a piece of crap. I felt my heart twist, how can I explain it to him? He just shook his head and walked away, leaving me alone in the hallway.

The girls in the hallway giggled as they saw me walk past them. They saw the look on my face, the look on Haku's face, and the look on Kal's face. If I hadn't said yes, if I had just told Kal that I wasn't sure about going to the dance at all, maybe Haku wouldn't be mad at me.

Karee frowned as I walked past her. She looked upset that I didn't say no to Kal, but at this moment, I could care less what she thinks. Nothing mattered now.

(Haku's POV)

I saw the look in her eyes when I glared at her. I saw the way Kal was happy about Chihiro saying she would go to the dance with him. I also saw my reflection in the window across from me. I saw the look I gave her, and now she was hurt even more. My heart twisted, my mind racing, I didn't know what to do now.

Maybe it's not so bad that she goes to the dance with him. Maybe she had a perfectly good reason to say yes. Maybe she didn't mean to say yes, but it just came out that way. There were so many possibilities, but only one answer. I shook my head, deciding to go home for the rest of the day. Tyson had given me his extra key earlier, and now I better break it in.

I remembered my last day at the bathhouse. I remember seeing all the sad faces as I said goodbye. If I could just see the happy look in Chihiro's eyes when I told her that I love her... That's all that I really want... that's all I really wanted ever since I said goodbye to her years ago. Ever since I came back, came to the real world, I have felt happier, just knowing that Chihiro was the cause of it all. Now, if only she knew, remembered, that she too loved me.

Or... did she? Did she really love me like I think she does? What if she doesn't want to remember? What if she is forcing herself to forget it all, have the memories swept away from her existence? Did she really want me back?

I shook my head, the thoughts ran away from my mind. If she really didn't want me here, she would tell me. I know she would. I watched her grow up, learn the meaning of life, and herself. I saw her take her first step, I saved her in the lake, I saw her catch her first fish, and I saw her hit her first homerun. I saw it all. I saw everything she did, and I watched with the aching of my heart. I longed to be free of my debt, and now that I am free, free to walk this world with her at my side, I will not give it up so easily.

I will not let her go without a fight.

(Chihiro's POV)

The dance was tonight, but Haku remained on my mind. I had picked out my dress, a black velvet dress, matching gloves that stretched to my elbows, and black high-heeled shoes that hid under the seam of the dress. I put my hair up, tight curls falling from the bottom, and crystal white pearls laced through my hair. I wore my pearl necklace that I had gotten from my grandmother for my sixteenth birthday, and the matching earrings were placed in my ears.

With the sound of the doorbell, I grabbed my black purse, and slowly walked down the stairs to see Kal standing with my mother at the edge of the steps. My mother was taking pictures, and my father just shook his head, exchanging looks at Kal and I. I smiled as big as I could for how I felt, and Kal reached for my hand. I hesitated before taking it, and he led me out of the house and to the limo he had rented for the night. He opened the door for me, and I climbed in, taking a seat, with him at my side.

I hadn't spoken a word the entire ride, and neither did he. I think he noticed I was tense, and did not push for a conversation. I was grateful. When we arrived at the school, students were everywhere, all in formal wear. I smiled as I saw my baseball team all in suits and tuxes. I held back a giggle as I saw Tyson trying to hold himself from ripping his tie off.

Kal opened the door for me, and grabbed my hand as I stepped out of the limo. It pulled out of the driveway, and left, leaving me with Kal. Tyson waved to me, and I hesitated before waving back. Kal smiled, and led me over to him.

"Chihiro!" Tyson said, walking up to Kal and I. "You look..." he choked. "You look beautiful."

I smiled, "you look good, too. I always wondered what you would look like in a tux."

He laughed a bit of tension away, and Kal chuckled, probably glad I was smiling and talking.

"Someone's here to see you, Chihiro," Tyson said. "And I think it's important."

I saw the worried look in his eyes, and I knew whom he was talking about. I turned my head to Kal, "can you excuse me for a while?"

He nodded, and let go of my arm. I walked away, walking into the gym and seeing the many faces. I saw tons of people, all dancing, chatting, or just sitting alone. I jumped up a little bit to look over the heads of others, and tried to see around people.

"Looking for someone?"

I turned around and Haku stood behind me, a smile on his face.

"Haku!" I said, resisting the sudden urge to wrap my arms around him in an embrace. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you in days!"

He gave a weak smile, "I've been busy."

I gave an even weaker smile. "Oh... I see."

He looked around, as if avoiding my eyes. Then, he finally looked at me. "I need to talk to you. In private, if that's okay."

I nodded, and he took my hand, leading me back outside and away from everyone. I let him lead me to the garden outside of the gym, where the music could not be heard, and no one could be seen. He stopped walking, and turned to look at me. I looked back at him, waiting for him to speak.

"Chihiro... did you really want me to come back?"

I frowned, "what do you mean? Yes I did. I mean, I know I can't remember so much, but I do remember waiting for you to come back, and how I never allowed another man to touch me because I knew you were coming."

"But... yet you still fell in love with other men."

I shook my head, "no. I never fell in love with them. I only liked them, you know, a crush. I never fell in love with them, because I only love you. I could only love you, and I will only love you."

He didn't say anything, just looked away from me.

"I thought you weren't coming," I continued, my voice growing lower and lower. "I thought you had fallen in love with a maid in the bathhouse. Or maybe you had forgotten about me and had fallen in love with some other girl who went to the spirit world."

His eyes met mine, "never! Ever since you left, I have been trying to make my debt finished just so I could see you. I could not stand the fact that I had to wait so many years to finally see you. The more I waited, the more my heart ached. I could never love anyone else, Chihiro. You were, and are, the only one."

I smiled, and so did he. We just stood there, enjoying each other's company, each other's eyes, and each other's feelings. I had told him I loved him, now all I had to do was remember that promise.