Reunion and Disappointment

Haku sat on the train, dark hair spilling around his face, his fingers bending and ripping nervously at his ticket.

Tokyo, One Way

The letters were typed boldly at the top of the yellow ticket. Why would he need a return ticket? If things didn't work out with Chihiro then Tokyo was as good a place as any to start a life—so late in his life.

He didn't know what he would do. A job was important, but where could he work? University was something most went to, but he had never had any education before—what would they think of a young man who couldn't even pass the first question of a test?

He sighed, probably for the twentieth time on the train. A cart passed by with food, and Haku bought himself a sandwich. The server blinked several times before taking the small lump of gold without question—Haku knew they didn't use gold here, but it was usually worth more than what he was paying for, and so most, though surprised, greedily took the pieces.

He heard a ding!, followed by a woman announcing they would arrive in Tokyo in fifteen minutes, and Haku slid deeper into his seat.

^

"Chihiro! The rice is ready!" Maeko called from the back room where the food was cooked. The location was Initsu's, a somewhat fast-food place. Chihiro, her hair spilling out of her messy bun, took the change from a customer.

"OK, Maeko! Just a sec!" She smiled and thanked the customer, then gave him a number to place on his table while she wiped her hands on her red apron out of habit. "Jin, could you watch the register?" She asked as she walked to the kitchen.

"How's business up there?" Maeko asked, passing her two buckets of rice. Chihiro shrugged. "Not that good?"

"In-between." She answered. "Is the daikon radish almost done? Several people have been asking for it." She leant on her left leg, balancing the right bucket on her hip. "Just tell me, OK?" Maeko nodded.

"Here's the rice, Emiko." She handed it to the girl who was in charge of dishing the food, and Emiko dumped it into the large metal pan. "Jin," She turned to the young man who'd taken over the register. "I've got it now." He grinned.

"Looks like I'm off for the day now." She exchanged a knowing smile. "See you later, Chihiro!" He took off his apron and slung it on one of the hooks before grabbing his backpack and leaving out the door.

She sighed. It was eight o'clock, business was slowing down, and she had an impossible load of homework for tonight. She caught herself leaning on the register desk daydreaming just as a handsome young man walked in with jet black hair just touching his shoulders.

It seemed to her she knew him, but that was impossible. When did she start hanging out with popular guys? Well, except Kenji, that is, and she felt out of place with his friends. This guy had to be popular—he was gorgeous! And dressed the way she liked…she straightened herself up as he approached the register.

"Um, hi." He greeted, seeming to stutter. Why should a guy like that stutter? She returned a smile, picking up a pen to take his order. "What's good here?" He then questioned and she thought for a moment.

"That's very good," She pointed a finger to something on the large menu on the wall. "I highly recommend it." She grinned.

"Sure, that sound fine." She passed the paper down to Emiko who started to dish it out, and she started punching his order into the cash register. She gave him the price, and, biting his lip thoughtfully, he handed her a piece of gold. She had a flash of memory, like there was something she was supposed to remember to do, but she shrugged it off.

"Is that enough?" He looked worried, like he had done something wrong, and he began to reach in his pocket to retrieve more.

"Oh, no; that's well more than enough—"

"Just take it; that's all I have." She reluctantly obeyed his persistence, and thought of how funny it would be for Genki to find it in the register after closing. "Thank you."

"Just take a number and sit it on your table, OK?" She glanced quickly at the stack of red plastic cards, and he took one before disappearing to a table. She sighed as if earthquake had just ended, though she couldn't place why she had. Neither could she place why her heart was beating so fast.

Maeko appeared with a plate of daikon radish, grinning slyly. "He was amazing!" She whispered through her teeth, passing the dish to Emiko. "Did you even see him?" She hissed.

"Who?" She found herself saying.

"The guy!" Maeko caught herself and quieted down. "The guy who just ordered!" She was trying her best to shout and whisper at the same time. "He was so gorgeous, so handsome…and he gave you gold! That settles it, he's got to be rich." She leant against the counter next to Chihiro.

"It seems like I know him." Chihiro said quietly, but Maeko didn't seem to hear her. "Is that his order?" She snapped at Emiko. "Hey, I'm going to take this to him." And with that she disappeared, and Chihiro didn't even see him leave the restaurant.

^

Chihiro sighed, hooking her apron on the wall and grabbing her coat off another hook. She slid it on as walked to the door, saying her goodbye's to Emiko, Maeko, and Genki who had appeared just to close.

She stepped into the cold, winter wind, and shoved her hands in her pockets, her mind so busy with planning out the rest of her night she couldn't even think of that straight. It was then that she heard someone talk to her.

"Chihiro?" It was a man's voice, and at first she expected Kenji, but the voice was too silky, too refined and smooth. She stopped in her tracks and looked around. The boy who had come into the restaurant appeared and walked to her, and though common sense told her to run, there was a strange comfort about him.

"How do you know my name? Did Maeko—"

"I've known it for a long time now." She could hear his smile rather than see it. "I never thought I'd be able to find you, Tokyo's bigger than I ever expected it to be." The streetlight from several yards away flashed across his face, and suddenly a glimpse of a memory made her heart nearly stop.

"Haku!" She raced into his arms and gave him the biggest hug possible. Apparently he had been wrong; she had remembered him. "Sometimes I thought it was all just a dream," He heard her say, muffled by their embrace. "How did you—when—oh, I have so many questions for you! Do you have a place to stay?" He hadn't even thought about that yet, and he found himself shaking his head. "You can stay with me then! Oh, Haku, I'm so glad to see you!" She squeezed him tighter, just like he had always pictured in his dreams of when they'd meet again.

^

"I can't believe you convinced Yubaba to let you go," She said in awe, a cup of tea in her hand. "it sure took you a long time though, didn't it?" She smiled as he nodded, his fingers being warmed by his own cup of green tea. "How was everyone when you left?" He took a drink and nodded while he swallowed.

"Fine. Good, actually. Especially Lin." He grinned mysteriously, and she leaned forward, trying figure out the mystery. "She got train tickets and fulfilled her dream." Chihiro grinned from ear to ear.

"Are you serious?" She gasped. "Oh, I'm so glad for her!" She pulled her legs up under her on the couch. "That's so good." She said to herself. "So you went to my house back home?" He nodded. "And my mom actually told you where I lived and where I worked?" She seemed surprised. "What did you tell her?"

"I just told her I was an old friend trying to catch up with you." She shook her head in disbelief. "She seemed reluctant, but I suppose she didn't mistake me for a murderer or anything."

"I'm surprised, but I'm so glad you're here, Haku. We've got so much to catch up on." She adjusted a pillow behind her back.

"You mostly, my life hasn't changed much since you left the bathhouse. How have you been, Chihiro? What's happened? " She seemed contemplative, a little sad, reminiscent. "Nothing bad, I hope?"

"My dad passed away, the year after—the year after I left you." She said, and he instantly felt sorry he asked. "I'm OK with it now, I just don't really like to talk about it when I don't have to." She said quietly.

"Well you don't now." He said comfortingly, and she smiled gratefully. "What about university?" She seemed to brighten considerably. "What are you studying?"

"I'm studying writing—I'm a writer." He seemed a little confused. "I write poetry, books, things like that."

"Oh, that sounds good. Do you like it?" She grinned.

"I love it. I don't know what else I'd do with my life I like it so much. I also am doing a little history on the side as well. World history." This he seemed to understand. Her roommate, Yenshi, appeared in the adjacent kitchen to get something to munch on while she studied in the other room. "I actually—oh! I have a history conference to go to tomorrow," She said sadly. "Maybe I can cancel my ticket—"

"But you've been waiting months to get a ticket for that, Chihiro." Yenshi said from the kitchen.

"But Haku doesn't know the city and—"

"I can show him around during the conference if he wants to…" She looked at Haku to gauge his answer. "I mean, if he doesn't mind. I know I'm not his old friend, but I can at least show him around a bit." Haku, though disappointed, didn't want to ruin Chihiro's plans.

"That would be fine. If you don't mind, Yenshi." He turned around to look at her.

"Of course I wouldn't mind; I don't have any plans or anything." Chihiro looked between them both and nodded.

"OK, that sounds great."