"Chihiro, you do realize you're dead now, right?" Koaku asked gently. "You won't be able to return to the human world, ever."
Chihiro's face paled slightly; she had not thought of it in exactly those terms. No more pocky, no letters from friends, no more school. She would not see her parents for a very long time; in fact, she would have nothing to remind her of home except the clothes on her back. Kohaku sighed heavily, and put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her to him.
"There's nothing we can do about that now," He said. "What's important is finding work and a place to stay. We can't impose on Zeneba forever."
"I could go back to the bathhouse," Chihiro offered. Kohaku looked at her in surprise.
"Go back to work for that witch, Yubaba?" He said harsher than he intended, "No, Chihiro. Now that we're both free of her, I won't have you going back. There are pleanty of other places we can work without going back there."
"Oh," Chihiro stated, looking wounded at the unpleasant sterness in Haku's voice. Noticing the hurt look on Chihiro's face, he placed an index finger under her chin and lifted her face too meet her eyes.
"Don't worry," Haku told her, "Everything will work out. I'm sure of it."
"Head east towards the Silent Forest," Zeneba instructed the next morning, as Haku and Chihiro left her house to look for work. "About half a mile before you reach the forest, you'll reach the Michiyo City. There's plenty of work to be found there."
"Thank you, ma'am," Chihiro answered chipperly, bowing. Haku bowed at the same time, also voicing his thanks.
"You ready?" Haku asked gently, offering his hand to Chihiro.
"Uh-huh," Chihiro replied, taking his hand in her own. He nodded, smiling as they floated into the sky and headed toward Michiyo City.
Michiyo City was huge. As she walked along side Haku, Chihiro stared in wonder at the large buildings that towered above her. Haku pulled her inside one building unexpectedly, as she was looing at a clothing store on the other side of the street.
As Chihiro looked at the various, oddly-shaped knick-knacks about the store, Haku procurred jobs for the both of them. Chihiro had hardly noticed what was happening until a rather rotund woman was standing unnervingly close to her, clearing her throat.
"As I was saying," The woman said condesendingly, "I trust I can see you early tomorrow morning?" Chihiro looked at Haku uncertainly. He nodded once, encouraging her answer.
"Yes ma'am," Chihiro answered meekly. The woman harrumphed as she went back behind the counter.
"Very well, then," She announced grumpily, "I'll give you a chance. ONE chance, and if you mess up," she added, "You'll never work in this city again, hear?"
"Fair enough," Haku answered calmly. "Come, Chihiro, I'll show you the sights of Michiyo City."
Chihiro lay in bed at her new apartment, right next door to Haku's, wide awake that night. Regardless of all the fun that they had had that day, there was a certain thought in the back of her mind that had left a somewhat bitter edge to it all.
"I'm dead..." She whispered to herself, "What will my parents think? Do they even remember me?"
