Yay! Got 4 reviews! Thanks so much for reviewing! It makes one want to keep writing.

This chapter's shorter than usual because if I did the next bit, it'd be heaps long, and I don't want long chapters. It'd also take longer to update (since I haven't written it yet – hehe!)

After closing time, Rin went down the elevators to the boiler room to see Kamaji.

Getting down there took her longer than she expected, as it was already common knowledge that she was a friend of Sen, and Sen was a friend of Haku. So the workers had bombarded her with questions about the magic display outside, and the best Rin could do was to tell them to shut up and go away.

But a few frogs even went as far to ambush her in a narrow corridor.

When she finally got downstairs, she was in a very bad mood. To make things worse, Kamaji was only half-listening to her while he busily tidied up the boiler room with all six arms.

At last Rin managed to get his total attention and told him what happened between Yubaba and Haku.

At length, she finished angrily, "And all the stupid frogs and slugs and who knows what came running after me later, asking questions!"

"Haku, huh?" was all Kamaji said, obviously not listening to Rin's angry complaints.

"Yes, Haku! Who did you think I was talking about, boiler man?" Her patience was seriously wearing thin.

Kamaji scratched his head with one long black fingernail. "What did he say…? It was only this afternoon…" he trailed off, thinking.

Rin's anger dissipated somewhat as she watched him with raised eyebrows while shooing away the susuwatari around her – they thought it was mealtime again.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, remembering. "Haku said he was going to Yubaba to quit his apprenticeship."

She scoffed, "And how's he supposed to do that? He can't leave unless he's got his name back."

"Oh, but he does. Chihiro gave it to him."

"Who?"

"The girl, remember? Sen."

"Her? I knew there was something between them!" she whooped. Then she calmed down and asked, "So what's his name?"

"Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi."

Rin raised her eyebrows again and said, "That's a long one."

"Hmm," Kamaji agreed. "So Yubaba got mad with him because he quit?"

"Looks like it."

Kamaji asked, "And did you see if Yubaba was angry…happy…anything?"

"Nope."

The mood darkened in the room, and even the susawatari quietened and stopped jumping up and down for food.

"You think he's all right?"

"We'll see," was all Kamaji said.

"Well," said Rin, falsely cheerful, "I'd better go up. Get some rest."

She slid through the low wooden panel and disappeared.

Stick around, everyone! More characters coming along!

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Reposted 22/11/05 to remove review responses