It was 2a.m. in the morning. Chihiro was in the washroom, hunching all the way because her brother slammed her on her back after her father's muscular punch, washing off all the dried blood that was splattered on her. And applied medicated oil on the wounds where her mother had caned her. She looked at herself in the mirror, asking herself if she really was the person that she was at looking at was really her-a useless 15-year old girl. Not even a teenager. Well, she did not have the freedom to go out or to experience what it was like having friends through that stage.
She held up her drenched hand and touched the mirror. "Is this really who I am?" she asked herself. "A hopeless bitch that everyone calls?"
She clutched her fist and banged on the mirror, making sure that she would not break it or else she would be abused in the most creative way her mother would come up with if she would have found out about it.
She closed her eyes and wished that her soul would evaporate into the sky without a trace of evidence. Just then, she heard a clang of glasses behind her. She turned around and saw Kohaku there; smiling to assure her that everything was going to be alright.
"Kohaku?" Chihiro asked to god knows who (!) if it really was him.
"Chihiro," he walked towards her and placed his hand on her cheek. The feeling of warmth and comfort overcome her. "Don't cry. Remember that I will always be with you even though you don't sense it. Don't cry and stop those tears from swimming down from those beautiful eyes of yours."
After Chihiro heard this, she smiled and said "I love you Kohaku" and tiptoed to wrap her arms behind his neck. Kohaku hugged her back with his arms around her waist as he used one of his hands to rub her back.
They let go of the hug together and Kohaku saw that she was thinking about something, something sad. He raised an eyebrow and asked out what he was thinking "hey, what's the matter? I know those cuts are painful. Let me heal them for you." He touched both of her hands and was about to start the process when Chihiro found the strength to snatch away his hands away from hers.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"Kohaku," she looked up at him (A/N: his height you see. He's taller than her.) "I don't think we can be together. I'm so sorry."
"And may I ask why?" he replied like it did not even have effect on him.
"Did you see how my mother tormented me when she heard about you and me? She caned me to hell for your information!"
Kohaku made a soft laugh and replied to that comment "and you want a break up because you are scared that you might get another canning from your mom? Right…" Chihiro stared up at him with a few tears starting to rise up to her eyeballs, ready to slide down her face.
"Kohaku! Please take this seriously okay! I am getting canned by my…" she saw Kohaku turn around as he smirked and turned around and saw such seriousness in his eyes that made her stop talking. She was scared to death - her mouth was wide open as she stared innocently into his eyes.
"I am serious about this Chihiro. That's why I did not even leave you wherever you went, wherever you are. I didn't even care where you were or whatever. I didn't even leave you whenever you get tormented by your parents. I stood by you for every second you spent your life on." He was interrupted by Chihiro.
Then why didn't you come and stop my mother from canning me when you just stood down there and watched me get tormented? Is it your joy in life that you like to watch me get hurt?"
Kohaku placed his hands on his hips and looked down as he breathed deeply through his nostrils, thinking of what to say to that. "So you mean you don't love me anymore when you say that you want to break up?"
"What makes you say that?"
"What else? You want a breakup right?"
"That wasn't what I meant you know!"
"Then what do you mean! You want a breakup because you don't want to be canned right?"
Chihiro looked down then to the mirror. She saw that Kohaku was starting at her, waiting to get an answer from her.
"Look I'm sorry okay. I'll just tell you want's on my mind right now and then yours. OK?"
Kohaku said nothing but a small nod as a reply.
"Okay. I …" she paused. "I am just confused. Do you love me?"
"Yes…" he replied feebly.
"Then when you were just standing there, watching my get canned by my biological mother and being punched in the stomach by my father, why didn't you stop them? You know that I could have been paralyzed straight down my spine when my brother slammed on me after my father punched me." Kohaku looked at her hunched back and sighed.
"Chihiro, I also have rules to follow. I couldn't because well, it was part of the rules. Besides, don't worry. Remember that I will always be by your side Chihiro."
Kohaku smiled and hugged her by her waist while Chihiro well, hugged him by wrapping her weak hands around his neck and assured with him "Okay. I trust you." They let go of their embrace and looked at each other, eye to eye. Chihiro broke the silence by saying "now, your turn. So what's on your mind?" as she started to rub more medicated oil on her wounds.
"You. I'm worried about you. I mean like look at all these wounds. And you hunched back!" he said as he lifted up her hands and indicated her back with his eyes.
"Well, I have to live with that until it all gets healed. My mom will be suspicious of why I get healed so fast."
"Then I'll do it hmm…. Like 3 days later. OK?"
"Kohaku" she said feebly. "I know you are doing all this for me. But don't you need to take care of yourself? I mean like, your family might be at sake and…"
As she continued nagging, Kohaku thought of the last he saw his family. He didn't even think he even had a family. Kohaku might be caring for Chihiro's lifestyle but what about his? Won't it be unfair? He is focusing more on Chihiro than to his family. Or does he even have a family?
(A/N: I will make his life complete when he comes back to me! Sorry… you won't know…)
