Chapter 4: Of Gods and Mortals

Haku and Chihiro arrived at the back garden of the hotel sometime after midnight. Chihiro slipped off his back and he began transforming into his human form once more. Before her eyes, the elegant slender white dragon became a tall, lean, young man with lustrous and thick dark hair. He was dressed in his street clothes again and if she didn't know better, she would have mistaken him for a mortal.

"What will you do now, Kohaku?" asked Chihiro, handing the statuette back to him. He wrapped it in a cloth and tucked it underneath his arm.

"I must collect the rest of my father's stauettes, and retrieve the relics within in order to protect them. I will hide them again. I cannot let them fall into the wrong hands," he said, with a determined and serious look in his beautiful eyes. "Thank you, Chihiro, for alerting me to the situation." Chihiro knew that Kohaku was a spirit to be feared, and yet she found herself drawn into those eyes, the glistening pools of his sprit, pulling her in like the tide. She forced herself to look away.

"Y-You're welcome. I wish there was something more I could do to help you," she sighed. Just ask me to do anything, and I will, Chihiro thought as she forced her gaze back towards him.

"No, Chihiro. This isn't your battle. I know now that something evil is coming, and it's likely connected to my father's disappearance. It would be dangerous for you to get involved," he said. "But I appreciate your concern." She glanced up at him, somewhat disappointed at the response. In the moonlight, Chihiro thought that his serious expression broke into a smile, momentarily.

"I have to go now," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. As he turned to go, Chihiro caught his sleeve. Kohaku looked back at her in question. For a brief pause, she could not find her voice. She didn't even know what it was she wanted to say before he left. What she most wanted to know at that very moment was whether or not she would see him again. Her only desire was for him to promise they would. But there was no words on her tongue that could make him stay. And she knew he would not make that promise this time. She harbored the unbearable thought that this would be the last time they would meet.

"K-Kohaku," she stammered. "Good luck." It was all she could manage to say.

"Thank you, Chihiro-san." Then, leaving her still speechless, he transformed into a dragon again and took flight, disappearing into the velvety dark night sky.

000

Chihiro awoke to the fresh morning sun, shining through the windows of her hotel room. She glanced behind her and saw Sachiko's curled up form in the bed next to hers. Staring at the ceiling doused by the morning light, Chihiro recalled the events of the prior night. Something in her heart ached at the thought of not seeing him again. It was rather cruel to make her forget him, and then suddenly have her remember, only to have them part once again. She wanted to see Kohaku again. She wanted to see him tomorrow, and the day after and all the days after that.

Light tears rolled down the sides of her face and she couldn't stop them. Her feelings confused her, and yet somehow made her feel more real and alive than she could ever recall.

"What's wrong with me?" whispered Chihiro to the quiet room.

That day, as the class tour was about to end, Chihiro and Sachiko packed up and joined the other students at the station. As they all waited for the train to take them back home to Ueno, Chihiro stared blankly into the blue sky, listening to the music from her earphones drowning out the world. It was a soulful tune; Moonlight Sonata, by Beethoven. The melody ran through her mind and wove its spell over her restless thoughts. As she was sitting on the bench, still concentrating on the shape of Kohaku's face, Sachi suddenly plopped down beside her.

"Here!" she smiled, handing Chihiro an unopened bottle of ramune soft drink. Chihiro snapped back from the recesses of her mind and looked at her friend.

"Thanks, Sachi-chan," smiled Chihiro.

"Chihiro, you're looking a bit lost today. But I know that expression. You're in love!" snickered Sachi.

"I am not, Sachi! I'm just sad to be going back home."

"No, I'd know that dazed look with my eyes closed. Heaven knows I've had that look on my face whenever I think of Mamoru. You can't fool me, Chihiro-chan."

"This drink is really good, Sachi, thanks," smiled Chihiro, taking another sip from the glass bottle.

"You're rotten, Chihiro. No changing the subject!"

But just then, their train sounded its horn as it slowly made its approach to the platform. The students then shuffled for their baggage as the teachers tried to line them up in an orderly fashion for boarding. Soon, she and Sachi were aboard, sitting at a four person booth by themselves. As the train began to leave the station, Chihiro stared blankly at her reflection on the glass against the natural scenery outside. It reminded her of the time she took the train with Kaonashi, Yu-Bird and Bo to Swamp Bottom. That was the first time she had ever been on a train. She remembered how determined she was to save Haku and return the seal to Zeniba.

Kohaku told her last night that there was nothing she could do to help him this time. But still, Chihiro was eager to get home now, to walk the dirt path behind her house into the forest. She wanted to return to the spirit world and seek out Zeniba who was very old and wise. Surely she would be able to tell Chihiro if there was a way to help Kohaku. Chihiro was determined to try. It wasn't the end of summer yet, so there was still time for something to happen...

But it didn't.

Chihiro woke to the sound of the clock radio on the table by her head, beeping loudly at her. She swat at the machine, trying to push the right button, and successfully turned it off after five tries. Burying her face into the pillow as she lay on her stomach, she dragged herself back into consciousness and pondered what had transpired over the past few weeks. She thwarted the plans of demons to steal a sacred relic. Kohaku had come back into her life and her memory was restored. Then, he left as quickly as he had come again…

Somehow, that entire chain of events led to one incredible conclusion: she needed to return to the spirit world and help him.

But her class returned home without incident, and she didn't dare breathe a word of this to anyone. No one would understand or believe her. Though she was worried about him, she soon realized that she could do nothing to help him. Kohaku had proven himself a knowledgeable and resourceful spirit and most likely didn't need her.

For now, it was finally the first day of her junior year, and she couldn't afford to be late for class this morning, of all mornings. There was an archery club meeting this afternoon. She had to turn in her summer homework. Her mom wanted her to enroll in cram class on the weekends to prep for entrance exams. The student body had to gather for opening ceremonies during homeroom period. So many ordinary things to keep her busy....

But she didn't want ordinary.

She got up and changed into her light gray school uniform, consisting of a pleated gray skirt, white shirt, gray vest and jacket. Checking her reflection in the mirror after she tied her black and orange striped tie, neatly done in a Windsor knot, she raced downstairs past the kitchen table for a piece of toast (which she shoved in her mouth) and raced out the door with barely a "goodbye" to her parents.

Down in the subway station, crowds of people were lining up in the morning to catch their train. Sachiko and Chihiro were, as always, at the end of the line.

"Chihiro-chan, what's the matter?" asked her friend. "You look more flustered than usual."

"Huh?" Chihiro touched her face and found that it was warmer than usual. "Oh, I dunno, it must be this weather."

"Oh. You know, I had such a great time last night with Erika and Sano. We played cards until midnight. Where were you? I tried to call you so that you could enjoy your last day of summer vacation before today."

"Don't worry about it, it wasn't as if my whole summer was entirely uneventful," smiled Chihiro, knowing that Sachi-chan did not see the secret behind her grin.

"Well, we're off to school again," said Sachi, stepping onto the train that took them to school. "Just more tests and more after school meetings as usual. Are you still in the archery club?"

"Yeah, I can't bring myself to quit even though I know I don't really have time for it. I can't believe there will be newbies calling me senpai. Sometimes I still feel like a freshman," she smiled.

'At least you have something you enjoy doing. I was drafted into the yearbook committee and it's really boring there. I can't wait until next summer, when I'll spend my life watching Hana Yori Dango all over again and eating spicy dried cuttlefish strips," sighed Sachi. "I'm definitely not looking forward to catching up with our college entrance examinations though. Maybe I'll enroll in a vocational school instead. And there's that paper that we have to write about what we learned! Ugh," moaned her friend. "What is there to write about? I saw a bunch of old temples and statues? I can't even remember them all, now."

"You spent most of your time eating, so I can't believe you'd be able to describe one place in detail. Since you were eating so much, you might was well make it a traveler's food review," laughed Chihiro.

She turned to see her own relfection in the windows of a nearby metro train. I want to go back and see him, she thought to herself.

As they rode the No. 9 commuter train to school, the scenery was getting monotonous as the buildings and people whirred by, so she closed her eyes and thought of Kohaku. She felt her cheeks get a bit hot as she tried to bring his face up in her mind. He was ever so calm, and showed very little emotion. The only look she could discern was his honesty. That night before he left her, he had wanted to tell her something, but held back. Kohaku was always so collected and reserved. Were gods ever passionate about anything?

It seemed like a distant dream when she recalled how they had become acquainted. It had seemed so long ago, when Chihiro was called "Sen" in a strange bath house owned by a witch; where she had helped him remember his name and identity, and with that, his memory and freedom. Without her, he could have stayed a slave to Yubaba forever. There was definitely admiration and gratitude in his eyes. He was always so kind and gentle with her. But dragons are kind to everyone, she had heard. When she saw him again this time, there was kindness in his countenance and something else she did not recognize.

What was that look he had given her at the onsen?

As she was trying to decipher the meaning in his eyes, the train made its first stop at the local temple. Just then, a thuggish looking man got up from his chair and made his way to the door. His shoulder rudely knocked Chihiro and her friend aside. Sachiko began to protest, when he glared at the two of them. His eyes were dark, with golden slits like those of a snake. Sachi gasped and didn't utter another word. Chihiro watched as he exited the train towards the Ueno Shinto temple.

Chihiro paused briefly just as the train's speakers were telling its passengers to stay away from the doors as they were closing.

"Go on without me, Sachi," said Chihiro quickly as she made her exit just before the double doors closed. Her friend ran up to the window and pounded hard on the glass with a fist. Her lips mouthed Chihiro's name and Chihiro watched in silence as the train left the station. She looked around for the man with the demon eyes and saw his hunched figure make its way up the flight of stairs to the first level of the temple grounds. Taking a deep breath, Chihiro silently followed suit.

Note: Hana Yori Dango is an immensely popular Japanese drama that was initially produced as "Meteor Garden" in Taiwan (consisting of three separate series: Meteor Garden, Meteor Garden II, and Meteor Rain) which preceded the Japanese version and has its own boy band from its popularity! The Japanese version aired the ninth and last episode on 12/2005; and I think might still be banned by mainland Chinese censors for it's "politcal" message. It's based on a manga by Yoko Kamio of a "commoner" girl who enters an elite school of snobs and wreaks havoc on their classist system, and the richest, most obnoxious boy there falls in love with her. It is published by Vis comics in the U.S. translated as "Boys Over Flowers" for a total of 37 volumes, and is also an anime consisting of 51 episodes. There is a Korean drama of the same name.