p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"The next morning, Haku managed to wake me up without injuring either one of us. I hadn't been sure what time he had returned yesterday from his mission, but I had been in bed. Only the soft sounds coming from the other room indicated his return and I had no idea of telling what time it was, but I rolled over and fell back asleep quickly. Today, we hardly said a word to each other as he led me back to the same room as the morning before. I washed the floors with the other girls and then headed to my assigned room and was pleasantly surprised that I was working with Lin once again. We chatted as we cleaned and then were polite to our customers. Lin convinced me to keep the tips I made in gold since everything else was already going to Yubaba. The next few days passed like that and with each day I was getting more and more comfortable in the Spirit World and with Lin./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"I stare at myself in the mirror and I'm starting to second guess my decision to let Lin take me out. The night before she had explained that Yubaba would let workers go out on the weekend on a rotating schedule which meant free time for workers and got them to work harder which is what Yubaba wanted. She had come up with this scheme to have a weekend out with me, somehow managing to convince Yubaba to let me have the weekend off. But that wasn't enough for Lin. She then had to find me a sexy outfit to go along with our night out./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"I looked back at the mirror again. I'm wearing a short, black kimono with pink cherry blossoms scattered over it. The kimono reaches to just above my knee and my hair has been released of its braid to hang down in a wavy curtain around my face. It's strange how a different hairstyle and different clothes make me look like an entirely new person. I tug at the bottom of the kimono, not really because I want it to be longer but because I feel strange. Even back in the human world I never really "dressed to impress". A knock on the bathroom door startled me back from my thoughts./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Come on Hiro, you look gorgeous! Let's go have some fun." Lin whines through the door./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"I sigh and take one last look at myself in the mirror before opening the door. She's dressed in a light blue kimono with white flowers and it looks stunning on her. Her hair is down around her face and not in its usual ponytail but the look suits her. I grumble to myself and Lin frowns at me./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Will you loosen up? We're supposed to be having fun." Lin complains./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I've never worn anything like this before. And since when did the spirits have an urge to party?" I asked, still confused about how I got roped into this./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Since Yubaba has let us start having weekends off, there's a section in the restaurant district that's become more central for some of the younger spirits. And spirits have always like to take time to celebrate. Didn't your grandmother ever tell you about the 'Stink Spirit' and how we all got a free drink of sake for it? Spirits don't mess around. Plus, there's a festival in town tonight and it will be fun to get out." Lin says, dragging me out of the Bathhouse./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"I huff as I let her drag me out and we end up in front of the bridge. I haven't seen Haku all day because he left earlier that morning for another mission. It seemed like he was avoiding me and I couldn't entirely blame him. He had kept his distance and we had still yet to have a real conversation about the past and who I was exactly. Lin had easily adjusted to me being a different person from my grandmother, but it seemed like Haku was having a difficult time of letting it go. Lin and I mingled with the younger spirits and I became comfortable. It was a familiar setting to me, even if the spirits were weird looking and not humans. I began to let go and have fun. I felt like a pair of eyes were on me the entire night, but when I turned to see if anyone was watching me, there would be no one there./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Lin and I dance and drink the night away. The eyes never leave me, but after awhile I stop looking for them. Lin was with me and I knew that I was safe with her. A young river spirit who was attractive enough danced with us and kept us company. He had light brown hair, brown eyes, and freckles. He was tall, towering over me as we danced, but it was fun. He was amusing, asking me about the human world and joking around. It was nice to meet someone that didn't know me as "Chihiro, but not". Lin pushed me into his arms at one point and I could feel the energy in the room shift. A spirit was extremely angry, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. The young spirit laughed it off and spun me around before we continued dancing. The night slipped away and the sun began to rise by the time that Lin grabbed my arm and dragged me back to the Bathhouse. By now, I knew my way around fairly well. I kissed Lin on the cheek as we parted ways and I made my way up to Haku's apartment./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"I opened the door quickly, slipping inside and shutting the door as quietly as possible. I didn't see Haku on the couch and I thought that maybe he had gone to Yubaba's to sleep on a bed for the night. I sighed in relief and looked down, taking a step forward. As I looked up, Haku appeared in front of me and I froze. He was so close and I was surprised that I hadn't heard him until he was right in front of me./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Hiro," Haku said, his voice icy./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"I shivered with the coldness from his voice. I was waiting for a lecture about staying out or even going out at all when I was so new to the Spirit World, but it never came. He reached out and cupped my cheek with his hand. He was so warm and I was suddenly aware of every movement he made. His thumb brushed across my freckles as his eyes gazed intensely into mine. His fingers brushed over my cheek as he brought them to my lips. He traced my bottom lip, my mouth opening slightly. His eyes moved from my lips to my hair, his fingers brushing back over my cheek as he ran his hand through my hair. It was the same color as my grandmother's, but the waves were something unique to me. He was so close that I could feel the heat radiating off of his body. My breathing was shallow as I waited to see what he would do next. His jade green eyes turned to mine and I stared back into them. He slowly leaned down, as if he was giving me a chance to object. His lips brushed sweetly against mine and I closed my eyes. The kiss was soft and sweet and gentle, but then it was like a hunger ignited in Haku. The kiss deepened and he put his hands on my hips, pressing himself against me. My mouth parted open and it seemed like he was going to devour me./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Chihiro," He murmured against my lips./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"I pulled back sharply, putting my hands on Haku's chest to put something between us. Looking into his eyes, I could see the sharp stink of regret and I knew that he had been thinking of my grandmother. I pushed away from him and Haku let me go without a fight./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Goodnight," I tossed over my shoulder as I quickly stepped around Haku./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Goodnight Hiro," He whispered quietly, but the damage was done./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"I stare at myself in the mirror and I'm starting to second guess my decision to let Lin take me out. The night before she had explained that Yubaba would let workers go out on the weekend on a rotating schedule which meant free time for workers and got them to work harder which is what Yubaba wanted. She had come up with this scheme to have a weekend out with me, somehow managing to convince Yubaba to let me have the weekend off. But that wasn't enough for Lin. She then had to find me a sexy outfit to go along with our night out./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"I looked back at the mirror again. I'm wearing a short, black kimono with pink cherry blossoms scattered over it. The kimono reaches to just above my knee and my hair has been released of its braid to hang down in a wavy curtain around my face. It's strange how a different hairstyle and different clothes make me look like an entirely new person. I tug at the bottom of the kimono, not really because I want it to be longer but because I feel strange. Even back in the human world I never really "dressed to impress". A knock on the bathroom door startled me back from my thoughts./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Come on Hiro, you look gorgeous! Let's go have some fun." Lin whines through the door./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"I sigh and take one last look at myself in the mirror before opening the door. She's dressed in a light blue kimono with white flowers and it looks stunning on her. Her hair is down around her face and not in its usual ponytail but the look suits her. I grumble to myself and Lin frowns at me./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Will you loosen up? We're supposed to be having fun." Lin complains./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I've never worn anything like this before. And since when did the spirits have an urge to party?" I asked, still confused about how I got roped into this./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Since Yubaba has let us start having weekends off, there's a section in the restaurant district that's become more central for some of the younger spirits. And spirits have always like to take time to celebrate. Didn't your grandmother ever tell you about the 'Stink Spirit' and how we all got a free drink of sake for it? Spirits don't mess around. Plus, there's a festival in town tonight and it will be fun to get out." Lin says, dragging me out of the Bathhouse./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"I huff as I let her drag me out and we end up in front of the bridge. I haven't seen Haku all day because he left earlier that morning for another mission. It seemed like he was avoiding me and I couldn't entirely blame him. He had kept his distance and we had still yet to have a real conversation about the past and who I was exactly. Lin had easily adjusted to me being a different person from my grandmother, but it seemed like Haku was having a difficult time of letting it go. Lin and I mingled with the younger spirits and I became comfortable. It was a familiar setting to me, even if the spirits were weird looking and not humans. I began to let go and have fun. I felt like a pair of eyes were on me the entire night, but when I turned to see if anyone was watching me, there would be no one there./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Lin and I dance and drink the night away. The eyes never leave me, but after awhile I stop looking for them. Lin was with me and I knew that I was safe with her. A young river spirit who was attractive enough danced with us and kept us company. He had light brown hair, brown eyes, and freckles. He was tall, towering over me as we danced, but it was fun. He was amusing, asking me about the human world and joking around. It was nice to meet someone that didn't know me as "Chihiro, but not". Lin pushed me into his arms at one point and I could feel the energy in the room shift. A spirit was extremely angry, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. The young spirit laughed it off and spun me around before we continued dancing. The night slipped away and the sun began to rise by the time that Lin grabbed my arm and dragged me back to the Bathhouse. By now, I knew my way around fairly well. I kissed Lin on the cheek as we parted ways and I made my way up to Haku's apartment./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"I opened the door quickly, slipping inside and shutting the door as quietly as possible. I didn't see Haku on the couch and I thought that maybe he had gone to Yubaba's to sleep on a bed for the night. I sighed in relief and looked down, taking a step forward. As I looked up, Haku appeared in front of me and I froze. He was so close and I was surprised that I hadn't heard him until he was right in front of me./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Hiro," Haku said, his voice icy./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"I shivered with the coldness from his voice. I was waiting for a lecture about staying out or even going out at all when I was so new to the Spirit World, but it never came. He reached out and cupped my cheek with his hand. He was so warm and I was suddenly aware of every movement he made. His thumb brushed across my freckles as his eyes gazed intensely into mine. His fingers brushed over my cheek as he brought them to my lips. He traced my bottom lip, my mouth opening slightly. His eyes moved from my lips to my hair, his fingers brushing back over my cheek as he ran his hand through my hair. It was the same color as my grandmother's, but the waves were something unique to me. He was so close that I could feel the heat radiating off of his body. My breathing was shallow as I waited to see what he would do next. His jade green eyes turned to mine and I stared back into them. He slowly leaned down, as if he was giving me a chance to object. His lips brushed sweetly against mine and I closed my eyes. The kiss was soft and sweet and gentle, but then it was like a hunger ignited in Haku. The kiss deepened and he put his hands on my hips, pressing himself against me. My mouth parted open and it seemed like he was going to devour me./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Chihiro," He murmured against my lips./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"I pulled back sharply, putting my hands on Haku's chest to put something between us. Looking into his eyes, I could see the sharp stink of regret and I knew that he had been thinking of my grandmother. I pushed away from him and Haku let me go without a fight./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Goodnight," I tossed over my shoulder as I quickly stepped around Haku./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Goodnight Hiro," He whispered quietly, but the damage was done./p