Author's Note: ¡Bon appetít!


~TOSHIO SATO~

"Hak…" Chihiro stopped midway.

No, he is not Haku.

Yet, the voice of the boy sounded so familiar, as if Chihiro had heard it a thousand times before in the past. She quickly glanced at the boy from under her curtain of brown hair, and she realized that her thoughts were true. His face, his hair, his eyes…do not match those of Haku. The face was smiling…yes, but the smile was not Haku's. The boy's expression was genuine and kind and alluring as he looked down at Chihiro with a concerned look, but it was just not Haku's! And his hair was black, instead of the seaweed green that Haku's was; did Haku dye his hair? And his eyes were a dark chocolate brown; were Haku's eyes this color?

Chihiro's contemplation was suddenly interrupted. "Do you need some help?" the boy asked softly. Barely lifting her head, Chihiro nodded and extended her mud-covered hand. The boy took it firmly and pulled Chihiro up to a standing pose. Miko watched this whole scene with a half-smile escaping from her lips.

Unfortunately, the clouds started to congregate again, and Chihiro and the boy both looked up. The boy, suddenly realizing that it was going to start raining really soon, quickly opened his backpack and produced a towel and green umbrella from within.

"Here, take this, I don't think you would want to wonder around in-" he glanced at her wet uniform, "wet clothes on a rainy day." He offered her a crisp white towel and quickly opened up his umbrella just as the first drop of rain fell from the grayish sky.

Chihiro took the towel awkwardly followed by a quiet "thank you."

After a few moments of silence, she realized that her heart was thumping so loudly, and wondered whether the boy could hear it as well. However, the boy, oblivious to her anxiety, abruptly suggested, "Well, um, why don't we get going? I think he might be late." Chihiro, still extremely embarrassed by her stumble, nodded subtly again, and shuffled along as the boy started to walk.

The two walked in silence, and Miko quietly tagged along behind them. As the raindrops dripped and dropped from the sky above, creating a peaceful melody when they bounced off the surface of green umbrella, the boy looked around, trying to acquaint himself with his new surroundings, for he only moved here a week ago. Meanwhile, Chihiro was focused on her own thoughts.

"Who are you?"

And why do you remind me so much of him?

"Are you talking to me?" asked the surprised boy.

"Yes, what is your name?"

Actually, I do not want to know.

"Toshio Sato."

Oh.

"I'm Chihiro Ogino."

Toshio. Somehow, Chihiro was disappointed in hearing that name. She thought, she really thought, that he could be him.

"Actually, I should go back to my friend now! I'll return this towel to you tomorrow!" said Chihiro as she forced a timid smile from her lips. She turned and ran back to Miko, and did not look back.


**Last Reminder: Please, please, please review! I know that my skills as a writer are not perfect, so please tell me how I can improve! But thanks&&mucho.mucho.love!