~ So Close ~
Toshio turned on the faucet and splashed some water on his face. Instinctively, he reached into his backpack for his white towel. He felt the sharp corner of his binder, the bent pages of his notebooks, the cold surface of his backpack…but where is the towel? Toshio jerked his head up in sudden realization. Oh no! Chihiro…
Chihiro twisted the left knob on the sink and rinsed the mud off the towel. She wringed it dry and brought the warm towel to her face. There was still a subtle scent of the earth…and the distinctive smell of rainwater. But there was another smell, an enigmatic aroma. Chihiro closed her eyes and sighed. The tall grassy plains that caressed her feet and the cool breeze that whispered in her ear. The sweet fragrance that had radiated from his body. The clean, woodsy smell of the grand tea house from so long ago. Her eyes were wet again with tears. How she longed to return, how she-
"CHIHIRO?" a boyish voice bellowed, and the bathroom door swung open. The surprised girl looked at the boy and could not find the right words to say.
"Wh..what..what are you doing here?" she finally managed.
The boy, suddenly aware of his surroundings, started to blush. I need the other half of my soul! He stammered, "I..uh...well…I asked Ujifusa-sensei where you were…and I came here to look for you!"
"You asked sensei where I was…and came to look for me…at the bathroom?" she cocked her head slightly, "How do you know that I am at the bathroom…"
Toshio quickly searched for a more plausible reason. "Well, when I went back to sensei, she asked me if I had seen you near the bathroom since you went to the bathroom, and she started to wonder if you were okay because you were taking a while," he paused, "so she asked me to come check on you." Phew. "By the way, can I have my towel back?" the boy added as he pointed at Chihiro's hand. I need my other half of my soul back before I transform again!
"OH! Sorry, you need to dry the ink stain," she realized, feeling rather embarrassed. Reluctantly, she placed the wet towel in Toshio's extended hand and looked up into Toshio's…greenish eyes. "What the…" she whispered.
"Um, is something wrong," he asked as he felt around his face.
Chihiro blinked twice. Wait, it's brown again…"Oh no, it's just my imagination," she replied, looking disappointed. However, Toshio knew. She saw.
"OH, THANK GOODNESS YOU ARE OKAY!" interrupted another voice as Miko burst into the bathroom, "wait, but what are you doing here,Toshio-kun?"
"I think we better return now," Toshio grabbed Chihiro's wrist and hurried before Miko could reveal anything else.
