Chapter 4 The Empty Restaurants

Is everyone having a good time? Staying bundled up nice and warm for the holidays? Eating freshly warm meals?

Yeah, really shouldn't have said that for this chapter. XD

Moving on to today's chapter.

[The Empty Restaurants]

As Chihiro caught up to her parents on the trail and began running up the stone steps where there was a frog statue, the camera cuts to what seemed like rundown buildings and rusted signs of advertisement, Akio then took another sniff and pointed.

Akio: Over there.

He then leads his family through the street and takes another whiff of the air.

Akio: This way.

He said as he pointed at the way and his family followed.

As Chihiro and her mother walked together, Yūko took notice of the surrounding buildings.

Yūko: How strange they're all restaurants.

Chihiro: Where is everybody?

Becky "That's weird. Shouldn't someone be operating the park?"

Ewen "This is just poor business.

Emile "No wonder they're shutting down."

Damian "Something about this seems… very off."

Loid and Yor narrow at the screen, trying to figure out the strangeness of the movie's plot and how it involves Christine's plan.

Loid and Yor 'Just what is she planning?'

Akio: There it is.

Akio took off running towards the camera before the camera captured him running away from it and to the steamed aroma coming out of the restaurant.

Akio: Hey! I found it!

He walked inside the booth.

Inside were mountains of different assortment of different types of food; soup drop dumplings, fried rice, assorted amounts of different kinds of meat. Heck, one of the dishes had a huge fish head!

Seeing the spread looking somewhat delicious, the smell in the air was making the high class' stomachs grumble with hunger.

Wait… Smell?

Everyone turned their heads to see a large buffet of food exactly from the movie in one of the school's cafeterias just down the hall.

And the parents of the high class had their mouths watering at the sight.

Christine "I can hear your thoughts and figured you would be happier if you had some fine dining. Please, parents. Help yourselves to the buffet I set up."

One by one, the parents got up and left their kids and went to mingle among themselves. The only ones that stayed behind were Mr. Henderson, Martha, The Blackbells, The Watkins, Mr. Glooman, and the Forgers.

Anya "You're not going, Mama, Papa?"

Yor "No, remember we've already eaten before coming here."

Loid "Plus, some of us have to watch over you and your classmates."

All the kids, 'That makes sense.'

Akio pokes his head out from the banner.

Akio: Here, you gotta see this.

As Yūko followed her husband through the stands.

Yūko: ah, look at this.

She says, in awe of the tempting display of delicious food.

Akio: Hello in there, is somebody working here?

Yūko: C'mon Chihiro, it looks delicious.

Chihiro: Mhm mmm.

She responded clearly, denying her mother's invitation.

Akio: Anybody?!

The camera pans across the kitchen behind the booth to see utensils and scattered ingredients in the back. The fire was burning, but there wasn't a single soul in the kitchen.

Mr. Henderson "This is unsanitary and inelegant."

Martha "I agree, a restaurant without anyone minding the kitchen or the dishes is very unsettling."

Loid "Not to mention there's no telling how long the food has been out for. Chances of being spoiled are high, especially when it's left outside for very long."

Yor "So it is a bad thing to leave cooked food out for long."

Yūko: Don't worry, honey. We can pay the bill when they get back.

Akio: Good plan.

He then notices more food down the line.

Akio: Hey, that looks great.

As her husband walks away, Yūko then grabs a small chicken-like roast.

Yūko: I wonder what this is called?

She then took a bite and turned her head to face Chihiro.

Yūko: Ah, it's delicious! Chihiro, you gotta taste this!

Chihiro shakes her head, 'no'.

Chihiro: I don't want to any. We're gonna get in trouble. Let's get out of here.

Akio, who was holding two plates, was picking two of everything on the platters.

Akio: Don't worry, you got daddy here. He's got credit cards and cash!

One of the questions was a "yes" or "no" answer. Would you eat the food that's lying out on the table or not?

It was a trick question, and a few of the rich and spoiled kids circled "yes" while everyone else, including Anya, circled "no" as their answer.

Yūko: Chihiro you have to taste this, it's so tender.

Chihiro is still shaking her head 'no' and doesn't want to eat. Akio then placed down his plates and sat next to his wife.

Akio: Mustard?

He said as he passed said condiment to his wife.

Yūko: Thank you.

We then see Chihiro's parents gorging themselves with all the food near them, snorting like pigs while doing so. Akio slurps up an entire dumpling in his mouth as her mother, Yūko, rapidly stuffs her face with seafood.

The remaining parents and children made disgusting expressions as they watched Chihiro's parents.

"Disgusting!"

"I guess all commoners have no manners at all."

Mr. Henderson "Such inelegant table manners!"

Mrs. Blackbell "They're eating like… like…"

Denis Glooman "Pigs."

Meanwhile, the Forgers can see how much Chihiro's parents have become, so arrogant and full of gluttony. Ignoring the signs all around them, like the rules don't apply to them.

Yor "Something bad is going to happen, I just know it."

Loid "Don't forget, Chihiro's parents are not the only ones we should be concerned about."

Yor knew exactly what he meant, the other parents.

Just what is the goddess planning?

Soon Chihiro, tired of her parents stuffing their faces, shouts.

Chihiro: C'mon you guys, you can't!

But her parents were lost in the delicious food, her father even grabbed one of the small chickens and took a huge tear-bite out of it.

Chihiro then gave up and left the restaurant to explore more of the strange location. She then walked up a set of stone stairs coming to a fork in the road, she turned to the right and saw something that was amazingly huge and very unexpected.

A giant ruby red and emerald green colored bath house with a funnel letting out black smoke.

Chihiro: That's weird…

Weird indeed.

It is an impressive building, but…

Emile "What is that?"

Becky "Is it some sort of house?"

George "I think it's a hotel."

Bill "A hotel?"

Chihiro took a few steps towards the bridge, where the big building was on the other side.

The camera shows areas of the building, the banner being blown by the wind, the sound of the windows shaking, and the running hot water from an outside hot spring.

(Off-screen) Chihiro: It's a bathhouse.

Anya "What's a bathhouse?"

Becky "I'm not really sure."

Christine "It's kind of what young Glooman said, it's a hotel, or rather an Inn to be precise, with tuns of bath stations for the guess to soak and relax in."

Yor "Then it's like a spa hotel?"

Christine "Something similar to that, some bathhouses will be built with an Inn, but it's mostly a place that's open to the public to take a relaxing bath."

Mrs. Witkin "That sounds lovely."

Martha "I would love to try that, provided that there's privacy."

Christine "Oh yes, definitely. Some will have singles, split between genders, and one for only family can use. Plus, you can use a swimsuit if you feel uncomfortable around others."

Mrs. Blackbell "That's a relief."

Chihiro stares at the bathhouse for a moment before walking to the wooden bridge and poking her head out from the wooden railing to see a small train coming out of the tunnel.

Chihiro: There's the train.

Anya "Train!"

Yor "It looks like the trolley."

Loid "You're right, it does."

She then sprinted to the other side and hopped onto another railing and as she was turning her said he spotted a boy with dark green hair cut in a bob and wearing a white obe that closely resembles a Kariginu along with a lavender sash around his waist, short traditional indigo dyed Sashinuki (a type of kuribakama) underneath, and beige sandals. A darker blue Hitoe can be seen from the sides and shoulders of the robes.

Damian "Who's that?"

Ewen "Where did he come from?"

Becky "And what's his name?"

While her parents try to distract their daughter's love fantasy, others are wondering who this character is while filling in the answers on the question sheet.

That's it for Chapter 4.

I was thinking of trying to have this on the same day, although I figured I might just do it tomorrow.

Anyway, it would seem that some of you were correct. But you'll have to wait for the next chapter.

Until then, stay warm and read fan fiction.