Spirited Away: The Awkward Rom-Com After Chihiro and Haku's Reunion
A year has passed since Chihiro returned from the mysterious bathhouse, Aburaya. Now a high school student, she's bored out of her mind. The promise she made with Haku, the dragon boy, is a constant weight on her heart.
One day, a transfer student arrives. "Nice to meet you, Chihiro Ogino. I am Nigihayami Kohaku," he says with a dead serious face. He's definitely Haku, but he's acting all human and weird about it! And since he's super handsome, the whole school goes into a frenzy!
But for some
Spirited Away: The Awkward Rom-Com After Chihiro and Haku's Reunion - Pursuit! Melon Bread, the Mysterious Wooden Tag, and the Shadow of No-Face
Since that day, something inside Chihiro had solidified into absolute certainty.
Haku—no, the transfer student who now went by the name Nigihayami Kohaku—was definitely carrying something all by himself. It was in his eyes. The same eyes he had when he was lying. The exact same eyes from a year ago, when she'd first met him at the bathhouse.
Walking along the school route, Chihiro stared intently at her own palm. A small hand. But a year ago, that hand had clung desperately to the horn of Haku in his dragon form, holding on for dear life so she wouldn't fall. Back then, she had decided she would never let go, no matter what.
"[firm]...I am absolutely not giving up."
Her murmur dissolved into the spring morning air.
Behind her, she could hear her classmates Misaki and Saki chattering about something. Apparently, they were once again deep in discussion about "Prince Kohaku." *Today's the day I finally give him a melon bread from the school store.* *Me too, me too!* — their squeals of excitement passed right through Chihiro's ears without sticking.
—The school store.
Right.
Chihiro recalled something she'd noticed from her observations the day before. Haku came to the school store every morning. Always alone, without fail. And he always bought melon bread.
(*Has he taken a liking to bread from this world?*)
The thought struck her as just a little bit funny. She couldn't help imagining Haku, with that overly serious face of his, munching away on melon bread.
But this was no time for laughing.
This was a chance.
At the school store, she might be able to get Haku alone. It might only be for a few minutes, but she could talk to him without anyone interfering. And then—she would demand to know why he'd told her to "forget him."
A determined gleam flashed in Chihiro's strong brown eyes. A plan was assembling itself in her head.
As soon as morning homeroom ended, she'd dash to the school store. Get there first, pretend to buy melon bread, and lie in wait for Haku.
"[teasing]...Heh heh, if I do say so myself, it's a perfect plan."
Chihiro couldn't help but grin.
—That plan, however, was already on the verge of collapse three minutes before it was supposed to begin.
"[surprised]Wha—why is there such a long line?!"
The shutter of the school store hadn't even been raised yet, but a long line had already formed in front of it. A quick count put it at twenty people. What's more, almost all of them were girls. Every single one clutched coins in their hands, staring intently at the shutter as if willing it to open *right now*.
"[excited]I am definitely getting that melon bread!"
"[excited]I was here first! I'm not giving it up!"
Though they kept their voices low, the girls checked each other with undisguised rivalry.
Watching this, Chihiro understood immediately.
(*These girls... they're all planning to give melon bread to Haku!*)
Mikasagaoka High School's unofficial fan club, the "Adoring Prince Kohaku Society" — forty-eight registered members. At this point, the school store's melon bread was no longer just a sweet bun. It was a stand-in for a love letter, a vessel for their feelings toward Haku.
(*This is bad. This is way beyond what I expected...*)
Chihiro looked behind her. Ten or so people had already lined up after her. There was no escape.
"[laughing]You're after the melon bread too?"
While waiting in line, an unfamiliar girl spoke to her with a cheerful smile.
"[surprised]Huh? Oh, uh, yeah..."
"[excited]I knew it! I get it, you're giving it to Kohaku-kun, right? But I'm not gonna lose!"
She came to her own conclusion and clenched her fist tightly.
Chihiro's face twitched.
(*No, I'm not, I'm telling you...! It's absolutely not a gift or anything...!*)
She screamed internally, but couldn't say it out loud.
*Clatter, clatter, clatter!*
At that moment, the shutter opened.
"[angry]Kyaaaaaa!"
A chorus of shrill screams went up, and the line surged into the school store like an avalanche. Jostled and shoved by the wave of people, Chihiro desperately stretched out her hand.
(*Melon bread! Just one is enough! Please, let there be one left!*)
Leaning forward precariously, Chihiro barely managed to spot a single melon bread left all alone in the corner of the bread shelf.
There!
Twisting her small body through the crowd, Chihiro lunged for that melon bread.
—At that very moment.
A familiar presence appeared right beside her.
Straight black hair with a deep greenish tint swayed gently, though there was no wind. Deep emerald-green eyes. A flawless profile.
Haku.
His hand had grabbed the very same melon bread as Chihiro's.
Their fingers touched, landing softly against each other.
Chihiro's mind went completely blank.
(*H-H-H-Haku?! Why is he here right now?!*)
That's right, Haku also came to buy melon bread. She should have known that from her prior observations. But she never imagined their hands would touch in a situation like this, practically fighting over a single piece of bread—
Haku's eyes widened, just a fraction.
"Well, well, what's all this then?"
The person who interjected was the lady who ran the school store. A stout woman with the air of a big-hearted mother, she looked back and forth between their hands and the melon bread, grinning broadly.
"Alright, alright, ain't youth grand. Share it nicely, half and half!"
No sooner said than done, the woman unceremoniously snapped the melon bread clean in two.
"Here you go, young lady. And—oh my, aren't you that fine young transfer student? Here, this is for you too."
After pressing half of the melon bread into each of their hands, the woman turned away to deal with the next customer. Her handling of the situation had been breathtakingly swift.
A profound silence fell.
Chihiro looked down at the half melon bread in her hand. The sweet scent of the moist biscuit dough rose from within.
Haku said nothing.
He merely glanced at Chihiro for a single moment, then gave a small nod.
"[gentle]...Thank you very much."
The words seemed directed at the store lady, yet also seemed meant for Chihiro. Expressionless as ever, Haku took his half of the melon bread and disappeared into the crowd.
Chihiro stood rooted to the spot.
The place where Haku's hand had touched just moments ago felt faintly, persistently warm.
(*Haku...*)
Her heart pounded painfully, a heavy *thump-thump* in her chest.
Lunch break.
Chihiro went to visit old man Okada, the school custodian. Okada-san was a small, white-haired old man who quietly supported the thirty-five-year-old school building from behind the scenes. Always smiling, he was popular with the students.
"[gentle]Ah, Ogino-san. Sky observation for your independent science research, is it? That's mighty admirable."
Chihiro put every ounce of effort into making a smiling face. The guilt of spinning a complete fabrication made her stomach clench painfully, but this was all part of the plan.
"[excited]Yes! There's an observation I absolutely have to do from the rooftop...!"
"[laughing]Easy as pie. Here, this is the key to the rooftop. Make sure you come back to return it, now."
Old man Okada handed Chihiro an old key.
(*Alright, Phase Two of the plan, commence!*)
Chihiro thanked him and dashed up the stairs, taking them two at a time. She inserted the key into the doorknob of the rooftop door. A metallic *clunk* sounded as the lock disengaged.
*Bang!*
She threw the door open forcefully.
"[excited]I beat you here! Alright, Haku, now we can take our time and talk—"
She started to speak, then froze.
The rooftop already had an occupant.
In the shadow of the water tower, a tall figure had spread out a sheet and was quietly eating lunch alone. Bathed in the soft spring sunlight, deep greenish-black hair swayed gently.
It was Haku.
(*Why—?!*)
Chihiro's plan had been this: borrow the key beforehand, get to the rooftop before Haku did. Then, in a situation where they were completely alone, corner him so he couldn't escape and demand answers. And yet, somehow, Haku was here first.
Haku didn't even turn around.
He simply picked up a piece of rolled omelet with his chopsticks and brought it to his mouth. He chewed, swallowed, and only then finally opened his mouth.
"[cold]The key. That one. I have one too."
Without even glancing at the key in Chihiro's hand, Haku stated it flatly. In his left hand, a key of the exact same shape as the one Chihiro had borrowed from old man Okada glinted silver.
"[surprised]Huh...?"
"[cold]The custodian mentioned it. Said I seemed like a serious transfer student."
Old man Okada—!
Chihiro screamed internally. What was this? That old man just lent it out to anyone that easily?
Silence descended. A breeze blew, making the skirt of Chihiro's sailor uniform flutter softly.
Chihiro stood there, frozen in place. She didn't have the courage to sit next to Haku, nor could she give up and leave the rooftop. Stuck at an awkward distance, all she could do was stare fixedly at Haku's back.
(*Even though we're finally alone...! Why can't I say anything...!*)
Her heart was loud. Nervousness made her palms slick with sweat.
"[calm]Did you need something?"
A quiet voice. Haku's voice, utterly unreadable.
Chihiro's shoulders flinched violently.
"[angry]N-Not really!! I just wanted to see the sky!!"
A voice so shrill it surprised even herself came out, and Chihiro felt her face about to burst into flames. She walked briskly toward the fence on the opposite side from Haku.
She could feel Haku's gaze on her back.
(*Ugh, seriously, why is it that at times like this, I can't say anything at all...!*)
Chihiro placed her hands on the fence and looked down at the sports ground below. The soccer club was running around. In the distance, the sound of the brass band's trumpets drifted on the wind.
Her cheeks were hot. They were surely bright red.
For a while, silence continued.
Haku kept eating his lunch. Chihiro gripped the fence, unable to move a muscle.
—How long had they been like that?
"[whispers]The sky you can see from Mikasa Town... is surprisingly wide."
Haku murmured the words quietly.
It was a small voice, as if talking to himself. Carried by the wind, it barely reached Chihiro's ears.
Deep in Chihiro's chest, something tightened with a sharp pang.
(*Haku...*)
Chihiro felt she somehow understood the meaning behind those words. Back when he was in the Spirit Realm, as the master of a river, Haku must have been able to fly freely into the sky. Taking the form of a white dragon, swimming through an endless sea of clouds.
But now.
In human form, as just a high school student, he was bound to this town.
(*Why did you come to the human world?*)
(*Why are you telling me to "forget you"?*)
Chihiro almost opened her mouth.
But—she couldn't ask.
She sensed Haku standing up.
"[cold]I'll return the key. Tell the custodian that Ogino still has hers checked out."
Leaving only those words behind, Haku's footsteps retreated. The sound of the rooftop door opening and closing echoed, and then, nothing more.
Chihiro was left alone on the rooftop.
"[sad]...What is *with* you?"
She muttered quietly.
The afternoon sun stretched Chihiro's shadow long and thin.
After school.
Chihiro hid in the shadow of the school gate, waiting for Haku to come out.
(*This time for sure, I'm going to figure out what Haku is up to...!*)
Third time's the charm—Chihiro chewed on the phrase. At the pre-school store rush, she'd been swallowed by the crowd. During the lunch break rooftop encounter, she'd run away herself. This time, she absolutely could not fail.
Before long, she saw Haku leave through the school gate alone. His school bag slung over his shoulder, he walked straight ahead.
Chihiro began her tail.
Perhaps because it was a weekday evening, the Mikasa shopping district wasn't very crowded. Under the arcade, housewives carrying shopping bags and groups of elementary school kids passed by.
Chihiro
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