Spirited Away : A Voice of Healing

Chapter 8: Children from Afar

Chihiro's P.O.V

She and Lin quickly duck behind a velvet emerald green victorian sofa, probably meant for the guests to rest on. They had been tailing Haku ever since he came out of the elevator on the second floor. However, as he got half way across the bridge that towered over the baths below, he must have sensed her and Lin staring because he suddenly stiffens and begins looking around. She couldn't believe how much the dragon spirit had changed since she last saw him, he looked regal and graceful.

He still has that intense aura about him, especially at this moment since he was clearly feeling more than a little frustrated, though she suspects it was also because of his duty as the bathhouse boss, he basks in the airs of authority. He is very easy on the eye, he was when she was younger too but now that she is old enough to fully appreciate it, he looked nothing but ethereal.

He is tall and lithe, perhaps 6'3 and is out of the workers uniform that he used to wear and now seems to wear high quality clothing, the dark silk haori flowing around him majestically like rippling midnight water, it matched his hair, which she is happy to see hadn't changed much, if only a little longer...and those piercing green eyes, too large to be human and yet...so uniquely beautiful, yet they are also the eyes of a predator, a dragon.

Her heart pounds in her chest, loud like thunder as Haku then makes his way back towards the elevator that Lin had lead her to, after they were finished with the break room. They were lucky to have something to hide behind, and herself and Lin peeks over the couch again to get a good look, as Haku inspects one of the barriers that she made. With a good side view of his face from where they peeked , she couldn't help the swell of pride when she saw the impressed yet cautious look on her dragon friends face. As Haku continues regarding her handiwork with confused caution, as if trying to figure out if it was made from a malicious intruder or not, she locks eyes with Lin beside her, who merely  snickers and leans over to whisper in her ear.

"Way to go Chihiro...heheh..you have him completely stumped, he's usually such a know it all dragon...heh..seeing him like this is hilarious!" she whisper squeaks trying to hold back her own giggles. Lin was enjoying this way too much...but even so, she can't help but quietly snicker along side her, her friends enthusiasm is infectious.

Suddenly, a familiar voice begins calling out towards Haku, and they go back to watching the show from afar. A familiar frog squeezes through the growing crowd that is somewhat surrounding Haku, it was the Foreman. They had spoken to the other bath manager at the start of Lins shift, and thankfully the frog foreman didn't seem to recognise her, so he was none the wiser as Lin introduced her as the 'new girl' to him, and called her Chi-chan.

They had managed to do at least a little work since Lins shift began, and had already started working right under the dragons nose, as if she has been working there all her life, no-one even battered an eyelash towards her. Suddenly, what the foreman says next has them remembering something that they had completely forgotten about, being too immersed in trailing the dragon and too distracted by their next prank they had yet to pull, oops. The Formans voice rings out, clearly stressed about the whole ordeal.

"I'm sorry sir but have you seen Lin and the new girl Chi-chan? They were supposed to clean the big tub and they are nowhere to be seen, the big tub is scheduled to be used in 10 minutes!" they hear the Foreman explain frantically to the dragon, as they slowly and awkwardly hide themselves behind the sofa yet again. They look at each other with similar expressions on their faces, pursed lips and eyes screaming, oh crap! Suddenly, Haku's confused and agitated voice rings out from behind them, it sounded just as it did back then, if a little bit deeper with his new age.

"New girl? What new girl? I have not hired anyone new in over a year" Haku's voice states, sounding like a mixture of confusion and steel.

"Huh?? But Master Kohaku... Lin said that-" however the toad was cut off, as she and Lin try to communicate silently to each other trying to figure out their next move since they both know what is going to come next, Haku's words only confirming their assumptions.