Seven Years Later

Chapter 3 - Confronting her boss

"Wait! Waitwaitwait! You knew him from before you signed your contract?!" Chiei blurted out.
Mina nodded, "Only very briefly though. When I entered the Spirit World, i got lost. I got scared when I saw all the spirits and tried to run back to how I entered. I couldnt leave because the town was there as well as that giant ocean that appeared. I dont remember how I first met him. Only that I saw him again when he reached out to me to comfort me."

Miyaki let out a sigh of confusion, "Him? Comfort you? Sweetie, dont you remember literally ten minutes ago when he told you to talk later? If he was really that kind, he would have stayed with you to tell you to stay safe rather than run off the first chance he got!" She sat down on the tatami floor of their room, pulling out Mina's uniform and handing it to her.

"I do but back then I wasnt working here. I was just a scared human who wandered into somewhere I shouldnt have been... Now I work under Yubaba so now it feels like he thinks I'm under him!" Mina threw herself back and into Chiei's arms.

"Listen, Mina, he was probably actually being nice. I mean, he did save your body from breaking in half," Chiei tapped Mina's head before sitting her on the floor.
"I know how you feel, Mina. Boys are difficult to manage! You never know what they're thinking!" Miyaki pulled the younger girl's shirt over her head pretty forcefully.

"As if you would know how boys act, Miki!"
"Hey! I have interacted with boys before! I had a fiance before I was dragged into this work by Yubaba!"
"Wait! YOU had a lover!" Mina looked at Miyaki with admiration.
The woman nodded, "Yep! Now put on your uniform. For all you know, Haku could burst through the door right now and drag you away still in your robe!" Miyaki threatened.

Just the thought of Haku pulling her along like that was enough to get Mina to scramble into the pink fabrics of her uniform whilst the three continued to gossip about the boy and how exactly Mina should act as to not embarrass herself.

______________________

Crouching in the flowers of the garden, Mina waited for the person she wanted to talk to. During the time it took for Haku to arrive, Mina got completely entranced in the beauty of the small space. The flowers littering the ground, the aroma of the air, the calming breeze rushing through her still damp hair. It felt comforting. She wanted to stay in her headspace.

Unfortunately, Haku arrived a lot earlier than Mina hoped he would. Tapping her shoulder, he crouched down beside her, "Mina? Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah. Sorry for that," Mina flinched, shuffling to the side to allow Haku to sit beside her. He shook his head as he sat beside her, "Its okay. You didnt do anything."

There was a quiet silence. It was kind of awkward as neither of the two said anything for a small while.

"Can you tell me about Sen, Haku?" Mina asked quietly, "I heard that you two knew each other more than anyone else knew her. And it's not like I can find Lin... Shes gone..."

He nodded, getting up and offering Mina his hand, "Sure. But here's not the best place to discuss it. Come with me." Mina took hold of his hand before he held tightly and ran out of the bathhouse. And when Haku runs, its incredibly fast so you can imagine how Mina was running for her life with her small legs and small amount of stamina.

As they finally came to a stop, Mina tumbled down a set of stairs from the force she stopped at. Haku sat beside her as she slowly uncurled herself from the ball she formed when she fell on her side.
"Wow... I cant seem to stop getting hurt today..." Mina commented, exhausted.
Haku chuckled, "You're still as reckless as ever."
Mina bolted upright, "Says you! You literally almost killed me!"

Brushing off that statement, he patted the stone beside him, "You wanted to know about Sen?"
"Yeah."
"Then what do you know about her already?"