Spirited Away: The Wait [ORIGINAL]

Hide and Seek (Part 1)

The Wait: Hide and Seek (Part 1)

     They stayed there for the whole afternoon. Time elapsed quickly and soon the blue faded into oblivion while golden and orange colors splashed themselves wildly onto the canvas of sky, with dark gray streaks adding to the decoration; a telltale sign they would all get dreadfully soaked if Haku did not choose to leave soon.

     Haku had been kneeling in front of the grave for several hours, and Chihiro’s butt ached from sitting down and keeping a restless eye on him. She wondered how painful his knees would be when he actually stood and got some feeling back in them.

     But then again, he was a dragon, so there must be a difference in their body’s ability to withstand such pressure.

     Shou, like him, had remained as still as a charming Roman or Greek statue, his face unfathomable. The woman chewed on her lip, feeling tired. The grass felt like a comfortable place to lay her head, but she could not bring herself to even think about resting when Haku was suffering right in front of her.

     It’s not your business anyway, a voice mocked tauntingly in her head.

     He’s a friend, a kinder voice said.

     No, he’s not. He betrayed you, remember? You’re just too hung up on him to not care.

     Attempts to tune out the chorus of oppositions in her head failed. Groaning internally, she laid her head back against the rock with a thump. She was most definitely not in the mood to think about that.

     Chihiro stared at the dragon through narrow slits, who was still kneeling by the grave, seeming to be drawing some things in the dirt while speaking to his friend. He had been at it for nearly the entire afternoon. While she felt Haku had sufficiently composed himself and was good enough to be left alone, Shou had insisted on staying where they were to look out for him. Apparently, something about Haku was not trustworthy enough for him.

     “Shou, who is this friend of Haku’s?” she asked softly, nudging the blonde to get his attention.

     He cleared his throat uncomfortably in return, as if unsure if confiding in her would be fine. She felt slightly offended at the thought. Was she not trustworthy enough to know what exactly was going on with her friend? She wanted to know what was going on so she could at least try to help Haku. Nobody could ever be beyond help, after all.

     Finally he answered vaguely, “She was once a good friend of Haku’s…”

     “I know, you told me that before, Shou,” Chihiro pointed out, clearly unsatisfied with the lack of details he was providing, “but you don’t seem sure of yourself. I know you’re hiding something else, so tell me.”

     Her tone had gone sharper than intended, and regretted it a little when Shou flinched. He looked away and said, “I’m not at liberty to tell you so much. Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

     She sighed. People used that tactic way too many times. “For one, he’s not supposed to know that we followed him here. For two, Haku and I are…” she trailed off at the recollection of whatever had gone down the past few days. It felt like it’d been a few years. The wound from his betrayal was no longer open, but the scar was still fresh, and she did not feel ready to forgive Haku just yet. And what was more, he did not exactly look like he wanted to see her, let alone talk to her.

     “Both of you what?” Shou quirked his brow in suspicion.  

     She quickly amended, “It’s nothing. I meant, he’s not going to talk to me, and you’re the closest person to him, so you’d know best.”